#I wish I had more especially since I kept you waiting for a while anon!

[krystaldeath]

Sees your fan kid post: Ooo! Spill the tea! What are they like?

Okay so!!! He’s Spider Queen & Scorpion Demoness’ Son! I’ve been imagining him when he’s still just a little kiddo, but he acts high and mighty bc he’s a prince! He’s a bit spoiled by both his moms and said moms’ servants/friends. A lot like Red Son actually! Which means they don’t get along that much and tend to butt heads (“Red, that’s a child” “Yes, a child I plan to ANNIHILATE with my SUPERIORITY!!!” “Bring it on old guy!” “*long, over-dramatic gasp* I AM N O T THAT OLD!!! ONLY A FEW CENTURIES!!!”)

The queens LOVE their son to bits and Kinda coddle him a little. He acts like he hates it but if they stop he gets all teary eyed and asks “Wh-why did you stoooop???” Which then makes them hug him super tightly.

[taesanrot]

[soothe] taesan x f!reader | 1.9k words established relationship, body worshipper!taesan, office worker!taesan, fluff and mostly smut note. this is kinda new territory for meeee thank u to anon who requested this <333 i had fun writing this and imagining taesan as a little office worker

as a manager at his company, taesan typically had his plate full no matter what day it was. for some reason though, today was exceptionally taxing on him.

fingers typing away mindlessly at an email to his higher up, taesan couldn't help but daydream about ditching in the middle of his shift and driving home with the windows down, letting the wind mess up his hair. he thought about how nice it would be to come home to you.

taesan checked the time; it was only 11:30 in the morning. your work hours were a bit more flexible since you worked from home, you were probably showering and getting yourself ready to log in.

screwing his eyes shut, he shuddered at the way his mind wandered to you under the hot water.

you always turned the water a little too hot before stepping in, letting out a little yelp before fixing the temperature. he imagined the suds running down your shoulders and down the curves and ridges of your body, the thought almost making him throw his head back against his chair.

fuck.

taesan usually tried not to think of you at work, especially you showering or changing. it always got him so worked up and made waiting for the end of his work day even more unbearable.

chewing the inside of his cheek, taesan grabbed his phone and sent you a quick text message, a cute little picture of him at his desk.

you opened it within a minute and sent a picture back. taesan held his breath as he clicked the notification open. smiling softly, he took in the sight of you.

you were perched in your desk chair with your legs crossed, sipping a cup of coffee you probably just brewed in your shared kitchen.

taesan wished you knew what you did to him. while the thought of you drove him crazy and kept him all pent up, it also calmed him down and soothed his nerves like no drug ever could.

locking his phone and looking back at his work, taesan groaned. it was going to be a long afternoon.

[...]

pushing your glasses up your nose, you typed away at your desktop computer, sitting criss crossed in your desk chair. the last rays of the evening sun shone through the window of your and taesan's shared apartment.

yawning, you leaned back and stretched out your arms and shoulders, groaning slightly. your coffee from this morning was now cold, you decided to take a break and reheat the rest of it.

grabbing the mug and walking over to the kitchen, you placed it in the microwave and leant against the counter. as the microwaved beeped and your drink was warmed up, you heard the front door unlock and creak as it was pushed open.

you smiled and pulled your drink out of the microwave, waiting for your boyfriend to walk around the corner.

you heard a loud sigh and the sound of shoes and a bag hitting the ground and before you knew it, taesan appeared in front of you.

hair messy and tie loosened, the boy sighed in relief at the sight of you, the one he was waiting to come home to. he strided across the kitchen and into your arms, exhaling louding as he melted into you.

"i missed you." you blushed at how raspy your boyfriend sounded, the exhaustion evident in his tired voice.

taesan pressed his face in your neck, inhaling deeply and tightening his grip on you even more. your hands came up to rub circles along his spine, encouraged by the sounds of satisfaction that echoed into your skin.

after a minute, you attempted to pull away from him, remembering your coffee sitting on the table. taesan trapped you in his grip, molding himself to your body as if he was trying to bury himself under your skin.

"no" you laughed at his stubborn voice, calmly cooing at him.

"taesan, my coffe-" you were shushed by your clingy boyfriend as he walked the two of you over to the living room couch, keeping his arms wrapped around you the whole time.

"i'll make you some fresh coffee later." and with that, he sat down and pulled you onto his lap, moving your legs so they rested on either side of his.

finally face to face with him again, you smiled at taesan's pouty lips. you brought a hand up to smooth down some of his messy hair, smiling at the way he practically melted into your touch.

his hand came up to intertwine with yours and he pulled it to his lips, placing a wet kiss on the back of your hands.

the loud smack made you giggle and taesan moved to your face, loudly pecking your cheeks and forehead and nose. he even kissed your eyelids, further egging on your laughter.

after he was satisfied with teasing you, taesan sighed and leaned further back against the couch, pulling you with him so your head rested in the crook of his neck.

you sighed in delight as you breathed in the scent of him. practically feeling the exhaustion radiate off of his body, your hands moved to undo his tie and take off his jacket.

taesan remained motionless, smiling at the way you doted on him so sweetly. no matter how hard or long any day at work was, he always felt at peace knowing he'd come back to you.

you who'd take care of him without a second question. you know he'd do the exact same for you, that if you asked him he'd rub out every knot in your body or clean every inch of the apartment for you.

left in his dress pants and shirt, you undid the top two buttons to relieve the pressure around his neck before going back to your previous position. taesan's arms snaked around your waist, hands loosely resting on your hips, and his eyes fluttered shut.

taesan shivered as he felt you breathe against the shell of his ear.

"do you want me to rub your back?" you asked tenderly. taesan pondered the idea for a moment before shaking his head.

"mmm, just wanna lay here with you." you smiled and got up from his lap, pushing his shoulders lightly so he could move to lay down across the couch.

you grabbed a small throw blanket from the ottoman nearby. turning back to walk towards the couch, you laughed at taesan's pouty face, arms outstreched towards you.

"you're like a cat, sani" you giggled before joining him on the couch, draping the blanket over the two of you. taesan wrapped his arms around you. breathing in happily, you listened to the sound of his heart beating as his warmth encased you.

taesan's hand moved up and down your sides, trying to memorize every ridge of your body with his fingertips.

you inhaled slightly as his hand ghosted over your boob, opening your eyes to look at his.

"can i?" taesan asks softly, smiling when he watches you nod mindlessly.

taesan dragged a finger down the valley of your breasts, watching the way chest moves with your shallow breaths. his hand trailed further down the front of your body, twisting the hem of your shirt and waiting for you to move your arms so he can take it off. you moved your body up so he can pull the article off of you, now left in your bra and sweatpants. you laid down on top of him and while taesan loves the sight of your boobs squished against his chest, he needed to be on top of you.

your boyfriend flipped the two of you so he was now hovering over you. he bit his lip at the sight of you, looking up at him with your doe eyes. your tongue came out to lick your lips and taesan almost saw stars.

he brought a hand to massage the skin of your right breast, palming your nipple over the cup of your bra. you closed your eyes and tilted your head back as he lowered his head to kiss the skin between your breasts. taesan's mouth moved up your left boob, teeth grazing the skin as he sucked and licked to his desire.

his mouth was warm against you, making you arch your back and push your chest into him. he responded to his immediately, taking the opportunity to slip a hand under you and unhook your bra.

bra discarded on the floor, taesan cupped your right boob and massaged it slowly, tweaking your nipple slightly. he peppered kisses along your chest, stopping to take your nipple in his mouth. you moaned at the way his tongue swirled around the bud, his hot breath making you shake underneath him.

his hands traveled downward to squeeze your hips, holding you down as you squirmed underneath him. running a hand through his hair, you tugged it slightly before tapping his chin lightly. breathless, your boyfriend looked up at you curiously. he received an answer as you pulled him up to be face to face with you.

taesan could read you like a book, he knew you wanted to kiss him from the way your fingers traced his neck and jaw. bringing a hand to curl around your neck, he let his lips meet yours, melting against them softly. you were more than eager, wrapping your arms around him and pulling him into you.

as taesan sucked your bottom lip and stuck his tongue into your mouth, you unbuttoned the rest of his shirt, tugging it slightly. you boyfriend chuckled above you, detached himself from your lips to pull his shirt off completely.

you sighed, finally being able to run your hands down his bare back. one hand moved into his hair to tug and massage his scalp as the other rubbed circles along his shoulders and spine. occasionally, you let your nails lightly scratch against his skin, just the way he liked it.

"that feels so good." taesan's voice rumbled into your skin as he rested his head on your chest, cheek pressed against the pulsing skin under which your heart was beating softly.

reaching back to pull the blanket back over the two of you, taesan snuggled into you, wrapping his arms around your torso and waist and basking under your attention. nothing soothed him the way you did, the feeling of your palms and fingers against his bare skin filling up the cracks of exhaustion and frustration within him.

your hands slowed their movements, and your boyfriend looked up from your chest to see you snuggled into the couch's armrest, eyes shut. the boy smiled at the sight of you, shifting upwards so he could lay his head on the armrest beside yours.

you stirred slightly, and taesan wrapped at arm around you to pull you into his chest. he felt his heart bloom as you sleepily hugged him closer to you.

the apartment was almost completely dark now, only lit up by the dull glow of your computer screen. pressing your head into the crook of his neck, taesan felt like the luckiest man ever, falling asleep to the slow sounds of your breathing.

[sanjisblackasswife]

Anon again! May I please get Zoro, Sanji, and Law walking in on their fem!S/O masturbating?(She tries to cover up but sje wasnt fast enough)

A/N: 🫣 Okay I gotchu tho thank u for requesting! Enjoy! Sorry for the late response I’m trynna be as a fast as I can w all requests lmao

The One Piece Men Catch You Playing with Yourself (NSFW)

Black Fem Reader in Mind

CW: Use of Toys (im Like 75% sure vibrators wasn’t a thing back in their time but let’s pretend for the sake of this HC it is…..so yeah), It’s no detailed mention of sex, but it’s heavily implied….I may do a part two

Ft. Zoro, Sanji, & Law

Zoro

Zoro hates sex toys. He thinks they’re numbing and annoying and if anything he should be the only toy you should play with for your needs.

He also hates that you own a vibrator and once you both got in the more sexual side of your relationship he didn’t want you to own it anymore

“I can make you cum better than that stupid ass thing.”

It was almost like he was jealous of it and you just didn’t understand WHY he ain’t like it.

But you seen how annoyed it made him so you did stop. However just because you stopped using your toys didn’t mean Zoro gave you more attention.

There was a few times you were tempted simply because it has been almost a month since you last had sex and you’re getting irritable especially after the last few fights you’ve all encountered the past few weeks

Today Zoro went to go handle some business with Brook, Luffy and Sanji so you and the remnant of the ship kind of went to do your own thing after hanging out for lunch.

You were alone in your shared room with Zoro to clean up a bit when you found the little play thing under your piles of underwear. It was clean and still had plenty of juice since last used months ago.

You felt a hint of nostalgia holding the little cute vibrator remembering how fast it would make you cum and the pressure was always set to high like how you like it

You peaked out your room, it was quieter, nothing but the small chatter of Usopp, Nami, and Robin while Chopper was occupied in his room studying

You were all alone.

“Z-zoro…”

You took a risk doing this in the bright day of a beautiful afternoon. You took off your panties and pants, your legs was spread probably way wider than they should be and you were laying on Zoro’s side of the bed. It was a bit easier at night so you had the vibrator under a few pillow to reduce the volume.

Never failing, the vibrator did what it did best and you were so so close to reaching that orgasm you’ve been in need for for the past few weeks, your eyes was shut, granted you did wish it was Zoro making you feel this good and not some stupid toy, but desperate times calls for desperate measures.

“Oi, Y/N you in—-“

It was almost like time stopped. How did you not hear Luffy hollering out the door? How did you not hear Zoro’s voice call out your name? Why didn’t you lock the door?

So many questions that your pretty little head couldn’t answer in time because you were too busy shutting off the toy.

It was almost as if Zoro was amused. He shut and locked the door behind him, doing what you should have done before pleasuring yourself and he sat on the edge of the bed beside you. He didn’t even look at you he kept his eyes on how tightly you were hugging a pillow with your legs.

“I thought you said you threw that stupid ass thing away?”

His voice was deadpanned. His eyes were dark, he clicked his tongue before getting up hearing no answer from you, but you reached out to grab his arm.

“Wait Zo, don’t leave!”

“Who said I was leaving?”

He pulled off his black tank top with one hand and began to undo his belt. You’d be lying if you said how he was aggressively taking off his clothes in silence didnt make you feel butterflies in your stomach.

“Matter of fact…I want to spend the rest of the day with you, sweetheart.”

“Why?”

Zoro did a dark chuckle dropping his boxers to the floor, he was still soft but big none the less, you swallowed the small lump in your throat, but was interrupted when his fingers wrapped around it instead. He threw the pillow to the ground climbing over your half naked body heavily breathing on your mouth.

“Because I want to remind you my cock is better than that stupid ass toy. Now bend over for me.”

Law

He doesn’t necessarily care.

He is aware that you can be needy but he is usually busy or not in the mood sometimes when you are and you respected that

He has seen you masturbate before but today he felt flustered

Of course he is a blushing mess seeing your legs spread wide on HIS bed wearing HIS shirt

You looked too good whimpering his name with such need

He didn’t want to stop you, as a matter of fact he wanted to enjoy the show but he needed to get something from his room he left prior

So he thought for a moment, “should he knock or should he burst in”?

