#I love evritt

[crash-bump-bring-the-whump]

Whumpril 2024 - Day 20 - Touch Starved

Evritt is @whumpr 's boy!! Thank you for letting me borrow him, you know I love a soft sweet golden boy elf c:< This is VERY early on in their relationship!

TWs: None!! Just some touch starvation and cuddling here

"This is okay? You're sure?"

Evritt's voice drew a laugh from Mariano, midway through tugging his shirt off. "I'm sure. I want you to sleep in my bed with me." His binder followed, then his jeans and he pulled one of Bastian's old tees on to cover his chest and boxers before turning back around to Evritt. "Are you okay with it?"

Evritt sat in the bed, shirtless and antsy, the blankets already pulled up to his hips. "I'm sure. I just don't want to make you feel obligated to do...anything."

"I don't." Mariano punctuated this by crawling into his bed and slipping under the blankets, settling in on his back with a sigh. "We're just sleeping, it's way too late for you to be on the road or in the skies."

"I know, I know. Thank you, by the way." Evritt leaned back into the pile of pillows and turned off the lamp, blanketing them in darkness before he rolled onto his side.

One muscular arm draped over Mariano's waist, and goosebumps ripped up Mariano's arms. He tensed, breath catching. Evritt's body pressed up against his side, and Mariano shuddered.

"...Mariano? Are you okay?" Evritt started to lift his arm up, and before Mariano realized what he was doing, his hand darted to grab Evritt's wrist.

"Yes." Mariano started, voice sounding strangled. "Don't, don't move please." He said, trying to catch his breath. "It's just been a...a very long time since anyone's done...this."

Evritt was quiet. "Since anyone's...held you?" His voice was low.

Mariano couldn't hear his tone past his own thundering heartbeat. It was impossible to breathe. His face heated up as he swallowed. "Yes." He said. "I don't want you to stop."

"Oh." Evritt's arm relaxed over Mariano, before tightening around him and pulling himself closer. One of Evritt's legs hooked over Mariano's, and his head came to rest on Mariano's shoulder. He wrapped himself around Mariano, snug and smelling like hawk feathers and sunlight and fresh air. "Okay."

Mariano felt the aches and stiffness melt from his muscles, slow and steady, melting into his own bed with every passing moment. Evritt's weight was heavenly, the breath on his shoulder and neck was more than Mariano had ever wanted. He was so warm. His hair was soft.

Held so securely in the arms of his favorite knight in the safety of his own room, Mariano wasn't awake for longer than a few more minutes.

@whump-captain @whumpr @whumperofworlds @lektricwhump @cyberwhumper @bxtterflystxtches @inscrutable-shadow @honeybees-125

[crash-bump-bring-the-whump]

A Mariano POV for this super fun drabble by @brinkofdiscovery!! I've been so excited about this like y'all don't even know.

TWs: blood, violence, panic attacks, intimidation

If Mariano was upset at the mysterious robber about anything, it was the fear they'd caused everyone in the shop. The teenagers had been shaken up, Andrew was nervous to close at night, and Mariano couldn't even eat his lunch in the office anymore. No one wanted to. Not since "the party", as they'd taken to calling it. There was still a faint stain on the carpet where Mariano had collapsed that no one liked to step on, much less eat next to.

So Mariano had done the logical thing. He'd gone to a thrift store, and bought a rainbow-colored plastic table that was a little bit too short for him to sit at, and an equally almost-but-not-quite-right plastic chair. Then he'd moved some of the store room shelving enough to fit said chair and table into the little alcove against the wall.

Just like that, their new, not-traumatic break area was set up. It was almost perfect. He had to sit further back than was really comfortable to eat there, and it definitely took him a minute to sit or stand with how tight of a squeeze it was, but it worked. And it would make the employees laugh if they saw him eating there, which almost felt more important.

So their new routine started. Getting through long shifts was much easier, too, now that Mariano didn't have to stop eating halfway through his break because he stopped being able to breathe or his hands started to become too shaky. He could even put his headphones in without feeling like a muzzle was going to press up against his back.

