#/ I'm sorry I wasn't sure which AU so I picked the bad ending >:)

[lasplaga]

011 … barbed wire.

「𝔖」 There was irony to be found in the son deemed 'incorruptible', falling to the same illness which plagued this decaying village. Though pure of mind by the Superior strain ( relatively ) --- that did not stop The Prophet from proselytizing the word of God ; Lord Saddler did not falter in showing Leon 'the true path'.

That the human form COULD BE elevated beyond most designs of injury, & that releasing oneself from fear was the way to exuberance. Treading the world with reckless abandon, as if you were an angel of death beyond harm, was an element to their twisted philosophy. Being unafraid of dying in battle, & finding torment in war glorious ABOVE ALL THINGS, was paramount.

A smile, most kind & genuine, flashed as Osmund presented the rusted wire. Fingers, cold & lifeless, bled as it was grasped in his hands --- but there was no acknowledgment of discomfort as the spikes began to cut.

" ℑ𝔫𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔲𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔬𝔰 𝔡𝔢 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔦𝔬́𝔫. 𝔄𝔤𝔢𝔰 𝔭𝔞𝔰𝔱, 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔱𝔶𝔯𝔰' 𝔡𝔦𝔢𝔡 𝔞𝔱 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔥𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔰 𝔬𝔣 𝔣𝔞𝔩𝔰𝔢-𝔨𝔦𝔫𝔤𝔰. 𝔑𝔬𝔴, 𝔴𝔢 𝔲𝔰𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔰𝔢 𝔴𝔢𝔞𝔭𝔬𝔫𝔰 𝔲𝔭𝔬𝔫 𝔬𝔲𝔯𝔰𝔢𝔩𝔳𝔢𝔰, 𝔣𝔬𝔯 𝔴𝔢 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔬𝔫𝔩𝔶 𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔬𝔭𝔭𝔯𝔢𝔰𝔰𝔬𝔯, 𝔟𝔲𝔱 𝔩𝔦𝔪𝔦𝔱𝔞𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫𝔰 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔥𝔲𝔪𝔞𝔫 𝔣𝔬𝔯𝔪. "

One might expect for the unholy priest to wrap these wires upon The Agent as a blasphemous crown of thorns, but no! Lessons of divine suffering must first be taught by DEMONSTRATION.

" 𝔉𝔬𝔯 𝔡𝔢𝔠𝔞𝔡𝔢𝔰 ℑ 𝔟𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔡 𝔪𝔶𝔰𝔢𝔩𝔣, 𝔱𝔬 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔣𝔬𝔯𝔤𝔢��� 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔱𝔬𝔯𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱 𝔬𝔣 𝔪𝔶 𝔣𝔞𝔩𝔩𝔢𝔫 𝔟𝔯𝔢𝔱𝔥𝔯𝔢𝔫. ℑ 𝔟𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔡 𝔲𝔫𝔱𝔦𝔩 ℑ 𝔴𝔞𝔰 𝔯𝔢𝔩𝔢𝔞𝔰𝔢𝔡 𝔣𝔯𝔬𝔪 𝔥𝔞𝔯𝔪 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔦𝔫𝔰𝔱𝔯𝔲𝔪𝔢𝔫𝔱, 𝔣𝔦𝔫𝔡𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔓𝔞𝔯𝔞𝔡𝔦𝔰𝔢 𝔦𝔫 𝔓𝔞𝔰𝔰𝔦𝔬𝔫. " Without hesitation, as if binding his forearms in bandage, the wire began to encircle & dig into his own flesh. It was pulled as to constrict, offering the illusion they pierced his very bones, IF HE HAD ANY. The image as the spikes crawled close to his elbows --- did these savage militants harm themselves in the same way, expressing permanent scars whereas their Master did not? Purely to find delight in discomfort, or a voicing of their reverence to Las Plagas? " 𝔜𝔬𝔲 𝔱𝔬𝔬, 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢 𝔰𝔢𝔢𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔰 𝔲𝔭𝔬𝔫 𝔪𝔶 𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔞𝔫𝔡𝔞𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔰 𝔠𝔞𝔯𝔪𝔢𝔰𝔦́', 𝔰𝔦́? 𝔗𝔥𝔢𝔶 𝔣𝔬𝔩𝔩𝔬𝔴 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔴𝔞𝔶𝔰 𝔬𝔣 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔞𝔫𝔠𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔯𝔰, 𝔞𝔰 𝔡𝔦𝔡 ℑ. 𝔈𝔳𝔢𝔫 𝔦𝔫 𝔱𝔥𝔢𝔦𝔯 𝔰𝔲𝔟𝔪𝔦𝔰𝔰𝔦𝔳𝔢 𝔰𝔭𝔦𝔯𝔦𝔱𝔰, 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔨𝔢𝔡 𝔢𝔱𝔢𝔯𝔫𝔞𝔩𝔩𝔶 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥 𝔟𝔩𝔢𝔰𝔰𝔢𝔡 𝔴𝔬𝔲𝔫𝔡𝔰. "

As a Dominant organism, vastly augmented by prior rituals, his body tirelessly worked to heal against the metal which perforated in a cluster of holes. Though his forearms dripped, dripped, dripped, blood soon came to a halt as the instrument became imbedded, enshrouded by his regeneration. The only course of action was to FORCIBLY strip away the weapon, layers of skin flaying & peeling, coming with it. Despite the gruesome & horrific scene, The Priest remained cheerful as balls of flailing worms knotted the host back together, until he was miraculously mended whole. The wire, with hooked shreds of meat bubbling & corroding on the cellular level, was then offered freely :

" ℑ 𝔟𝔢𝔩𝔦𝔢𝔳𝔢 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔠𝔞𝔫 𝔣𝔦𝔫𝔡 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔰𝔞𝔪𝔢. 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔱𝔯𝔲𝔱𝔥 𝔱𝔥𝔞𝔱 𝔦𝔱 𝔦𝔰 𝔭𝔬𝔰𝔰𝔦𝔟𝔩𝔢 𝔱𝔬 𝔣𝔢𝔢𝔩 𝔫𝔬𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔤. 𝔑𝔬𝔱𝔥𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔟𝔲𝔱 𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔭𝔦𝔫𝔢𝔰𝔰, 𝔬𝔳𝔢𝔯𝔧𝔬𝔶𝔢𝔡 𝔴𝔦𝔱𝔥 𝔶𝔬𝔲𝔯 𝔞𝔰𝔠𝔢𝔫𝔡𝔢𝔡 𝔣𝔬𝔯𝔪, 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔩𝔦𝔨𝔢𝔫𝔢𝔰𝔰 𝔬𝔣 𝔥𝔬𝔩𝔶 𝔦𝔫𝔰𝔢𝔠𝔱𝔰. "

[fuckyeahdindjarin]

Hey, Cee!💗Congrats on your amazing milestone!👏I’m rather new to the family, still making my way through your master list and I enjoy it a lot😊 For the sleepover I’d like to request a micro drabble if you’d be so kind - Roommates Au with Dieter Bravo 🙌 What a nightmare!😅

Hi lovely! I'm so glad you're here and I hope you're having a good time with my Pedro boys 😘 So this one ran away from me, I'm very sorry if this wasn't what you were hoping for, but I've been itching to write for a younger Dieter, and this is what came out.

Dieter Bravo x Roommates AU

Fuck Yeah 2222 Sleepover micro drabble request | 1000ish words (sorry) | warnings: mature themes but not explicit, mentions of drug use, angst, hopeful ending

You're not sure how you ended up sharing an apartment with Dieter Bravo.

Honestly, calling this dumpster fire of a studio above a laundromat/dealer's den an apartment is a kindness it does not deserve.

You tried in the beginning. You painted the walls a soothing buttercup that has long peeled off in patches. You fixed the table with the crooked leg so it doesn't wobble when you eat discounted sandwiches on it. You even bought potted plants, dotting trellises of green throughout the small space to give it some semblance of life (that quickly expired from lack of daylight).

But then one day, your college boyfriend, your supposed ride-or-die, left for an audition and never came back.

The next morning, Dieter Bravo showed up on your doorstep, a beat-up weekender bag at his feet. He looked bored even then, wearing an unaffected nonchalance like he does his favourite green robe. 'Some dude I met an an audition yesterday said there's a cheap room for rent?'

Except there's not really a room. There's a bed in the corner with a privacy curtain around it like a fucking hospital ward, and there's a fold-out couch on the other side of the tiny space.

Dieter lets you take the bed.

You don't bother getting to know your new roommate, too wrapped up in the cotton wool of your heartbreak and a blind determination to make it. Honestly, you'd struggle to pick him out from a lineup.

All you know is that he's messy, but he consciously contains that mess to his side of the studio. It's like there's a glass wall holding back his dirty clothes and mismatched shoes from spilling into the shared kitchen. He's also bad at clearing out the fridge, always forgetting the discounted Cheddar he seems to have a fondness for, but always leaves rotting at the back of the dairy shelf.

He doesn't complain when you throw his shit out though, and you don't mind cleaning up after him.

You're ships in the night, each pulling as many shifts as possible in between auditions to stay alive in this money-guzzling, soul-crushing city.

By the time you come home well after midnight, the only sign that another person lives with you is the occasional Chinese takeout he leaves out on the (still wobbly) table if the buffet place he works at gives him leftovers.

In your rush to leave for your first shift one morning, you accidentally make too much coffee, which you leave on the counter for when he returns from his graveyard stint. A few more accidents later, you start making enough for two out of habit.

The first time you actually share space in the studio is maybe five months into your not-quite-cohabitation. It's been a tough day - two rejections after third-round auditions, and a drunk customer spilled Jack and Coke onto your favourite white top, which will definitely leave a stain.

You let yourself into the studio quietly, not bothering with the lights. Stripping down to your underwear, you're about to head into the bathroom when you hear it.

Just above the thumping bass of the illicit nightclub across the street, and the whirr of the industrial-sized washing machines under your feet, is the unmistakable squeak squeak squeak of old springs in the fold-out couch.

You freeze. Someone else is in the apartment with you.

A breathy, distinctly female moan reaches your ear, but a vicious blare of a car horn promptly drowns it out.

Holy fuck. Dieter is fucking some girl not ten steps across the studio, with nothing but the flimsy curtain around your bed separating you.

Suddenly hyperaware, you hear everything. The heavy, loaded slap of skin on skin. Shallow breaths muted in the curve of a neck. The low timbre of his voice, whispers of words that you can't make out - but you know that it's filthy by the way the fold-out creaks under the motion of quickening thrusts, and the desperate cry from the woman, quickly muffled.

You know exactly the moment he cums - there's a sudden stillness, a suspension of time, like everything is on tiptoes - and then three long, drawn-out thumps of the couch hitting the wall.

Then all goes quiet.

You can barely open your eyes the next morning when you trudge to the bathroom in just a threadbare sleep shirt and underwear. The door opens without you noticing, and you walk nose first into a broad, wet chest.

You open your mouth to apologise, but no words come out as you tip your chin upwards.

Dieter Bravo has brown eyes, hooded by deep set lids. He will change a lot in the years to come, as fame and drugs take hold - but one thing that does not is the way your breath hitches when he looks at you. Really looks at you.

His curls are long and unruly when dry, but wet and slicked back, the contours of his profile are more pronounced, and your eyes slide down the strong bridge of his nose and linger on the plush lips under a moustache that seems almost fastidiously tidy compared to the rest of him. It's the one constant when everything else in his life is anything but.

Dieter Bravo will be many things to you over the next fifteen years. Lover, boyfriend, ex, stranger, co-star, friend, friend with benefits, fiancé, ex, fiancé once again -

But he was your roommate first. And that morning, in the doorway to the tiny shower, your tits inadvertently pressed up against his bare chest, the wet towel wrapped around his narrow hips brushing your bare thighs, he smiles at you for the first time.

And when things get difficult down the line, because by god, do they get difficult - you hold on to that smile.

You hold onto him. Sometimes you have to, literally, wrapping your whole body around his through withdrawal shakes, and you whisper in his ear to remind him of how far you've both come from that dumpster fire of a studio above the laundromat/dealer's den -

Which you're kind enough to call an apartment.

[emepe]

— Pairing: Eren x Reader, friends to lovers

— General info: series, 18+, modern AU, serial killer AU, smut, fluff, angst, hurt/comfort

— Summary: Fate is a tricky thing. Certain situations can’t be avoided as much as certain people’s lives can’t be kept from intertwining. With a serial killer on the loose, and unexpected relationships blooming, how will the universe intervene?

— Chapter summary: The past is revealed to Eren, who can only do his best to prove that it doesn’t change his feelings.

— Content warnings: past child abuse/neglect, drug use, unstable family life, grooming, SA, slightly nsfw, mention of unprotected sex.

— Notes: Sorry for the cliffhanger last week lol but you should be used to it haha. Chapter 10 is now here! <3 There’s a lot going on in this chapter so please pay attention to the content warnings before reading. Don’t be shy to stop by my ask box <3 If anyone else would like to be added to the tag list, lmk. Happy reading!

Links: Read on AO3 | Chapter guide | Masterlist

then and now

It wasn’t always so bad.

My earliest memory is that of my mom giving me a warm cup of tea and honey when I fell incredibly ill at three years old. I'd eaten something unclean and I was stuck in my parent's bed for a week, feverish, with little appetite and even less strength. If I concentrate enough, I can still hear echoes of my parents sitting at the kitchen table, crunching the numbers from their pooled savings so they could afford a doctor's visit. My mom remained by my side the entire time to make sure the IV drip didn't spontaneously clog, or that I didn't move the hand that was connected to it and started bleeding out into the tube. The doctor said a little bleeding was normal, but she was scared of it happening at all. 

I developed a hatred for cabbage, which is what the doctor recommended to help regain strength without hurting my stomach. My father went out to buy it and my mom fed it to me in soup. She'd make a game out of it, and she promised to take me to the park to play as soon as I got better. I remember my childhood fondly if I focus on that first memory. So, I'm pretty sure anything before that was just as good. 

I didn't know until I was way older that my mother did drugs before she had me. She struggled with addiction at sixteen, which was well into her relationship with my father. The only difference was, he remained clean after my mom told him she was pregnant during their senior year of high school. 

I couldn't understand that I was witnessing her relapse after I started kindergarten. Apparently, being four and a half years old is the cutoff for being worthy of staying sober for. 

That's when everything started spiraling. My mom failed to pick me up from school several times, leaving me to spend hours tucked away in the library, keeping Mrs. Zacharias company while she pretended to rearrange already organized books. My father worked long hours at a factory, some of which had to be punctured like swiss cheese so he could take me home because my mom was nowhere to be found.

By the time she stumbled through the door, she was being brought in by strange men. I never met them, I just knew they were there because the noise would wake me up in the middle of the night and I'd hear my father arguing with my intoxicated mom after thanking them for bringing her home. 

My mom looked sick. As her number one fan, I was worried. She was getting skinnier, she barely ate and she seemed tired all the time yet never got enough sleep to heal the dark circles under her sunken eyes.

The first time I attempted to cook something, I was six. I could easily get by during school days. I had breakfast and lunch there, and sometimes Mrs. Zacharias would give me pretzel sticks if I read a book out loud to her while we waited for my father to come get me. But on weekends, I was on my own. My father was working even on weekends to make ends meet and even when my mom happened to be home, she wasn't truly there.

So, while she was locked inside the bathroom for hours, I went into the kitchen and tried to boil an egg. I couldn't find the small pot we always used, but my pink plastic bowl was on the drying rack from last night after my father fed me dinner. 

I didn't know you weren't supposed to put plates onto a hot stove. The plate cracked and stuck to the burner. I tried to pry it off but I burned my hand. It would take years for the scar to fade. 

When my mom saw what I'd done, she slapped me straight across the face. I was dragged by my hair and locked in the minuscule storage closet as punishment. That was just the first of many times. 

My father would always be the one to let me out when he got back from work late at night, and I'd quietly call him from the inside, scared because I'd urinated myself and he'd probably be just as mad as my mom. But he wasn't. He'd clean me up, scrape the plastic from my now useless pink bowl from the burner, and feed me.

My father grew tired of it. All the money that was meant for food and supplies went directly to dealers, meaning he had to spread himself even thinner. When he found out my mom had ransacked the secret place he kept his savings for the sixth time, he snapped. 

I was twelve by then, so I understood everything that was going on.

They had a huge fight and he stormed into the bedroom to pack his clothes into a bag. But my mom was ballistic. She took a pair of scissors and started cutting anything she could get her hands on into pieces.

I heard a series of slapping and punching before my father passed me by in the living room — no money or clothes on him — and slammed the door shut behind him.

Things got even worse.

My mom would constantly yell that if it hadn't been for me, my father never would've left. She'd tell me I ruined her life and that I was a burden. Had she not gotten pregnant at eighteen, her life would be a whole lot simpler.

But now we didn't have any money, I didn't have a father, and my mom's addiction pushed her into getting a job. Even back then, at twelve years old, I felt guilty because she had to work because of me. 

She started off at a laundromat. Mrs. Zacharias visited our apartment because I hadn't gone to school for a few days and she wanted to check in. Despite my mom's foul language toward the kind librarian, she helped her get the job. 

My mom was very happy to work at the laundromat, though it had less to do with having a purpose than it did with the crumpled bills she'd find in people's clothes that would later serve as pocket change for her dealer. 

After a year, she was fired after being caught stealing from the register. It was surprising she even lasted that long in that place. 

But now she was even more desperate. 

And that's when the men started coming.

I spent my elementary and middle school years hearing my mom having sex with strangers inside the room she used to share with my father while I did homework on the kitchen table. 

Some of them were nice. Some of them weren't. 

Sometimes my mom's dealer would be the one to come around. 

One day, when I was thirteen, I'd just gotten back from the school library from working on a group project and I was making myself a sandwich when he came out of the bedroom, still buckling his pants.

