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ackerfics · 3 years ago

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pretender — eren jaeger

— eren jaeger x female reader (college au)

— content: angst for our birthday boy :"))

— summary: a series of events throughout college where eren has to pretend he never harbored any feelings for you.

— word count: 7.9k

— notes: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO EREN !! i posted this a little early because i won't have that much time logging into tumblr tomorrow since my schedule is packed with three exams. why is it that every time i write for eren, it's always unrequited love or somewhat related to that, pls forgive me hhhhh and it's his birthday, too. buuut what better way to celebrate his birthday than some good-old modern au angst ??? yep, good thing i didn't decide on making a canonverse one --- that one would break me. n e way, i hope you lovely humans enjoy this (let's be real here, i cried while writing the last bit of this, okay???) mwa, have fun reading! (also, it's best if you guys listen to higedan's pretender to amplify the emotions oop)

reblogs and feedback are greatly appreciated !! masterlist

also, as usual, this is unedited :>>

No matter how hard he tries to be with you under the spotlight, he’s always part of the audience.

You’re a shining star — the center of a solar system that is your friend group and the string that manages to connect everyone together. Before forming your tight-knit circle, you were already best friends with Jean and Marco, roommates with Mikasa, and department buddies with Armin. You’re a born social butterfly who manages to make a name for herself in your university. You wear kindness and empathy on your sleeve like no other even if you started your day with a negative outlook (mostly from frustration and burn-outs from your quizzes and essays). People say you’re a breath of fresh air when you’re around, others say that your advice brightens their day, or in the rarest of the bunch’s case, you make their stomach tingle with just your smile.

Eren is pretty sure he’s in the third category.

He doesn’t know when this emotional fiasco first started but all he knows is that falling for you was a process that he was unaware of until Armin made him realize it. In the first place, Eren isn’t that particularly close with you. You tend to spend more alone time with Armin or Mikasa than with him. The only time you two talk is when the entire friendship circle gathers for a hang-out or when Mikasa invites you to dinner with their childhood trio. They’re all awkward exchanges that all of your friends pity at, some of them even taking the reins to keep the conversation going because Eren seems to forget what he’s about to say when you’re focusing your attention on him.

At least that’s what your friends believe.

Nonetheless, those goddamn eyes that sparkle on their own, hair that effortlessly frames your face, lips that quirk a little in anticipation of his words — everything about you is just pure torture for his weak heart.

Since the beginning, Eren already felt the telltale signs of him being lovesick.

The first time you two met gazes, he had to inhale a deep breath. It was freshman year in college and Mikasa needed help putting her boxes in her dorm room. Being the kind-hearted and caring best friend that he was (a thing that he boasted well to the point where Mikasa had to humble him by saying otherwise), Eren offered to carry some boxes. Good thing that the black-haired girl’s dorm room was only situated on the third floor or else he would’ve dipped the moment he saw the tall building of Rose Dormitories. With Mikasa still by the counter to get her a copy of their dorm room key, Eren entered the opened door with confidence that shouldn’t be done inside a girls’ dormitory.

All it took was you turning around from decorating your pin-up bulletin board to render him breathless.

Your eyelashes flutter in surprise to see a tall male carrying two boxes and sauntering inside your dorm room as he owned it. At first, you questioned if this was really a dormitory for girls or you just misread the pamphlet before moving in. Your arms that were on the bulletin board beside your bed slackened until you stood upright, your hands clutching the photographs you were about to pin.

“U-Uhm, hi?” It was more like a question that had you raising an eyebrow at him. Eren inwardly cursed himself while trying to make himself look small, which didn’t exactly help him since he was pretty tall for his age. “I-I’m just gonna put the boxes h-here.” He chuckled nervously because he could still feel your gaze drilling on his head.

“Oh, it’s fine,” you chimed, a smile on your face despite your initial wariness.

Eren stopped, his back facing you but his eyes were bouncing on Mikasa’s barren side of the dorm room. He contemplated looking back at you to check if you were still gauging him. Only then he could breathe when he heard you open some boxes on your side. The entire time, Eren was as stiff as a board, the awkwardness seeping through him as he stood there with his front facing away from you. Pretty sure you were now listening to some music in your AirPods, as observed from your occasional humming.

“Thank you for helping me, Eren,” Mikasa called for him.

He jumped at her voice, his attention focusing on your melodious hums for the past ten minutes. “Oh, shit!”

You looked up at the abrupt exclamation, first, at Eren and then at Mikasa. Your face instantly brightened at the sight of the short-haired young woman entering the dorm room. “You must be Mikasa, right?” You took off your AirPods and extended a hand in front of her with a friendly jubilance. “I’m [Name], your roommate.”

Mikasa stopped side-eyeing Eren with a judgmental sheen in her eyes (probably because he was standing too long like an idiot with you in the room) to flash you a small grin. She accepted your handshake, her hand firm against yours. “Yeah. Mikasa Ackerman. Nice to meet you.”

“Pleasure to meet you, too.”

Once you two let go of the handshake, Mikasa looked at Eren. “That’s my best friend, Eren.” At that, Eren waved with a sheepish smile on his face. You returned the gesture to him before focusing your attention on your new roommate. She smiled when you two met gazes again. “I’m sorry if he’s too awkward while you’re moving in. He has a habit of being too shy around pretty girls.”

Eren gawked at Mikasa, who effortlessly said those words that garnered a flustered reaction from you. It came off so easy to her when all Eren did to gain your attention was to act like an idiot who was never around girls aside from his best friend slash practically older sister (by a month!). There was a knowing smile on Mikasa’s face that irked him. Oh, she knew that Eren was shot with attraction at first sight. She was actually standing in the open doorway, observing him whilst he was standing like that meme going around social media nowadays. Eren narrowed his eyes at the smug girl, who never once looked back at him. He knew she could feel the warning signs going off from his perch and he knew she had this urge to subtly tell you that he was interested in you.

Who could blame him though?

You were definitely the prettiest girl he never saw in his life.

Eren remembered randomly thinking about someone so ethereal while delving into the topic of ideal lovers during a sleepover with Mikasa and Armin. He thought about how she might’ve eyes that simply smile without doing it or a love for anything she could touch. He thought about her eyes, how they sparkled when they had an idea or a eureka moment. Would he meet her in a random coffee shop? Or in the streets, while he was running for some shelter from the rain? All of those scenarios he conjured in his head vanished the moment his eyes found you. He never thought he could see that girl right now in front of him, just a few paces in a four-walled dorm room with two beds.

Relationships were the least thing he could ever touch on while starting university, determined to follow his father’s and brother’s footsteps in the medical field. And Mikasa was right, he was awkward, too awkward, around women in general. The only exceptions were his mom, said best friend, and family dog (this wasn’t counted but Freya was family and had been there for him since he was in primary school). It was natural for him to react that way because you were so angelic while doing your thing in this empty dorm room.

“You’re the pretty one here, Mikasa!” You exclaimed with warm cheeks.

“Nah,” Mikasa smiled. “You’re definitely prettier. Am I right, Eren?”

Mikasa and her perceptiveness — Eren hated it. Her eyes were like lasers. He laughed his nerves off while looking directly at you. “Yeah. Definitely a pretty girl you are.” What the fuck? When did he become Yoda? Now, Eren wanted to bury himself ten feet underground.

You laughed lightheartedly. “You’re adorable, Eren.”

Mikasa prevented herself from laughing out loud by biting her bottom lip and shaking her head.

“I’m looking forward to talking with you more, Eren.”

Eren gulped, lifting his gaze to be blinded by your smile. “Y-Yeah. Same here, p-pretty girl.”

Now, Mikasa snorted.

You fully turned to him. “Good to know, pretty boy.”

All it took was one moment with your exuberant nature to know that he was undeniably and irrevocably screwed.

He thought this would fade away, seeing as there were also so many attractive girls around campus while he was stressing out during freshman year. He recalled some of them but none of them imprinted their image in his brain the way you did. He would search for you in a crowded cafeteria, turn his head towards the sound of your voice, and gravitate towards you without crossing the boundary. It was always testing the waters with you in the first year of college, knowing that Eren didn’t fully recognize that what he was feeling was a blooming crush. He thought you were just a pretty face that his mind couldn’t shake off but there was a voice whispering somewhere about how it ran deeper than the usual infatuation. He never listened to it so he chose to let it be.

That was three years ago.

The feeling just keeps getting bigger and bigger until it consumes his entire body and he has no choice but to let himself drown in everything about you.

His first mistake was never acknowledging what he felt for you. Now, he can pinpoint the reasons why he was so hesitant. First, he was unaware of romantic feelings. His whole life revolved around maintaining his school standing that even if some girls expressed their interest in him, he’d bolt the other way before saying a quick hello. Second and probably the one he’s most sure of, he was scared that time. Scared of the fact that this would lead to heartbreak, that you’re going to end up as someone he can only reminisce about once he reaches the end of college.

But the more he thinks about you, the more he spirals into a spring-filled rabbit hole.

“Shit. Shit. Shit.”

Eren jumped from lounging on his bed, back ramrod straight and eyes wide as he stared at his phone. There was just no way that he double-tapped on one of your oldest posts on Instagram. He made sure to never do that before scrolling through your profile. His heart was pounding rapidly in his chest, his mind swirling with thoughts of unliking your post. His finger hovered over the picture featuring a much younger you lying down on a field of daisies. Of all pictures, he had to like a photo set featuring Jean, the most insufferable person Eren ever knew at the moment.

Never mind that. Eren shook his head, putting his concern about your relationship with Jean way into the back of his mind.

But that would make it suspicious — unliking something from so long ago because you would check it. His name would appear and if it didn’t after you clicked on the notification, you’d be questioning whether he was right in the head or not.

“This can’t be happening right now. I’m such a fucking idiot!” Eren buried his hands through his unbound hair. “I shouldn’t have visited her profile. I shouldn’t have listened to Armin when he told me to check her account out. I shouldn’t have let my curiosity win!” Eren groaned, falling back on his bed with a bounce, his phone resting idly beside his body.

This was the first time Eren braved himself into visiting your socials.

Armin tagged you in an Instagram story a few months back and because Eren asked Armin where he was through that story, the blond relayed that he was with you on a museum ‘date’ and that he should be back in time for their weekly gaming night. (It was a Friday.) The story featured Armin taking a video of himself before calling your name, the camera panning over Armin’s shoulder, in time for your radiant smile and joyful wave in front of a wood carving.

Eren was in shock at first. His best friend, who rarely went out with people he barely knew, invited you (who he only knew for a semester) on a museum ‘date’? It also didn’t help when he saw that Armin posted a photo set of this museum ‘date’ and in the first picture, there was a shot of your back staring at a massive painting. For some reason, Eren let out a heavy sigh when he flipped through the pictures. This burdening pit inside his stomach remained until Armin came home to their dorm room. Not knowing the reason behind the sourness, Eren sulked the entire night, which the blond didn’t appreciate at all. Especially when he got his best friend the special from the museum’s restaurant. That was expensive. Of course, Eren’s emo episode ended right there, not telling Armin why he did that in the first place.

Then, Armin shared his day with you.

You and Armin were in the same department — marine biology. Since most of your classes aligned with one another, the two of you went through lectures together, even partnering with each other during lab work. Armin found your wit and wonder to understand the oceanic world fascinating and relatable. That night of the supposed museum date, he even told Eren a little detail about his relationship with you that he kept to himself. Armin knew you when he confirmed his slot in the marine biology department, with you visiting the university on the same day as well. Eren then found out you had more friendly dates with Armin than he anticipated. It’s like a pact between single friends, a way to enjoy the company with each other, and a token of appreciation for sticking when push comes to shove.

Again, it was another thing that his friends had with you that he didn’t.

A vibration from his bed snapped his musings.

Thinking it was only a message from Armin about coming home late, Eren begrudgingly brought his phone to his face. His eyes lazily scanned the screen before … Wait. Was that your name on his notifications? Eren tightly closed his eyes before glaring at his phone again. Yes, it is. That was your username on Instagram.

You followed him.

Eren felt his face burn.

Another notification appeared over the previous one.

You liked one of his photos. Not the old ones where he looked like a scrawny twig ready to fall off if the wind blew too strongly. (Next on the agenda after freaking out over you: delete those god-awful pictures because they never gave his current appearance justice.) You liked the most recent one, a picture of him staring at the camera with the low-tide beach behind him and the golden hour as the best lighting. (Bless Armin for taking the picture and also Mikasa for directing him on how to pose because he couldn’t take a decent picture without their help.)

It was just a little thing but you liking his picture and following him made Eren’s day.

The worry that he may have looked like an idiot accidentally liking your old picture dissipated. He now thanked that stupid moment of double-tapping your picture because even though this was just the most basic gesture between newly-found friends, this was a chance to get closer to you.

He went back to your profile, clicking the follow button almost immediately. Forget looking like a fool, Eren was excited to make one connection with you on social media. Your story then popped up and like a moth drawn to a flame, Eren viewed it. It was a selfie of you in a cafe situated in the university square. You were beside a window, the golden glow of the late afternoon sun framing half of your face in the most picturesque way possible. It got Eren smiling like an idiot, his heart pounding too loudly in his chest. Without thinking, he reacted to your story, thinking that your closest friends probably do that too. He has seen Armin and Jean do it in your stories so why not him?

Probably because Armin and Jean never looked at you like your smile rises and sets with the sun.

This night was probably the most enchanting moment in Eren’s freshman year.

[name]: hey, eren! thank God i finally followed you!

Eren thought he died and had gone to heaven. He waited a couple of minutes before replying, the conversation flowing from the two of you without some setbacks until the afternoon sun turned into the middle of the night. Eren never cared if he had the first period with one of the stricter professors, he finally got to talk to you even if it’s through a screen, in speech bubbles and reaction pictures.

He now knew your favorite season, your favorite TV show, your preferred pet, your favorite food — Eren felt like he won at life.

“I don’t wanna be a third wheel, Horseface,” Eren grumbled one free day during sophomore year. He was stepping outside of his dorm room because of a very annoying Jean Kirchstein very early in the morning. (It was ten in the morning. Sue him for enjoying his sleep.) He closed the door with a resounding bang, stopping for a moment to look around the hallway if anybody would scold him. After a couple of seconds of silence, he talked to the phone, “Again, I don’t want to be a third wheel. You know how awkward that would be?”

“You’re not gonna be a third wheel, asshole,” Jean grumbled through the speaker. Eren rolled his eyes. “Why would you be a third wheel if [Name] invited you to join us? Don’t know what came over her though. I, for sure, don’t want to see your donkey ass face.”

Here’s the thing, you and Jean go way back. Because of you standing up for him after he was getting picked on for being too chubby back in elementary school, the rest was history. At least from what Eren heard from you when you were talking about your childhood with Armin and Sasha. (The latter of the two laughed out loud when you mentioned that detail of Jean being the fluffiest kid ever.) Alongside Marco, you three were tightly knit just like Eren, Armin, and Mikasa. How the three of you act around each other was so similar to their dynamic. Jean always had a reckless streak to him, Marco trailed after him to prevent him from getting hurt in any way, and you made sure that the two are being taken care of — the mother hen of the little group.

