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#the friendship one feels better bc he has people who like him for him not bc of what he can give them. its more transparent to him
wizardsix · 7 months
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hot take but honestly. astarions friendship route feels better than his romance, and its the one he needs the most right now.
im not saying he's incapable of being in a relationship... but killing cazador and reclaiming himself? having to live with himself, trying to forgive himself for everything he did? i think he needs time to heal and become comfortable with himself again. and i feel like a romanced tav at that stage would just make him feel like he owes them something. of course it's not true, but that feeling doesn't just go away after killing cazador. all of his negative thoughts and habits won't suddenly stop. the real work would start after cazador, and what he needs is a group of friends to support him, who he knows unconditionally love him. maybe down the line, sure, he could find someone, but i think he needs space and time to heal without any unintentional pressure.
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bylertruther · 1 year
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mike would bite y'all for comparing him to steve 💔 he will NEVER be michael wheeler ✋
#pls..... the rain fight line was out of pocket yes but DID HE LIE?#he wasn't saying it in a bad way#he was just saying 'DAMN bro lay off me' in a knee-jerk way bc#1) it's LITERALLY not his fault tht will doesn't like girls and as such cannot get a girlfriend like them and#2) will has been bottling this all up and just exploded on him so it's not like he could've prepared a way to word that better beforehand#and 3) he says 'it's not MY fault' because will is pinning the breakdown of the party on HIM as if he can control other people and#4) mike has NEVER been homophobic he literally pushed troy down for what he said and clearly does not ever like any of the homophobic#things anyone has EVER said about will and he makes him feel like he's not a mistake and like he has a place in this world and like he's#/BETTER/ for being different so literally how on fucking earth are you going to say he's being homophobic for being blunt ONE TIME#meanwhile steve was a punk ass bitch for what? clout?! cos he felt emasculated? bc he was being a follower?#it was mean of mike to point it out bc they were talking abt friendship not That specifically but it feels a little um .#odd to act like he's calling him a literal slur and bringing up sexuality in a cruel way like how steve did to jonathan.#sorry it's literally a gif set but can we PLEASE not act like mike called will a fucking slur and is homophobic like are you kidding me.#(tiffany pollard voice) STEVE?!?! mike sweetie i'm SO sorry tht someone would say tht to u#and steve clearly did love nancy btw. they're just not compatible and he doesn't see that bc he doesn't see the entirety of who she is now.#srry tht rain fight is NOTHING like the steve n jonathan fight sorry but it isn't. it isn't!!!!!!!!!! put some respect on mike's name!!!!!!#ok im fine. im gonna eat my cheerios now bye waving emoji etc
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emmafrostyyy · 6 months
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y'all sleeping on Astarion/Lae'zel bc this moment is so...the way the flippant demeanor drops and he doesn't hesitate to call her out for sticking with her version of Cazador like their relationship is so underrated fr...
sitting down writing this bullshit like let me peel it like an onion a bit and elaborate why this pairing is fascinating to me
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It's really interesting how during the most cathartic, life-altering moment in Astarion's questline, the reactions of the other companions are more about the moral wrongness/guilt of sacrificing innocent lives. Lae'zel doesn't do that and instead relates to his hurt.
She knows what's he's feeling, the lack of control, the unfairness of being powerless for too long. This is a woman who just found out her entire life purpose was built on lies, discarded and hunted by her own people after outliving her usefulness, and groomed to basically die for an insane power-hungry lich queen. She knows all too well that power isn't always real freedom. Her first instinct is to empathize with Astarion to steer him away from his hate and resentment.
Astarion/Lae'zel is so interesting to me because they're such a classic "can we make each other worse or make a better person out of the other?".
They both have genuine appreciation for violence and respect each other's ruthlessness. Astarion was used as a weapon of seduction while Lae'zel was of warfare. Sex with people is meaningless and not real intimacy for them, and while both have little understanding/experience of interpersonal relationships beyond the physical, they still feel and love very deeply. They have no frame of reference for things like friendship and warmth, but they badly want all of that and more, even if they don't know it yet.
In-game they can sleep with each other, which is basically the foundation of the normal Tav/Astarion romance. Lae'zel saw him during combat and got horny, who knows. Astarion who's used to luring people with his charms, takes up Lae'zel's blunt offer because she's a strong hardened warrior that can provide protection and be a worthy ally, and he doesn't know how to say no. Navigating the complications between one who wants to be seen beyond as a sex object, and one who comes from a totally alien culture with no concept of love/family/connections and only sex is honestly really compelling to me. It's a transactional, mutually beneficial thing with no emotional expectations. Once you get past the skeevy rockiness of their early relationship, I really like the idea of them slowly seeing something past the exterior and realizing they may have harshly misjudged the other, an unspoken friendship blooms, and in comes the realization that they are essentially loners longing for kindness and a comforting touch in the most desperate of situations.
Lae'zel is prideful, direct, has no sense of courtship talk, and doesn't hold back her thoughts the slightest--she's not sweet/agreeable and what you see is really what you get, which I imagine would be disarming for Astarion who's used to vacuous flattery and has difficulty trusting others. But she's also insanely protective, passionate, loyal, and an initiator-- every romance scene is triggered by her first and she's always showing effort towards her relationships, which would mesh well with Astarion who does need someone to nudge him.
She doesn't purposely suppress her feelings, she's just simply at loss at how to express them sometimes due to her wildly different upbringing. She stops the sparring match you agree to and an easy vulnerability slips instantly out of her: "I don't want to hurt you. I want to protect you, and for you to protect me." and "Thus far I've taunted you, devoured you, battled you. Now I want more than anything to soothe you." are romantic as fuck and Astarion of all people really needs to hear that tbh.
Astarion is also someone who struggles with reinforcing his boundaries, and a key theme in Lae'zel's romance is that she encourages and wants you to challenge her and learn to stand your ground. It's not gentlest method, but hey, relationships are about having to make an effort to learn each other's language.
I think he also would take pleasure "educating her on the matters of Fay-run" (I believe there's a whole banter with him teasing her and teaching her pet names) and would get a kick out of coaxing Lae'zel out of her shell with her shyness at showing public affection, and making her blush. Also it simply would be fucking funny to see Astarion who's used to easy seduction, trying to pass a persuasion check just to get a smooch and generally having to work to earn regular kisses from Lae'zel lmfaooo
Lae'zel also initially struggles to see her chains as chains. When she learns about Vlaakith's betrayal, she copes instantly through denial and shuts it down. Astarion is NOT having it and calls her out, he knows her well enough to recognize that she would value blunt honesty above all.
I imagine he also despises her lack of self-preservation, the way her entire identity is tied to duty and being in service of others, and doesn't understand her desire to still help/liberate the people that want her dead and are hunting her down. He wants to make this duty-bound soldier realize that looking out for herself, and putting herself first may not be the worst thing in the world.
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They're so similar to each other but are also polar opposites in some ways that make a more equal, balanced romance I think. It's not a simple, one-sided, feel-good "she/he can fix her/him" fantasy because both of them have to earn each other's love, actually cut through the other's flaws, and actively motivate each other to be better versions of themselves.
They're not at all the other's ideal guiding hand. It's rough, jagged, and imperfect, but that's how healing goes. It's so far from being the healthiest relationship -- but even if their belief systems differ, their moral compass does often align. I imagine it's a slight relief for them to have a partner where there would be less shame and judgment when they expectedly, occasionally slip up and fall into their bad habits.
Also, man, the "You showed me the betweens and beyonds. Beyond war and peace, beyond passion and obsession, most importantly, you showed me freedom.", "First you were my wound, now you were my cure.", "But you saw something else in me - someone else I could be. Someone who could break the cycle of power and terror that started centuries ago.." lines really hit hard when applied to them.
Of course, they can also make each other worse, feed into the other's negative traits that will bring out the worst part of themselves. It's this duality of their pairing that is very interesting to explore, the way it can steer in either direction because it's an intense, fraught relationship at its core.
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spoopdeedoop · 2 months
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hi i have some disorganized thoughts/hcs abt the found family human doctor au
(one of the thoughts being i should really give it a better name. another being YES this is only the nuwho doctors atm bc that's the only series i've watched so far apologies. if i ever get around to watching classic who i will add them trust)
BEHOLD my random, not at all in-depth headcanons
nine is the only one with a car out of all of them. they all keep bugging him to drive/pick them up from places -- he has mixed feelings about being the assigned taxi driver
both twelve and eleven are teachers -- college professor and preschool teacher respectively. twelve's students love them because he will say the most stupid, hilarious shit with a straight face without even knowing and eleven's students love him because he is the only teacher at the school that will dance with them during musical chairs (he doesn't even play the game. he just dances)
i want to make one of them an actual doctor but i don't think any of them could handle it unfortunately
they all share an an apartment flat on the same level -- nine, twelve and fifteen live in one room, ten, eleven and thirteen live in the one across from them. of course there are other people in the building too but they're all used to the strange loud hyperactivity of that particular flat. i think i'm using the right terminology here. yall know what im talking about
(i'm so tempted to make some companions be their neighbors)
nine and ten are the most insomniac of all of them, so they're used to bumping each other in the dead of night on their way to raid each other's respective fridges or something. very rarely thirteen will join them and they're like "WELL FANCY SEEING YOU HERE"
twelve does sleep, but like. he's nocturnal
eleven and ten hate each other in a sibling kind of way (see: day of the doctor). they are constantly sending each other death threats or tripping each other over. everyone is sick of it
sometimes when they're out shopping you'll hear ten yell "GET OUT OF THE FROZEN FOOD YOU NUMPTY WE ARE NOT BUYING FISH FINGERS" over the aisles and you'll hear eleven whine "WHY DO YOU HATE ME SO MUCH" back
(if you're lucky you'll be able to catch fifteen mumble "why did we put them in the same apartment. are we asking for an eviction notice")
eventually eleven will pick a random stray cat off the side of the road, take her home, and name her bowtie, which is a stupid name, so everyone just defaults to calling her kitty
kitty's favourite person is twelve, to eleven's absolute despair
(my original idea for this was to initially have ten hate the idea of living with a cat, since he's stated full on in the show that he doesn't like cats, but apparently there is some very obscure doctor who comic run in which he falls into a depressive spiral and adopts a cat whom he names rose-the-cat, so he might actually like cats idk?)
anyway ten hates her until he doesn't lmao. he vents to her when there's no one else home and she will Stare at him back and it is a very nice friendship
kitty and nine watch shitty romcom together
they have a joint groupchat together -- half of it is just thirteen and fifteen assigning everyone outfits they find on pinterest and the other half is eleven asking where everyone went (he keeps getting lost when they go out)
nine doesn't know how to download pictures off the internet and so resorts to manually editing memes together to send to the groupchat and everyone's like "girl that's so much more effort........."
(yes he doesn't know how to press save image to camera roll but he knows how to use a photo editor flawlessly. such is the logic of the idiocy of the doctors)
eleven and thirteen get along very well i think. they're the only two of the group to play video games and so they bond over that. they also have ridiculously similar clothing taste
sometimes they'll succeed in getting fifteen to play pokemon with them and then they'll proceed to not see him until the next day when he comes out of his room and goes "you didn't tell me plusle couldn't evolve i've been levelling it up all fucking night"
friday is assigned movie night (it's always big hero 6)
eleven is the only one to actively seek out physical affection, usually really abruptly like clinging to thirteen's back as she passes him in the hall or bapping ten with the palm of his hand until he sighs and gives him a hug. he does expect a platonic kiss on the forehead from anyone before he goes to bed and will complain if he doesn't get one
anyway thats it i'm sick in the head and really sad. if this keeps up i may be forced to actually write a fic
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gloomwitchwrites · 1 month
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I wish to see how each of the 141 boys respond to their ex, reader, calling them for emotional support bc readers newest bf was toxic af
bonus points if 141 boys are still possessive over reader, but doesn't do anything besides telling reader to leave her toxic bf. OR ORRR he's possessive bc him and reader have been together for so long, who would know how to treat her better than him? He knows every little detail she cares about, every little action that makes her fall head over heels in an instant. Her toxic bf? He doesn't care to learn about those types of things, even if reader outright says it
EVEN MORE BONUS POINTS for smut to show reader what a quick fuck of satisfaction looks like vs genuine sex / love making
Apologies, Anon. This has been sitting in my inbox for…a while, but I’ve been thinking about it off and on since you’ve sent it in.
I’ll drop some HC’s about how this would go down but I absolutely want to explore this further as part of the Imagines & What If Series.
I'll tackle these separately and make them individual one-shots (with much more detail) once I wrap up the By the Belt prompt. But for now...enjoy my HC's (if you will) on what I think would go down in this scenario.
The official masterlist for the extended fics can be found HERE.
ao3 // taglist // main masterlist // imagines & what if masterlist
Content & Warnings: suggestive themes (it's vague), brief mentions of protective/possessive behavior, canon-typical swearing
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John Price
Breakup status: Strained (at first), but settled into friendship.
Absolutely hates texting, and you know if you need to reach him immediately, you have to call. Price isn’t an old man, he’s just the old man of the group, and would absolutely be tech literate but also super picky on how he communicates with people personally. It’s Price’s job to be calm, to be a leader, and pick up on things others don’t necessarily notice. So, Price would know you’re upset with your current boyfriend without you even having to spell it out. Besides, Price hates the guy, and knows he’s not worth even a lob of spit.
Plus, Price has been wanting to get back with you for ages. Now that the two of you are friends and have repaired whatever it is that separated the two of you in the first place, Price is looking to find a way to move in again, to slowly (or quickly) win you back, and now he has the opportunity.
Price insists on talking in person, and the moment the two of you are together, he makes the effort he knows you’re needing—because he wants you back, but also because he knows you better than your current boyfriend. Price doesn’t understand why you even gave the guy a chance, but he’ll do everything to get you back.
He would start with subtle indications eventually moving the conversation into past memories, reminiscing on happier times when you were his woman, and how that felt. It slowly devolves until you’re admitting first that you still miss him, and Price goes in for the kill, stating clearly that he still has feelings for you.
The final act is passionate, rough, and intense. Like an atom splitting, it is explosive.
Kyle “Gaz” Garrick
Breakup status: mutual (away all the time; hard to make it work)
When you call, on the verge of tears, needing to talk to someone, Gaz immediately knows something is wrong the moment he picks up. (Sorta like Price but more attuned emotionally to the situation).
I can see Gaz not being a fan of chatting for long periods on the phone, so you don’t even need to ask, Gaz will drop everything and come to you without you having to suggest it. In fact, Gaz picks up, realizes your upset, and immediately says he’s coming over.
When he arrives, it’s like the two of you have never been apart. It’s almost routine, completely natural the way the two of you come together. Gaz is very much about physical affection. He’s constantly touching you, comforting you, and saying sweet things that always make you melt.
Totally knows you need a distraction, and while you’re upset, you’re having a difficult time expressing yourself. When this happens, Gaz just shuts it down, guiding you toward distraction to help you calm down and ease your mind before probing to see if you want to return to the topic.
Once that happens, game over for boyfriend. He’s lost you to Gaz.
The reunification is absolutely passionate and soft. I will die on that hill.
John “Soap” MacTavish
Breakup status: Messy. (You cannot tell me Soap isn’t a hot mess. Our boy is a little too high energy at times.)
