#ya'll sound like you need nap time

[just-a-mod]

sometimes your own kid's world's inhabitants annoy you just because they choose to be some of the most close minded ignorent pieces of shit capable of being conceived and (barely) comprehensible

some times you just want to an entire planet's population in time out

[trippinsorrows]

ltye: the announcement

authors: inspired by several asks and convos with ya'll about these dream children of roman and solana. 😭

warnings: none

words: 2.3k

*photos found on twitter*

tags: @sayyestoheav3nn @cyberdejos2 @lov3rla03 @annfg8 @jayjayem1999

@that-one-anxious-mango @fearlesschimera @wwecrazed2010

“Our house used to be quiet, ya know.”

Solana rolls her eyes as she sets the timer on the oven for the homemade chocolate chip cookies she’s had a craving for all morning. Just one of the three trays she’ll have baked when all is said and done.

Her family has a big appetite. Especially the boys.

Wiping her hands on her apron, she pokes a little fun, “that was before the children, my love.”

“And the dogs,” he scoffs, mind briefly wandering to Dulce. Two years later, he still finds himself waiting for her to walk her lazy self into his office and plop down in her bed for a nap or to roll onto her back for a stomach rub. Her passing is still something that gets to him from time to time.

Solana's giggles pull him from his brief recollection as she removes said apron and walks over to him. Hands on her chest, she looks up, asking, “you ready?”

Roman sighs. Not necessarily. He knows this is about to be a shitshow, but it's also something they can’t put off any longer. “Let’s get this shit over with.” He takes her hand in his, walking them towards the living room, stopping near the staircase. “Kids! Family meeting!” As expected, a chorus of protests sound from up the stairs. Another heavy sigh, followed by a much firmer, “now!” 

An almost immediate wind of silence as husband and wife journey into the living room, standing near the 80inch flat screen TV. Roman isn’t surprised to find that Aroha is the first to arrive, skipping into the living room wearing that ballerina costume she seems borderline obsessed with. Tutu and all. Also, not surprising, is the fact that Coco has tagged along with her, settling into the bed in the living room. 

“Look, mommy! I’m a princess!” Aroha spins around, making Roman crack a smile. While her infatuation with wanting to wear costumes all the time can be a challenge, especially when it’s time for school and she has to wear her uniform, her softness reminds him a lot of Leya and Solana. She’s taken after their personalities.

“You’re a beautiful princess, mija.” Solana compliments, accepting the hug and pressing a kiss to her cheek. They share a short conversation in Spanish before she’s over by him, reaching to be picked up. He easily obliges, smile widening when she kisses his cheek and lays her head on his shoulder.

Lina and Leya are next to arrive. Lina is clearly gym bound, given her matching workout set that Roman is about to comment on when she asks, “daddy, can I use the big gym tonight? I need to lift.”

The big gym would be the separate mother-in-law suite that Roman had turned into a gym when Lina and Tama started expressing increasing interest in fitness and working out. So much so that Roman found his initial gym that was built in the main building no longer serving its purpose.

Thus, the renovation. And again, having seen what Lina wears to train from time to time, he’d rather her only see their property and nothing beyond it. 

“Sure.” It’s an easy, agreeable thing.

Lina fist pumps the air. Roman then notices that Leya has come with her sketchbook tucked under her arm. He watches how she sits on the sofa, legs crossed before she pulls it out to continue whatever her latest creation is.

So much like Solana. 

Tamasā, Tama, is the next to come down the steps, a huge jump allowing him to bypass the last three. He directs his attention to Roman, “dad, can Lina and I use—”

“Already asked him,” she cuts him off, texting away on her phone that her eyes are glued to. Roman scoffs a bit. She better not be talking to that grown man looking lil boy. “You’re late. As always.”

Tama sucks his teeth, muttering, “man, whatever.” He walks over to Solana, giving her a hug that he has to lean over for. At freshly turned 15, he’s almost the same height as his dad. “Hey, mama.”

“Hi, baby.” She kisses his cheek as their oldest son falls down on the other sofa, also pulling out his phone.

“Boys!” Solana calls, giving Roman that ‘of course, they’re the last to come’ look. It’s not surprising. Roman is certain them boys have ADHD or something. They’re always on the move. “Come on!”

“Mom!” Koa calls down with an almost whine. “I’m about to beat the wizard!”

Roman walks over, still holding his baby girl and easily calls up the steps, “Imma beat you, that wizard, and your brother if ya’ll don’t get down here now.”

The Tribal Chief already knows his second set of twins are gaming together, from their separate rooms, using that online play feature shit. There’s grumbled protests and stomping as the 10 year olds finally make their appearance, pouting and scowling. 

“Fix your faces,” Roman warns as they begrudgingly walk into the living room and opt to sit on the floor. He’s about to say something when they pull out those handheld gaming systems, but Solana beats him to it.

She speaks in Spanish, the boys responding back in Spanish before putting the devices on the floor next to them. 

With everyone settled, Roman carries Aroha over to the sofa so she can sit next to Leya. Leya offers a warm smile to her little sister, sharing the art with her. Even with the age difference, they’re close. Roman gets it. The two of them are so much like Solana, having taken so much after her. In all of the good ways.

“Wait.” Tama suddenly sits up, excitement painting his face. “Is this about my car?” He smiles, and Roman almost feels like he’s looking at himself many years ago. Like the girls have taken after Solana, Tama has definitely taken after him in looks. The spitting image of himself when he was a teenager. “Am I getting—”

“I’m not getting you an Aston Martin,” Roman shuts that down real fast, unsurprised when his son scowls. Again, his twin.

“But Lina and Leya—”

“Didn’t crash a car before they even got their damn license,” he shoots back, easily. Tama can be….distracted at times, hence him crashing Roman’s Bugatti when learning how to drive. One of Roman’s favorite cars. 

Aroha then decides to ask in the sweetest voice. “Daddy, can I get a pony?”

“No, baby, you cannot get a pony.” Animals. His youngest is also on this animal fixation as of recent. She almost threw a fit just the other day when he refused to stop for the ‘little baby’ she saw on the side of the road when he was bringing her to gymnastics practice.

Possum. 

The little baby was a fucking possum.

Of course, his younger sons seem to see an opportunity to get their request in since Aroha’s was denied. With perfect synchronization, they start off with their application.  “Can we get a—”

But, Roman is already three steps ahead. “I’m not getting ya’ll no damn lizards.”

Koa and Kai have wanted reptiles for a while. And they’re gonna keep wanting them, at least until they’re grown and out of the house. Dogs, Roman can get with. Anything else is a hell no. Especially some damn lizards. 

Kai, the more crafty of the two, is the one to object. “But, dad, they’re bearded dragons!”

“Dragons?!” Aroha’s gaze shifts into horror as she buries herself into Leya’s side. “I don’t like dragons.”

“Baby, dragons aren’t real,” Solana comforts, offering a warm smile. 

“Would ya’ll stop scaring your sister?” Roman pinches the bridge of his nose. This is going exactly as he expected, except they haven’t even dropped the news onto them yet. “Now look, this meeting isn’t about any of ya’ll getting anything. You get things all the time anyway. That’s why the house looks the way it does.”

Roman has a low tolerance for most things. Granted, there’s always an exception for his kids, even on days like this where they are clearly on one. So while he has denied the requests thus far, it’s more often than not he has packages arriving daily. Either things the kids have suckered out of him, things Lina and Leya have ordered, Solana even. Not to mention Koa and Kai who somehow have a damn Amazon account of their own.

He’s still trying to figure that out, though something tells him Tama had something to do with it. 

But as a result of the constant arrivals and items being purchased, the house being filled with stuff, it’s always clean. Solana likes keeping a tidy home, and the kids are good with their chores. Usually. But still, Kai and Koa practically have a gaming and tech set-up in their rooms that could make even the Geek Squad jealous.

Tama has every pair of Jordan’s to ever exist. Lina too. Each having their own rooms just for their shoes.

Leya’s room is a damn art gallery with her often painting and designing her walls every couple weeks. 

And Aroha’s bedroom is more or less a playroom. The girl has dolls everywhere. 

The kids are all spoiled rotten, but they’re still respectful. And that’s all Roman cares about.

“Your dad and I—Well, we have something to share with you all.”

At that, the younger kids have returned back to their previous headspace of receiving. “Are we going to Disney?!”

Yes, they are going to Disney. Roman willing to sacrifice his mental wellbeing for a few days to make the kids happy. It’s been a couple years since they last went, and they’ve been wanting to go, so Solana and him have been working on that behind the scenes. But, it’s a surprise, so he’s not about to confirm as such. 

“No. We’re not going to Disney.”

Lina chuckles, still texting on her phone as she jokes. “What then? Are you guys pregnant again or something?” At that, she looks up, sharing a small laugh with Leya and Tama. However, that laughter is quickly cut short when neither Solana nor Roman offer any sort of disagreement. 

Or deny it.

Lina’s jaw drops. “Wait…..” She looks over at her mom. “Mami? Is it true?” She speaks in Spanish, Roman not needing to speak the language to understand what’s being asked. She snaps her head to Leya who’s looking over at Roman. 

“Dad?”

A deep breath followed by a shared look with Solana who gives him the non-verbal go ahead. Time to rip the bandaid off.

Roman doesn’t hesitate or stutter as he announces, “your mom and I are having another baby.”

And thus it begins. In less than seconds after it leaves his mouth, the group erupts with various expressions of shock and borderline panic.

“How does this keep happening?”

“Why does this keep happening?”

“Where is it gonna sleep?”

“Can I go live with Aunt Naomi and Uncle Jimmy?”

“Is that all you and mama do?”

“Alexa, how do I get adopted?”

Roman lets them get it all out before his loud voice silences the room. “Alright, that’s enough.” Temporary silence. That’s all.

Koa crosses his arms over his body, scowling. “Where do these babies keep coming from?”

“The baby fairy!” Aroha answers with the happiest expression, like she’s just shared this great big secret with everyone that will make everything all better and solve world hunger. “The baby fairy puts lots and lots of babies in mommy’s tummy, and then they come out her vagina.”

That last portion makes all of the boys turn up their nose in disgust. Kai being the one to shout, “that’s nasty!”

“You’re nasty!” 

“Naw, mom and dad are the nasty ones to keep making all these kids.” Tama sucks his teeth, adding on almost desperately. “Aren’t ya’ll kind of old to keep doing this?”

Aroha jumps off the sofa, pouting and defending. “Daddy’s old, but he’s not that old! He’s baby santa old.”

Roman looks over at his wife with all of the confusion only to her covering her mouth and looking away, clearly trying to hide her smile.

“I’m not old,” he defends. 

Lina rolls her eyes. “Dad, come on. You get more gray in your beard every day.”

“Yeah, well, if ya’ll kids would stop stressing me out—”

“So then why’d you make more?” Tama mutters it to himself, but it’s still loud enough for his father to overhear. One sharp look from Roman making him cough awkwardly as he focuses on his latest kicks.

Solana clears her throat, redirecting all the attention onto herself. “I know—I know this is a lot to take in, and it’ll be an adjustment for everyone, but it’ll be fine.”

“I really think we should talk again about me, Leya, and Tama getting our own pl—”

“That’s not happening.” Roman shuts that shit down so fast, once again reiterating his main point every time this is brought up. “I’m not getting ya’ll a penthouse. This is your house. You’ll stay here.”

“With all these kids?” Lina pouts and gestures to the younger kids who are somehow now arguing over the existence of dragons and princesses. “This is torture in some countries.”

Leya smiles, asking gently, “how far along are you, mama?” 

Solana’s smile is soft as she answers, hand resting on her stomach. “6 weeks.”

Tama gives a smile as well, rubbing his hands together. “Bet it’s another boy.”

At that, the twins roll their eyes, Leya poking fun, “no way. Another girl.”

“Wanna bet?”

As the teens start placing wagers on the sex of the baby and the younger kids continue their passionate debate, Solana hugs her husband, eyes closing when he kisses the top of her head. His hand on her belly, content and pleased.

However, the timer on the oven going off seems to be the thing that breaks all conversation, Tama asking, "mama, you baking?"

Solana smiles, leaning into Roman's chest. "Chocolate chip--"

She can barely finish her statement as all of the kids, Coco too, are suddenly rushing out of the living room and into the kitchen, now arguing about who gets dibs on the first set.

"Oldest first!"

"No way! Guys first!"

"You guys always get first!"

"Cause you two always eat them all!"

"Mommy! Daddy!"

Solana giggles into Roman who's only sighing again, index and middle finger pressed against his temple.

"Maybe we should hear them out on the penthouse idea."

"Roman!"

[zujime]

─── multiple characters x reader

characters included: bruno, joesph(not the old man ya'll, he is kinda bad tho ngl), josuke, jotaro, giorno, mista

c.w. when ur sad/upset/overthinking/idk, aged up, fluff, comfort, established relationship, no y/n usage, hcs, jjba, some italian pet names (2), a few swear words

- it's been a while since i posted jjba content, it's also been a while since i posted overall. this probably isn't much but for right now until i recover from this burnout, it's all i have. i hope you enjoy :)

at times like these, bruno notices almost immediately that something's up when he walks into your shared home and is met with an eerie silence. it's not long before he's rushing into the bedroom in search of you, only to find you curled up in bed—hidden under covers as you trembled and sniffled lightly. his touch is gentle when he rests his hand on your quivering shoulder, voice even softer as he speaks—asking about what's troubling you.