“Hey there, princess,” he said.

“Hi, Steve.”

I didn't think it was strange to be on a first name basis with the guy. He was around a lot and that in itself meant it was okay to be close with him, in my mind.

Besides, he wasn't that much older than me. I think about eighteen or nineteen. It just made sense to be friends.

“How's school?” he asked as he leaned back into one of the chairs at the table.

I knew he didn't really care — that's why he dropped out, he'd say — but I still answered him honestly.

“Math's getting a bit hard but I'm doing okay.”

“That's ‘cause you're smart,” he praised as he lit up a cigarette and took the first drag. “You're gonna make it outta here real quick with that brain of yours.”

He held my gaze as he blew out the smoke away from my face. It didn't matter because it drifted back to me anyway. 

“You're pretty, too,” he murmured before taking another long drag.

I shook my head, an unamused scoff leaving my lips.

“I'm serious,” he laughed.

I turned back to look at him again, suddenly feeling shy. 

He had very nice eyes. Sometimes bloodshot but always very blue. 

I always liked how blue his eyes were.

I also liked that he complimented me. Outside of school I was barely praised for anything. 

“You think I'm pretty?”

His smile slowly faded as he squashed his cigarette butt on the floor and leaned closer to me.

“Yeah, you're fuckin’ pretty, darlin’,” he murmured, his eyes flitting to my lips. “Wish I could taste you.”

I could feel my face grow hot at his words. At the time I thought he meant he wanted to kiss me, and perhaps that was all there was to what he said, but I found myself leaning closer to him, too.

I had my first kiss with a nineteen year old drug dealer. I didn't know what I was doing, of course, so I just tried to mimic his movements. He tasted awful but I felt my stomach fluttering at the thought that someone thought of me as pretty and not a disgusting nuisance.

The kiss was cut short when my mom caught sight of the scene and angrily kicked him out.

She was fuming when she got back to me, and I could feel my stomach trying to climb up my throat in anxiety.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” she yelled.

I tried to explain that he asked to kiss me first, that he made the first move. But she overpowered me.

“You think I don't notice the way you look at all my men?” she sneered. “It wouldn't kill you to stop wearing that skimpy little skirt around, you filthy slut.”

I was next to be thrown out of the house. 

Living on the first floor of our apartment building included some perks, one of them being we didn’t have to climb the metal stairs attached to the side of the building to get to our apartment. There were no stairs connecting the apartment floors on the inside, either, which meant there was plenty of privacy. 

But it also meant I had no way of getting back inside that night.

It was December. It was snowing. And I slept outside.  

From then on, I was nothing but a whore, a vicious slut who was interfering with my mom's business. I had to leave the house each time she had someone over, or be locked in the closet until they finished. My mom said that as long as I was in view, men would be more interested in me, the pretty young thing, instead of her. And that wasn't fair.

Over the next couple of years, we coexisted with each other. I stayed out of her way as much as I could, a habit that ultimately translated to other aspects of my life. And she spared me just enough attention when I needed to be punished for taking money for school supplies and food. 

It got to a point when I started hanging around my high school more than I should. I'd get there extremely early and leave as late as I could without getting in anyone's way. 

And I actually really liked school. Steve wasn't lying when he said I was smart. I really did have a knack for picking up on things easily, and good grades came to me like a birthright. 

I was top of the list for everything.

Minus social skills.

I kept to myself. I was smart but I barely raised my hand in class so as to not rob anyone else of the opportunity to participate. I ate lunch alone in front of my locker to not take up any space at a table in the cafeteria. But I was fine with it.

Everything was fine.

Zeke Fritz was the youngest teacher at my school. He was well-mannered and charming, and he was very popular among all his students — but especially the girls.

He just had a dignified presence that drew everyone in. A lot of the female teachers would shamelessly flirt with him but he always remained very composed.

As the only male born to politicians with connections just about everywhere, Zeke Fritz could've lived a cushy life with a breezy job that would keep him comfortable for life.

But he wanted to be a high school teacher. So, fresh out of a masters program in math, he quickly snagged the open position at the high school I enrolled in years later. Not that an open position was a sign of good luck. For Zeke Fritz, spaces were manufactured for him wherever he chose to go.

He was well qualified for the job, though. He'd also taken a liking to me during my first and only semester of my first year. I was the first to pick up on every formula he taught and he found that endearing. 

“I think I want to be a teacher someday,” I confessed one late afternoon when he asked me to help grade my classmates’ recent pop quiz. 

I'd accepted out of a sense of duty, and because if I had rejected him, it surely would've caused him trouble of some sort.

Right?

“You'd make a fantastic teacher,” he smiled.

So, there we were. Looking back, that must've been the day I dug my own grave because Mr. Fritz seemed awfully delighted that I didn't reply to his request for help with an excuse, and that I basically confessed to looking up to him. My compliant attitude must've looked a lot different for him than it did for me.

He drove me home an hour later and watched me open the door to the apartment before leaving, like a perfect gentleman. I waved him goodbye and he smiled at me from inside his car, waving back as he sped off.

That was one of the last few times I saw him. Because just two weeks later, I dropped out of school. 

Little by little, my mom had built up a large debt with Steve, and seeing that she'd taken loans from different people, whatever she earned from selling sex just didn't cut it. Our water, gas, and electricity bills were more than we could pay for, so I had no choice.

I started mowing lawns, raking leaves, cleaning pools and houses, and walking dogs for extra cash. I wasn't rich by any means, but I'd split most of the money to appease debt collectors and whatever was left to save for a rainy day. 

When my mom noticed I was bearing most of the weight, she began slipping away from her own, leaving it for me to pick up. She continued abusing, and even developed more expensive tastes. There wasn't much I could do at that point. I could beg her to stop and flush her pills down the toilet but we'd just go in circles for hours and I'd end up huddled in the corner with tears, hugging myself in an attempt to feel some warmth. 

I landed a waitressing job at a diner. I'd go three days a week and on my off-days I'd keep working odd jobs to stay afloat. 

On one occasion, Mr. Fritz walked in.

He pronounced my name with surprise. I was even more surprised he remembered me. An entire year had gone by since I'd seen him, and I was sure he had plenty of fresh faces to occupy himself with to remember his student of roughly four months.

I politely nodded at him in greeting and showed him to a table. That night, after he insisted on driving me home, I finally caved at his fourth try. 

However, as we neared my neighborhood, I burst into tears. He pulled into a dead-end street and turned off the car. I cried for the longest time, explaining through sobs that I was tired and that I missed school but I felt forced to leave.

He held me in his arms, his hand brushing down my back in comforting strokes until I calmed down.

He began frequenting the diner after that. Every Friday, he'd invite me to sit with him during my break and he'd fill me in on what he was teaching that week. 

One night when he came in, I had a nasty bruise on my face. In one of my countless fights with my mom, she'd thrown a broken glass at my face and cut my jaw. It wasn't deep, but it was enough to leave a mark for a couple of months. 

I didn't go back home that night. I felt awful for intruding on Mr. Fritz’s space, but he was adamant I stay with him until I figured what to do. 

He provided me with food that night and clothes the following morning. I didn't want to burden him, but he'd already bought them, so I accepted the clothes with a polite nod. I remember my face warming up when I noticed his generosity went as far as new underwear and a plain white bra that fit me a bit awkwardly, but he seemed unfazed.

His place was closer to the diner I worked at, and odd jobs could be found just as well in his neighborhood. So, as long as I stayed there, I kept my routine and even helped tidy his apartment as a thank you. 

At sixteen and a half, I started studying for my GED. Mr. Fritz helped me cram for the math portion and did as much as he could for other subjects. I was incredibly grateful. 

The afternoon the results were posted on the testing portal, I was a nervous wreck. Mr. Fritz stood behind me, his hands resting comfortably on my shoulders as he assured me I'd done just fine. I scrolled down the web page in search of a passing score. When I saw it, I jumped out of my chair and screamed excitedly. Mr. Fritz picked me up and spun me around as he rejoiced in my success. 

Even when he put me down, he kept his arms around my waist as he smiled down at me.

“Congratulations,” he murmured.

And then he leaned in.

The kiss took me by surprise. His hold was strong so I merely stumbled as I tried to draw a distance.

“Mr. Fritz—” 

“What's wrong?” he gently asked me. “Don't you like me?” 

My face warmed at the question, and I barely stuttered out a response. 

“I do, but–”

I wanted to explain that my fondness was out of admiration, but he cut me off before I could.

“Then why can't we kiss? I like you, too. I always have. It's only natural. I'm a man and you're a woman. We live together; it was bound to happen.”

Confused, but trusting that his logic was a compelling argument, I nodded.

“I guess that's true.” 

“And besides, I've been helping you this entire time. I did it because I care. I'd be hurt if you didn't think I was worthy after all I've done for you. Think of it as a token of your appreciation.” 

“I don't want you to think I'm ungrateful,” I murmured. 

My voice was barely above a whisper, but my meek demeanor made him smile.

Lifting my chin, he leaned down to kiss me again. I didn't stop him that time, and he just kept going.

Before I knew it, I was routinely bent over his dinner table or pushed down to my knees so I could repay his kindness. 

This went on for months.

I felt a bit guilty. Because even though I could feel it in my gut that his logic had its flaws, I still let him have his way with me. But a few weeks in, I was convinced I was in love with him. 

It was only natural, as he once said.

People who love each other do everything together. People who love each other kiss in the shadows all the time. They sleep next to each other in the same bed and they wake up at three in the morning to have sex, which ends with the guy telling the girl he loves her because the girl asked what she means to him. People who love each other would rather stay home than go out on dates where people can see them because love is best kept private.

That's what Zeke told me.

And I trusted Zeke. I loved him.

After the diner I worked at closed down, I started making deliveries for a nearby restaurant owned by a family of the name Grice. They could only offer me weekend hours, which meant I had to move my other jobs around but I accepted their offer. Since I couldn't drive a car or a motorcycle, I had to bike everywhere. Thankfully, the Grice's eldest son, Colt, gave me his old bike to use.

Colt Grice was nice. He was only a year younger than me but we'd never met until I started working for his parents. He went to private school, so it made sense we'd never crossed paths. 

Colt Grice also had a thing for me. He asked me out a couple of times but I always politely declined. I couldn't tell him a name, but I let him know I was seeing someone. So he remained a distant admirer. 

One Saturday afternoon, as I was cycling to and from the restaurant to make deliveries, I got lost looking for the last address on my list. 

I took a wrong turn and ended up in a neighborhood I couldn't recognize. Frustrated, I hopped off Colt's bike and started walking, hopeful to find someone to ask for directions.

I passed by a dead-end and there I saw it. Zeke's car.

Confused as to what he was doing there, but relieved nonetheless, I started walking toward the car to surprise him. But I never made it.

Because as soon as I stepped forward, I caught a second figure inside the car. A girl around my age, or maybe even one or two years younger was sitting on his lap in the back seat, fervently kissing him — and he wasn't doing anything to stop her.

Stunned, I rushed out of there as fast as my feet allowed me. 

By the time I came through the door of the Grice restaurant, I'd succeeded in my last delivery but I was a mess. Colt's parents rushed to me, asking if I was okay but all I could do was apologize for the delay. 

Seeing as it was already dark out, Colt offered to walk me home. He remained quiet the entire way to Zeke's apartment building, which was perfect because I didn't have it in me to talk. As I stepped one foot in front of the other in a zombie-like daze, I thought about how crummy my life had been so far. I kept seeing flashes of Zeke and that girl in the backseat. I also thought about whether I should actually be with someone like Colt Grice.

If I was honest, had Zeke never entered my life, I would've said yes to Colt Grice ages ago. He was kind and tall, and he was nice to look at. Not to mention he was closer to my age than Zeke was. 

So when we reached the front steps of Zeke's apartment building and Colt bid me goodbye with a smile, I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him.

He was taken aback, of course. But he kissed me back as soon as the shock subsided. 

Blushing, he asked if I'd like to get a smoothie with him after work tomorrow. 

I decided right then and there, on the eve of my eighteenth birthday, that I would cut ties with Mr. Fritz.

“I'd love to.”

Colt nervously laughed, amazed that I finally accepted his offer.

“I'll see you tomorrow, then,” he smiled, my name sweet on his tongue.

I didn't know Zeke had been watching us the entire time from his living room window.

My resolve to leave him was literally beaten out of me as soon as I walked through the door of his apartment.

I never brought up the girl from the dead-end street. 

I never showed up for work the next day, I never showed up for my date with Colt, and I never saw the Grice family again even after I left Zeke for good six months later.

I went back to living with my mom. As expected, she was still a mess but by then all the crap in her system had worn her out so much that I had to do everything for her. 

She couldn't fight with me like she used to just a year and a half ago, but it was still hell. She'd throw plates at me and scream horrible things at the top of her lungs until I'd break down crying each time. And that just wound her up even more. 

I couldn't just leave her. She was all I had and I was all she had.

But even the most patient hearts are worn out, and so even though I held out as much as I could for six years — and I was probably just waiting to keep her company on her deathbed — I left. She was too out of it to realize who she was talking to, but angry enough to throw a picture frame at the door when I walked out.

I moved to a new city and got a job. I used my savings to furnish the small apartment I found for myself, filling it with soft pastel colors that made the place my safe haven. 

I started wearing neutral colors, not wanting to draw attention to myself, and eventually found comfort in treating myself to the nice things I never had. 

I only went back to my hometown to fill out paperwork when I got a call that my mom had died. That same week I spent there, I heard through the grapevine that Zeke got arrested after he failed to manipulate the young daughter of one of his family's friends, bringing shame to the Fritz name. I never saw him, or Mrs. Zacharias, or Colt Grice ever again.

You don’t seem to notice that your hands have been shaking for a while now, but Eren does. He's been holding them the entire time as they prune in the cold water. 

Tears are pricking at his eyes but he refuses to let himself cry no matter how heavy his heart feels. It just doesn't feel appropriate when he's not the one trembling at the retelling of their life's story. 

Words don't come easy to him, either. An apology seems out of place, and any string of comfort just doesn't seem to cut it. He wanted to know everything and now he does. Now he's just lost on what to say that could prove to you that you made the right call to trust him.

“I'm sorry,” you murmur, lacing your fingers with his, pulling his hand out of the water, and kissing his knuckles. 

The gesture makes him ache.

“I know it's a lot.”

Eren could never lie to you. Everything you just told him definitely took a toll on him, but he’s also grateful that you shared it with him. And you shouldn't be the one to comfort him. It's given him an entire new perspective on who he wants to be for you. 

It rips him apart from the inside to think that you grew up believing you weren't worthy of healthy parents or a proper home. To think that the only time you experienced love it wasn't even real, and that distorted your understanding of the word forever. To think you were present to help anybody you could without someone to do the same for you without any ulterior motives. To think you made yourself small when you deserved just as much as anybody to take up space in the world. 

What can he say to a person who refuses to believe she could be genuinely loved but whom he loves like it's breathing?

If he had met you sooner, he would've done everything to protect you. It kills him that he couldn't keep you from being manipulated and used. 

“Do you still like me?”

Your timid voice wavers in the air. 

It dawns on Eren that he has yet to speak a word, and that you have no clue of where his head has been for the past few minutes since you caught him up to your present life. 

You don't turn around to look at him, nor do you make any other move. You just remain with your back to him, looking down at your naked legs through the soapy water.

When Eren peers at you over your shoulder, lifting your chin with a wet pruned finger, you struggle to meet his gaze. 

“Why wouldn't I?” 

You crumble in his arms. 

Eren cradles you as you cry into his chest like an affection-starved baby. He presses your naked body against his chest, rhythmically shushing you as his hand soothes your bare back and he presses his lips to your temple. 

You cry out twenty-four years worth of pain with Eren as your anchor. Your eyes swell and your features contort in anguish as you sob so violently, the movement reflects on your shoulders and your cries are mute. You cry until there are no more tears to shed and all that's left are a few hiccups as your body comes down from its panic. 

Eren turns on the shower and scrubs your body down. His fingers massage your scalp as warm water pours down your fragile frame. He sweeps the suds from your face with a gentle hand, as he looks down at you, teary-eyed but smiling as warmly as ever when you blink up at him. 

A soft, fluffy towel is ruffled over your hair as he draws out the excess moisture before he wraps a second around your body and lifts you in his arms in one swift motion. You cling to him while he carries you to bed, where he carefully sets you down and he hugs you to his chest, coaxing you to sleep while the world outside your window slows down and darkens.

It's around three in the morning when Eren stirs awake. As his eyes adjust to the darkness, he finds you looking at him.

“How long have you been awake?” he whispers.

You smile.

“A while,” you admit. “I didn't know watching someone sleep could be so fascinating.” 

“Well, now I'm embarrassed,” he laughs, his voice still groggy.

“Now you know how I feel,” you smirk, reminding him of when he's done the same. 

His hand comes up to cup your face.

“How are you feeling?” he tenderly asks, his bright emerald eyes shining in the dark.

“Better,” you murmur. Then you meekly add, “I didn't think I would cry so much. I'm a little embarrassed about that.”

Eren leans forward to plant a brief kiss on your lips. 

“Thank you,” he says, to which your eyebrows upturn in confusion.

“For trusting me,” he explains. “I know it couldn't have been easy to relive everything.”

He clears his throat as he strokes the apple of your cheek with his thumb.

“I didn't know what to say at the moment. If that freaked you out, I'm sorry. But I promise none of that changes the way I feel about you. Not that, not anything. I swear. I won't fail you.” 

You thought you were dried out, but Eren's words draw another series of tears to well in your eyes and cling to your lashes.

“So you still want me?”

He smiles.

“I told you. I'm in it for the long haul.”

