Tumgik
#because it is about separation from yourself and replacing that humanity with everything else
uncanny-tranny · 7 months
Text
The worst lie you can believe and be told is that women are emotional and men are logical, that men's, essentially, men's emotions are logical and neutral while women's are not, and are in fact frivolous and shallow.
285 notes · View notes
ardenssolis · 1 year
Text
@tenkoseiensei said (inbox):
' are you demons always so... intimate? ' brevity; a brief moment of peace. there's music playing from somewhere as der doppelganger slowly surrounds himself with empty alcohol bottles, bits of glass from the ones fecklessly tossed and broken behind him too - nothing to mind, a hornet would sometime clean it all up. ' humans are social creatures. they exist in groups, and that makes their psyches easy to influence and distort. but demons like you, love, are always picking up one individual after another, one at a time ... no? i'd almost call it dedicated, if i didn't know that a thing like loyalty had nothing to do with it. ' he grins and takes a deep swig of his current choice of drink, a priceless pinot noir, red wine rich as blood. ' is it because of those contracts of yours? what's the use in those, anyways? haa, it's funny no matter how i try to twist it. you could have been a god, the lord and master of many, but instead you're so satisfied as one's servant. if it's like that, love, shouldn't you be happy that you've found someone to dedicate your entirety to? and forever? '
Tumblr media
     EYES CLOSED, HE MERELY lounged about on a nearby couch, arms resting over the top of it and head tilted back with his face towards the ceiling. He heard the other speak, but said nothing in response – at least not right away. His silence would have come across as him sleeping to someone else, but Doppelganger was an eerily patient sort when he wanted to be. He knew that Ozymandias was not dozing away. Rather, the demon was allowing their words to drift about his thoughts before he deemed to answer. A minute or so had probably passed, that awkward pause soon broken when Ozymandias’ eyes opened and lips parted to speak. ❝Intimate? Is that what you call it? I suppose we do come to know our targets quite intimately in a sense.❞ Targets… That was what those they aimed for were. Demons were often predatory, purposely aiming for those who were desperate in madness, desperate in despair, desperate in rage, in love--- These were the easy ones to wrap around one’s finger. But a hungry ghost knew that well enough without explanation. ❝Dealing with groups can be a bit complicated unless that demon manages to make them believe they are a god to worship. Thus, it is far more prudent to separate.❞
     However, there was no denying that the more powerful and cunning ones could gain a great deal of power from those who looked to them with devotion, ready to do any and everything for them even if it meant hurling themselves off a cliff or into a raging river. How dull. Absolutely dull. Demons like this were so tasteless. The other’s latter words rang in his mind – repeated once, twice… It was so instant how languid demeanor shifted, replaced by that burning, intense rage beneath the very surface of pleasant façade. ❝Servant?❞ he hissed, soon sitting up so that his gaze was now trained on the other. ❝Oh, what a way with words you have. It makes me want to dig my hand past that ribcage and gently squeeze that dead heart with all the adoration I contain in his body.❞ It was then that he pushed himself up, his steps purposely heavy, shoes clacking against the floor with each and every step until he stood before the other. Leaning forward, hands rested upon the couch, the demon now so close, that surely they could feel the heat emanating from his body in droves.
     ❝Do not pretend as if you are free, Hungry Ghost. You are bound by your own desires. Constantly hungry, constantly trying to fill something in that dead heart of yours… Although ultimately never finding anything. All this drink…❞ he paused, glancing off to the many bottles that littered the floor, ❝do nothing for you. Even the people you kill and devour to make yourself feel something deep within…do nothing either.❞ He looked back at the other than, his hand lifting to brush against cheek, ❝how very sad…yet the perfect source of amusement for a demon to toy with as they watch you dance to fate’s cruel strings with very little hope of escaping it in your infinite deaths. But one day it will end. All things end.❞ This union was not forever. He would see to its destruction one way or another, and when the day came, he would laugh.
     There was no forever.
     That was all a myth.
3 notes · View notes
tehamelie · 2 years
Text
“Replacement theory” is not only gross victim-complex white supremacism, it’s also completely unsupportable. You’d have better luck trying to defend phrenology.
To begin with, there are about 1000 million white people, and we’re controlling the majority of social power and material resources in the world. It would take a meteor impact to seriously threaten our numbers. A few million immigrants having babies at you (the way you imagine everything has to be about you) is not going to kill you, or your grandchildren.
Secondly, you don’t get to revoke other people’s human rights (right to life, right to freedom from persecution, right to freedom of movement, etc) because you think an indistinct group of people’s indistinct actions are hurting you in an indirect way. If you’re going to pretend you value such white institutions as the rule of law, you can’t make a mockery of the rule of law by collectively punishing a group of people for some individuals’ actions, not for any reason, and especially not some bullshit you have to bend over backwards to imagine is in any way harmful “or” malicious.
And thirdly, even if the threat you’ve made up was something actual, specific people were doing in any concrete way, and even if it was some credible threat against the existence of white people, then so the fuck what? I’m sure our reservations would be a lot nicer than the ones we forced the Native Americans into.
You’re not supposed to judge people’s character by the color of their skin. And whiteness is a skin color. It has existed for 7,000 out of the 60,000 years modern humans have, and the conditions we believe made it evolve aren’t particularly relevant anymore. If a thousand or ten thousand years from now white people stopped existing, what’s the problem with that? You’ve heard about how white people have spent the last 500 years exploiting, subjugating and exterminating everyone else because we invented better guns than them, right? That’s why they have a right to be worried about the destruction of their people, their culture, their homes and their history: Because we tried to destroy them with considerable success. They have to struggle to find a sense of belonging in the world, to shape their own societies because we have very successfully excluded them from society. You want to turn around and pretend like some nebulous, malignant force is threatening “your people” in the same way; that’s tasteless and ahistoric at best; a truly whine-tastic attempt to paint yourself as a persecuted minority against all available facts. But I think, Mr Hypothetical White Supremacist - charitably - your real problem here is a catastrophic failure of imagination.
The imaginary future where there are no people who look like you makes you terrified? It doesn’t frighten me. And no, it’s not because of internalized hate for white people. It’s because I can imagine people who don’t look like me are still people. You feel like you wouldn’t belong in a world without white people? My sense of belonging isn’t contingent on excluding someone else. I can imagine I belong to all humanity.
I can imagine there is more that unites us than separates us.
5 notes · View notes
Text
Need vs Want
It is not until we can distinguish between need vs want in our lives that we can achieve true happiness. -Bardsbabe
The reasoning behind this statement is understanding who we are, ultimately. We think we need this and we need that, when in reality we are trying to fill a hole in our lives, ourselves.  I have said as have other friends, I don't want to be needed by someone, I want to be wanted.  Need means a craving to fill, want means a desire to add, does this make sense?
Look at this way, you need oxygen to breath, but you want chocolate because it adds value in some manner.  Hence the statement of I would rather be wanted than needed. Non?
I think in childhood we get them twisted due to societal useage, oh wanna gotta gimme....  meaning you want this and you want that and in some space it becomes interchanged with need, possibly due to neglect, you want and need love, but you do not receive it.  No one is denying that in this instance, it is one and the same, as people, we want to be loved, we need it as well.
In regard to this, my next question would then be, do you love yourself? Do you put yourself and your needs, wants and desires ahead of others?  Or do you sacrifice your happiness, your wants for someone else?
Parenting, oh my, yes, it teaches us to be less selfish, if we do it right.  We recognize the fragile gift we have been given and would sacrifice everything to the cause of raising our children, within reason.  Unfortunately, some people never see beyond the end of their noses and believe their children are: accessories, beck and call slaves, things to be disregarded or to be used in the seeking of their own gratification.  This is not parenting, it is servitude.
Parenting is about wanting what is best for someone else and the ability to put their needs (the greater good) ahead of your own.  Some people get the whole agape early in life, others it takes many many years to grasp and lastly some never understand the concept of self sacrifice.  These people are definitely non-team players.
Now am I saying by practicing sacrifice you sublimate yourself?  No, you actually grow because of it, because your world view expands, as does your heart.  You become less needy, and more generous.  Conversely, you also become more aware of your wants and needs and how to separate them, thru agape.  Your neediness dissapates and you understand what it is you want in your life and what you do not want.  You replace need with love and understand the larger scheme of humanity.
So when I say I want something or someone, it is from a place of reflection and consideration, it is not a knee-jerk need-based reaction of emptiness.
I hope this has made you consider your ulterior motives in the things you do in life.
0 notes
cloudenthusiast2 · 3 years
Text
To be a human - Scaramouche x reader - Part 3
You knew committing to a relationship with Scaramouche would be no easy task but you loved him dearly and unlike others, you believed he wasn't evil. But as a mortal and the devoted protector of your village you were too much of a good person, too much of a human compared to him and your differences slowly start to show.
Previous: Part 2 Next: Part 4
Length: ~1000 words (??)
Trigger warnings: yelling, Scara being an asshole (so nothing new)
You stormed into your own house and threw your polearm far away from you. It landed on the other side of the room, loudly clattering on the ground.
You could hear Scaramouche's steps behind you but before he could've caught up to you, you flounced to the kitchen.
All you wanted to do is shut the door behind you but even then, something held you back from doing it. The great sense of justice in you didn't let you separate yourself from your lover.
It wanted to hear an explanation.
How actually desperate you were for one! Even though you were absolutely furious, you still really hoped he could clean himself in your eyes with some words. Yes, it would only take some words, one sentence or a half and...
'You runned of like a spoilt child.'
You bit your lips to lock them and keep yourself from screaming and yelling at him.
What were you even hoping for? It's Scaramouche, he obviously won't realise he hurt you.
With slow movements, you turned around to face him. You looked into his icy eyes and when you spoke, your voice was just as cold as his gaze.
'Dare to explain what happened?'
'Are you stupid? You saw it with your own eyes.'
'I meant your reaction' you hissed in fury.
His answer was to simply shrug his shoulders.
'I sent them away. You should be grateful I did that before you could've made the situation worse.'
'Say, Balladeer' you narrowed your eyes. 'What would you have done if it was the other way? If my people attacked yours?'
He didn't even hesitate.
'Kill them' he claimed in a way that said the answer should've been obvious for you.
You tried to remain calm as you asked him:
'And you don't see a problem here?'
He has been standing in the kitchen's door but now he walked inside, closer to you. His movements seemed kind of threatening but you didn't move back an inch.
You always turned a blind eye to the truth about him. It was time to face it.
He stopped a feet away from you. He didn't come closer to try and reassure you, he did it to make sure you heard everything he said well.
'Shall I be the one to break it to you?' He asked mockingly, his grin showing pity and despite at the same time. 'I think it's time you finally realise. That these people's lives mean nothing.'
'You can't actually mean that' you declared immediately.
Scaramouche laughed and his voice sent shivers down your spine - instead of making you smile like it used to do.
'You're so naive, it kills me! My dear, I knew you were attached to these people but I had no idea you actually take this thing so seriously.'
'What the hell are you talking about?'
Your harsh, freezing cold tone wiped the smile off his face.
He rose his hands and tilted his hat back a little to take a good look at your face. The previous, icy look took over his expression once again as he spoke.
'These weak mortals are nothing but dust coming from dust.' He said bluntly and you knew he meant every single word that came out of his mouth. 'Their lives hold no meaning. They born, reproduce then die in a spam of some years. Disposable garbage.'
'So' your voice shook as you tried to speak after a long silence. 'This is... what I am to you? Replaceable, disposable garbage?'
'What?' You had every right to be shocked but now he seemed surprised as well. He shook his head, the bells on his clothing violently clinking. 'No, of course not. You're obviously different.'
'Why?'
Scaramouche blenched at this simple question and quietly stared for a minute.
You were deeply shook. So many emotions were fighting inside you but all you felt at that moment was deep, incredible sadness. You gulped to hold back your tears and repeated the question.
'Why... would I be any different?'
'Well... because you belong to me' he finally answered.
'Scaramouche, you're delusional!' You bursted out.
You started laughing. Because you couldn't believe you actually thought he was a good person. Because you were hysterical and made a stupid pun since he literally had a delusion himself.
'I'm only saying the truth!' He barked irately.
'You're lying!' You snapped so loudly that he unintentionally took a step back.
Scaramouche has never seen you like this. So mad. So done. You were patient with everyone and never raised your voice at him or anyone else.
'You're lying!' There was so much power and anger in your shout that it actually took his voice away. 'Mortals aren't insignificant just because beings exist that are more powerful than them! Not a single human's life is worthless! They have hopes and ambitions, they have the ability to change the world around them, just like you do! They feel, just like you... should do.'
You glared at him in fury, fervid fire burning in your eyes. You let go of the chair you have been holding onto and stepped closer to him.
He stood there without moving an inch, even when you put your face close so to his, he could feel your warm breath on his skin.
'I don't know what happened' you whispered quietly. 'But something is clearly wrong with you. Just what happened in Inazuma?'
'I have no idea what you're talking about.' Scaramouche finally moved. He grabbed your arm and pushed you further away from himself.
He thought that way he'd finally be able to breath freely but the weight on his chest didn't weigh less, even like this. It should've been a warning sign but the growing annoyance and anger inside his heart completely blinded him.
'I always felt like this' he stated, not caring about the impact his words caused. 'You knew it, don't try to deny the truth! And you know that I'm right! Face it!'
'You're not!' You screamed back at him. 'I will rather die before I agree anything you said!'
'Oh, you are going to die indeed if you keep believing in those ridiculous views of yours, don't worry.'
The exact moment these words left Scaramouche's lips, he deeply regretted saying them.
His heartbeat dropped as he saw your eyes widen.
There was a short silence.
Then you spoke.
'Get out' you whispered, your voice dying away. 'Get out of... my house.'
He looked at you once again. Opened his mouth then closed it.
You looked... broken. And he knew that he wouldn't be able to just replace the pieces that fell out because of him.
But the freezing cold that surrounded his heart suddenly started to melt away as his dismay slowly turned into anger.
Why should he feel bad again? It was you in the first place who had ridiculous views, it was you who got sensitive when all he did was to just tell you the truth! You were in the wrong here, not him!
'Leave' you repeated in a shaking but determined voice.
'Gladly' he nodded and the corners of his mouth curved up into a mocking, sarky smile. 'You're doing nothing but a burden holding me back anyway.'
'I said, leave!' You rose your voice one more time, trying your hardest not to cry in front of him. 'And don't ever come back again!'
Scaramouche laughed as he turned his back on you.
'Don't worry, I don't intend to. But don't say I didn't warn you!' He added as he waved goodbye. He stopped at the door for a moment and looked back at you one last time. 'One day you'll come to your senses and all of your ideals will be shattered. Looking forward to it.'
Your tears blurred your vision as you watched him walk out on the door he not so long ago stepped in as your lover.
And now that you were completely alone...
You could break down.
228 notes · View notes
honeypiehotchner · 3 years
Text
Looking Too Closely (Bucky x Stark!Fem!Reader) -- part one
I know, I know. I just finished a 100k fic about Aaron Hotchner, I have another fic for him coming in May, and yet here I am, writing a Bucky Barnes fic. The Falcon and The Winter Soldier has done things to me, guys. I knew I was going to fall right back in love with Bucky and I totally did. So here’s this xx.
(Also, as for the timeline, don’t question it. I’m kind of imagining this on its own separate timeline, but I’ll pull details from everywhere)
Summary: You’re (possibly) Tony Stark’s daughter. You’re also (possibly) on the run from the law. What better place to show up than the Avengers Tower? [Oh and no Bucky in this one! He comes in part 2]
Warnings: angst, mentions of death (your mom), mentions of homelessness, Tony is kinda an asshole (but I still think it’s in character)
BUCKY BARNES MASTERLIST 
Tumblr media
You weren’t going to come here.
It was a last-resort kind of option. A I-don’t-want-to-sleep-on-a-park-bench-(again) option. An is-going-to-jail-really-better-than-just-knocking-on-a-door? Kind of option.
Turns out, knocking on a door is better than going to jail. Especially when Tony Stark’s shocked face is almost as comical as your mom’s.
Currently, you’re soaking wet (damn skies decided to open up before you could get to the Tower) and sitting in Tony’s office while he paces and talks on the phone.
“Pepper, honey, I know this is bad timing, but I need you to pick up, okay? I have a kid here— Okay, she’s glaring at me, so not a kid— No, you know what? She is a kid and she’s getting water everywhere and she says she’s my kid and I’m two seconds from going into crisis mode.”
You and me both, you think to yourself. If you knew Tony was this much of a drama queen, you would’ve just gone to the police station. It was closer, anyway. Damn.
Tony ends the voicemail (which is his fifth one, you believe) and spins around to face you, a nervous smile on his lips. “Okay. How old are you again?”
“19,” you repeat tiredly. It was one of the first questions he asked you. “And I don’t actually know if I’m really your kid, okay? My mom says you are, but I don’t know.”
“Where is your mom?” His eyebrows raise like he’s brilliant and has found a way out. “Can you call her?”
“I don’t have a phone, but even if I did, no, I can’t,” you pause, rolling your eyes at his confusion. “She’s dead, Tony. She passed away last month.”
His confusion settles into shock. “Oh.”
“Oh is right,” you chuckle, ignoring your teeth chattering. “And trust me, I wouldn’t be here if I had literally anywhere else I could go.”
Tony opens his mouth to reply, but is cut off by his phone. He hurriedly answers and returns to pacing. “Pepper! Hi!— Okay, slow down, yes I’m telling the truth! Why would I lie— Okay, that was one time. Listen, this time, I’m not lying.” Pause. “Yes, there really is a kid here. You’re serious? Okay, fine, hang on.”
You watch as Tony starts a video call, and then turns the phone around on you.
Pepper Potts’s eyes widen when she sees you staring back at her, a cold and shivering mess.
“Um, hi?” Your voice is small and wary.
“Shit,” Pepper replies, and Tony turns the phone back on his face.
“See? Not lying.”
“For God’s sake, Tony!” Pepper yells. “Get the poor girl some dry clothes! I’ll be there as soon as I can, but try not to freeze her to death before I can get there. Christ.” The call ends.
You muffle a giggle in your hand, looking up to find a tired stare from Tony. Your laughter ends and you mirror his expression. “I told you dude, if I had literally anywhere else I could go, I’d be there.”
“Homeless shelter?” Tony questions.
“A homeless shelter in New York? You mean a breeding ground for disease and sexual assault?”
Your blunt reply has Tony faltering, but he accepts it. “Right. Let’s just— Let’s get you into something dry and warm and maybe get some food in you.” His eyes graze over your form. “When was the last time you ate?”
“Do you really want to ask me that?”
He thinks it over, and nods. “Never mind. Follow me.”
You stand and follow him, leaving a trail of water wherever you step.
He grimaces, pausing in his steps to say, “FRIDAY, will you dry the floors in here before I get back?”
“Who the hell are you talking to—”
Your question is promptly cut off by a female voice answering Tony. “Yes, Mr. Stark.” The voice echoes all around and sounds human, but distinctly sounds like it isn’t.
“What the fuck was that?”
“FRIDAY,” Tony replies. “Stands for ‘Female Replacement Intelligent Digital Assistant Youth’. A mouthful, I know, so I just call her FRIDAY. She’s my AI and she’s all over this building.”
“She— Never mind,” you shake your head. “Cool. Weird, but cool. I guess.”
Tony smiles, but then continues walking, exiting his office.
You follow closely behind, trying not to get too distracted by everything you’re seeing. All you saw on the way up here was the lobby, the elevator, and then right into Tony’s office. Now, you’re seeing out glass windows and down into the rest of the Tower. You have a clean view into what looks like a lab, and you see a few people working in there, but they’re too focused to even bother looking elsewhere.
After stepping into the elevator with you, Tony says, “Wanda should have some extra clothes you can borrow and if not she can at least help you...find some.”
He eyes you like he doesn’t quite know what to do with you, which you think is remarkably humbling of him. Part of you expected (what with all the stories you’ve heard and read about him) that he would act like he knew exactly what to do — regardless of whether it was right.
Maybe he will act that way later, but right now he almost seems frightened, and it’s weirdly comforting.
“Wanda is one of the…” Tony pauses. “You know where we are, right?”
You raise one eyebrow. “You mean do I know this is the Avengers Tower and that the Avengers are real people?”
“Yes…”
“Then yes.”
“Okay,” Tony says, straightening and composing himself once more. “Wanda is one of the Avengers.”
“I know.”
Tony hesitates, and the elevator is still going. “You’re not some crazy fan, right?”
“Dude, I told you. If I had anywhere else to be, I would’ve gone there.” You shrug. “Yeah, it’s cool or whatever, but I’m not going to faint.”
“Good to know,” he says, though you faintly hear him mutter, “cool or whatever,” to himself.
Finally, the elevator stops and the doors open to a new floor, one that you quickly realize is what can be described as the residential area for the Avengers. Their rooms are on this floor, along with a kitchen and a living area of sorts — both of which are empty right now.
Tony notices you looking around and says, “Most everyone is out on a mission right now, so it’s just me and Wanda around.”
“Okay,” you say.
Tony takes you down a hall and around a corner, and stops at a door. He knocks a couple times and then says, “Hey Wan, it’s me and I have a...an issue that I need your help with.”
The door opens a moment later to reveal Wanda Maximoff, a younger woman closer to your age wearing a confused expression. “An issue?” She questions, and then her eyes land on you. “Oh, hi.”
“Hey,” you offer a small smile. “I’m Y/N.”
“I’m Wanda,” she replies, offering a smile in return. But when she looks at Tony, it drops. “What did you do?”
“Why does everyone always assume that I’ve done something?”
“Because when have you not done something?”
Tony pauses. “Fair point. Look, the kid needs some clothes, and I figured borrowing something old of yours would be more comfortable than Avengers workout gear.”
Wanda seems surprised Tony even thought of that. “Of course,” she looks at you. “You can take a shower to warm up, if you want. But I definitely have some clothes you can borrow.”
“Thanks.”
“Just uh…” Tony pauses, waving around like the words will appear in thin air. “Bring her to the kitchen when she’s done.”
“Standing right here,” you mutter, earning a laugh from Wanda.
“Go away,” she waves at Tony. “I’ve got this.”
Tony walks away, clearly elated to be rid of you and have you in the hands of a responsible adult that is not himself.
Wanda shuts her door with a roll of her eyes. “Sometimes I wonder how Pepper keeps him afloat,” she murmurs. “Anyway, on to you— Oh, before all that, I can read minds, but I am actively blocking that right now. I’ll try really hard not to be nosy, but don’t worry, I am really good at keeping secrets because of it.”
You can’t help but smile. “It’s okay. There’s not much that goes on up here anyway.”
She gives you a skeptical look. “I may not be listening, but the amount of energy I am using right now to not listen tells me that’s far from true.”
You just shrug in response, not wanting to get into it.
Thankfully, she keeps her promise and moves on, too, walking toward her closet. “I have loads of t-shirts and hoodies, skirts, too, but I do have some leggings. Do you have a preference?”
“Just whatever you’re comfortable with letting me borrow.”
Part of you thinks she read your mind, though, because she hands you leggings and a t-shirt, along with one of her many zip-up hoodies. You were silently wishing she wouldn’t hand you a skirt.
“My bathroom is just through there and there’s clean towels on the shelf if you want to shower.” Wanda smiles, gesturing toward the open door at the other end of her room.
“Thanks.” You walk over and quickly pee, not realizing until you entered that you’ve desperately had to piss this entire time.
You decide against a shower for the sake of not wanting to take up too much time, and not feeling up for being naked in a stranger’s shower (albeit a kind stranger).
After changing into Wanda’s clothes, and hanging your wet ones over the shower curtain, you go back into Wanda’s bedroom. She’s sitting on her bed, mindlessly moving a red ball of energy between her fingers and up her arms.
She smiles upon seeing you, but doesn’t drop the energy. “Feel better?”
“Yeah,” you nod, mesmerized by the glowing ball of red in her palms. “That’s so dope.”
“Dope?”
“Really cool,” you clarify.
“Oh,” she giggles, and the energy evaporates. “I think I’ve heard Peter say that a few times.”
You have no clue who Peter is, but you don’t question it. “Should we go out there?”
“Yes,” she slides off the bed. “I’ll come with you. Tony can be a handful.”
That’s what your mom used to say about him, too.
You follow Wanda silently out into the hallway, and as you both get closer to the living area and kitchen, you hear two voices this time. One is Tony’s and after a few more steps, you find out that the other voice is Pepper.
“You’re saying she just showed up out of nowhere?”
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying because that’s exactly what happened.”
“And she says you’re her father?”
“Allegedly,” Tony scoffs, resting his hands on the kitchen counter. “I don’t actually know. I can’t remember that far back.”
“How far back?” Pepper asks, arms crossed over her chest.
“She says she’s 19.”
“I’ll be 20 this year,” you interject, enjoying the way Tony fumbles and tries to put on his mask one more time.
“Hey kiddo,” he says. “This is Pepper Potts, she’s the one who wrangles me in.”
Pepper shakes her head before offering you a warm smile and her hand to shake. “It’s nice to meet you, Y/N. I’m sorry you seem to be going through such a tough time.”
“It’s okay,” you say while shaking her hand. “I’m sorry for barging in and all. I didn’t know where else to really go.”
“Nope, that’s okay,” she assures you. “We’re going to get this figured out. Do you mind if you and I just talk for a minute?”
“That sounds good.”
“Awesome,” Pepper smiles. “Okay, Tony, just...go to the lab or something. But...go away.”
You and Wanda share a look as Tony saunters off, no doubt muttering under his breath.
“I’ll leave you guys to it,” Wanda says, gesturing between you and Pepper. “It was nice to meet you.”
“You too,” you smile. “Thanks again for the clothes. I’ll try to give them back soon.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Wanda shakes her head before heading back down the hallway to her room.
You’re left alone with Pepper, who doesn’t terrify you, but the prospect of what conversation is going to come next does.
“Do you want something to eat?” She asks. “I can order something while we talk.”
“Um...pizza?” It’s inexpensive and never fails you in terms of being able to eat it.
“Sure,” Pepper smiles gently. “What kind?”
After telling her your favorite toppings, the two of you take a seat on one of the couches. She finishes placing the order on her phone before she sets down the device and gives you her full attention.
“So. Tony told me your mom passed away,” Pepper pauses. “I’m really sorry for your loss.”
“It’s alright.”
“He also told me you didn’t show up with anything at all,” Pepper says. “Do you mind if FRIDAY does an identity check?”
“Is that like a background check?”
“Essentially, but it’s not that extensive. It’s just so we know the truth about who you are.” She pauses again, sensing your hesitation. “Unfortunately, it’s just a precaution we have to take.”
“Okay,” you agree, realizing you have nothing left to lose. “Uh, how do I…?”
“Right,” Pepper chuckles. “FRIDAY?”
“Yes, Ms. Potts.”
“Will you please do an identity check on…”
“Y/N M/N L/N.”
“One moment.”
“It should just take a few seconds,” Pepper explains. “Oh, and there will be a hologram that will appear— Right there.”
“Identity confirmed.”
The hologram appears in front of the TV, showing general information about you alongside a picture of you — a picture that you think is on your driver’s license, wherever the ashes of that is.
“Y/N M/N L/N, born to Isabella L/N in 2001 in a hospital in Newark, New Jersey. She was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.”
Your eyes widen. “That’s weird.”
“Thank you, FRIDAY,” Pepper says, and the hologram disappears. “It is a little freaky. I’m still not totally used to all of Tony’s tech, but I’ve stopped worrying about it. Good news is, you are who you say you are.” She pauses. “But I do have to ask why you decided to show up here? You told Tony if you had anywhere else to go, you would’ve, so I understand.”
“It’s the first place I could think of,” you admit quietly. “I’ve been living on the streets for a few weeks now.”
Pepper pales. “You’ve been homeless?”
You nod. “Mom died in a house fire. It was our house. I was on a walk to the gas station to get her favorite candy bar because she had been having a rough time.”
“And she…”
“By the time I came out of the gas station, fire trucks were blaring past and I could smell the smoke. The flames were high enough to see from a mile away.”
“I...I am so sorry.”
You shrug, surprised you’re not crying. “Everything I had was in there, except the clothes I was wearing when I got here. She had my cell phone because we could only afford the one, but it burned, too. Everything burned.
“Anyway, she… She always told me Tony was my dad and I didn’t believe her, but then she showed me pictures of them together, and it made me believe her. So I figured coming here would be better than staying on the streets or going to another shelter.”
Pepper nods. “Okay, well, I’m glad you came here. I am. But...Tony can’t do anything for you if he isn’t your real father.”
“I understand.”
“We can do a paternity test,” she offers. “If you want to, I’ll get him to agree. It wouldn’t be the first one he’s had to do, but this one…this one would probably be the first I think he’d do willingly.”
You furrow your eyebrows. “Really?”
She nods. “The others have been infants and the mothers have mostly been after money. The paternity tests were used in court.”
Your eyes widen. “I do not want to go to court.”
