#yes I have been concerned about the choices of strangers

[deathlygristly]

I keep running up against that marriage thing online so I keep thinking about it.

I do think part of it is that certain groups who tend to be more prevalent online get an extended childhood that others don't get. I think another part that's invisible for me is religion. I didn't grow up around religion and it's never affected my life or any of my decisions, so I tend to not think about it without it being pointed out by others.

Probably another part is current economic factors - the house we could afford in 2008 when we bought it would be way out of our reach if we were 27 year olds looking to buy a house now. It's currently valued at more than three times what we paid for it, with gentrification coming for our side of town.

Anyway, I like my life and I don't know if I'd like it as much if it'd gone any other way.

I'm an introvert who's probably on the autism spectrum and also the kids would probably say I'm demisexual. The spousal person is also an introvert who's probably a bit further along the autism spectrum than I am, and…not sure if the kids would call him demisexual, but after 24 years of monogamy he seems to be happy and okay with it.

My brother dragged me to a club when I was old enough. A creepy guy kept following me around so I went out to my brother's car and I read the book I'd brought until my brother was ready to leave. Never went back to a club. It's just not something I enjoy.

I don't think we'd be in a better place now if we'd waited for some arbitrary higher age that strangers would have approved of. I don't know that a better place is even possible, really. What could be better than being able to emotionally handle your job, pay your bills, and cuddle up with your most favorite best human and your most favorite best cats every day?

I don't know. It just weirds me out when people have strong emotions about how people who are not them should live. Other people have different situations, neural makeups, histories, cultures, personalities, opportunities, limitations, etc. than you do. They're going to make different decisions and live different lives, and that's okay.

It's just...isn't it hard to exist if you're constantly experiencing strong emotions about others being different from you? Because in a species of over 8 billion individuals, there's going to be a lot of differences. I think it'd be a really hard life to be concerned and upset that billions of humans are making different choices than you would. My condolences to the people who stress about the choices of strangers.

[echoes-of-hee]

— Only If You Say Yes LHS

Pairing; tutor!heeseung x fem!reader

Genre;  smau, strangers to lovers, fluffy flufff!

wc ; 2.6k+

series ; < next >

taglist ; @honeyybbuubblleess (reply or send an ask for the rest of the parts :) )

SYNOPSIS ; As the eldest child, you'd grown used to carrying the weight of responsibility. Your parents had raised you to be independent, quietly placing all their hopes on you, trusting that you'd lead by example. You never complained. Asking for help was never in your nature—not even from them—unless you had no other choice. You learned to handle things alone. But university was different. The relentless assignments, the need for a part-time job to afford rent and necessities—it was all becoming too much. You found yourself stretched thin, barely keeping up with the pressure of it all. It was during one of these moments, rushing for a part-time job interview, that everything changed. Distracted by your thoughts, you accidentally collided with someone on the sidewalk. The impact was sudden, catching you off guard. When you looked up, you saw Lee Heeseung, holding onto a cream-colored Border Collie. What you didn’t know then was that this chance encounter wouldn’t be the last time your paths would cross.

WARNING(S) ; mention of stalking, swearing, slow burn, lmk if I've forgotten anything.

NOTES. This has been in my draft for a while now, because i didn't like the story's flow. But I've managed to change some parts, hope you enjoy it!

You were practically sprinting toward the train station, heart pounding harder with each passing second. Glancing down at your watch, you cursed under your breath, "Fuck, fuck." It was 8:30 a.m., and you hadn’t eaten more than a single piece of toast since yesterday. Two cups of coffee down already, and you were running on fumes—yet the interview was at 9 a.m., and the clock wasn’t waiting for you.

The hunger gnawed at your stomach, but you powered through, pushing your legs faster. In your rush, you barely registered the person in front of you until it was too late. You collided hard, your body hitting the pavement with a dull thud as your bag scattered across the sidewalk. Pain shot through your body, a groan escaping your lips.

"Miss, are you okay?"

A soft, yet striking voice broke through the haze of the fall, causing your heart to stutter. You blinked, dazed, looking up into a pair of eyes that seemed oddly familiar. He was tall, effortlessly good-looking, and there was something about his presence that made your thoughts go fuzzy for a second. "Where have I seen him before?"

You didn’t realize you were staring until something warm and wet brushed your arm. His dog, a cream-colored Border Collie, had padded over to you, its big eyes filled with concern. It licked your arm, and you flinched slightly, breaking out of your daze.

Heat crept up your neck as you quickly scrambled to your feet, brushing off the dirt from your pants. "I—I'm fine," you mumbled, mentally kicking yourself for making things awkward.

The guy smiled gently, extending a hand to help you up, but you hesitated, still trying to figure out where you’d seen him before. There was something familiar about him, but your mind was racing too fast to place it.

And as the seconds ticked by, you were painfully aware that the train wasn’t going to wait for you.

You grabbed your things quickly, brushing the dust off with shaky hands. Your heart still raced, though you couldn’t tell if it was because of the fall or the fact that you’d just bumped into him. The dog nudged your leg softly as if trying to soothe your frazzled state. You gave it a quick pat, eyes darting back to the guy in front of you.

"Sorry, I didn’t see you there," you mumbled, heat creeping up your cheeks. You could feel his gaze, and that nagging feeling of familiarity returned. Where had you seen him before?

"No problem. You seemed like you were in a hurry," he replied, his tone calm yet with a hint of amusement. "Even Layla wanted to check if you were alright."

Your head snapped up. Layla. Wait a minute…

"Layla?" The name bounced around in your mind. You stood there for a second, thoughts jumbled. Isn't that…? You furrowed your brows, trying to connect the dots. "Wait, what was his name again? Jiyun? Jeyun? Jaehyun?"

Then it clicked.

Sim Jaeyun. Oh yeah, I remember now.

You glanced at the dog again and then back at the guy standing in front of you. Heeseung. That’s why he looked so familiar. He must be friends with Jaeyun. The realization hit you like a second wave, but before you could dwell on it, you caught another glimpse of your watch—8:37 a.m.

Panic surged through your chest. You were running out of time.

"Uh, thanks," you blurted, attempting to step past him. He moved slightly to the side, as if to make sure you were steady before letting you go.

"Are you sure you’re alright?" His brows furrowed, a hint of concern shadowing his features.

"Yeah, I’m fine," you forced a smile, but it felt more like a grimace. Layla, Jaeyun, Heeseung—it was all spinning in your head, but you had no time to unpack it. You gave Layla one last pat, then took off toward the station.

As you jogged away, the clock ticking down, you couldn’t help but wonder if your brief encounter with Heeseung was just an accident—or if it meant something more.

The following week, the campus began to feel like a bustling maze of obligations and responsibilities. Your part-time job at the café was in full swing, and the demands were mounting. Juggling classes, late-night study sessions, and work had you feeling like a spinning top, always teetering on the edge of falling.

Every morning started with the same ritual: a quick breakfast of toast—if you were lucky—followed by an adrenaline-fueled sprint to catch the train. You were still replaying your brief encounter with Heeseung in your mind, but it felt like a fleeting dream amidst the chaos of your reality.

At work, the café buzzed with energy. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingled with the scent of pastries, and the sound of chatter filled the air. You wore your uniform with a sense of pride, knowing you were part of a place that felt like a second home. Your coworkers, a lively bunch, kept the atmosphere light, and Giselle often popped in between her classes, bringing a dose of humor and encouragement.

“Okay, you have to tell me,” she said one afternoon as you wiped down a table. “Have you seen Heeseung again?”

You paused, a slight blush creeping onto your cheeks. “Not really, but I keep seeing him around. It’s weird.”

“Weird how?” she prodded, leaning in closer, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

“I don’t know. It’s like he just pops up everywhere. I saw him in the library yesterday and then again during lunch,” you replied, shaking your head. “But I don’t think it means anything. It’s probably just coincidence.”

Giselle smirked. “Or maybe the universe is trying to tell you something? You two should hang out more, It could be fate!"

“Fate?” you scoffed lightly, though a flutter of excitement stirred in your stomach. “More like coincidence. He probably doesn’t even remember my name.”

“Pfft, as if. Just be your charming self. You’d be surprised how many people remember you,” she teased, nudging you playfully.

You chuckled, grateful for her unwavering support. Yet, as the days passed, you found yourself stealing glances at Heeseung whenever you spotted him on campus. He was often surrounded by his friends, jaeyun included, and there was something magnetic about their presence. They seemed to draw attention effortlessly, and you couldn’t help but feel a twinge of admiration.

...

Your shifts at the café became a blend of excitement and exhaustion. Serving customers, brewing coffee, and managing orders kept you on your toes. Each time the door chimed, you couldn’t help but hope it was Heeseung walking in, but he never did. Instead, you saw Jaeyun occasionally with a group of friends, and they always seemed to be laughing and enjoying themselves.

One particularly hectic afternoon, as you rushed to fill a coffee order, you caught a glimpse of Jaeyun’s bright smile from across the room. It was contagious, and you couldn’t help but smile back.

The rush of the café made time fly. By the end of your shift, your legs were sore, and you were ready to collapse onto your bed. As you cleaned up, the last customers lingered, and you glanced out the window just as the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the campus.

And there he was. Heeseung stood outside, his tall frame silhouetted against the orange hues of the sky. He was chatting with Jaeyun, laughing about something that made both of them grin. Your heart skipped a beat, a mixture of excitement and nerves bubbling up as you watched.

For a brief moment, your eyes locked with his, and it felt as though the world around you faded away. Heeseung’s expression shifted, a flicker of recognition crossing his face. But just as quickly, he turned back to Jaeyun, and the moment passed like a wisp of smoke.

“Y/N, you good?” one of your coworkers asked, breaking you from your thoughts.

You shook your head, clearing the lingering thoughts of Heeseung. “Yeah, just tired. Long day.”

“Totally understandable. Go get some rest,” they said, and you nodded, grateful for their understanding.

As you made your way home, your mind swirled with thoughts of the day. The pressures of your responsibilities weighed heavily on you, but the thought of Heeseung’s smile somehow lightened the load.

You entered your small apartment, the familiar scent of home wrapping around you. After a quick shower, you sank onto your bed, staring at the ceiling as exhaustion settled in.

But sleep didn’t come easy. Instead, your thoughts drifted back to Heeseung and the fleeting moments you’d shared. It felt surreal, like a puzzle you were trying to piece together. You found yourself imagining what it would be like to talk to him again, to learn more about the boy who had somehow captured your attention without even trying.

Days turned into weeks, and the encounters continued. You’d see Heeseung and Jaeyun often, whether it was in the library, on the quad, or grabbing lunch at the café where you worked. Each time, a mix of excitement and apprehension surged within you, but you held back, not yet ready to make a move.

With every moment spent in the shadows of your busy college life, the pressure mounted. Assignments piled up, and midterms loomed on the horizon. You struggled to keep your head above water, diving into textbooks late into the night, trying to memorize formulas and theories while the exhaustion tugged at your eyelids.

Despite the chaos, the moments you caught sight of Heeseung and Jaeyun brought a spark of light. You found yourself replaying your encounters in your mind, analyzing each word and glance. It was a subtle recognition that began to feel more significant than coincidence.

Then came the night of a campus event—a casual gathering with food trucks, games, and music. Gissele had practically dragged you along, insisting that you needed a break from your studies. “Just a few hours to unwind c'monn! We can go back to studying afterward,” she promised.

As you stepped onto the grass, the energy was infectious, and you allowed yourself to be swept away in the laughter and chatter. Yet, in the back of your mind, you couldn’t shake the thought of Heeseung and Jaeyun being around. The anticipation made your heart race, but it was a double-edged sword.

The evening unfolded beautifully, with lights strung across the trees and the scent of food wafting through the air. You and Giselle wandered from food truck to food truck, filling your plates with snacks and drinks.

“Look, there’s heeseung!” Giselle nudged you, pointing across the crowd.

You spotted Heeseung talking to his friend, both of them animated and engaged in conversation. Your heart raced, and you felt a twinge of envy at their easy camaraderie. But just as quickly, you felt a surge of determination.

“Okay, I’m going to say hi,” you declared, surprising even yourself.

“Go get ’em, tiger!” Giselle cheered, her voice barely audible over the music.

You took a deep breath, willing your legs to move as you navigated through the crowd. Each step felt like a leap into the unknown, but you focused on the sight of Heeseung’s bright smile.

And just as you approached, fate intervened once more. You lost your footing on a patch of uneven grass, stumbling slightly.

“Y/n?” Heeseung turned, catching sight of you, his eyes widening in surprise.

“Hey!” you blurted, feeling the heat rise in your cheeks.

His smile returned, warmer than before. “Hey! Didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Yeah, Giselle dragged me along,” you admitted, trying to play it cool despite the embarrassment.

“Glad she did. This is a lot of fun.” He gestured toward the festivities around you.

You nodded, feeling a rush of excitement. “It really is! I’ve been so swamped with school and work, I almost forgot how to relax.”

Heeseung chuckled, the sound like music to your ears. “I get that. Uni can be overwhelming. It’s all about finding that balance, right?”

You couldn’t help but feel drawn in by his easygoing demeanor. “Exactly. I’ve been juggling a part-time job and classes, and it’s been a lot.”

“Same here,” he replied, nodding in understanding. “I work part-time at a tutoring center. It helps to have something to fall back on when classes get too intense.”

Your interest piqued. “Really? that's so cool! What do you tutor?”

“Mostly math and science. It’s fun to help people get through subjects that can be tricky,” he said, his passion evident.

“Math?You really are smart just like what people said! Well, I’m majoring in finance, so I can definitely use some help with that,” you joked, the nerves from before beginning to melt away.

“I could give you some tips if you ever need them. I’m sure we could work something out,” he offered with a casual smile, making your heart skip a beat.

Just then, Jaeyun called out to Heeseung, waving him over. “Hee, let's go bro! You too y/n, let's have some fun!”

You glanced at Gissele, who was watching with wide eyes, clearly excited for you to mingle. You hesitated for a moment, but the thought of spending more time with Heeseung pulled you in.

“Lets go,” you said with a giggle, leading the way as you followed Heeseung and Jaeyun through the crowd. The game involved tossing rings onto bottles, and laughter filled the air as people cheered each other on.

As you joined the group, you fell into a comfortable rhythm with Heeseung and Jaeyun. The three of you laughed and joked, your worries momentarily forgotten. Heeseung’s light-hearted banter and Jaeyuns’s infectious energy made it easy to relax.

“Okay, my turn!” you announced, stepping up to the makeshift ring toss. You took a deep breath, focusing on the bottles ahead, and tossed the ring. It landed perfectly on one of the bottles, prompting cheers from the group.

“Nice one, y/n!” Heeseung clapped, genuine enthusiasm lighting up his features.

“Thanks,I guess all those late nights studying have paid off,” you joked, feeling a warm glow from the attention.

The game continued, with each turn bringing more laughter and teasing. Gissele was chatting with some of her friends nearby but kept glancing over, giving you thumbs up and encouraging nods.

At one point, Heeseung leaned closer to you, his voice slightly lowered as if sharing a secret. “So, are you always this competitive, or is it just the ring toss that brings it out of you?”

You smirked, pretending to ponder the question seriously. “Well, I like to think of myself as a passionate individual. Competitive? Maybe.. just a little,” you replied with a playful wink.

Heeseung laughed, and the sound sent warmth rushing through you. In that moment, the world around you faded, and it felt like it was just the two of you, caught in a bubble of shared laughter and easy conversation.

After the games, you found a quiet corner to sit and catch your breath. The sunset cast a golden hue across the campus, and you took a moment to appreciate the beauty around you. Gissele plopped down beside you, her face alight with excitement.

“Oh my god, you both were so cute I swear! You and Heeseung totally have chemistry,” she gushed, nudging you with her elbow. “You should’ve seen the way he looked at you!”

You rolled your eyes playfully. “It was just a game, Giselle. He’s nice, but it doesn’t mean anything.”

“Uh-huh, sure,” she teased, clearly unconvinced. “But seriously, you should hang out with him more. You have so much in common!”

As the event wound down, the night took on a dreamy quality. You shared stories and laughter with your friends, but your mind occasionally drifted back to Heeseung. The way he smiled, the way his laughter made you feel alive—it was intoxicating.

Afterward, you and Gissele decided to head back home. As you walked, you felt a mix of exhilaration and exhaustion. The night had been a whirlwind of fun, but the thought of facing the grind of schoolwork loomed ahead.

...

[pedroscowgirl]

Breaking the silence

Aaron hotchner x fem bau!reader

part one is here

Warnings: smut minors DNI

p in v (wrap it up), creampie, oral!f receiving, riding him, a bit angsty? (conflicted between spence and hotch), power dynamics (he's your boss)

lmk if i forgot something (i prob did)

masterlist

summary: After much contemplation, you’ve finally made a decision about who you truly want to be with. Although traces of guilt still linger in your mind regarding your choice, Aaron has a unique ability to ease those feelings. wc: 7.4k

A/n: I'm so down bad for this man yall... also I didn't proofread this yet

The briefing room felt colder than usual, the soft murmur of voices blending into the background. The case details flashed on the screen, a series of abductions that led us to a small town in the Midwest. Normally, you’d be fully focused on the profile, mentally piecing together the unsub’s next move, but today, your mind was elsewhere.

Hotch was standing at the head of the table, his posture as controlled and rigid as ever. His deep voice filled the room as he outlined our next steps, but your gaze lingered on him longer than it should have. The way his jaw tensed when he was deep in thought, how his eyes would flicker toward me for just a second before shifting back to the case… It was impossible to ignore what had happened between us.

That night in the office—when the line between boss and agent blurred—kept replaying in your mind. The feel of his hands on you, the raw intensity in his touch, the way his control finally cracked. And now? Now it was like we were strangers again.

“Everyone clear on the plan?” Hotch’s voice cut through the haze in your head.

You blinked, realizing the rest of the team was already standing up, ready to move. “Yes, sir,” you mumbled, quickly gathering your files and standing.

As we filed out of the room, you could feel Hotch’s gaze linger on you, even if only for a split second. The air between you was thick with unspoken words, but neither of you had dared to acknowledge what had happened. Not at work. Not anywhere.

The case had you working late into the night. Morgan and Rossi were canvassing witnesses, while Reid was piecing together the behavioral patterns of the unsub. You were stationed with Hotch, going over surveillance footage from the surrounding areas, but being alone with him felt like a trap.

You hadn’t talked since that night. There hadn’t been time, or maybe you’d both been avoiding it. But the tension was there, unrelenting.

“We’re missing something,” you muttered, more to yourself than to him as you stared at the grainy footage on the screen.

Hotch remained silent beside you, but you could feel the weight of his presence. His stoic demeanor had always been a source of strength for the team, but now, it felt suffocating.

“You should get some rest,” he finally said, his voice low, though it carried that same authoritative edge.

you shook your head. “I’m fine.”

His gaze flickered to you, something unreadable in his dark eyes. “You’ve been distracted,” he said softly, his tone not accusing, but concerned.

you swallowed hard, your throat suddenly dry. He wasn’t wrong. You had been distracted, but not by the case. “I’m good, Hotch,” you replied, trying to sound more confident than you actually felt.

But then, his hand was on yours, a brief, barely-there touch that sent a jolt through your entire body. You glanced up at him, and for the first time since that night, his composed mask cracked just slightly.

“I didn’t mean for things to… get complicated,” he said quietly, his voice filled with a tension that mirrored your own.

you took a breath, steadying yourself. “Neither did I.”

For a long moment, we just stood there, the soft hum of the surveillance equipment the only sound in the room. His fingers curled slightly, brushing against your hand again, and suddenly, you couldn’t breathe.

“It shouldn’t have happened,” he said, but the words lacked conviction. His eyes were locked on yours, dark and intense. “But I can’t stop thinking about it.”

you felt your heart race, the memory of his lips on yours, the feel of his body pressed against you, rushing back with overwhelming clarity. “Neither can I,” you whispered, the admission slipping out before you could stop it.

His jaw tensed, and for a moment, you thought he might pull away, retreat back into his professional shell. But instead, he took a step closer, closing the small distance between you. His hand slid from yours, moving to gently cup your face, his thumb brushing over your cheek.

“I can’t afford to be distracted,” he murmured, his voice tight with restraint. “Not here. Not now.”

You nodded, though your body betrayed you, leaning into his touch despite the warning. “I know.”

But even as you said it, you couldn’t stop the pull between you two. There was something about Hotch, something about the way he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, and yet still found moments like this, moments where he could let someone in. And now that you’d seen that side of him, you weren’t sure you could let it go.

Before you could think better of it, you reached up, your fingers gently brushing against his hand. “We’ll figure this out,” you said softly, echoing the words he’d said to you that night.

For a second, his eyes softened, and you could see the vulnerability there, the part of him that so few people ever got to see. But then, just as quickly, his expression hardened again, the walls slamming back into place.

“We have to,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

He dropped his hand from your face, stepping back and putting the distance between you again. The moment was gone, the heat dissipating as quickly as it had ignited. But you knew, just as he did, that nothing between us would ever be the same.

The team gathered for a debriefing the next day, the tension from the case still hanging in the air. But beneath that, there was something else, a tension that existed only between Hotch and you. You avoided his gaze, focusing on the task at hand, but you could feel him watching you, just as you watched him.

Spencer noticed your silence, giving me a concerned look, but you brushed him off, unwilling to explain the mess you found yourself in. After all, how could you? How could you explain that you were torn between two worlds, the professional and the personal, and that the man at the center of it all was someone you weren’t supposed to feel this way about?

But as the day wore on, and the weight of the case dragged you deeper into its complexities, you realized something: no matter how hard I tried to bury your feelings, they weren’t going anywhere.

And neither, it seemed, was Aaron Hotchner.

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

The flight back from the case felt longer than usual. The team was asleep, no surprise, given the weight of the case we had just wrapped. Except for Spencer. Normally, you would have struck up a conversation with him by now, engaging him in one of his countless facts or theories. But today, the silence between you was heavy.

He sat next to you on the jet, his fingers fidgeting with a deck of cards, absentmindedly shuffling them. You could feel him glancing at you, his hazel eyes filled with questions. You hadn’t talked about your feelings. Not properly. And now, with the growing complexity between Hotch and you, you felt even more tangled up inside.

"You’ve been quiet," Spencer said softly, his voice pulling you out of your thoughts.

you shifted in your seat, trying to force a smile. "Just tired," you replied, though it was a poor excuse. The truth was that you didn’t know how to explain the emotional storm raging inside of you.

