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the-witch-of-one-piece · 1 year ago

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Dia De Los Muertos 18+ Taiju Shiba x Fem Reader Halloween Collab: 31 days of Horror w/ @fuyuswifey Resident: @enchantedforest-network Masterlist WC:2.7k TW: Angst, N/sfw, death, illness, making out, Fingering, slight masturbation, Penetration, Taiju being rough, orgasm,pet names, breast sucking, hickies, creampie, suggestive language and suggestive them (unedited) MINORS DNI

“She is late again..” He looked at his watch as it was close to 6 o'clock. Sticking his hands in his pocket he took off of work early to celebrate something that meant something very special to you. He never celebrated something like this before. Taiju walked to the glass shelf in his living room where a photo of his mother was placed. Looking at the photo for a moment a sudden rush of memories from his childhood came to him. The way his mother smiled, how soft her voice was, or the way she made his favorite dishes. When she became sick he wouldn’t let anyone see his weak side trying to be strong for his parents and his younger siblings. As he saw his mother's illness becoming worse he was mentally preparing himself for the worse. In a matter of weeks, his mother was gone from his life. All the emotions he had in him were locked up and never released. He never spoke about how he felt when his mother passed to anyone. He was hard on himself and his siblings at a young age. His father constantly works endless hours to provide for him and his siblings. He had to be the man of the house and he had to admit he wasn't a pleasant teen, his hardcore demeanor and ego getting the best of him. They all had their issues of being a dysfunctional family that they overcame as they got older, and periodically they would check up on one another as they got older.

Taiju picked up the photo of his mother, walking back with it as he sat on the couch. Thinking about if she was still around things would have been different. But that was a dream that would never come true. He heard the door knob jiggle and turned his head to see you open the front door “Sorry I know I’m late but I went to the store before going home.” you placed the bags on the floor as you closed the door.

Taiju saw the bright orange flowers along with a few other items. “You know it’s just me and you right? Are you expecting more people?” he raised his brow looking at the items than you. “I know but all this stuff is necessary! Help me with the bag please?” giving him a smile. He placed a photo of his mother on the coffee table as he got up to help you with the bags. Taking them into the large dining room. You had a table that was empty you were going to use. Taiju saw how you began to decorate the table placing items in certain areas making it look as aesthetic as possible. He had some idea of what Dia De Los Muertos was and what it stood for but the little things with the flowers and the mass amount of them piqued his curiosity. “Why marigolds?” He picked up one of the orange flowers twirling it by the stem.

“Marigolds are traditionally the flowers used for Dia De Los Muertos. When you pair them with just the right candle they say the spirits can find their way back into the living world to see their loved ones on this specific night.” plucking the flower from his hand “you can feel the presence when they arrive it's like a sudden rush of comfort. That’s how I could explain it.” Taiju, hearing you explain it, was a bit skeptical. You were more open with your feelings and emotions compared to him. The saying opposites attract applied to you both when you guys started to see each other. You tried to make him open up more but you didn’t want to push him too. He hardly talked about his family to you since you could tell it was a topic he wasn’t comfortable with. But all you knew was his mother passing at a young age, his father always working and him having two siblings younger than him. In your bag, you pulled out a photo frame. Taiju looked over your shoulder to see the photo of your parents. It was a photo of their wedding day. “My mom said this was one of the best days of her life, she was marrying her best friend,” you remembered your mother's words. Every time she looked at this photo she would say those same exact words every time. Taiju saw the smile on your face begin to fade the more you looked at the photo. “She is now reunited with the love of her life.” you tried to shake off the sadness you were displaying hiding it with a smile. You placed their photo on the decorated table. “Do you have your mother's photo?” you asked him. “Yeah let me grab it.” He walked back to the coffee table picking up his mother's photo and bringing it back to where you were. He placed her photo next to your parents. “Your mother is beautiful.” you looked at her photo. Taiju’s sister Yuzuha took a lot after her mother.

“Thank you.” in his pocket he pulled out something that belonged to his mother, he kept it with him since he was a kid. It was a necklace she would often wear. She gave each of her kids something before her passing. “This necklace was given to my mother by my father when they first started to date.” He placed the necklace right next to her photo. He missed her, he wished he had her for a bit longer in his life. You grabbed the match as you began to light the candles next to their photos. “What memory do you have of your mother that is special to you?” you asked him. You tried to pry a bit to see if he would respond. He stood silent for a moment, you thought he wasn’t going to respond to your question. He let out a low sigh. In that time frame of you asking him the question he was thinking of one specific one. “I don’t know how old I was but I remember I didn’t want to go to school this was before she was sick.. She took Yuzuha and Hakkai to school and daycare. She ended up taking me to the Aquarium. It was empty in the Aquarium since it was a weekday with each exhibit in the Aquarium she would pronounce each fish in the tank and point them out….” he stopped for a moment then proceeded to speak “I remembered just being amazed she knew them all….she promised me she would do this again with me…..” he took a deep breath “but then she got sick...” his hands in his pocket as he looked at her photo then at you. You could sense that memory held a special moment for him. “Your mother would be proud of you Tai. You worked hard to get where you are for everything you have. You accomplished more than most people.” You reached for his hand. Taiju smirked, “Thanks, there is more I want to accomplish in my life but it will come later on…”

“You have your whole life planned out it seems.” you teased him. “Not all of it… There are some areas in my life that I’m still trying to figure out.” Taiju yellow orbs looked down at you. “Like what?” you blinked a few times. “Me and you, I'm still finding out so many things about you that I wasn’t aware of. Getting to know you more and more of you” he placed a strand of hair behind your ear. “Oh, Tai there is much more. You are just getting a taste of it.” you chuckled he gave a low smirk sound. “Hopefully you would do the same. I want to know more about you.”

“What do you want to know?” he asked. “I… I want to know how you feel at times or what you are thinking about….” doing a dry swallow before continuing to speak “I noticed you don’t really let your guard down even when we are alone. I’m not sure if you think it's some kind of weakness to do so, I don’t think it is. We have been together for some time now and being a couple we should be open with one another. I want to continue growing our relationship strong where we can come to one another whenever.” “Is that what you want?” Taiju looked at you. “I do more than anything,” you responded with a bashful tone. “You will have to give me time on that… I can’t do it all at once with a snap of a finger.” He had to make that point clear. “But I will try.” his hand reaches the top of your head bringing you a bit closer, placing a kiss on the crown of your head. You had a bit of a relieved smile on your face. “Thank you, Tai.” A few moments passed before Taiju got a whiff of something he hadn't smelled since he was a kid. The perfume his mother used to wear. Something came over him that felt what you described earlier: it was comforting and relaxed his body. ‘She is here’ looking at his mother's photo. He wasn’t expecting her presence to be this strong. It hit him like a tidal wave. He closed his eyes and he got the image of his mother. He couldn’t hear what she was trying to say but he could read her lips. ‘I’m proud of you Taiju.’ his eyes shot open. It was becoming too much for him to handle all at once.

You saw he looked a bit distressed “Taiju what's wrong?” you asked him. “I just… need some air, I’ll be back,” he said. He walked away towards the backyard.

You watched him head towards the backdoor. You assumed he felt his mother's presence. It would take him a moment for him to let it sink in. The cool brisk air hit him as he stepped outside. Lighting a cigarette to relax his nerves he kept replaying the image of his mother in his mind. All those years of blocking his emotions he couldn’t keep blocking this one. After the discussion he had with you that happened. “Fuck.. Is this your way of getting me to open up to ______, Mom?” He looked at the sky as if he was waiting for a response from her. After about 30 minutes Taiju came back in, he took a seat in the living room. When you heard the back door closed you walked into the living room. “Tai? You okay?” you walked towards him. “I’m fine.” he looked at you, his hand was extended out to you, and he brought you to his lap. “What you said earlier... I felt it... I hadn’t felt her presence since the day she passed…it was a lot to handle…” “I see.. Tai, I know she is still watching over you even when you think she is not. You may not feel her all the time but she is there.” you gave him a soft smile, and your fingers ran through his hair.

He nodded “It gave me more conformations on what I want in my future.” he brought you closer to him. “What do you want?” asked him softly you looked into his eyes then his lips then back at his eyes. “You will have to stick around and find out.” Taiju’s hands rested on your hips. Both of you leaned as your lips met, you could taste the cigarette he smoked just a few minutes ago. Your arms drape around his neck as he pulls you closer to him, pressing you against his large chest. His tongue dominantly invaded your mouth. His hands roamed your body, his hands sliding up the hem of your dress touching your exposed soft skin. You nibbled on his bottom lip playfully would earned you a low groan coming from him, his hands found your panties pushing them to the side. “Such a good girl you are.” His large finger began rubbing between your damp folds. The moans spilled out of your mouth. “How does that feel? Do you want me to continue?” he spoke in a deep voice that was low. You nodded at his question. “I need to hear you say it. Come on, I know you can.” “Yes Tai~~~please continue~~~ mmmmmm” You were focused on his fingers. As he was making you squirm in his lap. You gripped his shoulders. The bulge began to form in his pants. You couldn’t help yourself as one of your hands began to rub his encaged cock. “Fuck.” he grunted as your hand continued to rub his clothed cock. “Tell me how bad do you want my cock deep inside you?” Taiju needed that bit of control at this moment as he slipped his finger into your wet cunt. “Shi~~~ mmm….” you couldn’t respond at that moment as his finger pumped into you. “Really bad Taijuuu~~~” the moan lingers as you get to his name. “I want your cock in me~~~ please give it to me~~~” your glossy eyes looked into his.

Hearing that desperation in your voice as you begged for his cock was more than enough for him. He slid his finger out from your moist warm cunt. He undid his pants letting his large thick cock out. The tip of his cock was damp due to the precum as you were rubbing him. You felt his tip rubbing against your pussy. Grazing against your throbbing clit. He continued to tease you for a moment. “I want you to look at me as my cock slides into that tight pussy of yours. You began to lower your hips as his cock began to penetrate you. “Don’t you dare close your eyes baby girl.” he let out a husky moan. You followed his orders as you kept your eyes on his. Your pussy was throbbing a bit as you were able to fully have him inside of you. It took you a moment to catch your breath. His hands rested on your hips as he began to help you move up and down his cock.

“Taiju~~~” You moaned slightly, rocking your hips back and forth.

Throwing his head back on the couch “ Yes baby girl?” holding you steady. “Are you enjoying yourself?.” He pushed his pelvis up a bit more and he was pushing you down a bit harder. The slap of your skin began to fill the room.

“Yes Taiju shit you're making me so wet,” your juices were sliding down his cock.

Taiju slid the traps of your dress down exposing your breast. He began to suck on your breast switching back and forth leaving hickies traveling up now to the neck leaving the same love bites. He loved leaving his mark on you. “Fuck I love you so much” his hand resting on the back of your head bring you to his lips as he began to kiss you hard.

