Fluff Friday: Fluffy Kish fic recs! (Tokio Hotel, Tom/Bill)
♥Fluff Friday♥
I wanted to rec some fluffy fics, and then I realised the majority of them would be Kishmet's, so I decided to do a rec set with only Kish fics, since they're so good and delightfully fluffy that they deserve a rec set of their very own!
I wrote a small rec for each fic and then a lot of detailed squee (I couldn't contain myself! It wasn't my fault; fluff compelled me!) that's also spoiler-y, so you may not want to read the squee part at first.
Comment fic where Bill is overwhelmed by morning and Tom is angry without his hat (gen, G) by Kishmet
This is so, so amazing. It's just a little ficlet but it is amazing. Let me count the ways.
I love that it's written from Georg's point of view -- and yet it is about twins. Sorry, Georg, but I like twins more than you! I love seeing them through someone else's eyes though. Usual Tom/Bill fics are written from Tom or Bill's (or both of theirs) point of view, and while that's lovely as well, this is a refreshing change. Especially in this ficlet where the feel of how weird and in their own world the twins are. It's marvellous!
And then, characterisation. I love how both Bill and Tom are written in the story. It's fluffy because it's so warm and humorous -- Bill is so odd at the beginning of the fic, he's described as this strange and incomprehensible person who's like a caricature. I love all the words that describe Bill, the verbs: he waltzes into the dining room and meanders over to the table -- the description sounds a bit like Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean, and I love that. He does things "for no discernible reason" and when Georg tries to talk to him, they can't really communicate.
Oh, and then there's Tom. Tom! I love the words that describe him too. He storms in and stalks up to the table and demands to know where his hat is, and when Georg (poor Georg! He's clearly not as good at this as Gustav, who is wisely presenting himself as very preoccupied) tries to be diplomatic, Tom sounds dangerous.
Then Bill wanders back, Tom's hat "perched on his head at a rakish angle" (doesn't he sound exactly like Jack Sparrow? I enjoy picturing Bill acting that way so much!), and Georg fears the worst and wishes he could stop looking (but he can't because of his "morbid streak," hee!). I love the comical effect and rhythm of Bill sitting on top of Tom, in his lap, without realising that Tom is there -- and then, surprisingly, Tom is not angry at Bill for taking his hat and not noticing Tom's there, and Tom understands immediately why Bill collected his Jell-O on a napkin, which mystified Georg before. Isn't that just beautiful? I love that moment and I love reading that every time: Georg expecting a huge twin fight, and instead getting a smiling Tom and the immediate understanding between the twins.
Tom gets Bill to wake up and to interact with the world, too. ♥ This is pretty much a gen fic but it fills my twincest-y shipper's heart with love!
Comment fic: Gustav putting up with Bill and Tom's relationship (gen, G) by Kishmet
This is a little comment ficlet as the previous rec, and it complements it nicely, too. This one is also about twins but it's got an outsider point of view -- Gustav's. I really like that! And I like that Kishmet keeps exploring the dynamic set in the previous fic, where Georg interacts with Tom and Bill more but also gets into trouble with them, while Gustav maybe keeps his distance a little, and also steers clear of trouble.
Except in this ficlet where he sits between the twins in a mock interview. I love this take on them, how the ficlet expands what we see on photos and videos: the twins usually do sit next to each other at interviews and they're usually touching they are! Bill is all pushed up against Tom's side Anyway. I love that the ficlet takes a fact like that and tells a story about it -- how Gustav knows that it's a bad idea to get between the twins, and how he accidentally ends up doing that in this ficlet anyway, and what happens then.
I love how subtle the story is -- nothing much happens. There's a mock interview, and Bill and Tom banter, and Tom slouches and jiggles his legs, it's the usual. But Gustav's inner monologue makes everything meaningful and funny and relevant, like Tom's jiggling giving him (poor Gustav!) motion sickness. Hee! And of course, the most important thing is the twins' relationship and how Gustav sees it. It's like the thing we all do when we watch the twins and interpret their glances and touches and casual quips, but Gustav knows them and that's why it's all the more thrilling to read about how he sees them.