Spencer wasn’t fooled. He’s a profiler after all. "Is it because of Hotch?"

His question caught you off guard. you blinked, turning to look at him, your heart skipping a beat. How much did he know? How much had he noticed?

"What do you mean?" you asked, keeping your tone neutral.

Spencer’s gaze was steady, though there was a softness to it. "I saw how he looked at you. During the debriefing, before we left for the case… There’s something between you two, isn’t there?"

The air between you thickened with the weight of his words. I couldn’t deny it. Not anymore. You had spent days trying to push it aside, trying to compartmentalize the emotions you felt for Hotch, but Spencer was right. There was something between Hotch and you. Something you hadn’t fully understood until that moment.

But how could you explain that to Spencer—the man who had been nothing but kind, gentle, and patient with you? The man whose kiss had felt like safety, like home, even as your mind was spinning with confusion about Hotch.

"Spence, I…" you hesitated, searching for the right words. His eyes were so sincere, so trusting, and you hated the thought of hurting him. "It’s complicated."

He gave you a small, sad smile, his fingers still fidgeting with the cards. "I figured. I mean, it’s Hotch. He’s… well, he’s him."

you let out a breath, grateful for Spencer’s understanding but also pained by it. He was making it so easy for you to talk to him, and that only made things harder.

"Our kiss…" you began, your voice quieter now. "It meant something to me. You mean something to me."

Spencer looked at you, his expression softening. "You mean something to me too."

You swallowed hard, the lump in your throat growing. "But I don’t know what to do about Hotch. I didn’t plan for this to happen. I didn’t expect to feel… anything for him. But now, I can’t stop thinking about him either."

The truth spilled out before you could stop it. The tangled mess of emotions that had been building up inside you was now laid bare between you. And the look on Spencer’s face—God, it broke your heart. He didn’t deserve this. He deserved someone who wasn’t so conflicted, someone who wasn’t caught between two people.

"I don’t want to hurt you, Spencer," you whispered, your voice barely audible.

He nodded slowly, his gaze dropping to the cards in his hands. "I know."

For a moment, the silence between you was unbearable. You could feel the weight of your indecision pressing down on both of you, suffocating the easy connection you had once shared. And you hated it. You hated that you had brought this confusion into our relationship. But most of all, you hated that I didn’t have an answer.

Finally, Spencer spoke again, his voice quiet but steady. "Do you love him?"

His question hung in the air, heavy with meaning. It wasn’t accusatory—it was simply Spencer trying to understand. But the weight of it made your heart clench.

Did you love Hotch?

you didn’t know. What you felt for him was intense, powerful, something you hadn’t been able to shake since that night in his office. But love? Was it love, or was it something else—something darker, more complicated?

"I don’t know," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. "But I care about him. A lot."

Spencer nodded, his expression unreadable. He didn’t say anything for a long time, just sat there with his cards, his mind clearly processing everything you had just told him. When he finally looked back at you, there was a sadness in his eyes, but also a quiet acceptance.

"I’ve always known you and Hotch had… something," he said softly. "I just didn’t want to admit it."

The guilt twisted inside you like a knife. "I never meant for it to happen, Spence."

"I know." He smiled gently, though it didn’t reach his eyes. "It’s okay. I just… I want you to be happy. Even if that’s with him."

His words hit you like a punch to the gut. How could he be so selfless, so willing to put your happiness above his own? you didn’t deserve that kind of kindness. Not when you were the one causing this mess.

"Spencer, I—"

Before you could finish, he reached out, pulling a strand of hair behind your face. "I care about you," he said softly. "And I’m not going anywhere. But you need to figure this out. For yourself. For both of us." He gave you a kiss on your cheek and you nodded, your heart heavy with the weight of his words. He was right, of course. you needed to sort through your feelings, to understand what it was that you truly wanted.

---------

The restaurant buzzed with the warm sounds of laughter and clinking glasses. You sat at the edge of the booth, tucked between JJ and Reid, who were deep in conversation about something scientific you couldn’t quite follow. Normally, you would have been engrossed, eager to hear Spencer’s detailed explanation of whatever fact he was spouting tonight, but your attention was elsewhere.

Across the table, Hotch was nursing a glass of scotch, his dark eyes occasionally flicking in your direction. Each time they did, your heart skipped a beat, your stomach tightening with the unspoken tension that had been simmering between the two of you since that night in the office.

You tried to stay focused on the conversation around you, tried to pretend like the heat you felt was just the warmth from the restaurant and not the lingering burn from Hotch’s gaze, but it was impossible. The way he watched you, with that quiet intensity, made it hard to breathe. It felt like he was silently pulling you toward him, and no matter how much you tried to stay anchored to the moment, you couldn’t escape it.

"Are you okay?" Spencer’s voice pulled you back into the present, his brow furrowed in concern as he looked at you.

You blinked, forcing a smile. "Yeah, I’m fine Spence, don’t worry."

Spencer nodded, his gaze soft and understanding. He knew you too well, better than you sometimes liked to admit. But tonight, there was no space for that softness. Not with the way Hotch kept looking at you like he was undressing you with his eyes, peeling back layers of professionalism you’d tried so hard to maintain.

You took a sip of your drink, the cool liquid doing little to calm the heat rising in your chest. You needed to step away—needed a moment to collect yourself before you did something reckless. Without saying much, you slid out from the booth, excusing yourself from the table and heading toward the patio outside.

The cool air hit your skin like a welcome reprieve. You took a deep breath, leaning against the railing and looking out at the dark street below, trying to calm the whirlwind of emotions swirling inside you. The evening had been so casual, so light, but underneath it all, there was this tension, this pull that kept drawing you back to one person.

"Couldn’t handle all the noise in there either?"

Hotch’s voice broke through the quiet, sending a jolt through your body. You hadn’t realized he’d followed you outside, but now, standing just a few feet away, he seemed impossibly close.

You turned to face him, your pulse quickening at the sight of him in the dim light. The way his broad shoulders filled out his jacket, the sharp angles of his jaw catching the glow from the streetlamp, it was all too much. "Needed some air," you managed to say, your voice softer than you’d intended.

Hotch stepped closer, his presence commanding, as always. "It’s been a long week," he said, his voice low and steady. "You did good work."

His compliment should have made you feel proud, but instead, it only added to the tension. The way he said it, the way his eyes lingered on you, it wasn’t just about the case. There was more behind his words.

"Thanks," you replied, your breath catching slightly as he moved even closer, his body now just inches from yours.

The night air suddenly felt too warm, your skin prickling with the awareness of how close he was, how easily you could reach out and touch him. You shouldn’t. You knew that. But the temptation was overwhelming.

His gaze dropped briefly to your lips, and when he looked back up, there was a heat in his eyes that made your knees weak. "We shouldn’t be out here alone," he murmured, though there was no real conviction in his voice.

Your heart pounded in your chest, and you could feel the pull between you both growing stronger, the line between what was right and what you wanted blurring more with each passing second. "Maybe we shouldn’t," you whispered, your voice barely audible, but you didn’t move.

Neither did he.

The space between you felt charged, electric. Your body hummed with anticipation, every inch of you hyperaware of how close he was, how much you wanted to close the gap. His hand brushed against yours, and the simple contact sent a shockwave through you, your breath hitching in your throat.

"Hotch…" you started, but the words caught in your throat as his fingers curled around your wrist, pulling you gently toward him. The touch was subtle, controlled, but it was enough to break whatever restraint you’d been holding onto.

You found yourself pressed against the railing, Hotch standing over you, his gaze dark and intense. His hand slid up your arm, leaving a trail of heat in its wake as he moved closer, his body almost flush against yours. You could feel the warmth radiating from him, the sheer presence of him overwhelming your senses.

"We can’t keep doing this," he whispered, but the way his breath ghosted over your skin told you he didn’t really mean it.

You swallowed hard, your heart racing as his face inched closer to yours. You could feel his breath, warm and steady, brushing against your lips. "Then why are you here?"

The question hung in the air, heavy with tension, and for a moment, you thought he might pull away, might retreat back behind the walls of professionalism he always kept up. But instead, he leaned in, his lips just barely grazing yours.

"Because I can’t stay away from you," he admitted, his voice raw and low.

The confession sent a shiver down your spine, and before you could think better of it, you closed the distance between you, pressing your lips against his.

The kiss was slow at first, tentative, like you were both testing the waters, but the moment his hand slid to the back of your neck, pulling you closer, everything else faded away. The world around you disappeared, and all that was left was the feel of his mouth on yours, the heat of his body pressing against you.

Your hands found their way to his chest, fingers gripping the fabric of his jacket as the kiss deepened, all the tension that had been building between you finally breaking. His lips moved with a fierce intensity, like he had been holding back for far too long, and now there was no stopping it.

His hands roamed over your body, exploring with a confidence that made your heart race even faster. Every touch, every press of his fingers against your skin, set you on fire, the overwhelming need for him consuming you.

You gasped softly as his mouth moved to your neck, his lips trailing hot kisses along your skin, sending a wave of heat through your body. Your head fell back, giving him better access as his hands tightened on your waist, pulling you even closer.

"Hotch…" you breathed, barely able to form the words as he continued to kiss you, his hands sliding under your shirt, the warmth of his touch sending shivers across your skin.

"We shouldn’t do this here" he muttered again against your skin, but the way his body pressed against yours, the way his breath came faster, told you neither of you were stopping.

The sound of laughter broke through the fog in your mind, pulling you back to reality for a moment. You suddenly remembered where you were. the team just inside the restaurant, Spencer probably wondering where you had gone.

You pulled back slightly, your breath shaky as you looked up at Hotch. His eyes were dark, filled with a hunger that made your pulse quicken all over again, but there was a flicker of hesitation there too.

"Spencer’s going to wonder…" you trailed off, not finishing the thought, the guilt creeping in.

Hotch’s jaw tensed, his hands still resting on your hips. "I know," he said quietly, but his gaze remained fixed on yours, filled with a conflict that mirrored your own.

You wanted him. You wanted him more than you had ever wanted anyone. But as you stood there, Hotch’s hands still on your body, the heat between you still burning, you realized that no matter what choice you made, things would never be the same again.

The cool night air still clung to your skin as you stepped back into the restaurant, your pulse racing from the kiss you had just shared with Hotch. Every inch of you still felt electrified, your body buzzing from the intensity of the moment. You were trying to play it cool, act as if nothing had happened, but it was hard when your heart was pounding in your chest, and the heat of Hotch’s touch still lingered on your skin.

You glanced sideways at Hotch as he walked next to you, his face composed but his jaw tight. Neither of you spoke a word as you rejoined the team, but the silence between you was filled with unspoken tension. It was as if everyone in the room could sense that something had shifted.

Morgan was the first to notice. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a playful grin. "Well, well, look who finally decided to come back," he teased, his eyes darting between you and Hotch. "What were you two doing out there? Planning world domination?"

You forced a laugh, hoping it didn’t sound as shaky as you felt. "Just needed some air," you replied, sliding into your seat next to Spencer, who was watching you with quiet curiosity.

Hotch didn’t respond. He simply took his place back at the head of the table, picking up his glass of scotch as if nothing had happened. But you could feel his presence, strong, commanding, and impossibly close, even though there was now a table between you.

Morgan raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying your casual response. "Air, huh? Looked a little more intense than that." His teasing tone carried an edge of curiosity that made your stomach twist.

You shot him a quick glare, trying to will the heat creeping up your neck to disappear. "Just some air, Morgan. You’re reading too much into it."

Before Morgan could press further, Garcia piped up, her bright voice cutting through the tension. "Come on, Derek, leave them alone. Not everyone needs to be in on your gossip." She shot you a wink, though there was a hint of curiosity in her eyes too.

Spencer smiled at you, but his gaze lingered on you for a moment longer, as if searching for the truth beneath your words. His kindness, his understanding, made your heart ache. But the guilt that twisted inside you wasn’t enough to erase the pull you felt toward Aaron. The two men couldn’t have been more different, and yet, you found yourself caught between them, unable to make sense of your own feelings.

Morgan, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, leaned forward, his playful smirk returning. "Well, whatever you were doing out there, just know we all have bets going about who’s sneaking off with who tonight."

JJ shot him a look of exasperation. "Derek."

"What? I’m just saying. We all see how you two keep sneaking off," he said with a grin, his eyes darting between you and Hotch.

You rolled your eyes, trying to play it off. "It’s nothing like that, Morgan."

But your words felt hollow, especially when Hotch’s gaze flickered briefly in your direction. The weight of what had happened outside was too fresh, too raw, and you could feel the shift in energy between you both, even if no one else knew the truth.

Morgan was still watching you with a knowing smirk, clearly not convinced by your attempts to brush him off. He leaned in closer, lowering his voice so only you could hear. "Come on, something’s up. You’ve been acting weird all night."

You glanced at him, trying to think of something, anything, to say that would get him off your back. But before you could respond, Hotch’s deep voice cut through the noise.

"Morgan, leave it."

The command was calm, but firm. It wasn’t a request. Morgan straightened up in his seat, raising his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, I’ll drop it." He shot you a quick glance, his curiosity still simmering just beneath the surface, but he let it go—for now.

You let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding, grateful for Hotch’s intervention but also hyper-aware of how close you had come to unraveling under Morgan’s scrutiny.

Spencer’s hand brushed against yours under the table, a small, innocent touch that made your heart clench. You turned to him, his soft gaze meeting yours. He didn’t say anything, but his presence was steady, grounding you in a way that made you feel both comforted and guilty at the same time.

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

You were barely out of your clothes and into your pajamas when the knock echoed through the quiet of your hotel room. For a moment, you considered ignoring it. You were too exhausted to deal with any more emotional turmoil, but something—someone—pulled you toward the door.

When you opened it, Hotch stood there, his expression neutral as always, but there was something about the way he looked at you tonight. His jaw was tight, his eyes searching yours in a way that made your heart skip a beat.

"Hotch?" you asked, confused by his sudden appearance. "What’s going on?"

He hesitated for a moment, his hand gripping the doorframe as if steadying himself. "Can I come in?" he asked, his voice low and controlled, but there was an edge to it, something unspoken beneath the surface.

You stepped aside, letting him in. The door clicked shut behind him, the soft hum of the hotel room suddenly feeling deafening. You could feel the tension radiating off of him, but you had no idea what had brought him here tonight.

He stood in the middle of the room, his hands at his sides, his posture rigid. "I saw what happened on the plane," he said finally, his voice calm, but you could hear the weight in his words. "With Spencer."

Your breath caught in your throat. Spencer had kissed your cheek after your conversation, a simple gesture of affection, but it had felt like so much more in the moment. You hadn’t realized Hotch had seen it.

"Hotch, I—"

He cut you off, his voice still infuriatingly neutral. "I think you should be with Spencer."

The words hit you like a punch to the gut. His tone was so matter-of-fact, so calm, but the look in his eyes told you he wasn’t unaffected by this. For a man who always kept his emotions tightly locked away, there was a flicker of something vulnerable in his gaze now, something you hadn’t seen before.

You stared at him, your heart racing. "What?" you whispered, stepping closer to him. "Hotch, no…"

He clenched his jaw, his eyes flickering away from yours for the briefest moment before returning to your face. "He cares about you. I saw the way he looks at you, and I saw how you two talked on the plane. He kissed you." His voice was steady, but there was something underneath it—something raw. "Spencer can give you what you need. What I can't."

His words twisted inside of you, confusion and frustration bubbling to the surface. How could he think that? After everything that had happened between you, after all the tension and moments you had shared, how could he believe you’d choose someone else?

"Hotch, you don’t understand," you said, your voice trembling slightly. You took another step closer, your hand reaching out to touch his arm, desperate to make him see what he was missing. "I want you. That’s what I told Spencer."

The silence between you felt thick, charged with emotions you could no longer ignore. His eyes softened just slightly, the stoic façade he always wore cracking at the edges.

"I told him," you continued, your voice gaining strength. "I told him that I care about him, but it’s you. It’s always been you."

For a moment, he didn’t move, didn’t say anything. He just stood there, staring at you like he wasn’t sure if he should believe you. But then, his hands slid up to your waist, and the tension between you snapped like a rubber band stretched too far.

Without another word, you leaned in, capturing his lips with yours in a kiss that was filled with all the frustration, the longing, the desire you had been holding back for so long. It wasn’t soft or tentative—it was desperate, like you hadn’t kissed him in ages, like you were trying to prove everything you couldn’t put into words.

Hotch responded immediately, his grip on your waist tightening as he pulled you closer, his lips moving against yours with a hunger that made your knees weak. His hands roamed over your body, exploring with a need that mirrored your own, his touch igniting a fire inside you that you hadn’t been able to extinguish since the first time you kissed.

His body pressed against yours, pinning you gently against the door as his mouth devoured yours, the tension that had been simmering between you finally finding release. You moaned softly into his mouth, your fingers tangling in his hair as his hands slid under your shirt, his touch hot against your skin.

"Hotch," you gasped, pulling back just enough to catch your breath, but he didn’t give you time to recover. His lips were on your neck, trailing hot, open-mouthed kisses down your throat, making your pulse race.

"I shouldn’t want this," he muttered against your skin, his voice rough and filled with restraint. "But I do. God, I do."

His confession sent a shiver down your spine, and you arched into him, your body pressing against his in a way that left no space between you. "Then don’t stop," you whispered, your voice breathless as your hands roamed over his chest, feeling the heat of him through his shirt.

Hotch groaned softly, his hands sliding up your waist and over your hips, pulling you even closer. His fingers dug into your skin, his touch possessive, as if he couldn’t get enough of you.

You kissed him again, hard and hungry, your lips moving against his with a desperation that mirrored his. The tension between you had finally reached its breaking point, and now, there was no turning back. His hands were everywhere—on your waist, your hips, your back—exploring every inch of you with a need that made your head spin.

Your shirt was pushed up, his hands sliding under the fabric to touch your bare skin, the warmth of his touch sending a jolt of electricity through your body. You gasped softly as his fingers brushed against the curve of your waist, your entire body responding to him in ways you couldn’t control.

"Hotch…" you whispered, your voice trembling with desire.

“What is it, sweetheart?” he answered in that deep, sexy voice that made your whole body heat up.

"I need you so badly."

His eyes darkened at your words, and without hesitation, he scooped you up effortlessly and laid you down on the bed. The way he moved—so strong, so sure—made your heart race even faster. He hovered over you for a moment, his eyes trailing over your body, before his hands moved to the hem of your shirt, tugging it up and over your head.

You felt exposed under his gaze, but it only added to the excitement coursing through you. His lips found the soft skin of your neck, kissing, nipping, and trailing lower with each breath. When his mouth reached the swell of your breasts, he paused, looking up at you with a smirk that sent a wave of heat through your core.

“God, your tits are so hot,” he murmured, his voice rougher than usual, and it took you by surprise. You were so used to his professional, composed demeanor that this raw, vulgar side of him was both shocking and incredibly arousing.

The dirty words made your body respond instantly, a fresh wave of wetness pooling between your thighs.

His mouth latched onto your nipple, swirling his tongue around the sensitive bud before pulling it between his lips. A gasp escaped your throat, and your hand flew to his hair, tangling your fingers in the soft strands as he groaned against your skin. The vibration of his voice against your breast sent shivers down your spine.

He alternated between your breasts, his hands kneading your flesh while his mouth worked you over, sucking and kissing every inch of you until your entire body was humming with desire. His hands were warm and firm, and every touch sent sparks of pleasure through you, heightening the need that had been building between you all night.

When he finally moved lower, kissing down your stomach with a trail of soft, open-mouthed kisses, your heart pounded in anticipation. He paused when he reached the waistband of your shorts, looking up at you with that devilish smirk again.

“Can I?” he asked, his voice soft, but filled with desire.

“Yes, please,” you breathed, unable to hide the desperation in your voice.

He hooked his fingers into your shorts, pulling them down slowly, torturously, and when he revealed your white lace underwear, his eyes lit up with amusement.

“You knew I was coming here tonight?” he teased, his voice low and rough, sending a thrill through you.

You smiled up at him, biting your lip as you watched him. “Maybe,” you whispered, the teasing tone in your voice barely masking the fact that your body was already aching for him.

He groaned softly, his hands brushing over your hips before he slowly dragged your underwear down your legs, tossing them aside. His eyes lingered on you for a moment, dark and intense as they took in every inch of your naked body. The way he looked at you made you feel like you were the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

“God, you’re perfect,” he whispered, his voice so low it sent shivers down your spine.

And then, without another word, he leaned down, pressing a kiss to your inner thigh, his lips soft against your skin. Your breath hitched, anticipation building as he moved closer to your center, teasing you, making you wait. His hands slid up your legs, his fingers brushing lightly over your skin, and when his mouth finally met your core, you gasped, your hips jerking toward him instinctively.

Hotch groaned against you, his tongue working slowly, deliberately, as if he was savoring every moment. The heat of his mouth was overwhelming, and the way his tongue circled your clit had your entire body trembling.

“Oh God, Hotch,” you moaned, your fingers tangling in his hair again as your back arched off the bed. The pleasure was intense, almost too much, but you couldn’t get enough. Every stroke of his tongue sent you higher, building the tension inside you until you thought you might explode.

He gripped your thighs, pulling you closer as he buried his face deeper between your legs, his tongue working you over with expert precision. You were already so close, your body teetering on the edge of release, and when he slid two fingers inside you, curling them just right, you were done for.

The pressure inside you built to a breaking point, and with a cry of his name, you came hard, your entire body shaking with the force of your orgasm. Hotch didn’t stop, his tongue and fingers working you through your release, prolonging the pleasure until you were completely spent.

Your breath came in ragged gasps as you collapsed back against the bed, your body still trembling from the aftershocks. Hotch slowly pulled away, his mouth and fingers leaving your body as he kissed his way back up your stomach, over your breasts, and finally to your lips.

You kissed him deeply, tasting yourself on his tongue as you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling him closer. The fire between you hadn’t dimmed, it had only just begun.

“I need you,” you whispered against his lips, your voice still trembling from the intensity of your orgasm.

Hotch groaned softly, his hands sliding up your body as he positioned himself over you. “You have me,” he replied, his voice thick with desire.

And with a fluid motion, Hotch gripped your waist and pulled you on top of him, flipping your positions in one swift move. You straddled him, your thighs resting on either side of his hips as you looked down at him. The sight of him lying beneath you, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths, his eyes dark and full of lust, made your pulse quicken. He seemed so in control and yet, completely undone by the sight of you.

