#what is their gender? guess. they’ll find your struggles amusing

[consumeroflemoans]

T4T VILIDIA :D

[notkageyamasprincess]

21:58 | kozume kenma x reader

characters: kozume kenma x gn!reader

genre/warnings: fluff

words: 1.1k

Kenma gets jealous when you get attention from other guys while you’re gaming. It’s not uncommon that you’ll come across someone who’s a little too eager to help you beat bosses, or they’ll gift you rare items, or send you resources at the slightest mention that you’re running low. When that happens, Kenma shuts himself in his room and distracts himself with another game. Usually, that does the trick to make him feel better, but this time, he found himself getting more and more irritated.

+++++

“...aaand done. If you ever need help again, you know where to find me.”

“Thanks so much! It would have taken me forever to finish this stage on my own.”

“Anything for you, sweetheart. Hey, has anyone ever told you that you have a really pretty voice?”

You giggle. “That’s sweet, but I thought I told you that I was taken already.”

“Nothing wrong with giving a compliment.”

You catch a glimpse of your boyfriend when he comes out to get some water and you notice the sour expression on his face.

“Hold on, I’m going to mute myself for a sec.”

You turn off your mic and spin your chair towards Kenma.

“Hey babe, is something wrong?”

“It’s nothing,” he responds curtly, setting down his glass a little harder than he intended.

You raise an eyebrow. “Doesn’t sound like nothing. It’s okay, you can tell me.”

“You sure sounded like you were having fun.”

“Oh, someone came to help me with a part of the game that I was having trouble with.”

He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “Bet he was real happy to flirt with you while he was at it.”

A smile slowly crept onto your face as you got the hint. “Baby. Are you being jealous?”

“Jealous? Of who? A loser who thinks he has a chance with you?”

As those words were leaving his mouth, he remembers—all over again—the smug tone of the guy fawning over you all day. His jaw ticks and he strides toward you from his spot in the kitchen.

“Why the hell would you ask someone else for help when you have me right here? I can easily beat whatever you’re struggling with, I’ll pay for the skins you want, and I can buy anything else you need in the game,” he huffed. “I’m your boyfriend, so I don’t understand why you rely on other men instead of coming to me.”

You were amused. Kenma rarely ever had outbursts like this, and you thought it was adorable how much he cared. Truthfully, you were enjoying this quite a bit. You really tried hard to stifle your laughter, but he hears it anyway.

A muscle in his face twitches. “____, are you seriously finding this funny?”

“No, no! I mean, maybe a little bit. Look, you always seemed so busy with work, so I didn’t want to tire you out even more with unimportant things.”

“Anything related to you is important to me,” he sighs. “____, do I not make that clear enough?”

Your cheeks redden from his unexpectedly candid behaviour. He surprises you by pulling you into an embrace, but you quickly relax, gently stroking his back to calm him. He breathes deeply as you release the leftover tension from his body.

“You do, Kenma. I know it even if you don’t say so. I just want you to get more rest,” you soothed.

You kiss him on the cheek when he lets you go, and his eyes softened.

“I’ll make time for you even if I’m busy.”

He checks his watch. “Actually, I have time right now. Move over, I’ll play the next round with you.”

“You have an account? I didn’t think you played.”

“I used to, but I maxed out my account and got bored. Needed something more challenging.” He shrugged—as if it was a casual thing to say. Not that you expected any less from your pro-gamer boyfriend.

He settles into the chair beside yours and turns on his computer.

He puts on his headphones and smirks. “Tell him that Kodzuken will be joining the next game.”

“Right,” you respond, sitting back down. “Hey, I’m back, I was talking to my boyfriend.”

“Yeah okay, your ‘boyfriend’. Come on, we both know you made that up.”

“What? No, he’s gonna join us.”

“Alright, what’s his username then? I’ll let him into the room.”

“It’s Kodzuken.”

You hear him chuckle after a pause. “You mean, as in the CEO and streamer? Sure, whatever you say, sweetheart.” But his laughter starts to subside after a few clicks. “Uhm, that’s weird, there’s actually a player with that name requesting. It’s gotta be a fake right?”

Kenma cleared his throat. “Not at all, I’m very much real. Thanks for keeping ____ entertained when I wasn’t here.”

“Holy shit, this guy has the same voice! No fucking way, are you actually Kodzuken? Dude, I’m a huge fan, you have no ide-”

“I appreciate it, but ____ and I have something to do after, so let’s make this quick.”

“Yeah man, of course!”

You turned to him with a quizzical expression. “I didn’t know that we had plans.”

“Trust me, you’ll see in a bit.”

+++++

A couple minutes into the game, you hear an indignant shout coming from the other guy. A banner message briefly appeared at the top of your screen: XxKTOxX has been eliminated by Kodzuken!

“Mate, you just shot right at me! The fuck was that?”

“Sorry, man. Game glitched,” he lied. “But it’s fine, we’ll manage without you somehow. ____’s in good hands.”

A quick glance told you that your boyfriend’s lips were quirked up slightly at the edges. “Kenma, you did that on purpose, didn’t you?” you whisper. You thought that he had already gotten over his jealousy, but it clearly seems like you were wrong.

He drops his smile and puts on a poker-face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Also, this dude sucks at this game.”

His eyes glint mischievously as he prepares for what he says next.

“Ah that’s right, before I forget, you asked if anyone had ever said that ____ had a pretty voice, right?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t mean any-”

“I don’t think you got a response though. I told ____ that last night in bed, and I’ll probably be doing the same in like, thirty minutes or so, depending on how far along we get. By the way, just in case you were wondering, ____’s voice sounds the prettiest moaning my name. Too bad you’ll never be able to hear it.” Your new friend coughs violently as Kenma finishes. “Did that answer your question?”

The line causes the boy to sputter, and you gasp while smacking your boyfriend’s arm.

“What? You can’t wait? Thirty minutes a bit too long for you? Guess we’ll just have to end the game early, then.”

a/n: well, well, well, look who decided to write something! wrote half of this before realizing that i didn’t use any pronouns so i might as well make this gender-neutral and more inclusive. i usually write f!reader but if anyone wants gn!reader you are always free to request a piece <3

[alrightberries]

honey, honey (how you thrill me)

request: i loved strawberries and cigarettes but levi just can’t catch a break :(( can we have a super fluffy modern au with boyfriend levi instead? thanks!

request: hi i’m new here and had read your fics. i love your take on levi’s character! Also that your writing is very great to read!😘 (tho that angst really made me cry HARD) if i may request umm... i want a levi x reader fic about them being like an old married couple but they’re not in a relationship ‘yet’ so like everyone ships them. Its a fluffy crack fic/ Reader is like “well you’re clean and I kinda lilke you so...” then levi be like “you’re tolerable and knows how to properly clean.” and then they really ended up married. It’s like the easiest transition from friends to lovers that one day they just said lets get married we act like it anyway whats new 😂. I want fluffs and laughs! Aot is angsty enough we need fluffs with our favorite characters!!

