dear candyhearts author

[naushika]

Dear Candyhearts author,

I'm so excited for this exchange! Thank you for writing a story for me. <3 The first part of the letter has general DNWs and Likes, and then each fandom/pairing has its own section. I offer up some prompt ideas for each pairing in case you would like a specific idea to start with. They're optional, and you can write anything else based on my general likes list instead. I am guaranteed to like anything off the list!

General DNWs
- pure fluff
- kidfic
- songfic
- extreme gore (anything beyond canon-typical)
- graphic depictions of violent rape (please note this is different than dubcon between my pairing of choice - that I do like)
- character death
- PWP (I'm totally down for smut but I like some plot mixed in if that's the case)

General Likes

- TROPES TROPES TROPES. Cliched? It's the trope for me. There's only one bed! Trapped together! Undercover marriage! Sex pollen! Aliens made them do it! Huddled for warmth!
- hurt/comfort
- slow burn
- first times
- relationship exploration
- realization of feelings
- friends to lovers
- plot (eg adventure, casefic)
- angst with a happy ending
- pining
- perceived unrequited love (little do they know, the other person actually has feelings too)
- other characters noticing and pointing out my pairings' obvious love for each other
- time travel, time loops

And here are my requests, with more specific fandom-related info:

Stargate - All Media Types
Pairing requested: Sam Carter/Cam Mitchell

I think Sam/Cam is a real dark horse relationship in the Stargateverse. These two have a very easy, affectionate relationship on screen. They aren't shy about teasing each other, touching each other, giving each other smiles. They are very comfortable with each other - I think this is due to their shared history (which I'm not sure if it was technically ever established in canon, but I think most fans agree with the backstory of them knowing each other since their academy days, and I do like that bit of fanon). In my eyes, Sam spent years pining for Jack and repressing herself because he was her boss and she wasn't allowed, and Jack enforced those boundaries. But then in comes Cam, who doesn't really give a shit about rules in that way, and here's Sam, his friend from long ago, and they are just able to be open with each other. I really love that about their relationship and to me, it is an easy slide into romance for these two. Strong friends to lovers vibes.

Here's a few prompt ideas:
- I would love an accidental marriage story for these two. Eg, they participate in some sort of ritual put on by the locals, not realizing it's actually a marriage ceremony. Of course it's not legally binding on Earth or anything, but it certainly brings up Ideas and Feelings.
- Sam and Cam go to Atlantis for [insert whatever excuse], and while they're there, McKay hits on Sam a lot and it inspires minor feelings of jealousy on Cam's part, and he has to figure out how to handle those feelings.
- One Of Them Doesn't Realize They're Dating - Cam invites Sam out whenever they get some time off. He thinks he's being obvious that he's asked her out on dates. She has no idea at all - until he kisses her.

Law & Order Criminal Intent
Pairing requested: Alexandra Eames/Robert Goren

To me, Criminal Intent is about Goren and Eames. Bobby and Alex. I love everything about their partnership. Bobby is the wacky genius and Alex is his muse and interpreter. Together they are one of the best crime solving duos put to TV. I love it when they're so in tune they're having whole conversations just through looks. I love it when they're clashing and angsty but resolve it by the end. I love it when they realize how much they need each other. (They really set off my codependency kink.) I love when they will do anything for each other. (They also really set off my loyalty kink.) These are two partners where I just see their feelings morphing into romantic ones over time, before either of them really understands what's happening.

