#i am so happy and LOSING MY FREAKING MIND right now

[dearlittlefandom-stalker]

In honor of today (August 19th) being Scar's birthday,

GUESS WHAT CAME IN THE MAIL TODAYYYY!!!!!!

GUYS GUYS GUYS GUYS

IT LOOKS SO GOOD GUYS

ACAHJDDJDKSKDKFBSJAB

[seresinhangmanjake]

I've Promised You Forever

Dad!Jake "Hangman" Seresin x female reader

Summary: Jake and his Honey are married!

Notes/Warnings: None, really.

Words: 2454

Oh, Baby Series

---

“You’re less nervous than I expected,” Rooster said, his eyes meeting Jake’s in the mirror as they adjusted their bowties in sync. 

They’d been up for hours, the whole house alive and bustling as people put things in place. Phoenix, his mother, and Gram stayed by your side, but the rest of his team set about accomplishing their own tasks. Coyote was on decorations. Payback on flowers. Fanboy on the cake—probably not the best of ideas if they wanted it arriving without a bite taken out of the side. Bob had Eve. And Rooster, with the exception of occasionally checking on the others, had remained with Jake. 

“Am I?” Jake asked, but in truth his friend was right. He wasn’t nervous. From all that led up to this day, he found no reason to be.

“For this being the day you marry the love of your life? Yes, I would say you’re surprisingly calm.” Done with his tie, Rooster turned to eye the side of his friend’s face. “I mean, I know this is literally happening in your own backyard, but it’s still a big deal.”

Jake finished messing with the bow and his hand landed on Rooster’s shoulder, giving it a few pats. “Of course it’s a big deal. I’m not denying that.”

“Ok, then why—”

“How is she doing?”

Rooster paused at the sudden shift, but adaptable as he was, he adjusted quickly to the randomly tossed question. He thought over his answer, then his brow lightly pinched, his head tilted to the side, and he said, “Actually…no more nervous than you.” He shook the confusion off his face. “I don’t get it. I’d be freaking out right now, but I guess I’ll chalk it up to you two already facing such a hefty amount of trials and tribulations together that you’re numb to nerves.”

Jake chuckled. That hefty amount was no joke. Nothing about you and Jake managed to edge along the conventional route. Not how you became a family. Not how you developed as a couple. Not how you chose to marry. Your relationship was forced through more than most, and at the end of the day, it was being one another’s rock in a sea of utter chaos that made it all survivable. 

More challenges would find their way to his family, Jake knew. No one was immune. But come hell or high water, you and Jake proved to be unbreakable, and that wasn’t going to change. 

“She looks incredible, though,” Rooster continued. “You’re going to lose your mind.”

—

“How do you feel? Are you nervous? Can you believe you’re finally going to be married?” All questions shot from Jake's mother as she straightened out the veil attached to your loose bun. “It feels so different being a wife. But I know you’re the best possible woman for my son.”

You turned your head to meet her eyes and you smiled. “Thank you, Eliza.”

She rounded you and took your hand in hers, lightly squeezing. “I know you and Jake have had a rather unique journey, but if anything, I believe that proves how much you are meant to be together.”

You grinned and nodded in agreement. Unique was right. In every way. From the moment you met, you knew your path together would not be straight. It would have its twists and its turns, as it eventually did. But that jagged road the two of you had wobbled along trained you and Jake to accept being different. And in being different, you were more than happy to throw out rules and expectations, instead choosing to do exactly as you wanted whenever you wanted to do it. 

That habit was demonstrated perfectly the night prior when Jake snuck back home despite his mother’s and friends’ insistence on not seeing his bride before the wedding. He’d waited until his team fell asleep at Rooster's, then drove back to his house, kissed his daughter’s forehead, and snuggled up to you in bed, not caring about the scolding once his absence would be discovered come morning; a scolding that came in the form of his Gram's small hand smacking into his shoulder. 

A sudden knock at the door was followed by the peeking of Nat’s head into the room. “You ready?” she asked. “Rooster is about to go down the aisle with Eve.” 

You grinned at the thought of the job you’d assigned your friend, which he’d accepted with an unexpected excitement. And thankfully you’d enlisted Payback as photographer so you’d get to see for yourself the six-foot tall wall of a man holding an infant and a basket of flower petals in his arms as he made his way towards Jake. 

And then it would be your turn.

"Ready," you confirmed. 

—

Under any other circumstances, Jake would’ve chuckled. He would’ve taken the opportunity to tease his friend the way his friends so often teased him. But as he watched Rooster carry his baby girl down the aisle, doing his best to hold her close and help her drop light pink petals along the pathway, Jake couldn’t help but smile. 

Eve was content in his arms. She was peaceful, as if she knew it was a joyful day over anything else. She hadn’t cried without Mama and Daddy, Bob informed him. She didn’t fuss when made to put on her white tulle dress or slide the headband into her wispy hair. So when she reached the end of the aisle, in appreciation Jake bent down to place a kiss on her forehead before Rooster took his position to the left of his shoulder. 

“Deep breath,” Rooster muttered as everyone in their seats stood and turned. 

His mother’s arm was linked with yours while she guided you past your friends toward him. The smile you displayed was ear to ear. Bright. Vibrant. But his mother’s took up nearly half of her face; wide with lips pulled back so far the corners caught her tears before they could reach her chin. 

She’d thanked him a million times the week before. Despite becoming so prominent in Jake’s life, she had the lingering sense that at any moment, he would cut her out again. She felt it an honor to be at her son’s wedding, to walk the woman he loved down the aisle and hand her over so he could call his little family complete. Though, rings on fingers and vows from lips were not a symbol of completion, not for him. He’d been complete from the moment you came back into his life with his baby girl strapped to your chest. 

Jake’s eyes remained locked on you as you neared. Each of your steps came with a matching thump of his heart. He’d never tire of seeing you come to him; the anticipation of having you close and holding you in his arms, even when simply being greeted after a long day at work. Still, this was a bit more—an acknowledgment in front of everyone he loved that he could officially call you ‘wife’ whenever and wherever he wanted—and he pressed his heels into the ground to keep from bouncing on his toes. 

Once you were close enough that he could catch your flowered perfume, Jake took your hand from his mother and raised it to his lips to brush a soft kiss over the back. “Hi, Honey," he whispered, intertwining your fingers. You gave your bouquet over to Phoenix then took his other hand, mirroring the weaving of fingers. 

A subtle pink tinted your cheeks. “Hi."

“Alright,” Gram clasped her palms together. “You kids ready to be married?" 

Your teasing smile sent a zing down Jake’s spine and he returned it with a wink. 

"I'll take that as a yes," she said, then called to the small crowd, "You can all be seated and we'll get this show on the road."

His ears felt full of fuzz as his grandmother began to speak her practiced lines; the ones she’d run over with him a hundred times to make sure they suited his wishes, despite him telling her just as many times that whatever she would say would be perfect. Jake knew he’d be solely focused on you anyway, taking away from his ability to fully absorb her words. 

Her voice was a consistent humming in his ear, and not until she lightly nudged him in the arm did he snap out of the glowy haze you’d surrounded him in to realize it was his cue. 

“Right,” he said, clearing his throat. When you giggled his lips curved upwards. “Honey…” he started but then paused to stare again, just for another moment. At how amazing you were. At how beautiful, wrapped in a dress that hugged every dip and swell of your figure, with the soft style of your hair, and the red shade painting your lips. He was already imagining the marks of your kiss all over his body. 

Then sensing the flush of his skin and the sting of oncoming tears, he swallowed to try to hold himself together. His fingers squeezed yours tighter. 

“Honey, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it forever,” he began. “I love you. I love everything you are. Everything we are. I love the work and the struggles and the progress we’ve made to have what we have. I love our baby girl.” A tear slipped down your cheek that Jake reached up to brush away with his thumb before taking your hand again. “The two of you are my gift. My world and my heart. You own a piece of me that I never want you to give back,” he continued. “And I wake each morning thankful that you were so strong when having our Eve. I thank you for being so brave when you chose to come back into my life," he said. "You’re everything and all of it, Honey.”

Your thumb stroked over his, then you pulled his hand closer to press a kiss to the digit. “Jake,” you sniffled. “I’ve said it before and I’ll say it forever.” He snickered at the familiar line before allowing a smile that matched yours to take over his face. “We were never a mistake. We weren’t a matter of convenience or simplicity. We weren’t a shot in the dark,” you said. “I believe that someway, somehow, this is where we would have inevitably found ourselves. Standing here, with our baby beside us, husband and wife. This is how it was always meant to be. And I know that in my soul.

"I love you," was a clear statement from your lips. "You are mine, Jake Seresin. You’re everything and all of it.”

Your radiating love filled him fully and he settled comfortably into the warmth that spread through his veins. Then he heard another sniffle, just to his right.

“Goodness,” Gram breathed as she wiped at a fallen tear. “You two…” She shook her head; took another breath. “Rings?”

Bob reached around Rooster to hand your ring to Jake as Phoenix slipped his into your palm. The exchange of bands rebloomed the flutters in his stomach. Then before Gram could get out her next instruction, Jake framed your face with his hands and joined your lips in a long kiss. 

“I love you, Honey,” he muttered between one soft kiss and the next. “Always.”

—

The evening had passed in the blink of an eye, but you didn’t miss a single detail of how the day unfolded. Each bit of it utterly perfect. Each moment more precious than the last. You couldn’t say you woke that morning with any expectations other than to enjoy your friends and family, but now that it was nearing its close, you realized everything far surpassed what you could’ve ever hoped for. A wedding had the potential to bring some chaos, as did most things during your and Jake’s relationship, but it was nothing other than smooth and easy. Everyone you cared for was by your side. Your daughter was happy in the company of those who loved her most. And you and Jake were together. All as should be.

Under the low glow of the fairy lights woven through the trees, you and Jake swayed to the gentle music. With your head resting on his shoulder, your arms around one another, you watched your friends and family enjoying themselves. Laughing, joking, teasing each other. They took turns dancing with your daughter in their arms, dancing with each other, or their dates. Rooster’s in particular–your friend and coworker—had her eyes glued to him and a blush across her cheeks as he rocked Eve back and forth while slowly moving about the installed dance floor. 

"You still feel alright with not telling them?" Jake’s voice was suddenly low in your ear, far from able to be heard by your guests with you being off to the edge of the wooden flooring. 

"That we've been married for months?” you asked. “Yes, I imagine it's still best we keep that to ourselves."

“I agree,” Jake said with a chuckle. "Think of the drama we'd face from our devastating betrayal."

"I know. I can't believe how selfish we are." 

He hummed. “You know, if you really think about it, by not telling them we are actually sparing them the pain and trauma.”

"That’s very true."

Jake chuckled again, a vibration from his chest to yours, and hugged you closer. A moment later you lifted your head to meet his eyes and smiled at your husband. The man who had been your husband for one hundred and twenty-six days, officially tied exactly three days after he slid that engagement ring onto your finger. You’d planned on waiting, but not seventy-two hours later, as you laid beside one another in bed, skin still damp with sweat and chests rising and falling in heavy breaths, Jake suddenly flipped on his side, cupped your cheek, and said: ‘What if we do it tomorrow?’. The rapid expelling of the question made you realize he had been thinking about it as much as you had. You’d instantly agreed, smiled, kissed, and spent the rest of the night wrapped around one another. The next morning you were married, and maintained the agreement that no one else needed to know. The two of you would know. And that was enough. 

"No,” you reaffirmed, brushing a stray lock of his blond hair back into place. “I think I like having our little secret."

Jake paused the movement of your bodies and, with a grin, said, "So do I, Honey." Then he placed his hands on your cheeks, just as he had earlier in the day, and once again drew you in for a kiss.

---

A/N: I hope it was ok :)

tags: @wkndwlff @kmc1989 @sagittarius-flowerchild @dempy @oliviah-25 @rosiahills22 @xoxabs88xox @cinderellasmissingshoe @hardballoonlove @ssa-sadboi @novagreen04 @multifandomlover4life @mayhemmanaged @memeorydotcom @ryiamarie

[gyll-yee-haw]

how do you think donnie or jake would deal with an unplanned pregnancy?? 👀

Honeyy 🤭🤭

I went with Donnie <33

Warnings: unplanned pregnancy, mentions of abortion, anxiety, little angst with a happy ending

A/N: Shout out to auntie Elizabeth, I love you Maggie 😭

Like 1.1k words

---

Man, he would be TERRIFIED

Like... he couldn't even take care of himself, how the fuck is he supposed to take care of a child?

Whenever you tried to talk, he was always devastated

And these first weeks would be terrible for you, because you needed support, you were also scared, but he was a mess and it was impossible to get any support from him

But he only realized that on the day you freaked out in front of him, after all those days pretending to be okay

"Donnie, I know this isn't what we wanted, but it happened and now we have to fucking deal with it. I need to do something about it and it would be of great help if my boyfriend who didn't want to use a fucking condom could help me!"

He froze in his place, seeing your tears fall.

You felt terrible for snapping at him, knowing that he wasn't okay... but you had the right to not be okay too

"I spoke to you sister." You spoke again, realizing he wouldn't. "She said she knows a place..."

"What?" He frowned. "You're not thinking about..."

"Of course I am, Donnie... how the fuck am I supposed to do this?" You cried harder

"I... I know, but..." He was invaded by some kind of feeling he hadn't experienced yet. "But it's... it's our baby. It's... ours. You and me."

You looked at him with the most heartbreaking expression he had ever seen

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry about the way I've been acting... I should have been by your side." He sighed sadly. "I understand if you don't want to keep it. I mean... what if the baby turns out to be a fuck up like me"

In the middle of everything you were going through, you hadn't thought about it. Yeah, what if the baby turned out to be like him

Turned out to be that funny and sweet

With his eyes and that laugh that you loved

With that kind heart and that sense of justice that would always get him in trouble

"I love you, Donnie." You smiled at him, wiping your tears away. "It would be an honor to have a son like you."

"No, it wouldn't." He rolled his eyes. "And what kind of dad would I be? They would be so... unhappy and traumatized, for sure."

Nothing made you sadder than hearing about how much Donnie hated himself. He wouldn't miss an opportunity to bring himself down, to tell you how undeserving of you he was

"Well, I think..." You were about to defend him, then you stopped

You thought about this whole situation for a second and laughed

He had never been that confused in his life... what was so funny in a moment like this?

"I am losing my mind." You told him before throwing yourself in his bed, looking at the ceiling

He sat beside you, waiting for further explanation

"I'm just..." You continued. "I walked through that door ready to communicate that I'm getting an abortion and now I'm daydreaming about this like it was a good idea."

"It's a terrible idea, isn't it?" He allowed his body to fall beside yours on the bed

"Yeah, it is..." You sighed

"Can I be honest with you?" His cheeks turned a little red

"Hmm?"

"I hadn't thought about getting rid of it for a second before you mentioned it... isn't that weird?" He admitted. "You know damn well how much of an overthinker I am, I thought about every fucking thing, from holding a newborn to paying for college, both equally terrifying, but I... never once thought of the possibility of just... not doing any of that."

"That's how I know you'd be a great father." You shrugged, watching him tilt his head like a puppy. "Come on, Donnie... any other guy would just dump me. And you immediately thought about all of this... because you'd actually do this, you'd be involved and work hard so everything would be perfect."

He thought about it for a second

You respected his silence, taking your time to absorb all of this... could it really work? Were you convincing him or yourself?

"Y/N..." his hand went to your face, thumb gently stroking your cheek. "I will understand if you really decide to get the abortion. It's your body and... well, this sure as fuck isn't ideal. We should be worried about whether we are going to college, not if someone else is, but..."

"Donnie." You tried to hold back your laughter. "You're the only one here worried about paying for a bunch of organized cell's college."

He laughed. For the first time since he heard the news, he laughed. Until his cheeks hurt. God, you were in love with him... enough to agree with what he would say next

"I know it's stupid... and I know that our families will kill us..." He smiled. "But if you want to, I... I think we could do this... y'know... think we could be a family. Us and our little... hmm... organized bunch of cells."

Elizabeth was the first to hear the news... I mean, she already knew about the pregnancy, but now she knew you were keeping it

She was proud of his brother and how he was brave enough to do this, but she would never let him know that

She teased the shit out of him

Called him "father of the year" and made remarks like "you should know this, you're a father now"

His mother fainted when she first got the news... but she got used to it pretty quickly

Specially after seeing how much more dedicated to his treatment Donnie was now

He was so focused on being okay... on preparing himself for being the best person he could be

And when your belly started to grow, shit started to get real

And, surprisingly so, that didn't freak Donnie out, it excited him...

He would spend hours ranting about his nerd shit to your belly

He would read all the books he can find about pregnancy and come up with weird and mildly disgusting facts to you

Yeah, I don't know what to say... he is a huge baby, so now you'd have two <3

[wreckingtickles]

Eijiro Kirishima (mha) Headcanons

First off, thank you, everyone, for the warm reception of the "1 Hour in Tickle Hell" story! It's putting such a huge smile on my face, and right now, it's really helping.

But onto Kirishima! One of my absolute favorite lees, and as far as fandom versions of characters are concerned, also one of my faves. Insecure ball of sunshine is just my thing. Though I have a harder time writing him than many other characters, I wonder why. Oh, and while I'm at it, I see Kirishima as bi, though he'd never really crushed on a boy until he met Bakugo.

Now, for tickle headcanons: Kirishima enjoys tickling others and being tickled. When he was at UA, he was the resident tickle monster, and it was just a good time: you laugh, you make others laugh, you take Bakugo down a peg, you bond with shier classmates like Izuku, Ojiro, and Todoroki, and if they wanted revenge, so much the better! One of his biggest successes was turning it into a competition with Bakugo, and since Kirishima is completely unapologetic about being ticklish, he's the reigning champion, despite being pretty ticklish himself! And he may have tried to provoke Shoji multiple times, but Shoji never indulged him until he admitted exactly what he wanted.

He later realized that tickling, in a more intimate context, is a turn-on for him, both giving (but only to guys) and receiving (from anyoen and anything). It feels like both a challenge and a fun form of domination, and it makes him feel like his partner is happy, he just loves seeing that smile. Plus, it's an excuse to keep touching Bakugo all over, which, even several years into their relationship, he still can't get enough of, as he made himself fall in love with every single part of him.

Yep, Kirishima is pretty freaking ticklish, and while he really enjoys it, it limits how much tickling he can actually take, also causing him to lose tickle fights as he was trying to suppress his Quirk at the same time (and didn't really mind being on the losing end).

I admit there are many spots that may change in the future, but I am quite certain about what his top spots are.

Giggling (6-7): Kirishima's chest, abs, sides, back (which I forgot to add), and non-nos are all moderately ticklish, and three out of those four spots are erogenous (in a bedroom setting - not when he used to play around with his classmates), as any attention to his chest and abs feels like appreciation for the hard work he put into making his body what it is, a testament that he can be a stronger person. These are also some of th eonly spots where light tickles work about as well as harder tickles: lickles, vibrations, and especially metal claws, the latter can really destroy him and are effective everywhere.

Laughing (7.5-8.5): Spots that unfailingly cause Kirishima to laugh out loud when targeted. His laughter is energetic and loud, unsurprisingly, and can feel either obnoxious or contagious depending on your mood. His thighs are his third most ticklish spot, and yeah, being tickled there feels intimate and also like he's being praised for their thiccness, which is why he loves being tickled with fingers there (physical contact, yay!). His feet are also big and ticklish, so they can house a lot of ticklish implements at once. Oddly, the tops seem to be more sensitive than the bottoms!