That was exactly what he was doing, that day. He hadn't even gotten around to getting his lunch until four since the afternoon rush had gone on so long. His head was still gently spinning from going ten hours without eating, but the episode of the telenovela he'd been watching finally hit it's climax so he couldn't complain. The main characters' season-long misunderstanding was finally being hashed out, and the love octangle was on the line.

He was so drawn into the messy way Javier explained away his side-piece-turned-guardian-angel-turned-would-be-assassin to Gabriela that he didn't quite hear the shouting from the front. A quiet moment hit just in time for "I want you to move that piece of shit van out there!” to cut through the pensive background music.

Who was upset about Bananarama?

Mariano left his phone and earbuds on the table, trying to hurry out of the cramped little corner. His shoe caught on the chair leg, threatening to topple the table and send his remaining quarter-sandwich to the floor. He hopped, a frustrated groan escaping as he finally freed himself and stumbled backwards to freedom.

“No? No? That’s not your fucking van out there? That’s not your fucking van you hit my truck with?”

The sound of a man yelling sparked anger in Mariano's chest. Who came into his shop and thought they could speak to someone like that? Much less, Andrew? Mariano swung the door to the store room open just in time to see Andrew hit the floor, their caffeine-addicted Scary Regular almost in tears, and a man in camouflage pants with a fist still in the air. "You need to calm the fuck down." The man mocked, sneering down at a bleeding, stunned Andrew.

That angry spark condensed down into a black hole, cold and focused. Mariano's shoulders were squared, filling the doorway as he drew himself to his full height. He locked eyes with the man, all the loud bluster withering away. For once, he was glad that he'd worn something with short sleeves under his usual hoodie.

"Step away from my employee." He didn't need to growl or snarl like Bastian to get his point across. He held the man's gaze, striding forward from the stock room door to stand over Andrew, nose-to-nose with the man who'd hit him. He was so close that he could smell the gum on the man's breath. His voice dropped into a softer, lower pitch. "I do not care if you wait outside or leave. We will give your information to the authorities either way. Now." Mariano slammed his fist down on the counter, hard enough to make his wrist smart. "Get out of my shop."

Mariano didn't blink. He didn't relax his shoulders. He didn't even shift his weight until the man who hit Andrew did. When the man stepped backwards, Mariano took a step of his own. He evenly matched the man's pace, not giving him even a second to look at Andrew or Scary Regular as he was backed out of the coffee shop.

When the door chimed and swung shut again, Mariano took a breath. He held it a moment. Then released it, dropping his shoulders back down. When he turned back around to Scary Regular and still-downed Andrew, his expression had softened. "Please call emergency services." He said with a nod towards Scary Regular, who seemed pulled out of his daze by the request.

While Scary Regular dialed the number, Mariano reached down and slid an arm up under Andrew's shoulders. "It's okay, you're okay." He said, pulling Andrew up to sit against him. It didn't seem like Andrew had heard him.

"Andrew." He tried again, shifting to sit more comfortably on the floor. Andrew...didn't look great, but he probably wasn't dying. His nose didn't seem broken, but the floodgates had definitely been opened. "Andrew, breathe." Blood streamed down his face and chin, not helped by the ragged gasp Andrew finally managed.

Relief wound into Mariano's chest, coiling around and snuffing out the anger. Even the distant sound of two bumpers colliding in rage couldn't drag it back out. "Oh my god, he's crazy." Scary Regular muttered, quietly. "Yes, yes, at Cup o' Joe, the coffee shop? Someone just assaulted one of the employees--and that was a hit-and-run. No, no...yes. He's driving away."

“I can’t,” Andrew mumbled, dragging Mariano's attention fully back to him. “God– God I… I can’t, I–” He was blinking hard, tears starting to roll down his face.

“Breathe.” Mariano repeated. It was really disorienting to get punched in the nose, he knew that well. Andrew needed an anchor. Mariano's free hand came to rest at the center of Andrew's chest, hoping to give him something steady to focus on. “Breathe… in: two, three, four…”

Andrew's shoulders heaved as he sobbed, then tried to take another breath. This one was slower, and he leaned more heavily into Mariano's hold. “Two… three, four…” Andrew whispered, not quite able to keep the rhythm but clearly trying. Was he concussed? It looked like he'd hit the floor pretty hard.

“Blood…” Andrew stammered, after another moment. “There’s blood. Blood in my mouth.”

