#you won't tell the secret to the people who birthed you

[dericelem]

s1: this secret is between the three of us. NO ONE should know, not even our family

s2: tell that boy that you met a couple of weeks ago about your secret emma.

[strawberryblue-blog]

Alejandro balde nsfw alphabet smut

A to Z. NSFW alphabet

—Alejandro Balde.

summary: request.

warnings: YES. +18. smut, explicit content, headcanon.

A - after care (what is it like after sex?)

He's pretty quick to fall asleep, as long as he makes sure that everything is okay, that you feel good and are satisfied, he won't take long to cuddle you and fall asleep like a teddy bear.

B - body part (favorite part of your body and his)

In him, he doesn't have a favorite part because he doesn't need it. He is very sure of himself. On you, he would definitely go for your smooth ass and your contoured hips, he loves to see them move.

C - cum (anything about cumming)

Outside of you, on your belly or thighs. He likes to be dirty and mark you with his cum all over, although if you ask him to, he'll come inside you while you're on the pill or using birth control.

D - dirty secret (some dirty secret).

He would like to taste your ass if you ever let him. Maybe later on when you move forward with your relationship and you trust him 100%, he would definitely bring it to the table and tell you.

E - experience (experience in sex)

Normal experience, enough for someone his age. Oral, masturbation, fingering, foreplay, teasing and definitely the best sex.

F - favorite position (to fuck you)

As I said before, any position where I can see your ass. Doggy style, on your back, against the wall, reverse cowboy.

G - goofy (how serious is he during sex?)

He's not that serious, he likes to play with you a little more as long as you're having fun and he's not annoying. But once he has your full attention he is more serious.

H - hair (how do he/you take care of his/your privacy?)

Maybe he has a bit of hair, thinks it makes him manly and is not prejudiced about it. Much less about you, to each his/her own, whatever he/she feels comfortable and confident with.

I - intimacy (what is it like during sex?)

Wild and sloppy. Likes to do it hard and non-stop, intense and dirty. Although he can be romantic but he is not a quiet person in bed.

J - jack off (masturbation, how much do he/you masturbate?)

Yeah, maybe a little more than he'd like. He's very hormonal and young, so he doesn't have a problem with that either. He obviously prefers you but he understands that there are times when you don't want to or can't do it and he'll take care of himself.

K - kink (fetishes during sex)

Putting his fingers in your mouth is his hottest fetish. Seeing you so full with his fingers, your tongue sucking on them and your stifled moans is his favorite experience.

L - location (places to have sex)

Honestly, Alejandro would fuck you anywhere. Literally anywhere. In the room, bathroom, car, other people's house, patio, hotels, beach, pool, any place is suitable to fuck you.

M - motivation (what excites him/you?)

That you walk around the thing with no underwear on, whether it's panties or a bra, it turns him on a lot. Climbing on his thighs or fondling his chest also tends to turn him on quite a bit.

N - no (what wouldn't he do with you?)

He's quite jealous, so he would never share you with anyone else. No boy, no girl. You are his and no one else's.

O - oral (how does he like to give/receive?)

He has no problem with giving but loves your mouth too much, is obsessed with your blowjobs and definitely likes to get more from you. That's not to say he doesn't give oral to you, he's also very good with his tongue.

P - pace (how do he like to do it?)

He likes to do it hard, erratic and non-stop. He's a wild man who won't stop until he feels you deep inside him.

Q - quickie (do he like quick sex?)

He has no problem with them. In fact sometimes it really helps him release stress and if you both come, he doesn't care how long it takes.

R - risk (would he take risks? which ones?)

Definitely. Fucking you in the car, in a parking lot or public place is one of his best fantasies. He's not afraid of getting caught, they're young and everyone has done it once, they shouldn't be ashamed to love each other.

S - stamina (how long does it last during sex?)

Two to three rounds as much. When you don't see each other for a long time it could be even longer.

T - toy (use toys)

Don't usually use them but would like to implement some like handcuffs, anything that holds you for him. He doesn't think he'll be able to use anything else like dildos or vibrators, he'd feel somewhat abandoned and simply prefers to go with the normal, meaning his cock, fingers or mouth.

U - unfair (how much does he like to provoke you?)

Too much. Alejandro is a pretty playful person and likes to provoke you to the point that you end up begging for it.

V - volume (how loud is it during sex?)

He's not that loud but he does let out a moan or two from time to time. Although he does talk a lot in sex, mostly dirty.

W - wild card (small random story)

Your back slammed against the door of his apartment when you managed to get in after your outing with friends. Your boyfriend's lips kept biting and licking your neck while your mouth let out desperate moans, his hands wrapped around your round breasts squeezing them and your crotch burned. Alejandro had been teasing you all night, caressing your thighs under the table while you pretended to listen to the boys, his fingers caressed your panties and then he would pull away, cross his hands behind your leg hugging you and pulling you close to him to whisper not at all innocent things he would do to you and your core kept getting hotter. Even in the car he had tried to touch you but you had refused, telling him to turn his attention to the road.

You had finally made it home and already you wanted him to rip the dress off your body and fuck you like he should. The dress was wrapped around your belly, your breasts loose for him and your crotch naked after he ripped off your thong. His hands take your hips and he presses down on them, turning you over your body, your face is pressed against the wall and he grabs your ass, smacking hard on your cheek. A scream escapes your lips but is covered by a moan as his cock slides inside you. Deep and hard inside you. A gasp escapes Alejandro's lips when your walls receive him and squeeze inside you.

"That's it, baby. Take daddy's cock" he gasps as he begins to pound hard against your hole.

Moans become music to his ears as he pounds inside you and his hands pat your buttocks, leaving them scarred with his fingers.

X - x-ray (how big is it and how?)

BIG. It's unbelievable, like you've never seen before. Long, thick and veiny. Sometimes so big it's scary.

Y - yearning (how long can desire last?)

He is quite a sexual person so his desire is constant, so be prepared for a hot Alejandro 24/7.

Z - zzz (how is his sleep after sex?)

As I said at the beginning, he is pretty quick to fall asleep but not before he has checked you and checked that everything is ok. He likes to cuddle up behind you, smell your hair and will quickly fall asleep after his lovemaking session.

[quarterlifekitty]

Sliding into your dms because your pretending to be a man idea got into my brain and won't leave me alone. We'll have to suffer together okay.

Imagine you're a daughter of some lowly destitute baron, he died and now all you have is a house and your brother, Alex. You have to sell the house because your father had debt that hasn't been settled. Luckily, you'll still have money left from the sale. Unluckily, the money is not much. You can either use it to send Alex to the royal academy or you can use it as your marriage dowry, of which your prospect isn't great anyway since you're poor and barely even a noble. Alex wants you to use the money, he's long been disillusioned with the king (Shepherd) and he wants to go help the neighbouring kingdom fight off their invader. He'll sleep easier knowing you have a roof over your head. Still, the thought of being married to some strange old men makes you want to throw up. You think you'd rather die. But you also don't want to stop Alex from pursuing his dream. So you and Alex came up with the idea that will satisfy you both: you will take his place in the royal academy and he can leave in peace, knowing you'll be safer in the academy than alone without a house in the countryside. He'll tell people that he's sent you to live with some distant relatives somewhere.

Years pass and you thrive in the academy. You graduate and despite having no connections or wealth, your capability lands you a job inside the palace. It's nothing fancy, and likely you won't go very far working under a neglected concubine, but she's very nice and funny. The salary is also good enough that you think if you keep working for a few years you can buy a small house and retire back to the countryside. Maybe you'll even stay longer just to accompany your mistress.

All in all, life is nice and uneventful. The great nobles and the king might be fighting, but you and your mistress are so far down the political ladder it barely affects you. Or so you thought and so it should have been, if not for your mistress starting a genuine love affair with Marchioness Laswell.

Your mistress' affection for you causes Laswell to pay attention to you. And unfortunately for you, she's seen the real Alex before. She knows you're a fraud. You think you're done for, but Laswell says she understands why you do it. She says she won't let the public learn your secret.

And she doesn't, because Duke Price isn't the public. He's just a Duke in desperate need of a wife. Someone to help him escape the disadvantageous match that will only put him under Shepherd's control once more. What a good luck he has to meet you, a noble who is unaffiliated with king, at this exact time. Surely you'll be willing to help him out? Being a duchess is certainly better than pretending to be a guy. It's definitely less risky, he says. Do you know that using someone else's identity can get you to jail? What if the king finds out and thinks you're plotting treason? Off with your pretty little head then. Surely being his duchess would be safer. He'll protect you. Take care of you. Spoil you, even. You and your good birthing hips and however many kids you two will have.

TLDR, you pretend to be a guy to escape marrying strange old men only to marry another (worse) strange old man

So first of all. I LOVE THIS. And now for my paltry additions….

I think that once Price found out about you, he became extremely fixated for a number of reasons. One? He’d met you before. He visited the academy as an alumni, occasionally donated to the institute, and would visit to check on the allocation of those funds.

And he remembers seeing you, swimming in your too-large uniform. Absolutely decimating your studies. In his observation of the academy, he’d unwittingly found himself following you around to your different lessons and seeing you sweep the floor with every other student. It was clear you were extremely bright, and he heard the whisperings about you.

A shame about your lowly birth. You might’ve made a fine tactician.

Price, as a rather meritocratic man, wanted to have you in his service as soon as you graduated. But as with many of the finest things in the kingdom, you were plucked up and handed off as something of a present to one of the king’s newer, shinier consorts.

So when Laswell starts her dalliance with that very consort, it sparks a memory in Price. And he asks after you. Which gets Laswell to commit you more to memory when she meets with you. And suddenly it’s quite obvious. She tells Price all about it, with amusement on her face, at one of their weekly meetings.

Suddenly there’s a little click in his brain. Like everything’s slotting into place. He was denied you once, in one way, and it won’t happen again. Now he can have you in all ways. With the forces at his disposal, and your brilliance in tactics and writing, he may well have the makings of some serious political sabotage. With him as your husband, you could soar in a way your class and gender never would’ve allowed. And at the end of it all? You’re quite pretty. A new dress and a circlet for that boyish cut of hair and you’d be bewitching. He was eager to see what those loose tunics had been hiding.

You can’t refuse his offer. Suddenly, Alex is called by letter to care for an ailing relative who has no other means of support. The same relative that had supposedly taken you in. And John quite selflessly takes you in following, and from a public perspective, it all went so naturally after that. What could be more heartwarming and dreamy? A generous noble taking in a common born girl in an act of charity, and the two falling in love, enough to defy the gaps in their stations and marry. It’s the kind of thing that only happens in fairy tales.

But despite all of John’s political aspirations, he knows it must appear as if nothing is amiss. That means doing what any noble would do with a young, pretty bride. It means spoiling you with all the finery he can… and it means making sure that you’re with child within the year.

[lost-in-fandoms]

Just because it’s the most unexpected promoted on the list….max is ella enchanted (28), maxiel. Have no preference as to if it’s angsty/fluffy/kinky/funny/dramatic. Just interested to see where you take this.

From here Hello thank you!!! I'm also interested to see where I take this! (I have no idea let's find out).

cw: possible implied non-con. it's not, but for a bit Daniel thinks it is.

Max is very well behaved.

It's one of the first things Daniel learns about him, even before Max becomes his teammate.

He can be a bit bitchy sometimes, sass a little, be rebellious, but as soon as someone tells him to behave, he does. He listens well, he is great at following orders, seems to thrive on being given clear instructions. And Daniel can confirm that all of that is true.

It's seems to be even more true in the bedroom.

When Daniel says kiss me, Max does. When Daniel says get on your knees for me, Max does. When Daniel says let me hear you, Max does.

It's not that Max doesn't argue, he isn't afraid of letting his opinion be loudly known, but he's just. Good at following orders. That's all. It's easy, and it makes life easier for everyone around him.

Or at least, it does until it turns Daniel's world upside down.

"Hey," Lando greets him, sitting down next to him and offering his fist to bump.

The meeting room is still mostly empty, everyone loves to run late to drivers meetings, and Daniel is comfortably lounging in one of the chairs in the back, idly kicking the seat in front of him, making the chair shift more and more forward with a screech.

"Have you heard?" Lando asks, looking at him with his eyes twinkling. Daniel knows that face. It's his I have been trusted with a secret that I am immediately going to spill face.

"Have I heard what?" Daniel asks, bored enough to not care about trying to ensure someone's trust doesn't get broken.

"Apparently, Max is cursed!"

Daniel stops kicking the chair.

"What?"

He thinks back to the morning, when Max had slipped out of his room looking very much normal, trying to imagine what might have happened in between, and why would Max not text him about it.

"Is he okay?" he asks, already pulling out his phone to get into their message thread.

More drivers are starting to trickle in, but no Max, so Daniel thoroughly ignores them all. He can apologise later. Maybe.

"No no, it's not new!" Lando still sounds gleeful about sharing the gossip, and it's possible Daniel is going to punch him.

"What the fuck do you mean, it's not new? And who told you this?" he snaps, maybe too harshly. His text to Max isn't even getting delivered, meaning that either Max's phone is off or that someone truly hates Daniel's guts and wants him to suffer.

"I don't know, people are saying! And it's since birth!"

Daniel relaxes slightly. If it's since birth it can't be something too serious, or it would have been picked up already. He still wishes he could reach Max, or that Max would just show up, but he's not as desperate as ten seconds ago.

"Okay, fine," he relents, when it's clear that Lando knows more but won't talk unless he gets asked. "What's the curse?"

"It's incredible, mate! He has to follow orders!"

And then Lando laughs. As if it's funny, maybe already thinking about all the prank opportunities this could turn into.

While Daniel's brain slowly collapses.

"Any order?" he asks, voice faint to his own ears.

Any order means any order. It means tell me the race strategy. It means shunt your car.

It means be a good boy and suck me off.

Daniel doesn't even apologise when he throws up on Lando's shoes.

--

"Max, Max, fucking pick up."

Daniel paces around the room, phone pressed to his ear, trying to call Max for what feels the hundredth time.

He can't stop shaking.

Max hadn't been in the drivers meeting. Not that Daniel had been either, he'd run out as soon as he had stopped puking on Lando, but he hadn't been in the Red Bull garage either. He hadn't been in Daniel's hotel room, or in his own.

And he wasn't answering his phone.

Daniel can't stop thinking about it. Max is well behaved. Max is well behaved. Max likes orders. Max is well behaved.

He feels like throwing up again.

The call rings out, and Daniel simply presses the call button again, fisting his hand in his hair.

"Fuck, fuck, fu..."

The door beeps as a card is used, and then swings open, letting a very tired looking Max Verstappen in.

Daniel drops his phone on the floor.

"Fucking hell, Max, what the fuck!"

Max jumps, taken aback, his eyes widening at Daniel's wild appearance.

"Daniel? Are you okay?" he asks, taking a step forward, hesitant.

Daniel laughs, feeling crazed, stomach rolling. Is he okay? Is he fucking okay?

"I am great, mate! My boyfriend is cursed, didn't tell me about it, and then fucking disappeared! I am great!" he snaps, laughing again, hysterical.

"Daniel," Max says, in that soft voice he uses for his cats, walking forward with his hands slightly raised. "I am of course okay. I am sorry if I worried you, but we had an emergency meeting about it, and..."

"Did you even want it?" Daniel interrupts, unable to keep it inside anymore.

Max frowns, confused.

"Want it?"

"All the times I..." Daniel swallows, feeling the taste of vomit in the back of his throat. "Did I force you? Ever? Into something you didn't want?"

It takes a second for Max to understand, but then his face softens, and he comes closer, settling his hands on Daniel's arms and then, when he doesn't fight it, dragging him into a hug.

"Do you remember the first time that we kissed?" he asks, lips brushing against Daniel's messy hair.

Daniel would prefer if Max just answered the fucking question, but he'll be damned if he ordered it to him. He just shakes his head, too distressed to think about it properly.

"I kissed you," Max tells him, half a smile in his voice. "And I asked you if I could suck you off."

Daniel remembers now. How bold and shy Max had been, flushed cheeks and wandering hands.

"I have never felt forced with you," Max says, and Daniel almost collapses into him, the weight on his shoulders partially lifting.

