#top 5 best air conditioners

[buyanairconditionersonline]

Which is the best 1.5 ton inverter AC in India?

 With scorching summers becoming the norm across India, air conditioning has transitioned from a luxury to a necessity. Inverter technology has revolutionised the industry, offering energy-efficient solutions that provide optimal cooling without breaking the bank.

Among the plethora of options available, the quest for the best 1.5 ton inverter AC in India can be daunting. Let’s navigate through the choices to find the perfect fit for your needs to buy an air conditioner online.

Understanding Inverter Technology:

Traditional air conditioners operate on a fixed-speed compressor, consuming constant energy even when the desired temperature is reached. In contrast, inverter ACs adjust compressor speed according to cooling demand, resulting in significant energy savings and maintaining a consistent temperature.

Factors to Consider:

1.            Energy Efficiency: Look for ACs with high Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) and Indian Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (ISEER) ratings to ensure lower electricity bills.

2.            Cooling Capacity: A 1.5-ton capacity is ideal for most Indian households, providing efficient cooling for medium-sized rooms.

3.            Features: Consider features like dust filters, dehumidifiers, and air purifiers for improved air quality and comfort.

4.            Brand Reputation: Opt for reputable air conditioner brands known for quality products and reliable after-sales service. Check out Sathya online AC stores for an excellent AC shopping experience.

Top Contenders:

1.            LG 1.5 Ton 5-Star Dual Inverter Split AC: Known for its innovative technology and energy efficiency, LG offers a range of inverter ACs with features like Ocean Black Fin, HD Filter, and Wi-Fi connectivity for smart control.

2.            Voltas 1.5 Ton 5-Star Inverter Split AC: Voltas is a trusted name in the Indian AC market, offering inverter ACs with features like Turbo Mode, Active Dehumidifier, and Eco Mode for energy savings. Buy inverter AC online at Sathya for the best deal.

3.            Daikin 1.5 Ton 5-Star Inverter Split AC: Daikin is renowned for its advanced Japanese technology and silent operation. Their inverter ACs come with features like Coanda Airflow, Econo Mode, and Neo Swing Compressor for efficient cooling.

4.            Blue Star 1.5 Ton 5-Star Inverter Split AC: Blue Star’s inverter ACs are known for their robust build quality and superior performance. With features like Precision Cooling Technology, Comfort Sleep, and iFeel, they ensure optimal comfort even in extreme conditions.

Choosing the best 1.5 ton inverter AC in India requires careful consideration of factors like energy efficiency, cooling capacity, features, and brand reputation. While the market offers a plethora of options, LG, Voltas, Daikin, and Blue Star stand out for their quality, innovation, and performance. Ultimately, the perfect choice depends on your specific requirements and budget. Invest wisely to enjoy cool comfort without compromising on energy efficiency and get amazing air conditioner offers by choosing Sathya.

#buy air conditioner online #sathya kulu kulu ac offers #buy ac on emi #buy ac online on emi #buy an ac online on emi #top 5 best air conditioners

[electronicparadis]

If you are looking for the Best Split AC in India, Electronic Paradise is the best store where you can find the Top 5 Best Split ACs in India 2024. Compare features, prices, and reviews to make an informed decision. Stay calm and comfortable all year round with the best Split AC options available in India.

#Top 5 Best Split AC in India 2024 #Best Split AC in India #split ac #air conditioner #home appliances

[best5starairconditioners]

What are the best 5-star air conditioners in 2023 to buy online?

When it comes to beating the scorching heat of the Indian summer, investing in a high-quality air conditioner is a must. Among the various options available, 5-star air conditioners are known for their energy efficiency and superior cooling performance. If you're looking to purchase a 5-star AC from top brands in India, Sathya Store is your one-stop destination.

With a wide range of options available online, Sathya Store ensures you get the best deals and exceptional customer service. Let's explore the top 5-star AC models from renowned brands that you can buy right now at Sathya Store.

Carrier 1.5 Ton 5-Star Split Inverter AC: With its advanced inverter technology, Carrier offers efficient cooling and significant energy savings. This AC model comes with intelligent features like auto-restart, sleep mode, and turbo mode to enhance your comfort. With its 5-star energy rating, it ensures reduced electricity consumption and lower energy bills.

Daikin 1 Ton 5-Star Split Inverter AC: Daikin is a leading brand known for its reliable and durable air conditioners. This 5-star split inverter AC from Daikin offers powerful cooling while consuming minimal energy. Equipped with features like self-diagnosis, dust and PM2.5 filters, and Coanda airflow, it ensures optimal comfort and cleaner indoor air quality.

LG 1.5 Ton 5-Star Window AC: LG is a trusted brand that delivers superior performance and cutting-edge technology. This 5-star window AC from LG is designed to provide excellent cooling in medium-sized rooms. With its energy-efficient compressor and smart features like Himalaya Cool and Monsoon Comfort, it ensures fast and efficient cooling while reducing energy consumption.

Voltas 2 Ton 5-Star Split Inverter AC: Voltas is a popular choice for ACs in India, known for its innovative features and durability. This 5-star split inverter AC from Voltas offers powerful cooling with minimal energy consumption. Its Turbo mode and Sleep mode ensure quick cooling and comfortable sleep, while the eco-friendly refrigerant contributes to reducing environmental impact.

Hitachi 1.5 Ton 5-Star Split Inverter AC: Hitachi is renowned for its cutting-edge technology and energy-efficient air conditioners. This 5-star split inverter AC from Hitachi ensures powerful cooling with reduced power consumption. It features intelligent technologies like iSense, auto-filter cleaning, and powerful mode, providing enhanced comfort and convenience.

Sathya Store offers an extensive range of 5-star air conditioners from top brands in India, allowing you to choose the perfect model for your cooling needs. From Carrier and Daikin to LG, Voltas, and Hitachi, you can find a variety of options online at Sathya Store. By purchasing a 5-star AC, you not only enjoy efficient cooling but also contribute to environmental sustainability. Visit Sathya Store today to explore the best 5-star air conditioners and make a smart investment for a comfortable and energy-efficient summer.

#purchase a 5-star AC #top 5-star AC models #best 5-star air conditioners buy ac online buy air conditioner online

[cupidgwk]

. . ! oblivious — kim gyuvin

► more friends to lovers !!!!

► synopsis: you and gunwook devised the oh so, full proof plan to get gyuvin to fall for you!!!

► slightly proof read

► p.s gunwook is best wingman

step one — get closer to him (physically)

gunwook laid out the steps for you one by one. first, you’d have to get close to him but in a subtle way!

his bright idea? turning up the a/c. what you didn’t expect was gunwook setting the temperature to a chilling 60 degrees.

“oh it’s pretty cold in here isn’t it.” gunwook ponders.

“yeah, just how cold is it?” you glared at gunwook as your teeth chattered.

“oh don’t worry about it! the air conditioner must be broken.” he shrugged avoiding eye contact.

gyuvin still had his eyes fixated to the tv in full focus in his mario kart race.

“are you cold y/n?” hanbin questioned. “you can wear my sweater if you want!”

“oh thank you hanbin! you shouldn’t have…” your fully slightly pained smile spilling out as you accepted the wrong person’s hoodie.

gunwook physically smacked his hand against his forehead.

spoiler alert: it did leave a mark on his forehead that lasted a good two days.

step one. failed.

step two — make him good ol’ baked home goods

you trusted gunwook with your life after all. well, not after the kitchen fiasco that was.

“uhm, is that supposed to be bubbling?” you questioned in concern watching the “cookies” bake in the oven.

“i don’t think so,” he trailed off in fear. “just how many tea spoons of baking powder did you add?”

“i think, around 3?” you replied.

“that can’t be right, then why is the-“ realization flashed through his eyes.

“oh man..” he started.

“what did i do.”

“well, you may have used table spoons instead of tea spoons.” gunwook stated re-reading the baking instructions.

he pointed his finger to the top of the ingredient list. “also, we used baking powder instead of soda.”

to make the situation even worse, the smell of smoke entered your nostrils.

“there is no way…” you raced to the oven and fished the tray of slightly burned cookies.

of course at the worse timing ever, gyuvin enters the kitchen, clearly looking for whatever he can stuff into his mouth.

“yay cookies!” his eyes lit up. “i love home made ones the best!”

“gyuvin wait!” but you and gunwook were a little too late. as gyuvin munched into the baked good that didn’t even deserve to be called a cookie.

gyuvin’s face went from joy to confusion to pure disgust.

“oh wow guys this is the best thing i’ve ever tasted!” he managed to cough out.

“dude, you can be honest.” gunwook deadpanned.

“i need a moment.” he mumbled making his way toward the bathroom.

in the distance you can hear the faucet running as gyuvin attempted to get any taste of that concoction out of his taste buds.

“great! i gave him food positioning!” you slouched onto the floor in defeat.

step two. failed.

and so the saga continued. gunwook would come up to you every day with a new plan to push gyuvin closer to you. of course, most. well. all of the attempts resulted in failure.

one failed attempt after another felt like a never ending rollercoaster. step 4? yujin beat you to asking gyuvin to share an umbrella on the walk home. step 5? we don’t talk about step 5.

“gunwook, i am one failed attempt away from dropping out and moving across the country. the continent even!” you flailed your arms in annoyance.

gunwook shook his head in disagreement. “no can do!” he shook his finger. “i got this covered y/n, just you wait!”

do not fret. gunwook wasn’t class president for no reason. he devised yet another foolproof plan by adding any steps necessary to ensure by the end of the day you and gyuvin will be a couple.

step ??? — become partners for the upcoming group project

gunwook may or may not have pulled a couple strings to ensure that you and gyuvin would be partners in the newest english assignment.

“hey y/n!” gyuvin greeted pulling up a seat next to you. “what exactly did the teacher say? sorry i think i fell asleep for most of it.”

you laughed at his demeanor before quickly explaining the project requirements and such. surprisingly enough, gyuvin listened intently nodding along to the words spilling from your mouth.

“thanks y/n!” he smiled. “so, when is this due?”

“we have around two weeks or so,” you tapped your pen on your bottom lip as you scanned the instruction sheet once more.

“wanna visit the café across the school so we can sort stuff out?” gyuvin questioned tiling his head.

your face erupted into a smile at his suggestion. “you sure this isn’t just an excuse to try their new season menu?” he pouted at your words lightly shoving your shoulder. “come one! please~”

you rolled your eyes at his antics. “of course gyuvin~” teasing him.

-

conversations filled the hallway as students rushed to beat rush hour on the train. the two of you continued to converse as you made your way to the train station. of course, gyuvin forgot to reload his train pass resulting in the two of you missing the train.

“i’m so sorry!” gyuvin apologized clasping his hands together. you laughed at his dramatic apology shaking your head playfully. “don’t sweat it, it gives me more time to spend with you.”

“what?” gyuvin questioned. your face immediately burned up as regret filled your mind. before you can even stutter out a response, gyuvin came up with one himself.

“glad to know, my plan worked,” you raised an eyebrow in suspicion. he turns to face you. “why don’t we turn that study session into a real date? you know, to make up for missing the train and everything.”

you rolled your eyes playfully. “of course!” a smile erupted on his face as he suddenly engulfed you in his arms.

“i’ve been waiting so long to do this.”

gunwook’s full proof plan to get you and gyuvin together: SUCCEEDED

#zb1 x reader #gyuvin x reader #gyuvin scenarios #zb1 gyuvin #gyuvin fluff #gyuvin imagines #zb1 imagines #zb1 scenarios #zb1 fics

[saintmurd0ck]

RHI!!! A million congrats on 2.5k, I can't think of anyone who deserves it more 🥰 and so glad you're back and feeling ok! For the train, I'd loveee to take a trip to 86th st with Mikey Kinsella and “please, for the love of god, shut up for once.” “why don’t you come over here and make me?” i think the way you write it would be SO gorgeous and interesting ❤️ and also because im a slut, i just know id LOSE it over a stop at Heuston Station with Fratt x reader and ❛ you want gentle? wrong fucking address. ❜ Anyways I'm so so excited to read everything you do for this event 🥰 congrats again!!

all fired up

join my sleepover | main masterlist

pairing: michael kinsella x reader

warnings: amanda slander, a tiny bit of spice (minors DNI), aggressive michael / reader, yes we're a little mean but dont worry he gets the upper hand ;)

a/n: christie my gorgeous, thank you so so so much for dropping in 🥺 i hope you like this one, and i am gonna post the fratt request in a separate ask >:) btw i am amending the prompts to better fit the characters i am writing for, so i hope you dont mind xoxo

Michael’s silent rage simmers in your periphery as he leans against the wall like a fallen angel, gritting his teeth, letting his chest rise and fall in short, controlled bursts. Everything in the room is setting him off: the clicking of your pen, the faint hum of the air-conditioner, and the distant noise of traffic from the main road. 

Unfortunately for him, you’re far from caring today; not when you’ve scraped together the business proposal of a lifetime. One that could easily retire you in the blink of an eye.

You’ve worked your ass off to coordinate this, so isn’t it only fair that Michael, being the other major stakeholder in this business, quits his grumbling? It’s as if he can’t — or won’t — comprehend what this means if this works out. If you negotiate your way through this successfully, with Michael there or not, the Kinsellas land on top. They’ll control Dublin, and possibly the whole of Ireland, with opportunities to plant roots and spread vines across all the major networks in Europe. And as you’re the only decision maker not married to — or even fucking — anyone in the family, you’ve had to prove your worth, a thousand times more so. Simply being Michael’s closest friend and confidante didn’t sit well with the others, but you’ve made yourself far more capable than anyone in this business. 

And this deal will cement you into the Kinsella hall of fame. 

You cut a glance to where he’s standing, a momentary pang of empathy softening your expression. He’s exhausted from today, and it isn’t just the circles under his eyes that demonstrate it. You know his tells better than anyone; in fact, you know him so well that just by judging his body language, you can deduce who he’s been with, what he’s been up to, and what he tries hard to conceal. Right now, and at your disdain, you can see Amanda written all over him. It’s obvious in the way he’s carrying himself, with his chin pointed downwards, the tension almost shrugging his shoulders. Even his skin gives it away, from the warmth in his cheeks to the flush at the tips of his ears. 

