#still one of my favourite things I've written 🤧

[writeyourdarlings]

This is How I Say Goodbye | stucky au

summary: modern stucky au where bucky and steve is a married couple. steve is an art lecturer who travels regularly for work, and this is like bucky's sweet yet bitter farewell for steve in the airport. it’s written in bucky’s pov:)

warnings: nothing, just fluff and romance

author’s note: idk how fic on tumblr works, but this is my first writing of stucky, so pardon all the imperfections🤧

THE night before your flight to Boston, I pack some of your clothes because I see how you're already fast asleep and haven't emptied your suitcase from your last trip. I wake you up at the crack of dawn by softly nudging your arm under the blanket and kissing your cheek. When you take a hot bath, I put my hand on the other side of the bed, and feel the warmth your body has left. By the time you finish bathing, I already prepare your favourite breakfast and put it on the dining table with a hot tea ready on the side. We sit across each other, and I listen to you talking about your research, classes, issues from your respective department, and plans for our trip.

"How about we go to Musee d’Orsay next month?" You say. "Where is it?" I say. "Paris," you replied. "Oh, I've never been to Paris." My eyes widen. "But... that's so far. You think you have time for that?" I look into his blue eyes. "Don't worry, I've scheduled most of my lectures on Friday. So, I'm all yours next month." He reaches my hand to hold it. A small relief in my chest. "It’s a beautiful art museum. I think you would love Monet and Renoir." He smiles. I smile back and nod in approval. I have never heard of Monet and Renoir. And truthfully, I don't even understand art – though I wish I do. I just love absorbing the beauty in your voice. How it speaks to me about shades, shapes, lines, tints, colors, brush strokes, hues, and shadows of a painting. Those deeper meanings which my eyes can't see, but only yours can.

The next thing I know is, we sit side by side on the backseat of a yellow cab. It is raining in Brooklyn – the car horns around us are blaring madly, and still, after 20 minutes later, the traffic doesn't move. I watch you slowly closing your eyes, taking a short nap on my shoulder, and relaxing your muscles. I fix my gaze upon your face, too busy adoring the shape of your nose, lips, jawline, and cheekbones. I want to slow things down, if I could, and feel the gentle weight of your upper body leaning onto me for the next morning. But I know it's impossible.

Upon our arrival, we order two cups of coffee, walk towards the terminal, and sit with our legs tangled on your big suitcase.

Often, in the airports, I used to look at people passing me by and think, it must be such a lonely and melancholic job: to cast farewell upon others and to separate their hearts by a distance. I can’t imagine, what if I were the one who had to do such thing every single day? Or every week, or every month? That must be pretty awful. But isn’t it funny how life teasing you in a humorous way, leading you to a certain person, and surprising you in ways that you've never expected? Because right here, and right now, I am one of those people in the airports after marrying you.

Finally, when your boarding anouncement comes up, I notice that guilt look on your face – the one that I've familiarized myself with everytime we have to separate our ways. I squeeze your hand and smile to assure you that I will be alright. I know you will always send me gifts, letters or postcards from faraway places when you travel; foreign cities that I've never stepped myself into – from Taipei, Munich, Tokyo, Kyiv, Jakarta, you name it. Sometimes they will reach me in a week or two. Other times, in random timings and intervals; i have no idea which delivery service provider you are using. But I love them so much, and I store them safely in a box like a family trinket, or a rare, shiny jewelry from a vintage shop. I know it's not so much to fill in your absence at home, but it makes me feel as if you're near with me.

"I'll miss you," you say, as you kiss my forehead and hug me tight. Somehow, that makes my lips curve in a small smile. Even though I've heard those words like a million times, I know I'll never get tired of hearing it from you. Just because it sounds right. Because it means you'll keep me in your thoughts. Because we both know that each word carries the same weight, meaning, and importance for both of us.

"Listen, I put an extra pair of socks in your case. The black ones. And um, what's that thing for your asthma? Nebu... Nebulizer. The Pulse Ox is in your medication kit. I also put your umbrella in your carry-on, since you know, you always forget to bring your umbrella. And-"

"Buck."

"I think your inhaler is in, uh..." I close my eyes to think.

"James Buchanan Barnes."

"Yeah? Sorry. Come again?"

We stood in silence for a moment, before a small laugh tumbles out of you. I tilt my head in confusion, but you just start brushing my cheek and smile warmly at me.

"Thank you for packing them, sweetheart. But aren't you supposed to say 'I'll miss you too, Steve’?”

I look at him and feel my cheeks growing hot, then suddenly, we found ourselves giggling at each other.

"I gotta go, Bucky."

"Mhmm, I know. Please be careful."

You kiss my forehead again, and slowly, I watch your broad back turning and walking away from me. My heart begins to ache as your figure is getting smaller, and smaller before completely turning into a chaotic blur. I can feel the emptiness enveloped me from all corners of the airport room. I know this day will always come - you, hopping to another airplane, meanwhile I, having to ditch my sadness as I slip to another day. So here, I promise myself that everything is going to be okay. It has to be.

On my way back home, sitting in a cab alone, I was looking at the skyscrapers and tiny rain droplets on the window, when suddenly, I receive a text from you.

