#before you guys call me cruel for this conNIE ASKED ME TO HIT HER WITH MY BEST SHOT

[smellsfaintlyofvanilla]

Imma be cheeky and write in twice! so home girl aka me has phat as crushes on half the Aot women. *SPOILER* A scene where reader takes the bullet for Sasha but lives instead of dies? xx

Honestly, I'm still reeling from Sasha's death, I need this :')

Promise

(Sasha Braus x Reader)

AU: Canon, divergent

Warnings: Injury, blood, season 4 spoilers

Category: Mostly fluff, a little angst

Summary: Arriving on the airship, Sasha and her S/O celebrate surviving the attack. While they're distracted, a little miscalculation comes aboard.

Words: 2.6K

A harsh breeze assaulted your face, recklessly blowing locks of hair in random directions as you zipped through the air with your ODM gear.

You gazed on at the destruction below. The city of Libero, Marley, had gone up in flames so unceremoniously mere hours ago. Bodies—civilian and military—were scattered on the streets like tiny shards of glass. The sight was horrid to you, and many others, of course. The destruction reminded you of the attack on Shinganshina all those years ago, and what you had seen that day. It was a wicked cycle, and one that was repeating, much to your sorrow.

It was a deliberate attack by Eren Jaeger, your soldier comrade in the Scouts. Once just a hotheaded idiot dead-set on freeing humanity, now an intimidating, powerful man, determined to put an end to Marley and win everyone's "freedom" back. That is, only, if you count genocide as a means to gain freedom.

It was ludicrous. You could never imagine trampling others' freedom in pursuit of your own. It was inhumane, cruel, but...

That's not what you should be thinking about right now.

Your feet hit the underside of the airship, and you slowly scaled your way towards the open door. A hand was outstretched towards you, and attached to the hand was the sun. Or rather, Sasha Braus.

You took her hand graciously, pulling yourself up with a grunt, steadying yourself in the ship before immediately pulling her into an embrace. She returned the gesture, wrapping her arms around your shoulders and burying herself in your neck.

The moment was only brief, however, since the gazes of other soldiers were ever present, so you pulled away somewhat self-consciously.

"I'm so glad you're alright, Y/n." She sighed, taking your hand and squeezing it, a much more subtle gesture of affection. "God, I was so worried. I heard your squad was in a tough spot, and I tried my hardest to go look for you, but Jean he— he wouldn't let go, and—!"

"Sasha, Sasha, relax. It's alright." You smile, setting a hand on her shoulder, and it wasn't until know that you realized she was shaking. "I get you were worried, but I'm here now. I'm okay, we survived, that's all that matters."

You leaned forward, giving her a quick peck on the cheek that made her cheeks tint adorably pink. "Yeah, guess you're right..."

Suddenly, distant yelling across the ship caught your attention. Connie and Jean, both alive and well on the other side of the ship, were waving to you two, calling you over.

You turned back to smile at her, squeezing her hand in affirmation as the two of you made your way over.

"There you two are." Connie smiled, "I admit, I was a little worried this time. Things got pretty bloody out there."

Suddenly, he threw his arms around you, Sasha, and Jean, pulling you into an impromptu group hug. "I know this isn't fair to the others, but... I'm glad you're all okay. You guys are important to me."

Sasha smiled, putting her hand comfortably onto Connie's arm, holding onto him, whilst Jean groaned uncomfortably, shifting around awkwardly.

"Your gear is too damn clunky." He mumbled, worming his way out of the hug. Connie released his hold on you and Sasha shortly after, giving you a genuine, warm smile before de-equipping the gear from his sides.

You leaned against the wall with a groan, massaging at your temples in an attempt to relieve the tension in your head.

"You okay?" Sasha questioned, joining you on the wall as her body turned to you with concern.

"Yeah... Yeah I'm fine." You sigh, releasing your hand from your forehead. "It's just... I don't know... I'm just not used to seeing all this destruction. Until now, we've been fighting titans—not humans. I don't like all this death and destruction. It's so... unnecessary. I hate it." You state flatly, freely dumping all your worries to the auburn-haired girl. Despite what one might think at first, she was amazing at comforting people, and was always there when something was keeping you awake at night, or nagging at you during a day off.

"Babe, I get what you're feeling." She soothes, grabbing you by the shoulders and pulling you in, gently setting her hand on the back of your head to guide it to your shoulder. You silently complied. "This all is awful. That's no lie. It shouldn't have happened. But it isn't your fault, either." She said, running her fingers through your hair. "The responsibility is all on Eren. He started this, not you. Don't ever feel guilty about this."

You didn't respond verbally, instead tilting your head into her neck, allowing her to comfort you for a little while longer, indulging in the rare moment of vulnerability.

The moment was, once again, short lived, as a loud shout startled you out of your spot in the crook of Sasha's neck.

"It's our time to celebrate! The first battle of the new Eldian empire has ended in victory! We won!" It was the voice of Floch, a soldier you had soon grown to hate over your years of knowing him. Not only for his comments towards Armin, but also his support of the attack. He seemed not to care about the lives of Marleyans, rather caring about the success of prosperity of Paradis, or as he called it, "the New Eldian Empire".

"Ignore him." Sasha spoke to you, understanding how easily he would get under your skin. Soon, she started walking over to where Jean and Connie were standing, talking amongst themselves. You followed her wordlessly, deciding that distracting yourself with conversation would be the best option for now.

"Have you heard anything from Lobov?" You managed to pick up Connie saying, once you were in earshot.

"He should be coming up just about now." Jean responded, and you and Sasha took your places next to the two of them.

Sasha opened her mouth to speak, but immediately froze in her place, mouth slightly agape and eyes widened. She turned back to look at the opened airship door in confusion.

"Did you hear that?" She asked, turning back to the group. You, Connie, and Jean all exchanged confused looks for a minute, before Jean cleared his throat, preparing to speak.

"Hey, everyone, quiet down!" He shouted, attempting to gain control of the rowdy soldiers.

"Celebrate! It's our victory!" Floch raised his fist in the air, prompting everyone else to do the same, the group erupting into shouts and cheers.

"Hey!" Jean yelled louder this time, but to no avail.

You turned back to the airship door, scanning where Sasha had looked at moments prior, checking for any possible threats. You were about to turn back around, but an arm hoisting itself onto the airship caught your attention.

You froze in horror, watching as the soldier—a child soldier—rolled aboard the deck, a furious and determined look on her face as she pointed her rifle right into the crowd. Right at Sasha.

There was no time to think it out, to assess the situation—anything.

Without any hesitation, you lurched forwards to tackle Sasha and protect her from the—

*BANG*

The shot rang out, and even after the sound faded, a ring in your ears persisted, blocking out any and all noise around you.

The bullet shell clinked to the ground, and the soldier gazed on in bewilderment at what she'd done, finding herself shocked and unable to reload.

Jean took a quick glance at you and Sasha, both of you on the ground, blood already spilling onto the ground, and his mind clouded with rage. Without thinking, he drew his pistol from his waistband, drawing it up to his shoulder level and shooting back at the soldier.

Another soldier, also a child, a blonde one this time, climbed aboard right after, tackling the girl to the ground and saving her from the bullet, which ricocheted off of the metal beams of the airship and shot back at Jean, narrowly missing his face.

The other soldiers seemed to have gotten a hold of their senses, as they suddenly let out furious screams, charging towards the two children and relentlessly beating them, anger clouding their thoughts.

Sasha groaned from her position on the floor, dark vision finally materializing. She stirred, looking around and trying to gauge what had just happened, raising her hand to her forehead to try and push some of her hair out of her face. To her horror, though, the hand was wet. It was uncomfortably warm, yet characteristically crimson. Her gaze shifted to you in horror, still having your arms tucked protectively around her, shielding her from harm.

"Y/n!" She shouted, yanking you off of her, not realizing in the heat of the moment that that might hurt you. Your clothes were stained with blood, and you let out an involuntary groan in pain as you started to regain your senses.

"Y/n, come on! Where are you bleeding?! Where... where—?!" She searched frantically, her blood running cold and face paling as her hands grew bloodier and bloodier the more she searched. "Come on...!"

Suddenly, you moved your arm, grabbing Sasha's by the wrist and moving her hand away.

"S... Sash, stop, that hurts..." You mumble through clenched teeth, trying your hardest not to let Sasha realize the extent of your injury. Clearly, though, it wasn't working, as she only looked even more panicked at the thought of accidentally hurting you.

"Y/n... I..." She chocked out, tears starting to cloud her eyes as she desperately looked for something to do, something that could possibly help you in this situation.

"Bandages!" She suddenly shouted, "I need bandages! Somebody!!!"

You wince as your own hand starts to roam your torso, looking for the bullet hole. You let out a quiet sigh of relief when you located it—on your shoulder, close to your collarbone. Despite all the blood, it had thankfully missed any vital organs or major arteries.

"Here... Sasha..." You muttered, causing Sasha's head to snap back to your direction at your words. Your hand was cupped over the wound, as if it would stop the bleeding. Still, it signaled to Sasha where exactly the injury was, and you saw some of the tension lift in her face at the realization that it was a fairly nonfatal location, luckily. She took a deep breath in before speaking.

"Shhh... It's okay Y/n." She finally collected herself, calming herself down just enough to comfort you, just like she always had. "Lay down, take deep breaths, don't panic." She instructed, her hands gently pushing you down by your shoulders, and you did as she said wordlessly, being too tired to mutter any sort of affirmation to her.

Another soldier tossed her the roll of bandages, and she immediately started to unwind it, placing it on the wound and wrapping it around and under your armpit with swift precision and caution so uncharacteristic of her.

"Here, this should stop the bleeding a bit. You'll be okay, you'll be just fine..." She mumbled, though it seemed she was reassuring herself more than she was reassuring you.