“Let me guess,” you sigh, breaking the silence, “Amanda thinks you’re not doin’ a good enough job, and you shouldn’t be workin’ with me?” Saying her name is enough to set you off, but you do your best to diffuse the situation, to bring Michael back to the present. 

His eyes flick to yours at the mention of her name, and you grimace inwards at the sharp stab to your gut. “Somethin’ like tha’.”

It confirms what you suspected; that he and Amanda had met up today, for purposes you try not to burden yourself with. It isn’t your business what they get up to, or how many times you notice her silhouette beyond the frosted glass of his front door. 5 times this week, and it’s only Wednesday, you think, chewing on your lip. 

Unease courses through your veins, and so you go to do what’s natural, and sweep the thoughts under the proverbial rug in your mind. You gesture at the mountain of paperwork in front of you. “Are you gonna help me, Michael?”

His only response is a delicate muscle feathering in his jaw, and for some reason, it sends a lick of angry heat up your spine. The deadline to the deal looms in front of you like a ticking time-bomb, and all he can do is stay silent, and God forbid, mope about Amanda?

Your mouth thins as you take a moment to decide if you want to add to his anguish. To deliver an insult worthy of his attention. There’s a rush that flows through you, a sick kind of satisfaction, that tug the corners of your mouth upwards. If it were Eric, or Jimmy, or even Amanda, he would’ve lost his shit by now. He’d probably have stormed out and sulked home, making sure his gun was accessible from beneath his jacket at all times. His heart would thunder in his ears, itching for a fight with some unfortunate soul who’d then be promptly taken out by none other than the Magician. 

Your voice rings out across the room, coming out more confident than you’d played out in your head. “She refuse to blow you today or what?” 

Michael’s brows furrow together. “What did you say?”

“I asked you something, Michael. Are you pissed because Amanda didn’t open her legs for you?”

His mouth twists into a sneer. “I’d stop talkin’ if I were you.”

But you return his glare, your blood thrumming with challenge. “Actually, I commend her for doin’ that. ‘Cause I wouldn’t want to fuck someone so miserable either.”

He’s in front of you in a couple of strides, seething cold fury as his voice drops an octave. When he talks, his breath fans your face. “I said stop fuckin’ talkin’.”

You swallow, feeling your chest heave as some unchecked part of you — the part that’s scared of no-one — takes over. “Or what?” You pout, cocking your head to the side. “Are you gonna run back to Amanda and tell her how mean I’ve been to you?” 

“Shut. The. Fuck. Up,” he spits, grabbing you by the collar, shoving you until the back of your thighs press up against the desk.

Your retort comes out just before he lowers his mouth to yours. Just before he wedges his thick hand between your legs. “Why don’t you make me?”

#michael kinsella #michael kinsella x reader #kin amc #michael kinsella smut #x reader #all aboard the saintmurd0ck express #rhi writes 💻

[smaptain-smerica]

Female Reader x Rooster

Time: Post-Top gun: Maverick

Y/n Blackwood - L/n, daughter of Charlotte "Charlie" Blackwood. Y/n took a strong interest in planes from a young age. Knowing her father was an esteemed pilot drew her even further into the navy. Quickly, she became one of the best solo pilots and graduating at the top of her class at Top Gun.

Her next mission? Return to Top Gun, Face certain death, romantic interests, and finally, her thought-to-be-dead, father.

This book contains strong language and sexual content that may be sensitive readers under the age of 18

This story was originally posted on Wattpad, follow me on there for faster updates. I have published a non-binary version of this story published there for those who do not identify as female or use she/her pronouns. It will follow the exact same story line. Link to Wattpad Account Link to the Non-Binary version

Master list

Whenever You're Ready

I must have read that letter 5 times sitting in front of Maverick. The silence between us was deafening, I could hear everything, but nothing at all. Every time my chair squeaked it made me jump, but the sound of the air conditioner and the footsteps outside were inaudible.

I finally gathered the courage to look at Maverick. He had his head in his hands, making it a point to breath slowly. Finally he looked at me, his eyes meeting mine. We stared at each other, unsure of what to say.

I took the letter and handed it back to Maverick. He looked down at the letter, taking it in his hand and then placing it aside. Then he did something unexpected. Maverick stood up and walked around the table.

Instinctively I stood up too, my heart beating out of my chest with anxiety. Our faces met and I could see the glossiness of his blue eyes. They were red around the edges, clearly despaired.

There was a silent understanding between us, nothing more had to be said we both just knew. He took his arms and wrapped me in them. I reciprocated, hiding my head into his chest as I let out a shaky sigh. All the emotion left my mind and my body all at once the moment I was engulfed in his arms. It felt weird, after one letter, someone who was a total stranger to me now made me feel safe, comforted, and loved.

Tears were inevitable. I could feel myself shake as I breathed and Maverick's grip only tightened around me. It was hard reading that letter. I heard my mothers voice while reading it. I had no idea she felt that way about Pete. She always told me they were old friends who had a falling out. Her life was moving too fast for him to keep up so she never reached out.

We pulled apart from the hug and Maverick left his hands on my shoulders. We stared at each other, me still not knowing what to say. "Wow." Pete sniffled his nose, letting out an astonished laugh. "Um, come over for dinner. I'll make dinner and- and we will talk."

I nodded, a small smile curling up onto my lips. "Okay."

Maverick smiled, moving his hands to either side of my face. I could see his eyes moving around every inch of my face. He let out a breath of relief along with the smile. I couldn't help but smile back. The realization he had on his face, the relief.

"Now I know how you got so good at flying." Pete commented. We both shared a laugh, our red faces and teary eyes bright again with new found joy.

"It's the Pete Mitchell blood." I winked at him with a playful nudge.

"That just means I can push you as hard I want, huh?" He joked back at me. "Oh please don't." I groaned.

Maverick pushed me towards the door despite my complaints. "You better be ready for tomorrow then. Here is the address." He quickly grabbed a sticker note from his desk and scribbled it on there. " I need to talk to the Admiral about this, there's probably a mile long list of paperwork."

I nodded in understanding, reaching for the door knob and opening the door gently. "I'll see you tonight." Pete called at me, a weak smile. I nodded, stepping outside the door and shutting it behind me. I leaned back against the door and let out a long breath that I hadn't realized that I was holding.

Tears brimmed my eyes as I let out another shaken breath. I wiped my eyes and sniffled loudly to clear my airways.

"Y/n." The voice caused me to roll my eyes. I looked to my left and saw Bradley standing there. He looked awkward, like he didn't know what to do or how to approach me. I could see the guilt in his eyes as he looked at me.

"Why did you think I would lie to you? Lie about getting into the program and to this mission? I worked hard, I worked my ass off to get where I am today, as good as I am today. I did it by myself. Why was that so hard to believe?" I was angry, anger boiling up from deep within me as I took a few steps closer to Rooster. There was about three feet of space between us now. He simply stood there, shocked as I came closer to him.

"You had to much to say before why are you silent now?" I demanded.

"Because I was scared, okay?" Rooster finally snapped back at me. I raised my eyebrows in surprise at the sudden raise in his voice.

"I was scared, because I recognized your name on the roster for this mission. And I was scared that I would lose Pete to you." We shared a moment of silence, nothing but our angered breaths filling the air. Rooster took a long breath through his nose then out through his mouth.

"My dad was best friends with Pete. They flew in the navy together then at Top Gun together. Then he died. He died when I was 4 and I resented Maverick for pulling my papers from the navy and killing my dad up until last year. Now, I go over to his house for dinner, I'm friends with His girlfriends daughter and I pick her up from school because her friends think she is cool when I do. I was scared that was going to get taken away from me and I would have nothing, again. I was holding a grudge against you and that wasn't fair."

"Bradley."

Our attention turned to behind us, where Maverick stood in the doorway of his temporary office.

"Oh fuck." Bradley hissed under his breath, grabbing his hair with his hands. He brushed past me, walking towards Maverick and then into the office, the door closing forcefully behind them. I closed my eyes and sighed, shaking my head.

