#Zoe is also a fake blonde | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

stilemawillow · 1 year ago

Text

Zenith [Levi | Blind! Reader | Soulmate AU!]

"This is fucking bullshit." Was the one brave invective not one person in the room had dared voice despite everybody's desire to do so. The figures - seated, standing or otherwise having placed themselves about the interior of the spacious office - reached the ultimate number of five. A random insignificant number they didn't seem to pay attention to or grasp the meaning of. Five was a steady number that could easily ruin itself - not a personal favourite of most people one came across even though they would hardly have time to think of a preferred number in a world such as the one they inhabited. Analogically, five's qualities were of no importance whatsoever to the members of the supposedly secret meeting currently holding place.

Standing in front of everybody, with his callused index finger pointing at a specific spot on a detailed map, Erwin Smith raised a thick blond eyebrow for everybody to see. The prominent question it posed - is everything clear? - would unanimously be given an affirmative answer but that didn't stop most from wishing to shake their heads in fake misunderstanding instead, just for the sake of being obstinate. The situation's sombre atmosphere prevented that from happening by inflicting professionalism upon those listening to the plan of action, with its one purpose being to draw results nearly as quick as they would be positive. It was Erwin's speciality - acquiring positive results through efficient plans.

The one to have requested the founding and application of such an efficient plan was standing by the open window, tall and bearded, with his arms crossed over the breast pocket of his uniform and his dark eyes tracing every movement in the room. Nile Dok had been reluctant to ask help of the Survey Corps' Commander and his most trusted subordinates but as long as the unsuitable (not to mention humiliating) phrase could be substituted by the better-sounding impose his command the raven-haired superior felt no need to admit his helplessness. Ordered to do anything he thought would reap results the quickest had immediately made him think of his old friend and fellow Commander, but now he was rather dissatisfied with his own actions.

A few feet away from him Hanji Zoe - most vivacious and outspoken of the five - was seated at the table with her brows knitted and her usually smiling lips curled downwards. If that wasn't enough of a shock, the following comparison would make up for it: a blind person could probably tell she was morose. The woman who would've been maybe the second person to object to Erwin's plan was now only frowning at the map in front of her, head and mouth both devoid of words that might as well be called 'an act of insubordination' if ever spoken aloud. The scientist's brown gaze wasn't flittering about as it normally would and had instead chosen to stare at the spot Erwin's finger stood over as if hypnotised.

Across from her weirdly silent self sat Mike Zacharius, second in abilities and power only to Humanity's Strongest Soldier, with one of his hands running through his dirty blond locks and the other one resting atop the polished table - stiff and tense, and ready to take action though nothing dangerous was close. Besides being strong and responsible for a lot of confidential information, Zacharius was famous for the one thing nobody else had or could acquire - his extremely acute sense of smell. Now his nose told him a long tale of all the emotions in the room: frustration, pride and indignation mixed with thoughtfulness and confusion, but a clear sense of malodorous reproach outshone them all and its source was unmistakable.

Levi Ackerman, besides occasionally being vulgar and oozing raw austerity 90% of the time, was also the one person who, in such a moment of unprecedented stupidity, would've been most vocal about his negative opinion. Now he was leaning against the wall across from Mike, glaring daggers at his blond Commander, with his slender finger pointedly tapping away at his bicep. Maybe it was wordlessly articulating an angry rant in morse code nobody in the room could understand. Either way, a clear sense of reproach rolled off of his body like waves, hitting everybody present as hard as a heavy rock would hit their head if properly guided by a malicious hand. Levi's discontent with the situation was obvious, but his usually harsh tongue was yet to lash out and choose itself a victim.

"It seems to me nobody will offer an objection," Nile Dok began in a stiff tone that attracted only one person's fleeting attention, "so I'll be the first to do it." Four pairs of calculating orbs turned to look at him now, unaffected by the beginning of his sentence and completely baffled by the remainder. Suspicion was present in the air and doubt lingered about the small cracks in the paint on the tall ceiling yet the anticipant silence was not disrupted; the Survey Corps' higher-ups gave him permission to speak. "Levi Ackerman is unsuitable for the job." It was all he had to say, if the subsequent stillness was anything to go by.

"Levi is my most reliable man." Erwin intervened with a diplomatic tone that made Mike's eyebrows raise in brief surprise and Nile's lips part in objection. "He's been on such a mission before so he has both experience and skill. I don't see anything that would deem him unfit for the mission in this case." The blond's defence, however determined and assertive, did nothing to hinder Dok's inclination to argue - and argue he did, in a restrained manner with his condescending snarl being the only thing to betray the ferocity of his prejudiced opinion.

"We're talking upper-class society and proper etiquette here, not Underground rats and deals under the table. This is an elegant setting that requires eloquence and geniality. Mike's ways I trust in - because I'm aware where he comes from and how he got here - but the same reason stops me from trusting your most reliable man." The strident, almost grating speech put additional strain on Levi's nerves but he didn't show it, didn't even do as much as clench his jaw in dissatisfaction or mild anger. The person to do that was Erwin, but the clear exasperation on his stern profile was voiced by the only woman in the room instead. Their minds were linked at that moment, expressing the same notion - our comrade and friend doesn't deserve this shit.

"I think," Hanji started with startling spite, "since you're here asking for our help you'd better trust our judgement as well. Levi's past is not an ace up your sleeve for you to pull and his skill is an undeniable fact known to all people present - not to mention a treasured asset for all three walls, so I suggest you leave the subtle insults for when they're needed." The three stages of shock suffered a distinct decline painted on the faces of the three males before Zoe - from Nile's gaping mouth to Mike's parted lips to the stubborn straight line Erwin's mouth formed. Only Levi was still leaning against the wall, stiff and quiet - an uncanny phenomenon that would normally presuppose a certain lack of vocal cords for him to utilise.

"I stand by Hanji's words. Levi's background doesn't matter one bit because he's with us today, fighting and risking his life as much as any other dedicated soldier. He can handle the big city as well as the Underground and if his geniality runs out I'll be there to offer what he cannot in regards to sugar-coated pleasantries." Mike's words received a warm welcome in the face of Hanji and Erwin's defensive stances, but this whole argument had become predictable - it was a terse discussion devoid of raised voices popular amongst the more intelligent kind of soldiers and its end would mark their victory and be marked by Nile's polite retreat.

"As you can see," Erwin's restrained smile held a thousand words on the topic of his current complacency, "that's a unanimous decision right there, taken and further verified. Levi's going to do well on the mission." Erwin's blue eyes shone with dignified victory (a gleam similar to the one in a proud father's orbs when his son won his first fight) when Dok snorted at the lot of them, refraining from scratching at his goatee as his mind scurried for a final blow at their defence. And the chink in their armour was suddenly visible - not the member of their team whose reliability he was attacking, but him. Just him.

"You're too busy barking up my tree to realise he's the only one who hasn't joined. Blind overprotective mothers failing to see their son knows I'm right and that's why he doesn't put up a fight." The dark-haired man attempted offence one last time - a desperate act that reaped surprising success when it came to affecting the people most indefatigably set to argue with his statements, but then the thing nobody expected (the silent ebony-haired man speaking up) occurred and it made all occupants of the room realise Levi was far from mute or unwilling to talk. When it came to his qualities he preferred not to interfere, but when his comrades' sober convictions were being questioned he would not keep his mouth closed. He was getting tired of listening to Nile's bullshit anyway, it was finally time to end this pointless argument.

"You being right and me putting an overly big amount of trust in your few brain cells are two vastly different things, Dok. You can keep me away from the mission, but you'll never catch the royal asshole if you do since money is the only thing keeping your upper-class society from turning into a bunch of Underground rats. That being said, a knife to the throat works the same on both." Everything Levi said amounted to the exact number of words he'd given life to for the few hours preceding this moment that day, but that didn't matter as long as his words held a certain point and had the proper impact on their intended recipient. And they did both, how well they did both.

"I think," Erwin Smith started before Nile could blow a fuse, "we cleared that up. Levi and Mike leave for Sina tomorrow. The Military Police will take credit for the arrest but will not interfere with the mission otherwise. This is the conclusion of this meeting." The blond removed his finger from the map and Hanji almost expected to hear a kind of invisible glue rip the smooth paper. Mike stood from the table and Nile slammed the window shut with a last muttered reluctant agreement. The dark-haired Commander shook hands with Erwin prior to leaving the room and when everybody else started clearing the table, Levi stood against the wall, pensive still.

"Brighten up, you're getting away from the paperwork for a while." Hanji came to pat the raven's shoulder reassuringly but that didn't offer him any comfort. Yes, he might as well get a momentary escape but what would happen when he fucked up on the mission because he couldn't bite his tongue? He'd leave the talking to Mike, that was for sure, but he couldn't just play mute the whole time. Or could he? Only time would tell which way he preferred it. "You're paler than usual, shorty. You okay?" Hanji's voice sounded from up close and he could still feel her hand on his shoulder. The short man nodded, a click of his tongue announcing his mild exasperation.

"Never been better." He pushed himself off the wall and left his three comrades behind so he could flee to the safe haven of his room. On his desk, illuminated by the sun coming in through the window, stood Hanji's regular gift - a goddamn mirror. Levi grumbled in dissatisfaction prior to nearing the reflective glass with a steady step and drawn brows. It was a simple oval this time with a thin wooden frame. Levi would have a hard time discarding it, taking into account that it was also bigger than his torso. The ebony-haired Lance Corporal grabbed the mirror and lifted it from his desk with the intention to move it to where all other mirrors Hanji gave him went.

The pale man moved to the door of his personal quarters and then to the doors of his wardrobe. They creaked open as he supported the mirror's weight on the floorboards under his feet and, as always on such occasions, caught sight of the woman painted on the glass surface. Shorter than him for sure, with a defiant look in her (e/c) eyes. Long face, small nose, braided (h/c) hair. That face seemed like it would always smile. He put the mirror next to the others - small and big, square and oval - that had left almost no space for the clothes he possessed, then closed the wardrobe with a sigh. Always smiling, that woman. It pissed him off in a way.

The silk bedsheets were warm under her waking body as Hans draped his arm over her bare torso with an audible groan. His morning breath was hot against the crook of her neck as (Y/N) concluded she would have to get up to make his coffee soon. The open window to her left let the fresh scent of morning pour inside the room - a chilly wave that caressed her (h/c) locks with its pleasant aromas. It was early morning, she analysed drowsily, because she was yet to catch a whiff of the mouth-watering freshly baked bread from Marlow's bakery down the street.

"Are you sleeping, love?" The husky term of endearment attached to the inquiry made her bite her bottom lip as her lover pressed a feathery kiss at the side of her neck, shifting in his wake. She lifted a hand to touch his jawline and he hummed in understanding like a purring kitten. "The big day is here, so I want you pretty and smiling tonight when I come to pick you up." He pulled her closer, making her nod as her fingers scratched at the beard he was starting to grow. "I don't have time for coffee today, I've got a lot of documents to put my signature under." The calm timbre of his voice had a small annoyed undertone (Y/N) didn't fail to catch.

Hans got up without waiting for her response, leaving her tangled in the sheets, with her tired eyes resting and her soft hands blindly looking around for the covers. She could hear the shuffle of his clothes and the hurry in his footsteps as he approached the door of their bedroom and bid her a last goodbye prior to leaving the house altogether. (Y/N) slowly rose from the bed they shared, eyelids lazily lifting as her warm feet came in contact with the cold floor. She stood up and counted the steps to the door, not bothering to put on any clothes. Hans's maid came in at eight o'clock and (Y/N) could bet it wasn't even seven yet.

One, two, three... eight. The ritual continued as she kept counting, drowsily letting her soft fingertips move along the wall to her left, then the railing of the staircase. The numbers were increasing in her head, numbers she knew very well by now. Twenty to the kitchen door. Five to the counter. Two more to the hot plate and then one to the drawer for the utensils. She followed the inward count religiously, with her lips curled in a childish smile and her bare feet padding along the ground. Her coffee was ready after three minutes, she let it cool for two more and took it to the living room, naked body moving slowly in the brief sunlight peeking through the windows of the empty house.

She was about to sit on the couch when knocking sounded at the front door, hurried and just a bit forceful. Not any of Hans's friends then, she concluded as her voice called for the visitor to wait. She rushed upstairs, methodical counting not halting for a second - ten stairs, a turn to the right, five steps down the hall, eight from the doorstep to the wardrobe - and she got dressed as fast as she could, hurriedly combing her fingers through her messy (h/c) locks. The big mirror she passed on her way out failed to attract her attention and she descended the stairs again, wearing a pair of slippers and a black blouse tucked into a pair of pants Hans would never let her wear outside the house.

One, two, three... five and I'm by the hanger, seven more and I reach the door. Her counting was like clockwork - methodical and meticulous, always followed with utmost precision and dedication. (Y/N) opened the door with a bright smile, (e/c) hues staring straight ahead as the man in front of her - judging by his cologne - extended a hand for her to shake, as presupposed by the brief shuffle of his shirt only on the right side.

"Good morning, Mrs. Hansen. I'm Mike Zacharius and I was hoping to speak to your husband - Hans." (Y/N)'s smile didn't twitch as she found Mike's hand and squeezed with her frail fingers, feeling his gaze on her form.

"I'm afraid Hans isn't home. Furthermore, we're not even engaged so please call me (Y/N) or miss (L/N)." His hand retracted and hers lingered, analysing and feeling the skin beneath the cheap cologne meant to mask (the mold on the stone walls, the gas in the tanks or maybe the leather uniforms) something he didn't want anybody to smell. Or maybe himself? The (h/c)-haired woman's smile widened at the lack of response. "Please, come in and ask me anything you would've asked him. I'll make coffee." The additional offer was an unneeded stimulant, she figured as the man stepped forth, towering over her petite form.

"It's really unfortunate Mr. Hansen isn't home," Mike started and though his social skills were undeniable, (Y/N) was well versed in the art of unravelling people, "but I'll accept your generosity. I don't need coffee, though." She led him away to the living room where her own cup sat, patiently waiting for her delayed return. The woman took a seat on the couch and Mike sat on the armchair across the table, right by the lifeless fireplace, over which hung the only other mirror in the whole house besides the one in the bedroom.

"Where do you come from? If you don't mind me asking." She started off, not deceived by the fake disappointment in his voice and having caught the clear alleviation lacing his words from then onwards. Suspicion settled in the crevices of her brain but she wouldn't hasten to point fingers. In any case, if this Mike Zacharius bore any ill intent he wouldn't have bothered to come and sit in the armchair across from her, desperate to manipulate some information out of her mouth.

"Yolkell, I deal with farming and a friend of mine interested me in Mr. Hansen's business." The blond started with a polite tone, hinting at manners a simple farmer wouldn't have. His occupation made (Y/N)'s inward brow furrow as she contemplated the calluses she'd felt on his hand - at the base of his index finger and thumb only. A farmer had calluses all over; dry skin was easily acquired in the sun and most tools had a tendency to wear out the flesh. Mike Zacharius's hand felt like he held a pen often. Maybe something else, too. Something with a trigger. "I'll be attending tonight's celebration but I was impatient. My friend's explanation was rather vague and Hans's business sounds promising, but I crave more details."

"Hans isn't your perfect businessman, you should know. He deals with selling and distributing livestock but big deals rarely come through his hands. That's why tonight's really important for him." Mike was looking at her and she could feel it. Something about her eyes struck him as exceptional, maybe a tad bit odd. Their (e/c) colour was vivid as she observed her coffee, but their gaze was stiff and mostly glued to one spot. Mike tried not to dwell on it, focusing on the mission at hand and cursing the fact he might just get side-tracked by this woman if he wasn't careful enough.

"And what do you do, if I may ask?" Mike took the time to look around briefly - the furniture in this house was undoubtedly expensive. Not royal but getting there. If Hans Hansen's business kept growing he'd be inlaying his drawers with gold this time next year. The blond's eyes slid over to the fireplace at his side and the shelf above, supporting a number of tasteful decorations Mike would never witness in a person's home if they didn't live in Sina. Above the shelf, hanging on the wall like a framed oil painting would, stood a giant rectangular mirror, showing him a second image of the living room in all its glory. A bit conceited - hanging a mirror of such size in that place - it was like announcing: look at my fortune and now look at me doubling it as the mirror does.

"I sit around, Mr. Zacharius, nothing else. I wait because Hans is being hasty." (Y/N)'s words attracted Mike's attention but not in the real world. He looked at the woman in the mirror's reflection, expecting to see a man completely unknown to himself aside from the plain drawings Nile Dok had handed him. What he saw almost made the bearded man's eyes pop out of their sockets in shock. Pale skin, ebony locks, stiff broad shoulders and a pair of piercing hues. Levi Ackerman was sitting on the couch across from him, dressed in casual clothes and sipping on a cup of coffee. His frown was eloquent as to what he thought of its taste.

"And he is your soulmate?" Mike's tone was hushed and his tongue felt like lead but his eyes couldn't leave the mirror. There was something wrong here, in this whole picture - not just the one shown by the reflective glass. Turning to look at the (h/c)-haired woman, the tall man saw her nod in affirmation prior to sipping on her coffee. Her eyes were bright and beautiful, and completely still in their sockets. Then it hit him as to why. "If you've found him why not get married?" He prompted, making her (h/c) tresses sway as she shook her head with a sad smile. Mike suppressed the urge to look at the mirror and behold the sight of that smile on his frowning friend's lips.

"Because money, dear mister. As the farmer you claim to be, I doubt you come across a lot of cash in one place. My father does and I'm his only heir. Hans is young and blinded by the expensive life he can have, so he hurries. But I don't mind waiting until he calms down." (Y/N)'s explanation was calm and confident, in full control of the knowledge it voiced and the emotions fueling the final decision she spoke of. Mike listened patiently, registering the information he hadn't known of like a poor person collecting money from the ground. So (Y/N) (L/N) was a rich person's only child. No surprise Hans Hansen had taken advantage of her, but to what extent? Was her blindness just something he'd been lucky to have stumbled upon or was it less of an accident than suspected? He'd have to dig into that.

"He won't." Mike's soft-spoken frankness didn't evoke an ounce of shock, but called forth a smile on her lips - a sad smile. She was well aware of that, despite the radiant naivety with which she'd regarded him initially. The blond soldier stood to his feet, uncomfortably turning his back to the rectangular mirror and biting his tongue at the woman's beautiful smile. It was a vile act of Hans Hansen to abuse that smile the way he had, emotionally at least. "It was a pleasure to chat with you, Miss (L/N)." His scruffy beard itched as he forced a polite smile at the woman's standing figure.

