Of Books and Aesthetics

Marvel

Criminal Minds

Attack on Titan

Avatar: The Last Airbender 

Harry Potter

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood 

Merlin 

Death Note

AHS

Sherlock

Supernatural

Studio Ghibli 

Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit 

Pirates of the Caribbean 

The Umbrella Academy

The Walking Dead (TV show only)

Letting your natural instincts set in you propelled yourself forward, quickly putting space between you and your attacker. Analysing the man in front of you, you checked his strong form and his stony eyes. But before you could make the first move, he lunged. His fist came to your face but it didn't land. Stepping aside you used your smaller frame and his weight against him, jabbing your elbow into his neck as he moved past.

The two of you carried this on, one attacking and the other defending, like a game of cat and mouse, before the man grew bored. His lips pulled into a snarl and he charged with more aggression than before, tripping you and catching you off guard, driving you into the wall. You attempted to push forward but this time he had you in a firm grasp. He leant all his weight on you and your eyes bulged as his hands clenched around your throat. 

You weren't a stranger to this position, over the years it was hard not to become accustomed to the threat of death, but this was different. None of the other girls held this much strength, and the sheer pressure of his grip was like nothing you’d ever felt before. One glance down gave you the answer to his strength. Instead of the usual set of clammy, bruised hands, one was cold and metallic. You continued to gasp for breath, but the realisation of who was stood in front of you sending an icy chill through your veins, that surpassed your fear of death. You attempted to escape his grasp, trying every tactic you knew but his grip just grew stronger and the air in your lungs depleted and your head began to spin.  

You finally met his eyes, no longer having the energy to claw at his hands. If you were going to die, you would at least go down with the face of your killer in your mind.  It was cruel that after all these years of training, you'd die during your final test. But in your moment of acceptance, he faltered. 

As your eyes bore into his deep brown ones, he lost his grip on reality. Weathered memories crept their way into his mind. He saw happy faces enlightened by the bright flashing lights of a fairground. The sound of shrill laughter replaced his heavy panting and drowned out your weakening gurgles. Sweet perfume mixed with the scent of hotdogs, that he held in his hands, or more accurately, his former self’s hands. He felt an arm clinging onto his and someone looking up at him with a loving smile. Someone with e/c eyes. 

He snapped back but his small moment of weakness had given you the escape you need, and before he could compose himself, his back was to the floor with a small knife, which you had pulled from your boot, pressing into his adam's apple. If you were to fight the Winter Soldier himself, all bets were off.  

"That's enough!" your forgotten spectator called out and you pulled your eyes away from the drop of blood that had emerged. 

The words didn't hold any excitement or joy, and the knife clattered as it met the ground. You panted as reality set back in, regaining your lost breath. 

You had defeated the Winter Soldier and somehow managed to draw his blood. But unlike Madame B, who was surprised, despite her cold exterior, you were perplexed. You looked down at the man with a suspicious glare, but he held your gaze with the same contempt. His eyes seemed to search yours for asking a question you didn’t know and asking for answers you didn't have. But you both knew that if it wasn’t for his mistake, you’d be a limp body like the others before you. 

"Have you forgotten your manners girl?" Madame B shouted and you scrambled up, less elegantly than how you'd been trained. 

You finally ended your scrutiny of the man, standing strong and meeting the eyes of your mentor. You politely nodded, at both her and your opponent who had now stood up. 

He quickly turned from you, focusing on Madame B, who took occasional glances at you. But again, you blurred out their conversation. The blood was still rushing to your ears and your heart beating out of your chest. You nodded again as you were dismissed, leaving the room in record speed.  

Closing the door behind you, you turned and fell back onto the wall to the left of it. You let out the sigh you didn't know you were holding and your hand cautiously moved to your sore neck, removing them as you winced. Your breaths were shallow and you were so focused on your survival that you didn't notice the soldier to your left, staring at you without his earlier aggression or suspicion. Instead, his gaze held confusion.

Finally feeling eyes on you, you turned, and looked at him with wide eyes, allowing yourself to show your emotions now out of the prying gaze of Madame B. In the heat of the moment, you hadn’t taken in his appearance but used the silent moment to rake his body from head to toe. You noticed his shoulder-length brown hair and the softness in his eyes as he looked upon your weakened figure. His wide shoulders and tightly clothed body. Your eyes flicked back up and you cocked your head to the side, deepening your gaze. 

