#titans ladies please drop us hints

[mejcinta]

Me, imagining Kory's new hair for Titans s3:

#anna spill the tea please #tv: titans #titans #titans season 3 #kory anders #koriand'r #starfire #blackfire #anna diop #damaris lewis #titans ladies please drop us hints #titans ladies #teagan croft #conor leslie #minka kelly #bts

[itslieutenanthawkeye]

Heatstroke

Mikasa Ackerman asks Jean about his reasons to offer himself as the one to inherit Eren's titan in her stead.

AO3

Jean dragged his feet towards the showers at the far end of their camp, yawning every couple of minutes. His muscles were stiff, and there was a bit of a pounding in his head that was thanks to the hours and hours of working under the sun.

There were hints of red in the sky still, even after the sun had fallen behind the horizon, bloody stains that vaticinated what was to come in Marley. But Jean didn’t want to think the worst. Not now, when things had not been decided yet. The future wasn’t written in stone, and he didn’t want to think their best efforts could amount to nothing to change the war to come.

Enough people had died. Enough things had been lost. Enough things and people would be lost in the future, even in the cheeriest of situations. Eren and Armin were part of that group who would inevitably succumb to the titan curse, and then Historia’s offspring would be condemned to keep reproducing just to keep that line of defense alive.

Not thinking on the worst would be for the best, at least for now.

“Hey, Jean,” Sasha called, running up to him. She jumped and wrapped her arm around his shoulder, almost making him lose his balance. “What are you doing, walking in that direction? The hizurans brought their fancy waggon meat.”

“It’s wagyu,” Jean corrected.

“That,” Sasha agreed with a snort. “Come on. It’s going to run out if you stop by a shower first.”

“I’m not going to go like this, Sasha. We smell,” Jean replied. Despite the breeze from the train ride, Jean could still feel the sweat lingering on his skin. “Besides, there are a bunch of diplomats in there, and military officials. You should think about showering.”

Sasha gave herself a sniff. “You’re just trying to be fancy like those folk. But you’re not, Jean, you’re as much of a peasant as I am. The only two royals here are Historia and Mikasa, now, I guess, if you count the whole Hizuru thing,” she laughed, pulling his arm towards the dining hall. “Come on. You’ll sit with Connie and me, it’s not like you’re gonna sit with the hot hizuran ladies.”

“It’s not like I want to!” Jean exclaimed. The hizuran ladies Kiyomi had brought on this visit were rather lovely, with their long dark hair and fancy way of speaking. But Jean wasn’t interested in them, at least not in the way some of the other members of the military were. He enjoyed seeing them perform their music instruments, and hear them talk about art and paintings, but that was about it.

“Oh, I forgot,” Sasha teased, stepping closer to him to whisper complicity, winking as she did so. “It’s just one hizuran lady that you want, isn’t it?”

Jean stepped back, heat rushing to his cheeks. “What the hell are you saying, potato girl?” He snapped, looking behind his shoulder, hoping nobody else had overheard Sasha. “I-I can smell you from here!”

Sasha smiled, unbothered by his taunt, and folded her arms over his chest. “I can see through your mask, Kirstein,” she said, proudly. “You’re just blushing because you’re in love with—”

“You know, he’s right,” Mikasa said, walking up to the two from their dormitories, a bucket and towel in hand. Jean and Sasha turned to look at her, suddenly silent: Sasha because she knew she’d almost slipped a detail a little too loud, a little too near Mikasa, a detail a little too intimate for Jean’s liking.

Jean, on the other hand, simply fell silent because she looked beautiful in the fading sunlight. “Sasha, you need to shower before we go to the dining hall,” she said to their friend.

“Mikasa, the food…you saw what the hizurans make with fish. It’s so fantastic and delicious,” Sasha said, like a child pleading to their mother for a couple more hours to play outside. “And the meat they bring? Everyone loved it. It’s so fancy. It’s too fancy, and we only get a few portions each. If we don’t hurry—”

“I asked Niccolo to save you some,” Mikasa said, giving Sasha a pointed look. She outstretched her hand to her, offering Sasha her towel and the bucket with the soap and shampoo. “But you need to wash first.”

Sasha gave her an awkward smile as she took the towel and the bucket. “B-but these are your washing things—”

“I have a spare,” Mikasa replied.

“But, this is your favorite soap,” Sasha replied, rummaging the contents of the bucket. “Y-you know, the ones Jean’s mom sent us all last month? The one that smells like honey?”

Mikasa exchanged a quick look with Jean. “Jean’s mom can send us more. Right, Jean?”

“Right.” Jean stammered in agreement. His mother had kept sending little presents for him and his friends for a few months now. Snacks, soothing lotions for the muscles, towels, soap, handknitted socks…it was stupid, but he guessed a little pride came with the fact that his mom had made her favorite.

“Besides, I got a hold of the one Eren got,” Mikasa added, arching an eyebrow. “So, I’ve got a spare soap, too.”

“No surprise that bastard doesn’t like soap,” Jean muttered under his breath.

Sasha slouched her shoulders and gave her an awkward, defeated smile. “Do you promise he’ll save us some? Did you make it swear?” Sasha asked. “If you make it swear on his honor as a marleyan, he does anything you ask him to.”

Mikasa gave Sasha a tiny little smile. “He’ll do it. I told him it was for you.” She said, narrowing her eyes slightly immediately afterwards. “You still need to hurry, though. He can only do so much.”

Sasha’s smile wavered a bit. “Can’t I—”

“Shower, Sasha,” Mikasa said with that motherly tone of voice she so often used to boss everyone in their squad around. “I won’t let you stink up our room.”

It seemed like Sasha would’ve protested further, but it only took for Mikasa to raise her eyebrows and look in the direction of the showers for Sasha to drop her stance, groan, and begin her march away from the dining hall. Jean watched her walk, feeling a little pity in his chest; she really did love that wagyu steak from Hizuru, and if it ran out…

Mikasa took a couple of steps to stand next to him. His heart began to beat faster at that, but that rational side of his mind told Jean was also sure she was just doing it to get a better view and make sure Sasha entered the showers. He gave her a quick sideways glance; there were hairs clinging to her forehead due to the sweat, but there was something about the way she carried herself despite the tiredness that didn’t make her seem disheveled. It was fantastic, the way she moved through life with such quiet elegance.

Or maybe he was just head over heels for her.

No, that couldn’t be it. He could see her flaws alright; most annoyed him, yes, and he could see them clear as day…and said flaws took nothing away from the quiet, strong beauty that was her.

“I already saved her some meat,” Mikasa said casually, her voice low and tired.

“You saved steak for her?” Jean asked, surprised.

Mikasa made an affirmative noise. “I snuck some out while no one was noticing,” she said, pausing for a second before looking at him. “Don’t tell her, please.”

Jean felt the corners of his mouth going upwards in a complicit smile. “You want it to be a surprise?”

“Yes, I think so,” Mikasa said, looking away from him.

A silence followed her words, but it wasn’t an awkward one. Silences were common with Mikasa Ackerman, they were to be expected. And while he’d overheard some saying she could be boring to be around, Jean enjoyed her silences. Too many people were too loud lately, including himself at times. With her, the world seemed to slow down a little bit. Her presence was soothing like that.

“Jean?”

“Yeah?”

“Earlier today…” she lowered her face, almost as if she were looking to hide it inside her scarf as she so often did. But she’d taken off the scarf in the morning, like each time they were sent to work on the railroads. When she didn’t find the familiar fabric around her neck, her eyebrows shot up and her mouth fell open, as if she’d just recalled her scarf wasn’t there.

Despite her serious face, the gesture was utterly adorable.

“Why are you smiling?” Mikasa asked suddenly. Not angry, but curious.

“Nothing,” Jean said, looking away from her. He cleared his throat; he didn’t like staring at her, or doing anything that would make her remotely uncomfortable. Most of his glances were stolen glances. But sometimes, she looked too pretty to not be admired, and those times he did look intently, he hated himself a little bit.

She doesn’t like you at all, you dumbass, he told himself¸ don’t make her feel weird.

“What was it that you were saying?” Jean asked.

“What were the reasons?”

“Huh?”

“You said I can’t take Eren’s titan,” Mikasa began, taking a breath before continuing. Jean turned to look at her again, but Mikasa had her eyes firmly set on the ground. “You said there were a ton of reasons why it couldn’t be me, apart from me being an Ackerman and half hizuran.”

Jean smiled, scratching the back of his head. “I guess I did say that, didn’t I?”

He’d spoken in sudden panic, panic he’d carefully masked as indifferent, logical thinking. In truth, the idea of Mikasa shortening her lifespan filled him with dread. The idea of her closing her eyes, disappearing from this world…it frightened him. And he didn’t know why.

No. He did know why. He just would never say it out loud.

“I’m asking you now,” Mikasa said, pulling him out of his reverie. “What are those reasons?”

The world became very quiet in his ears. The distant chatter from the dining room, the violins playing to welcome the hizurans, even the birds in the sky became muted. How was he supposed to tell her that the very idea of her dying broke his heart? How was he supposed to say that all those other reasons were stupid and selfish and all based on the fact that he loved her too much to allow her to sacrifice her life for a stupid war.

“Why are you asking?” Jean was able to say, despite the sudden dryness in his throat.

Mikasa gave him a quick sideways glance. Thankfully, the sun had hidden behind the horizon, and the lights outside were barely being turned on. Maybe this way she wouldn’t see his cheeks.

“I thought, they must be important,” Mikasa began, speaking slowly, as if choosing her words with care. “These reasons you didn’t say out loud. They are important, aren’t they? If they’re important, I want to know them.”

Jean wiped the sweat off his brow. She was a person of few words, but the little words she used had become more and more poignant as the years went by.

“Why do you think they are?” Jean asked with a chuckle, trying to hide how nervous he felt (and perhaps failing miserably).

“Because you offered to take the titan in my stead and shorten your lifetime first, before anyone,” Mikasa replied quickly, turning to look at him just as he turned to look at her. “I want to know what those reasons were.”

They were facing each other now, Jean realized. Since killing all the titans and opening the island to the world, it had been a while since the last time he’d had a proper conversation with her, without Eren, Armin, Sasha, Connie or Levi hovering around. In fact, if he thought about it, it was the first time in several months that he’d been alone with her and without the threat of imminent death hovering above them.

“Jean?” She asked, her voice inviting in his ears. She probably had no idea that, had she asked him to bring down the moon or a star down to her, he would’ve found a way to do it gladly. “Are you going to tell me?”

How could he tell her he loved her, though? He knew where her heart lied, Jean already knew who Mikasa loved. And it was not him. And now that Eren’s lifespan was quickly reaching its end, Jean knew it would only seem like he was taking an advantage of the situation, he would be nothing but a bird of prey in her eyes.

He’d seen her after they’d broken the news to them about Armin and Eren’s shortened lifespan; he knew how much that certainty of a young death for her dearest friends (and the one boy she loved) had damaged her.

“Jean, tell me,” she repeated, almost in a whisper now.

He couldn’t tell her about his feelings. He could never, ever do that. And that was okay. He’d come to terms with it. But how could he deny her the truth when she asked so sweetly? How could he deny her when she looked so lovely?

“Jean?” Mikasa asked, her hand hovering over his arm, her voice growing concerned with each word she pronounced. “Jean, are you okay?”

No, he was not at all okay. His brain felt like it was boiling, and the sole presence of her had caused his breathing to become shallow. She had no idea what she’d done to him with her question, how all the bottled up feelings had come rushing into his brain all at once: the fear of losing her, the grief of never telling her how he felt, the love he’d never get to share with her, the hurt for her losing the two most important people for her. It was all there.

Mikasa put both hands on his arm, keeping him from falling. “Jean, I’m sorry, are you—”

“Oi!” Eren’s voice called from afar. “What are you two doing there, Mikasa?! The food is gonna run out if you don’t hurry!”

Jean held a hand to the neck of his shirt and unbuttoned it, his breathing quick and shallow, as if he’d just swam for a great deal of time. “Do you need to sit?” Mikasa asked him, moving to stand before. “Do you need water?”

“Didn’t you guys hear me?” Eren shouted again, this time sounding irritated. “What is horse face doing that’s so interesting?”

“I need water,” Jean told her, fixating his eyes on her. “Heatstroke.”

“Oi!” Eren shouted, jogging to stand next to the two. “Aren’t you guys even listening?”

“I’ll get you water,” Mikasa said, helping him sit on the ground, then turned to speak to Eren, who was most likely heading their way. “Jean has a heatstroke. We need to give him water. Call Levi and Armin so they can take him to the showers.”

“I thought horses could go on for a while without water,” Eren said, giving Jean a little smirk that inevitably brought a smile to his face.

“And I thought idiots could take orders from better soldiers,” he snapped back, not looking at him. If he looked at him right in the face, he would just feel his chest twisting further in pain. Jean cursed himself; he was such a baby.

“Stop,” Mikasa commanded. “You two, stop fighting just now. Jean, stay quiet. Eren, get me Armin and Levi.”

“Can’t you and I take him to the showers?” Eren asked.

“If we take him into the showers…” Mikasa stopped a moment. Jean looked up for a moment and even in the dark, Jean could see the blush in her cheeks. “I’d have to see him naked. I won’t make him uncomfortable.”

Ah, that idea did nothing to calm his panic attack. In fact, it made Jean even breathe quicker. Jean buried his head between his arms, the panic attack washing over him in full force. “Eren, we need to hurry,”

___________________________________________

Mikasa watched Jean nibble on a piece of meat while sitting next to the window; his hair was wet after the shower, and his arms were a bit bruised from Levi and Eren helping him reach the showers. He’d been rather quiet after they’d calmed him down, and Mikasa didn’t dare to speak much and make him strain himself.

Levi had told them to watch over him while he went to get a physician for Jean, but Eren was outside, talking to Armin about the things the hizurans had brought over in this visit to the island. He’d left her alone again, but that didn’t matter, because the constant chatter from outside between him and Armin reassured her he was still there, he was still alive.

She was sorry about Jean, though. It had been a while since the last time she’d spent time alone with Jean, a long while. She couldn’t have been good company. Not to him; she saw how he was with Sasha and Connie. Those three, much like Armin and Eren, were a constant stream of conversation, stream of conversation usually lead by Jean himself. Mikasa was too shy, too quiet to keep him comfortable while keeping him company.

“Thank you,” Jean said, sliding the plate over to her. “Sasha will be angry I ate her stuff.”

“I saved plenty for her.” Mikasa replied, taking the plate in her hands.

Jean arched an eyebrow. “Thief.”

Mikasa lowered her head, realizing he’d almost elicited a chuckle out of her. “I’m—”

“I was just playing,” Jean replied, smiling slightly despite her awkward reaction to his joke.

“I’m sorry,”

“For what?”

“I’m too quiet.” Mikasa said, looking outside the window to avoid his gaze.

“I like quiet. Quiet is good nowadays,” Jean replied. From the corner of her eye, she noticed he’d shrugged. It was weird, how his words sounded so sincere. She could tell people got bored with her presence quickly; even Eren, she’d seen his urge to find Armin whenever they found themselves alone. But Jean didn’t look bored. He wasn’t like Sasha, who spoke constantly and nonstop and helped fill the gaps in their conversations caused by herself. He looked…strangely at peace, almost at home in her silence.

Which only urged her to want to fill that strange gap with words.

“I-I kept asking you while you were having that heatstroke,” Mikasa continued. “I’m sorry for that.”

“Those reasons—”

“Rest,” Mikasa said, interrupting him. For some reason, all her curiosity had disappeared the moment she’d seen him on the verge of passing out back there. “I’m the strongest of all. I’m more useful without a titan, and I know it would be troublesome to lose your best soldier after only thirteen years.”

“No,” Jean said firmly, his voice so firm, so adult sounding that Mikasa had to turn to look at him. “Those reasons…you’re not a soldier. And those reasons go beyond just keeping you alive for fighting.”

“What?”

“Maybe I just want to see you live a long life too and that’s that,” Jean replied, looking away from her, staring at the window. “As for the rest of it, maybe I don’t want to tell you just yet.”

Mikasa looked at him for a long while, trying to figure out what he’d meant. Of course, they all wanted to see each other live long lives. But, much like his comfort in her silence, his words felt different. If she’d heard them from Sasha, or Connie or even Armin, they would’ve sounded much different, for some reason she didn’t understand.

She frowned, not quite comprehending the situation, not quite comprehending why he didn’t want to look at her. She wasn’t good at things related to social interactions, and this situation wasn’t the exception. What was he trying to tell her? Why did she want to figure it out so intently?

“Or maybe it was just the heatstroke speaking,” Jean added, with a shrug.

Mikasa looked back at him. He hadn’t meant that last part, and she knew that by just looking at him. But it seemed like a good little excuse to diffuse the sudden tension between them. “Maybe it was.”

Jean offered her a smile she returned in what she felt was a stiff gesture. “I’m too awkward.”

“No, you’re not,” Jean replied, snorting. “You’re great as you are.”

Mikasa turned to look at him again, but Jean was no longer looking at him. Thosewords he had meant. And she found herself smiling a little more naturally this time. “Thank you, Jean.”

#Jeankasa #JeanMika #Jean x Mikasa #Jean Kirstein #Mikasa Ackerman #Jeankasa fanfic #fanfic #shingeki no kyojin #Jean Kirstein and Mikasa Ackerman #jean kirschtien

[randomposterofstuff]

Soldiers by Choice - Chapter VI

Author's Note: So, real life has been stressing me out immensely. Lol. And I really wanted to post this chapter as soon as I could, so please forgive me for any mistakes and any other problems. Haha. In any case, I hope that you all like it!

Also available on Archive of Our Own. Check my tumblr page to click on the ‘Archive of Our Own’ tab!

Tumblr Chapters List can be found here.

CHAPTER 6: Reasons and Apologies

Summary: Mikasa and Levi encounter troublesome Military Police officers while doing a supply run. Meanwhile, at the Cadet Corps headquarters, Eren Yeager and Jean Kirstein have another confrontation.

Year 847 (5 months later)

---

“Tch. They’re out of bleach.”

Levi glares at the empty row of shelves where jars of commercial bleach usually would be. A few feet away to his left, Mikasa speaks with the shop owner.

“Mr. Gale, I don’t understand. Section Commander Hange told us that you usually have stocks of everything during this time of the month.”

The Titan-scientist and Moblit were on the supply pick-up rotation for the current month. But since they were away on another observation expedition with the Research division, the task had fallen to the two Ackermans.

Mr. Gale, an aging man in his early 50s, clasps his hands apologetically. “I’m sorry, Captain. But due to some issues with our supplier, we won’t have stocks until next month.”

The dark-haired woman sighs at the news. “I see. We will just have to make do with an alternative and the other supplies.”

After a few more words and apologetic gestures from the shop owner, she approaches her co-captain, who is still glowering at the vacant racks.

“They won’t restock until next month.”

His frown deepens. “How the hell are we supposed to properly clean without bleach?”

Mikasa cracks a small smile at his displeasure over the absence of the cleaning agent. In the back of her mind, she muses that even after three years of working together, she still finds his pseudo-obsession with cleanliness to be comical to the point of disbelief.

“We can make our own cleaning formula.” She says. “The store has the necessary ingredients, and the budget is enough to cover them.”

The tautness in his jaw relents at this. “You know how to make bleach?”

She nods. “I do. My mother created her own cleanser. The employees at our estate use it.”

His eyebrows raise in mild surprise. “I didn’t know the Azumabitos also dealt in the cleaning business.” He remarks wryly.

She shifts her eyes from side to side before taking a step closer. "It's a closely guarded family secret." She whispers mock-conspiratorially.

He smirks. “Your secret is safe with me.” He speaks in a similarly hushed tone, and she mirrors his smirk.

---

After perusing the store for the needed ingredients, the two officers help the elderly shop owner place all their purchased supplies in eight wooden crates.

“That’s everything.” Mr. Gale comments as he places the lid on the final crate. “I’ll call my boys to help you load them on your cart.”

“There’s no need for that.” Levi says, already readying himself to lift some of the boxes. “We can handle it.”

The proprietor laughs good-naturedly. "Come now, Captain Levi. I know that you’re ‘Humanity’s Strongest Soldier’ and that Captain Mikasa is the ‘Woman Worth a Hundred Soldiers”, but you can’t rea---”

He cuts himself off when the two Ackermans each lift four boxes with little effort.

Mikasa shifts the crates so that she faces the shop owner properly. "Mr. Gale, you've already received the payment from our budgetary officer, correct?"

The older man merely nods, his mouth still agape in shock at the display of inhuman strength.

“We’ll be on our way, then. Thanks, old man.” Levi states, unfazed by the reaction.

The warm afternoon sun greets them as they exit the shop. The commercial area of Trost is filled with chatter from the mass of patrons. Due to the crowded streets, they had to leave their wagon at a fairly secluded area some ways away from the store.

When they finally arrive at where they parked, the crowd has thinned considerably. The few people there are either entering or exiting the complex. The two are in the process of loading the crates onto the cart when they hear the sound of glass breaking, followed by a frightened yell to their right.

They turn their heads to the source see to see a small saloon. One of its front windows is covered by pull-down drapes, while the other one is unobscured. Through the glass of the second one, the co-captains see a middle-aged man and woman, presumably the owners, anxiously speaking to two Military Police officers.

“Whaddaya mean we have to pay?” An MP with light hair slurs loudly while gripping a long-necked bottle.

The woman, who looks to be in her early 40s, attempts to explain. “Sir, you’ve consumed more than two bottles already.” She says, wringing her hands together nervously. “And our store ---”

“Blah!” The other MP, a man with darker hair, sways as he unslings his rifle from his shoulder. Both the woman and her partner take a step back, visibly terrified. “We serve the kingdom!” He yells. “You lot should be grateful! Besides, your stuff tastes like shit!"

He unsteadily aims his rifle at a row of bottles behind the counter while his companion laughs. “You’re right, Ricky!” He shouts, smashing the bottle he was holding against the floor.

The one called Ricky guffaws. "Damn right, I'm right, George!" Slightly swaying, he disengages the safety lock. “I’ve been wanting to try this beauty out! They say this thing can shoot 15 bullets in a row after just one click!” Just as he is about to place his finger on the trigger, he is suddenly struck across the head. The impact of the attack causes him to drop his weapon.

“Ricky!” George makes to unsling his own rifle but barely has time to react before a heavy boot hits him in the stomach. He faintly registers his gun being snatched from him before he is thrown across the room and roughly crashes onto a table and some chairs. One second later, Ricky lands beside him with a loud thud.

They both groan for a moment before raising their heads and seeing the profiles of two other soldiers in the area where they had been standing before. “Hey!” George yells while unsteadily getting up. “What gives?!” He demands, face flushed with both embarrassment and alcohol. “Who are you anyway?!” He trains his glazed-over beady eyes at their assailants.

Levi narrows his eyes, not the least bit intimidated. “You were harassing innocent civilians.” He crosses his arms, leveling him with a look of disdain. "Taxpayer money is wasted on pigs like you.”

“They’re from the Survey Corps!” Ricky exclaims, pointing to the Wings of Freedom on the fronts of their jackets. “You two have got some nerve!” He glares, eyes glassy with inebriation. “Accusing us of wasting taxpayer money when you ---”

Mikasa quietly raises his rifle at him, causing him to cut himself short. Both MPs freeze at the movement.

“P—put that down and g—give it back!” Ricky demands, voice shaking.

Mikasa shifts her gaze from the anxious Military Police officers and to the firearm in her hands. She examines its long sleek frame and swipes her thumb over the grip.

“It saddens me to see that my father’s guns were used to frighten defenseless civilians.” She comments out loud, her tone a cross between pensive and disappointed.

George’s brows scrunch up in confusion at her statement. “Huh?!” The two MPs look at her dumbly, trying to comprehend the meaning behinds her words.

Meanwhile, Levi picks up the second rifle from the floor, ignoring the whimpers from the two pigs. He feels the gun's weight in his hands and notes that it is light compared to other models. He then places his thumb on the butt of the rifle and runs it over the engraved encircled cursive 'A' which serves as the insignia of Lord Mikhail Ackerman's gun manufacturing company. He muses that the emblem looks similar to the Azumabito clan symbol on the inside of Mikasa’s wrist.

“If it’s any consolation,” he begins, still looking at the rifle, “I think that your father did a great job with this gun, Mikasa.” He remarks almost idly.

“Thanks, Levi.”

“Levi? Mikasa?” George repeats their names, a hint of recognition in their slurred tone. “Mikasa… Mikhail A—“. Shock settles on his features as they finally connect the dots. His eyes further widen in realization when they shift to Levi. “… Ackerman.”

“You’re Levi and Mikasa Ackerman!” George exclaims, lips trembling. At his exclamation, Ricky’s mouth drops open as sweat starts to form on his brow. The two men nervously shift their eyes between the co-captains – panic and recognition clearing away the drink-induced glazes in their eyes.

“I mean, my lord and lady!” George suddenly bows at the waist. His companion scrambles to do the same. “Our apologies! We didn’t recognize you!”

Levi’s jaw clenches at their sycophantic gesture. “Tch. Do not call us those.” He hisses. “And quit your groveling.”

They straighten themselves instantly at the vitriol in his voice. “My lord?” One of them squeaks.

Mikasa takes a sharp breath. “We’re not at the royal court.” She states, an edge to her voice. “Furthermore, we’re acting in our capacities as officers of the Survey Corps. So, if you’re going to address us, do so accordingly.”

“Yes, my la---, I mean, Captain!” The same MP yelps. “We’re sorry!”

Mikasa narrows her eyes, clearly unimpressed. “You’re clearly not genuine.” She speaks coldly. “And it appears that the likes of you get your bravado from carrying my father’s guns. Perhaps I should tell him to terminate his weapons provision contract with the Military Police.”

“Please don’t!” They both plead simultaneously, alarm in their voices. Clearly frightened of the consequences should they be the cause of the loss of the contract. “This won’t happen again!”

The disdain in her dark grey eyes indicates that she is not convinced. “I don’t believe you.” Mikasa then grips that rifle’s ammunition magazine. “So, I’m going to take these.”

Following her lead, Levi makes to do the same with the rifle in his hands. “I’ll take care of this one.”

Once he’s done, Mikasa holds out a hand, and he gives her the second rifle. She throws the weapons at the feet of the two MPs. “Take those and leave.” She commands, voice near imperious. “And don’t forget to put your payment on the counter.”

The two men do as they are told. They wordlessly take the ammo-less rifles and practically empty their wallets onto the counter before leaving the saloon with their heads bowed.

Once they were out of sight, the two Ackermans turn to the shop owners, who had been silently watching the exchange from the sidelines with bated breath.

“We’re not from the Military Police.” Levi states plainly. “But all the same, we’re sorry for the trouble they caused.”

The middle-aged man shakes himself from his daze. “Oh, please! You have nothing to apologize for!” He says, a nervous but sincere smile on his face. “In fact, my wife and I should thank you, my lord and lady!” His eyes then widen at his slip of tongue. “I’m sorry, I mean---”

Mikasa raises her hands in a calming gesture. “It’s alright.” She assures him with a smile.

The man’s tension eases, relieved at her assurance.

“Thank you so much, Captains.” His wife steps forward, wearing a bright and grateful smile. “May we offer you something to eat and drink?”