Steve: Hey, just want to let you know that I miss you already! And the next rainy season, when I'm in Brooklyn, I'll make sure to kiss you upside-down. Spiderman-style :)

I chuckled to that and feel something inside me softening. A happy tear escapes from the corner of my eye, rolling down on my cheek. I realize that even though the downpour hasn't stopped, and the gray clouds are floating freely above me, I can feel the world is showering me with glittering pixie dust.

[snow-and-saltea]

Hihi how are you doing today? 💜

hiya! i'm doing great today actually!! today's dinner project was my favourite fish dish, and it turned out great! i hope you had a good day to or if it just started, it goes well! 😎🐢

it's called ikan 3 rasa. translated directly to 3-flavoured fish haha. it's sweet and sour and spicy and i've loved it ever since i was a child!!! and i finally made it at home!! we've made it at home before, but i wasn't the one to "lead" the project, so to speak. i'm very proud of myself heheheh. we ate it for dinner and everyone rated it very highly so i'm patting myself on the back for it!!

OH also, i forgot to follow up to your ask BUT just as you answered it, the same day i got marius's enduring light card KAHRSKDJDJFK what did you not like about it? i haven't finished it (only on part two before i fell asleep yesterday after levelling it up) but i was kinda like. Going Through It in a manner of speaking. the first cg with marius pinning rosa to the table had me feeling UMMMMM 😃😄😁🫢🫣🧐😳🤒🤧 <- like that. i was sick. i was throwing up. i was astounded. i wanted to close every door i was capable of closing. I'M NOT EVEN A MARIUS STAN HOW THE HELL DO YOU GUYS LIVE LIKE THIS 💀💀💀💀

i also lowkey rlly like how bossy and domineering he sounds, its a nice contrast. it might also be because the one sounding domineering is ishikawa kaito who has a very good warm sort of boyish voice!! i really like how different it feels as an AU compared to the canon story. in vyn's too (i went for him first and used free pulls on marius and got lucky LMAO) his dialogue writing is a lot less condescending and he sounds more petulant and childish because he drops the honorifics and respectful language due to his character in the AU. personally, i like the AU, but not because i like the writing LOL tot could use a lot of improvement there, but everyone's fits were very cool + i like the opportunity for the voice actors to try out a different "tone" for the characters. since in canon / modern world, they're all fairly even tempered and not very animated + respectful, so it's nice to see them getting openly pissed off or bossy or Mean.

lowkey kinda didn't like vyn's story for the enduring light SSR tbh. i liked it well enough because of the refreshing VA work, but the story was just alright for me. it makes me want to write my own take on the AU, but i don't know enough about the historical context and i don't feel shameless enough to bullshit things about a culture that's not mine, haha. plus i already have a vyn thing in my drafts (but still not written out orz) so i'm Tired!!

this was long as always!!! this might as well be my signature in how i post!!! fajsklfjaskjsafjkf but thank you for dropping by, friend!!! i hope your weekend goes well!! >:D

(i'm not sure how to refer to you so if it's alright i'll just go with pirate from your url!)

[jiminsproof]

the most difficult tag game to ever attack me in my hour of need (what she means is a saturday) ✨️

I was tagged by @kimchokejin to post my top 5 of bangtan songs!!!!! haha THIS IS FINE!!! very happy to have an opportunity to talk about my favourite songs but VERY SAD I HAVE TO CHOOSE. 😭 thank you Ashley, reading your post was an amazing experience and I recommend it to all. 😩👌 you're lucky you're not only smart, but also funny and pretty, otherwise you'd catch these hands in the metaphorical parking lot of life

WITHOUT FURTHER ADO and no specific order:

🍷dionysus🍷

I wanted to start with a song that actually got me into bangtan!! JUNG HOSEOK YOUR MIND. I think I've told this to some of my lovely mutuals here before, but to me this song is really built like a rock song if that makes sense?? the build up and structure is so similar!! but it is also so HIP HOP and CATCHY and lyrics are ABSOLUTE ART. as a greek mythology hoe i had no choice but to stan bangtan sonyeondan. it is also widely known as natalia's wine song among my friends so you can say i like it a little.

🥲outro: tear🥲

I love this masterpiece beyond words. If I had to pick just one bangtan song to listen to forever, I'd possibly pick this one though PLEASE DON'T TELL MOM* (*my other bias). This song got me through a lot!! The lyrics are so beautiful and heartbreaking, and it hits even more after you know the context in which they were written. YOONGI MARRY ME as usual he is a genius he said so himself but also Hobi kills me every single time with his performance of the last verse. I have NEVER not cried watching a live performance of him rapping it. The emotions he gets across are... pardon my French but holy fuckity fuck.

😩lie😩

speaking of my other bias... LISTEN. I love Filter as any other folk BUT if I have to pick just one out of Jimin's solo songs, it has to be this one. It has it all, beautiful performance, identity crisis vibes, stunning vocals of the baby himself, AND THOSE LYRICS TOO. It hits so much especially if you've had to hide yourself in one way or another, and it can be applied to so many situations - power of art and Park Jimin. also, in my mind, this one and bs&t are connected...? idk if by the vibes or the era, but I love both of them almost equally, though this one still hits harder. also, although the performance completes it very well and Jimin can express the emotions so well through movement (one of my very favourite things about him as a performer), it can easily stand on its own and it's still so captivating!!

