#I have something I want to do it all but it involves trying to figure out my undertale self insert and you know what that means | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

melishade · 1 day

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Attack on Prime: What if the TFP War continued on the world of Attack on Titan? AKA The War Timeline

Main Story

Peaceful Timeline Pilot

Beloved Timeline Pilot

TFP Optimus in Episode 1 Pilot

Summary: A spacebridge accident happened on Earth, launching both Autobots and Decepticons to the world of Attack on Titan. And while the Autobots are willing to do everything in their power to protect humanity, the Decepticons will stop at nothing to destroy and conquer whatever is let. The war rages on, and if one wants to live, they must fight.

So the fourth pilot fully written out as asked in this previous poll. This is based upon the War Timeline as posted in my masterlist if you want more information! Please read this and give a comment while also looking at the other pilots and my main fanfic story!

Roll it!

Optimus groaned in pain, his helm feeling like it was spinning. His body ached as he moved his servo to rest it on his forehelm. His optics slowly opened, and he winced at the streams of light that came into view. When his vision cleared, he found himself under a partly cloudy sky. The sun was high in the air, and he could see trees out of the corner of his optics. What had happened?

“Is everyone okay?” Optimus’ optics snapped open and he immediately sat up. He looked at his surroundings and saw the Autobots slowly getting up and looking just as delirious as he felt.

“Ay, okay.” Optimus turned his gaze to where Bulkhead was seated and saw Jack, Miko, and Rafael waking up and rubbing their heads.

“I need to scan everyone.” Optimus saw Ratchet forcing himself to stand, ignoring his own pain kneeling down to scan Bumblebee.

“What were you three thinking?!” Arcee yelled at the human kids.

“We were trying to get Miko out of there!” Jack retorted.

“Miko, we talked about this! I thought you were past this!” Bulkhead exclaimed.

“You said it was simple recon!” Miko retorted.

“That’s not an excuse!” Bulkhead and Arcee shouted in unison.

“The damage is done,” Ratchet declared as he finished scanning Bumblebee, “And at the very least we’re still operational.”

“Are we in the Shadowzone again?” Rafael asked as he rummaged through his backpack to grab his phone. Miko turned her attention to Jack before pressing her hand on his face.

“Wha-! What was that for?!” Jack yelled as he grabbed her wrist.

“If we’re in the Shadowzone, we can’t touch anything,” Miko recalled.

“We can all see and touch each other!” Jack reminded.

“Then the spacebridge malfunction the Decepticons were having launched us somewhere else,” Ratchet surmised as he finished scanning Bulkhead. He was about to scan Arcee, but she waved it off.

“Go scan Optimus first,” Arcee suggested, “He still looks out of it.”

Ratchet immediately kneeled down towards Optimus and started to scan him. Optimus didn’t pay attention to him, and merely tried to recall what had happened. There was a scouting mission, they found energon, but the Decepticons had ambushed them. Jack, Miko, and Rafael had somehow gotten involved. The Autobots tried to get them out, but the groundbridge and the spacebridge had crossed streams? Or there was a malfunction in the spacebridge? He couldn’t remember. His helm was pulsing in pain.

Optimus rubbed his optics and grimaced a little. Something was wrong. Why couldn’t he figure it out? What was wrong?

“Optimus are you alright?” Ratchet asked as he placed his servo on his shoulder, “Your vitals appear normal, but if you don’t tell me-!”

“I still function,” Optimus reassured as he forced himself to stand up.

“At the very least, it looks like we’re still on Earth,” Jack proclaimed as he looked at their surroundings. Optimus took in his surroundings as well, and found that they were surrounded by similar views of that on Earth: pine trees, green grass, blue skies. It all looked normal for the planet. But something still felt off. Optimus’ gaze fell to a footprint that was hidden in the forest, and noticed how it was much too large to resemble that of a human.

“No one is at base; however, which means that we’re going to have to explain to Agent Fowler how to operate a groundbridge,” Ratchet groaned in irritation.

Bumblebee responded to Ratchet in his binary code, trying to reassure him.

“Yes, I know, it’s just going to be a hassle to hear him scream at us and talk about his human affairs,” Ratchet waved off before activating his comm. link, “Agent Fowler, we need assistance.”

Ratchet blinked in confusion when he was only met with static. “Fowler?”

“No response?” Arcee asked him.

“Yes,” Ratchet answered, “Odd.”

“Let me try.” Bulkhead placed two digits against his audio receptors, “Agent Fowler? Hello?...Static.”

“Did the spacebridge malfunction scramble with our comm. link?” Arcee asked, not noticing Optimus walking towards the footprint. The Prime kneeled down to examine it closer. It looked like a human footprint, but why was it so large? Humans couldn’t reach a size similar to that of a Cybertronian. It didn’t make sense.

“Uh…guys?” Rafael called out with worry as he showed the Autobots his flip phone, “I’m not getting any bars.”

Jack and Miko were shocked at that and quickly pulled out their phones to find what Rafael was saying to be true. They had no reception either.

“So we’re not in the Shadowzone?” Miko chuckled nervously, “Because we had reception last time we were there!”

“Look, maybe it was the spacebridge malfunction!” Jack reasoned, “That could explain it! Right?!”

“Maybe if we can figure out where we are we can find a place with a working phone,” Arcee suggested.

Something was wrong. What was wrong? Optimus’ helm shot up, when he heard a low growl like an animal. Optimus stood on his pedes and scanned the area as the Autobots continued discussing what to do next. Where was that sound coming from? Optimus looked past Bumblebee and saw something crawling towards them. It was a four legged humanoid figure, but it was significantly bigger than the humans they had with them. It had no clothing and no reproductive organs, but it had a multitude of teeth. And it looked hungry. Its gaze fell to the humans and it lunged for them!

“Bumblebee, behind you!” Optimus called for him.

Bumblebee snapped his head to the creature that lunged for the humans. All three screamed out in fear, but Bumblebee quickly kicked the creature in its open mouth, shattering all of its teeth and knocking it into a tree.

“What the frag?!” Arcee exclaimed. They all looked on in horror when the four legged creature was clearly not dead. Steam arose from its mouth and the back of its head. Its teeth began to grow back and the jaw stitched itself back together. The creature shook its head to shake off the injury as it finished regenerating its wounds.

“Bumblebee!” Rafael screamed as it lunged for them once more, but Bumblebee quickly pulled out his blaster and shot it multiple times in the head. The creature skidded forward from momentum before slowing to a stop. The energon seemed to do the trick, as the body began to decay and evaporate into steam, leaving nothing else behind to examine.

“By the Allspark!” Ratchet gasped in terror.

Optimus could only stare in horror as well at the sight, mirroring Ratchet’s expression. All the Autobots didn’t know what to say to this sight, but Optimus knew one thing for certain.

“We are not supposed to be here,” Optimus declared.

Bulkhead snapped his helm to a creature taller than Optimus emerging from the forest and running towards him. “Optimus!”

Optimus activated his battle mask and pulled out his own blaster, aiming his weapon at the center of the creature’s chest. Before Optimus could fire, he caught a blur of green followed by a trail of smoke. The next thing he knew, the nape of the neck was sliced open and blood spewed out everywhere. Optimus followed the direction of the blood splatters and the trail of smoke as the creature fell to the ground, and his optics fell onto a human. The human was covered in a green cloak with an emblem of wings in the center of it, holding swords in both hands. He wore gray pants with brown straps and boots, and around his waist was a strange contraption that was allowing him to fly. The human turned in the air and stared back at Optimus, and Optimus saw that he had black hair trimmed to an undercut. His gray eyes stared back at his blue ones with a mix of fear and surprise. That expression faded as the human grit his teeth before shouting.

“Enemy forces! Don’t break the formation!” he commanded.

The Autobots heard the sounds of clopping hooves and high pitched whirs and saw an army mirroring what the human was wearing emerging from the forest. Some rode on horses and surrounded them on the ground, while others were flying in the treetops and above them. The three humans yelped when the Autobots formed a circle around them, their backs towards each other to cover their blind spots. Ratchet quickly pulled out his surgical blades while Bumblebee pulled out his other blaster. Arcee pulled out her blasters while Bulkhead pulled out one blaster and one wrecking ball.

The Autobots found that they were completely blocked off from any clear exits, and the humans on the ground stared at them in absolute fear and anticipation. It was a tense standoff, with the Autobots not sure on how to confront this. But the humans looked ready to attack them at any moment. They were just waiting for someone to give the order. Optimus knew it would be a losing battle for those humans, but they had humans that they needed to protect. They were clearly not on Earth anymore. Those creatures tried to kill the humans, and humans that surrounded them now had the technology and knowledge that the Autobots clearly lacked. Optimus made a choice, one that would hopefully get them answers and get the humans to safety.

Optimus stood up straight before transforming his blaster into his servo and raising both of them in surrender. “My name is Optimus Prime, and I do not wish to cause conflict. I only ask for assistance and guidance.”

Erwin’s day went from normal to absolute insanity in a matter of minutes.

It had been five years since the fall of Shinganshina and the loss of Wall Maria. Much had changed since that fateful day. The Survey Corps had been granted more funding and resources, although not that much. Weaponry had finally been cleared to be attached to the top of the wall, much to the Wallists’ protests, and the discovery of Ilse’s notebook had spearheaded titan capture and experimentation.

The Survey Corps had left Wall Rose and started their expedition to try and reclaim the land lost in Wall Maria. They had managed to find an abandoned town with no titans near the area and decided to set up camp there. Erwin noticed the way that Hanji was giddy with excitement, proclaiming that it was going to be a big day. However, the Survey Corps had already suffered the loss of five lives before finding this place. How many would they lose on the way back to Wall Rose?

However, Mike was acting…off. His best friend and humanity’s second strongest always had a knack for sensing titans. A blessing to have in the Survey Corps. But the man had proclaimed that the air was off, that there was a smell of metal and gunpowder, and that something was coming. Erwin didn’t understand the cryptic warnings. Mike wasn’t even too sure what he was sensing, but he told everyone to be on high alert.

Mike’s prediction turned out to be true when they spotted a blinding blue light off in the distance, sending a shockwave that blew their tents out of the ground. Erwin immediately ordered everyone to get on their horses and investigate the source. As they rode towards the source, going through the trees, Erwin could’ve sworn he heard someone speaking. He was hearing a conversation. Erwin then heard someone screaming before a blue light suddenly illuminated the forest and disappeared. Erwin ordered Levi to go ahead, and the captain quickly through the trees, headed towards the titan that was running towards the source of the blue light. As the edge of the forest came into view, Erwin thought his eyes were deceiving him when he saw something so bright and colorful, like it didn’t match the colors of their world.

“Enemy forces! Don’t break the formation!” Erwin heard Levi shout. When the Commander’s vision cleared, he gasped in shock at the sight of five metal titans standing together in a clearing.

“Surround the titans on the ground and in the treetops!” Erwin ordered. Erwin remained on his horse as they emerged from the forest. He quickly directed Mike to guide the others to the right while he surrounded the titans from the left, being sure to avoid the titan Levi had just killed. Levi’s squad and a few others had quickly taken to the trees as these titans stood back-to-back in a circle. Erwin could feel his hands trembling as these titans pulled out glowing weapons before getting into fighting stances. Erwin had pulled the reins on his horse to a stop and found himself in front of the tallest of the five titans, and this titan had a giant gun for a hand that looked ready to fire.

Erwin didn’t know what to do. For the first time in a long time, he was actually visibly terrified at the sight before him. Never in the history of human kind did any of them expect to see five metal titans! What happened?! Did the titans evolve?! Why the hell did they look so different?! Erwin narrowed his eyes at each of the titans before him.

The one he was in front of was massive compared to the others. Its head and legs were painted blue, while its torso and arms were colored red. Its right hand was that of an advanced rifle, but the left hand looked normal, save for it being the color black. It had no mouth to speak of, as it was clearly covered by some kind of mask, and its eyes were such a bright blue. Erwin’s gaze fell to the titan on the first one’s right. Its appearance was starkly different from the other. It was shorter, with broader shoulders and a larger waist. Its skin was a mix of white and orange, and it had a mouth which was a cause for concern. It appeared to have some sort of orange backpack, and both hands were replaced with blades. Erwin turned his attention to the titan on the left, and his worry grew exponentially. This one was the same height as the second one, but it was big. The titan had a round body, with large arms and legs. It had a gun for one hand and a boulder in the other. It looked like a heavy hitter and it unnerved him.

The other two, he could only peer through the gaps of the first three in order to get a decent look at them. The shortest one was adorned in blue with accentuated pink markings. Erwin was confused at the sight of…wings? But he elected to ignore them for now. It looked like both arms were guns as well, and it looked…female?! Was that titan a female?! Titans were known to lack reproductive organs! They had no idea how they were able to reproduce, but this one clearly had the features of a human female! How was that possible?! Erwin’s eyes darted towards the last one. It was yellow with accentuated black markings. It had wings similar to the female titan, and even though it had guns out, its hands didn’t disappear. They were still visible. Erwin saw the titan turn it head, and he couldn’t help but think how comically large its blue eyes were. But this titan had no mouth? Was it a type of mouth guard? It was vastly different from the first titan.

But this…this was surreal. How did they get here? Why were the titans like this? What did that mean for humanity? He could tell everyone wanted to attack these things. He managed to catch Levi perched on a tree with his blades in hand, ready to strike if need be. He could feel Hanji gasping with excitement, and glanced behind to see the section commander with the widest, gapping, smile. He turned his attention to Mike, and his friend nodded his head to him, ready to follow his command whenever he gave it. Erwin was ready to give it. He didn’t know if they were going to live or die, but as members of the Survey Corps, they had to dedicate their heart and soul to the cause.

He opened his mouth, ready to speak, but paused when the red and blue titan slowly stood upright. Its gun transformed and changed right back into a hand. It raised both hands in surrender, stunning Erwin. It knew what surrender was? But the biggest revelation came when the titan spoke.

“My name is Optimus Prime, and I do not wish to cause conflict. I only ask for assistance and guidance.”

Erwin couldn’t help it. His mouth hung agape while sounds of worry and bafflement echoed throughout the Survey Corps. The only exception was Hanji who merely squealed with delight. But how could the rest of them not break face? Five metal titans had just shown up, and now one of them just spoke! Could all of them speak?! How was this even a possibility?! The only recorded evidence of a titan speaking was from Ilse’s notebook! And now…!

“Boss, I think that was a bad idea.” Erwin heard the green one whisper to the being, Optimus.