"What is happening to me?" I question the universe, making my way towards my room to change and shower, hopefully clearing my head about this whole situation.

~~~

I was nervous, beyond nervous to go to Mavericks house. I would have been nervous before but now knowing he was my father? Let's just say my hands were sweating. I rounded the corner, and pulled up to the house with the corresponding number from the note Maverick gave me.

I noticed, an all too familiar vehicle parked in the driveway. I pulled up right behind it, my heart beating faster in my chest. Bradley's Bronco. What was he doing here?

I put my head down on my own steering wheel, closing my eyes tightly as I calmed myself down. "You can do this." I encouraged myself.

I stepped out of my car, shutting the door and then walking around to the passenger side door. I struggled with what to bring. Was it complimentary to bring the host a gift? I thought, maybe i should bring some food. I can't cook anything I'm living on the air base. I thought about wine; but do I bring red or white? Maybe liquor to make some cocktails; what if he was allergic to whiskey for some reason? Truth be told, I didn't know Pete at all. What I did know, is he would drink beer.

I picked up my 6 pack of Budweiser bottles from the passenger seat and stood upright, straightening out my dress. I don't get to go out that often, wearing the dress made me feel pretty, special even. Although, I was worried I was overdressed. Would I be judged for my choice in outfit?

I walked up to the door and raised my hand to knock. Something stopped me, I retracted my hand as I could hear my heartbeat inside of my head.

I gathered the courage to knock finally, holding my breath as I went to connect my knuckles with the door. The door opened before my fist even reached the wood, catching me by surprise. I retracted my hand and was face to face with Pete. Our eyes met, staring wide at each other. He was wearing a pair of jeans and a deep blue button up top. The top few buttons were undone where I could see the white undershirt he was wearing. A red kitchen towel was throw over his shoulder.

"Y/n, hi. You look-" he looked me up and down, a soft and sad smile on his face. "You look just like your mother."

I felt a blush run over my face as I looked down, forgetting the drinks in my hand. I lifted it up to put in our eye levels. "Beer. I didn't know if I needed to bring anything or not, I settled on beer." I was suddenly awkward, not knowing what to say in this moment.

Pete grabbed the beer from me and chuckled a little bit. "Hey, I'll never turn that down."

I looked behind me back at the Blue Bronco parked by the street. "Hey, Um, is Rooster here?" I questioned, turning back around to face Pete. He sighed a little with a smile. "Yes. I know that we just met and... figured out the truth. But Bradley is part of my family. Along with my girlfriend and her daughter. I thought that we could eat dinner together. Then after that we can talk, and maybe you and Bradley can talk and get back on each other's good sides."

As if my anxiety couldn't be any higher right now, it somehow heightened. Pete opened the door, allowing me to walk in first. "Hey penny!" Pete called into the house.

"Yeah Pete?" A female voice called and walked out from the kitchen area. Her eyes fell on me and she smiled widely. It was the same woman from behind the bar on the first day that I got here. I gave her a weak smile and a wave.

"Hi, I'm y/n." I held out my hand to shake to hers. She ignored my handshake, pulling me into a hug. "It's so nice to meet you. Pete was so nervous, he wanted everything to be perfect tonight. I hope you don't mind him telling me about you."

"Penny..." Pete groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Well I guess it's too late to care now." I laughed, giving her a small squeeze before pulling away from the hug from her. I looked behind her and saw Pete walking to the back door and sliding it open.

"Amelia, Bradley!" Seconds later a younger teenager came running into the house with excitement. "Is she here?" The girl asked, looking around the house before laying eyes on me. She smiled, waving at me.

"Hi, I'm Amelia." "Y/n."

Bradley came into the house wearing a pair of khaki shorts and his usual 'Beach boy' look. He let out a huffy laugh and took his sunglasses off as he entered the house. "Amelia you're so..." his voice trailed off as he laid eyes on me.

His face fell to surprise, eyebrows raised and mouth gaped open ever so slightly. Amelia elbowed him in the gut, causing him to let out his breath and draw his focus away from me. Amelia giggled loudly as she whispered something to him.

"Please, everyone take a seat." Penny encouraged.

The dinner went good. We had mashed potatoes, rolls, corn, and some deliciously seasoned fillets. Maverick sat at the head of the table with me to his left and Bradley to his right, straight across from me. Amelia sat next to Bradley and Penny on the other side of me. We made small talk, telling stories about basic training and the years of flight school.

I was helping Amelia and Penny clean up the table and bring some of the dishes into the kitchen. I was putting the left over food into Tupperware when Amelia came to my side, a large smile on her face.

"He likes you." She hummed in a sing-song voice. I twisted my face into confusion and tilted my head at her. "Who are you talking about?"

"Bradley!" She whisper shouted. "Amelia that's enough." Penny warned, holding a serving spoon in her hand and pointing it towards her.

Amelia motioned for me to come closer to her, which I did. "He kept looking at you at dinner and smiling. And he clearly liked your outfit earlier."

I felt a hot blush cover my face hearing this from a younger girl. I stood up straight, clicking the Tupperware lid onto the container. "Oh, I don't know." I stammered.

"Amelia don't you have homework to go do?" Penny encouraged her daughter, giving me a sly wink. Amelia then went off to her room with an exaggerated sigh.

Thankful to be released from the grasp of a teenager, I walked outside where the two boys were talking by the fire pit. Their attention turned towards me as I made myself present. I took a beer out of the cardboard case and popped the cap off.

Bradley excused himself inside and went to the kitchen to help Penny. I sighed, taking a seat in front of the fire and taking a long drink of the beer. I heard Pete sit down with a grunt as he leaned back in the outdoor chair. "This has been a weird day for both of us."

"Boy I'd say." I huffed out in a laugh as I stared at the fire and kept on drinking slowly.

"I know it's a lot to process. We haven't even had the chance yet to get to know one another. The only thing I know about you is you're a fantastic pilot. It almost feels unfair to shove two strangers together and call them family."

I stayed silent, unsure of what to say. What do you say in this situation? I looked over at Pete, his stoic face illuminated by the warm amber glows of the fire.

"I can't imagine how you must feel. Being lied too your whole life and not being able to confront the person for the lie. It's going to take time to adjust to but, whenever you are ready, I want to be there for you. I want to be a part of your life. I already missed so much, I don't want to miss a second more."

He finally looked over at me, a kind smile pulling on his lips. I returned the smile and nodded to him. "Thank you. I appreciate it."

He returned the nod and then took a drink of his beer. "You know I always wanted kids. I wanted to watch my son grow up and love planes and flying as much as I did. After your mom left, I never connected with anybody until Penny came back into my life. By then it was too late for either of us. I never thought it would happen. And here you are. You took after me, the love for flying and chasing adrenaline. Better than any son anybody could have asked for."

Pete held out his hand to me which I gratefully took in my hand. He gave me a comforting squeeze, rubbing his thumb along the top of my knuckles.

"Of course if you had said you wanted to join the navy I would have tried everything to stop you." We both let out laughs at his statement, I shook my head back and forth.

"Well I guess it's a good thing you weren't around then." I made a playful jab at Pete, seeing how he would hold up with the non-present father humor.

"Oo ouch!" He sarcastically said, giving my hand a reassuring squeeze to show he didn't actually mean it.

From there we talked for hours about our favorite things. Foods, animals, colors, movies, anything and everything under the sun we shared. Eventually Bradley and Penny came back out to join us and we all shared in a few good laughs. I could feel the warmth inside of me. And no, it was not coming from the fire. It was joy, I felt so happy in that moment just talking with these people. My actual family and my Navy family merging into one. It was almost serendipitous.

Midnight came around, as Bradley pointed out. We needed to be off to bed before wake up the next morning at the base. I said my goodbyes to Penny and Pete. Amelia made a point to remind me of what she thinks was happening between me and Bradley before I left.

The front door closed, leaving Bradley and I awkwardly on the front porch. "That went better than I expected." I huffed, meaning for it to be mostly under my breath.

We walked down the pathway together and back to the street where our cars were parked. He walked me to my driver side door, opening it for me as I stepped inside.

"You didn't have to do that." I challenged him as he shut the car door.

"Yes, I did." Bradley leaned down into the rolled down window, putting his arms folded on the window sill. The smell of his cologne wafted into my nose and I savored it for a brief moment.

"Goodnight y/n. Drive safe."

"You too, Bradley."

With that, the smell was gone as he walked to his car and got in. I started the engine on mine and drove off back towards the naval base.

Next Chapter

#top gun smut #top gun movie #top gun fic #top gun fanfiction #bradley bradshaw smut #bradley bradshaw #rooster bradshaw fic #rooster bradshaw #rooster x y/n #rooster x reader #rooster fanfic #pete mitchell #fanboy top gun #hangman top gun #jake seresin #bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw fluff #bradley bradshaw fic #bradley bradshaw fanfiction #bradley bradshaw angst #bradley bradshaw x y/n #bradley bradshaw x oc #bradley bradshaw x reader #bradley bradshaw x female reader #bradley bradhsaw x you #bradley bradshaw fanfic #top gun rooster #rooster top gun #bradley bradshaw imagine #bradley bradshaw drabble

[mychaotic-academia]

Beauty Routine for Dark Academics

So listen: This is really for anyone, but I know that DA can romanticize a lack of self care, and WE WILL NOT HAVE THAT

I used to have such bad depression (etc) that I wouldn’t even shower or brush my teeth for days on end. So I’m not gonna pretend like this is easy, self care is HARD. And I’m not even saying I’m good at doing this daily. But when I’m having my best days, this is my routine.

Take what you need and leave the rest

(Note: I have dry skin, dry curly hair, and I’m nearly 28 with no kids. This is what works for that. Adapt as needed for yourself!)

Evening Routine:

1. Headband hair away from face and wash hands/nails

2. Makeup cleanse

3. Secondary cleanse

4. Toner

5. Snail essence

6. Hyaluronic acid serum

7. Retinoid serum

8. Face oil

9. Gua sha

10. Eye cream

11. Overnight moisturizer

12. Top off (vaseline or overnight mask)

13. Lash and brow serum

14. Brush teeth

15. Floss

16. Mouthwash

17. Rinse

18. Lip mask

19. Oil hair

20. Body lotion

21. Foot lotion and socks

22. Hand lotion

23. Get a great night’s sleep!

Morning Routine:

1. Brush teeth

2. Tongue scrape

3. Mouthwash

4. Rinse

5. Wash hands and nails

6. Use micellar water to clean face

7. Comb hair

8. Shower:

1. Rinse

2. Conditioner (not daily)

3. Soap body

9. Toner

10. Snail essence

11. Hyaluronic acid serum

12. Eye cream

13. Day moisturizer

14. Leave in air dry cream(if you washed your hair) // Hair Oil (if you didn’t wash hair, then wash your hands)

15. Deodorant

16. Primer

17. Make up

18. Dress

19. Perfume

Some Bonus Content:

Complex Shower Routine (at night!)

(Take what you need and leave the rest, do 2x weekly at night)

Pre-shower:

1. Dry brush body

2. Comb hair

Shower:

1. Rinse

2. Conditioner in hair

3. Soap body

4. Face wash

5. Exfoliate body (unless you dry brushed!)

6. Wash out conditioner

7. Towel squeeze hair and tap dry skin

Post-Shower:

1. Toner

2. Body oil

3. Leave in air dry cream (hair)

4. Eye mask

5. Face mask

6. Remaining skin care

Nail Care (for amazing natural nails!)

1. Wash hands

2. Scrub nails with nail brush

3. Clip

4. File

5. Cuticle cream

1. Let it sit

2. Tissue off excess

6. Clip cuticles

7. Buff and shine

8. Hand lotion

9. A touch of cuticle cream on and around nails to leave

So that’s it!

I’m aware that its a lot. When I do my full evening routine alone it takes like, probably half an hour.

But I’ll tell you something - You are going to look good and feel even better when you take care of yourself.

Obviously eat, drink fluids (especially water, and ESPECIALLY if you have coffee or other caffeinated beverages), and move in a way that feels good if its possible. This isn’t an exhaustive list.

Take care of yourselves, in whatever way works for you, and you’ll do better in school/be able to think clearer and more critically in your private studies.

You matter

You are loved

You deserve to take time for yourself

#dark academia #chaotic academia #academia #academia aesthetic #aesthetic #booklr #books #chaotic academic aesthetic #dark academic aesthetic #reading #self care #self love #beauty #beauty routine #self care routine #makeup #skincare #skin care

[exosmutfactory]

Only Forever 005

Originally posted by hyunniebaeked

How long could you wait for the love of your life to decide you are his as well? How many times could you witness all his best moments of winning over agencies and the amount of clothes left overnight from his daily one night stands?

Main Masterlist | Bookclub zone | Chapter 5✓

networks — @/superm-net @/bbh-net

pairing — Baekhyun x You

word count — 3.3k

genre — model! baekhyun, playboy! baekhyun, friends to lovers! romance, angst, fluff, smut (eventually)

[ This chapter contains: 😏 ]

⏰💋 Only Forever Tag List: 💋⏰

@to-all-the-stories-i-love @you-n-me-e-e @insta1010 @bellamendoza @bbhflrt @weirdoome @marovekian1 @pearliejoy @loey0491 @__jxnnx3 @soonvivi @jairahxelle @dynqstyna

Chapter 5

Your body's looking good tonight

I'm thinking we should cross the line

You’ve been back home for a little under 48 hours and there’s already a lot on your plate.

The apartment is full of dust. Your bank account is looking empty. The lock on your bedroom door is jammed. Your landlord insists that your rent has gone up 2% because you were ‘short’ on your last payment, (which you vividly remember paying him 2 dollars over the amount before your trip). A raccoon decided to make a home in the back of your closet and your air conditioner unit broke again. All of the above are top-tier conditions to live in a week before your final fall semester.

In other words, you are royally fucked.

At least the raccoon doesn’t have rabies. That’s the least of your problems. You’re pulling your hair out over the fact that you have to wait for someone to come unlock your bedroom door and pray that it gets fixed before animal services arrive. The only reason you hadn’t noticed the wild animal last night is because you had passed out on the couch the moment you entered your apartment. Now, not only do you have an intruder in your home, but you also have to battle against the herd of fire ants crawling under the door.

By the time someone installs a new doorknob and the raccoon has been whisked away, you are gathering your hair into a ponytail and rolling up your sleeves to face the overwhelming stream of insects traveling in and out of your window. All in all, you’d give this experience a negative 10 out of 10.

This just goes to show that as much as you love (and need) your yearly beach vacations with Baekhyun, the clusterfuck you come back home to will never be anything less than overwhelming. You did not sign up for a WWE match with a colony of ants in the middle of your bedroom, or the hole in the wall at the back of your closet where that Over the Hedge looking rat bastard must have dug its way through.

Why did you insist on an apartment next to an oak tree on the second floor? In times like this, you’re seriously rethinking all your life choices. Thankfully, you have a strong support system to counteract all the mental breakdowns that threaten to disrupt your day-to-day life.

The next morning, you nearly fall flat on your face in your hurry to tie up your hair, throw on a cute outfit, and rush downtown to meet your friends for brunch at your usual spot. The early-August sunrise paints the sky in beautiful shades of baby pink and lavender hues. It’s warm enough for you to forgo a jacket and sprint to the nearest bus stop—the only perks of late-summer mornings. You get a good look at your surroundings while waiting for the bus, neatly tying bows on the ends of your long sleeve floral shirt and dusting off your faded blue jeans. By the time a bus arrives, the summer heat is already starting to bear down on the nape of your neck.

Now, there’s something that should be mentioned about your friends before you step off of the public transportation (that you are growing to disdain every day you travel around the city without a car. You’re one good chair kick away from swearing this woman’s entitled kid up to the heavens).

As someone who has never been much of an outgoing person, you like to keep your friendship circle small and close to your heart. Old classmates used to tease you about it in the past, especially at the small following you had across all your social media. ‘You have that little friends? How sad.’

