#(i... tried. enjoy the bun regardless)

[bunnys-kisses]

hi! i was wondering if i could order pull-apart bread, sweet pastry and hot cross buns, with a side of cider and chocolate milk, for sub!max verstappen? nobody really writes anything about the reader body worshiping him and his softer body, which would be nice to reassure him about. id love to hold his love handles 🥹

thank you so much in advance if you’re up for doing this! 💙

bakery menu

submissions to the bakery are open! i'm accepting them all the time, even if they take a little while to get uploaded, i am constantly working on 'em! so thank you! and for this anon! hello!!! this is amazing, what the hell! i feel the same way, folks don't really write about it in fan fics (i've seen posts wax poetically about it though). so yes, this was awesome to write! thank you <333

pull-apart bread ("i love you") + sweet pastry ("i'll make it all better.") + hot cross buns ("don't hide your face from me. i'd hate to have to tie you up.") + cider (body worship) + chocolate milk (tenderness) served by max verstappen (formula one)!!

cw: smut/pwp, sub!max, body worship, tender sex, cowgirl position, bondage, praise kink, dom!reader, insecurities, love & intimacy

it wasn't that you were going to fight people online over your boyfriend. it was a pointless endeavor to snap back at someone on twitter of all places! especially someone with a lando norris icon. but if you saw one more comment about your boyfriend's body online, you're going to kick something.

you loved max, that was why you were with him. but, you worried about him. underneath everything, there was soft center to him. and sometimes the wrong comment got through all the layers and right to the middle.

it just so happened the comments you hated the most were the ones about his body.

it was near the end of the off-season, you two had come back from a sunny trip to celebrate the time together. it left your poor boyfriend a little more pink than usual. especially around the shoulders, where he was shirtless most of the time.

you loved how he looked regardless. he was immensely strong in ways you couldn't fully grasp. you were always impressed by his ability to pick you up and kiss you. you believed that people had a skewed notion of what "hot" men should be built like. and you blamed it marvel movies and alpha male podcasts. max was not a dehydrated body builder. layered on top of the strength was a certain softness and made at the very least you drool at the sight of.

he was strong, but enjoyed food. he liked his sweets on weekends and a little extra at dinner. it didn't help with the constant weigh-ins and other measurements for formula one. so when you noticed his eyes on another cruel post online in response to a photo of him shirtless. you wanted to take that phone and toss it out the window.

you watched him turn off the screen and put the phone down on his chest. the room felt tense and your fingers went into his short hair. he tried to pull away, but with a tiny bit of force kept him close. you knew what he was thinking. just like everything else, max verstappen had crippling self-doubt.

"max. my love."

"yeah.." he said softly. the self-doubt that followed him like a shadow seemed to encrouch in his mind. you could tell even if you couldn't see his full expression.

you took the phone and placed it on the coffee table. you ran your fingers through his hair and looked down at him. fingers trailed down his jaw. "why don't we forget about that and go to the bedroom. "i'll make it all better."

you were in bed with him soon enough. he left his t-shirt and loose shorts on as your hands roamed his body. your lips on his neck, jaw and face. little unsaid promises of how handsome he was. "don't listen to them."

"what if they're right."

"when has a formula one fan ever been right about anything? you know some people online make ragebait. they're trying to get a rise out of other fans and cause in fighting."

"if i tried a little harder... i could look more like the others."

you made him look at you. his blue eyes seemed sad, like cloudy skies over a rocky shoreline. he couldn't meet your gaze, he was almost embarrassed. "max, look at me."

he made eye contact with you, "i could... if i tried."

you held his face a little tighter as he looked away. you said to him, "max, you are training all the time. you push yourself to limits that could kill many others. you work harder than a work horse with half the pay sometimes." you kissed the bridge of his nose, "i don't know who planted these ideas into your head." you had an idea, two names came to mind that made you frown. that was neither here nor there, "but, i love how you look."

his eyes shifted away from you. embarrassed. this entire thing felt embarrassing. he was insecure like a teenage girl at the moment because some random person online called him a stupid name.

"max. don't hide your face from me. i'd hate to have to tie you up." you said, trying to insert a joke to lighten the mood. you watched his demeanor shift and his eyes meet yours.

"would you.. tie me up? make me forget everything for a little bit?" he asked softly, his words almost tripped over one another. while most would've sought heavy therapy and an early retirement for their issues. max tried to cover them up, and sometimes that meant being your good boy.

"then tell me one thing, max."

"anything." he replied.

"say one nice thing about your appearance. anything. just one thing. and then i'll get what we need.' you promised, sealing it with a kiss on the cheek.

he swallowed, not knowing what to say. he shifted a little in his spot on the bed before he sighed. eventually he responded with, "my nose." he said, eyes on yours, "i like my nose. makes me stand out a little more."

you smiled a little bit and kissed him on the cheek, a gestured he melted into you. you replied, "and i love your nose too. i'm proud of you, max. good boy."

he said, "i love you."

and before you pulled away to get the roped needed for tonight, you said to him, "i love you too." then quickly ran your finger down his nose, "i love you, your nose, those eyes. every last inch of skin. your strength and your softness. it makes you perfect to me and those jealous bitches on twitter can't say anything about it." you broke into a further smile.

max chuckled slightly, he found you language amusing. the internet was troll heaven, but sometimes he needed his guiding light to not get himself sucked into the chaos of his doubts. he watched you pull away from him and get off the bed. he took off his shirt and shorts, he tried not too think too hard, but rather keep his eyes on you.

when you went to the dresser to find what you needed, he propped himself against the rod-iron headboard. usually he didn't like them, but when he discovered his affection for bondage early into your relationship, the headboard was perfect to keep him bound.

you returned to the bed, placing the two pieces of rope down onto the bed before you started to strip out of your clothes. once naked you got into bed with him. your hands roamed his chest and straddled his waist.

"you're so handsome, max. jesus christ. look at you." you smiled down at him. skin so soft, he was just perfect and you couldn't believe it. you rubbed up against him a little more and explored his torso with your hands, you watched him squirm a little under your touch. he shuddered a little. 

  “i'm not that-"

  “max verstappen. shush. i don't want to hear it.” you rubbed up against the bulge in his briefs. you held onto his shoulders a little as you moved. the dry humping felt good and left excitement racing through your lover, “that's it. that's my good boy.” 

he groaned a little, which only go louder when you stopped your movements to grab the ropes. he dropped his wrists to the bed and let you tie them to the bars of the headboard by the mattress. he melted a little against it while you took his cock out of his briefs.  the underwear was off him in no time and you got straddled on his waist with your hands on his shoulders once more.

you eyed him with heavy lust, “i know those idiots say that you're too fat or soft. well, i think they're blind. i think they're a whole bunch of idiots. you are perfect, turn me on every chance you get.” you took his face in your hands and kissed him as you continued to rub up against him. he panted against you when you broke the kiss soon after. 

  words of protest hung on max's tongue, but he never said anything further. this wasn't going to be a thing he could win. no matter what he said, you have a rebuttal. it was a losing battle, so he'd simply have to put his trust into you. if you found him hot beyond words, then you'd have to listen. but the fight was fully gone when you seated yourself onto his cock, then sank down on it to the base. he yanked against the ropes a little bit and found euphoria in the knowledge that you tied the ropes just as he liked them. tightly.

  “planning to fight against them, max?" you asked as you raked your fingers down his pale chest, "you wouldn't do that, would you? because you're my good boy! my handsome good boy. with those dazzling eyes and stunning laugh. when you smile i'm in heaven. especially when yo let me make both of us feel good. 

he shook his head, his cheeks grew hot from your gaze on him. if he was hot, then you were gorgeous. you were an inferno made human. the most beautiful woman he had ever laid his eyes on. the kind of beauty that brought him to his knees. he breathed heavily as the pleasure started to build in the bottom of his gut. his cock twitched a little bit the more you rode him. 

he loved being at your mercy, under your thumb in a sexual manner. he bad so many choices all day, sometimes with only seconds to make them. so it was nice. to be in the comfort of your shared bed and letting you take what you needed from him. to give you total control. to love him, shower him in the praise he desired.  

  “i love you.” you said,

  “i love you too.” 

you started to move faster, really working your hips, making sure you could do as much as you could. you moaned a little bit and felt the stutter in your heart from the heat of everything. you pushed hair out of your face as you continued to ride him. the feeling between you two was electric. you said to him, “you're so handsome. fuck, you're perfect.” you started to move faster.

max bit back a moan but it spilled out when you crashed your lips against him. he almost whimpered from the fast speed. how good you took him. it made him clench his fists to try to compose himself. his chest rose and fell heavily he tensed up a little bit at the throb of lust in his body. you kissed him once more as you went as fast as you could go. you bounced on his cock and your nails dug into his jaw and shoulders. 

the noises between you two were erotic. it was desperate on max's end. he wanted to make you feel good while also chasing his own pleasure. he fought a little bit against constraints. he was a little jerky as he tensed up. he could feel it all crashing down on him. no longer the lingering feeling of self-doubt but rather he heat of pleasure. the need to climax. to get out of his own head with the erotic bliss. 

   “please, my love. please.” he swallowed as his back arched a little. he leaned up to give you more kisses and watched you melt against him while your hips still moved. you held his face with both hands and clenched your thighs. he made a sweet, high pitched, almost whine like noise when you pulled away.

you carded your fingers through his hair and admired those blue eyes clouded in lust. “you're perfect, max. every inch of you. every spot you hate, i love more. damn those fuckers on twitter, they don't get to see what i see. everything.” you went in for another kiss and clutched onto his shoulders tightly as you came around his cock. your back arched and max went in to kiss your collarbones with such tenderness. 

  “my good boy.” you said out of breath as you continued to move against him. your cunt clutched around him as you kept your pace steady despite the tremor in your thighs. you knew max wanted to hold onto you and work your hips up and down his cock. but, you were in control. so you examined his expressions as you continued to move. 

the kisses became sloppy once more as you brought max to his own climax. as he tensed up, he really yanked at the ropes for a good few moments before he felt all the fight leave his body. his eyes almost rolled back into his head from the head rush. he relaxed against the headboard and panted heavily. 

he looked erotic, but totally blissed out. so when you stopped your motions. you kissed him gently on the lips before you got off his cock and felt his cum run down your leg as you tried to find your panties. once they were on, you smothered him in kisses and praise as you got the ropes off of him.  you kissed his wrists and he slipped down onto the bed. the mattress felt nice against his body. he felt on cloud nine.

you rubbed his cheek for a moment with your thumb as you said, “i'm going to go get you some water. you just stay here, i'll be right back. now before i go i have to ask one thing. say one thing you like about yourself?"

he shakily exhaled while he leaned into your touch. his eyes were somewhat closed when he answered, sounding far away, “my eyes. they intimidate people. but not you. you love them.” then leaned further. 

you smiled and kissed the top of his head, “that's what i like to hear. next time i want two things before and after we have sex. got it? i'm going to make you love yourself.”

he chuckled softly, cheeks pink, “easier said than done.”

you tapped his cheek before you moved away to go get him some water. you said to him while you approached the bedroom door, “max verstappen, you know i'm as stubborn as you are. ” then left to go get him some water. you could only hope you could make a dent in healing some of his doubt issues. and while you couldn't fight people on twitter, you could kiss and love the man you called your boyfriend. <3

[tulip-room]

♡•◦Excuses◦•♡

Pairing: Suna x Chubby! Fem! Reader

Content: Suna’s little sister loves your sweet treats. That’s definitely why he’s in there so often

Words: 2k

a/n: This is part of my Sweet Treats writing series! So stayed tuned for the other parts. This is the second story in the series you can find the other one and the future ones in the post!! I hope you enjoy me adding to the Suna chubby chaser agenda <3

 “No, I’m serious Rin. It’s literally the best bakery I have ever been to. They don’t only have baked goods either, they have a deli with regular sandwiches and pretzel buns. It’s mouthwatering.” Suna’s sister exclaims trying to get her brother to agree to take her to the aforementioned bakery. He rolls his eyes with a sigh and starts putting his jacket on.

“Fine, but only if you’ll finally stop talking about it.” The two walk out the door, Suna following behind his sister. She seems excited and as much as he pretends to hate her ramblings it’s endearing and he enjoys making his sister happy. 

“Hello little Suna!” They’re greeted as soon as they walk in. “Who did you bring with you?” Suna looks up and has to take a moment to collect himself. Less than five feet away is the most beautiful woman he thinks he’s ever seen. She has flour on her apron and a bit of chocolate on her cheek, most people wouldn’t think she was his type. Most people were wrong, he lives for chubbier people. More of them to love, as people say. He hasn’t even realized that his sister was talking about him. 

“Yeah, this is my brother. Rinatarou?” She waves a hand in front of his face, she’s abit amused by the blush building on his cheeks and how quickly he froze when he caught a look at her favorite baker. Now she can’t say this wasn’t her plan, she knew her brother would love you. But she was pleasantly surprised to see she was right. 

Suna shakes his head and comes back to where the two of you are laughing slightly. Wow, even your laugh was pretty. “What can I help you with?” And suddenly his mouth is dry and he’s not sure what to say. He clears his thoat and looks at the menu. 

“Uhm…a…ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato sandwich on a pretzel bun. And whatever she wants,” he points at his sister who rattles off her order. He sighs and pulls his card out of his wallet. 

“Alright, I’ll have that right out for you two,” you say, handing his card back to him. Your fingers brush accidentally and Suna takes a quick breath in. His sister can’t help the laugh that escapes her mouth and tries to cover it with a cough. The two make their way over to a table still in view of the counter and the kitchen. Suna is pushed into a chair where he can see you as his sister sits opposite him.

“So,” she smiles at him teasingly. “Y/N huh?”

“Y/N? Is that her name?” He asks, a little distracted as he watches you work. His sister doesn’t need to turn around to see what has his attention. 

“Mhm, she’s single you know.”

“She is?” That got his attention. His head whips to his sister.

“Yup, complains that she needs someone to cook and bake for all the time. If only I knew someone who is hopeless at cooking?” She taps her chin as she looks at him. “Seriously Rin, if you don’t get her to be your girlfriend I will. I need her fresh baked bread.”

“Is that all this is?”

“No, I want both of you to be happy, she’s been very nice to me and you deserve someone as good as her. So man up and ask her out.” She says it a little louder than he likes and it catches the attention of the other patrons. He flicks her forehead with a frown.

“Don’t say it so loud.” He whisper-yells at her. Eventually their order gets called and Suna gets up to collect it. When you smile at him he thinks he died. He just gives you a small smile back. “Thank you.”

“You’re more than welcome, Suna.”

“Rintarou, you can call me Rintarou, it would get a little confusing with my sister anyway.”

“Okay, you’re more than welcome, Rintarou.” Did his name always sound that nice or was it just you who made it sound nice. Regardless he takes the food and sits back down.

“Oh my goodness, can you be anymore whipped?”

“You planned this.” He glares gently at his sister.

“You can’t prove that,” she shrugs with a smile and starts digging into her sandwich.

Day One

You weren’t expecting to see Suna again, at least without the company of his sister. “Hello Rintarou,” you greet him as he walks in and finish checking out a customer. They didn’t request a sandwich so you just had to measure out the cookies. He stood patiently behind the person. Once they leave it’s just you and Suna in the shop again. “What brings you in?”

He hadn’t thought that far. “Uhm..just.” He clears his throat and scracthes the back of his neck in a shy manner. “Just picking something up for my sister.”

“Oh, okay.” You start putting things in the computer. “Anything else? I already put her usual in.” You give him a kind smile and try not to think about how his cheeks turn slightly red at the action.

“Nope, that’s it.” You nod and head to the back to make the sandwich. When you come back you get his payment. “My sister really loves you- er your baked goods and sandwiches.”

“I’m aware, it makes my day to see her. She’s adorable, always going on and on about her brother. If I didn’t know any better I would think she was trying to set us up.” You tease gently and hand him the wrapped sandwich.

“Yeah, that would be silly.”

“Maybe, she did a good job selling you. See you later, Rintarou.” You wave as you turn to help the customer that had just walked in. He leaves the bakery with less money in his wallet and a blush on his cheeks.

Day Two

Once again the brown haired man came into the bakery without the presence of his little sister. “Hello Rintarou,” you greet him. This time he’s the only customer in the bakery so the two of you have time to chat before you make his order. “You know, if you come in everyday I may think you’re not just here for your sister.” You tease him as you ring up the order. Your fingers brush against his again as you take his card from him.

“That would be absurd Y/N. Obviously I’m here to treat my little sister while I’m in town.” He smiles and leans his arm on the counter as he rests his chin in the palm of his hand. 

“Mhm, of course.” You give him a smile of you own and hand him the carefully packaged sandwich. “Tell the little Suna I said hello.”

“What not going to say hello to me? Your favorite Suna?”

“I did say hello to you, when you walked in. And favorite? I don’t know about all that, the jury is still out on it.” You lean against the counter yourself. Suna takes the opportunity to wipe at the chocolate on your cheek that taunts him everyday he comes in. Your face grows warm and it’s your turn to stutter.

“Sure I’m not your favorite?”

You let out a small laugh and push his shoulder gently. “It takes more than some teasing to be my favorite. Goodbye Rintarou.” You wave at him as a group walks into the bakery. 

Day Three

Day three is when you call him out. He had to wait in line and there’s more of a crowd in the bakery than there usually is. Probably something to do with it being a Friday. You still wave at him when he comes in and he patiently waits at the end of the line. Thankfully by the time he gets up to the counter there’s only two more customers after him. He orders and stands to the side to talk to you when you become free again. 

“Sorry about that Rintarou,” you turn to him with a smile. He waves you off as you wipe your hands off on your apron. 

“You own a business, I would hope it’s not always empty.” He plays with the container of straws, spinning one around. Happy to see that everyone was sitting down enjoying their food. You allow yourself to lean on the counter as well. 

“Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays are my busiest.” 

“Makes sense.”

“You know the funniest thing happened yesterday.” He hums looking at you in confusion clearly wanting you to go on. “Your sister came into the shop wanting a sandwich. Consider me shocked when I told her you had already come in earlier to get her one. She looked just as shocked as I was.”

Shit. That was the first thing that came to his mind as he reached a hand up to rub the back of his neck. He looks away as his face grows red. “Did she?” He asks his voice, lifting up near the end of the question. 

“Mhm. Isn’t that funny?”

“Hilarious.” He was going to scream into his pillow when he got home and probably glare at his sister through dinner. “Would you look at the time, I have to get home.” He checks a fake watch on his wrist. 