"what's wrong, mia cara" whether you tell him or not, he encourages you to release whatever tears remain as he holds you, giving you a shoulder to cry on and lots of forehead, nose, and cheek kisses as he tries to soothe you. once you've calmed down, he'll ask if there's anything you want—either a necessity or just something you want, he's getting it without a second thought. he just loves you so much and wants to do all he can for you.

now joesph...is kind of a jerk when he finds you crying at first. he'd baby talk you as he pinches, squishes your cheeks, and flicks your forehead or nose while laughing his ass off, but when he notices that you're not giving him any snappy remarks, slapping his hands away, or laughing with him, that's when he knows something's wrong and he's actually worried.

and when he starts asking you what happened, he almost sounds like a fly that's been buzzing in your ear for god knows how long, but you know he means well, especially when he's giving you the warmest and tightest hug he can—holding you against his chest as you let his heartbeat calm your uneven breathing. he's definitely babying you for the rest of the day and he might tease you a teeny tiny bit, but only to make you laugh.

josuke would probably think he did something to cause you to feel this way and if that's the case, bro's apologizing profusely (please, he's so sorry). whatever the problem might be, expect lots—and i mean lots of short sloppy kisses all over your face while he whispers tons of "I'm sorry" or "it's ok" onto your face. he might refrain from asking what the problem is both out of fear and because he doesn't want to cross boundaries or upset you even more.

but he'll spoil you rotten for the entire week cause he wants you—his everything—to feel better and he wants you to know how much he loves you. cuddles, kisses, hugs, naps together, movie night, whatever the hell you want is exactly what he's gonna give you maybe even before you ask. (he'd probably cry w you, on a serious note).

i think that jotaro would sit there and wait for you to tell him what's wrong so he'll know if it's serious or not—if it's serious he'll stay and listen to what you have to say, but if it's not like you're crying because something is out of stock or something, he's leaving the room and not even sparring you a second glance.

anyway, if you need any type of physical affection, he'd be able to tell from your body language or if you ask him for it but either way, he's not gonna not give you what you want...he's a really good listener, would literally sit there and listen to all that you have to say with no interruptions and he'd cuddle with you until you fall asleep cause he needs to know that you're actually okay, but he's not leaving your side. at all.

ok listen, not exactly like josuke, but i think giorno would be such a sweetheart. he'd ask if you'd wanna talk about it and would be content listening to whatever you say to him while he's holding you in his arms to bring your frantic mind to a slow so you can focus on what you want to say. would definitely cuddle with you in bed—you'll pass out in like less than 20 minutes so yeah.

mista would be so worried but at the same time he's asking who did it with sex pistols in hand (bro's ready to kill a bitch for you). "amore mio, who do i need to kill?" "mista, please don't kill anyone..." he's drowning you in nothing but love (kisses, cuddles, hand-holding, etc). he'd let you wear his hat or play with his hair to calm you down if that's what you want. you're getting spoiled. no, if's and's or but's, you're getting spoiled. want food? he's got it. wanna watch something? the tv's already on. wanna nap? he's already waiting in bed. he'd also let you cry on his shoulder for as long as you need and he'll give you back rubs too. :((

[badbatch-badfics]

Padawan (TBB x Male Reader) Part 2

Part 1

Characters: The Bad Batch - Cross hair + Cid.

Relationship: All platonic

POV: Only 2nd (you/yours)

Pronouns: he/him

Species: Unspecified

Content: Smidge of angst and worry, but mainly found family growing into fluff

Warnings: General TBB stuff, a little bit about Order 66. Cringe lol.

Word Count: 2,796

Notes: If anyone has any requests/ideas for this 'series,' please let me know! I'd love to learn more about what ya'll like and incorporate it. (and i'll obviously credit you in the notes for whichever part it goes in)

The Bad Batch was sound asleep, exempt from their designated pilot.  Tech was comfortably cruising through hyper-space, multitasking on a new upgrade for Echo’s arm-scomp and watching the scanners.  A light beep alerted him, signaling that they were approaching Ord Mantell.  He lightly pushed his goggles upwards, before pressing a series of buttons.  The Marauder shook as it dropped from hyperspace, the tremors waking Hunter up from his nap in the co-pilot's seat.  He would usually sleep in his bunk until Tech needed a break, but his bunk was… preoccupied, so to speak.

“We close to Ord Mantell, Tech?” Hunter asked groggily, cracking his neck.  “Approximately 11 minutes and 36 seconds until we enter the atmosphere, and then another 23 minutes until we reach the landing pad.  I would begin waking everyone else up.”  With a sign, Hunter stood up, arms reaching far above his head, ever-so-slightly leaning backwards.  He turned around and started heading towards the bunks, wondering how he should go about waking you up.  He didn’t know how much you would remember, and he certainly didn’t want to find out the hard way.

Of course, there was always the option of letting your body wake up on its own time, and just having someone stick with the ship until then, but there was the risk of general clatter and ruckus occurring and startling you awake anyway, which would be a harsh wake-up call, to say the least.  After a second more of contemplation, he finally settled on leaving you be, and simply shushing Wrecker the moment his eyes opened.  He walked up to his brother, shaking his arm.  Wrecker awoke with a large grunt, like an ancient monster waking from a coma in an echoing mountain, before Hunter aggressively shushed him.  He sharply pointed across the walking strip to your body, an absolute tangled mess of limbs and droll.

Wrecker got the hint, making an ‘oohhh’ sound before slowly sitting up, careful to minimize the amount of creaking.  Hunter walked on, heading towards Echo and Omega, shaking them both awake- Omega more gently.  She yawned and stretched, smiling and greeting Hunter, before quickly grabbing her day-clothes before heading off to the fresher to change.  Hunter went back to the cockpit, where his brothers were already making quiet discussions of what to do with you, the ‘teenager-that-had-essentially-magic-powers-and-was-being-hunted.’  Primarily how they would handle Cid.  She tolerated them because they did jobs for her, and they didn’t really matter to the Empire- except for Omega, it was appearing.  But a Padawan?  That would be a lot of credits, and it would put someone on the Empire’s good side- at least for a little bit.  Cid wasn’t above ratting them out for that kind of profit.  Or, at least, she wasn’t above ratting out the Padawan while keeping them away from the Empire’s eyes for the sake of missions.  “Perhaps we can convince Cid that his use in missions, among other things, would outweigh the reward from the Empire.  Even without using the Force in a physical push-and-pull manner, it can still be used for mind tricks, sensing danger, and much more, depending on his skill set.  We could increase our efficiency and time duration of missions greatly, which would hold a great profit for Cid,” Tech explained, preparing for the Marauder to enter Ord Mantell’s atmosphere.

“That's true, but there’s no way to know what Cid will say- if she agrees, great, but if she doesn’t…” Hunter responded, eyes glancing back at your sleeping form as he trailed off.  If they told her about you, and she decided to tell the Empire, then no one would be safe.

“There’s no way for Cid to be kept in the dark long enough to find a better solution, and we can’t exactly just hide a whole person in the Marauder,” Echo added on, waving his scomp-link around the cockpit for emphasis.

“Of course, this is all assuming that (Y/N) will want to remain with us.  He may know someone, or someplace, that is safe.  Additionally, he may even know Cid.  Echo said that she would occasionally report to the Jedi,” Tech countered, briefly glancing back towards his brothers, away from the planet and control panel.  Echo nodded in confirmation.  “Do we…” Hunter trailed off, sighing, and pinched the bridge of his nose, “do we have any place to go if Cid decides to tell the Empire?  Echo, do you know anyone else who would help?”

“Rex, obviously- but he’s more involved with defeating the Empire than we are, so it’d be an extra risk to the kid.  Maybe Cut and Suu, if we can get a hold of them.  But I don’t think either of us want to put that kind of risk on them- not with Jek and Shaeeah.”  Wrecker made a comment of agreement, briefly looking up from his game of Chopsticks with Omega.  A heavy silence fell over the group, uncertainty thick in the air.

“Entering the atmosphere,” Tech reported, breaking the awkward silence.  The Marauder shook as gravity’s presence took its toll.  It settled back down to a smooth ride within a minute, the greens and browns- mainly browns- of Ord Mantell’s natural landscape coming closer.  “I think Cid will understand, plus, like Tech said, (Y/N) can help us out!” Omega added, not looking up from her hands.

Hunter looked down, contemplating.  Would the reward of Cid accepting the kid outweigh the risk of her turning him in to the Empire?  Tech did have a point, your presence would make things go smoother- but if Cid didn’t care about that point?  What then?  Would they be able to escape the Empire, find a new place to settle down- there was bound to be some planet that was safe- but would they find it before the Empire found them?

They could keep you holed up in the ship for a while, but sooner or later, Cid would find out.  And once she found out, that could damage their… relationship, so to speak.  Assuming she wouldn’t tell the Empire immediately, anyway.  So that wouldn’t work either.  There was no good solution, and everyone knew it.  Finally, Hunter spoke up- “Wrecker, Omega, you two stay with (Y/N) and help him with anything- food, water, applying new bandages.  You get the idea.  Echo, you're with me- we’ll get anything we’d need for a long-term stay on the ship; med kits, food, supplies, whatever.  Tech, make sure the ship has enough fuel, and make any necessary fixes.  Don’t let anyone else know.  After you're done, I’ll tell Cid about… the kid.  We’ll see where it goes from there.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Marauder drifted down, landing neatly in the center of the dock.  Tech quickly pulled out his data-pad, scanning for any previously unnoticed internal damage.  Luckily, the report came back negative- as he had guessed, there was no new damage.  Satisfied, he checked the Marauder’s current fuel level, so he’d know when to stop filling.  Tech, Echo, and Hunter exited the Marauder, swiftly closing and securely locking the ramp behind them.

The innards of the Marauder were quiet, Omega and Wrecker not really knowing what to do.  They both sat on the bunk opposite you, staring, just in case you’d wake up and need something.  Wrecker had rations and a water canteen to his left, while Omega had fresh bandages and bacta-spray to her right.  “Uhhh…” Wrecker broke the silence, glancing down at Omega, “do we just… wait for him to wake up?  It feels weird, just staring.”

“I don’t know… on Kamino, we would usually wait, but this is nothing like injured clones on Kamino.”  She sighed, wringing her hands together.  “I just…feel so bad.  I mean, our home was destroyed, but at least we have each other.  (Y/N) doesn’t have anyone, and he’s been alone on that ship since the Empire took over.  I can’t imagine what it must have been like…” 

“Well, at least we found him before the Empire did, and any situation we’re in will probably be better than Bracca.  Plus, he’s probably dead to the Empire, so they won’t be after him!”  Wrecker responded, finding the silver lining.  He and Omega looked at eachother, smiling.  It felt good to help people.

On cue, the blankets opposite the pair began shuffling, a long groan sounding out through the metal walls of the Marauder.  You turned over, eyes droopy and your Padawan braid/beads hanging by the corner of your mouth, covered in drool.  Slowly, you put your weight onto a hand and pushed yourself up, leaning against the back wall of the bunk.  Your head lolled back, another sigh escaping.  Everything hurts.  “Good morning!  Er, afternoon!  You slept forever, little Jedi!” Wrecker enthusiastically shouted, causing you to immediately sit up straight, hand shooting down to your waist for the familiar feeling of your lightsaber, only to be met with nothing.  Kriff.

Wrecker immediately sensed your panic, and put his hands up in an attempt of looking unhostile.  “Don’t worry, you're safe!  We’ve had our heads cut into, so we won’t be doing any of that Order 66 stuff!”  All you could do was stare, a comically surprised expression etched across your face.  He had an interesting way of wording things.

Wrecker stood up and handed you the canteen and ration bad.  “Here, rations and water!  They’re not the best, and we can pick up some better food soon, but I bet you're starved!”  And you were.  True, the mantell mix Omega had gifted you was delicious, but after so long of never having a proper meal, you certainly wouldn’t refuse any more food or water.

“Thank you…”  You glanced down after taking the food, quietly chewing on the ration bar, occasionally taking sips from the canteen.  You were never good socially at the Temple, and you certainly weren't any better at the moment.  Omega asked you some more questions; if there was any pain, did you bleed through any bandages, and such.  You responded in short answers, so quiet she was struggling to pick up what was said.  Eventually, she deemed you healthy- or, at least, as healthy as you could be, given the circumstances.  She stayed with you, telling stories about Kamino and the few trips she’s had away from it.  Mainly, though, she talked about her brothers.

After Maker knows how long, the Marauder’s ramp opened, Tech, Echo, and Hunter coming in, one by one.  Tech was lugging fuel, and the other two held general equipment, food, med-kits, and more.  While Tech didn’t pay as much mind to your waking, Echo and Hunter sure did- Echo more so.

After setting down the cargo, he practically spritened to the bunk you were on, crouching down on one knee and using his scomp-link to lift up your jaw, and do other inspections.  “You need a shower- desperately.  And new clothes, these are completely ruined!  Our old room is nothing compared to this!  Even Fives smelled better!  And you need some proper nourishment- I know how I felt after being in that stasis chamber for so long.  And mantell mix is not nourishment, no matter what Wrecker and Omega tell you, got that?”  He finished his spiel, pointing his scomp-link at you.  “Iba’ oskik’la…”

* (“what a mess” in mando’a)

“Yeah, I think he’s got it, Echo,” Hunter chimed in, smiling.  “C’mon, kid.  I need you to meet someone.  She used to work with the Jedi, so I don’t think she’d do anything.  But, just in case, we have everything ready to go.  And if all goes well, ”  You swallowed, a large lump forming in your throat.  You really hoped she wouldn’t do anything bad- you were already enough of a burden.  You and Hunter walked down the ramp, Omega gleefully waving goodbye.

He could hear your heartbeat, your anxiety- but he didn’t know much on how to help, given the circumstances.  Kriff, you didn't know about the chips until they found you, and he couldn’t imagine what that must have felt like.  When Wrecker had been affected and tried to kill everyone, at least they all knew it wasn’t his fault, that he hadn’t betrayed them, and that he would never try to do that when he was in control.  But you had no clue about any of that.  You thought all the clones who were your friends, or even just ones you were polite with for the sake of being a good person, had all wanted to kill you, and all the other Jedi.  You had thought that for months.  Cursing yourself, wondering why, and if there was anything you could have done differently to prevent it.  And now, irony at its best, you had been rescued by clones, coming to remove their chips.

“We’re on Ord Mantell, by the way… don’t know if anyone told you.  Ever been?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.  You shook your head, eyes darting from sign to sign, stall to stall.  “Most planets I’ve been on, except for Coruscant, were just… military occupations, occasionally the natural landscape of Separatists planets.  Never got to travel outside of that,” you said, still taking in all the colorful decor and people of the city.  “I mean, you know what that’s like, obviously- being a clone and all, you went to the same type of planets I did.  I think, at least.”

Hunter nodded his head in confirmation, not really sure where to go from there.  What you said was pretty accurate, but he felt like he shouldn’t talk about the war much.  And in any case, they were approaching Cid’s.

You and Hunter trotted down the steps, the automatic door sliding open.  Cid’s bar was empty, spare for an Ithorian and Weequay who were bickering over who knows what, and obviously, Cid herself.  You placed yourself behind Hunter, something you would do with your Master during the war to avoid any interaction with… anyone.  Slicing droids was easy, making conversation with soldiers was not.

You slowly glanced around the parlor, taking in anything that could be a trap, or could help you escape if this ‘Cid’ decided she didn’t want a padawan on her doorstop.  Hunter called out for Cid, and the distant sound of claws tapping against the cold, hard floor echoed out.  Emerging from the back rooms was a rather short female trandoshan, a cane gripped in her three claws.

Her eyes went back and forth between your semi-hidden figure and Hunter.  “Where’s the rest of ya?  And who’s that kid in the terrible robes?  They stink.”  There was an obvious scowl on her face, her left brown rose in an annoyed and questioning manner.

