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Forever, Now series by harriet_vane (PG-13)
Fandom: BANDOM
Pairing: Gerard/Frank, Brian/Greta, Brendon/Ryan, Spencer/Jon
Length: 227,460 words in total
Author on LJ:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
harriet_vane
Author Website: Fic journal sticky post
Why this must be read:
The one that starts with Brian adopting 14-year-old Gerard and his 11-year-old brother Mikey, hiring Brendon the college student to look after them during the first summer, and ends with Gerard's first year in college and Pretty; Odd's first tour.
I was quite suprised when I found that this hasn't been recced here before. It's a well-deserved classic, both in the MCR and in the Panic parts of the fandom. It's a series of stories about belonging and love and family. About change and growth, where people's backstories matter, where change takes time, and things don't magically get better overnight just because we want them to.
Everything about it is excellent, the setting and plot and atmosphere, the characterisations and the dialogue. It's funny and serious and heartbreaking and thoughtful, and absolutely awesome. If you haven't read this yet you should run and do so now!
Excerpt from the story:
The kid was standing on the steps, biting his lip. The streetlamp light made him look impossibly pale. Brian could feel his heart ricocheting against his ribs. Was this when he called child protective services? Was this when he called the cops? Was this when he offered the kid a hundred bucks and then cried himself to sleep for another month?
The kid visibly steeled himself, shoving his hands down in to his pockets and taking a deep breath. "Mikey's sick," he blurted, looking up at Brian and then quickly back down again.
'Who the hell is Mikey? Are you Mikey? Oh my god, are there more of you?' Brian felt panic starting to rise and forced himself to take a deep breath. "Okay," he said.
"And you said... I tried everything and he just keeps getting sicker and I can't take him to the hospital and you said... Um." He looked up at Brian with those giant eyes and Brian knew he wasn't going to call the cops. Not tonight. "Can you... Never mind, this was stupid." He retreated a step.
"Wait," Brian said. He almost reached for the boy's arm, and forced himself not to. "Who's Mikey? C'mon in. I don't know if I can help, but I can try." He opened the door further and stood aside, hoping.
The boy looked at him dubiously. "I don't know," he said, biting his lip again.
"Mikey needs help, right?" Brian said desperately. "I have a friend who's a doctor. I can call him."
That made the kid look up, and he nodded, finally. Reluctantly. "Mikey's my little brother," he said, like he was giving away a huge secret. And then he edged past Brian into the house.
Brian shut the door with palpable relief. "I'm going to call my doctor friend," he said. "Do you want something to eat? How about something to drink? It's cold outside."
"I'm fine," the boy said quickly. He stood next to the door, clearly working out an escape route.
"My phone is upstairs. I have to - Just, don't go anywhere, okay?" This was so stupid, the kid was going to be gone before Brian even got back downstairs, he ought to call the cops or someone, but all he could think about was another kid, even younger than this one, freezing to death out there somewhere. "What's your name?"
The boy frowned, and shuffled his feet uncomfortably.
"I can't just call you 'hey kid,'" Brian pointed out, in what he hoped was a reasonable tone, heading for the stairs. Maybe if he ran up and back, he could keep this kid from bolting again. Maybe if he locked the door, the kid would have to stay inside where it was safe and warm. 'I really am losing my mind.'
"Gerard," the boy mumbled, staring at the floor. He still hadn't moved away from the door, but he'd started shivering, like being inside had reminded him how cold it was outside.
Forever, Now (77,320 words)
Star Shaped + Coda 1, Coda 2, Coda 3 (61,950 words)
Best Days (7,710 words)
The Lines You Amend (80,480 words)
This was my last rec for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
crack_van this month. I hope you've managed to find something worth reading among the stories I've recced.
Pairing: Gerard/Frank, Brian/Greta, Brendon/Ryan, Spencer/Jon
Length: 227,460 words in total
Author on LJ:
harriet_vaneAuthor Website: Fic journal sticky post
Why this must be read:
The one that starts with Brian adopting 14-year-old Gerard and his 11-year-old brother Mikey, hiring Brendon the college student to look after them during the first summer, and ends with Gerard's first year in college and Pretty; Odd's first tour.
I was quite suprised when I found that this hasn't been recced here before. It's a well-deserved classic, both in the MCR and in the Panic parts of the fandom. It's a series of stories about belonging and love and family. About change and growth, where people's backstories matter, where change takes time, and things don't magically get better overnight just because we want them to.
Everything about it is excellent, the setting and plot and atmosphere, the characterisations and the dialogue. It's funny and serious and heartbreaking and thoughtful, and absolutely awesome. If you haven't read this yet you should run and do so now!
Excerpt from the story:
The kid was standing on the steps, biting his lip. The streetlamp light made him look impossibly pale. Brian could feel his heart ricocheting against his ribs. Was this when he called child protective services? Was this when he called the cops? Was this when he offered the kid a hundred bucks and then cried himself to sleep for another month?
The kid visibly steeled himself, shoving his hands down in to his pockets and taking a deep breath. "Mikey's sick," he blurted, looking up at Brian and then quickly back down again.
'Who the hell is Mikey? Are you Mikey? Oh my god, are there more of you?' Brian felt panic starting to rise and forced himself to take a deep breath. "Okay," he said.
"And you said... I tried everything and he just keeps getting sicker and I can't take him to the hospital and you said... Um." He looked up at Brian with those giant eyes and Brian knew he wasn't going to call the cops. Not tonight. "Can you... Never mind, this was stupid." He retreated a step.
"Wait," Brian said. He almost reached for the boy's arm, and forced himself not to. "Who's Mikey? C'mon in. I don't know if I can help, but I can try." He opened the door further and stood aside, hoping.
The boy looked at him dubiously. "I don't know," he said, biting his lip again.
"Mikey needs help, right?" Brian said desperately. "I have a friend who's a doctor. I can call him."
That made the kid look up, and he nodded, finally. Reluctantly. "Mikey's my little brother," he said, like he was giving away a huge secret. And then he edged past Brian into the house.
Brian shut the door with palpable relief. "I'm going to call my doctor friend," he said. "Do you want something to eat? How about something to drink? It's cold outside."
"I'm fine," the boy said quickly. He stood next to the door, clearly working out an escape route.
"My phone is upstairs. I have to - Just, don't go anywhere, okay?" This was so stupid, the kid was going to be gone before Brian even got back downstairs, he ought to call the cops or someone, but all he could think about was another kid, even younger than this one, freezing to death out there somewhere. "What's your name?"
The boy frowned, and shuffled his feet uncomfortably.
"I can't just call you 'hey kid,'" Brian pointed out, in what he hoped was a reasonable tone, heading for the stairs. Maybe if he ran up and back, he could keep this kid from bolting again. Maybe if he locked the door, the kid would have to stay inside where it was safe and warm. 'I really am losing my mind.'
"Gerard," the boy mumbled, staring at the floor. He still hadn't moved away from the door, but he'd started shivering, like being inside had reminded him how cold it was outside.
Forever, Now (77,320 words)
Star Shaped + Coda 1, Coda 2, Coda 3 (61,950 words)
Best Days (7,710 words)
The Lines You Amend (80,480 words)
This was my last rec for
crack_van this month. I hope you've managed to find something worth reading among the stories I've recced.
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(I wondered why I started getting comments on this fic again, I'd assumed it was the new single.)
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