#annie belle bites back

[cartoon-girlz]

some girlies i've been drawing up to make proper character bio pages :0)

[moonspirit]

More Papamin!( ̀⌄ ́)Please！

Aahhhhh hello, and I'm sorry, I actually have more papamin drafts saved but didn't have much time to flesh them out T^T

But have this!

Papamin Propaganda #8:

When aruani firstborn daughter is old enough and going to elementary school, she often overhears her classmates talking about the reaction of how their parents felt when they were born.

One boy says, "My dad said when I was born, I looked like a warrior!"

One girl says, "My mom said i looked like a little diamond!"

Another kid says, "My parents said I looked like a baby cow. I was really cute."

They ask her: "What did you look like?"

But she's stumped for an answer. "... I-I don't know..."

Later that week, she finds her mother folding laundry slowly, looking a bit tired.

"Mama."

"Hm?"

"What did I look like?"

Annie lifts her eyebrows, setting down a pile of shirts. "What do you mean?"

Her daughter shifts from foot to foot. "When I came out of here," She reaches out to pat Annie's swollen belly. "What did I look like?"

"Hmm," Annie lightly hums, swishing her lips to a side. "You looked like a potato."

Her daughter is aghast. "A potato?!"

"Yup. A potato," Annie nods matter of factly. "Go ask your father, he's the one who said it first."

Off goes her daughter, marching to the kitchen, anxious and disappointed. On her way she spots a small basket of potatoes in the pantry, all brown and fairly ugly. Not a warrior, not a diamond, not a baby cow but a potato?! What will she tell her friends? They'll laugh!

She finds her father before the stove, chopping vegetables in a casual shirt, sleeves rolled up. It's the off season for her parents, there are no diplomatic meetings for a few months.

"Papa," She says, sidling up next to him, standing on her tip toes to see the array of chopped ingredients on the counter.

"Yes?" He says sweetly, flashing her a smile.

"Is it true that-"

But she's cut off by the pressure cooker letting out a shrill whistle of steam. Armin turns off the stove. A delicious aroma wafts from it. Something a little familiar though she can't put her finger on what.

"What was that?"

His daughter hesitates, biting her lip. "Is it true that... I looked like a potato?"

"A potato?" He repeats with mild intrigue, giving her a brief look.

"When I was born," She says louder, more dejected. "Mama said I looked like a potato."

Now Armin pauses, takes note of her crestfallen face, and throws his head back and starts to laugh.

"Papa!" She whines, heart sinking. So it was true after all. She'd rather not go to school now.

"Oh dear," He chuckles, putting the knife down and crouching down to her height. His hands, smelling of bell peppers and carrots, take hold of her cheeks, squishing them lightly. Disappointed light blue eyes meet amused, bright blue ones.

"You did look like a potato," He confirms, grinning.

"So I was ugly," Her shoulders slump. "Mama said you called me a potato first."

"I did," He chuckles, pinching her nose. "But you know why?"

She stares back dully at his twinkling eyes, not really keen on knowing.

"Because when your mom was pregnant with you, she had a craving for so many different foods," He explains, standing up to pop off the pressure cooker's lid. Thick steam rises from within and the aroma grows stronger. "By the end, all she wanted to eat was one thing though," He raises his eyebrows at her. "Want to take a guess what it was?"

His daughter shrugs.

"Okay," Armin laughs. "Say aaahh-"

She does it out of reflex, "Aaaahhh."

He pops in a chunk of something hot and purple. It melts in her mouth, the sweetness spreading across her tongue.

"Sweet potatoes," He grins. "All she wanted was sweet potatoes. And you looked like the sweetest potato I've ever seen."

She chews slowly, wide eyed and blinking at his highly amused face.

"Annie!" He laughs over his shoulder at approaching footsteps. "You have to tell her the whole story."

Annie steps into the kitchen, looking hungry now. "I... I want some coconut. Do we have any coconut?"

Hm, their daughter thinks, swallowing. Its warm and sweet, travelling down her throat.

Potatoes aren't so bad after all.

[puffballthesheep]

LOVE ME BACK — PIECK FINGER.

vamptober — slight edging ; find masterlist here

synopsis. In the hidden depths of Attack on Junior High, a captivating character named Peick appears, emanating a captivating vampire-like presence. The reader finds solace with her comrades Zeke, Reiner, Porco, and Annie, longing for a sense of belonging. Filled with seething rage, Peick sets out on a mission to unleash her fury upon the one who rejected her love.

length. 5.2k words (I attempted to make ts short)

contents. minors do not interact, fem! reader, vampire peick! high school au (reader is a senior student), age gaps (100+ difference), vampire, manipulative peick, blood, gore, dead bodies, hurtful words, heavy make out session, slight edging, slight smut, names (love, dear, sweet & ect.)

Notes. this took so mfkn long to write bc first I can’t make anything short, nor can I function w/o it being long, but anywho whoever requested this, wassup dude, I been doing good n I hope u are too, but now we finna get into it but If I were you I'd lock my doors before reading this 🤸🏾

Eighteen-year-old (name) had experienced a great loss at a young age when her mother passed away, yet she had been blessed with an incredible relationship with her father who had raised her alone since then. Growing up in the peaceful suburbs, the two of them had grown incredibly close over the years, having an almost psychic connection - they would always know what the other was thinking and even feel when the other was near.

One morning, (name) came downstairs to have breakfast with her dad, and with a smile she said cheerfully, "Good morning, dad! Thanks for breakfast this morning." As she started to eat, her dad asked her how she had slept. She took a sip of her orange juice before answering, her eyes twinkling with joy as she said, "Pretty good actually, no nightmares or anything," and she shrugged as she set down her cup, before taking another bite of her food. "That's good to hear," her dad said warmly, his face beaming with love.

The two of them chatted as (name) enjoyed her breakfast of pancakes, eggs, and sausage, the aroma of the food filling the air of the quaint kitchen. Suddenly, her dad said he had a meeting later and he'd be home late, so not to wait up for him. (Name) nodded and looked up at the clock on the stove, realizing it was almost time for her to leave for school. She stood from the table, put up the leftover food into the refrigerator, and grabbed her backpack. "Bye Dad, I love you," she exclaimed, her voice filled with warmth. Her father smiled and waved as he was putting away his dishes and getting ready for work. "Love you too, have a good day at school," he said with a kind smile, his eyes twinkling with emotion and pride.

As the final bell reverberated through the halls of Attack on Titan Junior High, signaling the end of yet another mundane day, (name) found herself enveloped by her group of friends during passing period. "Well, well, if it isn't (name). It's been ages since I've laid eyes on you," Reiner, with a beaming smile, pulled her into a tight embrace, his arm naturally draping over her shoulders. Looking up at him, (name) playfully squirmed out of his grip, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Maybe because I get to class, unlike some of you," she retorted, her voice laced with a touch of sarcasm.

Not one to back down, Porco quickly stepped forward, his emotions getting the best of him. "But hey, at least some of us manage to make it to class and get our work done," Porco fired back, his words dripping with a ruthless edge. (Name) let out a soft sigh, fully aware of Porco's tendency to wear his heart on his sleeve. "Ah, Porco, always ready with a comeback," she replied, raising an eyebrow in a knowing manner. The mention of Porco's impending Saturday school attendance struck a chord, and (name) couldn't help but smirk as Reiner let out a hearty laugh, his firm grip on Porco preventing him from lunging at her in frustration, as he often did whenever she struck a nerve.

Leaning against the wall with a casual air, Zeke joined the conversation, his voice calm and composed. "You know, (name) has the best grades among all of us. I'm genuinely proud of you," he remarked, his admiration shining through. (Name) scoffed, readying herself to make her exit. "Eugh Zeke! Can't you stop sounding like someone's overprotective father? It's just plain creepy, especially when you already look like you're in your forties in the twelfth grade."

Just as (name) was about to leave, her path was unexpectedly halted by Bertolt, who gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Curiosity flickered in (name)'s eyes as she turned back to face him, her tone guarded. "Whatchu want?" she inquired, her voice tinged with caution. Bertolt handed her a stack of photographs, captured through his camera lens. Being the resident photographer, (name) possessed the unique skill of working in the darkroom, a talent unknown to her friends. "Could you possibly take these to the darkroom and meet me there after I find Annie?" Bertolt requested, his eyes filled with hope. Glancing at her phone to check the time, (name) nodded and then proceeded to walk away, leaving Bertolt to his search. "Sure thing. Enjoy your quest, but I can inform you that Annie hasn't graced us with her presence in days."

Reiner and Porco watched (name) depart, the latter still holding back a torrent of insults, assuming that she was too intimidated to confront them again. "She's always slipping away," Reiner murmured, a hint of sadness echoing in his voice. Porco, unable to contain his frustration, unleashed a string of profanities. Suddenly, the authoritative voice of Assistant Principal Levi cut through the air, causing the trio to turn their attention towards him. With a stern expression, Levi addressed Zeke directly. "Zeke, report to the principal's office immediately." Reiner and Porco exchanged glances, astounded by Zeke's audacity to smoke a cigarette in plain view of everyone. "What a delightful evening we're having, isn't it, Mr. Ackerman?" Zeke remarked, his words dripping with disdain. Zeke nonchalantly dropped the cigar and extinguished it with his foot, begrudgingly following Levi's lead. "Tch, shut it, you piece of shit," Levi retorted coldly, the tension between them palpable.

Unbeknownst to her, as she weaved through the bustling school hallways, a cacophony of noise enveloped her senses. The crowded corridors echoed with the hurried footsteps and animated conversations of students. Amidst the chaos, an eerie atmosphere hung in the air, gripping her with an unsettling feeling of being watched.

Glancing around, she found everyone engrossed in their own affairs, oblivious to the hidden observer. However, her gaze inexplicably landed upon Pieck, a former member of her friend group who had become a subject of her disdain. Pieck stood alone, seemingly detached from the bustling crowd, and she knew better than to trifle with her.

Pieck's appearance had changed subtly over time. Her once-tanned complexion and deep brown, sometimes gray eyes had transformed, giving way to a hint of red. It was a drastic alteration that intrigued her, though she concealed her fascination beneath a veil of hostility, conforming to the unkind treatment perpetuated by her friends.

As she passed by Pieck, their eyes met, and the chilling effect of Pieck's gaze sent shivers down her spine. Pieck always seemed to gravitate toward the shadowy corners, exuding an aura reminiscent of a vampire's allure. Yet, she dismissed such notions, knowing better than to believe in mythical tales.

Despite the bullying that she subjected Pieck to, she met her actions with an unwavering sweet smile, leaving her perplexed and questioning her own motives.

Determined to avoid further interaction, she rolled her eyes in defiance and briskly turned the corner, attributing her unease to the unsettling encounters of the day. With a sigh of relief, she pushed open the heavy door to the darkroom, immersing herself in its mysterious embrace.

As the door closed behind her with a resounding thud, the room enveloped her in darkness. Gradually, her eyes adjusted to the dimly lit space, revealing an enchanting sight. Pulsating red lights bathed the room, casting an ethereal glow that danced upon every surface. A chill, inexplicable yet tantalizing, crept down her spine, captivating her senses in an instant.

In the dimly lit dark room, she set the photos down on the table, soon feeling chills run down her spine. As she turned around, her heart nearly leaped out of her chest, and she let out a loud scream. There stood Pieck, a girl she just saw in the hallway, yet her vampire-like appearance commanded attention. Pieck's hinted red eyes, dark brown and almost black under the blood-red lights, seemed to possess an irresistible power, drawing her in.

Suddenly, she was snapped out of the trance by Pieck's voice. "Good afternoon, (name)..." Her soft, delicate, tired voice sent a wave of excitement through her. She couldn't help but admire Pieck's beautiful, disheveled hair, lazy eyes that complemented her Greek nose, and full lips that begged to be kissed. Despite the pressure to dislike Pieck, driven by the disapproval of friends, she secretly felt an unexplainable attraction towards her.

Pieck's gaze seemed to search for something deep within her, as if she hadn't entered the dark room without making a sound. She finally gathered the courage to speak. "Pieck... how did you get in here so quietly?" She began to walk past Pieck, her backpack hanging from her right shoulder.

Pieck watched her intently, carefully observing every movement. Her cold, icy hands sent a shiver down her spine, further fueling her 'dislike' towards her. "Uh, can I help you?" She prepared to break free from Pieck's grip, but suddenly found herself pushed against the wall, with Pieck's finger pointing directly at her, holding her wrists above her head.

As she stared into Pieck's eyes, the room's atmosphere turned chillingly cold and the light of the red lights reflecting off Pieck's eyes. Trembling under her touch, she was astonished by this sudden change in Pieck's demeanor, as she was usually gentle and polite. It infuriated her to admit her feelings for Pieck, especially after speaking negatively about her. Unbeknownst to her, Pieck was more than just a human; she possessed an uncanny ability to read people.

Despite her attempts to break free, Pieck's grip remained unyielding. Pieck's small frame overpowering her seemed inexplicable, reinforcing the perception that she was peculiar. "Let me go!" Even with a tight grip, Pieck's movements were slow and delicate, while her eyes seemed to hypnotize her.

Pieck spoke softly once again, her voice carrying a hint of sadness. "How can I, when you know just how much I love you, (name). Why do you ignore me?" Her free hand traveled from her shirt to her hair, twirling a lock around her finger. Pieck listened to her heartbeat, every move she made on her accompanied by the red dim light that accentuated her every motion, revealing a glimpse of her razor-sharp fangs.

Pieck's words quickened her heartbeat, as they shared the same feelings but couldn't express them. "Pieck, why are you doing this...?" She asked, struggling to free her hands from Pieck's grip. "Listen to me, (name). Tell me how you truly feel... no more lies."

Pieck knew there was something about her that she held dear, but she refused to grant her desires. After numerous attempts to escape, she kneed Pieck in the stomach and forcefully pushed her away. The impact was hard enough to cause Pieck to spit up blood, and she slowly lifted herself up with the support of the file cabinet next to her.

Turning back, she picked up her backpack and uttered hurtful words, "Wanna know how I really feel about you? Nothing but a disgusting disgrace. Loving me? Oh please, move on because who would ever love you?" Pieck's heart sank upon hearing her cruel words, reaching out her hand, ready to say something. "Don't leave me alone, (name)..." Her voice filled with sorrow, as she had nobody left in her life, with her mother gone and her father gone as well.

She opened the door to the dark room, preparing to step into the brightly lit hallway, making Pieck flinch. But before leaving, she turned back, saying, "You know... no wonder why people despise you. I'm certain you were the catalyst behind your father's tragic demise... you're nothing more than a repugnant disgrace and an insufferable burden. It's no surprise you find yourself utterly alone." She closed the door behind, leaving Pieck in there alone.

Pieck took her hand out of reach and wiped the blood from her mouth, knowing (name) had made a big mistake. This was the last chance Pieck gave her.

Just like that, she left Pieck in the dark, red room, unaware of how far Pieck would go to hear the words she desired. As she turned to her left, she saw Bertolt standing before her, wearing a puzzled expression. "What happened?"

At the eerie hour of 6:30 in the evening, (name) returned home from school, a lingering sense of unease enveloping her. The house, usually filled with the comforting presence of her father, was now shrouded in an unsettling silence.

With a heavy heart and a hint of trepidation, (name) settled herself at the kitchen table, desperately attempting to immerse herself in her homework. But then, out of nowhere, a searing pain pierced her delicate neck, causing her to wince in agony. The pain subsided momentarily, leaving her bewildered and unnerved. Determined to dismiss this inexplicable occurrence, she carried on with her work.

However, the pain returned with a vengeance, intensifying with each passing moment. "Ow! The fuck is this pain coming from?" she cried out, seeking solace in the freezer's icy grasp. Placing an ice pack on her throbbing neck, the pain gradually dissipated. Puzzled yet resolute, she pondered the enigma that had befallen her.

As the clock mercilessly ticked towards 8 o'clock, her father's absence weighed heavily on her mind. Homework completed, she ventured into the living room, hoping to wait a little longer for her father's return.

Engulfed by the flickering light of the television, hunger began to gnaw at her insides. With a resigned sigh, she reached for her phone, intending to order pizza from a nearby establishment.

"Hello, I would like to place an order," she spoke into the phone, her voice trembling ever so slightly. After conveying her desires, she set the phone aside, letting the monotony of the television lull her into a state of drowsiness. Unbeknownst to her, sleep gradually entwined its insidious tendrils around her weary frame, veiling her consciousness in a nocturnal embrace.

Suddenly, she was transported back to memories of her childhood, back in the house where her late mother once resided. Sitting at the kitchen table, she cast her gaze towards the stove, where an ethereal figure stood with its back turned, preparing a morning feast. Approaching the table, the figure placed a plate of eggs before her, whispering a chilling warning into her ear: "Don't open the door."

Abruptly, her surroundings shifted once more, this time to the side of a bustling highway. Amidst the cacophony of vehicles, a distant figure beckoned, its voice rendered incoherent by the clamor. Straining her senses, (name) discerned her father's voice, urgently imploring her: "Don't open the door!"

Startled, she jolted awake, her mind racing to comprehend her surroundings. The couch, her only companion in the dimly lit room, offered no solace. "what a weird dream. It felt so real," she mused aloud, its vividness leaving an indelible mark upon her psyche. Yet, her respite was short-lived, as the doorbell abruptly shattered the silence.

*Ding dong.*

Her body, guided by a mixture of curiosity and apprehension, propelled her towards the door. However, as she passed the window, she recoiled in terror. Darkness had descended upon the world outside, a foreboding sign that time had slipped away unnoticed. Doubt plaguing her thoughts, she retrieved her phone, only to discover that the clock now displayed the witching hour: 3 AM. Her heart pounding, she turned back to face the enigmatic intruder lurking beyond the threshold.

"Dad! Are you home?" she called out, her voice trembling with a mixture of desperation and fear. But the doorbell persisted, its relentless chimes growing more frenzied with each passing second.

*Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong.*

It struck her then - something was dreadfully amiss. A chill crept up her spine as the memory of her dream resurfaced, her father's caution echoing in her mind.

"Don't open the door!"

With trembling hands, she refrained from unlocking the door, instead choosing to seek confirmation from her father through the peephole. There he stood, unflinching, his eyes fixated on her with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine. This inexplicable stillness, coupled with the incessant ringing of the doorbell, struck terror into her very core.

*Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong.*

"Dad! Is someone with you? answer me! I refuse to open the door until you respond!" she pleaded, her voice teetering on the edge of hysteria.

*Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong.*

Overwhelmed by panic, (name) collapsed, as she pressed herself against the door, desperately avoiding any action that would invite further dread. She couldn't explain it, but an overwhelming sense of terror gripped her, eventually lulling her into an exhausted slumber beside the door, the relentless toll of the doorbell serving as a haunting lullaby.

As the morning sun bathed the world in its gentle glow, (name) stirred from her restless sleep. Recollections of the previous night flooded her mind, urging her to action. She cautiously rose to her feet, distancing herself from the door that had become a harbinger of nightmares. Glancing out the window, the sight of daylight offered a modicum of solace.

Summoning her waning courage, she approached the door once more, swallowing the fear that threatened to consume her. Peering through the peephole, she met her father's gaze once again. she opened the door and only this time something was horribly wrong. Her father's severed head, grotesquely suspended from a hook, greeted her horrified gaze. The weight of despair settled in her stomach, threatening to engulf her entirely. Clutching her abdomen, she stared at the blood dripping onto the doorstep, uttering a feeble question into the abyss.

"W-who could have done this?"

Her eyes fell upon a note lying on the ground, soaked in crimson. Trembling, she picked it up and read its chilling message:

"Now, who's all alone now?"

