Tag: bleary

Fic Rec Advent Calendar, Day 25

elisa-pie:

It’s Christmas Day, and so this fic rec calendar has come to an end. This was so much fun to do, and I hope you have enjoyed it as well! And what better time to curl up with a hot drink and some nice feel good reading, be it a book or a fic, than a quiet moment during the Christmas time.. and I’ve got just the fic for you! I wanted to save this to the end because I love it so much, so this is like the special, bigger chocolate some chocolate advent calendars have for the last day.

A Bleary, Hopeful Shade of Blue by AtoTheBean

Fandom: Star Trek RPF
Relationship: Chris Pine/Zachary Quinto
Rating: Explicit
Words:
63,177
Tags: Kid Fic, Friends to Lovers, First Kiss, First Time, Coming Out, Bisexuality, Family
Summary:

Funny how such a little thing can change your life forever

Why I like this fic: It begins with Zach suddenly finding out he’s the father of a small baby, and Chris dropping everything else and going to help him. This is one of my all time favourite Pinto fics – and one of my all time favourite fics of any fandom. I have read it so many times by now that I’ve lost count. The development of Chris and Zach’s relationship feels so wonderful and organic, and we see it through the little details of the life they end up sharing as Chris helps Zach take care of the baby. There is so much comfortable domesticity and casual intimacy in this, lots of pining and honest discussions about life and feelings. I love the life they build together in this, and I love the wonderful, slow-build way @ato-the-bean has crafted this story.

+ there’s also a whole series, with some lovely ficlets taking place during and after this story, and a longer on-going sequel called Cleaving full of angst and love and holiday stuff. I also adore that story so much and that one of course is such a perfect read for this time of year, so if you have already read A Bleary, Hopeful Shade of Blue please go read Cleaving and give it some love too!

Thanks for the love, @elisa-pie! Hope you’re having a lovely holiday! I’m brushing off Cleaving now that Xmas is over, so here’s hoping I can get some momentum back.

Looking forward to the master post!

Few Words Wednesday

From Cleaving 8.  Spoilers ahead.

Wedding planning had gone remarkably smoothly, all things considered.  It was no doubt a combination of having Helen, a consummate professional, a “flexible” (i.e. as large as it needed to be) budget, and a time constraint that basically forced Zach to let go of details he might have otherwise obsessed over for the better part of a year.  He had every faith that it was going to come together and be beautiful… he just didn’t know all of the details of exactly how  it would be beautiful.  Part of him was irked by that, but a larger part was profoundly relieved, because he knew in his heart of hearts that given the opportunity he could have given any “bridezilla” a run for her money.  With the time limitations, he was forced to take Chris’ more Zen approach. 

The one detail Zach couldn’t seem to let go of, though, was the cake of all things.  It seemed like such an important symbol, but the high-end bakeries in town were booked out, and Zach was mortified by the second-tier bakeries and their butter-cream-rose-infested monstrosities.  And he and Chris both hated buttercream frosting.  In a fit of desperation, after visiting five bakeries and seeing the patience on Helen’s face start to crack, he called an old friend in New York who made what were essentially sculptures out of cake and fondant.  Marco had always said he’d wanted dibs on making Zach’s wedding cake, but that was before Nathan.  And there wasn’t time for one of his works of art, anyway.  And he was booked New Years Eve, Zach learned.  Still, once he’d recovered from his shock that Zach was getting married in four days and was considering getting a box cupcakes with dinosaurs on them, because at least then Nathan would be happy, Marco had sprung into action.

“I’ve worked it out,” he’d said when he called about an hour after Zach’s desperate plea for advice.

“Worked what out?  You found a bakery?”

“I found a pastry chef in Pittsburgh who’s going to bake the cakes for me and let me into his kitchen to construct and decorate.  You have your choice of lemon almond cake or olive-oil rosemary.  He works in an Italian restaurant and those are his specialties.”

Zach had been stunned.  “Those both sound amazing.  Lemon will probably appeal to more people.  How are you going to have time to—”

“What do you know about the naked cake movement?”

“Uh, nothing?  Though I guess maybe I’ve seen things in magazines that could be considered naked cakes… sort of rustic looking?”

“They can be like that, but they can also be quite elegant, especially if just a bit of frosting is used to smooth out the colors and shape.  But the underlying cake shows through a bit, making it reminiscent of wood.  I think it would work with what you’ve described from your wedding, and I can dress it with flowers from your florist.  A cake for 35 made like that, I have time for.  I promise, Zach, it will look exquisite and unique and as masculine as wedding cakes get, and it will not have an ounce of dreaded buttercream frosting.  I just need your florist’s information and your trust.”  

Bleary readers, I was wondering…

I’m working on what is probably the last chapter of Cleaving, which is probably the last time we see the Bleary boys except in a brief epilogue.  I don’t have plans for another fic (though to be fair, I didn’t have plans for Cleaving when I finished Bleary).