You laid there in silence, staring up at the ceiling above you—occasionally grunting or wincing at the waves of pain that shot through you. Though, you somewhat reveled in the feeling of your lover carefully wrapping the bandage around your shoulder, taking great caution not to hurt you in any way.

You lolled your head to the other side, staring curiously at her. She was too focused to notice you at first, her tongue poking out of her mouth in concentration. Her skin was still somewhat pale, and adorned with a thin sheen of sweat, from the sudden panic and stress.

Finally, she finished wrapping up the bandage, cutting it from the roll and throwing it haphazardly to the side. Sighing, she gazed down at you, only now realizing you had been staring. She didn't seem to mind though, only reaching her hand down to cup your cheek, the warmth of your skin being a soothing reminder that you were still here—with her. You leaned into her hand, also enjoying the warmth of her skin.

She brushed the loose strands of hair out of your face, leaning down to plant a warm kiss on your lips, smiling as she pulled away, pressing her forehead to yours. You let out a small chuckle before placing your hand on her neck, pulling her down for another kiss.

Once separated, you slowly sat up, pulling yourself into a sitting position with all of the strength you could muster up.

"Ah, Y/n, try not to move so much..." Sasha mutters, worry dripping carelessly into her tone as her hands find your shoulders, guiding you to sit against the wall.

"I'm alright, it's... not so bad." You turned to smile at her weakly, trying to hide the pain's effect on you. It was in vain, however, as Sasha saw through your act quickly.

"No, you're not. Here—" She moved towards you, hooking her arm under your knees, the other one finding your lower back. Slowly, she stood up, carrying you bridal style. You instinctively curled into her chest like a child, gripping onto her shirt as a way to ground you.

To your dismay, though, she eventually stopped, gently laying you down on an old, stiff mattress. One of the infamous beds of the infirmary.

"C'mon, you need rest." She cooed, fluffing your pillow and lifting your head to place it under you. Carefully, she pushed you to the side, making just enough room for her to squeeze into the bed with you. She tucked the blanket over the two of you, lying on her side and facing you, your back turned to her.

She snaked her arm around your waist, pulling you closer and spooning you as gently as possible, as if you were glass, ready to shatter.

You closed your eyes, already feeling sleep and exhaustion taking over your body, the tension and pain slowly dissolving from your muscles.

The silence didn't last long, though.

"Why did you do that?" She finally spoke. Her voice was weak and shaky, trying her hardest to fight off the tears pricking at the corner of her eyes. "Why did you save me?"

"Why wouldn't I?" You rebutted almost immediately, like it was the simplest question she could've asked you.

"You could've gotten killed..." She whispered, pulling you closer to her, trying to get as much skin to skin contact as possible.

"So?" You shifted, turning your head around to face her, staring her down. A twinge of sadness poked at your heart at the sight of the tears in her eyes. You instinctively moved your hands to wipe them away. "I couldn't imagine a world where I would live without you, knowing I had the option to save you and didn't choose it."

She sniffled again, not fighting the tears that escaped her eyes. "But what would I have done if I lost you? I wouldn't know what to do... I couldn't live with myself if that happened."

"You don't gotta worry about that..." You mumbled, kissing away her tears. "No matter what, I'm not leaving you, and I trust you won't ever leave me. After all," You smiled warmly, causing a shy blush to rise to her cheeks. "We still have to get married after the war, and settle down in the forest with a few kids, just like you always said you dreamed of."

She smiled, a hopeful look sparking in her eyes. "Yeah, guess so."

You turned your head back over, closing you eyes.

"I promise you, I'll never leave you. Remember that."

"Of course," She smiles, leaning into the nape of your neck and inhaling your scent. "Of course I know that. I trust you."

"Love you..."

"Love you too."

This would probably be better if I didn't shoe-horn it in at 12AM but whatever, it's not super bad

[babybottlepop96]

Jorogumo (Chapter 3)

“Gone?!” What do you mean gone?!” Eren shouted, clearly panicked. 

“I...I don’t know! I was showing him where I found the locket and.. And this… THING just came out of nowhere! It snatched him and I just barely made it back!” Tears streamed down the brunette’s face. 

“What thing?” Levi asked, coming back to the group gathered around a sobbing sasha.

“I… I don’t know! It.. it looked like a woman, but… with a spider body? I don’t really know! I was so panicked when Connie just disappeared I came running here as fast as I could!” Sasha cried as you and Krista held her tight. 

“Sasha, if I go out and take a look, do you think you could show me where it happened?” Ymir spoke up, arms crossed, face unreadable, but her eyes clearly had a look of worry in them. She may not have been too fond of Connie, but she still considered him a good friend. She wouldn't be here if she didn't. Sasha nodded her head and the two walked out, closing the RV door behind them. 

"What that actual fuck is going on?!" Jean yelled, his body visibly shaken from the horror.

"The better question is, why was Sasha covered in blood?" Armin finally spoke, the shocks of seeing Sasha in the state she was in wearing off and his brain finally functioning and asking questions after her statement on what happened didn't make any sense to him.

"What do you mean?" Krista asked as you held onto her. 

"How do you know it was blood?" You asked, looking in his blue eyes filled with confusion.

"First of all, the smell. It smelled faintly like copper, and the only substance it could've been would've been blood. We don't have paint and any red colored drink wouldn't have been that thick. Food is also out of the question because Sasha wouldn't have wasted food, you all know that." Everyone nodded at his statement, that all made sense.

"Okay, what's the second thing?" Eren asked, clearly intrigued, Levi and Hange both came closer as well to listen in on the conversation.

"Second, her statement didn't make any sense. She said he was taken, nothing about blood was mentioned, it's like she didn't even notice." He answered, the gears in his head clearly working hard by the look on his face.

"Maybe she was just too in shock to notice." Hange then spoke, trying to come up with something other than what she knew Armin was getting at.

"Four eyes is right, knowing Sasha she would've been shocked to even realize she was covered in the shit."

"No, she would've remembered something of that importance." Mikasa spoke up from her spot in the top bunk, silently observing everyone. You see, Mikasa only usually tags along to these events to keep Armin and Eren safe, a big sister. She sits away from anything to do with this shit unless she has to step in, and this was definitely a time to step in. "Wouldn't you remember if someone was possibly killed in front of you, getting covered in their blood?"

The group stood still, processing the information both Armin and Mikasa gave. "So what you're saying is, Sasha killed Connie?" You asked in disbelief, you couldn't fathom something like that. Sasha was one of the sweetest girls you've ever had the pleasure of knowing besides Krista. There was no way in hell you could believe what you were hearing.

"Exactly." Armin whispered, also not quite wanting to believe his hypothesis, but the evidence doesn't lie. Everyone was quiet for a moment, all processing the fact that one of their closest friends was suspected of killing her boyfriend.

"Guys!" Krista practically shouted, causing the rest to jump. "Ymir is with Sasha now!" Everyone's eyes widened and after a pause, everyone, including Mikasa and Levi, ran out and towards the woods. There, Ymir was spotted looking around frantically. "Ymir!" Krista yelled and ran to her girlfriend, hugging her tightly. "We think Sasha killed Connie."

"I know, I had my suspicions too. She tried to kill me too, but ran after I got a hit on her face." She exhaled, wrapping her arms around her girlfriend's waist, holding her close. Everyone was on high alert, never blinking, scared if they did that Sasha would come out from wherever she was and attack.

“I’ll see if I can get a signal and call the police.” Levi spoke, heading back towards the camper. The rest followed behind, scared to let anyone out of their sights. You clung to Armin’s arm, your breathing uneven and heavy. Since the two of you were in the back of the group, he pulled you aside.

“Hey, breathe, it’s okay. We will call the police and everything will be fine.” He spoke to you calmly, brushing your hair behind one ear and wiping away some stray tears.

“I.. I just c-can’t believe that Sa-Sasha would d-do this.” You whispered and he pulled you into his chest, arms wrapping around you as you cried.

“Shhh, I got you. I won’t let anything or anyone hurt you. Okay?” He whispered into your hair as you clung to his tear soaked shirt. 

“Armin, I.. I lo-” You were caught off by Levi yelling.

“Armin! I can’t get any service! We need your fucking brains to get a signal!” He called, you almost whimpered at the loss of comfort Armin gave you as he pulled away.

“Coming!” He called and then looked at you as Levi walked away. “Come on, lets go.” He intertwined his fingers with yours as he lightly pulled you along, going back to the others who were waiting for the mastermind to help. Armin let go of your hand and you immediately went to Jean. He put his arm around your shoulders as Armin sat down and booted up the computer. It felt like hours had passed by the time Armin announced that we had service when in fact, it couldn’t have been more than ten minutes. 

Levi walked a few feet away, phone by his ear as he waited for the nine one one operator to pick up. “Hello? Yes, I’d like to report an incident.” As Levi spoke to the operator the rest of you stood around, keeping watch for your murderous friend to reappear at any moment. 

“This has to be some sort of cruel prank! You know how Connie is! Right!? Someone please tell me I’m right!” Krista yelled, panic attack mode kicking in and Ymir took her into the RV. 

“What if she is right? What if we are all just over reacting?” You spoke up.

“Can’t be. Ymir said herself, Sasha tried to get her too before she punched her in the face. Ymir doesn’t do pranks.” Hange finally spoke, her eyes glossy with unshed tears, the reality of everything finally settling in. Eren screamed, running his hands through his hair.

“Fuck!” He paced back and forth, arms shaking, hands in fists at his sides. “Fuck fuck fuck! This is horseshit! We shouldn’t stay here! We need to leave!”

“The police are sending a couple officers now, but the nearest ones won't be here for at least an hour. Fuck, why did this shit have to happen in the middle nowhere?” Levi scoffed as he returned back to the group.

“Why did this shit have to happen at all?” Jean murmured as everyone’s heads nodded in agreement. 

“Maybe Eren is right. Maybe we should leave and meet the officers. Sasha is still out there and who knows what her motives are. We aren’t safe.” Armin spoke from the otherside of you, his soft hand slipping back into yours, holding it tight.