❈ pairing: levi ackerman x reader

❈ genre: fluff, semi-crack.  ❈ word count: 4.6k

❈ summary: modern au. In which you and Levi are both professors at the same university, and are painfully unaware that all the students and other staff members have a bet that’s been going on for years now. What’s it about? When you’ll both finally confess to each other and just date already.

❈ trigger warnings: profanity. mentions of sex

a/n: made it gender neutral as per usual. this was really fun to write! makes me think about writing fluff more often (pffft sure)

Trost University was home to many brilliant minds. It was a prestigious school with an acceptance rate of 600 out of 4000 yearly applicants, and producing the finest students; those of which would almost always graduate with high honors before starting a successful career of their choosing.

Its professors, undoubtedly, were of the finest quality as well. They were professional, extremely skilled, and highly trained. It was a workforce full of almost over qualified educators excelling in their respective fields, with master and PhD certificates framed on cubicle walls being the norm in the faculty room.

Erwin himself was proud to be a professor here. He started working as a high school teacher when he was still studying for his master’s degree, shifting from high school teachings to college teachings as years passed by, before eventually getting recognized and offered a job seven years ago by the prestigious school.

His friends— a loving and longterm couple who, as far as he knew, were high school sweethearts and still going strong today— had joined him on this journey as well. He’d known them since they were in college, all studying different fields but aiming for the same career of teaching.

The three of them shared a strong bond; a bond built on study groups, mutual dislike for crappy teachers, and a certain love for education. They were there for him, and he was there for them. He especially disliked it, however, when their relationship went through rough patches. He didn’t like picking sides, and listening to the same story being told from two different perspectives almost always made him want to grab Y/N and Levi’s heads and bash them together for how dumb they were acting.

But despite the differences and occasional fights, he wouldn’t hesitate to say that he trusted them with his life.

So Erwin, for the life of him, couldn’t figure out why he was just now finding out that the power couple he knew and loved wasn’t even a couple at all.

“So, wait.” He speaks, trying to be heard over the crowded cafeteria chatter. “You’re telling me... they’re not a longterm couple?”

“They’re not.” Moblit confirms easily. “Apparently, they’re not even dating.”

“Or so they claim.” Hange interjects. “Y/N and Levi have actual matching rings. Literally— I asked Levi about it once and he said Y/N was his fiancé.”

“But not romantically.” Moblit quickly adds on. “I was there too, he said not romantically.”

“Why would Levi propose to someone he’s not romantically interested in, huh?!” She counters back, a little louder than the brown haired man’s volume.

“I don’t know! Citizenship? Money? Sex—“

“They’re in love! You know they’re in love, you’re just denying it because you want to get in Y/N’s pants.” She huffs. “And because you’re about to lose the bet.”

Erwin’s eyebrows scrunch in confusion. “Bet? What bet?”

“Oh, you don’t know about the bet?” Hange asks. “It’s been going on for, like, five years now. The entire faculty’s in on it.” She begins to chow down on her soup, not offering more of an explanation. Moblit takes this as his cue to expand when he notices Erwin’s blank stare.

“Since you guys joined maybe... seven or so years ago? Everyone just assumed Y/N and Levi were a thing. Because of, y’know, the way they interact with each other. But then five years ago Hange and I asked them when their anniversary was so we could get them some wine, and both of them full on denied even being in a relationship.”

Hange nods, more than a spoonful of soup and a more than generous bite of bread in her mouth. “Yeah, but then I peaked at their faculty files—“

“Peaked at their faculty files?” Erwin murmurs, but he’s ignored.

“—and they have the same home address. They live together!”

“I can confirm that much, at least.” The blonde man answers thoughtfully. “They’ve been sharing a dorm since college but Y/N moved out at some point. They live together in Levi’s apartment now, though.”

“That doesn’t prove anything.” Says Moblit. “They could just be roommates and really good friends.”

“Well I’ll say!” Hange throws her hands in the air. “I caught Y/N sucking Levi’s dick at a party once. Must be one hell of a friendship they have, aye Moblit?”

Her elbow begins nudging the brunette beside her, and Erwin stares with amusement when Moblit starts getting irritated from the eccentric woman’s teasing.

“So what’s the wager?” Erwin asks.

The two professors stop their bickering and share an evil smile. Hange gestures for Erwin to come closer, as if she were about to tell him a secret, and he does just that.

“Whoever wins the bet gets a free meal from Shaw’s Bistro.”

Erwin’s eyes widen. Shaw’s Bistro; the classy high end restaurant with the fancy wine, fancier atmosphere, and the best Japanese Salted Salmon he’s ever had.

It was an expensive restaurant— even for someone with his salary. Erwin knew he could rarely ever eat there unless he wanted to run his bank account dry. And he concludes that this petty bet must be a Pretty Big Fucking Deal.

He squints his eyes. “I’m listening.”

Hange giggles as she continues. “Basically, you have to guess how long it’ll take for Y/N and Levi to finally admit they’re couple. But you can’t choose the same answer as other people in the bet, we can’t afford two winners. Literally.” She gestures to Moblit. “Unless you’re like dumb dumb over there who wagered they’ll never admit it because they’re not a couple—“

“They’re not!”

“—I’m sure you’ll do fine.”

Erwin nods his head, one hand on his chin in thought. He never did explicitly ask whether they were dating or not, he just assumed they were.

He carefully considers his options; be a snoop to his longterm friends and possibly break their trust for joining a foolish bet? Or Japanese Salted Salmon from Shaw’s Bistro?

Hange and Moblit look at him expectantly, smiling when he nods.

“Deal me in.”

The cafeteria was noisy when you walked in.

Students mingled amongst themselves, chatting idly about academics and gossip. Cutlery scraped against each other as people took bites of their meals. Your eyes scanned the crowd, spotting your friends sitting around their usual table and having what seemed to be a heated discussion.

You turned to look at the man beside you. “Did you bring your own lunch today?”

Levi nods as he lifts up a small black bag. “Always do. But I’ll stand next to you in the lunch line so you don’t look like a loner.”

That was Levi Speak for I’ll wait for you.

You smile. “Thanks.”

The brief silence between you is broken when you start talking about your students— how proud you were that Armin was tutoring some of the struggling students in his free time, how terrible Jean was at hiding his crush on Mikasa, how terrible Mikasa was at hiding her crush on Eren (“I don’t even think she’s trying to hide it. At this point, I’m convinced that Eren is either dumb or dense.”)

Levi nods along to your tales, seemingly uninterested and bored. But anyone who knew him well would know he was listening intently as you spoke, every word heard loud and clear and processing in his mind as soon as they left your lips. Occasionally, he would pipe in with his own comments (“Eren’s just dumb.”) but he didn’t engage too much, opting to let you speak and rant on.

Your talkativeness never got on his nerves, contrary to popular belief. He liked listening to your stories, listening to your voice, and seeing the little glint in your eyes when you start talking passionately about your students. He overall just liked being around you. You were cleaner than most people he knew. You were tolerable. Sometimes a pain in the ass, but still tolerable.