“I think it’s cute that you’re using it as an excuse to see me. I enjoy seeing you too. Goodbye, Rintarou.” You wave at him as he races out the door covering his face with a hand. He still wasn’t used to how gently you would call his name in greetings or goodbyes.

Day Four

It was the last day of his visit, his sister had come in earlier to tease her brother over the situation from yesterday. You scolded her lightly and told her not to tease him too much or he might not come back.

“Like that would happen, he’s whipped your honor.” The two of you are still laughing when he enters the shop. What was she doing here? He remembers requesting his sister not show up today but he supposes he can’t always get what he wants.

“Hello, Rintarou.” Yeah, he’s done for if you keep saying his name like that. “Here to get something for your sister?” You tease and he shakes his head with a small smile. 

“Seems she got something for herself.” He looks at the drink and sandwich in his sister’s hands. Getting the hint she walks away after waving to you. 

“So, what actually brings you in today.”

“I’m here to order something for myself.”

“And what would that be?” You lean closer to him.

“Your number.” It was a surprise, not an unwelcome one though. 

“Okay, give me your phone. It’ll cost you though.” You hold your hand out for him to place his phone in your hand.

“What will it cost me?” He hands his phone over to you with a smile. 

“A date, a proper one.” You smile as you put your number in and hand the phone back to the dumbfounded man. You hear quiet clapping and see his sister smiling and giving you a thumbs up from behind him. He whips his head around and she pretends like she was eating her sandwich the whole time. 

“Deal. I’ll be back in a few weeks, you can cash your date in then.”

“Okay, see you then Rintarou.”

Bonus:

Suna smiles at his phone in between breaks. Now it wasn’t unusual for him to be on his phone during breaks in practice but it was a surprise that he all but ran to it. “Got a girlfriend, Sunarin?” Komori teases as he tries to look over Suna’s shoulder.

“Not yet, but hopefully.” He smiles as he answers. Komori can’t even tease him more because he’s not quite sure he’s ever seen the boy look so happy. Suna knew he would have to thank his sister some more when he visited again, many hours of listening to her gossip (and not pretending like he didn’t care) it would also result in getting his nails painted while they gossiped. They were chipping anyway.

rules masterlist

taglist: @sanaexus

[fuckitupfelix]

AAAAA UR WRITING IS SO AWESOME MAN IT GOT ME GIGGLING TWIRLING MY HAIR AND EVERYTHING!!! I wanna req erm ATSUMU AND FHEN ANY HQ CHARACTER OF UR CHOOSING AND WHAT THEY WLD DO FOR THEIR FIRST ANNIVERSARY WITH THEIR S/O AAAAAAAAAA

stopp you got me blushing n shit like marry me rn AHHH😝🫶

365!

haikyuu!! x male reader

chars: miya atsumu , hinata shoyo , nishinoya yuu

what they have planned for your first anniversary together.

fem aligned DNI

MIYA ATSUMU — ★ dinner date !

lets be real for a second. atsumu's hardly the romantic type. he's used to girls fawning over him left right and center, but now that he's actually dating someone?

catch him looking up date and gift ideas online

this guy has no clue what hes doing! so naturally (after arguing with osamu about what to do. . .) he goes to ask kita what he should do for your first year anniversary!

que him coming up to you after he's finished practice, asking if you want to go somewhere.

he's the type to blindfold you halfway through the walk and drag you along thinking it's a good idea (you almost get run over like three times)

FINALLY. . . you reach your destination! he made a reservation at your favorite local restaurant for dinner :)

you both sit next to each other in a booth because sitting across from people when you eat is overrated !!! im speaking my truth!!

tsumu will gift you something volleyball related . . . the little freak (affectionate)

he gets you guys matching keychains!! yours has his jersey number , and his has yours ! (unless you don't play a sport, then he just has your lucky number)

you both get ice cream after dinner n spend the night at his house , cuddled up in bed together <3

he gets made fun of by the team the next day when you tell them about it

HINATA SHOYO — ★ park date !

hinata's kinda similar to atsumu in the sense that he has no clue what to do

he asks the third years on the team and yachi for advice

yachi's best piece of advice was "to do something that (name) and you will both enjoy!!"

. . . so he decides to take you out to the convenience store and get meat buns for lunch

you tell him thats not even romantic and he gets a little defensive about it

his logic being that he feels super comfortable around you so he feels he doesn't have to do anything extravagant!

and its cute, yeah . . . you can't really argue with that

you just spend the day hanging out together at the park! you see some ducks, pet some peoples dogs, play with some stray cats

he tries to sneak a little volleyball in there too (unsuccessfully)

at the end of it you both head back to his place and have dinner with his family :)

NISHINOYA YUU — ★ beach date !

noya's been planning this since the day you started dating

he avoids you like the plague all day at school, vaguely communicating through tanaka

he's thankful your anniversary falls on a day there isn't practice, so he can drag you home the second the bell rings to get a change of clothes

thats right guys . your man's giving you the beach episode we never got !

is it an excuse to see you in your swimsuit? obviously!! who do you think he is?

even if you're wearing a t-shirt and pants he'll love it

because regardless of what you wear, the second noya sees you laughing, splashing water with your hair wet? oh he's a goner

you both go to one of those stores that sells pretty rocks and buy beads that match each others eye colors to make bracelets <3

(he spent hours trying to figure something out with asahi's help)

you both fall asleep on the bus ride home and almost missed your stop

can you tell i love noya guys 😓 anyways i hope you liked this !!

divider by @/plutism !!

[firelordsfirelady]

XI. Covered in Fire

Author: @firelordsfirelady

Imagine: When Y/N—a princess of one of the Water Tribes—is told she’s leaving her tribe, she never expects that she’s to be betrothed to the Fire Lord’s son, nor was she prepared to be exiled the very day she arrived at the Fire Nation. With her life in the hands of her new fiancée, how will life change for the princess? 

Pairing: Zuko x F!Reader

Trigger warnings: arranged marriage, feelings of fear, banishment, mentions of burns/abuse, frustration, violence, betrayal

Word Count: 2936

Destined to be Yin and Yang 

I own no rights to Avatar the Last Airbender or any of the characters/story. 

Author’s Notes

The characters as all aged up so Zuko’s banishment happens when he’s 16 

Keep in mind I am bringing a unique world with inspiration from ATLA in their characters, some of the events that happen, bending, etc. Not many things may align or occur with what happened in the show. It’s intended that way, so I hope you enjoy it regardless.

Y/N's look this chapter here.

Destined to be Yin and Yang Soundtrack (YouTube)

A set of knocks sounded on my door the next more and sent off a pounding in my head that led to the groan that left my mouth.

“Forgive me, but your presence is requested for tea at Uncle’s.” Zuko’s voice came from the other side of the door before I heard steps walk away. My head felt like I had hit it against a rock as the pounding made me close my eyes in pain. I slowly dragged myself out of bed and grabbed the first piece of fabric my hand grabbed in the darkness of my room. With how my head felt, I was thankful for the blanket covering the window and how it dimmed the light in there. I put on the dress before I threw my hair up in a bun and then left the room. I slowly walked down the hall as the soft pads of my leather shoes connecting with the floor sounded like thunder in my head. I grimaced as I knocked on Iroh’s door and Iroh opened the door to greet me.

“Good morning, Y/N.” His voice was horribly loud for my ears this morning, but his words stopped as he took in my appearance then a wide smile spread across his face. Looking over his shoulder, I saw Zuko standing with reddened cheeks as his fists clenched at his sides. Iroh’s laughter made me look at the older man with a grimace of confusion. I smoothed down the fabric of my dress as I looked down to find blood-red fabric greeting the cones in my eyes.

Of course, I would blindly put on Fire Nation colors. My cheeks felt aflame as I looked back up to the older man as he motioned for me to enter the room. Avoiding eye contact with Zuko, I happily sank into one of the cushions in front of a small table where a tea set rested. The tea smelled like the cure to my pounding head, so I carefully picked up the pot and poured myself a cup of the warm liquid. Carefully setting the teapot down, I tried to hide the grimace on my face as the soft sound caused my head to pound more.

“How do you feel this morning?” Zuko asked in a level tone as I closed my eyes and I slowly stirred some honey into my cup. The soft clinks of the spoon against the cup didn’t help soothe my head. Not able to tolerate the noise of the spoon anymore, I covered my ears and gently laid my head against the table’s surface.

“The sound of my own breathing is sending waves of pain through my head.” My voice was muffled as I spoke into the table. “The light is too bright in the dim-ass hallway.” I felt tears gathering in my eyes as the pain in my head was quickly becoming unbearable with my eyes, so I closed my eyes. “I really want to drink this cup of tea but I just cannot tolerate the sound of the spoon in the cup.” Fighting a sob towards the end, I took a deep breath in an effort to calm myself down. Neither one of them said anything and I took a few moments to calm down before I spoke again. “Are we still on our course for the Fire Nation?”

Silence greeted my question as I tried to recollect what happened last night. I couldn’t remember much of what happened after I brought Iroh and Zuko the cupcakes. My heart felt heavy in my chest as an ominous sensation danced over the hairs on my skin.

“He ran!” Zuko’s paroxysm of rage caused a yelp to leave my lips as his fist collided with the table next to him. “The world’s greatest warrior! And he ran. He’s a coward!” I tried to plug my ears to protect my head from the volume of his voice.

“I wouldn’t say that.” Iroh’s voice was soft enough for me to unplug my ears to hear him clearly. “I would just say the Avatar isn’t what either you or I were expecting.”

“I’m still the heir to the Fire Nation Throne--” Zuko’s volume was much quieter than before, and I felt some of the tension in my shoulders relax as a thought crossed my mind. Focusing on the honey and the tea, I hovered my hand over the cup and mixed the contents within before I lifted my head to take a sip.

Mixed to perfection. I took another sip as the pounding in my head slowly dulled as the warm liquid filled my stomach.

“It is precisely the reason why being in this remote corner of the world is an advantage.” Iroh’s soft words brought me back to the situation of the room. 

“So, where are we heading now?” I asked as I dared to open my eyes. Iroh was sitting with his legs crossed on the cushion across from me as he sipped on his own cup of tea. 

“We will be meeting with the Commander of an outpost nearby.” Zuko’s calm words seemed bitter as he turned away from me to look at the map on the wall.

“How long until we arrive?

“We will dock in a few hours.” I gave a nod as I relished in another sip of the tea before I bit my lip as I asked my next question.

“Is it okay if I stay on the ship?”

If I understood what Zuko said the other night, then I didn’t need to be going to outposts and meeting Commanders as his fiancée. Zuko looked over at me as he pondered what he wanted to say.

“If you are feeling alright, your presence would be preferred.” I couldn’t distinguish what his tone was trying to say, but he cleared his throat and continued in a level tone. “You are my betrothed, after all. You will need to know the business of the Fire Nation.” 

My mind couldn’t quite wrap my head around what Zuko meant by his words, but I finished my cup of tea before I gently set the cup down.

“I shall attend the next meeting then.” I stood up and bowed to the two men in the room as my head felt better than before, but I wanted to be in the silence of my room for a while. “I will await the news of the meeting.”

Leaving without another word, I quickly made the short journey to my room and shut the door before I collapsed onto the bed. Exhaustion quickly gave way to a dreamless rest as I suddenly opened my eyes at the sound of knocking on my door. 

“Yes?” I quietly answered as I wiped the sleep from my eyes.

“We have docked at the outpost.” Zuko’s voice came from the other side of the door. “Will you be accompanying us?” Slowly sitting up in the bed, I still felt the dull ache in my head and the pain in my chest. 

“I will attend the next one.” I kept my voice even as I moved to sit in the chair. “I’ll stay on the ship.” Zuko said nothing before I heard his footsteps walk away from the door.

A little while later, I was sitting in my room working on shading my firebender when the sound of hurrying footsteps came from down the hall. The door to my bedroom was flung open by several Fire Nation soldiers.

“Wha—“ Hands roughly grabbed my arms and dragged me out of my room. “What’s the meaning of this?” I asked as I tried to pull away from two men holding me.

“Silence, Waterbender.” One of the men harshly ordered, and I felt the color drain from my face.

This was not going to end well.

The men drug me through the streets of the small outpost before they brought me to a set of double doors. A sinking feeling developed in the pit of my stomach as the guards outside the room threw open the door to reveal Zuko and Iroh as they sat in two chairs in the middle of the room. The sound of the door opening drew the room’s occupants’ attention as I was roughly brought to my knees a few feet away from the Prince. Zuko’s eyes briefly flashed with anger as he saw me, and Iroh’s face twisted in concern. A stranger stood between us three, and my breath hitched as he turned around to reveal the stranger who had thrown the fireball at me. His eyes stared down at me with hatred and amusement as the guards holding me spoke.

“The interviews with the crew are complete. They said that this one right here is a Waterbender.” The word itself must’ve tasted bitter on the guard’s tongue as he tightened his grip on my bicep. I bit the inside of my cheek to prevent any signs of pain from showing on my face. I’m sure all the color has drained from my face as my heart pounds in my ears. Bravely, I focused letting my eyes convey defiance as the man smiled then humorlessly laughed. 

“You lost the Avatar because you picked up a Waterbender and she helped the Avatar escape.” The man’s words were full of humor as he laughed before my vision faded from impact with an object. If the guards weren’t holding me as tightly as they were, I would have fallen to the ground. The silence around me slowly faded into loud shouting. As my vision slowly came into focus, Zuko was standing face-to-face with the man.

“Do you want a burn to match?” Zuko sounded pissed.

“Are you challenging me to an Agni Kai?” Zhao teased.

“Agni Kai at sunset.” Zuko spat at the man. The two men holding me suddenly let me go and I barely caught myself before I hit the ground too hard. Iroh walked over and gently helped me stand up. 

“Too bad your father won’t be here to watch me humiliate you.” The man and his guards turned and left the room after he said his venomous words. Once the three of us were alone, Iroh calmly spoke to Zuko.

“An Agni Kai?” I watched Zuko’s face as his uncle spoke. “You remember what happened last time you fought a master.” Zuko’s fists clenched at the mention of the event.

“Let’s get Y/N back to the ship.” Zuko turned on his heel. “She needs to see the doctor.”

Iroh offered to help walk me back to the ship, but I declined as I forced myself to stand on my own two feet. The world spun for a moment before I centered myself and followed behind Zuko as he quickly left for the ship. The Prince’s steps were too quick for the state I was currently in, so I leisurely walked with Iroh to the boat.

“Iroh,” I asked as we walked. “Who was that guy?”

“He’s Commander Zhao. He is a bitter man who is always seeking to climb in the ranks of the Fire Nation.” Iroh’s tone was calm as he spoke to me. “He carries on the Fire Nation’s beliefs that fire is the superior element.” Iroh watched as Zuko’s figure slowly got farther away from us.

“I could see that hit you took from the Commander threw you for a loop.” Iroh’s voice was gentle as he spoke. “I think it upset Zuko because he exploded at Zhao.” I felt worry settle into my facial features.

Was Zuko in the Agni Kai because of me? I shook the arrogant thought from my head as I tried to quicken my steps to the boat.

After receiving clearance from the doctor, I stood next to Iroh in front of Zuko as he kneeled on one knee. The air of the Agni Kai field was hot with the heat of anger coming off the two men as they kneeled with their backs to each other. I swallowed the words in my throat as I gave Zuko a reassuring smile.

There was no doubt in my mind that Zuko would win.

“Remember the firebending basics, Prince Zuko.” Iroh coached him in a soft tone. 

“I’m not going to let him win.” Zuko stood and turned as the red cloth draped around his shoulders flew to the ground below him. Zhao did the same and a large bell was hit to signify the start of the battle. Iroh pulled me to the side to watch from a safe distance. The two men were of similar builds as their bodies were toned and evident of consistent training. A split moment of silence fell upon the field before Zuko let out a yell as he sent whirl after whirl of fire. The Commander effortlessly dodged Zuko’s attacks as Zuko panted from his effort. Zhao seemed to dance as he dodged and blocked Zuko’s fire blasts. Zhao sent Zuko a blast that was larger than any fire Zuko had sent Zhao’s way. Zuko looked slightly overwhelmed for a moment, which served to boast Zhao’s confidence as he got ready to attack again.

“You got this Zuko.” I whispered to myself as I watched the scene unfold in front of me. I saw Iroh glance at me out of my peripheral.

“Basics, Zuko!” Iroh yelled as a reminder. “Break his root!” My heart raced as Zuko blocked three shots Zhao fired at him, but the fourth one sent Zuko flying backward. I looked at Iroh who shook his head as I shifted the weight on my feet.

I knew the rules of the Agni Kai, but I wanted to help Zuko. Zhao pursued and moved to burn Zuko. Zuko’s face twisted in fear before Zuko spun on his hands and used his feet to dispel the fire from the Commander and swipe the Commander’s leg out from him. Zhao fell to the ground with a heavy thud as Zuko stood in an offensive stance. His golden eyes shone with confidence as he kicked fire at the Commander, sending the older man scattering backward as Zuko persisted with the attack. Zuko sent fire kick after kick towards the Commander until the man with the sideburns fell and rolled onto his back

“Do it.” The Commander taunted Zuko as the Prince stood victoriously over the older firebender. Zuko sent a fireball towards the left side of the ground next to the general. As Zuko stood there, I found myself admiring the young prince as he stood above the older man. He could have easily given the Commander the burn mark Zuko had promised him, but he stood triumphantly and looked as calm as a cucumber. 

“Your father raised a coward,” Zhao remarked bitterly after he did not receive the burn he was expecting. I balled my fist at the Commander’s words, but I looked at Zuko as he calmly spoke.

“Next time you get in my way, I promise I won’t hold back.” Zuko turned to walk away from the older man as he lay on the ground. I smiled with pride as Zuko walked towards his uncle and me.

As Zuko walked towards us, we walked towards him as I watched the Commander stand up. I saw his shoulders tense before he let out a yell. In the blink of an eye, I summoned a large wave of water to intersect the large blast of fire Zhao sent toward the Prince with my hand before I caught the foot of the Commander. The air of the battlefield stilled as I narrowed my eyes at the surprised face of the Commander before I sent him flying back with a wave of water. As the Commander collided and slid along the floor a few feet away from me, I straightened my posture and smoothed the soft red material of my dress as I heard Iroh exclaim from behind me.

“No, Prince Zuko, do not taint your victory!” I narrowed my eyes at the Commander as he lay on the ground in a puddle of water. His eyes seethed with anger as he looked at me as I audaciously stood in my place.

