#(I can go up and down in a plank though my left arm is noticeably weak)

[boneless-mika]

I can’t even do push-ups on my knees yet people regularly comment that I’m strong when I pick something up easily bc it was heavy for them ???

[chad-enigma]

Jaime Reyes (+Khaji) Headcanons ↓

(Unless specified these are all based off Jaime from the 2006 issues)

Everything's under the cut to avoid clutter!

He has birthmarks. So many birthmarks. The most noticable ones are; two over his left brow, one under his bottom lip and another on his right eyelid. He has a lot more but their less prominent in comparison. They all come from Bianca who has just as many but they're in less obvious spots.

He has a bad habit of working in the dark because after so many complaints about the light bill Khaji just gives him night vision. Which has the consequence of others finding him working on essays in the pitch dark like a cryptic. His vision doesn't change much besides a slight green tint that the night vision adopts so he rarely notices the difference until someone points it out.

He gives the suit appendage (?) Fist bumps when they do a good job <3

Watched Naruto religiously as a kid and will drop lore bombs unprompted if anyone mentions the show (Paco is a constant victim)

Adjacent to this he also watched Digimon and prefers it to pokemon (this is mostly out of spite because Milagro would hog the TV to watch reruns and he'd miss his shows).

His hair gets longer after graduation. It just happens while he gets busy with college and this new chapter in life. Khaji suggests it give him a haircut but Jaime decides against it and keeps the hair just below the shoulder.

He and Khaji practice the body swap thing a lot more after life calms down. They don't have a system just yet. Khaji helps Jaime with cooking because despite Bianca trying her best, her son is still a clutz in the kitchen. The furthest Khaji has gone is taking control of their limbs to keep Jaime safe from mundane accidents.

He knows how to speak a little Japanese and German thanks to Khajis' help now! He figures the more he knows the better and practices in his free time.

Khaji burns his flannels at one point and sets a rule that Jaime can only wear flannel twice a week. His fashion sense isn't that great yet but he's trying <3

His taste buds have gotten used to bad foods. Only because of Khaji who's demanded the most atrocious combinations of ingredients during emergencies for the energy and he didn't have a choice but to down them.

Khaji clicks with Brenda a concerning amount and they scare Jaime a bit.

When they do both feel comfortable with taking/giving up control of their body, Khaji makes it a habit of tying up their hair in a half-up half-down style. It also has a habit of using eye make up (a habit it gained when it first landed in Egypt). Khaji replicates the products himself, since the prices are outrageous. + Brenda finds out and considers Khaji her make up dealer.

Since Khaji first fused with him–and since Khaji has made some 'adjustments'–Jaime has a tendency to sleep in weird positions. Face down planking with his arms hanging off the sofa, upper torso hung off the bed, twisted like a pretzel so his back muscles stretch. It scares whoever finds him like that the first time.

Jaime gets called mom a lot by any younger heros/vigilante as a joke (some of them mean it). He'd try rebutting them but he catches himself fretting over them and accepts his fate. (Alberto says he's a lot like Bianca in a lot of ways)

He figures out he's bi only after graduating. He doesn't do much with this information though; just collects a bunch of hero crushes over time. Khaji complains about him not getting laid yet and Milagro tries to set him up with the worst people she can find.

That's it for now! A lot of this is word dump based off of different ideas that have been filling my head for a while now. I hope it's coherent enough! More than willing to keep going if asked just hmu <3

[set-phasers-to-whump]

darkness & light

prompt: shadows, "who's there?"

whumpee: william murdoch

fandom: murdoch mysteries

here's a new fandom from yours truly for once :) i'm on s8 and have been for lord knows how long but i truly adore this show, just haven't posted any fic for it before. hopefully my characterization isn't too bad, but this is my first proper fic for these guys so keep that in mind lol. hope you like!

He hears, quite faintly, a clattering sound from deep inside the warehouse. Curiosity piqued, he steps further into the building, shining his light into the shadows. 

Vague shapes appear before him in the dim light. Boxes, half-unpacked. Stacks of wooden planks. Shelves piled high with various wares. 

The noise does not repeat itself. All is still and silent, but William knows what he’d heard. 

Someone is here. And this building is supposed to be empty. 

He travels further and further into the dark confines of the warehouse, his light no match for the thick, dense shadows that reduce all but the closest objects to nothing more than dim smudges. 

He walks around a shelf of dusty cloth and becomes suddenly aware of a presence behind him. 

“Who’s there?” he asks, as he whirls around to face the unwelcome presence. 

He sees the outline of a man, hand raised, and before he can so much as take a breath, the man’s arm comes down and a sharp pain explodes through his skull. Everything goes brilliantly white, and then black. 

--

His head is pounding and his entire left side is sore. These are the first things he is aware of, when he wakes. 

He opens his eyes. Everything is dark, but he can see that there is someone looming over him. 

He immediately attempts to get up, aware that the body above him is likely the man who’d attacked him, but the second he lifts his head there’s a terrible noise in his ears and he feels sick. He stops trying to move quite quickly. 

He needn’t have worried, in any case. The figure above him crouches down, and says, concerned, “Are you alright, sir?”

George. 

“I’m okay, George. A little dizzy, that’s all.”

“What happened?”

“There was a man. He struck me over the head, I don’t recall with what. Something metallic and hard. You haven’t seen him?”

“No.” George sounds surprised. “Henry noticed you had gone missing, and one of the lads by the dock said he thought he’d seen you come in here. He didn’t mention anyone else.”

This gives William the determination he needs to push himself into a sitting position, despite the awful reaction it triggers in his head. “We need to examine the building. He may still be inside.”

“With all due respect, sir, I’m not sure that he is. I…was rather zealous in my efforts to find you. Shouting, and such. I imagine I would have scared him off.”

“Right. Well.” William tries to get his thoughts in order. His mind feels as though it is trapped under water. He cannot think properly, which is incredibly disconcerting. He tries not to let George know, not wanting to worry the constable. 

“Yes?”

Ah. He’d been saying something. 

“Have you concluded your interviews?” This is not the question he’d wanted to ask, but it’ll do. 

“Yes, sir. No one’s seen anything unusual, apart from a lady who thought she’d seen a ghost two nights ago.”

William nods, which proves to be a bad idea. His head spins, the pain increasing until he feels as though something within him is going to explode. 

It takes a moment for him to regain the ability to speak. When the pain dies down enough, he says, “Very well. Back to the station house.”

George takes a breath, like he is going to say something, but remains silent. “Yes, sir,” he says eventually. William hears rather than sees him stand up, and follows suit. 

This also causes him pain, the dizziness overwhelming him so much that for a moment he thinks he will collapse again. But he fights the feeling off, shuts his eyes until the worst of it passes. 

George says nothing, which is very charitable of him. William silently follows him out of the building, concentrating very hard on remaining upright and alert. 

Outside, the sunlight is nearly unbearable. It makes his eyes burn and black spots appear in his vision. 

“Are you alright?” George asks. William is pretty sure he has already asked this question, though he must confess a different answer may be in order. 

“I’m…not sure,” is the response he decides to give, sinking down to sit on a curb when a particularly strong wave of dizziness threatens to make his legs fold beneath him. 

George immediately sits as well. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s my head,” William explains, wishing for a way to communicate wordlessly. “I was hit rather hard.”

George nods thoughtfully. “Do you suppose you might have a concussion? I had one of those when I was a boy, my Aunt Primrose -”

“George,” William interrupts, pressing a hand to his forehead in a futile effort to lessen the ache. “Perhaps another time?”

“Right, of course, well, in any case, I should think a visit with Dr. Grace may be in order, if you don’t mind me saying, sir.”

That sounds perfectly agreeable. He gives his assent, and George stands, offering his hand. 

William takes it and allows himself to be pulled to his feet. Everything spins, and he clings slightly to George’s arm until the worst of it passes. 

George flags down a cab - on whose dime, William neither knows nor cares - and they climb into the back. 

The ride is terribly bumpy and nausea-inducing. William spends all of his time staring at the ground. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees George staring resolutely at the passing scenery. 

The journey seems to last forever, but at long last they arrive in front of the city morgue. George gets out first, and hesitantly stands by the door, moving his hand forward and back like he is not quite sure what to do with it. 

“Give me your hand, George,” William instructs, both to solve this problem and because standing up to leave the cab has once again made his head spin. 

George does, and William finds himself in the bright sun again, dizzy and by now quite tired. He’ll be very glad indeed to receive Dr. Grace’s evaluation, and, with all luck, a remedy. 

“I’d best leave you here,” George remarks, on the threshold of the building. “I’m afraid we may have left Henry at the docks - I may have left him, I mean - and I think I perhaps ought to go and collect him. He’s probably still trying to track down that woman’s ghost.”

Henry! He cannot believe he’d forgotten that it had not been only him and George down by the docks. The problem is solved, thankfully, but he feels horribly guilty all the same for leaving one of his men behind. 

“I’m sure he won’t mind,” George says. “You don’t suppose Henry would prefer doing busy - I mean, very important paperwork - at the station to wandering about in the fresh air, do you?”

He has a point. The anxiety lessens slightly. The headache does not. 

William opens the door and turns to George before the constable can walk away. 

“Thank you.”

George looks at him for a second, then grins. “Why, you’re welcome, sir!” he replies, genuinely pleased.

“Now go fetch Henry, and perhaps the two of you can find something more interesting than paperwork to occupy yourselves with.”

George nods his assent, still smiling, and hurries off in the direction from which they’d come. 

William turns back towards the morgue and steps inside.

thanks for reading! may give this a part 2 if i'm feeling it ;) hope it was alright!

[amplifyme]

I'd almost forgotten about this little nugget. Indulge me as I drag out one of my older SanSan fics.

Pas de duex

All she wants to do is dance.

__________________________________________

The harvest feast had been going on for hours. And for hours he had watched her. First from the high table next to her – a position she'd insisted he take though she knew him to be more comfortable standing to the side and slightly behind Winterfell's throne. And then he'd watched some more, with hidden amusement, as he'd moved from the high table and the celebration had grown increasingly raucous in direct proportion to the amount of ale and wine being consumed. The little bird hadn't let her goblet go dry, he noted, and the flush on her cheeks was high, her eyes sparkling as she caught his gaze repeatedly, and looked at him long.

He'd moved to the back of the Great Hall as the dancing had begun and watched as lords young and old, grizzled and fair, took their turn with her. The feasters stomped feet and slapped hands, voices raised in song, filled with food and drink and reckless joy - survivors all. And she spun and dipped and glided across the wide plank floor, and it seemed to him that her feet never touched it.

And then she was beside him, breathless, her face shiny with sweat. She said not a word, simply took him by the arm and reached for the horn in his hand. He peered down at her as she took a gulp and made a face at him.

"Watered wine - and more water than not. On this night of all nights?"

"You drink when you're happy," he explained. "I drank when I was not."

A slow smile spread across her face. She leaned gracefully to the side, still holding to his arm, and set the horn down. "Dance with me, then."

"I don't dance, my lady."

"Not ever?" She pouted and for a moment he saw the girl she had once been.

"Never," he told her, his attention focused on the wet curve of her lower lip, plump and tempting. He glanced around before tugging her deeper into the shadows and into his arms. She giggled low and came up on her toes, draping her arms over his shoulders, her fingers tunneling through his hair and stroking the back of his neck.

"What's this?" she asked, smiling up at him.

"I've been watching you being passed around about as much as I can do for in a single night. If you knew how many arms I've lopped off in my mind's eye…"

"Hush," she murmured and leaned in for a sudden kiss. He hadn't even the time to return it before she pulled away and looked at him with mild rebuke, a single eyebrow cocked. "You've no reason to be jealous. Every man here knows I am yours."

His hand slid up and cupped the back of her head. "I'm not jealous, little bird, I'm hungry." He dipped his head and resumed the kiss she had begun, only this time it was longer and deeper and left him giddy, as if he were as far into his cups as she.

"Dance with me, Sandor," she breathed against his mouth as he lifted her off her feet and palmed the small of her back, pressing her hips more fully against his. Their soft groans mingled in the smoky air.

"Are you deaf, girl? I don't dance."

"Oh, but you do. I've seen it … and felt it." She nipped his lower lip and giggled again, girlish and sweet. "There are other ways to dance, my love, besides what you've seen tonight. And in that set of skills, you are very, very talented."

He pulled back enough to see her fully and grinned at her, unmindful of how hideous it might make him look to others. For to see himself through her eyes was to know he was more handsome than any man there.

"In that case," he said, releasing her and offering her his hand, "shall we dance?"

Had anyone noticed them leaving – and surely someone did – they would have sworn it was not only Lady's Sansa's feet that did not touch the ground but those, too, of the uncommonly large man beside her.

[so-many-fandoms-here]

A little context for those who haven’t read the maze runner book: towards the end of the first book the gladers hide inside the homestead for the night so the grieves wouldn’t get them. They distributed the boys in the rooms and Newt, Alby, Minho and Thomas ended up together in one room. Alby leaves to go to the card room.

(English isn’t my first language so feel free to correct any mistake you notice)

• Characters: Thomas, Newt

• Genre: fluff, angst

• Warnings: mentions of death

All I Needed To Know

──────⊱⁜⊰──────

Thomas‘ Pov:

After two hours of laying awake between the other sleeping boys I just couldn’t stay there anymore. It suddenly felt like the room was shrinking and all the oxygen was already used. I needed to get out of there, at least for two minutes.

As quiet as possible I tried to stand up, careful not to wake anyone up I sneak to the door and stepped out of the room. Thankfully the hallway was empty, no glader or griever was there and all I could hear was the noises coming from outside the building.

How did the others manage to fall asleep in the first place? Sleep has never felt so far away like now. All I could think of was that our world is currently ending, and we didn’t had a single clue what to do about it.

Suddenly I heard one of the floorboards crack. I suppressed a scream, and grabbed the knife I’ve had in my pocket while I turned around.

„It‘s just me Tommy.“

I sighed at the sound of Newts voice and put down the knife. „You scared the living klunk outta me!“ I cursed him with a whisper.

„Sorry. I heard you leaving. Everything okay?“ He came a step closer, looking me right into my eyes.

„If everything is okay?“ I asked and had to laugh at this stupid question. „Did you miss that the freaking world is ending?“ I didn’t mean to make it sound so insulting, but Newt didn’t even seemed to noticed my harsh tone. Instead of answering he just placed his hands on my shoulders.

Newt had an aura around him that could calm me down in any situation, even in that moment. With his strong hands on my shoulders I felt a little more protected. I knew I could trust him.

„I‘m sorry“ I mumbled. „It’s just… I’m scared Newt.“ It felt good that I got that off my shoulders. „I act tough but even though I can’t remember much, I am pretty sure that I wasn’t ever as scared as I am now in my whole life.“

Newt started rubbing his thumbs over my shoulder muscles and I felt myself easing up a little bit. „I wish I could stay just as calm as you.“ I confessed and to my surprise Newt giggled quietly. Even then his laugh was able to make me feel better.

„I am not as calm as I pretend to be“, he says. „I am bloody terrified. Just like you. But if I let it show all the others would be even more scared. They need me to stay calm but believe me, I feel like I am about to klunk my pants.“ I had to giggle too at this statement.

Newts hands left my shoulders and traveled down to hold my upper arms. „I don’t know what is happening Tommy. In the past few days everything turned upside down but what I know is that I trust you. I know you will find a way. You always found one since you climbed out of the box.“

A warm feeling spread from my chest trough my body. Having Newts trust felt better than anything else I have ever felt before.

I thought Teresa confused me but as I stood there with Newt, the feelings I thought I might had for her were long forgotten. They were nothing compared to what I felt for him in this very moment. I knew Newt was my anchor from the first few words he said to me. He always had my back and made sure I was okay but has he always been this attractive too?

The grey light from the broken sky that sneaked trough the cracks of the wooden planks we used to barricade the windows with fell on him, highlighting the left side of his face. His toned jaw was clenched from sorrow. „I want to cry, I want to scream but I can’t. I don’t have the time for it nor can I allow myself to be so vulnerable.“

I felt the desire to hug him, to hold him close and never let him go ever again. So I did. With my heart beating loudly I pulled him into my arms and held him as close as possible. Newts hands were crossed behind my neck and I felt warm drops soaking into my shoulder. His tears hurt me more than every weapon or griever could ever, yet I was happy that he was finally able to cry. I couldn’t imagine how long he might had to lock his tears behind his eyelids, how long he might had to hide the despair he feels inside him. But I felt how the weight that burdened on his back slowly became a little bit easier and for one time I was glad to be there. Glad to be able to hold this boy in my arms so he can cry away the pain he locked inside for over two years.

After a few minutes Newt lifted his head from my shoulder and looked in my eyes again, his orbs sparkling from the tears. I didn’t dare to let go of his hips, almost as if he could‘ve disappeared right in front of my eyes if I did. „Bloody hell, Tommy“, he whispered, his voice shaky, as he leaned his forehead against mine.

Silence fell over us again and for another few moments we just stood there, his head resting against mine. „We should head back to bed“, he raises his voice again after a while, barely loud enough for me to hear. But I wasn’t ready to let go of him yet. Newt felt that I wasn’t moving my hands, but he didn’t try to walk away either. „Tommy please. My mind isn’t in a state where it can think rationally. I don’t want to do something I might regret tomorrow.“

With all the secrets around me, Newts brutal honesty was the best and most refreshing thing that could have happened to me. „What if there isn’t a tomorrow?“ I replied, knowing what this might lead to.

The taller boy wasn’t answering. At first he just remained still and it seemed like he was evaluating what I just said. The next second his lips crashed with such force onto mine that I stumbled. Strong hands found my face and rested on my cheeks, while my own hands stayed on his hips, trying to pull him even closer to me while I kissed him back.

Newts breath went heavy and I tasted the tears that rolled down his cheeks again. „Tommy.“ But I shut him up by catching his lips for another kiss.

My hands snuck up to his face, mirroring his pose and resting on his cheeks. „Let‘s talk about this when the world isn’t ending anymore.“ This had to be the craziest thing that ever left my lips.

Newt agreed with a nod, kissed me one last time and then turned around to walk back into the room we stayed for the night. I was right behind him, closing the door silently and stepping over Minho to get to my blanket again. Newt gifted me one last beautiful smile before he turned around and tugged himself in his own blanket again.

With every day I felt like my goals and what I was fighting for got more and more clear. But now after Newt kissed me I knew everything I needed to. I would get him out of here, no matter what. And I would make sure that he wouldn’t regret what just happened.

[beckandthebois]

Posted this on Ao3 in October, though I should start posting them here in preparation for my bigger fic I'm planning on posting sometime. Hopefully some time soon.

Whumptober prompt was: Debris/Pinned Down

CW:Fire and blood I think?

Character is our favorite little hero Four.

The Inn was on fire, wood burning to a crisp in the night. The stone work is still holding, but radiating heat. The pillars snap in half, crumbling through the floors. 

Each of the boys had their own rooms. A rare treat for an inn to even have nine empty rooms. 

Unlike usual, Four wishes they had been sharing. Because maybe then he wouldn’t be stuck in the room. The third floor had already caved into the second. He doesn’t understand how the whole inn had lit up so fast. By the time he managed to get his important things filled with magic and memories, together the fire had already reached his door. The doorknob burning his hand. He tried for the window but the decorative beams and window seals made of wood had surrounded the window in flames. 

Typically Four is relatively fast thinking. He can come up with plans and is the most level headed in the group. But he couldn’t think fast enough. 

The wall where the door to his room stands collapses. The roof slanting down with it, and now he’s stuck with burning wood, and broken stone surrounding him. He’s probably got a broken bone or too to add to the carnage. 

It must have been magic, Four thinks, there’s no way the building burnt that quickly. Or that he wouldn’t have noticed sooner before it got this bad. His bag of things is nowhere in his sight. He must have let go of it when the floor came down. 

“Help!” Four yells, gasping in smoke. He pushes with his right arm on a wooden plank, his left arm throbbing with pain underneath him. The plank was holding most of the third floor flooring from crushing him. 

“Somebody!” He yells again. Red slipping into his vision over his left eye. Four rolls onto his back, using his legs to push up on the plank. This time it moves a little, but not enough. Pain shoots up his left leg, but he pushes again. 

“Help,” Four yells once more. He keeps inhaling the smoke, and if he doesn’t create a plan soon he’ll pass out and burn alive. 

“Sky!” No answer.  

“Wild!” 

“Twilight!” 

“Wind!”

“Time!”