The note slipped from her trembling grasp, and in that moment, the door slammed shut with an otherworldly force. Just as she turned to face the darkness that encroached upon her, (name) was violently yanked backward, her screams drowned by the suffocating embrace of the abyss.

(name) awoke to find herself trapped in an unknown and eerie place. The stench of blood assaulted her senses, causing her to gag as she cautiously surveyed her surroundings. The walls were cold and made of rough stone, barely allowing any light to penetrate the darkness. Above her, a single flickering light bulb hung from the ceiling, casting sinister shadows that danced along the walls.

Suddenly, a chilling sight caught her eye. A table stood in the corner, and blood dripped steadily from its surface, pooling on the floor below. As her eyes adjusted further, the true horror came into focus. A headless body lay upon the table, its life force gruesomely drained by some unseen force. (name)'s heart sank as she recognized the victim - her own father - his lifeless form bearing cruel bite marks.

Her breath caught in her throat as her gaze shifted to another figure, their body still bleeding profusely, crimson liquid flowing perilously close to where she was bound. With growing dread, she followed the trail of blood, her eyes widening in terror as the truth unraveled before her. The wounded person, dressed in a gray hoodie and jeans, was none other than Annie, her friend. Weak and trembling, Annie turned towards (name) with pleading eyes, her blonde hair matted with blood.

"(name)...help...me..." Annie's plea was cut short as death claimed her, right before (name)'s horrified gaze. A gut-wrenching scream tore from (name)'s lips, echoing through the blood-soaked chamber.

The single light bulb overhead flickered ominously, casting erratic shadows that danced upon the walls, heightening the sense of impending doom. (name) desperately struggled against her restraints, feeling the cold, rusty chains digging into her flesh. She strained to stand, but the unforgiving grip of the chains held her captive, an agonizing reminder of her helplessness.

As she cast her gaze towards the middle of the stone door, footsteps grew louder, each one a chilling symphony of dread. The light bulb's flickering intensified with each approaching step, accentuating the darkness that enveloped her soul. The door creaked open slowly, revealing the figure responsible for her torment.

A shiver ran down (name)'s spine as Pieck entered the room, her disarming smile mirroring the gentle facade she had worn the day before. Clutched in her arms was (name)'s father's severed head, blood still dripping from her mouth. The sickening truth became undeniable – Pieck was a manipulative and sinister vampire, masquerading as a sweet and innocent creature.

"Peick!! You did this, didn't you? Why would you..." (name) choked on her words, her voice trembling with fear and disbelief. Pieck's crimson gaze bore into (name), her expression devoid of remorse as she callously dropped the decapitated head to the cold, blood-stained floor, splattering the crimson liquid onto (name)'s tear-streaked face.

(name)'s heart pounded in a terrifying mix of fear and sorrow, overwhelmed by the loss of her father and the horrifying uncertainty of her own fate. Pieck moved closer, her graceful steps belying the monstrous creature she truly was. She knelt before (name), placing a hand on her trembling thigh, while her other hand wiped away the tears that stained (name)'s cheeks.

"(name)...don't cry. You brought this upon yourself," Pieck whispered, her voice both soothing and haunting. She tilted her head, her bloodstained lips curling into a sinister smile, revealing her sharp, elongated fangs. (name) recoiled at the sight, transfixed by the blood that stained Pieck's teeth, her long tongue leisurely licking away the crimson droplets.

Terror consumed (name) as she finally found her voice, tremblingly uttering, "You aren't human, are you?" The realization of the monstrous truth sank in, sending shivers down her spine.

Without breaking eye contact, Pieck continued to explore (name)'s body, her touch moving from the thigh, to the side of her stomach, and finally to her breast. Her thumb caressed the delicate flesh, while her other fingers sought the pounding heartbeat beneath (name)'s chest.

"I'm surprised you didn't realize it sooner, (name)," Pieck whispered, a sadistic pleasure lacing her words. As (name)'s heartbeat raced with increasing panic, she struggled to breathe, her gasps for air growing more desperate. Drawing nearer, Pieck's voice slithered into (name)'s ear, sending a bone-chilling shiver down her spine. The words dripped from her lips like venom, a sinister promise hanging in the air.

"Breathe, my dear. I won't harm you... yet."

Pieck's presence alone was enough to unleash a torrent of fear within (name). As she leaned back, a sickening curiosity mingled with her terror, unable to resist the allure of Pieck's touch, even in the face of impending doom. But reality crashed down upon her when she looked down at the ground, her eyes fixating on her father's severed head. In a desperate attempt to shield herself from the grotesque scene, she clamped her eyes shut, refusing to witness the horrors before her.

Suddenly, an unnatural weight settled upon her lap. Her gaze shifted downward, revealing Pieck perched upon her, her icy hands caressing (name)'s cheeks. She compelled (name) to meet her gaze once again, their lips tantalizingly close. However, Pieck abruptly withdrew, her movements betraying a calculated cunning. With a slight tilt of her head, she fixated her piercing gaze upon (name) and silence descended like a suffocating fog.

"Why did you say those hurtful things to me, (name)..."

(name) froze, the memories of the cruel words she had hurled at Pieck resurfacing. In that dire moment, she struggled to conjure any justification, realizing that her desperate attempts to fit in had only birthed destruction. "I... I didn't mean it," (name) stammered, devoid of any coherent explanation. "All I wanted was to hear you say that you love me..."

Peick's soft plea echoed through (name)'s ears, weaving a spell that threatened to ensnare her mind. Her eyes, hypnotic in their intensity, seemed to coax (name) into surrendering to her will. Doubt crept into (name)'s thoughts as she began to forget the atrocities committed against her father and Annie. Deep down, she started to believe that she was to blame for their suffering. "No... it's all my fault... I caused my father's death..." (name) whispered to herself, her gaze falling into her lap.

Tears welled in her eyes as (name) succumbed to the hypnotic allure of Pieck's gaze and voice. "I love you too, Pieck... I couldn't tell you because..."

A wicked grin twisted across Pieck's face, her eyes narrowing with a malevolent glint. She relished in her manipulative power, reveling in the opportunity to make (name) forget her sins. "I always knew you loved me, (name), my sweet. The words I've longed to hear... It didn't have to come to this, but you drove me to it, my dear..."

Pieck's grip tightened on (name)'s bound hand, refusing to release her hold. Finally, (name) snapped out of the bewitching trance, realizing the depths of Pieck's depravity. "No, Pieck! What you've done cannot be undone! Yes, I loved you, but how could I ever love you now?! What you've done is unforgivable!" (name) cried out, her eyes drawn to the lifeless bodies of Annie and her father, a grim reminder of the carnage wrought by Pieck's insidious actions.

In the face of (name)'s defiance, Pieck fixated her gaze upon her, an insidious silence punctuating her ominous presence. With a sly sigh, she sharpened her nails, a wicked transformation taking hold. "(name)..."

Pieck exhaled, refusing to relinquish her grip on (name)'s conscience. "I never wished for it to come to this, but you continuously rejected my attempts to connect with you... I tried to do it the right way, but you denied me at every turn... I only wanted to know why..."

(name) cast her gaze downward once more, her heart heavy with guilt. She recognized her own fault in pushing Pieck away, knowing all too well the countless times Pieck had tried to bridge the divide. Compassion stirred within (name) as she contemplated what it must be like to stand in Pieck's shoes. "I know... and I'm sorry! I shouldn't have pushed you away or uttered a word about your father... But why did Annie have to suffer too?"

Pieck's smile contorted into an eerie gentleness as she gazed upon her lifeless victim, Annie. "Poor, poor Annie," she cooed, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "She'll be back soon, my heart...but for now, just focus on me." The words of protest began to form on (name)'s lips, but a sinister calm washed over her, drowning out any resistance. Pieck was up to her dark deeds once again.

As (name) shifted uncomfortably, a chilling sensation spread across her body. It was then that she realized she was lying in a pool of her own blood, her life essence draining away. Panic gripped her as she struggled to comprehend the horrifying reality unfolding before her. "When did..." (name) managed to stammer, but Pieck interrupted with a gleeful grin, relishing in the terror she had instilled.

Unbeknownst to (name), Pieck had viciously slit her back while she was caught in a fit of righteous anger, berating Pieck for her unforgivable actions. The cunning vampire ensured that (name) remained fixated on her, her mesmerizing voice and piercing eyes numbing any sensation of pain. It was all part of Pieck's twisted plan to manipulate (name) into becoming her companion for eternity.

Pieck forcefully turned (name)'s face towards her own, their eyes locked in a macabre dance. "Everything's fine, (name)," Pieck hissed, her voice laced with a sickening sweetness. "(Name), I still want to be with you. I'll protect you. I just want you to be with me forever..." Dizziness overwhelmed (name), her mind clouded and her willpower crumbling. A faint smile crept across her face as she succumbed to Pieck's wicked charm. "I'm sorry for everything I've done...I love you too, but I was wrong..." (name) whispered, their voice barely a breath. Pieck hushed (name) with a tender gesture, then pressed her lips against (name)'s, a kiss filled with twisted passion.

Pieck's hands slithered from (name)'s cheeks down to her shoulders, intensifying the heated kiss. Her tongue hungrily sought entry, licking at (name)'s bottom lip, leaving a taste of the blood she had recently fed on. Their tongues clashed in a battle for dominance, fueling Pieck's insatiable bloodlust. Her nails dug deep into (name)'s shoulder, drawing fresh blood that sent shivers down Pieck's spine, igniting a primal desire within her. The once gentle vampire grew more aggressive, her hunger escalating.

Within the depths of their twisted embrace, (name)'s faint moans echoed, a symphony of pleasure and pain. (name) weakly placed their hands on Pieck's sides, attempting to push her away. Pieck's concern was thinly veiled as she gazed down at (name), a hunger in her eyes that matched the thirst coursing through her veins. "Pieck...I feel so weak," (name) managed to utter, struggling to catch their breath. "You're doing so well, my sweet," Pieck murmured, her voice laced with sadistic satisfaction. "Just hold on..."

With a renewed hunger burning within her, Pieck reclaimed (name)'s lips, savoring every moment of their macabre union. The overwhelming scent of (name)'s blood intoxicated her, driving her to taste every inch of their being. Kissing down (name)'s jawline, she gradually made her way to the vulnerable expanse of (name)'s neck.

(name) willingly offered up their neck, granting Pieck unrestricted access. Even as their life force slipped away, (name) squirmed beneath Pieck, feeling a perverse wetness between their legs. Pieck seized upon this opportunity, grinding against (name) with a primal hunger, their moans intensifying as the friction between their thighs ignited a twisted pleasure. While Pieck marked (name)'s neck with countless hickeys, her hand returned to caress (name)'s cheek, her thumb pressing gently against their skin. As Pieck's fangs grazed (name)'s neck, a surge of pain mingled with a familiar sensation, reminiscent of the mundane discomfort of doing homework at a table.

Deep down, (name) knew this was wrong, but they were ensnared in Pieck's web of manipulation, unable to break free. As Pieck sank her razor-sharp fangs into (name)'s neck, the pain was numbed, replaced by a tingling sensation that mirrored the bite of a pen on paper. (name) turned their head slightly, groaning weakly as their strength waned, their eyes fixated on Annie's lifeless body. "We have... to save Annie..." they whispered, their voice fading.

Pieck withdrew, her fangs dripping with the crimson elixir of her beloved's life force. Her wild, disheveled curls framed her bloodstained face as she wiped her lips, gazing down at (name), teetering on the precipice of death. A wicked grin spread across her visage as she kissed (name)'s forehead. "Very soon, my love," she whispered, her voice echoing with sinister delight. "Soon, you will be just like me... and we can live together forever."

(name) mustered the last remnants of their fading energy to gaze at Pieck, a feeble smile gracing her lips. Unbeknownst to (name), a new set of fangs had sprouted in her mouth during this unholy transformation. Pieck watched with rapt attention as (name) underwent their metamorphosis, relishing in the macabre beauty of her creation.

y’all the theme of this ‘lil’ one shot is basically to be yourself, don't try and play who you're not to fit in with the crowd cs y’all saw what happened to ol reader girl, but anywho y’all prepare yo self for a hange x fem! reader x yelena vamp one shot cs das what’s comin next 😭

[noloveforned]

i'm back from my long weekend in chapel hill and ready to hit wlur at 8pm with a new show so tune in if you're around tonight!

last weekend was all about celebrating 35 years of merge records. i joined in on the fun with a three hour restrospective of merge releases (stream it on mixcloud) in (mostly) reverse chronological order. as always some stuff got left out so my apologies go out to polvo, sacred paws, and the others i would have liked to squeeze in!

no love for ned on wlur – july 26th, 2024 from 8-11pm - merge records 35th anniversary show

artist // track // album // label superchunk // everybody dies // everybody dies 7" // merge quivers // apparition // oyster cuts // merge rosali // my kind // bite down // merge mhaol // bored of men // attachment styles // merge carson mchone // hawks don't share // still life // merge hiss golden messenger // hardlytown // quietly blowing it // merge the mountain goats // last gasp at calama // songs for pierre chuvin // merge cable ties // hope // far enough // merge archers of loaf // raleigh days // raleigh days 7" // merge gauche // flash // a people's history of gauche // merge swearin' // oil and water // fall into the sun // merge waxahatchee // silver // out in the storm // merge h.c. mcentire // quartz in the valley // lionheart // merge teenage fanclub // the darkest part of the night // here // merge twerps // back to you // range anxiety // merge ex hex // waste your time // rips // merge mikal cronin // weight // mcii // merge mount moriah // lament // mount moriah // merge wild flag // romance // wild flag // merge times new viking // it's a culture // dancer equired // merge superchunk // digging for something // majesty shredding // merge jay reatard // pull down the shades // stroke - songs for chris knox tribute // merge telekinesis // coast of carolina // telekinesis! // merge big dipper // wrong in the charts // supercluster- the big dipper anthology // merge shout out louds // normandie // our ill wills // merge camera obscura // lloyd, i'm ready to be heartbroken // let's get out of this country // merge robert pollard // dancing girls and dancing men // from a compound eye // merge tenement halls // plenty is never enough // knitting needles and bicycle bells // merge arcade fire // neighborhood #1 (tunnels) // funeral // merge richard buckner // a chance counsel // dents and shells // merge crooked fingers // big darkness // red devil dawn // merge destroyer // this night // this night // merge the essex green // the late great cassiopia // the long goodbye // merge the rosebuds // kicks in the schoolyard // make out // merge spoon // small stakes // kill the moonlight // merge the clean // drawing to a whole // anthology // merge annie hayden // red lines // the rub // merge the ladybug transistor // perfect for shattering // argyle heir // merge the rock*a*teens // car and driver // sweet bird of youth // merge superchunk // hello hawk // come pick me up // merge neutral milk hotel // two-headed boy // in the aeroplane over the sea // merge lambchop // your fucking sunny day // thriller // merge butterglory // she clicks the sticks // are you building a temple in heaven? // merge east river pipe // hey, where's your girl? // poor fricky // merge the magnetic fields // born on a train // the charm of the highway strip // merge 3ds // beautiful things // the venus trail // merge seam // granny 9x // granny 9x 7" // merge erectus monotone // vertigogo // vertigogo 7" // merge finger // everywhere // everywhere 7" // merge chunk // my noise // what i do 7" // merge

[demonicdiligence]

Evil Eyes on You

Annie had found herself wanting to unwind. The half-demon’s fridge was empty of beer, and so she wandered into the nearby town to grab a few drinks before asking her Demonic beau for a lift back home.

Aamon was quite an excellent chauffer. Portals to and from anywhere beat the shit out of driving - or god forbid walking!

But after just two beers, her phone was already out as she shot him a text.

[ This place is a drag. Pick me up before I end up killing this fuckin’ man. ]

Aamon’s response was immediate:

[ That bad, huh? I’ll be there in a sec, just need to get dressed. ]

Annie barely got time to look at his text back before the man sitting next to her spoke up... again.

“No, seriously sweet-heart! Where ya from? I coulda sworn I would remember seeing a pretty little thing like you around before.”

The man was as ‘traditional’ as the bar he occupied. Jeans, boots, and a plaid shirt all wrapped around a greasy exterior and a scruffy, unkempt beard. He looked like he lived in this biker bar.

Her response was brief and curt.

“None of your business.”

“Playing hard to get, I see!”

‘Jesus Christ,’ Annie thought. ‘Motherfucker just can’t take a hint.’

“My ride’s here.”

Her clawed hands produced a mismatched collection of bills, enough to cover her tab and the tip, and slammed them down on the table. A hollow thud betrayed just how flimsy the bar itself was. One last sip of beer, and she stood from her raggedy barstool and turned towards the door. The man stood in opposition.

“I may as well escort ya outside, then.”

“No,” she said. “You won’t.”

His arm hooked around her own. Annie’s eyes narrowed, like a cat focusing in on its prey. She wanted to bite his damn head off, but she knew that Aamon would be here shortly and he probably didn’t want to be involved in a murder. So she went for the next best thing - elbowing the man’s gut and pushing him away.

“Hands off, asshole!”

He stumbles a few steps back as the bar goes silent. Then grips his side and performatively whinges.

“Gah... bitch broke my rib...! You’re gonna have to pay for that...!”

He took a step forward, reaching a hand out for her again - only to find himself stopped dead in his tracks. Aamon had taken hold of his popped collar and drug him back, his legs kicking for purchase as Aamon slid him several feet in the blink of an eye. Who knows how long he’d been watching...

“Ohhh, insurance fraud scam?” Aamon almost coos, eyes full of a fury Annie had never seen. “Let me help.”

Aamon’s leg shot faster than the eye could see, a stomp aimed at the back of the man’s leg bringing him to a knee in an instant. Annie’s aggressor was off balance. One of Aamon’s claws dug into the back of his shirt to lift him, while the other held onto the back of his skill. With a great heave, Aamon lifted the man off the ground, and then slammed him - face first - into the wooden bar.

Boards cracked in twain. Splinters pockmarked the man’s face, and as the force carried through the bar itself, he hit the floor hard enough to indent the floor. Out like a light in a second flat.

But that wasn’t all. The sharp CRUNCH of Aamon breaking the bar in half with a man’s skull was the starting bell. A voice cried out from the back of the bar - “They got Dave, get ‘em!” and Annie lets out a groan, intermixed with disbelieving laughter.

“People actually like this asshole?”

She said. Aamon had stepped over to her in an instant, beginning to open a portal before Annie took his hand and smirked up at him.

“Good thinkin’ babe, but... none of these guys would let me finish my beer in peace. Besides, they were gonna try to pull some sorta scam on me.”

Aamon paused, the portal undone.

“Teach ‘em a lesson?” He asked.

A predatory grin, showing off her massive, monstrous teeth.

“You fuckin’ know it.”

...

Outside of the bar, a young couple approached, unaware of the situation inside. They innocuously checked their phones, trying to see how the reviews were for this tawdry little bar they approached, before a loud CRACK from within caught their attention. Their gazes both shot up, before a rotund biker sailed straight through a closed window - hitting the ground outside with a solid splat before he struggled to his feet.

Only for Annie to lean out the now broken window and pitch a craft beer bottle at his forehead like a MLB pro. The bottle made direct impact with his cheek, and the sheer force caused the biker to spin like a ballerina before collapsing - unconscious. The couple let a shocked ‘Oh fuck!’ escape before running in the opposite direction.

“We’re gonna have cops in a few!”

Annie shouted back at Aamon over the din of the bar-brawl he’d caused. The Stygian’s gaze was focused on the man in front of him, who was throwing a series of fast - but sloppy - punches his way. Aamon dropped into a boxing stance, dancing around each untrained punch with practiced ease. His opponent swung wide and Aamon deflected the blow at the wrist, opening the man up.

