iandeverything

long before the world knew his name, michael knew the specific creak of your back porch steps. even as a child, your presence felt like a soft exhale in the middle of a scream. while the jackson house was a whirlwind of rehearsals, rhythmic thumping, and joseph’s booming voice, your porch was a place of stillness.

you were the girl with the gentle eyes who didn't ask anything of him. he’d slip out of his house, sometimes with a bruised ego, sometimes just exhausted from rehearsals, and find you sitting on your back steps.

you were always quiet, possessing that graceful stillness. you didn't demand he perform or dance, you’d simply move over to make room, offering him a piece of gum or a cool glass of water.

"is it loud over there today?" you’d ask softly, your voice a melodic contrast to the harshness of his world.

michael would just nod, his large, expressive eyes searching your face for any sign of judgment. "they’re just... practicing the same turn, over and over. i think my feet forgot how to walk normal," he’d whisper with a shy, tired smile. you’d nudge your shoulder against his and allow him sit in the safety of each other’s company until the sun dipped low.

for a few minutes, he wasn't a prodigy. he was just the boy next door who liked the way you smelled like lavender soap and sunshine.

those moments became his blueprint for peace. he learned early on that love wasn't just an applause, it was the way you looked at him and cared about him when he wasn't performing.

as the jackson 5 took off, the distance between your front doors grew into a breach of fame, but michael’s silent obsession began to root itself in that distance. you become the anchor he tries to hold onto through letters and late-night calls.

he develops a habit of memorizing you, not in a creepy way but more in a devotional way. the rhythm of your voice, the way you tilt your head when you listen, the quiet hum you make when you’re thinking. he carries those details with him everywhere, especially on the bad days.

when things get too harsh, too loud or too demanding, he closes his eyes and imagines your porch, your voice, the soft way you say his name. “michael…” like it’s something delicate, like it matters. he compares every woman he meets to the graceful, soft-spoken girl who used to hold his hand in the tall grass. but they were all too loud, too eager, too demanding.

he started keeping a small candid photo of you tucked into his jacket pocket, a reminder of the only person who knew the boy before the myth. he’d stare at it until the edges frayed, wondering if you were waiting for him or if he was chasing a ghost.

he becomes protective (possessive, even) of your memory. he hates the idea of you changing or, worse, finding someone else who might provide what he did for you.

he became a king, but in his mind, he was still that boy looking through your window. he started calling you from payphones in london, tokyo, and paris, his voice dropping into that breathless, shy register he only used with you.

"do you still have that old swing?" he asks, his voice trembling with a mix of exhaustion and desperate longing. "i keep dreaming about it. i dream that i’m sitting there and you’re brushing the dust off my vest. everything is so shiny here, y/n. it’s too bright. i just want to sit in the dark with you for a little while. promise me you won't let anyone else sit on those steps. that's our spot, okay? only ours."

by the mid-80s, michael is at the most successful and burdened moment of his life. you’ve remained in his inner circle, a quiet fixture in the studio. the only person who can walk into a room and instantly lower his heart rate. his crush has evolved into a quiet, simmering obsession. he tracks your movements not out of malice, but out of a deep-seated fear that if you leave his sight, the "magic" that keeps him sane will vanish.

he treats you with a reverence that borders on worship. if you’re in the room, his eyes never truly leave you. he’ll be in the middle of a high-stakes meeting, and the moment you walk in with that gentle, grounded aura, his entire posture softens. he’ll find excuses to touch you, straightening your collar, lingering as he brushes a stray hair from your face, his fingers trembling slightly.

he starts to get protective, borderline possessive, though he hides it behind his gentle demeanor. if you mention another name or a man you met, the air in the room shifts. he doesn't yell; he grows unnervingly quiet, his large, expressive eyes tracking your every movement as if he’s trying to memorize the way your lips move. he begins to realize that the thought of anyone else touching your hand, the hand that used to hold his when he was scared of the dark in gary, is physically nauseating to him.

michael sees you as a piece of his lost childhood that he successfully "saved." he becomes intensely focused on keeping you "unspoiled" by the industry. his obsession manifests in the way he catalogs your likes and dislikes. he remembers a candy you liked when you were seven and has it imported by the crate. he notices if you’re sad before you even realize it yourself.

the confession happens during a private moment at neverland, far away from the cameras. the "safe haven" isn't enough anymore; he wants to own the haven. he’s tired of being the boy next door, he wants to be the man in your life.

he’s pacing the library, the firelight dancing off the curls at his temples. you’re sitting in an armchair, watching him with that same gentle composure that has always been his anchor.

"you're doing it again," you say softly in a worried tone. "you're overthinking. come sit down, michael."

he stops abruptly, turning to you. his voice is a whisper, thick with years of unspoken words. "i can’t just sit down anymore, y/n. don't you see? i go out there and i give them everything. i give my blood, my sweat, my childhood... and then i come to you to get my soul back. but i’m tired of leaving it here and picking it up later. i want it to stay with you. i want me to stay with you."

he moves toward you, his movements fluid but desperate, kneeling at your feet and resting his forehead against your knees. “i’ve been obsessed with the way you say my name since i was six years old. please... tell me you feel the weight of it, too."

once he declares his feelings, there is no going back. michael’s love is all-consuming. he wants you in the front row of every show, in the studio for every take, and in the room every time he wakes up. it’s a suffocatingly sweet kind of love; he wants to build a wall around the two of you where the world can’t hurt him and where you’ll never have a reason to look at anyone else.

Shadow Milk

Shadow Milk had been planning for a while to drive a wedge in your relationship with Pure Vanilla...he deserves to have his heart broken, after all!

Seeing the tension created by White Lily's awakening makes for some delicious drama, too...he can't help but laugh at how Pure Vanilla is ruining his own relationships, slowly poisoning it without him even having to lift a finger!

But...the thought of you being overlooked, replaced by some other Cookie who is just deemed to be "better" in the eyes of the one you care about, gives him...an uncomfortable feeling. Like he feels...sorry for you...

He's not going to unpack any of that, nope! But he does take more of an interest in you...

As you travel to the Spire, you feel like...there's always something watching you...but there's nothing there whenever you turn to look. You try not to think about that, or about how happy White Lily and Pure Vanilla seem to be traveling together...

It's hard not to feel a little bit relieved when White Lily separates from the group. Even then, though, you can tell Pure Vanilla is still thinking about her...you try not to feel upset. Not when there are more important things to focus on.

And then, to your surprise...Pure Vanilla wakes you gently the next morning, smiling softly at you. He holds your hand as you all travel to the top of the Spire, he seems to keep stealing glances at you every so often...for the first time in a while, you really feel seen by him.

...it's quite a shock to everyone, and especially to you, that it wasn't actually Pure Vanilla...but Shadow Milk in disguise! You can't help but feel heartbroken, having your hopes briefly rise only for it to all be a lie...

Except that...even as Shadow Milk plays his games with everyone, he continues to treat you in that same kind, warm manner. Maybe it's just to get at Pure Vanilla, but...even when you're alone and there's no one else around, he still acts like that.

To have the spotlight finally focused on you...it feels wonderful. But you can't just...betray your partner like this...especially not with him of all Cookies, can you...?

"Does he deserve your loyalty, though?" Shadow Milk points out if you voice any of these worries. "Think about it: wouldn't he betray you for that half-baked Guardian if he had the chance?" He gives a fanged grin. "...hasn't he already done it?"

It...gives you something to think about. Enough that even if you don't reciprocate his flirting, or the small affectionate gestures...you don't stop him, either.

In the end, after everything in the Spire...you come to your decision. You calmly approach Pure Vanilla in his new, awakened form...and break things off with him, as gently as you can.

He's very obviously shocked, heartbroken...but he tries not to show it. He gives you a soft smile...telling you he understands. (In the back of your mind, a now-familiar voice whispers that he seems relieved, doesn't he??)

In the night, you vanish without a trace...at least, that's what it seems like to the others. In truth, Shadow Milk appeared and offered his hand to you...and you left without looking back.

Once your friends encounter you again, they'll shout accusations at him about "brainwashing" and "kidnapping"...but you and he both know that what you have...isn't actually a lie.

He'll regularly hold you close, pressing kisses against your neck...saying that Pure Vanilla was obviously a fool to not see how much of a star you are, and promising that he'll never let you go.