What Gustav sees is that Tom and Bill need to be touching each other, and need to exchange looks with each other every so often (more often rather than less), and when they can't do that, it's bad for everyone involved. (Except Georg, who sits in a more comfortable and safer place, and didn't help Gustav even though he saw his predicament, the bastard.) I love how the touching between Tom and Bill is unconscious, and how Bill -- the confident lead of the band who's always talking the most -- needs reassurance from Tom. It's lovely. And I love that Gustav thinks they should get to do those things and that when they do, the world is "as it should be." That's also why this is one my favourite fluffy fics!
Avon Calling (AU, WIP, Tom/Bill, PG-13) by Kishmet
This is so, so adorable -- just amazingly happy-making and fluffy! Bill is an Avon sales representative in the story, and when he wants to sell cosmetics products to Tom, Tom needs to accommodate his self-image and identity to include things like "wear makeup" and "kiss a guy." Tom and Bill are written just marvellously! Tom is constantly saying the stupidest things anyone could think of and Bill is incredibly sweet and forgiving -- they're very compatible, as you can see. *g* Their attraction is so strong that neither can really fight it, so it's definitely going to be interesting for them. This is a WIP and updated in small instalments, but in my opinion the journey is so enjoyable that you can just read it and not worry about the destination. (Which should be bed. Um. Where was I...)
The story is just pure gold through and through -- it includes such gems as Bill asking Tom "You know I'm a guy, right?" and Tom trying to find out how he feels by thinking to himself, "I'm gay, and I'm in love." The tone of the story is appealingly humorous, and it's also hot like burning. Bill has never kissed anyone before, but when Tom touches him, his reactions are... impressive. And humorous, sexy fluff is the best kind, isn't it?
Maybe It's Maybelline (AU, Tom/Bill, R) by Kishmet
Maybe It's Maybelline is a story about a bartender and a singer, and the bartender sometimes accompanies the singer, and Tom and Bill are so so cute in it! They're really shy and really, irreversibly in love with each other, and their infatuated awkwardness is just marvellous to watch! They smile shyly and blush and they're so unsure and tentative and careful with each other. *_* This is the best kind of fluff right here!
The fic is really funny too, especially with Georg commenting on Tom and Bill's behaviour -- "sickening," I think he calls it. *g* I just love seeing Tom and Bill meet in an AU like this and be so stunned by each other! But it is a problem, too, of course. When Tom is so reluctant to ask Bill out (he thinks he'd pass out before he got the words out) that he tries to convince himself he's happy to see Bill occasionally, what can you do?
Georg was right; no way was Tom going to work up the nerve to ask Bill on a date before Halloween. But Tom was happy knowing he'd see Bill that night (...). Hanging out and providing accompaniment for Bill was good enough. Tom was satisfied with his life.
Sort of.
Aww! Oh Tom. Luckily though Bill is going to come up with a solution which includes makeup and sex kitten Bill. I approve! And I love that even though they get a little more, hm, bold with each other, they're still a little awkward. And if you've read the story you know what I mean. *g*
Peppermint Kisses (AU, Tom/Bill, R) by Kishmet
This is a Christmas fic but it's never bothered me when I've read it. The story is marvellously fluffy. Incredibly, deliciously fluffy. It's like cotton candy -- light and sugary and sweet and happy!
At the beginning of the story, Tom is six, and he's about to be whisked away to a magical land by a boy named Bill he's never met before. There's something right about being together with Bill though, as if they belong together, and they feel affectionate towards each other and make each other happy.
I love Kishmet's writing because she's so incredibly good at showing how adorable six-year-old Bill and Tom are, and how much they enjoy each other's company. Here's an example:
"Were not," Tom retorted. ...
"Were too," Bill insisted, then promptly burst into laughter. "Nuh-uh, they weren't. You're too smart, Tomi." He spoke these last words admiringly, causing something to flutter like butterfly wings in the bottom of Tom's belly. Tom took great pleasure in impressing Bill, and decided he would attempt to do so as frequently as possible in future.
This little excerpt encapsulates what I was saying above -- I love their little childish argument, and Bill's playfulness when he first argues with Tom and then bursts out laughing and admits he was just pulling Tom's leg, and I love that Bill says Tom's smart ("too smart" -- isn't he the cutest?) and that Tom is so pleased by that.
At least half of what makes this fic so lovely and fluffy is kissing! The little, innocent, warm, affectionate kisses at the beginning of the story are just so lovely. They're like little bubbles of happiness scattered throughout the fic.
Bill kissed Teddy on the head and handed him back to Tom. Then, evidently sensing Tom's mild envy of the bear's good fortune, Bill gave Tom a milky, nuzzling kiss on the lips that lasted longer than any of their previous kisses.
