#i couldn't exclude him but these are the only three options you get

[poisonedfate]

spin the wheel and get a character - bbc merlin version

no secret fourth option per the polls going around (from which this idea originated)

[halfvalid]

Hey! I was wondering if you could do a live action Zoro smut where it's enemies to lovers (boy X girl). I don't mind how hardcore smut (18+?) but I would love if there was some tension (argument or fight!) 😁

speak teeth

ABOUT

| 18+ | smut | explicit |

alternate title: i need the lord

rating: explicit

characters: live action!roronoa zoro | fem!reader

pairing: live action!roronoa zoro x fem!reader

word count: 4.9k

description: you and zoro have never gotten along. after a incident in town escaping from marines, you resolve to sort out your issues with unconventional means. (aka sex.)

tags: strawhat!reader, female reader, enemies to lovers, except it's more like frenemies to frenemies with benefits, kissing, kiss to distract trope, no use of “y/n”, reader calls zoro "roronoa", penis in vagina sex, creampie, pwp, cowgirl position

author’s note: thanks for the request! i kind of lost the plot on this one because i'm terrible at writing enemies-to-lovers and there's not much 'lovers' involved in this since i couldn't exactly fit that into a oneshot. hopefully you still like it anyway? i tried my best.

tags make it seem so much worse than it actually is.

Roronoa Zoro did not like you. 

The feeling was mutual, so you didn’t mind the fact, really. Zoro was annoying, with his three swords, and that stupid low voice, and how he never seemed interested in conversation unless it was either about alcohol or beating someone up. You were undoubtedly annoying to him for various reasons not so different in number to your own grievances of his personality. You two didn’t like each other. It was fine. It was normal. 

It was pissing off the rest of the Straw Hat crew. 

In your defense, you were never outwardly aggressive towards the man. You didn’t purposely exclude him from conversations or avoid looking at him if he dared haunt a room you were in with his presence. You just… didn’t speak to him unless spoken to. And maybe you had a tendency to roll your eyes or mutter some insults when he was talking, but it wasn’t that big of an issue. 

Zoro, on the other hand, was a master of discord. He’d killed and hunted so many people it only made sense for him to be, but it seemed he hadn’t skipped his lessons in petty fights either. Because he was bullheaded and a buzzkill and always opened his big mouth when you were around. Those sarcastic remarks of his were common, sure, but when you were in the room they were tenfold and laced with genuine venom. 

You weren’t sure who’d even started the strife between you two. It had been so long that you’d forgotten. While everyone else had seemingly bonded after your journey together, you and Zoro remained firmly in the stage you’d been while trapped in Buggy’s green room—antagonistic. Obviously you didn’t hate each other—when Zoro had nearly died to Mihawk, you hadn’t been happy—but you didn’t get along, and both of you were just fine with that arrangement. 

Nobody else was, though.

And so obviously you didn’t like it when Luffy announced, as you were docked, that you were assigned to scout the surrounding village together. Your lips twisted, but you refrained from saying anything up until Luffy finished his speech with: “And that’s the plan! Any objections?” 

There were head shakes from all around the deck of the Going Merry. You eyed Zoro in the very corner—his arms were crossed, and carefully he raised a hand, just barely lifting it into the air as he motioned. “Why is she coming with me?” 

You bit your tongue, suppressing the irritated sigh that threatened to escape. “Because,” Luffy said, bright as ever, “You two need to learn how to be friends. Think of it as a bonding activity!” 

“I’d really rather go with Sanji,” you optioned, trying to be more civil than Zoro at least. “He could use a hand carrying the stock barrels.” 

“Nope,” Luffy chirped. “It makes most sense for the two of you to be the one to buy the weapons, anyway.” 

“He’s right. You both are the most knowledgeable on the subject,” Nami whispered, though she gave you an apologetic look. You sighed. Zoro opted to say nothing. 

“Fine. Let’s go, Roronoa,” you said, getting up off the Going Merry’s railing to start walking off the ship. You heard Zoro grumble from behind you, but he soon caught up. You said absolutely nothing to each other for the first few minutes of walking, keeping to yourselves until you eventually reached the market. 

“What kind of weapons are we looking for?” you asked, glancing over your shoulder at the man who trailed just barely behind you. “I know Luffy wants backups, but did he say specifically what?” 

“Probably a few guns, maybe some swords,” Zoro replied. “A katana for me. Extra staff for Nami, in case hers breaks.” 

“Right. Nami gave me five-hundred thousand berry. Let’s spend it wisely. No pit stops.” 

Zoro gave you a look. “It’s not like I’m going to slip into the nearest tavern and abandon you. Luffy said we go together, so we go together.” 

“Right.” You turned away so you could roll your eyes in private. You had to appreciate that, at least; Zoro’s loyalty to Luffy at least meant he wouldn’t be a bitch to you if Luffy told him not to, and Nami kept you more or less under wraps too. “Pistols first. Let’s just get two, and save the rest for a sword because those are more pricey.” 

Focusing on business was fine. You could be a responsible adult and not be petty. And it really did go okay for the first half-hour, wherein you bartered one of the weapons sellers down to a reasonable price for two pistols and also picked up a bo staff on the way.

You were just heading towards another district of the town when Zoro slowed to a stop. You glanced over to see what he was looking at—a wall pasted with bounty posters, various pirates plastered on paper with big numbers shouting out their worth. 

“Look, it’s Luffy,” you said, eyes catching a bundle of posters near the top. Sure enough, all six members of the Straw Hat crew were there. You noticed with distaste that Zoro’s bounty was higher than yours.

Zoro tore all of the posters off, and you were almost surprised when he took yours off too. He crumpled them up into balls, about to toss them behind his shoulder before you grabbed them, carefully tucking them away in your bag. “What’s that for?” he asked. 

“So I can shoot darts at your face,” you replied. “Come on. Should finish and get back to the ship before anyone recognizes us.” 

Zoro shrugged, but followed you as you led him to the closest armory you could find. The shop was small and rickety, and a silver bell announced your presence as you entered the building. There were blades of every kind in the shop; you could see a table of knives and daggers, along with a stand full of long swords by the front. Near the back, you glimpsed some hanging rapiers, and—

“Katanas,” Zoro muttered, pushing past you to slip to the back of the store. You sighed, but followed, glancing over the array of jians instead. Zoro was already picking one up and pulling it out of its sheath, checking the quality of the blade. 

“Don’t—” you hissed, and he glanced up at you, brow raised in question as he spun the blade around in his hand. “You’re going to knock something over.” 

Zoro sheathed the sword, a satisfying click filling the room with the motion. “Calm down.” 

“I am calm,” you snapped. “If you’d just stop stomping around with those big boots of yours, though—” 

Zoro looked far less affected by the entire ordeal than you did, and that pissed you off even more. Logically, you knew he didn’t show much emotion in general, and even his annoyances tended to be deep and quiet—but still. He strung the katana back up where it belonged. “I am not stomping.” 