Well, as you say time and time again, you rather have 5 close friends than 50 people who would leave you at the drop of a hat in their quest to gain popularity. Hell, your friendship circle has gotten even smaller than that these days. But the moment you step through the door of the upscale bakery, a familiar pair of brown and gray eyes light up at the sight of you.

May’s smile is blinding when she waves you over, with a smudge of blue paint on her cheek and her vibrant pixie-cut hair bobbing with every enthusiastic movement. Her pastel off-the-shoulder t-shirt rests snuggly above her waist, paired nicely with her high-waisted blue jeans. There’s an excited glint in her gray eyes that lets you know you’re in for a wild ride today. From her energy alone, you know she’s halfway through her second cup of coffee.

Your eyes shift over to Shea as she elegantly crosses her legs and nods at you, hiding her fond, rogue lipstick-colored smile behind her coffee mug. She sits tall and regal, not a curl or hoop-earring out of place. The sunlight streaming through the windows favors her burgundy pantsuit-clad frame and beautiful skin. Her mischievous brown eyes flash and she taps her french-tipped acrylic nails on the table as you approach.

You quickly make your way over to them, taking the empty side left in the cozy little booth, and the moment your eyes meet theirs, you’re immediately bombarded with their flow of questions.

“So!” May leans forward with a teasing grin, the pencil tucked behind her ear and her neon green crocs holding on for dear life. “How was the honeymoon? Any progress with Mister Heartstealer~~~?”

You nearly choke on the steaming drink a waitress sets down in front of you. That question alone reminds you of your last day at the beach, a vivid image of messy black hair, alluring brown eyes, and glistening pectorals instantly coming to mind. “Uh-” you shift your eyes off to the side as your face heats up, “-well-”

“Oh?” Shea quirks an amused smile.

“Ha!” May squeals, clapping her hands and gripping the edge of the table. “I knew something steamy happened! Spill!!!”

“U-uh-” you laugh nervously, shrinking under the curious (and irritated-) stares around the room. “I mean, I would but we don’t got all day-”

Shea scoffs, her crystal necklace sparkling under the cozy lights. “Girl, who are you kidding? I cleared my entire schedule for this.”

“Final painting done and submitted for the gallery next month.” May nods, fixing you with a serious look. “Now spill the beans.”

With a fond sigh, you recount every significant moment you had with Baekhyun over the last few weeks. The retelling of your story sounds like something out of a young adult novel and rekindles the heat in your cheeks. You wonder what he’s up to right now and frown. You hope he hadn’t gotten into too much trouble for blowing off his schedule yesterday to spend time with you. In a way… it’s almost as if he hates the fact your vacation came to an end as much as you do.

By the time you finish and trail off into your thoughts, a hush has fallen over the booth. 

“You’re telling me you went skinny dipping, stargazing, rubbed each other down, and you still think he doesn’t have feelings for you?” Shea gives you the most exaggerated stare before turning to May. “Who’s gonna tell her?”

“Guys-”

“He’s in love with you, idiot.” May huffs, crossing her arms.

“It’s not like that!” you groan, fanning yourself in hopes of alleviating the heat in your cheeks. Is the coffee making you hot or is this conversation? You’re too flustered to tell. “We’ve been best friends for over 10 years.” The teasing, sly smirks, and heartfelt smiles… “He’s always like this.”

Shea takes a calm and collected sip of her coffee. “You really are a dumbass.”

You throw your hands up in defeat and the conversation draws to a close as a waitress comes over to take your orders. As familiar as your group is with Baekhyun, no one can forget how easy it is for rumors to fly about the supermodel in a place like this. You hope too much information hasn’t left your table when you catch a pair of waitresses whispering to each other off in a far corner of the room. The last thing you need is everyone finding out you are who Baekhyun vacations with every year.

To be fair, the general public knows a bit about you anyway. Not your name, or your face, but you’ve caught a few articles discussing the “Jane Doe” who is “frequently seen by his side” when the pair of you do mundane everyday things over the years. That and the wench who you do not speak of who always worms her way into paired photoshoots with him. But we digress:

You’re so glad you met up with your friends today as you discuss the message behind May’s latest art exhibit and the progress Shea’s marketing team has made recently. When all else has gone astray in this world, you can always count on your friends to be there for you. Just a conversation in a cozy setting like this is enough to get you through the rest of the week. If you were a castle, May and Shea are your pillars of strength.

All too soon, Shea looks down at her smartwatch when it beeps, and you check your own phone in astonishment to find out that it’s already a quarter to noon. You’re not surprised that you managed to spend over 3 hours catching up with your friends, that’s usually how it goes with how busy everyone is in your small group. It’s the fact that time has slipped away from you, the once gentle sunlight now blazing your fingertips through the windows. You’re already wincing at the thought of riding a bus back to your apartment in this “clear blue sky with a side of hell” weather until a jingle of keys catches your attention.

Shea smiles knowingly at your surprised expression. “Well?” she raises a brow, twirling her keys around her fingers, “I got one more errand to run before turning in for the day. You down?”

You’re already nodding before she even finishes her sentence, setting down your fair share of the tip and the bill before leaving the bakery. 

Shea watches you head for her sleek red car with a smile while May slaps money down on the table.

“Bet $20 he’ll make the first move,” the artist smirks, waving over a waitress to order a pastry before they leave.

Shea raises a brow, smoothing down her suit and grabbing her purse. “But if liquor ‘s involved?”

“...Touche,” May giggles, following her outside. She squints when they step out on the curb, shielding her eyes from the sun, “but when does she ever party?”

“When it comes to him?” Shea chuckles, glancing at you in the distance. “Don’t act surprised.”

🌊🌊🌊

You’ve reached a dilemma—or, more accurately, you’re facing one right now.

It’s a quarter to midnight, the moon high in the sky, the stars twinkling in celestial light, and you’re shivering like a fawn prepared to take its first steps into the wildest party you’ve ever seen with your own eyes.

How did I get here? you ask yourself as if the answer isn’t strolling up to you right now with midnight hair and sultry brown eyes.

“Are you free tomorrow night?” Baekhyun asks you from across his pristine kitchen counters, imploring you with curious brown eyes.

You stare blankly at him, taking the last bite of your favorite cuisine and hopping off of a bar stool before turning to rinse off your plate in the sink. “That depends,” you share hesitantly, weary of the hopeful expression on his handsome face. After this morning’s events and nearly running late to your interview when a certain someone decided to critique every single article of clothing you wanted, you can only imagine what ideas are forming in that beautiful head of his right now.

“There’s a party going on over on Maple street,” he starts, tapping his fingers on the counter, already giving you those puppy eyes. But all you can focus on is the fact that he’s asking you to go to a party with him. He’s asking you to go to a party with him. In the middle of the week. On a Tuesday night.

It takes less than 15 seconds for you to give him a reply, “I don’t dance.”

Baekhyun smiles as if he expected that answer, walking over to lightly bump his hip to yours. “There are plenty of other things to do at a party than just dance.”

“I don’t smoke either.”

“Free shots?”

“...” you pointedly look at his empty fridge. “Gin and juice does sound good about now.”

Remember when your friends called you a dumbass? Yeah, you are one. Now here you are, already two shots of vodka in from your ride over here, pacing back and forth on some rich guy’s lawn, trying to talk yourself into stepping through those double doors or turning around and sprinting back home… and then Baekhyun shows up fashionably in all his glory, stopping you dead in your tracks.

His black hair is messily tousled as always, the tips falling into his half-lidded, kohl-lined brown eyes. The first few buttons of his shirt are unbuttoned, revealing the sliver of a thin silver chain on his collarbones and a peek of his honey-toned skin. His shirt is tucked into a snug pair of dark jeans that your gaze is locked on a little too long before you manage to look away. From this distance, you can tell he’s already blazed.

As per privacy precautions, your best friend had asked you to meet him at the party rather than show up together. Even a frat party among a group of (plastered. Absolutely plastered and the party only started 30 minutes ago-) elite individuals calls for carefully navigating the lines between Baekhyun’s modeling and inner circles. More than half the crowd tonight is full of celebrities in celebration of one of their fellow influencers’ birthdays. You swear you can see the lean silhouette of another famous supermodel from here.

Baekhyun steps closer, the midnight breeze drowning you in his cologne and rich vanilla scent as he leans closer to murmur in your ear. “You ready?”

You glance back at the LED light, lit-up mansion behind you, feeling the wind flow through your crop top and the heavy bass of speakers in your newest pair of dainty black strap heels. You wonder if Baekhyun realizes how close he is standing to you, the warmth of his strong thighs felt through the fabric of your jeans and his minty breath caressing your ear. Unlike how loud you imagine the music is inside, you can hear him perfectly fine out here, under his sharp gaze and the light of the moon.

“Yes,” you whisper, meeting his eyes before he takes you by the hand and leads you inside.

Like you’ve mentioned before, parties aren’t really your scene of choice. You attend one every now and then to accompany May on her wild adventures for “inspiration” but even then you tend to stick close to the nearest wall and watch over the rest of your friends. You don’t like being in the center of attention like free-spirited May, elegant Shea, or your suave best friend. Yet when Baekhyun softly squeezes your hand and walks you through the heart of the party, you don’t have the heart to complain. As long as you are with him, you know that you’re safe.

The music is what hits you first, the bass boom of the latest R&B album overwhelming your senses. The inside of the house is decorated with smoke machines and disco lights, casting vibrant colors across the dim-lit rooms. If the smoke isn't already hindering your vision, you also walk by a group of guys passing around a joint in the center of the room. You stumble over someone’s feet in the crowd, looking back over your shoulder at the group of girls hurrying to catch their drunk friend before her swaying body falls.

There’s so much happening at once that when you finally reach the kitchen, you grab the nearest empty red cup and crack open a new bottle of tequila. You quickly throw back your drink, wincing at the way it burns down your throat.

Baekhyun cracks open a can of beer and leans his hip against the counter, chuckling at your pinched-up expression. 

You playfully roll your eyes, searching the fridge for a can of soda like you own the place before mixing another drink. The flashing lights are already giving you a headache. You’ll need something to sip on if you want to get through the rest of the night. Not even sza’s latest hits can persuade you to go back into the sweaty makeshift dance floor.

“Baekhyun!” a deep voice calls from the other room. You look up and squint through the dizzying clouds of smoke to see a tall figure step forward to greet Baekhyun and clap him on the back, recognizing their signature ears and a wide grin. Park Chanyeol: a rising rockstar and musician who is frequently seen among Baekhyun’s “industry” inner circle. His ripped t-shirt and right-sleeve tattoos look menacing when his piercing stare lands on you. 

A commotion in the next room has you peeking over Baekhyun’s shoulder into the crowded dining area, your curiosity peaked at the platter of sliced lime and a salt shaker laid out on the table.

Chanyeol clears his throat and crosses his arms, leaning against the doorframe. “We’re doing body shots. You game?” He tilts his head, raising a brow in challenge.

You screw the tequila bottle tight and meet the giant’s smug gaze with narrowed eyes. Now you ain’t a party girl, but one drink down and two shots in, you're ain’t no chicken either. “I’m in,” you grit out, brushing past both of them to enter the next room.

Liquor courage? Maybe. You’re a force to reckon with when there’s alcohol flowing through your veins. The worst thing someone can do is underestimate you while in a tipsy state. You’re already pushing through the small crowd, chugging your drink, and climbing up onto the dining table without a second thought.

Someone instructs you to lie still for them to pour the salt on your bare skin, put the shot glass in place, and for you to hold a slice of lime in your mouth. The music is still going. Your heart races in your ears. Cheers echo around the room, but everything fades into the background when your best friend’s shocked and handsome face comes into view. For a minute you feel a sense of triumph, savoring the rare moment when you leave Baekhyun, your ever-flustering best friend dumbstruck—until he shifts into his modeling persona. 

Baekhyun’s dark brown eyes lock on yours as he places his hands behind his back and leans down to slowly trace his tongue up the salty trail on your navel. You quiver when his warm breath fans over your hip, his mouth hovering over your waist before he licks up the rest of the salt on your torso, coming closer to the shot glass nestled between your breasts.

It takes everything in you to not bite through the lime wedge in your mouth when he wraps his lips around the edge of the glass and throws back the shot of tequila without breaking eye contact. But the sultry gaze in his smoky eyes keeps you locked in place with bated breath. When he leans closer to pull the lime from between your teeth and his bottom lip brushes over yours, you break, surging up to tangle your fingers in his hair and yank his mouth back down to yours as the world fades to black.

Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5✓ | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 |

A/N: “Just friends” take body shots off of each other right? 😇 Riiight? 😇🤭 Happy new year, loves! 🥳🎊🎉💕

#baekhyun smut #supermnet #bbh-net #exo x reader #baekhyun fanfiction #baekhyun romance #baekhyun fanfic #baekhyun ff #baekhyun #baekhyun x you #exo baekhyun #exo romance #Only Forever

[hirocimacruiser]

Mitsubishi Debonair V AMG version.

AMG is a tuning manufacturer in West Germany that specializes in German luxury cars. Its technical capabilities are widely recognized and highly evaluated by the general public. 3000 Royal AMG is a full-fledged European sporty sedan forged by this prestigious tuner.

■AMG aero parts consist of front bumper spoiler, front grille, side step panel, door protection panel, rear spoiler, rear bumper spoiler, rear end panel, and wheel cut molding.

A form that further refines the aerodynamics of the original body. The impression of its styling can be said to be a splendid fusion of personality and sporty image. Equipped with low-profile tires and aluminum wheels and electronically controlled suspension to support fast and safe driving. From the day you own this car, highway dominance will be yours. The interior also features an AMG-designed steering wheel. The Debonair V3000 Royal AMG is full of Senmou's European spirit in both its exterior and interior.

Body Color: Sarajevo White

■ Seat color: Gray (optional leather seats are beige)

■ Interior base color: Gray

Pictured from left: AMG design steering wheel, AMG design aluminum wheels & 205/60R15-89H tires, dual exhaust pipes.

Debonair V3000 Royal AMG Cyclone V6 3000 engine ELC 4-speed full automatic with OD Main equipment Air conditioning & audio remote control switch Cruise control Auto lighting control 205/60R15-89H tires

Front 5-layer laminated glass (bronze) Electric retractable door mirror Soft touch heater control AMG aero parts Driver's seat power seat Rear power seat AMG Steering wheel ELR seat belt with electric tension reducer Dual auto air conditioner (microcomputer)

MITSUBISHI DEBONAIR V 3000 ROYAL AMG

The Debonair V3000 Royal AMG, which gives the image of driving on the European autobahn. The exterior, suspension, and equipment all feature high-quality specifications unique to this car.

ENGINE BOX

Unprecedented responsiveness and quietness. Advanced driving with Cyclone V6 engine.

What the times demand from engines is not just high power or low-speed torque. It is the response performance that can pick up the power you want when you need it, and the quietness that makes you feel the high quality. In other words, it can be said that it is a high-performance car that truly values ​​the sensibilities of the rider. Mitsubishi's cyclone engine was born by refining everything to meet such demands. And the Cyclone V6 3000 engine of the Debonair V3000 Royal AMG is a proud power unit that stands at the top of them. Achieved new performance and excellent quietness in the entire range from low speed to high speed while achieving compactness and weight reduction. In addition, ECI-MULTI (Multi-Point Injection), which always supplies the best air-fuel mixture and controls accurate fuel injection timing and appropriate ignition timing for each of the six cylinders, is also adopted. Also, in each process of intake, combustion and exhaust, advanced technologies such as manifolds with optimal shape and diameter, dual exhaust system and compact combustion chamber are incorporated.

