#i spent the whole night finishing this :') i hope y'all like it

[blue-bird-lamentation]

キミの記憶 (Memories of You)

[starkidmunson]

glitter & crimson (it has a title y'all!)

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7

Nervous excitement has Steve out of his bed 25 minutes before his alarm goes off to wake him. It’s not unusual on game days. He gathers ingredients in the kitchen until he hears Robin’s alarm, and then he starts making both their breakfast smoothies.

She fumbles down the hallway a few moments later with her eyes still closed, takes the cup from him, and sits in the middle of their living room floor.

“Pilates today? Or did you get a workout in at the show last night?” She asks after a few sips, and Steve joins her near their mats.

“It’s a tradition, can’t go changing shit now.” He teases, laughing as she throws her head back with a tired groan. Then she’s hauling herself to her bedroom to grab a hoodie.

They exercise on the balcony, like always, but keep it light. Steve tries to get plenty of stretching in on game days, making sure he’s loose and limber before he hits the ice. After about 30 minutes, Robin’s teeth are chattering in the cool morning air, so he calls it, and they head back inside. He gathers his gear while Robin showers, and then they make their way to United.

Steve heads to the locker room to gear up, manages to finish a whole bottle of water before he hits the rink. He takes a few slow laps around the rink as the rest of the team starts to roll in, runs through a few drills on his own before team practice starts.

They keep things minimal on game days; sprints and passes, shots on goal. Steve does a final lap backwards around the rink, before clearing off to the locker room to finish putting on his uniform while the other team takes the ice for their own practice. 

As he refills his water bottle, he gets whacked in the shin with the body of a hockey stick. He watches it happen, feels an echo of the impact on his shin guard, before turning to raise an eyebrow at Max.

“Hello to you, too.” He says through a little smile. She rolls her eyes, but smiles back at him.

“They’re here.” She says, in an ominous tone, despite her smile. “You guys seemed to hit it off last night, I’m glad you didn’t scare him away with your weirdness.” 

“I’m not weird, you guys are weird.” He mumbles back, kicking the stick from her hand but catching it before it hits the ground. “Last night was fun. I just hope he doesn’t hate the game as much as I think he’s going to.”

“Awfully concerned about him having a good time.” She leans in closer to him to tease, and while he feels his ears get hot, he shoves the hockey stick back into her arms and walks back toward his locker. “Dustin is working in the AV booth tonight, so be prepared for a lot of Eddie on the big screen.”

“You overestimate how much attention I pay to the overhead.” He replies, rolling his eyes and taking a big gulp of water. 

He hadn’t exactly considered the consequences of Eddie actually coming to the game. He was bound to draw a lot of attention, but what would that turn into? Steve had, smartly, elected to stay off the internet after he’d gotten home last night, and he hadn’t bothered to check social media before coming in. He was sure there were pictures and videos of him at the show floating around, insinuating things beyond what they actually meant. He was just as sure that there was at least one person who had taken to their feeds to report that Eddie and Steve had hung out after the show; never mind the fact that everyone else was there. Never mind the fact that they weren’t alone. 

Except they had spent most of the night alone. Other than a few interruptions, their time at Fatpour had mostly consisted of Eddie and Steve sitting at a high-top table close to the bar, munching on snacks and talking about everything and nothing and whatever crossed their minds. Eddie insisted he was going to make a playlist for Steve, and Steve offered to teach Eddie how to ice skate. And it felt… nice. It had been a while since Steve had that with anyone.

Max just moves on, reminding Steve of which stretches he needs to do now that he’s in his gear, and the coach and captain both give speeches in the locker room, before everyone moves out to the rink. They take the ice as the announcer reads off their name, and Steve taps his stick with the right wing who stakes up next to him.

He glances around, chewing on his mouth guard absently. A part of him knows that Robin and Eddie and whoever else from CC made the trip to the game are in one of the boxes around the upper level of the area, but he hadn’t asked which one when he had briefly texted with Eddie this morning, and now it was too late. But, he figures it’s probably for the best. Not knowing where to look keeps him from running the risk of sparking more speculation about nothing.

______

Even having heeded Steve’s warning to wear layers to the game, Eddie is freezing. He’s wearing a long-sleeved t-shirt under a hoodie under a leather jacket, but he’s still cold. And Robin is bouncing around the box suite in a t-shirt and ripped jeans, looking perfectly comfortable and Eddie doesn’t get it. He zips his leather jacket all the way up and sinks into his seat, bobbing his head along to the music echoing through the arena.

“You’re going to be cold when we’re leaving if you don’t take something off.” Robin chastises, and Eddie just rolls his eyes. Jeff, Freak and Lucas are chatting, sitting in the seats just outside of the box. Inside the box, Gareth looks just as cold as Eddie, chatting with Nancy and Will on a sofa.

Paige returns a few minutes later with a bag of merchandise, courtesy of a voucher from the team, and drops it on Gareth’s lap. “Hoodie for you,” She declares, pulling out a black hoodie with the Blackhawks logo and throwing it into Gareth’s face. “Hoodie for you,” She adds, tossing a red one in Eddie’s direction. She pulls two more thinner zip ups out of the bag and drops them on Jeff and Freak’s heads. When she comes back in, she locks eyes with Eddie, who pauses as he unzips his leather jacket.

“What?” He asks, cautiously, and she grins.

“Got something else for you,” She says, and he’s instantly concerned.

“You’re freaking me out.” Eddie points out as he slips the hoodie he’d worn over his head and replaces it with the fleece-lined red hoodie with “Blackhawks” written across the back shoulders. Robin claps and jumps up and down beside him, concerning him further.

“They put one aside!?” She asks, and Paige nods, before tossing the rest of the bag to Eddie.

When he pulls out the contents, he can’t help but let out a little laugh. “You guys asked them to give me a Harrington jersey?” He raises an eyebrow at Robin, before pulling it over his head. It fits a little loose over the hoodie, but looks similar to how he’d seen other people wear theirs.

“Steve doesn’t know, but I asked. Figured you might like it.” She says, grinning as he turns a light shade of pink he fully intends to blame on the cold.

When the team introductions start, Robin drags Eddie out into the seats just outside the box, so they have a better view. While it’s colder out there, Eddie’s warmer in the new tops, and finds he doesn’t mind it as much. 

Robin and the members of the Party in the box break into cheers when Steve skates out onto the ice, and Eddie can’t help the little smile that crosses his face as he watches Steve interact with his team.

The puck drops and Steve manages to slip it away from the Kraken’s center, gliding down the ice effortlessly before passing it off. It’s a tiny thing, trying to pay attention to the puck, so Eddie finds himself just tracking Steve as he zips and twists around. After a few minutes, Steve skates back to the Blackhawks box and jumps in as another player hits the ice.

“What happened? Is he hurt?” Eddie’s confused as he looks at Robin, who gives him a soft smile.

“He’s fine. They only play for so long, before they switch out to keep them from getting tired.”

He tries to pay attention to what’s happening then, with Steve off the ice, but finds himself watching the other sit along the bench. He bangs his stick against the wall a few times, shouting things Eddie can’t hear. When he gets up to go back into the game, he pats the player he’s replacing on the back before hitting the ice. 

The next chance he gets the puck, he takes a shot toward the goalie, who stops the puck between his legs. Steve keeps skating, zipping around and getting back into the action. He gets the puck back, but is quickly checked by two Krakens who send him into the boards hard. Eddie grimaces, and a penalty is called on both Krakens for charging.

Steve scores a goal in the second period, and Eddie joins the Party in cheering along. He spots himself on the big screen and grabs Robin, pulling her into frame as she jumps up and down. 

The celebrations die down a little, and Robin scooches closer to him. “I can have them knock it off, if you don’t want to be up there. Dustin’s in the booth right now.” She offers, and he shrugs.

“I don’t mind. I kind of expected it, after the TikTok blew up.” He shrugs, tracking Steve back around the ice.

Blackhawks end up winning the game, 5-2, and while Steve doesn’t score again, he assists in each of the following goals. Each time, he has a different celebration with whoever he set up for the goal, and it’s sweet to watch Steve goof off, to hear his friends' excitement as he succeeds.  Walking back out of the booth, Eddie feels like his voice is more raw from screaming at the hockey game than it was from last night’s concert. 

_____________

“You shouldn’t skip the ice bath, Steve, you took a hard hit into that wall.” Max is lecturing as they move through the arena to where she says everyone is waiting. 

“I’m fine, I’ve taken worse hits and I stretched plenty. My shoulder just dug into the pad wrong. I’ll have a bruise, but it’s fine.” He insists, holding the door open for her then following her into the box where chaos immediately erupts.

Mike and Lucas are bouncing around, gushing about how great he played. Steve laughs, squeezing Lucas’ shoulder and ruffling Mike’s hair, before his eyes land on the band. They’re all wearing fresh Blackhawks gear, and Steve can’t help but grin.

“Oh man, I’m so glad you guys were able to come! Did you have a good time?” He asks, moving closer to them.

“Dude, I fucking love hockey. I haven’t been to a game in forever, this was sick. And you were killing it out there. I think I like hockey even more knowing someone who is playing.” Freak says, and Gareth nods along.

“Hockey is the only sport I’d ever really been interested in, so this was fun! Great game.”

“I have never had an interest in hockey before, but it was still cool to learn about.” Jeff admits, and then Steve turns to Eddie. His hands are tucked up inside the sleeves of the jersey, nestled in the front pocket of the hoodie beneath, but he grins.

“I concede, it was a lot more fun than I anticipated. I think it helps that you were awesome out there.”

Steve turns a soft shade of pink, shaking his head before nodding back toward the door out of the box. “Want to grab dinner with us? I’m starving.”

______________

They’re in some bar Steve texted the directions to but Eddie can’t remember the name, when he catches Steve staring at him from his spot between Dustin and Lucas. Eddie raises an eyebrow and waves a little, which seems to snap Steve out of it. He blushes and waves back, before covering his face with his hands. Eddie snorts, before getting up and moving so he’s sitting across from Steve.

“You weren’t mad that I put you up on the big screen, right? I think the team actually put it up on socials at some point, so I hope you didn’t mind.” Dustin rambles at Eddie as soon as he sits, but he’s quick to ease the kid’s concerns.

“It was fun. Don’t worry about it, kid. Really.” He says, watches Dustin visibly relax, but then Robin carts him and Lucas away, giving Steve and Eddie space and tossing a wink in Eddie’s direction. Eddie finds himself growing to appreciate her more and more. “I really did have a good time tonight. Cross my heart.” Eddie says, before drawing an “x” over his heart with his fingers.

Steve laughs, and opens his mouth to say something before he seems to reconsider. He thinks for a moment, before leaning over the table. “Are you wearing my jersey?”

Eddie pauses for a moment, looks down and laughs. He’d forgotten he hadn’t taken it off, and Robin had said that Steve didn’t know about it. “I mean, it’s technically not yours. Just has your name and number on it.”

Steve squints his eyes before he leans back and takes a sip of his beer. Eddie seizes the opportunity to be chaotic, then, decides to take the leap. “I mean, I totally could be wearing your jersey, if you wanted me to. But you’re going to have to take me out of this one first.” 

It’s worth it, if for no other reason than Steve starts choking on his drink, coughing loudly and drawing everyone’s attention. He composes himself quickly, but his face is still bright red, and Eddie grins.

“You’re a menace.” Steve accuses, voice hoarse and thick, and Eddie shrugs.

“What are you going to do about it?” He challenges.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

I'm going to try reblogging with a tag list this week because it's LONG and I have no idea how else to try to make it work without hitting a character limit. Thank you to everyone who is still reading! I've got so many ideas for this bouncing around in my head, I can't wait to flesh them out and I hope you continue to enjoy!

[staytinyville]

OUTLAW (50)

ATEEZ poly!ot8 x Reader

Cowboy AU / Wild West

Series Masterlist

Warning: none

A/N NOT BETA READ. We are back! I'm so excited to come up on this arc and finish up the story. There are going to be a total of 80 chapters in whole and I am more than happy to say that I hope to get back to it! You guys have to keep me motivated lol. ALSO MY CONCERT TO GO SEE THEM IS SUNDAY. You guys have no idea what I am going to feel coming up. If you are going to the Arlington Concert y'all be sure to hit me up. I got freebies lol.

There was something about spending a long week with the boys on the road that seemed to bring out a pain in your cheeks from how much you spent smiling. You had grown up so used to hearing people telling you to smile because you seemed to have a resting face that made you unapproachable. However it seemed that every moment you spent with the boys had you looking at them softly.

There wasn’t much of a dull moment, not even well into the night when half of you were asleep. Someone always had to bring up some random story or get another angry. You also started to notice how much they actually let go of themselves now that you were with them. It made you irritated a bit to realize that you were the only woman in a large group of men who were ultimately going to act like men. 

But even with that in mind you learned how to stand on your own. You found your feet, quickly turning around to scold or yell at the boys for doing something that wasn’t at all gentlemanly. It seemed that Jongho and Yeosang were the only ones who took into account that you were there. They would be kind enough to say excuse me after a burp or walk off when they were gassy. 

The others, well it really just fluctuated. 

“Wooyoung! Give it back!” You yelled, chasing after the boy with an arm stretched across your chest. 

You heard one of the boys wolf whistle from the wagon, chuckling as he watched you trying to reach for your shirt in Wooyoung's hold. You had only gotten to put on a pair of pants before turning around to find the second youngest running away with a cackle. 

The two of you, along with San and Mingi were washing up in the stream that you had taken camp in for the night. You weren’t shy by any means to be naked in front of them anymore. However because you didn’t know what could be in the water all you did was take off your shirt and kept on your underwear. And thus when you were not looking and had your back turned, Wooyoung thought it was a funny idea to pull a prank on you. 

“I like you better like this.” Wooyoung mock pouted, swinging your shirt around in the air above his head. 

“I'm not about to walk around without a shirt in the elements. Are you dumb?” You pouted at the boy, trying to reach for your piece of clothing once more. 

“Give me a kiss and I'll give it back.” Wooyoung grinned, his lips forming a pout ready for your kiss.

You rolled your eyes but tried to prevent the smile from over taking your lips anyways. 

One of the boys had come up behind the younger one without having him notice and quickly snatched your shirt from the teasing boy. 

“Hey!” Wooyoung shouted, turning to find Yunho standing behind him.

“There you go, Angel.” Yunho told you, handing you your shirt without much protest. 

You hummed in thanks, hands falling from your chest as you moved to put it on. Yunho giggled, lightly flicking at one of your nipples before you screamed and swatted his hand away. 

“I was going to say thank you but I don’t think I will anymore.” You scrunched up your nose, glaring at the tall boy. 

Turning away from the cackling man, you sighed as you saw Wooyoung pouting at you with his arms crossed. While it looked like he was only playing around, you did feel as though he was actually serious. 

“Come on, stop pouting.” You cooed, moving to squish the boys cheeks together. 

“It's not fair the others have had their time with you—”

“Are you asking me for sex, sir!?” You gasped, looking at him incredulously. 

“Maybe.” He whispered. 

It had only been a week since you left your home so in reality it wasn’t that long that you had been spending time with the boys. However even if it wasn’t a long while you knew that your feelings for all of them were more than words could ever express. You would never be able to tell them how much you actually appreciated them. So the little things you did for now, you hoped got through to them just enough. 

“You'll get it when you get it.” You rolled your eyes, moving to give his cheek a kiss. 

“Let's get going! We should almost be to Aurora.” Hongjoong called out, buttoning up his shirt as he had just finished getting cleaned.

The boys had told you that it was the last day they would be making camp the night before. After leaving early in the morning, they explained that they would reach the city by midday. But as you made your way closer you came to the realization the Aurora was much larger than you cared to admit. 

You were riding in front with San on his horse. They all rotated between the horses and the wagon in order to not get cramps from sitting in a saddle for so long and you were not exempt from it no matter how much they tried to keep you from doing it. 

When houses and more people began to show up along the road, you looked around in wonder asking San if you were there. However he only told you they still had an hour until they reached their home in the center of the city. If the houses were so large on the outskirts you could only imagine how it must have looked in the center. 

And you were more than right when you came across the high buildings and the paved roads. The vehicles that zoomed past you, the people walking around in their fancy clothing or the shiny windows that seemed to be cleaned on the daily. 

It was something you would have never imagined you would get the chance of seeing. 

“Amazing isn’t it?” 

You turned to your side, coming across Hongjoong’s grinning face as he watched you look around in amazement. 

“It’s like nothing I’ve seen.” You smiled at him. 

“If this stuns you just wait until you see our actual home.” San spoke behind you, arms wrapped around your front to hold onto his horse's reins. 

San’s words had you pausing for a moment, turning your head a bit to look at him.

“Is this not it?” You furrowed your eyebrows. 

“It is for now.” Hongjoong answered. 

The place they stopped seemed to be the entrance to a market. You could smell the food that the people were selling in the stalls, see the ripe fruits and vegetables from the entrance as they shined in the sun. 

You heard a loud bell go off, turning as your eyes went wide from the large vehicle that was coming your way.

It was rectangle shaped, high and with many windows that showed the inside as various people sat in seats. You watched as it stopped at the entrance to the market, a large group of people getting off and chatting constantly with each other. 

“Woah.” You spoke out loud, moving to the side to allow the large car to pass. 

“Come on, Love.” Jongho took your arm in his, wrapping his fingers in between your own. 

Your head snapped up, finding only four of the boys standing with you while the others continued on their way in another direction. Jongho, Yeosang, Wooyoung, and Mingi all stayed at your side, looking around the market as they tried to find what they might want.

You watched as the other four took their leave, turning back to Jongho.

“Where are they going?” You asked.

“They’re going to the warehouse.” Yeosang answered from your side. “We’re gonna show you around for a bit if you’re up for it.”

“Always.” You smiled brightly, skipping along with Jongho in tow.

The market was colorful and full of life. You had never seen so many fashion options or even food stalls open for the public. Sure your own city had a market but it was nowhere near as big as this one. The city of Aurora made Chromer look like a small town. Which in your opinion, it might be now compared to this. 

Each boy pulled you along to where they wanted, showing you different things like trinkets or clothes you might want for later on. You tried to hold them off from getting you so many things but they told you money wasn’t the problem for them. 

“This has the best burgers in town.” Mingi grinned, holding a plate out for you to try his food.

“They’re okay. If I had the funds to buy the ingredients I would make them myself. “ Wooyoung spoke up, crossing his arms as he glared at Mingi scarfing down the carb filled food. 

“I’m sure yours are great.” You smiled at the boy, licking your lips from the bite you took. 

“You just wait!” Wooyoung clapped, taking a fry from Mingi’s plate causing the taller man to pout. 

You all took some time around 5 to take a break in some shady spots. You had a bit of a late lunch so now you were all just lounging around and waiting for time to pass before making your way to the boys home. 

“I’ve noticed there’s no wanted posters here.” You spoke out loud, watching how everyone seemed to bypass them without so much as giving Mingi a glance. 

“They are all at city hall and not many people go to look at it unless they want rewards. But honestly, the black pirates always take Mingi’s poster down before someone can notice it.” Yeosang answered, thigh pressed into yours as he took up one of your sides.

“The ones who are working with you?” You asked, tilting your head as you remembered the boy who had come out a few weeks ago to speak with them all. 

“They are all over the city. We have a common goal and are gonna try to destroy Strickland the best we can.” Jongho explained.  

With everything going the past couple of weeks you forgot all about the real battle they were fighting. The one that they had been trying to win for the past couple of years. Way before they even met you. 

Having only gotten just a smidge of what they had to go through really made you feel something worthwhile. You felt like your life had meaning being able to stop criminals who wanted to ruin the world for everyone. You felt good about yourself–felt like your life finally had meaning. You wanted to keep going–keep feeling that feeling all the time because it was what you felt was right. 

“Count me in.” You smiled, cheeks hurting from how much you were determined to get to where you wanted. 

“That’s something you’re gonna have to get through to Captain.” Yeosang smiled.

“Let’s take this to the boys.” Mingi spoke up, gesturing to the boxes of food they all had. 

The place they took you to was a large building that looked like it was abandoned. It was half-way finished–like a project that lost its funding. The windows were still intact though so you saw it as a place that was still enough to keep you from catching something from the outside. It was a lot better than camping out in the woods that was for sure. 

“This is where you live?” You asked, looking around the large space. 

It was all open, with a living room area, kitchen off to one side and another side with tarps and blankets put out to signify their room areas. It looked a lot like the camps they would make along the way but much more organized and larger. In here you could see they had much more supplies. 

“For now.” Seonghwa smiled, going up to you and giving you a kiss in greeting.

“It’s nice.” You smiled, trying to memorize where everything was. 

“You can stay with one of us and if not you can have your own bed.” Yunho explained, nodding his head to some spaces that had beds.

There was a partition of tarp to create the spaces for different rooms. Some of them even had their tents up for privacy. But overall the space was open and everyone could see everything but it didn’t seem to be a problem seeing as they were covered from the elements securely rather than sleeping inside sheets. 

“It’s okay. I got used to sharing.” You grinned up at him.

“I call first!” San shouted, head poking out from behind a column. 

“No fair!” Yunho retorted. 

“I’ll cuddle you, Yunho. Don’t worry.”

“Wooyoung!”

Series Masterlist

@thefrog3223 , @iarayara , @0rangemilk , @explorewithd , @detectivedoodle , @bangtanxberm , @a1i33a , @loveforred , @drunken-deitence , @0325tiny , @the-ghostest-with-the-mostest , @atinyreads , @atinytinaa , @lexiigom , @smilingtokki , @mismatchfluffysocks , @brain-empty-only-draken , @sousydive , @alex-tinyy , @h3arteyes4mingi , @onedumbho3 , @popcatx0 , @blue1amory , @mommahwa1117 , @sunnyhokyu , @cloudieclair , @puppyminnnie

[bellaxgiornata]

Falling For the Devil [Part eighty-six: "The Moving Day"]

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Fem!Reader

Summary: The day you move in with Matt has finally arrived!

Or Some strange, nervous feeling eats at you all day and then keeps you up that night.

[Series of one-shots about Reader meeting, falling for, and dating Matt Murdock.]

Warnings: 18+ for this series; contains humor, fluff, romance, angst, smut (like...a lot of it later in the series), language, some violence

Word Count: 4.8k

a/n: Somehow light angst crept into this installment when I was writing it and it took me a few days to figure out why Reader was acting so strange on me and Matt, BUT I figured it out and left it in for some Sweet Matty at the end. Y'all know I love the shit out of him. So technically this is a light bit of angst with comfort at the end? Either way, I hope you enjoy Reader FINALY MOVING IN WITH MATT! Y'all that have been reading this series since back in February have been waiting months in real time just for this day to finally come!! Now it's finally here! And as always, feedback is always appreciated!

Tag List: @ninacotte @mattkinsella @stilldreaming666 @murdocksclient @madscamp02 @1988-fiend @lina-mar @pinkratts @schneeflocky @acharliecoxedfan @yarrystyleeza @theetherealbloom @danzer8705 @lionalsowrites @harperdoodle

The movers had already finished bringing all of your things up into Matt’s apartment–or rather, both of yours’ apartment as you’d often had to keep reminding yourself today–about twenty minutes ago. You knew Matt, Foggy, and Karen would be showing up from their half day at the office any minute, which was why you'd begun unpacking in the bedroom first. You didn’t particularly need your friends helping you put away your underwear and some of the other, more personal items which you had packed in your bedroom boxes. Though you certainly had a feeling Marci would only be all too happy to snoop when she showed up later after work.

Fortunately it hadn’t taken you long to put away your more private items before you’d moved on to hanging up more of your clothing in the left hand side of the closet where Matt had long ago made space for your things. On the far right neatly hung all of his suits with their braille tags on each of the hangers. Seeing more of your things hanging next to his still had you feeling inexplicably giddy, but ever since you’d left your apartment for the last time this morning and come to Matt’s, something else that you couldn’t quite place had slowly begun to take root in your mind. 

This whole situation felt surreal to you. You’d spent a long time wanting to be with Matt during your friendship after you had first met him. Through all of that time you never thought you would be good enough for him, never remotely the kind of woman who could possibly catch Matthew Murdock's attention. Not after you had seen all of the women he usually had been hit on by and those you’d seen him flirt with in return. And especially not with how charismatic, intelligent, and successful he was. You were just the awkward journalist that he’d always said made any situation highly amusing and uncomfortable in a matter of seconds. Yet here you were, hanging your skirts next to his dress slacks in the same closet. Your toothbrush sat next to his on the bathroom counter. And soon your coffee mugs and dishware would be mixed in along with his on the shelves in the kitchen. 

Because you were finally moving in with him. 

The full reality of the situation hadn’t completely hit you yet. Though you had a feeling it would later tonight, after all your friends had left and it was just you and Matt here afterwards, when all of your things were fully blended with his. Despite the excitement you felt at moving in with Matt, and with what that might mean for your relationship moving forward, there had been a nagging feeling in the back of your mind slowly growing louder as the day wore on. You knew you were going to be freaking out once the giddiness wore off and the reality settled in, but you’d tried to keep that pushed to the side as you unpacked. You didn’t have time to try to unpack that right now, too.

As you finished hanging one of your skirts on a hanger, you overheard the sound of the apartment door unlocking before it swung open. It was mere seconds before you heard Matt’s voice through the apartment.

“Sweetheart?” he called out.

Chewing your lip, your heart nervously sped up in your chest at the sound of his voice. You hung up the skirt you’d had in your hand in the closet before you turned and made your way out of the bedroom. As you maneuvered around the boxes, you could hear the loud scoff Foggy made all the way across the apartment. 

“Matt!” he complained. “You were supposed to shout ‘honey, I’m home’ when you came in!”

“Foggy, I told you I wasn't doing that,” Matt replied.

A small grin settled on your face as you listened to the three of them taking their shoes off in the entryway hall. You did your best to navigate through the messy living room where there were boxes piled everywhere as you listened to them. 

“Don’t ruin this for me, Matt!” Foggy snapped. “This is a big day for me!”

“For you?” Karen said with a laugh. “You’re not the one moving in!”

“No, but do you know how long I hoped for this day for Matt?” Foggy countered. “ Especially after learning about what he does in his free time outside of work? I never thought he’d find someone and settle down. I was afraid he’d be alone forever!”

“Thanks, Fog,” Matt said flatly.

Skirting around another stack of boxes, you heard Matt calling out your name. You laughed lightly as you overheard Karen and Foggy continuing the conversation Matt clearly wasn’t remotely interested in.

“I’m here, Matty,” you called back. “Just trying to make my way through the mess that has become your place.”

“Our place,” he immediately corrected.

“Right, yeah,” you agreed quickly. “That might take me a bit to get used to.”

You came to a stop beside the leather couch when Matt came into view at the end of the entryway hall. Grinning wide at the sight of him standing there smiling in your direction, you felt your cheeks heat. 

For some reason you felt unnecessarily nervous. You hadn’t seen Matt since yesterday morning, and because you’d spent most of this past week packing, you’d been unable to spend much time with him. You hadn’t seen him nearly as much this week as you often did, so now the sight of him was suddenly shaking loose all sorts of dormant butterflies in your stomach. Once again you were awkwardly gnawing on your bottom lip, unsure how to properly greet him in the moment–and then that was only making you further nervous.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Matt said, sliding his glasses off of his face.

Matt’s eyes lowered to your chest, a small smile playing across his lips. No doubt he was noticing the way your heart was nervously beating at the moment. You knew he always loved the way it reacted to him, but you also knew he was unaware of exactly why you were nervous this time. Granted, you weren’t entirely sure what was with your nerves, either, today.

“Hey, Matty,” you greeted back softly.

You continued to worry your bottom lip between your teeth, your hands fidgeting in front of yourself as you took in the sight of him. His suit coat was draped over one of his arms, leaving him in just his light blue dress shirt, the sleeves of which were rolled up already. He looked good–like he always did–just standing there smiling at you with so much warmth and love on his face.

“For fuck’s sake– kiss her already!” Foggy shouted.

“Foggy,” Karen sharply reprimanded him.

Your cheeks only flamed further as Matt’s smile widened. Wordlessly he crossed the room, easily stepping around a box as he made his way towards you. Breath catching in your throat, you watched as he tossed his suit coat onto the back of his couch in a fluid motion before he was standing before you. Without pause his hands reached up and cradled your face in both of his palms, tilting your mouth up towards his before he dove in for a sweet, lingering kiss. When he pulled back away, smiling down at you with that absolutely breathtaking smile of his, you were left stunned and speechless.

“It was lonely here without you this week,” he whispered.

You swore your heart skipped a beat in your chest. “Well I’m–I’m here now, Matty,” you murmured.

“Great!” Foggy exclaimed, clapping his hands loudly together and causing Matt and you to jump apart. “Now let’s get started unpacking so we can get to the pizza and beer part of the day!”

______

Changing out of the jeans and tee-shirt you’d been wearing all day, you gradually got ready for bed in the bedroom. Down the hall, you could hear Matt brushing his teeth in the bathroom. You both were worn out from the excitement of the day, and you were just ready for sleep already. Between overseeing the movers, unpacking all of your things into Matt’s space, and socializing with your friends, you felt exhausted. And for some unexplainable reason there was still something that just felt off with you. There was still some nervous energy you could feel lingering inside of you that you couldn’t quite place. It had only grown stronger ever since your friends had left and Matt and you had straightened up the apartment a bit before bed.

It made no sense why you felt this way, either. It wasn’t as if you hadn’t stayed the night at Matt’s apartment countless times over the past few months now. You’d spent many nights brushing your teeth and changing your clothes getting ready for bed here, plugging your phone into the very same charger on the nightstand by your side of the bed at least a hundred times now. You knew Matt wanted you here–hell, he’d told you that at least ten times today already.

So why were you feeling that nervous, queasy feeling in your stomach? Why was the prospect of staying here tonight–and every night from here on out–giving you butterflies of a different kind all of the sudden? Why was there that nagging little voice in the back of your head still growing louder and louder despite your inability to decipher its meaning? It didn’t make sense.

“You alright?” 

Startling at Matt’s voice, you spun on the spot and found him standing in the doorway of the bedroom. His brows were drawn together on his forehead as he eyed you curiously. 

“Yeah,” you said with a nod, turning and grabbing the pair of cotton sleep shorts you had laid out on the side of the bed. “I’m just tired. It was a long day.”

“You want me to get the light for you?” he asked.

“Sure, thanks,” you replied.

As you pulled your shorts up your legs, you noticed how Matt hesitated in the doorway, just silently focused on you. It wasn’t until you grabbed your shirt from the bed next that Matt finally turned off the light before you heard him gradually making his way through the bedroom and over towards his side of the bed. 

You knew he’d already undressed before brushing his teeth, currently wearing nothing but his usual black boxers as he pulled the sheets back on his side of the bed. Normally that would elicit a reaction from your body, because knowing he was almost naked and you were about to be in bed with him, even when you were too tired for sex, made you feel something . Because he looked like one of those Greek gods chiseled from marble under his clothes and your body always unconsciously reacted to him. But tonight all you felt was that ball of nerves sitting in the pit of your stomach. It didn’t help that you figured he was probably picking up on something being off with you, too. 