You reached for his tie, slowly loosening the knot. Your fingers trembled as you slid it free, tossing it aside before your hands moved to the buttons of his shirt. You took your time, savoring the moment as you unbuttoned each one, revealing more of his chest with every flick of your fingers. When his shirt was fully undone, you pushed it open, running your hands over the firm muscles of his chest, your palms lingering over the warmth of his skin.

A low growl rumbled in his chest as you leaned down, pressing your lips to his skin, kissing and sucking at the exposed flesh. You trailed your mouth from his collarbone down to his chest, leaving small, dark marks in your wake. His breath hitched, and you felt his hands slide up your thighs, gripping them tightly as he groaned.

"Fuck, naughty girl," he muttered, his voice dripping with desire. His grip tightened in your hair, tugging your head back just slightly so he could look into your eyes. "You wanna mark me up, huh?"

The man who was always so stern, so composed, had completely unraveled beneath you, and you reveled in the control you had over him.

Your lips curved into a sly smile. "Maybe I do," you teased, your breath hot against his skin.

His eyes darkened even more, filled with a raw hunger that sent your heart racing. Without another word, he pulled you down, crashing his lips against yours in a kiss that was all heat and desperation. His tongue found yours, demanding and unrelenting, and you moaned softly into his mouth as your body melted into his.

His hands slid from your hair to your waist, gripping you firmly as he kissed you deeper. You could feel the hardness of him beneath you, and the anticipation of what was to come made your entire body throb with need.

"Ride me," he commanded, his voice low and full of desire. The authority in his tone sent a thrill through you, making your stomach flip with excitement.

Without breaking eye contact, you reached down, your fingers working to unbutton and unzip his pants. You tugged them down just enough to free him, and your breath caught in your throat when you saw him, thick, hard, and more than ready for you. The sheer size of him made your body clench with anticipation.

You couldn’t wait any longer. You positioned yourself above him. And as you lowered yourself onto him, the stretch was immediate and intense. He was so big, filling you up completely, and you gasped as the sensation took over, your nails digging into his chest as you tried to catch your breath.

He groaned softly, his hands gripping your hips as he watched you intently. "Fuck," he muttered under his breath, his voice thick with restraint. "You feel so good."

You paused for a moment, needing to adjust to the fullness of him. The pressure of having him so deep inside you made your head spin, and you bit your lip, trying to steady yourself. The pleasure was overwhelming, but you needed a second before you could move.

But Hotch wasn’t in the mood to wait.

His hands gripped your hips more tightly, and with a low growl, he began to move you, guiding your body up and down his length. The sudden movement made you cry out in pleasure, your hands bracing against his chest as your body rocked with his.

"Aaron…" you whimpered, your voice barely more than a gasp as the sensation of him inside you sent shockwaves of pleasure through your body. The stretch, the fullness, the way he hit every perfect spot inside you, it was too much and not enough all at once.

He groaned, his grip on your hips tightening as he set the pace, thrusting up into you as he moved you on top of him. "God, you’re so tight," he growled, his voice rough and filled with a raw intensity that made your entire body tremble. "Look at you, taking me so well…"

You couldn’t respond, your mind was too clouded with pleasure, your body completely lost in the sensation of him filling you over and over again. Every time he thrust into you, it sent a bolt of electricity through your core, making your thighs quiver and your breath come in ragged gasps.

Tears pricked at the corners of your eyes, not from pain but from the overwhelming pleasure that was building inside you, threatening to consume you whole. "Hotch," you gasped, your head falling back as your body rocked against his. The tension inside you was coiling tighter and tighter, every thrust pushing you closer to the edge.

His hands slid up your waist, guiding you with steady, relentless movements as he watched you with hooded eyes. "Come on, sweetheart," he murmured, his voice low and rough. "You gonna come for me?"

The words sent you spiraling. The intensity of his gaze, the heat of his hands on your body, the sheer pleasure of having him so deep inside you, it was too much. Your body tensed, your thighs trembling as the wave of your orgasm crashed over you.

"Aaron!" you cried out, your body convulsing as you came hard, the pleasure so intense that it left you shaking. Your hips bucked against his, your nails digging into his chest as your vision blurred, and all you could feel was him.

He groaned, his hands gripping your waist tightly as he thrust up into you harder, faster, chasing his own release. His muscles tensed beneath you, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps as he reached his peak. "Fuck…" he growled, his hands digging into your hips as he came, his release filling you completely.

For a long moment, neither of you moved, both of you too caught up in the aftermath of your pleasure to speak. Your body was still trembling, your breath coming in shallow gasps as you collapsed onto his chest, your head resting against him as you tried to steady yourself.

Hotch’s arms wrapped around you, holding you close as his chest rose and fell beneath you. His hands slid up and down your back in slow, soothing strokes, his breath still heavy in your ear. "You’re incredible," he whispered, his voice soft, almost tender.

You smiled against his skin, your body still buzzing with the aftershocks of your orgasm. "So are you," you replied, your fingers tracing lazy patterns on his chest as you caught your breath.

Hotch’s hand came up to cup your face, tilting your chin so you could look into his eyes. There was a softness there, a vulnerability that made your heart ache. "You mean so much to me," he whispered, his thumb brushing over your bottom lip. "More than you know."

You felt your chest tighten, the weight of his words settling over you. "I feel the same way," you admitted, your voice barely more than a whisper.

taglist (lmk if u wanna be added): @looking1016 @pear-1206 @doe-eyed-diva @ssa-aaronhotchner @sweetpinkchampagne @totallyjovialblaze

[vixstarria]

"Where my nice, simple plan fell apart"

This is my take on how Astarion’s romance might have progressed with a silly, chaotic energy bard Tav, who doesn’t really fall for his initial manipulation but rather humours it, throughout Act 1.  

There will be more – I want to flesh this out and write more ‘behind the scenes’ moments, and continue this into Acts 2 and 3 (I’m still only at the beginning of Act 2 as I write this!) 

Astarion x Reader, Astarion x Tav, Astarion x Bard Tav  

Comfort, fluff, budding love, cuddling, humour, no spoilers, non-explicit, light angst 

Approximately 2,000 words. 

AO3

~~~~~

“Let’s find our own little piece of nowhere. Somewhere we can lose ourselves and forget all this madness.” 

“Astarion, you insufferable trollop, what piece of cheap pulp did you fish that line from?!” you squeezed your eyes shut, pinching the bridge of your nose. “No, wait, let me guess... Madame Scarlett?” 

You watched his face turn from indignation to irritation, to finally settle in a resigned amusement, in a rapid succession.  

“My, a fellow connoisseur of the vulgar arts? The Madame’s been dead and out of print for over a century. But yes.” 

“A professional interest – a bard must be able to entertain all kinds of audiences, with all kinds of material” 

“And would you indulge me with your expertise tonight? But I do much prefer show to tell...”.  

This was the beginning. You did end up sleeping with him that night, despite his initial soppy attempt at seduction. And then it happened again another night. And then it kept happening... 

You tried to be discreet about it at first, but of course it wasn’t long before the other members of your party noticed your nightly disappearances, and there was no point trying to conceal it.  

You were vexed by their reactions – just about everyone found it necessary to at one point pull you aside and express their concerns about the vampire, asking you to be careful. This was, perhaps, justifiable – Astarion was admittedly quite stab-happy and had an inclination for bloodthirst (literally and figuratively). But he was on your side! And damned if you needed anyone’s approval for your choices in whom to bed! 

By that point you and Astarion had turned the cliched language of poorly written erotica novels into an inside joke. Casually addressing each other in increasingly mawkish and over-elaborate terms had turned into a game. Once the secret of your escapades was out, you weaponised this game, turning it to deliberately exasperate everyone around you with your antics. 

With your shared penchant for dramatic flair the two of you became utterly insufferable.  

You would shout corny names at each other across camp: 

“Oh precious, it’s your turn to set up the campfire! And no, I don’t care that you won’t be eating with us” you called out as the group stopped for the day to set up camp, but no answer followed. “My silver lynx..? Starry?? Snickerdoodle??” 

“Your snickerdoodle wandered off to slaughter another bear!” came an exasperated shout from Wyll. 

Strangers weren’t safe from your hijinks either:  

“My sun, my beating heart, flame of my loins, ache of my head. All my riches, at your feet”, he declaimed to you in front of a confused and embarrassed vendor, as he rummaged through and shook out his pockets and sleeves, spilling an assortment of semi-precious gems, silver cutlery and somehow even an entire silver tray, pilfered from an abandoned manor you came across earlier. 

Just to make the others uncomfortable, you would unceremoniously plop into Astarion’s lap at any given opportunity, including in your morning meetings to establish your itinerary for the day.  

One evening, as you all sat around the campfire to enjoy a shared meal, Astarion (who would ordinarily stay away during this time, or sit nearby with a book) sank down next to you, lifted your hand towards his mouth, and nonchalantly sank his fangs into your wrist and began to suck, slurping.  

“Oh, so I can’t enjoy a nice meal with everyone else, and have to be excluded? Bigots, the lot of you!” he chided, your blood dripping from his lips, to the sound of everyone’s shouts of shocked revulsion. Surprisingly, this was the closest you’d ever seen Lae’zel come to laughing.  

(You and Astarion had arranged this prior, of course. Ever the gentleman, he always asked before he bit.) 

Another night, as you were having a quiet chat with Shadowheart at her tent, while everyone else lounged at the fire, she asked: “So what is it like with him, really..? How is he?” 

Suddenly finding yourself abashed by this genuinely intimate question, you covered it up with pomp and bravado. Winking at Shadowheart, you stood up, threw your head back and began to orate, making sure your thundering voice would be heard by the fire, which you had been separated from by a distance and some bushes: 

“HIS MAGESTIC MANHOOD, WHEN UNSHEATHED, IS AN OBELISC OF MASCULINITY AND GLORY. IT IS A WONDER BIRDS DON’T CRASH INTO IT WHEN IT IS FULLY E- Ow! Who threw that?!” 

A projectile salami from your camp supplies came flying from behind the bushes, and slammed into the side of your face.  

All hell was breaking loose back at the campfire, as Wyll, Gale and a smug Astarion convulsed and shouted through poorly concealed laughter, blaming each other for the missile, as Karlach shook in hysterics and Lae’zel complimented the mystery thrower’s accuracy.  

Gale did look more sheepish than the rest once you started to develop a black eye from the impact, promptly healed by Shadowheart.  

What was it like with him? 

Despite the flowery epithets and exaggerated displays of affection you awarded each other in public, in private you had a mutual understanding that it was all frivolous, no strings play. You had a parasite that could turn you into a mind flayer at any given moment, twisting in your brain. Every day bore violent encounters. Since the nautiloid crash, you hadn’t gone a single day without something trying to murder you. You didn’t want to have to worry about anything other than survival, and you took life day by day. Distractions were welcome, but actual romantic attachment would be a burden, you told yourself. 

You thought of it as being friends with extended benefits.  

You let him feed (well, snack, really) on you, of course. It wasn’t sexual, not since the first night. He used your wrist, so as not to be overwhelmed by the blood flow. He ended the sessions by healing you himself, assisted by a magical trinket he’d picked up somewhere on your journey. You made sure not to let Gale get his hands on that one.  

In battles his arrows always picked off foes in your immediate vicinity, before they were directed to other targets. You’ve yelled at him for this, saying you were more than capable of holding your own, whilst you’d lost count of the revivify scrolls you’ve spent on Gale.  

“Yes, well, the way the man goes on about his ‘natural talents’ and ‘mastery of the weave’, you’d think he’d put that big wise brain of his to developing a strategy for not getting stabbed so often” - Astarion rolled his eyes. “I’m just encouraging him to improve, really. And besides”, his eyes narrowed, “only I’m allowed to spill your blood, darling”. You frowned at that last bit, as he flashed you a sweet and almost innocent smile, and stalked off.   

As for the other ‘benefits’ - the sex was intricate, if somewhat mechanic, almost too skillful on his behalf. Wanting more passion than efficiency, you eventually asked him to talk dirty to you. That made it nearly too intense for you to handle, and seemed to keep him more... personally engaged. During daytime you had to force yourself not to get caught up in flashbacks of his red eyes watching you writhe as he described what he was doing to you, what he was going to do to you, or how you looked while he worked your body. 

The night that you, wanting to reciprocate, asked him exactly how he wanted to be pleasured and what he liked was a fiasco. You didn’t understand why. First he said something about being able to please you being his greatest reward and satisfaction (which you immediately shut down). Then he grew flustered and irritated, becoming uncharacteristically at a loss for words. You tried to divert the conversation, but the mood was unsalvageably ruined.  

There was one takeaway from that debacle, however. After abandoning the idea of sex for the night, you laid next to each other, talking about nothing in particular: Baldur’s Gate, places you were both familiar with, comforts you were looking forward to having again. At one point he looked at his jacket, which you’d been lying on, and lamented that he couldn’t find any gold thread to fix the embroidery. You laughed and rolled over to give him a hug, and simply never let go. He wordlessly pulled you closer once it was clear you had no intention of leaving. That was the first time that you fell asleep and slept through the night in his arms. 

This became somewhat of a ritual, or another game with unspoken rules. Once you were done with each other, you’d pretend to quickly fall asleep with your face nested in the crook of his neck, or to otherwise be too exhausted to get up and make way to your own tent or bedroll. He pretended not to notice the regularity with which this was happening. You pretended not to notice the soft kisses he started leaving on your neck or forehead once he thought you were really asleep. It seemed... important, somehow, that you both pointedly refused to acknowledge any of it. You sensed that otherwise a certain line would be crossed. 

Last night, you were too exhausted to even think of anything but sleep by the time everyone started turning in for the night. Yet rest wasn’t even on the horizon for you – you remembered that you’d neglected to clean your weapons and carry out the well overdue maintenance on your equipment, which you did not allow anyone else to touch even when offered. You were planning to venture into the shadow-cursed lands the following day. You couldn’t afford to be sloppy. You begrudgingly set about your tasks. Astarion was as tired as everyone else, you figured it was needless to say you’d spend the night apart. And yet...  

“I guess I finally get my bedroll all to myself tonight, how delightful” you heard behind you. “No one to wrap themselves around me, no one nuzzling into my neck... Only free, undisturbed personal space” You heard a hint of dejection beneath the sarcasm, and something in your stomach flipped, giving you pause.  

“I’ll come back for a cuddle if you say please” you murmured over your shoulder. 

“Never!” he rasped in a perfect imitation of Lae’zel when you asked the same of her before freeing her from a tiefling cage, and disappeared into his tent. 

Over an hour later, as you collapsed into your own bedroll, you saw a pair of red eyes staring at you from across the camp, tent flap ajar. You held Astarion’s gaze.  

“Please”, he mouthed soundlessly, smiling as he lifted the edge of his blanket.  

Within moments, you slipped into his embrace, pressing your lips against his. But his kisses were gentle and feather light, lacking the usual persistent neediness.  

You pulled away from him, locking eyes as he softly ran his hand down your cheek, brushing your lower lip with his thumb. 

“Gods, you’re beautiful” he breathed. 

That night he fell asleep with his head against your chest, listening to the sound of your heartbeat.  

Your breath caught in a silent sob as you were overwhelmed by a bittersweet realization of how much you really stood to lose if you failed in the journey still ahead of you. You didn’t think you’d ever felt happier or more miserable before in your life, as you hugged him tighter. 

~~~~~

Next in series

AO3

[mykoreanlove]

If you’re an over-thinker, you’re an under-feeler

You had been isolated for the last couple of hours - ever since you came back from your doctor‘s appointment you were absentminded, too preoccupied with researching your newfound condition.

Your boyfriend checked in on you every other hour but didn’t dare to interrupt you. You were laying in your bed, scrolling through your phone, trying to find all the missing answers.

„Acid reflux… sour taste… sore voice…medication“, you mumbled under your breath.

Seonghwa watched you for the tenth time this evening - your forehead was creased with concern, not really understanding why your body was suddenly betraying you.

He loved you, he really did. You completed him in ways which he had never dreamed of: you were analytical, prone to detail and observant. But you were also prone to anxiety, in danger of getting lost in your own destructive thoughts.

„How many hours can one google this shit“, he muttered under his breath.

„Suffering…Surgery…Depression“, you coaxed as your voice broke from fear of what was about to come.

„Okay, that’s enough“, he sternly entered the room, sitting at the end of the kingsize bed.

„What is?“

„You doing this to yourself, y/n. We’re going to find a solution baby, but this is not it“, he folded his arms authoritatively.

„Seongie, please. I have to research this, I have to understand. I don’t want to be in pain anymore“, you sobbed quietly.

„I know, baby. But reading blog entries from strangers for hours only stresses you out. How many times are you overthinking the same problem? Like, that doesn’t help. Don’t you think?“

„No“, you snapped back.

Seonghwa knew that it was pointless to argue with you. After all, you were a thinking person whereas he was more of the feeling nature. How was he to distract you from your endless mind chatter?

Suddenly, an idea struck him.

He pushed the blanket away and started kissing your shins.

„What are you doing?“, you asked irritated.

„I am helping you getting out of your head and back into your body, princess. Just relax.“

„Seongie, I don’t want to relax. I want to read and think. I need to overthink, I need to focus on my fucking problem!“, you snapped desperately.

Seonghwa didn’t break eye contact as he was kissing upwards, getting dangerously close to your core.

„See baby, I know this is what you want. But it’s not what you need. What you need…“, he paused to take off your lacy panties, „is to take a break from thinking. Let me help you with that.“

Seeing your precious pussy made him inhale sharply. No matter how often he got to bury himself in between your thighs, he always cherished it like it was the first time.

The colours, the taste, the smell - he was biting his lip in anticipation.

„Ugh, fine“, you gave in and fell back on to the mattress. Seonghwa‘s hand slowly reached for your phone, placing it behind him.

„My poor baby. So stressed out“, he cooed in between your legs.

„Even your beautiful pussy is dry. That’s no way to live, don’t you think?“, he asked seductively.

Slowly, he placed wet kisses all over your core, taking his time to arouse you properly.

Luckily, that didn’t take long.

„So wet, so fast, princess“, he hummed in admiration.

„Like I had a choice“, you snapped back at him.

His cheeky giggles filled the whole room. He knew what effect he had on you and he loved it, thrived off of it.

„Even if you’re acting like a brat right now… I can’t think of anything else but eating you out. Isn’t that crazy, y/n?“

You pushed your hips against his face, ushering him to finally do it. His plan was working without you even realizing. You were no longer thinking about your doomed health, but his tongue circling around your clit.

„Seongie“, you whined.

„Yes, my love?“

He batted his Bambi eyes at you, playing innocent. You grabbed a fistful of his long hair and pushed him into your pussy, making it utterly clear that you were done waiting.

Like a real man he devoured all of you, instantly. His tongue slippery circling around your throbbing clit, his long fingers quickly pushing in and out of your heated entrance, turning you into a trembling mess right in front of him.

Your sticky juices were dripping down his cheek as he finally came back up, grinning from ear to ear.

He didn’t say a word but just watched. Your chest was breathing heavily, eyes shut and mouth wide open.

„Bingo“, he applauded himself. He got up swiftly and laid down next to you, grabbing your delicate hands and squeezing them lightly.

„Baby, what are you thinking about now?“, he asked smoothly.

„Not a single thing“, you answered truthfully.

„Not one thought?“

„No, it‘s like you fucked me brainless“, you mused.

„Shit, I like that“, he said with a big grin. „Can we, like, do that again?“

[leggerefiore]

Since it’s spooky season does that mean it’s time for S/O to whip out the cute Halloween costumes (inflatable Rotom suit for Cyrus) and the sexy Halloween costumes (cardboard train cutout for the twins) to surprise their pokebfs? 😏😏😏😏

cw: fluff, comedy

characters: Cyrus, Ingo, Emmet, Grimsley, Lear, Volo

🌌Cyrus🛰

☄️ “... What are you wearing,” Cyrus deadpanned as he looked up from his paperwork. You had suddenly burst into his work office, which made him concerned about how his security was doing their jobs. Yet, this would have been a mild surprise had it not been for your attire. He could barely have guessed it were you had it not been for your knowledge of his fascination with a certain pokemon. It was an inflatable Rotom costume. He swallowed. The unblinking blue eyes of the costume stared into him while a ceaseless grin was on its face. “Beloved. Take that off at once,” he ordered, his chest feeling oddly tight. It was harder to breathe for him than usual.

☄️ “I didn't expect it to have that effect on you, Cy,” you teased him. He gasped. How dare you— He certainly was not feeling anything related to that from the costume! A bit of colour dusted across his cheeks as he shook his head. “Well, since you told me to,” you began to shed away the costume. It then hit him that you likely had nothing else to wear aside from that. He was now rushing over to stop you and telling you to keep on the costume. The last thing he needed was an ill-timed Saturn visit to his office and a thousand questions from his commander.

▲Ingo▼

● The older twin stood in a rare, dead silence as you entered his office. You visiting him was not so uncommon… But your choice of attire had shocked him into a lack of words. Truly, it was a feat to silence Ingo. Had Emmet been there, he likely would have made a comment on it, but he was attending to a trainer on the battle lines, which left you alone with older twin in your cardboard cut-out of a train costume. Ingo blinked. Finally, his pen fell from his hand. “Dearest… I am uncertain of what to say,” he admitted, “... What are you wearing.”

● “Something sexy,” you replied. Ingo was once more silenced. Sexy…? He… He had no idea how to respond to your claim. How many times must he be teased about his love of trains…? It was certainly nothing more than a deep appreciation for them! How they functioned… Their manner of build… The interior, the exterior. He swallowed. Your costume was nothing close to such a thing, unfortunately to say. He shook his head. Truly, what was going through your mind? He had a thousand questions but no interest in asking them. Biting his tongue, he simply asked why you had come to visit him instead.

▽Emmet△

○ That unwavering smile was on his lips as you entered his office wearing something strange. The younger twin had just clocked out for his lunch and had been thinking about texting you to meet him if you could, yet here you were without needing to be prompted. It would have been a nice surprise had you not bewildered him with your choice of attire. A cardboard cut-out of a twin with a morph suit. He blinked. Honestly, he had seen stranger things on the passenger lines and knew better than to pretend it was the oddest thing he had seen. “... Darling,” he started simply, “Why?”