The two of you held yet another staring contest but the silence finally ended.  

"Well done" He muttered.

Annie Leonhart:

Pretends to not like cuddles

She secretly loves them

Will press a kiss on your forehead when she thinks your asleep

Is a light sleeper 

Zeke Yeager:

Not a fan of cuddles

Prefers to asleep facing away from you 

Not opposed to being big spoon - when you find him during the night

Sometimes wakes up to smoke if he’s super stressed 

Porco Galliard 

Likes to be big spoon

Is a loud snorer

Definitely drools every now and again

Pieck Finger

Sleeps on her front

Always wakes up first even though she goes to sleep hours after you 

Armin Arlert:

His favourite position is spooning 

Is equally happy to be big or small spoon 

Never leaves your side 

Mikasa Ackerman:

Not really a cuddler

A light sleeper 

Always up before her partner even if they’re an early riser too

And only falls asleep after they have

Jean Kirstein:

Loves being big spoon

He talks in his sleep

Sometimes its coherent but mainly gibberish 

S4 - his beard sometimes tickles your back 

Sasha Blouse:

Just like Hange

But she snores

SO LOUDLY

sometimes mumbles about food 

Connie Springer:

A relatively normal sleeper (which is not expected)

Loves it when your legs are intertwined 

Never wakes up before 10 AM unless he HAS to

Will complain ALL day if you wake him up before that - even if its only 5 minutes before

Krista Lenz/ Historia Reiss:

Again completely normal

Insists on sleeping her hair out 

Always has serious bed head because of this

Ymir Fritz: 

NEEDS to be touching her partner

Likes to face her partner

Pretends she’s asleep even though she always wakes up first

“Have you seen Merlin by any chance? He seems to be late, and I have a meeting with my father in less than 20 minutes.” He finally let out, his gaze still fixed on the ground.

You stammered. You’d worked in the palace nearly all your life, and like many workers held the handsome prince in high regard. But never had you expected to see him in such a... compromising position. After a few seconds, you finally replied.

“Umm. No!” You yelped, which caused Arthur to look at you in shock this time. Your eyes widened realising you had all but shouted at the future king

“No. No, I have not your highness. I can go to Gaius’ quarters to see if he’s there if you’d like.” 

“NO!” It was Arthur’s turn to shout, and he quickly tried to cover his embarrassment with yet another dry cough. “Even if you ran all the way there, I’d still be late for the meeting.” He poked his head further out the doorway.

“Are there any other servants here?”

“No, my lord. I think I’m the only servant in this part of the wing.” With your broom long forgotten, you started to ponder solutions to the young prince’s predicament. 

“I could help!” You exclaimed. This time you both blushed in unison, surprised by how eager you sounded. “I mean I can help you. If that’s what you need, sire. And I understand that’s I’m not the bes-”

“Yes! Perfect, come on” and before you could even react, Arthur had grabbed you by the forearm and dragged you into his chambers. 

All though it wasn’t your first time in the prince’s chamber, as Merlin often coaxed you into helping do the spring cleaning, it was the first time you’d been in without another servant. You stood frozen awaiting the prince’s orders. You watched him stand in the middle of the room, also waiting for you to start dressing him. After a small staring match, he gestured to his clothes and you moved to action, albeit it apprehensively

Once you stood in front of him his gaze met yours and he blushed yet again and diverted his gaze. Firstly you fixed his trousers, it seemed right to get the most awkward part done first. For both of your sakes. You looked around for the belt you’d seen Merlin put away before and hurried over to it. Returning to the prince, you had to make a decision; would you bend down and pick up his trousers yourself or ask the future prince to do it himself. 

If possible, Arthur’s blush would had covered his whole body when he noticed your gaze stuck on his bottom half and hands clenching his leather belt in deep thought. Noticing your look of panic, he bent down and pulled up his trousers, surprising you, for Merlin had always complained about his “royal denseness” and inability to do a simple thing for himself. 

You, again, met his gaze, but quickly dropped it to loop and fasten the belt. Now the hardest part was done, you could focus on getting the rest of his outfit fitted before embarrassing yourself further. His shirt was easy enough to fix, just needing shifting and his collar. But again, your eyes made contact. 