“Warriors!” He gasps again, not getting enough oxygen. Tears start streaming down his face. Somebody, please answer him. 

“Hyrule!”

“Legend!”

“Please!” Four sobbed. The wood beneath his back shook before it cracked. The second floor of the inn falling in on itself. 

Four only managed barely to not get impaled by loose rubble everywhere. He’s now stuck further into the center of the ruined inn. He tries to take even breaths. His heart racing and he feels like he might throw up. 

Four tries to not even think of the heat of the fire, just on how to get out. He finds himself back on his back, kicking up a piece of the roof. He used his good arm to slide him underneath the roof towards where what used to be the front door of the inn. 

There is so much wood and stone everywhere. And Four is running out of air fast, he needs to find an opening somewhere. 

Four grabs on to a charred and broken wooden beam above him. It’s ash and heat burning his skin, but he pulls himself up, finding purchase in more rubble for his feet to push off of. He climbs. Ignoring the pain that flares up his entire left side. He tries one more time.

“Help!” He reaches higher, and higher, to get out of the smoke filled debris and the clean night air. A hand grabs his arm. 

“I got him!” A voice yells.

Four’s being pulled up, he helps by kicking off with his feet, and reaching his other arm out. Another hand grabs his other arm, the hands are gloved heavily in metal and fabric. Pulling him upward till he sees the night sky, he’s pulled into the other person’s arms and gasps in what feels like freezing cold air. He starts coughing, choking on the oxygen and the ash in his lungs. A bottle comes up to his lips, the liquid in it forcibly sliding down his throat. 

The heat is suddenly gone, he can breathe a little better, he looks up at Wild, in his Flamebreaker set. He leans into the older and looks around. 

The two are standing on the top of the rubble, like a grassy hill but its really a destroyed inn. At the edge of the inn, slowly encroaching in is Warriors using one of Legend’s ice rods to put out the flames, Wind, and Twilight are each running too and from the village well with water buckets. Hyrule is at the bottom of the ruins, drinking what looks like a green magic potion. Time is a few feet down the hill from them wearing a red tunic and a relieved look on his face. Legend is on the opposite side of them from Time, holding a wooden plank in his hand. Sky is on the roof of the building next to them, looking down at them. 

Everyone smiles at Four and Wild in relief, Legend and Time starting back up the hill. The boys putting out the fire start making a path to where they stand in the middle. Sky jumps from the roof, using his sailcloth to help them. Four just breaths in and out as his brothers reach out to help him.

[youalmostcapturedjacksparrow]

𝕁𝕒𝕔𝕜 𝕊𝕡𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕠𝕨'𝕤 ℝ𝕠𝕤𝕖 ℂ𝕙𝕒𝕡𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟙𝟛

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Chapter 13 | Chapter 14 | Chapter 15        

General POV.

'Go puppet! Walk the plank! ' You could hear the pirates scream at Elizabeth.

Will was trying to get loose of the grip the pirates had on him.

'Barbossa, you lying bastard!' He spat at Barbossa.

'You swore they'd go free!'

'Don't dare impugn me honor, boy!' Barbossa spat.

'I agreed she'd go free, but it was you who specify when or where. 'He told Will

'Though it does seem a shame to lose something so fine, ' He said with an smirk.

Looking at Elizabeth and then to Rose who was standing next to him. Held by 2 pirates.

He stroked his hand against her cheek. To which Rose turned her head away.

'So I'll be havin' that dress back before you go.' Barbossa said looking at Elizabeth.

Elizabeth turned towards Barbossa.

'Lizzy don't ' Rose begged. But she was already undressing herself in her underdress.

'Goes with your black heart.' Elizabeth spat at Barbossa while throwing him the dress.

'Ooh its still warm.' Barbossa smirked throwing the dress in the crew.

Elizabeth walked to the end of the plank. And looked at Will and then at Rose.

Rose gestured that she would follow her.

But before Elizabeth could turn around a pirate thought it took to long stomped on the plank which made Elizabeth fall.

Then they pushed Jack forward.

'I really rather hoped we were past all this.' He said.

Barbossa walked forward lying his arm around his shoulder.

'Jack. Jack.

Did you not notice. That be the same little island that we made you governor of on our last little trip.' He said looking towards the island.

'I did notice' Jack said while looking at the island and then turning around.

Rose looked up and listened towards their conversation.

So they're willing to bring him back to the same island they dropped him last time.

'That's Horrible ! ' Rose spat towards Barbossa and kicked the pirate behind her so she could walk forward.

' You really are a bunch of asshole's aren't you' Rose yelled at Barbossa.

She was almost with Barbossa when he turned around and grabbed her by her wrists.

'And you.. oh you Miss Rivers. Always a pleasure to see such a strong hearted woman. Sadly you need to wait a second you're after Jack' Barbossa said while throwing my wrists back down.

He walked towards Jack again.

'Perhaps you'll be able to conjure up another miraculous escape.

But I doubt it.

Off you go' Barbossa said while pointing his sword at Jack.

'Last time you left me a pistol with one shot.' Jack mumbled

'By the powers you're right.' Barbossa said.

'Where be Jack's pistol?

Bring it forward!'

'Seeing as their three of us. A gentleman would give us 3 pistols with 3 shots.'

'It'll be one pistol as before.

And you can be the gentleman Shoot one. And the other I'm not so sure about yet' Barbossa smirked at Rose.

Jack looked with frowned brows to Barbossa when he touched Rose.

But Barbossa smirked and threw his sword and pistol overboard.

Which made Jack jump after it.

Rose walked up towards the plank. But Barbossa pulled her back.

'I have a proposition to make Miss Rivers.

You're a fierce young woman. Which we could use in a crew like ours. ' He started.

'Shut up' Rose said. As she walked towards the plank.

'Are you sure Miss Rivers. We can offer you a lot. Especially your freedom. Because I can feel how trapped you were in your tight dresses and your spirit bound to marry a man who you don't love' Barbossa said smoothly.

Rose slowly backed her way up to plank. And looked at Barbossa.

She saluted him with a wink and then jumped off the plank.

They all moved towards the rail. And a crewmember yelled

'You can still change your mind y'know?'

'I'D RATHER DIE HERE BUT THANKS' Rose shouted back as she started to swim towards the beach of the island.

Rosemary's POV

I was crawling on the beach. Coughing to get air into my lungs.

Elizabeth was already there walking over to her. But Jack was quicker.

'Are you all right?' He asked me.

'Well how fine can I be?

I just wanted to save Elizabeth but now I'm here!' she looked around.

'Is there anything around here?' she walked past Jack.

Elizabeth was walking over to her and pulled her in a tight hug.

Elizabeth started crying and sank down to her feet. Rose felt herself lower to the weight of Elizabeth.

'Thankyou for coming for me' she chocked out.

'Always Lizzy' Rose smiled at her kissing her forehead.

Jack was walking around the beach. 'It's the second time I've watched that man sail away with my ship.' He sighed.

'I'm not going to kiss you to, if you think that's what I do ' I said to him.

After a while Elizabeth stood up and walked after him.

'You were marooned on this island before. We can escape in the same way you did then!'

Elizabeth shouted at him.

'To what point and purpose, young missy?' Jack spun around

'The Black Pearl is gone. Unless you have a lot of sails hidden in that bodice...

Which is unlikely..

Young Mr. Turner will be dead long before you can reach him. ' Jack said as he walked off towards a palm tree he was knocking on it.

'But you're Captain Jack Sparrow. ' Elizabeth said while holding that palm tree.

Jack was taking huge steps forward like he was counting something.

I looked up to them from the beach. I let Elizabeth say what she wanted to say I was thinking about what was all happening to me. But I couldn't help but giggle when I saw Jack take these huge steps. He looked like a mad man.

I walked up towards them.

'You vanished from under the eyes of seven agents of the East India Company.

You sacked Nassau port without a shot' Elizabeth complained to him.

Jack was now jumping on the ground where you could hear a squeak.

I walked up to them looking at the place he was jumping.

'What in the world' I asked myself.

'Are you the pirate I've read about or not?' Elizabeth said looking him dead in the eye.

'How did you escape last time' Elizabeth asked.

Jack sighed and pushed Elizabeth a few steps in front of him.

He was trying to say something.

'Last time I was here a grand total of three days. All right?'

Which made me choke on my own spit. 'Excuse me? So what Gibbs told were all ghost stories?'

I walked up to Jack who was now lifting up something on the ground.

'Let me explain Love' He said to me.

'Last time,

The rumrunners used this island as a cache.

They came by, and I was able to barter passage off.

From the looks of things, they've long been out of business' Jack said while walking down small stairs

'Probably have your bloody friend Norrington to thank for that. ' Jack said while pointing specific at Elizabeth.

'I don't blame you Love. I know you hate him.' He said winking at me. Which made me blush.

Elizabeth looked at me sheepishly and frowning. And I just shrugged.

Jack was holding a few bottles of rum up and I ran forward to grab them so he could get out.

'So that's it, then?' Elizabeth said.

'That's the secret of the grand adventure of the infamous Jack Sparrow!' She spat at him.

'You spent three days lying on a beach drinking rum.' She looked him straight in the eyes.

To which Jack look around.

'Is she always this scary?'

I shrugged 'neh'

'Well Welcome to the Caribbean love!' Jack said fake smiling and pushed a bottle of rum in her hands. And he walked over towards the beach.

'And you!' Elizabeth spat at me.

'Why were you even with him at the first place and what is that tension between you to!'

Elizabeth threw her hands up.

'he's a pirate Rose!? A Pirate!'

I sighed.

'I know I know. But do you know how hard it was to lose you, see the Black Pearl sail away with you on it. Instead of me.

Me and Will wanted to save you straight away. But Norrington wasn't having that. He was not planning on sailing out for at least three days!

3 DAYS ! Elizabeth!' I yelled at her.

'Will and I got desperate. And we found out that Jack was in the brig so we decided our best shot was to go with him.

And he has been nothing but kind to both me and Will!' I looked her straight in the eye.

'He has done more for you. Then Norrington ever will. And you know that just as much as I do.'

'So please! Elizabeth. Lets think of a plan tomorrow but for now. I would like to sleep and have a little bit to much alcohol in my veins!' I said as I walked past her towards the beach.

'Oh and also ' I walked back to her and gave her my coat.

'You're probably cold' I said with a soft smile.

'Now please come and take a nap or something Liz' I begged her.

-At night-

Elizabeth might have had a bit to much rum. I thought to myself.

She was only eighteen she had never more then a small glass of wine.

Elizabeth and Jack were dancing around the fire together singing.

When they were done they came over to me Elizabeth sitting next to her. Laying back in the sand.

She was asleep in a second.

Jack waved towards me signaling that I should come sit with him.

I looked over to Elizabeth and saw she was fast asleep before I slowly stood up.

I know noticed that I had quite a bit of alcohol in my veins.

I scooted towards Jack and let myself fall next to him.

'Is she asleep? ' Jack asked.

'Yeah she really is out' I replied to him.

'You know,' I started.

'You could have told me. That Gibbs his whole story wasn't true.

You just waited here and got lucky.

That's a whole different story' I said to him chuckling. While I wanted to take another sip out of my rum bottle but noticed it was empty.

I threw my bottle into the fire. Which made the glass splatter.

And I took Jacks bottle ' putting it to my mouth.'

'Yes I know. But I'm not the one who made that story up' Jack said smirking.

'And who am I to let them think otherwise'

I chuckled he was kinda right tho.

Jack took my bottle it was almost empty. As he wanted to put it against his mouth. I coughed.

'Maybe I wanted the last drop Jack?~ ' I said with a smirk.

He sighed but he did let go of the bottle and gave it to me.

I looked over at Elizabeth.

'Lizzie? Are you awake? Lizz?' I asked. No reaction.

'Good' I told myself I put the last bit of rum in my mouth. But I didn't swallow.

Instead I turned around and sat on Jacks lap.

I held his chin with my finger and parted his mouth a bit.

Then I kissed him but I let the rum slide in his mouth. I broke the kiss. Wanting to wipe the last bit of rum of my mouth and neck . but Jack stopped my hand and wiped the rum of with his finger licking it up. Then he went down my neck but this time with his mouth.

He lapped up all the bit of rum on my neck. But he didn't stop there.

'Well Jack~

I don't think I've had had enough rum for that' I said giggling while I pushed myself off him rolling next to him in the sand.

I heard Jack grunt. But he steadied himself. And laid down to.

We fell asleep shortly after.

[dreams-of-valeria]

CHAPTER SEVEN

| Series: The Glass Cage Epidemic | Pairing: Evan Peters OC x FOC | Warnings: Mention of death, Obscene language | Word count: 1,991 | Rated: Explicit |

I woke up in an embrace. 

For a moment, I refused to believe it. But several blinks later, the gorgeous skin of his chest was an inch away. He was fast asleep with me in his arms in a sleeping bag for one. In candour, while this wasn’t the intended outcome I had seeked when I had suggested the sleeping bag in the first place, it was a wonderful bonus. He breathed in soft snores, and I was terrified of moving. It would be almost a sin to wake someone who looked so peaceful for once. 

I counted the freckles on his neck, his chest, and fought the urge to run my tongue over them. His neck smelled earthly sweet, with a hint of his cologne. The way his arm was placed around me made the dip above his collarbone deepen, which was just so inexplicably attractive to me. Although only my flimsy tank top lay between us, I wanted to be closer to him, now that I finally had an opportunity. I wanted his embrace to enclose me, to consume me. Perhaps it was the incredible sex we’d had against the backdrop of this fairly romantic setting; us sharing a sleeping bag in a greenhouse as the sun rose at our feet, but I yearned to become a part of him and live within him.

I wanted to be a part of his lovely fingers, the dark roots of his hair, the splashes of black in his coffee brown irises and everything else I could feel. I noticed too late how deep I was entrenched outside reality.

His chest swelled against me as he drew in a deep breath, different from the ones I was used to, only moments ago. He became aware of his arms around me and flashed me a tender, dimpled smile. 

“Hey, there.”

“Fancy meeting you here.”

He chuckled. “I don’t think I can move. Can you?” He tried stretching as much as he could in the limited space, but left his other arm around me. 

I pretended to try. “Nope.”

“Well, shit,” he sighed and nuzzled his nose into my hair. “This is how it ends. Can’t beat this view, though.”

I smiled into his neck.

“I guess we just turn into stone now,” he said drowsily. I wouldn’t mind falling back asleep. His embrace was long sought and fruitfully delivered. It’s funny how we go through most of our lives just wanting to be held.

“And then some pretentious sculptor will leave a bronze plaque at our feet titled, The  and draw some gratuitous phallic symbolism. There’s a lot of penises in art galleries lately, have you noticed?”

He chuckled, and I felt the vibrations rumble in his chest and transfer to mine. Oh, I very much liked that.

“I can’t speak for the phallic symbolism, but I think the sculptor will dub us The Lovers.”

I skipped a breath. “Why?” I didn’t look up at him. I was afraid I would meet his eyes with mine brimming with hope.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he drawled again, his day-old stubble rubbing against my forehead.

“No,” I leaned back to force him to look at me. “Tell me.”

Atticus wordlessly gazed down at me for a long time, and cleared his throat. He then joined his hand at my cheek and drew in a breath.

“Cleo, I–”

“You!”

Our necks craned to find the source of the sound, and it came from above–well, behind us. We saw her approach from the staircase in her fuzzy bathrobe over satin nightgown, her frail body looking like it would take one good gust of wind to send her down five storeys.

“Fuck,” I breathed and the next few motions occurred at the speed of sound. Unzipping the sleeping bag, telling Atticus to run, Mrs. Halloway shouting “Azrael!” 

“Does she have a dog?” Atticus yelled over her voice as he grabbed the sleeping bag and I gathered our clothes.

“No, it’s her fucking falcon,” I yelled back, and we lept across the roof and over the plank, just as I heard the screech of that wicked beast.

“Holy shit, it’s huge!” Atticus was giggling as he ran to the staircase. We kept running until we reached my apartment, and collapsed on the floor behind the closed door.

And then we laughed. Oh, how we laughed.

I often think about that moment when we were one in our mirth, now that I knew I could never have that with him again.

***

That little shenanigan mended whatever bridge lay between us for the next week, and things felt good. Firm. I never asked him what he was going to say before we were interrupted, and he seemed unbothered either way. If I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was relieved. Atticus could be dreadfully non-confrontational about the things that scared him. Fear was the only option I could see as reason for him to be so non declarative. I knew no cause for it, but I had an inkling. Certain gestures and words he displayed in our ongoing . . . courtship? Agreement? Implied his niche refrain from commitment, perhaps from past marred experience(s). I do not know if he knew I recognised those aspects of him, because he never said anything. 

It bothered me enough to deeply upset me for long periods of time, but I had a renewal of confidence in the bond we shared, enough to keep all questions of the why and what away to enjoy my time with him. That’s what I told myself, to just live for now. I will have time later.

But this notion didn’t prevent me from taking new steps. I invited him home for Thanksgiving, ensuring both my mother and brother, and Atticus that we were there in our capacity as friends, to his relief and my mother’s disappointment. She liked him of course, and witty as a fox Troy was, recognised the physical intimacy immediately. And of course resorted to obscene remarks that somehow always went over my mother’s head. Atticus on the other hand, God bless his heart, thought it was hilarious to watch me squirm.

It was strange to have him stand in my childhood bedroom, because he was so inquisitive by nature. He wouldn’t sit until he had performed a survey of the room thoroughly enough to commit to memory. And that was how he would learn more about me, instead of just asking me. He preferred to decipher vague clues and mementos to know the person inside. For all his lust for talking and discussion, he was quite docile in his attempts at connection. So I bore the brunt.

I remember he spent nearly half an hour at my bookshelf, occasionally pulling a paperback out, giving it a once over or reading the pages I’d marked years ago, and asked me why. I told him I just wanted to remember it for the next time. He would flash an esoteric smile and resume the whole process all over again, and I would watch him from my bed, the sound of rain pattering against the window next to me, and his stature just existing. 

Dinner itself was thankfully uneventful save for Troy reciting that he ran shirtless through the college grounds on a dare and nearly getting arrested for it but ending up in the school paper and my mother pressing her hand to her face in utter humiliation. In the end, it was Cornell and by some miracle, he was too smart to kick out. 

Atticus had already picked out what he wanted me to read to him that night, but wouldn’t let me see until we were finished tending to other matters. I can’t recall what exactly brought about a change in his behaviour, perhaps it was my mother’s gentle demeanour or my brother’s idiot personality, or maybe the qualms of our humble living, but he was very delicate with me that night. 

He carried me to bed although it was five steps away from the door, and laid me down gently with a soft kiss instead of his usual tossing and playful cackling as he got on top of me. Even the way he undressed me felt so reverent and careful, like he had suddenly been cautioned of how rare I was. Despite all his idiocy, I wouldn’t put it past Troy, but the fervour Atticus was showing seemed to stem from inside. I nearly stopped him to ask why as he trailed tender kisses down my body like footprints in warm sand, but reconsidered. He was in a zone and I would not disturb him. 

His body nestled comfortably between my legs and our chests touched just enough to leave some breathing room and sweat to find its way through. Atticus was gentle in his movement, and sometimes wouldn’t move for minutes at a time, as we got distracted with words. He was hellbent on making me giggle, saying how it felt great because of the way we were connected. The rain had dimmed down to a drizzle, and the faint pitter patter punctuated our heavy breaths and moans. 

After what felt like hours, he raised himself up on his palms and angled himself differently so he could pace up. I raised my hips to his, licking my lips. I ran my hands through his hair, and he opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but instead kissed the inside of my wrist.

That was when we heard the knock on the door. My hand snapped up to his mouth and closed over it for fear of his giggles in critical situations. Technically, he was supposed to be asleep in the guest room in the basement. 

“Everything ok, mom?” I called softly, hoping she’d hear my drowsy voice and leave.

“Just brought you some water, hon.”

I looked at him and began to plot out a solution, when Troy’s voice boomed.

“Jesus, mom, just let them shag in peace!”

Atticus giggled behind my hand and I clenched around him. He only seemed to like it. 

It took her a moment to understand, and she hurried off with a nervous chuckle and a caution to use protection. Well, that was only slightly mortifying.

Atticus moved off me and lay on my right as I covered my face.

“I heard your mom and went soft,” he explained, his hand assisting himself. 

“I’d be worried if you didn’t.”

“Don’t get me wrong, she’s an attractive woman,” he moaned when I kissed his neck, and we both realised the timing of it and giggled. “But you, cherie, are bonerific.”