Hunter took a deep breath, and then- “He’s… a Padawan.”  Cid’s brows rose, and then lowered into a vicious scowl.  “Before you say anything- hear me out.  He was trapped at Bracca, and the scavengers didn’t know- Tech checked the Empire’s wanted, and he’s dead to them.  The Empire won’t come here, and it’s not like anyone on the street will know- he’s just a padawan.  Not a full-on Jedi, not a general.  But, he can still help.  Even without using the Force to push and pull, he can still sense danger and… stuff.”  Hunter wasn’t really sure how the Force worked.  But he knew it was useful.  Before Cid could rebuttal, he continued.  “And imagine how helpful a padawan would be in making sure your deals go right!  Being able to sense a bad deal, or if someone unwelcome is coming.  And some of them can do mind tricks.  He’ll be very useful to you- just let him stay with us.”

Cid looking down, in thought, a scowl etched on her face.  Finally, she sighed.  “Fine!  But if the Empire comes knocking, I’m not keeping his hide a secret.  Too much heat.”  She walked away, already planning what to do with you.

Hunter looked back, smiling.  You tried your best to smile, but you knew full well it looked incredibly awkward and forced.  Not that you weren’t happy, by any means.  You just weren’t prepared, and he knew that.  Hunter placed a hand on your shoulder, attempting to provide comfort.  And it worked.  For the first time in months, despite the constant dread of what was to come, everything seemed to be going right.  You could stay with them, and they could stay with Cid.

“Let’s go get you some proper fitting, and smelling clothes, yeah?  Echo wasn’t wrong when he said it was worse than our old barracks.”  Your smile shifted to a natural one, not forced or awkward.  You certainly didn’t think you’d ever see a clone again; and it certainly wouldn’t be a happy experience, but it seemed like this batch was going to be the best thing to happen in a while.

[19blackbutterfly97-blog]

Twisted Bonds - Part 6

Word Count: 4,191

Warnings: language, drinking/being drunk, mutual pining

A.N.: Wow, so I know this part is so long but I just couldn't stop! Also, I'm working on an actual Masterlist for my other fics and drabbles I've posted. BTW, I'm cross-posting this on A03 so let me know if you want the link for it. Okay, I think I'm done now. Thank you for the likes, comments& reblogs!! Ya'll are the best!!!!

>>>><<<<

Twisted Bonds Masterlist

>>>><<<<

“What the…” Alice trails off, the pretzel stick that was precariously perched between her teeth fell unceremoniously to the desk as she stared at her computer screen. “Stark tech this, Stark tech that. Blech!” She mumbled and wrote a few things down before forcing the device to restart again. This was the third time this morning that the “new and improved” computer Tony provided to her needed to be restarted because of its seemingly habitual freezing habit. She was already tired from not getting a full night’s sleep and now she’s frustrated beyond belief.

“What’s the word, little bird?” Sam asks as he leans against the doorframe.

“Have I ever told you how much I hate that nickname? It doesn’t even make sense.” Alice grumbles and starts dusting crumbs off the desk.

“Yes, which is exactly why I keep using it.” He chuckles and walks further in the room. “Whatcha working on?”

“I’m trying to get the intel Stark asked for about this potential threat but his damn computer keeps freezing up on me anytime I open more than one program.”

“Sounds about right. Genius tech guy but a simple computer is a challenge.”

“I swear he did it on purpose just so I’d have to track him down and be stuck around him.”

“Are you complaining?” Sam teases, “what’s wrong? You had only one Alpha fawning over you this morning?”

“That’s not funny.” Alice snaps back which causes Sam to laugh.

“It is, you’re just too close to the situation to appreciate it.” She rolls her eyes and focuses on the screen again. Sam silently chuckles and continues talking, totally unbothered by the death glare Alice attempts when he speaks. “In other news, Stark is having a party tonight. All Avengers are required to attend.”

“Cool, you guys have fun.”

“Wrong! You’re an Avenger now too, you’re going.”

“I’m an analyst not an Avenger.”

“You’re working a case with us that makes you an Avenger temporarily, and before you start trying to get out of it: Nat has a dress you can borrow, Wanda offered to do your hair, Tony has you on the guest list and I’m assigning myself as your escort for the night.” Alice stares at him in disbelief as he throws out every single complaint or excuse she could muster up. “You’re going. No complaints.”

“Fine, but the dress better not be flashy or show anything off and I get at least one drink.”

“Ooooh, you drive such a hard bargain… you can drink as much as you want because the dress will probably show off more than you’d like.” Sam says with a knowing smirk before spinning and rushing out of the room.

“Sam? Sam! What does that mean Sam?!” Alice yells after him in a slightly panicked voice. She plops back down in her plush office chair and drops her head in her hands with a groan. “Do they ever actually work? This place is like a damn frat house half the time…” She glances up at the computer screen and sighs, “this is going to be a long night.”

A few hours later Alice had abandoned her office with a promise from Tony that her computer would be fixed by morning. She was trying her hardest to sneak through the living room to go take a nap and hopefully avoid everyone else. It was a nice thought that was thrown out the huge bay windows when a super soldier spoke up. “They forcing you to dress up tonight, too?”

Alice freezes mid-step and looks at Bucky. “Yeah, you?”

“Yep. Suit jacket and everything.”

“Natasha picked out my dress.” It was strange how the conversation was so casual after two weeks of avoiding each other and Bucky only talking to her when totally necessary.

“Oh, that’ll work out for you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing. ‘M sure you’ll look great.” Bucky mumbles before turning his attention back to the windows and the cityscape outside. What Bucky meant to say was that she could show up in a burlap sack and she’d still be the most mouthwatering, gorgeous thing on the planet. Alice of course took offence to the comment, huffed and continued her stealthy mission upstairs. After that she was even more desperate for a nap but again, the universe had other plans for her.

“Please tell me you washed your hair this morning?” Wanda asks as soon as Alice steps in her den.

“OH, COME ON!” Alice groans loudly. “If it’s not one of them it’s one of you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Natasha chuckles and sits up on the loveseat in the corner of the room. “It means that the Alpha males around here are getting to be too much for our favorite analyst.”

“Do either of you know how to knock? Or at least wait outside?”

“Why? You don’t have a nest or anything.” Wanda huffs.

“Not really the point. This is still my den. My space.” Alice explains and kicks off her shoes before crawling into her bed. She starts shoving the few pillows and blankets she has around, almost like she’s looking for something. “The one place in the entire compound Alphas can’t get to me unless I ask them to.”

“How well is that working out for you?” Nat asks with amusement.

“Was working out fine until now apparently.” She mumbles back. After a moment Alice resorts to tossing the soft materials out of the bed, still in search of something. “Do you guys smell that? Smells like oil and leather.”

Nat and Wanda exchange a glance then smirk. “So, it smells like Bucky?” Wanda finally asks. “Why would anything in here smell like him?” Alice sighs and dramatically falls back to the mattress causing the others to laugh and move to hover over her. “So… you’re deciding already, huh?”

“No, I’m not deciding anything. I’m here to work, not to find a mate.”

“Right, right, but you’re the only one that can smell Bucky in here at all. Which is weird considering how much time you’ve been spending with Steve.”

“Don’t start, Nat. I have enough going on right now without having two alphas absentmindedly fighting over me.”

“Mutual pining and love triangle.” Wanda teases in a sing-song voice. Nat and Alice both glare at her. “What? They’re classic tropes.”

“I’m not pinning and I’m non in a love triangle.”

“If you say so but between you and me? Bucky likes you.”

“And Steve takes care of you.” Nat adds.

“I’m not here to find a mate.”

“Maybe not, but two potential mates found you.” Nat chuckles and bends down to pull Alice off the mattress. "C'mon, we've gotta get you ready for your big debut."

"It's not a debut."

"It totally is." Wanda laughs as they usher her into the bathroom. "Alright, we're gonna see about getting this mess under control, then worry about make-up, then we'll get you dressed."

Alice glanced at the dress hanging on the back of her bathroom door. It's a gold sequin dress with a U-shaped neckline, if you look a little closer it's similar to the one Taylor Swift wore for Fearless. She smiled a little and let herself be guided to the edge of the tub to sit and give Wanda room to work on her hair. Wanda grumbles as she brushes out the knots and tangles and Nat got started on her make-up.

After a while and a short debacle about Alice's preference for inner corner versus Nat's love for a cat eye, which Nat ultimately won, she was staring at herself in the mirror. The golden dress hugged Alice's tiny curves almost perfectly, strands of fringe cascaded from the fabric making her look like a doll shaped bar of gold. Her loose curls were tamed down and pulled into a twisted half up, her dark bangs framing her face and eyes, the whole thing adorned with a sunflower hair clip. Now, it should have been obvious at this point that Natasha and Wanda were playing their own game of matchmaker but Alice stayed oblivious. A small smile continued to tug the corner of her lips, she looked like a real Omega for once in her life. Her natural beauty highlighted by Natasha's makeup skills and Wanda's special gift for haircare. She wasn't sure how long she'd been standing there staring at herself before the girls dragged her away to the party. She walked in behind them and went on edge feeling open, exposed and vulnerable without the usual comfort of a chunky cardigan.

To say she drew attention would be an understatement. As the group brisked through the crowd Alice was far too aware of the unusual amount of Alphas staring at her like she was a piece of meat on display for them. Bucky however didn't see it that way. To him, she was a gorgeous drop of sunshine put on the planet just for him. The sight of any other Alpha even glancing her way was almost enough to set him off on a rampage. He fought hard against his instincts to stay put next to Steve, reminding himself again that she wasn't his. Bucky's swirling territorial tendencies didn't calm down until he saw Sam walk over and put his hand on Alice's back to lead her through the crowd. He didn't see the Beta as a threat and he already knew Sam took it upon himself to look after Alice for the night. It was a short lived relief when he realized that Sam guided her to the bar.

Omegas didn't usually drink, Alice was no exception. She didn't like beer or wine, claiming both carry an odd flavor no matter which brand or type. She would usually opt to have an occasional mixed drink or nothing at all. Bucky already knew that, hence his growing irritation when she was handed a glass with a swirling pink drink topped with a few strawberry slices. Of course she'd go for something sickly sweet to match her well-hidden personality.

Bucky's eyes tracked her every move through the crowd. His jaw clenched and lips pressed in a thin line. He ignored the group around him as they laughed and joked. Bucky watched Alice like his life depended on it. Okay, maybe not his life but quite possibly his rut judging by the growing ache between his legs.

She looked even more beautiful than usual and he was convinced that the last bits of his mind were in jeopardy by the time Sam had directed her over to the group of Avengers. She stood next to him, almost pressed to his side as she quietly sipped her drink. Alice's eyes flickered up to his for a moment then back to Natasha and Clint. For once, she was thankful for his close proximity. She could subtly take in plenty of his scent and calm her nerves as much as she needed. Bucky's unique mix of Oil and thunderstorms started to be tainted with apple pie and seawater as Steve moved to stand on her other side. Both scents were comforting but in different ways. Steve reminded her of an overprotective older brother meanwhile Bucky's was a scent that she wanted to burrow in. She subtly shifted closer to Bucky, brushing back against him slightly. Bucky's entire being went on alert, his Alpha hindbrain trying to take over: Mine. He shook his head and the thought away and forced himself to focus on the conversation around him.

"I've said it once and I'll say it again; we remember Budapest very differently." Clint says with a laugh while Nat rolled her eyes. Bucky noticed that something about that peeked Alice's interest. She slowly lowered her glass from her lips and looked at the pair expectantly.

"What's going through your head, Lil Bit?" Bucky asked, nudging her lightly.

"The files on their Budapest mission are mostly redacted."

"Okay?"

"Nobody but them know the whole story and they each have different accounts for what happened."

"And that's interesting to you?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Yeah, I guess it is..." She answers sheepishly. "Not to sound like a creep or anything but I kind of looked into everyone a bit when I got the job. I just wanted to know what I had gotten myself into before I started."

That didn't surprise Bucky as much as it should have. Nearly everyone knew about the Avengers, or the cliff notes version of them at least. Alice was just fortunate to have the clearance and resources available to do find a bit more information than what an average Google search would allow. If anything, he was pleased that she had the foresight to not take this job on totally blind at least that was until he realized that meant that she probably knew his past as well. His chronic self doubt kicked in again and he took a micro step back, his carefully built walls starting to rebuild again.

"So, you know about the Soldier?" He asked in a timid voice that caught Alice off guard. Apparently even the great Bucky Barnes was capable of feeling something.

"I read a few things." She admits, "then I sealed your file."

Now it was Bucky's turn to be off guard. "You did what?"

"I sealed it. Tony, Steve, Fury and I are the only ones with the clearance to open it."

"Why?"

Alice set her drink down on the high-top table in front of them before turning to look at him fully. She tilted her head back just enough for him to see the genuine look of care and concern in her eyes. "You've been exploited enough for one lifetime. I know it doesn't make sense, honestly it didn't make sense to me when I did it but I wanted to make sure that nobody could ever use that against you again. The only information anybody can access about you is the basics. A short bio, specs on your arm, and a limited medical history."

Bucky was sure that his heart was going to bust through his ribcage, jump out of his chest and nestle itself in her hands. He wasn't used to people taking that kind of protective approach to his past, even Steve. He was used to people finding out his name and instantly start shaking in their boots. Not Alice. When he thought back on it, she only ever acted scared of him once when they first met and in her defense, he sort of forced that reaction from her. Now, after only a couple of weeks, he felt guilty for even trying to push her away but he also felt guilty for wanting her as badly as he does.

"You're not upset are you? I can put it back the way it was if you want. I ju-"

"Don't you ever think I'm ever upset with you, Lil Bit." He cuts her off, his flesh hand reaching up to push a stray hair from her eyes. It's a soft, gentle motion but one that send butterflies fluttering in her stomach. "Thank you. I literally can't tell you how much that means to me."

"You deserve a clean slate. I would've done it for anyone."

He smirks a little, his hand still hovering over her cheek. "Yea? You'd wipe our good Cap's slate too?"

"Maybe. If he did something worth hiding at least." She teases back.

"Who did something worth hiding?" Sam asks, placing another drink in Alice's hand. The grating sound of his friend's voice makes Bucky drop his hand and an almost guilty look to take residence on his face.

"Nobody." She giggles and sips her drink. "We were talking hypotheticals."

"Oh, fun. You got a minute? I want to introduce you to some of our mission coordinators." 

Alice glances at Bucky for a moment before taking Sam's arm and following him across the room. For the next hour and a half, Bucky watched longingly as Alice was led around the party by Sam. His adoration for her never faltering but giving way to annoyance then anger as Sam placed drink after drink in her hands until she was a stumbling mess. Her perfectly placed hair was starting to fall slightly and she had to lean against Sam to stay upright. He glanced at Steve, expecting him to be just as pissed about it only to find him oblivious to the situation while he flirts with Sharon. That again had Bucky almost raging. He never considered himself the king of morals but Steve put himself in charge of the Omega; he should be acting like it.