“Yes, you are—” You cut yourself off as the bell of the store rang again, announcing the arrival of more patrons. These two were whispering to each other, gruff voices that sounded almost scared. “He came in here, right?” One of them asked the other. “Are you sure it’s him?” 

“He tore down his own wanted poster!” The other hissed back. 

You caught onto what was happening quickly, letting a sigh out from between your teeth and grabbing onto Zoro’s arm to yank him further back into the store. You turned a corner, where a narrow hall cut off at a dead end, a wardrobe of swords blocking off the area to any prying eyes. “Now look at what you did,” you grumbled, before you could stop yourself. “You’ve got fucking bounty hunters after us.” You glanced through the stands of swords for a double take—the pair were standing at the front, outfitted in familiar white-and-blue uniforms. “Scratch that, even worse. Marines.” 

“I can take them in a fight,” Zoro muttered, hand going to his swords. You grabbed his wrist and gave him a look. 

“No. We’re not due to leave the docks for another two days,” you snapped. “Can you figure out a way to get out of a situation without stabbing someone?” 

“How can you be sure it was him, though? The Demon?” The more timid marine asked. They’d started moving, and you shoved Zoro into the corner, attempting to hide his ridiculously broad figure with an armoire of weapons. He scoffed, but made no move to adjust, back flat against the wall.

“He had the three swords. And the three earrings, too. Of course it was him,” the other one replied. You rolled your eyes. 

“Ever try being a little less obvious, Roronoa?” you muttered, shooting another glare in Zoro’s direction. “You’re like a flashing red light for every marine within a two-mile radius with your stupid swords. I’m Roronoa Zoro, the pirate hunter!” 

“I don’t hear you yelling at Luffy to take his hat off,” Zoro hissed back. 

“They’re coming this way,” you answered, entirely ignoring his retort. “Hide your stupid swords. Shove them behind a stand or something.” 

“I don’t see why we can’t just—” 

“No fighting.” You swiveled around, tugging his holsters off his belt and tossing the swords behind him with a graceless clatter. Zoro just sighed. “Shit,” you muttered as the marines turned at the noise, starting to move towards the back of the store.

“Now look at what you did,” Zoro mumbled, mocking your words straight back at you. You glared at him. 

“Shut up and stay put,” you snapped. “Let me think of something.” The marines were coming closer, and you huffed out a nervous breath. Zoro watched you from his position. 

“They know your face, too,” he said carefully. Almost derisively, like he was looking down on your idea; making you seem stupid. “Just let me fight them. It makes the most sense.” The footsteps grew louder, then, the marines moving towards the back of the store. 

“I think I heard voices,” one of them muttered to the other. You shushed Zoro, unconsciously moving closer to him until your arm bumped into his. You startled, and then looked up, finding Zoro’s chest just inches away from your face. 

“Is this some new sort of hiding tactic?” Zoro asked, voice dry as a desert. “Are you trying to melt us into the wall—” 

The voices tapered off as the marines moved closer. Your hand shot up to cradle Zoro’s face, covering his dangling gold earrings with your fingers to hide them away. “Fuck this,” Zoro muttered, leaning back to pick up his swords. You shushed him, and he stopped, bent halfway over you so your faces were just inches apart. 

“Just trust me,” you snapped. Zoro opened his mouth to argue, but then the marines’ footsteps got louder—they’d turn the corner any moment now. 

“Fine,” he breathed. “But if it doesn’t work, I’m taking out my swords.” 

Your mind ran a million miles a minute trying to figure out what to do. The marines were just around the corner now, and your breath caught, eyes meeting Zoro’s as you wracked your brain for something, anything that might distract the marines away from the two of you. Zoro’s lips parted, a split-second away from undoubtedly whispering some grand insult when the marines finally turned the corner.

You were kissing Zoro before you could even think. 

“Oh,” one of the marines said, as your fingers nearly pinched Zoro’s earlobe, still covering his earrings. Zoro was frozen for a moment, but the marines behind you seemed startled enough that he realized it was working. A rush of satisfaction filled you for a moment—see, Roronoa, you don’t have to stab shit all the time—before Zoro was kissing you back.

And. Well. You’d started it, but you had not anticipated this. 

Zoro was almost rough, his hand curling around the nape of your neck and tugging you down closer to him. His other hand came to rest on your waist, so impossibly big around your torso that you shivered. What had started out as a simple kiss slipped into one all messy, your breaths coming out in sharp gasps as Zoro barely gave you a moment to breathe. 

His teeth dug into your lip, and you groaned into his mouth, tongue darting along his gums with the motion. He snickered at that, and you felt a little bundle of vexation starting at the pit of stomach at the sound. You ran your tongue into the crevices of his mouth, licking into him with ease. Another rush of satisfaction filled you as Zoro’s grip tightened on your waist. You were winning.

He fought back just as hard, practically merciless as his tongue slid against yours, prying into your mouth like he was trying to bare you empty of secrets. You felt stripped raw like this, but it wasn’t a terrible feeling—the opposite, actually, soft whimpers leaving your lungs as he dug more fiercely into you. Zoro sucked on your lower lip with teeth, and you barely managed to suppress the stuttered sound it tugged out from the back of your throat. 

There were hasty footsteps receding somewhere behind you, which was the only sound that snapped you out of your motions. You were the first to break away—another score gained there—glancing over your shoulder to ensure the marines had really left before fully detaching yourself from Zoro. The silver bell rung again, signaling the marines had made their exit, and you let out a relieved sigh. 

Zoro glanced over your shoulder, straightening his clothes as his tongue ran along his top teeth. The top teeth you’d had your tongue on just seconds ago. “If you wanted to kiss me, you could’ve just said so.” 

“I did not—” You sucked in a breath, all your general irritated feelings towards the man coming back at full force with just that one sentence. “Shut the fuck up. I got us out of the situation, didn’t I?” 

“You have questionable methods,” Zoro replied, leaning over to pick up his abandoned swords and strap them back along his hip. “Don’t think about that all night.” 

“You were not that good of a kisser,” you snapped, though you could feel your face getting hot. Your mouth tingled, like you could still taste him on your tongue; on your teeth; in your gums. There was a vaguely empty sensation at the curve of your waist you tried your best to ignore. “Don’t be so full of yourself. Roronoa. Now pick a sword to buy so we can leave already.”

Zoro seemed irritated, but he complied, brushing past you to inspect a few more of the swords before picking out one. You paid for it as quickly as possible, in a rush to get back to the ship; not even trying to talk the salesman down from his price like you usually would. 

Zoro followed you languidly, absolutely nothing urgent about his motions as you trailed after you back through the village. You wanted to uppercut him so badly. 

“Oh, there you guys are,” Usopp said upon stepping foot back onto the Going Merry. You shot him an apologetic smile before breezing past, beelining for your bedroom without a second thought. “Uh—okay! You good?” he called after you, but you were too far away to respond at this point. 