“This is how the great Commander Zhao acts in defeat?” The words left my mouth evenly as I spoke to the man. “Coward.” I turned on my heel and walked back over to Zuko and his uncle before I added. “Even in exile, Zuko is more honorable than you.” Zuko’s eyes met mine as his golden orbs tried to convey a message to me.

What’s that look for? I simply smiled at the Prince as I turned to look at Iroh as he spoke.

“Thanks again for the tea. It was delicious.” The three of us turned around and left through the large doors of the Agni Kai battlegrounds. The walk back to the ship was quiet and, as we arrived back to the ship, I quickly bowed to Zuko when he turned around to look at me.

“Forgive me, but I am still not fully recovered from all of the recent excitement.” My head was starting to pound stronger now that adrenaline wasn’t pumping through my veins. “I just need to rest.”

“Yes, please rest easy, Princess.” Iroh said as he turned to bow to me, but I gave the older man a disapproving look.

“I hate that name.” Placing my hands on my hips, I sighed as I smiled at the older man. “If anyone shall need me, you know where I’ll be.”

Without waiting for a reply, I quickly made my way to my room.

Tag List @chevysstuffs @puttyly @ginger24880 @night-fall-moon @junieshohoho @0kauy @coolgirl458 @hypnoticbeing @angelruinz @preeyansha @playboygeniusphilanthropist @ssonniiu  @chi-ara @hagridshaircare @stell404  @kyo-kyo1 @herondale-lightworm @simonsbluee @nadlx33333 @nerdisthenewcool

[mornwrites]

Hi! Sorry if this is a bit weird but may I please ask for a platonic/ familial Xie Lian and younger sister reader? I’ve only watched the donghua so I’d prefer not to get spoilers for the novels if possible.

Thank you!

⋆.˚ ᡣ𐭩 .𖥔˚ content - Xie Lian , Reader is from Banyue kingdom , Lowkey made the reader more gender-neutral than female whoops , Reader has no parents , Very subtle undertone of child neglect , No Triggers

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ author's note - thank you so much for the request and don't worry, it wasn't weird at all! i wish there were more fics in TGCF with sibling!reader dynamics. apologies for taking so long to write this out, but i hope it's to your satisfaction. perhaps i can make a part two or write any specific scenario if you have one in mind. :)

Xie Lian met you right after his time in the Banyue kingdom, falsifying his death and then fleeing. He'd begun wandering on his own again during this time and loneliness had slowly begun to nip at him, guilt clawing at him due to how everything had turned out. Being nothing more than a passerby in some miscellaneous village, he'd never planned on taking another kid under his wing.

You had been running through a field after a butterfly, determined to catch it and not paying attention. This led to you stumbling over a napping Xie Lian who was hidden within the tall grass, trying to catch up on some much needed rest. He was startled to say the least, but he was quick to process the situation and help you up, reassuring you that it was okay after your seemingly endless apologies.

From there it didn't take long for you to grow attached to Xie Lian, small and craving some sort of affection that you lacked with an absence of parents. He was equally lonely and in desperate need of someone to take care of to help stave off the negativity brewing within him. You left the village with him later on after a few small protests when he tried to decline, saying that you'd be better off in the place you didn't consider a home.

Anything and everything you wanted to learn was readily available. Xie Lian was happy to teach you how to read and write, encouraging you to discover the world around you. He'd ensure you would had everything you needed whether it be ink and a quill or some scroll with a story to be told. Money was never flowing very easily from his pockets, but he did just about anything he could to make sure you were fed at the end of the day.

Despite the times in which this takes place, Xie Lian thought it was important for you to be capable of self defense in case anything happened while he wasn't with you. This led to you learning the basics of sword wielding and martial arts, a force to be reckoned with regardless of the assumptions many would make about women during that time period. He definitely would do his best to make sure you didn't overwork yourself if you trained tirelessly, trying to emphasize the important of resting.

If you ever want to play with his hair Xie Lian definitely lets you, sitting there as you try a variety of hairstyles that resulted in knots half the time. He could do a simple braid or bun for your hair, but he's practically incapable of doing anything further. Even though he'd been without assistants for several decades now, he still wasn't completely used to doing certain things on his own let alone for other people. This doesn't mean he wouldn't try, though, regardless of the length of your hair.

Xie Lian definitely buys you pretty skirts and other more feminine outfits when you're little, but he'll refrain from doing so if you don't enjoy them later on. He'd definitely put little bows and ribbons in your hair, possibly get you a matching set with a doll he bought for you prior to this. Overall, I think Xie Lian does his best to set a great example for you and help prepare you for life because he knows firsthand how difficult it can be.

[swee7dream]

the types of littles cg!dreamies would take care of caregiver!nct dream x gn!reader

a/n this is agere content ! all inappropriate interactions will be blocked. please don't interact if you sexualize age regression. thank you ! ദ്ദി ˉ͈̀꒳ˉ͈́ )✧

mark lee (ᓀ‸ᓂ)

a regressor on the older side! probably someone that can communicate their needs and wants with ease.

i feel like mark would be the type of cg that loves teaching you about his passions. he would sit you on his lap and have his hands over yours as he helps you play hot cross buns on the keyboard.

out of all the dreamies, i feel that mark's tiny would be the most fascinated with music and all its elements. you and mark would most likely spend a lot of your tiny time together in a band where the drums are cups and your sticks are pencils.

he's definitely patient and does his best to fulfill his baby's requests no matter how deep in their imagination they come from.

you want a unicorn drink? he'll do his best to make a unicorn with whipped cream and chocolate chips on top of your hot cocoa! you want to go to mars? a trip to the space museum!

huang renjun ૮ ˙Ⱉ˙ ა

a middle (12-15) regressor is definitely someone renjun could go tit for tat with.

you do have lots of little arguments that leave you with your arms crossed but you're always grateful for renjun at the end of the day.

he definitely holds you accountable for habits you know are good for you but you just don't want to for one reason or another.

but it's not as if renjun is a dictator!

renjun is a big fan of dressing up. he's like a little kid on a field trip except instead of asking 'are we there yet?' he asks 'am i pretty? you're making me pretty, right?'

for some reason, i feel like renjun would like to take pictures of you (or pretend to if you don't like being pictured when little). he just thinks you're the cutest thing in the whole wide world! if his tiny felt embarrassed by his fawning he'd only kiss the embarrassment away before continuing to do it some more.

lee jeno ૮ .◜◡◝ა

regardless of age, lee jeno is less of a caregiver and more of a stuffed animal come to life. or maybe a gentle guard dog.

he's usually snoozing on the couch while his tiny plays in the same room. you may think he's asleep but when you try to leave just for a second you hear him go 'where are you going, gumdrop?'

he's a little overbearing at times, which could be a problem especially for regressors on the older side, but he means well!

despite what others might think when first looking at him, jeno is not an iron-fist type of cg. unlike renjun, jeno's tiny can get away with poking his buttons most of the time. keyword: most.

lee donghyuck ʕ˙Ⱉ˙‧:ʔ

cg!donghyuck screams teenage babysitter. he likes kids, but he's kind of too embarrassed to admit it so he tries keeping a distance.

the best pairing for donghyuck would be a bratty little, someone that makes him care. someone that's so unapologetically themselves that he also begins to not care about the anxieties plaguing his mind.

he's still a little annoying as a cg; knocking a piece of track a little to the left so your train rolls off its route, beginning to build his own ice cream store with the block you were about to use, holding up your animal crackers in exchange for some cute and embarrassing poses.

donghyuck and his tiny are fighting the war of getting on each others nerves and neither side is ever gonna win but they fight on anyways.

"i love you, Angel." "...love you too, Channie."

na jaemin ଘ(੭ˊᵕˋ)੭

not to put all age regressors in a box, but i feel that jaemin would do well with the image you get in your head when you think of agere. pastel colors, pacis, the whole shebang.

like renjun, he likes playing dress up but specifically enjoys dressing you up. always the prettiest dresses or suits, never letting you even close a button by yourself.

more than dress up though, he definitely likes playing royalty. he likes being either a brave knight that protects you from an evil dragon or your trusty and loyal butler.

jaem as a caregiver would be the most fun thing ever (in my opinion). still, that doesn't mean he's a total jeno i mean pushover. who wrote that? wow that's crazy...

anyway, cg!jaemin is a scary guy. it's at those times when you know you messed up, maybe you broke a vase or something, and you know he should be mad but he's not. he's disappointed. that's a thousand times worse somehow and so you promise him in tears that you'll never do it again.

zhong chenle (ᯟ︿ᯏ)

this guy. this guy is the scariest.

if you have any little buddies and chenle is your cg? you will probably hang out everywhere but his place.

it's a total illusion though, he's not scary at all. he's a big, loud, goofy guy. he's just a little blunt and the fact he wears sunglasses indoors that it scares all the more shy littles away. i feel like this is a bit of a struggle because i imagine that, like chenle, his tiny would be a very friendly social butterfly and their 'baby radar' is nearly 99% infallible.

chenle's tiny is like a well-behaved version of hae's. they're both little gremlins at times but chenle's would definitely keep it under wraps about it.

chenle's tiny has a phd in malicious compliance to chenle's manner rules. lots of "stern" stares full of longing and 'i need this' along with "juice box, please. juice box, please. juice box, please. juice box, p-"

however, they also double majored in kisses and crayon portraits so chenle doesn't even have a chance to get mad.

park jisung (∩˃o˂∩)

jisung's tiny is so teeny tiny and shy, even around him.

jisung is a one in a million man because he's the only one that can instinctively, telepathically, via sign language knows exactly what his baby needs without them having said a word.

it's usually quiet when you're little. maybe you're drawing, maybe you're sleeping, maybe you're just staring off into space. for jisung's little, their regression is just a time when everything can freeze for a second and all that matters is that their favorite plushie is clean and ready to cuddle with.

if jisung had one word to describe the role he has with his little, he would have to say a wall. something firm, something strong, something that ensures that nothing outside is let in and nothing inside seeps out.

a/n hello ! i'm working on some other projects but in the meantime, have this ! i have been posting some of my work also on ao3 so in case you're not on tumblr often, you can also find my one-shots there ! i think i'm gonna keep the bulletpoints here for now tho. i'm hoping you're all having a great start to your springgg (or autumnif ur in the southern hemisphere). oh, i also have question for you! putting aside ur actual dream bias, who do you think would be the best cg for you? me personally, i feel like either jisung or jaemin hehe

[billybob598]

8. For Feli

I've given up on the 5 sentence thing. just a ficlet now

8. "Stop distracting me."

"Fuck!" Feli jumps at the sudden curse coming from the other room. With just a bit of concern she gets up from her desk. She was trying to do game review for the Bayern game, if you would ever let her.

"Everything okay, liebe?" She asks, popping her head around the corner. Another curse word slips from your lips. Feli had absolutely no idea as to what you were doing, but she didn't think it was something you were enjoying.

"Y/N, this is like the eighth time you've sworn, what on Earth are you doing?" Feli enters the kitchen to find you hunched over the stove, hair tied up in a messy bun and apron hanging loosely around your waist.

Peering over your shoulder, she finds the saddest, most depressing, half-hearted attempt at Halloween cupcakes. She tries her best to stifle the laugh that threatens to come out of her, but you hear it anyways. You turn around, a frown etched onto your face.

"Hey! I tried. I'm sure I can still save them," you defend yourself.

"Liebe, there's a better chance of me becoming a ballerina than you being able to save those," Feli says, laughing at her own joke.

With a pout you turn back towards the cupcakes, "Stop distracting me. I'm hard at work, can't you see?" Your girlfriend chuckes, but exits the kitchen regardless.

Leaving just you, your thoughts, and a terrifying, half-baked jack-o-lantern cupcake.

[thewritersaddictions]

Day Three: Karl Heisenberg + Violent Night

The movie you want to watch is rather fitting for your partner. You drag Karl to the makeshift living space. The TV is old, but that doesn't mean that Karl hasn't tried to update it.

'Just because everyone else wants to be stuck in the past doesn't mean I wanna be.' Karl had muttered as he tinkered with the metal box.

"Are you sure it comes out tonight? I've got a lot of work to get to Buttercup." Kalr asks; you roll your eyes. You're pretty sure of it. "It played on the radio a few days ago that it would be out before Christmas." You answer Karl. "And all of this is necessary?" He asks, waving his hand around to the decorations filling the room with light and life.

You roll your eyes and shake your head. "Of course, it's all "necessary" Karl." You say, making air quotes out of your fingers. Karl sighs. "Fine, but the popcorn is all mine," Kalr says, taking the large bowl from the table and placing it in his lap. Large hand dipping into the bowl, grabbing kernels of popped corn.

The static on the TV screens blurs out, and the movie starts quickly. You curl into Karl's side, his eminence heat. Seaping from his skin through clothes to wrap itself around me like a heat blanket.

The mountains behind the factory keep the cold wrapped around us, though Karl says that keeps the super-sized bitch and her kids away. Regardless, Karl seems to be genuinely calm and even relaxed in the movie that plays on the screen. Your original plan had been to watch the movie alongside your boyfriend, but the longer you sit there with him. The longer your eyes drift over to Karl's face.

Gray hair litter his beard and mustache. A sharp nose that you want to reach out and boop half the time. His hair is pulled back into a messy bun, making his face more evident. His sunglasses were tossed off to the side table along with his worn-out hat.

Gloves sitting on top of them. It makes you jolt when Karl laughs at a line or two in the movie. Karl's right arm is wrapped around your shoulder, as he always does, keeping you tucked to his side.

Moments later, the light flickers as Karl burns the end of one of his cigars. The smoke filters into the air, making you feel at home. Karl smokes his cigar and laughs at a few lines for the rest of the movie.

Karl looks over at you, "What's wrong, buttercup?" He asks, his voice thick and smooth. "Nothin'." You mutter softly before returning your attention to the movie for which you have no idea what's happening. "Are you sure? Cause staring is rude, you know." Karl grunts out, with a chuckle rattling the both of you. You roll your eyes, but your cheeks burn with the embarrassment of being caught.

By the movie's end, you've seen not enough to even understand what's happened. On the other hand, Karl is impressed by the film; he's always been a Western guy. Loving the gun-slinging cowboy. The violence usually follows them around on their horses' backs, but you can guess the violence in this movie is enough for Karl to enjoy it.

"Good pick, love," Karl mutters, stubbing his cigar into the ashtray. You wish you could stay like this forever, in the warmth of your boyfriend, in a fantasy world that doesn't exist outside the factory's walls. "I'm glad you liked it." You say as you try to snuggle further into Karl's side. "We should do this more often." He comments, letting you practically climb into his lap.

Completed on: 10/18/23

Posted on: 12/03/23

House Heisenberg-

Resident Evil Master List // House Heisenberg Master List // Christmas Stories Master List

[dsireland86]

I recently had a precious request hit my inbox anonymously regarding a Jolly fic where he and the reader are in a relationship. He's homesick, so the reader decides to make him a Kladdkaka, which is a Swedish cake, to help cheer him up.

Somehow, Tumblr screwed up, and the draft I was working on got deleted 😒 💔

So, here I am fixing a mistake and hope whoever it was that asked for the one-shot, enjoys it!

TAGS: @philomenie @supersquirrel1996 @foliosgirl @angelmarie89 @fadingintothegrey @theanarchymuse95 @thisbicc @lma1986

KLADDKAKA

"Noah, you were supposed to have Jolly out of the house by now! What's going on?"

You fussed at Noah quietly, hoping your husband did overhear.

"Annnd I already told you..."

"Shhhhh!"

"I already told you," Noah repeated, quieter this time, "that I have it covered. I'll have him out of here in a few. Stop worrying."

You threw your hands over your face, trying to hide the worry and concern you were having over this whole thing.

Today wasn't just an ordinary day. It was your day with your husband, with Jolly. It was your one year wedding anniversary, and you were determined to make this first year celebration perfect for him. Especially since he was feeling a little more homesick than usual.

The past few days had been hard on Jolly. His family back in Sweden was going through some tough stuff, and it was killing Jolly that he couldn't be there, helping and supporting them like they've always supported him. Even though his mother insisted everything was fine and it would all work out, it didn't stop Jolly from worrying and feeling just plain homesick. It hurt you deeply to see him this way. However, Jolly did what he always did best, and that was put on a happy face and tried to convince you that he was fine. But you saw right through it. So you came up with a plan, recruited Noah, and dived in head first this morning into executing said plan.

"How can I not worry when you know I do nothing but worry, Noah! Worry is my middle name!"

"Y/N, calm down." Noah sat his glass of water down on the counter and placed his large hands on your small shoulders.

"Look at me."

You did, instantly relaxing when you saw the soft sweetness in Noah's eyes.

"I've got you, okay? I know how important this day is for you both. I'm not going to let anything ruin it, including my procrastination."

You laughed, wiping away the few tears that slid down your cheeks.

"Hey, come here," Noah cooed, pulling you in and coddling you for a moment. You relaxed, knowing fully well he was right and that you could trust him.

"It's going to be fine, Y/N. In two days the two of you will be in Sweden, eating all of that weird ass chocolate cake you both like, and having the perfect anniversary getaway."

"It's call Kalddkaka," you irritatingly corrected him, shoving him gently in the chest.

"Well, whatever, the point is, what you're doing for Jolly is the sweetest thing I've ever seen somebody do for the person they love. And regardless if it's your anniversary or not, what you're doing is incredible."

You smiled up at Noah and hugged him tighter, thankful for his support and friendship

"You're great girl, Y/N, an awesome friend and an even more amazing wife. Jolly's lucky to have you."

"You bet your ass I am. Are you hitting on my wife, Skitstövel!"

Jolly came walking into the kitchen, wearing a black t-shirt and a pair of worn-out jeans, with his bare feet patting loudly across the tile floor. His long dark brown hair, which was normally down, was tied up in a loose bun, showing off his perfectly angled jawline.

"Hahaha, yeah, no, I'm not that stupid," Noah joked as soon as you pulled away from him.

"Smart man,"Jolly praised, sliding his arms around your waist the second your arms wrapped around his neck. He lifted you up, and you immediately wrapped your legs around his waist, taking his handsome face between your hands and kissing him.

"Mmmm, god yeah, I need that," Jolly smiled between your kisses. He sat you on the countertop, lightly caressing your back as you continued to attack his lips.