🦋butterfly🦋

This song is so beautiful in EVERY SINGLE WAY. The soft vocals, the longing, the lyrics!! It's such a good depiction of young love (or just very soft love, sort of 'too-good-to-be-true' love), NOT TO MENTION THE HARUKI MURAKAMI REFERENCE I SEE YOU KIM NAMJOON (and I love you). It might be my favourite track from the whole HYYH era actually though please don't ask me 'and what about [insert track] cause I WILL change my mind. The vocal line shines in this one, not only for their skill but PRIMARILY their emotional expression. I'm a big fan in case you haven't noticed??

🦢 black swan 🦢

I honestly love this song so much!! Not only is the concept beautiful and the performance is ABSOLUTELY STUNNING HAVE NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE (bangtan sonyeondan trendsetters), and even the mv is something you can watch multiple times in one go because it's so aesthetically pleasing, but also there is the song IN ITSELF. It's so raw and honest, and let me preach about the lyrics once again (KIM NAMJOON!!! CATCH THESE HANDS!!!) - it's such an amazing depiction of an artistic burnout, oh my god. the idea in itself that the first time an artist (or here more so a dancer) dies is when they no longer have energy to continue with their craft... IT'S SO POWERFUL.

🤧epilogue: young forever🤧 no this is not 6 you just can't count sorry you had to find out this way

this one is just always going to hit different, and even more so the live version. the lyrics are... I can't even stress it enough, but they might have altered something in my brain chemistry. The idealisation of youth, never wanting your best moments to end, but also knowing that there is no way to stop the time from passing - WOW. WOW. Also I especially love the lines about running endlessly towards your dream even if it hurts you - it just HITS SO HARD. Even though in terms of the way it's built, it's quite a simple song, it really gets the message across perfectly and I love it for its straightforwardness!!

honorable mentions: whole bts discography actually but especially autumn leaves, mic drop (my most streamed bangtan song), boy meets evil, epiphany (I WISH IT MADE TO THIS LIST TF it's so important to me), paradise, outro: her (BIPHOBIC THAT I CAN'T PUT IT ON THIS LIST), magic shop, intro: persona, first love, make it right, home, intro: singularity (AND SAME WITH THISONEHSIFKDK) .. ok I should stop???

hello to my fellow sufferers 🫂💗 I'm doing this out of love I swear, and also NO PRESSURE AT ALL this shit hurts: @pjm-1 , @wistfulocean, @shrimpmsg, @aprylynn, @hopeonthestreets, @hopeinthebox, @cordiallyfuturedwight, @ki-limepie. 💗

[safarigirlsp]

I'll be honest, I was so eager to join in the autumn requests but couldn't think of a single idea so I've pretty much missed my chance 🤧 Still, I know whatever you have in store is going to be marvellous! The way you write for each and every character is just *chef's kiss*, but between you and I, Flip & Jacques are my absolute favourite ;)

P.S: Thank you for contributing to my ADCU addiction! I barely know this man but I am eating up his content like it's Thanksgiving ❤🤧 Have I ever told you how cute your header is!!

P.P.S: Say you're visiting Clyde at work, when the bar's empty for the time being, would you rather straddle him on the booth seat or have him trap you against the bar? I'm asking for... research purposes 🚶🏻‍♀️

Thank you so much! I’m glad you’re finding some stories you enjoy in my craziness!! I love Jacques and Flip the most too! I can’t get enough of writing and reading about them! It’s definitely going to be a Jacques and Flip halloween!

I have couple things with Flip already written. One with a modern Flip and one with a gunfighter Flip. I have a couple witchy stories planned, some devils, and some fun murdery Jacques. Hopefully there’ll be some good stuff!

And omg thank you for your lovely comment on my header! I’m shocked anyone even noticed it! 💗

On Clyde, that’s such a difficult choice! There’s no bad option! I think I’d personally have to opt for being trapped against the bar by him! I love the big aggressive alpha men acting just like that, big and sexy and aggressive! I’d love him to shove me against the bar and tower over me while he plants his hands on either side of the bartop and cages me inside his arms. From the front, he could lean in and kiss me deeply or he could come up from behind, wrap his arms around my waist and kiss my neck. Such a fun thought! 💗

[motownfiction]

15-20, 29, 30

15. what’s your favourite plotless fic you have written?

every single one of these vignettes is technically plotless, lol ... i shout this one out pretty frequently, but i really like "things you said on the phone at 4am," which is a drabble about sam and steph. their stories usually have the least amount of bearing on the plot because they break up quickly (and sam dies young), but they're some of my favorites because they're just so pretty. this one, in particular, is good.

16. are one-shots really underrated?

yes, they are. from someone who used to write a lot of one shots: i chose this format because it made everything feel more intense. if it happens all in one go, then you feel it more and bigger. that was my idea when i chose it, anyway, lol.

17. past or present tense? why?

i used to write in past tense just ... because. it felt right. then, two years ago today (lmao), i switched to writing all of my creative work in present tense. i made the change for a similar reason to my affection for one shots: present tense demands immediacy. if the story is unfolding as you're reading it (i.e. not presented as something that already happened), then i think it stands a better chance of sucking you into the narrative. so i've gone with present tense ever since.