You slammed the door of your room shut upon entering, heaving out a breath of jumbled emotion all in one go. Fuck Roronoa Zoro and his three stupid swords and his three stupid earrings. He was the most lumbering, bullheaded oaf you’d ever had the displeasure of engaging with. 

He’d been a ridiculously good kisser. Now you hated him even more. 

You locked yourself in your room for the next four hours, busying yourself with various tasks whilst simultaneously seething over Zoro. It wasn’t even that he’d done anything specifically to you in the past. You just—didn’t get along, really. He was irritating, and stupid, and always tried to solve his problems with a blade rather than attempting to use his wits. Not that he had any wits of any kind. He was—

He was, as you were starting to find out, kind of attractive. Which. Okay. You’d known his face was at least easy on the eyes, despite his personality and general attitude not retaining the same qualities. But this was an entirely unappreciated development. 

Someone knocked on your door, snapping you out of your irritated haze. The sun had nearly set, a kiss of dusk coming in from outside as you shuffled over to the door. You yanked it open. “What—”

Zoro was standing in the doorway, arm propped against the side and keeping your door open even as you attempted to close it on him. “Roronoa.” 

“You’re hiding,” Zoro said, a tinge of mirth just barely visible in his eyes. You glared at him. 

“I am not.” 

“Do you have to disagree with everything I say?” Zoro asked. He was still wearing his swords even now, though he’d dressed down as the hour grew late. “You skipped dinner.” 

“Leave me alone,” you muttered. 

Zoro took that as an invitation to step fully into the room. “I told the rest of the crew about the marines,” he said, and you flinched. “Not about that. Just that we got away. Nami wants to leave tomorrow evening now, so we’ll be busy.” 

You stared at him, suspicious right from the start. “And you care enough to tell me? Did someone put you up to this?” 

Zoro stiffened. “I just thought you might want to know.” 

Your eyes narrowed. He looked as normal as ever—face blank, leaving no expression to be seen. But his muscles were tenser than usual, and the veins running up his arm were prominent, like his hand was tightened into a fist where it hid away in his pocket. “You have ulterior motives.”

“You’re so annoying,” Zoro muttered, but he didn’t budge. You scoffed. 

“What, are you here to admit that you were wrong and my plan really did get us away from the marines?” you asked, voice sugary sweet as you riled him up. His jaw clenched, a vein tracing up his neck bulging with the pressure. “You don’t need to inflate my ego—”

Zoro moved across the room swiftly, and you stumbled back in surprise as he pinned you to the wall, hand tight around your arm. Your words died in your throat as his lips sealed over yours with a bruising kiss. His fingers dug into the skin of your bicep—tight, but not tight enough to hurt. 

“I don’t need to inflate your ego,” Zoro snapped, finishing your sentence from where it’d died on your lips. “You do that enough yourself.” 

You stared at him, the tingle of his lips still left as an afterthought on your mouth. “If you’re going to make out with me, take your fucking swords off.” 

Zoro barely suppressed an eye roll, hands working at his belt to slide his holsters off from his hip. “What’s your problem with them?” 

“I think your emotional dependency on a bunch of oversized butter knifes—”

Zoro’s head jerked up, eyes dark when they met yours. “Don’t call them that.” 

You couldn’t resist the quip off your tongue. “You asked.” 

Zoro slowly made his way across the room again, steps careful and languid as he moved closer. “I take it back,” he said, voice a near whisper, every word crisp on his tongue. You shivered. 

This time, you expected it when he kissed you. He wasn’t careful with it, and you didn’t want it any other way—your arms wrapped around the back of his neck, tugging him down closer to you. It got aggressive quick, his fingers coming down to clutch your waist, one of your hands tight around the locks of his hair as you pried open his mouth with your tongue. 

Neither of you complied easily, both trying to get the better of the other. Zoro’s tongue forced itself into your mouth before you tugged on his lower lip with teeth. Both his hands came to wrap around your waist, now, hoisting you up and onto your hanging bed in the center of the room. His fingers dug in hard enough to leave bruises. 

Zoro abandoned your mouth in favor of your neck, biting open-mouthed kisses into your jawline before moving down your jugular. Each one was more hasty than the last, wet and warm with licks of tongue and scrapes of teeth. You didn’t bother moving to give him better access—he had to do that himself, a large hand coming to rest on the back of your skull and pulling your head back to bare the rest of your neck to him. You heard him mutter something in Japanese—probably some obscenity, which pleased you more than you’d like to admit. 

His kisses stopped at the hinge of your neck and shoulder, Zoro pausing to lean over and work his fingers up your spine. They danced over the clasp of your shirt, and you had to choke back a wry laugh, surprised. “I thought the Demon just took what he wanted,” you murmured. 

Zoro didn’t seem to like that. He started unfastening the buttons going down the back of your top. “At least I was polite enough to ask,” he muttered. 

“Just take my clothes off already,” you said, and he stopped his work, leaning back to glare into your eyes. You let out an annoyed sigh, and he rolled his eyes, going back to what he’d been doing. “Are we going to talk about it?” you asked, eyeing Zoro’s chest in front of you. 

You pressed a kiss to his neck, sucking at the skin before grazing it ever-so-slightly with your teeth. His throat hitched under your mouth. 

“Nope,” he grunted, finally unclasping the last button and pulling your top over your head. Since you didn’t have an issue with that arrangement, you didn’t say anything, even as Zoro practically shoved you flat on your back. 

“Rude,” you muttered. Zoro didn’t bother apologizing; he just leaned down to take your breast in his mouth, tongue circling around your nipple. You weren’t fast enough to suppress your gasp this time—a point in Zoro’s favor then, one you allowed with a bitter taste on your tongue. Zoro’s mouth formed a smile against your skin. You brought your knee up between his legs, shoving into his crotch in retaliation. 

“Stop,” Zoro hissed, the consonants of the words brushing across your skin when he spoke. You ignored him, and he let out a groan, hand clamping around your thigh to keep you from moving. “Do you have to be such a brat?” 

“I am not a brat.” You hooked your ankle around his, causing him to slip from where he lay suspended above you, mouths mashing in another too-aggressive facsimile of a kiss. “You’re just a gigantic manwhore with an overinflated ego.” 

“You did not just call me—” You shut him up with another kiss, teeth digging deep into the inner gums of his lip. You ran your hands up the sides of Zoro’s figure, trying your hardest to ignore the stiff muscles of his ribcage. He wasn’t that well-built. He wasn’t even that attractive, you tried to convince yourself. Still, you found the buttons of his shirt, trying to unfasten them quicker than Zoro had with yours. 

One of them caught, and Zoro had the audacity to laugh. You grumbled something incoherent under your breath, tugging his shirt off all the way and tossing it somewhere behind you. “Shut up.” 

“You’ve been the one complaining this entire time,” Zoro replied easily. He leaned down, tugging at your trousers to pull them off, pressing sloppy kisses down your torso now. You resisted the urge to say something in response, knowing it would just give him the satisfaction of being right. Were your points tied now? You couldn’t remember. 