Drawing the sheets back, you climbed into the bed beside Matt. Nervously you rolled onto your side to face him, soon feeling his warm hands landing on your hips over the fabric of your clothes. Grabbing you tenderly, Matt pulled you in towards his body and until you were resting with your head on his chest. He gradually settled underneath you, one arm wrapped under your waist while the other draped over the top of it. Timidly your own hand reached out as you lightly slid it across his toned, warm chest. 

“Mmm, finally,” Matt contentedly hummed out. “I spent all week missing falling asleep with you, but now I’ll always have you here with me.”

For some reason his words only caused the nerves to twist in your stomach just a bit more. You hummed out an affirmative noise in response, unable to trust your voice as you smiled softly in the dark. Internally you were trying to understand what the hell was going on with you. You’d been so excited this morning at the prospect of finally moving in with him. Excited that this move meant Matt and you were so much closer to bigger things in your relationship–like a possible engagement. 

So what the hell was with this strange, nervous feeling?

You startled when you felt Matt’s fingers gently brushing some of your hair from your face, having been too deep in your thoughts to have noticed he’d moved. You knew he’d caught that little surprised jump instantly when his fingers paused along your temple.

"Are you sure you're alright, sweetheart?" Matt asked carefully. "You've seemed unusually nervous today. Your body still seems a bit tense."

“I uhm,” you began, your index finger lightly tracing a pattern along Matt’s bare chest, “I’m just a little nervous. You know me.”

You laughed briefly, trying to make light of the situation so he would drop it. You knew how excited Matt was for you to finally be here and how long he’d been waiting for this moment. And it certainly wasn’t like you hadn’t felt the same, but you didn’t want to ruin your first night here with these weird nerves you couldn’t begin to explain. Knowing Matt, he’d feel bad and think he’d done something wrong, or that your anxious feeling was somehow because you didn’t want this or him–which was not the case. You’d never been more sure of anyone before. You knew you loved Matt.

“Okay,” he said slowly, his fingers sliding down from where they’d lingered along your temple to lovingly stroke your cheek. “But if you want to talk, you know I’m always here. You can tell me anything, sweetheart.”

You forced the smile onto your face again as you gazed up at him from your place along his chest, the rough pads of his fingers still tracing your cheekbone gently. He was so good to you and that only made you feel worse about hiding something from him, no matter how stupid it seemed. 

“I’m just tired,” you told him. “It was a long day dealing with everything with the move. I’m sure I’ll be my normal, slightly less nervous self in the morning.”

“I’ll love you however you are in the morning,” he murmured, leaning forward to kiss your forehead. “Because I love you .”

A more genuine smile slipped onto your lips, your eyes closing. “I love you, too, Matty,” you whispered back.

Silence settled in the bedroom as you felt Matt’s body relax beneath you. No doubt he was exhausted from having worked late last night, helping you unpack your things today, and then trying to relearn where some things now were in the space that had been just his for so long. You knew he’d had a long day, too.

With your eyes closed, you tried to let yourself relax and drift off to sleep. You did your best to focus on the usual faint sounds of the city a few floors below the apartment in conjunction with the steady breaths you could just barely hear coming from Matt. Despite how toned and firm Matt’s body was, you’d always found lying with your head on his chest far more comfortable than using a pillow. You weren’t sure if it was really because Matt was that comfortable or if you just loved that level of closeness and intimacy with him, though for some reason tonight you were finding yourself unable to just fall asleep. 

Without a clock, you weren’t sure how long you’d laid there awake, curled up alongside Matt trying and failing to sleep. Though it had to have been awhile because you’d long since noticed Matt had fallen asleep, the steady and rhythmic rise and fall of his chest easily cluing you in. Yet still you just couldn’t shake that nervous feeling swirling uncomfortably inside of you. The longer you tried to force sleep to come, the more awake you steadily felt yourself becoming. 

Eyes flying back open, you laid there for a moment in the dark as they tried to adjust to the near blackness in the bedroom. Gradually your head rose and fell along with each of Matt’s even breaths, but you only found yourself growing more restless next to his peaceful form. Lifting your head slowly from him, you very carefully tried to disentangle yourself from the hold he had on you without waking him. Which truthfully was a near impossible feat to accomplish– except for when he’d recently fallen into a deep sleep. Like right now.

Moving slowly, you slid towards the edge of the bed, carefully pulling the sheets from yourself  before you climbed off of the mattress. A chill ran through you at the loss of Matt’s body heat, the cold air of the apartment in comparison drawing goosebumps along your bare arms. You pulled the sheets back up on the bed and turned, quietly making your way towards the bedroom door. Cautiously you slid it open, not fully closing it all the way behind yourself afterwards before you turned and focused on the space before you. 

Now that you were out of bed, you weren’t entirely sure what to do. As you stood there trying to figure it out, your arms wrapping around your chest, you watched the light from the billboard just outside the large windows wash the space in a glow of blues and greens. After a moment you figured you could get yourself a glass of water and that might help you relax.

Making your way through the living room towards the kitchen, you came to a stop just in front of the shelf filled with cups. Both your glass cups and Matt’s were perfectly lined up side by side. On the shelf beside it, your plates and bowls were stacked neatly on top of the few that Matt already had. For a minute you just found yourself staring at them, realizing how full Matt’s normally sparse shelves looked. Glancing back over your shoulder, you spotted your television stand now situated across from Matt’s leather couch, your television sitting on top of it. The two armchairs that had always been opposite the coffee table were both now to the left of the couch, still giving Matt plenty of room to navigate from the entry hall to the living room, and from the living room to the stairs that led to the roof access. It looked different though, despite the familiar light from the billboard swathing the furniture in a myriad of colors. 

As you stood there staring at the furniture, that nauseating, nervous feeling finally fully uncoiled inside of yourself. You suddenly understood what had been gnawing at you all day. 

It felt almost familiar here. It wasn’t quite Matt’s place that you’d grown accustomed to over the year the two of you had been together, but at the same time it still was the apartment you’d spent so much time at. But it just felt different. It certainly wasn’t your apartment and it wasn’t exactly his, either. It was something else entirely. And that was what had been nagging at you all day–the unfamiliarity of this space.

For some reason the longer you stared at the television and everything that looked different and changed, the more you felt the increasing sting of tears in your eyes. Why you were suddenly getting emotional was beyond you, though. Reaching up, you wiped a hand at your eyes, trying to force the tears back. Somehow that only had them watering more.

And that was precisely when you heard the bedroom door slide open all the way and you jumped in the kitchen at the sound. Your focus shifted from the television to Matt standing at the edge of the bedroom, clad in only his dark boxers. There was a small frown on his face as he focused on you, his head slightly tilted to the side.

“Sweetheart?” he called out. “What’s going on? Are you okay?”

You nodded immediately, trying to smile despite the tears still welling up. “Yeah, Matty, I’m fine,” you answered.

His shoulders dropped at your words and you wondered if that had registered as a lie to his ears. Matt immediately began shuffling his way towards you through the living room, his bare feet gently padding along the floor as he moved. You saw his brows faintly pull together and noticed the frown was still on his face as he made his way towards you. His focus never left you as he maneuvered around the rearranged space, though. 

“Are you crying?” he asked softly, entering the kitchen.

“No, I–”

You stopped at the same time Matt came to stand just in front of you. A look of concern was etched on his face as he reached a hand up, his fingers gently grabbing onto your chin and tilting your face up towards him. His eyes worriedly scanned around your face, searching for answers as he quietly said your name.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“I–I just–” you broke off, shaking your head as he still held your chin. “It just feels…different here. Not the same,” you finally admitted. 

“Is that what’s been bothering you all day today?” he asked.

Pressing your lips together, you nodded. Matt’s expression softened as he continued to gaze back at you, his thumb brushing along your chin.

“Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” he asked.

“Because I didn’t want to upset you. And I didn’t know what I was feeling,” you confessed. “Not until I couldn’t sleep and I came out here and saw your furniture all rearranged and a television in your living room. And–”  you waved a hand at the shelves beside you, “– actual dishware on your kitchen shelves. And there’s a fruit bowl with actual fruit on your counter. I mean there’s–there’s actually food in the fridge here, not just beer and eggs,” you continued on, the words tumbling out of you. “All of my clothes are in your closet or your dresser now. There’s tampons in your bathroom, Matt!” you exclaimed, the little amused chuckle he made barely registering in your ears as the words continued to nervously spill out of you. “I have dirty clothes in your laundry bin and my skincare products in your medicine cabinet and a vibrator in the nighstand–”

“What’s that now?” Matt asked, quick to cut you off as his brows rose, a cheeky little smile pulling at his lips. “What’s in the nightstand?”

You shot Matt a pointed look, one hand lightly swatting at his bare chest. The cheeky smile grew into a grin as he released your chin, both of his hands landing on your hips as he took a step closer towards you, closing the bit of space there had been.

“It feels different to me, too,” Matt admitted. “Things aren’t where I’m used to them being. And your scent is vastly stronger now with all of your things here. Not to mention there’s now a light buzz from the television–”

“I’m sorry,” you immediately blurted.

He continued to grin, shaking his head. “Don’t apologize, I can tune it out. I don’t expect you to never relax and watch your shows again, sweetheart. Or to not keep tampons in the bathroom or food in the fridge. But do you know why it feels different?” he asked you.

“Because all of my shit is here cluttering up your space now?” you joked.

He silently shook his head, suddenly walking you backwards and guiding you with the hands he had on your hips. Your brows drew together as he led you a handful of steps back until you eventually bumped into the counter behind you. Before you knew what was happening, Matt’s hands had lifted you up and set you on the countertop behind you, that smile on his face never wavering as the billboard washed him in red. His hands slid your bare knees apart as he slotted himself between your legs, your faces almost eye level now as he focused along your mouth.

“Because it isn’t my place and it isn’t your place,” he whispered. “It’s our place. And it might feel a little different,” he continued, his hands making their way to behind your back as he clasped them together, his eyes still focused on you. “And maybe it’s a little overwhelming right now, too.” 

He leaned forward, lowering his face to press a kiss to your shoulder. Your eyelids dropped closed, a small smile playing along your lips at the sweet gesture. Arms raising up, you encircled them around Matt’s neck and held him to you.

“But this place is what we make it now,” he finished softly. “You and me. Because it’s ours . Like I’ve been saying all this time.”

Eyelids fluttering open, you saw Matt’s face was mere inches from yours now. A tender expression was etched along his features as he stared back at you, slowly lowering his forehead to yours. Leaning in towards him, you connected your mouth to his for a kiss that was full of emotion. His mouth moved so gentle and slow against yours, the feel of him reassuring and calming. You could feel all of your nerves slowly dissipating and leaving your body the longer he kissed you. Relaxing even further into him, your arms tightened around his neck as he deepened the kiss. 

The two of you stayed like that in the kitchen for a few minutes, entirely lost in the moment, before Matt gradually broke away. His nose lightly bumped against yours, a smile tugging his lips upwards. Biting your own lip, you couldn’t fight back the smile that was slowly spreading across your mouth in return.

“You know, I told you I bought mint ice cream in the event you needed some comfort tonight,” he reminded you. 

You rolled your eyes. “Matt, it’s late,” you pointed out. Removing your forehead from his, you glanced at the time on the oven behind him. “It’s almost three in the morning.”

“So?” he asked.

He unwound his arms from around your waist, in turn causing you to remove your arms from around his neck. He took a couple of steps to the right, opening the silverware drawer and pulling out two spoons. As he closed the drawer he glanced up at you, a small smirk pulling at his lips as he raised a dark brow at you. He held out one of the spoons.

“You want some?” he asked. “Or are you going to make me eat toothpaste flavored ice cream at almost three in the morning all by myself?”

Warmth flooded your chest as you stared back at Matt standing there, a spoon in each hand. The simple fact that he’d gotten you your favorite dessert–the one you’d told him about way back on your first date–to hopefully help you feel comfortable here only filled you with so much love and gratitude for him. Reaching out, you accepted the spoon from his outstretched hand, your heart hammering loudly in your ears. The smirk grew on Matt’s face before he turned, about to make his way to the freezer to grab the ice cream. Without a single thought, you leaned forward and reached out, latching onto his arm before he had taken two steps. Matt stopped in his tracks, glancing curiously over his shoulder at you with furrowed brows. 

Quickly you tugged him to your place on the countertop, Matt willingly allowing you to pull him back towards you. Without hesitation your hand reached up and grabbed his stubbled cheek, drawing him close before your lips abruptly crashed back onto his. Clearly taken by surprise, it took Matt a brief second before his mouth responded to yours. The moment his lips began to react, you could feel him easily matching the intensity and enthusiasm that you were displaying. You did your best to pour everything you felt for him into that kiss, hoping he understood exactly what you were trying to say in that moment. 

When you finally pulled away from him, breathless and with swollen lips, you smiled back at Matt’s grinning face. Just to make sure he fully understood the message, you held his face firmly in your hand, your eyes locked on his when you spoke.

“I love you, Matthew Michael Murdock,” you told him. “And I want you to know you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

His smile widened into something bright, lighting up his entire face along with the red light from the billboard across the street. You could see the glisten of unshed tears in his eyes as he gazed back at you with so much affection written plain across his face. There was only the briefest of moments after your declaration before Matt abruptly closed the distance between you both again, capturing your lips with his in a passionate kiss that had you forgetting about absolutely everything except you and Matt in that very moment.

[andreafmn]

12 Days of Ficmas ✵BONUS✵

Request by @lillybearblog: I hope this is ok to ask for! Basically it's your first time with Carlisle! (Can be human or new vampire I don't mind!) It is your first time with everything even kissing, hickeys, org*sm etc. You are super nervous and Carlisle is the consent king. Hes super gentle and walks you through everything. Can add things like pinning against the wall 😉

Word Count: 3.5K

Story Description: (Y/N) has always worked tirelessly for the Heaven’s Care Foundation to provide orphaned children and at-risk youth with a safe place to be. But working in a nonprofit is hard, and trying to give hundreds of children a Christmas to remember even more. Unless an anonymous donor changes everything.

Warnings: smut (18+ only, minors DNI) read the request for everything else that's on here

Pairing: Carlisle Cullen x Female!Reader

A/N: i decided to use this request as a way to tie in the second part for the 12DoF one-shot for Carlisle. I really hope I did the request justice. I'm still very new to smut and it can be a bit hard for me to write it. Hope y'all like it!

Follow 😊 -> TikTok • Instagram • Business

<- Previous

Christmas Miracle Come in Attractive Packages | Part 2

When the gala was finally over, and everyone was gone, (Y/N) looked for Carlisle Cullen once more. They had spent the time she had free talking and getting to know one another. As tension built between them, all she could think was how the night would end if he did wait for her,

She was sure he would have gone home by now, bored after hours of a lot of bureaucratic performances she had to do for the people that helped fund the organization.

But as she finally exited the doors into the freezing winter of New York, there he stood in all his splendor. In the midst of the white snow, his body and clothes blended into the scenery. He was as picturesque as the city.

“You waited,” she smiled catching up to him. “Thought you’d be home by now. It’s freezing out here.”

“Some things are worth the wait,” Carlisle responded, a grin stretching on his face. “Now, I don’t mean to sound too forward, but would you like to come over to my place? It’s very cold and my apartment is close by.”

“That sounds like a wonderful idea.” (Y/N) tried her best to sound confident. But the reality was, she couldn’t help but let her fears get the best of her.

She was inexperienced in all matters of personal relations. When everyone around her was experimenting from high school all the way to college, she’d never done anything. Instead, she spent her time trying to finish her studies so she could get started on her dream – the foundation. Then when she started on it, she had no time for socializing outside of work.

So, her love life had been on the back burner her whole life. And now that a man had seemingly taken interest in her, she was not sure how to proceed. Thankfully, she was a quick study.

Before she could notice, Carlisle was parking the car in the car park of a luxury apartment complex. He guided them inside, hitting the last level in the elevator. Just who was this man? Doctors made money, but this amount of riches definitely did not come from the hospital.

“Welcome to my home,” Carlisle said as he opened the door to a beautiful apartment.

It was a modern build, with sleek line architecture, tall ceilings, and floor-to-ceiling windows that gave him one of the best views in New York. It was a glaring juxtaposition to where she lived and could not believe this was how some people lived.

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed out, taking in the scenery. “Can’t believe this place is real.”

Carlisle turned on music, which startled (Y/N) around, her dress whooshing with her movement. Her clothing stood out amongst the white and black styling of the place, making her seem out of place and the perfect focal point in the space.

“I believe we never got a chance to dance,” he smiled, taking her arm and twirling her toward his body.

She collided against his chest, having to look up to meet his eyes. Carlisle led the dance, having them sway to a song that (Y/N) could barely register, too entranced by the man before him. She had never felt this drawn to anyone. Taking her time to know people was normally how she went about things, but something about Carlisle told her to jump headfirst into it.

As they gazed into each other’s eyes, they started to lean in, closing the small gap that was still between them.

“Wait,” (Y/N) stopped abruptly.

“Is everything alright?” Carlisle worried. “I don’t want to overstep.”

“Yes.. no… maybe,” she stammered nervously. “It’s just this is my first, uh, time…”

“What?” he chuckled. “First time going home with someone on the first date.”

“First time for everything actually,” she grimaced slightly. “I never had time nor interest in having a love life and before I knew it so much time had passed that I never had the chance to do… well, anything.”

“Well, that’s no problem.” He gave her a smile that instantly made her weak in the knees. “We won’t do anything you don’t feel comfortable doing.”

“That’s the thing,” she grinned. “Something about you makes me want to do… everything. I’m done putting my life on the back burner and I would love nothing more than to push forward with you.”

As they shared another smile, Carlisle place both of his hands gingerly on the side of her face and finally bent down, pressing a kiss on her lips.

That’s when she saw fireworks.

She could feel herself growing warm already, the knot in her stomach tightening promptly. (Y/N) knew the feeling perfectly. Just because she hadn’t done anything with another person didn’t mean she hadn’t explored that side on her own.

The kiss grew hungrier, with Carlisle taking the lead. He was gentle as his hands roamed down her body and settled onto her waist pulling her warm body flush to his ice-cold one. It had been a few years since he had engaged in any type of physical relations, and though he wasn’t inexperienced, he was ravenous.

He hadn’t planned to meet anyone in his time in Ithaca, much less a human. But (Y/N) had barreled into his life by pure chance. Had she not bumped into him whilst his brain was focused elsewhere, there was a big chance they would never have crossed paths.

Oh, but how glad he was that they did.

“Are you sure you want this?” Carlisle breathed, breaking the kiss first. “I want to make sure you are absolutely certain this is what you want.”

“It is, Carlisle,” she responded. “I’ve never been this sure of anything before.”

“Then, if at any moment you want to stop, just say the word and we’ll stop.”

“Take me, Carlisle,” she mewled in his ear. “I’m all yours.”

The words surprised (Y/N) as they came out, but they ignited something inside Carlisle. He brought his mouth to hers once more, taking his time to devour her mouth. She was bringing the animal in him that lay dormant. And though he normally hungered for blood, this night he was going to feast in something more primal. He was going to show (Y/N) what she had been missing.

Their movements were fluid, almost choreographed. Their hands ran across their clothed bodies, learning every corner with their hands.

When Carlisle felt satisfied with her mouth, his lips traveled down. He kissed her cheek, down her jaw, and started work on her neck. He kissed and kissed until he found a spot that made her moan loudly. With a grin growing on his lips, he nipped at the spot siphoning new sounds from (Y/N)’s mouth.

She could feel herself growing warmer, wetter. Her hands gripped onto his hair, pulling on the blond locks of his hair. This let out a growl from Carlisle’s throat, making him bite softly on the areas he was enjoying — never enough to draw blood, just hard enough that it was a temptation.

“That’s gonna leave a mark in the morning,” she chuckled, slightly out of breath.

“That’s the idea,” he grinned mischievously. “I want everyone to know what will happen here tonight.”

“Then, what’re we waiting for? Let’s move this to the bedroom.”

Carlisle’s eyes darkened, lust glazing them over. They fumbled backward together, connected through their lips and their hands not working fast enough to get their clothes off their bodies. They stumbled through every step, (Y/N)’s dress getting tangled between their feet and they walked the long hallways trying to not spend even a second apart.

“This isn’t working,” Carlisle chuckled. “Come here.”

Swiftly, he snaked one hand under her legs and the other on the small of her back. A gleeful shriek escaped her as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He wanted nothing more than to speed them over to the bedroom and get her on his bed so he could ravish her body as if it was his last meal. But he would scare her before he could do so. That meant he had to walk as fast as he could, and that’s what he did.

Carlisle pushed opened his bedroom door with his foot, crossing them through the threshold. He set her down gently as (Y/N) pushed the door closed after. He pressed her front softly against the door, his lips connecting to her skin, and he slid the zipper of her dress down.

As his hand pulled the zipper agonizingly slowly, he kissed from her neck to her shoulders, to her exposed shoulder blades. Every piece of skin he could find he would kiss or nip, smiling as he noted some start their process of bruising. Every mark was a testament to what he had done, of what she had allowed him to do.

The red fabric pooled at her feet, exposing her bare back and the black lace underwear she had chosen to wear. Instinctively, she covered her breasts. A red hue fell over her entire body in embarrassment. But Carlisle took her arms in his, turning her around and placing another kiss on her lips.

“Don’t hide yourself, (Y/N),” he whispered into her ear. “I want to see you. I want to see all of you.”

He looked at her with admiration and hunger, so much hunger. His eyes studied the curve of her breasts, the dip of her hips, the length of her legs — she was a sight to behold. Every single part of her body was perfect to him. From the freckles to the blemishes to the scars.

He had seen perfection in vampires, marble-like skin that could hold no flaw. Still, there was something about human beauty that he found precious. Immortal beauty would never compare to the transitional beauty of human beings. It was transcendental.

“You’re gorgeous,” he said as he looked her over. “Perfect.”

“Well,” she grinned. “I wouldn’t want you to feel left out, so how about we start with you?”

(Y/N) went for his tie first, pulling it until it joined her dress on the floor. Then she unbuttoned his shirt, ever so slowly, teasing him slightly. But it was backfiring. As she worked to build his desire, hers grew as well, along with desperation. His clothes could not be off him fast enough for her. She wanted him, and she wanted him now.

Once she reached the last button, she pushed the shirt and the blazer off his shoulders to reveal his bare chest. (Y/N) ran her hands through his pecs and down his arms, feeling the smooth valley of his skin. Not only did he look like a perfect marble statue, he felt like one. Carlisle was as smooth, cold, and as hard as stone — enchanting and beautiful. It took everything in her to not continue to gawk at his body. His mouth on hers helped.

Carlisle guided them to the bed, laying her gently onto the massive piece of furniture. The duvet felt cold against (Y/N)’s skin – nowhere as cold as Carlisle – and her body erupted in goosebumps. But the coldness was quickly replaced by the warm knot forming in the pit of her stomach as the man slid her panties off her body.

Never breaking eye contact, Carlisle pulled the piece of fabric down her thighs, her knees, her calves, her ankles, and finally her feet. In the shining light of the full moon that seeped through the windows, he could see her wetness glistening. She was drenched and he could smell her arousal since they had gotten to the apartment. Now that he had her right in front of him, he needed to devour her.

“Let me know if this gets too much, (Y/N),” Carlisle said, sucking in a breath. “Remember, if at any point...” 

“I promise I’ll let you know,” (Y/N) somehow managed to breathe out through her panting. “Just touch me please.”

Without a second thought, Carlisle’s tongue lapped her slit, running from her entrance and ending on the sensitive bud that lived at the top. This took (Y/N)’s breath out of her lungs. An overwhelming feeling of pleasure ransacked through her body, arching in tandem.

But that simple touch could not compare to when Carlisle started his ministrations on her clit. His tongue circled, his mouth sucked, and his throat vibrated. That was enough to have her nearing that so-awaited for peak that would have her clutching at the sheets. Yet, Carlisle introduced a finger into her wet entrance and that sent her onto another plane.

“Whatever you’re doing,” she moaned. “Don’t you dare stop.” 

“I wasn’t planning on it.” 

He responded pressed against her, his voice sending shock waves through her body. He was feasting, and like a good boy, he would devour his whole meal. It helped that it was so beautifully presented.

With a masterful tongue, Carlisle continued his attack on the needy mound as his fingers – two more already added for preparation – pistoned into her at an inhuman speed. But what had her moaning and writhing, was how he curled those fingers to press on her most sensitive spot from the inside.

She could feel the crescendo of her climax reaching its peak. Her walls clenched around Carlisle’s fingers, her body feeling fuller than it had ever been. There was only so much she could do with her own fingers. But this man somehow knew just how to coax out her orgasm better than she ever could. His mouth and his digits worked in perfect symphony until they had her yelling out his name.

(Y/N) was sure she was seeing stars. As her cunt wept in pleasure, her brain could barely process what had happened. Se believed she had been able to orgasm when she divulged in alone time, but it had never felt like this. Nothing (Y/N) had done to herself had her legs shaking or had her lungs devoid of oxygen. This experience was simply unparalleled.

As she recuperated from the assault, (Y/N) watched with newly growing warmth as Carlisle licked her arousal from his fingers, savoring it as if it was his last meal. It was just the thing to have her ready for the next round.

Carlisle towered above her, kissing her deeply. As his tongue explored her mouth, she explored her own taste on his tongue, making her wetness start pooling once more. Her hands traveled down his body, one of them landing on the button of his pants as the other palmed at his stone-hard bulge.

(Y/N) gawked as she finally freed his hard-on from his pants, astonished by the mere size of it. She was sure it would never fit – then again, how would she have ever known? But in her astonishment, (Y/N) found herself lowering her head, ready to at least make it fit in one entrance at a time.

Carlisle stopped her.

“Tonight is all about you,” he whispered. “We can delve into other things at a letter time. But right now, I need to be inside you.” 

“Then what are you waiting for?” (Y/N) purred with newfound confidence. “My cunt is begging to be filled.” 

The words surprised the woman as they rolled off her tongue. She had no idea where they were coming from or how she had the gall to say them. But it was how she was feeling and it was what her body was yearning for.

Carlisle’s smile contorted into a devilish grin as he lined himself with her entrance. He used the pool of her core to slather his shaft and pumped himself three times to get himself ready for her.

First, his head breached her, starting the stretch. It felt nothing like when he entered her with his fingers. And though it was just a tad painful, she was quickly growing to love the feeling. As his cock continued to slide into he, (Y/N) felt her breath leave her lungs. Once his hips hit hers, she felt completely full and stretched.  

“Are you okay?” Carlisle asked seemingly out of breath as well. “Let me know when you feel comfortable for me to move.”

“Just give me a sec,” she exhaled deeply. Growing used to the feeling did not take long. The stinging pain shifted quickly into yearning pleasure. At first, it was too much, but now it was not enough. “You can move now, please. I need you to move.”

He was slow at first, moving his hips softly into her. But he knew he could not last long. From her scent to her tightness, Carlisle felt himself nearing his end. Though restraint was something he excelled at, something about (Y/N) made his inhibitions fall. It made him feel like a newborn once more – the lowest level of self-control.

As his pace turned faster, (Y/N)’s voice could only make out moans, groans, and pants. It was a feeling like no other, and it was a great one. The knot that had formed at the pit of her stomach tightened as he continued his calculated attack.

“I-I’m close,” she mumbled out.

“So am I, darling.”

He pummeled into her even faster now. His tip hit her g-spot with every single stroke. As he did, (Y/N)’s grip on Carlisle’s hips tightened, pushing him into her deeper and deeper. She was chasing her second orgasm of the night in what she found was her favorite way.

Until he used his thumb to stimulate her clit. (Y/N) yelled out at the attack. Her eyes closed and her back arched off the bed. He rolled the small bud over and over, his fingers somehow matching the speed of his hips.

It was only a couple of thrusts more before they were both screaming out each other’s names. (Y/N) felt Carlisle’s release mixed with hers, coating her walls with his seed. It was reckless, but it felt right at that moment.

Carlisle slipped out of her and climbed beside her on the bed, cradling her body close to his as she panted. He could tell she was exhausted. (Y/N) slumped against him, too tired to do anything else.

Her mind was hazy from everything they did, and although she wanted more, her body was overcome with exhaustion. (Y/N) thought she would have built up stamina, that she would be able to go all night and enjoy this man for as much as she could. But she had not anticipated how much energy she would drain by getting two leg-shaking orgasms one right after the other.

“So,” Carlisle said into her hair. (Y/N)’s head was laid on his chest, his hand drawing shapes on her bare back. “How was your first time?”

(Y/N) stared at him through her lashes, transfixed at how the moonlight hit his perfect features. “It was more than I could have ever imagined,” she said. “You’re more than I had ever imagined.”

“What do you mean?” he chuckled. “Do not tell me you had not planned to have your first time with a man you barely know.”

“Obviously I didn’t,” she laughed. “But I wouldn’t trade this for the world. I, uh, I hope this wasn’t a one-off. I would like to see you again… and many times after that.”

“I could never let you go now. Not after all that,” Carlisle smiled down at her. “I would certainly enjoy continuing this wonderful adventure. In fact, if you’re up for it, why don’t we go out for breakfast in the morning?”

“I would love nothing more.”

Carlisle met her in another soft kiss. This one wasn’t hungry or ravenously passionate. It was full of promise, full of future expectations. It was a kiss that told her he wanted to know everything about her, to someday bring her into his life – although explaining his supernatural situation could prove rather tricky.

For her, it was a kiss that solidified her Christmas miracle. She was meant to meet this man. She was meant to go home with him. She was meant to be here, on his bed, in his arms. Carlisle was the miracle she had always waited for.

Taglist:  @agent-annana@banterbanner@alitav99@daniallh@catchmeupimgettingoutofhere@imaginetwilight2704@mauvette268@beefwhobarksandisalilmadalot@abelbai000@ridiculous-creature​ @mikariell95@gryffi-ndor@jules-bea2308@comic-book-overload@winter-soldier-101 @jessicasunderground @mxyee @hey-you-therexo @witchy-obeyme-freak  @xcastawayherosx @kortniec696 @slutforsainz @Blackbluerose666 @DyslexicCatterpillar @sunflowerleii@gypsymusiclover@byelannie@a-sifu-hotman@zheezs14 @minhaimaginação @bluebirbnamedJay @sirenheadenby@mushroomelephant @swidkid @skyesthebomb@user0ur0mom@nogitsune-the@cometstail@volturiwolf@locokoca@esposadomd@this-is-a-bad-idea @nocturnalherb16 @rosalie-whitlock @Nyctophilia710 @blueshoelaces@ems-alexandra@then-worship-at-my-altar @Six-Call @witchofhawkins @lovel-blog @sugajar@goodpeoplegotohellanyway @Yuki254 @avis15 @honeylovemoon@wonieeee @baebeepeach @catgirlpwr@krazyk99@klf1999@sl-ut@adaydreamaway08@cinffy23@toomanythoughts33@sugasthreedollarkookie @laylaskywalker @volturiwolf @fandomonetwo @fruitylilfuck @a-slut-for-Loki-Bucky @honeywxter @haroldpotterson @revnamjinn @justamessandahalf @come-on-darling-honey @dove-chan32931 @kaita11

[giggly-squiggily]

Weekly Basis (Fire Force)

Heyo! :D I missed my boys, and now here they are kjejakrkjearjkeaj I was fangirling with Nym (@intheticklecloset) recently over these two and Fire Force as a whole- one thing led to another and boom! This fic was born! I hope y'all like it! :D

Summary: Arthur and Shinra have weekly tickle fights. That's it- that's the fic

It was Arthur’s fault, naturally. He usually was the one to start these fights.