As you melt in each other’s embrace, you realize this is what genuine love is. People who love each other want to know each other. They hold hands and play on swings in childlike glee. They wake up at three in the morning to watch the other person sleep, careful not to disturb them because the image of them dreaming is just too precious. And whether it be in light or shadows, people who love each other kiss slowly as words of praise and worship are poured into each other's mouths and warm hands caress each other’s scars.

The last two days leading to the New Year's Eve party at the Jaeger house are spent making last minute arrangements and check-ins with the catering service, florists, pyrotechnicians, and others. 

You and Carla spend the last day shopping. You brought one of your fancier dresses in your suitcase, but after witnessing all the crates of champagne being delivered and hauled into the house in preparation for the party, as well as a preview of the flower arrangements, you felt the need to seek something livelier than the original sleek black silk dress.

It takes several stores and countless fittings until Carla finds you the perfect dress. It's simple but pretty and you and Carla are over the moon with the way it fits you when you step out of the changing room.

The following night, the music from the main house's terrace can be heard all the way inside the pool house. You haven't met anyone yet, but the sound of car doors and alarms have been faintly echoing in the background for a while.

Eren’s fixing his bow tie in front of the bedroom mirror when you slowly wander into the bedroom, in your pretty pastel dress and strappy heels, fixing your earrings as you go. 

Eren's mouth falls open when he turns around and takes in the sight. 

“What do you think?” you shyly ask.

You're in a flowy midi knife-pleated dress, washed in pastel colors that blend seamlessly between lavender, pastel pink, blue and green, like a watercolor painting. The bustier-style bodice is connected to dainty straps in the same soft colors. 

His lips part and close as he struggles to find the right words. When you giggle, he finally grins and pulls you in by the waist.

“Are you even real?” he murmurs.

You laugh as he pushes you back against the wall, smiling and cradling your face with one hand as the other keeps you pressed against him by the small of your back.

Your hands drape around his neck as he catches a glimpse of the angel necklace resting below your collarbone.

“I think we should bail on the party and just celebrate here,” he grins as his nose brushes against yours. “You know, in some cultures, New Year's is more of a private holiday.”

You throw your head back in laughter as he peppers your neck with short, eager kisses.

“Seriously,” he says, leaning back just enough to admire your smiling face. “You look amazing.”

“Thank you,” you shyly reply. “You look really good, too.”

“Well, I remembered you liked me in a suit,” he smirks, eliciting a pleasant shiver to run down your spine. “So… what do you say?”

Giggling, you shake your head.

“I think your mom will notice if her only son doesn't show up to the party.”

Eren pouts.

“You're right. Then at least I'll get to brag about having the prettiest woman in the world with me.”

He enthusiastically pulls you into a kiss, drawing out an amused giggle from your lips as you melt into his touch. 

When he pulls back, you're both smiling, connecting in one enamored look.

“Eren, I love you.”

Your eyes twinkle as they blink up at him.

“I know I haven't said it in a while but… you know I do… right?”

Eren's heart frantically pounds against his ribs as he caresses your cheek with tender strokes of his thumb.

“Of course,” he murmurs. 

Your shoulders visibly relax, like you've been holding back on repeating those three words and this moment has finally granted you with relief.

Chewing on your bottom lip, you nod. 

“Okay,” you sigh happily. You peck the corner of his mouth. “Come on, Carla's probably wondering what's taking so long.”

Eren doesn't move, keeping you in place against the wall.

“Wait,” he says, his voice quivering slightly at the end.

He brings your hand to his chest, giving you a second to feel the fervent beats.

You look at him curiously as your name rolls off his tongue.

“I love you.”

His features soften before you as the words leave his lips, like pronouncing them has lightened an unknown weight on his shoulders.

“I didn't say it back then,” he adds. “But it wasn't because I didn't feel it. I was just surprised you said it first. But you know I've loved you this entire time… right?”

His shy confession lines your eyes with tears. 

“Of course,” you murmur. 

He sighs heavily in relief as he kisses you once more.

“I love you,” he repeats, the words falling from his lips like it's what he was put on this earth to pronounce. 

“I love you.” Kiss. “I love you.” Kiss. “I love you.”

You cling to him, your fingers carding through his hair as he ruins your lipstick with his fervent kiss.

“I love you, Eren,” you repeat, as you fall back onto the bed, where his hand snakes up your thighs and his fingers tug your underwear to the side. 

“I love you,” you sigh as he buries himself inside you, the contact raw without a single thing to keep you apart. 

“I love you,” you whimper as your legs wrap around his middle and he finishes inside. 

You both rest on the bed, hands laced together as you regain control of your breathing. 

“I love you,” Eren smiles, your full name bouncing off his tongue and making you giggle.

“I love you, Eren Jaeger.”

The music from the string quartet on the terrace begins to play, reminding you of the night's agenda. 

“Let's go,” Eren says, helping you up with one hand.

“I'm gonna need a minute,” you tell him as you fetch a fresh pair of underwear from the dresser. “I'll be quick.”

He nods, a cocky grin taking over his lips when he notices the streak of your lipstick smeared on your chin. 

“I'll wait for you outside,” he smiles. “I gotta make a call.”

You nod and slip into the bathroom.

As you take in your reflection, an excited flutter stirs in your stomach. 

Being with Eren doesn't compare to anything else in your life. He's the warmth you've craved your entire life. He's deep in every cavity of your being, patching you up from the inside with his strength and affection.

You decide at this moment that you've never loved anyone until him.

As you trade your ruined lipstick for a tinted lip gloss and you clean the remnants from your spontaneous lovemaking, three little words shaped by Eren's warm voice echoes in your ears.

I love you. 

With one last look in the mirror, you walk out to meet him. 

As you shut the pool house door behind you, you pick up the last of Eren's call.

“I gotta go… Yeah… Good luck, buddy.”

Eren ends the call with a quick tap to his screen before turning to you.

He holds out his hand for you to take.

“Ready?”

The party is in full swing on the terrace. Champagne bottles have been popped and music and lively voices fill the air.

You feast on shrimp and cream puffs, bacon-wrapped asparagus and antipasto skewers. You clink your champagne flute with Carla and the ladies from her book club as you suggest titles for their next read and you look over at the pyrotechnicians as they finish setting up for the fireworks show with ten minutes to spare.

Eren never leaves your side. 

He laces your fingers with his as he tugs you away from the railing to dance. His hands fix your arms around his neck before settling on your waist.

He's not much of a dancer, but you follow his lead in swaying to the music. Your limbs tingle with the light buzz of brut.

“Are you happy?” he asks as he presses his forehead to yours.

You smile.

“I'm never not happy when I'm with you.”

He laughs.

“I guess I'm stuck with you, then.”

“You are,” you murmur as you draw closer to his lips.

He pulls back teasingly, chuckling when you inevitably pout at his evasion.

“Easy, you'll get your kiss in a couple of minutes.”

Resting your head on his chest, you continue to sway. It's not long before someone calls out that it's a minute to midnight. 

As fresh champagne flutes are handed out to every guest, you turn around in Eren arms so you can face the fireworks show. As everyone around you excitedly counts down the last ten seconds of the year, Eren hovers over your shoulder and lifts your chin between two fingers.

“I love you,” he murmurs.

“I love you,” you murmur back.

The two of you kiss as golden lights burst in the sky.

Later that night, buzzed from champagne and with a new bottle tucked under Eren's jacket, you stumble into the pool house, giggling like teenagers who just stole from their parent's liquor cabinet. As you clumsily undress each other and exhale sweet words in the air while reconnecting your bodies one more time, you think to yourself that Eren has managed the impossible — to heal every wound and make you happy. 

The following morning, you'll find a new series of text messages where Mikasa and Jean let their friends know they're engaged, and you'll be even happier.

Two days into the new year, you part from Paradis Island. 

At the airport, as you, Eren, and Carla have a quick lunch before you leave, Eren pulls out his phone and asks you and his mom to pose for a picture together, before asking a security guard to snap a photo of the three of you.

Carla hugs you tightly as she makes you promise you'll be back soon even for just a few days. You hold onto her just as tightly, thanking her for everything, even for the things she didn't know she gifted you, and you swear this isn't the last she'll see of you.

Roughly thirty minutes later, as you look out the window, waiting for the plane to take off, Eren's hand gently envelops yours. 

You turn to smile at him and he dips forward to kiss your temple. 

“I love you.”

“I love you.”

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[anxious-witch]

So a continuation of this soulmate poly! JO au

So! Again, this is not my usual high quality stuff, isn't beta read or edited and I have been feeling kinda eh about writing lately so...yeah. Be warned before going into it. But so many of your wanted some sort of conclusion so I had to give you one. I hope it's at least somewhat satisfying.

This needed a warning for vomitting not the last one my bad, also TW for Bojan's general low self esteem

Bojan wasn't feeling well. And it wasn't only because he was hungover from the whole spiked drink yesterday. No. It was also due to the fact that now they all knew that he was their fifth soulmate.

He woke up surrounded by three of them. Jure was curled around his right side, with Kris' arm thrown over both him and Bojan. Bojan was snuggled in Jan's chest and Jan's hand protectively hovered over his head.

Nace was probably already up. Bojan laid there fir a moment. Soaking in the warmth. For once, his soulmark didn't ache but instead hummed pleasantly. 

It felt so natural, it was hard to remember why he was so scared of it. 

Then a sudden nausea hit him and he had to practically launch himself from the bed. Jan stirred and sleepily called out to him, but Bojan didn't turn. He ran to the bathroom, just in time to throw up in the toilet.

He wasn't sure how he ended up on his knees and gripping the toilet. He also wasn't sure when Jan joined him by sitting on the floor and rubbing his back. 

Only when he stopped throwing up for more than a few seconds did he lean more into the comforting touch. 

"Aren't you supposed to be angry at me?" Bojan mumbled tiredly.

"Oh, I am furious," Jan said easily, "I just don't see the point of having this conversation until you feel better."

Bojan made a pityful sound, closing his eyes. His head hurt, his stomach hurt, his soulmark ached. He just wanted to die.

"You might as well. I am feeling miserable anyway. We can go for full physical and emotional destruction."

Jan sighed and gently ran his head through Bojan's hair. 

"Kris went to make you tea and Jure to dig out some painkillers. Nace will probably make something to eat when he comes back from his run, if he hasn't already."

Jan scratched his scalp, like he was a dog. It was pleasant though and Bojan couldn't help but let iut a sigh and lean into it. 

"I don't deserve you guys."

The fingers in his hair froze. You said something stupid again, Bojan's mind hissed.

"We'll talk about that too."

"I'm sorry."

Jan continued stroking his hair, but didn't reply. Bojan's soulmarked burned like a brand. He hates you, he hates you, he will never forgive you-

Kris arrived at that moment, taking in their state. His eyes softened as he watched them.

"How are you feeling?"

"Like shit. I don't know if you are asking physically or mentally, but the answer is the same."

Kris crouched down and gently put his hand on Bojan's forehead. His eyes fluttered shut at the gesture.

"You don't have a temperature," he mused, "which means just a bad hangover. You should come back to bed. I bought a bucket if you are sick again. And there is tea and painkillers. Nace is making pancakes too."

Bojan felt a sudden pressure of tears. Why were they all so nice? So considerate? Shouldn't they be yelling and demanding an explanation? He felt like he'd prefer that. It was what he deserved.

"Bojan, hey, what's wrong? Does something hurt?"

Kris gentle voice snapped him out of his thoughts and he realized he was crying. He shook his head and covered him face. 

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Why wre you all being nice? Why aren't you yelling at me? Why-"

"Shhh." 

Kris hugged him to his chest and Bojan's body shook im his embrace. He kept a litany of apologies through the sobs.

"Jan, go tell Nace to finish pancakes later. I will get Bojan to the bedroom. I think we all need to talk first."

Jan probably nodded, because Bojan heard him get up and step out of the bathroom. Then Kris gently picked him up. Bojan didn't even complain, simply buried his face in Kris' chest. 

He carried him to the bedroom.

"What happened? Is he alright?"

Bojan's heart squeezed at Jure's worried tone, but he didn't feel capable of answering. Which was why he was thankful for Kris.

"I am not sure. He started apologizing and then burst into tears. I think everything is hitting him just now. And you know how the bond can be overwhelming at first."

When he put Bojan on the bed, Jure curled at his back. Bojan reached out with one hand to him. 

And Jure took it, interlacing their fingers. His and Kris' presence calmed him down slightly. Enough for him to stop babbling apologies at least, if not stop crying yet. 

"Oh, Bojan," he heard Nace say from further away. 

Then two more bodies joined the pile. Bojan could recognize each, despite having his face buried in Kris's chest. 

That slowly made him calm down enough to stop the tears and carefully pull back from Kris' chest.

Kris didn't let him go far, gripping his waist when he tried to. Which was ridiculous, because they all surrounded him. He cleared his throat, blood rushing to his cheeks.

“Right. Can we just…get this over with, please?”

“Get it over with?” Jan hissed.

Bojan flinched a bit at his tone, ducking down to hide in Kris’ chest again.

“Jan,” Nace chastised him from somewhere behind his back, “Let's try and do this calmly.”

Jure squeezed his hand and then Jan swore, almost as if someone elbowed him.

“Fine.”

“Bojan, could you sit up, please?” Nace asked.

Did he have much of a choice at this point? Bojan sat up, suddenly much more aware of four pairs of eyes watching him.

He stubbornly stared into his lap.

“Tell us what happened,” Jure urged gently. 

“I was at the bar, I was flirting with a guy. He drugged my drink.”

Jan sighed loudly, but it was Kris who spoke up.

“That's not what we are asking. We want to know why you don't want us.”

That made him snap his head up, staring at Kris in disbelief. Kris, who was biting his lip and looked incredibly close to tears.

“What? I never said that!”

“You made it quite clear.”

Bojan felt as if he'd been slapped. He could take them being angry, or even saying they don't want him anymore, but he couldn't take them thinking he didn't want them.

“That's not true at all! Of course I want you!”

Kris did not look particularly convinced, hunching in on himself. Bojan met Jan's eyes instead.

“Then why didn't you say anything? Jesus, Bojan Kris knows you for a decade.”

“Because by the time I realized, the two of you were already together! And then I couldn't say anything because I thought that if you had each other, why would you want me?”

Jan took in a sharp breath and Kris paled noticeably, but Bojan wasn't done. He turned his eyes to Jure.

“So I kept silent, until Jure came along. And then he fit right in. Not just in the band, but with the two of you. And I thought, fuck, I'm too late. So I didn't say anything again. By the time Nace came into the picture, I-I had no idea what to do. Besides, we all know I would ruin this.”

Jure crossed the distance between them in a second, practically launching himself towards Bojan and pulling him into a hug. 

“Never,” Jure said vehemently.

Bojan felt a sudden wave of love wash over him. It took him a second to realize it wasn't coming from him, but from the Jure's side of the bond.

It was enormous and overwhelming and Bojan was completely unprepared for it. Which made panic seize his chest. 

Then, Nace was there, putting a hand on the back of his neck.

“Breathe. I know it's overwhelming at first, but just breathe through it. Jure, back up a bit he isn't used to the bond yet.”

The sensation eased up a bit, even if Jure didn't let go of him. Bojan took in a shaky breath. 

“Why do you think you'd ruin it?” Kris asked after a moment. 

Feeling their emotions in tandem with their words was new. Even without prying, he could feel hurt and worry from Kris. Bojan realized with a pang that that meant they could feel the turmoil of his emotions, too.

This was exactly what he wanted to spare them from.

“Because of this! I am difficult to deal with. I know all of you know it, because you had to deal with me. But that's different from being in a relationship with me. Kris met like, all of my girlfriends, he can testify.”

Jure's arms tighten against him, paired up with a slight pang of annoyance. Bojan bit his lip to stop himself from apologizing. They should be aware of what they were getting into.

He expected Kris to look angry or maybe defeated, but instead he looked thoughtful. 

“From what I remember of that, the biggest issue was you putting us and the band in general before them. Which wouldn't be a problem here, would it?”

Bojan stared. He never thought of it like that. 

“That's still not a good idea. I am difficult to deal with. You'll get tired of me.”

Jan snorted and Bojan turned to glare. Jan met his gaze calmly.

“Right. Because before this we never took care of you being sick every two to three weeks? Nace didn't calm you when you got panic attacks? Jure and I don't regularly feed you because you are unable to cook more than two meals? Kris doesn't have your schedule memorized and reminds you of what you need to do?”

Bojan felt as if Jan's gaze was burning through him, right into his soul. He ducked his head. Except, Jan reached out and Jure moved, curling at his left so Jan could tilt Bojan's chin up. 

“Look at me.”

So Bojan did, a zing of electricity going down his spine as he did so. Any rational argument he had got thrown outside of the window.

“You borrow our clothes and you cuddle with us and we are all together almost 24/7. Why the fuck would that change if we were in a relationship with you?”

Bojan opened and closed his mouth several times, feeling as if Jan had just knocked out all the cards from his hands. Like all the insecurities that held him back were insignificant in the face of Jan's argument.

His head suddenly started hurting even more and he closed his eyes.

“I don't know.”

“Alright. Postponing the rest of this for later. Bojan, go brush your teeth, we'll bring tea and painkillers in the meantime.”

Leave it to Kris to organize everything in a second. 

“Can't I get a coffee?” Bojan asked, peering at him and pointedly avoiding Jan's gaze.

“After we are sure you won't throw up again. Do you need help getting up?”

Jan finally let go of his chin and Bojan tried not to feel disappointed. He never kissed any of them properly, it was always something for the cameras. 

He wondered what it would be like to kiss them for real. 

That thought scared him enough to jolt him into action and he quickly got up from the bed. Too quickly, since dark spots began to dance in his vision.

Nace swore and reached out to steady him. 

“I'll go with him-”

“No,” Jan interrupted, ��you go finish those pancakes. I got him.”