“I’m sorry about this.” sighed Arthur, ending the vow of silence between the pair.

“It’s not a problem, your highness,” you said with a small smile. “And if it’s anyone’s faults it’s Merlin’s” 

You both chuckled at this, releasing some of the tension between the two of you. You two continued with small talk as you continued to dress the prince, fitting his jacket and then shoes. You had him sit in the chair, fixing his hair that was stuck in every direction possible, whilst he told you about what the meeting was about, letting you know his opinions on the “snotty” lords. 

Once you were finished, you bowed your head and wished him a good day, but before you could leave he called your name.

“Y/N! I- I appreciate you helping me. I’d like to thank you! Why don’t you dine with me this evening? It could be a way to get back at Merlin for causing this.” 

Your eyes widened for the hundredth time in the last 20 minutes and you bowed.

“Thank you! I’d love to, your highne-.” You replied, your heart hammering in your chest but before you could finish you were interrupted

“ARTHUR! Just call me Arthur.” Arthur spluttered before rushing past you and exiting his quarters. 

You stood there in a state of surprise. Before remembering your idiot of a friend. You ran through the corridors, passing confused maids and knights until you reached the physician’s quarters. Gaius finally answered, and gave you a look of incredulity at your flushed state.

The years passed quickly and it didn’t take you long to forget the pain of your old life and become enamoured with your new friends. Jean did indeed introduce to his friends Connie, Sasha and Marco, and it didn’t take long for you to become the best of friends. The five of you would all meet Connie’s garage, sometimes just chatting but more often than not bringing along your instruments for a jam session. Four years went by of you playing lead guitar, Marco jamming on bass, Connie smashing on percussion and Jean accompanying with his gruff drawl, whilst Sasha sat atop of the counter, sadly not having any musical talents other than occasional tamborining. And the four years went by easily until Sasha let out a suggestion.

“You guys should start a band. Like a proper one, with gigs and shit” She declared, soon after stuffing her mouth with a cake Mrs Springer had brought in. 

“See at least someone appreciates my musical talents” quipped Jean with a quirk of his eyebrows, causing you all to laugh. 

“I’ve got to admit, I’m down! We’ve been playing for years, we even played at last years prom.” Seeing no reason against the idea, you voiced your opinion. 

“Yeah but that was prom. We know all of them anyway, if we did gigs it would be to strangers and critics and stuff” Huffed Connie. 

“Yeah, and potential talent scouts! Imagine if we got signed! What do you think Marco?” Jean turned to face he freckled boy awaiting his response. 

“I guess it could be fun.” He said, tilting his head to the side and turning to Connie. “I think we should” 

With a consensus of four out of five, all eyes were set on Connie, pleading him to agree. He spluttered, not expecting you all to be serious. After a moment of staring at you all incredulously, he finally gave in.

“Fine! But if we got told we’re shit it’s on you guys” He sighed, but was drowned out by all your cheers. 

                       2 YEARS LATER

After that day, you had all put in the effort to perfecting your craft and coming up with your own songs. You and Jean would have weekly sleepovers, pulling all-nighters to get the perfect verses. And it wasn’t long until you booked your first gig, which was a success. Nearly the whole grade had turned up to support you, and you soon became a local legend. And in honour of them, you had named your band The 104th, due to being the 104th grade since your school was founded. 

Your increased fame, got you gigs outside of Trost, on larger stages than the small bars you were used to. You had released your first album and we’re having a small jam session, when Sasha’s, who had taken up the role as manager, phone rang. You all carried on with your conversation until Sasha quickly stood up and ran across the room, her voice getting slightly louder, causing you all to stare at her.

“OMG! That sounds great, we can be there for the soundcheck in less than an hour. Thank you so much, for this opportunity. We appreciate it! Thank you, bye!” She exclaimed with wide eyes as her smile grew and grew. After ending the call she whipped around, before letting out a screech 

“OI, OI! What’s going on?” Asked Connie, as he walked up to Sasha flicking her forehead as she squealed again. 

“GUESS WHO’S OPENING FOR THE SCOUTS?!” She all but screamed whilst running to the front of the garage and throwing your jackets at you all. Realising what she meant you stood in a state of shock before opening your mouth. 