○ “To get you going,” you replied. Emmet shook his head. Absolutely not. Yes, he liked trains. He liked trains a lot. This, however, was not something appealing to him. He could think about a thousand other costumes that would actually have sex appeal to him. Really… Sexy Galvantula hybrid would have been a better choice. This was just… Emmet sighed. Or, maybe, a sexy version of his uniform. He could enjoy that. You and him on the multi line together… He swallowed. Whatever he built up in his mind was instantly demolished by the costume, however. He instead asked about you joining him for lunch.

♠️Grimsley❤️

♤ “I take offence to that,” the gambler eyed you up and down as you entered his Elite Four chamber. He was sitting on his couch as usual, letting his Liepard nap in his lap. There had not been any challengers that day so far, which left him quite bored. When he heard someone enter, he had been excited… Especially when he heard your voice. This could prove quite the thrilling experience… Except you were in some horribly stereotypical Dracula costume. Grimsley sighed. The vampire accusations never ended. Can't a guy have a blood kink in peace? “Are you here to bite me?” he teased.

♡ “Yes,” you deadpanned and stepped towards him, hovering over him on the couch. He looked up at you, expression smug as ever. His trained poker face impossible to break. As you leaned down towards his neck, however, his Liepard startled awake and hissed in surprise at your closeness. You jumped back, having the fake fangs pop out of your mouth. Grimsley chuckled. Well, it seems he had a fierce protector. His hand combed through the fur of the feline as you whined about the moment being ruined. To him, however, it was ruined the moment you entered in that costume. He planned to take you out of it, though.

👑Lear💎

🪙 “Absolutely not,” were the first words from the prince's mouth as you entered his private quarters. He had been working out plans for this year's Halloween event and had called on you to give some ideas. However, it seemed you had something else in mind as you appeared before him in some horrifyingly over the top king costume. And that was coming from someone who often took over the top to over the top. The plastic crown on your head especially made him seethe. Rubbing salt in his wounds… “Tch. Take that off at once and change into something else. You have clothes in here.”

🪙 “... You're no fun,” you whined and stepped towards him, placing the crown on his head, “I bought this specifically for you and everything.” He shook his head, not caring to take off the crown. Really… The robe over your shoulders of faux fur and the gaudy, cheap fabric of the suit. He wanted to scold you for daring to think he would ever enjoy such a thing. Though… He did feel oddly inspired. A costume party again would not be so bad… Maybe a masquerade ball of some kind? He had ideas now. Turning away from you, he began scribbling his thoughts for Halloween events in his notepad. You stood their a-gasp at his actions.

📜Volo💫

⭐️ The merchant quite literally hissed when you approached him. You both had agreed to have a moment alone in one of the forests of Pasio. He was quite excited to see you… Well, the you of this world. Apparently, after you had fled Hisui back to your own time. But, you seemed to have some twisted sense of humour. How dare you wear something like that! “This is not funny,” he grumbled, “How could you?” The attire… Your clothing… He wanted to tear it from you. An inflatable costume of Arceus! Such heresy! He knew you were mocking him for his failure. The deity dared choose you over him, and it had gone to your head.

⭐️ “Hey, Volo,” you tried putting on a voice, “It's Arceus. I want you to stop being a menace. Please. Thank you.” You then turned to walk away. He rushed after you and grasped you tightly, actually tearing off the costume. His expression was something terrifying, reflective of how upset he truly was by your attempt at mocking him. He would never stop pursuing Arceus… Or you, for that matter. He held on to you for a moment before realising how bad the situation would look to a passer-by and letting you go. He then marched off like nothing had happened. He heard you laughing; he chose to ignore it.

[merriclo]

I want to know your LU headcanons!

ohHO i will absolutely tell you tysm for asking!! i’ve been wanting to talk abt them for ages but just never got around to it ig ahjdkcka

Time’s actually like 32 and is just really committed to the bit of being ancient

Sky is horrific at making new friends. he grew up with the same small group of people, so he never learned how to make friends with complete strangers because there simply wasn’t the need to. so, when he first starts traveling with the chain, he makes little wooden charms for them because he isn’t entirely sure how else to get close with them. Zelda always enjoyed his woodcarvings, so maybe they will too??

as a result, the entire chain has little trinkets made by Sky. on Legend’s bag there’s charms hanging off the straps, and Twilight wears his as necklaces (both because it looks cool as fuck and it helps the shadow crystal stand out less). yes Wind has specifically commissioned him to make something for Aryll

yeah yeah bunny Legend but consider: the mermaid suit (which I like to think is more of a curse bc get fished pink man <3) giving him some marine animal qualities as well. no matter what tho that bitch is an Ariel kinnie, they’re collecting all the shiny shit they can find

Sky is obsessed with doing puzzles the Right and Proper way, meanwhile Wild cheeses absolutely everything he can

Wind believes in all of those classic pirate superstitions

the witches in Legend’s era adore him. Grandma Syrup dotes on him, Maple is like a teasing older sister, and Irene is like a teasing younger sister. this is where he learned most of his magic skills from, and he takes all potentially enchanted or cursed items to them to check out. he’ll never admit it, but Legend finds lots of comfort in all of them, as they’re one of the few people who’ve stayed in his life this long.

Wild’s a pretty good medic!! during his adventure, he very quickly realized how dangerous infection is, so they learned about a lot of home remedies and medicinal herbs, as well as how to tend to a wound from other travelers at stables and inns. he didn’t really get a choice in learning, considering how he probably got stung or bit by painful insects or accidentally brushed up against painful plants a lot during the early days of their adventure, and thus showed up to stables covered in rashes and hives and such, causing every decent person in the area to flock to them and try to help. their Hyrule is very sweet, okay?

they’re not the only one who’s well acquainted with medicinal herbs, though! while I think all of them would have a basic understanding, Time, Hyrule, Warriors, and Wind would know a lot. dw i’m elaborating

Time quite literally grew up in the forest, was raised by a tree, and had actual forest spirits for siblings—he knows his plants. he and Saria would peel willow bark and collect dandelions together

I like to think that Hyrule being half-fae makes him very sensitive to all magic-based auras, including that of plants, so they’re very good at picking out the healing herbs, even if they’re not quite sure what they’re called

listen ok hear me out about Warriors. young Time was appalled that he knew jackshit about nature and forcefully taught him. also, before modern medicine, medicinal plants were used all the fucking time on the battle field. yarrow, an herb that stops bleeding and prevents infection, is called soldiers’ woundwort because of this. i mention this because he was probably concerned about the health and safety of his troops, so he learned what the medics were doing and using.

Wind grew up on a small, tight-knit island, realistically they would’ve had to have learned how to use the things around them to their fullest advantage. that being said, his knowledge is sort of useless outside of his own era, aside from what he was taught in the war. ok i’m done talking about medicinal herbs now i promise sorry it’s a hobby of mine ahhsjdka

Legend’s terrified of dogs. in Link’s Awakening, the dogs are literally balls on chains with huge mouths full of sharp teeth (basically just Chain Chomps). if you want to get angsty with it: it comes from guard dogs being sent after him on his first adventure. he became a lot less scared to more he spent time with BowBow (the ball and chain dog) but, when he woke up, he got the belief that he could only be safe around a dog in his dreams. he’s pretty damn uncomfortable around Wolfie at first, but after lots of time and learning to trust Twilight, he’s able to slowly overcome his fear. sort of. mostly just with Wolfie. he still hates staying at stables in Wild’s Hyrule.

if Wild doesn’t want to explain/source something he’ll just say it came to him via divine intervention. Sky believes it every single time

I was thinking about Legend’s story a while ago and realized it was kind of similar to Joan of Arc’s so take that as you will. idk if this even counts as a headcanon but i’m putting it here

Warriors and Twilight are really close friends because they both understand the struggles of wrangling dirt worshipping nature freaks. anytime Twilight (lovingly) complains about Wild, Wars will counter with whatever asinine feral child antics young Time got up to and suddenly Twi will feel very blessed and lucky

whenever Four sees someone with their hair in a high ponytail he subconsciously thinks they’re very smart and respectable because Dot always wears her hair in a high ponytail

Hyrule is completely fine with not sleeping on a bedroll. they like the dirt, actually. let them sleep in the dirt.

Legend uses apples in his red potions, both to increase their potency and to make them taste better. he also learned how to enchant apples to be healing on their own so sometimes when someone’s hurt he’ll just shove an apple in their face

uhh so ik this is a lot but this isn’t even close to of all my headcanons so yeah there’s that lmao

[qqueenofhades]

Your tags on the Dreamling/Good Omens cross over have me frothing at the mouth and I just need you to know that if you were to write that “Crowley stumbles into the New Inn” fic, I would be highly supportive of your life choices

The place isn't otherwise busy. It's edging into the lull period of late afternoon, when the day drinkers have shuffled out and the evening drinkers aren't quite off work, when there are only a few tourists taking snaps for the 'gram and the bartenders are out back for a cigarette break by the bins. Hob is sitting at his usual table, confronted with a pile of papers, a brewing catastrophe about the autumn schedule that for some reason he is expected to sort out, three passive-aggressive emails from Philippa about the prospect of him becoming Head of School next year (not on your fucking immortal life, mate) and other mundane academic crises, when the door flies open and a bloke at the end of his rope staggers in.

Thing is, Hob knows this particular bloke, at least by casual sight. He's been in from time to time, has a drink, stares at the wall, looks moody, and goes out again, either to a vintage Bentley filled with houseplants or just the streets of Poplar. Hob has made friendly conversation with him a time or two, knows that his name is Anthony Crowley and he lives in Soho, and he has a husband/boyfriend/life partner of some description who often drives him bonkers (join the club? Though the Stranger isn't even really that). But from the look on Anthony Crowley's face, as much as can be discerned from beneath his ever-present black sunglasses (not really a fashion item one otherwise needs in London), this is a five-alarm fire, and Hob gets up in some concern. "Hey. Mate. Everything -- ?"

Crowley stumbles past him without answering, which is probably only what Hob deserves. He reaches the bar, and since the bartenders are still on fag break and nobody else seems around to do it, Hob scuttles around the back. "Get you something?"

"Beer. Whiskey. Drink. I don't care." Anthony digs in his wallet and flings the first assortment of bills he can find at Hob, which is far more than it costs for a drink even in this terminally overpriced city. "Make it strong. Want to forget my own fucking name."

"Right. Got it." Hob only worked the bar when the New Inn was first opened and they were still hiring staff, but he hasn't forgotten. He selects a Scottish whiskey, neat, and pours it into the bottom of a tumbler, sliding it across the bar. Anthony throws it back without even seeming to breathe and shoves the glass in search of another, and Hob frowns. "Oy. Take it easy."

Crowley mutters something about that being the last thing he intends to do, thanks, and Hob's curiosity, the one thing that has often propelled him through the centuries, gets the better of him. "Not my place," he says cautiously. "But is everything, y'know? All right at home? Your, uh, partner, is he -- "

The effect of this utterance is not dissimilar to waving a red flag in front of a bull. Crowley rears back, looks for a moment like he's going to bolt, and is only prevented by Hob strategically shoving the refilled whisky glass into his hand. He tosses it down the hatch without turning a hair, wipes his mouth raggedly with the back of his hand, and with that, and no further prompting, launches into an absolutely nutty jeremiad. Something about Heaven and Hell, something about Aziraphale (that's his partner's name, yes) being a stubborn angelic idiot who's going to get himself killed, something about people named Gabriel (also an angel?) and Beelzebub (also a demon -- wait, demon?) running off together and he just thought -- he thought -- like a bloody fool he thought they could -- but no. Nooooooooo.

"Er," Hob says at the end, blinking hard. "Sorry, I don't quite follow."

"Course you don't." Crowley heaves a heavy sigh. "Even though you're not an ordinary human, I suppose it's just too...." He searches for a word, slurs a little on the end (maybe that whisky, of which he has just chugged the third glass, is having an effect on him after all), and enunciates with bitter, drunk precision. "Ineffable."

"Wait. What?"

"You're Robert Gadling." Crowley tips his head like an owl, trying to size Hob up in his progressively more lubricated state, and his dark glasses slide to the end of his nose, revealing lucent golden eyes beneath. "The special one. The immortal one. Right?"

Hob opens his mouth. Hob shuts his mouth. He realizes vaguely that it's quite possible Crowley has not, in fact, been talking in convoluted celestial metaphors the whole time. "How did you...?"

"I know your boyfriend," Crowley snaps. "Bit bloody full of himself too, isn't he? He and Az -- Azz-- Aziraphale probably sit around having secret societies for technology-hating, stuck-up, idiotic, holier-than-thou, utter total fucking prigs who can't use their words and constantly deny their feelings, eh?"

"My boyf -- " All at once, Hob feels as if a grand piano has been dropped on his head from a great height, like something out of an old cartoon. Yes, things with the Stranger are going well-if-you-squint, ever since their last meeting here: the idiot actually turned up, he apologized, he smiled, they had a long conversation, there were definite sparks. Considering the last, er, six hundred years or so of dismal precedent, that's a low bar, but still. "Afraid," Hob says at last, "he and I -- well, we aren't exactly like that, but -- "

Crowley keeps staring at him like he desperately wants Hob to sit him down and give him a clinic in how to get with the fussy, standoffish, excessively rules-bound immortal being he has been, evidently, also bloody pining after for Christ only knows how long. "Why not?"

"Ah." Good question. Hob isn't sure. "It's complicated."

"Complicated." Crowley stares moodily at the mirrored bar. "Sure. Yeah. Six thousand bloody years of complicated."

"Did you say six thousand -- ?"

"Yeah." Crowley holds out the glass again. "More."

Hob's mouth is still open. He's going to say something, but he doesn't know what. Six thousand years? God's wounds. He and the Stranger, at their piddly six hundred, are practically fucking married.

(He gets Anthony Crowley another drink, on the house. Can't help but feel that the poor bastard deserves it.)

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

How about Rollo meeting Ortho in the interaction?

ROLLO ONII-SAMA ERA??????? ????? ????? ??? ?? ? ????????? ???? 👀 (Gotta love how even the most uptight characters have sort of a soft spot for Ortho…) I shared some of the ideas expressed in this interaction in this previous post, if you want to check that out!

This very long interaction is “just strangers meeting for the very first time” since the request was non-specific. I do plan on releasing more in-depth Ignihyde and Rollo interaction headcanons later, so please look forward to that!

***WARNING: there are massive spoilers for Glorious Masquerade in this interaction.***

***CONTENT WARNING: depiction of a panic attack.***

Like Fire, Hellfire.

Late.

He was running late.

One thing had led into another, and that after-class chat with Professor Trein had spiraled into a longer-than-intended discussion on magically binding contracts. The older man was, Rollo found, poised and intellectual—a wise choice for an instructor. More than that, there was a warmness behind his austere presentation, something grandfatherly, kind, and comforting.

Rollo had been enchanted, and the time had slipped by so easily. Only when the sky was painted in hues of rose, tangerine, and gold did he realize the afternoon had bled into sunset.

He cleared his throat. "Pardon me, Mozus-sensei. It has been a very enlightening conversation, but I have other matters I must tend to."

"Of course. It was wonderful getting to speak with you one-on-one." Trein stroked the fur of a plump black and white cat nestled in his lap as he spoke. A familiar, Rollo ventured, careful to not let the disgust seep into his expression.

"Then I will see you tomorrow." He bowed, turning on his heel to exit. Just as Rollo was to cross the threshold, Trein called out to him.

"Flamme."

He stopped, looking over his shoulder. "Yes?"

Trein rested his hand. The setting sun poured in from an unobscured window, coloring the room in the shades of a dying day. He released what was on his mind.

"I want you to know that you are able to come to me whenever you wish. If you are lost or need guidance, academic or otherwise, I would be more than happy to assist. Your circumstances being as they are…" Trein shook his head. "I worry about you, the same as I do for each and every one of my students."

Rollo found himself frowning. He let the lie upon his lips go.

"Thank you, sir. However, your concern won't be necessary. I have taken the time to properly reflect on my actions since the masquerade.”

"... Very well, I won't push further. Have a good evening."

"Yes, you as well."

Rollo stepped out into the hallway. His past still clung to him like a shroud, trailing behind him like a wedding veil. It would follow him to his very grave.

He was not lost—he was certain of where his destiny would end, and it was wreathed with the flames of vengeance.

At this time of the day, hellish red washed over corridors devoid of students. With everything empty and painted the same shade, the campus appeared monotonous—each hall the same as the last. Hadn’t he already passed this classroom a few minutes ago? Was he seeing things, or was Night Raven College turning into a glorified maze?

It was strange—first, he had been late. Now he here he was, lost. It was unlike him to be in such circumstances. Had he stepped into a wonderland where everything was the opposite and logic was topsy-turvy?

Should I turn back and return from the way I came? He wondered whether it would save him time or waste even more.

Something flickered in the corner of his field of vision. His eyes instinctively darted to it. Whatever it was, it was blue in color, emitting a soft halo of light. It was at the end of the hall, too far away to make out any concrete details.

What is that…?

Rollo’s feet moved on their own, compelled to follow the mysterious blue glow. At first, they were set in a comfortable walk—but his pace grew brisker and brisker as he approached. Walk to jog to sprint.

He didn't know why, but he was desperate to catch up to it. Rollo was a man possessed, a moth drawn to a flame. Every bone, every muscle, every drop of blood screamed at him: you must.

The blue sharpened, coming into focus. Taking form, assuming a body. From behind, Rollo could tell it was a young boy, his feet low to the ground but not quite touching it.

An otherworldly apparition, floating.

His heart caught in his throat. His breath hitched, then stilled. Fear had seized his throat, preventing the air from escaping him.

No. No, it can't be. Impossible.

Rollo's hand shot out, expecting to meet the air, to faze though the boy in blue. But his skin met something solid, and a bolt of ice raced down his spin upon contact.

Liquid welled in his eyes. Searing.

Don’t leave me. Don’t disappear right before me. Not again.

His pulse quickened, his stomach twisting.

The breath he had been holding was released, shakily expelled like a horrible secret.

"Brother...!"

Then Rollo saw him in full. The composition of it was all wrong. He had the same wide, curious eyes—but his hair was set aflame, and the ghostly pallor of his face was framed in an odd mask. His mouth was obscured from view, and where there should have been a heart was an eerie blue fire.

His body, too, was not natural. Metal, with strange segmentations in the limbs. A low hum of electricity. Decidedly unhuman.

Rollo’s heart sank, his fragile hope shattering.

It's not him.

“Uwah!” the boy in blue cried, startled.

Of course, Rollo realized. Why wouldn’t he be caught off-guard? He had just charged at the boy and suddenly grabbed him. Rollo let his arm drop and bowed deeply.

“I apologize for the fright. I… mistook you for someone else.”

“Oh, that’s why!” The boy in blue seemed to smile reassuringly from behind his mouth visor. “Don’t worry. It’s common for humans to make optical identification errors.”

“Erm, yes.” Rollo wove his hands together. It did nothing to relax his hammering heart, his creased brows. “Do excuse me for the disruption. I’ll be on my way now.”

The boy tilted his head. Rollo shivered—it was as though the child was peering straight into his soul. Big doe eyes full of life. Warm like a little candle. It was uncanny how familiar this boy was.

Candid, pure.

It’s almost like he has returned to me.

His chest twinged, and he faltered with his departure.

“… Mister, your vital signs all read abnormal. Body temperature, pulse, respiration rate, blood pressure, even the level of perspiration.” His tone turned concerned. “Are you feeling unwell?”

“I am fine.”

He didn’t look convinced. Rollo wasn’t sure if he believed his own lie either.

“You’re not wearing a Night Raven College uniform,” the boy noted. “You must be a visitor then! Let me escort you to the nurse’s office. You will receive the care you need there.”

“I assure you, I’m not in need of their services.”

He blinked. “… Feedback acknowledged. If you refuse to go, then I can’t exactly force you to.”

The boy hovered in a circle around Rollo, extending his arms out toward him. “I can still help you get to your destination though—wherever that may be! Just let me know and I’ll calculate the most efficient route for you.”

“What…”

Rollo reeled at the sight of him flying—on his feet, and without a broom! The boy spoke so strangely for his age as well as well, talking of biometrics and mathematics as easily as a child might discuss their favorite toy. But the way he stared back at him…

The eager expression, hands outstretched.

“Onii-sama!”

The hurt in his chest intensified, a new bloom of pain taking root in his head. An ash-covered memory was lit ablaze again.

Smoke in his lungs, singed flesh in his nose, and tears stinging his eyes. The scream of a burning child ringing in his ears.

Pain, a searing knife against his skin.

“H-Help me… HELP ME…!!”

Rollo took a trembling step back. He didn’t realize it, but he had started to shake all over, a cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. His eyes were alert, paranoid.

The air too thin to sate his screeching lungs. The world closing in, blanketed in curtains of smoke. Coals at his feet, fire rising.

“N-No, I… I…!!”

His hands flew to his head, clawing at his skin, his hair. Everything suddenly felt too uncomfortable, too hot—

“Mister!!”

Rollo felt arms being thrown around him. An encircling, kind embrace. He looked down to find the strange child hugging him tightly. Smiling softly, angelically.

“… It’ll be okay," the boy said, his voice as tender as the touch of a feather. "There, there. Everything will be okay."

The flames froze, as did the fuel that fed them. Rollo stiffened, reality seeping through to him. His body, unsure of how to react.

He slowly lowered his hands from his face, properly looked the child in the eyes. They seemed to pulsate hypnotically, projecting soothing shades: gold, amber, honey.

"I'm here for you," the boy continued. "See? I'm here.”

He was. Rollo knew his gaze, his touch. The warmth he had long since renounced, been deprived of.

“Focus on me. That’s right, just like that. Breathe slowly. Let’s do it together, okay? In, out. In, out…”

Huff, huff, huff.

Rollo was not so much as breathing as he was gulping and spitting up pockets of air. He was a dehydrated man tasting sweet water on the verge of death, then vomiting on the luxury of it.

The boy nodded understandingly in spite of his shaky efforts. “Just like that! You’re doing great.”

Huff, huff.

His body moved more on instinct than on command. Taking in air and returning it, a process set on autopilot. Each breath increasingly more stable than the last.

A warm hand rubbing the area between is shoulder blades. Wordlessly easing him through it.

“… How are you feeling now?”

Those few simple words dispelled the last of the suffocating heat. His emotions tempered, cooling, and finding ground once more. What was left was fizzling frustration and knotted confusion.

Huff…

Rollo released the last of his breath.