Bojan tensed. It wasn't that he didn't trust Jan, because he did. He trusted all of them with his life. The thing was, Jan seemed the most angry out of all of them and he didn't sugarcoat anything. Bojan wasn't sure how being alone with him would go.

No one protested though, Kris simply exchanged a long look with Jan and then nodded.

Bojan wondered if that simply cane with sharing a bond for so long and then he suddenly felt very, very lonely.

So he didn't protest when Jan took Nace's place and led him to the bathroom. He took his toothbrush and brushed his teeth. Jan walked closer and took his own, so they both brushed their teeth and Bojan tried not to think about how domestic that felt.

That distracted him enough for him not to notice that the toothbrush was the exact same one he had at home until after he finished.

“Since when does Nace have everyone's spare toothbrush?”

“Since we all started dating?”

Bojan started at Jan through the mirror. Jan calmly washed his mouth with water. 

“I haven't been dating you.”

Jan sighed as he stood upright again and put his toothbrush back where it belonged.

“No. But even before the soulmark, you were always considered welcome. I think…on some level we all knew.”

Bojan swallowed against sudden urge to cry again. 

“I should have known. The way you looked when we saw Nace's mark, I-”

“Don't say that. You didn't know because I didn't want you to. It's not your fault.”

Jan gave him a wry smile, shaking his head.

“Isn't it? Maybe if we figured it out sooner, you wouldn't think you were unwanted. For seven years, apparently.”

Jan's emotions were more guarded than Kris’ and yet, Bojan could practically taste the bitterness and hurt pouring from him. 

Bojan couldn't help but reach for him, but as soon as he touched his arm, Jan tensed. 

“I'm sorry. It-it's not your fault, okay? I promise.”

Jan pursed his lips.

“If you say so.”

He stepped closer then closer again, until their chests were almost touching. Jan didn't stop him, but also didn't make any moves towards him, either.

Bojan cupped his face and pressed his lips to his anyway, trying to pour all his mixed feelings into it. Then Jan moved, pinning him back against the sink. Bojan gasped and Jan took that opportunity to deepen the kiss.

There was so much longing in the kiss, Bojan kept trying to pull him closer, making a protesting noise when Jan pulled back.

“This is a bad idea. We need to talk this through first.”

“Oh.”

Jan was probably right. It was not a good idea, especially with the mess of emotions Bojan was feeling. Still, it was difficult not to feel a pang of disappointment. He felt…rejected.

He nodded and hung his head low.

“Fuck. Bojan that isn't-Hey.”

Jan lifted his chin once more and Bojan shivered. Something about the gesture made Bojan feel very small in comparison. 

“I am not rejecting you. This is just because I don't want to take this too far before you feel secure in the bond, okay?”

Bojan swallowed and watched and Jan's eyes traced the movement.

“Okay.”

Jan took in a deep breath and then took a step back. Then he extended his hand out to Bojan.

“Com'on now. The others are waiting.”

Then he was tugged back into the bedroom. Jure and Kris were sitting on the bed and talking quietly, while Nace still didn't return. They went quiet once they entered and Bojan tried not to fidget.

“Don't stop on my account,” he mumbled, trying to get under the covers.

Perhaps he could suffocate himself under the blankets.

“Wait! The painkillers!”

Bojan stopped halfway, and Kris handed his the painkillers and the water. He tried not to make a face at being treated like a child. Firstly Jan with pulling back and now the rest of them eith treating him like he was fragile. They cared and objectively, he was aware he scared them last night.

So he took them and handed the glass back to Kris. Then he got under the covers and buried his face into a pillow.

“Why is he sulking?” Kris asked, directing the question at Jan.

“He kissed me and I said I don't want things to escalate until he feels comfortable with the bond.”

“He wasn't too happy about that, huh?”

Bojan was about to snap at them for talking like he wasn't there, but then another person shuffled under the covers and pulled him closer. Jure.

Jure's emotions were always on the surface and Bojan could feel them much easier than Jan's. There was a sense of deep contentment that he didn't expect.

Jure pressed a kiss into his hair and Bojan felt his annoyance begin to dissipate. Kris shuffled closer and began petting his hair and-yeah, okay, he could get used to that.

He was starting to drift when Nace came back, announcing that the pancakes were done. Bojan groggily got up, rubbing at his eyes.

“You can eat later if you are tired,” Nace said with such a soft look, Bojan felt the need to squirm.

“But I want pancakes,” he protested.

Jan laughed.

“Just let him eat. Maybe that'll wake him up.”

Bojan glared.

“Maybe now I won't go exactly because of that.”

Jan smirked.

“Well good thing we can all carry you then, no?”

“No-”

Nace crossed the room in a few steps and picked him up as if he weighed nothing. Bojan squealed. He knew Nace could pick him up, but actually being picked up was quite different.

He wrapped his arms around Nace's neck, even if he was pretty sure Nace wouldn't drop him.

“Rude,” he mumbled in his neck. 

He was lulled once again into a feeling of contentment that simply radiated from the bond. Was it supposed to feel like that? Did it always feel like that for them? 

Nace gently dropped him in a chair at the dining table. Bojan absent mindedly reached for the pancakes while the others all took their seats.

“Does it always feel like that? The bond, I mean.”

Kris cocked his head.

“How does it feel?”

“Content. Calming. Like…things clicked in place.”

Kris’ gaze softened. 

“Not quite. There was always something missing. Like the connection flowed between the four of us and then it just…hit a wall.”

“Oh.”

Bojan fidgeted with his knife before anxiously taking the jam and smearing it over the pancake. He wasn't sure what to say.

“We have been waiting for you,” Nace added softly.

And this, this was exactly what Bojan wanted to avoid. He covered his face, willing himself not to cry again.

“This is why I didn't say anything. I don't-I can't complete you.”

“You already do.”

He began shaking his head, but then Kris was gently pulling his hands away from his face.

“We already acted like you are a part of this relationship, excluding kissing and sex. You already cuddle and steal all of our clothes. You hate being alone so you are in one of our apartments half the time. You already act like you are our boyfriend, this is just a confirmation you belong with us.”

Bojan felt speechless again. So he did one thing he could think about at that moment. He kissed him.

This kiss was much softer than the one he shared with Jan. Kris kissed almost hesitantly, as if not believing he was real. When Bojan tried to press harder, someone cleared their throat and Kris pulled away.

Of course it was Jan.

“Still not a great idea Bojči,” he reminded him.

Bojan stared at Kris, who was still kneeling by his chair, looking a bit dazed.

“Maybe not such a bad idea, if it'll help convince him,” Nace said, shrugging, “But we should wait until after breakfast.”

Bojan's brain came to a screeching halt.

“C-convince me?”

Jure sighed.

“That we want you. Obviously.”

Bojan swallowed. Don't think about it. But Kris was already kneeling and-

“Kris, go sit in your chair before Bojan has another crisis. And let's just finish eating first, yeah? Then we can discuss other things.”

He felt his cheeks heat at Jan's words and Jure chuckled. Kris simply rolled his eyes and went to take his seat.

They all began to eat and Bojan just tried to take everything in as they fell into easy conversation like nothing had happened.

His world tilted on its axis and…kept spinning, almost exactly the same as it had before. And surely, this would change things. Perhaps even his fears would be confirmed with time.

But for now, Bojan sat with four of his soulmates that he loved more than anyone else and simply let himself breathe.

Bojan was born with four stripes on his stomach. Yellow, red, purple and blue. And for the first time, his pink joined into the rainbow it created.

[gamerbearmira]

Hello resident evil Au person here! Thank you so much for responding and the art work it looks amazing! Sorry for not responding sooner but I was thinking about your idea of the family tree! And I agree with you that the family tree would be different but that instead of Mirabelle being at the top it has Miranda the five Lords below her and then mirabel's family connected through her the normal way that way there's a constant reminder of mirabel's connection to Miranda and the other Lords.

I also realized I didn't put the ages for the three boys and how they turned into what they did when Miranda gives the boys to Mirabel to experiment on they were three almost four years old they were given to Miranda by their parents ( they are biological siblings and are actually triplets) in Donna's section of the village as a sacrifice to her. The experiment that they go through basically sees Miranda taking a small bit of the cadou inside of Mirabel and putting it inside the three boys hearts and then having Mirabel wrap them into cacoons where they basically melt (because that's what happens when Mirabel cacoons people) but instead of dying they reform with little antennas and wings with no memory of their human life and when they emerge from their cocoons they latch on the Mirabel and believe that she is their mother. They were made four years before Ethan gets there so they are still very young when the events with Ethan happen.

Desmond is the oldest child, Cassius is the middle child and Sebastian is the youngest. I know that I said that I would let you pick how they looked but I realized how much that puts on you to decide all the details that go into how they look so I thought I might help by giving the eye and hair color. Desmond has reddish brown hair and hazel eyes Cassius has golden brown hair with dark brown eyes (so dark they're almost black) and Sebastian looks the most like Maribel with her hair color but his eyes are emerald green instead.

They all lived in the creepy casita's version other nursery until they were six when they each got their own rooms Desmond's room is a royal purple color Cassius has a dark maroon colored room and Sebastian has a navy blue colored room.

Miranda was amazed when the boys were made praising Mirabel even more for her "perfection" and even began thoughts of repeating the process with minor changes for a later date. She finds them fascinating especially the process that transformed them in the cocoons which is part of the reason why she agreed to put Rose in the weird mold like womb instead of putting her in Rose flasks because she thought that she would go through a similar process as the boys. Mirabel hates how fascinated and interested in the boys Miranda is because she is just as protective of them as she was Antonio if not worse because the same way that they view her as their mother she instinctively views them as her children so she wants Miranda nowhere near them in a very primal and instinctive way.

As always any and all art work or writing is appreciated and loved!

RESIDENT EVIL LETS GOOOOOOOOOO 🦅🦅🦅🦅 LET THE RESIDENTS BE EVIL❗❗❗

Glad you liked the idea, also makes sense!! Was wondering if the others + Miranda would be in it, I wasn't entirely sure. I know Miranda probably would've shoved herself somewhere in that tree though, let's be real 💀💀

ALSO ACTUAL TRIPLETS LETS GO 🗣🗣 crazy how Miranda immediately made her experiment on them. And they essentially melted and rebuilt themselves in part of the experiment. Do you know what kind of levels of insane you gotta be to do that 😭 but Mirabel was probably so happy that they ended up being ok.

Them clinging to her makes sense too tbh 🌚 like they remember NOTHING and Mirabel was like their lifeline, so it makes sense. I'm guessing it might've taken a while but the family warmed up to them. Especially given the circumstances. They do feel bad for the triplets to some capacity, I mean they had their whole lives reworked and their minds rewired in a way 😭 Miranda needs to get a life outside of all this, seriously. Like no wonder Mirabel is so freaked out by how facisnated she is with them. Let Mirabel and her family BREATHE DAMN

ALSO W COLOR SCHEMES...I will color them I swear. I just didn't get to it 💀💀 mb, but there's this!!!! Which I hope will do because it too me. Way too long 👩‍🦲and then it's not even fully done??? But I will finish it at some point.

Alma was the only one to get away with not smiling. Guess who's behind the camera 😛😛

also rooms 🤥 them staying in the nursery until they were just past 5, probably barely 6, I guess Ok habits die hard <//33 also no worries about the color! While I would have been more than happy to stick some stuff together, the colors do help <33

UHHHHH THE COCOON FOR ROSE MAKES SENSE TOO!!!! Pretty sure you mentioned it iirc (though correct me if I'm wrong), but Mirabel kept Rose right? Since she's still entirely intact.

Silly idea where the cocoon Rose is in is in the nursery (a very inconspicuous place considering Resident Evil). And the cocoon is just. Sitting in an old crib. Easily can be looked over (someone out a blanket it in it for some reason?? Not sure who). But I think since this version of Casita is something if a safehouse, Ethan can freely explore it (like in the other games), and he'll eventually stumble upon the nursery. Probably when he's getting frustrated about not finding Rose.

Maybe Mirabel can't directly tell him where she is becayse. You know Miranda and she probably got snitches creeping around idk 😭

LOVE THIS AU RAHHGGGGGG ❗❗🦅🦅🦅🦅

[rickie-the-storyteller]

Steph's Crew - Book 3 Summary

I was meant to post this last year to sort of close the Steph-related content and focus more on other projects. Actually, I was meant to post a lot of things last year...

Bretanie analysis (on here)

Season 1 of AU (on my second blog)

Jekyll and Hyde, but in the modern world (I've been working on that for fun on the side, and I've decided to post the full story on Wattpad)

Revealing the identity of the secret blogger (I'll probably do it in this post, since it is relevant to this part of the story as well)

I've been so busy, y'all. Sorry for the delays.

I just want to make sure I have time to do everything as best as I possibly can, so you can enjoy it. I think it was less pressure posting the Steph's Crew dialogues and snippets because they were old pieces of work, and since the time I first wrote them, I've neatened it up and made it considerably better than it was... I know that the stuff I've shared isn't the final product, so I don't feel the urge to make it perfect. At least not to the extent that I do with all these other projects lol.

Hopefully this can help make up for lost time. I'll get to the other posts mentioned on that list as soon as possible, but until then... here's a summary of the third and final instalment of Steph's Crew!

Enjoy!

Keep in mind that I'm still working on this one. It isn't finished yet, but I wanted to give you guys a rough idea of how it goes. And prepare for this, because it's pretty unhinged lol. I collaborated with my sister on some of the wackier ideas...

Book 3 is titled "Story of a Broken Thing." It picks up where Book 2 ends off, more or less (or at least, it fills us in on what went down since the end of Book 2). If you can't remember how UVC ended, then here's a link to that summary:

But to put it briefly, the crew have successfully solved the mystery, Brelise have split up again, Bret's gone on tour with his band, Dalice are together, Bephanie is over, and Stephanie got arrested... but then escaped from holding. Nobody knows where she could have gone.

Which leads us to Book 3. It is set a couple of years later (I think about 5 years after Book 2 ended), and a lot of stuff has happened in all that time...

Dylan and Alice have broken up. Wasn't meant to be, I guess. But don't worry - they're still friends, and there's no bad blood between them or anything.

Victor and Jen have unfortunately split up as well, leading to Jen moving back to Texas. Alice decides to go with her. She's doing alright - currently taking some classes at a local college, and helping out at her old dance studio in her spare time. She's also still making YouTube videos.

Bret's band is still doing well. They're not touring anymore at the moment, but they are super busy recording a new album, and filming music videos. Plus, they have been asked to perform at the Jingle Bell Ball towards the end of the year, which is very exciting. Even though he has moved back to the UK, because of the nature of Bret's job, he can't just stay in London with his aunt anymore like how he used to... but he still comes to visit her as often as possible. And he and Elise are still close friends, so that's cool. He's been seeing other people over the past couple of years, though.

Elise and Charlie are together. She decided to give him a chance. They're really happy together and they seem to have a pretty healthy, solid relationship for the most part (they've been together for two years straight by the time Book 3 has started). Charlie still harbours some degree of jealousy/wariness towards Bret, though, since she's still really good friends with him. He's never once brought it up to her, though. But it becomes a big deal in this part of the story... more on that later.

Ben isn't really in this part of the story... at least not until towards the end, when Stephanie randomly decides to call him for some reason. But he's doing fine. Moved back to his cooking job from Book 1 lol. It was good money, and now he doesn't have another person to share it with! Wait, that sad-

And by now, Dylan, Connor (who has finally moved on from Daisy! Thank God), Elise and Charlie have all finished their university courses. Yay!

In fact, this is what kickstarts the plot. Dylan's family (we get to see them again in this one! Specifically his mother, her new husband and his younger brother Sam. I feel like we didn't get enough of them last time) is very proud of him for finishing such a long, tough course (3 years, + 1 foundation year + 1 year of masters), and they decide to reward him with an epic summer trip to Australia. And it is during this holiday that he sees Steph again (she's not in Australia btw - he sees her when he goes with a family friend to the Samoan islands).

She fills him in on how she got there. I haven't neatly worked this part out... but basically, Reggie helped her leave the country (idk whether to make him a villain or some kind of loose cannon/antihero type of guy. Like, he's awful most of the time, but he's also one of Stephanie's oldest friends, and he can be genuinely nice when he wants to be. Especially to her. He needs to be in trouble tho lol. I think the thing about him is that he gets away with his awful behaviour easily, whereas Stephanie is kind of forced to be held accountable, even if she actively runs away from the consequences of her actions sometimes...)

After that, she was stuck on her own again for a while and needed a job. So she applied for a job at a local Natia hotel (Natia is a famous line of hotels... kind of like Hilton, to give a known real-life example). She didn't have enough money for a cab or bus, so she had to walk the whole way there through heavy rain. By the time she got there, she looked terrible lol. But when she arrived, she bumped into a handsome young man who kindly helped her out. He got her a room and some clothes to change into, which helped in making a good first impression and whatnot. She got the job!

Later, she found out that the guy's name was Jordan Natia. The son of the hotel line founder (he also owns the hotel she got a job at). She thanks him for her help, and he invites her for dinner... and the rest is history.

And by history, I mean she ends up marrying him lol. Dylan finds out that she now lives at the resort that he and his family friend are currently staying at. She also has a baby daughter named Mia (short for Miranda. Not suspicious at all). She loves her life so much right now. She's always prided herself on being a strong independent woman who can take care of herself, but she's surprised at how much she's enjoying being a stay-at-home mother and housewife lol. She loves spending time with her baby, and she loves her husband a lot, too. He takes good care of her. However, similar to Ben, he doesn't really know all that much about her (Jordan goes through a similar arc to Ben's in Book 2, where he finds out the truth about Stephanie, and it changes the way he sees her. Minus the cheating lol).

Dylan is shocked at how much Steph has changed since the last time he saw her, but he's happy for her at the same time. He can see that she's genuinely happy and seemingly at peace, which is great.