Howling (9-10): One thing Kirishima has in common with Bakugo is that his ribcage is super sensitive, though he makes it a point to remind the blond that he's even more ticklish there. And his armpits... he likes being tickled there because it really pushes him to his limit, but he also can't stand being tickled there too long because the sensation is juts too intense. Light tickles work well on both spots, but harder ones will have him howling and go as red as his hair. Claws are nightmarish, yes, but a few minutes of backscratcher action on either of those spots, but especially his pits, will have him howling and incoherent. Unsurprisingly, his pits were a common target when he needed punishing, cheering up, or while he was working out at UA.

[justcallmenikki7]

BTS Reaction To: Past Relationship Trauma

Hyung!Line

Summary: your past relationship with your ex messed you up and you still deal with the trauma, but your boyfriend now reassures you and proves to you that you are safe and loved.

Warnings: past trauma, mentions of anxiety and depression, self-harm, past emotional abuse and mental abuse mentioned, insecurities, angst, fluff, hyung!line being the sweetest boyfriends, self-doubt. MAJOR TRIGGER WARNING: SELFHARM

W.C.: 2.4k

Notes: heeeey, I’m back! This is an emotional rollercoaster because this is some of the shit, I went through with the boy I told you guys about. At the time I did not realize what was going on, but now that I do, I needed to write about it but with fluff and daydreams about the boys. I have a lot of things to work on because of him, but this gave me some healing and hope that my future S/O can understand where I am coming from on how I feel and that I’m going to be healing. I am healing, but the thought of being vulnerable again is scary, because you know, trusting someone with your heart is scary. But I want to let everyone know that it is okay to heal, it is okay to trip in the process in healing. So, I hope you enjoy this, and it might be hard to read, but take time. I am working on the Maknaes!line, and it should be up soon!

Kim Seokjin:

He started noticing that you have become off a few weeks ago. He did not know what was going on because from his knowledge everything was fine, and you guys were happy. Doing everything that he can, such as having the house clean before you got home from a long day at work, making sure your hoodie, or his because you have claimed it as yours, that you wear at night for bed was warm because he always puts it in the dryer before you go to bed.

It is scaring him because he loves you and does not want to lose you at all because you are his ray of sunshine. Trying to figure it out himself, he realized that you are putting a wall up that he thought he knocked down. He knows that you were mistreated in your last relationship, and it makes you scared that it would happen again. But after a year of proving to you that will not happen, he thought he conquered your demons and got rid of them, but maybe he missed those.

Finally, he approached you about it as he lays in bed with you, getting ready to get to bed.

“Baby? What’s going on?” He asked, grabbing your hands, holding tightly onto them.

Not realizing that those four words made you break down into tears. Freaking out, he pulled you into arms and held onto you tightly, caressing your hair and whispering encouraging words to you, trying to calm you down.

“I’m so scared that somethings going to go bad with us. We’re so happy and healthy that I can’t believe that this is what happens in healthy relationships. Something is not right. This isn’t right. When are you going to get irritated with me and dump me? This must be wrong because this isn’t right.” You choked out, holding tightly onto him.

That is what it was. You fear happiness, and you are not used to it. Seokjin felt like his heart broke because it hurts him to see someone who gives their all to someone and then it gets destroyed over and over. So having someone and something who doesn’t do that is so odd because you are used to that pattern and when it changes, it’s terrifying.

“I know baby. I know. You’ve been hurt so many times that being used to that kind of treatment is familiar and when you get out of that and find healthy… it’s a foreign feeling that you start preparing yourself for downfall. It’s okay to be scared, but please don’t push me away. I want to be here for you and help you. I know it’s hard, and I’ll go at your pace, but please don’t shut me out. I love you so fucking much. How about this. How about we every day sit down for however long and talk about things that are our minds. I know in that pretty head of yours can be your own worst enemy and you get stuck in it. Let me help you get unstuck, okay?”

Looking up at him with teary eyes, you nod your head in agreement. Leaning down, Seokjin presses a kiss on your lips that always makes his heart flutter. He felt you relax in his arms and smile into it.

“I don’t deserve you.”

“Yes, you do. Mr. WorldWide needs his Mrs. WorldWide, and he just so happens to have found her when they both needed each other.”

Min Yoongi:

Sometimes Min Yoongi wishes that he could read your mind like Edward Cullen in Twilight because that way he could get your overthinking to stop. He knows what hell you went through with your ex-boyfriend, and he wishes he could beat his ass for what he did to you.

But he does his best to be patient with you because he knows it’s trauma that you carry with you, and something you are working on and that is your constant overthinking.

Now, he doesn’t blame you and can understand and see clearly why you overthink because your ex-boyfriend was a manipulative, narcissistic dick. He fucked with your mind so badly that it took you almost a year to trust your mind and your own thoughts.

Right now, though, he could tell that you wanted to tell him something but kept back tracking, and this is something that he can’t help but to get irritated with. To be clear, it’s not him irritated with you, but irritated at the fact some boy fucked with your head so badly that you’re scared to even explain how you feel on a situation.

“Y-Yoongi, can I talk to you?” You stuttered, confidence nowhere in sight.

“Of course, what’s wrong?” He asked gently, giving you a gentle, loving smile, knowing that approaching him on how you feel so hard because of your past.

Taking a deep breath, you began to fidget with your fingers, and he could tell your anxiety is creeping you onto you. “I know you’ve been busy lately and that it’s been stressful, but I’m just worried that I did something wrong because you have been kind of short with me and not as t

talkative. And I’m sorry if I did something, and I seem clingy, but like I just needed to ask— “

You were cut off by his finger on your lips, shutting you up in a gentle manner.

“No baby, you didn’t do anything wrong, I promise. I should’ve approached you earlier on this, and I was about to before you came in. I didn’t mean to sound irritated and distant when we messaged each other. I was very caught up in my writing and yesterday the Maknae line was getting on my nerves, so I kind of took my irritation out on you when that was not my intention.”

“So, I didn’t do anything wrong?” Needing to hear the confirmation just one more time from him.

“No, my love, you did nothing wrong, I promise you. I’ll make sure next time to watch out on how I approach you if I’m irritated, I promise.”

Smiling at him with a small smile, he knew that you were still unsure and nervous, which he understood. But you’ve both made more progress in the last six months with you believing him because he made a promise that he will fix you and prove to you that he is not like your ex.

Leaning towards you, he grabbed your face with his hands lovingly and brought your lips to his and kissed you with all the love that he has for you in it. He smiled into the kiss once he felt your smile against his lips.

It takes time, and he knows that there’s still more battles for you both to get through, but he knows you both will get through it together.

Jung Hoseok:

The past couple of weeks, your anxiety has been skyrocketing through the roof to where you have anxiety attacks every single day and Hoseok does not understand why. Hoseok is very familiar with anxiety – having experienced with anxiety with himself – but he does not know on how to approach you on this. You are very secretive with your mental health, besides when it comes to anxiety because it is a part of you, and he knows that you hate that it is. He also does know that your past relationship with your ex, he heard from your best friend that he made you feel bad about your mental health and always made degrading comments about it, especially with the medicine that you take.

Coming home from dance practice, Hoseok was confused on why the house was so quiet. Your car was parked in the driveway and your shoes were in the shoe cubby that was by the front door, so obviously you were home, but the house was deathly quiet. Kicking his shoes off, not thinking about putting them in the shoe cubby, he sat his duffle bag down and began his mission on finding you. Checking the kitchen and living room and not finding you there, he made his way down the hall towards your guy’s bedroom. Entering it, he saw the light that was coming from the bathroom, and he heard some movement coming from in there. Walking straight into the bathroom unannounced, he found you with a razor in your hand and fresh cuts along with your wrist.

“What in the fuck are you doing?” Hoseok asked, panic in his tone.

Looking up at him in shock, you threw the razor away from you, tears coming to surface in your eyes as you broke down completely.

“I-I’m so sorry, I blacked out and-and I could not resist it,” you sobbed out, panicking to grab toilet paper to stop the bleeding. “I-I’m so sorry, please do not be mad at me,” you begged, trying to take care of the wounds on your wrist.

Not saying anything, Hoseok grabbed the washcloth that was laying on the sink and wetting it. Making his way towards you, he gently grabbed your wrist and began to dab at it with the washcloth, his focus was making sure to clean up the mess and getting the bleeding to stop.

After a few quiet minutes – minus your sobs and shaky breaths – he finally spoke, “what happened?” He asked you, voice filled with worry.

“I-I could not control it; my mind became too loud and my thoughts getting the best of me. I tried, Hope, I tried so hard to ignore it, but it took over.”

“What thoughts, baby?” He asked, needing to know what you were thinking.

“That I was becoming too much and not enough. Everything was going so right, too right, and I guess I just could not handle it. I just thought I would be the one to sabotage it and hurt myself before you hurt me so it would be easier to cope with.” You began to sob harder, not being able to take the thought of losing Hoseok. “I fucked up, I’m so sorry.”

“Baby, no you did not. You tripped and tripping happens with healing, I’m not going anywhere I promise. We will get you through this, okay? We are in this together, okay? I got you; I promise baby.”

“Okay.” You stuttered out, breathing heavy and mind foggy. But you trust him, because he did not make you feel bad about what happened, and he is still here with you.

Kim Namjoon:

It is hard seeing someone who you love so much hate their self so much to where they are so fragile emotionally and mentally. Some days, they can be doing so good and the next day they are back in their rabbit hole, not being able to take a small thing of criticism and thinking that they cannot achieve anything because of constantly, in their mind, messing up.

This is Namjoon’s thoughts on you. He loves you so much, but seeing you so destroyed from a past relationship and trying to heal yourself still breaks his heart. Just because of this, Namjoon is not going to leave you, he is wanting to fix you. Some people think that this can be exhausting and would give up, but Namjoon is not giving up on you. You both have gotten farther in your healing process, but some things can tip you off. And that thing was losing your father because of your beliefs being different than his, and it crushed you because you began to think that your thinking was not right. Getting out of mentally abusive relationship to where you felt wrong for having your own thought process and having to second guess yourself is a toll. Because, when you had your own opinion on something, your ex would criticize you for thinking the way you did and made you feel bad about it became unbearable. You lost yourself and felt so lost in your own mind that you did not know who you were anymore.

So, coming home to you tonight crying on the couch, Namjoon knew what to do. Setting his belongings down in the entrance, he made his way over to you, taking the blanket off the back of the couch and laid it over you. Sensing his presence, you sat up and wrapped the blanket around yourself before lunging yourself into his arms.

“My love, what happened?” He asked gently, running his fingers through your hair, massaging your scalp – an act that you love and found comfort in.

“I’m so sorry, I know that this is becoming old, and tiring, but at work, a coworker criticized my work, and I defended it! I defended myself, Joonie, but-but they got to me, making me think what I thought and said was stupid and they did that smirk. They did that smirk and it got to me, when it shouldn’t have. We’ve been working on this, but I could not help it. But it hurt. It made me feel pathetic and stupid. I’m so stupid.”

“Baby, I am so proud of you for standing up for yourself, and that is such huge progress that you have made. I am so, so proud of you, baby. And I know that they got to you, but you have to realize that - wait was it Michael who said that?” He asked, needing to make sure that he knew who it was from your work.

“Yes,” you replied.

Laughing at this confirmation – not at you, but at the fact that this dick who is below you in success at your company is criticizing you since he has not had a promotion in two years while you have in the past year. “Of course, it was him. My love, please do not work yourself up on someone who is less than you. And I know this is hard, but we can get this. Like you said, you defended yourself! Do you know how long you and I have been working on this? For a year and you finally did it! You did it baby, and now our next mission is to work on not caring about what Michael thinks, and not letting this dick make you feel bad about how you feel and think. We got this. Do we have a deal?”

Smiling up at him, you nodded, “but it is going to be hard. He got to me, and this is going to be difficult.”

“And it was difficult for you three months ago to defend yourself, but you finally did it. And I know for a fact that we will get to where you will be able to not care about what people think of you, and how you think and feel. We got this baby.”

Smiling, feeling much better, “we got this.”

[pensat-i-fet]

A little accident (Rúben Dias x Reader)

**Anon request. I hope this is similar to what you imagined and that everyone else likes it too ❤️**

Word count: 2362

Masterlist

Wattpad

“Thank you for driving me to training”, tells me Rúben when we park at the training centre. 

“It’s ok. You sure someone can drive you back home later? I don’t mind picking you up”.

“Yes. Bernardo will drive me home and my car will be fixed tomorrow. Don’t worry”.

“Perfect”, I say, giving him a goodbye kiss. “I’ll be waiting for you then. I can use my time at your place to work without noisy neighbours bothering me. And I could cook dinner for us, maybe?”

“If you want to”, he says, already out of the car and getting his bag. “But we can order something”.

“I’m happy cooking today”, I love cooking for people. “Have a good training”.

He’s already by my door so he can steal another kiss before leaving.

“Thank you. See you later!”

                                      **

When I’m back at Rúben’s, I put the kettle on before I start to get everything ready for work. I haven’t been able to do much lately due to my neighbours doing renovations in their apartment at the worst times, so I’m looking forward to a productive afternoon.

In between work sessions, I start googling recipes for dinner. What should I cook?

Two hours, a coffee and two cups of tea later, I’m done with everything I needed to do so far for the project I’m working on. So I decide to check we got all the ingredients I need for the pie I’m planning on cooking for dinner. Rúben should be back in an hour, so I’ll be taking the food out of the oven by the time he’s back. Perfect.

Moving around Rúben’s place isn’t always the easiest. He’s no giant, so his things are at normal height for most people…but not for someone as short as me. He loves joking about our height difference but always makes sure the things I need are not on the highest shelves. However, he can’t do that when he doesn’t know what I’ll be needing, like right now.

Walking around the kitchen carrying a chair so I can reach some of the ingredients I need makes me feel so dumb. Thankfully, no one is here to see it. But it gets the work done.

Being a bit of an organisation freak, I start to get all the bowls out to put the chopped veggies in them, in the order I’ll cook them. Once the carrots are done, everything is set. I only need to get the spices and I’ll be able to start cooking.

Oh, and I need a baking dish to put everything on. So I check the oven to see if the one that’s usually there can be used but…there’s nothing inside. How odd.

The drawers under the oven are full of stuff, but no baking dishes. Where has this man put them now?

After opening every drawer and cabinet door, I finally spot the baking dishes. On the top shelf. Of course. That’d be my luck. I guess it’s time to get the chair again. Being short isn’t that fun sometimes.

Checking the clock, I see I need to hurry up if I want to have the food ready for when Rúben is back. Even if he wouldn’t mind waiting a little bit, I know he’ll be starving after training.

But the damn chair isn’t enough for me to reach the shelf. Does he have a ladder? No, we joked about it sometimes and he doesn’t have one. 

I realise the only answer is going on the counter and immediately hear my mum’s voice telling me I can’t do that because it’s gross and I’ll slip and fall. Well, I can clean the area when I’m down. And I won’t fall. I’m tiny but, thankfully, not clumsy. And I need that bloody dish.

I soon find out it’s easier said than done and that the area where I’ll be standing is quite small, which reduces my movements a lot. But here I am, finally face to face with the dishes. Which one is the right size?

I get two out and hold them in front of me to try and compare sizes when I lose my balance and realise I have no empty hands to hold onto anything. So my survival instinct kicks in and I drop one of the dishes to try and hold onto the cabinet’s door. But I don’t manage to grab it, grabbing a little figure instead and taking it down with me.

I fear the noise would have been heard throughout the entire building. It was almost deafening. But once it’s all silent again, I finally open my eyes to see the damage made.

Both dishes are on the floor, but not broken. I’ll write a letter to the brand to congratulate them. Their unbreakable promise wasn't just smart advertising.

But something is broken. The little figure I tried to hold onto so I wouldn’t fall. And when I see what it is, I want to cry. My butt also hurts from falling and I’ll probably have a sore back tomorrow but all I can see is the figure.

When I first visited Rúben’s apartment, he showed it to me, telling me how it had belonged to his grandma and how she gave it to his mum when she lived abroad. Now it was Rúben’s turn to have it since he was living away from home. The figure itself wasn’t anything too special. Rúben even joked about keeping it in the cabinet because of how ugly it was. But it had so much sentimental value and now I broke it. God, he’s going to hate me.

My first stupid instinct is to get the pieces and try to do what? Superglue them together? I don’t even know if he has superglue at home. But I frantically get them so I can bring them to the counter and try and do something. 

While I do it, I hear the front door opening, which makes me panic and cut myself with one of the sharp pieces. I’m so panicked I don’t even feel the pain and just get a piece of kitchen cloth to wrap around my hand. That’ll do, it was a superficial cut.

“Hi…what happened?”, asks Rúben when he gets to the kitchen and finds me in my current state. 

“Sorry”, I say, starting to feel the tears in my eyes.

“Why are you apologizing? What happened?”

He keeps walking towards me while assessing the situation in the kitchen. The food is on the counter, ready to be cooked. The two baking dishes are still on the floor and I’m crying holding my bandaged hand and one of the pieces from the broken figure. I’m surprised he hasn’t run away yet.

“I fell and I broke…your figure…but I didn’t mean to…I’m sorry…I just couldn’t reach…”, the sobs make it impossible for me to speak correctly.

“Just calm down”, he says, but I can see him getting impatient. “Are you bleeding?”

He’s now holding my hand and trying to get the cloth off to see the cut but I take it away.

“It’s nothing. I’m sorry I broke your figure. I just tried to hold…”.

“Stop talking about the stupid figure”, he says, raising his voice. “Let me see your hand”.

“I’m fine”.

“You’re not. The cloth is soaked with blood”.

Is it?  Yes, when I look at my hand, I can see it is. Maybe the cut is not as superficial as I thought.

“I’ll clean it in a bit and put on a plaster. But first, we need to fix this. I have all the pieces and if you’ve got some glue, we can maybe make it decent”.

“If you don’t stop talking about that figure, I swear I’ll throw the pieces out of the window”.

I’ve seen him angry at the matches but that anger was never directed towards me and I don’t know how to react. But of course, he’s right about being angry at me. I come to his apartment and make all this mess. 

“I’m so sorry, Rúben. This is honestly so embarrassing. I’ll clean everything and…”.

But he’s no longer listening. He goes to get my bag and takes my keys out of it.

“What are you doing?”

“We are leaving”.

He’s kicking me out of the house?

“Where?”

“To the hospital. I’m going to clean that cut the best I can and bandage it properly, not with a plaster”, he says, trying not to roll his eyes. “And then we’ll go to the hospital. You might need stitches. And if you’ve fallen, you might be hurt somewhere else”.

“I feel fine”.

But the look he gives me says the conversation is over and we’re doing as he says.

                                      **

Ten minutes later, we are getting in my car since Rúben’s is still being fixed. And his annoyance is only getting worse.

“How can anyone fit here?”, he complains, moving the seat from my normal position to one where his legs can fit comfortably. 

“Sorry”.

“Stop apologizing”.

The drive is silent and I just try not to cry again, but I start feeling the pain from the fall in my body now that the adrenaline is gone and it’s not pretty.

“Are you alright?”, asks Rúben when he notices me moving, trying to find a comfortable position.

“My back hurts a bit”.

He sighs and keeps his eyes on the road. “We’ll be there soon”.

And he was right. Only a couple of minutes later, we are at the hospital and it doesn’t seem to be super busy at A&E. Finally some luck.

“I think she might need stitches”, says Rúben to the nurse who’s taking notes of all my injuries.

“Let me see, sweetie”, and I do, finally looking at the cut myself and having to look away immediately. “Yes, stitches for sure. Come with me, we need to disinfect it well before the doctor can do some sawing. He’s great at it. I’m always trying to get him to fix my clothes”.

I try to smile at her attempt at a joke but can barely do it. Rúben and I still don’t talk to each other and this feeling of guilt is killing me. But he still stays with me the whole time, which makes me feel a bit better.