Timekeeper

"Well! Aren't you an interesting puzzle?" is how she first greets you. Seeming to appear from out of nowhere, hovering above you on a giant pair of scissors...tilting her head as she scans you up and down.

You're a little taken aback at first...is she referring to you? Her grin only seems to widen, and she inches closer to you. "Who else? I've seen a lot of interesting timelines...believe it or not, you're in the thick of a lot of them! Now..." Her eyes gleam as she inches ever closer. "I want to know everything. Tell me about you!"

With interest like that, it's hard to not divulge...and in return, she tells you about alternate versions of yourself that she's seen, as well as the various oddities that pop up throughout time and space.

She makes a few more infrequent visits, here and there. It isn't long before she offers a crazy proposition to you: to leave Pure Vanilla and run away with her instead!

You feel perhaps a small twinge of hesitance...but when you think about the way Pure Vanilla looks at White Lily, how he looks at you, and finally how Timekeeper looks at you with such warmth and fascination...you feel your reservations melting away.

Pure Vanilla tries to take the breakup as graciously as he can...and largely succeeds. Perhaps due to the rift that had already been growing between you both.

Hearing that you're leaving the timeline with another Cookie is...a bit more of a shock! He struggles to process this, stammers that you know you can return here any time...(He hopes, at least. He's not fully sure how...these timelines work...)

Timekeeper is elated that you've agreed to her offer, and quickly sweeps you into a tight hug, spinning you around a few times before placing you right in front of her on her scissors!

You're whisked off to the TBD, introduced to everyone there...Timekeeper is proud to tell everyone that you're her partner! So she expects them all to treat you very well!

Everyone is perhaps a little shocked at the sudden declaration, but of course they listen to her...it's not long before you're well-accepted by the group.

You hear rumors that Timekeeper is a hard one to track down, always seeming to appear and disappear on whims...but for you? You find that the second you start to miss her, she'll suddenly appear...either bringing you a gift, or offering to bring you on some kind of adventure!

𖦁‎ oh, he would adore your defiance! shadow milk cookie loves games, and he would view your defiance as such and daresay, it certainly has became his favorite game, even taking over the throne of his most beloved hobby of breaking cookies apart and observing them falling down the never-ending rabbit hole from illusions.

𖦁 your distant attitude towards him wouldn't faze him whatsoever either, and if anything, his lovesickness would delude himself into thinking it was a natural reaction of yours from being in love; oh, you're not listening? oh, that is no biggie for him! he'll simply blabber your ears off, isolating yourself? has his dear forgotten? he is an omniscient presence within earthbread and his kingdom, there is no way to flee from him, he'll just trail along behind you! being a petulant thing against him? oh, that's adorable! surely, you jest! breaking one his precious gifts he spent his time on solely for you? oh, silly little you! how clumsy you are! being such a nice lover, he'll put it back together! you didn't mean to break that, don't you? you didn't, right? he'd break your arms. regardless of how you much you pay no heed to his presence, he is an everlasting existence and will forever be right beside you! there is no escaping him and his sight, it is just as fate concluded, after all!

𖦁 candy apple cookie—although, you treat her nicely—doesn't mean you're still exempted from her trickery: for her undying loyalty to shadow milk cookie overshadows anything to her; she'd allow you to braid her hair, all the while inquiring you why you loathe shadow milk cookie when he's just protecting you from the cookies outside, in love even! in that sickenly sweet tone of hers dripping with deceit. she'd even ask you to come with her for something she proclaimed was in dire need of help for only to lead you to back to shadow milk cookie with a cheerful face, giddily probbing shadow milk cookie if she did good.

𖦁 to shadow milk cookie, your defiance is none but a mere game to him, however, the moment you went against him and betrayed him by helping pure vanilla cookie within his spire? oh, that is when he actually takes your advances seriously. why are /you/ helping that pesky little thief? can't you comprehend that he's punishing him for taking what was his? don't tell him that you fell for that querulous cookie's lies? yes, surely, pure vanilla cookie did something to you that turned you against him, truly! what a fiend, stealing his soul jam and then you? oh, he is gonna crumble him into pieces! he vows on the witches the moment he's done with him he would be beyond recognization. you, on the other hand, unmistakably needed some tweaking—yes, he'd need to find a way for you to not do that again, surely, his sweet dear wouldn't mind being confined, would they?

Burning Spice Cookie & Golden Cheese Cookie

The day was moving along as it tends to. There were no duties that called for your aid, and you could rest as much as you liked. While that did sound nice, you decided to log into a game you play quite frequently: Cookie Run: Kingdom.

Hopping onto your device, you found you had little to do. Nothing much besides the daily activities until the next update comes out. Before the inevitable of logging off, you wanted to play around with your favorite pair of counterparts: Burning Spice Cookie and Golden Cheese Cookie. It wouldn't hurt to have a bit more fun.

You located the two and dragged them to an open area in your kingdom. They did not share an interaction, but you liked to pretend the both of them were annoyed with the other's presence. While they were your favored, you enjoyed bringing about their forced bonding. It's not like they can deny the player.

Random dialogue appeared above their heads, which was nothing out of the usual. In spite of that, there was a chat bubble that made you look twice.

"I do not see what you gain from this!"

Golden Cheese Cookie held the stance of staring into your screen, as if she truly was speaking to you. Of course, that would be nonsense since this is a game. And yet your next actions include clicking on Golden Cheese repeatedly. You search for that same sentence, but nothing alike appears.

Her Radiance then returns to a normal pose, which settles you a bit. Still, maybe you should have taken up on that nap earlier.

To return yourself to peace, you drag the beast back to the side of the ancient. They behave as coded. Somehow, you retain that sense of unease. It seems you can't let that mishap slide by. You were right to do so because another so-called accident appeared.

"Your badgering has grown boring over time!"

Your eyes hovered over the chat from Burning Spice Cookie. The pose of looking your way was taken by him as well. You begin to think, was there an update you missed? You are positive you would have known at least something of it. The cookies cannot simply act how they please all of a sudden.

You are growing both anxious and amused. The factor of mirth was less, though. With that said, you decided to log off for a moment. Cookie Run: Kingdom did not appeal to you like it tends to.

But it seems the game was persistent in having your attention. You were unable to pull out of the tab at all. It was stuck on your screen, with the music playing in the background as always.

Irritated, you scrutinized your screen. There were no pop-ups that were notifying of a bad connection, and all movement progressed with zero delay. Your eyes felt the need to trail back to Golden Cheese and Burning Spice, only to find the pair with their eyes staring at you. This time, they took up no other actions. Just a long, hard stare your way.

You were beginning to freak out. The situation was not looking upwards due to the fact of your screen zooming in by its own commands. All you could see was the two of them.

You confirmed it yourself; your game was broken in some way. It was hard to know how. As much as you wanted to ponder over the circumstances, you were gifted no time to. Your screen became a blinding white, and you backed away from it. Whatever was happening, it was intentional.

You wait for an event, yet your eyes catch nothing amiss. Your screen was black, meaning the entire game decided to shut off. Oh well. That was preferable anyway. Now you feel silly for being afraid. But then your ears catch an unexpected noise.

Inspecting, you witness hands extending out of your display. To reiterate, hands are coming out of your screen. The sight may be in front of you, but you pinch yourself in hopes of this being a terrible nightmare. Much to your dismay, you experienced the pain.

Running out of your room was a smarter choice, yet you backed into a corner. Fear engulfed you, and you were too afraid to watch. You relied entirely on your hearing, which brought a loud laugh that echoed off the walls. Silence followed after, sending off a false sense of security.

Footsteps were loud against your floor. Before you could grasp onto the noise, hands grasped around you. You were lifted off of the floor and carried by a muscular subject.

Now opening your eyes, there was much to indulge in. You were unaware of what to concentrate on. The strong aroma of spice nearby did not assist your focus. Even so, you believe you know what predicament you have fallen in. Is that truly who you think it is?

"How dare you place your hands on my treasure? Release them at once!" With a voice so divine and a presence that shines like gold, Golden Cheese Cookie stood in your room. Hovered, to be exact. Her wings defied what was humanly possible.

Holding you was the person she shouted at. The scent that stems from them left you with one guess.

"Hah! You dare tell me what to do? They shall be for my appeasement," the booming voice of Burning Spice Cookie states. You could feel the muscle in his arms, which were wrapped around your side. It seems he came into your world just as brawny as he was spoken to be in his own dimension.