Meanwhile, back in the UK, Charlie has decided to propose to El. He's taking it VERY seriously - even asked for her family's blessing and everything. They all said yes... even Adam lol (he's grown to like Charles by now). One summer evening, he pops the question (in a truly beautiful and romantic way btw), and Elise says yes in the moment, but she doesn't know if she truly feels ready for marriage yet. Something about the situation feels wrong to her, but she doesn't know what it is. However, instead of communicating her mixed feelings to her now fiance, she decides to distract herself with hangouts with her family and friends, as well as getting into her work and other hobbies, preferring to think about anything other than her problems (man, does THIS sound familiar lol). Charlie starts noticing a change in El's behaviour and it begins to really upset him (especially since Bret is one of the people she starts spending more time with, and we all know how she feels about him), causing more strain in their relationship. It only gets worse when they find out about Stephanie's whereabouts...

Dylan messages the others about his trip everyday through a group chat. One night he reveals that he's reunited with an old friend of theirs and sends a picture of him and Stephanie hanging out. The others are shocked. Elise especially.

The situation started becoming somewhat of a controversy in the news... people started talking about it more online, many blogs and news websites (including The Looking Glass) started covering it. Alice made a video on YouTube talking about it (and it came from the unique angle of her knowing the person from school and being their friend and everything. She didn't mention Steph by name, though). It blew her channel up.

The story of Stephanie's escape was quickly resurfacing back into people's minds after being forgotten for such a long time. And this wasn't good for Steph lol. Especially after finally making a life for herself that she was genuinely truly happy in.

But that's not the end of the story.

I'll tell you the rest in part 2 of this summary!

[zeldaelmo]

Hi Zelmo! I have 2 dialogue prompts for you! Hope that is okay. “What are you listening to?” And “Wait, are you really serious?”

Obviously Zelink, but maybe this is set in a modern au?!!! I’ll leave that up to you ☺️

Congrats!!

Thank you, Missy! This completely and utterly ran away from me. Yeah, it's an 90s AU. 😆 Been there, done that, so... Booyah, enjoy!

Mixtape

It had been two days since Link left the tape on the cracked step that led to her backdoor. He had made sure that it was leaning against the wall so that she would spot it immediately but it was safe from the rain (never mind it was midsummer). For Zelda, he had written on the cover in blocky letters so that she didn't need to bother with his bad handwriting (and her roommate didn't steal it). Ten songs, hand-picked, painfully recorded on his stereo. He had to re-record “Romance in the Air” five times because the buzzkill of a radio host kept butting in toward the end every single time, just before the last chords faded away.

Two days and still nothing. She didn't say anything that would imply she figured out why he left it there. A mix tape, just for her. Could he get any more obvious? But nothing. No reaction. No wink, no joke, and surely no kiss. Nada.

He glanced over to her where she sat next to him on the bus back home, her leg casually touching his. Fishnet stockings brushing over baggies, close but never close. Nothing but nonchalant contact, never sitting on his lap, never pushing her fingers into his hair, and never ever pressing her lips to his.

Best friends forever.

It was driving him crazy. She smiled at him, blue-painted eyes crinkling at the corners and lips too kissable for his sanity, showing perfect teeth. She leaned her head against his shoulder, just like they’d done it dozens of times before. The strands sticking out of her space buns kept tickling his cheek and he held his breath. How could she look so cute, no matter what she wore? The one time he tried to be cool and bleached the tips of his hair, he looked like a hopeless idiot. No wonder she ignored his tape.

His head bumped against the headrest of his seat and he pulled his foot on his knee, toying with the soda tabs she had threaded on his shoelaces for fun. It was his own fault that he had a crush on her, not hers. Which idiot fell for his best friend? And left a mixtape on her doorstep? He would never worm his way out of this one if she confronted him about it. Maybe it was for the best that she simply ignored his little misstep altogether so that he wouldn’t ruin their friendship. He closed his eyes, trying to doze off. Yes, that was probably the way he should see it.

He snapped out of it when she nudged his side. "Coke?" she asked, wiggling the open can already in front of him. He nodded groggily.

"I only have Cherry Coke, I'm sorry."

"As if," he snorted, took a swig, and grimaced wholeheartedly. "Hmm, no better way to catch cavities."

"It's just because it's warm! If you would try it cool, you'd see how superior Cherry Coke is!"

"Not," he deadpanned, but the Walkman in her lap had caught his attention. His gaze followed the cords up to her earbuds and back to the blue, transparent device. There was a tape inside, he could see the little gears turning inside. His mouth went dry despite the awfully sweet Coke. "What are you listening to?"

"Oh!" She giggled and offered him an earbud. "It's a tape someone left on my doorstep the other day. I've been hearing it nonstop. They left no name, sadly. I thought about Groose, but I don't think he hears music like that."

Link stared at her, his brain trying to catch up with the words that just came out of her mouth. She had found the tape and not only that, she liked it! She heard it nonstop. Nonstop!

The tape wasn't from talk-to-the-hand Groose, it was from him! And, oh snap, he, the biggest dumbass in Hyrule, had forgotten to sign it!

He managed a wobbly smile, the earbud falling two times out of his ear when he tried to put it in.

"Glad you like it," he muttered, eyes firmly on the gears of the tape going round and round in the Walkman, half-hoping "Romance in the Air" would drown him out.

No such luck.

Neon-yellow nails waved in front of his face, forcing him to look up at her. Her face was pink.

"It's yours?" she asked, voice a little high. Link wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not, but what else should he do than nod?

The next song, 'Not this time', played in their earbuds. It was about a guy finally finding back to his love and never letting her go again. Link's favorite, mainly because of the lyrics.

"Link," Zelda said.

"Not this time," said the song, and Link had trouble keeping eye contact with her. The sky-blue eyeshadow was smeared to her lower eyelid; she must have dozed off on his shoulder as well.

"I know we're best friends," she said now, wiping even more eyeshadow over her face. "But you can't just give me a mixtape. You know what making a tape means, right? Goddess, you even have 'romance in the air' on it. And as the next to last song on top of that! You just can't!"

Link watched the words spilling from her lips. She was still pink, but now she also seemed angry? Hurt? Maybe both.

"The bridge makes me think of you," he murmured. "Of when we… when we…" The words caught in his throat and he waved her off. "Just forget about it."

Of course, she forgot about absolutely nothing. She snapped her mouth shut and opened it again, her space buns vibrating. "Wait, are you really serious?"

He shifted on the awful polyester seat cover that grew hotter by the second. "Hella serious, yeah."

"Oh, wow." She leaned back, the cord of the earbuds stretching between them. "I ruined this, right? My bad, let me try again."

A small smile graced her lips when she looked up again and lifted the Walkman. "You made this for me, right? I love it! Have been listening to it nonstop. Wanna go out sometime on the weekend?"

His smile grew tenfold bigger. "Yeah. I'd love to."

Chuckling, she dropped back onto the place on his shoulder, readjusting her earbud. A little bit of shifting was necessary to find a comfortable position, and eventually, Link put his arm around her to give her more space. "This okay?"

"Very," she said, a smile in her voice.

Link chuckled under his breath and pressed a kiss to one of her buns.

Best friends, forever-ever.

[j2zara]

Hiiiiii~ 2, 4, 7, 10, 22, 24, 30 for the fic writer game! 💖

Hiiiii friend! Sorry this took all day my brain is dead rn

2. a character whose POV you’re currently exploring

Lol i'm banging my head against the wall getting killed by LJ3porter fic so i'm like. Right in Girlfail Ellie J4 POV hell rn!!!! She's so fun and i do think writing for her is both easy and hard in that i enjoy doing it (and tbh i think i default to her pov usually when im in LJ3 mode) but i worry i make her way too sopping wet and pathetic. Which she can be pathetic but i worry im going like. way too sad wattpad girl with her.

4. a story idea you haven’t written yet

OK! I've talked about a few different things before so i'm gonna. Well. I'm two sentences into twelfth night j2 being sent to pursue Jace on Porter's behalf fic so i feel like that counts as "not written yet." I also talk about how. I think doing a reincarnation au for LJ3 or the clones in general would be so fun. i'm not sure what kind tho, the version in which they're all new teachers at aguefort is so fun and kinda stuck in my brain now. Plus i wanna write Barbarian teacher Tiefling!Ellie x Sorcerer teacher Aasimar!J3 like so so so so bad i think it would be such a funny way to have them never escaping the torment nexus. I also think it would be fun to write something abt LJ3 in their friends with benefits era. Or maybe one of their more official "date nights". I think if they got into doing roleplay in the bedroom is would be so so so so so so fucking funny. Like. Pretending the other is stranger they picked up at the bar or something.

7. your preferred writing fonts

Tbh i kinda would like to find a perfect writing font? I tend to default Arial and it doesn't look perfect its honestly kinda offputting but. my strategy is. When I feel like my writing looks so so so busted i switch to Verdana which is closer to the ao3 font so i can better visualize how it's gonna look. And that helps a bit. Idk im sick.

10. what is the longest amount of time you’ve let a draft rest before you finished it?

That's a good question. Actually? A couple years i think? I abandoned my old talentswap for a couple years before picking it up again in college. (tbh my current ch 3.3 is STILL unfinished so i abandoned it again). Tbh i'm not good at letting drafts rest and returning back to them. I either try to power through or end up abandoning it which i don't love

22. do you ever worry about public reaction to what you’re writing? how do you get past that?

I try not to but like. Yeah. I'm stressed basically every time. I joke that when i write original fiction that i have a hoard of angry twitter pearlclutchers that live in my head ready to rip everything i do to shreds but i try not to listen to them. But i'm worried every time. This has nothing to do with how i feel about you guys tbh i wildly underestimate your guys kindness and goodwill just bc im very hard on myself

I was anxious abt IYWD (I was worried it was gonna come across as too soft or too apologetic). I was anxious that nobody would take to Dyke!Jace/Zara in Who Can Blame a Girl, or i wouldn't be able to sell it

I probably MOST anxious of all about Almost (I was SO stressed that ppl were not gonna vibe at all with Bluejay or not gel with the whole "what if the clones were actual characters" , "born to love porter cliffbreaker, forced to do menial tasks for jaceprime" etc etc thought experiment. and i was so so so so so so scared about dropping the nickname Bluejay i was worried it was gonna be completely stupid and i was completely off the mark)

I was anxious abt Biggest Lie (i was worried it wasn't hot enough or maybe too violent or that it was maybe too shamelessly just like. smut lol).

And after Almost i was probably second most anxious about Stay / Leave. It was just a wip i really struggled with and idk it was so.... insular i guess? b/c it was so niche and the wip ended up being SO LONG and kinda emotional and sappy? Like again i think i was having the same doubts i had abt j2 in which i was like what if i can't sell people on this relationship. What if i've failed to convey something sincere. (that one was crazy tho bc i really really really really tried to release it and not care what happened bc i knew only a handfull of ppl would read it and i really really really tried to be cool and for a while i was but it was just hard i was so nervous and i don't think it was anyones reaction is really was just my nerves that were putting me in such a bad and upset mood and then over the next day or two i. I made this joke earlier that like. I PROMISE and hope i'm not overinflating my ego when i say this like i'm perfectly aware that i just write silly smut online but it really was so so so so funny. to see everyone practically overnight be like.... wait. Are LJ3..... in love??? And now LJ3 is like such an integral part of clone lore.

24. how do you recharge when you’re not feeling creative?

That's a good question bc i feel like. When i'm stuck in one medium i tend to just try and distract myself with another so when im bad at drawing i write and when im bad at writing i draw. But thats not exactly recharging. Tbh i do think i need to find better things in my routine that rejuvenate me i think i haven't been particularly good at treating myself well lately

30. share a fic you’re especially proud of

I'm cringe and usually will shill if you want divinity (you're gonna have to go through me) as one of my favorite things i've ever written. But im also extremely confident most of y'all have already read it. I'm very very hard on myself so i swing between thinking the things i make suck and also being like. Fairly proud of all of them.

But idk it was my first ambitious thing i wrote and FINISHED in a long time and honestly? I do think its slightly better than the rest bc the iterations are all reliant on the original so they're very intertextual and repetitive which isn't BAD but. The extra work it took to make IYWD work makes it feel different to me. There's a LOT of stuff in it that i'm proud of that i honestly kind of miss b/c Porter is so smitten for Jace in a way he hasn't been in things i've written in a long time. I'm a softy who likes when jaceporter are soft and kinda in love... sue me... And like. i always feel so self congratulatory talking about the Loving To the Point of Invention Detect Thoughts + Teleport but i really felt good about coming up with that. And i still like the flashbacks a lot. It always feels so embarrassing to admit that i like. Get emotional thinking about the flashback of them on the bed. Sometimes i tailor make a scene just for me. "I promise i'm never going to let anything happen to you ever again" "as a paladin or a barbarian" "both" is like. Such a scene just for me. And I think the ending is good too. "I'll take it. I'll take it all" just felt so. fitting. It's so him getting to hear himself say to porter "i'll take the thing with you that is broken and fucked and full of compromises even if it has to end". Sigh. Sometimes you're an english major and you agonize over being a good writer for like two decades and realize that you might not be as horrible as you think.

(For the record. i think if i were to rank what i've written for fantasy high from fav to least fave, i'd say IYWD, Biggest Lie, Stay / Leave, Who Can Blame a Girl, Almost, Tell Me How, and it feels weird to put Almost that low bc i do like it. Tbh i regret making it so short i think i could've pushed it further)

Anyway!!! This got long winded as hell. Thanks for the asks they were fun to do!

Send me Fic Writer Asks! / Here are the questions!

[armpirate]

UNDER HIS SKIN || JJK || Ch. 19

Pairings: tattoist!jk x fem!reader

Genre: smut, angst, friends to lovers, tattoo au, virgin reader.

Summary: They say there are two versions for every story, and it's important to hear both of them. Everybody is hearing your side of the story, but it's just fair to get to know his.

After breaking up with his girlfriend, the only thing he wanted was to have fun with no attachment. You wanted to get rid of your virginity, and he wanted to tick you off his list. What he didn't expect was getting so emotionally attached to you that he would regret the deal.

Previous || Next

MASTERLIST

I jump out of my own sleep when I feel something hitting me, looking around confused until I realize that last night I didn't sleep by myself, and Y/n is the one who woke me up. She keeps shaking her head, slightly furrowing her eyebrows, as she keeps humming something.

I doubt whether to wake her up or not, but I end up doing it anyway.

She is just in her place, I can almost see how she stops breathing for a quick moment before she opens her eyes surprised.

—You had a nightmare —I try to calm her down, as confusion keeps radiating through her face—. It's alright.

When her body falls back on the mattress, I instantly drag her back to my body to hug her tight. Her shaky breathing slowly enters a calmer pace, and she finally relaxes in my arms when she lets her head rest on my chest.

—I'm sure you were a soccer player in your previous life —I joke—. I won't be able to walk tomorrow.

—Sorry.

I can tell she's genuinely sorry for what she did, but I don't really want her to feel bad about this. It wasn't her fault.

—You aren't sorry, aren't you? —I joke again, trying to get her to be back to her own self.

—Not really —I giggle.

I let out an exaggerated sigh, making it sound loud enough so she can hear it. And it seems to work out, because I feel her eyes on me as soon as that sound leaves my lips. I lift one of my eyebrows, looking down at her.

—I know I'm handsome and what not, but you should try to sleep.

Although I really like the way she's looking at me right now.

—Mr. Humble entered the room —she finally moves her eyes away, her gaze lazily lost at some point in my room.

—Why are you looking at me like that then? —I pinch her shoulder, trying to regain her attention.

—Now I can't look at you?

—There's a reason why you look at things.

—Yeah, because they get your attention —she finally looks up again with a sassy grin—. And it gets my attention how annoying you are.

—Then why are you sleeping here if I'm so annoying? —I try to snap back with the same attitude she's giving me.

—You're right.

I feel her slipping out of my arms, trying to get out of bed. Although I know she's just joking around, I rush to hold her waist to drag her back in bed with me. She changes positions though, she isn't laying on me. Her eyes pierce on mine, as if she were trying to get to know all my secrets, while she's lying on her sides. All that staring contest only ends up in giggles and laughs that come up for no reason.

Silence.

And again, that powerful gaze that could make me slip all of my secrets to her.

And it works.

—I was waiting for you —I say out of nowhere.

Her confused look and frowned eyebrows show clearly enough how she doesn't know what I'm talking about right now.

—You asked me what I was doing when you texted me earlier tonight. I was waiting for you —I explain.

The wrinkles in the middle of her eyebrows slowly disappear when she seems to finally understand. She still seems confused anyway. Maybe because of the comment, maybe because she didn't like the way our conversation could go at any point from now on.

I don't even know why I worded it that way.

—I wanted to be there for you in case you needed help, which it's what happened —I fake explain, trying to find a way out so things won't get weird.

—I handled it myself.

And there she is back again. Her cocky attitude is making a comeback.

—If I hadn't picked you up, he would've taken you home and that dude would've ended up with a scratched car.

Or, even worse, contacting you again to try to get a second date.

—For how long will you remind me of that? —she rolls her eyes.

—Daisy will never be the same.

—You know what? Let's sleep.

We both pretend to get to sleep after I mutter an almost inaudible "Fine", but silence doesn't last long before we start giggling and laughing again. We both open our eyes almost at the same time, laughing even harder when we mirror each other's actions without being aware.

—Cocktease —I try to sound as serious as I'm able to between laughs—, some people need to wake up early to work tomorrow.

And while that's true, I wouldn't mind spending the rest of the night awake like this. Even if I'm going to regret it in the morning.

I feel a bit disappointed when she in fact pays attention to what I say and rolls on her side, making her back face me and leaving me no other choice but to do the same.

✸ ✸ ✸

I sense her moving, trying to get away from my grip, which completely wakes me up. I don't let her get away though, I press on her body carefully, making sure she stays in her place.