“You won’t,” she says. “The test could be done here and kept between the three of us. But, until then, it is up to Tony what he wants to do — whether or not he wants to let you stay. I’m not saying I will allow him to kick you out, but if he doesn’t want you to stay here, I will do everything I can to make sure you are somewhere safe.” She pauses, watching your expression as it changes. “I’m sorry if this sounds so harsh. It’s a recycled speech I’ve had to give a thousand times,” she laughs airily. “But I do mean it when I say I will make sure you’re safe. I don’t care if it comes out of my paycheck.”
“No, you don’t need to do that,” you start shaking your head, but she stops you.
“You are special, I can tell,” Pepper says. “And Wanda seems to like you, which is telling. In the time that she’s been here, it hasn’t been easy to get her to open up to others.”
You felt comfortable around Wanda, too. The same kind of comfortable you feel with Pepper right now.
Before anything else can be said, footsteps are heard and the smell of pizza fills your nostrils.
“Did you order me pizza? You’re too kind, Ms. Potts,” Tony’s voice floats from the hallway before he enters the living room, pizza box in hand.
“Actually, it’s for Y/N,” Pepper says.
“It’s fine,” you wave them off, but neither of them let it slide.
“Nope,” Tony says, placing the box down on the table in front of the couch. “I’ll get plates. You’re eating.”
“But if you—”
“Ah-ah,” he holds up his index finger, raising his eyebrows. “No arguing.”
“Seriously?” You deadpan, rolling your eyes.
You open the box and pull out a slice while he’s busy wasting time getting plates. When he returns, he hands you a plate, even though you won’t use it. He plops down next to Pepper and grabs a slice, shoving half of it in his mouth.
“Want some?” He gestures the half-eaten slice toward Pepper.
She shakes her head. “No, it’s your favorite, not mine.”
Your chewing slows. “It’s your favorite?”
“Yeah,” Tony replies, eating the other half of his slice.
“It’s my favorite, too,” you reply slowly, reaching for a second piece.
Tony smiles, grabbing a second slice, too. “You’ve got good taste, kid.” He takes less of a big bite this time. “So, what’s the consensus? How much money do you want?”
“Tony—” Pepper starts, but he doesn’t let her finish.
“Or, let me guess, paternity test. And money. College? I can give you a scholarship.”
With every word that falls from his lips, you get more and more angry.
“Or are we just waiting for the police to pick you up? I have to admit, that’s boring, but if that’s what we’re doing—”
“That is enough,” Pepper hisses.
“Um,” you swallow the bite of pizza that you had in your mouth. “Thanks for the pizza and...dry clothes and the talk, but I’m gonna go.”
“Y/N--” Pepper tries.
“No, it’s fine,” you shake your head as you stand. “It’s okay, it was a bad idea anyway. Don’t worry about the test, I mean, I’m an adult anyway, it’s not like it would make any difference.”
“She has a point,” Tony adds.
You ignore him. “I’ll just...yeah.”
The two of them are still bickering when you run off, toward the elevator. The doors open quickly and you let the elevator swallow you whole.
You were stupid, so stupid for coming here. You would’ve been better off on another park bench or something.
When the elevator reaches the lobby, you’re running out as fast as your feet will carry you.
+++
You’re thankful for Wanda’s hoodie when the cold wind of New York starts biting into your skin. It’s a miracle to find an open park bench, and it’d be a miracle if it could be a few degrees warmer outside, but you know that’s asking for way too much.
Still, you try to relax and rest. You have no clue where to go from here. Maybe back to a shelter, but the idea of that makes your body shiver for a different reason other than the cold.
You zip the hoodie up to your chin and wrap your arms around yourself, keeping the heat in as much as you can. Eventually, because of the exhaustion, you find yourself drifting off.
When you wake, it’s with a jolt because the empty seat next to you on the bench is now filled.
“What do you want?” After realizing the person is none other than Tony Stark, you can’t be bothered to be polite.
“For you to come back to the Tower before it starts raining.”
You sit up straighter, shaking your head. “No thanks. Did Pepper put you up to this?”
“Actually, I put myself up to this,” he replies. “I was a jackass. I’m sorry.”
“Thanks.”
“I mean it, kid.”
“Maybe stop calling me ‘kid.’”
“I will when you quit acting like one.”
You lift your head to glare at him. “That’s a low blow. Even for you.”
“I just want you to come back to the Tower with me,” Tony says. “I’m sorry. It was a low blow, and so was everything else I said earlier. But I refuse to let you sleep here when there’s a perfectly fine and vacant room at the Tower. Right next to Wanda’s room.”
You mull it over for a second. The mention of Wanda is enticing because despite today’s circumstances, she did seem kind and harmless. The two of you seemed like you could get along well, too, which is rare for you — and her, apparently.
“Fine,” you cave. “But only because this bench is uncomfortable as hell.”
Tony sighs, but doesn’t comment on that. Instead, he stands, gesturing for you to follow, and you do. “Okay, come on. I parked over here.”
“Parked?”
“Yeah, ki— You walked a good thirty minute drive from the Tower.”
“Oh.”
“It’s fine,” he says. “But it is about to rain, so.”
He clicks something and what was once a black smudge in your vision suddenly lit up as the car’s engine roared to life, turning the headlights on, too.
You can’t help but scoff.
“What?” Tony asks through a laugh. “It’s my car.”
“It’s so flashy.”
He accepts it. “Fair point.”
You have no clue what make or model the car is, but regardless it’s too sleek and too low to the ground. Thank God you aren’t driving.
You hop in the passenger seat, unashamed that you want to get out of the wind. Tony silently turns the seat warmers on when he gets in.
After driving for a few minutes, Tony breaks the silence.
“I need to call Pepper to let her know I found you,” he says, and without another word, the car begins calling Pepper. Well, FRIDAY does, because she’s in his cars, too.
Pepper picks up almost immediately. “Please tell me you found her.”
“I did, Pep.”
“Thank God,” she says, exhaling deeply. “Is she in the car? Y/N?”
“I’m here,” you speak up.
“Good,” she replies. “I was scared he made you angrier instead of apologizing.”
You’re still angry with him, but you don’t say that. “He apologized.”
“Good,” Pepper says. “Drive safe, Tony, please.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll only go ten above the speed limit.”
“Tony—”
“Call disconnected.”
“Oops,” Tony says. “Do you want a milkshake? Late night snack?”
“I’m good.”
“Suit yourself,” he shrugs, speeding up.
+++
You got a milkshake.
Not because you really wanted one, but because Tony ordered you one anyway. He guessed your favorite — it’s the same as his, but still — and didn’t let you argue. And you’re not one to let something go to waste if it’s right in front of you.
Pepper and Wanda look more than relieved when you enter the Tower beside Tony, milkshake still in hand.
“I have returned with the… With Y/N.”
You roll your eyes.
“Thank you,” Pepper says, but she still gives Tony a glare. When she looks back at you, her expression is soft. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s okay,” you murmur. “I won’t stay for long, I promise.”
Pepper shook her head. “You can stay for as long as you need to. There’s no sense in you sleeping anywhere else when there’s a room here you can have.”
“I could use the company,” Wanda adds, smiling gently. “If you want.”
You smile in return, but you’re still wary. You look at Tony to see what he thinks, but to your complete surprise, he doesn’t look angry or anything.
“As long as you don’t ask for an entire floor, you can stay,” he says.
That’s about as good a response you’re going to get out of him, it seems, so you accept it.
506 notes · View notes
sondepoch · 4 years
Text
HC: They see MC’s sketchbook!
Art. It’s a private thing. Showing someone your work is akin to showing them a piece of your soul, an insight into who you are and everything that lies within. So when the Obey Me! boys get a glimpse of your sketchbook, they find themselves wanting for more—and all in different ways.
Word Count: 6.0k
*Mild NSFW themes for Asmo & Diavolo
Characters: All Brothers + All Undateables + Luke
MASTERLIST
Lucifer
At the beginning of the year, there is 0 trust between the two of you
Not only has he actively tried to kill you, but he’s already so suspicious of the pacts you’re making with his brothers that he can’t help but be wary every time you cross paths
So when he realizes that you’re always absentmindedly scribbling in a notepad every time you interact, he’s more than a little perturbed by it
100% thinks you’re secretly taking notes on his and his brothers’ behavior to use it against them
So, obviously, when he next sees you using it in his presence, he wastes no time in snatching the notebook from your hands
“Oh hey, Lucif—what are you doing?!”
“Nothing you should be concerned with, human.”
“That’s my sketchbook you’re holding!”
“Sketchbook?”
Instantly flips it open and sure enough, inside there’s nothing but doodles and sketches
luci.is.confuzzled.exe
He’s still convinced that there must be something incriminating in the book, so he continues flipping through it. But the more he sees, the more he realizes how wrong he is
It’s only when he flips to the section with his family that he begins to feel guilty
In the beginning, you just draw basic poses. Mammon, glancing at you over his shoulder. Asmo, posing for a camera. Beel, about to bite down on a hamburger. 
But the further he goes, the more elaborate the sketches get, and as he flips through the pages, he can feel the amount of work that has gone into each piece
And then he gets to the page where you drew him
Keep it lowkey, but he thinks his heart stopped for a second
He stares at the picture and wonders if that’s what you see every time he shifts into his demon form, because for the first time since his fall, he can’t help but think about how beautiful he looks. Everything looks so right in your art style, from the diamond on his forehead to the way his wings flutter out of his back.
It’s perfection
“I’m confiscating this,” He says quickly, not looking you in the eye.
He then escapes the room faster than you’ve ever seen, and never speaks of the incident again to you
But roughly a week later, you find a small red book on your pillow, and you know that it's a sketchbook from him, to replace the one he took
And even later—after the two of you grow close—you find your old sketchbook stored in his most secure drawer, locked away with a key he keeps hidden. And you know that he’s spent hours looking through the book on rough nights, through the doodles of him and his brothers and everything else you’ve ever drawn
And though he’s too proud to admit it, you know he loves your art 
Mammon
He found it when he was going through your stuff, absentmindedly checking to see if you had any valuables on you
And the moment he flipped open to see your little notebook of doodles, his mind went B I N G O 
He loves your art the second he sees it, spending a whole hour just sitting on your bedroom floor, flipping through the pages
Adores everything about your art style
And when he starts to see the little doodles you do of his brothers, he’s even more enraptured
You draw all the things he’s imagined but never seen: a sketch of Lucifer dressed in a onesie, snuggling a giant teddy bear. Beel, using a sleeping Belphie as a food tray for a pile of snacks as large as the sixth-born himself. Asmo with cat ears, being chased by Solomon, who appears to be a wolf.
And yet, there are no pictures of Mammon
Man is hurt by the fact that you’ve drawn all his brothers but not him. He’s your first man, after all. You should have been the first person he drew!
Gets a bit upset about it and throws your sketchbook back into the drawer he found it in, stomping back to his room with childlike indignation
Is just a bit petty about it afterward
“Hey, Mammon, can you walk me to school? Class starts in half an hour.”
“Huh? Oh, so now ya want me to do it, huh? Well, why don’t you ask Asmo instead?”
“Okay? I will???”
Soon everyone in the house has realized that Mammon’s being a bit off, and while it was nice at first to have peace and quiet from the resident troublemaker, you guys grow concerned pretty quick
And eventually, you go to his room to talk things out
Let’s just say that when you found out he’d been going through your stuff, you were not pleased. But seeing that he wasn’t going to be the mature one, you sucked it up and whacked the demon on the back of his head, telling him to “wait a second” while you went to “get something”
Cue the retrieval of your second sketchbook 
And when Mammon sees it, he’s not sure what he feels more of: guilt or happiness
Every single page in this second notebook is of him. Only a few are colored, but Mammon finds himself enraptured by even the casual doodles in the corners, where he’s doing little things like eating a banana or flashing the viewer a few Grimm
Man is touched. He’s never had anyone do this for him, and certainly not out of their own volition. So suffice it to say that when he tackled you for a hug that night, he didn’t let you go for a long time
And maybe some other stuff happened too. Who knows? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
Leviathan
TSL
The second Levi sees you sketching in your artbook (after an incoherent stumble of words which you assume are synonymous with praise), the only phrase coming out of this man’s mouth is TSL
Begins begging you to draw fanart of the Shadow Lord, asking you to sketch him in different outfits, draw him in different poses, put him in various backgrounds, etc.
Basically wants you to bring his imagination to life
“Oh! Oh! Can you draw him baking a cake now? Wouldn’t that be so cool?!”
Absolutely does the wwooooooOOOOOAAAHAHHHHHHH sound effect every single time you show him your work, even if you’ve only made minor changes from the last time you showed him
He takes you on a spending spree, pulling up Akuzon and offering to pay for whatever supplies you want if you’ll just make him a super fancy poster
And so you start
It actually gets to be a pretty good way to grow closer: every day, after school, you head up to Levi’s room to work on the poster he asked you to make him. In exchange, he lets you borrow his manga and you guys watch anime together
Eventually, boi gets the idea of throwing Ruri-chan into the poster, and the second he thinks it he won’t shut up about it
“Oh, come on! You can do it—look, just put her in this little corner right here!”
“How many times do I have to tell you, Levi?! Ruri-chan and the Shadow Lord are two completely different characters who are meant to be drawn in completely different art styles! If I mush Ruri-chan into the corner, it’ll ruin the poster’s dynamic!”
“But pleeeeeaaaassseeeee?”
Cue extra pouty Levi
Eventually, you agree to make a separate drawing of Ruri-chan for Levi to hang up next to the poster, because you think that otherwise, he’ll go crazy
When the date rolls around where you’re almost done with everything, Levi formally sends out an invitation to everyone of importance
Man invites everyone from Luke to Diavolo over for the “revealing ceremony” where he plans to hang the poster on his wall
Actually tried to get the demon king to come as well, but Lucifer stopped him before he could get an invitation out
When everyone sees what you’ve been working on for so many weeks, they’re all MEGA impressed because hello??? they did not know you were this skilled???
It quickly turns into a competition, with each one of them trying to outdo each other with how vigorously they can compliment you
And soon enough you find yourself swamped with requests from every other demon in the room, begging you to make them something as elaborate as you did Levi
Satan
It’s a system you guys have set up, where every Tuesday and Thursday night, you’ll sit in the common room on the couch facing each other and will simply open your books to do what you will
You always draw, and Satan always reads
And neither will bother the other until the grandfather clock chimes twelve times, whereupon you both bid each other goodnight and wait for the next session where you do it all over
Except for today, that is
“What are you drawing?” 
Ah, there it is
The one question you were hoping Satan would never ask
You subtly (incredibly awkwardly) change the subject, commenting on the color of Satan’s jacket to distract him from his inquiry, and he picks up on the hint, quietly huffing as he turns back to his book 
But the mild irritation he feels doesn’t let him fully delve back into the realm of the nonfiction novel he was reading, so he’s more than a little distracted as he goes back to reading about human anthropology
And it’s in this state of distraction that he notices the little glances you’re stealing every so often, before returning to your sketchpad
Yeah, it doesn’t take long for Satan to put two and two together
“Are you drawing me?”
An incredulous question, asked in such an offending tone
He sounds so irate by the fact that you can’t help but helplessly deny it, muttering something about drawing plants and flowers instead
But Satan doesn’t believe it, and in an instant he’s standing behind you, staring at the sketch in your hands which has oh-so-beautifully captured the essence of him on the couch, engrossed in a book with the light from the flames in the fireplace flickering gently against his skin
The anger at being drawn without having agreed to it quickly melts into a quiet awe for your skill
“Can I see your other drawings?” He asks gently, no longer irritated but actually impressed
“I-I’m not sure if you’ll want to—”
“Nonsense. Show me.”
And so you do
You hand him the sketchbook, avoiding his eyes as he flips to the very first page—and imagine his surprise when he sees that even that is a sketch of his face, though the artwork is significantly less advanced than the piece he just saw. Satan flips to the next page, and then the next, and the next, and sure enough: they’re all of him
“I-I just needed a model to practice my artwork on,” You mumble, gaze fixated on the couch. “And you were right there, so I couldn’t resist...and then I needed a model again. And again. And you were always there, and I know I never asked, but I’m sorry, and if you don’t want me to, I won’t—“
“Nonsense,” Satan murmurs, pressing a finger to your lips. His smile has never looked as sincere as it looks now, his gaze flickering back and forth between your face and the sketchbook in his hands
“I’ll be your model, if you so desire it. Just tell me how you want me to sit.”
Asmodeus
Your model for everything
You’re trying to draw the Hulk and you a good frame of reference? And you need a really muscular model? And Beel ABSOLUTELY fits the bill? 
Yeah no, Asmo’s your model
You want to draw a child? Someone small and short, roughly the exact same height as Luke (who is an ANGEL and would absolutely help you)? Yeah no, Asmo’s still going to be your model.
Want a cute guy? Asmo. Cute girl? Asmo. Cute animal? Still Asmo.
Man refuses to leave you alone - the second he learns that you’re an artist he insists on gracing your work with the holy sight of his body
Highkey wants to model nude
And you’d be lying if you said that he was a bad model—man can hold a pose for hours without moving even a little, his only fault is that he talks incessantly—but you can easily quiet him by saying that you’re drawing his lips - and the moment you do so, he’s suddenly he’s stiller than a statue,  doing his absolute best to remain frozen so that you can capture his perfection
Boi posts 100% of your content on his Devilgram, and while you were hesitant about it at first, now you’re just used to it
Thanks to him, you’re a lowkey celebrity
Like demons love your art style 
It’s apparently very refreshing and human-like as compared to the dark and dreary art found in the Devildom, so people go wild over Asmo’s Devilgram page for it
Man thinks that they’d go even more wild if you drew something where he modeled nude
In fact, it’s lowkey a business deal that the two of you have - you allow Asmo to post your work on his Devilgram (giving credit to you, of course), and in exchange he pays for all your art supplies, acts as your model (though that’s really more of him wanting to than it being your choice), and even goes as far as to keep Mammon apart from you while you work, insisting that you need “privacy” and “quiet” while you draw
100% acts like he isn’t even more chatty than Mammon when given the chance
On the bright side, it’s thanks to these weekly art sessions where you draw and Asmo models and talks that you’re always up to date on the latest gossip. You’re 100% caught up with the fact that Zahhak just found out he has another illegitimate son and that Baphomet just liked Rusalka’s post from fourteen centuries ago
So yeah, the two of you have a mutually beneficial relationship
Asmodeus still insists that one thing would make it better though: him modeling nude
But Asmo is a sweetheart about everything, and he goes out of his way to pamper you 
Specifically, your hands—after all, those are what work your artistic magic!
Expect him to always be peppering your dominant hand with kisses, massaging it whenever you look tired, giving you weekly manicures completely free of charge, all out of the goodness of Asmo’s heart
*ahem* and weekly requests to model nude
Beelzebub
a m a z e m e n t 
Boi is entranced
Like, he’s so mesmerized by your art that he’s not even paying attention to the food sitting right in front of him, simply opting to stare more intently at the drawing you’re holding up so eagerly
It’s quite beautiful, really: The seven demon brothers surrounding you, a reworking of a photograph Lucifer took a few months ago but in your art style. And for that last fact, Beel thinks he likes this version better
“Wow,” He finally manages to say, still too impressed to really think of anything else
He lets his brothers shower you in praise and compliments, silently nodding along and agreeing with every plaudit they thrust your way
But the moment you’re alone, expect to be scooped into his arms and carried to his room
Boi instantly wants to know the process
When do you draw? How long does it take? Where do you do it? How are you getting your supplies? Who pays?
It’s not so much the physical process he’s interested in, but rather the nuances of art that make your work look so you. He’s not interested in learning for the sake of doing, but simply for the sake of understanding because he already appreciates your art so much
Absolutely invites you to his room to have you show him the art process the next time you start working on a piece
And after the first time, then, he invites you back a second - then a third - and then the two of you have settled into a routine where after school, you come to his room and pencil away in your sketchpad, with Beel watching in the background, munching on snacks
It’s quite relaxing for him, actually
He likes watching as you bring a piece together, going over previously flat areas with a second layer of shading to make certain elements pop—and even if he doesn’t completely understand what you’re doing, he’s entirely willing to learn, listening peacefully as you explain what the various tools do
By the end of the month, man has actually memorized all the names of your supplies, handing them to you every time you ask for it - be it something as simple as a request for an eraser or just the blending stump
Lowkey, your work has actually improved since you began working up in Beel’s room
Not only does he have the most comfortable setup, but the man pampers you like royalty, always making sure that there’s water or food for you in case you need something
(And if you do happen to require something that isn’t already in Beel’s room, man will 100% get it for you so that you don’t have to stop what you’re doing)
Honestly, it’s the perfect arrangement: he gives you the ideal working space and you give him hours upon hours of intrigue
And if you happen to begin sitting in his lap one day while you work, something which quickly turns into a pattern, who’s there to stop anything? ;)
Belphegor
Man naps
A lot
And you just happen to be his favorite pillow, so it’s hardly a surprise when all your free time is spent in the presence of a dozing Belphie, always passed out over your legs
So once, just once, you pull your sketchpad out from under your pillow and work on it, a cautious eye trained on the seventh-born’s every move in case he stirs
And when that first time goes smoothly, you pull your sketchpad out a second time
Then a third
Then a fourth - and suddenly, you’re caught in a pattern
It was really just a matter of time until Belphie woke up one day and you didn’t notice
And it’s already too late when the drowsy demon lifts his head, peering curiously onto your lap to see what you’re working on—much to your horror
“Y-you’re awake,” You mutter halfheartedly, a sick feeling settling in your stomach as you watch the demon’s expression shift as he studies your artwork
You hate it
A bubble of anxiety begins to rise, fear over whether he will like your work or call it bad, whether he’ll make fun of your work or tell the brothers, whether he’ll be kind about it or mean
But then, much to your surprise, he flops back onto your lap, utterly unphased
“Nice,” The demon comments casually, stretching as he rests his head along your thigh. “It’s pretty.”
You can only blink as he falls back asleep, utterly confused as to what just happened
He woke up, right? And he saw your art? And he complimented it, telling you that he thought it was nice and pretty?
A sound of disbelief escapes your mouth as you try to process the utter nonchalance with which the whole exchange had concluded with, your shock only interrupted by the light sound of Belphie, who’s already snoring
You groan
But now that Belphie has seen your work, it’s not like there’s much point in hiding it any longer, right?
You pull your sketchbook out, silently continuing to work on the design that the man napping on your lap had said to be “nice,” adding some finishing touches to it 
And when Belphie wakes up, he speaks nothing of the entire exchange
From that point and onward, you become a little more comfortable around him, relieved that you don’t need to talk about it with him
And he gets it
For all your free time, while he naps, you draw, and the two of you find a comfortable form of peace together, an odd tranquility lurking in the fact that there are no questions, no answers, just you and him, the sound of scribbling and snoring, your sketchpad and his pillow
And really, who needs anything else?
Solomon
He’s probably the first one to realize, on his own, that you’re an artist
The two of you have nearly all your classes together, thanks to Lord Diavolo, so it’s hardly surprising when the ever-astute sorcerer picks up on the fact that every time he casts you a second glance, you’re working on some mysterious sketch underneath your desk
Doesn’t really care at first
Until he sees your work
Man actually stops when he picks your sketchbook up off the ground, inspecting the page it had flipped open to after you dropped it
“Holy shit”
Doesn’t even ask for permission, he just begins browsing through the sketchbook, growing more and more impressed with each new page he sees
You only snatch the book back from his hands when you realize that the sketch he’s staring at so intently is one you drew of him, thanking him for picking it up with a huff and awkwardly trying to remove yourself from the situation as fast as humanly (heh, yes that is a pun) possible
Wizard boy stops you, ofc
“Come with me”
“But I have class soon—"
Again, doesn’t even wait for your agreement, man just drags you by the forearm to the library and flips open a book, throws down his own notebook, and demands that you use your “art skills or whatever” to help him
Sigh
Precious wizard boy isn’t very good with words when he’s all worked up
It takes you a good 5 minutes to understand that he wants you to compare the summoning circle outlined on the book with the one he sketched to identify where he went wrong, because apparently you have an “artist’s eye” and therefore you should be able to assist him - and he refuses to believe you when you try to convince him that no, this is not your strong suit and you will likely be unable to help him
He gets whinier than Asmo (probably where he gets it from) and will not stop nagging you even as you try to leave, so eventually you just give in and agree to try to help him - and it wounds up being surprisingly easy for you to realize that he missed the secondary outline of the inner circle, among another few minor mistakes
Huh, maybe you are naturally inclined toward this
From that moment and onward, Solomon decides that you are officially valuable (not only do you have magical potential, but you have an eye for summoning circles too? how UNFAIR) and begins spending all his time with you
Doesn’t really care about the fact that you’re an artist at first—is really more interested in how your skills can be applied
But then one day, after a particularly rough night of going through twelve whole summoning circles for twelve powerful demons, he takes a nap and wakes up to find you passed out on the floor, sleeping on top of your sketchbook where you fell asleep doodling him
Highkey touched
And slowly, he begins casually “falling asleep” around you more often, to see and flip through more of your artwork when he wakes up 
Sigh
Bby is fucking shady even when he does wholesome shit
Simeon
Okay let’s be real
There’s no peace with the seven demon brothers. Solomon is chaotic. Luke, as much as we love him, is just a lot to be around. And even with Barbatos next to him, Diavolo is a walking tornado that tends to wreak havoc whenever he wills it (and he usually wills it).
So honestly, being with Simeon is the only place of tranquility you can find in the entire Devildom
Specifically, his room
*Which is off-limits to all the aforementioned individuals
He extended the invitation for you to spend some “relaxation time” in his quarters whenever you pleased at the beginning of the year, his angelic heart already sensing the absolute whirlwind of disaster you were walking into when you joined RAD
And while you declined his offer immediately out of politeness, you found yourself sheepishly knocking on his door not one week into the program
And now it’s become an every-day sort of thing
So yeah
Simeon knows about your art
In fact, you can’t seem to draw unless you’re in his presence, because at this point, he naturally soothes you so much that your hand is only steady when you hear the sound of his calm breathing in the background
In fact, you work best when the two of you are spread out on his couch, your back resting comfortably on Simeon’s shoulder while he writes (yes, he manually writes all his books on pen and paper) and you put your legs up on the couch, sketching away in your notebook
It’s the very image of peace, something you can’t seem to find anywhere else in this realm
And Simeon, bless his heart, may be a master of calligraphy, but the precious angel cannot draw to save his life - a fact which you have taken it upon yourself to handle
See, the angel gets tired every now and then—understandable, given that he produces literal masterpieces at his hands
And so when he gets tired, what does he do? 