The doctor who fixes my cut also checks my back, after telling him how I fell and injured myself and I can hear Rúben swearing under his breath when I take my shirt off.

“What?”, I ask, worried.

“It’s a nasty bruise”, answers the doctor. “But just a bruise. I’ll give you some medicine for the pain and you’ll be fine in a couple of days”.

                                   **

By the time we are back at the car, Rúben still hasn’t talked to me. He was happy to speak with the doctors and nurses but had no words for me. And now it’s starting to piss me off. It’s not as if I did this on purpose.

Out of habit, I go to open the door with my right hand, only to realise I can’t move it because of the bandage and the stitches. So I try with my left hand, but can’t open the door because Rúben stops me from doing it.

I turn to look at him but before I have time to say anything, he brings my body to his and hugs me tightly. Thank God I didn't hurt my ribs when I fell.

“Rúben…thank you for looking after me”.

“Don’t you even injure yourself again, you hear me?”

“Ok?”

“Do you know how scared I was when I saw you in the kitchen, crying and bloodied? I almost had a heart attack”, he tells me, holding my face with his hands.

“I thought you were angry at me”.

“Why would I be angry?”

“You yelled at me. You never yell at me”, I say, trying to make sense of the last hour. I just wanted to make some Shepherd’s pie.

“I was scared and didn’t know what to do and it frustrated me”, he says, hugging me again. “And then you kept talking about that figure you broke, when I was worried about you breaking a bone or something and…I don’t know, I lost it, I guess”.

I enjoy being in this embrace for a little longer before moving back to look at him.

“I just wanted to cook dinner but the dishes were too high up”.

“Instead of making the house child-proof, I’ll have to make it midget-proof”, he says, making me slap his arm…with my injured hand.

“I’m an idiot”, I say, putting my head in his chest and closing my eyes.

“Did that hurt?”

“Nah, but I’ll have to get used to being left-handed for a couple of days”.

“It could have been worse. That bruise you have on your back scared me even more than the blood, you know?”

“Is it really that bad?”

“I’ll show you when we are home. Let’s go. I’ll cook us some dinner”.

“Try not to break the entire kitchen. You’re so clumsy sometimes”, I joke, making us both laugh for the first time in a long while.

We finally make it back to his apartment and I get to see my lovely bruise, which does look pretty terrifying. And I also get to change into clothes that don't have any blood on them.

When I go back to the kitchen, I see all the mess I made has been cleaned by Rúben, who is making some quick dinner for the both of us.

“Are you sure you’re not angry at me for breaking that figure?”

“No. It was really ugly anyways”.

“But it was a family tradition”.

“It wasn’t when it was bought. We can buy another one and turn it into one. Family heirlooms or traditions aren’t made that way, we give them that meaning. I can buy more or make more”, he says, making me feel a bit better. “But I can’t make more of you if you fall again and break your neck”.

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m not going to go up a counter ever again”.

[nihyunluvskookie]

“What did I tell you about distractions?”

“Seungcheol One Shot ”

Pairing: Choi Seungcheol × Female Reader

Genre: second chance romance

Warning: mention of car crash

Word Count: 3.1K

Author’s Note: This was totally impulsive, I randomly got this idea when I was returning back home after classes. Hope I didn’t end it in a weird way. I had a playlist, I made for this. Do let me know your thoughts because I think racer Seungcheol is veryyyyyy hawt.

Happy reading :)

I took a deep breath, perfectly knowing what was coming for me. five years… freaking five years. I’ve been almost waiting for this day every second, anticipating it. But now, the time has come and here I am, inside my car. I took a deep breath, adjusting everything for once. “Are you ready?”

“I need to win. I’ve been waiting for this.”

Once I heard the gunfire, I started driving. I had one thing in my mind, that was to win. I need to win and show how he taught me well. All the memories started flooding inside my brain, “I hope when I will win next time, you would be there standing beside me and cheering up for me” his words felt like echoing in my ears. I didn’t let anything distract me, not even his memories.

“You need to use all your focus on the road, press the accelerator, and then press break after some time, you can start drifting once you are stable enough.” I nodded at his words. “Racing is not very tough but not very easy, you need focus” I kissed him quickly while he was talking, “And now that’s a distraction Shasha” he looked at me, I had his undivided attention, as if I was his everything for now. He leaned closer to me, he took my hand, and placed it on the steering wheel, “you can’t be distracted like this” he leaned closer, his one hand was on me, which was holding the steering wheel and another was the on the window, caging me between him.

“one distraction and you lose focus, which means you lose the race” With each word he was saying, he was leaning closer bit by bit, and the moment he mentioned losing the race, our noses almost touched. I was trying, to focus on him but I was getting distracted by how his hands were resting on mine on top of the steering wheel, “so,” he kissed me, once “Don’t” he kissed me again “Do” and again “this” he kissed me again and looked at me, “ever again” and he kissed me pushing me back. his hand was gripping my hand; his other hand which was on the window, reached my waist and pulled me closer to him, he groaned in between the kiss, asking for my permission for the tongue. My hand went to hold him, so that I don’t fall back but he pulled me closer again.

“you’re the only distraction I have right now but I want us in the podium, standing next to eachother” he smiled and kissed me again.

I was too focused on the track when this memory flooded in. I was hearing the commentary and keeping track of my and Seungcheol’s car subconsciously. I was feeling better every time I completed one lap. Everything reminded me of how I cheered for Seungcheol whenever he would complete one lap and then continue being ahead of others and finally win. One after another lap, I needed to win. I was putting all my trust in myself and so did my teammates.

“You are learning way too fast. You’re not supposed to learn this fast, how am I supposed to enjoy if you learn this fast Shasha” I could hear him while he tried to match my pace. I couldn’t blame him for this, I was always interested in bikes, cars, and speed but never got the chance to learn because my parents were always against it and after meeting Seungcheol, life got better.

Soon, I parked my bike near Seungcheol’s house and got down, I saw Seungcheol, almost throwing his helmet and walking towards me. I couldn't even take one more step when his hands reached for my neck and pulled me for a kiss. His body pressed towards me, and making me almost lean on my bike, but his other hand was on my bare waist, pulling him closer to him. “you’re a fast learner, and pretty attractive in this racer outfit” he looked at me, his breaths hitting my face, “doesn’t mean I would lose you to a random guy, with whom you seemed to have fun talking randomly while driving, what did I say about focus. He was expecting me to answer, which I gladly would, because watching this Seungcheol all worked up because he was jealous was fun. ‘you need to use all your focus on-

Before I could complete the word ‘road’ he kissed me, that was a rough kiss but who was I to complain, I was enjoying it. His fingers doing things to my bare waist, mental note, never wear a crop top then a leather jacket when I am with Seungcheol, he will drive me insane. “me” he said in between kiss and kissed me harder again. Whenever he would be jealous, he would make an excuse but at times he would just kiss me to let me know how jealous he gets at times.

“don’t do that again, I don’t want you to get into an accident, love”

 “Are you saying this because you’re scared of me getting into an accident or jealous to control yourself when I talk to other guys while driving” I was teasing him, he knew it.

“I don’t get jealous, because I am your boyfriend and you’re mine.” He came closer and decreased the distance between us again, I could feel his breaths again. I was ready to kiss him again but then, he stepped back, I was about to let out a breath because of disappointment, and then he put both of his hands on my cheeks right away and kissed me.

“I get jealous because I love you” I smiled in between the kiss

The whole thing could be an amazing win. So, I needed to win.

Every time I completed a lap, the crowd cheer felt nice, all the cheering, everything felt very well deserved because of the hardwork I did till now. I didn’t realize, it was already the last lap, and I overtook the only car which was infront of me, pressing the accelerator and the finish line was a few meters away, I could easily, reach the finish line in a few minutes. I was focused on everything, my focus was on the finish line, that one line, I wanted to complete, to show my parents that I wasn’t some loser.

“You are not meeting him again, that’s it.” I looked at my dad in disbelief, had he not caught me driving with Seungcheol four days ago. I was grounded, being, twenty-three and almost having no freedom to do anything.

“Because you’re leaving today in a few hours, everything is ready. You will go study.”

 “I am not leaving.” He gave me my flight tickets, “Shasha,, don’t you remember how you came injured one time and you lied about it, but come to think about it, you fell from a bike” I wasn’t even injured badly, I got a few scratches. “I can’t see you getting involved in any kind of accident because of racing, so you’re leaving. You can’t do anything” and I had to leave him without words. Somewhere I knew how things could go downhill if I didn’t agree with my dad. He could do any kind of harm to Seungcheol because he knew him and had connections all over the world.

But after I went to Switzerland I started driving, learning with all the hardwork along with my studies. I had one thing in my mind while leaving, and that was to keep the thing alive within myself which was gifted by Seungcheol, because we won’t be having contact anymore. I hated to leave but I had to.

“You can never do anything in this, it’s something which you are doing under the influence of your boyfriend, and this is what you get.”

I always told myself, I could do everything I wanted to. One good thing that happened after dad sent me to Switzerland, was I got better and better in my driving. And driving on this racetrack was the result of my hardwork; representing one of the best teams in less than two years, was something I never thought of. I needed to prove to my parents today that it was all worth, racing was all worth the whole championship. I was all excited to win this race because the car which I overtook was long gone. Few more seconds and I would be standing on the podium.

“Seungcheol’s car crashing because-” I pressed the brakes, without thinking twice. My whole body went stiff, I couldn’t focus on it anymore when I heard those three words ‘Seungcheol’s car crashing’. My car, drifted but I couldn’t reach the finish line, I got out of my car and ran towards Seungcheol’s car, making my heartbeat fast every second I was taking a step towards him.

I couldn’t hold myself anymore and ran towards his car, not caring about other cars passing by at speed. I somehow opened the door of his car and tried pulling him out. Tears were falling constantly. It reminded me of how I was about to get into an accident once while learning and Seungcheol almost crying holding me tight; telling me how he can’t lose me ot the thing he loves the most.  It felt like I was getting a déjà vu except the fact, it was Seungcheol who actually got into a car crash.

 I couldn’t wait for the paramedical team to come, why are they even late? “WHERE’S THE PARAMEDIC TEAM???” I was so annoyed, I couldn’t understand, couldn’t they see the car crash, and about the car crash I very well know who it could be.

Wish I was strong enough to pull him out “Seungcheol” I was calling out his name, but there he was stuck inside the car. Soon the paramedic team arrived and pulled him out. I was feeling numb, everything I was feeling for the past few minutes faded away, all the excitement, nostalgic memories, the passion that I had to win. I wanted to be with him, I wanted to see him, on the podium together, celebrating our victory but didn’t expect I would be meeting him like this.

Once the paramedic team took him towards the medical room on the stretcher, I was trying to calm myself down.

“I’m leaving with them. Over.” I took off my headset and almost threw it; not caring about anything else, the whole audience, my teammates, everyone was in shock, I could feel my boss threatening to kick me out of the team but I followed the paramedic team in tears.

I was sitting, while waiting for him to gain consciousness. With each passing second, I was worried about him, I was supposed to be worrying about my career, the race, the podium, my boss, my teammates how I let them down, and my own parents whom I wanted to show that I could do this, this is something I wanted to do. I was feeling messed up until I saw him gaining consciousness, I looked at him. He looked lost, “Seungcheol”

“What are you doing here?” the shift in his voice, took me aback, I should’ve expected this after what I did five years ago.

 “What do you mean?” I wiped my tears, trying to make my voice stable.

“You were supposed to be in the podium, holding that trophy” he tried sitting up, when I extended my hand to help him, he stopped me.

 “I didn’t complete the race.” I looked at him.

“What were you thinking?” the authority he had while questioning to me, even my boss didn’t talk to me like that “Did I teach you to drive like that and leave the race when you were about to win?”

“Seungcheol, I don’t give a shit about the race when it comes to you.” I had it enough, how could he even ask that to me?

“Did I teach you THAT?” I almost flinched, when he raised his voice at me, he never did.

 “But I couldn’t leave you like that” The horror I felt a few minutes ago, flashed infront of my eyes; almost making me tear up. This was important for me but he was more important for me. I was learning everything because I wanted to meet him, this was the only way to meet him. I couldn’t let myself down when I promised him that we would be standing beside each other on the podium after the race finishes.

“But you left me.” his words were stern as if he had no emotions left for me. “I didn’t want to, I had no other choice.”

“You left me, Shasha. You LEFT me.”

 “I DIDN’T WANT TO” and my tears were almost choking me. How do I explain to him, that I had no choice back then but to agree with whatever my father chose for me, that was the only thing I could do for us.

I was shaking my head in denial, I looked at him, five years… five years; I waited for him. I wanted to see him, smile at me or maybe I expected too much by hoping he would hug me as soon as he will see me and maybe tell me how much he missed me and how much he loved me. But it felt like I was shattering myself only by expecting too much from a guy whom I loved so dearly.

“You were the reason, I could bring myself here, I had no other way. I wanted to prepare myself to face you but then, it looked like I was the only one missing you and hoping for a second chance.” He looked at me, I wanted him to pull me closer and wipe my tears.

He sat up facing me, “You left me Shasha, nothing could change the fact.”

“I had no choice Seungcheol, why don’t you understand that? All these years, I was longing for you, waiting for the right time to meet you, tell you everything and I didn’t expect to meet you like this? in a fucking car crash where I could see my own life flashing right infront of me”

“You didn’t have to lose the race for me?”

 “And it was okay to lose you?” I questioned him, if he thinks this race was important than him, then I needed to prove him wrong, nothing is more important than him.

“You lost me once already. You were long gone even before I knew that you had left me. Tell me Shasha, did I really deserve that kind of treatment? I was so broken and there wasn't even a way to find my answers...I didn't know what questions to ask because we were so perfect back then. We were so happy and you just decided to break it all off without any explanation. I didn't need you to lose the race for me Shasha. I needed you to give me a chance.... or at least some answer. Do you have any idea the kind of self-deprecating thoughts I have had since then?”

 “I...I am so sorry Seungcheol. I don’t know how to explain what happened. In the simplest of words,” I tried to not choke on my tears, trying to give him the explanation he deserves “My parents found out about us that day I went back home. I was grounded for 4 days, without internet or phone or email someone who could have conveyed my message to you. Seungcheol I wanted to tell you but the next moment I was allowed to step out of the room was when my dad handed me the flight ticket. They sent me to another country and I had no way to contact you from the other side of the world. I am sorry but I really wanted to tell you at least once that I loved you then. I really did. But my dad could have ruined your career and I couldn’t risk your chance at getting your happiness. You had worked so hard for it. So between my love and your career, I chose your happiness.”

“Shasha, look at me” his eyes softened and he pulled me to sit beside him on the bed.

“What did I tell you about distractions?” he took a pause “One distraction and you lose focus, which means you lose the-

I kissed him, and let my tears fall down gracefully. The lingering feeling was still there, I wanted him to kiss me back to tell me that I wasn’t the only one still in love with him. I was asking for a second chance for both of us.  I pulled myself apart and looked at him. I couldn’t read him, like I used to, there was a thick air between us, “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have- he pulled me by my neck and kissed me.

I felt my lips getting wet, it was his tears. “I missed you, so much my love,” he said in between our kiss, and kissed me again, harder than earlier. We parted after, and we were almost out of breath, “Seungcheol” my voice came out low, and in another blink, he was kissing me again. He kissed me like he wanted to remind me how he tasted and wanted me and how much he loved me. “I loved you so much, I was losing myself when you weren’t with me. these five years, I yearned for you. I wanted you to come back to me, be mine again. But I couldn’t find you anywhere until one day I saw you on the big screen, racing just like the way I taught you. I was ready to face you on the race track and today when I saw you, I had no idea how to react. You looked like mine but not mine to lose.” His words had those unspoken emotions, “I” he said and looked at me, “Will” he came closer, almost our breaths hitting “love” he kissed me “You” and another kiss “Forever” and another kiss, which almost made me fall back, but he was quick to hold me by my waist and pull me closer. My hands went to his neck and he kissed me harder. I just knew, all these years it was hard for us not to break apart and stay in the hope of each other’s love and that I would never have enough of Seungcheol.

I broke the kiss, “I love you so much” and kissed him again

[imagionationstation]

Wha…?

Holy… Holy mother of mutations, that is a lot. This… Is a lot.

I don’t even know where to start? I was just told a bunch of aggressive facts, but none of them are followed with proof or logic. They were just… said…

@thatturtlemenece is clearly very passionate though, so I’ll do my best to clear things up. 💚💚

“Splinter should not have kids be around kids”? I would like clarification on what this means before I touch on it.

I am so, so sorry to hear that you have gone through abuse, and that it’s hurt you in such a way that you see it in other places. But as someone who has a similar family dynamic to the turtles and can honestly say that I bear no ill will to either of my parents, and would choose my siblings over anyone else in a heartbeat… 

Nothing about this is abuse.

See it from his POV. You grew up as a human. You know exactly what the government could do to creatures they don’t understand, and that if anyone were to see your baby boys, that would be the last time you ever saw them again. The government would take them, experiment on them, hurt them- these defenseless creatures that you have been caring for are now in the hands of scientists from the horror movies who couldn’t care less if they live or die. 

Imagine having that in the back of your mind for years. Imagine looking at your baby boys for years, watching them laugh and mature and grow up, imagine having that weight of responsibility on your chest- that the very second any of them have been spotted, you will lose your babies to a cruel world that could never understand that they are just as much people as every human out there. 

Wouldn’t you want to do anything in your power to protect them? 

But he won’t be there forever. He could go out one night for food and something could happen to him. He could die. He could be captured. And his little boys would be scared and all alone and journey to the dangerous, chaotic, unforgiving and unpredictable surface world totally defenseless. 

You can’t prevent your death, but you can try to prevent theirs.

You grew up as a ninja. You grew up with the honor of your clan. If you train them, if you help them prepare for the world ahead- they won’t have to be defenseless. They don’t have to be in danger, or at risk. They will be able to protect them selves and grow up and maybe even be happy despite being the freaks the world sees them as. They could survive another day, even without you there to help. 

Are you really telling me that you would chose not to train them? That would leave their hands to fate and just hope that nothing ever happens to you? That these precious little mutants that you’ve fed and named and protected at the risk of your life- you’d neglect the training given to you by your father and hope for the best?

Choosing between their innocence and their lives could seem like a hard choice. But in his own words, “As a leader, you will learn there is no right or wrong. Only choices.”

So he trains them. Not because he’s abusive or hateful or wants to carry on some legacy, not because he is selfish above all else- but because he needs them to be safe and to live their lives without having to fear. His most selfish part in this is needing his boys to be safe at the cost of their childhood, and keeping them down in the sewers despite their yearning to see the rest of the world. 

Unlike what RISE portrays, ninja skills can’t be learned in a day. Or two. Or five. They take a lifetime of training. And he needs his sons to be ready for when the cruelties of the world reach past the safe bubble he’s kept them in. He doesn’t know when that could be, so he started when they are old enough to learn.

He has to. It doesn’t matter what he wants. It matters what they need. 

And they need a fighting chance to live. 

Okay. Now that I’ve laid that all out…

I don’t understand what comparison is being made here. I think you’re saying 18, 12, and 03 should have Child Services called? 

I am inclined to agrees on 18, but I’m sure not everyone would agree with me. I can’t completely vouch for 03, but I think(?) I disagree.

As for 2012- what the hacking shell? Why?

Because you think he doesn’t properly feed his kids? Because they are turtles and eat algae and worms?

Donnie, the genius of his brothers, grows it in his lab. His brothers help him to collect it, as it’s stated in Metalhead Rewired. I’m pretty sure that eating worms and alegra is like eating spinach for me. I hate the stuff. It’s disgusting and tastes like crisp paper. I can’t eat it without gagging half the time. 