“Definitely was a bad idea considering what we just saw,” the female titan had hissed.

“They’re all talking,” Mike mumbled.

Erwin didn’t know how to respond. This was madness! However, the yellow one began to speak in a slew of strange noises that scared the soldiers near it, demanding what it even said.

“A new language!” Hanji squealed with delight.

“Oi, calm the hell down!” Levi shouted at them, but Erwin could tell even Levi was shaken by the yellow one speaking. However, while the soldiers looked afraid, Levi was…bewildered. Levi had managed to spot Erwin through the titans and mouthed something to him.

‘Fight or run.’

Fight or run? Erwin’s words almost got caught in his throat. Did Levi…was Levi able to understand the yellow titan?!

“Optimus, I would strongly advise getting the humans out of here before engaging in anything drastic,” the orange titan warned.

If Erwin’s mind didn’t break, it definitely shattered in that moment. Humans? What humans? What the hell was that titan talking about? Erwin’s gaze darted around, trying to see any humans. There’s no way that there could be-!

Erwin’s train of thought screeched to a halt when he spotted them. He spotted humans. Three humans. Three human children. There were humans with the titans, hiding behind the yellow titan’s foot for protection. There was a tall male with black hair and a long face. He wore a long sleeved gray shirt and blue pants, but the material was clearly not native to the wall. He could tell that much. His gray eyes stared on in concern at the sight of his men, as he gestured for the youngest of the three to remain behind him. The youngest looked afraid as he put his black backpack on. He wore an orange vest and white undershirt with blue pants as well. His brown eyes were less noticeable compared to his red glasses, and his orange hair was standing upright, practically defying gravity. The sight of that child paled in comparison to the girl, who was clearly not native to the walls. Her clothes were an eyesore. A clash of green, pink, purple, and blue. Her hair was…pink! How was her hair pink?! Erwin noticed how excited the girl looked as she peered over the titan, making some sort of comment, but the oldest of the trio quickly grabbed her by her collar and yanked her behind the yellow titan’s foot.

“…holy shit,” Mike swore as he finally noticed the children. And Erwin couldn’t help but agree with his friend’s sentiments. How could he not? There were three humans hiding behind titans for protection. They didn’t run or cower in fear at the sight of them. They trusted them. Erwin’s gaze shifted upwards, and he froze when he noticed the titan, Optimus Prime, staring directly at him. The titan’s eyes then darted towards the children in their circle before landing back to him. Did…did the titan know if he was the Commander? How was he able to target the chain of command so easily? But Erwin could tell, the titan was silently pleading with him. Begging him to call off his men so that they could get the children to safety. A million thoughts swirled through Erwin’s mind. He was trying to determine the risk and the reward with the decision he was about to make, but…his gaze fell to the children. The reward was higher than the risk.

“STAND DOWN!” Erwin commanded, causing everyone, both titans and humans, to snap their heads at him.

“Commander, what the hell?!” someone screamed at him while Mike stared in shock.

“STAND DOWN! THAT’S AN ORDER!” Erwin repeated. Erwin’s gaze fell to Levi, and the Captain was clearly questioning his decision like the rest of them. But Erwin gave one simple nod to Levi, and the Captain relented. He lowered his hands before placing his swords back into his holsters. One by one, the rest of the Survey Corps followed suit.

“Autobots, stand down!” Optimus immediately ordered. The titans glanced at each other before standing upright and raising their arms upwards. They showed to them their weapons transforming back into hands.

“Mine-!” Hanji squawked when Mike quickly grabbed the squad leader by wrapping his arms around Hanji’s arms and abdomen. “Mike! Let go! You asshole!”

Erwin climbed down his horse, and Optimus Prime had lowered his hands to his side. “You lead these men.”

It wasn’t a question. “Yes. My name is Erwin Smith. I am the 13th Commander of the Survey Corps.”

“Not U.S. military,” the green one had commented, “We’re not on Earth.”

“And where exactly are we?” The orange one had demanded, clearly annoyed by what has been happening.

“Wall Maria, which had fallen five years ago due to the powers of Titans,” Erwin explained, “We have been findings ways to reclaim what humanity had lost. We are humanity’s last line of defense against the titans, and we are doing what we can to prevent our species from becoming extinct.”

Erwin heard a gasp from the circle and saw the girl grinning with excitement. “We’ve been isekai’d!”

“Miko, shut up!” the eldest quickly covered the girl’s mouth, but the damage was done.

“Are those kids?!” Oluo exclaimed, causing the female titan to slap a hand over her eyes.

“Scrap, Miko,” she had groaned in irritation.

Erwin turned his gaze to Optimus. “You must be…confused at what is happening, and we have questions of our own. If you would be willing to come with us-!”

“Yeah, absolutely not,” the female titan cut him off, earning protests from the yellow titan. Erwin’s eyes darted to Levi, and the Captain gestured his head towards the kids. The yellow titan was talking about the kids. It had to be about their safety. He could use that.

“You are all unfamiliar with our terrain,” Erwin calmly reasoned, “But we know this place, and we know that titans are roaming the area as we speak. You all might be fine in defending yourselves, but how long will your human companions last before a titan sneaks up on you and tries to eat them.”

The titans grew tense at Erwin’s words while Miko removed the eldest’s hand from her mouth. Erwin then gestured to the titan that was still slowly turning into steam.

“The titans do not eat for survival,” Erwin continued, “They only do it for the thrill of it. And there are a multitude of titans that are unpredictable with their behavior. Those three are not going to last out here very long.”

Erwin gestured to the direction they came from. “If you come with us, we can guarantee their safety behind the territory that we still have left.”

The orange titan glanced over at Optimus, waiting for the Prime to make the call. Optimus seemed to come to a decision before turning to the others. “We will follow the humans to their territory.”

“You sure about that?” the green one asked.

“We cannot risk the humans getting hurt,” Optimus reasoned, “And if we want to return to Earth, then we need to forge alliances.”

Erwin raised an eyebrow at that as Optimus turned to him. “If you would be will to guide us, then we will follow.”

Erwin nodded his head before mounting his horse once more. “We’re returning to Wall Rose!”

“With five giant titans?!” Someone shouted, “The canons will fire before we even reach the gate! How the hell are we supposed to-!”

Everyone took steps back when the five titans’ bodies practically fell apart before reshaping and putting itself back together. They had all transformed into…strange carriages, each of their own texture, design, and size. Erwin didn’t know how else to describe it. The colors still matched the titans he had just seen but when the hell could titans do this?!

The yellow one had open the side door, and Miko and the youngest of the children quickly climbed inside. The eldest was about to climb in, but noticed the stares directed towards them all.

“Um…robots in disguise,” he had shrugged before sitting in the front and shutting the door himself.

“Not a very good disguise,” Levi commented as he and the others hand lowered themselves from the trees and mounted their horses.

“I want to touch it.” Hanji vibrated with giddy, but Mike grabbed the reins of the horse Hanji was sitting on before pulling it along.

It was a tense ride back to Wall Rose, with the Survey Corps surrounding the titans with a simple circle formation. The horses were running at full speed towards the massive structure, but the Survey Corps were stunned to find that the titans were keeping up with them in these strange forms. Hell, some of them were even driving past the horses, specifically the female titan. She was riding on two wheels instead of four. It looked like there was supposed to be someone on top of her form, and it looked odd without it.

“Erwin, what the hell are you thinking right now?” Levi demanded as he pulled up next to him at the front of the formation.

“I’m thinking about how we can keep these titans here to help us,” Erwin answered truthfully.

“They might not appear to eat humans, but it looks like they know how to kill,” Levi retorted, “We bring them in the Walls. Then what? There’s going to be chaos and questions. Some could be asking for them to be destroyed. How the hell do we spin this to have it benefit us, even if they aren’t dangerous?”

“…I don’t know,” Erwin confessed, “But there must be something that they can do.”

“…I saw the yellow one kill a titan without hitting the nape,” Levi informed him, “It killed them with those guns on its arms.”

‘The blinding light,’ Erwin realized.

“Prime guy was ready to blast a hole in the chest of the other one before I killed it,” Levi explained, “They’re trained soldiers, Erwin. With the power to kill titans without cutting the nape.”

“All the more reason to try and get them to stay here with us,” Erwin declared, “We’ll finally be able to turn the tide in this war against the titans.”

Levi grimaced in response.

“Also, have you been able to understand the yellow titan?” Erwin asked, baffled.

“Every third word, it’s been creeping me out,” Levi explained.

“No, that’s good,” Erwin proclaimed, “If they’re planning something else and are trying to hide it, then you’ll be able to figure it out sooner.”

“Optimus, are you certain that this is the right decision?” Ratchet asked him as they drove side by side.

“It is one of the few options that we do have,” Optimus answered, “We do not know our surroundings very well and we cannot risk the humans getting hurt. There is also the matter of the Decepticons.”

“Right, they could still be on Earth,” Ratchet recalled, “Or they could have very well come to this strange place with us. We have no idea.”

“All the more reason to gain knowledge from the natives in order to determine our next steps,” Optimus declared, “We need to return back to Earth as soon as possible if the Decepticons are still there. I don’t know how long Agent Fowler and the military will be able to last without us.”

“So…we’ve been isekai’d to a morbid place,” Miko began as she continued watching the soldiers ride through titan territory.

“Yeah, this wouldn’t have happened if you had just stayed at base,” Jack scolded Miko.

“Look, we’ll find a way out of this!” Miko reasoned, “Besides, it can’t be all bad! They have medieval spidermen!”

“Miko-!”

“Medieval Spidermen, Jack!” Miko shook his shoulders, “That’s literally the best thing ever! It can’t get better than this!”

“How long are we going to be stuck here for?” Rafael finally asked, “What about our parents?”

“Raf, don’t worry, we’ll figure something out,” Jack reassured, “Right ‘Bee?”

Bumblebee chirped and beeped in response, causing Rafael to smile. “Yeah, I guess we’ve been in worse situations and still got out of it.”

The three humans blinked when they suddenly heard a knock on the window. They turned to see someone waving at them with delight.

“’Bee, lower the window,” Jack ordered as he approached the window the person was waving at. Bumblebee lowered the window a little bit, and Jack was met with the grinning face of...a woman, maybe? They didn’t look too much like a woman.

“You can lower it a little bit more,” Jack said to Bumblebee, and the scout reluctantly complied until Jack’s face was completely in view, “Can I help you?”

“Yes! My name is Hanji, and I have a multitude of questions I need you to answer before my friend, Mike, comes back to grab me!” The statement came out in rapid succession.

Bumblebee immediately spoke up, causing Hanji to stare in confusion.

“Bumblebee says that we can’t give away too much information,” Rafael explained as he peered over the open window.

“You can understand him?!” Hanji asked with excitement.

“Yeah,” Rafael answered.

“And you have a name!” Hanji cooed with joy, “Bumblebee’s a cute name too!”

Bumblebee started beeping again, and Rafael translated. “He says thanks.”

“So you’re Bumblebee, and the big, tall, one is Optimus Prime.” Hanji pointed to the truck, “What about the other three?”

“The one driving next to Optimus is Ratchet,” Rafael began, “The blue motorcycle looping around us is Arcee and the green hummer is Bulkhead.”

“And he’s my partner.” Miko pointed to herself, “So watch it, or he’s gonna wreck you!”

“Oh this is so exciting!” Hanji clapped. The squad leader grunted as Mike grabbed the reins of the horse and pulled them aside, “Thank you!”

“Bye!” Rafael waved ‘goodbye’ before turning to the others. “They seem nice.”

“A little bit energetic for my tastes,” Jack asked, “Kinda like you, Miko.”

“Ha,” Miko drawled out.

“What the hell are you doing?” Mike hissed at Hanji.

“Gathering Intel.” Hanji yanked the reins back from Mike in annoyance. The squad leader let out a big grin, riding over to Erwin and waving to Mike, “I have names~.”

Erwin deadpanned as he heard Hanji creep up behind him on horseback. He could feel the grin radiating from her skin. “This better be important.”

“Optimus, Ratchet, Bulkhead, Arcee, and Bumblebee.” Hanji pointed to each vehicle with their respective name.

Erwin and Levi glanced back before turning back to Hanji.

“They all have names?” Erwin asked in surprise.

“Yes, those children were very nice in giving me that information,” Hanji explained before sighing in defeat, “I would have asked for more information, like the names of those kids, but Mike pulled me away before I could ask.”

“Anything else you might have gotten from them?” Erwin asked.

“The youngest can understand Bumblebee’s language,” Hanji listed, “And the girl referred to Bulkhead as her partner. I think those children might be assigned to individual titans as protection. The girl to Bulkhead. I assume the youngest to Bumblebee since he can understand him. I don’t know about the eldest.”

Hanji noticed the way Levi’s face turned sour. “What happened to you? Looks like you’re about to take a shit.”

“He can understand every third word of…Bumblebee.” Erwin felt weird addressing a titan by name.

Hanji gasped with joy as her smile grew wider to the point where it would break her face.

“If you fucking touch me, I will-!” Levi froze as everyone was alerted to the sounds of screams and destruction. The Survey Corps looked ahead and stared in horror at the sight of the southern gate to Trost being destroyed and two titans slowly making its way inside.

“Shit!” Levi swore.

“Everyone, scale the wall!” Erwin ordered.

The Autobots were stunned to see everyone jumping off of their horses and hooking onto the side of the massive wall before scaling it with relative ease. Miko had opened the window and peered her whole body out to see the amazing display.

“Wow.” Miko pulled out her phone and started recording the Survey Corps. She yelped when Jack immediately grabbed her belt and pulled her inside Bumblebee’s alt mode.

“Autobots, head towards the breach!” Optimus commanded as he revved his engines. When they had reached the breached and transformed into their bipedal modes, excluding Bumblebee, they were horrified at the titans running rampant in the city. They destroyed and toppled buildings. They grabbed human soldiers without a care in the world, and they started to eat them. It didn’t even matter what age they were. Some looked like teenagers, like Jack, Miko, and Rafael, but they were still being devoured. They let out horrified screams of terror as they were either devoured in one gulped or chewed to pieces.

“What the frag did we just get ourselves into?” Arcee swore.

The Survey Corps landed atop the walls and examined the chaos below.

“It’s only been a few hours and shit’s already going to hell,” Levi remarked.

“It feels like it was almost premeditated, considering there was a titan invasion right after we left,” Mike proclaimed before turning to Erwin, “Orders!”