So, it was a great surprise that he was standing on your right side instead of Marco.

“I’m sorry for inviting you out of the blue, Eren,” you apologized, head leaning back to fully look him in the eye. There he noticed how you’re so small compared to him. Like the perfect huggable person for him. Okay, now he had to reel his thoughts from ever overstepping that boundary again. “I just remembered that you have a free day as well so I thought why not ask you, too.”

Well, if you put it that way. Eren scratched his nape. “It’s alright. It’s a good thing you invited me. I’d probably die of boredom in our dorm room.”

You lightly laughed before walking inside the huge bookstore outside of campus.

Eren watched your back, walking behind you and Jean. He felt a pinch inside his chest when Jean patted you on the head before pointing at a certain section of the store and walking off with his hands inside his pockets. You waved at the blond, turning your head slightly to invite Eren to walk closer to you. The brunet increased his pace and found his way beside you. He nonchalantly trailed his eyes over the book covers displayed on the center tables of the first floor. “Where’d Horseface go off to?”

You picked one book, flipping it to read the blurb on the back. You hummed before placing the novel back in its original place. “He has to pick some textbooks and novels for Literature. They’re studying classics right now.”

“Oh.” Eren slowly nodded. He followed you around, from the fiction aisle to the nonfiction aisle, until you two were in front of the graphic novel and manga section. He noticed your expression brighten at the array of colorful spines even though you have a couple of books in the crook of your elbow. “You read some manga?”

“Yeah,” you chirped, taking out a vibrant manga and cheering. “Wow, lucky! I’ve always wanted to buy this one but it’s always out of stock.”

He chuckled. Since he was here, might as well indulge and splurge on some volumes. Eren’s eyebrows raised at a certain title. “Never knew they sell these.” He admired the cover before flipping to the spine to see which volume it was. “It’s a later volume, too. Man, I’m not even in this arc in the show.”

“Ooh, that’s the one with the human-eating monsters, right?” You leaned over his side. Eren then shifted his body so that you could see the book in his hand. If someone were to see you two without any context, they would think the two of you were a couple with how close you were to him. Eren acted like this never affected him. He could smell your shampoo and perfume. They were a mix of scents that he never knew he needed — something fruity that’s not too strong but noticeable enough to let him know it was from you. It was like your very presence calmed him down and at the same time made him tingle with nerves. “Oh, look, Eren, they have the first volume here.”

“Yeah?” Eren looked up and followed your finger. “Nice. I’ve been thinking of buying the manga.”

“You should buy it.”

“Well, you should recommend something to accompany this one.” He lifted the first volume while returning the one he picked up earlier.

“Hmm.” You furrowed your eyebrows — it was somewhat your thinking face. “How about we go back to the horror and mystery section. I think you’d love some titles over there!”

Eren snickered. Ever since he mentioned to you that he loved the thrill of horror movies and the anticipation of murder mysteries through your nightly chats, you were recommending all sorts of films to him and he would be lying if he said he didn’t like all of them. “Lead the way, pretty girl.”

The bounce in your step was enough for Eren to follow you. Every time you pick up a book, he would lean over your shoulder, the proximity coloring the tip of his ears with the prettiest shade of carnation.

He thanked his longer hair for covering any evidence of his reaction to you because if it didn’t, Jean would be looking at him at the counter like he knew something and was thinking too much about it. Eren would’ve retorted something along the lines of “stop thinking too much, it would hurt yourself” but all he could do was stare right back at Jean’s judgmental face. But when you turned around to wait for the two boys, that was when Jean took the initiative to say, “And you were bitching about being the third wheel.” He scoffed before paying for his required books. “I should be the one doing that.”

“What are you talking about, Horseface?” Eren hissed. He caught you looking up from your phone, almost as if you had a radar for every time Eren and Jean butted heads. He lowered his voice to not alert you again. “I don’t understand what you’re saying, Kirchstein.”

“Please,” Jean drawled. “You like her, don’t you?”

Eren froze. “O-Of course! Sh-She’s a close friend! She’s Mikasa’s roommate and Armin’s college buddy!”

Jean deadpanned him. “Don’t give me that crap.”

“It’s true!” Again, you looked at the two of them with concern. Eren shook his head. “I like her but not in the way you think.”

Jean was quiet for a while, his expression unreadable as he waited for Eren to finish paying for his books. “But if you do like her in the way that I think, make sure you tell her, blockhead.” He slowly turned his head to Eren. The seriousness he carried caused a chill to run down Eren’s spine. It was rare to see this side of Jean and it almost always surfaced when it came to you. “If you ever realize that you like like her—”

Eren laughed. “What are we, thirteen? Like like her—?”

“I’m not playing, Jaeger. Tell her the moment you realize. I know you won't lose anything when you do.”

“Won’t lose anything?” Eren exclaimed in disbelief, even laughing under his breath. “I value my friendship with her just as much as I value my friendship with you guys. I can’t just—”

“So, you do like her. More than just being friends. More than just a teeny crush.”

Eren paused, eyes searching for a way out by darting his stare on Jean’s blank face. He looked away when he felt like it was too much. It was too early to admit to himself that what he felt for you was more than just infatuation. He hastened his pace towards you, leaving behind a sighing Jean in his heels. He chose not to answer the taller boy’s question because that would mean he admitted it and if he admitted it … then, everything involving you would change. Every single thing you’ll do, Eren will view it as something else. He would look at you with rose-colored glasses, one that was more pigmented than what he was wearing now. He would avoid this whenever Armin brought it up but now that Jean did it, your best friend, he felt like hiding.

So, you do like her.

It was not even a question.

You looked at him with a smile. “Done already?” You adjusted your tote bag over your shoulder.

Eren nodded, seemingly in a trance.

“Great! Where do you want to eat lunch? Any type of food you’re feeling?”

Jean reached you two and side-eyed Eren knowingly.

“Uh, wherever you want to eat, I guess.”

“You sure?” You raised an eyebrow.

Eren nodded again. “I’m sure I’d like it regardless.”

“Okay,” you smiled. “Jean?”

“Somewhere with unlimited ice tea.”

You and Eren slowly stared at the taller male. “That’s oddly specific, Horseface.”

“I didn’t ask for your opinion, blockhead.”

When you finally found a place near the bookstore, the three of you made your way out of the establishment and walked for a couple of minutes. It was only when you ordered for your group inside the chosen restaurant did Jean once again talk to Eren. He was crossing his arms and leaning back on his chair while the brunet was sitting straight with his elbows on the table. “Think about it, Jaeger. I’ve known her for more than ten years and [Name] isn’t the type of person to make the first move. By not doing anything, you’re already losing and missing out on something extraordinary.”

If only Eren followed that advice.

“Here’s to us passing our finals!” Sasha shouted in your booth.

Everyone cheered. It was worthy of a celebration if all of your friends passed (even barely) the final exams. Eren felt proud of himself for doing so, even getting congratulations from his parents back in his hometown. After sleepless nights of revisions and running on caffeine, he felt refreshed at the unlimited iced tea at the Korean barbecue place they agreed on. He was sipping on his beverage while watching his friends take turns grilling the meat. Their table was one of the longest and loudest but he couldn’t blame them for acting this way since everyone never had time to hang out while studying for the exams.

“Man, I really thought I was gonna fail Ackerman’s class,” Connie laughed in relief. “Do you remember when he marked Jean’s paper with so many red corrections that we couldn’t read it anymore in Marco’s apartment?”

Sasha snorted. “He blamed it on the onions. And they weren’t even cut yet.”

Jean choked with red cheeks. “Because it really is!”

You laughed along with your friends, pointing at the sputtering blond. “Oh, no, Jean-boy! You were doing the full-on ‘dishonoring my family and our cow’ speech!”

“One failed assignment was all it took to humble Jean,” Marco snickered.

“Marco!” the subject of the conversation whined.

“I wished his humbling moment lasted,” Mikasa murmured, hitting the bulls-eye.

“Ooh! And that’s coming from Mikasa!” Connie cackled.

“I hate you guys,” Jean grumbled, his hand grazing the grill. “Ah, fuck! … Sasha, that’s my meat! No, give that back!”

“You take too long grilling it. This is mine now!”

“This is not even your side of the table. You should be sharing a grill with Mikasa, Eren, and [Name]!”

“This is charred, by the way.”

“You fucker. Then, give it back if all you do is complain!”

“Nuh-uh. Cry and I might.”

Eren shook his head at the chaos ensuing at your table. There was a point where a piece of meat flew from Jean and Sasha’s chopsticks and Armin had to intervene or else the servers would ask for your group to tone it down.

The brunet placed his glass of iced tea on a coaster and took the tongs to grill another batch of meat and vegetables. Eren glanced at you the moment a plate of wedged potatoes came to your table after Sasha requested them. You let out a little ‘wow’, eyes sparkling at the vegetable. He rolled the sleeves of his sweater and started taking pieces of potato before Sasha finished all of them, grilling them until the grill lines became visible on the surface. One by one, he carefully placed them on your plate. There was now a small pile of potatoes on your portion and when Eren noticed that it was getting too much, he switched to putting small strips of meat instead. As his mother said — a meal should be balanced. His brilliant emerald irises flickered to you to check if he did the delivery successfully, only to be met with your confused (adorable) face. The two of you stared at each other for a moment, you in disbelief while he was expectant for you to start eating.

“Eren, you’re going to give [Nickname] a stomachache.”

Eren reluctantly turned to Mikasa, who was blankly regarding the pile of meat and vegetables on your plate.

“Stop taking everything, Eren!” Sasha complained from beside the black-haired girl.

The brunet could only blink. He swiftly brought his attention back to you. “Is your stomach alright?”

“He’s ignoring me, Mikasa!”

Mikasa sighed. “We’ll just request for more, I guess.”

Her knowing glance was still there as she called for a waiter to put in the needed food. For someone who tended to eat too much and too fast when they were still in middle and high school, it was unexpected for Eren to offer someone what was on the table. He was the type to get his portion way before anyone else (a hoarder), gobbling it down like a vacuum, and coming back for more. This wasn’t the first time Eren got out of his way to give you his snacks and meals. Every time Mikasa caught a glimpse of it, it never failed to bring some suspicions to mind. It seemed like she wasn’t the only one to notice it because Armin just sent her a sly glance.

You lightly laughed. “No, I just think I couldn’t finish all of these.” You picked up a slice of meat with your chopsticks and stuffed it in your mouth. You chewed and swallowed before saying, “But thank you, ‘Ren, I appreciate this.”

Eren sheepishly laughed under his breath. “No problem. I wouldn't want you to run out of meat to eat.”

“What about you, though?”

“Nah, don’t worry about me, pretty girl. I’m just full seeing you eat.”

A snort came from the other end of the table and Eren felt his face burn. He didn’t have to turn to see Jean trying to compose himself while whispering the word simp behind his fist. Eren inwardly rolled his eyes. There’s nothing wrong with being like that, at least in his opinion. He couldn’t help but worry over you in the most minuscule of things. You wanted someone to walk you back to your dorm? No problem, he’s on the way. Do you need someone to be your study buddy for midterms? Eren was right in front of you, willing to ask you questions from your revision notes. You wanted someone to listen to your troubles? He’s the one for the job. Okay, maybe he was being a simp most of the time but that was beside the point. He enjoyed these things he did for you.

And it was the only way where he could express his feelings without looking like a fool to your friends.

“Come on, say ah,” you playfully stated, meat between your chopsticks and in front of his mouth.

Eren now felt the warmth on his cheeks travel towards his ears and neck. “Y-You don’t have to.”

“I insist. You’ve been grilling since we sat down. It’s the least I could do for our resident grillmaster.”

He stared at your hand, which is much smaller than his. Everything about you was leagues smaller than him and he wanted to wrap you in his arms and never let go. His eyes then trailed over to your smiling face. God, that smile could be the death of him. It was just making his heart race out of his chest until he felt numb from the feeling and the butterflies invigorate it once more to do it all over again. It was a never-ending cycle that revolved around you. He knew that everyone on the table was watching with expectant grins, having pointed out that you two acted like a couple without being one. So, Eren braved himself to wrap his hand around your wrist, guiding your hand to successfully feed him the meat he grilled for you. For some reason, it was more delicious than the previous ones he ate. While he was chewing, he looked at you under his eyelashes, mesmerized at how close you were to him.

If only you two were alone right now.

He badly wanted to kiss you breathless and senseless until you two are the only people on earth.

“Wow, I feel so single right now.”

Connie’s dry declaration snapped you two out of your trance.

“Connie, you idiot! You ruined it,” Armin hissed.

“What?” Connie looked around and found blank stares directed at him. “Oh, come on, don’t tell me I’m the only one who felt single while looking at those two.”

Mikasa clicked her tongue. “I’m going to throttle you if you say one more word.”

“What?! Why?”

“Connie, this is why you’re single,” Jean muttered.

“Why are you ganging up on me now?!”

Sasha shook her head. “You just make it so easy.”

“I hate you guys!”

Eren glanced at you from the corners of his eyes, face still burning from the recent moment. Your hair was covering most of your side profile so he couldn’t see your reaction at all. Were you wary of him now? That was a close call. He was thinking about kissing you out of nowhere. He was such an idiot to think of you like that. The moment his brain conjured certain images of you, he would put a stop to it because he knew he was more than that. It was basic human decency. It would be awkward facing you after dreaming about you under him on his bed, your face the epitome of beauty in every angle. He wanted to say sorry for crossing the line but you tucked your hair behind your ear, giving him a clear view of your flustered expression.

It made him see stars.

Who knew he wasn’t the only one affected… Eren thought it was probably because of Connie’s statement. He instantly deflated at the thought.

Eren went back to eating his portion of the meat, which was not that many because Sasha gobbled them all. While he was picking at his rice with half-lidded eyes, a pair of chopsticks appeared on his plate, dropping a piece of potato and a strip of meat. He looked up with bright eyes at the view of you giving him a pulchritudinous smile.

“That’s me returning the favor, ‘Ren,” you told him before going back to eating and joining in a conversation.

Without thinking much, Eren wiped his hands on a napkin and reached down to the first compartment of his bag. He turned to face you and gently gathered your hair in a low ponytail. Yes, it was adorable seeing you tucking your hair to eat comfortably but it looked like it bothered you since you couldn’t duck down that much.

As Eren looped your locks through the extra hair tie he carried around just in case he lost his current one, he missed the way your eyes sparkled while letting him tidy up your hair. He didn’t know that his soft hands sent a flurry of spring blossoms inside your chest and it ought to stay that way with all this dancing-around you two were doing. So, when Eren straightened in his seat, the only thing he could make out from your face was gratitude in the form of a wide smile, he didn’t see the flash of affection passing like a comet within your irises. He didn’t notice Mikasa giving you a playful smirk, with your reply as a glare.

Eren was stuck in his little world because all he could think of was that it even hurts just to touch your hair.

Eren plays every single moment he has with you inside the karaoke room.