For the slightest second, you squirmed to readjust your position. Your small movement caught the gaze of the two. Their eyes burned into your skin like you did something wrong.

For reasons unknown to you, Burning Spice Cookie released his grip around your figure. You took the chance of backing away from them, their sights not leaving you for a moment.

Golden Cheese inched closer to you, and Burning Spice behaved the same. She sent him a harsh stare; he returned it. Another argument would arise soon. That is the last act you would want executed, so you spoke up for once, ridding yourself of your shell-shocked behavior.

"Hey," you said, your tone not exactly still. Once again, you had their attention, which included their unsettling stare. Your next words did not follow after since you were unsure of what to say. Calm down? It would be hypocritical to demand an attitude you don’t even own right now. You chose to question instead.

"How... How are you both here right now?" Even now, you are not certain of the way they arrived. Could they merely just jump out of the game at any time? If so, why could they not appear in their cookie form? Circumstances would be much simpler then.

You did take note of their somewhat kind bearing towards you. Golden Cheese Cookie deemed you her treasure, and Burning Spice Cookie regarded you as his form of appeasement. You do not recall doing much for them in the game. How could they view you so highly?

Then you remember the starting signs of this entire situation. They stared at you from within the game, which means they can see you, which means they could see you this whole time. The idea does not settle well. Perhaps they could hear you coo over them at random intervals as well.

Now that you believe you have a few facts understood, you wait for a reasonable response from one of them.

"Right! Excuse my rude entry, darling. I have desired to see you for quite some time now, you know..." Golden Cheese Cookie sounds displeased for a matter you were unable to control. By some means, you feel guilty.

"You," Burning Spice started off. His tone startled you a bit. "You are far from boring. I have ached to find my way to you." He stepped closer, a grin spread on his face. "I have you now." You gulped at his last claim. You are sure he means that.

"Shall I inflict my radiance upon your stupidity once more?" Golden Cheese Cookie did not take a liking to his declaration over you. If her weapon came along, there would surely be a brawl. You are starting to see a pattern for the reasonings of their quarrels.

"How about we all sit down?" You suggested before Burning Spice could respond to the threat Golden Cheese sent. You made a trail towards your bed and sat down. Thankfully, they followed in your steps. You were glad your bed did not collapse under their weight.

Their compliance is surprising. They manage to tower over you, and the power that accompanies them is greater than yours. It is an odd feeling to have both of the mighty beings seemingly under your command. It is not a bad feeling, though.

Golden Cheese Cookie put her wings to rest. She made herself a seat right to your side. Her wing snuck around your shoulder.

Burning Spice Cookie spared no time for her attempts at flattery. He took a seat next to your other side, pressing his own skin to yours. Her wing was moved aside, replaced by his head smushing to your cheek. It is obvious he was curious about your nature.

It would appear these cookies know nothing of personal space, yet in reality, they do. The both of them simply deem it unnecessary when it comes to you.

"So, um, why are the both of you here?" Since your last question was ignored, you brought up another. You received their claims of wanting to meet you, but why? Was remaining inside the borders of their game not satisfying enough?

"Subjected to the unworthy matters of such a monotonous game," he huffed, like the memory pained him. "But then there was you. Your presence was a constant—yet your arrival excited me all the same." A chuckle brewed within him. "I craved the thrill you give."

His statement was strangely flirtatious, all spoken in a proper manner as well. It could cause your stomach to flutter. His fiery eyes, paired with his long lashes... Burning Spice Cookie was a sight to behold in his human form, and that was a plain fact.

You turned away from him, giving a hum in response. He was bored and stuck in a game. His motive was understandable, as anyone would go crazy under that situation.

Golden Cheese Cookie released a sigh intertwined with annoyance. It was clear she did not care a bit about Burning Spice's reason. Clearing her throat, she brought the attention to herself.

"Well, how could I not want to meet the one responsible for all my prosperity?" Her eyes sparkled while they fixed upon yours. She appeared even more divine than she did in the game.

"I only wished to thank you face-to-face." Her hand snuck into yours, attaching your palms together in a tight grasp. "You've provided me with an abundance of gold, yet my most prized possession is right here," she declared.

It is getting really hot in here now. You were bound to end up flushed between the two of them, but their words caused circumstances to grow poor. You would not want to mistake anything, but how else would one take their statements? The way they look at you with such admiration? You believe you'll faint.

"It's no big deal, really," you assured. Your eyes averted from hers since you found her stare overbearing.

Burning Spice Cookie was nowhere near fond of the sight of you and that woman, who he believes would be better off elsewhere.

Snatching away your attention from the greedy queen, Burning Spice placed his hand upon your lower back, pushing you closer to him. While you wanted to look anywhere but at a pair of eyes, he focused your gaze on his own.

"Appeasement," he titled you, "amuse me."

An odd choice of a nickname, but you find it fitting when it comes from him. Focusing on his request, you find yourself lost. How could you amuse a beast of destruction? There is no way you would challenge him in combat, so you think of a choice you would be capable of.

"Nonsense! They do not have to appeal to the likes of you," Golden Cheese Cookie sneered. She could be correct, yet you acted in the interest of the man anyway.

Shifting upwards, you pulled yourself to press a kiss to the cheek of the beast. The second after, you felt sick with apprehension. Was that the best option in mind? There must have been an alternative to please his constant need for entertainment.

In spite of your assumptions, Burning Spice Cookie was delighted. Within his mind, he presumes he will never find himself bored with you present.

To express his gratification, he releases the sound of boisterous laughter. Once again, he tightens his arms around you, which could be concluded as his form of a hug.

"Yes...! That's the rush I crave! Appeasement, amuse me again." Maybe introducing him to your small way of amusement was a bad choice. He is as greedy as his counterpart.

Speaking of his counterpart, her radiance is far from pleased. You dared to press your lips to the skin of that brute? Oh, you must have felt pressured, she claims. Fear not, as your queen is nowhere far.

She pulls you from the arms of her enemy. Commencing her wings to flight, Golden Cheese Cookie carries you in her own hold, which she deems where you will be far more content.

"You vermin! I will—" The scolding that approached the man came to a pause. The mouth Golden Cheese has was sealed due to your abrupt action. She received your soft kiss to her cheek, causing her anger to diminish into dust.

For a gesture so small, Golden Cheese Cookie feels the urge to request an abundance more of your affection. She presumes you would not hesitate if she asked. You were so giving when it came to her gold; would you provide a different source the same way if inquired?

She will question you later, preferably at a distance away from the beast. For now, you are returned to your feet and given your freedom.

The two are surprisingly silent. Still, you can catch them eyeing you, and their stares speak for them. It seems to be a matter you will have to learn to get used to, as it is not looking to be going away.

You hope they can attempt to coexist since you are positive they plan to stay awhile. Or they will refuse, and persistent fights will arrive. Regardless, a kiss could potentially help, based on the behavior they exuded moments prior.

While you're here, things will be under control. You'll have to be the one to assist with their questions. They will have a lot to ask about your world and a lot to ask about you. Nonetheless, they will be fine. But will you?

Mystic Flour Cookie & Dark Cacao Cookie

Late at night, you were awake in your bed. At an hour like this, it would be best to go to bed, but your sleep schedule was already ruffled. You saw no reason in attempting to fix it now. Besides, there were significant issues that required your aid. Those issues may be within a game, but they remain problems all the same.

While you do love Cookie Run: Kingdom, you were growing tired of logging in to repeat the same actions. In all honesty, you were missing a few days of resources that you could claim. The whole of your motivation was left to your guild. You did not want to get kicked for inactivity.

You were amidst your dark room, the lone source of light acting as the screen displaying the game. Your eyes exhibited boredom as you waited for each of the nine battles to end. The 2x button seemed like it was failing to help.

At the commencement of the final battle, you glanced at your team, which included Dark Cacao Cookie, along with his opposite, Mystic Flour Cookie. You are aware there is dialogue between him and his son at the start of a shared battle, so you tend to pay the text bubbles no mind.

This time around, you took a glimpse of what they conversed about. To your surprise, it seemed like you were included in his conversation.

"Why must you be so distant at times?"

You do not believe you read that correctly, but a quick read over proves you wrong. What does he mean by that? Was he talking to Dark Choco Cookie? It could apply to him, but such can be said for you as well. You have failed to log in for a few days now.