“Oh, we ---” Mikasa begins, about to politely decline.

“It’s on the house!” The husband insists. “It’s the least that we could do for you! We insist.”

Mikasa observes their smiling and amiable expressions before turning to Levi. She lifts her brows, and he gives a slight shrug before taking out his pocket watch.

“I suppose we have time before we need to get back to headquarters.” He comments.

The shop owners beam at the response. “Wonderful! I’m Tim Briles, by the way, and this is my wife, Frances." Tim introduces himself and his wife. “Please, have a seat. The menu is by the counter. Order anything you want!”

"Sure." Levi replies, and he turns towards the turned-over tables and chairs. “I’ll fix the tables and chairs. I’ll have what you’re having.”

“Noted." Mikasa states as she makes her way to the counter. She peruses the menu and, after a minute of deliberating, settles on a sandwich platter and chamomile tea. She vaguely wonders if the tea selection is meant for customers with hangovers.

After an enthusiastic Frances takes their order, she makes her way to Levi, who has just finished righting the disarray of furniture. As she approaches, her co-captain suddenly pulls out a chair and gestures for her to sit.

Mikasa looks at him questioningly, and he tilts his head towards the offered chair.

She decides to play along. “How very gentlemanly of you.” She jests, voice half-coquettish as she moves to sit.

“Only for you, my lady.” He drawls as he pushes the chair in for her.

They both snicker at the mocking references to their noble backgrounds.

“So, what are we having?” He asks as he sits from across her.

“Tea and sandwiches.” He raised a brow at ‘tea’, and she smiles. "I know; I was also surprised to see it on the menu.”

Levi hums. “In any case, it’s too early for liquor.”

A few minutes pass, and Frances approaches their table with their food and drinks. “Here are your orders. Enjoy!”

The co-captains both thank the female shop owner, and they split the sandwiches and tea between themselves.

Comfortable silence ensues as they eat their sandwiches. Levi muses that the saloon’s turkey sandwich is quite good. He takes a look at the sandwich in Mikasa’s hand and deduces from the green poking out from the bread that it’s full of vegetables.

After he finishes his food and begins stirring his tea, a random realization suddenly occurs to him.

“Something wrong?” Mikasa asks, noticing the contemplative furrow of his brow.

“No.” He replies, taking out the spoon from his cup and gripping it by the rim. “It’s just that I realized you actually used the ‘I’m going to tell my daddy’ card.”

Mikasa blinks at the remark. A beat of silence passes before she bursts into laughter.

Her shoulders slightly shake as hearty chuckles flow from her. She laughs in earnest at the absurdity and the truth of the statement.

Levi’s lips curve upwards at her open display of mirth, observing how her usually stern eyes crinkle at the corners and how genuine joy shines through her typically reserved expression.

“I’m sorry.” Mikasa says, still giggling as she adjusts her cravat around her neck. “You’re right, but it’s just so ridiculous.” She remarks, her smile wide. “Come to think of it, I’ve never used it before.” She muses out loud, her lips still twitching.

“At least you used it for a good cause.” He quips, sharing in her amusement.

She chortles at his joke. He also lets out an amused sound.

She eventually sobers down, though a small smile still remains on her lips.

But after a moment, her eyes suddenly become downcast, and her smile disappears.

Levi frowns in concern at the abrupt change in her demeanor. “What’s wrong?”

She takes a breath before directing her gaze towards the afternoon sky beyond the saloon’s window.

“Moments like this…” she speaks quietly as she raises her hand to gesture at their light-hearted conversation, “…don’t come by often.” A sad gleam then enters her eyes. “In a way, it’s… sort of unsettling.”

Levi’s lips press into a firm line at the reality of her words. Every soldier in the Survey Corps knows that every encounter with the Titans could be their very last. Danger, risk, and bloodshed are their constant companions. And the absences of the comrades lost will always be felt by those who live to join the next expedition.

The survivors know that it is their duty to honor the sacrifices of the fallen by carrying on with their mission. Yet, this knowledge hangs heavy over the heads of those who remain standing.

“I know what you mean.” He says, voice solemn. “Enjoying a moment of peace can be hard sometimes, considering the things we go through.”

They remain quiet for a while, the atmosphere suddenly tenser. Mikasa closes her eyes and sighs before speaking again.

“Sometimes, I wonder what my life would be like right now if I had stayed in the Capital or joined the clan’s Elite Royal Company.” She stares intently into her cup of tea, wistfulness underlying her tone. “I would probably be promenading with the other nobles in the parks. Or patrolling the grounds at the Fritz castle. Either way, my life would be simpler and less daunting."

A flash of resolve then enters her gaze. “But I already made my choice a long time ago.” She declares with a quiet certainty in her words. “And I’ve chosen to be a soldier for the Survey Corps.”

Levi quietly observes her profile. She sits with the graceful posture of a noble lady – a result of her upbringing. But her shoulders are squared with a soldier’s discipline. She holds her teacup delicately, but her fingers are calloused from years of wielding blades. Had she chosen differently, she could have been a socialite hostess.

The passing thought then prompts a question. “Why didyou join the Survey Corps in the first place?”

Mikasa half-smiles at that. It was a question she was often asked – the daughter of a noble joining any of the military branches was unheard of. Although, she never divulged anything apart from saying that she merely wanted to.

“I could ask you the same question, Levi.” She prompts back.

For all his fame, no one has ever known of his reason for joining the Survey Corps. Not surprising, since he would always brush off anyone who asks by telling them that it’s none of their damn business.

But Levi decides that he wouldn’t mind making an exception for her. “I’ll share if you share.”

Mikasa hums as if contemplating the proposition. “Fair enough.”

A moment passes before she continues. “I joined because of my Asian heritage.”

He raises a brow in confusion. But stays silent and waits for her to elaborate.

“The Azumabitos are the last Asians in the world.” She explains. “Our clan’s records state that our ancestors’ homeland, Asia, was full of rare creatures and mysterious fauna. Unfortunately, just like every other continent, it was invaded along with the rest of humanity by the Titans.”

“My parents gave me everything I needed while growing up. But they taught me that if I wanted something, then I should work to earn it.” Mikasa pauses as her lips twist wryly. “And since I wanted to see the roots of my Asian heritage, I decided as a child that I would join the Survey Corps to help eradicate the Titans.”

“It’s silly.” She remarks, more to herself, amused at her younger self’s reason. “But it’s what prompted me to enlist.”

Her expression then becomes more pensive, and she redirects her gaze to the table between them. “But after my first expedition, I realized that there are things which are bigger than my wants. I suppose you could say that it opened my eyes. Seeing first-hand the dangers and struggles made me understand the weight of the Corps’ mission.”

She looks up at him again. “I still want to see Asia…” she admits with a bashful look. “… and if we can eradicate the Titans during my lifetime, then I’ll be to do that.”

“But even if that won’t happen, I won’t have any regrets about joining the Survey Corps.”

With that, she concludes her piece. Levi remains quiet for a moment, feeling astounded and moved at the revelation.

“I’m glad that you joined, Mikasa.” He says softly.

She smiles at his remark. “Thank you for saying that.” A tinge of levity then enters her dark orbs. “Now, I believe it’s your turn to share.”

Levi tsks, but there’s mirth in the slight quirk of his mouth. “I suppose a deal’s a deal.”

He swirls the contents of his teacup before speaking. “When I was a kid, my great grandfather would always preach about upholding the clan’s tradition of being the Crown’s ‘Sword and Shield’.” He drawls out the last two words.

“Just like you and everyone else in our clan, I was trained to be the best fighter possible – because, of course, the royal family only expects the best to protect it.” He pauses to take a drink.

“Sure, it’s natural for the royal family to have protection.” He concedes. “But our clan’s talents are being wasted. The biggest threats are out there beyond the Walls, and our clansmen use their many years of special training to deal with problems that the Military Police pigs are supposed to handle.”

Levi lifts his gaze to hers. "So, I said to myself, ‘to hell with tradition’.”

She lets out a small laugh. “Of course, you would say something like that.”

He smirks before taking another sip. “So, I decided to enlist in the Survey Corps. Thankfully, my uncle became head of the clan even before my rite of passage. And since he isn’t as uptight and prissy as my great grandfather was, he let me go without much of a fuss. I wanted to put my skills to better use. And what better way to use them than to reclaim the lands stolen by the Titans from humanity?”

“And after everything I’ve seen…” he trails off, a more somber and pensive look in his eyes as he stares at his cup, “…I’m now surer than ever that I made the right choice.”

A quiet second passes before Mikasa speaks. “That’s very noble of you.” She says, her voice earnest.

Her co-captain snorts out a harsh laugh. “If it were anyone else, I’d say that they were kissing my ass.”

Remembering the incident with the two MPs earlier, she likewise smiles in good humor; his words can’t be any truer.

“But since it’s you…” his harsh smirk morphs into a gentler smile, “… thanks.”

Her smile remains as their eyes meet again.

“You know, it’s odd…” she begins off-handedly, “We’ve known each other for years, but this is the first time we talked about something like this.”

He raises a brow. “Is it? I wasn’t aware that there was a standard timeline for sharing things.”

Another light laugh escapes her, and Mikasa wonders if Levi realizes how humorous he can be at times.

---

Chatter fills the air of the communal dining hall of the Southern Division’s Cadet Corps Headquarters – with the main source of noise and talk being the long dining table where Eren Yeager sits with his friends.

“Eren, what you did was really cool!”

“Yeah, I don’t think that anyone else here would’ve been able to do that!”

From his seat at another table at the far right of the hall, Jean Kirstein watches as several trainees crowd around Yeager and pay him compliments for his incredible feat earlier this morning.

Connie sits across the green-eyed recruit with a wide grin on his face. “Eren, you were amazing earlier!” He exclaims. “Being able to balance yourself using defective equipment was incredible!”

Beside him, Sasha nods enthusiastically as she munches on a loaf of bread. She smiles broadly after gulping down her food. "You really did well, all things considered!" She exclaims while not so discreetly trying to take Connie's bread from his plate.

The shaved-headed boy snatches her wrist before she could lift the loaf to her mouth. “Oh, come on! You haven’t even finished your own bread!” He grumbles, exasperated as Sasha strains against his grip.

Eren chuckles at the display before scratching the back of his head with a sheepish expression. Even so, his green eyes seem to glow with pride and appreciation. “Thanks, guys.”

“Congratulations on a job well done, Eren.” Christa speaks from amongst the group that congregated around the table. “Your determination paid off.”

Eren's cheeks redden slightly at her smile. "Thanks, Christa. But I can't take all of the credit. Armin here gave me pointers, and Reiner and Betholdt told me to keep calm and not to give up." He then turns to the male blonde seated next to him. "Isn't that right, buddy?"

Armin’s lips quirk upwards. “It’s true that you got help, but all the work was you.”

“Armin’s right.” Reiner’s deep voice resounds from one side of the crowd. To his left, Bertholdt silently watches the interactions with a small smile. “At the end of the day, you were the one ultimately responsible for your success.”

Jean watches as more trainees give the brunette praises for his resolve and performance. It isn’t until he feels something nudge him in the side that he turns away.

“Just talk to him already.” Marco urges with a knowing look.

Jean scoffs at the comment. “Talk to Yeager? About what?”

Marco simply gives him a half-amused and half-exasperated smile. “You know what I mean.” He then picks up his glass of water. “It’s good that you want to apologize. It’s a mature thing to do.” He says before taking a drink.

Jean grumbles something unintelligible as he observes the sky through an open window. The last rays of sunlight are starting to fade behind the darkening sky. He can see some of their Commandant's assistant officers patrolling the grounds and inspecting the outdoor training equipment to ensure they're still working properly.

As his gaze lands on the row of 3DM gear simulators, Jean recalls how he, along with nearly everyone, laughed at Eren when he failed to steady himself using 3DM gear during his first attempt. He also remembers snidely commenting that Yeager was just "all talk and no bite" and how he brushed him off when he asked for pointers to improve.

Jean then sighs before getting up and walking over to the green-eyed recruit’s table.

---

Armin and Eren were in the middle of speaking with fellow recruits when the blonde sees Jean walking up to their table.

“Uhh… Eren?” He taps his friend on the shoulder.

At the prodding, Eren turns away from Mina and Thomas, who were standing behind him. His eyes narrow at the sight of Jean standing behind the other recruits surrounding their table. “What do you want, horse face?”

The entire room goes silent as everyone turns to Jean. The man in question averts his gaze as his cheeks flush at suddenly being the center of attention.

He stays silent for a moment before speaking. “I’m not here to fight.” He then finally raises his gaze to look at Eren. The crowd parts as he moves closer to the table.

Armin notes the sudden tension in the air as his childhood best friend stares at Jean with a cautious look – he deduces that Eren is not entirely convinced that Kirstein came in peace.

Jean halts when he’s near the edge of their table, just a couple of feet from where Eren sits. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.

“I’ll be honest. I still think that going after Titans is stupidly dangerous.”

Eren's eyes further narrow at the remark. He rises to his feet, but Armin pulls at his arm before he can move towards Jean. "Hear him out first.” The blonde half-pleads.

Eren frowns but nonetheless sits back down. His eyes are still trained on Kirstein, who instinctively took a step back at his abrupt movement.

Jean takes another breath before continuing. “But I now get how serious you are.” He admits, voice quiet but clear. “You have real resolve, and I respect that. And I’m…” He pauses, his pride momentarily stifling his next words.

“… I’m sorry for making fun of you before.”

Some trainees gasp lightly while some simply stare – all surprised at his gesture. Armin sees that even Connie and Sasha have paused their food-related grappling to gawk at Jean. The blonde also quietly muses that the entire room probably half-expected another fight to erupt between the two boys. All eyes are now trained on Eren, who looks astounded with his eyes widened and mouth slightly agape.

Armin then lightly nudges his friend’s shoulder. “Well, aren’t you going to say anything?”

The question shakes the green-eyed trainee from his stupor. He blinks once before rising to stand – more calmly, Armin notes approvingly.

“Thanks, Jean.” The hardened look in his gaze is now gone. “I appreciate you saying that. Apology accepted.” He says with a small smile.

“And for what it’s worth…” Eren trails off as his eyes dart downwards, a hint of shame in them, “… I shouldn’t have scoffed at you for wanting to go into the Interior. After all, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to be safe.”

He then looks directly at Jean again. “So, I guess I also owe you an apology.” He admits with a half-smile, hoping that it would lighten the mood.

It seems to have worked as Kirstein offers him a smile. “Glad to know that you can see things my way, Yeager.”

Eren grins more naturally at the response. “So… friends?” He asks, voice tentative as he holds out his hand.

Jean looks at the offered hand in surprise for a moment before observing the other boy’s expression. There’s a mix of uncertainty and apprehension in his countenance – possibly wary of how he would respond. But the look in Yeager’s eyes tells him that the offer of friendship is genuine.

He eventually grasps the hand offered to him. “Friends.” He says while giving it a firm shake.

There’s a smattering of applause as the crowd gives a slight cheer at the show of camaraderie. Armin especially claps heartily at the sight of the usually hot-headed Eren making peace with Jean even as he hears Connie yelp when Sasha takes advantage of the distraction to take a massive bite from the Springer boy’s loaf.

“Well, it’s nice that we’re all finally getting along.” Marco comments with a smile from the sidelines, hands still pressed together from clapping.

Jean sends a slightly annoyed look at Marco, who only continues to smile in return.

---

End Note: So, the 104th gang finally appears! Since Mikasa is a veteran in this story, I wanted to play a little with the dynamics of the 104th's relationships with one another. On this, I wanted Eren and Jean to have a friendlier relationship in this story than in canon. I hope that I was able to execute this idea (as well as all my other ideas) properly. Lol.

In any case, let me know what you think! Critiques and comments are most welcome!

#rivamika #levimika #levi x mikasa

[starlit-scarlet]

Chapter 32

We'll Get Through This Together-Part 4

Word Count: ~10.3k

Please see my note regarding this fic here.

Starved Menu

Isa was relieved when the next few days passed without incident or nightmare. She felt as if she was slowly making progress with Levi and was excited at how close she was to finally being with him the way she wanted.

One morning, a few days after that next step she’d taken with him, Erwin called for Levi’s squad and Hange’s squad to meet with him. Apparently, the gate in Karanes was in need of repairs, but a horde of titans was surrounding it, so the Garrison was requesting help from the Scouts to clear them.

Isa grumbled, annoyed that the Garrison couldn’t take care of a few titans and were calling on the Scouts for help, when she’d heard plenty of Garrison members who critiqued them for leaving the walls. Despite this, the two squads made their way to Karanes, and Isa only hoped that there would be no issue.

They left their horses at the stables outside the inner gate to Karanes and began making their way to the outer gate. Isa was strolling beside Levi, the others walking up ahead of them, and she noticed that Levi was getting his usual attention from the citizens, they were either adoring and fawning over him, or they were critiquing and insulting him.

She loved how he just ignored them, not letting any of their comments, good or bad, phase him in any way. One blonde-haired woman was so bold as to come up and link arms with him, and Isa stifled a giggle at the irritated look that passed over Levi’s face.

It was harder to ignore someone when they were touching you.

She watched as he desperately tried to pull his arm from the woman’s grasp, but she clung tight, clearly determined to proposition him.

“Oh Captain Levi,” she cooed, the woman’s voice holding that breathy tone that Isa had mocked so many times in the past, “I am so grateful that someone as strong as yourself is coming to help us here in Karanes. I live so close to the outer gate, and I can hear the titans outside it each morning.”

Amusement filled Isa at the annoyance in Levi’s eyes as he ignored the woman and kept moving, his steps quickening and he clearly hoped she would get the hint and leave him alone. It was rare for someone to come up to him this way, usually resorting to fawning over him from afar, but this woman clearly had no nerves, or any common sense.

She obviously hadn’t gotten the hint as she kept talking, voice dropping to a low, seductive whisper as she leaned in close to his ear. “Maybe when you’re done, Captain, you can come find me and I can show you just how grateful I am.”

His eyes narrowed, jaw clenched, hating whenever a woman did this. “No.”

Isa had to stifle another laugh at the icy chill in his voice. It always took her by surprise how cold his voice normally was, so used to the warmth he used around her. She loved how he acted around her, completely relaxed, his guard completely lowered.

The change in how he’d been when they’d first met and now still astonished her, and it always thrilled her at how she’d earned his trust, his affection, loving every minute they were together, even if it was just walking through Karanes while Levi tried to ward off the plethora of women who wanted to bed him.

Completely unperturbed the woman continued, her voice now sultry as she continued on her quest to seduce the cold Captain. “Oh, come now, Captain, surely you need someone to meet your needs. I doubt any of the women in the Scouts are able to meet the needs of a man such as yourself.”

Oh, if only you knew lady.

Clearly having grown beyond frustrated with the woman, Levi stopped in his tracks so he could yank his arm from her grasp, voice as chilly as ever. “Lady, I’m not interested, so back the hell off.”

That seemed to get through to her as she faltered, an embarrassed flush creeping up her neck and face.

Isa stopped to wait for Levi, though she couldn’t stop the giggle this time at the sound of irritation, frustration, and contempt in his voice, and the woman latched onto her, clearly in need of moving the attention to someone else, needing to embarrass someone to ease her own humiliation.

“I don’t know why you’re laughing,” she snapped, blue eyes going icy and feral, “it’s not like someone as plain as yourself could ever get his attention.”

She was half tempted to kiss Levi and show the woman just how much of his attention she could get from him. Not bothered at all by the woman’s words, knowing just how much Levi enjoyed someone ‘as plain as herself,’ she merely raised an intrigued eyebrow, voice full of amusement.

“Yet, I’m not the one who just received a public rejection from him,” she taunted. “I suggest you move along before you embarrass yourself any further.”

Her words clearly struck a nerve with the woman, who made as if to strike at Isa, but Levi was too fast, grabbing her arm before she could even come close to her.

“Keep your filthy hands off of her.” He warned, glaring at the woman.

Recognizing defeat, the woman ripped her arm out of Levi’s grasp, marching off, mumbling insults as she went.

The two continued their trek to the outer gate, and he was first to break the silence, his voice now full of the warmth he always used with her.

“You could have helped.”

She sent him an amused look. “I wanted to see how you’d handle it, besides, it’s fun watching you squirm at the fawning attention of your adoring fans.”

His breath huffed out, full of humor. “Don’t most women get jealous when this sort of thing happens.”

She nudged him with her shoulder, giggling at the thought. “I’m not most women, besides, I’d say that’s probably what you like most about me.”

She’d felt jealousy before, but that was before she was with him. Besides, she knew how much he hated the attention from the women who threw themselves at him, so she’d had no reason to feel any envy.

He shook his head in amusement. “I guess that’s a fair point.”

“If it helps, I thought about kissing you just to shut her up, but I know how you feel about that sort of thing around others, so I decided against it.”

He shot her a look that she thought might have been desperate for him, clearly wishing she’d done just that if it meant getting the woman to leave him alone. “If something like that ever happens again, feel free to do whatever you’d like if it means getting those women away from me.”

She hummed, always looking for ways to tease him. “But, Captain Levi, I don’t think you want to give me permission to do just anything, why, I might get carried away.”

He rolled his eyes at the teasing, a small chuckle escaping him. “Honestly, I don’t care, and if you were thinking that sort of thing bothers me, it doesn’t. Not…not with you.”

She flushed, as she looked down at the ground, and she couldn’t stop the content smile from forming on her face. “That’s good to know.”

She took in a breath and grabbed his arm to stop him. She leaned in, brushing her lips across his cheek, bringing them to his ear to whisper in a voice mocking that of the woman’s.

“I’ll be sure to show you just how grateful I am for you tonight, Captain.”

She pulled back, and giggled at the heated, amused look he sent her as they started to move again. It didn’t bother her if he wasn’t going to be affectionate if there were other people around. She knew she got to see the real him when it was just the two of them, and for her, she preferred it that way, knowing that no one else knew him the way she knew him. It made what they had feel even more special, knowing that it was only with her he could completely let his guard down.

Besides, if he was okay with it, she could be affectionate for the both of them, or at least try to be. Some acts of affection still made her nervous, but the things she’d done before they were together, she still did with confidence.

When they arrived at the outer gate, they took the lift to the top of the wall, looking down at the titans that had surrounded the gate on the other side. There were about ten or so huddled around the gate, with more out in the distance, though it wouldn’t take much to draw their attention.

Isa could see why the Garrison had requested their assistance, even if she did find the idea annoying, considering this was their job. She’d seen some of the Garrison members and how they sat around, drinking all day. If they put in half the time and effort the Scouts did, then they wouldn’t need to ask for help.

But in that moment, it didn’t matter, because they needed to figure out how to approach the situation.

She, Hange, Levi, and Eld observed the titans below as they tried to determine the best way to deal with the titans. The rest of their squads were waiting with the Garrison members who were on duty monitoring the wall.

There’s too many here to handle all at once, not without trees to help us.

If we tried to take them on at once, we’d risk getting in each other’s way.

That would not be good if two people’s wires somehow got tangled, or worse, if someone was slicing through a titan and somehow hit someone else.

Too dangerous this close together.

“Any thoughts?” Levi asked.

Her brow furrowed as she tried to find a solution, eyes focused on the titans. “We need to find a way to spread them apart. All lumped together like this, we’ll never be able to clear them out.”

Hange hummed in agreement, nodding as she took in the scene below. “I think you’ve got a point. Outside the walls, in a forest, it’s easier to maneuver. Here, all we have is the wall. If we can separate them, we can take them down.”

A plan was forming in Isa’s mind, one she thought would work. “I think what we can do is have some of us dangle down across the wall, luring them away from the gate. Then you three can take care of killing them off one by one.”

Hange’s hand came up to rest under her chin as she thought through Isa’s suggestion. “I agree, what do you think, Levi?”

He turned his head to Isa, and when she met his eyes, she could tell he didn’t like the idea of her acting as bait, but also knew they needed enough people to lure the titans, otherwise, the plan wouldn’t work. “I think it’s the best plan we’ve got.”

Isa nodded. “We should go tell the others.”

They returned to where the rest of the two squads were waiting with the Garrison. Since it was her plan, she spoke, informing the other squad members and the Garrison members of what needed to be done. “This is what we’ve decided to do. Some of us are going to hang down the side of the wall, hopefully luring the titans so that they’re spread out. Once they’re spaced out enough, we should be able to take them out.”

Irritation flashed in Mark’s eyes as he stared down at Isa. “So you’re going to send people to hang over the wall as bait, but you yourself won’t do so. Why the hell, should I listen to you? What makes you fit to even make these decisions?”

Her own eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, having grown beyond fed up with Mark and Anna’s hostility towards her. “First, I don’t know what the hell your problem is, but we’ve been through this. If you have a problem with me, deal with it when we’re on missions and when we’re training. Otherwise, you’re free to request to be switched to another squad, or hell, even switch to the Garrison. They’re always looking for people like you to sit around and do nothing but complain. Because I’m. Not. Going. Anywhere.”

She took a step closer, asserting herself, poking her finger hard into his chest as her eyes threw daggers up at him. “Second, I never said I wasn’t going to be acting as bait. I am. It’s my idea, so I’m more than happy to put my trust in everyone else to make sure I don’t die. Get over yourself and stop making assumptions when you know absolutely nothing about me.”

Mark took in Isa’s glare, and noted the glares of Hange and Levi. Knowing he was beat, he nodded. “Fine. But if someone dies, know that it’ll be your fault.”

She laughed, though it held no mirth, only the detest she held for the man. “Then that’s my damn problem, not yours.”

Taking a breath, she ignored Mark’s glare as she turned to address the rest. “Hange, Levi, and Eld will take care of the titans, the rest of us will act as bait. So find a spot on the wall and spread out. If this works, it shouldn’t take long to draw them away.”

Without another word, she made her way to a section further down the wall, not realizing that Levi was following her. She turned and was about to rappel down, when she felt his hand on her arm. Glancing up, she saw him standing in front of her, and could see the concern in his eyes. She gave his arm a light squeeze.

“Hey, it’s going to be okay.”

“Just…just be careful,” he murmured, voice underlined with worry.

She gave him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, besides, it should be me telling you that, considering the fact that you’re the one having to deal with killing them.”

A soft smile crossed his lips, as he brought his hand up to stroke down her face, thumb brushing gently at her cheek, and she couldn’t help the shy smile, her eyes warm as she looked at him, knowing being affectionate in front of other people wasn’t easy for him, though she knew that no one’s attention was on them in that moment. Her heart flipped when she saw the answering warmth come to his, working to push away the concern. When he stepped back, she latched her hooks onto the top of the wall, slowly lowering herself down to where she could attract the attention of the titans, making sure to stay high enough to where she couldn’t be reached.

Sure enough, as the others moved into position, dangling along the side of the wall, the titans began to lumber over to them, drawn by the tempting humans. Her heart thrummed when she saw one of the taller ones make its way towards her, never liking when she had to be near one, but she trusted Levi to keep her safe. Glancing up, she could see him watching her, sensing that he didn’t like having to wait, not liking how close the tall titan was getting. But she also knew that he understood that he needed to wait until it was closer, until the others were more spread out. Despite the fact that he was a good thirty meters above her, just holding his eyes helped ease her nerves.