The pop music that was previously blasting from the speakers overhead gave way to the opening jazzy tune to Polka-dots and Moonbeams by Tommy Dorsey and Frank Sinatra. The song wasn't out when Bucky was a young man in the 1940s but it had a similar vibe and he genuinely enjoyed it. He could tell that apparently Alice did too, judging by her excited expression as Sam led her to the dance floor. Tony, Pepper, and Peter watched from the corner of the room while the super soldier made his way to the pair and tapped Sam on the shoulder.

"Training stuff." Bucky gruffed out when Sam turned to look at him, his eyes never leaving Alice's smile. A smile of his own graced Sam's face as he ceded to the Alpha. He knew what was up, no matter what excuse he was going to use.

Bucky mustered up some charm and courage he had hidden away as he took Alice's hand in his own and pulled her close. "This hand doesn't leave mine." He said and moved her other to rest on his shoulder. "And this one stays here. Got me, Lil Bit?"

"Got it, Bucky." Alice breathes out when he gently places his metal hand on her waist. She drunkenly smiles up at him. The rhythm of the song guides their movements to a gentle sway. Their eyes locked onto each other, the contact never breaking. It's said that music connects souls to each other and in this case that opinion is proven to be fact.

Alice and Bucky swayed in a carefully constructed bubble just big enough for the pair, unaware or uncaring of the eyes watching their every move as a bond of some sort formed between them. They weren't strangers. They weren't Mates. They weren't even friends, but a bond had formed nonetheless. Any annoyance or anger Bucky had melted away as the comforting scent of vanilla, lavender and coffee wafted in his nose. Any fear or insecurity Alice harbored was taken from her when Bucky guided her head to rest on his shoulder.

"Trust in your partner, right?" He murmured just loud enough for Alice to hear but no one else. This was their moment and he'd be dead before anyone took it from him.

"We're not partners, remember?" She slurred in response.

"Maybe not, but you're still my Lil Bit." Bucky says with a small smile that's so genuine even he can't believe it. The confession makes Alice's heart flutter. She purrs a little and leans against Bucky more; between the day's stress, the alcohol and the late night, she was exhausted. "All tuckered out, Omega?"

"Mhm, starting to." She mumbles and nuzzles her cheek against his shoulder.

Bucky smiles again and wraps his arm tighter around and starts to lead her off the dance floor. "C'mon, Lil Bit. Let's get you to bed."

Not even five minutes later Bucky was struggling through the door of his suite with Alice tucked against his chest, her pretty face nuzzled against his neck. He's fairly certain she's half asleep as he walks closer to his bed, trying to work out how to climb down without disturbing her. He kicks his boots off and nudges them to the side, jostling Alice a little. She giggles and pulls her head away to look around.

"This isn't my den." She slurs sleepily.

"You have security protocols in place. I wouldn't be able to get in and you aren't in the right mind to argue with F.R.I.D.A.Y.." He answers, slowly lowering to sit on the ledge of his bed. He looks down at his carefully constructed nest and a wave of anxiousness hits him. How is she going to react to this? Will she even notice? If she does, is she going to freak out? Maybe she'll take it as the grand gesture he means it to be and she'll reward him by taking care of the growing problem in his dress slacks. Nope. Can't go for that right now, she's drunk.

"Aww, it's so cute!" Alice coos and slips out of his lap and to the pile of blankets just below them. She crawls over and picks up the stuffed bunny he'd perfectly placed just for her. "Who's this little guy?"

Bucky bites his lip and slides down into the nest with her. Yes, this- THIS is right. My bed. My nest. My Omega. Mine. "He doesn't have a name."

"Why not?"

"Don't have an Omega to worry about that... technically." He mumbles the last bit under his breath.

"Then why'd you build a nest?" Alice asks, stroking her fingers over the bunny's ears.

"Just because I don't have an Omega officially doesn't mean I don't have my eyes on one." He says, laying down on his side. He's careful to keep space between them but he's still close enough to reach out and rest his hand on her side. With Alice now safely tucked away in the solitude of his room Bucky was finally comfortable enough to open up with her. He'd decided from the moment she put her hand in his earlier that he was going to admit his feelings to her. He didn't care if she would remember it in the morning or not. He had to get the words out.

"Who's the lucky girl?" Alice asks, her wide eyes focusing on Bucky again.

He smirks a little. "Depends, what do you think about my nest?"

"Why're you asking me?"

"I'd like an opinion from an Omega before I take my chances here."

Alice smiles again and looks around the nest. Bright, vibrant colored blankets surrounded her, paired perfectly with soft, plush pillows. The fabrics are a little disheveled from the pair nestles down but still mostly in place. Her fingers continue their soft strokes on the stuffie in her hands as she speaks. "It's nice. Comfy. She'll be happy."

The somber response wasn't quite what Bucky was looking for but it did stroke his ego just enough to feel emboldened to pull her closer. She smelled so sweet and it went straight to his groin. "Glad you like it, 'Mega."

Alice lays down next to him. She wasn't sure why, but it felt right. "When are you going to show it to her?"

The question causes Bucky to pause for a moment. "I already did."

She smiles again and wiggles around to get closer to him. Her emerald eyes practically shined in the dark as she gave him a hopeful look before leaning in. She wasn't sure if it was her real feelings, her instincts or the alcohol but before she knew it she was pressing her slightly chapped lips to his soft ones.

Noble intentions, Bucky. Don't fuck this up. Bucky reminded himself as his metal hand tentatively reached up and tangled in her hair, keeping her lips to his. Alice's hands abandoned the bunny in favor of trailing them up his chest. Her fingers curled into his shirt at his shoulders. Bucky's flesh hand snaked underneath her and wrapped around her waist. The kiss had started off slow and gentle but was quickly turning more feral with each shared breath. He knew the moment she started grinding against him that he had to break the kiss before he crossed a line. Consent is key and he won't take advantage of her in this condition.

"You're drunk Lil Bit." He husked out, pulling away just enough to look at the little Omega in his arms. She could only respond with a soft whine as she tried to kiss him again but he turned his head to the side. "Can't do it, babydoll. Not tonight... Just let me hold you."

He wasn't sure how he managed to convince Alice to settle down again but he did. A short while later, she was laying across his chest. Her head right over his pounding heart with a sleepy smile on her face. The shimmery gold dress she wore looked uncomfortable and that wouldn't do. He eventually changed her into his Red Henley, but only after he was sure she was totally asleep. She was too precious to wake up right now. He smiled to himself as he nuzzled his face against her neck, letting the scent of vanilla, lavender and honey lull him to a peaceful sleep.

This is bliss, and he was in love. 

[paigeswiftsea]

hi hi here's my writing for the first prompt for RoFD which is music!! Im also debating uploading it to ao3... just so ya'll can have all the prompt writings in one easy place.

@dark-rider-pr

Im sorry for the sadness I was listening to ethel cain while writing this so whoopsie.

Although if you want to hurt yourself like me I'd recomend listening to her "Televangelism" or " Sun Bleached Flies" while reading. just a bit more heartbreak lmfao.

small content warnings: small mention of blood, angsty

wc: 845

Blaire shivered as she walked alongside Storm, the steady drumming of rain only intensifying the chill in her bones. The sky was a dull gray, casting a cold, unforgiving light over the landscape. The leaves around her were turning—the one small beauty she could still find in this broken world. They drifted down in shades of yellow, orange, and red, carpeting the ground like a final, fleeting promise of life. But even here, among the autumn colors, she could spot dark stains on the forest floor, patches where blood, fresh or faded, told silent stories of struggles lost to time.

She wrapped her worn jacket tighter around herself, though it offered little warmth anymore. Humming quietly to herself, she kept her head down, focusing on each step along the muddy path. Walking had become her refuge; it was the only way to shake off the lingering stiffness from her last "tree nap"—an uncomfortable rest bound to a thick branch high above the ground. Sleeping in a tree wasn’t ideal, but in a world where survival meant staying a step ahead of the infected, comfort was a distant memory.

As she walked through the quiet, damp woods, her eyes caught sight of a small cabin tucked between the trees. She paused, heart quickening. The cabin looked abandoned—its windows broken, door slightly ajar, belongings scattered as if in a hasty retreat. Shelters like these were rare, and Blaire’s instincts urged her to investigate. She gestured to Storm to stay alert and moved forward, her hand tight around the knife in her grip. Better to be paranoid than dead.

Inside, she found only silence. The cabin was truly empty, not a soul in sight. She quickly shoved a chair against the door, blocking it to keep herself safe. She scanned the room, noting the scattered furniture and overturned drawers, remnants of someone else's panic. Her gaze landed on a small fireplace, and she felt a surge of triumph. A fire would be a blessing in this cold, damp weather, a small comfort that she hadn’t experienced in too long. But then her eyes drifted to something else—a piano, an old upright nestled against the wall, its polished wood dulled by dust and neglect.

Blaire hesitated, drawn to it like a moth to a flame. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen a piano, much less touched one. Almost reverently, she walked over and sat down on the worn bench, her fingers hovering above the keys. She lifted the lid, brushing away dust, and let her fingertips graze the ivory. Even after all this time, her hands instinctively found their position, her muscles remembering the patterns of long-forgotten songs. Tentatively, she pressed down, and a low, wavering chord echoed through the cabin, each note slightly off but still familiar.

She winced at the sound—the piano was in desperate need of tuning. But something in the rough, broken notes felt right, like the instrument understood the fractured world outside its walls. Slowly, she began to play a melody she knew well, a tune from her childhood, simple and comforting. The notes filled the cabin, pushing back the silence, the melancholy lilt carrying her back to a time when music was a source of warmth, not a fleeting memory.

As she played, her eyes slipped shut, and the rain outside seemed to fade away. For a few precious moments, she could almost pretend she was somewhere else—safe, warm, whole. But reality crept back in, a chill sweeping over her as the song’s last note faded. She opened her eyes, her fingers lingering on the keys, reluctant to let go.

A sudden creak from outside jolted her back into survival mode. Her body tensed, knife back in hand, ears straining for any sound beyond the quiet patter of rain. She glanced at Storm, who stood alert, his ears pricked, eyes scanning the shadows beyond the cabin’s walls. There was nothing, only the relentless rain and the weight of the world outside.

The piano suddenly felt like a relic, a piece of a life she could no longer afford. Shaking off the spell it had cast, she rose from the bench and set her knife within easy reach. She moved to the fireplace, gathering what little firewood she could find, managing to coax a small flame to life. As the warmth began to seep into her, she let her gaze fall on the piano one last time. In another world, she might have stayed longer, filling the cabin with music. Here, music was a luxury, a whisper of a past she couldn’t reclaim.

Sitting close to the fire, she began to hum softly, a faint echo of the tune she’d just played. It wasn’t much, but it was something—a small piece of herself she could still hold on to, hidden and safe in a world turned cold and unforgiving. As the rain continued to fall outside, she closed her eyes and let the warmth of the fire and the lingering memory of music wrap around her, if only for a little while.

[tinymoonlight]

💚🖥️ Neon J cg headcanons !

back with another nsr hc post!! been brainstorming and ruminating on his guy for a few days and i finally have the abundance of free time to write cg hcs for him! Hopefully ya'll find some enjoyment from this post! Headcanons below the cut like last time! 💚

OTHER NSR CG HCS: [🌌🎧 DJ Subatomic Supernova cg headcanons]

I think he'd be a very routine oriented caregiver, has a strict schedule for the times when he feeds you, your nap time, playtime, bed time, etc.

As a captain, I feel like he's also very good at discipline, in both teaching you self control and manners, and also appropriately giving you time outs whenever he feels you need them (but don't worry, he's never cruel with you!)

Loves to carry you on his shoulders! He's a very tall cyborg man though, so if you have a fear of heights or don't really like being carried, he'll always compromise with just simply holding your hand so he knows you're nearby.

Speaking of, I feel like he's very protective of you and always concerned about your safety, he..can't exactly trust the city to be a completely safe place for a little one like you, though he dreams of one day being able to make it so…

He builds you little mechanical toys! The shelves in your playroom at Barraca mansion would be lined with all kinds of cool action figures and little wind-up toys! (you get the latest 1010 figurines before the public does)

Oh, forgot to mention but all of the 1010 members are practically your older brother figures, they absolutely adore you and are tasked with watching you and making sure you adhere to your schedule when Neon J is busy with matters regarding NSR. (I may write hcs for 1010 in the future…)

He'll absolutely teach you to dance! He's significantly more patient with you than he is with 1010 admittedly…but the main difference between you and them is you're not responsible for providing the city with power! So teaching you to dance during his free time is significantly less stressful on his shoulders. 

Calls you his "little sailor" and his "smallest cadet" 💚

Might dress you up in a sailor outfit with a similar style to 1010 as well, then coo over how adorable you look! 

Admittedly…a lot of his robotic body parts make cuddling not really the best experience but! If you tolerate the hard metal of his limbs as he lays you against his chest, you'll be able to hear a mixture of robotic systems whirring and a steady but strong heartbeat that lulls you to sleep.

He'd absolutely sing you to sleep if you wanted, though it might sound a little silly since his singing voice is autotuned.. 

[theriu]

10 characters ask: Cimorene, Morwen, Kazul, Telemain, Matthias of Redwall, Martin the Warrior, Din Djarin, Bo Katan, Artham Wingfeather, and Podo

Ohohoho yessss ya'll are TREATING me with these characters from my favorite book serieses :D

Send me 10 characters and I will tell you who I would…

Marry: Din Djarin (IDK if we'd actually be compatible but he IS very cool and comes with a superpowered adopted son. I would have to get rid of my homemade mando armor though because he would be Very Offended and might divorce me.)

Drink tea with: Artham Wingfeather (The man needs some relaxation time)

Party with: Cimorene (She is a jack-of-all-trades and knows how to host a lovely dinner party, I'm sure it would be interesting :D)

Kiss: Martin the Warrior (atop his fuzzy head)

Go out on a date with: Telemain (I doubt we would actually take it seriously but I'd be interested to hear about some of his Magician studies)

Push down the stairs: Bo Katan (I'm a little ashamed of how easy this was to decide; I've only seen her in season 2 of Mandalorian and she just really seems like she needs to get off her high horse. She's in armor she'll be fine.)

Slap: Podo (STOP BLAMING ARTHAM FOR YOUR WIFE HE TRIED HIS HARDEST look he's a great grandpa and a cool guy but I def wanted to slap him a few times)

Invade the dreams of: Morwen (her dreams are probably either Very Practical or very magicky and full of cats, so it's either a chill time or a fun time)

Take a nap with: Kazul (IDK just sounds relaxing, the coolness of taking a nap with a big dragon, I bet I'd feel so safe :D)

Rob: Matthias (literally the only one left, I'm sorry Matthias please don't give me Disappointed Dad Eyes)

[frostwing213]

Odyssey AU/Fanfiction I wrote for class 5/10

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Hi, I wrote what is basically fanfiction for class on, you guessed it, the Odyssey . I decided to share it with ya'll.