Erwin was about to give the command, but-!

“Bumblebee, keep the humans safe from the threat!” Optimus ordered the yellow titan.

“Wait, hold on!” the girl cried out, but Bumblebee had quickly driven deeper into Trost before he could continue.

“Autobots, focus all efforts on eliminate the threat and protecting the humans!” Optimus ordered as he pulled out his guns.

“Got it!” Bulkhead said as he pulled out his blasters.

“With pleasure!” Arcee snarled as she pulled out her own blasters.

“Roll out!” All three Cybertronians fired in rapid succession at the titans closest to them, scaring some of the other soldiers. Erwin managed to count twenty titan deaths from that volley of attacks, and none of the titans that were killed were struck in the nape. The remaining for titans split up to cover more ground, with the orange titan, Ratchet, running by Optimus’ side.

Ratchet noticed a titan coming up on his right and quickly pulled out his medical blades before slicing it’s leg off. As the titan lost its balance, Optimus shot it in the chest, causing it to disintegrate. Meanwhile, Arcee had jumped onto one of the buildings and ran along the rooftops, firing headshots at each of the titans that she spotted. Bulkhead, despite being the slowest runner, had tackled a titan much larger than him into the ground before shooting it in the face.

“…I think we just became useless,” Mobilt commented, baffled at the sight before him. However, every one of them heard sadistic giggles before it evolved into unhinged laughter.

“IT’S FINALLY HAPPENED!” Hanji shouted, cackling to the sky, “The pinnacle of titan evolution has been reached! We have witnessed the sheer might and battle power of what titans can do, and I have finally been blessed to see this day! IF THERE IS A GOD, THANK YOU FOR KEEPING ME ALIVE THIS LONG TO SEE THIS GLORIOUS DISPLAY!”

Hanji continued cackling like a madman while Levi turned to Erwin. “Hanji’s broken.”

“Everyone, assist the titans in eliminating the threat and help out any wounded or injured soldiers!” Erwin ordered.

“Yes, sir!” they all shouted.

“Dedicate your hearts!” Erwin recited their mantra as they all jumped down from the top of the Walls to attack the titans.

Marco continued flying around the city, trying to lure titans to the other side of the town so that Eren could plug the hole in the wall, but he spotted no titans in his line of sight. Maybe he should regroup with a few others and come up with a strategy then. That seemed like a good idea. Marco’s gaze fell towards a rooftop with two other soldiers on it. He sighed a little with relief. Reiner and Bertholdt. They were still alive. Marco landed on the rooftop, ready to call for them, but-!

“There’s no way that they can plug that hole in the wall,” Bertholdt proclaimed, “They don’t have the resources, and Eren might get eaten in the process. We won’t be able to find out anything else if that happens.”

“I might have to figure out a plan with my Titan somehow.” Marco paused in his step at Reiner’s words. Titan? What did Reiner mean by that? What did he mean by ‘my Titan’?

“But if they find a way to plug it, then it’ll undo the work we’ve done to open it!” Bertholdt retorted. Marco was baffled at Bertholdt’s words. Open it?! What are they talking about?! Marco was about to speak up to ask what they meant, but stopped when he saw a blue light coming their way. All three yelled in surprise when the light flew directly above them, almost hitting them. Reiner and Bertholdt ducked in opposite directions while Marco ended up falling off the roof. Marco yelled in pain when his back hit the ground fairly hard, but when he sat up, he didn’t feel that anything was broken. Just bruised. What was that? What the hell was that?!

Marco’s gaze went up to the sky and he saw a few more blue lights shoot across the area. Marco was about to call for Reiner and Bertholdt, but immediately stopped himself. Those words the two uttered, the fact that Eren could transform into a titan at will. That meant…

Marco quickly scrambled to his feet, grabbed his blades and latched onto the buildings with his grappling hooks to get as far away from the two as possible. Reiner and Bertholdt…they were hiding something. They couldn’t be trusted, and Marco needed to get as far away from the both of them as possible! But what the hell was that blue light!-any…way.

Marco could see from afar the sight of metal titans running throughout the city, killing other titans left and right. What the hell was going on?!

“Armin!” Mikasa called out for her friend just as Armin was ready to stab his blade into the nape of Eren’s titan form. Armin noticed that Mikasa was staring on in horror, forcing him to abandon Eren and fly up next to her. The cadet gawked at the sight of four metal titans within Trost, shooting and killing titans with ease, without even touching the nape of the neck!

“What the hell is happening?” Mikasa found herself trembling. Armin couldn’t help but be terrified as well. Eren had been eaten right before him, but came back to life with the ability to turn into a titan. He was supposed to lift the boulder in order to plug the hole in the wall, and now, metal titans were roaming around the city killing titans left and right! It was madness! It was insanity! It was…Armin’s attention turned to the unconscious titan that was Eren, his face still regenerating. If Eren couldn’t lift the boulder, then…

“Armin!” Mikasa tried to grab Armin, but he had already flown off to a pair of those titans nearby, forcing Mikasa to quickly follow after him.

“Optimus, how else can we kill these creatures?!” Ratchet demanded, “Energon is effective, but is possessive regenerative abilities!”

Ratchet sliced open the stomach of a titan about to eat a human, but the wound was already regenerating, even after the titan dropped the human. “My blades are useless.”

Optimus recalled the titan he was just about to kill earlier before one of the humans intervened. He had cut in a particular spot: behind the nape of the neck. Optimus replaced one of his blasters with his blades and quickly stabbed a titan that was his height in the nape of the neck. When Optimus released it, the titan fell to the ground and its body began to decay.

“Autobots!” Optimus activated his comm. link to speak to the others, “Destroy the nape of the neck! That is another way that we can kill these creatures!”

“Got it!” Bulkhead said as he took out his wrecking ball before crushing the nape of the neck of the titan with it. Arcee replaced her blasters with her arm blades before jumping and carving her blades into the nape of another titan.

“They figured out the titan’s weak point,” Mike commented as he flew with Erwin.

“They’re hyper-intelligent,” Erwin declared.

“Do you think that we can still convince them to still be on our side?” Mike asked, “And can we convince the public that they’re not dangerous?”

“I don’t think we need to do much in either of those categories,” Erwin proclaimed as he noticed the green titan holding back an abnormal titan, allowing a few cadets to flee on foot. Erwin couldn’t help but admire the strength and power of all the titans. He couldn’t help but admire the way that Optimus commanded his soldiers with such ease. It was a marvel to watch.

“HEY!” Optimus froze when he heard someone calling out…calling out to him. Optimus turned his helm to the source of the noise and saw…a boy waving to him. A soldier. He waved both arms high in the air to gesture for both titans to come to his location. A female soldier came up behind him to try and deter him and get him to run, but the boy merely pointed to a boulder a little ways off from their location.

“THIS WAY!” the boy beckoned before flying towards the boulder. The other soldier quickly went after him, and Optimus went after the two of them.

“Optimus, we have to focus on the task at hand!” Ratchet reasoned as he ran after his leader and friend.

“Those two need help!” Optimus explained, “I believe they have a solution to stop this carnage!”

“Wait, Bee, we need to go back!” Miko exclaimed as they continued driving down the war torn street, causing Bumblebee to speak a retort.

“We don’t have any way to defend ourselves! We’ll be killed and eaten alive if we don’t run!” Jack retorted.

“But can we even hide in here?!” Rafael asked, “Where are we even supposed to go?”

“I don’t know, but-!” Jack stopped when he noticed someone on the ground, pulling the strange equipment off of the corpse of their comrade before throwing his own off. He quickly strapped the new one on before looking behind him in horror. Jack noticed a titan coming up towards him, and the soldier trying to get away, but the equipment still wasn’t working.

“Bee! Open your door!” Jack slammed his hand on the passenger door, “Miko, help me grab him!”

Jean tried hard to pull the handles of the 3D gear that he had gotten from his fallen comrade, but it still wasn’t working! Why the hell wasn’t it working?! Did this guy’s 3D gear get destroyed too?! Shit! Shit he was going to die! Why did a titan attack have to happen before he went to the inner Walls?! As the titan reached out for him, he yelled in surprise when something yellow rode past in between him and the titan. Two pairs of hands grabbed him and yanked him inside the vehicle before the titan’s hand slammed into the ground.

“Hey, hey are you okay?!” someone shouted at him. Jean screamed in fear at his current location. What the hell was this thing?! Who were these people?! Were they civilians?! Did the carriage just beep at him?! What the hell was-?!

Jean grunted when the oddly dressed girl suddenly slapped him across the face before grabbing his collar.

“Get a hold of yourself man!” she screeched at him, “You’re an awesome medieval spiderman and people need you right now!”

“What the hell’s a spiderman?!” Jean shouted at her before a young boy took a look at the 3D gear around his waist, “And why the hell is your hair pink?!”

“Whoa, this is wild,” he remarked in awe, “Is it damaged?”

“I don’t know! I tried pulling the trigger!” Jean answered as he tried to examine the handle.

“Let me see,” the youngest said as he looked at the handle and pressed the trigger, “I think this handle needs a lot more pressure to activate.”

“What?” Jean stared in bafflement before pressing the trigger as hard as he could. The grappling hook shot out of the open carriage door and hooked itself onto a building.

“Deuces, spiderman!” Jean yelped as his grappling hook yanked him out of the moving carriage. Jean held onto the building he latched onto for dear life before looking back at the strange carriage. He had the perfect opportunity to flee. Why the hell didn’t he?

“This way!” Armin beckoned the two titans as they got closer to the boulder and Eren’s titan.

“Armin, whatever those things are could hurt Eren!” Mikasa retorted as they ran side by side.

“But they could also help him, or help us!” Armin retorted, “The bigger one could help move the boulder if Eren can’t! Eren is also vulnerable! Titans could come and devour him!”

Mikasa still stared at Armin with concern, but…decided to trust Armin’s decision.

“Optimus, we have to return to help the others!” Ratchet exclaimed, “We-!”

Optimus skidded to a stop when they arrived at the boulder, and Optimus’ optics widened when he saw a massive titan slumped against the boulder. The side of its face slowly releasing steam, but not healing fast enough.

“What in the Allspark is this?!” Ratchet demanded as he stood next to Optimus.

“This is Eren!” Armin explained as he and Mikasa landed on the roof, “He’s a human that can turn into a titan!”

“How?” Optimus demanded as Ratchet began to scan the massive titan for vitals.

“We don’t know how, but we need him to carry out our plan!” Armin declared, “Most of the titans have been lured to the other side of Trost so Eren can carry the boulder to plug the hole in the Wall! But Eren’s just learned about his powers and he doesn’t know how to control it!”

“They’re actually telling the truth!” Ratchet exclaimed as his sensors picked up a life signal in the nape of the neck.

“Please, we need your help to get him to move the boulder!” Armin begged, “Or have one of you do it! We don’t have much time!”

Optimus thought it over. He could probably lift the boulder, but there were other factors he needed to consider. Based on the information he observed, the titan was human, and he was probably around the same age as those two humans on the rooftop. The boy was trying to plead his case, but he could see the terror in his eyes. The girl looked ready to attack and defend the titan, but her face displayed moments of concern and worry.

This was a power no one knew about. No one knew how it could be controlled. But one thing was certain: if the titan couldn’t find a way to prove that it was useful, then the human inside may very well be executed out of fear. Optimus glanced back at the humans on the rooftop. They had to try and rouse the titan for their sake.

“Ratchet, can you resuscitate the titan?” Optimus turned to the medic.

“Resuscitate the titan?! Are you mad?!” Ratchet shouted, “I am barely just starting to understand human anatomy to avoid the situation that happened with Rafael! This is entirely different from any organic that I have seen! It’s healing itself, there is a lack of organs compared to humans, and a human is controlling the body?! It’s like one of Miko’s monster movies!”

“Ratchet, if there are more allies that can help against the titan threat, then it would be beneficial to acquire them,” Optimus retorted before whispering, “And those humans are concerned for their comrade.”

Ratchet glanced back at the two soldiers on the roof.

“They need your help,” Optimus declared.

Ratchet’s face contorted into a grimace before groaning in frustration. “Slag everything!”

Armin and Mikasa saw Ratchet open the medical kit on his back before he pulled out a set of defibrillators. Ratchet adjusted the knob to the highest setting and rubbed the items together to create friction and electricity.

“If this doesn’t work, then you can carry the fragging boulder by yourself!” Ratchet shouted before placing the medical devices against the titan’s pectorals. “Clear!”

Armin and Mikasa yelled when a shock of electricity ran through Eren’s body. His body jolted to life and his good eye snapped open before he roared in pain. Eren’s eye fell to Ratchet and he immediately swung his arm to smack Ratchet to the ground. Optimus quickly grabbed him before the strike could hit and pulled the medic back. Before Eren could strike again, Armin and Mikasa quickly flew forward and latched onto his hair to look him in the eye.

“Eren, it’s okay! They’re here to help!” Armin reassured; however, Eren still looked uncertain, remembering the pain he just felt in his chest. He looked behind the two of them to see Ratchet scrambling to get one of the defibrillators and put the device in his medical kit. The other side of his face completely healed, and he was stunned to see two metal titans staring back at him.

“We mean you no harm,” Optimus reassured as he raised his servos in surrender, “My name is Optimus Prime, and my comrades and I are here to help you deal with the titan threat.”

Eren blinked in disbelief as Armin and Mikasa sat on Eren’s shoulders.

“Do you remember your mission?” Optimus asked him.

Eren stood up before looking back at the boulder he was just sitting against. Eren clenched his fists before kneeling down and grabbing the boulder from the bottom. He sunk his fingers into the massive rock while Armin and Mikasa flew off of Eren to gain some distance. Eren grunted in pain as he heaved the boulder onto his shoulder and back before standing upright. Steam radiated off of him, but Eren ignored it as he began to walk.

“He’s doing it,” Mikasa sighed with relief.

“Arcee! Bulkhead!” Optimus activated his comm. link to contact the others, “Protect the titan carrying the boulder!”

Arcee jumped and spun in the air before slicing through the nape of the neck. She grunted as she jumped off of that titan before taking out her blaster and shooting another titan in the head.

“I thought the whole point was to kill these things!” Arcee shouted.

“Well one of them is apparently a human that can turn into a titan!” Ratchet explained.

“Oh, no way! A Kaiju?!” Miko screeched through Bumblebee’s comm. link.

“His name is Eren and he needs protection so he can seal the hole in the wall!” Optimus explained before shooting a titan that almost got too close to the titan shifter. “Do not let any of the other titans get near him!”