Despite the flashing lights, the dim setting, the video on the huge screen in front of your group, all Eren can focus on is your effervescent figure jumping up and down to the beat of the current song. The microphone is snug in your hold, your face in a permanent smile as you belt out the notes that got the rest of your friend group cheering. Sasha and Connie act like they’re your backup dancers while Mikasa films your performance with a fond look on her usually stoic face. Armin also has his phone out, acting as your cameraman, ready to put everything in his social media posts; Marco is cheering for you like how a proud mother does to her favorite child; and Jean is in possession of the other microphone, your other half in every karaoke night-out.

There are so many things happening at once but Eren never looks away from you.

A lot of things have changed after graduation. His hair (he chopped everything off), everyone having stable jobs, some of their friends finding potential life-long partners, his outlook in life — they’re just several things Eren can list. One thing never changes and it’s his way of seeing you differently from anyone else and the hope that one day you might see him the same way.

Once again, he’s transported to a very different scenario.

“I didn’t know you could sing,” he said in a way of greeting while entering your dorm room, a place that has seen so many memories play out within its four walls.

There were moments where Eren felt brave for some reason, risking the reveal of his feelings to get a daily dose of you. One of these moments was when he discovered you have a heavenly voice. In his hands were take-outs from your favorite restaurant in the university square. Eren thought that since Mikasa was out most of the week for her internship, he would take on the role of being your unofficial roomie, always bringing you food when you overwork yourself to burnout and letting you vent to the point of crying on his shoulder. A small voice told him that this was what boyfriends do and it never failed to make his heart flutter.

For now, he was holding onto these moments and pretending that he really was your boyfriend and he was taking care of you like how boyfriends do.

You were on your bed, looking up from burning your eyes with your iPad, and exhaustedly smiled at the sight of him. You opened your arms, the sleeves of your oversized wooly cardigan covering your hands.

Eren swooned at the image in front of him. He placed the paper bags of food on your desk and pulled you in a hug. “Damn, you’re shivering, pretty girl.” The nickname stuck and he wouldn’t have it any other way. He looked down at you while you stared up at him with your chin on his abdomen.

“I was too lazy to adjust the air conditioner,” you muttered before burying your face in his shirt.

The brunet breathed an endeared laugh, lifting a hand to pat the crown of your head. (Like boyfriends do.) “Let me adjust it for you. You’re already working hard enough as it is.”

“You’re the best, ‘Ren,” you told him and it went directly to his heart.

When the air conditioner was in the right setting and you were happily munching on the food he brought for you, Eren brought it up again. “I didn’t know you can sing,” he voiced out through a mouthful of his food. You looked up from stuffing your face with something that wasn’t instant ramen or convenience-store meals. Eren snorted at your puff-up cheeks, gulping down his food before wiping some sauce at the corner of your mouth.

You hummed as thanks. You slightly looked down to not meet Eren’s gaze. There’s always something about his eyes that makes your heart race. That would be a question for another time. You took a deep breath, laughing lightly while taking a piece of gyoza from his take-out. He let you. “You never asked.”

“Now, I am. Who else knows?”

“Miki caught me singing once and she asked me to sing something for her. She said something about my voice helping her fall asleep.”

Cue the many times Eren was jealous of Mikasa when it came to you. “Well, I understand why Meeks likes your voice, pretty girl. It’s beautiful as you.”

Time stood still as you two stared at each other, both of you sporting flustered expressions that one might think that you two are fumbling middle-schoolers with their first crush. Eren never forgot that night because your eyes were sparkling with something that he couldn’t pinpoint. Nonetheless, it sent his heart racing. He remembered how you stuttered your thanks, opting to stuff your face with your food again. Once Eren got out of his trance, he only smiled at you with that besotted look he has whenever you’re around and scooted closer to you. Even if you two ate in silence, he couldn’t ask for anything more.

And as you twirl under the disco lights of the karaoke room, he’s reminded that this love story of his is him being in the front-row seat and you’re the brightest star of the night.

Eren closes his eyes and pretends he has the courage worthy of a chivalric deed.

He pretends that when you sit beside him after singing your song, he gently holds your wrist and pulls you close so that he can whisper, “I have to talk to you.” He pretends while your dulcet voice consumes him that you stare up at him confused while he stands up with you in tow and you’re asking, “What’s happening, ‘Ren? Where are you taking me?” Eren runs his hand through his short hair and pretends that you two got out of the karaoke place and he’s standing in front of you, admiring how beautiful you look tonight. His throat clogs up and he tries so hard to voice out his emotions through all the daffodils rooting themselves inside him. You wait for him with that pulchritudinous smile of yours that got him swooning, “It’s okay, ‘Ren, take your time.” Then, he opens his mouth to say the words he’s kept hidden for more than four years and your eyes would carry a thousand stars.

“I love you.”

Eren tightly closes his eyes, missing how you’re longingly yearning for him from across the karaoke room, the song reaching its last chorus.

Mikasa notices you trailing off, letting Jean take the lead in the song with Armin under his arm and Marco taking the role of cameraman — the three laughing their asses off. Mikasa’s heart breaks at the look on your face. Now, she knows why you picked this song. It was weird at first and she chose to brush this off. Now it makes sense.

You’re saying goodbye.

Mikasa follows your eyes and she’s greeted with the sight of Eren with his eyes closed, isolated from the fun. She feels pity wash over her, something that she has no control over. It was him you’re crying over that Mikasa had to hug you to sleep. It was him that you talked to her about with your beautiful smile. It was him you wished to bake cookies and pastries with on a spring day. Eren doesn’t know how lucky of a bastard he is that he caught the attention of the most brilliant girl to exist on the planet. Mikasa curses, “You fucking idiot, Eren.” She then watches you look away with teary eyes and it hurts her seeing you pretend everything is okay.

You plaster a huge smile on your face, the last chorus now colored with your voice.

It’s bittersweet because the moment you turn to your friends, Eren opens his eyes, misty with all the pretending he did in his mind.

He takes one look at you.

You never once look back at him.

You’re not Eren’s soulmate. It squeezes his chest in the most hurtful way possible but he’s slowly accepting it. Maybe if he chose to show his emotions in a completely different way, all this pretending wouldn’t even happen. Maybe if this were in a different worldline, he’d be brave enough to shout out that he loves you so much that it hurts just reaching out to tug on your hair. Maybe if he really did pull you out of the karaoke place to confess … Eren stopped the scenario in his head when it’s your turn to say something. He doesn’t want to know your reply and he won’t ever subject himself to hurt just overthinking about it.

Because one thing remains true even if this one-man show ends, you’re so beautiful and Eren will always be a part of the audience.

So, as you sing out the last note of the song, Eren says goodbye.

And it feels like Fate is mocking him because you look even more beautiful tonight.

general taglist (angst):

@bratckerman @tenaciouswritersheep @sweetheart-syndrome @galactict3a

general taglist form

#eren jaeger x y/n #eren yeager #eren jaeger x reader #eren jeager fluff #eren jaeger #eren x reader #aot x reader #attack on titan imagines #eren x you #eren x y/n #eren yaeger x reader #eren attack on titan #attack on titan x reader #eren jeager #shingeki no kyoujin x reader #snk x reader

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kyun-toast · 4 years ago

Text

[ATEEZ] Mafia!San - Will You Join Me?

word count: 2.9k warnings: explicit language, gun use, violence, description of death (not explicit), sexually suggestive, gets a lil steamy summary: cupid has a bullet with your name on it a/n: Y/N a little dramatic and San annoying af. I wrote this in a two hour flash at 2am, so this might be deleted after I reread it tomorrow because I’m pretty sure a lot of this is just me chatting shit.

1. Yoon, David – 12:45 Note to self: likes donuts. probs dunkin’, maybe krispy? idk just look for a man w a paper bag.

“I’ll have to warn you though, the lift is under maintenance, so you’ll have to take the stairs.” The receptionist smiled at you sympathetically. “I can get someone to help you with your suitcase if you’d like?”

“Oh no, it’s ok, I’ll just find another place to stay. I have weak knees anyway.” You forced a laugh and hoped the lady didn’t notice the dead look in your eyes.

“I’m sorry about that, love.”

Turning away with your suitcase in tow, you headed towards the building opposite the hotel and hoped that the rooftop would be easy enough to access.

It was quite irresponsible of you not to have a backup plan. It seemed that being named the sharpest shooter in the underground world had gotten to your head a little, but you argued that a bit of spontaneity never hurt anybody. Though your target would beg to differ.

Being a public building of offices, it was all too easy for you to reach the roof of the building. You found that walking with your held head high and gaze set straight ahead would never get you questioned. Who would ever stop someone with a walk so confident?

Thankfully, the rooftop hadn’t been turned into some garden space: an air-conditioning fan over here, a water tank over there. You checked your wristwatch reading 12:40 and muttered under your breath. The damn hotel lift had taken precious minutes of your time and compromised your view.

You opened your suitcase to set up your sniper, giving your little black cat charm on the side of your gun a squish. Cute.

Sitting on the case with your stock snug against your shoulder, you peered into the scope to get a closer view of the revolving doors to the bank. Oh great, there’s a lamppost in the way.

Mr. Yoon was apparently quite the punctual man, always seen stepping into the bank doors after his lunch break at exactly quarter to one and therefore, your window of opportunity was thin.

“I want it done today or you’re getting sniped yourself, Y/N.” You heard the voice of your boss yap in your head again. Blah blah blah, same old threat. You argued that procrastinating the man’s death was actually something very considerate of you to do.

You heard a familiar clatter of metal hit the floor and you turned your scope to the rooftop opposite to see a man in overalls with his toolbox open on the floor.

“Lift maintenance guy?” You muttered to yourself and wondered if the mechanics of elevators ran all the way through to the rooftop. You made sure that you wouldn’t be in his line of vision and swivelled back to your original position, cursing the man under your breath for ruining your first choice of setup.

12:44

“Come on, Yoon. Lunch time’s almost over.” Your finger lay restless on the trigger, itching to get a glimpse of the bank teller.

20 seconds.

“Krispy or Dunkin’ what will it be today, entertain me.”

10 seconds.

You saw the man turn the corner and waited for him to get a little closer for you to shoot.

5 seconds.

“That’s it, just past the lamppost and you won’t even know what hit y- what the FU-?” You shouted and quickly clasped a hand to your mouth. Mr. Yoon hadn’t even made it past the post, and he was already laying on the pavement in a growing pool of blood.

Calculating the angle in which he was laying, you spun your vision around to the hotel rooftop and saw the maintenance man begin to pack up a sniper back into his toolbox. Taking off his cap, you noticed a flash of white in his jet-black hair and just like he knew you were watching, he turned with a smug grin on his face and shot you some finger guns.

“Oh, you little fucker.” You spat, and watched the man jump down into a hatch to disappear.

You slumped dramatically onto the floor and splayed your limbs to stare blankly at the sky. Never in your life had you ever missed a shot, let alone have it stolen by someone else, and your boss had your phone ringing to rub it in your face.

“That wasn’t you, was it?”

“Listen, what if? You know, what if that was my thirteenth reason? I just couldn’t take it anymore and that was it. No more Y/N. You wouldn’t even come to my funeral, would you?”

“No, I wouldn’t because you’d be too broke to have one. You realise you’re not getting paid for this?”

“Why? He’s still dead?” You sat up in disbelief.

“Well, it turns out someone else wanted him gone too. I can’t lie to our client and say that we did it.”

“You’re oddly moral for someone that runs a hotline for hitmen.”

“I’ll call you if I find you another job.”

“Justice for freelance contract killers.” You muttered weakly as he ended the call. The faint sound of police sirens filled the air as you let out a heavy sigh and lay back on the concrete.

You pictured the man and wondered who it was that would even think to render the notorious Y/N L/N jobless. Though you did have to admit that it was a clean shot.

“Skunk-hair looking ass.”

2. Kim, Seungho – 18:00 Note to self: babysitting. easy target but kid knows NOTHING.

You were stationed by a corner window in an unfinished apartment building with a trainee by your side, setting up his kit.

Stood by the trainee, you scanned to see if everything was in the right place, checking the kid’s posture too. You had been sent by your boss to reluctantly train a young recruit and you joked if you had been demoted following your last predicament. You were never in it for the money though, you lived for the adrenaline.

The boy had potential and you saw it, he just needed to make cleaner shots because three bullets somewhat near the target’s vital organs wasn’t going to cut it.

“What’s your name again?”

“Jisung. Han Jisung.” The recruit replied, his eyes never leaving yours, in absolute awe.

“Eyes on the scope.”

“I’m sorry, nobody told me I’d be getting trained by you. The Seoul Shooter? Like wow.”

“Ew, is that what they’re calling me?”

“Yeah, well I think it’s a pretty cool name, they used to call me ‘Jitman’ in my hometown, not very creati-”

You shushed the boy and tapped his shoulder as you pointed to a small figure in the distance.

“You see him through the scope? Now keep your hand steady, never feel as if you’re being rushed. Death works to your schedule.”

“Got it.” Jisung said, following the man with his gun.

“Ok, on 3… 2… 1…”

You heard the bullet cut through the evening air and hit the target neatly through his office window.

“Bro? That was so clean? That has to be one of the sexiest shots I’ve seen in a while-” You began.

“Uhh, that wasn’t me, Y/N.”

Before you could even process what had happened, you heard the rustle of footsteps patter down the stairs behind you. Taking out your handgun, you moved towards the open door to find the same man you had seen on the hotel rooftop stop in his tracks on the landing. Clad in a fitted black sweater and jeans this time, he looked a whole lot more attractive close up.

“You again?” You exclaimed; gun still pointed at the man as he dropped his duffel bag to raise his hands.

His eyes widened, not in shock, but more with an excited glint in his eyes.

“Oh my, it’s Y/N, the Seoul Shooter.” A coy smile painted his lips as he shook his white fringe out of his eyes.

“See, everyone calls you that.” Jisung interjected from behind.

“Shut up, Han.”

“Word around town is that you’ve been unemployed for some time now,” nodding towards Han, he added, “and it looks like the rumours are true.”

“I’ve actually decided to take a break you know? Let the other kids have a chance at making a name for themselves. Bit of charity work.”

“Y/N kinda got demoted because you keep taking their shots.” Han interrupted again.

“Hey, who told you that?!” You narrowed your eyes at the boy. Han Jisung was a smart ass and you vowed then and there that you wouldn’t take on any more training sessions.

You whipped your head back around to the man eyeing your body up and down.

“My eyes are up here, sir. Unless you really wanna get shot.” You spat.

“Well, I’d die a happy man if you were the last thing I’d see.” He smirked in retaliation and studied your eyes carefully. “Well, my job here is done, I better be on my way. Got a big cheque waiting for me.” He grinned as he reached to grab his bag and carry his way on down the stairs with footsteps too light-hearted for your liking.

“Why didn’t you shoot him?” Jisung asked as you watched the man disappear into the evening.

“I don’t think killing a man for taking my shots is justified.”

“What, and sniping Mr. Kim Seungho just before he gets to feel the bliss of clocking out is?” He laughed. “Do you know what I think, Y/N?”

“What?”

“I don’t know, I’m not going to say anything.”