Make incomprehensible doodles in the upper left corners of his papers
So, of course, you’ve taken it upon yourself to bring those doodles to life (even if it requires a half-hour of inspection before you can make out what the sketch was supposed to be) and Simeon loves it
The expression of eagerness that surfaces every time you inform him that you’ve finished a piece is so rewarding, because the childlike glee with which he takes the paper from your hands to inspect it always sends a rush of warmth to your heart as he gushes in appreciation
But uh 
Simeon is a special kind of chaotic, something that manifests every time he doodles something on paper
You stare at the angel in disbelief as he informs you that his latest doodle (what appears to be a banana-looking creature in sunglasses?) was actually a monkey ironing clothes—unsure what to say in light of this information
But it’s okay :) There only needs to be one artist in this relationship, and it clearly isn’t him
Luke
It started with cake
He needed “inspiration” to make something for Barbatos, as a thank-you gift for the pastry lessons the elder gave him, but Luke claimed that everything he made, while it tasted fine, lacked in the aesthetic department
And while normally you would play it Simeon-style, leaving it to the younger angel to handle things on his own so that he can grow individually, you felt too bad watching him discard another batch of cupcakes into Beel’s mouth, rubbing his head in aggravation over how annoying it was that nothing was looking right
So you helped him out
It was nothing major, really
Just eight doodles—subtle yet elegant designs for a triple-tiered cake, childish and bouncy arrangements to store flan, little details in frosting to give cupcakes the added element of specialty that makes them infinitely better
But the second Luke saw your paper, he went wild
Boi was running to the kitchen so fast he barely even had the time to shout “thank you” 
Apparently, your little sketches sparked inspiration in him so strongly that the flames burned til midnight (much to Simeon’s disapproval), but when Luke was finally done with everything, he walked out of the kitchen with a tray of desserts that looked so perfect it was hard to imagine that he brought them to life from your sketches
Luke spent ages thanking you, shoving desserts down your throat even when you insisted that you were full, so unimaginably grateful that you helped him out of what he called “chef’s block”
Each “thank you” was accompanied either a brownie or a slice of mango mousse or whatever new pastry Luke was creating that day, and before long you were getting to enjoy luxury foods on the daily (much to Beel’s jealousy)
Boy only believed that the debt was paid when you told him that there was no debt to pay, that you sketched those quick little doodles for him out of kindness and not obligation
Believe it or not, Luke’s eyes actually welled with tears for a second at that, before he wrapped you up in a giant (is it really giant if the hugger is so little?) hug, wailing something about you being too “pure” and “perfect” for the Devildom, and that one day you would be very happy in the Celestial Realm
You pat his head, telling him that if it truly made him this happy, you would be glad to help him out again and sketch some food doodles whenever he wanted some new ideas
Cue another round of hugs, muffled crying, and sobs about how amazing you are
Barbatos
Barbatos knew, of course
Not because he used his powers or anything, he would hardly use them for something so trivial, but he was aware from the start that you were an artist because it was he who prepared for your arrival in the Devildom, ensuring that you had all the same amenities and comforts you were used to in the human realm
And, as such, that included art supplies
So the very moment he set his eyes on you, he was aware that you were an artist
What he didn’t expect was for you to actually be good at it
He sees your sketchbook when he’s casually strolling through the RAD library, finding you completely knocked out on one of the tables, the spiral binding of the sketchpad still digging indents into your cheek where you lie on top of it
At first, the butler rearranges your position as a courtesy
He lifts your head and rests it on your hand - which makes a much softer pillow -  coincidentally placing your books back inside your bag and taking a moment to organize the papers strewn across the desk
But then he just happens to glance inside
And the second he does, he’s mesmerized
There’s not much in the world that can surprise Barbatos - not after he’s looked after Diavolo, of all people, for so many millennia - but the butler still finds himself holding his breath as he flips through your sketchpad, each piece telling a story so evocative that it leaves him wanting more even when he arrives at a blank page, abruptly realizing that he’s just gone through your entire sketchbook without your permission
Of course, you just have to wake up at that precise moment - sleepy eyes glancing up at the butler and wondering if you’re hallucinating, but the book in his hands is far too real and the shocked expression on his face is impossibly jarring and you flinch, suddenly feeling self-conscious as you realize what must have happened
Barbatos is a perfect gentleman about it, kindly telling you to get more rest so that you don’t pass out in a public library surrounded by demons who want to eat your soul, but he ends the sharp warning with a rather kind remark about your artwork
“I liked the second-last piece best,” He murmurs, casting you a cryptic smile before bidding you farewell
And obviously, the moment he’s out of sight, your nose is buried in your sketchbook, fingers flipping furiously to find the second-last piece you drew which you cannot seem to remember at all, and—
Oh
A flush immediately erupts on your cheeks as you see the colored sketch, something inspired by nothing more than a whim
It’s simply two people on a walk—both of them vague imitations of what your mind had wistfully conjured up—one of them bearing the telltale mismatched hair and olive green eyes, the other sharing a quiet resemblance to yourself - a conscious decision, of course
But just as you’re about to flip off the page, another detail you’d forgotten about draws your attention—and your cheeks suddenly burn in embarrassment as you realize why Barbatos singled this piece out
The figures are smiling, gazing at each other from the corners of their eyes. And there, in the very center of the piece, it is obvious: 
They are holding hands
Diavolo
RIP to Diavolo’s royal painter
They have been replaced
By you
As much as you fought it, as much as you argued that you were not fitting of this position, as much as you pleaded with the demon lord to not force this title upon your shoulders, Diavolo’s decision to appoint you as the honorary Devildom painter was final—and nothing can change his mind once it’s made up
The title is really just that: a title. Diavolo knows that you’re a busy student, and while he honored your artistic talents with this position, he’s not about to actually force you through the expected proceedings of a true royal painter, not while you’re trying to survive being an exchange student in hell with an entirely unfamiliar curriculum in front of you
But on occasion, he’ll send you a text, asking if you’re free
And you’ll head on over to his palace, ready to paint him
And unlike every other demon, angel, and human in the Devildom, when Diavolo models for you, he actually models nude
Asmo is jealous
Sexual tension is high when you paint him, let’s just leave things at that
And honestly, it really doesn’t matter what you paint - Diavolo seems to be more interested in the fact that it’s a human who did the art in the first place
He once saw your RAD binder, noticing the little doodles you’d drawn on the corner of all your papers, and he immediately took them—declaring that they were art to be preserved for all eternity for historical documentation purposes
So yeah
There’s a hall in Diavolo’s palace filled with your RAD math homework, an eternal reminder of the assignments you copied off of Solomon
(You’re not sure what’s more embarrassing: the fact that you’ve drawn some rather inappropriate doodles on those pages or the fact that, despite having copied all the answers, you still managed to get nearly one-third of the problems wrong, and now your mistakes are to be showcased in the Devildom for centuries to come)
It gets to the point where you and Solomon start making bets over how basic you can get with your art for Diavolo to still consider it “amazing” and “utterly awe-inspiring,” as he likes to put it
In honor of that bet, there is currently a banana peel with a few marker doodles on it hanging in a preserved case in an iced room in the lowest levels of the palace, as none of the “art” can be wasted
But in truth, the demon lord’s fixation with human culture is endearing, especially when Diavolo tries so hard to be accepting of it
So eventually you stop giving Diavolo wacky art and actually start putting your full effort into your creations—your reward being the fact that the final piece you complete gets hung in Diavolo’s private bedroom, where he promises to gaze at it every night for the rest of eternity, vowing to remember his time with you every time he sees it
4K notes · View notes
yandere-daydreams · 3 years
Text
Title: Rut.
Pairing: Malleus/Reader (Twisted Wonderland)
Written for a lovely anonymous commissioner.
Word Count: 2.0k.
Synopsis: It’s hard for a human to learn about fae biology, especially from fae themselves and their distaste for the topic. So, when you agree to help your careful, composed boyfriend deal with his upcoming rut, your expectations might differ from reality.
TW: Afab!Reader, Dubious Consent, A/B/O Dynamics, Overstimulation, Oral Sex, Rough Sex, Breeding Kink, Slight Corruption Kink, Mentions of Blood, and Knotting.
Tumblr media
Lillia said it was kind of like a vacation, for Malleus.
It wasn’t much of an answer, but it was more of one than you’d gotten from the other Diasomnia students. When prompted, Silver only shook his head, mentioning ‘medical needs’ and something about the fae hierarchy, and Sebek was too flustered to say much of anything, going red as he told you not to talk about things so vulgar, whatever that was supposed to mean. Lilia’d laughed, though, when you asked him why Malleus went off-campus every few months, always returning a little less irritable than he had been, when he left. He’d explained that, among a certain type of fae, this type of practice was normal, almost ritual. Hormones clouded judgment, urges beginning to overwhelm coherent thoughts, and Malleus just needed a few days to clear the fog, preferably as far from a brittle, breakable human as he could get. Just for caution’s sake, of course. Just to be safe.
But, you weren’t just a human. You weren’t breakable.
You were Malleus’ human, and that meant you were safe.
He’d been hesitant, when you offered to help during his next rut, but by the time his eyes were glazed over more often than not, his opposition stopped at a half-hearted warning and a disgruntled huff. It was almost strange to see him so out of it, his usual composure dulled and watered-down into a hazy, tired awareness. Even now, kingdoms away from Night Raven, he could barely seem to stay on his feet, taking any excuse to drape his arm over your shoulders or nuzzle into your chest or, in this case, slot himself against your back, his chin coming to rest against the back of your head as you bent over, supporting yourself against the stone windowsill. You didn’t push him away, obviously. You weren’t sure he’d be able to stand, if you did.
So, you admired the view as he made himself comfortable, keeping your eyes fixed on the landscape below. Malleus’ chosen safe-haven was scenic, to say the least, an isolated tower miles away from the nearest village, surrounded by woods and cliff-sides and little else. Even with a pane of glass separating you from the outside world, you could still see the breeze rustling through leaves, hear birds singing in the distance, practically feel the sunlight, just bright enough to make you squint. You were here for Malleus, of course, but you hoped you’d have some time to explore. Just a few hours, towards the end of the week. Hopefully, he’d be--
“(Y/n).” A whine pulled you out of your thoughts, drawn out and throaty, so unlike his usually poise. You were caught off-guard, but you still managed to chuckle, your smile only growing wider as he bent down, rubbing his cheek against the side of your neck as he went on. “You… you’re so beautiful, and you smell really--” He cut himself off before he could say something he’d regret. “You kept me waiting.”
Now, that was your Malleus, the bratty prince you knew and loved. You crossed your arms in front of you, leaning into the self-made nest as his hands found your hips, holding you in place as he ground lazily against your ass. It was a jerky motion, eager and unpracticed, but neither of you seemed to mind. “No need to rush,” You chided, playfully, rolling your eyes. “We’ve got plenty of time. At least help me find a bed, first.”
Something ripped, a sound like tearing fabric, and suddenly, you could feel cold skin against yours, clamping down around your waist in an iron-clad grip. “I’ve been patient enough.”
You didn’t have time to argue. Whatever thread of restraint Malleus was still holding onto snapped in the space between one second and another, and by the time you’d opened your mouth, he was already growling, barely remembering to let go of your waist before lifting you off your feet, dropping you onto the windowsill unceremoniously. You were stunned, for a moment, too surprised to do anything but clutch at the square edge and let your legs dangle off of the stone slab, but Malleus didn’t seem to have a similar problem. He was already falling to his knees, sharpened talons cutting through clothes and skin alike, leaving red, angry lines across your now-exposed thighs and Malleus, pressing fleeting kisses into the damage by way of apology. You almost stopped him. Part of you wanted to, in your stupor, if only to ask him to slow down, but this was supposed to be about him. If he needed to…
Your logic faltered quickly.
Oh.
His mouth was cold.
It felt strange. You almost couldn’t register it, even as he lapped at your cunt like a man starved, his tongue thinner than it should’ve been, longer than it should’ve been. It was alien in a way that made you more sensitive, more prone to writhing as he traced shapes into your entrance, to mewling every time he paused to tease your clit. It was a graceless sort of rhythm, a pursuit with the sole goal of getting you to buck against his face, to squirm, to do whatever you could to bring him closer. You tried to bite back your whimpers, incessant and hitched whenever he found a new spot to abuse, but your resolve broke as soon as you felt Malleus’ tongue fuck into you, drawing out a shaking, unabashed moan. It was too deep. Already, it was too deep.
You didn’t think, only lurching forward, latching onto the first thing you found - his horns. They were solid under your palms, smooth and so easy to squeeze, the pressure alone enough to make Malleus groan, the slight vibration only forcing you to hold him tighter. It didn’t seem to hurt. If anything, it only spurred him forward, two fingers soon taking his tongue’s place as he drew away, barely giving himself time to take a staggered breath before he was lavishing your clit, sucking on it, making that abrupt, awful, agonizing tension all the more unignorable. All the more terrible, in the blissful way Malleus’ touch happened to be.
He didn’t stop when you came, when your thighs clamped around his head and your entire body went tense. He didn’t even slow down, not until the sensation was more painful than pleasurable, not until you’d taken to pulling his hair, not that it did anything to deter him. Overstimulation came and went, pangs becoming constant, electrical jolts before all of it seemed to fade, leaving you trembling and shivering, barely able to hold yourself up. It felt painful. It felt great. You loved him, but you might’ve been beginning to hate him for it, too.
When he was done, when he was finally done, he kissed you. Your slick coated his chin, and you could taste yourself on his lips as they crashed against yours, the gesture hot and heavy and more aggressive than it had any right to be. There were going to be bruises tomorrow, on your legs and your waist and your jaw - his thumb digging into your skin just a little too harshly as he stopped you from pulling away, but if Malleus cared about the aftermath, he couldn’t find the strength to show much concern. With a nip to your collarbone, he was standing, towering above you with an expression somewhere between anger and concentration. For a moment, you let yourself linger on the irony - his shirt was still half-buttoned, his pants barely edged downward, while your clothes were torn to shreds, cuts and scrapes littered along your thighs and calves. By the end of the week, you were going to be a mangled mess. Malleus would be lucky if he’d even taken off his boots, by then.
Unsurprisingly, his voice did little to ease your concerns. “You’re already so worked up,” He teased, using the pad of his thumb to push an idle, painstaking circle into your clit, if only to watch the way you tried to squirm away. “Such a delicate little thing. How do you expect to take my cock like this, my love?”
You never got a chance to answer. One second, you were opening your mouth, the next, your breath was caught in your throat, an airy gasp taking the place of anything you might’ve said. There was a sting, and you couldn’t choke down the ragged, uneven sob you let out as he bottomed out, his hips soon slotting against yours. Malleus hushed you, a hand coming up to entangle itself in your hair, encouraging you to lean into him. To enjoy this, or to be aggregable enough to let him enjoy it for you. “It’ll only hurt for a second,” He assured, his tone soothing. “Let me take care of my mate.”
You couldn’t help yourself. Despite everything, you couldn’t help yourself. “I’m… I’m your mate?”
Malleus only chuckled, letting you bury your face in his chest as he pulled back, starting with short, shallow strokes. It was less of a comfort than it should’ve been, every slight motion only making you feel smaller, only making you feel more full. His patience must’ve been running short, though, because before long, he was hissing through gritted teeth, pumping into you like his heart would stop beating if he so much as slowed down. You swore you could feel him in your stomach, in your throat, every keen and every rut only making it tighter and hotter and worse. What little composure you’d managed to regain was gone in an instant, replaced with something malleable and desperate and needy. As eager to take as Malleus was to give, in his current state.
He was no better, but somehow, it seemed like he was. He was just so much taller than you, so much stronger, it almost felt patronizing when his teeth ghosted over your neck, his canines soon burrowed in the sensitive space just above your jugular. Even after he drew back, after he made sure your shoulders were riddled with those same bleeding, burning puncture wounds, his lips lingered against your skin, the contact muffling his words. “You’re so perfect,” He muttered, more for his sake than yours. “A perfect mate. My perfect mate. Perfect to--” He was interrupted by a stuttered grunt, low and animalistic. “Perfect to breed.”
In his defense, you didn’t object. You couldn’t have, not with his hand wrapped around your throat, not when your back was suddenly flush against the windowsill, your legs wrapped around his waist, every thrust so violent, it felt like he was trying to fuck your cervix rather than your pussy. Moaning wasn’t an option, anymore. Pitiful, whiny little sounds escaped before you could choke them back, making your cheeks burn and the slick, wet clicks slowly filling the room impossible to block out. “P-Please.” You weren’t sure what you were begging for, but you were sure you needed to beg. Malleus’ grip tightened, but  you didn’t know if it was a signal to go on, or a sign that you should do anything but continue. “Malleus, please, I love you, I can’t--”
“Quiet.” He was growling again, but this time, you didn’t have to guess why. You could feel it - stretching your cunt, leaving you babbling and clenching around him, your vision going white and your back arching as he split you open on something too heavy, something too big. “Just take it,” He grunted, finally bottoming out. “For me, love. Just- Fuck--”
It was hot, more than anything. Smoldering, scalding, filling you up to the brim as the tension broke and Malleus slumped forward, panting. You were too disoriented to do anything but stare on as a small, reflexive smile tugged at the corners of his lips. This time, his kiss was soft, something feather-light and distant, barely tangible enough to lean into, but you tried regardless, whining as he pulled away. You couldn’t bring yourself to mourn the loss, though. You needed to sleep. You needed to rest. Or a bed, at least, something softer than stone and mortar. He must’ve needed a break too, after that. Anyone would, fae and human alike.
And then, Malleus started moving, and you had to wonder how long this week would really last.
983 notes · View notes
levi-my-beloved · 3 years
Text
Birds of a Feather
Chapter 5
Pairings: Canon!Levi x F!Reader
Content Warnings: Violence, open wound (minor), smut, oral (m and f receiving), thigh riding, fingering, unprotected sex, masturbation (m), virgin!Levi, virgin!reader, mutual virginity loss, tooth rotting fluff, gets a little angtsy towards the end.
Word Count: 13.2K
Summary: You were the most notorious criminal in The Underground City. With your organisation of highly skilled professionals, only one man could take you down. He also happened to be Humanity’s Strongest... and your ex.
Previous Chapter
First Chapter
Series Masterlist
A/N: oh my god picking out those words and selecting them individually to bolden them cuz tumblr doesn’t know how to copy and paste correctly was TEDIOUS. it gives the effect i wanted but jfc tumblr learn how to copy and paste bold and italics jeez. this was definitely the most fun chapter, as you shall see. this was supposed to contain more than just smut but i got super carried away and it would have been like, 22K if i paired it with the next one, so the next chapter will take a little longer, but i’ll make a post about that separately after this one. hope you all enjoy!
18+ MINORS DNI
𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔𖣔
“Levi?! You fucking idiot, you could have died!” it was the last thing you’d expected to come back to after a few days away. After spending some time with the strange man who took you in three years ago, Viper, he called himself, you were excited to come back to the small house you had with your best, and possibly only, friend outside The Nest.
What you weren’t expecting was to find him, propped up against the small wooden table in the centre of the room, shirtless, slowly bleeding out through his shoulder. You didn’t know where the other two were, and in fact, that was your first question.
“Where the hell are Isobel and Farlan, and why the fuck haven’t they sorted you out?” you stormed across the room, setting your bag down on one of the kitchen chairs before assessing his injury.
“First of all… I didn’t die. Second of all… shit… they’re out buying ODM parts after Isa’s shitty landing the other day, and th-fuck-thirdly, this only happened today. They’d just left when I got back,” Levi grit his teeth as you gently prodded the wound. Shit this fucking hurt. It was a stab wound from a shitty bartender in a shitty part of town who decided he didn’t like Levi’s shitty attitude. Honestly, looking back…
He couldn’t blame him.
You sighed, running a hand through your hair.
“You’re a fucking idiot,”
“You’ve said that already,”
“This isn’t funny, Levi,” you huffed, turning to rifle through the bag you’d haphazardly dumped on the chair. You’d never been so thankful for Viper’s weird yet wonderful survival lessons. Over the last three days, he’d taught you basic medical training. You had no idea how the fuck he knew how to apply a tourniquet or sew wounds, but you never questioned the man. He reminded you of your father in some ways.
Just a little more violent.
“Stay still, it needs to be cleaned,” you brought out a small bottle of whiskey, a gift from one of Viper’s associates. His “Shadows”, or something.
Levi narrowed his eyes as you began taking out various pieces of equipment, and couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows at the expensive looking bottle.
“Where the fuck did you get these things, (Y/N)?” he breathed, glancing between the medical supplies and your face. Levi hated how he didn’t know what you did. He didn’t know where you went for days, and it worried him when you didn’t return when you said you would. He was always worried about you. Instantly missing the warmth of your smile as soon as you left.
“That’s not important right now. I need you to hold still, this is going to hurt,” his face heated slightly as you searched him, that apologetic guilt in your expression made him want to hold you and tell you everything was okay.
But he wouldn’t.
Because you two were friends.
And had been for years.
Despite his budding feelings, he would never cross that line with you.
Unless you wanted to, of course…
“It’s fine. Do what you gotta do,” he responded flatly, choosing instead to find the wooden skirting board incredibly interesting to look at. Much more interesting than your face.
He couldn’t stop the pained hiss that escaped his mouth as the piercing sting of alcohol in a fresh wound clouded his mind for a moment, fist clenching as his eyes screwed shut.
“I’msorryI’msorryI’msorry,” you muttered under your breath, hating every second of pain you were putting him through. But you had to clean the wound, and you had nothing else to use. You silently thanked the man called Wolf for the burning liquor, not expecting to use it in quite a way. Screwing the lid back on the amber bottle, you set it to one side, gently dabbing the torn flesh with a cotton bud.
“Levi, this is going to need stitches. Shit, what were you stabbed with, a fucking sword?” This was one of the things he loved most about you. No matter how dire or stressful the situation, you could always crack a joke, even whilst keeping a straight face.
“Kitchen knife. Pretty standard for the tavern–”
“THAT MOTHERFUCKER AGAIN?” yeah, this wasn’t the first time Levi had been met with problems from that place.
“Yeah, him. Got me good this time,” Levi almost laughed at your look of subdued rage. He knew how much you hated that owner. But that amusement was quelled when your rage was replaced with something he couldn’t quite decipher.
He let the silence drag on as you retrieved a small needle and thread, not even questioning where you learnt how to do this.
“Sorry, this will hurt again, but not as much,” you warned him, your tone having dropped several notches to something almost melancholic. Angling the needle next to the tender flesh, you waited for his nod until you continued, trying to concentrate throughout the whirling guilt.
He’d gotten himself hurt. Again.
And you weren’t there for him.
Again.
“I’m sorry, Levi,” you whispered, pulling the thread through the wound, slowly closing the gaping tear.
“‘S’fine, I didn’t even feel it,”
“N-no, not that. I’m sorry I wasn’t here. Again,” this was the thing he hated most about you. You had a habit of blaming yourself for things you couldn’t control. You always felt like you had to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders, and you always felt like you had to do it alone. It always took Levi some time and a long, long conversation to convince you that you weren’t alone.
“(Y/N), stop,” you immediately pulled back, scared you may have hurt him.
“Sorry! I didn’t realise it was hurting, i’ll try–”
“No. Stop,” he took both your hands in his own, making you raise your eyes to him. “You know thinking like that is pointless because I always manage to get it through your thick skull that I am in fact, not your responsibility, okay? It’s my job to get stabbed, to get shot and have random glass bottles thrown at me. It’s what happens when you steal a bunch of shit and sell it on. So quit thinking like you have to look after me. It should be the other way around,”
“Why? Because you’re a man?” your small, mischievous grin told him he managed to get his message across.
“No, brat. Not because I’m a man,” he stopped that sentence there, for he feared if he’d continued, he wouldn’t have been able to stop himself from confessing how hard he’d fallen for you over the last eight years.
You took his continued silence as a sign that the conversation was over. He had slightly lessened the guilt constricting your heart as you returned to stitching up the gash. It would definitely leave a scar, since you weren’t exactly adept at using a needle and thread yet, but at least he wouldn't bleed out now.
Finishing the final stitch, you cut the thread with a small pocket knife, tossing the blade on the table whilst you reached for the small roll of bandages. You think Viper would be proud of your work.
“This is about as sterile as we’ll find down here,” you comment absentmindedly, stretching out the bandage and applying it over his shoulder and across chest to secure it. You tried to ignore the subtle blush dusting your cheeks as his hard muscle flexed beneath your touch. You tried to ignore the almost mouth watering sight of his shirtless body when you first entered the room. Fuck, you’d tried to ignore the butterflies in your stomach when he took your hands. Tried to ignore how honest he looked.
You tried to ignore how much you’d fallen in love with him.
But Levi was nothing if not observant. He saw the gentle rose petals blooming across your face, smirking slightly to himself at your reaction. Maybe…
Just maybe…
You two could cross that line.
He found himself missing your presence so close to him when you pulled back to admire your work.
“There. All done. Don’t move it too much because if you pull those stitches, I will hold a knife to your throat and you will apologise,” Levi rolled his eyes at your empty threats, internally chuckling at how over dramatic you could be sometimes. “Oh, and rub this salve into it if it starts to hurt. It’s a herbal recipe, supposed to help numb pain,” you left the small tin tub on the table whilst you continued to repack your bag of the supplies Viper had gifted you.
Levi’s eyes followed your movements as you effortlessly reached for the second roll of untouched bandages on the table. It was such a simple movement, but the way your loose shirt untucked from your leather pants, showing just a teasing amount of skin, had him readjusting how he was sitting. Shit you were beautiful. Since you’d both been managing to gain somewhat of an income, you’d been able to afford more food. He marvelled in the way you’d filled out a bit, your own lithe frame rippling with muscle. Granted, you were still dangerously skinny, but that was to be expected down here.
Packing away the final set of stitches, you collapsed onto a chair, once again running a hand through your hair before cringing at the repeated action. You really needed to stop doing that, or your hair would go greasy.
Looking at the small fireplace kettle, you returned your gaze to Levi, who you noticed was still shirtless, and didn’t seem to have any interest in covering up anytime soon. You felt your face heat up for a second, before distracting yourself with something else.
“Tea? I feel like you could do with one,” you grinned playfully, already knowing he would say yes and rising from your seat.
Until you were forcefully shoved back down.
“I’ll get it. You’ve done more than enough,” Levi felt bad expecting you to make him tea as well, but you just didn’t know when to quit. Removing his hand from your shoulder, you stood up, now close enough to either kill him;
Or kiss him.
“Not happening. You almost bled out a few moments ago. I’m not letting you do anything, shortstuff,” you raised an eyebrow, as if daring him to challenge you. Which of course, he did. But not without smirking at the ironic nickname.
“I damaged my shoulder, brat. I’m not crippled. I can make tea for fuck sakes,” there was never really any malice when the two of you argued like this. It was a more playful back and forth.
It was only when the breath of your laugh reached his face did he realise how close you were and the two of you fell into a strangely comfortable silence, subconsciously admiring one another. Only, his view of your face was slightly obstructed.
Levi hesitantly brushed a strand of hair back behind your ear, his hand hovering by the side of your neck. You could see nothing but admiration in his steely, maelstrom hues. Admiration, and something else you were sure you were reciprocating in your own gaze.
It was only then it occured to you.
And you didn’t know how’d you’d been so stupid to miss it.
Levi loved you.
Just as much as you loved him.
“I was worried about you today,” Levi murmured, prying apart the silence as his hand now rested comfortably on the side of your neck. He hadn’t missed what he’d seen in your eyes. A glassy reflection of his own feelings.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to come back late. I just got caught up in some things,” your whisper carried so much tension he was tempted to grab the knife from the table and attempt to slice the air.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he opted to rest his other hand on your waist, gently pulling you closer to his body.
“Will you ever tell me where you disappear off to?” The question held no weight. He knew that if you wanted to tell him, you would. He also knew that you needed your privacy sometimes, and this was just one of those things you didn’t talk about. He just hated how his mind would race when you didn’t come back.
Your heart was almost beating out of your chest, pulse quickening to something you didn’t think possible as the hand on your waist caused goosebumps to prickle your skin. You learnt into his touch as his palm came up to cup your face, thumb tracing the apple of your cheek.
“One day, maybe,” you replied, your hand mimicking his own as you reached up slightly to smooth over his eyebrow, he in return mirrored your response, leaning into your touch. You stayed like this for what felt like years, until he spoke up again with a question that let loose all the caged butterflies in your stomach.
“(Y/N)... can I kiss you?”
Your lips parted as you let out a breath, unable to contain your smile of pure adoration as you nodded a little shyly.
“Yes,” Levi wasted no time. As soon as you managed to form a response, his lips were on yours. You gasped slightly against his mouth, arms moving on their own to wrap around the back of his neck and hold him close.
The hand on your waist extended to embrace your lower back as your lips moulded against one another.
Fuck, he’d dreamt of this moment for so long. And it was so much better than he ever imagined. Levi elicited a breathy moan as you ran your tongue along his bottom lip, silently asking for permission to explore his mouth. Something he was all too eager to accept, eyes rolling as he felt your slick muscle brush against his.
Your hands travelled to thread through his hair as you subtly pushed him back to the chair he’d stood from. He seemed to get the hint, bringing you down with him as he sat, pulling you to straddle his lap.
You drew circles with your nails in his undercut, once again drawing another delightful, gravelly groan from his throat, lips still hungrily devouring his.
It was only until you felt his hardening manhood grind against your slickening folds did a thought occur to you, and you had no choice but to pull back.
“Shit, what about Isobel and Farlan?” it wasn’t a question he put much thought into answering, especially when you were scratching his undercut like that.
“Won’t be back for a few hours,” he mumbled, before reclaiming your mouth in an ever deepening kiss. You whimpered softly as he began to roam your body with his hands, grasping at your waist as you started to rock gently against his tented crotch, relishing the noises he made.
“Ah– (Y/N), sh-shit,” you peppered featherlight kisses along his jawline, stopping briefly to suck his earlobe into your mouth, his soft gasp only fueling your arousal.
His pants grew to whines as you moved down his neck, suckling and biting where you saw fit, leaving purple blemishes across his soft skin. His lengthy moan set your skin ablaze when you found his pulse point, licking a stripe up his neck before sucking on the sensitive spot.
By now, Levi was painfully hard. Wanting nothing more than to free his aching cock from it’s cloth prison. But you were the one in charge here, and he was more than happy to continue at your pace.
As long as you didn’t take too long.
He started thumbing the buttons on your shirt free, dragging it off your shoulders as you continued to leave marks along his collarbones. The clothing was quickly discarded, along with the bralet one of Viper’s escorts gifted you. Levi didn’t have time to admire your breasts within the delicate lace before it was thrown to the floor along with your shirt.
Pride swelled in Levi’s chest as you mewled against his skin, his hands gently kneading your now exposed mounds. He loved how your nipples instantly pebbled beneath his touch, rolling the sensitive nub between his thumb and forefinger, smirking at your hisses.
“Fuck, Levi– shit that feels good,” your praise only made him harder as you sat up, wanting to feel his mouth against yours again. But Levi had other plans.
As soon as you raised your head from the crook of his neck, Levi ducked down and sucked one of your nipples into his mouth. You cried out, back arching into his touch, hips bucking involuntarily. Levi groaned against your breast, the vibrations only adding to the sensation.
Your hands once again found his hair, gently encouraging him to keep going, his own hand rolling your other bud.
Levi switched sides, showing your neglected mound the same kind of treatment, and you couldn’t stop the stream of breathy gasps and desperate whimpers as he showered your breasts in physical praise, making a mental note of every reaction you made to his touch.
Finally you grew impatient, wanting to show him as much love as he was showing you. Your hands withdrew from his hair and you almost laughed at his disappointed huff around your pebbled nipple.