“On it!” Bulkhead shouted as he grabbed the legs of a titan and spun in around before throwing it at another titan blocking Eren’s path.

Optimus went to follow Eren to provide him some cover, and Ratchet quickly stood up to follow.

“Wait!” Ratchet looked back to the two humans that called him there in the first place.

“Thank you!” the girl told him before the both of them flew off to protect Eren.

“Sir!” Petra called out to Levi as he sliced the nape of two titans with ease. She pointed to the sight, and Levi witnessed a massive titan carrying a boulder just as big as it towards the hole in the wall. Levi then turned his attention to Optimus protecting the titan from behind, shooting any titans that got too close to it. Meanwhile, the blue and green titan converged onto the scene and killed any titans that got in the way of the one carrying the boulder.

“They’re going to seal the hole in the wall,” Levi muttered before calling out to his comrades that were near him, “Everyone! Kill any titans that might get too close to it!”

“Yes, Captain!” they followed his command.

“THIS IS THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE!” Hanji cheered, flying through the air with reckless abandon.

“Launch!” Arcee ordered Bulkhead as she bolted towards him. Bulkhead quickly lowered his servos for Arcee to stand on before throwing her into the air. From her aerial view, she aimed and fired at five titans that were too close for comfort. She then managed to jump on the back of a titan much larger than her before shooting it repeatedly in the nape of the neck.

“Holy shit! Is that a female titan?!” Connie pointed to the sight of Arcee jumping off the corpse before hitting the ground. Annie couldn’t help, but gulp at the sight of her.

“There’s more of them?!” Jean demanded as he landed right next to Connie and Annie.

“Get your asses up and kill the titans getting to close to the one holding the boulder!” a Survey Corps member shouted as a squad flew directly above them.

Marco continued to fly around the area, unable to stop his admiration at the sight before him. He watched as the metal titans killed the regular ones with ease. He saw how well they worked together. He saw how they were going out of their way to protect other humans. It was…incredible. He’s never seen such comradely and bravery. Not like this.

Even so, Titans were defying their innate nature to protect a species significantly weaker than them. But there were also humans that could become titans at will. Everything that he had ever known was a lie, but he wanted to do good works. He wanted to do good services. He wanted to serve the king, but many go to the interior in order to run from the titans. That’s exactly what Jean wants to do. And even if he explained this information to the government, would they listen? Would it fall on deaf ears and mean nothing? He wanted to be devoted and do what was right, but he also couldn’t run away when people were in danger.

Maybe…maybe the Military Police wasn’t where he belonged.

Eren couldn’t help but be overwhelmed at what was going on. He was met with the sight of metal titans helping humanity. He saw a flurry of soldiers swinging around on their 3D gear to eliminate titans. He could feel the pain from holding the boulder above his head, but he still pressed onward. His legs burned, the ground shook under his every step, but he still kept going. Fight. Fight!

Eren stumbled a little as he reached the hole, but it didn’t stop him. Titans stood in his way, but they were quickly shot down. Eren could hear Armin shouting his name, cheering him on, and he roared in determination as he slammed the boulder against the hole, sealing the entrance into Wall Rose. He could feel that there was a moment of quiet, of shock and disbelief at what humanity was able to accomplish, but he wasn’t able to relish in the victory as his body collapsed against the massive rock.

“Eren!” Armin and Mikasa called out for him, racing to the nape of his neck together to cut him out.

“The hole’s been sealed,” Connie muttered, “Holy shit. We actually stopped the titans!”

Reiner and Bertholdt landed closer to the now sealed gate and did their best to conceal their terror. There was so much to process. The gate had been sealed, and there were metal titans clearly never been seen before helping out the walls. They had no idea what they were supposed to do now!

“Autobots, continue assisting humanity in eliminating the titans!” Optimus ordered before they all continued eliminating the titans.

Pixis’ hands were behind his back while everyone watched on in concern. However, everyone was stunned when the yellow smoke signal shot up into the air, signifying that the operation was a success.

“Everyone! Assist in eliminating the titans and finding survivors!” Pixis commanded, and soldiers immediately heeding his command and jumped down the wall to help.

“Sir, there is the matter of…those titans,” Gustav chose his words carefully as he handed Pixis a telescope.

The Commander of the Garrison extended the device and looked through the lens. “It is something that we will have to watch closely. However, this will prove beneficial if we play our cards rig-!”

Pixis froze when he spotted…her. He spotted a female titan, slicing through the nape of a titan’s neck before extended both arms and shooting two titans on her side. The titans collapsed to the ground, but the female titan didn’t bother to look back as she bolted towards the next threat.

Pixis’ mouth dropped at the sight before his face morphed into a wistful smile.

“Sir,” Anka called out. “Sir!”

Pixis held the telescope close to his chest and giggled. “God does exist, and he has blessed me for all of my years of military service.”

“What are you talking about?” Anka snatched the telescope away from Pixis and used it to scan the battle field. When her gaze fell to the blue, female, titan, all she wanted to do was curse god for his incompetence.

“God does exist, and he is a cruel bastard who enjoys sick jokes,” Anka declared in frustration.

On Earth

Wheeljack stepped off the Jackhammer and examined his surroundings. There were crumbs of energon abandoned on the ground. The trees were knocked over and the ground was leveled. There were clear signs of blaster fire, and he checked the pulses of the vehicons to determine if they were dead or not.

What had happened? He was only on Earth for a little while, but he wasn’t expecting something as severe as a massive energy spike resembling that of a spacebridge. At least not yet. What was-!

“HEY! OPTIMUS! RATCHET! SOMEONE PICK UP THE COMM!” someone had screamed in the Jackhammer. Wheeljack walked inside of his ship and pressed a button.

“What do you want tiny?” Wheeljack demanded. He couldn’t forget that annoying aft voice no matter how hard he tried.

“Where in the Sam Hill are Optimus and the others?!” Agent Fowler demanded.

“I thought they were with you?” Wheeljack raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“Well there’s no sign of them!” Fowler declared, “Did the Decepticons capture them?!”

“No…,” Wheeljack trailed off, “But I think something else happened.”

“Well then get to Jasper, Nevada so we can talk about it!” Fowler ordered.

Wheeljack looked back at the battlefield before taking off towards the Autobot Base. What in the Allspark was going on?

(So a few notes:

-This timeline takes place right before Season 2 Episode 7 of Transformers Prime, so many key players would still be alive and active. -I didn't want to introduce the Decepticons in this chapter. If I were to introduce them, I would probably put them at the end of the 2nd chapter. I ended with Wheeljack because I thought the mystery aspect would be fun to set up. -Hanji does have a revelation that they are non-binary in this timeline, but they don't know what that means until Jack, Miko, and Raf bring it up because the trio were defaulting to they/them pronouns for Hanji when I made them interact with each other. However, I did try my best to avoid using she/her pronouns for Hanji unless I absolutely needed to do it because at this point in this timeline, Hanji does still go by those pronouns. I just didn't want to cause too many issues since I did say I would continue to refer to Hanji by they/them pronouns for the rest of my writing. It feels like I might be offending someone or breaking a promise. (Once Hanji changes their pronouns in this timeline, Levi does still threaten people with violence if they misgender Hanji). -Marco does live. I thought it would be fun to spice things up. -Because Levi is an Ackerman, I wanted him to be able to understand Bumblebee, but not that much because binary code is still new to Levi. -I was not originally going to have Ratchet resuscitate Eren, but the thought came to me as I was writing this and I wanted to have some fun with it. Lol. -I finished this damn thing in like two days. I'm really trying to get all my side projects done before I start my new job. -Anyway, be sure to show some love!)

25 notes · View notes

shalotttower · 21 hours

Text

A Natural Benefit

Title: A Natural Benefit

Fandom: Death Note

Characters: L Lawliet x Reader (female)

Summary: L wants to try something new, you want to be left alone. So an offer is on the table, it's a mutually beneficial arrangement after all.

Word count: 2100+

Notes: yandere!L, kidnapped Reader, dub-con kissing, manipulation, captivity, L and Reader were together at Wammy's House

"Would you indulge me?"

Your eyes dart up from the page to his face. L looks at you like he always does ─ an intent yet oddly distant stare that used to make goosebumps appear on your arms. Nowadays you're somewhat re-accustomed to his mannerisms. He doesn't blink much, tends to stand behind your back whenever possible, likes to play with his food and enjoys invading your personal space far too much to be deemed socially acceptable.

His habits are strange but harmless.

"No," you say, just to be contrary.

L is fond of making things sound simple, and then — snap! — the trap is shut, and you find yourself doing a completely different activity than initially expected.

"I want to kiss you."

"N-" You blink and lower your book down, not bothering to mark it. "What?"

"Kissing is an act of physical intimacy between individuals," he says like it's an obvious fact and you're merely slow on the uptake. L's expression doesn't change, neutral despite this being anything but a normal conversation starter even by your standards ─ admittedly low.

"Thank you for enlightening me about the definition," you lean back against the cushions, "still no."

"Why not?" He asks after a momentary pause.

"Because I don't want to."

A simple answer to a weird request. You try to resume reading, but there're other things currently occupying your brain ─ namely the attempts to understand what prompted such inquiry.

L never asked for physical contact before; platonic or otherwise. Sure he tried to entice you into spending time with him through bargain and manipulation, and you pretended to be oblivious enough to earn an Oscar for your acting skills. However, there never was any talk of kissing involved. Any kind of touching, actually.

He hums. "Would you like me to explain my reasons?"

Sometimes you think that the sole cause of L's existence is just so he could annoy people for kicks. His questions are always peculiar, and you've learned that every single one of them is designed to lead towards some specific conclusion, preferably the one he wants. You have a feeling that if you say 'yes', L will proceed to list a hundred points about why kissing is good. And then another hundred why kissing him specifically is beneficial.

"No."

He looks at you. You look at him and raise the book higher.

"Indulging me would benefit both of us," L says, undeterred. "You're very curious by nature and I find it quite fascinating that you're able to deny your curiosity in this particular case."

Has a more obvious bait ever existed anywhere in human history? Probably not, and you'll bet your entire life savings on it too.

"I'm not curious," you lie, "now leave me alone. I want to read."

He leans forward. "You haven't focused on the book since I asked my question."

Smartass. You purse your lips and pretend that the characters are suddenly so interesting, that it's hard to look away from the intricacies of the plot unfolding inside this fictional world. At least things there make sense; no need to figure out the hidden meanings behind other people's words, because they are mostly transparent when there's a whole paragraph dedicated to the protagonist's feelings.

He reminds you of those spider-like creatures from documentaries ─ their actions seem random at first glance, yet upon further scrutiny prove to be anything but. Instead, they're meticulously crafted and executed to obtain maximum results.

L studies you for a little while longer, and eventually pads towards the kitchenette. The kettle whistles soon after as he makes himself tea; mint flavored, judging by the aroma wafting through the air.

______________________________________________________

You should have known that he won't give up ─ L is just as persistent as you are stubborn. If anything, you've set a challenge before him, and he tends to fixate on those until they are solved: a fact well-known and accepted among those who ever had a (dis)pleasure of interacting with him.

He doesn't outright ask you again, not the next day or the one after that. No. Accidentally, the only type of movies you're able to watch now are rom-coms or dramas with lots of kissing scenes sprinkled here and there between the banter bordering on cringe; sweet confessions spoken over candlelit dinners; passionate declarations whispered during sunsets... Clichés, amore, and kisses galore.

"I'm not sure this is the best movie for the evening," you say, as the screen flickers with images of two leads gazing into each other's eyes like they found the answers to every single question asked.

"The reviews are quite positive," L replies, munching on caramel popcorn.

"Reviews can be faked. And the trailer was misleading. I thought it was going to be an action movie."

"It is an action movie. The genres are listed right there," he points at the screen, and the words 'romance and action' stare back at you.

You frown and settle deeper into the couch cushions. It's uncomfortable ─ watching romantic scenes with L in the same room. His presence doesn't feel oppressive or demanding, yet you can't shake off the squirmy, twisty feeling. The kind when you enter an elevator with someone else and get slightly agitated for no reason. And so you try to slow down your breathing, but it only makes things worse. Your heart beats faster, palms start sweating and the hypothetical elevator stranger inevitably thinks that you're weird.

L isn't an elevator stranger. He's the owner of the elevator, and the entire building, and the city.

"He's going to die in the next ten minutes," you mutter.

"No, he won't."

"Yes, he will."

L hums. "Want a bet?"

Your eyes narrow.

"If he survives past the fifteen minute mark," L says slowly, "you indulge me."

"And if he doesn't?"

"I leave you alone for two days."

There's no hesitation on his side. None whatsoever, which proves suspicious immediately ─ L never offers something unless certain about the outcome beforehand, whether by logical deduction or calculated gamble. Probability factors run inside his brain instead of blood cells and grey matter, calculating risk vs return ratio quicker than any computer ever could.

You glance at the screen. It's a simple plot. There were a twist or two earlier, sure, but overall nothing extraordinary that would require hours upon hours of critical thinking to unravel.

A man, a woman. A handsome villain who wants them dead, for various reasons. They run and fight, shoot guns, dodge punches, and kiss between those because apparently there's time for romance even when a life is on the line.

It's a very simple plot; and two days are a lot to pretend that L doesn't exist. That you got rich enough to buy this kind of apartment.

"The speakers?"

"Switched off."

"The cameras?"

"Those will stay."

Of course, they will. You wouldn't expect anything less ─ privacy issues are non-existent here in more ways than one.

L isn't always a presence. Sometimes he leaves and you're alone with nothing but books and TV to pass time, but two days sound wonderful regardless. There's something in empty spaces that's enticing, even if they're temporary. L, for all his peculiarities, isn't too bad of a company. He's quiet, and often busy with his own matters. But he also has this way of looking at you that is unnerving. Like you're interesting. Or important. Or simply fascinating.

Sometimes he wants to talk, he wants to listen, he wants to ask questions and give answers until everything blurs into an amalgamation of words. It's exhausting.

Two days sound good. His hand is dry and slender. You grasp it and shake it once.

"I'll start the timer now," L says after your hands separate.

______________________________________________________

Twelve minutes.

Three more and he's dead.

You wish that he'd just kick the bucket already, so you could spend the next forty eight hours in pure, undiluted bliss.

_______________________________________________________

The male lead dies after seventeen minutes.

When the credits roll over, the apartment is silent except for the soft buzzing of electronics. You look at the screen, stubbornly, because you don't want to look at him, the owner of the elevator, and the building, and the city.