"You've been most polite, Mr. Zacharius, it was a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Her suspicion wasn't something he could catch, but that way was best since he would not owe her any awkward excuses or explanations. She shook his hand again as they stood at the door, him on the outside and her on the inside. He could at once see her there all the time, dressed in naivety and intelligence - a rich prisoner with beautiful eyes and a sad smile. "I'm also curious as to how you've held yourself back from asking." (Y/N)'s abrupt statement failed to surprise him - his profession relied on his ability to expect everything - but he had to admit he didn't have a response at the ready.

"Plain self-restraint. Should I have not applied it?" His inquiry came out nonchalant but curious and the radiant woman in front of him parted her lips, a small snort escaping her nostrils before she laughed - a sound that was loud but by no means obnoxious. Levi might've liked it, Mike considered briefly prior to asking: "You are blind, are you not?" The question was finally here, though he didn't think he was wrong to say it. And the (h/c)-haired woman seemed not to mind its vocal appearance. In fact, judging by the smirk curling her lips, she was amused to hear it.

"Indeed I am. And I thought I had mastered the art of disguising it." She announced with a pout and a smooth voice that betrayed not a single ounce of genuine disappointment. Mike was sure if she wanted for it to appear sincere he would be nothing more than a mere slave at the feet of her manipulation. The upper-class society often taught people the art of subtlety, but this woman, blind or not, was an expert at portraying herself in different manners depending on the people she was surrounded by.

"I'll see you tonight, Miss (L/N)." Mike bowed politely, an instinct he couldn't hold back in this particular moment in spite of its pointlessness. (Y/N) (L/N) let out a giggle, like a child relishing the innocent secret it kept, and nodded at him in further confirmation. Yes, they would see each other tonight. Then, Mike realised, Levi would see her too. He'd see the braid and the smile and the eyes - the vivid orbs that would rarely stare elsewhere but up front. The tall man wondered what the Lance Corporal's reaction would be - shock maybe? Or indifference? He couldn't know.

"You, too. Make sure to introduce this friend of yours to me. I think I have a cup of tea he'll really like." (Y/N)'s words shocked him, but she regarded them casually, giving him a mischievous smirk prior to closing the door after herself - a smirk that said look at this neat magic trick of mine, it's called a sense of smell. Mike was left at the door, smelling his own coat and furrowing his brows at the faded scent of tea leaves from yesterday morning. His dark eyes turned to the street, then to the house, and he thought of the woman inside. His initial intentions had been to head back and report immediately after the visit but now he had something else to do - some research he knew for a fact would prove to be profitable.

It was nighttime, but in Sina that could hardly be recognised due to the many street lamps positioned strategically along all roads in order to illuminate their entire length and the many intersections they possessed. The houses at their sides weren't gnarled and dilapidated like in wall Rose, but well-kept and opulently decorated for everybody to admire in passing. The cobblestone streets, besides having nice pavements, were also times more even. Mike could see the carriages flying past them and could only imagine the feeling of being inside one - on this type of road compared to the one they were used to it would probably feel like flying.

"What did you even get out of that woman?" Levi was scowling at his side as they made their way to Hans Hansen's house. Mike had spent the entire day digging up information on the yet-to-be-rich (Y/N) (L/N), connecting the dots with remarkable speed as a person who was typically not the best at solving mysteries. As it turned out, Miss (L/N) was not born blind, but instead suffered an accident three years ago that, as the medical journal stated, damaged her optic nerve, halting the connection between the images she saw and her brain. And who then appeared in her time of utmost sorrow when she was told her condition couldn't be helped? Her dutiful soulmate, Hans Hansen, of course.

"She's been manipulated into thinking he's her soulmate. If the brothel ring stops doing the trick one day he's sure to force her into marriage." The blond, not having shared every bit of information with his friend beside the date of the accident, felt the inward need to protect both the woman and her real soulmate from Hansen's toxic lies. Mike acknowledged Levi was perfectly capable of taking care of himself, but the duty to help him through the situation emotionally stayed.

"She's none of our business, we're only here to seek evidence of his involvement with the ring." The ebony-haired man was quick to click his tongue in disinterest, but Mike quietly built himself a castle made of hopes that that would soon come to change. "Anyways, how does she even get manipulated into thinking he's her soulmate?" Levi's uncomprehending question, ever so appropriate and logical, seemed not to catch his tall friend unprepared. Because Mike had thought of this a lot and now as they stood in front of Hans Hansen's polished walnut door, he wished he had more experience on the topic of such conflicting scenarios.

"You'll see in a bit." Though his words were nonchalant, the genuine smile was absent from his face. Levi frowned up at him with visible confusion and disgruntlement when the taller male knocked on the walnut surface three times, calling for the host's attention. The door was flung open with restrained politeness and a beautiful pair of (e/c) hues twinkled on the other side, making the blond soldier smile his first genuine smile since this morning. The woman recognised him without even hearing his voice - it was the cologne, he concluded quickly - and grinned, beaming up at him and his companion in a way that warmed his heart.

"Mike! I was wondering when you'd show up. Oh, your friend's with you this time. I've prepared a cup of tea for you. No worries, it's not poisoned." She pulled them along inside the house, counting the steps as always, when her little joke received no response. Her smile didn't halt for a second, even when she sensed Levi's hostile air. "Mute or am I just too pretty to look at?" She fluttered her eyelashes coquettishly, to which Mike laughed, throwing Levi's stunned expression a worried look. The short man had followed them inside, but was standing motionless, shoulders rigid and eyes just a tad bit wider than usual. His stormy orbs were glued to the woman in front of them and how she wasn't reacting to him at all even though her (e/c) hues had settled on his form twice hitherto.

"I'm inclined to believe the latter, you're literally glowing tonight." Mike's compliment was background noise to the thought process in Levi's head; the gears in his mind were quick to turn and finally process the situation, piecing the puzzle together as a frown replaced the shocked expression he'd worn a second ago. His tall friend glanced at him, concerned but determined not to let him get too emotional during the most crucial part of their mission.

"Well, I'm a hostess, we have to glow in the presence of gentlemen." (Y/N)'s pleasant voice called for both's attention with mild mockery. "But don't think me naive now, I know for the men in this room I'm more of a... how do they say it in the Underground... piece of meat with tits and enough holes." She giggled like a little child at her own joke, briefly covering her mouth and averting her unseeing eyes to the floor beneath her feet. "Pardon my language, but I've always been fascinated with vulgarity. There's something charming about being that frank and down to earth. A breath of fresh air after all the pompous pleasantries round here." Her explanation was rather surprising - unique almost - because as far as both men's knowledge of aristocrats went nobody would lower their point of view to that extent.

"I see you're a woman of many faces. Why don't we go fetch Levi that tea you've promised him? His vulgarity is something to behold once he unties his tongue." Mike's suggestion had the (h/c)-haired woman excitedly nodding up at him as he reached for her arm. Levi was looking at her like he was seeing a ghost, about to follow them into the kitchen or wherever they would head, but then a big hand appeared on (Y/N)'s bare shoulder and they were at once introduced to the visage of their host and target.

"Love! I told you not to leave my side." Hans Hansen's smile was wide as his lover gently grasped his swarthy hand and grinned up at him. Levi watched the face of her so supposed soulmate, finding one or two striking similarities between the devious rat's features and his own. The ebony locks and the long nose at least. His lips were far from thin or pouting and his eyes might've not been narrow and grey but the overall facial form was there and Levi hated himself more than Hans Hansen for it.

"But I wanted to greet my new friends, Hans. The taller one is Mike Zacharius and the... silent one is," she trailed off gently prior to introducing, "Levi?" The question mark clinging to the end of his name, spoken with such softness it made his jaw clench, was what turned Hansen's head in their direction, brows twitching at the sight of Mike's face and then shooting up like a firework at the Lance Corporal's stoic countenance. Instant recognition shone in Hans's big onyx orbs, and just a smidge of fear Levi didn't fail to catch.

"Yes, just Levi." His voice had been at once retrieved in this time of need from the depths of his vocal cords and it sounded to (Y/N)'s ears like a gelid piece of metal softly gliding over a dry bone - smooth and deep but also dark and intimidating in its evident lack of hospitable emotion. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Hansen." A shuffle, meaning an extended hand for her lover to shake. The action was accompanied by a hesitant gulp on Hans's side only she could hear.

"... same here." The pause preceding the hardly polite sentence seemed to betray his uncanny nervousness. Not to mention the sudden stiffness in his voice. (Y/N) couldn't see but she was clever enough to understand her lover's odd behaviour was caused by the seemingly harmless guests. Her orbs switched directions to observe the spot Levi was supposed to occupy and she suddenly caught a whiff of something that made her brows furrow in uncertainty. Unlike Mike, Levi had deemed the use of cologne pointless and thus avoided it completely, giving the (e/c)-eyed woman a chance to smell the lingering scent of metal rolling off the clothes he wore. Metal and something else she couldn't identify.

"What's wrong, Hans?" Mike and Levi both heard the soft inquiry that slipped past the blind woman's lips. Hans Hansen shook his head with a smile he couldn't fake well enough, but the two soldiers didn't miss the nervous tremor that shook his hand from (Y/N)'s waist. She had obviously chosen not to ignore it as well.

"Nothing, love. Why don't we go back to Andrew and Mathias? They said they wanted to see you." He attempted to pull her along as far away from them, but Humanity's Strongest Soldier stepped forth with a polite voice that came close to surprising Mike. This mission, with the help of Levi's astoundingly admirable self-control, would be a big success. Now, they only needed an opening to investigate and acquire evidence amidst the celebration's light-hearted commotion and if Levi had already come to that conclusion then Mike had a hunch as to his following words.

"Forgive the intrusion but do you mind staying with me for a minute, Mr. Hansen? Mike can keep Miss (L/N) company." The unequivocal message in the short man's eyes made his blond friend nod in understanding as the ecstatic hostess didn't leave space for her lover to argue, grabbing Mike's arm and dragging him along inbetween the Underground rats masked as the upper-class society Nile oh so loved to worship. Levi didn't know at the time, but the seemingly naive and oblivious (Y/N) would come to be the unravelling of this case in just a few minutes when she would show Mike Zacharius her lover's study and with it, all the evidence the Military Police would need to arrest Hans Hansen and send him to prison.

"What is it you want with me?" The man with the swarthy countenance asked, Underground roots coming out when (Y/N) (L/N) wasn't close enough to sense them. Levi's frown might've been intimidating but his eyes were straight-up scary. Despite the frustrated exasperation Hans Hansen was brave enough to voice, he sensed the way in which his tall figure was struggling not to cower in fear.

"Just a chat," Levi announced casually, eyes containing a storm in the making that would soon start shooting lighting. "Since when have you been with Miss (L/N)?" The question was simple enough, both men thought so. But Hans was having doubts about answering. He couldn't allow himself such cowardice, though.

"Since I met her three years ago." He cleared his throat after tugging at the collar of his silk button-up shirt. Heat waves were a normal occurrence when one was under pressure and a victim of mild panic, but Hans wasn't aware of that in his nervous state, dismissing it as some type of cold he might've caught around the Underground's bad air. His work required occasional visitations to his home, but the lanky man did not feel melancholy or nostalgia once - much like Levi himself once he finally made his way above. It was the one similarity they shared that would forever stay unspoken.

"So around the time she was blinded." Levi's calm voice announced, like he was reading a number of bullet points from a document. The mechanical tone he'd accommodated in his speech made a shiver crawl up Hans's spine as he listened, features shadowed by alarm. "You met in the hospital I assume? Gave her flowers maybe. And then you told her you were soulmates, knowing very well she couldn't confirm it for herself." Occasionally, a tinge of spite or sarcasm would shine through the words, successfully jabbing into Hansen's pride and composure. The tall man stepped back a bit, glancing around for anybody who could help him get rid of Levi. Such a person was not found, or Hans was the one who couldn't find him due to the indignation he felt. Either way, the situation looked bad to him.

"If you're insinuating I'm behind the whole accident you're a lunatic. Nobody would waste that much time and effort on a random girl just to risk introducing himself as her soulmate," the raven-haired Underground rat argued, a little blue vein popping on his forehead due to how strained his nerves had become. Levi looked paralyzingly cool, placid even, with how mocking his voice came out of his mouth as he stepped forth with the intention to trap Hans Hansen. This was no longer a discussion meant to distract, it was Levi refraining from grabbing the lying bastard's hair and pulling until the bloodied white of his skull became visible.

"Not a random girl, but the very heir of the only person who comes close to being as rich as the king. A great thing to invest all that time and effort in, if you ask me. Even more when you know your looks come close to those of her soulmate." His narrow eyes glared with spite that hit poor Hans as wholly dangerous, like it would materialise in front of his face and stab him. The tall man scrambled to gather the pieces of his pride and composure, managing a last attempt at warding off the short male.

"Look, I don't know what your deal is, but if you're planning on coming into my home and accusing me of shit you can't prove I suggest you leave because I won't tolerate this." His angry tone was the one thing that didn't betray him, Hans concluded. Levi noticed the prominent blue vein on his forehead with a snort prior to giving a compassionate nod, as if perfectly understanding the low creature that dared give itself a human name and its mindset. But in truth he didn't, not one bit - mostly the bit where he'd ruined one whole life for the sake of - no, not becoming rich - becoming richer when he already had everything he could've wanted. The woman who would never see again, never trust a man again, maybe never smile in the mirror for him again.

"No, I guess you won't. How about you cut this celebration short then? It's about to become really morbid." Levi glanced over the raven's shoulder at Mike and (Y/N) descending the staircase to the right, with the woman clutching a thick file and the blond's eyes beaming at the Lance Corporal from under his hair. The game was won and the mission - a success. All they had to do now was wait for the Military Police. Nile was very diligently spying on the conversation from somewhere outside the building, but it would take him a minute or two to call for his soldiers.

"Hans Hansen, you're under arrest. On your knees with your hands in the air." Mike's booming voice caused the expected - mass panic that threatened to ruin their plan for smooth sailing to the end of this mission. (Y/N) almost tripped down the stairs, but, Levi guessed, that was more a result of Zacharius's words than their volume. Hans fell to his knees but his friends' chatting came to a screeching halt and most dropped their glasses of champagne in hopes to grab their guns instead. Levi's reaction was too fast to be traced if the eye was unprepared, and in this case, most weren't so when he whipped out a revolver from under the coat on his back the majority gaped in horror, believing the weapon to have teleported in his hold.

"Don't you fucking dare pull that gun on me, pig. God, this is so annoying." The final mutter was something that reached only (Y/N)'s sensitive ears, but she caught the minimal shuffling of clothing as the 'pig' decided he treasured his life more than his freedom. "If I see a weapon you're going to become minced meat before you can use it,” Levi warned coldly, a promise written in his eyes for all to behold. The upper-class society in the room was oblivious to something as insignificant as the Survey Corps since the army didn't affect them directly, but when it came to having a brain - no matter how big or creased - everybody in the room could agree the man in front of them was very dangerous.

Silence ensued, broken only by Mike's footsteps and the clicking of handcuffs round Hans Hansen's wrists. Then the door was slammed open and the Military Police invaded the place, successfully cuffing everybody and leading them out of the door one by one. Nile Dok stood at the entrance as his men did their work, diligently eyeing the soon-to-become vacant room as if he'd been the one to sneak inside and mingle with the criminals it contained. Nearing Hans, the Commander of the Military Police announced his right to stay silent, which, as he was being forced to his feet, the rich Underground rat had decided not to take advantage of.

"You stupid bitch, you helped them find it, didn't you!" He spat in his (now former) lover's direction as the shocked woman clutched the papers containing the evidence Mike had stumbled upon minutes earlier. Her brows furrowed as she gulped and the swarthy man watched her tremble in her pretty dress, smile gone from her lips. Still kneeling and refusing to get dragged away by Nile Dok, Hans Hansen felt the full power of Humanity's Strongest Soldier's shin as it kicked his abdomen, making a rib or two cave in, which painfully reminded him of the number of organs his body contained and how most were probably bleeding right now.

"The only stupid bitch in this house is you, Mr. Hansen." Levi spoke with a surprising amount of derision as the raven-haired man doubled over in his handcuffs, bloody saliva dangling from his gaping mouth as he tried to take a breath his lungs were incapable of producing. "And I suggest you mind your insults in front of the woman you blinded and used," he warned with a snarl as Nile called over Mike and the blond dragged away the gasping Hans Hansen, leaving his confused lover to the awkward short man. "I would very much like that cup of tea now," he said, having regained his composure and decided to distract the woman from the current situation.

"What do you mean blinded and used?" She inquired, supporting herself on the wall as her wide eyes frantically sought his face. The rhythm of her erratic heart was preventing her ears from picking up on Levi's exact location until he gave it away himself, by pulling the file from her trembling hand. Fingers brushing against hers, (Y/N) recognised the smell of gunpowder on him she hadn't been able to identify before and a shiver ran down her spine at the coldness of his skin. Levi watched her panic, the woman he'd seen in the mirror almost every week or so, and he felt sudden guilt grip his heart. Brutally honest as he was, he couldn't tell her the three years she'd spent thinking she was in paradise with her soulmate had been just a clever scheme.

"Nothi---"

"No, you meant something. Don't lie to me." There was a feral kind of anger in her voice, to the point it shook in fury, along with her bare shoulders. Levi felt her hold on his wrist and it made his nose scrunch up but he didn't make an attempt to shake it off. Giving her the truth was the only option so she would acknowledge the ways in which she'd been wronged, but he couldn't help his own regret. If he'd gone searching for her - if he'd found her - first none of the misfortunes in her life would've taken place. And she would be able to see him as he saw her - radiant and vivid, unlike any image the mirror could offer.

"... your accident aligns with his intentions perfectly. He probably studied you from afar, picking the right moment. He knew he held similarities to your soulmate and decided to use it." Levi's explanation made her features contort in clear exasperation and he thought the crinkle forming on her forehead was strangely charming, thus making her anger lose its menacing factor in his eyes. The female attempted a glare, hold on his wrist disappearing as she parted her lips.