While the breakup between the two of you is messy, Soap has always been a “safe” person for you. So, when you call him to vent, you don’t realize that Soap immediately starts heading in your direction until he knocks on your door and the two of you stand there staring at each other, phones held up to your ears. It’s an impulsive decision on his end to come to you, but you don’t turn him away.
Like Simon, Soap would be forward in the way he addresses your concern and the issues—which is your shitty boyfriend who deserves to only be known as your ex. However, where Simon is more of a blunt “these are the facts” kind of communicator, Soap will go for the jugular, using harsher language about this “boyfriend.” He won’t be critical of you, but he will be overly critical of him, listing all the ways this idiot doesn’t deserve you. He might even grow a bit heated in tone and pitch, becoming creative with his slang, and his accent might thicken slightly especially if he’s going off.
But ultimately, Soap is defending you, and reiterates the need for you to stand up for yourself and get rid of this loser.
I don’t think anything passionate would happen in that moment. But I could also see Soap in the middle of him criticizing your toxic boyfriend, you shutting him up with a kiss. Now…that could easily go sideways with someone like Soap. He’s very much impulsive at times, and I think that would win out. Soap would totally kiss you back and not allow you to pull away from him again until you’re…satisfied.
Simon “Ghost” Riley
Breakup status: Tumultuous, eventually mellowing to mutual understanding afterward.
Would listen to you rant without interrupting. He would not ask any clarifying or follow up questions.
When you have it all out of your system, his response is simple: break up with him. Simon is direct—could even say blunt depending on the situation, and he would absolutely be that way in this scenario.
He makes it clear that you’re obviously not happy and that the relationship is making you miserable. He might even lay it out plainly, stating only the facts, sliding into that mindset when he’s in the field, thinking about all scenarios and problem-solving while doing so.
Internally, he’s absolutely ecstatic that your current boyfriend is a garbage heap of a human being. He will see this as an opportunity to slip right back into your life if he plays this right. Sure, the two of you aren’t together anymore, but he’s not over it. Simon is possessive and territorial to the core. Totally still considers you his.
Will absolutely make up a reason to come over, and it will likely fall under the “I’m looking out for you” or “trying to protect you from him” insisting that your boyfriend could escalate and he won’t allow you to potentially be in harm’s way.
When he arrives, Simon immediately turns soft and attentive in just the way you like. He gives you his full attention, doesn’t lecture, and offers plenty of physical touch.
The physical touches turn…well, I’ll save that for the full fic. But it is a reminder of how you’ve always been his and you just need to realize it.
taglist:
@km-ffluv @glitterypirateduck @tiredmetalenthusiast @spicyspicyliving @coffeecaketornado @aykxz98 @kayden666 @36namey @miss-mistinguett @keiva1000 @cherryofdeath @pertinentpostmortem @enfppuff @berarenado @saoirse06 @ninman82 @no-oneelsebutnsu @thewulf @hayleybarnesx @lxblm @ferns-fics @ooldcardigan @beebeechaos @enarien @sw33tsnow @kessi-21 @makayla-666 @lifes-project @burn1ngw00d @heeheehoohoohahahihi @lulurubberduckie @ravenpoe67 @jade1605 @miaraei
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seeingivy · 2 months
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actor!eren x f!reader
**part of my method acting series
previous part linked here
an: this is 10k. I decided to leave the what am I to you scene for the next chapter bc of it...apologies....also I jsut wanted to post it bc I promised this at the beginning of the week and yday and now its been a long time coming
songs mentioned: style by taylor swift and glimpse of us by joji (minor mention of peace by taylor swift too)
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“Wait, so. I don’t get it. You’re basically…acting like a couple on purpose?” Zeke asks. 
Eren spares a weary glance to his parents, matching apprehensive looks in their eyes, as he slides the salt and pepper shakers towards Zeke. 
Leave it to him to bring up the elephant in the room. 
One mention of attending an award show or a red-carpet event had the three of them dropping everything to come to New York at the drop of the hat. Especially when Scott Clarkson was going to be attending. 
Levi was more than happy to oblige them at the hotel they were all staying at, much to Eren’s dismay, which left him in his current predicament. 
That unlike his friends, who were secretly letting him indulge in something he probably shouldn’t and turning a blind eye, the three of them were never going to let it go. 
Eren knew that part of what he was doing was wrong. That he was walking a very fragile line and that their concerns, in some sense, were very valid. 
He had promised you a show. The problem was that it wasn’t just a show for him. It wasn’t even the slightest bit difficult for him to give the public exactly what they wanted to see – to go above and beyond to prove that the two of you were better than ever. 
He wanted that deeply – for it to be true. Fervently, desperately. It wasn’t hard to pretend when Eren had spent a majority of his life thinking about you, about what this would be like, anyways. 
It started out simple. Eren offered to accompany you on your first walk out in public that morning – after watching you stare at the people through the window the entire morning. There was a big crowd lingering outdoors, supplied by rumors that the group of them were staying in the hotel, and he was positive that some part of it was making you feel green. 
That and the fact that as much as you could front, some part of this had to be some level of nerve wracking to you. You had put on a brave face very well, but Eren’s deep rooted fear is that this’ll just send you deeper into that cave you retreated into last time – and that you’ll leave him waiting outside again. 
So he offered to do your first paparazzi walk with you. Cited that it would have been the perfect thing to build up more publicity, give them a greater chance of stealing the morning headlines about how today was Hyla’s birthday and the buzz around what she was going to wear tonight. 
It gave him an excuse to make sure you didn’t run off this time – that he’d be able to catch you if something happened. 
Except Eren took it too far. He had given you the permission to pump the brakes whenever you felt like it was too much and the fact that you almost never did made it impossible for him to stop. So he pulled you close whenever the paparazzi were near, brushing his nose against yours as the two of you smiled sunshine into each other’s faces. 
It was a disaster waiting to happen. Though from Eren’s expert point of view, he couldn’t fall any more than he already had. 
The problem would come later – when it would just become another memory that he cherished, had to relive after he was finally denied the promise of your company and friendship for good. 
When the show ended in two months and when you would have no reason to talk to each other again. 
Eren shakes the thought from his head as he looks back up at them. 
“Yeah. But trust me, it’s actually working. The record label dropped Ricky James and now that Y/N promised them her new album, they’re going to sever ties all together.” Eren states. 
“I just don’t see what that has to do with pretending to date. You know, especially when you’re still in love with the girl.” Carla states. 
“It’s sadistic. Even for you.” Zeke states. 
Eren shoves him in the side. With his parents' eyes averted, he takes the chance to knee Zeke this time to catch his attention. 
Could you just back me up? Eren mouths. 
Zeke rolls his eyes, before quietly mouthing his response back. 
Okay, fine! Just relax. 
Eren turns back to the two of them, mustering his best smile. And hoped that deep down, that fleeting flare of hope that’s been burning in his chest won’t go to waste this time – that there are real grounds behind actually bringing Scott Clarkson down. 
“There’s a certain publicity that you can’t buy with people who have…such a drama filled history like us. We’re aiming for a solidified deal with Ethan Cole by the end of the Met Gala.” Eren states. 
He flinches when his dad drops the fork against the ceramic of the plate. 
“Ethan Cole? Are you crazy, Eren? He’s never going to agree to a deal with you guys.” 
“Maybe a little. But I think that we could do it. I spent years being played by idiots like Scott Clarkson – it’s not hard to tell that’s how he keeps people around. And…we have an idea of exactly how to do it.” Eren states. 
“I don’t know, Eren. I don’t exactly like this idea. I wouldn’t exactly put your hopes on this.” Carla murmurs. 
Eren gives her a smile, reaching to tangle his ankle with hers under the table. 
He gets it. Deep down, he does. Because the last time Eren did this – with the court case and Connie and Lana at his side – Eren was downtrodden when Scott Clarkson’s life virtually stayed the same. Almost everyone knew, or had some semblance of an idea, that Eren had sued him, that Scott had terribly wronged him. 
He had gone through the lengths of an entire court case, just for it to amount to nothing. 
He still had his career. He still had the movies, a beloved producing company, and the godawful tabloids that ruined Eren’s life. People continued to work with him despite everything that had happened. 
“I won’t be like last time. It…it almost feels better this time around. I have everyone around me and I don’t feel alone, so.” Eren adds. 
“Well, you weren’t exactly alone the last time.” Carla states. 
“You know what he meant. It’s different.” Grisha murmurs.” 
“I do think she can do it. These people only care about what makes them money or…or moves their business forward. No one can do that for them like her. And even besides that, she’s really earnest in the way she moves. I feel like people could even become more aware of this type of thing if she spoke out about it.” Eren finishes. 
Eren looks over, looking to his mom’s brown eyes hoping for her approval. He doesn’t exactly find it, but there’s a nod. He understands it all the same – that he’s the one who gets to make the calls here, regardless. 
“Oh, let’s all relax! If Eren wants to kiss her and run around doing god knows what, that’s his business! He’s a grown man.” Zeke adds, sliding one hand around his shoulder and using his free one to pinch his cheek. 
Eren seethes, stomping hard on his foot under the table. 
“I don’t kiss her.” Eren defends. 
“Not yet, you don’t. That’s for next month, right?” Zeke responds, with a wink. 
Is this what Zeke thought backing him up was? 
Eren can feel his cheeks burn. Leave for the empty spots in the script – that Levi had stated he had some special plan for – the last part of the show was almost finished. And much to Eren’s dismay, Hange and Levi overrode his opinion in the writers room and included a kiss in the script. 
He’s just hoping for his own sake that they end up cutting it before the day comes like they did the first time. There were only so many things that he could stomach. 
“That’s filming, Zeke. That’s different.” 
Zeke rolls his eyes. 
“Right.” 
Eren’s thrown out of the loop when the door swings open, with Connie and Mikasa barging in with you at their heels. The three of you look particularly disheveled – sopping wet from the rain outside, giggly smiles on your faces – as Connie and Mikasa shake their hands at the group of them. 
“We ran out of toothpaste over there, Eren. We’re just gonna take some.” Mikasa states. 
“You needed three people to get one tube of toothpaste?” Eren asks. 
“Well, I was going to come. Then, Connie decided he wanted to accompany me. And then Y/N realized we were going to get it from your room, then decided to come.” Mikasa responds, dragging Connie off to the little bathroom at the side. 
Eren lifts his head to find you standing at the door, with…an almost awkward look on your face. The big smile that he saw seconds ago was virtually gone. 
“You know what! I think Falco’s actually calling me…so I’m just going to…” 
“You should sit. Eat breakfast with us.” Carla states, gesturing to the empty seat at her side. 
That’s when Eren realizes it – and it sends an overwhelming amount of relief through him. That you didn’t feel awkward around him but around his family instead. 
Eren racks his mind trying to remember it – when you were with them last. And if his memory isn’t deceiving him, it was the last Thanksgiving that you guys were together, a snowy November years ago. 
And he gets it, the immediate nervousness. God knows he felt the same way around Falco and Colt when they arrived – after Levi hadn’t listened to his advice to not cast the two of them in the show. Just to spare him some torture. 
Levi, obviously, refused to listen. 
You always had your guard up around Zeke and if he knew you half as well as he thought he did, he knows for a fact that you must feel embarrassed to show your face around his parents now after everything that happened. 
“Mom, it’s okay. You can go see if Falco’s good, Y/N.” Eren affirms. 
Eren watches as your eyes meet his, slightly faltering before you shake your head and drag yourself to the table. From his peripheral, he can see that Zeke’s already too delighted for his own good as Zeke quickly offers you the seat at Eren’s side and sits directly across from the two of you. 
“Thank you for inviting me, Mrs. Jaeger. I appreciate it.” you respond, smoothing the little cloth over your lap as you knit your fingers into knots. 
Eren busies himself with filling your plate, carefully sectioning small amounts of each dish, before he puts his hand in between yours. You welcome the touch, linking your fingers in with Eren’s under the table, as you shoot them all a smile. And Zeke’s godawful delighted smile back almost makes you sweat. 
“Eren. You should go check on Falco, since he was calling Y/N.” Carla states. 
“Huh? Oh, I-I’m sure he’s fine. Colt’s here and Gabi too, you know.” you mumble. 
There’s no way you’re sitting alone with his family. 
“I think Eren should check on him. That way, it won’t be in the back of your head while we talk.” Carla responds. 
Eren shoots you a questioning look at your side, as you release his hand, and give him a nod. You can tell that he’s hesitating, his movements painstakingly slow as he exits the room and closes the door behind him, leaving you with the three of them. 
“I apologize for that. He wasn’t going to leave unless you gave your approval.” Carla murmurs, as the three of them relax with his presence missing. 
Zeke takes the opportunity to take the seat at your side, filling the empty space Eren left. He leans closer, voice quiet as he whispers and nearly makes your heart drop in your chest. 
“Don’t worry. I’ve got your back. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to hold your hand under the table like he did.” 
You fight the urge to spit the water in your mouth straight into the glass – but swallow the shock and battery acid sensation down as you spare the two of them a glance ahead of you. 
There’s a twinge of regret – that at one point, you used to be like their chosen family and now it feels like you’ve allocated a lifetime of hurt to their son. 
“I want to start by apologizing.” you state. 
The two of them look up at you confused. 
“For?” Grisha asks. 
“Everything I did to Eren. I…I care for your son an awful lot, though it may not seem like that at times. And I hope that you know that even causing the smallest bit of pain is something that I have to carry with me everyday. Something I’ll spend a lifetime trying to rectify.” you state. 
Carla sighs, setting her fork down in her plate and crossing her arms against her forearms. You can tell that Zeke’s priming some sort of response against her just from the almost enraged look in his face and you make it a point to spare him a warning glance not to. 
Whatever wrath she had prepared for you was what you deserved. And just like Eren and Mikasa, you’d spend your entire life fixing it till it was better with her too. 
“I’m not going to pretend to understand what it was that happened between you and Eren. I can read news articles and watch interviews and documentaries but…it doesn’t exactly make sense to me. I can admit that. I don’t know why you broke up with him and…and I surely don’t know why Eren thought it was okay to say everything that he did to you.” 
“Oh. That’s nothing, really-” 
“I don’t understand how you guys can make these big, love confessions without even confronting each other in the first place. Because…you’re not together, right?” Carla asks. 
You bite down on your cheek. 
“That’s right. It’s just for the paparazzi, trying to build up the hype around-” 
“No, I get that part. But the interview, the documentary. You guys did that for each other, on some level. So I’ll ask again. You’re really not together?” Carla asks. 
You sigh. 
“No. I’m sorry. I…I haven’t thought much about that because I want everything settled before I even consider it. Being careless ruined everything last time…and I can’t afford to do that again. I want to be careful with his feelings this time around.” you state. 
Carla pauses, before standing up and joining you at your side. And you’re caught completely off guard when she wraps her arms around you, pulling you up until you’re nestled in her arms and she’s rubbing at the sides of your biceps. 
You forgot – she used to do this to you all the time.
“You…you’re a good girl. We’ve always loved you, always loved how Eren was around you, but…just be careful with our son, okay? I don’t want him to be hurt again and he’s sensitive, if that much wasn’t obvious at this point.” 
“I appreciate that. Really, I…I don’t think you guys understand what it means to me. And I won’t, I’m making my sincerest promise that I’ll try not to. He’s….he means the world to me. He’s been my best friend as long as I can remember and…no one is going to be who Eren is to me.” 