"It was close," he comments, as if trying to comfort you, which makes it even more of a sore spot.

That’s what L thrives on ─ technicalities, loopholes, small and seemingly insignificant details which are easily overlooked, yet make a great difference. You're not sure if you're annoyed, or disappointed. And what’s more important ─ at whom.

You have known for years that L tends to get his way eventually whenever there's something specific caught up in that head of his; a fixation which refuses to leave until satisfied, and sometimes even after. Snap. You can get up and head out of the living room, you know you can. Will you though is another question entirely.

L isn't a typical captor ─ he doesn't demand or force you into things. He simply presents a possibility and waits. Not aggressive or domineering, not sadistic. But oh he is a PhD of holding a grudge. Leaving now probably means waking up tomorrow and finding that every single disk has vanished without a trace, along with the bookshelves being switched for some obscure scientific texts on chemistry, physics and other things that require an advanced degree to fully understand.

Because someone decided that you don’t deserve entertainment anymore. Because someone is petty enough to deprive you of basic mental stimuli, and is stubborn enough to hold onto that decision even when reasoned with. Unsuccessfully.

It's a talent really, this particular brand of making your life miserable in many small ways, so they accumulate into something greater over time until you feel like the walls are closing in slowly but surely.

You can't back out, even though no one openly stops you from doing so. And L knows that. And he knows that you know. His lips twitch and curl upward before flattening again into neutral territory.

There's a theory that if you pull a band-aid fast enough, it won't hurt as much. The credibility behind it is questionable.

You exhale and meet L's gaze ─ his posture hasn't changed from the beginning to the end of the film, knees tucked to his chest, eyes two dark pools that stare without blinking. His fingers drum a steady rhythm, and that's probably the only sign that gives it away.

Anticipation.

"Fine," you say finally.

His mouth opens before closing back again. L doesn't move a bit.

He wants you to do it, you realize. Wants you to initiate instead of just allowing it. What an ass.

You squish his cheeks between your palms until his lips pucker outwards. L makes a soft noise of surprise but doesn't try to fight back.

Black lashes cast a shadow across his skin. There's no perfume or cologne, no distinct smell ─ he uses plain soap and shampoo which don't have a discernible aroma.

"I believe I was promised an indulgence," L says, voice muffled a bit by your hands on his face.

He looks like a fish this way. A silly, ridiculous image that would make you snort if not for the situation at hand.

Band-aids and ripping them off.

You sigh, lean forward, and press your mouth to his.

He tastes like caramel popcorn.

Mint tea.

Indulgence.

The angle is awkward, and L doesn't move an inch to accommodate the position. He stays still like a block of solid rock, not a single muscle twitches, and doesn't even attempt to reciprocate. You have half a mind to think that maybe he's mocking you, but then his fingers lightly curl on the fabric of his jeans. L's eyelids flutter half-closed when your noses bump, then open again right after. Another oddity added to the pile.

It lasts no longer than ten seconds before you pull away. L blinks. Touches his lower lip with the tip of a finger and rubs it like searching for traces left by the contact.

"You were promised an indulgence," you remind him, trying to sound calm, collected, but your ears and neck feel hot, "not a make-out session."

Technicalities and loopholes.

L has that look you can't quite pinpoint yet know far too well. You've seen it many times before. When he thinks about something but keeps it to himself for now.

"You look more lively," he remarks eventually. "Healthy complexion suits you."

You don't need to hear what he says next, because the words already ring through your head.

"I told you it would benefit us both."

#shalott fanfiction #shalott imagine #yandere #death note #yandere l lawliet #yandere l lawliet x reader #yandere l x reader

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wife-of-all-dilfs · 3 months

Text

what friends do | f. odair

masterlist

summary: you were a simple town girl. finnick odair was the crown jewel of panem. both of you needed an escape and found it at a secluded beach just outside district four. these were three ingredients that created a year-long friendship. but were friends supposed to have… impure thoughts about one another? you weren’t so sure.

pairing: finnick odair x fem!reader

warnings: smut, wayyy too much detail, dirty thoughts, friends-to-lovers, mild angst, mostly readers pov, pre-rebellion, HEAVY dirty talk, fingering, unprotected p in v (big no no), multiple orgasms, so much pining, creampie, cock-warming

notes: i’m so sorry this took me so long. life has been up my ass lately and, as y’all know, i’m a slow writer. but thank you sm to everyone who patiently stuck around, i love y’all <3 this was supposed to be a short smut fic but um, apparently not. anyway, this has taken long enough to come out so imma stop rambling. ENJOY <3

word count: 11.7k

Mid-Autumn was closely approaching District Four.

Harvest in the fishing industry was at its peak and the docks were chock-full with boats bringing in their plentiful catches. The town centre was a bustling scene, crowded with people selling produce and trading for food to bring home to their family's kitchen table.

Last year's autumn harvest was the same picture—overflow, hustle, commotion; chaos like this was something you never came to enjoy. So, it was also around this time last year that you had decided to set off in search of the perfect location away from the rest of society. A place where you could be at peace, where you could forget the disastrous world you lived in.

District Four was home to many popular beaches, but the one you discovered was uninhabited, isolated, found after an hour-or-so-long trek through overgrown dirt pathways and a thicket of sea-grape and palm trees. A true paradise away from society. Or so you had thought in the first few weeks.

You weren't too sure when he had started showing up or how he had even discovered the beach.

However, one evening, as you were seated in the sand watching the sunset on the darkening horizon, you noticed a dark figure diving and surfacing in the flat, glimmering water. Their movements were so poised and fluid like the ocean was something they had conquered. You guessed it to be a dolphin or shark because there was no way a human being could move so gracefully.

But then the figure started wading to shore, and the next thing you knew, they were standing on two legs and exiting the water. You knew then that you had guessed wrong. The sun behind him obscured the bronze of his hair and the swirling lukewarm sea that pooled around his pupils. All you could see was the outline of his tall broad figure as he hiked through the sand toward you.

Fear had told you to bolt from the approaching stranger. You were in the middle of nowhere—it was the perfect place to be murdered or kidnapped. But something else, some deep and tangible instinct, also told you to stay.

"Didn't realise I had a captive audience," thestranger spoke, droplets of gleaming water sliding off his body and into the sand as he stood a few feet away.

Taken by surprise, you fumbled over your words trying to form a sentence in response. "I wasn't—I didn't—"

"Easy, honey," he chuckled. The sound was so warm and pleasant that it almost alleviated the slight chill in the air. "Just pulling your leg."

Your mouth formed a small circle. "Right," you said, gaze locked on the golden sand in embarrassment. "I, uh, didn't think anyone else knew about this place."

To be honest, you were pretty sure it was a restricted area. Probably the reason it was so isolated. If a Capitol official found you, the consequences would most likely involve your tongue, a scalpel, and a hell of a lot of pain. All for a wanting a little peace and quiet.

"Neither did I," the man said. "I only come every now and then. Need an escape from the constant buzz back home. Time for myself, you know?"

"Yeah." You smiled, feeling the stranger's words resonate in your soul. "Yeah, I do know."

You thought you saw the corners of his lips curve into a smile, but the shadows on his face were so prominent that you couldn't tell.

"Mind if I sit?" he asked.

Well... if he were going to murder you, he would have done it already. So, you nodded. Sometimes you questioned your survival instincts. Or lack thereof.

He didn't leave much space as he sat beside you. Only an inch or two, meaning you could feel the humidity of body heat and salt water emit from his skin. Even sitting down, he was still quite tall compared to you, but that wasn't what caused your heart to drop into your stomach.

The setting sun, which no longer disguised his face with shadows, now illuminated his entire figure and revealed his identity. His hair was a mess of wet wavy strands, the colour alight like a pale fire beneath the sun's orange radiance. His skin was sun-kissed, no doubt from days he had spent perfecting his swimming abilities. And those dimples... wow.

He was gorgeous. A man sculpted by the gods of beauty, just like everyone in Panem had depicted him to be. Even his sea-green eyes were as striking as everyone said.

Finnick Odair.

The man who was crowned victor of the sixty-fifth Hunger Games at fourteen. Who trapped multiple tributes at once in a net and killed them one by one with his famed trident. A killer.

The man whose reputation in the Capitol was known nationwide. A proud womanizer.

That was what everyone made him out to be.

Only, in the brief interaction you shared with him, he seemed like quite the opposite. He radiated effortless charm and warmth, but not in the arrogant way the media had portrayed him. Then again, did the media ever accurately portray the truth of anything?

It was then that you determined it didn't really matter who people said he was or what he had done. He was a human being—just like you. He deserved a chance.

His pink lips stretched into a knee-weakening smile; you were grateful that you were sitting down.

"I'm Finnick, by the way."

The both of you knew he didn't need to introduce himself. The whole of Panem knew his name and face. Though the fact that he humbly did so anyway made you like him the tiniest bit more.

You returned his smile with one of your own and introduced yourself.

Time passed and the sun had set; the moon had risen, but you both remained sitting side-by-side in the sand. Conversation flowed so naturally between the two of you that it was difficult for you to remember that stopping and getting some air into your lungs was an important factor in keeping a conversation going... as well as keeping you alive.

You told him about yourself as he did himself—some things that were meant to remain secrets, some things that seemed too strange to tell anyone else.

At some point, he had offered to walk you back to your house. The trek was over an hour long but neither of you seemed to care. The time flew by.

When you were standing at your front door and he was gazing up at you from the bottom of the steps, you both promised to meet again the next day. And you did.

As you did the day after that... and the day after that... and the day after that...

**********

As soon as the nights carried that familiar chill and the town congested with markets and fervent buyers, you knew mid-autumn had made its return. This meant most of your evenings were spent at a certain secret beach with a certain District Four victor.

Having already finished his pre-sunset swim, Finnick was sitting beside you, fingers weaving dried palm leaves into the mat beneath you. A couple of weeks after you had first met, he had shown up one day holding it all rolled up in hand.

"Made this for you to sit on," he had said with a proud smile. "Took nearly all night and earned me a few good finger cramps, but I think it was worth it."

Pinpointing the exact moment your attraction to him first formed was tricky. However, that gesture was one your mind returned to often. That little palm-leaf mat, the time and effort he put into making it, was scored on your heart.

Finnick was very much a gentleman.

He would always offer you a hand when standing up and whenever you walked back through the overgrown seaside forest. Sometimes he picked fruits for you such as sea grapes and mangos or would climb one of the palms and knock down a few coconuts. One thing he always, always did wasmake sure you got home safe; he never let you out of his sight until you were safe inside your front door.

All those gestures, big and small, added up. Soon enough, Finnick Odair had infiltrated your heart and consumed all your thoughts. You saw his sea-green eyes staring back at you whenever you gazed out at the ocean by your house. Felt the ghost of his hands on yours whenever you picked a grape from the kitchen fruit bowl. Heard his voice calling out your name in your most vivid of dreams.

But there was more to it than innocent adoration.

The guilt came when your gaze started lingering on his body a little too long whenever he left the water at the beach. Shimmering droplets would glide down his beautifully tanned skin; his arm muscles would flex as his fingers raked back his dripping wet hair. It wasn't yourfault he was the walking definition of perfection.

Unholy was the closest word to describe the filthy thoughts that had perverted your imagination. What started as endearing daydreams soon became fantasies that had you seeking relief between your thighs late at night. Your thoughts went wild whenever he dropped you off at your house. It took everything in you not to invite him inside and ask him to fuck you senseless against the front door.

All you had to do was ask. You knew he would say yes.

A year is a long time to know someone. A long time for feelings to grow. It also serves as a lot of time for things to happen between two people—things that linger in your mind even months after they have happened.

Like the times he would walk by you and teasingly whisper something provocative in your ear, then disappear for an hour of swimming, leaving you all hot and flustered in the sand. Neither of you would acknowledge it when he returned. Or when conversations took such a flirtatious turn, the tension only dissipated when houses were separating you at the end of the night.

But that's just what friends do, right? They tease and banter?

Maybe.

However, not all things could be chalked up to being just friends.

Another thing about Finnick's eyes was that they were transparent. You saw how helplessly they clung to you the days you stripped to your underwear and joined him in the water. He had this sort of reaction that turned his eyes into a dark violent sea, like you were some divine temptation planted to test the strength of his resolve.

Sometimes he could resist. Other days it was obvious he couldn't help but reach out and touch.

He would try to be subtle about it. Hands holding yours a little longer than necessary when he helped you stand up. Sitting too closely beside you so that your arms and legs would graze against each other. Brushing off pieces of seaweed that would stick to the dip of your waist and then constantly using the same excuse just to feel the heat of your soft skin.

There was one interaction, though, that you fell asleep to the thought of every night. It was a moment when things almost went too far; an interaction friends definitely did not share.

You could remember it clear a day. Hell, you could still feel it clear as day.

It was a hot summer evening. Both you and Finnick were at the beach and swimming in the water since being in the muggy coastal heat for more than five minutes was parallel to roasting in a thousand-degree sauna.

You were about twenty meters offshore, bobbing beside Finnick as he dived to collect various seashells. That boy could hold his breath for an unbelievable amount of time which meant sometimes you spent minutes alone on the surface, waiting, listening to the calm waves lap eerily around you.

This is exactly how people die in shark movies, said an unwarranted voice in your mind.

As usual, a minute went by. Nothing to worry about. Then a minute turned into two and you were starting to become a little concerned. And then it was two and a half minutes and you were now panicking.

"Finnick?!" you called out, hoping he could somehow hear you from the dark depths.

Three minutes had totalled, and you were pretty certain he had drowned. Just to add to the utter dread coursing through your veins, something slimy brushed against your foot. Most likely a piece of seaweed, but you didn't make that connection at the time.

That very same moment, Finnick burst through the water's surface, only mildly breathless and pinching a small iridescent shell between his fingers.

"Look at thi—"

Before the words could leave his mouth, he found himself enveloped in your distraught embrace. Your face was buried in the crook of his neck, crying tears of relief.

Damn that stupid seashell.

He automatically secured you in his arms, concern palpable in his voice as he asked, "Are you okay?"

You pulled away, an indistinguishable combination of tears and saltwater rolling down your cheeks. Though it was hard to miss the look of distress found in your furrowed brows and trembling lips.

"Don't ever do that to me again!" you exclaimed, gripping his arms to emphasise your urgency. "You hear me?! Ever!"

