I love music. I love music in fic. In every way that it pops up: sometimes referenced by the author in playlists/youtube links, having characters that incorporate music into their world, and especially, the use of music to heighten the hotness.
I'm gearing up to host the 4th episode of our Fic Pushin Podcast which will delve into the wonderful world of music in fanfic.
As I prepare, I feel it is necessary to revisit those moments in fanfic when the use of music took a scene from hotness to obscene fuckhotness. This week's HOTNESS Hall of Fame will pay tribute to the use of music for the purpose of fuckhot lemony trajectory. I think we should just jump right into the list...
For me, there were a few particular moments where a song was forever changed by its use in a fanfic.
Alice goes to Bella for some sex advice but finds it terribly awkward because Bella is dating Alice's brother, Edward. Alice keeps getting squicked because everything Bella discloses has to do with her brother.
Alice looked so embarrassed and uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, Al. What can I help you with?"
She contemplated something for a second, "Okay. Let’s pretend that you’re dating… Mike Newton, or something, instead of Edward.”
“Newton?" I scoffed, "I can do better than him.”
“Fine. Who do you want to date?”
Alice rolled her eyes then looked back at her bedspread, “Alright. You’re dating Marlon Brando in 1951. What does he like? What makes it feel good for him?”
...“Okay, Marlon,” I raised my eyebrow at her and she laughed, “really likes when I suck on his neck,” I pointed to the spot behind my ear, “right here. He also likes when I drag my nails along his back while we're going at it. Oh, and he loves when I make noise.”
--
So this goes on until Alice takes off, leaving Bella and Edward home, alone.
--
Immediately after I closed the door a pair of arms wrapped around my waist. Edward’s chin rested on my shoulder, his mouth just inches from my ear. His hot breath lingered on my neck, sending a shiver through me.
“My parents won’t be home for two more hours.”
The heat was back between my thighs, and I rubbed my legs together to ease some of the tension. My fingers linked into his and I leaned back against his chest. “And how ever will we pass the time?”
...He shrugged, “I am going to do my laundry.” He smiled, and then walked away from me, to the doorway where he had set his hamper. He looked over his shoulder indifferently, “You’re welcome to join me.”
What the hell?...It was awkward and tense for a few seconds until Edward spoke.
“So can I ask who Marlon is? And what he does that you like so much?”
“So can I ask who Marlon is? And what he does that you like so much?”
Edward’s face looked so serious, staring daggers into the washing machine, and I couldn’t help it. My amusement escaped in a loud burst and I wrapped my arms around my stomach, which was clenching from my violent laughter. “Were you eavesdropping?” I managed to say between gasping chuckles.
He frowned, “I don’t see what’s so funny, Bella. Why were you talking about another guy to my sister?”
His jealousy sparked another fit of laughter and I had to lean against the wall so I wouldn’t fall over. “Edward, I was talking about MarlonBrando.” His eyes widened in genuine surprise, and I laughed harder. This time he joined me. Edward walked over to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders as he chuckled. I rested on him for support while I calmed down, tightening my grip on his waist. I looked up at him and tapped him on the nose with a teasing grin, “I can’t believe you were jealous of Marlon Brando.”
“That’s what I said!” Edward laughed and pressed a kiss to my cheek. The atmosphere changed the moment his lips hit my skin. My body abruptly remembered that I was pressed against Edward completely, and that we were alone. His smile faded and his eyes burned with lust. My favorite look. Then he took a step away from me and shook his head.
All together now, what the hell?
[CUE YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5j-S6Eq81g]
Edward shut the lid on the washing machine, turned the knob to hotand pressed start. He turned back to me with the burning eyes and took a step toward me.
“Take off your pants.” My heart stuttered at his dominant tone, and he didn’t have to tell me twice. The linoleum was cold against my feet as I quickly removed my jeans, shoes, and socks. “Underwear too.”
Yes, sir.
I reached up silently and pulled out my ponytail, fluffing my hair as I let it tumble down my back. I knew he loved playing with it. Edward placed his hands on my hips and, holding the intense eye contact, lifted me up and set me on the washing machine. The only noises were the falling water inside the appliance and our shallow breaths. He pushed my legs apart, and I noticed how perfectly the height of the washer lined up with Edward. Thank you Mrs. Cullen for buying a small washing machine.
He continued to stare into my eyes and ran a cool finger up my slit, causing me to inhale sharply. He traced around my heat, ignoring the two places I needed him to touch me most. And then, he startedhumming. The tune sounded very familiar, but it was hard to focus when he was touching me like that. I shifted my hips, forcing his fingers to graze my entrance.
When he pushed a single finger into me, he started to sing quietly and I was overcome with lust. “Happiness is a Warm Gun”. Edward was singing me “Happiness is s Warm Gun”, because he knew exactly how much that song turned me on. I tried to press my lips to his but he pulled back just out of my reach, still penetrating me with his gaze and his fingers.
“When I hold you, in my arms,” he pressed his thumb against my clit and I moaned his name loudly. I saw his rigid length twitch slightly, but he never stuttered in his movements. Edward smirked during the next line, “and I feel my finger on your trigger.” He added another finger, curling them slightly and twisting. My hips bucked forward toward his hand and he placed a kiss on the side of my mouth, “I know nobody can do me no harm, because…” He repeated the motion a few more times, and kissed around my mouth, but never on my lips. His hand moved more purposefully, drawing moan after moan from my throat. His voice was husky with arousal when he sang the next part, "Happiness is a Warm Gun." He was driving me absolutely crazy.