One side punch hurled straight into his gut. Spittle left his lips as Aamon’s blow landed true and deep - the demon could swear he felt something break. He dashed in while the biker was concussed and followed up with a flurry of punches.

Body blow to the stomach. A second body blow, to the kidney. A third body blow, he was unsteady now. Aamon focused on his footwork, keeping himself planted to the ground as his body twisted along with his final punch. With perfect form, an uppercut collided with the man’s chin just as he was beginning to double over. Unconscious before he hit the ground, he falls backwards like a rag-doll and lands limply on his back.

“What did you say, hun?”

Aamon’s victory is short-lived as another brawler sneaks in behind him and breaks a pool stick over the Demon’s spine. His tail goes straight up, hairs standing on end as the pain overwhelms his senses for a few brief moments. The man moves in to follow up with a kick to the groin, only for Annie to descend upon him like a wild animal.

“Piece a’ shit!”

She shoulder-checks him, sending him straight to the ground. His leg twisted at an awkward angle, she has no trouble straddling his chest, knees pinning him by the elbows, as her clawed digits curl into tight balls - steel-tipped fists ...

And begin to absolutely wail on the man who dared to sneak attack her boyfriend.

Some people might yell. Scream. Insult. Annie's visage was the personification of anger, and her eyes were focused on the bastard in front of him. She didn't have time to open her mouth when her sole mission was inflicting pain. Punch after punch landed, twisting his head left and right every time she lands a solid hook across his cheek.

Five, six, seven punches... she almost begins to lose count before she hears floorboards creaking behind her. Her head pivots just in time to spot someone raising a chair over their head, about to bring it down on her like a wrecking ball! Her tail swings wide, catching his ankles and causing him to topple to the ground.

Annie stands, looking frantically around for Aamon. Consuming by anger and bloodlust, she'd forgotten what she was doing. Once her eyes are on him, her focus returns, and she yells once more.

“I said, there are gonna be cops soon!”

The biker she’d just tripped up began to stand, on his hands and knees. As soon as he did - Annie took hold of his head with both of her clawed hands, holding his skull steady before planting her knee directly into his face.

“Agggh, damnit--“ She groaned. “Blood on my pants...!”

Aamon had taken a deer head - mounted to the wall - and had just finished beating a biker to a pulp with it. His eyes focused in on Annie as she said they’d have legal trouble inbound.

“Gotcha, let’s split!”

He yelled over to her before he spun once, twice, and then, using the momentum of his spin - chucked the deer's head at a biker who’d just broken a bottle on the other side of the bar.

By this point, the majority of the bar patrons had either fled, or were in a crumpled mess on the ground. Only one man was left standing - a beastly creature with a beard larger than his head, spiked shoulder pads, and a ‘1%’ patch on his jacket.

Annie and Aamon both look at the unit of a man, and then at each other, before she jokes--

“One last one for the road?”

“...I started it. I don’t get to complain.” Aamon answers.

...

...

A few hours later, most of the bar patrons were still telling their stories to the cops. About how a demon had popped in out of nowhere and beat everyone in the bar into a mewling pulp - with the help of his girlfriend - before disappearing through a portal.

Some of the bikers realized what a stupid story it was, even if it was true, and didn’t bother to tell it. Some simply didn’t speak to the cops on principle. And those scant few who did tell the truth had the story brushed off - either due to head trauma, too much drinking, or a combination thereof.

Aamon and Annie, meanwhile, were seated on the couch in his flat, nursing what little wounds they had. Aamon was lying on his stomach, head in Annie’s lap, while she idly pet his hair.

“My fucking tail...”

The Incubus groans, before Annie responds with a laugh.

“That’s what you’re so worked up about?”

“It hurts like a bitch.” Aamon replied.

“Maybe...” Annie starts. “...you pulled a muscle when you threw that seven-foot-tall man?”

Aamon pointed to himself with a clawed thumb, smirking.

“I’m the bearer of the Evil Eye, I can handle throwing some big guys...!”

“You...!” Annie trails off, poking his nose as she speaks. “...sound like such a goof when you say that.”

“What? I am!”

Annie can only giggle before she responds.

“I know, I know. But you’re such a book nerd that it just doesn’t sound right coming out of you!” She chortles softly before her laughter dies down. A few seconds of silence fills the room. “Thank you, by the way. For coming to get me.”

“Not a problem. I’ll always have your back, babe.”

“I know,” Annie says. A heavy exhale leaves her, every ounce of stress leaving her body. “But, still, thank you. I could’ve handled it myself, but... it was a lot cooler with you. More fun.”

“Are you saying you forgive me for starting an unnecessary bar fight?”

“What? No. No, no, no, it was completely necessary. I kinda wanna watch you beat the shit out of people more often...! You should just go feral more often.”

Aamon groaned. Right. He was supposedly against violence. The two would settle down, merely enjoying their company before, after several minutes of silence - Annie would break it.

“How many guys did you get? I got four.”

“I...” Aamon stops, perplexed. “...you were keeping count?”

Annie’s lips curl up into a toothy grin. “Suuuuuure sounds like you got less than four~ Sounds like I’m even stronger than the ‘bearer of the Evil Eye.’ Give me your Evil Eye now, it’s mine.”

“That is not how any of this works!”

“I’m pretty sure it is--“

And so the pair’s night would end with a playful argument, a few more beers drank in safety, and a reminder that they always - always had each other’s backs.

Whether it was in the depths of Hell, or in a seedy bar brawl, Aamon and Annie were as inseparable as could be.

@lasraichean

[justamonkeyonautopilot]

Can't remember if it was last year or the year before I did this or both. But yesterday on my way to work I saw that Apple has already shared their Replay 2024 list. So I'm going to post it here to see if it has changed any by December. As once again I'm curious. I also noticed through this that some of the songs listed on here I have only listened to once so I have no clue how they generate these lists. Some I understand they're on there from the dance show back in February because I'd play them on repeat to practice.

Here we go then:

Texas Hold 'Em - Beyonce

Anatomy - Kenzie

Feminine Rage - Peggy

The Code - Nemo

A Bar Song (Tipsy) - Shaboozey

Stick Season - Noah Kahan

Marameo - Alessandra

I Choose Violence - Jax

Houdini - Eminem

Austin (Boots Stop Workin') - Dasha

90s Kids - Jax

The Me I Was - Kenzie

Sos - Soap

Heather On The Hill - Nathan Evans

Seventeen - Marina and The Diamonds

Born This Way - Lady Gaga

Get the Party Started - P!nk

Disconnect - Becky Hill & Chase & Status

Attention - Todrick Hall

As Long As You're There - Stuart Matthew Price (Carrie Hope Fletcher and Oliver Ormson)

Hayloft II - Mother Mother

Someone You Loved - Lewis Capaldi

Sail - Awolnation

A Song For Chelsea - Jax

Where Do All The Good Kids Go? - Maddie Zahm

Lost On You - LP

Naughty - Matilda Movie Soundtrack

Beautiful Things - Benson Boone

Anybody Have A Map? - Dear Evan Hansen

Something Just Like This - The Chainsmokers & Coldplay

Join Us For A Bite - JT Music

Kang Kang Kang (DJ) - Half Ton Brothers

The Gambler - Kenny Rogers

Dance With Me Tonight - Olly Murs

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da - The Beatles

Gangsta's Paradise - Coolio

Whistle (While You Work It) - Katy Tiz

Ava - Natalie Jane

Airplanes - B.o.B.

Found A Way - Drake Bell

I Just Can't Wait To Be King - The Lion King

Freedom - Pharrell Williams

Like My Father - Jax

Girl In The Mirror - Megan Moroney

W.I.T.C.H. - Devon Cole

The Room Where It Happened - Hamilton

Proud Mary - Tina Turner

I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles) - The Proclaimers

You'll Be Back - Hamilton

Youngblood - 5 Seconds of Summer

Wasn't Expecting That - Jamie Lawson

Hit The Road Jack - 2WEI & Bri Bryant

I Say No - Heathers

Bang Bang - Jessie J, Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj

I Got Up - Overnight Lows

Pretty Devil - Alessandra

Working For The Company - Willy Moon

We On Top - Photronique & Shari Short

Pretty Little Black-Eyed Suzie - Guy Mitchell

21 Reasons - Nathan Dawe

Stargazing - Myles Smith

Below The Surface - Griffinilla

Kiss An Angel Good Morning - Charley Pride

Barry and Freda - Victoria Wood

Circle The Drain - Katy Perry

I Kind of Relate - Drake Bell

Helium - Sia

Teir Abhaile Riu - Celtic Woman

Bring Him Home - Ramin Karimloo

One Day More - The 2020 Les Miserables Staged Concert Company

I'm Not Here To Make Friends - Sam Smith

Dark Horse - Katy Perry

Don't Forget - Demi Lovato

It's Goin' Down - Descendants

I Do Not Hook Up - Kelly Clarkson

Break The Ice - Britney Spears

Candyman - Christina Aguilera

Vampire - Olivia Rodrigo

Hey Mama - David Guetta

Karma - JoJo Siwa

Beat Again - JLS

I Think I'm In Love - Kat Dahlia

Diva - Beyonce

Paint The Town Red - Doja Cat

We No Speak Americano - Yolanda Be Cool & DCUP

Boyfriend - Alphabeat

Get Stupid - Aston Merrygold

I Put A Spell On You - Annie Lennox

Let Me Down Slowly - Alex Benjamin

Can't Be Tamed - Miley Cyrus

They Just Keep Moving The Line - Carrie Hope Fletcher

Kings & Queens - Ava Max

Achy Breaky Heart - Billy Ray Cyrus

She Likes - Forever the Sickest Kids

Boyfriend - Dove Cameron

The Hanging Tree - Rachel Zegler

Hound Dog - Elvis Presley

42nd Street - 42nd Street

La Vecinita - Don Omar

You Matter To Me - Carrie Hope Fletcher

(After going through them again, I genuinely don't remember listening to half of them anytime recently - it's not that I don't listen to music either I have a playlist I play in the car when I'm driving and the songs off that aren't on this list)

[thinkingaboutbetterdays]

confronted with the past. ( leighton thomas x reader )

gif belongs to me

You grew up around the Loch, leaving for college to never return, until you realized your grandparents needed you around to help with day-to-day tasks. Having no other family, holding no memories of your parents who died in a car crash when you were a month old, you were raised by your mother's parents and after they died, you remained in the family house and never left.

Your marriage broke down shortly after your grandparents passed away, and the rumors are still talked about today, years later, long after he had moved abroad with a mistress he had started seeing a year into your short marriage.

You focused on your grandmother's flower shop business and keeping the garden as colorful as she had. You had been on several dates but rarely went on a second date with anyone, unwilling to let down the walls you had built to protect yourself and finding it difficult to meet someone new who had no idea of your past or wasn't a friend of your ex-husbands.

Then Leighton Thomas arrived and you had heard the whispers about the mysterious man who mainly kept to himself, starting a business, giving tours that dispelled Alan's theories about the Loch Ness Monster's existence. The two were friendly with their competition and you had known Annie for a long time. She knew how lonely you felt, isolated, even if you didn't say it, and she knew Leighton felt the same, but his past prevented her from setting you up on a date, however, she did introduce you both when you had joined her and Alan for lunch on his boat.

You were leaving the boat when Leighton came over to speak to Alan, and you sent him a small smile and held your hand out as Annie introduced you both.

"Nice to meet you."

"I've heard Alan complain about you a lot." Your words made his lips lift in amusement, "It's nice to finally meet you."

"Y/N owns the flower shop in town," Alan spoke up, noticing how you both couldn't look away from each other.

"I've seen it." Leighton nodded.

"We should get going." Annie interrupted and you bashfully pulled your hand from his, not realizing you were still holding it.

"I'll see you around?" Leighton turned to watch you walk away and you stopped, turning to meet his gaze with a smile that took his breath away.

"Considering the size of this place, I'd say that's likely." Annie cut in.

You glanced at your friend, then looked at Leighton. "If you ever need flowers…"

A smile formed on his lips as you walked away and when Annie looked back over her shoulder, it faded from the look in her eyes, reminding him of his past, things he tried to bury down, never forgotten but no longer kept him up every night.

He knew he should stay away. But after giving his last tour that day, Leighton knew his business would go under quickly if he continued being so distracted, losing himself in thoughts of you, and he knew he had to see you.

You were sweeping the floors, preparing to close the flower shop when you heard the bell above the door and turned, surprised to see Leighton entering.

"Hi." You greeted, holding the broom as he walked over to you.

"Hello." He smiled, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I know this is really sudden, but I'd like it if you - if we -" He took a deep breath, exhaling the fears that were preventing him from getting the words out. "Do you want to have a drink with me?"

You smiled softly, nodding. "When?"

Leighton froze, having not believed you would say yes, scrambling to recover, stumbling over his words. "We - how about tomorrow night? S-Seven o'clock?"

You nodded, and after agreeing to meet at the bar he left, leaving you to smile to yourself, biting the inside of your cheek as you thought about your date tomorrow night.

The bar was quiet, with only four tables occupied, which provided a peaceful atmosphere, and you entered to find Leighton sitting at a table. He stood up with a smile that you returned as you approached him.

Leighton knew he should have stayed away, Annie stopping by hours before to warn him away, but after battling with himself for over an hour, he arrived ten minutes early and awaited your arrival at the bar.

That night he learned why Annie was so over-protective. It wasn't just his past, but your own. You confided in him about your childhood and your marriage and he held your hand on the table throughout, his thumb caressing the back of your hand, putting you at ease.

"Your ex-husband sounds like a real bastard."

His words made you giggle just as you took a sip of your drink, and you covered your mouth, swallowing before nodding your head. His eyes lit up as he observed you with a smile that made your heart race.

"Maybe it's a good thing." He began. "I mean if it weren't for him, then maybe we would never be here. And I'm really glad you came."

You smiled softly, squeezing his hand. "Me too."

You maintained a quiet relationship, for the sole purpose of avoiding village gossip. Leighton valued his privacy as much as you did, allowing everyone to believe there was nothing more than friendship between you. Between stolen kisses, subtle touches, and closed doors, your relationship grew serious very quickly. Leighton shared your interest in literature and nearly every evening you were spent cuddling on the sofa as you both read, speaking when you had thoughts on the books you were reading.

It was a cozy, passionate life, that in the beginning, you feared would end with heartbreak. But Leighton healed the wounds of the past and you knew after two months, looking over at him as he got into bed beside you, that this was it. He was it. Everything you wanted and didn't know you needed and more.

Your relationship became public knowledge around the third month of your relationship. You had brought him lunch as you did every Wednesday, joining him on the boat before leaving to go back to the flower shop. He caught your hand before you could walk away after making plans for dinner that night and kissed you, his hands rising to your cheeks to pull you closer.

And as you lost yourselves in the moment, Alan had seen everything.

It became common for you to double date with Alan and Annie. Whether it was a quiz at the pub or Curling, you met once a week and sent tongues wagging.

There were many moments when Leighton felt like telling you about his past, but Annie's warnings about breaking your already fragile heart, and his fears that you would end things and the loving gazes would become glares of disgust, led to him prolonging the conversation as long as he could.

But when he was brought into the station there would be no more running.

Annie had asked you to tell him to go to the station, and you had brought it up with him at dinner, telling him she expected him in tomorrow. Immediately his demeanour changed and you frowned as you stopped talking about how unbelievable that a heart had been found, the suspected murder of Niall Swift, and the possibility of a murder on the loose in a sleepy village.

"Are you okay?"

Leighton sent you a small strained smile, setting his glass on the table. "Yeah. How was work today?"

You had been out of the village delivering flowers for a wedding and Leighton buried down his unease as he listened to you, nodding now and then. His eyes were filled with regret, sadness, and fear as he looked down at you, unable to read his book that night while you were engrossed in yours. His arm tightened around your shoulders, as he pressed his lips to your head, eyes closing tightly as he sent a silent prayer, to never lose you - the best thing he ever had in his life.

The next day he went to the station and was taken to an interrogation room by Annie who told him to wait for DCI Quigley. She was concerned about the interview as DCI Quigley wanted to speak to you afterward, and knew the truth about Leighton's past would come out and she predicted that you would be left heartbroken.

He knew they kept him waiting hoping to make him uneasy, but Leighton only grew frustrated. He leaned against the wall, his eyes finding you as you waited with Annie who was at her desk. You were talking about her being taken off the case due to the prank with Evie, and you frowned, knowing how excited she was about her first murder case.

You met his gaze through the glass door and sent him a small smile that he returned. He swallowed the lump in his throat when you mouthed the words 'I love you'. He returned the sentiment and straightened when you were taken to another interview room.

DCI Quigley arrived moments later with Blake Albrighton and his interrogation began.

"Where were you between the hours of eleven and one thirty on Tuesday?" She asked.

"At work."

"Can you confirm that?"

"You've got me documenting my entire life," Leighton responded.

"How awful." She replied dryly. "At least you've got a life to document."

Leighton bit back a remark, "I took out tours at 11 o'clock, 12 and one. I can show you ticket stubs."

"Bring them in today." The DCI ordered.

Blake, who had been a silent observer thus far, spoke up, "We received a call today naming you as the killer."

"I bet they didn't give their name."

"But why would someone do that?" He asked.

"Some people think I'm damaging the local economy," Leighton replied.

"Why?" The DCI cut in.

"Because I tell the truth. I tell tourists there is no monster." Leighton answered.

"I wish that was the case." The DCI's words had their desired effect, cutting him deep.

"Why don't you just lock me up, eh?" Leighton leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "Listen I know what I was and I know who I am now."

"Does she know?" He knew she was referring to you, and he swallowed the lump in his throat, believing that when you left the station, everything would change between you.

"No. She doesn't."

A half-hour later he was leaving to return with ticket stubs, while the DCI and Blake began your interview and you bit the inside of your cheek as they sat across from you.

"How long have you been dating Leighton Thomas?" She asked.

"Eight months." You replied.

"What's he like?" She began, elaborating when your eyebrows furrowed, "Has he ever been violent towards you -"

"No!" You immediately shot down. "God, no, I've never known him to yell, let alone punch somebody."

She wrote in her notebook before meeting your gaze. "You owe the flower shop, correct?" You nodded. "Can you confirm your whereabouts on Tuesday between eleven and one thirty?"

"I was out of town yesterday. I had flowers to deliver for a wedding. I didn't get home until four o'clock." You replied. "The hotel staff can confirm it."

"We'll need those details." She said.

You provided her with the details and Blake, who had been silent, observing you as he had done with Leighton spoke up before the DCI could dismiss you.

"You feel that you know him well, do you?" He asked.

"I know who I'm falling asleep with, yes." You held his gaze as he studied you for a moment before nodding.

You left the interview room after the DCI told you to stay in the area and exhaled as you headed down the hallway, seeing Leighton speaking to Annie. He met your gaze and you frowned when he fled the station. You sighed, looking at Annie, and knew why.

Leighton avoided your calls for the rest of the day and you knew that he was hiding, ashamed of his past. You knew the only way to find out the truth was to confront him.

You had keys to each other's places and after stopping off for groceries, you went to his house, locked the door so he didn't know you were there, but time ticked away and he didn't return home. Your worry increased tenfold and you headed to the one place he was likely to be. His boat.

The boat was pulling away when you arrived and you quickly jumped aboard, holding the side tight as he steered the boat further into the loch. You noticed a backpack nearby and your eyebrows furrowed when it made a loud bang as it fell onto its side, as he turned.

The boat stopped a few minutes later and you kept out of sight as Leighton turned off the engine and observed as he hauled the heavy backpack onto his shoulders and tied it around his waist.

Realizing why he was out here, why he hadn't come home, you stepped out and he turned, surprised to find you had stowed away on the boat.

