#amnesia fic

The Four Doors by @fluxweeed

Harry/Draco (2020, Explicit, 48.8k)

It’s been four months since Harry lost his memory. Four months of dead ends and no answers. With time running out until his memories are gone for good, Harry agrees to a course of Legilimency therapy with a renowned specialist: Mind Healer Draco Malfoy.

There was something intriguing about him. Something in the way he spoke to Harry – none of that obsequious deference that most of the experts Harry met had shown. Instead, he had quiet confidence and a blunt honesty that Harry couldn’t help but like. It didn’t hurt that he bickered easily with Hermione, which Harry associated with Ron, and home, and comfort.

Excuse me, Harry associating Draco’s banter with Ron’s is everything I need in life, pls and thank I read this gorgeous and creative fic a couple days ago (my first 50k in weeks!) and the idea was to take a few breaks between chapters but I got completely obsessed with the perfect little universe @fluxweeed created here and I had to binge it right away. What a fantastic take on amnesia and Legilimency! I’m quite particular about these 2 tropes but I had a blast following Harry’s journey to recover his memories. This new/old Harry is so charming: witty, bold, 100% confident in his sexuality and completely gone for Draco. Their dynamics are charged, sweet and believable; despite the mutual attraction, they remain very true to their characters which I really appreciated. I love how the initial tension becomes easy banter, then slowly develop into trust and love (ignoring Draco’s bad attempts at professionalism lol). The mind healing sessions are incredibly creative and immersive with striking settings, great dialogue and many well thought details that sucked me right into the story (and their heads). All of that written in an honest, organic and sensitive way. I also love Harry’s dynamics with Ron and Mione; it’s interesting to see how his detachment from the war affects their friendship, and the author did a great job showing the inevitable confrontation but also reminding us of the ways they care for each other, and that they’re mature enough to think things through, reach out and apologize. Finally, you may be wondering if there’s any Legilimency-related smut and the answer is YES there’s a delicious, scorching hot and public pub scene that made me wanna reach into the screen and smash their cocks heads together. Goodness, what a ride. Brilliant plot and characterization, gorgeous slow burn and a very satisfying ending. Treat yourself!

Read on AO3

Okay BUT harringrove amnesia fic. Steve bumps his head or visits the Upside Down or whatever and forgets all the events of the last three years. Suddenly he’s seventeen again, fresh from all the trauma of Nancy dumping him and finding out about the Upside Down for the first time.

And he hatesBilly Hargrove.

His last memory of Billy is the fight, so he can’t understand why Billy is hanging around his hospital bed or why everyone seems to be pretty much okay with him now, or at least tolerant.

(Dustin still glares at him, but it’s almost weary, like it’s just muscle memory or something, and once Steve hears them actually having a rational discussion so he knows it’s not what it once was.)

Everyone in the Party is very kind and supportive, and they explain everything that’s happened in the last few years, the way Billy sacrificed himself for El, how hard it was to bring him and Hopper back, so Steve understands a little more.

It still doesn’t make sense of the way Billy keeps lookingat him.

There’s this torture in his eyes that Steve doesn’t understand, and sometimes on the few occasions they’re alone it seems like Billy is wrestling with something, and once Steve even tells him to spit it out, but in the end Billy just shakes his head and pastes a smile on his face and then the others show up and the moment passes.

(Robin nearly asks him about it, because she had her suspicions - but Steve never told her and she’s not sure, and even if she’s right what good can it do–)

They all want him to be the Steve he was before the accident. The Steve who didn’t care about popularity, who was apparently cool and confident and happy, and he knows they mean well but he’s not that person anymore. That person was lost in the accident.

It’s hard being around Nancy, and he can tell that’s hurtful to her, because by this time he’s supposed to be over her, but he dreams about her a lot and sometimes he can’t even look at her without wanting to punch something. And then he remembers the way Billy beat him up and his fury just rises up inside him and the next thing he knows he’s outside Billy’s apartment.

(Billy doesn’t live at home anymore. He rents a tiny shitty place above the curry house by himself, and when Steve asked Robin about it she got a funny twisted look on her face and just told him he doesn’t get on with his dad. Steve thought there was probably more to the story than that but he didn’t ask.)

He pounds on the door until Billy comes out all sleepy-eyed and confused - and then, when he realises who it is, oddly pleased to see him - and Steve remembers guiltily that he works nights down at the warehouse. But he shakes that off because he can’t feel guilty, because all he wants to feel is anger, and he folds his arms and glares until Billy realises it’s not a social call.

He’s expecting Billy to fight back, because Billy Hargrove alwaysfights back and that’s the whole reason he’s here - but Billy doesn’t fight back.

Steve yells at Billy until his throat is sore, and Billy just takes it. Just stands in his doorway with his arms folded and a strange expression on his face, and doesn’t say a word until Steve is done.

Then he asks if Steve wants to come in.

Steve just nods.

They don’t talk for a really long time. Steve looks around the apartment and wonders why the faint smell of spices and cooking meat seems familiar.

“I know I’m supposed to be over her now,” he tells Billy. “I’m supposed to fit into the life I used to have.”