Once the titans were separated, now reaching up to the dangling humans above them, Levi, Hange, and Eld sprang into action, working from the outside in, taking down the titans with ease, though, Levi chose to start with the one directly under Isa.

She loved watching Levi move through the air. He made it look so effortless, the way he spun, grappling his way across titans with no hesitation. She remembered the way it had felt to hold onto him as he flew, and the memory had a rush coursing through her veins. Flying as she held onto his back had been the most exhilarating experience she’d ever had. It was vivid in her memory the way the wind had felt against her face from his speed, the way he’d easily cut corners. The blur of the buildings as they’d passed them.

She had a sneaking suspicion that he’d kept her on her toes, keeping her unaware of when he’d take the next turn, completely on purpose, simply so he could hear her laugh. She’d noticed that there were times when she laughed that his features relaxed, as if he enjoyed that he could make her laugh, the same way she enjoyed making him laugh.

It was something she wanted to do again, piggyback with him while he flew through the air, but wasn’t sure how to ask. She wanted to feel that adrenaline rush that had come from putting her trust into him, knowing he’d always do his best to keep her safe. She wasn’t naïve enough to believe that nothing bad could happen to her with Levi, even if it felt that way. He was still human. But she’d meant it when she’d told him that she always felt safe with him.

She loved those moments where it felt as if they were the only two people in the entire world, and she lived for them, the same way she lived for simple days where she could lay out in the grass or in a meadow. What she didn’t understand was the way the simplest things always flooded her with warmth, but she relished in those small moments. Those were the moments she wanted to hold close to her forever.

She watched as Levi took down the final titan, landing back on the wall above her. Reeling herself back in, she saw that he was already crouched down, waiting for her to get close enough that he could help her up the rest of the way. When he held out a hand, she grabbed it, enjoying the feel of him helping her as he pulled her up, knowing his own worries wouldn’t calm until he knew she was safe.

Standing next to him, she gave him another reassuring smile. “See, I told you that it would be okay.”

She could see the admiration and relief in his eyes, and she knew that he’d been expecting the worst, prepared to act the second something went wrong. What surprised her, was when his hand came up to cradle the back of her head, drawing her close so he could brush his lips across her forehead.

The affectionate act had her eyes widening and face flushing, knowing he would only do something like that in front of other people if he was overcome by emotion. That same shy smile came to her face as she looked up at him, lip caught between her teeth, not caring in the slightest that the others most likely witnessed the act, loving the warmth and affection in his eyes. But what she loved even more was the faint hint of pink that had crept up to his cheeks, knowing he was most likely slightly embarrassed at the affectionate act in front of everyone, especially his own subordinates.

The urge to tease him came to her, but she decided against it, not wanting to discourage him from doing something like that again. Instead, she followed him when he started walking back towards the others. As they approached, she could tell Anna and Mark had seen the exchange based on the judgment in their eyes, which she was more than happy to ignore, not caring in the slightest what they thought.

Eld had seen judging by the slightly stunned expression on his face he was clearly trying to contain, obviously never having expected his superior to be affectionate with someone and she could also see the curiosity in his eyes.

She also knew that Hange had seen, and she sent her friend a warning glare not to tease him, sensing she was about to. Thankfully, Hange seemed to get the silent message, and kept quiet, though that didn’t take away the teasing light in her eyes.

After Levi and Hange had a quick chat with the Garrison members, the two squads left, starting the journey back to base.

~ - ~

When they returned late in the evening, Isa made her way back to Levi’s office, knowing he and Hange would need to meet with Erwin. As she always did, she removed the bindings covering her breasts, relieved at the freeing feel of removing the constraining fabric.

Setting settled herself on his couch with a book, she drew her knees in tight underneath her as her eyes flew across the pages, devouring the story, loving the adventure the couple was going on as they worked to figure out what it was they felt for each other, how to tell the other how they felt, the steamier parts, all of it. As a child, her romance books were what had given her an escape from the horrible life she’d led, letting her go on adventures with people, taking her away from the misery she’d felt. Now she read simply for the enjoyment of it, loving the feel of being lost in a good book, no longer needing an escape, simply reading for the sake of reading.

So enthralled in the pages, she didn’t notice when Levi entered his office, nor when he sat next to her. It didn’t even register when his breath huffed out in amusement at how lost in her book she was. She jolted when she felt his hand rest on her head, turning her to face him.

Her lips curled into a sheepish smile at the humor lighting his eyes. “Hi.”

A breathless chuckle escaped him, always intrigued in how the simplest things drew her attention away from everything else around her. “Hi. Good book?”

She nodded. “It’s one of my favorites. I’ve read it so many times I could probably tell it to you word for word, but each time I read it, I find something new, make a connection between something that happened earlier, or I see something that’s hinting at what’s to come.” Her excitement had the speed of her words increasing as her eyes brightened.

Before he could say anything, a thought occurred to her, something she wanted to try, something she’d just read about in her book. Nibbling at her lip, she took a breath. She set her book down on the table in front of the couch, bringing her gaze back to his. Doing her best to ignore the humor in his eyes as if he were waiting for her to decide what she wanted to do, clearly sensing she was going to do something. Not wanting to give herself the chance to second guess herself, she maneuvered herself so that she was now straddling him as she sat in his lap.

The red in her face deepened when she met his amused gaze, a shy smile crossing her face. “Hi.”

His lips twitched at the second greeting. “Hi.”

Unsure of what to do next, not having thought that far ahead, she resorted to letting her hands rest on his chest, loving the feel of the strong muscles beneath his shirt. Her position in his lap had her looking down at him, and she was intrigued at the feel of doing so, at having him look up at her. His own hands had come to rest on her hips, and she loved the heavy weight of them holding her in place, reminding her of how they felt when they stroked across her bare skin, the heat of them searing her.

Making a decision, she brought her hands to his, guiding them to the hem of her shirt, silently telling him she wanted him to take it off her, knowing he was still waiting for her to make the first move. She shivered when his fingers trailed along her skin as he slowly pulled her shirt off of her, baring her to him. When she saw the heat come to his eyes, the hunger, it sent an answering heat pulsing through her, loving the way he wanted her.

Cradling her head, he drew her down so he could meet her lips, his moving lazily across hers, a content sigh falling from him when her hands came to stroke through his hair. Her head fell back when his mouth moved from hers to trail down her neck, eyes fluttering closed as he sucked against the sensitive spot of her neck, losing herself to the sensations that were flowing through her as she brought her hands up to thread themselves into his hair. His hands grazed up her sides to cup her breasts, kneading them, and she shivered when his thumbs brushed across her nipples, a soft moan escaping her.

Rocking her hips involuntarily against him when he nipped lightly at the rigid tip, her pleased hum filling the air, and a flash of heat rippled through her when she felt something hard pressing against her center, thrilled that he reacted to her as easily as she reacted to him, loving that it wasn’t just her. Her eyes fluttered open, meeting his, the searing heat in them sending a thrill arrowing through her. His eyes held steady on hers when he took her nipple in his mouth, sucking hard, tongue teasing it as he did, his thumb still grazing across the tip of her other breast.

Shuddering, a throaty moan fell from her at the answering pulls shooting straight to her core at the feel, adding to the slowly growing tension. She was loving how sensitive her breasts and nipples were. She whimpered when she felt him flick his tongue across her nipple, rippling heat flooding through her, hips involuntarily rocking against him again. Even though she absolutely loved the feel of his hands and mouth on her breasts, she wanted to try something new, eager to keep going, eager to get to the point where she wouldn’t have to suggest these things.

Her breath panted out as he continued to tease her nipple, making it harder to speak. “I…I want…I want to try something.”

He chuckled at her struggle, clearly enjoying the way her body reacted to him. “Tell me what you want.”

She blew out a breath, cheeks puffing out, unsure of how to phrase what she wanted. “I just…I feel weird saying this one.”

Glancing up at her, he pressed another delicate kiss to her breast. “You don’t have to feel weird,” he murmured against her skin, “it’s okay. Just take a breath, and tell me.”

She struggled to hold his gaze as she forced the words out of her mouth. “I…I want your fingers inside of me.”

The smoldering look that came into his eyes sent a matching heat through her, and once again, the knowledge that he wanted what she wanted, helped to ease her nerves. She could see the silent question in his eyes, wanting to be absolutely sure that she wanted this next step. Nodding, she silently told him she was ready, wanting more, wanting to keep going.

His hands dropped lower on her as he stood, holding her, and her legs instinctively wrapped around his waist, enjoying the feel as he carried her to his room, setting her gently on his bed. Crawling over her, she could see the question still in his eyes. Nodding again, taking his hands, she brought them to her pants, the smallest hint of nerves jangling at the thought of fully revealing herself to him. She did her best to remind herself that he’d already seen her naked, and it helped, some. The nerves came from him seeing parts of her she’d never actually seen before.

As if sensing her nerves, he leaned down, pressing his lips softly on hers, always focusing on helping her relax first before adding on something new, always wanting to be sure she was comfortable. His hands trailed up her sides, coming up to knead at her breasts, drawing an aroused sigh from her as the tension slowly left, loving the way the roughened palms. His hands held so much strength, yet stroked her so tenderly--though she was curious to know what it would feel like for him to be rougher with her.

A choked moan escaped her when his mouth brushed down her neck, circling her breast to lightly lick her nipple while slowly unbuttoning her pants, drawing them down her hips, leaning back so he could pull them down and off her legs, leaving her bare save her panties. She shivered as hot tingles followed his hands tracing up her legs, letting her adjust to the feel of him touching her without pants, leaning in to tease her lips, pushing away the nerves once again.

When he felt her relax, he slowly drew her panties over her hips, bringing them down her legs, her body now completely bare before him. He met her eyes, and she could see he was asking her if she was sure, needing to be certain, knowing she was nervous. Despite the molten desire in his eyes, hotter than she’d yet to see, she could also see the promise in them telling her he’d never hurt her, telling her he’d stop the minute she was afraid. Needing this next step, needing to keep pushing herself, she took a breath, nodding, before parting her legs for him.

If she’d thought she’d seen hunger in his eyes at the sight of her breasts, the near ravenous look on his face had her swallowing, relieved that he wanted as much as she wanted, sending a liquid heat rushing through her body. Despite knowing he wanted her, each new step she took had her nerves coming back, worrying that he didn’t want as much as she did, but each time she was reminded he did. When his eyes came back to hers, her heart leapt to her throat at the lustful look in them she’d yet to see from him, and it had an answering lust kindling deep within her, one she’d never felt, boiling hot, threatening to spill over and consume them both.

And she wanted more of it.

Her eyes widened at the sight, pulse now rabbiting in her neck, and she wondered if he could see it. The thought that he held so much desire, lust for her, had a powerful confidence crashing through her, one she’d never felt, even more than she’d felt when she’d fought Uma or Derek. The sight of something she’d never thought she’d be able to make a man feel made her feel powerful as a woman, made her feel beautiful, desired, longed for. As if he craved her, needed her, the way she craved and needed him. Each new thing she learned, saw, was always more exhilarating than what came before, and this powerful feeling was addicting, more euphoric than anything she’d ever felt.

And she wanted to feel it again and again.

But the look was gone almost as fast as it had come, as he yanked himself back in control, and she half wondered if she’d imagined it. Then, he leaned down brushing his lips across hers, gentler than ever, silently reminding her that he’d never hurt her, in any way. Melting into him, she silently reminded him that she could never be afraid of him, that nothing he could do could ever scare her, that she wanted everything with him.

His hands came to her bare hips, letting her adjust to the feel of his hands on her body with no barrier in between, and the heat of his hands seared into her, and she half wondered if it would leave burn marks on her skin. She shivered at the tingles that followed his hands as they grazed up her waist, to the sides of her breasts. A hushed moan fell from her lips when he traced his hands over them, kneading gently, thumbs teasing the tips back into rigid peaks, sending that soft heat flowing through her veins.

He brushed his lips down her neck, across the tip of her breast, taking her nipple into his mouth, sucking, drawing a needy whimper from her as she felt the answering pull feeding the slowly growing ache within her, eager for more, always eager for new sensations, hoping she never got used to the feel of his hands and mouth on her. When he felt her relax completely, he pulled back, needing to watch her face, needing to watch for any signs of fear.

He grazed his hand across the top of her thigh, her blood heating further at the feel as he moved it closer to where she wanted. When she finally felt his hand move between her legs, she moaned at the feel of his finger sliding through her folds, easing her into the touch, bringing it up to her clit to circle lightly, slowly building her arousal, allowing her to adjust to the feel of him touching her without anything covering her, using familiar touches to help her relax.

Her head flopped back with another breathy moan when she felt his finger circle around her faster, legs falling open further, all nerves and modesty gone as she focused on the sheer bliss of his calloused fingertip on her clit, heavy, high-pitched pants escaping her as that familiar knot began to tighten. She felt his hand move lower, and a choked gasp fell from her lips when she felt his finger slide into her for the first time, the delicious pressure of it pulling a low moan from her. His fingers were longer, thicker than hers, and when she felt him slip a second one inside her, her head spun at how full she felt.

If this is how it feels with two fingers, how will it feel when he’s inside me? I’ve never felt this full before.

He slowly began sliding them in and out of her, allowing her to adjust to the feel, gradually increasing the pace, her helpless whimpers beginning to fill the air around them as he set a steady rhythm. She could feel the knot tightening deep within her. When his fingers curled inside her, her back arched, hips bucking against his hand when he hit a spot she hadn’t known existed, and it sent a hot bolt arrowing through her to fuel the ever growing tension.

When she used her fingers on herself, she was limited in where she could reach, the angle making it difficult to reach deep inside herself, never having been able to reach this far, leaving her to focus only on her clit to bring her relief. But he had no issues as he picked up the pace, rubbing against that spot each time his fingers glided in and out of her, teasing it, her whimpers turning into low, desperate moans, each thrust of his fingers sending ripples of molten heat coursing through her.

Something about having him touch her made the feeling more intense. She’d noticed it the first time he’d touched her clit, bringing her first orgasm from him. At the time, it had been the most intense one she’d ever felt, and she had a feeling this one building inside her would exceed what she’d experienced with him since then.

Maybe it was because her mind didn’t know what was coming, what he was going to do next, giving her some of that spontaneity she longed for.

Maybe it was because she was doing this with someone she loved, knowing her pleasure, the sounds she made, brought him excitement, joy, the same way it thrilled her and filled her with joy to watch him in the midst of his own climb to his peak.

She honestly didn’t care, she just never wanted him to stop.

Even though he was the only man she’d ever done anything with, she knew that no one would ever make her moan this way, whimper this way, cry out this way, bring her this bliss.

No one else would ever satisfy her.

She only hoped he felt the same.

Propping herself up on her elbows, her eyes met his and her stomach clenched with desire at the searing heat in them. She glanced down, and the sight of his fingers sliding in and out of her was more arousing than she could have expected, more heat shooting to the knot building inside her. Her head fell back again, a choked whimper escaping her when he moved his fingers even faster, each time brushing up against that spot. She could feel the knot tightening further and further, her hands clenching tight on the sheets. He used his thumb to rub at her clit, and the extra stimulation had a high-pitched, needy moan falling from her as fierce, heated arrows shot through her system.

“More.” She panted out, begging for more speed, needing the release she could feel building, too delirious to be embarrassed about the request.

She heard him chuckle, clearly amused, clearly pleased at her reaction, though he didn’t hesitate to do as she asked, picking up the pace of his fingers as his thumb continued to tease the sensitive bundle of nerves, her breaths falling from her in short pants as the knot tightened even more. No longer able to hold herself up, no longer having the strength to do so, her elbows gave out hands reaching behind her and clasping onto the bed frame, needing something to keep her grounded. It felt as if she’d fly off any second with the building tension, desperate cries falling from her, begging him for more.

He leaned down, lips brushing at her ear as he whispered. “Look at me. Let me see your face when you come on my fingers.”

His words had her whimpering, shivering, searing heat slicing through her. Unable to resist his murmured command, unable to deny him, she forced herself to lift her head, her unfocused, glazed eyes meeting his molten ones, her lips parted as needy moans fell from them. Taking her nipple into his mouth, he sucked hard, and that final pull was all it took to shove her off the edge. Despite her greatest efforts to hold his gaze, her head fell back against the pillow, back arching, her drawn out, heated moan filling the air as the knot snapped, hot arrows of pleasure lancing through her as she clenched around his fingers still pulsing inside her.

Before she even had the time to climb down, she felt him pull his fingers from her to lay on her clit, now fiercely circling it, a choked sound falling from her lips as she felt the knot tightening faster than she’d ever experienced. Her eyes clenched even tighter, mouth dropping open with desperate cries, her hips involuntarily rolling against his fingers, seeking more, the sensitivity somehow adding to the climbing tension. She didn’t even have the chance to think before she was yanked up and over the edge again, a long, high-pitched moan falling from her as her hips twitched against his fingers, the crashing waves extended as he kept rubbing, slowing his pace to ease her back down.

The tension finally left her as she collapsed onto the mattress in a puddle. A heated, glowing sensation was pulsing through her as her satisfied hum filled the air. Eyes cracking open, she could see his amused, almost smug expression, once again, clearly enjoying the way she reacted to him. Too full of bliss to be embarrassed she sat up, a teasing, knowing smile on her face, that sultry version of herself taking over once again.

She hummed, eyes full of humor. “My Captain seems amused at how I react to him, as if it pleases him how easily he can make me moan, make me beg, make me desperate.” She pushed him onto his back. “Let’s see how easily he reacts to me. Let’s see if I can make him as desperate as he makes me.”

His brow quirked up in amusement, and she could see the challenge in his heated eyes, daring her to try. A thought occurred to her, something she’d been wanting to try, but had been too nervous to do so. She felt ready to try tonight, but wasn’t sure how to do it, and it had the sultry personality wavering slightly as her nerves kicked in.

She avoided his gaze, nibbling at her lip. “There’s...there’s something I want to try, but I’m not entirely sure how to do it...and I don’t want to mess up.”

He sat up, taking her chin in his hand, coaxing her to face him. He placed a soft kiss on her lips, pulling back to rest his forehead on hers, thumb stroking lightly at her jaw.

“Relax, whatever you want to do, either tell me, or just do it. You won’t mess up, you won’t disappointment me. You could never, will never disappoint me, I promise you. And if you need my help, just tell me.”

She realized he was trusting her completely without even knowing what it was she wanted to do. And it was as if he’d read her mind, knowing she still sometimes feared she’d disappoint him. His gentle words and the warmth in his eyes helped ease her nerves, bringing back the seductive, teasing version of herself.

She pushed him back down against the bed. “You always know just what to say Captain, to make me feel better, to ease my nerves.”

She loved the way his eyes turned hot and molten whenever his title fell from her lips. “You’re so good to me. You’ve been so good to me. Your loyal and faithful subordinate has a surprise for you that she thinks you’ll like. I’m going to see how crazy I can make you.”

Has he always reacted that way to me calling him Captain? Or is it just when I use this voice? Wherever the hell this voice came from.

Eager to please her Captain, she let her hand palm at the bulge in his pants, thrilled that she was able to make him react this way, elated at the heated groan that fell from him when she squeezed lightly. After feeling undesirable all her life, to be able to make this powerful man want her sent heat rushing through her. Leaning down, she yanked his shirt off of him, loving the amusement that came to his face whenever she made a bold move such as this one.

She pressed her lips to his, enjoying how he allowed her to be in control of his pleasure, the way she was working to let him be in control with hers. She grazed her mouth up his cheek, brushing, teasing against his ear, a soft hum flowing through her at the way his breath hitched. Exploring, experimenting, she let her mouth roam down his neck, grazing at the sensitive spot, relishing in the way he shivered.

“I spent so long, Captain,” she murmured, “thinking this was all just me. I don’t think you know how happy I was to find out how much you wanted me, that you wanted more with me, the way I wanted more, the way I want it all.

Growing even bolder, curiosity driving her, she made her way down his chest, letting her tongue flick across his nipple, the way he had with hers, encouraged when he sucked in a breath. She traced her mouth and tongue across his chest, the way he had so many times with her, enjoying the way his muscles quivered and the way his breath had quickened ever so slightly. Glancing up at him, she could see him watching her, eyes full of desire.

“I wish I could go back in time and tell my past self to take those chances in all those moments where I thought you wanted me.”

She could see the understanding that came to his eyes as she spoke, could feel it in the way his hand came up to stroke through her hair. Moving back up, she teased his lips with hers, loving how he sighed when she brushed her hands through his hair.

“There were so many times where I came oh so close, but I was too afraid. Something always stopped me.”

She sat up, bringing her hand back to palm him lightly through his pants again, loving the way he swallowed and how his eyes seemed to lose focus at the pressure. “But I’m not afraid anymore, and I fully intend on making up for lost time, Captain.”

Her hands shook slightly when she unbuttoned his pants, knowing what she was about to do.

Pulling his pants and boxers down, she revealed him to her, drinking in the sight of him, his hardened cock practically begging for some attention. She loved how aroused she could make him. It made her feel desired, beautiful, powerful.

Taking him into her hand, she slowly began moving it up and down along his length, allowing his pleasure to build, wanting to make him feel as good as he made her feel, wanting to make him feel loved, even if she couldn’t say the words. She allowed herself to ease into it, increasing the speed of her strokes, tightening her grip, using what she already knew to help her relax, preparing her for what she wanted to do next, his heated groans and grunts beginning to fill the air as they encouraged her. When she could tell he was getting close she pulled her hand off him, tracing light, feathery touches around his tip as it twitched, loving the glare he sent her, a light thrill hitting her as she teased him.

“I thought we talked about this.” He groaned, voice strained as his eyes clenched tight at the teasing touches.

She hummed in amusement, teasing him helping to ease her nerves. “Doesn’t mean I listened.”

His voice dropped to a frustrated, tense growl as he spoke. “Stubborn pain in the a—“

His words were cutoff by a needy groan when she wrapped him in her hand again, working his length at a fast pace that threatened to throw him over the edge, his hands clenching tight into the sheets as his hips bucked against her hand. Just as he was about to leap, she stopped, moving her fingers to trace along the dips and ridges of muscle along his stomach, letting her eyes move to his face, an innocent smile filling hers, eyes shining with humor at the frustrated look he sent her.

“I’m sorry, you were saying.” Her sultry tone was light, airy, continuing to enjoy toying with him.

His glare was weakened by the desire heating them, only fueling her need to tease. Leaning over him, she brushed her lips across his, trailing them across his jaw and up to his ear.

“Is my Captain getting annoyed with my teasing?” She purred. “Am I driving him crazy?”

She relished in the way he shivered as she whispered in his ear, though she could feel him still glaring at her. Her hand snuck down to his length again, tracing lightly through the fluid that was leaking from the tip, hand growing bolder as she trailed her fingers further down, cupping him gently, massaging him, the strained grunt that escaped him sending a searing heat through her.

She loved teasing him, loved that he was willing to let her tease him. Despite the glares he shot at her, she could see the underlying amusement hidden in the frustration and desire swirling in his eyes. It thrilled her that he let her be in charge of his pleasure, and she couldn’t wait for the day where he was fully in charge of hers, even if it meant she was sobbing, begging for release.

She wanted that. She wasn’t sure why, but she wanted to be teased and denied by him, the same way she did with him. The idea of it was thrilling, intriguing, something new she couldn’t wait to experience.

Wrapping him in her hand once again, she set a steady pace, his needy groan sending a hot rush through her, letting her thumb swirl against his tip. His hips bucked against her hand involuntarily, hands clenching into the sheets. Once again, she pulled her hand from his cock when he was close, tracing a finger across his tip and down his length.

A frustrated groan fell from him, eyes narrowing at her. “You’re playing with fire.” His voice was tense as he spoke through clenched teeth.

Continuing the same pattern along his length, she brushed her lips across his cheeks, and down his neck. “Maybe I want to get burned.”

A strained chuckle escaped him. “Just remember what I told you.”

‘Whatever you dish out now, it’s going to come back to you at some point.’

She smiled against his neck, moving back up to nip lightly at his jaw. “Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten. And I’m looking forward to it, Captain.”

She took in a deep breath, leaning back, wrapping her hand around him again, setting a slow pace, not wanting to push him too far, wanting to have the chance to try.

When his eyes clenched tight, a needy, almost desperate groan falling from him at her slow pace, she made her move. Shoving aside the nerves she leaned down, wrapping his tip in her mouth. A strangled curse fell from him as his eyes snapped open, hips bucking up involuntarily, instinctively seeking more of the wet warmth, drawing a choked sound from her when he slid further than she’d expected.

“Shit! Are you okay?!” His voice was strained as he spoke, though his concern for Isa was present as always.

He reached up to pull her off of him, needing to make sure she wasn’t hurt, but she slapped his hands away, sending him a glare, telling him with her eyes that she was fine, that she knew she’d taken him by surprise, and that he hadn’t hurt her. That she wanted to do this. Swallowing thickly, he nodded, though she could see the worry in his eyes, clearly afraid he’d hurt her.

Determination filled her, wanting to erase the worry and replace it with desire and pleasure, wanting to bring him bliss. Her need to please her Captain now overriding the urge to tease. She worked to take more of him into her mouth, though there was only so much she could take, not used to the feeling.

She thought back to how she’d used her hands on him, and began bobbing her head, keeping a steady pace, intrigued by the taste of him, the feel of him in her mouth more thrilling than she could have ever expected. His hand came up to rest in her hair, fingers threading into the silky strands, and she hummed at the feel. Another jolt hit her when he sucked in a breath at the vibrations, and she knew she’d found something else that he liked. His grunts and groans sent new heat flashing through her, loving this new way she could bring him pleasure, loving the way she could feel his cock twitching occasionally inside her mouth as she worked him closer to the edge.

She felt him take her hand, bringing it up to wrap around the rest of him that she couldn’t fit in her mouth. Understanding what he needed, what he was silently telling her, she worked to time the strokes of her hand with the movement of her head, a pleased shiver hitting her when she heard an almost desperate groan fall from him at the added stimulation.

As she moved, her tongue accidentally flicked against a spot on the back of his head, and a strained sound fell from him, his free hand clenching tight in the sheets, each new way she learned she could make him feel good sent excitement pulsing through her veins.

Encouraged she experimented with her tongue more, using it to swirl around him as she worked her hand and mouth on him, relishing in the way his breath was now panting out. When she glanced up at him, she could see his eyes were clenched tight, the tension on his face sending a pleased heat rippling through her at the thought that she was doing this to him, loving that she could do this to him, despite her inexperience. She knew her technique wasn’t the best, but the sounds that were falling from him and the way his fingers had tightened lightly in her hair told her he didn’t care and were sending thrills through her system.

Even though it had only been a few weeks, she was starting to feel more confident as she learned what he liked, and knew that with time, she’d learn how to use her mouth with him, the same way she’d learned, was still learning, to use her hands on him. He’d been so patient with her, and his patience always eased her nerves, reminding her that she didn’t have to worry, allowing her to relax and just try, and to trust in herself. And it just made her love him even more.

His strained voice filled the air, his free hand gripping even tighter at the sheets. “Shit…fuck I’m…close.”