"How can I be sure?" he asks instead, voice choked with tears.

When Max pulls back there's a twinkle in his eyes, a smirk on his lips.

"You can order me to tell you, of course. I cannot lie."

[bunbun-mochi]

A Past Glimpse of Hope

Sylus x MC (angst, with comfort at the end. I'm not a monster. YET. )

Warning: heavy spoilers of Sylus' new myth. Major character(s) death.

Word count: 1050

Preview: After the dragon left her, a new life formed inside of her. However, the world is an unforgiving place. No peace will ever be found. In her last breath, she begged whatever heaven there is to have same baby when she meet her soulmate again in another life.

I had been obsessed with Sylus these few weeks because of his new myth. I saw some fanart where MC had a child with Sylus after he went (x_x) and I wanted to write something based on that.

My dragon is gone.

Her journey was long and rough. Trying to live without her beloved was like torture. Everyday, she would go far and wide to pick flowers for her beloved. Placed it neatly on the ground. Telling the wind of her days. Shedding her tears for no one to see.

A few months later, when she came back to the same field she had always gone to.

"I'm carrying our love," she said. Tears, shaped like pearls, run down her pale face. "I will protect it, even if it cost me my life.

But this world is an unforgiving place. The people living in this world do not like outcasts. Catching anyone who they deem as "sinners". Getting rid of them is "God's work".

She ran as fast as she can. She flew as far as she can. Holding on her swelled stomach, shielding it with her life. Angry yells and arrows piece through the air. Tears rolled down her eyes, pain erupted from her injuries and her stomach.

She crashed into a liar. A liar she is so familiar with. Gold and jewels piled in mountains. A single bed in the center. She laid on the bed, screaming in agony.

There was no one there for her.

She felt like her body was split in two.

A roar screeched, sliced through the air, pushed against the wind.

Then a dead silent because a cry was heard. It was the sound of a newborn taking their first breath.

She cradled the small life in her embrace, sobbing. The yells and screams of the mob had gotten closer and closer to the lair.

"I'm so sorry," She cried. "I broke my promise. I cannot protect her."

Broken sobs echoed in the lair.

She was scared. Scared for her. Scared for her child. What would they do to her? To her own child?

"I'm so sorry, my child," She sobbed. "You don't deserve a horrible mother like myself."

"Please," she screamed. "Please, whatever or whoever is in the heavens." She cradled her baby as she bowed down. "Please, let me have her again when I meet my soulmate again." She pleads. "Please..."

The lair, once filled with gold and jewels, was now engulfed in flames. A soft melody sang as the flame covered the lair. The longer the flames burned, the softer the melody got. Until they were silent.

I felt gentle touches on my stomach and a soft deep voice lured me awake. I opened my eyes slightly to see my husband talking sweetly to my swelled stomach. He kissed my stomach, and I felt a slight movement inside my belly as if to respond to his words and touches. I giggled.

Sylus looked over to me, and smiled, "Oh, is my wife eavesdropping on a father-daughter conversation?"

I touched Sylus' face, "You two already keeping secrets from me? I'm worried. What if you sneak her out to eat food that she isn't supposed to or stay past her bedtime?"

"Don't worry, that won't happen. Even if it does happen, you won't know." Sylus smiled, a glint of mischievous in his eyes.

I playfully slapped his shoulder, "You're already a bad father!"

Sylus chuckled, "Go back to sleep, love." He stood up, leaned toward me, and gave me a small peck on my lips.

I pulled the blanket up to my neck and slowly drifted off the sleep.

I woke up feeling a pang of pain in my stomach. Thinking it was cramps, I continued to close my eyes to try to get back to sleep. But as time passed, the pain continued and became more intense.

I quickly sat up and felt around my stomach. Am I giving birth? I looked between my legs and I felt a trickle of blood and some gotten on the sheet. Panicked, I grabbed my phone and called Sylus. My hands were shaking, hoping that the pain was just contractions and nothing bad happened to my baby.

It only took one ring for Sylus to pick up.

"Sweetie?" His voice brings so much relief and comfort.

"Sylus, um, I think I'm going into labor." I placed a hand on the top of my head, trying to calm myself.

"Ok, stay there, I will be there in five minutes." The line cuts off before I can respond.

Worried that five minutes was too long, I got myself off the bed and walked slowly down the stairs, toward the front door.

Before I even halfway through the stairs, the front door flung open, revealing a panicked Sylus. I nearly laughed at his form, his face filled with sweat and messy hair, but I winced from the pain. Sylus ran upstairs, and gently bridal carried me to the car to the nearest hospital.

I screamed and yelled from the pain, grabbing onto anything that could relieve slightly from the pain. It felt like I was pushing forever before the doctor yelled that the baby's head was visible. Nurses rushing back and forth.

I, however, wanted to punch someone. And that certain someone was the one who got me pregnant even though it was me who asked for it.

Sylus was on my side, giving me encouraging words and holding my hand. And I used his hand as my stress ball, squeezing it as hard as I could.

"How long is this going to take!" I screamed.

"Soon! Keep pushing!" The nurses said.

It seemed like hours before I felt some relief and the pain lessened. I closed my eyes as I tried to catch my breath. Then I heard crying.

The cry sounded so familiar, as if I heard it before. I slowly opened my eyes and the doctor placed my baby on my chest. Her crying slowly died down as I held her. I embraced her. I felt a sense of relief, like as if I had made a wish a long time ago and it finally came true.

I will protect you with my life.

A gentle kiss on my forehead and I looked up. Sylus looked like he was going to cry but was holding back. "You did great, love."

Sylus hugged us both, "I will love and protect you both."

I smiled, "I know you will."

dividers, templates, headers, and banners are from @uzmacchiato

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

All I Ever Wanted, All I Ever Needed

Pairing: Homelander x Supe!Reader

Warnings: siblingxsibling implications, Homelander being such a narcissist that he falls in "love" with his own sibling, Homelander being a stalker, innocent reader, naive reader, Homelander being a basic menace, first time writing for this fandom, also experimenting a new writing style

Words: 5688

Summary: Along with the existence of Ryan, there was another secret being kept from Homelander that he manages to rip out of Vogelbaum's throat: he has a sister.

Part 2 Part 3

The house was quaint, way too fucking perfect in Homelander's opinion. Just like all the other mansions on the block. When he went back to Vogelbaum to find out the REAL truth about Becca, he'd forced Jonah to tell him anymore lies that were being kept from him. He hadn't anticipated there being a second secret: Homlander has a sister. Rare to be caught speechless, he leaves Vogelbaum's massive mansion. What else was Vought hiding from him? Not just Vought, but Madelyn as well. She'd lied to Homelander before. Now he'd take things into his own control.

From the slip of information Vogelbaum wheezed out , Homelander remembers the address. Stares at the numbers in front of the house that matches what Johan said. Architecture reeks of wealth. He didn't have to peek into the large bay windows to know that each corner dripped with elegance as was appropriate for a big time Vought executive. You were granted an entirely different life than what Homelander suffered from. Raised with loving parents who encouraged you to cultivate your powers in a positive way. Dinner was a sit down affair where everyone discussed highlights of the day. An authentic family unit. After discovering the truth of both you and Becca, he raided the archives for more information about her. Birth records, school reports, personal notes of progress from the adopted parents. Doted on. If only he had knowledge of you sooner. Homelander missed out on having a genuine bond to someone. A person he could truly call his own.

Superhuman eyes detect multiple people in the house. No worries. Once he presents himself, they won't deny him anything. Unless they want to end up like Stillwell and many others.

Insurmountable confidence has his gloved hand wrapping knuckles against the wood of the front door. He clasps his hands behind his back and waits. Scattering voices whisper amongst the other before feet lumber down several steps of stairs. A moment passes before the locks on the doors click open to reveal the stereotypcial dowdy housemaid. What a cliche.

Her eyes damn near pop out of her head, her mouth pulling into an ecstatic smile. Good, didn't look like there'd be much resistance. He didn't even get a chance to open his mouth before the maid pulls him in. "Oh she'll be SO delighted to see you Homlander! Please- wait here while I get her!" She frantically calls up the stairs, using the name he knew belonged to you, his sister. A sudden pang of warmth pleasantly grips him at the knowledge that you were already a fan of him. Maybe even admired Homelander. That makes him stand a bit taller.

At the top of the stairs, there you stood. You didn't believe in Diane when she told you the Homelander was at the front door. Even as you stare at him with your own striking cornflower blue eyes, your mind melts and you still don't believe what you see before you; that he's there in the flesh until his grin broadens. A brush stroke of awestruck sweeps across his expression.

Homelander found you absolutely perfect. And the smile that broke out on your own face took his breath away. An authentic smile of his own graces his facial muscles. You were a vision before him. Utter helplessness renders speech useless as he simply stares right into you. There must be a blush on your face, how could there not be one when he's staring so intently at you. He was bigger and better in real life. A wider range of emotions more available on his face opposed to the mask you saw him wear sometimes on screen. Stiff and uncomfortable. This one was even more appealing. His smile made his blue eyes crinkle with delight.

"Wow." You breathe out and feel Diane eagerly bounce behind you. "It's really you!" As fast as your mouth could go, you introduce yourself and Diane despite Homelander already knowing your name, birthdate and social security number. Whatever information he could get on you. Not even in his imagination could he truly conjure you up though.

Bringing him to the drawing room with a small tug on his gloved hands, you beam at him and say that your mom would be so excited to meet him. The light of your face makes his heart melt, something he long believed he didn't possess.

Seated already on a cream colored couch was your mom. She drops her cup and saucer, letting it shatter against the ground. Eyes incredulously wide but not with enthusiasm like you assume they'd be. Your grin drops a bit when you realize she's scared. Of what? Certainly not Homelander. Couldn't be. She'd been perfectly fine when you passed by the sitting room a few moments before heading upstairs.

Immediately the maid scrambles to clean up the mess, chirping apologies as she gathers the pieces up in her apron before scuttling away to dispose of the broken porcelain pieces.

"Homelander," your mom's voice came out as a squeak. "What a surprise to see you." She blinks out of nervousness.

"Thought I would treat Vought's wonderful executive crew with a surprise visit!" Businessman smile activated, Homelander goes on with some well rehearsed corporate bull crap spiel about how Vought appreciated all of their wonderful workers. He could practically lap at the fear emanating from your mom as she sat tightlipped against frilly decorative throw pillows. That could only mean she was in on the secret too and knew who you really were. Most importantly why he was there. She must have known that when he eventually found out, he would come.

Your mom's smile is frigid as her hand is clamped down on your forearm. "What an honor, thank you Homelander." You could tell she wanted him gone. With your own incredible olfactory receptors, you could smell her sweat too.

Hands behind his back in his usual resting stance, Homelander admits "I do have another reason for coming here too." Boots squeak as he takes just one simple step closer that has your mom's nails digging into you. It didn't hurt you but from her white knuckles she was definitely using all her strength. "A little bird told me you're special, like me."

Admittedly you beam with pride when he spoke of you being special like him. When your powers start to grow you were thrilled to find out that you had the exact powers that Homelander, the greatest superhero in the world!

Coyly and not wanting to come off as arrogant, you flutter your gaze down to your lap. "Well, I'm still nowhere near your league." Just to show off a little, you make your eyes sizzle red with heat vision that Homelander also possessed. His smile widens at your display of superability.

"How would you like to train at Vought with the Seven? You'll have the best of the best as your teachers."

He'd said it so easily you didn't take him seriously the first time. Blinking at him until it dawned on you. "R-Really?"

"Honey, this is all very sudden. Lets wait for your father to come home." She attempts to placate you but now all you can think about is the possibility of training alongside the rest of the Seven. Immediately you want to remind her that you were an adult and could take up this offer with or without your father's permission.

You don't have to because Homelander smoothly lies to her face. "Oh, no need to worry about that. Your husband already gave the go ahead!"

Her brows scrunch in a disbelieving frown. "He did?" She couldn't out right accuse the Homelander of lying.

"Of course! He was ecstatic at the opportunity his little girl would have." His tone is syrupy sweet. He couldn't show how annoyed he was with your mom. If he had informed the patriarch of your family, he doubts the man would have objected. Not to Homelander at least. They could go crying to Stand Edger for all he cared. Vought's CEO was just as powerless in stopping him once he has his mind set on something. Try as they might. Madelyn Stillwell came close to being able to manipulate him, but he'd melted her face off days prior so there was no use in Edger wielding her as a weapon.

Now you're the one clawing at your mom's arm. "Did you hear that! He said I could go! I gotta pack!" Hopping to your feet, in the blink of an eye you're dashing out of the living room and up the stairs before your mom could stutter out another word. It was just her and Homelander now with the occasional house help peeking into the living room to catch a glimpse of the glorious leader of the Seven. Visibly she swallows thickly, her eyes stare at Homelander with unrelenting fear.

"What? Did you really expect me not to find out?" Cheery smile not leaving his face, his voice reveals the sneer that he so wished to deliver to her. As it was he was keeping his voice down in case you had superhearing like he did.

The rims of her eyes glisten with unshed tears. She had to be the same age Madelyn was before he killed her. "I-I thought we had more time. Please don't take her. Please. You can come see her as much as you want. You have that right as her b-brother. But please- leave her with us." Practically gasping as she keeps her panic in control. Lines around her lips tremble. Homelander takes in her pathetic form.

"Tell me, do you love her?"

That makes her tears roll freely down her face. "I do. We do. She's a good girl. S-She wants to be a superhero, wants to protect people and use her powers for good. Please don't take her!"

Homelander snaps. "Quit your fucking blubbering."

Her mouth instantly zips shut, knowing what he did to Stillwell. Her husband had warned her early on about the real Homelander. He wasn't the perfect hero that the media painted him as. Even if you were upstairs, he wouldn't hesitate to come back and kill her. He's paused for a moment, listening to the pitter patter of your feet above. Happy that you were still busy and not paying attention to what was going on downstairs.

False saccharine face goes back up. "There's no reason for tears. You've done your job. Said so yourself that she's a good girl. She's a young adult though and doesn't need her mommy and daddy poking around in her business. Not to mention the big secret you and your husband are keeping from her."

Leaning over her, he sinisterly utters under his breath "She's coming with me. Now put a smile on your face and fucking wipe your goddamn eyes. You look disgusting. She's coming down the stairs."

Easily toting a giant backpack and two overstuffed duffle bags, you stride back into the living room. To Homelander's surprise, another duffle bag was floating behind you. Apparently you had telekinesis too. Your smile is so big that it was starting to hurt your face. This was the chance of a lifetime. You'd been getting bored stuck at home as of late.

Eagerly clenching the straps of your two duffle bags in your hands, you beam expectantly at your mom. "Sorry about dad not being here to see me off, but I'll see him around at Vought!" You go in to hug your stunned mom and promise to call her when you arrive at the tower.

Homelander is tickled pink by your enthusiasm and haul your bags out to the front porch. "Can you fly?"

You grin deviously and give your mom one last wave goodbye. Homelander takes the duffles out of your hands even though you were fully capable of carrying possibly even more luggage. What a gentleman. Something guys your age weren't.

He takes off first into the sky with you following, hot on his tail.

Never had you experienced this level of elation. You have someone to fly with! The feeling was the same for Homelander. He'd boost his speed and you caught up with him in seconds. Laughing the entire time. It makes him giddy and laughs along with you.

Twin flames.

Finally, Homelander was getting what he's wanted since he was a young boy.

You were a streak of gold as you zoom past him cheekily. For a moment he forgets that you're his sister. He's overwhelmed by the sudden warming in his chest that bleeds to his face as he watches you zip in the open air with your arms wide open to embrace the wind itself. To him you were beautiful in every single way. A perfect specimen. An outright desirous scream in his head confounds him. He didn't have a regular up bringing, but Homelander knew that this was not a common reaction to have with blood kin.

Expertly he tucks that thought away. He'd examine it later. Right now, he needed to focus on catching up with you.