“Good idea. I don’t want to be here any longer anyway.” Levi agreed as the rest of you tried to head back inside, but the door to the RV was locked. 

“Ymir! Let us in!” Eren called pounding on the door, all he wanted was to get the fuck out of this place. When no one answered and no one made a sound, Eren pounded on the door again. “Ymir! Fuck! Let us in!” Once again, you were greeted with nothing but silence. 

 Jean came forward and kicked the door forcefully, a soft thump was heard on the other side. Jean peered through the door and instantly turned around to vomit on the dirt ground outside. “Don’t go in there!” He yelled as he finally finished emptying his stomach. Levi opened the door further and everyone gasped and you turned your face back into Armin’s chest. There, lied the body of Ymir. Cold, unmoving, lifeless. 

“Fuck!” Levi yelled, “Krista!? Krista you still here!?” Nothing, not a sound.

“Sasha got Krista.” You finally spoke as you looked at your friend. “Sasha has Krista!” You panicked. You panicked hard, collapsing on the ground as Armin held you from behind. 

“God damn it!’ Eren shouted, Levi didn’t move, Hange walked away trying to gain her composure and Jean vomited again.

“Okay,” Levi spoke calmly as he shut the door. “Leaving is no longer an option since my RV is now a crime scene. 

“What the fuck do we do!?” Jean shouted, wiping his mouth with the back of shirt sleeve. 

“We can’t stay here.” Mikasa spoke, her eyes glossy as well. She was silent for a long time, herself unsure of what to do for the first time in forever. She was always strong for her friends, but she was slowly breaking down for the fact that one of her friends is a killer, two of her friends are dead, and another is missing. She was breaking.

“We could try walking? What if we just… started walking towards the officers?” Hange spoke, reconsidering her choice of career now that she had actually witnessed an actual crime scene. 

“No, we should stay here and wait for the officers. If we leave, it’ll look like we committed the crime and fled the scene. We could get arrested for it.” Levi finally spoke, wiping the sweat from his hands onto his now wrinkled jeans.

You all decided to sit in a circle, facing outwards to make sure you had all blind spots covered. You sat between your brother and Armin. Everyone was quiet, oh so quiet. No one dared utter a word, not because they were afraid Sasha would hear, they knew she knew where they were. But because no one knew what to say. The events of their fun little trip had turned into something none of them could understand. How could someone they knew and loved, turn into a monster? Killing her own boyfriend? Killing a friend? Kidnapping another? Who was next?

The sight of red and blue flashing lights broke them out of their own minds, all getting up and rushing to the now parked police car. Two male officers stepped out and greeted the group. “I’m Officer Erwin and that's Officer Miche. Now, someone please tell us what's going on.”

[blxckbyrd-blog]

“please don’t leave me alone.”

five word prompts | selectively accepting

Five times Raven wouldn’t leave Robin alone, and the one time she did.

i.It was rare to not hear a single sound from the tower during the daytime. At night, sure; that was Raven’s time to relax, but daytime was usually cluttered with noise, interrupting presences, and energy she couldn’t hide from. But today, there was nothing. She knew where her team was, but Raven couldn’t push away the feeling of wrongness that followed her around. Cyborg and Starfire had made a conspicuously large deal out of heading to the food fair happening downtown, and Beast Boy was sleeping off the effects of the nanobots that had infected the Titans’ bodies. By all accounts, something that Raven should be doing as well, but even as she meditated in her room, she could feel Robin’s pacing a floor away.

Swallowing thickly, she rose from her room and drifted to the kitchen, relieved at the noise the china cups made against the counter, and watched the steam rise towards the ceiling from the boiling kettle. She rolled a sore shoulder back to work out the kinks until the water was ready. Pouring hot water into each, she grabbed for a box of tea on the top shelf, drawing it down surrounded by black magic. It was a special brew she’d ordered when first coming to the tower, sweet with chamomile followed by a smooth mint. It was only tea, but magic was everywhere if you could pluck it out of thin air, and Raven hadn’t found anything more calming or reassuring of this plane or others.She lost her courage just outside of the filing room, though the door looked almost comically flimsy; just a sliding piece of metal that revealed an opportunity where none had been before. Know someone too well and it’s a weapon, not a kindness. She glided forward and allowed the door to open, revealing her figure in the doorframe with two cups of tea in hand.Robin’s hair was damp at the ends, and his gloves were lying on top of an unused display case. A nearby case held the silver gloves she’d seen on his hands less than 24 hours ago, and she wondered if the memory of how they felt would be hard to shake.“Is that for me?” Robin asked, and Raven nodded, holding out a cup. His gaze was fixed on the teacup instead of her gaze, and when he got close enough to take it, Raven smelled a trace of soap, wondering how long he’d had to shower until he found some peace.“Thanks.” Robin moved back to the desk, holding his cup though making no move to drink it. He busied himself by picking up a sharp piece of metal, jagged and S-shaped, made of sharp edges. It was the first time she’d seen him since they’d returned, and the empath was beginning to wonder if the seclusion had been deliberate.“You don’t need to punish yourself,” Raven said, shocking herself a little with how soft her voice had come out. Robin froze over the desk, gripping the emblem tightly as he turned to her, brows furrowed.“You were trying to save us. That’s what you should remember right now.”He didn’t reply, but she swore she saw his shoulders relax slightly, his brows raise a minute amount, and the smallest note of gratitude reached her.—ii.They had been complete as five. When Terra had burst into their lives, Raven had worried that there would be no room for her, or worse, that she would take the place of another Titan, one who had always been apart, distant, and ultimately easy to replace. But when six shrank to five again, Raven even found herself missing Terra. She left holes in a spotless bathroom, a mid-morning silence where she had found snores that she was convinced could rattle the walls, a smile in a boy who’d never been slow to smile before.When she caught Robin alone, he’d been staring at Terra’s door a few days after she’d followed Slade from the carnival, packing box in hand but hesitant to enter.”If you’re going to tell me ‘I told you so,’ I know.””I wasn’t.” She almost felt bad about missing Terra. Beast Boy was by far the one most affected by her betrayal, and the team needed her to be angry, needed her to be the place they filed their emotions when they were too difficult to bear. But Raven had no anger to offer.Terra’s nameplate was a stamp on Robin’s file, a note he believed made him unfit to be a leader, a misstep that had cost his team dearly. For Raven, Terra’s friendship had been a lapse in judgement, a reminder why letting people in too close was exposing her neck to a blade. But you can do everything right and still lose; the benefits of the doubt should have been more rewarding than being right.They stood outside Terra’s room for what felt like an hour. Finally, Robin stepped inside and packed away anything that had been hers.—iii.There was a knocking at her door long after there should have been silence. Raven’s bed had offered her no relief after the day’s events, even though exhaustion had settled in close by, so the distraction wasn’t entirely unwelcome. Not bothering to grab her cloak on the way by, Raven opened the door to find Robin, mid-knock outside her door.“You’re up late.”“I need a favour.”Summoning her cloak to her, Raven followed Robin down the hallway, winding the hallways in silence until they arrived at the infirmary once more. They’d spent too much of the day there, but judging by the lights, Robin hadn’t left after the rest of his team had.“Robin, we ran every test we could think of. Your system’s clean.”