You have been quite a nuisance lately, but you did use your free time to do this

Hmmmm so many possibilities

But Law is a damn menace just like you so he room’ed himself inside

“L-law!” You cried throwing your blanket over your half naked body, you felt the blood rush to your face seeing you in your most venerable in front of him.

“It’s nothing I haven’t seen before…why are you so shy now?”

“Get outttt! I was almost finished!”

He chuckled to himself and placed his sword down by the door. He thought you looked so cute hiding yourself from him as if he wasn’t going to just snatch those covers off.

And he did.

“So that’s where my black shirt went.”

“Law get outtt stop ittt!” You tried your best to use his thin shirt to cover your lady parts but your thick body never properly fitted his clothes anyways leaving your helpless.

Law climbed beside you on the bed and sighed heavily rubbing your embarrassingly wet inner thigh.

“Shit..you were so close of cumming too, huh. You’re always so damn needy Y/N…fuck.”

You found out early in your relationship Law really likes to watch you play with yourself which is another reason why you didn’t stop once you both got together, but he never done it with you. But seeing the glint in his eyes with lust and the tent in his pants as he was licking his lips you wanted to finally take advantage of the situation.

“Law…” you mewled palming his covered cock, “Why don’t you do it with me then…I mean since you’re already here..”

“I…” Law had difficult time tearing his eyes away from between your legs, your pussy was just so tantalizing he nearly had a shiver up his spine thinking about your moaning out his name in HIS shirt rubbing your clit thinking about him, leaving your event all over his bed. “I can’t Y/N I have to fini—“

You stopped his excuses by sucking his bottom lip and licking his mouth, kissing him to the point his own hat falls off and smiling back at his now flustered face.

“You’re such a fucking tease..” He mumbled grabbing your free breast and rolling his finger and thumb on your nipple making your bite your lip as you now straddle him.

“Just a quickie…pleaseee…” You kissed his ear rubbing your clit on his bulge leaving a small wet spot. “Oops…I made a little mess on your pants…sorry, Captain.”

It didn’t take much after that for the tatted pirate to lower his pants and have you lay back down in front of him and start the show.

Sanji

Horny ass has been waiting his whole life for this to happen lmao

The moment he found out women can masturbate he been wanting to see it so badly, and you have been the one to grace him.

Sure you both have had sex but he wanted to see you at your most vulnerable and helpless.

It was a rainy day on the Sunny and everybody was either inside their rooms or exploring inside the ship for the day. And you spent your day cleaning your room

While finishing up you actually found a very old adult magazine you owned, but thought you lost it and haven’t seen it since

Yeah you were a little pervert like Sanji too that’s why you both are together

You looked through the magazine almost laughing to yourself at all the old material you used to pleasure yourself and seen a short doujin in the back of it and you don’t remember reading that so you did. It was a story on a guy peeping in on the girl he likes taking a shower. The story was pretty straight to the point and it reminded you of Sanji actually.

You thought if he has ever done that to you now that your both are together. I mean he was a pervert. But then you thought again….would it be that bad if he did?

NO! No! It is bad! You shouldn’t watch people as they are bathing! Even if it’s your boyfriend! Everybody deserves privacy.

But thinking about Sanji panting watching you clean your supple body through the bathroom door fucking his fist to you was something you caught yourself biting you lip to the thought.

And that’s how you were here:

Laid on your bed plunging your tiny fingers into your needy cunt thinking about Sanji. Imagining your blonde boyfriend cook was finger fucking you instead of yourself.

“Y/N, my love! Can you come—“

You felt your heart sink to your stomach. Really? They say speak of the devil and he shall appear but who would of thought that applied to thinking too.

You were under a blanket but it hardly covered your entire lower body. Your panties were dangling from your ankles and if you had any color on your face it was no longer there. You and Sanji made brief eye contact before you covered your face under the thin fabric.

Sanji was Frozen, his cigarette fell in awe, he didn’t think he’d be able to see such a sight. Granted he couldn’t see the best part, but he wasn’t stupid he knew what you were doing. He pulled down his tie and locked the door behind him, whatever he came in your room for was now irrelevant seeing this new treasure in front of him.

As much as he wanted to really relish in the moment he felt kind of bad. He seen the horror and embarrassment in your eyes and even though he has seen you naked and he always wanted to see you like this it wasn’t as he expected seeing how you’re now blabbering apologizes and cries under the blanket.

“Y-Y/N…! It’s okay! Don’t be scared I’m not—um—..I should have knocked.”

You didn’t say anything, you felt the weight on the bed shift beside you and his hand rested on your exposed thigh.

“You don’t have to feel embarrassed…I do that a lot too…when you’re busy….”

His voice sounded so soft and sincere you began to lower yourself from the blanket and look at him with glossy eyes. Sanji’s lips curled into a warm smile,

“If it makes you feel any better you looked so sexy like that…”

“Sanji!” You groaned back into the blanket, but he chuckled.

“Can I make it up to you?”

“How.”

“By letting you finish on my fingers….it has been a while since we….ya know…”

You looked up at him only showing your squinting eyes at his offer, he smiled and began to take off his clothing leaving himself only in his boxers. He took your hand crawling back on the bed noting the remnant of your arousal still on your fingers and sucked them in front of you.

“Damn I missed your taste…common let me see…”

He was so gentle with his words, tossing away the blanket to show your squirming body. He licked his lips at the mess your made between your legs.

“How about I use my tongue instead…just how you like? Hm?…wanna make you feel good.”

[seeminglydark]

Idk if this means anything to you but I'm a comic artist who's had a hard time doing art for a few years. The first four was because of life hardship and lack of time/chronic pain, but now lately I've had time but a mental block. I'm creeping up on 30 and felt bad about myself for "missing out" on my opportunity to be a comic artist. It was really validating to see you post about being 41 (correct me if I'm wrong) especially since you have such wonderful comics that I've been following for a while now. It makes me feel less like I'm wasting my time putting my things in order when I "should" be drawing.

Hopefully this doesn't come across as offensive or anything. It was just comforting and validating. Anyway, big fan! Love your characters a whole lot and hope you have a good day!

Dear Anon

I am 41 years old. I have wanted to make comics my entire life. before my dad got sick, and my childhood kinda fell apart, all i did was draw. after that, i used the stories in my head to cope. life moved on. i was convinced not to accept a partial scholarship to an art school in California. life got hard. i worked at a hotel, and after i escaped an abusive relationship at 22 i hitchhiked/bused far far away to start over. i tried to make comics again, but i had to survive, and so i got another job doing the only thing i knew how to do, hotels. and i worked. and worked. and life got harder and times got heavier and i didn't get time to draw and i worked double hours, 15 to 17 hours a day. and i went four years without drawing a single thing.

i kept working myself into the ground. i was 29 now. i picked up a pen again and drew a red haired boy. he had a hard life and no love and no friends. his problems were on the outside, for everyone to see. he ran away but his problems went with him.

i was 32. surely i was too old now. my time to be an artist was gone. i had no school. no hope. i was so far behind the younger gen i saw online. i cried. all the time. i wrote stories in my email drafts while i worked shifts. i stayed up late trying to learn how to draw again. i cried some more. the boy grew. i called him Fiach. worthy. a raven. later i renamed him Avery. he was like a bird, he had wings, he was my hope. i started writing some friends for him. the people i wished i had around me.

i started finding time and space. i got a new job, something where i was lucky enough to set my own hours. for the first time i had a partner who believed in me. things were hard. but i was drawing now. and that helped.

i went on a road trip and i started drawing pages of an unnamed story on 6 by 8 paper in a sketchbook. i drew 20 of them. 'what could i call this?' i thought. Nothing Seems as Dark...no says my partner. Seemingly Dark. he made me a logo. i was 35. i bought an ipad, i cant do this on paper, its too much story i have too much to say. so i learned how to draw digitally by tracing my own trad art pages.

I spoke to my dad for the last time on June 17th, fathers day that year. he said 'you're good. i'm proud. and you're gonna do amazing things. none of this is your fault. and we will speak again soon.' i didn't know id never hear his voice again. he died a week later.

i turned 36. i kept trying. i'm old, i don't understand the internet. how can i share this?

i stumbled across Lore Olympus. i was introduced to webcomics. id read comics online before but the thought never occurred to me. i opened an account on Tapas. and then i stared at it. what if no one likes it. what if its bad. my art isn't good. i should wait til i'm better. but will i ever really be better? or will i always believe that tomorrow is better? do it now. if even one person gets something out of this story, this story about a boy who is you, a boy who looking for hope, a boy who might make it, then that is enough isn't it.

June 17th 2018 i launched Seemingly Dark.

SD's five year anniversary is in a week. 0ver 700 pages. leaps and bounds in progress with my skills. a printed comic under my belt as of monday. i was always a storyteller. but i was always an artist too.

I am 41 years old, dear anon. I did not truly embark on this journey til i was 35. life got in the way. even now, chronic illness gets in the way. but its worth it. its never ever too late. i believe in you the way my dad believed in me. i reset my life again and again. but I was always an artist. and if thats who you are, and who you want to be, even if things dont go the way you wished they could, you're an artist too.

im 41 years old. i speak about my age, even though i often feel too old to belong in spaces, cuz really, in this case age is just a number. take care of yourself. do what you need to do. and little by little, when your able, carve out your space until it becomes more of a habit. sometimes i think about all the years i lost not drawing or creating. but there's a lot of factors that make me believe had i made my story then, it wouldn't be the story it is now, i needed to live a bit. i needed to find myself. i know this was long, but i just wanted you to see i also had to put my life in order, and getting notes like this reminds me it wasnt at all a waste. im glad i could offer you some comfort. thats honestly the best compliment i could ever receive.

TL;dR I was 35 when i sat down and seriously started making comics, because life always got in the way and so did my confidence. i always feared being too old. im 41 now, still going strong.

[snippychicke]

Hello I hope you're fine!

I would like to make a Kuro/Reader writing proposal (a little NSFW is always welcome of course).

I imagine being in a relationship with Klahadore for a while now, Kaya is used to you coming home after his work day to find yourself in his room with him. He didn't think he was in love but finally he reconsiders his plans so as not to hurt you because you are the only person he has never trusted. Of course he's in love but he doesn't realize it because he's never been one before.

(PS: sorry for my English, I hope you understand me anyway!)

Thank you so much anon! I really hope I catch what you were going for. I appreciate and admire you for asking! Especially since English is not your first, I only wish I could be multilingual like you! 

Klahadore realizing that he loves you without realizing he *loves* you. 

You had been the gardener for Kaya's family estate for some time. You kept the place looking picturesque, and Klahadore admired not only the dedication it took, but your attention to detail. 

Then after a while and getting to know you through small moments through the day, he began to admire you as well.

Kaya notices, and starts requesting more time out in the gardens, especially when you're working. She expected a bit of a struggle in her matchmaking plans, but is delighted to see that you two quickly fall into a camaraderie when together.  

Things start to complicate when a heat wave rolls over the island. Kaya's 'poor health' doesn't tolerate the heat well, so she mainly stays in bed, allowing Klahadore more freedom than usual. 

He notices that you are still stubbornly working through the hottest part of the day, and insists you come inside to cool down. You're not used to someone fussing over you, so you insist if you take a break, he must as well. 

It becomes routine after the first few times that in the hot afternoon, you come inside for a break and he joins you. (Kaya is very excited and insists she is fine. This is also when Usopp starts taking advantage and steals time with Kaya, but I digress.) 

Klahadore starts looking forward to spending time with you, uncaring that every day the small break grows a little bit longer. Talking with you is nothing like his interactions with Kaya or Shem and Buchi. He feels like he is able to relax around you, venting some of his burdens just as you vent your own to him. His smiles are actually more genuine as you swap stories, and just hearing you laugh makes him chuckle.

He trusts you, he realizes one day. Not completely, but you definitely hold more of his trust than anyone else had before. And with it comes a need to protect you. You're special to him, and he doesn't want anything to happen to you. 

A storm rolls in unexpectedly one afternoon, causing you to take shelter in the manor. As it rages into the evening, both Klahadore and Kaya insist you stay the night. There is plenty of room, and clothes for you to borrow. 

(Klahadore also might have noticed how your clothes were plastered to you after the downpour before you changed into a borrowed outfit. It may have stuck with him all evening as well.)

If he happens to pay you special attention through supper, it's merely because you're a guest. Not because he enjoys seeing you flustered from being waited upon or anything. 

He also uses the excuse that the manor is large and rather like a maze as he waits outside the large clothing room as you pick out something to sleep in. How else are you to find where the guest bedroom is? 

Except when you step out in your chosen outfit, sleep is the last thing on his mind. A shower and a change into some elegant night clothes…

Well, he had acknowledged he had been somewhat attracted to you before, but seeing you like this realizes how much. He's actually speechless for a moment.

To the point you tease him: 'Cat got your tongue?'

It just opens up a new realm of possibilities. 

Klahadore lays on the charm as he escorts you to the guest room, your arms wrapped in his as he enjoys making you blush just by lowering his voice slightly. 

Once you arrive, he does the whole kiss-on-the-hand while he bids you goodnight. 

