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the parent trap — levi ackerman (vii)

— levi ackerman x female reader (modern au | the parent trap au)

— warnings: mentions of cheating, fluff and the bittersweet feeling of meeting someone again <3

— summary: you four are together again.

— word count: 9.7k :>>>

— author’s notes: hello !! it's been a while since i picked up this series and i'm so excited to post this chapter djebdej this was so sweet to write and i hope you enjoy reading it just as much as i loved writing it !! happy reading, beautiful people <3

the song caelum is singing is linked here

my masterlist

“When I find him, I’m going to castrate the bloody hell out of that bastard,” Hange murmured lowly, voice dark as their intention towards your brown-haired fiancé. Their grip on the glass of beer tightened at the image of him molesting you in the elevator. Once again, they gulped down a mouthful of their drink before placing it back on the table with a slam. They planted their brown eyes over your figure, sitting beside them with fingers wringing on your lap. With a pursed expression, Hange placed their free hand over yours, rubbing their thumb over the back of your hand. Their voice is gentle when they said, “Don’t stop me, danseuse. I’m ready to kill someone tonight. Oluo will even help me hide the body.”

You shook your head with a light laugh, cupping Hange’s hand with both of yours. A lock of your hair fell over your face, your fingers immediately putting it behind your ear with a sniff. After you got out of the elevator, you instantly looked around the lobby of the hotel, searching for that familiar shade of black that you adored. There were instances that you saw someone with the same haircut, only for them to give you looks of bewilderment when you called out a different name. This has been on an ongoing loop for the past thirty minutes and your stomach grumbled, never giving up the opportunity of finding your ex-husband again. That was when Hange found you. They told you that Oluo phoned them, informing them of your current situation. Upon seeing your best friend, your tears once again trickled down your cheeks. It disgusted you as you were relying on what happened in the elevator but Hange needed to know, they were your confidante after all. Now, the two of you were seated inside the hotel’s restaurant for the lunch that was first reserved for five, now dwindled to two.

“Please don’t resort to murder, Hange,” you breathed, daintily picking the cup of rose tea on the table and sipping on in with a satisfied hum. It reminded you of the time Levi made you that rose tea so many years ago. It was so similar in taste that it brought you to a road of nostalgia. You placed the cup on the saucer before glancing at your pouting friend. “I don’t think I could get you out of jail if you committed it. And I miss that nickname — it brings me back.”

“Well, I guess murder is out of the question,” the brown-haired person muttered. Then, they grinned at your last statement. “This nickname will always be eternal. It was how I first knew you after all. Oh, to bring back those times when watching you dance was the highlight of my day.”

You smiled wistfully, twirling your pasta on your fork. “Do you remember that time I lied to my parents about having a study group on the campus during 8th year?”

Hange brightened at the memory. “How could I ever forget that? You appeared at our front door with the school’s full uniform on. Even the assigned beret hat!” They pointed at you before sharing a laugh with you. They hummed with nostalgia glazing their eyes. “When we went to the beach that time, I was so happy. Even if we rode the coach for more than an hour, it was so worth it. I couldn’t forget the look on the conductor’s face! He looked ready to ask about our parents.” They leaned their head on your shoulder, breathing in your scent that appeared like blossoms around their senses. “I want to be a kid again and go to beaches with you in secret. I still have that rock you found,” they looked up at you and the sight of your soft smile sent Hange’s heart in a whirlwind, “you know, that one with the iridescent shine.”

(The memoir played like a highlight reel.

You were supposed to be preparing for one of the galas your family funded — hair styled the way your mother wanted and a dress showing your status among the elites in England, but here you are, standing in front of your friend’s front door, hoping to God that it wasn’t their parents who will be answering your doorbell-ringing. You fiddled with your fingers in front of your knee-length skirt, ducking every time a car honked behind you, in fear of them knowing your identity. The best you could disguise your features with is the pair of glasses you stole from your grandfather’s study. It was too round but you still wore them nonetheless. When Hange ushered you inside their empty house (their parents were off to a business trip overseas), you relayed that you lied to your parents that some of your classmates invited you to a study group, thus, the uniform. You included Hange in your list of classmates, of course.

They laughed while eating their treasured butter cookies, which led to them having a minor choking fit that made you scramble for a glass of juice in the refrigerator.

As Hange started recovering from getting her breath taken away by the sugary goodness, you told them that you needed to escape for a moment because your house was starting to feel suffocating. That was when Hange presented the idea of spontaneously roaming around London for the whole day. They promised you that no harm will come to you as long as they’re around. You nearly doubted this because Hange is a person who attracts danger and disaster, making them one of the clumsiest people you ever knew.

“Why are you looking at me like that, danseuse? I’m fully capable of taking care of you! When have I ever get you in trouble?”

They’ve got a point and so begins your little rendezvous with Hange Zoe — trying out random restaurants, going to carnivals around the city, and eventually finding refuge in the sandy beach an hour away from London.

You never stepped foot on a beach ever since you were a toddler. The cries of the seagulls and the splashing of the waves against the rock formations nearby sent you in a sense of calmness, something that you never experienced for years of being under pressure. Your blazer, shoes, and socks were immediately thrown over the patch of grass by the sand, with you running towards the line where the sand meets the cold waters. Without any second thought, you ran until the water reached the middle of your calves, and the sound of splashing flitting your ears that signified Hange was not too far behind. Their laughs made you giggle into the sea breeze. The smell of salt invaded your senses and you let it engulf you in a temporary shield of exhilaration. Every single thing you saw at the beach embedded itself in your mind, in hopes that it would last for an eternity. You didn’t notice how Hange admired you a few feet away, the latter happy that you finally looked peaceful — very different from the usual blank, doll face you lived up to in your academy.

For the first time, you finally felt free.)

You placed your head against Hange’s, your lunch was forgotten as you basked in the never-ending comfort your best friend gave you. “I remember,” you laughed. “You nearly threw a tiny wobbler when you lost it in our flat here. Oluo was so scared of you for the first time. Good thing we found it inside your pocket in one of your pants or else you’re ready to plan another trip to a nearby beach just to find a replica. I couldn’t blame you, though, it is a pretty rock.”

“It really is! You even designed something from it!”

“Well, the colors gave me inspiration.” You patted your best friend’s head to get back to your lunch, with them complying, turning to their own food. While chewing on your pasta, an image of a hectic room came into your mind, with some of your previous employees scampering to get the right color of garments or to get a copy of the client’s measurements. What you couldn’t forget was the little toddler swinging their chubby legs over their high chair, silver eyes fixated on you like you were every role in his life. His babbles and incoherent statements made your work lighter even though he was taking up space in your then small studio. He was pointing at small trinkets, handing them to you as a way of helping. You unconsciously smiled at the memory. “Caelum was watching me stress over that dress. It was an ugly sight but he made everything better.”

Hange found themselves smiling, seeing as they were the one who brought him to your studio since they had an impromptu conference for the whole day. “You were so great at raising him, [Name]. You have every right to fight against putting him in adoption. Your parents are just trying to get on your nerves like always but they took it too far this time. I wish they saw how you sometimes put aside your schedule for the bridal shop because you couldn’t bear the thought of Caelum having days without his mother.” Hange put their hand on your back. “We just have to prove to them that Lucas is a cheating arsehole and they will start questioning their bullshit. You are a successful woman, [Name], and just a little bit more, your parents will start to realize that you can stand your ground.”

“I know, Hange. Once we get back to London, I’m going to talk to them about the proposal with Lucas and their plans for Caelum. I’m tired of them taking away every treasure I have in my life. But if they still can’t be swayed after breaking off the engagement…”

“… What are we going to do if that happens?”

You glanced at them with a small grin, the image of a pale-faced Levi flickering in your mind. What a small world. “We’re in California, right?”

Hange stared at you confused. “What do you mean, [Name]?” Then, with a glimpse of your knowing smile, they gasped --- both hands covering their mouth. “Oh, my God, don’t tell me you’re going to do the most impossible thing you told me once we got back to London all those years ago.”

“I know I never really ventured into this topic deeper because it still hurts and I regret not telling Caelum about his father more but,” you trailed off, running your fingers on the ring you took out of your necklace, the diamonds beckoning you for some reason, “I think it’s about time I face Levi. If my parents wanted me to get married so that Caelum can grow up with a father to rely on, I might just do it but with someone I’m still very much in love with after all these years. I will do everything to have Caelum stay in our little family — even if it meant pushing aside the bitterness I felt when Levi didn’t take that step forward to keep our family intact. If it means waking up to Caelum’s laughter every morning, I’d get back with Levi.” You shrugged lightheartedly. “Maybe everything will be alright this time around. I don’t know why but I have a feeling it will go well.”

Hange was silent, their body vibrating with pride and anticipation. This was supposedly the most impossible thing that could happen to you — getting back with Levi. Altair told them that during this small vacation in California, Levi will be here as well, to switch him and his twin to the rightful parent alongside another surprise that will be revealed soon. The brown-haired person was also in the dark about the latter but they have an idea that Altair was planning on setting you and Levi up. Maybe this will push the twins’ wishes to come true.

“Let’s go find Altair, Hange. I want to bring him to the butterfly garden.”

Your best friend blinked once, gaped the next second, and gasped once they realized what you said. They stood up from their seat, with you holding back your laugh. All this time, you knew? Questions such as that ran through Hange’s mind. “[Name], you knew?!”

“No, I just noticed it earlier in the lobby while waiting for you and Oluo. I know that he’s Altair but I have no clue as to why he got himself into this situation. If you have any idea of what starlight is planning, please tell me, Hange. I don’t want him to do anything reckless.”

“But how did you know? Did sweet pea tell you?”

You pointed at them with a small smile. “First of all, your new nickname for Caelum made me curious. You never once changed it no matter how many nicknames appealed to you, calling him your little bean since it sounds adorable. Second, there are things that he was doing that will be considered separate from Caelum’s usual — his appetite and even how he dresses, too. He told me Caelum’s suits felt like they were choking him. Third,” you paused, fiddling with the ring you slid in your right ring finger, “his eyes are so much like Levi’s. The way he stares at me reminded me of his father. The last reason is probably his hugs — Caelum doesn’t hug me as he saw me for the first time at every embrace. Since Altair stayed with us after the summer camp, his hugs are speaking to me to never let him go.” You looked at Hange, who was grinning with stars in their eyes. “Call it a mother’s instinct.”

Hange looped their arm with yours, leading you out of the restaurant and into the hallway. “So, are you going to tell him you know?”

You nodded. “Once we find him. I have a gut feeling that he’s with Levi right now.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right—wait, what?!”

“I know Altair told you about this, Hange, don’t play pretend.” A small breathy laugh came out of your lips, apologetically glancing at your best friend. “I hope I didn’t ruin anything. If so, I’m sorry. I didn’t expect him to be in this hotel.”

“You know what?” Hange’s lips pulled in a half-smile. “This is perfect! You’re not doubting your decision of letting him in again, right?” At your slow nod, they vibrated with excitement, pulling you outside to search for your ex-husband and children. “Then, let’s go bring you four back together right this moment!”

The tune of Suis-moi trickled like dewdrops from Caelum as he strolled down the hallways. His hands were balled inside the pockets of his jacket, his silver irises appreciating the flower arrangements and color palette the hotel boasts. He was already anticipating a new wedding gown, knowing how you always got inspiration from ethereal architectures in your trips like this huge building. It would be nice if you could enjoy this vacation before going back to your routine of sleepless nights and ringing phones from clients all over the world. Once this plan becomes a success through the end, Caelum was ready to help you around the studio, picking the fabrics and manning the other sewing machine. At the thought, Caelum smiled a little, the song he was singing resonated with every measured step towards the elevator at the end of the hallway.

Caelum couldn’t help but unconsciously sing this little tune since it was the first song he learned when you took him to Paris, making him remember the sweets he tried with you and all the dresses you designed on your sketchbook while strolling on the streets. All his reminiscing of that trip when he was six and all the many getaways you two did in the city of light and love made him miss you. Caelum enjoyed his time with his father (that’s already a given) but he also craved the gentle demeanor you always have whenever he was around, how you cradled his face in your hands like he was the most delicate thing. His expression fell, the song coming to a halt, the moment he remembered what Oluo said during their small gathering in that hotel suite — that you were never a great mother for him. Caelum felt the anger bubbling in his stomach, his dislike for his grandparents growing by the minute.

I love you to the moon and back, past the furthest galaxy, and beyond.

Those were your words every single time you tuck him in, after gallant adventures and tales of magic that your voice carried straight to his heart and memory. Everything that he is now was because of you — how you taught him that love can come in all forms or how you told him that you will always be proud of him no matter what. Whoever said you were a bad mother to him didn’t know the sacrifices you went through just to make Caelum happy. From what Levi told him, you always put everyone’s best wishes before you.

The lift dinged, signaling the little boy that he reached his destination, with his thoughts pausing as he went out of the doors. While casually humming Suis-moi again under his breath, a thought came into Caelum’s mind.