It must be something you are unaware of. You would rather not bother your mind with what appears to be a bug. Then again, you still played out a practice guild battle to investigate your worries. You eyed your team, and there popped another sentence, but not from the cookie anticipated.

"I have longed for the sight of you once more."

Now, it was Mystic Flour Cookie who acted bugged. Seriously, what was up with your game? You do not pay much attention to your battles; that much is true, yet you believe you would have taken note of their dialogue by now.

Aiming to make sense of the situation, you check the game's update log. You scroll, your eyes trailing over each bar of text to find what could settle your worries. There was nothing to be seen, and you were left clueless.

Thinking over what happened, you conclude this was nothing to fret about. It could very well be a mistake that the developers released by accident. After all, it is just a cookie game. They are all coded to act how they do. It would be silly to think they're sentient.

Before you went to bed, you took the two cookies who had startled you: Mystic Flour and Dark Cacao. You drag them to interact with random objects placed in your kingdom. It made you feel the slightest bit better.

"To even think you guys were real... Maybe I'm missing too much sleep," you spoke to your screen. You did not expect an answer in return.

"I am real."

What? Okay, now you realize the state of your affairs. That could not possibly be programmed into Dark Cacao Cookie's chat. Your game is absolutely hacked, or bugged, or something. It has to be something.

"I'll show you if I must."

Those next words send you into a panic. When did this become a horror game? How does she plan to display an impossible act? It was impossible for her to become existent, right?

If it were true, then you would like to prevent it. The timing was much too far into the night for events like this to be happening. With a quick mind, you conjure up a reaction.

"Wait! Wait, how about... no?" You tried to let your response down softly as to not offend whatever sentience was before you. It would be breathtaking to witness a humanized cookie, but the dark in your room made you think otherwise.

Your rejection was not taken as lightly as you wished, though. They were not as quick with sending out responses compared to before. In fact, your entire screen went black, most likely due to the power of them. This was all appearing far too genuine to entertain the thought of this being a dream.

Using your nimble wit, the best choice of action was to flee. Where? Your closet. Although when you take place behind the closed door, you realize that a different location would have been better.

It was too late. Your brain had played tricks on you by now, making you believe whatever was out for you took place in your room. As might be expected, you soon realized that was stupid. Your subconscious was scared, and you knew it.

What was there to be afraid of? You said it was simply a cookie game. There is not anything out for you. Your mind was eased, and you stepped out of your hiding place.

It goes without saying, there was nothing within your space. No monster, no cookies, nothing. A sigh you were unaware of holding escaped from your mouth. Then the sigh was not the only sound inside of your room.

The next thing you knew, there was a loud tumble audible, and you jumped out of surprise. After that, there came your returning fear. It may have been dark, but you could notice the outlines of two people, who were beginning to stand up.

Before anything else, you turn on your side lamp. You were scared, yes, but you would also like to see the face of what would end you. With a spring of light, you look forward.

In front of your eyes, you could observe recognizable faces. It did not take long for you to understand what happened.

"Your resolution irks me to no end. There is no reason for you to be here," spoke the pale lady, her voice firm in tone.

"Yet again, you stand in my way. I will cut you down once more if necessary," the man folded his arms. The hostility in the air was thick. You are well aware of the past between the two of them. It looks to be that they shared a matching goal: reaching you.

"Holy..." You breathed out in shock. Despite the rapid amount of blinks you took, the pair remained ahead of you. This is far from imaginary. You have Dark Cacao Cookie and Mystic Flour Cookie amidst your room.

Your singular word attracted the gaze of them both. Unlike them, you were unable to vocalize your feelings. It was obvious you were shocked. It was no problem in their opinion. As nice as your voice sounds, they came here to lay their eyes upon you in person.

Her footsteps were agile; it did not appear as if she even moved. In the next second, Mystic Flour stood before you. You leaned back, yet she leaned in. Her eyes opened, revealing the darkened stare she owned.

Even with features that would seem disturbing, Mystic Flour Cookie appeared ethereal. It was captivating to witness her from a distance, whereas the shortened proximity taps at your nerves. You pray any of your prior words had not insulted her.

Her hand crept to your cheek. "It is you," she whispered, her touch gentle when in contact with your skin. Your mouth was dry, yet you evoked your response in due time.

"...Are you real?" Your voice was quiet as you asked for confirmation. You felt as if you were getting swallowed in her unwavering gaze, but you kept still. Her hand was cold at the time she cupped your cheek.

Dark Cacao Cookie stepped forward, disliking the view he saw. "She should not be here." His hand fell onto her shoulder, increasing the space between you and her.

Mystic Flour Cookie's face twitched, and she brushed the hand of the man off of her shoulder. It did not take much to notice their hatred for one another. You would rather there arise another topic since it seemed like the two would argue at any moment.

"Dark Cacao Coo—or, just Dark Cacao, how are you..." Your sentence had not come to finish, as you cut yourself off at the sight of the lord stepping closer. It was to no one's surprise that he towered over you. His hand dropped its secure grip on your shoulder. They both come off as touchy, you believe.

"I have managed to achieve my true strength. I am able to protect my kingdom with ease and fight for my subjects. My sword has grown sharper—because of you." His stare was resolute as he looked your way. You felt your ego inflate due to his words. How nice it felt to experience a lord expressing gratitude for you, albeit he originates from a game.

"I did that? I mean, yeah, I did that! It was easy, really. You were very deserving of it." It was like all of your previous anxiety had diminished. Since you were aware they held you in high regard, you would play along. It brought no harm to.

You catch sight of Dark Cacao's bashful face. It looks like your words went to fluster him. He will have to get accustomed to it. Knowing how much power you hold, you plan to use it to your advantage.

In the corner of your eye, Mystic Flour Cookie gives the impression she is brooding. Perhaps your small praise of her rival left her upset. It would not be fair to pick and choose when you are certain they both worked hard to reach you. Breaking out of a game sounds like no easy work.

Shifting her way, your hands find their way to hold her own, bringing her near your person. This gains her attention, and her eerie stare is placed onto you once again.

"Mystic Flour," you started off in a murmur, "I think you did what you had to do. In the end, you are worthy of the care I give you." You were close enough to whisper in her ear, pulling away to send her a quick smile. With her skin complexion, you could see the red tint on her face with ease. She is as adorable as her foe.

You spoke in a mighty tone, keeping the god title they placed you in. It would only be right. It was clear they were in need of some sort of tribute. They may be tall and powerful, but their need of affection remains. As their "god," you were more than happy to give what they sought from you.

Mystic Flour Cookie shut her eyes and returned a nod of her own appreciation. Her hands tightened around yours, yet you had to free one palm from hers to clasp another.

Dark Cacao Cookie appeared bothered at the statement you gave to her, but his complaints were unheard. It was as if his exasperation reduced to dust when you held his hand.

"Now, let's stop the sulking." Your request fell on deaf ears. Mystic Flour cannot tolerate that man, even for you. The same can be said for Dark Cacao. There is a limit to what he can do in favor of you.

"Hey, uh, when will you guys return to your world?" You eyed both of them, believing you could guess their answers.

"I plan to stay by your side," he replied. You feel uneasy when Mystic Flour Cookie does not send her response. With that given, you are sure they own an identical answer. Would it be possible to change their minds? From your memory, they were keen with resolution and set with apathy. It may take a bit to send them off, if it's even attainable.

For now, you will have to deal with the two of them. They are silent enough, but their animosity is constant. Will you be able to deal with the tension?

Shadow Milk Cookie & Pure Vanilla Cookie

It was early morning, and in your bed you lay, wide awake and eager for the upcoming day. There were no events to attend in person. Instead, there was an update coming to the game you adored: Cookie Run: Kingdom.

You wanted to prepare for the arriving cookie, so you made sure to gather all of the resources that were within your reach.

All of the codes available were input, and you claimed your rewards from such. Heading to your guild's alliance, you battled the highest difficulty you could manage. The rewards for a high tier were not ones to be passed up.

Finished with that, you moved onto the daily acts you could do. Collecting your train goods, sending off the balloon, and fulfilling wishes. Everything was almost complete, but you had the arena to finish up with. Tallying time was around the corner, so you wanted your tier to experience growth before then.