But it’s good for me, so I have to eat it sometimes. That’s possibly what alega is for the turtles. They eat alega for dinner because it’s a safe, nursing food that Donnie cares for and grows in his lab. They have an endless supply of it, and for all you know, on their mutation day, they had a low supply of human food.

They can’t go to a store. They can’t have it shipped to their home. The boys are not allowed out of the safety of their home, period. Which means Splinter is the only one that can collect food. Collecting food for four growing boys while avoiding stealing as much as he can must take hours. He’s also shown to be an old rat, as he gets taken down hard whenever he battles anyone, often needing to heal for weaks at a time. 

Maybe they were being good sports about the alega and worms because they now how hard it is for him. My parents had weeks where we made the best with whatever we had simply because they hadn’t ran out to the store yet. Not because they were abusive and hated us. Simply because things came up or they felt unwell or they simply hadn’t yet. 

Maybe Mikey was trying to make the best of things with that cake (which I will note was completely Mikey’s idea). 

Maybe he’s not lazy. Maybe he’s just not as young as he used to be. 

Now this is all purely hypothetical, of course. We never see them eating it again, but a lot happens off screen that we don’t see. Donnie still has his alega pools in the second season, so perhaps they are eating it off screen. We see them drinking milk, having soda, and eating Roman- Splinter even has cheesecycles- when they aren’t eating pizza, and it’s never once said that April or even the boys get the groceries. 

My bet is that this is simply one of the things Splinter does when we don’t see him. 

Nobody is being high and lazy. I have never considered my mother high and lazy for making me eat a salad when I wanted a burger. As a human, salads was good for me, so I’ve eaten it. As turtle mutants, this is perfectly natural and healthy for them, so they eat it. Like a salad, but possibly not as tasty with ranch. 

Honestly, I find it beyond sweet that he’s willing to sit down and eat this with them. I doubt that’s necessary for his health, but he’s probably doing it for their sake. In this together. 💚🤎

“Have Raph deal with his mental health using CULT torture-“ 

HE DOES WHAT?! 

Okay, I have no idea what that means but my level of concern here is absolutely through the roof- where on earth is this coming from?? Ep name please??? 

“He is never supervising his kids not because he suffering from mental health but because as he has stated he is not there father and not there parent he is there teacher and that is ALL the responsibility that he holds meaning.” 

He said this?! Once again- ep name please??

I don’t understand. He says “my sons” in practically every sentence when he talks to them! I’ve heard plenty of people have this opinion and I just can’t understand it. I mean- yes, his sons call him sensei, because he is their sensei. When he was dying, they didn’t call him sensei, they called him “papa” and “father” because that’s who they all knew he was all along. 

We already established how he could see the world, and why he would start training his little boys in the ways of the ninja up above, so I won’t get into that again. (This is already super long…) 

He was their teacher, and as my parents have been my teachers in the ways of the world, I don’t see what’s so wrong with them calling him that. His biggest fears was that when his sons outgrew him, he wouldn’t be needed anymore.

A big part of his life was ninjitsu, as it is a big part of theirs, and losing that- losing them, terrified him to the point that he lost his control, and the Rat King was able to take over.

He is their sensei. And he is their father. Why is it horrible for him to be both? 

(Thanks for staying with me this far! I really hope you’ve been keeping an open mind. Much appreciated. Now, just a little more to go!) 

“There is not parental guidance when they see and hear something on the TV hence I’m not surprised Leo is into KARAI or Leo donnie and raph abuse mikey.”

No one abuses Mikey. There is no abuse here. At all. EVER. 

I can totally get into this later if anyone cares about my opinion on this matter (I know it’s going to be unpopular, but I do have reasons), but now is about Splinter. 

Teens watch inappropriate shows. That doesn’t necessarily mean the parents are to blame. Teens fall in love with bad people. That doesn’t necessarily mean the parents are to blame. (My parents raised us with high virtues and self-respect, and my older brother still chased after girls that were not good for him.) 

You can fall in love with a bad person who seems cute/flirty/nice. It happens no matter what shows you watch. 

Perhaps that could be considered a bad on Splinter. I’ll consent to that. But that doesn’t make him a horrible dad. 

“Splinter literally gave karai’s weapon away to April even thigh he KNEW where she was and never BOTHERED to try and get her back! Instead he LEFT her there to be abused and manipulated! And when she comes home he never hugs her or acts like a normal father that has a missing daughter!”

The amount of times this man stared despondently at this photo, visibly hurting and sorrowful because of the family he’ll never truly get back… How does that say doesn’t act like a father mourning his wife and daughter? He looks at it at some points specifically when thinking about Karai.

Also.

Splinter ‘never bothered’ to get Karai because he feared losing his sons in the process. This horrible father who only wanted soldiers (as some people tend to gossip) actually just wanted to do everything in his power to keep his little boys safe. Karai was raised by Shredder. She hated Hamato Yoshi with every inch of her being because he killed her mother. Karai might even kill the sons he spent fifteen years raising and teaching without a second thought.

He doesn’t know her like the viewers do. To him, she’s dangerous and unpredictable. He’s not going to chase down a child, even one with his blood, if it means he will lose his current family. 

Once again, a choice had to be made, and he made one. Maybe it wasn’t the right one, but no choice is inherently perfect. He chose to protect his family. He told them explicitly to stay away to keep them safe. He loves his boys, and won’t risk them for a girl who isn’t Miwa anymore.

To add onto that- Miwa is dead. Miwa died that night with his wife, the same way that Spike died the night he came in contact with mutagen. There is only Slash and Karai now, and they have paved their own paths. The child that he wanted to raise to use this tesson is gone no matter what he does. Karai fights with a wakizashi blade. 

She is her own person, raised in a time that he will never get to be a part of.

But he can train April. He can help protect their new addition to their family. He can offer this honorary Hamato sister the weapon that was meant to go to his Miwa. He has two daughters now, and neither of them are one that he raised. But he chooses to accept them as they are now. 

He lets her take the fan, and lets a new daughter into his heart.

As for never hugging her or acting as a father….

Just because he doesn’t act as you believe he should act, doesn’t mean he isn’t showing fatherly love and compassion- possibly the same way his father did. He loves her, and he is going to show it as only Hamato Yoshi can. 

….With tea parties, apparently 🤣

Again, Mikey is not abused. You can disagree. I don’t mind. I know it’s not a fan-favorite opinion, and I’ll just have to live with that. I don’t mind the hate (okay, maybe it hurts a little 😔) because I truly believe I am correct. 

If you’re willing to hear me out, let me know. I’d love to lay it out for anyone who’s willing to listen! 

[poppitron360]

VALGRACE ANGST!!!!

I just wrote this, and I’m gonna post it now before I can change my mind.

Summary: Jason tells Leo “I love you”- Angst ensues.

CW: Swearing, Angst (Have I mentioned there’s angst?)

Word Count: 742

“I love you.”

The words were a barely audible whisper in the dark, but Leo definitely heard them. He squirmed, wriggling away from Jason’s clutches.

“No… it’s not true… I don’t believe you.”

Jason’s face fell. He tried to step towards Leo, but Leo backed away.

“Leo-“ Jason began, then hesitated. “Shit, sorry, I didn’t mean to freak you out, I- I just-“

“It- it’s not true,” Leo repeated. Fear flashed in his eyes.

“It is true, Leo. Maybe it’s a little too early to say it, I dunno, but I mean it. I love you.”

“Liar!” Leo yelled, “How- How can anyone…”

“Leo…”

“It’s not true. Jason, say it’s not true. Take it back. Take it back!”

Jason didn’t understand why Leo was acting this way. He’d really thought that Leo would be pleased- “I love you” is a good thing, right? And he’d hoped Leo had felt the same way, although he didn’t wanna pressure him to say it back. But for Leo to pull away from him, begging him to take those words back, words that Jason had filled with so much feeling and emotion-

“How can you say that you… love me?” Leo said, “What is there to love?”

“What? Leo-“

“I’m nothing-“ Leo cried, “I’m just a broken mess. You don’t love me.”

“Leo, listen-“

“You think you might be in love with me but you’re not, Jason. You just… you only love the person I pretend to be. If you saw who I am inside… you’d run. You’d abandon me just like everyone else did. Just like they’ll always do.”

Jason didn’t know what to do. Leo was backed against the wall now, his big brown eyes welling with tears. He looked so… frightened. Jason felt horrible. He’d totally freaked Leo out with his confession.

“Leo…” Jason dropped his voice to a calm, assuring whisper, “I do love you. I see who you are behind that mask, your faults, your insecurities. I don’t care. I don’t care that you’re a mess. I don’t care that you’re broken. I love you.”

“Take it back!”

“I won’t take it back, Leo. I lo-”

“TAKE IT BACK, JASON!!!!” Leo screamed, “Please… I lost Festus. I lost my mom. I lost everyone who ever claimed they loved me. I don’t wanna lose you too.”

“No, Leo…”

“I’m cursed, Jason,” Leo said, “You can’t fall in love with someone like me. It will only doom you to failure. I-I can’t allow myself to love you back. I can’t take comfort in you knowing that I’m hurting you.”

“Leo, you’re not cursed,” Jason told him, “You could never hurt me.”

“Just like how I could never hurt my mom?” Leo yelled, “All I do is hurt, Jason. All I do is destroy. How can you love something like that?”

Nothing Jason could do would comfort Leo. He wouldn’t let him touch him, would deny any attempts to reassure him. Jason felt absolutely helpless. But he was not taking those words back. He meant every syllable.

“I love you.”

“No-”

“I love you.”

“Jason, why are you doing this?” Leo pleaded, “Just go. Leave. Save yourself.”

“I love you.”

Leo just sobbed. He crumpled to the ground. Jason crouched down next to him, pulling him into his arms and cradling him as he shook.

“I love you.”

His voice was barely a whisper. Leo’s breathing was shaky and shallow.

“No…” Leo whimpered, weaker this time. Jason grieved for the boy in his arms, for his inability to take comfort in words like that. For his loss of joy and hope- how he depended on a fake persona to feel like he deserved love. For how he refused to believe anyone could truly see him. Jason wanted more than anything for Leo to feel happy at his confession of love, he wanted Leo to experience the same joys as he felt when he was close to him, but it will forever be tainted with fear for Leo.

“I love you.”

He sat, holding Leo’s tiny trembling body as he sobbed.

And then, Leo said it. He uttered that dreaded incantation that he was convinced would seal Jason’s fate. Jason could hear the melancholy and mourning in Leo’s voice. They were meant to be wonderful, joyous words, but Leo said them with such fear and regret.

“I… I love you too.”

He confessed the terrible truth, and his words rang out like a funeral bell.

[k9iriz]

𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮.

𝘳𝘩𝘦𝘢 𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘺 𝘹 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳

𝙧𝙝𝙚𝙖 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙟𝙤𝙗 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙟𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙗𝙖𝙙𝙡𝙮 & 𝙮𝙤𝙪? 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙙𝙤 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙚𝙧. 𝙖 𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩.

fluff!/no warnings

Rhea was wrestling in a match, a fatal 5-way to determine Bianca’s next opponent for MITB.

I watched it as i cheered her on behind the TV, before getting called to a patient at the front desk, leaving my friend to watch the rest.

“I’m gonna take this next patient, you cool?” I reassured my co-worker, as she nodded before I walked off.

45 minutes later, my co-worker was working front desk, before she seen a black Escalade pull up, causing her to sit up.

It revealed Rhea, she didn’t look so good either.

“Oh god.” My co-worker sighed, seeing rhea out of gear and in her regular clothes, with her suitcase in hand.

“Hi, Welcome. How may I help you today?” My co-worker smiled.

“Yes, this lady here has a accident on our recent show and we’re just here to make sure nothing is broken, or if she’s fine or not, since the medical staff wasn’t able to clear her, or see her.” The man explained, causing her to nod, writing her down.

“I can get you a room, this way please.” My co-worker instructed as she put rhea in a room, some minutes passed, after taking her vitals, she placed her in a room, putting her folder in the slot on the door.

I walked back down after checking out a patient, contently huffing at how my night went, preparing to get off.

“I am so beat from today. Do we have anyone else to see before i clock out?” I asked, causing my co-worked to laugh a bit, giving me a nervous look, handing me a paper.

“Yep…and it’s someone special.” My co-worker said, before i raised my eyebrows before grabbing the folder, knocking before they said i could come in.

Revealing Rhea.

Rhea looked up as she sniffled, smiling through the pain of her face practically stinging and hurting.

“Ouch.” Rhea whined, rubbing her mouth completely, i can tell she took a bad bump.

I frowned at her as her face was red and tears were running all down it, she might’ve knocked a tooth out of place.

“Aww Baby.” I frowned as I walked up to her, hugging her as she wrapped her arms around my waist, just hugging me the whole time, she really was in pain.

Releasing the hug, i grabbed some gloves as i tried to gently see the problem on her face, her trusting me with her full ability.

Rhea has always been scared of doctors offices, but since i was a nurse, id make sure i was the only one who’d make her feel comfortable at a doctors office.

I tapped rhea’s chin, signaling to open her mouth before revealing her tooth, god she knocked something loose.

“What the hell—-What did you do to make your tooth shift back like that?” I asked, in a calm manner and for Demi? She was freaking out.

“I did?” Rhea frowned as she knew she wouldn’t be cleared to have her match, everything was ruined.

“I oversold a move and hit myself in the face with my knee, It gutted right on impact, glad I didn’t bite my tongue piercing.” Rhea sighed as i took my gloves off before wiping her face clean.

“I won the match.” Rhea spoke somewhat happy, making me smile as i checked her heart rate, making sure nothing was wrong making her play with my scrub strings from my pants, causing me to giggle.

I observed rhea very closely, something was on her mind heavily, causing me to stop checking her heartbeat, looking down at her.

“What’s on your mind pretty girl?” I asked, looking at her.

Rhea stayed silent for a second before speaking up.

“I guess it’s me losing my title match since im not gonna be cleared in time. I really earned it.” Rhea sighed.

“Things happen. And this was all an accident, it’s okay. If you don’t get cleared, you’ll have another title chance down the line. Promise. It’s worth it in the end.” I reassured as rhea smiled.

“Medical staff at your job wants you at the dentist this weekend, but for now, they said to make sure nothings wrong, I’ll put you on a little heart monitor to make sure everything is okay.”

“And a bag of ice for your cheek.” I smiled, signing off on her papers as she nodded, waiting for me to return.

After a new minutes, i checked her pulse to make sure it was fine as i attached the heart monitor to her shirt, giving her a bag of ice before letting her sign off on her discharge papers.

She’s gonna be at home for a couple of weeks, so it’ll be me making sure she goes to the dentist and just taking care of her.

“Thank you.” Rhea smiled as she gathered her things before she pecked our lips numerous of times before whining, breaking the last kiss, making me giggle.

“I’ll see you when i get home.” I reassured her before he held my hand, stuffing her face in my neck, just holding me, she’s such a baby.

“Promise?” Rhea said in my neck, kissing it.

I felt my knees buckle, literally. she knows my neck is my sweet spot.

“Promise baby.” I smiled as she released her face out my neck, before she left.

I turned back to my co-worker as she squealed, making me playfully roll my eyes.

“Aww! You two are so damn cute. *sigh* I wish.” She gushed, before she sat down, earning a laugh from me.

“You will one day. She’s a handful, but it’s all worth it.” I smiled, before turning to clock out.

time to go home to take care of my baby.

[ourtearsofrain]

Slow It Down (D.R.W/S.F.K)- Chapter 8

Pairings: Danny Wagner x Sam Kiszka, (barely a mention of) Josh Kiszka x Male O.C.

Genre: angst, fluff

Word Count:  2.5k

Warnings: smoking a cigarette, use of the f slur against Danny (in the past)

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

July 16th, 2:06 AM

“Psst.” Half-asleep, Danny doesn’t respond. That is until Sam sends a swift kick to his shin, effectively waking him up as he rubs his leg in annoyance.

“The fuck was that for?” He hisses back, considering kicking him as payback.

“You wanna smoke? I brought cigarettes.”

“Well since you’ve woken me up, yes.”

“Amazing.” He sees the dark outline of Sam wiggle out of his sleeping bag, fumbling for his things in the dark before unzipping the tent quietly. Danny follows him, seeing why he was trying to make as little noise as possible as Sam points at the twin’s tent, bringing his finger to his mouth in a shushing motion as he tiptoes past it. He leads him through the woods in the dark, his hand automatically reaching behind him to find Danny’s so as to not lose him at each turn he took.

They finally come to a stop on a small rocky outcropping of the mountain, the trees sparse around them allowing them to look up at the stars above them. “Wow.” Danny comments half to himself, his jaw dropped in wonder. “I forget how many stars there are without the city lights. The sky’s never this clear.”

“I bet.” Sam snorts as he pulls a cigarette out, lighting it and taking a drag before passing it over to Danny. “When was the last time you saw the night sky like this?”

“The night before I left, with you.” His answer comes before he can think about it, a sour taste coming to his mouth at the reminder that he quickly remedies by taking a drag. Change the subject. “So, why’d you ask me to come smoke with you without the twins?”

“’Cause they’re little cigarette gremlins. Snatched half my pack the last time they visited. Jake’s not supposed to smoke anymore but he always insists on a drunk cigarette. Says it doesn’t count.”

Danny snorts, remembering how Austin made Josh switch to vapes as he couldn’t stand the smell of cigarettes. “Right, right.”

“So, New York. You like it there?”

Danny takes another drag as Sam passes the cigarette back to him, trying not to focus on why they were sharing one instead of him lighting two. “It’s loud, it’s dirty, I’ve almost gotten mugged a few times, and trying to drive anywhere is impossible. But, yes, I am. It’s home now. Josh is a great roommate and I like NYU, couldn’t ask for anything else.” But you could. You want to. You’ve wanted something more for as long as you can remember.

“That’s great, I’m happy for you.” Sam pauses, hoping his change in subject wouldn’t be too noticeable or out of place. “You mention Josh and Austin a lot but is there anyone else in New York with you? Any other friends or… girlfriends?”

“God, you sound just like my mom.” Why does he care? Why did he say it… like that? “No, I don’t. Why do you ask?”

“Just curious. We’re catching up, this is the shit people talk about when they catch up.” Sam shrugs, tearing his gaze away from Danny’s moonlit figure to flick the ash off the tip of the cigarette. “None of the girls there your type or what?”

“I don’t like girls, Sam.” Danny’s answer is short, rushed as if he wanted to spit it out and be done with the conversation, worry brewing in the pit of his stomach at Sam’s reaction.

“Oh- none of the guys there your type, then?”

Danny blinks back at him, surprised at how casually he had taken the information. “Uh, no, more like just haven’t met the right person yet.” I have, he’s just not in New York. Danny clears his throat, trying to rip his mind away from Sam. “Thanks for uh, being so chill by the way. Not freaking out and everything.”

“Danny, I don’t care that you’re gay. I’ve known for years. I’d be a hypocrite if I had an issue with it.”

“Wait, are you- are you gay too?” So, his reaction to me kissing him wasn’t because he’s not into men, just because he’s not into me. Great.

“Bi technically, but yes, I like men too. Although the Frankenmuth queer dating pool is pretty shit.”

“So, you’re not seeing anyone right now, then? Or do you have a girlfriend?”

“Nope.” Sam pops the “p” before looking back at Danny. “Single as can be right now. Haven’t dated anyone seriously since high school.”

Danny’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise, remembering the last person he dated. “Beatrice? Seriously? That’s your last relationship?”

Sam brings his hand to his forehead absentmindedly, the end of the cigarette burning dangerously close to his hair. “Please, please don’t remind me. She was fucking crazy.”

“Oh? What happened with that? You just told me that you broke up, not why.”

“She called you a faggot. Didn’t like how much time I spent with you.”

Oh. “Oh.”