I’m trying to wrap up all my hopes for them in this chapter and the epilogue, and tie up anything that I’ve left dangling in previous fics.  I know what I want for them, and what I think needs to be tied up, but it got me thinking of what you all might want for them.  Mind you, I’m not asking for major plot points…those are laid out.  But details—especially things that tie back to the earlier fiics— do you have ideas?  I can’t promise I’ll incorporate them, but you might think of something I’ve forgotten or not focused on, and if I can, I’ll throw it in.

Ideas?

Also, do we know Zach’s favorite poets?

Six(ish) Sentence Sunday

ato-the-bean:

From Cleaving Chapter 7:

An energy crackled between them as they stood side by side brushing their teeth in Zach’s childhood bathroom.  An energy Zach hadn’t felt in a long time. Not just attraction.  That had been around for the better part of a decade.  Not just domesticity.  That was a near constant the last two years.  No, this was a was more akin to the butterflies Zach had felt when they’d first become a couple.  When he realized he no longer had to hide his attraction for Chris.  No longer had to doubt Chris’ attraction for him.  The knowledge that Chris’ hands would soon be exploring his bare skin, and his would be roaming Chris’, and there was no way it wasn’t going to happen.

It had been months since he’d felt that certainty, but he did now.  And judging from the gaze he met in the mirror, Chris felt the same.  Heat and intent shimmered in cerulean eyes, and Zach’s stomach flipped in anticipation. Impatiently, he finished a thorough brushing.  Then he waited, barely able to keep his hands to himself as Chris removed his contacts and washed his face, bending over the sink so Zach had to bite his lip to stop a groan or demand that Chris hurry.

Chris gave him a knowing smile in the mirror that nearly earned
him a slap on the ass, but before frustration could build, Chris threaded
their fingers together and pulled him across the hall and into their
bedroom.  No sooner had Zach pressed the button and heard the click of the lock than Chris had him pressed against the door, all hard lines and urgent kisses and fuck it was perfect.  Zach was gasping for air
and shifting his hips until yes right there, and Chris whined into Zach’s mouth, ceding just a tiny bit of control before his fingers fumbled for
the hem of Zach’s shirt.  Kisses paused for the removal of one shirt,
then another, and finally there was just cool air and heated skin and so
much desire Zach whimpered as Chris pressed him into the door again.  

Six(ish) Sentence Sunday

Almost done with the draft of this chapter.  Here’s another snippet.  From Cleaving.

“Hey, Little Man,” he cooed, taking Nathan from his mom.  “What happened?”

Nathan just clung to him as Margo explained, “He had an accident, and I forgot to take the diaper bag with me.  He was almost asleep.  I’m sorry we’re back so soon, I meant to give you boys more time.”

“It’s fine,” he said, carrying his son up the stairs.  “Let’s get you cleaned up, okay, Nathan?  Did you see some nice lights?  Anything fancy?”

Nathan nodded as Zach laid him down on a pad on the bed.  “Snoopy.”

“Snoopy!  That sounds cool.  Did he have a little Christmas tree like in the movie?”

Nathan nodded again as Zach made quick work of the dirty diaper.  His mom handed him a clean pair of pants and Zach was soon fastening up the dozen little snaps.

“Better?”  Zach asked as he picked Nathan up and held him.  He was already calm, but clearly tired.  Nathan nodded into Zach’s neck.  “Can you take a nap?  Then we can play with your new toys when you wake up?”

Nathan paused but then nodded again, too tired to put up even a mild protest.  Zach kissed his cheek and then laid him down in the Pack-and-Play, handing him Gustafer.

“Babbo hug?”

“Oh, Babbo’s taking a walk.”

“Bar?”

“You want to sleep with Gustafer and Bar?”

Nathan nodded, and his mom signaled him that she’d collect it from downstairs.

“His boots are kind of hard, and his hat doesn’t come off.  He’s not snuggly like Gustafer.”

Margo handed the bear into the crib and Nathan arranged his stuffed toys how he wanted them, an arm flung over both as if to prove Zach wrong.  “Bar and Guster.”

Zach bit back a smile, tempted to pull out his phone and take a picture, but not wanting to rile Nathan when he was so close to falling asleep.  “Okay, you’re right.  Have a good nap.  We’ll play when you wake up.”

Nathan closed his eyes and murmured, “Love daddy.”

Maybe it was the emotional roller-coaster of the last hour, but tears pricked Zach’s eyes.  “Love you too, Little Man.”

Six Sentence Sunday

From Cleaving:

“I just really hate Skype.”

Wait, what?  “What?”

“Skype.  I hate it.  After filming all day and finally getting some food and a shower, I hate seeing myself all green and from a strange angle looking literally ill in the corner of my laptop screen.  I always end up shifting around, trying to hold myself differently to make myself passable for… whoever I’m filming this for.”

“But we don’t care what you look like.  We just want to see you.”

“I know, I know, and I like seeing you guys, but after long filming
days, when I’m thinking literally for 14-16 hours about how my gait and
posture and expression are being captured by the camera, it’s just really
hard to turn it off.  And there’s no way for me to not look green and
tired and ill in that little camera in the laptop.  You still look good
green, maybe because I’m used to thinking you look hot as Spock, but I
really don’t.”