You couldn’t even say it back as his lips were dominating yours. The string of saliva broke you both separate from one another trying to catch your breath. Your forehead rested against his. “I love you Tai~~”

“Say it again” He moaned louder, moving you faster as he gripped your hips tighter. The intense sensation in his lower abdomen approached he wasn’t going to last much longer as the sweat trickled down his brow. You weren’t going to last much longer either.

“I - love you, Taiju Shiba.” You moaned the phrase over and over. Your body began to shake as the sudden rush of your orgasm approached. “Fuuuuccccckkkkkk!”

The way your pussy constricted as your orgasm hit around his cock his hot seed shot in deep he pressed your hips down all the way on his cock as he let out a loud animal-like moan. He clenched his jaw tightly and poured every ounce of semen he had in his body into you. Only so much was able to fit into your cunt as some of it began to seep out from inside of you running down his own cock. Taiju's sudden rush was coming down his grip loosening on your hips. The look of satisfaction hitting his face as he his hand reaching for your chin brings you closer as placing a gentler kiss.

Tags: @the-haitani-baton, @satanlovesusall666, @galactict3a, @ratlovecat, @niko-ash, @iluv-ace, @captainmycaptainn, @strawberrychrome, @missgab, @anxious-chick, @livefromraleigh, @kei-b-gurlll, @spookiisopium, @bontensbabygirl, @txna04, Interested in joining the taglist please fill out the form below to get a notification of your favorite characters when they are being posted! Link here ->taglist

#taiju shiba #taiju x reader #shiba taiju #tokyo rev x reader #tokyo revengers #taiju smut #tokyo revengers taiju #halloween collab #tokyo rev x you #tokyo rev smut #tokrev

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creedslove · 1 year ago

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A bit late but imagine Joel has to take the kiddos trick or treating alone because you’re sick in bed

Feel free if boy or girl or both

I imagine he wouldn’t cut the night short for the kids’ sake but that he’d constantly send you pics and text to see how you’re doing and just be anxious to be home to take care of you

No outbreak!Joel Miller x f!reader

A/N: I changed a little bit because now Halloween is gone honey ❤️

• your toddler Rosie and your stepdaughter Sarah spent the whole week nagging you and Joel to go to the amusement park that got in the city about a week before

• it was both cute and annoying as it was the only thing the girls could talk about and your baby boy Sammy was also super excited even if he didn't understand it exactly what was going on, he just giggled and cooed at his big sisters' excitement

• your household had made so many comments about it that you began feeling excited as well, and you four just decided to go on Friday evening, which Joel promised he would take it off and take his family to the park, and eventually, all the Millers were looking forward to Friday night

• that until Sammy woke up with a fever and a runny nose; which you didn't worry at first, medicating him just like the doctor had advised you to and carrying on with your tasks

• but through the day, Sammy didn't get better, quite the opposite, he cried and whined and sniffled and you felt so sorry for your baby because you didn't want him feeling ill

• until mid afternoon you noticed you sniffled a little too much, at the same time you felt shivers and suddenly, you were just as sick as Sammy was

• when the girls realized you were both sick, they immediately got anxious, at the same time they didn't want to pass up the opportunity to go, but they also worried about the two of you and decided to wait for Joel to get home and figure what to do

• when your husband Joel saw how sick you and your baby boy really were, he felt both disappointed and worried; he didn't want to cancel on the girls but he didn't want to leave you

"I know the girls are gonna be disappointed, but I'll buy some pizza and ice cream cake and put on their favorite movies, you know how much they love ice cream cake, don't ya? Anyway, we'll stay in to take care of you and Sammy and we can go some other day"

"no Joel.. take the girls, they've been waiting for it the whole week, Sammy and I will be fine, we just need a night in to rest and recover.. we'll both have some chicken soup, a warm bath and some snuggles and we'll be alright tomorrow"

• you insisted because you wanted your family to have fun, Sammy was too little to enjoy the park anyway, and even if Joel felt a little guilty and upset, he agreed, immediately cheering up at how happy Sarah and Rosie were

• you made you and your one-year-old some chicken and vegetables soup and you both cuddle on the couch, under some warm blankets and watched some quiet TV

• one part of Joel was having fun, while the other was just anxious to get home and take care of you; he worried about you both and kept texting you and sending you pictures of their evening

• Joel bought some popcorn, corn dogs and cotton candy to go; he wanted you to have them, knowing how you often loved those snacks

• he also made sure to win you a stuffed shark; he said it was for you, but in reality it was for Sammy, nonetheless, he knew the two of you would snuggle it as soon as you saw it

• when the three of them got home, he found you and Sammy asleep, his heart clenching with love as he couldn't explain how much he loved his family and you, because you were the one who gifted him it

• during the weekend, he was all the time all over you and Sammy, making sure you both were alright, and when you two were fully recovered by Sunday, he suggested going to the amusement park again

• the girls cheered so excitedly and nodded, as now you all went as a family; you had fun, snapped pictures and Joel even held Sammy so you could go on a few rides

• it ended up being such a lovely evening and it brought you so many good memories you were sure you'd relish for the rest of your life

____

#pedro pascal #pedro pascal x reader #pedro pascal x you #pedro pascal x y/n #pedro pascal fanfiction #pedro pascal fanfic #pedro pascal headcanon #pedro pascal headcanons #joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #joel miller x y/n #joel miller fanfic #joel miller fanfiction #joel miller headcanon #joel miller headcanons

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aztarion · 8 months ago

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WIP WEDNESDAY THURSDAY almost friday whatever day yayyy

tagged by most beloved @nsewell <33

(again im going off moots i've seen share art and writing so ignore/kill me with hammers if you hate these..)

ill tag @nat-seal-well @scalproie @devilbrakers @dietgabbana @recents @nightwardenminthara @serenpedac @agentnatesewell @kazamajun @nerdferatum and anybody who wandered in here… tag me if you post something & ill know to tag you in the future :D

thought id try do this before it turned into friday for me :D another cheesy snippet from that halloween abandoned farmhouse fic i posted last time too (takes place before that scene) -- its a bit longer bc my art wips are atrocious right now but adam jumpscare at the bottom!

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It is with not an insignificant amount of restraint – really, Nate would be singing his high praise – that Mason stops, bites down on his cigarette, and turns away, recollecting himself enough to smooth his hackles into something resembling human civility.

He flicks the butt underfoot and stomps, twice. He rolls his shoulders. He sets his jaw. He sniffs.

Precipitation forming in the clouds overhead; temperature is ten degrees from chilly; slight, invariable breeze. Less birdsong today. Huh. More pollen. An overwhelming scent of pine, and an aftertaste of salt and smog, even this far out from Wayhaven town and the neighboring city. He clicks his tongue.

And, oh, of course — of fucking course. He forgot to cut the label off this goddamn fucking shirt and the way it’s grazing against his neck is enough to drive him back on the verge of a goddamn fucking frenzy.

“Dev!” Felix whoops.

Mason whips around so fast the movement upends leaves in the brush. With precise, fluted tunnel vision, grey eyes narrow in on her.

Deva marches towards them on uneven, thickly reeded ground from the opposite side of the small clearing. The sky, bruising into evening, gasps in a narrow ark behind her, cold kissing her nose and cheeks, turning pale olive to petal pink.

She blows out a breath, picking up her pace. It’s still not quick enough for him — like she’s galloping in sap. Mason stifles the almost-tremoring need to meet her halfway.

“Hey,” she calls in greeting, mid-battle with bog tree roots.

“Get a move on,” Mason barks. Felix snickers conspiratorially beside him.

“Hurry, Dev, I think he’s gonna blow.”

Mason rounds on the shorter vampire, who grins with porcelain-white veracity, but his stewing annoyance dissipates as quickly as it elevated when warm fingers envelope his, shelling his senses in unblooming, noiseless absolution. He shudders, not quite able to quell the flood of relief.

“Where’s Nate?” Dev asks after a moment, as if giving his body time to settle. Almost like she knew.

“Decided to wait with Adam back at the facility,” Felix says, pulling absently on the periwinkle strings of his periwinkle hoodie. He throws a face that tells her exactly what he thinks of Nate’s decision.

“Leaving you two without a referee?” Deva smiles easily. Felix mirrors it — with an extra flash of fiend.

“You’re late,” Mason cuts in.

“Nice Adam impression, he usually goes a little lighter on the murderous intent.” She squeezes his hand — it’s a gentle tease – before adding, “Car trouble. So, what’s the plan?”

Mason rolls his eyes and doesn’t even bother asking after that wreck-on-wheels this time. Deva’s in one piece — that’s good enough for him.

Felix points at Mason, who removes something small from his jacket pocket with his free hand. He offers it to her, rather unceremoniously.

“Radio,” he says. “Put it on.”

“We’re splitting up too?” Dark brows raise as she stares at the tiny device deposited in her palm.

“Eh, kinda. I’m supposed to scout ahead,” says Felix, tapping at his own matching earpiece. “Last team the Agency sent said it was all clear, but you know what Adam’s like with precautions.”

“It’s just a follow up, right? Back at the old farm house?” Raking swathes of black hair out of her face, Deva hooks the dainty plastic cuff around cartilage as Felix begins to fill her in. Mason still hasn’t really gotten used to the new cut. Change always threw him.

When they’d met, right up until after all the bullshit with that no-count shitheel auctioneer, Deva’s hair had almost been down to her ass. Now it just about reaches her chin – much shorter than his, even. It tends to draw his full attention to the long sweep of her neck on more than one occasion. Right now, in fact, he finds himself casually admiring the two small, purpling hickies he’d left her with just the night before.

Yeah. Maybe he liked the new hair. Maybe he really liked it.

“Helloooo?” Felix flaps his hand wildly in Mason’s direct line of sight, ripping him from some quickly unspooling, sweaty thoughts. “Are you even listeni–?”

“No,” Mason says plainly, fixing him with a glare. Felix pulls another face, then blows out a long breath.

“Ugh, whatever. I hate being the responsible one. Just make sure nobody kidnaps Dev. Again.”

Dev frowns.

“I think I prefer Adam’s pep talks before a mission.”

---

do feel free to critique if u want/have time to, im rusty af and i know it . & a sketchy adam referenced from john cena in a babydoll tee from some movie that crossed my dash yesterday

#wip folder #i need to draw carver and ava in that babydoll tee too #the wayhaven chronicles #oc: deva deleón #x: entombed #twc mason #twc felix

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goldenchocobo · 1 year ago

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Kingdom Hearts Tamagotchi Adventures

So, I got the Kingdom Hearts Tamagotchi for my birthday this year. and it was only in September that I decided to activate it (I was hesitant because I know Tamagotchi can be needy and can't be turned off). So here's my so-far roughly one month journey!

Here he is- Base Sora on day 1. I took care of him, played games, and generally fiddled about with what I could do. This was my first ever Tamagotchi, so it was a new experience to me. You fight Shadow Heartless, Dusk Nobodies and Flood Unversed occasionally with the tap of the 'A' button. They didn't happen super frequently so I was fine fending them off.

Unfortunately things didn't go well. I became ill with stomach flu the night after. The manual says it takes roughly 49 hours for Sora to change/evolve. and well...