“Begone devil, or I’ll be forced to cut you down.” The blonde fumed, grabbing the hilt of his plasma blade. “I’m not one to bluff.”

“Gee, forget how to say ‘excuse me’?” Said devil rolled his eyes as he turned back to the counter, pouring cream into his coffee. He could move, but Shinra was feeling petty now. The self proclaimed knight king could wait. “Since you're standing there, hand me the sugar? I think Maki burned the pot.”

“Assisting a devil? And a stubborn one at that- you are truly bold to ask a Knight King for assistance after refusing my orders.” Arthur puffed up, the hand on his hilt tightening knuckle white. Still, he turned and grabbed the sugar off the nearby table.

Only to put it on the top of the fridge, just out of Shinra’s reach.

“Oh you son of a-” Shinra growled as he twisted towards him, reaching for the bowl. “You’re a real pain in the ass, you know that?”

“Had you yielded, you’d have your sugar- hey, back you!!” Arthur pushed at his shoulders as Shinra leaned into him, using the blonde as leverage. “Begone I said!”

“Shut up, you started it!” Shinra stretched his arm long, fingers just grazing his target. Arthur scrunched his nose up at the smell. “Hold still!”

He did not. Instead, Arthur shoved his hand into his armpits for a better shove, curling his fingers.

The reaction was near instantaneous.

“GAH!” Shinra yelped, all but falling on his ass as he spasmed backwards. Arthur reached out to grab him, a hand to Shinra’s t-shirt the only thing preventing him from hitting his head on the way down. There was a brief moment of stunned silence, then…

“Geahhaha! Doohohohn’t you dahhahahre!” Shinra cried out when Arthur let him go, following him down with two hands in his armpits. “Stahhahahap, sthahhap yooohohohu jehheheerk!”

“Oo, what’s wrong? Is the devil himself ticklish?” The blonde cooed, grinning from ear to ear as Shinra thrashed and squealed beneath him, curling up like a cockroach. “If I’ve known this sooner, I’d have defeated you already! Now I shall take my chance!”

“Yehahahhaha rihhihiihght! Gehahahhaha, yohohohou’re a mohohohorohohohon iihihif yohohohu thihiihnk thihihs will kihihihll mehehehehe!” Shinra quickly reached out, grabbing onto Arthur’s knee and squeezing. Almost immediately, Arthur spasmed, falling back and giving Shinra the opening he needed to run.