“Yeah. That wasn’t all though. She was too obsessive over our relationship, like to an unhealthy point. Cut all her friends off that she’d had since middle school to ‘focus on our relationship’. Ended up cheating on me in the end though.”

“Oh shit- I’m sorry, Sammy.”

“Na, don’t be. Getting out of that relationship was the best thing I’ve ever done. I’d take being single for years over still being with her.”

“So why haven’t you dated anyone since? Frankenmuth girls and guys not your type?” Danny shoots the comment back at him, offering a small smile.

“That’s not it. I don’t know, maybe I’m not made for relationships.”

“Why do you say that?”

Sam looks down at the rock below him, tracing the lines and cracks with his finger. “It never ends well. They always get hurt, even Beatrice, she was devastated when I broke up with her even though she was the issue. Maybe loving me is dangerous, I don’t know. I think I’m just bad luck.”

“You’re not bad luck, I’m sure you’ll find someone, Sammy.” Danny reaches out to place his hand on his shoulder, offering a light squeeze. “Just maybe not in Frankenmuth.”

“God, I thought you had dropped the trying to get me to come to New York with you.” His voice is laced with annoyance as he shakes his head, focusing on the sky above them.

“I don’t mean New York. Just anywhere but here. Don’t you want to get out, Sam?” Danny swears he can see the moonlight reflecting off tears in his eyes as he shakes his head, dropping it to face the ground, hiding his expression in the shadows.

“I can’t.”

“Why not?”

“It’s too late, Danny. I didn’t leave when I was 18 and now I’m stuck here.”

“You’re 21!” Danny stops himself as he hears his voice raise, not wanting to snap back at Sam over his frustration. “You’re only 21, you can still get out. It’s never too late.”

“Why do you want me to leave Frankenmuth, huh? Why do you want me to leave so bad?” His tone is sharp as he looks back at Danny, anger beginning to flash across his face.

“I just want you to be happy, Sammy. That’s all I’ve ever wanted.” Just like that, Sam’s anger is gone, his expression dropping as the sentiment hits him.

“I am happy.”

“I know you, and I know that you could be happier.”

Realizing that their cigarette had burnt out, he presses the tip to the rock beneath him just to make sure before putting it back in the box, not wanting to litter. “It’s getting late, we should probably get back to the camp before we fall asleep out here.” He offers Danny a small smile before standing up, holding his hand out to pull him up.

“Uh, yeah, you’re right. Thanks.” Why does he keep refusing to leave? What is he so afraid of?

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

7:16 AM

Being woken up by the rustling of the twins outside their tent, their voices much louder than they needed to be, Danny squints against the morning light filtering through the canvas, squeezing his eyes closed. Relaxing back into the warmth of his sleeping bag, his eyes suddenly fly open as he realizes his arms were wrapped completely around Sam, his back to Danny’s chest with their legs tangled as best they could in their separate sleeping bags. His heart rate only further increases as he feels Sam’s arms wrapped around his forearm, hugging it to his chest as his breath lightly grazes his skin.

Just relax. Don’t. Fucking. Freak out. If you do and he wakes up, it’ll just be weird for both of us. Should I try to get my arms back? No, that could wake him up. Just go back to sleep, and if he asks about it, just say you didn’t realize it because you were asleep.

Danny squeezes his eyes shut again, begging his body to fall back asleep so he wouldn’t have to deal with Sam waking up to him originally unintentionally cuddling him.

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

12:31 PM

“RISE AND SHINE MOTHERFUCKERS, WE’VE LET YOU SLEEP LONG ENOUGH!” Danny nearly jumps out of his sleeping bag at the clamor of Josh’s yell as he bangs a wooden spoon against the bottom of a pot, effectively waking both Danny and Sam. “Good morning starshine, the earth says ‘hello’!” Josh crouches in front of the unzipped tent door with a grin plastered on his face as Sam and Danny recover from how suddenly they were ripped from sleep.

Sam blindly searches for something to throw at his brother, his hand landing on one of his Birkenstocks before he launches it across the small tent, just nearly missing Josh’s head. “Missed me, bitch. Now get up, it’s half past noon. We got shit to do today so let’s get crackin’!” He stands, making his way over to the firepit as Sam and Danny stumble out of the tent, stretching their sore limbs as they try to fully wake up.

“Isn’t this supposed to be a vacation?” Sam protests, already reaching for their French press filled with steaming coffee.

“You act like you’ve never been camping with us, Sammy.” Jake shoots back with a grin. “C’mon, both of you eat fast, we’re going to that small lake on the other side of the property to swim today.”

As Sam pours a cup of coffee for Danny, he grumbles a snide comment under his breath as he hands it to him, setting in on pouring some into his own thermos. “More like a glorified pond.”

“Awwww, did poor Sammy wake up on the wrong side of the tent?”

“Shut the fuck up, Josh. I think my sleeping bag was on top of a rock or something, my back’s all twisted up.”

Danny’s face heats, knowing exactly what Sam had been sleeping on top of all night, deciding to hide his face by taking a long drink from his thermos. First goddamn day and I’m already fucked. I wonder if Jake or Josh would swap tents with me. Yeah, right. That’s not suspicious at all.

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

1:32 PM

“See, wasn’t the hike worth it, Sam?” Josh grins over at his brother as the group stands at the edge of the lake, sweaty from the hike as the sun hits their skin in the open clearing.

“Yeah, yeah ok. I’m sorry I complained so much. It was worth it.” He rolls his eyes, hiding his smile from the others to look for a spot to set his things. The twins are already ahead of him, dropping their bags and throwing their shoes and shirts off as they sprint into the water before Sam can even set his own bag down.

“Jesus Christ. It’s surprising that they’re the oldest ones here.” Sam comments, his stomach flipping as Danny laughs at the remark. As Danny sets his things down with his back to him, Sam lets himself watch as he bends over to untie his shoes, his purple swim shorts tightening against his muscles. Pull yourself together, fuck. Sam rips his eyes away just as Danny turns back to him, annoyance written across his features.

“Hey, I think I forgot my hair tie back at the camp, got a spare?”

“Yep.” Sam holds his arm up, showing the other man the three hair ties around his wrist. “That’s actually a good idea, let me braid my hair then I can do yours.”

“You don’t have to, Sammy. I can just put it in a bun or something.”

“Nonsense.” Sam waves his free hand in the air as if he were shooing the comment away, his other hand already occupied with parting his hair down the middle. “It’ll come out and get all tangled. I don’t mind and it shouldn’t take too long.”

“Alright…” Danny smiles sheepishly as Sam sets in on quickly twisting his hair into two neat French braids, occupying himself with undressing and unpacking part of his bag while he waits.

“Done. Your turn Danny boy.” Danny shakes his head at the nickname as he makes his way over to Sam, stopping in front of him and turning to give him access to his already tangled mess of hair. “You’re too tall, I won’t be able to see what I’m doing.”

“Maybe you’re too short, Kiszka.”

“Do you want my help or not?”

“I do!” Desperate much? “I do. Please and thank you.”

“That’s what I thought.” Sam shoots him a self-satisfied smirk as Danny turns to face him before making his way over to a small boulder. “Sit.”

Danny’s cheeks tint pink at the command, following it nonetheless as Sam moves around it to stand behind him. He tries to control his spiraling thoughts as he feels Sam’s fingers tangle in his hair, gently brushing the knots out before starting on the French braid. Whatever you do. Do. Not. Think about his tiny ass swim shorts. The last thing I need right now is to get hard in these fucking shorts. My boxers would be less revealing.

“Done.” Danny’s pulled from his thoughts at Sam’s word, his hand moving back to feel the neat braid down the center of his head as Sam sheds his shirt. “Last one in’s a rotten egg.” Before Danny can comprehend his words, Sam takes off, sprinting down the small beach as fast as he can. He reaches the water before Danny even has the chance to stand, watching him splash into the lake without so much as a glance back.

He has no right to look that good doing something so stupid. Finally standing, Danny jogs towards the water as Sam shouts his victory. “I win!” He grins back at Danny when he finally reaches him, both men treading water as the lake bottom drops off below their feet.

“You cheated.” Danny shoots back.

“Did not. You’re just not fast enough. Anyways, I think that means I get a prize.”

“Yeah right, and what do you think you get?”

“I’ll let you know when I figure it out.” He winks at Danny before disappearing into the water, popping up a few seconds later next to Jake and Josh 15 feet from him.

The fuck does that mean?

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

A/N: yes, that was a Willy Wonka quote

taglist: @gretnavannfleet @aioba1503-sdm @jake-whatthefisgoingon-kiszka @milojames16 @sanguinebats @theres-a-tvjoe @jakekiszkapunchmeintheface @currentlyfangirling10

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

From Hell to Home to Back Again

Summary: At the talent show, Chrissy Cunningham is so hungry that she nearly collapses. When she's found by Hopper, her parents ended up losing custody of her. She ends up being placed in the care of the Hendersons, and she finally finds the family she so desperately needed. She also ends up falling in love. What other changes are made in this alternate universe?

A/N: We're entering the FOI timeline now.

@emen-98 @@1lostsoul0fishbowl @@vulpixsworld

Prologue . . . Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

It was now officially springtime, and things were going great for her. It feels like she's even closer to Eddie, and hopefully, he's getting the message that she would never hurt him like almost everyone in this town does, including his dad. Chrissy was now officially handling both cheerleading and softball again. She doesn't mind the stares whenever she changes out of her uniforms. She's gotten used to the scars on her body. . .well, somewhat. They still are a little jarring. Chrissy had just pulled on her clothes after cheerleading practice when Heather walked up to her. Oh, she thought she had been alone in the locker room.

"Chrissy?" Heather asked.

"Hey, Heather," Chrissy said.

"I know we haven't talked a lot lately. I know we've both been a little busy," Heather said. "How are you?"

"I'm good," Chrissy grinned. "Really good."

"That's - That's good," Heather said.

"You look like you want to say something," Chrissy said.

"I just - I know you've been hanging out with Eddie Munson lately," Heather said and paused. "I didn't want to say anything because of the whole Jason Carver incident, but I hope you're being careful. I know how this sounds with me being your ex and all, but I'm also your friend."

"I am, Eddie's a really great guy. He's not really ready for a relationship right now, but to be honest, I don't think I am either," Chrissy said. "I like how it is now, though. We're friends, and he makes me feel better whenever I have a bad day. I like the way he smiles and the way he hides behind his hair. He's a really good friend."

"Well, I'm glad, and I suppose I shouldn't listen to the rumors about him. Like he's a Satanist, or that he sacrifices people on an alter of fire, or that he believes in aliens," Heather said.

"Oh, no, that last part is true. He's had several rants about it. He thinks it's arrogant to believe that we're alone in the universe. Although, even though he believes in them he's said on many occasions that he would still freak the fuck out if he ever met one," Chrissy said.

"He's kind of weird," Heather said.

"I know," Chrissy grinned. "That's what I like about him."

"I guess if you're happy, then I guess I have nothing to worry about. . .but if he does hurt you, then I'm going to reign hellfire down upon him," Heather said. "Get it?"

"Heather!" Chrissy laughed.

Chrissy left Heather and went to meet Eddie at the classroom where he was holding Hellfire today. Eddie was talking with Gareth in the hallway when she came upon them. Gareth looked pretty upset, more so than usual. Chrissy didn't mean to eavesdrop, but it just sort of happened. Apparently, Gareth was upset that his character got killed, and he thought that meant he was out of Hellfire. Eddie was in the middle of reassuring him. Chrissy smiled as Gareth looked at him, hopefully.

"You're sure, right?" Gareth asked. "I can come back."

"As long as you wanna be in Hellfire, you can be in Hellfire," Eddie said.

Eddie grinned as Gareth scurried off towards the school's entrance.

"Wow, and I left my kleenex at home," Ronnie said, and Eddie shoulder checked her. "Careful, Stan would kill me if I dropped this thing."

Ronnie kept Stan's trapper keeper full of D&D stuff at her place since his mom believed that Hellfire was nothing more than satanic crap hellbent on brainwashing her son. So, he has to lie and hide the things that make him happy.

"I think it's sweet," Chrissy said.

"You think everything that Eddie does is sweet. You're so blinded, Henderson," Ronnie laughed as she batted her eyelashes at her.

"Fuck off," Chrissy laughed. "He gets really obnoxious when he's right about something."

"That's true. No one likes that," Ronnie giggled.

"Oh, God, I thought my room was messy, but Eddie's room is off the charts, and he pretty much treats his van like a trash can," Chrissy said.

"I keep telling him it doesn't have to be perfect, but at least clean it up a little. My God, man," Ronnie said.

"And there's this thing he does with his eye lids - ," Chrissy said.

"Freaks me out!" Ronnie exclaimed.

"And when he eats - "

"Okay! Eddie doesn't like this!" He yelled.

He glared at the both of them as they laughed at him.

"Can I get a ride?" Ronnie asked.

"This is the last time," Eddie said, narrowing his eyes at her. "Even if you just listed my greatest failures."

"Oh, we haven't even gotten to the worst parts, Munson," Ronnie said. "Chrissy, are you riding with us this evening?"

"Yeah, definitely," Chrissy said.

"As the owner of the vehicle, shouldn't it be me who asks her?" Eddie asked. "Chrissy, are you riding with us this evening?"

"Yes," Chrissy giggled.

"I don't know why I'm letting either of you ride with me considering you insulted me," Eddie sniffed in mock offense.

"Don't worry, Eddie, despite all your faults, I think that you're very pretty," Chrissy laughed.

"Really?" Eddie smirked and Chrissy nodded.

"I, however, do not. You're about as ugly as the cat that wanders around Forest Hills," Ronnie said.

"I keep telling you it's a opossum, Ecker! Get your eyes checked!" Eddie exclaimed. "Chrissy, are you coming tonight? We couldn't play last night, but we're definitely playing tonight."

"I never miss a show. . .except that one time, but it was Dustin's fault," Chrissy said and paused, looking at Ronnie. "Technically, aren't you calling yourself ugly when you call him ugly?"

"Ugh, we do not look that much a like," Ronnie rolled her eyes.

"When you were younger, you managed to cover for him on a test when you pretended to be him, and it worked," Chrissy narrowed her eyes at her as they climbed into the van.

"Okay, by that logic, you should think that I'm pretty too," Ronnie said rolling her eyes.

"I do!" Chrissy grinned. "I just wouldn't date you for several reasons, and mostly because someone I know thinks you're pretty too. . . Have I not mentioned that I like men and women?"

"No!" Eddie and Ronnie exclaimed.

"Oh, well, I do," Chrissy shrugged.

"Thanks for telling us," Eddie said softly.

"I trust you guys," Chrissy said.

"Wait. . .who thinks I'm pretty?" Ronnie asked.

"It's not my place to say," Chrissy replied. "Let's go. It's my turn to make dinner tonight. Do either one of you want to join us?"

"Nah, Granny would be livid if I didn't warn her days in advance," Ronnie said. "But I'm sure Eddie wouldn't mind."

"Stop accepting invitations on my behalf, Ecker," Eddie sighed. "Unfortunately, as much as I would love to, I need to get to the Hideout early if I want to win Bev's favor."

"Oh, well, my mom's been dying to meet you," Chrissy said. "Maybe you can come over some other time."

"Uh, isn't that a little soon?" Eddie asked nervously.

"You're not her boyfriend, which is ridiculous because you two are practically dat - " Ronnie started to say.

"ANYWAY, your mom does know who I am, right?" Eddie asked.

"Yeah, I told her all about you. I also told my cat about you," Chrissy said.

"You told your cat about me?" Eddie asked.

"I talk to my cat about you every night," Chrissy said.

"Okay, can we move on from this conversation? I'm totally picturing something else, and it isn't a pretty picture," Ronnie said as she put her feet up on Eddie's dashboard.

"Seriously?" Eddie asked.

"What? I don't want to put my feet on Stan's thingie," Ronnie said. "It's not my fault your van is so small."

"My van isn't the problem. It's your freakish legs of yours," Eddie replied.

"Let me tell you a secret about these freakish legs of mine," Ronnie said as she kept her feet exactly where she out them. "In four months? They are going to be walking into their new apartment in New. York. City."

Eddie nearly slammed on the brakes.

"No."

"Yep."

"You got the scholarship?"

"NYU class of '88, baby. Full ride," Ronnie said.

This time, Eddie slammed on the brakes and fishtailed the vehicle off to the side of the ride. Chrissy grinned as she sat back and let the two best friends have their moment.

"You know, I'm happy for you, right?" Eddie asked.

"I know," Ronnie said.

"I'm happy for you, too!" Chrissy blurted out. "Sorry, couldn't keep it in."

Eddie and Ronnie laughed just as a tapping sound came on the window. Officer Moore was looking into Eddie's window. He rolled it down with a sigh.

"Again?" Ronnie asked. "I thought we were done with that guy."

"Always," Eddie muttered. "Officer Moore, how can I help you on this fine spring afternoon?"

"I thought that was you, Munson," Moore said. "How many times do we have to have this conversation?"

"That's a question that you'll have to ask yourself, Officer. You're the one always filling up my dance card."

"That was some erratic driving - ," Moore said.

"He was avoiding a bird, sir," Chrissy said brightly as she popped her head in between the seats. "He flew right in front of his window."

"Miss Henderson, I didn't see you," Moore frowned.

"I'm guessing Officer Powell isn't driving with you today," Chrissy said.

"He's out sick," Moore frowned.

"Well, since Eddie doesn't have any priors, I think you can let him off with a warning, especially considering all of the illegal stops you made because of the vendetta you have against his father. I certainly would hate to tell Hopper that you're out for revenge against a young man who did nothing to hurt you," Chrissy said.

"Drive safely, and have a nice day," Moore frowned as he walked off.

"I thought I was the one who wanted to be a lawyer," Ronnie said. "You'd make a good one."

"I don't about being a lawyer, but I thought about being a social worker or a guidance counselor who's also a cheerleading coach," Chrissy said.

"You'd be good at those," Eddie replied and Ronnie nodded in agreement.

After dropping Ronnie off, Eddie drove Chrissy home. He pulled in front of her place and parked it for a moment.

"Are the others coming?" Eddie asked.

"Steve is dropping me off, but then he's going on a date with Nancy. They missed their last date night because Nancy got sick. Jonathan is expecting a phone call, and Robin is recovering from the same sickness Nancy got. She's currently in bed and cursing Nancy's name," Chrissy said.

"So, just you," Eddie smiled.

"Just me," she replied, smiling back at him.

"You don't have to keep saving me, you know," Eddie said.

"I know, I want to," Chrissy said. "You're not alone in this world, Eddie. I just want to make sure you know that."

"I know," Eddie said softly, and Chrissy kissed his cheek.

"See you tonight," Chrissy said.

"Looking forward to it," Eddie said.

Chrissy practically rushed through dinner, eager as always to see Eddie play. As per usual, Dustin pouted about not being able to go. She quickly said goodbye to her mother and brother before running out to Steve’s car. They were already late.

"Hey, you look nice tonight," Steve grinned as she got into the back seat.

"I'm going to tell him after the show," Chrissy said, beaming.

"Finally!" Steve exclaimed.

"What made you change your mind? I thought you were going to wait?" Nancy asked.

"I don't know, it just clicked while I was cooking," Chrissy said. "I didn't want to wait anymore."

"I hope it goes well," Nancy said.

"Me too," Chrissy grinned.