Flirting with you is like a game of cat and mouse to him. And he loves it. It's a different kind of hunt, teasing touches and glances. Maybe an unexpected innuendo just to watch you react. 

To his surprise and delight, you cave and act first. You boldly grab his tie and pull him close for a kiss after his hand lingered at the small of your back the entire walk to the small sitting room you often took your break in. It's a small kiss, but he takes the chance and kisses your rather firmly until you're completely out of breath. 

Things quickly heat up after your first kiss. 

Kaya notices and unknowingly helps Klahadore with his cover as she encourages the two to spend time together. 

Kaya even insists that you should move into the manor, just because it's so big and empty, and you do such a great job that free housing seems appropriate. 

And if the fact your room ended up next to Klahdore's is just a coincidence. So are any odd noises and thumps in the middle of the night. 

Buchi and Shem have their suspicions but assume it's part of the plan.

Unknown to them, while Kuro sees them as disposable in the long run and has an inclination that after his plan for Kaya comes to fruition they will be more troublesome than what they'd be worth, you are far more valuable and becoming more important every day. 

The moments he holds you in his arms brings him the peace and security he had been looking for, and he'd do anything to keep it. 

[azsazz]

Destination Unknown

Rhysand x Reader

Summary: Anon Request: Hey!! So I was wondering if you would write a fic about Rhysand having a wife/partner for like a century or more before Under the mountain happened and then 50 years later he comes back with a mate. How do you think that would go? Would he choose feyre over someone he has known and loved for centuries?  If he does choose feyre I think it definitely wouldn’t go over well lol. Imagine waiting 50 YEARS for someone only for them to dump you.

Warnings: UTM themes

Word Count: 1,304

_________________________________________

“I’ll only be gone for a little while,” Rhysand laughs into the crook of your neck when you wrap your legs around his waist, locking him close to you. “I’ll stay for dinner and you, Darling, will be my dessert.”

You hum blissfully at his words. It’s a good idea, but you have an even better one.

“How about, I’ll be your dinner, and then we can go into town for dessert?” your tone is low, every word reverberating through his bones, a sultry suggestion that has his nicely pressed pants tightening. 

“You beautiful, wicked female,” he purrs. He can’t help himself, leaning down to capture your lips in a long, filthy kiss that only leaves you wanting more.

That had been fifty years ago.

It’s been haunting you ever since, nearly every single evening was the same nightmare. You could picture the cunning smile on his face, righting his disheveled hair with a remark that had almost made you get out of bed and cling to his side so he wouldn’t leave.

You really wished that you had.

Instead, you sit at his desk, the worn leather chair and thick oak desk a reminder that Rhysand wasn’t in the house, nor the court. He was trapped.

It had been hard not to go after him. You had been his second in command at the time the warnings came, the same message to all of you and the Inner Circle, that something had gone wrong, Amarantha had trapped him and all of the other High Lords under the mountain, that you were to lock down the city and reign over the court in his place, until he could make it back home.

You’d had plans. Well thought out ones too, of how to free him and the others from that wretched bitch. Well…perhaps not thought out, as you were a female helplessly in love. You’d do anything to try and save Rhysand, even if it meant exposing the Night Court to the wrath of Amarantha.

But then you’d heard what she had done to the other courts out of spite. The havoc she wreaked and lives she took for her own selfish reasons. The irrevocable damage she’d created.

It had been the best thing to do for the Court, to stay hidden and protected, because that’s what Rhysand requested.

So for fifty years you had been dependent on Tamlin to find a human and have that human fall in love with him. It wasn’t looking good.

Hope was far away now, and you’d found it harder and harder to stay sane as the days passed by and Rhysand was gone. You knew that your friends felt much the same, for Azriel’s gaze always seemed haunted and Cassian had been bound for the bar and brothel more nights than not. Mor had been nothing like the perky blonde you knew, happy as ever, and Amren…well, she seemed like the only one who kept her head on straight.

The door to the study bursts open, startling you in your seat. The paper you were supposed to be reading slips from your fingers at Azriel’s frantic look and you stand from the chair, moving around to the front of the desk to meet him as he stalks towards you.

Your stomach drops. You’d been friends with the shadowsinger for a long time now and had hardly seen any form of emotion on his face, especially one so obvious. It can’t mean anything good.

“What’s going on?” You’re afraid to ask.

“It’s Rhys,” he pants, grabbing your hand, “He’s back.”

Your mouth falls open in shock as Azriel takes your hand, immediately winnowing you to the House of Wind. Your heart is racing like the quick wing beats of an Illyrian bebe, just learning how to fly. You squeeze Azriel’s hand tighter in yours because you can’t quite believe it–

He’s there. Clutching onto Mor and sobbing like he had been when he’d found out about his mother and sister and had come running to your house in the middle of the night, tear stained and drunk, falling into your open arms for comfort.

Your knees give out at the sight. Azriel is there though, keeping you steady on your feet because you suppose someone has to. You’re in such shell shock that he’s here. He’s here and you can’t take your eyes off of him. He’s paled out quite a bit, thinner than you’ve ever seen him, and–

Rhys looks up and your gazes meet.

The world goes still.

There’s no one on the balcony except for you two. His eyes…there's a trace of that vibrant life buried deep inside of them but there are no stars in sight, only harrowing shadows that lick up your spine and cause you to shudder.

“(Y/N),” he says, voice like gravel.

And then you’re moving towards him, as fast as you can. He doesn’t untangle himself from his cousin's arms because maybe he’s scared to. Maybe he’s been having similar nightmares to you, of that night, of the last time he’s seen everyone. But he’s here, he’s really here.

You collapse beside the two, raising your arms so that you can cling to him. Hug him with all of your might and never let him go–

He flinches.

It’s subtle, but you still catch it, arms faltering at your sides. 

Rhys doesn’t give you a chance to overthink it, pulling away from a teary eyed Mor to take you into his own grasp, pulling you tightly against his chest. 

Your fingers find the fabric of his shirt, twisting into painful fists as you let your tears come loose, spilling down your cheeks and absorbing into the scratchy material of it. He presses his lips to your forehead and they burn, but in a good way. A way that tells you that this whole thing is real. He doesn’t move them, just keeps his mouth pressed to your skin because it’s grounding him as much as it’s grounding you, cradling your head to his chest.

It’s silly, you think, because you should be the one holding him like Mor was. He was the one who had just escaped from under the mountain, trapped for fifty years. Rhys shouldn’t be the one consoling you.

“She’s dead, she’s dead, she’s dead,” Rhys mutters, over and over and over again like a mantra, like he doesn’t quite believe anything that’s happening right now.

“She’s gone and you’re back, baby,” you speak wetly, pulling back to hold his face in your hands. His cheeks are sunken, dark circles tattooed around his eyes. His inky black hair is matte, not shiny and full of life like it had been before he’d gone to that dreadful dinner. 

He hardly looks like Rhys anymore.

There’s a look in his eyes that you can’t quite pin down, guilt of some sort. But it isn’t his fault. It has never been. You know terrible things had happened down there and that Rhys did all that he could to survive, to keep the Court protected, and you’re ready to be here for him, work through things, all on his time.

But he’s breaking again, broken. A heart-wrenching sob escapes from his bitten raw lips, tears streaming down his face as he brushes a strand of hair from your face, tucking it gently behind your ear.

It doesn’t feel right. It feels like he’s sobbing for another reason, completely unbeknownst to you. He keeps staring at you and if it’s because he missed you as much as you missed him, you welcomed it, but something doesn’t quite seem right.

And his next words have the heart that had just been pieced back together shattering completely, blown away with the crisp Night Court breeze.

“The girl that saved us. She’s my mate.”

[contentloadingandstuff]

Parenting Headcannons with Keqing and Eula? :D

Parent Headcanons - Eula Lawrence and Keqing

A/N: Hi Anon! I'm sorry you had to wait. This one... well, it turned out quite a bit more serious than I expected. Especially with Keqing - it turned into (basically) angst. I'm sorry if you don't like it. I would be really grateful if you shared your opinion in the comments.

Male reader.

Eula Lawrence

Eula’s parents were… not great, to say the least. They kept pushing her towards being a traditional figure, dictated by the Lawrence clan’s long legacy. That involved plenty of indoctrination, gaslighting and putting down her own needs and dreams. 

She realized this was not normal in her late teens, and she made her escape to the Knights. Even though most citizens of Mondstadt grew to dislike her, Eula found a few close friends to help her through her darkest years. You were one of them. 

The desire to be better than one’s parents is natural and ever present, as role models are quite rare in reality. This need was especially strong in her. It was the image of having kids that kept her from leaving this world behind, and when you met all those years ago, the images reappeared in her happiest moments. 

Eula made plans long before you met, imagining what rules she would put in place, what values she should instill, she read books about motherhood and parenting. Yet she never told you, until one warm night. 

She grabbed your hand, and told you about her dream while looking into your eyes. She said how she wants to be the mother her mother never was, and you to be the father hers never managed to be. She told you about her dream of building a home together, a safe place for both you and your children.

And how could you refuse her?

Eula will want to wait for marriage before anything else. 

When she speaks that one, simple word, Eula will just burst into tears. Just like that, the weight and past sins of her last name will be finally left behind, and she could fully become a new, better person. 

A few days will pass until she’s ready. Eula just wants to wait until everything calms down, really. And it will be a surprise too. You’ll just wake up one lazy morning, cuddled together, and she will whisper a simple ‘It’s time’ into your ear.

Eula is going to drop field work entirely from the moment you are sure she’s carrying an heir. When Varka comes back from his travels, he will most likely provide Eula with a comfy desk job. She’s done a lot for Mondstadt, hasn’t she? Eula deserves it. 

No drinks will be had for the entire duration of her pregnancy, which will be quite long. 

Because Eula always wanted to have two children, preferably a son and a daughter. As soon as her body will recover after giving birth Eula will want to go again, to keep the age gap as small as possible. If she’ll give birth to two kids at the same time there won’t be a need to, of course. 

Eula always insisted on doing all the menial housework, which bamboozled you at first. She just wanted to get lots of practice in cooking, cleaning, doing laundry and so on, as her royal upbringing never gave her the chance to. The woman is well aware of the reality of parenthood, and wishes to get used to the routine.

It’s hard for sure, but she is willing to endure the difficulty. This is one investment worth every second, every drop of sweat and blood in her opinion. 

Seeing Eula with dark bags under her eyes and a tired smile on her lips will be common during the early years. 

The knight will pester you about your job a lot if it involves danger. She quit hers, and would love you to do so as well. If combat is your calling… Well, she understands. Doesn’t mean that you won’t get an earful and a half every time you get back with fresh injuries. She will have her vengeance for every single scratch you get on yourself!

Ever since her work hours shortened dramatically, Eula gets to be home a lot more. She will gladly welcome you home after work with a warm meal and lots of cuddles. 

Don’t think you will be neglected because of the kids. Your wife will make sure to give attention to you as well.

Oh, and about attention. Eula is a good mother, maybe even too good. See, she’ll hog most of the quality time with your kids, at least when they will be young. It’s usually a competition between you two over who gets to go out with the little ones. 

Who would expect a bottomless supply of patience from her? She’ll spend 16 hours a day with her offspring and she will love it. 

Eula is a very caring mom, but she sometimes struggles with correcting bad behaviors and administering punishment. So yeah. You’ll get to do the unpleasant work. 

She will ingrain only universal qualities and morals into her kids, making sure to teach them that the sins of those who came before don’t cross out the person of today. 

Will not influence the careers her kids will pursue, but will help wherever she can. 

Just… be by her side when they grow up and leave to chase their own ambitions. She will feel very lonely if you don’t. 

10/10, no doubt. Always wanted to have kids, and prepared accordingly. She will raise some great individuals with your help.

Keqing

Keqing has three goals in life. First - and foremost - to build a strong, independent and prosperous Liyue Harbor. Second - to find a partner, and third - to start a family. 

Well, she had three. Now, only the first one remains. The young Keqing is not the same woman as the Keqing of today. She had grown immensely, but in a troublesome direction. 

You see, Keqing’s dreams are… not actually hers. They never were. It all comes down to her upbringing. 

Keqing is a part of Liyue nobility, who have strict values and goals. From her earliest days, those objectives and desires were imprinted on her mind. Everything she did was centered around the execution of them, not leaving much space for her own aspirations. Well, no time was left for it either - she was constantly snowed under assignments, tests, meetings and internships. She always had to prove herself, prove that she is indeed worthy of her family name. 

And so, her dream of having a family faded and faded, until nothing of the motivation was left. Like with every childhood dream she had. 

All of that pressure also resulted in her problems with interpersonal relations. Focused around achieving her ‘own’ goals, she saw (and still sees) others as elements of the background, coworkers or useful tools and assets in reaching her objectives. Keqing has become selfish. Self-centered. Egoistic. 

For example: People say Ganyu’s mindset is hard to understand, but that’s a nifty little lie to hide the severe lack of compassion and basic empathy for her among others in Liyue. Keqing may have had a hand in propagating this statement. Independent of what Ganyu sees Keqing as, the former will never see the secretary as anything else than an inferior at whom she can throw more and more assignments.  

You may have reawakened her dream from ancient times, when she still used to play with dolls. But Keqing has adopted a specific mindset throughout her life, and that will make pregnancy and child upbringing only another box on her checklist. 

She won’t give up her work, or even limit it for that matter. Her job is more important than family and you, so she’ll agree to a single child at most. And that will be also on the condition you will take care of them. 