—Just stay like this for a little longer —I mutter with my eyes still closed—. You need to make up for me not wanting to go to work this morning.

—Why is it my fault?

—As if you didn't know —I move closer to her, lost in the fruity smell of her hair as my nose digs in her locks—. Who would want to leave you here, looking like this, huh?

—Call Mark, and tell him you can't go —I smile with my eyes still closed.

Oh, I would if I could.

—Don't tempt me. Because I'm way too close to do it.

Of course, Mark has to break the moment by calling me to make sure I'll wake up early, so I get there in time. He already told me he'd be late this morning because he had an appointment with the doctor, which means I'm in charge of the studio for a few hours.

Although I need to leave soon, I have no problem with her staying around and taking her time before she leaves. But she keeps saying she'll leave when I do, and that's perfect because it means I could make sure she gets back home safe.

—Don't worry —she assures me—. Not my first time.

—A quick stop doesn't bot... —her eyes fall on me abruptly, death written in her pupils as she throws several daggers at me— Alright, got it. Wanna hang out later?

—Do you have something in mind?

—Not really —I shrug, walking to her—. But no plan is the best plan.

I don't really care what we do. To be honest I have enough with just spending time with her, like we've done the last few weeks.

—I'll pick you up by seven? —I ask her, when she gives in to the offer.

Thinking this is it, I see Y/n picking up her things and making her way to the door. She can't leave that way though. I hold her wrist, stopping her steps and making her turn on her heels so she's looking at me again.

—I'll send you a text when I get home? —she tries to guess.

Right answer, but that's not it.

I lay a soft peck on her exposed forehead, finally letting go of her arm so she can go back home.

Although she seemed perfectly fine in the morning, I can't stop thinking about what happened last night and that nightmare. She looked so scared, ready to run away at any point as she tried to defend herself from the ghost that was holding her. And when she opened her eyes... I could see the same horror she's had reflected on them a few times whenever we tried to do something.

She would easily look focus whenever she got too deep in her own feelings, but it only happens when it's something sexual.

Could be...?

I shake my head, trying not to think about it. I'm definitely overthinking and creating a bunch of stories in my head. I'm making my blood boil for no reason.

Of course, my impulse acts faster than my brain, and I end up calling Yoongi before I'm able to process what I'm doing.

—Oh, Jungkookie —he teases me—. How are you doing?

—I'm okay, what about you? —I rest my weight on the backrest of the sofa.

—Fine —he simply answers—, although weirded out. You never call... What do you need? —but he doesn't let me answer— Tell me you didn't get in any bullshit and want me to get you out of it.

Honestly, last time I called him was indeed because Tae had a problem with his pub and some permits he did (not) have. He helped us both, even if that wasn't his area of work. So his reaction isn't strange at all, and he isn't wrong either. But I don't want to make it as obvious either, that's why I start a small talk that will take us nowhere.

How could I word it so it doesn't sound suspicious?

—I was talking last night with one of my friends —I start, and considering I have a reduced group of friends, he possibly will end up thinking I'm talking about Tae—, he's a psychologist and he's dealing with a difficult case right now —I scratch my nape—. He has a patient that keeps having nightmares, and seems to have problems when she gets intimate with someone.

I also remember how she didn't want to go back home alone when she got drunk, because she was scared of a man hurting her.

—He is suspicious that it could be related to some trauma when she was younger, and I was wondering if you've had a similar case before?

—For what you're telling me, she doesn't seem to be aware of her own trauma?

—Doesn't seem like it —I shrug.

—I had a similar case, but she was aware of what provoked all of those reactions —he finally says—. The family of the girl sued her uncle for abusing her when she was twelve. And yeah, the trauma caused her to avoid any type of sexual intimacy with any other man as she grew older. I remember I almost lost my shit during the trial —he sighs—. It could be that his patient is going through something similar, but it's something she should want to work on to get an exact answer. Sorry if I'm not of help.

—No, it's alright —I stop him—. Do you know how the girl overcame it?

—No —he sighs again—. His parents told me she started going to therapy after the trial. But that's all I spoke with them —he makes a long pause—. Is this the only reason why you called me? What? Did you bet money?

That's better than letting him know my business, so...

—No, I just wanted to help Jimin out. Thought you'd know more about it, since you've worked with several abuse victims.

—I work with them to punish who's hurted them, not to help them to overcome their traumas.

There's a thick silence between us, before Yoongi gets called out by someone on the other side and has to hang up.

I huff, annoyed. I made that call for nothing.

And I'm probably thinking too deep into it.

✸ ✸ ✸

To be honest, it's been a fairly slow morning. At least until Mark showed up around eleven after his appointment. At least I had someone to bother, apart from Y/n, and to talk to in person. It also helps to have two customers after lunch to speed the afternoon. Before I realize it, I'm finished with the second customer, and now I only have to wait to get someone new to work on.

While I'm placing my sketchbook back on the shelf, I hear some noises from outside. Although, after thinking about it better, I end up assuming it's the entrance door to the studio. I stay still, wondering if there's someone in the entrance or not. I'm able to hear the sound of a pair of heels cracking against the floor, and I know it's not Mark.

I get up, ready to attend whoever is on the other side. But I freeze on the spot when I don't see a new customer in front of me.

What is she doing here?

All her face piercings are gone, and most of her tattoos are covered by the long sleeves of her red shirt -although I can catch a glimpse of some of the ink art on her hands. Her hair isn't blonde anymore, she's gone back to her natural dirty blonde color, that she's keeping mid tied.

—I was hoping to find you here —she whispers.

I don't even want to think why she might be looking for me. Honestly, I don't really want to have anything to do with her, and that's exactly why I'm trying to think fast to plan my escape away from this place.

—Leslie —Mark calls her behind me—. What are you doing here?

—Well, I'm back in New York —although she's speaking to Mark, she keeps her eyes on me while answering—, and thought of paying you a visit.

I can't help but scoff at that. When she left, she didn't care about us, about he studio or how fucked up we'd be with her clients and her absence. And now, all of a sudden, she thinks about us when she's back here? She has to be kidding me.

—I tried to tell you, but you changed your number —she lets me know.

After begging her to come back for weeks, I was able to move on and live my life without her. The last thing I needed was a call or text from her to fall back to the same shit.

—I also wanted to talk to you —she adds when she realizes I have no intention to speak.

—I have nothing to talk with you —I shake my head, trying to walk back to my room.

—I just want to apologize properly —I see her biting her lip nervously.

I shouldn't even think of going somewhere with her. Not when I planned on meeting up with Y/n in less than an hour.

—I think we both need to completely close this chapter —she keeps trying to convince me.

When I look at Mark, behind me, he's giving Leslie a rough look, which turns confused when I finally give in to talk somewhere else with her.

I think it would be a good idea to do this to leave behind whatever we had nine months ago. She probably needs it way more than I do anyway.

While we sit, I send a text to Y/n, letting her know I won't be able to make it to our plan later. Not because I'm planning on spending too much time here, but because I know I won't be at my best after I leave. And it won't be fair for Y/n to ruin her night with my bad mood.

—So? —I say, once I leave my phone to the side.

Everything starts well. Leslie seems genuinely regretful of what she did, and how everything went down between us. She keeps saying she's sorry, and how I deserved better than getting to know about her cheating the way I did.

—Were you planning on telling me? —I finally look at her for the first time— Or were you going to mess with him until you got bored, and then pretend like nothing happened?

—I was confused —she shakes her head—. I thought he'd be just a fling, but it started getting serious.

—And instead of telling me, you hid it until I walked in on you and him having sex in our bed —I tilt my head—. Not enough with that, you left without saying a thing. You left the studio, left my house... and you didn't care about what you were leaving behind, and what conditions you left everybody on.

—I regret that every day —she licks her lips—. That's why I needed to apologize to you.

—Apology accepted —I finally say—. Anything else?

—You're leaving already? —her eyebrows knit in the middle, as she looks at me.

—I have nothing else to talk with you —I cross my arms over my chest—. Besides, if you want to apologize to someone, tell Mark you're sorry for leaving the studio the way you did.

I get up, knowing damn well I have nothing else to say right now. I don't want to say anything else, to be honest. But my steps are stopped by her hand holding my wrist. She's looking up to me with pleading eyes, and it's right at this moment when I know an apology wasn't the only thing she wanted to talk to me about.

—I've really missed you these months —she assures me—. I was hoping...

—What? —I cut her off— Seeing me on my knees? Begging for you to come back after what you did? Leslie, it's a chapter closed for me. I only agreed on meeting you because it seemed like you needed to close it as well —I let go of her grip—. If it were for me, I'd have no need to see you ever again. What we had was over the second you chose to sleep with someone else.

—Are you dating someone?

—Yes —and while I'm answering that, I'm only able to think about Y/n and how I gave up spending time with her to be here—. And even if I weren't dating Y/n, I wouldn't go back to you.

I'm so enraged by what's going on, that I'm not even aware that I've let her name slip as I was talking about her like she was my girlfriend.

—Here —I throw a few bucks on the table to pay for my coke—. I'm leaving now.

When I step outside of the bar, and take my phone out of one of my pockets, I can see I have several texts from Soo -probably Mark told her I met with Leslie. She's probably going to be a pain in the ass when I see her. 

[bluejaysandblackbats]

Honor in Crisis

Fandom: DC Comics, Batfam, NTT, Titans, JLI, Arrowfam, Flashfam, GL Corps, Infinity Inc

Summary: Every chapter will focus on one character specifically and then I'll update their statuses in order.

This is a no powers au/fix-it fic for Heroes in Crisis. I wanted to focus on the characters and their healing. I decided that'd be easier to put some of these characters in a fic like this and work on it more from a real-world perspective. I DO want to say that I do not believe healing is linear so don't plan on a clear-cut happy ending. I'd say (and idk for sure) we're gonna eventually get a bittersweet ending for certain characters but nothing tragic.

Chapters: 2/?

Characters: Jason Todd, Bruce Wayne, Kole Weathers, Lilith Clay, Michael Carter, Michelle Carter, Rani Carter, Grant Emerson, Roy Harper, Grant Wilson, Joseph Wilson, Thaddeus Thawne, Bart Allen, Helen Claiborne, President Thawne, Todd Rice, Alan Scott (DCU), Damon Matthews

Relationship(s): Damon Matthews/Todd Rice

Additional Tags: No Powers AU, Canon Divergent AU, Fix-It Fic, Angst, TW // Eating Disorder Mention (please be kind this one was the toughest for me to write personally)

Chapter Two: Watercolor (Kole Weather's POV)

Kole's fingers were stained from the watercolor, but it didn't bother her. Her mind was elsewhere. She took her palm and wiped her forehead, staining her temple. She wiped her hands on a paper towel and picked up the pack of oil pastels. She was startled by the sound of someone knocking a brush washer off the table. "Fuck," they cursed. Kole dropped her oil pastel on the table and got up from the table. She left the room, and a nurse followed her out.

"Kole, is everything alright?" the nurse asked. Kole nodded even though she was trembling from head to toe. The nurse gave Kole a little distance, which she was grateful for, and she closed her eyes and rolled her shoulders back.

Kole was already on edge, and she just wanted to take that as a sign and cancel her plans. She didn't really want her friend to see her. Kole tried to hide the worst of the disorder from her friends, but things had gotten so bad. Kole couldn't remember what happened clearly, but she could recall sobbing because she'd lost clumps of her hair. Never mind the tachycardia and muscle spasms Kole experienced on the floor in the dressing room. She nearly died. That was the last time her friends saw her. That was the image they must've carried in their heads when they thought about her. It happened two months ago, but they hadn't seen her since then.

Kole feared that it'd be too much pressure. She imagined that they'd poke and prod her with all the wrong questions or treat her differently because of what happened. The guilt consumed her. Wasn't that enough? Had the circumstances been different, she would've slipped and refused to eat or hurt herself to stop the panic. Her therapist insisted that it was expected for her to want to self-sabotage in high-stress conditions. At least that's what she remembered. The nurse returned and whispered Kole's name. She snapped back to the present time, and the nurse asked, "Are you ready to go back in?"

Kole nodded. "Yes, sorry," she whispered as she followed the nurse back inside. She sat down in her spot and went back to her art piece. When it was time to move on, Kole went to the cafeteria, and she was met by a friend who immediately lit up upon seeing her.

"I'm so happy to see you," Lilith whispered, "I missed you."

Kole didn't know how to react, but she wrapped her arms around Lilith. Lilith got in line with Kole, and they got dinner together. Kole led Lilith to her usual table, and a nurse sat down next to her. Lilith sat across from her. Kole's hands shook as she looked down at her plate. It wasn't until she heard Lilith's spoon hit the bowl that she looked up. "Can I tell you something? Sister-to-sister?" Lilith questioned as she glanced up at Kole. Kole was relieved to hear that Lilith still considered her a sister. Kole nodded. "I know I'm the first person to come visit, and I know this might seem overwhelming, but I'm grateful that you let me come. I also want you to know that I don't want to rush you."

"Thanks, Lil," Kole mumbled. She meant it.

She started eating, and Lilith started rambling about how a showcase she was in. It didn't bother Kole to hear about it. In fact, she'd been excited to get back to dancing. That was one of the things she had to look forward to. "Sorry, Kole... I'm just so nervous," Lilith chuckled.

"No, it's okay. I was actually—. I was looking forward to dancing with you again," Kole whispered. She tensed, waiting for Lilith to speak. Kole wondered if Lilith would try to let her down easily. She wondered if Lilith would say she wasn't ready yet.

"There's nothing that I'd want more," Lilith replied. They both went back to eating, and for just a moment, Kole forgot where she was. Dinner was surprisingly good for once. Lilith and Kole met eyes while they were chewing, and Kole chuckled. "What?" Lilith laughed.

"This wasn't as bad as I thought it would be," Kole replied after swallowing her food. Lilith smiled at her. Lilith took a sip of her water and smiled.

"Good," Lilith whispered.

Lilith was so good to her despite the issues Kole had with Lilith's mother. They both had problems with her, but that's what made them sisters. After they finished eating dinner, Lilith said her goodbyes, and Kole grabbed her hand. "You'll come back, won't you?" Kole asked. Lilith smiled and embraced her.

"I will," Lilith whispered, "Just let me know when."

As soon as Lilith was gone, Kole felt an emptiness inside herself. She lounged on the couch watching tv. She glanced over at the young man on the other end of the sofa as he mouthed the words to the tv show's episode silently to himself. His hands were burned, and so were parts of his neck and face. "Is this your favorite show?" Kole asked. He shook his head.

"No, I was on set when this was filmed," he replied. Kole looked back at the tv, and he whispered, "He's gone... He's gone to be with the lord," in sync with the tv.

Kole smiled. She thought it was funny that the young man always did that. She sometimes liked to watch the other patients. Things could be dreary, but seeing people smiling and laughing was pleasant. It made her think that she could be happy. Really happy.

She hugged her knees as she sat on the couch and dozed off in front of the tv. She wasn't sure how long she'd been asleep, but someone woke her up in time for their group to reflect on their goals. Kole rushed to her usual seat, and she took a deep breath. She was hesitant to share, but she always forced herself to. Four people went before her, and when it came to her, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I had dinner with my friend today. She came here and sat in with me... I wanted to hurt myself, so I wouldn't have to see her... But I had fun. I didn't think I would, but I did," Kole whispered. She didn't look up for fear of making eye contact with a specific person in the group.

"So you want to be applauded for what? Not slipping?" a young man in the group asked.

"Dude!" someone chastised him. "Kole, personally, I wish I was ready to have meals with my family."

"Thank you, but it's okay. No one owes me any recognition. I'm just—. I'm proud of myself, and I didn't want to be ashamed of my anxieties," Kole clarified. Standing up for herself. She proudly smiled as she looked down at her lap. It was a good end to a difficult day.

[nuttytani]

Totoro AU with platonic Childe and Zhongli

When childe was just about 5-6 years old, his family move countries. So instead of living in snezhnaya, they're now moving to Liyue. 

The new house they currently live is is okay-ish. A bit old, but full of spirit.

His younger older siblings and him look at every nook and cranny of their house and run around the forests and they see strange creatures. And I mean the last part literally. Strange yet cute

Little birds that would pick up on ginxing flowers, walking in a straight and orderly line. And a strange, scary yet really warm HUGE dragon. Childe found the later once exploring the area around their house. He even fell asleep on it!

When childe told his elder brothers and sisters about it, they all brushed it off

"Ajax, you're just imagining things. There's no such things as dragons!" 

"But you saw those weird dust things that would walk... And the birds" 

"....."

They ended up believing him soon enough.

After a few months of residing in their new house, Childe's mother was admitted in the hospital. She came down with a terrible fever and the doctors had told them to let her stay in the hospital wards for her to recover quick. 

Childe's siblings and him were disheartened to let their mother go, even though it would be temporary they were still sad. But it was for her own health. The faster she recovers, the faster she'd be back home.

Around that time, things started to get stranger. One day, their father called from his workplace, asking his children to bring an umbrella at the bus stand, since it was raining so much and he forgot to bring one. So like any good children, childe and his 3 elder siblings went off to the bus stand with 4 umbrellas in tow. 2 blue, 1 yellow, 1 red and a large black one. 

They waited and waited, yet there was no sign of their father. The rain was getting intense and the children were getting worried

After what felt like hours, they felt a presence of someone. Some being.

They turned around to see

A large brown dragon. With huuuuuuuuge whiskers and a looooooooooong body standing (?) Or trying to stand upright

The dragon had a placed a small sandbearer leaf on top of its snout, hoping to block the rain. But alas, it was too small for the dragon to protect him

The children were shocked

"hey, isn't that the thing Ajax said he saw?" — Anatoli

"Shhh don't be so loud, brother! It might hear you" — Aleksi

"Well, maybe don't call it an it???? What if you hurt errr the being's feelings?" — Tatiana 

"Can we give him an umbrella?" — Ajax

"Fine. I feel bad for.... Him being rained on"

And so, they all handed the dragon the larger, black umbrella. 