Han Jisung tormented you the whole drive back to the quarters.

“Y/N and Skunk Man sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G. First comes lo-”

Smack.

“Ouch, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I was just kidding.” He laughed as an idea struck him, “K-I-D-D-I-N-”

Smack.

3. Park, Kiha - 10:32 Note to self: bad man. bad, bad man. but big, big cheque.

Having had your last two shots stolen, mystery Skunk Man was beginning to get on your nerves. You were seething to the point that you demanded your boss give you another job, itching to defend your title of being the finest shooter in Seoul.

Laying on the floor of a rooftop hangar, the man had the gall to pop up out of the hatch to set up his station right next to you, as if you were both on some picnic.

"Nice seeing you here today, Y/N." He said, sitting cross legged to mount a scope to the top of his sniper.

Not even bothering to take your eyes off the target, you muttered, "I got here first, you better back off." voice laced with venom.

"Well I've been promised a cheque too, we're all just trying to get fed around here."

Ignoring him, you glanced down at your watch that read 10:31. Any time now, Park Kiha would be walking through the glass bridge to get to his meeting in the twin building.

Steadying your finger against the trigger, you held your breath and counted down from three, two, o-

"I like your cat charm by the way."

You pulled the trigger only for it to stray a little to the right, still hitting your target, just a little less central than you would have accepted.

You shot up from your position to face the man laying on his side, head propped up against his hand to look at you.

"Do you have something against me? Do I even know you?" You exclaimed, carding your gloved hand through your hair.

"No uhh, but I saw your face on a bounty poster once and thought you were cute." He said, attitude too blasé. "That was a nice shot though, I was going to wait a few more seconds."

"So you saw my picture, and started following me around to antagonise me?"

"Nah, I just happened to be super lucky to have been put on the same cases as you. Big bad men have a lot of people after them I guess?"

Throwing your equipment back into your bag, you watched the man proceed to roll over onto his back with his arms behind his head to look up at the sky.

The mid-morning sun cast a golden glow over his skin and though you spent most of your life working with guns, his uniform and kit next to him looked a little different, almost attractive. They suited him a little too much and you thought that if a sleek sniper were to be personified, it would look exactly like this leather clad man.

"I should ask for your number, the way you're looking at me right now, Y/N."

"Good luck, you won't get it." You turned to step down the hatch as he propped himself up again to watch you leave.

Choi, San – 15:25 Note to self: he’s kinda hot tho :/

So, we had finally put a name to the face. As your boss handed you a folder, you were slightly taken aback at the small ID picture pinned to the top of the file.

“You might be a little happy about this one.” He said, taking a sip of coffee. “He’s been recently recruited by ATEEZ as their sniper. Quite a deadly one too. He was scouted shooting pheasants down in the Namhae countryside apparently.”

“Hmm, how much?” You questioned.

“A million dollars.”

“Excuse me? A mill-?” You choked on the air and composed yourself just as quick to nonchalantly lean against the filing cabinet and look out the window, “I don’t know, he didn’t look a million dollars-worth to me.”

“He hasn’t been in the game long, but man has he taken down some big names.”

Though you didn’t necessarily feel too attached to Choi San, you did think that you were going to miss him a little. It was nice having a friend on your level to spar with.

Who were you kidding? You thought he was hot and that it would be a shame to have to shoot him.

But on second thought, you had been itching for the adrenaline in the trigger again, and the million dollars looked a lot sexier to you than some man.

“I’ll take it.”

San was all too easy to find. He seemed to enjoy hiding in plain sight since no common person would recognize him in the bustling streets of Gangnam. Nestled in the corner of another rooftop, you zoned in on the recognizable black and white hair sat outside on the terrace of a café.

Once you were ready, you repositioned your finger on the trigger and focused the cross hairs on the familiar head. You were steady until San lifted his head and stared right back at you through the scope, sending you a wink.

“Shit.” You muttered, his actions throwing you off and when you repositioned your aim, he had slipped into the crowd, now lost.

“No, no, no, no, no, Choi San, ugh.” Seeing that he knew what you were up to, you got up to pace around the rooftop. Your mind worked nonstop to find an alternate solution but all you could conclude was to go home, stay low and pick another day to continue.

This man had thrown you into the worst slump of your life, but you were somewhat enjoying the chase and you hated to admit it.

The abrupt sound of a closing of a door behind you had everything clicking into place.

“You pretty motherfucker, had this planned, didn’t you?” You laughed.

Upon hearing the cocking of a gun, you turned to pull out the throwing knife strapped to your thigh and pulled his body in by his collar to reach his throat. And it just turned out that San had the same idea in pushing his handgun up underneath your chin at the same time, faces a little too close.

“I like your beret.” San said candidly, jerking his brow up at the hat on your head.

“Me, too. It’s Marine Serre.”

“Nice choice.”

“I’m going to count down from three and we’re going to drop our weapons, ok? And talk this out like adults because I for one, didn’t wanna kill you.” You bargained.

“Sure.”

“Three, two, one!” The both of you pulled away for a split second in bluff only to reposition your weapons against each other’s throats again.

“I knew it.” San smirked.

“No, for real this time. I mean it.”

“Go ahead, baby.” He smiled as his gaze dropped to your lips.

“Three, two, o-”

San cut you off by leaning into your lips, placing onto them a kiss so intense, almost mirroring the violent nature of the situation. However, what surprised you more was that you let yourself melt back into him. He let his gun clatter to the floor to walk you backwards into the wall behind, hoisting your leg up around his waist.

You broke away from the kiss for air when he smiled, “I mean, it is kinda hot, but I would appreciate it if you could stop holding that knife against my throat right now, Y/N.”

“Ugh, fine.” You muttered as San leaned back in to kiss you whilst roaming his hand around your thigh, ridding you of the rest of your knives and smirking against your lips in satisfaction.

Feeling his bulge grind between your legs, you both only grew more fervent for each other as you kissed.

“Wait, I wanna take you on a date first.” He pulled away to look you in the eye.

“Are you serious right now?”

“Mhmm, to Bar 1117.” He hummed, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck.

“Isn’t that your company’s place…?”

“Yeah, they’re gonna love you.” He whispered, peppering small kisses down your throat.

“Are you trying to recruit me or fuck me, San?”

"I mean, you can kill me now and leave for that million dollars or you can come with me for a new job and that million dollar dick."

"You're unbelievable."

“I heard you were doing freelance anyway, baby.” He looked into your eyes again, a mischievous glow blooming across his face, “So, will you join me?”

disclaimer: San’s pie chart hair is one of my all time faves but I also can’t stop thinking that it looks a little skunk-like. In the cutest way. a/n: I've edited this a lot since I posted it and I think I'm gonna keep it

Mafia AU Masterlist

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reversemoon255 · 2 years ago

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Fifth Review - Let’s Talk About DigiXroses

Been in a Digimon mood for a while, and I’ve spent part of that mood designing a few of my own Digimon. As I was planning and sketching things, I ended up coming back to Xros Wars (as I oft seem to do >_>). When it comes to fan created Digimon, I’d say 90% are based on Adventure (Child-to-Ultimate), with another 9% from 02 (Armors or Jogress) or Tamers (Bio-Merges). Very few OrigiDigi use the Spirit, Burst, or Xros mechanics, and the few times I have seen DigiXroses have been XrosUps (the blended forms seen in Boy Hunters).

However, the iconic DigiXroses are not XrosUps, but Xroses that utilize every element of the fusing Digimon in a very toyetic way, like a Megazord (maybe why I like them so much). I can count the number of times I’ve seen an OrigiDigi of this type attempted on one hand, and never more than a X2, which is where the above designs come into play.

I like Digimon, I like toys, and I like creature design, so I challenged myself to try designing a complete Xros of 3 or higher. As Shoutmon is loosely based on Omegamon, I used Dukemon as a rough base, then tried creating a new combination scheme. It was quite a long process, taking a few months of mental planning, and a few days of sketching.

I was so happy with this first attempt, that I ended up commissioning artist @/EL_POYOMON to render them in the traditional Digimon style (who you should go check out; they’re really cool and very nice).

Going through everyone in order, I wanted a small, Child-level-esque Digimon, similar to Shoutmon, which is where Partymon comes in. I mostly tried replicating Shoutmon’s general physique, with the head and dreads specifically being designed so they would form 1) a head piece similar to Dukemon’s, part of the reason he has non-standard eyes, and 2) the fingers for the right arm he would eventually form.

Since Shoutmon X5, MetalGreymon, and DarkKnightmon are all comprised of male Digimon, I specifically wanted a Digimon that was obviously female, hence Ladysmon. Her transformation scheme was probably the hardest, where I knew I wanted her to split down the middle, but it took me a while to figure out what to do with her arms. I also didn’t come up with the ladybug motif until I started planning names. I think my original plan for her was an angel? But I didn’t know what to do with her wings. Once I settled on ladybug, incorporating her wings into a Dukemon-esque shield became easy, and everything flowed after that.

The last of our trio is Comicmon. I settled on the dragon motif pretty early, as, like Ladysmon, Dragons are a pretty common Digimon staple that weren’t utilized in any of the canon Xroses. This design was probably the easiest to get to transform, and I’m pretty sure he has a drill because I needed something that looked like a lance, and drills are cool (and make great tails). Once I settled on a name, the POW using the eye as an O, and the comic-sound-effect-esque mane on the head and tail came quickly after.

There isn’t much to say about PartyKnightmon, since he’s a combination of all the above elements, so let’s talk about names. I don’t remember when I settled on “Partymon” as a name, but it existed long before any of the others had one. I was originally going to call their combined form “Partymon X3,” since Shoutmon is the only Digimon that uses that name scheme, and I wanted a second one, but as I was trying to come up with names for everyone else, the name PartyKnightmon popped into my head, and the names Ladysmon and Comicmon came soon after as they all had a common theme:

Party Night, Lady’s Night, Comic Night; PartyKnightmon, LadysKnightmon, ComicKnightmon. A unique name scheme that worked for possible X2s.

Maybe this is a little big headed of me, but one of my hopes in commissioning these guys was to inspire other people to try the idea. Compared to a usual Digimon line, DigiXroses are quite complicated when it comes to the toyetic design aspects, but it’s really a fun challenge. I’d love to see more artists with different design philosophies give it a shot.

And just because I cranked one out doesn’t mean I’m done with DigiXroses just yet. While these were being worked on, I started ironing out several more projects, including some evolutions related to these designs, a new X4 with intermediary Xroses, and a new evolution for the existing Greymon design. I don’t know if I’ll commission them all (because, remember, that costs money), but I will eventually post them "elsewhere” if you’re curious (@/EPY_RM).

Overall, this was a fun little self-challenge, which sent me down quite the design rabbit hole. I’d like it if at least one other person got a little inspiration from seeing these designs, as I really do want to see other people’s takes, so if you draw anything Xros Wars related, let me know! :)

And, again, check out Poyo. I couldn’t have done this without them.

#Digimon #Digimon Xros Wars #Shoutmon #Shoutmon X4 #DigiXros

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buglaur · 2 years ago

Photo

answered asks below cut!

@studythensims hello, thank you so much for this ask! sorry i held on to it for so long, it was really nice to have in my inbox to read everytime i went there 🥺 and it really does mean a lot to me, thank you so much!!

hi!

hello anon! i got a similar ask a few days ago where i recommended a sims 4 render tutorial thats pretty much the same as my process. i’m also gonna make my own speed render next time i have a big idea for one but i’m all out of inspo right now lol

thank you very much! however my fire was literally just a transparent png of a flame i put on a plane positioned over the candle 😭 no cool effects here, just plain old trickery. however here are some tutorials + resources i used for other effects i’ve done in the past! i’m also always down to answer questions

grass | mirror | ghost effect | free lighting presets + textures

raffy and roxana will meet sophie in tomorrows post! surprisingly they’re kind of indifferent about her. i knew rafael would be fine with it but i thought roxana might go a bit off the rails, but she didn’t! this was the face sophie made when she saw her though.. i don’t think she was in any hurry to get to know the twins.

i’m so excited too anon!! this high school pack aligned perfectly with the macmahon timeline 😭 i literally am just so excited to have her mess everything up. just absolutely destroy everyone. i really hope suspensions aren’t part of the pack.. she’ll be allowed in for an hour every week before they kick her out again🤦‍♀️

hey!! i’m glad you enjoyed the legacy so far 🥰 i actually do not prepare at all, i went straight in with all original ea townies and i now face the consequences of having hideous townie offspring populating my world. what's worse is they have every pose accessory under the sun attached to them.

the only reason that you see pretty sims in my gameplay shots is because i struggle daily to capture shots where guys like this aren’t poking into the frame 😭 thank you sm though!! sorry i’ve got not advice

fashion icon

@falsetochild he sure is but i am not letting it happen 😭 he’s already broken one gen rule with her, i’m not letting him break another. he deserves to be happy and she genuinely seems to have an interest in him, but no, sorry theo. he literally performed horribly at work the last time i played because he was in a flirty mood for 8 whole hours. c’mon man you’ve got a country to run get your head out of the clouds. but thank you sm i’m glad you enjoy it!!

@acuar-io ahh thank you sm!! i really hope you like the direction i’m going to take it in, i’ve got the majority of it planned out in my notes app lol

after all the set up posts i think they’ll be pretty frequent, and i’m more or less going to follow this structure. i can’t wait either but i know i gotta pace the posts or else i’ll run out of them 😭😭 thank you for your support!!! ❤️

i am a terrible person i completely just leave him in the background of everything at this point 😭 he’s good he’s just not up to much because i’m a sucker for his sister lmaoo. he practices the violin like 8 hours a day in the living room because i forget to cancel the action 🤦‍♀️ how am i gonna cope next gen when theres tons of kids if i can’t focus on two. i’ll try and include him more soon i promise 😔✊

@noiice 😭😭😭 very fitting of her. hopefully not many people make her mad though, teen roxana has the ability to use that voodoo doll she has 😔

#throwback to my fav pic of my fav rat #ask #long post #i hope the anons see this cus i hate doing it all in one post #but i don't wanna spam the dash :((

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wangxiangiftexchange · 2 years ago

Text

Winter Solstice gift for @rymyanna!

For @rymyanna, hope you like it <3

*****

Five Times Lan Wangji Made a Move

(+ the time where he confesses his feelings)

1. Literal

“So, tried making any moves yet, Wangji?” Minshan said, raising an eyebrow. “You know, as in a move to get closer to the guy you like. He's the friendliest motherfucker in the class, he'll be happy you want to be friends."

“I have,” Wangji said, and Huaisang gasped as he sat down on the bench with them. Minshan’s mouth dropped open.

Wangji gave them both dirty looks.

“I didn’t imagine you’d be so fucking forward,” Minshan replied, almost rendered speechless.

“What’d you do?” Huaisang asked excitedly. “Oh, I should’ve gone to Wei-xiong first!”

“I moved seats. I’m sitting in his row now.”

“...”

“...?”

“...how the fuck does that constitute making a move.”