"How do you know he isn't my soulmate? You haven't even seen me in front of a mirror." She was no longer leaning against the wall, instead huffing and puffing in dissatisfaction and making Levi click his tongue in mild condescension at her words - condescension that, subsequently, led to his fall.

"I don't need to," he said with a clenched jaw, making them both freeze as they studied the meaning behind his words. The woman was first to get over her stupefaction. He couldn't see a single feature of hers judge and blame him for what had happened to her, but when her dainty hands reached for his visage he couldn't help but step back in a fit of sporadic panic. She asked to touch his face with a tremulous voice, soft and low, and very close to its breaking point. Levi refused but she kept pleading, pleading and inching forward until he got scared she'd trip in her disoriented haste and fall.

Catching one of her wrists, he guided her hand to his face and let it rest on his cheek. (Y/N)'s (e/c) hues were staring at the staircase as she felt the curve of his nose and the form of his brow with shaking digits, tracing the outline of his jaw and lips and painting them in her mind along with the hollows of his cheeks and the distinct wrinkle between his eyebrows. Her breaths were ragged as Levi watched her unbelieving countenance, and when tears started pouring from her unseeing eyes he decided enough was enough. But she was clinging to his features desperately, like they would save her from this nightmare she was suddenly immersed in and it made his lips pout as he distanced himself from her warm touch with a frown.

"That's enough. You're in shock. I'll get you something to drink and you focus on breathing." He turned on his heel but she gave a small sob that pierced his heart from the back and then he heard her almost trip, inwardly counting as her wobbly knees chased after him.

"I'm perfectly calm! I don't--- understand all this." She sounded frantic and her expression was very far from the definition of 'calm' one would have in mind, but Levi saw the pain peeking from behind her (e/c) iris and it made him understand she was more in control of her feelings than he gave her credit for.

"It's not your fault." He uttered softly, hoping to have sounded just the right amount of cold and indifferent, but he couldn't lie to himself. They were at the foot of the stairs and she wasn't looking at him, instead taking her time to wipe the tears from her cheeks and breathe properly. (Y/N) had ninety-nine problems at the moment and one of them wasn't supposed to be the compassionate tone of her soulmate, but it somehow was. Because it called forth a thought she immediately hated herself for - a very simple notion that would evoke a lot of self-hatred in Levi himself if said aloud - couldn't I have just met you first?

"What is going to happen to Hans now?" The (h/c)-haired woman's voice was back to being calm, but her thoughts were elsewhere. They were all over the man standing at her side, emanating warmth and an odd sense of comfort even though he smelled of gunpowder and ice. He was unexpectedly harsh and vulgar, but she couldn't judge him for being a person, so she refrained from critique altogether. The only thing she knew that made the usual pang pull at her heart's strings was that she couldn't see his eyes and that was the one thing she missed most in her life. Not seeing her father or the blue sky above, or the beautiful little details a person regretted not having observed only after losing sight of - those were all things she could live with. But not seeing his eyes - grey, piercing and so cold yet beautiful - was what hurt most.

"Prison. A life sentence if we're lucky, sixty to seventy years if we're not." Levi saw her blink as she moved to the living room, counting not stopping for a single second even when she was living through something similar to an emotional crisis. A turn to the right, one, two, three... seven to the door. If the furniture isn't pushed around the couch should be three steps from here. She heard the short male's voice behind her. "The house is going to get searched so you're going to have to gather your stuff and move elsewhere."

"I'll rent a room down the street. Does this mean I have to start packing now?" She was sitting on the arm of the couch, quietly staring at her feet as her dress caressed her ankles. Levi observed the furnishing with a sceptical gaze (Y/N) wasn't able to witness and maybe, in a world where she had her vision, that kind of look would've made her laugh - the loud ringing sound Mike had thought Levi would find quite pleasant. And maybe he really would, if she'd only let him hear it.

"Preferably. Won't your father take you in?" The ebony-haired male's orbs skimmed the room but only one thing attracted his attention. The mirror above the fireplace, big and rectangular. Yet another sign of Hans Hansen's greed. In the dim lighting, the image shown on the glass surface wasn't perfect but the forms it portrayed were easy to recognise and trace. There his figure was, sitting at the arm of the couch with its back to the mirror. And there (Y/N) was, in his place at the doorstep, frowning like he was. Levi's eyes left the mirror and his jaw clicked in self-reprimand.

"Things between us are fragile right now because of my new stepmother. I don't want more arguments than usual." The woman's voice sounded soft and kind when she was calm, which wasn't far from how he'd initially imagined it. Not that he'd ever admit he'd imagined things about her. Even on his goddamn deathbed, he wouldn't concede that ever so embarrassing little fact because lying in your bed at night and thinking of a stranger's voice and background wasn't really an activity Humanity's Strongest Soldier could include in his resume.

You could come live with the Survey Corps. It won't be comfortable but you'll be protected and I'll be close by if you need me. It sounded in his head but his vocal chords couldn't produce it. Hans Hansen was going to prison and there was nobody out to hurt her so there was no need for Levi to play a mother. The short man gulped down the shameful notion and reconsidered five different sentences prior to speaking up.

"Do you want help with packing?" It wasn't a suggestion he would've normally offered, but the act of it getting instantly rejected hurt his pride more than the fact he'd suddenly become mellow enough to offer it at all.

"Thank you but no. I'd rather do it on my own." The (h/c)-haired woman stood to her feet and gracefully walked to the door, standing in front of him when she sensed he wouldn't move away from the only exit. He saw her petite form crane her neck lightly and it occurred to him how poor he looked next to her. The Underground rat and a true member of the upper-class society; how unfair of fate it was to pair them up.

"I'll order a carriage for you." She felt his breath on her skin and he could see the small goosebumps covering her arms. The urge to lend her his coat was immense but he just stepped away from the door and she counted the steps to the stairs, where her feet paused and she declared that she would be travelling on foot instead since it wasn't that far away. Then, just as he thought she'd go up the staircase and disappear forever---

"Just... wait for me at the front door?" Hesitant, yes, it might've been so, but it was also the first step to what they would one day dare call a relationship. Levi gulped, watching her beautiful profile as she waited for his response. It was in that second he thanked God for the fact he wasn't truly mute - as his comrades would love to joke periodically.

"Understood." He didn't nod and she smiled on her way up the stairs, in a single moment of misery being times more radiant than she'd been at the beginning of the night. Levi took a breath when he heard the bedroom door upstairs close, then he moved to the outside, where the night air did his stranded lungs a big favour. Mike was conversing with Nile Dok and the rest of the Military Police soldiers were already leaving the place. When the blond soldier returned to Levi's side and asked him what had happened, the short male had very little to say, so Zacharius took the initiative to promise he'd wait for him back at their hotel. Levi agreed, forcing himself to seem reluctant.

When (Y/N) appeared at the front door two minutes later, he pursed his lips and offered her a hand, which she gratefully took, smiling brightly all the while. On the way to the inn she had in mind, the female scarcely tried to talk to Levi but he could see her beaming at the road ahead, unable to contain the happiness she felt. Towards the end of their journey, Levi observed a fancy store in passing, seeing their reflection in the shop window's surface. In the light of the street lamps, the ebony-haired man watched his smiling countenance, eyes glistening with genuine joy as (Y/N) walked by him, a serene look of contentment lying across her placid features. Always smiling that woman. Now he knew why it pissed him off. Because every time she'd look in the mirror, he'd be the one smiling.

"I never once doubted you, Levi. You are my most reliable man." Erwin Smith's compliments, most would say, were a limited number you could never exceed. But, for his most reliable man, the Commander of the Survey Corps had a few more than he did for the average cadet or squad leader. "So, you want a day off? May I ask what for? You never take days off." Erwin's curiosity was, as always, justified, but that didn't mean his mind wasn't one bit clouded by the fatherly pride he felt at the moment.

"I have an appointment." The pale man stated, like a teenager announced they would be going out without wanting to give any more details. The blond was sitting behind his desk, a smile plastered on his handsome face as he took a pen from the top drawer and signed the small paper Levi had placed on the wooden surface a minute ago.

"Mike mentioned a particular... acquaintance you made that turned out to be vital to the mission." The Commander had no shame when it came to making inquiries that embarrassed his subordinates, but to say he expected genuine embarrassment from Levi Ackerman would've been a lie. "So you'll be visiting her? This is the second time if I'm not mistaken?" The results that sentence reaped were almost unimaginable. The usual frown was in place, but Erwin could see in the downward curl of Levi's pout something childish and in his eyes - a strange glimmer that dared not glare as menacingly as usual in its mild pudency. "Alright, alright. I'm just happy for you. Go ahead then, we don't want you to be late for your appointment."

"Not a word of this to Hanji." Levi cut in, halting Erwin's booming laughter prior to snatching the signed sheet of paper from his desk. He was back to normal now but for that small moment of discomfiture, the tall blond had seen in his dear friend the behavioural habit of a typical teenager about to go out on a date. Such an amusing story this would make for Mike, Erwin concluded inwardly, satisfied with what he was seeing.

"Understood." The Commander nodded, willing to obey this one order for the time being. Levi huffed, then the office door was slammed shut and its hinges cried in protest, leaving the blond alone in his office to stare at the wall and grin from ear to ear. This mission, he proudly declared in his mind, was the best thing that had happened in a while. Because what now formed the commencement of something beautiful between the two was just that - the simple beginning preceding the actual zenith of what fate dictated. And it was what they would look forward to, since such a moment was truly a sight to behold and experience; beauty and love lying tangled in reality instead of glass - relentless, unforeseen.

#levi x reader #levi ackerman #levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman fanfiction #levi ackerman imagine #x reader #reader insert #snk x reader #adore soulmate aus lol #soulmate au #honestly stuff in the soulmate part are kind of messy #but i liked inserting the plot there lol #the reader is kind of badass even if she's not too active here #also i'm in love with writing weird aus in the canon setting but it's so hard coming up with ideas #hope you enjoy

46 notes · View notes

generalluxun · 2 years ago

Text

Control (an ML Fanfic) Chapter 1

CW: Senti-people, angst, so much angst. Referenced Child abuse and bullying. Full text below the cut, link to AO3 posting in Bio.

A fun and rebellious gesture by her friend Zoé leaves Marinette accidently in possession of something more precious than she ever expected to hold.

It's a blessing. It's a curse. It's life itself.

She has no idea what to do. There is so much wrapped up not only in WHAT, but also WHO. Her friends and partners can offer advice, consolation, and support, but in the end when you are both Ladybug and the Guardian you are the one in control.

“Okay, you need to check this out.” Zoé sat down beside Marinette at the lunchroom table.

She looked around quickly then reached into her bag and pulled out a small plain box. Marinette put down her sandwich and peered over curiously. She even went so far as to peek around herself, not sure who they were on the lookout for. Adrien was out for a modeling shoot, and the Nino & Alya show were getting in some extra Super Penguino practice down in the boiler room.

Zoé opened the box and upended it between them, a sparkling mound of gold and gems tipped out onto the table. Marinette, suddenly nervous, looked around again.

“Isn’t it cool?”

Zoe reached for one of the pieces of jewelry, using the box to ‘hide’ the pile from the room at large. She slipped a pendant on a thin chain over her head, letting the thumb sized sapphire thump against her chest. She flicked her bangs and held out one hand towards Marinette, fingers limp.

“Dahhhling, all the finest women are wearing big accessories this year.”

Zoé dissolved into giggles and Marinette’s nerves eased. She reached for a ring with a huge square cut emerald on it. “Where did you get all this? Costume jewelry store?”

Zoé shook her head, her giggles turning into an impish grin. “It’s my mom’s.”

Marinette dropped the ring back into the pile.

Zoé pouted, “Oh come on, have some fun. It’s not like she’ll ever miss it. I dug this box out of the back of one of her closets. You should have seen how dusty everything in it was. She won’t care if any of it never comes back.”

Marinette gave her friend a brittle smile, “Zooooééé…”

Zoé was already fishing through the pile again, trying on four rings on a single hand, as well as adding two necklaces to the one she was already wearing. She dropped her alliance ring into the pile to slip another ring on and waggled her fingers again.

Marinette hunched slightly, nervously poking the pile. She shifted jewelry that she had previously thought fake, jewelry that could buy a dozen new ovens for the bakery, and found a simple gold band at the bottom of the pile. She picked it up and glanced at Zoé.

Her pink’d friend gave her an encouraging smile, “C’mon Marinette, be a rebel, and look GREAT doing it.”

Marinette rolled the band between her fingers. Was it warm? Or was that just her nerves? I can always just give it back by the end of the day. It’s just borrowing. She slipped it on and held up her hand for inspection. “Sorry, my outfit isn’t exactly made to go with gold. It’s a pretty ring though.”

Zoé gave it a critical glance but then flashed Marinette a pleased smile. “It’s okay, I just wanted to give you first dibs on anything. I’m going to Robin Hood the rest of it one way or the other. Do you think Adrien would like any of it? I know he’s rich, but you can’t tell me he wouldn’t look great in some dangly earrings.”

Marinette pictured it, and felt herself starting to flush when a sharp voice cut into her daydream.

“What are you two doing? Playing Dress up? What are we, ten?”

Zoé glowered as Chloé strode up to the table, running her gaze over the other two with her classic smirk well in place. Zoé pushed her chair back to stand but Marinette beat her to the retort.

“Just go away, Chloé.”

The Blonde terror blinked once, ”Yes, Dupain-Cheng.” Then she turned on her heel, and, without looking back, headed right out of the cafeteria.

Marinette stared after her. Zoé nudged Marinette gently, “You have to show me how you do that,” she teased.

I have no idea, is she just out of fight? Lila’s not around… Zoe interrupted her thoughts again, trying to slip a lovely pearled gold bracelet into Marinette’s purse. Marinette snatched Tikki’s home away from her in a rush. “Oh hey, that one looks cool. Let me try it on first though. I’m not sure my wrists are as big as your mother’s.”

By the time they’d picked through everything -Marinette avoided actually keeping anything else- she’d completely forgotten about the exchange.

------------------

It was two periods later when an akuma hit. Mr. Pigeon again, because of course Mr. Pigeon. Giving the power of Genesis to a flock of birds was surprisingly destructive. Usually the things pigeons dropped from the skies were cause for discomfort and disgust, not serious injury. Mr. Ramier wasn’t a villain at heart though, and so, once Ladybug had sorted out the chaos, wrapping the fight up was routine for her and her partner.

Marinette was the last one back to class as usual, and came in just in time to hear her least favorite auburn haired fox giving a deep heartfelt speech, “-so glad no one was hurt. These attacks are really just getting so dangerous anymore. I know everyone wants to help, but we have to be sure we don’t get in Ladybug’s way. Maybe if our class representative could take more of a leadership role, no one would be separate-” Lila stopped mid speech, “Oh! There you are Marinette. We were getting worried.”

Ms. Bustier gave an encouraging smile to Marinette, “We’re glad you’re safe. Lila had just brought up the idea of having a class rally point, and keeping together in a group when an akuma strikes.”

Lila turned her doe-eyes on Marinette, “As someone who is always finding herself isolated whenever there is trouble, I would hope you would support me on this, Marinette. It’s so very lucky you haven’t been hurt yet. I just want to keep everyone safe.”

Marinette’s mind raced to come up with a rebuttal. This was a challenge more dangerous than all the Mr. Pigeons put together. But before she could answer though there was another salvo.

Chloé pipped up from the front row, “Oh, who really cares, as long as it’s just Dupain-Cheng? Ladybug can’t even keep the miraculous safe, what hope do we have with her watching over us?”

Marinette, already riled up, had patience for this. She rubbed her face with a hand. “Stop it Chloé. The first thing Ladybug did was save you from becoming sidewalk crepe, you should be grateful.”

Chloé’s sudden, “You’re right,” sucked all the energy from the room. Marinette wasn’t the only one confused.

Lila cleared her throat petitely, “As much as I am Ladybug’s biggest fan, do we really want to put all this extra work on her? If the idea of organizing a group is too much for you, I would be happy to help.”

Marinette glowered. “Thanks, but no thanks, Lila. I think allowing people to act independently and make their own best decisions is better.”

Lila didn’t seem to have an instant answer. Marinette briefly enjoyed the unfamiliar feeling of getting the last word in, but Lila finally spoke up, "What was that, Chloé?"

The blond turned around in her seat. "What was what?"

Lila held her phone in both hands, giving it what appeared to Marinette to be a conspicuous little shake. Not that anyone else will see it that way. "I am quite sure, I heard you say something, didn't I?"

Chloé looked down at her phone, then her face twisted into its habitual sneering frown. "I am not saying that! Why would I say Ladybug can't handle it, Lila? She can handle anything. She saved me, she's saved all of us. Your idea is ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!"

All eyes ping-ponged back to Lila, she looked down at her phone and her face turned to panic. "Oh no! My phone has a virus! It's sending random texts! I better get this fixed! We'll talk more later."

She ducked her head quickly, ending the exchange. Ms. Bustier looked lost for a moment before nodding Marinette back to her seat. Marinette glanced sidelong at Chloé before leaning over to Alya. "That was weird, right?"

Alya leaned in too. "Not that weird, malware is getting ridiculous lately."

Marinette grimaced. "Not that. Chloé, speaking up for Ladybug."

Alya looked past Marinette. The blond was pointedly ignoring Ms. Bustier, tapping away on her phone. "I don't know, it's Chloé. She was a fan before. And we all know she's a bit of a… butterfly."

Marinette groaned. "That was awful. You are not allowed to work on any more Cat Noir content for the blog for an entire week."

------------------

The next day started off rotten. Marinette had wanted to bring pastries in for the class while they filled out their prospective schedules for the next year. She’d gotten up too late to do it easily, but not late enough to not make it possible. Rushing around her parents, trying to stay out of the way, she’d managed to get three dozen assorted done and ran with them all the way to school.

In the front doors, up the stairs, no time for her locker! The boxes started to wobble as she ran. Rose yanked open the door to the classroom and Juleka lept aside. I’m going to make it! Ms. Bustier’s desk is right-

Marinette’s purse snagged on the doorframe. She spun as she fell, the boxes scattering and spilling. Marinette hit hard, skidding to a stop right in front of Chloé’s desk.

The blond leaned forward to peer down at her, “Another failure, Dusol-cheng?” She laughed into the back of her hand to punctuate the insult.

Marinette grumbled, crawling to retrieve one of the boxes. “Why don’t you get down here and help me, Solé?”