18. first, second, or third person?

i've always been inclined to use third-person, especially now that i'm an adult. i have a lot of practice in screenwriting, and that's all in third-person, obviously, so it's a habit i picked up. but i kept it because i like that it allows me to reveal everything about all of my characters whenever i want. it doesn't limit me in the same ways that i think first-person can be limiting. i'm not against first-person narration, obviously, and i think it can serve a really interesting purpose. but it's just not something i'm interested in anymore. i want to have more of a hand in developing my characters than just perceiving them, if that makes sense.

19. share a snippet from a wip without giving any context for it.

Sadie sits next to Will on the couch, across from one of the family’s many bookshelves. This one is punctuated with pictures of the girls, some drawings they made in art classes over the years, and some old photos from when Lucy and Will still lived in Michigan (forever ago, now, or so it feels). There’s a picture of Will and Sam right in the middle of the shelf. Sadie remembers exactly when it was taken. Thanksgiving, 1989: the first time Lucy and Will decided to host the holiday on their own. Sam tried his hand at pumpkin pie. It was goopy and a little cold, but he loved it, anyway. He loved it, and they loved him.

20. do you work on a single project or many at the same time? how does that work for you?

it's almost impossible for me to write two vignettes at once because it's just so counter to the style and structure of this blog. i need to see what happens in one vignette before moving onto the next one, even if they're only loosely connected. sometimes, i'll interrupt a mini series to respond to monthly prompts (which no one has responded to this entire month alsdkfksdfknsdknf) or to quickly focus on another aspect of the ever-expansive universe (like i did in late may/early june with these three vignettes). but most of the time, i can only write one vignette, then the other. it makes sense for the way this blog is orgnaized.

29. what’s the hardest thing about writing?

honestly, that i don't have much of an audience/that no one will ever love these idiot motown kids as much as i do 🤧 it's a double-edged sword, really!

30. describe a fic that almost happened, but then it didn’t.

my plan for the next mini series after the retreat was "it's the hottest day of the year in 1987." it was going to function a lot like the retreat series (i.e. everyone is off in pairs -- lucy and will, sadie and sam, and daniel and charlie, since steph is not with them in '87). i'm still planning to do that series, probably after this one, but i changed my mind because i had too many thoughts about sam dying to put them on the back burner for much longer.

[chuluoyi]

Guess Hoyo hates us.... I haven't logged on to TOT for like 2 weeks after I failed to get Bakerlon Lukey... And last I checked I have 12 s-chips... Idk what to do anymore...

And omg I would pay for a Rosa backstory! Enough about the men, let the queen take charge 🤭🤭🫶🏻🫶🏻 Plus I have a gacha addiction so- I guess that's another thing motivating me to play...

Mahito... That name makes me want to commit mass murder... Istg I love his VA like he's legit one of my favourite VAs but Mahito as a character is just utter crap (No offence to Mahito Girlies) He's so... idk... he needs therapy... And I need it too cause he killed off Nanami pookie bear

HAHAHHA Genshit really is shit.... The gacha odds are shit... The artifacts are shit... The only thing that isn't shit is the 2D men.... Wrio and Neuv look so good I can't believe I'm seriously considering downloading that 13GB game onto my phone again just cause of 2 fictional men...

Also I guess we have that kind of bad luck... I'm blessed with Qiqi and you with Keqing.... And Hoyo wonders why people complain... Fates are hard to get, and characters are even harder to get...

Overall, screw Genshin 🙄 I'm not even gonna mince my words anymore I've had enough!!! 😭😭💀💀

-🪩

don’t worry disco anon i still didn’t manage to get him!!😭😭 my s chips are less than 1000 now and well…😭

gacha addiction is soo true!!😭 the other day i went to a jjk-themed cafe with season 2 gashapon and i impulsively pulled it—and i only got riko!😭 it was quite pricey too but i can’t help pulling arghh

right!! i almost can’t believe who his VA is😩 he nails mahito so well—the way he screamed back at yuji gave me the chills🤧 and mahito is actually such a well-written villain too that we felt this much rage for him🥹 but he’s also utterly irredeemable oh god

artifacts omg i couldn’t count how many times i have farmed in that accursed vv domain and up until this day i haven’t gotten a decent elemental mastery cup🥲🥲 HAHAHAHAH SO TRUE I AGREE W U🥹🥹🥹 the only thing that isn’t shit is the men! i lit used a different phone to play genshin bcs it almost took 20GB of space😭 “screw genshin” omg you’re so me back then too!🤣🤣 until i come back🥲

[m-jelly]

Hi!! So I was scrolling through Facebook and came across a pic of levi as a king! Idk if this has been requested but one of king levi and maid reader? Where he falls for her, but he’s also still his stoic stern self and she’s more on the shy nice side ? 🤧🥲

Ahhhh! <3 I love King Levi or royal Levi. I've written a royal Levi or in that nature a few times on Ao3 and I keep intending to write more like it! He's so spicy and hot as one <3 I'm happy to write so much more of him as a royal.