BOTTOM INFO SECTIONS FROM LEFT

door-linked high-tilt steering,

Light operability created by ELC4A/T with OD.

A driver's seat that secures a wide field of vision and enhances safety. The electronically controlled power steering employs door-linked high-tilt steering that hops up when the driver's side door is opened to facilitate boarding and exiting. Equipped with a cruise control that automatically maintains the set vehicle speed, an ELC 4-speed full automatic transmission with OD that electronically controls for smooth shifting, and a steering audio remote control switch that allows remote control of audio from the steering wheel. As an option, a hands-free car telephone is also available, which allows you to talk without having to use both hands.

The spaciousness of the interior of the FF and its excellent quietness make it a truly relaxing place to live.

Debonair V achieves top-class spaciousness in the interior and trunk room with the FF (front wheel drive) system. Beneran instrument panel pads with a leather touch and urethane-injected floor mats that create a soft feel further enhance the quality of living. The driver's seat and rear seats are equipped with electric power seats that can be adjusted steplessly. In addition, the adoption of a flush body and triple weatherstripping achieves excellent quietness, and is equipped with a high-power audio system with Diatone ASS that adds value to a quiet space.

Optional leather seats are also available.

Safety and reliability brought by electronically controlled suspension and 4-wheel ventilated disc brakes.

Equipped with an electronically controlled suspension that automatically controls suspension characteristics and vehicle height to provide stable driving with consistently high marginal performance. The braking system is equipped with 4-wheel ventilated disc brakes with excellent heat dissipation. The body uses high-quality paint to improve durability and rigidity, integrally molded doors, and new anti-corrosion steel plates. In addition, the front five-layer laminated glass that reduces the impact on the driver in the event of an accident, and ETACS, which electronically controls various timers and alarms, protects irreplaceable safety from all angles.

Door-linked high-tilt steering (with memory) Auto door lock High-power audio with Diatone ASS (B speaker Audio steering remote control switch Electric suspension AMG aluminum wheels Electronic control power steering 4-wheel pentillated disc brakes

#Mitsubishi #AMG #AMG Debonair #Mitsubishi Debonair #JDM

[lady-eny]

TITLE: ON THE NATURE OF DUTY (17/17) COMPLETED!

Some tags: AU - Spies & Secret Agents, Enemies to Lovers, Action, Canon-Typical Violence, Minor Mikenana, Minor Zekehan, Minor Character Death, Reincarnation.

Summary:

In another life, they meet again. But what if instead of comrades, they find themselves as enemies?

Levi, Eldia’s best agent, lives to fulfill his duty. Yet, as he teams up with his enemies to save the world, he begins losing sight of it. Despite reminding himself how much he hates Hange—the marleyan star analyst—being around her makes him question everything he believed true.

He can’t prevent his brain from scrambling at her mere presence, ever closer. Perhaps it’s that he recognizes her from a long time ago…

CROSS-POSTING ON: AO3

Other Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Notes: So.. here we are, at the end of yet another journey **gets emotional**

Thanks for reading this entire fic. It means a lot. I really wanted to give a second change to our favorite couple. They deserved it, but of course they had to overcome some things and let some others settle before that. 

Hope y’ll have a great day, week, year. Take care✨

Chapter 17

“Hey… Four eyes.”

He stepped in, feeling the world around him craving in.

She pasted a weird smile over her mouth, trying to act all cheerful. “You understand. It’s finally here, you know?... It’s my turn. I want to look as cool as I possibly can right now. So just… Let me go, will you?”

His heart clenched within his chest, his eyes losing any light they could have contained before. He stared down at his useless hands. He couldn’t do anything, less when she was asking him to do nothing. As always, his heart was first in no one’s prioritizing list—not his, not hers.

For both, their duty was the owner of the top place and would always be.

Wouldn’t it?

Levi’s head is gradually killing him—that, or he’s already dead. His luck is such that perhaps even dead he won’t stop hurting, so that would make perfect sense. Likely, it’s the former instead of the latter; this pain is all too familiar. He recognizes the neat and worn scanty surface beneath his fingers, as he’s laid on it a hundred times hitherto. The constant beep of a monitor, the lemon whiff he inhales with every breath, and the arctic air chilling his bones (whoever thought a thin gown was enough to protect from the air conditioner was an idiot).

All this proves what he knew the moment he regained conscience.

He’s in the hospital.

Knowing that, Levi doesn’t open his eyes, too drained by the ache behind his eyelids. He knows what he’ll see at first glance, anyway: bright and blinding fluorescent lighting—capable of boosting his headache by an extra thousand percent. His muscles are sore, his shoulder and side numbed, and his throat burns. He must have been pretty bad, because upon waking up, he’s usually in better shape.

What happened? Images mingle in his mind and vanish. Hange in danger, he trying to save her, promising her to remain alive… blankness. He got hurt, then? Did he save her? Is she alive?

Minutes go by, but the pain doesn’t decrease.

I’ll stay here for a while, Levi muses, so there’s no point in delaying the inevitable.

He opens his eyes back to reality and winces at the explosion of enlightenment. He blinks rapidly to adjust. The view he encounters is not different from his expectations. White ceiling, white walls, white bed—as if someone had shitted white paint and sprinkled it on every corner.

At the fore of his bed, on a desk, a blond man is reading a stack of papers.

“Such a nice place to work,” Levi tries to say—emphasis on tries, as his words come out as a squawk. He clears his throat, but he continues sounding raspy in his next attempt. His hand stretches to a water glass on the side table and he takes a sip. The water sliding down his throat feels like the hit of ice spikes through his tract. Yet it does help him regain his natural speech. “How… What happened?”

Erwin doesn’t answer, abstracted by his work as he is. He puts a pen on his ear in a clumsy way Levi’s never seen from him before. Dark bags hang under his eyes and his hair is disheveled, also a new look to Levi. It births an unsettling churn in his stomach. For Erwin to look like this, Levi can only imagine the worst possible scenario. Zeke won…. The attacks happened… Global chaos…

Hange dead.

Levi can’t handle any more silence. “Erwin,” he calls, piercing the subject of his attention with his eyes, until the other man sighs and sets the papers down.

“The threat was neutralized,” Erwin tells him, and Levi’s glare loses its fang. “Zeke Yeager is in jail, and we’ve dismantled most of Tybur’s cameras and devices from around the globe. We also captured most of the people in their headquarters and are trying to discover the infiltrators in the governments, Eldia’s included. Some run away, but they don’t have anywhere to go and everyone is seeking them out. We’ll find them.”

He assimilates the information. The most important unknown is at the edge of his tongue… He can’t make himself throw it out. Levi chooses to ask a simpler question, instead.

“Tybur was…?”

“We are aware of his crimes, but he’s extremely powerful. We can’t do anything big against him now, but he won’t be able to restart the previous organization for the time being.”

Levi swallows the limp in his throat. The effort only makes his head spin, and the lump tighter. “That’s good,” he says, strained. “Did any civilian die?”

Erwin shakes his head and returns to work with a frown. If that’s true, why does Erwin look so troubled? Why is he so clearly overworked and tired? Levi supports his weight with his arms and sits upright, flinching at the blaze of pain that shoots through his side. The bead creaks as he adjusts his position.

“Take it easy,” Erwin advises. Never glancing up from his papers, he lifts his index finger. “Before you ask, your friend was deported to Marley.”

He wasn’t about to ask that, exactly, but that does answer his actual question. She’s alive. Relief sinks him deeper into the bed.

Erwin continues, “As far as I know, she infiltrated the organization’s server and obtained data about their other bases. That’s how we’ve found and captured most of them.”

Of course she did. Levi fights the corners of his mouth, which are kicking upward.

It’s over. The mission, the global threat. They more or less succeeded. And now…

“Did the war between Marley and Eldia resume?”

Erwin leans back on the chair and looks at the large window covered by blinds. Not even a hint of light seeps in from them.

“Yes.” The lonely word overwhelms the room with a stinky odor.

Levi wrinkles his nose. “I see.”

It could mean a lot of things. Levi hoped all the recent death would pacify the sparkle of conflict between the two nations, but from the look on Erwin’s face… Does this mean they’re back into their original positions, as before this mission? Like nothing transpired?

His body turns much heavier, making a hole in the bed. Memories flash in his head. He, going from city to city—a figure in motion without a soul, going through circumstances he never wants to repeat. The face of the people he’s killed, the debris and screams from the innocent after the bombings. Hange’s voice when she told him about her family.

His mother.

How to forgive Eldia for causing so much harm? The idealized version of his country no longer exists, along with the idea of its safety justifying every action taken against those who don’t share the same place of birth. It remains the place he’s grown into, though—the one that saw his mother born and die, even when its puppeteers are the ones who orchestrated her death. The one he’s dedicated his entire life to. Can he give it his back? More so, can he rely on his people once more, knowing what he does?

He watches Erwin warily until the other man catches sight of his gaze. He taps his papers into order and interrupts Levi’s inner turmoil. “You don’t trust me.”

No need to deny the obvious. “No, I don’t.”

“Will you ever trust me again?”

“I don’t think so.” Trust is hard to build; but once lost, it’s virtually impossible to recover.

Erwin winces. “We’re a team. For our work, you should make an effort to overcome the past.”

“Do you think we’ll keep working together? Our superiors won’t return me under your care after what I did. They’ll say you can’t handle me.”

“It will end soon, either way.”

“Pardon?”

Erwin exhales. “There have been talks. I guess even Pixis is tired, and the increase in the power of the WCO over the public following this event is something to take into account. If things keep heading this way, we might get a peace treaty soon. Or not. Nothing’s yet been stated, it’s just the mood.” Erwin folds his arms onto his chest and presses his lips into a line.

That’s… excellent news, actually. Sure, it could get to nothing, still, it’s better than how things were a mere week ago, when peace was unthinkable.

“Why aren’t you content?”

Erwin has devoted his entire life, his every minute and breath, to this war. To Eldia. Levi expected relief from him; in its place, he’s emanating waves of frustration. The last time they thought the war was over—when Levi resigned—Erwin wasn’t pleased, but neither angry. Just… lost.

“Marie left me.” Erwin rubs his temples. “She said… She said I’m never around. That I should have married the war.”

“But the war is ending, isn’t it? You can talk to her. You guys always fix it.”

“No.” Erwin bobs his head. “She doesn’t want to come back this time, and… she has someone else now. Besides, I don’t know what she’d come back for. What am I, without the war?”

Levi stirs on the bed, the sadness in Erwin’s words too massive for him to completely grasp. For the first time maybe, he regards the man at his front quite plainly. The wrinkled ends of his clothes—which years ago used to be flawless—are Erwin’s current fixation. He smooths and smooths and smooths his sleeves. They don’t seem to be able to straighten again.

“You’re Erwin Smith, before and after the war. It doesn’t define you.”

Erwin nods, but closes his eyes, discarding Levi’s words as soon as they come. Erwin has always been so strong; capable of altering history, in his past life and this one. The first source of Levi’s purpose and a friend. But he’s also been consumed by his goals, so badly that, without them… What’s left? He’ll have to find himself over again or perhaps discover a new dream to chase.

“Maybe the negotiations will fail,” Erwin says to himself. “I always pictured how the world would be without war, wanted it, and now… Peace is amazing, but is it true peace if we don’t win? A treaty is like claiming a tie, and we wouldn’t be making them pay for all the hurt, all the dead…” Erwin winces. “There’s always the future. People won’t stop hating each other for a paper. The future may bring more war, sooner than later.”

Lost in a purpose. If Levi continues on this road, will he look like Erwin, later on? Devoted to the point of obsession to a single thing so damn much, that he lost everything else on the way, even himself?

Levi outstretches his hands, wanting to help the person he used to consider his best friend—but is there something he could do? He drops them and looks at his helpless hands. Even in the past, Erwin couldn’t overcome his desire for a greater purpose, neglecting the people who loved him around from time to time. He doesn’t know how to change that.

The unique thing Levi’s certain of is that he doesn’t want to be like this his entire life… But despite his best wishes, he’ll probably be.

Won’t he?

***

Levi’s injuries are sluggish to recover.

A couple of months go by in a spiral of tasteless hospital food, muscles aching from spending so much time restricted on a bed, and a pool of anxiety getting more and more loaded with every passing day. He still hasn’t been able to contact Hange.

Like everything does, his stay in the colorless room ends. The day to get released from the hospital ultimately arrives, wherein his body is indeed healthier, if overflowed by stress.

Levi opens his apartment door with a creak, flips on the lights, and takes it all in from the doorway. It’s startling to find it looking the same, which is, of course, a rather illogical thing to feel. Why would it have changed? Yet, he feels as it should have. All in all, it does feel different—the gray carpet, furniture, and walls seem opaque, and the stillness overly disturbing. Empty, in a way.

He takes a deep breath in. It remains his place, so he better gets used to it again. He tosses his bag onto the sofa and shuffles to the kitchen, where he selects the sweetest tea of his collection, puts some water to boil, and brews it. He takes out his phone and, with no hesitation whatsoever, dials a number he’s been calling a little too much these last few weeks.

Mike’s face projects from his phone, the bluish light making his skin look ill—not to mention the addition of a cast on his arm, which truly shows his still weakened state. Levi places the phone on the countertop.

“Ackerman. I was wondering where you were.” Mike takes a look at Levi’s surroundings. “Did you finally escape the hospital?”

“Barely.” Levi places his steaming cup on the countertop and sits. “How’s the arm?”

“Healing and resting happily.” Mike sniffs a plate, then smiles and takes a spoon of its content. It appears to be soup. “Not everyone is a workaholic super-agent like you. Most of us do like vacations and free time.”

Levi’s elbow slides forward on the countertop, his chin in hand. “Maybe I should do it someday…”

“No time like the present.” At Levi’s lack of reply, Mike adds, “So, you’re embarking on another mission soon?”

Possibly. Before being discharged from the hospital, Erwin told him he expects Levi to return to his duty as soon as possible, and interpreted Levi’s silence as an affirmative response. His guts tangle unpleasantly upon merely thinking about going into one again, and yet…

“Have you heard from her?” Levi changes the subject to one they always end up discussing anyway.

Mike takes a spoonful of soup into his mouth. Chews and swallows, taking his pretty time doing it, probably aware of how fidgety Levi is as he waits for his answer.

“I did.”

That’s new. Levi straightens. “What did she say? Will she call me?”

“I didn’t talk with her, personally. I talked with Nifa. She told me Hange’s doing well, she’s just been engrossed in all the work, chasing The Orions and attending meetings with Pieck about Eldia, etc.”  Mike catches Levi’s eyes. “She’s not purposely avoiding you.”

“Right.” Levi’s fingernail picks at a weird stain glued to the countertop. He should undertake a profound cleaning session soon. “She’s just too busy to give someone a one-minute call.”

“You should know she’s always like this. She disappears. Keeps her distance,” Mike says. Obviously, Levi knows, mostly from what he’s heard. It’s possible the problem is he expected otherwise, believing she’d realize she doesn’t have to, not anymore. That, with his recovery, he proved she isn’t guilty of the deaths surrounding her. Or at least, that he allowed her to take a step closer to letting that go. Guess not. “You aren’t either.”

“What?”