She realized he was trying to give her the option to pull off of him before he came in her mouth, a thrill arrowing through her at how tense he sounded from what she’d done. The thought of having him come in her mouth was arousing, exhilarating, something she wanted to try, but she wasn’t sure how to swallow. Not wanting to mess up this first time, she pulled back, now working her hand up and down his length, setting a fast pace, grip tight, no longer interested in teasing him.

It didn’t take much, too much teasing, too much stimulation sent him over the edge, his cock twitching as his release shot from him. His eyes clenched even tighter as he bucked against her hand, a long, husky groan falling from him through clenched teeth, and she shivered at the sound of it.

She watched as his body relaxed against the mattress, breaths slowing. She leaned up, brushing light kisses across his flushed face, down his neck, pulling back so she could gently stroke his hair. His eyes opened, and a shy smile crossed her face at the satisfaction in them, elated that she could do this to him, wondering if this is what he saw with her. Grabbing his shirt, he used it to wipe her hand, and she took it from him so she could wipe his release off him, tucking him neatly back into his pants, the routine of it filling her with a feeling of quiet contentment.

He guided her onto her back, hovering over her, his hands coming up to cup her face, thumbs stroking across her cheeks, and she loved the affection in his eyes, even if they still held concern, clearly still worried he’d hurt her.

“Are you okay?” He asked as he searched her face and eyes for any sign of discomfort or pain.

She brought her arms to wrap loosely around his neck, hands brushing through his hair. “I’m fine, Levi. You didn’t hurt me. I know I took you by surprise, and I should have told you, I just didn’t know how to say it, and was afraid I’d lose my nerve if I tried to say it.”

He brushed his lips across her forehead. “I don’t care about whether or not you told me, I just want to be sure that you’re okay.” His fingers threaded into her hair, lightly massaging.

A content sigh escaped her. “I’m fine, I promise.”

“That was not something you had to do,” he murmured.

She let her hands come around to cup his face, fingers threading into his hair, an affectionate smile on her face. “Don’t worry, Levi, I wanted to, I promise.”

She took a breath, face flushing at what she was about to say, though her smile remained. “I just, I like that I can make you feel good. I…I never thought I’d be able to do any of this. So me doing things like that is as much for me as it is for you, the same way I know you like…what you do to me."

Her face softened, thumbs brushing across his cheeks, eyes full of affection. “I want to experience everything with you, Levi, not just this, but everything. So the same way you tell me I don’t need to ask if I did something right, you don’t need to tell me I didn’t need to do something, because I’m doing what you told me and doing the things I want to do.”

Admiration lit his eyes at her words. “You continue to amaze me.”

Lip caught between her teeth, a flush crept up her face at the thought that she could amaze him. “Good, and I intend to keep doing just that.”

He leaned his head down, brushing his lips across her shoulder, her neck, up to her ear, light tingles following where he kissed her bare skin. “You’re still going to pay for that.”

She giggled, all nerves gone for the moment, too overjoyed at how far she’d come, too full of love and affection to feel nervous.

“And like I told you, I look forward to it, Levi. Because if you’re able to do that, then that means everything we’ve done has worked and I won’t have to guide you for everything."

He chuckled, and the sound of it against her ear had her heart clenching, always loving whenever she could make him laugh. Rolling to his side, he pulled her close the way he always did. She wondered if she should feel awkward with her naked body pressed up against him, but if anything, she felt more at ease than ever, loving the affection in his eyes as he held her gaze.

She hummed when he leaned in to brush his lips across hers, his hand coming up to rest lightly on her face when he pulled back. Trapped in his eyes, the warmth in them sending a soft heat flowing through her, she was still amazed at how the risk she’d taken had paid off. She still hated that she’d spent all that time too afraid to make a move, hating all the time they’d lost, but she refused to regret it. That time with Levi had helped their friendship bloom into something she’d never experienced, and never wanted to lose.

One of the things she loved most about her new relationship with him, was how close they still were as friends. She hadn’t been lying when she’d told him he was her best friend. It was a different friendship than what she had with Hange. She wasn’t sure why, she just knew it was different.

Maybe it was his calmer nature, one that had helped her in more ways than one.

Maybe it was because she was in love with him.

Maybe it was because she’d seen him vulnerable, seen sides of him that no one else had ever seen, the way he’d seen sides of her no one else had ever seen.

She honestly didn’t care, she loved every part of their relationship, their friendship, all of it, and she could tell he was enjoying himself too. She hoped he never stopped, though his promises to her helped ease her nerves. The last thing she wanted to do was leave, but she needed to go clean up, so like she had each night, she brushed her lips across his cheek, telling him she’d be back in a little bit. She could tell he didn’t want to let her go with the way his arms tightened around her, but he relented, knowing the sooner he let her go, the sooner she’d be back. Sitting up, she grabbed her panties and pants, tugging them on, feeling awkward as she stood without a shirt. It was still in his office where they’d left it, and she now had to walk out to grab it.

Even though he’d seen her naked, had touched her, kissed her, it felt strange walking around without a shirt. She took in a breath, forcing herself to stand and leave, grabbing her shirt and pulling it over her head as she walked. Racing to her room, she quickly washed up and changed, eager to be back with him as she always was. When she was back in his room, she practically jumped into bed next to him, face flushing at the amused look he sent her at her eagerness.

She slid closer to him, loving how he pulled her in tight as always, hoping he never stopped wanting to do this. Feeling ridiculous that she still needed to take a breath, she took one, before tilting her head up so she could graze her lips across his, wanting the routine of kissing him one last time before she fell asleep, ignoring the teasing light in his eyes, though she appreciated that he never ridiculed her for feeling nervous over the simpler things.

She let her head drop back down, resting against his shoulder as his arms held her close as they always did. Her eyes began to droop close as the muffled beat of his heart helped her relax further. She could feel sleep pulling her in as she snuggled closer into the heat of his body, a content sigh escaping her at the featherlight touch across her forehead, completely unaware of the nightmare she was about to have.

Starved Menu

<-Chapter 31

Chapter 33 ->

Taglist:

@angelofthorr

#levi x oc #Levi x isa #levi ackerman #enemies to lovers #enemies to friends to lovers #friends to lovers #eventual romance #attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #oc x canon #eventual smut

[robbyrobinson]

OWL HOUSE X CTHULHU MYTHOS CROSSOVER: GODS AWAKEN (PT. 23)

In Belos’ laboratory, three guards were surrounding the portal machine whilst others were casually speaking with each other.

“So that human woman will be the first human executed under Lord Belos?” a guard asked. They were both wearing attire appropriate to any serving the Emperor’s Coven. His partner was slightly taller and had a gruffer voice.

“Bah, I’d think the Emperor would be less merciful in regards to that rat creature.”

Beyond them, more of Emperor Belos’ enchanted suits of armor were continually being created and stowed away in boxes. The process was the same as it ever was: rock harvested from the petrified statues were collected and pitched into vaults containing scorching liquid metal. They were then placed on the conveyor belts upon being cooled and fashioned. Rinse and repeat a thousand times, and this became a daily occurrence for the guards. It did not bother them where the rocks they were using to mold the armor came from. In fact, some were blissfully going about their business without fully knowing they were harvesting rocks from petrified statues.

The doors opened up revealing the Owl Spy to be behind it. “Afternoon.”

The other guards turned around to meet the masked man. When the door was fully opened, they dropped their weapons, freezing in place. There was a good reason for it: behind the door was that owl demon they had encountered back when Lilith used to lead them. That same owl demon that completely swept the floor of them.

“I-It can’t be...” one panicked; his ankles were locking up because of fright, “It’s the Devil!”

The guards braced themselves for the imminent pound down they were anticipating. After a couple seconds, there was no hint of provocation coming from the feathered fiend. They slowly uncovered their faces in confusion.

“Why is that...thing here?” one guard finally mustering up to speak.

“The Emperor had informed me that this owl demon would be of great use to our cause,” the Owl Spy replied.

“What, but how?”

“The Owl Lady had gone through a few...sessions, and I was finally able to extract an answer from her: this owl demon is a high-tech security system; with this fine system at our arsenal, he can be a worthy weapon against our enemies.”

The guards glared at each other then back to the owl house. While the monster had filled their dreams with night terrors for months ever since Lilith led them to try to capture the Owl Lady, they did acknowledge, if ever so slightly, that he was of considerable value. With a little fine-tuning, the owl demon could work for them.

“Besides; even if the house is still loyal to the Owl Lady?” the Owl Spy noted, “the Emperor had permitted us to serve the demon in a great banquet in a celebration of the human woman’s death.”

The gruffer voiced guard nodded. “I have heard that their type of meat is of exquisite taste.”

The guards mumbled for a few seconds and shrugged. Reclaiming their electric-tipped weapons, they slowly approached the house some taking the northern and southern parts of it. They looked in through the windows to see if anyone was inside, but they were obscured by purple curtains.

“What of the prisoners,” one of the guards asked the Owl Spy.

“They already have front row seats to the execution,” the Owl Spy replied in a deadpan fashion.

“You don’t mind if I send a few men to corroborate the story?”

“Sure, by all means; why not take it directly to Belos then? I am sure that he would love to hear that one of his minions would dare question his word especially if it was ordained by the Titan.”

The guard backed off raising his hands in the air. “Well played.”

As the owl house was being brought in, a shorter-framed guard tapped his weapon on the side of the house as if to see if the house truly was, hopefully in his case, dead. Like he expected, the house did not suddenly bolt to life. While his curiosity should have been satiated at that moment, he decided to lean in closer. He walked to the door and saw the owl demon’s wretched face. Its eyes were closed tightly apparently not hearing all the running wires in the laboratory let alone the probing that was being done to its outer casing.

He walked onto the porch of the house, his weapon drawn higher than before, until he was inches away from the owl’s face. He turned to look at his men seeing that they had slowly become frightened. Turning back to the owl house, he tapped the flat end of his staff on the bird’s beak. It rung out singing a hollow tune. He waited a few minutes to see if this was the final nail that could stir the demon from its deep slumber. He was about to turn away until he heard a small murmur. His neck nearly snapped with how sudden its turn was: nearly a 360 degree. His feet became glued to the ground and he was stiff as a wooden board. The owl’s beak started to move.

“Sleeping....sleeping....SLEEP HOOTING!!!”

In a flash, Hooty’s tube body surged with a renewed energy and shot out like a speeding bullet.

“HEY GUYS!” Hooty shrieked. He looked around the room seeing all the bizarre gadgets and buttons.

“Ooo, what do all these buttons do?”

In his excitement, Hooty shoved the guard out of his way with his long body and smashed his way through the machines ripping and tearing his way through them regardless of the sparks flying from them. Slipping his way through the board containing all the buttons, Hooty resurfaced like a breached whale with a huge chunk of wires and scrap metal between his beak. Even when the wires were popping with electricity, it didn’t seem to catch any concern from the owl demon.

The guard ran down from the door post flailing his arms. Hooty’s neck struck again effortlessly infiltrating one of the guard’s masks and, somehow, Hooty crawled into four guard’s masks before erupting out the final one. He had strung himself through them as skillfully as a string going through the eye of a needle. He swung them around somehow maneuvering their bodies and making them perform inhuman actions. They were all the marionettes being controlled by their puppet master.

“It’s great to have so many friends!” Hooty shouted, hooting incessantly.

The doors to the house shot open. Before the guards could have time to react, Luz, Amity, and King sprung out. King latched his tiny body around one of Belos’ minion’s face. The man began to panic and ran around in an endless circle. He reached out to forcibly pry the small demon off his face to no avail.

“Oh, dear Titan! Get it off me! Get it off me!!”

Luz withdrew paper and slammed them on the ground. Ice propelled from the ground encasing several guards in between the large columns of ice. So many ice columns in fact, they had to scrunch together. Any sudden movement, and they could be jabbed by the sharp blades of ice. Some pieces were dangerously close to stab them in the eye.

One guard was able to slip a hand and curved their fingers over their mouths. They whistled signaling more guards to enter the laboratory to take down the threat. Luz continued to dish out paper after paper containing the glyph for the ice spell and it froze several of them in place.

Lilith and Eda emerged from the house carrying frying pans to make up for their minimal power. The sounds of the pans colliding with the skulls of Belos’ minions rang out. With their ages, they were gradually beginning to show exhaustion, but they continued trying to press on.

“Whew, my back’s starting to chafe,” Eda groaned, “how are you holding on?”

“My frying pan is already starting to wear out.” She held it up taking note of the massive dents in it. It was barely holding on by its handle. Any other swing of it, and it would likely be ground up like a piece of raw meat. “But if it’s for Luz’s sake, then I can muster up a little more strength.”

The two sisters ran back into the house to find other items to throw. The guards start to flood into the house trying to capture the two women.

“Abomination, rise!”

Amity raised her hands and from the ground, her abomination erupted. She directed her mindless servant towards the horde of minions. They turned to see the lumbering Goliath approaching them and raised their weapons to intercept the encroaching beast. A colossal fist rained down on them, falling dozens of them. They launched javelins and other weapons at the beast, but they merely stuck through him and were vacated out of the other side. Hooty was continuing to happily clobber guards and had trapped one around his coils and pinned on the ground. A board game was in the middle. Hooty had already taken his first move.

“Your turn, hoot! Hoot!!”

The guard was hyperventilating and shaking like a leaf. It was apparent that he was sobbing. “Mommy, please! Help...”

Motionless guards were around the man. Eda saw this and winced. “Almost makes me feel bad for them.”

“Come to think of it, I thought your house system had its soul tossed into space-time,” Lilith remembered, “how did he come back?”

Hypnos sat on the couch drinking tea and casually watching Hooty play his game. “Oh, I saw his soul flying around the time that Amity and Luz first arrived to Earth; just thought to save it until the time was right.”

“Hoot! Hoot! I was in some world with a lot of mushrooms, and they made me their king!” Hooty proudly proclaimed.

Hypnos snickered in amusement. “I am in awe at how you were able to get your hands on a Great Old One.”

Eda raised an eyebrow. “Great Old One?”

“You seriously thought that all Hooty was good for was being a security system? This boy here is probably the most powerful being on the Boiling Isles; usually Great Old Ones would be locked away, and for good reason: Hooty can easily destroy the Boiling Isles if he wanted to.”

Lilith and Eda shared an equal look of bewilderment mixed with horror. “WHA!?”

Hypnos nodded his head and sipped his tea. “I agree; that is quite a cumbersome dilemma; wouldn’t want to be the poor sap who has to deal with that.”

The fact that Hooty was immensely powerful and held the fate of the Isles in his invisible hands was hard to swallow. Mistreating the owl demon was something that was done without much thought. But now, Hooty could possibly bring an apocalypse on the land if he so pleased. Luckily for them, Hooty was neither good nor evil, just a creature of pure chaos.

“When this is over, remind me not to mess with Hooty, Lilith,” Eda finally said.

Lilith nodded.

Amity and Luz saw the fight beginning to die down, and they bolted for the stairs leading to the top of the portal machine. Amity looked at Luz seeing her desperately carrying the papers in her hands. They fluttered in the rushing wind. Sweat beads were manifesting on Luz’s forehead with her breathing becoming strained with every time she exhaled, her breath came out in a sharp hiss.

“You did have our Plan B if something goes wrong, right?” Luz asked Amity.

Amity nodded. She rustled through her pockets and withdrew a small box. They got to the top of the stairs and paused to catch their breath. “Alright, you start putting the glyphs down, and I’ll keep watch.”

Luz nodded. As she turned, the breath was nearly kicked out of her lungs.

“Luz!” Amity held out her hand on instinct. Luz grabbed onto the rim of the stairs and was dangling over one of the vaults containing the boiling metal. The liquid metal sizzled and popped. Luz could hear the muffled screams of terror coming from the souls of the suffering witches.

Kikimora stood by the place where Luz fell and watched her dangling from the edge. Amity got on her knees to make attempts of grabbing Luz’s hand, but the little pint-sized demon was blocking her way.

“Go out of the way you foul creature, are you mad?”

Kikimora spoke with disinterest. “I will not allow you or your friend to intrude on Emperor Belos’ plans.”

Amity strained harder to grab a hold of Luz, but Kikimora swatted her hand away. Luz’s fingers were desperately trying to hold on for dear life, but tiredness was beginning to take hold. Invisible needles were pressing into her digits. The need to clinch her fingers became ever tempting, but she struggled against fate. Kikimora took her foot and stepped on Luz’s left hand. Luz grinded her teeth to keep herself from screaming.

Amity scowled her eyes flaring up. “Emperor Belos lied to you! Can’t you see that he is wanting to destroy the Boiling Isles?”

Kikimora looked at her with her one visible eye. “What are you saying?”

“It’s true!” Luz shouted, “Emperor Belos lied about everything; the Titan; the Day of Unity; he’ll destroy us all if we do not do anything about it!”

Kikimora slowly lifted her foot much to the human girl’s relief. Kikimora cupped her chin between her two fingers pondering. It seemed to be hours, but the two girls had their rest assured that the demon lady would reconsider.

“Even if that is the truth behind my master’s plans, he is my master nonetheless.”

Push.

Luz looked down and saw Kikimora fall past her. She instinctively darted her eyes away once Kikimora was obscured by a pillar of smoke coming from the sizzling concoction. Deciding the worse was over, Luz saw Kikimora’s white-golden robes on the surface of the metal before it sank underneath. At that moment, Luz completely lost her grip and fell towards the burning liquid.

“Luz!”

Luz closed her eyes to accept her fate, but she felt herself stop. Looking up, the Owl Spy had her and pulled her up. “You have no idea how long I wanted to do that.”

Luz was helped back on her feet, her breathing becoming heavier. Amity ran and embraced her. Luz’s cheeks became red. “You’re crushing me, Amity.”

“Oh...oh right, sorry,” Amity chuckled embarrassingly.

The Owl Spy saw more of Belos’ minions running up the stairs. “I believe now is time for that Plan B.”

Amity took the box running to the top of the stairs. The stairs were shaking from the combined weight. She angled the box just right and with a controlled breath, she tossed it. It landed on one of the furthest stairs and opened. The guards stopped in their tracks.

“What in Titan’s name?” one guard said.

“I’m gonna see what it is,” guard number two said.

“Might be one of those magic bombs.”

Despite the urgency in the first guard’s voice, the guard went to pick it up. However, the box was glued on the stair. He grunted every pull becoming more stressful on his back. Eventually, something oozed from underneath it. “Oh my...”

The box ripped open revealing some large, amoeba-like monster. It jiggled and shifted. Eyes were all over its gelatinous mass alongside mouths and pseudopodia. It wheezed and folded in of itself measuring around fifteen feet across. But most unappealing of the massive beast, it could form organs of varying size and shape without appearing to have the mental contingency to do so. Nevertheless, it slithered down the stairs as a writhing wall of eyes, mouths, and protrusions.

The guards fired shots into the beast, but they merely were absorbed by the pulsating walls. Protrusions reached out and wrapped around several of the guards’ legs to draw them into their gaping mouths. There were struggles coming from the guards, but the plunging pressure coming from the beast was too great.

The Owl Spy turned to his daughter. “Alright; so I will have to return to Emperor Belos to report on what’s going on; but first, I will give you the directions to find Edric.”

Amity agreed non-verbally. She and her father ran past the rampaging Shoggoth. Amity saw her Abomination while it was still in the process of clobbering the minions. It looked at the Shoggoth with a wide expression, its movement becoming stiff. If Abominations actually had hearts, Amity’s would assuredly be skipping a beat. Amity waved her hand, but that was not enough to stir his attention.

“So now you get to know how I feel nearly every day,” Amity thought to herself.

#owl house #the owl house #owl house fanfiction #cthulhu mythos #hooty #toh hooty

[adorethedistance]

No Damsel PART 2 - JJ Maybank x Reader Titanic AU

Request: ‘please do a part two’ lol

Warnings: Implied sexual remark

Words: 998

A/n: so idk if y’all noticed but I named JJ ‘Mr. Dawson’ in the first fic and that’s bc if I made him Mr. Maybank that’s be fine and all but since the character’s name is Jack Dawson, using his initials as Jack J. Dawson brings him into the world a bit more and idk but I thought that was really cool.

“Roy is doing well. He’s just completed secondary schooling and has decided to pursue an equestrian scholarship with Harvard in the fall,” some man who seems way too old to have a college aged son tells my mother from across the grand, gold plated staircase.

“You see, I turned down my equestrian scholarship with Harvard,” I say with a polite smile. The fire in my mother’s eyes indicated just how short her temper was going to be this evening. This should be interesting.

“Is that so?”

“Yes. I figured I could reach much greater success by becoming the Ringmaster of my own circus, which is no easy feat so I must begin small, perhaps with fire breathing,” I finish sincerely, earning a sharp inhale from my mother. I don’t need to look at her to know that she is shooting daggers at me with her mind. If looks could kill.

“You’ll have to excuse my daughter’s crude humor,” she apologizes to the man, gesturing a lace-gloved hand in my direction.

“It’s quite alright, madam. Her demeanor reminds me of my second eldest son,” the similarity he draws causes my mother to choke on the thin air, but he doesn’t seem to notice her squabbling.

“Very boyish antics on that one, you must be more gentlemanly than your appearance gives off.”

“Thank you.” I can feel my mother die a bit inside at the gentleman’s comment, but the more I can bait her into frustration, the more entertaining the night becomes.

Just then, Rafe grabs onto my arm, firmly requesting my attention.

“Dearest, I don’t believe my fianceé should be entertaining such immature and arbitrary ideas,” he offers politely. I aim to quip back that he ‘doesn’t have to believe it’, but the glimmer in his winter blue eyes softens my hard front and I oblige.

“Love, why don’t you take mother to our table. I’ll meet you down there in a second,” he nods and escorts her down the grand staircase and into the dining lounge. I stay back to admire the beauty of the porcelain sculpture of Venus and a cherub. Their faces are so lively but also so empty. They mimic that of the one percent downstairs.

“And what would a fine young lady such as yourself be doing here all alone on this fine evening?” Turning over my left shoulder I see JJ in a white button-up underneath a black vest. His bowtie is a loud print which starkly contrasts the refined outfit, and I realize that the bowtie must be the only thing he’s wearing that actually belongs to him.

“JJ... Where did you find this outfit?”

“A magician never reveals his secret,” he says in a posh accent whilst readjusting his bowtie.

“Well, you clean up very nicely Mr. Dawson,” I reply in a similar accent. He exhales a small laugh before very obviously taking in my appearance. My evening gown is a nice shade of blue that compliments my skin tone. It's decorated with black beads and lace along the length of the skirt, and the neckline scoops downward to expose a minor amount of cleavage much to mother's dismay. The immodesty-as she describes it-is concealed partially with decadent fabric flowers that cascade along my shoulders. This dress is the most expensive one I had packed, and I can tell JJ’s taken notice of that. I can’t help but blush at his impressed expression.

“May I help you?”

“You look smokin’ hot!”

“JJ!”

“And by that I mean gorgeous, you look very gorgeous, Y/n,” he rushes to defend his prior statement; I can’t help but smile at his words.

“You’re ridiculous. I’m not sure mother will take well to it.”

“Well I guess mommy-dearest is just gonna have to deal. Where’s your hotshot fiancé? Dave?”

“Rafe.”

“Oh, right,” he feigns realization, “I forgot.”

“Mhm. I’m sure you did.”

“Not my fault he never actually introduced himself to me,” JJ says, putting both hands up in surrender. As his arms drop back to a neutral position, his infamous smirk rises from the ashes. I lift the end of my gown so I can descend the stairs, and JJ follows beside me.

“So what’s on the menu tonight, princess?”

“How should I know? You’ve been occupying me all day,” I say, stopping on the last step to be equal in height with JJ. He then reaches out and places both of his hands on the sides of my hips.

“I’d rather occupy you tonight.”

“Stop it!” I squeal, throwing his hands off of my refined figure. “I am engaged in case you forgot, sir.” JJ simply laughs before taking my hand to lead me off of the bottom step.

“Hey-hey, watch this,” JJ then straightens his spine and sticks his chin high in the air, then offers a supported arm for me to hold onto, “I learned that from watching this bald guy upstairs.” The grin etched on his features reeks of pride and elation. Accepting his coy invitation, I rest my hand on the inside of his upper arm and together we walk into the dining lounge.

Rafe is sitting across from my mother and stands when he sees us approaching.

“Mother, this is JJ Dawson, the artist I was telling you about.”

“Yes. Pleasure,” she says extending her hand for him to shake. He gently places a kiss onto her knuckles and smiles at Rafe from across the table. JJ then pulls out my chair to assist me in settling down.

He then assumes the seat beside me, and as he sits down his pleasant smile is immediately lost. He looks at the mass of silverware in horror, and I realize he’s probably never used more than one fork in his life. I exaggerate my movement to ‘adjust’ my salad fork and pray that JJ picks up the hint.

My mother then begins her miniature interrogation, “So, Mr. Dawson. I’ve found that art isn’t always the most lucrative career, how do you manage to afford all of your travels?”

__________________________

A/n: hope that lived up to your expectations <3

#jj maybank #titanic au #requested #jj Maybank x reader #jj x reader #jj imagine #jj #jj Maybank imagine #jj maybank fic #jj Maybank fanfic #jj Maybank fanfiction #obx #obx jj #outer banks #titanic #rudy pankow #fanfic #writing #obx writing #obx fanfic #obx fanfiction #outer banks fanfiction

[applepiewinchesters]

Perfect Stranger (Aziraphale x Reader)

*REQUESTS ARE OPEN*

Requested by: @xmiojin 

Prompt: I didn’t want to tell my friend who my real date last night was, so I just pointed to a random stranger (you) but now they’re storming over to interrogate you and you’re playing along??? Okay.

Your date last night had tanked, it sunk like the Titanic…only faster. It was no doubt the worst date you’d been on in quite a while.

So, you were really dreading this lunch date with your best friend, she was no doubt going to want to know every last detail of the date you went on, and of course, who it was with. You really were a horrible liar, hopefully you could fake this one though.

You two met at a little café in the middle of Soho, one of the best places for lunch, they had amazing homemade soup.

After you both ordered at the counter and sat down, you friend clasped her hands together, smiling wickedly at you.

“Alright, I want every detail, who was it? How did it go? Did you go back to his place?” she said, shooting off questions like bullets. It made your head hurt.

“I…it was alright, we had dinner,” you said, really hoping to just drop this subject.

“Where’d you go?” she asked, smiling widely still. You loved this girl, but honestly, sometimes she just couldn’t take a hint.

“Uh, The Ledbury, that nice place in London,” you told her, fiddling with your fingers as you spoke.

“Oh, romantic,” your friend teased, making you scream internally.

Yeah, that would be romantic, wouldn’t it? In reality you’d sat outside in the cold on a bench and ate fish and chips, which you had to pay for.

Not just that, the guy was a douche, a total misogynistic piece of shit. But you knew if you told your friend about him, she’d track him down and more than likely cut his balls off. You were already humiliated, you didn’t need your best friend getting arrested for assault.

“So, who’s the guy? Does he live here in Soho?” she went on, eyeing you carefully.

You looked around the small café, eyeing the people there. You noticed a man there, he was dressed in an older looking suit and he had strikingly blonde hair, he was rather handsome in an old-fashioned sort of way.

In an absolute moment of panic, you pointed towards the man, “Yeah, that’s him,” you said, a bit of a joking tone to your voice, hoping the subject would finally be dropped.