“I think he took it too literally,” Huaisang said, distressed. “He’s not really going to notice you if you sat in his row, Wangji. Especially on the other side of the class.”

“But I did make a move. I moved seats. Is it not part of the process?”

Huaisang patted his arm. “Wangji, I am so glad you think it is part of the process, but it is not making a move in the slightest. He has to notice it, honey.”

Minshan rolled his eyes. “Little hopeless if he thinks moving seats to his row without him noticing counts as a move.”

“Well- I see. Thank you for the information,” Wangji half-mumbled, slightly peeved. “And neither of you are help. I will seek Wen Qing and ask for her help instead.”

“Hey,” they both protested at the same time.

“You did not bother to tell me, someone who has been uninterested in romance his whole life, how to make a move. Romantically. I am finding better friends who will help me in romance.”

“Betrayal,” Minshan said. “After all we’ve done for you?”

“Yes,” Wangji said, and Huaisang fake cried behind his fan as he giggled away.

2. Ice cream

“Hey, Nie-xiong! From the convenience store?” Wuxian asked as he swooped over to Huaisang’s table.”

“Yep. Got some ice cream! You want one, Wei-xiong?” Huaisang held the wrapped package forward. “Hope you like Magnum.”

“Wait, that whole thing for me?”

Huaisang nodded as he placed it in Wuxian’s hands. “It’s all yours!”

Wuxian beamed. “Thanks, Nie-xiong! I’ll cherish it as I consume every bite and swallow every drop of this ice and cream with-” he looked at the package “-almonds and white chocolate. Oh, this is good.”

“Don’t thank me,” Huaisang shrugged and pointed to the quietly eating boy beside him. “Wangji bought it.”

“Oh! Well, thanks then, Wangji-xiong~” Wei Wuxian singsonged happily, turning to him.”

“Hm,” Wangji replied, punctuated with a small nod.

Wuxian’s smile grew. “Heheh, I’ll go now to savor this dessert! Thanks again, Ji-xiong! Bye, honey,” he blew a kiss at Huaisang, who blew him a kiss back.

“Well, good luck,” Huaisang snorted as Wuxian disappeared through the doorway. Wangji sighed. “You’re gonna need to try a little harder than that, I think.”

3. Doritos

“Ooh, Doritos!” Wuxian paused in front of the two on the bench. “I never thought Lan family people ate this stuff, Wangji-xiong. Can I have some?”

Wangji hummed in response and handed the package over to him. “Yes. Take the whole package.”

“What?”

“The whole thing. The entire bag. Do you want it, or do you not?” Wangji said, hand still offering the package of delicious junk food.

Wuxian furrowed his eyebrows. “Well- I just wanted a few to nibble on, you really want to give me-?”

“Yes.”

“Seriously? You know, I just want a small amount-”

“Take it, Wei Wuxian.”

“Are you sure?”

“Just take it if you want it,” Wangji emphasized, firm, and Wuxian finally, though reluctantly, took the bag away from him.

“If you’re sure...”

“Very sure.”

Wuxian smiled. “Well, if you insist, thanks!”

Wangji frowned as he walked away, both aware and unaware of the fact that Wuxian definitely thought it was weird but brushed it off. “Not enough.”

Su She sighed from beside him, having been left as an awkward and slightly annoyed spectator the whole time. “No, probably not.”

4. Didn’t Even Try

xianxian! > lan 🐇

: LMAO lan zhan i accidentally surprised su she again, mb

wangji: Haha.

: he thought i went home lol so he was surprised to see me

wangji: Oh

wangji: You didn’t go back today?

: nope, i go back tmrw!

wangji: Really?

wangji: A shame.

wangji: If I’d known you were going back home tomorrow, I would have stayed tonight.

: what?

wangji: What?

: why me specifically? am i that fun to be around that you want me to

wangji: Hm.

wangji: I suppose so.

: oh.

: well okay

Wuxian is pretending to not have a crisis as he half-yells at his siblings. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“It probably fucking means he likes you,” Jiang Cheng says, squinting at the messages. “God, that feels so out of nowhere. Extremely suspicious.”

“Well, the signs are there,” Yanli adds. “It certainly doesn’t look normal.”

“Ask him upfront,” Jiang Cheng proposes, and Wuxian flails around, panicked.

“Ask him upfront???”

“Yeah, it’ll be faster, and if he doesn’t well, problem solved, right? He just really likes your company.”

“And if he does like me??”

“Well, take action, I guess.”

“What do you think of him, a-Xian?” Yanli prods.

“Well, he’s pretty and nice, I wouldn’t say no, I guess...”

“What happened to that crush on Nie Mingjue?”

“Chances are a little too low with that. Besides, even if he does like me, I don’t really think I’d date him just because.”

“Okay, okay, we’ll find out first and deal with it later,” Jiang Cheng pulls his arm. “If you won’t do it, I will.”

Yanli giggles as Jiang Cheng grabs Wuxian’s phone and types out a message for all of them to see, her older younger brother practically trembling as he hits send.

: lmao its like u like me

wangji: What?

: idk the stuff u said sounded like u have a crush on me or smtg

wangji: Oh.

wangji: Does saying that mean I like you?

: Well not really

: That’s why I asked

wangji: Asked what?

: Ask if you like me or not

wangji: Hm?

wangji: What’s the difference whether I say yes or no?

: just answer the q

wangji: I’m trying to come up with a correct answer

: oh god there is no correct or wrong answer just say yes or no

wangji: Well

: well???

wangji: For the time being, no

wangji: Not sure about in the future though

: oh. okay

: could it happen in the future?

wangji: Don’t know

wangji: Could happen, or perhaps not

wangji: I suppose as Huaisang says, “We’ll see”

: oh

: well okay

wangji: 👍

“OH MY GOD HE HAS A CRUSH ON ME DOESN’T HE,” Wuxian yells.

“HE IS TOTALLY INTO YOU,” Jiang Cheng yells back, shaking his brother back and forth.

“Congratulations, a-Xian,” Yanli giggles from beside them. “And good luck.”

“Oh my god, jiejie, I need to run a few things by you two, I think I’ve just had an epiphany,” Wuxian flaps his hands. “I don’t think he’s been subtle about this at all.”

“What the fuck does that mean, Wei Ying,” Jiang Cheng demands, and as Wuxian spills about signs he’s missed and possibly even more he’s forgotten or completely didn’t catch, Yanli holds herself back from giggling herself into oblivion, simply from pure exasperation.

Is this really the one move that works on him? She’s sure Lan Wangji didn’t even do that on purpose.

5. Chocolate

“Wei Ying,” Lan Zhan says, moving to sit across him. “I have something for you.”

“Oh?” Wei Ying perks up, smiling.

“Hm. Yes, it’s for you.” Lan Zhan fumbles his hand in his pocket.

Wei Ying leans forward. “What is it?”

“Here,” Lan Zhan pulls out a chocolate bar and shows it to him. “This is for you.”

“Chocolate...” Wei Ying grins. “I- thanks. I like it.”

“Hn.” is the other boy’s response. “Glad you do. I will... go now.”

“Yeah, uh... thanks again!” Wei Ying waves.

Lan Zhan leaves the room, Wei Ying cradling the bar in his hands.

“There’s no way I’m actually into him, right?” he mumbles to himself. “But that was really, really nice.”

(Outside, Lan Zhan is giving the finger to his two best friends who have been watching through the room window and silently screaming the whole time.)

+1.

Wangji > Wei Ying

Wei Ying: hey lan zhan

: Yes?

Wei Ying: that song you played before

Wei Ying: what’s the name

: What do you think is an appropriate name for it?

Wei Ying: wait you havent named it??

: No, I have.

: I’d just like your opinion for it.

Wei Ying: dunno

Wei Ying: Lan Wangji’s Love Song Full of Love for Someone

: someone?

Wei Ying: well yeah, don’t tell me you wrote a whole love song for nobody

Wei Ying: that was tearjerking

Wei Ying: emotionally shattering

: Hm.

: It is for someone.

: Who do you want it to be for?

Wei Ying: well itll be for whoever is intended

Wei Ying: i’m no mind reader

Wei Ying: tell meee

: do you want that intended person to be you?

Wei Ying: just tell me the name

Wei Ying: maybe itll line up with what i’m thinking

: and what are your thoughts?

Wei Ying: well i won’t tell you until you show me

Wei Ying: im waiting :> don’t keep me in the dark here

: screenshot_12.png

Wei Ying: wait that’s only half of the name!!

Wei Ying: wang who!! wangji and who

: Hm

: I’ll tell you tomorrow.

Wei Ying: tomorrow?

Wei Ying: why not now?

: It’s late, Wei Ying.

: Go to sleep.

Wei Ying: what makes you think i can sleep if you dont tell me

Wei Ying: i wont even be able to do any assignments im just gonna be thinking abt this

: Fine.

: Alright.

: Wei Ying, I like you

: Maybe even love you

Wei Ying: for real?

Wei Ying: you’re not lying?

: I am not.

: screenshot_13.png

: Wangxian

: Xian, for you.

Wei Ying: oh

Wei Ying: good to know

Wei Ying: mostly cause

Wei Ying: well thanks

Wei Ying: i like you too

: Hm.

: I see

Wei Ying: sooo

Wei Ying: i guess we like each other

: We do.

Wei Ying: wanna date or smth?

: Wait.

: I would prefer to do this in person.

: Go to sleep, now. I've told you the name already.

Wei Ying: okay okay

Wei Ying: goodnight

: Good night.

#rymyanna #wangxiansolstice22 #*fic22 #*gifts22

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midzelink · 3 years ago

Text

So, as some of you might know, one of my GIFs was recently featured on the Tumblr Radar - which is pretty cool! I was fairly happy with how that one turned out, especially considering that I made it rather last-minute on a whim to acknowledge Valentine’s Day. It understandably received a lot of attention as a result of this, and I’ve loved reading through all the comments and tags (especially all the ones about how people want to eat the heart containers from TP); however, I wanted to clear up a bit of a misunderstanding surrounding the creation of that GIF, as there were additionally a lot of tags along the lines of #3d art or #artists on tumblr in that influx of reblogs. I don’t want to take credit for something I didn’t do, even accidentally, and so allow me to be perfectly clear: the heart container GIF is not something I modeled and rendered myself! It is the original in-game model, recorded in-game using the Dolphin GCN/Wii emulator, with very little done in the way of post-processing in Photoshop. If that sounds impossible or confusing (which is perfectly understandable, for those of you unaware of what Dolphin is capable of), I’d like to take this opportunity to give you guys a bit of a “peek behind the curtain,” as it were, to show you guys exactly how I made that particular GIF, as well as similar ones I’ve made (such as those in my #items tag).

I didn’t take screenshots of my initial process (nor did I save the edited textures I used), so I’ll be recreating it from the ground up for the sake of demonstration, but that shouldn’t be a problem.

First thing’s first: finding a heart container! For this particular GIF, I wound up using the one that spawns after the Morpheel fight at the end of Lakebed Temple. I’m sure many others would work just as well (I think, at the time, this one just happened to be the most accessible to me), but let’s use the same one for the sake of it.

Morpheel: defeated. And I didn’t even need Zora Armor! (Seriously, we do that in the speedrun. But I’m getting off-topic.) Of course, we’re going to need clean, close-up footage of the heart container rotating in order to do what we want to do, so let’s shift into first-person mode and and get a bit closer to the thing.

Now, because the only UI-element in this shot is Link’s health (and it’s in the corner and relatively non-obtrusive), removing it isn’t strictly necessary - but I’ve already made a texture pack that removes UI elements as part of my Text Free TP project from a while back, so let’s load it anyway, for the sake of being thorough. This shot is also still a bit too far away, so next we’ll be utilizing Dolphin’s free cam feature (which can be accessed by going to Graphics > Advanced > Free Look and checking “Enable” in Dolphin) in order to get the heart container in a more central position. Now we’re left with this:

And we’re already looking well on our way to making a nice, solid color background GIF. But how do we get the solid color? Well, that’s where more texture editing comes into play - and here I have to give credit where credit is due, as this is a trick I picked up from 186px, after wondering how they were able to make this GIFset of Link fighting Ganondorf in The Wind Waker in a great, black void. (Seriously, shoutouts to them, their stuff was and still is amazing.)

But, very basically, we’ll be using Dolphin’s texture dump feature in order to find the textures that need to be edited so we can replace them with pure black ones. Texture dumping can be enabled by going to Graphics > Advanced > Utility and checking “Dump Textures,” and the file path for these dumped textures by default is Documents > Dolphin Emulator > Dump > Textures > [Game ID]. (In the case of Twilight Princess, the Game ID is GZ2E01). After dumping the textures in the Morpheel arena, my GZ2E01 folder looks like this:

When editing textures, sometimes you’ll have to endure a bit of trial and error until you find the correct ones. Luckily, in this scene, the textures making up the sand floor and the stone walls are rather large, so let’s isolate the ones we’re pretty sure are responsible (plus a few others that are obviously environmental, just to be safe).

Now, when loading custom textures, it’s important that the file name you’re trying to load matches up exactly with the original texture that you’re trying to replace. I have a plain, black, square PNG that I keep on my desktop specifically for this purpose; I copy the file names of the textures I’ve isolated, then rename and drag and drop the black PNG into the folder where custom textures are loaded (Documents > Dolphin Emulator > Load > Textures > [Game ID]). Like so:

And now, to refresh our custom textures by disabling and reenabling them in Dolphin’s graphics settings:

And voilà! We have something that very nearly resembles the GIF I made (well, a still of it, at least). I skipped over a few details, such as the fact that TP has a pretty significant amount of bloom surrounding just about everything, which I’m fairly certain I disabled using cheat codes when I made the original GIF in order to give it an overall cleaner look. It’s hard to tell from this still, but TP’s heart containers also sparkle considerably in a way that’s random and not loopable; I found the texture responsible for this sparkle and replaced it with a transparent 1x1 PNG, in order to remove it entirely (as well as the texture behind the “glow” of the thing). After that, it was as simple as recording the game with OBS, dumping the MP4 into Photoshop, cropping and cutting it to make it loop, and adding some adjustment layers for contrast and color. So...yeah!

I hope this has served to clear up any confusion about some of the things that I’ve made in the past. I’m not a 3D artist - just a person with an emulator and way too much free time on their hands. This stuff is really, super simple, and also lots of fun, so I would highly encourage anyone with the means to mess around with emulation on their own some time to see what they can do! (Even if you don’t have Photoshop and can’t make GIFs, there are always edits, such as this one I made of Midna.) For Twilight Princess in particular, I also highly recommend checking out TPGZ; it’s a patch you can apply to a clean ISO of the original game, designed with the purposes of helping folks learn and practice the speedruns (yes, I had to bring up speedrunning one last time, kill me), but it’s got nifty features like built-in savestates, cheat codes, and HUD removal, as well as the ability to freeze actors while maintaining the ability to move the camera freely, among other things (all things that are very useful as far as making unique graphics go). Sorry this post got as long as it did, but I at the very least hope that some of you found it educational and/or interesting. Cheers!