There sure would be. With a nosebleed that heavy, he would've been more shocked if Andrew wasn't swallowing some blood. "Out." Mariano said, winding more gentleness into his words. “Two, three, four…”

“He broke my nose.” Andrew started to reach for his face. He did not need to feel how much blood was running down his face right then. Carefully, Mariano leaned them both forward, curling around Andrew more and guiding him to look down.

“He didn’t.” Mariano answered. He lowered Andrew’s hands back down to his stomach. “In: two, three, four…”

“He-he did. He did.” Andrew shuddered as the tears started to come quicker, mingling with the red already dripping onto Mariano's wrist. “There’s–bones. Bones… my bones are in my brain…”

“They’re not. Breathe with me.”

“They are!” This time he coughed, choking out another breathless sob and sending more blood to be soaked up by his shirt collar. “There’s– I can feel– feel it in my throat… bones in my throat…”

“I can promise you, there’s not–”

“And my brain, my brain’s in my throat, my–my blood. I’m–my nose, he…”

“Andrew,” Mariano cut him off, his tone grounding and steady. He ducked his head lower, black eyes meeting green. Andrew needed to feel like he was safe. “In: two, three…”

Finally, it seemed like he was getting through the fear. Andrew looked at him--really looked at him. His crying still made his chest hitch, and the blood still dripped down Mariano's arm, but he didn't look lost anymore. Pulling Andrew tighter against him, Mariano felt Andrew rest his head against his chest.

He kept counting, low and even, Andrew's mohawk tickling his face as he shook in Mariano's arms. Tucked up under Mariano's chin, he was safe from any more weirdos who wanted to ruin some random barista's day. Outside, Mariano saw Scary Regular talking, taking pictures of Bananarama's new dent while still trying to hold his phone close to his face.

"This is all you need to do." Mariano murmured now and then, one thumb sliding along Andrew's arm. "Just breathe, I have you."

In minutes that felt more like hours, a very familiar hawk landed outside. Evritt. Mariano's favorite knight slid off of his familiar, relief clear on his face when Mariano gave him a small smile through the glass door.

Finally, the ambulance pulled up, and the paramedics hurried in. "He was punched by a customer." Mariano explained, shifting to let them work. "I don't think his nose is broken, but he hit his head on the floor."

The paramedics took over, pulling Andrew from Mariano's arms to get him ready for transport. "Are you riding with him?" One asked, putting a stethoscope to Andrew's chest.

Mariano glanced to Scary Regular, talking with Evritt and his mentor. They had this covered. "Yes, yes. I'm his manager." Andrew was feeling bad enough already without going through an ambulance ride alone. He didn't let go of Andrew's hand the entire time.

[crash-bump-bring-the-whump]

BTHB 2023 - Fill 6 - Laid on a Stretcher

I've been talking over this cute modern AU scenario with @brinkofdiscovery about his sweet knight Evritt and Mariano having A Thing and now I'm here to be mean about it >:) Takes place after this piece!

TWs: Blood, aftermath of a shooting, denial, disassociation

"Call from Cup O' Joe." Evritt perked up, hearing the name of his usual coffee shop come through over the phones. "Shooting reported, one victim. Suspect is no longer on premises. Requesting knight support and medical."

Ice shot through Evritt's veins, and he found himself standing before he'd even realized his mentor had motioned for him to get ready to go. There was only one person who could still be there so late into the night. Images kept flashing through his head--Mariano ringing up his coffee with a smile and an extra drizzle of syrup, the teenagers laughing as Mariano scolded them for flicking powdered sugar at each other, Mariano at dinner with him, their fingers intertwining.

He remembered Mariano's lips pressing against his, and how soft Mariano's waist had felt in his hands.

It couldn't have been Mariano.

It just couldn't have been. He knew what Mariano had done, naturally, Evritt remembered that conversation so clearly. He knew Mariano was there under asylum and might still have enemies, but surely it was someone random that happened to be outside the shop.

His familiar couldn't provide much reassurance, either. Not as agitated as it was. Feathers ruffled as they swept through the streets on massive wings--his hawk never let him down when speed was of the essence. The neon sign was still lit up as they rounded a corner, right behind his mentor. No one was lying on the sidewalk.