“Oh, well, guess I have to go talk to him then,” your friend said, standing from the table.

Your stomach dropped, and you could feel your face heat up, “No, no, no, no, please, don’t, please,” you begged.

She ignored you and quickly walked over to the man’s table, you followed closely behind, ready to fix the mess you’d gotten yourself into.

The man looked up from his food when the two of you reached his table, he wiped at his mouth with his napkin before speaking, “Can I help you ladies with something?” he asked, his voice was soft, kind.

“Yeah, heard you’re the man who took my friend here out on a date last night,” your friend told him, motioning to you.

The poor man must have been totally confused, he looked to you for an answer, but you must’ve just looked as panicked as he was, but instead of denying it he said, “Oh, yes, yes I did, we had a rather lovely night,” the man said.

He stood from his chair, holding out his hand, “I’m Aziraphale, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” he told your friend as they shook hands.

You could literally feel a weight lifting off your shoulders, this man was an angel sent from above.

“Well, I sure hope you treated her right, or we’d have to have a few words outside,” your friend said, making you roll your eyes.

“Yes, I think he gets it, now go sit down before the waiter comes with our food,” you told her, crossing your arms.

She eyed you both suspiciously before turning on her heel and walking towards the table, taking her seat.

You turned towards the man, “I am so, so sorry about that. I went on an absolutely horrible date last night and I panicked and told my friend I had an amazing night and that you were the one who took me out,” you said, you were rambling, a nervous habit.

But the man, Aziraphale you believed he’d said, odd name, anyway, he just smiled and shook his head, “You’re quite alright my dear, I completely understand,” he said.

You sighed in relief and smiled, “Thank you so much for understanding, I’m Y/N by the way,” you told him, shaking his hand.

“Lovely name for a lovely girl,” Aziraphale told you, making you blush slightly. “How about I take you out tonight? A way of making up for your horrid date last night, I could get us a table at The Ritz if you’d like.”

Your eyes widened, “R-Really? You’d do that?” you asked.

“Of course, it’d be my pleasure,” Aziraphale said, smiling.

Honestly, you really would like to know more of this man that just saved your ass, so you nodded, “That would be wonderful,” you told him.

You wrote your phone number and home address on a napkin, and you both agreed he’d pick you up around 7:30.

Maybe your friend’s unwillingness to let things go actually scored you a date worthwhile. You’d guessed you’d just have to wait for tonight to find out.

A/N: Okay I loved writing this one and I hope you love it! Thank you so much for reading and feel free to send in a request. I love you guys! ~ Sara <3

#Aziraphale #aziraphale x crowley #aziraphale fanfiction #aziraphale x reader #good omens #good omens fanfic #good omens imagine #crowley #anthony j crowley #crowley good omens #David Tennant #michael sheen #Ineffable Husbands #the ritz #dinner date #fanfic #crowley x reader x aziraphale #crowley x reader

[thanatosbananatos]

What in the heckin' heck is Hanji's backstory? -- A Meta

At this rate, Yams is never going to tell us.

I guess it may not be all that important to the story, but then again, knowing his writing style, he really enjoys leaving mysteries, and it won't surprise me in the slightest if this series ends with a lot of the mysteries being unsolved.  Hanji's backstory will likely be one of them.

As a disclaimer, I use she/her pronouns for Hanji, but Isayama specifically has stated that Hanji's gender is irrelevant, so please feel free to use whatever pronouns you'd like. If Hanji was real, I don't think she'd care, either...

Anyway, I want to start this meta laying out the facts we already know about Hanji BEFORE the year 845.

--Hanji had joined the Corps for ??? reason, and had a thirst to kill the Titans mercilessly, just like Eren at the start of the story.  She was “fueled by insecurity and hate.”  However, she kicked a Titan's head and was fascinated by how light it was, which began her obsession with the Titans from a scientific standpoint.

--Hanji does not bathe regularly and doesn't care about hygiene.  Apparently Levi has to knock her out to get her to bathe.

--Hanji doesn't care about gender.  Or at least, Isayama said it doesn't matter to the story.  In a very early interview, he stated that Hanji was female but had moments of masculinity, which means she's gender-fluid or nonbinary.

--Hanji was in the Corps before Levi, Isabel, and Farlan joined.

--Hanji has known Erwin, Mike, and others for a little while--it's a quick little thing, but in episode one of season one, Hanji is shown to be in the same squad as Erwin when Shardis was the Commander.

--Hanji has anger issues.  Isayama has stated that she is the scariest character when angered, and is also a different person with and without her glasses/goggles.

Aaaaand that's it.

Thanks, Yams.

Well, if the Wings of Counterattack game is to be believed, Hanji was also a super cute kid who was always kind of androgynous and messy-haired and had bad vision. Super cute.  I love.

But that's really it.  Hanji didn't even get a character song, despite Romi Park having the singing voice of a fallen angel that's going to drag me straight into hell where there are hot jazz musicians and Satan serves us all whiskey on the rocks.  Did y'all know she released a jazz/pop album?  It's fire and you can't stop me from thinking about Hanji being able to sing like that.

...I'm getting off track.

ANYWAY.

Compared to many other recurring characters in the series, Hanji has a very limited amount of backstory.  She's never even drawn as younger, even in the panel we get of her kicking the Titan's head--if you recall, it's just a dark scribble with a scary-looking grin.

That being said, Isayama has indeed been dropping bread crumbs here and there with clues throughout the series that can lead us to a conclusion about Hanji's past.

Where was Hanji born and raised?

I think it's fair to say that Hanji was not raised with wealth.

It's hard to draw conclusions about her exact family, but considering her being totally chill with not bathing for weeks and being a little bit of a...gremlin, she probably grew up somewhere in Maria, or in the slums of someplace in Rose. However, I tend to lean more toward Maria.  

For me, it's not really an issue of just her hygiene--it's also her social skills.  Again, we know ZILCH about her parents/guardians, so they could have been weirdos, but I think also that Hanji just didn't have the proper upbringing to gain boundaries like normal people.  She gets up in people's faces, she can be very physical/grabby, and she can be argumentative and stubborn to a fault.  I think it's fair to sometimes call her actions childish, though some of them also are symptoms of something like ADHD.

I want to argue, however, that she is just eccentric.  I think it's part of who she is and was raised to be--or perhaps it's from a lack of attention.  

She also just doesn't care about a lot of things that people raised in high-status upbringings would care about.  She literally throws on her uniform jacket over her pajamas when called out to see Pastor Nick's death scene.  Showering/bathing every day is not a priority,but it's also not something that bothers her.  For instance, I'm incredibly busy, but I shower every day because anxiety dictates it to be so, but I also just enjoy being clean.  Hanji is super busy and could make time to shower/bathe more than she doesn't, but she doesn't see it as a priority and never once is it mentioned that she pays any mind to it.  

Regarding her gender, I wonder if she was an only child.  It's possible that there were expectations put on her to be more of a “lady,” but she was much more concerned with studying and learning.  

That's just speculation, of course.  Some people just are the way that they are.

However, I think she was an only child for a couple of other reasons, too.

First, I think that economically, if she did grow up in Maria, one child was all that her parents could afford. There are also just not a lot of people in the walled world with siblings; it's just not very convenient to add to an already-starving population, I suppose.  

But also, I think her love for studying might be connected to this.  I know that, as a kid growing up with older brothers MUCH older than me and not a lot of friends, I loved to read to the point that I owned my own encyclopedias and actually read them. A lot of kids who grow up lonely/isolated tend to do the same.  

Especially if she was already such an extroverted kid, I think she'd need the stimulation.

Why did Hanji hate the Titans?

It's possible to think about this from a couple of different angles, but there's one that I prefer over the other.

First, we could consider that Hanji perhaps lost someone she cared about to the Titans.  Maybe her parents joined the military and were killed.  Maybe her sibling, or aunt or uncle, or grandparents.  

Second, we could consider that she valued freedom and independence, and that she considered the Titans to be something that stood in the way of that.

Personally, I think the second one is more likely.  Of course, it's possible that both happened!  We really don't know.  

However, I lean toward the second option because of Hanji's personality, and the little we know about her when she joined the Corps.  She was a bit unhinged (as all interesting characters are), and she was very violent.  This tends to be a characteristic of people who are forced to keep everything in for a long amount of time.

In psychology, there are two categories of people:  externalizers and internalizers.  For instance, if a child endures trauma, and their reaction is to lash out violently (physically or verbally), or to become selfish and attention-seeking, that is considered externalizing.  On the other hand, if the child endures the trauma and then keeps it locked up, considers the abuser to be the “real” victim, learns self-blame, etc., then that is internalizing.  

For instance, Erwin is probably an internalizer, when we take into account his father's death and the trauma he endured because of it.  Armin is also an internalizer.

Hanji, however, is probably an externalizer.  She shows a lot of the signs of someone who has perhaps undergone something traumatic/repeated traumatic events and has lashed out as a sign of “dealing with it.”  It's a sign of emotional immaturity, so it makes sense that that's what Hanji was doing as a young'n.  She's also quite empathetic, which could add fuel to any flames, and she's also proven to be a skilled manipulator.

What was the trauma?  I think it was the feeling of isolation.

One thing that really is evident to me is how goddamned EXTROVERTED Hanji is.  If we have the scale E to I, Hanji is probably one of the farthest if not THE farthest over on the E side of ALL of the characters in this story.  She likes to talk, she verbalizes everything, she enjoys people, and she clearly gains energy from social situations.

I have a feeling that Hanji has always been a bright kid, and that perhaps she was understimulated as a result of growing up not only in a poor community, but being surrounded by this big-ass walls and constantly being told, “No, you can't go outside.  You'll be eaten alive by Titans.”

She would very naturally turn into this teenager/young adult with a thirst for absolutely destroying the things that kept her locked up in the first place.

Again, I think either situation is likely, but I have the feeling that it goes deeper than just getting revenge for someone's death. Something tells me that Hanji has been looking for answers to deep questions for a long time.

So, Hanji joins the military.  Then what?

Well, from the hints that Yams has dropped, Hanji met Erwin, Mike, Nile, and perhaps others at some point.  I don't think that Hanji was in the same class as them, save for maybe Moblit, but I think she probably knew them. This part is a bit hazy, considering that we don't know what age Erwin and company were when they joined the military.  Mike is canonically older than them all, pushing 40 years old (like a fine wine) at around 850.  Erwin is supposedly in his late 30's, and I believe even Levi is older than Hanji, which would put her around 30 at in the year 850.  

Now, if we think about when Levi entered the Survey Corps, which I believe was in the year 846...

Hanji was not a new recruit that year, and she already seemed to have a pretty close friendship with Moblit.  She was also more emotionally mature.

In other words, Hanji had probably already kicked the head of that Titan by the time Maria fell.

That means, it had to have been before Shiganshina/Maria fell that she had a change of heart.  

During all of this, Mike and Erwin were also in the Corps, and they probably witnessed this change.

However, despite it being explicitly mentioned in the manga, this is the hardest part to flesh out about Hanji's backstory.

We at least know the details of her becoming a Squad Leader specifically focused on the science of Titans, thanks to the OVA for Ilse's Journal.  It was thanks to her curiosity, emotional maturity, and a bit of dumb luck that it happened.  

But before this, we don't know much else about her time in the military, and it's hard to discern anything without knowing details about the others, too.  

I know that there are snippets of details in smartpasses (is that what they're called?) that reveal that she, Mike, and Erwin were friends, etc., but that really doesn't give us much to go on. Much of it, unfortunately, remains a mystery.

However, there is one last thing I want to point out:

In the first episode of season two, after Hanji lets Nick down instead of yeeting him off of the wall, she mentions “I haven't felt this way since I first went outside of the walls.  Talk about scary.”

There are many people who interpret this line as her fear of the Titans, but I think it's fear of her own anger.  She was ready to brutally kill someone who could have otherwise provided valuable information, just because of her pure rage.  

I think this moment, along with a couple of others (kicking down the table and saying “it was a roach,” for instance), drive home some of the assumptions from earlier in this meta.  Consider the torture scene and her actions compared to Levi's.  Levi grew up in an environment where violence was used as a form of communication.  You don't see him saying a lot as he punches Sannes over and over.  He doesn't stick around to talk to the men once they're returned to their jail cells.  

Hanji is, however, a bit too eager to rip the nails and teeth out of this guy (partially as revenge for Pastor Nick's death, I'm certain).  She rips into them verbally as well, as they sit defeated in their jail cell.  Her anger is a terrifying force.

So what's the point?

Well, there's not really one.

I just would like to know more about one of my favorite fictional characters of all time.

Is it important to the story?  Well, not necessarily.

But what if this backstory is more than I wrote here?  What if it's something quite wild or disturbing?  What if it digs further into the fundamentals of humanity?  Was she abused?  Was she bullied?  Is she just psychologically disturbed?  

Like I said, we may never know, and at this point (2019/09), the series seems to be coming to an end.

I personally think it's really too bad.  The story is a character-driven one, so to leave so much mystery around Hanji's past is very curious.  Hanji tends to get shoved to the side a lot (though not as much as some other MCs), so it’s pretty frustrating to see that even the creator isn’t divulging more information...

Then again, I guess it does make writing fics easier, right...?

#hanji zoe #hange zoe #attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #aot #snk #meta #snk meta #aot meta #attack on titan meta #shingeki no kyojin meta #my meta #please treat her right for once #i'm so tired of how hanji gets treated lol #hanji defense squad

[scribeofmorpheus]

Himmeløyne [7/?]

Pairing: Loki Odinson x Reader

Words: 3k | Catch Up Here | Masterlist

Warnings: Umm... how about some angst?

A/N: Honestly, before the final scenes, I’m not sure if I#m happy with this chapter or not... But I’ve been saying I’d update and I think it’s best I just let this leave my editing folder.

Taglist is open! Reblog, comment or leave a like please ☺

 ~Y/N

"Come on, Little Stormbringer!" Thor cheered, practically glowing with excitement.

You strapped on your arm braces and retrieve your weapon of choice -a bow Sif had personally strong-armed Brokkr into making. Thor had kept his side of the bargain, opting to use a measly replacement axe instead of Mjolnir.

You notched an arrow, pointing it at his chest with a playful smile.

"Ten gold coins on the little lass," Volstagg declared, chomping on a leg of lamb, beard greasy with gravy.

Fandral pulled out a white cloth, dabbing at Volstagg's beard with a disapproving glower, "Can you not be such a messy lout at times?"

Hogun folded his arms, poking Volstagg in the chest, "I'll take that action."

Sif chuckled, rolling her eyes at the boys, "Double or nothing, Y/N can get the upper hand on our God of Thunder-less-ness here."

Fandral stopped dabbing and Hogun arched a brow high, "Deal," they both said with eager grins.

Loki leaned on a pillar a few feet away, flicking a coin absentmindedly in one hand –separate from everyone else. Ever the lonesome wolf.

Footsteps encroached nearer and all turned silent when they caught sight of Frigga accompanied by a few of her ladies-in-waiting. She shook her head and you could almost hear her tut-tut at Thor's behaviour, but when she didn't interject and try to stop what was about to happen, everyone let out a communal sigh. She walked over to Loki. They began to converse in hushed tones. Every now and again you'd catch wind of him glancing over at you with a strange look in his eye. Sometimes it frustrated you that you couldn't read his mind.

"Okay," Sif moved closer to the border of the sparring area once everyone had finished placing their bets. "I want a clean fight. Y/N you can maim Thor all you want, he's a big boy, he can take it. Just not the eyes."

Thor nodded in agreement, "Or my jewels!" he shouted out prompting scoffs from your audience.

Sif rolled her eyes, a hint of amusement alleviating some of that weight that sat on her brow, "And the prince's jewels," she reiterated dramatically. "Secondly, Thor, as promised, no thunder and no Mjolnir. If you are disarmed at any point in the fight that counts as an automatic lose. Two taps on the ground signify defeat if your opponent gains the upper hand. Are we in agreement?"

"Hear, hear," Thor pounded on his chest.

You opted for a curt nod in response.

"Okay," she smiled. "Loki do the honours."

Loki used his magic to materialise an illusion of a handkerchief falling through the still air. Swaying and sagging downwards. Sif retreated to where Hogun, Fandral and Volstagg.

Tension seeped into the open space as your muscles started to shake from anticipation, adrenaline spiking up your spine the instant the fake cloth touched the dewy grass.

It had began.

You notched several arrows with quick ease. Thor bobbed, weaved and countered by slicing his axe through the projectiles. His size made him a big target, but his strength and skill made it difficult to get a hit in. Beside you, you caught sight of Fandral wincing and groaning every time you nearly landed a hit, his fist swaying around in the air. Hogun remained his stoic self, eyes fixed on observing your form and technique. Volstagg was enjoying the little spout of entertainment that accompanied his meal and Sif smiled, barely, but noticeably as she watched you with pride turning her posture ramrod-straight.

Frigga and Loki kept on, still speaking in hushed tones, but their attentions were now fixed on your little sparring match.

Eventually, Thor managed to get too close for a long-range weapon to remain efficient so you swapped it for a set of twin daggers you had hidden under your sleeves. Loki smirked when he noticed you had picked up one of his tricks.

"Ha," Thor bellowed when he dodged your slash, a happy smile on his face. "It seems you've been spending too much time with a certain trickster god..."

You scoffed, "I'm adaptable. This has nothing to do with who I spend my time with." You spun in a flurry of slashes and jabs.

"I beg to differ," he said when he countered one of your moves perfectly, like he'd done it before. "That right there-" he pushed you back and you stumbled to the ground. He swung his axe in one hand, breath heaving strongly. "That right there is one of Loki's favourite little secret attacks. Slashing forward while hiding your other dagger behind your back. Smart…but I've seen it a thousand times." He brought his axe down in a menacing swing. Everyone took a step closer, hands hovering in the air, a second away from countering Thor's attack.

His momentum abruptly stopped and the axe cast half a shadow across your face, the sharp curved edge barely a narrow margin from touching the tip of your nose.

He chuckled some more, a brightness to his energy as he showed off his pearly whites. Thor planted the axe in the soft grass and stretched out his hand to help you up. Your ethereal glow faded away, the blue mist dissipating from your hands sending the vines that were previously reaching out towards him curling back to their original position.

You let out a despondent huff, lips pulled in a pout as you reluctantly reached for his hand.

Fandral grinned from ear to ear, fingers wiggling at Sif, "Pay up."

Sif rolled her eyes, "It's not over yet," she warned him.

Thor heard her comment and craned his neck to the side, confused by her words.

Then, in the spirit of a limber cat, you hoisted your weight onto your upper back, wrapping your legs around his mid-section, using a controlled burst of magic to topple him over. Your legs straddling his sides as you placed a dagger under his Adam's apple.

"Can I interest you in a close shave?" you jested lightly as Thor's hand tapped down on the grass twice. You leaned closer to whisper, "You were holding back."

He shared a secret wink with you, whispering at an equally low octave, "I don't know what you mean."

Another pure, warming laugh sent vibrations travelling up your spine. Whether that was all for show or a genuine reaction was anybody’s guess. Nonetheless, his energy was still as infectious as ever and you too began to laugh with him. Eventually, Volstagg joined in, tray of food completely demolished.

Fandral clicked his tongue as he reached into his pocket to drop a coin purse in Sif's palm, "She technically cheated, you know."

She shrugged as Hogun repeated Fandral's actions, her hand sinking lower from the weight of two coin purses.

"Technically, she didn't," Hogun explained. "The rules were to either be disarmed or to tap the ground twice if you admitted defeat, and Y/N was never disarmed at any point in the battle, nor did she tap out."

~Loki

Loki stared breathlessly at the entangled position you and Thor were laying in. Your head rolled back in a sonorous laugh while Thor's face lit up from excitement.

Darkness snaked around his stomach and his liver and his kidneys. Squeezing and constricting until he could feel the burn of a primal emotion sear under his flesh and seep into his marrow. His fist shook ever so subtly, a droplet of blood dripping from his closed fist.

What was this feeling?

Is this… jealousy? He scoffed at his moronic reaction, molars filing down against each other.

Thor's smile never faded as he lifted Y/N off his body and spun her around like a child in need of praise.

"I never knew you to be one to accept defeat so freely," Loki bit down on his tongue to keep his tone monotonous.

The air shifted once again and it was obvious everyone felt it too. Loki hadn't been as subtle as he intended. In all honesty, he hadn’t intended to say or do anything besides watch. Oh, what a fool he’d been to think he’d be capable of remaining impassive in the face of such displays of emotion.

He cursed his curious nature for bringing him here.

Thor slapped Y/N's back affectionately, his unrestrained strength sending her off balance for a split second. "She's a good fighter… for a mortal at least."

"Ow," She rubbed at her shoulder blade as she picked her bow off the ground and used her magic to form droplets of rain out of a gathered mass of water syphoned off the top of a water barrel.

"Besides," Thor added. "She has turned out to be quite the little trickster. It doesn't exactly keep things fair in a fight."

Loki stretched open his arms, his frame bowing in a mock pose, "Are you insinuating that the great God of Thunder cannot handle a few slights of hand in a fight?"

"Is that a challenge, brother?" he asked.

Loki smirked, "Only if you make it one, brother."

Predetermining where this not-so-friendly banter was heading, Fandral nudged Sif's side with his elbow, "Double on Thor."

She snorted, "Fandral, old friend," she tossed the money bags in the air repeatedly. "You never learned when to bow out while you were still ahead. Lucky for me, I know when that is -and it's now. If you'll excuse me, I have some gold to spend." She departed from the three men.

Thor eagerly accepted Loki's challenge, his broad steps transporting him towards his axe quickly. "No magic," he stated.

Loki nodded, "No magic."

And just like that, another match had started.

Loki moved delicately, yet with a purposeful methodology to each step. He was like some type of surgically trained dancer. Each step and combo meticulously thought out before they were enacted.

Thor was the opposite. His movements relied on strength and proximity. The picture was like an ode to every song of bravery every scribed; a titan of a man battling against a leaf in the wind. It was enthralling.

Loki lured Thor in hit after hit and moved out of the way in the last instant. He was going to tire him out before he made any offensive advances.

Y/N winced when one of Loki's dagger's managed to nick at Thor’s tough skin. That simple reflexive action made something snap inside him and suddenly all that heat that made his blood boil ruptured in a spectacular shower of red, hot anger.

The next thing he knew, he was sending Thor propelling through the air, green mists of energy shimmering around him.

"Oh dear," his mother gasped as she lifted her dress skirts to run to Thor's side.

The Warriors Three all glared at him, nostrils flaring with disgust. One of them barked, "What is the matter with you?"

Loki ran his tongue over his teeth and conjured a portal, disappearing through it before Y/N could get a chance to say anything. Before he could get the chance to see her reaction –to see those beautiful eyes of hers gawk at him, finally seeing him for the monster everyone thought he was.

~Y/N

The sun had already begun to set by the time you found Loki. He was leaning against the railing of the balcony where you first laid eyes on him. His posture slumping at the shoulders, chin pressed to his chest, eyes closed shut tightly. His long raven hair curling and winding with the wind.

He was like a statue. A beautifully haunted statue with cheekbones carved from marble and skin so cold to the touch you feared it would turn your bones to brittle glass if you touched him.

The only lively thing about him in that moment was the warm orange light cast onto his skin, turning him golden like the sun. He was beside himself -lost within his chaotic mind, unmoored from all sense and reason, adrift in an empty, dark sea.

He looked lonely.

"I can feel you," he breathed, opening his eyes to look out towards the water cascading at the edge of the world.

"I can leave if you want to be alone."

The lines on his face pulled his eyes to a near close as a sad half-smile pulled upwards, "No. I don't want to be alone."

You settled close to him, hands nearly touching. The heat between you two forming a cushion of static.

"I'm sorry you saw that..." his body was pulled closer to the encroaching shadow that the night sky brought. It was a subconscious form of staying armoured. You remained within the retreating strokes of last light. "You probably think me as some kind of monster. After all, how many brothers do you know lash out so violently against their own blood?" he huffed resentfully.

"I don't think you're a monster," you brushed the strands of hair sticking to your eyelashes away. "If anything, you proved that even gods can be human at heart –flawed and just as out of control as the rest of us lowly mortals."

"So… you think I have a heart?"

A blush spread from your chest to your neck, "Blood courses through you, doesn't it?" you tried to keep your equanimity.

You turned to look at his side profile, the angles of his face sharp and handsome in an elegant way. Gravity pulled your bottom lip down, leaving your mouth agape. "What happened? I've never seen you lose control before."

His hand balled into a fist and it was then that you notice the line of dried blood, "I… I don't know. I haven't been myself lately. Ever since…" he trailed off, letting the crisp air cool his lungs with a hungry inhale.

The same cool air felt divine against your flush cheeks, "Ever since what?"

When he didn't answer you, you ran your fingers against the material of his coat. It felt like a short-haired pelt, soft and velvety. A spark travelled through your fingertips.

"Loki?" you tried to reach out. “Talk to me.”

He looked down at the contact between his coat and your fingers, a glint of light turning his eyes to an azure crystal colour. You could see your own face reflected in his irises. A look of concern adorning your features. There was something else at play –something new– in the way your features softened around him.

"Ever since I dreamed of you," he admitted in a husky voice.

You gasped, unsure of what to do or say or think. Your heart overwhelmed your senses by beating even faster than it had during your sparring match -if that was even a feasible possibility.

You felt like you might burst.

Loki hummed pleasantly as his searching gaze moved in a circular motion around your face, a weak muscle trying to pull at the edge of his mouth.

You felt naked under his incandescent blues, "What?"

He cupped your face, "Your eyes… they're glowing."

The sound of your hard swallow hit your inner ear and you swayed backwards, trying to stay within the protective circle of light.

"Don't be afraid of me," he whispered in a plea.

With that, your legs took the next forward steps on their own. Open and unreserved, you allowed yourself to be pulled into the shadow, away from the light and into the arms of this beautiful, conflicted and rare spirit. His touch warmed from the contact of skin to skin.

"They aren't glowing because I'm afraid of you."

He dipped his head, the scent of him washing over you like rejuvenating raindrops.

"If I could wish for anything, it would be for these beautiful eyes to never grow dark," his thumb brushed your cheekbone and moved upwards to stroke your lashes.

Sharp teeth applied pressure on your lower lip. In your mind, the floor gave way, parting to make room for you and him to slip into the head rush of a forever spiral.

"You've bewitched me," his jaw shuddered. "Ever since Niflheim… you awakened something restless inside of me. You haunt me in my dreams. You are in my thoughts. You are in the very air I breathe -it’s the most pleasurable form of torture." He brought his other hand to brace against your ribs. You were certain he could feel the powerful thrumming of your heart.

After hearing his confession, you were rendered voiceless. Paralysed and lost in the splendour of the moment. You couldn't understand your own feelings. You'd never felt like this before. It was all consuming, it felt dangerous... almost, forbidden. A part of you wanted to make this spot your home, your shelter from the storm that was always brewing beneath the surface lately. But the other side of you, the very human and very angry part of you, was still piecing itself back together again -still rebuilding after the fire. And as soothing as if felt, being in his arms, you weren't ready for whatever this was.