He struggled to speak. “I... I don’t understand. Why are you…”

He pulled away, but kept his hands on Rollo's shoulders. “I detected heart palpitations and other abnormal biological fluctuations. Altogether, they indicated that you were experiencing something akin to a trauma response. You looked so sad and scared. I initiated the only protocol in my memory bank that suited the scenario."

“You…” Rollo hesitated. “You did that for a complete stranger?”

“Hehe. Did my comfort protocol work?” He gave a happy twirl midair. "I'm glad that you're feeling better, even if just a little!"

Rollo watched him in silence, guilt stirring in the pit of his stomach. When he touched his cheek, he found it slightly damp. Renegade tears that had slipped free and dribbled down.

Pathetic—after all these years, he hadn’t become any stronger at all, still crumbled when he reminiscenced. Old, aching memories forever branded into him. Memories that continued to hurt him, even to this very day.

He clutched a hand over his heart.

And yet this boy…

Protectiveness swelled up.

“You,” Rollo spoke up at last, “why are you wandering on campus grounds unsupervised? Are you not aware that this is a dangerous location for youths like yourself?”

“I’m here to pick up my big brother!” he replied, beaming proudly. “Nii-san had a big exam today, plus a club meeting. It should be over by now, so we’re going to meet up and then have a family fun night!”

“How… thrilling for you.” Rollo offered a tight-lipped smile. “My word, this elder brother of yours sounds highly irresponsible if he’s leaving a child of your age unchaperoned. It should be the older sibling’s responsibility to look out for the younger, not the other way around.”

“Huh? That’s usually how it is for us, though. Nii-san forgets to take care of himself when he’s not reminded!” He sighed, shoulders slumping. “Nii-san stays up late gaming, snacks instead of having real meals, and rarely leaves his room.”

“That’s absolutely abhorrent,” Rollo seethed, his rage returning to him. “What sort of example is he setting for you?”

Red prickled the edges of his vision. How dare that so-called brother burden this poor, sweet boy and allow him to wander around a mage-infested school? For that, Rollo would put him to the stake.

“That’s it, it’s settled! I will accompany you and ensure that you find your way home safely. Furthermore, when you reunite with your brother, I will be sure to give this man a piece of my mind.”

“Eeeeeeeh?!” Shock lit up the boy’s face. “This is the first time anyone’s ever wanted to meet nii-san so passionately!”

For all the wrong reasons, he recognized—still, there was a fragment of hope in the circumstances. Potential friendship to be found in the confrontation. He clung to that possibility.

"Well... okay, if you really want to. Nii-san might be a little more than surprised to see you, but it's a good chance to him to meet new people."

"Fufufu, that's correct. It would do him some good to become acquainted with—" A thought dawned on him. "Ah, forgive me. I forgot to ask for your name earlier. Please, may I know it?”

“Me? I’m Ortho! Ortho Shroud.”

Shroud.

The surname (unfortunately) conjured up a familiar face. Pale completion, cobalt lips, irises in piercing yellow, blazing blue fire for hair. A man that retreated from the light, spitting words as sharp as his jagged teeth.

Rollo grimaced. How had he not seen the resemblance sooner? Blinded by emotions, he ventured with a subtle scoff.

“What’s your name, mister?” Ortho asked, peering up at him.

"I am..." Rollo stopped himself. A swarm of unanswered questions fought for his attention, each wanting to be the first to be let out.

Shroud’s brother is no longer with us. How is it possible that he is standing here before me? What has happened to his body? Why is it metal? Surely they’re beyond normal prosthetics. He’s floating like some unorthodox apparition…

One inquiry won out in the end.

Has he told Ortho about me?

What would happen to the boy’s faith, his joy, once the introduction was uttered? The idea summoned a great deal of discomfort, twisting painfully like a knife plunged into Rollo’s guts. Guilt pooling.

He fell silent.

“… Never mind that. My identity is unimportant, for I am a mere visitor to this prestigious school. You may continue calling me ‘mister’ as you were.”

“Roger that! Let’s get going then. Nii-san’s waiting!”

Ortho flew ahead, the guiding light in a world dyed a hellish hue of red. Rollo followed at a safe distance, but never let the boy out of his sight—but he never drew too close either.

Why did you do that? Rollo rebuked himself. You've done no wrong. You have nothing to be ashamed of, no reason to feel any guilt. You are in the right. Why mask the truth?

He squeezed his eyes shut.

That night, atop the bell tower...

"Do you think your brother would have wanted this?! Idia had demanded. “Would he be happy... seeing you do this to the city—to the world—in his name...?"

I am without sin. I am righteous, Rollo told himself. A prayer, a staunch affirmation. Of my virtue, I am justly proud.

“Hurry up, mister!” Ortho called to him. The boy’s voice snapped him back, and Rollo smiled in spite of himself.

“… Of course. I am coming.”

This happiness, he knew, would not last forever. Spells always broke before the strike of midnight.

He had to relish these fleeting yet magical moments while they lasted.

[callofloony]

Puppy dog. (Ghost x gn!reader oneshot)

—————

Tags: Fluff, fluff, all the fluff, small misunderstandings, angst and insecurity too? Maybe?? Ghosts insecurity. As a treat !! Clingy Ghost, no use of y/n.

A/N: Ouyghhu im havin thoughts,, i meant for this to just be a drabble but my brain said “ha! fuck you!!!” so im gonna write abt it, ty 💞💞

~ Fic under the cut ~

—————

You throw your jacket over your shoulder with a slight sigh, stretching your arms for a moment before grabbing your bag. You needed to go to the store for a bit to grab some things for dinner, it was supposed to be a quick trip, so you didn’t think to tell anyone, not even your boyfriend. Simon.

“Love, what are you doing?” He asked from atop the stairs, he’d been in the shower, and you were going to send him a text when you got in the car. You didn’t even realize he’d gotten out. You flash him a smile, continuing to throw your clothes on.

“I’m heading out in a minute, need some stuff for dinner,” You replied a moment after, grabbing your keys right after. “Did you need something?”

Simon pauses for a moment, his hair was still damp, and he had minimal clothing on, just some pajama shorts he’d thrown on after showering. He hadn’t intended on going out after, but…

“…Can I come with?” He questioned simply while walking down the stairs to meet you, head tilted, and eyes big like a dog. The same eyes you’d fallen for long ago.

These words shocked you a little, you knew Simon didn’t generally like going out much, he’d run errands and go out for missions, but he preferred staying home and being with you, if he had the choice. So to hear he wanted to come with you, even for something as simple as this? It made you smile.

“Alright, puppy… Go get dressed,” You replied teasingly, making him blush a bit, corners of his mouth twitching into a faint smile as he held back a soft laugh.

“Could’ve just said yes…” He stated with faux annoyance, turning around to head back upstairs and throw on some clothes. His response made you smile a little wider.

People always thought you had scary dog privileges, like Simon was your body guard you hired off the military because of his steely gaze, and multitude of scars.

In actuality, you had loyal puppy privileges. Where Simon would cling, and follow you around everywhere, no matter where you two were going. It was his way of making sure you weren’t going to leave, and never come back. Of course, he still gave you personal space, but he didn’t want to lose you, never.

A few minutes later, he comes back down stairs dressed back up, a fabric mask on his face, some jeans, and his signature hoodie. It was a little chilly after all.

You smile and gently grab his hand, caressing his knuckles with your thumb for a moment before taking the two of you to the car. You drive, for obvious reasons… But you didn’t mind having him as passenger princess. This was just one of the ways you got to spoil him even when he refused.

You both make it to the store, and you two hop out of the car, making your way inside of the store with Simon trailing a bit behind you. But your hands never lose one another’s grip. The sight is a bit of a spectacle, but no one dared say anything, especially as your hands were linked together.

You’ve been shopping for about ten minutes now, you only have a few more items you need to grab, so you both decide to split up to make it go easier, your fingers falling away from one another as you both walk off, and that’s when people start to turn heads.

You head into another isle, looking for the vegetables you were supposed to grab, when Simon turns the corner and spots you, and decides to trail behind you, wanting to sneak up and startle you. He doesn’t get that far though.

Someone looks at the two of you concerned and taps your shoulder, Simon is confused but doesn’t say anything, hoping he can still fulfill his plan of spooking you a little.

“Uhm, excuse me? Is this guy bothering you?” The stranger asked in a whisper, gesturing to Simon with a stern and worried look on their face, making you turn your head in worry, only to find your boyfriend staring back at you.

He groans heavily in slight annoyance, making you chuckle, the stranger looks confused before you grab his hand and kiss his forehead, making it very clear what his intentions were now, a faint blush spreading on his cheeks.

“I appreciate it, but he’s my boyfriend,” You replied, making the stranger blush in embarrassment before mumbling an apology and walking away. You both paid for your items and left, giggling about the interaction on the way home.

“It’s sweet they were worried,” He started, letting out soft chuckles while replaying the interaction in his head. “But did they not see us holding hands before?”

“I know, right?” You replied while pulling into your shared driveway, you found a bit of comfort knowing that stranger was willing to help, but you also found it a little ridiculous after finding out it was just your sweet puppy boyfriend, who’d never lay a finger on you.

“The nerve,” Simon continued in a joking tone, grabbing your hand and swiftly pulling down his mask to place a gentle kiss to your lips, giggling through it. “How dare they.”

You giggled with him and started unloading the groceries, he never left your side throughout the whole process, even as you two were cooking. Laughing and joking around with one another. He was always so loving…

No wonder why he was your puppy.

A/N: Babies babies. BABIESSS 💞💞 AUYGAHH I LOVE THIS MAN. I LOVE SOFT GHOST :[[[ hope you enjoyedddd sorry if the ending was a little anti climactic, im starting to run out of writers juice aaaa >:[[ but still !! Not my worst performance! BYE BYE

[sunnycanvas]

"This is madness" "I want to hit him so hard for doing this, I know that crusaders are desperate but to be this desperate to make their leper a king" "Their king no less fool to go through battlefield".

I was approaching to my destination and my heart filled with warmth. "Seems like Allah has been merciful to me" "Despite my treachery to my people". As I was nearing my destination I saw Reynald de Chaitilion. My blood boiled and I saw red. I closed my eyes for a moment and thought of Baldwin, my habibi I got down from my horse and searched for some one and one man I was very confident to trust. I went towards a man called Raymond III count of Tripoli. I have heard good things about him and I also know that he is open minded when it comes to stranger. I walked confidently towards him wearing my heavy armour. "My lord" I respectfully bent on one of my knee full aware of Frank custom. "I bear important message regarding infidels". Raymond, was all ears "Tell me more about it". Continuing my act I said "I have direct orders from Lord Jocelyn to give the message directly to the king". Raymond, pursed his lips and showed me the way

"My lord, a message from Lord Jocelyn regarding infidels" "The knight in question is waiting outside". Let him enter I commanded and a man soon entered. He bent on one of his knees. "Speak sir knight" "What is it you wish to tell"

"That you are making a mistake and you shouldn't go to battlefield". Baldwin was shocked when he heard that voice. I looked at him with tears streaming down my eyes. "Please why are you doing this". Baldwin not believing said "You dare to question my authority". Angry I took off my helmet and said "How could you be so stupid".

"(Y/N)" Baldwin looked at me in shock. "At first I thought my disease is causing me to to think it was you". "HOW COULD YOU BE SO STUPID" Baldwin screamed in anger. His scream attracted nearby knights who were rushing inside the tent. Fortunately my reflexes were quick and I hid quickly. The knights hurriedly questioned their king their voice laced in concern. "Your majesty is everything alright?" "We heard you scream". Baldwin embarassed said "Yes, everything is alright".

"My lord" another knight hurriedly entered the tent. "I bear an urgent message from lord balian of ibelian" "I request to discuss this with you alone". Baldwin tilted his head in acknowledgment and the knights left the tent. The knight brought a map with him and was moving towards the table. "Your Grace, we have discussed and important strategy regarding battle of Morningstard". Baldwin moved towards the knight. The knight aware of the king's health requested the king to sit and discuss so as to not to tire him. Baldwin had no choice but to reluctantly agree to it. "As you can see my lord, the ibelian brothers are very well aware of battle ground and they have suggested to use marshy area for -

"Ah!" "Stop please!". Concerned the knight asked "Your Highness, is everything okay?". Baldwin with flushed and angry faced said "Yes, please continue". The knight continued once again "So as I was saying we can used to to our advantage since-"

"No!" "Why are you doing this?" Baldwin breathing started breathing heavily looking up. It looked like he was about to cry. "Your Grace, I think it's best I find a physician- "No continue". The knight gulped seeing the king so furious and then he stared to continue again. Baldwin was listening but he could stop what he was feeling right now. "Ngh!" "Hmgh" "Ah!" "Hah!". Baldwin gripped the edge of the table his knuckles going white his other hand going under the table. Baldwin expression soon turned relaxed. He smiled but when he looked up saw the knight in front of him. His smile froze and said "You may leave". The knight left immediately as if almost afraid of him. Once Baldwin was sure he was out of sight. He pulled me out from under the table and made me sit on his lap."How dare you make me cum in front of my knight" Baldwin yelled angrily. I gave him a cheeky smile and said "To show you how much of my charms works on you". Baldwin was furious. He layed me down on his lap and said "As a punishment you deserve 30 slaps" "Count properly or else I will restart". Baldwin stripped of my clothes of my lower half. His hand started feeling my butt. He grabbed my ass cheeks and I let out a moan. "Smack"

"1"

"Smack"

"2"

This didn't seem like a pain but pleasure instead. I love showing my naked ass and being dominated by my lover. I purposely tried repeating a number so that I could enjoy my humiliation longer. "Do you think that I am some sort of idiot" "I am king of Jerusalem". "Go sit on top of my bed masturbate". I looked at him and tried giving my puppy eyes knowing how he gives in easily"

"Nuh-uh princess, you act like a whore then you get treated as one"

Having no choice I sit on bed and spread my legs. I could see Baldwin's arousal increasing. My fingers entered my fold and Baldwin's breath hitched. I smirked coming up with devious plan. I pinched my clit and shuddered and Baldwin mouth went agape with wide eyes. I closed my eyes and started masturbating imagining that it was Baldwin' finger and not mine. "Please my lord, put your fat cock inside me" "Please make your woman" "I want to give my everything to you". My hand began furiously rubbing with my clit. Just when I was about to reach my release I felt a warm slick sensation down there, I opened my eyes and saw Baldwin eating me out. I moan harder and Baldwin spread my legs wider his tongue playing with long strip of my fold. He seemed to get bored and started exploring my clitoris until he found a hole under it. Dazed and sweaty he used his fingers to open my pussy lips wider. His eyes widened and he smiled saying "So beautiful". His tongue went inside my vagina hole. I arched my back in pleasure. That seemed to boost his confidence and he trusted his tongue in and out in full force causing me to cum. "(Y/N) we need to stop" "If I go one more step ahead, things will never be the same". Getting emotional I said"Please do it, since tonight may be the last night I have you". Baldwin grew frustrated and brought a mirror near the bed I looked confused at the mirror. Baldwin soon started stripping. Once he was nude he climbed on top of bed. He then entered me causing me pain. "Look at the mirror" he commanded. I started at the mirror and then he started moving slowly. "Yes, what will your father think of you, his favourite daughter fucking his enemy" "Giving up yourself like a whore" "Fucking him in his camp while he assembles his army"

"I.. had-th toh, Pleeaase dohn't goh!" "Yuh wilh loose..! Ah! More! Please, my lord!" "Treat me like a whore! Make me your fucktoy!" "Please don't! Ah! Bal, slowh down!"

Baldwin angrily comanded"Look yourself in the mirror will I fuck you!" with tears streaming down my eyes I saw myself

"See yourself filling your womb with the sperm of your enemy". "Making your womb filthy with his seeds!" "I want to fuck you in front of your army and make them watch their dirty little princess or should I keep you in my tent and keep you with me until you are pregnant and your stomach filled up with my baby?" "Hmm... Seems like a good idea to then send you to your father with your pregnant belly"

I shaked my head no, "Please my lordh! Show-huh some mercy! Ah! Oh!"

Baldwin smirked and said "Then be a good girl and do as I say, a woman has no say in battlefield". "Now look at the mirror and watch yourself be filled with my seeds"

I did as instructed. "Ah! I am cumming!"

"Me, too princess!" "Me too!"

We both soon cummed together. I watched my pussy greedily drinking my habibi

Baldwin soon rested his head on my breast. I took this opportunity to voice my concern "You know my father has large army and you have very small army" "My father is experienced general while you are merely sixteen year old leper boy" "I was worried about you and thought since maybe tonight might be the last day might as well make love to you one last time before departing for for good"

Baldwin leaned forward and kissed me on my lips and said "Don't worry nothing will happen" "I promise you that I will come back alive and unharmed"

"Will you promise in case if my father looses you will leave him alive and unharmed"

Baldwin hesitated before saying "I promise"

[skzcollision]

take the breath that's true | lee felix (1/2)

pairing: non-idol!lee felix x fem!reader

content info + tw: time travel, angst, fluff, felix is called yongbok in this, wrote this when i was sleep deprived lol, violence + bullying

. ⋅ ˚̣- : ✧ : – ⭒ ⊹ ⭒ – : ✧ : -˚̣⋅ .

It had begun as a small lie, really. A lie so good, you believed it yourself.

"I'm taking a semester off."

You would be doing a paid internship to fill that time, so it's not like you're not doing anything because god forbid you take a break from your studies to backpack through Europe or something so useless. Your parents would have a stroke.

And then, you did the unthinkable.

You dropped out of university.

Got a full-time job at a bookstore. Began living life peacefully, all the while deceiving your parents who lived a few hours away.

The liberation you felt by doing this was nothing you had ever experienced before.

Of course, it had its drawbacks. You were practically living a lie. Because you dropped out of school, you no longer saw your friends every day. They often hung out without you, and over the years, you eventually turned into something of a social recluse.

You had one good friend from work who invited you to go out every once in a while. Each time you declined because blowing out your eardrums whilst standing in a room packed with strangers either drunk or high on something never really appealed to you.

Soon enough, you reached a place of discontentment.

Would your life have turned out any better if you pushed through with school?

That was something you wondered about every single day.

"Are you eating well?"

The line fell silent, save for the distant sounds of your mother chopping up something on her cutting board. You could hear something boiling on the stove.

You stared blankly at the bowl of instant noodles by your sink.

"Yes."

Another small lie amongst all other lies.

"You sure?" She pressed, disbelief evident in her voice. "Why don't I come over there sometime, fix you up a proper meal-"

"No. Mom, you don't have to do that. It'll just be a waste of gas, I'll be really busy these upcoming weeks."

"Well, when is your break? It's been a while since you've last visited us, you know. Your poor father has been wanting to see you, he misses you."

Your mother knew just how to pull at your heartstrings.

"I know, I miss you guys too. I'll visit on my birthday, okay? In a couple of months, I promise."

Seven years ago;

They were at it again. The three biggest pompous assholes of your grade.

This time, it was this short, lanky kid. You recognized him from homeroom.

Your eyes flitted to his so-called friends, turning away sheepishly when he looked to them for help. Just one moment ago, they were all at their table, talking and laughing.

Why was no one doing anything?

Just as you were lifting yourself from your seat to inform a teacher - someone, anyone - another boy stepped in front of the smaller one.

The bullies were blocking him from your line of sight, but you could see that he wasn't much taller than the former. They were still towering over him.

"Isn't that Yongbok?" The girl behind you whispered to her friend. "He does taekwondo, right?

"Yeah... but there are three of them. And they're double his size."

You promptly slid out of your seat, gripping onto your metal lunch tray. Your friends glanced at you in a snap, all visibly concerned. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just..." You didn't get to finish your sentence as you neared the guys. Not that you knew the answer to that anyway. You were acting on pure impulse.

Now you could fully hear what they were saying.

"Rich guy, huh?"

They were apparently laughing at the boy's choice of accessories. He wore a gold watch on his wrist. It did look quite funny on him - only because it seemed a bit too big and grown up for the boy.

Something did surprise you, though.

If he was intimidated, he was great at hiding it. It was as if they were all having a normal and friendly conversation. On the other hand, the kid behind him was close to wetting his pants.

"So, if you're done talking to my friend, we would like to have our lunch now."

This did nothing to defuse the situation.

"What did you just say?"

Sweat pooled between the palms of your hands, the utensils clattering as they shook in your tray.

Your mind flashed to the first week of school. That kid, who got beaten up so badly he was coughing up blood.

Was this just going to keep on happening?

Without much thought behind it, you drew your arms back and flung your tray at them as hard as you could.

It made an audible plunk as it collided with the back of their leader's head.

There was momentary silence before the cafeteria exploded with stunned gasps and sputters of laughter. You remained frozen at your spot, arms still above your head. Your lunch was now on his white shirt, staining it orange.

"Who the hell-"

Everyone in the room was staring at you. Your gaze fell to the boy with the gold watch. He looked afraid now.

But not for himself.

You were so, damn lucky.

One second, you were receiving the deadliest stare from the scariest guy at school, and the next, a teacher had come to break them up.

For the next few days, you went everywhere with your friends. Needed to use the restroom? Needed to grab something from your locker? The whole group was coming with you.

You had never once been so scared for your life.

One afternoon, one of your friends had overheard the bullies talking. They were teasing their leader for letting you off the hook so easily. He apparently refused to bully a girl - a cute one at that.

"Oh my god, ew. Unbelievable." You shook your head with an expression of disgust. "There's no way. You made that last part up."

"He really said that!"

Your friend next to you released a wistful sigh, pursing her lips. "I wish someone would fall in love with me right after I'd just chucked a full tray of food at them, too..."

Things weren't so easy for gold watch boy, though.

He became their target. And he made it so easy for them, too. Every time any of them had a problem with anyone, he would be there, at their rescue. Taking their place. He didn't fight back either.

You just didn't get it.

How could someone possibly endure that much? That had to have taken a physical and mental toll on him. Yet you would see him in the hallways every single day, with that same bright smile. Despite the cut on his lip.

They kept getting interrupted on school grounds, so the bullies had made it routine to take him somewhere after school. You decided to follow them one day, and you were led to an alleyway just a couple blocks away from school.

Why didn't he just run away? You had seen him on the track. He was one of the fastest in your grade.

"... just not on my face, guys."

You ran and snuck up behind some stairs, peeking over the railing.

Whatever he had said earned him some scoffs.

"Pretty boy doesn't want his face ruined."

"What a vain little shit."