And for the first time, the two of them spare you a glimmering smile. 
“He feels the same way.” Grisha states. 
You sigh, offering the two of them a smile. And right on cue, Eren barges right through the door, the worry on his face melting as the two of you offer him a smile. You can tell that he’s a little confused – as he settles back into his seat and gives a questioning look to Zeke. 
The two of them return to eating, as you dig your own fork into the food and push it around. That’s when Zeke slides his arm around the back of your chair, leaning forward as he gives you a smirk. 
You can’t help but feel annoyed. Not in the genuine, hatred way, but in the same way you did when Colt used to tease you when you were a kid. 
“So…family that I chose now that I see your brother as my brother? That is about me, right?” 
You roll your eyes, sparing him a laugh, as you elbow him in the side. 
“I’m so sorry to break your heart here, Zeke, but that line in peace was about Eren and Falco. Not about you and me.” you state.
“Yeah, dumbass. She doesn’t even like you.” Eren mutters. 
Zeke feigns hurt as he clutches his right hand to his chest and groans. You watch as Grisha rolls his eyes in front of you and Carla fights the urge to smile at his theatrics. 
“You’re a bitch.” 
“Language, Zeke! God.” the two of them cry, rolling their eyes at Zeke. Eren rolls his eyes as he stands up, stacking all the plates and placing them at the island as you turn back to look at the group of them. 
You shake your head, laughing, as you thank your lucky stars at how comfortable it is, that you’ve floated right back into the ease that you always seemed to be in when you were around them. And Zeke too, for the first time. 
Zeke spares you a genuine smile this time, as he gets closer to you. 
“I think that you and I could be really good friends. We both love Eren and…and maybe we haven’t always done right by him but…” 
You can tell that he’s getting tripped up by the words, that the sentiment that’s underlying is something the two of you have never really shared before. A closeness that brings you together. Because for you, Zeke was always something you needed to protect Eren from and for him, you were positive now, knowing what you did now, that maybe Zeke felt robbed of some part of that. 
Getting to meet his little brother’s first girlfriend. Tease him about it, give him some brotherly advice – the way Colt did with you. That maybe he wanted the relationship that Eren and Falco had with each other with you, if things were different. 
“Yeah. But…we’re going to do right by him this time. We’ll make sure of it.” you whisper back, averting your eyes to where he’s standing. 
Zeke breaks out into a smile, extending his closed fist out to you as you push your own against his. 
“One thing?” Zeke states. 
“What’s that?” 
Zeke has a nearly murderous glint in his eye when he says it. And it fills you up with a searing feeling of warmth. 
“You give that asshole Scott Clarkson hell. For all of our sake.” 
You give him a smile back. 
“That’s a promise, Zeke.” 
--
Eren can feel himself sweating on the opposite side of the red carpet. The stickiness of the hairspray is sitting heavy in his hair, the collar digging into his neck, and palms embarrassingly sweaty as he stares at the group of people around him. 
Lana and Sukuna are fussing over fixing Connie’s outfit, Jean and Mikasa are taking shots at his side, and you can tell that Suguru Getou is truly cutting his losses at this point. 
Satoru’s wearing an outfit with literal, raw meat on it. 
“It’s camp!” Satoru whines. 
“That was the theme last year, dumbass. And it’s not camp, you’re just a nuisance.” Megumi grumbles, pinching his nose as he joins Eren at his side. 
Eren gives him a nod in acknowledgement, as he watches Yuuji at Satoru’s side, snapping excited pictures of Satoru’s meat hat and pokes his fingers into the red flesh. 
“Can you believe you’re dating that guy?” Eren asks. 
“Everyday I question my sanity.” Megumi mumbles. 
“Could be worse. You could be married to Satoru.” 
“Don’t remind me.” Suguru groans at his side, the two of them sparing a laugh. 
Megumi chooses to keep the comment to himself. He swallows, pointing out that you had said the same thing to the pair of them when Satoru dressed up like that godawful cat years prior. Megumi figures that he’ll keep this thread of your invisible string to himself, for the time being – that it might not exactly be productive for right now. 
Eren catches Levi’s head shifting towards him in the peripheral, as he looks over and tries to follow Levi’s line of vision. And feels his throat constrict as Ricky and Hyla walk past, the two of them sparing him and Lana a sickly sweet smile, and take their spots at the end of the line. 
Eren notes that despite the fact that you had side-swept all of her designers to work with you, naturally she still put together an outfit. He was hoping that it would be worse than it actually ended up being. Though he supposed the birthday girl would always get what she wanted in the end. 
“I’m ready to wipe that smug smile off of their fucking faces and I’m so serious.” 
Eren nearly jumps as he realizes you’re now standing at his side, your eye nearly twitching as you watch the two of them. But all he can feel now is his own throat itching, Ricky and Hyla the least of his problems as his skin ignites at the sight of you so close to him. Your flowery perfume is invading his senses, as he fights the urge to ogle your dress full on. 
“Y/N.” he whispers. 
“Do I look stupid? The underslip they had for the dress didn’t fit me because Hyla’s so much taller that they just…told me to wear this matching set. I feel like I’m going to be flashing everyone.” you mumble. 
“Better for you. You look fucking hot. And apparently, Hyla stole her dress from a piece that was already in the museum. I’m sure she’ll ruin it by the end of the night.” Lana states, as Sukuna joins her at the side and links his arm through hers. 
The two of them have matching stitching on their outfits, wedding rings sparkling on their fingers. Eren clears his throat, your eyes expectant as you wait for a response, and his head nearly spinning from the overstimulation. 
“She’s right. You’re beautiful.” 
“You can say she's hot, Eren. It won’t kill you.” Sukuna complains. 
Eren watches as your eyes widen, a soft pink blush running up your neck, as you avert your eyes. And Sukuna, naturally, ruins the moment by making gagging noises only to get smacked by Lana after the fact. 
The two of them shuffle off, giving you a thumbs up behind their backs, as you turn to each other. Eren links his hands in with yours, giving you three squeezes, as he looks down at the dark makeup smeared around your eyes, making your eyes appear even bigger and brighter. 
Eren gestures his head to the left, snaking his hand around your bare skin in the dress, and lines up directly behind Ricky and Hyla. And the two of you wait for them to walk out and follow directly after. 
It goes exactly how it thought you would. You haven’t walked a red carpet since the last awards show – and from what Eren told you – it had been years since he had too. 
It was simple. 
Seeing Hyla and Ricky at a carpet together was almost a given, almost too predictable. It would hardly spare a headline in comparison to you two – together. Years after the fact, with Eren’s documentary behind you. 
The clicking and the flashing immediately throws you off your guard, coupled with the screaming of your name, that you almost fall off the stiletto of your heels. But Eren’s quick with it, hands looped around your waist as he held you up against him. 
“Thanks. I-” 
“Don’t look at them. Just look at me.” Eren whispers, voice almost gravelly. 
“What?” 
“It’s better that way. Just act like you’re above them. Like you and I are the only people in the room.” Eren murmurs. 
You give him a nod, catching his drift as you follow his lead. And it almost works too well – easing your red carpet nerves when you literally don’t have to acknowledge them and just have to hold hands with Eren all the way down the carpet. 
Eren stops dead center, right before the steps, as you spare a glance over your shoulder. The group of them are following – Satoru’s raw meat causing a commotion at the start – and you turn back to him. 
“Ready?” 
“Yeah.” 
“I know you just asked me to get you a necklace for the Ricky thing, but I actually did ask them to design a custom one for you.” 
You smile. You had made it a point – that you were going to stick it to Ricky for that stupid night that he left you drenched in the rain – but you failed to consider that this would happen. Though in hindsight, you should have expected it. 
Eren was always thoughtful when it came to things like this.
“Really?” you ask. 
Eren nods, as he reaches into his pocket, pulling out the little charm necklace. You take it in his hands, admiring the little charm at the center, of the planet Saturn. You frown, turning it over in your fingers. 
“Does Saturn have some connection to Uranus that I don’t know about? I thought that I was supposed to be the moon.” you mumble. 
Eren laughs, as he shakes his head and gestures for you to spin around. You oblige, moving your hair to the side and feeling your cheeks heat up as the paparazzi snap what feels like hundreds of pictures – of Eren clasping the necklace and then pressing a kiss to the nape of your neck. His voice comes out as a whisper on your skin as he pulls you closer to him, the two of you posing for the picture. 
“I mean, Marco was always a big fan of immature jokes. So I guess it does?” Eren states. 
You widen your eyes as you press your fingers to the charm, realizing what it means. 
Your braids like a pattern, love you to the moon and to Saturn. 
The last time that you were at the Met Gala was when you performed with Marco. You can feel warm tears accumulating in your eyes as Eren cups the side of your cheek, a soft smile on his face. He taps the little pin on the lapel of his jacket, a matching little saturn charm as you bite down on your cheeks and smile back. 
“He’s here with us. Haunting us from his grave like he promised.” Eren jokes. 
You give Eren a teary laugh. 
“Yeah. I think he is too.” 
You lean your head against Eren’s shoulder, as the two of you walk straight up the stairs into the venue. There’s a glimmering chandelier hanging from the ceiling, the stage decorated a sparkling silver. 
“Do you have a Maya Angelou quote for me? She always was Marco’s favorite.” 
Eren smiles. 
“I can be changed by what happens to me. But I refused to be reduced by it.” Eren states. 
--
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Falco and Colt are the ones by your side backstage. You can feel your hands shaking, throwing the mic from one hand to the other, as the two of them lean their heads against yours. 
You’re performing for the first time in years. Since you performed the grudge, at that godawful awards show years ago. 
You choose to use the wall of pictures as a distraction. One of your favorite things about performing at the Met was that they took pictures of each of the performers and pasted them to the big walls behind the curtains. People would sign the walls, the pictures themselves – to mark that they had performed here, to immortalize themselves on the wall. 
And it takes a few seconds, but you find the picture dead center. Of you and Marco. The two of you are hugging each other, cheeks pressed together with pink, teary eyes, with your names scribbled in Marco’s loopy handwriting underneath. 
seven by y/n l/n ft marco bodt 
And directly next to it, is a picture you’ve never seen before. Of Eren and Marco – their hands clasped together – and the same loopy handwriting underneath with the song. 
“He didn’t want to take that picture. He…he made me do it. Said he should still remember the moment, even if he wasn’t at his best.” Armin states. 
“Oh. Hey, what are you doing here?” 
“Just checking you’re okay. First time performing and all that. And I was back here with you the last time this happened too.” Armin murmurs. 
You smile, lacing your hand through his as you both stare at the pictures of Marco and you wrap your arms around Armin at the first sound of his sniffling. 
“Well, this is hardly about me performing, Armin.” you mumble. 
Armin gives you a watery laugh, before pulling back and wiping the wetness on his face away. 
You frown as you lightly dig your elbow into his side, trying to gesture him into talking. 
You were a little harsh when you talked to him last – when you had to convince him to finally forgive Eren. You regretted it after, being so rigid and forcing him into it, but you figured direction was what Armin needed at the time. 
“Marco said that even though that moment was bad for Eren, that even though he felt like he was never going to recover, there would be a day that he looked back on it and would relish in the fact that it was never going to be like that again. I hate the fact that Eren’s probably having that moment right now and shit is still so awkward between us that I can’t even tell him that I’m happy for him.” Armin murmurs. 
You stare at the pictures. 
“I didn’t realize you were…with Eren that day.” 
“Yeah. Yeah, I was. I called him a lot after the whole Girlfriend thing, he was kind of convinced that we all hated him. And I did the same when the whole Satellite Port thing happened too.” 
Armin pauses. 
“I was always there for him, until I wasn’t. And I feel like I’m fucking groveling but things still won’t be the same between us.” 
“Well, don’t lose hope about that. Mikasa and I-” 
“You and Mikasa are different. You’re…you overlook things easier than we do. Mikasa wanted you to be her maid of honor again after you said you wanted to sleep in her room – just because she realized you still loved her. Even if Eren knew I loved him, I doubt that would fix what happened with us.” 
You lean your head against your shoulder. 
“Did you finish the script yet, Armin?” you whisper. 
“What?” 
“Did you finish it?” 
“Yeah.” 
You look over at him and smile. 
“That last conversation? Between your character and his? He wrote that all on his own. It’s obviously a little bit more dramatic than he intends it but…the premise is still there. You and him, still best friends at the end of it.” 
Armin looks back at the pictures, running his hands through his hair, and ruining any semblance of styling in his golden locks. 
“You think Marco would be pissed at us? All of us?” Armin mumbles. 
“No. I know he would have loved to seen us all reconcile. That he would have been really happy for us.” 
Falco and Colt give you a gesture over your shoulder, as you shoo Armin back to his seat, and readjust the feathers on the sleeves of your dress. You give Colt a smile as he hands you the last piece of the outfit, the glittery garter belt that you wrap over your thigh as you take your cue. 
--
Eren gives you props for hundreds of things, but this one specifically. It was hard to find something that you were bad at, since it felt that you were naturally skilled at everything, but when he watched you, like this, he couldn’t help but feel like you were born for it. 
You really knew how to put on a performance. 
It’s pitch black, leave for your purple silhouette against the back of the stage. Of your fingers running across the neck of the guitar, playing the opening notes to the song Maki requested days prior – that you named Style. 
Midnight You come and pick me up, no headlights Long drive Could end in burning flames or paradise Fade into view, oh It's been a while since I have even heard from you (heard from you)
And I should just tell you to leave 'cause I Know exactly where it leads, but I Watch us go 'round and 'round each time 
Eren watches as you pause, the entire backtrack and music stopping, as the entire crowd jumps to his feet and starts hollering for you when they finally shine the lights on you. Eren watches as you give everyone a little wave, pressing your hands to your cheeks unable to contain your smile before you gesture for everyone to be quiet so you can keep singing.
And feels his chest fill with immense pride as you walk all the way down the stage, fingers fast and smiling from ear to ear as you sing again. He can’t help but feel embarrassed as the group of them – Connie, Reiner, and Jean – start smacking him on the back, screaming about how crazy his girl was. 
You got that James Dean daydream look in your eye And I got that red lip classic thing that you like And when we go crashing down, we come back every time 'Cause we never go out of style, we never go out of style You got that long hair, slicked back, white T-shirt And I got that good girl faith and a tight little skirt And when we go crashing down, we come back every time 'Cause we never go out of style, we never go out of style
When you reach the end of the stage, Eren watches as you slightly trip on your steps, before averting your eyes down to your leg. In the mess of walking and the notches on the guitar, a part of your stockings had ripped. 
Eren was impressed that you were still singing, as you reached down and took the halves of the garter belt in your hands, before you started looking out in the audience. And Eren can’t help but feel like in that moment, that some divine power might actually be real. 
Because three years ago, it was Hyla’s birthday and he was stuck at a dinner table thinking about you. About how he’d never feel that rush, that thrilling electricity that seemed to thrum in his veins whenever you looked at him. 
And he knows for a fact that really, it almost has to be real – a higher power that was looking out for him the entire time. Because years after the fact, he’s sitting here, blushing profusely as you throw the garter belt to him to catch, before you like down on the stage and scream your heart out. 
To a song that you wrote about him. 