If you ever plan on marrying Levi again, Caelum hoped it’s because, at some point in this trip, you realized that you still love Levi. Not because you felt the obligation to do it to stop the engagement with Lucas or the adoption. That is the one thing that he and Altair discussed privately while eating dessert earlier — make sure that if you meet Levi again, everything should feel genuine instead of the forced enthusiasm you exhibited with Lucas.

Then, a tall person bumped into Caelum, sending him backward from the impact. He felt his bottom blossom with pain, a shaky, “Ow,” coming out of his mouth. The boy’s eyebrows furrowed, looking up at the person he bumped into, only to come face to face with a sneer on a somewhat presentable brown-haired man. The tall man was handsome, someone who could make some people swoon with just a smile, but his attractiveness ended with the scowl he threw at Caelum. As if the boy was a pest wriggling under his stare. It unnerved Caelum, choosing to glare at the stranger for the next few minutes before standing up on his own. The man didn’t even check his condition after toppling him with his overbearing gait. The boy patted his jeans and shirt, directing a jaded look at the man before him. When he opened his mouth to tell the older man to watch where he was going, he was beaten by the most arrogant, posh voice he ever heard in his life.

(More than his grandmother, and that’s saying something.)

“Have you seen your mother?”

Now, this is curious, Caelum thought, before speaking with a British accent, “What? Are you talking to me?” He looked behind him to check if there were people behind him that could possibly be the acquaintance of this man but there was no one to be found. Caelum turned back to the stranger and took a step back, lifting his head a little bit with scrutinizing eyes.

“Who else is here, Your Highness? Of course, I’m talking to you.” The man continued saying his words as if he was talking to a toddler and it made Caelum’s left eye twitch. “Or are you now adapting to this new thing of not letting commoners breathe next to you?”

“What—?” The gray-eyed boy muttered before shaking his head lightly. Words from his twin of the man you’re engaged with flashed like stoplights in his mind. A brown-haired man (“I won’t accept his attractiveness,” Altair grumbled.), taller than Oluo, calls ‘Caelum’ Your Highness — bingo. A hauntingly faux smile appeared on Caelum’s face, one that was reserved when strangers fuss over him at galas. He started running his eyes over the man’s features, getting a gist of how he carried himself, from the styled hair down to the tips of his dress shoes. This man would be an idiot to not pick up how mocking Caelum’s smile was. “Lucas,” the onyx-haired boy thoughtfully grinned.

Lucas curled his lips in disgust. “Why are you gawking at me like that? Have you finally stopped being the little demon that you are? Don’t tell me you’re going to be nice to me all of a sudden.” He walked past Caelum, tilting his head to the side to let the boy hear his next words. “If you see your mother, tell her I’m not going to be sleeping in the hotel tonight. But I’ll be coming back here in the morning to change my clothes so also tell Oluo to unlock the door by eight o’clock.” He faced the front with a blank face. “I’m going to let her have a piece of my mind when I feel like talking to her, though,” Lucas murmured for himself, careful to not let Caelum hear it. With that, he slithered out of the lobby and towards a waiting leggy, bare-backed, and youthful brunette that looked awfully familiar to the young boy.

Caelum stared at the retreating man, never taking his eyes off Lucas and the woman as he took out his phone from the pocket of his jacket. Unlocking the device with a glance, he clicked a number and pressed the screen on his ear. “Hello, Al?”

“Cae! You called early. Is everything alright?”

“I saw him.”

“Wait, who? Luke?”

Caelum nodded. He quickly realized that Altair couldn’t see him if he wordlessly answered but once he was taking a breath to say something, his twin was already talking.

“So, you saw him, huh? What do you think of him?”

That elicited a scoff from the younger twin. He ruffled his hair until they were slightly becoming the wavy locks he had before his haircut. “He called me ‘Your Highness’ as you anticipated.” Caelum laughed lowly at how bad that nickname sounded. He was perfectly fine with ‘little prince’ but being called ‘Your Highness’ takes the cake. “What a dimwitted individual. I’m actually surprised grandmother thought it was a good idea to pair up Mum with him. Aside from his family’s bank account, which is enormous, I’m sure, he doesn’t have any redeeming qualities that would look nice on the papers. I don’t like him at all, Al, he sounds funny when he speaks. Even grandmother doesn’t speak like that.”

Altair laughed through the other end of the call. “Something like this?” The older twin then deepened his voice with an exaggerated imitation of Lucas’s haughty tone. “Darling? Is everything alright? Surely my handsomeness could save your dreadful day! Why don’t we go on a vacation to relax and unwind, huh? I hope your more handsome ex-husband isn’t staying in the same hotel as us. I fear you will leave me behind for him, darling!”

Caelum giggled alongside his brother, vividly getting the image of Altair bowing in an extra manner in his side of the call with Levi looking at him as if he’s gone bonkers. “He does sound like that! I’m worried that people might misinterpret him every time he opens his mouth.” Caelum stopped laughing, remembering that he was supposed to report something to Altair. “Hey, Al, I forgot to mention that Luke was walking out of the hotel with a brown-haired woman. I swear I’ve seen her somewhere but I’m not too sure when. Oh, and he said that he’ll be sleeping outside of the hotel but he’ll be coming back in the morning to change. I think that’s the perfect time to start the next phase of the plan.”

“Ha, we hit the jackpot! Luke-boy doesn’t know what hit him this time. Are you okay with tagging along tomorrow, though? I don’t want you getting tired while roaming the city.”

“Yeah, I’ll be with you every step of the way. This will be a great experience to get to know a new place while I’m here. Wait, where are you right now?”

“I’m helping Petra set up things by the pool. Hurry over! The drinks will be watered down if you come here later than ten minutes. I hope you’re feeling alright after your walk. Oh, here are the cakes, Petra. Captain, sit! Damn, can he not cling to me when I’m bringing the drinks here? Uh, you still there, Cae? Do you want me to come to get you? Just tell me where you are.”

Caelum breathed a laugh. “No, it’s alright. I’m heading to the pool right now. Do you still have some strawberry shortcake?”

“Of course! You like this, right? Captain, for fuck’s sake, sit down! Here, take this cookie! Just stop begging me to play. Your hair is sticking to my clothes and I don’t like it when you keep doing that. I just changed, too!”

“Captain sounds lively, huh?”

“Come over here and help me calm him down please.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

The hotel offered the kind of escape Levi wanted to have since he started becoming busy with the tea plantation and teahouse. Children were running around and adults eating in the hotel restaurant and for some reason, none of it irritated Levi. For a person who preferred solitude more than social interaction, he was walking down the hallways with no problem at all. The so-called meeting in his suite proved to be one of the most stressful gatherings he ever took part in. He always knew that your parents were the reason why you ran to America and he got the gist that they weren’t the best people to introduce him to, but knowing that they were trying to put Caelum to adoption just to get you to stay in line made Levi livid. Courting you again sounded like the perfect thing that can pull you out of your parents’ watchful eyes for good. Altair said that getting back with you was one of the best routes (Levi had no fucking clue what he meant by that, Caelum had to tell him it was gaming jargon) because that would mean you will have someone to help raise the twins other than Hange and Oluo.

The only problem was that you might turn him down in the next second. He hoped not.

Levi saw how your face revealed a brief flash of relief when you saw him. That little detail was the epitome of hope he desperately clung to when he came to terms that he still loves you so much. The flowers dotting the hotel poolside couldn’t compare to the bouquet flourishing inside him at the thought of you. All of them were flowers he dedicated to you – flowers he made into teas. He smiled at the memory of you gushing about having a flower garden full of your favorite blossoms. He didn’t like it when somebody talked his ear off but when it came to you, God, it’s always you, he was ready to lend his ears to your stories, no matter how trivial they were. Your voice alone compelled him to listen more – it was like a songbird marking the dawn every day. He could listen to you talk all night long until he found himself sleeping soundly in your arms.

The day seemed to glisten even more when Levi continued walking down memory lane. The sound of kids cheering by the pool became your laughter when you pulled him out of his house a year after you graduated from college, the rain creating a curtain around you. His mother was looking out the window (smile lovingly directed at you two) while the both of you danced in the rain, Levi twirling you with a firm hand around yours. The splash from the waters just outside the hallway he was walking on turned into sounds of throwing cookie batters and icing in the kitchen of your shared apartment. It started with Levi booping your nose with an icing-covered finger. You retaliated by scooping the cookie batter and wiped it down Levi’s face. The summer Sun dulled and became the night sky, stargazing and picking the brightest stars for you.

Altair.

“That’s a nice name.” He remembered turning to you.

Your eyes held the universe as you looked up at him. Soft smiles were exchanged. “Yeah, it is.”

“We’re expecting twins, right?”

You hummed, gliding your pointer finger over the expanse of Levi’s chest, drawing out a random constellation mindlessly. You felt your stomach flutter at his words. Twins, who would’ve thought.

“Caelum.”

It made you stop at first and then you were looking at a starlike gaze hovering over you. Levi was now using his elbow to support himself, looking straight down into your wide eyes.

“How about naming the other twin Caelum?” Levi ducked down to rub his nose against yours. He still felt how that contact clenched his heart. It was so soft that he wanted to turn back time to do it to you every time you wake up in his arms. “I read that name somewhere and I thought it has a nice ring to it. Altair and Caelum.”

Levi closed his eyes at the ghost of a touch you left on his cheek. “Our little heaven and starlight.”

“Our little heaven and starlight.”

Pulchritudinous was the word he could describe you any time of the day and that night wasn’t an exception. Your beauty rivals that of the goddesses and nymphs Levi learned from his mother’s bedtime stories. It was both a breathtaking and heartbreaking beauty, now that Levi thought about it. Every moment spent with you took his breath away but now that he never saw your face in the kitchen or the patio of the Ackerman manor, your face appearing in his head sent a pang of welcoming pain that he was used to. If only he took that step forward and pulled on your arm, stressed how much he loves you as he prevented you from getting out of the estate with a tight embrace, you would be here looking at him like he was the embodiment of euphoria.

As if the memories connected with the present and resonated with his wishes, you’re here.

Seeing you at the elevators only gave Levi a glimpse of your face. But now that you’re standing at the other side of the pool, gaze searching for something, someone, he felt everything all at once – and when your pretty irises met with his, the Sun and the Moon finally stopped their game of hide-and-seek and longed for an eclipse. Without a single word and gray eyes still locked on yours, Levi approached you with measured steps, fists clenching and unclenching by his side.

He feels his heart pounding to his ears, his hands becoming clammy, his breathing ragged.

Until everything stopped when you’re finally two feet away from him.

A shaky breath came out of you. “Levi.”

Wide eyes took you in, your elegance never deterring through the years. With soft eyes, he ran his adoring stare from the way the wind rustled your hair, down to how your dress’s strap dropped on one shoulder, to your hand fiddling with the ring you never threw back at him when you separated, and back to your watery smile. He reached out without thinking about it and gently grasped the strap of your dress, placing it back to its rightful place on your shoulder, and his touch lingering on your skin as if you were a flickering mirage in front of him. He stepped closer to you until only a foot separated you two. You were so close that Levi could see the stars inside your eyes – some of them escaping, clinging to your eyelashes. He was so scared that you would turn away but he didn’t give a damn about it. A tentative hand brushed against your cheek, never knowing that his voice created such an impact on you, “[Name].” It came out as a whisper but he knew it still reached you. “Hi, beautiful.”

You placed your hand over his and leaned into his palm. “Hi, Levi.” He looked the same as the person who stared at you too much during lunch in the university cafeteria. His stare was still arresting, telling you to never look away from him. There were little changes here and there like his build and height (you noted he grew a couple of inches since you last saw him) but he was still your Levi – the Levi you fell in love with all these years. You laughed, tightening your grip on his hand. “I—T-This is too much of a coincidence. You’re here while we’re on a vacation…”

A thoughtful pause made you look away from him.

“No,” Levi murmured, tilting your head until you once again stared at him. “Just look at me, alright?” His thumb caressed the apple of your cheek and it made your heart clench.

You nodded before clearing your throat. “As I said, you being here in this hotel is … it’s like you know we’ll be here. Why?”

Levi glanced at something behind him, a slight smirk and a spark of mischief lighting up his eyes.

You followed his gaze and your breath hitched at the onyx-haired boy peeking from behind Levi. He fiddled with the hem of his beach shirt while flashing a small, innocent smile at you. You returned the smile, looking at Levi for a second before kneeling in front of your son. His wide eyes still trained on your beautiful face, gulping down saliva because of anticipation. “Hello, starlight.” You saw Levi perk up at your peripheral vision. “I hope you enjoyed your time with me even if it was just for a short while.”