He flashed me that asymmetrical grin I loved, making me double over in laughter again. 

“Need some help?” I asked, closing my fist around him. He was unsheathed. 

“Be right back,” he whispered and headed for the door, pointing dramatically and locking it. My eyes went wide.

“I didn’t lock it?”

“Glad to know your mom knocks,” he chuckled and stood at the foot of my bed. “Ah, goddamnit!” he groaned, glancing down and attending to the matter vigorously.

“Remember that time in the greenhouse?”

That seemed to do the trick. He crawled towards me on his knees, saying, “Here comes the airplane open up!”

Atticus took his rightful place again, and drove himself deep inside me in one motion. I buckled over–it wasn’t painful exactly. It was a strange sensation of being stabbed by a very impressive dagger dipped in the best narcotics. I liked it, just didn’t expect it. When I finally gained composure, I slapped his bicep. “I told you, don’t do that!”

“Then don’t moan like that,” he mocked in what I could assume was his mimicry of my voice. 

“Like what?” I asked, fully expecting what was coming. But just before he could do it again, I clenched around him. Atticus gasped and looked down.

“Fuck, do that again."

[novasdarling]

Can we get a Chrollo with prompt “After all I did for you, this is how you repay me? You brat.”

Ty author hope your pillow is cold at night <3

I feel like I wrote Chrollo differently here than I usually do. Played more on his ability to be a two-faced little shit.

After All I Did

TW: Kidnapping, Assault, Sort of Noncon/Dubcon.

How far could your feet carry you? You weren't sure, but you hoped it was far enough to getaway. You needed to get as far as possible, though, with the burning feeling in your feet, you weren't sure how much further you could possibly get. The sky was dark and the streets relatively empty. The people you did see were useless. None of them could help you. Either ignoring you or not understanding you. How far had he taken you that the locals spoke a different language?

You realized it would be best to just hide. Maybe if you hid long enough, he would pass by and you could think of a way to get away. Any time you could buy you would take. Looking around you searched for a place to hide. Anywhere that would do a reasonable job at hiding you. Luckily there were some abandoned buildings in the area. But which one would actually hide you? Which one would he not look in? Your search was cut short when you heard your name being called. Looking behind you there was nothing there. Meaning he was close, just not on the road. Chances are he knew you were in this direction, but couldn't see you. Choosing the closes building you saw, you ran towards it. Hoping there would be somewhere to hide. Somewhere he wouldn’t look.

The building was deserted, it wasn’t large, but it had enough junk and rooms to hide in. Running through the halls, you tried to find the right place. Far enough from the entrance that he wouldn't look there, but not too far that you couldn't run when he wandered past. Eventually, you found a room far enough back. It was dark, filled with shelves and boxes. Enough places you could hide in. You were rushed when you swore you heard footsteps nearby. Forcing you to pick the closes place to hide.

“My love? I know you’re in here.”

You were right, he was here. You had no time to continue your search for a better place to hide. You choose a place by the door, hoping he would walk in and you’d be able to leave when he was further in without him noticing. Using the planks of wood outside the room to hold the door close and lock him in. It wasn’t the best plan, but it was all you could think of at the moment. Darting behind a shelf near the door. You crouched down and waited. It was only a matter of time before he found you. He always did. Soon you heard his steps heading toward you. Stopping every so often, opening doors and looking inside.

“Not in here.” Slam of a door. “Not in here either.”

He was getting relatively close. Step by step he was getting to you. You couldn’t help, but sweat. He was going to find you, wasn’t he? It was a mistake to run. Every other time he found you before you even left the view of the house. It was too good to be true that you made it this far. You should have known better. Should have stayed at home with him.

There was a knock at the door to your room.

“I know you're in there sweetie. Come out.”

It wasn’t too long before the door opened. He was in the room. You could see a bit of him through the boxes on the shelf. He was less than an arm's reach away. Panic began to bubble up, picturing him reaching behind the shelf and dragging you out. Yet, he walked past your shelf. Walking further into the room, lifting things and peering behind boxes and other shelves. This was your chance, his back was turned and he was so far into the room. If you were fast and quiet, perhaps you could get out.

Making your way to the door, trying to not disturb anything in your way. Keeping your eyes on him. Knowing you need to get out undetected then close the door and trap him inside. You were so close, a few feet from the door when you saw him turn towards you slightly.

“There you are, dear. Ready to go home?"

You stood there shocked. How did he know? You had been so quiet, so careful.

" If you come now I promise I won’t be too rough.”

That was a lie. Turning you darted to the door. Slamming it shut behind you. Pushing a bunch of loose materials to block his way out. Jamming a piece of metal in the way of the door opening. Then turning around and running. Shit, where could you even go? He found you once, he’ll find you again. This was hopeless. How could you even escape Chrollo, he wasn’t one to let things slip from his grasp. You should have accepted his lie of a deal. Just went to him instead of running again.

Before you could even make it out of the building, you were shoved to the floor. Letting your hands break the fall instead of your face.

“After all I did for you, this is how you repay me? You brat. I take you in, I make sure you’re safe. I make sure you’re alive at the end of the day and I get this?”

You couldn’t even get up. His foot was on your back pushing you back down when you attempted to get up. Putting pressure to keep you down as he leaned over you. Chrollo obviously didn’t want you to move, wanting to keep you in place. Make you listen to him.

“I thought you got it out of your system? All the running away and behaving like I don’t take care of you.”

His force grew, he pushed you further into the ground.

“I love you, you know that right? I take care of you, I make sure you eat, make sure you're safe, make sure you get whatever you want.”

This was it, he was going to kill you. Make sure you never disobey him again. He finally had enough of you. There was no stopping the tears falling from your eyes. You knew him killing you was a chance, after all, he was known for genocide. Why would you be safe over those other people? Questions floated through your head, though the answer was both impossible, yet so clear. Chrollo loved you, he really did in his sick demented way. A fact you couldn’t, or wouldn’t accept. Perhaps it was worse that he loved you and still did everything he did to you. Broke your bones when you disobeyed. Locked you away from the world under the pretence that it was for your safety and not so he could have you to himself.

“I-I’m s-sorry. Please, please-"

"That's right beg. Tell me how sorry you are. How bad you feel just like the other times."

This was a side of Chrollo you had never seen before. You knew he was capable of anger, but it was never directed at you. Not like this. His anger to you was different, it was sickly sweet. Even as he broke limbs he was still cooing at you. You wanted that version of him. You wanted that false sense of security, of safety even as he punished you. You wanted him to kiss away your tears and apologize. You couldn't help but cry. Trying to apologize between gasps. Something must have changed with him because you could feel him shift in his posture.

“Oh, my dear. Did I scare you?”

The sudden change shocked you even more. He went from smashing you into the floor with his foot to pulling you up gently and pressing you into him. One of his hands went to caress your hair. While the other was on your back to pull you close to him. It was wrong, so wrong to find comfort in this. To begin to regret your poor decision on running away. The apologies fell out of your mouth. Wanting his forgiveness more than anything. Anything was better than his wrath mixed with punishments. This version of Chrollo was better than the one before. You didn't care what he did, as long as he was being sweet to you while he did it. It was wrong, sick, but you could live with this.

“I didn’t mean to, I-I-I just-I don’t know.”

“Shh, it’s okay. You were just scared huh? I was gone for longer than I said. That’s alright my love, I’ll forgive your little confused mishap this time. But next time, try to keep your confused actions in check.”

He was dismissing your attempt of running away. As if he wasn’t just pushing you into the dirt, seething at your disobedience towards him. Chrollo could always collect himself so quickly, sometimes not even allowing himself to show his anger. He would just smile when you did something bad. When you broke one of his rules. You had gotten spoiled with that version of him. There was one time when you threw a glass at him, shattering it against the wall behind him. Of course, there was no way you could actually hit him. He turned towards you, smiling while you shook with anger. He had told you that you couldn’t go out. Even if it was just out to the balcony. Finally, you had managed to unlock the door, only to be stopped by him. He slammed the door shut. Dragging you back away from the breath of fresh air you had been deprived of for weeks. It wasn’t fair, you begged him for just a few minutes. Instead, he grabbed you and led you away. As a last-ditch effort, you grabbed a glass and threw it. Hoping to get him to leave you alone. Instead, he only laughed. Telling you how cute it was that you thought you could hurt him. That he was in charge, he was the one who made the rules because he knew better. It was him who called the shots, who laid out to punishments. All you needed to do was listen and follow him. Then he kissed your tears away, apologizing while telling you it was all for your own good. It was always for your own good. Then he would punish you to ensure you got the message. All while cooing at you, telling you how much he loved you. It was wrong, it was sick, but it was better than what he did before.

“Am I in t-trouble?” You tried your best to stop crying.

“Shh, relax my dear. This was just a mishap, I left you alone too long. That’s all.”

His hands began to roam your body, pulling you closer and groping you. He was getting... off on this?

“Let’s get home my little treasure. Somewhere nice and safe for someone like you.” His lips began to pepper kisses on your cheek. “We can go home, nice and safe. And you can show me how sorry you are for this little outburst dear.”

That was it. You were once again back in his arms. Back in the clutches of Chrollo. The man who demands you bow and obey his every wish. The man who says he loves you. Loves you enough he’s willing to lock you away from the prying eyes of others. The dangers that the world has to offer someone like you. When in reality, he was the only thing you really had to fear.

[hyperfigations]

Male!Reader struggling to get his laptop turned on to work on a project, Dylan notices them struggling and finally reveals his actual interest to the reader and fixes their problem, resulting in reader being happy to get to know the actual dylan

A/N: Sorry this took so long 😭😭 getting back into writting is so hard. And getting back to being good at writing is even harder. This isn't my greatest piece LMAO but I hope you enjoy it anyways!

Technowizard

(Dylan x M!Reader)

Summary: Dylan lets Reader get to know him better.

Words: 1,452

TW: None

    It was kind of funny, the way he looked at you. His face was twisted in confusion which quickly turned into a playful annoyance. If it wasn’t for your urgency to get your crap done, you would have started teasing him about his “kicked puppy” look. 

 “Mr.H let you keep your laptop?” He groans.Your lips pursed whilst exhaling slowly.

“Only for like an hour, Dylan,” You roll your eyes. “He’s just letting me finish this stupid college application.”

“That is so lame,”

“Dylan,” You sigh. “Is that a yes or no?”

“For what?”

“Dylan!”

“OHHHHHH, about using the station? Um, yeah, you can but on one condition.”

You give him a look, one that could kill, but he returned it back. The clock was ticking and all you want to do was to get this shit done so you could go back to your job. 

“I gotta keep an eye on you. Ya know, can’t trust anyone after the Jacob Incident,” Dylan shrugs, crossing his arms over his chest. You scoff out a dry chuckle, remembering a few weeks before when Jake lost a bet with Nick and it ended with him breaking into the station and 2 PA speakers blown. Poor Dylan spent nearly every early morning trying to get those speakers up and running again. “Never again,” He had claimed after fixing up the last speaker. 

Ever since, Dylan was way overprotective of the radio station. He wouldn’t even let Jacob even glance its way. 

“Ugh, Jake ruins everything,” You grumble grumpily. Dylan smirks slightly, gently pushing you with his elbow.

“Don’t worry, I’m not like… ‘babysitting�� you. Think of it as us hanging out but Im like watching your every move making sure you don’t mess anything up,” 

You blink at your fellow counselor, staring at him.

“Fine. But you can’t distract me, I really have to get this thing done,”

“Yeah, I am known for being incredibly distracting,” He winks at you. You couldn’t help but chuckle slightly, shaking your head. 

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

The radio hut was honestly one of the more peaceful places at camp. Secluded and silent, away from all the screaming campers. Even though this is only your second time in there, you noticed a considerable difference from your first. You couldn’t help but remember how garbage this place looked before. Wood planks, trash scattered all over the ground and it was splinter city. When Dylan and you first scouted out the station, you had been pulling splinters out of your fingers for days. After the first time, you vowed never to step back in there but it wasn’t so bad now. Dylan put all his love into it. And it definitely paid off. It looked a hell of a lot better than it did before. 

“Damn, Dylan. Nice job,” You complemented, looking around in approval. Dylan looked a little shocked by your comment, but a bashful smile creeped up on his lips. He looked down, his shoulders going up slightly. 

“Y-yeah, thanks. It was nothing. Just cleaned it up a bit,”

“Since when were you ever humble? It looks great.” 

Dylan smiles even wider. You sit down on the chair in front of the radio, placing your laptop on the wooden table. A sigh escaped your lips as you opened it up. Dylan makes himself comfortable by leaning on the table facing you. His head tilted ever so slightly as he looks over you curiously. You could feel his eyes on you, but you decided to ignore it. You really need to get this thing finished, and you probably only had 45 minutes left to do so. 

“So what college-”

“Dylannn, I said you couldn’t distract me.” You huff. 

Dylan barks out a laugh, “Sorry.”

The computer lit up with the start-up screen, playing a small little jingle to let you know it's awake. Although your computer wasn’t exactly ‘a new model’ it had always done the job. Sure, it took a little slow to get to where you wanted it to go, but it was a small price to pay for a cheap laptop. Except this time… the start-up screen wasn’t budging. Your lips curve downward as you stare at the screen. Your fingers drift over the keyboard, pressing every button you think would help to make it go faster. Alas, nothing was working. “What the fuck-” you mumbled below your breath. 

In the corner of your eyes, you catch Dylan trying to chuckle quietly to himself. You glare at him, “What.” 

“I’m sorry but the 90s called and they want their computer back, man,” He laughs.

“Would you shut up, I’m trying to get this working, jerk,”

“You’re never gonna get it to work by just button mashing,”

Your face scrunched up in aggravation as you pushed away from the computer in Dylan’s rolling chair, gesturing toward your computer. “Fine. If you’re suuuccch an expert, why don’t you do it.”

Dylan looks at you, then the computer. He shrugs slightly and puts himself imbetween. The hut was caught in silence. Nothing to be heard except the outdoors, the clacking of your keyboard and the low humming of Dylan as he concentrated. You watch him from the back but curiosity  began to take over. You roll the chair to the left to get a view of the screen. You expect your computer to still be stuck in its limbo but it… was already fixed? It was on your homescreen!

    Dylan glances behind himself and gives you the most cocky look you’ve ever seen. The smirk on his face was confident and lop-sided. You were completely speechless. It took him, what? Maybe like 2 minutes to fix your computer. 

    “Um… what the fuck just happened,” You finally got out. 

Dylan smiles proudly at you, “Just my techno magic, are you impressed?”

You were. You were incredibly impressed.

"No." 

A lie. A bald faced lie.

He knew you were lying because his smile grew wider. More cocky.

"Okay, I'll bite," You sigh. "How did you know how to fix it?" 

Dylan rolls his eyes ever so slightly, chuckling. "I fixed up the Hut and I fixed the PA speakers. This computer was nothing," 

"Dylan. I mean, how did you like… do all that though." 

He looks at you, a little shocked. No one really was interested in "the how" he does what he does. He just… does. That's all anyone needs to know. But you wanted to know more. His heart began to speed up at this thought. 

"Oh. Um… well," Dylan says, turning around back to your computer. So he didn't have to look you in the eyes. It was as if he was embarrassed. You stood up from the rolly chair, sauntering over to where he was to get a better view of him. Dylan's eyes avert you at all costs, making you frown just a little. 

"I mean, I've always kind of.. been into it, I guess?"

"So, you wanna go into techie stuff in the future?"

You stare at him, all ears, as if telling him to continue. Dylan sighs and hesitantly goes on, "Tech is like great and all but I dont know… I guess I kind of want to go into…"

Your whole body wiggles in anticipation, making Dylan's awkward frown become an amused smirk. 

"Quantum Phsyics. Or whatever…"

The silence was completely loud. The chirps of the birds keeping it from being completely quiet. Dylan takes a peak at your expression, which is in total shock. 

"Yeah, I know it's kinda dum-"

"DUMB?!" You interrupt. "THAT QUITE LITERALLY IS THE OPPOSITE OF DUMB." 

"Yeah but-"

"DYLAN!!!" 

Dylan becomes a little surprised when you tippy toe up to throw your hands on his shoulders, squeezing them affectionately.

"That's so amazing man!" 

He stares down into your eyes for just a second longer than he had intended to, butterflies swirling in his tummy. 

"You think so?"

"Dude, that's literally the coolest thing! Im like dead ass being serious."

"Haha," Dylan chuckles, suddenly feeling extremely small. 

He falls quiet, staring at his feet.

"...Dyl?"

"Yeah?"

"You don't have to hide who you are with me, you know that right?"

"........yeah."

You cared. You actually cared enough to ask. Even better, you didn't shy away from him? Even when he showed his Dylan Dylan side. Oh god… he feels his palms became sweaty, his heart was racing at the speed of light.

 In that moment, he realized, he liked you. He really, really liked you.

He always flirted of course but this was it. This was the period of an already written sentence. Dylan liked you so, so much.

"U-um, anyways, you should get that application done… right?"

"OH SHIT, YEAH!"

[smp-live]

The apocalypse happened a few years ago. And- it's vague, the apocalypse. It's not some big earth-shattering moment. It's confused tv reports and impulse decisions and little growing bits of tension until the pot boils over.

The details are fuzzy; it all happened so quickly that many civilians were left unaware of what exactly went down. One day, they were living, and the next, most weren't.

Nukes, EMPs, solar flares - the survivors find it doesn't matter. One way or another, the world ended, millions died, and everything’s different. Hostile. Harsh. Unforgiving. The sun is bright and searing, and radiation burns skin not covered head-to-toe.

People are cruel and will take advantage of anything they can. If you're not a part of an already-existing group, good luck.

Somehow, two men end up on a wooden pallet floating in the middle of the ocean. Maybe it was a plane crash, one of the few still running downed by a stray shot; maybe a boat capsized, embrittled by the radiation. Same as the apocalypse, it doesn't matter. What does is that now they’re surrounded by debris and a shark thirsting for blood and there’s one thing they both know: trust no-one.

So they don’t. Names hold power, as they’ve learnt over the past few years; names imply trust. When it becomes apparent they’re stuck together and the time comes to introduce themselves, the elder of the two stares out to sea and says, “Call me...” And that phrase brings back memories of a book he’d read long ago, in the Before Days, and so he finishes, “Ishmael.”

The younger panics and blurts out the first thing that comes to mind: “I’m Gunk.”

‘Ishmael’ raises a skeptical eyebrow, clearly amused. “Gunk,” he repeats. And ‘Gunk’ nods, crosses his arms.

“Yeah, bitch. It’s...” his mind blanks, “Russian.”

Ishmael’s brow climbs further, and he looks on the verge of laughing, lips twisting ever-so-slightly upward. “Last name?”

“Uh,” Gunk wracks his brain, and something from a history class, years ago, stands out. Nearly forgotten amongst all the useless information - what he calls anything that doesn’t directly contribute to survival, nowadays - and only clinging on through his brain classifying it as ‘important’ for God-knows-why. “Gorbachov.”

“Like... Michael Gorbachov?” There’s a hint of laughter in Ishmael’s tone now, the first in a while. He tries not to let that thought depress him.

Gunk nods, relieved at the reminder of the rest of the name, even if he still can’t place it. “Yeah. He was my father.”

“Michael Gorbachov, eighth and final leader of Soviet Russia, was your father,” Ishmael deadpans, and, frustrated at having been outplayed, Gunk scowls.

“What of it?” he challenges, which makes Ishmael laugh, throwing his head back to the blistering sun high above.

“Okay, Gunk,” he says, and yet it doesn’t feel patronizing.

They both know the other is lying, that much is obvious from the constant teasing and jokes about Gunk’s ‘father.’ But it doesn’t matter, because in the slow turning of the days, they grow close. After all, there’s not much to do on a makeshift raft in the middle of the ocean, other than chat.

Ishmael is handy, and the main reason for their survival. He knows how to purify water and fillet a fish, how to add on to their raft without nails and swim against the ocean current. Gunk wonders where he picked all that up, but never asks.

(A survivalist father and paranoid brother, whom Ishmael hasn’t seen in half a decade. The thought that they’re probably still alive brings him comfort.)

Gunk, on the other hand, does most of the grunt work. Fishing in debris that floats by, diving down for rocks when they briefly dock, and the ever-important duty of keeping the shark they named Clive from destroying their miserly raft. He keeps up a steady stream of chatter through it all, and Ishmael thinks that’s what makes the monumental effort to go on worth it. Then, he wonders when he let himself get attached.