She’s the mother that’s never home for sure. Also, a scary one at that. 

Will reprimand her kid, whatever the sex may be, for bad grades. 

Keqing will not understand many struggles someone not like herself may have, such as depression or lack of motivation. It all makes sense in her head - why don’t they work harder? They see how they can end up, right on the streets and outside of Liyue Harbor. Treasure Hoarders, Fatui, beggars and bums. She thinks her child will become just that if they don’t ace all the classes. 

She speaks about this kind of thing often. Why? Because her parents told her the same when she was this age. Many of the awful parenting techniques she was subjected to will creep their way into her own methods. 

Literally the asian parent. She has lots and lots of cash on hand thanks to her job, and she puts an adequate amount of this into the education of her young. Piano lessons, private tutors and martial arts - everything will be covered in this investement. What a shame she doesn’t put an equal amount of effort into this deal.

She will help the kid with school work, but that’s about it. 

Ningguang will surely notice what’s going on between you two, and will mercilessly point it out to Keqing. Maybe with your combined efforts, the woman will be able to change for the better. 

But that chance is quite low.

2/10. Keqing isn’t meant to be a mother. Keqing doesn’t want to be a mother. Not anymore, at least. She is too busy chasing somebody's dream for motherhood.

Thanks for reading!

[avatarmerida]

How could Trolls 3 have been better?

Thank you for genuinely asking anon 💖💖

(spoilers for Trolls 3/Band Together below obvi)

SO

First of all: I ended up loving Viva and her story/explanation of how she got separated and how she retained her similarities to Poppy while having a very Branch like quality at the same time. I wish somehow that her reveal could have been a surprise but I get we have to let everyone know Camila Cabello is in the movie. So Poppy’s desire for a sister/sibling totally fits her character but her saying it the way she did just felt soooo lazy. I think it would’ve made so much more sense to reveal that Bridget had sister who were coming in for the wedding and that gets Poppy a little jealous. Especially if they had like stepsister vibes since in Trolls 1 Bridget had big Cinderella parallels so it would’ve been cool to see that continue. And they’ll have inside jokes and things sisters have and yeah Poppy is maid of honor but she’s still a little jealous and it sparks this conversation of having a family. Because when she said not having a sister is something she had been coming to terms with recently I’m like show not tell bruh.

Also the lack of World Tour peeps was sad

The movie should have opened with the wedding and have us learn more about the band through flashbacks because it felt very long and repetitive but maybe it’s because the trailers all had the same opening clip. I think it would’ve made John showing up at the wedding a bigger surprise and also he should have waited until the reception because wtf was up with everyone watching him just crash the wedding for 5 minutes????

The songs. Sooooo many missed opportunities. I knew this film was gonna have “We are family” but it was way too early on and felt totally out of place without having any “sisters” at the moment. Also “Crazy in Love” is the most Bridget/Gristle song out there and describes a wedding way more.

Not having “ME!” by Taylor Swift felt criminal because it is the most Broppy song. We could’ve had this and the boy band tributes but we kept getting robbed.

I feel like we needed more build up for Branch’s relationship with his brothers like it would’ve been cool to see it from Poppy’s perspective like seeing Poppy at a concert almost too little to understand what’s happening (because I think it’s established that she’s a tad bit younger than Branch but I’m still confused about if Branch escaped with the other Trolls from the tree or if he went straight to the village from wherever his family was). Because also Viva remembers Poppy so she’s obviously fairly older so it would’ve been sweet to see like Poppy piecing together a memory realizing that so much that she loves is stuff Viva introduced her too especially since on of Branch’s brothers is working with her to help her little village.

But also the stakes weren’t high enough to explain why none of them checked in on their baby brother after all those years? Like he was a literal baby? I feel like the reason they broke up was mid, I think it would’ve been nice to show like there was a time that they had a reunion planned and no one showed up which increased Branch’s bitterness and then they could explain it was a misunderstanding because like I’m sorry he was a literal baby and they all just left him and never tried to go back??? They should have had them break up because they all vowed to never sing again because it attracted bergans like even when they didn’t sing the sight of them made all the trolls feral that they broke up and gave up signing for the safety of others.

Velvet and Veneer: no notes. Icons. I wanted more. But what was the purpose of Fringe if she got no closure or resolution or redemption? She was so cute, tell me more about her plsssss

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk

[halfmoth-halfman]

IM BACK IN THE FUCKING BUILDING AGAIN, EXCEPT THE BUILDING IS 141!!!!! LET'S GOOOOOOOOO BABY!!!

At first when I saw Canary had no gun wound, I was like - Did she not get shot??? Did someone else take the bullet for her??? (my memory do be bad, my bad - but the angst potential of someone else getting hurt in Canary's place...yummy) And then I was like, is she dead?? How's she gonna get her revenge on Graves and Makarov and Makarov's bratty daughter???😧

I'm glad you kept me on my toes with that lol.

Finally had an interaction with Adler.....in heaven. That talk was necessary for Canary, I think. I think nothing can motivate a jilted kid as much as their desire to enrage and spite their estranged parents. (Too relatable for me, cuz I'd have done the same lol) Even tho a lot of shit Adler said was unfounded, it did fuel the fire Canary needs to keep going, especially if she wishes to enact revenge on those who wronged her. And you wrote this scene beautifully! (but I also wonder if this talk, esp with Adler being all "Trust no one" would make Canary paranoid af and refuse any help from 141. Or maybe she'd accept their help in taking down Price/Makarov, but would be hella distant and try to remove herself from the entire '141 is family' thing they've got going on?)

And Price is now in jail cuz Graves framed him for attempted murder????? Oh hell to the nah!

Like idek what Price and Canary are now, after everything that has happened. But if Graves goes around framing my Price for something he did, they'd be hell to pay. I'd raise a fucking riot, bitch!

As always, amazing chapter. And I can only wait for what would happen next. Does Canary recover? Does she get Price out of jail? Does she have a run in with Makarov, or Graves? What would Shephard say to her if she just barged into the police station and demand him to release Price as he did not murder her, since she's standing in front of him....alive? So many questions and theories to ponder over, hm....Can hardly wait for where the story goes! Have a great weekend, Moth. You deserve it after serving us with such delicious fic updates <3333

- 🍄 anon

alskdjasdlas i'm sorry all i could think about from that first sentence is canary coming back from the dead and just being like:

eggman voice: "i've come to make an announcement. phillip graves is a bitch ass motherfucker!"

ok so before i decided canary was going to get shot, i toyed with the idea of someone take a bullet for her instead. there was a very brief moment, where this chapter was going to end in either price or ghost's death, but i love them both too much and they need to have their redemption so i couldn't do that to them LOL

i agree, i think it was necessary for canary. she needed that push from adler, someone to light that fire in her in a way that only he really knew how to do. he knows how to push her buttons, how to get under her skin in just the right way to get her to act, but this time she's taking things into her own hands. and like, of course, she wants to get revenge of graves for her own reasons but choosing to go back and break down her father's golden child just to spite him? if there's one thing the adler family is good at, it's being petty.

adler definitely left a lasting mark of paranoia on her, and i think she'd be hesitant to trust the 141 even if he didn't just because of the events of the past five months. however, she does know she's going to need their help at least while she recovers, so i don't think she'd immediately burn that bridge. though who's to say what she might do once she's back on her feet. i guess it would depend on if the 141 tries to make it up to her, and if she wants to be in a more forgiving mood 👀

price sure is in jail, i wonder what's going to happen there. the rest of the 141 seemed stressed and surprised to see canary awake, imagine price sitting in a cell for however many weeks thinking she's dead and it's all his fault. :)

i don't think even price and canary know what they are. they certainly know they aren't together, but i imagine price still has major feelings for her (now paired with a lovely glass of guilt) so it would probably be up to canary whether to try and rebuild that relationship or not.

it'll be interesting to see what graves tries to do, esp now that canary is def not dead and actively trying to take him down. even more, it'll be interesting to see what shepherd does in light of this new information.

so many questions and theories!!! i'm so excited to see what everyone comes up with in the time between chapters omg

thank you so much, and i hope you have an amazing day and week!! 💜

[ailendolin]

Prompt list ask: 1. Mary and Annie

Thank you for the prompt, anon 💙

List of prompts is here. Filled prompts are here, here, here and here on AO3.

Prompts are closed.

Warning: mention of child death

————

Rose

When Annie found Mary, she was in the garden among the roses. They were in full bloom; a sea of red, yellow, orange, white and pink, and Mary was sitting in the middle of its waves, her eyes unfocused and her mind very far away. It was a side of her Annie had only rarely caught glimpses of before, and every time she had, she’d found herself missing the shy smile that usually lit up Mary’s face when they were together. Today was no exception. Annie had no idea why it mattered so much to her, that smile; she just knew that it did.

She had to tread carefully, though. Mary was a gentle, sensitive soul. When she was lost in memories of times long gone, trying to cheer her up would not work, especially not by force. Annie had learned that the hard way. She’d been like a dog with a bone and only realised she’d crossed a line when Mary wordlessly got up and left her standing in the rain. Mary had refused to talk to her for a week after that – a week that had felt like a month to Annie. Rogh could barely string a sentence together and Humphrey, while pleasant enough most of the time, was just so terribly dull that she’d found herself bored out of her mind not even two days after Mary had given her the cold shoulder.

These days, Annie was more careful when she approached Mary when she was in a melancholic mood. She kept her steps deliberately light as she sat down next to her among the roses. Bees were buzzing all around them and happily humming as they went from one blossom to the next. For a breath or two, Annie sat perfectly still in their midst before she turned to Mary and carefully placed her hand on her arm to get her attention. “Mary?”

Mary blinked as if waking from a dream. “Oh. Where didst thou cometh from?”

Annie nodded at the house. “From inside. I’ve been looking all over for you. What are you doing out here?”

“Remembering,” Mary sighed softly before she turned her attention back to the roses. It took all of Annie’s willpower not to ask her what she meant. Instead, she followed Mary’s gaze to the white flower and its pink tips in front of them, wondering what her friend was seeing and silently hoping Mary would tell her. Patience was not her strong suit, not since she’d died and learned what true freedom meant. But for Mary, she was willing to wait. An eternity, if need be.

“Dids you have children?” Mary asked her softly after the silence had stretched along with the shadows the sun cast.

Annie shook her head. “No. The life I had – I did not want any children to be silenced like I’d been.”

Mary hummed in understanding. “I dids. Five babes. None lived beyond the age of three.”

Oh, Annie thought and felt her heart break quietly.

“My last child was a daughter,” Mary went on, still looking at the rose. “She was a pretty little thing, rarely cried. We called her Rose – ‘twas because she was a summer child, you see?”

“It’s a beautiful name,” Annie said softly.

Mary nodded and then, very quietly, said, “Tis her birthday today.”

“Oh Mary,” Annie whispered and wrapped an arm around her to pull her close. “Is there anything I can do?”

She felt Mary lean into her touch with a sigh that bore the weight of years of sadness. “We used to sing for our children when they were born.”

Annie could just imagine Mary and her husband gazing down at their daughter with love in their eyes as they celebrated her life. She could also imagine the underlying fear, the terror of, What if we lose her to winter and sickness like all the others? and desperately wished life had been kinder to Mary and her family.

“Let’s sing for little Rose, then,” she said with a smile that showed nothing of her own sadness she felt for her best friend. “So she knows she’s not forgotten.”

Mary gave her a grateful look, and as their voices rang out in the garden, the wind carried the melody up into the blue sky where the bright light that had once taken Rose was waiting for all of them.

[the-bad-batch-baroness]

Hello it's @clone-anon I just got your request and this sounds like an emergency Fives situation!

You sent Fives a message over comms to please come get you from the dentist's office. You didn't think you were going to need a lot of help, but after that root canal and the amount of numbing they gave you, you didn't want to go home alone, especially since it seemed to make your vision a little wonky. While Fives could be an absolute goofball, he took this very seriously. He took notes on the aftercare instructions from the dental assistant. He kept an arm around you as he walked you out of the building and took you home. Once home, he parked you on the couch.

"Does it hurt, cyar'ika?" He tucked your hair behind your ear, concern written all over his face.

You kind of nodded. "My jaw," you tried to say. He understood.

He tried to get you pain medication, but you were so numb you couldn't keep water from splashing out of your mouth.

"Okay," he said. "Let's wait until the numbing wears off a little more and try again until you can take something."

You nodded. He took his boots and armor off, having rushed from the barracks to get you. He adjusted himself on the couch and pulled you on top of him, making sure you laid on the side that would cause the least discomfort.

"Lay on me, try to rest," he said. "In a little while we'll try again. And if your eyesight doesn't get better I'm calling the dentist office back. Until then I'll be your eyes." He gently rubbed your back and you laid there in silence. You couldn't really talk, but you wanted to cry. Your jaw ached from being held open so long and you were stressed you would have to go back for a crown.

"I'm going to tell Rex I need those days off when you have to go back," he said. You looked up at him and tried to smile with the half of your face that was still partially functional. "You don't have to say anything," he said. "I want to make sure you're taken care of." He kissed the top of your head and gave your body a little squeeze.

You eventually put on a holomovie and a few hours later the swelling was down enough that you could swallow some pain pills. Fives was so gentle. Normally you had so much fun together, but it was a comfort to see him on top of all of it. He made sure that the minute you were able to eat, food was ready. He wished he could do more, but he stuck it out with you.