“Don’t worry, I think you’ll like this more,” your voice wasn’t one you recognised. It was lower, breathier. You’d never heard yourself sound like this before.
But what almost broke your resolve was the sound of his voice, showing you just how much your actions had affected him.
“Oh? But I was rather enjoying myself. I think i’ll just continue doing– oh fuck,” Levi threw his head back, eyes screwed shut in pleasure as you palmed his length through his pants. Shit, your mouth watered at the feel of him. Harder than steel and girthy. You briefly wondered how he tasted, that particular spark fueling your next movements.
Slowly sliding from his lap, you left a wet trail of kisses down his chest, careful to avoid the wound in his shoulder. Your lips nipped at each of his abs individually before continuing down to the prominent V in his naval, tongue caressing the small dips directing you down to your goal, Levi encouraging you every step of the way with his sharp breaths and small groans.
Pushing apart his knees, you settled in between his thighs, grinning slyly as he looked down at you, wide eyed. His expression settled for a moment, hand coming to rest against the side of your face.
“(Y/N), you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to. I’m more than happy with how far we’ve gone today. I don’t want to force you into doing anything with me if you’re not ready,” your heart almost fell to pieces at the sound of his concerned, yet still gravelly voice. Your coy smile softened to something so genuine and loving, Levi thought he had died.
“Trust me, I want to do this. I’ve wanted to do this for so long, Levi,” you gently caressed his thighs, reassuring him that what you were doing, and what you were about to do, was something you’d longed for.
Levi’s smile was nothing short of angelic. He gently stroked your hair, and despite the heat of the moment, he still managed to make you feel so loved.
“Alright, but if you want to stop at any point, please tell me. I don’t want to make you feel obligated to carry on just because of me, okay?” you nodded happily at his words, giving his leg a small squeeze.
“I promise. Now shut up and let me suck your dick,” Levi laughed breathlessly, tilting up your chin as he leant down to capture your lips in a swift, affectionate kiss.
“You’re filthy,”
“Your fault,” you grinned, subtly fiddling with his belt.
“How is any of this my-ah fuck,” Levi cut himself off as he felt your hand gently grind on his length over his pants, the friction causing him to elicit the most gorgeous whimpers. You could definitely get addicted to the sounds he made.
“Nngh– shit, shitshitshit (Y/N) I– a-ah,” Levi stopped trying to form words as you slowly pulled down the offending clothing, leaving him in just his shorts, cock tenting painfully. You helped him kick his pants from his legs, joining the pile of clothes you’d made as you kept palming his dick. Neither of you had done anything like this before, both being too busy to engage in any sexual activity, but you felt like you already knew what to do. Acting off instinct, you adored his little shiver as you finally freed his length, your own folds slickening at the sight of his leaking manhood.
“Shit Levi, you’re gorgeous,” the compliment slipped out before you could rein it in, Levi’s cheeks heating slightly as your words reached his ears.
“Th-thank you,”
Your eyes took immediate interest in a rather prominent vein pulsing along the underside of his cock, and once again you couldn’t help but wonder how he tasted.
Levi couldn’t think straight. He’d touched himself before, jerking himself off when his hormones deemed it necessary, but he’d never felt anything like this. And when you took a hold of his length, he felt as if every nerve in his body had set alight. His eyes screwed shut instinctively, unable to suppress the breathy moan of ecstasy.
You started to slowly stroke up and down tentatively, watching the different expressions he made. You never thought he could look so needy, and yet here he was, mouth hanging open, brows knitted, eyes closed, a gentle flush dusting his cheeks. You smiled slightly at his breathless pants, taking note of how his breath hitched when you circled his leaking tip with your thumb, smearing his precum across his over his pulsing cock.
His hips bucked unapologetically, back arching into your touch as you squeezed him experimentally.
“Fuck…! Fucking— HAH, a-aah, oh my god… (Y/N), what’re you— FUCK… fuck, ‘feels so— nngh, feelssogood,” Levi’s words slurred as his head lolled back, sweat starting to bead on his brow. He didn’t know what to do with his hands, switching between gripping the table next to him and hovering around your head.
You hadn’t even taken him in your mouth yet, and he was already reacting so well to your touch. You watched him physically relax as you let him go, giving him some time to recover before you’d take it further.
“'M’gonna take you in my mouth, okay? Tell me if it’s too much or if you want me to slow down,” you rested your head against his inner thigh, admiring his fucked out expression as he nodded, his bangs sticking to the slick of his forehead. You could stare at him like this for hours, committing every part of his face to memory. But the temptation to show him how good you could make him feel was far too great.
Leaning forward, you gripped around the length of his cock, delivering a few kitten licks to the tip, relishing in the responsive jolt of his sensitive body. Shit you were wet, it was taking all of your willpower not to reach down and pleasure yourself. You knew your matching underwear was likely ruined, quickly lamenting the loss of such an expensive gift, but that thought was quickly extinguished as you ran your tongue along that delicious looking vein you’d clocked earlier.
“SHIT, oh fuck, ohfuckohfuckohfuck, (Y/N)... shit, (Y/NNNNN),” just as you thought your own arousal couldn’t grow any further, he whined your name and you almost came there and then. Smirking against his dick, you leant forward just a little more, and engulfed his tip in your mouth, slowly taking more of him.
Levi’s hips bucked into your warmth, unable to stop himself as his brain was completely consumed by the sheer, mind-shattering pleasure. He’d decided this was nothing like getting himself off. This was something completely different. This was on a whole other level.
When you had taken as much as you could of his length in your mouth, you started to bob up and down, hollowing your cheeks as you pulled back to suck on his tip, before engulfing him again.
You could have sworn he almost screamed.
“Aaa-ah, you’re… you’re so– nngh, so good at this, HAH-aah, w-wait, fuck, s-slow down. ‘M gonna’– AH, ‘m gonna’ cum,” you did as he asked, taking your mouth of his raging length, gently caressing the base with your thumb as you waited for his laboured breaths to calm.
“Take your time, baby. Let me know when you’re ready,” even in his foggy, aroused state, he was still able to squint down at you with a brow raised at the new pet name. He couldn’t say he didn’t like it though, looking at your swollen, shining lips slick with your saliva and his pearly essence.
“Fuck (Y/N), you’re fucking stunning, look at you,” Levi tenderly held the side of your face, thumb smoothing over your eyebrow as he regarded you with such fondness. He hissed as you jerked his length in retaliation.
“Don’t be so cute, it’s not allowed whilst I’m sucking you off,”
“Technically you weren’t, you were waiting for me,”
“Oh is that how you want to do this?” you eyed him mischievously, and before Levi could even respond, you took his entire, swollen length down your throat, gagging a little at the intrusion before slowly getting used to him.
Whatever Levi was about to say died on his tongue as the tip of his cock brushed the back of your throat. He had no choice but to surrender to the pleasure threatening to shatter his mind, his mouth falling open as you swallowed around his sensitive tip.
“Shit…! Oh fuck, oh fuck, (Y/N)– nngh, haaah, ah, fuck, don’t stop. Don’t… don’t stop,” Levi panted, only just able to form cohesive words as you continue to take him down your tight, warm throat. He sandwiched his bottom lip between his teeth, biting almost hard enough to draw blood.
Tears started to line your lashes as you suppress your gag reflex, swirling your tongue along the underside of his length. Your eyes rolled back as his hands found your hair, not to push you onto him, but just so he didn’t completely lose himself in the pleasure.
The vibrations in the back of your throat as you moaned only heightened the sensation, and Levi wasn’t able to take much more.
“Hhhh, (Y-Y/N), m-move away, i’m -shit- i’m gonna cum, i’m gonna fucking cum!” but you didn’t move, instead opting to moan more wantanly, lapping at his cock and swallowing him down your throat, your hands coming up to rub and cup his rapidly tightening balls. His thighs began to shake as he came undone, back arching completely off the chair. His head was thrown back as you watched his Adam's apple bob through wet lashes.
“Ah, hnng– a-AH, FUCK (Y/NNN)!!” Levi came with a broken, desperate cry of your name on his lips, his salty seed shooting down your throat. His hands tightened in your hair, clinging on for dear life as you milked him through his orgasm, sucking him dry.
It wasn’t until he’d completely emptied himself into your mouth did he collapse back on the chair, breathing as if he’d just run a marathon.
You released him from your mouth with a pop, tenderly kissing his tip clean before rising to check the state of your partner.
“Levi?” you giggled, moving to carefully straddle his lap so you could take his face in your hands. He looked completely spent, head heavy as he lazily grasped your waist. “You alright?” you thought your question fell on deaf ears, until he cracked an eye open.
“Honestly? I don’t know. I think you broke me,” you laughed at his tired, satisfied smile, brushing his sweat slickened locks from his forehead to lean against him.
“Was that okay?” you asked, searching his face for an answer. The grin he gave sent butterflies to your stomach and heat to your already throbbing core.
“Are you serious? Yes, that was okay. That was more than okay. It was incredible,” he gently wiped away any salty tears from below your lash line. “You’re incredible,” Levi leant up to capture your lips in a tender, loving kiss. It didn’t quite have the same heat as earlier, it felt more fueled with adoring gratitude. You pulled back a fraction.
“Who knew you could be so vocal?” you teased with a lopsided smirk, earning yourself a small, playful nip on your lower lip followed by a low, breathy laugh rumbling from his chest.
“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up brat. Not like I won’t get you back,” you hadn’t noticed his hand had trailed down to the crease in your thighs until a bolt of pleasure shocked your system as he slowly pressed his thumb to your swollen clit. “Speaking of which…” –he whispered, dark eyes searching your own– “Would you mind if I repay the favour?” Levi didn’t give you time to respond before his head ducked down below your chin, licking a long, deliberate stripe up the column of your throat. He smiled against your skin as you began to rock your hips against his hand, moaning and gasping with each movement.
“Mmn, Levi,” you breathed his name like a secret, shivering as he decorated your neck and collarbones with red and purple blossoms, leaving his mark on you.
“I liked the sounds you made when I did this,” Levi’s hand left a trail of goosebumps as he travelled from your waist, up you naval to your breasts, the pads of his fingers rolling the pebbled buds. Your needy cry caused his fingers to grind harder on your clothed clit, increasing the speed as you threw your head back, the pleasure consuming you.
“Fuck…! Levi… ‘need more… ple-HAAH, please,” you whined, lamenting the loss of friction as he guided you to stand. Your confusion was short lived when he pulled you back down to straddle one of his thighs, hands gripping your waist and encouraging you to drag your hips against him in a steady rhythm. Levi snickered against your neck as you gripped his shoulders, grinding wantanly against his muscular leg.
“Feel good?” he asked, brushing your hair back behind your ears as you nodded eagerly, too busy whimpering to form words. He could feel your slick soak through the leather of your pants before making the executive decision that you were wearing far too many clothes for his liking.
Levi deftly unclasped the front of your belt, chuckling as you refused to stop chasing your high long enough for him to pull them down.
“(Y/N), you’re gonna need to move,” his husky voice sent shivers down your spine, heightening the blissful sensation of your knot rubbing against his thigh.
“Nngh– can’t… a-aah! Feels… feels too g-good,” you were so close. That coil in your lower stomach tightening and you knew any moment, with just the right movement, it would snap and you would release all over his thigh.
Or at least, it would have done, had his strong hands not stilled your hips.
“L-Levi?! What the fuck? I was right there,” you pouted as he gently lifted you from his lap, tugging down your pants.
You felt a flair of pride as his jaw dropped at your choice of underwear, the deep red, intricately laced material covering only the bare minimum, accentuating the curve of your hips and the lean muscle of your legs.
If only you’d kept the bralet on. You’d give anything to see his expression when you rocked the set together.
“Fuck…” he breathed, standing from the chair and reaching for you as you kicked the pants from your legs. You smirked, seeing his length hardening once again.
“Hmm, like what you see?” you stepped back like a sly vixen, motioning him to come closer with a provocative finger. You saw his dick twitch in response.
“I’m going to fucking devour you,” your breath hitched in your throat as he caged you against the wall with his arms, his mouth hovering by your ear, soft whisper tickling your neck before it was replaced with his tongue sucking against your pulse point. You arched into his touch, smiling as he tried unsuccessfully to repress the small groan when your hips ground against his cock, your own clothed sex throbbing at the touch.
You’d completely forgotten about his hands until they travelled round to cup your ass, squeezing and moulding the cheeks in his palms. Your gasp spurred him on, lifting you so you could wrap your legs around his waist, both moaning as you came ever closer to each other.
Levi held you against the wall, still nipping and biting at the flesh on your neck, sucking sweet bruises into the skin. Hoisting you up with one forearm, he let the other skirt between you, the pads of his fingers finding a home against your damp folds.
“Shit you’re soaked. You’ve completely ruined these, (Y/N),” he teased, gently rubbing your clit not nearly enough for you to find your high, but enough to coerce the most delicious moans from your throat.
“Mmn, worth it,” you grinned, head tilted upwards as he attacked the hollow of your throat with his mouth. His laugh fluttered against your neck, your hands finding purchase in his inky locks.
“C’mere you,” Levi’s playful tone went straight to your heart as he held you against him, carrying you from the wall. His arms braced under your ass as you leaned down to capture his mouth, lips moving in sync against each other.
You hadn’t noticed he’d carried you into his room until you both fell amongst the bed covers, his body covering yours.
You lay there, panting, looking up into those eyes you’d come to adore. The smile so rare you sometimes didn’t think he even could. You certainly didn’t think it would be so beautiful. Your hand came up to cup his face, chest warming as he nuzzled into the touch.
“Hey,” he breathed, kissing the heel of your palm.
“Hey,” you replied with a soft laugh.
“Bye,” you looked at him, your expression puzzled at the response.
“Wha– FUCK!” your hips arched as his fingers once again dipped between your thighs, sandwiching and rubbing your clit between his thumb and forefinger, his head trailing kisses down your front, pausing briefly to pay attention to your breasts before continuing south.
His fingers hooked over your waistband and Levi looked up at you for permission as he settled between your thighs. You smiled at his continued show of chivalry, nodded in confirmation before the cool air caressed your swollen pussy.
Levi must have forgotten how to breathe. That must be why he felt so lightheaded. Why his heart was beating so hard. Why his mind was reeling.
“God, look at you (Y/N), you’re perfect,” if you weren’t so goddamn aroused, you might have shed a tear at the compliment. You’d never had anyone say anything like that to you before. You’d never had anyone call you stunning, or pretty, or perfect. He made you feel so special.
And so fucking good.
Smirking slightly to himself, Levi turned to your inner thigh, biting gently at the supple, soft muscle and relishing how you squirmed eagerly beneath his touch. He was teasing you, and you were growing rather impatient.
But he couldn’t help it. He’d dreamt of this for so long he wanted to savour the moment. Wanted to remind himself that this wasn't a dream. He’d loved you for so long, and he couldn’t even fathom the elation now he knows that you love him back. The sweet scent of your dripping folds pulled him back to reality, like a siren beckoning him to a watery death, he let your essence pull him in, before the tip of his nose rested on the pearl of your clit.
His hands dragged up your thighs, gently kneading the sensitive flesh. He stayed like that for what felt like far too long, until everything happened at once. Throwing your legs over his shoulder, Levi’s tongue lapped a strong, solid line through your centre, sending your mind reeling.
“Aaaah…! Yes, Levi, Levi…!” Levi’s mind could have been a crime investigation blackboard. Making a mental note of every single reaction you were making. The buck of your hips when he kisses your folds. The arch of your back when he suckles on your clit. The hitch in your breath as his fingers came up to slowly tease your soaking entrance. Levi pulled back slightly, peering up at you and honestly, you almost lost control at the sight of him.
His mouth and chin dripping with your juices, pupils blown with pure, hungry desire. You parted your lips to comment on the delightful sight, but were cut off by the rogue moan he dragged from your throat, his fingers gently rubbing your clit, slowly travelling further south until you felt them circling your aching hole. Nerves gently bubbled through your stomach. You’d heard what the prostitutes and escorts said about a woman’s first time. You knew it was going to hurt, if the two of you went that far tonight. You knew it wasn’t going to be amazing the first time.
Levi also seemed to know.
“Hey, I’m not expecting anything after this, okay? I just want to pay you back for earlier, and make you feel… well, good. We can stop if you want,” you whined slightly at the loss of friction against your sensitive bud, but you couldn’t deny the reassurance calming your suddenly beating heart.
“Stop now and I’ll never give you head again,” you grinned, but he could see the sincerity and gratitude behind your mischievous eyes. You wanted this, and he was more than happy to provide.
“Order received,” he chuckled, before returning his mouth to your waiting pussy.
“Fuck, yes…! Yesyesyesyes HAA-AH, L-Levi…! Right there, fuck, fuck! Yes, right there,” Levi smirked as you whined his name, realising he’d never heard a sweeter sound.
Maybe the bubble of your laughter at a close second.
That same scandalous finger still rubbing patterns into your now throbbing clit, bringing you closer to your high. His other hand once again returning to your wanton hole, gently massaging your folds as his tongue darted into your entrance, dragging a long needy moan from your mouth.
Levi gently eased his finger into your waiting heat, his eyes rolling at how tight you were. He loosened a groan as he ground his now seeping length into the sheets below, the vibrations from his mouth almost enough to send you over the edge if you weren’t clenching at the strange intrusion.
As if sensing your slight discomfort, Levi latched onto the hood of your clit and sucked, relishing in the desperate cry of his name as the pad of his fingertip started rubbing against your walls.
The clench of discomfort soon turned to a flutter of pleasure as you adapted to having someone touch you so intimately. You started to understand why some women enjoy this, and more so when Levi twisted his wrist, hooking his fingers up and brushing against that spongy spot hidden deep within your folds almost by accident. He was worried he’d hurt you, your reaction was so sudden, but your loose string of breathless moans put him at ease.
“SHIT, there, stay… Nngh, AAH, stay there… that feels, yes…! That feels so good Levi,” you threw your head back against the pillow in utter ecstasy as he continued to massage that spot, easing anothing finger in to add to the now heightened pleasure. Whilst you felt both fingers inside of you, there was no discomfort as his tongue continued to swirl around your pearl.
This was his favourite part. Whilst having you kneeling between his thighs and shattering his control was indescribable, nothing could compare to the pleasure he felt whilst eating you out like a starved man. Fuck it felt good to make you feel good. Levi couldn’t stop his constant stream of whispered groans as his cock contiued to weep precum at the mere realisation he was wedged between your legs, feasting on your sex. He continued to grind against the mattress, feeling his own release start to tighten.
Quickening the pace of his working fingers, you couldn’t decipher the pattern Levi was lapping with his tongue, moving in what you thought was random zig-zags against your almost overstimulated clit.
You felt your thighs start to shake, moans escalating into high pitched, breathy pants as the coil in your stomach tightened to the point of snapping, quivering with tension.
“I’m gonna– fuuuuck…! Levi, Lev-Levi, I'm gonna cum… Yes, oh fuck yes, YES FUCK oh– LEVIIII!” with the continued ‘come here’ motion and mind numbing pace of his fingers against your g-spot and a final, long suck of your clit, you completely came undone with a desperate, lengthy scream of his name. Knuckles draining white with your iron grip on the sheets, your thighs locked around his head as your back arched completely off the bed.
It was all Levi needed to find his own release, hearing you chant his name like a prayer and feeling you convulse around his fingers and gush around his face was enough for him to spill all over the bedsheets, a small needy whine fluttering from his muffled mouth, devoured by your leaking cunt.
You two stayed like that for a moment as you both came down, Levi allowing you to catch your breath before being forced to tap on your thighs to release him, the clamp around his head easing.
“As happy as I would be suffocated between your legs, I don’t think I want to die quite yet,” Levi’s gravelly, gently teasing voice brought your back down from whatever elysium your mind had wandered off to, feeling his breath against your face. Your eyes peeled open, too fucked out to widen completely at the state of his face. Pearly white translucent essence lathered his lips and chin, bathing him in a glossy coat until he wiped it away with his other hand.
“What the fuck was that pattern? The one with your tongue?”
“Something I thought of on the spur of the moment. L-E-V-I, A-C-K-E-R–” your giddy giggle cut him off, hand pushing his face to the side playfully.
“Okay okay I get it, you’re utterly filthy and possessive.”
“Well, I had to leave my mark on you somehow.”
“As if the marks on my neck don’t exist.”
“Oh, they do. I’ll be spelling my name like that next time,” you gaped at his cocky smirk, unable to believe this was the same man you’d spent years living with.
As if inspecting your release on the tips of his fingers, he went to suck them clean in his mouth, but you were suddenly much faster. Grabbing his wrist, you brought his hand to your face, engulfing his fingers and swirling your tongue around the soft pads.
Levi’s eyes widened, a brow raised in incredulous disbelief.
“You brat, that was mine,” he huffed against your neck, looking at his hand with a pout as you took his fingers out your mouth with a small suck.
“Hmm, I don’t taste too bad,” you mused with a smirk, hoping to get some sort of rise out of him.
What you weren’t expecting was for him to roll to the side, pulling you into his chest so you had to angle your head up to peer into his now soft, grey eyes.
“You taste divine, firefly,” your heart skipped a beat at the nickname he’d only called you twice before.
“Why do you call me that? Don’t get me wrong, I love it but– why?” you murmured, snuggling into his warmth as much as you could whilst still being able to look into his loving gaze.
Levi stayed quiet for a moment, almost as if he were contemplating something, before gently tucking a strand of loose hair behind your ear.
“Because you’re a light, (Y/N). I was in a shit place, and you were a light. From the day I met your scrawny ass. You shone like some weird, feisty little beacon. You’re my firefly in the dark,” Levi was never good with words. Shit, he didn’t know how many times he’d rehearsed that little explanation, ready for the day when you would inevitably ask, and even then he still got it wrong. There was so much more he wanted to say. How you guided him forward. How you bathed him in your glow. You were so much more than his beacon.
You were his whole heart and soul.
You had been for a while.
Tears lined your eyes. You certainly weren’t expecting that. You weren’t expecting something so tender, even after your lovemaking. You weren’t expecting to see the raw, unwavering devotion in his eyes as he spoke such soft, soulmending words. His arms tightened around your waist as you nestled into the crook of his neck, breathing in his fresh, sweat musked scent.
You were both tired, content from you finding your highs in each other. Administrating pleasure for one another.
You were both happy with how far things had gone.
Then why were you both still awake?
Levi felt you lashes flutter intermittently against his collarbones, his only indication that you joined him in consciousness.
Neither of you said anything. You didn’t have to. Raising your head from his neck, the unspoken want reflected in his own eyes. Your lips joined his, gently moulding against one another in a gentle, passionate kiss. Wordlessly, he rolled on top of you, caging you against the bed with his arms either side of your head as his mouth moved against yours.
“Do you want this?” Levi pulled back just far enough to murmur, his lips still ghosting your own. Your hands found his hair, gently massaging his scalp as you nodded, looking deeply into those stormy eyes, blue and silver swirling seamlessly within his irises.
“I want you, Levi. Always you,” you responded, leaning back up to close the miniscule gap between you. One of your hands travelled down his back, skirting round his hips to his half hard length. You giggled cheekily at his muffled groan when you took him in your hand again, slowly pumping as he continued to harden. You wanted this. More than anything, you wanted him to claim you, and you wanted to claim him. You belonged to each other.
Levi lined himself up with your folds, shivering as his tip grazed your wetness.
“Last chance to say no before I take your virginity,” there was nothing but sweet sincerity in his hushed voice, his thumb caressing your cheekbone.
You masked your nervousness by raising a cocky brow, a lopsided smirk pulling at your lips.
“Right back at you, handsome,” you replied, but Levi could see right through you. Though your tone put him at ease slightly, he could still tell you were anticipating what was to come.
“I’ll be gentle, I promise. I’d never deliberately hurt you, (Y/N),” Levi lowered himself to recapture your lips, hoping to take some of your mind off the pain as he began to ease himself into your slick folds. You were thankful he’d stretched you somewhat with his fingers, but it wasn’t quite enough to quell the pained hiss you elicited as he slowly filled you. He would pause his movements at every sharp inhale, patiently waiting for you to accommodate his girth. It actually helped him as well, the overwhelming pleasure of your walls tightening around his cock almost enough to send him over the edge for the third time. He felt guilty for enjoying it, knowing you were in a lot of discomfort.
“I’ve got you firefly. I’ve got you. You’re doing so well, we’re almost there, I promise, take as long as you need, I’ve got you,” he cooed reassuring encouragement in your ear, letting you know there was no pressure on you. You relaxed a little, feeling the pain ease a tad as you did.
Levi felt your muscles loosen a fraction, and relief washed over him at the mere thought of you feeling a little more comfortable. Still, he refused to move until he’d heard you give him the go-ahead. You were dictating this, and he was once again more than happy to go at your own pace.
“Okay… okay. You okay?” you opened an eye to look up at his strained expression, slightly concerned he wasn’t enjoying it. You knew it would get better for you, but there was no point in continuing if he wasn’t feeling good either. But that thought was quickly extinguished when he nodded slightly erratically.
“Yeah, more than okay. I should be asking you that,” your small, huffed amusement was music to his ears.
“Go on then,” you smiled mischievously, almost forgetting about the tearing pain between your thighs. Your calmed, comfortable demeanor soothed his guilt ridden heart as he smiled fondly.
“You okay?” he gave you an eskimo kiss, gently nuzzling his nose against yours.
“More than okay,” you replied, copying his own response with an earnest grin. “You can keep going, by the way. Sorry, I should have said that sooner,” you smiled, looking away a little sheepishly. He hated how you thought that way. Hated how, even now, you weren’t thinking about yourself. He swept away your expression with a quick peck to your lips.
“No, you shouldn’t have. I want to move with you. This is all about you, don’t worry about me,” you could have cried at his words, feeling his lips against your neck. “You feel amazing,” he whispered, grasping the sheets as he continued to fill you to the hilt. You hissed again, but the pain was lessening to a dull throb now, his entire length sitting snug within your walls.
You both paused again, allowing you to get used to the sensation of being so full.
“Everything alright?” you could have chuckled at the obvious restraint in his voice, heart warming knowing he was doing everything he could to make you feel as comfortable as possible. You loved how he continued to need reassurance.
“Yeah, all good. You can move now baby,” Levi looked back at you, wide eyed and stunned.
“Are you sure? You don’t need more time? I can wait, I don’t want you to think–” he couldn’t finish his sentence before your lips crashed against his, your hips bucking as you feasted on his mouth. His eyes rolled at the friction and you swallowed the groan escaping his lips as he began to pull out, only to slowly thrust back in, his eyes fluttering shut at the sensation of your gummy walls gripping and massaging his length.
“Fuck… god you feel so good,” he moaned, having to remove his mouth from yours in favour of breathing. You gasped quietly, raising your legs to wrap around his waist, encouraging his hips to roll deeper. The pain had been completely replaced by a unique pleasure you’d never felt before.
“Yes… Levi, shit, yes…!” Your breathy moans fueled his gentle thrusts, keeping the pace steady and rhythmic. It worked perfectly for both of you, especially when the tip of his cock grazed the same spot you were sure his fingers were grinding against earlier.
“There! L-Levi, right there, yes oh fuck!” you whined, rolling your hips to meet his. Levi stilled, allowing you to grind yourself on his length, your mouth falling open as he continued to rub against your g-spot, the spongy texture enveloping his leaking tip.
“(Y/N), a-aah,” Levi gave up on forming words for the second time that night, loosening a lengthy, gravelly groan into your ear. You whimpered as he started to thrust again, picking up the tempo as the two of you lost yourselves in the pleasure of each other’s bodies.
He kept the angle the same, heatedly relishing in the high pitched moans with each well placed thrust.
“M-more, Le-vi, Levi, ‘need more,” your heels dug into the small of his back as if he would pull away. Snaking his hand between you, your hips bucked wildly as he started to circle your clit with his first two fingers.
“Yes, yes, FUCK, yes, shit (Y/N),” he couldn’t stop the stream of breathy grunts as your walls contracted around him, sucking him deeper than he ever imagined. “Does it– nngh– does it feel g-good?” he asked, as if you could find a voice with which to reply. Miraculously, you managed to nod frantically, uttering a guttural “yes” as his thrusts swiftened to something a little rougher, encouraged by your continued string of curses, his hips now pounding into you. The room was filled with the sound of skin slapping against skin, the continued squelching of his cock entering you repeatedly only heightened the sensation as you walls began to clench, you high fast approaching with the repeated rubbing of your clit and g-spot. Your nails began to claw against his back, scratching lines of fire against his skin.
“Levi... LEVI! Fuck… fuck... I’m gon-na cum. D-don’t stop, feelssogood…!”  
“Yeah? C-cum then. Cu– fuck, cum for me,”
“A-ah, Levi, yes… YES…! LEVIIII…!” Levi’s breath hitched as you held him in a vice grip, his eyes rolling back in sheer ecstasy as you came around his dick, back bowed in an arch, eyes closed as your orgasm washed over you in waves Your thighs shuddered and tightened around his hips as he fucked you through you high, fingers still blurring against your pearled bud until overstimulation shattered through your nerves, muscles twitching and clamping as he continued to find his own high.