As always, you clicked on battle after battle, watching as your collection of trophies rose next to your tier. Down the path, you faced a few problems with Pure Vanilla Cookie dying off. He was insufficient compared to other teams, so you wanted to fix the problem.

Seeking out his beascuit stats, you aimed to modify a few things. Before you clicked on the icon, you received a piece of dialogue from the healer.

"Could you spare me a minute or two?"

Huh. Although that sounded sweet, you were focused more on the creation of the text. Somehow, you cannot dwell on the memory you first heard that. Was it added on a later date?

Having fixated on Pure Vanilla Cookie during a certain period, you feel as if you would recall his question, yet you fail to. It must be your blurry memory. It seems like a reasonable conclusion.

You wanted to view those words anew to remember them the next time around, just to ensure no unnecessary confusion. Even so, after you tapped the character a few times, you could not find the message you were in search of. It disappeared, like it never existed. Strange, but you chose to let the topic go.

While you believe you clicked on Pure Vanilla Cookie's beascuit, you ended up on another cookie's stats: Shadow Milk Cookie. It was simply an accident, so you undo your mistake and return to Pure Vanilla's screen. Over again, you click on his beascuit, but then the same mishap occurs. How are you ending up on Shadow Milk instead? Your game is awfully glitchy today.

Then, out of nowhere, you are on the screen of the blue jester. His cookie floats to the left, seemingly innocent of the reoccurring disturbances. Another inconvenience arrives, and you are stuck on his screen. You are unable to click on the next cookie. None of the arrows work, and the exit button has denied you.

You would go to assume you need to reset, but the fact that everything else is fine leaves you curious. You are allowed to click on his cookie, beascuit, toppings, and skill. All is well, except the exit source. At some point, you just started to spam it. That's when you hear your next problem.

"Hey! Didja forget? I'M the star of the show!"

That marks the second time you are presented with unseen dialogue, both of which feel like you are being spoken to directly. You do not have a known cause for this, but you hope a shutdown of the game could aid your tiny predicament.

But of course, luck was not on your side. You were not presented with the chance of closing the game. The display of Shadow Milk Cookie persisted. It would be weird to blame a fictional character, but you want to point fingers at him anyway.

Looking around, you check for a bad internet connection. Nope, nothing. When your eyes trail back to the screen, you do notice another fact. Shadow Milk Cookie is gone. He is not on your screen, even though you are on his page. What could possibly be wrong with your game? A cookie cannot just up and walk away.

Then, one feature worked. You could move onto the page of the next cookie in your team, like you had been wanting to earlier. Now, Pure Vanilla Cookie is displayed. You could have returned to a normal routine, yet you did not. The last few moments were not to be dismissed.

All of a sudden, there was audible giggling behind you, which echoed in your room. There was no one else but you that resided here, so you were obtaining genuine fear.

Glancing at your screen, there was yet another interference. Pure Vanilla vanished in the same manner Shadow Milk did. Have your cookies just decided to leave you? You always thought you cared for them well, but perhaps not.

You felt no need to stay within the bounds of your room for much longer, so you got up and headed to your door. You are not sure one would believe your situation if you were to tell them, but you hold no care for that. Getting a breath of fresh air was your main goal.

Every goal is accompanied by its obstacles, except you forgot about that part. You did not anticipate the arrival of your new guests, which left them with an opportunity to sneak up on you.

Stopped in your tracks, you stumbled upon your locked door. Not from the inside, but from the outside. Your urgency increased with each rattle of the knob until a voice was heard behind you.

"Awwwh, where are you going? The fun just started!" There poofed a blue man in front of your way of escape. While you wished to be courageous, you were startled by his appearance and shrieked, stumbling over your balance and falling. Fear not, as there was an awaiting grasp at your back.

"Shadow Milk Cookie, must you behave such a way? You are scaring them," spoke the soft voice near, their arms steady around your body. Hearing that name confirmed what you initially thought to be insane. The character became real, and he was right ahead of you with a grin across his face.

Peering upwards, you spotted the opposite of the jester. He turned your way with a kind smile adorning his face.

"My light..." Pure Vanilla Cookie tugged you closer, his voice warm like a candle. His embrace felt safe, yet you were still alarmed by the situation.

Shadow Milk rolled his eyes at the sappy man. The beast wanted nothing more than to have you near him, but he begrudgingly listened to Pure Vanilla. His goal was not to scare you, although it would be humorous to.

You slipped from the grip of the blonde man, who was saddened but allowed you as you wished. Your expression seemed tense, and he did not want to frighten you. Their attention was on you and you alone.

Thinking too hard gave you a headache. You do not think you could comprehend what occurred before you. "I don't—I can't understand what just happened." They both recognized your concern, but Pure Vanilla Cookie was the one who expressed his sympathy.

"There is nothing to fear—" The compassionate man was pushed to the side, overshadowed by his parallel.

"Whatever could you mean? The star of the show has graced you with his presence!" Shadow Milk Cookie was able to fly, which was an entirely different matter for you to gawk at. He hovered to your side and wrapped his arms around your neck, his touch smooth but cold. You felt his hair curl to your cheek, as if it possessed its own mind.

Your eyes stared into his. Seeing him in the game was fine, yet his features became more prominent when humanized. Observing the eyes in his hair truly left you bothered. "Why?" Your question was legitimate. What made them determined to visit you? They seem nice enough, so you are glad you did them no wrong.

"I needed to see you SO BAD! I mean, any good host would spend time with their number one fan." He deemed you his number one fan? Really? You are not sure if you felt flattery.

Your hand was pulled in the direction of Pure Vanilla Cookie, diverting your heed to him instead. Shadow Milk Cookie gave no approval to this, his expression salty and hateful. It was obvious he believed the attendance of Pure Vanilla was unnecessary.

"My friend, you have given me your faith throughout my journey. I could not have done it without you." His eyes unveiled the pretty case of heterochromia he has. The way he stared at you made you feel all nice. You were unknowing of exactly what you provided for him, but you received his gratitude all the same.

"Blah, blah, blah. They only did what was coded. I’m sure they had my best interest at heart," Shadow Milk Cookie excused, reclaiming your personal space as his own with the pull of his arms. You did not confirm nor deny the statement given by Shadow Milk. Slight irritation exuded from the usually calm man.

"...What do the two of you want from me?" Now that they reached you, you wondered what their plans were. If it is anything simple, you can see yourself offering.

"I only desired to see you, my light." Pure Vanilla Cookie was so upfront with the admiration he held for you, it was almost overwhelming to hear. He was nearly a stranger admitting this. "I wished to illuminate you with the same warmth you gave me."

Despite how strong he may come off, you appreciate his thanks. Your hand lowered to hold his. Your action surprised him, but your next movement shocked him.

You planted a kiss on the back of his hand, returning his faltered smile with your own. It was the least you could do for such heavy devotion. You found yourself respecting him as well. Pure Vanilla sent out shy chuckles, clearly pleased by what you conducted. Would it be selfish to ask for another? He ponders.

Watching from the sidelines, Shadow Milk Cookie is furious. How does that stupid, blind gnat receive a kiss from you? He believes your kindness needs to learn some limits, which should stop right at the edges of that foolish man.

You were aware of the jealousy oozing off of Shadow Milk Cookie. It was simple to catch on to his emotions after a few minutes. You would not want anything broken in your room due to a fight, so it would be best to share your affection. It was planned to be passed anyway.

Before you could reciprocate the same behavior for Shadow Milk Cookie, the man scooped you up in his arms effortlessly. Inspecting his face, you notice a scowl taking place on his lips. For someone who was so playful a second ago, he held such resentment within him.

"Not everything can be solved with friendship, Silly Vanilly," he mocked, sarcasm in his tone. You believe the only reason he fails to attack his rival is because of you. At any other rate, there would be holes in the wall.

To lessen his loathing, you were quick to bring his hand to your lips. You send him a kiss, similar to the way you gave Pure Vanilla. The piece of affection seemed to shut his temper up immediately, and he clung to you further.

"Ha ha! I knew ya loved me more!" That seemed to be baseless evidence, but you repaid his hug with a smile anyway. It went without effort to get acquainted with his silliness when in person. You can foresee the new fun he will bring with his antics.

Pure Vanilla Cookie could not say he was pleased with what he saw, but he went without speaking about it. You behaved the way you do because of your benevolence, and he wanted to respect that. He would live up to his nickname if he were to compete for your time.