Your lips trailed from their sweetness over his cheek and jawline, brushing the fine hairs of his trimmed facial hair, and then down the side of his neck. You breathed him in, soaking up the warmth of his skin, feeling his chest move in and out with each breath he took.

"Mmm, happy anniversary to you, too, again, mi Älskling," Jolly sighed, slipping his hands around your neck. He trailed them all over, lightly messaging your shoulders and the back of your neck and snaking their way up into your hair, massaging your scalp tenderly. You let your head fall into his chest as he did this, feeling all the extra unnecessary stress instantly fall away.

"Did your mom call you?"

"Hmmm, she did. Told me things are getting better, but I don't believe her. I need to get over there to see her, Y/N, all of them. I miss them."

You looked up into your husband's handsome face, taking a moment to drink him in. It was then you really saw how tired he looked. Jolly seriously needed a vacation. Luckily, you had one planned for him and you as an anniversary gift. Ten days in Sweden with his family; no work, no music, no responsibility. Just the two of you.

"That smells delicious!"

You pulled the cake out of the oven and sat it on the counter just as Matt and Folio walked into the kitchen. The Kladdkaka turned out perfectly; at least you hoped it did. It was the first time ever making it. You wanted to give Jolly a piece of home to help cheer him up and it would go along perfectly with his anniversary gift.

"Ok, I'm not a chocolate cake kind of guy, but damn Y/N, that looks delicious."

You smiled at Matt, admiring your creation. The dark brown top was baked to the perfect crispiness and when you tapped the cake pan, it jiggled ever so slightly, just like the directions said it should, giving you hope that the inside was baked to the correct consistency.

"Can we eat it?"

"No! It's for Jolly, for our anniversary," you scolded Folio. He was grinning and had a slight glazed look in his eyes.

"Folio, are you high?"

Matt looked at you then at Folio, grinning from ear to ear, before busting out in laughter.

"Oh my god, you are!" you said, joining him and Matt in laughter.

"Okay, okay, I'm not that high. I just took some gummies, that's all."

"That's all huh? How many?"

You looked from Matt to Folio, waiting for his response.

Folio looked as if he was in trouble. "Umm, I don't know, not a lot," he giggled. "Like three, maybe."

You rolled your eyes, knowing Folio's high would last him the rest of the night.

"Great! Now I'm going to have to babysit your ass just to make sure you don't do anything stupid," Matt groaned.

Folio giggled again, making you snicker.

"What is this about, mi Älskling," Jolly questioned you as you made him sit down on the couch. You were so excited to give him his gifts, that your could barely contain your excitement.

"You'll see. Just wait right there, okay."

Jolly's brown eyes stared at you in wonder, lighting up the moment they met yours.

"Come here first" His hand was stretched out towards you. You took it and he pulled you into his lap where he nestled his face in the crook of your neck, wrapping him in a warm embrace.

"I love you, Y/N, my wife, my woman, my love." he mumbled against your skin. making you smile.

"I love you, too, Jolly," you responded, looking down into his face. His hair was down, so you gathered it up in your hands and pulled it back, caressing the side of his face. He hummed, then pulled your face closer to his before snatching your lips with his own. It was a very slow kiss, passionate and heated, making you dizzy with desire and longing to hurry this moment up so you could take him upstairs and give him his "other gift".

"Mmm, okay," you stressed, regretfully pushing away from Jolly. "I want to, baby, I want this so much, but I want you to have your gifts first."

Jolly kissed you again, smiling against your lips.

"Well, then I'm so glad I got you something, too."

"Joakim, this isn't about gifts," you frowned.

Jolly grinned. He knew you hated getting gifts. You found joy in the giving, not the getting. But he was positive that you were going to love his gift.

"Okay, fine, whatever, just wait right there," you giggled, running into the kitchen.

Moments later, you carefully carried out the tray with the Kladdkaka and the envelope on it after telling your husband to close his eyes.

"No peaking," you squealed with excitement.

Jolly smiled, big, tightly keeping his eyes closed.

You sat the tray down the coffee table before him, careful removing the lid.

"Okay," you sighed, wringing your hands in excitement. "Open them!"

Jolly opened his eyes and stared at the cake before him. The dark brown color, coated with the powdery white sugar on top and garnished with the few dark red raspberries, instantly reminded him of home. His dark brown eyes welled up with tears as memories of his childhood and home came rushing back.

"Mi Älskling," he gasped, barely above a whisper. "You did this? All for me?"

At first, you thought he hated it, but now, looking into his eyes swollen with tears, you knew he really loved it. The moment made your heart almost exploded with happiness.

"You really like?" you asked in a worry filled tone.

"Like it? Baby, I love it!"

Jolly reached out and pulled you back into his lap, wrapping his arms tightly around your waist.

"Well, the true test is how it tastes. I mean it looks pretty, yeah, but I have no idea what the inside's like."

"I'm sure it's perfect; like you," Jolly praised, kissing your cheek.

You blushed, cutting a small slice.

"That looks exactly like how my grandmother used to make it!"

You broke a small piece off and picking it up with the fork, you brought it to your husband's lips where he opened his mouth and devoured the bite, closing his eyes.

You held your breath, praying it tasted okay.

"Well?" you asked as he finally swallowed.

"Fuck... that's good."

"Yeah?!" you smiled

"Yeah. Fucking good!"

You squealed in delight, as Jolly took the plate from you and gave you a piece to try and, damn it was so good.

"Okay, one more gift. Here," you grinned, handing him the envelope after hopping off his lap.

Jolly frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Umm, what's that?"

"What do you mean? It's an envelope. Open it."

Jolly reached behind him, producing the same kind of envelope.

"Ummm..."

"Yeah," he chuckled.

"Okay, well you open yours and I'll open mine."

You took the envelope and slowly opened it, as did Jolly.

"Close our eyes?"

He nodded.

You did, pulling out the contents of the envelope. When you opened them you gasped, eyes filling up with tears instantly. In your hands were two plane tickets to Ireland; you're most favorite place in the world, next to Jolly's arms. You looked up at Jolly and he was staring down at the tickets in his hand. You watched the tear drop fall and hit the paper, soaking it immediately.

"Are you okay," you whispered through your tears.

Jolly wiped his eyes, then looked up at you.

"I don't deserve you," he whispered, lightly shaking his head.

You let out a small chuckle.

"I don't deserve you," nodding at the tickets in your hand.

Jolly stood up and reached for your hands. After pulling you up, he scooped you up bridal style and kissed you once you threw your arms around his neck.

"Is this how it's always going to be?" he asked, walking towards the stairs with you tucked securely in arms.

"No, we both know it won't be."

"Hmm, well, " he said taking the stairs, one at a time. "Then lets hold on tight to memories like this, bringing them back to the light when things are too dark and don't seem real. I don't ever want to loose you."

You held onto your husband, burying your face in his chest as your fingers trailed up the back of his neck, feeling his skin prickle.

"Do you feel that?"

"Yes." He shivered beneath your touch.

Jolly looked down at you, standing outside the doorway of your bedroom.

"I am here, Joakim, and I'm real. I'm not going anywhere. Ever."

He kissed you, rolling his tongue over yours.

"You promise," he asked once you parted.

"I promise."

He walked you over the threshold of your room, just like he did on your wedding night one year ago, and with his foot, closed the door, locking you both away from the world for just one night.

[neetily]

I don't know if this would be too gross but who from DoL and or SDV would eat you out during a period?

not gross <3 it is but a part of life for some of us, so never gross <3 promise !! here are some of my thoughts.

Sebastian would eat you out on your period, and would be enthused about it because he's a nasty freak and enjoys the perceived degeneracy of doing such an act. tries to get you to kiss his stained red lips and chin after the fact, but really, he just enjoys making you happy any time of the month; your period isn't gonna stop him, and if anything, he only gets harder during your bleeding.

Sam too would eat you you out, but because he's permanently ready to go and just enjoys helping you out. might even cuddle up to you with the classic hey, it might help the cramps y'know... but really he's just rock hard at the thought and would like to jack off against the sheets under you as you get his lips all messy.

Alex would also eat you out on your period because liquid is liquid is liquid, yknow? doesn't make a damn difference to him if it's your period blood or not, he's not grossed out by it in the slightest, and would appreciate if you trust him enough to make you feel good even during your period. aint no way a little blood is gonna stop him from making you feel good

Elliott is into it, but only if you wear a tampon so that there's less mess. just a preference thing, he's got no qualms with anything other than how it can get everywhere yknow? especially if you're a heavy bleeder, ties his hair up into a bun too just in case lmao. but he's happy enough to service you under those terms!

Shane doesn't give a fuck. like i think that's truly the extent of it, he would eat you out on your period because he simply doesn't care. it doesn't even come into the equation for him; you want ate out? he's eating you out. anytime. anywhere.

Harvey i think would be a little squeamish. not because of the blood itself, but because he doesn't want you to feel any amount of uncomfortable or gross, y'know? but with the right amount of encouragement and reassurance that it's okay, he'd happily eat you out when you're bleeding!

Whitney would make fun of you for suggesting he eats you out on your period, but it's just to mask how much he'd love the idea of it. THE oral fixation slut, he's genuinely so into making you even messier with his tongue between your legs, smearing the blood all over from how frantic he gets.

Kylar would, obviously, eat you out well when you're on your period. just wants to make you feel a little better, and there's something dark and supressed within him that just adores the sight of you covered in red, thighs all sticky for him to clean up. he's a freak <3...

Robin would eat you out regardless of the blood. he's just so neutral towards the idea that it doesn't matter to him, like yeah, sure babe, spread your legs for me. doesn't think it's weird or gross, he just sees you struggling and wants to alleviate it through any means possible.

Pure Sydney, despite being a little apprehensive about the idea, would like to indulge you in whatever you need. he ends up not really minding the whole ordeal, helping to clean you up properly immediately following.

Corrupted Sydney, however, would absolutely seek you out when you're on your period to seduce you into sitting on his face. dunno, just something about him screams desperate for degeneracy yknow? he'd be so into it that it might become a little overbearing, but at least he has no issues with the idea

[cyborg-franky]

Prompt: hello friends! thank you for providing us with such a fun event, can it be April already? 🤧 if anyone of you feels inspired from it, can i request grocery shopping headcanons with Law, Thatch, Sanji and Robin? like would they scold you for buying too many sweets or do they leave you at the checkout to fetch something they forgot and you panic like when you did when your parents did the same? lol just thinking out loud 🤣 i’m sure i will love everything you come up with! thanks a lot!!

SFW

Repost of mine from libary of ohara

Chaos, she lives for it.

She will let you get whatever you want, she doesn’t mind.

If it’s Halloween she’ll add almost every decoration she can find in the store, deal with it, this is your life now.

100% takes all the free samples, she has many hands, a sample for each right?

She enjoys watching badly behaved kids run around and trip over, the delight on her face when the little shit walks into something.

A fun person to shop with, will always coax you into shopping at strange times of night because that’s when all the lunatics come out, she enjoys being around ‘interesting’ people despite how you cling to her when the guy arguing with the can of baked beans makes eye contact with you.

Neither of you is going to be the one that reminds the other you need more than coffee and Halloween decorations for substance.

BELOW CUT - LAW - SANJI - THATCH

-Every time he hears a child scream you can feel he has this look on his face even if you can’t see it. - Is the type to move someone’s cart if it’s in the middle of the lane. - Law is already mentally done with the trip the second you set foot in the place. - Hears a child crying and just nods his head and mumbles ‘mood’ under his breath. - You have to bribe him with coffee to get him in and to shop. - Has very few opinions on things but will be vocal if he doesn’t like something. - Tries his best not to throw hands at the next person who gives him and his tattoos a shitty look. - Sometimes you decide to leave him on the magazine row and do the shopping yourself. - It takes you both as a pair two hours of him dragging his feet and being unhappy to shop whereas it takes him five minutes by himself. - Just rooms everything into the cart regardless of if you need it.

Has like five shopping lists.

Spends like an hour caressing the melons and other produce to make sure he’s getting the best.

Will fight to the death with the man at the fish counter over prices.

Will fight to the death with the cheese guy if he thinks he’s being cheaped out on quality.

Will fight to the death with the meat guy who cut a piece with too much fat.

Just expect a battle over everything.

Also mansplains all the wines as you pass them, he gives you like an hour-long ‘pros and cons’ of this wine versus this when all you wanna do is get smashed this weekend on the £2.99 bottle of red with the clip art font on the front.

You can have whatever you want as long as he gets to check the label.

He will also fight you to the death if you pick up instant noodles or microwave meals.

Thatch is just an angel.

He might spend too long picking out bread, you notice how much his hair looks like a fancy loaf.

He can’t walk past the fruit section without picking up a pineapple and making a joke about Marco.

You beat him to it now, just to speed things along.

It’s you who needs to have a magazine to hand when he’s shopping in the hair care section.

He’s talking about how he needs like eight bottles of the £10.99 brand, or his hair will just not behave for him.

Puns, puns oh lord puns.

“We need to grab some buns” “I’ll give you some buns to grab” -EYEBROW WAGGLES IN 4D-

He’s fun though, he lets you have some bad things and treats as well as good choices.

Likes to use the cart to whiz along, enjoy a forty something year old man going ‘weee’

[luvv4j4ybe11]

Hurt/comfort w Maggie (twd) where she forgets our anniversary but she makes it up?? Maybe during Alexandria era! (Alsooo wlw would be super cool)

“𝑰’𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒖𝒑 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖”

A/N~Yessss ugh that’s so cute!! I love this idea sm.

Warnings~ angst, hurt to comfort, reader is sensitive, Maggie is mean but makes up for it, slight suggestive themes, mentions of death (beth and Hershel), mentions of grieving over a loved one, POSSIBLE SPOILERS, and I think that’s it. Lmk if I missed anything, and enjoy<3

You and Maggie have been together ever since it started. She was your rock, your heart and soul and you were hers. There’s been a weird tension and heaviness ever since her father and sister died, though.

Both of you were distraught when guys seen it happen- you, barley being coherent after seeing beth get shot right infront of you and Hershel being executed miles infront of you, and Maggie- utterly crushed by seeing her sisters dead body in Daryl’s arms while she was still mourning the loss of her father.

You felt horrible, to say the least. But day by day, you help each other’s pain and also helped your own on the way. And today, you could thank her for everything.

You cleaned the house all nice and pretty, put on one of her favorite dresses of yours (and favorite matching set underneath that you managed to find untouched and somehow still clean) , and did your hair in a loose, messy bun. Letting little strands fall infront of your face freely.

You loved getting all dolled up for her, always adoring the reactions you get from her. But when she got home, you could see the fatigue obvious in her features. Instinctively making you reach up to play the shiny metal that rested on your collarbones anxiously, concerned eyes scanning over her tense form.

“What is it, my love?” You ask gently, placing a hand on the small of her back as she leans over the kitchen table with both hands holding onto the edge of the smooth marble surface.

“Rough day, to say the least, darlin’..” she starts, almost like she wants to sit and tell you more, but she holds herself back. Your eyebrows furrow at her hesitant demeanor, chest tightening the more the silence hangs heavy in the air. “Is there anything you want me to do? I already cooked, so do you want me to make you a plate?” You offer, trailing your hand up her back and down her arm to rub her tricep in a soothing motion. “That sounds great, sweetheart..but I just need to shower and go to sleep. I’m exhausted.” She says

“Oh..ok, well I could start the shower for yo-“

“It’s fine, y/n. I’ll do it.” She says monotonously as she turns around and walks past you, walking into the bathroom and closing the door with a light thud.

You couldn’t stop the tears from falling down your face, the tightness in your chest and the shallowness in your stomach making it difficult to silence the hiccups and sobs that came from you, but you tried regardless.

With tears blurring your vision, you sulk over to your room to get ready for bed reluctantly. Ignoring the way your heart throbs with hurt as you play the interaction between you two out over and over again.

Once you (not so successfully) take off your makeup without crying, you throw on a baggy T-shirt and slip into bed with a sigh as you hear the water from the shower turn off; indicating that Maggie was done with her shower.

You roll over almost immediately at the realization, not wanting to see, hear, or talk to her after how she hurt you:(

You wake up to an empty bed in the morning, making you even more agitated than you were when you went to sleep. You felt even more exhausted- despite the fact that you just woke up. Ensuring that today was 100% gonna be a shitty day.

You went through your usual morning routine before walking down the stairs, immediately being hit with the smell of a delicious breakfast being made by yours truly.

“Hey, baby,” she purrs, voice smooth as honey as she watches you take a seat at the table that was infront of the stove. You mumble a quiet “hey,” in response, still angry at her from last night.

Of course she notices this, and even more so as she turns around to give you your food, eyes scanning over your red, puffy eyes and blotchy face, memories of last night flooding back to her. Her heart aches from knowing that she was the cause of your hurt expression, mentally kicking herself the more she stares at you.

“I’m fine.” You replied to her silent question, making her laugh dryly before she places her palms flat on the counter, forearms facing you as she watches you take a small bite of the food she made, and an even bigger one once you realize how good it was. “No, you’re not. You’ve been crying, and I’m sorry that I’m the reason you were. I didn’t mean to hurt you, darlin’, and I hope you know I feel like shit for knowing that I did. No matter how I act towards you, just know that I treasure you so much. You’re the best thing that’s ever happen to me and I intend to treat you like it, no matter how much of a mood I’m in.” She tells you genuinely, tone meaningful and apologetic the longer she went on.

You didn’t realize it, but there were tears pouring down your face, heart warming at her sincerity. “It’s..ok. I just expected you to be more happy to see me since yesterday was our anniversary..” you explained, eyes watching hers widen at the realization. “Oh, shit! Oh my god, I’m so so sorry, darlin’! I forgot all about our anniversary, I’m so sorry!” She rambles as she runs over the table to shower you in hugs and kisses, making you both giggle and cry even more.

“It’s ok, mags! Don’t wo-“ You start, but you’re silenced by the pair of hands squeezing your cheeks together.

“NO! I will worry about it! You got all dolled up for me, cooked AND cleaned, and I was too much of a pain in the ass to even notice. So obviously, the only way to repay you is to do the same for you.” She insisted, ignoring your squeals of disapproval as she picks you up and carries you to the bedroom, forcing you to sit down on the bed before you can protest.

“ ‘don’t care what you say, lovely. You’re going stay here, let me take care of you, and then I’ll make it up to you. So clear your schedule, because you aren’t doing anything else today as long as I’m here. Okay?” She ordered, making you smile cheekily before placing an affectionate kiss on your lips, making her giggle quietly into your mouth.