"Loki," your voice cracked. "Please… don't"

You tried to pull away, but he simply moved closer -one foot in the light, the other still in shadow. "You feel it too. The pull. I know you do. Because I refuse to believe I'm the only one in agony when I wake up and realise you were never sleeping beside me."

You trembled against his stiff body, "I don't know what to think. I'm still trying to learn how to breathe again -how to be… free from this hate and despair. If I let you in right now, as broken as I am, I may shatter."

"I promise to never let that happen," his lips found yours in a desperate attempt.

It was a sweet serenade of tongues and pressed bodies. A belladonna laced kiss that threatened to be too much -to turn poisonous if indulged in for too long. Your untrained tongue was coaxed by his, flesh turning tender and swollen as he took you over the edge with him. Now you were plummeting beyond desire or infatuation or lust. He pulled you down like the anchor of a ship tied to your feet, sinking further and further into this blissful, indescribable sensation until you could barely remember your own name.  Within the kiss, you had found something long lost. You had found a shred of your innocence and it revealed itself in the form of a flustered virgin.

 You gasped when he broke the kiss, spinning around to catch your breath away from the penetrating power of his gaze. You could still taste him on your tongue, still feel the echoes of his touch on your skin.

"Y/N," he whispered, reaching out to pull you back to him and it was too much.

You couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t stand still. "I- I need to think," was all you offered him before you dashed away.

 To be continued…

Tags: @mejohanssonwrites @tarynkauai @wanderlust-travler @ladybugsfanfics @electroma89 @texmexdarling @fire-in-her-veinz @whosaidididthat @themusingsofmany @adefectivedetective

Permatags: @gruffle1 @thechickvic @notawarriorjustyet @savethehoneeybees  @the-reader-in-the-rye

#loki #loki x reader #loki odinson imagine #Loki Laufeyson #loki x you #happy Thor #loki imagine #marvel #mcu #avengers #Himmeløyne fic

[beardrabbles]

FEAR

rating: k

words: 2,053

characters: female reader, stephen strange, short mentions of other charaters

notes: ( ao3 request; Endgame reader with powers and strange? ) First time writing Strange, and I’m not sure how well I did! Let me know so I can improve. Had to rewatch the portal scene to remember who came from where and it make me emotional again, heck!

tags: none

                               There was no other way.

When you heard him utter those words, your entire world had buckled. You foggily recalled watching him fade, sharp beard and chilling eyes fluttering away like fresh ash on the roaring winds of an inferno. You had felt sick then, you remember. Not only had your stomach become a void, but so had the rest of your being. Mantis, Drax, Peter Quill and the young Peter Parker — you hadn’t known them well ( or at all for that matter ) and still it pained you to see them go.

                              There was no other way.

Stephen Strange was your mentor, your Sorcerer Supreme, the one person on Earth whom you trusted undoubtedly. There weren’t many alive that you held in such high esteem. He had held this position in your mind and heart for months, and yet.  .  . there he had sat, forfeiting the time stone.

You would never forget the way his hand trembled when he plucked the stone from the air. You would never forget the heavy burden on his voice when he admitted that there was only one option.

But that was all you would remember because seconds later, you would join the millions that had vanished. You had realized half-way through that being erased from existence wasn’t as painful as watching it happen to someone else. Moments before your mind faded and your remains lay on Titan’s surface, you wondered; was there truly no other way?

“I had to do it.”

The voice didn’t startle you, but neither were you happy to hear it. You stood with your arms out and fingers curled, golden glyphs blinking and fizzling in the air. Beyond your hands, you saw the others. They had returned the same way you had, suddenly and with a great deal of confusion. You found more interest in them than you did the cloaked man that lingered beside you.

“You’re upset with me.” He continued.

“The guy in the metal suit isn’t here. Mr. Stark, right? Neither is the blue lady.” You chose to ignore his attempts at a deeper conversation.

“Y/N.  .  .”

“Where did they go? Everyone that disappeared is here, but they’re not. Did they find a way off this rock?”

“They’re on Earth, as they should be.”

Your arms stilled, then they dropped. You turned to face him, your heart squeezing uncomfortably in your chest at the sight of his battered face. Stephen’s expressions were always difficult to read, but the one he sported now was one of pure and painful guilt.

“As they should be?” Your arms folded over your chest, thumb fidgeting with your sling ring. Stephen nodded.

“I told you. I told all of you——”

“You told us horse shit, Stephen! You told us our chances, and nothing else!” You began to panic, your words running together as it was hard to breathe between them when you had a thousand thoughts and opinions to voice. “And then — and then you go and hand Barney the Dinosaur the time stone! The time stone! Everyone’s fading, and there are you tellin’ us that there was no other way! We’re terrified. We’re thinkin’ this is it! We’re screwed! Totally screwed, and.  .  . and.  .  .”

“And.  .  . ?”

You curl your lower lip inward and bite down, eyes stinging. Your hands rose again, and you feel your power flow through them. It was like a shower of sparks flying from the tip of a lit sparkler. Every ember, no matter how tiny, pushed through your veins, your muscles, the little fibers of your being, and came to a painful halt at your fingertips. The glyphs appeared, but they popped in and out of existence too rapidly to be useful.

“I’m still scared,” finally came your reluctant confession. “I came back, and I tried to make a portal so I could find out if my friends and family were alright. I couldn’t do it, and I know that’s why.”

Your head dipped down, the back of your knuckles rubbing at your eyes and wet nose. You had come so far since the beginning of your training, but seeing your confidence return to the condition it had been in when you first started was demoralizing. You had backtracked again, and you weren’t the least bit proud of yourself because of it.

“Show me your hands.” It wasn’t a command so much as it was a request. You refused to lift your eyes and look at the man you had tried so hard to impress, but you did as he asked and held out both of yours hands with the palms facing up. You weren’t sure what he planned to do with them, but you were shaken when you felt his fingers graze against yours. When you peered down, you could see the many deep and knotted scars along his digits. Against the pads of your own fingers, they felt larger than they appeared.

“You’re not the only one that’s afraid, Y/N. We all are.” His palms pressed to yours, and the wall that had obstructed your powers felt as if it were vibrating. 

“You don’t look like you’re afraid. None of you do.” You scoffed and were almost tempted to yank your hands away — mostly out of irritation and partially out of embarrassment. They remained there purely because touch from him was rare.

“You’ve only been training for a year. We’ve been at this for a lot longer than that.” The ghost of a smile toyed with his lips. Catching it gave you some relief, but it didn’t last long. Stephen saw your expression dwindle again and continued. “But we need you. We need everyone that can fight, and I know you can.”

“Stephen, I——”

“You have to trust me.” Anyone in a situation as dire as this one would sound desperate, but you thought you heard the smallest crack in his voice. His dark eyes caught yours, and they captivated you. “I can’t tell you everything. If I do, if I so much as hint at what might happen, it won’t. I know putting blind faith into me is a lot to ask of everyone, but it’s worked out so far.”

“Yeah, so far. What if it decides it doesn’t want to work out anymore?” Your throat tightened, and the urge to crumble hit you again. “I hate this. People are going to die, aren’t they?”

“With or without Thanos, with or without the thousands of paths I witnessed, that is something we can’t avoid.”

“Is it going to be you?”

Stephen opened his mouth to answer, but it snapped shut a millisecond later. His face hardened, and he shook his head. “I can’t tell you that.”

“Please. Is there anything you can tell me? I need something.” You pleaded despite knowing there was very little he could give you. Stephen understood the concepts at hand more than you ever could, but all you needed was to hear that everything would be alright. He knew this, and still he refused to reassure you of the inevitable future.

He wouldn’t leave you without some form of encouragement, however.

His hands moved away from yours and found purchase alongside your face. He held you in so tender a way that you almost didn’t feel the shaking. Your breath stopped dead in your lungs, making your chest swell. Heat bloomed in your cheeks, and you were sure that he could feel it. All focus remained on your eyes, as if he were desperately trying to say something with his gaze that his voice couldn’t. But he had to say it, or else you would never believe it.

Stephen knew you, and he knew that every ounce of self-doubt you had in you would deny the truth until it was said loud and clear for your ears to hear. Because as often as you thought about it, as often as you daydreamed, you never tried to convince yourself that you were more than a pupil to him.

So he spoke, and he hoped that you knew better than to interrupt.

“I can tell you one certainty, and it’s this; you were not a mistake. Finding you, bringing you into our teachings and training you was meant to happen. Everything that has led up to this moment, no matter how bad, was meant to get you here. Right here. With me. You won’t see it because you’re too damn stubborn, but you’ve gotten better. I watched you improve. I’ve watched you fall back too, but you’ve come out stronger because of it.”

The stinging in your eyes had gone away, but only because you had finally allowed yourself to cry. You sniffled and whimpered, eyes and nose leaking. You nodded firmly, letting him know that you were listening and trying your hardest to believe him. He didn’t need to say that, you thought, but he had. And they were, by far, the kindest words he had ever said to you.

Crying out some of your frustration and anxiety had helped, but you were never fond of people seeing you in such a low state. You were grateful, but you had to deflect. You had been given permission to break down for the moment, yet you knew that time wasn’t on your side. If you had to, you could always find time after the battle to cry.  .  . if you managed to survive.

“How many apprentices have you given that speech to?” You coughed out a half-hearted laugh and rubbed at your eyes again, forcing Stephen’s hands away from your face.

“Only one.” His pointed tone and intense gaze made your stomach knot twice over. You fidgeted, eyes moving everywhere but to him.

“If I’ve gotten better, it’s only because you’re the one teaching me. No offense to Wong.”

“None taken.” As if on cue, he approached, hands behind his back. You nearly jumped out of your skin, heart hammering a hundred miles a minute.

“When did you——?”

“Just now.” Wong was a fairly stoic man, but time spent around you had opened up parts of his personality that only Stephen had seen before. Despite his claim, the twinkle in his eyes revealed he may have arrived much earlier. Early enough to catch snippets of your conversation with the Sorcerer Supreme, at least.

“Are they ready?” Suddenly, Stephen was all steely eyes and determination again.

“They’re as ready as they can be. We haven’t exactly trained them for this, but adversity tends to prove itself motivating under the right circumstances.” Wong cast you a knowing smile.

“Wait, who are we talking about?” You glanced between them, feeling twice as confused as before.

“Everyone.”

“You mean everyone-everyone?”

“Every novice and apprentice, every disciple, everyone here on this planet and on Earth and in worlds far from our own.” Stephen gave a single, firm nod. “You’ve heard of fighting fire with fire, right? We’re going to fight an army with an army.”

“So we’re doing this?” Behind your trio of magic users, the remainder of the Guardians and Peter shuffled up. Peter, looking oddly pale in Titan’s ruddy glow, swallowed hard. “We’re actually going to fight Thanos again?”

“We have to.” Stephen gave Wong one last half-nod. Wong returned it and disappeared in a wink of orange sparks.

“Good. Great. That’s cool. Never fought a whole army before, but — y’know.” Peter sighed and let the nanobots of his suit form a mask around his head. Amongst themselves, the Guardians murmured and huddled together. You were left to stand beside your mentor, your whole body quivering from the inside-out with mounting fear.

“Remember, you’re not the only one that’s afraid.” His hand found yours, and he squeezed with as much strength as he could. It wasn’t much, but you felt the sentiment behind it. “And consider this——”

Stephen’s lips curled into a smirk. “If you think we’re afraid to face his army, imagine how afraid he’ll be when he sees ours.”

You couldn’t help but to let out a genuine laugh this time around.

Hands up and fingers tingling, you prepared yourself. Your apprehension was still strong, but you have too many people counting on you the same way you were counting on them. You needed your magic, and you would be damned if it disobeyed you now.

“I wouldn’t wanna fight against us either.”

#doctor strange x reader #doctor strange imagine #stephen strange x reader #stephen strange imagine #marvel imagine #mcu imagine #( writing characters I've never written for before makes me super nervous but!! I TRY BECAUSE I LOVE AND APPRECIATE YOU ALL )

[imnotrevealingmyname]

Everyone seemed to be holding their breaths. Nobody moved a muscle.

Sigyn watched with a rising sense of foreboding and alarm as Loki paced the room. All the warmth had left him the moment they'd landed here. Tony and Natasha were staring out of the window, gazes averted from her. The rest of them sat stock still, feeling increasingly sure that something was about to go wrong.

"I hope you enjoyed your time in Helheim?"Loki asked suddenly, halting in his pacing to look Sigyn in the eyes, face morphed into an overly pleasant smile. Sigyn raised an eyebrow.

"You could've told us, you know,"he said, turning to face her fully. "I would've had a tour guide then."

"Well, I am sorry,"Sigyn said sarcastically. "It has been a terrible lapse on my part, I am sure."

Loki snarled. "You think this is a joke, do you?"

"As much of a joke as you guys thought it was when you got yourselves killed,"Sigyn said calmly. "Or even threw yourself off a cliff."

Natasha glanced at her sharply. "I wasn't aware that you're the one doing the chastising here."

"You drove us insane with worry,"Tony said in a dangerously low voice, still not turning to look at her. "Your husband jumped from Realm to Realm in search of healers for you, Sigyn. We went to the underworld to put an end to the curse."

"And I journeyed to Helheim to bring all three of you back,"Sigyn shot back, glaring. "I don't see how this is any different."

Loki bristled. "This is different because you were alive,"he spat. "We weren't. You were being tortured. Do you have any idea what it feels like to see someone you love being tormented beyond belief, and you can't do anything to help?"

"You know what?"Tony said, turning around finally. "You need to stop hiding stuff. You should have told us about your bargain with that hag."

Sigyn thought she would explode. She did all of this for them; and they repaid her in this way?!

But Loki had apparently had enough. "And what were you all thinking, letting her go to Vormir?"he spat, rounding on the others, who looked startled. In two swift strides, Loki was in front of Steve, who took an almost imperceptible step back.

Loki wasn't having it.

His fingers closed around Steve's throat, and the next thing Sigyn knew, Steve was in the air, and he was struggling to get free. Quite unnecessary and absurd, really. But when Loki lost his composure, it usually meant that things were in a very delicate state.

The others stood up abruptly to intervene, but Loki had slammed Steve against the wall. Steve tried to punch Loki in the gut, but Loki didn't budge.

Obviously, Steve's supersoldier powers were no match for Loki's strength.

As Sigyn rushed forth, a fleeting image flashed in her mind.

A purple Titan, slowly asphyxiating a leather clad, raven haired God...

"Loki, stop,"she said with as much authority as she could muster; which didn't work very well, because her voice quivered slightly as she tugged at Loki's arm, vision studded with bright spurts of lights for a moment.

But it had the desired effect, because Loki froze, and dropped a gasping and red-faced Steve, who scowled at him in indignation.

Loki turned around slowly to see Sigyn staring at him, hands on hips and legs parted.

"We're going home right now. Thor, go to Vanaheim and tell Mother that we'll be there by nightfall,"she snapped, and grabbed his arm to teleport them both back.

****

"What were you thinking?"Sigyn spat, the moment they were back, rounding on Loki angrily. "You could've-"

But Loki had grabbed hold of her and the next moment, he had her pinned against the wall, trapped in his rough grip. The startled yelp that issued from her mouth made his lips curve into a malicious grin, and the look on his eyes darkened.

He was actually enjoying the searing look she was giving him, eyes full of anger, fear and- fates above- unmistakeable arousal.

Rage pulsed through his veins, and he flexed against her, pushing her further against the wall, glaring down at her, teeth bared, panting slightly.

"Have you any idea how worried we were?"Loki breathed in a low growl; the sound made her suck in a breath, and her breasts expanded deliciously under his chest. He was having a hard time controlling himself, suddenly.

"Have you any idea how desperate we were? How scared I was?"

He said those last few words in an even lower, silky-smooth voice, head dipping to make her feel his breath against her ears, drawing out the words deliberately; a spike of heat sizzled down to his groin as he saw a deep flush emanate near her neck and travel up the delicate column of her throat. Sigyn swallowed audibly, and Loki growled again. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the tiny hairs stand up along her neck and arms.

Feeling reckless, enraged beyond belief, he pressed his hips against hers, revelling in a dull glow as the breath left her in a rush when she felt the hard ridge of his cock against her belly.

She was looking at him with undeniable fright now.

Loki watched with a vindictive pleasure, almost animal in its searing heat, as her throat worked furiously.

"Why didn't you at least tell me about that deal with Lady Death?"

He grasped her waist with one hand, holding her steady against his imposing frame, and his other hand travelled up her waist, up the slightly concave curve of her belly, over her breasts, to rest lightly around her throat. She was breathing hard now.

"Answer me, Sigyn,"he said, still in that low murmur, eyes dark with intent. The emotions were tearing inside him, burning through his chest in haphazard streaks of fire, leaving behind nothing but a charred, empty hole and ashes. More ashes.

He couldn't think straight.

"I almost lost you,"he all but hissed.

"I'm sorry, love,"she said now, apparently having gotten her voice back.

Loki snarled as her hands came to rest on his chest, as she gave her that pleading look she knew so well he couldn't resist.

Not this time.

The next thing he knew, he had her slung over his shoulder, and he was carrying her to the bed. She gave a sharp squeak, and he slapped her rear once, hard. Another squeak.

She didn't speak, though.

Wise decision.

Loki deposited her at the edge of the mattress and she hurried to lean back when he stood over her.

"You didn't answer me,"Loki said silkily... dangerously low. Sigyn opened her mouth, but closed it again, and gulped.

His eyes went dark with heat and intent. He was pleased to see the answering heat that pooled in hers.

His stomach contracted slightly when he saw the emotion in her eyes. He could tell that she was aching to touch him, to comfort him. Sigyn's eyes welled slightly.

Feeling desperate all of a sudden, he tore at the placket of his trousers and narrowed his eyes when Sigyn's gaze fell to his naked sex.

His hand grasped at her hair, gently but firmly, and her gaze snapped back up to him. She was breathing fast, now.

Good.

"Why would you do that to me, Sigyn?"he asked softly, thumb pressing against the base of her neck lightly.

"I love you,"she murmured, taking him by surprise. He growled.

"Suck me."

Her lack of hesitation drove him mad, and he growled again, a low, feral sound, as the more primal instincts came over him.

He groaned, and his eyes fixed upon her lips, stretching and flexing around his shaft. Sigyn's hands settled on his hips, touch feather-light.

The room filled with sounds of his ragged rush of breath, and the slick, wet noises of her mouth working on him. The contrast of cool lips and hot mouth sent ripples of pleasure up his spine. He grabbed her shoulder with his free hand and thrust into her mouth.

Pleasure sizzled along his nerve endings, searing him, branding his naked flesh, and he felt the knot deep in his abdomen growing and pulsing, egged on by Sigyn's fingers, that were now pumping away and working on what her mouth couldn't reach.

He was right at the edge.

He could feel the orgasm starting to unfurl at the base of his cock.

In a swift movement, he ripped her away from his cock and pushed her down on the bed. She didn't cry out this time.

She didn't cry out even when he tore her dress off her body, chemise and all, and pushed it aside.

Loki paused to pull the shirt off over his head, and climbed over her, claiming her mouth in a penetrating kiss, pushing her lips open and flooding the hot recess of her mouth with his tongue.

Gods, her mouth was so hot.

He pulled away when her hands settled on his shoulders and glared down at her, arousal, anger and grief clouding his senses. As he bore down on her, he saw the slightest hint of a smile on Sigyn's features.

Loki snarled, and he felt his control slipping further. Her bent and nipped her throat, hard enough to make her gasp.

"Loki..."

"Not. A. Word,"he rasped, and her teeth clicked together with a satisfying snap.

When his lips wrapped around her right nipple, she gave a sharp sigh and went soft and putty-like under her grasp.

He actually felt the moment when she surrendered completely.

Pleasure coiled in his chest as he sucked at her hungrily, plumping her breasts up so the tips stood out even farther, distended and swollen, as he bit and nipped and pulled at the pebbled nubs.

He heard her breathy gasp and his name being murmured softly when he bit that tender spot on the underside of her breast, and then sucked the flesh, tongue flitting out.

With a low, rasping sound, Loki shot her a glare, which seemed to quell her immediately. Sigyn stared back at him dolefully, and then shuddered slightly when he pressed down on top of her.

"Quiet,"he snapped. Not angrily, but impatient and unyielding. She sighed again.

Then Loki moved down over her, eyes glittering with obvious intent, until he was straddling her shins.

"You should've told me,"he growled, face very close to her sex now. Sigyn gulped and licked her lips, but said nothing.

"Apologize,"he demanded suddenly. The pull of unwanted emotions was too much. He wanted relief, and yet, he was scared. Everything that he had kept bottled up for years was bubbling right under the surface now.

"I'm sorry,"Sigyn said softly. Her tone threw him off balance. How she could pour so much feeling into two words, he couldn't imagine for the life of him.

And yet, he heard the underpinnings of satisfaction in her voice. Her face held compassion, love; and another emotion which he couldn't quite pinpoint.

He felt like she knew something he didn't.

And she knew exactly what he was thinking.

The thought, though making him deeply uneasy due to some reason, was also extremely comforting.

And arousing.

With another deep rumble from the base of his throat, he delved between her legs, lips melding to the outer lips of her sex. He drew at them, tongue peeking out to circle her clit, and licked her from the top of her slit down to her entrance, to taste her essence. Loki felt her shiver under him and jerk when his lips closed around her clit, which was already engorged and hot.

He kept his gaze on her, sucking her all the time, until she was shaking with the thrum of impending orgasm, clit jumping against his tongue.

The self-restraint, which he was well known for and which he prided himself for had suddenly evaporated under the white-hot spurt of anger and desire.

Loki spread her legs even wider, almost obscenely wide, to get more access, and started sucking and worrying at the hard, swollen nub with renewed vigour.

So much so that he felt afraid that he would devour her completely. His libido had taken over him completely.

Right then, Sigyn's back bowed, and she arched off the bed on a hoarse cry of completion, pushing against his mouth. Loki settled into it eagerly, and growled when she half screamed with pleasure.

Then she fell back on the bed, twitching and spasming.

His tongue slipped out to lick the taste of her off his lips, glaring at Sigyn.

Then he proceeded to suck her into his mouth again, with more force. Sigyn yelped and shuddered, writhing around. But Loki held her down easily.

When she came the second time, she was keening desperately.

Loki didn't stop. This time, she tried to squirm away, half sobbing. Loki turned his head and bit her sharply, sinking his teeth into the soft flesh of her thigh... And she came again, on a high scream.

Even before she had come down from her high, his hips were against hers, legs holding hers apart, and he was pushing into her in a quick, decisive thrust.

Sigyn cried out again, eyes shut, hips snapping upwards to meet his thrusts, even as her sex clamped down on his cock.

"Look at me,"Loki rasped. Sigyn obeyed, eyes hooded with pleasure, lips parted, panting.

Gods, he was being too rough. He knew it. But Sigyn was enjoying it, if anything.

The pleasure swamped him, and he bit down on her breasts, her neck, her shoulders, as he fucked her roughly, utterly dominating. The sight of her body undulating under him, jostled by his thrusts wound him up even further, and he growled, pinning her hands high above her head.

Sigyn was whimpering, keening with pleasure; but there was still that inexplicable sort of satisfaction there on her face.

His anger rose by another notch, and he started pounding into her, and she yelped, head thrown back on the pillows.

Rage and lust blinded him, and he snarled when she spoke up suddenly.

"Kiss me,"she murmured.

Loki pulled out of her, making her grunt. In a flash, he flipped her over and pulled her up so that she was on all fours. Then he pushed into her again, chest molded to her back.

He gave her a series of punishing thrusts, and Sigyn's arms collapsed under her. He rutted into her nevertheless, driven wild by the sight of her trembling limbs. He brought his hand around to the front of her body and blindly reached for her the apex of her legs. His thumb found her clit and he rubbed it once, firmly.

On a broken cry, she came again, sex fluttering around him.

Loki growled into the nape of her neck, still thrusting. Her scent enveloped him, and he found himself slipping out of the animal haze he had fallen into.

Then he felt her walls rippling and contracting around him again, and he made a deep sound in his throat, giving her a few deliberate thrusts in long, wet strokes.

Sigyn cried out again, and Loki realized with a starburst of pleasure in his abdomen that she was coming again.

Then he started talking to her, telling her in a low, erotic murmur how good it felt, how good she felt, how tight and hot her slick channel was...

She was sobbing with pleasure now, stimulated beyond relief, jerking to every thrust, every bite, as he drove into that incredible tightness.

"Loki!"she screamed suddenly, floorboards creaking with the force of his movements, and Loki bit her neck again. He felt the skin break, and the metallic taste of blood; he sucked the spot, and Sigyn threw her head back and keened almost soundlessly, half lifting him off the bed in the process.

He had aborted his own orgasm several times now.

With another animal snarl, he flipped her over once more and pushed her thighs up against her chest, folding her in half, so that the angle made her scream in pleasure. Then his cock was there again, nudging through the lips of her sex, pushing through the entrance.

Her eyes were unfocused now, glazed over. Loki himself was getting closer and closer to the edge, and his thrusts were getting erratic.

"Love..."Sigyn murmured suddenly, and raised her hands, threading her arms around his neck; Loki claimed her lips with his, sucking and nipping and licking until he was sure they would be puffy and bruised later. He tasted blood again, and kissed her harder.

"Look at me,"she demanded between kisses. Feeling slightly numb with pleasure, he obeyed, gaze moving up to her eyes.

What he saw there almost sent him reeling.

Her eyes were glazed with a sheen of tears, glowing with emotion. Electricity seemed to crackle in them, and Loki's entire world seemed to lurch and tip forward on his axis.

He was falling, suddenly.

With a hoarse sob, he clutched onto the only thing that was true and real; he grasped at her, head falling on her chest helplessly, burrowing for naked skin, deliciously warm.

A tingling sensation originated near his head and crept down his body, and realized that he was blue... he was in his true form, laid bare...

****

Wanna read more? Check out my profile on Wattpad! (The excerpt above is from Chapter 39 of The Last Bargain.)

#loki smut #loki (marvel) #loki friggason #loki x sigyn #tom hiddleston #fanfic #fanfiction

[pinkrae]

Can’t fake love || Chapter 4

The questions with no answers

--- Previous

Raven had been gone for a while. And he knew it. He’d been checking his watch every two minutes. Restrooms don’t take that long. Even if she spent a reasonable amount of time looking for one, chances were she would’ve been back by now. Unless something had happened.

Not being able to sit still anymore, Damian stood up from his seat and rushed to the door. Slightly blinded by the light in the lobby, he looked around in search of the restrooms. Which weren’t that hard to find because the sign was right there around the corner. Now he just needed to find Raven there.

Though, as usual for women’s restrooms, there had formed a line with a couple girls even standing outside the door. So he couldn’t just waltz in there without looking like a creep. Instead, he put on his charming smile.

“Excuse me, ladies.” He spoke in a polite voice, instantly grabbing their attention. “Could you help me out? I’m looking for a friend. Would you please check if there’s a Rachel in there?”

“Well, of course, sweetie.” One of the girls chirped and quickly peaked through the door. “Hello, is there a Rachel in there? Rachel?”

Not receiving an affirmative response, she looked back to the young man and shook her head. “No Rachels there.”

“Thank you.” With a small bow he took a step back, his features completely changing once his back was turned to the girls.