"Don't! Don't even think about it! How could you even think to -"

"What are you doing here?" He asked, eyes wide with panic as he untied the backpack. You watched as it sunk below the surface and the tears burning your eyes fell as you knew that was his plan. A painful suicide.

"You were really going to go through with it?" You whispered. "You were just going to - what? Disappear and think no one would notice?"

"I've done enough damage already. My past will always haunt me. It's better for everyone if I just disappeared."

"Not for me!" You stepped forward as your tears fell freely and Leighton glanced away, holding back tears of his own. You took a deep breath as the wind dried your cheeks only for more tears to fall. "I want to know why they brought you in."

His eyes darted to meet your gaze and he shook his head. "It's not something you want to hear -"

"And yet it is worth dying for." You crossed your arms, clearing your throat. "Tell me."

Leighton sighed when you placed two chairs across from each other, calmly sitting down but he knew you wanted to continue yelling.

You stared at him for a moment. All the questions you asked in your head, why he always kept himself from everyone at a certain distance. Suddenly everything made sense. Why he valued his privacy, why you sometimes wake up to find him in the living room, unable to sleep in the early hours of the morning, and why he was so elusive about his past. You knew it had been troubled, but never imagined it would be like that.

"It was twenty years ago." He began, taking a seat across from you, crossing his arms. "I went to prison for killing two people." You listened intently as he explained what happened, how the first man had been tormenting him for a while when he was homeless on the streets, and one day when the man tried to take his blanket, he attacked him. You frowned as he continued, talking about his time in prison. "I couldn't read or write. While I was inside, I figured I needed to do something useful. That's where I earned my degree." After explaining how he ended up in the village, he leaned back in his chair, "Now you know."

For so long he was like you. Isolated and alone. But you had found each other, and you could see in his eyes that he was afraid of losing you.

Leighton glanced at you when you rose from your chair, his eyes following your every move as you approached him. His eyebrows furrowed when you stood behind him, feeling your arms around his shoulders seconds later, and felt a lump form in his throat, closing his eyes when you held him.

"I'm not a saint."

"You never claimed to be." You kissed his cheek before pulling away to meet his gaze. "You changed."

"Did I?"

You wrapped your arms around him and settled yourself on his lap, holding his gaze. "You have changed." Your words had their desired effect as he looked down, nodding softly.

"I wanted to tell you - I was going to - I just -"

"I know." You placed a hand on his cheek. "I know."

"I'm sorry you've been dragged into this."

"We'll get through this. They'll find whoever did it."

"You should be running as fast and as far as you can." Leighton wrapped his arms around you, bringing you closer. "I don't deserve you."

"You deserve to be happy. We can't change the past, but we can move on." You held his gaze, "You deserve to find happiness."

Leighton placed a hand over your hand that was on his cheek, and you knew what he wanted to say. He felt it with you, just as you found it with him.

You closed your eyes, feeling his lips on yours tenderly. "Promise me you won't try again -" Your voice cracked with emotion, "losing you - I couldn't -"

Leighton held you closer when sobs left your lips. "I thought if I was gone - I was trying to protect you from me."

You lifted your head, shaking it as you cradled his head in your hands. "I know exactly who you are. And I'm not afraid of you." His eyes closed and you wiped the tear that fell with your thumb. "I'm not afraid of you." You repeated, "I love you."

"I love you too." He rested his forehead on yours and you wrapped your arms around his neck as he held your waist.

"We'll get through this. I promise."

[wonderlandleighleigh]

Just some Yiddish Words

Schmuck: A total asshole

Putz: A dumb-dumb. Probably not as harsh at Schmuck. 

Schmatta: A rag, usually an old one used for dusting/cleaning. (Schmidt from New Girl uses this: “With nothing but the Schmatta on my back!”) 

Tchotchke - A Knickknack 

Macher: A real big shot. (Abe says this to Noah when he takes him to Bell Labs.)

Tsuris: Troubles 

Drek: Shit

Mishpucha: The family.  

Kvel: to be so proud you could plotz. (Lenny: “A doctor! Your mother must be kvelling!”)

Plotz: Fall over. 

A Loch im kopf: A hole in the head (as in “I need this like a hole in the head.”)  

Tuchus: a BUTT!

Nosh: A bite to eat.

Kevtch: Bitch about, or complain.

A Mensch: Generally used for men, but, a good person. 

Chutzpah: Nerve/Balls.

Meshugge: Fucking crazy.

Shande: A scandal! Midge dating Lenny would cause a shande in the Catskills (which is a great name for a fic).

Shiksa: A non Jewish woman who prefers Jewish men. IE: Astrid. Mei. Sadly, this is often used as an insult. But I guess if you don’t use the word “witch” directly after it, it’s less harsh (*eyes my terrible family*)

Shlep: Lug around. You can shlep yourself and other people, and also things. “I shlepped all the way to the Upper West Side to see you.” 

Bubbe and Zeyde: Grandma and Grandpa. (in Community, Annie talks about going to the movies with her Bubbe. Troy responds with “JUST ONE?!” and also, Stars Hollow has Bingo Bubbies.)

[erenscherub]

chapter 5 | series masterlist | chapter 7a

𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐬.

pairing: eren x fem! reader

chapter summary: you find out why eren, petra, mikasa, annie, and zeke are banned from all ymca facilities in the u.s. and finland

warnings: infidelity, miscarriage, blood, violence, physical assault, attempted murder (?)

word count: 6.1 k

Your husband is on your shit list for many, many things.

He forgot your birthday

He rescheduled the wedding anniversary dinner twice

He didn't even show up to the rescheduled dinner and stood you up for two hours

He forgot both ultrasound appointments despite numerous attempts to contact him

He tried to smother Colt in his sleep after he found out that Colt and Annie were there to support you when you had a miscarriage

He flew over to California just to threaten Marcel with a crowbar the day after your fight

He's fucking cheating on you

He has this irritating habit of keeping the most useless shit in big-ass filing cabinets

He has jealousy issues and a nasty temper

He can’t apologize for shit

He loves platitudes

Fucking hell, there are so many of the aforementioned items on your list that should take priority. You know your husband means well. You know that Eren is just really bad with communication in general. But there is nothing that pisses you off more when Eren uses an overused and trite cliche to try to excuse his fuck-ups.

While Mikasa and Annie are struggling to take down the filing cabinets, your husband peers through the gaps in the objects to make eye contact with you.

There's that unsettling dull and murky hue in his eyes as he reasons, "Baby, look. I'm so sorry I forgot your birthday, the wedding anniversary, the ultrasound appointments, and about my filing system. I’m sorry I was a dick. I didn’t mean anything I said when you came back from California. I love you more than my own life.” He sighs, “But happiness is a choice. And when life gives you lemons. Well, baby, you just gotta make lemonade." You take a deep breath as you shake your head at your husband.

"What the fuck did you just say to me?"

With a shrug, he repeats, "Baby, happiness is a choice. And time heals all wounds if you let it."

You're trying hard to bite your tongue. But both your chest and jaw are beginning to tighten, and your muscles feel too rigid. Through gritted teeth, you spit out, "Donut."

Eren pauses and tilts his head quizzically as Mikasa's and Annie's heads snap up. Their faces mirror a Cheshire smile and a bright gleam appears in their eyes. After they step away from the barricade and closer to your husband, you breathe a sigh of relief.

The tension melts from your shoulders as your husband no longer appears in your line of sight. Silence settles on the second floor since your friends are no longer landing judo kicks against the dresser or filing cabinets. You relish in the peace and quiet and jump under the covers of the full-sized bed.

During lunch breaks with Annie, Petra, and Mikasa, you would have both boba and ice cream every week. You've been in New Hampshire for over five years. In over 500 dessert runs, you four have never gone out for donuts.

Which is why your three friends and Zeke agreed it would be the perfect code word for you to use if you were ever uncomfortable and you needed their help to diffuse the situation.

After relying on your intuition when it came to Eren's infidelity, you began trusting your gut feelings more. You usually have a three-tier system before you dissolve into a panic. The first stage is warning bells whenever there's a feeling of unease bubbling in the pit of your stomach. The second stage is red flags whenever your attempts to better understand or solve the issue are unsuccessful.

The final stage is lanterns:

One for if in your midst is a cheater,

Two for if something headed your way brings the Grim Reaper,

And three for someone who seems too eager

People are different, so sometimes it's trial and error to see what works best to deescalate the situation. "Donut" was implemented after you tested three methods that were all unsuccessful in conveying to Darius Church-Dietrich that you weren't interested.

Furlan and Ian Church-Dietrich are your sweetest patients. Even after more than 30 years of marriage, adopting and raising three children, and experiencing all the aches and pains that come with old age, they still gazed at each other with the adoration of first love. It wasn't uncommon for your older patients to be accompanied by a family member. Usually, one of their sons Keith or Nile, or their daughter Rico would be the ones to sit in the waiting room. Then after their granddaughter, Isabel, got her driver's license, you'd see her with her grandparents bimonthly.

One instance, only Darius was available to drive his grandparents to their appointment. He seemed nice. Maybe asked a few too many questions about your interests outside of a physician and not enough about his grandparents' treatment plans. Yet, the warning bells didn't start blaring until Darius had requested Petra for Furlan and Ian to have separate and more frequent appointments.

In two weeks, when Darius came in with Furlan, you made sure to overtly display your wedding ring. Furlan even asked questions about how your daughter Eliza was enjoying her swim lessons. You lean your cheek against your left palm, making sure your wedding band is in Darius's line of sight.

"My husband is looking forward to watching her compete in swim meets. Since my husband also played ice hockey in college, he wants to start teaching our daughter how to ice skate." You smile sweetly at Furlan as he recommends a few ice skating rinks nearby.

The following week when Ian's appointment was scheduled, red flags were waving everywhere when he and his grandson had brought you a boba milk tea from Kung Fu Tea. Ian beamed, "I know you always tell Furlan and me how important it is to watch our sugar. But I have to say that boba really does satisfy the sweet tooth." Darius hands you the drink, and you only poke your straw through the plastic to take a few sips since Ian had good intentions. This time, you had asked that Annie stay in the examination room with you for the duration of the entire appointment.

Even her withering, ice-cold glare would not deter Darius from talking over his grandfather to ask more personal questions about your child and if it was possible to schedule a one-on-one appointment with you to discuss his "lifestyle choices and how to improve his health."

It definitely would improve your health if Darius didn't have a sweet tooth for you.

At the end of the month, you requested Eren to sit in the waiting room during Furlan's following appointment. You normally get frustrated with your husband's jealousy and anger issues. It took him a while to understand that it was normal for you to be so physically affectionate. You always held Armin's or Connie's hand, leaned your head against Jean's shoulder, rested your head in Mikasa's lap, clung onto Annie's arm and would cram yourself as close to her as possible, or would not release Petra from an embrace.

That was one of the things your husband loved about you, actually. You constantly peppered your daughter's and Cyrus's faces in kisses whenever you saw them and would pull them both into your lap. Whenever he came home from work, you'd always greet him with a kiss and card your fingers through his hair as you situated yourself in his lap.

You were never one to hold back from physical displays of affection. Still, it surprised Eren when you pulled him forward to you by his belt loops and kissed him until you both were breathless, in the middle of the waiting room and in front of two patients. Not that he was complaining.

When you slid your right hand into his back pocket, he placed a few more kisses on your nose, forehead, and the crown of your head. He snickers into your hair. "Baby, if you wanted my wallet, it's in my front pocket, and all you had to do was ask." His hand cups your cheek as your (Y/E/C) peers into his sea-green ones.

You give him a final peck on his lips. "Wasn't reaching for your wallet, Eren. Just wanted an excuse to touch your butt." You both grin at your statement and you can hear Furlan chuckle in the background.

You pivot on your heel to face the two in the waiting room. "Furlan, this is my husband, Eren. Eren, meet one-half of my sweetest patients, Furlan Church-Dietrich. And that is his grandson, Darius." Eren wraps his arm around your waist while greeting the other two.

Furlan smiles at the two of you. "You have good taste, (Y/N). And Eren, you are so lucky to have someone like (Y/N). She's always saying that me and my husband are the sweetest. But when you have a doctor like her, how can you not be? She always takes such good care of us." Three lanterns were lighting up at the way Darius was staring down your husband.

"It's just so sweet how your husband visits you at work and greets you that way. There's nothing like young love, right, Darius?" Furlan nudges his grandson who has a tight-lipped smile.

The office space has rectangular tables with 24-inch iMacs resting on top for Petra and Annie to complete their work. The door from the waiting room leads into the office space. To the left of the tables is the corridor leading directly to the examination rooms. There's also a window of plexiglass in the office space that allows Annie and Petra to gaze into the waiting room. Annie, Petra, Zeke, and Mikasa are all speaking in hushed tones as the four of you walk in through the door to the office space and while you proceed to take Furlan's height, weight, and blood pressure. They're frowning with their arms crossed and eyes narrowed in your direction as you continue with Darius and Furlan down the short corridor that leads to the examination rooms.

Eren decides to hang back after noticing his friends' reactions. He plops down on the couch in the corner and sees how the tension in their shoulders and rigidity of their stance seem to increase after Darius shuts the door to the exam room. Eren scrunches his eyebrows as he questions, "What the hell is wrong with you four? Was it that bad that my wife kissed me in front of the patients?” Eren leans back against the couch as he rolls his eyes. “It's not like you're going to lose patients even if you consider it to be unprofessional conduct, Zeke." They all shake their heads at Eren's statement.

Annie huffs, "It's not you. And it's definitely not (Y/N). It's Darius. She even had me sit in with her the entire duration of the last appointment when he showed up with Ian. She doesn't mind receiving holiday cards or thank you notes from Ian and Furlan. But Darius got boba from Kung Fu Tea just for her. He even asked Zeke if (Y/N) had any food allergies." Her nostrils flare and her jaw clenches.

"She told me that she's tried everything. Had her wedding ring out. Talked about you and Eliza. Even gave me the green light to stare him down.” With her arms folded, she fumes, “Darius still wouldn't stop making (Y/N) uncomfortable with personal questions of 'her interests outside of work' and if he could have a 'personal one-on-one session with her weekly to improve his health.' "

Petra taps her foot impatiently. "That's why she asked you to come here. She's hoping that the sight of you will finally make him back off.” Craning her neck to sss if the examination room had been propped open during their conversation, Petra recounts, “(Y/N) called me and Levi in a panic the other day to come pick her and the kids up. Darius showed up at YMCA as Eliza's and Cyrus's new swim instructor."

༄༄༄

Unfortunately for the five of them, Darius had shut the door. Fortunately for you, your rooms still reverberated clearly down the hall and to the office lounge. You smile at Farlan as you praise him for maintaining his blood pressure and blood sugar in a healthy range.

Before you can even confirm his medication history, Darius cuts you off. "At first, when my grandparents were raving about Dr. (Y/N), I was wondering what is so special about her. Now that I met you, I see. Word of mouth says that you're walking sex on a stick and have the smile of an angel." You let out a nervous laugh gazing around the room furtively.

You wonder why Furlan has not made any attempts to chastise his grandson. Then you see that he had taken out his hearing aids to adjust them. ‘Sneaky bitch.’

Your hand is on the doorknob, but Darius is leaning his weight against the door. "I know you're married. But it doesn't bother me if it doesn't bother you," he states while leering at you.

You're in a workplace. You're supposed to be professional. Meaning you can't exactly shove Darius out of the way. Or tell him to fuck off when your patient, Furlan, appears to be almost done with adjusting his hearing aids. You call out, "What was that, Annie? A patient is on the phone?" You shift your weight from foot to foot as Darius finally steps aside. You rush out of the door and to the office room where Zeke, Annie, and Mikasa are holding Eren down to the couch while Petra is trying to muffle his curses with her hands clasped over his mouth.

༄༄༄

At the sight of you, Eren stops struggling. The three of them relax and release Eren. He darts from the couch and stands in front of you. While he analyzes your appearance for any bruises, cuts, or anything else out of place, you interlace your fingers with his.

You turn to Zeke and ask, "Can you take over the rest of the appointment? And would it be too much to ask if I could take the remainder of the day off, as well?" Your foot keeps tapping as you glance back at the examination room.

Zeke ruffles your hair. "Of course, Kid Wonder. Actually, why don't you take the rest of the week off?" You grin at him as he welcomes your embrace.

Mikasa clasps your right hand in both of hers. Her gray eyes are bright and there’s wrinkles creasing her forehead. "Please let us help. We can take care of it, (Y/N). You don't have to worry about anything." There's something about the connotation that has an alarm bell ringing. Still, Mikasa has always been sincere and well-intentioned.

You pause for a few moments. "I guess. Thanks Mika. But please promise me all of you won't do anything illegal in my stead." You peer into her gray eyes as she nods.

When you scan the rest of the room, your husband, brother-in-law, and three friends all echo a promise that they would ‘deal with Darius in a legal and cautious manner.’

༄༄༄

Later that evening, Mikasa gives you an update in the group chat you have with her, Annie, Petra, and Zeke.

Mika bear💕: Everything is taken care of 😄

Annie Bananie 😘: He backed off after we made sure he really was certified to be a swim instructor

You: Thank you so much my loves! 💕💕💕

You: I hope it didn't take too much time to convince him that it would be inappropriate to talk that way to a physician that cares for his grandparents

Annie Bananie 😘: it really wasn't that much of a hassle (Y/N)

Mika bear 💕: Yeah (Y/N). It honestly didn’t take that much time and was a lot easier than we thought it would be

My Petra petal 🌸: ^^^ don't worry about it hun! Really was our pleasure

Dr. Fuck Nugget ⚡️: ^^

Dr. Fuck Nugget ⚡️: It was actually kind of fun Kid Wonder

Dr. Fuck Nugget ⚡️: one of the rare instances where I got along with Eren and Mikasa

You: That's great! 😄 Honestly I feel as if this all could be avoided if I had just told you guys earlier. Maybe we should have a code word to use if I feel uncomfortable and need help deescalating a situation????

Mika bear💕: bird is in the coop

My Petra petal 🌸: caw caw

Annie Bananie 😘: fucking help me

Annie Bananie 😘: do something about that asshole

Dr. Fuck Nugget ⚡️: villain coming our way

You: …..

You: how about donut? Like you know

You: "do not" leave me alone with this person 😂😂

You: hello??

You begin to stir in your sleep when you feel something prodding your stomach, shoulder, and arm. You're hoping if you ignore it, you can fall back asleep. You feel the blanket being adjusted to your chin as a weight settles on your stomach, and then something pushes in on both of your sides. You try not to think much of it since the guest room is still silent.

Within ten minutes, it's beginning to feel stuffy. You kick off the blanket. When you notice it is drawn up to your chin again, that's when you release a sigh and begin to rub the sleep out of your eyes.

When the grogginess subsides and you see three pairs of eyes staring back at you, you release a terror-stricken yelp. As the light in the room turns on, you hear the thundering of footsteps up the staircase. Your three Cubs freeze in place as you blink owlishly at them. Eliza is still resting on your stomach and Falco and Cyrus are on either side of you, leaning against you.

Falco rubs the back of his neck as he greets, "Hi, Aunt (Y/N). We're sorry. We just missed you. Did we wake you?" You shake your head as you check the door. All the filing cabinets and the dresser are still in place.

"Aunt (Y/N), it was so much fun going on the roof and climbing-," Eliza and Falco clamp their hands over Cyrus's mouth to muffle the last of his words.

Your jaw drops as you examine the window. They closed it properly, but the window screen mesh is lying at the base of the bed. Before you can begin to chastise your Cubs of the dangers of climbing across an icy roof, the barricade you set up gives way as Eren collides with the dresser and two of the filing cabinets.

You jump out of the bed and rush to where your husband landed. He's staring at the ceiling wide-eyed and in silence. "Eren, are you ok?" You note that there doesn't seem to be a loss of consciousness.