There's so much sweetness packed into this little excerpt too! I love that Bill kisses Tom's teddy bear, first of all, and I love that Tom's is a bit envious. Bill sensing his envy is just marvellous. And the kiss itself just makes me sigh happily. *sighs*
A Baker's Valentine (AU, Tom/Bill, PG-13) by Kishmet
This is a bakery AU, set in a small village on Valentine's Day. It's tradition to give Valentine's cakes to loved ones, so Bill and Tom are busy baking and decorating cakes. This also means that Bill knows about all the romances among young people, which is a fun addition.
The story is so utterly sweet it just makes me really happy whenever I read it: I really like that Bill and Tom have a bakery and that they're both good at what they do and compliment each other, and their quiet, strong love for each other. That's what makes this story so wonderfully fluffy, too -- Tom and Bill are so undeniably right for each other, and they show it via lots of loving touches. (Shouldn't fluffy fics always have a lot of touching? It's definitely a big plus!)
My favourite part of this story, in addition to touching, is the dialogue. It's marvellous. They love each other but that doesn't mean that a pair of twins won't tease each other! Here's an example -- I could have chosen so many, so you have to understand that I'm restraining myself heavily here.
He reaches and brushes the flour gently off Tom's nose, and Tom smiles at him. "Always making a mess," Bill chides. "It's a wonder you've any flour left for the cakes at all, with the way you dump it on yourself."
The twins touching and teasing each other and smiling makes me feel all fluttery! There's a little bit of suspense in this fic too because all the girls seem to have a crush on Bill, and there's dance in the evening... (I do feel a bit sorry for the girls, not getting what they want, because even if Bill will dance with one of them, what about the rest?) The odds for a happy ending look good, though!
Wyrm's Bride (AU, Tom/Bill, NC-17) by Kishmet
This story contains so much awesome (and fluffiness!) that it's hard to believe even after many readings. It's a fairy tale AU, and Kish writes amazing fairy tale AUs; it's twincest which I like the best (AUs where Tom and Bill are not related can be absolutely wonderful but twincest -- it's meant to be!); there's slow revealing of feelings and warm, affectionate teasing and the ending is so, so good -- but I don't want to spoil it, in case some poor soul hasn't read the story yet. I'm going to spoil it in the next paragraph, then.
So! This story has got that magical fairy tale feel to it. I love the slow build at the beginning, with the witch and Simone accidentally biting one of the fruits without peeling it first, and the midwife thinking Tom is a demon. And even when the story is told from the points of view of people who think Tom is a demon, the twins' bond shines clear through. I love that when they're newborn babies Tom's touch sooths Bill. Oh, and Tom's tail! Isn't it strange and wonderful? I love that he's snake-like in other ways, too -- when Bill strokes his tail he relaxes and blinks slowly like a cat who's being petted. It's fascinating and I really like it.
It's so sad that they're separated. :( But I can handle it since the description of their childhood apart is interspersed with the lovely scenes where they are together as 18-year-olds and constantly touching and it's lovely. The world needs more fics with touching! And this one is so, so lovely -- did I say that already? Hee -- I love to read about them just hanging out together and loving each other -- and yes, touching. Nuzzling! Curling around Bill to warm him up! It's heavenly.
I'm getting ahead of myself... I was going to say at first that Tom and Bill are excellently written in this fic: Tom is a bit mysterious and reserved while Bill is more open, and they're both wonderfully eager to show their affection and feel innocently free to be physically close. I love that they want to hug and hold each other (and pet and nuzzle and lick, in Tom's case) as soon as they meet, every night. I love that there's absolutely no doubt that they love each other and want to share everything. That's what fluff is also about, for me. Touching and no doubt the twins love each other!
I also have to mention the dialogue which is hilarious and oddly touching at the same time. They tease each other -- Tom especially teases Bill, and I love it. And all in all I can't help but love how prickly their words to each other are, at times, on the surface, when they're actually so mushily head over heels in love with each other on the inside. For example when Bill is trying to open the door and meet Tom for the first time since they were babies: "Get in here, already," Tom rumbles. "What do you think I'm trying for?" Bill retorts. And when Bill gets inside at last, Tom says, "About time," and Bill says, "You try fumbling through the dark." And all the while they're so eager to see each other and to touch, needing each other -- I love how the dialogue doesn't show that at all. Somehow the incongruity between their feelings and words is just delightful. And they do that all the time! When Bill is about to play the lyre to Tom and says he's even worse with the harp and Tom says, "Glad I don't have to hear that, then."