#uhhhhh i don't even know how to tag this #not like it will show up in the tags anyway because i've linked five billion things #twilight princess #long post #tutorials #i guess????#resources #myposts*#i didn't intend for this to be a tutorial i just wanted to explain that i'm not a 3d artist lmfao #OTL

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xxdragonwriterxx · 4 years ago

Text

🔥You Are Human, And Damn It, You Are An Important One!🔥

A/N: Hey everyone! I’m back! It looks like my tags finally decided to sort themselves out so I wanted to (finally) post a new story! I’m still working on requests though, so don’t worry, those are coming soon! I just wanted to post this in the mean time while I edit those and test if my tags are really fixed on one of my originals so that any requested fics will actually be seen later should an error occur. Thank you so much for your continued support and patience, you guys are so amazing! I hope this makes up for my temporary hiatus! This one actually has a bit of a heavier tone to it but I think I’m finally happy with it! Thanks again for the support, and don’t be afraid to talk to me! Shoot me a message or just spew random bullshit and I’ll still respond 😂. Enjoy!

(Warning: themes of non-con & abuse. This is set in a brothel, but there’s nothing explicit, it’s just mentioned or implied. Just wanted to put it out there! Viewer discretion advised!)

🐉Song Recommendation: “The Gardener” By: Sarah Sparks 🐉

Word Count: ~7k

~~~

It was that time of year. The time of year that Levi hated the most. The Underground Market Festival. It was the time of year in which merchants from all around would come down to the Underground City, away from the prying eyes of the Military Police, and sell anything and everything to the nobles who weren’t exactly looking for orthodox materials. The normally filthy, mostly empty streets would be filled with members of the wealthy, dripping in jewelry, cash, and lavish clothing as they paraded around the sorry excuse for a city, boasting of their wealth and privilege as they bought enough food and luxurious goods to feed three times the number of people in the Underground while sharing none of it.

The days were starting to blur together. Levi honestly couldn’t tell if it had been a day, a week, or a month as the drugs in his system continued to work just like the brothel owners wanted them to, rendering him practically inoperative and perfect for use. His head pounded, swimming with confused thoughts. His gaze was unfocused, warped, and his whole body felt suffocatingly hot despite his lack of cover, his legs shifting as his body instinctively searched for a relief he didn’t even want. But that was exactly how they wanted him.

The sound of his door being unlocked made him look up slowly, his eyes taking a few seconds to fully focus on the man standing in the entrance of his room, a wide, malicious grin on his face. Levi couldn’t help but wrinkle his nose in disgust. The man smelled of sweat and stale alcohol, and his unkempt appearance made Levi itch, even when drugged out of his mind.

“Oh, Levi…” the man cooed, making Levi shudder. “I have another customer for you.”

Even though Levi had been through this time and time again, even though he had been trapped in his filthy room since he was caught stealing from a merchant friend of the brothel owner at age twenty, even though the drugs in his system were making his body scream for what this new customer could give him, he still couldn’t help the wave of dread that washed through him, the fear. Levi didn’t fear much, having grown up on the streets of the Underground alone since he was abandoned by Kenny at the age of ten, but this? This he was scared of.

He thought back to the wretched old man that had abandoned him as a small child and wondered what he would think of him now. Would he be disgusted? Unsurprised? Angry? Not that it mattered. Levi knew he would never see him again. But even so, his brain couldn’t help itself from going down those roads, asking questions of “what if?” no matter how many times he reminded himself that it didn’t matter. He was just some bastard thug turned whore in the Underground. Nobody was going to even remember him, let alone care about who he was or who he may be in the future.

Levi was once again brought out of his daze when the pig in the doorway moved to the side, letting a noble woman saunter into the room. She had a wicked grin on her face as she approached him, ignoring the brothel owner as he slammed the door shut behind her, giving them some privacy. She was covered in glittering jewelry, and although the dress she wore was extravagant, it was very tight fitting and low cut, barely considered decent, her large breasts one breath away from spilling out over the top. Her hair was pinned up in a lavish braided style, twisting and coiling tightly, and held together with real gold pins that Levi knew must’ve cost a fortune.

“~Well, hello sexy,” the woman purred as she approached the raven-haired man.

Levi had to force himself not to grimace, even with the effect of the drugs, when she slithered her way over his thighs, her hands reaching up to cup his face. The smell of whatever custard perfume she had on was overwhelming, making his eyes water and his throat close up. Her hands felt clammy from all of the lotions and creams she had slathered over her skin to make it look shinier, making them feel like dead fish rubbing against his cheeks.

“Well? Aren’t you going to ask my name?” The woman demanded in a sickly sweet voice, making Levi close his eyes in barely suppressed agony.

“What is your name?” Levi asked in a low voice. He felt the woman preen above him at the sound of his voice, knowing she thought his deep tone was for setting the mood rather than the effect of his despair.

“My name is Lady Clarissa! What’s your name, hmmm?”

“Levi,” He said quietly.

“Oooh, Leevviiii, I like that,” Lady Clarissa practically moaned. “Say, Levi, you were quite expensive. That must mean you're really good at what you do. I can already tell that you fulfill my personal tastes in terms of appearance, so why don’t you convince me of the rest and give me a good time. Don’t make me regret spending my good money on you. Don’t make me punish you.”

Levi gritted his teeth when she ground her hips into him, trying his hardest not to fight back. He knew it would be difficult, the drugs making his movements and mental processes much slower, but at that moment, all he wanted to do was shove her off of him. Swallowing the bile in his throat, Levi reached for her as she leaned down to force her tongue into his mouth.

It was that time of year. The time of year that (Y/N) hated the most. The Underground Market Festival. It took everything in her to avoid groaning in annoyance as the people she was expected to call her friends dragged her down into the filthy Underground City for a day of “fun”. (Y/N) would much rather be back at home, reading a book in the library, or relaxing with the horses in the barn, or secretly practicing her sword fighting skills with the guards of their estate. But her father had forced her to go when her friends had shown up at the house, begging for her to come with them. He claimed she needed to get her priorities straight and actually present herself, show the honor and pride that came with being part of the (L/N) family. (Y/N) thought there was very little honor and pride in parading their wealth around like they owned the world, especially in front of people who constantly struggled to survive on a daily basis.

(Y/N) walked slowly down the worn cobblestone streets, suppressing the urge to gag at the sight of other nobles walking around, looking and acting as if they were rulers of the walls. She barely looked at anything, only stopping to occasionally buy food when she noticed the hungry children hanging around, looking for a scrap to steal. She could tell they were wary of her, but she never stopped trying, always offering them the food in some way, even if it meant leaving it in a secluded space for them to find later.

Her friends constantly tried to get her to engage, running up to her with crystal jewelry, silk clothing, and delectable foods, attempting to entice her, only to get pushed away. (Y/N) wanted no part in any of it. Even her attire spoke volumes about how little she wanted to be there. She knew that to the people of the Underground, the dress she wore would be considered something of utmost value, but when compared to the nobles around her, she looked underdressed and plain. She wore nothing more than a subtle red dress covered with a black leather jacket, paired with black combat boots and matching gloves, no jewelry to be found except for the simple white earrings she wore in her lobes.

Her father had been less than pleased with her appearance, but stopped arguing when she announced she was leaving, the lord just happy she had at least agreed to go to the festival. She knew he was disappointed in her, annoyed that she wasn’t like the other noble ladies who loved to flaunt their luxurious lifestyles and bend to the every whim of the lords around them, looking to marry early for money and power. (Y/N) wouldn’t be surprised if the entire reason her father wanted her here was so she could possibly win over the affections of a single lord milling about, one that was rich and influential. It was for that possibility alone that (Y/N) had originally thought to wear something that made her look underdressed, having to swallow the bile that rose in her throat at the prospect of catching some snobby noble’s attention.

“Yeah, her name is (Y/N)! She’s the one right over there, I think she could use a good time.”

(Y/N)’s head snapped up when she heard her name, her eyes shooting over to where her friends were standing in a group in front of a large building. All of them were looking at her, covering their faces with their hands to hide their giggles. Dread filled her to the brim when she saw the sign in front of the building, her face paling in horror.

“That one, eh? I think we can arrange something like that,” the brothel owner said, a smug smile on his lips as he stared at her, his grin only widening as her cheeks flushed a brilliant red. “Don’t worry, I’ve got one in particular that could give you a good ride. He’s expensive since he’s my most popular, but he’s worth it.”

(Y/N) opened her mouth to argue, her cheeks on fire as her brain fought to think of something, anything to get her out of this situation. She didn’t want to fuck some random stranger for no reason, but she especially didn’t want to have sex in a brothel. She found them vulgar, repulsive, and horrible. The way they treated their “workers” was appalling. Just as the words finally reached the tip of her tongue, one of the girls she had come to the festival with cut off her impending argument.

“Damn, I’m jealous! If he’s that good I’m almost tempted to take him myself. But she needs this. She hasn’t loosened up the entire time we’ve been here and I think this might help. She’ll take him.”

The greasy man smiled and wrote her name down, happily accepting the roll of cash her friend handed him before getting up, supposedly to let the man know that he had another customer on the way. (Y/N) tried to escape when she could, but her friends rushed up and caught her before she could slip into the shadows, dragging her over to the brothel and shoving her towards an open door where the brothel owner stood, a creepy smile still plastered on his face.

“Guys! I don’t want this!” (Y/N) whispered frantically as she was dragged towards her doom.

“It doesn’t matter if you want it or not, you need it!” One of her friends said with a laugh. “Besides, you’re going to have a fun time. Don’t make us regret spending that money for you!”

(Y/N) was practically thrown into the room, stumbling as she fought to catch her balance, before the door was slammed shut behind her, the loud sound of the lock being latched reverberating around the room with the finality of a death toll. Huffing in anger, (Y/N) stood and brushed herself off, smoothing out her dress and straightening back up to her full height, fighting off the panic slithering up her spine.

A low groan of pain coming from behind her made her whirl around in surprise, her eyes landing on a shorter, pale skinned man with stunning silver eyes and raven black hair. Gods he looked pathetic. She could definitely tell he was attractive, it made sense now as to why he was a popular choice, but he looked sickly, his cheeks hollowed out, dark circles under his eyes, and a muscled yet neglected body starting to wear thin from years of hunger and constant overuse. The sight made her want to be sick. How could anybody be cruel enough to force themselves onto this obviously abused man? How could anyone willingly pay money to fuck him rather than help him?

“Um, hello,” (Y/N) said quietly. “W-What’s your name?”

The man raised an eyebrow, not used to the soft, kind, almost shy way she asked for his name. The women and occasional men he dealt with most of the time were demanding, controlling, and sadistic, knowing they paid for a man they could use, and their voices usually projected that. Yet, this woman looked as if she had been forced to do this, further supported by the way she had been nearly thrown into the room by whom he assumed was her friends.

“Levi,” he said quietly, waiting for the usual routine to start, no matter how much his gut twisted in disgust at the thought.

“Hi, Levi, I’m (Y/N).”

“(Y/N)...” Levi murmured softly, training himself to memorize it despite his swimming brain, knowing she would want him to scream it out later. Whether in pain or in pleasure, he wasn’t sure yet.

“Um…” (Y/N) was about to speak, her mind scrambling for something to say when her eye caught sight of a large bruise on his neck. Her eyes widened and suddenly started scanning his entire body, her stomach roiling more and more the longer she stared. Now that she was really paying attention, (Y/N) could see painful bites, hickeys, and splotchy bruises littering his neck, jaw, chest, and thighs. Her eyes narrowed on the long, bloody scratches running down the length of his chest and back, and she noticed blooming red patches of skin all over him that were raw and aching from being slapped hard and rough over and over again.

He was wearing a loose pair of worn boxers as his only cover, and (Y/N) could only imagine what other horrors the thin cloth was hiding. Glancing down, she saw him shift uncomfortably, his boxers tented by his arousal. The sight made her growl in anger, knowing that to keep him going after he had already had so many customers for the day, a drug was being used to make him insatiable, forcing him past the point of pain and probably clouding his judgement and mental process as well. It made her want to go cut up the brothel owner and serve him to a pig.

Without thinking, (Y/N) rushed to him, reaching out to him, only to freeze when he flinched. She heard him curse at the involuntary movement, knowing it was his job to appear as unaffected and sexually appealing as possible, and it made her heart clench even harder, her hatred for this place and the people who ran it increasing tenfold.

Taking a deep breath, (Y/N) immediately slowed her movements, trying to appear as calm and unhurried as possible. Her gaze softened and glazed with unshed tears when he closed his eyes, his arms reaching out as he prepared for her to sit on his lap and have her way with him like she knew every other man and woman who used him did. Gritting her teeth against the fury she felt, she carefully slid her way across his thighs. She felt him force himself to relax under her as he leaned forward to let her kiss him.

When he felt nothing, and heard something click, Levi cracked open his eyes in curiosity, only to have them fly open all the way when he felt something cool and wet against his neck. Looking down at the woman in his arms, his lips parted in shock, watching in confused awe as she leaned back and soaked a small cloth in some water from a bottle, rinsing the fresh blood from the fabric. Looking to the side, he saw a small first aid kit by her feet, the container open to reveal a variety of medical tools inside.

(Y/N) leaned forward again, raising the towel to his neck to dab at his abrasions, washing them carefully, reverently, almost... lovingly. Levi opened and closed his mouth but no words came out as she continued to work on him, delicately cleaning his jaw and neck before carefully moving on to his chest. Was this some kind of strange ritual she always performed during sex? Did she just find him dirty and want to clean him up before putting her lips or her pussy on his skin? His mind was running a million miles a minute as she worked on him in silence, only pausing when he hissed quietly at the feeling of his gashes being washed.

(Y/N) frowned as she gently swiped the cloth along the red gouges in his skin. They were deep, most likely caused by the long, sharp nail extensions some ladies liked to wear, or the dull blade of a man with violent tendencies. It didn’t surprise her, a lot of the men and women who used people like this did have sadistic qualities, but it didn’t help to quell the now roaring fire in her blood, wanting nothing more than to fight against the injustice of this man.

“W-What are you doing?” Levi finally managed to ask.

“Cleaning your wounds.”

“Why? Is this some kind of-”

“Preparation? No. We aren’t going to do anything. I just want to help your injuries heal.”

Levi felt like his brain was full of static, like his mouth was stuffed with cotton. He wasn’t complaining, far from it, but he couldn’t get a reading on this woman. Why would she, a noble from the surface, want to help him, a hopeless whore from the Underground?

“Wha-”

“Before you ask what my intentions are, I’m just going to tell you that I didn’t even want to do this. I was forced to come to this festival because my father wants me to become more of a proper noble woman. But since I wasn’t too thrilled about having to be here, the people I came with thought I could use an opportunity to loosen up, and paid for me to do this with you in the hopes that I’d start having fun with them afterwards. But I have no intention of doing any of that. I hate how everyone in the Underground is treated like shit, and the last thing I want to do is take advantage of someone who obviously isn’t in control of his situation. I just want to help.”