Yongbok blinked widely, almost innocently - as if it was all just one little misunderstanding.

"Oh, it's not like that at all. It's just my mom... I don't want her to know about any of this."

"Alright," the biggest of them all chuckled, lip curling smugly.

Your heart twisted in anger.

"We can have that arranged for you," he ambled towards the boy.

"Sike!"

His body turned, and his foot suddenly shot up out of nowhere.

You winced with your entire self as the boy stumbled back, holding himself up against the brick wall.

"Shit..."

From your angle, you couldn't tell what exactly happened. But you knew you had to do something before the situation escalated.

You could swear your whole life flashed before your eyes as you sped towards them, yelling. "Stop!"

"The hell?"

"It's that bitch that threw the tray!"

You stopped just a few feet from them, your thoughts racing a mile a minute. A deep sense of regret - then anger, at these stupid bullies, and at yourself for not knowing what to do next and just charging at them like an idiot.

Someone then yanked on your wrist, ending your train of thought. You were forced to move on your feet again as Yongbok dragged you with him through the alleyways. Several voices followed, hollering at you - but you couldn't register anything they were saying as you were focused solely on getting away.

It felt like it had gone on forever. Fortunately, you had run into some policemen, and that managed to scare the guys away.

You now sat at a convenience store, icing Yongbok's jaw where a bruise was starting to form.

"Man, what am I going to do about this?" He clicked his tongue as he stared at his reflection. "This isn't gonna go unnoticed - and I'm running out of excuses."

You were brimming with anger once again.

"Why do you let them do that to you?"

He stared at you, dumbfounded.

"If they don't pick on me, they'll just pick on someone else."

He had said it so plainly and simply. It was mind-boggling. You genuinely could not tell if he was the bravest and most selfless person you had ever met or just an idiot. Somehow, you felt he was both.

You walked away momentarily to pick up something from the cosmetics aisle, paid for it and went to sit back down again.

"So..." You began as you gently dabbed some coverup on the bruise. "You think this makes you like some sort of hero then?"

"Hadn't thought about it that way," his eyes darted across your face absentmindedly. "I'm sorry I didn't get to thank you, for the other day. In the cafeteria."

You waved him off, cleaning your finger on a piece of napkin. "You take their hits on purpose, don't you. I can tell."

He bobbed his head, looking down at his shoes.

"And you dodge some so you don't end up seriously injured."

You sighed through your nose in exasperation. "Why haven't you reported them?"

"You don't know, do you?" He gazed out the window. "Nothing will be done about it. One of them - his father donates large sums of money to the school."

"Doesn't make him untouchable."

"It kind of does."

You hated it. That deep down, you knew he was right.

Yongbok slid a packet of ice cream towards you. "Here," he grinned. "For saving me from the bullies, twice."

Present;

On the ride home, the car passed by your old high school. It did - every time you came back.

And you were always left wondering what ever happened to that freckled boy since you last saw him.

If he was happy, and if he was doing better than you now. You hoped so.

It was comforting how much had remained the same, as if you had never left - a time machine in a way.

You longed to go back.

To the summer before you began your first year in university. The last time you were ever truly happy.

Despite it being the night before your actual birthday, your parents had thrown an event for you. So many people had shown up - neighbors, old friends from high school that stayed back.

It felt very reminiscent of the past when everyone would get together, and you slept that night content for the first time in a very long time. You dreamt of your life before, how those warm memories felt closer than ever now that you were here.

Such happiness...

"Wake up, my precious girl~"

A grin was spreading across your face before you could even fully open your eyes. You ignored the ache behind them as the sun greeted you first thing.

Your mother smiled kindly back at you, her fingers gently combing through your bedhead.

"Mom..."

"Hm?"

"Can't I stay here..." You mumbled. "Stay here forever?"

She laughed softly, and your smile grew at the sound. "Don't you want to see your friends today? They must have something planned for you."

"My friends?" You rubbed at your eyes, still disoriented from sleep.

"C'mon," she stood, patting your leg. "Let's get up. I've prepared breakfast."

With your eyes half-shut, you felt your way out of the room and sat yourself on a wooden chair.

Your mother settled a bowl of soup in front of you on the table. "Happy birthday, sweetie..."

"I have something for you." Excitement shone in your father's eyes as he pushed a dark blue box towards you.

He didn't... again?

"Dad, you don't need to get such expensive gifts."

He chuckled heartily. "Can't I get something nice for my only daughter just this once?"

You flipped the lid open and grew puzzled at what was inside. It was a simple, silver necklace with a round diamond pendant. The one you wore every single day.

The one your father gifted you a few years back. It was the first time he had spent so much on a present.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes, but dad - isn't it..."

Everything felt eerily familiar.

You shot up from your chair, and headed back to your room.

"What's wrong?"

You searched for the necklace on your nightstand where you had placed it last night, then on the floor, if it had fallen by any chance.

It wasn't there.

As you rose to your feet, your eyes caught the screen of your phone.

What? It couldn't be right. Yesterday was Friday... so shouldn't it be Saturday?

"You guys aren't... playing some sort of prank on me, are you?"

Your parents glanced at each other with momentary confusion, then back to where you stood in the hall.

"Are you that surprised with my gift?" Your father laughed, then beckoned you over. "Come on, you can put it on now. Then we can eat."

It was happening again - all of it.

The things your parents said at breakfast, you wouldn't have been able to recall it but now that it was in front of you all over again, there was no doubt about it.

Everything was the exact same.

You looked in the mirror and had bangs again.

Your phone was blowing up with the same messages from your friends in that old group chat.

This only meant one thing.

He was still here.

⭒

[your-averagewriter]

Wrong number...?

Summary: (y/n) gets a mysterious call from a wrong number claiming to be in her house but it's not what it seems...

Word count: 0.9K

Warnings: kissing, stalking (kinda?), sexual references

-

-

I pop a piece of popcorn in my mouth whilst walking through the kitchen. Because my parents weren’t home I decided to make some popcorn and watch a movie. Ethan’s meant to be here now but he’s late. My thoughts are interrupted by a ringing coming from the other side of the room.

I wander over and grab hold of the phone plugged in on the counter. Placing another piece of popcorn in my mouth I pick up the phone and lift it to my ear.

“Hello?” I ask.

“Hello.” A gravelly voice replies.

“Who are you?” I ask, curiously.

“You tell me who you are then I’ll tell you who I am, sound good?”

“It sounds like you’ve got the wrong number…” I trail off.

“Oh okay then.” He pauses and I go to put the phone down. “But before I go, can I ask you a question?” 

“I mean you just did but you can ask me another one. I might not answer but you can try.” I say with a small smirk.

“Do you like scary movies?” He asks and I tilt my head thinking about what an odd question that was to ask a stranger.

“Yeah I like ‘em,” I say eating another piece of popcorn.  “Although my boyfriend loves them, he must have watched them all.” I chuckle thinking about Ethan.

“What’s your favourite scary movie?”

I think about it for a second. “It’s got to be Halloween, the original, obviously.”

“That’s a good choice. You said you had a boyfriend?” He asks.

“Yes…”

“Are you with him now?”

“No, although he’s meant to be over right now.” I check my watch. “He’s late.”

“Oh no.” The deep voice responds through the phone. “What’s he like?”

“Why do you wanna know? You don’t even know my name let alone his?” I scoff quietly.

“I’m just interested, what is your name then?” He asks again.

“Seriously, why do you wanna know?” I ask, getting a little concerned.

“Well, I wanna know who I’m looking at.” He says and my face drops. I replay his words over and over in my head.

“Who you’re looking at…” I mumble under my breath, my eyes darting to the different doors in my view and I poke my head around the corners, cautiously. I lock the doors that I go past. “That’s not funny, Mister,” I say as I walk around the kitchen trying to secure my position.

“Why not? You’re adorable, twisting and turning looking for me.” His words only frighten me more as I look around hastily. “Now, do you think I’m inside or outside your house?” He asks, his voice unwavering.

“I don’t think you’re anywhere near my house! I think you’re pranking me.”

“You’re wrong.” I hear the same voice but this time it’s not through the phone, it’s from directly behind me.

I jump and turn around to stare at the man behind me. He’s adorned in a black cloth and Ghostface mask, some sort of stupid costume. Before I can run or fight back he places his hands on my hips and lifts me up onto the kitchen counter. I only watch in surprise, frozen by my fear that all I do is try and squirm out of his grip

“Get off of me!” I yell.

“Stay still.” He orders, his voice as deep if not more so than over the phone, and I hesitantly lower my hands and sit still on the counter for a second. “It’s just me.” He pulls off his mask revealing himself. Ethan stands in front of me in the costume, a smile on his face. The shock or horror must have been evident on my face from his reaction. “Oh, c’mon.” He says before my lips twist into a small smile. “It was funny, you’ve got to admit.” 

“Okay, it was a little funny,” I pause. “But you scared the shit out of me!”

“Sorry, sorry. What can I do to make it up to you?” He asks, matching my smile as his hands remain on my waist.

“Well, I have an idea,” I say and lean in, pushing my lips to meet his. Immediately, the kiss is full of passion and I can feel his hands grip my waist. My hands make their way up to his hair where they tangle in the messy curls drawing cute sounds from him. I feel him bite down gently on my lower lip so I open my eyes to meet his deep brown ones. He pulls away from me.

“I like your idea…” He trails off before placing his face just in front of mine, his breath flutters against my lips before he presses his lips on mine. I tilt my head slightly, allowing him more access as he trails soft kisses along my jawline before lowering his face to my neck. I sigh, but then he slowly pulls his face out from the crook of my neck.

“Should we take this upstairs?” He suggests with a smug smirk.

“I think that’s a good idea…” I trail off before he hoists me up from my waist. Wrapping my legs around his waist I chuckle as he carries me towards the stairs. “Ethan… This isn’t quite what I meant…” 

“I’m just being efficient.” He says pressing a couple of quick kisses to my forehead as I bury my head in the crook of his neck, embarrassed.

-

AN: I just watched Scream 6 and I loved it, I thought it was really good and I especially loved Ethan hence this fic.

I hope you enjoyed reading!

[megumiswife4]

Unimagined Eternity - Levi Ackerman

WARNING: Smut, some fluff, angsty¿ friends to lovers trope, MDNI, teasing, passionate sex

PAIRINGS: Levi x Fem!reader

WC: 8.5k

“LEVI!”

Awoken by your sudden scream, jumping from the bed sheets as he met you in front of the bathroom door being completely wide open.

“Is everything alright?!” His voice filled with panic.

“Yes… I’m sorry for frightening you from your sleep, I just…”

stumbling over your words. Looking at the counter top stunned in dismay your eyes widening, slowly turning your head to face Levi.

“What’s going on?”

He questions as he continues to walk over tiredly rubbing his eyes awake, to no avail he notices a stick that presents two deep colored lines. Rubbing his eyes once more as he was in disbelief, you weren’t sure whether he would act negatively to the news of you both having a child brought into this world; nor were you two planning such a responsibility.

“We are…”

“Pregnant.” You both synchronized eloquently.

“My.. my.” He softly smiled, kneeling on one leg. His rough hand rubbed your non-existent pregnant belly. Standing right back up cupping your face as the weight of your head was carried through his hands. Your cheeks rosy red faintly smiling.

“I-I-I’m scared Levi. Are you okay with this at least?” Your voice shakes.

“You need to stop getting yourself worked up about what I think darling. I am all for your choice here, we can never be ready for a baby but we can make it work; being a father was never in my handbook to being Captain of the Survey Corps but I want what you believe is best for you.” His fingertips gently rubbing away at the tears, then traveling down to your stomach.

“I… I want to keep the baby, I want to be a great parent to our child.” You keenly uttered, placing your hands on top of his around your belly.

“As do I.” He uttered, bringing your head closer to kiss your forehead.

“Now, let’s get this new mother to sleep shall we? You’re going to need all the rest you can get to our unborn child on the way here.”

“Yes, but what about my position in special operations?” You gloomingly mumbled.

“That’s alright, you were amongst many of the strongest we have but there are other resourceful and tactical people on duty. Right now my main concern is for you to be on bed rest and will get this maternity-leave situated soon. First I need to speak with Erwin.”

You smile at him dearly reminiscing about the days you both spent with one another fighting off titans, saving your comrades, friends, and family.

Flashback…

In the beginning of time Levi & y/n were strangers working in the armed forces as trainees, eventually to friends as you became a scout who worked alongside Levi who was now the captain of the Survey Corps.

You both had an unsuspected and an unwavering bond that would have never transpired but to defeat the odds Levi cared for her like anyone would of their best friend. His feeling of emotions felt more than just a friendship; it was someone who admired you, and who loved you with such passion and care. You both had hidden emotions for one another, but for the sake of living a life of such duties you both knew it wouldn’t have been fair for it to be more than friends.

“Y/NNNNNN!!!!!” Levi screamed in concern.

Skimming through the forest trees in search of you, heavy breathing, blood dripping from his forehead as he wiped it off; his ODM gear running low on compressed gas. Finally spotting you from a distance lying near a broken tree stump, debris and split wood throughout the field, Levi quickly makes a pit maneuver to be beside you at your assistance. As he approached you he noticed blood dripping from your mouth, small coughs with one hand wiping excess droplets of the blood off your mouth, as the other hand rested near your lower left abdominal area it was bleeding out. You could hear faint steps as you turned your head to the side, seeing that it was Levi himself.

“L-Levi…” You smiled softly yet mumbling in pain.

“You sure did some damage out there with Mikasa and the others, but I would have never thought you’d be the one to get hurt out of all of our comrades.” He chuckled, letting out a puny grin. Holding your hand with blood stains from your wiping.

“I will at least die happy knowing we finished our duty… my duty.”

Gritting his teeth, “You brat you’re not going to die, you… can't die.” he scoffed looking away as a single tear dripped from his face.

“It’s alright Levi, we had a good run with one another on this journey… please… go on to help the others retrieve back home.”

Quickly wiping his own tears, he faced you with such stoic demeanor, leaning in closer to you.

“Before I go, there is something I’ve been meaning to address with you for quite some time now. Understand that this is a very hard thing for me to get across.”

“Of course Levi, what is it?” You kindly smiled, slowly reaching your hand over to caress his cheek in the palm of your hand.

Levi suddenly gasped, his eyes widening at your grasp.

“I have always hoped for a friendship and a partner all in one. Throughout these years with you working alongside me and our duties, I developed feelings and emotions I wouldn’t have imagined would happen. I love you and I will forever cherish what we had to offer one another in this lifetime. Please dont look at me any differently because of me admitting my feelings for you.” Closing his eyes, trying to refrain from crying, knowing that he was going to lose you at this very moment, this was his chance to admit what you truly meant to him.

“I’ll be damned… THE Captain Levi admitting his love for me? How could I have never noticed?” You sarcastically stated.

“You understand that I’ve known you for years now Mr. Ackerman, my feelings grew after we were recruited and after all these years I finally get to lie here and fulfill my last moments. To tell you the truth I had always loved you Levi and don't you forget about that.”

Levi’s lips inched closer to yours as the last time you both shared a moment with one another, exchanging a kiss. After silence grew between you both as he watched you take your last breath shutting your eyes.

Making his way back to regroup with his team, he wanted to ensure that you would have a proper burial taking your lifeless body with him as he covered you with his green cape.

Upon arrival everyone cheering and excited seeing the sight of Levi regrouping with everyone along with the job they have done to bring the titan to its finishing moments, only to realize Levi made a safe but quiet landing noticing his soft gaze as he placed your lifeless body onto the carriage to take back into town.

Hange walked up behind Levi as she placed a single hand on his shoulder as her head bowed, “She put one hell of a fight out there Captain, a strong selfless woman. She wouldn’t have wanted it any other way and she would prefer you to not fight against that narrative.”

“I… understand. She did what anyone would have done.” Turning to face Hange and the others, his eyes appearing red as his face was substantially emotionless. Hange, Connie, Eren, Mikasa, Jean, and lastly Armin all saddened at the fallen soldier who risked her life to save everyone else's, but they couldn’t help to notice Captain being emotional for the first time in their lives. He was never the one to give in to such emotions but on this significant day he would for his comrade, his soldier, his best friend, his one true love.

Everyone sat inside the carriage back home as Y/n’s body laid on the floor. Levi’s eyes staring at her body covered over by his cape, no movements, no words of exchange. A medic had appeared from the front end of the carriage to examine soldiers to verify that one was deceased, as he became more focused. He checked her vitals from both her neck and then to her wrist, suddenly.

“Captain! Her heart is still beating!”

“WHAT?!” Everyone exclaimed loudly.

“You heard me! Her heart rate is slow but she's alive and breathing mildly.”

“Wouldn’t you believe this shit… That brat could’t face her own death; she decided she still has some unfinished business in this lifetime.” He scoffed with a half grin appearing on his face.

“Is Captain Levi alright?” Eren quietly questioned Armin and Mikasa.

All three confused at his response trying to decipher if he was happy about y/n being alive or was he just being funny.

Soon after Levi and Y/n along with the rest of their squad, put up a tough battle with the Titan to save the civilians from mass destruction. Life began to feel surreal, no problems have risen since then, only to protect the walls from minuscule titans and once yet to rebuild the civilization that was once close to falling apart. Things slowly began to feel normal.

The doctor suggested that you would need to be on bed rest having weekly check ups with the nurse, Levi requested to be a visitor everyday after training with his comrades. It seemed to him that you had no recollection of the kiss or was it just because you didn’t want to discuss such a particular subject?

“Wake up lazy ass, dontcha think you’ve had enough rest? You’ve recovered since last week.”

“Mmmm Shut Up.” You groaned, throwing the covers over your face.

“Don’t worry about me Levi.” Slapping away at his hand.

He lightly laughed to himself, “Well you’re still in no shape to go back into ODM gear, but you sure could go clean to make yourself useful.”

Both laughing as Levi sat at the edge of your bed, you placed your hand on his shoulder uncontrollably giggling as he looked over to see such a pretty face, seeing you smile, alive and well; appreciating your presence as a whole knowing he had experience a great loss believing you were gone forever but life has a weird way of working.

Soon after the room fell to silence, y/n hand traveled at Levi’s fingers as she tugged at them. “I have to ask you…”

“Yes?”

“Remember when I was dying? Lying there beside you and we talked about us? our … kiss?”

Levi’s cheeks turned red, nodding his head in remembrance of that moment. Those memories flooded his head like a tsunami invading his space, thinking of none other than your lips and his pressed against one another.

“I remember quite vividly, is there something of the matter?”

“Everything I told you Levi… it was true. That kiss? That was real too, I didn’t know whether I was going to live or die at that moment so… if I were no longer on this planet I needed to tell you my true feelings.” Tears running down your cheeks, Levi could see the despair and hurt in your eyes if it had been true. The least you could have done for one another at your dying moment was to be truthful to each other. His hand held yours tight, gritting his teeth trying to hold back his tears, he was a strong willed man with his emotions, but with you he was set free of that.

His back facing you, but still holding your hand tightly, “Don’t speak of such a thing like that, you’re here and alive now. Now in regards to feelings, mine were also spoken in truth. Ever since we were teenagers training to become scouts, that's when I knew I had more than just normal feelings for you, I wanted to protect you at all costs even if that meant I lost mine to keep you alive, that is how strongly I feel for you.”

Your eyes widening, but softly gazing over at Levi's shoulder as you get up from your bed crawling over to sit at the bedside alongside him. Placing your head on his shoulder, still holding his hand bringing it up to your lips as you kissed it and interlocking it with your hand. He was in shock, he had never experienced such an emotional or loving moment with a woman ever, let alone you.

“Levi… I… Love you.” You looked up at him as his head slowly looked down at yours, his mouth slowly and softly formed a smile. Your head reaches up as he reaches down, both of you inching closer to one another, both of your lips softly grazing against each other. His hand letting go of your grasp as he brought it to your face, rubbing his thumb on your cheek and finally fully pressing his lips onto yours. Tears ran down your face as you kissed him more, it was passionate and loving, he wiped away your tears with just the stride of his thumb; Levi slowly pulled away lovingly admiring you.

“Will you be mine?”

“Yes, I’ll be yours for eternity.” You proclaimed looking at him gracefully smiling.

“And I’ll be yours in every lifetime.” He smiled back, bringing you closer to his chest as he hugged you tightly.

A loud bang came from the bedroom door as it was wide open.

“CAPTAIN LEV…” Eren yelled but before he could finish, his mouth was covered by Mikasa’s hand.

“Eren quiet.” She pulled him aside as Armin waved at the both of you, grabbing the doorknob to close the door.

“It’s alright Armin, what’s so important that Eren had to barge into y/n’s room?” Levi questioned as he raised an eyebrow at the three.

“Well you see Captain, Hange requested that Eren, Mikasa, and I come to get you. We have a problem at hand with an abnormal titan roaming around within the walls.” Armin nervously proclaimed.

“And why haven’t the surrounding military scouts properly kill the titan? We’re they not paying attention?” Levi annoyedly questioned, pinching the space between his eyebrows.

“Yes… well no.. they—“

“Let’s go, we have a job to take care of. I’ll be back y/n stay put and tidy up the place. I expect it to be clean since you can’t be back out into the field yet.”

“I’m ready Lev—”

“No you’re not, stay back if I catch you anywhere in the city it’s not going to end pretty. I’m going to send some of my crew to keep watch down this corridor to make sure you don’t escape.” Levi ordered, he looked over at you as he grabbed your head pulling it closer to him, kissing the top of your forehead. He stood up heading towards the door to leave with the three. As they all ran out the door leaving y/n behind in her room to be on watch by some of Levi’s crew, Eren and the others began to wonder what was going on between her and Levi.

In a low tone Eren asked.

“So captain are you and y/n?”

“What is it that you’re implying to Eren?”

“Are you guys together? As in dating?”

“Eren, why would you ask him that?!” Armin’s voice rose in concern.

“Seriously Eren, can you read the room?” Mikasa sighed rolling her eyes

He quietly chuckled, “It’s okay Mikasa and Armin, it’s only right if I answer Erens question. After all, all three of you barged into private business. But to be quite honest with you Eren, yes, her and I are together. Is it a problem?” Levi spoke in a serious manner.

“No sir, not at all I was just curious.” Eren nervously stated, looking at both Armin and Mikasa as if anyone would ever want to date Levi.

“Good well now that we have that off our shoulders, let’s go take care of this business.”