Anyway, the story is not just undying love and banter (although I don't think I'd mind if it was -- I'd read pages and pages of that alone!) because Jorg wants Bill to be married, and that disrupts Bill and Tom's secret nightly moments of happiness. I love that it's not just an outside obstacle, either, but that there's a little uncertainty as to what Tom and Bill want -- Bill doesn't tell Tom he doesn't want anyone else, just says he's not ready to be married yet, and Tom doesn't comment on their father's plans to marry him but seems to go along with them. But since this is a fluffy, fluffy fic, the uncertainty doesn't last more than four nights or so; then Bill tells Tom that he can't go on to be married "because you're mine."
And now I'm finally talking about what I love most about this fic, and that is the transitional state Tom and Bill are in, on their way from brothers to lovers. I love that they know they love each other and need each other, and they can talk about it and acknowledge it, and they can hug and hold each other and offer each other tactile comfort. But there are things they want that they don't talk about, and I love those moments when they almost acknowledge them but not quite. For example this:
He nuzzles at Bill's palm, and it tickles and tingles pleasantly, making Bill catch his breath. Tom does it again when Bill releases the air in a breathy little sigh. Their eyes meet and Bill feels his cheeks flushing, and he looks away.
A little later Tom touches Bill's fingertips with his tongue and Bill shivers; Bill has the rare feeling of not knowing what Tom is thinking about, and he himself is thinking and feeling so much it's difficult for him to untangle them. This scene is pretty much my favourite in the whole fic. I love that Tom touches Bill like that (does he do it in purpose? Who knows?) and Bill reacts, and it happens and they both know it but they won't talk about it or take it further. Since Tom knows it, though, maybe he's waiting for Bill to talk about it -- and ask for more. Maybe he is doing it on purpose so Bill would have to bring it up... and of course just for the pleasure of making Bill shiver and sigh. *g*
All right, I lied, my favourite scene in the whole fic is when Tom's got his new braids and is looking at them in the mirror, and Bill can't take it anymore and blurts that he doesn't want Tom to be married. It's such a marvellous scene: Tom is eyeing his hair critically in the mirror, asking Bill how he looks, all the while Bill is anxious that he'll lose Tom. I love that Bill can't keep it in anymore; he shouldn't! I love that once he says it he can be even more open about it and say those magical words, "You're mine."
This is another in-between moment: on one hand they're brothers and twins and soul mates and they know it and talk about it, so it's all right to say that Bill doesn't want Tom to be married. But on the other hand it's still quite a thing to say -- "You're mine." It's not quite twin-territory, is it? And yet Bill says it (he's so brave! I love him) and Tom wraps his arms around him and immediately promises that in that case he will definitely not marry.
What Tom says next fills me with happiness: "You should've said so before. Silly little mouse." ♥ I love that he calls Bill little mouse (it's such a belittling and teasing nick name, but also kind of sexual because Tom is half-snake and snakes eat mice... or maybe that's just me?) and tells Bill he's silly. Hmm, now I'm kind of suspicious though -- did Tom know how Bill felt all along, and just pretended to go along with Jorg's plan to see how long Bill would stay silent? I didn't think he'd be so mean (well, not very mean, but still, a bit mean) but I don't know if I can put it past him. At first I just thought he wasn't sure if Bill wanted to have a wife and not spent the rest of his life with Tom (in which case, aww, Tom, of COURSE he wants to spend the rest of his life with just you!), and because he's so reserved, he didn't ask Bill if it was true and definitely didn't ask Bill to be with him, instead.
This is getting embarrassingly long so I'll just say that the rest of the story is just perfect, the ending is wonderful, and it's just so, so happy with the incredible dialogue that I praised earlier and the sizzling, loving relationship between Tom and Bill. But before I shut up completely I want to add that even though the first part of the story is so incredibly lovely that you think nothing can top that, the second part has an erotic dream in it, and everything is better with erotic dreams, in my opinion. Especially twincest fics where the person who had the dream doesn't quite know how to react to it, when he's woken up, and flushes thinking about it, and has to cuddle with his twin later without showing any signs of having had said dream...