“We have a problem.” He pressed the button of his communicator in his ear, speaking to the rest of the team outside. On one hand, he didn’t want to cause an alarm had she really just gone somewhere to get some air. But on the other hand, all his instincts were screaming that something was wrong.

“What happened?” Kory asked with worry.

“Raven left the screening room almost 15 minutes ago and hasn’t returned.”

“You let her go alone?!” Beast Boy asked almost accusingly.

“I wasn’t gonna follow her to the restroom, you dimwit.” Damian spoke through gritted teeth. “Spread out. She couldn’t have gone too far.”

Since he was the one inside the building, it felt only logical to search for her there. Even if something told him that she wasn’t there. He argued with himself, asking why would she had left the building. Unless she was forced to. Maybe she found something. Maybe something found her. That thought made him angry. Mostly at himself.

The movie theater was big, there were so many places she could be at. And it worried him. Thankfully the rest of the team was on it already, searching outside. But it soothed his troubled mind only for that much.

“Guys,” Jaime’s voice was heard over the comms, “I found her--”

“Where?” Damian instantly stopped in his tracks.

“She’s outside--” Static.

“God damn it, Reyes, where?”

“Back of the theat-- … Static … --on the right.” Jaime didn’t even finish his sentence when Damian already turned around to find the nearest exit. “It’s ba--” Static.

“Beetle?” Beast Boy asked, concern obvious in his voice.

“Come in, Beetle.” But Kory’s request was once again met with only static.

Damn it.

Something was definitely wrong. Swinging the exit doors open with force, Damian ran to the location Blue Beetle had given.

There weren’t many places she could’ve gone, the area wasn’t that big. But the sound and light of Blue Beetle’s canon blasts were a good indicator as to where they were. Unlucky for the Titans, however, seeing this fuss behind the theater house, the journalists grew curious and some had shuffled their way there as well. This wasn’t going to end well if civilians were to get involved. And Damian wasn’t in his Robin suit either, so he didn’t like this situation one bit.

His mind was racing with thoughts. And he didn’t want to admit it, but most of them were about Raven. Was she save? Was she alright? Why weren’t either her or Blue Beetle’s comms working? What was happening?

And as soon as he ran around the corner, now joined by the rest of the team, his heart dropped. There she was. Lying on the ground unconscious while Blue was fighting some mysterious woman and her… henchmen?  They looked more like strange beasts with red glowing eyes, to be honest. But there was no time to contemplate on that.

“Damian,” Starfire spoke softly, now standing next to him and placing a hand on his shoulder, “get Raven to safety. There’s too many eyes here, we can’t risk exposure.”

It wasn’t often - or more like ever - that this happened, but he only partially listened to what the team leader was telling him. His mind had blocked everything else out and all he could see was her. What did the lady do to her? Was she hurt? He needed to--

“Get her out of here.” He suddenly snapped out of his thoughts. “Got it.” And without another second of hesitation, the boy rushed over to his friend.

Kory noticed the initial hesitation and it sparked concern within her. It was Damian who was always head first into action, get everyone to safety, get the objectives done. But this time he’d hesitated. It was unusual.

“Beast Boy,” she finally spoke again and nodded towards the group of journalists and other curious passersby, “crowd control. We don’t want any casualties.”

“On it!”

And with that Starfire and Wonder Girl joined the battle with the mystery woman and her beasts. It was unclear why she was here, who she was and what she wanted with Raven. Was she the killer they’d been looking for? So many unanswered questions still remained. But one thing was for certain - she needed to be stopped.

“You children are quite the nuisance,” the woman grumbled under her nose as she deflected one attack after the other using magic barriers.

But Damian didn’t have time to focus on the fight. He needed to get Raven out of there undetected both by the villain and the press, ideally. Good thing stealth was his strong suit, especially at night. So he lifted the girl in his arms and easily slipped through the buildings without anyone noticing. Hopefully, anyway. He’d worry about that later.

---

“How is she?” Donna asked softly, seeing Kory leave Raven’s room. The older female sighed and shook her head slightly.

“She said she wants to meditate.”

“That’s all she’s been doing lately.” Donna crossed her arms over her chest, her face expressing worry. “Are we sure she’s fine?”

“Damian checked her vitals as soon as he brought her to the Tower. She hasn’t sustained any significant physical injuries.” Kory explained as the two of them walked down the corridor. There was a moment of silence between the two of them before she sighed and continued. “But you’re right. We aren’t sure she’s fine.”

It had been a tough week for all of them. By what Raven told them, she remembered nothing of what happened to her after she left the theater. Jaime swore that when she’d found her, the woman, who Donna quickly recognized as Circe, the goddess of magic and an old enemy of the Amazons, had put her in some kind of trance using magic and was chanting something while her hand was pressed into Ravan’s chest. Though despite that, physically she was fine. And Damian made sure he checked it more than once.

But she’d been… distant. Even for her. She kept mostly in her room or outside the Tower meditating. Barely any food, any sleep or any interactions with anyone. If she did go to sleep, most nights she’d wake up from nightmares, covered in cold sweat. And they didn’t know how to help her. She wasn’t talking to them. Everyone was just on their toes, especially now that they knew they were dealing with a goddess.

“Any news on Circe?”

Donna shook her head. “She’s disappeared off the face of the Earth, it seems.” A sigh escaped her lips. “Starfire, I still believe we should alert the Justice League about this. Diana has fought her--”

“First we need to find her.” Kory interrupted the other. “If we have nothing on her, we have nothing to alert them for.”

“Do you not see what she’s done to Raven?” Raising her voice, she shot her arm backwards motioning to the empath’s room. “Is she not the one who killed all those innocent couples?”

“We have yet to find that all out, Donna.” The Tamaranean sighed and stopped in her tracks to look at Donna. Obviously, they were all worried. They wanted answers. They wanted justice. But… “We need information.”

“We need to stop her before it’s too late, that’s what we need.” Donna frowned and stormed off down another corridor. And Kory could only watch her leave as a sigh left her lips. A part of her knew that she was right. They might just need the help if this thing were to blow out of proportion. And by what Donna could tell them, Circe was no enemy to take light-heartedly. Still, there was a hint of hesitation inside of her. Almost like a pride thing. To prove that they could do it without the Justice League. On their own. They had gotten this far after all.

“You’re worried that the Justice League will deny their help because of me, aren’t you?” A sudden voice echoed from behind her. Gasping in surprise, Kory looked back to see Raven standing outside her room, probably having heard snippets of the conversation.

Opening her mouth to respond to the question, the older female hesitated to get any actual words out of her mouth. She didn’t know what to say, really. Raven was right and she knew that she knew it.

“You know that’s not--”

“Then don’t tell them about me.”

“What?” Kory was slightly taken aback.

“Tell them everything besides that. The killed couples, Damian and I’s PR stunts, how we found the damn witch, fought her and lost her.” Raven spoke with complete seriousness in her voice, as usual. The only thing unusual about it was probably the fact that it was the most that she had talked in days. “And we need to find her and stop her before more people die.”

“Are you saying that she is the killer?”

“All I’m saying”-- Raven sighed and covered her head with the hood of her cloak-- “is that we can’t fight this alone. She’s a goddess, for god’s sake.” Scowling, the girl turned and made her way to her usual spot outside the garden to meditate.

Didn’t she say she didn’t remember anything?

Now Kory was certain of at least one thing. She knew more than she let on.

--- Next chapter already available here

#{{ 👋 Written by me }} #can't fake love #damirae #robrae #Damian Wayne #raven #fanfiction #fanfic

[sharyrazade]

Day -320

I’m gonna do something a little different here; part writing practice, part shameless self-promotion, and part gauging interest in future projects I’m playing with, I’m gonna start posting previews- excerpts from projects of mine.

While technically a flashback in-story, here, we’ve got Makoto and Yuuki in marriage counseling in the Children of Men!verse; so you know how big a dumpster fire that relationship was.

Tapping his fingers against his tablet nervously, Kentaro Masamura, while never a religious man in the slightest, prayed silently for one half of the estranged couple to at least begin to speak. Even if their first instinct was to explode on each other- he’d seen that with more than his share of couples in his line of work and he was trained to defuse said situations. But this tension- this unspoken enmity between in the room was enough to (figuratively) choke an elephant.

Fuck it, I can’t take this anymore. “So, first things first.” Masamura began, his tone unnaturally cordial. “When did you first begin to notice problems in your marriage? Mrs. Mishima, why don’t we begin with you?”

“Ms. Niijima.” Makoto corrected sternly, only glancing at her estranged husband through the corner of her eye. “And I couldn’t tell you; probably the day after the wedding.”

Yuuki scoffed in frustration, rolling his eyes. “Oh, yeah, why don’t we ask Makoto?” he began frustratedly. “After all, she knows EVERYTHING. Something she just LOVES making you aware of.”

Makoto grasped the couch’s armrest in irritation. “Well, Mister Tech Billionaire, I don’t see how it’s any different than those fancy cars you insist on driving or that penthouse you insisted on.”

At this, Yuuki’s expression was more angered than annoyed. “Only because you wouldn’t stop going on about how much you loved it!”

“I WAS TRYING TO BE SUPPORTIVE!”

The therapist rubbed his temples in exasperation. “I hear a lot of talking past one another, but no real communicating.” remarked Kentaro upon the obvious. “Mr. Mishima- since your wife already went, why don’t we get your thoughts on when the problems started?”

Somewhat cooled off, Yuuki exhaled in exasperation. “I’m going to say...about a couple of months in?” he said tentatively. “After the ‘honeymoon phase,’ appropriately enough. I guess I noticed Makoto putting in even more hours at work than usual- kinda like she was avoiding me.”

The brunette scoffed dismissively. “Please!” she remarked, a noticeable hint of defensive cruelty in her tone. “You knew my job wasn’t exactly a part-time thing when I started. If you were going to be such a baby about it, maybe you shouldn’t have married me.”

“Oh, THAT’S the understatement of my life!” Yuuki complained. “You know mom tried to warn me about you? I SHOULD have listened to her!”

“So even when she’s not here, you’re such a mama’s boy, you bring in your passive-aggressive cunt of a mother to fight your battles?”

“How fucking DARE you talk about her like that?! And that’s rich coming from the woman who spent the past ten years giving her ‘best friend’ the cold-bitch routine on a regular basis!”

Once again sensing an impasse (or rather an impeding cliff), Kentaro gave a series of exaggerated coughs to interrupt the couple. “This is getting us nowhere.” he said, again remarking on the obvious. “I’m just going to be blunt about this question- how are things between you two- you know, in the bedroom?”

Immediately, the therapist regretted breaching the topic; the cold, hostile glares shared by both husband and wife told him he’d just skipped gleefully into a goddamned minefield. “Okaayyyy...when did you first start having issues there?”

“The wedding night.” Makoto and Yuki said in reflexive unison.

The therapist was visibly taken aback by said candor. “Wow, okay. So what caused such a rocky start to your sex life?”

Yuuki shrugged. “Ah, you know, the usual-  it was always ‘I’m too tired,’ ‘I have a headache,’ or ‘maybe on the weekend.’ Basically, she’s a frigid, unavailable bitch.”

Makoto crossed her arms across her chest. “Maybe if you could stop being a thirsty little twerp for ten minutes, you could learn to take a hint. I actually am tired most of the time- it’s not JUST because you’re about as sexually appealing as that plant over there.”

Yuuki, while suspecting it on some level for some time now, wore an expression of genuine hurt at having Makoto’s true feelings confirmed by the woman herself. Kentaro, on the other hand, was justifiably perplexed. “Wait,” he began, furrowing his brow. “you NEVER discussed this kind of thing with each other?”

Both halves of the quarreling couple gave each other an equally-perplexed look before responding in kind once again. “No, never.” they both confirmed.

Kentaro scribbling away at his notes and becoming increasingly pessimistic as he did so, Makoto was the next to speak. “Besides, it’s not like you were suffering SO much.” she said carelessly. “We BOTH know you got plenty from those golddigging sluts all over you.”

Genuinely wounded and offended by this accusation, by this point, Yuuki was now more angry than anything. “Never, not once!” he exclaimed.

“Really? You never cheated once?”

“No! And that’s REAL fucking rich coming from you- remember when we went to Patong back in the summer?! The first actual orgasm you had in this marriage, you called me Akira, for fuck’s sake! And that’s not even getting into why we’re here in the first place!”

“It was a slip of the tongue and you KNOW it, you tiny little man!”

As a marriage counselor, Kentaro was privy to quite a bit about the lives of his clients, but it was still at their own discretion- understandably, he was feeling quite lost now that other names were being dropped. “Wait, who’s Akira, again?” he inquired.

Yuuki was still quite offended by his wife’s casual assertions of his infidelity- as though it were a given. Particularly hypocritical given the situation with a certain lady friend of hers, he fumed. For all those romantic, chivalrous-sounding vows they shared, Yuuki could feel his blood boiling- after all the pain and insecurities he’d shared with his wife, only to have her blurt them back in an effort to consciously belittle him-  No, he wanted to hurt this woman sitting next to him.

“A mutual friend of ours who Makoto spent the past fifteen years carrying a torch for.” he informed smugly. “Got involved with another mutual friend of ours about as long ago and married her- Makoto’s been a condescending, passive-aggressive bitch to her ‘best friend’ ever since.”

Her expression momentarily betraying her wound at this divulging of some of her dirtiest social laundry, Makoto quickly reverted to a couple of her tried-and-true responses, among them her rather aloof default expression.

“Well, it can’t be THAT great a marriage.” she remarked snidely, wanting to change the subject but feel some self-righteousness from her venting. “You know he- they bring other women into their bedroom sometimes, right? Doesn’t sound a man too happy in his marriage if you ask me.”

Yuuki scowled, not having nearly the emotional skin as his wife did in this game. “What makes you so sure it’s for him?” he barbed, glowering at Makoto. “She was pretty upfront about being bisexual with him- kinda important information to have going in, you think?”

“Wait, hold on-” interrupted Kentaro, holding a hand up. “We’re discussing YOUR marriage right now- not theirs.”

At this statement, Makoto lost her composure, shooting upright and looming over her husband angrily. “Oh, and here we go!” she complained. “Yes, I fucked my best girlfriend and left you for her! Yes, I admit it! And you know something, I’d do it again! And again! And again! Do you know why? Because you know something about Haru? She is kind, she’s loyal, she’s humble, she’s caring- all for the sake of it! Everything you’re not! And by the way, she’s more of a man and lover than you could EVER be!”

“If I’m so pathetic and disgusting to you,” Yuuki raged. “why did you even bother to show up today?!”

“I don’t know! I’ve made so many mistakes with you, that would just be the latest!”

“Then why don’t you just get the hell out?!”

“MAYBE I WILL!”

“GOOD! Go on back to your poor little rich girl and your snotty, pretentious cafes, and your weekends in Paris and- whatever it is the fuck you two do to each other every night!”

Even before Makoto stormed from the office, slamming the door behind her, as a therapist and professional in general, it was pretty clear to Kentaro Masamura that he’d lost control of the situation completely the second their friend Akira came up- it had been undeniable once the word “bisexual” entered into the conversation.

Having cooled down somewhat, Yuuki sighed tiredly. “Sorry about that, doc.” he said apologetically. “What do I owe you for all the sessions- I kinda think this was a wash.”

“No, no, it’s fine.” Kentaro replied.

“Nah, I insist- I subjected you to the oil fire that is my marriage, I’m going to compensate you for it.”

Hmm, an “oil fire.” That was a pretty good way of describing that utter disaster, the therapist conceded to himself. Kentaro Masamura did this job because he genuinely did believe in trying to preserve relationships when possible. Trying to preserve this one however, was not so much rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic- it was more attempting to bail out the ship with a drinking glass- from the bottom of the Atlantic.

#catherine atlus #persona series #persona 5 #yuuki mishima #makoto niijima #post-canon #children of men!verse #my writing #preview

[mrskylerreviews-blog]

POPPY - AM I A GIRL? (Album Review)

           Only a year after the release of her debut album Poppy.Computer, the singer and ever-growing internet personality Poppy has returned with her second musical effort, titled Am I A Girl? This sophomore record sees our favorite android widening her range in lyrical content and production quality, offering a more polished and extensive view at the world through her sweet, robotic eyes. While her director Titanic Sinclair still had a hand in some of the songs on this album, there are also major collaborations with producers Diplo (owner of the label Poppy is signed to, Mad Decent) and Fernando Garibay (responsible for Lady Gaga’s ‘‘Alejandro’’ back in 2009).

           Am I A Girl? further progresses the narrative of the Poppy character, after the first album basically introduced who she was to the world, and commentated on the presence of technology and the internet in our modern society. This time, Poppy takes us on a more personal ride, as she begins questioning everything about her surroundings, from the reason of her existence on this world, to the fate that might await humanity due to pollution that we have caused ourselves. The first half of the record, though, is focused more on Poppy’s love for fashion, and a sassier and much firmer confidence that reassures the growth of the character. She isn’t a follower of what ‘‘They’’ want anymore. Poppy knows what she’s capable of and even though this album is based on a question that could define her entire life, it also presents her with answers that she may have been asking herself since she first started appearing on Youtube back in 2014.

1.      In A Minute: a solid opener for the album, this track shows a great combination of the material Poppy is known for, and a big step towards this new polished path she will be taking us on. With lyrics such as ‘‘I used to be free willing / Now I got work to do’’, we are presented head-on with the aforementioned confidence and sense of individuality that is to become the running theme throughout the record. Overall, In A Minute works perfect as an introduction to Am I A Girl?

2.      Fashion After All: although the theme of sass and confidence tried real hard to stretch enough for several songs on the album, Fashion After All feels a bit overdone and very easy to skip. While sing-talking about how she’s mother to many and the fact that she is relatable yet scary, the electropop production doesn’t really do its job of grasping the listener, as it sounds not too exciting or like something we haven’t heard before, and the lyrics can get tiring quick.

3.      Iconic: this track attempts a go with the inspiring and ‘‘even if you’re weird, you’re still so cool’’ concept that isn’t at all new for female pop singers. While the lyrics aren’t necessarily the most original and groundbreaking piece of handcrafted artistry, they succeed in delivering an uplifting and feel-good vibe to the listener, with the production matching the joyous energy that is supposed to carry the message. Poppy’s vocals also shift from low tones in the pre-chorus that we haven’t really heard from her before, to sweet and colorful falsettos that we all know and love.

4.      Chic Chick: this track feels like what Fashion After All should have been, and it is honestly a bit surprising that both of them made it on the album. Chic Chick is a punch to the face, with Poppy making it very clear that she’s here to do her business, she is classy yet a handful, and there is nothing you can do about it. Being the only song on the project to have an Explicit warning with the line ‘‘I’m a chic chick / If you don’t like it, suck my d*ck’’, the aggressiveness and the unapologetic tone of this track steers the album towards the right path. The synth guitar solo felt like a very nice touch for adding a bit of edge to the track, as it also suffers a bit of weakness with the electropop production.

5.      Time Is Up: being the lead single of the album, Time Is Up gave us our first glance of what Am I A Girl? was going to be, and we can all agree that the raise in production quality and 80s synth sound that Diplo gave us threw us all for a loop. Not only that, but the lyrics, which narrate Poppy’s perspective of waking up in a factory then realizing mankind is destroying their own home, truly solidify the strength of this track. She is telling us that all we really have achieved during our time on Earth is pollution, overpopulation and causing sickness to the planet, and that once we go extinct due to our irresponsibility, her android body will stay here to witness the aftermath of the mess we made. Time Is Up does an astounding job of delivering a very serious message, while doing so with a sound that is sure to capture the interest of mainstream music listeners.

6.      Aristocrat: this track makes me feel the most reminiscent of Poppy’s work from the Bubblebath EP back in 2016. Produced by Fernando Garibay, Aristocrat is a very theatrical and dramatic telling of how Poppy infiltrated a party in what feels like the late 1700s France, easily capturing the attention of all those who are royal due to her dancing abilities, without realizing that, as she puts it, she ‘‘got there from the gutter.’’ The track is fresh and new for what Poppy usually puts out, while somehow still giving a nod to her earlier musical efforts. Definitely one of the strongest in the album.

7.      Hard Feelings: this is where we start getting that personal inside look on Poppy’s life, and where she becomes more vulnerable with the questions she’s asking about herself, like why she’s falling so hard for her creator if she wasn’t meant to be capable of feeling in the first place. The track opens with some lines in French, asking somebody what they want from her. We see more of the vulnerability when in the pre-chorus she asks ‘‘Am I a replica of someone that you loved? / Someone you made me to replace?’’ Then we get a very interesting touch of heavy rock guitars smoothly blending into the track after the chorus, which reappear with just a bit more intensity during the bridge, without necessarily overpowering the song or ruining the soft honesty the song is meant to portray. Overall, Hard Feelings does its task of presenting Poppy as someone who has more worries than just being chic, and also subtly opens for the surprises that are to come later in the album.

8.      Girls In Bikinis: this track leans more to the failing side of the album, as it feels somewhat unnecessary and honestly quite boring. Sounding like something that would perhaps gain more attention in the late 90s if it were released by any other female phenomenon of pop, the only redeeming quality that Girls In Bikinis might just carry is the bisexual hinting Poppy throws throughout the song. Other than that, it quite frankly sounds nothing like a track we should be getting from her, even if this album is all about expanding and experimenting with sounds.

9.      The Rapture Ball: this is another track that also falls a bit weak, especially with its lyrics. Poppy sings about going to a party and seeing everybody arrive in limousines and dance in gowns, but really she just fails at actually creating a good enough atmosphere for this grand ball that we’re supposed to be intrigued by. Perhaps the line where she states that she never got to go to her prom were meant to give it a more personal touch, but the overall content still feels like it only scratched the surface of its potential. The song in its entirety seems to rely mostly on the one line ‘‘This is the best bang since the big one’’, almost like it’s supposed to be so clever and iconic that we’ll want to sing it over and over and just forget how lacking the end result of everything really is.

10.  Am I A Girl?: Picking up once again after the disappointment of the last two songs is the title track, Am I A Girl?, where Poppy urges the listener to please not try to resolve or define her as either male or female, because she is having a hard time even knowing what it truly means to be either of those. It is a very nice track to hear, starting with the pop sound that we got on the first half of the album, and then hitting us with a hard rock that blends perfectly with the frustration of the message. Poppy is basically declaring war against gender roles and the definition of gender itself, something refreshing to hear for people like me in the LGBT community.

11.  Play Destroy feat. Grimes: this is where things get intense. First off, I simply could not imagine a world where this song would sound any good without Grimes in it. Poppy does add her own edge, and the combination of both these artists’ weirdness is just grand. Grimes is what makes the song though, which is not at all a bad thing. We hear these girls so sweetly announce that they are going to drop a match into a gas tank and burn down the local Walmart, all alongside a heavy rock production, and it’s nearly impossible to not allow them to do so. Then in the bridge Grimes says that she’s dying, with Poppy simply replying ‘‘It’s a Hollywood moment!’’, making fun of the way people there see anything that happens to celebrities as the newest gossip or article for their cheap magazine. In the end, Play Destroy is an absolute masterpiece that truly displays Poppy’s behavioral battle with herself and discovering if she really is the sweet angel she thought she was on her first album.

12.  X: Closing the album is the song that all previous rock attempts were really building up for. Continuing with the theme of going back and forth between wanting peace or wishing to see chaos and destruction in the world, this track goes for a less subtle approach (and it’s perfect). It begins with very heavy guitar, then quickly shifting into a melodic sunshine pop a la Beatles, with Poppy saying she wishes to empty the bullets out of all the guns in the world. But the calm does not last long before we go back into the metal, where we get lines like ‘‘Please get me bloody / You can get down on your knees if you’re naughty’’. A third sudden genre kicks in, this time (believe it or not), it being trap music. The track continues aggressively going back and forth, switching between all these sounds, but cleverly enough as not to get boring or overwhelming. It is definitely new and exciting to see Poppy go and attempt something so out of what she usually gives her fans, and it really could have gone either really well or horribly wrong. Luckily for her (and us), it was the former.

Am I A Girl? is an album that somehow is better when it gets out of the comfort zone of what we know Poppy for, with very nice vocals and a brave refusal to stick to only one genre. It contains very high replay value and it allows Poppy to show fans a new, edgier side that Poppy.Computer might have restrained her from. Hopefully in the future, she continues to explore and experiment in ways that keep being entertaining and interesting.

RATING: 7/10

Favorite songs: Chic Chick, Aristocrat, Time Is Up, Play Destroy, X

Least favorite songs: Fashion After All, Girls In Bikinis, The Rapture Ball

#poppy #i'm poppy #am i a girl? #album #mad decent #diplo #titanic sinclair #music #reviews #music reviews #album reviews #time is up #moriah pereira #corey mixter

[olboypacman]

4. False Hope (Trigon, the Benevolent)

A/N: Still don’t own Teen Titans. This one-shot contains a concept I plan to expand on in a different story. Don’t want to drop too many hints in an A/N, so I hope you all will stick with me.

Azarath had been invaded.

Augustus, the brother of Trigon, in his bid to take the title of “The Terrible”, had amassed a considerable force of allies to his side.

However, Augustus had underestimated his opposition and spread his efforts incredibly thin and had fought a war on three fronts (on earth versus the Titans, versus the army of Azarath, and versus Trigon himself).

The last Azar had foreseen the coming threat from Trigon’s kin and had militarized Azarath. No question the decision was met with great controversy, breaking the many thousands of years of the precedent of being a pacifist realm. Many in Azarath (including other members of leadership) had blamed the threat on Azar’s, and more specifically, Raven’s and Arella’s connection to Trigon. But contrary to what one may think of the people of Azarath, many men and women had volunteered. In doing so many were disowned by their respective families, friends and shunned in public as pariahs due to their choice to defend their world.

Trigon had come across the sight of the main conflict. He walks the area; littered everywhere is the bodies of demons, Azarathians and scorch marks where the forms a of certain type of flame familiar (which Trigon is very familiar with) would be if they weren’t vanquished. Eventually he comes a across the fortified walls and gate of the main entrance of the metropolis of Azarath. In front of the gate is a contingent of a few dozen Azarathians, guarding the gate no doubt because of the recent conflict. A figure in white comes to the head of the crowd.

Arella…

Her usual white cloak and leotard is strewn in cuts and caked in dirt and blood. That of foe and friend alike one would wager. A look of sullen determination is on her face; her usual expressive blue eyes dull to all they survey, full lips in a thin line, her black eye brows creased in concentration. Upon noticing the approaching Trigon, the hard look on her face immediately melts replaced with relief. She drops the spear and shield she was holding and sprints to the encroaching demon. Her hood falls as she runs toward Trigon, shoulder length black hair now subject to the wind.

Reaching him she throws her arms around his body squeezing his him as hard as she can. He responds by wrapping his arms around her.

“Is Augustus… Is he defeated?” she asks breaking the embrace.

“I took care of him.” Trigon says sullenly. “My brother is…” he hesitates, “was trounced.”

Taking in his appearance she notices Trigon isn’t without wear himself. His body is bare for all to care to see. His slender yet muscular body littered with cuts and bruises from a very recent battle. His red hands having a small amount of dirt on them.

“How are things on this front?” Says Trigon.