The King and his maid

Pairing: Levi x Reader

Genre and tags: King Levi, Maid reader, forbidden romance, falling in love, romance chasing, push and pull, Kings and Queens AU, happy ending.

Concept: King Levi notices a new maid in his palace, you. Levi gets you to work closer to him and slowly falls for you. As his feelings build, he acts in spontaneous ways around you that get your heart racing. The reader doesn't wasn't want to cross the line of master-servant, but with Levi's enticing words and romantic acts, he makes it hard for her to stick to her teachings and follow her heart.

Levi noticed you for the first time when he stormed down the hallway in his royal uniform, and the coat resting on his shoulders billowing behind him slightly. You had been busy arranging flowers in a vase in the hall. Levi never notice women before because he wasn't interested in dating and marriage, but he noticed you. The flowers you'd picked were white lilies, which his mother loved.

Levi had stopped in the hall and walked away from Erwin filling him in on a meeting. He felt this magnet drawing himself to you. You had a small slight smile that made you appear delicate and pretty like a snowdrop poking out of thick winter snow. He reached over and lightly touched some of your hair bonnet.

You jumped thinking that something was on your hair, then turned to face your King for the first time. You gasped, then bowed. "Your majesty!"

"Raise your head."

"Yes, your majesty." You lifted your head and looked Levi in the eye. You blushed slowly as you slowly took in Levi. You couldn't believe how handsome he was. His eyes were piercing and steel blue, but there was a slight softness to them. His jawline was strong and so kissable. You noticed a scar going over his right eye down to his lip, which meant his eye colour was a white blue. You thought he was beautiful, yet he was so stoic and regal.

As you were marvelling Levi, he was admiring you. You were so cute and yet you held this beauty too. You pulled off all concepts of beauty to him. All he could think about was teasing you badly just so he could see how you would react to him. Your bonnet and loose hair drew so much attention to your pretty face and eyes. Levi thought your eyes were so bright and wonderous.

Levi looked at the flowers and lightly touched them. "Who gave you permission to put these flowers here?"

You went white. "I umm." You fiddled with your apron as nerves seeped in. You'd heard nothing but warnings and bad things about Levi, so this was terrifying to you. "I didn't g-get permission. I noticed that the palace seemed a little umm."

Levi folded his arms. "A little what?"

You nibbled your lip. "It's nothing, your majesty. I shall take them away."

Levi slammed his hand against the wall by the flowers. He watched you jump and step back from him. "Tch, oi brat? I asked you a question and you'll answer it. Don't act like you can't shit. Answer."

You gulped hard as you feared punishment. You'd been beaten by past masters, so you assumed Levi would be worse. "I believed the palace seemed cold and empty, so I thought some flowers would add some life to the place." You bowed deeply to him. "Forgive me for acting on my own, your majesty. I will accept any punishment you see fit."

"I'm not going to punish you. I just wanted to know why the flowers." He lightly touched the flowers. "These were my mother's favourite when she was alive."

You stood up and smiled. "Really?"

He nodded and smiled a little as he thought of his mother. "This made my day." He looked to you. "Thank you."

You blushed hard making yourself look adorable to Levi. You bowed to him as you felt relief and overjoyed. "It's an honour, your majesty."

Levi hummed. "I have a meeting to go to. Once it's over, I would like you to bring me tea and something baked by you. You have an hour."

You nodded. "Yes, your majesty. I will get it for you."

Levi watched you hurry off down the hall, but you were so quiet in your movements. He hummed and smiled a little in amusement. He turned away, then walked over to Erwin. "How long has she been working here?"

Erwin let out a long sigh as he thought. "I believe she's been here for two months. We rescued her from her old master. The Lord who had her punished all his workers harshly. You'll see the back of her hands have scars."

Levi's eye twitched as he felt anger in him. He couldn't stand violence against staff. Soldiers and knights needed physical discipline, but not staff. He'd never whip the hands of his soldiers and knights either, so what happened to you was inhumane. He felt the need to protect you and keep you close, even though he didn't know you well. He believed those flowers were a sign from his mother.

Levi stopped in front of the doors to the meeting. "Move her to my close staff. I want her serving me."

Erwin made a note in his book. "I will move her to your personal staff."

"Also, increase the number of flowers in the palace." He looked down the hall at your flowers. "She was right, it adds warmth."

Levi went to his meeting with some stuck up and power-hungry men. He countered them all and gave them warnings. Levi was making big changes in the world and a lot of people didn't like it. Kuchel wasn't a royal, but Levi's father was. The King didn't marry, but he often went to see Kuchel and Kuchel alone for sex. The King got her pregnant, but he didn't get to see Levi to term because he died of his age and bad health. Erwin hunted Levi down and dragged him to the palace and made him King.

The kingdom had suffered over the years due to selfish rich people, but when Levi was crowned with Erwin, Mike and Hange around him he changed things. The poor were listened to and helped. He helped them so much, that crime was reduced and people didn't have to become sex workers. Sex workers disappeared, education was improved, living conditions were improved, the rich were taxed more and healthcare was free. The four of them were changing things for the better, but it also meant that a lot of rich people were angry at them.

Levi had pushed for equal rights for everyone. He even pushed for worker rights, so people like you wouldn't be beaten for just doing your job. It was a slow process, but he was determined. He wanted to make things better. He needed to stop more kids from living the life he had. He was desperate to change things. He didn't care that the more he did, the more he was seen as a stoic and stern King.