Take me home Just take me home Yeah, just take me home Oh, whoa, oh (Out of style)
Oh, you got that James Dean daydream look in your eye And I got that red lip classic thing that you like And when we go crashing down (now we go), we come back every time  'Cause we never go out of style, we never go out of style 
--
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--
“Ethan Cole! You’re just the person I wanted to see.” you state. 
Fresh off of the performance, with the little note card tucked in your hand, he’s the first person that you beeline towards. 
On first impression, he’s younger than Scott Clarkson by a landslide – beachy, golden hair as he stands from his share to take your extended hand. 
“Y/N L/N! Quite the performance up there, my daughter is a huge fan. To what do I owe the pleasure?” Ethan asks. 
You give the girl at his side a warm smile, the girl barely above the age of fifteen, as you turn back to him. 
“You know, I’ve really missed doing romantic comedies. I’ve heard that’s your forté,” you state. 
“Is that right?” 
“As fun as Attack on Titan can be, the drama can…be a little draining. I would love to get behind you if you produced a romantic comedy that I could star in.” 
You watch as he pinches his smile, eyes strained as he looks around the room. 
“I’m not sure how keen…some people at the company would be about that.” Ethan murmurs. 
“Who said you had to do it with them?” you state. 
“Huh?” 
You give him the best, most sickly sweet smile that you muster. “Who said…you have to do it with him?” 
You pull the little note card out of your backpocket, with your phone number scribbled over the top, and hand it to him. 
“You could easily produce it on your own. And if it was a star studded movie, you could avoid the risks of being associated as a start-up all together.” you state. 
Ethan pauses, for a while. 
“My own company?” 
“That’s right. You’re young, younger than your competition, and with how things have been going lately…I’m doubt they’ll stay afloat longer. If I were you, I’d capitalize on the fact that your own competition is about to be eliminated.” you state. 
You can tell that he almost doesn’t believe you. 
“I’ll have to think about it.” Ethan states. 
“Sure thing, Ethan. If the situation was right, I could even be persuaded to get some of my….friends to join. And I know you’re a smart guy – there’s some publicity that other people couldn’t even dream of buying.” 
You spare a glance over your shoulder to Eren at the stage with Lana, as she takes her seat at the piano and Eren begins adjusting the microphone at the stand. 
“I look forward to talking to you, Ethan.” 
And you give him a sickly sweet smile before you walk away. You settle back into your seat next to Levi and Connie – who had decided to take Eren’s open seat while he performed. 
“How did it go?” Levi asks. 
“He didn’t buy it.” you state. 
Levi gives you a terse nod, as you shake your head and readjust your seat to face the stage. Connie pulls his seat up right next to yours, the two of you giving each other a smile as you link your arms together and lean your head against his shoulder. 
“It’s your song!” you whisper. 
Connie leans his head on top of yours, voice quiet as Lana starts playing the piano. 
“It’s actually not. It’s even worse.” 
“Huh?” 
You lift your head off of his shoulder to eye him, and he only smiles, deviously, in return. 
“Let’s just say if it was my birthday today, I’d commit a murder after this.” 
You turn back to the stage, eyeing the little star decals hanging from the little ceiling, and watch as Eren nervously shakes his hands, before placing them on the mic stand. He turns to his left, giving the group of you a smile, before he starts. 
“I wrote this song exactly five years ago today when I was twenty. I was stuck at a birthday party, with a bunch of people I hated, and all I could think about was how I just wished that I was somewhere else. And really, I was hoping that the person that I really wanted beside me, had some semblance of that feeling about me too. This is my new song, it’s called Glimpse of Us.” 
When you're out of sight In my mind
'Cause sometimes I look in her eyes And that's where I find a glimpse of us And I try to fall for her touch But I'm thinking of the way it was Said I'm fine and said I moved on I'm only here passing time in her arms Hoping I'll find A glimpse of us
Eren always claimed that singing was never his forté and even from the way he moved – you could tell that he clearly felt more comfortable when he was acting. That he most definitely believed that his talents lied on a set rather than on a stage. 
And for maybe the hundredth time, it’s clear that Eren’s own visions of himself have clearly limited him. 
Because he’s beautiful. 
The stage design makes it look like he’s suspended in the sky, in between the moon and the stars, and the lack of production to the song – the fact that it’s just his voice and Lana’s fingers on the piano is chilling. 
It reminds you of that song that he wrote for you on the beach. 
Eren dislodges the microphone from the stand, tossing Lana a smile over his shoulder, before he walks directly to the edge of the stage that’s closest to you and Connie. And uses his hand to gesture for you to come closer, as he takes a seat and dangles his legs off the edge of the stage. 
You can feel the butterflies erupting in your stomach as you pull your chair closer to the stage, right until you’re looking up at Eren from your little seat and he’s looking down at you. And as he sings, he reaches down and places one of his hands on your cheek – the biting cold of the rings on his fingers cooling the warmth on your cheek – but doing nothing to help the burning in your chest from his dark green eyes, filled with such warmth and sincerity that it makes your heart race. 
You bring your own hand up to where his is on your cheek and he gives you a dimpled smile in return. 
'Cause sometimes I look in her eyes And that's where I find a glimpse of us And I try to fall for her touch But I'm thinking of the way it was Said I'm fine and said I moved on I'm only here passing time in her arms Hoping I'll find A glimpse of us
When he finishes, you press a kiss to the top of his knuckles and try to memorize the way the smile spreads across his face.  
--
Your last chance to convince this cowardly idiot Ethan Cole to agree with you guys is at the afterparty for the Met Gala, which coincidentally, you’ve never attended. 
The last time you were here, the entire ordeal was so draining – considering it was the first time that you had seen Eren since you broke up and you were here with Ricky – that you just skipped the party afterwards and went home. And you would have done the same thing now, since your hair was feeling sticky and your legs felt like lead from the heels, but you had to give it one last shot before you left. 
You had taken Mikasa and Jean’s lead, and decided to take four shots with them, by the time the party was in full swing. And right before the fifth, Eren suddenly materialized after being missing for the first half of the party and slipped it away from your nimble fingers and downed it himself. 
“Are you drinking?” he asks, shaking his head from the burn, before handing the glass back to Jean. 
“Well, obviously not if you’re taking my glass.” 
Eren reaches forward, fingers on the little ribbon around your neck, before you smack his hand off. 
“I like the outfit. It’s like the scarf from the show.” 
“That’s the point.” you state. 
Eren rolls his eyes as you both lean back against the wall, eyeing the crowd of people in front of you. 
“You should have told me. I would have matched.” Eren states. 
“How are you supposed to match? Your costume on set doesn’t have something as…obvious like the scarf.” 
“I would have just done the titan marks and called it a day.” Eren mumbles back. 
You nod, mulling over the idea, as you reach for the back hanging around your shoulder. And luckily for you, your lipstick is still in the bag – though most of the time, the bags that you have on red carpets have literally nothing on them – and instruct him to crouch so you can reach. He obliges, flashing you a smile, as you intently focus on drawing the lines under his eyes. 
Eren takes the distraction – the focus that you have from drawing on his face – and uses it to observe you. 
“Did you like my song?” Eren asks. 
“You’re insane. Did you really write that five years ago or did you make that up?” you whisper. 
“Nope. I wrote it after the last Met Gala, I think Hyla’s birthday was like a week or two after that.” he mumbles back. 
“Well, if it’s any consolation, what you were hoping was actually true. When I was at that Met Gala, I really just wished that I was with you, sitting with the rest of the cast.” 
Eren laughs. 
“Who said the song was about you?” Eren jokes. 
You pause, only to look up to glare at him, before you lightly shove him. And you can tell that he’s joking but it’s still irritating. 
“You’re such a dick, sometimes.” 
“You were thinking about me?” Eren responds, closing his hand around yours and snatching the little tube of lipstick from your hand. 
He lifts his phone up, looking at the reflection from the screen of his phone, as he messily finishes off the marks on the other side, more messy and jagged. And as annoying as he is, it’s extremely attractive when he does it – capping the lipstick and curling it back into the palm of your hand. 
“You wish.” you respond. 
Eren leans against the wall and you join him at his side, the two of you eyeing Ethan Cole at the end of the hall, with Ricky and Hyla posted up on the other side. You can’t help but seethe with anger as you watch the two of them together, curling your hands into little fists at your side. 
“I saw that video that was going around on Twitter a little while ago. Of you and Ricky, last time you were here.” Eren responds. 
“What video?” 
“It was on the red carpet. He like…grabbed your arm and shoved you.” Eren clarifies. 
“Oh! That’s right. He was trying to introduce me to John and I said some crap about him to Historia. Then, he got all pissed saying that I had to be nice to him or whatever since he was nice to you guys.” you respond. 
Levi and Hange walk up to the pair of you, arms linked together, as you straighten up. The two of them had weary eyes, focused on Eren, as they look around. 
“Eren. He’s here.” 
“Who’s here?” you ask. 
“Scott Clarkson. He just walked in – guess he’s not deciding to skip after all.” Hange responds. 
Eren leans forward, angling his head over the crowd of the people, towards the opening at the front of the hallway and feels his throat turn to sandpaper. Eren clenching his fists so hard that he’s sure he’s drawing blood, the entirety of the conversation almost lost to him as he feels himself nearly losing balance on his legs. 
“You’re free to leave, Eren. We have a car ready for you. If you want to stay, we’re here with you.” Hange states. 
You look around to the other side of the room to find Connie talking to a group of people, none of which you knew. Mikasa and Jean are a few feet away – but clearly drunk out of their mind – and you can’t seem to find anyone else who could stay with him. You jerk your head back, to the two of them. 
“Listen. I’ve got Eren. Could you guys check that Connie’s going to be fine?” 
Hange and Levi turn their heads to the side, giving you a nod, as they speed walk to the other side of the room and you link your arm in with Eren’s. He’s still staring at the other side of the room and you lightly tug on his arm to catch his attention, his eyes almost dazed when he looks at you. 
“Sorry. Did Hange and Levi say something?” 
“Just wanted to make sure you were okay. We can leave if you want to, there’s a car and everything.” 
“No…no, we didn’t talk to Ethan Cole yet. And, it’s fine.” Eren responds, shaking his head. 
It’s not that Eren’s exactly scared of Scott Clarkson, though there was a point in time that he most certainly would be. It’s more that he’s intimidated by what could go down, because while Eren knows that he isn’t exactly being swayed by him anymore, it’s a debilitating reminder every time he makes a comment that sends Eren tumbling back down. 
“Lana and Sukuna are together. I sent Hange and Levi to check on Connie. And I’m here with you, so…so all the bases are covered.” you respond. 
Eren smiles. 
“You’re here with me? What are you going to do?” 
“Punch him in the face.” you respond. 
Eren laughs. 
“Are you crazy?” 
“Do I look like a comedian to you?” you ask Eren. 
“You look more like a clown to me.” 
You feel your eyes widen, as you turn to your side and find Hyla and Ricky standing right to the left of you and Eren. You’re not sure what it is, but Eren suddenly squared his shoulders back, muscles tense at the sight of them. 
“Do you need something?” Eren asks. 
Hyla rolls her eyes as she looks at Eren, before turning back to you. And her eyes flicker to the necklace around your neck, before she looks back up at you and smiles. 
“Cute necklace!” 
Eren grins at your side. They took the bait. 
“Do you like it, Ricky? It’s custom Tiffany. I had it made special for Y/N myself.” Eren asks. 
You watch as Ricky furrows his brow, slightly clenching his jaw and nearly pink in the face, as he rolls his eyes in response – very clearly understanding the reference. 
“I don’t know where the fuck you think you get off, Eren. Need I remind you, that while I was at the top of my fucking career you were cleaning up a baby’s diapers.” 
You watch as Eren’s eye twitches, knuckles white at his side as he doesn’t respond. And it only gets more agitating since Ricky clearly gets off on the fact that Eren refuses to fight back, and takes it as an invitation to keep going. 
“Seriously, dude. You started at the fucking top of the food chain – your parents are literally Grisha and Carla Jaeger – and yet you’re slumming it with Lana and Sukuna. Lana’s quite literally the biggest bitch I’ve ever met in my life. Don’t pretend like you’re both not trying to get your five minutes of fame by talking about me. And don’t even get me started on how pathetic Sukuna is for what he said in that dumbass documentary the two of you made. Donating to sexual assault victims won’t fix a lack of talent.” 
“Where do you get-” 
“Y/N.” Eren states, silencing you all together. 
“That’s right, Eren. You better keep my sloppy seconds-” 
Ricky doesn’t get to finish the statement, because Eren’s punched him in the face. Not once, not twice, but three times to the point where he’s tackled him onto the floor, a bright red decorating his knuckles. 
“Y/N. What the fuck? Get him to stop!” 
You know that it’s petty. That maybe if you were a little bit of a better person, you actually would have asked Eren to stop. But Ricky James was quite literally the worst person you had ever met and deep down, there wasn’t even a single part of him that didn’t deserve what he was getting right now. 
You crouch down on your knees, Eren momentarily stopping to look at you, before you shake your head and look down at him. 
“I’m so sorry, Ricky. I don’t think I can do that right now.” 
Eren smiles, as he lands one more punch, before a very drunk Jean and Reiner are able to pull him off – Maki and Pieck at your sides as they rub into the softness of your arms. You shake your head, signaling to them that you were fine, as Eren looks over at you over the accumulating crowd of people, and gives you a gesture. You nod, as Eren extends his hand out to you, and the two of you walk to the other side of the room. You eye the blood on Eren’s hand, all Ricky’s you’re sure, as Eren stops at the table and starts filling the cups with the lemonade. 
“We need a drink.” Eren states. 
“That’s what got you pissed off, Eren? When he started talking bad on my name?” you mumble. 
“I love your name.” Eren defends. 
You smile. 
“Though, I always felt like it’s missing something.” Eren adds. 
You roll your eyes. 
“And what’s that, huh?” 
“My last name.” Eren responds. 
Eren watches as a blush creeps over your cheeks and try not to laugh when you mutter something that sounds an awful lot like fuck you under your breath as he passes you one of the glasses of lemonade. Which is right when Lana comes up and snatches the glass from his hand and slams it down on the table. 
“Are you a fucking idiot, Eren?” Lana seethes. 
“What?” Eren responds, giving her an annoyed shrug back as he takes the glass back and hands you one. 
“You promised, Eren.” Sukuna responds. 
“You two can get your panties out of a twist. I didn’t break any promises.” 
“Do you think I’m blind, Eren?” Lana asks. 
Eren rolls his eyes, as he leans down, bringing his face closer to Lana’s. It’s the same thing that Colt does to you – on the rare occasions that he’s able to prove you wrong. 
“You made me promise that if Ricky said anything about Teddy or you, I wouldn’t say anything. And Sukuna made me promise that if Ricky said anything about him, I wouldn’t do anything, because it would upset you.” Eren states. 
That’s why he didn’t say anything. 
“Our princess over here didn’t force me to make any promises like that. So the second he called her sloppy seconds, I did what I had to do.” Eren responds. 
Lana’s eyes widen, as she turns her head to you. 
“What a dick. Are you okay?” Lana asks. 
“I’m fine. He said worse about you guys, I wanted to punch him myself.” 
Eren smiles, as he leans down to look at you. 
“Too bad. He’s getting escorted out on his ass now, so you lost your chance.” Eren responds, pointing towards the door. 