"Everything's gonna be okay, cyar'ika."

Clone-anon, thank you so much 🥺

This was absolutely perfect to wake up to. It's been one heck of a day, and to just be taken care of would be a dream 🥰

Please, just let me lay on his lap and be miserable while he strokes my hair 😭

Fives, my beloved 💚 He's so perfect and soft, and caring, and just, ugh. I love him 🥹

Everything is going to be okay 😌

[itchyeye]

(Avatar headcanon anon) I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on the topic too! Especially the detailed categories of fear-alignment! And I actually almost included a note on Melanie's bullet removal in my write-up but then thought I was getting too off-topic, but I 100% agree that the bullet should have just been the catalyst, not the thing keeping up the connection. But didn't Melanie have the bullet before she signed up for the Archives? I agree that this is where it kind of falls apart a little, even though I do like the idea that that's why the Slaughter couldn't have claimed her fully, because then both Daisy andMartin go and contradict that idea, because their pull to the other power was much stronger than the pull from Beholding. But in any case, I generally thought the Slaughter storyline was extremely weak, and I'm saying this as someone who initially liked Melanie. I just think she worked better as a character who dropped in from time to time with an update than part of the Archives crew.

And oh, I think I misunderstood something then, because I thought that the ritual in 160 was not the Watcher's Crown? (I think it was called The Magnus Archives by Word of God. Gerry says Elias is planning the Watcher's Crown, but he would have based that on the information he had before Elias realized all rituals were doomed to fail.) Because yeah, I definitely agree that keeping that a secret and making it a twist was great! I also figured that Jon was getting marked for some purpose, but obviously, I couldn't have guessed that it would be that. I'm still so enamored with it all, "The Chosen one is someone I chose" and that Jon just so perfectly followed the path Elias had laid out for him, and *kicking my feet and twirling my hair*.

Rereading the script for episode 160 though, I see that we do get enough details on the original Watcher's Crown. Still, I wish we could have had a little more. (This is getting on a tangent, but I still wish that after all the letters TO Jonah, we could have had one letter FROM Jonah... but written back then, since well, of course we (or rather Jon haha) very much got our letter from Jonah in that episode. I especially would have liked more details on him founding the Institute, and it's such a wasted opportunity that Jon and Martin were sent to Scotland so they could roadtrip back to London, but they don't pass the original Institute in Edinburgh?)

In any case though, thank you for letting me ramble a bit about my headcanons! I haven't had the opportunity to do that in a while, and I'm enjoying it :D

oh wait you're totally right!! she got shot in india before coming back to the archives because she wanted to give jon another statement (fan behavior) and he was kidnapped at the time, so elias gave her an employment contract you're totally right

so maybe... the bullet was an artefact that was turning her into a monster, but the contract to the institute was powerful enough to slow her transformation because she didn't get really bad until post-s3 finale.

i think this... kind of tracks with daisy? daisy was a fully realized avatar of the hunt when she signed her contract. her status as a hunter didn't change when she was doing elias' dirty work. hold on i just typed that and realized that maybe daisy never had a contract...? wasn't it that elias made basira sign a contract and that was what made daisy connected to/indebted to the institute? because she would do anything to protect basira and basira was now at elias' mercy. and then when she was inside the buried, she couldn't die because avatars can't die. she was just effectively encased in cement. BUT, going into the buried (and probably lots of other illegal cop things daisy has done way before tma-canon) would kill any normal person. she was being kept safe/alive by the hunt. when she started ignoring the hunt, she started withering away.

martin i think is sort of a special case. he was marked by the eye because of his institute contract and his experience in the archives. but then he had one of if not the most powerful avatar of the lonely molding him into his protege. (i still do. not. buy. that martin could have resisted peter's influence the way that he did unless he was a web avatar. i have to type fast because there are men chasing me down this hallway with butterfly nets but listen. listen to me. web!martin is real. web!martin was the plan from the b- [lOUD LOONEY TUNES CRASHING NOISES])

and oh my god no you are totally right!!! the watcher's crown was the name of the old ritual. and yes there is a discord message somewhere where jonny says that the new ritual would be more appropriately termed the magnus archives, since of course, the whole of the podcast is the ritual :.) i forgot about that, i've just been calling the ritual elias invented with jon the watcher's crown this whole time.

ok then i'll pivot and say i would LOVE to know more about the original watcher's crown. we know the gist of it from smirke's letter and from peter's summary but i would have loved a full episode dedicated to it like we got for the dutch unknowing.

kicking my feet and twirling my hair WITH YOU this is SO ROMANTIC <3 literally they made each other gods. the chosen one was just that, someone i chose. i'm writhing on the floor!!!!!!!

and god a letter from jonah back to his correspondents, dreamy sigh. it would make sense that jonah wouldn't have his own letters, of course. and i love love love love that he is a hoarder and keeps all his own correspondence (i've written about why this is another reason he wouldn't be a good archivist) but ooooo i would love an episode of jonah, young jonah in his original body, still discovering the fears, before he'd built his institute, before he'd become an avatar.... (assuming it would be a good episode and jonny would do him justice because this is my dream world and i can set my standards however i want them)

you are so welcome! this has been very interesting, thank you for sharing your head canons with me and for tolerating my ridiculously long responses. :) if you ever feel like telling me more about them, my ask box is always here to welcome you.

[gwyns]

you can hurt, too. your pain isn't a burden" what series is that? <3

why, i'm so glad you asked, anon! i hope you're ready for a somewhat ramble filled post

short answer: it's the briar sisters trilogy by the lovely carly h. mannon. there's currently two books out, with the third slated for release in january!

long, fangirl inspired answer: it's one of my favorite series ever. like, no joke

i read the first book earlier this year before the second released, devoured it, cried during it and it healed some part of me. then, the sequel released and i, again, devoured it, cried during it and it healed another part of me

i have never related more to characters than i do nicole and misha, but especially nicole. i've seen many people over the years talk about how much they relate to nesta and that's why she's their favorite character ever. i finally get that now with nicole, not that i can't relate to nesta (i do, very much), but it's different here because nicole feels and sees and expresses things exactly the way i do. it's such a comfort to find yourself in a character like this

i'll try to keep it short but i wanted to showcase some of the quotes that made me full on bawl during my read because, that's me

i can't explain to you how many times i've kept myself together simply because i felt like if i didn't, i'd never be the same again. i wouldn't know how to put myself back together, to feel some semblance of the person i was before

this seems like such a simple thing, especially since we've seen many characters in sjm's books feel unworthy, but to have it put in this perspective? it made me feel less alone. i do feel unworthy, but in a way i don't see many people talk about openly. i'm not even worthy of being seen as an option for love, not even a flitting thought through someone's head. it feels silly typing it out but... this meant a lot to me

and here's the quote you inquired about. reading this genuinely did something to me... i wish someone had said this to me many years ago. i don't want to get into my upbringing or anything but there have been many times where i've kept my hurt quiet so i wouldn't burden my parents. it's a very exhausting way to live

again, i don't want to get too into my personal life but for those who do know, somewhat, this... hit too hard. too close. it's still a lingering fear of mine i have to try and combat. in fact, i'm doing it right now and only mildly succeeding

and to end my too long list of quotes, here's some misha ones (please excuse how different this screenshot looks, i had to take it on my computer instead of my phone, like the previous ones). another constant fear of mine, being too much to handle and making the person i love most in the world hate and resent me for it. to become a burden to him, too. it's a terrible feeling and i wouldn't wish it on anyone lol

i'm going to shut up now but genuinely if you've been looking for something to help scratch that acotar itch while waiting for book news, this series is the closest thing i've found to it. it has fairytale elements, namely snow white and sleeping beauty, fated mates, dislike to lovers trope, betrayal, an interesting world and lore just... please read them. and, you know, tag me in any and all posts because i have brainrot

[winderlylandchime]

Hello again, i hope you had and continue to have a lovely weekend :)

Honestly, I forgot so many of S5 storylines since I think I’ve only watched this season twice. And when I do watch it it’s just the last couple episodes minus the finale. I mean I even forgot Ted’s makeover/plastic surgery storyline. So I was just as surprised as my brother was. That I don’t forget: He is hating Eli and Monty so much its funny and I already know he’s going to hate them even more. He also really can’t stand Ben and Michael this season.

And he kept mentioning throughout the episodes how bad Lindsay’s hair is. I wonder what he’s gonna think about Brian’s later on, he will obviously continue crushing on him but i wonder if he’ll have any feelings about it.

I’m glad to know I’m not the only one that wishes Emmett and Brian had more of a friendship/bromance. I love Ted and Brian so much but Em would be perfect with Brian. Especially since their personalities are so different. And yes, he really is gay for Gale/Brian, there were way more ‘he’s pretty/hot/wow look at him’ but i decided to skip them because it would be 16 parts long and half of it would be about Brian being pretty. I can’t wait for him to “meet” Gale and to see his realization about how dorky Gale is irl. I wonder how his crush will go from there.

AND YES! My mom did watch Queer Eye thinking it was this show. Dad still teases her about it because apparently she walked into the kitchen when she watched it and went ‘i thought (brothers name) said they fuck in here? So far it’s just clothes and avocado toast’ maybe i should tell her they did a QE storyline. My brother has watched it religiously since it came out (the new version) but he just never shared that with anyone. Which was weird to me since he shares everything else, that a normal person would keep to themselves, with literally anyone that he meets.

As for the meta post. I really, really, really hope that one day he goes insane about Brian like this. I just know he is thinking way too many thoughts about him. Our whole entire family has passed the video back and forth and the amount of family members that contacted me to ask what is he talking about is ridiculous. Even our mom thought the video was funny because of how he was pacing around and kept talking like he was on 6 different drugs.

Btw if you ever wondered, how many times is too many times to listen to Sandstorm in a row? The answer is 27 times. I had to threaten him to stop so what did he do? He left the house and went to the neighbor (i feel bad for her cause he just adopted her as an ally to his everyday nonsense) AND HE MADE HER PUT ON THE SONG because i can’t do shit about it. And all he did was sat on her yard and held a middle finger up towards my yard (we share a fence) while talking to the neighbor about Gale on Criminal Minds and how he thinks maybe he could show up in later episodes since he’s the ex husband. So once again: grown man for sale if anyone wants him.

Hello dear sweet anon!

I always forget Ted’s make over too. Sorry, Ted. I love Brian and Emmett because I see Emmett as the more femme version of Brian. He has lots of sex with lots of people, dresses fabulously, and is career driven. So similar!

I’m surprised that your brother has not discussed QE at length with you. He seems to discuss everything else. But I’m LOLing at your mother “it’s just clothes and avocado toast” … which it is.

I am very excited for any meta about Brian or Britin he comes up with! He’s going to do numbers here on tumblr.

HE NEEDS TO STOP LISTENING TO SANDSTORM. IT IS TOO MUCH.

Thank you so much for these updates anon. I hope your week starts easily and your Monday goes by quickly!

[leviiattacks]

May I request a Levi x Reader angst fic? Just barely any fluff, mostly angst going on lol. The reader is a traitor, formaly working for Marley, but betraying them in secret and putting their loyalty on Paradis. The reader is also a shifter and married to Levi for a couple of years. That love and care however is gone once readers identity is found. He truly despises them, insults them, maybe a bit violent with them, and outright tells them that they mean nothing to him anymore and hate them to bits. Readers punishment is to hand over her titan to Erwin, and they agree instantly, broken over everything, believing its all their fault. Once Erwin inherits Readers titan, he breaks down and screams, crying, because Reader was innocent the whole time. They never betrayed Paradis. Never killed anyone, never harmed anyone. They finaly know why they betrayed Marley, the abuse being to much for them, enough to just leave them behind for Paradis. Just... loving and caring as they all saw them. But now the damage is done. They wont come back, they're dead, believing that they died, hated and despised, with no one to mourn their death. Everyone regrets everything.

author note :: i was thinking of leaving this in my drafts but i already wrote it and may as well post it. it didn’t end up going the way i hoped but yeah i hope it’s ok anon. anyways ANGST. ANGST, ANGST. as always i love feed back :-) ⟹ all of the headings with the years are just meant to mean it’s a different moment from that year so those moments don’t happen right after each other i hope that makes sense!! word count :: 7.2k warnings :: canon typical violence, death

845, i.

Everything is falling in place when it shouldn't.

Sun never makes itself known in Liberio yet here it is shining down onto the bustling streets. You half expect for it to crash down and burn into the hundreds of civilians going about their daily business yet nothing of the sort happens. It's typical sunlight and you curse yourself silently for your sinister thoughts.

Secretly the voice at the back of your mind still whispers frantically but you don't wish to hear what it has to say. Instead you choose to drown it out with the sound of Zeke's voice. Finally deciding to pay attention to what it is he's been droning on about for the past ten minutes.

"Soon, soon, soon." He sighs dreamily looking a little delirious.

"Soon?"

Your question catches him off guard, he lightly shoves you with his elbow scoffing in annoyance.

"Did you sit here to not even listen to me?" He turns to take a sip of whisky and the hearty gulp he chugs shows his mild irritation. You assume he's been rambling on about Marley's plan to infiltrate Paradis. You have to admit that the idea of destroying those demons from the inside is amazingly well thought out. However it's all he's been able to discuss for the entire week now and frankly you're getting a little exhausted of it.