Essentially, I took the events of the Odyssey, shifted and removed some things, made it take place in modern times, then wrote a 29 pages with over 14000 words piece of fanfiction in a week.

Is it accurate? Lol, no. Is it fun? Yes.

Keep reading to see part 5 of 10:

Coincidences are Coincidence-ing

It took 4 days to reach his chosen destination and they stopped in the little town. He sighed and said

“I’m going to take a nap here, you all do what you want, we’ll try and get a better map later, and set off.” He closed his eyes and laid back as he heard mutters of agreement and his doors opening and closing, and he locked the car doors before slipping into sleep. 

He awoke to his window being pounded on, he opened his eyes, half expecting a cop, but Eury stood there, looking panicked. Ody frowned, unlocked, and opened the door, stepping out and starting to ask

“What ha-”

“Everyone else’s been arrested.”

“What? Why? What did they do?” 

“I don’t know! We were just hanging out, I stepped away for a few moments and looked back to see that they were being arrested!” Ody grabbed his coat and threw it over his shoulders, saying

“Time to find the station then. Let's go.” Eury nodded and said

“I saw where it was, follow me.” Ody nodded and they set off. 

It was a tiny town, and he couldn’t help but notice the strange looks he was shot, suspicious, hostile. He ignored them and walked to the station with Eury, then put on a smile as they walked through the doors and a woman in uniform stopped them, asking

“Do you need something, strangers?” Ody smiled and said

“Nothing much from you, except maybe a small explanation. Mostly I just wanna see my friends, heard they were arrested.” The woman frowned, looking at them suspiciously, before she said

“Fine. Don’t try anything funny.” Ody nodded and said

“Of course. Please lead the way.” She turned and walked them over to the mostly empty holding cells, except for his three friends. Immediately, they raced to the bars and exclaimed

“Ody!” 

“There you are!”

“Are you gonna get us out?” Ody took a breath and said

“I'm certainly gonna try, but how did you guys get arrested?” Elpenor shrugged and said

“I don’t know, we didn’t do anything wrong” Permiedies lowered his voice and said

“I heard some of the people here talking about who called the cops. A lady named Circe, they said that if she was suspicious, it was always best to trust her.” Ody sighed and said

“Well, from the sound of that, it seems like I might need to find and talk to her. Figure out what’s happening here. I’ll be back. Eury, can you stay here and try to talk things through with the cops?” Eury nodded and walked over to a group of people as Ody walked out. Based on the looks he was getting, he doubted he’d find her by asking, so he started walking, looking for clues. He’d stopped at a tiny store to buy some snacks when a voice behind him said

“Hey there! You look lost Odyseus!” Ody turned around to see a smiling face he almost recognized. He paused, then asked

“Do I know you?” The man laughed and said

“Yeah! I’m Athena’s half brother.” Ody smiled slightly and said

“Do you know how little that narrows it down?” The man laughed and said

“Yeah, yeah. I’m Hermes.” Oh! Hermes! That was where he recognized him from! He was the half brother that was either delivering mail in random places, or traveling the country for no reason.  Ody smiled and said

“Oh! Nice to meet you again! What are you doing here?” Hermes chuckled and said

“I was just traveling around, you know, doing my thing, when my car broke down here, and they needed a mail man so I decided to stay for a bit. Took a bit to gain the local’s trust, but they like me now!” Ody chuckled and asked

“Have you talked with Athena recently?” Hermes shrugged and said

“Not really, but anyways, what are you doing here?” Ody sighed and said

“Well, I’m completely lost first of all, and two, my friends got arrested for no apparent reason. I heard a woman named Circe called the cops on them, so I’m hoping to find her and find out why.” Hermes smiled and said

“Oh! Circe! She’s a sweetheart, but also really ruthless. She runs the women's shelter here. She’s really protective of them. Yeah, she probably called the cops on your friends because she was worried. This place isn’t exactly ‘in the way’ so random people showing up can be worrying. So you wanna talk with her and sort things out, right?” Ody nodded and said

“Yeah, could you point me in the right direction?” Hermes nodded and fished a bag of what seemed to be dried leaves, shoving it in Ody’s hands and saying

“Yeah, she’s down the road, second right, then the first left and you’ll see the building. Bring these with you, it’s called moly, and it’s freaking delicious. She loves it, and since it’s rare, usually she only gets it from me. It’ll get you inside to talk to her.” Ody smiled and said

“Thanks Hermes.” Hermes walked out, calling

“No problem! Anything for Athena’s friend! Bye!” Ody put his snacks back and followed Hermes’s directions, eventually coming to a pretty large building that looked like an old school or something. Immediately, he saw people watching him from the windows. He went to the front door and rang the doorbell that looked almost homemade. He waited for a second, tossing the bag from hand to hand before the door opened and a woman with very long hair and eyes that seemed to want to kill him asked

“What can I do for you?” Ody smiled and started to say

“Hi, I’m looking for a woman named Ci-”

“Is that Moly?” She snagged it out of his hands, her death glare fading. He paused, then said

“Yeah” She looked at him, some, but less suspicion in her eyes and asked

“Where did you get it?”

“A guy named Hermes, he’s related to a friend of mine.” She paused, then said

“I’m Circe. Who are you?” Ody paused, considered lying, then decided against it, saying

“My name is Odyseus, but I usually go by Ody.” Circe frowned in thought for a moment, before saying

“What do you need?” He gave a friendly smile and said

“You called the cops on my friends for no apparent reason.” She sighed and said

“Let’s talk somewhere else. There’s a nice little diner near here.” Circe turned and called into the building

“I’ll be back in half an hour to a couple hours at most!” Then stepped out and closed the door behind her, opening the bag and saying

“Follow me, Odysseus.” She started eating the dried leaves as they walked down to a little diner and sat inside. Ody sat across from her and a server walked over, saying

“Good to see you again Circe, do you already know what you want today, or do you need a few minutes to look at the menu with your…” The server looked at him and said slowly, “Friend here.” Circe waved her hand and said

“Two milkshakes is fine, strawberry for me.” She looked at him and he said

“Oh, I’m alright, I need to conserve money for gas.” Circe gave him a look and said

“I’m paying. What flavor?” Ody paused, then said

“Chocolate.” The server nodded and walked off. Circe looked back to him and said

“I called the cops because when random men show up and start roaming around with no clear destination, being loud and disruptive, it usually means bad things may happen.” Ody sighed and said

“I’m sorry for my friends’ behavior, but I can promise you they meant no harm.” Circe narrowed her eyes and asked

“How am I supposed to trust you? Currently the only thing in your favor is the fact Heremes gave you this for free.” She lifted the bag. Ody shrugged and said

“I’ve met him before. I’m friends with a family member of his.” She raised an eyebrow and asked

“What family member?”

“Athena.” Her suspicion faded further as she said

“Ah, I’ve heard of her, she seems nice.” Ody nodded and said

“Yeah, she’s been a close friend of mine for a long time.” She nodded and the server came back with their milkshakes. Circe thanked the server as they were set down. The server asked

“Do you need anything else today?”

“No, we’re alright.” Circe handed over a card and the server walked away as Ody started drinking his milkshake. Oh gods, this was amazing. It’d been too long since he’d had something like this. His mind wandered to Penelope’s heavenly homemade ice cream. Oh how he missed her.  Circe waited till the server brought the card back, then she turned to him and asked

“What are you and your friends doing here in my town?” He sighed and said

“This is just a rest stop. We’ll be out of your hair soon.” She drank some of hers and asked

“Where are you going?”

“Home.” He looked out the window and said

“I just wanna go home to my wonderful wife and son. I miss them so much. I haven’t even been able to talk to them since my phone broke. I sent a message with a borrowed phone, but I just want to talk to them.” Circe’s hostility faded and she looked at him with a little compassion and asked

“Who’s your wife?” He smiled and said

“The wonderful and wise Penlopele.” Her eyes widened and she asked

“Penelope? Do you live in Ithaca?” He looked back at her in surprise and said

“Yeah.” She smiled and said

“I’m an old friend of hers. We used to go to the same school before I had to move.” She laughed and said

“We were co-captains of the knowledge bowl team. We went to state once.” He blinked and asked

“Really? I don’t think she’s mentioned that! That’s awesome!” She chuckled and said

“Pen was involved in a lot of different things. We don’t talk often, but we keep in touch some.” Ody smiled and said

“She’s amazing.” Circe chuckled and said

“She’s mentioned you, I knew I recognized the name. You must be the poetry spouting husband.” He laughed and said

“That’s me.” She nodded and asked

“What are you doing all the way out here?” He sighed and said

“Weeks ago, I had some friends drag me on a ‘week’ long road trip to convince my friend’s girlfriend to come back, and that whole thing took a month just to get there and convince her. The other car went ahead of us as we replaced my slashed tires. We stopped by a Casino for a day, then we ran into this guy who we got into a car race with because my friends are idiots. We won, the guy got upset and we had to run. One of my friends got arrested, I’ll get him out later. Phones either got left, or completely broken in my case. That was when the GPS started putting us in the wrong direction and screamed at us in greek. We got it fixed, then broke it again and had to go back. He couldn’t fix it again, so I chose a spot and drove to it. I chose here by coincidence. It has been almost 2 months since I left and I want to go home.” He poured the extra milkshake into his glass and continued drinking sadly. Circe gave him a compassionate look and said

“That sounds like a very long trip.” He nodded and asked

“How close are we to home?” She grimaced and said

“You’re not. I wish I could lend you a map to show you home, but I don’t think we have any good ones here. However, I do know someone who collects maps and certainly does, but they live some distance away from here.” He sighed and said

“That’s helpful at least.” She nodded and said

“I’m sorry I can’t do more.” He sighed and said

“It’s alright. If you can give me directions to the person you mentioned, that’s plenty help.” He paused and asked

“Do you have a phone that I can call Penelope on?” Circe shook her head and said

“Phone lines are down, will be for at least a couple more weeks, and we don’t have good service out here, especially for super far away calls. We tend to use radios more often than phones around here.” He let out a sigh and said

“When you get the lines back up, can you call Penelope and tell her I’m alive and on my way home.” Circe smiled and said

“Oh, of course. I can imagine that she’s freaking out some.” He finished off his milkshake, then asked

“Can we touch on the problem that I actually came to talk with you about?” Circe chuckled and said

“Right! I’ll have them let your friends go. Sorry about that. I need to protect the people I care for.” he nodded and she pulled out a walkie talkie and said into it

“Circe to station. Circe to station. Over” There was a pause, then there was a response

“This is station, what do you need? Over.”

“Those men I called you for are alright. I’ve talked with their friend and we’ve sorted things out. You can let them go. Tell them Odyseus is at the Nymph Diner. Over.”

“Alright Circe. Letting them go now. Over.” She tucked the radio away and asked

“Will you guys need a meal before you set off?” Ody paused, then said

“That would be a good idea, but I wouldn’t want to burden you.” She smiled and said

“It’s not a problem. You’re Pen’s husband. I don’t mind. Besides, I got your friends arrested, the least I can do is buy you a meal.” Ody smiled and said

“Thank you so much.” She nodded and they waited for a few moments as the server took their empty milkshakes and Circe let them know that his friends were coming and she was gonna buy them a meal. Eventually, his friends showed up with Hermes, who, upon hearing Circe was paying for a meal, decided to stay with the group for now. After some explanations and apologies, they ordered, Circe radioed back to the women's shelter to give them a new estimate of when she’d be back, and the group fell into a nice easy discussion while they ate. 

A couple hours later, Ody’s crew finally went back to his truck and set off with the directions Circe gave to the map collector. They went about a mile before the truck made some strange noises and stopped working. Ody and Elpenor had to walk all the way back to town and explain that something in the truck had decided to stop working and they needed a tow. Thankfully, Circe got them a tow truck and they got the truck back to the village and to the town mechanic. After a look over, then mechanic came out and told them that something had completely blown out, and they needed a new one, but that required ordering it, and that it could take a month to get there, Hermes volunteered to go get it and get it back as quick as he could, so he did that, but now Ody and his crew were stuck.

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[corvidamned]

A, D, L, M, P, Q for the vday thingy uwu <3

A : AFFECTION. how does your muse show affection? Public or private, Kira is extremely affectionate. She's a sensual creature to begin with. She caresses and kisses, holds her partner's hand or waist or neck or the back of their head. If you're with her, she's always beside you, standing or sitting as close to her darling as she can get. Sitting in your lap. Surrounding you with her ravens or even dissolving into her swarm form and napping just like that. She also gifts trinkets and tokens of her love. All in all, her love language is quality time spent, getting to know your muse and letting your muse know her completely, and looking for ways she can contribute to her beloved's goals, career, hobbies, schemes, divine calling.

D : DATE. what is your muse’s ideal date? where / who with / etc? A walk someplace really cool and special and found, like her darling is sharing with her a great secret place or hideaway they come to when they need to clear their head. That or staying the night in and spending a good three to five hours on mind-blowing foreplay and rough sex with intimate dialogue.

L : LOVE. who does your muse love? Verse Dependent. See relationships tag.

M : MOONLIGHT. what is your muse’s ideal date? where / who with / etc? Another date! Kira would love to go on would be some type of amusement park or beach boardwalk. She loves activities, rides, games, and walking places. Sitting down for a bite is all very well, but lots of people show you their true colors when they're under a little bit of stress. They're more likely to answer deep questions honestly or exchange meaningful glances while on an adventure. She'd hate for anyone to feel like they're always being interrogated on the other side of the table cloth.

P : PARTNER. what does your muse look for in a partner? looks / personality? Power. Ambition. Clear cut convictions. No preference for Good or Evil, but lawful typically and willing to associate with vampires. Piercing eyes. Voice to die for. Strong hands, strange hands. Willing to give their relationship at least 20 years or eternity. Willing to marry and / or give her a baby.

Q : QUESTION. would your muse ask the big question or expect their partner to? In most every ship I've ever had, Kira is the one who pops the question. She tries not to sound so defeated about it. It is a happy occasion after all, to be with her beloved forever and ever if they say yes. I the mun, though, am going to need at least one or two of ya'll to propose to Kira because, every damn time man, she does it.

[dammitadolfnomorecake]

COTW 14 - SO I hear ya'll like updates? How about full chapters? Talk to me?