And surely enough, the security are taking him out with his hands secured behind his back – no thanks to the obscene screaming he’s doing – while Hyla looks maybe the most irritated you’ve ever seen before. She spares you one last glance, to which you and Eren respond with glimmering smiles, before she walks out. 
Lana gestures towards the bathrooms as Eren follows, presumably to wash his hands, leaving you and Sukuna by the table, nursing the little glasses of lemonade in your hands. And wordlessly, you extend your glass out to Sukuna – and thank your lucky stars that he understands – as he pulls the little flask from the pocket and pours it into your drink and then his. 
“Eren’s been waiting for that one.” Sukuna states. 
“I’m shocked you haven’t.” you respond. 
“Maybe before. But you know, with the kid, you have to be a good role model and all that. Plus, I hate when Lana lectures me because she gets really mean.” 
You snort. 
“I’d be scared of her too.” you respond. 
“Speaking of scared, how many drinks until he falls off?” Sukuna asks, pointing to the left. 
You follow his line of vision to find Yuuji standing on top of the bar, tie loosely hanging around his neck and pink in the face with Satoru, as he sings along to the music playing from the speakers. 
“Which one are you talking about? I think they’re both well past that point.” you respond. 
“Yuuji, obviously. I’m going to stop him before he ends up on a headline.” Sukuna responds. 
“You have fun with that. I’ll watch from over here.” you respond, as Sukuna walks away. 
When you scan the room for Ethan Cole, you find that he’s already looking at you. You give him a polite wave, positive that whatever Eren just did with Ricky James must have swayed him some type of way, as you lean back against the edge of the table. And the table dips slightly under you, nearly making you spill the glass of lemonade, when you find Scott Clarkson leaning against at your side, his beady eyes fixed on you. 
“Y/N. It’s nice to see you.” 
“I’m so glad you were finally able to learn my name.” you respond.  
Scott clicks his tongue in his cheek, before extending his hand out to shake it at you. You begrudgingly oblige, skin curling with disgust as he presses a kiss to your knuckles, and leans back. 
“I’ll admit, I had you pegged all wrong in the beginning. But I’m sure that you can understand, it can be so hard to trust new and upcoming talent like that when you run a big company.” 
“Yeah, I’m sure.” you deadpan. 
“I think we should let bygones be bygones. I even think that we could be useful to one another. If you really wanted full ownership of your albums back, I could get it for you. Just a few movies, here and there, and they’d be back in your hands.” 
You feel your throat dry. 
“What did you just say to me?” 
“I’m sure you know I am well acquainted with Danny and Sareen. I’m sure I could persuade them, after a little give and take.” 
You thank the heavens that the stylists had stacked each of your fingers with a perfect set of silver rings. You sure it made it hurt even more when you slapped him across the face. 
“You have some nerve, you asshole. Don’t even think about-” 
You feel a set of arms on your biceps, squeezing hard, as you turn your head to find Levi at your side. You shake your head, turning back to Scott, who no whas a group of people around him, inspecting the red mark you’ve left on his cheek. 
“Levi. Fucking, get off.” 
“This is not the time for this. You and Eren are leaving, you’ve had too much to drink.” Levi responds, pushing you out into the cold air outside the hall and near the taxi. 
Eren’s leaning against the car door and he quickly jumps up at the sound of your voice, meeting Levi at your side. 
“Did you hit him, Y/N? They’re saying that you hit him.” 
“I slapped him.” 
Eren pinches his mouth into a line. 
“Did he hit back?” Eren asks. 
“What? No. Levi started yanking me off of him before I could get another one in.” 
Eren passes Levi a thankful smile, before ducking your head into the taxi, and tuning back into your rambling. 
“He’s such a dick. He fucking had that coming, trying to offer me a career like I don’t know who he is and what he fucking does. Like really, even down to being an opportunist, does he really think I care about my album that was already stolen from me over all of my friends? Over you? I think he’s a psychopath and we didn’t even get to solidify the deal with Ethan Cole or-” 
“Okay, Y/N. Relax. It’s-” 
“We have to do something to get his attention. Something crazy. I have an idea but…you have to follow my lead, okay?” 
Eren’s slightly hesitant. Only because he can tell that you really are tipsy from the light pink tint in your cheeks and the way that you’re shaking your legs. But he hates to tell you no, especially when you’re staring at him so expectantly, waiting for an answer. 
And when you drag Eren into a sweaty tattoo parlor, Eren realizes that maybe you’re well past tipsy. 
“I technically picked what we did last time, Eren. So it’s your turn. Just make sure it’s something like…fucking crazy. Like iconic.” 
Eren has an idea. But he can’t say it. Because you can’t possibly get that tattooed. And he’s sure that it’s showing on his face, because now you’re giving him an excited smile, jumping up and down on your feet waiting for him to tell. 
“Oh my god. What is it? Tell me right now.” 
“Uh. The moon and the ocean.” Eren responds. 
You frown. 
“We already basically have that as a tattoo, Eren. With the fish? And I can tell that’s not what you were going to say.” you respond. 
Eren sighs. 
“Y/N. It’s too much.” 
“Nothing’s too much! Come on, it’s you and me that we’re talking about. We got fucking matching tattoos when we were like eighteen and released songs about quite literally fucking each other on the same day! We can get a crazy tattoo!” 
“You’re so crass when you’re drunk, Y/N.” 
“The word Levi used was homicidal.” you respond. 
Eren sighs, as he tells you his idea, and watches your face light up. And after the fact, Eren can’t help but feel like he’s on top of the world.
Because for a second time now – the two of you are running down the streets, bathed in the dim lamplight and laughing into the night. Matching tattoos of each other’s names on the inside of your lips, a confession on the tips of your tongues like you were two soulmates destined to be together.
That’s the moment you’re able to coin it. 
You’re head over heels in love with Eren Jaeger. Again. Maybe even worse, more desperately than the first time.
And as the perfect cherry on top, Ethan Cole sends you a message confirming the deal the following morning.
--
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next part linked here
an: are you catching my hint for the songs in our next chapter.....which is an AWARDS SHOW CHAPTER ARE WE READY. and don't worry....scott clarkson and danny/sareen welcome to your tape...this next chapter is for you
(pls tell me someone gets the pussy joke that megumi made and that im not just horrendously chronically online)
taglist: @k0z3me @kayleegomez @yihona-san06  @bsenpai @sweetenertea @mykyoon @violetmatcha  @rebeccawinters @cutiejg @bokutosthings @bookwrmm @mblrrr @wheredidmycrowngo @somethinginyoureyes7 @chilichopsticks @okaystopwhore @you-always-made-me-blush @itzmeme @firelordazulaaa @whoami-72 @g-ghostly @intimacywithceline @erensmoodygf @cocomellxn @princess-ackerman @jaegerfiles @cacapeepee @rui-0836 @moonmalice @invisible-mori @sofiasber @bbybeeb @timetobegone @tee4str @ttokki2 @leave-rae-alone @ec3lipsy @officialsimpp @gojojang @yookayyo @lordbugs @multiplefandomthings @iobeyfandoms @camilo-uwu @justanotherkpopstanlol @mel-star636
299 notes · View notes
n6ptunova · 5 months
Note
need friends w benefits headcanons with chris pls (and him being crazy in love)
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friends with benefits • chris sturniolo
a/n: STOP YOU GET ITT thank uu for the request🫶 also idk if this counts as a headcanon i kinda got carried away mb😭
warnings: nsfw obv, some fluff, not proofread
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- you and chris hung around similar friend groups in la and you knew of the triplets, even had a lil crush on chris, but he didn’t know who you were till one day at a party he saw you talking to vinnie, a mutual friend.
- chris didn’t really mess around with la girls, partly bc he’s not looking for anything serious due to his commitment issues, and partly bc la is full of clout chasing influencers who talk.
- but when he saw you, the pretty girl with his vinnie’s arm resting around her shoulder? he wasted no time grabbing his brothers’ arms mumbling something about, “let’s go say hi.”
- the moment you met you got along like a house on fire, laughing at jokes only you two found funny, bouncing off each other the whole night and when you two were left alone, a few flirty remarks slipped here and there.
- you exchanged phone numbers that night and things quickly escalated, flirting intensified and after a few weeks you found yourself in his bed.
- you initially thought this would be a one time thing and so did he. neither of you wanted to risk the friendship you’ve built so far and have this be messy. but for some reason this felt…different.
- yes, it was your first time hooking up but he was already pussy-whipped. he couldn’t, for the life of him, stop fucking you.
- as shitty as this sounds, he usually preferred doggy style on one night stands so he wouldn’t have to see the girl’s face (plus he’s an ass guy wbk) but with you, it’s the first time he’s felt inclined to do missionary and he just couldn’t get enough.
- he’s already filled up the condom two rounds ago yet he’s still balls deep entranced by the euphoric feeling of being inside you. he only snaps out of it when your nails dig down his back and you manage to breathe out, “c-chris, too much.”
- “you can handle it for me, can’t you?” the way you tightened around him and arched your back gave him his answer.
- chris never hooks up with the same girl twice. he knows it’s a bad idea. so why was he calling you the next day to come over. and the day after that…and the day after th- you get the point.
- each time he said to himself it’ll be the last time, but he couldn’t help it. what was it about you that drew him in so much? you were the best he’s ever had. so he suggested the idea of friends with benefits, no strings attached and you agreed because he too, was the best you’ve ever had.
- you had no rules about fucking other people, but it’s not like he could anyway. every time he tried getting intimate with another girl, the only thing on his mind would be you, you’re what gets him going at this point. one time he couldn’t even get it up for another girl, it was the most embarrassing moment of his life.
- he thought it’s just a phase and over time he’ll get over it once fucking you gets repetitive. only, it never did. each time you did it was better than the last. he was convinced you had some sort of spell on him.
- you were the only girl he’s ever made love to. the only girl he ever enjoyed kissing while being inside of. the only girl that made him crave cuddling and aftercare so much he’d literally get withdrawals and be whiny if you weren’t in his arms after sex or vice versa. omg when did he get this soft??
- i don’t think he would tell anyone, even his brothers, that he has a fwb so you two would sneak around a lot in the beginning, until the others see you hanging out alone often, eating together, going to the arcades, bowling, the movies, everyone just assumed you’ve become best friends so no one questions it when you spend time in each other’s rooms (though nick and matt can tell you like each other but they don’t mention it)
- you only call him ‘chris’ when you’re hooking up, but when you’re hanging out or around people you refer to him as you do everyone else ‘bro,’ ‘dude,’ ‘dumbass,’ etc. so he associated you saying his name to sexual activities without even realizing.
- you called him by his name in a public setting once and he immedietly got a flashback of you moaning his name and became a flustered stuttering mess.
- he’d have little moments of confusion like when his heart skips a beat everytime he heard you laugh, and the overwhelming urge to make you do it again. and why did he want to be around you 24/7? inviting you everywhere him and his brothers go. making excuses to touch you in any way like having your knees touch sitting next to each other, or placing his hand on your waist to get past you.
- he didn’t understand what any of it meant but he convinced himself that’s probably how best friends are, i mean look at nick and madi, it’s the same thing, right?….right?
- i don’t think he really realizes he’s in love with you until one day he texted you he’s coming over and you told him you’re not home. that’s weird, where would you be at 2 am? “i’m at vinnie’s place”
- oh. why did that hurt? why does he care? it’s not like you had a rule about seeing other people, except he wasn’t seeing other people. he couldn’t see other people. and he kinda didn’t want you to either. that’s when it clicked. he loves you.
- he replied coldly and waited for the next time you see each other, he asked if you slept with vinnie and you said yes. from your pov, you were running away from your feelings for chris. you knew he doesn’t want a relationship and so to not get too attached you tried sleeping with someone else. but it didn’t work.
- you weren’t gonna tell him that but you sensed he was a bit jealous, you liked it. it ended up with you having angry jealous sex that night, but even though chris was roughly hammering you, the way he kissed your lips down to your neck was so soft and gentle, full of love.
- chris was so engulfed in the feeling that as he was reaching his high he ended up confessing, “fuck, i love you.” you were so fucked out that you didn’t even register what he just said until he dropped his body weight onto you, both of you catching your breath.
- “wait what did you say?” you’re both alert now, “oh- i said um…listen, i really don’t want you seeing other guys.”
- you smiled up at him, “then, i won’t.”
- “i also don’t want us to stay friends…i kind of wanna be more than that.”
- “and that would be?” you were teasing him at this point but you wanted to hear him say it.
- “i want to take you out on a date, and have you be my girlfriend. but if you don’t feel the same there’s no pressure-“
- “i’d love to be your girlfriend.” you cut him off, to his relief. he grinned and leaned down to kiss you, both of you smiling into it. after you pull away he rests his head on you while you play with his hair.
- “oh and chris,” he hummed in response, too tired to say anything, “i love you too.”
295 notes · View notes
jeanboyjean · 5 months
Text
and i - ft. jean kirstein
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summary: jean (successfully) tries to make you feel better after a recent breakup
content: friends to lovers, fluff, good vibes, jean brainrot to the max, modern au, college au
a/n: for @honeybleed 90s/00s rnb event!! <3 jean fluff hehehe bc i can't get him out of my brain and he is THE comfort character. inspired by and i - ciara. i love this song big time ♡ laughed so hard watching the music video when she brought out the horse lmaooo 🤔 for my fellow jean girlies!!!
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"ugh, i hate him," you grumble, sinking into the couch with a heavy sigh.
jean glances at you, concern etched on his face. "what now?" he asks, taking a seat beside you.
crossing your arms, you slump into the cushions. "he just posted a picture of him with that girl. what a fucking asshole."
jean clicks his tongue, shaking his head in disapproval. "why are you still on his profile? you need to forget about him."
with a frustrated sigh, you shut off your phone. it’s been a few weeks since you ended things with your ex, a decision long overdue. the relationship had lost what little spark had been there in the first place, dragging on for as long as the two of you would let it. the final straw had been when you had found the sexts he had sent to a girl in one of his classes. it stings and it sucks but more than anything, your pride is wounded. the sadistic part of you can’t resist the urge to keep tabs on him and wallow in resentment.
"i have forgotten about him," you say defiantly. "he's just unfortunately like the gum stuck on the bottom of my shoe."
jean lets out a low chuckle. his hands fall to his thighs as he pushes up off the couch. "okay, you know what. let's go for a drive."
curiosity flickers in your eyes as you look up at him, wondering where this is going. 
"come on, let's go," he urges, reaching forward to grab your hand. you let him pull you to your feet.
"alright, fine. but you're shouting me coffee," you tell him with a roll of your eyes, a small smile winning over.