And of course they're getting married in the second half of the story! But I can't possibly include all the fantastic things that happen in the story here; read it yourself! *g*
I wanted to rec some fluffy fics, and then I realised the majority of them would be Kishmet's, so I decided to do a rec set with only Kish fics, since they're so good and delightfully fluffy that they deserve a rec set of their very own!
I wrote a small rec for each fic and then a lot of detailed squee (I couldn't contain myself! It wasn't my fault; fluff compelled me!) that's also spoiler-y, so you may not want to read the squee part at first.
Comment fic where Bill is overwhelmed by morning and Tom is angry without his hat (gen, G) by Kishmet
This is so, so amazing. It's just a little ficlet but it is amazing. Let me count the ways.
I love that it's written from Georg's point of view -- and yet it is about twins. Sorry, Georg, but I like twins more than you! I love seeing them through someone else's eyes though. Usual Tom/Bill fics are written from Tom or Bill's (or both of theirs) point of view, and while that's lovely as well, this is a refreshing change. Especially in this ficlet where the feel of how weird and in their own world the twins are. It's marvellous!
And then, characterisation. I love how both Bill and Tom are written in the story. It's fluffy because it's so warm and humorous -- Bill is so odd at the beginning of the fic, he's described as this strange and incomprehensible person who's like a caricature. I love all the words that describe Bill, the verbs: he waltzes into the dining room and meanders over to the table -- the description sounds a bit like Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean, and I love that. He does things "for no discernible reason" and when Georg tries to talk to him, they can't really communicate.
Oh, and then there's Tom. Tom! I love the words that describe him too. He storms in and stalks up to the table and demands to know where his hat is, and when Georg (poor Georg! He's clearly not as good at this as Gustav, who is wisely presenting himself as very preoccupied) tries to be diplomatic, Tom sounds dangerous.
Then Bill wanders back, Tom's hat "perched on his head at a rakish angle" (doesn't he sound exactly like Jack Sparrow? I enjoy picturing Bill acting that way so much!), and Georg fears the worst and wishes he could stop looking (but he can't because of his "morbid streak," hee!). I love the comical effect and rhythm of Bill sitting on top of Tom, in his lap, without realising that Tom is there -- and then, surprisingly, Tom is not angry at Bill for taking his hat and not noticing Tom's there, and Tom understands immediately why Bill collected his Jell-O on a napkin, which mystified Georg before. Isn't that just beautiful? I love that moment and I love reading that every time: Georg expecting a huge twin fight, and instead getting a smiling Tom and the immediate understanding between the twins.
Tom gets Bill to wake up and to interact with the world, too. ♥ This is pretty much a gen fic but it fills my twincest-y shipper's heart with love!
Comment fic: Gustav putting up with Bill and Tom's relationship (gen, G) by Kishmet
This is a little comment ficlet as the previous rec, and it complements it nicely, too. This one is also about twins but it's got an outsider point of view -- Gustav's. I really like that! And I like that Kishmet keeps exploring the dynamic set in the previous fic, where Georg interacts with Tom and Bill more but also gets into trouble with them, while Gustav maybe keeps his distance a little, and also steers clear of trouble.
Except in this ficlet where he sits between the twins in a mock interview. I love this take on them, how the ficlet expands what we see on photos and videos: the twins usually do sit next to each other at interviews and they're usually touching they are! Bill is all pushed up against Tom's side Anyway. I love that the ficlet takes a fact like that and tells a story about it -- how Gustav knows that it's a bad idea to get between the twins, and how he accidentally ends up doing that in this ficlet anyway, and what happens then.
I love how subtle the story is -- nothing much happens. There's a mock interview, and Bill and Tom banter, and Tom slouches and jiggles his legs, it's the usual. But Gustav's inner monologue makes everything meaningful and funny and relevant, like Tom's jiggling giving him (poor Gustav!) motion sickness. Hee! And of course, the most important thing is the twins' relationship and how Gustav sees it. It's like the thing we all do when we watch the twins and interpret their glances and touches and casual quips, but Gustav knows them and that's why it's all the more thrilling to read about how he sees them.
What Gustav sees is that Tom and Bill need to be touching each other, and need to exchange looks with each other every so often (more often rather than less), and when they can't do that, it's bad for everyone involved. (Except Georg, who sits in a more comfortable and safer place, and didn't help Gustav even though he saw his predicament, the bastard.) I love how the touching between Tom and Bill is unconscious, and how Bill -- the confident lead of the band who's always talking the most -- needs reassurance from Tom. It's lovely. And I love that Gustav thinks they should get to do those things and that when they do, the world is "as it should be." That's also why this is one my favourite fluffy fics!