He sat in his large study and went over his papers. He looked up as you walked in with a tray in hand. He watched you with keen eyes as you approached his desk, then placed the tray on the side of his desk where he had nothing on it. He glanced at your hands and saw the scars Erwin had mentioned and felt his heart sting in his chest. He couldn't understand why anyone would hurt you, because you were pretty, graceful and great at your job.

He looked to the little tart on his plate. "You make this?"

You poured him a cup of tea. "Yes. You requested that I make you something."

He cut it with his fork, then took a bite. "This is excellent. You're talented, brat."

You blushed a little. "Brat?"

He looked up at you. "I don't mean anything bad by the term. Tch, sorry."

You smiled a little at him. "It's okay."

He took his tea. "Besides, I don't know your name, so I gave you a nickname."

You introduced yourself and bowed. "Pleasure to meet you, your majesty."

Levi sipped his tea and hummed in delight as the delicate flavours spread through his mouth. "This is a great cup of tea."

"I'm honoured you like it."

He looked up at you. "You'll be my personal maid from now on."

You blushed. "I'm sorry your majesty, but did you just say I'd be your personal maid?"

"Yes." He moved his papers. "Try not to be so terrified of me, got it?"

You hummed a laugh. "Yes, your majesty."

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

Levi had gotten you to warm up to him over the weeks together. He'd made sure that you were at his side, always. The only time you weren't together were going to the bathroom and going to bed. You waited on him hand and foot, but he didn't expect or demand much. You were more like a comfort blanket to him. You were providing him with company and he liked that company. The more you were around him, the more he couldn't see his life without you.

His mind shifted in thoughts about you when you had a day off. He'd forgotten he'd given you the day off, so he was wondering where you'd run off to. He stormed through his halls looking for you. Everyone who came across Levi, quickly ran away when they felt his frustration oozing off him.

He spotted you in a wonderful form fitting dress with your hair up nicely. He'd never seen you out of a maid outfit and your hair had always been covered up, so seeing you like this sparked something inside him. He ran ahead of your path and hid in the hall as you walked and talked with Jean.

Levi reached out and grabbed your upper arm, then yanked you into the hall and pinned you against the wall. He slammed his forearm against the wall by your head. He glared at Jean when Jean said your name. Levi stared him down. "Tch, keep moving."

Jean inhaled sharply, then bowed. "Y-yes your majesty."

Levi looked to you and saw your chest heaving in the tight dress and corset. He slowly dragged his eyes up your body to your cute blushing face. "Tch, mind explaining to me why my personal maid is not in uniform and walking around with another man?"

You gulped hard as you body shivered in delight. Levi's gaze might be harsh to some, but to you there was something darkly attractive about it. The heat and scent coming from this man was intoxicating. You wanted to nuzzle his neck and just inhale. You wanted to wrap your arms around this man and hold him tightly.

"Oi brat?" He watched you flinch a little, like he was breaking your thoughts. "I asked you a question."

You blushed a little. "Well, your majesty, I am a little confused. You see, I am very certain today was my day off. However, if it isn't, then I will change right away."

Levi stared at you for a while and slowly remembered him giving you the day off. His cheeks slowly became red hot from embarrassment. "Tch, damn it brat, you should have reminded me!"

You held back a laugh at how cute this strong scary man really was in private. "I did. I reminded you yesterday."

He shook his head. "That doesn't matter. What matters is you were with Jean."

"We were leaving the servant quarters at the same time."

Levi sighed as he felt a little stupid. He tapped his forhead against the wall next to your head. "Why did you have to a day off?"

You turned your head and looked at Levi's sad and troubled face. "Sorry?" He didn't reply, meaning he was just speaking his thoughts loudly.

Levi moved his other hand and placed it on the wall by your hip as his other arm remainded against the wall by your head. "What am I going to do without you?"

You smiled at him, then reached up and cupped the side of his face away from you. "Your majesty?" You ran your thumb over his cheek and felt him lean into your touch. "Levi."

Levi snapped out of his thoughts when he heard you say his name for the first time. He lifted his head and looked at you. "Sorry, I was lost in my own thoughts."

You hummed a laugh making his heart flutter. "Don't be sorry. There is nothing wrong with voicing your thoughts."

Levi eyed your cute face, then slammed his hands against the wall either side of your head. "The things you do to me."

You blushed. "I'm sorry? What do you mean?"

He stepped right up to you so his chest almost touched yours. He ran his hands down the wall and moved them with the curves of his body. His hands were close to touching you, but they never did touch you. He leaned close to your neck. His lips almost touched your skin. His hot breath made your hair stand on end. Your body cried in desperation for him to touch you. Levi was aching with need, but he didn't want to scare you off by touching you. His father was known for sleeping around, so he didn't want you to think he was using you. Levi wanted you, he wanted you for life and only you.

Levi sighed and moaned. "How I long to touch you and love you."

You shivered as pleasure ran through your body. "Your majesty."

"Say my name again, please."

You nibbled your lip. "I could get into trouble."