Something has never gotten so out of hand for you.

Just a couple hours ago, you had ran into a cookie that was so-called Fortune Cookie, saying quite the grim things about this place, all about Shadow Milk Cookie and how you and your friends had no hope in a palace of lies such a this. You tried to push forward, Gingerbrave encouraging you throughout all this, making sure you remained positive, but it was getting harder and harder.

The next thing you knew, you were on some stairs, Fortune Cookie pulling his hood down to reveal what could only be described as your worst nightmare — Pure Vanilla Cookie. But it wasn't the one you knew, that one seemed long gone for now. Truthless Recluse, as Shadow Milk called him. He pushed out your friends, before pulling you with him, Shadow Milk even using some strings to make you stay.

You sat at a table now, Candy Apple and Black Sapphire were arguing over... something, you didn't know. Truthless Recluse held your hand as he ate, Shadow Milk laughing with them, almost... happy that more people were at the table. You were just confused, you didn't know how to feel about this situation. On one hand, you were glad Pure— Truthless Recluse was okay. On the other... you missed your friends, you were basically kidnapped, and had no way out.

Your days were much boring now. You were mostly locked up now, you had some board games in your room, some books with some scribbles done by Candy Apple. You didn't know what to do, you were so used to being out and going on adventures. What were you supposed to do when you were forced to do now?

Truthless Recluse kept you company all the time. He was more clingy than Pure Vanilla ever was, his embrace was much firmer, more reluctant to let go at all. Even with Shadow Milk's strings, he made you stay by his side at all times. He wasn't much of a talker anymore — Pure Vanilla could talk your ear off, but now, you could barely get a word out of him.

One time, you almost managed to trick Candy Apple to get you out, yet as soon as you tried to make a run for it, he was there. He didn't express it, but could tell he was upset. His grip almost hurt when he got his hands on you, and it was as if you were dragged to Rapunzel's tower. You had windows, yet the only thing you could see were the eyes of Shadow Milk, just like all of the sky was outside.

Candy Apple and Black Sapphire did try to make you some company here and there, before Truthless Recluse sent them away with a scowl, or Shadow Milk gave them some meaningless task for them to do to keep them away for at least a good while.

It did seem you were stuck here for at least a while.

A = Affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

Luke tends to be more emotionally affectionate — he's really good with sensing where you're at and being affectionate towards your mood, mental state, and emotions. Sometimes it's just in the way he talks to you that makes you feel loved and cared for. There's a tenderness in his tone that just makes you smile. He has the most perfect timing when he asks "is everything alright?" tucking a bit of hair behind your ear and tilting his head to match your gaze.

When it is physical — it's in the little details, like holding your hand when you need it most, (e.g., when you left your home planet, you watched it fade from view outside the ship's window. Luke was the only one to come stand beside you, gently intertwine his fingers with yours, and just be there with you). Other times he really does just love to hold your hand, even if it's at meetings or around the ship. He love hugs too, he's a total hugger, so be prepared to have lots of hugs.

B = Best friend (What would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?)

He’s the best ™️ friend that you’ll ever have, seriously — he’s probably one of the most loyal people you’ll ever meet, and quite possibly to a fault. He doesn’t give up on you which is a good thing, but he could easily break his own heart over having someone else be less loyal in a friendship. / He’s on your side to the end, even if other people can’t see where you’re going with a plan or an idea, he’s behind you because he trusts you, and he's very vocal about it. Luke doesn't do silent support, if other people doubt you he's going to speak up for you and why they should give you a chance.

You probably met through the Rebellion — either he was sent on a mission to aid your planet (where he meets you) or you joined up with the Rebellion and you met on a ship. Luke was instantly in awe of you from when he first met you, but you were a bit oblivious to it as he was fairly good at hiding it except from Leia and Han who knew him too well.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?)

Yes — Luke loves having you in his arms and truly just getting to hold you makes him happy. It's always soft and gentle, it never feels forced; it always feels like you both just fit so well with and against each other. He has to smile when you come up behind him and hug him, because he can both literally and mentally (through the force) feel your emotions. He usually looks over his shoulder, "hey," he places his hands onto of yours, "didn't see you there."

At night — he definitely likes to have you close, usually you're cuddled up against his chest and he has his arms around you. He always has to be facing the door though, whether you're facing him or not, just a protection habit.

Lots of nuzzling — you love nuzzling up against him, and it always brings a smile to his face when you do it at random. Sometimes it’s for affection, other times it’s for comfort either way, he welcomes it completely.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

In some ways yes, in some ways no — he knows he wants to be with you and only you forever, but that doesn't mean he's going to give up being a Jedi or going on missions to help the Rebellion. Which works perfectly since you're a part of the Rebellion as well, and therefore you're almost always together unless he goes on a mission alone.

You’re pretty sure Yoda taught him how to cook — by that: he can cook some questionable soup, and maybeee he knows how to bake some kind of bread, but that’s about it. Thankfuly there are provisions from the Rebellion, or you’re a much better cook. Either way food is probably safer in your hand if you want it to taste good.

As for cleaning — he’d be on it, Luke’s an organised individual and rarely lets things get terribly out of order. / Now, with Grogu at the current work in progress temple, things can get a little messier, but you begin to see that Luke is quick to clean up after Grogu, since he's the one who's with him night and day.

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?)

He wouldn't start it — most probable: if he knew that he would eventually have to end it, he wouldn't start the relationship. He would only start the relationship if he was 100% certain that you were the one he'd want to spend his life with. Otherwise, he'd watch from a distance, or even remain a friend, but never start something if he knew ultimately he would have to break your heart.

If it had to happen — for starters it's a dire situation if he has to, because he believes in working through + facing things together. He would be honest in the most gentle way possible, assuring you that it wasn't because of you.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Total commitment — again, Luke's a very committed individual, so when it comes to you he's above and beyond committed. He's basically ready to marry you the moment the relationship starts, because the two of you were most likely friends for a good long while before the relationship started since he doesn't just rush into a relationship..

Your timing — since he's already 100% committed he defers to you for when to have an actual wedding. He doesn't mind the relationship where its at, he also doesn't want you to feel rushed just because he'd marry you in a moment. He wants you to feel ready for your big day.

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?)

Physically — he’s very very gentle. It’s soft touches and kisses all the way with Luke. He'll stroke his fingertips against your skin like you're made of glass, it's so gentle and so tender. Sometimes he doesn't even realize how romantic it can be, that's just how he naturally treats you, attempting to be romantic or not.

↳ when you're just sitting in a field watching Grogu explore a little on his own, Luke will join you, giving the little one a break from training. You look up and smile watching him come down to your level. Luke will sigh, reaching an arm behind you to keep himself propped up, but close to you. As you continue to read (one of the few books you managed to bring with you) Luke starts to stroke your forearm with his gloved fingertips. Smiling to yourself, you look over to him but find him still watching Grogu. "Why're you doing that?" you whisper through a smile. / Luke brings his attention to you, with a look of slight surprise, "doing what?" / "That," you nod slightly towards his hand. / "Just a habit," he sighs, "it's comforting having you near."

Emotionally — he's very sensitive to your emotions and knows how to appropriately and softly deliver any kind of new in any kind of information. When you're having a hard time, he never yells, gets mad, or gives up on you. He acknowledges a lot of your emotions and sometimes helps you the most in processing them yourself.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

He does — Luke is definitely a hugger with his friends and those who are close to him. When you first met him he was a little bit over energetic about sweeping you off your feet in a tight hug when he returned from a mission. Nowadays he prefers long, caressing, and softly passionate hugs with you. He keeps you in his arms for a good while, but it's much more relaxed and comforting than an energetic hug; you noticed this change after he became a Jedi, maybe some of that control helped.

He hugs you on a daily — unless he's away, or you're away, you probably get a hug from him at least once or twice a day. He'll even just wrap an arm around your waist or gently on top of your shoulders to keep your pressed against his side for a while longer after a hug.

I = I love you (How fast do they say the L-word?)

It takes a while — he's says it many times and many ways, but not exactly in those three words. He's quite shy to actually bring up love, mildly worried that he'd ruin the friendship. It's probably at Leia's encouragement that he actually tells you 'I love you,' since she's your best friend and his.