Zoro had pulled your pants down to your knees by now, and you kicked them off all the way, watching as he pushed them off the bed and leaned down to work at the inward slope of your hip. You shivered, legs trembling as you felt your core grow tight, the cloth of your underwear already wet with anticipation. Seeing the ever-steadying tent in Zoro’s pants made you feel just a little bit better, and you were nice enough to let a stuttering moan out as his tongue licked down to the band of your panties. 

He pulled your underwear all the way off, then, but to your distaste completely ignored your fully exposed core to unbutton his own pants instead. “I hate you,” you muttered. 

Zoro stopped in the middle of what he was doing, pants halfway down his thighs and length already out. “Oh, I’m sorry,” he said, voice careful—you could still hear the mocking tone beyond the coolness of his voice, though, and your jaw clenched in irritation. “Did you want something?” 

“Yeah, for you to shut the fuck up.” You pushed yourself up by the elbows, grabbing one of Zoro’s arms and yanking him down onto the mattress. You used both hands to strip him of the last of his clothes—God, his legs were long—before returning to press your own open-mouthed bruises along his neck. His hips bucked up against yours, insistently chasing any friction, but you tightened a grip on his thigh to get him to stop. “Give me a second.” 

“I don’t like that I’m suddenly under you,” Zoro said drily, and you could feel the words as they formed in his throat, still biting hickeys into his skin. You rolled your eyes, lips disconnecting from skin with a dull pop.

“Deal with it, Roronoa. I’m not moving.” With that, you finally reached down to coax his legs apart, hovering your core over his hips as you lined your entrance up with his length. 

There was an audible hitch of breath on Zoro’s part as you sunk onto him. Point. 

One of his hands tangled in your hair when you started moving, the other coming to press on the small of your back as you worked yourself up and down around him. For the complaining he’d done about the position, he didn’t seem so bothered about it, pulling you into a rough kiss. 

You bit back with force, breath escaping you as your hips bucked against Zoro’s. The wet pool in your lower belly only grew stronger with every thrust, pressure building up inside of you as Zoro’s tongue ran across your teeth. You moaned freely now, too lost in the daze of your pleasure to remember to be annoying. Evidently Zoro felt the same way—he swallowed every one of your gasps up, grunting as you pulsed around him.

Your hips stuttered, thigh muscles contracting with the effort as you clenched down on Zoro. Still, you pushed through even as your muscles started to tire, encouraged by the deep, throaty sounds that escaped Zoro's lips between each kiss. He was big, filling you up damn near wholeheartedly, the crevices inside of you seeming to mould to his skin as you worked yourself on him.

Zoro started moving against you, and you gasped as his angle changed, somehow reaching farther in your body and causing tingles to erupt all along your skin. Your mind buzzed as he thrust into you with renewed vigor, core pulsing as you felt yourself come closer and closer to the edge. 

You came all at once, teeth biting down in Zoro’s mouth before you parted from him. You let out a gasping moan, attempting to toss your head back as stars burst across your vision. Zoro’s hand in your hair dragged you back into a kiss, though; this one was slower, less teeth this time, like him coming had lessened the urge to bite. 

Your movements slowed, coming to rest against Zoro’s skin, warm and—although you wouldn’t say so out loud—almost comfortable. His hand hadn’t budged from where it was pressed against your lower back, holding you tight to him. 

There was a sticky wetness spreading fast by your thighs, and you grimaced, lifting yourself off of Zoro and rolling beside him on your back in one fluid motion. He stifled a groan at the movement, clearly irritated at the fact you hadn’t given any warning. 

You lay there, breath heaving, rising out your high and making no move to touch the man laying by your side. 

After you’d regained some of your dignity, you sat up, eyes narrowing at Zoro. “Get off my bed.” 

Zoro gave you an exasperated look, but he didn’t argue; he just climbed off your bed, retrieving his clothes from where you’d tossed them about the room. He donned them slowly, like he had all the time in the world. Your eyes traced along his figure while he did, and you only felt sort of annoyed by it. 

“I still hate you,” you snapped, after he’d finished changing. Zoro just scoffed, picking up his swords and slinging them across one shoulder. You could see a bruise purpling by his neck. At least you’d done damage. 

“Fine by me,” he replied, straightening his shirt and giving you a look—not quite irritated, not quite sarcastic. “Dinner’s still waiting for you.” 

You glared at his back as he opened the door to your bedroom. “Get lost, Roronoa,” you said, and that was that. 

© halfvalid 2023

[takuyakistall]

to yuu.

Note: I wanted to write short HCs for each character as they wrote the letter when I finished reading everyone's thank you messages (◕ᴗ◕✿) ! All of them are very cute and I couldn't help but get some midnight rot so I had to write it down. Here's the link to the post where every message is listed down. Before you start reading, just a heads up, most of these are written in a romantic light. I also recommend reading the letters themselves first before heading here.

Characters: All students + Grim (Excluding Ortho)

Riddle Rosehearts

"Dear friend," Riddle thought that it was the most appropriate way to address you—or at least, that's what his brain is trying to make him think. Ever since overblotting and you helping him snap out of his frenzy, he had difficulty in labeling what exactly you were to him.

Before everything, you were supposed to be just a mere acquaintance to him and yet here you were sending him gifts out of the blue. The general "rule" towards receiving gifts was to give the giver your thanks. Albeit the better option was to thank you personally, he thought that maybe a letter would be better so that he can sort out his thoughts.

Friend. He nodded, proceeding to write down the rest of his message until he realized that this was an opportunity to invite you to tea with him under the pretense of paying you back for the gift. He furrowed his eyebrows slightly as he continued writing.

Surely, you would accept his invitation, right?

Trey Clover

"Hey you," was that too casual? Too rude sounding? Trey shook his head as he stared at the two words. He hadn't been expecting a gift from you and frankly, he was more than a bit surprised. Though perhaps he hadn't read the "gift" part when he suddenly started writing down questions about what you liked.

He immediately started thinking of how he should pay you back—gifts? He doesn't know your taste that well. Favours? Hmm, he's not too sure about that one. That's why he decided to ask, if there was something you wanted—he'll do his best to find it for you. A tempting offer, right?

It seems like you have to tell him that this wasn't a trade.

Cater Diamond

"Helloooooo," he started off. The extra amount of Os he used was proof that he's trying to take this occurrence casually. Though in the inside he was absolutely beaming. Gifts never fail to put a smile on his face, especially if it came from someone you didn't expect to give you a gift or someone special to him.

In this case, it was probably the latter. He took a small break as he stared at your gift, wondering what he should write. A small smile took over his face as he picked up his phone and snapped a few selfies of him with your gift with a caption before hitting the post button.

"Received a gift from a dear friend, isn't it amazing? ♪"

Deuce Spade

"Friend," Deuce rarely got to experience receiving gifts from friends to one another judging how his past years were spent as a delinquent. To say that he was happy to receive one from you was an understatement, he was over the moon.