She pulls away from you before anything else could happen, walking to the doorway before stopping abruptly, “oh! And make sure you’re wearing that set I like when I come back up here.” She instructed, a teasing smirk on her face as she looked over her shoulder at you.

“MAGGIE!-“ is all you say before you’re intruplted by a fit of giggles from the both of you.

A/N~ UGGGGHHH CUTIES!! I love writing wlw stuff sm😭💕 I hope you enjoyed this tho my love<3

[mynamesaplant]

The Headspace that is Grief (Ch. 2)

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Summary: The grieving process is different for everyone, Emmet and Olivia know that first hand but they just don't know it yet. Sometimes it takes another person experiencing the same things as you to move through those feelings. Together, they learn and grow with their grief and each other.

In this chapter: Emmet starts making a few changes to Olivia's home and she's unsure how to take them, or her new tenant.

Notes: This is a short chapter by comparison to others, but it's more for set-up than anything. This was not beta read - so if there are spelling or grammatical errors, let me know. Regardless, I hope you enjoy!~

<< Previous | First | Next >>

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Over the course of the next week, Mr. Emmet made a lot of changes that weren't strictly part of the rental agreement. She could tell he combed over it carefully, not disobeying any of the rules she set in place, but Olivia was starting to find some of his realistic and reasonable “things” involved a lot of renovation.

"There was not anything in the lease agreement that said I could not."

Mr. Emmet said as Olivia stormed up to him. He was meticulous. He was selecting things that he knew she wouldn't object to if she really paused to consider it. Better internet access with underground cables running from Cedaridge, a bigger generator to replace the old one that had seen better days, and he had a replacement fridge in mind from the moment he saw her old one.

That was the one she fought him the most on, but Mr. Emmet was quick to assure her that none of these changes were going to come out of her own pocket. He warned her that he was going to have an electrician come in and upgrade the wattage of her house and all the outlets, that was when Olivia told him that she couldn't allow any more changes.

"I will require no more after that."

He said patiently, offering her a smile. He knew that she was very unlikely to object, not without being completely unreasonable. That, Emmet had clocked right away. She had outlined all other aspects of his lease, but this had been a pretty big blind spot that he conveniently neglected to expound upon. He was referring to them as cosmetic changes or necessary upgrades made by the tenant at the tenant's expense.

She left the house, Raichu and Infernape in tow as she tried not to be annoyed with the workers who were fundamentally changing her home. He watched her go with whatever guilt he was feeling shoved off to the side to be examined later.

In town, Olivia took refuge in her still closed for the season shop. It would be opening soon, so she figured might as well clean up here. She would also have to talk to Hayate about working the shop this season, knowing this was his last year before he went off to university.

He was a moody boy, but he had a passion for plants, which was the only reason entrusted her shop to him. The lock clicked and the door swung open, the closed sign still flipped toward the street when she shut the door behind her.

"Alright guys. Let's get this place cleaned up for Hayate."

Olivia rolled up her sleeves and pulled her hair back into a bun, knowing she was going to get pretty gross cleaning this place up. She handed Raichu a feather duster and told him to shoo away any stray Bug Pokémon hiding in the curtains. Infernape was also on dust duty, getting any loose debris on the floor for Olivia to sweep up before he hopped on window duty, a spray bottle and rag in his hands. With his climbing and jumping skills, he was usually done pretty fast.

"Keep going in here. Don't forget the vents and fans in the back, Raichu, okay?"

She heard a dutiful squeak before she stepped onto the street to view the exterior with a sigh. It really needed a fresh coat of paint. It hadn't received one in nearly five years, and it was starting to show when you looked at the cracked and sun-bleached sills.

She knew if she asked Ethan to do it, he would get it done in a weekend for a pack of beer. Hayate would be too busy with cram work. She didn't want to hire a crew to paint, it would cost her an arm and a leg... Ethan was her best choice. She would go see him and her best friend when she was done cleaning up.

Olivia's mind shifted back to her new tenant with a frown. She was trying to be understanding, but she also felt a little insulted that he was taking over her home. Mr. Emmet intimidated her slightly, something about his expression and intensity that made her a little nervous. She was glad she had the foresight to put that clause to evict him if she thought he couldn't handle living there, but that would only be applicable with the change in seasons.

For now, she would put up with the changes - many of them were for the better and he had assured her that none of them were temporary once he vacated. They were hers to keep.

"A token of my thanks."

He had said, just a touch sheepish, before she stormed out of her home. Realistically, how long could or would Mr. Emmet want to stay? Olivia guessed a year at best. If he stayed any longer, she would be very surprised. She looked at the empty pots in the sill boxes, her face falling into a steep frown as she remembered she would have to transplant her gracideas soon. ------------------------------------------

Gina opened the door and lifted Olivia off her feet with the tight hug she engulfed her in.

"Livvy! So good to see you. It's been an age. Ethan just finished up dinner, but there’s plenty enough for another plate."

A warmth settled in her chest while she was ushered inside and to a dinner table. The LeMars were the closest thing she had to family anymore and it was always so nice to feel so welcomed in their home. Gina's two girls greeted her with a barely contained excitement,

"Auntie! Mama helped me catch a Buizel down by the coast last week."

"Oh yeah?"

Olivia hummed curiously, listening with rapt attention to Sierra's story while Gina, not so surreptitiously, piled her plate high. Conversation was light for the duration of the meal, but once Gina started a fire outside and Ethan put the girls to bed, Olivia knew she was going to be offered a drink and to have a more serious chat outside. She didn't fight it.

"Are you sure you're okay with painting this weekend? I don't want to stress you out."

"Nah, I like to be busy."

Ethan replied, bringing up a glass to his lips with a congenial smile. Gina slid into her line of vision, effectively interrupting their conversation.

"There's been a lot of trucks headed up your way, Livvy. Doing a little remodeling finally?"

Olivia's face turned crimson, and she looked towards the flame, a spike of guilt lancing her heart at the thought of how much was changing.

"I-It’s not me. I have a new tenant and he's... weirdly specific."

Ethan and Gina exchanged looks, what did that mean? Olivia shifted in her chair, hiding a grimace in her glass of beer. She tried to change the subject, joking about losing Hayate next year and having to hire Sierra, but Gina leaned forward.

"Why is a tenant making so many changes to your house?"

Although Olivia had brushed it off with a joke about how Mr. Emmet was footing the cost and had forced the topic of conversation to other things, she wondered to herself why she was accepting these changes with less of a fight. A few days into residence and he was already turning her life upside down - what did the mean for their remaining lease? She could have told him no. She could have forced him to stop his renovations or expelled him... But she hadn't. Although frustrated, she didn't kick him out.

She returned home and found Mr. Emmet reorganizing his room, looking at what appeared to be a small, framed picture that he set abruptly face down when Olivia stuck her head in to apologize for not providing dinner. His posture relaxed a little, stepping out of the room and closing the door behind him.

"I am Emmet. I ordered some food from town. The fried rice was good... I, uh... I bought you some."

"Oh," Olivia was a little stunned by his foresight. "Thank you. I ate at a friend's house, but I'll probably eat it tomorrow."

"Ah..." He trailed off, something about his posture was nervous and Olivia couldn't help but wonder if something had happened. She was reminded of a little kid who was trying to hide a broken vase. "You left earlier. You were upset with me. Because of the changes."

He tapped his fingertips together, searching for words to apologize in a reasonable way. Olivia raised her eyebrows as he released a held breath, the apology sincere, if a little rushed sounding.

"Thank you." She replied, nibbling her lower lip, and folding her arms over her chest. "You're very observant, Mr. Emmet, and you were within your rights, according to our agreement... It's just - It's hard to see so many changes so quickly."

It was her turn to trail off, to half turn and take great interest in the wilted flowers set in a vase on her table. She didn't notice the little tilt to his head when she said that or how his grey eyes seemed to soften imperceptibly when she had her back to him. She tended to her flowers, filling the vase with fresh water, and returning it to the table just as Mr. Emmet said he was going to turn in for the night.

"If you find any issues, please let me know right away. I will have them handled right away. Yup."

<< Previous | First | Next >>

[lotusthewriter]

I want something just like this

Fandom: The Owl House

Rating: G

Relationships: Hunter & Darius, Hunter/Luz (romantic)

Characters: Hunter, Darius Deamonne, Luz Noceda; MENTIONED - Emperor Belos | Philip Wittebane

Summary: Hunter wants his first Grom to be perfect. He just doesn't know how Darius is going to react.

Word count: 1.336

AO3

A/N: I bet I'm going to get hate for this lmao. The focus though isn't the romance, so if you can still tolerate Lunter then I guess you'll be able to enjoy the Dadrius. This is my first time writing Darius/Dadrius though, so I hope it's good enough, at least.

TRIGGER WARNINGS - past child abuse and trauma

HUNTER AND LUZ ARE NOT CANONICALLY SIBLINGS. HATE AND ANNOYING COMMENTS WILL BE BLOCKED.

P/roship DNI.

--

“Your carriage still awaits, little prince.”

“Just a second!” Hunter replies, trying to tie his hair and failing miserably. Multiple times.

There’s an impatient sigh.

“You know it’s rude to keep your girlfriend waiting, young man.”

“I just need a minute!”

“No, Hunter, you’re late.”

“You’re not helping me get done!”

“What are you possibly doing in there?” Darius questions, annoyed. “I’ve taught you how to dress fittingly, it shouldn’t be hard at this point.”

“It’s different this time!”

“What do you mean?” The door handle moves, but it can’t get through the lock. Darius knocks again, firmer this time. “Hunter, let me in.”

“I just need FIVE MINUTES!” Hunter snaps.

“If you don’t open this door on the count of three, I’m tearing it down myself.”

The boy freezes.

A sensation he hasn’t felt in long.

Maybe it’s Darius’ tone, maybe it’s the reason why he’s taking so much time to come out, maybe it’s the fact he doesn’t know what’s going to happen if the door is indeed torn down.

Regardless, Darius starts counting.

“One…”

Hunter stares at himself in the mirror. He knows it’s almost done, but it’s not perfect.

“Two…”

Fearing what will come next, the teenager quickly opens the door and turns his back to Darius. He can tell the man is already crossing his arms, disappointed.

“Well?”

Gulping, Hunter holds his homemade cloak, hiding most of it from his mentor. He’s shaking an awful lot and he tries not to make it obvious, but of course, Hunter is a mess and he’s terrible at hiding things.

“I…” he sighs. “I tried…”

Finally, he gives in and turns back to his mentor. Noting the heavy silence in the room, Hunter can’t look at the other’s green eyes, for he wanted to look exactly like him: the cloak covering part of his body, only it’s on his right arm instead of the left. The blond hair tied in a bun with longer sideburns. The difference being that Hunter wears a dark gray suit, besides the cloak being red in honor of Flapjack.

As he gets no response from Darius, Hunter’s brown eyes blur.

“It’s bad, isn’t it,” he assumes.

Darius takes a while to respond.

“Hunter–”

“I’m sorry, I- I tried, I wanted to be good”– Hunter’s lips quiver and his legs shake so much that he’s on the floor, begging for the other’s mercy –“but I failed, I’m a failure.”

“Titans, Hunter, no.” He senses another presence kneeling down in front of him.

“Forgive me, I’m- I’m a mess, I’m not right!”

“Hunter,” Darius begs, “Hunter, listen to me. Can you listen to me?”

The boy nods.

“Can you look at me?”

Hunter, hesitantly, obeys, face wet with tears.

“None of that is true,” Darius tells him. “You’re not a failure. You don’t need to prove that you’re good.”

Hunter sniffs. “I just… I just wanted to be like you.”

“You don’t need to be. You’re enough just the way you are.”

Waffles has flown to Darius’ shoulder, trying to reinforce his mentor’s words. Hunter’s dread slowly quiets down.

Darius doesn’t act superior to him. He doesn’t control Hunter with the use of fear; he’s here, on the same level as his, gently reassuring him in a way Belos would never. Darius is nothing like Belos.

Hunter knows at this point he should be able to tell the difference, but sometimes it feels like he’s back to square one, and it’s scary and painful, fearing for his life ending at any wrong step. Hence why he’s so surprised that Darius is… actually safe. Has always been safe.

The teen dries his face.

“I… I still want to be like you, Darius,” Hunter concludes. “Not because I want to please you… but because I’m really proud to have your guidance.”

Darius looks… emotional.

Before Hunter can look further into it, he’s being pulled in a hug, strong arms soothing him from the evils of the world, even the ones that aren’t out there, but inside Hunter’s head.

The latter freezes again, but… it’s the good kind.

Darius doesn’t usually show affection other than head pats. Sometimes he goes for the hand on Hunter’s shoulder. But never a hug.

And it’s not a quick hug, for that matter.

It lasts a long time. Saying so many words that will never be spoken.

But Hunter can definitely hear “I’m sorry” and “I would kick Belos’ butt myself if I could.”

And he can’t help smiling, ultimately calming down in the embrace.

Finally, Darius clears his throat nervously and lets go, patting Hunter’s arms.

“Now, we can’t keep your girlfriend waiting,” the former insists. “You could’ve asked for my help, you know.”

“I wanted it to be a surprise.” I wanted it to be perfect.

“Sure you did.” Darius smiles.

He helps Hunter with the hair bun, as well as adjusting the clothes since everything is a mess. But for the most part, he doesn’t have to change anything else about his looks.

“Alright, this should do,” Darius sighs.

Hunter hums at the mirror. “Do I look okay?”

“You look… like you.”

“And is that good?”

“Obviously.”

He blushes, unsure what to say.

With this, Darius is guiding him to the front door, where Luz awaits, wearing a dark purple and red suit, her brown hair slicked back. She gasps and grins widely, eyes sparkling like light spells, and she runs all the way to Hunter to hug him.

“Oh my gosh! You look so handsome!” Luz exclaims.

Hunter’s cheeks burn as red as his cloak. “Heh, I… had some help.”

He smiles cheekily at Darius, who winks at him.

“Wait, hold on,” Luz lets go, taking her phone. “I gotta take a picture of you guys!”

“Of… us?” Hunter and Darius look at one another, surprised.

“Yeah! You look so much like father and son!”

Hunter is taken aback by the word choice. Darius, his… father? Would he approve of that?

Before he can actually ask, Darius is putting an arm around him and pulling him close, posing rather happily for the photo. Hunter is frozen for a while, not believing this is really happening. But once Darius gives him a trusting look, the boy loosens up and puts his own arm on his mentor’s back.

When Luz shows them the picture, it doesn’t look awkward in the slightest. It looks natural, it looks… right.

“Could you send it to me later?” Darius requests.

“Sure!”

“Alright, now it’s my turn to take pictures of the love birds.”

Waffles appears the moment the word “birds” is said. Hunter and Luz pose for the camera. Only he doesn’t look at it – he’s staring at his girlfriend with the dumbest smile of all. The blue jay palisman is lying on Hunter’s head, much to Darius’ enjoyment.

“I’ll be sending these to you two and your mother, Luz,” Darius tells them.

“They look awesome!” Luz slides through the pictures. “Thanks, Darius!”

“Yeah… thanks.” For everything, Hunter wants to add.

He has never seen Darius this happy and proud.

“Now, go have fun, you’re rather late,” he says, making a shooing gesture. “I’ll be picking you two up later tonight.”

“Okay! Bye!” Luz waves excitedly at him.

“Bye, Darius,” Hunter says rather shyly, but with so much feeling.

The man is waving back, looking like he’s going to cry of joy at any moment.

Finally, Luz is offering her hand to Hunter, who takes it gently and confidently. She looks at him like he’s the most beautiful person she’s ever met. He could say the very same about her.

His first Grom night is fun. It’s filled with life and love. It’s when Hunter realizes he’ll always be loved and supported, even when everything seems to turn against him. Today, he gets to be a normal boy, enjoying his night with his girlfriend and all of his friends, and knowing his father figure will be waiting for him later.

Hunter knows now… he has a home to return to.

[melishade]

I feel sorry for whoever Ymir decides to date in the peaceful timeline because they're gonna have deal with Optimus and Megatron

Peaceful Timeline Pilot

Ymir's Cybertronian Name

You have no idea what you've unleashed! YOU FOOL!

Shout out to @justawannabearchaeologist @echoblaze5 @legitconcrusher @letslipthehounds @favesgrave I think! for listening to me bitch about this shit for months at this point and putting their own input! Let's go!

TW Death. TW Blood.

So let's start off with Oshern. Oshern is someone born in the highlands. He has red curly hair he ties into a bun because it goes past his neck and he needs to keep it tied for work. He's got green eyes, pale skin. His build is somewhere in the middle because he does a lot of grunt work when it comes to his work, like hauling supplies and what not. No facial hair, angular face. And his hands are really calloused from all the stuff he's done in the past.

He used to have a family. A mother and father and two younger brothers. While his brothers loved to fight and roughhouse, Oshern who was someone that enjoyed care and precision. He helps his mother out, who was a baker for his old village. He picks up the craft and listens to his mother's advice about being kind and taking care of others regardless of where they come from. Even when there is darkness in the world, try to not contribute to its never-ending cycle.

He and his father always had disagreements. Oshern was warned about the cruelty of the world, and how he needed to become stronger and harden his heart in order to survive in it. His mother might preach about kindness, and he himself might have been named after the god of peace and love, but not everyone was going to be kind. People do what they must to survive, and he needs to be careful. Oshern knows that his father means well. He's helped his mother out whenever he can and loved his brothers, but there was a lot of responsibility being placed on his shoulders simply because he was the oldest.

One day when he's sixteen, he's asked to get supplies from a neighboring town. He does, but when he comes back, he can only stare in horror as his home has been burned to the ground and ransacked. He abandons his horse and wagon and runs towards it, calling for anyone who might have survived. He's in despair when he sees his mother and father dead on the ground, their throats slit, but his brothers are nowhere to be found. Oshern's at a loss, he doesn't know what to do. He investigates further and is mortified at the sight of large handprints and footprints in the ground outside the village. Oshern steps on something metal and picks it up to see a star with nine edges on it. Oshern realizes that his brothers might still be alive and grabs the wagon and runs after them. It takes days, but he finds them...

on the ground. One of them already dead, the other bleeding out. Oshern goes to the one who's still alive, and his brother tries to speak, but is horrified to see that his tongue is gone. There's nothing he can do though. Oshern can only hold his brother's hand and apologize as he dies in his arms. He looked over at the other corpse and see an axe in his hand. They both had tried to fight their way out, and they failed.

...And he wasn't there for his family. Now they were gone.