When he does — it's nothing hyper-romantic, in fact it was when he was leaving for a mission with a squadron. You handed him his helmet, and just as the pilot shield was closing, he said "I'll see you when I get back. . . I love you." Your lips parted as the cockpit locked before you could say it back. It was finally when you were waiting in the bay, anxious to see him again that you got to say it back: "Luke!" You smile, running towards him, he tosses his helmet back in the X-Wing and opens his arms for you. "I missed you," he chuckles at how tightly you hold onto him. / You look up, still in his arms, "I love you too."

↳ later in your relationship you scold him for not giving you the chance to say it back, but he admits he was just too nervous you wouldn't say it back.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they’re jealous?)

Luke's not a terribly jealous person — you've been in more than one situation where a pilot thinks it's appropriate to hit on you even though you're already and clearly with Luke. Knowing that you can handle a few young pilots, he has to laugh when he sees one of them try and flirt with you, because you instantly come back with, a feigned wince and an "Oh, sorry, I'm actually already with Luke Skywalker, you know: Jedi Knight, Rebel hero, and Commander?" to which they all usually back off at.

If anything more happens, he gets more defensive than jealous — since your relationship is so well grounded from friendship and trust, jealously doesn't usually happen because neither of you worry that the other will give into someone else's advances.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Soft and tender — he always starts it off soft, but deep. It’s just enough to make you want more, which makes him smile when he feels you lean further into it when he starts to pull back. He often gives a small chuckle before caressing the nape of your neck and gently bringing you in closer.

Loves kissing your smile — when you're smiling that's often when he wants to kiss you most. He just loves your smile so much he wants a little taste of it. You get a little embarrassed because it only makes you smile bigger when he does that. Giggling and pulling back you cover your mouth, "wait," you laugh as he rests his forehead against yours. / "What?" he returns your smile, attempting to steal another kiss when you drop your hand. / "No," you giggle shaking your head, placing your hand now over his mouth, "I can't stop smiling." / Taking your hands gently in his to keep them away from either of your mouths, he steals another kiss, "that's okay."

L = Little ones (How are they around children?)

Super sweet — it was on rare occasions that you saw him around kids, but when you went to a Rebel base that happened to have some younger kids, they knew exactly who he was (to his surprise still) and were so excited to meet him. Luke handled it really well, and answered their many questions.

Grogu — with Grogu you really got to see a side of Luke that you hadn't before. You saw how patient he was and how much he cared for him, not only in the option to become a Jedi, but whether it was best for Grogu and if it was what he really desired.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Luke has an early morning routine — he gets up early to meditate and self-train a bit before teaching Grogu in his lessons. So usually your morning with him begins with a forehead kiss or one on the cheek while you're still in bed and he's on his way off to meditate.

↳ on very rare occasions you manage to keep him in bed a little bit longer. Typically if he knows he's about to be sent on a mission, he'll try to hold on to every little moment with you, which even includes staying in bed with you longer.

Breakfast — when together, the two of you (and later Grogu) always try to have breakfast together. Whether Luke already made something, or whether you make it and he comes back to it; you typically get to sit down together at least for a little bit.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Relaxing — nights are often very calming and quiet, you either enjoy a little time together outside (when on planet) under the stars, or relaxing in your shared chambers together. A lot of people want Luke's attention when on ship, so nights are really nice to have, you get to just talk or cuddle unbothered.

More — nighttime is when you get to have a little more physical fun. Sometimes that just means snuggling, or maybe a bit of flirty foreplay, other times it means more, either way you enjoy just being physically close / intimate with each other for a while.

O = Open (When would they start revealing things about themselves? Do they say everything all at once or wait a while to reveal things slowly?)

When you met him — people already knew the name Skywalker from the destruction of the first Death Star, so you knew him as a Rebel figure, but not personally. So when it came to knowing him beyond just his Rebel career, you had a fairly easy time. // Luke claims there's not much to know about him. When you ask, he willingly tells you about his life on Tatooine, his recruit into the Rebellion and his path to Jedi training.

Deeper understanding — you find out about Luke through his actions, as in you know his background, but you find out his personality, habits, and traits just by being around him. Like how much he cares for his friends (including you), how much he keep hope alive, and his faith in the force.

P = Patience (How easily angered are they?)

Patience of an angel — Luke seriously has so much patience, you're sometimes jealous of how patient he can be. When it comes to people he really gives them grace and patience when they're talking or when they're new to something (like a lot of new pilots). // You greatly appreciate his patience when you're working through something, because he doesn't get mad or frustrated that it's taking you so long to figure things out, he'll wait as long as you need.

Q = Quizzes (How much would they remember about you? Do they remember every little detail you mention in passing, or do they kind of forget everything?)

A lot — Luke's silently very very attentive. He remembers a lot from what you've told him about yourself, especially likes and dislikes, habits, favourites, etc. Because he wants to be able to really surprise you with things that will mean the most to you. // He also pays special attention to the little things that you mention or even the ones you don't. He can tell by the way you respond to things mentally and physically if you're in favor or not.

R = Remember (What is their favorite moment in your relationship?)

He'd say it's when you met — there are so many memories the two of you have together, but Luke would say the best moment was when the two of you first me. However you correct him that you weren't dating when you first met, to which he'd say: "alright, then the moment I found out you felt the same. That day is my favourite moment, because it allowed everything else that followed to be possible."

S = Security (How protective are they? How would they protect you? How would they like to be protected?)

He's protective, but not hyper — Luke is always going to be protective of you, but he's not super hyper about it or over protective. He respects any training you have, with a blaster or just in general. // He does try to keep you out of danger, obviously, but he feels confident that you can defend yourself.

When it comes to everyday — he's definitely going to make sure that you're protected and feel safe in any place that you're in daily. He doesn't want you to be on edge so he assures you that you're safe.

T = Try (How much effort would they put into dates, anniversaries, gifts, everyday tasks?)

He definitely puts in effort — he wants things to be perfect for you and he can sometimes stress way too hard over whether or not its enough for you. He loves making anniversaries super special, sometimes that even means traveling to really beautiful planets and staying for a while, just as a get away for the two of you (and Artoo).

Daily tasks — he's great with everyday life, seriously there's a simplicity that he enjoys and the opportunity for the spontaneous that just makes it so fun. You two also most likely have a general routine for the day, but Luke always tries to do more for you when he can.

U = Ugly (What would be some bad habits of theirs?)

Distance — sometimes he just gets the feeling that he needs to go somewhere alone, like a calling through the force. But it's difficult when that's all he explains it with "the force is just leading me there" and you ask to go, but he says it needs to just be him. It can be really hard to understand + sometimes you're not even entirely sure where he is.

W = Whole (Would they feel incomplete without you?)

Yes — now that you two have completely confessed feelings for each other, he feels a connection to you, not only relationship wise, but also through the force now. He'd feel a missing piece if you weren't in his life.

Y = Yuck (What are some things they wouldn’t like, either in general or in a partner?)

Ego — Luke's most likely not going to be super compatible with someone who prides themselves all the time, whether that's on achievements, looks, etc., he likes someone a little more down to earth and realistic.

Lack of compassion — someone who's stone cold probably isn't going to jive well with him; Luke has a lot of faith in people, even if some mistakes in their past have been made and having a loving open heart is really special to him.

Z = Zzz (What is a sleep habits of theirs?)

He's a light sleeper — Luke is one of the lightest sleepers you have ever met. You're not sure if it comes from his connection to the force or if he was just always that way, but he is. Which can sometimes not be a problem. But other-times. . .

"For the last time, I'm coming to keep you safe," Mark sighs, exasperated, speaking as if you're the idiot who can't understand simple explanations. It makes your eyebrow quirk in annoyance, taking issues with the way he was talking to you.

Because seriously? Who the fuck did he think he was?

He'd been dropping you off every day, everywhere for the last two week with little to no time for yourself. It had been cute at first, if not a little silly. He'd gotten so worried recently, for your safety, even your health. Constantly worried about mugging and random thief's who'd been making the news recently. It's funny to think about a hero who could crush kaiju's and stop meteors worry about petty criminals. But worried he was, nonetheless.

Like you'd said. Cute at first, not so much recently.