“What do you mean? Opening for The Scouts. As in THE SCOUTS? They’re playing tonight, we can’t open for them.” You justified, meeting Jean’s stunned gaze. 

You two had always imagined what it would be like to meet your legends, let alone open for them. After your initial meeting, the two of you had gone on for hours about your favourite songs by the band and sang along to them. You had even let him in on your crush on the lead guitarist, Levi Ackerman, for heaven’s sake. As good as an opportunity this was, you were a nervous wreck. It was one thing to play on the same stage that your favourite band had stepped on, but to play with them and meet them. That was a thing of its own. 

You were knocked from your thoughts by a shoe to your head, and as you focused back in you watched Connie running around like a headless chicken. Attempting to back up his drum kit, he panicked until Sasha assured him there’d be one there for him. The rest of you seemed to kick into action and you ran about gathering your equipment before rushing home to grab gig-worthy clothes. You all met up back at Connie’s house before all piling into Jean’s minivan. Connie and Sasha were as loud as always but you, Jean and Marco seemed to still be too shocked to talk.

As you rolled up to the venue, you saw a queue of about 20 Scout super fans lined up three hours before the gig even started. You wondered how many were your fans, as Sasha had sent out announcements on every social media site possible after you guys left. You hauled your guitar case out of the van before following behind Sasha into the main doors of the venue. The crew were rushing about everywhere, and if you weren’t already used to the atmosphere you were sure you’d pass out. As you walked into the main hall, your eyes fell to the band on top of the stage. All five of you froze, in the realisation that you were in the same room as your childhood heroes. Putting your kit down, you watched as Hange Zoe lazily sat on her drum set, tapping out a quiet beat, as the lead singer Erwin, counted in the beat. Miche Zacharias swayed his hips as he set out the bassline, and Levi almost languidly strummed his electric guitar. 

The five of you were pulled behind the stage before you could watch their practice start but you could still hear it as they performed their soundcheck. Experienced in the world of gigs, the four of you prepped your instruments, tuning them in case they had been messed up in the hurry of your departure. And by the time you’d finished the Scouts were walking towards you. Hange greeted you first. 

“HI! OMG, we’ve heard so much about you guys. You guys are practically famous around here!” She blurted out, her excitement surprising you all. Connie seemed to be frozen as his inspiration complimented you guys. Miche let out a greeting and moved on to sit down. Leaving Erwin and Levi in front of you. Erwin stepped forward and placed out his hand, shaking and greeting you all individually. Now there was just Levi left. 

Your eyes met his and you couldn’t help but blush, as he gave a small nod. Appreciative of the small gesture, you calmed slightly until Jean ruined it

“HI! We love you guys so much. Y/N even has a crush on Levi!” He blurted, his face turning bright red after realising what he had said. You gasped and without thinking smacked him across the head. 

“WHAT THE HELL’S WRONG WITH YOU? WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?” But before you could apologise and defend yourself to Levi and Erwin, you were escorted to the stage for your own soundcheck. Glaring at Jean, you got in position, and were done in half an hour. 

After the soundcheck, you were given time to rest, giving you all time to calm down, after the more than lively introduction. You eventually forgave Jean for his outburst but not without consequences. He would be carrying your gear for the next year’s worth of gigs.

You hadn't yet gained back the confidence to talk Levi but had spoken to the other members of The Scouts. Miche and Erwin told you about how their touring band had ditched them last minute and how they needed another opening band pronto. You were astonished to find out that Hange herself had requested you guys, but it filled your heart with warmth knowing someone as famous as her held your small-town band in high regards. 

Everyone could sense your apprehension to talking to Levi but we’re all shocked when the quiet man joined you whilst getting a drink. You almost blushed when you noticed him next to you but pushed the feeling down and smiled at him. Although Jean had embarrassed you beyond belief, there was no reason to push away your childhood dream and miss the opportunity to talk to him. 

“You know you we’re what inspired me to start learning the guitar?” You said. Levi didn’t reply but you decided his silence wasn’t in annoyance. “My parents were always super into music anyway but when I heard your guys' debut album it pushed me towards the guitar.” You watched him finish making his tea and leave but before he sat down, he turned his head over his shoulder. 