She’d gathered up half a dozen when she bumped heads with someone. Marinette flinched back onto her heels, rubbing the spot and blinking… right across into Chloé’s sapphire gaze. Chloé had four croissants in the crook of one arm, and was rubbing her head with the opposite hand. “Watch where you’re going, Dupain-Cheng. Here, take these.”

Chloé shoved the pastries into Marinette’s arms and crawled off in search of more. Marinette sat stunned for a long moment as others joined in too now, gathering up the fallen food. Soon everything was restored and two of the boxes had been taken up to the upper seats by Rose and Ivan to pass around.

Marinette let Nino and Adrien grab a couple each before tentatively walking over to Chloé’s desk. Sure why not. “Umm, thanks?”

Chloé looked up from her phone, clearly not paying attention. “What do you want, Dupain-Cheng?”

Of course. Marinette shook the box. “Look, just take one and we’ll ignore each other again.”

Chloé thrust a hand into the box and came out with a croissant. She didn’t say another word, or even look Marinette’s way after the fact. Marinette moved on to Sabrina, then sat down at her desk.

She pulled out a pen but could not concentrate on the form in front of her. Her head was filled right up to the top with nothing. She found five minutes had vanished without her putting a mark on the paper, and yet she still just sat quietly spinning the ring on her finger with her thumb. The ring- I have to give this back to Zoé.

Marinette’s eyes were drawn to it. It was such a simple, tasteful, piece of jewelry. It didn’t feel like something Audrey would own at all. Not nearly enough glitter. The passing thought made Marinette giggle. She felt light headed, staring at that golden band. Marinette blinked away an afterimage, then blinked again.

She was looking down at a form -her form?- She was doodling diamonds in the corner. It all seemed so pointless. She ran her pen back over her name again, making the letters thicker, more bold. She liked the way they curved and curled: Chloé Bourgeois.

Marinette jolted, bounced off the back of her seat, caught her sternum on her desk, and was left gasping for breath. Alya had a hand on her back instantly, rubbing. “Marinette, what’s wrong?”

Marinette waved her off, trying to steady her breathing while her brain screamed at her in mindless horror. She finally managed to get out. “Wrong- pipe- scone.”

It earned her amused smiles and looks of concern from the class, but thankfully a lifetime of actual disasters gave her plausibility for a handful of made up ones now and then. Alya helped her up with a concerned, “Maybe you should grab a drink?”

Marinette nodded, not trusting her voice for any complex thoughts. She glanced to the front of the room. Ms. Bustier nodded wordlessly to her over a smile, and Marinette bolted for the door.

She did actually stop and gulp down water at the fountain. She couldn’t drink enough, and yet her stomach threatened to return it all at any second. Marinette shuffled a step to the side and leaned on the brickwork wall. The rough facing tugged at her clothes as she sank to the floor. Head in hands, Marinette blocked out the too-bright light.

She could still feel it. Her thumb wouldn’t leave it alone. Twist, twist, twist, it turned on her hand. It can’t be what I think it is. Even if life had taught her the world was full of impossibilities lately, this was one thing she was simply not ready to accept. I can throw it away right now. Zoé won’t even remember. I can just pretend it isn’t what I think it is, and no one has to know.

Someone did have to though. She did. She was Ladybug. Marinette raised her head slowly. She blocked out everything, which was easier than she had expected. Nothing in the world seemed to want to be in focus anyway right now. She stared at the golden band once more, and her vision began to blur.

Form, phone, form, phone, back and forth like a hyperactive puppy. Almost nothing was filled out. Her thumb scrolled insta so quickly she couldn’t even make out the images. Something caught her eye -no not hers- her thumb flicked ‘like’ and resumed scrolling. Sabrina was talking beside her, a low buzz of words that didn’t stick. Marinette had to know, there had to be some way to be sure. She made her eyes scan the form, they kept trying to drift back to her phone. There, perfect. She picked up her pen, spun it once with a deftness she admired, and scribbled on the line marked ‘Personal heroes’ Vesperia.

Marinette came back to herself, shaking. WhatdoIdowhatdoIdowhatdoIdo?

She grabbed the ring to pull it off, but froze. If I take it off, where do I put it? What do I do with it? God, she’s a…

It was insane. That stupid plain band shone dully on her finger; it was nothing. It was everything. It was power that no one should ever have. It was opportunity. It was every single slight piled up over a lifetime answered in a single object. Marinette was in complete control now, she could do anything, have anything, settle anything.

Marinette’s thumb wouldn’t stop playing with it. Twist, twist, twist, an entire life spun on her finger. Anything she wanted it to be. And nothing, if I want it to be.

That dark thought came from someplace wounded. Her better self flashed Sentibug before her eyes; flashed that brief look of pain and fear. Marinette pulled up her shirt to muffle a sob. Home. I need to get home. I can talk to Tikki. I can- She will know what to do.Marinette staggered to her feet. She lurched to the rail and slewed down the steps on legs that didn’t want to work. The door was a short sprint then she would be out of the building. She could run home without stopping, dash up to her room and be far from… it.

#ml fanfiction #ml fanfic #miraculous ladybug #sentimonsters are people #marinette dupain cheng #chloe bourgeois #zoe lee #alya cesaire #mlb tikki #angst

16 notes · View notes

fckher · 4 months ago

Text

it's not a trick, or a lie. she genuinely had thought she was alone, that she could take advantage of an empty apartment and some much appreciated free time after working a shoot for three days. she should have checked, called out for bree or her boyfriend in case either of them were home-- but she didn't, and that's on her. zoe didn't know william very well. their paths crossing here and there whenever she wasn't working and he was spending the night. and though she doesn't know him, she's heard her roommate in the throes of passion, so she knows at least one thing he's good at. and she knows her experience with sex is different to most peoples ... contrary to popular belief, not all of porn is staged. sure, she can fake a convincing orgasm, but she can also recognise the talent in a partner and she likes good sex. and from what she's heard, william knows a thing or two about good sex. "no, it's-- um, it's mine. i should've checked if you were ... here-is bree??" she hadn't seen her car in the apartment parking garage earlier, too wound up from an unsatisfying shoot-- fuck.

she's still keyed up, the live she'd started on her OF eating up the act of her getting caught (it's not an act, but an opportunity is an opportunity that she couldn't pass up) and zoe, phone still held in her hand, camera angled from below up to capture the curves of her breasts through her shirt, the slender line of her neck and the hollow of her throat, the lower half of her mouth and her blonde hair draped in gentle waves over her shoulder. "oh it's not-- no boyfriend, william. will? sorry, i don't know what you like to be called ... uh, i'm live, actually. but i can reschedule--" she doesn't really want to, and she's sure her paying fans don't want her to either. "fuck, i should ... cover up. i'm so sorry."

this confrontation was the culmination of months of work . there wasn’t a doubt in his mind that when william’s attention was gripped by one of zoe’s videos that she would be next , that she was someone tailor-made just for him , like a barbie doll , or a bred pup . so , he devised a plan , centered around her , indeed , but entirely abstinent of her all at once . he didn’t consume a lick of content , no desire to view her derange that her body was her own to play with , to share . it was william’s the moment he decided it was such . he deceived , gaining the trust of zoe’s roommate , befriending and then adoring her with his dedicated tongue splitting her gushy folds until she would spill in his mouth proclaiming love and his comparison to godliness ; he got off hearing one of those things . but , it was entirely vapid , not even scratching the surface . she bore neither brand nor bruise of his touch . clearly , dating her was the means to the end centered around zoe . so had his life been since last year .

his patience is rewarded with a narrow strip of her pretty , waxed box ( only for it to be promptly taken away with the zipping of her thighs together ) . william plasters on an unassuming smile , as if he’s not imagining cutting off strands of her hair to keep . “ my fault . ” both of his palms flash in a feigned display of innocence , as if in this universe it’s normal to expect zoe to be playing with her porny pussy on the living room couch . eyes dazzle with what could be assumed as kindness , when it’s nothing higher than mirth . “ tell your boyfriend i wasn’t looking . ” data collection wrapped in an apology . would anyone miss her ?

#☆ thread / zoe anderson.#zoe a & william f.#slccpover #dark is good! u always come up with the best storylines

20 notes · View notes

quickspinner · 2 years ago

Note

Honeymoon cruise sprint?👀

WIP Asks (this is the last one I had in my inbox, so if there’s something you wanted to see but haven’t, feel free to drop an ask. Anon is on and I don’t bite so don’t feel like you have to be shy)

This one was supposed to be a sprint fic, and I think the prompt was Person A getting left at the alter and then going on their honeymoon cruise by themselves, and meeting Person B there.

I think two things happened with this one; my eyes were bigger than my stomach (I wanted to write more than what would fit in three sprints) and...I got tangled up in my own hangups about hitting on/flirting with people who are a) at work b) in a situation where they can't really escape from you. Which is all very valid in real life but I'm annoyed with myself that I can't set it aside for the sake of a little fictional romance. (Rose and Juleka could lose their business license if Luka is making out with passengers! If she rejected him she'd still see him all over the ship and that would make her whole trip awkward especially with having just been left in the altar and Luka wouldn't do that to her and SHUT UP BRAIN.) None of these problems are insurmountable, just got fed up with them and put the fic in time out for...a while. 😅

This story features my pet headcanon of Luka and Juleka having all kinds of random and weird skills because Anarka just enrolled them in whatever classes/activities were available during the times she needed childcare. Also Zoe makes a cameo because she'd just been introduced and I was kind of experimenting with her.

The way Luka saw it, his job was to make people feel good, and make sure they were having a good time, and he was good at it. He liked making people happy. His compliments were sincere, he knew how to flirt without overstepping or raising expectations, he was perceptive enough about people to nudge someone in the direction of a good time, whether that was toward a lesson or an activity, or a comfortable deck chair, or occasionally, a fellow passenger.

So it wasn’t that he hated his job, it was just that Luka preferred the singles cruises. Everyone came aboard expecting a good time, looking to party and meet people and enjoy themselves, they tipped generously, they wanted his favorite kinds of music, and when drama happened, it was usually juicy and made for a good story. As long as you remembered to knock before you entered any room that could remotely be considered private, the singles cruises were a good time.

The honeymoon cruises were just...boring. Everyone was wrapped up in their partner, and there wasn’t much for Luka to do, beyond the actual motions of his job. It was kinda cute the first few days or so, and then it just became nauseating (and you still had to remember to knock before you opened a closet). They all wanted slow dances and half the time they weren’t even listening to the music. The only people who paid any attention to him whatsoever were the ones who probably shouldn’t have gotten married, and he wasn’t touching that with a ten foot pole, even to fake flirt.

He was minding the bar the first night on autopilot, smiling and making small talk without really paying much attention, when someone approached and he looked up to take their order, and momentarily forgot what he was going to say. The petit dark-haired beauty looking back at him blinked pretty blue eyes and her perfect lips curved in a slightly uncertain smile.

Wow, he thought, before he caught himself and gave his professional smile. “What can I get for you?” he asked, and she relaxed a bit. His eyes flicked down just long enough to note that the nametag pinned to her dress said only Marinette. No cutesy hearts, no Mrs. Marinette So-and-so, no “So-and-so’s WIFE,” just. Marinette.

It was a nice name. Her table number was also printed on the bottom, and he glanced back that way to see a tall, slender blond sitting there, intent on a thick booklet she was leafing through.

“I’m not sure, actually,” Marinette said, bringing his attention back to her as she reached up to fiddle with one of the long pigtails draped forward over her shoulders. “I...don’t really like the taste of alcohol, to be honest, so could you make me something sweet? Not too strong, please. Something I can have a couple of without being sick tomorrow.”

“No problem,” Luka said, picking up a glass without looking away from those eyes. “Do you prefer orange, pineapple, or cranberry?”

She pressed her lips together for a moment in thought, and he barely stopped himself from licking his own. “Pineapple, I think,” she said, tilting her head slightly, and Luka was glad to turn away for a moment, just to pull himself together as he picked up the bottles he needed. She was pretty, but she was married, and he was a professional.

“Anything for your wife?” he asked as he mixed her up a fruity cocktail with a smooth rum that should give her a pleasant buzz without knocking her on her ass. He was surprised when he glanced up and saw that she was surprised. She looked over her shoulder, back at her table, and then back at him, her mouth forming an ‘o’ like she had suddenly understood something.

“She’s, um, not my wife, just my friend,” Marinette giggled, a pretty blush creeping into her cheeks. “I’m not actually married. Which I know is weird, why am I here if I’m not married, right? Of course you would think we’re married. I mean, I was supposed to be married—not to her, to someone else—but then I didn’t get married, because you know it kind of takes two and I was the only one standing there, so unless I did want to marry one of my friends I was kinda out of luck, and of course the cruise was supposed to leave the next day and I was...I was all packed, and it was too late to cancel, and it was a lot of money to just throw away, and maybe that didn’t matter to him because he’s stupid rich, but I’m not, so I thought, why shouldn’t I go and have a good time, just because my now-ex-fiance just...um…” She paused, and turned red. “You...probably didn’t need to hear any of that.”

“No,” Luka smiled. “But I didn’t mind it. I like hearing people’s stories, although I’m sorry yours ended so badly. So you brought your friend with you?”

“Yeah,” she sighed. “Why not? I had two tickets, and she can’t go anywhere without people hitting on her constantly—she’s an actress, you see, people recognize her and then they get all creepy, but this way she gets to take a vacation without anybody bothering her—well, much. She’s apparently on a few people’s...I forget what they call it, the list, you know?”

“The freebie five?” Luka chuckled, and Marinette nodded vigorously. “Nice. Wow, can you imagine being on your honeymoon and your significant other is like ‘wait, honey, she’s on my list, you don’t mind, right?’” His chuckle turned into a laugh as he shook his head, and Marinette began to giggle too. “Some people, wow. I mean that takes guts.”

“Yeah,” Marinette giggled, looking down as she leaned against the bar a bit and turned the glass he’d put in front of her. “This is almost too pretty to drink,” she told him, with a shy half-smile.

Luka leaned his elbows on the counter so his face was more level with hers and gave her a wink. “I’ll make you another one any time. I hope you enjoy it, Marinette. And if you need anything else, please let me know. I have a ton of useless skills so you’ll see me all over the place doing whatever needs doing.” He grinned, and Marinette’s giggle this time gave him a happy little flutter in his chest, because he’d caused it. Yeah, this was what he missed on the honeymoon cruises. That little ego boost or whatever you wanted to call it that came with cheering someone up.

It was definitely more fun when the person smiling at you was single and pretty, anyway, even if he didn’t intend to do anything about it. He watched Marinette’s retreating back, bare in the tropical print halter dress she was wearing. Her companion looked up as Marinette approached the table, just in time to catch Luka staring, and her smirk was clear all the way across the room. Luka fixed his gaze to the bar in front of him as he cleaned up and got set for the next customer, but the stupid grin he couldn’t quite wipe off his face was a far cry from the professional smile he’d started out with.

#reader request snippet #lukanette #endgame lukanette #lukanette endgame #luka couffaine #marinette dupain-cheng #miraculousladybug #miraculous ladybug #pro lukamari

17 notes · View notes

phykios · 3 years ago

Text

this one is dedicated to mi amor mari @perseannabeth, who is a beautiful bird and a wonderful friend and i am v v vvvvv grateful to have crossed the airwaves with her :”)

Today Was A Fairytale [read on ao3] T, modern royalty, fun at disneyland!

She stares at him.

He stares back. “What?”

“Really?”

“What?”

“You really think this is going to be enough?” Annabeth points at her head, the blue Yankees cap squishing her curls.

“Of course! It’s the Clark Kent effect.” As if to underline his point, Percy slips on his fake hipster glasses, except that stupid grin of his is too bright not to draw attention.

“That’s not a real thing.”

“Sure it is. Studies show that glasses are actually good enough to alter your appearance if someone doesn’t know you well.”

“Then why didn’t you bring a pair of glasses for me?”

“Because your hair is definitely the prettiest thing about you,” he says, automatically tugging an unruly curl which peeks out from under the brim, a gesture so practiced she almost doesn’t register it--until he blinks, dropping his hand, blushing lightly. “I mean--the most noticeable thing. You know. A hat should be fine.”

He looks away. Heat rises to her face, too. Because it’s so hot out, obviously.

“Anyway,” he mumbles, “um. No--no one’s going to give you a second look if your hair is hidden.”

Chewing her lip, Annabeth can’t help but worry. Percy’s face is extremely well-known, possibly more than hers, and they’ve both spent the better part of three weeks with their faces plastered all over the media on their diplomatic trip. This is probably a really, really bad idea. Then, a thought occurs to her. “How about,” she says, perking up, “you give me your glasses, and I’ll give you mine.” From her backpack, she fishes out a pair of sunglasses, big and nondescript. He’ll practically be wearing a superhero mask with these.

Percy smiles again, and Annabeth thinks she might fly. “Perfect.”

Which is how Her Royal Highness Anna Elisabeth Ingrid Irene of Sweden and His Serene Highness Perseus Alexandros Ioannis of Thera play hooky from their day of boring meetings, insufferable dignitaries, and stuffy security guards, to go see the eighth wonder of the world: Disneyland Resort in California.

And how Annabeth eats her words as they make it past the security gate unchecked. “Eh?” He beams, nudging her with his elbow. “Eh?”

Rolling her eyes, she shoves him back. “Shut up.”

***

[description: a tiktok video which depicts a line at Disneyland. the op, a black girl with braids, covers her mouth and looking into the camera, turning the camera to focus on the two people behind her. one is a tall boy with black hair and sunglasses, and the other is a blonde girl with a yankees hat and glasses. both are white. video text reads: “p sure the people behind me are prince percy and princess annabeth??? um?????”. background audio is a dubstep remix of the fight theme from undertale. end ID]

***

Maybe it’s a little weird, on account of her being actual royalty and all, but Annabeth has always been interested in princesses, both as a matter of historical record (history is awesome) and in the general sense. Like millions of other people, she, too, was raised on Disney movies and tales of princesses and true love, and she was just as captivated as the rest of them. She and Percy used to watch the Disney catalogue whenever their families held state visits for each other, staying up into the small hours of the morning, sharing some popcorn and singing along.

Luckily for Annabeth, her favorite princess is holding a meet and greet at the Royal Hall.

“Excuse me,” Percy says, approaching Princess Ariel. Well, her cast member, anyway. “Could I get a photo for my friend?”