Oshern returns to the village with his brothers' in tow. It smells of nothing but death in his old home, but he gathers what's left of the residents that haven't been picked off by scavengers and buries them.

Oshern is lost for about a year and a half. He has nothing but the wagon, the horse, and the supplies he was asked to carry. He scavenges the remains of his home and finds his father's knife and takes it with him. He's aimless and depressed. He falls into himself, and he grows to despise the world around him and its cruelty. He learns from chatter of others about the strength and might of the Eldian Empire and grows even more spiteful. They were the ones that took everything from him, but there was nothing anyone can do. The Empire had this devil, this demon, that was pillaging and destroying everything. Humans were using a monster to do their bidding, and they themselves had become monsters altogether. And Oshern hated it! He hated them! He hated everything! Why the hell was the world like this?! Why did everything have to be taken away from him?!

One day, Oshern is sleeping off a hangover in his wagon, when he hears something. Someone's trying to rob him. Oshern ends up going on the attack and punches the guy out. Oshern's just feeling really pissed off and he's ready to stab him. He's never killed anyone before, but he's been really itching to do so! But someone calls out to thief, calls him brother! Oshern sees the kid, same age as his youngest brother that died in his arms, staring at him in fear, like he was the monster. And he can't....he can't do it. His mother's words ring out to him, about being kind and not contributing more hate into this world of darkness. If he killed him, his younger brother would no doubt end up like Oshern...and he didn't want anyone else suffering like he's been suffering. Oshern puts the knife away and demands to know what they want. The younger brother quickly explains that they're trying to get to a town in Marley. Away from the Eldian Empire! They wanted his wagon, or at least his supplies!

And Oshern does something kind: he offers to take them to the place, which the younger brother accepts, but the older is suspicious. But Oshern offers the both of them food and it seems to ease concerns. They make it to the town in two days, and Oshern has never seen a place so big and bustling with life. The brothers thank him for his help and ask him to stay. They think it would be good for him. The people outside are vultures. They came here to build a new life, so maybe he should too. And Oshern is surprised. It was a simple act of kindness that led him here. Maybe...maybe he should find a new meaning for his life. Oshern ends up discovering a bakery in the town and offers his services. He explains that he can bake and has the resources to travel outside. Little by little, he makes a name for himself in that town. He takes his mother's lessons of being kind, but also his father's caution. The people like his bread, and his boss thinks he's doing a great job. He learns some new techniques while incorporating his mother's recipes. It felt good. But there was still that looming threat hanging over him: the threat of the Eldian Empire and their monster. Would Marley fall, and would this town full of people be next?

But they get an announcement from Marley forces, about a year since Oshern came into the town and made a name for himself. The Eldian Empire has been defeated, the monster was slain, the king was dead. They made a treaty with them, but there was finally peace. The people cheered, and Oshern broke down sobbing. They were safe. They were all going to be okay. A huge weight was finally lifted from his shoulders.

About four years later, Oshern decides to move out of the town and into a small village at the base of the mountain. A quiet life like he used to when he lived with his family. He would make bread as his services, but he could still go to the town if need be to help out at the main shop and get supplies. The people of the village seemed nervous at the idea of welcoming an outsider into the fold, but an old woman decided to advocate for him. A herbalist called Solveig. She says to give the man a chance, and he gets a place of his own in the village. A two-story place. The top was his living quarters, the bottom was his bakery. He enjoys it there. It was calm and quiet. He was glad he moved out here. Solveig is still fairly nice to him and informs him that if he needs help with repairs or supplies to ask for Matthew or Orion's help. He's seen them both. They were dressed rather oddly, and while Orion was kinder to the people, Matthew tended to get into arguments and spats with some of the others. But he does the work properly, so it works out.

A year later, Oshern is working on a new recipe his boss had taught him in the past, when he spots someone's eyes peering over the counter. A little girl with blond hair and gray eyes was looking at him with curiosity. Her hands gripped the edge and she stood on her tiptoes to get a better look. She starts interrogating him, asking what he's making, where he's from, what bread even was. Oshern's endeared. She reminds him of his siblings. Oshern finishes making the bread and decides to offer some to her. She says that she shouldn't take something without paying for it. That's what her Papa told her. Oshern insists that she take it, but then she starts eyeing him with suspicion.

"My other Papa says that people offering things for free usually have nefar-!...naf...evil purposes!"

Oshern almost starts laughing at how cute that was. He knows she's supposed to be intimidating, but oh man that reminded him too much of his brothers. Oshern is a little thrown off by the 'two dads' situation, but asks that maybe she could call one of them over for a trade. She then spots someone and calls out 'Mama', and before Oshern can even question the living situation even further, he spots her. He can feel his face grow red at the sight of the woman. Her child looked like her, the gray eyes and the blond hair. She wore a headband and was in a nice yellow dress and her hair was tied in a low ponytail. She...she looked absolutely stunning. Oshern quickly shook his head. She was probably married! She had a kid! Focus!

Her daughter asks for some bread, and Oshern explains he was willing to offer it to her for free since she never tried it. But the mother pulls out a potato from her bag and offers it to him in exchange for the bread. Oshern takes it, but he can't stop looking at her like a love struck idiot. Oshern offers the bread to the daughter, and he's happy to see that she enjoys it. The two leave, and the girl waves goodbye while saying 'Thank you, Nice Bread Man!'

Oshern can't help but lay awake that night

So they become regular customers for his shop. And Oshern notices a few things. One, the woman doesn't really speak. She writes stuff down in a notebook she carries with her. Two, the child's name is Maria, and she hangs out with either Orion and Matthew whenever they're in the village. Hell, Maria looks at Matthew without fear and crawls all over him.

Three, based on the gossip in the village, the woman (called 'Ymir'), wasn't married. Oshern breathed a sigh of relief and no longer felt guilty. Maybe there was a way to talk to her or something? Introduce himself properly? Oshern is then invited out for drinks with the villagers. The men start asking him questions, about any of the single women that might have caught his eye. The women tell them to stop acting like pigs, but Oshern start blushing and admits there is. After some goading,

"Well." Oshern rubbed the back of his head, "It's...Ymir."

The music immediately stops playing and all the adults look at him with horror. Even the calm and collected Solveig was staring at him like he lost his mind. Oshern's eyes start darting around, confused at the sudden change in atmosphere, but then the screaming started.

"Are you fucking insane?!" half the men had yelled.

"He's gonna get himself killed! Oh my god, he's going to get us killed!"

"It's just a simple crush!" a woman reassured, "Nothing more!"

"That's how it starts!" another woman yelled.

Oshern yelped as a man grabbed him by the collar. "You might have a death wish, but don't drag us down with you!"

"W-what?! Why?! Why?!" Oshern could only muster in fear.

Solveig gets them all to calm down before explaining the story of 'the odd family that lives in the mountains'. A few years ago, a man under the name of Orion comes into the village and asks the women about pregnancies and labor. He explained it was for his daughter Ymir, and that he wanted it to be a private yet safe delivery. They're more than happy to provide, but a lot of people assumed the worst. They haven't even seen Ymir. A few months after Orion arrives, Matthew makes an appearance, trading a goose for a bag of fruits. They mostly kept to themselves, and the village couldn't help but wonder what was happening up there, but no one's gone up there to check. They were too scared. Sometimes they would hear the sounds of thunder even though the sky was a clear as day. But they did see Ymir show herself in the village months later, holding a baby that looked nothing like Orion or Matthew. It didn't even have a name until Solveig suggested the name 'Maria', which ended up sticking.

Oshern doesn't see what the problem is, but he is quickly shushed by some of the men. Solveig then explains how two years after the child was born, a group of men attacked the village. Orion and Matthew defended the village and with their combined forces killed 19 men. Oshern grows tense at that, and the villagers see it. But Solveig explains that the last man alive said that the 'Eldian Empire would rise again'. They didn't know what to make of that. They've never even heard of it. But Orion did, because the kind man grew so furious, he nearly choked the man and dragged him away from the village to his comrades to do god knows what. It was the first time that any of them had seen Orion that angry. And it was the first time that they saw fear in Matthew's eyes, because he even blocked their path and told them to not follow. They don't know what happened to this day, but when Ymir came to see the village before Orion returned, she started panicking at the name of the Eldian Empire. So they all assume that it had something to do with her and why she doesn't really talk in the first place.

Oshern feels empathy for Ymir, remembering his brothers and his parents. But the villagers go right back to warning him about getting involved with Ymir. If he valued his life, leave that family alone. Oshern can't help but feel dejected at that and drops it for a good few years. He still takes them on as customers, and still engages with Maria for small talk. She was a good kid, but any feelings he had for Ymir, he completely squashed down.

And then Maria kicks the ass of kid who's been bullying her. It makes a huge scene. Oshern ends up see a circle around the fight and is stunned to see an eight-year-old Maria shoving her bully's face in the mud, telling him to eat it. Orion comes to break up the fight, and Oshern manages to catch a brief glimpse of Matthew smirking. However, Oshern's gaze falls onto Ymir and sees how mortified and embarrassed she is, and everyone starts loudly whispering about it to their faces. Oshern feels pity. For the next few weeks, Ymir is just looking away in embarrassment. The woman had completely shut down around everyone else as they kept whispering on. Orion gave them looks of warning to shut up and Matthew threatened to not do repairs, but it still wasn't enough. Even when they were gone the chatters still continued, and Ymir was practically being shunned by the village. Oshern was proud that Maria stood up for herself, but he couldn't help but feel bad for the family. When she comes to his shop one day, Oshern does his best to engage in small talk, and reassures her that this will all pass in time. Oshern decides to give her extra bread that he had made. Ymir notices, and the next day, asks why he did using her notebook. Oshern explains while cooking that she deserved a little kindness. Everyone does. She didn't deserve to have the villagers talking about her like that. She was a good person.

And Ymir is touched by those words. She...was never told that by anyone down here before. Ymir offers him an extra potato in response to his words. Oshern tries to say no, but she takes his hand and places the food there. And Oshern's feelings for Ymir come hitting him hard like a storm. They continue trading with each other, giving something extra in return, but they communicate with one another, they enjoy each other's company. And the villagers fucking notice it and are panicking! How is he still alive?! Does Orion and Matthew even know?! Oh god they were screwed! Solveig does confront him one day and reminds him of what he knows. Oshern hesitates but proclaims that he just wants to show kindness to others. He knows what it's like to be alone and he doesn't want that for anyone else. Solveig shrugs and tells him good luck, but not before informing him that the village has started a betting pool of how long he would survive.

Oshern leaves one day to get supplies and returns to try a new recipe; however, he ends up butchering it and starts burning the bread. Ymir sees this when she comes by and jumps over the counter to help him put it out before an actual fire starts and burns his home. Ymir ends up using her hands without thinking to put it out and realizes her mistake, but Oshern notices her hands after he stomps out the burnt bread. He checks her hands, but she quickly snatches them away and brushes them behind her dress. He thanks her for his help but sits on the ground, lamenting the loss of his product and the end result. Ymir sits down next to him. He picks up the burnt loaf and shows it to Ymir, but Ymir, wanting to make Oshern feel better, takes a bite out of the crust. Oshern panics and sees Ymir's face scrunch up in disgust, but she still chews and swallows, refusing to spit it out. Ymir smacks the tongue on the roof of her mouth to get rid of the taste. Oshern apologizes, but Ymir notices the inside and scoops it out before eating that. He sees the way her face lights up before she gestures for him to try. Oshern tries it, and is stunned that it actually tastes good. So tasks failed successfully? And the two begin to share the bread, hollowing it out until the burnt crust remained. Oshern, not wanting to waste it, takes it out back to his horse, and offers Ymir to come with him. She does, and Oshern introduces the woman to his horse. He explains how this horse has been by his side since he left his village a long time ago. Oshern is relieved to see the horse eating the bread and offers Ymir to try to feed it. Ymir is hesitant, but Oshern helps her. He asks for her hand, and...Ymir lets him take it. He guides the hand to the mouth and it eats. Oshern sees the way that Ymir's expression goes from surprise, to admiration for the horse. Oshern quickly lets her go before reassuring Ymir once more that the horse is friendly, petting it alongside the neck.

Oshern and Ymir end up the front of his shop, and Ymir writes to him 'thank you' for the bread and letting her see his horse. And Oshern's elated at that. He thinks now is as good a time as any. Ask her. Ask if they could spend more time outside of work and-!

"Hi, Mama!"

Both adults snapped their heads to see Orion and Matthew visibly panicking with a delighted Maria who was waving at them. Matthew quickly covered her mouth before the two run off with the child in tow.

"O-oh," Oshern stuttered before turning to Ymir, "That was-!"

Oshern paused when he saw a look of concern in those grey eyes. She turns to him and quickly bows her head before walking away. Oshern reached out to her, but...he knew that the moment was gone. Oshern felt eyes on him and turned to see the villagers snapping their heads away before pretending to do work.

One of them: Get the funeral pyre ready.

Now to shift to Ymir's perspective.

Ymir is enjoying her life of freedom. She has Maria. She has Optimus and Megatron. She found a new name for herself (IronSpark). She couldn't ask for anything else.

Well...except for one thing.

Ymir doesn't have friends in the village. She has a few acquaintances. She looks up to Solveig as a wise elder. But friends her age was out of the question, and everyone saw her as part of the odd family. She couldn't help...but be lonely. She sees the way that couples act in the village. All the sweet gifts and marital spats. The desire to get married and have someone to call her lover...it was a desire she's had ever since the Eldian Empire.

But she knows that she wasn't going to get that. She was certain she was never going to get that. Not after all the killing and destruction she's done. Who would ever love a monster like that? Like her? The ostracizing only got worse after the fight Maria had. It hurt. It hurt so much. She wasn't sure Optimus or Megatron would understand what she felt, and she wasn't going to burden her daughter. It was just...one of those things she'd have to carry with her for the rest of her life.

But she's surprised that the baker, Oshern: the outsider as the village called him (even though he's lived in the village for a few years now), is still treating her with kindness. She had memorized the voices in the gossip and chatter, but his was never among them. She asks him why, and Oshern simply says that she deserves to be treated with kindness because she a good person. And...oh...oh....no one...no one here has ever called her that before. She sees the way he smiles at her with those green eyes, and her heart skips a beat. She offers him the potato, and the two start their exchange. That night, Ymir his holding her notebook close to her chest, treasuring his words so deeply in her heart.

Now their exchange and interaction doesn't go unnoticed by the villagers. And it especially doesn't go unnoticed by Maria. She likes Oshern. She thinks he's nice and funny. Maria has noticed the way her mother would look at the other couples in the village and how unhappy she looked. She wanted her mama to be happy. She deserved that didn't she? So when she realizes that Ymir and Oshern are talking, she's ecstatic, and thinks he'll be part of the family.

One day, Optimus and Megatron are watching Maria at the cabin, and are surprised that Ymir is running late. She's never like this.

"She's probably talking to the 'Nice Bread Man'," Maria commented absentmindedly as she continued writing.

Both titans in their holoforms pause before snapping their heads at Maria.

"Who?" Megatron demanded.

"The Nice Bread Man," Maria continues without a care, "His name is...Oshern! And he has red hair and green eyes. I've never met someone with red hair before! It's pretty. They've been talking for a while now. He's the only one who's been nice to her after...after what I did."

Optimus and Megatron both share a look, and are both calculating the possible risks that have come with this unprecedented scenario. Optimus walked up to the table Maria was sitting at before kneeling down.

"Firelight. Sweetspark," Optimus began, "Where exactly is this 'Oshern'?"

Megatron and Optimus take Maria down to the village to spy and to get her to point him out. They do find Ymir, having a one-sided conversation with a red haired, green-eyed man. But before the two could hear what he was trying to say, Maria yells 'Hi', blowing their covering, causing them to grab her and run.

Megatron: Firelight, the point of that mission was stealth!

Maria: I wanted to say hi.

Ymir returns to the cabin, feeling embarrassed. It only gets worse when she sees Optimus and Megatron sitting at the table, silently gesturing to an open chair. And they grill her on who Oshern is and how long they've been talking for. But she keeps her composure, writes down her answers. They don't have enough evidence to pass judgement on him, but letting this stranger into their lives would no doubt put them in danger. However, Ymir has made it clear that she's still going to see him, for both business and personal reasons. And she doesn't want either of them trying to hurt him. She leaves the room, but Optimus and Megatron agree that they need to figure out everything and anything about this man!

For the next few months, Oshern is constantly feeling eyes in the back of his head. He notices Optimus in visible view most of the time, pretending to occupy himself. Meanwhile, Megatron is hiding somewhere in the trees spying from afar. No one in the village can find him, but they know he's there!

Except for Solveig, but she found him on accident while foraging.

But the two titans find nothing. He's polite, he's respectful, he's dedicated to his craft. He was just an overall nice person...which frustrates them both! They both think that something is wrong for different reasons! Megatron because he's naturally suspicious of everyone, and Optimus is just worried for Ymir's safety and doesn't want her getting hurt! Or worse!

Megatron does advice Optimus to not spy on him one day because he's shit at stealth! Optimus relents and Megatron sees that nothing has really changed in his routine! Or his conversations with Ymir! They talk! They trade extra items! Megatron nearly screams when Oshern offers her a flower not native to the region as a kind gesture! Ymir returns to the cabin and both grill her on the flower, but Ymir ignores them and places the flower in a vase against the window.

Megatron's tempted to destroy it but Optimus has to pull him back.

But Megatron does realize that the Baker leaves the village to get supplies from somewhere and forms an idea. He tells Optimus he'll be back before leaving the cabin in dramatic fashion. As Oshern is packing for his trip, Megatron makes himself known by calling him 'Baker' causing Oshern to jump. Megatron interrogates him and asks him where he's going. Oshern explains and the villagers are spying on this, ready to win or lose something from their bets. Megatron decides to 'offer' his help with supplies, thinking the baker will say no. And Oshern remembering what his mother said...says 'yes'. Throwing everyone off, including the former warlord!

Megatron: Did...did you just say yes?!

Oshern as he continued packing: Well, yeah! See, I have an extra shipment of grains coming in because my orders have been increasing, and I just need help hauling it in. You're strong, so I figured I could use the help if offered.

Megatron: No one offers something without wanting something in return.

Oshern: So that's where Maria gets it from.

Megatron: Excuse you?

Oshern, jumping onto his wagon and patting the side: I don't mean that as a bad thing. You're her dad and she looks up to you. So are you coming?

Megatron:...fine.