Eren felt revolted with himself. The pup inside of barely looked human., the growth was terrifying to see on screen. His first thought was that the tiny pup looked like some kind of mutant, his heart racing as he wondered if the little life was in pain. It was so much smaller than their sibling, the guilt too much as looked from the screen. Yet the image was burned into his mind. He didn't know what to do now. He hated himself for thinking Levi's child looked so disturbing and disgusting, especially when Levi was so in love with them. His alpha wanted these pups so badly, but everyone was talking aborting, and making plans for his future without him. He didn't want to hear it anymore. He knew he was a bad omega... that's how they made it seem. Females and female omegas got sympathy from the staff discussing his case, while he just felt shunned. Judged over his dynamic... They might be awesome at their jobs, they wouldn't be at the hospital if they weren't, but he felt so dirty. Levi would be furious if he told him, so he hadn't. The staff were so much more politer to Levi about everything. They'd explained it to him, and possibly outcomes. Treating Levi like an equal, because there was no way at all an omega could understand anything. They could all fuck off. He hadn't even been able spend New Year's night with Viren. He'd been forced to finish Anna's birthday present in hospital, where they didn't appreciate his arts and crafts project. He'd bought the girl a proper high quality gold locket, it was large for her size, but knowing she'd grow into it. The project they hadn't like was when he'd carefully sealed two small photos with a water proof coating. One photo was of Anna just after her birth, while the other was from the photo of Moblit from the night of his 20th birthday when they'd all been so happy. Moblit might be gone, but he know how fiercely he would loved her. He wanted to make sure Anna knew that every single day of her life. Levi's gift to the little girl was paying for her ears to be pierced, not that his alpha knew. Levi would have probably tried to gift her cleaning supplies if he could have. Hardly the right gift for a four year old who was a total little miss. After 8 long days in hospital, he was finally released. In his opinion it was 8 days too many, and he definitely wasn't going to miss being there. Hanji had come to see him after his blow up, but he just wasn't ready to talk to her about it. He didn't want her apology, or her forcing a conversation about everything but the pup. He'd wanted more time to figure out everything with Levi. Levi was the father after all. Levi talked to him like he had brain cells. With Levi "supporting" him into their apartment, he was beyond relieved to be back home. Viren running ahead of them to jump on the sofa, sending Titan running with his happy yelling. Their son having decided that he wanted to wear pyjamas all day, or at least that was what Levi told him when he they'd come to pick him up. All Eren wanted was a shower and 10 years worth of sleep in his own bed. The stupid clean smell of the hospital had left him feeling nauseous for days. It wasn't the same smell as when Levi cleaned the apartment, and his alpha's scent wasn't there to push everything else away "I have a split shift, so I'll be out from 6 to 12, is there anything you want?" "A shower. Then some sleep..." "Do you want a hand?" Nope. He didn't want Levi looking at his body or his stomach. He didn't want anyone looking at his body or his stomach "No. I'll be ok. Why don't you spend some time with Viren? If I take a nap, I should be alright to sit up with him tonight" "I don't mind putting him to bed before I head out" It might not have been Levi's intention to make him feel like the alpha didn't think he could handle their son, but his omega went right there. He'd missed Viren so much, and really wanted to rest so he having extra long cuddles with his son. Finding himself nodding, Levi kissed him on the cheek "I put fresh towels in the bathroom for you, and I remade our bed" "I'm sorry. I think I want to take a nap in my old room... I'm just..." "No. It's ok. You do whatever you need to. There's something I need to talk to you about, but it can wait" You don't just tell someone that, then end it with "but it can wait". It was as bad as "We need to talk". What the hell was supposed to do with this piece of information now? Was Levi not under the impression that he was only mimicking a functional human being, when in reality, he was dead on his feet? He couldn't do the words, let alone the adulting. At least not until he'd showered and gotten every bit of shitty hospital scent off. Did Levi not know how much he was looking forward to not having to shower using a shower chair, under the supervision of a nurse because they thought he was going run off through the hospital naked? He wasn't actually sure if that was what they thought, he just didn't appreciate the hovering "Eren?" "Sorry. I'm too tired to think" "It's alright. Go take a shower, and get some sleep. It's nice to have you home" Nice. Not "Welcome back to where you belong". Fuck. He'd missed his omega, and the constant love it filled him with his for children. Now it could kindly fuck off again. It only had one job and that was more of a background feeling that the had push past its constant insecurities to feel. Now that he was home, it'd be easier to hide his thoughts and feelings from Levi. Levi had work. He had Viren to distract him, and Titan. He missed the fat cat, and had gone overboard with Christmas presents. Titan had been gifted a new grooming brush, new collar, a new tag, a new water bowl that was a fountain so he always had fresh water, a new feeding station, a new bed, and new scratching post. Levi has teased him for it all, but he couldn't help it. Levi's overweight tom was probably his best friend, as he was so much easier to deal with than people were. Cuddles, pats and food. He liked the exact same things, and Titan was just the right size to be warm and comforting as he slept back to back with him, or tried to wedge himself above the swell of Eren's stomach, and below the pile of pillows Eren liked to use. Starting to walk across the room, Levi closed the door with enough force that he flinched "Sorry, it slipped. Before I forget, I left your mail in your room for you. I think there was a package and few envelopes" "Thanks. I'll look at them later" He didn't remember ordering anything, not that he could remember much of anything... fuck... it was definitely bed time. * Viren had come climbing into his bed on his own. Eren had thought sleep would be easy to find, but the moment his head hit the pillow, his mind decided it wanted to be wide awake. His thoughts running circles as he attempted to get comfortable. If anything, his bed was too comfortable, his body melting into the softness of his blankets, and the comfort of familiar scents. Pulling his son to him, he pressed kisses to Viren's hair. The boy was beautiful. Everything about him was so perfect, even if things had been strained between them, he could never hate him "Hey, baby. Have you been having fun with daddy?" "Daddy let me wear my pyjamas!" His son sounded so damn proud of the fact "Did he?" "Yep! And we watched 'toons!" "You love your "toons", don't you baby. What about Anna, have you been playing with her?" "She's a girl" "Yep. She sure is... where's daddy now?" "Daddy's in the food" So daddy was in the kitchen. Ok "And you thought you'd come see mummy. You know what that means?" Viren looked at him wide eyes "Kisses!" "Mummy! Nooooo!" Blowing raspberries on Viren's cheeks, his son screamed with laughter. So loud that Levi came to check "Viren, I told you not to disturb mummy. Sorry, Eren. I'll take him" But... cuddles. Viren would probably get demanding soon, but this was nice "He's alright" "You need your rest" "I am resting" "Viren, come to daddy" Daddy was still his favourite, yet Viren was sweet enough to look torn "It's ok baby, you go with daddy" "Mum?" "If you stay with mummy, there's going to be more kisses" Pursing his lips, his son squealed in anticipation. Kissing at the hands that tried to push him away, Viren managed to kick up and against his chest "Viren!" Scolding him, Viren was confused by his father's tone. Sure it'd hurt, but his son hadn't meant it. Tears welled in Viren's grey eyes "It's ok baby. You didn't hurt mummy" "I'm sorry!" "No. No, baby..." Wiggling away from his hold, Viren started to cry the boy stubbornly climbing off the bed to run off past Levi "Did you have to scold him like that?" "You're supposed to be resting" "I was having cuddles with Viren, not running a marathon!" "Don't get mad at me for worrying about you" "I'm in bed. I'm resting. Viren just wanted a cuddle and I wanted to give him kisses" Coming running back, Viren had his favourite teddy in his hold. Ignoring Levi, the little boy climbed back on the bed, shoving the bear in Eren face "Mummy!" "Hello, Mister Bear..." "Mister Bear wants to make mummy better..." Eren heart melted "Thank you baby, but I think Mister Bear is telling me he wants to be with you" Viren beamed at him, even with tear tracks down his face "We can share. Just this once though" "Ok baby. Mummy is going to have a sleep, do you want to stay with me? Or go with daddy?" Viren looked to his teddy, nodding as if it was talking to him "I want to stay with mummy" Ha. Suck it, Levi! "Ok, here we go, come curl up with mummy. Mummy missed you" Shifting the blankets, Viren moved into his hold. Mister Bear between them "I guess I'll go then... I'll be home a little longer, if you need anything" "We'll be fine" "Call if you do. Seriously, you need to be resting" "Levi, it's fine. I can handle a three year old who wants cuddles" What he couldn't handle was a 40 year alpha who was hovering as if he really couldn't handle their toddler. Blocking Levi out, Eren leaned over and pressed a kiss to Viren's forehead, surprised when the boy returned the gesture. This was far better medicine than anything he'd had in hospital. * Levi was at work when Viren had woken him, his son shaking him awake to tell him he didn't want to go to sleep. What did it matter if Viren didn't want to sleep? He'd stayed for cuddles until he was content to run off, and now he wanted more cuddles again... he'd take them, even when they were an excuse not to go to bed. Lifting his son, Eren carried him out the sofa, dropping Viren down in the corner with a smile "Did daddy give you ice cream?" Viren shook his head. It didn't really matter if he had. He wanted ice cream and Viren didn't want to sleep. They had hours until Levi came home again "Do you want sprinkles? Or chocolate?" Viren hummed as if he were considering his options, when they both knew what it was going to be "Both!" Yep. He knew it "Ok baby. Give mummy a second" A second might have been a generous understatement. First he had to use the bathroom, then he had to make sure Titan had his wet food, and that there was water in his fountain, followed by checking the fridge for fruit. He had no idea why Levi insisted on storing the banana's in the fridge. They lived on the bench, in their bowl, where they were remembered. It was their home... not the bottom shelf of the fridge where they didn't belong "Muuuuum?" "Give me a sec baby!" Fuck it. He couldn't remember if he's ever had a banana split, or at least one like in the movies, but he was sure Viren hadn't. They had to be slightly healthy, right?. Nuts, dairy and fruit... and chocolate... oh... fuck it. It was worth it if it made Viren happy. They could all use some happiness in their lives. Settling down with Viren, the two of the shared the banana split as they watched Viren's choice in movies, something with super heroes he didn't know. Usually he was stuck with Anna's choice. She'd try and sit through the things Viren liked, but the moment there was a break, the program was changed before they knew what happened. The only time it didn't happen is when Eren had hold of the remote. Sitting with his legs along the sofa, Viren on his thighs, and his stomach as the table, both he and Viren jumped at the knock on the front door "Daddy!" It was too soon for Levi to be home. Scrambling off his lap, the toddler went running to the front door. He hasn't conquered the lock yet, so all he could do was hold the knob with both hands and swing against it impatiently "Mum!" "Mum's too fat to rush. Hold on" Stupid stomach. Being a table was about all it was good for... he couldn't stand it. And he couldn't cope with his hate for it, as one pup in there was still doing just fine. Knocking again, Eren was ready to ignore it completely. All their friends should know better than to knock twice, in his current condition, and delivery people didn't come this late at night. Levi had made dinner, so it definitely wasn't pizza. Hitching the chain on, he flicked the bolt round so Viren could open the door. Shooting him an annoyed glare, his son wasn't happy that it didn't open all the way. Forced to poke his head around the corner, his son huffed "You're not my daddy" The toddler than shutting the door in the face of their visitor "Viren..." He couldn't be mad at the boy for his bad manners, not when he wanted to do the same. Opening the door, he sighed, prepared to apologise for Viren's behaviour "Hello, Eren. It's been a while. I'm hoping we can talk" His first instinct was to slam the door in Floch's face. "A while" had been over two years. A while" hadn't been long enough "Eren, did you get the letter?" "What letter?" His voice was sky high, confused as fuck... and leading to Floch raising an eyebrow "Sorry. I've been in hospital since... well, a while" "I'm sorry to call so late. But when I didn't hear back from you, I thought it best I come tell you that you've been summonsed to appear" "Hold on. I have no idea what you're talking about" "I'm talking about the Karanes Incident. Look, can I come in? It's easier than doing this through the door" "Levi isn't home right now..." It was just him and Viren. He didn't need a panic attack, or his nosy three year old hearing anything "I did try to keep you out of it, but the trials going ahead. It starts in two weeks time, which means there's a lot to cover" Floch wasn't listening him. Why was he so shocked that an alpha wouldn't listen to him in his own home? "Hold on. Let me do the chain... Viren's just had sugar... He's either going to ignore you, or have a tantrum... you've got shit timing. I just got out today..." Talking more to himself, in an attempt to clam down, than to Floch, Eren closed the front door. Once again tempted to leave it closed. Karanes was years ago... Letting Floch in, Viren wasn't happy about it. His son refusing to go to bed, or to watch TV when there was a stranger in their house. Lowering himself down into a dining chair, he couldn't help but shy away as Floch's eyes drifted to his stomach "Congratulations" "This isn't about that..." "Viren..." "Floch. You're not here to discuss my personal life. I've been in hospital since just before the New Year, and now you're showing up on my doorstep. What is all this about?" "You don't need to be on guard" "Excuse me. I haven't seen you in years. I would have been fine without seeing you ever again. What is this trial? You said it wouldn't go to trial" "Because I didn't think it would. When The Church fell apart, the fall out was huge. Ministers. Politicians. Police. Their influence was wide spread" "I know that. Probably better than you do" Floch disregarded his curt words "One of the politicians is kicking up trouble in order to clear his name. The case is against both the Karanes and Shinganshima Police Departments" "And how does this relate to me?" "You are the son of Grisha Yeager. We know he worked for them for over a decade. It was you, and he, who destroyed the compound" "We both know..." "That you were involved. He's determined to show that the statement you provided, is nothing more than speculation" "So he needs someone to blame?" "Unfortunately. We did know there was a chance of this going to trial, and we attempted to keep you out of it. But as the only one who was actually there... if he can discredit you, he feels it'll go a long way to overturning the charges against him and his friends" "And if I don't testify?" "You risk being arrested" "I'm sorry. But I can't. I've got too much going on here" "Eren, he could walk" "And I'm pregnant. There's things in this world that we can't change" "Eren" "I gave you my statement. If they have questions, can't you just like... forward them on?" "His defence team is going to want to talk to you" "I can't do it" "Eren..." "I can't! Ok! I can't and I won't. I've been trying my hardest to forget all of it. Zeke. Grisha. Reiner. Bertholdt. All of it! I just want to be left alone" Wincing, Eren rubbed his stomach as pain flared across it, he wanted Floch out and the last thing he wanted was to go into labour or something. He didn't want to disappoint Levi "Eren. You've been summonsed" "And what? I'm an omega. We both know how that works" "That's why I tried to keep you out of it" Ouch. Yeah. No. Floch had to go. Rising to his feet, he glared down at Floch "I told you everything I knew. You have my statement. You have Levi's statement. Viren and Levi both nearly died from what happened. I will not let anyone hurt my family like that again" "If you don't testify, these people will be walking free" "They're not people. They're shit in human skins" "Then you should know we can let them get away with this. I've brought