The dragon looked at them with amusement. If that was even possible. I mean, how can a supposedly mythical creature have facial expressions? Thankfully the dragon understood their intentions and took the umbrella. Which was also a little too small for it. But nevertheless, the kids had good intentions and the dragon was thankful for the kind gesture. 

The dragon flickered its tail and made a loud rumbling sound. All the living creatures surrounding them hushed down and soared high up in the sky and the rain stopped. The dragon was nowhere to be seen and he also took the umbrella with him. 

Once again, the children were stunned. Was this just a really fun dream? Even if it was reality, no one would believe them. Their father's bus soon arrived and he was delighted to see the kids 

"I'm so sorry my darlings, you have no idea what............" 

While their father was speaking about his work. Little Ajax had found a small pouch made of sandbearer leaves, tucked inside his raincoat. He swore it wasn't there before.

When the kids reached home, they all peered inside the pouch that Ajax had. It had seeds. Of what? They weren't sure of. But they still planted it in their garden, taking care of it night and day.

When the kids reached home, they all peered inside the pouch that Ajax had. It had seeds. Of what? They weren't sure of. But they still planted it in their garden, taking care of it night and day.(okay,ik at this point this is just silly..... but please bear with me until my steam runs out) 

Many weeks passed, yet the seeds wouldn't grow. Ajax was starting to get sad and his siblings felt sorry for him. They could do nothing about it, the plants would grow when they deemed it was the right time to!One night, however, Ajax heard loud rumbling noises coming from outside their house. He shook his siblings awake and pulled them out. And there it was. The same dragon they saw at the bus stand, looking at the planted seeds with furrowed brows- or at least they think it was. The dragon must have felt their presence so it turned around to face them, now looking at them with adoration.... Again, how can a creature have such expressive face? Anyways, they walked closer towards the dragon and copied his actions. Now all of them were staring at the planted seeds with a severe expression. 

"So what are we doing?" 

"I don't know. Ask Mr. Dragon"

"Hey Mr. Dragon, can we call you that?" 

Mr. Dragon let out a soft rumble, it was probably a yes.Mr dragon whips out his handy dandy black umbrella. Which the kids recognised as their father's. Oh. Ok but how did the dragon whip it out from thin air? They chalked it up to the dragon being magical. The dragon started doing some strange motions in front of the seeds. And the kids followed suit.

And slowly.... Something started to wriggle out of the soil! Plants!!! They were small plants! 

The kids got excited and continued copying Mr dragon

The small plant grew large and tall in a blink of an eye

So huge, that it almost touched the clouds

Ajax and his siblings stared up at the tree with awe

Mr dragon rumbled again, to catch the kids' attention. He placed his paw in front of them, waiting. The kids were unsure of what it meant, but Ajax quickly hopped on with excited giggles onto Mr dragon's paw and his siblings shrugged and followed

Mr dragon lets out a loud roar and many birds and different mythical creatures surround them. With a hup, they all fly up and land on top of the tree. All singing and dancing throughout the night

Ajax and his siblings find themselves in their beds, which they don't remember going into. They all run out to the garden to see the tree, which was no more there..... Perhaps it was really just a dream. 

"BIG BROTHER, THE SEED SPROUTED!! LOOK"

Indeed. There were plenty small sprouted seeds.

They all looked eachother with smiles on their faces. 

Days passed with many more adventures with Mr dragon and his friends. 

They saw giant flying deers and stags (they can fly?), weird looking tiger with horns and a huuuuuuuuuuge crane. And so many more. 

Their mother was still hospitalised and away from home. Ajax wasn't really sure what it was about but something something new family member. He was missing his mother and one hour visits to see her every week wasn't cutting it out anymore. Perhaps Mr. Dragon sensed his sadness, because he took Ajax and his siblings to watch their mother over the tree. They got a free ride back home from Mr dragon too!

They also happened to find new neighbours

Apparently they moved in a few weeks ago

Mr Zhongli, who had long dark hair and bright amber eyes. He seemed really nice and would entertain the kids by having them over for tea

Ms. Guizhong who was sweet and kind. She was actually the one who greeted them after her family moved in. She also invited the kids to sometimes come over and play with them, as it gets lonely. Ajax's father was skeptical to let his kids go at some stranger's house but he soon found out that they were good people so yay for the kids.

Ms. Liuyin Jiefeng, who looked really strict but was super fun to play with! She would tell stories about her kids named ganyu, shenhe and xiao. They haven't met with the supposed kids yet. Soon, ms liuyun promises. 

And then there was madam ping who would give them more plants to looks after and would have tea cakes!

Their mother was at last given the clean bill of health and came back home with a new little baby sister, named Tonia!!! 

They shared their fun adventures with Mr dragon and the other creatures to them. Their mother would listen with happiness, relieved that they all had fun while she was away

Needless to say but, Mr. Zhongli's family and Ajax's family became closer than ever, you could even say they were like one big happy family. They'd invite eachother for dinner and the kids would play in the garden. Yes, they were finally able to meet with the mysterious ganyu and xiao. Who were slightly older than Ajax's eldest brother.

"psst ganyu, did you know, there's this kind Mr dragon who keeps playing with us!" 

"Yeah! He even stopped the rain for us and helped the plants grow" 

"Even took us to meet mother!" 

"Oh I see that lord Mor—"

Xiao quickly covered ganyu's mouth with an awkward laugh

"anyways- ummm want to go eat some almond tofu? Ms. Guizhong made some at home today"

[ineffablefool]

I was wondering if you finished and plan to publish the Umbrella AU? I checked your account and I couldn't find it anywhere (sorry if I just didn't notice). I would really gladly read it! (I desperately need it)

Finished, no; still plan to publish, though, yes.

I realized something like a year and a half ago that the story needed a structural overhaul from the beginning before I could move on to its conclusion. (Example: Crowley never actually indicates what he does for a living, in like six months of increasingly close friendship. Even when he hangs out at the bookshop for hours at a time "putting in some hours" on his laptop. So how does he pay his bills? I have no idea.) Then I didn't actually do it, because the ol' depression started getting so bad that "200 usable words on a short one-shot" became a really, really good week. (I used to write INNW chapters in 2-3 days. How.)

I know what it feels like when a story is no longer alive in my head, and this one is still kicking. It's just kicking on the other side of a door, and the door is closed, and there's a big pile of furniture built up blocking that door plus also a sign saying "Beware Of Leopard".

Would a probable outtake help? Looks like I rewrote the currently-last couple of chapters about a dozen times at the end of 2021, so here's the entirety of one chunk which I dropped midway through and I'm guessing probably won't pick up again:

--

[This human!Aziraphale is in his early 40s and has never been on a date or anything, and now somehow he seems to have become on smooching terms with Crowley. Some number of days or possibly weeks into this he asks Crowley whether Crowley is in love with him.]

"Well, I mean, hah." It was probably meant as a laugh, that sound. Perhaps Crowley was trying to smile. "Don't need to talk about all that so fast, do we? I mean, you -- you like me, like spending time with me, right? Angel?"

Aziraphale nodded, not looking up from where his hands now lay absolutely still together.

"Right -- and I… really like spending time with you, best part of my life these days, honestly -- w-which I don't mean to mean anything --"

The shiver in Crowley's voice was all the 'No' Aziraphale needed, really. Of course it wouldn't be that. There was a reason no one had ever so much as asked him out for coffee, let alone wanted to pursue a romance with him, and whatever that reason might be, it wasn't as though anything had changed. He was still only himself. And yes, at last, he'd found exactly one man who could be fond of him -- who could inexplicably find him physically attractive, who would actually want to kiss him -- but that was already more than he should ever have expected.

He was just one of those poor souls whose fate was to never be loved like that.

"It's all right," he said, cutting off Crowley's scramble for an answer. "I'm not expecting you to be."

"Aziraphale --"

There was a little catch in his throat, suddenly, although he wasn't quite sure where it had come from. "Goodness, I'm rather making a hash of things, aren't I? I didn't mean to push you into having to give the 'it's not you, it's me' speech quite so early…"

He raised his head, finally, trying on a reassuring smile, although he hoped that at least some of the terror would already be gone from Crowley's face.

Ah. Even worse: now the poor man looked absolutely heartbroken.

"Aziraphale," Crowley said again. "It isn't you."

"Please, you needn't --"

"And it isn't me either, it… urgh." At last Crowley pushed himself away from the wall, pacing without really seeming to be watching where he was going. His hands shoved through his hair, setting it to disarray and somehow looking even more handsome than before. "It isn't anyone. There isn't a thing."

--

Then Crowley would stumble through his explanation that in fact the answer is yes actually very much extremely yeah yes.

[c-e-d-dreamer]

I was at the Carolina Hurricanes game tonight and I thought of you! Are you a Canes fan? Or any other team? Or hockey in general?

Ok so I also thought of you when reading The Goal by Elle Kennedy. It’s the fourth book in her Off-Campus series which starts with The Deal. Anyway, they are all hockey player romances and all great, but The Goal especially gave me such Nessian vibes. Wondering if you have read it and if you would consider writing a Nessian spin on that story?

Um, did we just become best friends, Anon? Because you're speaking my language here. The Canes and Nessian are two of my all time favorite things!

First of all, I am both sorry and jealous you got to witness Saros unlock god-mode live. Because seriously, what the fuck? But you also got to see Patches' first game, so that is cool.

To answer your question, yes, the Hurricanes are my team. I've been a fan since freshman year of high school so around 15 years now. My fave player at the mo is Necas, but I will admit I'm scared to get his jersey because I have bad luck with those. Eric Staal, Jeffry Skinner, Elias Lindholm, Victor Rask... I actually own 4 Victor Rask jerseys, and that trade still haunts me. I literally cried in my office bathroom when it was announced.

To answer your second question, I read the first 3 books of the Off Campus series. Garrett Graham has my whole ass heart. I actually started the Goal but ended up stopping because I wasn't sure I could make it through an accidental pregnancy story, but honestly, you saying it has Nessian vibes straight up just convinced me to pick it back up again.

I'm not sure if I'd ever do an Off Campus type Nessian fic. For one, Who's Counting is already a college AU and features sports captain Cassian, even if it's soccer instead of hockey, so I'd fear they'd end up too similar in terms of story. But never say never.

I am, of course, planning a hockey player Cassian full blown chaptered Nessian fic for this year though! It will feature NHL defensemen Cassian because you cannot convince me that that man wouldn't be a D-man. He gets traded and is all sad because he doesn't know anyone in the new city, but then Feyre is like oh my sister lives there, and then, of course, shenanigans ensue.

[captainaikus]

im so sorry you have to go through that as a writer 😭 i personally find it unfair and stupid?? i feel like things are never completely original and always Inspired off of something one way or another even if it’s unintentionally and small. out of all the fan fictions out there and plots and aus and suddenly when someone picks a popular au and theme it’s copying someone who used the same? i personally never read whatever this is about so maybe im misunderstanding something but fully trust that you make your own work. i really hope you dont listen to any of the hate you get because it’s just not true 😭 youve made other great fics and are a good writer. people need to just chilll, its not the end of the world (swear some might act like it because they have nothing better to do). people want to stick up for a writer they like and so will i but please use your brain sometimes gah damn. theres probably a similar fic out there but with a different anime 😭 copy is such a silly word in the writing field. unless its word for word or the resemblance is actually really noticeable that it’s a replica then yeah sure— but similarities in a popular trope? 💀

Exactly my point! fanfiction is never purely original- its basically things that we experience, fantasize and think about that are strewn together for characters that are/ were never originally ours to begin with (and it makes me think if we can be technically sued for defamy or not- but then again these platforms are famous for it)

To begin with, i write my fics according to the character's personality. After making breaking rules and showing how Sae can be, its only time that i write a bullying fic about it. And its not like this troupe was created yesterday, its been present since fanfiction came. There are so many troupes like fwb, bully x nerd, villain x hero, mafia! au, smau, royalty au, forbidden! love etc. and there are so many fanfics that have been written along these troupes that they tend to coincide or even match - dialogue wise or even plot line. now if i pick up the troupe bully! x nerd! there are so many different routes to it like :

Nerd being the bully's tutor ,Nerd being the bully's lab partner - either for chemistry or biology, Nerd being the bully's childhood friend etc. depends on which one you pick and in this case i decided to go with the second one. Picking up with what anon said abt me taking an ask and outright accusing me of seeing it and using it- since i follow other blogs, if anyone knows me here (and i say this not from a place of arrogance)- i am a very closed off person and literally don't interact with other blogs, neither do i tag them or vice versa nor go into their ask boxes - the last time i dropped in a suggestion for a fic i was planning to write in a fellow fandom writer's box - which was a street racer! fic for one of the characters i wanted to write for (after watching tokyo drift) , it literally turned up the next day in the 'x reader' from a famous author with the excuse of anons asking them for a street racer fic of the same character i wanted to write for. And i felt really bad and hurt cause someone took it with it going over 2k notes in a week when i was just a small time writer - but i didn't say anything neither did i want to jump to conclusions so i shook it off. and even now i see people paraphrasing my work or twisting the plotline so that it looks like the work wasn't originally mine and after talking it through with a friend who pointed it out; erotica and romance are not unique genres and there tends to be an overlap between the two, so i can't call a person out like that. and this is not even literally published work.

Even tumblr has their own writing prompts along with many other blogs that create them for writers to use - would they fight over the same dialogue that fits the plot line that they saw would fit which matches with each other?

And yes, i do create my own works. i'm open to suggestions sure- but i produce my own content. i followed writing prompts for a while but wasn't really interested in and started thinking of my own dialogues along with plots. For eg, i started working on an emperor! sae fic earlier in april this year, but since i wanted to be of a good quality, i went down to the point of studying about imperialism in japan in more detail - but the fic is still a doc and not out yet and i am pretty sure there is someone out there who is working on something similar or maybe the same thing or discussing about it unlike me cause i had one too many ideas taken from my blog - again benefit of doubt cause some minds can think alike.

So when anon decided to come at me, i wasn't happy about it- esp when i have gone through the same thing and when they don't even know me or the kind of person i am nor interact with my posts. and it was only one - i can tell cause the way they were waiting for me to answer their ask. Luckily, Zari stepped in and ended the discourse early cause from my time on tumblr for 4 years i've seen how bad it can get along with how far anons can take it.

And even after Zari and i settled the matter, this anon wouldn't let go of it- coming into my box and pinpointing out even the smallest of the detail despite the writers (who are supposed to write the content) settling the issue. To begin with, they don't even know me and even had the cheek to tell me about my online activities despite not knowing me (that too from behind anonymous); i literally don't owe them or anyone a justification for the content i write or post especially someone who wouldn't even show me who they are. And i totally agree with you. Standing up for a writer you like is good thing, but use some common sense before you decide to accuse someone or think through twice before you write something about someone you don't even know cause it could cause damage to a reputation they have built online - while you are on anonymous. cyberbullying and harassment are real issues and they can hurt people (luckily it didn't get to that point) and why would i even copy an idea? i would literally have more to lose than to gain with backlash; does it really look like i would want to put myself through that? sadly some people lack that sense of logic.

Anyway, this was just a small bump along the route. i'm keeping the fic on the blog cause some people liked it, but i probably won't revisit it- and i'm moving onto writing for more characters based on wips i created a while back but are unfinished. And i'm glad to see you enjoy my works, it means a lot to me when someone drops in messages like these!

૮ ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶ ა♡

[dihydromorphinone]

ᯓ ᡣ𐭩 distant river..

it just seemed that no matter how far he'd go, all roads eventually brought him to you; his river of life, overflowing with desire and unexplainable glow. in his eyes - you were a deity, and he; a mere follower. and yone was about to show you once again how you should be treated for the whole eternity.

— heartsteel yone x reader smut, established relationship, reader is afab, kinda modern au, kinda kpop related activities, a little bit of praise and teasing, missionary, kitchen counter fucking??, kinda sequel to my previous post, cunnilingus, fingering, vaginal sex, mentions of cervix fucking, sweet aftercare, sweet yone, i just love yone, not proofread.

an: this wouldn't exist if one of you anons wouldn't compliment my work!! thank you for the support and i love you so much. i hope you will like this one as much as you liked the previous one 🫶 btw i wrote this late at night before sleep lol also i kinda feel that the end is meh

"you're going on a tour? again?", you sighed, looking at your significant other with annoyed gaze. "you've already been on a few. is this really necessary?", you asked, grasping yone's hand and pulling him towards you, and he lowered his gaze. "i'm sorry, love. i have no control over it, and if it were up to me, i wouldn't go. but i cannot just ditch my work, sugar", yone said, caressing your cheek with his free hand.