He had to take the lead anyway since he was the only one who could find Vought Tower so high up in the sky and miles away. Below you, the city looks like a toy replica by how small it was as you follow Homelander's lead in the sky. You'd never seen anything quite like it. Where you'd lived was a quiet suburb. You didn't go to a public or private school but taught at home by the best instructors your parents could buy. They tend to keep you away from big cities, claiming your buddening powers as a liability if something bad were to happen. When they brought up things like that, it made you scared to even try using them. But watching Homelander's Vought produced movies gave you the courage to start playing with your abilities and push your limits; even if it meant that you subsequently knocked down the large tree in your backyard and landing it on the side of the house. That was the first time your dad had ever yelled at you.

From seeing it on the news many times, you notice the tall, silver column as Vought Tower. Homelander slows down as you had been too busy with sight seeing, but he didn't mind. He thought you were adorable, basically a little kid at Voughtland. So easily excited about everything new. That just reaffirms his suspicion that your parents had locked you up in an oppressive cage. Just like Becca did with Ryan. Really, Homelander was doing you a favor by setting you free and into his secure and guiding hands.

Both of you easily land on the roof of the tower, a door at the ready for them to enter the structure itself. You gaze out from the roof, enjoying the noise of the city and the pure energy that buzzed through it. That morning seemed so long ago. A basic start to your day, just like any other morning for the boring, safe life your parents smothered you with.

Your excitement makes your features glow, even blinding Homelander who couldn't keep his eyes off of you. You were utterly intriguing to him. An entirely different species. Both of you were so much alike yet due to your upbringing near solar opposites at the same time. Finally when you turn away from observing gaze and look to Homelander, he opens the door for you. In more ways than one. He takes you from the rooftop and into the thrum of the tower. You can't help staring at everything you walk by. All the while he goes on to promise you a room as soon as he could find-

"Ashley! There you are!" He calls out to a jumpy red head who looks both relieved and incredibly stressed out once she spots you next to him. Her lips smack against one another, flailing for useful words, her eyes round and staring at you. "We need to get a room set up for our new friend here." Homelander introduces you and you hold out a hand for Ashley to shake. Fumbling with her tablet, a sweaty hand weakly reaches out for a fast shake.

"Nice to meet you. Homelander, can I have a word with you?" Ashley hesitantly asks, forcing a fake smile and much like your mom had Ashley reeked of fear.

Homelander quickly catches your dampening smile and puts a hand on your shoulder to steer you past her. "Not now, Ashley. I have to show her around the rest of the tower. Especially the Seven's very own conference room." That brings the enthusiasm back onto your lips. While he can still hear Ashley's frantic voice trying to get him to come back he could care less. Besides, you didn't appear too affected by bumping into her, the prospect of seeing the Seven's personal conference room had you instantly forgetting the nervous red head.

A large window that spans from wall to wall has the perfect picture of the metropolis skyline in its massive frame. This felt like a perspective only the elite were privlidged enough to gaze from.

Focal point of the room though was the massive circular table, meticulously crafted with dark marble and metal. A symbol of the Seven's authority. It gleams liquid night. At the head of the table was one lone chair, away from the others. Homelander's chair. This is where he got to work every day with the greatest superheroes the country has to offer.

Watching you glide to his chair, Homelander smirks to himself. You catch it when you glance up at him with brilliant moon eyes. The brightness from the world outside casts a brilliant light around you. "I can't believe I'm in Homelander's seat!"

He chuckles and slowly trails over to you. His gloved fingers trail along the tops of the other chairs in a near gentle caress. "It suits you."

You avert your gaze from those fingers, suddenly feeling a flush crawl up your neck. "Is this really happening?" You incredulously peer at him. Your own hands glide along the table's surface. "This morning I was eating breakfast in our dining room, now I'm here with the greatest hero of all time." Brows scrunch together. Besides having powers, your life had been mundane. You'd never even been to Vought Tower where your dad had worked for a good thirty years. Things like this don't happen in a span of four hours. Insane. And it was all thanks to Homelander who saw potential in you.

"You'll get used to it. It's a lot at first." He acknowledged. Homelander wonders if Ashely has procured a room for you yet and has half the mind to call her until the conference room doors open. You throw yourself out of his chair, afraid how it would be perceived by his colleagues. Gasping when you find out it's Starlight and Queen Maeve. They appeared to be in a deep conversation. But once they register you and Homelander, whatever they'd been discussing becomes secondary. How could it not when you had similar characteristics with the man standing next to you. You weren't anyone they've met before. Nor were you a sponsoring celebrity or executive. So what were you doing there all of places?

"Impeccable timing!" He merely claps his hands together. "The two most perfect heroes to welcome you to the Tower." Starlight can't resist lookng at you with concern, wondering if you were in distress despite the smile plastered on your face. When there's no obvious sign of you being uncomfortable, Starlight strains to conjure the semblance of an easy going smile. Homelander told them that you were their new hero-in-training. Neither Queen Maeve or Starlight have ever heard of this position, it hadn't existed but once it leaves their leader's mouth, it might as well have been law. Maeve knew to tread carefully with her words.

Her own mask was honed after years of dealing with his psychopathy and Maeve dawned it on herself with ease. "Wonderful news." She turns to you, statuesque and beautiful. "Welcome. If Homelander speaks so highly of you, then I'm sure you'll find your footing around here."

"I'm excited to learn from both of you and I'll make sure not to get in the way." You promise which cracks a sympathetic smile from Starlight. From your appearance, Starlight deduces that you had to be a year or two younger than her and understood how it felt to abruptly be thrust into the life of the Seven.

Homelander clears his throat and offers you his arm. "Lets go see if Ashley's got that room ready for you. I'm sure you want to settle down."

Before leaving, Homelander sends both women a pointed glare over his shoulder as the doors close behind his red, white and blue cape.

Stunned, Starlight turns to Maeve knowing nothing good would come of this new installment of Vought. Neither had seen nor heard of you. You seemed relatively innocent and ignorant of the danger you were in so close to Homelander.

Maeve shrugs, indifference cloaking how she really felt. "Not our problem."

Starlight's eyes round in disbelief. "Sounds like its going to be a problem sooner or later. Something's up. He doesn't just show interest in random strangers. Even if they're supes too."

Chewing on the inside of her mouth, Maeve is aware of the terrible possibility that this could all end badly for you. Having Homelander's attention did more harm than good. If they wanted any chance of intervening, they'd have to be extremely careful. Homelander may be an egotistical man, but he wasn't a dumb man. He'd catch on immediately if either Starlight or Maeve slip in their investigation toward who you are.

"All we can do is keep an eye out for her and guide her." Maeve murmurs, worried that Homelander may still be listening. Such was the paranoia that she'd developed from all the years they worked together. It was upsetting that her relationship with HOmelander outlasts any other, even Elena. They'd known one another for years. The manner that Homelander hovered around you though was disconcerting. If intervention were needed, there was no way Homelander would let anyone near you.

Starlight grits down on her back molars as she moves around Maeve and out of the conference room. But she couldn't just keep an eye on you. Her feet take her to Ashley's office although her brain was reminding her that the VP of Hero Management would most likely not be there.

After finally hounding down Ashley, you're shown your new room in Vought with a promise from Homelander that you could redecorate it all if you like. All the while it's impossible to ignore the heavy smell of fear from her.

Homelander couldn't pretend not to notice either as his mouth, still holding onto a smile, becomes tight with force. "Thank you Ashley, that will be all."

For not being a supe, she gave A-Train a run for his money as Ashley booked it out of there in the blink of an eye.

"I'll make sure everything else is taken care of and given to you as soon as possible. For now though, relax. I'll put together a team dinner tonight so you can meet everyone else." The face he'd had with Ashley was washed away now replaced with genuine plesantaness.

You examine what was more than a simple room, this was a penthouse apartment. Bigger than the room you had back home with actual marble columns that stand proudly from floor to ceiling. A similar expansive window like that of the conference room greets the city outside with a glittery afternoon effect. Gold and amber filter the sky. Lost in the gleam of it all, you float around; eyes big in wonder. You lived in luxury before, but now your surroundings were damn near extravagant. This was an entire level up from your usual lifestyle.

Barely managing to breathe out an 'okay', you hear the front door open then close.

Still reeling, you place your backpack along with your other luggage at the foyer and let yourself wander. The call to your mom could wait. This moment was for you. You felt seen.

You would be a hero like Homelander. Maybe never as great as him, but some day you could achieve his caliber. This was really happening.

Homelander never imagined his day would have turned into something like this either. His miles hasn't left since leaving your room as he strolls through the halls to make sure your paperwork was properly handled. He felt like he was flying his entire way to the elevators yet his feet were firmly planted on the ground. There were so many things he wanted to do with you. So much he wanted to talk about.

But. . .

He couldn't let you know about the tie you had to him. More than you sharing powers. Blood connected the both of you. The only person (besides Ryan) who could boast that. It was something sacred to him. Of course nothing could remain pure when it came to Homelander. Because you were his sister that meant you were just as perfect as he was. Even more so since you had the added skill of telekinesis. The only person alive truly worthy of being with him. Thinking about his future had butterflies flapping their paper thin wings along the inside of his stomach. To take you the way he desired, Homelander had to make sure no one knew of your biological relationship. Public opinion would demonize him were the fact to get out. Initially he thought of keeping you locked up, but that was an unlikely scenario which would lead to you fighting against him. He wants you to be pliant and willing. That required trust to be developed along with Homelander worming his way into your brain and heart.

Hopefully the look he shot Starlight and Maeve on his way out was enough to prevent either of them in snooping around for information about you. This was his business that they should not meddle in. Particularly Starlight's intentions bothered him. She was a snake in the grass, proven it by aligning herself with Hughie and the rest of the Boys. He saw her being a problem in the future. That concerned look she'd had when her eyes fell upon you spelled trouble brewing.

The pep in his step dwindles thinking of it, jaw tightening. If Starlight found out you were siblings, it would put a wrench in the plans he was formulating. His long desired family unit was within reach. He could practically hear Ryan's laughter, see you chasing after the young boy as if he were your very own. How pretty you would look in summer clothes, waiting for Homelander to come home. The life of his dreams. The life Vought fabricated for his backstory could so easily become reality. He'd just been missing two important pieces. They were essential to this new life Homelander wished for.

There were no qualms over the idea of killing Starlight. Problems would be for Vought trying to cover it up. Not to mention the situation that would inevitably arise with Billy Butcher, especially now that he knew his wife was alive and raising the supe's son. Another encounter with him lay in wait. A headache he wasn't looking forward to dealing with. He just wanted to focus on you and Ryan.

Arriving at the gold plated elevator doors, he presses down on the button that would take him to floor 82, Mr. Edgar's floor. That was Mr. Edgar's kingdom which he ruled with an iron fist and ruthless attitude. When the two doors slide open, Ashley jumps back clearly startled by yet again running into him.

"I-I trust the room is to her liking?" Ashley's mouth twitches and morphs into what she must have thought passed off as a smile.

He stalks into the elevator forcing Ashley to seek refuge in the further most corner. Darkling tutting, Homelander waits for the doors to close before addressing the vice president who was charged with dealing with these self entitled heroes. "You're going to have to try a lot harder at pretending you're not scared. You stink of fear and if I can smell it, so could she."

Paling, her head rapidly nods in complete understanding all the while trying to relax her facial muscles into neutrality as well as taking a few deep breaths. If she didn't fix herself immediately. . . it brought back memories of Blindspot.

For a few seconds he watches her, specifically listening to her erratic heartbeat. At least she listened and didn't need to be told twice. Through her own sheer will, Ashley manages to calm herself enough to lower her pulse, not the easiest thing when her number one stressor was stuck in an elevator with her.

She reaches a hand up to her red hair and anxiously curls a lock of it around her finger instead, her only outlet that she'd be allowed.

"Good. You'll be coming with me to see Mr. Edgar." Homelander turns his blue eyes back up to the lit up floor numbers that were beginning to descend. With his attention away from her, Ashley stealthily rips out a few strands of her hair. The pain was soothing, aiding in faking her calm.

The air was suffocating with just the two of them. She thinks back to the phone call she'd received an hour before you and Homelander had arrived at the Tower. Stan Edgar personally warned her of what Homelander was doing. That he'd discovered not only a son but a sister too. Edgar, in the most polite way possible, instructed her not to get involved and just do whatever he told her to do. And absolutely no asking questions about you. Homelander was already pissed about so much being kept from him, best not to antagonize him further. Keeping him happy was top priority.

Unaware of the shit show that was unraveling, worker bees greet them with a smile once they arrive on the 82nd floor. A few even wave at Ashley.

Stan Edgar saw them coming the moment they stepped out of the elevator. Already he was on his feet and moving around his desk to greet them as his office door is opened. Homelander's hand poised at the back of Ashley's neck, he nudges her inside. Homelander motions for both of them to sit down as if it were his own office. His gaze doesn't waver, staring down an equally defiant Edgar. A normal human but he never squirmed in front of Homelander's penetrating stare. He'd commend the older man for his bravery. If only Ashley would take notes. She needed a better poker face if she's to make it in Vought Industries.

"You know why I'm here."

"Your sister and Ryan." Verifies Edgar. He'd prefer to stand but inch by inch sank himself down onto the cushion of his desk chair.

"Now, while Ryan may be under Becca's care, my sister is an adult and wishes to stay here. Train to be an elite hero. Like me. However," neither like the way he breathed out that single word "no one can know that we're related. People will scream nepotism and claim she's getting special treatment."

His reasoning was plausible but. . .

From a promotional point of view, a sibling duo would be a hit like the TNT Twins. The public would eat it up and show even more support for Vought in the polls.

"Oh, and her parents need to sign one of those NDA things. Can't have them flapping their mouth either." Tacking on as an after thought. You'd forget them soon enough. He'd just have to keep them away from you for the time being. They hovered over her too much for his liking. From the corner of his eye, he caught a quiver in Ashley's mask.

About to reprimand her, Edgar clears his throat and leans forward to allow his elbows to rest on the desk's surface." I understand. It will be done. But you do realize how difficult it would be to keep it under wraps considering the outstanding similarities. The powers, your eyes. People will start to ask questions."

"Let them ask away. As long as Vought says she's not my sister, then she's not my sister."

Why was he so intent on covering this one particular fact? Nepotism surely could explain it. Homelander's insistence of it concerns Edgar and Ashley who felt like he was planning something more nefarious for you. He was capable of any horrendous acts they could conjure. They were just as helpless when it came to him. Unable to defy his orders unless they desired him to burn holes into their faces as he did to Madelyn.

All of his whims taken care of, Homelander leaves them to start working on the welcome dinner with you and the rest of the Seven. He wants to show you off. He'd make sure you never wanted to leave him. Ensure that you continue to see him as all powerful and benevolent. The looks of admiration you'd shot him went straight to his head as well as other regions that were out of his control. Clear that you idolized America's favorite hero. Your parents raised you to believe that Vought was a company that cared about helping the public and that their heroes were there to protect and serve the general masses. No doubt in your mind that they were the good guys and the stuff on the media was simply baseless slander. What child would want to discover that their daddy was actually a bad guy working for the power hungry company and that supes were not in fact a gift from god. They were manmade. That knowledge would ruin your world.

Homelander would not allow that. You were his to protect now. His to blind and deafen to the world around them.

[keelt9]

Paper 2

Masterlist

A/N: Merry Christmas! I hope you spend this holiday calmly and the way it makes you feel at ease.

Remember to take your time, one step at the time. ❄️

From far away I send you a big hug!🍒

The table near the small tree and the window, the messages are in his phone still he keeps mumbling all his way until the restaurant. 

Why the hell is even sweating this much?

The restaurant is a little bit crowded with people having breakfast but his eyes fly right away to the table near to the plant and the window.

His heart drops seeing in the table a man thanking the waitress, who just left a cup of coffee. One more time the endless questions flow through his mind.

Who is he? Is the table correct? Daniel was right and it’s fake after all? Did she get married?

The man lifts his eye in time to smile at Max and wave his hand, insecure Max walks to the table gripping his phone tight, in his head the worst possible scenario is developing so fast. 

The man will introduce him to his little elf fiance, probably they are already planning on having a family, living in a nice house in the town, they could even have a pet.

Is she still the same little elf of years ago?

“Oh, please, don’t put that face on Max.” The man shook his hand. “I’m not her boyfriend or husband.”

Max sighs, but still feels tension over his shoulders. 