Altair’s lips parted in surprise, clenching his fists tightly to not let the tears drop down on his cheeks. He looked up to prevent himself from crying but his quivering lip said it all. Gentle hands cupped his face, your patient expression nearly breaking him if not for the control he has over sobbing loudly in the middle of a five-star hotel’s large pool. That would be embarrassing. “H-Hey, Mom. Please don’t be angry at Caelum, it’s my idea to switch places. I know it’s reckless but I just wanted to m-meet you and Cae wanted to meet D-Dad.” Levi tenderly ran his hand through his eldest son’s hair to comfort him but it looked like that was the last straw for the tear to drip down his cheek. “I just wanted to see you, Mommy,” he repeated.

“Oh, starlight,” you whispered once you saw him hastily wipe the tears from his face.

You pulled him in a hug, Altair’s soft cries muffled by your shoulder. His arms wrapped around your back as his cries turned into sobs. “Shh. I’m not angry.” You kissed the side of your son’s head, inhaling his scent and swaying him lightly from side to side. You cupped a hand on his cheek and lifted his head from your shoulder, admiring Altair up close. It was something you wanted to see ever since he was born — him growing up into someone kind yet adventurous, mischievous yet empathetic — a treasure all the same. Placing your forehead against his, you rubbed the tip of your nose on his. “I love you far beyond I can express to be mad at you. I wished every night to hold you and because of your idea, I got to do it. The worst part is, I didn’t even know it was you who came home until earlier when you looked at my drawing. The last time I saw you, you were raising your adorable hands at me because you always preferred me over your father.”

Levi snorted beside you two.

“He couldn’t sing to calm you down; much less be less awkward with a crying baby.” Altair giggled with you before you kissed him on the forehead and wiping his tears with a handkerchief from your handbag. “You’re grown up now. It feels so surreal seeing you like this.” You then looked around the pool area. “If you’re here, where’s—”

“I’m here, Mum.”

That voice made you look over at the peeking boy on the other side of Levi. His hair was the same as Levi’s and Altair’s, however, his wavy locks were starting to show above his undercut. A small breathy laugh was your reply, beckoning him towards you. You saw Levi rub his shoulders, flashing a knowing smile at you, and making you shake your head. Caelum walked with both hands behind his back, rocking on his heels when he reached you. There were remnants of icing on his upper lip. It made you realize that you miss him after knowing that he was with Levi since he came back from the summer camp. You gently wiped your younger son’s lips with your thumb, cleaning your finger with the handkerchief right after. “There, free of cake icing,” you murmured. The two of you stared at each other with soft smiles. You booped his nose, jokingly narrowing your eyes, “You are in so much trouble, little prince — staying in California all this time.”

“Well,” Caelum prolonged the word with a laugh, finding the glint of happiness in your eyes pretty, “California is all sunshine, Mum, and you know how London sometimes has unpredictable weather even in the summer. I just thought this opportunity is a perfect time to enjoy my favorite season here.”

“Did you have fun with your dad?” You tilted your head with a smile. “I hope you didn’t give him a hard time.”

“He’s perfect, [Name],” Levi answered for Caelum, pulling Altair by his side to give him gentle pats on the back. He looked down on the older twin, affectionately squeezing his son’s cheek. “Are you okay now, Al?” Levi then felt satisfied with Altair’s embarrassed nod, the latter’s cheeks colored with an adorable shade of cherry blossom pink. The silver-eyed man lowly chuckled as he observed Altair acting like he wasn’t crying his heart out to his mother a few minutes prior. It was always cute to watch, something that Levi never voiced out. His gaze left the pouty face of the older twin and sought out your beautiful visage, which was still lovingly trained on Caelum. As if his eyes were a beacon, you met his stare before flashing a breathtaking close-lipped smile. His mouth started talking without thinking about his words, “Caelum is an amazing kid. He’s so great at mingling with the people on the plantation and his words always make me reflect on life for some reason. You did so well in raising him, [Name].”

“Thank you, Levi.” Your heart was pounding with your ex-husband’s praise, your decision of getting back with him pulsating in your mind. Caelum was still waiting for your next words so you turned back to him. Knowing that you never saw him these past few days, you slightly opened your arms. “Come here and give your mum a hug, little prince.”

Caelum’s gray eyes shone like a passing comet, finding home in the feeling of your arms gripping him close to your heart. Two heartbeats resonated through the poolside of the hotel. At the area where Petra and Oluo set up the snacks, Hange was watching the heartwarming moment with tears in their eyes. As much as Oluo never agreed on Hange’s remarks most of the time, he couldn’t help but nod his head with a blow in his handkerchief when the brown-haired person mentioned how happy you looked with your twins and ex-husband. Not knowing what was happening on the sidelines, the younger twin squeezed you more, burying his face on the crook of your neck. Your blossom-infused scent made him smile against your skin, numerous flowers entering Caelum’s senses. Everything about you completed his day. After crying in Levi’s arms to meeting Lucas in the hotel’s lobby, all his sorrow and frustration melted away as each second was spent cuddling into you.

He hugged you like he never wanted to part with you, though, he never cried.

You noticed the intensity of his grip.

Your parents telling you the consequence if you didn’t marry Lucas was the reason why you appreciated meeting your little heaven again. Pulling away gently, you cupped Caelum’s cheek with your palm before kissing his nose, the physical contact making the boy giggle in your arms. You felt Caelum’s hands on your cheeks, tilting your head down to give access to the usual place where he reciprocates your nose kisses.

The softest kiss landed on your forehead. Caelum opened his eyes, his vision focusing on the Sun of his life. “I love you to the Moon and back, Mummy. No matter what happens, I will never leave you. I know we’ll get through this and it will be just the four of us in the end.” There were so many possibilities as to who these four people are. Caelum hoped that you misinterpret it as the usual quartet living under the roof of your house in London. Because if you got the idea that you were being set up by your sons, everything will be back to square one. “You’re not alone in this, Mum. You can lean on us, too. We’re here for you, especially Dad.”

Unshed tears glazed your irises, your heart swelling at the words. “And I love you even farther, our little heaven.” His knowing smile at the addition of Levi in his reassurances compelled you to look over at Levi, whose cheeks were flushed at the mention. “Speaking of your father, why don’t you and Al play by the pool? I think there’s some catching up to do with him that will be worth twelve years.”

Altair grinned, placing himself beside Caelum and wrapping an arm around his younger brother’s shoulders. “Sure, Mom.”

The younger twin chuckled. “Take your time, okay? And don’t be mean to him.” He narrowed his eyes at you in a jest. “He’s already suffering enough from missing you too much — don’t break him.”

Levi’s sharp intake of breath rang from behind the twins. “You know I’m still here, Cae.” Once again, he was ignored.

The two of them glanced at each other before hugging you at the same time, your euphoric laughter mixing with theirs.

“We love you so much, Mommy.”

“Much more than you imagine,” Caelum finished, pulling his twin to the direction of Hange and the others. “Have fun with Dad!”

“Don’t run by the pool, you brats!” Levi shouted with his arms crosses over his chest. The moment the two boys reached the other adults (“See, we’re fine, old man!” Altair yelled back.), he faced you with a thoughtful expression and watching as you straightened yourself. He offered his hand at you, “Shall we?”

Electricity ran through both of your arms when you finally placed your hand on his. The entire scenery gleamed with something you missed ever since you started your relationship with him years ago. It was a foreign yet nostalgic feeling. The expanse of his back and the undercut he sported for years were stirring the swarm of butterflies in your stomach — your talk didn’t even start yet. You let him pull you to one of the reclining pool chairs that were not too far from the others, sitting on one and expectantly looking up at you. You didn’t know where to sit for a few moments but you were ready to take a seat on the pool chair beside his, which will make you two face each other. A fond touch circled your wrist, pulling you to sit beside an amused Levi. His half-smile ignited your face until you looked away from him, the intensity of his stare was becoming too much for your heart. You saw him angle himself to slightly face you yet he never made a move to add more space between the two of you. Following him, you found yourself mesmerized at his half-lidded stare.

“How have you been?” The deep baritone of his voice tingled your heart.

You blinked out of your stupor, breathing a laugh under your breath. His gaze always made you shy so you looked down on your lap, a lock of hair covering half of your face. “I’m doing fine. The bridal boutique is the only thing keeping me busy other than what’s happening in our home, you know, with Hange and Caelum always keeping the house alive.”

Levi carefully tucked your hair behind your ear, his fingers lingering over the side of your face. There was a permanent love-struck small smile on his face that he was unaware of. “I’m happy to hear that. I’m sure your childhood friend slash butler helps you when that happens.”

You peered at him through your eyelashes. “That childhood friend slash butler of mine has a name, you know.”

“Oluo — I’m sure Oluo helps you when that happens.” He rolled his eyes lightheartedly, shaking his head with a laugh right after. “I can’t believe I almost punched him in the face, only because he went out of the main bathroom with only a robe on. Can you even believe I got jealous of him? Even today, I feel ashamed of myself for jumping to conclusions.”

“So, you admit that you were jealous of Oluo that time?” You hummed in amusement, pointing a finger in front of his face. “You denied that so many times no matter how much I tried to make you admit it. You always go,” you deepened your voice and made your face go blank, “‘I’m not jealous, just leave me alone’. I mean, it’s partially my fault. I didn’t tell you beforehand that Oluo became one of our flatmates.”

Levi chuckled. “His face was the funny part to me. He looked so lost and pale like I sucked his soul or he was trying to hold in his shit. It was either of those two.” He shook his head. “Do I look like one of those hooded figures in Harry Potter for him?”

His humor never failed to make you laugh out loud. “Oluo has always been like that ever since we were kids. He nearly peed himself when Mother became angry at some of the help during my eighth birthday.”

He glanced at the said man at the corner of his eyes, with you following his eyes to where Oluo was getting flustered with every interaction he had with Petra. Then, his stare went to the twins. Altair was showing Caelum how to play Pokémon Sword in his Switch, looking over the younger boy’s shoulders to direct him during the gameplay. Levi snorted when Caelum pointed at the screen of the device, calling a Pokémon cute and wanting it, only for Altair to tell him that something cooler is better. Caelum shook his head, ignoring his twin’s protests, and it looked like he chose to catch the Pokémon he wanted because he said it was shining. Without him knowing, you kept gazing at his side profile, watching how his eyes endearingly observed the twins. You looked away from him and your heart melted at the sight of your and Levi’s sons beside each other. You saw how Altair’s expression brightened whenever Caelum looked back at him to ask for help while the younger boy stared at his older brother in amazement.

“What the fuck? That was a Brilliant Pokémon? You caught a Brilliant Pokémon this early?!”

“Is that bad?”

“I had to roam that area for hours to get something with a Brilliant Aura. Are you some kind of magnet? The next time I’m playing, you have to stay beside me. Maybe your good luck might affect me if I play gacha games, too.”

“I’m scared to ask but I’m curious — what are gacha games?”

“Oh, you sweet innocent child.”

“We’re the same age.”

“You poor, poor kid. I’ll teach you everything you need to know about gaming. It’s a calming hobby if I do say so myself.”

“You cursed at your Switch earlier at lunch because you died. You didn’t just curse once, you repeated it so many times that Dad threatened to confiscate your Switch and phone. Even Petra and Captain scolded you, Al. Well, Captain only barked but it counts as a sermon, I guess.”

“… What can I say? It’s a way to relieve anger and stress.”

“… I’m concerned.”

You laughed at the exchange. “I can’t believe our boys are together in one setting. It feels so surreal.”

“Yeah, our boys.”

Your eyes briefly widened before shifting your head to the side, only for your breath to hitch. Levi was already gazing at you with a handsome smile that always entranced you. It felt like it was college all over again, where every single action Levi did, sent your heart spiraling in an abyss. You’re willing to let yourself drown in that silver sea again. This was the first time you ever admitted it after twelve years but him saying ‘our boys’ was making you fall in love with him again. No, the moment you saw him in the hotel’s interior was when you felt so many emotions for him again. But every second was amplifying the feelings you kept hidden in a chest, threatening to overflow. “Our boys,” you breathed, flashing a somber smile. “That sounds like a dream.”

Oluo materialized beside you two to place a tray of drinks on the table by the pool chair. While carefully putting the tall glasses of juice, the butler warily eyed Levi before giving you a warm smile, turning around to go back on babysitting the two kids. You thanked him, reaching out towards the table. Levi’s fingers brushed against yours for a brief moment, causing you to gasp lightly and recoil. God, why are you acting like a teenager coping with your newfound crush? This is your ex-husband and you’re far from being a teenager. Hell, you two have two amazing sons sitting a few feet from you and you’re acting like you didn’t make love to him a thousand times since junior year in university. You berated yourself along those lines, not noticing that Levi took matters into his own hands, handing you your drink. There was a gleam of amusement in his eyes that ignited embarrassment to bubble in your stomach. Bloody hell, that was worthy of a laugh.