The villagers are shook as Megatron jumps in the wagon and they head off. They're arguing about what this means for bets, but one of them says that Megatron might just kill him and leave him on the side of the road.

What the hell-?!

It's very likely with him!

Oshern tries to make conversation on the way there, but Megatron is very quiet, only answering yes or no questions. They arrive a few hours later, and Megatron actually quite shocked at the sight of the bustling town. He's actually never seen this many humans in one place. They arrive at the bakery, and Oshern is excited to greet his former boss. The boss is thrown off by the sight of Megatron, but Oshern reassures that he's here to help. They work together to make trades, and Megatron observes the way Oshern interacts with the community around him. And how they really enjoyed his company. He was...respected. Megatron was offered food, but feeling self-conscious about the situation, and actually not wanting to ruin this guy's relationships with the town folk, respectfully declined. Oshern is surprised to see that Megatron isn't acting hostile towards the people. Megatron decides to look around the area out of curiosity, thinking that he could probably bring something back for Maria, but then he sees it.

A fresco in the middle of the town, depicting the scene that he saw when he first arrived here, of the Savior of Heaven coming down from the sky, slaying the Devil of the Earth. The story of how Optimus saved Ymir. Oshern finds Megatron and mistakes Megatron's staring for admiration. Oshern explains how many of the people in this Marleyan town are refugees and victims of the Eldian Empire, coming here for a better life. Oshern states when they heard the news of the Empire falling and the devil being slain, he broke down with tears of joy. Whatever this god was, he hopes that one day he would be able to thank him for freeing this world of tyranny.

Megatron:...I'm sure he knows how grateful everyone is.

Oshern then runs into the two brothers that helped guide him to the town and hugs them with joy, briefly managing to catch up on what they've been doing. The two got jobs and a roof over their heads. They were finally secure. The three continue catching up, so Megatron decides to load the remaining supplies while he does. Oshern says his 'goodbye' and is surprised to see that Megatron has everything ready. The boss does offer Megatron some food to take, and he accepts, simply for Maria and Ymir to try and they return to the village and they head off.

As they head back, Megatron can't help but ask who the two brothers were. Oshern explains that they tried to rob him, but instead of killing them, he decided to show mercy instead. Megatron says that was completely stupid of him and demands to know why he did it. Oshern says that he's just following what his mom used to tell him, about not contributing to the hatred of the world and being kind. Megatron calls him foolish and sentimental, but he can't help but think that's what saved him and brought him here.

The villagers are in stunned silence and both Megatron and Oshern return. Megatron then hands Maria the food provided by the boss, which she's delighted about.

And it's progress. Megatron eases up, but not that much. This time when he spies on Oshern, he intentionally makes himself more visible. Oshern waves whenever he's nearby, causing Megatron to storm off. He hates it! Stop being nice!

Optimus; however, does not ease up. He's in shock that Megatron is actually being nicer to Oshern. Megatron retorts by saying that he can't find anything negative about him! He's tried! There's nothing! Optimus argues to check again, and Megatron retorts by saying he's already done that! Maria asks them why they were acting like this? Mama was happy now. Well, happier. Don't they want her to be happy?

They both nearly cave at Maria's question. Damn it Firelight! Stop using Megatron's tactics against him!

Maria's annoyed at their insistence on spying on Oshern, and just straight up complains to the Baker. (Oshern lets her hang around his shop and shows her how he bakes). Oshern reasons that they just care about Ymir and her. He wasn't going to fault them for that. He missed his father, despite their disagreements. But Maria states that they don't know how happy Ymir's been since they've started talking to each other. Maria tells him about the way Ymir looks at the other couples in the village and how she always looked unhappy. Maria doesn't like to lie, but she asks Oshern not to tell anyone about her thoughts. She doesn't think that her parents would understand. Oshern pats her on the head and reassures her that he won't, and thanks her for feeling comfortable enough to share. He does ask if she feels awkward with him here, but Maria says no, because he makes her mother happy.

Oshern can't help but feel happy at that, but Solveig cuts into the picture when Maria leaves. She tells Oshern she and the other villagers are surprised that Megatron and Optimus haven't killed him yet. Oshern brushes off the comment, trying not to let discouraging words get to him. He...he tells Solveig that he really likes Ymir, and he does want to try and have a relationship with her. He doesn't care how long it takes, or how Orion and Matthew act. He knows that they mean well; they just want to protect them.

"Are you prepared to venture into the unknown?" Solveig asked him.

"I've done that since I was sixteen," Oshern informed as he cleaned out the oven.

"That's not what I meant," Solveig declared, "There's a reason that family has stayed up in the mountains for so long. Why interaction has been limited and why Orion and Matthew have been watching you for so long."

Oshern paused, glancing over at Solveig.

"The longer you entertain this, the more secrets you'll find out. Dark secrets. Words that aren't supposed to be said. Tell me: are you really willing to continue this?" Solveig demanded.

"...yes. I am,"

"Then good luck, Oshern,"

Oshern and Ymir's relationship continues to grow, while the villagers are shocked that he's still alive! HOW?! Oshern still notices the way Optimus and Megatron spy on him, but he's learned to ignore it this time. The two spend time together during work and after. Ymir actually helps Oshern with his writing, while Oshern tells Ymir about his travels and tells her some of his recipes. Ymir even offers him some other products so he can experiment. Their feelings grew, and the more it grew, the more crushing weight fell on Ymir's shoulders. If she let him in, truly let him in, would she have to tell him about her power. What about Optimus and Megatron? What would happen if...she was wrong about Oshern's kindness?

One day, Oshern decides to tell Ymir about his past and how he ultimately ended up in the village. He thinks that she's a victim of the Eldian Empire, and she is, and he thinks telling her will allow them to become closer. But...Ymir is completely and utterly terrified. It's written all over her face. Oshern thinks that she's mortified because of what he went through and tells her not to worry about it. But Ymir simply bows her head, and leaves without a word. But when she gets to the cabin, she rushes to her room before she breaks down sobbing. Of course! Of course it was too good to be true! She was finally able to have a moment of happiness, but now, it was never going to happen! The Eldian Empire attacked his home! She attacked his home! She probably killed his parents and took away his brothers! She would never be forgiven! If she told him the truth now, she would be killed and exiled for it! She....she was a monster! And monsters don't deserve happiness! ...They deserve death.

Optimus and Megatron return to the cabin the next day, but are surprised to see Maria looking at the door to Ymir's room with concern. Maria explains that Ymir was fine yesterday, but she came home crying last night. Optimus wonders why, and immediately assumes that Oshern brought some kind of harm to her. He storms out the cabin, and Megatron follows after him, recognizing that look of rage in Optimus. Oshern is baking, concerned for Ymir's wellbeing in the back of his mind. And then Optimus is grabbing Oshern by the collar and throwing him over the counter and out into the ground. Optimus grabs the still, hot spatula and spins it in his hand and point it at Oshern. He demands to know what the hell he did to Ymir. Oshern's trying his best to explain to him as he crawls backwards, but Megatron quickly grabs his collar and forces him to stand up. Oshern is not liking the look of anticipation in Megatron's eyes as Optimus continues to demand and explanation! What did he do?! Oshern tries to explain as the villagers see this shit go down! Someone quickly alerts Solveig as Optimus is ready to cause some actual harm but-!

Solveig clapped her hands as loud as possible. "ENOUGH!"

Everyone turned their attention to that commanding voice. Optimus and Megatron stop their assault on Oshern, and the Baker looked visibly relieved at the herbalist's arrival.

"Put the Baker down," Solveig ordered, "And all three of you are coming into my house to settle this."

"Sol-!" Solveig raised a hand to the villager that tried to protest this plan.

"This isn't your concern, woman," Megatron proclaimed.

"You didn't even give him a chance to explain himself and jumped right to conclusions!" Solveig explained, "The boy has been kind to the both of you despite your insistence on spying on him every other day! He makes one mistake, and suddenly he has to suffer for it?!"

Solveig points to her home. "House."

"Solveig, you don't-,"

"NOW!" Solveig yelled at Optimus.

The villagers are shook to see Optimus and Megatron comply.

The three men are now sitting at Solveig's table and gives Oshern some tea, but he cannot drink it out of fear of the two titans staring him down. She immediately turns her attention to Oshern and asks what happened, earning protests from Megatron. Solveig tells him be quiet. Megatron says fuck you. Solveig tells him to sit down, and he begrudgingly complies. But Solveig does demand Oshern explain properly or she will let them have their way with him. But Oshern is confused. He only told Ymir about his life story and how he was a victim of the Eldian Empire! That was it! But that gets a visible reaction out of all three of them. Megatron is looking concerned, Optimus is both horrified and guilty, and Solveig can't help but feel annoyed at the completely fucked up situation she was finding herself in. Solveig tells the two to leave, but tells Oshern to stay, and they comply. Solveig reminds him of her warning to him, and how he's falling deeper under the rabbit hole of secrets, but now there was a chance of being unable to turn back. Oshern insists he needs to know if Ymir is okay, but Solveig advises Oshern to let Ymir come to him. And he accepts this advice.

It takes a few days. Optimus tries to comfort Ymir, but nothing he does is enough. She's practically relapsed. Both Megatron and Maria are worried, but they don't know what to do. They were stuck. Ymir is sitting one evening, holding some bread that they managed to save in her hand. And...she can't stop thinking about him and how kind he was. She knows...she knows for a fact that he was going to hate her once he knew the truth, but...she loved him too much to hide it from him. And if she died...then so be it. She would be allowing someone some much needed justice. Ymir goes to Maria's room and peers inside to see Optimus and Maria talking to each other, the titan trying to reassure her daughter. Ymir then turns to leave with her notebook, exiting the cabin and going down to the village.

Oshern is in complete agony over this wait. His heart can't take it. He's been waiting for days, and the people have been talking. Hell, no one from the cabin has been down in the village! Oshern closes up shop, getting ready for bed, when he hears someone speak his name in a whisper. He turns and is both shocked and elated to see Ymir standing there. She...she could talk? And she said his name? Ymir speaks once more, and it's to apologize to Oshern. She's says that she's not good. That she's horrible. Oshern immediately reaches out to reassure her that she's not, but she takes a step back, not allowing herself to touch him or be touched. Ymir asks if they could go somewhere to talk, and...Oshern agrees. He grabs a lantern and his wagon, and the two ride off together into the full moon night. Oshern sees how nervous Ymir was, holding her notebook so tightly he was certain she was going to break it.

Ymir then pulls the reigns to tell the horse to stop. Not once does she touch his hand. Oshern is confused as they arrive at an open field. They both jump off and Oshern tries to ask her what's wrong, but she's still speaking to apologize. Repeatedly. It's the most he's heard her speak, ever, and she was using it to apologize. Ymir tells Oshern to stay there. To not come near her. He tries, because she still hadn't explained what was going on, but she finally touches him, only to actually push him to stay back. She gestures for him to stay there, and he complies. Oshern sees her walking farther and farther away from him before stopping. Oshern manages to see her biting her hand, and lightning comes down from the sky. Oshern has to grab his horse because it got spooked, and Oshern sees a giant forming, almost as tall as the sky. It had bones sticking out of his chest and a skull for a face, and...blond hair. Oshern grips the reigns tighter and stares on in fear, remembering the fresco in the town, depicting...the Devil of the Earth. Ymir...was...was the Devil? The weapon of the Eldian Empire?!

Oshern gasps when Ymir falls over, causing the ground to shake and the dust to rise. He sees Ymir pull herself out of her titan form, and trudges over to him before falling to her knees in submission. He doesn't see her face, and her hair has come undone from its ponytail. Now, Oshern doesn't know what to think. The child in him, the one that lost his family all those years ago, was screaming at him, telling him to kill her. She was there. She was part of the group that took your home! He still had his father's knife on him. Kill her! He's never killed anyone before, but he moves his hand towards the knife.

"Kill...me...if you must." Oshern's hand stopped when he heard Ymir speak.

"...I'm...monster....devil...demon," she continued, "murderer...I don't...deserve kindness...or...love...I deserve...death....but...sorry....Oshern...sorry..."

Oshern could see her body trembling. He could hear her trembling breath, but not once did she raise her head to face him. Oshern's hand slowly fell back to his side. The adult in him, the one that grew past the Eldian Empire, only remembered Ymir's kindness and patience. He remembered how much she loved her daughter, and how much Maria adored her. He remembered how Ymir constantly helped out wherever she can in the village. And no matter how often the village scorned or ridicule her family, not once did she use her power to harm or kill anyone. She was bowing before him, giving him permission to end her life!

Oshern looked down at his trembling hands. What...what was he supposed to do?! Should he listen to the logic of his father?! Should he listen to the kindness of his mother?! Oshern then remembered the two brothers, and how he decided to show them mercy. It saved all three of them, and it helped them build a better life. He did not contribute to the hatred in the world, and it brought him here. If he killed Ymir, he would no doubt be doing irreparable damage. He would leave Maria without a mother. He would leave Orion and Matthew without a daughter. He would be killed or hunted for the rest of his days. He would...he would destroy a family. And that was the last thing he wanted to do: he did not want to contribute to the hatred in the world.

Oshern slowly kneeled down in front of Ymir. "Ymir...can you please look at me?"

It felt so strange asking a powerful deity for permission to look at someone like him. She had the power to crush him. He couldn't help but think it to be so surreal. Oshern grew tense when she raised her head. He wasn't sure what he was going to be looking at, but...his heart stopped. Her face was covered in red markings that went down from her eyes to the bottom of her cheeks. Steam still arose from her body; he could feel the heat radiating off of her. But...her eyes never changed. Her beautiful grey eyes, filled to the brim with tears, still glistened as brightly as the first day they met all those years ago. She was still...the same person...that he fell in love with.

"You're..." Oshern couldn't find the words, "You're beautiful."

Ymir's eyes widened in shock, and her mouth hung open. Beautiful? Why would he call her that? She wasn't beautiful. She was a monster. A slave. Why would after knowing the truth, would he call her that? She shook her head and covered her eyes with her hands. No! No, that was wrong! This was wrong! There's no way that this could be real!

"No..." Ymir's voice trembled, "No...not...not!" Her breath hitched in her throat, her lips trembled, and more tears fell. "Not!"

Oshern couldn't help but feel terrible for Ymir. What had she gone through, to make her not believe those words? He was expecting something cruel and heartless, but she was just as much of a victim as anyone else. Oshern raised both hands, and rested them on Ymir's cheeks. Ymir froze at the sensation of his touch, removing her hands from her face and staring at him. Oshern felt how hot her skin was to the touch. He felt the grooves of the markings in her skin. He felt her tears staining his hands.

"You are." Oshern leaned in close, confusing Ymir greatly. What...what was he doing? Ymir gasped as Oshern placed a small, feather-light kiss on her lips. He remained there, choosing not to pull away, but also giving Ymir enough room to move if need be. He didn't want to frighten her, but she needed to know how he felt. Ymir...couldn't comprehend. She...she was being kissed. Like...the others couples she saw. Not once has she been kissed. She'd never been kissed before. Now this man, who was hurt by her actions, not only called her beautiful, but was kissing her. This beautiful, kind-hearted man, was still choosing to show her love and affection.

Before Ymir could even consider reciprocating, Oshern released her lips and let her go. Oshern smiled at her, and Ymir raised her fingers to her lips, the burning and electrifying sensation still lingering. The tears started to even more now, and before Oshern could ask what was wrong, Ymir wrapped her arms around him and hugged him so fiercely. She sobbed in his shoulder, still trying to come up with words of apologies. Oshern only hugged her back in response, cradling her head and pulling her closer. He wasn't going to let her go. He wasn't.

Oshern does say that he has questions before carrying her to the wagon. They both lie down in there, and Ymir gives him her notebook. He reads her life story. How when she was younger, her village was burned to the ground, and she was taken as a slave. She was drugged, physically abused, and had her tongue ripped out of her mouth. She was forced to become a slave. (Oshern is thinking about his brothers in that moment. They must've tried to fight back in order to free themselves.) She let a pig escape one day, and the slaves blamed her to save their own neck. She had her eye gouged out, and she was hunted for sport in the woods. She then came across a tree, fell inside the root of it into some liquid. She felt something connect with her back, and she was granted this power. So, she was forced to return, because she had nowhere else to go, even if she did try to escape and kill her captors. She was still abused and ostracized in the Empire, called a slave or a monster. She was...she was violated by the Eldian king. And then...Orion came into her life. He had called for her, showed her mercy, and promised to protect her. And...she let him save her.

Oshern can't help but realize how much of that explains so much. But what about the Savior from Heaven. Was that real then? What about Matthew? And where did Maria come from? He wanted to ask more, but he sees how exhausted Ymir is, and decides to wait another time. They return to the village early in the morning, and Oshern offers to let her stay to rest, but she declines. She needs to go back to the mountains, to her family. Oshern understands and tells her to be safe, but Ymir is still taken aback by his kindness. She speaks, saying that she didn't deserve him, but Oshern proclaims that she deserved so much better. Ymir then kisses Oshern on the lips. It was unpracticed, awkward, they had bumped their noses together, but both are blushing. They didn't mind. Ymir and Oshern say their goodbyes and Ymir returns to the mountains. Oshern can't open up shop that day. He really has to sit and think about what he's learned. He knows that Ymir didn't kill his parents or the others from his hometown, but she was a force for the Eldian Empire. She had revealed her deepest darkest secret expecting death, but broke down at the slightest show of actual kindness. He supposed his father was right. People did what they had to in order to survive.

When Ymir returns to the cabin, both Optimus and Megatron are there while Maria is eating breakfast. Optimus immediately walks to Ymir with concern, asking where's she been. They'd been searching for her! Ymir closes her eyes and speaks, and confesses that she told Oshern the truth about her power. Both titans are mortified while Maria is excited. She thinks Oshern will be part of the family, but now all of them were arguing with each other. They were scolding Ymir at how absolutely fucking reckless that was! What was the purpose?! Why did she tell him?! There was a difference between dating someone and telling them you're deepest darkest secret that had a real-world impact on their surroundings! Ymir retorts with her notebook, saying he deserved to know after what she had done. Optimus then brings up the fact that he could very well tell the other villagers and they would be forced to leave their home because they would want her dead!

"What?!" Maria exclaimed with concern shooting up from the table. All heads turned to her at the realization of their mistake. They had forgotten about Maria. They should have known she was still there. This wasn't for her to hear.

"Megatron, take Maria outside," Optimus ordered before turning back to Ymir, "I need to speak to IronSpark alone."