Finnick's head tilted slightly, surprised by your emotional reaction. He hadn't realised he meant so much to you. The surprise faded into remorse, softening his features.

"I won't. I won't, I promise," he said sincerely. His eyes flickered over the worry lines etched on your forehead. He unconsciously brushed his thumb over the lines, hoping to draw out the anxiety with his touch, and then tucked away a strand of hair. "I'm sorry I scared you."

You took in a deep, shuddering breath in an attempt to compose yourself. A mess of emotions stirred inside you—worry, embarrassment, irritation. You were partially frustrated with Finnick for making you fear for his life. Mostly annoyed with yourself for showing such vulnerability in front of him.

"God, you're an idiot sometimes," you sighed, shaking your head.

He smirked. "Didn't think you cared so much about me."

"No, you just don't think, Finn."

He glanced off into the distance for a moment with furrowed brows. "Well, that's definitely not true," he countered, meeting your gaze again with a half-smirk. "I think about a lot of things, actually."

"Oh? Like what?" you asked, slightly annoyed. "Do tell me what the great Finnick Odair thinks about instead of his own safety."

Slowly, the smirk faded from his lips. Something new tinged the atmosphere and suddenly everything around you seemed hotter than it previously was. Not an uncomfortable or sweltering heat, but one that held an intensity that sparked the air with electricity.

You suddenly became very aware that Finnick was still holding you in his arms. You recognised the confined proximity between you and him and realised that, before this moment, your bodies had never been so close.

Your legs were curled around his hips, pelvis pressed firmly against his. The position of his hands, which were keeping you afloat, was bordering on inappropriate but would only be deemed as such if you cared. Which you didn't. You liked it—having his hands on you.

One thing you couldn't ignore was the flickering of his gaze. How his eyes kept dropping to your lips. How they blatantly revealed a long-awaited confession that words just couldn't capture. Still, you wanted to hear him say it. You wanted to hear the purr in his voice as he told you.

Then he was leaning in. You weren't sure whether it was on purpose or if the pure magnetism of the tension between you was drawing him closer. Regardless, you started to lean in closer too, eyes drooping as you focused on his mouth.

And before the short distance between your lips and his became immeasurable, you whispered, "Tell me, Finn."

The hands keeping you afloat trailed up and down your back restlessly as Finnick forced a tense exhale through his nose. He seemed to be wrestling with thoughts. You waited in anticipation, and right when it seemed like he was going to make a move—

"I think..."

—you were interrupted. By no less than a pod of dolphins as they leapt from the water, causing you and Finnick to jolt from each other's embrace.

The rest of that evening was not worth mentioning. Not because you had forgotten what happened, but because the sheer awkwardness between you and Finnick afterwards was so torturous that you wanted to keep the memory squashed in the recesses of your mind. Neither of you acknowledged what happened. Finnick still walked you home, but it was done so in agonising silence.

Surprisingly, you both returned to the beach the next day. You hadn't expected him to be his usual upbeat self, but he was. So, in turn, you too acted like the previous day was erased from history. But your friendship with him was never the same.

Flirty conversations no longer felt like a joke; they now had a deeper meaning. Fleeting touches caused full-body goosebumps that didn't happen before. There was so much unresolved tension, and it was painfully thick. Inescapable.

So, as Finnick sat beside you present-day, weaving dried palm leaves into the mat beneath your bodies, you couldn't help but notice the transparency of your body language and his. The gap between you both was comparable to the size of a pearl and even though neither of you acknowledged it, you kept catching each other stealing quick glances every half-minute or so.

When you were sure he wasn't looking, you found your gaze drawn to his fingers. They were sturdy, yet nimble; curling and manoeuvring in ways that had your face feeling hotter than the heat of any sunburn or warm summer's day. This heat was beneath your skin. Spreading through your limbs in little tendrils and wrapping around your nerves. A dip in the salty sea wouldn't cool you down nor would a gulp of cold fresh water.

As you stared at his hands, you knew only the source of the sensation could offer reprieve. But that wouldn't happen, so there you burned.

The fact that he was shirtless and that his hair was a gorgeous mess of damp bronze curls helped not one bit with taming the consuming desire inside you. God, you were a mess yourself.

You sighed.

The sun, glowing intensely with a divine orange, was beginning its descent on the horizon. Your feet were buried beneath the soft sand, trying to retain some warmth as a slight breeze blew against your exposed skin.

Wearing a short sundress probably wasn't the most practical idea. Embarrassing as it was to admit, practicality wasn't what was going through your mind when you decided to wear it... Someone—Something else was.

"Something on your mind?" Finnick asked suddenly.

Your heart fumbled in your chest, terrified that he had somehow heard your thoughts. "Sorry?"

"You sighed," he said, turning his head to look at you. "Or am I just getting so old that I'm already starting to hear things?"

With relief of his lack of mind-reading abilities, you laughed softly. "You're definitely getting a bit old, Finn," you teased. "Any nursing homes you've been considering?"

"I heard retirement by the sea has its perks," he quipped, subtle dimples present as he returned to his weaving. "Although, I will need someone to make sure I don't fall asleep while swimming and get carried out by the tide. What d'you say, sweetheart? Up for becoming my personal lifeguard?"

Absolutely. "Depends. Will you force me to wear one of those awful flowery swimming caps with a matching tankini?"

He clicked his tongue in disapproval. "I'm thinking more like those little red bodysuits. You know, the ones that zip open down the front?"

You reprimanded him by pushing his shoulder, wearing a betraying smile. "Very charming."

"I just think red's your colour, that's all," he laughed.

Your stomach fluttered. You knew he was teasing you; teasing was basically the foundation of your... friendship. Deep down, you knew there was also some truth behind his words. A truth that was as electrifying as it was upsetting—how long were you both going to keep up with this whole 'friends' charade? Could you handle it if the answer was forever?

Best not to think about it. For your sanity's sake.

Finnick finally settled into a comfortable position with his forearms locked around his bent knees, apparently having decided to continue his mat-weaving another time. He had been extending it bit by bit ever since he first made it for you. At this point, you were sure he was attempting to cover the entire beach. For now, it was only big enough for two people to lie down on.

Sounds pretty convenient, came an abrupt thought.

And then you fell down yet another rabbit hole of depraved daydreams... A pair of hands interlocking your own above your head. Hot lips pressing kisses to your neck. Tongue gliding up the sensitive skin of your jugular. Your fingers tugging at bronze curls between your thighs.

You were sick. Diseased with immorality. Finnick was your friend. If not your best friend. You're not supposed to fantasise about fucking your best friend.

"Thinking about anyone in particular?"

You almost choked on your saliva. "W—What?"

How did he keep doing that?

Finnick seemed to find joy in your perplexity. It was written all over his face. God, those fucking dimples. "You've been completely still for nearly five minutes and your legs are covered in goosebumps," he pointed out. "Hence the question: who are you thinking about?"

As you looked down, you found that your skin was in fact riddled with goosebumps. It didn't occur to you then that the only reason he could have noticed was if he was staring at your legs in the first place. It also didn't occur to you that Finnick obviously had the very same debauched thoughts running through his own mind.

Why did you have to wear such a revealing dress? He already struggled enough with resisting you at the best of times.

If you had been paying attention, a simple glance in his direction would have revealed how his ears were pink and his pupils were dilated. More importantly, you would have seen his legs constantly shifting to ease the discomfort tenting his pants. Fortunately, he had mastered the art of winding himself down in a short amount of time.

Unfortunately for you, that ability was not within your skill set.

You scoffed. "In case you haven't noticed, Finnick—it's autumn," you said, a quick snappy lilt in your tone. "I know you've got some weird internal space heater built into you, but normal people tend to have a reaction to the cold."

Well, it's a good thing you didn't sound defensive...

Finnick raised an eyebrow at you, displaying a puzzled half-smirk that spoke a thousand words.

You lowered your head in embarrassment, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry," you murmured. "I just, uh, don't really like the cold."

"Who could've guessed."

Despite serving as an excuse, it wasn't entirely untrue. You really did dislike the cold. And it was now that you seriously regretted your choice of sparse attire. The breeze kept blowing up the dress's skirt, threatening to expose your dignity to the world. Or more accurately, to Finnick. Thankfully, you had decided to wear a pair of delicate lace underwear that morning instead of old granny panties.

Nevertheless, now that it was on your mind, you couldn't think about anything but the cold gusts of wind blowing against you. Chills ran over your skin and you were shaking like a leaf.

Finnick, being the gentleman that he was, scanned the surrounding area for anything he could use to keep you warm. He would've given you his shirt had it not been crumpled in a ball of wet sand on the ground.

There was nothing else of use. Nothing except a single apprehensive idea sitting in the forefront of his mind. It was all he had. He bit the inside of his cheek as he contemplated the potentially disastrous idea.

Then, after taking a silent deep breath, he finally said, "Come here then." Your eyes snapped to his. You must've looked like you had seen a ghost because his brows knitted together in confusion. "What?" he breathed out a chuckle. "I'd prefer not having to carry you home as a block of ice."

You thought about it for a moment. Was it really such a good idea after the thoughts that were just swarming in your mind? Another gust of wind blew by and you instinctively wrapped your arms around yourself.

"I won't bite, sweetheart. Not unless you want me to," he added.

You rolled your eyes. "Oh, shut up."

With that, you slid across the mat, positioning your body, which was still facing the sunset, in front of his legs. There was a moment of hesitation. Anxiety. But before you could reconsider, Finnick wrapped a strong arm around your middle and pulled you back against his chest, situating your body between his legs.

The exhale that left your lips was instantaneous and you couldn't help but shudder at the warmth of his skin. "God," you sighed, overwhelmed by the sudden change in temperature. "How are you so warm all the time?"

"Oh, you know. Weird internal space heater."

You laughed softly, then felt Finnick's chest vibrate against your back as he joined you. His bare arms wound tighter around you, motivated by the affectionate atmosphere. Your body seemed to melt into the cocoon of warmth he provided, and a soft smile graced your lips.

"Better?" he asked.

You nodded, responding with a whisper, "Thank you."

"Anytime."

You could hear the smile in his voice and how intently he was trying to hide it. You wished you could have seen it. To see the sense of peace you shared. However, feeling it in the way he held you was enough.

Instead of blood, your heart now seemed to be pumping out rather odd alternatives—waves of sea-green salted ocean, iridescent seashells, smiles paired with heart-stopping dimples. How could he? How could Finnick condemn you to loving him like this? So unwaveringly; so without a hope of ever being able to return to life without him in it.

He made a mess of you. A ruin. And even with wholesome affection running through your veins, you still couldn't ignore the hazy images conjuring in your mind from the way his body was pressed firmly behind you.

How could he?

The sun had just touched the horizon, granting the sky a few more minutes of light, meaning it was almost time to head home—an upsetting reality. You weren't sure how much time had passed before your body started to ache from lack of movement.

You wiggled your toes which were buzzing like television static. The feeling started moving up your legs and you knew if you didn't stretch, you would later embarrass yourself trying to stand on dead legs. So that is what you did. You started moving.

First, you stretched out the muscles in your legs and then moved onto straightening your back against Finnick's chest, feeling the faint pops of your spine offer you relief. And then you started readjusting your position and wriggling your hips to fit more comfortably between Finnick's toned thighs. That was your first mistake.

"Stop moving."

You were taken aback by the rigid inflection in his tone. "What?" you asked, ignoring his warning and continuing your restless movements.

"Stop. Moving," Finnick repeated, sounding more strained.

His hold on you became stiff. Completely frozen.

You were confused. Everything was perfect a moment ago, and all you were doing was stretching—why was he being so weird and snappy?

In response, you exhaled sharply. "I'm just trying to get comf—"

"Fuck," he breathed out.

Your eyes widened and it was safe to say your stomach had flipped inside out.

That was the moment you finally realised your second mistake. The rigidness in his voice wasn't him being snappy with you at all. Not even close. He was just trying to prevent the pleasure he felt below from reaching his vocal cords.

But it was too late. It wouldn't have mattered if he managed to keep quiet because you could feel it now. The achingly hard length that was pressed against your backside, reaching all the way up to your tailbone.

"...Oh," you whispered.

"Yeah," Finnick said. "Oh."

Now it was your turn to freeze. Fear consumed you, similar to what you imagined having to remain motionless in front of tyrannosaurus rex to prevent from being eaten alive was like. Thanks to the damning wind, strands of your hair blew behind your shoulders, undoubtedly tickling the exposed skin of Finnick's chest. Even that minuscule movement had your heart threatening to explode with anxiety.

As per usual, panic wreaked havoc in your mind.

What do I do? Do I get up? How will we come back from this? Does he—

Finnick cleared his throat. "Uh, you still alive in there?" he chuckled nervously.

You felt minor relief enter your bloodstream upon hearing the normality in his voice. At least one of you was composed enough to act normally. Well, as normal as one could act after becoming hard due to their best friend sitting in their lap.

"Is it—" You swallowed the nerves rattling your voice "—is it because there's a girl sitting on your lap, or is it because it's me?"

That was the million-dollar question. Was his reaction simply biological? A natural response to stimulation? Or was it deeper than that? More personal.

Finnick was silent.

The rapid thumping in your chest moved to your ears, like a drumroll leading up to some grand reveal. You felt dizzy; both filled with dreadful anticipation and exhilaration. Your senses were so heightened, fuelled by an inane bout of adrenaline. You swore you could almost hear the gears turning in Finnick's mind, smell the smoke as they rotated over and over, trying to make sense of your question and form a suitable response.

Religion never played a factor in your life, but, oh, how you were zealously praying his answer would be the one you spent all your nights fantasising about. But still, he was silent.

And right when you believed he wasn't going to respond at all, his lips finally uttered that single life-changing word. "You."

Fireworks seemed to light up every nerve in your body. You.

You weren't sure what to make of your thoughts at first. The overwhelming abundance of emotion caused by a singular word was difficult to fathom. Only one sentiment stood out from the rest—and that was the fact that Finnick felt the same as you did for him.

It was no longer a speculation. It was a fact. A truth. An undeniable reality. You had both verbal and physicalproof, literally digging into your backside.

Finnick slowly, very slowly, unwound an arm from your torso, and you held your breath. His hand slid across your waist and then plastered itself over your hipbone, careful not to apply too much pressure to make you feel uncomfortable. When you felt the slight movement of his thumb gliding across your clothed skin, you exhaled the burning air in your lungs with a shaky sigh.

"Do you want me to get up?" you asked softly while staring at the sunset, although you were focused on anything but.