“You don’t have to act so tensely around me, beautiful.” Levi’s voice was so close to your ear that it made you jump a little bit. You turned your head swiftly, a mere two inches separating you two. You felt your face heat up at the proximity, witnessing how Levi’s cheeks flushed, his eyes widening. The two of you didn’t pull away. It felt like Eternity was choosing this moment to prolong, letting the two of you get lost in each other’s eyes. “It’s just me, okay? Relax.” You followed his advice and you felt your shoulders loosened their tightness. Without thinking about it, you fixed your stare on his lips. His bottom lip was still fuller and like a person craving for a lover’s touch, you tilted your head.

It doesn’t go unnoticed to Levi. If only you could hear how loud his heartbeat was pounding. It was like a song, with you as his muse that spurred every tempo and beat. The distance was slightly diminishing and both of your breaths stopped when inches became centimeters. He was so intoxicated by your scent that he didn’t care if anyone saw him retreat into someone vulnerable. Only you can make him shed his impassive front. It was always you. Your eyes were starting to close and yet Levi chose the opposite — just to see your face if your lips make contact with one another. But he couldn’t help it. His eyes were closing on their own, with the softness of your lips brushing on his. His free hand rose to cup your cheek.

Until a flash erupted in front of you two, breaking the small bubble Levi created just for the two of you.

“You,” Caelum started, the Switch was forgotten on his lap, “are a bloody idiot, Al.”

Altair gulped at the unamused stares he got from Levi and Caelum, shivering at the uncanny similarity. Since he knew that Caelum brought the camera Erwin gave as a welcoming gift, he took it out of one of the bags. Once he saw the picture-perfect moment unfolding in front of his eyes, he didn’t have a second thought of taking a photo. Only for the flash to interrupt it. He looked at anywhere except those two, meeting your amused smile. “Mom,” he partially whined. “I didn’t know the flash was on.”

You waved him over, your giggles when Altair entered your arms softening Levi’s and Caelum’s glares directed at the older Ackerman twin. Altair snuggled on your side, head resting on your chest with a noticeable pout pulling on his lips. “Let’s take the flash away, okay? Here, hold this drink for me for a second.” Your gentle voice contrasted with the frustrated sigh coming from Levi. You fiddled with the settings before glancing at Levi, who inconspicuously scooted closer to you. “Oh, come on, Levi, don’t look at Al like that.” You patted your ex-husband’s cheek, squeezing his cheek lightly.

Levi’s blank face was directed at you. He blinked slowly for a few moments, slightly tilting his head to narrow his eyes at the boy sneaking a look from your other side. A mouthed ‘I’m sorry’ was what Levi got from Altair. Without anything to bring back the earlier atmosphere, he sighed. A fervent waving caught his attention. Caelum was gesturing at him and then pointing at you. His mouth was saying something wordlessly but Levi couldn’t comprehend it. Altair picked up on it and coughed between the word ‘date’, getting up from the pool chair, but not before kissing you on the cheek swiftly and placing your drink on the side table. He returned to his twin's side, nudging Caelum as a weak attempt to erase the unamused stare on his younger twin. Levi cleared his throat, remembering his son’s words in his suite.

(Altair clapped his hands. “Okay, listen up, everyone! Since all we need is to get evidence that Luke is cheating on Mom, I’m thinking of following him for the entire day tomorrow.”

“Where did this come from?” Levi asked. “And what are you saying following him? Are you doing that alone?”

“Thank you for the questions, Dad, but hear me out first.”

Levi scoffed a laugh.

“Quick warning, all of this is hypothetical and these are just my speculations. Let’s say that Lucas will be gone for the whole day tomorrow to hook up with some random girl around California. My source is seeing him using Google Maps on his phone while waiting for the taxi to take us to this hotel. The second source is seeing him talking to a younger woman in the hotel lobby when Mom is right there. Another thing that fueled my suspicion is the woman whispering something to Luke and him nodding along. Of course, I won’t forget how he took out his phone to exchange numbers!” Altair took a deep breath. “My point is, he’ll be gone the whole day tomorrow. Or the entire morning.”

“That’s such a … an unreachable theory, Al,” Petra voiced out.

“Still a theory.”

Caelum looked up from his pasta. “What do we do then?”

“You,” the older twin pointed at Caelum with a devilish grin, “will be coming with me to find Luke around San Francisco and catch solid evidence of his cheating. Petra, Oluo, and Hange will be coming with the two of us.” The two adults blinked, Altair brushing their reaction off. “Since Hange might say yes to this instantly, I hope you two will be okay with it?” He directed his question at the redhead and brunet.

“Yeah, we’ll watch over you two.” Petra flashed a thumbs-up.

Oluo only nodded with an impressed hum.

Levi sipped on his tea. “What about me?”

“Take Mom out on a date tomorrow.”

The onyx-haired man raised his head too fast that it ignited his headache to dully throb again.

“Make her relive your first date with her in a museum. It’s sort of a distraction to not give the other side of the plan out. Mom might have an idea about us getting evidence if she stays in this hotel without anything to do. And since you also have nothing to do, you ask her on a date, Dad.” Altair crossed his arms over his chest, eyebrow raised teasingly. “You also mentioned getting back with her, right? Isn’t dating the first step in establishing a relationship. It’s like killing two birds with one stone, Dad, so stop looking like I put the entire world on your shoulders. We follow Luke and you rekindle your relationship with Mom! How fun is that!”

“I-I don’t know how to ask her that.”

Caelum smiled. “You did it for your first date, right? You can always do it again, Dad.”)

Levi took a deep breath. “[Name]?”

You hummed as a response, your pretty eyes captivating Levi.

“Are you free tomorrow?”

“Yes,” you answered, heartbeat thudding in your ears.

He never looked away from you, cheeks flaming with heat. “Let me take you out. For old time’s sake.”

A pause rang out after his words, then, a heavenly smile lit up your face. “Of course, Levi.”

Altair presented his hand in front of Caelum, palm up. The younger twin looked away from their parents and looked back and forth between the waiting palm and the smug grin Altair sported. With a shake of his head, lips pulled on a smile, he gave his twin a high-five. The plan is being blessed by both Fate and Time.

taglist:

@loveprisms @halparkebitch @omlbarnes @a--nonymousse @nunufx @misslovingpearl @softsakusas @whalerus @sakuxxi @littleagxs @izzy-rose010 @dora-the-grownup @dren-whalen @tsunderehokage @bokkunto @alwayssleepingforreal @haikyuutothetop

if your username is in italics, i couldn't tag you :<<

can i please request for late night road trips with not-yet-boyfriend levi ackerman? they're pining for one another and wanted to know each other on a deeper level. so, they went on an impromptu road trip at night and they had deep talks <3 tysm aaaa

ready to love  — levi ackerman

— levi ackerman x female reader (modern au)

— warnings: none, just fluff <3

— summary: levi is one of your best friends but before he became one, he admitted to having feelings for you. and now with an impromptu hang-out, you started to realize that he's more than just a friend all these years.

— word count: 6.6k

— author’s notes: i'm so sorry for replying to this request late aaaaa i hope this poorly edited fic will compensate for your wait njwebj i can't help but put the new song of seventeen as the title because i'm obsessed with it since their mini album released. btw, i think i didn't comprehend your request that well so i apologize in advance if it's starting to drift away from the main theme of your request dnwbje happy reading and thank you for requesting !! <333

i can't help but imagine a much taller levi every time i write something set in the modern world lmao and i actually tried a different writing style for his point of view so i hope it works out ksksks

reblogs are greatly appreciated !!

You don’t know where you can place your relationship with Levi Ackerman.

He confessed to you out of the blue while walking you back to your dorm after working on a group project together. To say you were surprised was an understatement because that man has never talked to you outside of your academic requirements. Hell, the first sentence he said to you was about splitting the workload and he looked ready to bury you more than six feet under the ground with his indifferent eyes. When he confessed to you, an unhurried ‘Please hear me out, I have feelings for you for some time now’, you actually didn’t know what to say. You racked your brain for your interactions with him that might give away his supposed feelings for you but it came into a blank. In the end, he managed to continue with a flushed face that he will wait for your answer no matter how long it takes. You had no choice but to nod in understanding. Your voice didn’t come until you went inside your room, with your roommate, Hange, asking what made you look like you saw a ghost.

Can you blame yourself though? You never had someone confess to you before. You always do those things, never the other party. It was mainly the reason why you avoided relationships since you last confessed to a person you liked during high school. That was a nasty experience — them saying you’re not their type hit you closer at home than you anticipated. In short, confessing to someone is a savage thing to do if you don’t want to get hurt while letting go of your feelings.

Levi confessing to you, however, happened in your second year in college.

Oh, how you wanted to go back to those times because being a college senior wasn’t for you at all. You groaned when you noticed that you forgot to buy your daily coffee from the university café. You’re running late for a lecture so you had no choice but to jog a little to avoid being in the spotlight. The fucking door to the lecture hall is in the front of the seats and you don’t want to experience being the center of attention just because you’re late for a couple of minutes. Plus, the professor you have for this class isn’t compassionate and understanding at all.

Thankfully, you arrived seconds before your professor entered the lecture hall. You didn’t even drink your version of a serotonin boost, much less eat a balanced breakfast, so you were already drifting every fifteen minutes of the class. You promised yourself that you’ll be serious for your senior year, not that you weren’t taking your previous years in college seriously, but you needed to focus since it’s your final year before graduate school. More like a New Year’s resolution but make it a resolution for a new academic year that you always narrate in your mind but you failed to always make it happen. But it was starting to be draining listening to your professor drone the theories and applications when you have an empty stomach and zero social battery. The whole time you were sitting in the middle of the seats was spent staring mindlessly at the projected slide and your iPad. Your notes weren’t even that legible anymore.

With a final reminder of your college thesis (you had a small internal meltdown at this), your professor dismissed you after three hours of lecture.

“Hey, [Name],” came a familiar voice behind you.

You turned around and flashed a small smile at the person. Even though you always have a drained social battery when it comes to interacting with your classmates, there are still some exceptions to your little solitary moment, and the person calling for your name is one of them. “Hey, Nanaba,” you greeted the tall blonde and waited for her to reach you so that you can walk together out of the building.

“I saw that you didn’t take down that many notes this class so I wanted to tell you that I’ll be sending my notes in your school mail later,” she told you while hiking her bag on her shoulder. “You look out of it.” Nanaba rose a hand to feel your forehead. “Are you feeling alright, love? Did you stay up late because of your readings again?” She has this habit of calling her friends terms of endearment and it didn’t fail to make your heart warm. “I think you should go back to your apartment to give this day a rest. Self-care is always important and should be put first, you know?”

You chuckled, taking her hand and patting it gently. “I know. But I still have another lecture in about,” you looked at your phone, smiling at the photo of you and Levi after turning it on, “twenty minutes and it’s in the Science Department. I might have a free afternoon so I’ll use that time for sleeping.” You sighed, smiling at Nanaba who was looking at you with a knowing smirk. You rose an eyebrow at her in confusion. “What?”

“For a person who says they’re just friends, you still have that picture as your lock screen,” Nanaba teased, pointing at your phone.

You felt your cheeks go warm, looking away from your friend and fixing your attention on a group of students doing a round of review for an exam in the courtyard. One of them recognized you and rose a hand in a slight wave. Armin Arlert, the first-year who asked you for directions and advice knowing that you two belong in the same department. You returned his wave with a smile before glancing at Nanaba, who was still smiling smugly. “It’s cute,” you murmured under your breath with a jut of your bottom lip. “Plus, he’ll think there’s something wrong if I change it. And for your information, it was Hange who told me that it’s alright to put it as my wallpaper. We’re really just friends.”

“Hmm, now why is that?”

“It’s not what you think! I mean, he’s one of my best friends and I sort of appreciate him by putting this picture as my lock screen.”

Nanaba continued humming with a half-smile. You were so cute when you were flustered and the tall blonde couldn’t help but tease you some more. It was true that Levi’s one of your best friends despite having confessed to you when you were sophomores (Nanaba doesn’t know this fact) but the blonde could tell that something was underlying in your friendship. Friends don’t just casually kiss each other on the corner of the lips whenever they meet after a long day in university. Maybe Nanaba was looking too much into this because today, you can be platonically in love with your friends but the way Levi looked at you every time beholds something more than friendship. If Nanaba could place it in words, Levi is madly in love with you. Well, she doesn’t hang out with your friend group but she can tell when Levi picks you up sometimes.

It’s quite fun being a bystander to all of this so Nanaba patted you on the head as a way to stop her teasing. She will have to gossip about this to Hange later.

“Trust me, you won’t be friends any longer.” The blonde looked up and nearly cackled at a familiar man waiting for you at the nearby bench. “Well, speaking of your little devil, he’s here, [Name].”

“What?” You asked, looking up from your phone. Hange texted you about getting some groceries because they forgot to buy them yesterday. It was quite amusing rooming with Hange for your entire college experience, from the dormitories to renting out a decent apartment. Rather than getting mad at them for their antics, you found them endearing. You looked around with furrowed eyebrows. “Where?”

Nanaba gently guided your head to look at somewhere to the right. “There.”