Here's a few prompt ideas:

- Post-season-10 continuation. I love all fics in this form - the continuing adventures of Goren and Eames. After the show ends, the two of them eventually stop working together (as notated in an SVU episode). I would love to see how they come to realize romance is finally an option for them. Alternately, what happened in that period during season 9 when Bobby was fired and Alex quit? Before they came back? I like to imagine Alex hung up that phone, dropped her badge and gun, and immediately went to Bobby's place.
- Nicole Wallace targeting Alex, or playing with her to piss off Bobby, or she's simply moved her focus to Alex, or some similar type of scenario. Nicole should be more interested in the one person who manages to hold Bobby's partnership and loyalty. I would love to see how this affects Alex and Bobby's relationship and how it pushes them into romantic territory.
- Bobby has a hard time dealing with Bishop when Alex is out on maternity leave.. and so he starts going to her place to talk through the cases, or just to recharge his battery by being around her. He brings her ice cream. He rubs her feet. Feelings Happen.
- I have this image in my head of one of them accidentally shooting the other (minorly, of course) or just having a near-miss shot - and the angst that would bring for the one that did the shooting, but how that would force certain romantic feelings to the surface.

Criminal Minds
Pairings requested: Penelope Garcia/Aaron Hotchner, Penelope Garcia/Spencer Reid

Note: I am watching Criminal Minds for the first time, as of the time of writing this letter I'm up to season 8 I'm mid season 8 - past the Maeve storyline I'm a few episodes into season 10. I humbly request nothing very plot specific to the later half of the series, because I won't understand the reference. Apologies for the constraints this causes. :(

Penelope Garcia/Aaron Hotchner

This is one of my old reliable ship tropes - Grumpy/Sunshine. These two attracted me as a ship pretty much immediately when I started watching Criminal Minds. Aaron, our soft but stern FBI man, rarely has smiles or laughs for people - but he does for Penelope. Like, a lot. She frequently is one of the only ones that is able to crack that facade of his, and damn it's endearing. And the scenes where he tells her how he never wants her to change who she is, how he loves how happy she is and that she sees beauty in the world, etc etc? Fuuuck. This was destined to be one of my ships. And as for Penelope's side, I enjoy how Aaron is the only one that is able to knock her off balance now and again. She's often just a little bit nervous around him, whereas she's never like that around the others. I've convinced myself it's because she's developed feelings for him and she's afraid of what that means. I don't care that he's her boss - in fact, it makes it hotter. And I also firmly don't believe that Aaron would give a shit either, considering how many rules he's broken for his team left and right.

Here's a few prompt ideas:
- Aaron often works late, finishing up reports and whatnot. We also see that Penelope is often one of the last ones out. She starts up a habit of stopping in his office before leaving for the night, and the visits get longer, and morph into sometimes going to get dinner or a drink together, until Feelings Happen.
- Aaron realizes he has feelings to Penelope, and in a typical idiot man moment, decides the best way to address it is to put distance between him and Penelope. Which she picks up on easily, and is hurt by it. What happens from there and how does it lead to them in bed together?
- An UnSub has been studying the BAU team, and sees the connection between Aaron and Penelope (even though nothing has happened between them). He goes after one of them (doesn't matter which), specifically to hurt the other. Which forces some Realization of Feelings.

Penelope Garcia/Spencer Reid

Obviously, they make great friends. They have many shared nerdy interests, they get along great and they spend time together off work. I love friends to lovers, so this is a perfect setup to me. They are both somewhat 'alternative' types of people - Penelope is colorful and effervescent, Spencer is on the spectrum and a fact nerd - and they're both very intelligent (geniuses, actually) in their own ways. They have far more in common than they do differences imo. While the BAU team is very much a found family, these two are more like each other than they are the others, and I feel like they bond over that, and that would be a hop, skip and a jump to a romantic relationship.

Here's a few prompt ideas:
- Oh, this one is so specific, but here we go: I once read a fic where Spencer lost his virginity to Penelope, and it Awakened Something in me. I'm really into this scenario and would love to read more of it. It can go either direction - either it's a Really Big Deal for one of them, or it's not a big deal for one of them (but the other thinks it is, or that it should be).
- I would love to see hurt/comfort between these two that leads to realized feelings - it doesn't matter to me which is hurt and which is comforting. Hell, they could even both be hurt!
- Either Penelope wants to learn more profiling stuff or Spencer wants to learn more hacker stuff, so they start having regular get togethers for the one to each the other. They start spending a lot of time together and the rest of the BAU is picking up some vibes - but the two of them refuse to admit anything.. at first.