“Shit…! Shit, oh fuck… Fuck, i’m so close, (Y/N) I’m s-so– so close, ha-ah…! Nngh, i’m gonna– oh fuck, yes… yes fuck…! Imgonnacum, (Y/N)... aa-aah, fuck (Y/N)!” Levi only just managed to pull out before he came across your abs, groaning desperately as his hips bucked into your lower stomach. You reached down through your own fucked out haze to grasp his cock, milking him through his orgasm much like you did early on in the night. Thumb grazing circles across his overly sensitive tip.
“Fuck, (Y/N) stop, ‘s too much… p-please,” you grinned against his neck as he collapsed on top of you, his face turning to the side as he fell between your shoulder and the pillow, panting against your skin.
You both refused to move, limbs too heavy to even think about cleaning up right now.
“Fuck… that was good,” you breathed, arms coming to drape across his marked back. It was only then you realised how painful it looked. “Levi! Oh my god I’m so sorry! Are you okay?” you asked, gently caressing the now raised lines across the muscles on his shoulders and back, hoping to soothe what you had done. He huffed a chuckle at the concern in your tone. If only you knew how much he’d loved feeling you draw white hot lines into his skin.
“Don’t be. I’m fine, I kinda liked it,” he confessed, tilting his head up to look into your shimmering, concerned eyes. (E/C) irises that quickly swirled with cheeky intent. You poked his forehead fondly, raising a brow.
“You little masochist,” your teasing tone made him lift his heavy body off yours, holding his weight a little shakily on his elbows as he leaned down to kiss you gently, his tongue brushing effortlessly against yours.
“Mmm, it was rather good wasn’t it?” he smirked against your lips as you scoffed.
“Rather? Says the man who the neighbours will be complaining about for the next god-knows-how-long. I think even those shit eating nobles above ground heard you,” you teased, smoothing over his eyebrow, his eyes rolling dramatically as he bunched up the sheet to gently wipe his seed from your abdomen.
“Okay fine, it was really good. But you know, you weren’t exactly silent yourself, right?” you’d never get bored of this banter between you. Never get tired of the amused spark in his dark irises, the slight quirked pull of his lips.
“Shut up,” you wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him against your neck when you couldn’t keep up the feigned annoyance on your face. He chuckled into the dip between your neck and shoulder before the two of you fell silent, content to bask in each other’s comforting warmth.
“You need to go pee,” and maybe it was his flat delivery breaking the serene silence, but that one sentence broke you. You exploded into fits of laughter, head thrown back in hilarity. Levi looked up in bewilderment, puzzled by your sudden reaction. But you had a certain contagious spark to your laughter, and he found himself joining you in your amusement. You couldn’t tell whether it was the release of all the sexual tension between you, or whether it was the elating realisation that you belonged to each other. Whether it was the relief of finally physically admitting your mutual attraction, or something completely different, but you found yourself unable to stop the bubbles of happiness from escaping your chest, even when you’d calmed down a little.
Levi too managed to control his hiccups of mirth, at least enough to ask you a one word question.
“What?”
You adored the way he looked at you and you were sure only one other person had ever seen him look like that before.
“Nothing, you’ve always got my wellbeing at the front of that beautiful mind of yours, haven’t you?” your hands carded through his hair as he rolled his eyes again. You could tell he was trying to school his smile back to neutral, but found himself unable when faced with your grinning visage.
“Shut up and go pee brat, I’ll clean up here,” Levi reluctantly rolled off you, pulling you up with him because he knew you wouldn’t have moved otherwise. You were shaky on your legs and he held your arms until you’d regained your strength before sending you off with a quick peck on your lips, something you tried to deepen but he caught on to your antics disappointingly quickly. “Go, you insatiable minx,” you laughed again as he gently pushed you, not before glancing at your gorgeous physique.
“Oi, stop checking me out,” you grinned over your shoulder as you left the room to do as he said.
It didn’t take him very long to strip the bed and change the sheets, finding some spare cloth and cases to drape over the bare mattress and pillows, bundling up the dirty bed clothes and dumping them in a small basket to be washed All before you wandered back in. Levi could see how tired you looked as you made a beeline for him, not quite with the same savvy confidence as you had five minutes ago, the night’s activities finally catching up with you. He couldn’t say he felt any different.
“C’mere beautiful,” he sighed as you collapsed into his chest. Levi tightened his arms around your body, pulling you to the bed with him.
Lying down on the fresh sheets, he tucked you closer into his chest, a smile pulling at his lips as you wrapped your tired arms around him.
As if he would ever leave you.
Tilting his head down, he pressed a delicate kiss to your hair, smiling against the faint scent of his soap you usually used.
“I love you, Levi,” Levi’s breath hitched at the three words he’d longed to hear you say. Never in his entire Underground existence did he think he could ever be this happy. The thought provoked a rogue tear to slide down his cheek.
When he’d regained some of his composure, realising he hadn’t moved or even breathed for a little too long,  his legs shifted to tangle with yours, simply wanting to feel you against him.
“I love you too, firefly,” he felt your soft, relieved smile against his neck as you both settled into each other, drifting off into one of the longest sleep either of you had managed in a very, very long time. At some point he’d rolled the two of you over, facing his back to the door, caging you in and instinctively protecting you against the horrors that lay outside those four walls.
Neither of you woke when Isobel and Farlan returned to the house in complete disarray.
Isobel immediately suspected what had happened judging by the plethora of discarded clothing and bundled white sheets in the wash basket.
��Oh my god, Farlan look! Is bro okay? Wait, are they both okay?! Look at (Y/N)’s neck!” Isobel gawked in slightly scared awe at her brother and his childhood friend. Well, lover now, they supposed, if the scratches on his back and the hickeys on your neck were anything to go by.
“How long do you think they’ve been knocked out like this?” the taller, sandy haired man asked, raising a brow to the girl as they leant on the doorframe, both looking at your sleeping, barely covered forms.
“Honestly? Beats me. Took them long enough though. If they didn’t fuck soon I would have thrown myself out the window. You could smell the sexual tension between those two,”
“That’s gross, Issy,” Isobel giggled at Farlan’s disapproving look, the dirty blonde clipping the back of her head as he leaned forward to shut the door, giving the two of you privacy.
Levi had been semi-coherent. Too tired and comfortable to throw either of them one of his glares, the sleeping bundle in his arms had softened him to the point of gooeyness. He smiled contently against your head.
Honestly, he couldn’t blame Isobel.
If you two hadn’t done something soon…
He would have thrown himself out the window alongside her.
꧁ꨄ꧂
“So, you did know her?” Levi tried to trace the steps he took that led up to this exact situation. He was always about no regrets, but shit, if he wasn’t starting to have a few. Sitting opposite his Commander, an ankle crossed over his knee, arms folded defensively, occasionally leaning forwards to take sips from his small cup of tea he’d managed to bring with him before being almost dragged into the blonde’s office.
He rolled his eyes, setting down his teacup once again, his arms returning to their positions against his chest.
“No. I already told you,” he’d insisted on keeping up this charade of ignorance, not knowing what it would do to either of you if anyone found out. Although he knew it was useless lying to him, Erwin would inevitably find out sooner or later.
The man across his face rubbed his palm against the side of his face in slight frustration, eyes closing as he took a calming breath. Levi almost felt sorry for him. He knew Erwin was under a lot of constant stress, and he knew he was contributing to that stress right now. If it was about anyone else, he would have caved in sooner. But this was you, and he would go to the ends of the earth to protect you.
“Levi… this is serious. If you know her, I need to know. It could help us protect her–”
“Protect her? Against what? I thought the MPs were done with her now,” Levi’s façade slipped slightly as worry invaded his normally rational mind. Erwin raised a thick eyebrow, clearly noting Levi’s change of tone.
“Just because they’re done with her doesn’t mean they won’t fight to get their way. She killed a lot of their soldiers, Levi. It’s only natural they would want to harm her, and we can only offer so much protection to the criminals we seem to be accumulating,” Erwin explained cautiously, as if realising Levi was a ticking time bomb, and any wrong move could set him off. But the shorter man decided against exploding at that comment, too fixated on the idea you could be harmed further.
“But you struck a deal with Niles, right? Aren’t you commanders supposed to honour deals like that?” the ravenette asked with no small degree of irritation in his tone. Erwin seemed to be slowly understanding what was going on. It was becoming more obvious that Humanity’s Strongest Soldier was perhaps more than familiar with The Raven.
“Levi, please. Who was she to you? An associate? Business partner? A friend? A lover?” Levi’s jaw flickered at the last suggestion, telling the Commander all he needed to know. “Really?” there was no judgement in his voice, only genuine, surprised curiosity. He didn’t think Levi even had it in him to love another, especially since he’s lost so many.
“Tch, so what?” might as well admit to it now he’d already guessed. Levi’s heart clenched with guilt, already trying to formulate some sort of plan. He didn’t know why there would be any repercussions to the two of you having a relationship years ago, but he didn’t doubt there would be. There always seemed to be.
“No, nothing, I’m just… surprised if I’m honest. You’ve never mentioned her before,” Erwin seemed genuinely, innocently interested, rather than that usual tone he took when he was fishing for information. Levi relaxed a tad, reaching for his teacup and taking a good, long sip, providing himself time to think.
“It was a very long time ago now… We haven’t seen each other in a decade or so,” he admitted quietly over the rim of his teacup, attempting to hide his face behind his hand.
“Do you still love her?” Levi almost choked on his tea at the sudden, incredibly personal question. The obvious answer was yes. Yes, he still loved you. He never stopped loving you. He only realised how much he really did still love you when he saw you again.
“No,” his response wasn’t as strong as he wanted it to be, and true to his perceptive nature, Erwin noted his hesitancy.
“I think we’re well past lying now, don’t you think?” Erwin smiled gently, now knowing why this was always such a sensitive subject for Levi. Why he stormed into his office the other day demanding to talk to him. Why he was so beside himself about your treatment.
That was his past lover.
Levi sighed, placing the teacup back on the desk before running a frustrated hand through his hair.
“It’s more complicated than that,”
“It’s a yes or no question Levi,”
“What’s it to you, Eyebrows? Pretty sure my answer doesn’t dictate whether she’s safe or not just because The Raven is an ex to one of your captains,” the venom in his voice was tamed by his obvious fatigue. Erwin could only imagine how much of a toll this had taken on the ravenette.
“No. It doesn’t. But I don’t want you to think you can’t come to your friends about something like this, Levi. She’s–” Erwin cut himself off, internally debating the best way to go about this. “She’s somebody important to you. Incredibly important, if your little display the other demonstrated anything,” Levi rolled his eyes, clicking his tongue at the remark.
“I just don’t want her to get hurt. More than she already has,” it was strange seeing Levi, a man Erwin had known to be incredibly stoic and in control seem so vulnerable. It was strange to think Levi had any weaknesses. But the blonde supposed every man had a weakness. Even him.
However if Levi didn’t want her to get hurt, then he should have spoken up before Erwin struck a deal with the MPs to let her join the Scouts.
“Levi… She's a Scout now. It’s highly likely she’s going to get hurt on expeditions,”
“I KNOW THAT,” Erwin raised his brows at the sudden, raised tone, not expecting something quite that desperate to come from Levi, the smaller man now refusing to make eye-contact. “I know that,” he repeated quietly. It was obvious he was in a difficult situation.
“Then I'll ask you again. Do you still love her?” Erwin’s tone was ever patient, something Levi appreciated as he sat in silence before answering, once again unable to meet Erwin’s piercing gaze.
“Yes. Yes I do. I didn’t stop. I never stopped loving her,” Erwin’s expression softened at Levi’s words, leaning his chin against his intertwined fingers, his elbows resting on the desk.
“Does she know that?”
“Fuck sakes Erwin, are you seriously giving me dating advice?” Levi raised what could have been an amused brow, if only the seriousness of the conversation didn’t convert it into something of irritation. He couldn’t deny this conversation had gone better than he could have expected. He didn’t expect his Commander to be so supportive of a relationship between his Strongest Soldier and The Raven. But, he supposed, as much as he hated to admit it, Erwin was one of his closest friends. And his hearty chuckle only exaggerated that fact.
Annoyingly.
“No. No I’m not. I’m not one to give such advice,” another silence settled between the two men, before Erwin spoke up again. “What would you like to do about this?” he asked, willing to let Levi have some say in how his ex lover was treated within the Scouts.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, how would you like to oversee her training? From what I’ve seen, she doesn’t respond well to… authority,” god, talking about this it was akin walking on a sleeping titan, not knowing what would suddenly jolt it awake enough to lunge and bite. This was more Hange’s field than anything, knowing Levi had a strange soft spot for the scientist. Not that he would ever admit it.
“No. I don’t think that’s a good idea. She’s… well… Yes, she’s difficult. And yes, she doesn’t like authority. And yes, she’s perfectly capable of kicking the shit out of any of us whilst eating a salad as she did it but she’s not impossible. You just have to know how to… work her,”
“Sounds like you do,”
“Watch it.”
“Apologies. That was inappropriate,” Levi could tell there was nothing apologetic about Erwin’s tone. And he couldn’t deny that it was rather funny, conveying his thoughts with a less spiteful eye roll.
Eyebrows’ eyebrows furrowed in thought, wondering who should survey your training, and who’s squad you should join after.
“I can have Miche take her through ODM maintenance, he should–”
“No point. She knows how those things work better than you or I. She was the one who sold to us,”
“Without your knowledge?” Levi stayed awkwardly quiet for a moment.
“She was wearing a mask…”
“Seriously?”
“It’s dark down there, okay? We couldn’t fucking see her face,” Levi spat, only adding to Erwin’s humerous disbelief. “Anyway, she doesn’t need to be taught that shit. She already knows it. She just needs to be taught how to use it. But she’s a fast learner. If she doesn’t surpass Miche’s kill count in her first two weeks I'll be extremely surprised,” Erwin smiled subtly as Levi kept singing your praises, seemingly unable to stop himself from aggressively gushing about how fantastic you were.
“You seem confident,”
“I am.”
“Why?” The question caught him off guard. Why? Because it was you. He was always confident when it came to you. He could always trust you with anything because he knew you.
Or… at least…
He did.
“Look, I know you’re usually the one asking me to trust you, but just this once, trust me,” Erwin had already made the decision to trust Levi on this one. He seemed to know you better than anyone, even if he had just avoided the question.
“I was going to anyway, but alright. Miche for ODM, Hange for titan theory–”
“Terrible idea, but continue,”
“And she can join the rest of the soldiers for hand to hand. Does that suit you?” Levi couldn’t quite understand why Erwin was being so lenient with this.
“I don’t give you orders. If that’s how it is, that’s how it’ll be,” the raven haired man folded his arms once again, leaning back in his chair.
“Levi, I’m trying to be accommodating about this,” Erwin huffed, growing ever more tired with the Captain’s attitude.
“Why? Just treat her like any other cadet,”
“Honestly? Because I don’t want you to be in a constant foul mood if something goes wrong with her training,” Levi scoffed, averting his eyes from Erwin.
“Fine. Yes, that suits me. Whether it’ll suit her or not… that’s a different question altogether,” Levi’s subtle, fond smile didn’t escape Erwin’s ever-searching gaze, the man picking up on all of Levi’s tells.
“Very well. She can join Captain Francis’ squad as a temporary fix until we see where she would fit in–”
“That man’s a waste of air and you know it,” Levi really was behaving like a petulant child, huffing and folding his arms with every idea he disagreed with.
“Whilst yes, I agree with you, he’s also another Captain. You should probably treat him like one,”
“I don’t see him here with us, do you?”
“Levi…” Erwin warned lowly. Though he did sometimes enjoy the smaller man’s sarcastic quips, now wasn’t the time for such things. Before Levi could respond to the warning however, Erwin continued swiftly. “So, you’ll oversee her training?”
“Didn’t I just say that was a bad idea?”
“I find myself disagreeing with you.”
“Tch, fine. ``We done here?” he asked, tapping his foot impatiently as if he’d been waiting to ask that question throughout their entire meeting. Erwin sighed, trying so hard not to roll his own eyes before nodding and waving a hand. But before Levi could even open the door, he was stopped.
“Levi… What's her name?” Erwin asked, peering at him as if he could see right through him. Levi’s expression softened, thinking back to when she asked him to refer to her with her name rather than her alias.
“(Y/N),” he spoke your name as if saying it any louder would shatter it, the delicacy in his tone so unlike the Levi Erwin had come to know. “But call her Raven until she tells you. Hate to say it, but you wouldn’t stand a chance if she decides you have a target on your back,” that alien fondness returned to Levi’s expression, as if he wasn’t talking about his ex lover possibly murdering his commander.
“I’ll take your word for it. Thank you Levi, for being honest with me. I know there’s more to say, but I'm sure you’d rather rest than talk to me about it,” the offer was there, Levi knew it was. He knew Erwin was offering to help sort through his thoughts with him, but he needed time to…
Adjust to this new normal.
So instead he hummed non-comitally and bid the Commander goodnight.
“Night Erwin, don’t strain yourself too hard thinking about this,” it was his way of saying he was grateful for Erwin’s support. Levi always had his own special way of saying things like this.
Erwin couldn’t respond before Levi was already closing the door behind him.
꧁ꨄ꧂
Warm shower. No, hot shower. Fuck it, scalding shower. Levi kept turning up the temperature, the showerhead gurgling with each twist. He usually found, when nothing else could calm his nerves or soothe his head, a scalding shower and a hot tea worked the trick. But every part of him was alight tonight. His body, his mind.
His heart and soul.
His entire being crackled with some sort of energy he hadn’t felt in a while. He recognised it. Of course he did. It was the same energy he’d feel whenever you’d return home from your strange trips away, which he now knew was Viper teaching you how to survive. Was that how you knew how to stitch his wound that night? Was that how you knew how to effectively apply a bandage, how to suture and sew? That night when he’d stumbled through the door to find the house empty. When he’d sat at the table, silently begging you to come back just so he could see you again. Just so he would stop worrying.
That night when he’d first kissed you.
There were a lot of firsts that night, he remembered fondly. The first kiss, the first touch. The first time he’d heard you moan his name. The first time he moaned yours.
The first time he’d felt such utter pleasure, when your tongue swirled around his tip and your lips lapped at his vein. When your throat massaged his length and he spilled into your mouth.
The first time he’d tasted you, delicately kissing your swollen folds and listening to you unravel above him. Your breathy whines playing on repeat in his head.
The first time you two were joined, closer than you’d ever been before.
Gradually, the shower became far, far too hot. Looking down, Levi could both see and feel the result of his little nostalgia trip. The small whimper of his name in the cell had unlocked a torrent of repressed urges that now sprang to light.
In more ways than one.
It was wrong. It was so, so wrong. You were a mere husk of who you were. You were damaged, fractured. Spiderwebbed cracks lined your mind, threatening to shatter and yet, no matter how far down he turned the shower temperature, no matter how much cold water splashed against his toned back, images of your ecstasy creased face still flashed in his mind, his length only hardening further the longer he left it.
“Damnit…” he muttered with a heavy sigh, before wrapping his hand around his cock and slowly fucking into his fist. His hips bucked involuntarily, having not done this in quite a while now. Levi ran his thumb over that prominent vein, remembering how your hot mouth would suckle kisses along the underside. A low moan escaped his throat, lost down the drain along with the filthy cold water.
He lathered his precum over his sensitive tip, hissing at the friction as he began to pump faster, boney knuckles gripping tighter as he neared his high. His hand didn’t feel like his own. There were no rough callouses on his palms, but rather they were softer. Daintier. Smaller. He couldn’t stop his imagination running wild as he thought of you jerking him off, that playful, fox-like smile pulling at your lips whenever his back arched or his hips bucked.
“Fuck…” he groaned, fucking into his fist with renewed vigor, his balls tightening as he felt his release wash through his body, mouth falling open. Throwing his head back, Levi thrusted his hips into his grip as ropes of white seed spilled from his tip, seeping through his fingers.
He braced his arm against the white tiled wall, watching the water wash away his ivory sins as his cock softened in his hand. Guilt punctured his afterglow, self hatred a constant accomplice as he turned the temperature back up to boiling, hissing as the lava scalded his back, staining his skin an angry red. He wouldn’t have tea after this. He wouldn’t carefully dry himself off, or sit at his desk and stave away sleep.
He would collapse amongst the unused duvet and pillows of his bed, and hope his nightmares carry him to retribution.
139 notes · View notes
jayeray-twst · 3 years
Text
How He Shows You Affection: Jade Leech
Warnings: None all fluff!
Tumblr media
He Gifts You Things
The feel of a hand on your shoulder nearly made you jump out of your skin. You’d been so focused on what you were doing that you hadn’t even registered the arrival of a new person in your proximity. However the sound of a familiar chuckle instantly made you relax.
You leaned back against the person who was standing behind you, pressing your back to their front and tilting your head up so you could peer up at him. Jade had an amused half-smile curling his lips as he looked down at you.
“How was your trip?” you asked smiling brightly at him, your own hand coming to rest overtop his on your shoulder, tangling your fingers together, “Did you find what you were looking for?”
Jade had taken another hike up into the mountains searching for mushrooms, claiming there was a certain kind that it was perfect weather to harvest them. You’d taken his word for it, as you couldn’t hope to know nearly as much about the fungi as Jade did. You just wished you could’ve gone with him. Unfortunately, you’d had too much work to do, so had dutifully stayed home.
“It was quite a fruitful day,” Jade told you, evidently really pleased, one of his rare full smiles lighting his face and the odd clicking trill to the end of his sentence enough to let you know how utterly delighted he was. It was a bit of a strange sound, something beyond the ability of human vocal cords, but one you’d come to quite enjoy hearing from your eel mer boyfriend. He only made it when he was beyond thrilled, and it was one of the few true insights into his feelings that your enigmatic boyfriend tended to keep tightly under wraps.
“Oh? Anything interesting?” you asked. Mushrooms generally weren’t what most would consider a fascinating conversation topic, but Jade always had interesting things to say about them. Plus you liked hearing your boyfriend ramble, and mushrooms were one of the few things he would do it for.
“Indeed,” he agreed, producing his other hand from where he’d been keeping it behind his back and presenting you with a flower. It was utterly beautiful and in your favorite color, stunning and perfect you’d never seen anything quite like it.
“It’s beautiful,” you told him a little awed at the pretty thing.
“It reminded me of you,” Jade informed you, gentle hands reaching out to tuck it behind your ear.
It was almost ridiculous how smoothly he could say lines like that, ones that would’ve made anyone else sound cheesy, but from him sounded utterly suave. It made your heart flutter in your chest every single time.
However you did have one small concern, your hand lingering close to the flower by your ear as you carefully asked, “It’s not poisonous is it?”
“Only if you ingest it,” he told you with a casual smile that was all teeth and amusement, eyes shining in delight. It really shouldn’t have surprised you given his fascination with mushrooms but Jade had a bit of a fascination with poisonous things.
“Really to think I would gift you something dangerous,” Jade scolded lightly, and you almost would’ve felt bad, except you remembered the whole debacle with the ghost bride quite clearly. On top of that there had been a few things at the beginning of your relationship that you’d learned a little too late were perfectly safe for merfolk but not so much for humans. It had been an honest mistake, and Jade had clearly felt bad afterwards, but it had been a little traumatizing.
“I would never deliberately gift you something dangerous,” Jade corrected, clearly reading your mind, and while Jade wasn’t one to pout, leaving such antics up to his twin, the slight downturn of his lips let you know he wasn’t entirely happy either.
“I know,” you assured him, gently squeezing the fingers that were still interlaced with yours, “And it is sweet of you to bring me gifts. I do appreciate each and every one of them, even the dangerous ones.”
It was all true, Jade was very careful to put a lot of thought into the things he gave you, even the little things. It was part of mer courtship customs apparently, and one he quite enjoyed and so did you if you were being honest. His little gifts never failed to make your heart skip a beat.
Jade chuckled, clearly appeased by this, gently tracing his fingers over your cheek before giving you a quick kiss goodbye and wandering off to sort through the bounty of mushrooms he’d brought back. You watched him go with a fond smile on your face, quietly thinking of your own gift ideas. After all, if you were dating a mer, you might as well embrace their courtship traditions. You just hoped your own gifts could make him feel just as treasured as he did for you.
He Does Little Things to Make Your Life Easier
One of the things you’d noticed about Jade Leech early on that differentiated him from his twin brother, was that he was incredibly attentive to detail. He was always watching, taking everything in, and he remembered almost everything. It was both impressive and alarming considering his penchant for blackmail.
As his significant other there was no one he observed more closely than you. It was one of the reasons the two of you had started dating in the first place, because Jade considered you one of the most interesting creatures he’d ever stumbled upon on land or sea.
All that close observation meant Jade almost always knew what you needed, sometimes even before you did. If you ate the last of your favorite snack, it would mysteriously be restocked. If you were feeling down your favorite comfort items and Jade himself would appear to help cheer you up. If something broke, or was on the verge of breaking Jade would buy a replacement or find a way to fix it.
It was all incredibly flattering, and made you feel seen in a way you never had with anyone else. Jade knew you better than you knew yourself at times, and it was both a little alarming and incredibly reassuring. Alarming because allowing anyone as close as he was to you and having them capable of predicting your actions to the degree he could was startling on a good day, but also reassuring because you knew Jade could see all of you, both the bad and the good and he wanted you anyway.
It might’ve made the relationship feel unequal at times, especially at first, but as your determination to know him the way he knew you grew, so did Jade’s willingness to let you in. These days you knew a lot of his little tells, the way he made small pleased clicking chirping sounds low in his throat when he was happy, the way his eyes crinkled slightly at the corners when he was smiling his genuine smile rather than the bland customer service smile, and the way his lips turned down at the corners when he was truly upset with something. You knew it all and took pride in the hard-won knowledge.
Still despite everything Jade still knew you better, as proved by the warm drink resting near your hand when you glanced up from the book you were reading, while waiting for him to finish his shift at Mostro Lounge. Gently touching the mug, you found it was the perfect temperature to be consumed, and there was also a little snack along with it.
Right on time your stomach grumbled, letting you know you were in fact, rather hungry. Amused as ever at your boyfriend’s ability to predict things you cradled the mug in your hands, enjoying the warmth of it in the coolness of the lounge, your eyes darting around the crowded room until they locked on your boyfriend at the bar.
As if sensing your eyes on him, he glanced up from what he was doing and met your gaze. You smiled at him, feeling warm and happy as you saluted him with your drink, mouthing your thanks at him and blowing him a kiss. You couldn’t actually hear his amused chuckle from where you were across the room, but you saw the genuine amusement in his eyes as he dipped his head in acknowledgment of your thanks before turning back to what he was doing.
With a content sigh you dug into the treat he’d brought for you, sipping your drink, and reflecting that you really were lucky. Not many got a boyfriend quite as attentive as Jade Leech, who saw to all your needs without question and without being asked. Despite what others might say about his cold and ruthless attitude to you he’d always been sweet in his own understated way. It was a privilege you vowed never to take for granted as you smiled to yourself feeling thoroughly adored.
He Makes Time for You
It had been a long, hard day, and if you were perfectly honest with yourself, all you really wanted at this point was to curl up with boyfriend and be cuddled to help shake the stress of the day away. Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to be an option, not until late as Jade had a shift at Mostro lounge and wouldn’t be back until late.
Normally, you didn’t bother your boyfriend at work, but you desperately wanted to see him, and didn’t think he’d mind too much if you surprised him there, especially since you didn’t actually want to cook yourself dinner. Settled on your course of action, and feeling a bit optimistic that you might even get to steal him away for a little bit during his break you headed for the lounge.
It was relatively busy, the same as it always was with several waiters running back and forth fetching things from the kitchens for the students. Tonight Jade wasn’t actually one of them, instead he was stationed behind the bar, which made things easier for you, especially since there was a seat free. You didn’t worry too much about distracting him, Jade was a consummate professional after all, and meticulous in all things including the work he took quite a deal of pride in.
Sliding into the seat you smiled when your boyfriend spotted you and quickly made his way over, glad to see him, even if you were separated by the bar and unable to latch on to him like a limpet and not let go the way you wanted to.
“Hey you,” you greeted affectionately.
“Hello, fawn,” Jade answered lightly, his mismatched eyes scanning you carefully, taking you in. You hoped he couldn’t see how utterly done in you were, tucking back your exhaustion as far behind your emotional walls as you could manage and smiling at the nickname which never failed to life your spirits.
It hadn’t surprised you that Jade had decided to nickname you after a type of mushroom, you were just glad he only used the cute names, instead of something terrible like toadstool. Sometimes it honestly surprised you that he hadn’t given his sense of humor. You were just glad you’d managed to find out what amanita was ahead of time and put your foot down on it, as you had no desire to be named after a fly killing mushroom.
“What brings you to the lounge?” he asked, pulling you from your thoughts about mushrooms, his hands already going through the familiar motions of making your favorite drink.
“I didn’t want to cook and decided I’d kill two birds with one stone and come to the lounge and see you,” you answered, giving him a mostly honest answer.
“I’m always glad to see you,” he told you, passing your drink, “Excuse me for a second though sweet fawn, I have something to do and then I’ll be right back.”