When I was able to move again... I woke up to... uh... Heartless Sora. Everything remained the same, except the food and treat (Paopu and Icecream) turned into Heart and !. Heart being that you well- fed him hearts, and ! meaning he attacked you (I think... he vanished then appeared closer and waved his arms about). I felt really bad that my first Tamagotchi basically 'died' because of things I couldn't control. But I enjoyed my time with Heartless Sora; and after a few days, Kairi found him and saved him! Very cute 2 bit scene. Back to Normal Sora. I found an issue. You see... I'm more nocturnal; and this Tamagotchi... wasn't. He woke up at 9AM and slept at 10PM; meaning he didn't get the right care from me.. but I figured I could change the time to suit me- and did. Now he wakes up at 12PM and sleeps at 2AM- same as me. Next evo was a surprise! Sora introduced me to (and trusted me to care?) Riku!

This was when I found out each character/evo has different sleeping schedules. Riku would sleep late and wake late (I'm thankful it wasn't early due to the whole Dawn motif because I didn't want to change the clock too much again). They also have their own unique cutscenes, with Riku primarily featuring Mickey. Not much happened, and I showed Riku to Riku(My Riku... the cockatiel- named after... Riku). But He left and Sora returned. At this point I wanted to aim for Roxas- or Ventus (I'm sad there's no Vanitas). So I miiight have looked up a quick wiki to see how to get the characters. "Wow that's cheating" you might say.. and yeah- probably... the issue is that I didn't get Roxas.

Instead, Sora 'grew up' into KHII Sora. I was interested to see what kind of outfit or character I could get to show up, so I continued with normal care.

On the 28th of September... Sora.. ever the festive fellow...

Donned his Santa outfit.

I found it kinda funny, but kept him up with Normal care. I was starting to forget him (I got a little drawer handle I put him on during the evening on my right hand ride next to my monitor, and during the day he's on the couch arm- I don't take him out because I'm scared I'll lose the Tamagotchi somewhere). So He was getting upset/hungry; but if he beeped I knew he needed something. He Unlocked/locked the Keyhole to Halloween/Christmas Town, then flew off in the Gummiship, returning as Normal Sora. After 49 hours, he once again reintroduced me to Riku. having forbidden knowledge, I knew I could turn Riku into Dark Riku. and tried.

I. Felt. Awful.

I know they're just 2bit pixelart on the screen... but Riku has a special place in my heart (I named my grumpy, gay cockatiel after him!) so me... just basically neglecting Riku? it hurt :(

After this. He did not turn into Dark Riku. He left. just straight-up.

Sora flew back in on the Gummiship and my quest to get Roxas/Ventus continued.

But I was surprised when I came back after an outing to find... Sora turned into a fish

Wiki says he's from 'Bad care', but I don't remember giving him subpar treatment, and catering to what he wanted- so I'm baffled. He did come with an Aerial/Sebastian scene, though- so that was cute. He didn't stay for long and locked Atlantica's Keyhole, returning as Basic Sora.

Again- I tried to get Roxas, but instead got KHII Sora again; so I thought I could maybe get Axel or Xion; since they're included in the KHII evo list.

Nope. Christmas Sora again. Oh well- He does love Christmas.

I'll update this if I get anything interesting. I know you can get Xehanort- I recognised his Silhouette on the manual, so maybe I'll get him one day.

I'm still waiting on Roxas..

#Kingdom Hearts #KH #Tamagotchi #KH Tamagotchi #Kingdom Hearts Tamagotchi #I'm really trying to get Roxas. you don't understand #Long Post

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bouncybongfairy · 1 year ago

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New Type Of Fear Part 3

Donnie x Fem Reader

Summary: Ignoring Splinter's foreshadowing of the dangers that can emerge from Donnie's exposure to bigotry, he sneaks out to visit you on Halloween night.

Word Count: 2.5k+

<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3<3

When all his brothers went to bed, Donnie came out to the table where Splinter was sitting waiting. It was always hard for Donnie to read Splinter with facial expressions alone. He had a very impressive poker face which scared the shit out of Donnie. He pushed his glasses up and approached the wooden table. Splinter was playing with his whiskers, extending his hand out and motioning for Donnie to take a seat.

“So, It’s come to my attention that you might have a bit of a romantic situation going on away from home, yes?” he asked.

“Well, I uh- not exactly but I guess.. Yeah,” Donnie sighed, pushing up his glasses.

“I’ve noticed you’ve been sneaking out lately, why is that? A girl?” he asked.

“I’m ready to face the consequences of my actions,” Donnie said which made Splinter chuckle under his breath.

“I won’t punish you for feeling something natural. I should be punishing you for going above ground but I understand that it was for a … someone that you care about deeply. I want you to know that I don’t keep you from modern society because I don’t think you can mentally handle it. I understand that out of all my boys you, my Donatello would thrive in a technology-dominated world. It’s dangerous for people like us and you are more than well aware. I know it may feel worth it now, but the risks you’re taking could have consequences that I have no control over,” his voice as usual was calm and stern.

“I understand,” Donnie said quietly.

“I’m going to leave it at that, I think you’re far too old for a lecture,” Splinter said as stood up from his chair and walked towards his bedroom, “Goodnight son,” he followed.

Donnie sat at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. A million thoughts race through his mind all at once. Especially after spending time together in person, the last thing he wanted to do was break things off. Not only that, he knew Splinter wouldn’t say it but his actions were putting everyone at risk. Being with you was so electrifying that it made him physically ill to think about letting what you guys have built go to waste. He obviously knew the concept of love in books and TV but he didn’t realize how different it was when you have it in real life. Seeing you in person just reaffirmed what he felt when he talked with you online. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt so bad if you and him didn’t have such a strong and natural connection it would be less painful. He loved how smart and articulate you were with words. When he watched you play in the chess tournament, he admired all your mannerisms; like how you played with your acrylic fingernails while nervously thinking of your next move. Or how you would hold your opponent’s pieces in your hand as they played. He shook his head, almost like he was trying to get you out of his head, and walked over to the fridge. After grabbing a Gatorade, he walked back into the bedroom he shared with his brothers. To his surprise, all his brothers were now awake, sitting or lying on their respectable bunks.

“Yo, what did sensei want to talk to you about bro? Are you in trouble or something?” Mikey pried.

“No, he was having complications with one of the new lighting fixtures I installed,” Donnie played it off, he hadn’t told his brothers about you or anything relating to his love life. It’s not like they didn’t have conversations about how they found girls attractive. Mikey seemed to have a new girlfriend every five seconds nowadays but Donnie preferred to keep you to himself. As his three other brothers talk nonsense to each other Donnie lays on his back and hopes he’d dream of you.

It was Friday and you were getting ready for school. It was Halloween unfortunately your school didn’t allow costumes. Even though your mom begged you to be something cuter, you ordered a sea turtle costume to surprise Donnie. Even if you could wear it to school, you wouldn’t want to risk getting it dirty. You texted Donnie last night, asking if you were going to see him tonight which he didn’t respond to. There was a slight feeling in your gut that you were worried because you didn’t get a text. Deciding to ignore that and think more positively, you walk downstairs and start to make your lunch. Your mother was typing away at her computer, working on an article for the publishing company she works at. You could tell she had been up all night. Her bun was so messy it was only holding about 25% of her hair, and her eyes were red from staring at the screen.

“Hey hun, did you sleep well?” she asked, walking over to the kitchen and starting the tea kettle.

“Well I did but I can tell you haven’t,” you said handing her a yogurt from the fridge.

“I know, I just have to get this speech re-written because I’m going to be speaking in front of a panel of sponsors who are looking to recruit a lot of our editors and writers so it’s important that I really set them up tonight,”

“Wait, so you’re not going to be here tonight?” you asked.

“Yeah but if you need me here honey, I’m sure I can find-” she started.

“Oh no, it’s totally fine, maybe I’ll have one of my girlfriends over after we hang out at Maya’s if that’s okay,” you said, hoping she wouldn’t catch on to your underlying plans.

“Are you sure? I know I talked about being more present and-” she insisted.

“Mom, if I was going trick or treating then maybe but I’m just going to Maya’s house for a while then coming home. If you’re feeling guilty all night then I won’t be able to have a good time with my friends,” you said, zipping up your backpack after packing your lunch into it.

“Okay good, I love you and please just call me if you need me tonight okay? Have a good day at school!” she called out to you as you were walking out the door.

Part of you felt bad for being so manipulative with your mom, the other half of you was excited to have the house to yourself. While you were riding the subway, you checked your phone and were saddened to see that Donnie still hadn’t texted you back. You typed out a couple of different messages but discarded all of them, not wanting to come across as clingy. Once you got to school it was easy to ignore that, at least for a little while. During lunch, all your friend group could talk about was how excited everyone was for Halloween. All went on and on about their costumes and how desperately they wanted to get good photos. You played along, telling them how excited you were to hang out with them but you knew you’d ditch them the second Donnie texted you. Most of your teachers knew nobody would be paying attention and let everyone just chill. You were now on the subway home, still no text which was now making you frustrated. Why would he feel nervous to tell you he can’t come? Yeah, you would be sad but it’s not like you’re toxic and would be mad at him. There are obviously certain factors of your relationship that weren’t normal and you respected that. After unlocking the door, you slammed it shut out of anger and irritation. You texted him a question mark, refusing to give him the satisfaction of your words.

Walking into your room, you pull out the plastic package the costume came in and throw it on the bed. Regardless if Donnie was going to text you back, you weren’t going to let him ruin your Halloween. You set your mirror against the wall and grab your make-up case ,flat iron and a couple of other things before sitting down. Normally you would do your usual hair and makeup routine but because you were feeling a little wild you changed everything up. Make certain elements of your make-up bolder; things like darker eyeshadow, brighter blush, lip gloss, and fake eyelashes. Straightening your hair and swooping it to the side. You put the costume on after you were done and checked yourself out in the mirror. The costume was made out of a really soft, blanket type of material. The skirt was a moss green color but the top was a warm brown and underneath was a thin white tutu to give the skirt some shape. The top was that same green color but in the middle was a pale yellow, the back was a corset with a matching yellow ribbon to hold it together. It had a matching beanie that had paws attached to it which you thought were super cute. To top the costume off was a mini backpack that looked like a shell but actually had a zipper. As you started taking pictures in the mirror there was a knock at your bedroom window that nearly gave you a heart attack. You ran over and ripped back the currant and screamed a little when you saw Donnie. You opened the window, it was barely big enough for him to squeeze through.

“Why haven’t you texted me? I was getting really worried,” you said.

“Yeah, I’m- I am… Sorry, I just…” he was trailing off and at first you didn’t understand why but then you realized how you must have looked.

“Sorry this is my Halloween costume, I was just trying it on,” you said crossing your arms.

“You know I’m not a sea turtle right?” he asked, laughing a little.

“Considering the fact that you ghosted me all day, I don’t think that’s very funny. Especially because I got it to surprise you,” you said, sitting on the bed.