Soon after Levi and the three left, you decided it was time to clean up and make something of yourself since you couldn’t go back on the field to take down titans; it wasn’t the same but it sure did kill time and it made up for it. You finished cleaning around, the floor was spotless, your bed had fresh bed sheets and your clothes organized in your drawers; cracking the window open to bring in the nice fresh breeze in along with a nice lit candle to lighten the ambiance in the room now it was time to relax and wait. As the day grew darker you began to dread Levi's return to your room as he promised, but you came to the conclusion that he might have been caught up in work; you couldn’t blame him understanding he had other responsibilities to take care of and he’s a busy man, only you knew him best.

Laying out some clean clothes onto your bed as you came back into your room from a fresh bath, drying your hair with your towel and the other wrapped around your body a small creaking noise was heard from your door turning your head quickly to see who it might’ve been quickly holding onto the towel that wrapped your body in hopes that no body part would be exposed to a stranger who creeped through the corridors at night. You walked slowly to your door, your hand only inches away from the knob, the door opened wide and a sudden hand grabbed your forearm pulling you into the dark vicinity. You gasped as someone’s hand covered your mouth. You’re pressed against a man’s body as his other hand pressing onto your lower back.

Recognizing a familiar voice, “It’s just me, keep your voice down.” It was none other than Levi himself.

“Oh so you decided to scare me shitless?! Are you insane?!” You nervously said, shaken up from the encounter.

“Levi you realize that I’m alone in my room, doing what you did had me petrified I thought I was going to have to fight some pervert off.”

“Wait a minute… you thought I was some pervert?” He offensively stated.

“Why would you think I’d be a perv—” his sentence cut off, as he looked below to see it was just you in a towel, no clothes, and slightly damp hair. He quickly glanced away, his face feeling hot and red.

“I uh… should have knocked. I apologize for intruding y/n.”

You see the look on his face and how flushed it appeared to be.

“You can’t tell me you haven’t seen a woman almost half naked before right?” You Laughed loudly. Noticing that Levi was fairly quiet, that’s when you could understand that this man has not experienced being with a woman nor seeing one with that much skin exposure.

“Wait… are you actually serious?” Your hand extending out to him , having his face look over to you, it still appeared flushed. He nodded in pure silence, his eyes still looking away from you; he respected you enough to not look in your direction and in hopes that you’d understand why.

“Go put on some clothes… please.” He demanded.

“Come in for a moment, please?” You pleaded.

“Fine… brat.” He rolled his eyes in annoyance.

He allowed you to enter first as he made his entrance after closing the door. The room was a small one and not too big, y/n still had the clean clothes laid out on her bed; as Levi sat from a chair that was near the entrance and only a few feet across from her bed. A nightstand had a daily newspaper laid out next to him, opening it to read it but to also refrain from seeing you when changing.

You both ramble off about your days, just as simple as a slip of the towel had dropped beside your ankles the immediate sound concerned him.

“You alright?”

“Oh it’s nothing.” You giggled to yourself in hopes of him giving in just to see his reaction to your naked body parts exposed.

Levi sneaking a peek from the side of the newspaper, noticing your bare back, your soft skin glistening, his eyes traveling from top to bottom. It felt as if time was slowed down, seeing you putting on your undergarments slipping it up to your bum and then suddenly the strap to your bra slapped onto your skin; he was in utter awe looking at such a beautiful masterpiece of a woman… his woman. His face becomes hot seeing your exposed body. Almost as if he felt bad seeing you in such a way, but he cares for you so it wasn’t unusual to enjoy the way you appear. Not even realizing that he was staring, your sudden voice knocked him back into reality.

“Are you blushing Ackerman?” A coquettish grin appeared on your face, walking towards him slowly.

“I am n-not, what makes you th-think that?” He nervously stated. Coughing to clear his throat, trying to quickly cover his face with the paper.

Your hand pushing the newspaper downward into Levi’s lap as his face became more red and hot, you lean in closer to Levi. He couldn't help but once again look up at you then back down, noticing that you were only covered by your undergarments. The paper still resting on his lap, pushing it onto the floor as you cleared the area you sat on his lap sitting horizontally. He sat there frozen, no movement just pure silence, pressing your head against his chest; nothing but his heart racing in circles. You knew this man was flustered by the looks of it. Your presence was already enough but this threw him off more by being almost half naked right in front of him. You gently cupped his chin pulling him down to look at you, his eyes still looking away.

You pouted, noticing that he didn’t acknowledge your face, “Why aren’t you looking at me?”

“B-Because.”

“It’s okay to look, you don't need to pretend that I am not here Levi. Please?”

His eyes met yours, “Y-You’re as beautiful as ever..” he nervously said. Trying to keep eye contact with you.

“You think so?” Getting up from his lap, adjusting your placement on him. Both legs now on either side of his legs, his arms continued to rest on each side of the armrests of the chair placing both hands on top as you leaned in forward, his main view was you and your exposed chest. You purposely squeezed your breasts together trying to make him lose his focus.

“Y-Yes.” Levi nervously stated, fighting between looking at you and turning to look the other way.

“You’re too kind. You know… I have loved you since we were teenagers. There is something I need to show you that will help you better understand it.”

“Mmm, and what would that be L/N?” He hummed, nodding his head, slipping one of his arms out your grasp massaging his face to keep you from seeing his restlessness.

You pushed his hand away from his face, leaning in closer as your lips grazed his.

“This is what I mean Ackerman.”

Both of your lips colliding into one another, the room filled with none other than the sounds of kisses and groans. Grabbing Levi’s hands placing them onto either side of your hips, you reached up to his face cupping his cheeks. He intensely craved more of you, his hands pulling your waist closer to his looking up at you.

“Kiss me m-more.” He yearned, yanking at your forearm pulling you in closer than ever before.

Heavy breathing came from both as you shared far more than just pecks of kisses, you led him the way each and every time; your tongue being introduced through every entrance of his mouth. Your hands traveled to his pulling them inward closer to your chest, your head leaning into his ear.

“You can touch them Levi, whatever you would like to do.” You groaned seductively.

Hearing your voice sound so sweet and sexy made him feel pressure beaneath his waist, goosebumps form and every inch of his body, you were such a tough and strong willed woman outside of this room but right now in this moment you were someone else to him but he was allured by this side of you.

You pressed his hands onto your breasts as warm as your body heat let off, you guided both his hands massaging them. One hand of his slid in one cup of the bra scooping out your breast, the other following the same motion. Deciding it was best to just let the bra straps slip on either side of your shoulders, unhooking the strap from behind, throwing it beside his shoes.

In utter awe, he couldn’t help but cough to clear his throat every chance he got to try and cover up his nervousness.

“It’s okay… to touch them.”

“A-Alright.” He nodded, staring up at you and back down of your perfectly perky nipples.

“L-Like this?” He questioned. His hands covering both breasts as both nipples peeked through his fingers rubbed both tenderly.

“Mngh… T-That feels good.” throwing your head back biting your lip, it was Levi’s touch that did it all.

Placing your hand behind his head pushing him in between your busts.

One of his hands trying to fix the bulge underneath his pants to calm him down, while the other fumbling a single breast. His tongue licking in between the crevice, moving back out licking the surrounding arreola and finally sucking on your nipple retrieving back, a sudden pop sound was made from his mouth and your breast.

You wanted more, you craved him. He craved you in ways beyond friendship, a lover and friend all in one. But right now wasn’t the right time or place to make this moment intimate.

Kissing his neck as it reached right below his ear kissing once more, lastly traveling to his lips. His face is still rosy red, it's not a look you’re used to of Levi; a man with much experience in his life except having experience with a woman. Although you’ve had involvement with men in the past maybe once or twice; this was the one moment that you would prefer it to be special because of romantic feelings being involved with someone who you had loved for quite some time.

Retrieving the bra as you slowly guided yourself off his lap, finally deciding to dress in your sleeping garments. Levi was still in utter shock at what had just happened, you slightly smiled.

“I hope this wasn’t too much for you Captain.”

“Tchh, I despise it when you call me that. As for what just happened here, I don't believe it was too much, I-I just haven’t done such a thing to a woman before s-so it's unusual in this predicament.”

“I see.” Facing your back to him, as he watched you dress down into sleeping garments mesmerized by your beauty.

“I suggest you stay here for the night then Levi, it’s too dark out I wouldn’t want you out so late.” Giving a sweet smile, he returned a small grin.

“Well if my company is a preference then I guess I can return the favor by making sure you’re safe here.”

He walked over to you, planting a kiss on your forehead.

You both spent endless days and nights, you continued your work alongside Levi. Everyone knew from the start that both of you had a desiring fire that couldn’t be burnt out, it was obvious and no one knew Levi as much as Erwin did. From meetings to running missions together Erwin kept a close eye on you both, Levi had always kept you in safer positions in a fight or would continuously check that your ODM gear was intact tightly, or suggest moving your hair out of your face due to possibly being blindsided by a sudden titan appearance. This was just a few of the many particular things Ackerman would do when he favored someone more than just a friend or comrade. Commander Erwin knew you both would blossom into something more, a match made in heaven as some would say; villagers and townspeople had somehow figured out that the both of you were involved in some romantic courtship. He’d see the both of you share hand holding from time to time, seeing you both meet after hours in the corridors exchanging a kiss, seeing Levi pat your head as he wasn’t much for PDA but he made it known that he touched you significantly different from anyone or any woman in general for that matter.

Time had passed as your relationship with Levi grew intensely, things were progressively moving fast and so were your lives.

“Erwin!”

A loud bang came from the doors of the entrance.

I recognize that voice, is it?

Erwin stared out into the distance from his window as he spun his chair around.

“Ahh, What brings you here Levi?”

Smiling from cheek to cheek, he was happy to see Ackerman. Surprisingly enough there isn’t much visitation from the captain himself; more often than not he is always busy; his duty calls for more attention rather than just having leisure time to sit around and do nothing; he prefers work over comfort.

“I have some very important news to bring to you.”

“What is this news?”

“As you know, y/n and I are in a romantic relationship with one another and…”

“And what are you proposing Levi?”

“She's pregnant.”

Erwin leaning into his desk, his hands interlocked with one another, he wasn’t sure how to approach the situation. It was hard to distinguish whether Ackerman was excited or devastated about his partner becoming pregnant.

Ackermans face grew softer, thinking about his partner and unborn child… his family. A smile formed onto his face, looking at Erwin as he got up from his seat to meet his one true friend that was building a life and family for himself. Both exchanging a firm handshake, a tear falling from Levi’s eye quickly wiping it away.

“Congratulations Levi, that's wonderful news! I am happy for you my brother.”

“I am too.” Ackerman crooned.

“You get to have the family you’ve always dreamt of, you’re starting a new life captain. Stand proud you deserve it.”

“Will do, Commander. I’ll protect my peace, my family’s peace from here on out. This is what I have yearned for so long.”

“Now do we need to put y/n onto maternity leave? Any plans put into place?”

“Actually Erwin, that's what I’m here to discuss. She’s been alongside me for duties and truthfully I cannot have her stick around to work while carrying our child.”

“Yes I see, it’s too dangerous putting her and the child’s life at risk. Given that she’s possibly only one to two months pregnant she can still work but she will be put into less dangerous positions and duties until the twelve to sixteen week mark with your approval?”

“That’s fine by me, she’d get angry at me for not letting her do some sort of work.”

“Perfect you have my word then Levi. I’ll start as soon as possible and make the arrangements for y/n.”

“Thank you Commander.”

~

“Y/N IS PREGNANT?!?!” Jean, Armin, Eren, and Connie as the boys proclaimed in disgust.

“Why are you all surprised? they‘ve been together for a while?” Mikasa lightly laughed at them.

“That m-means they’re having…”

“Sex, yes. How else do you think procreating consists of?” Mikasa scolded the boys.

“You guys are such dumbasses.” Annie rolled her eyes in annoyance.

Sasha couldn’t contain her laughter of the boys, all while enjoying a piece of turkey leg being devoured by her hunger.

Before you know it, life progressed and so was your pregnancy journey, Levi was there every step of the way with you and even though he is a man of constant work and battles, he still came back home to you, accommodating your every need. Although he wanted you to be off your feet and resting as much as possible you couldn't help but offer help in return after a long day with his comrades you wanted to give back in any sort of way you could. Even so, he declined your suggestions. All he ever asked was to be able to see that gentle smile, and beautiful face of yours; you were the light to his darkness. After all, you were carrying his child, and he loved you so dearly. He would have never imagined that he would get his only two wishes in life which was marrying the woman of his dreams and being able to obtain a family he could call his own. Yet at the four month mark your belly was still non-existent, Levi had planned to make you his forever and he couldn’t help but dream of asking you to marry him taking his last name. After weeks of planning over with his friends and comrades to ask for your hand in marriage, one beautifully clear night sky Levi suggested that he would take you along for a small ride somewhere a bit more secluded, a place he would go to clear his mind after tough battles. Agreeing to his request the destination landed at Wall Maria, the entrance was blocked off a year prior due to trying to prevent any Titans making their way in, it had been uninhabited without any sort of Titan activity for a few months and was deemed safe.

You looked at him a bit baffled as to why he was wearing his ODM gear, and his one and only expensive suit pairing at this time of night. Questioning him and resulting to no answer, to his avail he needed to make sure you were in no way figuring out his plan. Expecting for you to wear something a bit more fancier than usual for an occasion like this, you were still able to wear your old clothes despite how many months into your pregnancy. Wearing an off white square neck cotte dress with puffed long sleeves that were off the shoulder, paired with an olive green cotton corset. Levi couldn’t help but admire the beauty you exuded.

“You know you’ve got that pregnancy glow. Even before that you’ve had that naturally.” He proceeded with a cute grin.

“Do I really?”

Twirling in a circle with your dress, smiling from ear to ear as your cheeks become rosy red.

Nodding his head, walking closer to you. Grabbing your hand, uplifting it as he kissed the top.

“Are you ready?”

“I am as ready as I’ll ever be.” You smiled.

Walking through the dark corridors, you both made it out of the building and out into the city. Levi grabbed your waist holding you tightly, your arms wrapping around his neck. Looking at you as he nodded preparing to lift off in his ODM gear. You closed your eyes as you felt your feet suddenly pick up from the ground, suddenly remembering the feeling of being in your own gear alongside Levi. The wind blowing in your face, the beautifully lit sky by all the galaxies and stars. Turning to look at his stoic face he was too focused and determined to arrive at the destination; you lightly laughed deep down he knew how relieving it must have felt to be out of your home. Taking one glance at you admiring how joyful you were to something some miniscule as this, and as fucked up as this world was you still managed to be the most optimistic woman. He truly worshiped and respected the woman you were. His devotion ran so deep, that he would ensure that you were safe at all times, managing that you’d be in the best of hands when he couldn’t be home to watch over you and the baby. Although he knew you could handle yourself without him, a strong willed woman not only physically but mentally.

Swiftly landing on to the top of Wall Maria, pure silence. Undoing his gear he set it aside, as he held your hand gently. You ran excitedly towards the edge which quickly frightened Levi grasping your arm tightly turning to see his worrisome face.

“Don’t pull that kind crap again, you seriously could have killed yourself if you had missed a step y/n.”

“I’m sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. But you also should remember, I’m not stupid enough to make such a dumb move like that Ackerman.”

You bobbed the tip of his nose with your index finger letting out a giggle, his gaze began to soften at you. He couldn’t stay grumpy for long when it came to you. He deliberately pulled you into his chest. One hand grazing your cheek, your face becoming flushed; the other hand held you tightly from your lower back. Your shadows are being luminated by the bright moonlight shining above in the dark night skies, showcasing the large forest trees, landscapes and plants in the surrounding area around Wall Maria. Resting your head against his chest, he fondled your hair joining in on the admiration in the distance.

“This view is so beautiful, Levi, now I understand this is the perfect place to unwind.”

“Mhmm it sure is.”

You unraveled yourself out of his grasp as you walked further out, embracing the smell of a fresh breeze. Your arms widened outwards closing your eyes laughing at how wonderful this experience is and with none other than Levi your one and only love.

“I–I love you y/n.”

His voice stutters from behind you.

“I love you too Lev–”

Your sentence quickly cut when you turned yourself to notice none other than Levi kneeling on one knee, his hand holding a tiny red velvet box exposing a diamond ring with a gold band. Your face in shock, your dress and hair swiftly blowing in the breeze in the direction of him. Walking to him you were left with no words. His hand reached out for yours, his face softened at the sight of you being frozen at his actions.

“Will you accept me to be yours for eternity y/n?”

“Oh Levi… yes of course!”

You gracefully crooned, tears forming in your eyes as he took the ring and delicately placed it on your finger. Holding your hand admiring how perfect the ring fit you and that now you were his and he was yours forever, Levi stood up wiping the tears away.

“There is no need to cry.” A soft smile formed on his face..

You were always so beautiful to Levi, even at your most emotional state.

“Where did you get this ring? It’s so beautiful.”

You examined the extravagant details, mesmerized by the ring.

“It was Kuchel’s… my mothers ring.”

In the days of training when you both were teenagers, you knew about Levi’s life growing up. It was harsh. He only entrusted you with personal details of his life; it was scarce to hear anything that had to do with his past. His mother was his everything, it was who he only had in his life, a mothers love could never be interchanged or replaced and that was taken at a very critical time in his life when he needed her the most.

“I feel honored to wear this ring, I will do anything to make sure this never gets taken off!”

You exclaimed, clenching your hand into a fist holding it tightly to your chest saluting Levi. He couldn’t help but let out a miniscule laugh not taking you seriously.

“You idiot.”

He chuckled patting the top of your head pulling you in close to his chest kissing the top of your forehead, his sweet actions that only you knew about nobody else would ever experience.

“Well well well if it isn’t the two lovebirds! Congratulations on the engagement!”

Hange clapped in excitement running towards the two. As it frightened y/n she turned to look at who was speaking so loudly.

“Where the hell did you guys come from?!”

“I mean how else did you think the kiddos, Hange, Erwin and I know about this?”

“Levi did you… Plan this all out?”

You gasped, a surprised look appeared on your face.

“Yes, how much more obvious could it be y/n?”

You burst out into laughter, knowing Levi’s smart ass remarks. Always taking everything he said lighthearted from that mouth of his. He appreciated that you never took some of the things he said too seriously as he wasn’t very savvy with his choice of wording, but his actions show more than anything.

“Wahooo! Now we need to plan a big party for you two!”

Hange insisted as she jumped up and down. Erwin, laughing at Hange’s excitement for the soon to be newlyweds, decided it was his time to chime in.

“I’ll make sure to get a hold of people who are the best wedding coordinators.” smiling at both.

“OOOH, don't forget lots of food too!”

Sasha rubbed her stomach, as drool dripped down her face. Connie notices her admiration for the imaginary food, knocking her shoulder with his.

“Earth to sasha? Holy shit, can you stop thinking about food for just one minute?”

placing both of his hands on either side of her shoulders, shaking her out of the food daze she was in. Everyone's laughter couldn’t be contained, anyone who knew her, understood her food obsession.

“I’d never thought Captain Levi would ever get married, let alone someone look his way.”

Eren spouted at Armin and Mikasa with a despised look.

“EREN!”

Mikasa and Armin shouted in a unified manner.

“What did you say, brat?”

Eren quickly stood upright, nervous sweat dripping from his forehead hoping Captain didn’t hear a single word.

“N-Nothing Captain!”

Jean smacking the back of his head.

“You idiot, you trying to get yourself mauled over the one and only Captain Levi?”

As both started bickering.

“Shut up horseface, it’s not like any woman would ever take one look in your direction anyways.”

Levi cleared his throat preparing to make a grand speech to everyone who attended the small engagement.

“Now, now let’s settle down… I want to take the time to thank everyone for coming and being supportive to this engagement, as you all know y/n is pregnant and although she was a tough woman out in the field she sure would be the most amazing mother to our child and I cannot thank her enough for our friendship that ended up transpiring to a life long partnership and to that I say with a blessed heart I care for each and every one of you and as well as for you y/n. Thank you.”

“KISS! KISS! KISS!”

Everyone joined in to make the both show a little bit of love, you knew Levi wouldn’t be the one to like a public display of affection in front of everyone so this was your chance.

“Come here handsome.”

Your hand caressed his cheeks, looking at him with a soft gaze inching your lips closer to his. His eyes widening, as you breached the space between both of your mouths kissing him with such passion. His arms held onto you tightly in his embrace, finally reaching back you both smiled softly as everyone cheered. Meanwhile the children looked a bit disgusted but were happy to know this was finally going in the direction it needed to be.

Timelapse…

“Push y/n you got this! Come on, you're almost there!”

The nurse shouted as the other labor and delivery nurse stood in front of your exposed lower area, preparing you to give birth. Your husband standing right next to you, holding your hand to let you know that you were not alone, he was there every step of the way.

“You’ve got this!”

“One! two! three! push!”

Wailing cries of your newly born baby, having yet to be embraced by their mother. Tears peering down from your cheeks.

“How beautiful, a wonderful baby girl y/n.”

A baby girl?

Levi thought to himself, his eyes widening.

The nurses cleaned the newborn as they wrapped her in a swaddling blanket provided by the hospital.

“Go on dear, hold your baby. Skin to skin contact is very important to build that motherly connection.”

The sweet nurse smiled, “Now father needs a turn, captain would you like to hold her?”

Never seeing him so nervous before, he was gently opening his arms out in your direction gently scooping his baby girl into his arms, his gaze softening, as a small smile creeped its way in, finally his head codling into her neck.

“What should we name her?” cocking your head to its side smiling at your dear husband.

“Hmm… how about Lena? It means light… in this case she is the light in our lives.”

Levi turned to look at you, you lovingly gazed at him.

“That is a lovely name… Lena.” Your lips parted softly reiterating that name.

As time had passed the baby had grown in just a few months, and your postpartum recovery was a success. Levi had been the most caring and helpful husband he could be, without him things would have been tough.

There he was lying asleep on his chair, his favorite book resting on his chest, his eyes completely shut and his tea half drank sitting on the nightstand right beside his chair.

My dear Levi. you thought to yourself.

It's been well over a couple of months since giving birth and well… let's just say you have been yearning for some rejuvenation with your husband for quite some time now. You hesitated at first but thought this would be your only chance as the baby is in a deep sleep.

Your proximity was much closer as you stood bending over right in front of his sleeping self, removing the book from his hand that was against his chest. A sudden wide eyed Levi looked in your direction. His arms stretched outwards as he had been stuck in that position for a while.

