梅の國のアリス

~ reaper vulnerability HC ~

I can't get this out of my head today, so I'm gonna spend some minutes writing some quick drabbles for my current two fave reapers 🙈 (and also sneakily introduce two OCs of mine I suppose!)

William

William closed the door behind him, and let out a breath. Pinching the bridge of his nose, he felt utter relief flow through him to be home. Of course, William would never in a million years allow himself to not do his work properly, nor would he let himself get distracted and let tiredness bring his performance down...

But that had been a pretty awful day, and the overtime had only made it worse.

Hearing footsteps approach from down the hall made him put on a neutral face and straighten back up. Pretending he had been doing nothing more but take his coat off and store his bag where it belonged, William turned to find Arabella walk over with a smile.

"Can't believe they gave you overtime," Arabella commented. "I missed you."

Her hand reached out to him, and William fought against the feelings this gesture brought on. There was something in the relief of being home, of the day being over, that stirred something within him from a long forgotten past, a trauma of mortality's long days...

But his brain wouldn't let the memories spring forth, so he couldn't address them nor make them go away.

He just felt... sad.

Stressed.

Tired.

And Arabella... was a light among a darkness he feared would consume him. So he knew that when he took a step forwards, reaching out his own hand to her... well... he knew he wouldn't be able to let go.

The couple had come up with this greeting themselves. William leaned down to allow her to place her fingertips on the side of his frames, whilst he did the same for her. A vulnerable position to be in for a reaper, as it was so easy for their glasses to be taken off then, leaving them blind and incapable of fighting back. To some, to those in love, it was a gesture meant to briefly show trust and allow closeness. Arabella usually leaned in to touch her forehead against his too, but that was only in private.

That day, the normal, gentle, greeting between the two was exactly what William needed... and he didn't want it to stop. It allowed him to focus on something other than his day. It allowed him... to relax.

So when she went to pull away after only a few seconds, which normally was just the right amount of closeness for William... William followed along so her forehead and fingers could not leave his form.

Surprised, considering she was doing this quickly to respect William's boundaries and issues with touch, Arabella stared at him with parted lips of confusion - then worry.

He breathed out a shaky breath, closed his eyes, and even placed his hand on her waist to bring her even closer.

"Will-"

"No..." he whispered. "Just... Stay close tonight, please."

"Always, big guy," she whispered back, heart concerned for him, but loving and trusting him enough that after he was soothed, he would tell her what was wrong... and she would do whatever it took to help him.

Ronald

Ronald watched her laugh at one of his stories. He would usually join her, share in the joy of relaxing together after one of his shifts... But this time, all he could do was admire her.

She was relaxed. Happy.

Because of him.

Calming, her body's joy drew her closer to him; closer to the source of her happiness. Arms reached out to him, and he watched as she curled up against his side. Resting her chin on his chest, she looked up at him, pupils dilated whilst she admired his features.

Mmmm.... this was what he enjoyed the most. Her clear attraction to him, her pure admiration of him... He leaned down to capture her lips, but instead she parted hers in a question: "Will you still love me? When... when I'm not young anymore. Not... not beautiful anymore."

He blinked in confusion. Had Avery not just noticed his pure admiration for her? Was she truly not aware of the fact that all he needed from her to feel in love, was her attention... her smile...

"Why are you asking me that?" Ronald captured her hand in his, intertwining their fingers and letting them rest on his chest.

"I realised you won't age... When I was younger, and I'd see you at work..." Her sentence died out, but Ronald gave her some time to find her words, squeezing her hand for comfort. "When I saw you at my mother's funeral, you looked the same. When I saw you as a child, you did too. You do not age."

Her eyes looked away from his face. "Why would you love me if I am twice your age?"

"Hun, you realize I'm probably twice your age already, right?" he chuckled.

Her frown did not disappear. So... he tried a different tactic.

He lifted her hand up to his glasses.

He pressed her fingertips against the frames of his spectacles, and closed his eyes. There was a milisecond of fear, then it all faded away into pure, blissful, trust.

"Aye... Ronald? What are you doing?" she asked. When he opened his eyes, he found her staring at him with a quirked brow.

"I told you we can't see without our glasses, right?" Ronald asked.

She nodded her head, still frowning.

He pressed her fingerstips tighter against his frames. "Well, you'd be the only mortal... the only person I'd let this close to my biggest weakness." He smiled down at her. "That's not changing just because you age a little. You're still you when you're older., darling. I'll still love you."

The words' meaning slowly registered within Avery, who hoisted herself up to sit in his lap, knees on either side of his hips. His eyes watched her behind those glasses, hands resting on her waist with no intention of letting go of her.

Avery kept her fingers on his frames whilst his hands roamed the warmth between her legs. Two individuals from different realms holding each other, and touching the other in their individually most intimate of parts... intertwining to show their honest love for each other despite such vast differences.

also, this is the moment where I got my headcanon from 🤭 the animators had no right making that so romantic, just saying