(It was a week or so in, when Gunk had fashioned himself a shelf out of the bottom of a storage bin and some planks, and proclaimed it his ‘comfort shelf.’ Gunk felt the same when Ishmael didn’t tell him to dismantle it, only pushed it aside, even though they were supposed to use that wood to repair Clive’s last attack.)

They survive, they grow closer, they hesitantly trust, and yet, they don’t pry. They don’t share their real names. Not until one day.

Ishmael goes swimming out to a nearby island to scavenge for food and chop down a few trees, if he can manage. Gunk stays on the ship - an anchor is next on their to-do list, and so he’s responsible for keeping it from drifting off with his tiny paddle. Except it’s not well-crafted, and grey jaws reach up to snap at the wood he’s standing on so he uses it to stab Clive, and the tip breaks off. The raft starts drifting away.

“Ishmael!” he calls, then again, louder, “Ishmael! Fuck, man!” But he’s nowhere to be seen, and the current is dragging Gunk awfully far out from the island.

He keeps calling, shouting, screaming, increasingly panicked at leaving his friend, the man who’d helped him survive for months, now, behind. Until his voice grows hoarse the way it never did from rambling for hours on end, and a little speck appears on the beach of the island.

Ishmael waves widely at him, and he must be shouting but Gunk can’t hear it over the lapping of the waves. So he assumes what was said, hollers, “I can’t fuckin’ come back, arsehole!” and raises the remains of the paddle over his head to clarify.

The speck stills, then bursts into motion, tossing everything he’s holding aside and shucking his shoes. Gunk can practically hear him mutter about what an “ridiculous child” he is, because although they’ve never shared their ages Ishmael’s decided he’s the elder of the two, which obviously means Gunk is a child.

And then Ishmael dives into the water, and he’s closing the distance between himself and the raft with each stroke. He cuts a straight line through the waves, until he suddenly swerves to the left. Gunk is confused a moment, before he notices - a grey fin jutting out of the water next to him.

Clive goes in for another pass, then another, and Ishmael jukes him out both times. He’s maybe five meters away, now, but the shark is coming back so Gunk screams. But Ishmael’s head is underwater, and he doesn’t hear. Just keeps going, towards safety he won't make it to.

Clive barrels into him. Ishmael vanishes underwater.

He doesn’t come back up.

Gunk is diving in before he can properly think, pushing past the cold shock of the sea, as he uses his self-taught skills to bring him to where he guesses Ishmael last was. Then, he takes a deep breath, squeezes his eyes shut, and goes under.

After a nervewracking few moments, his elbow bumps into something and he latches on, desperately dragging it upwards. They break the surface and he gasps for breath, Ishmael limp against him.

The trip back is agonizing. Ishmael is deadweight, their clothes are waterlogged, and Gunk has never been the best swimmer. But Clive is still lurking, and he refuses to drown after all this time, so he manages to drag them both back to the raft through pure willpower and spite.

Gunk collapses next to where he’d heaved Ishmael onto the planks, taking a second to compose himself. Shivering violently, he curls into a ball - he'll have to go for a spare change of clothes. His eyes drift shut. In a moment.

Then, panic seizes his heart as he becomes aware of how still Ishmael is. He jerks up, staring at him, searching for any sign of life, anything-

But a moment later he relaxes, when Ishmael rolls over and starts heaving out saltwater. Gunk reaches over and pats him on the back until it subsides, and he falls back onto the wood.

“You,” Ishmael says, letting his eyes flutter shut, “are so stupid.”

Gunk feels a burst of indignation. “Hey, what the fuck! I just saved your dumbass, Ish-ma-el.” He scowls at Ishmael’s placid little twist of the lips.

“Wilbur,” he murmurs, hands folded over his chest.

“What?”

“My name is Wilbur.”

Oh.

“I’m Tommy,” he says after a moment of silence where it sinks in, what he’d just been told, the trust laid on him, and then lays down next to Ishmael - Wilbur, now.

Wilbur just hums and wraps an arm under his shoulders, tugging him close - which is new; they’re really going all-in with this trust thing, huh? - then says, “So, so stupid.”

“Oi,” Tommy protests, but leans in closer.

Things aren’t really visibly different, after that. They still bicker, still do the same daily tasks, still slip up and call each other ‘Ishmael’ and ‘Gunk’ - though it becomes less and less common, other than with a teasing tone. They finally get their anchor, which means Tommy has the chance to go on land; though he quickly grows to dislike it after an incident with a particularly pissed-off boar.

To an outsider, everything remains the same. But to the inhabitants of the raft, it feels different. More homely. Warmer.

Once, after Wilbur chides Tommy over something or another, Tommy rolls his eyes and says, “You know, we really are like brothers.” He tries to keep his tone joking, and to not let himself hope for the words to be true.

Wilbur freezes. “Don’t say that; I’ll cry.” He blinks once to keep the tears at bay, and tries to push down the warmth in his chest.

(They both fail.)

About four months in, a light appears in the distance, at night. They angle their sail towards it and the dark shadow on the horizon. A few days later, it becomes apparent what it is: a lighthouse.

Inhabited land. Civilization.

They gather their meagre supplies once they dock, then ditch the raft in favour of climbing the lighthouse. And, from the top, off over a hill, Wilbur spots it first, points it out to his brother, who squints-

A Dome.

[teyvatdreams]

Hi Dani! May I request some blurbs for Kaeya, Beidou, Albedo, and Jean (separately) having an s/o who, despite having a heart of gold, doesn’t have two brain cells to rub together? They forget/lose things, ask obvious questions, or just sort of do things without thinking. They’re kind and brave and all that, they’re just kind of square-brained a lot of the time. Thanks, and have a lovely day!

i have no idea what to title this but i loved this idea

includes: kaeya, beidou, albedo, and jean

kaeya

tbh kaeya loves your… not-so-bright moments

he honestly finds them adorable

especially because when he first met you, he thought your personality was more on the serious side

he couldn’t be more wrong

whenever you’re having a moment he just sits back and enjoys the show, watching as you figure out your own problem

“wait!” you yell, stopping in your tracks.

kaeya does the same and turns to look at you. “what? you okay?”

“yeah, i just… i forgot my map.” you sigh, shoulders dropping in defeat. “i told you i would bring it and i forgot! we can’t go on this mission without it or we’ll be completely lost,” you explain.

a grin appears on kaeya’s face, and he crosses his arms. “are you sure?”

you furrow your eyebrows. “of course i’m sure! if i had it with me, i’d be looking at it right now!”

“do you remember right before we left when we stopped to talk to bennett?” kaeya asks.

you pause to think. “yeah… but what does that have to do with my map?”

“retrace your steps, love.”

you and kaeya were headings towards the entrance gates when you were stopped by the young adventurer, asking where you guys were going. you told him where, and let him join until he was pulled aside by another adventurer. he was told that some if the older guys were having arthritis problems again, so you and kaeya left without him.

“i still don’t… oh!” you reached into your back pocket and retrieved your map. “got it!”

beidou

tbh she doesn’t really notice if you ask obvious questions or ask her if she’s seen the book you’re holding in her hands

she finds it kind of endearing

and she doesn’t blame you for getting confused easily, you’re a very busy person after all

you’re so busy all the time she’s impressed you can even keep your head on straight

it wasn’t until you joined her on her ship that she started to think you didn’t have it on straight

beidou was more than excited to bring you onto her ship and introduce you to her crew. she just wasn’t really expecting to have to babysit you the whole time.

“do you guys have fishing rods? i can try to catch a fish for dinner!” you say excitedly, looking out to the sea.

“what? no,” beidou steps closer to you. “you can’t fish while we’re moving. you won’t catch anything.” she says, putting an arm around you. “i appreciate the sentiment though.”

later, when a storm started to brew, she had to drag you off the deck.

“no, let me stay!” you whine, trying to pull your hand out of her grasp. “someone has to look after the ship!”

“yeah, the people qualified for the job can do that, babe. i don’t need you getting struck by lightning…” she sighs.

she might be more aware of your silly questions not that it involves her area of expertise, but she’ll glare at anyone who looks at you funny.

“woah… are you gonna make him walk the plank?” you ask beidou after she practically shoots daggers at a crewmate with her eyes.

“the plank? no, that’s just a myth. there’s no plank walking here,” beidou replies, laughing.

albedo

don’t get him wrong

he absolutely loves you

but having you in his lab makes him a nervous wreck

he trusts your judgement for the most part

but his experiments are very tedious

and tedious is not really your forte

“oh, so i just pour this in here, right?” you ask, tilting a vial.

“n-no!” albedo, panicked, grabs it to stop the liquid from pouring out. “not this one. this one,” he says, giving you a different vial with blue liquid in it.

“right, right…” you say.

“pour it slowly—“ albedo sighs as you dump the liquid into the container in front of you.

you look at him, and then back down at the liquid. “sorry.”

he smiles. “it’s fine. nothing exploded, right? so we’re okay.”

you bite your lip, thinking. you set down the vial. “maybe this is better as a one-man-job,” you tell him with a sigh. “i think i’m doing more harm than good here.”

“no, no, no,” albedo grabs your hand. “it’s fine. you’re doing great! you just need to… uh, listen… a bit more. i’m just worried for your safety,” he says.

“right… i should pay more attention. this stuff is serious.” you grab the vial you were holding before. “is it time to add this one yet?”

albedo smiles. “unfortunately, no. that one isn’t even being added to this concoction.”

jean

jean loves and respects you very much

but whenever you go out adventuring

here anxiety skyrockets

she know you’re strong but

acting without thinking is a big problem of yours

so you usually arrive back home hurt every time

although to you, it isn’t that big of a deal

she was returning to her office after practically being dragged to the church to get treated for a headache that had lasted days when she saw you making your way there yourself, covered in scratches and bruises.

“oh my god! what happened?” she asks, putting her hands on your shoulders. “are you okay?”

you grin. “oh, i’m fine! don’t worry about me, jean.”

“but you’re all… beaten up! i shouldn’t keep you here… you should go get patched up.” she says.

“jean, really, i’m fine!” you tell her, grabbing her hand to keep her from walking away. “i’m just coming here so people don’t yell at me to get treated… it doesn’t hurt.”

“are you sure? you’re gonna be so sore tomorrow,” she points out.

“mmm, probably,” you say with a shrug. “but at least there is a tomorrow, right?”

her gaze finally softens. “alright. but… i do want to stay with you while you get bandaged up.”

[lacheri]

when you can’t sleep at night // wake me (sequel)

pairing: captain!Levi x cadet!fem bodied reader

content: angst, canonverse, mentions and talks of death/portrayals of death, depictions of violence, blood, overall dark themes, unestablished relationship, fingering, mutual loss of virginities, overstimulation, takes place sometime before the 57th expedition (didn't follow an exact timeline), there is a lot of talks about dying in this, levi asks a lot of intrusive questions, minors DNI.

summary: levi finds he holds an affection to a certain cadet of his. you find that maybe the comfort of your captain can quiet the thoughts plaguing your mind, even if just for one night.

wc: 10.7k

The clouds were so fluffy, so white and pure as you longingly watched them swirl above you. Your entire body was numb, back flat against the dirt with all your limbs stretched out. Your brain felt fuzzy, and for a fleeting moment you were flying in the clouds. You could feel the water vapor skim past your fingertips, the air whooshing against you as you soared. You looked down at the earth beneath your form, all the trees and even the walls looked so tiny from this height. This peaceful daydream was pulled from you with a start, your chest heaving with coughs.

“I’m so sorry!” you heard a voice call out, your line of vision intruded by the hazy form of a person leering over you. “I didn’t mean to hit you like that!”

“‘S okay,” you choked out, the numbness fading into aches all over your body. “I’ve gotten you good a couple of times too, Eren.”

“You know what, on second thought,” Eren’s lips spread into a smirk as he extended a hand down. “Consider this payback for beating my ass all those times in the Training Corps.”

“Good on you for finally landing a hit,” you chuckled, wincing as he hauled you to your feet. “Only took you three years.”

You rocked on your ankles, steadying yourself quickly before your legs gave out on you. Eren had gotten you good, roundhouse kicking you in your chest to lay you out on your ass. His training sessions had begun to pay off, used to the reverse happening when the two of you sparred. Mikasa would look on intently, a small smile on her lips when you’d punch Eren’s smug face with a sharp hook. You and 104th cadets were a friendly, strong group, bonded over the horrors of the titans, especially after what happened in Trost.

“What are you brats doing out here?”

Your heads whipped in the direction of the strong voice, meeting the steely hard set eyes of Levi, your captain and soon to be squad leader. His arms were crossed, and you gulped upon taking notice of how his biceps strained under the grey linen of his button up. You quickly flickered your focus back to his eyes before he caught you eyeing him up.

“Just sparring,” Eren hadn’t released the grip on your hand, nor had he noticed he was still holding onto your palm as he addressed the superior. “Prepping for the mission tomorrow.”

Levi frowned, “And who told you it was okay to do so when I gave you cadets instruction to clean the headquarters from top to bottom?”

You pulled your hand from Eren’s as you responded, “Sorry, Captain Levi. We’ll get on it right away.”

Levi only let out a displeased ‘tch’ as he turned on his heels, walking away without further commentary. Eren shot you an eye roll, and you held back a snicker as the pair of you followed shortly after the ravenette. Maybe the two of you had snuck away to leave the rest of your comrades to attack the former Survey Corps headquarters with dusters and cleaning rags, not wanting to participate in your weekly assigned duties. Eren had been adamant in the cobwebbed hallway on the second floor that he had to practice his hand to hand combat, just in case your squads ran into some problems on tomorrow’s mission. You had eagerly agreed, wanting to be as far away from the unsettled dust that assaulted your nostrils, itching at your allergies.

As the three of you entered the building, Levi abruptly turned to the two of you trailing behind him, you and Eren jumping in fright, “Eren, go to the dining hall, you’re going to wipe down underneath all the tables. As for you, brat, you get the honor of cleaning my room.”

Eren shot you a sympathetic look discreetly, nodding to your captain as he hightailed it to the hall.

You swallowed a lump in your throat, alone now with the captain. He studied you for a brief moment, gesturing with his head for you to follow him. Your feet moved before your mind could will you, and the soft thuds of your footsteps across the wooden planks of the floor was all that was heard. You snuck glances at the man before you, taking notice that his undercut was slightly grown in, his longer hair uncharacteristically out of place. Levi looked disheveled in a way, his tan leather jacket creased.

You opened your mouth to make a comment, but decided against it in the end. You were going to offer your assistance, to help freshen up his fade and to do his laundry, but figured Levi was a grown man who could take care of himself. You had a soft spot for the man, humanity’s strongest soldier. You knew a title like that came with a weight you could not fathom, especially after the horrors you had seen at Trost when the titans broke through the walls. You could remember everything so clearly, almost as if it was happening right now. You had nearly died that day.

Your older age amongst your fellow cadets was not one of gain you found out. After learning about the tragedy of Wall Maria, the wall closest to your village, it inspired you to join the Survey Corps in order to help the world. Humanity was dying, almost completely obliterated. Distant family members had died in Shiganshina that day, and the reality of the titans weighed heavily on you. How could you sit idly by as the world you knew was being destroyed before your very eyes? What would’ve happened had that attack been on your small village instead of the Shiganshina district? How would you have protected your own?

So with those thoughts in mind, you joined the training corps. Your parents had disagreed with broken hearts, knowing the likely fate of your choices. Your mother had insisted that you were of ripe marrying age, and that they had no other children to carry your family name. They begged and pleaded for you to settle down and find a husband, to help humanity in a different way by bearing children. You knew this was just a fantasy, and you knew it would be entirely possible that if you were to follow their wishes, the family you would create would be devoured and destroyed. This was the only way you could help, no matter your age or being in your reproductive prime. You needed to slaughter the titans, one by one until none remained. You kissed your beloved family goodbye the day you left for training, and you frequently sent them letters to let them know you were well and alive. One day, they all were returned back to you as you sat in the barracks, and one of the captains informed you that your village was destroyed, your parents and friends from home all dead.

You thought of them as you sliced through a five meter titan’s nape in Trost, your first kill. The citizens of the district ran stampeding in retreat, and caught up in the heat of it all, you had failed to account for the seven meter barreling behind you. When it’s burning fingers wrapped around your body, you sobbed, preparing to meet your family in the afterlife, whatever that would look like. You could feel the hot spats of drool hit your cheeks as the titan opened its mouth, bearing teeth and a cruel grin, and then suddenly, you were flying, caught in the arms of a savior. You stared in disbelief at the cut off fingers on the graveled stone of the street, to only be brought out of this state as Mikasa held you close and questioned if you were alright.

After the dust settled and the casualties were counted, you could feel a fire blazing deep within you. You never wanted to be vulnerable like that ever again, you wanted to be strong like Mikasa. Then, you met Captain Levi. You didn’t know much about him, but his reputation spoke volumes. You wanted the strength of the Ackermans whom you so deeply admired. You begged Commander Erwin to be assigned to Levi’s squad, and your wish was granted. You had been in the top rankings of your class, and you had a solo kill under your belt, aside from the near fatal clutch of another titan. Most of all, you had survived, a bigger feat than most of your comrades.

“Oi, you done daydreaming?” Levi’s cool voice brought you out of your train of thoughts as you arrived outside a wooden door, presumably his temporary living space.

“Sorry, just thinking,” you mumbled as he opened the door.

“Didn’t think you were capable of that. All the supplies are in the box on my desk, I want this room spotless, I don’t care how long it takes,” your captain grumbled as he made strides to his desk in the center of the room.

The room was fairly large, a double bed pressed against the left wall and the dark wooden desk was littered in paperwork. Half filled bookshelves lined the right wall, some mismatched couches and chairs filled the empty space. Honestly, the space was nearly perfect, even the bed was made. You knew better than to point this out to your superior though, so you had simply nodded and began to sort through the various cleaning supplies.

The scratch of Levi’s pen filled the hour long silence as you worked, dusting every surface and wiping it down with disinfectant spray and an old rag. After sweeping thoroughly, you flickered your eyes to the single window in the entire room, surprised completely as the sun had nearly set. The two of you were probably going to miss dinner, you realized as Levi poked his head up from the pile of papers he was concentrated on, a clear look of distaste on his features.

“This is what you call clean?” he spat, running a hand through his bangs. “Mop the floors, cadet.”

You sighed, feeling the subtle growl of hunger in the pit of your stomach. The mop laid in the left corner by the bedroom door, where you had found the broom. You swapped the two, picking up a bucket on the floor. You filled the wooden container with disinfectant, not seeing any polish in the box Levi had provided. He only rolled his eyes at seeing this, but said nothing. At least the floor would be clean.

Levi had lit a few lamps around the room to provide lighting as the sun dipped lower in the sky, swallowing the room in darkness. The floor was sparkling as you finished the last spot, a feeling of satisfaction filling your chest.

“Better?” you interrupted his concentration. He gazed around the room silently, face blank.

“Much,” Levi finally spoke. “That’ll be all, cadet.”

You smiled, setting the cleaning supplies back to their original locations, “Do you want me to bring you anything? I’m going down to grab dinner.”

Levi’s eyes widened at the question, not expecting your offer, “Some tea would be fine. Don’t fuck it up either, brat.”

You nodded as he dismissed you, and you treaded down the stairwell from the second floor to the kitchens. Some of the other cadets littered the dining hall as you passed, seeing some of your comrades laughing at a table, but you paid them no mind. In the kitchen there was hardly any leftover food from the dinner, scraps of potatoes sat in a large bowl on one of the counterspaces. You sighed, scarfing down whatever was available while you set a rusted kettle to a flame. The water was boiled within minutes, and you poured it over tea leaves in two teacups. You cleaned up your mess, and made your way back to Levi’s room.

You knocked twice on the door, hearing his grunt to signal you to enter. Levi was still positioned in his chair at his desk, head in his hands as he scanned over his documents. You placed his cup down silently, ready to leave the man to his work.

“Why are you here, cadet?” your captain called out as you went to open the door.

You turned your head to look at him, his eyes never leaving the words of his papers, “What do you mean, captain?”

“The Survey Corps,” he clarified, finally making eye contact. “Why?”

“To save humanity, sir?” you didn’t mean to speak as if you were questioning him, but your eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

He scoffed, setting his paperwork aside, “Humanity, huh? You’re a bit too old to be in the graduating class you’re currently in. Why join now?”