But what does get on his nerves, however, is being ‘secretly’ watched by his friends.

Once he’s sure you’re not looking, he turns his head in the direction of their table, murderous glare prominent on his face. Hange, Moblit, and Erwin quickly snap their heads down and pretend to eat, but Levi knew they were definitely staring.

“Oh crap, I forgot my free meal card.” He hears you mumble beside him. He hadn’t even realized you were already standing in front of the counter.

“Figures. You have the memory of a gold fish.” Levi comments off-handedly. 

He hands the cashier his free meal card and grabs your tray for you, and you silently took the coat that Levi had swung over his arm to carry with you instead. You knew he’d hate for it to get dirtied by any accidental soup splashing.

“So, what’s happening on your end of the gossip?” You ask, both making your way to your usual table with friends.

Levi shrugs. “The brats are doing well on their thesis. Their grammar is shit though; makes you wonder how they graduated high school.”

You snicker. “You say that now but tomorrow pull an all-nighter to help them study and revise.”

“You’re not one talk. You scheduled two different consultations between classes and three more after your shift.”

“I can’t help it, okay?! You know I have a soft spot for the kids from the 104th.”

Of course he did. He knew of your affection for that specific group of students— admittedly, he held a twinge of affection for them too.

They were part of the first class you ever taught in your entire teaching career. At the time, you both worked at some crappy school in the 104th district. And to see the kids now, all grown up and studying at a prestigious college, it made your heart swell. And Levi’s heart... well, suffice to say it cracked some of the ice around it.

“That soft spot of yours is making you lose sleep.” He scolds. “I’ll take some of the consultations off your hands. The lil shits deserve a teacher who isn’t half asleep.”

Again, that was Levi Speak for Don’t overwork yourself, let me help.

You jokingly slap his arm. “That’s rude!”

“I know.”

Your conversation is interrupted when you finally arrived at the table, Levi setting down your tray in front of you and you handing him back his coat as you sat down next to each other.

“Hey.” You greet your friends, and Levi silently unpacks his lunch. “What were you guys talking about? It looked pretty intense.”

“Oh, nothing, nothing.” Hange waved off. “Just the usual. Grading papers, grading lab experiments, grading essays. The usual.”

You nod, unconvinced but letting it slide. “I see.”

The table is once again filled with laughter and conversations. Banter was thrown around here and there, mostly between you, Hange, and Moblit as you debated about films and TV shows. Levi and Erwin stuck to light chatter, but it didn’t go unnoticed to the shorter man when Erwin’s eyes squinted as Levi placed his arm around the back of your chair like he always did, or when Hange tried to hide her squeal when he wiped some excess soup from the corner of your lips.

Something was up.

It was about ten minutes into lunch when your phone began to ring, a notification from a reminder app you downloaded. You picked up your phone and sighed as you read your schedule.

“Gotta go. I have a meeting in a few.” You mutter, beginning to clean up your tray and utensils; you were a little disappointed. You didn’t even get to finish your soup.

Levi eyes you and the way you kept glancing back and forth between your soup and the clock. He sighs before he speaks, “I’ll take care of your dishes and buy you lunch later. Just go.”

“No, no, I can— fuck!” You yell when the bowl of soup is accidentally knocked over, spilling over your jacket.

Levi silently offers you his handkerchief to clean yourself up. He starts using napkins to clean the table as well, before taking the coat he brought and giving it to you.

“Use this for now.”

You smile at him once again, taking your coat off and slipping on his as you stood up. “Thanks.”

He doesn’t flinch (or react for that matter) when you kiss his cheek before you left, only letting out a small hum of acknowledgement as you waved goodbye to your friends and made your way to the meeting.

Once you were out of view, Hange’s smile immediately drops in favor of too serious eyes as she starts interrogating Levi.

“Okay, cut the crap, Ackerman. How long have you—“

“Hange, no, we’ve talked about this.” Erwin tries to reason but his pleas fall on deaf ears as she continues.

“How long have you and Y/N been dating?”

Ah. So that’s what it was about.

Levi sighs and continues to chew on his bread. He unenthusiastically stares at the woman yelling at him, swallowing his meal before speaking, “I’ve told you before and I’ll tell you again: we’re not.”

“Bullshit!” She yells. “You guys are a disgusting old married couple who have two adopted children—“

“Dogs.” Levi corrects boredly, but just like everyone else at the table, he’s ignored as Hange continues her tirade.

“—have matching sweaters, do small bullshit for each other like paying for meals and lending your coats. And for god’s sake, they literally just kissed your cheek even though you hate human contact.”

She finishes her rant but Levi looks unphased. God, she wanted to punch his dumb and oblivious face so bad.

“Those are normal things normal friends do. I’m not surprised you wouldn’t know, four-eyes.” Says Levi, but Hange is unaffected and already used to his abrasive words.

Levi continues. “We don’t do anything beyond what’s considered friendship.”

Hange squints her eyes in suspicion. “Didn’t Y/N move into your apartment?”

“Yeah. Their landlord was shit.”

“Where I caught you having sex?”

“We’re fuck buddies and you don’t know how to knock.”

“But you introduced them to your mom as your fiancé?”

“I lied so she would stop bugging me about getting married.”

“You literally have a shared bank account and a shared retirement fund!”

“It’s easier to keep track of.”

“Damn it, Levi!”

Armin stares at the study guide in front of him, mind half processing the words and half... not. Quite frankly, he starts to wonder if the papers you’d given him were written in gibberish or some dead language no one spoke anymore.

You see him struggle to understand the sheet of paper in front of him, and sigh.

“Need a little help there, Armin?” You offer but he shakes his head. “I’m okay. I think I can understand this if I read through it more, it’s my friends I’m worried about.”

He glances beside him where the rest of his study group also stared the papers, each face painted with a unique mixture of confusion and dread.

You weren’t surprised, however. The readings for this module were quite complex, and the fact that your brightest students— Armin and Mikasa— were struggling with it made you feel a little bit hopeless for the rest of your class. Truth be told, even though you taught this topic countless of times, you weren’t entirely sure how to simplify it without leaving out too much information.

“Okay, how about this, we could—“ A soft knock interrupts your sentence, and you stare at the students in front of you to remember if you were expecting any more. It seemed like everyone was here, however, so you weren’t sure who was at the door.

“It’s me.” Came Levi’s voice, almost like he heard your inner monolgue.

“Come in!” You called out, focus shifting back to the paper in front of you as you heard the door open and close.

Okay, so I guess I could take this part and summarize it for them? Or would that still be too complicated? No, maybe I can—

“Ah, it’s that topic.” Levi mumurs, snapping you out of your thoughts. His face was directly next to yours as he stared intently at the papers you held. “No wonder you all look like you’re about to crap your pants.”

“Language, Levi. Not in front of the students.” You scold.

“They curse more than I do.”

“Still.”