some photos, if you can identify any of them..." "It's been three and a half years! Nearly 4..." "You just have to look" "Leave my mummy alone!" Yelling at Floch, Floch didn't care. Placing down the file he'd brought with him, he placed it down in front of Eren. Eren sliding it back as he held one arm out, Viren not moving to his hold "Viren. Baby. It's ok" "You upset my mum..." "Viren, it's ok. He's leaving" His son continued to glare, Eren kind of proud his son wasn't letting himself be intimated "I'll leave this with you. And give you the night to think this over, and to talk to Levi about it" "I'm not going to change my answer" "There's actually a copy of your statement in there. I wanted to gauge your reaction. Read it. Think about it. Then we'll discuss those photos tomorrow" Floch saw himself out, like it was perfectly fine and normal. Eren frozen in his seat as he stared down at the manila file laying on the dining table. Why now? Why on top of this? "Mum?" He couldn't even look to Viren. His eyes glued to the stupid file. He didn't want to remember. He didn't want to go back to that place, even if it was through words on paper. He didn't need to read the thing to remember. He couldn't forget, even if he wanted to. Levi bore the scars of his past. He bore the scars of his past "Mum?!" Anything he said would be pulled to pieces. Floch knew that. That's why he didn't want him around the case. Anything he touched fell to pieces. Anything he touched, he corrupted. Levi... Zeke. Moblit. His father. His mother. Viren. He'd nearly killed his son giving birth to him. He had. Levi had said Erwin had worked on him... The pup inside him... he'd broken them... Then there were the people he'd worked with. Zeke had burnt the club down. Zeke had killed the people who'd chained him up. He'd left a trail of destruction wherever he'd been "Mummy... you're scaring me..." His arm dropped. He was scaring his son... "Baby. It's time for bed" "Mum?" "Don't argue with me, baby" "I don't want to go to bed!" "Viren, please..." "I don't want to go!" "Then go watch TV! Just give me a break!" The moment the words came out his mouth, his face burnt with shame. Viren didn't understand. Covering his face, he shook his head. He couldn't fucking breathe. This... this couldn't be happening... His father had destroyed the compound. He'd seen it burn. All of it was gone. Whatever this was. This had nothing to do with him... This was Floch's mess. Floch was the one who'd gone after them all... "I'm sorry, baby. Can you please go watch TV?" He needed Levi home. He couldn't calm down... he couldn't calm down and he couldn't breathe. Not when this stupid file was here... He couldn't call Levi. Not on the night of his first day home. Not when he'd been rude to him earlier. He couldn't just call him home to save him from a panic attack... * Walking into his apartment, Levi had expected the silence. He'd sent Viren in to wake Eren when the boy hadn't wanted to go to sleep for him... what he hadn't expected was the foreign scent of an alpha he didn't know. In an apartment filled with his and Eren's scents, it stuck out like a neon sign, just as pungent and unwelcoming as Eren's scent of distress. Yet. Instead of focusing on that, his alpha was focusing on the real question. Who the fuck had been in their apartment and why? "Eren? Are you awake?" Locking the door, Levi shrugged off his jacket as he walked towards the laundry. His uniform stank, and with his heart racing, he was trying to calm down with an act of normalcy. Clothes off, laundry on then time for a shower. Trying Eren's door, he found it locked. Knocking lightly, he got no answer. He was still yet to tell his omega he was quitting work. Eren hadn't wanted to talk while he was in hospital. He'd mostly kept everyone at an arms length, only conveying the things he needed from home. Hanji has tried to talk to him, but she'd gone and put her foot right in it. He wasn't impressed either. Neither of them had truly had time to process, or talk. Eren's fever had returned, the medication administered had left him fading in and out of consciousness. Not that Eren had noticed, he'd start to talk, only to trail off a few moments later, and pick right up again as if he'd never fallen asleep in the first place. Levi had been trying to ask Hanji to leave before she decided to pick a fight with Eren. He knew Marco hadn't been in to see Eren, as Marco didn't even know Eren had been in hospital. Erwin had tried to push, earning himself a black eye in the process due to his lack of sensitivity over the situation. Mike had been decent enough to leave it as "Eren has an infection". Erwin had tried to calm him, calling it "a simple infection that didn't require so much worry". It was the morning after the Hanji debacle, and he'd ended up telling Erwin to "shut the fuck up, because he had no idea what he was talking about". This lead to questions and he'd acted without thinking. Knocking on Eren's door again, his omega stayed locked away from him. Part of him wanted to kick the stupid door in, while the more rational part of his brain told him to break Eren's trust by finding the spare key too it, and letting himself... He forced himself to do no neither. Returning to their bedroom, minus the Eren that had turned him room into theirs, with the hope that his mate would wake before he left for work. Maybe the could even have breakfast together, and discuss his retirement then. When his alarm blared at him at stupid o'clock, Levi was sorely tempted to destroy his phone. His face was frozen to the point his nose was running, and that was with the majority of him buried under Eren's blankets. Shivering as he climbed from their bed, he growled softly as he walked into the living area. The curtains that usually hid the balcony from sight, were fluttering in the cold winds of the morning. No wonder it was freezing. Unsure if he'd missed it due to his tiredness last night, or if Eren had opened it without thinking, Levi walked over to the doorway, ready to lock the outside world away. The sun was yet to rise above the city, the world a dismal grey as he shivered again. Pushing the curtain away, he found his omega sitting on the floor of the balcony, Titan laying next to him. This wasn't what needed first thing in the morning. Didn't Eren feel how cold it was? Or was he completely out of it? Stepping onto the balcony, he mentally cursed the weather, and Eren for making him come out here. Squatting down, he placed his hand on Eren's shoulder, his mate so cold that Levi's stomach did that annoying dropping thing it liked to do when something was clearly up with Eren. Forcing his voice to remain soft and calm, he didn't want to scare the omega into trying to jump, or startle him if he was sleep walking "Eren? What are you doing out here?" Blank eyes looked to him, Eren's lips tinged blue. He needed to get his omega inside and warmed up. He was still recovering and his immune system still wasn't up to scratch. Eren's body didn't need the stress of becoming a human popsicle "I'm not having an abortion" Right... ok. His mate wasn't in the best of head spaces "Ok... but that doesn't tell me why you're out here" "I'm wondering why I'm alive" Shit. Just. Shit "Did... did something happen?" "Yeah. I ruined everything" This was not the place for an in depth conversation "Eren. How about we go inside? It's come out here" "Maybe I can freeze to death. Wouldn't that be fucking funny?" There was absolutely nothing funny about that at all "Eren..." "I told myself that I wouldn't let you see... but I guess I just want your attention after all. I don't know why you stay with me" "Eren. Come inside so we can talk" "I wanted to forget. I wanted to forget how bad I was. My existence causes pain" "Eren, no" "I can't even carry your children properly. Did you even want kids? Or was that something else I forced on you?" "You know I did. I do. I love you, and I love Viren. I love the two pups inside of you" "If I die. Do you think everyone can finally be happy?" "If you die, I know I will never be happy. Please, come inside with me" "I'm tired, Levi. No one wants to listen to what I want. Not the hospital. Not Hanji. Not dad. Not Zeke" "I want to listen. Here, come here" Eren let himself be pulled up by him, but didn't make a move to help walk back inside. Titan ran straight in, giving him a look that seemed to say he was watching over Eren until Levi got his shit together. Doing all of the work, he got Eren to the sofa, then backtracking to close the balcony up, making sure the top bolt was done so Eren wouldn't be able to just let himself back out there again. Freezing cold, he made another detour, grabbing the topmost blanket off their bed, before finally returning to Eren's side. Sinking down on the sofa, Levi wrapped the blanket around both of them. He wanted to pull Eren into his lap, but the omega was sitting ramrod straight, now not giving into his touches "Eren, what happened? Can you talk to me?" "It won't change anything" "You don't know that" "I do. Nothing ever changes. I hurt people and they die" "What are you talking about?" "I don't understand why I'm still alive. I shouldn't be alive. Dad should have just killed me off when he killed mum" He was fast growing angry at the lack of sense Eren was making. It was too early for such shit "You're not making sense" "Don't worry. I won't off myself" "Why are you being like this?! You said you needed someone to listen. I'm listening. Shitty Brat, you know I couldn't live if something happened to you" "I told you it won't. I won't harm the pups either. I don't want an abortion" "I..." "Everyone wants me to have one. That's all they talked about" The hospital... But that wasn't the only thing they'd talked about. Every day medical science was improving. There were cases of tumours being removed and the mum's being able to carry safely. That was all depending on the growth of the tumour to begin with "We have options. Weren't you listening?" "Right. You're right. I'm sorry" "Hey. You're not alone in this. I wanted to tell you last night, but I've put in my resignation at work. As of the end of the month, it'll be official" "Why?" The small forced smile on Levi's lips, as he tried to make Eren feel something other than frozen, fell "Why what?" "Why would you quit?" "To be here for you and our children" "So I made you quit" "No. I made the choice for myself" "Would you have done it if I wasn't a bad omega?" "You're not a bad omega! You're my omega. My mate. And you're scaring the shit out of me right now with all this death talk" "I guess I've said too much..." "No. You still haven't told me what set this all off" "I did tell you. All I wanted to do was forget, but I'll never be able to" A nightmare then? It was the most plausible reason for Eren being so upset, his omega had had a nightmare and hadn't wanted to disturb anyone with it "Things will get better. You're still freezing. Why don't you take a bath, while I make us some breakfast?" "No thank you. I'm not hungry" "That's because you're too cold to think straight. If you prefer we can take a bath together. Whatever you need" Placing his hand on Eren's stomach, he wasn't trying to be suggestive, only supportive "How can you touch it?" "Touch what?" "Doesn't my stomach disgust you?" "No. Why would it?" Rubbing the swell, he didn't understand what was disgusting. He loved Eren's swell, and their pups inside. He was worried for their second pup, but that didn't mean that he didn't care for it "I was just wondering" "I love it. It fills me with pride to see you growing swollen again" Leaning in, he kissed the corner of Eren's lips, feeling nothing in return. Eren was definitely trying his hardest to push him away, and that wasn't happening "Let's just take a bath together. I can wash your hair" Rubbing Eren's stomach a little harder, the omega stiffly nodded "Ok then" Getting Eren into the bathtub and between his legs, he felt like being a bad father. He couldn't help himself. Eren was slick thanks to his pregnancy, and his nape was right in front of him, while his hands were resting on Eren's stomach. He knew Eren was struggling, but their sex life had been great until Eren's fatigue, and he missed the feelings that came from knotting him. He wasn't about to do anything up his love, but that didn't mean his mind wasn't thinking of bending Eren over the bathroom counter. He didn't feel sexually frustrated, though things had been stressful for both of them. Maybe a little release was what Eren needed? To not be in his head? Resting his chin on his omega's shoulder, he sighed softly "How do you feel?" "Warmer" "Good. It's going to be cold today, so you should stay inside" "I haven't got anywhere to go" Levi sighed again, this time at himself, before trying to sound playful "You know what I mean" "I do. I wasn't planning on going anywhere" "I have a split shift again, so I'll be home for lunch. Is there something special you want?" "Not really" "Should I just surprise you?" "You don't have to do things for me. You don't have to force yourself" "I'm not forcing myself. I love you" "How can you?" "Easily. I love you. I love you, Eren Yeager, and I'm going to marry your stubborn arse, just to show you every day I do" "You shouldn't have quit work for me" "I did it for us. For the five of us. I'm tired of missing things. I want more time with Viren, and you, and these two. I want time for us. I want to be able to have sex with you, then lay in bed with you. I went to watch bad horror movies and Titan failing to cat" "You want to have sex? When I look like this?" "You are the most beautiful creature I have ever met. You're fierce and fiery, yet you can be so soft and sweet. Your stomach is full of my pups, our family growing as you do. I could never not want you. Your just as sexy inside, as you are outside" Sliding one hand down to grasp his lover's dick, and using the other hand to force Eren to face him, Levi pushed a hard kiss to Eren's lips. He didn't understand what could make Eren feel so undesirable, when he was perfect. Jerking the omega softly slowly as he thumbed at Eren's slit. Eren was going accept he was sexy and did all kinds of things to every part of Levi's anatomy, whether he liked it or not. He wouldn't force himself on his mate, but he could touch him intimately to show he did want to. That's why he kept everything so light, so as not to make him feel forced. The only display of forcefulness was his forced kiss in attempt to show all his affections through Eren's lips. When Eren pulled away, he let him "Levi..." He'd thought Eren was about to cry, or to break. Softly replying "I love you" "I don't want this" Releasing his hold completely on his omega to honour his wishes, Eren scrambled to leave the bath. His actions jerky and sudden "Eren, I..." Giving him a cold glare, his heart broke a little more "I'm repulsive. Just... don't touch me" Grabbing his towel, his mate made his way from the bathroom, leaving a wet trail as he did. What the fuck was going on this morning?! Eren was cranky yesterday, but it was clear he was happy to be home. Now he was acting... crazy. He couldn't keep up and didn't know what he'd done wrong... Was it the hand job? Maybe it was the hand job? His alpha didn't think it was the hand job. The smug arsehole wanted to keep going with the hand job. God. Now he was going to have to start all over again... Eren's brain was just as sexy as his looks. If given the chance, his mate could prove he had a lightening fast sense of whit, and humour. While it took a tiny fraction longer for things to sink in, he was incredibly smart for a kid who'd never been to school then concurred the school thing in less than three years. He loved being able to have an intelligent conversation with his mate that wasn't to do with Paramedic Procedures... * Eren had retreated to his room, refusing to come out, while Viren was still sleeping when Levi left for work. Coming home for lunch, Eren was sitting on the sofa with Viren, his son climbing down and running over to him "Daddy!" Reaching up at him, Levi lifted Viren to his hip "Hey, brat. Did you miss me?" "Yep! Mummy made pizza for lunch, but I wanted to wait for you" The way Viren said "pee-zah" alway brought a smile to his face "You didn't have to wait for me" "I was good all morning!" "Were you now? Would mummy agree?" Viren shrugged "Maybe" "That's my boy. Give me a kiss" Viren kissed his cheek "Alright. It's pee-zah time. Eren..." Eren wasn't there. He looked to his omega in time to see him disappearing into his room. On his hip, Viren sighed "Mummy isn't happy" "Not at the moment. He's just feeling sick" "He wasn't happy last night either" Viren covered his mouth with his hand in a very Eren move, but his comment was already out there "What do you mean by that?" Viren shook his head. Gently pulling his hand away from his mouth, his son sighed "Some man yelled at mummy last night and mum yelled back" What? "It wasn't Uncle Mike? Or Uncle Erwin?" Viren shook his head, while Levi couldn't think of who would possibly picking fights with Eren "Ok, well. I'll talk to mummy" "You don't need to. Here" What was the point of closing his door if Eren was going to come reappearing anyway. Shoving a letter into Levi's free hand, his mate took Viren from his hold the moment he could "What's this?" "I had a visit from Floch" Floch... Floch was never good news. Ever "Karanes is going to trial" "He said it wouldn't..." "Yeah. Well. I've been summonsed. He told me he didn't want me near the case and tried to keep me out of