“I’m sorry, but I’m confused,” your body was facing his entirely now. “Why are you asking me these questions?”

“Because it doesn’t make sense,” he more so mumbled to himself. “You shouldn’t be here. You should be pregnant with your first born, with a husband. Instead, you’re here, trying to fight titans.”

“With all due respect, Captain,” your voice was laced with controlled anger. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”

“Aren’t you scared?” Levi continued, ignoring your question. “You could’ve picked the easy way.”

“It would’ve been in vain. My village was wiped out shortly after Wall Maria fell.”

He hummed, his hands coming down to rest on the wooden notches of his desk, papers forgotten, “You were in the top ranks. You could’ve joined the military police.”

“And hear how my comrades died instead of helping them?” you gawked.

“It’s a lot better than watching.”

You shut your mouth then, lips pressing tightly together. You didn’t understand why your captain was questioning you like this.

“I see the way you are with them,” his tone softened, not looking you in the eyes as he spoke. “How you all are.”

“Just because I’m friendly doesn’t mean I’ll forget the purpose of the scouts,” you said defensively, crossing your arms. “I have my own ass to account for.”

Levi pushed off his chair suddenly, scraping the just mopped floor and jolting up to his legs, “You have no idea what it’s like out there. Your friends are going to die, cadet. There’ll be nothing you can do to save them. Are you prepared for that? Collecting their bodies, or whatever’s left of them to take home to their families?”

Your mouth went dry, jaw slacking, “Captain, I know what loss feels like. My family is dead, some of my so called ‘friends’ died in Trost. I know what I signed up for.”

He scoffed, circling around his desk to stand a few feet away from you, “Haven’t you seen enough?”

“Are you trying to get me to quit the Survey Corps?” you asked incredulously.

“Yes. You don’t belong here,” his tone was rough as he spat at you. “Go find a husband. Get the fuck out of the military.”

“I don’t want to,” your anger simmered as you stared down at your boots. “I don’t have a home to go back to. I can’t leave. I know the other cadets aren’t my friends. I’m just trying to make the best out of my life before I die. I know I’m going to die. What’s so wrong about trying to find comfort in others?”

“You are a fool,” he seethed, teeth clenched. “You want to die?”

You shook your head, not bothering to keep the conversation going, “I’m going to bed, Captain. I’ll see you tomorrow for the mission.”

“I didn’t dismiss you, cadet,” Levi towered over you now as your hand wrapped around the doorknob.

You brought your fist up to your chest in a salute as you began to exit, “With absolutely no disrespect, I’m exhausted. Have a good night, Captain.”

You pushed the door shut in front of you as you stood in the hallway. You knew you would be getting an ear full from Levi in the morning, but honestly, the conversation was beginning to stir up feelings you’d rather not address. Intrusive thoughts filled your mind as you made your way to the first floor where your temporary bedroom resided.

You couldn’t answer Levi’s question because in a way, in a very selfish train of thought, you didn’t want to be a part of the titan’s world anymore, whether that meant death or something else. How easy it would be for you to greedily pack your things and leave the military and take refuge in some random village to live out the rest of your days, however long they would be. Or to just simply become fodder for the titans in your quest to rid the world of their reign.

Your uniform was folded on your bedside table, a cotton shirt and shorts on your body as you sat on your bed over the covers. You could hear the soft snores of Christa as she slumbered peacefully in the bed across the room, and you gazed over her body under her covers. You knew the people you trained with, fought with, grew fond of, were not your friends. How could they be? It’d only make things harder in the end. Like Levi had said, you might be the one collecting their deceased bodies after a battle. How could you ever grow close to someone that you knew their days were numbered?

The 104th cadets were your comrades, not your makeshift family. You had to remind yourself of that every time Sasha would ask for your leftovers, batting her big eyes at you. When Eren would spar with you, telling you how strong you were and commending you on how far you had come since the first day of the Training Corps. How Mikasa literally saved your life, and how you had admired her ever since. Armin’s unmatched potential and growth. Jean’s relentless taunting, giving you the nickname of gram because of your age. Connie, well frankly, just being Connie. Reiner and Bertholdt’s strong will and passion. Annie’s unwavering willpower and prowess. All the other cadets who you’d gotten to know so well, you had to constantly imagine their corpses as they smiled at you and tried to get to know you. So, you stayed back, opting to be alone at any opportunity, so their deaths would be easier to swallow when the time came.

You squeezed your eyes shut, shaking your head to try and rid yourself of your thoughts. It was of no use, and with a sigh you pushed yourself out of your bed. You deemed it would be yet again another sleepless night, and you realized sadly you had left your tea cup in Levi’s office completely untouched. You didn’t bother to entertain the thought of going back to retrieve it, instead you slinked through your bedroom door and out of the headquarters.

The night air was chilly, and you felt regret for not grabbing your jacket on your way out. The moon was gone, a completely black night, and you could see the stars crystal clear. The sky was your favorite sight, especially on nights like this.

You found a nice patch of soft grass, and laid on your back to gaze up at the sky. This was always your comfort, even as a child, to go outside and watch the sky, day or night. Your mother would warn you that your eyes would fall out of your head if you stared too long at the sun, at the moon. You didn’t care, because in those moments you felt so free. Free of the walls that caged you inside, of the world around you. You were the clouds, the stars, the wind as it rolled past. Maybe you were never meant to be human, you mused. You were meant to be nature, never to experience the trials and tribulations of sentinel living. You were supposed to be free, all knowing and ignorant at the same time, existing without the weight of consciousness.

“Thought you were going to bed, cadet?”

You were startled by the boom of a familiar voice behind you, collecting yourself and clearing your throat, “I couldn’t sleep.”

Levi’s head bobbed into your field of vision, “Thought too hard today?”

You rolled your eyes, feeling guilty as you caught the action afterwards and hoped your captain wouldn’t find it as a disrespect, “Yeah, you could say that.”

“Why are you out here of all places, without a jacket?” out of the corner of your eye you watched as Levi brought himself down to sit next to you.

“I like watching the sky,” you put simply, trying not to make eye contact. “Makes me feel better.”

“About dying?” he said, and you knew that he wouldn’t let your previous conversation go. You decided to humor him, if only to get these thoughts out of your mind.

“Yes.”

“Like what?” he almost sounded uninterested, but from his line of questioning you knew he was anything but.

“I don’t want to die,” you admitted, digging your fingernails into the grass by your waist. “I don’t want to watch anyone die. I never wanted to join the military. I felt like I had no choice.”

“We always have a choice,” he leaned his back to see whatever had your attention draw above you.

“Either fight the titans or get eaten alive when they attack the walls?” you snorted. “What a hard decision to make.”

“Why’d you join the Survey Corps?” he asked once again.

“I didn’t want my family’s death to be in vain. I had cousins, aunts and uncles in Shiganshina.”

“What about your death?”

“I hope it’ll mean something,” you breathed, feeling your chest get tight. “I hope this all will mean something.”

Levi looked at you then, a glimmer of something you couldn’t identify in his eyes, “You sound like Erwin when you talk like that.”

You made eye contact, a small smile on your lips, “The Commander’s an amazing man. I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

Levi scoffed, “Take it as you will.”

“What else could I do? I’m trying so hard to make a difference, to make life easier for others so they don’t have to suffer this fate. Isn’t that why we all joined the Survey Corps?” you continued your train of thought. “Maybe we all have a death wish. Fuck, I know I have one. It all just fucking hurts, Captain. I can’t help but think of others all the time, of all the loss and the grief they've gone through, what I’ve been through. At what will keep happening until all the titans are gone for good.”

“Why the sky?” he changed the subject, seemingly bored of your repetitive narrative.

“Because there’s no titans up there,” you joked without humor. “There’s no walls, no boundaries, no rules. It’s never ending. Where are the stars? How does day and night occur? Where does the moon go when the sun’s out? It amazes me, that’s all. Makes me think of how big the world is, of what’s out there besides this.”

“You think too much for a brainless brat,” Levi grumbled, laying on his back and joining you.

“I know,” you chuckled, turning your body to face him. “Wish I could turn off all my thoughts, it would probably make life a whole lot more livable.”

He hummed, eyes drawn in to your face, “I understand. What you said earlier, too, about finding comfort in others.”

“What do you mean?” you propped your head on your hand and you positioned your elbow to support you.

“I guess I never thought about it before tonight,” he blinked, expression unreadable. “Life as a soldier isn’t a comforting one. I guess that’s what I was trying to tell you about.”

You read between the lines of his words, recognizing it as his form of an apology, “I know. But it’s still the life I chose. At least I’m trying to make a difference, we all are.”

“Y’know, I’ve been paying attention to you for some time now. I didn’t understand when Erwin came to me and told me you had asked to be put on my squad. I took a look in your file, and I saw you after the attack on Trost, and I still didn’t understand,” Levi spoke slowly. “I don’t think I get you at all, even now.”

“I don’t think I understand myself,” you laughed dryly, returning your attention to the sky.

“You should get some sleep, cadet,” he advised softly, pushing himself off the ground. “And for fuck’s sake do it soon, I won’t be taking care of your ass if you get a cold.”

Levi stalked off before you could utter a response. You sighed, and decided his words were wise enough to follow. A few moments after your captain had left you, you followed his pathway back to the entrance of the former headquarters. You entered, making a hasty retreat back to your room where Christa was still knocked out cold.

Under your covers, you replayed your conversations with Levi. You still couldn’t figure out why he had questioned you like he had, why he even cared in the first place. Maybe it was his own gnawing curiosity, trying to understand why some random twenty-something year old girl insisted on being in his squad like you had. Maybe, you thought egotistically, you had your own reputation. You inwardly snorted, probably not.

Images of your captain under the moonlight played beneath your eyelids as you finally managed to drift off into a dreamless sleep.

The mission had gone horribly wrong. At least for you, to be honest you had no idea where the rest of your comrades were as you raced on your horse, desperately searching the sky for flares. You hadn’t seen a single one in a while now, at least ten minutes, and your heart was thudding hard as thoughts that the entire fleet of soldiers you had joined had been decimated. You were completely alone, the walls distant behind you. All you knew is that you couldn’t stop, couldn’t turn around or else you’d really be lost.

The 104th had stayed behind at the former headquarters, this having been a smaller expedition to clear out some titans before the planned 57th expedition in a few weeks. Levi, Oluo, Petra, and Gunther, as well as a few other squads accompanying you, were in a near perfect formation when an abnormal titan had broken through, killing a few unnamed soldiers at your side that you had never met before today.

In the far left distance, you could see a large forest full of trees. Your jaw slacked open, relief running through your veins when you caught sight of some men on horses heading that direction. Green flares shot up high in the sky, and you pulled the reins of your mare to follow. Your plan was brought to a screeching halt though, as you heard the thunderous footsteps shake your horse, and your body. You threw a glance behind your shoulder, a ten meter titan running straight towards you. You reached to your side quickly, shooting a red flare above you to warn any close by comrades.

The titan was gaining speed, about a dozen yards now behind you. You really wanted to avoid confrontation was much as possible, but as those yards closed between you and the titan, you growled and prepared yourself. You gave your horse a soft pat on her neck, and heaved yourself to stand on the saddle. You gaged your surroundings, seeing complete flat plains all around you, not an ideal situation for fighting at all.

Your odm gear shot you straight to the titan’s legs, a plan instilled in your head on the best way to take it down. It was fairly thin and muscular, but you decided it was just a plain titan as it dumbly stared at you with its wicked grin. Your dual blades locked in your hands now, you swung behind the titan and sliced through its ankles. The ten meter fell swiftly, giving you the perfect opportunity to land on its nape and kill it. It stilled completely beneath you after your swift cuts, and you ran as fast as your body willed you to rejoin your mare.

You placed your fingers to your lips, whistling as loud as you could. Your horse, at least 100 feet away, perked its ears and turned at a rapid speed straight back to you. She neighed as she reached your form, and you hauled yourself back on her saddle, kicking your legs for her to break into a full gallop to where the green flares still lingered in the air.

You didn’t bother to signal another flare in the air, seeing no other flares around you. As you neared closer to the forest, you felt incredibly relieved at the sight of your squad, now able to make out their faces. Petra waved her hands high in the air, about 20 feet away now. You saw Oluo, Gunther, and Levi, unharmed, as you got closer, bringing your horse down to a slightly slower gait, seeing no titans around.

“Are you okay?” Petra shouted at you once you reached the group. “Are you hurt?”

“No, I’m okay!” you spoke as fast as you could. “The other cadets I was with were killed by an abnormal, I got split up from them.”

“What was that red flare?” Oluo questioned, worry riddled in his eyes.

“It’s fine, I killed it,” you breathed shakily. “Where are the others?”

“Retreating back to the walls,” Levi answered, voice hard and commanding. “We’re out of blades, and there've been too many casualties. The others have the deceased’s bodies.”

You and your squad nodded, and with no further delay, you broke your horses into a full sprint back to the walls. The sun hung low in the sky, sunset merely a few hours away. Now in a formation in the clear open plains, you noticed out of the corner of your eye some movement.

“Abnormal titan to the right!” you screamed, turning your head to watch the titan’s arms flail, running in an irregular pattern.

“Holy fuck,” Gunther’s eyes widened in horror, shooting a black flare into the sky. “That’s got to be a 15 meter!”

“Don’t engage!” Levi barked, eyes trained straight ahead at the walls. “Keep an eye on it!”

“Sir!” the four of you quipped.

It seemed the abnormal titan had other plans as it caught sight of the five of you, its pace changing with intentions.

“It’s heading straight towards us!” Petra called out, flickering her eyes between the running titan and your captain. “Orders, Captain?”

Levi kept silent, much to your horrors. It was only a few yards away now, speed not slowing. Levi’s attention was completely ahead, the walls almost in full view. You were so close, not close enough though and the abnormal titan’s legs moved faster.

“Captain Levi!” Oluo shouted, eyebrows shot into his hairline.

The titan was less than three yards away when Levi finally spoke, “Petra, Oluo, make it fast!”

You shot off your horse before Levi’s lips opened, his commands unheard by you. Your odm ropes attached right into the titan’s ankles, just like how you had done before. There’s a reason they called it an abnormal titan though you discovered as its fingers closed around the wiring of your gear, yanking the ropes out of its skin and hauling your body up.

You squirmed, mashing your buttons desperately to get your hooks out of its fist as you were brought to the titan’s mouth. It was an ugly son of a bitch, teeth on full display in its evil smile. You couldn’t believe how badly you had fucked up again, the titan’s other hand gaining momentum as it lifted to wrap its disgusting meaty fingers around you. You watched as the fingers were sliced off before they could reach you, and suddenly you were free falling as the hand holding your odm ropes fell from its arm. You redirected yourself back to its ankles, back to your original plan of taking out the nerves to allow the titan to fall, your nerves entirely shot, your adrenaline in full control.

Levi had both his swords drawn as he met you at the back of the 15 meter’s legs, “Are you trying to get yourself fucking killed? You should’ve let the others handle it!”

“I thought I had it, Captain!” you curtly shouted, cutting through the tendons and getting sprayed with steaming blood. The titan did not falter though, but thankfully you and Levi had created a useful diversion as Petra, and Oluo took out the titan’s nape. You and your group shot back to your horses as the titan fell from its height, dead on impact.

The opening of the gate of Wall Rose was a fucking blessing, and your squad couldn’t have ran through it any faster. You heard the roaring of the gate as it closed behind you, and you were choking on shallow breaths as you slowed your mare’s gait.

None of you spoke a single word as you returned to the former headquarters, exhausted after the adrenaline of your mission wore off. You returned your horses to the stables, where feed and water awaited them. Your squad practically ran off, and you were confused until you saw the pissed off look of your superior aimed directly at you. Gulping down spit, you turned on your heel, ready to take off.

Levi’s arm shot out around your bicep, harshly tugging you to stop your escape, “Are you a fucking idiot, cadet? What the fuck were you thinking?”

“I thought I could take out the titan by its ankles!” you defended quickly, gritting your teeth as his fingers dug into your clothed arm. “It’s how I took out the other titan I killed, Captain!”

“You better learn quickly that all titans are not the same! Or did you not learn that in training?” Levi growled out between clenched teeth.

“I thought I could take it out,” you grumbled, ripping your arm out of his grip.

“You betrayed my orders. You listen to me and my commands, cadet,” he spat out, his eyebrows furrowed, his eyes burning holes into yours. “Remember your place.”

You pivoted yourself away from your captain, trotting ahead to head inside the headquarters, voice laced with malice as you grumbled, “I’ll do as I see fit.”

This would be the second time Levi hadn’t dismissed you before leaving him behind, you realized as you arrived at the communal bathroom. You sighed heavily, leaning back against the closed door, completely alone. Thankfully, it was very late in the evening, and if your comrades weren’t in bed already, they would be heading to sleep soon. You were so relieved to get some much needed alone time, especially now that you had such a terrible day.

You changed out of your blood soaked uniform, not bothering to fold it as you laid the clothes on the floor. Stark naked, you began to fill the bathtub basin with running water, a very rare luxury due to the previous care when the headquarters was up and running. With the porcelain half filled, the water steaming, you sunk your aching body into the scalding bath. The water turned a deep pink as you scrubbed your skin with a rag that had been resting over the rim. You untied your hair and dipped your head back, threading your fingers through your knots after generously coating the strands with soap. You drained the dirty water, refilling it back up now that most of the dirt and blood had been washed away. The tub held a pastel pink hue now, but you felt much cleaner and you sunk back in the tub, stretching out as much as you could.

You didn’t dare close your eyes for too long, picturing the events of today. You didn’t try to reflect on the lives that had been lost on today’s mission, the strangers you never had the pleasure, or perhaps displeasure, of getting to know. It made it easier in a sense to forget, to keep pushing forward. Still, the gore and the cruelty of what being a part of the scouts was truly about haunted the corners of your mind as you absentmindedly rubbed soap along your limbs. Maybe you were trying to wash away these memories, too.

Half an hour later, you decided it was time to dry off and get into comfortable clothing as the water cooled and your skin had pruned. You unplugged the drain, standing and reaching for a towel. Wrapping the fabric around your chest, you stepped out of the tub, feet leaving wet prints on the floor as you treaded to your bedroom, soiled clothes in hand.

An oversized white long sleeve hung off your frame, accompanied by your favorite cotton shorts as you sat on your bed, completely alone. Christa had briefly mentioned before your mission this morning that she’d be spending the night with Ymir, to which you were inwardly grateful for the promise of solidarity. As you sat hunched over, you found yourself longing for the comforting presence of someone, anyone, to distract you from the images that plagued your mind, no matter how hard you tried to push them away.

You jerked with a start as you pictured the angry face of your captain, feeling immense guilt pool in your gut. You had never spoken so much with Levi before yesterday, realizing the weight of your words and actions, reckless and undermining his authority. Maybe you owed him an apology, for if nothing else to at least calm your mind enough for sleep.

You didn’t remember the walk when you had arrived outside the captain’s door, or could recall if you had knocked before it swung open, revealing Levi’s surprised expression.

“I’m sorry,” you blurted out, nervously tugging at your sleeves as you avoided eye contact. “I’ve been disrespectful, Captain, and I’m sorry.”

“Cadet,” his teeth clenched tightly. “Do you understand what time it is?”

“I couldn’t sleep,” you whimpered, legs ready for a moment's notice of a retreat. “I’m sorry, I’ll leave—“

Levi’s hand shot out to circle your wrist, and you finally looked up into his charcoal eyes, “Don’t, come in.”

You couldn’t protest as you guided you into his room, shutting the door behind you after you passed the entry. Levi was dressed casually, beige cotton shirt hanging off his torso, plain grey pants on his lower half. The bags under his eyes told you he had also not been able to fall asleep. He led you to sit on his neatly made bed, towering over you with his arms tightly crossed.

“I was on my way to check on you.”

You furrowed your eyebrows, “What?”

“You didn’t knock,” Levi clarified, looking anywhere but at you. “I was already at the door. You’d seen a lot today. I don’t need my soldiers having breakdowns after every mission.”

He was worried about you, your breath halted in your throat.

“Oh,” you dumbly said.

“Seems like you did me a favor by coming here,” he mused, sighing as he ran a hand through his bangs. “Why can’t you sleep?”

“Thinking, again, about everything,” you crossed your thighs, body language signally how uncomfortable you were upon talking about these feelings.

“Your brain is going to cause you more grief if you don’t stop,” Levi’s spare hand grasped your chin gently, bringing your head up so you could look him in the eyes. “Why do you insist on being alone with these thoughts?”