"I zoned out..." Quietly placing your glass back down onto the wooden counter you sigh closing your eyes. It's too early to be drinking and you don't trust Zeke enough to slip into ignorance and leave yourself vulnerable. Men are to not be trusted, especially Eldian men. The thought of Eldians triggers your flight of fight response, you want to shrivel up into a cocoon and never come out until the world is rid of the monsters. The lowest of the low, the dirt in between the crevices of Marleyan soldier's boots. That is what Eldian's are.

It's ironic coming from you, your entire family labelled as undesirable Eldians yourself but you, you know you're different. An honorary Marleyan is what you will become. What you are. The treacherous imps who are but an ocean away are the true evil.

Eyes flicking to Zeke he's lighting a cigar. Old habits die hard and he's yet to quit this self destructive custom of his. You couldn't care less if he chooses to cut his lifespan short by ten years, it's his own choice to make. A disgusting cowardly choice but it's a choice fit for an untamed man like him.

The Island Devils are said to be the bad apples but you can't help but stare at your fellow citizens from time to time and wonder what it is they could be hiding. If a demon slipped through the cracks you wouldn't be surprised. Sly in nature, persuasive in tone, that is how devils go about their daily lives alone The hymns they drilled into you all the way through elementary school echo and rebound in your mind.

Locking your bitter thoughts away you have to push yourself to not punt Zeke in the mouth when he teasingly blows a puff of hot smoke into your face.

Fingertips grazing with his he freezes at the sudden contact giving you the perfect opportunity to slip his cigar away and take it in between your lips. You allow for it to linger there but you aren't foolish enough to inhale its contents.

"Zeke, my dear friend. We shall soon be met with the fruits of our own labour but I assure you that discussing Marley's plan constantly will be of no benefit for you nor I."

The day you and Zeke had met had been at warrior training camp. Zeke was a miserable, unmotivated oaf. Always tripping and falling behind the rest of the warrior cadets. You felt rather bad for him, if you were born as unskilled as him you don't know what you would have made of yourself. Zeke, the only child of his parents ironically only ever ended up rising through the ranks after handing them over to the Marleyan government. His father and mother had been conspiring an escape plan but were executed immediately alongside their fellow team members once Zeke had outted them. Unexpectedly he was spared, the fact he turned on his own parents showed where his loyalties were. To his surprise, he was even allowed to continue his training with the other warriors - only this time everyone kept an increased distance away from him. The warriors weren't informed of what he had actually done but everyone had a gut feeling. Everyone apart from you stuck with that feeling. You thought strategically, If he were to become an enemy in the future you knew being close would come at your advantage.

The day you and Zeke had met your mother died, his mother passed away the same day. At least that's what he had told you.

The two of you bonded over the little things, told each other stories about your life at home. Reminisced about what it was you missed.

Then it all came crashing down the day Zeke confessed. The day he told you he killed his mother and father by handing them over to Marley. Your knees buckled underneath you, crashing the floor he tried to grab at you but you thrashed around in retaliation kicking and screaming not understanding why he did what he did. Yes, they were traitors but they were his parents and if the monster had the nerve to turn on the people who gave birth to him who's to say he wouldn't do the same to you or to Marley.

Zeke doesn't know it but ever since then you take the opportunity to sneak the occasional glance at him. Every single time you narrow your eyes in malice. If there's a man in Liberio who you don't trust in the slightest it's him, he must think the feud between the two of you from childhood has been put at rest but it hasn't.

Zeke takes another swig of his alcohol. On this occasion he downs it entirely slamming the glass down with vigour.

"ONE MORE GLASS BARTENDER!"

846, i.

Another day of extensive training is about to end, your back is layered in uncomfortable layers of sweat and the same can be said for your forehead. Kneeling down in the under layer of the forest you're hidden waiting to strike. Going up against the elites is nerve-wracking but you're sure you can pull it off so long as you stay calm during this game of hunters against prey.

It's simple enough if you can conceal yourself and stay out of sight. The robust trees that surround you act as decent enough camouflage and your green cape paired with them lets you veil yourself, keeping you further into the foreground, blending into the environment.

No one will be able to catch you if they can't see you.

All of a sudden your previous thoughts are thrown away when you sense something in the atmosphere has changed, the hissing of the wind behind you isn't natural.

Turning to your side you don't bother to cover up the sound of leaves rustling and branches cracking, your priority is slipping away fast enough to hide again, a tug can be felt at your cloak and your reaction time barely covers for you, your gear fastens itself to a low enough tree branch and the descent is mind numbing. Your breakfast churns in your stomach but you ignore the uneasy feeling, leaping and diving wherever you find a small enough gap. You believe you can outrun your huntsman.

That is until you sneak a glance back and your muscles nearly tense up in pure astonishment, you've been kicked in the teeth just by the man's presence. Captain, Levi slinks behind you weaving through the gaps with increasing speed, he's gaining momentum and all the while his face stays relaxed, this isn't even his full effort.

Terrified you dart upwards and then left, a corner comes into view - Levi should assume you've turned into it and so you rashly choose to dart back down. Much to your hard luck you find that his senses are well adapted, the direction of the wind is enough for him to trace your whereabouts.

The pursuit resumes, and he stays disturbingly relentless.

Arm shooting to the right you think perhaps making it look like you're aiming to fly somewhere else again will completely catch him off guard, he can't expect for you to pull the same trick twice.

Setting your plan into motion your finger pulls at the trigger but you startle when the cable doesn't come out, it's jammed. Panic seeps into you and to make matters worse your gas is running out.

Without warning you're thrust into the body of a nearby tree, the bark scrapes against you and scratches begin to form anywhere you've made contact with the jagged surface, you want to admit defeat but the warrior inside of you denies Levi the pleasure of seeing you beg. In its place you deliver a harsh kick to his thigh, you're aware he's injured it and you're certain there are no rules to say you can't play dirty. Your boots hammer against leg hard enough for him to give out and let go of your body, but then you realize you lost this game from the very moment your grapple hooks broke, you have nowhere to hold onto.

Before you can even let out a shriek of horror Levi's shot back to you, he frantically accelerates and by a miracle humanity's strongest is able to grab a hold of you again. This time you don't dig your heels into his leg and you allow for him to clutch you by the torso.

Within a minute the two of you descend towards the forest floor and Levi throws you into the dirt furiously.

"You could have died. Being foolhardy will only lead to an early death." He barks as he directs his blade towards your neck.

"Am I dead yet?" Whispering back your gaze isn't trained on the blade but right up at him.

His nostrils flare up, his hair sticks to his forehead haphazardly and the knuckles that hold his pointed blades are white in tangled dissatisfaction.

Grabbing you by the hips he flings you over his shoulder choosing to not continue with the confrontation.

"I know what you're up to." His voice is still rugged from the pursuit and it takes you a split second to register what he's said.

Your eyes widen and your breath hitches in your throat, no way, there's no way in hell he knows. He's sharp but he's not a mind reader.

Your position means he can't read your face seeing as you're facing his back, instantly steeling your features you let out a breathy laugh.

"And what may that be?" Silently you pray he's worded himself ambiguously to catch a slip up.

"Being gutsy, you think that makes you a good soldier. It doesn't."

Relief floods you. He doesn't know.

"Soldiers need to be brave." Your retort makes him grumble.

"If  you die with no meaning by being reckless what's the purpose of being a soldier?" His question has you stopping and thinking on what the correct answer is.

Unable to think of an answer you ask another question.

"Are you saying your previous comrades died without meaning?"

"No. Their deaths fueled me slay more titans."

"So if I died back there who wou-" He swiftly cuts you off showing no inclination of wanting to hear what it is you have to say.

"I'll cut your tongue off if it's stupid." He clearly isn't serious about the threat but he does mean it when he warns you to not overstep.

Despite the consequences you say what's on your mind. "I just wanted to ask who would give my life meaning if I ever died. I don't have siblings and my parents died long ago."

Silence follows and the crunch of his boots against the muddy leaves tells you he probably doesn't wish to answer your question.

"Sorry-"

"I would. I would give meaning to your life." He says it with such ease you almost want to admire the enemy but you know he's said it because he feels he has to.

"You barely know me but I hope one day you can stop thinking everyone has to rely on you." You say it with taunting understanding.

Another bout of silence follows. Only this time the two of you feel warmly comforted, he doesn't understand how you've seen through his facade but it's easy for you to spot another liar.

846, ii.

Brows drawn back you observe your surroundings attempting to mask your scrutiny. The place is running amok with uncontrollable Eldian folk. The stench of unadulterated sin makes itself known but you seem to be the only person able to smell it. Eren bumps against the table you're sat at and your face twitches a little but you say nothing. You're yet to get used to these people's lack of manners.

At least that's how you force yourself to think. To be truthful, you don't quite understand what it is these people have done wrong. Ever since you've arrived you've been nitpicking at every single minor inconvenience or possible issue. A girl stole a potato and broke it into uneven pieces to share and you attempted to twist the story in your head to make her look like an unfair, greedy voracious demon but... you found yourself finding very little to actually be angry at. These people are essentially normal in every way of the word, they aren't demons and you can't help but feel yourself slip away from everything you once knew as reality. You're finding it difficult to believe what years of Marleyan education taught you, the hymns that were once drilled into your brain permanently are but a vague memory.

You feel disgustingly under-dressed and out of place, you don't belong here not when you're meant to hate these people, not when you're meant to despise them. You should be fighting the urge to shove their heads onto pitchforks or to skin them alive and feed them to pigs. Everyone back in Marley told you to control your impulses but now you're here and you've settled down even having the opportunity to converse with these individuals, share their pain, share their loss, share their suffering, you wonder why you have no impulses to control. Have they brainwashed you? Or is it that you're the real demon in this situation?

Fingers mingling with each other on your lap you sit hopelessly alone. Interacting with the so called enemy is much harder than you expect. Worry consistently bubbles in the pit of your stomach and every night is spent tossing and turning evaluating then reevaluating who the bad guy really is. At first the task of daily interaction isn't a big deal, you find it easy enough to approach members of the team and fake interest in their lives until the original plan falls through. You do become invested in your team members lives and stories that it comes to the point where you don't have to force yourself to smile at their jokes or to sympathize with their tales of grief. You become one of them and you swear you're meant to feel like a traitor but eerily you feel like you belong.

Nevertheless you try your best to stick with what you know. You're nothing like Zeke, you're loyal, capable, faithful and trustworthy. Never will you turn your back on Marley.

Rising to excuse yourself from dinner you think you've just about made it and escaped finally able to hide away in the confines of your bedroom but your lips form into a straight uncomfortable line at the feeling of someone's hand latching at your wrist. You're halfway down the hallway just a few more steps away from your bedroom. You hope it's one of the rookies.

"Oi, come here."

Head shooting backwards your eyes land on Levi, his dark curtains fall in front of his eyes - you note that he hasn't trimmed them as he usually does. Despite his size his grip is firm and your wrist squirms around a little trying to manoeuvre out of his bruising grasp. He seems to notice he's underestimated his strength once again and loosens his hold on you. Narrowed eyes analyse your anxious form, they're grey and in this lighting almost glow appearing silver. For a brief second your mouth is left ajar by the delicate but rough manner of his face.

"Everything Okay?" He doesn't typically seem to care very much about anyone, the question activates your senses and you're on full alert but the eye contact you make with him seconds later slows down the gears in your mind, they only whir and hum in anticipation completely coming to a halt.

"Yes, yes everything is okay." You're playing around with the hem of your shirt and you silently question when you were ever this nervous around anyone. You're a Marleyan soldier for heaven's sake not an unrestrained, unsupervised child left to play in a park.

Despite your clear inability to cushion and shield yourself from your Levi's stabbing gaze you attempt to appear as nonchalant as possible.

"I'll be going I just feel a little —" At first you had thought to fake you were ill but at the feeling of a sudden strike of pain you hold onto your stomach, the ache burns into your abdomen and without permission it travels higher up towards your ribs. "A little unwell." You manage to wheeze out. Hand placed onto a nearby cement wall your thought process is hasty speeding up by the second. Have they figured you out and had you poisoned? No, you barely ate anything today.

You hunch over feeling the bile crawl up your throat, on reflex you clamp your eyes shut not wishing to anger a superior by acting insolent and disposing of your dinner in the hallway. Shaky palms reach hesitantly for your lips and you force yourself to keep it in. Levi would commit a murder if you heaved and gagged letting it all out in front of him.

You motion towards the door trying to emphasize that you can handle yourself in the privacy of your room. Tears bite at the sides of your eyes and your vision is so blurred you can only make out the faint outline of the man who was just in front of you.

"Relax. I'll clean it." Your hair is brushed away from your face securely held back and you can't hold it in any longer, the acrid storm surges through your throat, you retch at the harsh sting it leaves behind. Breathing heavy, perturbed and anxious you gasp in all the air you can get.

"I knew you looked ill." His hands hold your jaw gently, the pads of his fingers are calloused but his touch remains soft. A tissue dabs at your mouth wiping away the excess untouched sick.

Just like the sick which surged through you less than a minute ago you feel something else entirely tear into you. You can't put a finger on it but it's dangerous for you to not feel contempt.

847, i.

Your heart accepts what your mind has been ignoring for months on end when Levi looks you square in the eyes after a heart wrenching expedition. The vacant look on his face is enough for the guilt to consume you whole but he doesn't know that. He doesn't know of your sins.