“Sorry, sorry, diaper issue.” Max recognizes the girl, is the one his little elf is hugging, her sister; carrying a baby girl in her arms. “Omg, are you ok? You’re pale as a ghost.”

Max feels like he just saw one.

“Yes, I… I'm just…surprised.” The woman smiles tenderly following Max's eyes to the baby she had in her arms.

“Oh, please, don’t be scared.” She extends her hand with a soft smile on her face. “I’m Isabell… your little efl sister.” Max grabs her hand. “My husband Gonzalo and this baby girl is my daughter, Noah.”

“She is so beautiful, just like her.” Max's eyes stuck to the baby, his pinky cheek and shiny eyes. 

Isabell smiles tenderly at her baby and caresses her face. “My mom said I shouldn’t be disturbed that much to my sister or my baby will be so similar to her.”

Max giggles observing Noah hide her face in her mother's shoulder. “She forgot to mention, I’ll give birth to her twin.”

Max laughs, feeling lighter and relaxed. “Why don’t we sit?” Gonzalo mentions carrying their baby so they can sit.

“I’m sorry if I make things in such a weird way, but I’m afraid I won't find another idea in my mind.” Isabell mentioned. “Listen Max, let’s be honest, my sister knows who you are.”

Max shallow, and call for a waitress, is too early for a drink? With this situation, he doesn’t think so.

“She found out about you, the first year you were in Red bull, when she saw your face on the screen I believe she could faint in any seconds.” She smirks softly. “From that moment on, every time she knew a race would take place, she barely moved from the T.V.”

Gonzalo laughs probably remembering those moments. “Every clothing item you release, she will have it by the end of the month. She never said but she became your fan no.1.”

Noah looks with all her attention to him making him make a funny face putting a smile on her little face. 

“When you have that accident on the track, she really anguishes, until you appear to be dizzy but safe.” Max quivers for a second but he needs to ask.

“She never contacted me.” Those words closed his throat. “If she…”

“Max both of you move on, or at least she's been trying.” Max notices the unease expression in Isabell’s face. “She refused to come back to Benasque, she is acknowledging about the radical new world you're living, that she's felt doesn't belong there, but also she refuses to move one, you know what I mean?”

Max shakes his head, this time Gonzalo speaks. “Max isn't a secret she stops considering you just as a best friend, you can tell by the way she speaks about you.”

Noah giggles as she tries to grab Max's hand. “But she met a guy a couple of years ago, he's an enchanting person with her, and even he confessed his feelings a couple of months ago…”

“No.” It was an involuntary response, Max felt his heart squeeze.

“She refused to give him a chance until I spoke with her.” Isabell bits her lips. “Reason why she went one more time to Benasque.”

Suddenly the sunny day of Barcelona feels cold making him shiver.

“In a way to say goodbye.” Max moves in his chair, he feels nauseous. 

“However you started to search for her, she doesn't know because after Christmas she stops looking at your accounts, she cleans all that resembles you.”

“Then…the..then how do you know?” He shutters and blesses God in that moment his drink came.

“I worked for a sports magazine, you make a big show of this, it's just a simple deduction, you are looking for my sister in law.” Gonzalo giggles. “You Max Verstappen looking for someone I see every weekend is something weird.”

Isabell gives her baby’s bottle to Noah. “Maybe I sound like a crazy protective sister but Max, I love my sister, and I want the best for her, that is why I'm telling you all this… I'm sorry but if you are only looking for my sister just for bringing back a friendship, trust me she will always consider you like her most treasured friend.” 

Max opens and closes his mouth a couple of times, but he's just empty. “The best for her is you keep going in separate ways, because having you in her life, I'm afraid she will be stuck one more time.”

Gonzalo perceived the conflict expression in his face and the fact his drink disappeared. “Don't worry Max, she's fine, healthy, making her dreams true, don't have to worry about her.”

Noah laughs seeing the faces her mother makes to her, this would be the last time to hear the closest sound of her laugh?

“What if I see her in the same way she saw me?” Isabell shakes her head.”What if I…”

“Max! You don't have to do this.” Max feels hopeless every second. “I didn't come here for an answer, I came to assure you she's fine, for you can be at ease.”

“No, no, no, I, me…I… I'm confused, sorry, it's just…” Max breaths slowly. “Every year, I travel with a backpack full of notebooks with importants things that happened to me to tell her, every special moment and the most random ones are noted there.”

Noah grabs his finger across the table. “I miss her like hell.” He carefully covers Noah’s ears. “Fuck, I been stupid.” 

The big eyes of the baby girl and the smile make him speak. “There must be a reason, right?” 

Isabell sees Gonzalo with conflicted eyes.

Max gets down his head. “Maybe I already know but I'm… what if I say something wrong?”

“Ok, let's do this.” Isabell leans over the table. “I won't rush anything, take your time, thinking about it carefully, when you are ready, give me a call, we can find out what to do after that.”

Max sees his empty drink taking a few breaths, what if that time is enough for her to finally leave him in the oblivion?

“Max, believe me, we have plenty of time.” It must be a thing between sisters, they look like they could actually read his mind. “She likes to take her time for important decisions.”

Max nods, unable to say another word, feeling so overwhelmed but happy and relieved. Isabell observes him unable to stop a soft smile.

“Well, it’s time to go.” She and her husband stand with their baby in his arms. “You have my number Max, call anytime when you have it all clear.”

Max stands, seeing the photo. “Do you mind if I keep with this one?” 

Isabell shakes her head. “All yours.” Noah mumbled, extending her little arms to Max. “You have a special charm Max, now I see it.”

Max grabs her little hand, shaking it, feeling shy for the compliment; the red cheeks with the top of the nose too, bring him soft memories and the concern that now, he has a lot to think about.

The summer break turns into agony, the past months he has been able to focus on the race leaving him zero time to think properly, he refuses to take a decision with the fuss of emotions of a race.

“So?” Daniel asked, sitting next to him cleaning the sweat of his forehead after a tough padel game. “You decided already?”

Max sits on the floor drinking a half of the water of his bottle. It’s the second week of the summer break and every time he tries to dig into the decision, he has a migraine after 15 minutes of thinking. 

His lack of answer made Daniel sigh. “Mate if it’s that hard, it could be a sign that maybe you see her as what it is?” 

“I don’t follow you.” Max leaned his arms over his knees.

“A dear friend of the past.” Daniel said, raising his hand waving it, Charles is walking right to them. “Just think about it with that perspective in mind.”

He can’t, Max simply can’t.

The next morning he postone all his meetings with friends and family, as he is making a small travel bag.

“It's summer?” Victoria mentions as they keep talking through the phone. “What do you expect to find there?”

Max didn’t even know but if there is a place where he always finds peace is in Benasque.

“Nothing, just a space to think.” Max sees Jimmy stretching on the window. “It will be a couple of days, don’t worry.”

“Max.” Max takes his bag standing in front of one of the trophies, next to it the photo of his little elf puts a smile on his face. “Take care, ok?”

The next morning he spent time walking around after having breakfast in the small hotel, his mind seemed to clear in every step.

“Look what the wind brings.” The old men from the clockmaker's workshop cross in his path. “Young boy, it’s early for you to come.” 

Max nods seeing him carrying bags. “Do you need an extra hand?” 

“Thank you.” He gives him two bags, as they walk to his store, talking about his life, 20 years have passed and Max feels he just met the old men who see every year.

He opened the door next to the shop, his house. “Want to come in? I have a nice limoned on the fridge.”

Max quiver for a second. “Or I have a tiramisu.” Max raises his eyes quickly. “The cute little girl mentioned it is… sorry probably it was your favorite.”

She remembers, that’s enough for Max to take a step inside of the house.

All in brown colors, a lot of photos hanging on every wall as he walks to the living room, where the old man asks him to wait a couple of seconds. 

He takes his time observing every photo, until his eyes find one that calls for his attention; it’s the Roman coliseum covered in snow.

He takes it as a memory that comes back to his mind.

“It’s almost impossible.” Max buttons the last ones from the neck part of her cape. 

The little girl rolled her eyes. “It has already passed! Why can't it happen again?” She stands taking the snow off her lap.

The night reached them and the cold is increasing, tomorrow Max must leave.

“You’re talking about snow in Rome!” She grabs his hands between her warming up before leaving. 

“Oh my God! You’re so pessimistic sometimes.” She rubs his hands, the gloves help to warm it quickly. “Ok, let’s say if it happens one more time, I swear, I’ll be there.”

Max scoffs rolling his eyes.

“Believe me, Mr. Frozen hands. I’ll make it.” She winks at him.

The old man finds Max with the photo in his hands; Max hears him unable to stop looking at the girl, well, the back of the girl.

“She made it.” His voice cracks unintentionally.

The man set the two plates on the small table. “Oh, indeed, she came back that winter with two photos, this is for me and the other one I guess it was for you…”

Max never came that winter.

“Fuck! How much I would love to be with her.” The man tilted his head. “She must look adorable.”

“I always knew, young boy.” The old man sat on his big sofa. “It’s true love what I saw in you two.”

“What?” Max turned around, unable to take his eyes from the photo.

“She said the same.” He takes a bite of the tiramisu. “She would love having you with her that day. After all she has something to reproach after all.”

That afternoon in front of the old clock downtown, the beeps of the phone seemed to last like an hour between each one. 

“Hello?” Max sighs, relieved, sitting on the closet bench.

“I love her.” Max whispers feeling the weight of his shoulders lifts. “That’s what I feel and I couldn’t say.” 

Isabell didn’t reply. “I love your sister…Please help me, don’t let her forget me.” Max panic fearing the worst. “I know it can sound stupid, we barely know each other, it has been 10 years, I changed, probably she did too. You may think I’m doing this in such a dumb way to keep myself in her life, but….” 

Max takes a deep breath. “I have been carrying a pen with a couple of notebooks for 10 years, more than one time I write about the fact I got stung by a bee! Omg, what a stupid man who isn’t in love does that? I’m frighten with the simple thought of losing her forever”

“Do you want to hear her?” Max held his breath. “We can coordinate things later, but we’re in the middle of a familiar reunion, you know? It will be so weird.” 

Max let go a breath that sounds like he’s had a hurricane inside. 

“Can I?” Isabell giggles with the fact that Max Verstappen is nervous.

“After you hear her I’ll hang out and I’ll call you later to coordinate something, ok?” Max stands excited walking around the bench, waiting. 

The sound of chattering and plates with laughs became slowly more audible, Max saw his hands, he’s trembling. 

“What are you doing?” Isabell asked. Damn it! Max is technically invisible and he feels so exposed every second.

Then the soft giggle drains the blood of his body. “Making a mojito, duh!”

She is there, she’s fucking there!

“See, ron, lemon, ice, mint and other things that dad said I will need.” Max imagines her in a beautiful summer dress. “Everything alright?”

“Well, I bet right now, yes, everything seems perfect.” Isabell sees her phone, Max is online. 

“Great, now, stop staring at me and give me a hand. I’m confused.” Isabell laughs while hanging out. 

Max looks at his phone with a smile that he’s sure will cause painful cheeks.

As he walks to his hotel, this time to write his brainstorm of ideas for meeting her one more time, he finds in one of the window displays a ornament for Christmas of a Santa Claus.

He stops in front of me with a smirk. “Give me a hand big guy, I swear that if you need it, I’ll be a good boy all these years. Just help me a little bit.”

He was caught by the reflection of a boy with a lollipop in his mouth looking at him with a weird face. 

He takes out his lollipop. “He doesn't understand.” Max narrowed his eyes. “You must send him a letter to the north pole with what you want.” 

Max giggles. “Besides, it's advice.” The kid is so confident. “Make sure to write in a pretty paper, with a pretty letter, make sure he fully understands what you want.”

“Louis!” A woman shouted a name, making the kid turn around. 

He nods. “I have to go, good luck!”

Max chuckles and screams as the kid goes with his mother. “THANKS FOR THE ADVICE!”

He focuses one more time on Santa, “Let’s make my wish come true.”

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

Tag: @anilovessadbooks

[noroi1000]

That Snow Leopard 2

Paring: Snow Leopard Gojo x reader

More tags: Pregnancy, beastman Gojo, little kittens!

Words: 2,5k

A/n: I just read a lot of beastman manhwa and now after that I knew exactly what to do with this one shot.

Part one

As you sat on the chair, you looked at Satoru's head resting on your lap as you stroked the fur on his head.

His tail wagged happily as you talking with your friend.

"He became tame pretty quickly." The brunette said as she sorted the necessary documents on the desk.

"Yes." you replied.

In fact, on the second day he acted like this.

He was so kind and loving.

At least for you.

He was happy when you came home.

You convinced him to at least wear pants when he wanted to be in human form.

You managed to get him to stay with you.

He is with you for research. At least that's how it was recognized. Snow leopards are an endangered species. So he was going to be the research subject, and also, when needed, he'd be the breeding partner.

However, at the zoo, he wouldn't even approach the female and ran to you all the time.

That's why you let him go. Because apparently he didn't want to.

When you asked him why, he said you were his mate.

A snow leopard with a human mind who got a partner for life? This is him...

He was impatient and kept asking you about "kittens".

However, few people get pregnant the first time.

But a month later, your big cat was still next to your belly.

And that's why you're sitting with your friend right now, with your round belly under your shirt and your cat close to you.

Shoko wanted to know who the father of your child is. But you didn't tell her.

You stared into Satoru's blue eyes as he suddenly snuggled against your belly.

You stroked his head more.

"Still won't tell who the father is?" she asked you.

"It's complicated..." you murmured.

"But you're going to give birth soon, right?"

"In a month..."

"You've kept this secret from me for so long. Say finally! If he left you, I'll kill him."

"He didn't leave me."

You were afraid of giving birth. Because you can't go to an ordinary doctor. You can't deliver your own childbirth. Satoru can't either. Because you want to do it in conditions that will keep you comfortable. Besides, Satoru probably doesn't know that.

Would you like Shoko to help you?

Since you are human and Satoru is a snow leopard shapeshifter, your children will not be normal people.

Satoru told you that they will probably have ears and a tail like him in human form.

Therefore, if a doctor saw such a child, it would be bad.

You have two of his kittens in you.

You are afraid of what might happen when people find out about your relationship with him. You keep it a secret from everyone for almost eight months. You control your pregnancy yourself and you are sure that everything is fine.

Because you knew you'd love a big cat more than a human. Especially when it comes to Satoru. If you were thinking logically at that moment, would you take the morning after pill to get rid of the pregnancy. However, you couldn't even think about such a thing. He wanted a mate. He wanted kittens. Why would you take it away from him?

He will never leave you. Because you became his partner forever. You have no turning back. Especially now. Especially after you fell in love with him...

Your Satoru is your cat. Your lover. The father of your children. And your beloved. He is everything to you.

Much more human than humans. He can write, he can read. He can do so much. He loves sweets. That's why he ate your cupcakes.

You couldn't deny him a happy life. Not especially after you woke up with him that night. And he slept with his arms wrapped around you protectively. His eyes stared at yours. And it wasn't the gaze of a predator looking at its prey. It was the gaze of a slightly wild but caring lover.

You fell more in love with him as the months passed. To know now that he is your true love.

His nose happily nuzzled your belly as he continued to cuddle.

"I didn't know males had such an instinct..." the brunette purred as she watched a large cat cuddle up to your bulging belly.

"He's like this..."

"So are you going to tell me who the father is?" she asked.

"Will you give me an ultrasound?"

"Here? Shouldn't you be seeing a gynecologist?"

"I haven't been there since the beginning of my pregnancy."

"Do you..."

"I controlled my pregnancy on my own." You replied quietly.

"Why?"

Her face looked very surprised.

"When you give me an ultrasound, you'll see..."

She sighed and suddenly reached for her gloves and sterilized examination device.

You walked over to the couch and sat there. Satoru followed you, carefully watching your movements.

He was so careful. He always made sure that nothing happened to you and was always by your side. Just to know that you and the kittens are fine.

And suddenly your friend lifted your shirt to get to your belly. She put her hands there. And you heard a growl.

You looked at the bright cat next to you, who was threateningly approaching Shoko, showing her to get away from you.