"always," he winks in return with a mischievous lift to his lips.
the music blares as you drive, jean tapping his fingers along to the beat. you hum along, watching the scenery pass by with your window down, letting the cool air blow away your tension. the recent events start to fade away and your mind wanders back to your first break up a couple years ago during your first year of university. jean had been there then too, holding you as you had cried and simmered, until you were ready to put yourself back together. 
he had refused to let you mope around, forcing you to go out with him to movies and parties and bars. he had been the one to listen to your problems as you poured your heart out, making his shoulders your personal dumping ground. jean had been there for you through it all.
you deserve someone who loves all of you. the words he had said to you back then, ring clear in your mind. 
there has always been an underlying tension between you two, a quiet undercurrent that flows beneath the surface of your friendship. from the moment you first saw him, standing across the room at a party in first year, his presence has captured your attention drawing you to him like a magnet. you had become fast friends, sharing everything together from your classes, to your interests, to your deepest darkest secrets.
part of you wonders if he’s ever felt the same way. sometimes you wonder what it would be like if you had found the courage to tell him your feelings, but now you’re in too deep, the confines of your friendship too strong. all this time, you’re pining after him while trying to fill the void with other people, only to be crushed over and over. dreams of making a move dance in your mind, but the fear of jeopardising your friendship holds you back. you’re happy this way, if only because it means you can have him in your life. you’ve sealed these thoughts away in your heart and thrown away the key. 
jean's hand lifts from the steering wheel to turn down the music. "what are you thinking about?" he asks.
you cross your arms to hug yourself. "why is it so hard to find someone? am I just destined to be forever alone?"
he flicks your knee teasingly. "maybe you're looking in the wrong places." he turns his head briefly to meet your eyes. “plus, how can you be forever alone when you have me."
you roll your eyes and poke his shoulder before turning away. “yeah, and where should I be looking then?”
he pulls into the car park in front of your favourite coffee shop, shutting off the car and turning to you. he stills for a moment and takes a deep breath, letting it sit for a moment before releasing. a hand pulls through his hair, coming to rest on the back of his neck. "why not me?" he asks, turning to face you.
your eyes narrow at his words. "don't play around, jean."
"nah, I'm serious," he says. there's a hint of uncertainty in his voice but his gaze is unwavering. "you know I would do anything for you." 
you freeze, chest tightening, feeling the air being sucked out of the car. you hear his words but they don't register, refusing to sink in. the sincerity in his words hang in the air, and for a moment, time seems to stand still. in the quiet, jean's confession lingers like a promise. you want to believe him, to let go of the fear that consumes you but you can't help but hold back.
you shake your head, uncertain of the implications. you’ve both said things like this to each other before, never ones to hold back on sentiment, but something about them today carry a weight you can’t ignore.
"but aren't we friends? i don't want to ruin what we have."
he reaches for your hand across the centre console, his fingers intertwining with yours. his thumb brushes against your skin, sending tingles up your arm. “i would never let anything ruin what we have,”  he says, his eyes never leaving yours, gaze tender but firm. “i've wanted to say this for a long time."
with his free hand, he cups your cheek and leans in, brushing your hair aside. "i could have everything in the world, but I would sacrifice it all for you. stop wasting your time with these losers.” 
your heart pounds, breath catching in your throat. slowly, you allow yourself to acknowledge the feelings that have lingered beneath the surface. "jean..." you whisper, the sound barely escaping your lips.
"please. let me show you."
his lips meet yours, and for a moment, you forget about everything else. the world disappears, leaving only the two of you. it feels like a dream as he pulls you in, your chest flush against his. your fingers comb through his hair, your heart thumping in your chest.
everything about him overwhelms you. his scent, the way his hair feels between your fingers. and the softness of his lips, gentle and warm against your own. 
his hands slide from where they’re tangled in your own hair down to hold your arms, squeezing lightly. he pulls back, his eyes searching yours. the moment hangs in the air, the intensity heavy between you.
"are you okay with this?" he asks, brushing a lock of hair behind your ear.
you nod. a smile stretches across your cheeks as you look up at jean, whose expression mirrors yours. 
it’s more than okay. it’s everything.
you let yourself fall into the moment, unlocking the key to your heart, letting yourself want him. hope flickers in you, anticipation for what this could mean. you finally reach for the love that has always wanted to reveal itself. and this time, it feels real. 
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steddieas-shegoes · 11 months
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Nother idea: 8 years later, Tommy & Carol apologizing to Steve for their behavior. & for immediately abandoning him when they knew he needed them most.
But Steve has people now who have shown him love, family, true friendship. And while he forgives them its not the same. He doesn't trust them. He is thriving without them.
But Carol realizes that the reason it isn't the same is bc Steve genuinely believes that they don't mean their apology. So she & Tommy actually discuss it and find a way to clear up any misunderstanding & ensure he knows they mean their apology. It works, it takes time & effort but they are once again his friends.
MY LOVE!!! STEVE REALIZING HE'S LOVED AND DOESN'T NEED HIS SHITTY EX FRIENDS CREW STAND UP!!!! I had the opportunity to really give Steve his shining moment and yell at them, but I decided that Steve would just be kind of over it, like they aren't really worth yelling at. Steve didn't do all this personal growth just to let them back in so easily, but luckily he isn't the only one who changed. You know I had to involve Eddie, of course! - Mickala ❤️
-----------------------------------------------
It was too fucking early on a Saturday morning to be woken up by the buzzer of his apartment.
Whoever it was was lucky that Eddie had to go into work today or he would be committing murder at their door.
He glanced at the clock on the microwave, 10:47, okay, so not that early.
They’d had a late night, okay?
If he had a limp to show what they were up to, that was his business.
“You can leave the package in the box, I’ll grab it soon!” Steve said into the mic, hoping it was just a delivery.
“Steve? Is that you?”
He recognized the voice, though he wished he didn’t.
Eight years was a long time to go without talking to someone who used to be your best friend, but when you’d been best friends for so long, certain things couldn’t be forgotten.
“Tommy?”
“Uh yeah, man. I’m here with Carol. We actually were hoping to talk to you?”
He looked down at his almost naked body, only Eddie’s boxers covering him.
“Sure.”
He buzzed them in, not giving them any clue where he was so they would take their time getting to his door. He had to throw on clothes, brush his hair, and try to look like he hadn’t just been asleep.
He rushed to the bedroom, throwing on the first pair of jeans he saw and a t-shirt from the floor. He heard voices down the hall as he was heading to the bathroom, his hands shaking with nerves as he tried to rush to brush through his hair.
“It can’t be that Munson, though, right? Even Steve wasn’t a fan of him in school.”
Steve grimaced at Carol’s voice.
Technically, Eddie worked a half shift when he had to work Saturdays, which meant unless they were only stopping by for a few minutes, he would probably be home while they were still here.
Tommy had always hated Eddie. No one could really figure out why. Sure, a lot of people said nasty things about and to Eddie in high school, but no one else really put their hands on him the way Tommy did.
Eddie joked it must have been because he liked him, but Steve thought maybe he just had a lot of displaced anger.
At least that’s what he thought when he became a counselor and understood a lot of psychology behind why people did things.
Eddie laughed and said, “don’t overthink it, some people are just bullies.”
But Steve liked to think maybe Tommy was more complicated than that, liked to explain away his worst qualities so it made it easier to accept that he was once best friends with him.
Eddie laughed about that too, and said, “kids are stupid, and sometimes we find friends in people who make us feel better about ourselves, but you grew up.”
Steve shook his head, not wanting to think more about it.
He opened the front door, the ghosts of his past standing there, hardly aged, hardly any different at all.
“Come in, guys. Um. Sorry, I wasn’t really expecting anyone.”
They all awkwardly laughed as Tommy and Carol made their way inside.
The apartment was small, cheap rent kept them there so they could save up to buy a house outside of town in the next few years, maybe work on starting a family if they could.
They’d talked about it over the last couple of years, once Steve was settled in his job at the school, once Eddie got promoted to general manager at the shop, they’d save for a few years, have a decent down payment, start looking for a house with three or four bedrooms. Start looking into adopting. Maybe get a cat.
But to do that, their apartment was cozy, as Eddie liked to say. One bedroom, one bathroom, kitchen and living room area all one room, a tiny storage closet. They didn’t even have their own washer and dryer, which reminded Steve that he had to take their laundry downstairs and get it started soon.
Tommy and Carol looked around, but hid any emotion on their faces.
He gestured for them to have a seat on the couch, which was a hand-me-down from Wayne when they moved in. It was “too much” for his space when Eddie moved out.
They sat, though they didn’t look very comfortable.
Steve sat in the rocking chair Eddie bought, the first thing he bought for their “eventual home”, but didn’t rock as he took them in.
He originally didn’t see any proof of them aging, but now that he was looking closer, he could see Tommy’s already-receding hairline, Carol’s wrinkled by her eyes, both of them just a little softer in the face and stomach.
They looked incredibly human like this, like they weren’t some high school king and queen who only cared about how they look and what parties they could go to every weekend.
It helped Steve relax a bit.
“Not to be rude, but uh, how did you guys find me?” Steve asked, not sure he even really cared.
“We moved here to Chicago about six months ago, Tommy’s gonna run his dad’s office here starting next year, so he wanted to ease into it. I started job searching a few weeks ago for a teaching position and I noticed you worked at the school I interviewed at. We looked you up and decided we wanted to come talk,” Carol always was a bit of a rambler, always annoyed Steve when she started in on something that really didn’t matter much.
Carol nudged Tommy, who had been staring wide-eyed at Steve since he sat down.
He cleared his throat and nodded.
“We actually came here to make things right. We were best friends for years, and then one bad thing happened and we weren’t anymore. I know I fucked up with everything. We shouldn’t have treated Nancy like that, or you like that, and we’re hoping you could maybe accept our apology.”
Steve stared at them.
“We were kids. We did stupid shit. We’ve all grown. I mean, look at you! Your own apartment in the big city!”
As if he had been waiting for a cue, Eddie walked in the front door, his oil-covered coveralls already coming off. Steve made the rule after he came home one day to see oil stains on the bed sheets where Eddie had fallen asleep after working from open to close: coveralls come off as soon as he’s in the door and they go straight to the laundry room.
“Jesus, sweetheart, this is the last Saturday I cover in the shop. At least until I hire some competent mechanics. I think I did most of the work all morning. And after doing most of the work last night, I-”
“Eds! We have company!” Steve rushed out, his face bright red at what Eddie was implying.
It’s not that he really cared about what Tommy and Carol thought; Once they realized Eddie lived here, it wouldn’t be difficult to come to the conclusion that they shared a one bedroom apartment because they were together. He didn’t even care if Tommy and Carol were disgusted by him for it.
But he’d be damned if Eddie felt uncomfortable in his own home, especially if they started saying shit to him reminiscent of their high school days.
He watched Eddie turn around, recognize the people on the couch, and turn to Steve with a questioning look.
“Tommy, Carol, you remember Eddie,” Steve said, not breaking eye contact with Eddie.
They were having an entire conversation with their eyes, Steve begging Eddie to just go get cleaned up, Eddie begging Steve to explain what was going on.
Tommy’s eyes narrowed as he looked between them, Carol’s eyes stayed pointed at Eddie.
“Munson?”
“The one and only!” Eddie said, his voice pitching just a bit higher, naturally going to his over the top self to protect himself from whatever they would say.
Steve loved every version of Eddie: the performer on stage, the performer with friends, the soft version of himself that only Steve got to see, the protective version that would fight the world to make sure his loved ones were safe.
He was lucky to have every part of Eddie, even the parts that may not always be the best.
But his least favorite thing was seeing Eddie go into this mode, the one that kept him safe during school, when kids were mean, adults were mean, life was hard.
He didn’t want that for Eddie anymore.
“You guys…live together?” Tommy asked, looking back to Steve for confirmation.
Steve rolled his eyes. Tommy apparently didn’t gain any intelligence over the years.
“Yes. We’re together.”
From the look on Eddie’s face, he hadn’t expected Steve to say that.
That was fair; it took Steve nearly a year just to come out to anyone who wasn’t Robin, scared that somehow everyone would hate him, hate Eddie, hate them together.
But it went perfectly, and Steve rode the high a bit too much. He came out to his parents a few months after, and that went quite a lot less than perfectly.
He was lucky he didn’t have more head trauma from it, actually.
So he kept it quiet, didn’t come out to any new friends he met in college, even after one of them came out to him. Didn’t come out to coworkers while he worked at a cafe throughout college to pay the bills. Didn’t even come out to the bartender at their favorite bar despite the rainbow flag that was hidden behind the bar in silent support.
It was only recently that he started to feel comfortable being more open, and only in the city, only select areas where he knew they wouldn’t end up hurt.
Eddie was patient, maybe more than he deserved.
So saying it outright to the two people who suspected and bullied Eddie for being gay in high school, despite it not even being confirmed then, clearly threw Eddie for a loop.
“Oh, like…”
“Yes, exactly like that.”
Steve crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for any response that would give him permission to kick them out of his apartment, their apartment.
But he saw Carol nudge Tommy again, pasting a smile on her face. It wasn’t completely natural, but it also didn’t seem fake.
“That’s nice, Steve. Have you been together a while?”
“Since ‘86.”
“Wow! Since the quakes!”
Steve nodded.
“Steve, can you help me with something in the kitchen for a second?” Eddie asked, his voice unreadable.
Steve hated it, hated that all of a sudden he couldn’t get a grasp of what Eddie was feeling.
It had been so long since he’d experienced this.
And a small part of him blamed Tommy and Carol.
He got up, wordlessly following Eddie into the kitchen area that wasn’t even separated from the living room.
“Not that I don’t love that you’re comfortable telling them, but um. What’s. What’s happening currently?” Eddie whispered as he tried to appear busy, grabbing a glass from the cabinet to fill with water.
“They came to apologize to me. For high school.”
When he said it out loud, it sounded a bit ridiculous.
“And are you accepting it?”
“I don’t think so. I think they’re only doing it to help themselves feel better. I’m not interested in whatever game they’re playing.”
Eddie looked over Steve’s shoulder at the pair sitting on the couch.
“Need me to get rid of them? Just say so, sweetheart. I’ll kick them both to the curb.”
Steve leaned in and kissed him quickly on the lips, smiling as he pulled away.
“I got it, baby. Get cleaned up so I can hug you.”
“Just hug?”
Steve laughed as he walked back towards his spot.
“Or more!”
He focused back on Tommy and Carol, who were graciously pretending that they didn’t hear the conversation that happened less than 20 feet from them.
“So, we were wondering if you wanted to meet up for dinner, catch up? You could bring Eddie, of course!”
Of course, she said. Like they didn’t outwardly despise Eddie eight years ago. Like they were perfectly fine with him now, and fine with Steve, and fine with them.
“I think we’ll pass. Good luck to you guys in Chicago, though.”
He ignored the pang of guilt when he saw Carol’s face fall and Tommy’s eyes darted to where Eddie was closing the bedroom door and back to Steve.
“Oh. Um. Well, it would be our treat, if you’re worried about money.”
“I wasn’t.”
Tommy and Carol hadn’t expected to be shut down like this, but Steve knew he couldn’t do it. He couldn’t accept their apologies, and he wouldn’t expect Eddie to suddenly be friendly to people who tormented him for years.
“Okay. Well. I guess we’ll go, then.”
“Thanks for stopping by.”
He stood as they stood, walked them out the door, then closed and locked it behind them.
Steve made it to the bedroom before he felt the tears spring to his eyes.
Eddie was in the bathroom showering, so he hoped he could get it out quickly. He didn’t want Eddie to worry.
But unfortunately, once a few tears fell, it seemed like they wouldn’t stop.
He got back in bed, burying his face in the pillow so he could hopefully pretend to be asleep, but didn’t quite manage it before Eddie was walking back into the room.
He got in bed and silently pulled Steve against his chest, running his hands up and down his back to soothe him, not trying to use any comforting words.
“I don’t know why I’m upset about a stupid fake apology from people I don’t care about.”