True enough, Levi was casually sitting on one of the benches, scrolling through something on his phone. It was as if he felt you staring at him so he looked up directly in your direction, pocketing his phone and slinging his backpack over his shoulder right after. There was a familiar large cup in his other hand and it made you crave your coffee again. He never took his eyes off of you as he made his way over, glancing at Nanaba and nodding at her once he reached the two of you.

“Hey, Nanaba,” Levi greeted, tugging on a piece of your hair to get you out of your daze.

Nanaba’s smile made you narrow your eyes. (Levi tugged on your hair again to catch your attention.) “Hello, Levi.” She then perked up, not liking the way Nanaba wiggled her eyebrows at you. “I’m meeting up with Nifa for some late breakfast so I hope to see you guys later. And, [Name],” Nanaba pointedly looked at you, “think about what I said earlier. Rest and do things that can make you feel relaxed. Play your games or read a book, just don’t grind for academics for one second. Levi, keep an eye on her. Bye!” The tall blonde turned around and bounded off to the opposite direction of where Nifa’s department building is.

You didn’t notice Levi squinting at how you stared incredulously at a retreating Nanaba. The whole time he made his presence known, you didn’t give him the greeting you always exchange together. You heard a faint, “Hey,” near your ear. It made you turn to Levi, only for your voice to disappear when he leaned in to give you the usual kiss on the corner of your lips. The contact lingered for a couple of seconds so you returned it as soft as you can. However, Levi slightly turned his head to meet your pretty eyes, with your kiss landed at the center of his lips instead. The two of you stare wide-eyed at each other, not comprehending what transpired at the moment. As much as it ensued both of your heartbeats to pound in a song, Levi made sure to capture you with his stare. Your face started to become warm when you saw his face being painted with rouge as you pulled away.

Levi lightly licked his bottom lip. “You taste like watermelon.”

If the world stopped when you accidentally brushed your lips against his, his words just made an uncontrollable torpedo of butterflies flutter the insides of your stomach and chest. You hitched your backpack on your shoulders and walked away from him with fast footsteps. Nanaba was right, you two weren’t ‘just friends’ at all. There was something behind every gesture that made your body tingle with emotions that weren’t supposed felt for a close friend. You tried so hard to bottle everything up, resorting to thinking about Levi deep into the night whenever you have some backlogs to finish. After his confession during your sophomore year, you saw him in a completely different light. This man who was just a passing face in your day became one of the many people you look forward to talking to. Once he started being your friend, Levi made you feel loved and special through his little actions that sometimes, you wish it didn’t give you butterflies every damn time. You even wonder if Levi forgot about his feelings for you as the years go by.

What they said was true — that you’ll slowly notice the person who expressed their feelings for you.

You heard footsteps following close by but you didn’t have any strength to stop and turn around, fearing that looking at Levi right now could make your brain malfunction. A gentle hold on your wrist held you back, slightly turning you around, and yet you could only fix your stare on the pavement.

“Don’t be sorry, okay? It’s my fault. A-And it’s not like I don’t like it.”

You looked at him through your eyelashes, feeling his thumb rub the inside of your wrist. He was wistfully looking down where his hand was wrapping around your wrist before meeting your eyes, the eye contact spanning more than eternity. Once again, your face felt warm. “I don’t mind it either,” you whispered.

“G-Good to know.” He let go of your wrist to scratch his undercut. “Uhm, here’s my drink. I have an inkling that you didn’t get to order your coffee earlier so here you go.” Levi handed you his tall cup of hot tea, slightly raising his eyebrow when you only stared at it. “What? You don’t want it? There’s still caffeine in here, you know?”

“Are you sure?” You slowly asked him because you know how Levi cherishes his daily tea from the university café. One time, Hange reached out for a sip and Levi smacked their hand so hard that you had to apply ice on her hand. Levi apologized for that only because you made him feel guilty about it. After that incident, you, Hange, and Erwin always made sure to buy your own drinks when you have your hang-outs. “I don’t want to have a repeat of what you did to Hange.”

His shoulders shake in a silent laugh. “No, I will never hurt you. Four-eyes had it coming anyway because they didn’t ask for my permission but I’m genuinely offering this to you so it’s kind of different.” Levi fiddled with a lock of your hair and you felt your cheeks becoming warm again. “Are you just going to stare at me like I’m your worst nightmare or are you going to take it?”

You shook your head. “No, you’re not my worst nightmare and I’ll be accepting this because you so graciously offered it to me.” With a soft smile, you took the cup of tea from his hand and took a sip. At the taste of the sweet drink, you hummed in contentment. Nothing beats a good, sweet, and warm drink to fill up your serotonin levels every morning. You detect a slight scent of strawberries and a small amount of milk in the tea, wondering when Levi started asking for add-ons in his drinks. You always remembered his favored drink since you were sometimes tasked with telling the counter your orders and it was always black tea with nothing at all. You narrowed your eyes at him from over the rim of the cup, detecting the delighted shine in his gray eyes. “You don’t put anything in your tea. Especially sweeteners and milk.”

Levi shrugged with a small smile, ruffling your hair before wrapping his arm around your shoulders to steer you to your next class. “I wanted to have something for a change.” He glanced at you from the side of his eyes. “From the way you’re drinking it, I think it’s a good idea to change my order for the day. You need it more than me anyway. I can manage a day without some tea from the uni’s café. I make better tea than them, to be honest.”

You laughed at his last statement, slightly leaning on him. You felt his hand transfer from your shoulder to your waist.

“Is this alright?” Levi whispered in your ear.

“Yeah,” you hummed, praying that Levi wouldn’t hear your heart racing in your chest.

You seriously don’t know when you started falling in love with him but the present is all that matters.

Levi knew exactly when he started falling in love with her.

It was a coincidence that his schedule matched up with her but it wasn’t a coincidence that she caught his attention while walking out of a class with Erwin during freshman year. His tall friend was telling him about a new book that was coming out. All Levi could remember from his gushing was how the book had unknown creatures in them that made the blonde excited enough to buy it. Something was occupying Levi’s mind that muddled his memory of what Erwin was talking about. Actually, it wasn’t something. A girl walked out of the building they were walking along by and Levi felt his curiosity piqued, Erwin’s words becoming static as his gray stare never left her. She wasn’t even wearing flashy clothes but the moment she turned her head in their direction as if she was looking for something, Levi’s heart stuttered in his chest.

She’s so fucking beautiful to him — like the shooting star he found mesmerizing while he was stargazing with his mother when he was twelve. The whole minute was spent just looking at her, seeing how she shifted her attention to the other side of the courtyard before bringing her pretty eyes to him again. He saw how her eyebrows slightly furrowed at his gawking, irises glinting with suspicion. Levi didn’t realize he stopped walking when Erwin jogged back to him, checking to see what made his friend stop. Levi didn’t even register that Erwin was beside him once again as he watched her wave at a tall brown-haired person.

“Hey, Erwin, who is that?”

Erwin followed his gaze to the pair walking away, looking back at Levi who was still looking at the girl. He chuckled before patting his friend on the shoulder. “That’s [Name] if I can recall correctly. She’s also in my Statistics class. She’s pretty much a quiet person most of the time but when you try to approach her kindly, she’ll warm up eventually. The person with them is Hange, her roommate, I think. Why do you ask?”

“Nothing.”

It was not nothing, of course, because Levi found himself looking all over the campus for just a glimpse of the girl. She was very much like a passing wisp every time Levi walked down the hallways of the different buildings of their university. For a huge campus, there was no chance of seeing the girl again and Levi was left with the remnants of her in his memory. No matter how much he convinced himself that it was an attraction that he felt when he first saw her, Levi would always crane his head over the crowds, wishing that he could float on a cloud to overlook everyone else. All to search her. And finding her was like a stroke of luck because Erwin showed him an Instagram account with pictures of her. Levi followed the account without any second thought. That only added to his never-ending curiosity and interest for the girl named [Name], making his chest blossom with red carnations and yellow tulips.

Levi was perfectly content with admiring her from afar. Their paths sometimes intertwined with each other whenever there were events around the campus. She was always with that tall, talkative brown-haired person that Levi was starting to think that maybe she already gave her heart to another. But that didn’t stop him from glancing at her if they were in the same vicinity. Levi couldn’t fathom how a person could be that pretty without even trying – mesmerized at every action she did no matter how small it is. Everything paled in comparison whenever she’s around.

He always knew that he was the kind of person who never delved deeper into strange connections with others, relying on interactions to further deepen the bond they already established. This is the case with every person Levi encountered in his life. His hometown friends, Isabel and Farlan, and even Erwin were prime examples. Nobody could ever break down his well-crafted walls with just a single word. It wasn’t that [Name] was an exception (she still didn’t earn his permission to enter his life simply because they never talked once) but Levi will readily shed his guard little by little upon knowing what kind of person she is. Too bad Levi was too shy to approach her. The rest of his first year in university was spent complying with the requirements of his courses and thinking so hard on his newly-accumulated feelings for a girl he doesn’t know anything about (except for the little posts her roommate writes on Twitter, tagging her in some of them). He decided that if everything was unrequited, he will do himself the favor to confess to her and let the feelings go because it wouldn’t benefit him in the end.

Everything came into place when he was in sophomore year.

Every shred of his plan of burying his feelings for the girl vanished like a wisp he saw on the night sky.

“Please hear me out, I have feelings for you for some time now.”

Levi knew that was a wrong move. If this was a chess game, he was already risking his king of being placed in checkmate. He had no control over his mouth when it came to her and he hated himself for that. It might be the comfortable atmosphere they established or it could be that Levi found her beautiful under the stars, but he knew that his feelings were overflowing to the point that he couldn’t hold it in anymore. Her shocked face was piercing, hurting him in the best way possible because she still looked pretty. The disbelief painted on her face was enough for Levi to realize how stupid he was at blurting out his feelings.

But fate thought it would be funny to make them closer as friends after that incident.

The late-night musings immediately stopped when the next song played in Levi’s earphones. He was doing revisions in one of his courses, his desk piled up with readings and highlighters that were still aligned beside the papers. He ran his hand through his hair, making it flop on his forehead. The weight of being a senior was getting to him as he let himself fall back on his desk chair. The little glow-in-the-dark star stickers [Name] placed on his ceiling greeted his vision. She was cute while reaching up on the small ladder Levi placed in the middle of the room. Levi remembered how she slipped and how she snuggly fit in his arms in a desperate attempt to catch her. He shook his head to quell his fast heartbeat, every single thought revolving around the young woman rendering him breathless. The moment his stomach growled, Levi straightened himself in his seat and took a deep breath.

His phone was then in his hands, his fingers typing out a message without second thoughts.

Hey, I’ll be picking you up in ten.

With a pounding heartbeat, Levi put on one of his jackets before taking his car keys. Locking his apartment, he went out and drove to her shared apartment with Hange. The moment he parked his car, he went out and leaned himself on the door to the passenger seat. Levi was preoccupied with reading some of the tweets in his timeline when he heard the sliding doors to the apartment complex open to a very concerned [Name]. She ran towards him and patted his tense figure before turning his head from one side to another as if searching for any injuries. Her sigh of relief followed as she placed her hands on his chest.

“I thought something went wrong.” Her dazzling eyes looked up at him, narrowed yet captivating at the same time. “You rarely text something that cryptic, Levi.”

Levi said nothing, his silver eyes roaming on her figure. With a hum, he cupped her face with a gentle hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her flush against his front. He leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss on the corner of her lips, hearing her breath hitch. His heart accelerated once again at the thought of kissing her fully on the mouth. If he could just tilt his head a little bit more to the right, he would’ve done that. He couldn’t forget the taste of her watermelon chapstick earlier, how intoxicating it was that it distracted him from all of his lectures. Not to mention that the hoodie she was wearing was one of his. The physical contact lingered for a few moments until they stared at each other, Levi’s thumb rubbing on the apple of her cheek. The warmth on their faces could be picked up at their proximity. Levi wished he could stop time right here but he remembered how hungry he was.

Pulling his face away from her mesmerized one, Levi caressed the small of her back. “I’m hungry.”

[Name]’s love-struck face turned into a reprimanding one. “You didn’t eat dinner again, did you?”

He shrugged. “Sue me.”

The woman in his arms sighed before turning around to gesture him to follow her. “Come in the apartment. I know Hange won’t mind if I cook for you at this hour. They’ll probably even rejoice you’ll grace them with your presence at this late evening.” She felt his grip around her tighten. “Levi?”

“Let’s drive around town.” Levi prayed that she wouldn’t see how his cheeks became red. “I want to spend this night with you. Alone.”

It looked like [Name] wasn’t breathing as she stared at her close friend. “Oh.” The locks of her hair fluttered from the wind as she looked at the side to hide her warming face. This man will be the death of her someday. It wasn’t fair that he was constantly running his mouth to say things that can make her heart stutter in her chest. “Uhm, sure, but I’m actually dressed for bed right now. I hope that’s okay with you?”