“Of course!” she trills, her blue eyes sparkling. “It would be my pleasure.” Holding her hand out, perfectly poised and graceful in a way that would impress even Annabeth’s stodgy etiquette instructor, she smiles, warm and welcoming, pivoting to bring Annabeth in for one of those weird, semi-awkward half-hugs. “What’s your name?”

“Anna,” says Annabeth. Hey, it’s not untrue. She’s a little leery of using any of her names, but Anna is common enough. Annabeth? Not so much. Even with her glasses and hat disguise, a little paranoia is justified, she thinks.

“It’s so wonderful to meet you, Anna,” she says, cheerful, with all the grace and charm of someone who doesn’t spend hours saying the same thing over and over again to excitable, temperamental children. What a trooper, she thinks.

“Don’t you recognize a fellow princess when you see one, your highness?” Percy says, grinning that stupid, smarmy grin of his.

Annabeth glares. Oh, he thinks he’s so damn clever.

“Oh, of course,” says Ariel, smoothly. “How could I have thought otherwise? Your highness.” And she curtsies to Annabeth, a short dip, her hand placed delicately against her chest. “Perhaps I can introduce you to my friend Anna, princess of Arendelle?”

Still smirking, Percy takes some more pictures, trapping Annabeth into smiling for the camera. She can’t be glaring daggers in her pictures, nor can there be video evidence of her kicking him--no matter how much she wants to.

And she definitely doesn’t miss the way Ariel not-so-subtly checks Percy out, eyeing him up and down.

“You fucking asshole,” she hisses as they leave the photo area, swatting him lightly, and he giggles.

“Sorry, sorry, I couldn’t resist.”

“Ugh, I hate you so much.”

It’s hard to stay mad at him, though she definitely tries as they enter back out into the park proper, giving him just the barest hint of a cold shoulder.

“Aw, come on,” Percy says. “I was just teasing.”

“You shouldn’t go around tempting fate like that,” Annabeth says. “Do you want to cause another international incident?”

Percy winces, no doubt remembering the Gateway Arch incident of 2008.

“If someone recognizes us, we don’t have Zoe or any of her team to protect us,” Annabeth goes on. “Not that I think anyone here would try to hurt us, but…” But it’s a little nerve-wracking, being on her own like this. She hasn’t been alone like this for a really long time.

Wincing, Percy rubs the back of his head. “I guess I forgot you’re a little higher profile than me. Sorry.”

She doesn’t like to think about it, but it’s true. Percy, by his nature as the younger son of a largely defunct royal house, doesn’t have quite the same number of… issues… that someone like Annabeth might have.

Deflating, she uncrosses her arms. “It’s okay.”

“I should have asked you first.”

“It’s really okay,” she says. “No harm no foul.”

“Do you want to get out of here?” he asks, entirely serious. “I can call someone up.”

She knows just how long they’ve planned this, how many favors he’s called in and policies he’s sidestepped. Backing out now would just be a waste of a day. She shakes her head. “It’s fine,” she says. “I’m just… feeling a little exposed, I guess. But, I don’t want to ruin all our plans. Let’s keep going.” She grabs his hand, squeezing a little.

“...Okay,” Percy says. “But say the word, and we’ll call it a day. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Good.” Like he doesn’t have any other expression today, he smiles at her again.

It hits her, suddenly. He’s so much taller than she remembers. Once upon a time she used to be taller than him; now, he’s basically a whole head above her.

It’s annoying. But also… not.

Spying something over her shoulder, his eyes light up, and he practically gasps. “Cinderella!” he points with his free hand, like a five-year old. “Come on!” And he takes off to one of the park corners, dragging Annabeth along with him.

He has to wait in line behind a pair of twin girls, six or seven years old by the looks of it, in identical Cinderella dresses for a photo, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet, and when it’s finally his turn, he nearly trips over himself to go up and ask for a photo.

Cinderella agrees, and now Annabeth is relegated to the job of cameraperson. Percy slides in next to the princess, his hand on her waist, but, ever the respectful gentleman, loosely held, so the cast member can slide out of his grasp without any difficulty at all.

Taking a few shots, it does look kind of strange to have Cinderella’s beautiful, shining face, and Percy’s enormous sunglasses blocking his. “Take off your glasses?” she says, lowering her phone for a second.

Dutifully, Percy slips them off, smiling again for the camera.

Cinderella’s smile doesn’t falter, a credit to her professionalism, but Annabeth can see her eyes widen, just a touch.

Annabeth snaps off a few more photos, “Got ‘em!” and Percy once again gushes over the princess, thanking her for her time. Grabbing Annabeth’s hand again, he practically skips off, leading them in the direction of a nearby candy shop.

***

me: IM SHAKING GUESS WHO I JUST TOOK A PICTURE WITH????

sis: prince percy?

me: HOW TF DID YOU KNOW

sis: its on twitter already

***

They’re walking along, Annabeth slurping up a Dole whip, when she suddenly stops in her tracks, outside of one of the many, many gift shops. “Wait up a second.”

“Hm?” Percy says, around the giant lollipop in his mouth.

“I want to get some Mickey ears.”

Very quickly they get lost in the sea of Disney merchandise, walking the labyrinth of Star Wars and Marvel and Pixar goods. There’s a surprising amount of black for the so-called happiest place on Earth, but things do brighten up when Annabeth finally turns a corner and finds the enormous selection of Mickey ears. It’s a wash of sparkles, flowers, bows, and occasionally characters, for children and adults alike. Annabeth eyes a pair designed like Baby Yoda, eyes wide and ears adorably huge, before she fingers a pair of white Mickey ears that have a bridal veil attached to them, contemplating its counterpart, the black ears for the groom, each ear emblazoned with a sparkling silver “Happily Ever After.”

She looks around. Where did Percy wander off to, anyway?

Well, wherever he is, hopefully he hasn’t gotten mobbed by a horde of excitable fangirls. Given that she can’t hear any screaming--well, any unusual, non-Disneyland-relevant screaming--that’s probably a good sign.

Running her fingers over the ear selections, she finally picks out a pair of silver sequined earrings with a shiny gold bow, a tiny, rhinestone Cinderella’s castle placed delicately in the middle.

Yeah. This one.

Percy finds her as she is paying for her ears, a pair of his own already on his head, red balloons inside of plastic circles. The sunglasses, she notes with a tinge of nervousness, are tucked in his shirt, and not on his face, protecting his identity. “Oh, check mine out--they light up!” he says, giddy, pressing the button on the side, not that she can tell in the brightly lit shop.

“That’s not why I was looking.”

Walking out of the store, ears firmly in her possession, she looks around again. Percy’s face is out there for the world to see, and no one is giving them a hard time.

And her hat is really sweaty.

Ah, fuck it.

She removes the Yankees cap, shaking out her sweaty curls, sliding the ears on in its place.

And the glasses, for good measure.

“Cinderella?” Percy asks.

“I thought you’d approve.”

Outside the shop, next to a corn dog cart, Percy pulls her aside, out of the way of a whole classroom’s worth of children, holding up a plastic plag. “So, confession.”

“Percy…” He didn’t. “We said no gifts!” They had agreed to it that morning!

“Well, see,” he says, fumbling around in the bag, pulling out a black t-shirt. “I saw this, and I thought--I thought you might like it.”

He unfolds it, and Annabeth frowns at the shirt design.

It’s… a drawing of a man in a purple mask against a solid black background, glaring at the viewer. Circling him, in distressed, white-grey military font, are the words “BARON ZEMO,” and the logo for the show he must star in, Marvel’s The Falcon and the Winter Soldier. She doesn’t really watch superhero shows, though, and she’s pretty sure Percy doesn’t, either. Maybe he’s started this one and he really likes it? “Thanks,” she says, confusion coloring her voice despite her best efforts.

But he doesn’t look too disappointed. “I was looking through their pride merch, and they didn’t have any stuff with the ace flag, which totally sucks, but then I thought that maybe you might like something a little more subtle? So, yeah.” He shakes it. “Ace pride!”

Oh. Oh, this boy.

She remembers, so vividly, visiting his father’s summer home on Kalymnos, a few years ago, the summer she turned nineteen, waking up to a banging in the kitchen, noisy pots and pans making a real racket. Granted, it had been one in the afternoon, and Annabeth probably should have been awake sooner, but she had stumbled out of the guest room into the kitchen, rubbing sleep out of her eyes, to the sight of Percy wrestling with the standmixer, making bright, neon purple frosting. The night before, sometime around three or four AM, that weird, liminal hour where the shadow of night just starts to recede, the sky a sweet, soft, dusky blue, she had come out as demisexual to her best friend, saying the words aloud for the first time ever. Loopy from lack of sleep, the moment had passed without much fanfare.

But Percy, dark-circled and still yawning, had woken up early to make her a chocolate cake. By the time she had woken up, he had baked the cake, chilled it, and made two out of the three frosting colors, a beautiful, moist, dark chocolate cake which ended up being frosted with a marbled mix of purple, black, and white, all folding into each other into a kind of colorless, grey sugar.

Here, now, in Disneyland, she throws herself at him, wrapping his arms around his neck. His arms automatically come up to circle her, hugging her tight.

She had been worried it had been some kind of defense mechanism. A young girl with an alarmingly high profile, Annabeth had been the subject of intense scrutiny with regards to any romantic entanglements, with critics, tabloid reporters, and fans alike attempting to invent gossip-worthy relationships with every boy she ever talked to--most usually Percy. They did grow up in the public eye together, attending all kinds of events and functions together over the last fifteen or so years. And they did tweet at each other. Like, a lot. They even had their own portmanteau hashtag. But no relationship ever materialized.

She thought maybe she was just being stubborn, unwilling to play the media game. But it hadn’t been stubbornness. It wasn’t about shyness or inexperience. It was real, and it was her.

And Percy hadn’t even blinked.

“I love it,” she murmurs. “Thank you.”

“Of course,” he says, swaying her from side to side, just a little. “It was my pleasure.”

***

What’s happening: #percabeth (Entertainment • trending)

@kndrck__ STREAM CHROMATICA: um @TheraUS @SwedenRoyals i think i found your sick royals? #percabeth #disneyland

@wasabiviking: omg werent they supposed to be at some hospital opening today #percabeth

@ChampionSno brando he/him: LMAOOO NOT #PERCABETH PLAYING HOOKY LIKE IT’S ROMAN HOLIDAY

***

“Holy shit,” Percy moans, his mouth full of food. “Oh my God. Dear God in Heaven.”

Annabeth kicks his ankle under the table. “Don’t be rude.”

He swallows, eyes fluttering. “Oh my God, Annabeth. Holy shit. This is the best damn sandwich I’ve ever had in my entire life.”

“A monte cristo?”

“A deep-fried monte cristo! In sweet batter!” Taking another bite, he moans again, just this side of indecent. “Oh my God I love Americans. They are absolute culinary geniuses.”

“Better than Bistrot Chez Rémy?” They had both been to Disneyland Paris, separately, sadly, and Percy had recommended the restaurant to her with great enthusiasm for her upcoming trip. As usual, he was spot on with his food recs.

He nods, eyes closed in rapture. “By a mile.”

“You’ll have to learn to make your own when we get back home, then.”

He jolts, straightening up, cheeks full of food. Roughly, he swallows. “You’re right! I need to take notes.” And he takes out his phone, hurriedly typing down whatever scent and flavor notes he must be able to discern. “This is definitely challah…”

Plucking another piece of chicken with her fork out of her jambalaya, Annabeth lets her attention wander a little, content to watch the passengers on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride as they float on beside them, down in the artificially constructed bayou river.

Truth be told, she’s kind of tired. They’ve been walking around all day, and even with the brief reprieve of rides, her shoes really aren’t the kind that deal well with huge amounts of walking. She can already tell that she’s going to crash, and crash hard, whenever they get back to their hotel. You know, if their security detail doesn’t eviscerate them first.

When Percy had first presented his idea to her, she had agreed without hesitation. They had had a long, dense schedule of public appearances planned for their excursions to the states, and the days had begun to seriously wear them out. Together, they had worked out the kinks, coming up with contingencies, negotiating things to do, all over Discord so no one else would get wind of what they were doing. Prior to this trip, she hadn’t seen him in… probably almost a year. She knows his father had been keeping him close to home for whatever reason, and Annabeth had had a handful of official functions to deal with. Their paths just never managed to cross, up until now.

She hadn’t realized how much she had missed him.

It’s lonely, growing up in the public eye. It’s cliche, but it’s true. And while Annabeth is afforded a metric ton of various intersecting privileges, she thinks she’d probably give it up in a heartbeat. It kind of sucks being a living, breathing tourist attraction.

Growing up, she had her cousin Magnus, and a handful of other assorted children to play with, but she would never say that she had a best friend, or even a good friend, until she’d met Percy. Her mother and his father, famous for their mutual dislike, had put aside their differences to host some kind of charitable dinner for the disgustingly wealthy, and had trotted out their respective children in all their finery. Annabeth, being all of twelve years old, hadn’t really grasped the gravity of the event, and had gotten into an itty bitty little food fight with the then-unknown Prince Perseus, the result of an extramarital affair whom his father had so graciously decided to acknowledge and adopt.

After that night, they became fast friends, and she decided that, if she ever left the royal life, she’d make sure to take Percy with her. He’s one of the few things that makes her life bearable.

She thinks about it, sometimes. Renouncing her title. It wouldn’t exactly be hard. There was Magnus, just in line behind her. And it’s not like her family held any executive power anyway. They’re just fancy, historically interesting celebrities.

Would Percy give up his, she wonders?

“Hey.”

“Hm?”

He looks at her oddly over their dessert, two vanilla-bourbon creme brulees. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” she says. “Just tired. Long day.”

“You want to call it a night?”

She frowns. “What’s left?”

“Well, we did Space Mountain, Rise of the Resistance, Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, a few others,” he counts off his fingers, “saw the princesses, got Mickey ears, ate at Blue Bayou… I guess all that’s left is walking around the pier, if you want.”

“Sounds like you two had a full day.”

As one, they almost leap out of their seats, Annabeth choking on her spit. “Jesus, Zoe,” Percy pants, his hand over his chest. “You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

“Oh?” says Zoe Nightshade, the head of their security detail, who had just apparently materialized out of thin air. “Funny. I could say the same about you, sir.”

Coughing, Annabeth eventually manages to get her air back. “Hey, Zoe,” she wheezes. “How was your day?”

“Eventful. Let me tell you about it in the car.”

Annabeth glances at Percy, who’s looking a little bit like a deer in headlights. Honestly, she’s surprised they even made it this far without one of their own tracking them down. Still, it looks like their game is up.

...Or is it?

Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a large tour group, approaching on the horizon.

“Sure,” Annabeth says, getting up. Luckily, they’ve already paid, so they can just head out; they don’t need to wait for another big group of people to cross their paths. “Will you let us go to the bathroom, first?”

Zoe squints. She’s always been able to see through Annabeth’s bullshit. But Annabeth has her best, Percy-patented baby seal eyes on, perfectly innocent. Surely, Zoe wouldn’t deny them a physical need such as relieving themselves?

After a moment, she nods. “Make it quick, if you please.”

“Of course,” Annabeth says, looking over at Percy, hoping he gets the message. He stands up, slow and stiff, eyes darting between the two of them. “We’ll be right back.”

They wander through tables and chairs towards the bathroom, her eyes always on the tour group as it just starts to pass by. Reaching out, Annabeth grabs Percy’s hand, and with a turn that would make her track coach proud, sprints out of the restaurant, using the throng of people as cover.

She thinks she hears Zoe yelling behind them, but maybe it’s just her own laughter. “Come on!” she shrieks, breathless, as Percy’s long legs keep pace with her. “To California Adventure!”

***

darthbingus said: the monarchy are fucking parasites but percabeth is pretty cute i guess :/

ladyofsandwiches reblogged and said: it’s obviously a publicity thing lmao, also prince Percy is gay???

eowynning reblogged and said: he’s dating rachel dare, right? he can’t be gay

ladyofsandwiches reblogged and said: That was a publicity thing too obvs, and Annabeth hasn’t ever been linked to a guy. The king of thera is hardline greek orthodox, there’s no way he’d let his son come out publicly. They’re both gay and pretending to date because homophobia

lardoftheprks reblogged and said: people can be bi and ace and pan and all sorts of things you know

batgirlcock reblogged and said: can you animals leave them alone fr

***

Zoe only spots them after the ferris wheel starts moving. Sprinting over to them, they’re still a full forty feet off the ground by the time she reaches the operator. “Sorry!” she yells down to her, hands cupping her mouth. “We’ll be down in ten minutes!”

“Ananbeth!” he chokes, giggles still escaping him.

“What?” she laughs.

“We’re in enough trouble as it is!”

“Exactly,” she says, settling back on the ride. “You’ll probably be grounded for life.”

“Me?” he squawks, playfully offended. “What about you?”

She scoffs. “Please. I’ll just pin it all on you.”

Leaning back, he pouts, arms crossed. “Wow. I plan this amazing day, violate a few embassorial rules, and probably put both of our countries on a massive red alert, and this is the thanks I get?”

“I helped plan it, too.” But he does have a point. “Thank you,” she says. “I had a lot of fun today.”

He turns his head to her, a grin stretching across his face. “Me too.”

His voice is so soft, so fond. They share a look, a moment, no words between them, only the silence of a true, deep companionship. They don’t need to say anything else, because they already know what the other would say.

As one, they break away, looking back out into the California evening.

They don’t talk much as the ferris wheel climbs higher and higher. Honestly, Annabeth is kind of impressed with how well he’s handling himself--she knows heights are a bit of a weakness of his. He grabs the edges of their gondola every once in a while as it drops a few feet, knuckles white and face a little green, but he manages to keep his dinner down, even as the ferris wheel grinds to a halt, Percy and Annabeth at the top of the world. The swing back and forth a little, hot faces against the cool evening breeze.

And they stay there.

And stay there.

And… stay there.

Annabeth checks her watch. How long have they been up here?

Percy taps his feet, a little too frantic just to be ADHD.

Finally, there’s a burst of noise from below them, garbled and static. “Uh, yes, excuse me--” the voice says, amplified through a megaphone. “Yeah, um, it appears we are having some… uh, technical difficulties with the Pixar Pal-A-Round. Please remain calm, as we have our best technicians on it, and we are working on evacuating the ride in a calm and efficient manner.” Then the voice cuts out.