As you kneel next to him, he mumbles, "Am I in heaven? God, I always knew my wife was an angel," and he directs his attention to you with a smile. Even when Eren was injured, he was either irritating or corny.

His left hand is resting on your thigh. Both of your hands are clasping his right one. "Eren. You're not dead. Why the hell would you throw yourself into the filing cabinets?" You make another mental note that there's no slurred speech. You then decrease the distance between you two to check his pupil size and see if there are any unusual eye movements. He takes the opportunity of the close proximity to steal a kiss.

Annie, Mikasa, Zeke, and Petra speed into the room and scrutinize your appearance. "(Y/N), are you hurt? We were in the middle of Operation Donut when we heard you scream. Well, not scream, but that’s the loudest decibel we’ve ever heard your voice reach so far.” Mikasa gives you a final once-over before grabbing your shoulders and pulling you into a tight embrace.

When she releases you from her grip, then Petra takes her turn for an embrace. You give them both a kiss on the cheek before you intertwine your fingers with Annie's and give it a reassuring squeeze and link your free arm with Zeke's. As you shake your head, you insist, "Mika, I'm fine. I just got scared by how the kids were in the room with me when I woke up. They decided it was best to access the room through the window. Which is very dangerous and something they should not do again." You look back at your three Cubs, who are trying to avoid your gaze and are fidgeting on the bed.

At least they seem slightly remorseful. You then direct your attention to Eren. At least your husband is now standing and he doesn't look dazed or off balance. "Eren, what happened to you? You decided to dive headfirst into the barricade?" you inquire as you notice blood dripping from his nose.

He shoves Mikasa and Petra aside to stand before you and ignores the stream of curses tumbling from their lips. He then yanks Annie's hand from yours, who also joins the fray of directing insults at your husband. Zeke only withdraws his arm from yours to shove Eren back.

You sigh and step in between them. You tell your three Cubs to meet you downstairs. Unlike the adults in the room, they seem to have more maturity and comply with your wishes.

Eren pulls you into his arms and repeats another string of apologies and how much he loves you. It would be sweet how he's burying his face into the crook of his neck if it weren't for how blood was now smeared all over your hoodie.

"Baby, what the hell does ‘donut’ even mean? As soon as you said it, Annie and Mikasa went fucking feral and kicked me down the motherfucking steps!” He fumes, “Next thing I know, they're parroting ‘donut’ to Zeke and Petra and everyone is kicking the shit out of me! They even used me as fucking battering ram!"

You look quizzically at the four behind you as your husband directs a glare at them.

Annie shrugs before revealing, “Donut means you are uncomfortable and you need help to take care of a problem." She points to Eren who rolls his eyes. "We were in the middle of taking care of the said problem." Zeke, Petra, and Mikasa all nod along with Annie's statement.

You blink a few times before commenting, "Yes, donut is a keyword to mean I feel uneasy. But I wanted you to deescalate the situation.” All of your friends and even your husband are staring at you blankly. “You know, like get Eren to give me some space?" All five of them tilt their head at your words.

"Yeah, that's what we did. You deescalate the situation by minimizing the threat.” All five of them are nodding at Annie’s reasoning. “We were in the middle of taking care of Eren.” She gives you a small smile as Mikasa, Petra, and Zeke have a similar look of glee brightening their eyes.

“But I understand that blood can be difficult to remove from couches and carpeting." Annie squeezes your hand reassuringly before she begins to step forward towards Eren with her fists clenched. "So why don't you head downstairs with the kids and start opening up presents. And we'll finish up with Eren outside." Both settle into defensive stances with their fists balled and arms raised before them.

Once more, you're the only one trying to minimize fighting. You step between the two and they both drop their arms to their sides and relax their posture. “Again, I wanted you all to diffuse the situation. How does beating Eren up qualify as reducing any tension?" You scan the faces of Annie, Zeke, Mikasa, and Petra who show no traces of guilt or remorse. None of them seem remotely apologetic and they're still continuing to stare Eren down.

You pause as you recall how they also used the same exact phrase 'we took care of it' earlier this year after you told them Darius had showed up as your ducklings’ new swim instructor.

Oh god.

"You all promised me that you all wouldn't do anything illegal earlier.” Your eyes widen as you look at the blonde. “Annie, you said that you all just ensured that Darius really was certified to be a swim instructor.”

You take a deep breath and rub the crease between your eyebrows. Exhaling in exasperation, you ask, “Wait, is that why all five of you are banned from all YMCA facilities in the U.S. and in Finland?"

All five of them suddenly find the floor or the ceiling so fascinating.

"Obviously, there is a communication issue. Hopefully, there will be no next time. But, again donut means please diffuse or deescalate the situation without the use of physical force or bodily harm."

This time it's Zeke who speaks up. "Kid Wonder, you stress too much about the little things. We’re still allowed to go to YMCA’s in Sweden.” You give all of them a pointed look and all of them bring out their phones to show you pictures of the scenery in Sweden and the interior and exterior of a few of the facilities they visited there.

“Also, we technically didn't get caught. So if you really want to get into semantics, our actions were not proven to be illegal." Zeke hums as he stares off into space for a few seconds. "Since it makes you that uncomfortable for us to use physical force, we will no longer be throwing anyone off a bridge into a river or conducting blitz attacks.” Your jaw drops to the floor at his last statement and you scan their faces for any hint of remorse.

Zeke continues to muse, "I guess in the future we can just be more descriptive both verbally and visually when we threaten them." All of them, including your husband, nod their heads in agreement at Zeke's words and pat him on the back for coming up with a solution that technically satisfied your conditions.

You later call Marcel to schedule group therapy and both conflict and anger management classes for all five of them.

All of you five and the children have settled down again on the first floor. Only you, Eren, Zeke, Jean, and Annie are currently residing in the living room. They're 'supervising you,' while the rest of the guests are congregating in the kitchen for a 'special surprise.'

You're straddling Eren's lap and leaning in close to him to be able to inspect the alignment of his nose. You check the slope of his nose from a frontal view. Eren has a smug smile as he places his hands on your ass. You roll your eyes as you note that there's a wrinkle between his brows that confirms the alignment of his nose is off. His hands still haven't moved as you tilt his head to the side to observe the outline of his nose. It's crooked and it looks as if the cartilage has shifted to the left.

Eren seems preoccupied with squeezing your ass while you position your thumbs on either side of his nose.

"Eren, can you relax your jaw?” You observe the outline of his nose one last time. “Actually, just keep it tight and keep your lips closed. Fingers crossed that I can get this fixed in one go."

You hum in thought as you give it another once over.

One shift might be an underestimation. You ponder if it might take three to five readjustments.

"Mmhmm, baby. My jaw would be more relaxed if it was between your thighs. You do keep it tight after-"

Your husband's words are cut off and replaced with a stream of curses as you suddenly apply pressure to the cartilage of his nose. "Baby, maybe a little warning next time! That fucking hurt.” His nose now appears less crooked, yet it still is slightly deviated from the midline.

You give him a peck on the lips so he will stop pouting at you. "Eren, I'm going to shift your nose again to see if I can realign it to the normal midline position.” He nods as again his attention is now focused on his hands rising up your hoodie.

He lets out a groan when you begin to shift in his lap after one of his hands slips under your bra and begins to tug at the erect bud between his fingertips. Well, whatever gets him to hold still. “Eren. Again, please keep your jaw tight." Your thumbs move a little higher to where you can feel the bone. "Does it hurt when I apply some pressure here?" After he mumbles no, you then squeeze the bone and hear a satisfying crack.

"Motherfucker!" your husband bellows while scrunching his eyes shut. You're pleased with yourself that you were able to correct the alignment of his nose after two shifts.

Eren sighs before placing a quick peck on your cheek. "Since you put me through so much physical pain today, does that mean I get a little treat later today between your thighs?” You cock an eyebrow as you feel his fingers have now shifted their attention to playing with the waistband of your sweatpants. “There's not really anything else I want to eat that's sweeter than you, beautiful." Zeke, Annie, and Jean audibly gag in the background and you roll your eyes at Eren's words. You confirm that Eren does not feel nauseous, dizzy, off-balance and that his vision feels normal.

You're about to slide off his lap, but Eren encircles his arms around your waist and rests his head against your collarbone. It tickles as he murmurs against your skin, "I really am sorry, (Y/N). I didn’t mean anything I said when you came back from California. Baby, I know I have been repeating myself a lot lately. I know I’ve been doing a shitty job lately of showing you how much I love you.”

You tug your bottom lip between your teeth and tap your fingers on the recliner. “Still, I really do mean every apology and every promise,” he asserts. “I'm going to be better for you and Eliza. I promise that I will be better at showing you how important you are to me. I'm going to be better at proving to you that I love you and that I fall more and more in love with you every day." You lean your forehead against Eren's, and again, there appears to be that lackluster green color in his eyes reflecting back at you.

Eren's hands drift lower and you release a sigh of disapproval. "Oh come on, beautiful. I really missed you these past couple weeks. I'm just being appreciative of everything you give me." He places a few pecks on your cheeks, then one on your nose, before connecting his lips with yours.

He pulls away only after Jean and Zeke protest that Eren needs to stop defiling you and he needs to be better at keeping it PG since there are three kids in the house.

You reposition yourself so your legs are to the side of Eren's lap and your head is resting against his chest. He plants another kiss on the crown of your head. He lies his chin on the top of your head and tightens his embrace.

“I love you, (Y/N). We still have Eliza. And we can always try again for another baby when you're ready.” He reiterates, “I meant it when I told you earlier that time heals all wounds. Everything happens for a reason and we're going to be ok."

Even in Eren's embrace, you feel cold.

You know that Eren meant well. You understand he was trying to console you with his assertions that ‘time heals all wounds’ and ‘everything happens for a reason.’ But his rationale that already having Eliza and having another baby later would make everything fine chilled you to the bone.

There's a term called the psychological immune system that encompasses a number of biases and cognitive mechanisms to protect your emotional health whenever you experience strong negative emotions, such as stress and anxiety. Researchers have found that people tend to overestimate the intensity and the length that they will be unhappy after the experience of a negative event.

Your psychological immune system helps make sense of those adverse events in a self-protective manner. It protects us from experiencing extreme negative emotions by helping us focus on other positive events to facilitate the return of positive emotions.

There are contradictions in cliches, and yet we're still drawn to them, especially when we're stressed or anxious. We're drawn to platitudes since humans are evolutionarily hardwired to respond more strongly and intensely to negative experiences than positive ones. We use these stale statements as a coping mechanism.

We need to feel good enough to get out of bed and move on with our life. And we do that by rationalizing away a hurtful moment until it dulls to a sting.

Eren has just made himself feel better emotionally with the platitudes, ‘Time will heal all wounds’ and ‘Everything happens for a reason.’ His psychological immune system has kicked in to adapt in a way that less strongly impacts his emotions. It's a defense mechanism that was unconsciously activated to make Eren happier. It was one of his unconscious defense mechanisms that made sense of your miscarriage with the reassurance that another baby will fix everything and that you two already have another child.

Our brains are also evolutionary-hardwired to seek patterns and detect cause and effect. Being able to determine cause and effect was how our ancestors interpreted the actions of predators and how they were able to benefit from cooperation as social animals. Though sometimes we seek patterns too aggressively.

It's a common and natural human response to state that "everything happens for a reason." We want to believe there's a greater good for the troubles we face, that there's a valuable lesson we learn or some higher purpose we will later achieve as a result of our misfortunate experiences. It's reassuring.

It's reassuring to think that there's a reason for any unbearable experience or tremendous loss. It's comforting to be able to make sense of the pain we feel and it helps us gain a sense of control of the messiness of life.

The issue with Eren telling you that ‘everything happens for a reason’ is that it implies that you need to be patient for some universal payoff for the pain you experience. It was necessary for him to rationalize your miscarriage as something that would yield a greater good or purpose in the future.

Still, sometimes it really just is randomness and sheer banality of chance where you might perceive cause and effect to be. The world is filled with uncorrelated factors and events.

Sometimes, you just can't explain why something bad happened to you. Sometimes, there's not really any reason that justifies your suffering.

The problem with him telling you, ‘everything happens for a reason’ is that sometimes, shit just happens and something better won't always come your way.

Your misfortunes, your suffering, your losses, and your experiences with the messiness of life and sheer banality of chance shouldn't have to have a reward down the line for your pain to be valid.

Your suffering shouldn't have to be comprehensible or have some plausible explanation for why that horrible circumstance happened to you just to validate your pain and your grief and your frustration and your anger.

The problem with him telling you "time heals all wounds" is the suggestion that there's some magical time frame- whether it's a period of days, weeks, months- that you should have recovered and your grief and loss should be assuaged.

But you can't put a deadline on when you recover from grief and loss.

Time may make things easier.

Time doesn't make everything ok.

Time has made it easier to hide your grief over both the loss of your child and the love of your partner from everyone. And there’s not a greater purpose or some reward down the line that will justify your grief.

Sometimes, you can't fall back on platitudes to overcome and move forward from things in life.

Sometimes, there are things in life that can only be carried.

A/N: finally got my invite to AO3. I have the same username on there. At the risk of being murdered, Kung Fu Tea is one of my go to boba places alongside GongCha and Sunrise Tea Studio. Usually will get a brown sugar boba milk tea or a Thai tea with boba. Sometimes mango green tea. What’s your go-to boba order?

Taglist: @pichara @izukine @emepe @rein4r1 @ihatelettuce @wakatvshi @bbylime @rubesque @lukepattersin @didiyogo @unicornlover25 @6sakusa @littlemochi @trumpettay @educationalandphysicalmess @deadflowerd

P.S. only two more chapters left for winter. They’ll be flashbacks of what happened a few weeks prior to the birthday party. Then Fall will pick up after this chapter. Again thank you so much for giving my story a chance and for all your kind comments 💕

[cartoon-girlz]

and also just because i think it's really funny, here's the first character line up compared to the most recent one. kind of very funny to see how much my art has developed in the last couple months, along with how fucking weird the old ones look in comparison lmao.

[leoswritingcorner]

something that popped in my mind and i had to write. no editing, no thoughts, just words

The chainsaw thuds heavily on the table, but Solana is careful not to knock over the drinks.

“They got the orders right?” Solana asks, peering into the paper bag closest to her as she slips into the booth. Will plucks it away quickly, swapping it with another bag.

“For once,” They answer, digging out the food. Dev and Annie had already began to dig into their own meals. “Who has the hot sauce?” Will asks, looking back to them.

Solana bites into the chalupa, the flavor barely hitting her tongue before her phone chimes. Her eyes glance down to the phone to see Brit’s picture, the one with her really pissed and flipping off the camera, flashing over the screen. Solana rubs her hand over her pants and hits the answer button and places the call on speaker

“Hey, mami” Solana greets, around a bite. “What’s up?”

“Where are you?” Brit asks steadily. Solana slows her chewing. That’s never a good tone for Brit to have.

“Uh, Taco Bell.” Solana responds, pulling the phone closer. “The kids were hungry, and I had coupons that were gonna expire and-“

“Oh, isn’t that nice?” Brit cuts in, “are you enjoying your Taco Bell?”

“I was,”

“Cause I’m going to send you to taco HELL,” Brit snarls loudly. Her voice echoing through the restaurant. Dev, Will and Annie all share a look and grin.

Solana takes her off speaker and puts the phone to her ear, clearing her throat. “I’m sensing that I’ve screwed up something somehow,” She remarks calmly, scratching her neck.

“Why aren’t you here?” Brit demands. Solana can hear something faint in the background. Distant but piercing.

“I don’t…” Solana starts, but her lips pull into an O shape when realization hits her. “That was today?! No! We said tomorrow!”

There’s a shuffle over the phone. Brit swears colorfully before Hanna’s calm voice speaks.

“We changed it to today, Solana.” Hanna answers.

“Since when?” Solana says, she looks at her chalupa and dares a small and careful bite.

Hanna sighs deeply. “I sent you a message,”

Solana quickly pulls her phone away and checks through her texts. “You didn’t send me anything on my phone”

There’s a loud bang, and there’s no mistaking a gunshot. Solana cringes. “You’d be correct because I sent you the message on the burner.” Hanna states. It’s not hard to miss her patience edging to its end.

Solana looks to the Trio as they watched her, still grinning.

‘You’re soooo busted’ Annie mouths, before sipping on her soda.

Solana waves her off and turns away. “But you said-“ she cuts herself off, “you know what? My bad. I’m coming,”

“Thank you,” Hanna says

“Hurry your ass up!” Brit snaps at the same time.

Solana sighs, yanking her chain saw up, strapping it to her back. Looking back to the three, she gives them a look. “I’ll be back in an hour…tops. Try not to kill anyone?”

“No such promises,” Dev supplies

“I figured,” Solana shakes her head, storming out

[pinkfey]

9 or 47 for your current fave?

47. crave + audra wiseman.

setting: post-mind blind. audra/kent-centric. the second half of an incomplete fic which was literally just a few thousand words about window shopping.

Audra came to a lazy halt in front of a store window, pursing her lips to admire the display inside. Kent noticed her absence and swung back around to stand behind her, snaking his arms around her waist. Her hands trailed up to absently stroke the back of his palm as she murmured something about how cold he is. He leaned to rest his chin on top of her head. Today her heels were not high enough for him to do so comfortably, but it wasn’t about being comfortable. The crook in his neck later would be worth it.

The simple window had a wide heart-shaped decal in its epicenter, drawing eyes towards a display case of several tiers, dozens of tiny pastel cakes in each. Each cake seemed to be fruit themed and decorated with dainty piping, fluffy frosting, and doily-patterned hearts. Of course Audra had stopped to stare. She was a walking Valentine’s Day card; how could she resist?

Kent turned to look at Annie and Cass, pressing his cheek to Audra’s hair. His beloved dogs watched him with innocent expectation, their tails wagging eagerly. In their minds, they had been out long enough for a treat. It took every inch of willpower not to give in.

The snap of a shutter brought his attention back to Audra, who had just taken a photo of the display case. Kent peeked over her shoulder as she zoomed in on the true focal point of the photo: their reflection in the heart.

Kent smiled. Corny. He pressed his lips close to her ear and his voice was soft. “Send me that one?”

Audra hummed her agreement, too distracted by her photo to bother with words. Kent wondered if she would always look at him so lovestruck or if this was simply a very very long honeymoon phase. Knowing her, he hoped it wasn’t the latter.

Audra disentangled his arms from her but took one of his hands in her own, interlocking their fingers as she twisted to face him, that mischievous glint in her eye. Uh oh.

She looked at him.

He raised a brow.

She looked at him more.

He leveled his gaze to the bakery window, then back to Audra, who was fighting a losing battle against her own smile. He let out a breath. “Would you like a cake?”

“Maaaaaaaybe…” Audra twirled a curly lock of hair, but seeing that this wasn’t working, she switched tactics. She quickly composed herself before widening her eyes and drawing her brows together. “Please? Double please, my beautiful boyfriend? Triple please, my sickeningly sweet cinnamon toaster strudel? Quadruple pretty please with a button on top?”

“You know I have two dogs, right?” He tried to sound neutral but the smile curling the corners of his lips betrayed him. “Puppy eyes won’t work.”

Audra broke out in that winning grin of hers, biting her lip in what Kent thought was the poorest attempt to conceal her glee. Her gap tooth even made an appearance. Cute.

Kent gave in. He released her hand and handed her Cass’ leash. He dug around for his wallet as he headed for the door. “What flavor?”

“Surprise me.”

“Not coming with?”

“No, no, I have to make everyone on Instagram super extra jealous of my boyfriend with this photo. Besides, it’s just a craving.” Audra said her next words as if she were a paragon of innocence, her golden hair a halo to prove it. “You know how to satisfy me, don’t you?”