“I know. I need you to run them again.”Rather than argue with him, Raven took the needle he’d offered her and tied off his upper arm with a band he’d prepared nearby. “This will sting, I’m sorry.”“Just do it.”She drew his blood as quickly as she could, working to ignore the grimace in his expression and the number of marks that already marked his veins. She set the blood to test while offering Robin a canister to breathe into. The results from the last test were still on the screen, negative of course, but that gave Robin no assurance.Robin broke his silence when her back was turned, having taken the canister from him and set it inside the analyzer, a process that was familiar to her by now.“I still see him. I don’t think he’s gone.”Folding her arms across her chest, Raven raised her eyebrows, concern rising up her back.“Does he say anything?”“No.”“Does he try to hurt you?”“No, I just see him in the corner of my eye.”Letting out a sigh, Raven pressed her lips together to mull over her choice of words.“After something like this, it’s not uncommon of for the brain to look for patterns it’s gotten used to. You might keep seeing him for a bit, but he’s gone. He can’t hurt you again.”She stepped toward him, ignoring the beeping of the machines behind her.“I promise.”—iv.She cleaned without any use of her powers. Any trace of him shouldn’t be spirited away but scrubbed out. She wanted to feel tired, feel the exhaustion of the physical labour it took to vacuum the carpet, lift every book one by one back into its original place on her bookshelf, ensure every magical ingredient was carefully tucked away where it belonged.When it came time to hang her white cloak in her closet, a tightness in her throat made the gesture all the more difficult. The book holding him had been locked away in a chest that sat far from the door, well secured behind not one but two different locks, but she didn’t feel any more at peace.The hole in the ceiling was too conspicuous to ignore, but she left it alone. Let the evidence show how wrong she’d been. How stupid she’d been. How naive, how willing, how wanted she’d been, she’d felt—She woke up one morning to the sound of construction on her roof. After a few moments of bleary, barely-awake blinking, she could see the billowing edges of a yellow cape from the lip of the hole apart from the construction.Grabbing her cloak, she joined Robin on the roof, letting the cool wind of the morning wake her up. “It was only a matter of time before it started to rain.” Robin explained, turning towards her. Raven offered him a shrug in response — it had been some time since she’d seen any of her teammates, as it had been a quiet past few days. She hadn’t asked for an excuse.Her silence was obvious as the pair looked over the city, the noise of the construction behind them not enough to make it any easier. But it was Robin’s glance towards his boots that betrayed his thoughts before he spoke.“We’ve missed you these past few days.”She had no response to offer him, just a surprised glance towards him. Robin’s mask wasn’t enough to cover his uncertainty; neither of them were particularly well-equipped to deal with the situation ahead of them. There was no step-by-step guide for ‘How to deal with your friend’s love crush turning into a dragon and betraying them.’“And… I’m sorry he did that to you. You deserve better.”She couldn’t meet his eyes after that, but felt the first stirring of a smile in days.—x.She remembered a noise in the hallway, a sniffling along the ground coming closer. Careless — no. Uncaring. Magic in her hand, she stepped out of her room, wishing in vain for more light. Then, she saw the figure — taller than she’d remembered, angry, and bearing its teeth in a delighted grin. When it lunged, she screamed, and the world went black too.They’d recovered her in the sewers, with the bottom of her cloak stained with god-knows-what. For a horrible moment, she looked dead; limp and unmoving in the beast’s jaws, even peaceful. He froze, ice in his veins as he searched for any blood, a rising chest, anything to reveal that Raven was still alive. She let out a groan as she hit the floor that birthed a relief Robin couldn’t ever try to vocalize, but now, back in the tower, with her levitating form prone on the bed, that relief seemed far away.He didn’t leave her side. Even if the monitors she was hooked up to would’ve revealed any change in her condition with an alarm he could hear throughout the tower, he wanted to be there, watch if her breath faltered, she fell limp again. As if his vigil would do any good. This was his team, his responsibility. And if she didn’t wake up…Best he could tell, she was healing herself from the inside out, even though the telltale sparkling blue magic was nowhere to be found. Had she always looked that pale? Certainly not that vulnerable. Try as he might to busy himself with charts and vitals, her silence was too conspicuous to escape his notice.He needed something to do. Something to change. If there was a mountain he could move, point it out and he’d throw everything he had at it. Sitting and waiting, helpless, wasn’t something Robin ever dealt with well.“Come on, Raven. Come back to us.”If he hadn’t been watching her for the past hour, he wouldn’t have caught it. But her body rose slightly higher than it had in previous times, closer to where he stood over her, and Robin could remember what relief felt like.—xi.Every moment he didn’t spend working on a case, he put into the panic room. He’d consulted with Cyborg on the security measures to break into the room if, god forbid, they were unable to stop Slade from advancing. Two Titan hands on the panel, biometric scan; a fail would set an instant alarm triggering numerous booby traps designed to take out the enemy. Beast Boy had stolen the book from Raven’s room on the rare occasions she left it, and Robin had pored over it with Starfire for the relevant protective sigils. And he didn’t mind the paint on his clothes.The observation deck felt too clinical, but they couldn’t run the risk. If Trigon tried to access her psychically, Robin wanted to be sure Raven could strike back without fear of harming her teammates, but if he’d had his choice, Robin would wait this out beside her. He settled for the frontline.She’d looked so scared in the days leading up to her birthday, Robin remembered. Any peace Raven should’ve been able to find within herself had long since abandoned her. He’d catch her sleeping in random places — in the gym, on the couch, even on the roof once, catching a few moments of sleep where she could. But he could tell when the dreams began every time, and shook her awake before she could finish her plea. ‘No, please—’ The noise may have faded, but it lasted in Robin’s ears.~In all their preparations, they had never imagined that Raven would let herself out of the safe room. A stupid, stupid, stupid oversight — Raven had succumbed to her emotions before and had let Trigon loose; he should’ve known that now, when her defences were low and Trigon growing stronger, he would try to control her.At least, that’s what Robin had believed when he saw that Raven had left the safety of the tower. Chest heaving, with every bone in his body aching with exhaustion, he could still feel the rush to his temples as her blue cloak came into sight. But the sadness in her eyes was all Raven’s.The energy she’d released was like nothing he’d ever felt before. It was the closest he’d ever come to being struck by lightning, feeling so alive and in pain at once that his body couldn’t hold onto it all. Fighting — and losing — for consciousness, the last thing he could hear was something Trigon would never wish upon them; to be safe.~This would not be how it ended. How the story of Jump City, the Teen Titans, of Raven ended. He wouldn’t let it.~When he grabbed her hand, it was shaking. Friendship hadn’t been enough.How many times had the team been shielded by Raven’s barrier before? To keep them safe, away from harm, but now it was Raven walking into the fire. His fists were useless and he had nothing left — no gadgets, no magic ace up his sleeve, nothing left to say or do, but just watch.Any connection, any bond they had was tearing at him with every step she took. The sigils began to burn violent ridges into her skin, and though he held Starfire, he felt numb, outside of his own body — he’d rather be anywhere than her helpless witness to her own destruction.‘Please don’t leave me alone.’Her face collapses into a grimace, and he can see the lights dancing around her reflected in tears budding at the corner of her eyes. But when they open again, they’re white — pure white, nothing-left-but-the-pain white, death white.He owed it to her to watch every second until there was nothing left.

[sparda3g]

Attack on Titan Chapter 126 Review

The apocalypse is here; slowly expanding across the globe. All hell breaks loose, and everyone is either celebrating or crying. The past chapters have been depressing albeit stellar and very interesting in content delivery. You would think the trend would continue forward with the end of the world at sight. Surprisingly, this chapter was more light-hearted and entertaining with some laughs. This was a welcoming treat.

It’s not all sunshine and rainbow however. There are some dark tones in this chapter as well. From the start, it enters a flashback prior to the event where Hange confronts Marleyians. In her time spent protecting Levi, she was forced to kill some Survey Corps members. It could have been a simple protection scene, but the added tear running down on her face made it impacting. It’s sad that it has to go down this way. As crazy she can be, she still holds a soft spot for them.

Supposedly, Levi was set to transform into a Titan; however, because he’s an Ackerman, he survived. Same for the injuries. Does that mean the syringe won’t work on him? I always like their comradery. Hange treated his wounds, stitched him up, which needless to say looked pretty rough. His fingers are lost, which is more troubling due to the necessary use for the gear. How he’s going to fight would be interesting to see when that time comes.

Hange has been struggling for quite some time. Now, the future seem to be set for them that reminisce a similar path as Uprising Arc. In other words, they’re criminals or outlaws. The best thing they can do is count on Pixis, who is now deceased, and Armin, who has recently left to search for Falco. You can sense defeat from Hange, and that’s sad.

I like the small consistent detail on the sequence. Everything happened before the Rumbling began. The moment when they were in PATHS is when you learn their decision was made that led to the last chapter’s ending. Levi woke up and the first thing he thought was to find Zeke and kill him. That’s a hell of a dedication. I admit, I laughed at that.

He was able to survive the blast by placing the sword in front of the explosion. That explains the fingers. Although his vengeance on Zeke is his personal goal, he asked if running and hiding was all they will do. Pretty much, he listened everything Hange said. Despite the struggling, she wasn’t going to stay out and Levi knows that all too well. Again, I like their companionship. It’s more needed than ever.

Shifting back to present, in a strange turn of event, Levi and Magath’s interest happen to align. Both share a similar goal to kill Zeke, so in theory, it’s enough reason to form a pact. Magath is doubtful, seeing him in a bad state. Even Levi admits to be in a weak state that he can’t dodge a bullet, but he is willing to give him an ultimatum. That’s when you know desperate time calls for desperate measure.

Hange doesn’t know much of Founding Titan, but it’s easy to say it’s going to be incredibly tough. Therefore, the simple solution is to form a pact. With the world ending, they might as well work under one mission. The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Otherwise, everyone is guaranteed to die, aside from Paradis Island.

It’s a bit eerie to see people sleeping during the apocalypse. It’s not to say no one should be sleeping, but how one can sleep when they know the world is ending. Some are seen to be awake. Jean looks so depressed at everything. Mikasa can’t fathom Eren to be the one to end everything. Annie wonders if her father is safe. Reiner is still down and out. It’s kind of depressing. Armin and Gabi are still searching for Connie and Falco, which is the next focus.

While I don’t like Connie’s action to use Falco to save his mother, I still respect him, especially when he now have second thoughts on the matter. His target is set, but the guilt is beginning to haunt him. He’s not a bad guy; just a poor soul that was sent to a hellish environment. I pity him. Asking Sasha makes it worse. Her death really stung him. The loss of a best friend can make a man feel lonely. Once they arrive at Ragako Village, the tension rises.

As they draw closer to the destination, Falco quickly realizes what’s happening. I’m surprised that he caught on quick, though I like the fact he’s not so careless. He’s well aware of the situation; from Gabi killing Sasha to Connie pretending to be a friend. It would have been easier if Falco remained clueless. Instead, it only added more pressure.

Connie’s mother is still in the same place for years. I can’t imagine the feeling of unable to move at all. The sensation plays off like a horror film, where a stranger (Connie) is about to harm the innocent (Falco). Hilariously, Connie puts a horrible poker face on and tells him to brush a Titan’s teeth. It’s so random, it’s hilarious. It’s like a spoof writer wrote this. Still, Connie’s intention is set and he won’t back off.

Armin and Gabi arrive in time to stop Connie. Falco doesn’t know he’s a Jaw Titan or what happened to Porco. Connie is completely desperate to save his only family; won’t listen to what Armin has to say. It saves the time from saying typical lines about what’s right and wrong. Even so, it’s pity for Connie to what essentially forced him to stoop this low. It’s not like he’s a real douche; just lost in the matter.

Armin has no word to say. Remembering the integrity of Erwin, he recovers and goes for a literal suicide approach. Before Connie finish climbing, Armin reaches on the ledge, contemplating the action he’s about to do. The scene rapidly grow unnerving. The fact he’s actually going to suicide to calm the situation is disheartening. I actually like this because it’s two guys who basically hit rock bottom confronting. In a twisted way, it’s like seeing who can hit the lowest first. Fortunately, Connie won’t let it happen; saving Armin from fulfilling his dream.

Gabi and Falco are back together, but it must be hard for him to learn what happened, especially his older brother. That even stings me. Connie has a second thought. It’s best to not make his mother into a weapon. Most importantly, it’s best for him to remain as a soldier his mother wanted him to be, not as a backstabber. Therefore, he wants to return and save people. It’s a good heartfelt moment. I don’t know if Armin’s mind is straight again, but Connie looks to be back to normal. Only time will tell.