Annabeth glances towards Percy. He has his hands in his lap, fists clenching and unclenching, over and over again. “Uh… you okay?”

“Hm? Oh, sure,” Percy says, “just fine. Peachy keen.” He squeezes his eyes shut, slowly blowing out his breath through his mouth.

“Hey.” She reaches over, and takes one of his hands in hers, lacing their fingers together. After a long day of holding hands, somehow it still manages to surprise her, how well they fit together, how her skin tingles as she rubs her thumb against his finger. “It’s gonna be fine. We’re gonna be just fine. They’re going to get us off this ride, and then we’ll fly home and be grounded for life.”

“I thought,” he wheezes, “you’d blame it all on me?”

“As if you could come up with a plan as genius as hiding from our guard in It's A Small World.”

He nods, shakily. “Right. All you. Definitely not my idea. Everyone knows I’d have looped back to Pirates of the Caribbean.”

“Definitely.” She squeezes his hand, scooting a little closer. “Just breathe with me a little, okay?”

They breathe together, slowly and evenly. At some point, Percy takes her hand in both of his, running his thumbs over her palm, tracing her lifelines like a map. His hands are big, and warm, and it seems to calm him down a little, so she doesn’t mind all that much.

Twilight darkens, stars twinkling against the grey, dusky sky, and still they are holding hands. Eventually, Percy relaxes, slumping against his seat.

“You good?”

He nods. He still doesn’t let go. “Yeah. Just…” he sighs, stretching his arms up, taking Annabeth’s hand with him. “Not super looking forward to the dressing down I’m going to get.”

She winces. Annabeth’s dad is a little more flexible than Percy’s when it comes to breaches of protocol. The king of Thera is somewhat famous for his paranoia. “I hope it was worth it.”

He whips his head to her, eyes wide. “Of course it was worth it!” he says, as though the opposite were even fathomable. “You kidding? This was the best day of my life.”

“Better than your sixteenth?” His father had officially acknowledged him that day. Annabeth had spotted him in a deserted hallway with his mother, the two of them fighting off a few happy tears. She knows just how special that day was for him.

“Not even close.” Squeezing her hand, he smiles again, that smile she knows almost better than her own by now. That smile she grew up with, a quiet oasis in a whirlwind of ancient tradition and modern media coverage. That smile is safety, familiarity. That smile was there to greet her when her mother chose to leave her family, when her uncle died without heirs, thrusting the position of heiress on her, whenever she had a rotten day or a bad grade or a lonely night, just on the other end of a phone, or down the hall, or in the kitchen.

Whatever happens, she knows, Percy will be her best friend. Her anchor.

Her…

She swallows. “Thank you,” she says again. “I needed this.” A day without an agenda. A day just for them.

His eyes are dark, and soft, like the water beneath them. One hundred and fifty feet in the air in a broken ferris wheel, there’s nowhere safer she can be. “Me too.”

So she’s not really surprised at herself when she says, “I’d really like to kiss you now.”

Eyes widening, just a hair, he opens his mouth, momentarily speechless. “You--are you sure?”

She nods, maybe a little too enthusiastically.

“Cool. Uh, me too.”

“Cool.”

Neither of them move.

“So, do--do you want to--”

Annabeth leans in, her other hand cupping his cheek, and kisses him.

His lips are soft. His mouth tastes like vanilla and bourbon. They are trapped in a metal box, one hundred and fifty feet off the ground, about to get the punishment of their lives when they get down, and it is absolutely, utterly perfect.

And when Annabeth pulls back, there are fireworks.

Quite literally.

Percy’s face glows with pink and green and purple, and a little fire in his eyes that’s all him. The pops of the fireworks, loud and brassy, and muted, completely overshadowed by the pounding of her heart in her chest.

They rest their heads against each other, breathing each other’s air, quiet and intimate, the calm before the storm that is surely coming. But that’s fine. Let it come, she thinks. She’ll be safe with Percy.

When the park technicians eventually get the ferris wheel moving again, Percy and Annabeth disembark from the gondola like nothing’s even gone wrong, waving to the crowd of people, fans, and reporters alike, who have swarmed the pier, phones and cameras held aloft in a constellation of light, before being quickly hurried away by Zoe and her crew, ushered to the end of the pier where Annabeth’s embassy’s car is waiting.

Percy doesn’t let go of her hand once.

***

KALYMNOS, GREECE--Prince Percy has arrived on the island for his family’s annual summer retreat, bringing his girlfriend, Princess Annabeth of Sweden, with him for the fifth year in a row, and the third as his official partner. Lifelong friends, the couple were most recently seen at Disneyland Tokyo, continuing something of a tradition for the two royals where they visit Disneyland parks across the globe. Our sources inside the castle are hinting that the family is planning something big this year. Could we see a proposal by the end of summer? Be sure to subscribe for more updates!

#pjo fic #percabeth #percabeth fic #my fic #au #perseannabeth #the rivalry ends here #will i ever stop writing modern royalty aus? no 💖#also look mari i even used a taylor swift song

138 notes · View notes

astrochemstry · 3 years ago

Text

Sincerely three as best friends

Bcs i wished they became best friends and nothing bad in the musical happened :’)) also bcs DEH brain rot ghsahg im srry Connor seems so ooc here I don't know how to write him help

oK so they Evan and Connor met bcs of Jared since i said so jk but like

Lets just say Connor was a scout as a kid, his mom let him be a scout since she hoped it would- maybe, help control the anger issues and such

So ofc Jared is a scout too bcs its Jared

And they met and got grouped together

So uhh Jared and Connor didnt really like each other at first

I mean Jared was scared of him so he stayed away

Correction, tried to

But they always get grouped together

And bcs its Jared he can say some pretty hurtful things

“Oh come on those twigs arent even tied tight enough, did you even pay attention??”

“Thats big talk for a guy that’s just standing there”

I think Jared almost pissed himself bcs of how aggressive that sounded but lets not talk about that

For now

Anyways

Skip to whatever highschool or senior highschool i don't know how schools work im sorry

So Evan and Jared are walkin around the hall

Lets say theyre talkin abt whatever and then bAM

“Yeah this girl really likes me and- oh my fucking god”

Evan is confused bcs what ????

Then he looks at where hes looking and

coNNor mURPHy FOLKS CLAP YOUR HANDS

“Uhh i think i forgot to- uh forgot to go and get a hallway pass and uh and ill just go” Jared gets all nervous and now understands how Evan feels

“Holy shit Evan is this how you feel with Zoe? All sweaty and wet-” “just- just shut up. shut up.”

Theyre both cowards so they try to run away but then boom Connor Murphy is right in front of them

Jared almost pissing himself #2

“Evan Hansen, right?” “Oh- ah, me? Oh yes thats right thats me, Evan. Hansen Evan, Evan Hansen.” *insert Jared taking off his glasses, cleaning it and putting it back on- proceeds to squint his eyes at Evan*

“Nobody signed your cast.” “No shit Sherlock.” *Insert Evan nudging Jared and glaring at him and Jared thinking he fucked up*

But Connor doesnt give a fuck and only glares at him bcs hes more interested in the blondes- i mean cough bcs its Jared

Then swoOP he signs his cast, “There, now we can both pretend we have friends”

Jared coughing, “Ahem???” Evan raising an eyebrow, “I thought we’re just family friends?”

hey Evan got some sass too guys

Anyways bcs idk how they became friends bcs idk Jared tells Evan about how he met him at the scout camp and then for some reason Evan has this sudden burst of confidence where he decided to talk to Connor but fails miserably but Connor notices and then he talks to them and then what Evan says in For Forever turns true and-

Anyways

THEY BECOME BESTIES YAY

JARED PRANKS EVERYDAY

ok maybe not everyday but yk

Jared puts alarms for 3am and it starts again after every 5 minutes and the only way they can turn it off is to say “Jared Kleinman, the insanely cool Jared Kleinman”

Jared eating a bathbomb infront of Evan and Connor

Both very concerned about it but Connor says, “thats fake isnt it? Its not an actual bathbomb. right?”

But Jared tells them yes but thats the prank

It is a bathbomb

Evan constantly talking about trees and taking them to the park he became vice park ranger or whatever u call it idk

Jared: “You worked here??”

Evan: “yup”

Jared: “and thats the tree you fell from?”

LETS PRETEND HE ACTUALLY FELL BCS ITS AN ACCIDENT AND I COUGHGJHFGJH

Connor: “thats high.”

Jared: “not as high as you, bestie”

And he means Connor’s height… and bcs he was high at that time

Also Jared calls them bestie to annoy them but now its like a thing for them three

Theyre not really annoyed they jsut like how it sounds so they do it too

Connor does it sometimes tho, he always calls them by their Last name

Instead of first names being the factor of being close friends, Connor calling you by your last name is basically him saying “youre not so bad” or youre a close friend to him

Jared: “Evan, Bestie, is it photosynthesis if i combine a photo of me with the dirt in my backyard?”

Evan: “not really”

Connor: “Trying to grow taller, Kleinman?”

Connor is basically their go to person if they need a drive since Evan cant bcs of the cast but still cant afterwards since he hasn't gotten his drivers license yet and Jared almost drived into a shop and isn't allowed to drive for them

Hes also really good at finding places to make forts

And bcs of Jared’s and His scout knowledge they made one place in an orchard

Yk that orchard the Murphys love

Its closed but they sneak in lmao

Jared acts like he aint scared but bro is scared of getting caught

Connor also got them into books

Evan read the little prince and he cries over it everytime

Jared was like “ew books” but then Connor introduced ready player one to him

“Why do i have to read this? theres the movie??” “just shut up and read it bestie” and Jared loved it

Also they found out Jared is a secret theatre kid and got into it too

THEY LOVE HAMILTON

JARED CAN RAP GUNS AND SHIPS AND OFC, “and Peggy!”

Connor is pretty impressed and he complimented Jared on how its cool

Jared doesnt believe it and is still trying to find if hes lying

But really Connor isnt

Overall

I wish they became besties :’)

#help girl this is me trying to cope with life #dear Evan hansen headcanons #DEH headcanons #dear evan hansen hcs #deh headcanons #Jared Kleinman headcanons #Evan Hansen headcanons #Jared Kleinman hcs #Evan Hansen hcs #deh hcs #Connor Murphy headcanons #hcs #headcanons #fanfiction #Connor Murphy hcs

14 notes · View notes

sasuhinasno1fan · 3 years ago

Text

‘Secret Relationship’ - Lukadrien June Day 26

My mind went to Hart of Dixie when I read the prompt so yeah. Lemon was a lot to deal with so I felt like Chloe would be her but they have redemption arcs, don't worry. And hey, she and Zoe get along here, so it's ok. Secret Relationships

He didn’t have to say anything, really. As much as he loved this small town, for some reason, it didn’t love him back. Even though he grew up with summers here, helping his mom in the practise and hanging out with Chloe, when he left for a few years to become a doctor and try and land a residency, everything changed. Chloe was ten times more intense and her overprotectiveness of her half-sister and hatred of her mother made her unbearable, nothing like the girl he remembered. People seemed to think he was a completely different person that the very idea of him being their friend was something to be scared of. Like now, he’d been secret friends with Sabrina, helping her gain more confidence to stand up to Chloe - who he’d hope would eventually talk to him and explain why she was acting the way she was – and she’d been chosen as Memory Matron, basically a person who ran the town’s traditions and tried to preserve a few old historic buildings. Chloe of course wanted it and was obviously upset, but Adrien was proud of Sabrina for taking charge. He’d been hoping it would mean they could hang out in public but she said she couldn’t since most people in the town ‘hated him’. It still hurt to hear and see, after calling this small town his home, and not just because his mother was one of the doctors.

When his parents split and his mom was busy with the divorce, the town practically came together to help raise him until he had to go back to his dad, the unfortunate part of the deal between them. he’d been in Paris for a few years, hoping to get high up before coming to help his mom out. His mom had been sick during then and made those who knew, promise not to tell him and leave before he could get his fellowship. When he got here, his mom was on her deathbed and the sudden announcement that he’d take over her half of the practise was a surprise and a lot of people thought he choose the job over his mom. Chloe’s dad was his partner and certainly didn’t want to share, there was a minor incident involving a parade float that he got blamed for and apparently delivering a baby at an engagement party was in poor taste. Though, he’d blame that last one on Nath’s mom, since she never got along with his own and she was just passing on the dislike to him.

Point was, here Chloe was, with Sabrina keys, the keychain he’d given her earlier dangling from the ring, and the blonde was looking smug, thinking she was going to get what she wanted after all, basically announcing that he and Sabrina were friends and that was against the law.

He loved Chloe and he might be mad at Sabrina for choosing a position over him, but he wasn’t about to let Chloe win. “My keys!” he got up from his table and practically sprinted to the front of the room, snatching them from Chloe’s hand. “I’ve been looking for these everywhere. Thanks for finding them Sabrina.”

Chloe scoffed. She might hate her mom, but her attitude was fitting her more and more each day. “You have keys with your own name on it? Self-obsessed much?”

“No that’s you. these are keys I made for someone else.” He looked across the restaurant, trying to decide who. It’d have to be a date; the whole town had been gossiping about him dating someone. Finally, he made his decision and walked over to the bar, relishing a little in Luka’s confused expression. “I think it’s time we stop hiding things. Here, it’s for the carriage house. Try not to be late this time.” He grabbed his stuff and left, letting out a breath once he was as far from the Liberty’s Hardrock.

He just told the whole town he was dating Luka, his kinda sometimes annoying neighbour, who had a heart of gold that hide beneath all those piercings and hair dye. There was a minor make out when he moved back, since he’d completely changed and Adrien was a little drunk of wine, then when the heatwave hit and he almost went further and then the moment they shared during Christmas. Adrien wasn’t going to lie, when he was a kid, he thought Luka was the coolest and the years had been very good to him. But he hadn’t been ready to date anyone, his last attempt ended up sleeping with someone before their date could even happen. He wanted to put a pause, but now to protect someone, he was.

He just hoped Luka didn’t kill him for leaving him to answer questions everyone was sure to have.

________________

Luka knocked on the door to the carriage house an hour later. Adrien was sent back to the last time Luka knocked on the door, with Nino tagging along to try and find Adrien’s mystery man.

“Hi.” Adrien greeted, taking in the ruffled appearance Luka had compared to the more put together one from before. “What happened to you?”

“Courtesy the very curious towns people. Thanks for leaving me there. Still think you should have let Sabrina sink.”

Adrien let the bartender in and headed back to his bedroom. “I’m not that type of person. I helped Sabrina earn that head place and maybe if appearance didn’t matter so much, things would have been different. That and if the town didn’t think I’d choose a fellowship over my ailing mom.”

Luka dropped himself on the bed next to Adrien. “You know all you have to do is ask Marc and he’d release that recording on the gossip cite.”

“And get him fired from being a lawyer’s assistant, no thanks. I’ll prove it to them myself. Now, I think we need to talk secret relationship. You know as well as I do if we break up way too suddenly, Chloe will know we were lying and Sabrina will pay for it.”

Luka shook his head, clearly wanting to say more but clearly knew when to stop poking. “Alright. What do we say?”

“Ok, why did we hide our relationship? When did we start going out?”

“Started after Christmas. And…” Luka let out a hum, trying to think before he snapped his fingers. “You have a tendance to put others before yourself and since the town is weary of you, you didn’t want to get me in trouble. Me being the town rebel doesn’t care and has been looking for an excuse to spill about this ‘secret relationship’ since we got together.”

“Luka.”

“Hey, you wanted to know what the story is, it’s the one that makes the most sense.”

Adrien shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m doing this. I was supposed to not be dating anyone but thank you for going along with this.”

“You’re lucky your worth it.”

______________

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me you and Luka were dating!”

Adrien listened to Marc talk about what happened last night. he was used to people staring at him but now it was intense. Was him dating someone that big a deal?

“How long has it been going on? Wait, is he the guy everyone’s been whispering about? The one you’ve been so giddy over?”

“Oh, uh, yeah.” He happed to see Chloe, her sister and Sabrina passing by. “Hey, I’m gonna go to the corner store and get ice cream.”

Marc looked confused and glanced at his watch. “It’s like 8 am? Don’t you have to be at the office soon?”

“Like Andre wouldn’t revile in me being a bit late. I’ll see you later!”

Minutes later, Adrien was in the corner store, hiding by the freezers waiting for a head of red hair. Finally Sabrina showed up. He pulled her keys he’d gotten from Luka and passed them to her.

“Here. Luka had to keep the keychain.”

“He deserves it more than me.” Sabrina looked sorry for herself and Adrien had been there when she started crying when they couldn’t be friends anymore. “So I guess it isn’t true? You just did it to protect me?”

“Yeah. I want to be friends with Chloe again, but she’s gonna have to learn not to be so selfish. You deserve this spot. You stood up to her and you proved you’ve got what it takes. I just, I need friends who are gonna stick by me. And I guess Luka is one of them, doing this for me.”

“I know it’s fake but I think you two would be good for each other.”

Adrien shrugged. Would they? Since moving back, even though they could poke each other buttons, he always knew he could count of Luka for help or just be there. Any other person would have asked for something in return, but Luka was different.

‘You’re lucky your worth it.’

He usually said that when Adrien would beg him to do something for him. He wouldn’t admit it to anyone, but he like it when Luka said that, made him feel special.

He left the corner store and almost crashed into Luka, who was being followed by Alya and Marinette, friends of there but also people behind the town’s gossip cite. Adrien could only guess why they’d been following him around.

“Hey, I was just heading to the office.”

“Cool, so I’ll see you at the restaurant for lunch?” Luka asked.

Adrien nodded and before he could even say anything else, Luka had his arms around his waist and his lips pressed against his.

They’d shared a kiss before but it was a memory Adrien didn’t look at with the biggest fondness. This however, was much better.

“I’ll see you later.” Luka whispered against his lips before he was gone. Adrien didn’t even hear Alya and Marinette grill him.

If this was a fake secret relationship, why did it feel so real?

#lukadrien june 2021 #hart of dixie au #adrien is a doctor

8 notes · View notes

elle-smells · 4 years ago

Note

Wouldn’t it have made more sense for Zoe at least to not attend this bitch fest as well? She’s not been present for the rest of the season they could’ve easily omitted her from that as well.

That way you can keep this shitty plot without completely ignoring/sabotaging the personality of your past main. She’d never sit there and allow that from BA. Its so unbelievable.