Dear god…

Kent stared at her just a second too long, then let out a single scoff of a laugh. “Audra Wiseman…” he muttered.

She shot him a knowing smile before he turned around. He’d get back at her. Later.

A bell above the door let out a soft ding! as Kent stepped inside and warm flushed his icy skin. The bakery was small and quaint—black and white tiled floors, metal chairs with wiry heart-shaped backs, French moulding accompanied by soft blue accents; exactly the kind of place Audra would regret not entering. Kent decided it was a decent spot to take her on another day.

Approaching the counter, his senses were flooded by the smell of… Chocolate? Batter? Whatever it was, it was sweet, sugary, and exactly what Audra wanted.

The lady behind the counter, after hearing Kent’s plight, was kind enough to set out a selection of three small cakes for him to choose from. Each were heart-shaped and about four inches in length. The first was powdery and lemon-themed, the second was pink with a dollop of icing lobbed on top, and Kent quickly decided that neither of them were good enough when saw the third: a rich red, chocolate inside, with delicate white frosting lacing the heart shape. Perfect.

When Kent returned to Audra boxed cake in hand, he found her bent down towards Annie and Cass, cooing, kissing, and making various other embarrassingly adorable noises. Yet she stood up straight without any shame and grinned.

“Whatcha get?” she asked, brimming with excitement.

Kent handed her the box without pomp, which she giddily traded her purse for. Kent readjusted the strap as she greedily dug in, letting out a soft gasp at its contents.

“Kent, it’s so pretty,” she marveled. “Thank you so much, I…”

Kent was basking in the small kernel of pride at finding something she liked—until she looked up at him with utter sorrow. “Oh no. I can’t eat it. Oh my god.”

Kent froze, suppressed the tiniest bit of panic that he may have done something wrong. “Uh—“

“They didn’t give me a fork.”

Kent stopped short—first shocked, then relieved. Audra said this with the kind of devastation one has upon hearing their loved one just died. She looked down at the cake with a pout, almost as if she was about to cry. “This hurts,” she said with deadpan finality. “I’m suing.”

Kent closed the cake box and covered her hands with his own. “It’s the end of the world.” He rubbed her thumb with his own. “Home, then?”

Audra groaned as they began walking back. Annie and Cass trotted along ahead of them, oblivious to her woe. “Can’t I be charmingly theatrical for a few more minutes?”

He smirked. “You’re asking this time?”

She hissed. “Ouch, Zarneki! Keep it up and I might think you want me.”

Kent turned to walk backwards and face her. He gave her a look, a suggestive smile, a tilt of the head, then turned back around.

Audra scoffed. “Oh, you’re lucky you’re cute, you know.”

He knew.

At home, Audra sat curled on the couch and took careful, savory bites of her cake as she watched another atrocious episode of Love Island. Kent let her choose what to watch, of course, as he always did, while he himself deigned to read a book detailing the history a Roman statesman—a gift from Audra bought straight from his wishlist. He with his head against her lap, one hand on his book, the other pressed between her thigh and the couch; Audra’s duty was to keep him warm. For every three bites of cake, Audra fed him one.

A few minutes in, Audra peered over at his page. “Cicero? Like from Skyrim?”

Kent blinked. “No…” he said slowly. “Marcus Tullius Cicero. From, uh, history.”

Audra nodded sagely. “Like General Tullius. Also from Skyrim.”

Kent pulled his hand out from under her thigh and sat up straight, staring at her incredulously as she took another happy bite. The greatest thing about Audra Wiseman was her confidence, rivaled only by her humor. She was straightforward, never confused him, shouldered the hard parts of socializing so he could breathe. She was his favorite person, she never ceased to amaze…

And she just said the worst series of sentences he’d ever heard.

Audra glanced over. “Something wrong?”

“Audra.” Kent wiped frosting from her mouth with his thumb and brought it to his lips. “Never leave.”

[kai-uh-arcadian]

Ackersmith Cafe 

Pieck x Reader

Word Count: 2.7k Cw: minor cursing Disclaimer! This is my first story/fic/head canon type thing ever, so feedback is much appreciated! ( :

enjoy!

* Lots of wholesome fluff ( : <3 *

Ships involved: Pieck x Reader, Hitchani, Eruri, Yumihisu,  Implied EreMika, Implied Niccolo x Sasha

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⁃ Ackersmith cafe, a quaint, dark academia type coffee shop

⁃ Leading local competitor “mom and pop shop” of the Shiganshina county against Starbucks, Dunkin’ Donuts and Bakers Dozen

⁃ Used to be called “Smith Cafe” owned Grandma and Grandpa Smith before Mr. Erwin took over and married Mr.Levi

⁃ You and your parents have been going here since you could remember! Even before Mr.Erwin won his battle against cancer but lost his arm

⁃ Even though you’re in college now, it’s still walking distance from Paradis University and the neighbor university—Liberio University

⁃ You introduced your college friends, Sasha, Mikasa, and Annie to this place

⁃ You go here almost everyday to study and do uni homework

⁃ “Mr. Erwin!” You announced every time you walk in with Annie, Sasha, and Mikasa as the bells of the cafe ring

⁃ “(Y/nnnnnnn!)” he says waving his bionic arm that Hange, the other barista, made for him

⁃ (Hange chooses to work here every other weekend as a way to “relax” from their researching job, crazy right?)

⁃ “Hey twerp, when did you get so tall?”Mr. Levi flashes a smile from behind the counter, remembering you getting hoisted up on your dads shoulder while ordering a hot chocolate from when he was a trainee here a few years ago

⁃ “Mr. Levi, it’s been years since I was your height” you chuckle glancing at Mikasa, Sasha, and Annie stifling back a laugh at they witness this interaction

⁃ “Tch. You brats, I’ll kick you out any second!” he jokingly gets defensive

⁃ “Levi” Mr. Erwin puts a hand on the small of Mr. Levi’s back “Be nice to my favourite and most important customers! You’ll drive out our daily revenue” he laughs

⁃ “Yeah yeah whatever. The usual, brats?” Mr. Levi rolls his eyes holding back a soft smile

⁃ “Yep!” You all say in unison

⁃ “Should’ve guessed” as his rings up your guys’ total “I’ll bring it right out for you guys” he says before disappearing into the brewing station

⁃ You, Sasha, Mikasa, and Annie go to your usual booth right by the front window of the cafe

⁃ You 4 begin to pull out your computers and begin to do homework

⁃ Sasha and Mikasa are typing away on a shared Google Slide for a project they were both assigned to for their ENGL 2273 class they both happened to have together while you and Annie are looking out the window dozing off

⁃ “(Y/N),” Mikasa says grabbing your attention “Do your work.”

⁃ “Alright alright” you begin opening up a blackboard assignment your Professor assigned to you

⁃ “Slacking off again (L/N)?” Mr. Levi’s voice startles you as you look up

⁃ “No!” You shyly smile at him as you pretend to type away at the assignment

⁃ “Tch. Anyways, a white chocolate mocha latte with a glazed donut for you Annie, a hot, unsweetened, caramel latte for you Mikasa, a bacon, egg, and cheese croissant with a cinnamon dolce frappe for you Sasha, and a matcha frappe for you (Y/N). Anything else brats?” He smiles as he hands everything to you guys

⁃ “No thank you!” You say in unison once again before he nods and walks away

⁃ As you sip on your delectable drink, Annie’s face lights up and it’s not from the donut (this time)

⁃ “Eh? Annie, what’s got you smiling?” Sasha says nervously chewing on her croissant at Annie’s surprised face

⁃ “Oh.” Annie’s face goes back to the typical stoic look “nothing, it’s just I know those people about to walk in” she gestures to a tall, muscular blonde man, a tall, brunette who is visibly sweating, a dirty blonde man with an undercut, and breathtaking black haired women with languid eyes and a perpetual soft smile

⁃ “Huh? How?” Mikasa looks up from her work and towards the girl sitting to her left shoulder, peeking a glance at the group about to walk in

⁃ “Eh, I went to Marley high school with them. I had a few classes with each of them throughout the years but never really interacted too much. They aren’t mean or anything— I just recognize them. I think they go to Liberio university” she says taking another bite of her donut

⁃ “Her names Pieck Finger” Annie said with a mouth full of donut directly at you “I’m guessing you were wondering” she smirks

⁃ Your face heats up. Did Annie notice you were staring at her?! Oh no… if Annie noticed… did this mean that Pieck girl also notice?!”

⁃ “No no” you laughed it off, “I wasn’t wondering I was just staring off into space!!”

⁃ This earns a chuckle out of Mikasa, she read you like a book

⁃ The Liberio squad orders as your little Paradis squad begins to pack up after being there for about hour and a half

⁃ “Annie?” The muscular blonde says from a few tables over

⁃ Annie lights up a bit at the seemingly familiar voice coming from behind her

⁃ “Reiner?” Annie walks over to the table as you, Mikasa, and Sasha continue to pack up

⁃ “Oh! These are my friends (Y/N), Mikasa, and Sasha. We usually come here almost everyday” annie says as each of you light up at the sound of your name

⁃ “Nice to meet you all! This is Bertolt, Porco, Pieck, and I’m Reiner”

You 4 wave to the Liberio 4 and you make direct eye contact with Pieck, she smiles softly at you

⁃ “It was nice seeing you all again, we were just on our way out” Annie waves to the group

⁃ “It was nice meeting you!” You, Mikasa, and Sasha say in unison

⁃ You made eye contact with Pieck once again before exiting

The next day

⁃ you text the group chat during your last class of the day “Ackersmiths?

⁃ Annie replies “Hitch nagged at me this morning claiming she deserves more attention so I'm taking her on a date tonight. ”

⁃ Mikasa replies “I’m being forced to meet Niccolo today😐”

⁃ “Okay so you all hate me😩I’ll go alone” you respond to the group chat

⁃ “Yeah that’s exactly what we mean (Y/N)😪😪😪” Sasha replies

⁃ “Yeah whatever.😫 I’ll be over later tonight and bring you guys your usuals if you want” you reply

⁃ “You’re a saint!🛐” Sasha says

⁃ “Sasha’s dorm as usual? I’ll be there around 8 o’clock” Annie says

⁃ “Perfect, I’ll see you guys then, i know you guys love me🥰🥰🥰🥰” you sent the text and began walking to Ackersmith’s

⁃ you walk in and greet Mr.Levi and Mr.Erwin like always “Mr. Leviiiiii! Mr. Erwin!!! It’s your favourite customer!”

⁃ “Oh? I didn’t see Sasha walk in though?” Erwin banters back as you walk towards the counter

⁃ “Yeah yeah, be glad or else you wouldn’t have any pastries left to sell today” you laugh “could I get the usual please?”

⁃ “Of course! I’ll have Levi bring it out to you in a second” Erwin beams and heads towards the machines

⁃ You begin to head to the table usually sit at when you aren’t accompanied by your usual gang but it seems to be taken

⁃ “Grandpa Arlert!?” You exclaim

⁃ Distracted by your excitement, that ethereal black haired Pieck, walks in and sits at a table closest to the entrance by the window. She instantly notices you chatting with (in her eyes) a random sweet old man

⁃ “(Y/N)!” He begins to get up

⁃ “How’s Armin doing? I haven’t heard much from him while he’s been in France but Mikasa tells me so much, maybe too much,  about Eren’s studies abroad”

⁃ “He’s doing well, I miss seeing you 4 all the time. I’m about to be on my way but come see me anytime kiddo” he pats you on the head

⁃ “I’ll come by this weekend okay Grandpa Arlert?” He nods as you sit down and pull out your computer

⁃ Pieck is gazing out the window but every now and then she glances at you. She can’t help but find you adorable when you focus on something— you furrow your brows a bit, squint, and bite your bottom lip

⁃ As Pieck is totally engrossed in your cute little studying quirks, she quickly averts her eyes and your head snaps in her direction as the entrance bells chimes and a couple walks in

⁃ You focus on the couple as the blonde one in a flowy pink dress pushes the stroller to nearby table and the taller brunette one in slacks and a button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbow goes to order (for the blonde one as well, you assume)

⁃ The gears in your head are shifting as you begin to figure out who the hell that couple could be as they are SO familiar to you

⁃ Then. A lightbulb! “Historia?!” You say to the women about three empty small tables away

⁃ (It’s a local favourite, how could you not see people you know here?)

⁃ (Y/N)?! You get up and start walking over to Historia’s table accompanied by a stroller

⁃ (Y/N)? The tall brunette walks over with a strawberry pastry and a plain croissant

⁃ “Ahh, Ymir!” You exclaim embracing her

⁃ “And who might this little one be?” You question while lovingly waving to inside the stroller which held a baby with dark hair, freckles, and bright blue eyes

⁃ Somehow(?) a perfect mix of Ymir and Historia

⁃ “This is baby Freida” (after her late sister) Historia grabs the about 7-month baby girl and gives her a kiss on her chubby cheek

⁃ “Sooo this is what you’ve guys have been doing since we left high school. I always wondered where you guys took off! You both completely went AWOL “ you chuckle while holding your index finger out as baby Freida grasps it

⁃ “Yeah, after high school I decided to take a gap year and Historia decided to become a CNA, I’m working on my realtor license” Ymir says taking a chomp out of the croissant

⁃ “I’m so happy for you guys! Seeing you guys and plus this cute little one just made my day. Could I hold her?” Your eyes looks as if they’ve been possessed by literal stars

⁃ “Of course!” Historia gingerly hands you baby Frieda and to your surprise, little Frieda giggles while you rub your cheek to the baby’s chubby one smiling

⁃ While this interaction is happening, Pieck has her eyes GLUED to you

⁃ Her heart is bursting at the seams right now. From seeing you interact with the sweet old man you refer to as Grandpa Arlert to you holding a cute ass child AH! Her heart IS exploding

⁃ It’s like she’s emitting a pink aura out of her body and little hearts are circling her as well

⁃ You hand baby Frieda back “it was nice chatting with you guys, text me if you guys are ever back in town!” And with that you retreat back to your original spot

⁃ Hyper focused on what you’re supposed to be doing on your screen you’re interrupted by Levi’s booming voice

⁃ “Hey brat, sorry it took so long. The blender got jammed, probably from all the stupid ice it took to make your dumb frappe”

⁃ “Also, you’re probably too oblivious to notice but, don’t look now, there’s a dark haired girl by the window who has been making googly eyes at you the moment she walked in”

⁃ (WINGMAN LEVI?!?!?!)

⁃ You nonchalantly glide your eyes over to where he was talking about and he referring to Pieck

⁃ THE PIECK FINGER from yesterday

⁃ Your face turns red as you grab the drink from Mr.Levi and begin to stutter

⁃ “I— uh-“

⁃ “Don’t think I didn’t notice your little interaction yesterday” he scoffs hiding a smirk

⁃ …is he referring to me staring at Pieck from the window????

⁃ (That sounds creepy but in an innocent young teen/adult puppy love way)

⁃ “If you’d like, I can send a drink over from you. She ordered the weirdest frappe-combo-shit yesterday so I remember it. It was a matcha frappe with strawberry purée and strawberry drizzle with matcha dusted on top of the whip cream…” he scoffed “but what do I know? I’m just an old married man”

⁃ WINGMAN MR. LEVI!!!!!!

⁃ “Yes! That would be perfect, I trust your gut Mr.Levi!” You hand him your card and he smiles as he begins to walk away

⁃ At this point you’re nervous. Yes you’re looking at your computer but you CANNOT think about anything else but how Pieck will react

⁃ Does she have a boyfriend? That (stupid) undercut guy?

- The tall sweaty guy?

⁃ Or maybe the muscular guy

⁃ No no, she looks too smart to date a meathead

- She seems too outgoing to date a super nervous guy

⁃ Or a seemingly fuckboy

⁃ But who am I to judge her preference?

-Is she even gay?

- She probably has a girlfri--

⁃ “Thank you for the drink” a sweet voice danced in between your clouded thoughts

⁃ You look up and you meet eyes with the one and only, Pieck

⁃ “May I sit here?” She gestures at the empty seat in front of you

⁃ (Mr. Levi’s plan worked?)

⁃ “Of course!” You shyly smile rubbing the back on your nape

⁃ “Your names (Y/N), right?” She took a sip of the drink

⁃ “Hmm.. Doing a bit of stalking I see. How’d you know my exotic drink of choice?” Those heavy words came out so smoothly you could barely react to the accusation

⁃ “Oh! Uh— no it’s not that” you instantly became flustered

⁃ The laugh she let out was so beautiful that it made you stop in your tracks

⁃ A bit of the puree was on her lips, which made them glossy and her head tilted back which let her flowy silky black hair waterfall off her shoulder

⁃ A bit of confidence shot through you

⁃ “Actually, a little birdy told ME that you were the one “stalking” and they decided I should do something to get your attention” you raised an eyebrow

⁃ Pieck’s angelic laughter came to an instant halt and her face become the same colour of the little bit of strawberry purée on her bottom lip

⁃ Now YOU were the one giggling at her reaction

⁃ “Don’t worry don’t worry! You waved your hands in a surrendering motion “in all honestly Mr. Levi said he saw you looking at me today and remembered your ..interesting.. drink from yesterday and also remembered about how I was looking at you when you walked in with your friends and suggested I send a drink over to you” you reassured

⁃ Oh shit

⁃ She giggled at how red your face got after realized what you had just told her

⁃ “Well if you’re going to be honest I will too, I thought you were the cutest thing yesterday. Today really solidified that thought because I mayyyy… have noticed you with that cute little baby” she gave you a languid smile fiddling with her hair nervously

⁃ Taken a bit aback from this

⁃ Are you hearing this correctly???

⁃ “Could I possibly get your number? Maybe later this week we could go on a proper date or something?”

⁃ “I’d love nothing more than that, (Y/N) she gives to the sweetest most genuine smiles there can be

After you exchanged phone numbers, you and Pieck spent about 2 more hours there talking about everything and yet nothing at the same time. You both shared pointless stories about each other’s upbringing, majors, fun stories about your mutual friend Annie, your own friends, and little sarcastic shots at one another here and there before walking her back to her dorm at Liberio University (about a 30 minute walk back to Paradis University)

She thanked you for the fun night by giving you a small peck on the cheek.

When you both returned to your assigned dorms

Pieck spent the night fangirling about you to Porco, Reiner, and a 4th year named Zeke

While you spent your night fangirling to Annie, Sasha, and Mikasa

“Oh (Y/N)!? Speaking about great things you find at the cafe, where’s the drinks? ” Sasha asked after your little spiel about Pieck

“Shit!”

Ackersmith Cafe has always held a special place in your heart but the love you’ve had for the place just got deeper.

sorry if the ending sucks but lmk your thoughts!!!!!! (:

- Kyah

[yungidreamer]

Unmasked

When stress, jealousy, and fears boil over, it doesn’t matter if it’s the right time or place...

Pairing Yunho, Mingi, unnamed fem character, established poly relationship

Content warnings: A little bit of angst to start with, carrying over from unresolved issues from the last section. Oral sex (fem receiving), slight hair pulling, possessiveness, unprotected sex, slightly rough, marking, multiple orgasms, over stimulation.

The whole week had been strained, and it was going to drive the boys crazy. She had been standoffish since the incident on Friday, and at first they could write it off to how busy they had all been. They all had tests this week in more than one of their classes, so the fact that she was studying more, well, it wasn’t unexpected. But by the time she stayed at the library until it closed for the third night in a row, they suspected she was trying to avoid spending as much time with them.

She came home every night, slipping into their shared bed after a shower. It had become a sort of habit for her to take the middle of the bed, letting both the boys take a side each, letting them stretch out both across her and into the spaces her smaller form left at the foot of the bed. But the few times that she slipped off to bed before them, she instead slid herself off to one side, quickly trying to go to sleep before the boys could join her. 