“Calling her directly anymore,” Mike explains.

Well, no. Even he understands what so many unanswered rings imply. “I surmised that if she wanted to, she’d have called me back a long time ago.” But she hasn’t. Isn’t that enough of an answer? “How’s Shadis?”

Mike leans back. “Still healing in the hospital. He’ll be alright. Last time we talked, he was ecstatic because Hange had paid him a visit.”

“Oh. That’s good.” They shouldn’t, but the words taste bitter on his tongue. Perhaps she let go of her misconception of being a danger to her loved ones. Perhaps she did with everyone except Levi. Not that he minds it.

At all.

Half of Mike’s mouth tilts into a smile. “I know her, Hange must have her motives. She’ll come back to you… eventually.”

“Whatever.” Levi shrugs. He doesn’t care about it. He merely wanted to make sure she was okay, which he just got verification of. Now he can stop trying to reach her out and respect her evident desire to ignore him. Finished topic.

“If you say so.” Mike holds the plate in his hands, tilts it, and sips the last of the soup. “Did you watch that movie I told you about?”

“Gak. I did, thanks for the waste of time. I’m nothing like that Tom character.”

“Oh, come on! You even talk like him! You constructed your entire personality based on his demeanor, I’m sure. The weird part is he’s a favorite among the ladies, and well, you…” Levi nearly chokes on a sip of tea and lifts an irritated eyebrow. Mike lets out a laugh. “Sorry, kidding. Nana used to say…” He trails off, and his gaze gets lost somewhere far away, as it tends to do.

Levi, as he also tends to do when Mike behaves like this, uses the companionable silence to ruminate. What is he doing next? Even when Erwin’s orders of coming back to work sound so dreadful, what else is he supposed to do? He still wants to help his people, as they’re innocent of their leaders’ wrongdoings. Moreover, he has nothing in his life except what he’s done in its entirety; what he’s done even in his past life. Serving. Fighting. Following orders.

Dedicating his heart to humanity.

In the end, though, what difference does it make what he does? Are the past and the present any different? What has he accomplished by relentlessly fighting?

Nothing.

Therefore, what’s the point of it all?

“What would you do if I told you nothing we do matters? That regardless of how hard we try, nothing will change. That we’re in a perpetual cycle of death and destruction with no way out, and we have zero control over anything.”

Mike looks at him oddly, as if afraid he developed scales overnight. Levi deduces he sounded way more fatalist than usual.

“That would be a lot to take in,” Mike starts, “but I’d keep eating my soup, watch another movie before sleeping, and prepare to return to work next week just like I was going to do before hearing that.”

Levi thinks about it. Basically, he’d do the same without a care.

“But without Nana,” Mike keeps going, “returning to work feels too hard. Maybe it’s time I retire and try something else…”

“Would that be okay?”

“Why not? Change is good. Doing something new doesn’t mean you’re neglecting the past, you know? You’re just moving on for your own sake.”

“Yes, but…” Something about it makes Levi feel uneasy. “You’re one of the best agents. Wouldn’t that be—?”

“Selfish?” Mike finishes for him. And yes. That’s exactly what Levi was, deep inside, thinking. Mike gives him a knowing smile. “Possibly. Yet I believe our greatest duty is, first and foremost, with ourselves.”

By the time they swap goodbyes, Levi’s too tired to notice the unbearable calmness of his apartment. He moves to his balcony and lets the door snick shut behind him. The night has crept on the sky since he returned, the air getting as cold as every time he’s come here seeking energy to go through.

He slouches into his green recliner, unlocks his cellphone, and goes straight to social media. Reading through a few posts, he stumbles upon a Joan The Slayer’s spoiler that stops his heart.

Randy… no!

His first impulse is to tell Hange about it, but… Right, he can’t talk to her. He rubs a hand over his chest, feeling the claws of longing closing around his heart and eliciting a kind of ache he’d never been familiar with. In this life, at least.

He got to see her again. However, isn’t it unfair how they’re still torn apart? His past life was all about his duty and this is no different. In the past, though, which other option did he have? They were at the literal end of the world, with humankind at stake. Now… Things aren’t that straightforward. He isn’t the same. Back then he wasn’t aware of how everything would be despite his sacrifices. He didn’t know how dark and flavorless the world would be due to her absence.

Levi stares up at the hidden stars, concealed by the grayish clouds. He’s so tired—tired of death, of being the one who exerts it to hurt others. Of prioritizing the greater good above his own. He recalls the last years of his current life, the constant coming and going, the numbness of it all. How he kept losing more of his warmth with every kill, because he was killing himself too. Little by little.

Talks about ending this conflict have reached the ears of the general population with mixed opinions. Levi wishes he could step into a room, click a button, and end it all. But he alone can change nothing, that much he does know. Worse, he no longer knows what to do with himself. What’s his purpose?

He is drifting through an uncontrollable, unknown future. And he’s scared. Overwhelmed. Sad. The emotions are so strong they oppress his chest until they prevent the entry of oxygen. He focuses on the stars to anchor himself, those flashing and distant points. In the solid chair beneath him, the fabric gently caressing his skin. In the thick but cool wind against his cheeks and the faint but recognizable scent of traffic, of car exhausting gas.

In the nothingness of everything.

And a notion settles firmly within himself, amongst the out-of-control chaos driving him to panic. It’s true. Nothing he does carries meaning, because in the end it all comes to the same thing—whereas destruction or death. And yet. And yet it does matter, because it matters to him, because he gives it meaning. In that sense, what’s ultimately important are his actions. What he’s done and what he’ll do.

So what will he do?

Saving people, a country, the world. These are good things—no one could argue otherwise. Still, shouldn’t there be more? Maybe, just maybe… Sacrifices are overly glorified.

Levi wants to do good. He does. But he wants to be happy as well, without having to lose more and more parts of himself performing what some people consider ‘things for the greater good’. He doesn’t want to give up the smiles of the ones he loves for more time, and while he doesn’t dare to claim knowledge on the reason he’s here, or what here even is…Shouldn’t this life be a second chance?

History doesn’t need repetition.

Yet, does he possess enough force to give his back to everything he’s known?

Could he be selfish for once in his whole existence?

***

The hallway is brimming with politicians, diplomats, and various ambassadors. They all look so much alike that, to Levi’s eyes, they’re practically clones, with their pristine dark tailored suits, their heads buried in their phones, and their haircuts and mustaches sharing an identical style. Anyone claiming eldians and marleyans are abysmally different should take a look into this room.

Levi leans back onto a wall, at the furthest and most secluded side of the hall—not for tiredness or his health. He’s entirely capable of standing upright, but his energy isn’t currently present. Erwin wanted to show him off as the savior of the world to the WCO visitors, but he solely agreed to attend expecting to meet someone. The faint hope that Hange would come—as she’s the main voice behind these negotiations—is slowly fading. No one but those strutting peacocks is around, talking as if it was a gift, being allowed to hear them out.

“It’s starting,” Erwin tells him.

And Levi wants nothing but to return to his place and sleep for an entire day.

Erwin sits around a massive square table, and Levi follows suit. Lines are clear enough; at one side, with their backs to the clouded light of the picture window covering most of the wall, eldians glare at the marleyans, who return the look with equal force from their front. Then you have the WCO people, looking uncomfortable in the hostile environment.

Not Levi. He’s arms-crossed in the middle of it all, his sight on his cup of tea. He couldn’t care less about the mute aggressions. After nodding to Mike—who just arrived with the WCO guys—he begins mentally recounting every pending task for his upcoming cleaning session. Buy more cleaning supplies, look for a product that removes soot…

“Let’s begin,” the marleyan Queen’s ambassador states; he’s a man with sunken eyes, glasses, and gray hair. “We found your response lacking…”

Levi’s mind disconnects and wanders to other topics. Soon, he must have a conversation with Erwin about his missions, although he doesn’t know what to tell him yet, or if he’ll be capable of doing so. Only that sitting on the side of the people who ordered the death of millions—including his mother—makes him nauseous. And following their decisions once again, more so.

The doors slam open. Everyone’s heads raise at the noise, including Levi’s.

“Ahh… You already started. Sorry for the delay! Something about me having been deported before.”

Hange strides in with a stack of papers under her armpit. And she is… the same. Levi drinks her in, from her messy ponytail to the beads of sweat on her forehead. Her round thin-framed glasses, the green military suit she’s wearing, the apparent clumsiness of her movements while taking a seat in front of him.

Right. In front. Of him.

His spine straightens up and he clutches his cup, forcing his breaths to ease his heartbeats. It’s like he was previously starved, and now he’s full—a sensation that makes him a little self-conscious, to say the least.

Careless of the silence of the room, Hange arranges her papers in front of her. Tilts her gaze up to meet his unwavering one. And she smiles—and what a smile it is. It spreads from her mouth to her eyes and skin and posture. If he held any doubts about how she was going to react to seeing him again, they suddenly evaporate. His breath frees itself from his chest, deflating him but leaving him feeling giddy and light. Without his permission, his mouth mirrors her smile.

“Ahem,” the Queen’s ambassador utters. “May we proceed?”

Hange blinks and shakes her head. “Of course! Zackly, where were you?”

So they continue, coming back to discuss the future of their countries. And once again, Levi doesn’t listen to a single word until the room increases its pitch and he has no other option but to pay attention.

From the head of the table, Pixis steeples his hands at his fore. “It’s outrageous! How do you expect us to agree?”

“How is giving back our spacial station outrageous? It was ours in the first place,” Hange retorts with fire in her eyes. She thereafter goes ahead talking about the most convenient approaches for both nations, making herself heard and shutting down the others’ arguments. Levi doesn’t think he’s ever met someone so expressive and clever, yet good-natured at the same time. It might be an effect of the yellowish light from the lamps scattered across the table, but while speaking her mind, she appears to be glowing.

The meeting extends for another two hours. Two hours of Levi getting butt numb and filling himself with the view of someone he never anticipated to miss scarcely months ago.

“We are taking a break,” an old man next to Pixis says. “Ten minutes.”

Everyone raises to their feet and approaches the door. Upon crossing the threshold with Pixis and his retinue, Erwin shoots him a sideways glare. Mikes gives him a thumbs-up before going out with his coworkers, and shortly, the room is empty. Except for them.

Levi stands up and loosens his uncomfortable tie while Hange gathers her papers together, looking flustered.

“I didn’t expect to see your shitty glasses here,” Levi says, chewing the lie. “How… How have you been?” Why haven’t you called me back?

“Just… busy.” She rocks on her heels and moves to the picture window, which shows the suddenly dazzling and almost blinding sunlight. “Like you, I suppose. How are your wounds? I was afraid they were lying to me and you weren’t fine at all. But you are. Haha.” She hugs the stack of papers against her chest. Folds and unfolds the tip of the last sheet with her fingers.

“You asked about me?”

“Well, yes,” she says as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I’ve called you,” he discloses, trying really hard not to make it sound like an accusation, and totally failing. He wipes his damp palms on his pants to avoid the impact of his words up front. “They said you were out of reach.” He shoves his hands into his pants pockets. “And then I talked with Mike, who said you weren’t answering him either. I thought…” You weren’t talking only to me. “… we wouldn’t meet again.” An oddly depressing idea.

“I thought I should give you some time.” She switches her weight from one foot to the other. “You got hurt because of me, and… Shadis is alright, by the way. Recovering just fine.”

“That’s good to hear.”

“It is.” Hange nods many times. “Actually, I came here to talk to you.” She sighs. “I didn’t know you were going to come here, though, so I’m unprepared. I hoped they’d let me out enough time to go looking for your place after the meeting.” She lowers her head. “I was being over-optimistic. I ain’t allowed out of this building and must go straight to my hotel and then to the airport tomorrow. You’d think teaming with them in the past would soften them, but…”

He nods, knowing his people all too well. She sneaked from their view once, after all. War or peace, they won’t take any more risks that pertain to her.

“That I got hurt wasn’t your fault…” He begins, but his eyes widen after replaying her words. “How did you know I live here?”

“Oh, isn’t it obvious? Err—maybe not. You live on the south coast and must be in constant communication with Erwin, who lives here… in this city on the south coast… which is also the center of many government buildings…” She jerks a shoulder. “Quite easy.”

“If you put it like that…”

Hange encounters his eyes. “I wanted to tell you— I know things have been weird and that we still have a long way to go as countries. Our nations continue to be in not-the-best-of-terms, but… I was wondering if you’d want to… I don’t know. Meet me in the middle and get to know me better? Nothing big, just go out with me like, someday?”

Levi’s muted, any possible reply stuck in his paralyzed throat.

Her face falls. “You don’t want to.” She plasters a smile over her face, yet her eyes glint with disappointment. “Of course, I understand. It’s fine. Even if the conflict ends, it’s not like eldians will suddenly want to trade hugs with a vicious marleyan, right? So I’ll just… go.” She tosses her thumb over her shoulder. Her smile grows bitter. “… See you later.”

No… I can’t let her go again. His body reacts before his brain, and he reaches out for her hand, taking hold of it at the last second. She turns back at him, expectant.

“Four-eyes, I—”

“It’s time,” a man announces, clapping from the doorway.

The meeting attendees pour back into the room, bringing the noise from their conversations with them. Hange bites her lower lip and lets go of his hand before coming back to the table. His heart shrinks while looking at her shape drifting away. He retakes his previous seat; at his front, Hange keeps rolling a piece of paper between her fingers, purposefully avoiding his gaze.

It’s not like he doesn’t want to. It’s only… terrifying. He never allowed himself to truly consider the possibility, and now… Can he?

Not if he stays working as an eldian agent.

If they never sign a treaty, he might be sent to attack and sabotage her people again. Even if they do agree on peace, nothing guarantees they won’t keep trying to have the upper hand in other aspects—that’s how the ones possessing this kind of power work, using people like him as insignificant pawns in their schemes. To this day, they’ve guarded the safety of his people, and that’s why he worked for them—or he thought they did. Recalling his mother’s death, it’s evident they haven’t done that, not when it didn’t align with their interests. But giving his back to what his mother stood for... It’s not easy.

His entire life, he’s been doing what his duty demands, other people always knowing best what that entailed. He doesn’t want to do that anymore, to perform what his duty as a soldier or as an agent demands because of the greater good. To waste yet another day stuck in this never-ending loop of duty and hate and death. He craves to choose himself, if only once.

Levi succeeds at catching Hange’s hazel eyes and holds them. He’s seen some of her worst moments and she’s seen his. And still, despite every flaw he’s able to point out, he only finds her breathtaking. When did she even start crawling underneath his skin? He gives her a faint smile, and hesitantly, she returns it, the way she invariably does.

In essence, she’s the same Hange Zoe she’s always been, and he refuses to think of a future without her ever again. Not for another meaningless war, nor for a duty for which he already devoted his whole life once.

The meeting ends with the accord of maintaining an indefinite calm and keep trying to come to a treaty. The results don’t improve a lot, but it’s nevertheless a step forward. With both parts open to it, Levi hopes it’s bound to happen.

Erwin moves in the direction of the press conference about to start, in which they’ll inform the world of the results of the meeting.

“Erwin,” Levi shouts, his voice steady regardless of his racing heart palpitations. He straightens his tie. When he has Erwin’s attention, he informs him, “I… I’m retiring.”

Erwin snaps his head to him. “Excuse me?”