Levi closed his mouth, all of his protests dying on his tongue. He still had questions, a lot of them, but he decided those could wait, her explanation making him feel surprisingly relaxed for someone who had trained himself to never take the word of a noble at face value. He had never met anyone like her. Even before he was forced to whore himself out, all he had ever known of nobles was their complete lack of humility and egotistical sense of self-importance.

It was silent for a moment, but this time, the silence was more comfortable, both of them starting to relax a little as (Y/N) continued to patch him up. Levi felt himself loosen up a bit, his muscles unwinding as his hands settled on her waist, keeping her securely balanced on his lap as she worked. Pride swirled in (Y/N)’s chest as she felt his tense muscles soften, her eyes sparkling as she started to work her way towards earning his trust.

“What’s your happiest memory?” (Y/N) asked suddenly.

Levi quirked an eyebrow in suspicion, “Why should I tell you, brat?”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” (Y/N) said, shaking her head and stifling a giggle at the nickname. “I only asked because I figured we may as well talk while we do this. Not only that, I feel like you could use some happiness right now. But I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, so if you don’t want to talk to me, you don’t have to.”

Levi was silent for a minute, the cogs in his mind turning as he tried to make what he believed to be the right decision despite the fog clouding his judgement. Just as she had promised, (Y/N) waited patiently, not pressuring him to answer, or even bringing up another question. She merely sat in silence, her clear (e/c) eyes narrowed on his injuries as she worked to make him feel better.

“There was a time when I was with my friend Farlan, a few years back. We were doing a job, trying to get rid of a troublesome merchant for a client of ours when we found out the merchant had a cat. We were hiding around the corner, waiting to strike when that damn cat jumped up onto Farlan’s lap. I’m fine with cats, but that was the day we found out Farlan had some kind of allergy to them. He was trying to hold back his sneezes but finally lost control right when the merchant came around the corner, and Farlan ended up sneezing really violently in his face. That merchant got so scared he must’ve jumped at least three feet in the air, and even managed to piss himself before he took off. We still had to finish him off later, but in that moment, when Farlan was mortified and our target was running for the hills because of a cat induced sneeze, I couldn’t help but laugh a little.”

(Y/N) had paused in her work to listen to him, and couldn’t help but smile when he finished his story. Going back to work, (Y/N) didn’t ask what happened to Farlan, not wanting to drag him back down after she had finally gotten him to talk to her, about something so personal no less.

“What about you?” Levi asked.

“Hmm, I think I’d have to say when I got my horse for my birthday,” (Y/N) said. “I was never around the horses, wasn’t allowed to be in the barn because it wasn’t “proper for a lady”. But I loved them, loved seeing them on the streets when other nobles would come visit my father or when the soldiers from the Survey Corps would come back from a mission. I couldn’t stay away, so no matter how much my father tried to squash my love of them, it just wouldn’t happen. My mother eventually convinced him to let it go, and surprised me with a little chestnut filly that I named Sashay when I was about sixteen years old. Now, she’s my best friend. We’ve been through everything together, and she’s the only one who doesn’t try to force me to be something I’m not. Aside from the royal guards, I guess. They learned a long time ago to stop trying to get me to sit still and look pretty when I beat all of them in the sword fighting ring.”

Levi’s brows shot up into his hair at that, his lips parting in surprise. “You know how to sword fight?”

(Y/N) chuckled. “Yeah, not what you were expecting, huh?”

“No,” Levi said. “I’ve never heard of a noble woman who could fight, let alone with a blade. Are you any good?”

“I tend to think so, but that all depends on who I’m up against,” (Y/N) said with a cheeky smile.

For some reason, Levi couldn’t help but smile back for the first time in years. His lips felt chapped and strained from disuse, but it felt good, a light feeling flooding his chest with warmth. “You said earlier that your horse’s name is Sashay,” Levi said, suddenly changing the topic.

“Mm hm.”

“That’s weird.”

(Y/N) giggled at his bluntness, making another fluttering feeling swirl in his chest. He had never met anyone other than Farlan who saw his language as something other than rude.

“Yeah, I suppose so,” (Y/N) said. “But I named her that because she is a sassy chestnut mare. I like to imagine that if she were human, she’d be someone you wouldn’t want to mess with, someone who wouldn’t take shit from anyone, but would do so with a spicy attitude. So I named her accordingly.”

Levi huffed a laugh at her response but almost immediately regretted it when the movement of his chest caused the rough gauze at her fingertips to brush against his injuries a little harder than before, the stinging sensation making him hiss in pain.

“Sorry!” (Y/N) said, quickly retracting her hands and holding them up, waiting for him to give her the signal to continue.

“Not your fault,” Levi mumbled, motioning that it was alright for her to get back to work. “Thank you, by the way. I don’t think I said that before.”

(Y/N) shook her head. “You don’t have to thank me. I want to do this.”

Levi wanted to ask her why but remembered what she had told him at the start of this and decided to trust her word, swallowing the question and instead changing topics. “Why do you even have this? Do you always just carry a first aid kit around?”

“Only when I come to the Underground. I want to have it available for those who really need it.”

“You do know that at least half of the people down here would kill you without a second thought to get to that medicine. Or they’d kill you if they thought you were pitying them.”

“I know, but I’d like to think I can handle myself a bit more than the average person. Even so, I usually keep it hidden unless I really want or need to use it on someone, and it’s only for quick patch-ups anyway. I can’t really fix anything major.”

(Y/N) finally finished with his front and carefully slid off of his thighs, moving slowly to begin working on his back. She made sure he was okay with everything she was doing before settling herself down onto the edge of the bed behind him, her hands reaching up to start her work once more.

Levi wanted to know more about her. He felt as if he could talk to her for hours, as if he had known her for years. He wanted to know what made her laugh, what made her cry, what her vision was for the future. It was insane, so much so that Levi idly wondered if he’d fallen off the deep end. But he couldn’t deny it. She was just too intriguing, so surprisingly kind, so genuine.

What was your childhood like? What are your favorite things to do? Do you come down here often? When will I see you again?

The questions continued to rattle around in Levi’s head as they once again lapsed into a comfortable silence but he forced all of them back, not wanting to seem either too desperate to get to know her, or be seen as coming on too strong.

After debating with himself for a while, Levi finally settled on, “You’ve mentioned your father a lot, and how he doesn’t want you to be yourself.”

(Y/N) tensed a little, her face twisted in a grimace behind Levi’s back. “Yeah… he used to be better about it, but ever since my mother died, he’s been like a tyrant. He’s upset he didn’t get a son in the first place, but now that he’s stuck with me for a daughter, he’s even more disappointed that I’m not someone he can easily make profits off of by marrying me off to someone. Not only have I been adamant about not allowing it, but no nobleman wants a woman who can think for herself. A woman who can ride a horse, go toe to toe with her soldiers, has an opinion, and is knowledgeable about current conflicts. They want someone who will dress up all pretty for them and be in bed, ready to satisfy them when they get home from gambling and drinking all day while sitting on their parents’ money.”

Levi scoffed and (Y/N) huffed in agreement. “I’m just not that kind of person. Every suitor that has ever met me has run away from my casual attire and sailor’s mouth.”

“Your father wasn’t like this when your mother was alive?” Levi asked.

“He was, but he wasn’t as bad. My parents were in an arranged marriage, but they got along alright. At least my father loved my mother enough to listen to her most of the time when she told him to lay off of me. I honestly think she’s the reason why I have such a strong fighting spirit.”

“I’m sorry she’s gone,” Levi said awkwardly, not used to providing words of comfort.

“Thanks,” (Y/N) said genuinely, a warm smile gracing her beautiful features.

“I didn’t know my mother that well,” Levi said haltingly, still unsure why he felt comfortable telling her about things he hadn’t even talked to Farlan about. “She died of a disease when I was four years old. She was a prostitute, like me, so I never knew my father. When she died, I was picked up by a man named Kenny, who I thought might’ve been my father for a short while, but as I grew older, I realized he wasn’t. I don’t have any proof, I just know. When he abandoned me at ten, I was alone for a few years before I met Farlan.”

“So… you didn’t get stuck doing this because of your mother?” (Y/N) asked carefully, almost afraid to ask in case it made him shy away from her.

“No,” Levi said slowly. “I was twenty years old when I was caught stealing from a rich friend of this brothel owner. I had made a mistake and there was no way out. He figured out who I was, a thug who was known at the time for carrying out favors for people, whether that meant stealing or killing depended on how much they were willing to pay. Unfortunately, this led them to Farlan, and he gave me a choice. Me, or my best and only friend.”

“And you chose to save your friend at the expense of yourself,” (Y/N) finished for him in a hoarse whisper, filled with horror and unbridled fury at what this man had been through. She figured she should’ve been alarmed, he had just admitted that he had blood on his hands. He was a thief, a thug, a criminal, a murderer. But (Y/N) knew those things were nearly requirements for living in the Underground and no matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t think of anything that would make this man deserve what he was going through.

(Y/N) opened her mouth to say something just as she put the last bandage in place when a loud pounding on the door startled them both. “Time’s up, you two!” The brothel owner shouted through the door.

(Y/N) shot up from the bed and rushed around to where the water and first aid kit sat, quickly packing up the little box of supplies and splashing her face with water, trying to make herself look sweaty enough to look convincing. Once everything had been packed away, (Y/N) stood and shrugged off her leather jacket, throwing it to him.

“Here, take this, it’ll keep your boss from seeing the bandages and trying to get rid of them. It’ll also give your injuries a little more protection from the bacteria in this room.”

Levi wanted to refuse, tell her he couldn’t accept a gift like this, even if it was temporary, but no words would come out as he watched the beautiful woman in front of him mess up her hair and swipe her fingers across her lips, trying to make herself look as wrecked as possible. When she finally looked the part enough to seem convincing, (Y/N) made her way to the door, turning one last time before she opened it to throw him a wink and a sweet smile.

“~Goodbye Levi, I hope we can see each other again soon.”

The lilt in her voice was fake, an act for anyone who may be listening on the other side of the door, meant to be taken as a sickly promise of more sexual endeavors to come, but he could feel the genuine emotion in her statement.

“I hope so too,” Levi said quietly after she had already left, the once comforting quiet of his room now making him feel lonely and empty.

The sound of pounding on his door woke Levi abruptly, making the raven-haired man growl in anger and annoyance. It was rare that the poor man got to sleep, not only because customers could come in at almost any time, day or night, but also because of the horrible insomnia that often plagued him. It made him even more irritable to be woken up, his body sore and his mind groggy as another round of pounding roused him further and prompted him to swing his legs over the side of the small cot he was provided when not busy fucking, and make his way to the door.

“What?” Levi snapped when he swung open the door, genuinely surprised that the pig who owned him hadn’t just burst into his room like he always did, raving about yet another customer for Levi.

“Get your shit, you’re going to the surface.”

Levi blinked. This had to be some kind of joke. The brothel owner never let anyone under his foot leave the brothel, let alone the Underground. Even the highest class noble women couldn’t request for him to come to them, the old man not trusting his prostitutes to be sent back. Especially Levi.

“Oi, your ears gone to shit now? Grab your pathetic bullshit and get out of my sight,” the man snarled, his small, watery eyes narrowed on Levi like he was the scum of the world.

Shaking himself out of it, Levi didn’t hesitate for another moment, rushing back into his room to grab the pitifully few things he had with him, including the leather jacket he had gotten from (Y/N), draping it over his shoulders to hide his healing injuries just in case it was a trick. The festival was still going on afterall, this could just be some ruse the old man set up to make the experience more interesting for the men and women who paid for him.

When Levi returned, the man pulled a gun from his jacket pocket and jerked his head, signaling Levi to follow him. Levi knew better than to risk running. In his full health he could’ve easily escaped from the man’s clutches, but with little more than a half hour of rest, his injured body, weak muscles, and the remnants of the drugs still working through his system, Levi didn’t trust himself to outrun a bullet, and knew the pig wouldn’t hesitate to fire, no matter how valuable Levi was to him.

Even though Levi kept expecting the brothel owner to turn down a secluded street and lead him right into an ambush or trick of some sort, he never did, leading Levi right to the stairs exiting the Underground. When they reached the guards at the base of the stairs, the man took two slips of paper from the inner pocket of his worn brown coat and showed it to the guard. When he was cleared to continue on, the brothel owner turned and motioned for Levi to stay close as he stomped his way up the stairs, grumbling incoherently to himself all the while.

Breaching the surface, Levi brought an arm to his face, shielding his eyes from the intensity of the sun as it attacked his face with warm, bright light. He eventually got used to it, slowly lowering his arm and rushing to catch up with his boss, who was impatiently grunting for him to hurry up.

Passing through what appeared to be a busy market square, Levi followed the brothel owner along the lively cobblestone streets until they reached a quieter part of the town, stopping along the edge of a beautiful flower field, the grassy meadow filled with colorful blossoms that secretly took Levi’s breath away.

The sound of horse hooves caught his attention, and Levi looked up only to have the air fly from his lungs when (Y/N)’s bright face came into view, the stunning woman seated astride whom he assumed to be Sashay and flanked by two armed men.

“Right on time,” the brothel owner grumbled, his little pig eyes narrowing when he saw her passive aggressive smile.

“Of course I’m on time, this is my deal, remember?”

“Yeah, yeah,” the man growled. “Are you sure you want this one? He’s my most popular, I’d hate to lose him.”

“Yes, he’s the one I want. Besides, I believe the money I’ve paid you has far exceeded the profit you have earned from having him around. I’m sure you will be able to manage.”

The man sneered at her but didn’t respond, using the muzzle of the gun to push Levi forward and digging in his pocket to fish out the same pieces of paper he had shown the guards on the stairs, handing them to (Y/N).

“Thank you, sir. I believe we are done here.”

The brothel owner slunk off, casting dark looks at her but refusing to argue as he hunkered off to head back down to the Underground, where he would continue to rot like the rat he was. Levi watched him go before turning to (Y/N), surprised by the bright smile she flashed him when he met her gaze.

“(Y/N)? What’s going on?”

(Y/N) smiled even wider and held up the pieces of paper she had been handed. One of them was the file labeling him as a slave to the brothel owner, keeping him from escaping, and the other was a bill of sale. His eyes widened when he saw her signature on the bottom of both pages, officially registering her as his new owner. He opened his mouth, about to speak when she took both pages in her hands and ripped them in half, letting the torn pages float onto the street below, forgotten, useless.

“There, you’re free now.”

Levi was at a loss for words, his mouth gaping open. “(Y/N)? What-”

“Before you ask me what my intentions are, I’m just going to tell you that I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I couldn’t stop thinking about your life, your sacrifice, your pain, and I decided I could do something about it. You are human, and damn it, you are an important one! I couldn’t just leave you there. Now, you won’t have to work for anyone but yourself. You won’t have to cater to anyone else’s needs and you can fulfill whatever dreams you have.”

“But, that must’ve cost you a fortune, to cover more than the amount of money he’s made off of using me? What about-”