“Dehevil! Get back here!” Arthur cried out, but Shinra was already far too gone, laughing the entire way.

~~~~~~~~~~

Arthur was exhausted.

It was the beginning of the week, and the dreaded paperwork day. Normally such an event wouldn’t come around until later, but due to a few incidents over the weekend with infernals, the torture was moved sooner. The ogre pri-Maki; his head still hurt- insisted it wasn’t all that bad; just a small pile for each of them.

For her or the lieutenant, this was breezy. For the Knight King himself; it felt like decades.

“Oi, sit up- that’s how you fall asleep.” Shinra elbowed him gently, snapping him out of his sleepy trance. “Speaking of, did you sleep at all last night? I swear I heard you snoring for the most of it.”

“A Knight King gets plenty of stamina. This however- it’s poison. It drains my life force.” Arthur looked down miserably at the half finished paper, feeling his eyes start to droop just after reading the first few lines. “I’ve sat here for eons. Any longer and I won’t be able to go on…”

“It’s been five minutes. Most of them you spent asleep.” Shinra elbowed him again when Arthur started to droop, shaking him awake once more. “Do you want some coffee? An energy drink- water?”

“Coffee would be nice..” Arthur nodded through a yawn, watching Shinra get up to make it. “Make haste, devil- before this poison spreads to my he-aaaaart..”

“Sure, sure, whatever.” Shinra rolled his eyes as Arthur yawned again, stretching his arms out overhead. “Don’t be asleep when I get back or else.”

Arthur knew Shinra likely meant it. He leaned into his hand as he stared at the paper, the world growing blurrier and blurrier until…

“Eheh!” Something sharp and ticklish jabbed his sides. His vision was blind- when did that happen? Oh no- the poison spread to his eyes! “I can’t see-”

The paper he was working on fluttered off his face. Arthur stared. Oh.

Then the tickles came back and he didn’t have any time to feel silly.

“I told you to stay awake, didn’t I?” Shinra growled in his ear as he squeezed the life out of Arthur’s sides, making the blonde squeal and squirm in his clutches. “I told you, and you fell asleep anyway! This is what you get!”

“Aehahhhahahha! Rehehahahaleahahase me, dehheheehevil! Hohohow dahahahare yohohohu- gehahahhahahahhah!” The Knight King tried and failed to grab his hands, still groggy with sleep as Shinra danced his fingers up and down his torso. “Begohohohohone, dehhehehevil-HEhhehehehehehhahah!”

“You know- you’re awfully bold to ask for coffee from me and then tell me to ‘begone’. Actually- didn’t you say the same thing yesterday too?” Shinra’s efforts were doubled as Arthur snorted like a pig, trying and failing to guard his stomach from the devil’s prodding fingers. “Well too bad for you! I’m here with an antidote for your ‘poison’, and I’m not going anywhere until it’s in full effect!”

The coffee had grown cold by the time they were done, but Arthur wasn’t sleepy anymore.

A win is a win?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You’ve got to be kidding.”

“Shut up! It’s not like you’ve never been stuck before!” Shinra argued at the Knight King- his stance weakened significantly as he swayed to and from. “Get me down!”

“Usually I’d leave devils like yourself like this, but as a Knight King, I suppose I have to help you.” A puff of laughter escaped the blonde’s lips, momentarily breaking his monologue. Seeing Shinra hanging upside down in a tree with his leg caught within the branches was quite the sight! Part of him wanted to take a few pictures.

Well…

“Oi, put your phone away and help me!” Shinra cried, swiping at Arthur as the other snapped a few shots, ducking and weaving out of the brunette’s reach. “Arthur!”

“Pfft, okay okay.” Tossing his phone aside, he reached up and grabbed Shinra by the waist- or ribs. He was never good at devil anatomy. “I’m gonna pull you down- try not to squirm.”

“Hurry u-eehheahhaha, stahhahap!” Shinra cried, shivering all over at the feeling of tickles. “Don’t tihihickle me!”

“I’m not trying too- damn, how’d you get so stuck?” Arthur gave another tug, squeezing Shinra more and more as he pulled. The entire time, the brunette was giggling and curling up, punching at the air and holding his face as he tried and failed to escape. “I told you to stop squirming!”

“Ahahahand I tohohold yoohohou tohoho stahhap tihihihckli-EHEHE!” Hands to his hips did him in. He arched so harshly he went backwards into Arthur, his leg deciding that was the time to come loose. The two boys went flailing into the dirt below- groaning in mutual pain as leaves scattered around them.

“Ugh..Devil, are you hurt?” Arthur asked, feeling Shinra shake his head. “Good. You can carry me back.”

“Oh shit- did you get hurt?” Shinra shot up, staring down at Arthur’s torso.

“No, but I’m far too tired. It’s the least you can do for knocking the air out of me.”

Shira swore, digging into the blonde’s sides and making him jump and cackle.

He did end up carrying Arthur home though.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ghgggggggggggghhh.

Shinra felt his eye twitch. He pressed them closed tighter, practically squinting.

Ghgggggg-hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhch.

He pulled the pillow tighter around his ears, trying to block out the sound.

Khggggggh-ghhhghgh-zhhhhhhhhhhgh

Now that last one sounded personal. Shinra twisted in his bed to glare down at the blonde sleeping away. Arthur wasn’t usually the type to snore; most nights the most you’d hear out of him is sleep talking through a dream-made acceptance speech. It was only when he got sick he snored.

And good lord he could snore!

“Oi, Knight King!” Shinra whispered sharply down at him, waving to get his attention. Usually he’d be more sympathetic for his roommate in times like this, but Arthur was on the very last leg of his cold. After what felt like decades listening to him snore, he finally had enough. “Wake up!”

“Zzh-heh?” Snorting awake, Arthur blinked blurrily up at him, wiping at his face with a tired hand. “What? The princess wishes me to marry her? I’m flattered, but I am far too committed to my duties.”

“No, dumbass! Wake up! You’re snoring like crazy!” Shinra growled, climbing down the latter of their bunk before heading to the bathroom. “Hang on, let me get the decongestants.”

“I don’t need your potions, Devil. I’m fine. Besides its-” Arthur looked at the clock, wincing. “Good lord- 1 am?- I can survive the night.”

“Well, I can’t.” Shinra came back with a glass of water and two pills, offering them to the blonde. “Take them. That’ll clear your up.”

Arthur stared. Then he scrunched up his nose in distaste, shaking his head. “Those are poison.”

“They’re medicine!”

“They taste horrible.”

“You sound like ass- take the freaking pills!” Too tired for patience, Shinra put down the water and climbed onto Arthur’s bed, grabbing at his sides as he brought the pills to his mouth. “Come on- come on, Knight King- the princess wants you to take them!”

“The priiihihncess is a dehehhevil! A dehihihvil in dihhihisguiihihse!” Arthur giggled out, one hand slapped over his mouth as the other shoved at Shinra, trying and failing to keep it down. “Stahhahap, it tihihihickles!”

“Take. The. Meds. Now!” Shinra growled, worming his fingers higher up as Arthur fell back into the bed, squeaking and giggling all the way. He was about to shove a hand into the blonde’s gut to really get him going when the door suddenly opened. “L-Lieutenant!”

Hinawa looked beyond exhausted, hair slightly messy and glasses missing. He also looked really, really pissed. He walked over, taking in the sight as his eyes landed on the pills in Shinra’s hand.

Without any words, he held out his hand for them. Shinra gave them without question. Hinawa turned to Arthur.

“These will make you into a grand knight king. Take them or you’ll die to the witch's poison.” He spoke so seriously even Shinra believed him. Arthur blanched before snatching the pills, gulping them down with every last drop of water.

“Good. Bed. Now.” Hinawa gave Shinra a look that sent chills up his spine. Quickly, the brunette did so, watching the older man leave. Before the door shut, he heard a soft “Goodnight boys.”

“Scary…” Shinra moaned. Below him, Arthur was fast asleep already.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“That’s it! This charade has gone on LONG ENOUGH!” Shinra declared one afternoon- tossing down his coat and pointing at the blonde before him. “You and me- outside; right now!”

“Bring it on, Devil. I’ve been waiting for this day.” Arthur nodded, following the brunette out the door. Tamaki- who had been sitting by watching the entire fiasco- turned to the others with wide eyes.

“Should we stop them?” She asked- still new to Company 8’s dynamics.

“They’ll be fine. They do this at least once a week.” Maki reassured her, sorting through the remains of her paperwork. “If you want, why don’t you go out and see for yourself? I can take care of things here.”

Tamaki nodded, standing up and heading towards the door. With a small huff, she pushed it open to find…

“COME HERE!” Shinra yelled out, diving into Arthur’s middle as the blonde grabbed onto his shirt. Sparks flew and flames ignited as Shinra took flight, soaring him and Arthur through the air. Despite such a move, they only skimmed the rooftop, no different than a fly buzzing around a sugar cube.

“Think you’ve one? Ha! Take this!” Arthur wasn't deterred. The second they reached the center of the roof once more he brought the hilt of his sword into Shinra’s back, making him stumble to his feet. Tamaki sucked in a small hiss- that couldn’t have felt good.

Neither did the suplex Shinra performed on Arthur. With the blonde on his back, Shirna was quick to sit on his hips, one hand grabbing at his wrists while the other…

“AH! Shihihihihihihit!” Arthur yelped, arching when Shinra’s fingers attacked his stomach, sending waves of ticklishness up his core. “Dehehehhevil!”

“Whahaht?” Shinra mimicked, giggling like a goon as he carried on gently tickling the other. He was smiling that devilish grin of his- the kind that never failed to make Tamaki’s heart do little flutters whenever it came around. “Come on- fight back, Knight King? What is it- too much for you to handle?”

“Yohohoohu shuhuhuhut yoooohur fahahhahce! Gehahhaha, I’m juhuhust gehehhehetting stahahhahartred!” With a burst of strength, Arthur broke free from Shinra’s grip, attacking the other’s ribs with full force. The brunette yelped as he doubled over, giggling like a child almost immediately. “Tahhahahke thahahahaht!”

“Wow- and here I thought they’d spar more before getting into the tickles.” Maki’s amused tone make Tamaki jump out her skin, finding the older girl watching alongside her. “Last week it took them a few more attacks before they got going.”

“They’ve been on edge all week. This is their stress relief.” Hinawa added, making Maki nod in agreement.

“Latom.” Iris added, tenting hands. Tamaki copied her almost automatically.

“Ehehehehheheh! Dohoohohohn’t juhuhuhuuhst stahhahahnd thehehehere- hehehehelp meheheh!” Shinra called out to them, half fighting off Arthur’s attacks and half digging into the nearest soft spot he could find. “Geheheheht his neehheheck-EHEHEHEH!”

“Dohohohon’t goohohoho gihihihving awahhahy my sehehehecrets! Hihihis feheheht! Gehehhet his feheheheh-EHEEHEHK!” Arthur yelped just as loudly when Shinra dug into his highest ribs, the hands in Shinra’s armpits starting to weaken. “GEHEHEHT OOHOHOHUT!”

“DIHIHIIHIHITTOOHOHOHOHO!”

“They’ll work it out eventually.” Hinawa returned to his desk, Maki following not too long after. Iris stayed with Tamaki, giggling in her hand as she watched the boys play.

“They’re always like this- you don’t have to worry.” She reassured her, squeezing Tamaki’s hand. “Come- lets go get some tea before they realize we’re still here.”

Away they went, leaving the boys screaming and cackling on the rooftop in their tickle fight. Soon the noise died down, the boys returning to the office disheveled and giggly.

“Iihihll..I’ll win nehehext time!” Shinra called out, pointing at a sleepy Arthur as the blonde sank into his seat.

“Suhuhure, shuuhhure..dehhehevil.” Arthur rolled his eyes, head hitting the desk as he began to snore. Only Maki shaking him kept him from completely passing out.

“I didn’t know you were ticklish.” Tamaki mused as she passed him a mug, watching his ears go red. “Who knew the hero had such a weakness?”

There was a brief pause in his eyes, something she couldn’t quite read passing over them before he began to laugh, taking the mug with that trademark smile of his. “Well- all the best heroes have one. Sometimes two.”

“What’s the other one?” She asked automatically, tilting her head when he only smiled around his mug.

“That’s a secret”

Thanks for reading!

[ghostly-clown]

Gving slashers hot chocolates (Headcannons)

cause they need something nice

Includes:

Michael Myers, Corey Cunningham, Thomas Hewitt, Jason Voorhees, Vincent and Bo Sinclair, Brahms Heelshire

.

Michael Myers

- Marshmallows and a heap of whipped cream

- Gotta make it sweet, cause I think everyone has agreed Michael likes his suger

- Whilst he waits for it to cool he'll just enjoy holding it and feeling the warmth from the cup

- Depending on how close y'all are he may take his whole mask off otherwise he would only lift it halfway

- But if he's grumpy he'll just turn around whenever he takes a sip

- Drinks the whole thing then eats the marshmallows

.

Corey Cunningham

- Dosnt need anything extra, he just appreciates the thought

- He would burn his tongue

- You would hand it to him, he's so happy he dosnt heed your warnings about how you just made it and it's hot

- But he'll still finish it (burning tongue or not)

- He LOVES hot chocolate (and just chocolate milk in general)

- But something about the fact you made it for him makes it taste extra special

- He's the person to get all soft and cuddly when drinking hot chocolate (u know the type)

.

Thomas Hewitt

- Cold texas day, Thomas has been out doing chores non-stop

- You and Luda May decide make hot chocolates for everyone

- They don't have any marshmallows or stuff to give it that exta sweet taste :(

- Thomas would just hold it for ages putting it close to his face trying to warm himself

- Can't imagine he got alot of sweet stuff growing up so hot chocolate is liquid gold for him

- He also goes kinda soft when drinking the stuff

- But he tries to resist it more

.

Jason Voorhees

- Cold night out at camp Jason has spent all day figuring out how to turn on the heating

- Make his hot chocolate in one of those oversized cups

- Extra whipped cream and 2 marshmallows on the side (he prefers them separate)

- His first instinct in to drink it as fast as possible to show he enjoys it

- Misses the whole point that you take your time to warm yourself up

- Sit him down get him a blanket, really set the scene

- He'll slow down and end up enjoying it 1000% more

.

Vincent and Bo Sinclair

- It dosnt get that cold in the wax room but he comes upstairs for a break and immediately gets hit by how cold it is outside

- He has a sweaer but he wasn't ready for l the cold so he is suffering

- You and Bo agree to make some hot chocolate for everyone

- Bo will slip in extra everything for himself and still have the audacity to call dibs on the last marshmallow

- He will drink it burn his mouth stop for a second before acting like nothing happened

- He is in pain but he also wants to finish his drink

- I don't think vincent would like marshmallows so he'll go for the extra whipped cream

- He actually takes his time and let's the drink cool a little

- He is in absolute heaven

- He's gonna start coming upstairs more during the cold just so you will make him hot chocolates

.

Brahms Heelshire

- Hea eats whipped cream straight out of the can so buy a second one

- He will constantly be refilling the drink with cream and marshmallows

- If it's chocolate powder he dose the thing where u put a heap at the bottom and don't stir it in so it becomes a lump of chocolate powder after ur done (i hope that makes sense?)

- Will pester you all day for more

- Constantly complaining that he's cold and feels sick and there's only 1 cure (the cure being hot chocolate)

- You show him how to make it so he can do it himself

- He burns himself by accident so now he's painfully hot whilst also having a cold

- What a marvel of a man

[cerridwen007]

Wrong to want you like I do. Part 1.

Pairing: (No Breakout AU) dbf!Joel Miller and f!reader.

Word count: 1.7k (18+) MINORS DNI!

Summary: You're back in your hometown for the year to earn some cash while you work out what you wanna do with your life. The only problem is its spring; rainy season. And you don’t own a car nor do you know how to drive, so when you get caught in a big storm, you finally end up relying on your dad’s best friend to come and help.

Notes/Warnings: Smut/Fluff, swearing, Joel being a softie sweetheart for reader, oral(m receiving), mention of f masturbation, age gap (reader early 20’s/Joel 56), shy/awkward reader, no y/n.

A/N: Hoping on the dad’s best friend Joel train cause I have been eating those fics up lately, and they are so fricken good. Is this inspired by myself and the fact that I had to walk in the pouring rain to work on the other side of town and just spent the whole time daydreaming that I could have Joel come and pick me up? Maybe? So yes it’s a little self-indulgent cause I just am such a passenger princess, but I would be hella willing to learn to drive if Joel taught me hehe. I plan on making this a slow burn fic series, so let me know if y'all would want more. As always, thank you for any interactions with any of my posts. It's all very much appreciated. I'm also on A03 if you prefer reading on that platform. And my inbox is always open if you wanna chat! Enjoy bebes.

********

“Fuck.” 

It was that time of year again where basically every week there was rain and lots of it. Normally you wouldn’t mind the rain, especially if you got to stay at home all day, with a nice cup of tea, reading or watching a movie and letting it lull you to sleep when night fell. But today, where you actually had to go out and walk to work without a car, it made your life a bit difficult.

Your parents had been kind enough to drive you to and from work a lot of the time, to which you generously compensated them for. But on days like this where they were both busy with work, and you didn't really have anyone else to ask for a ride from in your small town, you stubbornly decided to just walk in the pouring rain.

Usually you didn't mind, in fact you kind of enjoyed walking the long distance to work on the other side of town but times like these where the weather was shit, it was a dreadful experience. After you finished getting ready for work, you finally walked out the door and locked up the house. 

You sighed as you began to walk down you drive way and down your street, as not only was it raining heavily it was also windy as fuck, so the old umbrella you brought with you to try and protect yourself from the rain was threatening to bust with every swoop of wind that it got caught in. At least you had some music to entertain you, you thought as an old love song played through your earphones. You half-heartedly laughed at yourself, so you didn’t cry with how fucken soaked you were going to be when you got to work, therefore uncomfortable your entire shift. 

As you turned onto a busier road, you scowled a little at the drivers going past you in your cars, and as if your sour face triggered one of them, a truck going past suddenly pulled over next to you. Swallowing harshly, unsure of how this interaction was going to go, you warily walked past the truck. 

“Need a ride sweetheart?” A deep southern voice calls out.

You turn to get a better look at the source of the voice that called to you, and your shoulders immediately ease up. It was Joel, your dad’s best friend. A grumpy yet giving man who had known you since you were a young kid. And had also secretly been the star in your wet dreams and fantasies since you were old enough to think about those things. Your stomach fluttered with butterflies as he gave you a soft smile and leaned over to open his passenger door.  You quickly got in and gave a big sigh of relief to be out of the cold and the rain. He chuckled softly and waited for you to put your seatbelt on. 

“Couldn’t catch a ride with Mom or Dad today, honey?” Joel asks, his big brown eyes melting from the inside out.

“Nah, they were both working, so they couldn't run me to work.”

Joel nods and starts up his truck again before driving off in the direction of your work. A comfortable silence falls over the two of you.

“D'ya wanna put your music on sweet girl?” Joel asks after a few minutes.

You blush and look down shyly at your lap from the nickname. Butterflies continue to brew in your stomach. 

“Uh you probably won’t like the music I was listening to.” You awkwardly laugh.

“You don’t know that and besides even if it is horrible, I won’t mind one bit cause it’s what ya like.” Joel says, offering you a kind smile.

Your cheeks start to burn, you try and fight off the curve of the smile that threatens to upturn your lips but lose. You eventually pull out your phone and plug it into Joel's soundsystem and play the last song you were listening to.

Both of your eyebrows match each other from curiosity, as a slow melody begins to fill the cabin of the truck.

“When Sunny gets blue, her eyes get grey and cloudy and then the rain begins to fall.”

You look over to Joel's profile, his warm eyes transfixed on the road before him, his lips slightly smirking, a stark contrast to the rest of his overwise, hard exterior. A beat goes by, and you remember that you're starting and should look away.

“Then the rain begins to fall, pitter patter, pitter patter.”

“Didn't pin you for an old school music kinda gal, no offense, darling.”

You softly laugh. “Yeah well I like all kinds of music to be honest, but I just thought I would try and romatisic walking in the pouring rain to work and make it less miserable.”

Joel hums at your answer, seemingly not hating the music and maybe even enjoying the slow tunes. A new song starts playing as you near your work.

“Just a song before I go, to whom it may concern.”

“Mhhmmm good song. Love me some Crosby, Stills, and Nash.”

You smile to yourself thinking how when you first heard this song it reminded you of Joel. Your smile falters when you arrive at work and realise you have to leave Joel.

“Well thank you so much for the ride. Honestly such a life saver.”

“Anytime doll. Have a good shift.”

*********

That whole shift, your mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Joel, and you kept having to catch yourself, smiling wide to yourself like a dork. Quickly biting your tongue so you wouldn't get weird looks from the grin plastered on your face. Then your mind traveled to other places as you imagined yourself ‘thanking’ Joel for the ride.

“Thank you for the ride, Joel. However can I thank you?”

“Aw you don't need to thank me sugar, just seeing your pretty face is thanks enough.”

Your hands reach over and lightly grip the middle of his thigh, rubbing back and forth. Your eyes glossing over with lust as you glance at him. 

“Are you sure? I could help you with something in return.”

You watch him closely, grinning as his Adam's apple bobs, swallowing thickly.  You peer down at his jeans and see his evident excitement growing in his jeans, you bite your lip as you boldly cup him through his denim’s. He begins panting, a growl forming in the back of his throat, both a warning and dare to keep going. 

You move so you are more parallel, facing Joel and begin to slowly unzip his jeans. You shuck his jeans halfway down his thighs. Your mouth subconsciously waters, looking at his hefty size straining through his black boxers. You finally reach out and grab him through his boxers. Joel's head falls back against his head rest, a hiss passing through his teeth. 

You smile as you take his weeping cock out from its restraints. His girthy size, uncovered elicits a small gasp from you, to which he grins crookedly at. Before you let intimidation get the best of you, you reach out and start stroking his cock, your fingers barely touching where they meet around his width, before your thumb comes to swipe along his slit, shiny with pre-come.

“Don’t tease baby.” he softly growls before repeating it in a softer tone. “ Please don’t tease me baby.”

You look up at him with your doe eyes and mock a frown. Which immediately upturns when your hand quickly fastens it’s strokes, granting a soft moan from Joel's lips. He screws his eyes closed, tightly, relishing in the feel of your soft hands gripping him tightly, milking his pleasure.

The sounds of his growls turned whimpers as you bring him closer to his high spur you on with pure determination. You lower your body till your tongue makes contact with his tip, licking around the salty dark red head. Joel’s body jolts slightly, the muscles in his thighs tensing for a moment. You smile to yourself from how sensitive Joel is as you slip his tip past your lips. 

“Fuck…” He quietly whispers.

His chest rises up and down rapidly, and he wills himself to open his eyes so he can see the beauty before him. He swears he nearly comes as he makes eye contact with you, your pretty eyes boring into his own, as you take him deeper into your mouth. His big hand comes up to cup the back of your head, resting gently on your scalp. You moan around him at the sweet, comforting gesture.

You can tell he is holding back the urge to buck his hips and fuck your face, the thought which makes your panties continue to grow wetter. But for now you're glad he is letting you take control, letting you thank him. You grip his length a big tighter and stroke what can’t fit into your mouth faster, letting your head lower till his tip touches the back of your throat. You try to fight back the tears that threaten to spill from the corners of your eyes. 

He mutters curse words softly to himself, trying to fight off his nearing orgasm, wanting to feel you hot, wet, perfect mouth around him long as possible, a feeling he could easily get used to, get addicted to. His thumb comes to brush away a stray tear that falls down your blushed cheeks. 

“Fuck…Fuck look so pretty like this darling…taking my fat cock down your throat.”

You can tell he is teetering on the edge as usually quiet Joel is replaced by the Joel who speaks filthy words endlessly into the air.

“Fuck your such a good girl, sucking my cock so damn good for me.”

“You're too good at that sweetheart, sucking the goddamn soul out of me.”

You moan around his cock at his praise, your other hand reaches down to play with his balls.

The combined stimulation is enough to send him over the edge. Joel pants, whines and moans as you work him through his high, eventually pulling away when he hisses from oversensitivity.

Your daydreams are caught short when your boss calls out to you, telling you to go down to storage and get something. You literally shake your head trying to get rid of the dirty fantasies that stain your mind. God forbid anyone could read your mind.

You try and stop thinking about Joel the rest of the shift to which you surprisingly succeed. You do end up with your hand down your pyjama shorts later that night, softly mewing out Joel's name into the quiet late night. Oh how you couldn't wait for another rainy day.

******

[coffeelovesdramasalatte]

LITA Ep. 5 Rewatch Thoughts Part 1

(edit bc I started writing this post like 6 months ago - hi! I'm gonna finish going through the rest of the phayurain episodes of LITA finally! I've lost all sense of shame so these posts are just gonna be love letters to Eul, hope that's ok) Hi hi hi! I find it absolutely hilarious that the notes on the final part of my episode 4 rewatch post (which contains my best screenshots of That Scene) has like triple the notes of the rest of the parts. I love the thirsty LITA fam <3 I think I kept it mostly clean for the first 3 episodes but LITA brainrot is real and from here on out I'm putting down all my deranged thoughts into words so enjoy

Onwards to episode 5!! Ok so y'all should know by this point that BossNoeul sang the opening right? I added it on spotify and have listened to it on repeat so much over the last week that I could probs (badly, bc my singing voice leaves much to be desired but I can and will belt it at the top of my lungs) karaoke it now. If y'all haven't heard the full version check it out bc they rap a few bars and Noeul has this line "shake your bo- shake your bo- shake your body" that makes me lose it every time

The recap sees us revisiting some rather adorable moments from the previous episode including PhayuRain in the rain and tub. Imagine if they stuck the leg kiss in the recap >.<

We open to sunlight pouring in through the curtained windows on the morning after. I kind of wish the last episode had ended with this scene bc it would have been a soft transition after the intimacy PhayuRain shared rather than the abrupt cut to credits. But I digress.

Phayu's hair looks glorious out and I wish we'd gotten to see it like this more. In fact I think we should've seen Rain push his hands through it and grip it during episode 6's NC scene. Also the definition of that bicep? Sir pls.

I ADORE how sweet Phayu is towards Rain all the time, and this is yet another example. I love it when characters look fondly at their lover (I finally get to use that word for them!!), cover them with a blanket, and then give them a forehead kiss before sliding out of bed. SO FOND

I just think it's really attractive when people do this. Rain was really missing out by snoozing.

The state of Rain's neck and chest sends me into hysterical giggles every time. Phayu you did not have to go that hard with the marking bestie (let's be honest though, looking at the state of Phayu's neck post episode 6 they both have marking kinks) - everyone's gonna know Rain's officially yours soon enough. Also throwback to how like two months ago (or something like that idk the exact timeline) Rain was like hmph I never want anything to do with P' Phayu ever again. I didn't hear any complaining from you last night hmm??? Also I love how confident Rain was in his abilities to seduce Phayu, so true of him

I'm DECEASED

OK WAIT I think I finally get the whole yellow-blue thing. It literally is just that yellow is Rain's representative color and Phayu's is navy blue. So by making Rain put on Phayu's navy blue shirt for the "morning after" they're just reiterating that Rain belongs to Phayu now. Mystery solved :)

Obligatory shot bc he's worked hard for these gains and I think he deserves some appreciation ft. Rain who's making the same face as all of us. I think they spent like 30 whole seconds on Phayu's shoulders and that's so valid of them

Sir, do you have a good reason for striding in here shirtless and sweaty to wake your new bf up? Methinks someone was hoping for round 2

Ok, and we're back to Rain in a yellow t-shirt looking very feverish. He's holding his teal green phone (case) up though which is a combo of yellow and blue, isn't it? I'm sorry my color theory is lacking. His eyebrows look really nice here and I don't know why I noticed. I hope he has a good nap! But oops he misses calls from Phayu...

This episode's title is "the Calm Before the Storm" which implies it's gonna be a mostly tooth-rotting fluff episode and that drama is on the way next week. I'm already smiling so wide my cheeks hurt so the title is apt.

Phayu (dressed in navy blue!) is here to make sure his precious Rain is ok and Mama is already planning the wedding in her head.

The first three or four times I watched this, I was paying too much attention to their faces and probably missed a lot so let's break it down a bit. Phayu comes in, Rain's surprised and sits up, and Phayu sits down next to Rain on the bed but facing away. Phayu is slightly upset that Rain went away without saying anything and he was worried that since Rain was sick that him driving home alone was dangerous. The second Phayu sits down this way, Rain reaches out to grab his arm but Phayu pulls away. Compared to couples in other dramas, PhayuRain depend on touch a lot to communicate so obv the situation is quite serious plus Phayu is not immediately making eye contact with Rain.

The next couple of shots are just back and forth where Phayu asks why Rain left and Rain tells him what happened and apologies for worrying him. He looks v v soft and fluffy here

Gonna take a second to appreciate the background music bc it sounds so serious and doom-y right now but they're literally about to clear it all up so it was unnecessary to go that hard. Sound artist I love you

Throughout this conversation, Phayu starts far away (which for PhayuRain means there's like 1.5 meters of distance between their faces instead of 0.15 meters) but he moves closer and tilts his body more in Rain's direction as Rain gives each justification. He also lets Rain grab his arm. It's very subtle but I like the acting choices here.

Phayu, Rain is sick. Can you pls stop staring at his lips bff give him some rest (spoiler alert I counted like 5 lip-looks in the next 10 seconds, Phayu didn't hear me)

OK this hug. Exquisite. The gap has been bridged, all parties are happy again, and they both absolutely sink into each other.

Boss' little shoulder rub here is so soft and gives us more PhayuRain believability. We can see how worried he was and how relieved he is now that Rain is safely in his arms again.

Rain's cheek-smushed nod agreeing to never disappear from Phayu's side ever again is everything to me.

I don't actually think this was what I was supposed to get out of this but there's something about the symmetry of this hug and them being in the shape of a triangle and how technically their first encounter as a couple involved Phayu's triangle tool etc. etc. etc. Also headpat alert!

More subtle and soft gestures from Phayu. Rain is down bad.

HANDS!!!

We really heard the MWAH here and I want to forehead kiss whoever placed the mics

Everyone needs to observe Rain's expression right after Phayu asks this question bc it's very sus

(I couldn't get it in motion but Rain straightens up a bit and raises his eyebrows. Someone thinks they're about to get spanked like before)

Except this is not that kind of punishment and I can't believe Phayu really brought along a rectal suppository. To his credit though, I believe they're supposed to be more immediately effective than oral medicines because they absorb more directly into the body so he just wants Rain to be healthy faster. Although I wish Phayu would've not proceeded to yank Rain's pants off without permission, it's fiction and I hope if Rain had shown signs of major discomfort he would've listened. I do have to wonder if Mama put on headphones though bc Rain was really loud with his protests. I also think this must've been funny to film bc if you look closely before it cuts to Rain's mom, Rain looks like he's holding back laughter.

Uh-oh, Mama it's better if you walk away now

This sequence was actually so adorable and funny. I love purrito!Rain and Phayu is looking way too smug. Mama Rain walked out of there trying to name all the yellow and blue flowers she could for the wedding centerpieces.

omfg Phayu calling Rain's mom "Mama" is so friggin cute and I love how smoothly he just slid into son-in-law position

Rain's like excuse me I'm sick I should NOT be slandered right now

To part 2 with all the cute shots!!

[chaotic-on-main]

Chapter 8 June - Part 5 [Final]

☾ Pairings ➼ Levi Ackerman x fem!mute!Reader (she/her pronouns), set in a modern semi-fictional world

☾ Summary ➼ Due to childhood trauma, you find yourself an adult without the ability to speak. After years of working on it, you have found ways to live without a voice. Now here in your late 20s, you are 5 months in getting used to a new town. On a fateful day in late November, you and your adopted sister visit a local bookstore-café, unaware of the friendships about to blossom. Throughout the months, one friendship in particular develops into something more.

☾ Content/Warnings ➼ fluff, slowburn, oblivious feelings, romance, angst, mention of minor character deaths, trauma, illness, adoption, mentions of fire, disabilities, alcohol use, very light nsfw mentions, references to child abuse, smoking and alcohol abuse mentions, domestic violence, light assault, eventual smut

☾ Author's note ➼ brb I'm sobbing. Mainly because look at my little characters and my story... I DID THAT. But also, because I actually finished something. Can y'all believe that?? Anyways. I hope you all like this chapter and I hope y'all enjoyed my story as a whole. I had a lot of fun thinking up this little world. I'm sure I have places where I can improve but considering this was my first fanfic in like, 10 years?? I'm taking it as win. Thank you to anyone who has spent their actual time to read my delusions, I appreciate y'all so much. I couldn't have finished without the support of my friends, moots, and you, my readers. Okay that's enough being mushy. I'm gonna go watch One Piece now. See y'all around hehe :3

☾ Word Count ➼ ~8.5k

The first thing you’re greeted with the moment you stir awake is the smell of clean laundry laced with traces of pine. The sound of seagulls squawking away in the distance comes muffled through Levi’s bedroom windows and you can feel the gentle morning sun that filters through caressing your skin. You keep your eyes closed, reveling in the moment of peace you find yourself in.

As each of your senses wake up with you, you can’t help but smile softly into the raven hair tickling your face from underneath. Levi is fully tangled with you and the sheets, legs sprawled all over the bed. His strong arms wrap around your waist and hold you close as he breathes deeply into your chest, the warmth of his body begging you to fall back asleep. You lift your hand and delicately rake your fingers through his soft hair, but he doesn’t rouse. He’s dead to the world in your arms.

The memories of the night before pop into your mind slowly like bubbles rising in the ocean – none of them unpleasant. Levi made sure to clean you up before dressing you in one of his shirts and pulling you into the bed with him for the night. Not much was said during this but as always, there never was any need for words between the two of you. His intentions all night were clear.

The phantom pressure of Levi’s lips on yours sends warmth up into your cheeks. You were not expecting an outcome like this, yet you were not disappointed in the slightest. Flashbacks to the things he did to you fly through your mind and you can’t help as your legs shift under the sheets at the thoughts.

“Mm?” You hear from your sleepy companion.

You allow your eyes to flutter open, having to squint initially at the pale light pouring in through the glass – the sun just broke through the horizon. You can tell it will be another beautiful day out just from the sight of the fluffy white clouds that drift lazily in the orange sky.

You attempt to pull away to sign something but it’s of no use as Levi only tightens his arms around you and pushes his face more into your plush chest. Your face was already warm enough, but this ensured it would not go away any time soon. A small, amused huff escapes your lips, nevertheless.

“No.” Levi mumbles against you. His voice is thick with sleep.

You nuzzle into his hair with a smile as you’re not sure what else to do at the moment. You needed to get up before Hange or Erwin did, but you weren’t ready to say goodbye to this haven you both created – and neither was Levi.

“Don’t leave… want you to stay.”

You like this sleepy and clingy Levi, another version of him that you feel must be reserved just for you. You place small kisses on the top of his head in response, holding him closer into your chest as you do. There’s a heavy sigh from him, a telling one that sounds content. His warm hands slide under your shirt and up your back as he continues to hold on to you for dear life. Your blinks start to slow and suddenly you’re drifting off again.

You’re not certain how long you were out, but the next time your eyes open, the light trickling through the windows is brighter. Your arms still wrap around Levi, this time around his chest as you rested on your side and he on his back. An arm circles your waist, holding you close, with his hand sitting gently on your hip. You don’t know how you both moved so drastically, but you still appreciate it because now you can see Levi’s sleepy face.

His porcelain skin contrasts greatly with his tousled hair, miles away from his usual style and yet one of your favorites on him by far. Dark, long lashes sit on his soft cheeks and his pale-pink lips form into a small pout. He’s so at peace when he sleeps, leaving you wondering what he might be dreaming about. You hope it’s full of nothing but good things.

Slowly, you pull your hand up and trail your fingers down the side of Levi’s face, feeling the slight roughness of his stubble poking into your skin as they pass. His eyes don’t open but you can tell with the shift in his breathing, he’s waking up again.

You hook a finger around his chin and tug it down gently so that you can see his sleepy face better. Dark gray eyes open in slow blinks, staring into yours. Pulling his chin down more, you press your lips onto his, your movements slow and lazy and with little urgency. It sends tingles down your spine and into your toes – something you believe you won’t ever get used to.

When you pull away, Levi’s quick to place his hand on the side of your face to hold you still so that he can steal one more kiss. His fingers then tuck away rogue strands of your hair behind your ear before running his thumb across your bottom lip which is now pulled into a smile.

“How do you get more beautiful every time I see you?” He whispers down to you, voice husky from sleep.

You respond back with an eye roll and a shrug, but his words echo in your mind. You stare as his soft skin glows in the warm, morning sun. He’s one to talk, you think. Levi trills his lips as he exhales heavily, pulling you more into him with his arm.  

You take this opportunity to place your free arm around his stomach and rest your head against his warm chest, the steady rhythm of his heart reverberating through your skull. Leaning down, he places a gentle kiss on the top of your head. His lips linger against your scalp as he talks, coming muffled through your hair. It tickles.

“I suspect the idiots will be up soon if they aren’t already.”

As if on cue, you hear the faint clinking of metal out in the kitchen. Someone was up and working on getting breakfast ready. A sinking feeling comes with the realization that you would have to face your sister and Erwin about last night. You pull away slowly, sitting up so that both hands are free to sign then turning towards Levi. He shoots you a subtle pout at the absence of your body, and you don’t stop the soft laugh that escapes you.

‘What do we tell them?’

“We don’t have to tell them anything.” He sits up on his elbows and furrows his brows, a steely resolve deep seated in his gaze.

‘They’re going to ask questions.’

“You don’t have to answer anything.” He reiterates. “We can just go out there and ignore them.”

‘You know Hange, that won’t-‘ Levi reaches over with one hand and closes it over your moving fingers, making you stop. His hand then trails up your forearm before wrapping his fingers around it and pulling you down – making you collapse onto his bare chest. He then wraps his arms around you and holds you in a vice grip, despite your silent giggles and squirming.

“I’ll handle it. But let’s get you some pants, first.”

.

The moment you step out of the bedroom, the smell of cooked bacon hits you full force. Hange and Erwin are in the middle of talking as they stand by the stove, turning to look at your already flustered face at the sound of the door opening. You take a few steps out of Levi’s room and sheepishly wave at them. Erwin raises an eyebrow but Hange, on the other hand, drops the spatula they were loosely gripping. It falls into the pan of cooking meat, splattering oil everywhere.

“Whaaaaaat??!” Hange runs over to you with bugged eyes, leaving Erwin to clean up the oil splatter before it starts a fire. Their hands reach up and cup your cheeks, squishing your face in the process as they squeal more.

“I was wondering where you’ve been! Canoodling with Levi was not my first thought, I admit.” Your face begins to heat up more in embarrassment. You knew this was inevitable, but you were still not prepared in the slightest. Levi brushes past you and Hange towards the kitchen but Hange shoots a hand out and grabs him by the arm, their other hand still against your face.