“Okay yes, I’m sorry I should have addressed that first. It was insensitive of me not to joke about that. I think you look beautiful and the fact that you specifically picked out a costume with me in mind makes me feel so valued and bashful. The reason I didn’t text you is because my dad found out about me sneaking out. I didn’t want my digital footprint to get me caught,” he said sitting next to you. His weight caused the bed to sink down, causing you to tip into him.

“I’m sorry I know that it’s not easy for you to meet face-to-face. I was just worried that you were ghosting me, did you get in trouble for sneaking out?” you asked.

“No. His approach was more subtle, he understands the nature of why I’m seeing you but he doesn’t think us being together as... plausible,” he sighed, scratching the back of his neck.

“What does that mean for us?” you asked softly.

“I’ve been trying to figure it out,” he said, letting his hands hang in his lap.

“Are we fighting for a lost cause?” you asked.

“What do you mean?” he inquired.

“Like, are we going to be able to be together? Things like a wedding and kids? I don’t know, like normal milestones,” you explained.

“That’s not even a guarantee when in a conventional relationship,” he said, wrapping his arm around you.

“I never thought about it like that,” you said, holding his hand that was draping over your shoulder.

After that, the mood definitely began to lighten. You were so excited to see him again, thinking that there was a chance it may be over between the two of you. Now you were just hanging out in your room, watching different Halloween movies. You were amused by Donnie’s reaction, he would laugh so hard at the cheesy jokes which humored you. When it got to the scene where kids began trick or treating, he asked you what that was. At first, you were shocked but then remembering his upbringing you realized that of course he would have never done that. You explained how children go door to door collecting candy for the night while they wear costumes of characters they like. Adding in other personal experiences you had with the tradition. He talked about how he wished he could have done things like that with his brothers. You proposed the idea of going out tonight but he shut that down immediately.

“It’ll be dark and you can just say that you’re wearing a costume,” you said.

“You’re a very intelligent girl and I know that you know the likelihood of that plan succeeding is less than 10%,” he said.

“Well, even if we don’t go door to door let’s at least go pick up some food. That way you can at least go outside and see the vibe?" At this point you were begging, “Please, it’s already dark out and I’ll call in so we just have to pick it up. We don’t have to go inside anywhere and we can take the back way of you want,” you pleaded.

At first, he was completely against it, but when you reminded him that nothing came of him walking you home from the chess tournament he began to see things your way. The only condition was that he wanted Pizza which you didn’t object to. When Donnie had a hoodie on, he honestly just looked like a really tall guy. It was nice to see his face light up as you passed by neighborhoods that were completely immersed in everything Halloween. He had to keep his hands in his pockets but you coiled your arm around his. Every once and a while he would look down to make sure you were okay which made you blush. Once you got back home, you were both sitting on the floor and started eating. He as usual was downing everything so fast, you were surprised he didn’t choke. Him holding a two liter was like you holding a 16oz bottle. He wiped his mouth and looked over, pushing up his glasses.

“I know this is out of the blue but, thank you so much for existing. You mean so much to me and I-I really love you,” he said right as you took a big bite of cheese pizza that trailed on your chin as you pulled the slice away from your mouth. After you both let out a couple laughs you responded,

“I love you too, I'm really happy that the universe brought us together,” you said.

“Yeah if it weren’t for you I wouldn’t have known trick or treating was a real thing. Or that anyone could beat me in chess, even though you’re still learning,” he joked.

“Oh yeah? Was I still just learning when you watched me win that tournament?” you asked.

“All I can say is if I was there, I would have been the winner,” he boasted playfully.

“In your dreams,” you scoffed, scooting closer to him; ending up falling into a food coma while watching Halloween Town.

#donatello tmnt fanfiction #donatello x reader #donnie x reader #donnie tmnt #donnie x y/n #bayverse tmnt x reader #bayverse donnie #bayverse turtles #tmnt fanfiction #tmnt donatello #fluff fanfiction #fanfic writing

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spicerackofblorbos · 9 months ago

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Chapter 5: March

☾ Pairings ➼ Levi Ackerman x fem!mute!Reader (she/her pronouns), set in a modern semi-fictional world

☾ Summary ➼ Due to childhood trauma, you find yourself an adult without the ability to speak. After years of working on it, you have found ways to live without a voice. Now here in your late 20s, you are 5 months in getting used to a new town. On a fateful day in late November, you and your adopted sister visit a local bookstore-café, unaware of the friendships about to blossom. Throughout the months, one friendship in particular develops into something more.

☾ Content/Warnings ➼ fluff, slowburn, oblivious feelings, romance, angst, mention of minor character deaths, trauma, illness, adoption, mentions of fire, disabilities, alcohol use, very light nsfw mentions, references to child abuse, smoking and alcohol abuse mentions, domestic violence (to be continued as writing is ongoing)

☾ Author's note ➼ Hey guys! So uh, this chapter is a lot. In a lot of ways lol. There's some fluff, there's some slight angst. Overall, there's finally some explanations that I hope ties the whole story together. I hope y'all like it because I've been kicking myself over this chapter ALONE.

☾ Word Count ➼ ~9.1k (please don't hurt me)

You can’t help but tug at the thin fabric that scratched at your skin as you pull yourself out of the driver’s side of Hange’s car. The red dress trailing down your figure sat pretty loose, but it was not comfortable to you in the slightest. Come to think of it, it wasn’t just the fabric that made you uncomfortable, it was the fact that Hange had talked you into dressing up in the first place.

While Hange spent many days gathering the things needed for her costume, you opted for something you already had shoved in the back of your closet from a Halloween party a couple years ago. And now, you were about to meet Erwin and Levi in said costume when you didn’t even know if they were into this kind of thing. You pull on your flowing sleeves in anxiety as your sister gets out of the passenger side, fixing their eye patch to sit better on their face.

“We made it!” They shriek in the cool, early spring air. They were donned in a casual pirate get up with a loose brown tricorn resting on their ever-frazzled hair. A fake cutlass hung from their hip as well as other colorful bits and bobbles. They look confident and energized as they look over to you with a wide eye.

“Well, let’s go find them! Erwin just texted me that they’re waiting by the admission booths.” You both close the car doors at the same time and you make sure to lock the car with the keys before shoving them down into your small cross-body purse.

Your heart flutters as you're reminded again of the two men waiting for you, of the specific one you were nervous about seeing again. Or was it excitement? You weren’t certain. Yanking on your dress again, you follow on Hange’s heels as they trek to the front gates of the Jinae Renaissance Faire.

Not long after do the admission gates show themselves to you both. As you step up to the line, you start to open your purse to pay when Hange grabs your arm and tugs you out of it, muttering something about it already being taken care of. When you give her a disgruntled look, she’s looking off to the side as she screams.

“There you are! I barely recognized you two!” They start pulling you in that direction as you struggle to zip your bag up through the rough bouncing of your running. When you look up, you see two figures, one tall and one short. Erwin and Levi. Your heart practically stops as you realize why you didn’t recognize them at first.

Erwin is dressed as a knight, his helmet tucked under his arm. You’re not sure if the silver reflecting off the sun is from real metal or not, but it’s quite the look regardless. He’s grinning down at you, and it made him look like a very handsome, well, knight in shining armor.

Levi stands next to him, arms crossed over his chest and he’s staring straight at you with a look you couldn’t discern, you don’t notice the way his eyes widen in recognition for a second. His stark gray eyes are covered by a black mask. He’s also wearing a solid black pirate-esque costume, gloves included. You gasp because you knew this costume. You knew it because you had dressed up as his character’s counterpart.

“Well, well, well. Look at what we have here!” Hange exclaims as they stop short in front of them. You wave to them with a wavering smile and then point to Levi’s get up, flicking your finger up and down his body with a furrowed brow as a way to ask, ‘Did you know?’

“I did not choose this.” Levi states briskly. He curls his right hand around the sword hilt that rests on his hip, the sound of leather squeaking as he does so.

“You can blame me for that,” Erwin’s deep voice cuts in, amused. “He wasn’t going to dress up, or even come for that matter, but I finally talked him into it.”

“Oh yeah? What did it?” Hange’s eye widened in faux surprise, a smirk playing on their lips.

“Are we going or not?” Levi starts walking in the direction of the entrance, not bothering to look behind him to see if anyone was following. Erwin chuckles and goes after him, and you and Hange are quick to follow.

The fair took place in a campsite deep in the forests of Jinae. The afternoon sun peeked its way through a canopy of tall evergreens. Fresh early spring air breezes through the trees as well as your flowing hair and you can’t help but breathe in deeply. What a gorgeous day, you think. Fallen foliage crunches underneath you as you all make your way deeper into the festivities. Plenty of people mill past, many of them dressed up to the nines and chattering away happily. You pick up the pace in excitement as your eyes wander.

The smells of smoked meat and various vegetables filled the air as you drew closer to the heart. There also lie a variety of stalls selling trinkets, fake weaponry, and leather goods that lined up parallel to the path you walked on. You couldn’t keep the grin off your face as you stare at it all in awe. An elven woman with antlers covered in sparkling gems bounces up next to you with a big smile and holds out a white lily for you to take.

You hesitate but take it from her fingers delicately and sign a ‘thank you’ at her with your other hand. Her eyes go wide and enthusiastically signs back ‘You’re welcome.’ You can’t help it, you giggle in delight. She waves goodbye and flounces away, the assorted chains that littered her body twinkling in the sunlight as she does. When you turn back to your group, Hange and Erwin are already far ahead, but Levi has stopped and is staring at you.

You inhale the flower’s scent as you saunter up to where Levi stood; he hadn’t moved an inch as he waited for you to catch up. His eyes are dark as they study your face. His mouth opens like he’s about to say something but then immediately closes it, turning away from you swiftly and starts off in the direction of the rest of the group. You purse your lips as you trail behind him, slightly annoyed.

Ever since Hange’s Valentine’s party last month, Levi has been really strange around you, even through your text messages. It’s not like how it was after the gala, it felt more isolating. Like he wasn’t allowing you into his space. Which granted, is pretty normal for anyone trying to get to know him better. But it didn’t really feel like you were just anyone, at this point. After that night on the patio at his apartment, it really felt like you two were getting along better. But now it felt like he was shutting you out again. It was all so frustrating.

Your group spent the next few hours bouncing around different activities; Everyone took turns deciding. Erwin had chosen a jousting match to kick things off. It wasn’t really your thing, but Erwin was captivated the whole time. Even Levi’s eyes never left the rough sport for a second, but his face didn’t give off a single emotion. It ended when one of the riders got knocked off so hard that they didn’t even get up from the dirt. Considering the lack of urgency to get him off the field, it must have not been a life-threatening injury. Still, you can’t help but feel bad for the guy.

After that, it was Hange’s turn and they decided on a play that was showing in the amphitheater. They were doing some sort of homemade play about a princess being held hostage from bandits and a knight that goes on a journey to save her. It wasn’t half bad, you thought.