“What are you do–” Immediately hushing his lips with your finger, looking at you shockingly.

“I don't want to wake our baby girl up from her slumber Levi.” Quietly saying, a big smirk forming on your face. You slowly crept your way onto his lap, his hands grasping onto your hips so that it would prevent you from falling.

“You know I have been wanting to show you how grateful I am for you, and how much of a great daddy– I mean.. father and husband you’ve been.”

“Is that so y/n?” His husky voice crooned.

Your thin silken robe falling off your shoulders as your sweet self became more erotic by the second, your husband couldn’t compose himself from you. You were like the first piece of candy a toddler ever had in his life. His hands running down from your shoulders to the silken robe that was ready to be tugged off of your naked body that was underneath it all. Your perky nipples poking through as the sight of it made Levi’s print tense up as you could feel it rise from below your waist.

“You're excited aren’t you?”

Your face inching closer to his, the robe you sneakily un-tied slipping off your body so easily.

“Oops guess that was by accident huh?” Putting on a fake pout across your lips.

Your breasts were fully exposed and so was the rest of your beautiful soft skin, you began to slowly remove his bottoms, his solid cock poked out jerking back and forth.

“What would you like me to do, Captain?” You lustfully asked.

“Get on top, now.” He demanded, nodding your head in approval.

Your folds were already soaked from just the mere thought of your own husband thrusting inside your walls. Positioning yourself to prepare for entry, the feeling of two rough hands massaging on either side of each breast. You began to whimper, his eyes looked up at you as you melted into his touch, licking around your breasts squishing them together as he stuffed his face in between them, pulling himself back as he asked.

“Is this okay darling?”

You nodded your head, suddenly your juices began dripping right on top of his throbbing cock. As you slowly lowered your body the entrance being penetrated by his large hard on, it was hard to not moan so loudly. His hand rapidly wrapped around your mouth as you groaned into it.

“Oh fuckkk!”

His hips thrusting up his groans increasing in volume, the loud gushy sounds of your wet pussy being fucked by his large cock made it feel and sound so entoxicating. Grinding your hips into his you began to touch and massage your breasts pleasuring yourself as Levi watched every second of it feeling that he needed more and more of you. Gripping your hips hard as he moved it back and forth along with the rhythm of his hip movements.

“Fuckin hell, Goddamn it mmm!” His head leaning back into the pleasures of your wet pussy and his long desire to fuck you after months on end. Bending over, your lips reaching his neck as you planted wet sloppy kisses around; Levi quickly picked his head back up as he transitioned into kissing you back aggressively with his lips one hand digging into your hair as the other on your lower back. This sex was passionate, dirty, lustful but most importantly… loving. The desire between two lovers is what made it that good. The pace began to rapidly increase in speed, as your foreheads leaned against one another, your hot sweaty bodies touching one another.

“Keep going captain, oh my god you feel so good inside me… shit!”

Hearing you yearn for him ignited a fire inside him, he kissed you intensely gripping your waist even harder as his finger tips dug into your skin as painful as it was it felt so fucking good it was YOU he wanted and needed most in this exact moment.

“I’m about to cum Levi! Oh my god!” your huffs and puffs getting louder.

“Me too gorgeous, keep going p-please!”

The sudden wave of high ecstasy was reached, it felt euphoric. A different feeling of high, as you both released a sudden warmth filled within your walls and his cock pulsating as you began to feel shivers fill all throughout your body. You both panting from all the work being put in.

“You did one hell of a job there, I’m glad you’re back”

“Me too.” You giggled.

Suddenly you heard a soft cry come from the other room.

“I got her dear, go rest, I'll take care of our little one.” Levi insisted as he smiled.

“Thank you Captain.” Pecking your forehead with a kiss and patting your head.

This is what you’ve wanted in life and so did he… a family he can call his own.

[frozenjokes]

Rage Room (I’m Loving A Losing Battle, But I Can’t Quite Seem To Let Go)

in which aromantic scar finally tells his friends what’s been happening between him and Grian, and how he processes the space between them

“It’s just- not fair!” Scar smashed the bottle against the tile floor, the glass pelting the ankles of his reinforced pants.

Bdubs clapped behind him, though stopped when Scar turned around, visibly not in the mood. Admittedly he knew he was shooting low when he went on, but Scar didn’t care, “And I’m kind of pissed off about Etho! If the roles were switched, I would be there, and he said he’d be here last time he missed.”

“Oi,” Cleo cut in, about as unamused as Scar figured they’d be. “No friendly fire.”

“Is it really friendly fire if he’s not here.” Scar huffed, but Cleo knew better than to take his words at face value, and shut him up with a firm glare.

“And you better start talking before I make you pay for all of this.” Her words were rugged, but Scar knew she didn’t mean it, and he could take as much time as he needed. But really, if he was taking shots at Bdubs, he probably should cut to the chase. This was why they were here. This was why they had all made this pact in the first place.

“Grian is.” Scar started, stilted, “Sorry, Bdubs. I shouldn’t have said that. Grian won’t talk to me anymore. He doesn’t- want to talk to me.”

“What?” Bdubs said, eyes flying open, and yeah, no one here was really caught up with his whole.. situation. Anything that felt close to Mumbo he tended to avoid, and basically everything about Grian in the past weeks was Mumbo adjacent.. and also a little sensitive. Not something he was eager to talk about. Scar was more than a little pent up, and based on the expressions of concern across Cleo and Bdubs’ faces, it must have been pretty obvious. “Weren’t you guys hanging out nearly everyday for- I don’t know, it’s been a month at least, right? Did something happen? Hasn’t Grian been driving you around everywhere, too? You’ve sure been asking me a lot less.”

“Yeah. We were.” Scar spoke stiffly, picking up another empty bottle and spinning it in his hands. He chucked it at the wall, aiming at the newly set up targets Cleo had implemented a couple weeks ago. A good choice. Fit with the theme of the axe throwing/rage room combo. The bottle shattered near the bullseye, unsurprising, given their whole friend group had pretty tight aim. Still satisfying. “Until he went and fell in love with me.”

The memories burned like open wounds, like red, angry flesh, like sunburns on your eyelids, like the stinging smell of bleach. Cleo said something, some sort of assent, but Scar didn’t hear it, smashing two more bottles for release, though he didn’t feel any less like his ribs had been torn from his chest, hanging limply on hooks, dripping on his face from his place on the cold ground, bleeding out, dying, but never quickly enough.

“I don’t like labels, alright, you all know this, but Grian says aromantic, and that works for now, because I don’t love him like he loves me and that’s fine. That’s fine! That. Is. Fine.” Scar took a bat, needing something bigger, needing more release, and the old TV would work just fine, “And you know how I feel about dating. I like it. I like to get to know strangers, I like to feel things out, and I like to be close! But you know who I don’t like to date?” The question wasn’t meant to be answered. Scar swung his bat, splitting the TV screen with a satisfying crack. “Friends. Good friends. Friends that mean a lot, friends that I can’t afford to lose when everything goes to shit.”

Scar hit the TV a couple more times, physically battling away distress, “I was so afraid when he brought it up- dating. I was so afraid. I couldn’t just date Grian, because it would end and I would lose him and maybe he’d say we could still be friends and I would say yes! Yes, please, please can we still be friends, and he would say that’s okay, and then two weeks later he’d slam me with a message about ‘needing space’ and ‘not wanting to talk for a while’ and suddenly, suddenly my heart’s being ripped out of my chest and stomped on, but it would be fine, right? It would be fine, because after he’s taken his time, we could be friends again, and things could return to normal. No!” The TV was hardly satisfying to hit anymore, reduced to shattered glass and warped plastic under Scar’s assault.

“It never just. Goes back to normal. You try, and you try and you try, but they just can’t do it, they just can’t love you anymore, and suddenly your best friend is slipping away and there’s fucking nothing you can do about it. Because you dated them. Because you took things ‘to the next level,’ because you made something volatile without even knowing, and the next thing you know, it’s blown up in your face, and you’ve been completely blindsided again.” Scar’s arms shook, and gently, from behind, Cleo laid a hand on his shoulder, sliding down his arm to take the bat he was gripping so tightly. Scar let go when they touched his hands, but his teeth remained locked, grinding near painfully.

“Deep breaths, Scar. Breathe with me. Let me count for you,” and Cleo did, counting to five and back again, forcing Scar to take a step back. Scar wasn’t someone who particularly valued meditation or breathing; it was often too difficult to focus, especially alone, and he was easily frustrated knowing how he should be feeling, but Cleo had a way of grounding him, and when Bdubs was doing the same exercises at his side, Scar didn’t feel so stupid. And it did help. Fives minutes to breathe really did wonders sometimes; it was a shame Scar couldn’t quite manage to utilize the tool as effectively when he was alone. Not that he ever remembered to try.

And now it was quiet, and Scar was so vulnerable, and there was no more anger to hide behind, because it was all just sadness, stiff and aching so impossibly deep.

“I thought if we didn’t.. date.. I thought things could just be normal. That nothing would change. But every awful thing just got expedited- he doesn’t want to see me, he doesn’t want to talk to me- he needs space, he said he needed space, but I know what that means now.” Scar had to sit down, and Bdubs joined him, Cleo standing close by. “I feel so helpless. And it didn’t even matter. I just wish I knew so badly, so I could have said yes, so at least we might have had a chance before it all went to shit. I could keep my friend a little bit longer. I wish I understood how he felt. I wish I felt what he felt. Maybe it wouldn’t be so hard.” Scar let his head drop to his hands, voice muffled under his palms, “I just kinda hate myself sometimes.”

Cleo put a hand on his shoulder, a question of touch, and one that Scar accepted with closed eyes. “It would still be hard, Scar. I can promise you that. If this isn’t what you want to hear right now, then you can let me know, but I have to think Grian and your other exes of the past who you haven’t kept in contact with were and are just as torn up as you. Maybe they need to let go for themselves, but I can tell you from personal experience, that doesn’t make it hurt any less. It doesn’t make you miss them any less.”

“But when people leave me, it’s always because in some way, their lives would be better without me,” Scar felt like wailing, but in reality, his speech was far more soft, “And my life is always worse. It’s always worse. Like I’m just a plague on my friends, and I have no idea how to fix myself to keep this from happening.”

Bdubs squeezed his hand to get his attention, and Scar knew what was coming, he just couldn’t love himself right now.

“There’s nothing to fix, Scar. You’re one of the most delightful people I know, and I mean that. The way you navigate the world is inspiring.”

“Just doesn’t feel like it right now.”

“It doesn’t have to,” Cleo said, something faraway about the words, “You just should know, that’s all. How we feel.”

“I just wish I was normal.”

“I don’t,” Bdubs snorted, something so passionately reactionary, Cleo laughed, and Bdubs himself looked a bit surprised by his own words, then a tad embarrassed, “I mean, come on. You’re a complete monster, and I love it. I love how comfortable you are about touch, I love how physical you are, and I love how normal you make it feel. Sometimes I want to fall asleep on my friends’ shoulder, or hold hands, or just be held, you know? And no one does it like you, Scar, no one. I think everyone ought to take a couple pages from your book.”

Scar wasn’t quite sure what to do with that, but it wasn’t the type of thing you argued about. You just had to accept it. In all honesty, having people to love him when he couldn’t manage it himself felt indescribably secure. Like a heated blanket wrapped tightly over his shoulders when he was so, so cold. But he couldn’t acknowledge it either, not when he couldn’t breathe the words. So he let it hang, hoping he’d remember to say something later. He knew he would. For now, Scar dodged around the words, stuck in his own raw truth.

“I don’t want to go through this again.”

“I know,” Cleo kept their hand on his shoulder, and Scar wanted to cry.

“And I- Okay, so I can’t really talk about this.. NDAs and such, but I was working on something with someone- something cool, all three of us, Grian included. And at the same time Grian.. cut contact.. I haven’t been able to reach this other uh- colleague, and I don’t know what happened! I don’t know anything, and I have no way of contacting this other guy, and Grian doesn’t know either, and I was so excited, but it just feels like everything is falling apart around me. And- and don’t be mean about the other guy, please, it’s not his fault.” Cleo looked quite skeptical about that, but a pleading look from Scar was enough to get her to leave well enough alone, “I just wish I knew why. Or if he was coming back. Might not have been able to communicate that anyway though, there’s a bit of a language barrier.”

“Can’t use google translate?” Bdubs asked, and Scar couldn’t stop the bitter laugh that escaped his throat.

“Hadn’t thought of that,” he mumbled, which was enough to get Bdubs to let it go. Cleo didn’t look happy, but she didn’t push either.

“That fucking sucks,” she said instead, and Scar laughed in earnest, along with Bdubs, the entire air feeling just a little bit lighter.

“It does,” Scar sighed, resting a cheek on his fist, “Guess I have to find something new to throw myself into. I just really wanted this. I really wanted this.”

There was a long silence, Scar having nothing else to say, and his friends in a similar boat. There wasn’t much to say. They knew. Scar knew they understood. But there was nothing anyone could do. Nothing that could make this any less horrible. But Bdubs did perk up after a minute, catching Scar and Cleo’s attention

“We could go skiing!” Bdubs suggested, to a chorus of groans from Scar and Cleo. Bdubs huffed, affronted as he crossed his arms, “You two need to live a little. Even if you suck, you’re both exhausted by the end of the day, which would do Scar some good in my opinion, and I know you’d be able to take the time off for an impromptu trip.”

“I don’t even think you like skiing,” Cleo rolled their eyes, a laugh under her voice, “You went on one trail ride in those mountains and it changed your life, that’s what. There are no wild horses out there, Bdubs, the guide lied to you.”

“She did not lie! There are horses, and they’re going to see me and know.”

“Know.. what, exactly?” Scar teased, and Bdubs puffed up, as if this was the most blasphemous question Scar could have asked.

“They will just know. And anyway, Etho believes there’s horses out there too, he does, and he wants to see them just as much.”

“Pretty sure Etho is also fucking with you,” Cleo said, smug, and Bdubs gasped.

“Never!” But something stopped him from ranting on; a short pause, a bit of uncertainty. A guilty glance in Scar’s direction. “I’m really sorry he’s not here. I told him- I don’t know. He said something came up last minute and wouldn’t explain. I’m not happy with him either- quite frankly, I’m embarrassed.”

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Scar rubbed his neck, frowning, “It doesn’t really bother me much, Bdubs. I don’t want you to feel bad.”

“It’s fine if it bothers you! It bothers me! And you’re right, he’s not here, so I think a little friendly fire is well deserved,” Bdubs paused, eying one of the few bottles that were left, “May I?”

“Be my guest.”

Bdubs snatched at a bottle, flipping it in his hand, nearly dropping it trying to look cool, then whipping it at the target across the room, the entire thing smashing right on the bullseye.

“Oh, score!” Scar smiled, and Bdubs pumped his fist.

“Yes! You know, I already feel better. This is great, Cleo, have I told you this is great?”

Cleo looked pleased, exactly the cat who got the cream, “You have. And I know. So how about you boys throw back a couple beers to replace these bottles, and we do a little axe throwing.”

“Are you paying?” Scar asked, hopeful, innocent, but Cleo snorted, shaking her head.

“Uh, no. Don’t let that hold you back, though.”

“Oh, come on,” Bdubs whined, but not without his signature grin, “What’s the point of free rage room therapy hour if it’s not all free?”

“I’m not going to make you pay for the axe throwing either, and that is not included in our little deal, so the least you can do is drink.”

“You can’t make us pay to axe throw with you because we all know you’re going to whoop our asses,” Scar shot back in fake accusation, but Cleo shrugged, a crooked smile across her lips.

“You have fun.”

“I do,” Bdubs assented, earning a sharp jab from Scar’s elbow.

“We don’t! Unless you buy us each a beer, then we do.”

“No.”

“Please?”

“No.”

“Okay fine,” Scar sighed, fully intending on a large tip regardless, since despite her sharp tongue, Cleo would still refuse any sort of compensation for an outing like this, “But you also have to drink.”

Cleo scoffed, the smile never leaving their face. “Who do you think I am?”

***

It was fun. Of course it was fun. Scar lost pretty miserably in nearly every round, though that could be accurately attributed to the fact he was more than a little tipsy, and Bdubs, always spying an opportunity to get an edge, took full advantage. Though, to his credit, Bdubs was having a great day in general, overtaking Cleo in score multiple times, and even winning one or two games. A feat, even against an inebriated Cleo, which, in all honesty, was pretty much the only way Scar or Bdubs could ever surpass her. Etho.. It was safe to say Etho had little talent for the sport. Didn’t matter how much instruction he got, he was nothing short of miserable every time all four of them got together to play. Actually, out of the four of them, Etho was probably the only person who improved when he was drunk, which was always hilarious to see. You’ve never seen a fire lit under someone’s ass like you did when Etho managed to squeak ahead of Bdubs or Scar, the cackling of Cleo only furthering their panic.

Scar did wish Etho was here. He wished he wasn’t so flakey sometimes.

Regardless, when they were done, Bdubs was only two steps away from sober and plenty able to drive. Scar was relieved to have to ride, and even more so that he hadn’t brought his own car in the first place. It was a nice drive home, anything but quiet, and really, just what Scar needed. The less time he spent alone with his own thoughts, the better. Though, after such a nice evening, tonight was going to be a little easier.

Thanking Bdubs for the ride, Scar stepped out onto the cobblestones once they reached his apartment, taking a deep breath before going inside. It was okay. He was going to be okay.

But there was one little habit he had developed, a little something he couldn’t quite shake despite knowing it wasn’t doing him many favors. It had only been a week since Mumbo had disappeared, but Scar refused to miss it if the mermaid ever did return- he couldn’t, even if Grian wouldn’t be in the picture anymore. This still meant something. Scar wasn’t about to give it up so easily.

The trail cams were still open on his monitors when he sat at his desk. Of course they were. Scar never closed them.

So there he sat, chin in his hands, eyes glazed as he watched every angle of that little cove. The trees, waving gently in the breeze. The sand, shifting ever so slightly in the presence of bugs and crabs. But mostly he watched the water. Scar never stopped watching the water.

[lyss-sketchbox]

Have you played through Natlan a little bit yet? Because I love it except for one thing. Does the Archon quest feel...off to you? At least the first act. Specifically the character introductions and character acting?

Funny thing actually i JUST finished it last night!

Well uh spoilers ahead

I think its... alright-ish? Act 1 basically sets you up with the basics, the characters, the culture, the traditions, and lore so we know whats up. Cool. We are literally being fed information because we are tourists and i can excuse that.

Idk how to feel about traveller and paimon literally going 'ah look, an opportunity has arised, its time to do our thing and help with this major event'. I mean yes thats how its always been but mentioning it doesnt... help... it just points out a flaw.

The characters are fine enough imo. I really expected Mualani to have this super hyper attitude and squeaky voice we usually get from an 'everyone loves me' character but shes suprisingly mellow and i appreciate that alot. (May change with Citlali though and im not looking forward to it)

I do not like how it is very Tell not Show. Because you know what keeps being shown? The fact that Kachina is A CHILD. Maybe she's not an actual child who knows but hyv is clearly infantilizing her. Case in point:

The chief of the tribe literally asked you for ID because you are strangers hanging out around her. He literally said 'a good feeling isnt gonna be enough for your parents to trust these people'

After the chief knew who the traveller is, he said he could trust Kachina to go to the Stadium to sign up and not get into trouble. She HAS to participate because she has an Ancient Name and you can barely trust her to go to the stadium???

Kachina mentioning how she can't keep excusing her age for being a bad warrior. So she KNOWS shes young and either she or other people in the past has excused her for her performance because of her age.

The genuine actual side by side of her first match up. You know a child vs a massive buff man. Maybe it's just me but her kit is clearly not made to DPS and hyv making us fight these opponents with only her kinda makes it feel so much like a drag.

Everyone around her keeps saying oh shes actually really good, she almost made it last time, shes super powerful just lacking confidence. Well we dont really... see it. When the tournament started and we play as mualani and kachina all i can think about it 'yeah mualani is gonna do all the fighting here' and it adds to the idea that kachina literally did the bare minimum. But then suddenly we get a really cool cutscene of her defeating a 3 times winning veteran. It is not believable to me.

Also now that she's won we are literally sending her off to fight the abyss where she has a REAL CHANCE OF DYING but we gotta be ok with it because she can get resurrected? Are we not supposed to be concerned that we are sending a child to war with a real chance of her dying?

It is such a tonal shock and the traveller or paimon barely says anything about it so WE are supposed to be fine with it too? It probably is culture shock but like... SOME people still sees Clorinde as a killer despite doing her job as a duelist, how do you think those people will think seeing THIS tradition.

As for the bit where we go with mualani while we wait for kachina to come back from war, it was... alright i think. But the manufactured 'chillness' is there, like you can tell theyre trying their hardest to potray this tribe as the chill surfers one. Its also obvious they want us to like Atea. While she looks a lil overbearing i appreciate that they were being subtle about her 'my life isnt gonna last long so i am doing this dangerous task', they had to explain it anyway for mualani but i think them not stating out right at first that 'woah you werent going here because you can use the hotsprings again!' is a good choice, that is a good show not tell i think.

For now though the entire thing simply feels off because i feel like there's no stake at all for us. If kachina loses? Then she doesn't get sent to the war, thats kind of a good thing seeing how she did ended up 'dying'. We've met the archon but for some reason hasn't asked about our siblings or anything and the only reason we are staying is because its the right thing to do. Thats it. I think it's just... alot offered to us but none with actual value to the traveller personally.

While you can argue that fontaine is exactly like that, that we only stayed to help lyney with his trial and everything else because its the right thing to do. Lyney is fatui. Neuvillette is a dragon. And furina is an absent archon. Theres an air of mystery around how fontaine works and these people have MASSIVE connections. You almost want to stay to see how it'll turn up, what information will show up.

Natlan on the other hand revealed basically everything to us in the first 2 acts. Natlan gets abyss attacks because they dont have strong leyline connections. The fatui wants the gnosis and literally will just fight the archon for it. The archon is chill and kind and is the reincarnation of the original archon because we were told that. The facking traitor from night-wind is obviously the Ororon guy lmao. So what IS left to speculate? To look out for?

Like wow she's gonna carve us an Ancient Name? Why lmao. What for? We can purify the abyss we are not dying in the Night Kingdom.

Shrugs idk feel free to fight me on this. I am just a lil jaded because i literally cannot take the archon seriously when shes literally just called 'Archon' with no special title or anything