“Captain, weren’t you just saying it’s a bad idea to have friends?” you could feel the pounding of your heart in your chest at his gesture, unsure of his intentions.

“Weren't you just talking about finding comfort in others?” Levi leaned down, you felt his breath against your lips as he spoke. “I’ve been paying attention to you for awhile, cadet.”

“You looked in my file, you told me already,” you whispered, unsure that if you spoke at full volume your voice wouldn’t quiver.

“No, I’ve been watching you. You’re not exactly quiet when you sneak out at night, y’know. I’ve seen you,” he hesitated briefly before continuing. “I’ve watched you cry all alone, how you try to distance yourself from the others. I was testing you yesterday, brat. I think I understand now, though.”

Your captain crouched down to meet you at eye level, fingertips never straying from your chin, and you felt your lip quiver as he rasped, “I understand, because I get it. You’ve always felt alone, haven't you?”

You nodded, scared to voice the truth, he continued, “I’m not going to explain myself to you, and if I hear a single word spoken about any of our conversations, I will personally sign your extermination paperwork. You’re different, you’re not like the others. You know what grief is, what pain and loss feels like. Your mission, your goals, it keeps driving you forward. Who couldn’t notice that?”

Levi scoffed, and you managed out a tiny, “Captain Levi.”

“Yes?”

“Why are you telling me this?” you could feel the harsh prick of tears try to escape your eyes, blinking furiously to not allow them to fall.

“Because,” he brushed back your hair behind your ear with his spare hand. “We’re exactly the same, and I can’t allow you to continue living like this, knowing where you’ll end up. Are you a virgin, cadet?”

“Yes,” you stuttered, thoroughly embarrassed.

“I am too,” Levi confessed, his eyes baring his soul. “I’m in my thirties, and I’ve never taken a woman to bed. All because of my mission.”

“My parents raised me to save myself for marriage,” your lips hung open. “But, they’re dead now, and I’ll probably never be married.”

“Cadet?” Levi’s hand came up from your chin to rest his palm against your cheek. “You talk about choices, you told me about how you never followed the path set for you. Why don’t you allow yourself some peace, some comfort? If not for yourself, for others, for your fellow comrades?”

“Are you asking to fuck me, sir?” your body felt heavy, uncomfortably numb but you couldn’t will yourself to move an inch, your mind was frazzled.

“I’m asking for permission to comfort you, both of us. I’m tired of being alone, aren’t you?” his face had fallen completely, and you were in awe of how open and raw Levi was.

You didn’t answer him, instead pushing his hands off of your face to capture his cheeks in your own hands, forcing your lips together. Fuck the world, fuck the titans, fuck every single thing that dared to bother you and your existence. You were tired, tired of denying yourself pleasures and comfort and basic human interaction. Who cared if you all died? Would it be for naught that you had never gotten to know your comrades? What would be the point in dying for your military if you didn’t have a motivation, a passion driving you? You were so fucking lonely, and Levi was too as he crashed his lips against yours, wrapping his long arms around your back to hold you closer.

You felt the older ravenette pull away for a moment, tugging his shirt over his head to reveal his scarred and muscular chest. You ran your fingers over his middle slowly, taking in every dip and every flex of his body. Levi was beautiful, and you felt honored that you were here in this moment, with a man who had heard more of your thoughts and feelings than any person before. He stopped your hands as they came to his pecks, pushing your arms high to remove your own shirt.

Your nipples hardened meeting the cold air, exposed now in the dim candle light. You didn’t dare cover yourself, nor did Levi let you get the chance. His hands were all over your chest within an instant, caressing and groping as his lips met yours once again. You hadn’t bothered to tell Levi that he was your first kiss, the first man to see you naked, the first man who had shown genuine interest in you and your body. Maybe you’d tell him later, but for now, you just wanted to quell the thoughts swarming your mind.

You stood quickly, maneuvering your lips to the side of his exposed neck. Your kisses were sweet, innocent and pure as Levi began to pull your shorts off, your panties accompanying the fabric. You kicked out of them as Levi grabbed the back of your head, groaning as he slammed your mouths together once more in an open kiss.

Your hands were everywhere on his skin, trying desperately to remember every single detail, knowing that this would most likely be a one time thing. You knew the risks of becoming entangled in a romantic relationship in the military, more so the scouts. Levi or you, or anyone, could die at any moment. This only motivated you further in your desire, ripping down his pants, mildly surprised to see your captain not wearing any underpants.

Levi breathily mumbled as he grasped your waist and led you flat on your back atop his bed, “I thought you were dead today.”

“I’m not, and neither are you,” you hushed his spoken thoughts with another passionate kiss. He tasted minty from his tea, smelled of woodsy musk from his obvious earlier shower, his touch so soft as he grazed your body up and down.

You felt his knees between your legs as he loomed over you, pushing apart your thighs at the force. His right hand stroked your cheek as his tongue prodded past your willing lips, swollen from his attention. His left hand ventured south, resting upon the curve of your hip, digging his fingers to feel the supple flesh.

“You’re quite beautiful, y’know,” he mirrored your earlier ministrations, placing sloppy kisses down your jaw and neck. “One of the reasons I was so fascinated by you, I couldn’t understand how you weren’t married.”

“Maybe in another life,” you simply put, attention drawn to how sinful his lips felt against your flushed skin. He sucked on a particularly sensitive spot, and a whimper left your lips at the contact. You could feel your center slicken, cold air consuming all of your exposed skin. Levi’s hand dared closer and closer to your desire, and you made out the distinguished poke of his manhood against your lower stomach.

When his fingertips nudged against your folds, Levi let out a groan of pleasure, “You’re so wet, cadet. I’ve barely touched you.”

“Captain, I need this,” you begged, your hands wrapping around his neck to pull him flush against you. “Please, distract me, make me forget.”

Levi felt no need to answer your pleads, instead allowing his fingers to familiarize himself with your most intimate of parts. His eyes stayed trained on yours, taking in every expression you made, one catching his focus immediately as his pointer finger circled the top of your folds. It felt like a button, and you started moaning desperately as he continued his circling.

“Feels good?” your captain asked, insecurity in the back of his mind.

“Yes,” you took your right hand away from Levi’s neck, grabbing his wrist that was in between your legs, dipping his fingers to your dripping entrance. “Need you here.”

He plunged his pointer and middle fingers in, and your velveteen walls clenched around him. You had pleasured yourself many times just like this, but the heightened pleasure of someone else’s knuckles deep inside you was incredible. No one had ever touched you like this before, looked at you so lovingly and so lustfully. His fingers scissored inside you, and you knew your patience would soon snap.

When Levi’s fingers curled upwards, you thought you were going to pass out. Your eyes screwed shut as loud mewls left your lips, Levi’s free hand covering your mouth. Your hips bucked upwards in his touch, hips rolling fast as your clit caught the fat of his palm. You could feel the familiar bubble of your climax, threatening to spill over as you arched your back.

Levi pulled his fingers from your weeping cunt then, so agonizingly slowly, “No, cadet. Not yet.”

You whined, pressure settling down in your abdomen as Levi took his soaking hand to his hard cock. You couldn’t believe that you hadn’t paid attention to his girth before, he was gorgeous. All the hard work and all the violence had sculpted your captain as if he were a statue. His length stood at full attention, pressed against his belly, his balls hanging in the free space between his thick thighs. You moaned at the sight of Levi stroking himself, seeing the glisten of your arousal coat him. He let out a strangled groan, before letting himself go, falling unceremoniously to capture your lips once again.

“You ready?” Levi asked permission, his kiss so sweet and tender, and you realized then the weight of all of this. You were about to lose your virginities to each other, he would forever hold a mark on you.

You smiled, so full of adoration, there wasn’t anyone else you’d rather be with right now as you spoke, “Yes, sir.”

Levi gripped the base of his dick, bumping the engorged head against your sensitive clit and through your folds as he coated himself more in your essence. You both knew this was going to hurt you, and had either of you not been in such a hurry, you’d take the time to mutually pleasure each other until your bodies were truly ready for this intimate act. There were no coherent thoughts in this moment, only pure passion and animalistic desire.

His tip sunk in, and you felt like you were going to be split in half. Your hands shot up to his arms, nails leaving half crescents on his biceps, your ankles hooking together on his ass as you tensed up at the pain.

“Relax,” he kissed your jaw with a groan. “Gonna’ take care of you.”

You nodded, focusing on his words instead of the pain. Your pelvic floor relaxed, and Levi was able to push himself deeper into your cavern.

“There’s no blood?” Levi questioned you curiously as he glanced down to where your bodies met, not moving even a centimeter to allow you to adjust.

The pain was quickly fading as you mumbled, “Probably broke my hymen on a goddamn horse.”

You both let out a breathy laugh, and Levi’s right hand came to stroke your cheek, pushing back your hair out of your face, “I’ll have to kill that horse then.”

You were rattling your brain for a witty response to your captain when Levi shifted, stroking his length backwards as your walls fluttered around him. Your face was no longer scrunched in pain, your eyebrows unfurrowed and your mouth hung open, feeling nothing but pleasure as his left hand shot to your pulsing pussy, thumbing your clit with the lightest of touches.

“Captain,” you stuttered, eyes rolling to the back of your head. “Feels good.”

“Yeah,” he pushed his forehead to yours, his own eyes closing as he pushed his cock back into your depths, so slowly.

You placed a gentle kiss to his lips for a brief moment, neck craning off the pillow under your head. You felt a cramp as he kissed you back, so gently and so softly. You moved your mouth to his jaw, peppering kisses along any exposed skin you reach.

His right hand stayed positioned to your face, his grey colored orbs opened, focusing on your face. You looked up then, and felt your heart hammering in your chest. Levi was so handsome, his eyebrows furrowed, eyes softened without the weight of reality crashing down on him.

“I’m glad it’s you,” your arms were still wrapped around his neck as you rubbed soft circles along the ridge of his undercut. His hips held such a passionate, steady rhythm as he continued plunging into you.

Levi didn’t respond, his hand angling your face to his again. Although unspoken, you could see in his face that he appreciated your words, his thrusts faster in pace now. You couldn’t stop the moans from exiting your throat, volume increasing as his thumb worked you with more pressure. He swallowed your noises with his lips, not even kissing, the two of you just breathing into one another’s mouth.

Suddenly the distance wasn’t close enough, Levi’s hand left the curve of your cheek to wrap his arm around the middle of your back, forcing your body completely against his sweating one. His lips began to work against yours, sloppy and messy as you kissed the man back with the same fever.

Levi’s pace was solid, deep and without error. Your hips tried desperately to meet his thrusts, his wrist in between your centers blocking you from doing so. Your captain didn’t even so much as warn you to stop, his thumb rolling faster against your now swollen clit, that same heat in your stomach rebuilding rapidly. The two of you were so lost in each other, your arms leaving his neck to wrap around his shoulders and forcing his head down to your neck where he lapped and peppered kisses to conceal his own moans. You did the same, lips attached to the curve where his muscular shoulder met his neck.

His touch was unrelenting, but you felt the unmistakable shutter as he plunged right to your cervix, goosebumps rising on his skin under your fingertips. You let out a muffled moan, your nails clawing at his back, your legs somehow tighter around his backside.

Levi’s thumb rubbed harder, so much faster now than his thrusts. Your pussy was fluttering rapidly now, clenching and unclenching around his girth, you were so close. You had a feeling your captain was as well, his pace increasing even faster.

“I’m cumming,” you pulled away from his shoulder to warn Levi, sucking the sensitive area of his neck.

Levi moaned in pleasure, bucking his hips hard into you, and this was what sent you over the edge. Levi couldn’t move even if he wanted to as your cunt gripped him so tightly, contracting so hard around his length. You could hear a string of curses and ‘ah’s from his lips as your hips bucked wildly into his hand, rubbing your clit along his stilled thumb. You’d had plenty of self given orgasms before, but feeling completely filled as your walls fluttered around something was a pleasure you knew you’d be seeking again.

Your teeth were sunk into his neck, and Levi was finally able to continue his strokes as your orgasm slowed, your body limping. His thumb started once more, and you were whimpering at the overstimulation, your contractions not even done. He was pounding into you now, growling into your neck, you could feel the sharp clench of his jaw dig into your shoulder. It didn’t take you more than a minute to build up another orgasm, and as the new waves of pleasure slammed into you, Levi was pulling out.

You came around nothing as Levi rutted into your stomach, feeling the smear of hot cum rub against your middles. He was bucking desperately, moaning and whimpering. The sounds he made paired with the nonstop movement of his thumb only heightened your pleasure, your left hand coming to caress the back of his head.

He removed his touch from you, taking his dripping hand to your waist as his thrusts against your stomach slowed. It crawled under your back to meet his other arm, and he placed sensual, slow kisses to your neck. You did the same, thanking him non verbally. His head lifted, eyes half lidded as he placed his lips to yours, locking them in a saccharine embrace. He pulled away after a few moments, sliding off of your sticky body and out of the bed. Your arms fell to your sides, and he slipped his pants on, avoiding the area of his lower stomach where his cum was drying quickly. He rushed to his dresser, pulling out a handkerchief and wiping himself down quickly, returning back to your body to clean your middle as well.

“You’ll probably need to shower,” Levi broke the silence as he pulled the rag away, his empty hand roaming the curve of your side.

“Probably,” you mumbled in bliss, enjoying his light touch. “I’ll get up in just a minute.”

“You could stay,” Levi offered awkwardly, halting his movements.

“It’s okay, I think I want to be alone,” you smiled, your brain foggy. “Also don’t need rumors to start up if anyone sees me leaving your room in the morning.”

Levi only hummed as you pulled your naked body to a full stand, reaching for your discarded clothes. You pulled your long sleeve over your head first, the edges brushing against the tops of your thighs, stepping into your panties and shorts quickly. The silence was almost overwhelming, neither of you sure of what exactly to say.

“Captain Levi,” you finally spoke, ready to depart. “Thank you.”

He grabbed your wrist, pulling your body to his with no real force, kissing you passionately. You kissed him back hungrily, and had you been more experienced, you would’ve felt the flicker of sparks deep within your stomach, a signal of unconscious feelings sprouting within you.

You pulled away from him, a smile playing at your lips as he spoke raspily, “You know where to go if you don’t want to be alone.”

You threaded your fingers through his open palm, bringing his knuckles to your lips as you placed a soft peck to the back of his hand, “I will, Captain. Goodnight.”

The heat of the sun beat harshly on your back, your body in a full ache as you dodged a punch from Eren. You went to lift your leg into a kick, a yelp leaving your lips at the feeling that you were going to rip in half, and quickly shifted your hips to plan a new attack. Thankfully, your fake out worked, seeing Eren prepare himself for your leg, not for your first to go flying into his gut.

With a loud groan of pain, Eren laid flat on his back in the dirt. Your chests heaved, sweat dripping down your skin, and you extended your palm to the younger boy. You had won this spar, and Eren huffed as he smacked his hand away playfully.

“I had you last time! I can’t believe I lost again!” he complained, eyebrows furrowed as he screwed his eyes shut in a fit.

You laughed then, crossing your arms over your chest, “You got lucky, Jaeger.”

Around the two of you, all the cadets were still in their own sparring matches. Even in your weary state, you had been the first match finished, and you feel a swell of pride. You were getting stronger, more fit to survive the harsh reality of this world.

“Cadets,” Captain Levi made himself known then, stepping forward from the row of squad leaders, unbeknownst to you and Eren he had been watching with a trained eye the entire fight.

“Captain!” you saluted, Eren lazily following along silently.

Levi’s eyes lingered over you for a minute, before shifting his attention to Eren before scoffing, “Pathetic, Jaeger. You need to work on your form.”

You tried desperately to hide a smirk, eyes lit up in amusement as Eren frowned deeply, sighing, trying not to lash out on your superior. Levi continued, “Cadet, good job.”

“Thank you, Captain,” you smiled brightly, now trying to conceal the oncoming heat of your blush flaming up your neck, licking the tips of your ears.

“However, never let your guard down after you think you’ve won.”

The sound of your skull cracking into the ground beneath you sent your vision in a dizzy frenzy. Levi hovered over you, and you could make out the lingering feeling of his boot hitting your stomach, causing you to lay flat on your back. The sun was high in the sky today, not a single cloud in view or whisk of wind felt.

“Ow,” you heaved, bringing yourself into a seated position, hunched over. “What was that for?”

“You can’t always predict what a titan’s next move is going to be,” Levi cooly explained, crouching down to meet your eye level. “This is how you fucked up, both times, with an abnormal. You have to pay attention. You can’t let yourself get caught up in a victory. Understood, brat?”

You nodded, feeling your ears grow hot as multiple sets of eyes watched on in curiosity, “Yes, sir.”

“I’ll see you in my office after dinner for your punishment,” his eyes twinkled, a hint of a smirk on the corner of his lips. “Cockiness is not befitting for a brat like you.”

You groaned, biting your tongue to hold back words you knew would come across as disrespectful. You didn’t see what you did to deserve a punishment, but you huffed as Levi strolled away, yelling at Eren about something. Probably about his smirk when he watched you fall on your ass.

Turns out your punishment was anything but, instead a much rougher fucking left your body nearly in shambles. This became a routine, instead of traveling outside to stare at the stars and lose yourself in your thoughts, Levi’s body became your comfort, your relief. He felt the same, pouring his loneliness into your willing body as he claimed you night after night, week after week.

He’d tell you sometimes in the afterglow of your orgasms that this was strengthening the squad, this was for the betterment of the scouts. Because what better way was there to build trust? You’d listen half heartedly, knowing this was all an excuse to rationalize why you continued seeking each other’s comfort.

Levi was soon fiercely protective of you, and you unconsciously him. This was reinforced after the 57th expedition failed horribly, the faces of your deceased squad members haunting your dreams every night. Levi would hold you as you sobbed through the nightmares. It hurt, so fucking much. Levi would whisper to you that you just had to keep moving forward. You would nod your head and listen. Your captain knew best, and you were finding it harder every passing day to pretend that he didn’t.

You didn’t try to make sense of your relationship, just letting it exist. Some days you’d push him away, others you’d pull the ravenette closer to your body. Caught between wanting to leave the man you’d realized you’d fallen in love with, or go into hiding away from the military with Levi and marry the son of a bitch. You liked to think he felt the same, his words few, but his acts spoke volumes of his feelings.

And when you laid limp on the battlefield, titan corpses steaming around you, your breaths shallow as your tired body began to prepare to shut down, you smiled. Everything all at once came flooding to you as you stared up at the sky, completely alone.

You blinked at the clouds, painted so pretty in pinks and oranges at the setting sun. You could hear your name being screamed somewhere in the distance, the voice vaguely familiar. You felt relief wash over you as the large open wound on your stomach gushed an unbelievable amount of blood. Full of shock, your adrenaline keeping your pain at bay, you thought humorously that you had no idea you had that much blood running through your body.

Raven hair and charcoal eyes entered your hazy vision, and you kept that smile on your face. Your fingers reached up, reaching Levi’s soaking cheek, not being able to tell if it was because of blood, or tears. You smoothed your thumb under his eye, and you were being lifted. You couldn’t hear his words, only the dullness of sound as the world continued to slow around you.

You stared at the clouds, completely at peace. You had conquered your biggest fear, growing close to another, just to lose them. Images of Levi flashes before your eyes, his stoic expression, his commanding leadership, his sensual caresses, his passionate kisses as he poured all of his feelings out for you. You loved him, you realized. You were so happy that you got to experience this in this lifetime.

The colors of the sky blurred together, and you could feel the wind whisk around you as Levi shot off on his odm gear. You were finally flying in the clouds.

LACHERI © 2021: all writing content belongs to LACHERI. I do not allow reposts or translations. this is my only account.

[amara-scott]

Movie: Divergent Characters: Eric Coulter x f!Reader Categories: Anger, Fluff, Eric

“Again.” Another jump, down to the ground, push up followed by another jump. Kick, kick, uppercut, hook. My hands fall to my knees, hunched over I try to gulp down the pain in my burning throat. I don’t know if it’s tears or sweat but it’s covering my hot face.

“Again.” He sounds more and more stern. I blink a couple times, standing up straight and am about to do the whole circuit for the- what, 40th time? I lost count long ago. My bones shake and muscles ache. It’s past the point where only numbness is left and I am scared I won’t feel anything anymore after I am done today. If I will ever be done. If he lets me.