The mystery of the missing scarf ends here. It was Louise and sadly, according to her, she’s on her literal death bed. Mikasa had a hunch that it was her. I appreciate the characters not playing dumb or rather, not bright enough to think the likely possibilities. Louise only wore it because she truly admired Mikasa. I have to say, it’s a little sad to see her dying. She does have a history as a kid who witnessed a role model.

The real interesting piece lies from the moment before she took it herself. She spoke to Eren about Mikasa, but his response was to get rid of the scarf. I’m still perplexed on why he’s so hell-bent to break all ties with her. I know there’s a lot more going on that is not on display. The closest we got is during his time in the memory trip. Something is definitely up. Mikasa takes it back and leaves her alone. Kind of sad for her last day to be alone without her idol. This series isn’t kind to anyone.

The army of Colossal Titans is almost gone, so it’s time for the Yeagerists to celebrate the supreme victory. Quite the disgusting nature of people all cool about destroying the world. It gets more disgusting when you learn Floch is the representative. His death must be gloriously satisfying for enduring his crap. Jean is depressing to look at. You can tell he’s lost in this cruel world.

The next scene is pretty hilarious. Armin and others arrive at the feast. While the kids eat, Armin and Connie discuss about Annie’s possible return. It just so happens that next to them, Annie was casually eating a slice of pie. They all look at her like their mind couldn’t register her existence. I can’t blame them when she has a silly face. Never would I expect this is the way they would reunite. Next to the famous betrayal scene, this is Isayama-sensei’s way to get to the point, now done in a humorous way. Four years later and her first move in the reunion is gobbling down a pie. Definitely didn’t see it coming.

I did enjoy Hitch and Annie hanging out in the last chapter, but sadly, it has to end. Annie left with others with a letter for Hitch. It’s basically a thank you message, but coming from her, it’s special. She may be cold outside, but she does have a heart. The message speaks out her gratitude for Hitch’s action; saying goodbye for one last time. It’s sweet that the panel doesn’t show Hitch’s reaction, but you can draw an idea that she was touched by Annie’s message. A shame that it ended here, but the friendship won’t be forgotten.

The sensation returns to crap when the scene shift back to Floch and his regime. It is execution time, and the criminals are Yelena and Onyankopon. Executing them will grant them the reign over the island; at least according to Floch, but the man is a whack job anyway. He calls Yelena out on her crimes; marking her as the worst criminal ever. The spouting nonsense from citizens paint them as racists, vile creatures. Who needs Titans to cause destruction when you have human. Yelena is out of her mind; she is waiting to get shot to get it over with. I’m beginning to feel a little sympathy for her. If that is the case, then Floch is doing something right.

The calling on Onyankopon’s crimes frustrate me a lot. He will be executed because he doesn’t want to work with them. The worst part is, his past actions were only for the sake of everyone. He thought he was helping his homeland as well as theirs, and this is how they would repay him? Pathetic. The series did a good job to keep his hands clean. While I can understand the reason to execute Yelena, his is unwarranted. I felt generally bad when he cries out; expressing his frustrations on everything. He’s a simple man who wanted peace one way or another. It feels rather close to home; that’s life for you.

Jean is his executioner, preparing to shoot him. Earlier, he looked like a shell of his former self. That contribute to this moment to give fans an impression that he has stoop this low to execute an innocent man; at least compare to everyone there. He shoots four times, but miss. He looks so out of it, I would have bought the idea of him completely disarray from life itself. Floch is sadly not a fool to notice something is odd. Well, forget about that, because Cart Titan appears out of nowhere and start attacking. Talk about real-time event.

It goes after Floch; soon, Pieck will become the best character ever. Sadly, Jean will become the worst for saving his life. Even in death, I will be upset. However, it’s all part of the plan. The attack wasn’t intended to kill Floch, though I would have been all in. Coincidentally, it ate Yelena and Onyankopon as well. It’s a ruse to escort them and Jean out of there and group up with others. The four shots was a code to continue the operation. It would have been funny if he was a lousy shooter, but this is neat nonetheless.

Mikasa is with Armin and others. I’ll talk about the pacing later. They’re stealing the supplies from the Yeagerists, or more like taking them back. Before departure, someone looks outside from the window and only Annie notices. I’m not sure where this lead to, but I doubt it is Zeke. It could be possible, but why would he be there though? It could be Shadis, though again, not sure the ploy behind this silhouette mystery.

As previously stated, Cart Titan escorted Jean and the two out of there. I laughed at Hange’s insult on Pieck and the Titan’s hygiene. I suppose the punchline is Titan’s teeth. The twist is, Jean has turned to their side since last night. He could have stay with the Yeagerists, even if it’s with the king of douche. Hell, he could have locked himself inside; ignoring everything. But his heart told him to never forget the fallen. A grim reminder is to remember the ashes. He’s slowly recovering, so hope for the best. Saving Onyankopon is a good start.

Surprisingly, Yelena was spared as well. It was only because of Magath’s request. Plus, they want her alive for some reason. Perhaps it’s to obtain Intel on Zeke’s whereabouts since she has a connection. There could be a personal reason, but we’ll see where this lead to. All in all, the faction is growing; only one is missing.

Reiner is still sleeping; supposedly for another 2 or 3 days. That won’t do, so Annie does the favor by kicking him hard. That’s funny and so in-character of her to do something like that. Imagine waking up to see an old friend that was crystallized for four years. Imagine waking up to see two opposing forces unite. That’s Reiner in the nutshell. I bet he was hoping to wake up when everyone is dead.

Connie, now with a newly determined face, sets the record straight and tell him to get ready. Their mission: to save the world. Only he would phrase it the way it sounded; straight-up heroic. This is written by a guy who used the magazine cover to draw a meme reference with his characters. It wouldn’t surprise me if that’s the case. All it was missing was the theme song playing.

Before closing the review, as much as I enjoyed this chapter, the only issue I have is the pacing. It’s a weird feeling because when I read it the second time, it felt natural. However, it feels fast when compare to other chapters. In a weird sense, it’s too fast for this series while another would feel right. The part with Armin and Connie could use two or more pages to conclude. The rest, I believe it would be explained in the next couple of chapters. Supposedly, this is the last chapter of a volume. The intention was probably to end strong and leave the explanation later. This is how the series roll sometimes, so don’t be surprised if that’s the case. Regardless, it was fast, but no time for minor stuff I suppose.

Overall, I thought this was a pretty entertaining chapter. It’s different in tone in compare, but delivered a good quality content. It doesn’t hurt to lighten up. We have an apocalypse already; we don’t have to go deeper into the abyss. There were plenty of good light-hearted moments. As quick as the pacing was, the moments were felt and certain mysteries continue to pique my interest. Everyone is coming together to prevent the massacre. Recalling the audio from the event, it won’t be simple. For all we know, this could be the last bright spot. Hopefully not, but you never know.

[dukevividwriting]

21

It was pleasant in Beach city. No monster attacks, no gem attacks, no planetary threat. Within the beach house Steven Universe and Connie Maheswaran relaxed upon his bed, under the aftenoon sun of the fall sky; with Steven sitting up back to the wall looking at his phone with a curious and ever growing mischevious look upon his face and Connie slouching upon his chest and stomach, making edits to their fanfiction of unfamiliar familiar on his tablet. The cool and chilled melody played from the Tubetube app on his phone through a bluetooth speaker gave the area a lazy day ambiance. It was greatly appreciated.

Steven chuckled as a plan formed in his mind, wondering if it would work. Unaware of the fact that his 16 year old 'Jam Bud' was looking questioningly but amused.

C:You seem like you're enjoying yourself, are you even paying attention?

The playful pout that over took the girls lips caused Steven to blush with embarrassment as he gave an apologetic chortle.

S: Sorry, about that...Guess I kind of got side tracked...Forgive me?

She grimace slightly before sighing, letting it go. Not like she could stay mad him for long anyway, not over something so small. She forgave her cohort with a nod and the smile she reserves just for him. Steven blushed as he started to gaze at her face, particularly her lips. Full, pinkish- brown, slightly chap and so enticing; as of late he been wanting to feel if her lips are as soft as they look.

He knows they're soft..He has healed them more than once by thumb, but he began to wonder if they were softer to kiss, rather to touch. It wasn't til he watched those lips sound out his name more than once...That he realized she was trying to get his attention! He backed up quickly hitting his head on the wall. He held down and rubbed his head as he grimaced in pain, but smiled as he heard Connie giggled in pity and a bit of mirth before giving him a small kiss where his pain was.

C: There, all better. Not magical healing but it should suffice.

S: Hey now, don't sale yourself short. I can't even feel the pain anymore.

C: Yeah. sure. Now wanna explain why you're up in the clouds today?

S:Guess I've been out of it huh? Hehe...It's nothing just...Read a comic about a game..it looked like fun. Thought we can play.

Connie arched an eyebrow and put on an accusatory smirk, causing the hybrid to look away.

C: Uh-huh. Soo...How do we play?

Steven eyes widen and an blush crossed his cheeks.

S:Really?!

Connie shrugged with an sly smile as she looked at Stevens blushing grin.

C: Why not? It'll be a nice break from editing, especially since you don't seem to be all into it, and maybe I can find out what got you so interested about my ugly mug huh?

With that said, Connie placed the tablet on the sides of his bed and stood up and looked towards her Biscuit with a smile.

S: you seem eager.

C: like I said, It's a nice break from editing, and I get to beat you in a new game. So...how do we play, shortstop?

Steven drunk in Connies' image as he stood up in front of her. A blue collared shirt with short khaki pants and black suspenders and black socks. Her hair flowing down to her shoulders and curly. Black eyes filled with fire and shined with competition and mirth.