Avon Calling (AU, WIP, Tom/Bill, PG-13) by Kishmet
This is so, so adorable -- just amazingly happy-making and fluffy! Bill is an Avon sales representative in the story, and when he wants to sell cosmetics products to Tom, Tom needs to accommodate his self-image and identity to include things like "wear makeup" and "kiss a guy." Tom and Bill are written just marvellously! Tom is constantly saying the stupidest things anyone could think of and Bill is incredibly sweet and forgiving -- they're very compatible, as you can see. *g* Their attraction is so strong that neither can really fight it, so it's definitely going to be interesting for them. This is a WIP and updated in small instalments, but in my opinion the journey is so enjoyable that you can just read it and not worry about the destination. (Which should be bed. Um. Where was I...)
The story is just pure gold through and through -- it includes such gems as Bill asking Tom "You know I'm a guy, right?" and Tom trying to find out how he feels by thinking to himself, "I'm gay, and I'm in love." The tone of the story is appealingly humorous, and it's also hot like burning. Bill has never kissed anyone before, but when Tom touches him, his reactions are... impressive. And humorous, sexy fluff is the best kind, isn't it?
Maybe It's Maybelline (AU, Tom/Bill, R) by Kishmet
Maybe It's Maybelline is a story about a bartender and a singer, and the bartender sometimes accompanies the singer, and Tom and Bill are so so cute in it! They're really shy and really, irreversibly in love with each other, and their infatuated awkwardness is just marvellous to watch! They smile shyly and blush and they're so unsure and tentative and careful with each other. *_* This is the best kind of fluff right here!
The fic is really funny too, especially with Georg commenting on Tom and Bill's behaviour -- "sickening," I think he calls it. *g* I just love seeing Tom and Bill meet in an AU like this and be so stunned by each other! But it is a problem, too, of course. When Tom is so reluctant to ask Bill out (he thinks he'd pass out before he got the words out) that he tries to convince himself he's happy to see Bill occasionally, what can you do?
Georg was right; no way was Tom going to work up the nerve to ask Bill on a date before Halloween. But Tom was happy knowing he'd see Bill that night (...). Hanging out and providing accompaniment for Bill was good enough. Tom was satisfied with his life.
Sort of.
Aww! Oh Tom. Luckily though Bill is going to come up with a solution which includes makeup and sex kitten Bill. I approve! And I love that even though they get a little more, hm, bold with each other, they're still a little awkward. And if you've read the story you know what I mean. *g*
Peppermint Kisses (AU, Tom/Bill, R) by Kishmet
This is a Christmas fic but it's never bothered me when I've read it. The story is marvellously fluffy. Incredibly, deliciously fluffy. It's like cotton candy -- light and sugary and sweet and happy!
At the beginning of the story, Tom is six, and he's about to be whisked away to a magical land by a boy named Bill he's never met before. There's something right about being together with Bill though, as if they belong together, and they feel affectionate towards each other and make each other happy.
I love Kishmet's writing because she's so incredibly good at showing how adorable six-year-old Bill and Tom are, and how much they enjoy each other's company. Here's an example:
"Were not," Tom retorted. ...
"Were too," Bill insisted, then promptly burst into laughter. "Nuh-uh, they weren't. You're too smart, Tomi." He spoke these last words admiringly, causing something to flutter like butterfly wings in the bottom of Tom's belly. Tom took great pleasure in impressing Bill, and decided he would attempt to do so as frequently as possible in future.
This little excerpt encapsulates what I was saying above -- I love their little childish argument, and Bill's playfulness when he first argues with Tom and then bursts out laughing and admits he was just pulling Tom's leg, and I love that Bill says Tom's smart ("too smart" -- isn't he the cutest?) and that Tom is so pleased by that.
At least half of what makes this fic so lovely and fluffy is kissing! The little, innocent, warm, affectionate kisses at the beginning of the story are just so lovely. They're like little bubbles of happiness scattered throughout the fic.
Bill kissed Teddy on the head and handed him back to Tom. Then, evidently sensing Tom's mild envy of the bear's good fortune, Bill gave Tom a milky, nuzzling kiss on the lips that lasted longer than any of their previous kisses.