"Not a chance." And then he unwound the other arm, now cupping both sides of your hips with two large hands. The heat from his palm sank into your skin, sinking deeper layer by layer until it reached the rapid flow of your bloodstream. "Do you want to get up?"

You felt a pulsing sensation between your thighs that had your parted lips inhaling slow deep breaths, and you knew the only logical answer was no. So, you shook your head.

Finnick reached up to skilfully tuck a lock of hair behind your ear before placing his hand back on your hip. He then leaned down beside your ear, voice a hot, velvety whisper, "What next then, sweetheart?"

A wave of chills ran down your entire body.

What next? Another question for the ages. You had dreamt of this moment a million times over. You had pictured the unholiest, most vivid of scenarios, and yet here you were, mind blank as an empty void.

Then it hit you. Rather than acting from a pre-planned script, wouldn't it be better to just let your body act on what it naturally desired? On instinct? You took in a deep, stabilising breath and gave yourself into moment.

You slowly began turning your head to the side until, for the first time since he pulled you into his arms, your eyes flickered up and found Finnick's. His lips quirked with the ghost of a smile at the exchange, but he held it back. His jaw clenched and unclenched, muscles ticking with tension.

He was looking at you in a way you had never seen before. Or perhaps, you were just never close enough to notice, and he had always looked at you this way. There was a blazing intensity in his eyes, dark and penetrative, a bridge between yearning and total reverence. It was so enticing that you could feel your hands itching to undress yourself in front of him.

Finnick murmured your name.

"Yes?" you managed to whisper.

"Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this?"

Those words—he had stolen them from the tip of your tongue.

You couldn't find the strength to muster any profound response. So instead, you found your head tilting back and the crook of your elbow winding up and around the nape of his neck. You didn't need to guide him down; he came willingly.

His lips caught yours in a soft, warm exchange. Singular yet prolonged. Then there was a brief pause of disconnection, a calm before the storm. And with Finnick, when it rained, it poured. Suddenly, a hand was cupping the area where your jaw and neck connected, and his lips were on yours again.

There was so much more heat in this kiss. A depth that kept growing with each connection of your lips. You could hear the fervour in the breathless exhales that exited his nose, the quiet groans that slipped into your mouth. Though the same could be said for you.

You couldn't subdue the moans and meek whimpers that leaked out. Especially when his tongue slipped into your mouth and took control over your own. At this point, you couldn't even be called putty in his arms; you were pure liquid, totally and completely submissive in his embrace.

It was impossible to tell who was throbbing beneath you anymore. All you were sure of was that the pretty lace panties you had put on that morning were now soaked. Though even if he never touched you, you wouldn't have cared. Having his lips on yours, his tongue on yours, was enough. And if he kept at it long enough, you were sure it would even be enough to get you off. That's how much power Finnick had over you.

Apparently, he felt the same too. Because when you leaned further back into him and your ass pushed against the length of his erection, his fist scrunched the fabric of your dress by your hip and his lips left yours to let out a shuddering breath.

"Fuck, sweetheart," he huffed, half chuckling.

Technically, it was a suppressed moan. Either way, you swear you almost came then and there.

With one last gentle kiss, you opened your eyes, pulling away to replenish your lungs with air. Finnick's eyes were already locked on yours in a drunken haze from the taste of your lips. Your arm unwound from his neck, grazing down his broad shoulders and bicep. During so, your eyes caught on the tiny bumps and raised hair scattered across his arm.

"You've got goosebumps," you smiled, trailing your fingertips across his skin.

His gaze moved to follow your hand, wearing a boyish grin. "Would you believe me if I said I was cold?"

Your throat buzzed with a suppressed giggle. Seeing the way his body reacted to yours was incredibly motivating. Someone telling you they lusted after you could easily be spoken with deception. But having visual confirmation, witnessing a reaction that couldn't possibly be forced, was a whole different story. Finnick's body craved you.

Given that incentive, the slight trepidation still holding you back now disappeared into the back of your mind. Your fingers curled around his wrist, dragging the hand beneath your jaw down to your neck, and then down to your chest. It didn't take him too long to figure out your intentions. He overtook your influence and autonomously moved his hand to cup your breast.

You were essentially caged in his embrace. Exactly how you wanted it.

You stared ahead with relaxed eyes, watching as the sun slipped into the dark water. Night had officially blanketed District Four and, now being shielded by darkness, the stars were your only witness. Strangely enough, you felt a new sense of shamelessness.

So as Finnick kneaded your breast in his warm hand and pinched the sensitive peak of your nipple between his thumb and forefinger through the lace of your bra, you allowed a soft moan to escape your lips.

It was almost as if you could actually feel the smirk growing across Finnick's lips behind you. One thing you actually could feel was the twitch of his achingly hard cock beneath you.

"You like that?" he asked, definitely smirking.

"Yes," you sighed almost immediately.

If only he knew how truly euphoric you felt. If only he knew how many times you had imagined being in this exact situation. Having him touching you like this. The guilt of imagining him in such a way used to eat you up. But now that you were past the guilt, there was no shame connected to the thought of Finnick eating you up.

Fuck, he would look so perfect between your thighs—bronze curls all messed up from your pulling and tugging; sea green eyes squeezed shut as he dedicated his attention to dragging you down to the pits of hell with his tongue.

Your head fell back against his collarbone. He took this as a signal to move your hair aside and start planting hot kisses onto the curve of your shoulder. Then he trailed further across, brushing his lips across your skin until he reached the side of your neck and started sucking gently, though enough to leave behind pretty little red marks of possession.

"What about this?" he murmured against the delicate skin.

The faint taste of sea-salted air sat in the back of your throat as your breaths deepened. You felt his tongue glide partially up the length of your carotid artery, and your entire nervous system seemed to short-circuit.

"Yes,"you practically whined.

He must have found this amusing because you could feel the vibrations of his chuckle against your neck. But he wasn't finished yet. Hell, the finish line was a lifetime away regarding the things he planned on doing to you. They probably couldn't all be done in one night though, unfortunately.

You had completely forgotten about the hand still splayed on your hip. Why would you pay it any attention when it was sitting idle? Only it wasn't simply resting on your hip anymore. No. Now it was moving. Moving down.

His lips were still on your neck and he was still cupping your breast, but all you could focus on was the carnal descent of his hand. He found the hem of your dress, fingers toying with the flimsy material as one did when deciding whether or not to go through with something potentially consequential. Ultimately, he began to drag the fabric up your thighs, knuckles grazing over your soft skin until the skirt of your dress was ruched around your hips.

You sucked in a sharp breath. The vulnerability of suddenly being exposed in such a manner hit you like a tonne of bricks. This was really happening. Finnick, the Capitol's darling, District Four's golden boy, and more significant;y, your best friend, was touching you. He was kissing you. He was seeing and feeling parts of your body you had never let him see or feel before.

Naturally, this unfurling web of thoughts produced a surge of insecurity.

But, when his hand curled around your inner thigh and spread a wildfire of warmth across your skin, every thought that was previously passing through your mind disintegrated and was replaced with unadulterated yearning.

Finnick's mouth finally detached from your neck to hover beside your ear. "And this?"

He lightly kneaded your thigh to emphasise his question, dangerously close to the place that undoubtedly crossed the boundary between friend and lover.

You were speechless. The desire running through your veins was paralysing. All you could do was look, see, feel, and hope to god you didn't pass out from the shallowness of your breathing.

"Come on, sweetheart," he roused in that low, seductive purr. "Don't go quiet on me now. Use your words."

And how could you ever disobey a voice like that? It took every ounce of strength and concentration you had in you, but eventually, you managed to find your voice.

"I—" You cut yourself off with a gasp as his thumb purposefully wandered up to the edge of your underwear. Asshole. "I lie awake every night imagining us like this, Finn. You don't need permission to touch me. You've already had it for months."

Suddenly, a gentle finger was turning your chin, compelling you to meet Finnick's gaze. His eyes lacked the intensity from before and were now brimming with awe, brows knitted as if he was asking for confirmation if what you had said was truthful. And it was, painfully so.

To answer his wordless question, you leaned forward and connected your lips with his. He responded with ardency, and not long after, you could feel his hand wander up to the waistband of your panties.

He wasted not a second before dipping his hand beneath the lace material and finding that sensitive spot that had been begging for his attention.

Your lips separated from his to let out a breathy moan. "Finnick."

He simply smiled, two fingers rubbing circles around your clit. He pressed gentle coaxing kisses to your lips, and you really did try to respond, but you were never one for multitasking. Especially when the man you had fallen in love with was touching you so.

His other hand wandered across your torso, holding your waist, grazing over your stomach, tracing the length of your sternum. All very loving adorations compared to what his other hand was doing.

"I think I'm going to hell because of you," he murmured, millimetres away from your lips. Such a disconcerting thing for someone to admit, but all you could manage was a hum in response. "Every time I see you, I can feel myself getting closer and closer. You derange my thoughts, sweetheart. You corrupt them.

How am I supposed to be around you if I want to fuck you every time you say my name? And what makes it so much more impossible is that you don't even mean to make me feel this way; you just do. God, you're maddening. So sweet and maddening," he cooed, fingers picking up in pace which caused you to melt back into his chest and let out a pretty little moan. "Drives me crazy."

"And to think," you managed, "I thought you had your hands between my legs because you hated me."

Your hips were rolling lightly along with the rhythm of his fingers.

At the very same time Finnick's thighs tensed around your hips from the friction against his cock, he abruptly plunged two fingers inside you. Punishment.

The moan you let out was positively filthy.

"Such an attitude you have," he said. "Anyone would think you're completely innocent in a dress like this. But I know better than that." His fingers slid in and out, curling every time the base of his fingers bottomed out inside of you. "I know exactly why you wore it. Just like I know exactly why you wore those lace panties you pretend that I can't see whenever you bend over."

Heat crept up into your cheeks from hearing his words. You wanted to provoke him by saying 'And look where it got me'but who knew how his fingers would respond to your attitude.

"You can't do that to a man," he continued. "It's criminal."

"It's only fair, Finn," you breathed out, struggling to keep your voice level. "You ruined me."

A deep moan rumbled in his chest, though it never escaped. He couldn't break that easily. He needed to remain in control. This moment, to him, seemed like an eternity forthcoming. He needed to make the most of this moment with you, needed to show you what it was like to receive earth-shattering pleasure so that you only ever wanted to receive it from him. No one else.

Despite his obvious attempts at keeping himself in check, you could still feel his thick impatient cock twitch beneath your ass. Even through the layers of clothing between you, you could tell that he was incredibly big. So much so that it worried you a little. Only, when his fingers curled again, you forgot all about it.

The pads of his fingertips buried into your inner walls with every curl. The heel of his palm struck your clit with every thrust of his fingers and you could feel your stomach start tightening. Fuck, he was amazing at this.

It had been so long since someone had touched you like this. Well, someone that was actually good at it. Just a few minutes and Finnick was already about to make you come.

"Feels so good, so—ah—good!" you moaned, eyes fluttering shut.

He reached a free hand up to your breast, lightly pinching your nipple between his fingers until you let out a gasp. At least one of you was good at multitasking.

"You gonna come?" he asked, not that he even needed an answer. He could feel the way your walls were contracting around his fingers, feel the sticky warmth of your slick leaking onto his knuckles.

You nodded fervently.

"Say please first."

"Finn," you whined in frustration.

You could hear him chuckle self-satisfyingly behind you. "Come on, baby. Sweet girls are supposed to have manners, aren't they?"

His low, husky voice almost threw you over the edge. Oh, how you would love to listen to the sound of him talking you through your orgasm. That is if he ever even let you get to that point.

Never had you ever thought you would be pleading with a man for anything, yet here you were. Though, Finnick Odair could hardly be called a man. He was so much more than that; he was bordering on divinity. And you weren't going to miss the chance of being unravelled at the hands of a divine being.

"Please, Finnick," you begged, your body literally buzzing with desperation. "Please make me come."

He pressed a kiss below your earlobe. "Since you asked so nicely."

His fingers picked up in pace. They weren't even plunging in and out anymore but were rather curling, over and over again in that electrifying spot inside you. He went hard and fast, working to bring you to your high as quickly as possible. Your moans were so unrestrained, so breathless and shallow that you started to feel the world spin around you.

Your hand flew back to hold onto his arm, nails digging into the hard muscles of his bicep. Your hips were writhing in Finnick's lap and you could hear him groan out a string of curses. He held you down by the hip to try and keep you still, then moved across to the bottom of your abdomen where he pressed down.

That is what did it for you.

You cried out as tightness spread down your stomach and pure ecstasy took control. Finnick murmured words of praise and reassurance as you rode through your high, though a lot of it didn't register in your mind. You heard only a few bits and pieces which were enough to prolong the feeling that was overwhelming your entire body.

"Taking it so well."

"That's it, sweetheart. That's it."

"Such a good girl."

As the waves of pleasure slowly began to subside, you returned to reality. The heat that had been building up inside you started melting away, leaving you in a state of relaxation. Your fingers, which previously clung onto Finnick's arm, now grazed absentmindedly across his skin. It felt like you had been sucked into a dream—a little hazy and surreal, but incredibly tranquil.

"You okay?" Finnick asked softly.

You hadn't even noticed that his fingers had left your body. He had pulled down the hem of your dress— not that your dignity really needed saving anymore—and was holding your melted figure in his arms.

"Mm," you hummed contently, eyes fixed on the view in front of you. "Warmed up."

If only you were able to see his face, his smile. Those dimples. A powerful longing to be able to see every expression known to man morph his facial features washed over you. It was a little ridiculous how attracted to him you were. Nonetheless, you indulged the desire.

You pushed yourself from his lap and pivoted to face him

You were straddling his lap before any ounce of hesitation could hold you back. Finnick circled his arms around your waist, pulling you closer into his chest. He was smiling. He was smiling and it was even more beautiful than any sunset you had ever witnessed. You concluded that you had definitely made the right choice in deciding to face him.

"Hi," you whispered.

He smiled. "Hey, stranger."

He brushed back a few pieces of hair from your face, observing the blown size of your pupils and the sultry colour of your lips. He did that—he could not get over the fact that he did that to you. Finally.

You shrunk away from his gaze, a timid smile on your lips.

Finnick tilted his head slightly. "Shy thing."

You buried your face into the side of his neck, groaning quietly in embarrassment. You could hear the perfect sound of him laughing above you. He stroked the length of your spine, somehow managing to ease the nerves from your body with a simple touch. You left a quick kiss on the warm skin of his neck and rose back up to meet his gaze.