When Yunho finally brought it up that Thursday while they had a quick breakfast before heading to their classes, she waved it off, saying that she was just tired this week and he was just reading too much into it.

“I’m not sure I am going to make it to lunch today though,” she said, taking the last bite of her bagel before pushing away from the table. “I have my last test tomorrow and I still have things I need to study for it.”

“You can take a little break and eat something with us,” Yunho sighed.

“I really have to study,” she sighed, gathering her stuff near the door. “Things will get better soon, though, I promise.” She walked back to the boys, giving them kisses on their cheeks before rushing out the door.

“She’s avoiding us isn’t she,” Mingi asked the other boy glumly.

“Yeah,” Yunho sighed. “I think she might be mad at us but…”

“But what did we do?” Mingi asked, a worried frown knitting his forehead.

“It’s my fault,” Yunho shook his head, taking his dishes to the sink. “This all started with what happened with Hong Joong.”

“But it turned out okay,” Mingi insisted. “Hong Joong seems okay and he hasn’t said anything. He’s nice and he hasn’t been treating us weird or anything.”

“Yeah,” he agreed. “I guess she is just trying to push us about just being friends in public. We never did really decide on that whole thing.”

“She is sort of deciding for us,” Mingi agreed. “But it was just going to be outside and,” he paused. “I miss having time with all of us.”

“Me, too,” Yunho pulled the other boy into a hug, holding him for a moment before they parted and prepared to leave.

Saturday came quickly with the hustle and bustle that filled the week. Everyone picked up their costumes when they had a spare moment. Yunho and Mingi would be puppies and she would be a kitty. The costumes were simple, but it was what they had available and they had all liked the inside joke of being different but the same. We’re all animals in the end, right?

Yunho had gotten a golden retriever onesie, Mingi a black and white husky, and she had chosen a calico cat one. They all looked adorable, they decided, getting the first real smile they could remember out of her that week as they dressed. They headed off together to Whitby Residence at a little after six, when Hong Joong had said the party was going to start. They made their way to north campus, passing others dressed for the holiday and ready to party.

They came to the front door of the large house, giving it a hard knock to ensure the sound would rise above the chatter and music they could already hear, even from outside. The door opened to reveal a happy and smiling Hong Joong who greeted all of them with enthusiastic hellos and warm hugs. He brought them inside and took them to the large shared living room, already half filled with the guests and residents of the house. He introduced them to a few people, all of whom waved and greeted the newcomers warmly before going back to what they were talking about when they had arrived.

Yunho and Mingi moved to take seats on the empty space on the couch, leaving room between them for her to sit, but, to their disappointment, she instead chose to take the old wooden dining chair stuffed near the end of the couch. It had been placed there to add seating and make sure there would be enough for everyone they expected to come eventually. The boys shared a glance and scooted closer to each other, closing the space, so they wouldn’t take up more of the couch than needed.

One of the residents joined them, making small talk as new people came and music played. It was still early and the party was just getting started. She was a pre-veterinary student who loved animals more than anything; one reason she had come to compliment their adorable costumes. Her name was Anne, but insisted on being called Annie, and was so happy to have someone to gush over how smart and amazing animals are.

“Hey, I didn’t expect to see you here!” The voice came from a guy who was making his way into the living room from the bedroom areas upstairs.

“Oh, I didn’t know you were staying here,” She said, standing to greet him with a brief hug. Both boys’ eyes snapped to look at her, hoping to know who he was and why she knew him.

“How do you think the test went yesterday?” He asked, sitting on the end of the coffee table near her.

“Oh, pretty well I guess,” she laughed and shrugged.

“It better have, the number of hours we spent in the library studying,” he teased. “And I think I did okay too, but I’ll wait to see what grade I get before declaring myself a success story.”

“That’s probably smart,” she agreed. “Don’t count your chickens and all.”

“Anyway, how did you come to be here?” He asked, putting a hand on her arm as he asked, sending alarm bells through Mingi and Yunho.

“I came with my roommates,” she gestured to the two boys, removing her arm from his touch as she did. “Hong Joong is in chemistry with Yunho so they’ve been studying together a lot.”

“Okay, that explains the costumes,” he laughed. “It’s really cute that you all dressed up together.” He turned towards the two boys, extending his hand to Yunho first, who was sitting nearest to her on the end of the couch. “I’m Joshua.”

“Yunho,” he said, taking the offered hand and shaking it.

“Mingi,” the other said in turn as Joshua then gave him his hand.

“Nice to meet you both,” He said with a smile. “So how did you all meet? In the dorms or…?”

“No, we've been friends since high school,” she shook her head. “But we all decided to go to the same school so we got a place together off campus.”

“Nice, nice,” Joshua complimented. “That is really cool. So you all are just friends…” he fished, pausing just long enough for anyone to object before continuing, “That’s great. Did you want a tour? I can take you to get something to drink if you want.” The invitation was clearly only for her. She looked to the boys and gave them a what’s the harm sort of shrug before standing up with a nod. The boys stared after her, not sure if they had the right to object, but they certainly didn’t feel right about it either way.

“Don’t worry,” Annie said next to them with a comforting smile. “Josh is super nice.”

“I’m sure,” Yunho said, keeping his eyes on the pair as he took her around the room as they slowly headed towards the kitchen.

“She’s like your sister, isn’t she?” Annie asked, giving Mingi a playful tap with her elbow.

“What do you mean?” Mingi asked, giving her a lost, blank look.

“You both seem really protective of her,” she explained with an understanding smile. “She’s like your sister and you want to protect her, but don’t worry. Josh is nice. He’s actually been talking about her a lot this week. She’s apparently really smart and really good with the material from the philosophy class they are both taking.”

“They’ve been studying for that together a lot, huh?” Yunho asked, hoping they would come out of the kitchen soon.

“Yeah,” Annie nodded. “He was out at the library like most of the nights this week. The material must be really hard, he doesn’t usually have to study this hard to get good grades. I am sure he is really grateful for her help.”

“Our girl is really smart,” Yunho commented, a knot of doubt forming in his stomach. Hong Joong came bounding down the stairs, another guy following closely behind, laughing at something the other had said just before they appeared. Hong Joong spotted the two boys sitting on the couch and headed their direction.

“Hey I wanted you guys to meet my roommate,” Hong Joong took the seat that she had vacated and the other boy, a tall statuesque blond with the body of a model, stood beside him, his hand resting on the back of the chair. “This is Seonghwa. Seonghwa, this is Yunho and Mingi. I think you guys have a lot in common. Yunho is who I’ve been helping with chemistry this week.”

“Oh,” Seonghwa nodded, from his tone, it was obvious that the subject had come up over the past week more than once. “Well nice to meet you. Hong Joong has said so many nice things about you.”

“Has he?” Yunho blushed, wondering what Hong Joong could possibly have said about him.

On the other side of the room they heard her laugh as she and Joshua reemerged from the kitchen, drinks in hand. Much to both Mingi and Yunho’s dismay, they headed upstairs together, rather than rejoining them.

“Oh, do you guys know Josh, too?” Hong Joong asked, following their gaze as he disappeared up the stairs with her. 

“That is his study buddy this week,” Annie filled in for them.

“Ahhhh,” both Hong Joong and Seonghwa responded, the information obviously filling in something for them.

“What?” Mingi finally asked everyone else, wanting to be let in.

“Oh he’s just been having a lot of fun studying with her,” Hong Joong waved the question away with a smile. “Apparently it’s his favorite class now. He’s had nothing but glowing praise for her this whole week.”

“He thought he was going to hate that class,” Seonghwa laughed, sending a look to Hong Joong. “And, pardon me if it's rude to say, but he probably had good reason to. It is the second time he has had to do that class since he failed it the first time. That is what happens when you don’t bother to do the homework or study because you hate the material.”

“Ouch, but true,” Annie tipped her nearly empty glass at her two housemates.

“Anyway, she seems to have gotten him to be interested in the class, so he probably owes her a lot for getting him half way through one of the required courses he needs for next year,” Seonghwa complimented them with a smile. Mingi and Yunho smiled back, even as they shifted uncomfortably in their seats, wishing they could go upstairs to check on her and her new friend.

Another knock on the door had Hong Joong bounding towards it, happy to let in the new guest who was just arriving. He opened the door, greeting whoever it was with a happy yelp. He came back in, arm around the waist of another tall and beautiful man whose face lit up when he saw Seonghwa. Seonghwa, for his part grinned, getting up to give the newcomer a hug and a long, loving kiss on the lips in greeting. Mingi stared, surprised to see the two greet each other in such an open and shameless manner in front of so many people. Beside them Annie cooed, declaring them to be the cutest couple ever as Hong Joong stepped back, taking the wooden seat again, flashing a grin to Yunho and Mingi.

Ah, this is why he wanted them to come and meet some of his friends, they had a lot in common, he had been sure. Yunho looked at Mingi whose jaw was still slightly ajar in surprise. He elbowed him to bring him back to his senses, briefly patting his thigh reassuringly. See, Yunho’s expression said, not everyone thinks that way. Mingi gave him a chagrined smile, scooting just a little closer to him. They almost didn’t notice when she came back down stairs, a new book under her arm, with Joshua behind her. They were chatting and smiling as they walked over and Yunho desperately wanted to get up and move between them but held back. 

Then, he did it; a few feet before they moved into the circle of the group Joshua put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to his side. She looked up, her eyes widening before she pulled away from him with an apologetic smile. Mingi stiffened half a second before standing up and asking Hong Joong, “Where is the bathroom?”

“Uh, upstairs,” he answered, his gaze traveling between Mingi and Yunho as he answered. Yunho’s mouth had narrowed into a tight line as Mingi stomped off, grabbing her hand and leading her upstairs before anyone could get out any words of protest. Excusing himself, Yunho stood up and calmly followed them upstairs.

Everyone watched him disappear up the stairs before turning to look at Hong Joong and Joshua, silently asking them for answers. Josh looked as baffled as the rest of them and Hong Joong only managed a shrug and, a muttered, They have a complicated relationship, I think.

Mingi pulled her into the bathroom before closing the door behind him with a little more force than intended. The slam rang through the small room followed by a pregnant silence filled by Mingi’s panting breath.

“Mingi I’m sorry--” was all she managed to get out before a knock rang out at the door.

“It’s me,” said Yunho quietly. “Let me in.” Mingi opened the door, letting him into the small space before pulling Yunho against it, using their combined bodyweight to close the door as he kissed his lips with a quick, hungry desperation. Yunho’s fingers went to the key in the door, locking it securely before putting his hands on Mingi’s waist, holding him against himself.

Mingi pulled back and turned on her. With a quick move, he lifted her off her feet, bringing her legs around his hips as he leaned in to kiss her with all the frustration that had been building in him over the last week. All of his feelings were finally coming out. The pain, confusion, the frustration that had been filling him, drop by drop with every late night she studied, and every time Yunho sat across from him at their lunches and not beside him, and every morning she rushed out with barely a goodbye, and every evening Yunho could only meet him with a sad half smile as they ate dinner without her.

 “Are you mad at me?” He asked, pulling his lips away, but letting his forehead rest against hers as he spoke.

“No, no,” she shook her head, speaking barely above a whisper.

“Then why are you punishing me,” Mingi’s voice broke as he asked, barely able to squeeze out the words.

“I’m not--” she started, cutting herself off as she had to admit, intended or not, she had been. “I just needed a little time. I’ve been busy and I needed to think about things.”

“What did you need to think about,” Yunho asked, still leaning against the bathroom door. “What did you need to think about that kept you out until the library kicked you out? What did you need to think about that made you turn away when you were going to sleep? What could possibly--” He stopped, squeezing his eyes closed to hold back the prickling threat of tears.

“I needed to think about if I was good for either of you,” she turned away from both of them as much as she could, still being held in Mingi’s arms as he stood near the sink. “If I was just a crutch that you used to justify being together...Maybe you don’t really need me but you’re both just...used to me being around.”

The room went silent. She held her breath, finally having let her deepest fear slither out of her mouth. When neither of them said anything, she pushed at Mingi’s shoulders, trying to get out of his grip so she could leave. Feeling that her worst fears were being confirmed.

“Let me go,” she pushed harder, panic welling in her chest.

“No,” Mingi said finally, one arm moving around her back to pull her against him.

“Let me down,” she sniffled, though her hands grabbed the fabric of his costume, holding it tightly as she said it. Yunho stepped forward, hugging her between them as his long arms encircled them both.

Neither of the boys had expected that from her. Though neither of them had said it, both had feared that she had gotten tired of them. That they had become too much trouble to be with. The secrets, the insecurities that too often arose whenever it wasn’t just the three of them at home, maybe it was all too much. Moving in together was supposed to make it easier, but it had just brought a new host of issues with it. But it had seemed like it never even phased her. She was always strong, always the first one to say that they would find a way to work it out.

“I’m so sorry,” Yunho breathed into her hair, tucking his head in on one side as Mingi did the same on the other.

“Why didn’t you say something?” Mingi asked, his chest tight.

“Say what?” She asked in a small, watery voice. “Am I a mistake? Are you sure you love me?”

“We’ve missed you so much,” Yunho whispered against her neck, kissing it lightly.

“Are you sure?” She asked, closing her eyes and letting a few warm tears fall.

“We need you,” Mingi insisted, pressing his face into her shoulder. Yunho’s hands pulled them both towards him, pressing all their bodies together as a desperate need came over him. This wasn’t the time or the place but, frankly, he didn’t care. His skin hurt with need and his hands itched to touch both of them. He turned to look at the door. He had locked it, but he needed to check, one time, just to be sure, before anything went any further.

He let them go and stepped to the door, jiggling the handle of the door a couple of times. Assured that it was secure, he turned around to see the two people he loved, still standing, holding each other.

“Mingi, will you help me show our girl how much we need her?” Yunho put his hands on her hips as he asked. Mingi nodded, a spark igniting in his eyes as their gazes met over her shoulder. “Here,” Yunho took her out of Mingi’s arms and put her on the small counter space there was beside the sink. It was almost the perfect height, he thought to himself, walking in between her spread thighs as he drew her into a kiss. She let out a little oh of surprise as he pressed his lips to hers, holding her head still between his hands. He ate at her mouth, stealing her breath as he bit at her lips. A small part of him wanted her to hurt like he had the past week. He knew she had too, but he needed to let it out, make sure she understood what it had all done to him.

He let go of her lips, his hand gripping her hair and moving her head to the side to expose her neck. His mouth moved to the flesh he had laid bare, his tongue licking over the pulse there. Yunho’s lips sealed over it, sucking the softness into his mouth and drawing a little breathless mewl from her lips. His teeth closed over it, not hard, but enough to leave a little ring of teeth marks around the pink spot in the center.

Pulling back, he looked at her, a blank look on her face with her eyes closed and her jaw hanging slack. “Too hard?” He asked breathlessly. She shook her head slightly, unable to move much with the grip he was still maintaining on her hair. “Mingi,” he beckoned to the other boy in the small space. “Come help me get our kitten out of her clothes.”

Mingi came to stand beside him quickly. Together they unzipped the costume, sliding the cheap fabric off her shoulders and arms so that it pooled around her hips. She was wearing a small white t-shirt under the costume, which Mingi impatiently pulled over her head, leaving her bare on the top except for her bra.

“Lift her up,” Yunho instructed, taking hold of the costume, pair of shorts, and panties, determined to remove them all at once. Mingi lifted her enough so that her weight no longer pinned the fabric between her and the counter, allowing the other boy to pull it down to her thighs before he put her down again. Yunho dropped to his knees in front of her, pulling everything off, along with her shoes, and tossed them out of the way.

His hands went to her knees, spreading her thighs and exposing her womanhood to his gaze. “Kiss her,” he commanded. “Make sure she isn’t too loud.”

Mingi nodded, turning her head to face him where he stood at the end of the counter in the space between it and the toilet. Her eyes were dazed and only half open as Mingi leaned in, his soft, plush lips meeting hers in a soft brush of skin. Yunho pulled her forward on the counter until he could reach her. Kissing his way along the inside of her thighs, he looked up to watch as Mingi took her lips, matching his movements to the other boys, starting with gentle brushes and soft pecks. When Mingi finally gave in, licking along her bottom lip, begging to deepen his kisses, Yunho used the tip of his tongue to lick a light stripe up her other lips, tasting the slick arousal that was already flowing from her body at their attentions.

She moaned into her kiss with Mingi as the fingers of one hand tangled in Yunho’s hair. Both boys let go, throwing themselves into pleasing her, showing her how much they had desperately missed her touch over the last week. Yunho lavished licks and sucks to her clit, eating at her body like he was starving, his hands holding the flesh of her hips hard enough that his nails dug into her flesh lightly, leaving small crescent marks behind when he adjusted how he was holding her.

Mingi lost himself in the moment, letting go of her lips and moving to kiss the side of her neck. His thumb caressed over the warm pink mark that Yunho had left on the other side. A strong possessive urge came over him. Joshua’s face flashed in his mind. He wanted the intruder to know she was taken, she was theirs. They shared her, they shared themselves with each other, but he wasn’t welcome. He turned her head, pulling it back so she was forced to look at the ceiling as his lips brushed the shell of her ear.

“Who do you belong to?” His voice was a low growl.

“You two,” she panted quietly.

“Say our names,” Mingi demanded before sucking a matching piece of skin into his mouth.

“Mingi and Yunho,” She did as he asked, her whole body tensing in anticipation of the feel of his teeth. As Mingi bit down, Yunho thrust his tongue inside her. Every muscle from her head to her toes strained and her breath caught in her throat. She was so close that all it took was a sudden and firm suck on her clit to throw her into an orgasm that was like a hand grasping her throat, freezing her body as she tried to gasp for breath. Yunho could see the startled look on her face in profile, reflected in the half open mirror of the medicine cabinet.

He sat back on his heels and let her relax for half a moment as Mingi kept her upright on the counter. Standing up, he brought his lips to hers, letting her taste herself.

“Do you want your turn,” Yunho asked Mingi, seeing his eyes dark with tension and desire. Mingi nodded, letting Yunho take over holding her up as he slid out of the little space he had been occupying. “You’re going to want to take off your costume.” Yunho suggested, letting her head lull back against the wall slightly. Mingi nodded, quickly stripping everything off until he was left in only his white undershirt.

“D-did you bring any condoms?” Mingi asked, as he stepped in between her spread knees.

“It’s okay,” She shook her head. “I’m safe.”

“You’re sure,” Mingi moved forward but still asked, wanting to be absolutely sure. She nodded, her hand going to his waist, sending a shiver through him with the simple caress. Mingi lined himself up with her entrance and slid inside easily with the copious amount of arousal Yunho had brought out of her with his ministrations.

“Mingi,” Yunho said, having taken the place that he had been in before at the end of the counter. “One kiss?” He offered, putting one hand at the small of his back and the other on her shoulder. Mingi nodded, turning to taste her on his lips as their tongues tangled with a desperate need. “Now fuck her. Show her how much you needed her this week.”

Mingi moaned and braced himself with his hands on her waist as he drove his hips into her with all the pent up frustration he had felt that week. The snap of flesh into flesh was audible as he drove himself into her. Yunho watched, a hand supporting each of them as Mingi let all of his emotions out as he took her. The frustration, the hurt, the loneliness; he communicated it all with his hands, his hips and his lips. Both their passions built and, while Mingi managed to bite his lip and suppress his groans of pleasure, she suddenly let out a keen, her back arching at the pleasure he was bringing her.

Yunho took the hand he had been keeping on Mingi’s back and brought it up to cover her mouth. Her eyes sprang open, flashing him an apologetic look. “Do you want everyone here to know how desperate you make us?” Yunho hissed in her ear, loud enough for Mingi to hear too. “Or is it that you want everyone downstairs to know that you belong to us, body and soul?”