He ignores your comment as he hands you a brown paper bag, pulling a chair out to sit next to you. He grabs the paper from your hands to look over the study guide you prepared, undoubtedly trying to figure out a way to simplify it as well.

“What’s this?” You ask, opening the paper bag.

“Bought you dinner.” He replies, eyes not leaving the paper in front of him. “I figured you’d forget again.”

As if on cue, your stomach suddenly starts feeling empty. It was impossible that you were hungry, though. You just had lunch. And after lunch you had some meetings to attend to, a couple classes, some last minute consultations, and— okay. Maybe it’d been a couple hours since lunch, but it couldn’t be that bad. A brief glance at the clock confirms that—

“Holy shit, it’s almost 8pm.”

“Language, Y/N. Not in front of the students.”

“Kiss my ass.”

“Gladly.”

The students in front of you let out a loud groan, faces over exaggeratedly contorted in disgust at your and Levi’s conversation.

Levi glimpses up at them and raises his eyebrow in question, while you jokingly roll your eyes.

“Alright, I think we should continue our consultation another time.” You said, beginning to pack up your teaching materials as the students did the same. “It’s getting late and curfew’s at 8pm. I’d better not see any of you outside the dorms.”

You knew you would though. It’s Friday night, there’s a bar across the street, and they’re teenagers. What could possibly go wrong?

You turn to Levi and hand him the keys. “You go ahead to the car, I’ll finish packing up.”

“It’s alright, I’ll wait for you in the hallway.” Levi takes the car keys as he stands up, walking out the door once again and leaving you alone with your students.

As you began to arrange your papers and clear the table, you start to remind them, “Okay, so we can discuss chapters—“

“Are you and Professor Ackerman dating?” Eren asks curiously, earning a shove from Jean and a silent threat to shut up, dumbass.

You chuckle. “No, Eren. We’re not.”

He gives you a doubtful look, one which you only return with a curious face.

“What’s with that look?” You ask, and he shrugs.

“You should date him— ow, what?!” He speaks, getting shoved by both Reiner and Jean this time before Mikasa pulls them off of him. You pause from your task.

“Okay, I’ll humor you. Why should I date him?”

The students share a look, daring each other to respond to your bold question. A few tense moments pass by and you smugly continue packing your papers. Yeah, you figured no one would—

“He’s nicer when he’s with you.” To your surprise, it was Mikasa who answers.

Unsure how to answer but still wanting to remain professional, you nod your head without looking up from your task. “Duly noted. Now go on, I know you have parties to attend to. I won’t hold you here much longer.”

The students laughed as they said their goodbyes; you held the door open for them until everyone was out before you left as well, shutting down the lights and locking the room once more.

A warm hand makes its way to the small of your back, and you smile.

“Hey.” Levi greets.

“Hey.” You repeat. “You read to go?”

“Yeah.”

“Wanna share my dinner when we get back home?”

“...yeah.”

He takes the stack of paper from your arms, his free hand reaching out for your own. You walked down the hallway in relative silence, interlocked hands swinging slightly from every step.

From the opposite corner of the hallway, the students’ prying eyes observe the small interaction; the two professors remained completely unaware that they were being watched.

“Told you they were a thing.” Ymir gloats, and the group snickers as Reiner irritatedly hands her some money.

Something was wrong.

If there was one thing Erwin knew from the nearly two decade long friendship he shared with you and Levi, it was when something was wrong.

It didn’t go unnoticed to him when Levi didn’t open your side of the car door as he usually would when you arrived at the parking lot; when he made a beeline for his cubicle in the faculty instead of helping you get settled first; when you didn’t make a fresh pot of tea for him before classes started; when your small sweet gestures throughout the day were kept to a minimal; and most importantly, when neither you nor Levi wore your matching gold rings.

The faculty was nearly empty, save for himself, Hange, Moblit, and the two people who were having a lover’s quarrel. The entire day went by without seeing you two walk side by side like you usually would, and Erwin was pretty sure Levi’s permanent frown somehow got deeper.

Yeah. Something was horribly wrong.

“Pssst.” Erwin hears from the desk next to his. He turns around and is met with Hange and Moblit’s curious gazes.

“The hell happened to those two? Trouble in paradise?” Hange asks, eyeing Y/N and Levi’s grouchy faces and refusal to acknowledge each others’ existence as they each packed their things. She adds on, “Are they getting divorced?” Only to be reminded by Moblit that “They’re not dating.”

Erwin shrugs, answering Hange’s question. “No idea.”

Moblit chimes in, “I heard Petra tried asking Levi out yesterday and now Y/N is jealous.” 

She scoffs. “Y/N isn’t the jealous type. Besides, Petra’s part of the bet so that means she thinks they’re going to get together.”

“I’m part of the bet and I don’t think they’re going to get together.” Moblit points out. “And Petra stares at Levi the way Levi stares at Y/N.”

“Full of disdain and irritation?” Hange asks.

“No,” Erwin finally interjects. “Full of love and admiration.”

“Can the three of you creeps keep your mouths shut?” Hange, Erwin, and Moblit’s heads snapped to the direction of the voice, eyes meeting a pissed off Levi with a pissed off Y/N beside him. It seems like their hushed whispering wasn’t so hushed at all. 

“When you gossip about our private life the least you could do is wait until we’ve left the room.” You gritted.

“No, it wasn’t-” Hange tries to defend herself but is cut off by Levi, “We already heard you talking. Now out with it before I change my mind about letting this slide.”

The three guilty professors sigh, sharing a look before Erwin decides to come clean. “We’re concerned for you.” He starts. “You’ve been ignoring each other the entire day and whatever this fight is, it’s the worst one I’ve seen you have.”

You sigh. “Listen, it’s not that we don’t appreciate your concern, it’s just that-”

“-it’s just that it’s none of your goddamn business.” Levi interjects and you immediately glare at his rudeness. 

“Shut it, Levi. I don’t have time for your bull.”

“And I don’t have time for your petty lies.”

The three watched as you and Levi begin to quarrel, sharp words and irritated glares thrown around with each passing second. Your voices overlapped with each other as Erwin tried to make sense of what it was you were even fighting about, some words about betrayal in the highest degree and ruining a good thing and a relationship built on lies being the few words he understands. 

Finally, he has enough.

“Stop.” Erwin says loudly but firmly. The two of you pause from your bickering him and stare at him incredulously; he continues to speak, “We’re not teenagers anymore, we’re grown adults. I’m getting tired of playing mediator whenever you fight but if I have to do it again so you stop yelling, then I will.” 

He sighs. “Now what the hell are you two fighting about?”

“Y/N started it.” “Levi started it.” You say at the same time, and Erwin feels a headache coming but decides to ignore it.

“You didn’t answer my question.”

The two of you stare at each other angrily, almost daring the other to back down. This goes on for a few seconds before Levi finally sighs and speaks.

“Y/N thinks lemon scented detergent is better than lavender scented detergent.”

Hange and Moblit snicker but quickly shut up when Erwin gives them a look. He wasn’t even surprised that a fight as small and menial as this would be the fight that tears his favorite power couple apart.