“You don’t have to worry about me, Levi. I want to use my funds for good, put them towards the people who need it the most. That includes you. Especially you. I couldn’t bear the thought of you having to stay in that shit hole for even a second longer than necessary.”

“What do I do now, then?” Levi asked, trying to focus on keeping his voice steady.

“Well, you can do whatever you want now. You’re a free man, you can find a house and settle down somewhere, or you can go back to the Underground and pick up your life where you left off. You can join the military, or you can start a small business here in the square. It’s anything you want. You get to choose your life now.”

“And what if I don’t want to do any of those things?”

(Y/N) couldn’t help the smile that flashed across her face then, her heart filling with warmth. “Like I said, it’s your choice, you can do whatever you want, carve your own path, but if you want to come with me, you’re always welcome to.”

Levi’s lip twitched and he took a step forward, reaching up to pat Sashay’s muzzle as he got closer. “Alright, I’ll follow you.”

(Y/N) beamed before turning around to nod at each one of her guards, dismissing them. When they had left, presumably returning to (Y/N)’s family estate, she reached down for him, her hand extended for him to take. Placing his rough palm into her warm hand, he allowed her to help him up into the saddle behind her, his arms wrapping around her waist to keep himself secure as (Y/N) kicked Sashay into an easy canter. Sighing blissfully, Levi let himself relax, his chin coming down to rest on (Y/N)’s shoulder as they made their way home, together.

Levi had never expected to see the day when he would willingly go with a noble, but then again, he never thought he’d ever meet a noble like (Y/N). Now, as he felt her warmth soak into his chest, he knew he’d made the right decision.

Levi finally felt the remnant effects of the drugs in his system fade away as the sun beams broke through the fluffy clouds in the sky, leaving his mind clear. He was making this decision all on his own, nothing left to impair his judgement, and no matter what, he knew he would never regret the path he chose to take just so long as (Y/N) stayed by his side.

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gladerscake · 4 years ago

Text

Since Always - Part II

(Gally x Reader)

Part I

I didn’t wanna keep you guys waiting too long, so here it is! Warning: Unobstructed Fluff Ahead. Proceed at your own risk.

“Hey, Newt!”

The lanky boy turned to the sound of Gally’s voice behind him, arching a brow at his quickly approaching form. “Yeah?”

The builder propped his hands on his hips, a ghost of a sneer curving his mouth; he seemed evidently bothered by something, which didn’t escape Newt’s notice.

“Have you seen Y/N? I need to talk to her.”

“Do you? ‘Bout what, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Gally huffed, focusing his pointed stare on the Second-in-Command “A little birdie named Zart told me you two were talking earlier. He heard my name. What’s up?”

Newt resisted the urge to roll his eyes, resorting to a tight-lipped grin. Zart. Of course. The track-hoe was notoriously bad at keeping his mouth shut.

“Oh! It was nothing, really. She was just, uh... telling me about the Med-Hut expansion you’ve been working on.” He attempted to lie, but the brief pause, coupled with the way his brown eyes seemed to look everywhere but at him, was a dead giveaway.

“Well, that’s a load of crap.” Gally scoffed, crossing his buff arms, his expression bouncing between annoyance and concern. “Seriously, what’d she say? Did I do something? Is it bad?”

Newt had to physically restrain himself from laughing. Witnessing how easy it was to get Gally all fidgety and weird at the mere thought of you saying something bad about him, was enough of a confirmation for what Newt already knew.

“No, absolutely not. You can relax, mate, it’s nothing bad.” He couldn’t suppress the secretive smirk that curved his mouth as the words left it “It’s actually quite the opposite.”

Gally’s uniquely-shaped brows furrowed in confusion as he stared at his friend. The opposite? What the hell did that mean? He was relieved to hear that you weren’t upset or mad at him, but whatever Newt was trying to say - it wasn’t making any sense.

“What are you talking about? What’s “the opposite”? Come one, Newt, can’t you just say it?” He gruffed, his broad shoulders tensing with impatience.

Unfortunately, Gally was all out of luck, as Newt had no intention of saying anything else. As much as he wanted to give Gally a hint and maybe hurry along the process of you two getting together, he felt it wasn’t his place. He couldn’t just flat-out tell him that you had feelings for him and betray your trust like that. That’s not what friends do.

“Hey, I’ve already said plenty. Alright? More than enough.” He grabbed his rake, silently excusing himself from further conversation and beginning to walk away, watching the puzzlement only grow on Gally’s face “You can’t be that dense, Gally. I don’t believe it. Just... go talk to her, yeah?”

Gally blinked in further confusion as Newt walked away, shaking his head and trying earnestly to gather his thoughts. What in the actual hell was he on about? He couldn’t think of an answer, but he wanted one, and he wanted one, now.

He couldn’t bear the thought of something not being right between the two of you. Truth was, over the time of you being there, you have grown to be the one person Gally cared about the most in the glade. From the moment he had helped you out of that box, almost a year ago, he’s felt an inexplicable need to be near you. To help you with anything you needed help with, to protect you, to make sure you were comfortable and that you never felt like you didn’t belong there. He wanted you to feel happy, or at least content, because he felt like you deserved nothing less. He wanted you to trust him, to know that you could lean on him, and he was immensely glad that you two were as close as you were, now.

Surely enough, throughout your shared journey of getting closer, it wasn’t long before Gally found himself having... feelings. Feelings he hadn’t ever imagined he could have, feelings he didn’t know he was even capable of. Deep down, he knew what they were, but didn’t know how to admit it. Despite how great you and him got on, he was convinced it was strictly platonic on your part. He couldn’t find it in himself to think you’d be interested in him in any way that was beyond that. With all the shanks to choose from, why would you go for him? No, it was impossible. He’d be better off swallowing his feelings and keeping his mouth shut. At least that way he wouldn’t risk shucking up the friendship you two had. Just the thought of you wanting to distance yourself from him sent a wave of dread throughout his strong body.

Yet... Newt’s confusing words and weird behaviour rang in his mind again, and as he slowly put the pieces together, he began to feel a foreign spark of... hope? Was there a chance that Newt had meant what he thought he had meant? He was struggling to believe it, but shuck, how he wanted it to be true...

Gally tried to ignore the way his heartbeat was starting to accelerate as he turned on his feet in determination, already on his way to find you.

Unaware of the builder searching for you, you were just about to head out of the Deadheads, where you had spent the last half hour mulling over what to do about your feelings for Gally.

Your earlier conversation with Newt had stirred a nagging feeling of hollowness in your heart, making you contemplate your course of action (or lack thereof).

Were you getting tired of having to watch him, longingly, from afar, without doing anything about it? Absolutely you were. Did the mere thought of Gally possibly returning your feelings fill your being with ecstatic jitters? Oh, most definitely. But were you ready to finally try and shoot your shot and risk him turning you down, making you sorely regret it? You didn’t know...

If only he had given you the slightest of hints of how he truly felt about you, it would have been easier. But even though you and Gally were close, you often found it awfully challenging to see what was on his mind. You knew him well enough to figure that if he were to have any feelings he’d rather not address, he would be very skilled at hiding it.

God, why did everything have to be so difficult, couldn’t you just-

“Y/N!”

You yelped, the sudden sound of Gally’s booming voice making you jump, eyes bulging in a brief moment of panic.

Gally delivered you a small apologetic grin, putting his palms up in a calming gesture “It’s okay! Just me. Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you...”

You exhaled with relief, trying to calm your racing heart... though, with Gally standing right there in front of you, after you had just spent quite a while thinking about him, made it that much more difficult.

“Shuck... Don’t sneak up on me like that!” You chuckled, nervously, suppressing the antsy feeling within you as he slowly approached.

“I wasn’t! I was just... looking for you.”

He was? You’d had no idea. Were you supposed to meet him for lunch or something? No, you definitely wouldn’t have forgotten about that.

“Really? Why, what’s up?” You blinked, looking up at him expectantly, your slightly widened crystal-clear eyes reminding him of just how adorable he found you sometimes.

Gally’s jaw clenched, involuntarily, as he tried to visualize how he was supposed to ask you this. As much as he didn’t want it to come out so out of the blue, he couldn’t find a way to ease into it that would be any type of smooth or natural. So, with a deep intake of air, he decided to just go ahead and spit it out.

“You and Newt were talking about me earlier.”

Your heart dropped. It wasn’t a question, and you knew it, immediately beginning to feel your fingertips turning cold with impending dread. How did he know? How much did he know? Did Newt tell him something he wasn’t supposed to? You hoped he didn’t, otherwise you wouldn’t know how you were going to forgive him for spilling your deepest secret like that.

Gally’s piercing gaze bore into you with a seriousness that made your pulse quicken in a blink of an eye.

“We, uh... It was nothing, really.”

“It wasn’t nothing.” Gally insisted with as much gentleness as he could muster. However, his tensing muscles and furrowed brows gave you a clue of how agitated he felt. “I asked him, because I thought maybe I had done something, but then he said it wasn’t anything bad. Which would have been fine, if he hadn’t been so shuckin’ weird about it.” He huffed, softly, still not taking his gaze off of you as you bit your bottom lip in worriment.

“Weird, how...?” You inquired in a small voice, the fragile sound of it shooting more confusion though Gally.

“Just weird! Hell if I know what he was trying to get across, but... whatever it is, I think we should talk about it, Y/N.”

It became clear to you that there was no dodging it now. Gally already knew you had something on your mind, something concerning him, and he wasn’t about to just let it go.

Your teeth dug into your bottom lip harder as you found yourself rendered incapable of moving, Gally’s much taller form towering over you and wanting answers. Was this it? Your chance to tell him how you felt? If so, then the next few minutes were about to be either the best of your life, or the worst.

With Gally’s attention already peaked, the way your expression was suddenly overtaken with fear didn’t get lost on him, neither did the slight tremble of your fingers. Concern encompassed him as he immediately took a big step forward, fighting the powerful urge to cup your face in between his large, rough palms.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Why do you look so scared? Come on, Y/N, it’s me! You can tell me, whatever it is.”

Oh, fine! You figured this was bound to happen sooner or later, and now that Gally was so directly asking you, you couldn’t bring yourself to lie to him. No matter how frightening this was, he didn’t deserve to be lied to, especially not by you, the person he trusted and truly cared about.

Overlooking the way your heart hammered in your chest, you drew in a short breath before muttering the words that had been swallowed and shoved away for months “Ihavefeelingsforyou...”

“What?” Gally frowned, shaking his head as he’d heard none of it. “Y/N, you’re gonna have to speak up.”

“Ihavefeelingsforyou” You repeated, neither louder, nor clearer than before, causing Gally’s frustration to swelter as he all but sneered.

“Y/N, I can’t hear you! Can you please-”

“I have feelings for you!” You almost shouted, the words finally leaving your mouth with no means of taking them back.

Gally froze, his mouth dropping open as he stared at you in stupefied bewilderment. He felt like he’d just got the wind knocked out of him, his breath caught in his throat.

“Y-You... You what?”

Unable to take his fervent stare on you any longer, you squeezed your eyes shut, wanting to just curl into yourself “You heard me, please don’t make me say it again...” You uttered, quietly, your heartbeat already thumping in your ears.

Gally couldn’t believe it. He’d heard you, but there was no way it was real... Newt’s odd behavior earlier made much more sense now, yet, his mind was having an impossible time wrapping around it. You had feelings... for him? You didn’t just see him as a friend or, even worse, a brother? He had been convinced that those were the only two options he’d have to accept and live with, but now, with your pretenseless proclamation, he felt as though an electric current had passed through his system.

“W-What.. You...” He stammered, trying to blink back the shock in his eyes “S-Since when...?”

A short wistful scoff escaped your mouth as you opened your eyes, but still kept them on the ground beneath your feet, unable to meet his astounded gaze.

“Since always, really... Since the first few weeks of me being here, since the day you first invited me to hang out with you at lunch...” You couldn’t help the blush that bloomed upon your cheeks as the warm memories you had of him flashed through your mind “Since you started letting me fall asleep on you at Bonfires, since you built me my very own hut, because you knew sleeping in a hammock was making my back hurt...” A timid but loving smile formed on your slightly quivering lips as Gally took in every word, his own heart threatening to beat out of his chest by that point.

“Y/N... I-I had no idea, I thought-“

“You don’t have to say anything!” You tried to assure him, ignoring the strain in your voice “Really, I understand if you don’t feel the same way... But you asked, and I just couldn’t keep it in anymore, it’s been so long-“ You trailed off, suddenly, as Gally stepped even closer to you before you even had a chance to register it. You voice died in your throat the second you felt his rough, calloused, but warm palms cupping your face. A flash of courage in his eyes, a dazed gasp from you, and then, his head dipped, his lips descending on yours.

Your form went rigid as you endeavored to process what was happening, but the abrupt and new feeling of Gally kissing you wasted no time overtaking each one of your senses, making your heart flip and shrouding you in a thick fog of pure bliss. Before you knew it, you were kissing him back, your lips moving flawlessly and wantingly against his, as your arms reached up to wind themselves around him, your fingers momentarily tracing the back of his neck. Gally grunted into the kiss, his hands smoothly lowering to your waist and pulling your closer, nearly knocking you into his firm chest. He had imagined this moment a surplus of times before, but not one of his fantasies came close to how amazing this truly felt, how warm and soft your lips were, how impossible it was to pull away. He swallowed the content little moan that escaped you, his large hands squeezing your waist tighter as you quivered at the raw magnetism and surging affection that pulled you two into each other.

Despite your heart’s frantic protests, you slowly drew back, breaking away from the sweet taste of his lips, your own practically tingling from the fervent and long-overdue kiss.

Gally leaned his forehead against yours, eyes remaining closed for the moment of you both catching your breath, still holding onto each other.

This was paradise, there was no way that it wasn’t. As if by a miracle, all the worries you’d previously had about Gally rejecting you fluttered away, leaving nothing but consuming joy and yearning for more of him in their wake.

Gally opened his eyes first - you did the same a mere second later, meeting his gleaming bluish-green gaze. He thought you were the most beautiful thing to ever exist as you beamed at him, starry-eyed and enamored.

“I-I take it, this means you feel the same way...?” You whispered, still barely a few inches apart, feeling an imminent thrill rush through your body at the enticing feeling of Gally’s fingers tenderly tracing your spine.

His warm breath washed over your lips as he chuckled, a captivating grin pulling at the corners of his mouth “As if I ever had a chance not to...”

Your smile grew brighter at his breathy statement, all the ardent feelings you had for the tough builder engulfing you and chasing away every thought that wasn’t about him.

Gally still didn’t know what made you choose him, want him, of all people, but whatever it was, he’ll take it, happily. If it meant he could have you in his arms, just like this, every day from now on, he wouldn’t dream of questioning it.

He leaned in once more, kissing the tip of your nose with a gentleness you couldn’t fathom he possessed, his grip on you tightening.

His lips then brushed against yours, and you shivered, your heart leaping at the doting whisper that trailed from him “You’re mine, Y/N...”

Gally kissed you again, softly, meaningfully, his hold on you feeling like the only thing keeping you on the ground “And I’m yours.”

Thank you for reading!

#the maze runner #tmr gally #gally imagine #gally x reader #gladers #tmr #gally x you #gally x fem!reader #tmr imagine #gally #gally x y/n #tmr gally imagine #will poulter #gally tmr

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