She said goodbye to them and quickly jumped out of the car, scurring inside and ignoring the dark clouds overhead. Chrissy cursed when she realized that Corroded Coffin was already playing. She really was late. Suddenly, she realized that this wasn't a cover song. This was "Fire Shroud," their original song. It was the song that Eddie said wasn't ready yet whenever she asked. He hadn't noticed that she had even come in yet. No, he was fully focused on the only other person at the bar. It was a young woman, not much older than they are, and she was really pretty too. Her hair was wildly curly, and Chrissy could barely make out the smattering of freckles on her face as she looked at Eddie. Eddie was looking back at her, enjoying the way her boot clad ankles tapped along to the music. Nothing could break their gaze, Eddie was euphoric at the sight of the other woman, and it felt like someone had punched Chrissy in the stomach. Chrissy plopped down in the darkened corner of the bar, closet to the door she just walked into. She watched as Bev eventually pulled the plug.

Eddie and his band started to clean up when she watched Ronnie grab his arm. She was pleading with Eddie, and she watched her mouth Chrissy's name to Eddie. Chrissy felt another blow to her stomach as Eddie laughed Ronnie off and shook his head at her. Once they put their instruments away, Chrissy watched as Eddie started talking to the girl at the bar. The way he talked to her and leaned closer to her. . .yeah, he was definitely interested in her. He had played the song for her, the same song he never would have played for Chrissy. She had read this all wrong. Eddie didn't like her. He was just being nice. She wasn't sure how long she sat there staring at them, but finally, she couldn't torture herself anymore. Chrissy walked out of the bar, leaning against the brick wall to wait for Steve. Her leg was shaking. God, she was so stupid. It took her a minute to realize that she was crying. The sound of thunder startled her.

"Come on, are you serious? Not now! That would be so fucking cliche!" Chrissy yelled.

Of course, the weather didn't listen to her. The rain came down in buckets, immediately soaking her. Chrissy let out a frustrated yell as more thunder and lightning followed. She was determined not to go back in even though she knew that standing out here was going to make her sick, but she didn't want to go back in there and face Eddie. She stood in the pouring rain and waited. She waited until the rain finally stopped, and Steve's car finally pulled up. She shivered, her entire body soaking wet as she slid in the back seats of his car.

"Sorry about your seats," Chrissy muttered.

"Jeeze, you could have waited inside," Steve said.

"Didn't want to," she replied.

"Are you okay?" Nancy asked.

"I'm fine," Chrissy's bottom lip trembled. "Can we just go, please?"

"It didn't go well?" Steve asked softly.

Chrissy burst into tears again. Nancy quickly climbed into the back seat and wrapped her arms around her.

"Drive, Steve," Nancy said.

Steve drove off, and Chrissy sobbed into her shoulder. With her arm still around Chrissy, they walked into her house.

"Oh, honey, what happened?!" Claudia asked.

"I just got caught in the rain is all," Chrissy said. "I'm fine."

"Oh, let's get you out of those wet clothes," Claudia cooed.

"Do you mind if I spend the night, Mrs. Henderson?" Nancy asked.

"If it's alright with your mom, honey. It's more than okay with me," Claudia said and took her daughter to her room.

Chrissy let her mother take care of her and then bundled herself up in her blankets. Claudia left with promises of hot chocolate. Nancy was in the other room, and Steve left after kissing her goodnight while also saying goodbye to the Hendersons. He jokingly offered to beat Eddie up for her, but Chrissy knew that even he knew she would never want that. She stared at the picture on her dresser for a moment before getting up off the bed, the blanket wrapped tightly around her. Now, whenever she looked at it, she thought of Eddie locking eyes with that woman. Furious, Chrissy picked up the picture and put it in her bottom drawer before plopping down on the bed. Nancy came back in and laid down beside her.

"Called my mom," Nancy said. "She said it was okay. Did you want to talk about it?"

"I don't know," Chrissy said softly before launching into telling Nancy everything that happened.

"I'm sorry, Chrissy, but I hope whoever this girl is, that she's just an obstacle. We've all seen the way he looks at you, and I really hope that girl is nothing more than a case of Eddie being starstruck at the prospect of having another fan of his music," Nancy said. "It would be crazy to be anything else."

"Fire Shroud, Nance, he played Fire Shroud for her," Chrissy said with a groan. "It's just dumb. It's just a dumb crush on a boy. . .except that Eddie Munson isn't just some boy. Gah!"

"I don't think this is just a crush, Chrissy. I think you're in love with him," Nancy said.

"No! Nope! Absolutely not," Chrissy said and sighed. "I'll get over it if I have to. I can't be mad over Eddie, not returning my feelings. I can't force him to like me. He does seem like he wants to be my friend, so I can deal with having him be a part of my life even if it's not in the way that I want."

"Chrissy. . ." Nancy started to say.

Nancy was interrupted by Claudia coming in the mugs of hot chocolate. They both smiled gratefully at her. Chrissy got up and hugged her mother.

"Thanks, mommy," Chrissy said.

"You're welcome, sweetheart. You have your girl talk, and I'll handle Dustin. He's being very nosy," Claudia said.

"What else is new?" Chrissy asked, and Claudia laughed as she left. "Alright, enough about Eddie. Tell me all about your date with Steve."

"Are you sure?" Nancy asked.

Chrissy rolled her eyes as she sat on the bed, sipping her hot chocolate.

"I'm a big girl, Nance. It's going to suck for a while, but I can handle it," Chrissy said. "Especially if I have my wonderful best friends to help me through it. Now, tell me about Steve."

Nancy smiled as she told her all about the date. Chrissy's smile grew as they chatted about Steve and drank their hot chocolate. Nancy's joy was infectious, and for a moment, Chrissy forgot about her problem. She fell asleep that night, curled up against Nancy, determined to face the next day as head strong as her friend. Unfortunately, the next morning, she woke up as sick as a dog. Claudia ended up having to practically push Nancy out of the door the next morning when Steve showed up. Claudia called into work and stayed with Chrissy, nursing her back to health. When Eddie called around lunchtime to check on her, Chrissy couldn't help but let hope fill her heart. Until the words came out of his mouth, she wasn't going to give up on him. When Friday rolled around, Chrissy found herself feeling better, and with a skip in her step, she strolled into school. Eddie was waiting for her by her locker. Ronnie was with him, too.

"Hey, Henderson, glad you're feeling better," Eddie said, flashing her his dimples. "School is a lot less brighter without you."

"Thanks, Eddie," Chrissy said.

"I think Ronnie missed you, too," Eddie grinned. "I think she's starting to like you more than she likes me."

"Oh, I definitely like her more than you," Ronnie said.

"Ouch," Eddie said, and Chrissy laughed.

"Sorry, I missed your show," Chrissy said.

"Oh, you weren't there?" Eddie asked, and Chrissy narrowed her eyes at him.

"I was sick," she reminded him.

"Oh, right," Eddie said, and he shoved his hands in his pockets, looking guilty for a moment. "Well, you didn't miss much except for Bev pulling the plug."

"Oh, so nothing happened?" Chrissy asked.

"Why would it?" Eddie scoffed, but he couldn't quite meet her eyes. "You know, I promised Gareth that I would help him with something. I'm glad you're back, Chrissy."

Chrissy watched him walk away and confused about why he lied to her. Suddenly, she felt Ronnie touch her arm.

"You were there. Why didn't you tell Eddie?" Ronnie asked.

"You saw them. You know why," Chrissy said.

"She's just some chick that he met in a bar. She doesn't mean anything to him as much as you do," Ronnie said.

"He played her Fire Shroud," Chrissy said. "To her. . . Why didn't Eddie tell me that?"

"Why didn't you tell him that you were there?" Ronnie asked again.

"I was going to tell him how I felt," Chrissy muttered.

"And then you saw him with her," Ronnie realized. "Look, I love my best friend, but I'm siding with you if he messes this up. He does have feelings for you, but he's being a cowardly little shit and he's running away. I feel for the girl, but he's clearly using her to do that whether he realizes it or not. I don't think he went home with her or did anything with her. It was just one moment in a bar. She drew his attention for one night, but you have it every day since he fell for you on that cold, icey day, and that icicle nearly impaled you."

"I'm trying not to get my hopes up here," Chrissy sniffled.

"Well, if he does anything stupid, just know that I'm here for you, too," Ronnie said.

"Thanks, Ronnie," Chrissy said.

Chrissy realized suddenly that the last few months had been all about Eddie. Maybe she needed to pull back a little, give him a chance to miss her. Plus, she really didn't want her entire world to revolve around him. Suddenly, she also realized that during the last few months of getting closer to Eddie, she had neglected her cheerleader and softball friends. Well, that wouldn't do. Chrissy desperately needed to come up for air. She needed to breathe.

Chapter Nine

[fangirlforeversthings]

So this is what i think happened at force ghost heaven after they all died.

*Narrator voice*

Somewhere in force ghost heaven after his death a tired obi wan kenobi sat down and prepared a cup of tea, ready to drink it and enjoy his finally well deserved peace and rest for all eternity to come as suddenly an ear pinching, to him oh so well known, voice disrupted the harmonious silence and before he turned his head he already knew who it was and started silently praying: "oh my force no please, please no." But it was too late: "Oooh maaaasteeeer. Guess who felt so sorry that they let him iiiiin." And before he knew a pair of familiar arms one of them metal hugged him tightly, squishing him. Obi wan twists his face in an annoyed, desperate grimace a familiar headache crawling up his head. "oh force no."

"Obi wan i missed you sooo much and also i an so sorry for what happened i know this makes it not better but: my bad. Yoou, are not angry anymore? R..Right? *traumatisedly remembering the pain after his master beat him up twice after losing his pantience* I mean i love you so i wanted to tell you that back on mustafar that i love you and you are my brother aswell *dramatic sobs*. And i am back now. And i have to tell you soo many stuff soo many years of storys and adventures i have to tell you, and Luke and leia by the way you met them, knew them, tell me about them luke is as strong as his father isnt he? *muffled sobs* AND HOW IN THE WORLD YOU LET MY DAUGHTER HOOK UP WITH A SMUGGLER? also dang how did you got so old like what happened to you you old hermit fart? hahaha and....." and he kept on talking and talking and talking without a point or taking a breath once. Having missed his beloved master so dearly. Cause the moment obi wan was gone he stood there, not having a purpose anymore. shure he wanted to defeat him but he had never actually really thought he would get that far and now that he was gone he was lonely and lost. "Naur. iF OBi waN iS nOt hEre I dOn't LIkE iT. Bye b*tches i'm out. Imma follow him🥰 maybe if i say that i am very very sorry they'll let me in👉🏻👈🏻"

meanwhile obi wan asked himself what he ever did to deserve this. He didn't knew if he should be happy and cry because his beloved brother and best friend was finally back with him as back then in their best days, as if nothing had happened. Or if he should cry cause he was back with him. FoR aLl EteRnItY TO ComE. He ultimately decided to cry.

In the meanwhile a well known, now metal, hand grips the hilt of his purple lightsaber tightly, trying to calm his rage down and stares with a dead expression in his infamous glare with two words on his mind: "skywalker" and "motherf*cker".

Yoda: "oh heck. No, rid off you we thought we got. Mace: " it was MY FREAKING HAND. if you had more patience M*THERFUCKER WE SOME DAY WOULD HAVE GRANTED YOU YOUR STUPID ASS RANK. Like i can't believ you murdered us all just because you had a bad dream and didn't got a rank. Yoda Was about to teach you force healing:"ThE POwEr tO SavE HeR" IF YOU PSYCHOTIC ASS M*THERFUCKING M*THERFUCKER JUST WOULD HAVE HAD A LITTLE MORE PATIENCE. And mental stability." Yoda Petting his leg trying to calm him. Anakin, hiding behind obi wan who is yet done again: "really? Oh. My bad then i guess heh sorry." Mace: " *eye twitching aggressively, heavy breathing* Aaaaaaaah........*distant long scream*"

But obi wan was just about, to have his yelling moment, and that was when his former master stood infront of him a nervous smile on his face waving him hello: "obi wan my dear boy i'm so happy you made it here. I meant to tell you i was there obi wan *putting his hand to his own heart* the whole time you were never alone." A slap and sharp pain caused through gui gons cheeks as he realised that obi wan had slapped him. "what was that for??" Obi wan: "I CALLED FOR HELP AT LEAST 200 TIMES AND NOT EVEN A SINGLE WHAT DO YOU WANT WHAT DO YOU NEED NOTHING!" "Listen here i.." "NO YOU LISTEN HERE YOU OLD FART I WAS BASICALLY STILL A KID MYSELF AND YOU LEFT ME WITH THAT SACK OF CHAOS -*pointing on anakin who looks up at them and smiles, waves happily at qui gon*- no how to parent your padawan book left for instruction NOTHING!!! what were you even doing? I HOPE THE MILK TASTED GOOD!!" "Hey don't yell at your master!! I tell you.." qui gon tries to defend himself but obi wan just continues letting his feelings out:" you cant bring that up on me anymore i am a master myself now!" Qui gon:"AS LONG AS YOU LIVE IN THIS HOUSE..!" Obi wan:"THIS IS NOT THE TEMPLE AND I AM A COUNCIL MEMBER." Qui gon *gasp*: "i can't believe you are bringing this up to me" *shocked* obi wan:"Well i'm sorry but you forced me to. its your fault all of this IS YOUR FAULT." Anakin interrupting him: "so its not mine anymore?" Obi wan: "Sh*t up anakin. The council told you he was to old we should not train him, yoda told you his future was clouded, i told you it was a bad idea BUT YOU HAD TO INSIST and now LOOK WHERE THAT BROUGHT US!!"

Moment of silence. Yoda: "right you are maybe his fault it all was not skywalkers." Mace having finished yelling at anakin: "eh you know what? You're right obes. *pointing at qui gon* YOUR FAULT IT IS M*THERFUCKER" *loud dispute starting.*

I desperately dare someone to make a comic pretty pls

[fullstcp]

"You Signed Up For This" by Maisie Peters Sentence Starters

YOU SIGNED UP FOR THIS

"I still haven't got my driver's license."

"I am sorry to make it about myself again."

"But you, you signed up for this."

"Please don't give up on me yet."

"I know I'll get better, I'm just not better yet."

"Can you tell I'm trying?"

"I only drink to get drunk."

"Do you think that I'll grow any more?"

I'M TRYING (NOT FRIENDS)

"I was so in love, and that don't come off in the wash."

"You're seeing someone pretty and I hate her/his/their guts."

"We were bad but we're gonna be good."

"It didn't work like I thought it would."

"I resent you just a little if I'm honest."

"One of us has gotta try to keep a promise."

"I might be bitter and twisted and broken and petty and lying, but at least I'm trying."

"I want a 'sorry' but I'll settle for a handshake."

"Not friends, no, we're somewhere in between."

"You're awful and I miss you and I killed you in my dream last night."

"It's a low when even in my dreams you still don't want me there."

"Some people think I'm funny, baby, don't look so surprised."

"God, you haven't changed at all!"

"You might be awful like all of the time, yeah, it's almost inspiring."

JOHN HUGHES MOVIE

"This wasn't how it's supposed to go."

"I should be the one you're dancing with."

"You were meant to follow me."

"I was gonna act surprised even though I'd know you wanted me."

"It's not like I've been crying."

"There's just smoke in my eyes."

"You look right through me every time you walk by."

"If you don't want me, then you're not the one."

"You don't owe me anything."

"What am I gonna say?"

"What am I gonna do?"

"Thought you liked me too."

OUTDOOR POOL

"I just want you, so that's cool."

"You're not in love."

"You only kissed me after midnight in an outdoor pool."

"It's the worst day of my life, but it's all good."

"Tell me where I went wrong."

"Thought it was gonna be us."

"You only kissed me once."

LOVE HIM I DON'T

"I could see a bloodbath coming."

"Guess that was my stubborn season."

"You're bad in the bones."

"Loving you hurts."

"Loving you don't work."

"I fell for you and got a bad concussion."

"Don't text me."

PSYCHO

"You kept me as your favorite secret."

"I thought we just took it slow."

"It's funny how everybody but me knows."

"I feel like you feel nothing."

"Please leave this behind."

"You're losing your mind."

"You made me feel so useful, then so used."

"You don't want me at all."

"You don't want me to fall for anyone."

"Maybe you should be scared."

BOY

"It got progressively harder to miss you."

"You should take this personally."

"You're a serial cheater."

"When I told you you were funny I lied."

"You're a love 'em and leave 'em with a terrible reason."

"Now is not the time to reply."

"I can do better than this."

HOLLOW

"I wasn't broken till you tried to fix me."

"I wasn't lonely till you came around."

"It's all magic till you see the trick, babe."

"We had a future till you made it history."

"I was yours until you let me down."

"The casualty of love is the price of being free."

"This hurts so loud."

"You left me hollow."

"Are you happy now?"

"I hope you're happy now."

"Now I'm a comma in your explanation."

"I wish you felt the way you used to."

"You're the one that got away and you got away with a lot."

"They say it's better to have loved even if you lost, but I can tell you it's not."

"I just miss my friend."

VILLAIN

"Remember calling me the one?"

"Don't freak out."

"Now you're kissing the person I shouldn't worry about."

"How do you think I'm dealing?"

"Of course I wanted you to stay, but you didn't."

"I'll burn this house, I mean it."

"Well, what does that make me then?"

"I'm your villain."

"This is getting ridiculous now."

"Please, I don't need reminding."

"Jesus Christ, just move on already."

"Don't you think I'm trying?"

"Of course I wanted you to change."

"Whole town's gonna hear how you messed me up."

BROOKLYN

"I hate your tracksuit."

"What happened in Harlem?"

"Come on, have you seen those eyes?"

ELVIS SONG

"You were always on my mind."

"I'm trying to keep you out my mind."

"Your name floods when my eyes are shut."

"You gave it all and I gave it up."

"I was yours and you were mine."

"Oh God, I'm in over my head."

"I've got no right to miss you."

"I was scared to throw my heart off the edge."

"It was easier to tell myself we'd mess it up instead."

"I still wish things were different, don't you?"

TALKING TO STRANGERS

"I get not everyone sees you the way that I'd like."

"They talk about the news - I just talk about you."

"I can't stop, even if I wanted to."

VOLCANO

"I'll throw you in a volcano, I hope death is sudden."

"When I say I'm sorry, baby, I'll be bluffing."

"You got away with it."

"You crossed then burnt the bridge."

"You pulled a lot of shit."

"I'll cry you a river, then I'll drown you in it."

"Bet you hope I'm done, but there's no way I'm finished."

TOUGH ACT

"I was hard to handle."

"We burnt out like a birthday candle."

"Everybody knows that a breakup is better when there's someone to hate."

"You were my favorite way to stay up, and I'd say that still."

"You are one tough act to follow."

"You forgot how to miss me."

"I know that we weren't perfect."

"I hope you meet someone tomorrow and I hope they're everything you wanted."

"I hope I'm one tough act to follow."

[compassionatereminders]

Just venting a littlw because im kind of... afraid? Apreensive? I dont really know,, my cat run out of home for at least half an hour tonight, and the whole time I was panicking, full on wailing and crying and horrible.

Thankfully my mother found her in front of our neighboor's house. I had to take some meds to calm me down, and I am better now.

But exausted. My whole body hurts. I can't even describe correctly how I'm feeling right now. And that, combined with me trying to fall asleep, turns out, is a trigger. Oh wow. How happy i am with me self discoverys. Woow.

The moment i put my head on my pillow while feeling like that, some not so cool memories of a not so cool day kinda off made sure that I hadn't forgetten them.

This sucks, i just want to fall asleep but im afraid to put the phone down and turn off the lights, because I KNOW my mind will turn the reprizes of all of my trauma :/

At least my beloved cat's fine. She is my life, I can't imagine losing her so soon

Ah... well, thanks for hearing me, kat. I want you to know that you have a place on my heart (not in a romantic way of course)

I'm so glad your cat is okay, but I totally get that it freaked you out that she might not have been, and it's understandable and valid if it takes you a while to process this scary experience and start to relax

[writertitan]

Perennial // Part 2

a/n: hello! i'm a little late, but here's to a belated bday for levi! and happy holidays to those who celebrate!

pairing: levi x fem!reader

overall themes: fantasy AU, strangers to lovers, traveling through realms, explicit content

part 2 themes: worldbuilding, reader annoying levi, some softness

read part one here

You weren’t in the temple anymore. You turned and watched as Levi seemed to come out of thin air, a little out of breath, but the both of you remained intact, still joined at your hands. With a racing heart, you let go. Whether the pounding of your heart was due to what just happened or this incidental moment of physical touch, you didn't want to know.