There's so much sweetness packed into this little excerpt too! I love that Bill kisses Tom's teddy bear, first of all, and I love that Tom's is a bit envious. Bill sensing his envy is just marvellous. And the kiss itself just makes me sigh happily. *sighs*
A Baker's Valentine (AU, Tom/Bill, PG-13) by Kishmet
This is a bakery AU, set in a small village on Valentine's Day. It's tradition to give Valentine's cakes to loved ones, so Bill and Tom are busy baking and decorating cakes. This also means that Bill knows about all the romances among young people, which is a fun addition.
The story is so utterly sweet it just makes me really happy whenever I read it: I really like that Bill and Tom have a bakery and that they're both good at what they do and compliment each other, and their quiet, strong love for each other. That's what makes this story so wonderfully fluffy, too -- Tom and Bill are so undeniably right for each other, and they show it via lots of loving touches. (Shouldn't fluffy fics always have a lot of touching? It's definitely a big plus!)
My favourite part of this story, in addition to touching, is the dialogue. It's marvellous. They love each other but that doesn't mean that a pair of twins won't tease each other! Here's an example -- I could have chosen so many, so you have to understand that I'm restraining myself heavily here.
He reaches and brushes the flour gently off Tom's nose, and Tom smiles at him. "Always making a mess," Bill chides. "It's a wonder you've any flour left for the cakes at all, with the way you dump it on yourself."
The twins touching and teasing each other and smiling makes me feel all fluttery! There's a little bit of suspense in this fic too because all the girls seem to have a crush on Bill, and there's dance in the evening... (I do feel a bit sorry for the girls, not getting what they want, because even if Bill will dance with one of them, what about the rest?) The odds for a happy ending look good, though!
Wyrm's Bride (AU, Tom/Bill, NC-17) by Kishmet
This story contains so much awesome (and fluffiness!) that it's hard to believe even after many readings. It's a fairy tale AU, and Kish writes amazing fairy tale AUs; it's twincest which I like the best (AUs where Tom and Bill are not related can be absolutely wonderful but twincest -- it's meant to be!); there's slow revealing of feelings and warm, affectionate teasing and the ending is so, so good -- but I don't want to spoil it, in case some poor soul hasn't read the story yet. I'm going to spoil it in the next paragraph, then.
So! This story has got that magical fairy tale feel to it. I love the slow build at the beginning, with the witch and Simone accidentally biting one of the fruits without peeling it first, and the midwife thinking Tom is a demon. And even when the story is told from the points of view of people who think Tom is a demon, the twins' bond shines clear through. I love that when they're newborn babies Tom's touch sooths Bill. Oh, and Tom's tail! Isn't it strange and wonderful? I love that he's snake-like in other ways, too -- when Bill strokes his tail he relaxes and blinks slowly like a cat who's being petted. It's fascinating and I really like it.
It's so sad that they're separated. :( But I can handle it since the description of their childhood apart is interspersed with the lovely scenes where they are together as 18-year-olds and constantly touching and it's lovely. The world needs more fics with touching! And this one is so, so lovely -- did I say that already? Hee -- I love to read about them just hanging out together and loving each other -- and yes, touching. Nuzzling! Curling around Bill to warm him up! It's heavenly.
I'm getting ahead of myself... I was going to say at first that Tom and Bill are excellently written in this fic: Tom is a bit mysterious and reserved while Bill is more open, and they're both wonderfully eager to show their affection and feel innocently free to be physically close. I love that they want to hug and hold each other (and pet and nuzzle and lick, in Tom's case) as soon as they meet, every night. I love that there's absolutely no doubt that they love each other and want to share everything. That's what fluff is also about, for me. Touching and no doubt the twins love each other!
I also have to mention the dialogue which is hilarious and oddly touching at the same time. They tease each other -- Tom especially teases Bill, and I love it. And all in all I can't help but love how prickly their words to each other are, at times, on the surface, when they're actually so mushily head over heels in love with each other on the inside. For example when Bill is trying to open the door and meet Tom for the first time since they were babies: "Get in here, already," Tom rumbles. "What do you think I'm trying for?" Bill retorts. And when Bill gets inside at last, Tom says, "About time," and Bill says, "You try fumbling through the dark." And all the while they're so eager to see each other and to touch, needing each other -- I love how the dialogue doesn't show that at all. Somehow the incongruity between their feelings and words is just delightful. And they do that all the time! When Bill is about to play the lyre to Tom and says he's even worse with the harp and Tom says, "Glad I don't have to hear that, then."