He pulled from your neck, then leaned close to you so your lips were close to touching. "No one is watching or listening. Please." He pulled back a little so the both of you could gaze at each other. He whispered your name. "Only when we're alone."

You gulped hard and felt your lips tingle. "Levi."

Levi smiled at you making your heart hammer in your chest at just how handsome he was. "Why does my name so sound good on your lips?"

You lowered your head as your status came to mind. "I'm just a maid."

"You're more than that to me."

You looked into Levi's eyes. "Don't say things that give me hope."

"What kind of man do you think I am?" He frowned a little. "Do you think I am a copy of my father?"

You gasped and panicked at Levi taking your words the wrong way. "No, no you are nothing like him. You are warm, wonderful, kind and sweet. You a good man." You reached up and lightly touched the scar on his cheek. "You're so handsome with kissable lips and a jawline desperate to be nibbled on." You pulled back and covered your mouth with both hands when you realised what you'd said. "I should not have said that. I'm just a maid and I spoke to the King in such a friendly manner."

Levi pulled your hands from your mouth and held them. "Kissable lips and a jawline desperate to be nibbled on. What if I want you to kiss me and nibble on my jawline?"

You blushed a little. "I would like to, but I'm just a maid."

"Forget out titles. Fuck our status." He sighed. "You might be sad you are a maid, but it's also shitty being a King. We're both judged for everything we do. I hate it. What if I want to grab my maid I've admired and had feelings for, for months and want to kiss her?"

"You've had feelings for me?"

He nodded. "For so long. You make me feel so at peace. You make me feel relaxed, safe and happy. Without you with me, I get so lonely and cold. You make me a better man and I so desperately want to make you happy."

You cupped the back of his neck and pulled him close. You pressed your lips against his and felt a fire burst within you. You pulled back and blushed. "Forgive me. I was just so compelled and moved by your words."

Levi pressed you against the wall with his body. He held your hip and cupped the side of your face. He angled his head and pressed his lips against yours. He lightly nipped your lip as if he was begging you to open your mouth. He smiled when you opened and sort out a deeper kiss. You both shyly moved your tongue together. You both felt the spark when it happened, meaning that you both had to continue. Levi led the kiss and dominated you as you shyly kissed him back. You clung to Levi's chest as you felt your body shaking in pleasure. The more Levi kissed you, the more he wanted you. However, he knew he needed to stop before he took it too far and chased you off.

Levi pulled back and panted. He eyed your red lips from him kissing you so roughly and passionately. "I will never use you. Never. I care for you. To me, you are not some maid. You are my sweet brat who makes me smile, laugh and feel normal. I hope that you feel somewhat the same about me. If you do, I want to chase what we have."

You tapped your forehead against his shoulder. "I desire you so much. It's not curiosity, or perverted. I desire you to be mine. I long to be with you. I hate my status and it makes me sad that I am seen as such a low citizen of society. I can't help who I fall for."

Levi cupped your face and lifted your head so you'd look at him. "I don't care what others say. I will protect you from everyone. If you say yes to being with me, then I will change things. I will remove you as a maid and make it clear to others that you are my lover, my partner and my equal."

You welled up a little at his touching words. "I'm yours, Levi."

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

Levi stood in the middle of a group of men at the ball as they talked to him about politics. Levi was bored out of his mind and wanted to so desperately have you back. You had excused yourself for a moment and as soon as you left Levi, he was surrounded by ass kissers. You were his rock through everything.

After he kissed you in the hall, he'd done exactly as promised. You had become his lover, your status was changed and your role was to help him. You ran the palace and became the head of all the staff. He was so proud of you and his staff. You had been worried you wouldn't be accepted, but because you were so friendly with the staff and they had all seen the tension growing between you and Levi, they seemed overjoyed when you announced your romantic status.

You had filled in the role of palace manager perfectly. You had turned the palace into a bright, beautiful and welcoming place. The staff were taken care of, loved and happy. The garden was in full bloom and the place felt warm. Laughter filled the halls and Levi's status of being this dark and cold King changed. People started to see him for the caring King he really was because of your efforts in the palace, and your social guidance with him.

Levi lit up when he saw you moving through the crowd in your wonderful and elegant. Most women had turned up in big puffy dresses, but you'd gone for a flowing dress that looking like fabric underwater. He could not stop staring at you as you moved closer to him.

People started to notice the King staring at someone. Everyone's eyes started scanning the room to see who had stolen the King's heart. Rumours were strong over this kingdom with what type of woman he was in love with, what type of woman he was openly in love with and acted a little like a teen in love in front of others.

You stopped in front of Levi and sighed. "Sorry I was a while. I came into contact with a few noblewomen."

He gently cupped the side of your face. "Tch, they hurt you? They say shit they shouldn't have?"

You looked Levi in the eyes and smiled. You leaned into his touch and hummed. "I'm alright. You don't need to worry so much. Hange taught me a lot in how to deal with noblewomen." You turned your head and kissed his hand. "I'm back now."

Levi moved his hand to the back of your head, then pulled you against him and gave you a protective hug. "I'm proud of you, but if anyone causes you issues, you can come to me and I'll break them."

You sighed. "Sometimes I think I shouldn't be with you, but then you make me feel so happy and safe. I can never stop loving you."