“Of course,” you assured him, confident that you managed to keep your irrational disappointment locked behind your cheerful façade.
You idly sipped your drink as you waited for Jade to return, quietly watching the people moving around the lounge. Luckily, it didn’t take him long to reappear, though you were surprised when he did it on your side of the bar.
“Are you on break?” you asked, delighted at the prospect, practically beaming up at him, “Want to get something to eat with me?”
“I would love to get something to eat with you,” he assured you, cupping your cheek affectionately, the tender gesture taking you by surprise, though you couldn’t help but melt into it, so much so you nearly missed his next words, “But unless you’re very hungry it will have to wait until we get home.”
“Huh?” you asked, completely inarticulate in your bewilderment.
“You heard me,” Jade scolded lightly, “Let’s get home, precious little fawn.”
“But you’re working,” you sputtered in protest, “Your shift doesn’t end until eleven you said!”
“Ah but I decided to take the rest of the night off,” he informed you casually, “As if I could do anything else when my fawn needs me.”
“Jade, I’m fine,” you tried to assure him firmly, guilt broiling in your stomach, “You can finish out your shift, it’s not a problem!”
The knowing look he gave you, made you want to backtrack, but instead you held firm. The last thing you wanted was to inconvenience him, you loved him far too much for that.
“You’re never a problem,” he informed you his tone quiet but sincere, “let’s get you home.”
You were seriously contemplating refusing him, but the option was swiftly taken away as you found yourself lifted off your feet and swung up into a princess carry, making you yelp in surprise and indignation.
“Ooh someone’s in trouble!” a familiar sing-song voice called out from behind the bar, and you leveled a look at Floyd who was apparently taking his brother’s place for the rest of the night. You made a slightly rude gesture in Floyd’s direction, but the eel only laughed, completely unbothered by it as Jade began to carry you from the lounge your boyfriend also chuckling in amusement.
“You really don’t have to do this,” you tried, one last time, wriggling slightly in his hold trying to get him to set you down, “I’m really okay Jade, you don’t have to take time off for me.”
Jade paused in his steps, and for a second you thought you might’ve gotten through to him, only to have him tell you, “You’re worth all my time, sweet fawn, and I will always make more of it for you when you have need of me, even when you don’t want to admit it.”
The sincere, surprisingly gentle words took all the wind out of your sails, as you peered up into his eyes, his face solemn without any trace of his usual teasing. You slumped in his hold and stopped fighting, which he correctly interpreted as compliance and started walking again.
You looped your arms around his neck and buried your face into his chest, breathing him in the way you’d been dying to from the minute you’d finished your day. Jade let out a soft chuckle of amusement and simply adjusted his grip so you were more comfortable, making you sigh in contentment.
“Hey, Jade?” you asked quietly against his neck, earning a hum of acknowledgment that let you know he was listening, “I love you.”
The words always seemed to take your boyfriend off guard, and this time was no exception. Still to his credit his steps only faltered for a second before he admitted, “I love you too, precious silly fawn.”
You sighed in contentment at the words, letting him carry you off back home, feeling utterly content and truly lucky to have a boyfriend like Jade Leech.
Like this or my writing in general? Feel free to drop by my ask box to make requests! Just make sure to read the rules first! I also take commissions on Ko-Fi!
351 notes · View notes
leviiattacks · 3 years
Text
Boxer Levi & Coach Reader
Tumblr media
author note :: i lost the ask for this, but this is not good at all. quite literally the worst thing i have ever written /srs anyways,,,,, anon said they wanted me to post it no matter what so i hope you do enjoy whatever this is,,, the pacing is non-existent and it has not been edited 👍🏼
requests are always open :-) i promise i am usually better than this,, anyway i may just use this as a rough outline for a fic 🤔
word count :: 5.4k....... yeah......
Tumblr media
you and levi become acquainted with each other in university. it’s all very cliche if you do say so yourself. he steps in playing the role of good samaritan heroically saving your wallet and wordlessly he hands it to you even after running for the thief. the man doesn’t do as much as pant in exhaustion.
his stamina is…never mind that, his reflexes are out of this world
he expects a thank you because anyone else would expect at least a token of gratitude shown via words but the sentence you want to ask only ends up trapping itself in your throat
it comes to the point where he nods understanding maybe you have a sore throat or just don’t want to thank him at all
eyes flicking to his hands you immediately lunge forward taking your chance.
almost immediately you feel regret for holding onto the wrist of a complete and utter stranger without permission
“your stamina it’s great!” the man turns to you, he isn’t smiling but he’s definitely intrigued by the sudden change in behavior
and that’s where it all begins
Tumblr media
levi’s horrible at getting to know strangers, even worse at forming bonds and connections. maybe that’s why he doesn’t warm up to the idea of having to deal with new people and new settings all at once
“i hope you’ve met your coach this is aman-” introductions are cut short by levi stubbornly interjecting in the middle of your sentence 
“i have, but is she you?”
pursing your lips an awkward chuckle leaves your mouth, you look around uncomfortably wondering what he means.
“well, no?”
“then i won’t box.”
?????
you don’t even know what to say??? here you were thinking maybe he would be a little more cooperative than this.
his index finger points right at you and he takes a step forwards. his shoes come into contact with yours and you find yourself holding your breath apprehensively.
“i won’t box unless it’s you in charge.”
that is when you and levi formally meet for the first time. you are but an inexperienced coach and he, an inexperienced boxer.
Tumblr media
“i’m getting drinks you want anything?”
“oh no don’t worry i’m good!!” you smile at levi and he nods his head venturing off to buy himself a bottle of sparkling water
levi has had you coaching him for a few years now
really he doesn’t think he’s ever felt more than respect for you. respect for the way you stay back late with him to train, respect for the schedules you make him and he’s most definitely respectful of your boxing knowledge
sure out of the two of you he’s more physically capable but it doesn’t change the fact that he becomes frustrated when he’s told he has to spend a day without you.
it’s not like you think that levi cares or anything, nothing sappy like that.
he just probably hates, no, despises having to listen to anyone else’s instructions. he finds that they somehow sound demeaning or less sincere.
every instruction you give him has a reason behind it. you don’t beat around the bush and he’s stated before that he enjoys that he knows he’s developing his skill set and progressing when he’s with you.
the olympus ring - one of the largest boxing competitions known to man is approaching soon and if levi manages to place in the top two his career is set to sky rocket in no time at all
that thought makes you feel unusually nervous
worry gnaws at your mind and you wonder about whether or not he’ll replace you after the competition concludes. after all who wants a coach with little fighting experience? all you really know is from your family. your brother and father had been professional boxers years prior.
you have no doubt at all that levi will place number one that’s for sure but you really hope he doesn’t find a replacement for you.
you’ve never had much faith in your coaching and to be left behind in the dust hurts you a tiny bit but you never bring it up because you know what? levi progressing in his career will make him happy :-)
levi’s happiness over yours and it’s not good to be selfish you suppose >:(
“y/n.” he’s waving a hand in front of your face, you’re uncharacteristically quiet today and he’s caught on
“you awake?” he asks again.
upon receiving no response levi’s now waving his hand with more tenacity
“wake. up.” he flicks at your forehead and you stir a little finally coming to your senses once you see him leaning up above you.
he looks taller than normal from this angle and your cheeks blaze, he has a habit of walking around shirtless whilst training and doesn’t realise the effect it has on you
“i- yeah good totally good. just thinking.”
“thinking about?” levi kneels to the floor looking you in the eyes and your mind falters wondering when it was he began to sit so close to you. it feels like it was just yesterday when the two of you used to eat lunch separately out of embarrassment.
the silence stretches for a second too long and his eyes narrow suspiciously leaving you to think on your feet
“i well, you have a press conference soon and i have to think of transportation and-”
“coach. i can deal with that.”
you’re a little stunned when he says that because he’s never tried to take away from your responsibilities in the past. is this a hint that he no longer wants you around?
“but it’s my job?” you reply back feeling threatened
“but you’re always doing it. i can figure it out this once.”
without even hearing the rest of what you have to say he stalks back towards his punching bag leaving your chest empty
he’s definitely thinking of replacing you is what you think
Tumblr media
really this should not be getting you worked up.
you’ve known levi for years, you should have faith in the fact he trusts you but you find yourself indulging in self doubt more often than you intend to
guilt fills you as you scroll through the multiple job listings in front of you but you have a justification. this is your lifeline, you can’t afford to lose your source of income and it’s best to be prepared
however there’s no real amount of preparation that can get you used to the prospect of not seeing levi every day
he’s sort of just made a space for himself in your daily routine
chewing at your bottom lip you can’t get through one job listing without thinking about him and you shut your laptop down thinking tomorrow will be a better day and you’ll check back in then
why does levi even matter?? he’ll officially be an ass when he dumps you of your position?? who cares about him???
but that doesn’t stop you from caring and now you’re hunched over your closed laptop trying to understand what it is that’s making you feel this way
maybe it’s the whole attachment you have with him??
he is the very first person you’ve ever coached that’s true
he’s made you proud and allowed for your name to get out there in the boxing world
maybe that’s what’s holding you back from looking into other jobs
but that reason doesn’t make much sense
you should still be frustrated with him.
AND
you most definitely should not care about how he’s doing OR worry about who’ll patch him up when he ends up stupidly injuring himself during practice (he does that a lot)
“why do i care so much for him?” you type into google thinking there’s no person on this earth that can help you with this predicament now
honestly at this point asking AI is probably going to have to be your only reliable option
tapping on one of the first links you hope to find your answer
“what happened? yeah, you had sex?” pops onto your screen and you tap off as quick as possible.
no. you did not have sex. oh god, you haven’t even touched levi much. the most you’ve done is lace your fingers with his and offer him a hug
are you meant to have… had sex???
is it wrong for you to feel that way withou-
okay enough. this has got nothing to do with sex and your feelings are still valid. maybe you are right and you’re attached to him that’s it!!! right?
scrolling further down you nearly give up until you reach another link titled “the science of caring for those who don’t care for you.”
rolling your eyes you still hesitantly tap praying you find some sort of answer
and an answer is what you find that’s for sure
staring you right in the face in bold letters
1. you feel responsible for that person
not really, he’s very independent.
2. the person is a family member
absolutely not
3. you could be romantically attracted to the person in question
…….
romantically interested?? no. that’s wrong. not true. incorrect. not right. just not real. you are not romantically attracted to levi
,,,or are you?
that does explain why he makes you feel jittery, it explains why you shivered the one time he engulfed you in a hug at his first championship
it also explains why you feel burning jealousy when a celebrity shoves their number into your hands asking you to pass it onto levi. they don’t even look at you like you’re a human being. you’re just a messenger pigeon
they’re worlds away from you. you forever stuck in your tracksuit and them - those beautiful models in skintight dresses and heels to match are stuck in a world where everything they want is handed to them. that includes men
you know it’s not their fault and you’d kill to be like them too but you guess the whole sweaty tracksuits and boxing daily has just become your niche
nonetheless levi is a man. a popular man.
and he sure as hell has no romantic interest in his clumsy, uncoordinated coach
sighing you huddle yourself into a ball choosing not to think about it anymore
but you know you’ve already come to your conclusion
you like levi ackerman more than a coach should
and it’s taken you years to take notice of it
Tumblr media
when you became a coach you never really thought people would talk about you much
you were clearly very wrong about that. you and levi are both hot topics on discussion forums and boxing panels. luckily for you levi finds no entertainment in such forms of boxing and so never glances at them
he’s completely unaware of all the online comments. to be honest you’re happy he’s oblivious to it all. he doesn’t deserve to deal with spiteful, mean spirited jabs
you’re less like levi and find yourself aimlessly scrolling through news articles and boxing q&a pages. it’s interesting to see what people have to say on social media
but these days all the searches for your name are filled with “replaced soon?” and “not good enough to coach ackerman?”
the headlines are cruel jokes but again you’re willing to handle taking the brunt of the press’ force instead of levi. yes, even if it hurts you.
“what you reading?” levi peers over your shoulder and you nearly throw your phone away to the other side of the room but instead you choose to grip at it tightly and shove it into your chest
you grin hiding the screen away. “something private.”
levi doesn’t look like he believes you, he wants to ask if you’re okay and if you need anything because frankly you do look slightly distraught but he decides against interrogating you
“oh okay. i’ll be back. you want anything from starbucks?” he asks.
at that moment you wish he asked you if you wanted to talk about what had been bothering you
but you know even if he did ask you’d deny his help
Tumblr media
the olympus ring’s official press conference is one in which many rivalries will be established
levi has always had an issue with zeke jaeger one of the top contenders in his division.
it’s a long story......
one which includes the purposeful injury of a mutual friend in order to sabotage his career
you remember it all, the way you had to physically hold levi back from pouncing at the man. it had been one of the most difficult things you had to do
erwin was your friend too and you wanted him to receive justice. part of you wanted to let go and allow for levi to attack zeke with his all but you chose to be levi’s coach before you were erwin’s friends
if he wasn’t going to make good decisions for himself you would do it for him
if you had let him go through with that rash choice he could have risked suspension and suspension could completely halt some careers. suspension almost always led to shorter longevity and motivation
and so that’s why you always shift to levi’s side when he walks past zeke. there’s no way you’re taking a chance. knowing levi he could lose his cool and completely pummel him with an upper cut
so that’s what you’re doing right now. trying to edge levi to the other side of the hall but he does no such thing.
“coach, do you have to be so cautious with zeke?” he finally asks with a bland look on his face
you wince a little when he doesn’t use your name and it looks like he notices the reaction. he makes no commentary on it
“this is my job. let me do it properly.” you explain nudging him to the side so your path doesn’t coincide with zeke’s
levi looks at you poking a tongue in his cheek clearly not amused nor happy
“i’ll do what i want.” and with that said and done he walks on ahead. you take note of the fact that despite saying he’ll do what he wants he does in fact comply with your instructions and walks in the opposite direction and into a nearby convenience store
sighing you rummage through your backpack trying to find your meds
your head has been pounding since you’ve arrived and you hope to fit in at least one nap
looking up to survey the area the street is clear and there is no sight of zeke. you feel at ease at that discovery, not only does he cause you discomfort but he’s a general displeasure to interact with
his tuft of dirty blonde hair irks you to no end and you’re up for no conversation with the man who who ended erwin’s career
he’s the last person you want to ever initiate small talk with.
but fate is a weird thing is it not? because as soon as you’re sure you’ve escaped the clutches of zeke jaeger you hear a chuckle behind you
“well if it isn’t levi’s side piece?”
a hand lands on your shoulder but you shake it away immediately
jaw clenching you try to ignore zeke as best you can but he continues to taunt you
“imagine if levi got an actual coach and not a whore to fuck in the gym?”
turning to face him you see him midway through shrugging his shoulders
believe it or not there had been a time where you and zeke were good friends. a time where he hadn’t let fame get to his head.
so for him to refer to you like that does make your heart sting a little
“cat got your tong-”
and there it is
the long overdue punch
it hits him right in the jaw without warning and you’re tripping trying to stop levi - who might you add has shown up from NOWHERE.
you thought he was shopping?????
“you know if i needed to swing at him i could have?!?” you whisper shout at him completely infuriated that he’s possibly thrown away his chance of competing
“you weren’t going to though.” he says plainly and you can’t deny it.
you don’t have it in you to swing at zeke.
levi doesn’t choose to inflict more pain on his opponent and instead kneels beside him leaning by his ear
you don’t know what he whispers - you’re completely out of ear shot but it’s not even thirty seconds later till levi rises and saunters away seeming content
shooting zeke an apologetic look for the over the top beating you’re surprised to see him look...regretful?
whatever levi said you wonder what it was
Tumblr media
it’s been a solid fifteen minutes of you walking behind levi
his back is all you’ve seen so you have no idea about his mood and it’s not that you’re intimidated or anything but peering in just to look at his face is a little odd so you choose to stay a suitable distance away
“y/n.” he says finally when he reaches his hotel room.
fishing through your backpack for his keys you’re surprised when he holds your wrist to stop you
“listen to me.” he sounds calm but slightly on edge
“has zeke always said those things?”
twiddling your thumbs you awkwardly laugh
“well no, we used to be friends. remember how i told you ages ago? he was so cool back then and yeah i miss that zeke :-) but i don’t know what’s up with him.”
you’ve never really told anyone about how you feel about zeke’s hostility so you’re getting KINDA emotional right now thinking about the friend you miss
“i mean to ask, since you started coaching me has he always said that?”
“it was a bit before that but yeah. it’s no big deal at all. people change, zeke changed. i can’t do anything about it.”
moving to find his room keys again you don’t expect for him to hold his grasp
looking up at him there’s a look of simmering anger on his face
“why did you never tell me he said that about you?”
running a hand through your hair you’re only getting anxious having to deal with this in the middle of a hotel hallway
“levi. everyone says that about me. me and you are always together, all sorts of stupid rumours spread.”
“so why do you have to deal with all the malicious comments?? it’s unfa-”
“levi, the world has never been fair.”
handing him his keys he looks between you and them. he’s deciding if he wants to continue with his questioning
ultimately he decides he’s heard enough
Tumblr media
a few hours have passed since the incident. neither you or levi have had the courage to come out of your separate rooms to discuss anything
you know you’re going to have to break the quiet and go through his possible press conference questions with him. even if you don’t want to this is your job after all.
so that’s how you end up sitting cross legged on his bed in your pyjamas. levi’s still in the shower so you’ve welcomed your self in. it’s common practice between the two of you to do so
after the one time he walked in on you naked…there’s practically nothing to hide from each other
scribbling a few ideas down onto your notepad you’re curious of what the press have in store for him this time
“yes exactly my thoughts” the sound of levi’s voice is coming from the bathroom, you suppose he’s had to take a business call and think nothing of it
“y/n?” he scoffs and you assume at first he’s calling out for you but then things take a turn for the worst
“sometimes i think about not having y/n coach me that’s all… there’s nothing wrong with that?”
oh.
so your suspicions were correct.
glancing down at the interview questions in your lap you jot down a note at the bottom
hey couldn’t stay for long but try to review the press conference questions on your own if you have the time! :-) much lov good luck, y/n !!!!
and then you retreat.
Tumblr media
you don’t know if you make it up but you swear you hear knocking at your door during the night. you aren’t too sure but whatever it is disturbs your sleep.
stretching outside of your room the next morning you’re drowsy and beyond exhausted. you don’t even notice levi come outside.
one of his knuckles is rubbing at his bloodshot eyes. has he not slept well?
“i tried to wake you up but i guess you were asleep?” his statement comes out as a question. you’re not used to levi exhibiting much emotion at all and right now he seems unusually inquisitive.
“i was sleeping.” not even sparing him a second of your time you give him a rehearsed smile and walk off towards the hotel cafe
you can’t find the energy to even look at him
Tumblr media
the hall is lined up with barricades to prevent possible assault or injury and you’re behind the stage with levi
the two of you have yet to say another word to each other since this morning. levi’s buttoning his shirt up and you’re looking around for his necktie. the least he can do after yesterday’s confrontation with zeke is to look presentable
“tie?” he asks over his shoulder
throwing it at him you hear a grunt of annoyance. he must have disliked that.
“can you help me with my cuff links?”
breathing out of your nose you feel anxious. you’ll have to get really close to him to do that.
but again you have to.
you take them from his hands and stand in front of him. you don’t really know how to go about this, what way is there for you to appropriately position yourself?
he’s sat on a backstage bench and checks the time on his phone “we’ve only got a few minutes left.” he’s clearly requesting that you hurry this up but you can’t seem to do it you’re completely frozen in place
“y/n, what’s wrong?” he asks
“nothing.”
he doesn’t have to know you know
“something’s wrong.”
“we’re in a hurry it doesn’t matter.” yanking him by his right sleeve you slot one of the cuff links through the slits in his shirt.
levi silently observes you fiddling with his sleeves, you can feel his stare burn into you. even as you’re moving onto the opposite side you can see from the corner of your eye that he hasn’t stopped staring
“was it something i said to you?” he asks again
a silence drags between the both of you and you debate on whether or not you’d like to enlighten levi with the information you obtained yesterday night
“more like something you didn’t say.” you finally respond.
thrusting his arm back at him his hand lands onto his lap and he opens his mouth to respond only to be cut off by an announcer
“THIS YEARS OLYMPUS RING CONTESTANTS MAY ENTER.”
crowds can be heard cheering outside but levi still hasn’t ripped his eyes off of you
“go on, maybe you’ll find a new coach after the press conference.” your bitter smile tells him all he has to know and his face visibly drops realizing what has happened
“i–”
“mr ackerman to the stage. i repeat mr ackerman to the stage!!”
he’s torn between staying behind and explaining himself or leaving to head towards one of the most important press conferences of his life
his teeth tug at his bottom lip as he looks between you and the entrance to the stage
“go levi.”
and he does.
Tumblr media
levi’s sat on one of many chairs on the panel, he gulps taking a sip of water to calm his nerves. he’s not even nervous about the press conference, that can wait. he doesn’t know how much you’ve heard and how much you’ve misinterpreted what he’s said
he finds it weird at first that he’s even worried because you and him have a professional relationship
but then he has to stop himself from smacking the back of his own head. he knows that much isn’t true, hell if it was a strictly professional relationship he wouldn’t be walking around shirtless to get your attention
he wouldn’t lace his fingers with yours when he was nervous either 
he wouldn’t let you tend to his injuries and scold him if this was about being professional, he doesn’t tolerate being scolded by anyone but if it’s you he’ll take it
when it’s you scolding him for fucking up one of his fists it feels okay, it feels right. he feels warm inside knowing that you have to care for him if you get that angry 
he sighs feeling exasperated waiting for the last person to join the panel and get this question and answers segment over and done with
zeke makes his obnoxiously late appearance but levi doesn’t have it in him to roll his eyes. evidently he’s still stuck on you and thinking about apologizing as soon as this is finished
zeke sits right next to levi and some members of the crowd whisper amongst themselves
“have they made up?”
“think there’s gonna be another brawl??”
“i hope not they’re both my favourites…”
one of the reporters right in front of the stage but behind the barricades is the first to speak
“as we all know there has been an unmistakable sense of tension between two of the most promising contenders this year. mr ackerman and mr yaeger. would you like to put the rumours at rest?”
the question makes levi clench his jaw, zeke rolls his hands into two fists feeling just as frustrated. this is boxing not a reality tv show who cares what the terms of their long broken friendship are?
zeke nudges levi’s knee with his and levi returns the movement.
for now they’ll call a truce. it seems that both he and zeke have more pressing matters to attend to
“me and levi are bros. i’m frankly upset such a rumour started in the first place!” the crowd is mumbling again and the reporter himself is stunned by the unexpected response
“i admit that a fight which some may have saw yesterday was my fault. i had made some inappropriate comments towards his coach to get at him. it was a malicious move on my part and i hope people don’t think him and i are mortal enemies because of this bump in the road.”
zeke is so well spoken when he wants to be that levi feels self conscious sitting there having said nothing.
“mr ackerman? would you like to comment or?”
levi’s eyes light up, this is an opportunity to have you hear him. he doesn’t have to wait to explain when he can throw hints right now. you may be giving him the silent treatment but you wouldn’t miss this press conference for the world
sitting up in his chair and clearing his throat levi looks directly into one of the cameras pointed at him. he’s sure you’ll be able to see him from backstage.
“me and zeke have no other disputes apart from that i assure you. i simply value my coach greatly and so i acted rashly yesterday.”
the reporter nods along feeling pleased with the answer.
a few more questions are thrown around to the other contestants, levi sits there bored out of his mind until at the last minute before everything is just about to wrap up he’s asked a question once again
“regarding your coach, have you thought of a replacement if you win the championship?”
levi presses his lips together not understanding the question
“why would i replace my current coach?” where on earth has this question even come from??
“rumours have been flying around regarding lack of experience and the fact you’re outgrowing each other now. it’s all over boxing discussion forums.”
your hands are embarrassingly shoved into your pockets as people pass behind you backstage offering you pitiful looks. maybe wearing your bright pink team ackerman tracksuit wasn’t the best choice because everyone can hear what’s going on up front
levi’s memory flashes back to the number of times you hid your phone behind your back and awkwardly chuckled saying nothing was bothering you. he understands what you were hiding now
his mouth twists into a scowl, he knows you’re a few meters away listening to all of this and hearing it coming out of a stranger’s mouth is probably upsetting you
“i plan to stick with my coach till the day i die.”
you sit up not believing what you heard, it entirely contradicts what you heard last night
some journalists are jotting down notes, members of the audience are leaning forward listening intently
“well, why is that?” the reporter presses on
levi twirls a pen around in his hands staring off into the crowd.
“i don’t think anyone else could tolerate me.
you bite back a laugh because you know that’s true :-)
“they’re a person who saw potential in me when no one else did.”
he chuckles to himself.  “your stamina it’s great!” his witty imitation of you is rather accurate
“that was the first thing coach ever said to me.” he pauses allowing himself to reminisce.
“but i did want to drop my coach the other day.” he admits.
hearing him confess to it should make you mad, you should be pissed off right now but you can’t manage to feel that way at all
“i said it because i wanted them to relax. i never really understood the magnitude of the criticism they were receiving until recently.”
levi’s staring directly at the camera and his eyes pierce into yours, it’s as if he’s actually looking right at you
“i’d be lost without them, so i want to say to the one person rooting for me backstage, thank you for everything you do for me :-)”
you’re covering your face with your hands feeling the blush creep up your cheeks now. GOD what is he doing??? you may as well be the same colour as your tracksuit, you’ve never heard him be this sentimental in his entire life
“so no, i won’t be replacing my coach any time soon. if anything i should worry about my coach replacing me.”
levi ackerman...
he’s a HUGE idiot if he thinks you’ve ever thought of seriously replacing him
Tumblr media
levi presses his arms against your sides when you’re both alone and in the solitude of his hotel room.
“i’m sorry for thinking you wanted to fire me.“ you mumble it into his chest feeling much too embarrassed to look up at him and say it
“also i may as well say this now but i have a fat, massive, huge crush on you “
after that you awkwardly laugh to yourself. you both kinda stare at each other and you’re meant to regret telling him how you feel right now but you don’t. having that weight lifted off your shoulders feels amazing.
"you don’t have to like me back or anything and i know you don’t like me back obviously you probably like that one actress- what was her name?? the one with the long black hair she gave you her number at a fundraiser dinner. you’d both look cute together, have i said that??”
levi gives you a blank look
“i threw her number away.”
you’re open mouthed feeling completely shocked, she’s gorgeous??
“HUH?? HELLO WHY? LEVI ACKERMAN, HAVE YOU EVEN SEEN HER??”
“i have but is she you?”
the all too familiar words from years ago ring in your ears 
nostalgia hits the both of you in waves and levi takes you in for another hug. your heart hammers in your chest and with your face pressed against him once again you can feel the irregular beat of his heart too. 
that is when you and levi formally meet for the second time. this time you are but an experienced coach and he, an experienced boxer.
:-)
283 notes · View notes
robininthelabyrinth · 3 years
Note
Reforged-verse. Baxia had once eight saber-siblings. Saber spirits which trained and developed with her. They were known as the Nine Children of the Dragon. (Based on Fatal Journey where the final disciples in the tomb were the Nie Bros + 7 disciples. But i'm replacing Aituan with another saber spirit for Nie Zhonghui since he's a dual saber wielder! 9 sabers + Aituan! All the sabers are named after The Nine Sons of the Dragon.)
extra for this
There were things one didn’t do with a saber.
Even as indifferent a student as Nie Huaisang knew that, the same way he’d learned rules like ‘don’t stick your hand into hot coals’ or ‘if you jump out the window you will break a bone’. Sabers were tools, even if they had spirits of their own; they were meant to be wielded by their masters, not to act on their own.
It was forbidden for a saber to be used fully autonomously, in fact – sabers did not understand the way of the living, it was said, and hated evil without exception; they could not understand the complexity of human life, the nuances of human mercy, and therefore had no true notion of justice.
Nie Huaisang had always thought that that was bullshit.
It was nice to be proven right.
Are you sure about this? His brother – now a saber himself, and somehow that surprising shocking fact had quickly become normal, as if it was what he’d always been meant to be – wrote to him. It’s dangerous.
“Everything these days is dangerous,” Nie Huaisang said, and his brother wobbled his hilt in a way that signified agreement. “Our enemy hides in the dark, using weapons we can’t see; to match him, we must do the same.”
You’ve always been better at scheming than me, Nie Mingjue replied, and Nie Huaisang thought to himself that he could still hear the fondness that was always there behind his brother’s curt way of speaking, even though the lifeless sand through which they communicated carried no sound but its own. If you think it’s worth it, then we do it.
“It’s not as if they’re going to be completely without a master,” Nie Huaisang pointed out. “You’ll be there with Baxia.”
I am no longer a master.
Nie Huaisang shrugged. “You’re no longer human. But you know human judgment, and human mercy, and wasn’t that always the only problem?”
Bloodlust was also a problem.
“Humans suffer from that, too. You were always able to hold yourself back before; I refuse to believe that you’ll succumb to a frenzy now. We will proceed.”
We will.