Your favorite part was when the savior got their almost doll-like blonde-haired princess to safety, they took their helmet off to reveal it was actually a lady knight; She has choppy brunette hair that was pulled into a low ponytail and freckles that dotted along her nose. The way the knight and the princess stare toward one another makes you really feel the love that they held for each other, and you had to admit the ending got to you because of it. You applaud loudly as the cast takes a bow, the knight and princess both holding onto each other with wide smiles.

A half hour later, you all find yourselves standing outside of the amphitheater trying to think of what to get for a late lunch. There were so many food stalls that it had started to overwhelm you. You fidget with your sleeves as you watch Hange and Erwin talk, while Levi stays quiet as always.

You glance at him with a side eye in hopes he would meet your gaze. However, he keeps it averted from you, appearing to people watch instead. It’s not like he had ever ignored you in the past month, but his abnormal stoicism towards you was really starting to get under your skin. His guard was up, and you didn’t know why. What had changed from that night of the party to now?

“I think we passed a stall back that way that sold pizza. I want that!” You hear Hange say in excitement, pointing down a dirt path to your left.

“You are more than welcome to do so but I think I’ve decided on one down there. I saw something about meat pies, and I’m intrigued.” Erwin stares down at a map of the grounds as he speaks.

“What about you two? Does anything stick out to you?” Hange spins on you and Levi.

“Whatever.”

You just shrug with a small smile.

“Great input, guys.” They roll their eyes at you and go back to looking over Erwin’s shoulder at the map.

“Well, we could all split up for a moment to get our respective lunches and reconvene at the axe throwing and archery area in about an hour or so? I think you wanted to do that for your turn?” Erwin pipes up as he looks behind his shoulder at you. You nod vigorously at it all, mainly at the choice of activity. You’ve always wanted to try both sports and were ecstatic when you saw it on the list of available stations.

“I think that’s a wonderful idea. There are a couple of other booths I wanted to check out earlier, this is a good opportunity.” Hange says as they stare down the path where the supposed pizza stall sat. You wave to get their attention.

‘I’m going to wander around myself then, if that’s cool with you?’ They give you a skeptical look and purse their lips.

“Will you be okay alone?” Levi’s head jerks up to Hange’s question then to you.

“She’s going alone?”

“She asked if she could.” They shrug their shoulders and Levi scoffs but says nothing else.

“Make sure your phones are on you and we’ll meet up in an hour.” Erwin cuts in, nodding to each of you before turning on his heels and disappearing in the crowd. So businesslike, you chuckle to yourself. Your sister grabs your hand then squeezes it before running off down the other way. Then it’s just you and Levi. You both look at each other. You’re about to offer if he would like to walk with you but he turns his back to you before you can get his attention.

“See you in an hour.” He says and walks into the crowd without looking back, leaving you alone. You blink hard at the empty space. Even after spending hours together, he’s still distant with you. You can’t help the hurt from seeping into your chest. You bite your cheek as you turn and start off in a random direction with no idea of where you’re going.

See you in an hour? Levi couldn’t stop the cold words from sliding out. He almost asked if he could tag along with you but he forced himself to walk away because he couldn’t dare to look you in the eyes. He’d been so careful around you in the last month but it’s like he couldn’t hold back anymore.

If he put himself in a position to be with you alone, there’s no telling what else might come out of his mouth. Levi was afraid it wouldn’t come out the way he wanted. He needed more time to figure out how he would approach you about the past, your past. And how his guilt was suffocating the life out of him.

Levi shoves his hands in his pocket as he weaves through the crowd in the direction of their rendezvous spot. There wasn’t anything he needed at this place so he decided he would give his leg a break while he waited for everyone else.

That is until something sparkling in the late afternoon sun catches his attention. His good eye snaps to it immediately and he can’t help but take a couple steps closer to get a better look at what it was. There hanging on a small jewelry stand is a delicate gold necklace. It was simple and modest despite its shine.

“Ah, I see this has caught your eye.” A soft voice rings out from behind the counter, belonging to an older lady that he had not noticed before. She has short blonde hair that had started to gray at the roots and light, kind eyes that crinkled in the corners. A warm smile lights up her face.

“No, I was just going.” Levi’s eyes trail back to the necklace before turning around to leave.

“It’s my last one for the day. Since it caught your eye, I’ll let it go at a special price. Who is it that’s on your mind?” Levi’s steps falter then he looks back at the woman with wide eyes.

“I’m sorry?”

“Forgive me, but you seem to have that look on your face that only someone gets when there’s a person on their mind. So, who is it?” The lady leans over on the table she sat behind, propping herself up with her elbow and stares at Levi with earnest.

“I- that’s not any of your business.” He clicks his tongue and starts off in the direction behind him again.

“Whoever it is, they must be causing quite a storm inside you!” She shouts out.

“You don’t know anything about me.” Levi digs his heels in the dirt and stalks back over to the booth where the lady sits, his hands clenched into fists as he stares hard into the accuser’s eyes.

“Oh, no? There isn’t someone in your life right now digging up your past?” Levi reels and opens his mouth to say something, but nothing comes out.

She continues, “Humor me, son. This old woman is getting bored of the hustle and bustle out there. What’s on your mind? I’ll give you the necklace as payment if I find it entertaining enough.”

“Ma’am, not to be rude but I literally do not know you. And my life story isn’t some story for you to gawk at.”

“Strangers make the best confidants I find. And you look like you’re about to burst at the seams.”

Levi considers this for a moment. He hadn’t been able to talk to anyone about what’s been plaguing him all month. Since that night in your bedroom, seeing those picture frames. It had shaken him to his core and the only person he actually wanted to talk about it with was you, and, well. This woman was indeed a stranger, what could it hurt? He’s never going to see this woman again, he hopes.

“Tch, fine.” Levi sighs heavily and starts from the beginning.

It had been about an hour since your group broke up when you found yourself trekking to the rendezvous spot. You had a great time wandering around by yourself, making sure to double back to a couple stalls you had passed earlier in the day. While you focused mainly on window shopping, you couldn’t help but buy yourself a tiara inlaid with the most spectacular fake gemstones.

They glimmered off the late afternoon sun as you passed underneath the spotty shaded canopy with a cup of hot liquid in your hand. Even though Levi had brushed you off earlier, you were not going to let that bother you. Maybe he was going through something right now and wasn’t ready to talk to you about it, you hope.

When you make it to the clearing, you smile as you see Levi sitting at one the benches massaging his leg. There’s a small paper bag next to him. As you get closer, his gray eyes look up to meet you and pinches his lips together into a thin line.

There was something different about his aura now, it didn’t feel as hostile as before. Though you could tell there was something still bothering him. When you’re right in front of him, you offer him the cup. He raises an eyebrow at you before taking a tentative sip. His eyes widened in surprise.

“Is this black tea? Where did you find this?” He takes another drink the way he does with his fingertips. You hold up a finger to him and grab your phone out of your purse.

‘A stall all the way on the other side. I did a lot of walking in the last hour.’

“I couldn’t find a drink stall that had anything I wanted. Thanks.” You give him a nod and drop yourself down next to his side on the bench to wait for the rest of your party. Levi says nothing else, but he does give you a side eye and glances up at the shining headpiece you adorned. You can’t help but smile widely at him and strike a lazy pose to show it off. You really did feel like a real princess even with the itchy dress. He turns his head away quickly and you fold your hands onto your lap, your smile slowly fading. You wish you could read minds.

“Ah, there you two are!!” A voice shrieks out. Hange comes practically skipping over with a grinning Erwin right behind her. “Sorry we’re so late. I have no excuses.” You can’t help but roll your eyes and laugh as you stand up to meet them. You hear Levi shuffling to do the same, the paper bag crinkling in his hand as he grips it tightly.

“I hope you all ate well because it’s time for some axe throwing and arrow nocking.” Erwin says with a slight chuckle. You nod vigorously and start off under the archway leading into your next activity.

Archery was not your forte, you quickly find out. You couldn’t stop holding the bow in a way that would keep the string from snapping back into your forearm. You had to stop after a couple tries because you feared if you tried any more, the bowstring would slice right into your skin. There will most definitely be a bruise there by the end of tonight. Erwin was phenomenal with the bow, and you could not help but stare in awe as he basically achieved a bullseye with every other arrow.

Axe throwing on the other hand was cathartic in all the best ways. You were not very accurate at it, but you achieved hitting the hard wood and that was an accomplishment all in its own right. Everyone had taken several steps back when it came to Hange’s turn. The wicked gleam in her eyes was enough to warn every one of her potential.

Fortunately, she was actually fairly good at the sport. One of her axes only bounced back once. Levi, of course, was great at both sports, hitting the targets with deadly precision. You shudder at the thought of anyone on the receiving end of Levi’s wrath given the opportunity to use weapons like these.

The sun was just starting to lower in the sky when it was time for Levi’s choice. Like you, he went with something a little more physically exerting. He opted for sword fighting. You could tell that Erwin was just as excited for it as well because his smile had not left his face the entire time you all made your way down to the field. Hange wasn’t exactly thrilled about it because she worried what might happen even with wooden swords, so both of you decided to sit on the sidelines to watch them closely.

They must have been sparring partners in a past life because the way they moved around each other in the field was mesmerizing. Every hit was met with a perfect parry. There were dodge rolls and feint attacks. Even with Levi’s physical limitations, he was still keeping Erwin on his toes, neither one going easy on the other. You had to admit that it was fun to observe them go at each other.

In the blink of an eye, you watch as Erwin twists his body in a way that grants him access to punch Levi in the face with the hilt of his sword. You stand up quickly, about to jump over the guardrail to make sure Levi was okay but he doesn’t even falter. He staggers back for a moment but goes right back into a defensive stance. From here, you can see the left side of Levi’s face has a small dribble of blood running down it. It’s coming from a cut above his left brow, and he’s not even batting an eye.

Levi comes at Erwin so quickly that you’re barely able to keep up with it. In a flash, he’s right behind Erwin and about to kick his legs out from under him but Erwin throws himself into Levi to knock him back. And then they’re at it again. You lean over the rail in anticipation, glancing back and forth between them and the sword instructor in hopes that they would come over and make them stop before things got too rough. But they did nothing, in fact they were staring at them in awe just as you were at their movements.

“Shit!” You hear along with the clattering of a wooden sword against the hard dirt. You stare in panic as you see Erwin holding his right wrist as he grimaces in pain. You and Hange immediately start running to them.

“Oh fuck, Erwin I’m sorry. I didn-“

“No, no. We were both going too hard. I should have seen this coming.” He says through gritted teeth as he holds his hand to his chest.

‘Are you okay? What happened?’ You sign to him quickly, your face no doubt flushed with anxiety. Levi is horror stricken as he stares at his best friend, who as always remains calm. The instructor is nowhere in sight when you need him, of course.

“A simple disarming maneuver. It’s just twisted is all.” Erwin nods down at you in reassurance, adding a warm smile with it. You’re most definitely not reassured.

“Alright boys, let’s take you both to the infirmary.” Hange sighs as she grabs Erwin by his other arm and tugs him along. You take a step forward to follow but Levi just huffs behind you, no sign of movement comes from his direction.

“You all go ahead, I’ll be fine.”