She was taller than him by a quater foot, 5'9 to his 5'6 but, they both started to fill out and developed. Steven in the term of being more stocky and solidifying his muscles..and Connie with leaner stronger muscle, along with fuller and shapier curves, something she not exactly too use to yet.

S: I maybe short but at least my view is always nice.

Connie blushed and folded her arms across her stomach and despite herself she couldn't stop the smile from taking over her face. Couldn't help the feeling of self- confidence that swelled when he made complimentary( and flirty) jokes like that. She gave him a small tap to his chest with the back of fist lightly, and kept it there. The two took a quick moment to really look each other as the song changed to something slightly more jazzy and romantic, not that they cared.

C: Yeah sure..Now how do we play?

S: Right..It's a simple game called '21' and all you have you do is follow my command. If you can't you lose.

C: Dosen't seem like much of a game, but sure.

Steven smiled at her confidence before he raised his right hand up.

S:Give me 5.

C:Really?

S: Already giving up?

Connie pursed her lips in defiance before place her hands on his, with a smack.

S: Ok...how about..10.

C: There something strange about this.

S:Can't do it? How about if you do these next few rounds...I'd do anything or get you anything within my power.

Connie 'hmmed' as thoughts ran through her head. She knew Steven would keep his promise easy, but there was something about this game. It was overly simple and yet it held Steven intrest so.

Steven is the best guy she know. Sweet and honest to a fault, but she knew he could be a trickster as well. If it had something to do with why he seemed preoccupied with her face..her mouth (yes, she noticed) then.... She felt her cheeks heat up and heartbeat sped up as she gave him a high ten, her head looking away from him..

S: Everything ok, Berry...we could stop if it too much--

C: You promise right, anything within your power?

S: I give you my word...anything that is within my power.

C: ok Biscuit, let's play.

S: Eager, ok..give me twenty.

C: twenty? ok no problem.

With that they clasped all twenty of their fingers together, and Connie size nines stood upon Steven size thirteens. They were so close to each other, nearly pressed against each other, absorbing the others scent; holding each other hand tightly as diamonds looked down at stars, brown gazed at black. The sounds of strings and percussion instruments giving a loving ambience. The two, red face and full of anticipation, chuckled.

S: so...21?

C: ...21.

Connie lowered her head to meet his, eyes closed and lips partly puckered With everything on the line, they met in a slow kiss...her lips...

to his ...

forehead.

S: wow..ok.

Connie eyes widen at what she done in shock ...she ruined their first true kiss..Before she could rip her hands from Steven..she heard him laughed, a bit mirthfully and a bit embarrassed. Eyes a bit misty, just like hers

S: Kind of off target there or....Maybe I read your attention wrong?

C: My attention!? You was the one who was all distracted by my mouth.

S: You leaned in though..unless you was intentionally aiming for my head.

C: I mean...I didn't mean aim for your head..but the way you were gazing at my lips...I shouldn't had persumed that you..

S:That I wanted to kiss you. You thought I wanted to kiss you?

Connie nodded and looked away, totally embarrassed and a bit heartbroken. It was kind of cruel of Steven to ask that.. against her better judgement she looked him and saw that he was blushing and smiling widely. befor muttering something.

C: What did you say?

S: Re-do .

C:Re-Do?

Steven nodded vigorously as he tightened his grip and looked determined. His face bright red before closing his eyes and pucking his lips the same way she had. Connie gulped before leaning in again. They messed up their first chance..They be damned if they messed up their second. Their lips met in a almost non existent feathery touch, before a voice ranged out,

Greg: Hey kids, You two still here?

S:Yes, come on up.

The two rushed to reposition themselves on the bed before Greg came up the stairs and opened the two year old door to Steven's bedroom.

S:Hey Dadio,

C:Hello greg, sir.

Greg:It's almost time for Connie to head home...Nice ambiance in here.

S: Yeah. umm..I can take her on Lion dad.

Greg: I sure you could but Doug texted me saying he'll be here in fifteen. He called both of you..but there was no answer.

Both: Oh.

C: Sorry we couldn't hear it. Music, story revisions and all that, thanks for the head up.

Greg just smirked in sly approval. a light chuckle radiated as he walked off, not before telling them that they should make the fifteen count and pointed slightly at their still interlocked hands.

The duo looked at each other with brand new eyes. Both tried to speak and ended up giggling instead. Steven couldn't help but linger on how soft her lips was..as soft as the clouds in pinks room..maybe softer.

Connie was more concerned with what this meant for them, how she swore she tasted ice cream on his lips, and the chances of them doing it again. Though before that..there was still a matter to clean out.

C: So..Is this a V for me?

S: What?

C: The game..it ended in a victory for me right.

Steven looked at her,blush still on her face and a smile that was only reserved for him...Signs that in that split second she knew and reciprocated his feelings.

S: hmm...Nope. that was an incomplete 21..a 20 1/8!

C: What, but we kissed..it was nice and true..though kind of short.

S: so you agree, you lost.

C: Outside interference..you can't penalize me for that...

S: I don't make the rules.

C:Fine..re-do.

Steven said nothing as he smiled at her. A re-do she wants a re-do she'll get. The two didn't even bother to get up from the bed opting sit next to each other. The music once again playing a melody for the occasion.

S: Third time..

C: Yeah....Hey...I like...love you. a lot. Sorry I never to--'

Connie never got to finish as Steven caught her her lips with his. Connie gasp at first before she eased into it gripping his hands and closing her eyes  as they kiss.. 

Their first kiss was amateurish, unpolished, and sloppy, It held depth, passion and years of love. It was a mixture of pecks and wet  tasting interlocks, of excited youth and imagined adulthood. It was everything they imagined and more. so much more.

When they finally broke, they only stared at each other, red face, gasping, sweaty heads pressed together as they continued to listened to the music and their own heartbeats, still in shock at what they done. it wasn’t until he pulled her into a hug, by the waist and down on the bed next to her that the fact that  they  successfully kissed hit them and the joy  erupted from them in the for of chuckles, giggles and hyperventilating, in Steven guess.

S:We did it !we kissed! ohh We kissed! I finally kissed you! Do that make us a couple now?!

C:Steven...

S:I mean I hope so..I mean..I love you..and you said you love me. So at least we know it’s mutual...

C: Stee~eeven.

S: But, that dosen't mean we have to be together together..not if you don't want to..because there should be mut---!!

Before he could say anything she place her index gently on his mouth and smiled deeper and fuller than before at his blush. She let him go soom after though.

C: My excitable Biscuit, before any of the relationship stuff .We need to adress something else.

S: Huh,What?

C: the terms of my victory.

[pickalilywrites]

For @thecashmerefox who wanted springlestein + momkasa ♡

Take Care of You

Springlesteinkasa. Canonverse. 

2101 words. 

Buy me a ko-fi!

Somehow, she always finds herself collecting her three drunken friends from the bar. Some poor waiter knocks at her nervously to tell her that, once again, Jean, Sasha, and Connie have drunk far more than they could handle and that she needs to return them to their quarters because they certainly couldn’t stay overnight at the bar. Mikasa has seriously considered just leaving them to rot out on the street, but she decided that it was too cruel even for her and makes her way over to the bar even though she would rather just stay in bed and sleep in the comfort of her sheets. She’s far softer than she’d ever like to admit.

“Ah, Mikasa,” says the bartender. Although he knows her name (like most bartenders do at this point), she’s never bothered to remember his. He looks relieved to see her, but he doesn’t point her out to her friends right away. Instead, he gestures her over to the bar and she grimaces because she knows there’s only one other thing he would want to talk to her about – money. He licks his lips as she comes by as if eager for the gold coins that she’ll surely drop into his hand after he tells her about the bill. “Your friends drank a little more than they could pay for tonight.”

“Put it on the captain’s tab,” she replies. She has no intention of shelling out any more money for these three idiots despite them being her friends. She already coddles them too much without paying for their drinks.

“Captain Ackerman got very upset with me the last time I suggested he pay for them,” the bar owner says, frowning as he recalls the encounter. He looks at Mikasa with pleading eyes. “I’ll go out of business if I keep on like this. I only allow them drinks because of the service they’ve done for Paradis and don’t have the heart to turn them down.”

Closing her eyes, Mikasa takes a deep breath and leans against the counter. She looks at the bartender with a steely gaze that says she’s still not budging, but she eventually tells him, “Put it on Commander Pixis’ tab then. He probably won’t notice once he’s drunk enough. Just try to collect it from him when Anka isn’t around.”

“Are you sure that will work?” the bartender asks doubtfully.

Mikasa shrugs because she doesn’t quite care at this point. She still has to return her friends to their rooms, and she doesn’t have the patience to deal with their debts as well.

“Your friends are in the corner,” the bartender finally tells her, sullen because he’s still short of the money he’s owed, but at least he’s smart enough to know that he’s more likely to get it out of Pixis than her.

“Thanks,” Mikasa says before heading off in the direction that he’s pointed her to.

Sure enough, all three of her friends are there in the back corner. Sasha and Connie are still singing songs that the Marleyan sailors had taught them – Sasha singing pretty well but Connie terribly out of tune – but Jean is face down on the table. She’d be worried if this scene weren’t so familiar to her already.

“Mikasha!” Connie cheers, not noticing that he’s mispronounced her name. He lifts his empty glass towards her in a toast and Sasha does the same. When Mikasa finally sits down across from them, taking the empty seat next to the unconscious Jean, Connie takes a big swig of nothing and frowns when he realizes that his glass is empty. He attempts to wave over a waiter to call over more drinks, but Mikasa slams his hand down.

“You don’t have enough money and you’re already drunk enough,” she tells him with a frown, but he only laughs at her.

“Only Jean’s drunk,” Sasha hiccups. She slumps over the table and reaches out a sluggish hand to pinch Jean on the nose, but Mikasa smacks her hand away. It’s easier to deal with them when they’re unconscious, so she’d rather that they not wake Jean.