Out of all the sabers in the Nie sect, there were nine that Baxia trusted more than anyone. One was his own Aituan, because she’d raised Nie Huaisang from being little more than a baby himself, forging his personality just as he in turn shaped Aituan’s; the other eight were sabers from the same maker as her.
He’d been a little mad, that smith – he’d shown up at the Nie sect in the middle of a stormy night, his clothing without any signifier and his tongue cut out; it was only through the calluses of his hands that they had identified him as a smith, bringing him to the forge when he wouldn’t respond to anything else, and he had proven his worth there, crafting sabers so strong and powerful and beautiful that it had made several sect elders weep. He had made many of the sabers that eventually developed spirits, and one day he had locked himself into seclusion for a full year, emerging with nine nearly-crafted sabers, each one brimming with power and waiting only for a master to be completed.
He’d named them after the nine sons of the dragon.
Baxia, that queen amongst sabers had been the first of them claimed, Nie Mingjue having picked her up far too young; the others were cousins and uncles, each one loyal and talented and powerful. Their training-crazed half-generation uncle, Nie Zonghui, had claimed two for dual wielding; he was a terror on the battlefield, as were they all.
Some had died since they had picked up the saber. Others still lived.
None were currently relevant to Nie Huaisang’s plan, other than consenting to their sabers’ use in it.
Jin Guangyao had butchered Nie Mingjue’s body and hidden it, as if there were any place that Baxia could not track now that she had Nie Mingjue’s wisdom added to her strength. There were four separate places where he had put it, and per Nie Huaisang’s plan, each would be haunted by two of Baxia’s brothers and sister sabers, entirely without their wielder – enough cause a frenzy more than sufficient to draw the attention of cultivators all over.
All that attention would make Jin Guangyao very nervous.
Baxia – with Nie Mingjue to help her – would make sure of that.
And as for Nie Huaisang…
Nobody would notice him and Aituan, left behind like the useless children that they were. No one would notice him slipping into Jin Guangyao’s quarters for the evidence he needed, enough to force even Lan Xichen to face up to everything; no one would see the traps he’d lay for the man who’d hurt his brother in terrible ways and planned even worse, who had similar plans for his own son who was not yet four.
Nobody would know.
Not yet, anyway.
129 notes · View notes
Note
Hey, can you do a Dazai x Port Mafia Executive Male Reader. Where reader is Dazai former partner before he gets replace by Chuuya and instead of Chuuya coming for Q and fighting Lovecraft its reader instead. Readers ability is like Shigaraki from bnha.
Dazai Osamu x sadistic!male reader
Ngl I was a little confused cause the last time I watched bsd was months ago.
Also made the reader sadistic because yes. i forgot the reason
Part 2
Requested: Yes
Word Count: 3859
Warnings: Mentions of suicide (Dazai stuff ofc), angsty boi
Tumblr media
“You want me to pair up with this rookie?” You gesture in the vague direction of Dazai. You know he’s there, but you don’t act like it.
Dazai huffs, offended by your words. He crosses his arms. You weren’t giving him the best impression and if you were going to be partners, he at least had to tolerate you enough to keep his head on his shoulders.
“Now, now,” Mori chides with a sweet tone. You don’t trust the guy, he may act kind, but you’re sure he hides something with that kindness. “He’s already a port mafia executive.” You roll your eyes, he was only one of them because he witnessed the old boss handing down his title ‘willingly’. You seriously doubted he did do it willingly, seeing as it was a mere few minutes before his death. That sort of coincidence belongs to a movie.
“Like I don’t know that.” You shake your head. “Fine, fine, I’ll be his partner. I only want to know what he can do. He has an ability, doesn’t he?”
You finally acknowledge his presence, turning to him and sizing him up. Dazai is flustered by the gesture, but he pretends to act calm and collected, something that works with that young poker face of his.
“Yes--” Mori is interrupted by the executive himself, who is eager to show off.
“Yes, I do.” Dazai replies, uncrossing his arms. “But what’s yours?”
You furrow your eyebrows. Abilities are wide and unique, ranging from psychological to physical to straight magic. Knowing your ability could be a part of his ability. You were to work together so he’d know either way, but at the moment, you wanted to know his weaknesses.
“That’s valuable information.” You crack your knuckles and stretch, pretending to prepare for a fight.
“No fighting in my office.” Mori reminds you. “Or the building, for that matter. One of your abilities is particularly destructive, and we don’t know what you could do. Go to the training area if you’re going to fight.”
You give both of them a smirk, “Who says I was going to fight? I was merely enjoying the look in Dazai’s eye.”
Dazai frowned, quickly fixing his composure. It’s true, he was a little intimidated and he did not mean to let it show.
“You’re quite sadistic, aren’t you?” Mori chuckles, shaking his head.
“That’s one thing right about me, boss.” You smile brightly. Dazai furrows his eyebrows and examines you. That smile of yours is sickeningly sweet, almost mocking. You look like a monster, but maybe that was part of your act. He’d know your ability in no time.
“Well, as partners you do have to know each other’s abilities. I picked Dazai specifically for you.” That gave each of them a hint to each other’s abilities, more to Dazai than anything.
You nod letting out a sigh, “Do you have anything you don’t want, Mori?”
Dazai quirks an eyebrow, interested in the peculiar question. Mori nods, nudging forward a tongue depressor, those big wooden popsicle sticks, one he could very well spare.
You pick up with all but one finger, your middle finger, holding it up for both of them to see. “Do you have anything for the debris?” Mori slides a metal tray towards the edge of the table.
“Pay close attention, Dazai.” You give him a glance before looking back at the stick, putting your final finger on it. It disintegrates in a matter of seconds, turning into pieces so small that they look like ash. “What’s yours?” You turn to him.
Dazai seems to shrink under your gaze, but he keeps a stoic look. “Put your hand on my arm.” You raise an eyebrow. Does he wish to experiment with your ability or is it part of his?
You put your hand on his arm, once again with all but one finger. You don’t trust him, that much is clear.
“Trust me.” The look he gives you is genuine, albeit the smile is devilish, though you oblige all the same.
Your eyebrows furrow when your ability has no effect. The skin doesn’t disintegrate, nor does it fall apart as usual. “That is my ability, No Longer Human.”
“And that is why I paired you two up.”
You huff a little angrily once you realize. His ability stops other abilities, what triggered it you didn’t know, but that wasn’t the most important thing for you. He paired you two up to have him be your control. You don’t need anyone to control you and you don’t want anyone to control you. You want to do you and you do not want this boy to hold you back.
You open your mouth to protest but Mori interrupts you. “This is my decision and mine alone, you cannot say otherwise.” As much as you want to mess up his pretty face, you couldn’t disobey the boss.
“Fine.”
Tumblr media
As time grew on, Dazai had become a friend, though sometimes he felt like more than a friend. Despite your early refusal to the idea, you’d really warmed up to each other.
Dazai, the young bastard, was also quite the prick at times. Though you couldn’t really complain about his age since it turns out you’re within the same age range. While he was a prick, he was also caring, as you’d come to learn.
Sometimes he’d hold your forearm when you were touching something, even though over the years you’d built up the habit to not use your middle finger. Every time he did so you would laugh and it would somewhat fluster you, you’d tell him you didn’t need it and without fail he would say “Just in case.” It was nice to know he cared, and the other little gestures he would perform were even nicer.
You were known for being a little sadistic, taking joy from inflicting pain for no reason. When he’d hold you back from attacking some random lackey at the time it would make you angry, but a few minutes later you’d be grateful for it. After all, that lackey wouldn’t be very useful with an injury.
Though sometimes even he couldn’t hold you back. When you’d start a fight with another executive just for your enjoyment, he was quick to be there and keep you in touch. Perhaps you did need control after all.
The other executives were rather thankful for Dazai, as you chose someone to pick on every week. Something you hated about Dazai was that he was immune to your mockery. He got used to it from your partnership and he couldn’t be hurt by your ability. But you supposed it was for the better, the other executives were starting to get really annoyed by you.
Except everything changed when Nakahara came along.
Although your partnership was relatively new, you found comfort in each other’s companies. You protected each other’s weaknesses and complemented each other’s strengths; so when the news came along that Chūya would replace you as Dazai’s partner, both of you were a little ticked off, per say.
Dazai’s first impression on the newer rookie didn’t help their relationship. Chūya annoyed him to the very ends of the Earth and he did not want him to replace you. It wasn’t just Chūya either, he’d grown very fond of you. Sometimes he couldn’t even fight without you; He was used to you being there to back him up, though this detail he would not tell you.
In time, you didn’t look like the monster he’d thought you were in his first impression of you. You actually looked sweet.
Your smile, which for everybody else would be sadistic, turned out to look more endearing to him. Everybody caught onto the fact that the smiles you’d directed at him weren’t the smiles he’d show others. Somehow you hadn’t realized it, but he had.
You’d grown to like him, dare say crush on him, which was something you denied. His triumphant smile after the end of a mission and the jokes he’d make as you fought were always the highlight of your day.
None of you wanted to give up the other.
“This is his decision and his alone, we cannot say otherwise.” You mocked, making Dazai snicker. The fact he used the same words was quite ironic, really. 
Tomorrow marked Chūya and his first mission together, so you’d dedicated this day to each other. Dazai did not look forward to tomorrow, and as much as he wanted to vent to you about Chūya’s very abundant annoying qualities, you’d both promised not to talk about it.
The news of your separation had made both of you realize your growing crushes for each other. You were no longer in denial, though you loathed the idea… but when you really thought about it, you didn’t loathe the idea. Musing to yourself about hugging him, playing with his hair… thinking about the fact that you did in fact like it made you gag.
As the night neared to an end, your guts told you to tell him. You wouldn’t see each other all that often anyway and if you were never to interact much, at least you would be getting this off your chest.
“Dazai.” You both stared out the window of the HQ, prior to you speaking up you were in an awkward silence. None of you wanted to say goodbye.
He turned to you and you to him. As much as you wanted to avoid eye contact, you thought it might help. “I like you… don’t joke with me.”
Dazai was going to make a joke. It was amazing how much you got to know him in so little time. He smiled, and your hopes raised when you took notice of how it wasn’t pitiful. “I like you too.”
You immediately let go of the breath you didn’t know you were holding.
“Where’s the big sadistic lion?” Dazai questions, playfully mocking how meek you are right now. His smile seems more joyful than usual, as it should with what just happened.
You snicker, giving him the sadistic smile he’s used to. “I’m right here.”
Tumblr media
Dazai was your anchor in the Port Mafia, even when he plead for double suicide with you. Before you were partnered up, you absolutely despised the place. The other executives and the occasional lackeys were fun to provoke but it was almost as if that was your coping mechanism. You often complained about how awful the Mafia was handled with the previous boss, but he would never change anything. He was an idiot up until his very death.
You thought Mori’s recent ‘crowning’ would change your opinion, but it didn’t change it at all. You still hated the place. It was almost as if their only objective was to keep their hands on Yokohama. You wanted more than that, you wanted the whole of Japan to be your turf.
Mori didn’t want that and while he would take the opportunity once presented, he wouldn’t do a thing otherwise. He was perfectly happy with that and you weren’t.
Dazai was the only reason you stayed, but now the reason had been diminishing. You barely spoke and barely hung out. This wasn’t what ‘dating’ was and both of you knew it.
He wanted to try harder and so did you, but with your current situation, you couldn’t. When he wasn’t with Chūya, you were out on a mission. No, you weren’t jealous. This wasn’t Chūya’s fault nor was it something either of you could control. There were various times you debated on breaking up.
Dazai was the only thing holding you back from leaving, so if you broke up you didn’t have to worry about him. But you liked him and both of you would be heartbroken. You never liked thinking about it, but someday, it had to be addressed. That day never came.
The final day you were with the Port Mafia was the day that you had a brush with death.
You’d called for backup, you’d received none. The henchmen you were commanding left like cowards. To think these were the people you’d trained.
One of your big weaknesses was fighting groups of people alone. These henchmen knew that and they’d run. Where were their morals? Where was their faith, their loyalty? Where was their honor, their pride? It was then that you’d learned the Port Mafia wasn’t your place. These people weren’t your people, this turf wasn’t your turf. They were cowards and you were no coward.
Alone and fighting recklessly, you were down. You refused to flee, and that stubbornness was what caused you to nearly die. Luckily, you never crossed death’s doorstep. The people you were fighting presumed you dead the moment you dropped to the ground.
They were fools but a fool you were too to let your emotions get the best of you.
That day somebody had found you on the brisk of death. They claimed to be a spy and they offered to get you help.
Of course, you accept without asking for conditions. You were dying, what else could you have said? The conditions turned out to be joining his organization and feeding them with information or something equally as important.
No longer would you be associated with the Port Mafia. You were glad to leave them. But your only consequence being leaving behind Dazai, the love of your life and the highlight of the day. It was a hard decision to make that was for sure, but it was either this or death.
You felt selfish.
Months after joining them, the so-called ‘Guild’, your heart ached. Leaving Dazai was your biggest mistake but joining the Guild was the best thing that had happened to you since him. For the longest time, you’d wanted to tell him. You never had the guts to. And then you left Japan to join the bigger part of the guild in North America.
Tumblr media
In time you’d stopped thinking about Dazai.
The crew was polite, a contrast from the cold lackeys and executives from the Port Mafia. It’s a nice change, one you wish won’t ever change. But maybe the hope of a different life blinds you from how bad these people really are, their underlying motives and morals, their similarities to the Port Mafia executives.
The guild is ambitious, their leader most of all. They have a turf and the turf is way bigger than the Port Mafia’s, something you’re proud about. You certainly feel better about this place than the Port Mafia.
Your sadistic personality never changes either, and while the others are certainly annoyed by it, they handle it in a different way. They make sure you know that you can’t hurt them severely, or there’ll be repercussions. Maybe not repercussions from the Guild’s rules, but them hurting you back. It’s a nice change, one that gets your adrenaline pumping every time you pick a fight.
The only time you did think of him was in your nightmares, the middle of the night. Those nightmares consisted of him calling you a traitor, betrayer, but that wasn’t what hurt you. They played out scenarios of you telling Dazai.
He’d kiss you, hold you tight, ask you where you’d been, question the new stitches and scars… and then you’d tell him.
His face would be ridden with denial. “No. No you couldn’t have! You’re joking, you’re lying!” He laughs, tries to believe it’s a joke, but he can’t get it out of his head that it isn’t.
“It’s not.”
It’s then that he lets out a sob. He trembles, pushes you away from him, looks you in the eye with a look full of betrayal. It’s then that he calls you names, which stated before aren’t what hurts you. It’s how he looks and what he says next that hurts the most, “I thought you loved me.”
That’s when the nightmare ends. You wake up with tears of your own, they’re hot and sting on your cheeks. You furiously wipe them away, but more keep coming.
You sob loudly, which wakes up John and Lucy. They’re the only ones you’ve trusted with your secret, Dazai. They comfort you the best they can but the most they can do is tell you it’s going to be okay or something along those lines. As much as you try to believe them, you can’t.
Dazai becomes a mere figure of your past. You think of him as unreachable, unattainable, as something you should scold yourself for thinking about.
If you could’ve taken him with you, you would’ve.
Tumblr media
Learning that you will go back to Japan because of the leader’s obsession with a ‘tiger’ almost breaks you like your ability would.
You hadn’t thought about Dazai nightmares in the past year, but now you remember him again. You begin to regret leaving him, your heart aches again and your nightmares act up again. Everything gets worse when you arrive in Japan.
War breaks out between 3 organizations but the only thing you can think of is the Port Mafia. It’d been 6 years. Could he still remember you?
You don’t care who wins, you just want this whole thing to be over with. It upsets your ‘teammates’, but you don’t care. Once again, you think about leaving the organization, maybe live a normal life. That sort of life feels far-fetched right now and you know it’s something you’ll never have the chance to achieve. But still, you hope for it.
But then you see him again.
The second your eyes land on him you want to run. His eyes land on you and they must look the same as yours.
It hurts, but you have to persevere. “Hey, Lovecraft?” You glance at the man with the strange ability and appearance. “You want to go sleep, right?” You let out a mocking yawn of your own, giving the two in front of you your signature sickly smile.
“Yes.” Lovecraft replies, voice monotone and deep as always.
“Go get John and leave, get to sleep faster.” You nod in the direction you’d seen Chūya knock John towards. Your eyes stayed on the two in front of you. They both act as if they’d never seen you before, which you’re glad for. You don’t know if you could’ve handled seeing the same look Dazai would give you in your nightmares.
“But Francis and... you.” You’d like to think you’d gotten close to Lovecraft, but really he treated everybody the same because of his ‘contract’ with Francis.
“I’ll be fine. I know these guys’ weaknesses, anyway.” He doesn’t question how you do nor does he protest further and leaves immediately. “Quite the reunion, huh?”
“(y/n)..” Chūya growls. He glares at you, something you’d never seen 6 years ago as his senior executive. He never dared to interact with you. He knew he’d be replacing you as Dazai’s partner and knew about your relationship together. If anything, it was out of pity, and that you hated.
“Chūya.” You reply. “How’s the family, the mafia, the kids?” You mock. Chūya all but seethes, he looks like he’s ready to strike.
“(y/n),” Once Lovecraft is gone, Dazai gives you the look you dreaded to see. “H-How--” He doesn’t know what to say and neither do you. Your smile fades, turns into a frown. You don’t want to fight him but you also don’t want him to take on Lovecraft. As much as you liked the guy, he was a nightmare incarnate.
“Dazai.” Is all that you say. The vague response hurts you both.
“Chūya you might want to do that here.”
Chūya looks back at Dazai, shocked and taken aback. “You want me to do that? Dazai, I don’t think that’s needed and you know how shit that makes me feel.” It’s clear he doesn’t want to give into his corruption.
“You shouldn’t underestimate him.” Dazai speaks with experience, and it hurts you to know that he knows that.
“Don’t hurt him too much, we’re dating.”
“You’re still dating?!”
“Technically we never broke up!”
Tumblr media
You laugh, staring at the limp body next to you. Chūya is deep asleep, or knocked out, you don’t know. You never really saw the aftermath of his corruption.
“That was a nice fight.” You remark, loud enough for Dazai to hear despite how weak you feel. Chūya had basically broken both your legs and injured you, but at least he hadn’t killed you or put you into a coma. The pain was unbearable for most people, but it was a simple background thought for you.
“It’s been…” Dazai starts.
“6 years.” You finish for him.
“I missed you.” You’re glad to hear that instead of the words from your nightmares, but you’re sure those words will eventually come.
“I did too.”
“You did?”
You sigh, nodding. “There were plenty of errands I had to run around and do for Francis. That rich old guy didn’t do anything himself. I didn’t think much of you, but I never forgot you. I had my own fair share of nightmares about you, they’re all the same.”
Dazai moves you to lean against the bark of a tree. You look into each other’s eyes, and you can tell that his are pleading. “Please stay.”
You ignore his remark, weakly reaching over to feel his coat. “New coat?”
“Yes.” Dazai grumbles, sitting down next to you cross legged. “Answer me.” He pleads again.
“You don’t want to know why I left, first?” Dazai shakes his head, taking your hand in his and squeezing it, prompting a pained groan from you. He quickly apologizes for it.
“I don’t know if I can.” You sigh, rubbing the back of his hand. You were quite touch starved, seeing as you couldn't really hold or touch anything properly. “If Francis wins I’d have to stay with him. If either of you win, I’ll most likely end up in prison.”
“Join me.”
You think back to the Guild. They were inviting and you thought them to be good, but just then did you think about how bad they really were. You’d known all along but you always refused to believe it. You wanted to be there just to escape the Mafia, you never wanted to be there because it was the guild.
“What was it… the Armed Detective Agency?” He nods. “How would that stop me from going to prison?”
“I don’t know.” Dazai admits with a huff. “Just.. please stay.”
“Okay.” You smile at him. Dazai remembers that smile, it’s burned into his memory and he takes note of how it hasn’t changed a bit. He’s missed it ever since you left. “Would they accept me, though?”
“They will, they will.” He says it as if he were determined, but he knows there’s a high chance they’ll refuse.
Dazai pulls you into a much deserved kiss. Long, gentle, sweet, and full of fireworks, it’s almost like your first. The only thing is it’s a little weak on your end, but he can’t blame you.
“Not going to mention sucide?”
“I haven’t seen you in 6 years, at least let me cherish this for another 2 months.”
1K notes · View notes
ficforthought · 3 years
Text
On being SO DONE with M*sha, a rant a decade in the making!
After giving this some thought I'm going to go ahead and give my opinion on Misha and yesterday’s situation in public for the first time ever. I was going to just post on Twitter but since this has been 12 years in the making I have exceeded the number of tweets I can put in one thread! There’s A LOT in here, so my summary is also long. I'm aware that I will lose followers over this, I'm not looking to offend anyone but it will inevitably happen. I wish anyone leaving all the best as fellow human beings.
TL;DR - having kept quiet for so long I’ve finally reached my limit and it’s all come bubbling out. I’ve never been a fan of Misha, I’ve been ambivalent for the most part, but have never criticised him in any hateful way, that's not who I am, but after all these years of putting up with his bullshit, attention seeking and troublemaking I am DONE. Deleting his tweet containing the word Wincest and replacing it with an APOLOGY just to pander to his Minions and save face is the straw that broke the camel's back. He has consistently pushed his ship on not only fans but on other actors (despite Jensen's discomfort, and him having repeatedly made his feelings known on it), he has stood by while his Minions/Hellers have harassed, victimised, doxxed and sent death threats to people based on their FICTIONAL ships. He has pandered to their gatekeeping, constantly demanded attention in obvious and not so obvious ways, and to the best of my knowledge never criticised their actions even though he's aware of it in a very real way. Some of his Minions have now taken their shit into The Boys fandom and created negativity for Jensen before the guy has even got a foot through the set door, and how is that supporting one half of your ship?
Misha has claimed to be a victim of targeted harassment from Wincest/brother fans (not only shippers) yet his fans have said and done the most despicable things on his watch, all in the name of what he must think is entertainment, or even his idea of a ‘joke’.
Any respect I had for the man based on his humanitarian work has gone because I can only take so much hypocrisy. He and his pandering because of a desperate attempt to be woke and wholly inclusive (which is actually impossible, no matter how good intentions are) are beyond pathetic. Whilst I have never seen why people think he’s so great I have friends IRL and online who genuinely adore the man, yet they have been shocked and upset by his contempt for half of the fandom that made him somewhat famous. It's disgusting and I'm not scrolling by any more. Misha, I hope to never see you on anything J2 related in future because none of us need that kind of negativity, *especially* not J2. Be gone, foul fiend!
OK, so to the too long part. Please be aware that these are my opinions as a fan of the show, of Sam and Dean, and J2, not only as a shipper. I can separate canon and fanon, and can view canon from a gen or shippy PoV. Whether you agree or disagree with my opinion let me be clear that I do not condone constant bashing and hate of a person or character so this isn’t the start of a regular thing for me. It's possible to have an opinion and not show the same vitriol that has been following this man around for years, and that’s what I’m doing. I've not posted this to prompt more negativity, it's simply to get it off my chest and make it clear how I feel. I stand by my philosophy of ship who you want to ship, enjoy it, but don't force it on other people and don't be a dick about it…hmm, that kinda sounds like familiar behaviour, though, does it not?!
I have ABSOLUTELY NO ISSUE with other people liking Misha, Cas or Destiel when it’s for the love of the characters and the ship. What I *do* have an issue with is people who are the true definition of a Heller. I don’t see that as a generic term, don't be ignorant and think I do because I know the difference between actual ship fans and the crazies, both ships have ‘em and I want no part of either of their venom. If you are reading this and class yourself as a Heller then you are part of the problem so run along and as you are all so fond of saying, 'get help' and take your bestie king with you.
I’m stating my opinion in what I feel is the most mature way I can, because unlike many people on SM, I am an adult and can act accordingly, with forethought and without resorting to temper tantrums and bullying of other people to get my point across. I am able to tell the difference between reality and fiction, I don't tar everyone with the same shipper brush and I don't expect everyone to agree with my opinion, but as we know opinions are like arseholes, we all have them and sometimes they stink. Unlike some, for the most part in life (online and offline) I *do* stand by what I say and don’t backtrack or delete things to appease the masses. I have spent a lot of time writing this out to be as clear as possible without being intentionally hateful. Bear with me jumping between actor and character where relevant, at this point they're conjoined. I will say this before I go any further, it doesn’t end well for Misha, I don’t mince my words and if you don’t like seeing facts and opinions laid out, this isn't the post for you.
I’ll say right off the bat what most of you have surmised - I’ve never held Misha (or Cas) in high esteem but I have never *hated* on him. I have shared mild criticism of his actions and opinions on Cas over the years but never, I feel, in any way that has made me feel I have something to apologise for. I have said several times I've been unhappy about Misha crashing con panels, taking attention away from J2 when at those cons *most* people paid their hard earned money to see the STARS of the show they love, first and foremost, and anyone else is a very nice bonus. The odd appearance here and there crashing a panel is fine (and Misha isn’t the first or last person to do it), maybe take up a few minutes then leave, but when someone commandeers an entire panel, that's just not on. It's not only selfish, rude and attention seeking but also disrespectful to other actors, fans and to the organisers who work hard to make sure everything ties in to give us the best con experience we can have. Everyone gets their turn on stage, there's no need to try and hog any more of the limelight, Veruca Salt style. Oh, and if you’re reading this and not getting that reference, (a) you shouldn’t be on my blog because you’re far too young, (b) look it up, and if you still don’t get what I’m saying… well then please refer to point (a). Thank you, kindly!
There was a time in Kripke's era where Cas was - I feel - intentionally used as a pawn by the writers to divert *canon* from the ‘questionable’ relationship between Sam and Dean, i.e. Wincest focus. Prior to that people (other fans) lightened up and just accepted the fact that Wincest had been there since day one in terms of the writing of the show and the fandom. All the cast and crew knew - J2, Kripke and JDM in particular - and made light of it, never judging, never shaming and often encouraging it because they understand it’s a fun part of fandom. Wincest was present enough to be part of the not so subtle subtext, as I said people just accepted it. Kink tomato was alive and well, so was ‘don’t like, don’t read’ and we all just scrolled over things we didn’t like without turning everything into a personal vendetta and excuse for bullying others who didn’t share our views. When the angels came into the plot I think most of us Wincest fans gave the Dean/Cas innuendos the small laugh they deserved and then turned back to the focus of the show which was the brothers, as it had always been intended. Misha, however, milked those moments as much as possible which was amusing at the start but got old *very* quickly, not just for fans (shippers and non shippers alike), but for other actors, in particular Jensen who is on record MULTIPLE times showing his dislike for Destiel. He told people outright that's not how he was playing the relationship between the two characters and CATEGORICALLY said "Destiel doesn't exist" but did it end there? No, it did not because neither fans or Misha let it go, in fact Misha only pushed more, goaded fans into flogging the same dead horse as much as possible. He’s never stopped, not even when there was so much discord in the fandom, a huge wedge was driven into it because of ships, which IMO he heavily contributed to.
Fast forward to over a decade later (a decade, seriously man, let it fucking go!) he didn’t even stop when Destiel did partially go canon. I have never doubted that Cas loved Dean (Sam, too) because in SPN lore angels are made to love, even rebellious ones. I, along with many others, liked that about Cas because who doesn't love a rebel, especially one rebelling for very good reasons, and because of those two wonderful men? Sam and Dean allowed him to see beyond what he'd been brainwashed to believe his entire existence. The fact is that although the nature of that love changed for Cas, it never did for Dean and was CANONICALLY UNREQUITED because Dean was incapable of loving anyone else as much as he loved Sam. All that mattered to Dean, even when he saw other characters as "family" was still Sam…ALWAYS Sam, every step of the way. Again for those who have too much Misha shaped wax in their ears, that’s canon. Whether people choose to see that love platonically or romantically is up to them, soulmates don't always have to be romantic, either way, brotherly love won out above all else on the show. No amount of Misha screaming ‘hey look, Destiel!’ changed that, but it sure didn’t stop him trying, did it?
So now that the obvious has been stated, here's something else we all know - never once in all of the years on the show did Misha drop rallying of the troops to his precious, ego stroking ship. Never once (that I am aware of) has he called out his Minions and Hellers on their continued harassment of everyone involved in the show and other fans despite the fact that they have bullied, victimised and wished bodily harm, rape and death on people who don't see their ship and because didn't get the ending to the story that they wanted. Not once has Misha shown any remorse for the trauma his "fans" have caused, and I’m taking REAL trauma, here, not the kind Twitter stans see as ‘triggering’ - people have been driven to close SM accounts, attempted, and in some cases succeeded in taking their own lives. These Minions have openly mocked Jared’s struggles with depression and anxiety, and Misha - who claims to be friends with J2 and be supportive of them in every way  - has stood by and let it all play out, knowing full well some of the goings on, if not the full extent of how toxic these people are. We know he sees things being said online, and I have absolutely no doubt he spends time online searching his name for things that are relevant in some way to him in an effort to insert himself into a current conversation, or even start one so that attention is on him. Gotta stay relevant, somehow, right, Mish?