He felt the need to mention it to you with a huge grin on his face. He thought of various ways to give you something back as he let out a small hum, he felt like he was having a field day. He signed the message and told himself that today was going to be a great day.

Ace Trappola

"Hey you," Ace was terribly suspicious of the fact that you sent him a gift out of the blue. Were you trying to buy him silence over something you did? Were you trying to convince him to do your homework for you? A lot of questions springed up inside his mind but not once did he think that it was just a genuine, sweet gift with no ulterior motives hidden beneath.

He knew that you would get mad at him if he continued to suspect you so he said that he was kidding in all caps with three dots after that—which didn't help his situation at all.

He felt awkward trying to convey his feelings like this and he ruffled his own hair as he told you that he just needed to tell you something later, when you're face-to-face. That would make it easier for him to speak.

Leona Kingscholar

"Good day," Leona uncharacteristically typed. He felt like he was being held at gunpoint by his past etiquette teachers as he tried to think of an appropriate response. If it were up to him, he would've just slapped a "thank you" on a piece of paper and asked Ruggie to give it to you.

Though he thought that perhaps it was better for him to actually put in effort for once. Even if it seemed like his so called effort seemed like something he just stole from the internet—that was more than enough, right? He'll just put his signature at the bottom and ask Ruggie to give it to you.

Ruggie Bucchi

"Hey you," a big grin took over his face as he wrote down his first few words. He wasn't as experienced as other people when it came to writing down messages of gratitude, he once tried consulting Leona about it—asking how to make it sound decent only to be met with an answer that went like: "Just put whatever."

And that's what he did! Truly, he's thankful for receiving a gift. For a split second, he wondered if he should share it with the people back in his homeland. Though he pushed that thought to the back of his head as he signed the bottom of the paper with his signature. He'll figure that out once he gives the letter to you.

Jack Howl

"Friend," he doesn't know what to say it's embarassing. Even in letters, he still manages to retain that straightforward yet somewhat roundabout personality of his. A tinge of embarrassment seeping through the letter.

He wished he could've just talked to you in person instead but alas, he was stuck here trying to rack his brain for words. In the end, he felt like it was best to keep it simple—the slightly demanding tone at the end was the result of him getting flustered at the thought that it's possible that it could be a date between the two of you.

Azul Ashengrotto

"My dear friend," Azul couldn't count the number of times he had crumpled a piece of paper and threw it into the trashcan only to get a new one—rinse and repeat. Jade and Floyd had to stifle their laughter when they saw how distressed he was over a single message. Though, perhaps that was the fruit of his unconventional feelings towards the giver.

He didn't want to sound too stiff and professional to the point that he sounded like a robot but also, he didn't want to sound too casual to the point that you might find it weird. He had to let out a small sigh as he ruffled his hair, another piece of paper thrown into the trash can before deciding that he should just play it safe and give you a free drink.

Jade Leech

"To my dearest," oh no. His hand slipped and accidentally made his greeting more intimate than it should be, he could go back and change it but—fufu, where's the fun in all of that? His lips tugged up into a smirk as he continued writing, knowing full well that what he was implying would evoke an interesting reaction out of you. But, if that wasn't enough to stir you up a bit then why not put a little more something? He was a prick this way.

He spotted an empty space on one of his shelves in the corner of his eye, glancing at it for a few seconds before an idea popped into his head. A smile that barely showed off his sharp canines, hidden beneath his gloved hand.

"Truly. Would I lie to you?"

Floyd Leech

"Little shrimpy," he grinned. Floyd was in an especially good mood today after receiving such a thoughtful gift from you. He played with his pen in hand, spinning it around as a distant look took over his face when he tried thinking about the reason why you gave him a gift out of nowhere.

Knowing that Floyd pays a little more attention to you than others, he was bound to be curious and he was more than eager to find out—there's always a reason behind someone's actions, after all. He tried expressing his intent to get the answer out of you which came out a little threatening but if you saw the look on his face there's no mistaking that it was an even bigger threat than you initially thought.

Kalim Al-Asim

"Hey love," Kalim was as straightforward as ever. Not a single filter as he wrote down his raw feelings. There was no reason for him to hesitate especially now that he was practically about to shake from pure joy—he was incredibly close to signing the letter and hopping into his magic carpet to give it to you personally but Jamil was there beside him to stop him if he ever does that.

Though that didn't mean that it was gonna stop him from wanting to ask you out on a magic carpet date with him, he'll just have to explain to Jamil when you accept his invitation. That is assuming you'll accept, right?

Jamil Viper

"Dear friend," Kalim practically forced him to write a letter back to you. Jamil wasn't an ingrate, he knew when to show gratitude when it was appropriate but he preferred thanking you in person. He had to settle for this in the meantime, he thought that maybe he'll just invite you to Scarabia to talk about what he could give in return.

He hadn't really expected a gift from you, especially with all the trouble he might've caused you due to his overblot. Though he didn't think it was all that bad. In fact, he felt a little relieved that you didn't hold any grudge against him.

Vil Schoenheit

"My dear," Vil had an unmistakable smirk placed upon his lips. The choice of words he wrote managed to give out a slightly smug vibe as he stared at your gift on his desk. Impressed by your ability for finding him a suitable gift, he decided to give you a little bit in return.

His smirk slowly turned into a gentle smile as he imagined your face probably tearing up at the thought of him giving you a signed card, he couldn't help but put an offhanded comment near the end. But it was quickly followed up with a single bit of rare praise from him.

Rook Hunt

"Hey love," Rook was always one to act dramatically whenever he had the chance and even in letters, he managed to sound dramatic. As soon as he realized that you had sent him a gift he started gushing about how wonderful it was and how inspiration was raining down on him like tiny droplets.

What's a better way to let his raw emotions out than poetry? That's right, this man wrote you a poem expressing how he feels because of your gift. He almost forgot to say his gratitude because he got carried away but thankfully, Epel pointed it out to him before he could give it to you.

Epel Felmier

"Dear friend," he rarely got any gifts from anyone outside his relatives so when he saw you give him a gift, he was excited to say the least. There's always a certain joy you can evoke in a person when you give them a gift it was almost euphoric for some. He thought that it was sweet of you to give him a gift and decided to give one back with a small message.

Friend. For some reason, it felt a bit off addressing you as that but he quickly shook his head and shot down that thought. As for his gift, he prepared a little something he made himself. Hehe, he's quite proud of it too!

Idia Shroud

"@YOU" it was interesting how Idia didn't bother changing to formal speech when he decided to give you a thank you message for your gift. He's typing the same way he would to his friend, namely "Crimson Muscle", but perhaps that was because he didn't know of any other way to talk to you without sounding unnatural or weird.

People would normally not even think about giving him something and yet you gave him one. He couldn't help but smile a bit when he said how you were a bit of an oddball—he came up with various nicknames for you inside his head. Most of them being different words for the term "weirdo". Yet they always had a hint of affection whenever he would think of it.