"Feeling better?"

"Much," you replied, sheepishly. Your eyes flickered across Finnick's, hesitated, and then gestured downwards. "But... you're not." His head tilted as though he were confused as to what you were suggesting, so you leaned in closer until your lips ghosted over his. "Still need to take care of you."

A breath of warm air fanned across your face as he chuckled. He shook his head. "It's alright. I can hold off for another time."

And although the prospect of doing this again another time was downright exhilarating, you couldn't ignore the palpable heat still lingering in your lower stomach, throbbing between your thighs. You could only imagine how he must have been feeling—cock throbbing with a need for relief, though ready to deny himself the same amount of pleasure he just gave you.

You suddenly curled a hand around the back of his neck and brought him into a slow kiss. To show him he was allowed to indulge himself. That you wanted him to. You ground your hips down on his lap and felt his lips falter against yours.

You pulled back and echoed your previous words, "It's only fair, Finn."

Time seemed to pause for a moment. Your breath and his mixed with one another in a sort of hot whirlwind of anticipation. Your bodies were still. Finnick's eyes were half-lidded staring at your mouth.

Then came the explosion.

His hands were hastily tugging your sundress over your head; his lips were on yours as he reached down between your bodies to unbutton his pants. It felt like a race against time. Like if you didn't do this now, the chance would never come by again. Hell, his pants hadn't even made it off his legs before he was holding himself in his hand and you were rising to your knees, positioning yourself directly above his length.

Your lips never left his, strenuous as it was, meaning the only gauge you got of how big he was wasn't from seeing it, but from feeling it as you pulled your panties aside, guided his cock to your entrance with one hand, and felt the entire veiny length of him fill you completely as you lowered yourself onto him.

A quiet, synchronised gasp left both your lips as you enveloped him completely in wet velvety warmth. His pelvis was connected with yours and his cock was pressed right up against your cervix. So incredibly deep, you could almost feel him in your stomach.

You stayed like this for a few seconds.

"So big," you gasped against his lips.

His hands were on your back, dragging up and down. "Want to stop?"

"Never."

This was so not what friends did.

He trailed kisses from your mouth, to your jaw, and down to your neck. You were grinding sinuously back and forth, Finnick's hands now on your hips as a guide, feeling his tip bury into the sensitive walls inside you. Your head fell back with a gratified moan as he nipped your neck unforgivingly, only to soothe the spots he marked with the glide of his tongue.

At that moment, the past and future were of no significance. The idea that doing this might ruin your relationship with him afterwards didn't concern you. You didn't bother recollecting a time when you and Finnick were merely friends, nor did you ponder how you even managed to reach this point.

All you could focus on was how fucking perfect his cock felt inside of you.

The cold, which was previously a nuisance, now served as a stimulant to your nipples which were only covered by the thin unpadded material of your lace bra. They were bouncing with every movement you made, the hard peaks rubbing against Finnick's chest and creating a triangle of pleasure between them and the depravity that was happening further below.

He was so hungry in the way he kissed you. His lips were soft, but they moved with heat and determination. His tongue was supple as it pushed against yours, moving masterfully in a way you could only compare to how he swam in the ocean. A conqueror—able to bring you into submission with ease.

You pushed yourself upwards, the muscles in your thighs slightly burning as you did so, and felt his cock glide through you. He inhaled harshly through his nose when his tip almost left your wet heat, and then groaned into your mouth when your hips sunk back down, engulfing him once again.

"Shit," he almost whined as your walls clenched around him. "I fuckinglove you."

You pulled away to look him in the eyes. It was incredibly difficult for you to contemplate his words—his confession—when he was, what, eight or so inches deep inside you?

He didn't look like he regretted saying it. He was simply staring at you with raised brows pinched together in pleasure, awaiting your response as you continued your sequence of rising and sinking to fill yourself up with his cock.

"You love me?" you asked in a laboured breath. He only nodded in response. You sank fully down onto his lap, discontinuing your movements, willing him to prove his so-declared devotion. "Then show me."

He was breathing heavily and watching you through strands of sea-salted hair messily splayed across his forehead. He was so beautiful it actually kind of hurt to look at him. His eyes fell to your mouth during this brief amnesty, a decision prominent in his mind. Then he was rushing forward, crushing his lips to yours and forcing your body to lay back on the mat beneath you.

Finnick somehow managed to remain inside you as he switched your positions—him now above you as your legs were wrapped around his waist. His body pinned you down with a comfortable weight, skin warm and flush against yours.

He was overpowering and dominating, and his thrusts were laced with a sense of appropriation like he was making you his. The slow grinds of his hips were hard yet measured and so breathtakingly deep, and the gentle upwards curve of his cock made sure his tip was prodding against that swollen pleasure-inducing spot every single time.

His kisses were sensual and slow; his tongue slipping languidly into your mouth, swirling and massaging your tongue like it was made of pure silk.

You had told him what to do—now he was showing you. Finnick Odair wasn't fucking you. He was making love to you.

Your hands were on his back, fingertips leaving red marks on the curves of his shoulder blades. You moved up to his hair, scratching your nails softly into his scalp, which earned you a soft moan in your mouth. Even you could feel yourself pulsing around his cock. Everything he did, every sound and action he made, had your body yielding to him.

His hand pulled you up into him by the waist, arching your back off the palm-leaf mat so that he was thrusting more profoundly into that blissful spot inside you. He never sped up his pace. He didn't need to. He was savouring the moment as much as he could, memorising each warm ripple of your walls his cock glided over inside you, every intoxicating moan your soft lips released, the pressure of your warm supple thighs hugging his waist.

He was committing every aspect of you to memory. Inside and out.

Having that knowledge only made the moment so much more pleasurable. Knowing that he wasn't just thinking about you with his cock, but was thinking about you with his heart too.

That feeling started creeping up inside you—the blissful burn of heat pooling in your lower stomach. It made your walls flutter around him. Made you whine and moan uncontrollably into his mouth until you couldn't focus on kissing him anymore and had to pull away.

Your head fell back onto the mat, hair strewn out around you. The sounds coming out of you were pure sin. Desperate, greedy sin.

Finnick chuckled adoringly above you. "Too fucked out, sweetheart?"

He couldn't exactly talk. The second you clenched around him again, he groaned out a curse and you—the parts of your mind that were still relatively comprehensible—were sure you could feel the warmth of pre-cum ooze inside you.

"Finnick," you mewled, and he caressed the baby hairs framing your face. "Feels so good. Should—should've done this sooner."

Through your half-lidded eyes, you watched as he nodded and then descended to your forehead, pressing his lips tenderly against your skin. I know, the gesture said. You felt a rush of affection flood through your body, ultimately accelerating the build-up happening inside you.

You could feel yourself teetering so impossibly close to the brink of your orgasm. The tightness inside you was so hot and overwhelming; it was a struggle for you to keep your eyes from fluttering shut and rolling back, though you willed yourself to keep them open. You had to.

Watching Finnick's face contort with pleasure as he's thrown into his own high from feeling your walls contract around him would probably be the highlight of your entire life.

"So beautiful," he cooed as he thrusted into you. "My sweet girl's gonna come, isn't she? Can feel it."

The words flew out of your mouth. "Come inside me."

"Come inside you?"

You were pretty sure he was mocking you from the devilish curve of his lips and furrow of his brows. But your lust-drunk brain didn't really care.

"Please. Wanna feel you—" Your chest heaved with each breath "—everywhere."

Finnick was so obviously trying to keep himself from giving in before you. But you could see how delirious his eyes were as they stared down at you and you heard how every low, gratified—frustratingly sexy—sound he made betrayed him. He was so close.

"Anything for you, sweetheart," he said, finally.

He managed to unhook your hands from around his back and guided them upwards, holding your wrists together above your head with one hand before he brought his other back to your waist. It was oddly romantic how he held you, given that he was fucking you like life after that night wasn't guaranteed.

And then, without warning, he was pounding into you, bottoming out completely with each thrust.

It was almost animalistic now—how you were both unable to control yourselves anymore. You were writhing beneath him, impulsively fighting against the grip he had on your wrists. And Finnick, well, he was fucking you so hard, you weren't sure if walking home that night would be a possibility.

He was a disaster of pleasured vocals, deep moans, and heavy breaths. You thanked the absolute heavens he was because it was the most beautiful sound you had ever heard in your entire life.

When your own moans started to rise in pitch, you knew you were done for. You felt so full. Stretched out to the max. Blinded by the heat that was drowning you. But your eyes managed to remain clear and locked on Finnick's the entire time, just as his were on yours.

With a fleeting glance downward, he once again placed a large hand over your abdomen and pushed down, and your back arched off the ground.

You were gone.

"Oh fuck!"

The heat, white and fiery, had consumed you. Your thighs tensed uncontrollably around Finnick, your body shaking beneath him as your insides pulsed all the way down to your stuffed entrance. White, sticky sweetness covered Finnick's cock as he continued to thrust into you, the wet sounds overpowering the waves cresting on the sands. It felt like fucking heaven.

He let out a moan, broken and breathless, and released the grip he had on your hands. In that short moment, you instantly gripped onto him, feeling his body shudder beneath your hands as his throbbing cock spurted out ropes of warmth deep inside you, the essence of both of you mixing inside your body, making you one.

You pulled him down and crushed your lips to his with a sudden intense urge to be as close to him as you could, if it were even possible to be any closer to him at that point. It felt a little spiritual, the way you practically wanted to merge your body with his. That's what having sex with someone you truly loved was like, you supposed.

The kiss was sloppy and messy, but it never lacked heat or affection. Lacking heat was impossible between you and Finnick.

A lot of time passed before either of you even contemplated pulling away from one another. Finnick was inside you for what must have been a good half hour after you had both finished. It felt close. Deeply intimate. He held you in his arms, his hands mapping out various parts of your body with unhurried measure as you lay beneath him, lazily yet affectionately making out with warm, reddened lips.

There were quiet giggles and heated words whispered between you that would have prompted another session had either of you been graced with the energy.

But it was late. The remnants of the sun had long since disappeared beneath the horizon, dimming the sky to a deep dark blue, the world's only source of illumination being the stars casting their sparkling light on the rippling water.

It was a new moon.

Eventually, you ended up laying over his chest, legs strewn across his as you both faced the ocean. Your head rose and fell with each breath Finnick took and it felt unreal.

You were momentarily worried your infatuation with him had grown too out of hand and you had imagined the whole day, or perhaps, the entire time you had known him. That it was all a figment of your vivid imagination.

Then, his warm hand slid into your own, which was draped across his stomach, and you knew that this, the newfound relationship between you and Finnick, was undeniably and rapturously real.

He slowly lifted them together above your bodies, palms flat against one another. There was a notable size difference between them—his palm was large and calloused with long fingers that squared off at the tips, meanwhile, your own fist could probably fit into his palm.

Your fingers danced delicately together as you both watched from below. He traced the length of your fingers with his fingertips; followed the etches in your palm, and turned your hand to explore the protrusions of your knuckles. There was a certain gentle curiosity in his touch, similar to that of someone who was discovering the act of human connection for the first time.

"I don't know if I can walk home," you whispered.

Finnick lowered your interlocked hands to his lips, pressing a tender kiss to your knuckles before placing them back on his stomach. "I'll carry you."

"For an entire hour?"

"I'll manage," he said, "I've got muscles."

You scoffed quietly to yourself, smiling. "Ok, big strong man."

"Says the girl who needs to be carried home."

"Well, you are kind of the one to blame for that."

You tilted your head to glance up at him and found exactly what you were expecting to see. He was wearing a proud grin, all apple cheeks and crinkled eyes. It was something you had come to adore, even though sometimes it was out of arrogance.

Your head turned to rest back on his chest. You watched as his thumb caressed slow circles over your knuckle.

"What you said before," you began, "is it true? Do you really... love me?"

The heart beating beneath your ear genuinely sounded like it skipped a beat. You imagined that was a good sign, though your nerves were still a little frayed. What if he had only said it because of the heat of the moment?

A beat went by. "I've been trying to tell you ever since I first wove the mat for you," he confessed, his voice quiet yet holding the weight of the history that made up your friendship.

There it was—the truth laid bare. Despite hearing the words, it didn't really change anything. You suspected deep down you knew the entire time; you were just too self-doubting to accept it. To accept that Finnick Odair, the crown jewel of Panem, had fallen in love with you, an ordinary girl from District Four who just so happened to meet him at a secret beach.

Although, there was a sensation you remember upon first meeting him. That instinct that had told you to stay instead of running away, as any logical human being would do upon being approached by a stranger in the middle of nowhere. That instinct, despite sounding utterly ridiculous, caused you to believe that perhaps it was fate.

Maybe you were destined to meet. Maybe it didn't matter that he was a nationwide celebrity, nor you a simple town girl. Maybe your souls were entwined from the start and, one way or another, you would have met anyway.

Maybe.

"That's a long time," you said.

He laughed. "Yeah, well, I thought you would've gotten the hint by now."

And you couldn't help but join him. You thought you were the one who was deranged out of their mind. Here Finnick was telling you he had spent an entire year trying to confess his love without you even realising.

"I'm sorry it took me so long."

"It's alright," he said, earnestly. "I'd say it worked out pretty well. I mean, look where your obliviousness got us."

You smiled. Your legs were tangled with Finnick's; his arm was holding you tightly against his bare upper body, and his fingers were lovingly tracing over yours. Yeah, you were pretty grateful for your obliviousness sometimes. A new pair of underwear might have been something to consider, though.

A silence settled between you, comfortable, peaceful. Being in Finnick's embrace almost made you forget entirely about the reality of your existence—the Games, the dominion over Panem, the chaotic environment back home. It was the reason you had set off last year in search of a place away from society.

You had now found that the escape you were looking for wasn't a place or a hidden paradise, but a person. It was Finnick.

"Finn?"

"Yeah?"

The trees and palm leaves danced in the light breeze. Waves lapped on the shore.

You angled your head back to look at Finnick and felt him pull you closer. His expression was a picture of relaxation and contentment. His eyes gazed down at you, glimmering with the reflection of scattered stars in the night sky, just like the sea in front of you.

He seemed to already know what you were going to say. Always the mind reader.

"Say it, sweetheart." The corners of his lips twitched expectantly.

Sweetheart. Oh, how could you have ever felt for him in any other way?

"I love you too."

His face broke into one of the happiest smiles you had ever seen.

...roll credits

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