“Even if the war continues, I won’t be here for it. I want to be out.”

“You can’t—”

“Why not?

The sole thought of resuming his missions has his insides quivering in anxiety. Reluctance overwhelms him, and he clenches the hems of his suit to hold himself into place. He will no longer be part of this war. He won’t fight Hange. He refuses to be her enemy or a weapon used against innocent people ever again.

“The war isn’t over and I thought you wanted to end it. Eldia needs you.”

“I’ve done enough for Eldia and nothing for myself… I think it’s time I do it.”

And I can’t do this any longer. I won’t survive. He deserves a life devoid of death and fights and blood. Even if he doesn’t, he’ll work for it. The rest of his life is spreading out in front of him, and he wants to enjoy the ride without ignoring his feelings and desires for a change.

Erwin looks around, the weak sound of flashes and yells filtering in from outside. “We better talk about this later.” He resumes his way with Levi on his heels. He won’t leave this building until being officially discharged.

They go out through a door that leads to an esplanade with reporters all around. The sun is dipping below the horizon, tinting the clouds to an almost pinkish hue. Levi stays to a side, careful of keeping his distance from the crowd, as he hates this sort of conglomeration. Upfront, Zackly says a few words to the microphone before the hundreds of flashes, followed by Pixis.

Time ago, Pixis’ speeches used to shake him to his core. He seemed so tall, so almighty, so wise... Now his figure is barely different from everyone else’s. Pixis’ political words no longer retain his attention; it’s instead stolen by something far more important at the back of the crowd. Hange. Her leg is kicking the floor in what looks like boredom.

Erwin steps towards the microphone and shares information about the meeting and more tiresome stuff like that. Levi’s ear perks up when he detects his name.

“... the famous agent Ackerman who is with me,” Erwin declares. Even when he doesn’t point at Levi, the aforementioned freezes in horror. What is he doing? Doesn’t he know how dangerous it is to bring out his name in something that will reach millions of screens? “He alone prevented the final strike of the terrorists who attacked the world a few months ago. He recently recovered from his multiple wounds, but as an exemplary eldian, he’s already on his feet and back with us.” Murmurs of approval rise like a wave through the audience. “This is an example of what we eldians can accomplish on our own...”

Levi’s mind spirals. Did he just hear what he thinks he just heard? He grinds his teeth. No, he can’t let his people believe more lies than they already do. Being in the background as he is, he still maintains his anonymity, but… he’s retiring, isn’t he? What’s the point of living in the shadows in the future?

Stumping, Levi steps forward, giving up his precious anonymity. He seizes the microphone and clears his throat. Erwin sends him a glare, but on camera, he allows him space and doesn’t ask what the hell he’s doing. Good thing, as Levi himself doesn’t know.

The face of his mother—pale and delicate, her long dark hair falling on her shoulders—comes to his mind as he looks at the confused faces in the audience, journalists and eldians and androids waiting for him to speak. Many times, his mother was part of that audience, and all she wanted was the best for them. She genuinely believed that would be achieved with Levi as an agent, but she was mistaken. She was only human, thus he can’t blame her for that. But finally, he understands that in the end, his mother would have agreed with what he’s about to do. She’d support it, even.

For the first time since that explosion took her from him, he feels completely clear-headed and airy. Levi steels himself and tightens his grip on the mic.

“Uhh... Hello.” The microphone makes a long, deafening beep that shakes everyone. “Sorry. Err, Erwin’s right. I am Ackerman and I helped the WCO end the global threat, but do you know who else did it?” Levi gestures behind him. “Her name is Hange Zoe, and believe it or not, she’s from Marley.” With one hand, he motions for her to come closer. Her facial muscles turn into stone, and after a second, she purses her lips and moves toward him.

Hange stops by his side and slides her glasses higher up on her nose. “Good afternoon, Eldia.” She seems to be speechless for a moment. Her hand reaches out to the air beside her, and Levi laces his fingers into hers, their hands joined together before every camera. He doesn’t let his mind delve into that. She takes a deep breath in and squares her shoulders.

“It’s a pleasure to be here with you,” Hange utters. “What Agent Ackerman said is true... We did it together. As you know, relations between Marley and Eldia have never been easy. Truth be told, for many centuries Marley has been the one to blame, but just as you aren’t the eldians of the past, we aren’t those people who wanted to take over the world at any cost…”

Hange continues speaking, injecting so much vigor into her voice that Levi can’t tear his eyes away from her. He wonders if, like him, everyone else can see how bright the light she holds inside is. She talks about dreams, but also, about ways to grasp them, and Levi’s mind enlarges in inspiration with her words. Maybe he doesn’t have to remain an agent to stop this. Maybe he can help to attain peace in other ways. Contributing in such a way may only represent a minuscule gram in the overall picture, but not because something is small it’s less valuable. Without the little, the big would never come to exist.

Among the desolate and dusky streets of his life, the days he spent working with Hange have been a pole light—which now convert into an entire sun pointing him in the right direction. As if, when he found her, he’d also found himself.

Hange walks away from the microphone, looking as if she wanted nothing more than to melt into the floor. Together, both recede to a corner, from where Levi eyes Erwin. He can see the angered lines on his forehead and the fury in those frozen-blue eyes with sheer clarity, and expects him to snap the second this ends.

“Why did you do that?” Hange mutters next to him. “You’ll get punished.”

“I’ll resign anyway.”

Hange opens her mouth and closes it. Opens it again. “You… What?!”

“Why is that so surprising?”

“You’re the one who would’ve volunteered to kiss Pixis’ shoes if requested.”

Levi clicks his tongue. He wouldn’t have gone that far… Likely.

Suddenly, a push shoves him to a recluse corner in the back of the esplanade. He finds himself leaning against a wall with a furious Erwin and his gritted teeth hovering over him. His heart thuds in his chest, apprehension and anger mixing with his blood.

“What the fuck?” Levi barks.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Erwin yells. That leaves Levi stunned. Erwin doesn’t curse. Never. “Do you know what Pixis just ordered me? To fire you! All because of your stupidity! If you wanted to quit, fine. But with this you wiped out any chance of getting referrals for yourself. It will be as if you had never done anything in your life!”

Beneath the fury, Levi detects traces of concern in him. A deep furrow tangles on Levi’s forehead. “So?”

Come to think of it, Levi likes the idea. A clean slate where he can start from scratch. It may be more challenging, but... it’s liberating to get rid of a past he isn’t proud of.

“How can you be so calm? Do you ever think about what your mother would have wanted? She was constantly worried about you, and with this sh—”

“She would’ve wanted the best for me.” In the end, she would have. He’s certain.

“Exactly. And this isn’t it. You’re ruining your life. What are you going to do now? You’ve never done anything but follow orders, and you just spoke in front of international cameras about who you are. Don’t you know you have enemies everywhere? They won’t let you live in peace. More importantly, will you be able to live in peace with yourself knowing how selfishly you’re behaving?”

Levi’s shoulders sag lower and lower with each strike of Erwin’s truths. He’s right... Though it’s hard for Levi to admit it. If he dares to live another life, wouldn’t he be dragging those around him into those difficulties?

Fear clogs his throat painfully.

“You really like talking nonsense,” a voice disrupts the grim future looming before Levi’s eyes. He turns to Mike, who is sauntering toward them with his hands in his pants pockets. “The world isn’t so small that a short person like him can’t drop off the radar if he wants it. And even if he’s recognized... there won’t be any major problems.”

“Oh, really?” Erwin arches an unbelieving bushy brow at Mike.

“That’s right. Because next to him there will be people willing to stand for him. Friends. True friends. Not friends”—Mike makes air quotes when saying the last bit—“who claim to be worried just to manipulate him into feeling however they wish."

Erwin says nothing, and keeps saying nothing when Mike pats Levi on the back and encourages him to follow him. After a heartbeat of hesitation, Levi clenches his fists and walks off, leaving a still silent Erwin behind.

They halt a step from rejoining the crowd. “You all right?”

Levi shrugs. He has no idea. His throat hasn’t yet recovered from the negative emotions he just developed. He does his best to swallow them. He hasn’t yet succeeded by the time Hange materializes from a side and gives him a little push with her arm.

“Hey. Where were you? I suddenly turned around and you were gone.” Her tone is light, but Levi can tell some tension brews underneath. ‘Is everything alright?’ is her actual question.

And it suddenly is. Levi inflates his lungs with the cool afternoon air and drives any hint of worry out of his body. He’s feeling much better altogether. Mike’s hand patting his back also provides some warmth. Friend. Can Levi really consider him as such?

“He ate something funny,” Mike explains, smirking. “I was only being a good person by aiding him in such a precarious state.”

Levi wags his finger. “Mike drank too much in the meeting. I was the one trying to protect the valuable eldian corners from Mike’s pee.”

Hange doesn’t seem to buy their excuse, but limits to shake her head with a smile.

Erwin reappears and frowns at the sight of the trio. He strides in their direction, and almost protectively, Hange takes a step toward Levi. Levi’s abruptly aware of the barrier she and Mike form around him, the circle he seems to be part of. He can’t stop the corner of his mouth from curling, sweet heat radiating from his chest. Erwin ignores them, but Levi doesn’t care at this moment. Maybe later he will.

It doesn’t take long for the multitude to disperse along with the other ministers. Even Mike waves them goodbye before rushing off to the rest of the WCO visitors. Levi and Hange should head off, too, but he finds his limbs reluctant to move away. So, for once, he doesn’t fight them and lets himself be.

He glances at the sky and an idea pops up in his head. It’s against the rules, but… “I want to show you something.”

Her eyes acquire a curious glow, and right then and there, Levi knows he made the correct choice.

Weary of whoever could remain around, he motions for her to follow him and leads her through a network of corridors to the rear of the building. They come to a room with nothing but office supplies, in which Levi takes out his identification card. He slides it through the electronic lock until a green light turns on.

The door opens onto a narrow street full of garbage cans. He looks back at the camera resting in a corner. “We better hurry up. They must have noticed us by now.”

They jog down the street and pass several blocks, the cool wind blessing Levi’s hot skin.

“I feel like a criminal,” Hange gasps when she comes to a halt after him. “Isn’t it weird I’ve never felt like this before, not even when I knocked you down and ran away?”

“You won’t go to jail for violating the limits of your permission by some blocks,” he assures. I hope so, at least. “And we’re here.”

They round a corner.

Hange’s mouth falls open, her gaze lost in awe at the huge old trees, whose leafy branches hang down to them. Levi unlocks a rusty metal gate with a squeak, and a road stretches out before them, boarded by grass and trees four times his size. Hange’s eyes are round as they move forward, mesmerized by the greenness of the entire landscape, sometimes adorned with pink or yellow dots—flowers that are mere buds waiting to bloom.

They arrive at a circular area with stone benches and a working fountain in the center. Fortunately, at this hour the place is devoid of people—which Levi already knew would be.

“Before becoming an agent and moving to this zone, my mother used to take me here whenever we visited the city. We used to feed the pigeons,” he says, looking at the birds pecking the ground around them.

“This is… beautiful,” she exhales, rolling on her heels to look at everything. “I never knew this existed. But again”—she smiles— “I never expected Eldia to hold so many surprises inside.”

Hange explores around for the minutes to follow, until she’s too tired and flumps next to him on a bench. It has some flowers carved on the back, and it’s clean and fresh and somewhat comfortable. Levi’s muscles relax and his mind flutters away, lulled by her presence at his side, the sound of birds singing, and the light wind caressing his skin. The sky is of a glittering dark purple, the lamps overhead illuminating the rows of trees lined around.

“I’m Levi,” he blurts out.

“Uh?”

“I mean, my real name is Levi. Magically, you got it right at first chance.”

She lets out a laugh and reclines to look up. “You know? It’s going to sound crazy—Nana told me so when I told her, but…” She looks at him out of the corner of her eye, as if deciding if she should tell him. Quite pointlessly, as Levi can’t recall a time when Hange Zoe was able to withhold something from him for long.

Seeming overcome by the words piling up in her mouth, she lets out a loud sigh. “When I was a child, after I lost my family, I used to feel so lonely and sad every day. And I… I started having these bizarre dreams of people I didn’t know.” Levi narrows his eyes at her. “In the back of my mind, I knew terrible things were happening to the people in those dreams, but waking up I only remembered the feelings of belonging and support. How at home and safe I felt. And most of the time, it was always with the same person, a grumpy man with little to no expressions, but a gentle heart. He instantly became my first crush,” she laughs.

Levi squirms. Could it be—? His phone rings and he takes it out to turn it off. Erwin is looking for them.

Unbothered by the interruption, Hange remains abstracted in memories. “In those years, he and Mr. Sonny helped me to get back to the road. I always thought it was something my imagination created to help me to cope… but then, he was there!” Humor and light radiate from her, making her smile gleam. “Imagine my surprise when I looked at the man who was about to shoot me dead and saw the very same face from my dreams. Just there, the person I wished to meet the most, with a gun to my face! My shitty luck, of course. I didn’t know what to do, but I… I just couldn’t kill you.”

“You were an idiot for not doing it.” If his body hadn’t reacted like that, if she hadn’t been fast enough, if the explosion hadn’t come… He can’t even picture harming her, now. “But thank you.”

“Aren’t you weirded out by what I’m saying?” She asks, tilting her head to a side. He jerks a shoulder, unsure of what to share, as he knows everything about it. It all feels too massive to summarize in some sentences. Perhaps in the future and with more time, he’ll tell her everything. “Well,” she keeps going, “then I got to work with you and, strangely, after a while I started feeling the same way I did in my dreams… at home.” Red spots color her cheekbones. “Ahem. Is that silly?”

No. I felt the same.

“Yes,” he replies. “But… I get it.”

“The entire time I was trying to discover if inside that nonchalant façade was the man I saw in my dreams.”

Levi crosses and uncrosses his legs. “… And?”

“And he was. And some.” She darts her gaze away from him. He feels himself glow from the inside out. Speaking as if she was in a race, and almost as an afterthought, she adds, “Now is the moment I ask if you thought about going out someday…”

His neck hardens, a hot layer covering his face. “Y—You said you don’t like dating.” He recalls her words in order to calm down the flapping in his stomach. “You said you were too busy.”

“Work should decrease in the future. We’ve progressed towards peace more than ever, which is a beginning...”

“Right.”

She doesn’t mention the lack of answers on his part. “What will you do when peace arrives, now that you’ll be unemployed?”

“Nothing.” He won’t, finally, have a responsibility to live for, which is frightening and exciting in equal amounts. “I’ll try not to fix the world’s wrongs anymore.” Not that much, at least.

Hange ponders his words. “That’s okay. And afterward?”

“I don’t know.” He hasn’t given it too much thought. He craves to do thousands of things, but at the same time, only a small number matters for real. “I want a tea shop and to help people, though I still have to figure out how...”

“Interesting. Well, mmm… I want a lab, in that case. I want to reborn more of these precious.” She waves a hand at the plants circling them. Above them, night has made its way to the sky. “Oh! And I want to own a library!”

“Okay. We can have one next to the tea shop. It would be a nice touch.”

“Yay!” She claps. “And we must have a door connecting both places!”

“Sure.” His gaze locks on hers, suspending her into place. “If you want it, we will. We’ve done enough to deserve it.”

He looks at her swallowing.

“You’re right.”

Right now, a more uninhibited person would lean in for a kiss, which Levi is anything but. Nevertheless… For the first time, he’s acting completely out of character, taking a path he never before dared to. Maybe he can do something else he desires. Can be spontaneous, if only for a minute?