Malleus Draconia

"Dearest," Malleus started off. It was rare that he received gifts from people outside his family or nobles back in the Valley since a lot of people found him intimidating—terrifying for some, even. He was glad that you felt comfortable enough around him to show simple gestures such as these. Upon receiving your gift, Lilia noticed how it came from you and urged Malleus to write his thank you message differently from how he usually writes it.

Did you perhaps know of the legends surrounding the Thorn Witch...? If so, then maybe he could sneak in a little joke. The gift of beauty and the gift of song—ah, nevermind. He pursed his lips slightly, he'll just handpick a gift for you himself. A small gargoyle statue, maybe. Or he could ask the other members of Diasomnia to help him.

Lilia Vanrouge

"My dear," his lips formed a small smirk. Lilia appreciated all surprises, big or small. Though, in particular, something about your surprise gift made him more excited about it than usual. Was that just his old age getting to him or was it something else? He couldn't be bothered to think about it that much.

As a form of gratitude, he weighed his options. It was either giving you a gift back or letting you ask a favour of him. He thought the latter would be more acceptable until an idea popped into his head as his eyes sparkled with a hint of mischief. He knew you didn't know what it exactly meant but he gave you his signature nonetheless—he'll leave you to figure out.

Silver

"Hey you," Lilia taught Silver that it was common courtesy to show gratitude when someone gives him a gift. He tried thinking of countless ways to say thank you with his old man bugging him to ask you out on a date instead in the background. In the end, he paid Lilia no attention and instead went with the standard short message and giving a gift back.

He urged himself not to fall asleep as he typed out his message even though he already let out a yawn without him noticing. He glanced at the screen blankly, wondering if he forgot to add anything until he slowly felt himself snoozing off. Head resting on the keyboard and typing out whatnot. When Lilia arrived at the scene, he didn't bother waking him up and just sent the message as it is.

Silver was so embarassed the next day and refused to talk to Lilia temporarily.

Sebek Zigvolt

"Human," he didn't even try addressing you as anything else other than that even in letters. When he found a gift lying by his room, he was a tad suspicious but loosened up when he read the tag attached to it. As stated, it came from you and the gift was meant for Malleus—wait, what. Sebek scrunched up his face as his eyes scanned the words printed on it.

"To Sebek Zigvolt" This was a mistake, right? Sebek was a bit flushed but quickly shook it off by saying how it was probably a subterfuge or whatever that was. There was no way it was for actually for him, right? Surely, you must've sent this in hopes of hearing more about the great Malleus Draconia. Right?

That is... Wonderful!

Grim

"Dear underling," it was cute how he made an effort to write you a letter despite being in the same dorm wherein he could just talk to you directly. But perhaps he was so touched to the extent that he wanted to do this—did you give him tuna? He struggled thanking you properly and ended up boasting about how he was going to be the greatest sorcerer.

Even though he called you underling at first, he couldn't help but soften up a bit. That didn't sit right with him somehow, he didn't know why. He let out a groan as he racked his head for a more appropriate word until-!

Partner... Sounds about right.

[zevlors-tail]

Unexpected Kiss

Pairing: Claire x Muse, Muse x Solomon

CW: Unrequited love, surprise kiss, extreme jealousy, Claire cries, mentioned past shared trauma between Claire and Muse (no explicit details)

A/N: I was scrolling tiktok earlier and this prompt came up, sooo... I figured, why not!? Tagging @paper-trash-bag since this features two OC's! <3 HELP I GOT SO CARRIED AWAY AND THIS GOT SO LONG- Not beta read, I rushed the ending and don't like it, but I needed to finish this up and post SOMETHING. I'm getting real tired of talking about my writing and having nothing to show for it lol.

***

"I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

It wasn't meant to be passive aggressive. It really wasn't. But for a reason she'd honestly rather not admit to herself right now, Claire couldn't help the snide tone that seemed to just roll right off her tongue at the sight of her two friends cuddled up together on the couch. As familiar as the tender look Solomon was giving Muse was, and as normal as it seemed for Muse to melt into him whenever Claire turned her back for five seconds, she wasn't sure she would ever get used to the way it made her feel when she watched them like that.

"Nope," Muse was quick to answer from next to Solomon. "And even if you were, I think pizza is a valid reason for that."

Oh, right- pizza. The whole reason Claire had left the two of them alone in the apartment in the first place. She had offered to pick up dinner tonight, and after a brief discussion about how no one felt like doing any dishes, the three of them had decided pizza would be the easiest option with little to no clean up afterwards, so now here she was with a pizza in her hands and jealousy in her heart.

Of who? Well...

One might think she was interested in the sorcerer that she spent a good chunk of her time with day in and day out. Solomon had been nothing but kind to her even if he did have quite a cold demeanor at first, but she understood considering the circumstances. She would have acted the same way if someone had randomly moved in with both her and her partner only months ago just like she had done to Muse and Solomon. But even so, he was always civil and courteous, and he never made her feel like a burden. If anything, they shared a certain kinship after discovering her... predicament. But...

No. She wasn't after Solomon, despite how it might have seemed that way at first.

"And here I thought we were about to kiss. You would leave me for pizza?" Solomon whined with a pout.

Claire resisted the urge to smirk as she watched Muse pry themselves from Solomon's embrace and toss the blanket off their lap. They carefully scooted closer to where she was standing and patted the space beside them on the cushion, inviting her to sit down next to them. And as she sat, the thought crossed her mind that maybe she should have made Solomon pick up the pizza instead of her, and then she would have been the one who got some one on one time with Muse. Maybe then she would be the one sitting next to them while they watched their favorite show and shared a blanket with her. Maybe she would be the one about share a kiss with them. But it was much too late to be thinking of that now, wasn't it?

"If you give me five dollars, I'll let you kiss me..."

Obviously Muse meant it as a joke. Claire knew that. But even as she sat next to them, the five dollar bill in her right jacket pocket seemed to burn more intensely than the scalding hot pizza box still in her hands.

"Clearly you've been spending too much time with Mammon and not enough time with me," Solomon sighed.

Claire's grip on the box became a bit more forceful as her brows furrowed in agitation. Even if she knew deep down that Solomon hadn't meant it the way it came across to her, she still felt excluded. What, was she just nonexistent to them? Was she nobody to Muse in Solomon's eyes? Everyone in the entire Devildom and Celestial Realm knew what they'd been through together in the past, and Solomon was no exception to that knowledge. The least he could have done was be a bit more sensitive to the situation.

But then... the more she dwelled on that thought, the more she realized that it was entirely unreasonable of her to ask that, since she hadn't filled either of them in on any of her feelings towards Muse. Besides, her feelings weren't their problem to deal with. Still...

"Yeah, and? What about me? I'm here too." Overtaken by her emotions, Claire blurted out her words snobbishly before she could stop herself.

Immediately, she regretted it. Silence fell over the three of them for a moment before Muse, who always seemed to somehow know what to say in these sorts of situations, grabbed the pizza box from her hands and opened it without hesitation. As if nothing had been said, as if she hadn't just stuck her entire foot in her mouth and made a fool of herself in front of the two people who were letting her stay here out of the goodness of their hearts, Muse moved right on.