“Oh no you don’t, we’re talking about this!”

“Let go of me, four-eyes.” Levi demands.  

“Hange, they just got up. Give them a moment.” You hear Erwin muse from behind your sister. You flash him a look of gratitude as Hange drops both hands and sets you and Levi free with a huff.

Erwin had outdone himself with the feast he prepared for everyone. Crispy bacon, fluffy eggs, and bouncy pancakes. But despite the delicious food, the palpable awkward silence and dense tension that followed was stronger. You ignore the burning stare aimed directly at the top of your head as you dug into your plate, knowing full well it was from Hange. The only noises that filled the space were the clattering of utensils and soft chewing of food.

It doesn’t go unnoticed how Levi chose to sit next to you this time, something he hadn’t done prior to this morning. You dare to look up for a second in his direction, catching his eye as he sips his morning tea. There’s a small smirk pulling up the corners of his mouth as he looks away and back to his breakfast.

“I can’t believe the festival is tonight. This trip has gone by so quickly, don’t you think?” Erwin pipes up after wiping his mouth carefully with a napkin.

“Did you both make up?” Hange blurts out.

“Hange, come on.” Erwin gives them an exasperated glare.

“I deserve to know. She was so upset yesterday and now she’s not and I need to make sure they’re okay!”

When you look back up to your sister, you can tell right away they are bursting at the seams. Eyes wide, face almost purple, and their fingers clenching their fork so tightly the knuckles turn white. Not much has been eaten off their plate, which shakes gently from their knee bouncing under the table. With a heavy sigh, you lean back in your chair and glance over to Levi. There’s a brief pause as he considers it, but then he nods ever so slightly.

“What do you want to know?” He grumbles, arms folded over his chest as he also leans back.

“Are you both on good terms now? Did you sleep together? How was it? Were you safe? You know, I have a whole bag of condoms in my bag if you need more!” Hange’s eyes bulge out of their face with every question, and you feel your face heat up more than it already was. You sink down in your seat further and hide your face behind both hands. Of course, Hange would go straight to those questions.

“Yes. Pass. None of your business. I do not need to know that and why do you even have that many?”

“Just in case! You never know.” Hange picks up their fork and shoves a bite of pancakes in their mouth before talking again, voice muffled. “You can’t answer the questions like that, Levi! Be serious.”

“I have nothing else to give you. It’s none of your business.” Levi shrugs as he goes for another sip of his tea.

“Fine, I’ll ask my sister. She can’t say no to me.” You feel something hit your shin under the table and you jump up with a squeak. Peeking through your fingers, you see them staring hard at you.

“Spill.”

Hange was right. You were bad at hiding things from your sister. Eventually you always relent. Like the time at the spa, or the day after the ball so many months ago. But this time, you find yourself not wanting to share. It was your memory to keep, and you didn’t want anyone else to know. Your fingers clenched into fists as you think about what you want to say, Hange’s stare burning holes in your face the whole time.

“Oi, would you leave my girlfriend alone and let her finish her breakfast first?” Levi sighs as he pokes his fork into the last of his eggs. Hange chokes on their water.

Your head whips in his direction at his words, but he’s staring out towards the ocean with his mouth moving slowly as he chews. Girlfriend. You and Levi didn’t discuss what last night meant for the relationship. After everything, you were sure there was more to you and him than just friends. But to say that term so brazenly… it gives you goosebumps.

“Gir-?!” Hange starts out but is then cut off by Erwin, thankfully.

“The weather looks like it will be nice all day, so we need to make sure we dress appropriately. Look at all of these activities. According to this article, the fireworks display is the best show on this side of the coast.”

Your eyes shift over to his blue gaze, which peeks above his phone that he was scrolling on. You mouth a thank you and he winks back before going back to the webpage he was reading off. You feel Levi’s hand reach over from under the table and squeeze your thigh gently, his attention still on the ocean.

Girlfriend.

You liked that.

.

After that morning, you had all gotten dressed and ready to celebrate what the town had been preparing for all week – the summer festival. It was like if you had taken the energy from the past few days and then combined them all into one night and multiplied that by ten. The streets were crowded all day and straight into the evening, only getting more intense as the night went on. Sometimes Hange and Erwin would break off from you two and you don’t know if it was intentional or not, but you were grateful for it regardless.

With everything so new, you weren’t sure how Levi felt about PDA outside of leading each other where to go, but as always, he answered that for you. He wasn’t shy about taking your hand and lacing his fingers in with yours. Nor did he hesitate to grab your waist and pull you into him while walking or waiting in line for something. It felt as if he wasn’t letting anything get in the way of what he wanted anymore.

As sunset approaches, you and Levi meet up with the rest of the group at the beach where people were preparing paper lanterns. According to Erwin, Liberio’s lantern release is one of the main attractions for their summer festival, right next to the fireworks show which took place about an hour after. You’ve never taken part in anything like this before, so you were very excited.

When you and Levi step up to the table that your sister and Erwin were standing around, you notice that they’re writing something on the sides of their lantern in black marker. You can’t make out what it says, so you tap your hyper focused sister on the shoulder to get their attention. They turn to you with bright eyes and an even brighter smile.

“There you are, my little strawberry! You better hurry up and get your lantern, it’s almost time.” They jerk their head backward towards the shoreline and you look over to see people standing with their lanterns lit as they chat away in wait.

‘What are you writing?’

“The locals say to write your wishes and dreams for the future. They say that once you release them, they fly into the sky and the gods above pluck them up and grant them when the time is right. Isn’t that fascinating?? And get this! I had to ask around but they’re biodegradable! A lot of people were a little offended that I asked, and I think it has to do with them really believing they got plucked out of the skies! How silly of them, but who am I to tell them otherwise.” Hange looks like they’re having one of the best days of their life and you just smile back. They reach over to ruffle your hair before going back to the paragraph they were writing on their lantern.

Looking over to Erwin, you notice he had written a singular line, but of course you can’t make it out. He stands tall, lantern in hands, as he stares out to the setting sun. His blue eyes trail over to you before smiling at you softly, the sea breeze blowing through his fine hair.

“This place is quite lovely, don’t you agree?” He asks.

Nodding back, you hum in agreement. Despite the intense moments, you can’t help but feel grateful for this trip and everything that accumulated to get you to where you are now. If it meant going through the anxieties of the unknowns to get here, you would do it all over again.

Levi says your name and when you turn in his direction, you notice he’s holding out a blank lantern. Golden hour is in full swing as it casts soft shadows on him, highlighting the sharp angles on face. There's a glint of something in his eyes as he watches you, though the rest of his expression gives nonchalance.

‘Thank you.’ You sign before taking the lantern and marker from his hands, your fingers lightly brushing against his as you do.

“Hm.” He picks up his own lantern from the table and scrawls something on it as he uses his hand to block you from seeing it. You force yourself not to pry though it killed you to not know what was on his mind. You figure he might tell you what he asked for later down the road. As for yours though, you write what you hoped wouldn’t be a one-time thing.

More days like this one, forever and ever. With the ones I love so dearly.

When you look up in satisfaction at your wish, you notice your friends staring back at you with what you can only assume is love in their own way. A sense of warmth lights through your veins like the sunshine on your face and you find yourself smiling so brightly that it scrunches your eyes and hurts your cheeks.

As Levi steps away from the table, he holds his hand out to you – his own version of a smile tugging on his lips as he waits for you. Fingers clasping over his as you secure your wishes in the other hand, you’re led down to the shoreline with everyone else.

You never saw it even as he released it above him, but if you did you would have seen that Levi’s lantern had one simple sentence. Something so full of conviction and confidence, written in neat letters so that if there were gods, they would be able to see it so easily and hopefully grant it without hesitation.

To spend the rest of my life with her.

That night, you didn’t fully intend to return to Levi’s room but as you passed by it on the way to your own, his arm had shot out and latched around your wrist to hold you there. He didn’t offer much in terms of words, but it was there in his metallic eyes. Unspoken.

Stay.

So, you did. And that night after, when you were all spent from your last day at the beach and Liberio as a whole, Levi didn’t even have to ask, nor did you have to look at him to know. You followed him like you always would as long as he wanted you to, right to his bed and straight into his arms.

.

Before you know it, you’re on the long flight back home with soft music flowing through your earbuds. You watch as the early morning clouds float by from down below, casting various shadows on the dark blue water of the ocean underneath. Your head sinks into the stuffed strawberry that sits sandwiched between you and the wall of the plane. Your hands, however, find themselves preoccupied in Levi’s fingers. Levi is half-asleep with his head resting against your shoulder, his warm breath tickling the skin that is exposed from your tank top.

You always assumed he didn’t sleep much, so to see him pass out so easily as he held onto you was a welcome surprise. In the past few days, Levi’s energy had shifted. It was different and you couldn’t explain how, but it was there albeit subtle. Those prominent dark circles under his eyes were still there, but they didn’t cut into his skin like they used to. And his ever-present scowl rarely made an appearance, at least from what you saw.

Erwin and Hange saw it too. They didn’t say anything, but you could tell Hange was just begging to say something to Levi.

“When are you two getting married?” Your sister had joked to you while you were both waiting in the security line at the airport.

At that time, you rolled your eyes at it. It’s not like it wasn’t on your mind, since they were the ones that brought it up in the first place. But now, it felt so real. There was an actual chance for it.

To be honest, you never gave much thought to settling down with someone. The language barrier proved difficult for the very few suitors you’ve had in your life, and they were always gone before you knew what happened. So, the prospect of marriage wasn’t something you thought to worry about.

Then Levi came back into your life.

Levi cared for you in ways that no one else did. Levi was patient and put in the work for you instead of adapting to what was. You never had to ask with him – he just knew. And as always, he made everything easy.

Without looking over, you gently squeeze his hand a few times. A few seconds pass and you think he might be in a deeper sleep than you thought, but eventually his fingers reciprocate with the same pressure and your smile reflects back at you from the window.

Even though Levi had promised he wouldn’t leave, you still hope that whatever life had in store for you that he would indeed be a part of it for as long as you lived.

.

About a week had gone by since the small plane touched back down into Jinae’s local airport. Hange hit the ground running, staying at the lab late at night to catch up on what they missed. Erwin and Levi were quick to get the café back up and it was surprisingly busy – a lot of regulars equally worried and interested to hear about where they’d been for the last week. And whenever Levi wasn’t at work, he was with you.

 While making dinner together at your apartment one night, Levi threw out the suggestion of going to see his mom with him sometime over the weekend. You hadn’t seen her since before you both had left for Liberio, so you were eager to accept the offer. Whether it was your quick response to going or the genuine smile that graced your soft lips as you were signing away about how excited you were to see her again, Levi found himself pulling you away from the lettuce you were chopping and into his arms before kissing you so deeply that you saw stars.  

You never knew, but Levi’s brain clicked, and a decision was made right then and there.

When Saturday comes around, Levi swings by the apartment to pick you up that afternoon. You had offered to drive but he was quick to decline and that was that. You won’t complain though, you liked watching him from the passenger seat. The way his bottom lip would jut out in focus, how his eyes would flicker between each mirror every once in a while. His hand resting against your thigh and squeezing it gently.

After pulling into a space at the front of Riverside, Levi puts the car in park and glances over to you. In both hands, you hold a large bouquet of flowers that you had picked out specifically for Kuchel. Giving them a big sniff, you gaze over to Levi with a smile.

“She’s going to love them.” He says as he reaches over to touch your face softly. You don’t hesitate to lean into his warmth. “Ready?”

You nod before unbuckling yourself and sliding out of the passenger seat. Levi does the same and makes his way to your side, his fingers finding your hand as he locks the car with a few clicks of the key fob. His thumb rubs against the side of your palm while he leads you through the wide doors and into the facility.

According to the staff, it was a really good day for Kuchel. A fleeting thought of what a bad day might look like flashes through your mind, but you’re quick to shake it aside. Levi guides you down a couple of different cozy hallways that lead to the side of the building that held the patient’s living suites.

Like the hallways that led to the outside courtyard, the ones you walk down are just the same. Various acrylic paintings pass by in colorful blurs as your hands fidget with the plastic that holds the bouquet together. Even before Levi had warned you that his mom might have trouble remembering you, anxiety gnawed at you. The need to be liked by someone so important to Levi was ever present. He glances over to you at the crinkling of plastic and squeezes your hand a few times in reassurance.

Eventually, Levi stops in front of a white door with a hanging sign decorated with various colorful flowers and a cursive letter A in the middle. He knocks gently and through the heavy wood, you hear a muffled ‘Come in!’

When he opens the door, your mouth opens slightly in surprise.

Kuchel’s room looked as if it was taken out of a Victorian cottage catalog. For a moment, you forget that you’re in a medical facility as you take a few steps into the room – Levi closing the door behind the two of you once past the door frame.

First, you notice the soft bed on the right side of the room, fitted with tan sheets adorned with floral patterns. There are a few decorative pillows propped up against the backboard. Along the walls are sketches of people that are too small to make out, but from what you can see they are drawn beautifully well. The window in the far back is wide open, letting in the afternoon summer breeze that makes the sage green curtains dance on each side. A dresser sits under the sill that houses a couple bottles of what you think might be perfume and a few glass trinkets.

Then your eyes drift over a pale woman in the corner of the room.

Kuchel is sitting in a plush lounge chair with her feet up on an ottoman, a charcoal pencil between fingers and she’s sketching away on a pad. Her dark eyes snap up from her paper as you walk in, greeting you both with a big smile. Carefully, she places her things on the table next to her and pushes herself up from the chair, the leather squeaking at the shift in weight.  

“My little Levi.” She sighs happily.

“You don’t need to get up.” Levi scolds as he walks over to help her. She’s frailer than you remember her being, but her eyes and smile remain the same – bright and full of life. She wraps her arms around Levi and holds him close as she mumbles how it’s been a while since he last came to visit. He pulls away and gives her a smile, but there’s sadness in his eyes. You know that she was the first stop for him when he got home about a week ago.

“I’ve heard you’ve been drawing again.” He says, craning his neck to the sketch she was working on. An eyebrow raises at it and then his gaze flickers over to you.

“Mom, I don’t know if you remember…” He holds his hand out for you to take as he calls your name.

Kuchel turns her attention to you now, and at first, you’re wondering if you would need to reintroduce yourself but there’s a small flash of recognition in the same eyes she shared with Levi. She studies your face as well as your hand that holds onto her son’s. After a moment of thinking, your name finally comes tumbling out of her mouth in a question as she makes her way over to you. She wraps her arms around you in a tight hug, squishing the bouquet you had brought in the process.  

“Oh wow, look how much you’ve grown. I haven’t seen you since you were just a little thing.” She says softly. You hug her back carefully, aware of how much smaller her frame is to yours. Her hugs are so good you want to cry again, but you hold them back and instead relish in her warm embrace before pulling away with your own beaming smile. Levi reaches over to take the flowers from you, a handful of petals falling to the vinyl flooring as he does and sets it on Kuchel’s nightstand.

‘It’s nice to see you again.’ You sign, Levi interpreting for you as you go.

“Oh, are you deaf honey?” She watches you with intrigue. You shake your head no.

“She’s mute, but she can hear you just fine.” Levi pipes up softly. He looks to you as if to apologize but you smile back in reassurance. There was nothing to apologize for.

“Oh dear me. What happened?” She places a soft hand over yours before leading you to one of the chairs next to the one she got out of just moments before. Her eyebrows furrow at you in concern, the same way Levi’s does – it makes you laugh.

“I don’t think we should take up this whole visit with such a long story.” Levi suggests, shooting you a nervous glance again. You wouldn’t mind explaining the situation at some point but truthfully, you didn’t have the energy to dive into it right now. Especially when there’s only so much time to be with Kuchel and you would rather shift the attention something more pleasant. Levi picks up on this.

“What have you been working on lately?” He points to the piece of paper that Kuchel was currently sketching on, and she starts talking animatedly about her newest project.

The visit with Kuchel goes well into the early evening. The time was spent talking about Levi when he was younger, which surprised you a lot, but you remembered him mentioning how people with dementia can have a harder time recalling recent memories compared to older ones. Levi, of course, was not thrilled to be the topic of conversation but he didn’t fight it.

From her anecdotes, you learned that the moment they moved to Jinae, Levi had done everything he could to help supplement their income so that his mom didn’t have to work as much as she used to. That meant doing odd jobs here and there – working late into the night sometimes and at such a young age. It makes you sad to think of such a young Levi losing parts of his childhood to survive. But you get the sense that Levi would do it all over again if it meant being where they are today. Despite the struggles, they did what they could - together.

You were having such a wonderful time getting to know more of Levi’s past as well as Kuchel’s life that you barely register him squeezing your hand to get your attention.

“We need to get going soon. It’s almost time for mom’s dinner and we have one more stop to make.” Levi says gently, pursing his lips. He wasn’t ready to leave either. Squeezing back, you nod to Levi and stand up slowly from your chair. You offer Kuchel a small smile and lean down to hug her again so that she doesn’t have to get up.

“Go ahead, I’ll be right behind you. There’s something I need to talk to my mom about.” Levi says, nudging his head to the door behind him. Nodding in understanding, you then reach up to touch his face gently before turning on your heel and starting for the door.

“Wait, dear. Take this with you.” Kuchel calls out to you. She goes over to the wall closest to her and pulls down a sketch. She considers it for a moment then stretches it out for you to take.

When you grab it from her fingers, your eyes widen at the different sketches that filled out the paper. There are a few drawings of flowers growing out of empty space, some with little bees or butterflies hovering from above. There’s one of what you assume is a teenage Levi as he straddles a motorcycle, a scowl shooting straight through you. Finally, there’s a smaller sketch of three kids sitting on a porch step as they eat ice pops together. Levi, you, and your brother.

How wonderful of an artist Kuchel is, you think. The lines are crisp and so full of detail, you can easily feel yourself transported back to when these memories were made. You don’t remember much about your brother, but you feel like that day was a good one. A feeling of warmth travels through your body as a blast of blind nostalgia hits you. You told yourself you weren’t going to cry but you already feel the heat in your eyes as they threatened to make an appearance.

Instead of saying anything, you throw your arms around Kuchel, almost knocking her over in the process. She laughs softly as she holds onto you as tight as she can, her hand rubbing circles on your back affectionately.

“I’m so glad you found us again.” She whispers as she pulls away from you. Her eyes sparkle as she looks up at you, smiling so much so that her eyes crinkle in the corners. “Don’t be a stranger.”

With that, you squeeze her in one more hug. Pulling away, you mouth an ‘okay’ with a toothy grin before turning on your heels and out the door, closing it with a click behind you.

“Something on your mind, Levi?” Kuchel turns her focus on her son who hasn’t moved an inch from his seat. Levi props his elbows on his knees and folds his fingers together to rest his chin on it.

“Mom, what do you think about her?”

“Well, I’m not the best person to ask about that.” She chuckles as she leans back into her soft recliner.

“I know, but-“ Levi’s leg starts to shake with anxiety.

“I think she’s lovely. She’s grown into quite the woman, reminds me a lot of her mom. From what I can remember, you know.” Kuchel teases. “Why do you ask?”

Levi’s fingers unlink from each other, and he starts to fidget with the fabric of his jeans as he looks away shyly.

“Mom. I’m going to marry her.” Levi whispers quietly.

“Oh honey, I know.”

“You know?” Levi glances back up to his mom incredulously.

“Yes. I’ve known since you were both kids. I’m pretty sure she even exclaimed at one point that she was going to marry you when she was old enough, to which you scoffed. It was very adorable.”

“Mom, I don’t know whether to be embarrassed or surprised that you remember something like that. It’s just something kids say.”

“The way you look at each other now is the same way you did before. Stars in your eyes, like nothing else mattered.” Sitting up, she reaches over and places her palm over Levi’s busy fingers. “Do me a favor. Go to my nightstand and grab that blue box inside the drawer.”

As always, Levi does what he’s told and makes his way to the wooden nightstand by her bed. He expects something decently sized but instead, he is met with a small pale blue box. A ring box. He picks it up carefully and turns it around to his mom with it pinched between two fingers, leaning back so that the drawer closes behind him.

“What’s this, Ma?” Levi asks as he brings it over to his mom’s awaiting hand.

Kuchel pops it open and turns it to Levi. It’s something he’s seen once, many years ago; A bridal set, one that was passed down from her mom. In the middle of a gold band sits a dainty oval ruby surrounded in “vines” that are beset by smaller diamonds in the shape of leaves. An engagement ring and wedding band – fitting together perfectly. Kuchel had shown Levi the set when he was really young, but she never wore them – which he suspects was to keep it safe from his father’s clutches. The gemstones sparkle brightly off the sunset that floods through her window.

“Mom…”

“Now listen here. I won’t be around forever – don’t look at me like that. I want you to have this now. I’m not saying to get married right away or even propose, but it would make me feel better if I knew you had this for when the time comes. And I trust you way more than I do Kenny.” With a snap, she closes the lid and shoves it in Levi’s direction.

He takes it reluctantly, not really sure what else to say. The thought dawns on him that his mom might not be around for his wedding day whether it be mentally or physically, and an ache shoots through his chest. But just like him, his mom’s decision was made. And there was no going back.

“Okay, mom.” He says back finally, closing his fingers around it tightly before standing up to slide it in his jean pockets.

“Don’t disappear on her again.” Kuchel stands up as well and places both of her cold, delicate hands on each side of Levi’s face as she stares hard at her son. “Promise me.”

Cupping his own hands over hers, he nods back as he says, “I promise.”

“Ms. Ackerman? It’s time for dinner.” A voice rings out from a staff member that stands in the open doorway of her room. It seems they have come to collect Kuchel to take her to the dining hall. 

“Yes, one moment.” Kuchel wraps her arms around Levi once more and holds him close for a moment before letting go. “I’ll see you soon?”

“Of course Ma, I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He says quietly then leans over to kiss her warm cheek.

“Can you get her a vase for those flowers, please?” Levi asks as he steps towards the staff member currently blocking his path.

“I’ll see to it, Mr. Ackerman.” They bow slightly and move aside.

As he brushes past, he sees you leaning against the wall as you scroll through your phone with his mother’s drawing pinched between tight fingers in the other hand. The golden rays from the sunset reflect off the white building and through the windows, sheathing you in a shower of sunlight like a spotlight. You are blissfully unaware of how breathtaking you are to him.

“Are you ready to go?” Levi asks, startling you from the video you were silently laughing at. You lock your phone and slide it into your back pocket before stretching a hand out to him to take. Your smile never fades as he laces his fingers through yours without hesitation and leads you out of Riverside Assisted Living, mumbling about where he would like to go for the evening.

.

That night, Levi surprises you with a picnic date.

By the time Levi pulls into his apartment, the sun is all but gone – leaving indigo and navy blues behind it. He told you that he wouldn’t be long and to stay in the running car. A few minutes go by until you see him again, bounding down the steps with a large blanket roll in one arm and a picnic basket in the other. As the overhead lights pop on while he opens the back door to unload what was in his arms, he shoots you a small smile. Then he holds something small out to you.

“Will you hold this for me?”

You hold your palm out for him, and he places a small box in the middle of it. It’s black with mesh wire on each side and a few little buttons on the top. It’s a bluetooth speaker, you surmise. When Levi hops back into the driver’s side, you raise an eyebrow at him.

 “I figured you wouldn’t want to eat dinner in silence.” He says as he reverses out of the parking spot then heads for the main road.

It doesn’t take very long to get to Jinae’s downtown – just minutes away from their café. But instead of turning down the street that would lead to it, he keeps driving until he gets to the park that once held the Sakura Festival so many months ago. The trees are all but green now, not even a small trace of pink hanging from the branches.

After parking in a small lot provided for park goers, Levi takes your hand and leads you down the subtle hill towards the bank of the river. It’s a lovely evening where the air is just warm enough with a light breeze. Fireflies start to flicker in and out of the whole park, illuminating whatever happened to be near it in a warm, yellow glow. And the only noises you hear are distant crickets and frogs coming from the river – which flows so gently that it doesn’t even look like it’s moving. The city lights reflect off the water like its glass.

There aren’t that many people out tonight as well, which is surprising given the time of year. But what surprises you even more is the one single tree lit up with a string of lights that encircle the trunk and up into the branches above. There’s nothing else next to it but you know it was meant for you.

This was the same tree you and Levi sat under while you waited for your friends at the festival back in April. Where the urge to kiss him was burning through your whole body. Where you felt your feelings for him concrete themselves into your mind.

Levi hands you the basket before letting go of your hand to roll the blanket out under the tree. In mere moments, his shoes are removed and placed neatly in the grass. He beckons you to join him as he stands in the middle of the blanket, the soft glow of the tree lighting up his face.

Kicking off your own shoes, you then step over to Levi with the basket dangling in your fingers. As he reaches over to take it back from you, he takes a step forward to plant a gentle kiss on your lips – one that lingers even when he pulls away.

“Is this okay?” he asks. At first, you think he’s referring to the kiss, but you realize his eyes are bouncing around you. There’s a subtle hint of anxiety in his gaze that wouldn’t be detectable by most people.

‘This is perfect.’ You reassure.

Despite how small the basket looked from the outside, you find out quickly that it held more than you thought. Once you and Levi settle down, he starts to unpack a myriad of items, mostly all food related. A plate with what looks like chicken salad sandwiches comes out first, all cut into small triangles. Then comes a small bowl of chopped up melon, a bag of chips, and a tall bottle of amber liquid – apple juice, Levi assured you. Finally comes out a small pillow that you recognize from Erwin’s couch. You can’t help but laugh as you sit up straight to get a better look at everything.

“What?” Levi asks with a frown.

‘It’s nothing. When did you prepare all of this?’ You inquire before picking up the chips to inspect what kind they were.

“Earlier this morning.”

You look up to see Levi eyeing you warily. Behind that façade of nonchalance, you see a very anxious man waiting for what you thought about all of this. You never took Levi to be the type to care about what other people thought, which means he really cared about what you had to say.

‘This is fantastic. Thank you for putting in all the effort.’ You lean over to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek. With a light blush, he hums back in response as he looks away to fiddle with something on his phone – at a glance, it looks like a music app. That reminds you about the speaker you had shoved into your bag before leaving the car, so you reach in and pluck it out. Levi takes it from your hand and a moment later, soft rock plays through each side of the box. Despite the small build, it sure is mighty in sound.

“There. Hungry?”

‘Starving.’

As Levi watches you nibble on your last piece of melon, he can’t help but think how perfect you are to him. Vulnerability wasn’t something that came easy to him but when you walked into his café and back into his life, it was like a scab that had been reopened. As uncomfortable as it was, he found the rawness that came with it very refreshing. What would it mean to stay by your side forever, he wonders. To wake up next to you for the rest of his life.

These thoughts raced through his mind earlier as he packed the basket and you waited in the car. The ring box burnt a hole in his pocket as he stood by his desk contemplating his choices. Tonight would be a perfect time to propose to you but still, something held him back. This was new to not only him, but you as well. Were you ready for something so life-altering? Was this even something you wanted? These were not topics that are generally brought up in casual conversation after only a week of officially dating.

No, he would know when it was time. For now, he was content with what he had, and he would wait for as long as you needed him to.

“Are you happy?” Levi leans back on a hand as he looks over to you.

You glance over to him in surprise at the question. Just as quickly, it dissolves into a big smile that lights up your eyes. Popping the rest of the fruit in your mouth, you sit up so you can sign easily.

‘I am. Are you?’

“I guess. It’s nice here.” He smirks at you, remembering that this is what he said to that same question months ago. “With you.” But he never got to say that to you then.

“You told me a while ago that words were not always needed to convey intent.”

‘I did, yes.’ Your face scrunches in confusion at the sudden statement.

Levi sits up before reaching into the basket with his left hand. For a moment you think he’s about to bring out dessert of some kind but instead he takes out a small paper bag, no bigger than three inches in width. He turns it upside down above his palm and out comes a gold chain necklace. A small cherry blossom pendant dangles off the side of his hand, glinting in the lights next to you. You scramble up on all fours as you inch closer to get a good look at it, knowing full well what it was.

“At first, this was bought as an apology. But now, I think this was also my way of saying that I love you, without me realizing it.” Levi mutters softly. Your wide eyes flicker from the pendant over to Levi’s face, lips parted in amazement. The necklace looks as if it was never broken, much less worn with the fresh polish it had received.

Before leaving Liberio, Levi had snuck away to a jeweler in town to see what they could do to fix it. In terms of damage, fortunately it was minimal. ‘For something so delicate, it sure is hardy.’ the jeweler had told Levi as they inspected it. He knew the jeweler was talking about the chain, but his mind drifted to you instead.

‘You fixed it for me.’

“It was important to you. I couldn’t leave it behind.” Levi gets up on his knees and scoots so that he’s behind you. Gingerly, he loops the chain around your neck and a few seconds later, it’s locked tight. You pinch the small metal pendant in between two fingers as you sigh in relief at the familiar weight hanging on your neck once again.

‘Thank you, Levi.’

You turn to face Levi and throw your arms around his neck as you lean in to kiss him. He startles at the abrupt movement but is quick to reciprocate as he places both hands on your waist and pulls you closer into him. He can feel you smiling into the kiss as it deepens.

As you both break apart, breathing heavily from the lack of air, you don’t lose your smile. Your hands raise to cup Levi’s face, your thumbs stroking his cheeks as you stare into those slate gray eyes of his that you loved so much.

“I don’t really have much else planned for tonight, so I can take you home-” You’re quick to cut him off with a shake of your head, much to Levi’s relief. He wasn’t ready to let you go either.

“Okay.” Levi muses. “We can stay here until you’re ready.”

The night carries on as you both lie on your backs, Levi holding you close in one arm. At some point, he started humming along to some of the songs that flowed through the speakers. The fireflies had gone to bed soon after. With your head resting on Levi’s chest, the gentle beating of his heart threatens to lull you into sleep.

As sure as the twinkling stars drift above, Levi Ackerman loves you.

And oh, how you love Levi Ackerman back.

☆ Taglist ➼ @averysmolbear @humanitys-strongest-bamf @youre-ackermine @spaghettiyarns @notgoodforlife @roseofdarknessblog @missamity @icansmellsouls @dkbktk420 @romantichomicide95 @janey-stempy @sckerman @secretmoneybearvoid @sujiroses @jadam724 @e-riellaaa @kamyru @highgoon69 @kingkonoha @nube55 @missyasma @svftackerman @velouria17

If you'd like to be a part of my taglist to be notified for not only the rest of this fic but for my other writings, please go here!

☾ Previous Chapter: June Part 4

☾ Next Chapter: TBA

[spicerackofblorbos]

Chapter 8: June - Part Five [Final]

☾ Pairings ➼ Levi Ackerman x fem!mute!Reader (she/her pronouns), set in a modern semi-fictional world

☾ Summary ➼ Due to childhood trauma, you find yourself an adult without the ability to speak. After years of working on it, you have found ways to live without a voice. Now here in your late 20s, you are 5 months in getting used to a new town. On a fateful day in late November, you and your adopted sister visit a local bookstore-café, unaware of the friendships about to blossom. Throughout the months, one friendship in particular develops into something more.

☾ Content/Warnings ➼ fluff, slowburn, oblivious feelings, romance, angst, mention of minor character deaths, trauma, illness, adoption, mentions of fire, disabilities, alcohol use, very light nsfw mentions, references to child abuse, smoking and alcohol abuse mentions, domestic violence, light assault, eventual smut

☾ Author's note ➼ brb I'm sobbing. Mainly because look at my little characters and my story... I DID THAT. But also, because I actually finished something. Can y'all believe that?? Anyways. I hope you all like this chapter and I hope y'all enjoyed my story as a whole. I had a lot of fun thinking up this little world. I'm sure I have places where I can improve but considering this was my first fanfic in like, 10 years?? I'm taking it as win. Thank you to anyone who has spent their actual time to read my delusions, I appreciate y'all so much. I couldn't have finished without the support of my friends, moots, and you, my readers. Okay that's enough being mushy. I'm gonna go watch One Piece now. See y'all around hehe :3

☾ Word Count ➼ ~8.5k

The first thing you’re greeted with the moment you stir awake is the smell of clean laundry laced with traces of pine. The sound of seagulls squawking away in the distance comes muffled through Levi’s bedroom windows and you can feel the gentle morning sun that filters through caressing your skin. You keep your eyes closed, reveling in the moment of peace you find yourself in.

As each of your senses wake up with you, you can’t help but smile softly into the raven hair tickling your face from underneath. Levi is fully tangled with you and the sheets, legs sprawled all over the bed. His strong arms wrap around your waist and hold you close as he breathes deeply into your chest, the warmth of his body begging you to fall back asleep. You lift your hand and delicately rake your fingers through his soft hair, but he doesn’t rouse. He’s dead to the world in your arms.

The memories of the night before pop into your mind slowly like bubbles rising in the ocean – none of them unpleasant. Levi made sure to clean you up before dressing you in one of his shirts and pulling you into the bed with him for the night. Not much was said during this but as always, there never was any need for words between the two of you. His intentions all night were clear.

The phantom pressure of Levi’s lips on yours sends warmth up into your cheeks. You were not expecting an outcome like this, yet you were not disappointed in the slightest. Flashbacks to the things he did to you fly through your mind and you can’t help as your legs shift under the sheets at the thoughts.

“Mm?” You hear from your sleepy companion.

You allow your eyes to flutter open, having to squint initially at the pale light pouring in through the glass – the sun just broke through the horizon. You can tell it will be another beautiful day out just from the sight of the fluffy white clouds that drift lazily in the orange sky.

You attempt to pull away to sign something but it’s of no use as Levi only tightens his arms around you and pushes his face more into your plush chest. Your face was already warm enough, but this ensured it would not go away any time soon. A small, amused huff escapes your lips, nevertheless.

“No.” Levi mumbles against you. His voice is thick with sleep.

You nuzzle into his hair with a smile as you’re not sure what else to do at the moment. You needed to get up before Hange or Erwin did, but you weren’t ready to say goodbye to this haven you both created – and neither was Levi.

“Don’t leave… want you to stay.”

You like this sleepy and clingy Levi, another version of him that you feel must be reserved just for you. You place small kisses on the top of his head in response, holding him closer into your chest as you do. There’s a heavy sigh from him, a telling one that sounds content. His warm hands slide under your shirt and up your back as he continues to hold on to you for dear life. Your blinks start to slow and suddenly you’re drifting off again.

You’re not certain how long you were out, but the next time your eyes open, the light trickling through the windows is brighter. Your arms still wrap around Levi, this time around his chest as you rested on your side and he on his back. An arm circles your waist, holding you close, with his hand sitting gently on your hip. You don’t know how you both moved so drastically, but you still appreciate it because now you can see Levi’s sleepy face.

His porcelain skin contrasts greatly with his tousled hair, miles away from his usual style and yet one of your favorites on him by far. Dark, long lashes sit on his soft cheeks and his pale-pink lips form into a small pout. He’s so at peace when he sleeps, leaving you wondering what he might be dreaming about. You hope it’s full of nothing but good things.

Slowly, you pull your hand up and trail your fingers down the side of Levi’s face, feeling the slight roughness of his stubble poking into your skin as they pass. His eyes don’t open but you can tell with the shift in his breathing, he’s waking up again.

You hook a finger around his chin and tug it down gently so that you can see his sleepy face better. Dark gray eyes open in slow blinks, staring into yours. Pulling his chin down more, you press your lips onto his, your movements slow and lazy and with little urgency. It sends tingles down your spine and into your toes – something you believe you won’t ever get used to.

When you pull away, Levi’s quick to place his hand on the side of your face to hold you still so that he can steal one more kiss. His fingers then tuck away rogue strands of your hair behind your ear before running his thumb across your bottom lip which is now pulled into a smile.

“How do you get more beautiful every time I see you?” He whispers down to you, voice husky from sleep.

You respond back with an eye roll and a shrug, but his words echo in your mind. You stare as his soft skin glows in the warm, morning sun. He’s one to talk, you think. Levi trills his lips as he exhales heavily, pulling you more into him with his arm.  

You take this opportunity to place your free arm around his stomach and rest your head against his warm chest, the steady rhythm of his heart reverberating through your skull. Leaning down, he places a gentle kiss on the top of your head. His lips linger against your scalp as he talks, coming muffled through your hair. It tickles.