“You’re perfect either way.” Levi tugged at the hem of the hoodie [Name] was wearing with a half-smile. “I’d rather stare at how you look good with my clothes on.” When he continued tugging, he caught a glimpse of a very familiar shirt below the thick material of the hoodie. “And is this my old jersey from the volleyball team? You still kept it? It’s so worn out, you know.”

“It’s comfortable,” she smiled, fiddling with the ends of his hoodie. A laugh laced with playful disbelief bubbled in her chest. “I still couldn’t imagine you playing volleyball during freshman year,” she stated as Levi pulled her to the vehicle. Once the two of them settled in the warm confines of Levi’s car, [Name] turned to him with a grin. “I swear, I didn’t even know that fact until last year when Erwin randomly said it.”

“It’s not that important, to be honest. I was roped in because somebody practically shoved the application form in my hands while Erwin and I were walking around the welcoming booths at the start of freshman year. It was a chaotic mess and I couldn’t return it because the person got swallowed by the crowd. I didn’t know what came over me to join. All I know is that I can’t juggle academics and sports at the same time so I quit in sophomore year. I couldn’t get used to it, I guess.” Levi steered the car to the nearest McDonald’s, his hand comfortably placed on [Name]’s bare thigh (she was wearing shorts, a fact that always distracted Levi), rubbing on her skin until he felt warm in his side of the car. “What about you, any secret clubs you forgot to mention to me?”

[Name] hummed before Levi felt her fingers tracing the back of his hand. He mindlessly turned his hand palm up for their fingers to entwine, gaze focused on the road. “I once joined the softball team.”

“What?” Levi glanced at her for a second. “Really? When was that?”

“Same as you. At the start of freshman year. I quit before that academic year ended because I thought being on a sports team would take too much of my time. Hange was probably the one who convinced me to join the university team. They said that I should also focus on my physical fitness because I was acting like a slug most of the time in our dorm.” She chuckled at the memory, wistfully staring at the blinking cityscape as they passed by some of the establishments in their side of the town. “They even pinpointed my many mannerisms just to rile me up and eventually I joined.” Levi glanced at her once again, the sight of her measuring their hands together making him smile a little. “I had no idea how the sport works. The senior in the team was kind enough to teach me the basics but it wasn’t for me at all.”

“I understand,” Levi replied, turning the car to the right until they saw the sign of the fast-food restaurant ahead of them. “Peer pressure sucks. Especially if that friend is Four-eyes. I hate it when they put me in the hot seat sometimes.”

[Name] laughed. “That’s Hange for you. They mean well though.”

“For you, I guess. For me, I’m starting to think they’re trying to embarrass me.” He squeezed her hand to catch her attention. “Hey, should we order in the drive-thru?”

“Works for me.”

Levi nodded and drove towards the drive-thru of the building. Once their order was packed in paper bags, he handed them to [Name], who happily gasped when she saw that he ordered the strawberry shake she always bought. When everything is in place, Levi focused on the road again until he felt something poke his lips. He looked down on a piece of French fry being handed to him by a bright-eyed [Name]. He lowly laughed before opened his mouth to let her feed him the fries. His hunger made the food even more delectable, making him hum in satisfaction, with his last meal being lunch which was hours ago. “Where do you want to stop, beautiful?” The terms of endearment flew out of his mouth without him controlling it, never noticing how [Name] froze in the passenger seat with warm cheeks. “It’s going to be hard eating all of this in the car.”

“Anywhere you like, ‘Vi,” she murmured, trying so hard to brush away the nickname.

“Mm-hmm. How about going to that hill overlooking the university? We can stargaze as well.” Levi sheepishly gazed at her. “That is if you think it’s not too far.”

“Never.” She shook her head, an endearing smile painted on her face. “We have the night to ourselves, might as well go for it.”

Levi fell in love with her all over again.

The stars were brighter than usual as you gazed up at the canopy of constellations, the midnight hue of the sky is reflected in your eyes. The weather was in your side, with the night breeze occasionally ruffling your hair, with you wondering who was thinking of you at the moment for the wind to gently thread its fingers through your hair. Levi retracted the roof of his convertible to let the moment play out, the low tune on the radio filling in the background as you two munched on your food (for Levi, his dinner, while for you, a late-night snack). At times, you didn’t notice how his silver eyes flickered at your side profile. For him, the night sky and you are the perfect combinations for a distraction in the dreaded senior year of university. Everything you do is spell-binding for him, even if you were taking a bite of your chicken sandwich and slurping it down with your strawberry shake. As if sensing the stare, you looked back at him, raising your eyebrows cutely to wordlessly ask what was wrong.

Levi shook his head, his hand pinching your cheek. “Nothing.” He continued staring at you with the softest gaze, his smile reaching the corners of his eyes. “You just look so pretty, that’s all.”

“Don’t make my ego inflate even more, Levi,” you joked. “I look like a hobo. You look, well,” you shifted your attention on the windshield to avoid his inquiring eyes, “you look amazing for someone who is studying for more than three hours. Good for you.”

“I try.” The onyx-haired man shrugged lightheartedly. “But you’re the pretty one in this relationship, and that’s a fact.” He punctuated his statement with a bite of his burger, careful enough to not let the lettuce slide down his hand. “Hey, can I take a picture? I know I’m not good at taking pictures but I need a new post. Hange was pestering me to keep my account alive.”

“They’re right,” you nodded, popping a fry in your mouth. “Your last post was three months ago.” Wiping your hand on the napkin found in the paper bag, you shifted in the passenger seat so that your back was facing the door. “So, what do you want me to do?”

“Just sit still and look pretty.”

You laughed. “How do I do that?”

“I don’t know, you always do it. You’re just unaware.”

The heat on your cheeks was traveling towards your ears now, the butterflies continued fluttering inside your stomach and chest. You thought of how Levi continued to be your friend after spilling out his feelings to you and how he always made you laugh at the most random times of the day with his dry humor — the loving smile directed at the person behind the camera appearing instantly on your face. You didn’t know how many pictures Levi took but at that shot, he slowly lowered his phone with a star-struck expression stuck on his face. You also didn’t know what made him look like that but you couldn’t help but be captured in his gaze as well. The two of you looked at each other until Levi cleared his throat before opening his phone to tweak the filter of the pictures. However, the spell wasn’t broken because you sat near him, placing your chin on his shoulder as you watched him make the shots even more aesthetic. After a few moments, your phone dinged with the tag from him and you straightened on your seat, already missing Levi’s warmth.

“There,” Levi murmured with red cheeks. “Hange and Erwin should be happy by tomorrow when they see this.”

You smile at the comfortable silence, letting the radio play a random song. It was then that a thought came into your mind that you couldn’t stay quiet.

“Levi, when did you fall in love with me?”

You always ached to ask that question because you couldn’t draw something from your freshman year until sophomore year. You couldn’t believe how such an amazing person managed to stumble in your life. It was true that you don’t remember meeting his eyes while you just got out of your classes in search of Hange but you remembered how he always stared at you whenever you talked. He always made sure you were heard. But the times before that, you were beyond confused that he would randomly tell you that he liked you for a while. You wanted to ask him that question ever since his confession became reality two years ago and you wanted to know if he still feels the same way. You have to make sure because what you’re feeling for him at the moment wasn’t meant for friends. How could you even tell him that, to begin with?

“Which time are you asking?” Levi softly asked, never looking away from the beauty that is you.

“What?” Your confusion is apparent in the air but Levi only answered with a chuckle. “Hey, I’m serious. You know, I never had someone confess to me until you. It was always me who was doing the confessing. I stopped doing that in the last year of high school because I sounded dumb with my reasoning. Even though I know I don’t have a chance with him and that I wasn’t his type at all, I still said it. We were sort of mutual friends and I kind of ruined it. I was thankful when I found out he was going to another university.” You laughed humorlessly. “Every single time, it was always unrequited and I was sick of it to the point that I told myself to never engage in those feelings when college starts.”

“That guy’s an asshole,” Levi snorted. “When I started crushing on you, I was perfectly fine with being a distant admirer. Have you seen yourself?”

You looked anywhere except for the man beside you. “No?”

He softly flicked your forehead. “Idiot. What I’m trying to say is, those people you’ve been confessing to, they don’t know how lucky they are to hear you say those words. I’m not saying that I should be hearing those words from you right now but to have someone this amazing and talented and beautiful falling in love with them, they pretty much have the entire world the moment you said you liked them. I might be looking at everything in rose-colored glasses but everything you do, [Name], is absolutely mesmerizing to me.” He placed the large cup of soda in the cupholder before holding your face in his hands. “They don’t appreciate that a piece of art was doing the admiring when you should be the one being admired. I would give the world to hear you say you love me back, beautiful, but I’m willing to wait years for you to feel the same way as me.”

Your vision became misty, throat clogging with emotions, and bottom lip being bitten to prevent a small sob. “So when?” You asked again with a shaky voice.

“I fall in love with you so many times, [Name]. Every time we’re in the same frame for a picture. Every time you smiled at me, God your smile is just perfect. Every fucking time you call my name, no matter what kind of shit you’re pulling.” Your laugh rang through the night, making Levi smile. “I fall in love with you every time you’re near me, when you touch me with your soft fingertips, when I feel your hugs give me the comfort I needed. The power you have over me is something that I have no control over because you are just perfect to me.” He squished your cheeks softly when he saw you open your mouth to retaliate. “And before you tell me that you’re not perfect, screw that thought because you are in my eyes. Plus, your heart is so fucking big for welcoming me as your friend despite having feelings for you.

“Fuck, I still do.”

The butterflies once again came to life with his words, your breath heavy and years clinging on your eyelashes. “When’s the most recent time you fell in love with me then?”

Levi neared his face to yours, your foreheads pressed against each other. His lips were just centimeters away when he murmured, “Right now.”

“Me, too,” you whispered, your lips brushing on his. “I fell in love with you again at this moment, Levi, and I’m ready for you to make me breathless every single day.”

Levi’s eyes widened at your words. He was so drunk in you that he didn’t know he was making a face many people wouldn’t associate with him. “When?” He threw your question right back at you because he couldn’t believe what he was hearing right now.

“Ever since you started telling me to stop drinking too much coffee or when you started making me some of your tea recipes. Like you, it just started a loop with every little thing you do for me. I just accepted it when Nanaba talked to me earlier this day. I’m sorry I took so long to give you an answer, Levi.”

“No, it’s perfect. My wait is worth it.”

The stars swooned when your lips finally met his. Because when a person was ready to love someone, nothing can come between them. They will feel as if they reached the highest point in their lives as if they were blessed by the gods for finding their other half. Nothing can stop them, not even the cosmos shining down at the birth of the blissful lovers.

"SO CLOSE TO REACHING THAT HAPPY END." — KUROO TETSUROU

NOTE: this is a heartless au.

so for everyone who doesn't know about heartless, it's a novel by marissa meyer centered on the villain origin story of the Queen of Hearts.

i do hope this will be to your liking ,,, so HAPPY READING !!

You were destined to be queen — one way or another.

Being one of Wonderland’s most desired and eligible bachelorettes and a daughter of a well-known Marquess, it’s safe to say that the King of Hearts (the fiercest and strongest ruler of Wonderland, to date) is also one of the many suitors lining for your hand in marriage. Though, being the crown queen wasn’t in your list of priorities because your sights have been set on creating pastries and confectioneries that deeply move the people of Wonderland.

In your own destiny, you have always believed you would end up as a baker. A humble one, with a store right in one of the shopping districts of Wonderland, its storefront bragging colors that complemented your creations and the inside booming with the aromatics of your baking, and there you are, dressed in a baker’s garb that you always wanted; aprons, mittens, and all. Alas, but a dream that only is.

However, the one who will set your dreams ablaze appeared right above you. Literally.

It was a ball that night. A black-and-white themed ball, to be exact. But you were presented by your family in a voluptuous red tent—gown, rather. Everywhere in the ballroom’s floor was a wave of black and white, stretching from ivory-tailed dress coats, ebony elbow gloves, chessboard leggings (who wore those?), feathery face masks in a monochromatic coloring, and black silk and velvet skirts twirling with rhinestones. Even the King’s royal guards, you can spot your friends, Hinata (his bright hair like a beacon) and Kageyama (whose face set in a scowl), with paint over the red hearts pasted under their eyes.

You are noticeable and it made you feel suffocated in your corset.

“I’m deeply sorry for breaking your trance, Lady [Last Name], but there are people lined up behind you,” the White Rabbit, Sugawara (his real name), cleared his throat in a reminder. “Your parents are long gone to the dance floor.”

Taking your skirts, you manage a bow and went your way to the dance floor. The stares bore into you like icy needles, their whispers of your being an attention-seeking harlot, and being a trying hard lady of the court flittered through your ears. You duck your head in a submissive bow while walking towards the feasting table — the safe haven in this wretched place. Just by maneuvering and staring at the assortment of treats laid out, you could feel your corset tighten in a silent warning.