"Ah- they forgot the garlic..." they lamented.

Claire was eager to jump on board and change the topic. "I think there's some leftover cups in the fridge from last time."

"I'll go get it."

"I'll come with you!"

Solomon said nothing as the box was shoved into his hands, but Claire noticed the way he avoided looking at her and instead watched Muse with focused eyes as they shuffled to the kitchen, as if they would somehow fall apart if he took his eyes off of them for even just a second. If only she had the chance, she could be Muse's rock like that. She wished she was the one looking after her blue haired friend instead.

Yeah, friend, she thought. Because that's all I am to them.

While Muse was rummaging around in the fridge, Claire leaned back against the kitchen counter and anxiously shoved her hands into her jacket pockets. As she did, the five dollar bill she'd been thinking about earlier crinkled and brushed up against her hand, and she was reminded of what Muse had said earlier.

If you give me five dollars, I'll let you kiss me.

What if she...

No, she couldn't do that.

But she wanted to.

She replayed Muse's words in her head and wondered if it would be worth it. So many times she'd been so close to confessing, so close to just leaning in and closing the distance between their lips on a whim. Ever since the two of them met in Purgatory, she had been undeniably attracted to Muse. And now? After getting to know them and all the little habits they had, after seeing them just exist and occupy space? She liked them even more. So it came as no surprise to herself that she was holding out hope that Muse might like her too.

Of course, she could always be wrong. But there was only one way to find out... right?

Closing her fingers around the crisp paper, she debated with herself a minute more before deciding that enough was enough, and it was either now or never if she was going to act on her feelings.

"Hey, Muse?"

"Hm?"

Muse turned around with the garlic cups, an unsuspecting and nonchalant look on their face that Claire wished she could have taken a snapshot of to keep in her mind forever. The curious and attentive sparkle behind their grey-blue eyes only further stirred up feelings of jealousy over the knowledge that someone else got to look in those eyes every day the way she wanted to, and by then it was already too late to go back. She doubted she could have stopped herself even if she wanted to.

Claire shoved the five into Muse's hand, leaving them no time to realize what was about to happen before she brazenly pressed up against them and smashed her lips to theirs. It happened so fast that she had no time to taste anything, and the only thing lingering on her tongue when she pulled away was the hope that Muse could feel just how much care and love she put behind that kiss.

It lasted no longer than a fraction of a second. So many different feelings overwhelmed Claire that she was left speechless and out of breath as she leaned back against the kitchen counter once more, her eyes to the floor instead of Muse's face. Perhaps that was for the better though, as the next words out of Muse's mouth were not what Claire wanted to hear.

"Um... you know I made that offer to Solomon, right?"

She wasn't sure just what, exactly, she'd expected Muse to say, but that definitely hadn't been it, and to say she felt mortified would have been an understatement. Rejected, heartbroken, and embarrassed didn't even begin to scratch the surface of how she felt. She fought back a familiar burning sensation behind her eyes as she finally met Muse's gaze and drank in their expression- one filled with confusion, shock, and what she suspected was disbelief.

"Oh-" Her voice sounded funny, as if she wasn't really the one talking. "I'm sorry." Her mouth felt dry and her voice cracked. "I thought-"

I thought you felt the same way.

I thought you liked me.

I thought I had a chance.

"I thought you were talking to me," came out instead.

Muse laughed, but it didn't sound right. To anyone who didn't know them, it might have appeared as if Muse was genuinely aloof. But Claire knew the tone in which they laughed like that very well, and she recognized it right away as the laughter Muse often gave when they felt uncomfortable.

"It's fine. Mistakes happen."

Was that what this was? A mistake?

"Hey, um-"

"Is everything okay in here? What's taking so long?"

The sudden voice startled Claire and caused her to flinch a little. Solomon. She had almost forgotten he was even here. Almost.

"Oh, yeah," Muse answered for her. "We were just..."

For once, Muse was at a loss for words. Claire watched them fumble to explain what the two of them had been up to and provided an out herself.

"I... dropped my five on the kitchen floor, and Muse was just handing it back to me," she lied.

As if to back it up, Muse stretched out their hand and offered the five back but avoided looking directly at her. "Here."

"Thanks..."

Her fingertips brushed up against theirs as she took it back gingerly, her hand shaking a bit out of nervousness. Having Solomon stand behind her like this made her feel as though she'd gotten caught doing something she shouldn't have- which honestly wasn't that far from the truth, considering she'd just kissed his partner.

"Hey," he asked suddenly, "are you okay, Claire?"

At first she thought he had asked Muse. In fact, it took her a moment to process that he'd specifically said her name. When she turned back around to face him, she found him staring at her with concern in his eyes and a crease in his brows as he fretted.

"Me?" Claire asked breathlessly.

"Yes, you," Solomon pressed. "You look a little pale. Maybe you should sit down and eat-"

"Yeah, I'm fine!" She waved him off quickly, mind racing to come up with some sort of excuse to get her out of the situation she had created herself. Things were getting incredibly uncomfortable for her, but they didn't need to know that. For all she knew, Muse actually believed her half assed excuse for kissing them and was none the wiser to her true feelings, and she intended to keep it that way. "Actually, I just remembered I made dinner plans with a friend! I'd totally forgotten until now! That's what the five was for- I need it for the bus. To go see them, and all. So... I have to leave. Like, right now. Or... I'll be late!"

Muse gave her a skeptical look and set the garlic cups down on the counter while Solomon seemed intrigued at the new information he was getting.

"A friend? That's great, Claire!" The sorcerer beamed at her with a genuine smile, and Claire felt her stomach turn. "I'm happy to see you making progress! If you keep this up, I'm sure your memories will return soon."

As if. They're never going to come back at this rate, and you know it. I can't stand when you lie to me like that.

Muse shifted their weight from one foot to the other as they spoke. It felt like they were looking straight through her, scrutinizing her improvised story. "I thought you hadn't found anyone you recognized yet."

"I haven't. I mean-! I don't know them, they know me. They... messaged me a few days ago saying I looked familiar and that they wanted to meet up, and I agreed to see them!" She hoped the lie was believable enough. "But I have to leave now, so..."

Slowly, she started backing up past Solomon and towards the door.

"You're not gonna take anything with you?" Muse questioned. "It's getting kind of late..." And then, as an afterthought, "Are you sure it's safe to just meet up with someone like that?"

"Don't worry about me," Claire insisted as she slipped her shoes on. "I fought off bloodthirsty monsters for years, I think I can handle a human being."

Both Solomon and Muse went silent at that comment, and Claire knew she'd won her way out of both the conversation and the apartment after that. Bringing up her time spent in Purgatory was always a surefire way to shut down a conversation, because no one wanted to rehash bad memories for her and Muse or cause either of them any more distress than they'd already experienced. Even now, Claire watched as Solomon came to stand next to Muse and leaned into them protectively at the mere mention of it.