“Stevie, it’s okay to be upset. They were your friends for a long time, and you still have a lot of hurt leftover from them.”
“I just wish things had been different then.”
“I know, sweetheart.”
Eddie kissed the top of his head, and as they lay there together, Steve realized this hurt would never quite go away.
—------------------
“T, I don’t think he believed us,” Carol said from the passenger seat.
“I can’t believe Steve’s with Eddie. Of all the people,” Tommy replied, not even acknowledging Carol’s words.
“They seem good together.”
“I guess.”
Carol knew Tommy had a crush on Steve in high school, they’d talked about it years ago when she found an old picture of Steve with a heart drawn on the back while they were moving the first time around.
She’d been caught off guard, but understood, and was fine with it when he explained it was definitely in the past.
And it was.
But a part of him was wondering how long Steve had realized he liked guys, and what might have happened if he’d just been brave enough to do something about his feelings before things went to shit.
He loved Carol, was happy to be married to her, and wouldn’t want Steve now, but still. The what-ifs plagued his mind on the drive back to their home.
“Are you jealous of Eddie?”
Carol sounded hesitant to ask, like she wasn’t sure which answer she would prefer because she knew either way, Tommy would be upset she asked at all.
“No. I’m not jealous. Steve and I would never have worked out.”
Which may not have been a great answer for his wife, but it was the truth, and they were always honest with each other if nothing else.
“Since I got the job at the school, maybe I’ll have more chances to convince him we meant it.”
Carol was good. Deep down she had always been good. But Tommy always managed to drag her down when they were young, convinced her she needed to be a mean girl to fit in with their group, kept it up through most of college before they finally realized life was better if you just weren’t awful to people.
“Yeah, maybe.”
—---------------------
So, a month later, when school started up, Carol began the task of showing Steve that they were truly sorry.
She would often leave notes in his mailbox in the office, usually just a “have a great day!” with a smiley face, or “let me know if you want to catch up over lunch!”
He never responded, but she knew he got them.
Tommy had issues with his car and took it to the shop Eddie worked at, nodding along to what he said and admitted he didn’t really know much about cars so he trusted Eddie to fix it.
It was entirely professional, but a small part of Tommy was satisfied when Eddie gave him a genuine smile.
—--------------------------
“Is it weird that they keep trying?” Steve asked one night while they were lying in bed.
“I don’t think it’s weird. I think maybe they just mean it.”
Steve pondered it.
Yeah, they must mean it. The old Tommy and Carol would have given up after he sent them out of their apartment the first time.
“Would you wanna go to dinner with them? Just give them a chance? It’s okay if you don’t want to. You don’t have to forgive them.”
Eddie leaned in to kiss Steve’s slowly, softly.
“If you want to, then I want to support you. We’re all different now. Maybe we can look at who they are now instead of who they were, as long as they can look at who we are and respect us.”
“Yeah.” Steve kissed Eddie’s cheek. “Yeah.”
—-------------------
Steve left a note for Carol the following Monday: “Dinner at ours? Friday at 7. Bring a red wine and beer.”
She wrote back that same day with a bunch of smiley faces and a response that they would be there.
When Friday came, Steve was nervous.
He’d planned to leave work right when school got out instead of leaving at five so he could make sure everything was clean and the food would be ready on time.
Eddie promised to be home by six in case he needed help.
And when six arrived, Eddie walked through the door with flowers and a smile, and Steve relaxed.
Nothing would go wrong.
Even if something did, they would be in it together, and they would support each other.
They didn’t have to do this alone like they did all those years ago.
—-------------------
It became a thing: dinner every Friday evening, sometimes at Steve and Eddie’s, sometimes at Tommy and Carol’s, sometimes at a new restaurant in the city.
The first few dinners were stilted, full of apologies and awkward catch-ups.
Then it got easier.
They got closer.
Eddie and Tommy actually became closer than Steve and Tommy ever were. Eddie showed him how to change his own oil so he could “stop bothering him at work just so he could look at his sexy coveralls.” Tommy rolled his eyes, but was grateful to learn.
Carol and Steve would often bake dessert together, catching up on school gossip, the latest who was dating who always entertaining them just as it did when they were in high school.
There were still the occasional moments where Steve thought about how much they hurt him, and Eddie thought about how they might be teasing him behind his back.
But it was rare, and they usually talked themselves out of it.
They were the first people to find out when Carol was pregnant, and the first people to learn it was twins. Carol and Tommy were the first (okay, first after Robin) people to find out when their offer on a house was accepted.
Tommy ended up cutting ties with his father when he found out that Steve and Eddie were together and threatened to cut him off. Tommy had a degree, and now had years of experience under his belt, and wasn’t worried about finding another job, one where he knew he earned his position because of his work and not being the boss’ son.
And when Steve and Eddie were able to finally adopt a little girl in 2002, Tommy and Carol were at the courthouse taking pictures of the new family, their own kids already best friends with her.
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redriotinggg · 4 months
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I need anyone who genuinely dislikes Usopp to take a long look in the mirror because yeah, he can be a bit annoying at times but he is honestly a good and interesting character!!
He is just as loyal as any other member of the crew and fights the strongest when he’s fighting on someone else’s behalf. (See: him fighting for Sanji in Skypeia, fighting for Robin at Eneis Lobby, fighting for Luffy in Dressrosa, fighting for Tama and Nami in Wano.) He is a major player in so many of the battles in the series that it baffles me that people can think of him as an unimportant member of the crew.
And Usopp is a fucking genius??? Hello???? He’s able to make weapons powerful enough to create storms and tornadoes. He is canonically a jack-of-all trades that supports the crew in their daily lives and in battle. The Going Merry only lasted as long as she did because Usopp was around to care for her. He was the only one to see her Klabauterman!! Usopp is not only creative and fun but is able to bring those creations to life, whether it be his drawings or his gadgets, and I think that’s so beautiful. I miss pre-TS because of all his inventions we got to see.
Let’s not forget that Usopp is so, so kind!! He made friends with the kids in his village and told stories to Kaya to help her feel better when she was ill. He fought to protect her and Syrup Village from Kuro. Personally, I will never get over filler ep on Fireworks Island (ep. 134) where he cheered up Kodoma and encouraged her to continue her pyrotechnics, assuring that her parents were proud of her. Knowing he also lost his parents at a young age makes the scene hit that much harder. (And again, he showed his genius by figuring out a way to launch the firework that killed Kodoma’s parents!!) It may not be canon to the manga but but I think that episode is super accurate to his character.
What I think makes him the most interesting is that we see his flaws and mistakes more than any of the other Straw Hats. We see his insecurities in Water 7 and his fear in Dressrosa. But we also see him growing and learning and being encouraged by his crewmates. Aside from Robin, I think Usopp has changed and grown the most out of the Straw Hats. With his goal to become a brave warrior of the sea he has so much potential for even more growth!!
Like I said earlier, some people think Usopp is annoying which he can be sometimes, but that’s also because he’s literally comic relief. And he does so well at it bc he’s actually so damn funny?? He makes me laugh out loud all the time. One Piece wouldn’t be even half as funny without Usopp.
I also appreciate that as an individual he has so many moments with the other Straw Hats. There are a lot of relationships that don’t get explored as much as we’d like, but I think we get to see Usopp’s friendships with the crew pretty often. He fights for Luffy, plays around with Chopper, teases Zoro, is teased by Robin, gossips with Nami, hangs around Sanji, and his whole relationship with Franky has so many layers to it.
Aaahh, I have so many hopes for Usopp in the series that I pray will be fulfilled!! I want him to have a badass arc in Elbaf full of character growth. I want to see him develop and continue to use his Haki (which he gained when trying to save Luffy are you KIDDING me). I want his reunion with Yasopp to be emotional and bittersweet. If he could personally beat Yasopp in a fight I would ascend to the heavens.
Usopp is such an important, complex, and interesting character and I absolutely hate to see him reduced to being a gag character or the weakest member of the Straw Hats. He may not be a monster but he is amazing and I love him.
TLDR; if you disrespect Usopp I wish you a very Die.
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Hazel and Jason's dynamic is SO fucking disappointing now that I'm binge reading the books again. It was so frosty and distant. Jason was literally just mistrusted and "not like what she expected him to be" in 90% of her Hoo POVS it's sad really. I really wish they would bonded properly. So much potential for friendship just down the drain.
Hazel's unwillingness to forgive Jason for suspecting Nico was genuinely pissing me off I'm sorry 😭 like I never thought I'd get mad at Hazel of all people bc she is literally a sweetie, but she's infantilized way too much in the fandom, so her flaws are easily overlooked, but like she literally went all volcano on Jason and held a grudge against him till House of Hades too? Like I get that she worried about her brother and stuff I'd be mad too. But it's the fact that she selectively forgave Leo SO quickly and never even yelled at him (even though he's the one who started the suspicion in the first place even jokingly called nico creepy and stuff behind his back not that I'm trying to fault him or anything I love him)
look I'm not saying it's all Leo's fault or anything, in my opinion, both Jason and Leo were right to suspect nico because of how back and forth nico went from both camps without saying a word and also pretended to not know percy and stuff. So it's realistically shady behaviour from their pov.
But Hazel gets all sweet and soft on Leo because of Sammy and forgives him in a heartbeat, tbh tho she never really directed her anger on Leo in the first place so there was nothing to forgive. But when Jason apologizes, she gets all cold and frosty like accepting his genuine apology is the hardest thing she has ever done?? Like?? Hazelnut I love you and all, but you just accused Jason of unfairly judging nico but you ironically unfairly judged Jason and went all sweetheart on Leo?? Contradiction much?? Either forgive both of them or don't forgive either of them? Why the bias?
Then in HoH she goes on a whole lot of yapping about how she doubts his capabilities as if she didnt just idolize him like 5 minutes ago RIGHT after he encouraged her that she was doing well and included her as a part of the team?? Idk, she was so petty with him and for what?. I just found it unfair that Jason considered hazel a friend but she didn't consider him one and just fully went all judgy mode on him for the rest of the series. she holds on an even bigger grudge than nico lol. she literally did anything but forgive him or give him a chance. so ooc.
Also, In TOA, I found out Hazel told Apollo that she talked to Jason's ghost after he died, to yell at him about how much his sacrifice had hurt Piper :/ like rlly? Out of all the things you could say to a person you idolized who made a lifechanging sacrifice, you guilt trip him for the sacrifice instead of gratitude? Ig she may have been raging out of grief or something but I honestly didn't like the way their dynamic ended. So incomplete. Just another reason of why I found fanon way better.
Hazel coming in terms with the fact that jason is a boy, and not a legend would've been sm better. since the seven basically signifies friendship and comfort. him being a boy with feelings is basically the whole point of his character, but it only gets acknowledged by nico and leo. hazel of all people would've understood jason's internal struggle, she has literally come back from the dead, if anyone knows about struggle, its her.
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youunravelme · 2 months
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Who are some other writers we should check out?
Love your fic recs 😁
omg i LOVE this ask! (and i love that you trust me to rec things/blogs/fics! it's a huge honor)
i'm gonna put this under a read more because there's a lot of people i think are worth following (and if i rec'ed you and got your pronouns wrong, please tell me and i'll fix it!)
so i'm gonna attempt to organize this list by player. disclaimer: i don't read for every hockey player in existence.
mat barzal (obvi number one bc he's the loml)
@barzysunflower - lolo (she/her) is the first mat barzal writer i actually read and when i tell you i binged her masterlist???? it's so good, my favs are the you are in love series and the unexpected series!
@thewintersoldierdisaster - literally anything she writes is great, i go feral for it tbh. she writes for a few canes players as well, but my favs are the mat fics (for obvious reasons being that i'm in love with him). especially the fics with the baby (whose name i cannot remember) and when mat calls reader squeaks???? i'm in love.
@islesnucks - clara (she/her) has so many good mat fics and headcanons (seriously, headcanons are underrated and need more love in general). i think she was also a writer that made me fall in love with mat because she just writes him as the dream romantic hero every single time.
@hockeywhy - i am almost positive that they are tired of me tagging them, but the truth is, they are the writer of my all time fav mat series caught in the middle! but they also have other great mat fics and matthew tkachuk fics that i've enjoyed almost as much! i don't think they're as active anymore writing wise BUT if you want amazing writing and haven't checked them out, you should!
auston matthews
@bagopucks - ella (she/her) hands down my fav auston series is her single mom!reader series. it's the perfect balance of angst and found family and it's just flat out wonderful. she also has a masterlist full of other fics too, that series just happens to be my favorite. but if you wanted another fav of mine, read the jack hughes fic "a little funky," it's about a reader with ocd and as someone with ocd, it was really impactful!
jack hughes
@chewingcyanide - emme (she/they) literally writes the most poetic fics i think i've ever read. everytime she publishes something new, i am stunned. seriously, i honestly take notes from her writing style. stories aside, if you wanted to become a better writer, check out her stuff, it'll really inspire you to use more descriptive words! her breakable heaven series is what introduced me to her writing and it's phenomenal!
@babydollmarauders - faithlynn (she/her) i'm almost positive that faithlynn was the first hockey writer i really followed because jack hughes was my gateway drug into the hockey world. she has so many fun series and aus going on not only for jack but for other devils players, so if you love the devils, definitely check her out!
@jackhues - naqia (she/her) also has a really fun series called mockingbird and it's technically more focused on the friendship/brother-sister relationship jack's gf (reader) and quinn have but it's really sweet. she also has a great auston au as well!
others
@ladylooch - b (she/her) is great! i put her in this category because i feel like she writes a lot for a lot of different players. i've loved her stuff with nico and mat alike. she also has a pretty consistent schedule as well from what i've gathered (which, girl, share your secrets please)
@troubatrain - kim (she/her) wrote my fav beau fic (set it up) and has written some really good fics for matthew tkachuk too! i absolutely adore the soccer player!reader fic and the blurbs that go along with it!
@comphersjost - m (she/they) again, i've said it once, i'll say it again SHE WROTE MY FAV MATT SERIES OF ALL TIME (all for you). I GO BACK AND READ IT OFTEN. literally had me weeping at times. she also wrote some other fics for auston that i've really enjoyed as well!
@sydnikov - sydney (she/her) has written some realyl great fics for andrei and some for nico hischier and jack hughes (and a few others i think, but those are the ones i've read) and they're just fantastic! she's also a canes fan if you want more canes content!
feel free to reblog this with your own author recommendations (in fact i highly encourage it! there are so many good writers on this godforsaken site and these are just the authors i find myself reblogging every time they post!
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prettydeadwriter · 19 days
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Bolin x Plus Size!Reader
a / n : in this mini HCS it's mainly just how I think he'd be with a plus size / overweight reader !! I'm personally plus size / overweight n thought this would be a sweet little treat for the other bigger people who love this dork
I will say this is kinda all over the place. it's 4:30 am, I'm sleepy and shaky bc of insomnia n this is mainly just some sweet fluff. most is just them in their relationship too :3
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Let's be honest this boy will love just about anyone. doesn't matter looks as much as it does personality.
when he first meets you how you hold yourself — whether confident or shy — he takes interest!! this boy bout falls in love with you when you hug him for the first time months into the blooming friendship.
Bolin can understand insecurity. he sometimes feels he isn't enough either so if you're insecure about your chubby body, or your possibly any part of your body that you've deemed 'too big', he's very understanding and suggests talking to him about it.
he really cares, he wants to be there for you like you are for him so when he notices this insecurity he's quick to tell you he's there.