“It is and you know it.” You reply defiantly and Levi groans in frustration, hand holding his head in disbelief as he quietly mutters, “I can’t believe I’m marrying someone who thinks lemon is better than lavender.”

At that, Hange’s ears perk up. “You’re getting married?!” She screams, and the two of you look at her in confusion, fight suddenly forgotten.

“Yeah, next week.” You reply wearily. “We emailed you the invites.”

If Erwin thought your bickering was loud, then the squeal that Hange let out was nothing short of deafening as she suddenly lunges at the couple, forcing them into a group hug as she cheers, “I knew it! I fucking knew it! You are together.”

Levi scoffs. “Don’t be silly, it’s for tax purposes. Apparently the bank won’t approve the loan for our new house unless we’re legally wed; something about tax fraud.”

“House?” Moblit echoes. “Don’t you already live together?”

You nod. “Yeah, but we figured the kids-”

“Dogs.” Levi corrects.

“-deserve a yard to run around in. Our apartment’s getting too cramped for the four of us.”

“Don’t ruin this for me!” Hange yells. “I have a wedding to plan.”

Levi sighs. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, four-eyes. There isn’t going to be a ceremony. We’re going to a court house to get our marriage license approved. That’s it.”

“And we invited you and Erwin to be our witnesses.” You explained. “There isn’t going to be a celebration but we’re going to host a small dinner party for close friends and family.We’d greatly appreciate it if you can RSVP to the emails within the week so we know how much food to prepare.”

The three professors nod, each exchanging pleasant smiles. It wasn’t the wedding invite they were hoping to receive but it was still a wedding invite nonetheless, and they weren’t about to burst your bubble.

“Hold on a second,” Erwin mutters, suddenly remembering one detail. “Where are your rings?” He gestures to your ringless hands.

“We had them engraved with our initials. Makes things more believable.” Levi answers. “If you’re done with the dumb questions, we’ll go ahead now.” 

He doesn’t wait for them to answer as he holds your hand in his, walking you out of the faculty room and into the hallway as he pretends not to notice his friends giggling like teenagers at the information you just shared.

“So...” You start, giving him a warm smile as you squeezed his hand. “Do you think they’re catching on?”

Levi lets out a rare smile, eyes softening as he looks at you. “No. They’re too dumb to know we’re actually together. They’ll eat up whatever bullshit explanation we come up with.”

“Okay, but remind me again why we have to keep pretending like we’re not actually together and not actually getting married next week?”

He brings your hand up to his lips, kissing your knuckles affectionately before placing his hand on the small of your back.

“Does it bother you that they don’t know?” He asks, and you hum as you think it through. “No. It’s actually really entertaining.” You laugh. “But why don’t you want them to know?”

He shrugs, pulling you closer to him. “That’s what they get for placing stupid bets.”

alrightberries © 2020. do not modify or repost.

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[bailey-reaper]

Here's an interesting twist: a vampire au, but Barok isn't the vampire the s/o is. (Basically that meme from a couple of years ago: "Oh look, a vampire and a fairy." "Actually, he's human.")

Headcanons (Vampireisms)

Notes: Hello! That is an interesting twist, it's always fun to think about ways in which a trope can be subverted – and when it comes to Barok, he has no greater trope than his obviously vampiric aesthetic! So the idea of him not actually being a vampire (but, rather, a vampire enthusiast) is very fun indeed!

I must confess, I've decided to use this ask as a little soundboard for a few different vampire ideas (I hope you don't mind!)

S/O is gender neutral (they/them pronouns). Barok refers to them using petnames.

Content Warnings: supernatural stuff; vampires; blood

1. 'A Red Herring' (non-vampire Barok)

Barok makes the perfect bodyguard for a vampire – he looks so utterly supernatural, that any and all suspicion is cast his way and he does nothing to argue with the wild notions that are whispered among London's gossips.

The real vampire, his beloved, is utterly unassuming in that regard: they look, sound and behave like any other Victorian on the street. No one knows the truth, and that makes it more than a little thrilling for the two of them as they share this secret.

He takes a great deal of delight in protecting his beloved from threats and being their source of nourishment. Londoners think it's cutthroats and criminals who attack Barok van Zieks, but they're wrong: it's vampire hunters, and he dispatches of them with ease for the sake of his vampiric love.

One day, as Barok grows older, they'll have to face difficult questions but for now the two are content to enjoy one another and the life they've managed to forge.

At some point, they might introduce Barok to their world and to all who dwell within it –– the vampires and whatever else hides from human eyes in the darkness. Such things, however, can wait for another time.

2. 'The Red String' (turned Barok)

(note: this one's very angsty)

As a young man, Barok could have had no clue that he would catch the eye of a particularly powerful and ancient vampire. Yet he had, and there could have been more than a few reasons that contributed to his allure in the eyes of this beastly wraith –– his older brother being a particularly celebrated and powerful vampire hunter; the way his blood sings to the creatures of the night, like forbidden fruit; the fact that he has the soft and beautiful features of a cherub; or the warm, gentlemanly manner that he posses –– maybe it was all those things that made the wraith sink his fangs into Barok's neck...

The next time the young man awoke, he was no longer human: he had been turned into a vampire and all that he had by his bedside was a letter –– thanking him for the meal, enclosing a sum of some £500 and telling him that he should enjoy the gift he had been 'blessed' with. The letter went on to state in no uncertain terms what he had become: You, young 2nd born of the esteemed van Zieks family, are now a Vampire. I should warn you that contact with your former family is best avoided, for your brother would see you as nothing more than a monster. Maybe you should start your new life by finding out about your former bloodline.

On the same bedside table he would find a book that detailed precisely what the van Zieks clan are: an old bloodline of powerful vampire hunters who have struggled for generations against the creatures of the night to ensure that humanity can rest peacefully each night.

Needless to say these revelations are a shock, and Barok is left with far more questions than answers: why didn't Klint tell him anything about this history? Who was the vampire that turned him? Where had they gone? What should he do now?

The letter advised him against seeking Klint out, because his brother would view him as a monster given what he'd been turned in to. Was that true? He was too afraid to find out... he knew he'd be unable to bear it if the last thing he saw in this world was Klint's horrified and hateful gaze.

So, the first thing he decides to do is set about finding out who turned him –– anger coursing in his veins at being so viciously used and discarded, seemingly for some vampire's amusement. He vowed that evening that he would find that vampire, and kill them...

3. 'Reaper of the Old Blood' (vampire hunter Barok)

A little similar to the above plotline, but one where Barok is a vampire hunter like his brother Klint – both following in their family's legacy as venators of great renown.

Barok's code is simple: those who abuse humanity relinquish their right to exist –– there are laws that govern the harmony of humans and creatures of the night, and any creature who thinks themself above such laws shall answer to him.

(I'm sure Sholmes calls him 'Van Helsing' on more than one occasion)

I guess this is like "Law & Order" meets Buffy the Vampire Slayer, or something? IDK... it's just an idea that popped in my head!