“I suspect the idiots will be up soon if they aren’t already.”

As if on cue, you hear the faint clinking of metal out in the kitchen. Someone was up and working on getting breakfast ready. A sinking feeling comes with the realization that you would have to face your sister and Erwin about last night. You pull away slowly, sitting up so that both hands are free to sign then turning towards Levi. He shoots you a subtle pout at the absence of your body, and you don’t stop the soft laugh that escapes you.

‘What do we tell them?’

“We don’t have to tell them anything.” He sits up on his elbows and furrows his brows, a steely resolve deep seated in his gaze.

‘They’re going to ask questions.’

“You don’t have to answer anything.” He reiterates. “We can just go out there and ignore them.”

‘You know Hange, that won’t-‘ Levi reaches over with one hand and closes it over your moving fingers, making you stop. His hand then trails up your forearm before wrapping his fingers around it and pulling you down – making you collapse onto his bare chest. He then wraps his arms around you and holds you in a vice grip, despite your silent giggles and squirming.

“I’ll handle it. But let’s get you some pants, first.”

.

The moment you step out of the bedroom, the smell of cooked bacon hits you full force. Hange and Erwin are in the middle of talking as they stand by the stove, turning to look at your already flustered face at the sound of the door opening. You take a few steps out of Levi’s room and sheepishly wave at them. Erwin raises an eyebrow but Hange, on the other hand, drops the spatula they were loosely gripping. It falls into the pan of cooking meat, splattering oil everywhere.

“Whaaaaaat??!” Hange runs over to you with bugged eyes, leaving Erwin to clean up the oil splatter before it starts a fire. Their hands reach up and cup your cheeks, squishing your face in the process as they squeal more.

“I was wondering where you’ve been! Canoodling with Levi was not my first thought, I admit.” Your face begins to heat up more in embarrassment. You knew this was inevitable, but you were still not prepared in the slightest. Levi brushes past you and Hange towards the kitchen but Hange shoots a hand out and grabs him by the arm, their other hand still against your face.

“Oh no you don’t, we’re talking about this!”

“Let go of me, four-eyes.” Levi demands.  

“Hange, they just got up. Give them a moment.” You hear Erwin muse from behind your sister. You flash him a look of gratitude as Hange drops both hands and sets you and Levi free with a huff.

Erwin had outdone himself with the feast he prepared for everyone. Crispy bacon, fluffy eggs, and bouncy pancakes. But despite the delicious food, the palpable awkward silence and dense tension that followed was stronger. You ignore the burning stare aimed directly at the top of your head as you dug into your plate, knowing full well it was from Hange. The only noises that filled the space were the clattering of utensils and soft chewing of food.

It doesn’t go unnoticed how Levi chose to sit next to you this time, something he hadn’t done prior to this morning. You dare to look up for a second in his direction, catching his eye as he sips his morning tea. There’s a small smirk pulling up the corners of his mouth as he looks away and back to his breakfast.

“I can’t believe the festival is tonight. This trip has gone by so quickly, don’t you think?” Erwin pipes up after wiping his mouth carefully with a napkin.

“Did you both make up?” Hange blurts out.

“Hange, come on.” Erwin gives them an exasperated glare.

“I deserve to know. She was so upset yesterday and now she’s not and I need to make sure they’re okay!”

When you look back up to your sister, you can tell right away they are bursting at the seams. Eyes wide, face almost purple, and their fingers clenching their fork so tightly the knuckles turn white. Not much has been eaten off their plate, which shakes gently from their knee bouncing under the table. With a heavy sigh, you lean back in your chair and glance over to Levi. There’s a brief pause as he considers it, but then he nods ever so slightly.

“What do you want to know?” He grumbles, arms folded over his chest as he also leans back.

“Are you both on good terms now? Did you sleep together? How was it? Were you safe? You know, I have a whole bag of condoms in my bag if you need more!” Hange’s eyes bulge out of their face with every question, and you feel your face heat up more than it already was. You sink down in your seat further and hide your face behind both hands. Of course, Hange would go straight to those questions.

“Yes. Pass. None of your business. I do not need to know that and why do you even have that many?”

“Just in case! You never know.” Hange picks up their fork and shoves a bite of pancakes in their mouth before talking again, voice muffled. “You can’t answer the questions like that, Levi! Be serious.”

“I have nothing else to give you. It’s none of your business.” Levi shrugs as he goes for another sip of his tea.

“Fine, I’ll ask my sister. She can’t say no to me.” You feel something hit your shin under the table and you jump up with a squeak. Peeking through your fingers, you see them staring hard at you.

“Spill.”

Hange was right. You were bad at hiding things from your sister. Eventually you always relent. Like the time at the spa, or the day after the ball so many months ago. But this time, you find yourself not wanting to share. It was your memory to keep, and you didn’t want anyone else to know. Your fingers clenched into fists as you think about what you want to say, Hange’s stare burning holes in your face the whole time.

“Oi, would you leave my girlfriend alone and let her finish her breakfast first?” Levi sighs as he pokes his fork into the last of his eggs. Hange chokes on their water.

Your head whips in his direction at his words, but he’s staring out towards the ocean with his mouth moving slowly as he chews. Girlfriend. You and Levi didn’t discuss what last night meant for the relationship. After everything, you were sure there was more to you and him than just friends. But to say that term so brazenly… it gives you goosebumps.

“Gir-?!” Hange starts out but is then cut off by Erwin, thankfully.

“The weather looks like it will be nice all day, so we need to make sure we dress appropriately. Look at all of these activities. According to this article, the fireworks display is the best show on this side of the coast.”

Your eyes shift over to his blue gaze, which peeks above his phone that he was scrolling on. You mouth a thank you and he winks back before going back to the webpage he was reading off. You feel Levi’s hand reach over from under the table and squeeze your thigh gently, his attention still on the ocean.

Girlfriend.

You liked that.

.

After that morning, you had all gotten dressed and ready to celebrate what the town had been preparing for all week – the summer festival. It was like if you had taken the energy from the past few days and then combined them all into one night and multiplied that by ten. The streets were crowded all day and straight into the evening, only getting more intense as the night went on. Sometimes Hange and Erwin would break off from you two and you don’t know if it was intentional or not, but you were grateful for it regardless.

With everything so new, you weren’t sure how Levi felt about PDA outside of leading each other where to go, but as always, he answered that for you. He wasn’t shy about taking your hand and lacing his fingers in with yours. Nor did he hesitate to grab your waist and pull you into him while walking or waiting in line for something. It felt as if he wasn’t letting anything get in the way of what he wanted anymore.

As sunset approaches, you and Levi meet up with the rest of the group at the beach where people were preparing paper lanterns. According to Erwin, Liberio’s lantern release is one of the main attractions for their summer festival, right next to the fireworks show which took place about an hour after. You’ve never taken part in anything like this before, so you were very excited.

When you and Levi step up to the table that your sister and Erwin were standing around, you notice that they’re writing something on the sides of their lantern in black marker. You can’t make out what it says, so you tap your hyper focused sister on the shoulder to get their attention. They turn to you with bright eyes and an even brighter smile.

“There you are, my little strawberry! You better hurry up and get your lantern, it’s almost time.” They jerk their head backward towards the shoreline and you look over to see people standing with their lanterns lit as they chat away in wait.

‘What are you writing?’

“The locals say to write your wishes and dreams for the future. They say that once you release them, they fly into the sky and the gods above pluck them up and grant them when the time is right. Isn’t that fascinating?? And get this! I had to ask around but they’re biodegradable! A lot of people were a little offended that I asked, and I think it has to do with them really believing they got plucked out of the skies! How silly of them, but who am I to tell them otherwise.” Hange looks like they’re having one of the best days of their life and you just smile back. They reach over to ruffle your hair before going back to the paragraph they were writing on their lantern.

Looking over to Erwin, you notice he had written a singular line, but of course you can’t make it out. He stands tall, lantern in hands, as he stares out to the setting sun. His blue eyes trail over to you before smiling at you softly, the sea breeze blowing through his fine hair.

“This place is quite lovely, don’t you agree?” He asks.

Nodding back, you hum in agreement. Despite the intense moments, you can’t help but feel grateful for this trip and everything that accumulated to get you to where you are now. If it meant going through the anxieties of the unknowns to get here, you would do it all over again.

Levi says your name and when you turn in his direction, you notice he’s holding out a blank lantern. Golden hour is in full swing as it casts soft shadows on him, highlighting the sharp angles on face. There's a glint of something in his eyes as he watches you, though the rest of his expression gives nonchalance.

‘Thank you.’ You sign before taking the lantern and marker from his hands, your fingers lightly brushing against his as you do.

“Hm.” He picks up his own lantern from the table and scrawls something on it as he uses his hand to block you from seeing it. You force yourself not to pry though it killed you to not know what was on his mind. You figure he might tell you what he asked for later down the road. As for yours though, you write what you hoped wouldn’t be a one-time thing.

More days like this one, forever and ever. With the ones I love so dearly.

When you look up in satisfaction at your wish, you notice your friends staring back at you with what you can only assume is love in their own way. A sense of warmth lights through your veins like the sunshine on your face and you find yourself smiling so brightly that it scrunches your eyes and hurts your cheeks.

As Levi steps away from the table, he holds his hand out to you – his own version of a smile tugging on his lips as he waits for you. Fingers clasping over his as you secure your wishes in the other hand, you’re led down to the shoreline with everyone else.

You never saw it even as he released it above him, but if you did you would have seen that Levi’s lantern had one simple sentence. Something so full of conviction and confidence, written in neat letters so that if there were gods, they would be able to see it so easily and hopefully grant it without hesitation.

To spend the rest of my life with her.

That night, you didn’t fully intend to return to Levi’s room but as you passed by it on the way to your own, his arm had shot out and latched around your wrist to hold you there. He didn’t offer much in terms of words, but it was there in his metallic eyes. Unspoken.

Stay.

So, you did. And that night after, when you were all spent from your last day at the beach and Liberio as a whole, Levi didn’t even have to ask, nor did you have to look at him to know. You followed him like you always would as long as he wanted you to, right to his bed and straight into his arms.

.

Before you know it, you’re on the long flight back home with soft music flowing through your earbuds. You watch as the early morning clouds float by from down below, casting various shadows on the dark blue water of the ocean underneath. Your head sinks into the stuffed strawberry that sits sandwiched between you and the wall of the plane. Your hands, however, find themselves preoccupied in Levi’s fingers. Levi is half-asleep with his head resting against your shoulder, his warm breath tickling the skin that is exposed from your tank top.

You always assumed he didn’t sleep much, so to see him pass out so easily as he held onto you was a welcome surprise. In the past few days, Levi’s energy had shifted. It was different and you couldn’t explain how, but it was there albeit subtle. Those prominent dark circles under his eyes were still there, but they didn’t cut into his skin like they used to. And his ever-present scowl rarely made an appearance, at least from what you saw.

Erwin and Hange saw it too. They didn’t say anything, but you could tell Hange was just begging to say something to Levi.

“When are you two getting married?” Your sister had joked to you while you were both waiting in the security line at the airport.

At that time, you rolled your eyes at it. It’s not like it wasn’t on your mind, since they were the ones that brought it up in the first place. But now, it felt so real. There was an actual chance for it.

To be honest, you never gave much thought to settling down with someone. The language barrier proved difficult for the very few suitors you’ve had in your life, and they were always gone before you knew what happened. So, the prospect of marriage wasn’t something you thought to worry about.

Then Levi came back into your life.

Levi cared for you in ways that no one else did. Levi was patient and put in the work for you instead of adapting to what was. You never had to ask with him – he just knew. And as always, he made everything easy.

Without looking over, you gently squeeze his hand a few times. A few seconds pass and you think he might be in a deeper sleep than you thought, but eventually his fingers reciprocate with the same pressure and your smile reflects back at you from the window.

Even though Levi had promised he wouldn’t leave, you still hope that whatever life had in store for you that he would indeed be a part of it for as long as you lived.

.

About a week had gone by since the small plane touched back down into Jinae’s local airport. Hange hit the ground running, staying at the lab late at night to catch up on what they missed. Erwin and Levi were quick to get the café back up and it was surprisingly busy – a lot of regulars equally worried and interested to hear about where they’d been for the last week. And whenever Levi wasn’t at work, he was with you.

 While making dinner together at your apartment one night, Levi threw out the suggestion of going to see his mom with him sometime over the weekend. You hadn’t seen her since before you both had left for Liberio, so you were eager to accept the offer. Whether it was your quick response to going or the genuine smile that graced your soft lips as you were signing away about how excited you were to see her again, Levi found himself pulling you away from the lettuce you were chopping and into his arms before kissing you so deeply that you saw stars.  

You never knew, but Levi’s brain clicked, and a decision was made right then and there.

When Saturday comes around, Levi swings by the apartment to pick you up that afternoon. You had offered to drive but he was quick to decline and that was that. You won’t complain though, you liked watching him from the passenger seat. The way his bottom lip would jut out in focus, how his eyes would flicker between each mirror every once in a while. His hand resting against your thigh and squeezing it gently.

After pulling into a space at the front of Riverside, Levi puts the car in park and glances over to you. In both hands, you hold a large bouquet of flowers that you had picked out specifically for Kuchel. Giving them a big sniff, you gaze over to Levi with a smile.

“She’s going to love them.” He says as he reaches over to touch your face softly. You don’t hesitate to lean into his warmth. “Ready?”

You nod before unbuckling yourself and sliding out of the passenger seat. Levi does the same and makes his way to your side, his fingers finding your hand as he locks the car with a few clicks of the key fob. His thumb rubs against the side of your palm while he leads you through the wide doors and into the facility.

According to the staff, it was a really good day for Kuchel. A fleeting thought of what a bad day might look like flashes through your mind, but you’re quick to shake it aside. Levi guides you down a couple of different cozy hallways that lead to the side of the building that held the patient’s living suites.

Like the hallways that led to the outside courtyard, the ones you walk down are just the same. Various acrylic paintings pass by in colorful blurs as your hands fidget with the plastic that holds the bouquet together. Even before Levi had warned you that his mom might have trouble remembering you, anxiety gnawed at you. The need to be liked by someone so important to Levi was ever present. He glances over to you at the crinkling of plastic and squeezes your hand a few times in reassurance.

Eventually, Levi stops in front of a white door with a hanging sign decorated with various colorful flowers and a cursive letter A in the middle. He knocks gently and through the heavy wood, you hear a muffled ‘Come in!’

When he opens the door, your mouth opens slightly in surprise.

Kuchel’s room looked as if it was taken out of a Victorian cottage catalog. For a moment, you forget that you’re in a medical facility as you take a few steps into the room – Levi closing the door behind the two of you once past the door frame.

First, you notice the soft bed on the right side of the room, fitted with tan sheets adorned with floral patterns. There are a few decorative pillows propped up against the backboard. Along the walls are sketches of people that are too small to make out, but from what you can see they are drawn beautifully well. The window in the far back is wide open, letting in the afternoon summer breeze that makes the sage green curtains dance on each side. A dresser sits under the sill that houses a couple bottles of what you think might be perfume and a few glass trinkets.

Then your eyes drift over a pale woman in the corner of the room.

Kuchel is sitting in a plush lounge chair with her feet up on an ottoman, a charcoal pencil between fingers and she’s sketching away on a pad. Her dark eyes snap up from her paper as you walk in, greeting you both with a big smile. Carefully, she places her things on the table next to her and pushes herself up from the chair, the leather squeaking at the shift in weight.  

“My little Levi.” She sighs happily.

“You don’t need to get up.” Levi scolds as he walks over to help her. She’s frailer than you remember her being, but her eyes and smile remain the same – bright and full of life. She wraps her arms around Levi and holds him close as she mumbles how it’s been a while since he last came to visit. He pulls away and gives her a smile, but there’s sadness in his eyes. You know that she was the first stop for him when he got home about a week ago.

“I’ve heard you’ve been drawing again.” He says, craning his neck to the sketch she was working on. An eyebrow raises at it and then his gaze flickers over to you.

“Mom, I don’t know if you remember…” He holds his hand out for you to take as he calls your name.

Kuchel turns her attention to you now, and at first, you’re wondering if you would need to reintroduce yourself but there’s a small flash of recognition in the same eyes she shared with Levi. She studies your face as well as your hand that holds onto her son’s. After a moment of thinking, your name finally comes tumbling out of her mouth in a question as she makes her way over to you. She wraps her arms around you in a tight hug, squishing the bouquet you had brought in the process.  

“Oh wow, look how much you’ve grown. I haven’t seen you since you were just a little thing.” She says softly. You hug her back carefully, aware of how much smaller her frame is to yours. Her hugs are so good you want to cry again, but you hold them back and instead relish in her warm embrace before pulling away with your own beaming smile. Levi reaches over to take the flowers from you, a handful of petals falling to the vinyl flooring as he does and sets it on Kuchel’s nightstand.

‘It’s nice to see you again.’ You sign, Levi interpreting for you as you go.

“Oh, are you deaf honey?” She watches you with intrigue. You shake your head no.

“She’s mute, but she can hear you just fine.” Levi pipes up softly. He looks to you as if to apologize but you smile back in reassurance. There was nothing to apologize for.

“Oh dear me. What happened?” She places a soft hand over yours before leading you to one of the chairs next to the one she got out of just moments before. Her eyebrows furrow at you in concern, the same way Levi’s does – it makes you laugh.

“I don’t think we should take up this whole visit with such a long story.” Levi suggests, shooting you a nervous glance again. You wouldn’t mind explaining the situation at some point but truthfully, you didn’t have the energy to dive into it right now. Especially when there’s only so much time to be with Kuchel and you would rather shift the attention something more pleasant. Levi picks up on this.

“What have you been working on lately?” He points to the piece of paper that Kuchel was currently sketching on, and she starts talking animatedly about her newest project.

The visit with Kuchel goes well into the early evening. The time was spent talking about Levi when he was younger, which surprised you a lot, but you remembered him mentioning how people with dementia can have a harder time recalling recent memories compared to older ones. Levi, of course, was not thrilled to be the topic of conversation but he didn’t fight it.

From her anecdotes, you learned that the moment they moved to Jinae, Levi had done everything he could to help supplement their income so that his mom didn’t have to work as much as she used to. That meant doing odd jobs here and there – working late into the night sometimes and at such a young age. It makes you sad to think of such a young Levi losing parts of his childhood to survive. But you get the sense that Levi would do it all over again if it meant being where they are today. Despite the struggles, they did what they could - together.

You were having such a wonderful time getting to know more of Levi’s past as well as Kuchel’s life that you barely register him squeezing your hand to get your attention.

“We need to get going soon. It’s almost time for mom’s dinner and we have one more stop to make.” Levi says gently, pursing his lips. He wasn’t ready to leave either. Squeezing back, you nod to Levi and stand up slowly from your chair. You offer Kuchel a small smile and lean down to hug her again so that she doesn’t have to get up.

“Go ahead, I’ll be right behind you. There’s something I need to talk to my mom about.” Levi says, nudging his head to the door behind him. Nodding in understanding, you then reach up to touch his face gently before turning on your heel and starting for the door.

“Wait, dear. Take this with you.” Kuchel calls out to you. She goes over to the wall closest to her and pulls down a sketch. She considers it for a moment then stretches it out for you to take.

When you grab it from her fingers, your eyes widen at the different sketches that filled out the paper. There are a few drawings of flowers growing out of empty space, some with little bees or butterflies hovering from above. There’s one of what you assume is a teenage Levi as he straddles a motorcycle, a scowl shooting straight through you. Finally, there’s a smaller sketch of three kids sitting on a porch step as they eat ice pops together. Levi, you, and your brother.

How wonderful of an artist Kuchel is, you think. The lines are crisp and so full of detail, you can easily feel yourself transported back to when these memories were made. You don’t remember much about your brother, but you feel like that day was a good one. A feeling of warmth travels through your body as a blast of blind nostalgia hits you. You told yourself you weren’t going to cry but you already feel the heat in your eyes as they threatened to make an appearance.

Instead of saying anything, you throw your arms around Kuchel, almost knocking her over in the process. She laughs softly as she holds onto you as tight as she can, her hand rubbing circles on your back affectionately.

“I’m so glad you found us again.” She whispers as she pulls away from you. Her eyes sparkle as she looks up at you, smiling so much so that her eyes crinkle in the corners. “Don’t be a stranger.”

With that, you squeeze her in one more hug. Pulling away, you mouth an ‘okay’ with a toothy grin before turning on your heels and out the door, closing it with a click behind you.

“Something on your mind, Levi?” Kuchel turns her focus on her son who hasn’t moved an inch from his seat. Levi props his elbows on his knees and folds his fingers together to rest his chin on it.

“Mom, what do you think about her?”

“Well, I’m not the best person to ask about that.” She chuckles as she leans back into her soft recliner.

“I know, but-“ Levi’s leg starts to shake with anxiety.

“I think she’s lovely. She’s grown into quite the woman, reminds me a lot of her mom. From what I can remember, you know.” Kuchel teases. “Why do you ask?”

Levi’s fingers unlink from each other, and he starts to fidget with the fabric of his jeans as he looks away shyly.

“Mom. I’m going to marry her.” Levi whispers quietly.

“Oh honey, I know.”

“You know?” Levi glances back up to his mom incredulously.

“Yes. I’ve known since you were both kids. I’m pretty sure she even exclaimed at one point that she was going to marry you when she was old enough, to which you scoffed. It was very adorable.”

“Mom, I don’t know whether to be embarrassed or surprised that you remember something like that. It’s just something kids say.”

“The way you look at each other now is the same way you did before. Stars in your eyes, like nothing else mattered.” Sitting up, she reaches over and places her palm over Levi’s busy fingers. “Do me a favor. Go to my nightstand and grab that blue box inside the drawer.”

As always, Levi does what he’s told and makes his way to the wooden nightstand by her bed. He expects something decently sized but instead, he is met with a small pale blue box. A ring box. He picks it up carefully and turns it around to his mom with it pinched between two fingers, leaning back so that the drawer closes behind him.

“What’s this, Ma?” Levi asks as he brings it over to his mom’s awaiting hand.

Kuchel pops it open and turns it to Levi. It’s something he’s seen once, many years ago; A bridal set, one that was passed down from her mom. In the middle of a gold band sits a dainty oval ruby surrounded in “vines” that are beset by smaller diamonds in the shape of leaves. An engagement ring and wedding band – fitting together perfectly. Kuchel had shown Levi the set when he was really young, but she never wore them – which he suspects was to keep it safe from his father’s clutches. The gemstones sparkle brightly off the sunset that floods through her window.

“Mom…”

“Now listen here. I won’t be around forever – don’t look at me like that. I want you to have this now. I’m not saying to get married right away or even propose, but it would make me feel better if I knew you had this for when the time comes. And I trust you way more than I do Kenny.” With a snap, she closes the lid and shoves it in Levi’s direction.

He takes it reluctantly, not really sure what else to say. The thought dawns on him that his mom might not be around for his wedding day whether it be mentally or physically, and an ache shoots through his chest. But just like him, his mom’s decision was made. And there was no going back.

“Okay, mom.” He says back finally, closing his fingers around it tightly before standing up to slide it in his jean pockets.

“Don’t disappear on her again.” Kuchel stands up as well and places both of her cold, delicate hands on each side of Levi’s face as she stares hard at her son. “Promise me.”

Cupping his own hands over hers, he nods back as he says, “I promise.”

“Ms. Ackerman? It’s time for dinner.” A voice rings out from a staff member that stands in the open doorway of her room. It seems they have come to collect Kuchel to take her to the dining hall. 

“Yes, one moment.” Kuchel wraps her arms around Levi once more and holds him close for a moment before letting go. “I’ll see you soon?”

“Of course Ma, I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He says quietly then leans over to kiss her warm cheek.

“Can you get her a vase for those flowers, please?” Levi asks as he steps towards the staff member currently blocking his path.

“I’ll see to it, Mr. Ackerman.” They bow slightly and move aside.

As he brushes past, he sees you leaning against the wall as you scroll through your phone with his mother’s drawing pinched between tight fingers in the other hand. The golden rays from the sunset reflect off the white building and through the windows, sheathing you in a shower of sunlight like a spotlight. You are blissfully unaware of how breathtaking you are to him.

“Are you ready to go?” Levi asks, startling you from the video you were silently laughing at. You lock your phone and slide it into your back pocket before stretching a hand out to him to take. Your smile never fades as he laces his fingers through yours without hesitation and leads you out of Riverside Assisted Living, mumbling about where he would like to go for the evening.

.

That night, Levi surprises you with a picnic date.

By the time Levi pulls into his apartment, the sun is all but gone – leaving indigo and navy blues behind it. He told you that he wouldn’t be long and to stay in the running car. A few minutes go by until you see him again, bounding down the steps with a large blanket roll in one arm and a picnic basket in the other. As the overhead lights pop on while he opens the back door to unload what was in his arms, he shoots you a small smile. Then he holds something small out to you.

“Will you hold this for me?”

You hold your palm out for him, and he places a small box in the middle of it. It’s black with mesh wire on each side and a few little buttons on the top. It’s a bluetooth speaker, you surmise. When Levi hops back into the driver’s side, you raise an eyebrow at him.

 “I figured you wouldn’t want to eat dinner in silence.” He says as he reverses out of the parking spot then heads for the main road.

It doesn’t take very long to get to Jinae’s downtown – just minutes away from their café. But instead of turning down the street that would lead to it, he keeps driving until he gets to the park that once held the Sakura Festival so many months ago. The trees are all but green now, not even a small trace of pink hanging from the branches.

After parking in a small lot provided for park goers, Levi takes your hand and leads you down the subtle hill towards the bank of the river. It’s a lovely evening where the air is just warm enough with a light breeze. Fireflies start to flicker in and out of the whole park, illuminating whatever happened to be near it in a warm, yellow glow. And the only noises you hear are distant crickets and frogs coming from the river – which flows so gently that it doesn’t even look like it’s moving. The city lights reflect off the water like its glass.

There aren’t that many people out tonight as well, which is surprising given the time of year. But what surprises you even more is the one single tree lit up with a string of lights that encircle the trunk and up into the branches above. There’s nothing else next to it but you know it was meant for you.

This was the same tree you and Levi sat under while you waited for your friends at the festival back in April. Where the urge to kiss him was burning through your whole body. Where you felt your feelings for him concrete themselves into your mind.

Levi hands you the basket before letting go of your hand to roll the blanket out under the tree. In mere moments, his shoes are removed and placed neatly in the grass. He beckons you to join him as he stands in the middle of the blanket, the soft glow of the tree lighting up his face.

Kicking off your own shoes, you then step over to Levi with the basket dangling in your fingers. As he reaches over to take it back from you, he takes a step forward to plant a gentle kiss on your lips – one that lingers even when he pulls away.

“Is this okay?” he asks. At first, you think he’s referring to the kiss, but you realize his eyes are bouncing around you. There’s a subtle hint of anxiety in his gaze that wouldn’t be detectable by most people.

‘This is perfect.’ You reassure.

Despite how small the basket looked from the outside, you find out quickly that it held more than you thought. Once you and Levi settle down, he starts to unpack a myriad of items, mostly all food related. A plate with what looks like chicken salad sandwiches comes out first, all cut into small triangles. Then comes a small bowl of chopped up melon, a bag of chips, and a tall bottle of amber liquid – apple juice, Levi assured you. Finally comes out a small pillow that you recognize from Erwin’s couch. You can’t help but laugh as you sit up straight to get a better look at everything.

“What?” Levi asks with a frown.

‘It’s nothing. When did you prepare all of this?’ You inquire before picking up the chips to inspect what kind they were.

“Earlier this morning.”

You look up to see Levi eyeing you warily. Behind that façade of nonchalance, you see a very anxious man waiting for what you thought about all of this. You never took Levi to be the type to care about what other people thought, which means he really cared about what you had to say.

‘This is fantastic. Thank you for putting in all the effort.’ You lean over to give him a chaste kiss on the cheek. With a light blush, he hums back in response as he looks away to fiddle with something on his phone – at a glance, it looks like a music app. That reminds you about the speaker you had shoved into your bag before leaving the car, so you reach in and pluck it out. Levi takes it from your hand and a moment later, soft rock plays through each side of the box. Despite the small build, it sure is mighty in sound.

“There. Hungry?”

‘Starving.’

As Levi watches you nibble on your last piece of melon, he can’t help but think how perfect you are to him. Vulnerability wasn’t something that came easy to him but when you walked into his café and back into his life, it was like a scab that had been reopened. As uncomfortable as it was, he found the rawness that came with it very refreshing. What would it mean to stay by your side forever, he wonders. To wake up next to you for the rest of his life.

These thoughts raced through his mind earlier as he packed the basket and you waited in the car. The ring box burnt a hole in his pocket as he stood by his desk contemplating his choices. Tonight would be a perfect time to propose to you but still, something held him back. This was new to not only him, but you as well. Were you ready for something so life-altering? Was this even something you wanted? These were not topics that are generally brought up in casual conversation after only a week of officially dating.

No, he would know when it was time. For now, he was content with what he had, and he would wait for as long as you needed him to.

“Are you happy?” Levi leans back on a hand as he looks over to you.

You glance over to him in surprise at the question. Just as quickly, it dissolves into a big smile that lights up your eyes. Popping the rest of the fruit in your mouth, you sit up so you can sign easily.

‘I am. Are you?’

“I guess. It’s nice here.” He smirks at you, remembering that this is what he said to that same question months ago. “With you.” But he never got to say that to you then.

“You told me a while ago that words were not always needed to convey intent.”

‘I did, yes.’ Your face scrunches in confusion at the sudden statement.

Levi sits up before reaching into the basket with his left hand. For a moment you think he’s about to bring out dessert of some kind but instead he takes out a small paper bag, no bigger than three inches in width. He turns it upside down above his palm and out comes a gold chain necklace. A small cherry blossom pendant dangles off the side of his hand, glinting in the lights next to you. You scramble up on all fours as you inch closer to get a good look at it, knowing full well what it was.

“At first, this was bought as an apology. But now, I think this was also my way of saying that I love you, without me realizing it.” Levi mutters softly. Your wide eyes flicker from the pendant over to Levi’s face, lips parted in amazement. The necklace looks as if it was never broken, much less worn with the fresh polish it had received.

Before leaving Liberio, Levi had snuck away to a jeweler in town to see what they could do to fix it. In terms of damage, fortunately it was minimal. ‘For something so delicate, it sure is hardy.’ the jeweler had told Levi as they inspected it. He knew the jeweler was talking about the chain, but his mind drifted to you instead.

‘You fixed it for me.’

“It was important to you. I couldn’t leave it behind.” Levi gets up on his knees and scoots so that he’s behind you. Gingerly, he loops the chain around your neck and a few seconds later, it’s locked tight. You pinch the small metal pendant in between two fingers as you sigh in relief at the familiar weight hanging on your neck once again.

‘Thank you, Levi.’

You turn to face Levi and throw your arms around his neck as you lean in to kiss him. He startles at the abrupt movement but is quick to reciprocate as he places both hands on your waist and pulls you closer into him. He can feel you smiling into the kiss as it deepens.

As you both break apart, breathing heavily from the lack of air, you don’t lose your smile. Your hands raise to cup Levi’s face, your thumbs stroking his cheeks as you stare into those slate gray eyes of his that you loved so much.

“I don’t really have much else planned for tonight, so I can take you home-” You’re quick to cut him off with a shake of your head, much to Levi’s relief. He wasn’t ready to let you go either.

“Okay.” Levi muses. “We can stay here until you’re ready.”

The night carries on as you both lie on your backs, Levi holding you close in one arm. At some point, he started humming along to some of the songs that flowed through the speakers. The fireflies had gone to bed soon after. With your head resting on Levi’s chest, the gentle beating of his heart threatens to lull you into sleep.

As sure as the twinkling stars drift above, Levi Ackerman loves you.

And oh, how you love Levi Ackerman back.

☾ Previous Chapter: June - Part 4 ☾ Next Chapter: Epilogue

[tyo-mimt]

2/36. @tmnt-event-blog

Every turtle is included in the Turtle Pile.

April could still recall the the first time the turtles tried the turtle pile. They were still tots, toddlers, but it was a comfortable arrangement for sleeping back when they all shared the same room, and even when they all got their own rooms, the turtle pile was still the optimal way to relax as a group.

Even she could see the appeal. Their plastrons fit quite well with the curve of their shells and it helped them share what little heat their bodies produced. It was a flexible arrangement, too, but Raph was usually the one to sit at the bottom of the pile as foundation for the rest. Even then, it never really stopped April from hoping onto the pile of pillow-like turtles from time to time.

It was April's first time in a while since she's been able to visit the guys. Dipping into the new sewer systems (careful not to go back to the old lair), she navigated through the maze-like tunnels, occasionally making several wrong turns before finally arriving upon her a... not unusual scene.

She stifled the amused chuckle bubbling in her throat as she spoke up, grabbing their attention, "When y'all made Sunita and me help lug a five hundred pound couch all the way down here, did you plan on actually using it?"

"What d'you mean? We do use it," Leo responded, not even looking up from his comic. He was sandwiched somewhere between Raph and Donnie.

"Right... All of you are on the floor using Raph as a pillow," April pointed out.

"Yes, that's because Leo and I started on the couch," Donnie looked up from his phone, pointing to the booth on the side.

"But then Mikey walked in for pizza pockets," Leo continued.

"Then Raph tried to get us all to train," Mikey, who was finger-doodling on his tablet on the very peak of the pile, resumed.

"And then they all tackled Raph," Raph concluded, "That was an hour before you came in."

"You didn't try to get them off?" April asked.

"You've turtle-piled before, April," Raph tilted his head, "Raph's not getting up until everyone else does."

"Because ya can't?"

"Because Raph can."

Hilarious mental image of the turtles flailing about in the air as Raph gets up aside, she raised her hands in surrender and walked over to the group.

"Then I hope you won't mind my introduction to the pile," She grinned. With little effort, Leo moved side to let April sit on the snapping turtle.

"He couldn't even refuse if he tried," Leo returned the grin with a coy one of his own. She sat on a blunt curve of his pointy carapace, her back to the slider's side.

"Raph wouldn't!" He asserted.

"Right, right, I trust ya, big guy," April smiled, giving Raph a pat on the head as she pulled her phone out. Time went on, and she easily could've spent the whole night in that lair somewhere on the literal tower of turtles. She texted Donnie occasionally about the events of her week (even if they were literally a Leo away from each other).

One-by-one, five turned to four (with Donnie taking a sleeping Mikey to his room before coming back), four turned to three (with Donnie wanting to get started on a new project as soon as possible), then three turned to two (with Leo finishing his second reread of his Jupiter Jim comic).

It left April taking up the full length of Raph's plastron, where he'd fallen asleep as the night went on. She laughed quietly to herself when she noticed, rolling onto her stomach to check on him. For a moment, she debated waking Raph up, but she seldom ever spent time with the guys nowadays. She pulled her mom's contact up, drafting a quick message on her sleepover with some old friends.

[overmyemptycoffin]

excerpt from my novel

hope y'all enjoy a small bit of the novel I'm attempting to write. wish me luck!

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

Summer 25 was a summer to remember.

I was twenty, young, and full of life. The Maine coast stretched beneath my fingertips, and I drifted lazily through the pleasant days that late May offered me. I felt more alive than I had in any summer since I was sixteen and yet, as the May days lengthened into June sunsets, I couldn’t help but wonder why I had come to visit my grandparents, this year of all years. Since starting college in the Midwest, Maine had felt further and further away. But now as my plane landed in Boston, and I dragged myself onto the bus homeward, I felt the child in me stir once again. Yes, the highway and the distinct lack of people greeted me as I rode toward Milo in my grandfather’s Subaru. Yes, I thought to myself, this summer. This summer is going to be different.