“All of you are drunk. Again. And you haven’t paid your tab. Again. How are you not banned from this pub yet?” Mikasa asks.

“Oh, we’re banned from some of them,” Connie says cheerfully. He doesn’t seem at all bothered in admitting it.

Sasha tugs on Mikasa’s sleeve like a child and sticks out her tongue. “Miksa,” she says, but she looks confused when she can’t say her friend’s name properly. “Miska. Misaka. Mitksa!” She giggles harder with every new variation she comes up with. Eventually she gives up on ever getting Mikasa’s name right and refers to her as “Mika” for the rest of the night. “Mika, we were talking abouttt what we’d do in Marley once we got there, you know? Like a vacation!”

“A vacation?” Mikasa says warily. While it’s nice to see that they’re not scared about entering enemy territory, she never thought they’d regard this next mission so flippantly. “Why would you want to go on a vacation there?”

“Because Nikolo says it’s real pretty,” Connie says, speaking about the chef affectionately like he and Sasha always tend to do. He grins at Mikasa and reaches over to tap her arm. “What’d you do over there?”

“I’d eat,” Sasha says suddenly even though Connie hadn’t asked her. She sits up and looks at him, concentrating on a small spot on his forehead. “I’d eat soooo many of their things. Everything. I’d go over there and eat everything. Marleyan food is just sooooo good.” Sasha stretches her arms out as if to show them all exactly how much she plans on eating but ends up toppling over when she loses her balance. She bursts into another fit of giggles when she falls into Connie’s lap and Connie laughs with her too.

“It’s not something I’ve really thought about,” Mikasa replies flatly.

“Ohh, come on! Tell us, tell us!” Sasha begs, raising her voice so much that it attracts the attention of a few bar patrons. Thankfully, Jean doesn’t even stir.

“Don’t you ever get tired of worrying about things, Mikasa?” Connie says lazily, tracing his finger on the rim of his empty beer glass. “Just pretend it’s a vacation. A pretend vacation! Doesn’t that sound nice?”

It does sound nice. She doesn’t remember the last time she had a vacation. Was it all those years ago when they reached the beach for the first time? But even then, it was just the beginning of other troubles to come.

“I can’t afford to not worry,” Mikasa says.

It must be something in her tone because both Sasha and Connie sober up (or at least as much as they can after all they’ve drunk) and reach out to pat her awkwardly. Sasha messes up Mikasa’s hair terribly and Connie missing Mikasa entirely and petting the table instead.

“There, there, Mika,” Sasha says sympathetically. “We’ve made you worry a lot too, haven’t we? We’ll be good now. We’ll be so good. We’ll be the best.” She’s so earnest in her words that Mikasa almost smiles.

“Yeah, we’ll be good,” Connie agrees. “You want to take us home now? You want us to hold your hands? Then we won’t wander off.”

Mikasa sighs, but this time it isn’t as heavy. She gives a small smile to her friends and says, “That would be great. I need to carry Jean though since it looks like he’s out of commission.”

“Oh, just drag him along,” Sasha says with a wave of her hand and Connie laughs.

She doesn’t drag him behind her though. She ends up carrying him on her back (“Mikasa?” Jean mumbles into her hair. “You smell so good.” She’d be flattered if he weren’t so deliriously drunk.) and leading Sasha by the hand while Connie grabs Sasha’s other hand.  

“It’s like a family!” Sasha giggles. She almost drifts away from Mikasa many times, but Mikasa keeps a tight grip on her so that she and Connie don’t get lost. There wasn’t anything worse than a lost Connie and Sasha wandering around intoxicated in the city. After their drunk shenanigans, even Commander Zoe had come out to reprimand them (although even they were laughing at all the ridiculous messes they had managed to get into in a single night).

This comment manages to make Mikasa crack a smile and she thinks that even though it’s a hassle to take care of them, she wouldn’t trade this job to anyone else in the world.

She gets them into their beds (or Sasha’s bed, really) a little later than she’d like. She’d take Connie to his own room, but he collapsed onto Sasha’s bed and she figured it would be too difficult to carry both him and Jean at the same time. She could go back for him and return him to his own room, but he looked pretty comfortable cozied up next to Sasha, and she figured it wouldn’t hurt to just leave him there.

“Mika,” Sasha calls drowsily from her bed as Mikasa is about to leave the room.

“Your water is on your nightstand,” Mikasa reminds her.

“No, not that,” Sasha says, sitting up temporarily to shake her head only to fall onto her mattress once more. She holds up a hand and points at the ceiling, perhaps thinking that’s where Mikasa is. “We love you. I forgot to say it earlier, but we loveee you.”

“Love you,” Connie mumbles into the pillow.

Mikasa can’t help but laugh softly, not wanting to wake Jean who’s still sleeping on her back. “Love you guys too. Go to sleep, alright?”

She shuts the door to a chorus of “good night” and heads off to Jean’s room. She’s always surprised by how much more spacious his room is compared to hers, but it’s to be expected of a squad leader’s room. He’s come quite far from his trainee days, she thinks, but they all have.

Gently, she lets Jean off her back and rolls him into his bed. She decides it’s fine if she leaves him in his civilian clothes and only pulls off his boots so that he doesn’t dirty his sheets too much. He only stirs a little as she pulls the blankets over him and tucks him in. Of the three of her friends, she prefers sending Jean off to sleep because he’s the least likely to punch her in the face when she tucks the sheets around him. Connie, on the other hand, has hit her in the head several times.

“Mikasa?” Jean mumbles just when she gets up from his bed. He tries to sit up, but she only shushes him and pushes him back down. “How drunk am I?”

“Very,” she tells him. She pats his head, thinking that his hair has grown out quite a bit. “Just go to sleep.”

He settles back against his pillows and asks, “Did you get Sasha and Connie too.” He cracks open an eye to see her nod. “That’s good. You’re always taking care of us, Mikasa. It’s nice.”

She shrugs. Now that she thinks of it, she’s been taking care of people her entire life. It’s just become a part of her now. “It’s nothing.”

“You should let us take care of you,” Jean says.

She can’t help but scoff at this. The idea of having them taking care of them when they had just been stumbling around the bar only an hour ago seems ridiculous to her.

“I’m serious, you know,” Jean says, although he doesn’t seem offended that she’s laughed at him. Maybe he’s still too drunk and sleepy to care. “You carry on too many things by yourself. If you never need us, you should rely on us. We’ll take care of you too. It’s only fair, isn’t it?”

She wonders if it’s the alcohol that is making them say such sweet, sappy things to her tonight or if they’re always like that and she’s never noticed. She’d dismiss Jean’s words as just a drunkard’s nonsense, but she sees that he says them earnestly and she finds herself smiling again. Leaning over, she brushes his hair away from his forehead before pressing a soft kiss against it.

“Don’t worry, I will,” she tells him.

It seems he can only focus on the kiss now because he looks at her as if in a daze and wonders aloud, “Am I dreaming?”

Ah, he’s cute, Mikasa thinks with a smile. She’ll have to tell him that sometime when he’s not so drunk.

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

COTW - 4 start. Guys... why didn't you tell me it was sooooo bad?!? I reread it and damn... my brain and fingers really haven't been communicating