He has actively encouraged bullying by his actions of enabling the behaviours above, both by the flogging of the aforementioned dead horse, AND by not objecting to unacceptable behaviours. Remember when Minions and Hellers were slating J2, particularly Jared, for not posting on SM about BLM and other topics? Yeah, he didn’t ask them to stop doing that, either, even when he was tagged in things along the lines of ‘If Misha can post why can’t J2?’ etc. There have been some token protests, con vids I've seen have show his 'objections' which IMO have been done in a very tongue in cheek way, meaning that those people who needed to be pulled aside and told to change their ways just carried on, because their evil overlord didn’t explicitly explain it in terms a three year old could understand that bullying and forcing your opinion on others is WRONG. Not all of his cult are young and impressionable, not by a long shot, but many of the more vocal and vitriolic ones are.
As a father himself I wonder what Misha would do if he found out that his kids were behaving in ways his Minions are? I’m aware they’re young, but kids are cruel and bullying doesn’t just happen online. Even at whatever age they are, would he laugh it off the way he appears to have done with all of this fandom toxicity? Not bloody likely! I wonder if he’s as desperate to gain the approval of his family, friends and colleagues as he appears to be for that of his Minions/Hellers? I would certainly hope so, but that question can only be answered by Misha, himself, and I can and will not presume to speak on someone else's behalf on things in their personal life. For the record I would never presume I know what J2's answers would be on anything, however I do feel that after 15 years I have an accurate gauge on what kind of people they are so would be confident that any opinion I had on a matter aligns with their morals and ethics. As much as J2 have shared of themselves with us - willingly and under no pressure to do so, I might add - we don't *know* them, but we know enough to have an informed opinion. I can’t say the same for Misha because based on the behaviour he’s repeatedly displayed, things I've heard about from other fans as well as people I know IRL who have had direct dealings with him through cons or GISH (including some very actively in the early days when it was GISHWHES) he just hasn’t seemed like a person I wanted to follow on SM. I’ve never watched any of his solo panels, though I have watched ones with both or one of the J's, mostly being left irritated because of his behaviour. Watching the J’s put up with that shit is painful, and it’s a testament to how good they are as actors that they managed to hide at least some of their disdain for as long as they did. Microexpressions give them away, particularly Jensen, and they certainly have faces I have spent many years watching closely. Beautiful faces to go with beautiful souls, both of them! <3
I have precisely ZERO interest in Destiel as a ship, very little interest in Cas as a character anymore (though I did like him in the early days,and his relationship with Jack in late seasons) so I have absolutely no reason or desire to follow anything Misha does. That said, I've obviously been peripherally aware of some things he's been involved in because of friends, from things I’ve seen on SM and general fandom stuff. Despite the things I've already mentioned about his behaviour, up until now I have been able to maintain a level of respect for him as a person because of the humanitarian and charity work he's done. He seems like someone who really does want to change the world for the better and I am in full support of that fact, so much so that I have supported TWO campaigns relating to him. I bought one of the Super Good t-shirts for the campaign he did with Michael Sheen (a true angel!), the SPN/Good Omens x-over to help homeless charities, and I chose the design with text only and not artwork of Michael and Misha on, basically because I didn’t want to be wearing something with Misha’s face on it and I make absolutely no apology for that, whatsoever. I also bought Alex's #TheEndHasNoEnd shirt, which some of the profits went to Random Acts who do great work, so again, despite not liking Misha I still willingly contributed for a cause bigger than me, and to support Alex, who I absolutely ADORE. I'm aware that Stands aren't popular with some of the fandom, however since most of the cast of SPN are happily affiliated with them then I don't feel it's my place to either judge, or to discuss topics I know next to nothing about. But I digress, as a decent human being I have shown support tangentially to a man who I don't care for out of respect for the work he does outside the fandom. Telling you this isn’t to paint myself in a good light - I don’t need your approval, I’m a big girl, unlike some I don’t need constant validation! - only to provide background on how I’ve actively *not* hated on Misha.
Now though, any respect I had for him has come to an abrupt end, the events of the past 24 hours has seen to that. Whilst I have been annoyed at his behaviour in regards to shipping, I don't feel it's ever gone this far, or at least not that I've seen first hand. This man has, IMO, contributed to so much toxicity in the fandom by way of things I've mentioned before, he's claimed - without actually saying the words - that Wincest fans weren't interested in him as a character when he came onto the show, and hasn’t felt included because of the fans’ love of the brothers. Um, hate to break it to you, love, but when you come onto an established show that is about two people, and you’re a *guest star* you can’t expect everyone to love you. Some characters we as individuals do fall in love with straight away (Bobby, Charlie, Crowley and Rowena are good examples for me), it takes time to establish a dynamic, so if that’s how he felt then it was incredibly naive of him as an actor to expect instant acceptance from anyone. Also, why wait until after the show finished to bring it up AGAIN … oh wait, yeah, that would be to step back into the limelight in a way intended to garner sympathy from Minions and INTENTIONALLY piss off bro fans and Wincest shippers alike? How fucking self centred, desperate and disrespectful do you have to be to shit all over the finale of a show that for the most part accepted you and kept you in paid work for 12 years? Well, Misha Collins levels of all of those things, obviously.  
So, on the topics of self centred, desperate to stay relevant, attention seeking and being oh so needy, the tweet yesterday from Amazon mentioned Castiel. He wasn’t tagged in it, so I refer to my earlier comment about searching online, because how else would he have possibly seen that? It’s possible someone sent it to him, I appreciate that, but if we go off past behaviour it’s not any stretch at all to believe that didn’t happen. So, once again, having seen the tweet he took it upon himself to - oh so predictably - turn it into something relating to Destiel. When I saw it I immediately rolled my eyes and thought ‘here we go again’, but then also had a little smile because I really liked the fact that he explicitly mentioned Wincest, therefore seeming to accept that his poor old dead horse wasn’t the only one in the race. I actually mentally tipped my hat to him then because it appeared that he’s matured enough to acknowledge by name the ship that predates his inclusion on the show. Great, I thought, this is a positive thing in a sea of negativity surrounding the man and his sunken ship, because what followed was Wincest trending in the US (it may also have been other countries as well but I had to sleep!) … largely due to the fact that Hellers were responding to it, calling him out on mentioning the dreaded ‘W’ word. I’ll repeat that because it’s been a rare occurrence up to that point… the Minions were actually disappointed with their overlord for mentioning another ship. We all know what they think of it and I for one, don’t give a flying fuck about their opionion. Ship and let ship, it’s all fun (or meant to be) so we have different tastes, that’s life kiddiwinks, deal with it. I mean, you really don’t have much of an example set for you when your king has proven several times over to be one of the biggest obnoxious brats out there, but just give it a try for your own sakes, yeah? Awesome, good on you, besties!
An unexpected development - to my joy and that of other Wincest shippers - them doing that got the topic trending, only *kept* trending by the fact that were all coming online asking why it was trending. Wincest shippers barely lifted a finger, we just flooded each other’s timelines with lovely content and basked in the Hellers - and Misha - shooting themselves in the foot, which was awesome. But did the vitriol stop? No. Did he get the attention he so clearly craves? Yes. Was it in the way he wanted? Fuck no, so poor, emotionally wounded baby backtracked after seeing that his name was trending alongside Wincest because that’s *so* not what someone narcissistic to do it in the first place, wanted.
Now here’s where I could easily have just moved on with an unusually fond chuckle, giving him an ironic pat on the back and a ‘thanks, Misha’ for being the one to instigate hours of fun, but once again his despicable behaviour made that impossible. It’s been more than obvious for many years that he cares more about what his fans think than anything else to do with the show and the fandom in a larger sense, but to delete the tweet and APOLOGISE for daring to be so insensitive to the snowflakes’ delicate sensibilities for mentioning Wincest in the first place was absolutely disgusting. Stating , “I used a term that I had never really given any thought to other than, "that's a thing?! Yuck." is not only complete and utter bullshit, it’s pandering of the highest order.  
We all know he has referred to Wincest on multiple occasions, so to say he hadn’t thought about is a flat out lie, which IMO is an insult to everyone, not just Wincest shippers. Does the man have no self respect at all, why would you contradict yourself in the face of such overwhelming evidence? Instead of either ignoring all the people calling him out, or addressing it with another tweet saying ‘yeah, that happened’ or something similar he chose, I repeat, CHOSE the route of claiming he didn’t realise he was being offensive to people who felt ‘triggered’ by him using the word Wincest. He basically shat all over an entire ship and large sector of the fandom in an attempt to appease his own fan base which consists of a lot of children (or those that act like children) who have no idea what RL is like.
Once again, he’s reinforced the idea that if you shout loud enough at someone just because you don’t like something they said, they will back down and apologise for something even when there’s nothing to apologise for. If he wants to be such a role model then he could easily have pointed out that a fictional ship doesn’t condone RL incest, any ACTUAL trauma people have suffered because of RL situations, and made an effort to make sure people understand that. He COULD have used it as an opportunity to do some good in the fandom by encouraging people to build bridges, to accept that people are entitled to their beliefs and that sometimes we see things differently but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t treat others with BASIC HUMAN DECENCY because of it. Instead he YET AGAIN chose to show that he cares more about what Minions think of him, keeping them onside to constantly stroke his unbelievably fragile ego in everything he does.
It is my understanding that Misha is big on (or claims to be big on) putting positive energy out into the world, treating people with respect, helping others and accepting people for who they are, not who you want them to be… all this after YEARS of consistently practising what he preaches only when it suits him. He sends out a message that it’s perfectly OK to bully, to spread hate, to draw attention to yourself at the cost of others, to throw colleagues and friends under the bus and at the same time use them to further your own agenda and get hits for your YouTube channel. Is this really the legacy he wants to leave? Is this an environment he wants his own kids to grow up in as well as future generations? Is this what he thinks is a valuable contribution as a human being? JFC, the arrogance, hypocrisy and the need for constant validation this man exhibits is nothing short of cringeworthy… actually it’s beyond that. It’s deplorable behaviour, it’s not new, and he will continue to act like this for as long as he’s being enabled and this harmful cycle needs to end.
I have friends IRL and online who are (now, possibly, were) big Misha fans, who have supported him from either the beginning of his run on the show, or since they started watching, and this is how he repays this behaviour? He’s willfully alienating decent people (including multishippers) all to make himself look good by being seen to do everything he can not to offend people. Spoiler alert, you DID offend people, you continue to do so time and again and we’ve had enough. I can’t imagine how exhausting it must be to be such a perpetual people pleaser, but let me say it’s not doing you any favours in any way, shape or form.
Misha, you are *not* a role model, you’re *not* someone to look up to when you can't live up to the ideals you preach. You’re spitting in the face of people who have supported you even after some questionable things in the past, who gave you the benefit of the doubt because we’re all human and we all make mistakes. The key to growing as a person is not to keep repeating the same mistakes over and over, understanding *why* what you said and/or did was a mistake and making a concerted effort to make changes. I don’t ever see you doing that, you will continue down this path of only caring about Minions under the guise of caring for people in general. You are transparent, you are sad and despite the fact I’ve never particularly liked you, I didn’t speak up because I didn’t want to get involved in the drama. Well now I have spoken up and I’m saying you’re a disgrace, you have no respect for other people and nobody is fooled anymore. If it hadn’t been this tweet it would have been something else, but I for one am glad it happened so soon after the show ended so we can finally be rid of the limpet-like behaviour. It’s over, let it go for the sake of what dignity you might have left, for the sake of your family and friends and for the sake of anyone who isn’t capable of seeing through your ‘it’s a joke’ mentality.
You have been weighed, you have been measured and you have been found wanting. Fuck you and the horse you rode in on, Misha.
For anyone who made it to the end of my ramble, thank you. This has been a cathartic exercise and I’m drawing a line under it now, I don’t think I could possibly make my thoughts any clearer. I urge you not to get caught up in any petty squabbles with his Minions, let’s celebrate J2 and other cast and crew members who have shown us all respect and who I am proud to call part of the SPN family. There’s always one member of the family who needs to be frozen out for the good of everyone else.
235 notes · View notes
dimonds456 · 4 years
Text
Gem Steven’s gem is flipped upside-down. (Theory/Speculation time!)
SPOILERS FOR @spudinacup’s SU AU “Gone Wrong”!
Also WARNING: long post!
So recently, someone pointed out that Steven has a scar on his torso going across his gem’s location, which I found interesting in and of itself. Makes sense, since he wasn’t able to heal it since he DIED and his gem was shoved out of his body before it got the chance to heal him. That slash mark is there now. Wow, neat! Nice detai-
Tumblr media
Wait.
Tumblr media Tumblr media
Hold on a sec.
Is his gem... flipped upside-down? Well, it’s been like this for a while, maybe it’s just a creative choi-
Tumblr media
...oh.
This is VERY intentional.
So I did some digging, and found much more symbolism and possible foreshadowing, and now I want to throw out my theory about Gem Steven here, including his potential arc and character development. I’ll try to keep everything brief while still blowing your minds, and I’ll try to get across what my jumbled mind has come up with.
Spud please notice me.
I will not be uploading photos to go with everything I say (go reread the comic after this and verify for yourself what all I’ve said), but I’ll show visuals when they’re necessary. I do not claim ANY of this art as mine (I wish my art was this good ;u; ), all of it belongs to Spudinacup and their SU AU, which has all kinds of hidden symbolism, foreshadowing, and visual cues we haven’t picked up on yet, as I’ve just learned while researching this theory. This ain’t your run-of-the-mill AU, everything in here is intentional. Scott Spud doesn’t do coincidences. So I’ll point out that stuff in screenshots.
Okay let’s go.
SO! To begin with, let’s talk about why his gem may have flipped, and to realize that, we have to know when. We don’t see the gem much, but we do see it constantly through Chapter 1, where it is normal. The pentagon is pointed upward. However, in Chapter 2, this is where we see it flipped upside down. When did that happen? We didn’t see it. I believe it happened in that first scene in the bathroom, right after we left. The butterflies were swarming angrily, and Steven was very lost in thought.
Notice whenever those butterflies appear. They seem to show up every time he thinks about who he is. Is he still Steven, or is he someone else now? Steven is dead. Everyone is mourning him, trying to heal him, but Gem is still here. So if Steven is dead, but Gem is still alive, that must mean he isn’t Steven then, right? But then that undoes everything we learned in “Change Your Mind.” He IS Steven. He’s always been Steven. But that’s when they were together...
Tumblr media Tumblr media
...And so the butterflies swarm.
Notice how the first one shows up when he looks at himself in the mirror. When you look in a mirror, you should see yourself, right? But who IS he? In the show, butterflies represent thoughts and ideas, mostly dark ones, disturbing ones, or ones you don’t want to think about. Well, he already spent WAY too long proving who he was, so now to do it again sucks.
But he isn’t Steven anymore. He’s on the couch being mourned. But he’s already proved he IS Steven before, and it’s this uncertainty that is making his mind swirl. I believe this is why he flipped his gem. Just upside-down, so it’s a small thing no one will notice, while he tries to figure it out. In doing so, he’s separated himself from “Steven”, as they’re not one and the same anymore, and the flipped gem shows this. He’s someone else right now. Maybe. He’s not sure.
So what do we call you for right now? Steven. He already proved he was Steven, so until he’s proved otherwise, Steven it is. Now he just has to figure out what exactly that name means and wether or not he still fits that quota.
Flipped gem/Pink Diamond imagery is EVERYWHERE, mostly hidden in drastic shadows or in panels. It’s things you don’t notice at first, until they’re staring you in the face. See if you can spot them from the 3 screenshots below.
Tumblr media Tumblr media Tumblr media
There’s probably more hidden throughout the comic, these are just the ones I’ve found that I feel confident enough to show as hard evidence.
So, what does it all mean? We’ll talk about the screenshots in order, left to right.
First, the Diamond is hidden as the panel in the center. In it, Human Steven lies upside down while the gem-panel is technically upside right. This can be interpreted in a few ways, but what that means to me is that something isn’t right here. If you flip Steven back around so he’s upside right, the gem is now upside down. Notice Gem Steven looking towards his human half on the bottom panel there, clutching his shirt over his gem. It’s a motion we’ve seen Steven do a TON throughout the show, anytime he’s thinking about Rose/Pink, who he is, or complicated gem stuff as a whole. Because early on, his identity was always shrouded in shadow. THAT is Steven, on the couch, without his gem. So for Gem Steven to call himself Steven is inaccurate, but also not at the same time. It’s all swarming in his head, and thus, the gem is flipped.
Next, he’s just broken the rejuvenator. This was probably the hardest to spot of the three, but if you look at the panel where Bismuth asks “feel better?” you will see, in the background, a white line cut through the soft pink hues. Look closer. It’s the outline of the gem, but it’s flipped correctly this time. This is because Bismuth seems to be the only person NOT saying Steven is dead, and treating his gem half one and the same. Is she unnerved? Yeah, but who WOULDN’T be? This is still Steven we’re talking about, as emotionally blocked as he is. He’s aware of why everyone is being weird around him, so to see Bismuth trying her best to treat him with familiarity instead of a completely different, new, dangerous stranger is really calming and helps to calm the storm a bit.
Notice the gem is flipped correctly. This is because he feels like Steven right now. Bismuth has been constant confirmation that he is still Steven, no matter the circumstances. Notice how his eyes dialate back to a larger size. They do that a lot in the comic, articulating his emotions without changing the rest of his face. It’s a clever detail to keep track of. His eyes grow more relaxed, dialating bigger when she pats his shoulder, asking if he feels better after destroying the weapon that killed him. It’s a huge relief for him to hear. So, the gem is correct.
Finally, we see Bismuth telling Greg that his son is dead, which is very contradictory to what Bis was saying earlier (in Steven’s eyes). Where is the gem on that frame? Look at Steven’s shadow. There it is, facets and all. To us, the gem is correct, but think about it this way: if Steven were actually replaced with the gem in that frame, what would it look like, Pink’s or White’s? That’s right. The point is coming from his feet, meaning it would look more like White’s, meaning it is back to being flipped upside down. Again, Bismuth just said Steven is dead, meaning he’s back to questioning his whole entire identity. So it’s back to being flipped upside-down.
It seems that the orientation of the symbolic gems hidden throughout panels show quite clearly where his head is at in terms of who he is. If it’s upside down, he’s separating himself from the cold meatball on the couch, whereas when it’s normal/upside right, he is associating himself WITH the cold meatball on the couch.
Tumblr media
Notice he’s been grabbing at his gem a lot recently, too, all things he does while in turmoil over who- or WHAT- he is. He cannot heal right now. He can’t use his powers. Some powers are new and unfamiliar (see the more recent pages where Lapis struck out with water and he blocked with those hexagonal shields/walls). “Steven HEALS people.” He can’t, so who is he?
This is something he’ll need to have an answer to by the time the comic is done, and this is a mission for Gem Steven and Gem Steven alone. If his human half were alive (and content without his gem), he’d probably call himself “Steven” no questions asked, since he GOT his answer already, two years ago. But Gem can’t do that, not when everyone keeps drawing all these lines between the two. He needs to learn what being “Steven” means, and know that he is a part of a greater whole, but on his own, he is STILL Steven. Everyone else needs to realize this, too, and stop separating the two. It’s gonna be rough, since it may feel like replacing what they lost, but is it really? It’s going to be a tough road to trek, and I don’t know what anyone’s answer is gonna be (that’s the big mystery here, after all), but I’m here for it.
Remember, all of this has been speculation on what may happen based on facts and clues Spud has presented us with. I’m not claiming to know how Gem Steven’s arc will end, but I am throwing my hat into the ring on where I THINK it will go. Either way, the foreshadowing, symbolism, and unspoken characterizations here have been excellent, and I’m looking forward to seeing everything play out. Spud, your mind is incredible, and whatever you’ve got planned over there, I’m confident the answer will be satisfactory.
I’ll shut up now. Thank you for reading this huge meta post, and go read Spud’s comic. You can find it at @suaugonewrong or on Spud’s Tumblr, which was linked above. If you think I’m wrong or have a counter argument, bring it. Let’s talk, cause this is genuinely interesting and fun to dissect. I wanna talk about it OwO
Thank you. You may now continue scrolling.
2K notes · View notes
Text
Sequestered
Tumblr media
Fern x f!reader
If there are any warnings I need to add, please let me know :)
Tumblr media
The weight of the crown on your head was too much to bear today. You gently set it down onto the grass, next to you in the shade of the giant oak trees above you.
If someone were to ask you what it's like to be a princess, you would say it's a curse. For the past 15 years you've been raised, your father was stern and barely paid any attention to you. Suffering from neglect, you slowly watched him become more and more corrupt with power, forcing the entire kingdom to stay within its walls. As far as the common people knew, the outside was a mysterious place not to be messed with.
That's what power does to people. To have all these abilities at your hands, is a great responsibility. But most rulers toss those away, like a bag of trash being disposed into the garbage can.
You sighed, gazing across to the opposite side of the clearing you were sitting in. You raised your head to look up at the sky. Oh, what I would do to have a different life...
The rustling of leaves caught your attention. You gasped, quickly backing away into the shelter of the trees. Dad can't catch me being here!
"Hey."
You froze as relief washed over you. It wasn't your father.
You weren't allowed to leave the kingdom. Finding loopholes wasn't easy, so you didn't know what you'd do if he found out.
Carefully, you stood up, squinting at the figure standing at the opposite end of the meadow. Slowly, they- or it- stepped into the sunlight. You recognized him from your past adventures. Fern the Human.
"Hi," you replied warily. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh, you know," he said. "Just exploring." Fern wore the same expression he did normally, a blank set of eyes and his mouth set in a straight line.
You nodded, your eyes darting around the clearing, at anything but him. You rarely interacted with outsiders, especially since you weren't allowed outside of your kingdom. So you didn't know how to act. All your social skills started chipping away because you were forced to stay inside all the time. "Princess duties".
"I haven't seen you around here before," the grass boy remarked. "Who are you?"
"Who am I?" I repeated. That was a good question. Every single decision I've had to make and every emotion I've had was decided for me. So much so, that I wasn't sure there was any "me" left.
"I'm Y/N," you replied. Fern tilted his head.
"Where are you from?"
"Um." You struggled to find the words. He couldn't know about the kingdom, or else you would find yourself kicked out. What was even the purpose of telling him? It could only end badly. His curiosity would get the better of him, driving him him to see the kingdom for himself. Would Fern even try to save us?
Even though you wanted to rescue your people badly, the thought of them roaming around aimlessly in the Land of Ooo scared you. They barely knew anything about the outside, and the only information they did know altered their perspective to think of it in a bad light. Besides, what could Fern do to help? He's just one person.
"It's none of your business," you ended up blurting out. "I have to go." Your father wanted you home for the evening anyway. For what, he didn't say.
You turned away before you could hear Fern's reply, dashing off into the dense forest.
Taking a deep breath, you began to form an image of a raven inside your mind. Shapeshifting was still something you weren't good at. You were supposed to follow a certain set of rules as a princess, one of which being that you couldn't shapeshift into your raven form in the presence of other people. It was seen as impolite.
Focus on shapeshifting! You commanded yourself. Finally, you were able to fly, ruffling your wings a bit. You missed being able to soar.
"Wait!" Fern's voice yelled from behind you, his footsteps trodding through the layers of leaves on the forest floor. You sighed, flapping up to the tree tops and taking off. A feeling of dread gradually grew in your chest, facing the reality that you had to go back to your secluded life, with people that ignored and misunderstood you.
As the dark green leaves of the forest zoomed by beneath your feet, you began to wonder whether you should've listened to what Fern had to say. Eh, it probably wasn't important.
Directing your thoughts back to your destination, you vowed to come back to your happy place as soon as possible. It helped clear your head. Hopefully, Fern won't be there next time. The idea of talking to people made you uncomfortable. The people that you've trusted in the past have all either broken your trust, or just didn't care about you at all.
Tumblr media
There's a crown here in the bushes, Fern observed, lifting the heavy piece of gold. It was a big ring, with an arm extending upwards, holding a small, rugged black crystal. Interesting.
Turning it over in his hands, something strange caught his eye. A carving on the back of the crown. It was barely illegible, but Fern could make out one name. Y/N.
Tumblr media
"Where is your crown?" The Raven King hissed angrily. "The suitors are already here!"
"I don't know, Dad!" You frantically racked your mind, trying to remember where you had left it. A princess' crown was a part of her, as a role model and a symbol. But this time, it represented worth.
"Why are you making me marry someone I don't even know anyway?" You hurriedly glanced at your father, brows furrowed. Your father had invited a group of suitors to compete for your hand in marriage. They desired only the princess' heart, but it wasn't true love, like what you dreamed of as a child. They just wanted land, wealth, and power. Marrying you was their key to a happy life. Without your label as a princess, they would have no opportunity at all.
"You know very well why!" Your father growled. "This is going to be beneficial for the kingdom! Don't you want me to prosper?"
You started walking down the spiraling staircase that lead to the main hallways, unable to stay calm any longer. "I want the people to prosper," you replied, sending a spine-chilling glare to your father behind you. Before he could respond, you stomped away, into the main hallway where a line of antsy suitors stood waiting.
You definitely have a thing for walking out on people.
Tumblr media
"Heya, Fern!" A boy wearing a worn, dual-toned green backpack greeted Fern, holding open the door that had separated the two just moments before. "Jake just made some meatloaf! Want some? It has your favorite- I mean our favorite garnishes." Finn grinned.
"No thanks," Fern replied, distracted. His eyes wandered all around the giant treehouse that stood over him, almost menacingly. Despite what Fern wanted to think, there was something about it that made him uneasy. When he thought of the treehouse, he thought of Finn, which in turn caused him to obsess over the fact that he wasn't Finn. Then who was he?
"No probs." Finn sounded a little disappointed, but cheered up when Jake called out that the meatloaf was ready from somewhere inside the house.
"By the way, can I ask you something?" Fern asked, taking something out of his backpack, which tumbled to the ground, causing him to groan in frustration. Finn turned back to his grassy friend while taking a plate of food from the unseen Jake. "What's up?"
He gasped when he saw the golden crown gleaming in the sunlight. "That belongs to one of the princesses!" He picked it up and handed it back to Fern.
Fern nodded, stowing it in his backpack. "I found it in the forest near Tree Trunks' house. I think this girl dropped it," he said.
"Whahf girl?" Finn said, trying to chew meatloaf at the same time. "PB? Fire Princess? Slime P?"
"No." Fern shook his head. "I've never seen her before, and honestly," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "She was scared of me." He sounded frustrated, his voice trailing off.
"Dude-"
"Why doesn't anything ever work out?!" Fern said in anguish. He curled his fingers in and out of his palm, trying to release the tension trapped in his mind.
"Calm down, dude," Finn exclaimed. "I can help you find her, don't worry! I've never seen this crown before either, so we can go together." He placed a hand on Fern's shoulder, trying to comfort him.
"No!" Fern protested. "I wanna do it myself," he said, softer. "Can you just tell me how to find her?"
Finn looked taken aback for a second at his grassy friend's outburst, but nodded regardless. "You can ask the Candy People and the other kingdoms, they probably know who owns that crown." He handed Fern a map of the Land of Ooo, sketched out on a yellowed piece of paper.
Saying their goodbyes, Finn left Fern on his solo quest to find the mysterious princess.
Tumblr media
The long and chaotic day was finally over. You sank down to the floor, your back against the door to your room. You stared at the king-sized bed. I hate this. I hate everything.
After you left your father standing on the stairs, you had awkwardly walked into the main hall. But that must have been the last straw for your father, because he still didn't join you, even after five minutes. He ended up sending a replacement to accompany you after a long time of waiting. You wished that the suitors didn't keep glancing at the spot where your crown was supposed to sit while you stood with your hands clasped in front of you, staring at the doorway your father was going to follow you through.
I still have to get the crown back, you thought. Where did I leave it? The only place I would've lost it would be... Then you realized. The clearing! Of course! Oh no, I have to go there right now!
You raced over to the small window in your bedroom, peeking your head out. Seeing practically no one outside, you transformed into your raven form and hopped on the windowsill. Suddenly, an object was hurled at you from below. Looking down, you saw a small child chucking pieces of corn at you.
"Get out of there, you stupid crow!" He yelled. Close enough.
You carefully flapped your wings, flying high above the kingdom. As soon as you were out of reach, the child gave up trying to knock you out of the sky and returned to his home, resuming the quiet atmosphere the kingdom always held during evenings.
Night had almost fallen over Ooo when you finally arrived at your meadow. Landing in the spot where you had sat earlier that day, you turned back into a human and rummaged through the bushes for your long lost crown. As the minutes ticked by, you began to grow more frustrated. Where is it?! If I lose it forever, I'm done for.
"Huh?" You said out loud. Prying apart the branches of a blueberry bush, you found a few grass blades attached to the rough leaves, reminding you of Fern. You stood up. Why not just see if Fern had it? He wasn't the scavenger type, but something as mysterious as an unknown princess' crown was sure to fascinate him.
Ugh, the sun is setting. You sighed in defeat, vowing to visit Fern the next day to take back the circlet. Another day that's ending, another gloomy morning to look forward to. But this time, you had a mission to accomplish.
136 notes · View notes