The midmorning sun filtered down on my skin as I woke in the third-floor room that had once belonged to my mother. I stretched widely and remembered my surroundings. Maine. My home before all other homes. Born and bred, I was back with my roots once more. As I stood up from the antique metal bed frame and ever so slightly lumpy mattress that creaked with the morning freshness, I became giddy with the joy of my youth. I was twenty years old, with a decent frame and I had a new haircut. In all ways but emotional range, I was a very comely bachelorette. I had dreamed of this summer all dreary semester long, as I slaved at university. My books weren’t my focus like they had been in the beginning. After one failed romance after another, I was worn thin. I wanted to be young at heart again, so with very little thought for my financial well-being, I planned my 4-month trip to my hometown. As it was then, Milo held some very keen resemblance to the university town I had spent most of my time in, but to my fresh eyes, it was beautiful in every way. For, wasn’t it over the hill that my father lay six feet below? And wasn’t it over the next hill that I had my first kiss? And then, behind the elementary school, my favorite swing set in all of Piscataquis County? It was going to be the best four months of my whole college career, and I had promised myself that much. This promise of good times was only one piece of the vow I had made to myself. The second aspect is far more unlikely and masochistic. I promised myself that no matter the young man, I would not fall in love. Damn love and all expressions of it, I said to the dresser mirror as I slipped on a cardigan. Damn, love to heaven whence it came.

 These thoughts rang out as I finished preparing my outfit and scampered down the two flights of stairs, which led to the ground floor of my grandparents’ hundred- and eighty-year-old home. The floors creaked beneath the weight of my exuberance for the surprises that waited on my gram’s kitchen table. Doughnuts from the café down the road! And my favorite kind at that.

“Ah Elaine’s been up all night baking again, I guess. Thanks to her for these splendid Boston cremes.” I proclaimed merrily to the ear of my favorite grandparents out of them all.

“Got the ones you like best, if I remember rightly,” Gramp said with a foggy twinkle in his eye.

“Yes, but you have to have a proper breakfast as well Annie Grace.” My gram cautioned with a careful tone. “wouldn’t want to spoil your whole day with one sweet too soon.” Gram’s voice was gentle and stern all at once. It felt good to be home, with them encouraging and chiding in waves and bouts.

“Course Gramp, you always remember. I’ll make an egg or some Gram, I won’t spoil myself just yet. I haven’t even been a day or so yet without my college chaps beating on me for my food.” I teased. Gram smiled and turned back to the stove. Gramp chuckled thickly and stood at the door.

“Bobby and I are headed down to the lake to see about the last of the gravel getting laid down for the road Melanie. If you two want to go out later tomorrow to open the camp I can take us out after my appointment in Bangor. But I’ll have to nap after, or I’ll be ill for it.” Gramp told Gram with a look of hesitation. But Gram had no such hesitation about her.

“Sure Bob, I think it’ll do Annie and me some good to stay here today. That way we can finish packing up the last of the things from the attic to bring down to the lake with us. Then Annie can drive with you tomorrow, so your head won't hurt so badly after the shots.” Gram smiled warmly and glanced my way as if getting my approval of this plan.

“Sounds about right to me,” I replied.

Gramp nodded and then left to meet Bobby on the road out of town toward Bradford. They had a gravel road, and Gram and I headed to the attic. We had memories to uncover.  

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

the end, for now.

[natalie-the-writer]

Hey y'all! So, I had this idea running around in my head for a long time. Well, the basis of it. I started talking with @0perfectimperfections0 and it became a whole lot more, though I've been keeping most details a secret....

This is the longest story I've ever wrote for this fandom and it's only part 1 of 2. It's just above 15,000 words, but please don't be scared by the number. It was neccessary. This is a human AU, not really connected to my other story 'Multiplication and An Idea,' but it's not needed to understand this. Just be aware he's friends with the other main characters of the movie after some emotional times (that aren't depicted in the other story). Other characters are from @0perfectimperfections0 story 'Backstitch.' Hope you enjoy!

Discovery - Part 1

'This is not how I wanted to spend my Friday night,' Lou thought, muffling his coughs with his sleeve as he pushed a box with his foot. More dust flew up and he blinked, letting out a little sneeze. The sixteen year old shook his head, dropping down to his knees and opening the box full of books. He was here because he'd been three minutes late home from "study group" with Nolan - it was really watching a movie on the couch after a hard day at school, Nolan's mother, Rachel, covering for him with his own strict mother. The clock in the living room had been slightly off. When he realized, he'd rushed home, struggling against the freshly falling snow and wind, but it hadn't been enough. His mother, Lillian Greyson, had been waiting at the door when he came in, a list of chores already in her hand. He wasn't to go to bed until he was done.

It was nearing midnight now, the single light bulb in the attic providing enough light for him to move around. After doing the dishes, vacuuming every room in the three story house, mopping the bathrooms, dusting the living room shelves, and folding a few loads of laundry, he was hungry and tired. He hadn't been allowed dinner. His mother went to bed hours ago. He would sneak down to the kitchen and get food if it weren't for the security cameras posted in most rooms of the house. Darian, the butler and one of three non blood parental figures, wasn't even there to sneak him food, off on a well deserved vacation with his wife and daughters.

Lou sighed, moving book after book to the nearby empty shelf. He was to unpack all the frogotten boxes in the attic and move the stuff to shelves or, if it was big enough, settle it neatly along the wall. He'd been there for thirty minutes and honestly, he was making good progress, but his empty stomach was twisting and his eyes were growing heavy. The previous night, he'd stayed awake studying for the two tests he had the next day (pre-calculus math and college biology), so he was already tired. He didn't let Nolan know though. The rare time he got to spend with one of his best friends should be spent awake.

After unloading another few boxes, he took a break by sitting against the wall, eyes shut as he breathed in dust-filled air. He reached up his chest and expanded the collar of his suit, struggling against the stiff fabric in the heat of the attic. It was freezing cold outside, a forming snow storm in mid November above New York, and he yearned to step out for a moment. But no. He had to finish this.

Lou rallied his strength and went to stand only for his leg to collapse underneath him. Yeah, he needed sleep. Rubbing at his eyes, he went to get up again. His toe met something hard. Perplexed, he looked down. A piece of board was sticking up an inch, dislodged by his foot. 'Huh.' A part of him worried he'd get in trouble for breaking the floor, but the other part of him urged Lou to move the board further. Maybe it was an act of rebellion or maybe, for a second, he wanted to feel like he was in a movie, searching for clues in the grooves of a broken house. There was nothing to find, but it was fun to follow his imagination. That was why he liked acting so much.

The board came up more. Barely three inches. He slipped his hand inside, feeling around. Nothing. Of course there was nothing. It was just his imagination-

His fingers met paper.

With his heart running a million miles an hour, he grabbed onto the object and gently tugged on it, lifting the board as far as he could. The paper came lose and he pulled his hand out, revealing a very thick envelope. He let the board drop, tilting the newfound object in the light. It was open with no postal stamp or address. Just a plain envelope on the outside, but inside... With hesitant fingers, he reached in, subconsciously listening for his mother to come up the stairs. Several smaller envelopes came out, all open and marked with an address for Chesapeake, Maryland. The papers were all yellowed, some frayer than others. Why would they have letters from Maryland? Why would they be hidden under a board?

Anxious and a little excited, he found the oldest looking letter and pulled out the page inside. Old notebook paper. He unfolded it, immediately noticing the date on the top.

March 16th, 2006. Over sixteen years ago. Roughly seven months before he was born. Very old.

His eyes scanned the contents. Certain words caught his eyes and sent his heart stopping. He backed up to the first word, reading more carefully.

'My dear Lily,

I hope my letter will find you in a good health, despite our circumstances. I don't understand what you've done or why you did it. I loved you so much, still do, but you won't answer my calls. You left me in the dead of night. My heart is broken. All I can hope for is a response. Please, my darling, come back and let's fix this. Whatever I've done, I can fix it. I've tolerated and gone through everything to keep you with me, fought for you, but you left me. Please, respond. At least let me know you are alright.....'

The letter went on with pleads and rambles to his mother. To Lou's mother. A man so desperately in love that Lou couldn't understand it. What did this guy see in his mother? She must not've been a vile woman her whole life to have a guy falling over her. To top it all off, it was signed with 'I sign this with all of my love.' No name.

Wait.

Sixteen years ago. Seven months before his birth. He would've... Lou would've been... His mother was pregnant with him by that point. Could this be... his father? The writings of a man long dead?

Lou had asked about his father a few times during his childhood. When he was younger than ten, she would brush him off and tell him to go somewhere else. When he did ask after Father's Day at ten years old, she told him that his father was a mean, selfish man who died not long after Lou was born. When he was twelve, she told him that his father wanted nothing to do with him, meaning she and Lou had her maiden last name. When he was fourteen, he got caught trying to find out his father's name on the internet and got yelled at for that. Grounded for two weeks. He never asked again, afraid of upsetting his mother further.

He'd always wanted to know a little more about his father. Even if he left them, he wanted to know why. Now the answers were in his hands and the man who once wrote those words didn't sound like a man who hated his mom.

Attic forgotten, he looked to the next letter in the stack. Slightly less weathered. Maybe they were in order. He did a quick count - eight letters. He unfolded for the next date. Only a month later.

'Dearest Lily,

I won't come looking for you if you don't want to be found. I won't come to you if you don't want me to. Your last letter was enough for me to know you were alive, but there's no explanation. Why did you leave? It may sound cliché, but my heart hurts to find you. To at least know why you left me. Things weren't good, but that didn't mean we couldn't work it out. Let me know what to do and I'll do it. I'd do anything to have you back.'

Again, there was no name. Just 'I sign this with all of my love.' He sounded love sick. How could he hate his mother? Her story was unraveling in front of him and a million questions moved through his brain. He carefully put the letter aside and grabbed the next one.

Just over a year later. Lou was about six months old. Not yet had the letters given an inkling of knowledge about his existence. The thought made a pit settle in Lou's stomach.

He read the next five letters quickly, sitting on his knees on the floor. It was mostly questions and proclamations of love over the next two years. Sometimes, there were mentions of sent money. He talked of his love for her mostly, but there were little details that Lou read three times, clinging to every little bit of information he could get about his father. He loved the beaches and lived right near Chesapeake Bay. He liked history and ran a doll business. He celebrated his thirty eighth birthday when Lou was two, making him fifty-two now. They were occasional comments and descriptions, like he didn't want to stray too far from talking about Lillian. The letters were only a paragraph or two, pouring out love. He mentioned once in a letter that he wasn't the best with talking about feelings. Lou could relate.

Lou was three on the second to last letter. He knew the end was coming. Knew his father died not long later, heartsick and desperate. He drew in a breath and with shaking hands, reached for the last letter. It was whiter than the others. Quite a bit lighter. He folded open the top and took out the paper, unfolding it. He took another breath before reading the date.

October 9th, 2017.

The air was knocked out of his lungs. He read it again, afraid it was a trick. Five years ago. Five years ago wasn't just after Lou was born. Five years ago he was eleven, learning piano. Holding his breath, his eyes moved down to the salutation.

'Hello Lillian.

I haven't mailed to you in a long time. I don't know if you have noticed or will even recieve this letter, but I want you to know something.

It wasn't until twelve years ago when I met my now wife Shannon that I realized how toxic our relationship was. I did everything in my power to please you and it still wasn't enough. You always wanted more. You were never satisfied with just having my love. I don't know what exactly made you run out that night, and I do hope you live alright now and have found your own true love, but I can't help but think it was destined to happen. If you hadn't left, I wouldn't have spent near four years in grief for our relationship. I thought you were the one I let slip away. I was mistaken. Now I am in a healthy, loving relationship and understand that we would've never worked properly.

I really hope you find fortune in your life as I have found fortune in mine because along with a wife, I gained a step son and two more daughters. I hope you have found your life's calling as you always hoped you would. As I always hoped for you. I hope you found love in the best of ways. I hope your life is fulfilled. This will be my last letter. I just felt I had to send my last regards to you and close the chapter of our time properly, even if it's only for myself.

Signed,

Henry Louis Everett.'

Henry Louis Everett. Louis. They shared the same name. Could he be named after him? Could this man be his father? His father, who, as of five years ago, was alive?

Lou's heart thundered as he held the letter to his chest, carefully hugging it. He could have a step mom. Three siblings. He might have family other than his mother and friends. On shaky legs, he got to his feet, folding the letters into his suit pocket and pressing the board back in place. A quick glance at the clock proved it was nearing 12:30 in the morning. He still had a few more boxes to go and if he was caught leaving without being finished, he would be metaphorically killed and literally grounded. With more speed and accuracy than his tired body should've been able to manage, he unloaded every box, mind swirling with so many thoughts that the task was forgotten. His father was alive.

After one in the morning, he turned off the light and crept his way down the steps to his room, already devising a plan in his head. There was no way he could wait for the perfect moment. It was the weekend, no school to miss, and he had to meet this man, one way or another. Even if he was grounded for a year, he had to do this. The teen pulled out his phone that was, by some miracle, not confiscated like he thought it would be when he was caught. He couldn't take it with him, not with the tracker on it, but he could anonymously look up a bus schedule that could get him to Chesapeake.

There was a bus at six thirty in the morning not far from where he was. The alarms that went off if he went outside during the night cut off at six because he had to get to the early morning study group at school. They did the same on weekends because who in the world left a six for no reason.

Lou had a reason.

He dug into the back of his closet. Concealed behind some boxes of old textbooks was a hoodie he once managed to sneak in. It was dark blue and well worn, a gift from his butler friend, and would serve well in his risky adventure. He grabbed his school bag, chucked out the contents, and put the folded hoodie in it. He followed it with a roll of money he had been able to save over the years. Six hundred dollars should be able to get him there and back with food. He threw in an extra pair of shoes, a set of gloves, and a scarf, then stuffed the whole thing under his bed. With the cameras, getting snacks was a no go. They'd let his mother know he was sneaking, possibly waking her up with their notifs. He couldn't risk it. He would also have to go out through his window because the camera above his room wasn't working, meaning he could get out without triggering alarms as long as he was careful.

He also couldn't risk taking his phone. With the tracker on it, he'd be found quickly. He had to leave it.

"That's a problem for the morning." He muttered, setting a near silent alarm for 5:55 in the morning. He'd get roughly four hours of sleep. It would have to do. He crawled into bed, tucking himself under the blankets and staring out the window, thoughts a jumbled mess as he slipped toward a restless sleep. Was he really doing this? The ultimate act of rebellion?

The real question was how he couldn't do it. How could he ignore that his real father may be out there? If he slipped up and his mother found out his plan or that he found the letters, he'd be locked up in the house more than before. He couldn't have that. He couldn't do it. He needed to find his father. See if he might actually want him. Somehow.

Lou fell asleep and dreamed in fragments, jumping from friends to his mother to what his father could look like.

_________________

The alarm went off far too soon, but Lou pulled himself out of bed, quickly silencing it. He listened a minute. No footsteps seeing what he was up to this early in the morning. Good. His mother didn't typically get up until ten or eleven, sometimes noon, giving him time to get well on his way. He slipped the hoodie on over his rumpled suit, tugged on his shoes, and slung what was left of the bag over his shoulder. Now or never.

He texted his friends in the group chat: Don't worry about me.

It was vague, but it would have to do. They would worry anyway. He turned it off completely and hid it under the bed mattress, then climbed on top of said mattress to the window over his bed. With silent movements, he turned the latches and slid it up, letting a sharp gust of cold air blow in. New York City in the winter time. Cold. He shivered, pulled the hood over his head, and slipped out the window. The camera outside his room had been broken for three days with no one coming by to fix it. They were going to fix it today.

Tough luck. He was already gone.

He landed on his feet in the snow and shut the window. The storm was still brewing, falling snow quick to cover any tracks he made. Lou carefully went through the camera blindside so not to trigger any motion detection notifications, eventually slipping down the street and out of sight. He yanked on the gloves soon after and put the scarf around his neck, keeping in as much heat as possible as he marched his way down to the bus station. He reached it with a few minutes to spare and studied the map a moment. It would be a good four hours before he reached Chesapeake, maybe more with the snow.

He bought a long distance ticket for forty bucks. The half awake clerk didn't question a teenager going such a long way, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but there. Lou got on the bus only a few moments after it pulled up, showing the ticket to the driver and sitting in the third row. Three other people got on and the bus took off down the road in the opposite direction of his house.

No turning back now.

'Am I really doing this?' He asked himself as he settled in for the long ride, backpack in his lap and looking out the window. A sliver of fear slipped down his spine, sending his heart racing. He'd never been anywhere besides school, his house, his friends' houses, and the rare restaurant. He'd never been by himself except on the walk home sometimes. He'd never been anywhere outside the city limits and yet here he was, going all the way to the bay of Maryland. Was he wrong to do this? Was he in over his head?

Then he thought about all the things his mom did to him. She made him feel the need to always be perfect and that no matter what he did, there would always be another step to go. That he would never reach perfection in her eyes. He could make all the good grades, do the best performance, and it still wouldn't be enough for her. She barely wanted him to have friends, just 'study partners.' When she found out he went to a movie with Ox after a study session, she threatened to get his father fired because he worked for her uncle. Lou wasn't sure she could do that, but he wasn't about to let it happen on the slightest possibility. She wanted him to stop being friends with Ox, but Lou knew he wouldn't take that as an answer and it would be torture for them both. So he said some mean things to Ox, pushed him away until he found another group of friends, and Lou was left alone. It was only because Nolan found him crying in a bush near the school that anything was fixed. If that hadn't happened, as embarrassing as it was, he would still have no friends and be locked in that cage. He likely would've never found the letters.

His mother's wrath went beyond just his friends and his perfection. Lou couldn't go anywhere without her approval and some kind of supervision. He couldn't have any food remotely bad for him and punishments often included skipped meals. He couldn't go outside to walk around because 'he'd get sick.' Lou had a weaker immune system, but he thought it was from not being exposed to the elements. His hair and clothes always had to be perfect. He could only wear uncomfortable suits or the school uniform during the day.

And another huge issue? He couldn't ask Mandy out on a date. He couldn't go anywhere so he couldn't take her anywhere fun that she deserved. Heck, he didn't know what was fun around there, but she would know. She could direct, he could pay, they could have fun - except for the fact that his mother was in the equation. She didn't know Mandy as anything except a fellow studying student, but if she knew her lower income family and the fact that her single father worked for the sewage plant, they would never see each other again except at school.

He wouldn't put it passed his mother to pay teachers to watch them and keep them separated.

All of the thoughts against his mother made his blood boil. Everything he couldn't do that everyone else could. The standards he was getting exhausted of even though he was conditioned to follow them. His back straightened up every time she walked into the room. He couldn't relax in her presence. He didn't remember the last time she hugged him in a way that wasn't for appearance in front of ther friends. Had she ever? The thought only strengthened his resolve. His butler acted more like a parent or uncle than his own blood mother. He could only hope his blood father was different.

If he was his blood father. It was the logical conclusion, but he worried he was pushing his deep want into it. Would if his mom had another guy? Would if another, unknown man was the real guy and Lou was about to jump into the life of a stranger?

'I have to get answers.' He thought, closing his eyes briefly. 'I'll never be satisfied if I don't.'

So he stayed on the bus as it continued on to Maryland, shivering in the cold that entered through not completely sealed windows and the door whenever it opened to let someone on or off. He tried to sleep. Failed. He never could sleep well in anything moving, but his building anxiety was making his already jacked up sleep schedule worse. He woke up every few minutes to a little bump, someone talking, or his own thoughts. He switched buses halfway to Maryland as routes ended, barely getting there in time with his sleep haze and the slick snow covering the ground. The storm was growing heavier as the hours ticked by - a freak storm. Just his luck.

Lou checked his watch again as the second bus came within an hour of Chesapeake Bay. Almost ten. His mother might not've noticed his disappearance. When she does, she'll call his friends' parents. They'll likely already know of his disappearance due to his cryptic text and the wall of them he hasn't answered. Of course, they could've already called and woke his mother out of desperation.

Genuinely, he felt guilty. Very guilty for leaving his friends and the people who felt like parents to him, but he couldn't think of anther way around it without the risk of his mother finding out. It was then or maybe never.

A small part of him - the same childish part that hoped the man he was heading to really was his father - was guilty for leaving his mother on the small chance she really worried about him.

'Call it payback for the pain she's caused me.' The vengeful part of him hissed. 'Let her feel a portion of how bad I've felt over the years.'

He slept on and off for another thirty minutes, ignoring how his stomach whined for food. He hadn't eaten since school lunch the day before. Couple that with lack of sleep and he was feeling pretty crummy, but adrenaline and determination kept him moving forward. If there was anything Lou was good at, it was working under the worst conditions.

Finally, it came to his stop. The closest one to the address on the letters. He got off, took a deep breath, and as the bus drove off, he took a step forward-

- and promptly slipped on a frozen piece of sidewalk, landing on his back.

"Not the greatest start." Lou grumbled, getting back to his feet and side stepping the puddle. His torso and right ankle twinged in pain with movement, but nothing major. He'd live to see tomorrow anyhow. As he brushed himself off, his eyes surveyed the area. Eleven o'clock in the morning, the area should be buzzing with movement, but the unique weather conditions meant there was no one to see his barassing fall or ask directions to. "I guess the first step is find someone." He muttered, very aware he looked like a crazy person talking to himself, but it helped to calm the panic of being in a brand new area where nothing was the same.

He moved slowly down the desolate sidewalk, hands tucked in his pockets and scarf tight around his neck. The letters were secure in the inner pockets of his tux, hidden under his hoodie layer as well. He couldn't afford to lose them.

After several 'sorry, we're closed' signs, he ran across an open coffee shop with an older barista who was happy to give him directions and a small coffee. Despite his gnawing hunger, he couldn't stomach anything else. He thanked her, tipped the jar with a ten dollar bill, and made his way east, reading street signs and taking turns until he ran across a place called Sunshine Neighborhood. A place that was so close to the water he could hear it sloshing against the beach, wave after wave beating sand. Despite the winter wind, he could smell sea salt through his stuffed nose.

Every step was carefully constructed to avoid ice. The snow had slowed down a little, flakes drifting over him. One landed on his nose, making him shiver harder and wrap his arms around himself. He'd never been exposed to the elements so long. It felt as good as it did bad. He watched children play in front yards, building snowmen or having snowball fights with some parents watching from the porch. When Lou passed, they watched him like a hawk, as if he was a criminal sulking the streets. He'd never felt so... wrong. Like he was a bad kid.

'I did leave my house.'

But it wasn't a home.

The address said it was house number 27. The further he got into the neighborhood, the more the houses were separated by a bit. They weren't mansions, but they weren't simple townhouses either. Two to three stories depending on the house, nice porches, and he'd seen one or two with a frozen water fountain in the front. They weren't opposing, cold buildings, but warm, cozy looking places with winter decorations outside. Some were decked out to the nines with Christmas decor, the picture of a happy and joyful place.

A snowball nailed him in the back of the head, sending his already wandering-minded self into a snow bank face-first. He coughed, slowly pulling himself to rise.

A hand appeared in front of his face. "I'm so sorry!" He looked up into the face of young woman with a sheepish child standing at her side. "Please forgive my daughter. She thought you were her brother with that hoodie on." After a moment of hesitation, Lou took the offered hand, allowing himself to be pulled up to his feet.

"It's alright." He attempted a smile and succeeded, finding it easier with kinder eyes on him. It wasn't a show stopping one he could give on stage or an overconfident dazzle, but a smile that felt right on his face. The woman smiled back. He nodded to the girl. "Nice throw."

"Thank you." She muttered, a little grin spreading across her face.

"Your welcome." He glanced down the street. "Ma'am, you wouldn't happen to know where house 27 is, would you? The Everett house?"

She blinked, then smiled. "I do. You're not far. Go about another ten houses and you'll hit it. You can't miss the Christmas tree and little snowmen outside. Their daughters have been playing in the snow all morning."

"Thank you." He started to move away, but the conversation wasn't over.

"I'm actually not surprised you know them. You look like a younger version of Henry, before he went grey." She chuckled, unaware of how Lou stopped, tensed, and held onto every word. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were his son. Are you related, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Uhm..." He looked back over his shoulders, glancing between her and the girl. "...possibly." Dumb answer. His dumb brain was short circuiting. Her face changed a little as she processed his words, eyebrows drawing together, and she opened her mouth up to say something else. As rude as it was, he cut her off. "Thank you again, ma'am. Have fun outside." He scurried off down the street at a faster pace, frigid air feeling spicy in his lungs as he thought of her words.

If I didn't know better, I'd day you were his son.

Unknowingly, the woman, whatever her name was, had risen and calmed his anxiety in a weird balance. If he looked so much like Henry, then there was a higher chance he was his son. But if he was Henry's son, would he want a walk in teenager with a bad past, terrible real social skills, and a mother who broke the man's heart? Most people wouldn't take him, would they? Would Henry?

'Don't get ahead of yourself, Louis. You don't know if you're related. Think logically.' He told himself, but it was hard to think logically when your heart was pounding and you were coming up on your possible father's house. Indeed, there was a giant Christmas tree out front, barren and mighty, standing at least ten feet. There were several two to three foot snowmen in the yard with lopsided carrot noses and twigs for arms, imprints of little footprints the only signs children had been there.

Lou reached the edge of the cobblestone pathway, his feet an inch from the first step. He had to use Ox's counting method to calm his breathing, nodding to himself. "Now or never." He whispered to the air. The teen started up the stairs - halfway up, he dropped his backpack and pulling off the hoodie. It was colder without it, but it would be easier to access the letters faster and maybe one of his mother's lessons would work: Presentation is key. He was told he looked good in a suit, even a wrinkled one.

With his hoodie, scarf, and gloves neatly folded and placed in his backpack and hands straightening the suit as best he could, he pulled one bag strap over his shoulder and prepared himself. Less clothes meant he was shivering harder, the winter wind invading his clothes and skin. His hair was far from perfect, and he ran his fingers through it, flipping half to the side in some semblance of style. The wind knocked it back down. Whatever. He couldn't do anything about it.

One foot in front of the other, he counted his way up the steps and then to the door. The Everett household was three stories, rustic looking with modern touches. The windows were big and detailed, lights hung from the rafters, and the porch held empty flower pots and a wide swing. He could hear the ocean sloshing louder. They weren't far at all from it, possibly just beyond the enclosed property fence of the entire neighborhood.

At the door, he straightened his back and shoulders, hand shaking as he raised it up to the middle of a fun, ornament covered wreath. The looser bits and pieces suggested it was handmade, unlike everything that his mother would have when hiring someone to decorate their house for Christmas, and it brought a brief smile to his face.

His hand hesitated halfway through knocking. Was he really going to ask for this door to be opened? To just walk into their lives and bring up questions they hadn't thought of? He'd be throwing their lives off track for a little bit or for the rest of their lives. (Maybe he was overreacting, but this wasn't exactly normal.) Dragging in one more deep breath and holding it, Lou knocked three times and stepped back.

One second. Two. Three. Four. Five.

A part of him wanted to leave and pretend he was never there. Get away before he could cause chaos. He stopped himself, standing as tall as he possibly could. No turning back. No turning back. No turning-

The door opened to a woman with long red hair, fair skin, and a warm smile. "Hello, how can I help you?"

"Hello, yes-" Calm down, Lou. Focus. It's like a presentation. Be formal. "-are you Shannon Everett?"

"Yes, I am. And you are?" Her smile didn't drop as her eyes took in his suit. It must've looked a little strange - a teenage boy standing outside in the snow with only a slightly wrinkled suit on and a backpack.

His heart caught in his throat a brief second. He swallowed it down. "I'm Louis. Louis Greyson. I need to speak to your husband, if that's possible?" He turned up the boyish charm as much as he possibly could when freezing. His hands automatically clasped themsleves in front of him. "It's really important. I wouldn't be bothering you if it wasn't. I'll be out of your hair as soon as the matter is... resolved."

She gave him one more up and down look, but it wasn't one of disgust. More curiosity and maybe a little skepticism. Who could blame her? Lou certainly couldn't.

A shiver swept through him that he couldn't suppress and her expression changed in a moment, shifting into that of a worried woman. A worried mother like Nolan's mom when her children got into scrapes, mental or physical. "Oh where are my manners." She stepped aside, ushering him in with a hand wave. He followed obediently, happy to enter a warm house with a fire blazing in the living room fireplace. "Dear, you must be freezing in that." He thought about telling her of the hoodie and scarf, but decided against it, figuring that would be strange. However, he wouldn't have gotten a word in anyway. She took him gently by the shoulder and steered him to the sofa, kicking the door shut behind her. "Sit right here while I get you some cocoa." She rushed into the kitchen, leaving Lou alone to bask in the newfound heat for only a moment before she came back with a steaming cup of aforementioned hot cocoa. "Drink up, but careful. It's hot." When he nodded, tense against the edge of the cushion and overwhelmed by the sudden attention, she smiled and headed up the stairs. "Henry, honey! Someone is here to see you!"

Soon, Lou was left alone again, carefully sipping from the mug. It was wonderful. Not just the taste, but the warmth flooding through his veins. He hadn't realized how cold he was.

Quiet footprints brought his attention to a hallway on the other side of the room, hiking his heart rate back up a moment. Their kids. Of course it wasn't just the two adults in the house. In the moment, he'd forgotten about them. A pair of emerald eyes, the same as her mother's, peeked out around the corner at him, single braided blonde hair barely in sight. They met eyes and she hid behind the wall again. Lou waited with bated breath and mild amusement, looking into his cocoa as he listened to the girl slowly walk toward him. Soon, she was on the other end of the couch. He turned his attention to her, offering a gentle smile as he put the cup down. She couldn't have been more than eight, wearing a blue dress that went to her knees and carrying what looked to be some sort of fairy wand. "Who are you?" She asked, eyes wide and curious.

"I'm Lou, and who are you?"

"Momma told me never talk to strangers."

"Smart woman."

She studied him a moment. "But you are in our house so..." Her nose scrunched up adorably, clearly thinking. "... I'm Claire. It's short for Clarrisa."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Claire."

"You too." She tilted her head. "How old are you?"

"I'm sixteen."

"You're almost as old as my brother. His name is Michael. He's almost eighteen." She took a step closer. Lou forced himself to look relaxed for her sake, their conversation temporarily taking his mind off the reason he was here. Temporarily. "I'm seven."

"That's big." That's what adults said.

"Not really."

"Depends on who you are."

"Maybe." She said, then asked, "do you like to color?"

"Do you?" He countered.

"Yes."

"Then so do I."

She perked up visibly, a smile lighting up her face. "Good. Wait here." She rushed back around the corner. Lou waited for the girl, glancing around in case there was another surprise visitor. He could hear wife and husband walking around upstairs, voices muffled by the distance. His attention was brought back down to ground level when Claire came back holding a large pack of crayons and some paper. She put a sheet in front of him on the glass tabletop by his drink and the other beside it. "That's your paper." She pointed, placing the crayons in the middle. "Let's draw."

She immediately grabbed a yellow crayon out of the box and started to carefully move it across the paper. Lou's fingers hesitated over the box. "Is there... anything specific you want me to draw?"

"No, use your imagination."

He thought a moment. An idea flashed across his mind. "What's your favorite color?"

"Blue." She replied instantly. "Any shade."

"Blue is my favorite, too. And green. And purple." He said as he grabbed two blue crayons from the box, placing the lighter one on the table beside his paper. He started to draw, watching the girl out of the corner of his eye. She was sticking her tongue out the side of her mouth in concentration, making his heart melt.

"You have more than one favorite color?"

"The more the merrier sometimes." He put the crayon to paper, moving it in curves. Soon, he had the outline of a blue butterfly and was carefully coloring it in with light blue, creating shapes in the wings with dark blue and grey. So wrapped up in coloring with Claire, he didn't know there were two more people in the room. That is, he didn't know until a throat was cleared. His heart lurched as his head snapped up to see Shannon and... Henry. The man had nearly all silver hair with some bits of blonde remaining, a little bit of a mustache, and sharper jaw. His blue eyes were the same as Lou's and though his body was rigid with tension, those eyes were kind. He was wearing regular jeans and a green sweater, surprising the teen, but what exactly did he expect him to be wearing? A suit? In his own home? That's not what typical people did.

"Clarrisa, could you give our guest and I a moment?" He asked, sending his daughter a smile.

"Okay, Daddy." She stood up from where she'd gotten on her knees, hands clasped in front of her dress. "Can I leave my stuff here? So Lou and I can finish drawing after you talk?"

Louis placed his crayons in the box, standing to attention as Henry's eyes landed on him. Was he breathing? He had to be breathing. He better be breathing. He can't pass out in their living room floor. That would be a new level of embarrassing. Henry looked at him another moment, then to his daughter. "If he's here afterward and willing, you can finish coloring with him."

"Okay! Bye Lou!" She skipped off around the hallway corner again. Lou could barely utter a "bye" as he was left alone with the two adults.

"Alright, son." The man said, moving further into the room. Lou's heart could've stopped. 'It's just a term adults sometimes use for those younger.' He reminded himself, locking his knees so they wouldn't crumble. "What is it you need to talk to me about? Especially to be dressed in a suit with this weather. Frankly, you don't look old enough to be out of high school." He cracked a little smile. Lou tried to return it. Shannon slipped away to the kitchen, saying over her shoulder that she was going to start on lunch.

"Well, s-sir," He began, pausing a moment to try and control the nervous stutter. Not the time for nerves. It was like presenting in front of a crowd. Only the crowd might be your long lost father. "I came to speak to you about something very peculiar." Lou dragged in a breath and grabbed the letters in his pocket, pulling them out slowly. "More specifically, these. I found them."

Henry took the yellowed papers in his hands with his eyebrows furrowed, then the color drained from his face as he read them. "Oh." He muttered, slowly dropping to sit on the couch as he flipped through them. Lou stood awkwardly, trying not to wring his hands in his jacket and watching the man's reaction. Those were definitely his letters. "Oh."

"I'm so sorry for appearing like this, but... I needed to come here."

"I see." He said, looking up at Lou. "I understand."

All the blood rushed from Lou's head as he took in the words that were spoken with deep resignation. What exactly did he understand? Did he think Lou was his? Was he going to brush him off-

"I always did worry these went to the wrong house or got lost. I suppose she wouldn't stay in the same place for long. Once, the first time, I did revieve a letter, but it must've been a one time thing or someone messing with me." He sighed, placing the letters down beside the colored sheets on the table. "Well, thank you for brining them to me." The words were hollow, but the smile he attempted said more. Lou had to work to get his heart under control and thoughts together enough for a response.

"Sir, I'm sorry, but... you have the story a little wrong." Lou replied. The man tilted his head to the side, confusion blatantly evident. "The letters didn't go to the wrong house. Lillian Greyson is my mother. I'm her son, Louis Greyson." Henry's eyes were widening by the second, jaw working as if he was trying to say something. Lou kept going, words pouring out of his mouth. "I'm sixteen. The first letter dates back seven months before I was born on September 7th. I..." His hands dropped limply to his side as his head fell forward. This felt so stupid now that he was standing here with a dumbfounded man in front of him. "I'm sorry. This was ridiculous of me. I-I'll get out of your hair."

He went to grab his bag only to be stopped by Henry. The man's hands rested gently on his shoulders. Surprised, Lou slowly looked up. Henry was a good six or seven inches taller against Lou's five foot nine inch self. One hand moved and took Lou's chin with his index and thumb fingers, moving his face around a little. Lou let him, unsure of what was going on and frozen on the inside. Apparently, he found what he was looking for because he let go, taking him by both shoulders again. "You're my..."

"I don't want to push you into anything, sir. I may not be right. She could've been with someone else. I don't- My father was said to be dead. That could be true-" He reached up a hand to his hair to pull at it, unable to control the nervous habit. Everett moved it away and took him more firmly by the shoulders.

"We share the same nose, hair, and eyes. I've seen those eyes in all my children. There's no mistaking my grandmother's eyes. I don't need a paternity test or some court document." He smiled, a glistening sheen over his eyes. "You are my 𝑠𝑜𝑛, Louis." He was drawn forward into a bear hug that smelled of peppermint and ink. It felt completely safe, like the hugs of his friends, their parents, and Darian. The tension inside Lou released. He allowed himself to press against the man, his possible father, and a missing piece of his heart was finally filled. Emotions drowned out every concerned thought of what would happen next, where they would go from here, and he let himself get completely engulfed by the warmth of the hug by a man he thought would always remain a dead mystery.