“Levi, you’re literally bleeding from your head.” They snark back.

“I’m fine, just go.” Levi turns and walks back to the benches where your and Hange’s things sat currently. You look over to Hange with bewilderment but they just give you a cheeky grin.

“Stay with him, we’ll be right back.” They shout as they continue to pull Erwin away in what you guess is the direction of the medical tent. You click your tongue, a habit you accidentally picked up from Levi, and spin back around. Levi’s trying to dab at his wound with the bottom of his black costume shirt, his lower abdomen peeking through and you force your eyes back up to his face as you make your way towards him. You grunt to get his attention, cocking your head to the side when he looks up.

“What?”

Sliding your phone back out of your purse, you type quickly, ‘You’re not doing a very good job at that.’

“Tch, I can’t exactly see what I’m doing.” He looks away as he lets go of his shirt. You pull yourself up the stairs to where he sat and straddle the bench so you’re facing him. Grabbing a couple of napkins from Hange’s bag and a water bottle you had purchased at the start of the activity, you then wet them carefully so as not to spill too much. Levi’s staring hard at you.

“What are you doing?” He asks in apprehension.

You only stare back at him, softening your gaze as you lift your hand up slowly to his face. He doesn’t flinch back, which you take as a good sign of him trusting you. You use your other hand to pull his hair back a little and start dabbing at the cut carefully with the wet napkin. The gash isn’t bleeding anymore, thankfully. Most of it had already started coagulating. The spot had also started to swell with heat and when you press back down on it gently, you feel him wince with a hiss.

You then rub at the dried blood that had trickled down his face. When you do so, your eyes flicker over to him and he’s staring at you in such a way that makes you falter. He looks away quickly after you both lock eyes for a second. It was only for a moment, but it was such an intense look. You’re suddenly aware of how close you are to him, so you sit up straight and scoot back.

‘Be right back. I’m going to get ice for your welt.’ You type as you pick yourself up from the bench. He clears his throat and sits back as well, nodding in acknowledgment. Tossing the blood stained napkins into a trashcan on your way out, you pick up your pace as you feel your face warm up. He was so close to you; you could smell his signature fresh laundry and body wash. And it was almost as if his stormy gray eyes were a magnet, drawing you into them. You shake your head at the thought as if to clear them out of your mind.

When you finally find a stall that would give you a cup of ice without charging, you make your way back to where you left Levi. It takes you a minute, but you finally spot him pacing back and forth frantically. When he sees you, he stops in his tracks then sprints over to you. His black mask is all forgotten and you’re able to see his full features; His face is full of fear, eyebrows knit and eyes wide.

“I- we need-” Levi breathes out. Even his voice is wavering with panic. You set the cup down and type faster than you ever have before.

‘Levi, breathe. What happened?’

“I need to get out of here, but I don’t know where Erwin and Hange went. Erwin is my ride. But I need to go.”

‘Go where? What happened?’ You grab onto one of his hands in hopes to ground him. His eyes are darting around wildly. When you squeeze his hand hard to get his attention, they finally land on your face and you take a deep breath, hoping he would follow. He attempts to but it’s fairly shallow.

“Sh-she’s back at the hospital. Something happened and she’s there and I…” Is all he manages to get out. His eyes are frantically looking around for the others. She? You grab all of your belongings as well as the things left behind from Erwin and Hange and tuck everything under one arm. With the other, you pull out your car keys and reach for Levi’s hand. He jolts back, staring at you with alarm. You reach for it again and clasp it with keys tucked in between both of your palms, then you start running for the entrance of where you all came from.

With the evening drawing near, there were not nearly as many people here as there was before, but it was still enough to be a nuisance to run through. You gripped onto Levi’s hand so tightly, afraid of losing him in the crowd. You don’t notice but at one point, he starts to hold on with both of his hands for dear life. When you finally break out, you dash down the aisle where your car was.

There was no time to let Hange know where you two were going, you would have to do that when you got to where you were heading. Just as there was no time to ask Levi what the hell you two were doing, you would get answers later. All you knew was that he was panicking, and you had the power to help him.

When you eventually find the car, you toss in the things under your arms into the back seat then throw yourself into the driver’s side. Levi does the same on the passenger side and you don’t hesitate to back out before checking to see if he was buckled in. In mere moments, you’re zooming down to the only hospital in town.

The car ride was filled with Levi’s panicked heavy breathing as you did your best to weave around the end of day rush hour. Every once and a while, you would hear Levi cursing at a red light or a stop sign, his hands gripping the dashboard so tight that his knuckles turned white. One of his knees was shaking up and down so fast you’re surprised the car doesn’t bounce with it.

Without thinking, you reach over with one of your hands and place it on top of his knee gently. It stops. You spare a glance at him and he’s staring straight ahead, but he makes no move to throw your hand off him. You both stay like this for the rest of the ride.

After what feels like an eternity, you drop Levi off at the front so you can find a place to park. It takes a couple minutes but you’re able to find a spot near the back, though you don’t get out of the car right away. Instead, you take this time to send Hange a quick text about your situation as well as collect yourself. Levi’s panic is not something you’ll soon forget. It hurt you to see him so distraught. Multiple heavy breathing exercises later, you unbuckle yourself and head out into the now cool evening, the Emergency entrance in your sights.

You deal with communication issues at the front desk but finally you’re able to find where Levi headed off too. It was the waiting room of the surgery wing and you felt your heart sink to your stomach. What happened? When you make it through the doors, you find Levi pacing back and forth with his hands tightly knitted in his hair. He looks up to you with hollow eyes but says nothing. He maintains his pacing so you decide to sit in a chair near him, watching him as he does. This continues for a bit until a woman in gray scrubs comes out of the surgery ward, a clipboard in hand and a neutral expression across her face.

“Ackerman?” She calls out. Levi stops dead and he’s quick to bound over to her with you right behind.

“What’s going on?” His voice is gravelly and dripping with anxiety. She eyeballs the two of you and only then do you remember that you both pulled up in matching costumes, now sticking out like a sore thumb in comparison to the white, sterile walls. You wrap your arms around you self-consciously and shoot her a weak grin.

“She’s in stable condition right now. But I’m afraid your mother suffered an extreme heart attack earlier this evening. We had to perform an immediate PCI. The blockage was found and taken care of in time, fortunately.” The nurse states calmly. Mother?

“How did this happen?” His words come through gritted teeth.

“I was not told of the specifics, I’m sorry.”

“Can I see her?”

“You may but she won’t be awake for a while. She just got out of surgery.” She murmurs as she takes a close look at her clipboard.

“I don’t care, I need to see her.”

She looks up from the board to take a look at Levi’s face closely, her eyes trailing up to the cut on his eyebrow before asking, “Would you like us to take a look at that wound while you’re here?”

“No. Can we go now?” Levi clips impatiently.

“Very well. Come with me.” And she starts off to the double doors behind her, pulling her badge out to unlock them. Then she sees you following Levi’s steps and stops to speak to you. “I’m sorry, are you family as well?” You don’t see it, but Levi’s eyes narrow at the nurse.

“She’s with me.” Is all he says but his choice of words makes your stomach flutter. With me. The nurse just sighs and taps her badge to the scanner causing the doors to open with a beep. You’re led down a maze of halls until you get to a room with a big glass window. As you pass it, you’re hit with a fleeting feeling of familiarity at the face that belonged to the woman in the bed. After following Levi into the room, the nurse then closes the door behind you with a click.

The room is silent all besides the beeping of the monitors next to the bed. Levi is already at the woman’s, his mom’s, side. He’s holding her hand and his expression has already gone from dread to worried relief. Your eyes trail over to the woman’s features, and you gasp audibly because this face was indeed familiar. But your mind feels like it’s hitting a wall because you can’t recall exactly why she was so familiar and it frustrates you.

Taking a couple steps forward, you eye the beautiful face trying to rack your brain still. Nothing. Levi’s staring at you like he wants to say something but thinks better of it and shifts his gaze back to his mom. Not this again.

You pull your phone out of your purse and type a quick message to him. A notification ping goes off, but he makes no effort to check it. You wave at him to get his attention and when he looks over, you point to your phone and then towards him.

‘I’m glad to know your mom is okay. Are you?’

“I’m fine.” Short and to the point, as always.

‘You looked like you wanted to say something a minute ago. What?’

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it.”

‘Don’t shut me out. What is it?’

“I’m not shutting you out.” His voice straining.

‘You are. What’s going on with you?’

“There’s nothing going on. Leave it alone.”

‘No. Ever since the party, you’ve been distant with me, and I deserve to know why. What happened that night? Did I do something wrong?’ You stare hard at Levi, but he continues to stare down at the screen. His grip on the phone is tight.

“This is not the time for this right now.” He mumbles coarsely. You huff loudly and slap your hands down to your thighs. His gaze finally cuts over to you, his eyes dark and tired more than usual. Both of you lock eyes for a moment, and you can tell he’s thinking of something else to say to you but then the room is filled with the noises of your stomach growling violently. Your cheeks are quick to flare up and you’re the first to break away from the staring contest.

“Hungry?” Levi quips in a dry tone. You’re quick to frown at him. But you are, you’re severely hungry. In the hour that you were supposed to feed yourself, you ended up window shopping the whole time. Even when you stopped to grab Levi that tea, you didn’t buy yourself food. You were just too engrossed with your surroundings.

“Just go get some food, you’re not useful here.” He’s right, but you can’t keep the hurt look from flashing across your face at his words.

‘Neither are you. Besides, I don’t want to leave you.’ Only after you hit send are you aware of what you just said and you quickly type out, ‘Since I’m your ride, and all.’ Nailed it.

“I can call Erwin.” He could, but you wanted answers and you had him cornered for once.

‘Just come get dinner with me. I’ll take you right back here after. The nurse said she’d be out for a while anyways and that she’s stable. You know they’ll call you if anything happens.’ You glance back over to his mom to study her face again. She was just as beautiful as his son, her features just the same as his. Her familiarity still itched at you. When you don’t hear a response, you look over to Levi and see that he’s eying you with thought. You offer a small smile, and he rolls his eyes.

“Fine. But here right after.” You swear you hear his stomach rumbling as well.

After a brief drive, you both find yourselves sitting in red booths at a diner down the street. The smell of greasy food permeates your senses and you’re drooling already. The multitude of options were too overwhelming, so you went with a simple burger and fries. Levi orders the same without even looking at His menu. His mind was clearly far away at the moment.

‘Spill.’ You shoot at him.

“Really, right here?” He clicks his tongue and looks out to watch the cars passing on the street.

‘Yes, really. Why are you being so distant with me? What did I do?’

“You didn’t do anything.”

‘You could have fooled me.’ You use your straw to stir at your soda mindlessly.

“Tch, it’s nothing you did, okay? I mean it.” He mutters as he takes a sip of his water, eyes still focused on the street.

‘Okay, then what is it?’

There’s a pause.

“How much of your childhood do you remember prior to the fire?” Out of all the things you thought he would say next, this is not one of them. It was so out of left field; it takes him staring you straight in the eyes to be able to respond. You blink down at your phone.