Anyway, the story is not just undying love and banter (although I don't think I'd mind if it was -- I'd read pages and pages of that alone!) because Jorg wants Bill to be married, and that disrupts Bill and Tom's secret nightly moments of happiness. I love that it's not just an outside obstacle, either, but that there's a little uncertainty as to what Tom and Bill want -- Bill doesn't tell Tom he doesn't want anyone else, just says he's not ready to be married yet, and Tom doesn't comment on their father's plans to marry him but seems to go along with them. But since this is a fluffy, fluffy fic, the uncertainty doesn't last more than four nights or so; then Bill tells Tom that he can't go on to be married "because you're mine."
And now I'm finally talking about what I love most about this fic, and that is the transitional state Tom and Bill are in, on their way from brothers to lovers. I love that they know they love each other and need each other, and they can talk about it and acknowledge it, and they can hug and hold each other and offer each other tactile comfort. But there are things they want that they don't talk about, and I love those moments when they almost acknowledge them but not quite. For example this:
He nuzzles at Bill's palm, and it tickles and tingles pleasantly, making Bill catch his breath. Tom does it again when Bill releases the air in a breathy little sigh. Their eyes meet and Bill feels his cheeks flushing, and he looks away.
A little later Tom touches Bill's fingertips with his tongue and Bill shivers; Bill has the rare feeling of not knowing what Tom is thinking about, and he himself is thinking and feeling so much it's difficult for him to untangle them. This scene is pretty much my favourite in the whole fic. I love that Tom touches Bill like that (does he do it in purpose? Who knows?) and Bill reacts, and it happens and they both know it but they won't talk about it or take it further. Since Tom knows it, though, maybe he's waiting for Bill to talk about it -- and ask for more. Maybe he is doing it on purpose so Bill would have to bring it up... and of course just for the pleasure of making Bill shiver and sigh. *g*
All right, I lied, my favourite scene in the whole fic is when Tom's got his new braids and is looking at them in the mirror, and Bill can't take it anymore and blurts that he doesn't want Tom to be married. It's such a marvellous scene: Tom is eyeing his hair critically in the mirror, asking Bill how he looks, all the while Bill is anxious that he'll lose Tom. I love that Bill can't keep it in anymore; he shouldn't! I love that once he says it he can be even more open about it and say those magical words, "You're mine."
This is another in-between moment: on one hand they're brothers and twins and soul mates and they know it and talk about it, so it's all right to say that Bill doesn't want Tom to be married. But on the other hand it's still quite a thing to say -- "You're mine." It's not quite twin-territory, is it? And yet Bill says it (he's so brave! I love him) and Tom wraps his arms around him and immediately promises that in that case he will definitely not marry.
What Tom says next fills me with happiness: "You should've said so before. Silly little mouse." ♥ I love that he calls Bill little mouse (it's such a belittling and teasing nick name, but also kind of sexual because Tom is half-snake and snakes eat mice... or maybe that's just me?) and tells Bill he's silly. Hmm, now I'm kind of suspicious though -- did Tom know how Bill felt all along, and just pretended to go along with Jorg's plan to see how long Bill would stay silent? I didn't think he'd be so mean (well, not very mean, but still, a bit mean) but I don't know if I can put it past him. At first I just thought he wasn't sure if Bill wanted to have a wife and not spent the rest of his life with Tom (in which case, aww, Tom, of COURSE he wants to spend the rest of his life with just you!), and because he's so reserved, he didn't ask Bill if it was true and definitely didn't ask Bill to be with him, instead.
This is getting embarrassingly long so I'll just say that the rest of the story is just perfect, the ending is wonderful, and it's just so, so happy with the incredible dialogue that I praised earlier and the sizzling, loving relationship between Tom and Bill. But before I shut up completely I want to add that even though the first part of the story is so incredibly lovely that you think nothing can top that, the second part has an erotic dream in it, and everything is better with erotic dreams, in my opinion. Especially twincest fics where the person who had the dream doesn't quite know how to react to it, when he's woken up, and flushes thinking about it, and has to cuddle with his twin later without showing any signs of having had said dream...
And of course they're getting married in the second half of the story! But I can't possibly include all the fantastic things that happen in the story here; read it yourself! *g*