Yeah I think we can all agree that inconsistent wiring is this shows most recognisable quality. As you are saying that anon, I saw a post that basically said that Zoë's character was just written weird since wtfockdown bcs I can not even begin to imagine S1-3 Zoë not standing up for Yasmina. But yeah, also no pls don't even keep this shitty plot bcs wow they are making Yasmina's so called FRIENDS care more about looking good in front of Blonde Ambition and a trip than their fucking friend- that's so shitty of them. Imagine your friends basically expecting you to suck it up bcs they wanna go on a trip??? If this were real life I'd be telling Yasmina that it looks like BA aren't the only fake people around....

Also it's the way this is not entirely ooc for most of them and it pisses me off that they can't write great friendships to save their lives. They had something great going on with Luca and Yasmina, and now, the fact that she didn't say anything? She knows Yasmina has not been great emotionally and still sat there and listened to the "joke" bcs "it's not even a big deal". I'd be pissed too if the one friend that has been there for me did that.

Think of the Los Losers scene, that is supposed to be a big "fuck you, you don't talk shit about our friend"....but this time they let it happen....

#i am dissapointed #but not surprised #wtfock

7 notes · View notes

all-things-skam · 4 years ago

Text

Special ornaments

Summary: Nora adds a new ornament to her Christmas tree

Written For: @skamevents Holiday event

Pairing: Nora x Josh (Spiderwitz)

Theme: Decorations

''It's almost seven, shall we go?''

Josh glanced down at his cosy looking girlfriend in his arms. He didn't want to disturb her, looking like could fall asleep if she stayed there ten more minutes, but they had planned to go to the Christmas market and the clock was ticking.

''No,'' Nora whined as he detached himself from her, sitting up. ''I was comfy here.''

''If we wait too long, there'll be too many people. Come on.'' He stood and extended his hand to Nora, pulling her out of bed.

She let him pull her up half way before go of his hand and falling back on her bed with a laugh.

''Nora...'' he sighed with a smile, faking to be annoyed.

''It's cold out. Aren't we good here? We could watch a movie? Fatou told me about this one on Netflix.''

''You said we'd go tonight. Do you not want to anymore?''

It was okay if she had changed her mind. It happens. And Josh wanted Nora to know that. He didn’t want to force her to do some things just because she once agreed to. They can change their plan.

She shook her head. ''No. I still want to go,'' she assured. ''I just need to mentally prepare myself for the cold weather.''

Josh let out a small snicker at the blonde's ridiculousness, but nodded. ‘’Okay.’’ He grabbed his dark blue hoodie from the back of the wooden chair and slipped it on over his head. ‘’It’s a cute tree,’’ Josh pointed out, catching sight of the small Christmas tree on Nora’s desk right where a picture frame of her mom and sisters stood. ‘’A bit busted, but cute.’’

She stood and laughed softly, agreeing to the statement. The tree was in fact old and slightly crooked from that one time Zoe had knocked it off. ‘’Thanks. I’ve had it since I was little. Each ornament represents my sisters. Mom gave it to me.’’

Kiki was the angel with fluffy feathers. As the eldest, she is like a second mom to her sisters. She protects, watches over them, brings guidance when needed and will always be there for them.

Zoe was the golden sun. Just like the sun, she brings joy and a smile on people's faces. It also shines the brightest in the sky and is sometimes blinded by her own rays or outshine others without meaning to.

And, lastly, Nora was the sparkly ballerina. Since she was young, she always loved dancing. But, also, ballerinas are delicate at first glance, yet so strong as Nora had proved this year. They fall too...and that's okay, because they always get back up and that's what matters.

Josh smiled as she told them the meaning of each of them. He didn’t know Nora’s sisters too well, but he knew she was close to them and suddenly felt like he knew them better now. ‘’What ornament would I be?’’

Nora pursed her lips and paused, thinking thoroughly. ‘’A Spiderman,’’ she concluded.

‘’A Spiderman.’’

‘’Yes.''

A short laugh left Josh’s lips. ''Everyone has deep meanings and I get a Spiderman? I get that I do parkour, but come on, Nora. You can find something better.''

She shook her head, snaking her arms around the back of his neck. ‘’No. I stand by what I said. You’re a Spiderman. Nora smiled before closing the gap between them.

The next time Zoe sister's bedroom, she noticed a new ornament on her tree.

''What's this?'' she asked, pointing to the red figure.

''Spiderman,'' Nora responded in a 'duh' tone.

Zoe rolled her eyes. ''I know. But, why is there a Spiderman into your Christmas tree?''

''Josh gave it to me.''

#skamholidayevent #decorations #spiderwitz #josh x nora #druck #josh zimmermann #nora machwitz

20 notes · View notes

perseusjackson-jasongrace · 4 years ago

Text

Empires on the Horizon XII

Jason is a CEO: Part XII

Here’s my masterlist for the next part and my other stuff

Just wanted to say thank you for being so patient with me. It means more than you could ever know. I love you guys! Please enjoy.

TW: violence

I hope you understand

you need your own love

more than they do.

-Dhiman

Good day this is Jason Grace. I’m currently unavailable. Please contact my office if you need to get a hold of me.

The music blasted in his ears, rattling every cell in his brain, shutting down each transmitter, pounding against every cage. It was not loud enough, he could still feel his heart, could still hear things. The treadmill under his feet beeped as he increased the speed again. Why wasn’t this working? Why was he still here? He’d been running so long he should be on Mars by now.

Good day this is Jason Grace. I’m currently unavailable. Please contact my office if you need to get a hold of me.

FUCK.

He jumped off the machine and flung his phone across the room. He couldn’t do this. He wasn’t strong enough to do this.

His phone went off again, and he’s annoyed he didn’t break it in his rage. Apparently even destroying something was an impossibility for him. The thought was so pathetic he couldn’t help but let out a sharp laugh.

Good day this is Jason Grace. I’m curr–

“Okay!” He yelled, “I’m answering the fucking call. Just shut up.” He stabbed at the screen until the dial tone started up again.

“Jase?” Annabeth Chase sucked in a breath.

“Yes, what is wrong?” He knew he was being rude but he didn’t feel like it. Didn’t want what was about to happen.

“Can we come in?”

“You guys are outside my apartment?” He scowled.

“Uh yes,” She winced, “We tried knocking but you didn’t answer.”

He cut the call and walked to the front door, yanking it open with enough force to rattle the hinges.

“What do you want?”

Leo Valdez just levelled his gaze at him and stepped into the room.

“Guys, I know you mean well but I really don’t have the energy for this.”

They both ignored him, putting down the shopping bags on his kitchen counter and shoving stuff in the fridge. Leo hit the button on the coffee machine and grabbed three mugs from the cupboard.

Jason didn’t even have the strength to ask what was going on, he just collapsed onto a bar stool and put his head to the cool marble. His friends moved around him in silence, putting things away, washing the minimal dishes in the sink, and straightening the pillows on the couch. Eventually he felt them come nearer, leaning against the counter and looking at him.

“Jase,” Annabeth said softly, “Please look at us.”

He debated pretending he was asleep, but he knew they wouldn’t fall for it. With a deep breath he raised his head and stared into their matching eyes of love.

“Stand up,” Leo requested, voice gentle.

He felt his lip wobble, felt his throat close up. But he stood.

“Come here my darling.” They held out their arms.

He looked at them and collapsed to the floor, sobs catching like swords in his chest. They enveloped him as his tears soaked their clothes. He heaved with heart ache and loneliness, betrayal.

“I can’t do this,” He cried, anguish a serrated edge on his tongue. “I can’t do this.”

The just kept holding him. His friends for these years. His family through it all. They sat on the floor trying to catch all the pieces of him that broke off with each sob, not a word to interrupt his grief. And when the day blackened as dark as his lungs, they held each other by the light of the moon, and let the stars witness the destruction they caused.

***

Jason walked into his office for the first time in a week and pretended to be on a call as he avoided the chatter his employees would undoubtedly try to engage him in. A tight-lipped smile and an apologetic motion at his phone left them in their seats and far away from him. He wouldn’t be here for long. No he just had to sort out a few things and then he was packing up his crushed elation and taking himself to a place no-one save for the birds would be able to talk to him.

His office was just the way he left it, some documents neatly piled on his desk waiting for his approval, the blinds half closed so the sun still filtered in but didn’t blind, and his computer opened to the email he had been typing to Zoe about a holiday they should go on. It took everything in him not to smash the screen with the little cactus paperweight Hazel had bought him.

“Boss,”

Think of the assistant and they shall appear.

“Yes,” He didn’t bother to look up as he shuffled through the awaiting files.

“How-“ She gulped, ‘How are–“

“Levesque,” His voice was cold but it was the only way to get through this, “I mean this in the nicest way possible. Please don’t ask me that. Thank you for being concerned.”

She nodded, jaw-snapping shut, but he could see all the questions burning in her eyes. Instead she released a shaky breath and asked, “Will you be back at work full time? I just need to know if I should be transferring calls to you or putting in an out of office notification.”

He frowned, mulling it over. He could work, he should work. But everything reminds him of his failures. Of the things he didn’t see coming. And his job was nothing if not full of surprises. As he’s about to tell her his decision his phone rang.

His sister’s name flashed across the screen and he knew he couldn’t keep avoiding her.

“Fina-fucking-ly.” She grumbled, “Gees Jase. It’s like you’re purposefully ignoring me. Are you ready for today?”

He was so caught off by her question he forgot all about telling her the news. “Today?”

“Do not tell me you forgot,” She sighed, “We’re supposed to meet Octavian today. Give the idiot a piece of our mind.”

“Oh,” He muttered eloquently, “Are we still doing that?”

“Well I don’t know about you but I’m pretty pissed he dared to hurt one of our own so yes I do think we’re still doing that. Also this is the only day Bianca has so get your ass out of your office and meet me outside Titan Industries in twenty.”

With that the phone gave an obnoxious beep and the screen went dark. He scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to gather the scattered thoughts in his mind.

“We’ll talk later,” Hazel, still waiting at the door, nodded before waving a goodbye and disappearing into her office.

Sighing he gathered his things and trudged down to his car. Might as well get this over with and then tell his sister about Zoe. No matter what had happened between them Octavian still deserved whatever was coming for him. What he did was abominable.

The Titan Industries building loomed over him as he parked the car in a loading zone and hopped out. He was being that dick today, but he just couldn’t bring himself to care. Thalia swerved in next to him and behind her an array of cars stopped. A team of suited people poured out, black glasses, and head pieces to match. It looked fake enough to be comical. But then a woman in four-inch heels, a gunmetal coloured suit and a smile made from terror stepped out and he knew it was anything but fake. Or funny. She was the single scariest thing he had ever laid eyes on, and he knew what his sister looked like angry.

“Bianca!” Thalia jumped excitedly, racing towards the woman. They embraced with a laugh and a quick catch up. She fist-bumped a few of the bodyguards and then walked towards him.

“Di Angelo,” She smiled, “Please meet my brother Jason and the reason we’re here today.”

“Oh I know all about Jason,” Her voice was low but clear, like everything she said had purpose.

“You do?” He tried not to let the shock take over his features.

“I know everyone who hangs out with my brother. If they don’t get clearance from me they disappear.” She said it with such casualness he would have thought she was joking if the gleam in her black eyes didn’t hold a challenge.

‘Well,” He laughed awkwardly, “Glad I meet your approval.”

She just tilted her head and looked at him. A panther waiting to pounce. A competition waiting to be won.

Thalia who looked entirely too amused clapped her hands, “Shall we then? I wore my blood-stained pants for this.”

“Period stains or other stains?” Bianca asked, mirth dancing on her lips.

His sister just snorted and pushed open the Brobdingnagian door. None of Bianca’s bodyguards followed them in but he knew it didn’t matter. Between her and Thalia he doubted they would be needed.

“We’re here to see Octavian.”

The receptionist gave them a sickly-sweet smile, “Do you have a meeting?

“Tell him it’s Jason Grace from Anemoi Empires.”

Moments later they were being escorted into an elevator and taken up to the big boss himself.

“And what do we have here?” An oily voice grinned, “An intervention? Interrogation? Investment?”

“Octavian Haruspex,” Bianca drawled, examining her long black nails briefly.

“And who might you be?” He snooted, giving her a filthy look.

She smiled slowly and Jason swore the temperature in the room plummeted.

“Does it really matter who I am?”

“Greatly,” The blonde sniffed, leaning against his desk with arrogance, “I prefer to know who I’m speaking to.”

Her laugh was razor sharp as she focused her glittering eyes on him. “Bianca Di Angelo.”

Those pale blue eyes widened, shuttered, blinked. That was all the surprise he would show.

“And what is the Queen of the Underworld doing in my building? With these,” He pulled his face into a look of distaste, “With company such as them.”

Thalia growled, “I’d watch how you speak boy.”

He deigned to laugh, “What are you going to do? This is my empire. You’re just visiting.”

“She’s right,” Bianca said softly, moving to stand by the window.

“What do you want?” He scoffed, “I have work to do.”

“Piece of shit.” Jason muttered, fingers curling into fists at his side.

“I’m not the one who strung your company along for weeks only to deny them the greatest investment opportunity money could buy.” That greasy smile was back.

It took everything in him not to reach over and smack it off his face. “We’re not three-year olds Octavian. Sometimes business doesn’t work out. What you did–“ He breathed, anger making the room red, “What you did was disgusting.” He can feel the exhaustion tugging in his spine. Like a weighted chain wrapping around him.

“What I did?” He raised a bleached brow, “And what exactly did I do Jason Grace?”

“Okay,” Bianca sighed, like she was already bored with the conversation, ‘I’ve had just about enough of this.”

Before anyone could blink a dagger was embedded in Octavian’s table, millimeters from his fingers.

“Bitch!” He cursed, ripping his hand away from the shining blade. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

“We don’t believe in lawsuits Octavian. It’s no necessary when people like you deserve to rot at the bottom of a sewer.” Thalia spat.

For the first time since they came in, Jason could see a flicker of fear in the man’s pale face.

“Fuck you,” He grunted, “You can’t prove jackshit.”

“We don’t have to prove anything.” Bianca grinned, “That’s not how street justice works.”

And before he can say another word, she was standing in front of him a second dagger titling his chin up and laughter playing in her eyes, “Now listen, if you ever, and I mean ever touch Jason, his associates, his family, his friends, the person he blinks at on the sidewalk, ever again I will have you erased so violently history will not be able to string the letters of your name together.”

A tiny drop of bright red blood fell to Octavian’s crisp white shirt as his glared at the woman in his space. “Fuck you.”

“Not even if it meant I could rule heaven,” She giggled coldly.

Her face pulled taut, “They are under my protection, from now until the Ouija boards can longer summon me in my grave. If you or your own ever go near them.” She snapped her teeth at him, “Well let’s just say my bodyguards are very creative with their outdoor activities.”

A dark stain spread over Octavian’s grey pants and Jason had to clamp a hand over his mouth to keep from laughing. Fucking coward. Can order a person to stab someone but cannot even handle a little threat.

“Don’t bother doing business on our side of town again.” He hissed. The man didn’t say anything as they turned away. The dull crack of a bone echoed behind him and Jason turned to see his sister leaning over a bloody Octavian, shaking out her hand.

“That was for stabbing my friend, you fucker.”

Through his red teeth he grinned at her, “Your friend huh?”

“What the fuck does that mean?” His sister spat.

The vile man turned towards him, “And has she broken up with you yet?”

Jason wanted to strangle the smirk of his face, wanted to throw up. “It’s none of your business.”

“Isn’t it?” Octavian smiled.

“Come on Jase,” Thalia tugged at his arm, “He’s not worth it.”

He let her drag him away, but the businessman’s unsettling grin played a loop in his head. There was something distinctly wrong about the situation. He had the eery feeling he wasn’t done with Octavian Haruspex just yet.

When they finally made it outside, the sun was still shining brightly as if what occurred could never stain the glory of the world. They said their thank you’s and goodbyes to Bianca and her team of people, Thalia promising to come around soon.

“So,” She grinned at him, “How do you feel?”

“Tired,” He rolled his shoulders, “That wanker got what he deserved but it didn’t make me feel better.”

In a rare moment she opened her arms, a silent offering. He stepped into them without hesitation and drooped onto her shoulder.

“Thals–“ He mumbled, trying to keep the tears at bay, “Zoe and i–“

“I know Jase,” She hugged him tighter. “She called me. Said to tell you she’ll never be sorry enough.”

The dam inside him burst, “Everyone is always sorry. But does anybody actually care?”

She stroked her hands over his back and carried his burden on her shoulders too.

“I think,” She said after a moment, “I think you should go away for a little while. You haven’t had a proper break in nearly three years.”

“Where will I go?” His blue eyes were blurry with tears.

“We have that house in Panarea.” Her voice was soft, soothing in his ear. “Maybe go there for a little while.”

“And what about Project Hestia? And the company? You know I’m starting the Conservation Conversations initiative after Hestia and there’s still so much to close up for the mini projects, and I have that water–“

“Jase!” She frowned, her blue eyes matching his glinted with sternness, “Your company will survive without you for a week or two. Hell it’ll survive for one or two months. But you aren’t going to survive another day if you don’t get some rest.”

“I just–“ He sighed, “I feel bad for abandoning everyone.”

“If you don’t stop, you’ll abandon us permanently and I will literally bring you back to just to kill you myself if you do that.” She squeezed him, “So just go to Italy for a little while. If you want, I’ll stay here and keep things in line. I’m sure Leo and Beth know what to do where I don’t. And Hazel is more than competent enough. Not to mention Frank.”

He took a deep breath, letting the options buzz around in his mind.

“I swear if you come up with one more excuse I’m going to duct-tape your mouth and ship you off myself.”

He gave a burst of laughter and wiped at his eyes, “Okay, okay. I’m going to Panarea. But you have to let me get my life sorted first. I’m not just packing up and taking the first flight out.”

“Deal,” Thalia smiled, and when she gave him one last hug, he realised there were some things in the world he would never want to control.

***

“Okay,” He popped his head around the door, “Flight is booked for two weeks from now.”

She gave him a thumbs up, “And you’re sure you’re okay to go?”

“I’m fine, you worry pot. I promise I’m not going to crumble to dust.”

“Okay,” She looked dubious, “It just seems like you got over all of this really quickly.”