Eren didn't want to shut Levi out, but between coming off his pills, loosing dancing, being pregnant and being told he very may loose his pup from all the stress he was under, Levi's probing was way too much right now... Even if it was therapeutic to vent. Everything had hit him all at once when he'd seen Levi's concerned face at Hanji's. He hated knowing Levi was worried. He hated making him look that way. He didn't want to make his alpha feel worse, that's why he'd only told him he couldn't dance anymore, rather than that he was pregnant and could miscarry at any time. As it was, he'd have to call his Ballroom partner and let her know that he wouldn't be around for the next few weeks... knowing that he'd be letting her down. For an alpha, Sasha had all the strength, but the personality of an omega. She loved her weapons, just as much as she loved her soft things. Most of her partnerships had fallen short due to her excitable personality, leaving her wondering why she'd started dancing at all. Her husband Connie had two left feet, according to Sasha, and his prankster personality made it hard to take dancing seriously, not that she truly did, but she did love it. He really liked Sasha, and she didn't think any less of him for being an omega... even when she was giving him shit for it. Waking up, Eren couldn't understand why he was so hot. His eyes feeling gritty as he forced them open, finding Levi's face millimetres from his. Right. He'd had a stupid breakdown over everything. Coming off his pills, combing with the nausea of pregnancy had left a lot of his functions fluctuating. His fainting spell coming from dehydration and the fact his body was struggling with it all. That would explain it... Wriggling from Levi's hold, the alpha tried to cling to him, mumbling his name. Fuck... he couldn't remember the last time they'd woken up like this... probably since before Viren had gotten his feet under him. When he was a small pup, they'd spend hours laying in bed, watching him sleep and dreaming of their future. Shit. He'd missed this. Their bed. Levi's cuddles... he couldn't do this right now. Escaping the bed, he found Titan had even wandered in, sprawling across the bottom of the bed like he'd never given his position to in the first place. Flicking his tail, he pretty much confirmed Eren's thoughts. If he could talked he'd, no doubt, say how happy he was that it was just the three of them again. Wrapping his arms around his waist. Eren looked towards Viren's bedroom. He might have needed a break, but it felt so cruel to send Viren away. The boy hadn't done anything wrong. Not in loving Levi... and if he did grow to be an alpha, he was only giving Eren the respect he deserved as a fucked up omega. Showering and dressing, he walked out to find Levi in the kitchen. His head was pounding like a bass drum. The last thing he wanted to do was pretend to be human, let alone a functioning one. Bed was soooo close. He could make... oh... nope, Levi was looking at him "Hey, you. How did you sleep?" "I could use another 20 years worth" Levi snorted, shaking his head. How the fuck did he manage to look so fucking good in the morning? "Come sit down and I'll make you breakfast. I thought we could go shopping today" "What happened to work?" "You're more important. How does shopping sound?" Like peopling... and being nice to people... and seeing people... "Can I have some painkillers? My head hurts" "You need water. You're still dehydrated" Walking over to the dining table, it was weird that Viren wasn't there. That he wasn't sitting on the kitchen counter talking to Levi, or stealing treats. Sitting down, he drew his right knee up, to rest his chin on it. Watching Levi bringing over a tall glass of milk, and two small white tablets. Placing them down, Eren guessed he should be happy that Levi wasn't checking him a for a fever "What do you want for breakfast?" "I'll make some cereal in a minute" "I'll make you cereal. Which one do you want? I think we have cocopops" "They're Viren's. I have cornflakes in the pantry" "Just because our son likes most of the same shit you do, doesn't mean you should go without" "It's fine. I don't feel hungry" "Were you sick again?" "No..." "Maybe you're getting better? Did you mention the bug yesterday?" Bug. He could live with the pup being called bug "Yeah. They just said to keep my fluids up" "I didn't see your appointment on the fridge" "It's on Friday the twenty-second at 4" "So Friday" Shit. He'd been sure it was next week "Yeah. Well, we need to be down in Paradis and I wanted to get it done before then" They'd offered to give him an ultrasound, but he didn't want one. Not with Hanji so close... he wanted to wait and see, as to whether he'd miscarry or not "Ok. I'll add it to the calendar, and see that I'm off" "I told you I can take myself" Downing the pills and gulping down the milk, he prayed they'd kick in soon. Pottering around the kitchen, Levi pulled out the container of cornflakes. He really suited his role as a dad. He might have gained some more wrinkles and there may now be more than a few grey hairs creeping in, but it really suited him. He was so good with Viren... "I thought we could go clothes shopping for you. It's getting cold again, and we are going on holiday" "I don't need clothes" His clothes were fine. They did the job. His anxieties decided to flare... the little voices arses as usual. Maybe this was Levi's way of telling him he needed to stop looking like a slob. It was so hard to have anything nice with kids in and out of the apartment. Something was always being spilt or there was vomit, or tears or... stuff. He binned his clothes when they got super holy... and there'd been a mass binning after Viren round a pair of scissors. Binning his yoga pants had nearly made him cry. Not that he had time for yoga... he'd have even less when the pup came... but Levi really didn't seem that keen on having another pup... Maybe he was starting to like him again because he was thin again... and he didn't dress in "girly" clothes anymore...? There was too much to think about. His brain hurt without the added pain of thoughts "Eren?" "What? Sorry" "I was saying you should let me buy you some new things" Eren pushed a smile to his lips, feeling it fall short. He didn't need Levi to buy things for him. He had money. He had more money than he knew what to do with. More money than he'd ever thought he'd have "Yeah. Maybe... it depends if I like anything" "You could probably get a few nice dresses or tops. Whatever you like. You always look good to me" It wasn't because he didn't look like a girl anymore? Did Levi want him to look more girl like? It seemed like so long since he'd bought his own clothes... and it wasn't like he didn't have nice clothes. He couldn't go Ballroom dancing in sneakers and a holy shirt... he just didn't want the kids ruining the few nice things he had. He'd had to hide the charm bracelet Levi had gifted him, along with the glass dolphin as Viren had tried to destroy them both "Ok" "Good" "When's Viren coming home?" Levi frowned at him, Eren feeling guiltier. He'd forced him to send his son away... "Whenever I call Hanji" "You should. He won't understand why you're not there" "He's healthy and he's safe..." "It feels cruel" "You need time to recharge" "You". Not "we". Levi was only doing this because he was so weak. Shit... Jumping up from his seat, Eren ran to the bathroom sink. Throwing up the milk and pills he'd just swallowed, a hand went to his stomach as he groaned. Placing a hand on Eren's back, Levi rubbed it softly, as he nuzzled into Eren's shoulder "You really should let me take..." "I've been to hospital. I don't need to go back. I had a piss and blood test. If it was something to worry over, I'd still be there" He sounded so fucking pissy. No wonder Levi rushed to soothing mode "Ok. Ok. I'm worried, that's all" "Stop it. I didn't ask for your help or worry!" Crap. He'd snapped at Levi. Shit. Coughing, it turned wet as he vomited again "Eren" "Fuck it. I'm not going to be able to eat breakfast. Let's just go do whatever you wanted to" "I wanted to take you shopping... for you" "I don't need anything. Save your money" For someone who actually deserved it "Eren. I want to start trying to fix things between us. I want to buy you things. I want to do things with you... I want to make this work. Last night, you were rejecting me. It hurt. It hurt to know I pushed you that far" "It's not just you to blame. I'm the one who's..." "I know what you're going to say, but you're not. You're not fucked in the head. Or crazy. You're exhausted and stressed. You're also my omega. I want to live up to the promises I made you. So stop thinking you're a basket case, and stupid, or whatever" "It's the same thing" "No, it's not. I know you're not crazy" "Because I didn't freak out on you yesterday" "And how often you freak out. You haven't had a panic attack that severe in a while" That Levi knew about... even when medicated, they'd still come, though milder. The ones off of his meds... yeah. He knew he was still a basket case. He couldn't have this pup. Not like this... he'd have to talk with his doctor about options... he didn't want to abort it, but he was a bad mum and a bad omega "Why don't you change into something warmer? I'll make you some toast for breakfast" "I told you I can't eat" "You need to. It's not healthy not to. Even if it's just a slice of toast, you need something in your stomach" He wasn't going to win... no matter what he did or said.... "Fine. I'll go change" Levi kissed his shoulder. Eren instantly wanting to cave into the man's touch. He wanted Levi to love him like he used to. When he'd randomly kiss him, or hug him, or jump into the shower with him, or wrap his arms around him and cling like a child as he cooked... He missed laying in bed talking and snuggling. He missed having real adult conversations, and watching scary movies to make fun of them. God. He longed for it all... Feeling his emotions well, his omega snarkily reminded him that he could have all of that, if he wasn't such a sorry excuse for an omega. He hadn't missed the insults his omega would supply. He hadn't missed feeling this shitty. He hadn't missed his paranoia or depression. He definitely hadn't missed feeling like he was walking on eggshells around his own emotions. No. He hadn't missed any of that. * Dragged shopping, Eren kept trying to put things back. While Levi kept putting things in the shopping trolley. He was trying not to let the fact he was pregnant influence his purchases. If Levi had wanted another pup from him, he wouldn't be using two condoms or avoiding the subject. That was the clear answer to their problem. Shorts it was. It was still warm enough to pull them off He ended up with an insane amount of new clothes and shoes that he was sure he didn't need. They wouldn't stay nice and new for long. He couldn't help but pick up clothes for Viren. Levi brushed off his enquiries of where his new clothes were. His alpha was better at buying new clothes for himself than Eren had been since Viren's birth, and anything that Levi had wore to death, was magically replaced thanks to online shopping. Despite the fact it would probably never be used, Eren did manage to buy some new makeup colour pallets and foundation. He missed the days where he used to take such good and careful care of his skin, only his stretch marks and suicide scars got any attention these days. Levi had naturally perfect skin. The alpha never knew his pain, or the pain of a breakout. It was hard to accept acne when it was on your face, as acne had such an ugly stigma. His changing hormones had brought more pimples than he knew what to do with. No one chose acne, but they did choose to be a dick about it. After clothes shopping, Levi forced him to have a manicure and pedicure, while the alpha took care of something. He didn't know what, only that Levi kissed him, then disappeared off to wherever he had in mind, leaving Eren to trail into the salon in a state of confusion. Was it wrong that he was kind of feeling a little better, up until Levi had left? He had Levi's undivided attention. His mate was listening to his words, and his son wasn't throwing a tantrum over Levi paying attention to him. He was so fucking selfish. His son was just a pup. He deserved all Levi's attention, and Levi deserved to be happy. Struggling with his anxieties, he barely made his wishes understood, clumsily pointing out a nice cheese-leaf design for his fingers. Coming back mid-pedicure, Levi was sans their shopping. Standing over the woman doing his nails, his mate crossed his arms, while Eren found himself staring. His stomach was rolling like there was no tomorrow, for the first time in a long time, he really wanted to scratch... he should be enjoying this. Levi wanted him to enjoy this. Fucking pregnancy meaning no sanity pills. Levi could have just said he was off to put the shopping in the car, maybe he was mad over how much they'd ended up buying? Eren had said no. He'd even tried to put things back because they were way too much... but Levi had pulled out his m card and paid for it all without giving him a chance to pay for himself. Lifting his feet out the water to dry them, the small beta woman asked what colour he wanted his toenails. Levi pulled a face like it was weird, so he left it to his alpha, as a small stab of revenge. Levi choosing a dark green that he hadn't even noticed. It was nice, but he wasn't sure he wanted green toes until she started painting them. Mentally sighing to himself, he'd have to remember to wear shoes, or risk upsetting Viren. But hey, at least it went with his silver fingernails and their dainty leaf design. Leaving the salon, Levi wrapped his arm around his waist. Eren's knees nearly going weak as his alpha's scent wrapped around him "Is there anything else we need to get? Or is it just food shopping, left?" "I need to get a suitcase. I don't have one, and I think Viren needs a new one. His is filled with toys" "He does know he can't take all his toys with him" "He's two, nearly, three. He doesn't understand that he is coming back" "You know, you're really good with him. I know things haven't been great, but you've always kept trying to do what was best for him. He's lucky to have you as a mum" "I wouldn't say that" "Eren" "It's true. I'm not much of a mum" "You are. You run the whole household. You keep us all in check. You cook. You clean. You pay the bills. You make the appointments. You know what needs to be done and you take care of it. I'm so proud of you, and I'm sorry I've been putting so much pressure on you" "I don't do much... I mean. I'm usually with the kids" "I don't have the patience to spend the day chasing after four kids. And for what it's worth, I'm sorry you can't dance right now. But... it's temporary right?