‘Not much. Just warm feelings, an older brother and two parents. Why?’ You can’t help but frown.

“There’s no way to say thi-“ He’s cut off by the waitress coming over to set down your plates of food with a wide grin. You don’t miss the way she looks at Levi. There were practically hearts in her eyes.

“Anything else I can get y’all?” She asks, looking between the two of you.

“No.” Levi remarks dismissively, not even bothering to look up at her.

“Oh, well. Holler if you need me!” She chirps then walks away leaving the two of you to stare at each other. You nervously pick at your fries as you send Levi another text.

‘You were saying?’

“We used to be neighbors when we were kids.” The fry you held in your fingers drops back to the plate as you process what he just said. Neighbors? No, you’re certain you’ve never seen him before. You look up at him and shake your head.

“We were. I used to come over and play with your brother every day. My mother adored you.” Levi mumbles as he pokes at his burger with a fork. You suddenly feel dizzy as you feel that wall from earlier start cracking. Is this why…? A memory of warm cookies and long raven hair zooms through your mind.

“I’m sure all the trauma you’ve endured for years erased many of your memories. I know for certain you don’t remember me, but I guess that would make sense. I’m not the gangly kid you once knew.” He chuckles darkly. You’re still having a hard time processing what he just said but you definitely can’t recall many memories prior to the time you were with the Zoë’s. You continue to blink hard at him, your dinner all but forgotten. After a moment, your fingers start typing again.

‘I’m sorry I don’t remember you.’

“Tch, that’s your takeaway here?” He rolls his eyes and drums his fingers on the hard table impatiently. He was still holding back.

‘Just say it, Levi.’

“I just didn’t know you were alive, is all.” Alive? Did he think… how did he…?

‘How did you find this all out?’

“The pictures on your desk. I did some searching when I got home that night and found the articles about your family. Mom and I heard about the fire about a year or two after it happened from a stranger in passing.” He leans back in his seat, eyes now falling on your pallid face.

“You know, we moved when I was around nine, so it was strange to hear about something so far away. We assumed the whole family died, no one knew about a survivor. So that’s why I didn’t think anything of it. Also, because, well, you look different now compared to when you were six.” He averts his gaze and takes a drink of his water as he thinks. You’re glad for the pause because this was enough to make your head go reeling. You sit forward and shove your head in your hands to keep yourself from falling over in the seat.

A couple minutes pass before you’re able to form coherent words, ‘Is that why you’ve been so distant? Because you remembered we had a past together?’ You look up at him through eyelashes, his gaze soft on you. He shifts in his seat uncomfortably. There’s more.

“No.” His hands that sat on top of the table are clenched in fists so tight that you wouldn’t be surprised if his nails drew blood from his palms. You reach over with shaking hands to hold on to one of his to get his attention. With pleading eyes, you stare up at him. He doesn’t shake off your touch, in fact he clasps his fingers over yours and holds on tightly. They were soft and warm and very much needed.

“My dad was a drunk, a very mean, abusive drunk. My mother worked hard to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table while he stayed home and drank the day away. I always had to clean up after him since he wouldn’t do it himself, leaving half-drunk liquor bottles and lit cigarettes all over the place. And my poor mom, she was already so tired when she came home that I couldn’t bear to see her do more work.” He grips your hand tighter as he looks away.

“One day, my mom came home while I was gone. I didn’t clean that day because I was out so late. So he starts yelling at her, screaming that she was lazy and never picked up around the house." Levi swallows hard.

"When I came home, I see this fucker slapping my mother in the face so hard that she fell backwards, and I snapped. I threatened him with a knife and everything, telling him if he touched me or my mom ever again I would kill him. The bastard laughed in my face. My mom was afraid I would follow through with that threat so that’s why she made us move. God, you were so sad that day.” He takes a deep breath and fixes his gaze back to you. His expression is pained and so full of guilt.

“I’m the reason your family is dead.” Levi’s voice is so soft, it was almost a whisper. You knew that to be a lie considering everything he told you. He moved away before the fire even happened, so that’s not possible. You scan his face, your eyes searching for anything other than remorse and guilt but that’s all there was. You shake your head at him furiously. It’s a lie, you know that.

“I am. I don’t know how it happened, but the dirty bastard died in the house fire of his own doing. But then it caught onto yours and… I just,” He pauses, thinking about his next words. “I can’t help but think that if I never threatened him then my mother and I would have stayed. And I could have been there to clean up after him. I could have stopped the fire from ever happening. I could have kept your family safe, and you would still be with them.”

There’s a very physical pain in your gut as you slowly understand why he was so distant with you, why he was shutting you out. Levi blamed himself for everything. The speed at which you snatch your phone and type away would have been impressive, had you cared at that moment.

‘Not your fault.’

“Yes, it is.”

‘You did not start the fire. He did. Nothing you could have done.’ You reach over even more to look straight into his stormy gray eyes.

“You don’t understand, I could have stopped it.” Levi repeats.

‘Levi, listen to me. There’s nothing in the world that you could have done to stop it. I know more than most how much I wish it didn’t happen but it did. And knowing that even despite my unfortunate circumstances, you were able to get out of such a shitty situation. And that makes me happy. No one deserves someone like that in their life. Especially not you. I’ve made peace with this. You should too.’ You squeeze his hand tightly and stare up at him with what you hoped looked like a reassuring smile. He doesn’t say anything from behind his phone screen.

‘I don’t blame you for anything and that has to count for something.’ He glances up at you again. It’s like the life had deflated from his body and he looked so small. A part of you wished you could hold him and tell him he was okay.

“Thank you.” His voice is hoarse, causing him to clear his throat. “I should have said something sooner, but I was afraid.”

‘Afraid of what?’

“That you would get mad at me or stop talking to me.” He mumbles. You’re not sure if it was the dark talk or the suffocating tension but you laugh, really hard. It feels foreign to you since you do your best not to laugh out loud usually but you don’t care, his simplicity was so funny to you. He furrows his brows at you and starts to pull his hand away but you grab onto it and don’t let it go.

‘I would never. There’s nothing to be mad about.’ Levi’s shoulder’s slump and you can tell a lot of the stress he held in his tiny frame had finally dissipated.

“That’s not funny.” He complains, but a small smirk twitches at the corners of his scarred lips.

‘Thank you for telling me. Really.’ You squeeze his hand once more before letting go of it, the warmth of his skin lingering on your fingertips. A moment of silence ensues, and you take this moment to take a bite of your surprisingly still warm burger. It was delicious and you’re reminded again of how hungry you really were. Levi hesitates but does the same. It’s like this for a while. Comfortable, yet again.

There was no room in your heart to be mad at Levi, especially for something he was not responsible for in any capacity. You were not lying; you really had made peace with it all years ago. If anything, it was reassuring having answers of what had happened that night. And you were grateful for Levi, even if he didn’t believe it. Something else stirs in your chest but you swat it away.

A couple bites later and you can’t help but ask the most important question yet, ‘What was I like back then?’ His scoff and eye roll intrigues you right away.

“You were such a troublemaker. A little shit, if I might say.” You choke on your soda and stare at him with a dumbfounded expression. “It’s true. You got your brother in trouble a lot. Always having to chase after you. There were a lot of times I had to carry you home kicking and screaming because you didn’t get your way.” He exhales in what almost sounded like content. Something flashes in your mind.

‘Was there a frog?’

“Good god, out of all the things you remember, it’s that incident?” He bites into a fry but there’s a smile behind it. It’s not big or anything but it’s enough to warm you from the inside.

‘Well now you HAVE to tell me.’

“There was a pond down the street that you loved to play in. It had started storming and your brother couldn't coerce you into coming home so I picked you up and flung you over my shoulder while you kicked and screamed. All because you wanted to take a frog home to be your new pet.” A visual of pouring rain and staring down at the wet pavement crosses your mind. You can’t help but smile at the memory.

‘Mr. Froggy.’ You giggle at the memory.

“Yes, I believe that’s what you called him.” Levi wipes his mouth and sits forward to look at you, his mouth open to say something else but he closes it just as fast. You tap your finger on the table and shake your head at him, as if to say tell me.

“Okay, okay. I saw something at the fair that I thought you might like.” You sit up quickly and gawk at him. You then point to yourself to make sure that he meant you. He pulls the small brown bag you saw earlier out of a pocket you didn’t even know existed. Clapping your hands together, you smile brightly at him. He places it in front of you. You waste no time tearing into the bag.

Inside is a thin and dainty gold chain necklace with a small pendant hanging off it. It’s a pink, crystal cherry blossom surrounded by the same gold metal. It was simple and elegant and perfect. You stare up at Levi with wide eyes and he has the brightest pink flush dusting his cheeks. He’s not looking at you.

Without even thinking about it, you quickly stand and move to slide into his booth with your back to him, holding the necklace up behind you. You don’t see it, but he is flustered to no end. Though, he understands because he takes it from you and carefully reaches around your neck to clip it on. It sits perfectly and you can't help but turn to him with a wide smile. He's a lot closer than you thought he would be. Silver eyes stare into yours and your smile falters.

“Will this be one check or two?” A chipper voice rings out, making you both jump away quickly. Your face is matching the same flush on Levi’s.

“One, please.” Levi says after clearing his throat. You look back at him with your most offended expression. He just clicks his tongue and pulls out his card from his wallet to hand to the waitress. She runs off to charge it but not before making a face at the proximity of the two of you.

“It’s easier this way.” He mutters quickly. You jump back over to your side, still feeling the heat of your face radiating.

‘Thank you so much, Levi. I love it. How did you know I liked sakuras?’ You cock an eyebrow at him while you fiddled with the small pendant in between two fingers.

“Your bedroom door. It’s a fitting flower for you.” He’s fidgeting with his long sleeves.

‘Something else bothering you?’

“Not really. It’s just, the necklace reminded me of something that’s happening next month and since you love cherry blossoms so much I thought maybe you’d be interested.” He flicks his eyes over to yours quickly before looking down at his phone for your response.

‘Well, what is it?’ It feels like your heart is about to burst out of your chest. Is he asking you what you think he’s asking…?

“It’s a cherry blossom festival. You know, carnival rides, food stalls, rubber duck racing. Would you… like to go w-with me?” He pulls at his collar nervously. You pinch your lips together in hopes it would keep the gigantic grin from forming. You start typing a response but then he quickly cuts in with, “Hange and Erwin are invited of course.” Oh.

‘Yeah, that sounds like fun. Let’s do it.’ You offer him a small smile instead, afraid your disappointment would show.

“Well. Great, that sounds… great.” He sighs.

Yeah, great.

You spend the rest of the evening recalling the last couple of hours in your head over and over again. Hange and Erwin ended up meeting you both back at the hospital and after a quick overview of what happened, both parties went their separate ways with Erwin and Levi staying at the hospital for a little longer. He said he would update you on news of his mom’s status when he got any. It was a very awkward goodbye, to say the least.