“It was coming for a while,” He shrugged, “She is magnificent, but she isn’t mine.”

“I’m just worried you’re suppressing your feelings and as soon as you have five minutes to breathe, you’re just gonna break down instead.”

“I promise if I breakdown I’ll call you to come get me,” He laughed, “Now, how about we go over the checklist for the trip. And don’t forget to book a hotel for me please.”

“Where are you going again?”

Gorgeous eyes glittered as he caught the sunset lighting up the room in dainty colours. Gods he loved the sun. Loved that no matter what it rose and fell every day and the way it changed colours each evening and again each morning. The way it astounded him no matter how it looked.

“Daydreamer?” Rachel prompted.

“Oh,” He blinked back into the world, “I’m going to Panarea.”

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What in the world is going on?????

Tags (if you want to be added to/ taken off the tag list just let me know, all my channels of communication are open):

@lesbian-peanuts

@leydiangelo

@queen-of-demons-and-hell

@msdrpreist

@sparkythunderstorm

@nishlicious-01

@lucyisblue

#Empires on the Horizon #part 12 #baby fanfic #baby fanfic series #eventual jercy #jason grace #jason is a ceo #jason #grace #PJSSG fanfic #PJSSG series #PJJG fanfic #PJJG series #thalia grace #bianca di angelo #octavian #leo valdez #annabeth chase

36 notes · View notes

szamsson · 4 years ago

Note

Can you write something about Britt getting into a catfight with Robbe because of Sander (an alternate scene that takes place in ep.8), similar to Jana-Marie fight in season 1. And the Broerrrs jump in to defend Robbe and the girl squad also tries to intervene and calm Britt down

(Disclaimer: I don’t hate Britt, so even though this fic may seem a bit hostile to her, I do feel sorry for her character and this is just a product of her being really butt hurt.)

Robbe hummed to himself has he walked to school that morning. After his weekend with Sander, he was so happy he almost couldn’t contain it. He practically skipped through the front entrance, seeing the rest of the Broeerrs lounging on a bench on the entrance of the building. He hiked his bag up on his shoulders and walked over to them.

“Hey!” he chirped with a grin, pulling his beanie off his head and shaking out his hair. He didn’t notice all the boys looking at him with different looks on their faces. Jens and Moyo seemed amused whilst Aaron stared with a crease in between his eye brows, looking like a confused puppy whilst he tilted his head to the side.

Robbe suddenly froze realising that no one had said a word since he arrives. “What...” he asked suspiciously, barely managing to keep the grin from his face.

“You seem very...different to last week.” Moyo said, raising one eye brow, “Happy.”

Robbe just grinned back, “I am happy, I’m very happy.”

The boys continued to stare at their friend as he almost giggled at their bewildered faces. “Can’t I just be in a good mood?” Robbe asked in fake exasperation.

Jens’ mouth slowly turned up at the corners, “You got laid.”

Robbe instantly turned bright red, stuttering as he responded “Wh-what? why would you ever, what- where did you--” All the boys burst out laughing as Robbe hid his heated face in his hands, and gently punched Jens in the shoulder.

“About time bro” Moyo piped up, giving a reluctant Robbe a fist bump.

“Wait with who?” Aaron asked, still looking absolutely befuddled, “Are you back with Noor?”

The rest of the boys gave Aaron an incredulous stare as they began to walk towards the building. Aarons eyes shot back and forth as if he were trying to add up a difficult equation in his brain.

“So how was it?” Jens asked giving Robbe a little shove, “I never thought out of all of us, little Robbe would be the one banging a university student.”

Robbe scowled at that, “I’m not giving you details, it was...good.” he smiled to himself, shifting his bag further up his shoulders as his brain catalogued every single moment of the weekend with great detail.

Suddenly, out of no where, Robbe was startled out of his reverie by a palm firmly smacking him across the face. He was so dazed, it took him a few seconds to understand what was going on as his head snapped back at the force. He grabbed his cheek with a whimper as he looked up, only to be met with the piercing, angry eyes of Britt.

“Wow wow wow!” The boys all stood in front of Robbe angrily trying the shield him from the angry blonde who was currently trying to break through them, arms swinging and forehead creased.

Suddenly, it was chaos as Luca, Zoe and Jana ran up to them, Jana grabbing Britt around the waist and pulling her back.

“Britt, what the actual fuck?!” Zoe shouted as she cradled Robbe’s face in her palms, turning his head right and left, observing the bruise that was already making itself known on Robbe’s pale face.

“Are you crazy?” Jens shouted at her, anger leeching out of every word and Britt continued to stare daggers into Robbe.

Jana turned Britt around trying to calm her down as she put her hands on her shoulders, “I know things are tough with Sander right now but you can’t just go around hitting people for no reason!” Jana said calmly.

“Oh yeah!? Well maybe if he wasn’t” she emphasised the next line with a scream, causing everyone in the vicinity to take notice “SLEEPING WITH MY BOYFRIEND.”

Robbe just stood there shell-shocked. Whilst he was finally getting comfortable coming out to his close friends, he wasn’t ready for the entire school to know, and on top of that, thinking he was stealing someone else’s boyfriend.

Jana’s hands dropped, whilst Luca and Amber who had backed away slightly both stared with wide eyes and open mouths as they all looked at Robbe.

“So how’d you do it Robbe? Huh? Stood there with your little doe eyes begging my boyfriend to take you like a little SLUT.” Britt wasn’t holding back and Robbe could feel his eyes begin to water.

Jens would never hit a girl, ever, but at this point he thought the veins in his head were about to pop. “You have so very much crossed a line Britt. Walk away.” Jens said calmly. He could see his best friend on the edge of a panic attack as all eyes in the yard were on them.

With that, Robbe turned on his heels and fled the yard, exiting the way he entered that morning, only instead of the pure happiness he felt on his way in this morning. He angrily wiped at tears which were falling down his cheeks. He could hear Jens and the boys follow him but he wouldn’t turn back around, he had to get out of there. Everyone knew, everyone thought he was a boyfriend stealing, horrible person and Robbe couldn’t stand it. For someone who was pretty much a wallflower this type of attention churned his gut and made him want to bend at the waist and throw up.

What started as one of the best morning of his life had ended with an encounter he would never forget.

#wtfock #wtfam #wtfock fic #sorry this one was hella dark #myfics

34 notes · View notes

fruitpunchninja101 · 5 years ago

Text

Slow Dancing In The Dark

Characters: Hanji Zoe x Levi Ackerman

Genre: Romance/Fluff

Rating: T

Here’s part 1 of my gift for LeviHan Eggscghange 2020 :) I hope my dear giftee enjoys this.Part 2 will be out in a couple of days!

You can also read this on AO3

@levihanweek

Working for Sina Industries has always been a life long dream for Hange.As a wide eyed child,she would always watch live broadcasts of their space launches and tell herself one day shes gonna be there.Standing in mission control smiling as she watched one of her creations get sent to a different planet.Armed with a degree & a determined heart,she applied as an engineer.You could imagine her disappointment when she was crammed into an 8x12 cubicle in the basement to design and develop circuitry which their boss greedily takes credit for all the damned time.She's pretty good at keeping a front that shes a pretty chill with all her bosses bullshit but she finally lost it when he started harassing a temp.Hange bravely spoke out and got into a heated argument with her boss.She got supended for a week after that.

It took almost six months before she was promoted to another 8x12 cubicle.Only this time,shes moving up on the infamous 17th floor.The place where they flung all the adept yet problematic employees.Its pretty much the same,shitty boss,intricate work but now on a higher pay grade and a lot more hearsay about her reputation.Its not so bad though,despite the lack of recognition and grueling work hours she met a handful of wonderful coworkers who shared the same pain.

Mike and Nanaba were sort of the required stable couple of the group.She met them a month after the big promotion when she caught them making out in the copy room.She's probably standing there for an entire minute awkwardly making fake cough noises to alert them of her presence.Enter Erwin Smith,he casually strode up by the couple and grabbed the box of printer ink Hange desperately needed.He's like freaking Captian America & Superman combined except he has a mind of a slytherin.Not that it was a bad thing.

And then there's Levi,The crabbiest member of their little group,Mr.I-look-very-angry-and-irritated-all-the-time-but-inside-lies-a-total-softy.He’s a clean freak who befittingly,is a sanitary engineer.Rumors say that Levi had tendencies with violence and had to be sent at 17th floor for precaution.There used to be a time when they didn't get along.She'd been very welcoming towards him but hes always been aloof and cold.She didn't mind it at first,but after a while it kinda got into her nerves.Til that christmas party back in 2017,where she had a few drinks and sort of confessed that she liked him and it really bummed her out that he didn't feel the same way.For the first time,she saw something other than disinterest and irritation on his face...she saw confusion.He asked her what shes on about,then reminded her that he just made her chocolates for valentines day when she won't shut up about craving something sweet.He doesn't do that kind of shit just for anyone and after that,hange was pretty sure they've become best friends.

Their friendship was forged in companionship in misery but as time passed they became her second family.

One of the things that Hange looked forward to is hanging out with them every Friday night at a dive bar a few blocks away from their office where they get shit faced and let off some steam from their work.Hange was preoccupied with the jukebox when Mike arrived with his arm slung over Levi dragging the smaller man into her space.”You'll never guess what happened.”The man announced and before she could answer the man screamed."Someone got asked for a date!"

"Ohoho!Whos the lucky girl?"Nanaba came out of nowhere carrying two mai tais and handed one to Hange before heading over at Mike's side.

"Petra Ral."Erwin chimed cooly while sipping a glass of scotch.His blond hair still laid perfectly even after a long tiring day at work.

"From PR?Holy shit!Good job!"Hange said slapping Levi’s shoulder hurting her hand in the process.The man didn’t even falter from where he stood,all he did was stare straight at her before scowling."It's not a big deal.”He said settling his gaze on his side.

Hange smiled.

He’s shy.Levi Ackerman is actually being shy about getting asked out by an adorable strawberry blonde colleague.Isn’t that precious?She’d never seen him like that before.Heaven knows how much she wanted to tease him about his situation but she can clearly tell by the way he clenched his jaw and the deep creases on the space between his brows that if she says anything,he'd run straight to the wall to escape,cartoon style.

Mike started telling the story and Levi sneakily started edging towards the exit.Before the questions came flooding in,Levi was already gone.

“I think I should follow him.“Hange announced.

"Try to convince him to go out with Ral!"Mike shouted which prompted Erwin to take his drink away from him."I think you had enough."

"Goodluck!"Nanaba raised her drink at her.Before helping Erwin keep Mike's drink away from him.

Hange found Levi brooding on the sidewalk while smoking.”Can I get a light?”She asked.

“Its cold.”He said,which also translates to she should go back inside or she’ll catch a cold.Levi’s nice like that,it took everything in her to hold back and not make a snide comment.He alwas hated it when he gets called out for being considerate.

“So Petra Ral huh?”She started.

“I don’t wanna talk about it.”

“We don’t have to,If you don’t want to.”Hange calmly took a box of cigarettes from her pocket and stood a bit closer to him.

“Good.”He said before tossing her his lighter.

Hange bit her lower lip to stifle a smile and Levi was already armed with his grumpy face.He's getting a little agitated.She let the silence drag on for a while as she started to giddily shift from where she stood.Unable to contain her curiosity.

“But its Petra Ral...The Petra Ral!Our company sweetheart.”She exploded.

“I barely know her.”

"Isn’t that what dating is for?!Besides,She probably just needs to get dicked down."Hange said casually."Go for it!Have a little fun.What’s there to lose?"

"Yeah well...I don't think I could."Levi started bouncing his leg.Is he nervous?Agitated?Both?It seemed like he's trying to say something.

“Levi,you know we wont judge you if you’re gay right?You don’t have to hide it from us.”

“Why would I be hiding that if I was?”

“Then what are you nervous for?"

“I’m not nervous...I.."Levi paused as if he's considering if he should tell her."I haven’t...I...”

“You're acting like you've never been out on a date."she said.

Levi visibly stiffened and averted her curious eyes.From where she sat,she could see how levi clenched his jaw and feel him hold his breath.No?It cant be...

"Oh.Its been a while for you huh?like 6 months?"She tried to take a wild stab but was met with silence.Hange sobered."You’ve never been on a date before?"she repeated a little louder than she meant to and not soon after she found Levi's hand over her mouth.

“You wanna scream that a little louder?“

“EVER?!”She peeled his hand off her face and asked.

“Tch.I dont need this.“Levi rolled his eyes and started leaving but hange caught his arm.

"Hey!I'm sorry.I didn't know.Its nothing to be embarrassed about.Its just,its a little uncommon you know.I'm really sorry.I didn't mean to be a dick.”

She assumed that its not because of the lack of people who wanna date with him.Believe it or not,this whole quiet mysterious guy persona is a total chick magnet.She even had several people from the office ask about him every once in a while.So what happened?Is it trauma?Is he aromantic?Holy shit!How could she be so insensitive?

“Stop looking at me like that.”He frowned.Snapping her out of her thoughts.

“Sorry,I was just thinking...”

“Don’t think of anything.Just mind your own business and let me be.”

“What kind of friend would I be if I let you be?”

“A good one.And stop drawing conclusions!I can practically see the thoughts up your head.I'm not anything I just...dont know how.”

“why are you so intent on giving up?!I thought you like her!”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Oh please Ackerman!How can you not?She's the perfect mix of adorable,kind,fiesty and beautiful...she’s perfect for you!”

"What do you want me to do?"he asked,in his how can I make you shut up tone.

"What if I help you?You could...I dont know...practice with me?I could help you with the whole dating thing!"Levi looked at her as if she grew another head.Honestly shes just happy he didn't look disgusted with her proposal.He gave her a once over before pinching the bridge of his nose.She knows this maneuver.Its the what-have-i-gotten-my-self-into or holy-shit-am-I-actually-considering-this move.“Are you sure about this?”He asked.

Hange made a gesture of crossing over her heart and raising her right hand up and levi scrunched his brows together.

“Quit downplaying this.I’m serious.”

“I wont offer it if my not 100% I’m serious. The last guy I went out with was a total disappointment and Petra deserves better than that.You know she helped me last Christmas...”

“Yeah,yeah she helped you change your tire."He supplied,refraning hange from tellong the story again.

“And in exchange I'm gonna help you be more fun and well rounded for your date!It's the circle of life!”Hange enthusiastically smiled.

“Alright.How do we start?”Levi asked.

"Ask Petra to reschedule your date for next week,Then we can take the whole week to practice."

The harsh sun bore down on Levi as if reminding him never to indulge Hange with her antics again.Aparrently,she found Petra's online journal and identified that she had two dream dates.One is a carnival date (which explains why he is standing in line for cotton candy out in the middle of the goddamn afternoon.) and the other was spending an evening at a local jazz bar in the city.

Levi doesn't know how she successfully lured him out.You see,he liked his comfort zone and for some unknown reason Hange always challenged him to take a step out of the little box he created around him.And although there are times when she proved that taking a risk was worth it,Levi never really appreciated getting stuck in very shitty situations like now.He doesn't know how she seemed fine with all these shitty conditions.Maybe because she's been busy talking about her new droid remodel.

"Hey Levi are you listening to me?"

"Yes."He said exasperated.

"What was I saying then?"She folded her arms and raised her brows,challenging him.

"You're planning to replace fiberglass with aerogel as insulator on your next shitty droid."He said which earned a bright smile from her.Tch!He rolled his eyes at that and stepped forward after the couple infront of them was served with an unreasonable amount of cotton candy.

"I'll get the giant sunshine surprise."Hange said and the vendor then started shaping the cotton candy into a big daisy.Hange looks absolutely delighted.

"That will be 50 dollars."The vendor said offering his open palm to him which prompted him to turn towards Hange."Oh!let me get my wallet!"Hange started going though her bag and for some reason he felt chills run through him.WheN he raised his head,he noticed that people around them started glaring at him.Oh great he forgot!He's in a fake date.He assumed people still think he's obligated to pay.Tch.So fucking primitive.Although he's never the guy who gave much fuck about what others think,he didnt want people to think Hanges being mistreated.Begrudgingly,he paid for the goddamn cotton candy.Hange took that opportunity to talk about how expenses should be handled during dates,she personally likes going dutch but immediately started going on about some studies that says women generally like it when the males carries out the expenses.

Hange's like a battery that never runs out of energy.She wanted to ride every possible attraction from the carnival!Beads of sweat are starting to form on her forehead but she never seem to notice,he started leading her to a park bench to rest for a bit.He appreciated how much she prepared.She was very keen on citing the psychology articles and some magazines she read to help him be better at dating.He doesn't even know why would anyone even exert that much effort for him.

She really is something.

He pulled out his handkerchief out of his pocket and started gently dabbing it on her forehead.

She smiled.

Hange didn't really need to teach him much.Despite the seemingly abrasive qualities Levi possess,the man is a very courteous guy.He said thank you,please and treated the park employees with respect.Shes pretty sure he wouldnt have much trouble impressing a girl."You never told me why you've never been out on a date."She started.

"I was never asked."Levi shrugged as if telling her its no big deal.Hange was shocked at his honesty but appreciated his straight answer.

"Based on my observations today I'd say all those girls that didnt ask you out missed out on a good time."

"Tch!Quit bullshitting me."

"It's true!You diligently listened to my stories, joined me riding all the and most importantly,you bought me an unreasonably overprized cotton candy."

Levi let out a soft chuckle at that and Hange immediately panicked.This is the first time she ever made him chuckle and goddamn it was glorious.It's like his features lit up and made him look years younger.She had to bit her lower lip to sort of calm her wild heartbeat.They stayed seated on the bench for a while when Levi surprisingly asked her to walk around some more.As they started to amble along the park,an idea popped on her head.

Her hands gently crept on his wrist and made way to cup his hand "what the..."He glared at their joined hands,but didn't find the need to pull away."You're sticky."He remarked

"Does sticky hands really matter if youre holding hands with your crush?"She asked.He kept his eyes on her and he saw blush creep up to her face."I-I mean not me...I meant Petra...which is basically me because im her placeholder at the moment and..."

"Hange."

"Hm?"

"Shut up."He slipped his Fingers against the gaps of hers and continued wandering around the park.

#levihan #levihaneggschange #levihaneggschange2020 #hange zoe #hanji zoe #levi ackerman #snk #aot #shingeki no kyojin #attack on titan #snk fanfiction #fanfiction #otp

59 notes · View notes