[rebelheartsmustbefree]

The Watcher

*I could smell the presence of my own kind a mile away. He didn’t bother to mask the scent of himself before deciding to tail me. To say I was annoyed by this new development was an understatement of monumental proportions. The last time my father and I spoke I was given certain assurances that this shady behavior would subside, that the Garrison would allow me to live in peace to appease the inner turmoil that lurks just beneath my surface. It seems someone couldn’t … or maybe just refuses to let well enough alone. I wasn’t doing anything that warranted the chaperone act. I had been keeping busy at the bar and hadn’t even done anything Angel-ly since my transformation. So what gives? It seemed as though my babysitter had gotten bored because by the time I reached the bar I had lost his scent. I didn’t care if they watched me, they would be able to see that I was living up to my word unlike them. Most of my time was spent at the bar. If not working then I was at home holding down the couch. A sad little existence to most I’m sure but it was mine. My own little slice of the world.

One night blurred into another and I was neck deep in orders a couple afternoons later in the back office. Running a bar was not the most lucrative business, but it kept me entertained really. It was fun to be part of the crowds. People coming to me with their idle chit chat, tawdry gossip and the ins and outs of their woeful lives. Sometimes talking to me helped them, giving some advice when I could or when the moment called for it. These people invited me into their day to day lives and I was grateful to be finally fitting in. So keeping this bar going was about so much more than making a few bucks on the overhead, it was my lifeline. Being a part of something like this community kept me grounded and my head in a good place. Even when they bullied me into doing karaoke every night before closing. It was now tradition for us all. And I honestly enjoyed every second of it.

After a few off toned songs and a few too many rounds of tequila, I closed down for the night. A smile was worn so proudly on my face. Just to feel this sense of normalcy was more than I could have ever hoped for being what I was..this life I chose for myself was everything. I wasn’t about to let anyone take it away from me. Which is why when I was taking out the trash out back, smelling that putrid rot of a demon, I went right into high alarm. I dropped the garbage in the dumpster and glanced around to scan for the beast. I could hear it breathing in the chilly shadows, a breath coming out as a cloud of condensation and giving away its presence.*

Yeah.. I know you’re there, asshole..

*That got its attention. No sooner did I get those words out did that demon come out and swipe at me with its claws, catching me across the face. The hellbeast drew first blood. Color me impressed. I wiped off the blood from my cheek with the back of my hand, an amused grin playing upon my blood stained lips. I was fully within my rights to defend myself.  Ding ding mother fucker. Let’s dance. The wound on my face was already mid-heal when I caught that asshole by the throat, pinning them against the brick of the wall. It was then that I realized that I was staring down a female enemy. This was something that caught me a little off guard but I wouldn’t falter. A threat is a threat no matter what gender. She snarled up at me through her thick lashes, my grip tightening around her neck.*

“Not what you expected, handsome? I get that all the time. You’d be surprised how ignorance can blind my enemy and give me quite the upperhand.”

*She was purring those words at me, female charms coming at me heavily but all coming up failed. The bitch attacked me, I wasn’t about to fall for this noise. She tried to claw at my arms when the fact begun to sink in that I wasn’t as easily seduced as she assumed. You got the wrong angel. She mumbled something under her breath, only catching a few of the words. ‘Bad intel’. ‘Needed to bring back up’. By the time I was trying to figure out what she was meaning, she became a little hard to handle. She started cursing, struggling harder to try and get away but I wasn’t giving up my hold on her. Until she started kicking her feet, getting a direct hit to my knee. It was enough for me to loosen my grip for her to get out from beneath my hand. She was quick, I’ll give demoness that. But I was quicker, more powerful and I wasn’t about to let her get away without explaining her comment. I spun around and tackled her down to the hard pavement, slamming the back of her head down a couple times to get her attention a bit. And it did. The wide-eyed response spoke volumes and I was ready to get some answers.*

What is this intel you speak of? Did someone send you here to fuck with me? Let me guess.. An angel instigated this?

*I didn’t think it was possible but those eyes got bigger still. I had the female pinned beneath me with her wrists trapped in one hand and the other hand was checking pockets for any kind of clues. I came up empty of course. Demons really didn’t travel with cell phones or wallets. Duh Isaac. First came some lies. Typical demon behavior. I brought back my hand and landed a slap across her face. After spitting out some blood she tried again. Telling me about this angel that came and held a meeting with some of her and her brood. Telling them of the angel that had the power to put an end to everything we had ever known.*

“He calls you the Angel Armageddon. How you’re destined to scorch this world and bring down the end of time upon us all. He is on a recruitment tour so to speak. Trying to rile us all up to fight you. He thinks if he can draw such a reaction from you that maybe they’ll be able to put you back on your leash.”

*It was all the information I needed. I knew I had felt someone watching me, someone with grace that made the nerves in my wings tingle with their presence. How stupid did this angel think I really was, thinking I wouldn’t figure this out and put an end to all his traitorous scheming. I told the demon that I would let her go if she just gave me the name of the angel that put her up to this. She fell for it and made good with not only the name of my betrayer but where he was hiding out. Come to find out he was squatting in a house right down the road from the bar. A passing thought had me wondering if the fucker was watching us right now. But that didn’t stop me from ending this demon right here and now. I got up and offered her my hand to help her up, she took it with no apprehension. She actually trusted me. Stupid bitch. I set her afire right were she stood. The flames engulfed her in seconds, turning her into ashes within a few moments. Her screams didn’t even phase me. Calling me every bad word she could pull from her depraved vocabulary. Yeah I lied.. But it got me the information I needed and she had served her purpose and her time on this earth was over. I didn’t blink in sending her right back to hell where she belonged.

I knew I had traitor watching me. And this was unacceptable. This was something that would not go unpunished. I just had to figure out what and how. *

#TBC

[lurkofficial-blog]