A bite of the lemon tart you brought for this ball wouldn’t hurt, right?

“Lady [Last Name], I came here to remind you that this is a black-and-white ball,” a haughty drawl made you stop short in front of the feasting table.

You turned, uplifting your head to level your stare with the tall Knave of Hearts. A black tunic adorned his lazy posture, which rather fit him well, as much as you want to deny it. Black glasses covered his eyes, which was earned when he was hit by a croquet ball right in the face in one of the tea parties, giving him poor eyesight afterward. The mole might have spat on him.

“Hello, Tsukishima,” you greeted the Knave with a slight bow, making him scoff. You lowered your eyes in faux shame, however, you feel annoyed at the growing time you spent with this young man. “I believe somebody has mixed up my invitation, I was sure this was supposed to honor our kingdom’s colors.”

“You look stupid.”

You reel back, blinking up at the tall lad. “Is there any need to insult me?”

His brown eyes glared at you, scrutinizing your red gown in distaste. “You don’t even look half as decent as you always were, Lady [Last Name]. In fact, my poor eyesight says it all.”

“You perfectly know I didn’t want for it to be this way—“

“You’re awfully proud parading your embarrassment in this ball,” he scoffed again, “and you think you’re so high and mighty but let me tell you this, I am not afraid of you one tiny bit.”

“What are you talking abo—?”

“I don’t even like you that much at all, to begin with.”

And with that, Tsukishima walked away from you. You let out a sigh of relief at the end of that usual banter but you were wrong when he turned to you once again, his finger pointing at you in a scold.

“And you smell like a rose. Those rotten and stinky ones!”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment—ow!”

Tsukishima grunted, pulling on one of your curls, then he swiveled and marched his way towards the King’s royal guards, who followed his line of sight. Hinata brightened up when his eyes met yours, his hand waving frantically in the air. Kageyama, on the other hand, bonked him on the head to tell him off, but later noticed that it was you the orange-haired boy was waving so he opted in giving you a formal bow.

“Now that is what I call a confused boy,” a purr echoed behind you, making you jump an inch in the air.

“Why, hello to you, too, Lev,” you laughed, relieved that familiar company is present in this ball. “Are you allowed in here?”

The Cheshire Cat, or Haiba Lev (his birth name), grinned at you, his hand gripping the silver tray full of strawberry macaroons. His silver hair glinted against the overhead chandeliers and his slitted emerald green eyes shone with mischief as he gobbled up the treats with no care in the world. For such a tall boy, he managed to not rumple any of the displayed food on the feasting table. In fact, his silver tail was curling in satisfaction at the sweets he munched.

“I’d rather not think about that,” Lev answered, continuing his munching feast. “All I want is to finish up these macaroons. Are these the ones you brought for the ball? They’re heavenly, I tell you.”

You grimace, glancing sadly at the lone lemon tart beside the overgrown cat. “No, the lemon tarts are my specialty.”

Lev stopped eating and looked at you. “Why didn’t you say that was your creation?! I ate one of those and it’s by far the most delectable treat in this feasting table!”

“Your flattery will do you wonders, Lev.” You rolled your eyes as you stared on at the mingling guests in the ballroom. “Everybody is quite lively tonight.”

Lev hummed, swallowing his last bite of the macaroon in his paw. “I should tell you this but my conscience has been bugging me to never say it,” he told you. “But as the greater part of myself, I’ll still say it — the Knave has been placing some tarts that look exactly like the ones you made in his pocket.” He examined his claws with a half-lidded stare. “Thought you ought to know.”

“What?” You spun around and made sure that the beanpole Tsukishima was nowhere in sight before glaring at Lev, who was licking his lips with a satisfied smile. “Clearly you’re mistaken, Lev, he’s not here at all.”

“He was doing it earlier,” Lev retaliated. “Quite a strange fellow for someone who hates you, Lady [Last Name].” He perked up instantly, which made you lean back because the feline boy leaned forward to your face with sparkling green eyes. “Oh, by-the-bye, have you heard of the rumors? I was just being my adorable and invisible self when I heard it.”

“Rumors?” you questioned him, racking your brain of the recent events that’s been happening in Wonderland. “You mean Duke Tanaka expressing his love for the Lady Kiyoko one night with an orchestra of fish? Or that one time Sir Sugawara, in all his bunniness, announced His Highness Oikawa wrong, saying he was an escort of the Swan Palace? The latter was quite funny to watch.”

Lev curled his lips in disapproval. “You really are not acquainted with the rumors, huh? Those were the last two week’s rumors! This is a new day now! I was talking about the newly hired court jester, which by the way, hasn’t made his appearance yet. Maybe the king wanted the jester’s entertainment for himself? No one knows.”

“I don’t quite follow.”

The silver cat stared at her blankly. “All you’ve been doing is baking so I expected that response from you.” He sighed, crossing his lanky arms across his chest. “Some say that he spooked everyone with his appearance when he was walking down the streets lining the Blue Castle. I mean, who wouldn’t be scared when two men dressed in black just saunter their way towards the royal palace? He and his companion asked for the King’s audience and he easily performs a trick or two, which involved the orange and blueberry boys over there — something to do with a ball and a fast attack. I don’t even know. In the end, he was accepted. I also heard this night will be his debut but I don’t see him anywhere.”

You craned your neck to get a good view of the ballroom but it was quite hard catching the sight of the court’s new jester when almost all men chose to dress in black. “I don’t see any sort of man who might be the court joker.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling you!” Lev exasperatedly exclaimed, yet he continued. “Have you heard about the other rumors?”

“What are these other rumors? Do they concern me?”

Lev swallowed down a bubbling laugh as he looked at you from your red headdress to your red heeled shoes. “The king has chosen a bride! And he will be announcing it sooner or later—“ The sound of trumpets interrupted Lev, making him meow in delight. “I say, he’s going to announce it now!”

“PRESENTING HIS ROYAL AND INGENIOUS MAJESTY, THE KING OF HEARTS!”

Sugawara shouted at the top of his lungs, his trumpet tucked at the side. You turned around along with the rest of the guests as the King stood with his chest inflated in a proud inhale on top of the castle’s staircase. The aristocrats bowed down at the sight of the tarot of rulers standing at the top of the staircase.

There was King Oikawa Tooru of the Blue Castle and the leader of the small kingdom of Spades. Quite the ladies’ man with his charming chocolate curls and eyes. He was impeccably dressed in a white undershirt and a black waistcoat that seemed to be embellished with accents of his royal colors — aquamarine. His loyal adviser, Iwaizumi Hajime, shoots arrows to the side of his head as an attempt to leash the harlot and condescending king. Some say that he was not only a pretty face but a ruthless leader under the guise of ‘The Grand King’, the sources of such allegations coming from his subjects in the Spade courts.

Beside the smirking Oikawa was the leader of the Diamond court, Ushijima Wakatoshi of the Swan Palace. The ever stoic general of the Eagle Corps, the indomitable army of Wonderland, overlooked everybody on the dance floor with an outfit adorned with amethyst accents. His black coat was a sight for sore eyes, as it bore the insignia of his army and the royal seal of the court of Diamonds. His right hand, Tendou Satori, smirked and snickered at the people gawking at them, his alias of being the ‘Red Monster’ befitting him as his grin never ceased.

The last member of the four rulers of Wonderland was the duke of the land of Clovers, Terushima Yuuji. For a dukedom known for its rambunctious and quite interesting revels, their ruler also harbored the fortitude of being the land’s wildest overseer, his palace always flowing with an abundance of wine and courtesans once a week. Dressed in a black inner-shirt that gave quite a view of his chest and fitting pants, Terushima was quite the heartbreaker. It was noticeable that the duke of Clovers was a magnet for a lady’s attention when Oikawa gave him a dirty look for stealing his glory.

And the subject of your nightmares was standing there in between those three towering leaders. The King of Hearts, Nishinoya Yuu. Being the youngest out of the four of them, Nishinoya inherited the title of king when his father passed on because of an accident when walking down the waterfalls in Turtle Cove (one of the most sought-out attractions in Wonderland), making him the youngest king in the history of the Kingdom of Hearts, only at thirteen. But being the youngest meant that he could be neglecting some of his responsibilities, namely; the rise of the Jabberwocky and the invasion warning of the Queendoms of Chess. He was, in fact, chasing you, rather than doing his job as the King. Before you, however, he was blatantly confessing his love for the radiant Lady Kiyoko but something happened for him to shift towards you.

Nishinoya was dressed in full monochrome regalia, with his white fur coat too big on his short frame and a blinding white suit studded with rhinestones. On top of his head is the royal crown of Hearts, its heart-shaped finial and rubies saying it all. He was grinning when you rose from your curtsy.

You inconspicuously blanched when he grinned at you.

Stiffening in your perch as he jostled down the steps to reach you, you forced a smile on your face, curtsying again.

“Lady [Last Name]! Isn’t it such a fair evening for a grand ball?” he asked in your face, looking up at you with a hopeful expression that would definitely hurt if you ruined it.

“Indeed, Your Majesty,” you replied. “How is your night faring in this wondrous celebration?”

“It is incredible now that I have finally seen your face!” Nishinoya exclaimed with stars in his eyes.

You looked away.

Sugawara, who stood at the foot of the stairs, cleared his throat. “His Royal Majesty would like to request the hand of Lady [Last Name] [Name] for the first quadrille.”

Your eyes widened. “Why, thank you, Your Highness. I am honored.”

The King wasn’t an intimidating man. To be honest, he was the opposite. Nishinoya has the tendency to shout or laugh at the most inopportune moments, like that time Sugawara mistook King Oikawa for being an escort of the Diamond Court. For such a young child, the King of Hearts was a vibrant and kind boy, befriending even the commoners serving as his Royal Guard. His lack of intimidation was what kept you in your best and most civil behavior, seeing as he never treated you harshly.

But he wasn’t the brightest shade of red in the kingdom.

Nishinoya led you to the dance floor and continued gazing at you with utmost adoration but your mind was filled with other matters not concerning the King. Yes, he was a sweet young man and a happy one at that. He was also the one responsible for making Hearts the kingdom as it is today.

“You look utterly stunning, my lady,” Nishinoya told you, looking like a puppy waiting for a treat. It was almost endearing.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” you replied, forcing some enthusiasm in your voice.

It was always forced when it comes to the King, seeing as you always hated the thought of being leashed, of having your dreams taken away from you with just a snap of his royal fingers. And you quite treasured your dreams, your bakery, and the simple life it held. But knowing his royal and boisterous Highness, everything will always come his way.

“My favorite color is red, in fact! And seeing you dressed like an empress, a queen rather, makes my heart pound with longing!”

You recoiled. The implication in his sentence sent a tremor of dread down your spine. Your destiny was inevitable, that’s what your mother said to you when you tried fighting or your dream of being a baker. She said that many things are waiting for you in the life of a noble lady and a possibility was lying in one of them — that you will be the next Queen of Hearts. You didn’t want that.

“You, my lady, are a treasure,” he said, dazed.

Your heart ached for so many things in that moment. Your heart ached for your dream, for your tied-down future, and lastly, for not having the capabilities of returning the king’s affection.

“I definitely should ask,” Nishinoya mumbled shyly as you went back in his arms after a twirl, “but did you bake any treats this evening? I was wondering which of those on the feasting table did you bring?” He glanced at the table at the side of the ballroom, his eyes passing by a munching Lev, who watched the two of you with a knowing glint in his eyes.

Your discomfort vanished in an instant as you smiled at the King. The two of you raised your hands to let the couple beside you duck underneath. Once face to face again, you beamed. “I offered baking the lemon tarts this evening and I’m happy that it was to everyone’s liking.” You continued smiling as you remembered some people talking about your treats. “I do hope you have at least a bite, Your Highness.”

Nishinoya perked up and grinned at you. “That’s fantastic! I might take a bite after the dance!”

“I’m happy to hear that, Your Majesty.”

He missed a couple of dance steps as he visibly gawked at your smile. You couldn’t help but think that it was adorable for a moment. The dance ended after a few twirls and exchange of partners and you find yourself huffing at the exhausting quadrille. However, your partner was energetic as usual as he giggled.

“Thank you for gracing this night with your effervescent presence, Lady [Last Name],” Nishinoya bowed. “Now I must find those tarts of yours in the feasting table.”

“And thank you, Your Majesty,” you replied, curtsying. “You honor me so.”

You can feel your shoulders relax after the young King turned away from you. Not finding any interest in continuing the ball, you tried finding your parents in the crowd to tell them that you have to go home because you’re not feeling well. The ball was so far, tiring and you sluggishly pad your way towards the balcony, not minding the posture your etiquette teacher taught you, in an attempt to have fresh air. But you hadn’t even moved from your spot before the lights flickered out, washing everything in darkness.