Billy shakes his head. “You’re not supposed to do anything,” he says, and it feels like a promise.

So Steve and Billy start hanging out, and somehow it’s easy. Billy is easy to talk to, funny and clever and interesting, and he seems to find Steveinteresting, and he never, ever expects Steve to be anyone other than who he is right now. It’s comfortable like exhaling, and soon Billy and his tiny apartment are the most familiar things in Steve’s new life.

(He works at an animal shelter now, and he enjoys it but he’s still afraid of accidentally doing something wrong and hurting one of the animals. Billy’s the only one who doesn’t reassure him when he says this, the only one who doesn’t tell him to stop being so silly. He just listens seriously and it makes something in the pit of Steve’s stomach unclench.)

And then he finds it. It’s just an ordinary day, and he’s somewhat happy now so he’s not expecting it - but then he’s at Billy’s place and he’s cold so he starts digging around for a sweatshirt he can borrow - and he finds one. His own.

He’s never worn this particular sweatshirt over to Billy’s place. He’s certain of it, because it’s one of his favourites and he’s been annoyed that he can’t find it, wondering if the strange future version of himself threw it out. And now here it is, lying at the bottom of Billy’s closet with some other laundry tossed on top of it like it’s been there forever.

As far as Steve knew, he’d never been in this apartment before. But that’s obviously not the case.

His mind is racing. There must be some innocuous reason for this. The most obvious explanation is that he and Billy were friends before, the same way they are now - but Billy has never said so. They’ve been hanging out for months, and Billy has never said anything that indicates they were anything other than polite acquaintances before the accident.

Hands trembling, Steve brings the sweatshirt out into the lounge. He holds it up like a question. And Billy - Billy flinches.

“I don’t get it,” Steve says, even though his mouth is dry and his body is doing things and maybe he does get it, in a way that feels too enormous to explain.

(Sometimes when they’re hanging out Billy will glance sideways at him, and there’s that look in his eyes again, the one that says he’s thinking something he won’t explain no matter how much Steve asks, and sometimes he seems unaccountably sad even though five minutes ago they were laughing, but Steve figured he’d talk when he was ready. Or not. Or not.)

An image swims into his head, and it’s Billy, Billy warm and pliant in his arms–

“Were we together?” he asks, his voice barely a whisper. There’s silence in the room, silence ringing between them until Billy gives a single terse nod.

Steve looks down at the sweatshirt again. “Were you ever going to tell me?”

He doesn’t need an answer really. Billy licks his lips nervously, his face pale and his eyes pained. “I didn’t–” he croaks. “I didn’t want to lose this.”

Steve nearly asks why no one elsetold him - but then the answer to that is obvious too. No one else knew. Whatever they were to each other, they never told anyone. It was just between the two of them, and then Steve hit his head and Billy was left alone with the secret.

And now he’s miles behind, because Billy knows it all and it’s pretty clear by now that Steve isn’t getting his memories back anytime soon - or ever, really - and how can he ever catch up?

But he doesn’t want to lose this either.

So he takes a step forward. Another. And another. And when finally he’s standing right in front of Billy he leans forward and presses a tiny, lightening-fast kiss to the corner of his mouth.

Billy’s eyes widen.

“Tell me about us,” Steve says, and Billy–

Billy smiles.

(Later on Steve will kiss Billy’s bare shoulder, and it’ll feel familiar, like his body remembers even though his mind has forgotten, and he’ll stroke the hair out of Billy’s eyes and feel himself loving him, and he’ll say, “We should tell everyone,” and when Billy looks shocked - though not displeased - Steve will shrug. “In case I forget again,” he’ll explain, and Billy’s eyes will crease up as he laughs, and Steve will smile and lie back against the pillows with his heart so light he could fly.)

nevertheless-moving:

nevertheless-moving:

au/episode where Obi-Wan and Anakin run-afoul of some Sith temple defensive measure and both completely lose their memory. Featuring:

• wandering around a highly contested hell-scape planet fighting absolutely everyone because they both sense doom from both armies and instinctively trust only each other
• it’s deeply embarrassing to be beat up by amnesia duo because they’re flailing about really incompetently with makeshift staffs (sith temple stole their lightsabers and their muscle memory is adjusted for a weightless blade) while shouting at each other, “HEY SIR JUST REALIZED I CAN LEVITATE STUFF?!?! CAN EVERYONE LEVITATE STUFF?!?!”
• (they think their names are sir and general because that’s what the clones keep calling them while chasing them down)
• just the silliest fight scenes as the troopers are desperately trying to demonstrate they’re friendly while also attempting to subdue the Jedi before they die and obi-wan and anakin are really in tune with the force but barely capable at fighting so they mostly just dodge and do cartwheels while like 300 men try to tackle them. everyone looks stupid.
• playful bickering over whose older because Sir looks older but maybe it’s just the beard (obi-wan refuses to shave in case General is right)
• platonic cuddling because they both get cold and they don’t know they’re not supposed to 
• they both sleep incredibly well, it’s honestly insane how much better they feel a week-in, even on the run they’re getting so much more sleep 
• (this can most likely be attributed to a lack of crushing guilt and stress but the cuddling also probably helps)
• Obi-Wan struggling to use the force and anakin trying to explain until Obi-Wan bursts into tears because “it’s not easy for him how are you making it look so easy”
• “Maybe I’m just more experienced?” Anakin says in a panic. 
• sparring with staffs like no- this is- this almostright but not at all…
• Anakin being very gee whiz sweet a la episode one, like he sees some troopers are in trouble with the quicksand and insists that they go to the rescue.
• the group of shinies are relieved but also very unnerved to be rescued by kind and gentle General Skywalker and scowling General Kenobi (Obi-Wan also wanted to help the troops but felt the need to be overly suspicious to balance things out)
• alternating between being the risk taker and the cautious one (no change from canon there)
• aaand Obi-Wan occasionally going: “What if we’re married, or lovers? Maybe we should try and sleep together, just to see if it jogs any memories" because his default mode is slut 
• Anakin: “I don’t know man it feels wrong" 
• Obi-Wan: “yes what does that have to do with anything”
• (I’m not very into Obikin so the minor Obikin subplot would be a hilarious source of deep personal and physical distress to them once memories are regained)
• Literally the entirety of what happens:
• *make out for 30 seconds*
• Obi-Wan: *breaks it off* “Yeah you were right that was super weird sorry”
• Anakin: “uhhh” (it wassuper weird for him too but Obi-Wan’s a reallygood kisser so amnesia!Anakin now has uncomfortably mixed feelings)
• Rex chasing them and growing increasingly stressed because everyone thinks they’re way more sexually involved then they actually are and just knows they’re going to freak out when they get back to normal
• supporting evidence: cuddling, calling obi-wan ‘sir,’ the fact that the more time passes the more radiantly cheerful they seem- like we get that forgetting all their responsibilities is probably great but they keep getting more good-spirited (this is 95% because of the sleep), a lot of times when they find them they’re inexplicably shirtless and sweaty (meditating and sparring)…the list goes on
• this is confirmed when they freak the fuck out upon regaining their memories. Histrionics, vomiting, avoiding each-other, crying. 
• so much crying
• SO uncomfortable to be around
• they get back to coruscant and Anakin breaks down apologizing to Padme and she’s completely understanding, doesn’t consider it infidelity, completely natural given the circumstances, and then Anakin chokes out the explanation of sort-of enjoying his Master’s tongue in his mouth and how he almost even kissed him twice 
• Padme: ”…That’s…it?”
• Anakin: *sniffling* “I mean sometimes we woke up with boners but that kind-of just happens even when you’re in medbay or whatever…”
• Padme: “I see so then you-”
• Anakin: “Oh ForceNo! Oh wow, ugh. Yeah I guess things could have been worse, but still!”
• Padme: “…Amonth andallyou did was kiss once?”
• Anakin: “I’m not explaining right”

• Obi-wan gets back to Coruscant and attempts to turn himself into the high council and they’re tryingto take him seriously, because he’s obviously distressed, but honey you do understand that it wasn’t your fault, you didn’t have your memories, no one’s upset at you, we’re working on getting counseling for jedi while they’re in the field but please, please we need you to let go of some of the guilt because SO much paperwork piled up while you were gone and you are literally in charge of a third of our army, our galaxy sized army, I know we say this a lot but we need you to power through.
• So Obi-Wan’s treating his military duties like they’re penance, and maybe they are, maybe all of his life’s suffering has actually been deserved pre-emptive punishment for being a monster who would seduce his own padawan while he’s in a vulnerable state—
• After a couple days of this Plo Koon gently pushes him to talk out what happened because he’s clearly having trouble meditating on it.
• Plo Koon: “…That’s…it?”
• Obi-Wan: *sniffling* “I mean sometimes we woke up with erections but that kind-of just happens even when you have external genitalia…”
• Plo Koon: “I see so then you—”
• Obi-Wan: “Oh ForceNo! Oh dear, no. Yes I suppose things could have been worse, but it really is the principle of the thing!”
• Plo Koon: “…A monthandallyou did was kiss once?”
• Obi-Wan: “I’m not explaining correctly”
• Plo, and by extension the council, is working so hard to be empathetic but there are whole planets where french kissing is just a normal diplomatic greeting. Obi-Wan’s been to planets like that. Clearly he’s in distress but, like, nothing happened. Even without your memories you still decided not to pursue that type of relationship. This is…a little exasperating.
• Eventual Joint Therapy: Are you sure you’re not just upset about something else and choosing to fixate on the exceedingly brief, not unreasonable romantic exchange because it allows you to just stew in shame rather than do anything productive?
• Obi-Wan: “…Why was our relationship so much—so much better without our memories?”
• Anakin: “Maybe because you forgot how much of a disappointmentI am!”
• Obi-Wan: “…What?”
• And thus this becomes a fix-it in which they actually realize they have, like, a lot of baggage to work through. 
• And also need to get more than 6 hours of sleep a week, holy kriff they didn’t realize how tired they were all the time until they spent a month sleeping somewhat normally.