I jump and am about to go down to the ground, my hands planted on the cool mat, feet ready to kick back into a plank but my arms shake before they give out and I fall to the ground face first. The ground cooling my cheek. I close my eyes and only hear my breathing, it's loud. Just as my thumping heart. Sweat stinging my eyes now.

“What are you doing?”

My eyes snap open at that question and I feel full of rage and hate. Just- frustration spreading inside every fiber of my being.

I twist my head around, supporting myself on my elbows. “Taking a break maybe?” I say, trying not to sound ironic or rude- but I do. I really don’t care though. I am past the point of just sucking it up.

“What did you say?” He challenges, his cold orbs boring into mine as he folds his arms and shifts in his stance, glaring down at me. His lips twitching into a not so amused smile before sneering down at me.

“I said- taking a break, maybe.” I repeat and twist, sitting with my knees angled up, placing my arms atop. Eyes now down between my legs on the ground. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. He still is a leader. Someone I should respect and who's orders I have to follow.

“Stand up, now.” I sigh with closed eyes and stand back up, looking at his arms, chewing my lower lip.

“Look at me when I’m talking to you.”

I gulp and look up, trying not to forget to breathe. My heart calmed down but once I meet his eyes, my heart rate picks right back up.

“You’re not here to take breaks. You understand?” I nod quickly, not really having enough energy to even form words. He keeps silent for a moment longer, knowing that I struggle to keep up the eye contact. He smirks at the end, moving his head a bit closer, leaning forward.

“I’ll see you here tomorrow. Same time." I force myself not to close my eyes and sigh in frustration.

"-Actually, for the rest of the month. Every day.” My eyes grow a bit wider and I want to reply, talk back- but he just raises his pierced eyebrow, daring me. I gulp down my pride and nod once.

“Go.” His jaw is clenched and I quickly, dizzily grab my bottle and move past him, walking quickly.

Why, of all people, does he hate me so much? Am I doing that bad? I didn’t feel like I was. I rarely lost a fight and Four even complimented me after a few. I can’t say the same about Eric though. He never spoke. Only to correct or mock. Nothing kind ever left his lips.

With a sigh I fall into bed after my shower, not even in the mood to go get any food. I’ll just eat more tomorrow at breakfast. My eyes sealed shut and I doze off.

Eric is back at it, yelling at an initiate for losing and telling them to go back to the punching bags. He scoffs and turns around, his eyes wandering around the room and landing on me. I quickly turn away, holding the knife tightly between my fingers and focusing on the target ahead. The clashing of knifes the only sound I hear until he stands next to me.

“Throw it.” He commands and I take another deep breath, throwing and hoping I hit anything. But the knife just bounces off the wall and lands at the bottom of the target.

“Pathetic. Go get the knife.” I whip my head around and look at him with wide eyes.

“You mean- right now?”

“No, after practice. Of course now, go!” I flinch as he ends his sentence and turn back around, looking to the side as a couple people stop and watch.

“Did I say stop? Keep going, all of you.” I squeeze my eyes shut for a second before taking a deep breath and not looking back as a few knives land in my way, only making me stop a few times. Don’t look back- don’t look back- don’t-

A knife whips right past my ear, I feel the wind brushing my hair away and I stop, watching it emerge from the target I practiced at. I grab the knife off the ground and turn around. Eric standing there with another knife in hand and throwing it up a couple times.

“Next time I won’t miss.” I can’t move my legs after that and Eric frowns, sticking the sharp weapon into the wooden box it’s usually stored in.

“Come on, get back here. You’re not done practicing.”

I want to say anything but I can’t, my feet also glued to the ground. I want to lift anything but I’m frozen.

“(Y/N)? Come on.”

“(Y/N)?”

“Stand up, hey!”

I gasp, sitting up in bed, breathing heavily.

"You looked exhausted, I just wanted to let you sleep longer." Emma sits down next on my bed, giving me a sad smile.

"Thanks, I probably needed that." I mumble, clearing my throat and sit up next to her, head in my hands.

"I brought you some food, don't tell anyone." She whispers and unpacks a sandwich and an apple, handing both to me.

"Wow, thanks, you're amazing." I side hug her, taking the food and gulping everything down with water. Emma giggles watching me and stands back up.

"You shouldn't eat so fast, you'll get a stomach ache- we have to be in the training room in ten." She turns around, smiling one last time and walking off to join some others on their way to the training room.

I sigh, remembering what will happen after training. The dream- it felt so real.

I get ready quickly, jogging down the hall and entering through the tall doors. Everyone is gathering in a circle and I join in, blending into the back of the group to maybe not get noticed.

"This week will be all about your aim. Especially throwing knives and shooting guns." I roll my eyes, shaking my head to myself. This is ridiculous.

"Any complains?" My eyes shoot over to Eric, who's stare is fixed on me for a second longer before wandering around the group. Some are shaking their heads or mumbling no. He saw my expression. I will suffer even more today. If that's even possible.

"Let's get ready then, the targets are back at the wall, pic one and start throwing." Four tells us and we make our way to the targets. I jog up to Emma, sending her a smile.

"You think you're any good at this?" She asks and I shrug.

"Well it's not like I would have a lot of experience so- I can just hope."

"I actually did throw knives a lot back in Amity." I frown, my eyes boring into the side of her face as she smirks.

"Well, more in my head but still. Not the first time I'm thinking about it. Maybe that helps." I chuckle and shove her lightly, both of us finding a spot and trying out the knives, holding them, turning them.

"You have to take multiple aspects into account when throwing a knife. The weight, size and distance to your target. Have a go." Four says and starts pacing behind us hands behind his back and observing. I glance around more, trying to find the piercing blue eyes and I find them, a few steps further down the line but he turns, as if he felt me watching him.

I get ready and try to mimic someone who just hit their target. Legs steady, slightly parted- arm leaning back and then- I close my eyes until I hear a clashing sound. The knife fell down, not even close to the target. Wow.

I try a few more times and get closer and even hit the target but the knife never sticks fully.

"What are you doing?" I flinch at his voice, nearly dropping the knife in my hand. I turn to the side, watching Eric.

"Trying to hit the target?" It sound more like a question as I'm not in the mood to come off as a smart ass or the ironic bitch I usually am.

"Well, you're not doing a great job then." He states and I nod, agreeing with him. There is a small pause before he raises an eyebrow with folded arms.

"Could you maybe- help me out?" I say before thinking about what I actually just said. I hear Emma snorting beside me, trying to cover it up with a cough. Eric's eyes find her for a second before coming back to me.

"Turn around." I frown but quickly follow his order.

"Angle your hips." I shift, one foot forward the other further back, trying to stand sturdy.

"Further." His hands find my waist and he twists it more, my breath hitching as I glance down at his fingers sitting atop my hips.

"Look up." He says, his breath hitting my neck before he steps back again. I focus on the target, reaching my arm back and twisting my shoulders.

"Don't just reach your wrist back. The whole arm." He pulls at my elbow, correcting my stance and I feel my skin burning from where he touched me. My skin tingling.

"Twist your whole body while throwing. Full force." I take another deep breath and do as I'm told yelling out this time, not closing my eyes, too curious if it changed anything.

It did. I hit the target. It sticks. I grin and turn to Eric- but he's already gone further down. I turn back forward and want to do it again. And again.

Maybe I'm actually looking forward to after-practice today.

_________________________________ More Divergent Imagines Full Masterlist

[radioduo]

roses and riots: chapter 1

i could count the stars (wait until the dawn

notes: apoc au ^-^ this has been in the works for a while, so hope u guys enjoy! thanks to @b1rdza for the title and the letting me plan things w them :}

tws: blood, injury, violence, talks of death and zombies

Ranboo stared at his phone, slightly cracked and looking worse for wear, reminiscing over the photo on his lock screen. A picture from two months ago of him, Tubbo, and Tommy beaming at the camera. Ranboo returned the smile. Probably a picture Wilbur took on their moving day.

Two months ago, Tommy, Tubbo, and Ranboo began living together. Two months ago was the last time everything was normal.

Ranboo leaned against the wall of the now crumbling apartment and laid his head back against the foggy windows with a sigh. He could hear Tubbo in the other room quietly singing a cheerful tune and fiddling with some new gadget on his own. Tommy still wasn’t home from the scouting trip he had left for hours ago, and as the minutes ticked by, more and more anxiety gnawed at Ranboo's stomach.

Speak of the devil, Ranboo thought to himself as the communicator next to him began to buzz. It was Tommy, unsurprisingly. Ranboo gingerly set the phone down and picked up the other device. “Hello?”

“RANBOO, GET - krzzkr - HERE, THERE’S - skrzzkz - FUCKING HORDE HEADING OUR - krzzssz - HELP-”

Ranboo flinched and held the speaker away from his ear as he sprang to his feet. “Oh god, alright. Hold on, Tommy, I’m getting Tubbo and we’re going. Where are you?” He pulled on his boots and grabbed the musty red rucksack that hung next to the door.

“WEST- kzzszrt - NEAR THE DINER-”

“Just stay calm, Tommy, find a hiding place, you know the drill,” he knocked on Tubbo’s door urgently, but there was no response. "Are you k- whatever," Ranboo threw open the door, muttering to himself. Tubbo yelped in surprise as the door swung open, flinging his arm out and knocking his project onto the carpet. “We’ve gotta go,”

Tubbo took a deep breath and raised an eyebrow. “What’s up, bossman?”

Ranboo began to explain, but Tommy seemed eager to take matters into his own hands.

“TUBBO, THEY’RE FUCKIN’ AFTER - skrzztz - YOUR HELP RIGHT NOW, GET YOUR ASSES DOWN HERE - kryzztz - TO GOD I WON’T FORGIVE YOU IF I DIE,” he yelled through the radio. Tommy was breathing heavily, and Ranboo and Tubbo could hear quick, heavy footsteps pounding against the pavement.

“Oh fuck, okay, we’re coming, Tommy!” Tubbo grabbed his yellow bag from the foot of his mattress, abandoning his gadget and nearly knocking over his trash can full of failed prototypes. “Where is he?” he asked Ranboo, straining as he tugged his shoes over his heels.

“West Elm, near the diner,” Ranboo said as he pulled his mask over his face, leading Tubbo into the kitchen and grabbing his crowbar from the counter. “We’re on our way, just stay hidden and stay put.” Ranboo ended the transmission before Tommy could keep shouting at him and pulled open the door. “Let’s go, Tubbo,”

Tubbo hoisted his bat over his shoulder and tugged his goggles over his eyes. Wordlessly, the duo slunk out from the crumbling apartment building and down the street.

Nothing new, Ranboo noticed as the two speed-walked around the dilapidated city. Broken glass lined the pavement in front of shopping outlets, rotting wooden planks covered doors and windows, and the smell of flesh and blood filled the air around them, pungent and nauseating. The acrid scent slithered through the mask over Ranboo's nose and snaked into his nostrils, and he fought back the urge to heave as he swallowed the bile rising in his throat.

Rapidly rounding a corner, Ranboo tore his eyes away from the city scenery, stifling a gasp of surprise as he and Tubbo found themselves face to face with a gathering of the undead.

With bulging eyes and mouths lined with yellowed, broken teeth, the pack shuffled down the debris-covered road in the opposite direction, still oblivious to Ranboo and Tubbo's appearance. They seemed too busy tracking something out of sight to pay attention to the smell of fresh, unspilled blood nearby. Unfortunately, Ranboo realized with a sinking feeling in his stomach, the thing they must have been searching for was Tommy, and to find him, he and Tubbo would have to make it through the horde of the starving dead.

Tubbo stared ahead at the mob, a sour expression painting his face. "Don't tell me-"

"We have to, Tubbo. Unless you want to leave Tommy to die over there."

"I'm gonna be honest bossman, that sounds pretty fuckin' appealing right now," Tubbo replied dryly.

"I really hope you're joking," Ranboo answered. "C'mon," he urged, gripping the crowbar in his gloved hands, and charged forward like a bull.

The zombies, luckily for Ranboo, moved slowly, giving him time to react between attacks. He swiped nimbly with his left hand, slamming the metal bar into the face of a corpse, taking its head off with a satisfying crunch. Ranboo heard a grunt next to his ear and rolled out of the way right as an undead creature swung at him, nearly grabbing his arm and pulling him back. He brought the crowbar down into the skull of his attacker and looked away as the creature made a strangled sound in the back of its throat. Bobbing and weaving through the sea of the undead, Ranboo slammed the crowbar into every shambling body he could reach, over and over again. He yelped as he suddenly felt something grab his arm, sending a wave of pain up his arm from the iron-like grip. He wrenched his hand away frantically and stabbed the crowbar into the zombie's eyes. Breathing heavily, he scrambled away from the horde and into the clear at last. Ranboo gripped his sore arm and anxiously looked over the sea of corpses. Tubbo hadn't come out of the mob yet, and Ranboo's stomach twisted with fear at the thought of something happening to him.

A loud smack came from somewhere inside the cluster of bodies, and at last, Tubbo appeared, waving his bloodstained baseball bat like a madman and shouting a string of curses at the undead hands grabbing at his clothes. He ran to Ranboo's side, gasping for air. "Don't ever fucking make me do that again, okay?"

Ranboo grinned, relieved that he seemed unharmed. "Alright, alright, whatever," he said, flicking a drop of blood from his face. "We have to keep moving or they'll catch up with us."

----------

Tubbo and Ranboo slid open the diner door silently, stepping over the upturned chairs and tables as they walked into the abandoned building. "Tommy?" Tubbo whispered. "Are you in here?"

"Tubbo?" A voice answered. A head of curly blond hair popped up from behind the counter, and an unmistakable look of relief swept over Tommy's face when he caught sight of the two. "Thank fuck," he muttered, breathing a sigh of relief and dragging himself to his feet, hauling his backpack with him. "I wasn't sure how much longer I'd last." Crawling out from behind the counter, Tommy pulled his green bandana down from over his mouth again and faced the duo. "How'd you get through that giant fuckin' mob back there?"

Ranboo and Tubbo held up their crowbar and bat, respectively. "We managed," Tubbo said with a shrug. "That's beside the point though, why have you been gone so long? You were supposed to be back, like, two hours ago!" The three inched towards the door as Tubbo talked, slipping back into the streets and booking it in the opposite direction they came from.

Tommy huffed, trying to keep up with his friends. "Other than those dickheads back there keeping me away, I stopped by Phil's place for a bit to get us some food," he explained through deep breaths. "We haven't been able to get out much, thought it'd help." He held up his lumpy bag, obviously full of cans and boxes.

"Tommy, you know carrying food long distances is dangerous," Ranboo huffed, pulling ahead of the group as they rounded a corner. "Those things can smell just about everything, what made you think that was even slightly a good idea?"

Tommy made an indignant scoffing noise in the back of his throat. "Well, ex-CUSE me, Boob Boy, for wanting to help out you and Tubbo. That's my bad," he said, placing unnecessary emphasis on the last two words.

Ranboo rolled his eyes with faux annoyance as the three of them kept walking. "How many times have I told you to stop calling me that?"

"Not enough clearly," Tubbo answered, amusement obvious in his tone.

"Oh my god-" A hand flew over his mouth as Tommy suddenly took a sharp turn and flattened him against the bricks of a rundown building. Ranboo bit back a pained grunt as his aching arm hit the bricks. "I can hear those fuckers nearby," he removed his palm from Ranboo's masked mouth, and the three of them pressed their backs against the crumbling wall. "Is there another way we can take?"

He pressed his lips into a thin line, eyes darting back and forth as he strained his ears to listen for the familiar groans of the undead. "There are only a few that won't take us, like, two hours," he whispered. "Most roads loop around the city, and-"

"-and there's no way in hell that we'd make it back alive if we travel in the dark," Tubbo finished bleakly. He stared at the ground, lost in thought as though he were hoping the answer would write itself on the sidewalk. "So what now? Just stay here and wait until the morning? Surely not," he looked up at the other two. "I mean, that's a death wish right there,"

Ranboo and Tommy nodded silently. "I guess there's always Phil's place, but that's a couple dozen blocks down the road," Ranboo suggested, glancing up at the sky. It was only marginally darker than when they'd left, but Ranboo knew the light wouldn't last for much longer - especially not with the luck they'd been having. He absently rubbed his sore arm, careful to keep something from hitting it again. "We'd have to leave now to be there before dark,"

"Don't tell me we have to fuckin' walk even more," Tommy griped loudly. "I just got back from his place, are you sure there isn't a faster way home?"

"We can leave you here with the horde, if that's what you prefer," Tubbo retorted. Slinging his yellow bag over one arm and hoisting his worn baseball bat over the other, he dashed down the street, calling to Tommy over his shoulder, "Hurry up, dickhead!"

"Tubbo, wait-!" Tommy shouted back as he and Ranboo followed suit, jogging down the sidewalk behind Tubbo to the safety of their friend's home.

It was nearly dark by the time the three came to the pale blue house. It sat on the city outskirts, barely safer than the houses on the inside but at least ten times cozier. Tommy rapped on the door raucously, and Ranboo and Tubbo cringed as the sound echoed, definitely alerting the nearby zombies to their presence.

They didn't have time to worry about that, thankfully, as Phil greeted them at the door, looking relieved. "You guys scared the shit out of me," he breathed as he ushered the three teens inside. "You can't just be out wandering and knocking on strangers' doors,"

"Phil, if you were a stranger, this would be very awkward right now," Ranboo said, kicking his boots off and shoving them in the corner.

"I'm- oh my god, you know what I mean," he replied exasperatedly. "Be careful out there, is all. I don't know what I'd do if you guys got hurt."

Silence fell over the group as they heard the subtext of Phil's words. 'If you guys got hurt again.' Ranboo peered over at Tubbo, whose hand had subconsciously drifted up to trace the burn scars that outlined his face. Ranboo's own hand had floated up to touch his bruised arm carefully. He wouldn't tell Phil about it. Not yet.

Coughing, Ranboo broke the silence as he drew his hand away from his injury and undid the clasp on his cloak. "Welp, uh, I'm gonna sit down if anyone else wants to come," he invited, plopping the heavy fabric in a pile with the rest of his things and wandering into the living room.

The fireplace was burning, and Wilbur laid next to the orange flames, half-lidded eyes staring sleepily at the ceiling. He blinked and sat up as Ranboo entered the room, still alone as Tubbo and Tommy followed Phil into the kitchen, discussing something Ranboo couldn't quite hear. "Hey, Rhombus," Wilbur smiled, holding back a yawn. "How goes it?" His eyes darted briefly to the yellow sweater Ranboo wore.

Ranboo shrugged, removing his mask and catching the brief smile that flickered across Wilbur's face. "Could be better, I suppose," he replied.

"I think you said that last time," Wilbur noted.

"Yeah, well, it's been hard to be great recently," Ranboo said, barely audible.

Wilbur nodded sagely nonetheless, shuffling away from the fire to sit on the carpet in front of the couch. "You're not wrong," he agreed. There was a moment of silence as Wilbur looked up at Ranboo, who sat stiffly on the sofa, clutching his arm lightly and staring blankly into the fire. "You all good?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," Ranboo answered, blinking himself out of his stupor and brushing a strand of hair from his eyes. "Just- pain is all. Nothing a little sleep can't fix," he insisted. Ranboo could see the doubt in Wilbur's eyes, and it made his stomach churn. He wasn't sure why. "I'm alright, seriously," he repeated. "I'd let you know if I wasn't, you know that."

"Right." Disbelief laced Wilbur's words, but he didn't pry, nor did Ranboo want to offer an explanation.

Wilbur opened his mouth to say something else, but he didn't get the chance as Tubbo peeped his head into the room. "Dinner's ready big man, if you're interested," he said, jabbing a thumb behind him towards the kitchen, the comforting smell of potato soup wafting through the house. "You too, Wilbur, I guess," he snickered.

Ignoring the lighthearted banter between the other two, Ranboo inhaled deeply, savoring the scent. It smelt like home, he thought, a small smile painting his face. Wordlessly, Ranboo padded through the doorway into the kitchen, where Techno, Tommy, and Phil sat around the table waiting.

"There you are," Techno greeted him, reaching for the soup spoon. "We were starvin' to death in here, c'mon man," he joked.

Ranboo huffed a laugh through his nose. "Sorry about that," he apologized, running a hand through his hair. "Been a long day." He caught Tubbo's eye, who agreed with a slight head nod.

"It's alright, mate," Phil assured him. He held the bowls as Techno ladled soup into them carefully. "We get it." Phil handed him a bowl, steaming and cozy, and Ranboo gratefully accepted. "Just hang out for a while, alright?"