"just so you know, you can always talk to me you know?"
once you feel comfortable telling him about these insecurities — if you have them — he's listening with a caring stare and a hand on yours as he listens so intently. he never forgets what you said and always tries to pay attention to the parts you're insecure about, said parts becoming his absolute favorites when he looks at you.
if you're not insecure he doesn't mind either!!! he loves that you view yourself so well and that it doesn't affect you!! it makes him extremely happy that you're comfortable in your own skin because it means you're not struggling with this specific part. if you struggle occasionally and Bolin learns of this he's quick to come to comfort and remind you how pretty you are.
dates are fun!! he loves park dates but he prefers a nice date at home. don't get him wrong he loves going out to eat, he loves showing you off even more. but having the comfort of sitting on the couch, eating something homemade or takeout, maybe a mover is put on or you're both listening to the radio while cuddling.
Bolin himself , in my opinion , has a bit of a chub on his belly. it's more like muscle that's soft that looks like chub than actual chub/fat but still. he almost giggles if you like to play with his 'chub', even finds it affectionate when you do it and often will give you kisses in return
his favorite activity ever to do is to cook together. personally I don't think he's a great cook, ask him to cook something and it's likely a little burnt but he can boil water!! though seriously he's an ok cook, he's better at being the one to chop things up and let you cook than being the one seasoning or mixing things up.
he loves to hold you from behind with his hands holding your sides softly while he rocks you both side to side as you'd focus on cooking the meal. he'd finished prepping all the ingredients for you a couple moments ago and now continued his routine of cuddling you, rocking side to side like her always did. it was always comforting and a nice way to spend time together.
he loves to be the big spoon with you!! he loves to hold you close and softly pepper the back of your neck in kisses as he focuses on helping you fall right to sleep.
to be continued maybe :3
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uhmmm this is kinda short iggg
please like + reblog if you wanna, I appreciate anything that comes my way
this'll be reposted on AO3 once I get an acc since it'll take till april 14th for me to get the invite so ugh,,
otherwise - ask to repost my works , I may be willing to officially repost them myself but yea!!
hope you all enjoyed this, good night 🫶🏻
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class1akids · 3 months
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could you explain to me bakugou and todorokis friendship bc I don't really understand it.
I imagine bakugou would remind shoto of endeavor which would stear him away. Especially bc at the start it wasn't just talk specifically with deku. And I feel like todoroki of all people would recognize bakugou as a bully . Not to mention what bakugou said to todoroki before the sports festival (and while yes I know deku said the same thing, it pissed todoroki off and todoroki only responded positively when deku said something affirming).
And from bakugous side, todoroki made him insecure bc from bakugous perspective he was effortlessly better than him in every way and we saw with bakugous apology to deku that this feeling never went away. Bakugi was always challenging deku and todoroki only while he was "normal" to the rest of the class b deku and todoroki were the only ones that made him feel threatened. And then when bakugou started changing (the same time endevour did) he realised just how simlliar he is to endeavor and that's who he will become if he doesn't change his mindset. And sharing similaraties to todorokis abuser I can imagine would deter him from that friendship even more as it would enhance his quilt.
Now I will admit I don't understand bakugous character as well as other which is why I maybe struggling to understand this friendship.
You are actually explaining quite well their starting points. Out of everyone in the class, they are definitely not friends at first (well, neither of them have friends at the start and neither of them think they want friends - fools). As they both grow and change, their perspective changes too and it's a bit of a slow burn, but I'd say they are already more or less friends by the end of the remedial classes / start of the Endeavor internship (though Bakugou still furiously denies it), and they are definitely good friends by post-PLF War, when Izuku leaves UA.
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As you say, initially Todoroki is someone who shakes Bakugou's confidence and increases his insecurities further by focusing on Izuku rather than him as "rival". While Shouto barely acknowledges Bakugou's existence. Even after Shouto beat Deku, he keeps thinking about him, because he challenged him at the core of his ideals, while Bakugou is unable to reach that part of Shouto yet.
So the SF final happens the way it does - a failure for both of them in a way. Bakugou walks away thinking that Todoroki looks down on him and is angry about it, while Shouto senses that he hurt Bakugou, but he doesn't really know what to do about it.
Things slowly start to change in the Forest arc, with Shouto's clumsy attempts to interact with Bakugou, then them being paired in the fight against Moonfish which gives them more insight into each other. And Shouto being a co-instigator of the Bakugou rescue, their move in the dorm, and quickly they are at the licensing exam which they both fail.
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Then the remedial classes start - and while we only saw a single class, this is something they did every week for months, just the two of them, going to that class, having to go through the humiliation together. It's a forced proximity where they first annoy each other, but they also give each other a safe way to work on themselves and on the difficult relationships they need to fix for their own growth.
Bakugou has quite a few similarities with Endeavor, but there are also big differences: there is no power imbalance between them and Bakugou never abused Shouto. In fact, Bakugou's attitude is completely wasted on Shouto - he's never intimated of him. But observing Bakugou, seeing his strong points - like his great battle tactics, perseverance, quirk mastery, ambition - gives Shouto a chance to observe these characteristics his father also has, and disentangle them from it belonging to Endeavor, to seeing their value and seeing them as tools he could use for himself without becoming his father.
On the other side, Bakugou gets to interact with Todoroki, who has a lot of similarities to Izuku. Underneath his blunt demeanour, Shouto is also ridiculously kind to the people who hurt him and most importantly, he's an abuse victim too. He can be both at the same time - insanely strong, someone Bakugou sees as equal, and also someone who is a victim of abuse. And because Bakugou didn't hurt Shouto, interacting with him, trying out his little steps in empathy is not layered with guilt like his complicated interactions with Deku.
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With distance, it's easier to navigate Shouto's mess, but watching the Todoroki family also provides a perspective on his own - a warning in the shape of Endeavor of what he doesn't want to be.
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I think from Shouto's side, it's clear that he's been considering Bakugou as his friend for a long time by the end of the remedial arc. Bakugou is a tsundere (so his characterization includes being uncomfortable with squishy feelings like friendships, and is always hiding his motives and intentions). But it doesn't fool Shouto much, because he's someone who primarily looks at actions not words.
But in any case, after the war, Bakugou drops a lot of his attitude and becomes more authentic about his feelings, including more openly friends with Shouto.
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I think choosing to support him on their last night before the final war, making him laugh on what may easily be the last night of their lives is a meaningful proof of the long way they have come together .
It's a friendship that the story spent a lot of time with (compared to a lot of the other, easier bonds where characters sort of become friends somewhere in the background and then are just hanging out), working out their relationship from the rocky start, being there as partners and witnesses through some of the biggest lows of each other's lives, getting their licenses together, experiencing milestones and emotional moments together, seeing each other grow and change and stumble through fixing the relationships they struggle with.
I think for us, in the tdbk/bktd part of the fandom, this difficult journey, the ways they fit and the ways they are different is all part of the draw of this dynamic. Also, they are also just truly funny together. There is a hilarious energy of their odd duo and I guess it's something either you are into or not.
Some people prefer sweet / soft friendships, while Todoroki and Bakugou are definitely a cat and dog kind of friendship (even by HK's own illustrations) with its own particular vibe and energy.
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bones4thecats · 5 months
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haiiii!!
ok so I hope this is not to much but can you mix the two fandoms of pirates of the Caribbean and record of ragnarok but here’s what u want the plot to be like and you can changed it if you like bc this was like the biggest brainstorm I ever had but anyways so the reader is married to William turner but the reader is also fighting for the humans . Most of her/his comrades ( Nikola Tesla, Raiden, Qin, and the other campions on the humans side expect for Adam that knows the reader married but doesn’t know who till the end ) has feelings for them and so does the gods (Poseidon, hades, Thor, hermes, Heracles, and the other campions for the gods side) they have been trying to court the reader cus why not 🤭and the day before the ragnarok officially begins the gods and humans are eating dinner together but sitting in separate tables for obvious reasons, brunhilde surprises the reader by bringing her/his husband (William turner) ( but if you don’t know which movie to follow the plot like this like when William becomes the captain of the Flying Dutchman) you know the reader and William has there reunion like you know them being dramatic the reader runs into Williams arms as he spins her around and kisses her lovingly while tears of joy stream downs there face due to being apart for ten years the gods and humans are shocked and a little heart broken , and like they start asking questions the readers answers and you can do the rest on your own if you like cus that’s all I thought about for the past 15 mins but anyways sorry if this is to much :3
A/N: I decided to write for three humans, if you want any Gods, you can send in a request when my inbox re-opens. Enjoy!
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🦅 Lü Bu had admired your strength for quite a while now
🦅 You were once known as a fearsome pirate that traveled with the once prideful Captain Jack Sparrow, but nobody knew how much your life changed after meeting William Turner
🦅 Lü Bu loved to challenge anybody he deemed worthy to fight, and you were one of the rare few that could give him a bite back
🦅 You could say his admiration evolved into slight, slight, feelings for you, as he never really allowed himself to think of anything outside of battle or friendship
🦅 He was sitting beside his fellow human fighters when he heard Goll shriek in happiness, to which everyone in the area reacted
🦅 A young male stood beside you as he laughed at Goll's antics, that was when he discovered what happened to you after your journey aboard the seas
" Everyone, this is my husband, Captain of the Flying Dutchman, William Turner! Will, these are my fellow fighters. "
🦅 Lü Bu felt his heart tug at the sides, he had no idea you were married, and thankfully, he didn't act on his feelings, as that would make him feel like the biggest piece of crap in Valhalla
🦅 Unlike others, Lü Bu could push his feelings aside like nothing, so when you introduced your husband to your friend, it wasn't hard for him to get along with Will
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🩸 Jack admired you not just for your strength, but for your personality
🩸 You shined a color he had never seen before, at least one he hadn't seen so strongly and so openly
🩸 As a true English gentleman, Jack did not wish to court you without your permission, and he planned after dinner that night, he would ask for your permission
🩸 Jack watched as Brunhilde brought in a young man wearing an old-fashioned pirate outfit, and his eyes widened slightly as you ran up and let him twirl you around before dipping you in for a kiss
🩸 And that kiss hurt his heart so much
🩸 William flushed when he noticed how many people were in the room, to which you laughed and introduced him to everyone there
🩸 Jack knew he wasn't the only admirer of you, but others took the news far better than him
🩸 He's good at masking his feelings, so watching as you happily sit by your husband while speaking to Jack and the others was a time that nobody could tell he was feeling quite down
🩸 William did though. And when he confronted him about it, Jack just answered him honestly, and William accepted it
🩸 Will knew you had these admirers, and he understood why, and since Jack had treated you and him so respectively, despite the hard hit, William just gave him the best advice he could
🩸 Jack watched as he walked away with you, and he couldn't lie
🩸 You and William deserved each other, and while Jack knew you wouldn't feel the same about him, being your friend and ally was a place he could stay and be happy
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🥊 Not gonna lie, Raiden reminded you of Jack Sparrow, a lot
🥊 From the way his determination and arrogance clouded his judgement and led to quite a few people knocking him down a few pegs, it just reminded you of the man you considered to be a brother so much
🥊 Raiden had romantic feelings for you ever since he had first seen you fight against Sasaki Kojiro during a practice session
🥊 The way you held yourself was something he admired and because of that, it evolved into something far more serious
🥊 He leaned back in his chair, and when he saw the kiss you and William shared that night, it made him sit up and ask who he was, along with others, but he was a main person to get a hint angry
🥊 Why did he not realize you were married?
🥊 William was very respectful towards you, and Raiden couldn't help but compare himself to the young captain
🥊 You loved the way he talked to gently and with so much passion for his crew and job, despite the long time he was forced to stay away from you
🥊 After dinner, Raiden sat awake and pondered why he felt this way. And when he realized why, it broke his heart, but, unlike certain people, he pushed his feelings to the front lines and he hid himself away for hours on end
🥊 Once he finally processed everything, he got along with Will surprisingly well, and while his feelings for you may never truly fade away, if this guy makes you happy, it's worth every minute
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clanwarrior-tumbly · 1 year
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NWhile you're doing pokemon, might i ask, for a platonic headcanons ofseeiven, Penny and Nemona x reader,
where reader's showing them the snowy cat weasel legendary pokemon that was sealed away(i forget names atm-), i can picture arven at least being concerned seeing the dex's entry for it as reader's just all "oh but it's a sweetheart! Don't be so worried!" as theyre giving the pokemon that no doubt would absolutely cause a devastating avalanche if the reader wasnt there scritches and pats/lh
feel free to ignore just thought it could be amusing!/lh
-salt anon(stay safe btw!)
This is perfect timing bc I caught Chien-Pao today (and also Ting-Lu, my fav) after struggling and restarting the game a lot
............
After Ms. Raifort piqued your interest in the "Treasures of Ruin", you set out to free them from their confinements, knowing these poor things were taken advantage of centuries ago.
You believe they could still be helped. It wasn't too late! All they needed was love and friendship, things you were more than happy to provide.
Of course, pulling the stakes that sealed the Icerend Shrine and challenging Chien-Pao afterwards was no cakewalk, but you caught it after convincing it to come with you, promising to give it a better life.
The feline ice-type was surprisingly quick to warm up to you after you gave it a bath during a picnic, figuratively melting its icy heart. 
You took great care in shining its sword fangs, smiling when it purred in thanks before taking a nap in the grass, curled up.
It becomes harder to believe this sweet creature had a hand in destroying an entire kingdom.
Soon after, you decided to call your friends so they could see it for themselves.
As expected, Nemona was the first to arrive, psyched to see a Pokémon she's only heard about in books. 
She could immediately tell it was quite strong (despite it being cuddled up to you when she got there).
"..and you're gonna let me fight it one day, right?" She dares to ask, taken aback when Chien-Pao wakes up and looks at her in disdain.
You just laugh and shake your head, giving the Ruinous Pokémon chin scritches. "Unless you wanna be swept away by an avalanche..I don't think so. Besides, I think it's been through enough fights in its life."
Not long after her arrival, Penny and Arven show up, completely shook(tm) at the existence of this bizarre Pokémon.
Penny’s surprised it was just stuck in its own little cave all these years, while Arven’s curious about what the Pokedex says about it.
But when he finds out..well...to say he’s just “concerned” is a huge understatement.
He’s downright scared for you, having no clue how you tamed it and fearing the repercussions of freeing it.
“...[y/n], this thing is more than just a Pokémon..it’s...it’s got a bunch of souls in it--angry souls of people who hated that “king”. It also causes terrible avalanches and-”
“Oh give it a rest, Arven...does this look like the face of someone who’d cause terrible avalanches?” You pouted, holding either side of Chien-Pao’s face as you stared at him. “Do you see any hatred here? Because I don’t.”
When he has no answer, you resume patting its head, treating it like a big ol’ kitty that was simply misunderstood.
Even Penny becomes brave enough to pet its back, only to freeze when it sends an icy gaze at her. “Uh....sorry...?”
She thinks she did something wrong and is about to invoke the wrath of this ancient beast....
Until Chien-Pao purrs and nuzzles her cheek, invading her personal space just like Koraidon/Miraidon did all those times, causing you to chuckle and shake your head.
You could only hope to nurture the other three in the quartet into sweet and cuddly creatures like this one.
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