Levi lifts his hand and, with one finger, traces the edges of Hange’s face, hitching her breath. His heart pounds hard against his ears, warmth spreading throughout him. Her eyes fixate on his mouth, and a shiver travels through his back. Her hot skin against his fingertips feels soft and pleasant.

He cups her face, covering her cheek, and she closes her eyes as he leans in. His lips brush hers as weightless as the moonlight above them, thousands of sensations releasing in overload. Her scent floods his nostrils, earthy and inherently hers. The press of their lips is firm and curious, a perfect burst of heat among the chilly night air. A rush of pleasure runs along his body and envelops him whole in warmth and bliss.

It’s intoxicating and addictive. He can’t figure out what to do with his hands, so he brings her closer and tangles one in her hair, deepening the kiss. Savors her, drunk in satisfaction, in her taste and the sensation of her chest pressing against his, the ardor in this.

They part between gasps, and Hange snuggles to his side, exuding warmth to his coldness. Her head rests on his shoulder and he takes a deep breath, drowsiness engulfing him, his heart calm and steady. At ease.

He tips his head up to the stars shining against the darkness, the ones never ceasing to beam no matter how their surroundings lack any light.

“Those stars there look like an arch…” Hange points up.

His eyes flutter shut. It’s unsettling, yet amazing, to do this with her beside him. He spent so many nights staring at the sky, wanting to see it with her again, longing for a place where they could meet in another life. And here they are. Finally.

Eventually, they’ll have to venture back to reality. He’ll have to mind what to do next and how to be around her without endangering anyone. But for tonight, he’ll delay it all as much as he can.  

A chopping sound deafens them just as a helicopter flies over their heads.

“I think they found us,” she spouts, her hair ruffling with the air. Even with her disheveled hair, she looks stunning, her rosy cheeks visible under the helicopter’s lights. He doesn’t want to leave; rather, to stay under the night with her by his side a little longer… Thinking about it, it sounds like an excellent idea.

He jumps to his feet and offers her a hand. “I know where to hide for a little while.”

A laugh catches in her throat. “Ohhh, and adventure? With a chase? I’m in!” She clasps his hand and he hauls her up, making her crash against his chest.

“Let’s go.”

Squeezing her hand, he runs off, pulling her with him. His heart swells with happiness, the most he recalls ever feeling. For once, the idea of going to his apartment doesn’t shoot dullness to his core, but excitement. She laughs behind him, and it’s so contagious that he does, too. He never thought that running away together would be so much fun, but with her, perhaps any circumstance would end up qualifying as pleasant.

Having always moved according to what was demanded of him and what he could give to the world, acting for his own sake feels new and liberating—a feeling he never met before. It’s almost as if wings could appear from his back and propel him up to the sky at any second, and it would be only natural. Here and now, Levi commits to making this feeling routine.

He desires happiness, peace, and fulfillment. Wants to do a monotonous job and come back home with complaints about the people he met that day, only to find himself drained in the joy of Hange’s arms. Or maybe just stay in their home and clean until she’s back from working on her research. Either way, he’ll do his best to make it happen—to keep her smile and the color in her cheeks from never fading. To live together with her, in a cabin in the woods or in the midst of a metropolis or on another planet. No matter where, he longs for that kind of future with her. And this time and from now on, he’ll live it every day.

Stepping away from the kind of responsibility people like them bear might be selfish and not the noble thing to do. But they have done that already.

Out of the prison of the duty that used to keep them apart, now they have their entire lives ahead and the freedom to live them as they please.

They get to fully enjoy their second chance, beginning today.

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[pbandjesse]

My chest is still very tight and I have pains under my ribs but I did feel better today. Just kind of over tired. I had a lot of trouble just connecting and having conversations where it normally would have been fine. Like I still had the conversations, but it felt like it took a lot more effort and that I was being weird. I just needed some rest.

It was a nice day though. The air felt normal. The weather was absolutely beautiful. I was looking forward to sitting outside and selling some stuff but mostly just working on my knitting project.

James got us together. I was not my best self but my eyeliner was good and my hair was nice. It would be very windy at the market but it didn't bother me. I had a flannel and would be comfy.

James helped me unload when we got there. I was for sure moving slow but I still only took like 10 minutes to be fully set up. Rosia was the educator inside today and she came out and was my first sale!! She bought my one very very large frog and just absolutely made my day. Thank you Rosia.

And I would have a pretty good sale day. I made $99. My two little friends that come with their change were back and used multiple dollars to try and win stickers. They ended up winning 4 before I had to tell them no more. Going to cost me money because of the printing cost of the stickers. The boys at 5 and 7 and I think they understood in the end.

They are so sweet though. I would give the 5 year old, Santiago, a coloring sheet, and his brother the 7 year old, Sebastian, and him would also try my loom which was super precious. The mom kept asking if they were okay, if they were bothering me, but honestly they are so soft spoken and sweet I didn't mind at all. They gave me a 500 pesos coin from Columbia! Neat!

And I did have other very good conversations. Merril came with her friend and they bought a few things. I also got a big hug which was so sweet. James got us both pies from Ginny. James got key lime and I got banana pudding. I would also buy sour cherries and strawberries to use to make a cheesecake dip tomorrow for the end of the year party tomorrow. I did not eat a million of the strawberries. I would wait until I got home and only had a few.

Stanley came out and hung out with me for a bit. Helen gave me a flower when she saw I was foraging the broken leaves and pedals on the ground to make pressed flowers. Super nice of her. Her and Anne laughed at me when I went to get a paperback book from my car and the pages barely close but I think it works really well. Forms down better then a hardcover. Though I would like to get an actual large flower press someday. I have a palm sized one but I just find it a bit to small for most things I find.

The end of the market really couldn't come fast enough. My ribs still feel swollen and I feel very top-heavy. And I was really looking forward to going home.

Meril told me to come say goodbye to her inside the museum while I was saying bye to James. I didn't have my wagon so it took a few trips to get everything packed away. And then I went inside and took over the desk so James could get us 711 pizza.

I chatted with a few people. Got a few visitors in. Joked with the dog treat vender from the market when she came in and was flabbergasted to see me at the desk. And then I went home.

When I got back to our neighborhood I remembered there was a block party so I had to take sort of a silly way to get back to our street. But it was fine. I got my two big bags inside. My totebag with all my purchases and moneybox, and Jamess laptop bag. And I was very very winded which sucked a lot.

But it was fine. I got things put away. I was getting ready to go take a shower and I remembered I wanted to clean the air conditioner filter and I'm glad I did because it was absolutely caked. From dirt but also the smoke I'm sure. It could not have been helping my chest. So I vacuumed and wiped that down and it's much better now.

I got my shower and then had a few bites of the banana pudding before I went and laid down. I would be out like a rock for almost 2 hours.

When I woke up I felt a little disoriented. James was at a baseball game for a few more hours. Apparently making friends with a baby. And I got up and made a sandwich and decorated another house in animal crossing. It was fun.

I would get back in bed after that. And just watched tiktoks until James got home. Their team won so that's nice. And they would have a little dinner and take a shower and join me in bed to watch more tiktoks.

And that's where we still are. I am getting bleary eyes and breathing deeply isn't comfortable but I know I will fall asleep soon.

Tomorrow I hope to go to the grocery store first thing and then make my things for the party. I don't know who else is going but I am looking forward to it still.

Sleep well everyone. I hope you are feeling good!

[merrybrides]

10 Tips For Wedding Hair in Humid Weather

Worried about humidity ruining your hair for the wedding? 😳

We get it.

Humidity makes hair poof & encourages frizz… we get it.

Hair loses its volume and refuses to stay in place without extra help… we get it.

Don’t worry…

You can’t control the weather, but here 10 tips for wedding hair in humid weather.

Ready to get started?

Prepare Before Your Big Day

1. Shampoo & Conditioner

Preparation is key for keeping your hair in place when it’s humid outside.

Take care of your locks as a part of your normal hair care routine, not just in the weeks leading up to your wedding.

This means finding the right shampoo & conditioner for your hair.

Pay attention to:

Your hair texture

Level of dryness

The health of your hair

With this info, you will find a shampoo & conditioner that suits your hair type.

This is great for your hair’s overall health because it helps your hairstyle battle humidity on the big day.

2. Wash the Night Before

I’m sure you’ve heard the age-old argument of styling your hair dirty VS clean.

People believe that dirty hair is best for a better hold.

Or is that just me?

Either way, it’s better that you wash your hair the night before instead of the morning of.

Hairdressers likely prefer to work with clean hair when styling your hair.

Dirt & buildup can weigh your hair down.

You’ll enjoy having clean hair and feel more comfortable in the heat & humidity.

If you’re not sure about it, discuss this with your hairdresser.

They’ll tell you how to prepare your hair for the best hold & look.

3. Moisturize, Moisturize, Moisturize

Moisturizing is not just for your face!

Aside from conditioning, make sure to keep an eye on your hair’s moisture.

A moisturizer, like a hair mask, is different from a conditioner & a deeper form of conditioning.

Both work to maintain your hair’s moisture and water retention.

The healthier your hair is, the more it will retain its moisture on a healthy level.

It will look better too!

4. Say NO to Hairdryers

This is especially important when you wash your hair the night or day before.

It’s better to let your hair air dry.

Using a hairdryer with heat damages your hair and its texture.

Your hairdresser will know how to deal with your hair texture in its natural state.

So, don’t worry about using a hairdryer to tame your mane.

Heat styling isn’t the best option for hair.

It’s better to avoid it when leading up to your wedding.

On your wedding day, give yourself enough time for your hair to dry.

Be sure it’s completely dry before heading into the humidity.

We want your hair in tip-top shape – not something you are constantly worrying about!

5. Embrace Texture

When you choose your wedding hairstyle, consider your natural texture.

Pick a style similar to your hair’s texture to avoid changing it with heat styling.

The less you fight against your hair, the more it reduces frizz & the risk of it falling flat.

Wear naturally curly and/or wavy hair in its natural state or with more defined curls.

For straight hair, wear your hair naturally with accessories.

Embrace your natural texture to give your hair a fighting chance against humidity.

If you want other options, then the next tips are for you!

6. Low Ponytail

Another option for a style that holds up well in humid weather is a low ponytail.

Your hair is completely out of the way, and it’s securely in place.

So don’t worry about your hair moving everywhere and the friction causing frizz.

A low ponytail is also an alternative way to wear your hair in its natural state & avoid heat styling…

Which is always a plus!

Add braids, accessories, flowers to jazz up the classic ponytail look.

7. Up-Do

An up-do is a great way to go.

Your hair is securely in place and styled in a way that keeps its shape, rather than hoping for the best.

Because of how you style an up-do with pins & extra accessories, your hair is less likely to fall flat.

Your hair doesn’t have to be slicked up.

You can wear it loosely, like a swept-up look.

Choose from a sleek bun or tousled curl up-do.

8. Half Up Half Down

Next, we have the half up half down style.

Wearing only half of your hair up is the best of both worlds.

You can still wear your hair down in any texture you want, but also achieve a decent hold by styling half the hair up.

When half of your hair held up, there is less free hair to get unruly with wind & humidity.

It’s also a great way to show off accessories, if you ask me!

The Wedding Day

9. Oils, Balms, and Serums

It’s likely that your hairdresser will use oils, balms, or serums to style your hair.

This helps to manage any flyaways, frizz, and can also be a heat protector.

Balms help add texture to the hair & are useful to keep your hair in shape.

To minimize damage to your hair, you need a heat protector for any kind of heat styling.

Serums are thicker than oil and are usually used after oils & heat styling.

The serums seal your hair and are often anti-frizz products.

10. Light Hairspray

Finally, your hairstylist is done!

After prepping, protecting, and styling, the final touch should be light hairspray.

Avoid touching your hair as much as possible after the last touch.

Don’t use hairspray so strong that it leaves your hair crunchy.

Make sure it’s just strong enough that your hair is held in place.

A light spray helps block out dreaded humidity.

Final Tips

There is no 1 size fits all solution, but you can take steps beforehand to have style-ready healthy hair.

How you take care of your hair in daily life, what products you use, and how you style your hair contributes to fighting the humidity.

Consult with your hairdresser for recommendations.

#wedding hair #hair care #hair #summer wedding hair #summer wedding #summer hair #hair and humidity #wedding hair and humidity

[centralacwarehouse]

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[micvargova]

The Top 5 List of the Best Window Air conditioners Using Less Voltage

Although it is important to choose the right type of window air conditioner for your home, finding the one that uses less voltage can be difficult. In this article, we will take a look at some of the best window air conditioners that use less voltage, and provide an overview of each model. https://bestappliancesreviews.com/best-window-air-conditioners-that-use-less-voltage/

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[beaconsaves]

Business Name: Beacon Services & Appliances

Street Address: 6680 N Lecanto Hwy

City: Beverly Hills

State: Florida

Zip Code: 34465

Country: United States

Business Phone Number: [phone]

Business Email Address: [email protected]

Website: https://www.beaconsaves.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeaconAirAndHeatInc/

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Twitter: https://twitter.com/BeaconServices_

Description: Beacon Services & Appliances | Beacon Air & Heat, Inc. is located in Citrus County, Florida. Beacon is a full service air conditioning company providing installations, maintenance, and repair of all brands of air conditioners. Beacon offers high quality air conditioning systems installed by highly skilled, professional technicians. Beacon is known for employing really nice people who strive to provide exceptional products and exemplary service. Beacon is a Speed Queen, Frigidaire, Maytag, KitchenAid, Whirlpool, GE appliance dealer, and a warranty repair service center. Beacon provides in house appliance repair on all brands of major appliances. Beacon's air conditioning repair and appliance repair service area includes Beverly Hills, Inverness, Hernando, Lecanto, Crystal River, Homosassa, Floral City, Citrus Springs, Dunnellon, Inglis, YankeeTown, Marion Oaks, Oak Run, On Top of the World, Sun Valley. Visit our website: www.BeaconSaves.com

Google My Business CID URL: https://www.google.com/maps?cid=14366468198829771071

Business Hours: Sunday Closed Monday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Tuesday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Wednesday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Thursday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Saturday By Appointment

Services: Air Conditioner Repair, Air Conditioner Installation, Air Conditioner Service, Air Conditioner Maintenance

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Payment Methods: Cash, Check, Debit Card, Credit Card, Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, PayPal, Wells Fargo Financing, 0% Financing WAC

Business/Company Establishment Year: 2004

Business Slogan: Shining a Light of Comfort

Number of Employees: 12

Yearly Revenue: 1,500,000 - 2,000,000 USD

Owner Name, Email, and Contact Number: Dan Dickinson, [email protected], 352-726-7530

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#Youtube