Evritt felt his heart drop as they landed and he slid off of glossy feathers in a practiced dismount. He didn't need to bother with commands, his familiar understood the drill. The glass door jingled when they pushed it open, EMS only a minute behind them.

"Help me secure the building." His mentor said, not giving Evritt time to think too hard. Together they began looking around, assuring the front was clear first. The pastries from earlier in the day hadn't been cleared out yet. The cash register was still on. It couldn't have been Mariano.

They moved to the store room next. The lights flicked on as the smell of coffee beans filled the air. Something else was underneath it all, though, something more metallic. Sharp.

One more corner and dark red was the first thing Evritt saw. Dark, almost black blood, a pool of long black hair, and a familiar now-ruined sweater. They had slumped to the floor, smearing blood along the desk drawers they'd been apparently leaning against. Blood spattered the bookshelf, walls, and carpet in a fine mist. The phone was off its hook, the dim voice of someone echoing through the line.

It still couldn't have been him. This had to be someone new. He hadn't seen the person's face yet.

"Back up, Evritt, let medical through." His mentor said, more gently than Evritt would've expected. A hand on his shoulder guided him backwards a few steps, just as the door jingled again. The rattle of a stretcher heralded the EMT workers, who set to work immediately.

Tiny, familiar whimpers and choked groans were pulled from the person on the floor as the medics began their quick examination. The stretcher was lowered, and finally, Evritt saw their face. Mariano's eyes fluttered as he was transferred from carpet to stretcher and rushed away. The focused, quick chatter left just as quickly as it had arrived.

There was no way they'd made eye contact, no matter how much he almost wished they had.

Evritt didn't remember doing his paperwork that night, or checking for evidence. He barely even remembered going home afterwards. Looking at a blank text's blinking cursor, lying in bed while still in his uniform, he just couldn't find the words to send to Mariano's phone number. There wasn't anything he could say, anyway. Not when he couldn't even be involved with the case.

Evritt couldn't get the smell of blood and coffee and gunpowder out of his nose, even when sleep finally swept over him.

[crash-bump-bring-the-whump]

Whumpril 2023 - Day 4

Me and @brinkofdiscovery talked about this SO long ago but I'm just really in love with this whole idea of Mariano just having this habit of accidentally napping when he feels the least bit safe and comfortable. Evritt still belongs to him!

TWs: non-sexual nudity, touch aversion, anxiety

Ache | Massage | Needle

Evritt's mountain town was almost dreamlike. Mariano couldn't believe such a peaceful place was almost decimated by his king. Well, he could, but he really couldn't believe that he was the reason it was still sleepy and whole and idyllic. He didn't even need to keep his blade on him--it was tucked away in the room he and Bastian were staying in.

Somehow, they all knew his name, too. No one was even nervous about talking to him. They were normal. They'd smile and wave and make small talk that he almost didn't know how to respond to. The older men would gently talk down to him about his age, saying that he'd understand more about their discussions when he was older.

One old woman in the market had pinched his cheek.

It just hadn't sunk in yet, even when Evritt decided to take him as his plus one for a massage. Apparently, knights here just got to get massages. Their king was dedicated to keeping his people in good health, particularly the people who served the citizens.

It was...weird.

The both of them were led into a dim room with candles and padded tables, and instructed to disrobe to their comfort. Following Evritt's lead, Mariano folded his clothes and set them aside. Lying face-down on the table in only his boxers, he took a deep breath. Being so vulnerable with someone he'd never met before, in a place that was so calm...it just made his heart race. It didn't make sense.

The massage therapists walked in and introduced themselves. Their long, pointed ears were up and happy, their smiles were soft and seemed genuine. They were as disarming as a person could be.

Why did Mariano feel like he was going to die, then? Evritt wouldn't take him somewhere dangerous with no warning. He realized as they were rubbing some sort of oil onto their hands that he hadn't heard anything they'd said since they entered.

The first touch to his back made Mariano jump.

"Are you okay? Was the oil still too cold?" They asked as the other massage therapist looked over, gentle concern on her face.

"Yes, no--you're fine." Mariano said, sounding breathless. "I'm just...nervous. I think." He admitted, unable to look at anyone. "I've never had a massage before."