"Satoru. Satoru its okay. You don't have to worry." You got off the couch and knelt beside him, catching his soft fur around his neck.

His tail wrapped around your leg as he continued to be menacing. Shoko stepped back slowly.

"Satoru, calm down..." You groaned to calm him down.

He was overprotective.... Very overprotective. Because he couldn't help thinking that something might happen to you. You were his mate. And he couldn't let you get hurt. No one can touch his mate.

"Why is he acting like this?" the woman asked, looking at the menacing eyes.

And suddenly she saw the cat turn into a human who crouched down in front of you protectively. His ears on his head are slightly bent backwards. The tail has wrapped around you. You had your arms around his chest.

"Leave my mate, human! Don't touch her or my cubs!"

He was very smart. Like a human. But if it was about you and defending the mate and the kittens, he became aggressive and unpredictable. He wasn't thinking the way he always did. Because then all he thinks about is protecting you.

"Mate? Cubs? (y/n)... You..."

"Listen to me before you say anything!" you said with tears in your eyes.

Your Satoru cuddled you against his chest, letting you find solace. He let you relax as he continued to protect you.

This distinguishes him from others. He protects you and loves you unconditionally!

"This is snow leopard which I took with me. He is no ordinary big cat. He is a beastman. He is a man who can turn into a snow leopard. He's... He is the father of my children..."

She was looking at you seriously.

"S-Shoko! It's not what you think, please understand... I love him..." you said with tears in your eyes looking at her unreadable face.

You cuddled up to Satoru to get more solace for you.

"Fine. I understand that. If someone had told me I was going to have a baby with a cat like him, I'd probably have to drink a whole case of spirits for that to come true."

"You... Really?"

"yup. Stop crying, tell your cat to stop growling at me and come for a checkup."

Hearing that, you placed your fingers on your cheek to feel the tears flowing there.

It's all because of pregnancy!

You hugged Satoru a little tighter and whispered in his ear to calm down.

Then you got up to go to Shoko and lie down. She gave the white-haired man an apron to cover his private parts that she doesn't want to see.

And then you saw little kids on the screen. Two little ones.

Their little tails were visible wrapped around their bodies.

"I don't want to know what gender it is. We'll know when she gives birth." Said the man with the tail as he sat next to you.

You gave him a questioning look and he turned his eyes on you.

"How do you know that you can tell the sex of the baby by doing this?" You asked, grabbing his hand.

"You think I never knew about such a thing? Are people really that stupid to believe that there is no non-human who is as smart as they are? I have technology and everything else is the same as here!"

"You have? You're the fucking cat that lives in the snow!" The brunette laughed as she wiped your big belly off the cold gel.

"I'm Snow Leopard! Beastman Snow Leopard! Which means I'm human, damn!"

Did you wonder if he learned those words from TV?

Also, now you're wondering how he was able to talk from the beginning... Is it the same magic that turned him into a human?

"You're just a cat." She replied to him.

"I'm not a cat! And you make me hate this world!"

"Kitten is depressed? You hate the world?"

He growled and his claws lengthened.

There's no way Shoko can beat him! She will die if she doesn't calm down!

You grabbed your boyfriend's hand with both hands, holding tight. Taking his attention away from the woman in front of him.

"Tch... I really hate the human world...."

(A month later)

"How they are? How they are?!"

You watched as the man with his tail sticking out from behind his shirt ran around the bed and looked at your tired body.

He was practically kicking out the woman who'd been helping you for an hour. Just to see his kittens lay on your chest looking for milk.

Your body was tired.

"They're good." you replied, showing him them.

Two boys who look like him.

Satoru recently explained to you that the birth of cubs just like their father is very likely. As for the sex of the children, he's not sure. Snow Leopards had litters of up to three cubs at a time. Most people give birth to one. That's why you gave birth to two healthy snow leopards.

Their little ears and tails were so cute!

If you were a snow leopard, your cubs would be born snow leopard and later learn to transform.

Satoru told you that next time maybe you can have two girls.

You're not skeptical about it, but you also need to rethink it.

He, as a snow leopard, will think about breeding. It is certain.

But from the days you looked at your children, you knew they wouldn't have a good life among humans.

Their mother is a human and their father is a snow leopard. What can happen? They may try to catch them for research. After all, people do not know such a thing.

In almost a year of being with that gorgeous snow leopard you love, you haven't learned a thing.

He is not of this world.

"Sometimes during the mating season we go to the human world. There we are looking for luck to find a partner. When we take her to our world, she will become like us. There are few snow leopards with us and with you. I am a young male, therefore there was a chance I wouldn't find a female of my species easily. But compared to your wild snow leopards, we bond as mates forever. Just like the rest of Beastman. All animals. Cats, dogs, fish, birds, reptiles. All. But by the time I found a mate here, I realized I couldn't find one, because there's none around." He said holding your son in his arms.

"You were just being dramatic." You laughed as you fed your son who was wrapping a little tail around your hand.

"I was not. I wouldn't die. I wanted to go back and wait until the next mating season. But then I felt a fertile female." he pointed at you. "Beastman can breed with human and the babies will be beastman. My babies are snow leopards. If you were a snow leopard too, they would have been born into a full snow leopard. But you're human, so they'll have to learn to change into a cat instead of a human. Well, it's better to master two legs first than four." He laughed.

"I'm worried about them... And you... You're not human... How are we supposed to live among humans?" Tears welled up in your eyes..

"Maybe I'll never be human and you'll never be a snow leopard or any other animal. Our children too. But in my world, what we have is normal."

He sat next to you, rubbing your cheek with the tip of his tail and then his thumb.

"We have few humans, but some agree to be mate for someone. Just like you. Have you ever wondered why there aren't any humans with animal attributes around here?"

You nodded and sideways.

"This is because each mate will look after his partner. Looking for a partner, we also go here. And when we find it, we come back to us knowing that it will be best there."

"Couldn't you have told me earlier?" You asked with a slightly furrowed brow.

He tilted his head back with a strange expression as if he was thinking.

"I always forgot that... And I also thought not to stress you when you're pregnant..." He scratched his chin as he thought.

Nice of him. Because that would be stressful.

"Our world is like this. Only instead of people there are beastmen. People like me walk the streets. Everything is the same. I have my own big house and lots of money. It's the perfect start for our family!"

You saw his big smile on his face.

"You want to..."

"Come with me to my world! And let's live as we should live! Together with the children! Nothing will ever happen there! Our children will be wonderful there! My clan will be happy!"

Gojo Clan, Snow Leopards Clan. A whole family like him?

Well, apparently he has a distant cousin who is an ordinary cat... There aren't that many snow leopards.

In your world, they would never accept that.

In his world, a man as a mate is something normal. You gave life to two more snow leopards. Or will there be more in the future?

You love Satoru and your children. You want the best for them.

You never want to leave them and you don't want anything to happen to them.

You will be the perfect mate and the perfect mother.

You want their happiness so much.

That snow leopard is your snow leopard. your mate. your love.

The only place where you can live the way you want is his world. A world where you don't have to go back to people and you will see their smiles. The smiles of your whole family. Children and your Satoru.

You agreed.

You will live in his world.

Because you love that snow leopard. And that snow leopard loves you.

Taglist: @tohsri; @hren17; @weebotaku21; @yihona-san06; @mikkies; @raysheil; @dreeamiea; @safaia-47; @porridgesblog; @weebnk-popper; @mc-reborn

[bluecookies02]

When words fail me, kiss the secrets off my lips-[trans!levi x reader]

summary:

"Can you promise me something then?”. “When you do leave. You will not tell a soul.”

Levi kisses you, similarly to how he did the first time. Clumsily and stiff. And then he melts against you.

He doesn't regret kissing you. He refuses to regret it.

He will not regret it once you rip yourself away from him in disgust, fumbling for your things and slamming his door shut. He will not regret it once he has to transfer you to a different squad and after that, he won't regret never speaking to you again.

//or//

Levi's mother had to do whatever she thought was best for his survival underground. He's 34 now and he has been keeping a secret for as long he can remember.

Can he let himself trust someone to keep it? Just this once.

cw: Angst with a Happy Ending, Scissoring, Vaginal Fingering, Oral Sex, Virgin Levi

word count: 5.5k

Roughly thirty years ago, Kuchel, an underground prostitute had a child. In the secrecy of her run-down hotel room, she gave birth all alone.

Bringing a child into this world and surrounding it with filth and violence was not something she wished for.

She grieved the life her child could've had, if only she was born somewhere else.

If only this beautiful kid in her bloody arms was blessed enough to be born by someone else, someone who could give this child the life where it would not know hunger, fear, and desperation of the underground city from the moment it opened its eyes.

The child was tiny, awfully malnourished, yet its hands gripped tightly onto her pinky finger as she carried them both to the bathroom. She vowed to sacrifice everything for it the moment its beautiful eyes sparked up at her and its cries of life reached her ears. She promised to love this child, even if its conception came from anything but.

______________

Levi’s earliest memories of his mother consist of gentle touches and soft and shaky lullabies she would sing after a client would leave the hotel, throwing a pathetic amount of cash on the floor for her to gather up on her knees.

Kuchel Ackerman had a daughter. Levi was raised as a boy.

Today, there is only one living person that carries this secret.

It was the first thing Kuchel would have to do in order to protect her kid. Not only to keep it safer while it grew up but for the fear that her daughter would end up following in her footsteps, meeting the same hell she was soon to endure.

It served Levi well in the great scheme of things.

He had to adapt to being alone, putting on a cold facade so that nobody came close enough to uncover what his mother gave her life to keep hidden.

Repulsed by touch due to his upbringing made it easier, the desire to be close to people buried deep under years of cries and screams of horror he had to listen to in his earliest years of life. Some came from his own mother, others from women alike. They were everywhere, no matter what corner of the underground you hid in, someone, somewhere was desperately trying to get prying hands off of them.

______________

Adapting to life in the scouts took years.

Not reacting violently to a friendly pat on the back required hard work on his end. Those who hadn't seen him in his first days outside still think he's a savage when he brushes hands off his shoulders or creates space between himself and cheering groups after an expedition.

There were a handful of moments when the desire to hug someone was almost unbearable, an impulse that made him sick to his stomach and his knees weak.

His friends, comrades, the man who raised him. All of which happened when the life inside their eyes seemed to completely fade and they were too weak or too far gone to hug him back.

‘Living a life with no regrets’ is a drive people with too many of them under their belt choose as a last resort.

A human mind is not strong enough to hold onto all of them and stay sane, so naturally at one point, either you let your regrets pull you down into pits of insanity, or you create a delusion to follow in order to keep the weight on your soul that much lighter.

____________

“‘Vi? Are you alright?” your voice snaps Levi out of his thoughts. The bottom of his teacup comes into view as he regains his focus.

He hums, looking up at you, spread out on his couch, peeking over your book with a concerned look on your face.

It's been roughly a year and a half since Levi fell in love for the first time in his life, at the late age of 33. A year of which he spent trying to crush that feeling any way he possibly could.

You sitting there, freely and unafraid like you own the space he lives in, proves that his efforts were futile.

Seven months ago, after an expedition, Levi hugged you hard enough to knock the air out of your lungs, almost landing both of you on the ground. It progressed slowly from there.

Not only was the progress agonizingly slow, but it was also terribly rocky. Screaming matches, cold shoulders, silent treatments, venomous words flying off of both of your tongues before one of you inevitably admits defeat and knocks on the other's door in the middle of the night.

Levi's ego won't let him admit that 80% of the time it was him crawling to you. He felt like he couldn't breathe if he was not on good terms with you. It would eat him out during his naturally sleepless nights until he went mad with the desire to fix it. Bless his soul he never knew how to.

He would often show up at your door, both words and actions failing him the second you let him into your room.

You understood though.

His intentions were always clear as day to you. You often said how you could easily figure out what he was thinking from his eyes alone.

“I'm fine, read your stupid romance junk” his response earned him a huff and a smile. Then there's silence.

Silence compels him to fill the space with words.

It would be much easier if you were to try and force him to talk, then he could quickly get you both on his familiar ground.

Fighting.

You know better by now.

“I'm sorry about this morning” he speaks up, looking back down at his paperwork.

He's met with silence again. He knows that it's not for your lack of forgiveness, you being here is obvious proof of that.

It's you, creating more space for him to talk.

You close your book, sitting up, patiently waiting.

Levi fell in love a year and a half ago.

Levi hugged you for the first time seven months ago.

Levi let you hold his hand for the first time four months ago.

Levi kissed you for the first time a month ago.

Thirty-four years ago, Kuchel Ackerman had a daughter.

Levi is still the only living person to know this.

_____________

The first kiss you shared was terrible. It was still the best thing Levi felt up until that point in his life.

You weren't stupid. He didn't need to tell you that he had no idea what he was doing, it was more than obvious with the way he moved against your mouth, equally clumsy and stiff at the same time. Judging by that, it was also not a secret that he never slept with anyone either.

Kissing you sends shivers down his spine and makes his fingers itch to touch you, mind going fuzzy whenever you deepen the kiss with gentle hands on his cheek or around his neck.

Everything was moving too fast. He dreaded the moment when he would have to confront this.

There were admittedly a few options.

Lie, be truthful, or simply… push you away and cherish what little he had with you in these few months, and then continue loving you from afar.

Levi did neither.

He felt terrible at this point. He was selfish, cruel, and fucking terrified. Because for some reason, when he has you within reach, he can’t stop himself from wanting you. His words contradict his actions, time and time again.

His hands are always eager to hold you, seek out and touch every part that they can grip onto. Especially when the kisses grow hotter, needier, and more bold.

His fingers slip under your shirt, at first only to feel the soft skin of your hips against his rough hands…and then they want more. Desperately.

So how can he explain himself?

After walking out on you for the nth time? Abruptly stopping you from reciprocating and bolting out of the room, leaving you all alone to figure out what you did wrong. Letting him do whatever he wanted also didn't work, because, at some point, he would stop on his own, hands snapping to his sides as if he got burned.

You took the rejections with grace, nodding and smiling at him. “Of course”, “That's alright”, “‘Vi, we don't have to, you know that right?”. You were getting exhausted though.

___________

So this time, when he pulled you into his lap, both of your lips swollen and red from kissing for so long, your hands gripped his the moment you felt them reach around your back and down your long skirt.

“I think that we need to stop doing this.”

Your words startled him, even if your voice was tiny, barely audible. He was stopped dead in his tracks, a gasp leaving his glossy lips as he heaved for air.

“We can just stick to holding hands or something, is that okay?”

He was speechless for a moment, yet your eyes were insisting on a reply, holding his gaze, your legs gripping him tighter to stop him from going away before giving any form of an answer. Frustration was evident on your face, and looking at you like that made him nauseous.

“Okay.” he had to will himself to talk, mumbling it out with great effort.

“Okay” you repeated, a little quieter, standing up on your feet, already on your way to the door.

“Will you come by for tea tonight?” your face softened at his panicked expression, and you knew the question was anything but a simple invitation.

Will you come back?

Is it too far gone?

Did he irredeemably fuck it up?

“Of course ‘Vi, I'll keep you company while you do your paperwork too”

_____________

“And for all the other times…” you nodded, making space on the couch. An invitation.

Levi took it, making his way to you before sitting down again. Usually, he wouldn't be so quick with it.

Today, he needed to ease the ache in his chest.

Fears of you not showing up tonight, the hard grip on his wrists that he can still feel if he thinks about it a little harder. The general tension was suffocating.

“I'm not trying to mess with you either.”

“I know.”

“I've never done it before”

“I know that too”

There's a pause, your hand slowly inching to his.

He selfishly takes it.

“I don't know what I want.”

“I don't really believe that, you always know.”

“You're right.”

You're chewing at your lip, still not looking at him. He might run off if you stare at him too much during a serious conversation.

He hates himself for teaching you that.

“I want to”

“Okay”

“I'm terrified of it”

You hum.

You knew about his mother.

“Not because of what my mother was, I think that's not the main problem anymore”

“Oh…” you nod again, squeezing his hand once in encouragement.

“I can't give you what you need”

“You don't need to give me anything.”

“I want to. I can't.”

He's sweating, his hand turning clammy and slippery in your own.

“You have everything I need though…I'm really trying to understand Lev-”

“I don't.”