"C'mon." Megatron walked over to Maria and grabbed her hand.

"But-!" Maria tried to protest, but Megatron shot her a look of warning, causing her to shut her mouth. Megatron took Maria outside the cabin, leaving both titan and titan shifter alone.

"You clearly were not thinking, and let your emotions get the best of you," Optimus accused.

Ymir scribbled in her notebook. "That's not fair!"

"IronSpark, you know how people would treat you if they found out about your power!" Optimus reminded, "You know how people have treated you in the past! Now you reveal your power to someone we do not know well enough or trust because you let your feelings for him cloud your judgement!"

"He was a victim of mine!" Ymir wrote down, "I helped attack his home and take away his family! He deserved to know! More than anything!"

"That decision was foolish!" Optimus declared, "Because you did not consult us about it! The village could come up here if and when he tells them, and the life we have struggled to build since that day will be destroyed! We will have to go on the run! We may be forced to hide for the rest of your lives if word got out that you were still alive! Do you want that life for Maria?! Do you want to put her in danger?!"

"That is so hypocritical coming from you!" Ymir declared.

"Excuse you?!" Optimus raised his voice, "I have done everything in my power to keep you safe!"

"What about Megatron?!" Ymir demanded, "I was weak! I was defenseless! I was pregnant! You told me that he was your enemy! You told me that he was a possible threat! He was a threat to my life and you let him be around me while I was seven months pregnant! Why did you let him stay that long if you knew how much of a danger he was to us?! Why did you choose to make excuses for him time and time again?!"

"IronSpark, I had no one else to turn to in that moment, and you know this!" Optimus reminded, "I could not consult the villagers without risking your powers being exposed!"

"He looked at me like I was vermin for months!" Ymir told him, "Like I was a disease or a pet! And you made excuses for him! Was it out of love, right?! Because that is the only reason that I can think of that Megatron stayed this long!"

"I made a calculated decision to protect you!" Optimus declared, "When people are exposed to a secret like yours, they could reveal their true nature! Show that they are monsters!"

"Oshern is not a monster!" Ymir declared, "He's been so kind to me! If anything, I'm the monster! I'm the demon! I'm the one with blood on my hands!"

"That's still-!"

"NO!" Ymir forced herself to shout slamming her fist against the wall. Optimus froze in shock, never hearing such an angry outburst from the quiet woman. Ymir pointed at Optimus with anger and sorrow in her eyes. "...no." She shook her head, "He...saw...me."

She pointed to herself. "Looked....at....me....called...'beautiful'." Ymir slammed her hand against her chest. "Never....never...called...."

Ymir wiped the tears that were starting to form in her eyes. "I...love...him. My...choice."

Ymir ends up storming over to her room to sleep, but Optimus feels so fucking bad!

The next few days are tense for the cabin. Ymir and Optimus aren't communicating. She'll still communicate with Maria, barely with Megatron, but she and Optimus are not talking at all. All of them are worried about a mob that might come up. An ambush. Megatron is waiting outside the cabin and Maria packs a bag of only her bare essentials. She's worried she can't take everything. But...nothing happens. Megatron goes to spy on the village, and Oshern, but sees the village going about its business. He sees Oshern still selling his bread, making jokes and being friendly. There was no secret code. No late night meeting about how to attack them. Oshern...didn't say a word. He kept Ymir's secret.

Megatron relays this information to Optimus, but Optimus...Optimus can't trust this. Optimus goes down there and straight up confronts the Baker about whether or not he told anyone. Oshern intentionally plays dumb, almost getting a rise out of the Prime, but Oshern explains that the villagers are watching. Optimus looks behind him to see villagers spying on the both of them. Oshern offers for Optimus to come inside his home...and the Prime accepts.

Villagers: Okay, this is where Oshern is gonna die

Optimus sees the upstairs of his home and how neat it is. Oshern offers Optimus something to eat, but Optimus declines, saying he's on business. He needs to know if what he's saying is truthful, and demands to here Oshern's life story. Oshern agrees...as long as Optimus doesn't kill him. And Oshern explains everything, and Optimus is just stunned. This...this is what his spark meant. This is what Ymir was talking about. And he had no idea that his actions that day had this far-reaching consequence. And Optimus goes from feeling bad to feeling worse. Oshern sees Optimus' visible stress and reassures Optimus that he understands why he did what he did. He gets now that he just wanted to keep Ymir safe. That's fine. Oshern is stunned when Optimus does apologize for the way that he acted, and Oshern accepts it, no questions asked.

However Optimus does warn that if he betrays Ymir's trust, he and Megatron will do everything in their power to make his life hell on earth before killing him. Oshern nods, and confesses that he does love Ymir. He'd do anything for her. Optimus doesn't reply to that and takes his leave. He asked how Optimus even saved Ymir in the first place, curiosity getting the better of him, but Optimus doesn't reply to that either.

Again, the villagers are fucking stunned to see Oshern still alive and running business! Majority of them have lost their bets at this point! How is he still breathing?! When Optimus returns to the cabin, to Ymir, no words are said, but there's an exchange of looks, Optimus gestures to the door, and Ymir runs. Maria confused, but Megatron asks if he's certain Oshern is fine. Optimus nods yes, but Megatron can see concern and fear, but Megatron is certain that it doesn't have anything to do with Oshern's kind nature. Oshern has returned to running his business when he sees Ymir running to him. Oshern jumps over the countertop to meet her and Ymir tackles him into a hug and he spins her around. Half of the villagers are fucking dead at the sight of that shit. Meanwhile Solveig is smiling with contentment.

But now that Oshern knows the truth about Ymir, it's like a weight had been lifted from Ymir's shoulders. She was happy and still overwhelmed with the idea of someone loving her completely. The two are able to spend more time together, albeit with some interference. Optimus is still watching them with concern, which is something Solveig notices. Megatron has thrown potatoes at Oshern if he thought that something was getting out of hand. But he takes it in stride which infuriates the ex-con. Maria has to constantly tell both her Papas to stop, and they have nearly buckled multiple times! She likes Oshern! He's nice and is teaching her how to bake! Stop it!

But after all the time they've spent together, Oshern fully believes he wants to spend the rest of his life with Ymir. He wants to be with her, flaws and all. He wants to be part of her family. But...he knew how much Ymir and Maria meant to Optimus and Megatron. And he knew for a fact that he was going to need their blessing. So Oshern manages to stop the two of them one day in the village (Ymir isn't there), bows to the both of them, and asks for Ymir's hand in marriage. The whole village practically pauses when they hear Oshern speak those words. Optimus' mental state fucking shatters, and Megatron is in complete and utter confusion, because the uncultured swine doesn't know what marriage is. Optimus has to pull Megatron aside and explain in Cybertronian what the hell he's talking about, which gets a much more visible reaction out of the former warlord.

Optimus in Cybertronian: It's the equivalent of a sparkbond Megatron!

Megatron: EXCUSE THE PITS OUT OF YOU?!

Now those two are having a full-blown argument in another language, with the village watching and eating snacks eagerly like it's a soap opera. Oshern is just standing there so nervously, waiting for approval or rejection. Because the two of them are discussing the fact that if they say yes, they have to reveal who they are. There was no in between. But Oshern had kept Ymir's secret, and she's the one that's done actual damage on this world. That conversation lasts a good while, but they come to an agreement and face Oshern. They are going to invite him up the mountain to discuss this further.

Villagers: Holy shit!

Oshern accepts their proposal, and the villagers are looking at him like he's fucking insane! They have to pull him later aside and tell him to not go! No one's been up the mountain before! They say its haunted! He's going to die! Solveig brings up the fact that she was invited once but chose not to go. Oshern tells them all to stop. He loves Ymir; her guardians are just concerned. That's it. They all think this man is stupid! Oh my god!

Oshern didn't know when he was expected to come, but a few days later, a nine-year-old Maria shows up. Bouncing with excitement at the idea that someone is finally coming over to their place. Oshern ends up following her up the trail to the mountain with a small gift of good will, and the villagers watch with concern.

One of them: Get the funeral pyre ready.

And Maria is continuously talking as they hike up there, the girl not even showing signs of exhaustion. Oshern can't help but feel nervous as they reach the top and go through some trees. The villager's superstitions were getting to him. They reach the cabin, and Oshern is stunned to see how nice it was. It was a simple cabin planted in the middle of a grassy field surrounded by the forest. It was so peaceful. And then he's met with the sight of Optimus and Megatron fighting with swords in their holoforms, and they are really going at it. Maria grabs Oshern by the hand and drags him along, but his eyes are glued to the sight before him. Holy shit they were strong. The villagers were not joking about that! Maria says hi to them as they're fighting, and both immediately stop, pointing their swords at their necks.

"Uh...hi." Oshern waved nervously.

"Oh, it's you," Megatron says with disinterest.

Ymir comes out to greet him, all dressed up with her hair braided. She just hugs him outright, and Oshern has to raise his hands in surrender at the sight of the two guardians holding weapons! Ymir then pulls him into the cabin with the biggest grin on her face, stunning all the men there. She shows him around the cabin she had spent the past few days cleaning top to bottom because she personally wanted to make a good impression. She then pulls him into the living room and asks him to sit down. Maria sits down next to him and starts to talk his ear off once again. Oshern can't help but notice Optimus and Megatron looking from outside the cabin. Megatron is watching him with warning, but Optimus is looking...solemn. Oshern's train of thought was broken when Ymir serves him and Maria stew and the three of them eat together. Oshern can't help but praise her cooking, and...it's a perfect moment between all three of them. Oshern asks if Optimus and Megatron are going to eat, but Maria says they eat different food, earning a shushing gesture from Megatron. Optimus places a hand on his shoulder before approaching the three. He looks at Oshern directly and tells him that he and Megatron wish to show him something.

"Megatron?" Oshern questioned in confusion. Oshern looked over to see the former warlord waving at him before looking back at Optimus.

"We're gonna tell him?!" Maria exclaimed excitedly, while Ymir stared at Optimus in surprise.

"That is...why we invited him up here," Optimus relented.

"YEAH!" Maria screaming as she ran out the door. Megatron quickly grabbed her.

"Don't get too excited," Megatron warned, but the child giggled with delight.

Oshern notices the way that Ymir and Optimus are looking at each other, and he could tell the conversations had and the words being said before Optimus leaves the cabin. Ymir takes Oshern by the hand and gives a reassuring smile before pulling him along to follow the others. Oshern is just being pulled along, watching this family be cheery and happy with one another. Megatron, apparently that's his name, is helping Maria play along the river as they go deeper into the mountains. But Optimus hasn't said a word once. He's been so quiet. Oshern is concerned for him. They get to an open area, and Oshern is definitely feeling a strong sense of Deja vu right now. Megatron then calls Optimus by his actual name, which sets him off more. And Optimus tells Oshern that he once asked him about how he saved Ymir. But before Oshern can ask, Optimus and Megatron deactivate their holoforms and reveal their true identities. Megatron comes down from the sky in dramatic fashion while Optimus drives up. And Oshern is in genuine shock at the sight of two metal titans before him. Instinct is screaming at him to run, but Maria runs up to what he assumes is Megatron, and he picks her up with so much care despite his claws. Optimus explains the basics, their names, and that they are beings from another world. And so much shit is clicking for this baker right now while he's also having an existential crisis! Ymir hopes that he's okay, but Oshern nods, despite how nervous he looks. But Megatron enjoying making him squirm. Optimus tells him that he is more than welcome to ask any questions.

Oshern took a deep breath. "I have two. Are all of you just titans?! Is that a trend in this family?!"

Maria raised her hand from Megatron's shoulder. "I'm not!"

"Unfortunately," Megatron grumbled.

"Megatron," Optimus scolded before turning back to Oshern, "And your second inquiry?"

Oshern turned his attention directly to Ymir. "Will you marry me?"

Ymir's mouth dropped open while Optimus and Megatron stared in shock. Meanwhile Maria, gasped with excitement.

"He asked!" Maria yelled.

"We did not agree to that!" Megatron yelled.

"Well you revealed your forms to me! I am assuming I am welcome in this family!" Oshern shouted at Megatron before turning back to Ymir. "I have a million thoughts running through my head right now about everything, but one thing has remained the same. I love you. I love you so much. I love your daughter. She reminds me of my kid brothers, and I love being able to teach her what I know. Despite the fact that I have been met with constant hostility from them!"

Oshern pointed to the two titans. "I respect them. And understand completely why they wanted to keep you safe for all this time. And...I love you. From the moment you walked into my life that feeling never stopped growing. You are strong and patient and kind. And I don't know how the gods brought you into my life, but I would not change the path that I have walked if it meant I got to see you again."

Oshern took Ymir's hand and held it close to his chest. "I might not be as strong or as reliable as your guardians, but I swear to my last breath, I will do everything in my power to give you a life of happiness. One you desperately deserve. No matter what comes our way, I will not leave you. So..."

Oshern felt his hand trembling. He couldn't tell if it was because of him or the woman he loved. "Will you marry me?"

Ymir could only stare. Not a single word came out of her mouth. He...he wanted to...this kindhearted man. A man so different in every way from the king, asked for her hand in marriage. He promised to love and protect her. And she....she could only dream of a moment like this. She never thought it would actually come true. And now...she had to say something. C'mon! Say it! Say your answer!

"We did not agree to you asking her for marriage!" Megatron shouted at Oshern, "Prime, tell him!" However, Megatron could only see that the Prime looked just as dumbstruck as Ymir. "By the Allspark, I seem to be the only one who has sense here! You will not-!"

"Yes," Ymir spoke with absolute confidence, causing Megatron to stop in his tracks. She raised her free hand to her mouth, almost completely blind-sided by her own response.

"Y-ymir...you said..." Oshern could only muster, in shock at her response. Ymir could feel her hand trembling, but...she repeated her answer again.

"Yes...," she started...laughing in disbelief at her answer to Oshern's question, "Yes." Her smile grew bigger as the tears began to fall down her face. "Yes." Her hand stopped trembling before she reached out for her fiancé. "Yes!" She pulled him close and slammed her lips onto his. She carded her fingers through his curls and was able to smell and taste bread and stew from his lips. Oshern felt tears streaming down his cheeks, emotional that she had said yes to him. He held her close to him, continuing to reciprocate Ymir's physical affection to him.

Megatron groaned as he ran a servo over his face. "I hate humans, so much."

"I'm gonna have a third Papa!" Maria cheered from his shoulder.

"And you're too simplistic for my liking," Megatron told Maria.

Optimus didn't know what to say. He didn't even know how to feel. He felt this churning pit in his stomach when he shouldn't have. He was supposed to be happy for his IronSpark. Why did he feel so...scared and uncertain?

The couple released each other and looked each other in the eye. They continued laughing together, wiping each other's tears before hugging each other. They were able to ignore everything else, and just focus on them.

The next morning, the villagers are extremely worried and anticipating the worst in regard to Oshern. Some are even questioning if they should go up there, but they all pause when they see Maria running down the trail with a smile on her face. They see Oshern still alive, walking in tandem with Ymir and even holding her hand. Megatron is trailing right behind them, and trailing behind Megatron is Optimus. They all meet the villagers down at the bottom, and they all can't help but want to know what the hell happened.

"We're getting married!" Oshern announced.

The villagers look at Oshern and Ymir like he's got a third eye. They snap their heads to Megatron and Optimus for confirmation, causing the former warlord to roll his eyes.

"We had no control over what they wanted," Megatron admitted, while Optimus did his best to look away and not show his face.

Suddenly, they all hear someone laughing. They turn to see Solveig using a cane to support herself, holding her side as she continued laughing.

"I have never been so happy to be alive than right now!" Solveig cackled.

And then the screaming and questions started.

BTW Solveig betted that Oshern and Ymir got together. She won that bet!

(Look I have...so much more I want to say about this, but this is officially the longest ask that I have ever written. I will write out the marriage. I've made my decision on that. And are no doubt more notes about Oshern and Ymir's relationship that I would need to go over in another ask or a personal post.

But, btw, Rose does exist in the Peaceful Timeline, she's Maria's half sister. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed.)

[starwardsword]

re: family matters

Keqing is the only child of a very powerful family of aristocrats with a history of dealing in precious stones and minerals on both sides. Her father, Jingguo, inherited an exceedingly successful business focused on fashioning jade and gemstones into jewelry and intricate ornaments. He runs it jointly with his wife, Mingxia, who comes from a line of renown gemologists on her mother’s side. While both of her parents are perfectly decent people and their marriage is a happy one, the two of them were just too busy dealing with the business and its booming success to spend much time with Keqing when she was a child. As such, she was practically raised by her mother’s handmaidens and her maternal grandfather, Zhuang.

Zhuang was a famed real estate tycoon and an avid scholar of ancient texts on Liyue. Once he retired, he focused on studying Liyue’s traditions and trying to unearth truths long-lost with the pass of time, such as the true identity of the Stove God. He was the one who taught Keqing all about Liyue’s traditions and legends and who instilled in her such a great love for their nation and the people that inhabit it. As Keqing then grew old enough to form her own opinions, he then supported her radical views and way of thinking despite his own piety toward Rex Lapis and the adepti. Perhaps he too suspected that the time of the adepti would eventually come to an end and that people with views like Keqing’s would be the ones to pave the way for Liyue’s future prosperity without relying on the gods…

Keqing inherited most of her values from Zhuang, such as loyalty, compassion, honesty, and selflessness. He would always tell her that those who are lucky enough to have good fortune should look out for those less fortuned, and that all people should be treated equally. That’s something that she takes to heart and dutifully tries to fulfill to the best of her ability, which is why she comes across as a champion for the people regardless of their status. You will never see her turn her back on someone in need because of it.

Perhaps the few traits that Keqing didn’t inherit from her grandfather were his patience and his tendency to slow down and enjoy the little things in life. As I mentioned in an earlier headcanon, Zhuang greatly enjoyed fishing and would often bring her along on his leisurely fishing trips. When the two of them would settle down at the end of the day to enjoy a simple meal of fresh-caught fish and chili-mince cornbread buns, he’d encourage her to skygaze with him. “Both the clouds and the stars have a lot to say, Keqing”, he would always remark. “Make sure you take the time to slow down and listen every once in a while.” To this day, when she finds herself stuck on something, she’ll sometimes look to the sky in search of answers. Often enough, the quiet time is enough to clear her mind and help her think properly.

Zhuang’s death came unexpectedly when Keqing was in her mid-teens. The devastating loss left a void inside her that she’s still struggling to fill to this day, despite her best attempts at masking it.