“What’s wrong with you?” you asked, raising your brows. “Why are you out of breath?”

Levi frowned at you, wiping the last bit of sweat off his brow. He seemed almost surprised at your question, but his face eventually cemented back into nonchalance.

“What did I say about asking questions?” he mumbled, walking in front of you to lead the way.

You took in your surroundings as you walked behind Levi, feeling that wonderful sense of peace embrace you. The mirror had taken you to some kind of valley. Mountains that were so high they reached the sky flanked you at both sides, mostly rocky with bits of greenery here and there. The valley you walked on was what was lusciously green, a river cutting through the moss and soft grass. You noticed you were following the direction the river’s water was running, but looking behind and in front of you, there was nothing but this view for miles and miles.

You wanted to ask where you were going and where you had come to, but you knew better by now. Best to just let Levi lead the way.

Part of you also knew that you should still be absolutely losing your mind right now. There was still no logical explanation as to what was happening to you, but it was like this valley stifled those feelings. The air was still and calm and smelled a little sweet, and the night sky was still sprinkled with an astounding number of stars and meteors shooting across the sky. The moon was still bright and big above you, its craters clearly visible. You admired it for a moment until you slowed your steps, confused. Earlier, when you’d liked behind you to examine the length of the river and valley, you saw the moon there, peaking over a mountain. Had it orbited to be in front of you so soon? You whirled around just to make sure, eyes like saucers when you saw…another moon. Just as bright, maybe a little smaller.

“What the fuck?” you choked out, tripping over your own two feet.

“What is it?” Levi asked. You turned to face him, your heart racing, and with shaky hands, you pointed each hand towards each moon.

Levi seemed to immediately understand, and his jaw set a little, his smoky eyes on you in an instant, looking wary. He took a very slow, very gentle step towards you, as if you were a scared animal that might run away with any sudden movements.

“We’re almost there, Embla,” he murmured, deliberately calm. “Just a few more minutes until I can know for sure you’re really safe, and then—”

“We’re almost where?!” you shrieked, your entire body trembling. That calming feeling was ebbing, making way for your undiluted fear. “I’m freaking out, Levi! You’re asking me to trust you when I don’t even know you! You won’t even call me by my actual name. And I don’t know where I am, but I’m clearly not…I’m not where I should be. I’m in a place I’m not supposed to be in.”

“That’s right,” Levi said, his response immediate. “You came from somewhere else. I know it’s scary, but you need to take a deep breath and calm down. There’s a reason I’m making you wait for answers and taking you to a specific place. Please, Embla. I need you to trust me just a little bit longer. I’m going to help you.”

You were hyperventilating and frozen in place. And, even though you were outside, where everything looked and felt endless, you had never felt so stifled and claustrophobic in your life. In a weird way, it felt like you were trapped in your body, which didn’t make sense.

“I can’t move,” you gasped out, and Levi’s gaze softened.

He closed the distance between the two of you and took hold of your hand, the warmth of his palm blazing through you. As if on cue, your heart raced within your chest again, like it had before after going through the mirror.

“I told you not to stay still for too long,” he whispered. “Take a deep breath.”

You did as you were told, albeit the breath was pretty shaky, and then closed your eyes as the air whooshed from your lungs. Levi’s hand squeezed yours and you let yourself focus entirely on that, opening your eyes when you felt him manipulating your hand until your palm was facing the sky and your fingers were spread wide. His pointer finger traced some invisible symbol on your palm, a few times over, until your heart began to slow and your breathing steadied, and your limbs loosened up.

You took a step toward him, bumping into him with how close you were, and then you were acting without thinking. You threw your arms around him and hugged him tight, needing the comfort more than anything. He was stiff and you ended the hug before he could even really react, but you felt much better.

“Let’s go,” he muttered awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. You bit back a smile when you noticed his ears were pink. His embarrassment was enough of a delightful distraction to keep your blood pressure down.

Levi was right about not needing to walk that much longer. Within a couple of minutes, you were standing in front of the rocky wall of a mountain, bare of anything other than more rock. However, Levi took a step forward and placed both of his hands on the mountain, whispering something you couldn’t make out, until a low rumble filled the air. You watched in shock as the mountain wall shifted, a crack in it expanding until you realized it was opening up for you. It was dark inside, so dark that you couldn’t see how big the inside was, but you followed behind Levi anyway.

A few steps in and you heard that rumble again. Turning your head, you watched in horror as the mountain’s opening closed behind you.

“Levi!” you half-whispered, half-shouted, tugging at the arm you were holding onto for dear life.

“It’s supposed to do that,” he replied casually.

When the mountain fully closed you in and you were swallowed by the darkness, that’s when light brimmed out.

You blinked in surprise as what could have easily been little stars of light came to life, came out of nowhere, and guided you down the remainder of the rocky hallway that you now realized was rather short, and led to a wooden door that was perfectly framed into the inside of this curious mountain.

Levi opened it with ease and you followed him into the room, the lights following you, and you gasped a little as more light bloomed in the large room you entered.

Candles lit themselves atop an iron chandelier above you, and even more ignited along the walls. Shelves and alcoves had been carved into the rock itself, filled with trinkets, jars, books, and loose pieces of paper. Despite how many things there were, everything seemed to have its own little place, and it didn’t feel cluttered. A few velvet chairs decorated the place, the biggest one placed at a wooden desk that was shoved against the wall.

“This is weird,” you muttered, though you were very much charmed by it. “Where are we?”

Levi was quiet for a moment, and then motioned for you to sit in a chair. You took an emerald green velvet chair, taking off your backpack to place on your lap, while Levi took the deep blue one across from yours.

“This is a safe place for you. One of my many hiding spots,” he explained. “It’s guarded, I promise. No one gets near this place unless I allow it.”

“Okay…,” you murmured, looking around before letting your gaze settle back on Levi. “I still have, like, a million questions, Levi. What happened to me? Do you know? You seem like you know.”

Levi frowned a bit at that, then nodded his head once a little, though he seemed hesitant to.

“I don’t know how, exactly, you managed to get here. But you’re in Eldia.”

The words struck you like bricks, a shock to the system.

At first, you wanted to laugh. You were in total disbelief at what he’d just told you.

“Eldia?” you repeated. It felt like you had blinked a thousand times in one second while trying to process what he was saying to you. “Eldia’s not real.”

Levi sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before saying, “It would be great if you could skip past the denial stage. It would save both of us so much grief.”

Eldia.

Eldia.

There was no way he was being serious.

Eldia was a story. A myth. Another realm where magic beings walked the earth and held the power of Titans. A realm full of beings that were tied to the devil and had tried to destroy humans. It wasn’t real.

“I know that humans don’t believe anymore. We prefer it that way and even had part in making it that way. As far as I know, we cut off every…point of entry, I guess is the right way to put it. You technically shouldn’t even have access to us,” Levi said. “You can imagine the shock of knowing a human being made it over to our side.”

It felt like all the blood rushed out of your face. Your backpack suddenly felt very heavy in your lap.

“It’s not real,” you whispered, mostly to yourself.

But how else could you explain everything? You’d had this sinking feeling the entire time, that you weren’t in the right place. That you weren’t in your true reality. And mirror and the sky and the moons and everything…it all pointed to Levi telling the truth.

“I’m gonna throw up,” you groaned, tilting your head back until it collided with the plush velvet of your chair.

“Please don’t,” Levi said with a grimace. But you could see that he looked nervous, which was odd. You were the one who should have every right to be nervous, and that was at the very least. If you were in Eldia…you were most definitely in danger.

“I don’t understand. You don’t look like a Titan. Shouldn’t you be, like, a hundred feet tall?” you asked. Levi was short and looked…normal. He looked human.

Levi didn’t answer, though. He frowned, clearly bothered by what you were saying, and you decided to focus your attention back on fighting the urge to be sick.

You really did feel lightheaded and dizzy, but maybe that had something to do with the fact you hadn’t eaten in a while and maybe you were dehydrated. On top of the fact that you’d accidentally teleported into another realm, of course.

With a trembling hand, you unzipped your backpack and pulled out a stolen treat, ripping open the package to shove a handful of chips into your mouth.

“We’ll have to get you something to eat from here, too,” Levi said, watching you crunch on your chips. “From what I vaguely remember, your body will need to acclimate to this realm. That’s why I’ve been telling you not to be still for too long.”

“Will something bad happen to me if I don’t acclimate?” you asked through a mouthful of chips. Levi didn’t seem too pleased at your lack of manners but didn’t comment on it.

“I should have explained better. It’s not quite your body, but your soul that’s attached to your body. It just…freaks out, as you put it. Like earlier, when you felt you couldn’t move, that was likely your spirit trying to…,” Levi sighed again, giving you a look. “Don’t panic at what I’m about to say, but that was probably your spirit trying to leave your body. It needs to adjust to being in this realm.”

You shuddered at the thought of earlier, and how it had felt like you had no control over your own body, and how it felt you were claustrophobic, like you were confined despite being in open space. It had probably been your soul, feeling trapped in a body that was trapped in a strange place. You’d never given much thought to souls or anything like that, but you maybe believed in the concept a little, and the idea of yours trying to abandon your physical body was terrifying. Still, it was interesting to think of how it would react to your situation. It was a little funny to think that souls weren't very into the idea of realm-hopping.

Levi got up from his chair and moved over to the alcove, rummaging around until he came back with a mug filled with dark liquid. The way it swirled in the mug hardly made it look like liquid, though; it looked like air. It also reminded you of Levi’s eyes.

“This is smokeroot tea. I put little charms in there as well for your protection. It should be enough to make the soul adapt,” he said. You took the mug from him and peered inside, taking a whiff of the tea. It smelled good, definitely kind of smokey, but a little earthy, too.

“An Eldian helping a human,” you murmured, but held the mug solidly in your hands. You had to keep trusting Levi, even if this was all true and he was an Eldian. He hadn’t done anything to harm you yet, and had done nothing but help, so you took a sip of the tea. You didn’t know what to expect, yet it still surprised you to enjoy the taste. It was nice to have something to wash the chips down with.

“Thanks,” you whispered to Levi, gazing at him through your lashes.

He got a little stiff and awkward then, taking an involuntary step back.

“It’s nothing,” he muttered, his gaze turning back to the alcove. “I also have some dried rabbit meat. Let me give you some of that.”

That made you a little queasy.

“I’ve never…I’ve never had rabbit before,” you said, trying to be polite. “Will the tea be enough to keep my soul tethered to my body or whatever?”

“You should eat it just to be safe,” Levi said, handing you what looked like a strip of beef jerky. You took it to examine it and swallowed thickly, mentally preparing yourself for what was probably going to be an unpleasant taste, but you ate it so fast and downed it with tea and chips that you hardly noticed the taste at all.

It was then that you held the bag of chips up to Levi, giving him a hesitant smile.

“Want to try these? Do you have potato chips here? These are just sea salt ones, but they’re classic,” you rambled.

“No, but thank you. I’m just going to work at my desk for a bit while I give you some time to…process,” Levi said. Oh, well. More for you.

You finished off the tea with your chips, feeling much better by the time both were fully in your stomach. Neither of you really said a word to each other, though Levi also made himself some tea, which helped ease some anxieties you felt guilty about having. Though the quiet was nice and helped lull you into a sense of safety while your mind whirled with all you’d been through, you still had so many questions.

“How did we get here?” you asked quietly, careful not to disturb the peace too much. “I don’t understand. I know you’re not sure how I got here, but how did we move through that mirror thing?”

Levi, who had been sitting at his desk, looked at you from over his shoulder wearing that same guarded look.

“That was what we call a verse mirror. Do you still have telephones in your realm? You can think of it like a phone call, where you are able to call another place, but this is a physical manifestation of that. The thing is, calling through a verse is a little more complicated. It takes a lot of skill. You have to make sure you’re completely connected to the mirror and where you’re going. Otherwise, you could risk ending up somewhere else.”

You nodded, contemplating this new information. You remembered then, how transporting through the mirror had felt so much like what you’d felt before crossing into Eldia.

“What I felt during those moments as we passed through it…that’s what it felt like right before I got here,” you confided, voice barely above a whisper. You were staring at the empty mug in your hands, peering deep inside as if there was something helpful in there. “I was at a gas station though. There wasn’t a verse mirror anywhere in sight, I swear it.” Levi was silent as he took in what you said.

“There isn’t much magic left in your world, that’s true. Any magic there was brought over by us, and we haven’t crossed into your territory in a very, very long time,” he murmured. Then, his gaze was very much fixed on you, smoky eyes staring right into you. “One thing has been puzzling me about that trip through the verse mirror, now that you mention it. You had no problems going through it.”

“So what?” you asked, frowning. “Was I supposed to be all out of breath like you were?”

“Honestly, yes, at the very least you should have been feeling winded and out of sorts, especially with your very spirit feeling so disoriented. I was expecting you to faint, or worse,” he explained. “It can be taxing even on the most experienced Scout, but it didn’t seem to affect you at all.”

“Scout?” you repeated.

Levi stiffened, then gave you one of his looks that told you he was getting irritated.

“I could bore you with several hours’ worth of Eldian politics, but I’m thinking that would be a waste of both our times,” he quipped. You knew his sass was just to change the topic, and part of you wanted to press the subject just to get on his nerves a little bit, but you decided to let it go.

You sighed deeply and looked around, your mind whirling once again. This was certainly a different place, a different realm, somewhere that seemed out of time, but it also didn’t feel entirely too strange to you, which was the weird part. You were expecting the mental breakdown to come at any minute now, and yet you were lounging around Levi’s little hiding place and doing a damn good job of keeping it together. A far away part of your brain was worrying about the movers and your new place and the grief of your life that was in some unreachable place in space right now, but your rational brain was also very aware of the fact that those worries were at the bottom of the list for the foreseeable future.

You should have been worrying about some big things, actually. Not just the fact that you were in some entirely new realm, but also that it was the Eldian realm. This was the most dangerous place for humans to be.

You were racking your brain, trying to remember the bits and pieces of Eldian myth that most of the human world had grown up with.

In most legends, Eldians were once humans themselves, and magic was rampant in the human world. Humans mostly used it for healing purposes or celebrating, but eventually witchcraft was born and it began being used for more sinister purposes, and more and more people dedicated their lives to hoarding magic, rather than letting it be a free thing to share. Eventually, Ymir, the Eldian founder, was born and became the most prolific witch of all. She made a deal with the devil, who created a realm for her – this realm – to funnel all the magic of the human world into it for her sole use. She became the first Titan, an enormous humanoid monster that ate any human who dared attempt to slip into the Eldian realm, and then eventually sought out and resurrected 9 of the most cunning demons from the netherworld to bestow the Titan gift onto, in order to help her grow her realm. All 9 of them were demons that feasted on human flesh, and so Ymir crossed over to the human realm with those 9 demons to dominate humanity and use them like cattle. But, humanity had been able to put up enough of a fight to not only hold their ground, but even capture one of those Titans, thanks to a hero in the myths named Helos. Stories differed around the end of this fight, but in every story, Ymir and those 8 remaining Titans crossed back into Eldia. The most popular myth was that the humans captured the most powerful Titan, one that held the power to control passage between realms, with some even saying it was the actual devil himself, and it had forced Ymir to return to Eldia and use her last breath to close all entries but one into Eldia, which is heavily warded.

Most of the myths surrounding the realm of Eldia were tales of morality and cautionary tales, like many legends and folklore. You, like most others, learned these stories as children from adults who wanted you to stop being a brat or wander off, lest you find yourself in Eldia and get eaten by a Titan. You remember studying them again as a young adult, dissecting the stories and ultimately coming to the conclusion that they were also religious propaganda, a way to stop people from dabbling in witchcraft or other “dark” practices.

You hadn’t thought about Eldia in years. And now, you were literally here, a sheep among wolves, so to speak. And yet, you remembered the way the hordes of Eldians looked at you today. It intimidated you, yes, even scared you, but you didn’t feel a real threat to your life. Everyone had been so startled, so confused, but from what you recalled, nobody had wanted to take a bite out of you. And you hadn’t seen any actual Titans, no huge beasts as tall as skyscrapers with jagged grins and fiery bodies.

“What are you thinking about?”

Levi’s voice made you nearly jump out of your skin, and you swore as the mug you’d been holding clattered to the floor. Thankfully, though, it didn’t break.

You bent down to pick it up, but Levi was already there and doing it. You didn’t miss the dirty look he shot you before he put the mug away.

“You scared me,” you muttered.

“So, you can ask a million questions, but I can’t?” Levi asked.

You rolled your eyes. Then, as you were about to answer, you felt your face heat up.

“I was trying to remember everything I’ve learned about Eldia,” you admitted.

“Trying to figure out how fucked you are?” Levi asked, his voice flat. It almost made you laugh, but you managed to stifle it to a short snort.

“Something like that.”

“You’ll have to tell me what you’ve been taught. I’ve always been curious as to what humans think they know nowadays, after so much time has passed,” he said quietly. At that, you got curious.

“Have you ever been to the human realm?” you asked before you could stop yourself.

“Yes. I never interacted with humans in depth, though, and most of my visits were a very long time ago. My last one, however, was recent enough that I know humans are making great technological advancements, even without magic. The telephone was a personal favorite of mine. I liked the dial,” he mused.

You, however, were in awe. Your eyebrows shot up at his words. First, you were honestly a little surprised he would divulge any information about himself. He was so cagey with you. But also, to think he was this old, seeing the invention of the telephone...it was almost impossible to wrap your head around it. It was starting to make sense. Sometimes he paused when he was speaking, as if trying to use the correct “lingo” with you, though he wasn’t quite with the times on that front. And if it had been that long ago that he'd seen what the human realm was up to, did he still think the first renditions of the telephone were humanity's greatest technological achievements?

“Do you wanna see what phones look like now?” you asked him.

Without waiting for an answer, you dug through your backpack to fish out your phone, standing up so you could go to the alcove and show him.

Though he was clearly trying to look unfazed, you could see something flash in his eyes as he took the phone from your hand.

“We call them cell phones now. Or just phones,” you said, letting your phone come to life so he could see your home screen. “With this little thing, we have access to the entire world. Uh, human world. You can have everything at your fingertips, basically. It’s not just for phone calls anymore. It can be kind of overwhelming sometimes, now that I think of it.”

You unlocked your phone so you could prattle on about apps and the internet and your limited knowledge on how it all worked, but Levi stopped you.

“How are you making everything…come to life? You’re just pressing your finger on these strange symbols,” he said, slowly, trying to find the words.

“It’s just…the way technology works now. The screen can sense that I'm touching a particular area and gets me to where I want to go. Something science-y,” you answered, a little embarrassed you couldn’t give a more detailed explanation.

Levi seemed invested, however, and that made you happy. It also eased your mind a little bit; your other life was real, and waiting for you, and this would all be in the past one day.

"I had no idea you'd all come such a long way," he mumbled.

You let him touch the screen and direct him onto certain apps, and felt a little embarrassed when he looked at your social media. He seemed surprised to see photos of you there. Pictures of you with friends, traveling photos, and the occasional selfie. He spent a second longer on your selfies, which made you feel a little nervous, but you were just happy to see him so curious.

"Is photography more accessible?" he asked.