“What do you mean…” you're searching through answers in your head.

“Does it not work anymore?” it would be offensive if anyone else said it, but the way you ask is timid, gentle, and already full of understanding.

He shakes his head no.

“Not that”

“Are you concerned about the…size?”

“No!” he doesn't even have one, why does the insinuation that it's small offend him for a moment, he isn't sure.

But.

“What if I was?”

It's close to it, isn't it?

“I mean usually guys think that they-”

“Unusable. What if it's unusable.”

“Can you… not feel good?” bless your heart for always thinking about him before everything.

“I can. What if it was unusable?” he repeats the question, gripping your hand tight in his, his other fisting the cushion of his couch.

“As long as you're willing to touch me in other ways? I already know that you're good with your hands, with practically anything you try. I doubt it would be much different? We could also practice.” your tone is serious, and now you're looking at him, curiously gauging his reaction. Did you say the right thing? He's gonna bolt away any second now.

Levi takes his time to think for a moment. Being delusional, that's what he's doing.

He hums.

“It's not that.”

“Okay” he can sense that you don't believe him now. That's alright. It doesn't change anything.

“You'll run away.”

“I promise I won't!”

“You will.”

“Will not!”

It's futile.

Levi sighs. His heart feels like it's gonna beat out of his chest. Late at night, he would imagine a similar scenario to this. Over and over again.

He would think of ways to drop the conversation. A billion excuses carefully thought through, memorized to perfection.

But it's vastly different in reality.

With you, now propped on your knees on his couch, a hand strongly pulling on his collar to make him look back at you. When did he look away? When did the adoration in your eyes become repulsive enough for him to not be able to bear looking at it? He didn't even notice.

He swallows, throat bobbing as spit and bile struggle to pass the gigantic lump.

His teeth are clenched as well, rubbing uncomfortably against one another. If he doesn't relax his jaw soon, he might even chip them away from how hard they are gritted together.

“Can you promise me something then?”

Selfish.

That's what he always is when it comes to you.

He knows that you would give him anything. Promise him everything if only he demands it.

So he takes it.

Greedily. Pathetically. Miserably.

“When you do leave. You will not tell a soul.” in your head this was too silly. Levi never seemed like he cared for what people talked about behind his back. No matter how awful a rumor would be, he would let people talk. His dick was also a topic of conversation in the scouts more than once. Soldiers need to pass the time somehow.

‘Must be small, he's so short, it would make sense!’

‘Maybe that's where all the height went!!’

If you do leave, he will deal with the heartbreak. What he can't deal with is his secret flowing around at the same time. He simply doesn't know how he would handle both. He actually doesn't know how he would handle the first one either, but he tells himself that he'll manage.

Threatening would also work on anyone but you. You can't threaten someone who doesn't feel a speck of fear towards you.

So he grips at the forced promise.

“Okay ‘Vi. I promise I won't tell a soul. It won't happen though!” your stubbornness parallels his sometimes, and now he relents, finally looking at you.

He pulls you into his lap, like how you were this morning. His hands are shaking, but you're smiling at him, one hand already on his cheek.

‘Living a life with no regrets’ is a drive people with too many of them under their belt choose as a last resort.

Levi's mind is not strong enough to hold onto all of them and stay sane, so naturally at one point, either he lets his regrets pull him down into pits of insanity, or he creates a delusion to follow in order to keep the weight on his soul that much lighter.

Levi kisses you, similarly to how he did the first time. Clumsily and stiff. And then he melts against you.

He doesn't regret kissing you. He refuses to regret it.

He will not regret it once you rip yourself away from him in disgust, fumbling for your things and slamming his door shut.

He will not regret it once he has to transfer you to a different squad and after that, he won't regret never speaking to you again..

As his mind is trying to catch up with everything, your shirt is already off.

He took it off your shoulders himself, hungry for the warm skin of your stomach, your back, and your chest.

He won't regret never having it under his fingertips again. He would regret never doing it when he had the chance.

Your voice is angelic as his lips trail across your shoulders and collar, leaving a sloppy mess in their wake. When your hands grip at the hem of his shirt, he wills his arms to keep still against your hip bones.

You won't notice anything ‘wrong’ there.

It still makes him anxious.

He's flatter than an average man, maybe because of genetics, maybe the piss-poor diet underground, or the lack of sun. Fuck if he knows.

What little could have been noticed would easily be attributed to his workout nowadays.

So he feels your hands on him for the first time.

It’s pleasant. Feeling you grip onto him wherever you can reach as he slips his tongue past your lips. Your cheeks are flushed and warm, eyes closed as you let him lead your kiss.

Despite the nervousness of the impending doom that he's been bracing himself for this whole time, he feels wetness between his legs, soaking through his boxers.

Your long skirt ends up being hiked up and you shyly guide his hands to your thighs.

He watches mesmerized as you find friction on top of his pants, his palms following the gentle sway of your hips.

Maybe if he could get you off like this, he could die a happy man. He'd engrave the image into his brain and replay it for decades probably.

You part for air, gasping and filling your lungs before you press your forehead to his, opening your pretty eyes to look at him again.

“I promised.”

“You did.”

You can feel the anticipation building in your tummy, warm and fuzzy as you readjust on his lap so that you're kneeling with one leg between both of his and the other at his side.

He gives a curt nod, and your fingers easily unbuckle his pants, unbuttoning them and then tugging the zipper down slowly.

He helps you take them to his ankles where he kicks them off the rest of the way.

Levi wants to crawl out of his own skin.

He will regret everything soon enough.

Your fingers slip past the waistband of his underwear, and you ignore the bruising grip on your shoulder. First, you're met with a tuff of thick hair, and then your fingers glide lower. Your lips are inches from his, and you refuse to look down, no matter how curious, you feel like not looking would make him feel a tiny bit more comfortable.

You pass over a tiny bump and Levi's breath hitches as you experimentally fiddle it between your middle and pointer fingers.

An inch or so lower, your digits slip between something warm and slick. Pressing with a little more force, your lips form into a little ‘oh’.

There are plenty of things you want to say, and then a few you want to ask out of pure curiosity. But you have to swallow it down, keep it for later, because Levi's glossy eyes pull at your heart with urgency, begging for a response.

“This is fine.”

“Is it?”

“Mhm.”

“You can leave.”

“I know”

“Are you going to?”

“Not planning to, no.”

Your hand doesn't stop moving, only slows down considerably as you wait for the barrage of questions and possible accusations.

“Is it not gross?”

Was he referring to a pussy in general?

“I've been with women before.”

“I'm not a woman though”

“I know that too.”

“You don't have to lie.”

“I'm not lying.”

“It's weird.”

“I don't think so. Just different.”

“Just different?”

“Yeah.”

He puts a little space between you two, releasing the death grip on your shoulder.

“Don't lie for my sake”

“I'm not lying” you don't mind repeating it.

“I'm serious. I will despise you if you're lying.”

“Good thing I'm not then.”

There's something in him that wants him to fight you more. He wants a different reaction. The one he practiced for, so that he could know what to do.

You keep your distance, but you place your hand closer to him, inches from his own, which is balled up in a tight fist with his nails leaving dull, moon-like crests in his palm.

Minutes drag out, feeling like hours.

When his breath comes out in a shudder, it's a sign that he let himself fall, trusting your words.

You grin when he looks your way again, and he takes your hand in his.

He's pulling you off the couch, stumbling across the room as he drags you behind him. At the door of his bedroom, you feel like you need to kiss him in order to breathe.

Your back ends up pressed to the wooden door then, strong arms picking you up.

Your legs find home around his hips, your arms secured tightly around his neck as he devours your mouth. He pulls your plump lips between his teeth, groaning lowly once your naked chest presses against his.

One of his hands snakes up your side and to the back of your neck, fingers lodging into your hair to keep your head from hitting against the door as you hungrily lick into his mouth.

You fumble for the handle, pushing the door open with your elbow. You feel hot all over, skin burning and shining in sweet sweat that Levi licks off your throat, baring his teeth to the junction of your neck and shoulders to stifle the moans that threaten to surge out when you rack your nails down his back.

He lowers you on the bed slowly, watching as you clumsily get your skirt and underwear off.

He towers over you within seconds, finding a place between your legs that spread out for him eagerly.

He's eating you with his eyes alone, and it sends goosebumps through your spine.

“You're…” his pale skin turns unrecognizably red, and you can see him struggling to come up with any more words.

“Just do whatever, I don't care ‘Vi, just touch me, c'mon…”  

He nods, faltering for a moment before he smooths his finger across your heat experimentally. He massages the fat beside your folds with his thumb, the hairs there wet, sticking together due to your arousal.

Being touched by someone feels very much different than it does with your own fingers, you knew that already. But being slowly explored by someone who is desperately trying to learn everything about your body must take the cake.

Levi watches you, every breath you take, and every movement of your hips that buck off the bed. He takes in every gasp and moan rushing past your gorgeous lips as he presses and dips with his fingers.

He spreads your wetness around, coating your clit to make the flicks of his thumb against it smooth. He's not as helpless as he feared he would be, on the contrary, it turns out that it comes relatively easy to excel in something if you already know how to do it to yourself.

And as you mentioned earlier, he does have a way with his hands with everything he picks up. He feels a sense of pride when you start rutting against his hand, hungry for his touch while also being wildly unashamed to show it to him.

“Fuck me, ‘Vi, please for the love of God” you mewl as he takes your hood between two boney fingers, tugging and massaging there.

“Yeah…okay” his voice is raspy, sounding like a purr as he comes close to your face, propping himself on his elbow.

His fingers slowly dip inside you, and he's there to catch your moan as he sinks into you with ease, all the way to his knuckles.

“You're so gorgeous…” he whispers it like it's a secret. You know that saying things like that takes effort from him, not for the lack of meaning behind them.

You see the words at the tip of his tongue often, but hearing them out loud was a rarity.

“You're breathtaking” and now you're being truly spoiled, his fingers rocking into you…slow at first.

“It feels like I'd die without you.”

“Me too” 

The confessions hang in the air, and they're deeper than ‘I love you’s’. They express the uncontainable need of two people, drunk on the feeling of each other to the point where they feel like their hearts would simply stop if something ripped them away.

“I'm close, it's embarrassing” 

The tempo of his thrusts is now steady, and he watches as you snake your hand between your bodies, touching yourself to his pace.

He holds his breath, mesmerized by your movements. You're everything, and he can't keep his eyes off of you. Your cunt hugging his fingers, leaking into his open palm as you grind your hips to meet him, your fingers flicking at your gorgeous bud with urgency.

All the while, you scramble to moan his name, to beg him not to stop, to plea for him to fuck you just like this until you fucking pass out.

You cum with a loud cry, all over his hand, all over his perfectly made bed and clean sheets, and he already wants you to do it again and you haven't even stopped shaking from the first wave of your orgasm.

Your legs close around his arm, tightly locking him in place where he can only curl his fingers into your soft walls to help you ride out your high. 

He stares with wide eyes as you slump back against the mattress, chest heaving, blissed out of your mind. And you don’t hate him. And you didn’t run. And he will never let you go now.

You release his hand soon enough, collecting yourself. 

Feeling strength come back to your legs, you prop yourself up, pushing Levi under you with ease only explained by his utter willingness to let you take whatever you want from him.

Sweet surrender. Your hands are back on his skin, lips tickling their way between his chest and to his stomach, kissing your way above the hem of his underwear. He finds the part of his brain that yells at him to be careful, and he crushes it.

You strip him fully bare now, anticipation building up once again.

You want to eat him alive, hooking his leg over your shoulder and biting the inside of his thighs, soaking in his shivers and the frantic rush of his hand to cover his mouth.

Your eyes are purely dark, and you're still smiling at him. In a way that makes Levi’s heart race. Adrenaline courses through him, it feels similar to how it is when he's out on missions, focused, on edge and patiently waiting for the creatures to launch at him at any moment.

Is comparing you to a titan truly what his brain is doing right now?

No…not in that sense. He feels like he's being hunted, looked at like he's just a piece of meat hanging on a stick, being circled around for the sole amusement of the beasts.

You nibble at his skin again, jerking his attention down at you.

“This okay?”  

Levi wants to crawl in a hole and die out of embarrassment, your face inches away from his pussy.

He hasn't been this turned on in his life. 

“‘Vi?” you lean your cheek on his thigh, nuzzling against it.

“Yes.” 

And then you're wrapping your arms around his muscley legs, flatting your tongue against him and swiping in one well swoop before he hears you humming approvingly.

“Must you be so shameless” You nose at his clit, ignoring his comment. He smells divine. The taste that lingers on your tongue compels you to dive in again for more. 

At first, it doesn't feel like much, barely there friction that only tickled him ever so often. You take your time with him, peering up occasionally as you proudly swallow him down. Your chin and nose were a mess already. 

Once you made sure that every part of him was licked clean, you finally closed your lips over his engorged clit. It laid heavy on your tongue, and as you sucked your cheeks in, Levi found your hands and pulled them over his stomach so that he could hold them to ground himself. 

“Fuck…hng. Listen I-” You swirl him inside your mouth, pulling off with a pop so that you can tongue at his slit where fresh arousal seeps into your tastebuds. His eyes roll to the back of his skull and the vibrations of your humms drive him even more insane.

“My Walls, wait a second!” it feels amazing. He hates being greedy like this. He doesn’t want to ruin anything. But he needs to feel you.

He has no idea how. He needs more and closer. 

How did he live without your touch before this?

“Come up.”

“Bossy…” 

You listen, crawling up to him.

“Need more baby?” 

“Shut up.”

“What is it then?” 

You’re so mean. You should give mercy for his poor, old man's heart.

“Here…follow what I do.” Ordering him around is an ego boost. Finally, there’s something you’re better at than him(future will show that that won’t last long).

You push one of your legs under his, lifting your other one so that he can position himself. As he’s doing that, you take his other leg and you place it on your shoulder swiftly, hugging it to your chest before you let your full weight press against him. 

“This better?” you rock your hips languidly, waiting for his reaction. 

“Fuck, okay…yeah…it's. Yeah.” He props himself up on his elbows, angling himself a little better.

You watch mesmerized between your bodies, the slow glides of your drooling folds, the shy bumps of your clits against one another.

It takes a while for the friction to build up, a few minutes until your movements sync up, the up and down motion of your hips timing perfectly with each other. 

Levi’s hair is damp with sweat, sticking to his forehead, eyelashes fluttering while he struggles to keep his eyes open. He wants to learn, wants to lead the pace next time, make you feel good and spoil you. He needs to remember every little thing about you, what makes you tick, what drives you insane.

He balances on one arm, his other supporting the fluent rolls of your hips with firm pressure on your thigh. 

The dim lighting accentuates his build. The pale, jagged scars scattered across his body make him all the more beautiful to look at. They show his strength, endurance, and ferocity…and this same body that has been fighting to survive for most of its life is writhing under you, trusting you to handle it with care.

The hand he holds you with has many small cuts, they're impossible to count, whereas the pads of his fingers are rough, toughened up from holding the blades so often.

When you pay closer attention to his legs, there are strips of skin where hair doesn't grow anymore. You recognize the placement of the gear straps easily. Many soldiers share the same markings, but his are especially attractive. 

Is that even a thing that can be considered particularly attractive? Lack of hair in weird places?

Doesn't really matter because apparently, if it’s on Levi, it's sinfully hot.

You shift your attention back to his face. His eyes are dimmed and dark, the blueish hue barely there. His mouth is slacked open, eyebrows slightly furrowed.

You can feel hot blood rushing through your body, tips of your fingers tingly. You hold your breath and you flex the muscles of your stomach, the coil in your gut threatening to snap oh so so soon.

“A little more, please… fuck I'm right there ‘Vi. You with me?” 

“Hmhm…yeah. I think so. yeah? Shit.” 

He overthinks it for a second.

Will he look weird? Will his face be pleasant to look at? Nobody ever saw him like this, he doubts anyone else ever will. If he could stuff a pillow into his face he would.

“ ‘Vi, gonna make me cum again, holy shit.”  

Oh.

That's what matters the most.

You feeling good. Because of him. With him?

