crack_van | Time of Your Life by Astolat (Adult)

This is my last rec for the month! It's been a joy to drive the American Idol 7 van this month and I hope to do it again soon. As with my first rec, I am ending with another one of my all-time favorites. ♥

Fandom: AMERICAN IDOL SEASON 7
Pairing: David Cook/David Archuleta with Cook/OFC and Archuleta/OFC
Length: 26,704 words
Author on LJ:

astolat
Author Website: fan fiction website

Why this must be read: Posted only a few months after the end of the seventh season of American Idol, this is as non-AU as real people fiction can get, yet it manages to incorporate memorable original characters and bring back our favorites from the Idol stage. This is a story that has it all from the slow awakening to love by both Cook and Archuleta to all of the obstacles in their way (many of which they put there themselves). It's heartbreaking at times, but you'll surely be squeeing a few hundred words later. The complex characterizations are pure

astolat, but I especially love how she wrote the Archuleta family and Carly Smithson. In fine form there are two of my favorite tropes: protective!Cook and sneaky!Archuleta. Here's a taste of the former:

He finally took out his cell phone. His voicemail was full, and there were a bunch of missed calls from his dad and his mom, and even some from Jaz and Claudia. There were other calls, too—Cook, and Michael, and Carly, from all of them. David touched Cook's number.

"Where the fuck are you," Cook said, without even saying hello; he'd answered on the first ring. "I swear to god, David, tell me right the fuck now—"

"Um, what? I, uh, I don't know," David said, startled. "I'm—I think I'm in the Hills somewhere? There's a—a park?"

"Jesus fucking Christ," Cook said. "Is there a street sign?"

David had to stand up and walk to the edge of the lot, and then he found a sign reading Laurel Canyon Park. "Okay, I'm coming," Cook said. "Don't you even think of going anywhere, seriously. I'm not even hanging up," and David heard the door shutting, and his car starting.

"Wait, you shouldn't drive and talk on the phone," David said.

"Okay, so just to be clear on this, I'm coming there to kill you," Cook said.

"But," David said, totally confused, "what—why are you—what—"

"You have any clue how fucking scared we've all been?" Cook said.

I can't say enough about how much I love this scene, but all of the scenes before and after it are mind-blowing.

Also be sure to check out the podfic by

aphelant; it's amazing!

Time of Your Life