"Tch, damn brat making me blush." He looked to the group of waiting men. "What? Can't a man hold his lover?"

You looked at the group of men, then you blushed. You turned and bowed to them and said your name. "Pleasure to meet you."

Levi held your chin and lifted your head up. "You shouldn't bow to them. You are my partner. You'll be my Queen someday."

You blushed a little as you gazed at him. "Really?"

He nodded. "Of course. I've told you before brat, I cannot see my life without you. When you're gone, everything gets cold and lonely."

You smiled, then gently took his hand in yours. "I look forward to being your Queen."

He kissed the back of your hand. "I know just the flowers for the occasion. The ones that led me to you."

[disengaged]

20 questions for fic writers, tagged by @ao3userglitchesaintshit !! 💘💘💘 ....

1. how many works do you have on ao3?

on my profile right now, 61 :-) in total (orphaned & anonymous), somewhere between 75-80

2. what's your total ao3 word count?

356,059 😳

3. how many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

oh, god sjfksndks .... my ao3 profile says 26, i'm not gonna list em all cuz i'm not active in 90% of those anymore but uh. i started out with 2010s metalcore/emo trinity/pop punk shit, branched out into hard rock and industrial, now i'm doing thrash metal ... yeah

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

let me fix your overdrive - 188

is anybody waiting (at home for you?) - 188

you've become my kingdom come - 179

cryptosporidium - 170

take 54 - 162

..... this is embarrassing bc half of these were written when i was 14-15 and are thus REALLY bad 🤧 the zeppelin ones can stay though

5. do you respond to comments, why or why not?

i try my best to respond to every single one !!!!!! sometimes it just .... takes me a long time :'-) comments & feedback are fuel for me, i want to make sure they're acknowledged

6. what's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

i write a lot of angsty shit tbh, but i think the winner's gotta be leave my body (leave my bones) ... clearly wrote it when i was 13 and going through an "i love character death" phase

7. what's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

yknow .... even out of all the tooth-rotting fluff i've written over the years, i think the ending that makes me the happiest is four hundred bones. it's kind of a long-winded story about Things Falling Apart, but i feel like that makes the ending feel all the more hopeful

8. do you write crossovers? if so, what's the craziest thing you've written?

i don't really write crossovers, but i do write a lot of multiband fic :-)

9. have you received hate on a fic?

not really, no! i don't think i write that much controversial stuff, & the fandoms i'm active in don't have much gatekeeping/purity complex/pairing discourse shit going on. however, one time i did receive a really snippy, passive-aggressive comment on a dumb smut oneshot and i still think about it daily

10. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

i do, yeah! most of it is slash, and most of it includes some vague sort of d/s dynamic. (what can i say, i'm predictable...)

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

i had one plagiarized, yeah :-/ & over the years, people have given me a heads up that my fics have ended up on wattpad (and that stupid fucking "ao3 pocket reader" app) without my permission, but i don't even know how to navigate wattpad, let alone submit a complaint abt it lmao

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

yeah! a few actually, all in Russian:

quicksand jesus translated by ffffftdaaa

inches on me translated by saderaladon

leave a scar translated by saderaladon

and Erbrou did translations of alone/sublime and keep on haunting, but sadly those links are broken, or they've since been removed from ficbook, idk

13. have you ever co-written a fic?

yep! ShadesinBlue and i co-wrote the patience series a little while back and it was a lot of fun :-) we planned it all out, then took turns writing the parts (& wrote some of them together). i'd love to try something like that again sometime .... but i struggle with productivity/being busy all the time, so we'll see :'-)

14. what's your all-time favourite ship?

i'm not really invested in specific ships tbh, i like switching between pairings & exploring different dynamics

15. what's a WIP you want to finish, but don't think you ever will?

looking down the cross my beloved ...... also my kirk/dave prison fic, which is 3/4 done and has been since last year :-/ i'm not giving up on either yet, but the outlook is .... pretty bleak ngl

16. what are your writing strengths?

????idk. my spelling & grammar is legible

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

i hate penning long descriptive passages, i write very, very sporadically, and i have a tendency to ditch WIPs whenever i lose interest for 5 minutes

18. what are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in fic?

sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't ? depends on the context .............. the met discord has a running joke about an AU where everything is the same except jason only speaks in french, & i desperately, DESPERATELY want to see it written lmao

19. what was the first fandom you wrote for?

fucking BBC Sherlock, jesus christ ... it was a hunger games au too LMAOO. reading it makes me giggle, for some reason i was 12 years old & writing about gunshots to the head. r/iamverybadass

20. what's your favourite fic you've ever written?

tough call, cuz every time i reread one of my own fics i'm just like ..... wow! this sucks! it's all terrible! i'm an incompetent fraud! :'-)

that said, i think my favs are usually the ones with a lot of myself put into them ... if i had to pick, right now i'm really connecting with four hundred bones again, & fratboy/stonerverse is another one i reliably enjoy thinking abt :-)

tagging @mondsterne-kuesst @not-a-human-perspective @maggotbrainz @metallicasbian cuz idk who else !! only if u want, & if anyone else wants to do it, feel free to say i tagged u 💘

..... i love discussing this shit, feel free to hit up my inbox 2 chat about it further :'-)