Thankfully Hange had not asked any questions of what had transpired but you notice their not-so-subtle glances at the new accessory adorning your neck. You had spent a couple hours of tossing and turning in your bed as you replayed every word that was said tonight until finally you were lulled asleep into the late hours.

☾ Previous Chapter: February ☾ Next Chapter: April

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hb-writes · 1 year ago

Text

Clowning Around

Summary: Little Charlie (~7 years old) is disappointed to find her brother doesn't think her costume is scary so she kicks the acting up a notch.

Prompt: “You look so cute!” “I’m not supposed to look cute! I’m supposed to scare you!”

Characters: Harvey Specter, Gordon Specter, Donna Paulsen & Charlie Specter

Warnings: Just some references to scary movies and clowns, lack of proof reading. 🙃

Donna set the phone down, heaving a sigh as she looked at the paperwork covering nearly every surface in Harvey’s office.

“Your dad and sister are on their way up.”

Harvey tossed the file he was reading over down on the table in front of him and rubbed at his temples. “They’re early.”

Donna shrugged. She knew Harvey had told his dad to come closer to 1:00, hoping to get as much time with the documents as they could, but technically, Harvey was late. Nearly a day late.

If this weekend had gone according to plan, Harvey would’ve spent the previous night out in Riverside with his dad and sister. And after bringing Charlie in on the commuter train this morning, he would’ve spent the morning doing whatever his kid sister wanted before heading over to the Halloween dog parade over in Tompkins Square Park.

On paper, the whole thing sounded like a nightmare. Like something Harvey Specter would have no interest in…but he had been looking forward to it.

He rarely expressed it, but Harvey had always liked Halloween. And something about having a kid sister had made it acceptable for him to like it again. Having a kid sister gave him a reason to go back to Riverside at the end of September to help them decorate for the holiday. And a reason to dress up and go trick or treating. A reason to go to the silly little dog parade his sister had learned about courtesy of an ill-timed news segment. It gave Harvey an excuse to live a little because if anyone asked, he was doing it for his sister. For his dad.

Harvey tried to help his dad out as much as he could where Charlie was concerned. He tried to do most of the travel, carting his sister to and from the city on the weekends that warranted it because of whatever plans she made with her brothers…so rare was it that Charlie sought their father’s permission, simply informing him ‘Harvey’s taking me here next weekend,’ or ‘I’m going to there with Marcus next month.’

It wasn’t like Gordon was going to say no to Harvey or Marcus being involved in their sister’s life…to being involved in his life...so whenever Charlie told her father there was something planned with Harvey, he just went ahead and called Donna. Confirmed the details with Donna. Swiftly writing whatever off-hand promise Harvey had made to his sister in stone…or at least in his calendar.

This particular weekend had been in Harvey's calendar for weeks, the type of thing that he hadn’t actually needed reminders about since he was looking forward to it…but that was all before Donna accepted a delivery on Friday at 3 pm—boxes and boxes of documents that took up the entirety of Harvey’s office and a conference room down the hall.

Harvey didn’t hear the elevator ding, but he could tell the moment his sister stepped onto the floor, the sound of her small footsteps somehow carrying to him all the way in his office. She kept her excitement contained there—using the extra energy to close the space between them because she knew she wasn’t allowed to yell and shout through the halls at her brother’s job. Charlie had seen plenty of her brother’s co-workers yelling so she questioned if it was a real rule, but she refrained anyway.

Just in case.

Charlie waited until she could see her brother through the glass wall of windows before shouting his name and sprinting into a run, maneuvering through the open door and around the furniture to launch herself into his arms. Harvey caught her, leaning back into the chair a bit as he absorbed her momentum, unable to stop his laughter as some of her energy transferred to him.

“Hey, Charlie,” Harvey said as he pulled her into his lap. “Where’s dad?”

Charlie stayed pressed against him but lifted one arm, pointing back towards the door.

Harvey chuckled, holding her as their father entered the room, bags of food in hand. Harvey greeted his father and Charlie finally shifted away from her brother’s chest.

“We brought lunch,” she said, nodding towards their father.

“Your sister wanted to make sure you gave Donna a proper lunch break,” Gordon offered as Donna cleared a spot for him to set down the bags. The look Gordon gave Harvey was clear enough that Harvey knew that their early arrival was in fact Charlie’s idea…Charlie’s insistence.

Harvey was sure the girl had been driving their father mad all morning trying to get them on the earliest train into the city that she could negotiate. He was impressed his father had held out this long.

“You been reading up on Department of Labor laws lately?” Harvey tickled his sister’s side.

“No!” Charlie giggled as she shot out of his lap, bumping into the table as she tried to get away from him, but Harvey easily trapped her squirming form in his grasp, a facetiously stern eyebrow raised in question. “But Dad said you probably haven’t taken a break all day and I know that’s illegal. In school we get lunch and recess.”

“Yeah, well, Donna’s not getting recess,” Harvey answered, “But Dad’s right.”

Neither Harvey or Donna had even considered lunch. Harvey hadn’t even gone home the night before, but now that he could smell the food, he was starving.

Charlie squealed when Harvey scooped her up and settled her on the table in front of him.Her dirty sneakers narrowly missed Harvey’s leg as they dangled off the table and Harvey shifted back in his seat. He stroked his chin as he looked at her, observing her costume now that he could see her properly.

She was dressed in some type of brightly colored clown suit, with her hair in pigtails and haphazardly spray-painted in a bright red hue. And her face…her face was painted white with all the accouterments of a clown. All of it a bit smudged from the time she’d spent pressed against his chest.

Harvey was suddenly glad he’d at some point removed the suit jacket he’d worn yesterday…not that the shirt he was wearing was cheap…far from it, but at least it would be easier to clean. And thanks to Donna stopping by his apartment, he had a change of clothes to switch into.

“So you really ditched me to be a clown this year?”

Charlie told him weeks ago that he would have to come up with a costume without her. After years of them matching—characters from Top Gun, The Godfather, and Ferris Bueller—Charlie had informed him she was striking out on her own. She wouldn't tell him what she had planned, just that the paired costumes were out.

“It’s no Sundance, kid—” Butch and Sundance had been Harvey’s suggestion for this year—“But you look cute.”

Charlie frowned, twisting to scowl at their father before turning back to Harvey, her arms pressed tight across her chest. “I’m not supposed to look cute! I’m supposed to scare you!”

Harvey’s eyes slid from Charlie to their father who shrugged, his hands raised in defeat.

“Hey, I tried,” he offered as he lowered himself to the sofa. “I’m a musician, Charlie girl, not a makeup artist.”

Harvey sensed this had already been a discussion between them, that he was late to something, and so Harvey tried to make light of it.

“Well, I guess clowns are pretty scary,” Harvey conceded. “Especially that Ronald McDonald guy.”

Harvey watched his Dad’s face over Charlie’s head as he said it, the look in his eyes telling Harvey he’d stepped in something. Shit.

“I’m not Ronald McDonald!” Charlie shouted, pushing herself off the table and getting up in his face. “I'm every nightmare you ever had. I am your worst dream come true! I'm everything you ever were afraid of!”

“You’re Pennywise?” Harvey raised an eyebrow. “Who the hell let you watch It?”

Charlie shrugged, shrinking back from her brother’s tone—a note of surprise, mostly, but a fair bit of anooyance, too.

She was too young for that sort of stuff as far as Harvey was concerned. Even if some of the stuff he let her watch was a little mature for her…well, that was different. He was just trying to make sure the kid had a solid foundation in quality film, not scar her for life.

“Your brother,” Gordon answered. “She had nightmares for a week.”

“No!” Charlie argued, shaking her head. “I liked it!”

“Well, good. You watch that crap with Marcus.”

Because I won’t. Harvey didn’t say it, but horror movies weren’t his thing. Never had been. Not that he was scared. He just didn’t like them. Cheap thrills and crappy production value. Harvey had standards, after all.

“Marcus said scary movies are good. You just don’t like them because you’re a scaredy cat.”

“Did he now?” Harvey asked.

Charlie opened her mouth to continue, but Gordon interrupted.

“That’s enough, Charlie,” Gordon said. “It’s time to eat.”

Gordon was amazed that the boys didn’t realize by now that anything one brother said about the other in Charlie’s presence went right back to the other brother.

Or maybe Marcus did realize and that had been his intention. To rile his brother from afar. Gordon could never be too sure. The boys liked to pick at each other just as much now as they had when they were kids. And their sister was a convenient and willing weapon to wield.

And Charlie and Marcus had been on the phone a few times that week. That wasn’t too out of the norm. Charlie liked talking with her brothers, but from what Gordon had overheard there hadn’t been much talking aside from the two of them reviewing Pennywise’s more infamous lines.

“But what about my face?” Charlie whined. “Harvey said I’m not even scary!”

“I never said—”

“You said I was cute!” Charlie pouted and Harvey had a fleeting thought that if his sister was hellbent on tantruming all afternoon, that in itself was far more frightening than any costume she could wear. He was about to say something to the effect, about to suggest that she rein in the dramatics, when his dad cleared his throat.

“How about you come and eat your lunch and we’ll fix your costume when we’re done?”

Charlie hesitated, part of her hellbent on being upset, but Donna stepped closer, leaning down to meet Charlie’s eye. She held out a small paper boat, something she had folded up in the few minutes that Charlie and Harvey had been talking.

“Did anyone ever tell you that I used to do theater, little chick?” Donna asked. “I can make you look so scary you’ll give your brother nightmares for a month. Go on kiddo, take it.”

Charlie giggled at Donna’s impersonation and took the boat in her hand, a terrifying grin on her face as she turned towards Harvey, any resemblance to a ‘cute’ clown gone entirely even with her shoddy makeup.

Charlie held the boat out to her brother. “You want it, don't you, Harvey? Oh, of course you—”

Harvey scooped his sister up in his arms before she could finish quoting the clown…before it could really settle in how creepy it was…Charlie looking at her brother like that, speaking to him with that voice. As Harvey’s fingers dug into Charlie’s sides, the facade quickly slipped and all resemblance to the dancing clown was wiped away from his sister’s sweet face as she squealed and giggled in his arms.

“What I want is for you to eat your lunch,” he answered as he plopped her down into the seat at his desk and pushed her in, grateful when she didn’t fight him or start imitating the clown again, and instead digging into the piece of pizza Gordon set in front of her.

“And next year, no creepy clowns for Halloween,” he said.

Charlie turned towards him as she chewed on a bite of her pizza, a contemplative look in her eye. “This pizza’s not as good as eating—”

“Alright, quit clowning around. You’re scaring your brother,” Gordon interrupted before Charlie could make mention of the clown’s favorite pastime of devouring children.

Harvey gave his father a look, no appreciation spared for his pun.

“No, she’s not,” Harvey argued, but Donna and Gordon were both smirking at them.

“That’s okay, Harvey,” Charlie said, that deeply unsettling smile back in place as she turned to him. “Be afraid. You all taste so much better when you’re afraid.”

Suits (Lines to Live By) Masterlist

#suits #suits fanfic #harvey specter #donna paulsen #gordon specter #charlie specter #lines to live by #halloween prompts 2023

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