“I've got you, yeah, c’mon, cum for me gorgeous…” he blushes at his own words, heisting the pace to help you both get there.

Soon everything goes still, gasps and grunts bouncing off the walls as you both release, one following after the other. Before you squeeze your eyes shut, you latch onto the image of him, captivated and awestruck by his expression.

Your second orgasm is mindnumbing, leaving your brain a mush.

You clutch at his leg and he squeezes yours as you both slow down to a stop. The sheets beneath you are soaked through, slightly uncomfortable as you both scramble and stretch your sore limbs.

You lay onto Levi's chest and he wraps you in his arms, tucking his chin at the top of your head. His heartbeat slowly becomes regular, and your breath evens out.

He feels like he needs to say something. Is he supposed to say anything after? 

He decides that he won't ruin the silence, no matter how badly he wants to sabotage the tender moment.

You stroke his side with your thumb, going in tiny circles, and he replies by lightly scratching your back, falling into a steady rhythm.

Thirty-four years ago, Kuchel Ackerman had a daughter. 

One more person knows and the world didn't end.

Levi sleeps through the whole night and in the morning, he doesn't run.

Phew, I wrote this in one sitting and even now I have 20 more ideas for this plot. Old man pussy is a prison.

I would just like to clarify that reader isn't 'oblivious' to the existence of trans people by choice. It was mainly because I tried to keep to the canon timeframe, and in like 800's I don't know if such a thing would exist in the first place? It's definitely a very peculiar and specific situation that I had in mind aswell.

All in all, thank you for making it this far! Mwah💕

tip-yar : Ko-Fi 💕

commission info

[dangermousie]

Something I really love - as I was discussing with @aysekira - is how the drama is subtly showing how messed up the polygamous wife/concubine system is.

You can see it of course vis-a-vis ML, who is a talented ambitious man held back by his birth in terms of his mother's (lack of) rank but it's even more stark with the regard of Lady Qiao's children. Her daughter has consistently been portrayed as scheming towards FL and almost caused her grievous harm but she's not a one-note villain (neither is her mother, but that's a separate topic.) She is a genuinely loving daughter to her mother and loving sister to her full blood brother - she is willing to sacrifice for them both. We don't see the brother much but he also seems a loving son to his mother and brother to his full blood sister. It is quite clear by now that in a monogamous family situation, both the siblings and the mom would have behaved decently enough and had a loving enough family unit. They are warped by the family.

And Lady Qiao - she may be awful in many ways but she is a deeply loving, sacrificing mother for her children (more than can be said for her "noble" husband.) She'd have been fine in a different situation. And she has a valid grudge - scumbag dad promised to marry her as a legitimate wife before he married FL's mom. And then to promote her before he married wife n2. And did neither. Now, his mother objected but (a) that is why you should not promise if you know you won't be able to carry it out or (b) then you should fight to fulfill what you promised. No wonder she's bitter.

That is a household full of messed up, wounded, unhappy people - there is a reason that the most functional and happy member of the family is FL who lived apart since childhood.

The only one truly happy is the dad - his first and second wives had a bad time, Lady Qiao did too, his children all suffered at one time or another but he? He's got a woman he fancies, another woman who pays for it all, and he's the boss. All those miserable people and the only beneficiary is him.

And the thing is - any family can have issues, bad spouses, golden child/scapegoat dynamics, but when you have polygamous marriages of mad power imbalance, it supercharges the potential for it all. Take ML - he is a smart, properly- behaved dude. But his mother's status is what it is, and dad doesn't like him so he's basically at the bottom of the family hierarchy. And granny doesn't like him either - she claims it's because he was not an endearing child (which btw is insane - your own biological child or grandchild doesn't have to earn your love - they should be loved just because they exist; not to mention to be able to coax adults just so in his situation would be a sign of manipulative sociopathy, not awesomeness.) But she also doesn't try hard either - she actually seems largely indifferent to all her grandkids male and female except for FL -and in a status type polygamous society where other women are in favor or have higher status and thus their children do - unless he has someone powerful (in terms of within the family) in his corner, he's screwed and that is viewed as totally acceptable - he even learns in secret!

It's pretty telling that his position in the family only starts slowly changing when the favorite granddaughter, and the most high status one, stands up for him and decides to be in his corner. I do love watching him being gradually dragged into the family and softening because FL is making some other members like him more - when the story starts there is nobody in that fam he can do more than tolerate - he views them, understandably, as a bunch of unpleasant strangers he dwells with. But by now he loves FL, he likes sixth miss and little uncle and stepmom and while he doesn't like grandma he'd protect her because she's important to FL. He is a sane person who treats others well if they treat him well, but he is not gonna care for someone just because they are blood.

One last point - I love that he finally has someone who puts him first. FL consistently aims to protect him and to take care of him (whether in the physical try to cover him during an attack way or metaphorical - working to put him on the registry - the way he can't believe it and yet she does and he watches her work on it methodically!) but also she views him as someone smart and capable and someone she should learn things like calligraphy from - for someone who's been viewed as the bottom of the totem pole to be viewed as competent (and in the traditional status subjects at that) and someone who should be teaching her is actually pretty huge. When he teaches her calligraphy, she tries to wheedle out of work and what not but even doing that is implicitly acknowledges that he has authority in the subject (because she could always be - you can't make me, who are you.)

Anyway, to get back to dad, I hope he rots!

[animeyanderelover]

S/o from naruto get transported to hunter and she haves powers like tsunade "kite,machi,gon,pokkle

Tw: Yandere themes, possessive behavior, obsession, delusional behavior, stalking, clinginess, protective behavior, manipulation

Tags: @jamayah @chxxz @leveyani @cynniical @shenryu-sama @maggiequinn59

Isekaid s/o has powers like Tsunade

Gon Freecss

🎣​When it comes to delivering a good punch Gon and you definitely share some similarities as his Nen ability as well as his main attack he has developed includes him throwing a devastating punch. Gon appears to be all supportive and nice about it when he figures out that part of your abilities align with his own, even offers to train together so that both of you can get even stronger, yet deep down he harbors a resentment that not even he is aware of. He has never been able to view himself as the weaker or inferior person when faced with someone he doesn't agree with and his biggest insecurity is not being strong enough to protect the people he loves. People like you. You are incredibly strong and talented and he knows that but unfortunately Gon is an individual who strives for even more strength simply because subconsciously he still wants to be able to tell himself that he holds more power than you and therefor is at the end of the day your protector. It is a subtly almost condescending in a way though it doesn't necessarily appear that way due to his bright grin and curious nature.

🎣​Gon has keener senses than a normal human being and a sharp perception so if you were to decide to keep your past a secret from him it is likely that he will just feel that there is something important that you are keeping from him. Gon is a curious person and his curiosity has led him to troubles in the past before so you can expect that he won't drop the topic as soon as he has a suspicion that there is something very important that you are keeping from him. He is going to bother you daily and continously about whatever your secret is and he can get weirdly intense in some moments when his patience snaps for a short moment before he returns to his usual self and covers everything up with a grin. That is perhaps why his reaction once you admit to him his truth feels weirdly disappointing as he merely asks you if you could tell him more about the world that you originally came from, wanting to know if all people in your world possessed similar abilities like you. He never even questions you whether or not you would return to your birth world if you could as his delusional mindset keeps him convinced that you are happy with him. You'd better give him no reason to doubt that belief of his...

Pokkle

🏹​Whilst Pokkle is confident in the skills he has he is by no means arrogant enough to believe that he is one of the strongest. The Hunter Exam already made him cross paths with some insane people yet all of them pale in comparison to you. His obsession already leans into a spectrum where he is prone to worship his darling and see them as someone above the common crowd and the abilities you showcase only amplify this tendency. He's never met anyone who can shatter a boulder with one finger before nor has he seen someone so knowledgable and medically talented. He's somewhat terrified yet also absolutely whipped for you due to those abilities and always very cautious and careful that nothing and no one angers you unless they want an earthquake to happen, always seeing it through to please you. Obviously he adores you but your sheer greatness puts him in a spot where he constantly questions his own worth, painfully aware that you don't even need his protection and that it is likely to be the other wax around. Pokkle doesn't want to be a burden to you though as he wants to be helpful to you in any way which is why he turns desperate, willing to recklessly sacrifice his own health to be of use.

🏹​His insecurities and decrease in his own self-confidence only increase once you trust him enough to reveal to him your secret that you are actually not from this world. If all people from your universe were even half as talented as you or maybe even stronger what is he even in your eyes? All he can do is shoot arrows in different colours, a skill which wouldn't even be enough to have you break out in sweat if he were to fight you, something he would obviously never do since he could never bring himself to harm you. Needless to say, the truth does little to boost his own confidence though a small part of him feels honored to know that you think of him as trustworthy enough to tell him the truth. Knowing the truth though also means finding out that you never wanted to be in his world and long to find a way to return to your real home, only causing another bullet to go through his heart as he realises that whilst you like him you don't value him enough to even consider staying in this world if you were to ever find out a way back to your universe. He knows he's nothing compared to you yet it only increases Pokkle's desperation. Deep down he hopes you'll never find a way back, may even tamper with your research.

Machi Komacine

🪡​Whilst Machi may look quite unfazed when she witnesses your powers on display for the first time you actually manage to do something that this world rarely manages to do to her. You impress her though she keeps any shock and surprise largely to herself. She acknowledges and respects where it is due though so she will make a comment about your abilities though she obviously doesn't shower you in compliments to give you an unnecessary ego boost. With her acknowledgement follows a caution though as she realises that you would be a terrifying opponent to have, especially since she assumes that your powers are all based on Nen which would mean that you are a hunter and for that might be a possible enemy of her and the Phantom Troupe if you were to know that she is part of the spiders. She masks all of those thoughts well though as she starts slowly and subtly prying for more information about you, your past, intentions as well as more data an your skills. Super strength and healing may not be the most complex abilities to have but Machi knows that this makes for a very deadly combo in battle, especially with someone as experienced and skilled as you are.

🪡​As sharp and perceptive as ever though she soon notices that something about the story you have told her about her doesn't add up. She has the feeling that you are leaving something very important out, something that she should know and that does stir some distrust awake within her. After all she knows what it's like to hide a secret that no one is supposed to know. Yet when she eventually figures out what it is you have kept quiet about for a short moment not even she is able to hide the shock from flashing across her face as the truth is so far away from what she could have imagined. It sounds like something out of a movie yet when she looks at you she just has a hunch that you are not lying. Machi already made theories of her own and had even started making some plans about how to handle the situation in case one of those theories turned out to be right yet she has to start from scratch since she could have never predicted the truth to be that you were originally from a completely different world.

Kite

🤡​Kite is silently somewhat terrified of your abilities but he masks it well behind his usually stoic personality. He highly respects you for your skills though and he isn't shy about letting you know that. It isn't your strength that fascinates him the most though as he instead shows much more curiosity and admiration for your ability to heal. As someone who has dedicated himself to the discovery of unknown species and has even developed a fondness for animals it is your ability to help humans and animals in pain and distress alike that is one of the many reasons why he finds himself eventually obsessing over you. You appeared lost when he met you for the first time, a feeling he knows quite well, so when he found out about your medical knowledge and abilities he was the one offering you to join his team and research together with him for new animals. He admires how none of your outstanding traits have ever led you to lose compassion or think of yourself as better. He knows well that you can stand your own ground just fine but that doesn't stop his protective nature from still keeping a watchful eye on you.

🤡​Despite his blunt and stern personality Kite is a good observer so it is no surprise that he notices the dwelling melancholy that surrounds you as soon as you are left alone with your thoughts. Whilst he does kow that this is none of his business he can't help but be worried. He doesn't bother you straightaway though and just tries to communicate to you silently that he's there for you and that you aren't alone. He seems to take the eventual truth quite gracefully and calmly but he has always had a good pokerface so perhaps he is just hiding very well what he truly feels. He's as honest and straight to the point as you expect him to be though when he asks you if you know of a way of getting back to your real world to which you answer no only for him to ask you if you would if there would be a way. He doesn't really need you to answer though, he's seen that distant look in your eyes often enough to understand that you miss your home and as much as that hurts him he can't really blame you for that. The good part of him wants to offer you that he and his team could help yet his throat tightens as soon as he tries to speak those words, his obsession bristling with the thought of helping you to leave him.

[suzukiblu]

join, scent, sorry

"Wait, so you just . . . ditched Superboy? Like right after he got out of Cadmus?" Captain Marvel sputters right in the middle of a League meeting, looking startled. "Why?"

"Batman is handling the Superboy situation," Clark says as neutrally as possible, resisting the urge to grit his teeth or rub at his temples or glower over at Bruce or just–anything, just anything. He isn't Superboy's father, though, and five minutes into this nightmare he's already more than sick of people making the assumption that he should be. He didn't volunteer for anything or consent to anything or even just make a mistake; he had his DNA stolen by people who built a weapon out of it, and just because that weapon's aging process got interrupted and it therefore currently looks like a minor, Clark is supposed to . . . supposed to what, exactly? Sell out his secret identity and his family and his whole damn life to something that only knows what some deluded mad scientists and enslaved genetic experiments thought it should know?

They're not even sure if Superboy is actually a real person. If the personality that's been presented so far is anything more than programming or puppetry or . . . or who knows what, exactly.

Clark can't take that home with him. Can't introduce that to Lois or Ma and Pa or hell, even Jor-El's AI or Krypto. He just can't trust that.

Who could?

And building a weapon that just so happens to look like a kid in a lab and conveniently getting that weapon found and broken out "early", and having that weapon be so eager to join the good guys despite its origins and education and so eager for specifically his attention, so eager to learn about specifically his powers and all the best ways to use and abuse them straight from the source, to try to make specifically him feel some kind of . . . of attachment or affection towards it . . .

Well, Clark's seen much more convoluted and improbable plans from supervillains than that, frankly. They don't know if anything they've been told about Superboy is true. They don't even know if the files Cadmus let them access are accurate or unredacted. They know nothing.

But everyone else seems to think that Clark shouldn't care about that, and that it shouldn't be making him crazy to see his dead birth family's crest in blood red on the chest of a weapon who won't answer to any name but "Superboy".

.

.

.

Dubbilex is a null and doesn't ever scent anyone at all, but sometimes Rex will give him a quick little scruff of approval or Tana or Roxy will give him an affectionate pat or two, and Knockout likes to find excuses to flirt-scent him whenever they end up having a throwdown or whatever, but none of it's ever . . . it doesn't ever . . .

It's embarrassing, but Superboy doesn't–he appreciates it all, obviously, appreciates anyone thinking he's worth any kind of scenting, but it's not what he really wants. He wants something–deliberate. Purposeful.

Lasting.

He wants something heavy, and steady, and certain. Something committed.

Or Superman's attention, just for a minute or two.

He wants to belong to somebody. He's not a real person anyway; he's a thing more than anything else. And if he has to be a thing, it's not fair that he . . . that he isn't a thing that belongs to anyone.

At least, not anyone that he wants to.

Technically speaking, he's Cadmus's IP. Technically speaking, he belongs to Cadmus. There's paperwork that says he does. A lot of it. Cadmus has "custody" of him, legally speaking. He's . . .

He doesn't want that.

He hates that.

.

.

.

"It wasn't . . . it just never felt like–like the right time to tell you, that's all," Kon stutters, feeling like an idiot, and Clark looks . . .

Clark looks pained.

"You mean you never felt safe enough to tell me," he says quietly.

Kon . . . swallows.

Because–that's true, yeah. He's trusted Clark to save his literal stupid life before, but . . . but he never felt safe enough to tell him this.

That's kind of fucked up, isn't it.

"I'm sorry," Clark says, and that suddenly Kon is too bemused to do anything but stare at him. "I should've made sure you knew you could tell me things like that. I shouldn't have just assumed you would."

[erynshouseofhorrors]

My Queer Marble Hornets Headcanons

This is mostly going to be Alex, Jay, Brian, and Tim since I'm not as familiar with the other characters. Jessica's at the end but there's not a lot, so I welcome people to add on!

Warning: Tim/Brian/Unnamed OC, Jay/Alex, Amy/Jessica, and mentioned Alex/Amy. Obviously very little of this is canon lol.