Lou buried his face in his chest, fighting back the tears. As illogical as he knew it could be for someone to conclude another was their child without proper testing, another part of him warred that good parents have instincts. And based on Claire's behavior, he was a good parent. There was so much certainty in Henry's voice that Lou was completely compelled to believe him, hoping beyond hope that he was right and this wouldn't be taken away from him in the next week because a paternity test said otherwise. He couldn't take it.

After a long few minutes that made the whole ride there worth it, Henry took him by the shoulders again to look Lou over. The smile never left. "I knew there was something familiar about you. Now I see it so clearly." A tear slipped out the edge of his eye, dropping to the ground. "Oh, Louis, I'm so sorry."

"For what?" Lou asked, blinking rapidly to keep his own tears from falling. One matra he couldn't get rid of rang in his head - crying was a weakness. "And please, call me Lou."

"Lou," he started again, leaning down to be more eye level, "I very much believe you are my son and a test would prove that true. I've been out of your life for sixteen years. I could've been there." His voice sounded so pained it hurt Lou's heart.

"Don't blame yourself." He shook his head. "Blame my mother. I don't know why she did what she did. She told me my father died and wanted nothing to do with me while he was alive. That clearly was a man of her imagination, if what you're saying is true." He paused, spealing quieter. "I want it to be true."

"We'll... we'll rush a test, if that's what you wish, but I can tell my grandmother's eyes a mile away. They have a darker blue at the edge and a lighter center. A perfect shade mix. Even Claire, with her green, have the same shade variation."

"Anyone could have these eyes. This could be an entire coincidence." He folded his arms, glancing away with his mouth pursed in a thin line. He wanted to believe this so bad, but he was thinking... and thinking was clearly the enemy of emotional moments. They'd shared a hug. A hug Lou wanted to believe was the first of father and son, but he couldn't just let go of all logical thinking. He was made up of logic. "But... the dates line up. My mother may be... not the best, but I don't believe she would be a cheater. We... share a lot of appearance traits. You say I have the eyes of relatives and yourself." He ticked the list off in his mind. It sounded so right. Could he risk it? Could he believe it? His heart wanted to. His mind resisted.

Henry sighed. "Come and sit with me." He guided him to the couch, sitting them down beside each other. "I best tell you the entire story of your mother."

They talked for fifteen minutes. Henry told him of how he met Lillian almost eighteen years before at a party. They hit it off and developed a relationship. It was good at first, but quickly moved down hill, with his mother getting more distant and starting fights. She convinced Henry that he wasn't showing enough effort and love, causing him to shower her with more and more gifts. Nearing their one year anniversary, she took off in the middle of the night. The letter date was only a few days after it happened, and she barely ever left the house. There was never any sign of cheating, only distance and anger. When the story was done, Henry put a hand on his shoulder. "We'll get a test to prove it to you. I don't need it. I know you're mine. I can feel it." He tapped his heart.

Lou fiddled with the cuffs of his suit, pulling in a breath. "Okay." He said. "Okay. I'll... I think I believe you. I would like a test though. To be sure."

He smiled. "Certaintly." He leaned back in the chair. "Now, Lou, I do remember that I sent those letters to New York City. How are you all the way in Maryland?" He raised an eyebrow. "And in a suit in this weather?"

Lou rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and decided to answer the second question first. "I have a hoodie in my bag. Scarf and gloves, too. I was just taught presentation is everything. I felt very compelled to be presentable for this type of conversation. My hair is usually a little better." He did a half-hearted gesture toward his shaggier curls. "As for the first part, I knew I likely only had one chance. If I waited for another day, my mother might have figured out I took the letters and read them. I might've slipped up and got myself grounded for the next few months. Maybe a year. Literally. The camera was down, no school, I had the shot. I took it." He stopped, ice running through his veins. "I ditched my phone in my bedroom so she couldn't track me. My friends are probably worried sick. Granted, my last text was pretty cryptic... oh I'm never going to get that phone back..." He ran a hand down the side of his face, leaning his head back against the cushions. His eyes closed on their own accord, giving himself a moment to think and feel how tired his body was.

"You can borrow my phone to call your friends. I'll get you another phone." There was a shifting noise and Henry was walking away. He came back a moment later, putting the phone in Lou's open hand. The blonde opened his eyes, fingers curling around the sleek little rectangle. The man's face had gone a tad paler with Lou's words, and now his eyes were narrowed in concern. "How much did you sleep last night?"

"Enough." The answer rolled off his lips easily. "Thank you."

"Hmm." The concern didn't leave. Lou ignored it. "You're welcome. I'm going to speak to Shannon about what's happened, alright?" Lou nodded, already dialing the memorized number to Nolan's mother. She'd be the most calm of them all and likely with some, if not all, his friends and on a madhouse search party for him. He watched Henry move to the kitchen as he put the phone to his ear. It didn't get through a full ring before it was answered.

"Hello?" Gosh, she sounded tired. Guilt reared its ugly head, and he cleared his throat.

"Hey Miss Rachel. It's L-"

"LOU!" He had to hold the phone away from his ear as she yelled into the phone, wincing. He put the phone back after a second, hearing a cacophony of voices fill the background. He recognized Nolan, Mandy, and Ox among a few others. "Oh my gosh! Are you okay? Where are you?"

"I'm perfectly fine." He smiled a little at their care, their voices warming that ice in his body. "I..." He had to phrase this right. "I swear I thought it through as best I could, erm... I'm in Maryland."

"LOUIS LILLIUS GREYSON!" He winced again for two reasons. One) he hated his middle name. A direct callback to his mother's name. Two) She only said his full name if he was in trouble. Boy, was he in trouble, but it was the good kind of trouble. Really. "What the heck are you doing in Maryland!?" The voices in the background picked up in volume at the question.

"I..." He might as well say it outright. "I'm meeting who is possibly my biological father."

There was silence from Rachel on the other end for a brief few seconds. He worried he broke her until she was moving, telling the others to be quieter and she'd explain in a minute. He heard a door shut, blocking out other voices completely. "Alright, Lou, tell me absolutely everything. Every little detail that you want to share."

When Rachel told you to do something, you did it. Not just because she was the sweetest woman alive and Nolan's mother, but because she was the type of person you didn't question. A wise woman one didn't go against unless they wanted The Eyebrow Raise. He told her everything. From the punishment of cleaning the attic (he skirted around the missed food detail), to the letters to taking buses all the way to Chesapeake, Maryland in a northern snowstorm that was fluctuating in severity. He told her how the dates lined up, what Henry said, and that they'd get a test to prove it. "That's every detail I can think of."

"Answer me one more question, Lou." She said after some silence. "Do you feel safe right now?"

He glanced toward the kitchen at where he could barely see Shannon's red hair, then at the hallway where Claire disappeared. His heart wasn't racing. The home was warm. He was out of the storm outside even if he was sometimes in a mental one. "Yes, I'm safe. I know I'm safe."

"Then I don't have to break every law to get to Maryland." She said, a little chuckle filtering over the phone line. "Could I talk to him? Your..."

"Possible father?" He deadpanned, rubbing at his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Yes. If I could. Then you can talk to your friends. They're all really worried, Lou. Your text didn't exactly give any peace of mind."

He sighed, slumping into the couch for a second. "I know, but my mother has probably already gone through my phone. I couldn't say anything about it without telling her. She's probably already figured out the truth about 'study sessions' since I didn't have time to delete the texts. What's she doing, by the way?"

"Raising a lot of heck, that's for sure. She's gone against me and everyone. She didn't call the police though. She's convinced you're hiding in one of our houses or nearby and will come 'crawling back.'" He could hear the air quotes. "I must admit, I didn't expect you to be out of state, but we didn't know what you were doing either. I know that you usually know what you're doing, Lou. You're not reckless. I hope you know what you're doing now."

"I do. I promise. I wasn't sure at first, but I am now. I need this. I really, really do."

"I believe you."

He smiled despite her not being able to see it. "I'll hand the phone over." He stood and moved toward the kitchen, catching Heny's attention with a small wave of his hand. "His name is Henry Everett." He said, then moved the phone from his ear, speaking to the man. "My friend's mom wants to talk to you. Her name is Rachel." He passed the phone over and tried not to listen to the half of the short conversation he could hear, meeting eyes with Shannon in the kitchen. She looked a little pale, but she still smiled with bright eyes when he looked. It didn't look fake, unlike the smile his mom would give to literally anyone besides a select few. He wasn't on that list. He offered her a small smile and nod back before the phone was handed back to him.

Lou spent the next fifteen minutes back on the couch, assuring all his friends (with him on speakerphone) that he was fine, not dead, and knew what he was doing with going to Maryland. He explained the whole situation and that he was about to call his mother. Lay it all on the line. Burn a bridge or build one. Of course, he had their support - after being told to never ever disappear like that on them again. ("I will personally come find you and put some sense into you." Ox, his longest friend, had said above everyone else, getting echos of loud agreement from Mandy and Nolan. Nolan's little sister, Moxy, was quick to follow up that she would drag him by the ear and not ever want to sit on his shoulders again. Mandy threw in her own threat. Lou wasn't sure who he was scared of more.)

"We'll be a call away if you need us, buddy." Ox said. Lou knew the green haired teen was smiling that soft, supportive smile he always had when a friend was in need.

"Yep!" Nolan added.

His heart felt warm and tingly, chasing away some of the anxiety that plagued him. The phone call with his mother was getting closer by the second. It wasn't going to be pleasant. That he already knew. But how bad could it be with him so far away? "Thanks, guys. I'll call you in a while."

"Sure thing." Mandy said. She sounded closer to the phone. "Be careful, Lou. Stay safe, okay?"

"I will. I promise." That little fluttery feeling swirled his stomach at her voice. "Bye everyone."

"Bye Lou!"

He didn't want to hang up after having his friends so far for so long, but he forced his thumb to slide across the screen, ending the call. The blonde dragged in a breath, returning to the number pad. Call his mother. Most people would say that was easy. With his mother, nothing was ever easy. He elected to wait until Henry and Shannon were back. Not because he was stalling. No. It was the best choice. They needed to be there in case his mother said something. At least, Henry did. He wasn't sure how Shannon felt about him yet. He was another kid. A kid she had nothing to do with and was birthed from an old love of her husband. She had no reason to want him here. She welcomed him into her home beforehand as a stranger. Now he might be her husband's son.

'Focus on one thing at a time, Lou.' He told himself as the two adults came in from the kitchen, hands linked together. That had to be a good sign. 'Mother first.'

They dropped hands when they reached the couches so Shannon could sit across from him and Henry could sit in the seat beside Lou. Why did they separate? For his sake? Great, another thing to feel bad about. His foot tapped against the ground as he waited for what they had to say, entirely not expecting what came out of his possible father's mouth.

"That Rachel woman has been very good to you." Henry said with a breathy chuckle.

"What do you mean? She has, very much, yes, but why?" He hadn't expected those words to be the first out of the man's mouth.

"She threatened that I better 'take care of her baby' or she would come up here and put me in the ground herself. I already planned to, but I definitely don't want to die before I get to know you. She was nicer afterward, but the threat was clear. Mama bear at her finest." He winked at his wife, earning a wider smile than the nervous one she had. Was Lou making her nervous? Her hands were clasped in her lap, her back straighter than most would hold themselves, but she still smiled at Lou when her eyes landed on him. Was it real or fake? He was beginning to doubt his earlier assessment. Would if she didn't like him and was a really good actress about it? His mom could pretend to like people she complained about.

Lou wouldn't put it against Shannon to not like him. He was intruding on their lives in a catastrophic way.

"Yeah." He attempted a smile. That was easier to do when thinking about Rachel's care. "She's always been amazing, ever since I've known her. She lets me stay at her house a lot when I can and covers for me with Mother."

Henry turned, leaning his side against the back of the couch so he was facing Lou. "Speaking of your mother, when do you want to call her? You don't have to if you don't want to."

"It's not a matter of wanting to, sir. It's about needing to. Even if I didn't call her, there'd be no way I could show up like nothing happened. It would be best to tell the truth so I may actually see you again if you're proven my father."

"Lou, trust me." His face become more serious, smile disappearing as his eyes leveled with Lou's. "When a court proves you mine, there will be nothing on Earth that can stop me from seeing you."

Lou wanted to be warmed by the statement, and he was. He very much was, but... the thought of wrecking a family because he showed up kept moving through his head. He couldn't do that to them. "That means a lot to me, sir."

"Please Lou, call me Henry. Or Mr. Everett, if that's what you're more comfortable with."

"Alright... Henry." He recieved a smile at the name. He hadn't actually said it to him before, only in his mind. "I best get this over with." Lou started typing in the number with fingers that wanted to shake. "Should I... put it on speaker? I don't want anyone else to hear besides you two. If you would stay, that is." He glanced between them. "You don't have to."

It was Shannon who responded. "That's all up to you, sweetie. If you'd like us to stay, we'll stay. Unless you don't want me to, which is entirely understandable, all things considered."

Lou took a moment to process her words. Everything was up to him. He wasn't being forced to do anything or having choices made for him. They were his decisions. "I don't mind you staying, ma'am." She was a nice woman. When she spoke to him, she didn't use the voice his mother did - like she was talking to someone far younger and were insuperior to her. She talked like Rachel did. Sweet and caring in a way that wasn't superficial.

"The same goes for me as with my husband." She smiled. "You can call me whatever you're comfortable with, whether that be Mrs. Everett or Shannon."

"And as for any other prying ears," Henry drawled, glancing back over the couch at the concealed hallway. "Micheal is at his friend's house to finish a school project. He stayed over last night because the storm got unexpectedly bad and shouldn't be back for another few hours. Annie, she's the youngest, is taking a nap upstairs. And Claire should be in the playroom, unless a certain little girl is listening in...."

There was a sharp intake of air and a giggle followed by pattering footsteps heading away. Henry shook his head, half exasperated and half amused. "Now, we are alone."

The intrusion of a little girl didn't do much for Lou's nerves, but it broke some of the tension. He managed a smile. "I'll put it on speaker. I don't know what she'll say or do."

"We'll be right here." Henry assured, placing a brief hand on Lou's shoulder. Through the suit, he could feel the warmth of it. A warmth that wasn't just physical but also mental. Calming. He found the strength to press the call button.

Every waiting dial tone sent his heart into a flurry of anxiety and stress. What if she didn't answer? What if she did? He always had some semblance of plan when talking to his mother. In this situation, he had no plan, but at least he was hundreds of miles away where she could only use words.

The fourth tone came. Was she really not going to answer-

The call clicked in. "Who is this?" She demanded more than asked. Her voice sent a little shock of fear through his spine, but the two adults beside him made that fear a little more bearable. He gathered his will to speak as his mother pressed on. "Well? I don't have all day."

"Mother, it's Louis. I'm-"

"LOUIS LILLIAN GREYSON!" The sudden yelling made him almost flinch. Expected as it was, it was still unwelcome. "Where in the world did you run away to? You better get back here right this second. You're already grounded for the next six months. Not here by fifteen minutes and it'll be a year." He could feel her anger through the phone. If he closed his eyes, he was sure he'd be able to see it - her pinched face, mouth turned down, and clenched jaw.

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"And why exactly can't you, Louis?" Her voice turned dangerously calm. "You know the punishments when you disobey. Where. Are. You. I'll come get you myself if I have to." She huffed. "Those study group kids have been a terrible influence. You won't be seeing them again."

As always, anger curled in his stomach with her insult to his friends. Out his peripheral, he saw Henry's hand clenching on his knee, mouth set in a deep frown at the phone. His assuring hand remained on Lou's shoulder, pushing strength into him. Shannon's kind and concerned eyes offered solace from across the table. Lou drew in a breath. Now was the time.

"I'm in Maryland. Chesapeake, Maryland."

She didn't say anything for a long minute. "Why are you in Maryland?" Her voice had never sounded so unsteady. Most would assume it was because of how far he was away from home. Lou thought that she might already know the answer.

Another breath. "I found the letters underneath the board in the attic." He paused. No outrage. No words. Only silence. Dangerous silence. "I came in search of who might be my father who you said was dead. Mother," new vigor entered his words, controlled by honest confusion, curiosity, and desperation, "is he my father? Henry Everett?"

"Yes."

Lou sucked in a breath, barely feeling it as Henry moved his hand from his shoulder to drape his arm over his shoulders, holding the teen steady in his seat. The blonde's hand tried to tremble on the phone, so he settled it on the coffee table. He'd been told by Henry himself he thought he was Lou's father, but hearing it, a direct confirmation with no speculation? It was a bit like a punch to the gut. His mother knew. His mother lied. He couldn't had his father all along. "Why did you lie to me?" The words didn't tremble as the question tumbled from his mouth, demanding more answers.

He heard her pull in a breath of the speaker. "Louis, you have two choices. You either start home right this instant or I come up there and get you myself. The first option is better. You'll be grounded either way."

"What-" He shook his head, knowing she couldn't see it. "No, I'm not going back there. Not right now. I'm not." His heart was pounding rapidly, fingers clenching on the fabric of his pants. He was aware this was the first act of direct defiance again his mother, but he couldn't go. Not yet. He just found his biological father. She couldn't give him a day? "Mother, please-"

The steel was back in her voice. "Louis, are you disobeying me?"

Instantly, he wanted to shrink back. Fold his hands together and retreat so he wouldn't have to face her wrath. But the presence of his father stopped him. He wasn't alone. It wasn't child against parent. He could feel Henry's distaste, his anger for the woman on the phone, coming from his body. Possibly the only reason he wasn't not intervening was that his mother didn't know he was there, and Lou wanted to be the one to speak to her.

"Yes, I am." The fire in his chest put iron in his words. He wasn't leaving yet. She could wait-

"If you will not come back and would rather stay with that scoundrel of a man, then you are no longer my son."

His heart might've stopped, all of the fire gone and leaving him hollow. His body was frozen like the ice outside. He forgot how to breathe. 'You are no longer my son.' His mother could be mean and vile, but to... to disown him? He never thought... She had to love him a little, right? He always thought she did, somewhere in her heart, harbor love for him and didn't know how to show it. That everything she did, she thought she was doing in his best interest. It was a thought he could follow and take some small comforts in when he was lying on his bed, thinking in the middle of the night.

'You are no longer my son.'

She didn't want him to do anything but obey her. She didn't want him to know his father. She didn't love him.

He could feel his heart breaking.

His thoughts were in such a whirlwind that he almost didn't hear his mother as she continued to speak. Was he breathing? He couldn't feel it. Everything was numb with shock.

"You are not my son but a stupid, irresponsible boy who doesn't deserve what I've given him. You have no respect for me, after all I've done for you, and-"

"That is enough!" Henry broke in, grabbing the phone. His voice was full of anger that Lou could only flinch away from. Knowing it wasn't directed at him didn't help. Not when everything was... so much. "You will not speak to my son that way."

"Let me parent how I parent and keep your nose out of it, Henry-"

"That is not what a parent says to their child, no matter if they've done wrong or not. I've only known him for an hour and I already know he is one amazing kid, no thanks to you." The hand squeezed his shoulder again. "Lou-"

Shannon was next to speak up, standing from the couch. "Henry, he's overwhelmed." Her voice was calm, but the concern was clear. She came to his side, hand curling around his bicep gently as she knelt beside him. "Lou, honey, breathe. You've got to breathe. Henry will take care of ℎ𝑒𝑟." The anger in the sweet woman's voice wasn't missed, but she was quick to calm herself as Lou squeezed his eyes shut, trying to force air into his lungs. His mother was talking again, making him flinch, but she was cut off by Henry.

"I'll see you in court later." The reciever audibly clicked and then Henry was at his side again, and on his shoulder as Lou put his head in his hands, desperately forcing his lungs to work through the panic attack. He couldn't think enough to count. He couldn't-

"Lou," Shannon said gently. He was fairly certain it was her hand on his back, rubbing soothing circles through the fabric of his suit. He barely knew her yet she was already comforting him more than his mother - Lillian - ever tried, "I know it's hard, but you can breathe, sweetie. We'll get this all figured out, I promise." She took one of his hands from where it was trying to dig into his scalp and held it in hers. "I want you to breathe for five seconds, hold for three, and out for five. Can you do that?"

He managed to nod, not wanting to open his eyes yet. It was the same trick as Ox. He knew that. So why couldn't he do it by himself? Henry had his other hand in the next second, hand on his shoulder as the two adults, his father and step-mother, counted out the breaths for him. It took a few strained minutes of trying not to think and breathe, but he got his lungs under control. Sheepishly, he dropped his head down further, releasing his tight hold on the woman's hand. His hands were shaking. "Sorry." He breathed.

"Lou, you have nothing to be sorry for." Shannon said. Her hand slowly reached out and brushed his bangs away from his eyes, her head craning forward to peer at him. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"I ran away from-"

Henry cut him off, taking one of his hands and squeezing it. "I don't think it's running away. I think it's 𝑒𝑠𝑐𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔. You had questions she wouldn't have answered, Louis." Somehow, his full name didn't sound so bad coming from him. "You would've been punished for those questions and you may have never gotten here. We might've never met. I might have never known you. I am so glad you came, even if it was dangerous. From here on out, it's my job, 𝑜𝑢𝑟 job," his head tilted toward his wife, who reached out and held Lou's other hand, "to protect you. Rachel protects you, your friends protect you, and we want to be on that list. Will you let us do that?"

There was another lump in his throat. His eyes burned with tears he refused to let out. After a second, he nodded. "Yeah." His voice was small, but the affirmation made Henry smile like Lou just gifted him the world. All at once, he was pulled into a hug by Henry. His father. There was no doubt anymore, not after the confirmation, and it meant the hug was worth more than the first one. Closer. The doubt couldn't cover his brain and sodden the moment because there was no doubt. Nothing. He pressed his face into the woolen sweater, fingers wrapping around the fabric tightly. His hands were still trembling. Another set of arms wrapped around him and Lou was squished between the two.

The tears slipped out, soaking into the sweater. The shaking followed and a sob managed to squeeze passed his walls. They held him through his crying, the hands petting through his hair alternating. He felt so safe, so... right that it didn't feel wrong to cry. He didn't feel embarrassed. Henry's hand moved up and down his back and by the way the man was shaking a little himself, Lou guessed he was crying, too.

When he had some semblance of control over himself, Lou pulled back a little, meeting the eyes of Henry. Tears traced down both their cheeks. His father let out a little laugh. "I'm so happy to have you here, Lou. I always thought I was chasing Lillian those years, but... I think I was chasing you. That piece I knew was missing wasn't her. It was you."

Lou sniffed, wiping at his eyes with his suit sleeve. His mothe... she would've scolded him for getting it dirty, but he did not care. Not anymore. He shouldn't. "I've always wanted to know my father. She said he was dead and wanted nothing to do with me."

"I can promise you neither of those things are true." His lips tilted up in a smile. His hands rested on Lou's shoulders again, an action that was becoming more and more familiar. Shannon remained behind him, one hand on his back. "Now, I'm going to call my lawyer team up to get a case started. You need to wear something different than this suit. I'm sure it's not comfortable."

"I only ever really wear suits unless Nolan or Ox lend me clothes..." Lou muttered. His heart was doing a weird flip at the thought of Henry taking Lillian to court, but he also didn't object to it.

"And who's choice is that?" He raised an eyebrow. Lou stayed silent. They both knew the answer. "I'm sure Michael has something old you can use until we get you some clothes for yourself."

"He sure does." Shannon stood gracefully from the couch, a soft smile on her face. "Come on, Lou." She took his hand, gently pulling him to stand.

"You don't have to get me clothes." Lou rushed to say as he was guided to the stairs, looking over his shoulder at Henry.

"I'm your father. I should've been buying you clothes for years." The words did not assure Lou. Henry's eyes softened. "It's fine, Lou. I promise."

Knowing nothing would deter the man, Lou sighed and followed Shannon up the stairs. The first room on the left was apparently his new... step-brother's room as that's where they went first. His step-mother made him sit on the bed while she dug through the closet, allowing Lou to look around at the new space. It was a mix of football and engineering themes posters, a jersey hanging on the wall above a green themed bed. The walls were a lighter grey shade, and, as with the rest of the house, dark wood covered the floor. Two bing bag chairs and gaming set (an X-Box? PS5? He didn't know the difference) were on the floor in the corner and another TV was across from the bed, sitting on a dresser. Other smaller objects filled the room, like pictures (to far for him to see clearly) and textbooks on a desk. Said desk was also covered in what looked to be machines - or pieces of them. Different tools hung on the wall above the desk along with some blueprints Lou didn't understand a tenth of. Another wall held a little cabinet full of trophies and metals.

"Here we go!" Shannon pulled some clothing items from the back of the closet, drawing Lou's attention to her. She came over with a folded pair of jeans and a blue t-shirt. "They'll probably be a little big, but they'll work for the moment. Michael is too big for them."

"Thank you." He took the clothes gingerly and decided to ask one of the questions on his mind. "Does Michael play football?"

"Oh, yes. He's a quarterback for the Academy nearby. A good one, too. The team is in the playoffs, but they've had to postpone due to this freak weather. They'll play the last three games in December, if the weather permits." She smiled proudly.

"Oh, that's really cool. Is... is he into inventing, too?" Maybe he was asking too many questions, but with the knowledge that this was a part of his family, he wanted to know everything.

"Engineering, yes. I'm not sure if he's invented anything, but he's won competitions." The pride she had in her son was clear and it made Lou's heart squeeze. Maybe she could talk about him like that one day, even though he was only her step son. His mother never talked about him unless it was to brag to her colleagues. Even then, it was just a competition among rich parents on how successful their kids were - her accomplishments through him, not his own. "C'mon, let's get you to your room."

"My room?" Confusion colored his voice. She only smiled, guiding him out of Michael's room and down the hallway. She opened the last door on the left to a room, about the same size as Michael's, and themed in brilliant shades of blue. He entered, doing a little spin to take it all in - a bed, desk, mostly empty bookshelves, closet, lamp, dresser, television. He'd never had a TV before. "This is... mine?" He was almost hesitant to ask again, afraid it would all get taken away from him if he said anything.

"Yes. It's all yours and more." She put her gentle hand on his shoulder. "It was a guest room, but Henry and I talked about it while we were in the kitchen. This will be your room. We'll get it all fixed up how you like it, even if you're not here all the time. We'll have to talk to Rachel about school and all - get that figured out, but you'll always have a place with us."

He dragged in a breath, blinking back tears because he could not cry again today. This was the most he'd cried in a long time. "This has got to be strange for you."

"Hm?"

He gestured to himself, then around them. "Me. Everything. I'm... I'm a kid you didn't sign up to have." He hugged the clothes closer to himself, glancing away from her.

"Lou," her index and middle finger slid under his chin, gently probing him to look at her. He did. "I may not have 'signed up' to have you, and I definitely didn't expect this to happen today or any day, but I am very willing to take you. I'm not planning to be the evil step mother like in story books." She chuckled, pulling a little smile out of him. "You're Henry's son and, as long as you want to be, that makes you my son, too. It'll take a little bit of getting used to, yes, but I'm not going to let you go on thinking I don't want you."

For a minute, he couldn't find words, breath stalled in his throat. She wanted him. She was fine with him. "That means a lot. Thank you, Shannon." His eyes were watering again, making the world and her smile blur.

"I'll let you get dressed in here. Lunch will be ready in half an hour, and you can meet Annie, Claire, and Michael officially then, okay? Well, I guess you already met Claire, but it'll be under more official terms."

"I understand." He replied, nodding while trying to subtly blink away the tears. A flutter of combined excitement and nervousness ran through his heart, making it jump and his mind race. He was finally meeting his siblings. 'Will they like me?' He asked himself as Shannon left him to change. Lou locked the door behind her, slowly moving to switch from his hated yet normal suit to the casual clothes. The air around him touching his skin made him shiver. Was it really that cold? Quickly, he finished pulling on the clothes, feeling a bit strange in the slightly too big materials and bare arms. He grabbed his backpack where he placed it on the foot of the bed and retrieved the hoodie, sliding it over his torso to keep the warmth in. Better.

A knock at the door startled him. Tugging on his shoes, he did a half-hop toward the door. "Just a moment." He said, finally managing to get his stubborn left shoe on. The dress shoes looked a little out of place on the outfit, but there was little he could do about it. He opened the door, first seeing nothing until he looked down.

Claire stood in the doorway, holding a notebook and pencil set. She tilted her head at him, green eyes studying him. "I heard you, Daddy, and Mommy talking earlier." She said, causing Lou to involuntarily tense. "Are you my brother?"

"Erm..." He definitely didn't expect this. In all the commotion, he forgot Claire was listening in at one point. She must've came back. Deciding on the straight truth causing less problems later, he replied, "Yes, I am. Your half brother, actually."

She watched him another minute, unaware of how the blonde waited anxiously for her reaction. Finally, she smiled. "So, we're siblings? I'm your sister?"

Encouraged by the smile, he gave her one of his own. "Yes, we are." He knelt down again, as he had earlier, and held out his hand. "I'm your brother, Lou. Short for Louis."

She giggled, holding her materials in one arm in order to take his hand. "I'm your sister, Claire. Short for Clarrisa." She mimicked, giving his hand as firm a shake as she could. "It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you, too." He chuckled, some of the tension inside his muscles easing. He had a sister. Two of them. "What do you have there?" He nodded toward the supplies, thinking he already knew the answer.

Claire let go of his hand to walk further into the room, beelining for the desk. "Daddy said that if you wanted to, we could keep coloring after you talked. You're still here, so we can color?" She turned her big eyes on him and he couldn't say no to that puppy-dog face. Was this his life now?

"I don't see why not." He smiled a little, getting an excited laugh from the girl. The blonde came to the desk with her only for her to change her mind about where to draw, putting the paper and colored pencils on the floor. He followed her to sit on the ground and they resumed their coloring time from earlier. It wasn't long before he finished the butterfly.

"Finished." He stated, holding up the paper. She let out a little gasp, eyes lighting up.

"It's a butterfly! It's beautiful."

"It's for you." He handed her the drawing, letting her tilt it around in her hands. "You told me your favorite color was blue."

"It is! Thank you!" She put it to the side. "Hold on. I'm almost finished." She turned away from him to where she'd hidden her paper on her other side, grabbing the blue colored pencil he'd just finished using. A moment later, she raised her secret piece, the blank back facing him. "Close your eyes." He followed her orders, unable to contain a smile at her open giggles. The paper was placed carefully in his outstretched hands. "Open them!"

He opened his eyes to see what looked to be a portrait of a boy with blonde hair, black tux, blue eyes.... him? Was this a picture of him? "....what.." He struggled for words, not wanting to wrongly assume. He looked over the paper at her. "Who..."

"It's you, silly." She walked on her knees to come sit beside him, easily pressing her should against his arm. His sister. "See, your suit and blue eyes. Your hair is hard to get right because it's so wavy, but I tried my best. Do you like it?"

"Like it?" He asked, almost to himself. His eyes were watering again as he gave the girl a bright smile. "I love it! Thank you so much. You're so talented. It's amazing." She did seem to have a gift for art. The lines were harder, easier to discern, and the features were more prominent than anything he'd ever drawn facial wise - if he did draw. He couldn't remember the last time he drew, other than the butterfly.

"Thank you." She laughed. "Maybe it can be the first gift for your new room?"

"It definitely can be." He stood, discreetly wiping at his eyes as he went to the desk once more. There was a bulletin board above it and he took four pushpins from a little bowl on the side. "Can I do this?" He gestured to the board. She nodded, bouncing on her toes with his butterfly art in her hands. He put the priceless art in the exact middle of the board, pinning it at the very corners so not to encroach on any of the careful coloring. "Perfect."

"You're right in the middle."

"Yes, but that wasn't all I was talking about. The art is perfect and it's a wonderful gift."

"You're welcome. I love my butterfly. Her name is Belle."

"That's a great name." His heart was metling on the inside. She gave him another smile and then her arms were around his waist, hugging him. Surprised, he froze. "Uh..."

"It's nice to have another brother." She looked up at him, chin against his stomach.

Getting over his shock, he knelt down, giving her a proper return hug. She repositioned her arms around his neck. "It's nice to have siblings, including you."

"Do you have any other siblings?"

"No. I thought I was an only child until today." He chuckled nervously. "But I'm very happy to have you and I can't wait to meet Annie and Michael."

Another knock on the door brought Lou and Claire's attention to it. It opened and Shannon poked her head around the edge, smiling at the two. "Lunch is ready. Michael is back and everyone else is downstairs."

Claire grabbed onto his hand, pulling him forward. "Let's go, Lou!"

He smiled to hide his anxiety, carefully slipping by Shannon to follow the little girl. Time for introductions.

[orphancookie69]

8/2024: Lake Havasu City, AZ

Labor day weekend has come and gone, and I finally got my over working butt finally got out of town! It was one of the quieter weekends I have had out there. No complaints here though!

Thursday:

We left cali in the early hours, just before sun rise. Minimal traffic and cops? We made great timing getting out there. We have a cousin in town so we connected with them and made plans for a late lunch at College Street. Good beer and good macaroni and cheese. The first day in is a lot of cleaning and settling in, we watched "The Man From Uncle" and "The Lottery". A remake of a 60's show and a modern "future" movie. Very different feels as movies.

Friday:

I did some work in the morning, these days I take some healthy meals up even though there is a great diner nearby. I had an afternoon appointment with my hair dresser, Secrets of Beauty, and I look amazing! I maintain my cut locally in orange county but I won't let anyone local in OC color my hair. After we had dinner plans with some family friends at Cha Bones. I have been told about this place, it seemed ok? I don't know if I would go back. Back at the condo, we changed things up and played Yahtzee for money-and I almost won. Someone pulled out two yahtzee's. We almost forgot how to play farkle after! We wound down with "Logan Lucky" on Netflix.

Saturday:

After clearing emails, before it got to be too hot, we walked and did some local shopping. The harley davidson store is amazing, I love their shirts. The shop nearby is owned by the sweetest old lady and has amazing stuff handmade all over the world. We tried for the first time to get amazon packages at the mailbox. We watched "The Illusionist" on Amazon Prime. Sound was a little bit off, and she had a sound system from like 10 years ago so we decided to try it. We needed some supplies and got Dutch Bros while out. I am glad we tried it, some modern things are made better. We had dinner at Angelinas with family friends. We did more Farkle, no I did not make any gambling money this time. We finished the night with "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels".

Sunday:

The day before leaving I tend to get into prepacking mode. Our family friends had been building a home for about a year, and it was finally finished! So we went to see it. Funny thing how track homes everywhere look different. We tried Blondzee's on the way back, it was a nice litter diner. We spent some time napping and a couple of hours in the channel. The vibe is as intense as the boat fumes but it was a way to stay cool. We had dinner plans with the cousins and they too recently bought their house there. Lovely homes all around. They made a wonderful dinner. Good food and good company.

Monday:

Labor Day. We headed back around sunrise and made great timing again. Not a whole lot of cops or trucks.

I am happy I got out of town a bit. We have plans to go back in the latter half of September. I am hoping its a little cooler next time we get there. Holiday season is around the corner y'all!

[a-heart-like-a-sparrow]

December 25th, 2023 - The gifts!

────────────────────────────── Woke up at 10 AM I don't remember my breakfast We got lazy today ──────────────────────────────

☆.。†：＊・゜☆．。†：＊・゜☆．。†：＊・゜☆

Hey, I almost forgot about this lmao. Sorry

Now you can see my Christmas gifts from last night! First, I got my first wallet ever. It's so cute! I love it, I can finally keep my money safe. I also got the book "Loveless" by Alice Oseman... even though I have other 2 books I've never finished lol. But I'll do it one day!

Today was a long day tho. Neither my mother nor I did anything today. Well, not a lot. We had lunch and spent (almost) the whole afternoon on bed doing nothing. I helped her with our plants, too. Being lasy just made this day longer.

But that will change very soon. My aunt and one of my cousins are coming for New Year and they're staying for 10 days. They'll arrive on Thursday. I'm not used to having people at my house, but it's my aunt, of course I'll be happy. Let's see how it goes!

I don't reslly have anything to say today. The song of the night is "Drumset" by Fiona Apple. I've been looking at some stuff about her and thought I could share pne of my favourite songs from Fetch the Bolt Cutters.

OH YEAH, now I remember. I seems to be that people actually liked my pictures crying to albums. I'm glad that someone actually liked it, but wth that was SO embarrassing. I'm used to being a ghost on the Internet.

I'll still do them tho. I wish I was one of those girls whose pictures are used by femcels. And because I like doing them. With my own stuff yk¿

But anyway, it'll take a while. This was a rather short and early entry, but seriously, this day was now interesting at all. I hope it gets better soon.

Well, I'll see y'all tomorrow. Rest well.

☆.。†：＊・゜☆．。†：＊・゜☆．。†：＊・゜☆