"i know, i'm sorry, i just don't want you to be far away from me for such a long time", you replied, leaning into the idol'd touch. it was hard for you to accept the situation. no one would be satisfied if they had so little time with their beloved as you did with yone. you supported him, obviously, occasionally scolding him because of his training and work ethic, which made you spend less and less time with him. yone always tried to make up for the time lost, though. if he was somewhere overseas, he brought you every souvenir that he'd think you like or anything that reminded him of you. he also texted you almost all the time when he was staying longer at the studio to create a new masterpiece with his band members.

yone placed a light kiss on your forehead, stopping your train of thought. "i'm going to leave tomorrow morning and probably be back in two weeks. i feel bad about leaving you here all by yourself.", yone said, taking both of your hands into his own and placing another feather-like kiss to the tip of your nose. you sighed quietly, looking right into his eyes. "then i'd like to make as much as i can of our time together.", you whispered, letting go of his hands and closing the distance between you two.

you kissed yone. and through the kiss, both he and you could feel the yearning and longing that you've felt. the swordsman's hands travelled down your body, caressing every curve he found. he held your chin and deepened the kiss, making you release a quiet moan, which now made yone sure about your intentions. he pulled away for you for a second, his gaze meeting yours. yone placed his forehead on yours, swiftly kissed you again, and then he picked you up by your tights, squeezing then a little harshly, which made you hold your breath.

you wrapped your limbs around him, letting yone support your weight entirely. where he was heading - you didn't know, but your first good guess was any sturdy surface; and that happened to be the kitchen counter. and as soon as yone placed you on top of it, his lips found the way to yours once again. he kissed you with such a fervour that you could barely keep up with breathing. you placed your hands behind his neck, and he moved his mouth on your cheek, making a trail of kisses to your ear. "then i shall make it so remarkable that it will be the only thing on your mind for the next week.", yone whispered right into your ear, the he lighly nibbed your earlobe.

yone wasn't usually the type who would talk dirty in bed - he would praise you most of the time. but when he did, then oh boy; you'd practically feel a whole ocean flowing down from your center. and this time wasn't different - barely one sentence almost made you soaked in your own juices, and yone didn't even touch you properly.

the idol moved his kisses down your neck, unbuttoning your blouse slowly at the same time. he was so delicate - like you'd break if he pressed too hard. after he was done with the buttons, he gently took the clothing off you, and threw it onti the floor; which was unusual. yone was always proper and a perfectionist, so this action made you realise that he wants it as badly as you do.

with the new uncovered area, the swordsman was quick to get his hands all over yours, his touches getting more and more impatient. he massaged your arms, never stopping his assault of kisses down your body. his mouth stopped at your bra – a pretty, red laced piece. yone, realising that the bra is the only thing keeping you hidden away from his lusting gaze, with just a swift move, torn your bra off. "hey, that was one of my favourites, yone!", you exclaimed, which only made him chuckle. he placed his head between your breasts, his hands sliding down to your waist. "and i can buy you thousands of them. though, i definitely prefer to see you without anything keeping your beauty from me, darling." was his only reply before his tongue latched itself on one of your nipples and his teeth brushing over, which made you moan. yone didn't want to leave the second one unattended, so one of his hands started to knead gently the flesh and pinch your other nipple.

you can't deny – it felt amazing, but it wasn't enough for you now. if he was supposed to be gone for so long, you wanted him to be in each and every part of your body, until your senses and thoughts would become only yone. he seemed to realise this, too. after a while more of tending to your breasts, he pulled back to take a good look at you and your exposed upper body. and you swear that the bewildered look on yone's face was something you'd cherish forever. the swordsman could admire your beauty for hours – but he knew that he'd better start tending to the other parts of your body; for example, your pussy.

yone could tell that the cotton fabric of your panties and the jeans have been slowly becoming uncomfortable, his first instinct was to take them off you as quickly as possible – and he was just about to do that, when your hands stopped his antics. he pulled away from you, once again, worried that he'd crossed some kind of boundary. "am i moving too fast? i'm sorry, love, i-", you shut him up quickly, placing your palm over his. "no, no, absolutely not. that is not the case. it's just- i will be naked soon, and you are still fully clothed..", you said, suddenly bashful. yone felt as if a weight was lifted of his shoulders – if he'd ever hurt you, that was something he would never forgive himself for.

but yone understood your request – you wanted him to strip too. he quickly undid his top and bottom, revealing his well defined muscles. he looked just like a greek god, if not better; you've never seen anyone look as perfect as he did. a creature without flaws, he was, ready to serve you and make every of your wishes come true. "i suppose that now i can match you, right?" you whispered, still ogling his chest. in that aspect, you were no better than any of his fans.

desperate for this to move further quickly, you quickly unbuttoned your pants, taking them off very fast with yone's help, along with your socks. now all that was left on you were your laced red panties, matching with your bra. yone smirked, and teased you. "it's almost like you'd expect this to happen." he moved you to the very end of the counter and kneeled before you, placing his head between your legs. with your panties still on, he began placing butterfly kisses and a few hickeys on the delicate skin of your thighs, bringing himself closer and closer to your core, when the burning feeling was beginning to feel overwhelming. and when he finally slid the last piece of attire of your body, you took a deep breath as yone opened your legs and, as if he was testing the waters, gave your pussy one, swift lick.

"yone", you breathed, feeling the heat finally being taken care of. he sucked your clit hard, occasionally going lower and plunging his tongue into your hole. his mouth felt so good, and the way yone was keeping his eyes on you made you get lost in your own pleasure. "you taste so good, sweetheart, i could spend hours between your legs", yone groaned against your cunt, and you just moaned in response. yone seemed ti be satisfied with this. but when you thought this couldn't get any better, his tongue focused solely on your clit, while his fingers slowly started to pump into your hole. now this was just pure bliss – and it didn't take long for you to come.

you moaned his name, your fingers getting lost in his hair, pulling the loose strands into every direction. yone let you ride your orgasm on his tongue and fingers, and when you were done, he made sure to clean you up good with his mouth. the bare sight of this almost made you come once again – yone was just so effortlessly hot. and when he was satisfied with the outcome, he dragged his mouth up through your clit, tummy and chest, arriving finally on your neck, where he placed a small kiss. yone closed the distance between you again and held you close to him, his hands caressing your figure once more.

and as good as it felt – it wasn't enough for you. there was something primal, something deep inside of you that just made you realise that you want his cock buried deep inside of you. "yone, please.", you pleaded, only for him to respond teasingly. "please what, love?", he whispered into your ear, making you shiver. "please fuck me, yone. i want to feel you inside me." you whimpered – and that was all yone needed to hear.

he hoisted you up into his arms once again, this time heading to your shared bedroom. and when you arrived, yone gently put you down on the bed. he took of his boxers, revealing his hard member. it wasn't your first time together – but seeing his length always made you impressed. even his cock looked good; this man had absolutely no flaws. yone obviously noticed that you're staring, but he didn't seem to mind. he slided his hand over his dick a few times before joining you in bed, positioning himself and flicking the tip of his member a few times over your clit, making you release a few quiet moans.

"love, are you ready?", he asked, placing a kiss on your forehead, nose and lips, respectively. "always.", you replied, bringing your hips down just so you could feel his cock again. and you didn't have to wait long – soon, yone began thrusting into you with a steady pace. he was girthy enough to deliciously abuse your g-spot and lenghty enough for his tip to kiss your cervix. you couldn't stop your moans – after all, why would you? you wanted yone to know just how good he makes you feel. every time you at least breathed sharply, yone thrusted harder; that's how responsive he was to every sound you made.

all you could focus on were yone's groans and sharp breaths and your own pleasure. after a while, the swordsman's pace continued to get faster and harder, until he let out a sound close to a growl, which made you realise that he'll probably reach his own peak. but you didn't want it to end so soon – the way he was filling you up, it was like your body was just perfectly moulded for him. but the tip brushing over the cervix definitely wasn't enough for your primal urges, and those were the only one in your mind now. "yone, please, cum inside me", you whimpered. the man seemed to be in the same state as you were - nearly breaking your hips down with the force he was fucking you with.

it didn't take you long to come again. you never were a screamer – but this was just so good, you couldn't help yourself and released the sound along with your juices, covering yone's cock and clenching on it. and soon enough, he came too – deep inside of you, just as you asked. you both collapsed on the bed, feeling exhausted from the intense physical activity. after your and your significant other's breath calmed down, yone was quick to embrace you from behind, his sticky, sweat covered chest against your back.

"are you alright, sweetheart?", yone asked, playing with your hair. the only reply you could muster was a mere "mhm", though it seemed to satisfy yone enough. "i'm sorry that i'll be far away from you again. i'll try to ask and see if i can take you with me, love." he murmured against the crook of your neck. you turned to your side, facing him. "it's okay, i understand. i'll miss you, but i know you will come back to me.", you said, caressing his perfect face and then moving onto his silky white hair. "i love you. i'll get you some water and then we'll go get you all cleaned up, m'kay?", he smiled faintly, ready to get out of the bed any second, and you just nodded and smiled in response.

and this was all you wanted – for your lover to make love to you hard and take care of you before his departure. and now at least you could be sure that even if he won't remain with you physically, then at least the memory of yone hovering over you will be enough to satiate your needs at least for some time.

[meglyfer]

Forgot to share the rest of this, my bad

This Alphys is heavely inspired on Core!Friskr, so that probably already tells you a lot

Anyways, before I get down to explaining:

TW: SUICIDE MENTION

(Also, VEEEEEERY long post ahead)

In a part of the game (don't remember exactly where, sorry), Undyne mentions she met Alphys at the dumpstare in Waterfall. More specifically, she says that she saw her near the border of a waterfall, and that she "saved her from accidentally falling". From the whole dialogue and what we learn about Alphys later on in the game and all her insecurities, it is heavely implied that she was trying to take her own life, but Undyne, without knowing her true intentions, stopped her from doing so

Now, imagine, what if instead of doing it in Waterfall where Undyne would stop her, she decided to go somewhere closer, like for example, the Core

Just like a certain mystery man, Alphys gets earased from the timeline, and the universe desperately tries to fill in the gap that was created when she dissapeared (and here's where the concept for just one character railed off into a whole AU, BUT FIRST WE FOCUS ON THE GIRLIE)

At first Alphys was stuck in the void, that's where she met Gaster and other people that had fallen into the Core. Turns out people's worries about how someone might fall in there were right, and she felt stupid for thinking "Well the Core has been standing for years, and no one has fallen in yet, so it doesn't seem likely for something like that to happen", but Gaster calms her down saying that he made the same mistake as her, and that it wasn't her fault, that she had no way to know what would happen, after all, the universe itself was hiding all the incidents with the Core

After that she starts paniking. She needs to go back, this is even worse than living her pathetic life. She may have wanted death, because it meant the end of all things, but this wasn't it. Sure, she had cease to exist, but she was still concious, she could still see what was happening in the real world, and how she was now an outsider to it. Her attempts of reaching out start making small fractures in reality: phone calls from unknown numbers that when picked up only make weird souns, TVs suddendly going static with the vague sound of someone calling for help, notes appearing on computers' destokps saying things like "is anny0ne th ree ?." "ca can you h ar mme?" "iT ''s $o cOoold" "do U rembember mE ME-'?", etc. There has been some rumors in Snowdin of people who get lost in its forest, they say that a monochrome dinasour monster helped them get out of there, pointing at the direction they should follow. Those few who tried to touch them say that she tried to scream, but no noise came out of her mouth, then started melting, and dissapeared in the blink of an eye

Eventually, she's able to escape

She can't go back to her timeline; the universe recognises her code as something it has been erased, and so, unable to delete her again, it tries to kick her out as soon as she enters. Instead, she's able to explore the multiverse

I had some trouble thinking about what would be Alhpys' role in the multiverse, as I didn't want her to just be Core!Frisk 2 but Lisa Simpson flavoured, but I think I have kinda figured it out. She of course is found by Core, who offers her to stay on the Omega Timeline with more people like her, which she accepts as she is desperate to be around other people besides those trapped in the void

Alphys has currently three objectives: 1_ Fix the code of her timeline so she can go back to it 2_ Fix whatever the hell is wrong with the Core that keeps deleting people out of existance (Not just from her universe, but from every universe) 3_ Help people

I know "help people" is very vague, and that's why I'm explaining it here. She helps guide those who are lost, either physically or mentally, just like she used to do in the woods of Snowdin. Those who are lost in the way of, they have lost everything, she guides them to Core, as she knows they know better than her about what to do in those situations. But also, she is focused on preventing people to become like her, erased from their worlds (Either by falling into the Core, weird things with resets, whatever the hell happened to most Error characters, etc)

Personality wise, she's still Alphys to her core, but of course stuff like this changes a person. She has become more anxious and a perfectionist, she thinks that she can't dare make a mistake now that she has seen what those mistakes can do. Because of this, she's always on edge, and since her code corruption made her more unstable, she may be quick to jump to anger unlike other Alphyses (She then feels bad and overly apologises for snapping at people for so little)

Her abilities (besides travelling between AUs) include manipulating technology, teleportation, going through walls and other solid objects, and do small jumps in time either forward or backwards (This last ability happens involuntarely, and no matter how much she tries she's unable to control it. Fortunatelly for her, this is something that very very very rarely hapens). These powers are all directly connected to her innestability

Some other fun fact about her: · Just like Fatal_Error, her speach bubbles are messy and difficult to understand (though she is far more easier to understand than poor Fatal over here) · Her image may start melting when she's upset, paniking or stresssing out · She still loves anime, and watches it in the OT with other monsters that live there · Refuses to go to therapy because "I'm not even that fucked up, other people have it worse, lol" (Girl, you literally killed yourself) · She tends to pop out of nowhere, acting like she has been there the whole time (Kinda like Core)

But what happened to her AU? To the empty space she left behind?

Like the very basic Undertale fan that I am, I have replaced Alphys' place in the laboratory with Sans, but I want him to kinda suck at it. I always liked to think that Sans was kind of like Alphys' assistant in the game, so now having him as the main and only scientist, he starts to question himself. "Has the job always been this difficult? How was I able to do all those things? Why does it feel like there's a missing pair of hands helping around here? When did I do any of this?" Don't get me wrong, Sans is a smart guy! But there's a reason why he was the assistant

And then there's the amalgamate problem. He... he couldn't have done that, could he? No, of course not! These entries, they have no name, and he definitely doesn't remember doing this out of all things. Must have been the past royal scientist... whoever they are, and now it is his problem to deal with. He asked Asgore about who had been the previous royal scientist, but he couldn't remember who it was, nor why they needed a replacement. He also mentioned having a deja vu

Sans' issue in the story wouldn't be Alphys' struggle of feeling like a fraud, but instead, he fears the gap in his memory and the unability to keep up with his job. He, more than anyone, has the feeling that there's something missing, and starts believing he has a mental illeness that affects his memory, but all results with multiple doctors say that he's perfectly fine, and that's what's making him go nuts the most. All this research, it clearly isn't his, not only he has no memory of doing so, but he's also unable to recreate it, so why do all these papers have his name on them? He wants to believe the doctors, but he can't, because he can feel the chunk of his brain that has been ripped away from him

Most other characters remain mostly the same as they didn't have such a strong connection to Alphys until the events of the game, but there are two that have been affected by the changes in the universe

If we talk about Sans, then we must talk about Papyrus. Contrary to what happens in UT, here, Papyrus constantly tells Sans that he should rest, take a break. He sees how his brother is over working himself and stressing out, barely taking an eye of his work. This has gone as far as him going to Sans' lab at night because he hasn't arrived home yet, only to find that he has falled asleep while working. Sans tells him that he's fine, that he doesn't need to worry about him, but Paps isn't blind nor stupid, and he sees how he's clearly not fine. Not only is he tired from his job, but he can also see how there's something else bothering him, but isn't sure what it is. If only Sans would open up to him and accept his help (Fun fact, in the events of the game the only reason why Sans is in Snowdin to do his shinanigans with Paps, is because that was one of the few times Papyrus was able to convince him to take a break. He does however leave when the human gets to Snowdin town as he has to get back to his work)

The other character affected by this is Mettaton, but not in the way you'd think. As I mentioned before, the way Alphys tries to communicate with her timeline is through electrical devices, and one of those devices is Mettaton's body. Since she was the one to build the thing, it is easier for her to get in contact with it. Alphys and Mettaton constantly talk in Mettaton's mind; he is the only person who she can make direct contact with. Mettaton, like everyone else, doesn't remember Alphys, but he's very aware of her existance, somewhere, not in this reality. He also is very kin to believe that she was part of this world, not only because some of the things she says make sense and coincide with this universe, but also because, just like Sans, he can feel the gap in his memory, and Alphys fits so well in it. They become friends and bond over the same things as they did originally, but their relationship is more complicated to mantain since Alphy's conection keeps turning on and off

Alphys' and Mettaton's relationship also affect how things in Hotland play out. As we know, the reason Mettaton originally went after the human was because Alphys wanted to act as their hero, but of course, without Alphys in the ecuation trying to feel like a hero, Mettaton wouldn't attack the human, and all the puzzles in Hotland would be turned off as Sans doesn't see a reason to keep them on, inconveniencing people. However, as someone who is outside of time and space, Alphys knows about the resets and saves, and thus she doesn't trust the human, she considers them a threat to her world. Because of this, she activates all the puzzles in Hotland, hoping that they will push the human into the Core and end their existance, and informs Mettaton about the threat, so that he can act on it. But, he likes to think that there's some good in the kid, so all their encounters throught the game are like tests to determine whether they are a friend or foe, and depending on their actions, their final battle will either be just an act to entertain the public, or an actual attempt to be rid of them. Meanwhile, you've got Sans freaking out all over the place because a bunch of dangerous puzzles activated out of nowhere, can't turn them off, and Mettaton has gone all crazy robot mode with not apparent explenation. Jesus Christ lady, you really have no idea how hard it is to keep up that promise of keeping the human alive! (In a genocide timeline Sans himself goes like "Nah dude, fuck that kid" and activates all the puzzles while telling Mettaton to go for the throat)

Also, yes, the fact that Alphys knows about Frisk's resets means that she's also aware of Flowey's. Poor little guy, he has shat his pants a bunch of times when stumbling against her, and he has also gone a bit nuts trying to figure out who she is and where did she come from

I think this is all I have to say about this AU for now If you have any ideas (or any ideas for the name) you can send them to my askbox I'll draw her some other day

Also, I am so sorry for splitting up the lesbians </3 (I'm sure I can find her some Undyne in the OT for her to make out though, if that's what you want)

Edit: I have chosen a name for the AU. "Missing Piece Tale" (I know, super creative /s), or just MPTale for short

I just had a great idea for an Alphys outcode