“I’m glad to hear it” He replied, turning again and leaving. You smiled, happy that he didn’t think you were a complete freak. 

                      2 HOURS LATER 

The time had finally arrived. From the side of the stage, you could see a sea of people filling the venue and could hear the symphony of chatter. The boys were stood next to you, panting with nerves. You had never performed to such a large crowd before. You took a sharp breath before turning to them. 

“Come on boys! We’ve done this before and we’ll do it again. This is just another small step before we get our own main stage like this!” Your small pep talk seemed to calm the boys and caught the attention of Erwin and Levi who were waiting to watch your performance from the side-lines. You smiled at the two but we’re now filled with dread as you realised they would be watching. You threw that fear away and gave Marco a side hug as you fixed your strap, and then followed Jean to the stage. 

The lights blinded you but once your vision cleared you all but gasped at the sheer amount of sweaty bodies in front of you. You beamed brightly and gave a wink to a figure in the balcony. At least you could seem confident even if you were dying inside.  

The beat of the drum surrounded you and Marco’s strumming blared out from the amps. You started plucking at your guitar and forgot about the crowd. Jean’s gravely word floated out into the dark room, and it was easy to forget you were on a stage and instead it felt like you were back in Connie’s house. As the song reached the chorus, you and Marco joined in, accompanying Jean. Eventually, you loosened up to a point where all three of you were able to dance slightly to the beat during the bridge. This seemed to get the crowd going even more and you let out a laugh, completely forgetting your inhibitions. [I imagined them performing Queen of White Lies]

Once the song finished, Jean introduced himself, and you prepared yourself for another half an hour of playing and dancing. But it passed quickly and before you knew it you we’re all sat on the sofa. Connie was still flushed chugging on his 3rd bottle of water whilst the rest of you leant back with smiles upon your faces. Your attention was piqued as The Scouts took the stage and you all shouted words of encouragement to them. This brought a smile to their faces, including a small smirk on Levi’s. You all rushed to the sidelines to watch and we’re in awe as you saw the four of them play as if they were reading each other's minds. It was as if they were symbiotic, each knowing what to do without even the slightest hesitation. 

Even though you tried to focus on all of them, your focus always came back to Levi. You watched how his brow rested into a scowl as he neared a faster part of the song and how he threw his head back when lost in the moment. Your eyes widened when he took his shirt off after four songs, which Jean noticed, and started to nudge you for. Time seemed to go by so quickly that you barely noticed them finish their final song. They waved to the crowd as they left but stayed in the wings as the crowd screamed for an encore. Erwin still seemed to smile and nudged Levi towards the five of you. 

“Do you guys want to join us for the encore?” He asked gruffly, his eyes set on you. You looked at the rest of the band and you all nodded before you verbally replied. 

“Of course! What song are you thinking?” 

“Nirvana - Love Buzz? You guys know it?” Miche asked, wiping some water from his chin. You all nodded in unison and before you know it you were all kitted up and back on stage. 

The crowd went wild seeing both The Scouts and The 104th back on stage and you couldn’t help but smile as you found Levi stood next to you. You guys let loose on the song and you even attempted to have a little contest with Levi during the guitar solo for dominance. This gained a smile for the man, and you guys finished the song in no time. 

Leaving the stage for the last time, you gave out a clumsy bow before running off stage. You guys went to get changed and pack up your gear but before you could get in the van the Scouts we’re back in front of you. Erwin took the lead yet again. 

“We loved having you guys on stage with us! And after some thinking, we’d love it if you replaced our old band with us on the rest of the tour.” 

At this Jean slammed the van door and stared at Erwin in shock. The five of you looked at each other in shock. The silence was eventually broken by Connie, who let out a scream as he ran around the van, followed by Sasha letting out profanities. The rest of you gushed and thanked the other band profusely not knowing how to appropriately respond. After formally Sasha accepted the other, Hange launched into giving out hugs, whilst Miche and Erwin gave out handshakes. Levi ignored the rest of your bandmates and made his way to you.

“I look forward to more guitar battles.” Levi remarked as dryly as ever but with a small smirk playing on his lips. Luckily this time, the others were too distracted and you were able to reply with some confidence. 