Chapter Two

~~~ Exxy's POV ~~~ "What? Another---Another lurk?" Colin stumbles back, both of his eyes quickly growing even wider. "What do we do??"

"We don't know what classification it is," Exxy says in an alarmingly calm tone. He's dealt with lurks before and knows exactly how to defend himself and others. "It may be a glimmer, which is a friendlier type. If worse comes to worse, hide in the trees." He stands his ground, eyes narrowed and senses alert. The new lurk leaps out from the bushes, glaring at Exxy. He immediately recognizes him as the fox passive type he met a few weeks ago. The lurk begins approaching Exxy in a low crouch, his lips curled back to reveal his sharp teeth. "Exxy! What are you doing with these disgusting.. things?!" He stares at the tall lurk straight in the eyes with a menacing expression. Exxy's eyes narrow at the passive lurk; it's a full-blooded one. "I should be able to talk to whomever I want to. You have no right to tell me what to do," he replies flatly, straightening his back to show his height and position. "If you wish the human harm, I'm afrai-" The fox instantly cuts him off. "But a human? Of all the creatures you could've let into your part of the forest, a human?" His ears perk up as his gaze wanders over to Colin; he's seemingly interested in the young lurk. He circles the boy and examines him, sniffing him as he goes around. He looks back to Exxy, snarling. "While I do know this is your part of the forest, it's still our forest! Humans aren't allowed here, no matter where you are in the woods! This area belongs to us!" The fox lurk takes a step back from the three, preparing his claws for an attack. He lets out a low growl as he focuses his gaze on Ren. Colin promptly runs up to Ren and pulls her back by her wrist, unexpectedly flinching and immediately recoiling. After letting out a small yelp and shaking out his hand, he steps in front of her protectively, even though he's much shorter than her. "Hey-----Don't be mean to her," he says before realizing the fox lurk's dominance and immediately shrinking down again. "St-Stay away," he continues in a much smaller voice. The lurk snorts, amused by Colin's fading confidence. "Awww, how adorable! Sticking up for your girlfriend, are we?" Colin makes a face at that. The fox quickly swipes his tail under the boy's legs to make him fall. He jumps behind the girl, grabbing her shoulders without drawing blood. He puts a single claw up to her neck but doesn't make contact. "Don't move, or she loses her humanity." Exxy has been watching this unfold in pure shock, completely surprised to see this passive lurk turn so quickly. His pupils dilate until his eyes look almost completely black. Moving faster than any human, he leaps over Ren and tackles the lurk, pinning him to the tree. Exxy's talons dig into the fox's wrists, nailing him down."Touch her again, I dare you," he growls threateningly. The full-blooded lurk lets out a raspy, painful cough and tries to speak as a smile grows on his face. "Oh, but you're too late. She's already marked." He coughs up a small laugh and grimaces as he bears the pain of Exxy's claws. "Damn it!" the tall lurk growls, not bothering to turn around as he addresses Ren and Colin, his eyes glued to the passive lurk. "You two, Get out of here. I have business to take care of." Exxy hears Colin pick up an almost paralyzed Ren and he listens as he drags her out of the clearing. He glares at the fox lurk, his expression disheartened yet determined, loosening his grip on the fox. "I'm telling you now, step down before you get yourself killed," he says in a low, threatening voice. "Not a chance!" the passive snarls, leaping onto Exxy's chest and pounding him into the ground. Though he is surprised, the boy rebounds, grabbing his paws with incredible strength and throwing the lurk off of him. The fox growls, baring his teeth in reply. Exxy stands back up, hunched over so his claws still touch the ground. He swings his tail behind him and slams the mess of spikes into the ground, causing dirt to fly up around it. The passive tries another attack, leaping up once again but with his teeth bared to try and bite Exxy's neck. In return, he pulls the lurk by the tail from behind, throwing him back to the ground. Exxy decides to attack, sending his claws straight for the fox's neck. The lurk rolls to the side just in time, making a sort of hissing noise. He frowns before swinging his tail into the passive's side and knocking it back into a tree. The full-blooded lurk yelps, blood running down his legs. He claws wildly at the trunk of the tree, eyes wide with fear as Exxy holds him there with no escape. As soon as he gets close enough, the fox swipes his claws across the boy's face. He yells in alarm, not in pain, caught off-guard. His grip on the lurk loosens and allows for him to leap out again. The fox lurk claws him across the collarbones, right over his scars, before leaping back, surprised not to see any blood. Exxy growls at him, guilt rising in his throat like bile and causing him to choke. He knows he can't bring himself to end the life of this monster. No matter how twisted his mind is, the lurk deserves to live just as much as any other creature. Exxy steps on the fox's tail, making him yelp. "Your judgement is sick," the demonic says with burning passion in his deep voice. "You lack the understanding for others--lacking basic decency, in fact--which is exactly what got you into the trouble you're in now." "She's a human!" he yelps as a last attempt. "Humans and lurks will never get along! They'll always hate us, so we'll always hate right back!" "I have a feeling that that will change," Exxy replies solemnly, "but I realize that you won't be part of that future. I hope that one day we will be accepted again as people, and that goes for all lurks. Equality throughout every race, every gender, every religion, every species." He smiles a bit. "We're all intelligent deep down, it's just the minority that choose to use that higher understanding for good." Exxy stares at the fox lurk, seeing fear in his eyes. The look that a snarling, abused dog would give one when attempting to reach out with kindness. It doesn't understand the offering of help, and lashes out with the only emotion it knows--hatred. "Get out of here," the demonic pleads, not a hint of anger in his voice. Just sadness. "You've marked an innocent girl with no means of hurting you! You've changed her life, for the better or worse, no one can tell. Get out of here before you cause more trouble." This time, the full-blooded lurk doesn't argue. Exxy lifts his paw-like foot off of the fox's tail and takes a step back. He glares at the boy, clumsily standing up on all fours before bounding across the field in the opposite direction that Colin and Ren went in, faintly limping. He leaps into the bushes and disappears. All falls silent on the forest, and Exxy raises his head. He lets out a long sigh to calm himself down and says, "Now... to find Ren and Colin." Exxy follows the now fading scent of where Colin and Ren went, noticing Ren's is more faint. After a few minutes of searching, leaping from tree to tree, he finally sees Colin and jumps down. He notices that Ren is missing. "Where's Ren?" he asks as he lands on the ground with a thump. Colin jumps up from where he's leaning against a tree, looking incredibly relieved to see him. "Oh, gosh, I'm---I'm so glad you're all right," he says, anxiously shifting on his paw-like feet. "I don't know where she went, I----she---" His eyes widen in panic as he trails off. "Exxy---that fox lurk marked her, and she started changing and stuff, and----I don't know why, but she ran away! I just didn't know what to do---I tried to help, but---I'm so sorry!" He looks about wildly, looking unsure of what to do, and eventually turns towards the direction she ran in. "I think----I think she's heading towards the town!" Exxy shakes his head, a little frustrated. "That's the one place she shouldn't go..." He sighs. "She's just been marked, so the mutation must be starting. She's incredibly unsafe on her own; we have to go after her. But...how?" "Uhhh....." Colin looks like he's trying to think, but he's obviously struggling. "Well---we'd---we'd have to leave really soon, or else she'll run right into town and everyone will see her! I don't want that to happen!" He takes a few shaky, worried breaths. "But----how are we supposed to hide?" Exxy puts a claw to his chin. "We need to be wearing the baggiest clothes available to pass as human as we can." he looks around. "...Which, of