The wagon of corpses reeks of death and desperation. It's rotten and the smell is sickening. Forcibly you  stop yourself from feeling any more grief. The despair isn't yours to go through.

Your first ever personal loss outside of the walls and you've learnt Paradis is not home to demons. Cheeks burning in mortification you can't formulate any thoughts on your own accord, instead they continuously emerge in bursts and finally a single thought sticks out from the rest - Are you aiding in the destruction of innocent human life?

The both of you are sat on guard duty with the corpses, half of the team has been wiped out in one sweep. Your trembling hands don't seem to want to steady any time soon and you sit there with your guilty conscience strangling you slowly, your airflow is getting shallower. Shorter, quicker breaths leave you. The imaginary gash in your chest is bottomless, and your lungs push and pull in a power struggle.

Levi's coarse hands abruptly hold onto yours and the floodgates open again, he doesn't know what you've done to him, done to his soldiers, done to his people. If he knew who you really were, would things be different?

"This was out of your control."

Do you tell him?

The question sits in your mind for a while until you shake your head. He takes it the wrong way and think you're responding to him.

"This was not your fault." For the first time in months you've heard his voice crack under pressure.

"Pe- Petra she- I could have taken one for the team and died instead of her." All that remains of your dear friend is her blood soaked cloak. Her body was one of the few that had to be hauled away earlier to decrease the carriage's load.

The fabric still smells of Petra, smells of honey and chamomile and the simple soap offered at the base, but it still smells of her.

Firm hands grab your shoulders and Levi's fingers dig sorely into your flesh.

"Don't."

"But I- I didn't contribute as much as her and she has family who are alive." Hiccuping you try to bare with the fact that you'll wake up tomorrow and not see her preparing breakfast for everyone else. You know you could have propelled her out of the way just in time if you hadn't been so taken aback by the entire situation.

"You were her comrade. She made the choice to die for you."

You want to reach out, sob into his chest and yell that you regret it all, scream and tell him about the secret you've been hiding. A sorry excuse of a comrade you are to let her die on the battlefield not knowing your true identity. The tears roll down your cheeks and Levi feels his heart constrict and squeeze as he comprehends the lack of regard you have for your life. "It should have been me." Is repeated over and over again, your eyes are raw and bloodshot, the vicious wind sinks its teeth into you.

"Then die."

"If you're willing for her life to have no meaning. Die." The words he spits out are as cutting as the bitter wind. He feels cheated and you're finally able to come to your senses.

He's faired much worse but you doubt he's ever acted out the way you have in front of another person. In this never-ending void of darkness locking away the dull ache caused by deafening loss is the best choice for everyone.

Much like the night you had been sick he takes a grip of your jaw and directs your face towards his, this time he's not as gentle as before but you conclude that it's because he's drained, completely exhausted from the battle. The eyes are the windows to the soul but Levi's window panes are shattered, completely crushed by the weight of the constant burden he has to carry.

"I'm sorry." You croak out the apology. He grits his teeth because he doesn't want you to apologize but he doesn't voice out his opinion. As a substitute he presses his arms against you, the terribly raw panic is murdering you. Levi's gruff voice is a mixture of faux irritation but mutual understanding.

"Cry." He allows for your head to loll against his shoulder.

As the dark envelopes both you and him the scent of the dead only becomes more and more pungent, recalling fond memories of Petra and the others you know your heart settles on a decision before your mind does. You're a two timing back stabbing traitor for this. What you hated Zeke for you have become yourself.

Disloyal, unfaithful and fickle.

That day you place your loyalties with Paradis.

847, ii.

Levi's wiping down one of the kitchen tables, you're kneeled on the floor scrubbing vigorously. The others have already given up, panting they've left using the excuse of fetching water from a nearby well. Your back aches but you find cleaning reassuring and somewhat of a decent distraction.

"Why do you like to clean?" You're used to Levi asking you abrupt questions by now, after all the two of you have been acquainted for well over a year now. Through that year he's learnt about you and you about him. When in the midst of what looks to be humanity's final year's, twelve simple months is enough to form a bond worth a decade.

"I'm not good at a lot but I am good at cleaning."

"You know that's not true idiot." The tone of his voice indicates that your answer doesn't please him.

"But I do think I'm good at cleaning? Maybe not as good as you but I am half decent."

"Not that. You're good at much more than half the people I've ever met." He sneers, his footsteps edge towards you. "Purely being a good person is a talent these days."

You suppress a flinch because you aren't a good person at all. Neither are you that middle ground between good and bad. Rough around the edges and uneven, you're shards of glass ready to slash and hack away at him if Marley somehow lures you back.

The confession, if you could even call it that catches you by surprise and anger fills you. You almost want for him to not trust you and call out your bluff. It's a little unnatural how badly you want for him to realize the truth.

Your head turns up to stare at the man who's a few steps away from you. "Or am I just good at acting genuine?"

You don't even mean to snap at him and you don't even realize you have until you see his eyes widen and mouth part in imperceptible surprise. Biting your tongue your attention is diverted back to the wooden floor. Driving your washcloth into the crevices and dips of the floorboards you ignore Levi's leather shoes which now stand right in front of you.

"Are you questioning my judgement of character?"

Be born in Marley, That's what you had done, trained to destroy people you thought to be devilish entities, foolishly chose to grow attached to the so called enemy. Your mind lingers onto a specific thought and you're deathly afraid to be thinking it in the first place but there's no more avoiding it.

Falling deeply in love with Levi is your worst mistake to date.

"What I did. It was out of my control." you reply, voice hard.

"Not disclosing what it was?" He asks.

Your silence is his answer. Kneeling down to where you are he disarms you, the washcloth is taken out of your hands and he places it onto a table.

"You are a good person." His voice is brusque and he states it like it's a fact, something you should know. Hot tears threaten to spill over, he's stupidly naive for not rethinking that opinion of his. Lips thinned and eyes watering you don't know how to feel.

"Levi. I'm sure you'd like to think that but I am not."

"You love the members of the corps unconditionally I can see it in the way you look at them."

"Sometimes you look a little sad when you stare." The last sentence he adds in has your pulse racing. He's right, you often feel miserable thinking about how everyone would react knowing who you really are.

"I'm not interested in bad people." He sounds distant saying such warm words and it takes a moment for them to actually sink in. You don't quite believe you've heard him correctly. The dread sinks to the bottom of your stomach and the feelings you've buried at the back of your mind hit you like a tsunami. The thought of him feeling the same way for you, is agonizing.

"Stop being ridiculous." The uncertainty is killing the both of you.

"Loving you is not ridiculous, if you don't feel the same way you can say that and I'll step away. We'll be back to normal."

"No, no, no. You don't get it. You're just saying that." Your voice quivers and the intensity of this new revelation is too large for you to cope with.

"Why would, you," He begins, voice just above a whisper, "ever think that way?"

"Why would you even look twice at me?" You reply.

"Because I worry for you."

"You worry for everyone."

"I worry for you the most."

Instead of letting you respond to him this time he carries on speaking.

"We both know we feel the same."

You already knew you were in love with Levi, you didn’t need for him to tell you. You knew you were in love when you tried to memorize his facial features, you knew you were in love when his laughter was the cause of your laughter, you knew you were in love when you threw yourself in front of that abnormal for him.

That's when you begin to understand what all his signals meant. You now knew why he'd let you stare so intently, you now knew why he laughed particularly hard when it was you who had made a joke, you now knew why he scolded you and nearly broke down at the sight of your injured arm after that specific expedition.

You know it. He knows it. You both know what this will lead to.

But you still lunge onto his lap, you still press your wobbly lips against his. You still choose to surrender yourself to him and he still reacts by taking a hold of your shaky hands which lay on his chest. He envelopes them in his warm grasp. Slowly but gradually the ice thaws and dissolves. Heartbreak, anguish and suffering when one of you loses the other will be the end of your romance, you're sure of it. Hell, the both of you are in the middle of a war but your heart flames up thinking of all of the possibilities.

Perhaps it'll play out the one way you wish for it not to.

Could your ending be in betrayal?

848, i.

"Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded hus-"

"Cut the crap and kiss me." Levi's crude interruption isn't appreciated by Erwin but everyone knows Levi doesn't care all that much for formalities and hates being in the spotlight for too long.

Gripping him by the collar of his suit your lips are a centimetre away, he stops you tightening the hold he has on your waist. His lips gently press against your collarbone and his breath meanders towards the shell of your ear.

"Swear you won't die on me."

Gulping you look away apprehensively. You know you can't promise that.

“Oi, I’m expecting an answer.” His voice flickers slightly.

Forefinger holding your chin up you see your soon to be husband close to tears, he valiantly blinks them away. Levi has never been one to make his pain public and your heart twists in your chest as you realize just how much of a hold his feelings for you have over him.

"I can't promise that, you know it'll only hurt more." The strange bitter taste in your mouth won't let you comply with his request and by measuring his reaction you see his eyes cloud in an unidentifiable emotion, you're sure it's nothing positive.

"We may not have a happy ending Levi but we'll always have a happy middle."

Levi scoffs in derision, he has to think your attempt at being meaningful is ridiculous.

You lean into him and it's all so heart-wrenchingly familiar yet foreign. His body sags comprehending that not everything will go the way he wants it to. One of you is guaranteed to leave first.

Hands finding purchase in the cloth of his white dress shirt Levi doesn't cringe at you creasing the fabric as he usually does. He allows for you to call the shots this time, your lips brush faintly against his before you nosedive into him. No resistance is felt and he replies almost immediately. Everyone applauds as his fingertips press into the back of your skull and you find that this is all incredibly hideous. The innate disloyalty you feel, you throwing your entire life away for this man but you find yourself not caring. To hell with that miserable life crammed with sin.

Levi smiles against your mouth, you assume you're meant to magically smile back but you can't make yourself. It's uncomfortable relishing in the undeserved happiness knowing it won't last forever.

The world you live in isn't ideal nor is it forgiving.

Momentary joy is all an antagonist can hope for.

849, i.

Jean can’t take his eyes off the newly weds.

You’re cooing into your Levi’s ear gently, his cheeks flush scarlet at the feeling of your hot breath against his skin and he scolds you for having the gall to rile him up in public.

Jean sniggers finding some sort of odd delight from the interaction - he’s never seen the Captain this content and at ease.

849, ii.

You don't know why you've dragged yourself out of bed just to stare at your husband's face but you have, despite the toll life has had on him he seems sound for once. His breathing peaceful yours is anything but that. When it's dark the weight becomes heavier, your skin tingles and your throat burns aching for release.

Eyes blurring your hands shake reaching out for him but you can't find the courage to make contact. Nothing will ever warrant plaguing him even more with your existence.

The memories become increasingly bitter.

"If we make it out of this alive we'll have children and they'll look just like you."

"I want them to look like you." had been your reply.

Levi winced not seeming to like the idea.

"No, I want them to look like you. You're beautiful."

How wrong he was for thinking that.

You, beautiful? He'd stab himself ten times over if he knew just who exactly he had said those words to.

850, i.

Zeke had betrayed you after finding out who you were to Levi but you half expected that he would tell him the truth at some point regardless of that fact.

Tear stains travel through the mud and grime on your face, Levi's eyes are indifferent as he twists his wedding ring off his finger flinging it into the surrounding rubble.

Without your permission he yanks your arm forwards intending to take your matching ring away but you hold on digging your heels into the dirt beneath you.

"You disgusting bitch. Give me it."

You scream, high and awful, he continues jerking at your arm the muscle throbs crying out for him to stop but he doesn't and no one steps in to put a halt to any of it. Levi having had enough grabs at your neck ruthlessly. In any other circumstance he'd be labelled callous or cruel but everyone on the battle field shares a similar empathy for their Captain. Neither they or Levi had expected your disloyalty.

"I said give me the ring if you know what's good for you." His fingers slide around your neck, his seemingly low words cling onto the little respect he has left for you.

"No." Your defiance has his eyes hardening in and posture tensing. "I'm not handing it over."

Levi says nothing, he only holds onto your throat tighter, if he really keeps at  it your windpipe will be crushed in no time. You know he's holding out on purpose, he's still giving you a chance. He expects for you to stand your ground, say you never deceived Paradis, say something, anything to make him let go of you.  

"Marrying you... It just happened somehow. I know it was selfish of me." He squeezes harder. "I know it was. I'm sorry Levi." Gasping and breathless you clench and unclench your fists finding it too difficult to explain.

Your mouth opens, you want to tell him you haven't seduced him like he thinks you have, tell him you dropped that plan of yours long ago but then you falter at the last second.  It's typically hard to tell when Erwin's infuriated but it's painfully obvious when you make eye contact with him over Levi's trembling shoulders. It's enough to tell you to give up. Enough to tell you that you're beyond redemption, you've ran and hid long enough.

"Hand over your titan." Levi says nothing to Erwin's proposition, the hold he has on your neck loosens but his silence is sickening. It means he agrees.

This is fate's idea of a cruel joke.

But you agree, on the basis of one condition.

"Fine but-"

Levi cuts in, all regard for you devoid from his system.

"You're in no place to be making demands." He snarls, his patience quickly running thin.

However Erwin urges you to continue speaking taking you aback.

"If it's not too much maybe we can accommodate your final wish." Erwin had always been thoughtful in nature and you thank him for even bothering to show you a sliver of benevolence.