Looking around the office, Y/N tried hard to hide a smile at receiving a message from the Consulting Detective. Once noticing that most people were stuck in their work, Y/N hurriedly gathered all their things and headed to the elevator. Ignoring strange glances, Y/N pressed the button and watched the doors slowly close.

Walking through the streets, Y/N found themselves in a stupor. Sherlock had entered their life when they'd been accused of stealing information from the company they worked for. With all the evidence pointing toward them, Y/N had begun to lose faith when they'd been informed about the Consulting Detective from a friend from the police force, even if the suggestion had been a slight mockery.  Y/N had sat there as Sherlock poured each and every detail into his mind but all the ends had seemed to match. It had been until the court case when Sherlock saw the accuser for the first time that something was truly amiss.

Bracing the cold wind, Y/N left the strange warmth of the tube station and into the cold street of Baker Street, they couldn't help but doubt themselves. Whilst waiting for Mrs Hudson to open the door, as Sherlock still hadn't realised she wasn't the housemaid, Y/N found themselves thinking how life had changed. Since meeting Sherlock, Y/N had met many a great person, also some terrifying ones, but in no way did Y/N's knowledge match any of theirs. Not a nurse or ex-military or an assassin, they worked in a corporate section of Tesco, which would only be used when trying to find one in the busy streets of London. What use could they be to a worldwide known detective?  

The talkative Mrs Hudson, invaded Y/N's thoughts as she hurried them out of the cold England wind. After a long session with Mrs Hudson complaining about the weather among other things, Y/N managed to wiggle themselves out, telling her that it, sadly, wasn't a social visit. In realisation, Mrs Hudson allowed  Y/N access to the stairs leading to what had become a breath of fresh air in their life. Even if it often smelt of noxious fumes.

Entering the flat, Y/N struggled to find Sherlock anywhere until he came bursting out of his bedroom, muttering something about "thieving druggies". Y/N couldn't help but let out a small smile at seeing the Detective in a maddened rush.

"Sherlock?"

"Not now, I'm waiting for Y/N. They're the only one who can help."  Sherlock exclaimed, muttering the last part mainly to himself, not realising who he was talking to. Y/N let out a spluttered cough which finally alerted Sherlock to their presence. "Oh, just the person I need. How are you? Was the journey alright?" Y/N's eyebrows raised, surprised at the formalities that came out of their companion's mouth.

Actually looking at him, Y/N could tell that it wasn't something that he himself had decided to do, probably a habit John had to try to instal due to his blunt interactions. Humouring him, Y/N replied with a general reply, but their tone caught Sherlock's ear who then looked up and gazed at the newcomer. Staring back in confusion, Y/n dropped their bag and coat onto the back of the chair and proceeded to sit in it. Still, the staring continued. His eyes seemed to bore into theirs, causing Y/N to worry slightly.

"Are you ok Sherlock?" Y/n questioned, trying to avoid the eagle like stare. Ringing their hands in their lap, earlier thoughts running through their mind. Maybe he had texted the wrong person. Maybe he didn't need them anymore.

"You're nervous. Upset even. " He said cautiously, obviously making sure he wasn't being too forward. John definitely has an impact.

"I'm good, just wondering why you didn't ask John to come and help" Y/N said inquisitively, trying to keep the doubt in their voice visible, but with Sherlock, it was near impossible. Distracting themselves, Y/N wondered into the messy kitchen and through the cupboards.

"John's busy with Rosie," Sherlock replied nonchalantly "But why would I want John when I have you?" The second part shocked Y/N, dropping the sugar onto the table more so than into the mug.

“Why me? Trust me, I’m really not worth it. What if I mess up the case?! I'm not a soldier like John or smart like Molly, I'm not even an assassin like Mary was. I’m just me, just y/n.” Y/N blurted, words seeming to flow like a waterfall of fears from within.

“Y/N you have a brilliant mind, maybe not like John's but still a brilliant mind you come up to great conclusions and always ask the right questions. If anything you’ve helped more than you actually think but don’t get ahead of yourself your no consulting detective" Sherlock said after a long thoughtful silence from his part as Y/N carried on making the tea, the clinking of the spoon filling the silence Another silence pursued, slightly awkward following Sherlock’ s small joke. The silence was broken with a small grunt, as Sherlock found arms wrapped around his body.