it. Even being a whale with a complicated pregnancy won't get me out of it" "Eren. The last thing you need to be doing is testifying. When did you find out?" Last night. Right. The moment he said it, he remembered it couldn't have been any other time than yesterday "Floch showed up after you went to work. Viren and I were watching TV and started trying to mess with my head. I can be arrested if I don't testify. The defence? Wants to pull my statement about "The Church" to pieces so they can all walk" Moving to place his hand on Eren's arm, his fiancée flinched away "I can't stand being touched right now. I'm sorry, but you need to keep back. I'm either going to start screaming, try to hurt myself or go into another panic attack over this. I wanted to forget, but here we are" "You... this morning... I thought you had a nightmare" "You have to sleep to have a nightmare. I was reading my statement. Floch was ever so kind to drop a copy by. Viren didn't want him here. Not that I did either" "I wish you'd told me" "Levi. I came home yesterday. I told myself I wasn't going to tell you anything because I can't..." Eren waved towards his head with his free hand "... ok. I need to keep things together for a Viren. But he's all I've thought about. I'm tired. I want to thinks things out and just the thought of this going to trial makes me want to jump off the balcony or take the nearest knife and... Can you imagine Viren's life if he gets caught up in it? The son of a psychopath. The grandson of Grisha and the nephew of Zeke. What a great family line that is. I thought we could leave it behind..." Bouncing Viren on his hip, Eren kissed his son's forehead "For his sake, he can't know. I don't want him to know. About Karanes. About the institute. About the pup. Everything has to be ok in front of him" "I'll see if..." "If Hanji can take Viren? We can't ship him off all the time. It's not fair on him" "We need to talk to Floch about all of this. I wasn't shipping him off, I was going to ask if she could watch him for a few hours while we did. There has to be a way that this can proceed without your statement, or a way to keep you off the stand" "The only other person I knew who survived, then tried to kill all of us" Placing Viren down, Eren shook his head "I can't. Ok. I read my statement. I read it and realised how much I didn't remember when I gave. When I close my eyes, I can remember that place. I was there for three month, nearly 4 years ago and I remember it. I don't know what to do. I stayed up all night and I don't know what to do. I don't even remember what happened or how I ended up in my room" Floch was a fucking arsehole. Of all the time he could have shown up, he'd chosen while he wasn't even home. Floch knew that everything relating to Eren had to go through him. It was Eren's request. If he knew he couldn't handle it, he asked Levi to step in as his alpha and his "owner" as too much of society saw it "I'll talk to Floch. You do what you feel you need to do" "I don't think either of us want that. I just need you to not touch me, or knock on the door" Then this morning's bath was the last thing he needed. Shitty Floch. And shitty Eren for not telling him the previous night. He would have handled everything differently if he'd known any of this "I'm sorry about this morning. I wanted you to know I love and want you" "This morning wasn't good" "I know that now... but, Eren, you're not repulsive. You're my mate. My lover, and my pride and joy" Shaking his head sadly, Eren stepped towards his room. Eren taking his cloud of gloom with him "I don't feel that great. Let me know when you're going to work" * Calling Floch, the man arrived a little after 3. It'd taken the better part of an hour to get Viren sleeping, and no time for him to figure out what to do. Letting himself into Eren's room, his mate was sitting on his bed. Sitting just shy of him, Levi went to place his hand on Eren's knee before stopping himself. Letting his hand drop to the blanket instead. None of this was fair, especially with how broken Eren looked over all of this "Eren, Floch's here" "I don't want to talk to him" "I know. And I know you don't want to testify, but you should still be part of this" "Why?" "Because this is your choice, and I want to back you up however I can" "Levi..." "I think you should listen to what Floch has to say" "And then what? He asks me questions, asks me who I can identify? And then?" "We'll talk about what he knows, and why this is coming up now. There has to be a reason" "Where's Viren?" "He sleeping. He didn't want to sleep" "I... I don't have a choice do I?" "You always have a choice, and all you can do is make the choice that you'll least regret. I know your need to know and understand everything going on" "Sometimes I really hate me" "I don't. You're a shit, and a brat, and frustrating as hell, but I don't hate you" Eren gave him a sigh "I'll be there..." "I should hope so. You're the one who organised this" Floch was sitting at the dining table, where he'd left him. Letting Eren take the other seat, he stood behind his mate. Making sure Floch knew he wasn't impressed at all "What is all of this shit?" "I can't say I've missed your bluntness" "Then don't. Eren isn't testifing" "He has to. He'll be charged with perverting the course of justice if he doesn't" "Not happening" "Look. If I could keep him off the stand, I would. I did try to notify you when thing began moving forward. My calls went unanswered" "I didn't have any missed calls" "Then have you changed your number? I know you were supposed to be handling everything to do with this on Eren's behalf. We would have preferred that you took the stand, instead of him, but it's his testimony is what is being questioned. We've contacted Erwin Smith..." Erwin? Eren looked up to him, equally bewildered "You contacted Erwin? When?" "November I believe, when I was unable to contact you" He was going to knock those slug brows of the blonde bastards face "Eren. I didn't know" "I can see that..." Funnily enough, Eren's voice sounded exactly like Floch "I was talking to my mate. Eren will not be testifying" "Unless you can give one good reason as to why I can't call him as a witness, he will be there at the start of the trial" "He's pregnant" "Pregnant people give testimony everyday" "I have two emergency department attendings, an OBGYN, a therapist and four paramedics that will all testify that he is not fit to take the stand" "All of which are close personal friends of yours" "Then I will take him to third party. He is not fit to take the stand" "Pregnancy is..." "It's a high risk pregnancy that is already causing secondary health issues" "It still isn't enough" "That's a load of shit! Grow some fucking testicles" Floch's eyes narrowed, his teeth bared in anger, Levi growling. There was no way he was going to let this shit of an alpha intimidate him or Eren "You know how hard I worked to put all of them away. It nearly cost me my life" "And testifying could cost Eren his. And the lives of our two pups!" "What happens when they walk? A lot of dangerous people were..." "I don't care about them. I care about my mate, and my children" "The one survivor we've been able to contact. Every other omega is in the wind. The fallout from this lead to Reiner coming after you" "Reiner came after us because he was insane with grief" "The trial begins on the 21st. Their lawyers already want access to Eren" "That's not happening" "If he doesn't comply, their going to pull everything apart" "And if he does, they'll go after him!" "At least we can be prepared for that" "Levi, can you back off a little. Both of you stink" Levi took half a step back, but kept his hands on the top of the dining chair, dropping his head, he shook it as he took a deep breath "Sorry. Look. Floch. This isn't going to happen. I refuse to let Eren testify, and for that matter, why was Erwin on your call list? What has he got to do with any of this?" "He was the one who figured out Eren's note, and Eren's message the second time... He'll be testifying over that" "He didn't tell me that" "That is between you and him. You won't be called because your Eren's mate and legal guardian. I doubt they'll allow Erwin to testify to much more than confirming that the note is indeed the one in evidence. And how he recognised the code Eren left. He will also be testifying over Reiner Braun and Bertholdt Hoover. In particular the time you spent working with Bertholdt" Eren rose from his seat, dashing to the kitchen sink. Floch unamused as Eren vomited "Look. There was a list of potential witnesses provided and he was just the one chosen. What I need today is for Eren to look at these photos" Eren shook his head. One hand on his stomach, as did. It was stupid to believe he could ever get through to someone as closed minded as Floch was. The alpha saw himself as some defender of justice, and didn't care who was caught in the fall out "He was released from hospital yesterday. You can't push all of this on him" "Like I said. I did try to make initial contact in November" "Then you should have tried harder. You know where I work. Fuck. I know for a fact I've seen you dragging your mangy arse through the Emergency Department. No. You waited until you were sure Eren was alone before making your move. He is not some naive or weak omega. He is not a pawn in your game, and you will not be using him for your own agenda" "Then I'll be taking him into custody" Levi growled, lifting the dining chair he hurled it across the room, where it hit the far side, smashing the back as it fell to the floor "Get the fuck out of our apartment" Whimpering, Eren covered his ears as he sank to his knees. Eren had told him he couldn't handle touches, or knocking. Now he'd smashed a chair, and let his anger flare "Levi..." "Don't "Levi" me. You show up and dumped all this shit on us. I told you I would take Eren to any doctor you asked, where he'll be given the exact same diagnosis. Eren told you he doesn't want to testify, or to be a part of this. You got them behind bars without his testimony the first time, and you keep them in there this time. He is not a scapegoat for you" "If he's not going to testify, what is to say he isn't a flight risk" "He can't fly like this. He's pregnant and he needs to be near a hospital given the potential complications. Are you deaf? Are your ears filled with the shit you dribble? Desperation isn't a good look on you" Rising from their only remaining dining chair, Flock left a file laying there "This trial will be going ahead. I came here today, simply to have Eren look at a handful of photographs. Your open hostility caused this. If he's released, it will be the start of more to come. They know Eren's alive and they won't stop until all traces of his existence is extinguished. When you've calmed, look at those photos. We'll be in touch" Following Floch to the door, he glared until the man let himself out. As the door closed too slowly for his liking, Levi booted it as hard as he could, before remembering Eren was mid-breakdown. Locking the door, he walked back to the dining table, stopping short of the kitchen "Eren?" "I have to testify..." "Look. We have to meet with a specialist over the SCT. I'm sure they can recommend that you don't" "And then what, Levi. They kill us in front of Viren? They take him? He ends up... spread across the world?" "I won't let that happen" "They're powerful people. You know that" Hissing, Eren sank back so he was sitting on his arse, rather than remaining kneeling "Are you in pain?" "A little..." "Can I... I mean... will you let me move you off the floor?" Eren looked up with guilty eyes, Levi having to backtrack "It's ok. I just thought you might like a hand up" "It's not ok. It's been four years. I shouldn't still feel them on my skin. I shouldn't be scared of you. I shouldn't be this useless" "You're not useless. I'm sick of hearing you run yourself down. You came off your meds, you lost a pup, your alpha was an arsehole and you gave up on your dream of getting married. Then, when things start to look up, when you finally start to feel better, you find you have an infection and our pup is a little sick. Then that piece of shit shows up sprouting all sorts of shit. You're more than entitled to not be ok, and to lean on me" "I don't want to lean on you! All I do is lean on you! You have your own life. You have a right to go out drinking with your friends, or to relax and have fun without worrying or thinking I've gone and hurt myself, or tried to kill myself again! You put so much pressure on yourself and I fucking hate it! I'm sick of tears! Oh look, something's gone wrong, better breakdown like a loser! I'm sick of it Levi. I'm sick of me. I'm sick of everything going to shit when I'm around. I can't even carry your children right. I hate it. I want you to be happy. I want to give you children. I want to be the one who's there for you, and I'm too fucked up in the head to stand on my own two feet. You weren't there in the hospital. Every fucking thing they said came back to aborting. It didn't matter that I was right. I was just a dumb omega. Floch thinks I'm just as dumb, and with so many people thinking it, doesn't that make it true? I can't look at myself without thinking it's my fault. That I'm chaining you down. You say your happy, but what was the last thing you did purely for yourself? On your own and for yourself? You can't think of anything, can you?" "I quit my job" "For me. Because of this thing inside of me. Because you don't think I can handle Viren" "I quit my job because I was done. I'm sick of it. I'm sick of seeing all the accidents. I'm sick of seeing dead people. I'm sick of the shit hours and not being with you and Viren. I missed his first steps. I missed watching him learn how to ride a bike. So yes. I quit because I wanted to spend more time with you and him. I want to be here, with you. I know your probably disappointed. After all, other than my job, I have nothing. I am nothing Eren. I'm a 40 year old alpha who can't even figure out how to be in a relationship with the man I love" "What do you mean you're nothing?" "I have my job, my obsessive need to clean and my shit sense of humour. What else is there to me?" "You're a good person. You're kind, and soft. You care deeply for others..." "They're not skills. I wanted to be the kind of alpha you wanted to be with. I wanted to make you happy. I wanted you to be proud of me" "I am proud of you. Being your omega fills me with pride" "Then why do we keep having this fight? Why can't you believe in me when I say you're beautiful or amazing, or that I trust you" "Because I'm waiting for the day when you wake up and see that I have nothing to offer you..." Eren's sentence tapered off, his lips forming a silent "oh". Ducking his head, Eren sighed "I can't turn off the things in my head. I can't turn off hearing their voices or feeling them against me. I can't forget the deal that ended up with Zeke dead" "I know you can't" "Then why don't you think I'm dirty?" "Because you did what you thought you had to. You always do what you think you have to, to protect us. I don't know if I can protect you, but I made the choice for myself to try. Like I said, we have that appointment coming up, and we'll have more answers by the end of it. Fuck. I wish you could just get it into your head that I love you. Even when your omegas an arsehole, I love you" "When isn't my omega an arsehole?" "Do you really want me to answer that?" "No. It's having a meltdown as it is..." "Do you want me to call into work?" "No. You should go. After all, I can't exactly march down there and punch Erwin myself" "I already have him a black eye..." "Levi! No. I can't deal with violence right now" "I couldn't help it" "You have more patience than I've ever met, other than Moblit. It wasn't Reiner and Bertholdt that made me sick, but the smell of two angry alpha's. Then you threw the chair" Levi scratched the back of his head, feeling slightly sheepish "And kicked the door" "If you're going to be violent, I'm not going to be able to go near you" "I'm sorry" "Just go take a shower or something. My body has decided I can't move while you're there" It was hard not to take that personally, even if he'd brought it upon himself "And you'll be ok to get off the floor?" "Yeah. I need a minute. Can you check on Viren too? Make sure he's ok?" "I'll check on him" "Thank you..." How he wished he hadn't thrown the chair across the room. Taking Floch's stupid file with him, he stuffed it in his bedside table, before huffing off the bathroom. Fuck, Floch. Fuck, Erwin, and fuck the universe in general. Showering his anger away, Eren had fled from the bathroom. His door locked, Levi didn't even have to bother trying the handle to know that. Dressing in another uniform, he flooded the apartments living area with scent canceller, until he choked on oils clogging up his lungs. Anything to get the stink of trash out the air. Finally checking on Viren, their son was sprawled across his bed, his bear clutched tight to his chest. Why couldn't Floch see that this trial could very well destroy the life of their son? The innocent pup who only deserved the best things in life. Walking over to Viren's bed, he dragged the slipped covers back up to his shoulders, kissing his soft hair with a loving smile. How could his look so much like him, but have the exact same expressions and mannerisms as Eren? If the boy ended up being even a fraction as strong as his mother, Levi was in deep shit... but he really wouldn't have it any other way.