That should have been me.

"Please be careful."

If Claire didn't know any better, she would have thought Muse was pleading with her to stay with the way they were looking at her with such a forlorn look. But the damage had already been done by her own hand, and there was no way she could stay in that stuffy apartment any longer- at least for the night, maybe even the week. She'd figure it out once she was out of here.

"I will be."

She grabbed her purse from the coat rack by the front door and gripped the doorknob with a shaky hand. She fumbled a bit, finally got a good grip on it, and before either of her roommates could ask about her strange behavior or why she might have seemed so panicked, she slipped out, pulling the door shut tightly behind her. The silence of the empty hallway seemed to swallow her whole, and before she knew it, she was halfway down the dim-lit street with no sense of direction or purpose except to get as far away from Muse and Solomon's apartment as possible.

After some time, she came to a rough stop against something and realized she'd automatically taken herself to the bus stop. The object in front of her was in fact a very familiar wooden bench- the same one she'd used plenty of times before when she wanted to go out and explore the town, but didn't want to borrow Muse's car both out of guilt of using it and because... well, she'd forgotten how to drive.

She let herself fall into it, body curling in on itself as she numbly reached for her phone and shivered against the evening chill that fluttered under the back of her shirt and across her bare skin unexpectedly. Her minuscule contact list stared back at her menacingly when she opened the phone app. It felt like she lay there ages before she was able to move her thumb, but finally there was a dial tone ringing in her ear as she stared off into the empty nothingness in front of her.

"Claire?"

Her breath hitched as she tried to speak. "Cypress," she whispered meekly, "Can you come get me?"

Immediately Cypress's tone changed. Even though she couldn't physically see him, Claire swore she could feel the air of uneasiness drifting through the phone.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing, I-" How was she going to explain this without admitting what happened? "I don't want to be in the Human Realm right now. Please can you come get me?"

"Claire..." Cypress let out a sigh, clearly debating on how to answer. After a moment of silence that left Claire spiraling in her own thoughts, he went on. "How am I supposed to come get you? You know what things are like for me right now... I can barely even walk to RAD without Lord Diavolo breathing down my neck. And you think he's going to just- what, let me go on a joyride to the Human Realm to take you where, exactly?"

"I don't care," she gritted out. "Anywhere but here. Please, Cypress- Please come get me..."

There was another moment of silence. Another sigh, this time softer and more reserved.

"What... happened?"

"...I don't want to talk about it. I can't... I can't talk about it-"

"Claire. Listen to me."

She said nothing, only sniffled into the phone.

"Are you injured?"

"No," she cried, tears finally spilling over.

"Are you safe?"

"Y-Yes..."

"Where are you?"

"I don't know... the bus stop? The one by Muse's place-" Just the mention of Muse's name made the ache in her chest worsen.

"Give me thirty minutes."

A wave of relief washed over her finally, taking the little restraint she had left with it and turning her quiet sobs into something louder, something more raw and painful.

"Thank you," she breathed. "Please hurry?"

"I'll... I'll try. Lord Diavolo has the portals to the human realm locked up tight right now, though. There's no way I can slip through there undetected; I'll have to find some sort of back door..."

"O-Okay..."

"Hey..."

"Yeah?"

"Are you gonna be alright until then?"

"Yeah... I'll be fine."

"Okay. I'll see you soon."

"Don't get caught," she warned. But the line dropped before she even finished speaking, and she was left alone once more with just her regrets and the dim screen of her phone to keep her company. A part of her wished the lie she'd told to Muse and Solomon was true. She wished she was sitting on a bus on her way to dinner, on her way to see someone who wanted to see her, who wanted to be around her, who wanted to spend time with her.

And it dawned on her then, that maybe that was all she had been craving in the first place- to be wanted. Had she mistaken that yearning for the feeling of love? Were her feelings for Muse real, or were they a product of her time spent in Purgatory without a single other soul for company until Muse came along and soothed the ache of loneliness she felt...?

What a mess she had made for herself.

[historia-jaeger]

Erens Plan make sense.

Unfortunately, I only understand English with great difficulty and accordingly I did not understand the individual chapters that way. But now I read it in my own language and I have come to believe that Eren's plan was the best way to go. At first I couldn't understand Eren's motives, because I didn't understand the story in its entirety. But now I understand. Eren only had three options: 1.) Use Historia as breeding Maschine to start the reel, so that enemies stay away from the island. - He refuses to sacrefice Historia, even she telled him that she´s fine with it. 1.1) Implement Zeke's plan to sterilize the Eldia. - He refuses, because he want his people be free. 2.) Let the Rest of the World destroy the Island, so the bigger part of humanity can live. - He refuses, because his people are important to him and he want them to be free. 3.) To wipe out all people except the island. - ... And here we are at the point where the misunderstanding occurs. Many of us fans believe that Eren prefers the people of Paradise to those on the outside and only kills them because there is no other option. But this is not the case. I think that Eren had this point of view for a long time and wanted to genocide the humans outside. This changed, however, when he was outside the island with his friends and was received as a guest by the Jews. He realized that these are only humans, just like the islanders. So option 3.) was no longer an option as a plan. So what other option did he have? With his glimpse into the future, another option came up. And were the ones we saw. Playing the murderer and crushing a part of humanity was the only way to weaken both parties so that they could not fight each other at first. the humans ran out of weapons and the Eldia had no titan powers. It was clear to Eren that the two parties would continue to fight. But it was a better option than wiping out either side. Ymir's "love" for King Fritz is also somewhat understandable to me. Harem ladies also learn to love their pasha, because he cares for them and keeps them safe. What Ymir feels is a certain dependent love for King Fritz. What I don't understand is Eren's love for Mikasa. And I still don't think he really loves her. Even if he said that. Because Eren can see into the future or because he has noticed, he knows that Mikasa loves him. So he asked her if she loved him. She said no. Later he asks Zeke whether Mikasa is being forced to do everything for him by her Ackermann genes and Zeke says no. He also says that Mikasa loves Eren. Only then was he really sure that Mikasa really loved him. So that she and Armin don't suffer, because of his loss and to push Mikasa a little so that she kills him later too, he then behaves so ass to them. What bothers me: he shows no reaction. He's neither sad when she quasi basketed him, nor does he show feelings when Zeke explains him. He doesn't seem in love with Mikasa's presence or somehow shows that he likes her more than just being friendly / fraternal. To Historia, on the other hand, he turns red, becomes emotional and that he excludes sacrificing her, i.e. placing her wellbeing above that of the rest of humanity (Eldia, Marley, etc.) says a lot to me. Either. In the end you decided to take a fan service alá Naruto or Eren just tells Armin that he loves Mikasa so that he will be satisfied and that his friends will still hold onto him after his death. I can't explain it to myself any other way. And Historia only got the child from Farmer-Kun, so that Eren had time to get Zeke out of the way before he or the military can put his plan into action. she only married him so that the child would have a father. In my opinion, she doesn't love him.