The washing machine began the first cycle, and it started shaking rapidly. “Holy shit, Edward,” the words came out in a strangled moan. The vibrations heightened the sensations from Edward’s skilled touch and it was too much to handle. “Edward please,” I begged, “I need you inside me. Now.” He didn’t need anymore convincing.
Edward grabbed my hips and then slammed into me with so much force, it knocked the washer against the wall.
“Fuck fuck fuck, oh my God, Isabella.” I’m sure he felt the vibrations from inside me, and I was so close to orgasm that my muscles clenched around him erratically. I finally forced his lips to mine and we instantly deepened the kiss. Our tongues fought aggressively. Edward pulled out and thrust back into me, his pubic bone hitting my clitoris, and I was gone, coming long and hard, and shaking around him as he pounded into me. But the ecstasy didn't fade like it normally did. As soon as my high dissipated slightly, another wave of pleasure crashed down onto me even stronger than the first. My body jerked out of my control and I felt Edward begin to lose it. I lowered my lips to below his ear and sucked hard, whispering in a shaky voice, “Bang bang, shoot shoot.”
Edward groaned my name loudly and shuddered against me, his head falling to my neck as he trembled in bliss.
I pushed against his shoulders after a moment. I needed to get off the washing machine; the steady vibrations felt uncomfortable on my hypersensitive flesh. Edward helped me off the appliance and slid to the floor with me in his lap. I pressed a kiss to his new hickey and smiled.
“Love you."
"Love you too."
"And I'd pick you over Marlon Brando any day.”
Edward smirked, pleased with himself.
“Damn straight.”
---
Led Zeppelin - Dazed and Confused
Absolutely one of my alltime favorite fics, Tropic of Virgo, is unrivaled in its use of music. in.a.blue.bathrobe's description of the characters' performance. Their creative process as they work as a band. The way blue.bathrobe uses their creative expression to reveal the inner states of the characters. These are all innovative uses of music in fic that gives the reader such intimate access to the characters. And that's sexy. The poetry, the lyrics, the band - all full of ridiculous hotness.
Absolutely one of my alltime favorite fics, Tropic of Virgo, is unrivaled in its use of music. in.a.blue.bathrobe's description of the characters' performance. Their creative process as they work as a band. The way blue.bathrobe uses their creative expression to reveal the inner states of the characters. These are all innovative uses of music in fic that gives the reader such intimate access to the characters. And that's sexy. The poetry, the lyrics, the band - all full of ridiculous hotness.
During their Led Zeppelin showdown, the wail of Bella's voice and the wail of Rosalie's guitar, as they go back and forth, feeling each other out and pushing one another in their performance -- pure sex without sex. starts chapter 6 (You can also catch an excerpt of this showdown in my review of Tropic of Virgo)
Also HOTNESS Hall of Fame worthy: piano bench.
My review of chapter 8, the first instance of piano bench hotness:
>>>Edward leaned back, and fit his spine to mine. I jumped at the intimacy of it, but instinctively pushed towards his heat, and then he sang... I felt his breathing, his pacing, how he held his breath on certain notes and pushed through on others. When he leaned forward to play, I arched back, keeping the contact, feeling the muscles in his shoulders flex as he worked over the piano keys. I closed my eyes, lost again, enveloped, not just in the sound, but physically feeling the music through him... When he sang the next line, his voice slid through the bones in my skull, driving out all thought except that this was Edward, and he was giving this to me, body and soul, and I wanted to cry with the intensity of it.<<<
I want to cry with the intensity of it, too! Sorry to just be quoting your own words back to you, but it had to be done. I needed to fawn all over them, and then read them 10 more times. Hot frickety hotness.
My review of chapter 16, which includes their reconciliation via piano bench at Aro's club:
Gah! The hotness. The hotness!! Clearly the piano bench is their place of business.
>>>Her voice was bitter and angry, resenting the words, and I felt it too, the frustration and confusion of feeling this much, and I gave it back to her on the keys, hard and discordant one phrase and tender and sweet the next, and she understood, and when I played the intro to the refrain she slid close behind me and wrapped her arms low around my middle, her thighs around my hips.<<<
They communicate with each other through their art and their bodies. And you write it like it's the most sensual and honest exchange. My love for this story knows no bounds.
Tropic of Virgo is the epitome of music-related hotness. For more on Tropic of Virgo, check out the Straight to the Vein episode I hosted that dives deep into the heart of this fic.
Leave me a comment to say hi or hook a sister up with some recs of music HOTNESS in fic!
GAH!! YES!!! Omg, you're the only other person who's mentioned that scene in ToV! I call it 'piano bench soul' HAHHA. Yes, I've nicknamed it. It was the hottest, most intense thing I'd ever read and I LOVED that it wasn't a lemon. I loved that it wasn't even full on affection, it was just pure, down to the bones connection. Incredible. ToV is one of my ultimate favorites! I'm THRILLED BEYOND that you totally agree. YAY!
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