“We managed to push them back. They didn’t reach breach the walls. The contingent we faced was mostly those fire familiars. They were incredibly hard to fight back. I’d imagine their sudden disappearance was the result of their master meeting his end.”

She looks to Trigon for confirmation of the theory. He nods in the affirmative.

“We lost more than a few good people today. I will honor their memories with the other soldiers, I don’t know if the populace would celebrate what was sacrificed today. The surviving soldiers are surveying the city for any holdovers of Augustus’ forces, we’re guarding the gate to make sure none approach from the front.” Arella’s eyes begin to tear up as she looks away from Trigon. “I hope I never have to deal with anything this horrible again. Those demons I’ve killed… I know I had to defend Azarath, but…” she pauses. “I felt the life leave them as they died, Trigon. Not just them, but that of our allies as they died too. I’m not sure I could ever do that again.”

Trigon pulls her close once more, laying a kiss to her chakra stone. “You’re safe, my love. Azarath is safe. And unless I miss my guess our daughter is safe.”

Tears still falling she shoots Trigon a smile, not bothering to correct him calling her his ‘love.’

A commotion among the soldiers catches their attention.

It appears a figure in regal, grey robes is barking orders and complaints to the soldiers.

His already older appearance magnified by the grimace on his face. His teeth going up and down as if gnawing, dripping on his grey bread spittle is being spewed carelessly as continues incessant bellowing.

“Councilman Younger!” Yells Arella, “what’s the meaning of this?”

“Angela,” he spits contemptuously, “as if I owe you an explanation.”

She scoffs, “It’s Arella, councilman, and as long as I sit at Azar’s chair, you will answer to me. Now explain!” She says leaving no room for argument.

“’Arella’”, he condescends using air quotes, “as if you’ve ever lived up to the name. Quite the opposite it seems. Carrying on with HIS kind. I still maintain this is your doing. Laying with demons.”

“Younger I suggest you tread lightly.” Warns Trigon.

“Is that a threat, demon?” The elder councilman spits.

Trigon snarls bearing his teeth. “You think I know not your role in this entire ordeal.”

Councilman Younger scoffs indignantly, “Now you levy claims against me, and speak to me as if you have dominion over me.” Younger spits at Trigon in disgust. “To what proof do you have?”

“Your aura’s seeping of that of a demonic influence. My brother’s influence.” Trigon invades Councilman Younger’s personal space, putting himself directly in the elder’s face, “And my dominions are well known to me councilman, thank you.”

The elder councilman turns white as sheet.

His anxiety assaults Arella’s senses immediately. She signals a few of the soldiers over to where they’re standing. Councilman Younger and herself had had their differences in the past, but to betray his own realm?

“Councilman, please tell me, did you betray us to Augustus?”

“I would never betray Azarath he declares. Clearly this demon,” he says spitting once again, “is…”

“And what is it I’m going councilman? Bewitching denizens of Azarath for an effort for power. No, I abandoned any desire I had for power long ago.” Responds Trigon.

“Is this true councilman?” Asks a soldier. Several other among the dozen or so soldiers are mummering among themselves.

His anxiety mounting at the accusation, Younger flairs what little of Augustus’ power he has creating a shockwave knocking everyone present off their feet. He chants a small incantation, suppressing the magic of all present. He produces a dagger and he lunges for Arella, taking her hostage.

Everyone present returns to their as soon they can, the soldiers setting their weapons at the ready.

“Everyone stand back, or she dies!” Yells Younger, pressing the blade to Arella’s throat.

“Lower your weapons, please,” says Trigon.

“Whatever damage this traitor does, can your healing ability not heal it?” Asks a soldier.

“No, look closely at his blade, it’s runes are specifically made to counter act demons. There’s nothing I’d be able to do for any wound inflicted by that blade.” Says Trigon.

“Councilman Younger, why have you betrayed us,” asks Arella sadly. Tears pooling once again, she continues, “If I die today, I at least deserve to know.”

“Your position, dear Angela. For you to become the lead of our people, not being native and consorting with and siring demons was the ultimate insult. I’ve spent more than half of my life working my up through the political system. With nothing to show. And then Augustus showed up, he promised me the reigns over Azarath, once it was conquered. All I had to do was let him in our relam.”

“You’re the one who weakened the barriers of our world, allowing our enemies in. Your people died today because of your treachery Younger!” Cried one soldier.

“Of course, I was the one of the elder mages who built the damn barriers to protect our world from their kind.  It was I who let in Augustus to infect the unborn Raven with Trigon’s influence, ensuring the sires prophesy would come to bear. It was I who let Augustus in when he killed Lady Azar. And was I who let in the army that attacked our world today. Those men and women were necessary sacrifices, and the lot of the others would’ve been had things gone to plan. Lady Azar had clearly lost her way, breaking thousands of years of traditions, allowing complete outsiders, demons even in to our world. And to cast her favor, not on me who gave many, many years of good service to the good Azarath, but to some demon, his abomination of child and his whore companion.” He sneers in look of revulsion. “We needed new leadership. Who better than I. She got what was coming to her. Her affection for you demon,” Younger gestures at Trigon, “I’ll never understand for as long as I live.”

Trigon begins to laugh.

“And what is so funny, demon.”

“You, pathetic little Azarathian. And what, you think you would lead these people into prosperity. In your bid for power, in your bid to protect the world you love, you’ve become that which you hate. Have you not realized what my brother’s influence have done to you? Do you not think you being manipulated? Had you ever considered that my origins lie in Azarath?” Having enough of the being holding his love hostage, he flairs a fragment of his soul-self. Entrapping his hand before Younger can ever realize what’s happening.

“But the incantation!?” Screams Younger.

“Quells and numbs magic. My soul-self isn’t magic, you old fool. And you’ve left yourself completely defenseless.” Trigon approaches Younger, pulling Arella from his hold. “Are you ok?”

“I’m fine, I just need this day to end.” Says Arella tiredly.

“What’s to be done with Younger?”

Signing, clearly knowing what she responds, “Do what must be done…”

“Xavier,” Trigon calls to one of the soldiers, “please escort Arella home if you would.”

“No problem, sir.”

“Will you come to see me?” Asks Arella before she makes her way to gate.

“I will, later. I’d like to visit Raven after this.”

“So be it,” she says, taking her leave.

“Now for you, councilman. That spell of yours should wearing off soon.”

“Now as a matter of fact. Prepare…” Before Younger can finish his thought, the remaining soldiers chat a modified incantation of the one he used earlier. The modification: Younger is sole target of magical nullification.

Knowing what he’s facing, Younger begins to cry, snorting and begging for his life. Falling on deaf years, the soldier begins to leave. Leaving Younger to his fate, alone with Trigon the Terrible.

Trigon’s second set of eyes open as they begin to glow a sinister red. The hand of the councilman covered in Trigon’s soul-self begins to glow and heat in a roaring blaze enveloping his whole body as Trigon begins to chant an incantation of his own:

Succendam ignem extinguere urat animam meam carnem et ossa sit satis. At ego ne consistere tuo in novissimis cinis est folliculi pertineret huius ambusti corporalis. Hoc quamdiu anima ardeat sambucae, terribilis atque incensa odio Scath Azarath personam existit.*

The fires then intensify, Younger’s begging and crying becoming inhuman wails. Trigon opens a portal to an uninhabited dimension sparing the realm of Azarath form the further taint of Elder Councilman Younger.

A/N: Boy was this a chore, I ended up re-writing this this thing about 6 times before I was satisfied with a final version. I hope you guys enjoyed it!!

*Translated from latin: Enflamed soul of my existence ignite the fire that will extinguish his flesh and bones soon enough. But do not halt thy self when the last ash of this physical husk is scorched. For this fire will burn his soul for as long as Trigon, the Terrible, Scath himself and the burning hatred of Azarath personified, exists.

 Check out this and my other writings at: https://www.fanfiction.net/~olboypacman

#Teen titans #trigon #arella #oc #fanfiction #fanfic #ff.net

[camille-marshall-blog]

Challenge #5.75

Alternately Titled: The Ice Breaker

a/n: Hey hey heyyyyyyyyy! Fun fact: the writing of this fic has resulted to me listening to My Heart Will Go On 36 times on loop- you guys better listen to that song while reading this lol. (I also had Titanic playing in the background) Before we find out what happens to Marshall as she prepares to leave the palace, let’s do another rewind and find out what brought out certain feelings of Ms. Conceal Don’t Feel for Natalie. This was supposed to be published before challenge 6- unfortunately, I’had to prioritize Challenge 6 cause.. yeah... challenge... HAHAHAHAHA (and I was/am swamped with school work... cause you know.. I’m graduating highschool in two months time lol) Get ready for a weekend full of me posting fics everyday guys (I didn’t procrastinate my school projects just to clear my entire weekend to write- it’s a miracle). ANYWAYS. Thank you so much to @nathaniel-schreave for the RP, and YAY FOR TITANIC (guys, Titanic is actually one of my fav movies so YEEEEEEET). Hope you guys enjoy this little fic~ See you soon HAHAHAHAHAHA

A memory

I still couldn’t believe that I had kissed Nate.

A.) because I didn’t think that he’d possibly like me in that way

B.) because I knew that he was still way out of my league

C.) because I knew that he was going to break my heart anyway

D.) because I FUCKING KISSED NATHANIEL SCHREAVE

I mean sure, after the initial shock things kinda died down, I got to think of things in a more rational manner- and my most rational side reminded me that the kiss only did happen as a spur of the moment. Curiosity.

Yeah, we were just caught in a moment.

That thought comforted me a little better than the thought of Nate returning any of the sentiments I was feeling for him.

Of course the universe really had to send me him.

I try to keep myself on the downlow for the next week after we had kissed, and to my surprise- yeah. It wasn’t spur of the moment, because lo and behold: feelings were still there. Hair fixing, hand holding, butterfly stomaching feelings.

Oh the butterflies were definitely there when Nate had approached me after dinner one night.

“Hey Marshall,” he greets just as everyone was leaving the dining hall, and my stomach just kinda turns when I realize that he’s talking to me- but in a good way, I suppose.

“Oh hey.. uh, Hi Nate.” My face starts to feel like it’s heating up- good lord I needed to stop acting like such a nerd.

He curls his lips in, he seemed to do that a lot… before he proceeds to ask me, “Do you want to go see a movie... or something?”

“A movie?” A smile tugs on my lips, “Yeah, I'd like that…”

Nate smiles back, “Then lets go.”

The two of us start walking with each other, catching up on each other’s lives. I’m pretty sure Nate would be sick of me telling him about etiquette lessons with Lady Collette, so I ended up sharing one of my usual target practices with the guards in the shooting range below. Nate tells me a little about his day, and I try to poke a little fun on his paperwork, knowing how boring that stuff would be. Unfortunately, he didn’t have anything on Area 51, but they did discuss the topic of how the Great Pyramids were built. Yes, definitely exciting top government secrets.

We laugh with each other until we reach the theater.

“What do you want to watch?” Nate asks as we walk in. It was an interesting little set up, like a shrunken version of the movie theaters- a little more luxurious since it was full of recliners.

“I'm not quite sure…” I say, turning back to Nate. “What would you want to watch?”

The two of us reach a case full of DVD cases, all labeled with their movie titles in Alphabetical order. My first choice would have been for the two of us to watch Top Gun, but previous experience has taught me that Top Gun was not everyone’s cup of tea.

Nate shrugs, “It's your date, you pick.”

Okay yeah, I wasn’t going to watch Top Gun for the nth time. I sigh as I search the titles, not really finding any of the movies interesting. So I decide to leave it to chance.

“You know what? I'm going to pick a random one.” My hand skims over the cases as I close my eyes. I hope I pick a good one.

Once I feel my hand brush over the right title, I reach out and take out the DVD case.

I hear Nate chuckle beside me. “You want that one?”

My eyes open, and I see what Nate means.

Titanic. Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet on the cover looking romantic as ever.

I let out a laugh, knowing already how cheesy this movie was.

“Sure,” I smirk at Nate. “I'm so in the mood to ugly cry over Leonardo DiCaprio.”

“I'm letting you know now, I will cry.” Nate shakes his head as he takes the case from my hand and starts setting up the movie.

“Don't worry, I won't judge you. Just give me a heads up so I'll have the box of tissues ready.” I flash him an amused smile. Nate? Crying over Titanic? Oh I’m so ready for that combination.

He finishes setting up the movie and stands, “Not like you won't.”

“I'm not saying that I wouldn't cry.” I shake my head. I got over emotional over books, how much more movies?

“How many times have you seen it?” Nate asks as he chooses one of the couch like recliners, good for two. Slick move, Schreave.

“I'm pretty sure I've seen it at least twice.” I take the seat next to him, giving us a comfortable distance between us- no matter how much I wanted to sit close to him. Personal space, Marshall. You may have been holding hands last time, that doesn’t mean that he still feels the same way.

Nate turns to look at me straight in the eye, “Five times.”

My jaw drops before I start laughing, “FIVE TIMES?”

“Everytime it was Mal's turn to pick a movie she'd always pick Titanic, every single time. Then we just stopped letting her pick.” Nate explains to me, and I try to control myself from laughing- but it was just too funny.

I cover my mouth in laughter, “Please tell me that you haven't memorized the dialogue by heart.”

“Oh yeah.” Nate nods.

“Oh my god... now I'm really excited to watch this movie.”

I try to imagine Nate quoting the most quotable lines from the movie, it’s probably going to be quite a sight to behold.

Nate simply replies by smirking and bumping my shoulder with his and I realize that we did end up moving closer to each other as we conversed.

“Come on, play the movie now.” I smirk back and Nate grabs the remote to press play.

For the next hour or so we watch the movie play out, the treasure hunters, Old Rose beginning her narration of the story, introductions for Rose and Jack. As shots of the Titanic pan out through the movie, a fact pops into my head and I end up saying out loud, breaking the silence between us.

I’ve never really had a movie date, but I could tell that it had its downsides: you had no idea if it was okay to talk with the person with you- and it was crazy, how I just wanted to talk to Nate. How easy it’s become for me to open up to him.

My eyes glance over to him, and I catch his eyes looking at me. Wait, was he staring?

Nate turns away quickly, and I laugh a little- a blush creeping up my face. “What is it?”

“Nothing.” he says as he looks straight towards the movie.

“Oh, okay..” I tilt my head and prop it on my arm on the top of my seat’s back.

We continue watching the movie, and I notice that Nate was holding out his hand, palm open to me- a hint.

I consider taking his hand, was he hinting for me to hold his hand? I look at his face, was he?

Another chance, I have to take it. I move a little closer to Nate, taking his hand in mine.

Nate gives out a small smile, looking at me. “You've changed a lot since I first met you.”

Have I really?

“Is it a bad thing?” I don’t think I have changed, maybe I just showed him parts of me I never really wanted people to see.

Nate flashes me a worried look.

“No, no, not at all. It's just I remember our first date you didn't want to even touch me,” he rubs the back of my hand with his thumb, “and now... you are more comfortable doing that kind of stuff.”

I furrow my brows, surprised by Nate’s concerned tone. “Nate... I have to be sorry about that for the most part…” I squeeze Nate’s hand back.

“It's not that I didn't want that... I was more scared…” I admit, the fear of actually having feelings for someone who wouldn’t reciprocate my own always lingered in me.

“You were scared of me?”

“More like getting scared of getting emotionally attached to someone... someone I can't exactly have.” I explain to him. This entire thing was masochistic in a way- being in a Selection… opening yourself to this kind of pain. Nate was someone I knew I liked, but I’ve always wondered… would I ever be good enough for him? He was a prince, I was just a soldier.The last time I checked, royals never ended up with their soldiers.

Nate nods and looks back to the movie, biting his lip. “I'm sorry about that... I get this isn't a normal situation.”

“You don't have to be sorry,” I shake my head and use my free hand to cup his cheek so he can look back at me. “You've been trying your hardest to make the best out of this situation.”

He gives me a small smile while he squeezes my hand again, “Thanks.”

I use my thumb to rub his cheek, smiling a little. He really was a good one, and a handsome one at that.

He was good looking, even more up close. I don’t want my hand to linger too long on his face, so I pull my hand away and let the two of us watch the movie.

We were already at the part when Jack and Rose were at the tip of the ship, Jack holding Rose up as she spread her arms. I’m flying, Jack. I’m flying.

Nate moves his hand away from holding mine, moving it to the back of my chair- smooth Nate, very smooth. I move a little closer to him, taking the hint.

He looks over at me, giving me a look. Just come here over already.

I let out a small laugh, what a dork he could be. This time, I move the closest I can be with him- leaning my head on him but feeling my heart beat wildly in my chest.

“I’m not that bad.” he says as he puts his arm around my shoulder, a joking tone in his voice.

“Of course you're not that bad. If you were, I would have split an hour ago.” I roll my eyes at him with a laugh. God, if it can be like this all the time….

I liked this, I liked having his arm around me, being this close with him- even with all the nervousness and uncertainty. It was finally nice to have someone to lean on, watch cheesy movies with- it was more than nice to have someone this close to me.

When Jack and Rose arrive at her sitting room, and Rose shows Jack the heart of the ocean. (Jack, I want you to draw me like one of your french girls- wearing this… wearing only this.) I realize how awkward this was going to get, and I was right when Rose drops her robe.

My first instinct gets me and I use my hands to cover my eyes and Nate’s- definitely one way to avoid an awkward situation.

Nate laughs as he moves my hand away from his eyes. “Come on. This is my favorite part.”

I lightly hit his arm, getting his joke. “Oh my god, you're so gross.”

“I was joking.” he smirks at me.

“Sure you were.” I return the smirk.

“I was. I promise.”

“Okay, I trust you.” I snort out a laugh.

Nate raises an eyebrow in a joking manner, “Do you?”

“You're way too decent to be that gross.” I reason out with him, snickering just a little

“Oh so I’m just decent?” he jokes.

“Okay, you're more than just decent. You're sweet... and thoughtful... and kind.. and…” I realize that I was getting away with describing him, then look away feeling myself blush.

Nate rubs my arm, asking in a curiously playful tone.“And what?”

And the most amazing person I’ve ever met.

“You're, in every way, charming.” I answer him with a smile.

“That’s better than decent.” he nods before turning to the screen again, this time to Jack and Rose running around the ship- away from Hockley’s croney, hiding out in an old car. Where to miss? To the stars.

I look away, feeling myself blush AGAIN as Jack and Rose proceed to make out in the car and well… do more. Hand print on the misty glass in all it’s glory.

Nate looks over at me, and chuckles- which makes me nudge his shoulder. How could he not find this awkward?

He pulls me closer with the arm wrapped around me and places a kiss on the top of my head, giving me tingles all over my body. Sometimes I don’t get it, how Nate was one of the few people who could do this to me… make me feel this way… all light and giddy… guard down… how…

“You know the first time I watched this movie... I was with my parents... Heavens to Betsy, it was awkward.” I share with him the uncomfortable situation of my first Titanic experience.

Nate shares his, telling me that the first time he watched the movie was when Max was around- which to Nate was both awkward and hilarious.

We talk a little bit more about Max, if he ever was like him, just having another hilarious conversation to diffuse the awkwardness of what was unfolding in front of us.

“Oh here's my favorite part,” I joke as ship hits the iceberg.

Nate chuckles. “ Your favorite part is all the people dying?”

I decide to play along, adding some sarcasm into my tone. “Oh yeah... definitely.. gives it a whole realistic feel.”

“Whatever makes you happy,” one side of his mouth quirks up.

“I'm kidding.” I laugh.

“Wooo, good.” Nate lets out a fake sigh of relief.

I snort out, “But yeah... after a couple of intense scenes... maybe Jack and Rose really needed... an ice breaker.”

Nate looks at me incredulously, “Did you really just make a pun?”

“I saw the opportunity, I took it.” I laugh under my breath, pride swelling in myself. Nate rolls his eyes at me and I laugh one last time before going back to leaning on him and watching the disaster of the Titanic unfold before our eyes.

The panic and confusion on the screen makes it a serious moment for the two of us, leaving us in silence as the rest of the story unfolds. When Jack and Rose are at the edge of the ship, about to hit the water- I take a deep breath, being my reminded of my irrational fear of sinking ships. That happens when you live on a naval ship with your dad for two months.

Jack helps Rose onto a piece of the wreckage, and Nate makes a comment- breaking the silence.

“She needs to shoot over. He can fit.”

I tap my chin, considering Jack and Rose’s situation.“That may not be the case- that piece of wood might lose its buoyancy if Jack gets on…”

Then Jack starts giving out his speech to Rose while he’s in the water and dying of the cold.

(Listen Rose, you’re gonna get out of here. You’re gonna go on…)

I feel tears starting to form in my eyes, and I try to fan my eyes- trying not to cry- Oh my God, why did Leo have to be so good at acting? I didn’t want to be the first one between Nate and I to cry because of this movie, but Nate reaches over to get me a kleenex, and that’s when I notice him looking like he was holding back tears.

(Promise me now, Rose, and never let go of that promise.

I promise.

Never let go.

I’ll never let go, Jack.)

But dang it, Leo was just that poignant. I feel a tear slip from my eye and the rest of the waterworks follow. I take the kleenex Nate offers.

“This part gets me everytime.” I wipe my eyes.

Nate nods his head, “Me too.”

“I told you that I was in the mood to ugly cry over Leonardo DiCaprio…” I comment as Rose tries to wake Jack up, to no response. Good lord, why did this have to be so sad? Jack and Rose could have been together, they should have been- they made each other happy… even if they came from two different worlds… okay… they just met each other three days before… BUT STILL- I was emotionally invested into these characters.

Jack, come back.

More tears come down from my eyes as Rose lets Jack go to float down in the water- and I felt pissed.

“YOU SAID YOU'D NEVER LET GO, GOOD LORD, ROSE!” I yell, frustrated that she literally did the opposite of what she promised Jack.

Nate pulls me closer and rubs my arm trying to comfort me, “It’s okay. It’s okay.”

“No, don't worry... I'm just frustrated…” I give out a small laugh in the absurdity of all this, wiping the tears from my eyes.

Nate continues to rub my arm in a comforting way, the two of us watching the screen as Rose gets saved and manages to wrap up what had happened to the ship with her narration. I know what’s going to happen next- the little twist of Old Grandma Rose still having the necklace- the Heart of the Ocean- but I’m still a little frustrated with her intentionally dropping the million dollar necklace into the water. That could have fed millions of people, should have been in a museum.

“It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s only a necklace…” Nate says, which makes me turn to him and realize that he’s got tears in his eyes.

“It's not okay.” I say as I turn away from the screen, knowing this is the part where Rose dies in her sleep… and somehow reunite with Jack in a resurrected Titanic- and shiiiiit, I think I’m crying. Why did this have to be so sad?

I could see that a tear or two were falling from Nate’s eyes, and I couldn’t blame him. This part literally pulled on my heartstrings, it probably did on Nate’s too. I reach for the box of tissues and grab some for me and him, offering him some tissues for his tears.

He takes it and wipes his face, and I move the arm between us to his own shoulder, giving him a one armed hug. He look like he needed a hug. Nate pulls me a little closer as Jack and Rose share another kiss before the screen goes black and fades into the credits.

I take a few glances up at Nate, seeing if he was okay… or if he needed anymore tissues… and he catches my eyes, smirking at me.

“What?”

“Oh.. hah... nothing.” I dimiss before curling my lips in. Just checking up on you.

Nate smirks a little more playfully as he repeats himself, “What?”

I laugh again, then realizing that his hair was a mess- how that happened, I have no idea. So I reach my hand up, starting to fix his hair- but I just end up playing with it. It was smooth for a head of curls.

“What are you doing?” he asks in the same playful tone, tilting his head.

“Just,” I smirk as I meet his eyes. “fixing your hair.”

Nate leans himself closer to me and my heart nearly jumps, “Did it look bad?”

“Please, you could never look bad…” I say as I move closer to him, our faces mere inches apart, and my eyes quickly flicker from focusing on his face to his lips then back to his face. Now would be a good time… maybe.. to kiss him..

“That’s a lie.” Nate says just above a whisper and for a split second I thought.. maybe he thought so too.. I mean… My Heart Will Go On was playing in the credits rolling on the screen… maybe he would be okay.. if I just…

“It’s not.” I whisper back before I lean in to kiss him and as if we could be any closer- Nate uses the arm wrapped around me to pull me closer to him as he kisses me back.

My hand moves to the back of Nate’s head, and I continue keeping my lips on his. We were slow with each other, letting our hands move as we press against each other on the recliner, adjusting ourselves to the space. I feel a bit of my confidence build as he again pulls me closer and well, he wasn’t pulling away. I hope I was doing this right… My hand instinctively drags itself down Nate’s back, tracing along his spine before I settle it on his lower back, drawing circles.

I press my lips against his a little harder when I feel his hands in my hair, feeling my face heat up before a chill shoots through my body. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this way before… about a person.. and as much as I want to scream at myself, yell at myself, pull myself away from this situation- I only wanted more of this. I wanted more moments like this- moments with Nate, even if I knew they’d be limited, even if I knew that I could never have this permanently.

I’d take all of them if I felt like this whenever I was with him, no matter how little time I could be with him.  

No matter.

When I feel the kiss get a little more feverish, I move my hand to grip Nate’s arms and I could feel the muscles I first admired when I met him in the gym a long time ago.

“Holy hell, your arms…” I mumble in between kisses, slowing everything down until Nate pulls away with a raised eyebrow.

“What about them?” he asks looking at me.

“Oh.. I just..” I look away with a small smile, feeling embarrassed of what I had impulsively said. “I like them... a lot.”

Nate chuckles as he bites his lips with a blush, “Thanks.”

“Yeah sure.” I wish I could kiss him again, but maybe tonight.. maybe we’ve had more than enough of that… so I breathe out a laugh and run my hand through my own hair, hoping to fix it if Nate had messed up my hair- didn’t want to walk around looking like I had just made out with Nate… or did I..?

“It’s getting late, you should get back to your room.” Nate remarks and I check my watch.

I nod back at him, “Umm.. yeah.. I didn't realize how late it was getting…”

“Same.” he says as he stands and offers me his hand, and I take his hand and stand.

We leave the theater and walk hand in hand to my room, enjoying each other’s company. We reach my door and Nate turns to me. o

“I had fun, you got to see me cry, but I had fun.” he says.

A laugh escapes me, “I'll never forget your face when Rose dropped that necklace into the water... but..” I nod, feeling a smile creep up my lips,“Me too... I liked it…”

“Please don’t.” Nate shakes his head when I mention the necklace.

“Never gonna let you live it down, Natalie.”

I’d never let that memory go, never.

“Whatever.” Nate jokes as he leans to give me a small peck on my lips, making me blush. “Good night Michelle.”

“Good night, Nate.” I smile through my blush, opening my door from behind me, waving good bye.

I catch one last smile on Nate’s face before I see him walk away. I step into my room- closing my door behind me and pressing my back against the door still feeling the residual giddiness from being with Nate.

Moments. I was starting to live for moments like these.

I wipe a tear from my eye, pressing my back against the sitting room door.

If only memories like those could really convince me to stay in this palace.

To be continued

#ch marshall #marshall fics #side fics #nate tag #nate date tag #selectionOC #((I love titanic so much)) #((also #the last part of this fic is actually connected to the last part of Challenge 6 fyi)) #not a challenge