The band stopped the music. Shocked gasps chorused amongst the crowd. A scared cry erupted from one spot in the ballroom. You faintly heard one of the guards shouting orders to one another to find out what caused the blackout. But a few minutes later, a spark and a flicker came from above. Everyone looked up to see what kind of spectacle displayed itself. The center chandelier gave an ominous glow over the ballroom, with it being the only thing giving out light.

There, hanging on the chandelier, was a large hoop of glinting silver, and lounging comfortably inside the hoop was a jester.

He was dressed in a midnight black tunic belted at his hips and tight-fitting trousers tucked in a pair of leather knee-length boots. His hands were enclosed in gloves, matching with his whole dark ensemble. Skin glowing amber (unlike the pale skin everybody sported in the kingdom) under the mellow lights of the candles in the chandelier, he continued sitting in the hoop. His hair was so unruly and messy that you assumed he only rolled out of bed before perching above the ballroom. It covered the right part of his face, shadowing his visage even more.

You took in a sharp inhale of breath as you continued staring at him, your heart pounding in your chest.

The unknown stranger’s half-lidded golden eyes were looking straight at you.

part two will be up probably tomorrow any other day bcos let's face it,,, i'm a procrastinator,, i mean, who isn't?

LOWKEY

a kamisato ayato social media au

i’ve been lookin’ at you since half past two wanna take this downtown? this liquid courage got me way too honest

pairing — ayato x f! reader [ S2L! college au ]

summary — it was only recently you found out kamisato ayaka was, in fact, not an only child after all! seeing ayato for the first time gave you the severest case of the butterflies but according to ayaka, he’s off limits, especially to you as her most treasured friend. well, what she doesn’t know won’t hurt, right?

warnings — cursing, angst, arranged marriage

status — on-going

author’s note — in the au, ayato is only a year older than ayaka. (ღ) = written text.

profiles — teyvat stripers / overworked w no pay

ꕤ 01. damn rich kids

ꕤ 02. kamisato material (ღ)

ꕤ 03. wait, ayato?

ꕤ 04. ayaka material gworl

ꕤ 05. nice meeting you (ღ)

ꕤ 06. its just a tiny crush

ꕤ 07. he’s off limits to you

ꕤ 08. don’t leave me on read.

ꕤ 09. one question a day

ꕤ 10. okay new rule

ꕤ 11. i met you that night

ꕤ 12. fine, i admit it. she is.

ꕤ 13. how mediocre

ꕤ 14. shut up k no one likes u

ꕤ 15. pick another major

ꕤ 16. a dunk of cold water (ღ)

ꕤ 17. this is so exciting

ꕤ 18. lord im gonna have a stroke

—» bonus. lockscreen wallpaper

ꕤ 19. you can wear my sweater (ღ)

ꕤ 20. thats a secret

ꕤ 21. what a bunch of bullshit

ꕤ 22. mtoo drubk

ꕤ 23. even if you don’t remember (ღ)

ꕤ 24. ur acting like a coward

ꕤ 25. who says we wont?

ꕤ 26. only for today (ღ)

ꕤ 27. too good at goodbyes

ꕤ 28. stop being naive, ayato! (ღ)

ꕤ 29. help a poor soul

ꕤ 30. jesus skateboarding

ꕤ 31. forget the flowers (ღ)

—» bonus. ur stupidity benefits me

ꕤ 32. only for a special someone

ꕤ 33. or did you? (ღ)

ꕤ 34. never should’ve liked you (ღ)

ꕤ 35. fuck this shitty friendship

ꕤ 36. late night gossip sesh

ꕤ 37. weren’t mine to lose

ꕤ 38. you’re not a horrible person (ღ)

ꕤ 39. only have two days

ꕤ 40. drop whatever you’re doing

ꕤ 41. pack your bags

ꕤ 42. that personality is insufferable

ꕤ 43. something more valuable (ღ)

ꕤ 44. a love stolen away (ღ)

ꕤ 45. wedding of the century

ꕤ 46. ma'am, with all due respect

ꕤ 47. congrats to batch ‘23!

ꕤ 48. uh oh

ꕤ 49. the grim reaper

ꕤ 50. i think i ruined your PJs (ღ)

ꕤ 51.

ꕤ taglist — CLOSED. tell me if u want to be removed from the list or you changed usernames. thanks!

𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𓇢𓆸 — a compendium of historical AU stand-alones

A/N: from ancient dynasties all the way to the roaring twenties—as of late, i've been obsessed with reading and writing historical AUs, and i'm not very sure i'll be any different as the years go by. i have so many ideas to be written, and plenty to be read, so why not compile them all into one list? men of the modern world are all assholes; historical men just do it better.

PS: these will all have eventual smut (additional content warnings are labeled on the original posts); minors do not interact

↳ PSPS: none of my work is to be reposted, copied, or modified; cool? cool—thanks for reading ദ്ദി(ᵔᗜᵔ)

𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗥𝗢𝗠𝗘 — Roman Empire ↳ 𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐈, 𝐕𝐈𝐃𝐈, 𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐈 ♛

SYN: abandoned as a mere newborn, you were taken in by none other than the emperor and his wife, who failed to have any real children of their own. you were treated as a princess, given a life full of prosperities, so it was only fair you got to attend gladiator matches, too, right? well . . . , you might want to rethink that when a notorious competitor, Ryomen Sukuna, wins a match during his zenith, and is granted whatever prize it is he pleases—also know as . . . you, a woman he's grown enamored by after catching your eye in the stands.

CONTENTS: gladiator!Sukuna x princess!Reader ⁘ 18.9k words ⁘ eventual smut [MDNI] ⁘ available on ao3

𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗦 — Medieval Period ↳ 𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐇 ❦

SYN: your village considers you an anomaly: one who has been born with something called cursed energy; when you turn eighteen, they decide to sacrifice you to the beast whose manor overshadows your village. fortunately for you, the strangely generous vampire spares your life, and, in lieu: takes you in as a lawful servant. for years, you live well-off with his lordship, until one day, he falls ill—in need of . . . blood.

CONTENTS: vampire!Sukuna x servant!Reader ⁘ 10.8k words ⁘ eventual smut [MDNI] ⁘ available on ao3

𝗠𝗜𝗗𝗗𝗟𝗘 𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗦 — Medieval Period ↳ 𝐉𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑’𝐒 𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐆𝐄 ⚜

SYN: the term jester's privilege refers to the particular entertainers' ability to do just about anything. from mocking peasants to pranking kings, their humor knows no bounds. the deviants are praised for their wit and cunningness, and seen as nothing short of crucial to the liveliness of kingdoms. jesters can do many things, jesters can be many things. now, as for what jesters cannot do? little to no people would know, but if thou were to ask Gojo? he would dare thee to fall in love with a lady of the royal court, one he had sworn to hate.

CONTEXT: jester!Gojo x lady!Reader ⁘ 16.2k words ⁘ eventual smut [MDNI] ⁘ available on ao3

𝟭𝟵𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗬 — Regency Era ↳ 𝐁𝐄𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃, 𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐃 .𖥔 ݁ ˖

SYN: when it's the 1800s, nothing is more important than attending balls in search of finding the love of your life. when your aunt and cousins convince (force) you to converse with people you've never met, you find yourself becoming acquaintances with a rather disagreeable man—whose scowl catches your eye, but countenance you deem tempting. he is everything you hate in a gentleman—incredibly bothersome, but he is everything you find bewitching in a bastard.

CONTENTS: bachelorette!Reader x bachelor!Sukuna ⁘ 15.7k words ⁘ eventual smut [MDNI] ⁘ available on ao3

𝟭𝟵𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗬 — Wild West Era ↳ 𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐔𝐍 𖤓

SYN: save a horse, ride a cowboy? you've heard that phrase a-many of times before, seeing as you have lived in the Wild West your whole life; but, only now are you actually giving it a go after crossing paths with a particularly handsome cowboy at your uncle's saloon: the House of the Rising Sun. between your little . . . affair, you get caught in the crossfire of your lover, and another man who wants him dead. just how good are you at patching up a gun wound, is the question.

CONTENTS: cowboy!Geto x barmaid!Reader ⁘ 8.9k words ⁘ eventual smut [MDNI] ⁘ available on ao3

𝟮𝟬𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗬 — Dust Bowl ↳ 𝐅𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑’𝐒 𝐃𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐑 ♱

SYN: the town of Bromwell, Alabama is dusty, dry, and dirty; the residents know nothing other than to "live by God, and by God, they shall live." on a Sunday Service morning, you accompany your father like always, and meet a pink-haired boy who's recently moved in to town. you become friends, grow up together, share your first kiss with each other; but, little did you know, that, hanging out so much with an atheist would have such an effect on your life, your faith, and your relations.

CONTENTS: preacher's daughter!Reader x atheist!Sukuna ⁘ 15.4k words ⁘ eventual smut [MDNI] ⁘ available on ao3

𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗕𝗘 𝗔𝗗𝗗𝗘𝗗 . . . ↳ i'm, for the most part, a Sukuna-centric blog, but i do want to try expanding my horizons; so, expect many other characters' names to appear on this masterpost in the future :)

haikyuu posted its final chapter and i am crying so hard at how overwhelming it is. thank you for the eight years of nonstop plays, matches, laughter, tears, and connections. thank you for the three years of being in the fandom, of me hiding the fact back in tenth grade that as an unfit person, would eventually love and cherish something related to sports. it was all so amazing and i have never expressed this much interest in a sport before.

so thank you, haikyuu and furudate, for making me root for these characters and cheer for them achieve their dreams.

there are no goodbyes here bcos hq ends the very day i will stop making fics and fanart. all of the relationships and philosophies in this series are practically engraved on my soul.

🧡🧡🧡

so this is love — annie leonhart

— annie leonhart x female reader

— request by anon: I kinda have a request. How about royal au? Where 2 kingdoms are at war with each other, and reader is the heir of the throne of one kingdom (but they’re not the spoiled type of heir, more like the solider one?) and then the kingdoms decided a truce. Reader will have to marry the heir of the other kingdom which is Annie. Idk maybe those arranged marriages that they never get along at first? Kinda like they were enemies bc they never get along until some development of feelings happen along the way. Maybe Annie will realize that she has feelings when reader got injured since they’re a soldier

— warnings: mentions of war, slight angst if you squint, just two idiots falling in love with each other :))

— summary: you were sent off to another kingdom as a sign of a truce, promising to yourself that the engagement is close to death at how you got off on the wrong foot with your betrothed. it was hell at first but who knows? maybe, unbeknownst to you, the two of you are a match made by the gods.

— word count: 7.5k

— author’s notes: i am so sorry this came out so long :((( we just finished our exams and we have a case study to write as our midterm for a subject. i hope this will still quench your annie fic cravings. and by the way, i fashioned the kingdom of idylle to mondstadt because genshin impact is my stress reliever right now and a kingdom built upon freedom sounds like a gem. plus, the glass castle of the reader is based off of the castle of cinderella, which is the reason for the title hhhhhh happy reading !!!

so this didn’t appear in the tags so i reposted it :”(((

Corsets were abominations that needed to be burned.

The girl with your features staring at you from the mirror was someone you couldn’t recognize from all the preparations your chambermaid did on your figure. The make-up was appalling and thick that you could see a smear on the back of your hand when you tried rubbing your itching nose. Your hair was done in a half up-do with too many decorative pins sticking out, creating a makeshift crown of silver roses, one of the symbols of your kingdom. The dress your mother expected you in was straight-up ridiculous, you couldn’t move from the tightness of the corset and the heaviness of your skirts was hindering you from moving freely. You couldn’t even deny that it was a lovely gown but its inconvenience was irking you at the slightest turn or stretch.

Dressing up this lavishly was rare for you, the Crown Princess of the kingdom boring flags of silver and lilac. You very much preferred the heaviness of your armor and your title as one of your kingdom’s Commendatore rather than the ladylike image your mother has been forcing you on the past few weeks.

You were livid when your parents renounced from the ten-year war that was purging the continent with just a sign on a piece of paper — one that included your name and your honor. Everything was brutal, carnage dotting every town and village of the two kingdoms throwing spears and fire cannons, and you witnessed it all firsthand when you started being one of your kingdom’s soldiers four years ago — a sixteen-year-old girl throwing orders that gave you an advantage from your enemies wearing the crest of the kingdom that painted your lands a heart-wrenching red. Of all solutions that your parents and the other kingdom could come up with, it involved you in the most unacceptable way possible. Officially entering your twenties this year, your parents thought it necessary to offer you as a bride that signified peace to the warring nation right beyond the border. The idea made your vision red, an outburst coming out of your mouth mere seconds after the proposal was announced in the council meeting.

A soldier, a knight, a commander — that’s what you are.

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i'm reading blue lock and i love this pretty boy so much it hurts 😩✨

kenma as howl

i couldn't take off kenma as howl in my mind so this took me a whole day HASHDJSJS

taglist:

@animoozies

OMG HI DREI I MISSED U

EMMMM I MISS YOU JUST AS MUCH 🥺🥺🥺