She moaned into his palm, pressing it harder to her face as his words and Mingi’s thrusts drove her over the edge. Her body clenched around Mingi, the fluttering of her walls quickly driving him over the cliff of pleasure, causing him to cum inside her for the first time with no barrier between them. He held her hips still against him as he emptied himself into her body. His climax left him weak but with a sense of satisfaction deeper than he had felt before.

“Can you still take me, love?” Yunho asked, taking his hand back as Mingi caught his breath. She gave a dazed nod and Yunho stepped back, choosing to strip himself completely bare, desperate to get as much contact with her as possible. As he drew near, Mingi stepped back, finally pulling his half faded erection out of her, causing them both to shiver at the delayed sensation.

Yunho quickly stepped in, using the head of his cock to stop Mingi’s cum from slowly oozing out of her. 

“Ah-ah, gotta keep that in there. Can’t be making a mess at someone else’s place.” He teased as he slid himself into her. She tensed and shivered at his intrusion. They were both such big boys, stretching her in the best of ways. She looped her arms around his shoulders for support, her whole body feeling weak already.

“You sure you want this,” Yunho asked, one last time, holding himself still inside her body as he felt her tremble under his touch. She nodded, her head lolling against his shoulder. He felt Mingi come up behind him and place a gentle kiss against his shoulder.

“Make love to her,” Mingi gently caressed Yunho’s stomach and chest as he hugged him from behind. “Our girl is so tired, but she needs to know how much you love her. Show her she never needs to doubt that we love her.”

Yunho nodded, pulling back slowly and making his thrusts soft and deliberate. He had been so desperate for their touch he had been tempted to take her like Mingi had knowing she would have let him. But Mingi’s soft embrace cooled his anxious neediness. She still trembled under his touch as his movements teased her towards her third orgasm in the short time they had stolen into the bathroom. 

Mingi could feel Yunho’s heart pounding in his chest as his palm pressed him back against his chest as the other boys hips kept their deliberate and controlled pace. “Tell her what’s in your heart,” Mingi urged, trailing kisses along Yunho’s neck and shoulder.

“I need you both,” Yunho whined. “When I don’t have you both there a little piece of me dies. I don’t know what I’d do if you left me.”

“I won’t go,” she promised, her teeth chattering as she spoke, lifting her head enough to press a soft kiss to his lips. “I won’t leave either of you.”

“We were always meant to be three,” Mingi said from behind. Yunho nodded, holding her head against his shoulder as Mingi matched his thrusts into her. She felt another orgasm building in her with an almost painful intensity. It rushed over her, stealing the air from her lungs as she felt her body clench around Yunho. She squeezed her eyes closed as her body quickly became overwhelmed by the continued sensations.

Yunho pulled her body against his as she squirmed briefly before her whole body quivered and she went limp against him. He felt her body milk him and with a few more thrusts he came inside her, his emissions mixing with Mingi’s deep inside. It was the most satisfied he had ever felt and he wished they were somewhere that would let him bask in this moment for as long as he wanted, but reality came crashing down on him. He felt Mingi step away, wisely gathering a little toilet paper from nearby to clean them up.

“Umm, can you open the lid?” Yunho motioned to the toilet, which currently had the lid down. Mingi did as he asked, and Yunho carefully pulled himself out of her body, quickly using the paper in his hand to keep her from leaking onto the bathroom floor. With Mingi’s assistance, he set her on the toilet so that he could clean himself up and give her a moment to recover before they would work on getting her presentable again.

Both boys redressed and carefully located all her clothes while she sat on the toilet, too tired at the moment to do the same. She had leaned herself against the coolness of the porcelain, letting her head rest against the wall behind it.

Yunho dampened some paper, cleaning between her legs as gently as he could, while Mingi carefully slipped the shirt back on over her head. When she was clean, they both worked the rest of her clothes on her. Though she still felt weak, she was able to stand as they pulled everything on her lower half. The boys made a quick effort to clean up the bathroom and set everything as it had been when they came in. They wiped down the counter and splashed their faces, hoping that it wouldn’t be terribly obvious what they had all just spent the last while doing.

“I’ll take her,” Yunho offered, kneeling down to let her climb on his back for a piggyback ride and allowing Mingi to lead the way back downstairs.

“Do you need something to drink?” Mingi asked as they reached the bottom of the stairs. She nodded and he headed to the kitchen to get them drinks and snacks as Yunho bravely carried her back to the seating area where everyone was basically where they had left them.

Hong Joong gave them a worried look as Yunho carefully let her down off his back before taking a seat in the empty spot and pulling her into the cradle of his lap.

“Is everything okay,” Hong Joong asked as he watched Yunho guide her head to rest on his shoulder, sitting limp and quiet.

“We just needed to work something out,” Yunho explained without really explaining anything. Mingi returned with snacks and drinks and squeezed himself in next to Yunho, handing her a drink before lifting her feet onto his lap and putting an arm around Yunho’s shoulders.

“Can you eat a little?” Mingi asked, reaching to bring the food he had brought to rest on her legs in his lap. She nodded and he picked up a little piece of food, putting it in her lips with a soft coo of our good girl. 

Seonghwa cleared his throat, watching them from his seat between Hong Joong and his boyfriend. “So, I didn’t get to ask before, but how do you all know each other?”

“We met a while ago at summer camp,” Yunho started, turning his head to the side to look at Mingi who gave him a shy but beautific smile. “We just clicked and we’ve sort of been a thing since then.”

“Like all three of you?” Joshua asked, looking between all of them.

“Yeah,” Mingi leaned his head on Yunho’s shoulder as he picked up another piece of food and fed it to him. Yunho looked at the questioner and pulled her closer to his chest, still feeling a flare of territoriality over their kitten. He stared him in the eye as he pressed a kiss against the top of her head.

“You really meant it when you said things were complicated, didn’t you,” Hong Joong said, his mouth twitching as he suppressed a laugh, finally starting to understand things. “So that’s why you all decided to go to the same school.”

“We belong together,” Yunho shrugged. “Isn’t that right, kitten?”

“Mmmm,” she nodded, taking a sip of her drink. Turning slightly in his lap, she made an effort to face the rest of the group as she leaned back against his shoulder.

“I’m…so jealous,” Annie sighed from the other side of Mingi, making everyone laugh.

“Me, too,” Hong Joong noted. “You should see the welcome home they all get from each other. Then you’ll really know the meaning of the word.”

“Ugh, so unfair,” Annie turned her eyes on Seonghwa and his boyfriend, narrowing them as she did. “Why are all the good ones either gay and/or taken? I am going to be alone forever.”

Everyone laughed and lapsed into conversations about life and school as the party continued around them. Hong Joong had been right when he said he knew people they would have a lot in common with. 

[arminhug]

hello, pumpkin || annie leonhardt x reader: chapter two

series masterlist

。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫

BIRTHDAY GIRL

Annie and I never established that we were friends until her eighth birthday.

In the blossoming spring warmth, I nestled myself in the corner of the bench in the playground’s garden. It was an unspoken fact that nobody really played in the garden; it was a quiet haven for a few of us to read or enjoy solitude, yet it had also become a spot where I waited for Annie every day, and almost every day, had she not been sent home or busy with other obligations, Annie joined me, sometimes speaking, sometimes not. I didn’t mind; I just loved to be in her company.

On this particular day, Annie stood before me, and despite her being the same height as me, her air always made her seem much bigger and powerful.

“My dad says this is for you.”

She handed me a white envelope into which I fervently tore, revealing a gaudy invitation card.

“It’s your birthday on Saturday?” I quizzed.

“No, my birthday is today. But my dad said it was too short notice to invite you to my house today, so you can come on Saturday.”

At this news of Annie’s birthday, I immediately leapt to my feet and braced her in a hug. “Happy birthday! What cake are you having? Are you going to hand out sweets to your class?”

Annie did not hug me back but did not resist. “I don’t like cake, and I don’t like anyone in my class.”

I gasped. “How can you not like cake? Also, who’s going to be at your party if you don’t like anyone in your class?”

“Cake is too heavy and sweet.” She responded monotonously. “Also, you’re the only one coming; it’s not a party, my dad just knows I have a friend now and wanted you to come. You don’t have to.”

Unlike Annie, I didn’t actively avoid the other children in my school. I was still invited to many class birthday parties, I spoke amiably to my peers and I could name a few schoolchildren whom I could consider a friend— yet Annie, the stoic, ash-blonde girl confessing she saw me as a friend elicit such joy within me, I can still remember the feeling to this day if I think about her enough.

“So if I’m your friend, I have to get you a present, right?” I had reminded her of the title that she gave me moments ago.

“No. I don’t want a present.”

“Yes you do, everyone wants presents!” I retorted. “What do you like best in the world?”

“Cats.”

I sat down, sulking. “I can’t get you a cat, Annie. What else do you like?”

Silence.

“Mummy and I can make you something.” I continued, desperate to find something that I could give to my friend. “She’s really good at baking. Do you like cookies?”

“No.”

“Cupcakes?” I refused to give up.

“No! Cupcakes are tiny cakes, you know I hate cakes.”

“Brownies?”

“No.”

“Doughnuts?”

This time, Annie turned away, not meeting the question with a monosyllabic “no”.

“Doughnuts! Annie, I’ll make you lots of doughnuts, okay?”

Annie still refused to look me in the eye. It never bothered me, but I had gathered that she was more inclined to refuse eye contact when she was upset or shy. Before I had the chance to attempt to pry into which flavour of doughnut she would have liked, the bell signalling the end of recess rang. I leapt to my feet and pressed a chaste kiss to Annie's cheek.

“See you later, you doughnut!”

She shoved me towards my line with no malice in the action. “Whatever you say, pumpkin girl.”

“Earth to (y/n)? You’ve been glazed over for the past five minutes. What’s so exciting about the window?”

I blink, snapping out of the saccharine memory of Annie’s birthday. Four pairs of eyes are fixed on me, and I animate myself, taking the doughnut from my plate and shrugging. “I was just thinking,” I respond.

“You sure? Not looking at any hot dudes?” the only other female at the table, Sasha, suggests. Her hazel eyes flicker suggestively over to the group of men kicking a ball about in the park over the road from our favourite local café, which has baked goods to die for (or so Sasha and Connie, the food fanatics of my friendship group claim. I won’t argue—the doughnuts are heavenly.)

“Yeah, c’mon, (y/n)! There are three dashing fellows right here, why do you need to stare at those losers?” Connie chimes in, gesturing to himself and my other two male friends, Jean and Marco.

“Yeah, you wish. My type isn’t idiots,” I playfully smack Connie’s head, the growing stubble brushing my fingertips as I find any way to bring the subjects away from men that I would apparently find attractive.

“On all seriousness, what is your type? We’ve never seen you have anyone about.” Jean interrogates. Great.

It took me a while to figure out that I’m likely not into men. I never quite knew why I got so uncomfortable when middle school brought an array of boy bands that prepubescent teenage girls loved to swoon over, and why I could never answer when somebody asked me who was the hottest, but at the age of sixteen, when I realised my heart was racing upon seeing two women kiss in a film my friends and I had watched, it hit me like a freight train that I was definitely attracted to women.

I chose not to indulge anyone in this knowledge; realistically, I know I don’t have too much to worry about. Sure, my parents aren’t screaming about supporting gay rights from the rooftops, but I know that they have no prejudice towards the community, and my four closest friends would accept me no matter what — hell, Marco told us he was gay when we were fifteen and sixteen years old over a game of Mario Kart and we embraced his queerness with open arms.

So what’s the big deal? I think to myself.

“Does it matter? I’m too busy to date. These university decisions are killing me!”

“Simple,” Jean interrupts, pointing the straw of his ridiculously large iced coffee in my direction. “You come to Marley with Marco and me. Good university, far enough away from your parents, and you get your favourite friends with you for the ride!”

Jean and Marco are one class above Sasha, Connie and I, and decided that Marley University, a small, public school that gained a decent reputation despite it being so new, was the place for them. It was hard to say goodbye once they left school, but the holiday breaks came frequently, and soon enough, they were back for Easter, helping their three younger friends decide on which school to go to.

“Tempting, but probably not. I can’t get over the English department in Sina,” I responded dreamily.

“Yeah, and the crazy entry requirements. You’d have to be a robot to get those grades! Just come to Marley with us, I’m sure the English stuff is fine there, too!” Sasha whined, poking at my hand. I take another bite of my nostalgic treat, shaking my head.

“Guys, I love you all, but I can’t make such an important decision based on my friends. You understand, right?”

“It’s fine, (y/n),” Marco interrupts, his familiar comforting smile gracing his freckled face. “We’ll come to visit you up there, right?”

“Nope. Four of us, one of you. She is coming to Marley.” Jean retorts.

“Jesus, fair enough. I’ll book the plane tickets now!” I tell him sardonically. He elbows me jovially in response and stands, coffee in hand. “Right, we can finish our drinks and snacks on the way outside. It's too nice to be spending it indoors.”

Ignoring the protests from Sasha and Connie, who forlornly protest that they haven't had the chance to order a baked good after their main courses, the majority of the group tail towards the double doors, leaving the duo no choice but to begrudgingly follow suit. The late March sunshine is glorious, beaming down on my face, much like the day twelve years ago I was daydreaming about. It suddenly hit me that today, March 22nd, Annie would be turning twenty years old. This newfound knowledge makes my stomach drop and I cannot control the grief coursing through my being.

It's ever so odd how I can remember every detail about my childhood friend; every memory we shared together, her favourite colour, (black, which I insisted was rather morbid for an eight-year-old, so I coaxed her into putting blue as a second favourite) how on Sunday mornings her father would always pick her up from my house after a sleepover at 10 am sharp to take her to karate, even though she had told me in confidence that she much preferred kickboxing. I couldn't tell you many facts about any other childhood friend who I lost to time; it's only Annie. Every detail of the girl who made my infancy etched into my heart, refusing to leave.

As I force myself back into the present moment, I am aware that maybe Annie was more than just my best friend.

But I was so young. How could I have truly differentiated between innocuous childhood affection and romantic yearning?

“Marco?” I punctuate the spring silence before I can even stop myself. “How did you realise your first crush?”

Marco raises his eyebrows. “Jeez, it was so long ago. I was eleven and I was having a sleepover with my friend. We were on his bed playing Minecraft on his laptop, but I wasn’t even paying attention; I was just admiring his face, how he was so engrossed in the game. My heart was racing because I realised I wanted to kiss him, but I didn’t even think it was biologically possible to like the same sex, so I brushed it off. Now I look back…” he laughs awkwardly, before looking me in the eye, his tone suddenly earnest. “Why, what’s up? Anything you want to talk to me about?”

I stop in the street, completely oblivious to the speed of modern day life around me. Suddenly all I care about is how my stomach leapt when I saw her pallid figure walk through the double doors, into the garden, how I found any excuse to hold her hand, how obsessed I was with the topography of her curved nose, icy eyes, lips stark against her pale skin.

“How do you know for sure you’re gay if you’ve only ever had a crush on one person in your life? Somebody who you haven’t spoken to in eight years?”

。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫

[kkurainmyheart]

Chlue

JEANPIKU/PIKUJEAN DRABBLE:

It was the first time he had seen a naked or semi-naked woman, he was in his 20's, it would have been normal to have seen her a little earlier and under other circumstances but Jean was shy when it came to the last step or maybe he was a romantic waiting for the first woman he saw naked was the love of his life, specifically the woman who lived in Paradis. This had broken all his rules.

He fixed his gaze on the beautiful pair of breasts that stood proudly in front of him; skin white as milk, immaculate and perfect crowned by pale pink and turgid flesh; he looked into Pieck's eyes and he averted her embarrassed gaze from where she sat on the counter with her brown skirt pulled up leaving the perfect space for him between her beautiful legs, the girl's erratic breathing and the weight of the white bandages on his hands reminded him why he was in this situation.

It had been a quiet day walking through the town square of Chlue, Jean and Connie still didn't know how to pronounce the damn name, lots of laughs and the next thing he remembers is being surrounded by this extremist group; They had fought and Pieck had somehow ended up falling down a pretty deep hole. After rescuing her, Reiner had taken her in his arms and placed her on the table in the small and simple room that the locals had provided, if Pieck's labored breathing gave a signal the little woman had a few broken ribs. Then as if Pieck will burn, Reiner had quickly left the room pushing Connie with him and leaving the bandages in Jean's hands, Jean only understood why they had fled when Pieck began to unbutton her shirt and white lace bodice; Jean had looked in all directions looking for Annie, She was the other woman in the alliance! She should do this! But she was not here and Jean had to help a person in trouble, he was trained for that, so why was he so uncomfortable?

He approached her, holding his breath and taking small, heavy steps. He positioned himself between her legs feeling her thighs anchor to the sides of his hips, damn table with the perfect damn height for Don't think about it! He rubbed his hands, maybe he looked like a pervert but it was winter, his hands were cold and he had to make sure that there was no open wound where he was going to compress, it was the first step he had been taught. He slowly brought his hand closer to Pieck's collarbone, taking between his fingers the wild black lock that interrupted his entire vision and placing it behind the woman's back with the rest of the silky threads of dark color.

"I'm going to touch"

Jean announced, as if asking permission to do the forbidden. He put his hands under the cleavage, he was going to feel the ribs first; he observed how the girl's nipples rose with the touch, happy, asking to be touched as well. He looked back at Pieck, she was looking at an unknown point on the wall and biting her lip.

"Tell me if it hurts when I touch"

"It doesn't hurt at all, ouch!"

Her little scream caused things that it shouldn't have in Jean's body, he shifted uncomfortably. His mind put unseemly images in his head, images of the two of them in the same position doing other kinds of things, Jean's hands wandering across this beautiful woman's chest, one of them going down to touch her core and the other going up to squeeze her neck as she begs for him, begs for ...

"Jean! I'm telling you that it hurts there!"

"I-I'm sorry!"

He said embarrassed, waking up from his reverie. He must not have these thoughts with Pieck. In the first place, he was almost certain that he loved another woman; secondly, the situation was difficult to think about these things and third, but not least, Pieck had confessed to him about 3 weeks ago and he had rejected her. And things were complicated because third, Pieck had stayed away from him ever since and this wasn't exactly staying away; second, the extremist group could still come for them so he should have already spread the bandages over the woman's torso and first, Jean was hesitating to love another woman than Pieck Finger, he had missed their interactions for 3 weeks to now see her half naked awaken a desire in him that he had never had with anyone,

"Jean, could you hurry up? I'm a little cold, uncomfortable and scared."

"why? Your tits are pretty, you shouldn't be scared."

And definitely Jean's stomach was about to empty when he realized what he said, it was obvious that she was referring to something else.

"I know they're pretty, too bad they don't have an owner."

And she had answered him that way, Jean had to get out of here fast if he didn't want to make things more uncomfortable between them.

"Jean! You finished? We must go!"

Saved by the bell, or Connie's scream from outside. He finished the bandage by making sure it wasn't too tight and then simply met Pieck's eyes with his as he helped her into her shirt. Was it wrong if? Fuck it! It was not. He took the small woman's face in his hands and kissed her ardently before lowering her from the counter.

Pieck, still a little stunned, smiled at him.

"Thanks for the bandage, Jean."

"I think I have to review it later in private."

Had the latter really come out of his mouth? Has his filter gone with the extremists? She just looked at him amused.

"Maybe I might need some massages, if we can make it to the ship alive." 

Jean would make sure they got there alive.

I have writer's block so it was so difficult to me make this drabble. Any comment is appreciated.

based on a fanart of GLIDINGTRUER, i love your fanarts charlie, thanks for inspiring me 💗