Jay Merrick

Jay is canonically gay and I think that just fits. He didn't find out he was gay until their junior year of high school, thanks to a guy whose name he has long forgotten.

Jay is definitely transmasc. I don't think they're entirely male, but not exactly both male and female. He's somewhere in-between male and neutral. I purposefully left their AGAB up to interpretation, I think it could go either way. Transmasc just means identifying with a masc gender that you weren't assigned at birth.

Jay uses he/they pronouns.

The first person outside of Jay's family that they came out to was Alex during their sophomore year of university. Alex is also the only one of his friends aware of Jay's struggle with gender identity, making their bond extra special. Eventually Jessica would also be looped in on that secret.

He thinks about using makeup, but they're too scared to actually buy himself anything in fear of judgement... until Alex bought him an eyeshadow palette.

They actually got pretty good at applying and styling makeup, and he helped Alex out by being the makeup artist (and script supervisor) for Marble Hornets.

Alex Kralie

I can't picture him dating a girl and actually enjoying it. His relationship with labels is difficult, because he struggles to tell the difference between romantic attraction and platonic love, which is mostly why he got with Amy to begin with. They broke up because Alex wouldn't take their relationship past a kiss on the cheek and arm around the shoulder.

When he met Jay his freshman year of uni, that was the first time he felt physically attracted to someone. The weeks to follow were filled with "am I gay" quizzes and articles.

Alex only settled on the gay label for the sake of convenience. He doesn't mind going unlabeled or switching labels around as things change and his relationships grow.

He probably doesn't know this yet, but he's definitely on the asexual spectrum. He feels sexual attraction, but only sometimes. I hc him as either greyace or demiace.

Alex uses he/him pronouns.

Brian Thomas

Brian uses both pansexual and bisexual to describe his sexuality. "Ass is ass, man. I don't care."

His sexuality has never been something he hid, but it also wasn't obvious to his straight peers. He'll casually bring up an ex-boyfriend or first kiss and everyone has their jaw on the floor. Almost everyone. Tim's usually in the corner of the room, smirking at their obliviousness.

Brian uses he/him pronouns, but he won't flip his lid if someone calls him something else. He knows his identity isn't defined by how others choose to perceive him.

He's definitely that friend who's known they were gay since grade school, so he's well educated on queer history and terminology. He even helped Alex and Tim out while they were questioning.

He dated Tim in their early years at uni, but split up after Tim had a mental breakdown and ghosted him for a few months.

Brian is also ambiamorous, which means he's okay with being in a monogamous or polyamorous relationship. This is partly why he wasn't too upset when Tim moved on and started dating a girl from another town. Why try bagging your ex when you can bag him and his new girlfriend, am I right?

Tim Wright

Tim never bothered with sexuality labels until he was finally free of psychosis and constant hospital visits. He was too busy fighting for his life to think and fantasize about love interests.

He was completely convinced he was straight until he and Brian shared a drunken kiss the night after final exams. After that, he and Brian were hooking up in secret, and Tim was having an identity crisis behind the scenes.

Tim and Brian were together for at least a few months before Tim ghosted him. It wasn't his fault, or Brian's. Tim's psychosis had been coming back, causing him to self-isolate out of paranoia. Whenever Brian tried reaching out, Tim replied with radio silence.

After getting better (again) he was too scared to contact Brian, so he forced himself to move on. And he did! He started dating a girl he met while working, and things just kind of took off. And then Brian enters his life again.

His girlfriend, surprisingly, was amused by Brian's flirtatious remarks toward her and Tim, and even teased back. After a long conversation with Tim, they decided to ask Brian out.

Tim still doesn't care for labels, but when asked he'll say he's bisexual and ambiamorous. Also he uses he/him because I forgot to mention that.

Jessica Locke

I believe someone working with Troy on the comics believes Jessica is a lesbian and honestly I love that interpretation. Nothing about her screams "straight" to me.

I truly, truly believe Jessica is trans MTF. She does voice training every morning to get better at sounding feminine, mostly to avoid harassment from her peers.

She's incredibly skilled with makeup, since she's had lots of practice in middle school. She was the one Jay came to when he got his first eyeshadow palette from Alex.

Jessica was there for Amy when she and Alex split. They had a sleep over for three nights in a row, ignoring the fact that they were roommates and already slept in the same building. They switched back and forth between Jessica's room and Amy's, making pillow forts and watching cartoons until all thoughts of Alex were gone. A month later, Amy asked Jessica on a date.

Honestly I think she'd be okay with any variant of she/her, so get creative.

aaaaaaa I hope you enjoyed! I haven't posted any headcanons before so I am nervous lol also fyi I didn't proofread this so oh well

[14dayswithyou]

Maybe you already ask this already, but I haven’t seen it. your probably not gonna answer this question, since its a secret. but I got two. Later in the game will we learn Ren’s real name? or is Ren gonna tell us? and second, why did Ren change is appearance and personality for us? Was it Mc type? Or himself wasn’t enough?

✦゜ANSWERED: I've mentioned this before, but you'll learn all about Ren and his real name in the future!! In order to get him to revert back to his real self, however, you'll need to make specific choices and reach a certain quota. Otherwise he'll stay as Ren.

As for your second question, Ren changed his appearance to appeal to your current hyperfixation, which is Haruko — a fictional character from an anime called 'Attack On Giants'!!

I know there's a lot of people telling me that Haruko isn't their ideal type at all, but I purposely made this decision because it'd be impossible for me to cater to everyone's ideal type ;v; Having a set character with an established appearance and personality makes things easier for me, and because that's been the plan since the very beginning. I've toyed with idea of giving players the option to choose a different style for Ren at the start of the game, but that would just be an additional workload for me, and there's not enough official 14DWY content released for me to consider working on it yet ^^;

But for those who keep telling me they don't like Ren's persona/Haruko: please understand that if it were possible for me to do it, then Ren would 100% canonically choose your current ideal type instead — regardless if it's the soft, shy boy aesthetic or not. If you like e-boys, then he'd definitely dress like his real self, but he won't show you his true personality because he's been conditioned to vehemently hate it and think it's unappealing since birth.

[bonebabbles]

Ok. Fun scooby-doo jokes are over. Time for a graphic birthing scene as Star Flower enters premature labor after being starved for days and running to get away from a bunch of stinky, dirty rogues.

The writers will see a woman character and ask, "Is anyone going to describe the pain and viscera in intense, obsessive detail?" and not even wait

*Shrek voice* she doesn't even get the birthing stick

(under a cut because eurgh)

It's gotta be super dramatic, to really tease the audience with the idea that Clear Sky might lose a third pregnant wife for his pain.

Star Flower has been put through such INTENSE torment to make Clear Sky feel bad and rally the cats to come together to help him out that it's taken me out of it completely.

Gray Wing also realizes he's been thinking about Star Flower too much, while she's bleeding out and giving birth several weeks early after escaping Slash's Torment Nexus, so he takes a moment to rotate his brother around in his head for a bit.

"He'd been so panicked about Star Flower that he hadn't thought about his brother," who is apparently going to get set upon by a band of Slash's angry rogues all alone in this fantasy daydream Gray Wing has conjured up in his head.

Like, apparently Clear Sky is going to leave the meeting with Slash, get told about the secret plan to rescue Star Flower which was happening concurrently (already happened; we saw this), then jump up and run from what everyone's told him, bolt towards a camp he doesn't know the location of, and a patrol of Slash's warriors are going to find him?

ok.

Anyway then all the women come together to midwife for Star Flower.

And then Clear Sky and Star Flower cuddle around the new kits and act all cute. The "pure love" in Clear Sky's eyes is focused on, everyone recommends he takes extra good care of his premature kits, etc. He's So Totally Changed Now, through the magic of wife and babies.

All I'm thinking about is how he kills one of these children later, by refusing to allow Acorn Fur to complete her training and throwing a tantrum about how "SkyClan doesn't ask for help unless we have no choice!" when she tells him she can't treat his son's fox-inflicted mauling alone.

One more patented brother moment between Clear Sky and Gray Wing

I'm just gonna be honest, man... I hear from a LOT of people that this tugs at their heartstrings, so maybe I just don't "get it." But this WHOLE series long, Gray Wing has pissed himself over how Clear Sky can't have possibly "changed that much" from when they were children, won't accept that he's a child-beating and woman-slaughtering tyrant, IMMEDIATELY jumps to his defense at every turn even when it's ridiculous, and here's the payoff.

Hugging and sniffing his Dear Brother and having a flashback to them being babies at their mother's breast, secure in the knowledge he was right all along.

That every time he downplayed abuse, shoved people towards a situation where they'd be in danger, or prevented others from recognizing Clear Sky as the threat he was, he was correct that Clear Sky, in contrast to the EEEVIL rogues, was a good boy. Nothing about Clear's behavior has actually changed besides having MORE children to endanger.

This is chapter SIX of the LAST BOOK and we already saw Clear Sky using abuse tactics earlier to try and manipulate Thunder into doing what he wants.

So, I can't sympathize with the "heartwarming" reaction. "Ohh it's so sweet that the dear brothers are having flashbacks to when they were 6" I cannot relate. Idk how you can watch AMVs of this without wanting to set them both on fire. Thunder should get a restraining order.

[winters8child]

It´s been a long, long time

Chapter 102

Being married to Steve brought a sense of peace. We enjoyed cooking together, spending evenings in the garden, and cozying up by the fire. Yet, the holidays felt lonely with just the two of us. Natasha visited less often, buried under work commitments.

Steve still attended group therapy sessions, leaving me to my own thoughts. In those moments, old emotions resurfaced, reminding me of my ongoing journey through therapy. Despite making progress, I kept these feelings to myself. Steve valued those sessions deeply; they reflected his enduring commitment to making a positive impact, even in our quiet, everyday life. Helping others remained a core part of who he was.

To distract myself, I immersed myself in books and tended to the small herb garden I had planted. But nights were the hardest—sleep was where I couldn't hide the truth. My nightmares laid bare my troubled soul, waking me in a cold sweat, heart racing.

I often dreamed of my baby, hearing his cries as I ran but never reaching him in time. Afterward, Steve would comfort me, asking about my dreams. "Nothing specific," I'd reply, deflecting his concern. I didn’t want to reopen wounds he seemed to have healed from better than I had.

We hadn’t discussed having a child again, but I could see the hope in Steve's eyes whenever I mentioned that my period was late. I was determined not to let it happen again. I meticulously took my birth control pill every day at the same time, though I hadn’t shared this detail with him.

It wasn’t a secret—he knew I was on birth control—but he didn’t understand the panic that would grip me if I thought I had missed a dose. When I envisioned the future, I no longer saw laughing children, but I was too afraid to admit that to him.

I even started lying to my therapist, feeling ashamed of my lack of progress after nearly five years. It seemed she didn’t believe me, as she insisted on seeing me at least twice a month.

One day, Steve came back from a group therapy session later than usual, his expression a mix of stress and excitement.

"We might have found a way to bring everyone back," he said, and I could hardly believe it. He explained how Scott Lang, who we thought had vanished, had shown up at the compound gate, talking about time travel and asking for Tony’s help.

The plan was to retrieve the Infinity Stones, snap our fingers, and bring everyone back. It sounded fantastical, almost impossible. Still, two days later, Natasha, Steve, Scott, and I stood on Tony’s porch, trying to convince him of our wild plan.

"I'm gonna stop you right there, Scott. Are you seriously telling me that your plan to save the universe is based on Back To The Future?" Tony asked, sarcasm dripping from his words.

"No," Scott replied, looking a little embarrassed.

"Good. You had me worried there, 'cause that'd be horse shit. That's not how quantum physics works," Tony shot back.

"Tony... we have to take a stand," Natasha urged, determination filling her voice.

"We did stand. And yet, here we are," he retorted, meeting our eyes.

"I know you have a lot on the line. You’ve got a wife, a daughter. But I lost someone important to me. A lot of people did," Scott continued, his voice rising with urgency. "Now we have a chance to bring them back. To bring everyone back. And you’re telling me that won’t even—"

"That's right, Scott, I won't even. I got a kid," Tony interrupted, just as his daughter came outside and jumped into his arms.

"Mommy told me to come and save you," she mumbled.

Tony glanced around, a wry smile creeping across his face. “Good job. I’m saved,” he said before looking at us again, nostalgia tinging his voice. “I wish you’d come here to ask me something else. Anything else, really. Honestly, I missed you guys. Oh, and the table’s set for seven.”

Steve stepped forward, concern etched on his face. “Tony, I get it. And I’m happy for you; I really am. But this is a second chance.”

Tony shook his head, determination hardening his expression. “I got my second chance right here, Cap. I can’t roll the dice again. If you don’t want to talk shop, you’re welcome to stay for lunch.”

The others moved back toward the car, but I lingered on the porch, feeling uncertain. Tony’s gaze shifted to me, curiosity dancing in his eyes.

I glanced at him, then at the little girl cradled in his arms, her frown mirroring my own thoughts. “I wouldn’t do it if I were you,” I said softly, the weight of my words hanging in the air. With that, I turned and joined the others, leaving Tony to ponder my warning.

“So, what do we do now?” I asked once we were back in the car, the engine humming softly as we pulled away.

“Hope that Bruce is willing to help us,” Natasha replied, her voice tinged with sadness at the mention of his name.

I pushed away thoughts of what bringing Bucky back could mean. Life had taught me that hope often led to disappointment, and I wasn’t sure I could handle that again.

I didn’t expect to meet the Hulk when we sat down at the diner to meet Bruce. Or rather, a mix of both. He was huge and green, but his features were unmistakably Bruce's, and his intelligence shone through. He seemed genuinely happy as he explained how he had stopped fighting the Hulk, embracing his full potential without losing himself in the process.

He was hesitant at first but eventually agreed to help us in our crazy endeavor. To our dismay, the entire process of sending someone through time turned into a disaster. Technically, it worked, but instead of sending grown-up Scott into the past and bringing him back the same, he returned as an old man. Moments later, he turned into a baby.

When all hope seemed lost, Tony showed up, holding his genius invention in one hand and Steve's shield in the other. He had built something he called a "Time-Space GPS" to resolve the issue that had turned Scott into an old man and then a baby. Things were getting serious now. It was time to get the whole team back together.

After countless nights of wracking our brains over how and when to get the stones, we finally settled on three teams. Each team would head to a different point in time to retrieve the stones. I would stay behind to monitor everything and ensure it all went smoothly. According to Tony, they’d be back in five seconds.

They did return, but when I looked into each of their faces and finally landed on Clint’s, I knew something had gone wrong.

“Where is Natasha?” I asked, my voice shaking as Clint fell to his knees.

“Clint, where is Nat?” Bruce echoed, his voice trembling as we all held our breaths.

He didn’t have to say anything; the look on his face said it all. She hadn’t made it. She had given her life for the stone.

I shook my head in denial, tears welling up as I covered my mouth with my hand. I should have said something when I had the chance, should have told them their idea was insane.

Anger surged through me, wishing Tony had never agreed to help. Who was to say this plan would even work? Who was to say Natasha hadn’t died for nothing?

I turned and ran off, but Steve reached for my hand. I shook him off, my voice breaking. “I need to be alone right now,” I said, tears spilling from my eyes as I walked away.

I collapsed onto the couch when I reached the common room, pulling my legs up and hugging them to my chest. It felt like life had taken so much from me, and it just kept taking, relentless in its cruelty. How much pain could one person endure before they broke completely?

Was this life even worth living anymore, I wondered. My thoughts were interrupted as the shutters closed over the windows, plunging the room into near darkness. I frowned, standing up. When I tried to head back to the others, I found the entrance to the lab sealed with metal doors.

I couldn’t make out the chaos inside until a loud whizzing noise cut through the thick metal, followed by a groan and a resounding bang that made me jump back in panic.

As the shutters slowly lifted, I saw Bruce sprawled on the ground, the glove housing the stones emitting a trail of smoke.

“Did it work?” he asked, wincing in pain.

“Worth a shot. It’s over. It’s okay,” Thor said, his voice steady, trying to reassure him.

I glanced at Clint as he answered a buzzing phone, his face a mix of joy and tears.

“Did it work?” I asked, my voice laced with hope and fear just as the sky darkened and chaos erupted around us.

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