You gave a sly grin and took your phone back, showing him your camera. You made sure you had it on your front facing camera and angled the screen to capture mostly Levi's face, snapping the picture before he could react. His eyes grew wider when you showed him the photo, immediately available to view, but his wide gaze was replaced by a narrow glare.

"Don't do that again," he warned.

You rolled your eyes and put your phone away, turning it off to conserve some battery. Not that it had any signal here, but you would probably need it soon, when you were back on the other side.

You looked at Levi, who was now seated across from you again, not sure how to word what you needed to ask.

“So…what’s the plan to get me home?” you asked. Well, that would have to do.

Levi didn’t seem bothered, though. He was lost in his thoughts, his brows knit together to form a very concentrated look on his face, and you watched him curiously.

“First, we need to figure out how you got through. Once I know that, we can start working on getting you to cross realms,” he said.

“Fair enough,” you sighed. “How do you propose we figure that out?”

“I know someone that may be able to help with that,” he said vaguely, his eyes sliding to you. “But that’ll have to wait until tomorrow. Maybe you should rest.”

As soon as he said that, it was like your brain finally registered how tired you were. So much stimulation and change, on top of an already stressful day.

You yawned involuntarily, despite your best efforts not to, and then looked at Levi sheepishly.

“I guess some sleep wouldn’t hurt,” you admitted.

“I don’t really have a bed here,” Levi said, and if you didn’t know any better, you could have sworn his eyes held a little bit of sheepishness as well. “I don’t want you to tire yourself out getting to a place that does have one –”

You cut him off with a wave of your hand, already curling up in your chair.

“You’ll come to find out that I can sleep just about anywhere,” you told him. You were already drifting off. Levi didn’t say anything, but he did procure the softest blanket you’ve ever felt to toss over you.

Would he come to find out? If you were leaving tomorrow, then he wouldn’t come to find out a damn thing about you. Maybe you were dreaming it, but you could have sworn your heart sank a little at the thought.

---

You had no idea how long you’d slept, but it must have been a while. There weren’t any windows in the room you were in, but when Levi noticed you were awake, he immediately got some tea started and then put some bread and butter in front of you and curtly announced it as, "Breakfast."

“How did you sleep?” he asked, taking a sip of his tea. It was the same as yesterday, smokeroot, and you happily sipped from your mug.

“I slept like the dead,” you said. “Neck is a little sore, but that’s fine.”

“Good. Then you’re well-rested enough for all we have to do today,” Levi said flatly.

You made a face behind your mug and then took another sip of tea, mulling over everything. A comfortable silence fell over the two of you, but as your mind spun round and round, you finally had to just blurt out some thoughts.

“I keep waiting for my brain to just…I don’t know. Break from all this,” you admitted quietly. “I keep waiting for a freakout. I keep expecting to curl up in a ball because I can’t process what’s happening. At this point, I’m more freaked out about having to wait on the freakout, than the actual freakout.”

“Well, that tea was going to help calm you down on top of helping your body keep your soul. Now that you’re acclimating, that’s probably a big part of why you aren’t feeling too bad.”

“No, you don’t understand,” you began, “I’m…I’m not used to adventuring. I’m used to keeping myself safe. I’m kind of in disbelief that I’m able to deal with this at all.”

“You seem to be handling this just fine,” Levi said. “I don’t see how that’s a problem. Why are you expecting all of that?”

Your face heated up and you looked down at your half-empty plate, ripping off a piece of bread just to rip that little piece into even tinier pieces.

“Because I’m not exactly the bravest person ever,” you said. “I’ve always been more of a scaredy-cat. I scare easy and I’m always anxious about one thing or another, and I hate sudden changes, and I hate not knowing. I’ve always been like that. You’re the only reason I haven’t been eaten alive here, and that should really scare me, and I should be so terrified right now, but I’m not. I think it’s all going to come crashing down at the worst moment.”

Levi was quiet. You dared to glance up at him and were surprised to see that he was staring right at you.

“The human mind is very durable. Humanity itself is very durable, if I remember correctly,” he said. “You shouldn’t sell yourself short. I think you would be surprised at what you’re capable of.”

It was strange, receiving such a sincere compliment like that. No one back home would have ever come close to saying you were durable.

But now that you’d gotten it out of your system, you felt lighter, and you wanted to change the subject. Your curiosity was getting the better of you again when it came to Levi.

“When’s the last time you visited the human world? It sounds like it’s been a while, if the last thing you saw be invented was the telephone,” you said. Then, in a quiet voice, you asked, “Do Eldians go into our realm often?”

It was hard trying to decipher Levi’s facial expressions. He was so good at hiding behind a calm mask. It was like trying to see past a brick wall. But you could see emotions flickering behind his eyes once in a while.

“That was the last time I was there, that’s true. It’s been a long time in human years. And I’ll never go back again, not for anything,” he said, and the way he said it made you not press for more. “The last time I went was the last time most Eldians went. I haven’t heard of a single one of us returning to that place since then. If it’s happened, I know nothing about it.”

So, he wasn’t fond of the human world. Which was funny, considering that he had just hyped up humanity only minutes ago.

After another silence, this one a little more tense, it was actually Levi that spoke first.

“No one is going to eat you,” he said, taking your empty plate from you when you were finished.

You blinked in surprise, not expecting that.

“Excuse me?”

“There’s a lot of misinformation – let’s just call it misinformation. About Eldia,” he said. He gestured towards his own empty plate. “I’m sure you noticed that I’m not munching on human bones.”

“Variety diet,” you said blandly, hoping the joke would land, but Levi’s glare told you it didn’t. “I’m only kidding. Kind of.”

Levi sighed, signaling he was done with the conversation, and you felt like you’d failed somehow.

“Tell me why every story mentions the fact that you eat people, then? I’m not following,” you told him, folding your arms over your chest.

“Because that’s what you were told to believe,” Levi snapped. “We don’t…do that. A lot of what you think you know is actually false. You don’t know anything at all.”

That struck a nerve in you.

“It’s not like you’re ever keen to answer any of my questions,” you quipped back.

The two of you were glaring at each other now. Levi’s jaw was set and your entire body was rigid.

“I’ve known you less than a day, with you being asleep some of that time, and you’re already the most aggravating person I’ve ever met,” Levi told you.

You gave him an exaggerated smile, your eyes still flashing with your glare.

“That pleases me,” you said through your smile, before rolling your eyes and standing up.

“So much for being a scaredy-cat. You’re more like a feral cat,” Levi muttered under his breath, but fully with the intention that you’d hear him.

You ignored him and straightened out your clothes, then put a hand in your hair, frowning to yourself; you probably looked like a total mess.

After doing what you could without even a mirror to guide you, you turned back to Levi, arms crossed again, trying to keep your face neutral like he often did.

“When are we leaving to find your little friend?” you asked.

“Right now,” he said. “Grab your things and don’t forget anything. We won’t come back.”

The quickness startled you, but you did as he said and then followed him back into that hallway inside the mountain, until it eventually opened to the valley outside again. The sunlight hit you hard and you squinted, holding a hand over your eyes to shield them until they adjusted.

The valley was just as beautiful in the day as it was at night. The plush green grass and sapphire sky looked magical. Wildflowers bloomed in pockets here and there, and the rocky path along the mountain even held some pretty weeds in the cracks. The river was so clear that you could see fish darting around, and the rocks at the bottom glittered and looked like they all held vibrant colors.

How could such a dangerous land be so beautiful?

You held the straps of your backpack as you walked alongside Levi, your neck craning this way and that while you took in the sights. The only sounds were the rush of the water and the songs of birds and your footsteps that moved the loose stones and pebbles in your path. Levi didn’t say a word and neither did you.

There was nothing to see for miles but the beauty of the valley, but you knew better by now. There was magic here, and it didn’t matter if you were in the middle of nowhere. You could be taken to entirely new places with the help of Levi.

Levi.

You slightly tilted your head to peek at him from your peripheral vision, taking in the sight of him. He was looking straight ahead, posture straight and confident as he walked. His hair was still night-black even in the daytime, and you marveled at his strong profile. His nose was straight, and his jaw was strong and defined.

“Don’t stare at me like that,” he spoke up, only glancing at you briefly. His eyes glinted silver in the sunlight.

You felt your entire face grow hot and looked away, heart racing. Why was it racing? How did he know what you were doing?

---------

You walked for hours, but it didn’t feel so tiring, not when there was so much to see. You loved how the sun felt on your skin, you loved the gentle breeze that ruffled your hair, you loved how sweet the air smelled. It was nice to get away from the ugliness back home.

It hadn’t been totally silent the whole way. Eventually, you just had to strike up conversations with the ever-reluctant Levi.

You asked him little things occasionally, things that wouldn’t piss him off, but you mostly commented on your surroundings and revealed the occasional fact about yourself.

“I fell into a river once, when I was a kid. I didn’t know how to swim back then, and the river currents were really strong, so I was swept away pretty fast. But I got lucky and the current pushed me against this huge boulder on the edge of the river, and I was able to pull myself out. My parents put me in swimming lessons after that,” you rambled, your eyes on the river at your side. It was narrow, some would have probably even called it more of a stream than a river, and the water seemed to idly bubble along. You knew better, though; underneath the surface was a whole different story.

Levi seemed a little interested in this particular story of yours, though you’d told plenty today. He gave a look you couldn’t decipher, then looked away.

“I saved a human child once, from drowning in a river,” he revealed quietly, his voice level.

You looked at him in awe, surprised at this confession of his.

“That was very kind of you,” you told him, suppressing a smile.

Levi barely reacted, but his face remained calm.

You took it as permission to keep rambling.

---------

The trail had eventually led you out of the valley and into a great expanse of land, still as beautiful but leaving the mountains behind.

There were fields of crops, you noticed, and actual livestock.

And then, up ahead, by the time the sun was signaling late afternoon, you could see what you were sure was a village.

At first, it was exciting. Then, that pit of worry sank like a stone in your stomach.

Eldians. Surely there would be Eldians there.

You remembered how it had been running into them the first time. Levi had to get you out of there. Now he was leading you towards more of them.

You hadn’t noticed you’d slowed down until Levi cleared his throat.

“Don’t start going all chicken-shit on me now, Embla,” he said, his face unreadable. “What’s gotten into you?”

“They’ll know I’m human, won’t they?” you asked, but didn’t wait for an answer. “What are they gonna do? Is it gonna be like last time?”

Levi softened imperceptibly and stopped walking, standing a few feet away from you.

“They won’t hurt you,” he said. “It’ll be just before dusk by the time we get to the outskirts of the village, so the sun will still be out. They won’t come out until dark.”

That didn’t make you feel any better. You thought back to yesterday, how it had been so quiet and lifeless during the day. It hadn’t been until night descended that you saw any traces of life.

“What’s up with that?” you asked, stepping closer to Levi. “Why can’t they come out during the day? Are you like vampires or something?”

Levi scoffed, his glare back full force.

“We can obviously come out during the day, shit-for-brains. I’ve been walking with you all day, haven’t I? There’s a ceremony of sorts being carried out by Eldians. Last night was the first night of it, and tomorrow night will be the last night,” he explained.

“Why aren’t you participating in the ceremony?” you asked, already fired up with questions.

You could see that he didn’t want to answer, but you pressed on this time, using it as a distraction for your anxiety.

“C’mon, Levi! I’m trying to learn,” you said, your tone pleading.

Levi’s shoulders became less tense as you began to walk with him again, although, even as you looked at him with wide, curious eyes, he didn’t look at you.

“Fine,” he grumbled. “If it’ll get you to shut up and walk.”

When he finally turned his head to look at you, you gave him a smile, your first genuine one since getting here. He blinked a couple of times, his lips parted, but in a flash, he was composed again.

“It’s the Three Nights of the Daughters, but we usually just call it the Three Nights. It’s a yearly event where we honor Maria, Rose, and Sina.”

“Who are they?”

This time, it was Levi who stopped walking, an eyebrow raised.

“What?” he asked.

“Maria, Rose, and Sina…who are they?” you asked again, a little more hesitant this time.

“You really don’t know?” Levi asked, and you shook your head, feeling your face heat up yet again.

Those names didn’t sound familiar at all, and yet Levi was acting as though you were missing some important piece of information.

“No. Should I?”

“They’re Ymir’s daughters, her direct descendants. When she died, they – how could you not know all of this?” Levi’s face was incredulous, the most animated you’d ever seen him.

“She never had…none of the stories…”

Try as you might, you couldn’t find the words. Any time you had a thought, it trailed off.

Ymir had a family? None of the stories you’d ever come across even slightly hinted at that. Maybe it was human error. After all, these stories were so old, and they weren’t exactly all yours to tell. People considered them myth these days, not as historical events. Eldia had only been a fairytale to you until yesterday. But something nagged at you. This absence of knowledge felt intentional, like you weren’t supposed to know about it.

You looked at Levi, feeling unnerved for some reason.

“The last time you were in my world, did the humans know about her daughters?” you asked.

Levi seemed taken aback by the question, but his face was slowly melting back into neutrality.

“I never asked about the full extent of how the myths were told, but knew that things were...altered. I just never knew how much. I was never exactly in direct contact with you people,” he said. It was such a vague answer, but you let it go for now, tucking the little information he gave you for later.

“Tell me more about the Three Nights, then. Why do you celebrate her daughters? And why at night?” you asked, attention fully on Levi.

“Because of what they had to go through when their mother died. They each had to stay up all night with Ymir’s remains. They had to do unspeakable things in order to inherit the Power of the Titan,” he said casually, eyes fixed ahead. “But they did it for us, to save us. They used the Power of the Titan to attempt to close all pathways between this world and yours.”

You blinked in surprise. Her daughters saved Eldians, from what? From humans? That’s what it sounded like. Levi was telling the story like Eldians had needed to be protected from humans, which meant removing access between realms. Or, the way he’d put it, attempted to remove. Clearly, there was still access.

At first, you felt an automatic sense of defensive come alive within you. How dare he, when the stories pointed to countless humans getting eaten or tortured by Titans! People kept these myths alive to remind humanity of what to fear.

But again, that feeling of being unnerved set in. Something about Levi’s version rang true, though you didn’t know why you should trust him, why you were trusting him, despite everything you’d been taught. Even if you’d originally believed it all to be nonsense, these stories were now the only thing you could reference to survive in this different place. And here was Levi, tearing all your knowledge to shreds and claiming it to be false. Maybe not directly, but it was obvious he was trying to steer you in another direction.

“So now you all celebrate them every year by staying up all night outside?” you prodded.

“You’ve got it a little backwards. Do you remember yesterday, when everyone was coming back into town from the forest after sundown? That’s because people are resting in temples together. None of our temples are within towns. And before you ask why,” Levi said, eyeing you, “it’s because the temples are meant to be tied to the earth somehow, as a separate haven from whatever nearest town or village there is. It’s a time to gather as a community and people like coming together to celebrate and rest under one roof. During the day, people all come together in the temple to start preparing their feasts and offerings to the altars that are built for each daughter before they sleep. At night, families go back home and fast until morning.”

You mulled over all this new information and this unique celebration. Instead of looking at Levi, your gaze turned towards the village. You were closer now, and the sun was lower in the sky, casting long shadows and golden light. It was strange, knowing it was completely empty.

“Seems like it would be cramped, all holed up in a temple together,” you said aloud, mostly talking to yourself. “That temple we were in, Norchek Temple, was nearly decrepit, and so small. It wouldn’t have fit an entire village inside.”

“The temples I’m talking about are Temples of the Titans,” Levi explained. “They’re dedicated to Ymir and her direct descendants, and they’re big enough to hold many people. However, in some places where the population is bigger, they’ll assign different days for different groups to rest, usually going by neighborhood. Temples like Norchek Temple are different.”

“How is Norchek Temple different?” you asked.

Levi sighed, then stopped walking. You stumbled at the quick change, but then turned to face him fully, a questioning look in your eyes.

“Embla.”

That’s all he said for a few moments, just that odd nickname for you. But you knew he wanted to say more, so you kept quiet. When he didn’t say anything else, even though there was clearly a storm brewing in his eyes, you spoke up.

“Levi, just tell me what you wanna tell me,” you whispered, a hand outstretched to reach out to him. However, he stepped back, which made your heart sting, and his eyes hardened.

“Humans have told their own version of our history for a very long time,” he said. “I’ve never involved myself much with humans, and for good reason. There's no point in explaining all of this to you. It’s pointless trying to make you see.”

“See what?!” you pressed, hands balling into fists.

“The truth,” Levi said, not giving in to your anger.

His answer fizzled out your anger, though, and your outstretched arm fell limp to your side. So, he really was trying to convince you that you’d been lied to all your life. That all humans had been lied to.

Your gaze slipped from his and you focused on the fields and lines of trees instead, deep and rich sunlight saturating their colors. The sun was going to set soon, and the village wasn’t much farther. Now, though, you weren’t so afraid of who you might run into.

Levi seemed to harbor some resentment towards humans. He was so hesitant to tell you anything at all about his world, and you wondered why. Wouldn’t he want to tell you the truth of Eldia, so that you could go back to your world and spread that truth? Did he think that it wouldn’t matter, because you wouldn’t be staying here long enough to give you enough of the truth to pass along?

Besides all of that, you were battling your own mind. You wanted the truth, but you had to admit that you were also scared of it. You were so sick of being scared all the time. You’d always thought you were just especially mindful of self-preservation, but now you were seeing it for what it really was: cowardice. This was a chance to learn something life-changing, and yet you were still shying away from it. Part of you wanted to keep the stories you’d been told and hold them in high regard. You wanted to keep believing that those stories were the most accurate, and not whatever Levi could tell you. Everything you thought you knew was crumbling in on itself, and you felt powerless and stupid and bared to the world in a way that made you uncomfortable. It made you feel like a blank slate.

“Let’s just keep going,” you mumbled, hating yourself. Such a coward, such a scaredy cat. You could have pressed Levi more, hounded him for answers, for the truth, but you didn’t.

You fell into step together and entered the outskirts of the village, where you learned the name of the village by looking at some signs.

“Ragako,” you breathed out, admiring the structures of the buildings and houses.

It was a small village and it seemed so open, with wide roads and plenty of space between buildings. Nothing at all like the town you’d been in before.

“What was the name of the other town?” you asked Levi out of curiosity. You never did find that out.

“Shiganshina,” he answered curtly.

You frowned at him, not appreciating the tone, but decided to steer the conversation a different way.

“We’ve been walking all day,” you complained, rubbing your grumbling stomach.

You’d aired this grievance earlier, around noon, when the beginning pangs of hunger struck you. Levi had merely grunted and only let you stop long enough to peruse through your backpack for a snack, but then told you to keep it moving and walk while you ate. The snack was barely enough to sustain you, and now your hunger was back with a vengeance, coupled with thirst.

“Stop being a crybaby. It’s not gonna kill you to wait a few more minutes until we get to Hange’s house,” Levi said, his grey eyes peeking at you from his peripheral vision.

“Hange,” you repeated, tasting the name in your mouth. “Finally, you tell me who we’re seeing.”

“You never actually asked,” Levi reminded you, and you felt your face grow a little hot. Technically, he was right. He doubled down by adding, “You spend all your time asking millions of questions, but never the right ones.”

You felt there was some sort of double entendre in what he’d said but you didn’t want to press him anymore.

Sure enough, as golden dusk cooled into pale twilight, you were standing in front of someone’s home. From far away, you could hear people emerging from the forest, their distant chatter sounding like coils of wind.

You were about to question whether Hange was even home, but Levi pounded roughly on the door and startled you into silence. Surprisingly, the door swung open to reveal someone, presumably Hange, with messy dark hair and glasses that were askew on their face.

“Levi?” they asked incredulously, sleepy eyes suddenly alert. Then, their gaze turned to you, their jaw immediately dropping. “Is this…?”

“A human? Yeah. Let us in before anyone else sees her.”

read part 3 here