The six of them sat around the small kitchen table, eating together and listening to the radio as songs old and new alike filled the air. Tubbo and Wilbur sang duets, and Techno and Tommy made increasingly strange parodies as Phil and Ranboo watched with amusement.

Tommy and Techno were mid-song about Phil when the music suddenly stopped, harsh static cutting through the joyful atmosphere like a knife.

"WE INTERRUPT YOUR PROGRAM FOR AN EMERGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT," the prerecorded sample recited. "ATTENTION, ALL CITIZENS OF NEW LENSLING COUNTY: A MANDATORY EVACUATION IS BEGINNING TOMORROW AT 11 AM. ALL PERSONS LIVING IN THE CITY MUST RELOCATE BEFORE THE END OF THE WEEK."

The once bright mood at the dinner table quickly sank, dread and icy cold fear replacing the warm feeling of family and safety.

"What the fuck?" Tommy murmured, turning the radio volume up to the max.

"COUNTY OFFICIALS WILL BE INSPECTING HOMES TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE HAS EVACUATED. SAFE CITIES ARE AS FOLLOWS: ATTSTONE, WORWICKE, LANGSTEDSHIRE, SHANTOWSEA, AND SOUTH BIRBED. FURTHER QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED AT-"

Wilbur turned off the radio with a harsh slam. "Great," he growled. "What the fuck do we do now? Surely they don't expect us to just be happy with this!"

"All our shit is still at home!" Tubbo added, agitated. "There's no way we have time to grab it tonight, and it'll take ages to get back to the apartment in the morning!" He grumbled. "This is bullshit!"

"Calm down, you two," Phil cut in, trying to curb the anger bubbling in the air. "We'll figure something out, okay?"

Tubbo and Wilbur had the same disgruntled look in their eyes, jaws set and eyes shadowed. "Fine," Tubbo muttered, standing up to look at Phil. "Tell us then, what's the plan? Do you even know what's going to happen to us?"

"Tubbo," Ranboo warned. "Calm down. We're all figuring it out as a group."

Tubbo folded his arms and sat heavily in his chair, still irritated.

Techno was already rifling through his things for a map of the county. "The safe zones were all cities nearby," he said, seemingly to himself. He rolled a thin map out over the table, careful to avoid the drops of soup. "Attstone, Worwicke, et cetera. The closest one to us would be-"

"South Birbed, innit?" Tommy finished, shoving his now-empty soup bowl out of the way to lean over the table. "It's 'bout a week-long trip on foot," he explained. "We could be there in no time if all of us leave first thing in the morning,"

"Hold on, Tommy," Techno stopped him as Tommy took a breath to say something else. "One of us needs to stay behind and let someone know where we're goin', right Phil?"

"They need to send a message to all the safe zones to tell 'em how many people to prepare for," Phil confirmed. "I'll stay behind, tell whoever may stop by that the six of us are heading south, yeah?"

Ranboo and the other four shared a look of hesitance, none of them quite sure how to respond. "I don't want to leave you behind, Phil," Ranboo admitted. "Are you 100 percent sure you'll be alright on your own?"

Phil waved a hand dismissively. "You don't have to worry about me, mate. I'll catch up with you all in no time."

Phil's promise sent a wave of relief around the room. Wilbur and Tubbo looked more at ease, and Ranboo, Techno, and Tommy all breathed a sigh. "We should probably pack up our shit, I guess." Tommy rose to his feet, stretching and yawning. "Early start tomorrow, aye?"

They all stood, some more hesitant than others, and dispersed to their respective sleeping quarters. Tommy, Tubbo, and Ranboo trekked upstairs single file, carrying their bags, weapons, and everything in between into the large bedroom silently. It wasn't like they hadn't done this same thing before, but something about knowing it might be the last time for a while made the mood feel more somber than usual.

Tommy flopped onto the large, pillowy mattress with a sigh. "I can't believe we're being fuckin' kicked out," he muttered crossly, a change in mood from the upbeat leader persona he'd put on downstairs (probably to prove himself to the adults). "And to South Birbed of all places!"

Ranboo snorted, his eyes crinkling up with laughter. "What did South Birbed ever do to you?" He asked, watching as Tubbo crawled onto the bed next to Tommy.

"I dunno, it just seems like a shit city," Tommy shrugged.

Tubbo smacked him with a pillow, and Tommy yelped in protest, shouting a string of curse words at his assailer. "Mercy, mercy!" Tommy begged as he and Tubbo began a pillow fight.

Ranboo looked on with mild intrigue but didn't join the party. Instead, he slipped away from the other two into the bathroom and shut the door.

He pried his gloves off his hands and rinsed his face, desperate to clean the dirt and grime from his forehead and fingers. Ranboo stared at himself in the mirror, watching beads of water run down his face. He looked like a mess, he thought briefly, before drying the water with a towel. He winced, feeling a shock of pain flow up his arm as he blotted the water with the scratchy cloth. Deftly, he rolled up his sweater sleeve to examine his arm.

A little bit of broken skin, Ranboo noticed. He caught sight of a few small indents, which he assumed were from fingernails digging into his arm when the zombie had grabbed him. He made a mental note to keep checking the wound before it got infected and rolled his sleeve down again.

With a newly clear head, he reentered the bedroom quietly. Tommy and Tubbo had already claimed the bed, he noted, as the two laid on either half of the mattress, Tommy's head and Tubbo's feet on one end and the other way around at the foot of the bed. Ranboo sighed as he realized he'd have to sleep on the floor. Swiftly, he snagged a pillow from the bed, careful not to wake the already-snoring Tubbo, and dragged a throw blanket from a basket to sleep beneath. Begrudgingly, he laid on his makeshift bed, staring at the ceiling.

He had never noticed it before, but shining overhead was a galaxy of artificial stars, blinking and twinkling. The question of "why" briefly crossed Ranboo's mind as he stared at the bright little shapes above him. It made sense, he supposed, since the room belonged to Wilbur years before he, Tommy, or Tubbo ever stayed there. Still, he thought, it was surprising that Phil had kept them up there after all this time. Maybe he wanted to keep a little piece of the good times with him.

Ranboo felt a pit form in his stomach as he thought about the future (or possible lack thereof). The uncertainty made his stomach churn as he yawned, eyelids drooping. Thoughts of traveling and an image of the artificial galaxy were fresh in his mind as he rolled over that night, shutting his eyes and letting the darkness of sleep wash over him at last.

[helpimhyperfixating]

A Writer’s Trouble - Jotaro x Reader

Word Count: 3353

You were a writer. Quietly in class just writing whatever scenes came to your head when the material being taught was too complicated for you to understand or too boring. And at home, you busied yourself with fanfiction every now and then. When you enjoy shows, why not write some fan content for them right?

"Miss Y/N!"

The sound of your name being called made you shoot up in your seat, eyes wide.

All eyes of the class were on you, the teacher holding a stern expression. "That better be notes that you are taking." She crossed her arms and your cheeks started to burn slightly while you frantically nodded, not finding your voice to verbally answer. Clearly the teacher was not convinced by the look she gave you, but she just let it slide and continued on with the lesson.

After what felt like forever, the bell rung for lunch and as you were starting to pack up, suddenly two people surrounded your little table. Looking up, you saw two girls who were notoriously popular standing next to you. One sat down in the seat next to you while the other dragged a chair in front of your table and sat down right in front of you, a sweet smile on her face.

"Hi!" The one in front started and you leaned back a little.

"H-Hi?"

"We noticed you were writing something in class and we were just curious what."

This made you blink a few times in surprise. Why would they be interested in what a random girl is writing? "Why?"

This time, the one sitting next to you spoke up. "Well you see, I've been having trouble finding books I like recently. The ones in the school library are not really what I want but I snuck a peek of what you were doing in class just now and your writing seemed really good!" This caused a small blush to erupt on your cheeks. Not only because of the random compliment that came out of nowhere, but more so because of the fact she read what you had been writing. During class you were bored and your mind had drifted so you had written a random romantic scenario, and now she had read that?

"O-Oh?" You squeaked. She gave you a grin and you swallowed. "Uhm, thanks I guess."

"Could I read more?"

The question caught you off guard and to be honest, you just wanted to have lunch. But it seemed like you were going to have to eat it here with these two cause they didn't seem to have any intent to go away.

"Sure..." You weren't too comfortable with sharing most of your writing but there were a few random scenes and scenarios you thought these two would enjoy that you didn't mind sharing. You saw them every morning in the gaggle hanging around Kujo so you figured they'd like some cheesy romantic stuff. Bending down to sift through your bag, you got out your map/folder filled with pages that held the scenes and sifted through them, pulling out a few. "Here but do-" they were snatched from your hands before you could finish your sentence. "...be careful with them."

"Of course, of course." They both just dismissively waved and started reading them. At least they didn't run off with them, that was a plus.

You still had no idea what they were up to and you figured it wasn't to suddenly make friends with you. But you always had a hard time turning people down and they were acting nice to you, so why shouldn't you act nice back?

While they read you just got your lunch out of your bag and started eating it. You had nothing better to do anyways.

Lunch was slowly coming to a close and both girls finished reading.

"Ohhh, that was so romantic~" The one in front of you wistfully mused out, holding her chin in her hand as she dreamily stared at the ceiling.

"Yes, it was so good!" The one next to you said. Maybe you should learn their names instead of referring to them as 'girl' and 'girl but sitting next to you'. "It almost makes me wish for more."

Raising a sceptical eyebrow, you looked at her, urging her to continue because you figured this was the whole reason they were here. "Well, since you write this I was wondering, do you take requests?~"

You hummed a bit, looking between the two. They shared a look and there was a glint in their eye that you recognised but couldn't recall where you had seen them look like that before. "I've never done so before but maybe. What would you want?"

"Could you write me in such a scene with Jojo!?" The one next to you blurted out all of a sudden, making you visibly flinch back from the sudden burst of noise.

"No no! Please write it with me! My personality fits perfectly with the one in this story already!"

You were now being barraged with requests of romantic scenarios and begging to write them, all the while you just sat, blinking.

Of course. Of course. They were Kujo fan girls #1 and #2 so of course they would want this. You never understood why they kept trying to win his affection when he oh so clearly showed he was not interested.

I mean, you could see the appeal. He was tall dark and handsome, and the thought of a stoic man who loves no one making an exception for you was prime romantic material. But even you - who was as dense as an oakwood plank - even you knew when something was hopeless. You had never pursued the man. You respected his privacy and wishes. To you, he was just another classmate who just so happened to be hounded by half the female population.

"Ehh..." You started, trying to stop the girls from losing their mind and drooling over the delinquent - who wasn't even present - right then and there.

It took a second but both girls stopped and expectantly turned to you. The pure stars in their eyes made it very hard for you to say what you were about to say but you had to.

"I don't mind writing something for you. But I can't write something with Kujo in it. It just makes me very uncomfortable to write real people into a romantic scenario without them knowing of it. It just feels wrong." You put your hand up in a surrendering and calming gesture, hoping that would help defuse the bomb that was surely being built judging from their expressions. "If you had his permission and you both wanted it then it is a different story, but-"

"I have his permission! Jojo loves me, so of course he would want this!" The girl in front burst out, only for her 'friend' to turn to her.

"That's not true, he loves me!"

"No, me!"

"Me!"

"Me!"

This continued on and you slowly slunk back in your seat. You would have sunken under the table and made your escape that way, but one of the girls was sitting right in your path of exit. You were literally caged in between two fighting tigers, getting more and more ready to bite each other's heads off.

Just then, the door slammed open and both girls instantly shut up. In stepped the precise person of discussion and you only sunk further down into your seat, just wanting to disappear and be left alone.

"Oh! Jojo!~"

"Jojo! Why don't you come sit with us! I missed you!"

Jotaro viewed the class, seeing just you three in it, only for him to stride over to his desk, grab something he had left behind, and walk back out. He only spared you all a single glance and dread settled in your stomach. You were sitting with the two girls he probably hated most since they pestered him day in day out. What if he thought you were part of them now as well? What if he started to hate you too? Would he beat you up if you happened to run into each other outside of school?

Just then, the bell rung and to your surprise, both girls just sighed and stood up, starting to walk back to their own spots and leaving you without any further begging or questions. It left you a bit confused and wary of why they so suddenly seemed to forget you turned down writing about their dreamboat but just shrugged it off, hoping that was that.

- - - -

Three weeks had passed just like that. The girls had left you alone after that weird lunch and thankfully enough, Kujo seemed no more aware of your existence than before. Life continued on as normal and you just stayed your happy, quiet self.

"Hey, Y/N!"

You smiled at your best friend who was sitting at a table in the cafeteria, obnoxiously waving at you.

Quickly hurrying over, you grabbed her hand and yanked it down, sending apologetic glances to the people who had turned their heads to see the commotion. "Do you have to be so loud every time, B/F?"

"Of course." She grinned before pulling you down to sit with her. The unexpected action caused you to yelp and lose your balance. Instead of sitting down as intended, you were now splayed over B/F's lap who was cackling loudly at you.

"Oi, this is your fault! Shut it!" You laughed back and playfully hit her shoulder, making her let out an obnoxious 'oww' and rub it as you sat up.

"Y/N, you're always so mean to me." She pouted and you rolled your eyes. If there is one thing you certainly weren't it was mean.

"Well how can I make it up to you then, my dearest?" You played along, clasping your hands in front of you in a begging manner.

"Let me read your latest brain creations." She grinned and you drew your lips into a thin line. She knew you preferred to keep most writing to yourself because by god, sometimes you would create some abominations you wouldn't want anyone in the world to see. These of course, were the ones B/F loved most, cause she could make fun of you for them. You didn't seem to have another choice for now though, since B/F would most likely do something way worse if you didn't comply.

"Alright, alright." You sighed and hoisted your bag up, pulling your map with writings out and starting to thumb through them. "Huh." You remarked, a bit surprised.

"What?"

"It's not there. I could have sworn I put it in here." You hummed, grabbing your history notebook. You had written this piece in history class and thus it should be in there. But when you reached the most recent page, it was torn out, an indication that you should have already put it in your folder. "Oh god. I must have dropped it somewhere..." You went absolutely pale and B/F burst out laughing.

"Sucks to be you I guess!"

You only groaned and let your head fall to the table. Now there was a cheesy romance scene lost in the school! You just hoped someone would pick up the random page and throw it in the trash.

- - - -

~One week later~

You were the first one sitting in the cafeteria for once. Just patiently waiting for B/F, you twiddled your thumbs as you were mindlessly tracing the grooves in the table in front of you.

A hand suddenly slammed down right in your vision and you jumped in your seat. Quickly tracing the arm up to be met with an angrily glaring pair of aqua blue eyes.

"Get up." Jotaro said in a deep and demanding tone but you were frozen in your seat, just staring at him in slight fear.

"Do I have to repeat myself, bitch?" He harshly stated and you quickly stood up, going to grab your bag so you could let him have this table and find a new one for you and your friend, but instead, his hand clamped down on your shoulder, bunching the fabric there and dragging you off with him, leaving your bag behind.

By now, all the people in the cafeteria were staring and you were just scared shitless. What the hell did you do for him to want to beat you up?! He dragged you with him out of the cafeteria, through the halls and out the doors, moving to the back of the school before throwing you in front of him.

You stumbled a bit but luckily stayed on your feet, quickly turning back to look at him, taking a few steps back until your back hit the wall behind you.

"What-"

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" His voice cut you off and you shut your mouth. He seemed absolutely seething, towering over your tiny form as he glared from beneath his hat. It was quiet for a second, you just staring at him with wide eyes. "Well? Do I have to beat the shit out of you to get you to stop?" He threateningly raised his fist and you finally snapped out of your scared state, going defensive.

"No wait! I have no idea what you're talking about!" You frantically blurted out, waving your hands in front of yourself.

Jotaro, no less annoyed than before pulled something out of his jacket before slamming it right next to your head, holding it there. You squeaked at the action, now fully trapped with no escape.

"This is what I'm talking about." He was leaning down to be eye to eye with you now, caging you in with his arm right next to your head. His free hand was pointing to where he held his other hand and you turned your head to see what he meant.

Beneath his fingers lay a piece of paper, clearly crumpled up and unrolled several times. Unsure of what it was, you lifted your hand and took hold of the corner, making sure not to touch Jotaro's hand in fear that that would make him deck you.

Thankfully, he removed his hand from the wall and took a step back, giving you some personal space again and allowing you to grab the paper and read it.

Smoothening it out, you started reading.

Jotaro kept a close eye on your reactions, a little wary of how clueless you were appearing to be. As you started skimming the page, your eyes widened, almost immediately followed by a furrowing of your brows. You looked confused, but as your eyes got further and further down the page, it turned to angry.

Jotaro squinted his eyes at you, only to be surprised when you suddenly crumpled up the paper, pure hate radiating off of you. "Those goddamn bitches..." Of course, he never showed any surprise, keeping his stoic facade but to say Jotaro was intrigued was an understatement.

Turning to look at him, all fear you previously had was gone, replaced by anger. "This wasn't me." You held up the paper. Hitting it once, you ground your teeth. "Those girls stole my work and put your name in it."

Sceptical, Jotaro raised an eyebrow, still glaring down at you. But his stance was now more aloof than it was threatening and you took it as a sign to explain what you were talking about.

"Your fangirl number 1 and 2 asked me a while ago to write about you, I refused and it seems they took matters into their own hands." You turned around as you said that, looking at the school and glaring at it, as if that would do any good.

"So you didn't write it?" Crossing his arms, Jotaro was still looking down on you and you turned back to face him.

"Oh no, I did." You said and un-crumpled the paper, holding it up for him and pointing to a very specific point. "That's supposed to say 'B' though, not 'Jotaro'. I never write character names, just A and B cause honestly? fuck coming up with names."

Jotaro scoffed a little in amusement and then let out a heavy sigh. "It seemed too competent to come from them indeed."

You couldn't help but laugh loudly at his statement, accidentally causing you to drop the paper. "Woops." You said through laughs and picked it up, calming down as you stood up straight again. "Sorry this happened by the way." You then said and Jotaro sent you a questioning look. "I don't write about real people for a reason and this is exactly why. It's just wrong to do without permission."

Jotaro hummed and you suddenly realised who exactly you were talking to.

Awkwardly clearing your throat, you just put the paper in your pocket. "I'll make sure they won't be able to steal any more of my writing so if it works, you won't have to worry about seeing terribly written cheesy romantic scenes anymore. Apart from maybe their own attempts at it." You chuckled at that last bit and looked up to cross eyes with Jotaro.

There seemed to be a somewhat amused glint in them, putting you at ease.

Just then, you remembered a thing and you opened your mouth before abruptly closing it. Following it up with a deep breath. "Okay maybe you will still see some come by for the next few days. I left my bag in the cafeteria, unmanned and unsupervised. Prime chance for some grubby hands to go through it."

"Let's go make sure they fuck off before they plunder the entire thing then."

Jotaro simply turned around while you blinked, pleasantly surprised before you sprinted to catch up with him.

You both walked around the school in quiet, moving to the front doors so you could re-enter again and make your way to the cafeteria.

"I don't mean to pry," You started after a little bit and saw Jotaro glance at you from the corner of his eye, a somewhat wary look in his eye but you just continued. "But how do you keep yourself from punching that entire gaggle of screeching sheep? Honestly I already feel like punching them when I hear them next to me for more than two minutes. And you have to deal with it every day for way longer."

Jotaro visibly relaxed and you heard him let out an amused exhale. "Wouldn't have guessed I have better patience than you." He said back.

You let out an offended gasp at that. "Excuse me my patience is amazing. And let's be fair, I can hear you across the school every day when you yell at them."

He sent you a small side glare, quickly returning to stoically looking forward. "Yes but I haven't ever punched them."

"Neither have I." You smirked. "See? Good patience."

"How about you practice some of that good patience and shut up." His tone of voice was harsh but you could tell there was no anger behind it, so you just let a small smile of victory take over your features as you both walked into the cafeteria.

To say heads turned in surprise when you walked in side by side with Jotaro, unharmed, would be an understatement.

Walking up to the table you had been sitting at, you were relieved to see your friend sitting there, looking at you in disbelief with your bag next to her.

Waving, you walked up and turned to the tall delinquent next to you. "Thanks for not beating me up. I'll see you around." You gave him a weird mock solute before giggling slightly at your stupidity.

Jotaro just hummed and gave you a nod, stuffing his hands in his pocket and turning around, walking out of the cafeteria without a word.

That went way better than you ever could have thought.