course, that's probably impossible to find in a forest like this." "Well, I-----okay," Colin says in reply, still sounding unsure. "I----I don't completely know what my face looks like, but, uh-----" he sighs. "I doubt I look human at all." He flicks his fluffy little ears and suddenly perks up as if he's remembering something. "Ohh, gee," he says, his voice filled with worry as he pokes at one of his ears, "These are super visible----how am I supposed to hide them? With a hat, maybe? Where do I find a hat??" He runs his hand through his hair, starting to hyperventilate. "No need to worry," Exxy replies soothingly. "We can find those things." He looks off towards town. "If we go where Ren went, we can probably find them somewhere." Exxy takes a good long whiff with his nose and nods to Colin. "One of the few good things about being a demonic lurk: our sense of smell is so acute, we can usually identify if someone is human, lurk, or otherwise." "Oh----really? That's---That's really kind of cool," Colin says, making a sort of pondering expression. "I----I actually don't think I even know what kind of, uh, you know, what kind of lurk I am." He bites his lip. "I----I guess I could try to see if I can smell her? I don't really k-know about this, though." He sniffs the air hesitantly. "Well, I----I think I can sort of smell something," he says, "And I'm pretty sure it's her. She's----over------that way," he finishes rather uncertainly, turning to his right. He starts walking, slowly at first, then gradually speeding up to a speed-walk. Exxy nods, hurrying after him and walking alongside him. The two trek through the forest, following a faint path to the town. He guesses that it's from some of the morning exercisers that like to run through the forest briefly before disappearing back into the open. They reach the closest house in the town and walk right up to the fence. As Exxy leaps over it, he notices the lights are out. "No one's home," he tells Colin, walking over to a string lined with hanging clothes. "How convenient, I didn't think people did this anymore," he says cheerfully, yanking down a sweatshirt with two wings printed on the back. He puts it on and turns around to Colin. "Pick your sweatshirt, friend, There's at least three here. Though I'm not quite sure why you'd hang up sweatshirts, they're here, and that's all I'm concerned about." "Oh, okay," Colin says quietly, clumsily climbing over the fence as well. He picks up two more hoodies: a pink one with a big rainbow on it and one with some band logo. He picks the rainbow one almost immediately over the other. When he puts it on, he pulls the hood over his head, pushing down his ears and successfully hiding them. "Gosh, this is so comfy," he says, moving his arm up and down so that the loose part of the sleeve flaps up and down as well. "I mean----I really do think this is better than, uh, you know, a tattered shirt! I love it!" Exxy takes down a pair of pants, too, since he's mostly used to only wearing what seems to be torn up shorts. He decides to walk barefoot because his lionlike feet have adapted to that from living in the forest. They're too big for shoes, anyway. There's nothing he can do about his massive horns, but he gives a nod to Colin. "You're looking pretty human, my friend. How about me?" Colin, who has been examining a pair of flip-flops and looks rather crestfallen, glances up at Exxy and makes a concerned face after looking him up and down. "You----uh----well----You'll be fine," he says, giving him a halfhearted smile. He suddenly perks up as if he's remembering something. "Oh, gosh, where's Ren? We still need to find her!" It's obvious that he's trying to change the subject, but Exxy decides not to bring that up. "Uh----Exxy, do you think that maybe, uh, you could try to find her? I don't think my----my nose, right, yeah----I don't think I'm as good at it as you." Exxy nods his head and sniffs the air again. He narrows his eyes, facing the direction of the smell. "She's somewhere there, but her scent's very faint. Probably from all the houses in the way." "Well, uh----okay, then----let's go that way!" Colin sounds rather enthusiastic as he says this. In fact, it seems he feels good enough to try and jump the fence. He runs back to it and tries to do so, but fails miserably. After falling off it, he slows down and climbs over it carefully, landing on the other side and beckoning for Exxy to follow him. "Sorry," he says, smiling, "I'm just----kind of happy to be back in town, since----you know----I've had to hide for the past four days!" Exxy leaps over the fence with ease, landing as quietly as possible beside Colin, which is still very loud. He sniffs the air once again and breathes out. "She's roughly four blocks away. Ready for a lovely afternoon run?" he says, turning to Colin and picking him up. Exxy takes off, running as fast as an olympic athlete, sprinting the full four blocks in just a matter of seconds. He skids to a stop in a good patch of grass and turns his head from behind a fence, seeing Ren standing in the middle of the road. Exxy pulls Colin in close to him, keeping his eyes on Ren, his vision unwavering. What is she doing? he thinks to himself. As he looks at her, he notices the little details that have changed. Her hair has started to turn a creamsicle orange from the roots, two little horns poking out of her hair that seem chipped. She has a budding, fluffy orange tail twitching behind her. Exxy can just make out her fingers, which have turned into dark claws. Colin looks up at Exxy with a worried expression on his face. "Can----Can you put me down?" he asks quietly. "I want to go make sure she's okay." Exxy complies, and Colin runs to hide behind the corner of a building. He peeks out from behind it, his eyes wide. "Psst---Ren?" he whispers. Ren instantly flinches when she hears Colin's timid voice, quickly turning and looking at him. Her dark, pointed ears droop down. "C-Colin?" she replies just as quietly. Colin seems to perk up upon hearing his name. "Hi," he responds, inching out from behind the building a bit more. "I'm---Gosh, I'm so glad we found you, I was so worried!" His lips curl into a frown. "Um... are you...okay?" he asks, slowly beginning to walk towards her from where he stood. He has a worried expression on his face. Ren takes a couple steps back and replies, "S-Sorry, I just, I... I got scared. I panicked, the world towered around me, and I was just afraid... I-I was in a lot of pain, and I was confused. I c-couldn't think straight." She holds her expression of fear and looks down at him, still nervous. Exxy walks out from behind a house and slowly inches towards Ren and Colin. "It's okay now, I can't smell any humans close enough to become a bother." He stands beside Ren. "We should really get back to the forest... it's much safer there." "Okay," says Colin, glancing at Ren and giving her a friendly smile. He looks down at the rainbow hoodie he's wearing. "I really like this sweatshirt," he states gloomily. "But---I still wish I could return it. I don't wanna steal." "Same here," says Exxy, "but... what, am I supposed to wear torn clothes for the rest of my life? I've grown too much for what I have. I'm probably keeping this... just in case." He shrugs, still a little guilty about it, but he tells himself that it's all right by pushing his sleeves up above his spiky elbows. "I---I, well, I suppose you're right," says Colin, looking back down at his rainbow hoodie. "I'd rather wear this than just my torn shirt, I think." He touches the lower left side of his stomach and winces noticeably. "Those---Those scratches still kind of hurt, though. Ouch." Exxy motions with his hands for them to follow him, walking directly under the shadows. "We should make our way back to the forest now." Ren follows, looking rather uncomfortable. Colin looks back over his shoulder at Ren and slows down to walk beside her. "Hey, uh, Ren," he begins cautiously, "What're you thinking about? Is---Is something the matter?" She looks down. "I don't know, I've j-just been thinking about people I k-knew." She faces Colin. "Do you think they'll no-notice I'm gone?" She faces the ground again. "...Do you think they care?" As she looks back up at Colin for a response, both she and Exxy spot a figure revealing itself under a street lamp, and she seems to instantly recognize the human. "Oh no, oh no, oh no oh no oh no...," Ren says quickly, her eyes widening. Exxy's ears prick, concerned. His eyes narrow at the human. "Who is it, Ren?" he asks in a low, hesitant voice. Ren shivers. "M-My dad."