"Well, you're in for a treat." The other therapist said, starting to work on Evritt's shoulders. "Ivy is great."

"I won't touch you anywhere that's covered up." Ivy said. "If I start going too hard, you just give me a thumbs-down and I'll lighten up. Can I start with your shoulders and upper back?"

Mariano hummed and nodded. "Alright, that's alright."

This time, when Ivy touched him, Mariano let out a slow breath. The heels of their hands worked along his tense muscle, sending relief and pain through him in equal measure. "You sure are nervous, huh?" They said. "Feels like there's just bone in here. That's alright though, we have plenty of time."

Ivy was methodical, taking their time as they worked from his shoulders to his sides. There were no comments on his scars, no hesitation as their hands drifted over his old, healed burns. They didn't seem nervous to touch him at all.

There was a steadiness to their motions too, pressing predictable circles into the muscle of his lower back. They leaned into it when they needed to, asking how he was doing now and then. "You can go harder than that." He said every time. He didn't think Ivy could do anything that would hurt him. They certainly didn't seem like they wanted to.

Every touch was safe. The room was pleasantly warm, the candles smelled nice, and he could hear the soft daily noise outside. As Ivy's hands worked their way up his spine, Mariano sighed, his eyes slipping closed as he finally relaxed.

"Mr. Ortiz?"

When Mariano opened his eyes again, the light had shifted. Ivy was standing in front of him, gentle amusement in their eyes. "Wh...I, did I fall asleep?" He asked, voice still rough and groggy.

"I think you did doze off a little." Ivy said, smiling. "How're you feeling?"

"I'm...I'm sorry about that." Mariano blinked hard as his face flushed, realizing that his limbs didn't feel heavy from the last few weeks of stress and fighting and walking. "I think this is the best I've ever felt." When he started to sit up, his entire spine popped, pulling another sigh of relief from Mariano and a small, surprised laugh from Ivy. "I think you actually fixed me, somehow."

"That's what I'm here for! I'm glad your first massage was a good one. I'll let you both get dressed so you can get outta here."

They left with a little wave, and Mariano needed a second to sit on the table and just feel. He hadn't felt so light and comfortable since he was a small child, still living with his parents."That...I, I see why you get these, now." He said as he righted his glasses on his nose, laughing lightly as Evritt smiled at him.

"They're nice, right? Come on, we still have a picnic to go on."

[crash-bump-bring-the-whump]

Whumpril 2023 - Day 27

I love Dimitri I love him so muchhhh!! I've been just about dying to introduce this bastard. I have. So much built up in my brain for him and this is just unleashing the dam. Evritt is @brinkofdiscovery's!

TWs: knives

Forced To Kneel | Grabbed by Collar | Stepped On

"So..." Dimitri flipped long, blond hair over his shoulder. He circled the knight, the tip of his knife trailing along uniformed shoulders. "You're Ortiz's new boy toy?"

Evritt didn't answer.

He sneered. "Putting in an application to come to this cushy little mountain city, getting in bed with law enforcement...Ortiz really hasn't changed." The knife drifted along the front of Evritt's throat. There was barely enough pressure to leave a mark, but Dimitri wasn't looking for blood. He drank in the way Evritt's jaw tensed, how he almost flinched away.

"Well, maybe he changed a little bit." Dimitri added with a shrug. "He changed to Cross, instead. Pretentious. He always did act like he was better than us."

"What do you want?" Evritt finally asked. His eyes never left Dimitri's.

"I want you to kneel, pretty boy." Dimitri said, glancing Evritt over. "Go on. On your knees for me."

Evritt carefully lowered himself down to his knees. Dimitri tilted his head, humming as he tapped one finger against the handle of his knife in thought. "No, no. I see it now. I see what Ortiz sees in you.

"You look nice like this." Dimitri brought the tip of the blade to the underside of Evritt's chin. He tilted his chin up, considering Evritt's little coif, the freckles on his face, how his throat bobbed when he swallowed. "You know...I think I know what I want more than you kneeling."

Dimitri smiled. "I want you to tell Ortiz something for me." He leaned in close, lips just barely brushing Evritt's ear. "Tell him that Dimitri is back, and is much better at marigolds."