Everyone's looking, all eyes are on you. Some are blinking away tears, others are disgusted unable to stare at you for more than a few seconds at a time. Levi falls into the latter.

Brazen with not an ounce of shame you mention the ring again. "Let me keep it." Your left hand covers your right and underneath the flesh is the last symbol left of your union with Levi.

Whispers and murmurs orbit you, none of them are kind and Levi loses it.

His reflexes are paralyzing, he's back at it clawing your neck mercilessly but you don't scream or shriek as you did previously. You take it, you let him unload his frustration.

"Levi. Let it go for the sake of humanity." Erwin says pointedly. Irritation pricks him, he wants this over and done with and your rebelliousness doesn't look as if it'll be tamed any time soon unless you're given what you want.

Levi's face is crimson, the fresh blood from the expedition still steaming. "Y/N, I'll saw your arm off if I have to." But, you know he's already given into Erwin's orders when he throws you to the ground letting you crash and wheeze for breath.

850, ii.

Levi's been appointed to guard you for your final night alive. The room feels wistful as you think back wondering if the life you lived was respectable.

"Why did you stare at me when I slept? Did you think of killing me?" Half commanding and half pleading his voice cracks. He coughs attempting to cover it up.

You jolt not expecting the interaction at all and you're not the slightest bit surprised that he had seen you all those nights staring so deeply. He'd always been a light sleeper. You turn your head up hoping he's looking at you.

He isn't.

"I wanted our children to look like you. I think you're beautiful."

It's now his turn to recoil, only he does so in repulsion remembering the familiarity of those words. They had left his own lips not too long ago.

"I'd never have children with the likes of you." He sounds tense then.

You understand. No one would want to have children with someone as hated and as despicable as you.

"I know." You whisper faintly.

850, iii.

When Erwin's eyes glaze over unable to focus on anything in particular Levi assumes it's him growing used to the titan powers. What he doesn't expect is for his Commander to bang his head against the floor unrelenting screaming your name.

Pairs of hands move to stop him but he thrusts them aside wailing. Levi stresses trying to figure out what it is you could have done in the wake of your death.

But Erwin Smith. Courageous, brave Erwin Smith, who never cracked at loss of life for the sake of humanity, who always eloquently spoke to everyone around him at all times, finds himself slumping down to his knees and weeping for you.

The warm blood from his self inflicted assault still trickles down his nose, a tremor shakes through his entire body when he thinks of breaking the news to Levi.

The edge in Erwin’s voice grows dangerous.

"We made the wrong choice."

Erwin can't word it any better than that.

But Levi understands right away, he wishes he didn’t, he wishes he was ignorant enough not to.

Hange sticks an arm out aiming for his shoulder but he stumbles away nearly falling back into the floor not wanting to be touched by anyone.

He finds that he is not human enough to cry. It’s that or he’s not human at all without your presence.

854, i.

Levi has grown old without you, lived to see months and new seasons without you by his side. Over time his eyelids have become heavier, the corners of his mouth naturally droop and he remains perpetually somber.

Sometimes you visit him in his dreams, each time you make a silly comment about how his grey eye bags make him look like he’s been punched in the face. “Levi Ackerman, I swear if you don’t sleep soon!” You cushion the blow by whispering sweet nothings, reassuring him that you still think he’s beautiful. 

Occasionally you add in that you don’t blame him for the past, but those conversations only last for a few seconds at a time.

“I don’t blame you.” It always starts off with the exact same phrase. 

“I should have listened to you.” Levi’s tone is stern and uncompromising .

“Lev, I was never going to tell you to spare my life. You tried to listen to me, I could tell you wanted me to deny it.”

Levi refuses to answer you, he still thinks he’s at fault.

Not a day goes by where he doesn’t think of that ring. He regrets throwing it away recklessly into the rubble.

Some day he’ll return to Shiganshina to find it. The idea sounds laughable but he has to find a reason to smile as he fights for his life.

That is what Levi thinks as two set’s of jaws snap shut onto his legs, a flurry of red surrounds him. His throat constricts at the feeling of his thighs being ripped away from the rest of him.

“I tried.” He whimpers to no one in particular, eyes blank and losing meaning.

“I know Levi, I know.” The same voice from his dreams soothes him.

“Do not despair. Find me again in another world.” The biting wind adds in.

Levi’s eyelids flutter shut unable to do much else.

He’s unsure if he has the courage to face you again in another lifetime.

[wolferine]

Our Secret

Natasha Romanoff x Reader

Part 5 of “Jeff the Land Shark”

Summary: Natasha and Jeff finally find something to bond over.

Word Count: 1611

Request from anon: why do i feel like after the interview, jeff will felt like he was able to break natasha’s walls down on him and he follows her around the next few days (y’know like how baby ducks following their mother) and then reader teases nat about it and idk anymore HAHAHA i just want more jeff and nat moments 

(i mean if it’s cool with u, can we see this kind of situation in ur future jeff fics 👉🏻��🏻) 

Part 4.5

AN: Semi-requested because I already had this idea brewing and decided to throw anon’s request in there at the same time. 

This has been sitting in my inbox since last year, lol. Better late than never!

(Picture from “It’s Jeff!” #2, by Thompson, Gurihiru)

You and Natasha barge back into your bedroom, greeted by a happy Jeff the land shark. He wags his tail and “mrrrs” in delight at your return, having been left to his own devices all day while you two were out on a mission. But sadly for him, both of you are too exhausted and don’t give him the attention he wants while you prepare for bed.

Usually after a mission, you sit with Jeff for an hour and give him a play-by-play of everything that happened, but tonight, as you’re waiting for your turn in the shower, you’re ready to fall asleep. Jeff butts your leg with his head in frustration, eager for story time, but soon gives up when he sees you’re more interested in sleeping than talking to him.

He runs back to his bed in the corner of the room, burrowing under his blanket and glaring at you grumpily. Ever since you and Natasha had left him early that the morning, he had sulked around the Tower waiting impatiently for you two to return.

Thor had volunteered to watch Jeff, but there were only so many rounds of hide and seek using Mjölnir the god of thunder could handle before he went to hide in his room and leave the land shark to entertain himself. Jeff then sought out Clint’s company, who kept him occupied by letting him FaceTime with his children, but the children couldn’t quite understand him the way you did.

Nothing compared to you and Natasha, and Jeff is heartbroken that you’re ignoring him—even with a good reason.

You and Natasha swap places in the bathroom, and she pats Jeff on the head before going to lie in bed. He smiles widely at the simple show of affection, his tail thumping against the wall, especially because Natasha was never as close to him as you are.

Finally, you finish in the bathroom and come out in your pajamas, stopping by Jeff’s bed to pet him and whisper a goodnight, for which he immediately forgives you for skipping his bedtime story.

You join Natasha in bed, covering both of you with the blanket. The second your head hits the pillow, you fall asleep. Natasha pushes away from you jealously, staring at the ceiling and wishing she could turn off her mind.

The mission had involved rescuing victims of human trafficking, reminding her of her own time in the Red Room. The flashbacks attacked her in waves as she tosses and turns in bed, struggling to find a moment of peace.

Meanwhile, Jeff stirs awake when he hears the rustling of the blankets. He blinks sleepily and sees Natasha sitting on the edge of the bed, sighing and holding her head in her hands. Immediately concerned, he wobbles to his feet, stumbling over and rubbing his head against her leg.

Natasha startles to see the land shark suddenly sitting next to her. “Why are you awake?” she hisses.

“Mrr,” Jeff says.

“I don’t know what that means.” Natasha resents that she can’t understand Jeff the same way you can.

“Mrr,” Jeff repeats, tugging at the hem of her pajamas and trotting over to the door, clawing at it noisily.

“Don’t wake Y/N!” she whispers.

But Jeff scratches harder and whimpers.

“Okay, okay!” Natasha gets up, crossing the room to open the door and pushing the little land shark into the hall with her foot. Jeff takes a few steps forward, turning to look at her over his shoulder and barking.

“Now what?” Natasha growls 

“Mrr!” Jeff tosses his head in a motion that would suggest she follow him. Since she can’t sleep anyway, Natasha decides to go after him. Jeff leads her out into the living room and hops onto the couch, thumping his tail impatiently on the cushion.

“What are you doing?” Natasha huffs, throwing herself down next to him. Jeff places a paw on her knee and stares at her expectantly. “What? What do you want now?”

“Mrr,” is all he says.

“You know, every time you say something to me, it always sounds exactly the same,” Natasha dismisses, cranky from the lack of sleep and Jeff’s antics. “I don’t even know why I came out here with you. I just got back from the worst mission ever and—” 

“Mrrrr!” Jeff interrupts.

Natasha squints at him. “The worst mission ever,” she repeats, and Jeff nods frantically. “The mission? What about the mission?”

Then it dawns on her.

“Did you…Did you want to hear about the mission?” Natasha asks, and Jeff’s mouth widens in his trademark goofy smile. “Oh. Y/N didn’t tell you about it?” Jeff shakes his head.

It feels wrong and strange, sitting here at almost three in the morning and having a full conversation with a land shark, but Natasha is too tired to care.

“Hmm, well I guess I can give it a shot. Try not to fall asleep on me, all right?”

Jeff sits up straighter, watching her with rapt attention.

“So, the actual mission itself went fine. We got everyone out and safe, but it just reminded me of…” As Natasha talks, she finds herself unexpectedly comfortable airing out her troubles to Jeff. He stares at her with dark, curious eyes, and she senses no judgment from him. Eventually, she lets him climb into her lap and pets his head softly as she finishes her story.

Jeff doesn’t fall asleep himself until Natasha’s hand stills on his head.

***********************************************************************

A few hours later, Natasha is woken by the stirring in her lap. She opens her eyes, finding Jeff propped up against her chest. 

“Huh?” she says, checking her watch. It’s almost 5:00 a.m.

Jeff jumps off her lap and heads back to the bedroom. Even in her sleepy state, Natasha realizes that Steve will be up soon, always priding himself on being the first Avenger to wake, and Jeff doesn’t want them to be seen. She gratefully gets up and goes after the land shark.

Jeff returns to his little bed in the corner, while Natasha crawls under the covers with you. You snore sleepily when you feel the mattress shift, but don’t fully wake up.

***********************************************************************

For the next few nights, Natasha and Jeff wait for you to fall asleep before going out to the living room for bonding. Sometimes, Natasha will just talk about her day, sometimes she’ll whip a snack for the two of them (luckily, Jeff has an iron stomach and will eat anything), or sometimes they’ll just sit together and watch Netflix. Jeff is over the moon that Natasha is willing to spend more time with him, having felt that she never really liked him as much as you did.  

Naturally, you have no idea what’s going between the two, although you do notice Natasha acting much kinder to Jeff. You see her sneak him scraps of her meals and hear her talking to him through the walls. When you’re training in the gym one day, Natasha comes in, Jeff trailing behind her like a baby duckling following its mother. You’re not jealous at all, only happy that the two finally seem to be getting along.

One night, you’re violently woken up by something heavy bouncing on you. You startle awake, finding the little land shark prodding at your legs. Even in the dark, you can see his wide, fear-filled eyes.

“Mrrrrr!” Jeff cries, nudging you harder.

“Jeff! What’s wrong?” you ask, sitting up and opening your arms so you can hold him. But Jeff ignores you, going over to Natasha and nudging her in the same manner. She is cocooned tightly in the blankets, muttering incomprehensibly, her forehead shiny with sweat.

“Nat? Nat!” you say, shaking her shoulder.

“Please—Please, no—!” she cries, twisting away from your touch.

“It’s just me! It’s me and Jeff!” 

Natasha sits up so suddenly, Jeff goes flying off the bed. She’s panting like she’s just run a marathon and pushes away from you.

“Hey, hey, it’s just me,” you say, moving to give her space.

“Where…Where am I?”

“We’re at the Tower. You’re safe. It’s okay.”

“Oh, God,” Natasha mutters, hiding her face in her hands, her whole body racking with sobs. “I thought I was…back in the Red Room…”

“You’re not. It’s okay. It’s okay.” You want to hold her in a hug, but know that she needs some space first. Instead, you find her hand and squeeze it in yours tightly.

Jeff, unruffled from his unexpected flight, comes back to the bed. He climbs up and you don’t stop him as he wiggles his way between you and Natasha, plopping down on her lap. Natasha immediately starts to pet him, which seems to calm her quicker than you ever could.

“He knew you were having a nightmare,” you say. “He just wants to make sure you’re okay.”

“I’m okay, Jeff,” Natasha says. “Thank you.”

“Mrrrr!”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’ve been getting up at night when I can’t sleep, and Jeff joins me,” she explains. “Sometimes I’ll just talk to him about missions and stuff, or we’ll eat or watch TV.”

You’re unbothered in the least that she was keeping this from you.

“Thank you for taking care of Nat when I couldn’t,” you whisper to Jeff, and he tilts his head back to smile at you.

“He’s a wonderful little guy,” Natasha says.

“Mrr!” Jeff interjects.

Both of you laugh.

“Oh, he knows,” you say.

As you and Natasha lie back down, she makes no effort to move Jeff out of the bed. He seems to know tonight is special and curls up between you two, falling asleep with his parents.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

AN: Jeff deserves the world. 🥺 Likes, comments, and reblogs are appreciated.

Thanks for reading, and until next time...