Mark just wanted to keep you safe, wanted to make sure not even a hair on your head was scratched. And it was starting to become suffocating. It had become too much, too obsessive with the way he was meticulous about showing up at a certain time to pick you up and drop you off at different place you needed to get to. You'd thanked him at first. Little coos of "My hero," or "You're so sweet,"

It started becoming "I can handle it myself," or "I'm not a damn child Mark!"

Your relationship with Mark had always been a straightforward one. You'd fallen first but he'd definitely fallen harder. Sweet, soft, and gentle, he was always afraid of hurting you or making you upset.

But recently his attitude has been taking a turn for the worst along with your attitude. He'd always been particularly sensitive whenever the two of you fought, especially if you had different viewpoints or ideas about certain things.

Like keeping you safe for example.

He'd say it was a necessity to take you to and from wherever you'd wanted. The transportation was cool at first, but then he'd started getting uptight about you being a minute late or even if you'd be going to some scary part of the city.

Which lead to now- what you considered your breaking point. All you'd wanted to do was hang out with a couple of friends downtown, and sure it was a shady area, but it wasn't like you were going to stay there past midnight. Oh, but Mark certainly thought differently.

"Mark, no." you shake your head, staring at him pointedly like he had no reason to be there. Which he didn't but he was so insistent that it was starting to piss you off. Mark only huffs at that, as if he needed your permission to take care of you.

He's not some damn dog.

Well, not right now anyway. Right now, he just wanted to keep you safe, and you were making it so unnecessarily hard for no reason. He's holding his mask, clad in his blue and black suit, having finished off some simple mission Cecil had sent him on. He's holding it tightly, eyes staring back at you defiantly. Daring you to stop him.

"You could get hurt."

"I'm gonna be around other people, Mark."

"People I don't know," he stresses. He's upset; eyes narrowed every time you tried to push him away. "I don't even know if they can defend you. Or if they won't just ditch you the second some criminal appears." The words piss you off. It's stupid, you know but it still makes you bristle. "Mark, don't talk that way about my friends, of course they'll keep me safe."

He shakes his head again, "You don't know that. Let me go, I'll be able to protect you if something happens." You scoff in return, arms crossing. "Mark, you're being silly, nothing has happened to me so far. You can't just watch me every day to keep me safe."

"Watch me."

That makes you pause. You just stare at him incredulously, like he'd said he ingested space-cannabis or something. "You can't seriously be saying that, Mark. Literally what's wrong with you?" your accusing words make him flinch and he only grips his mask tighter.

You don't give him the chance to say anything else, turning to march forward. And he stalks on your tail immediately, unwilling to let you just walk away. He feels the frustration bubble up, like if he just kept at it you'd falter and understand. He doesn't want you to get hurt, that's all. Sometimes it just takes him having to watch you constantly for the worry to fade.

Didn't you understand? What could he do or say to make you understand?

He feels like he's losing the battle. He knows he's slowly pushing you away, away from his over-bearingness. But he was well-meaning. You're everything to him, if something happened to you, he'd lose his goddamned mind. He couldn't live anymore. It'd be too hard.

So he has to make you understand. He's not the bad guy here, he's just in love. Hopelessly, stupidly in love with you.

“I’m just trying to keep you safe,” he mutters, not even a foot away as you kept walking. Woe is he, a fool in love but such bad execution. It was tiring and you were done.

“God, Mark!” You didn’t mean to shout, or you did, your emotions at an all time high. You just wanted one day, one day out. Without him. Self-imposed keeper. “Can’t you just.. be normal?”

Maybe you’ve flown too close to the sun. Ridden your emotions too high and mistook comfort and safety as continual. Never doubting. It was instant that the words left a bitter, unpleasant taste, teeth grinding like they were trying to trap the words shut.

Too late.

He's gripping his mask like he wants to rip it apart. He feels like he can't get enough air, can't get the words out as calmly as he wants. Words burn at his throat, strangled and rough, "Damn it, don't you think I'm trying?" he's shaking now, the weight of the argument drawing out his anxiety. "Do you know how hard it is to keep my emotions in check, my strength controlled?"

You feel yourself swallowing whatever reply you had, eyes wide as he's heaving. You want to apologize, of course you know about everything he's dealing with! You just wanted one night away. Was that so wrong?

"I'm constantly worried about my powers, keeping my strength in check, making sure i don't break things or break people," he croaks, red rimmed eyed meeting your own. He's struggling to continue, a fluster crawling up his neck. "Or break you?"

You feel it. The shift in the air. Like his words brought upon a dark cloud that has been kept away for much longer than possible. The way his face contorts, the way his jaw clenches, the way his rough fingers squeeze and pull at the fabric of his mask. For a second, all the breath leaves you, eyes wide, trying to come up with some sort of response. Your silence is much louder to him though.

"Fuck," he hisses, running a gloves hand through his messy hair, "Shit, no, that's.. that's not what I meant to," his eyes screw shut, "not what i meant to say." You're not entirely sure what to say either. You're a little scared, a lot freaked out. You should comfort him right? You take a deep breathe, "You're being overbearing Mark,"

Wait, no, shit. Too late.

He flinches like you've slapped him, pretty face dropping into an 'oh'. god, you didn't mean to be such a bitch but fuck. "Seriously?" is all he says, taking a step forward. He's reaching out to you needily, like he's watching you walk away from him forever. It's not forever.. probably.

You weren't sure how long you wanted this to keep going for. Especially not after his little confession. Right now you just needed to clear your head, and emotions.

Alcohol was that escape.

"I should go, mark." You don't really wait for him to give you a response, just watch as his face rearranges to this surprised, blank look. "Go?" he echoes back dumbly. His mind spins for a second, wondering why the hell you're walking away in the middle of a conversation.

Your scared.

The realization of it leaves a nasty feeling growing in his stomach, a heavy weight settling between his shoulders as he watches you. Almost blankly; pale.

Is he losing you? That can't be right? “Wait.. no. Hold on,” he chokes.

You two were made for each other. Dramatic, maybe, but Mark was certain of it. He’d never felt for anyone the way he did for you. His mind replayed every moment you’d brushed him off, every time you’d slipped from his grasp just when he thought he had you in sight. Was his love too intense? Too demanding? The thought gnawed at him, but he quickly crushed it beneath the weight of his conviction. No—he wouldn’t apologize for the way his heart throbbed for you.

He hated that you seemed blind to the depth of his devotion. To him, loving you meant consuming every ounce of himself in the effort to guard you, and yet you treated his vigilance like a burden, an intrusion he could not reconcile. Why the fuck wouldn’t you just let him protect you?

He watched you laugh, speak, move freely, and the thought that you could exist without him hovering, without him breathing life into every moment of your safety, made no sense. How could you not see that every step he took, every glance he cast in your direction, was an act of undying love.

The sound of his palm hitting the brick wall behind you, echoes in your ears. Loud, sharp and painful. And scary as the building begins to shake under the weight of him.

“No, god damn it,” he heaved, caging you in with the arms that used to hold you gently. A fierceness to his body, one that hadn’t been there in the beginning. Trauma undoes people, you were aware of that. But undoing someone like Mark?

You weren’t sure if you were ready to face something like that.

“Mark,” you tried to act stern, with as much control as you could possibly have with him but it didn’t phase him anymore. He didn’t even seem to be listening.

“I get it, you’re scared and I’m sorry, I know recently I’ve been intense but..” his voice breaks and this is where you can see his resolve strengthen. It brings a weakness to your knees. The cold, brick wall the only thing making you feel stable. In an otherwise empty alleyway.

“Mark..”

“No! No,” he stops you. “This isn’t up for debate anymore okay? You need to be safe and I can protect you. I can’t trust other people to protect you.” His breath became a struggle to reach, like he couldn’t get enough oxygen into his lungs.

He couldn’t look at you. Couldn’t. He knew what he was doing was insane and maybe not the most rational, but it was all he could do from breaking at the seams. With the speed of forged steel, he lifts his head, eyes meeting your own.

And a croaky laugh escaped his swelling throat.

The hands that used to hold you so gently started running up and down your arms, petting you down. He’s crowding, eagerly wiping at the tears producing from your eyes like you were being the dramatic one. He runs a hand through his hair.

“Look, we— we’ve been together for a while now and I know I was reckless when we started dating but,” he sighs, a hand firmly clamped to your shoulder. to comfort or to keep you in place, you weren’t sure anymore. “..but I don’t play about your safety. Even if it means you being mad at me okay?”

He gives a wobbly smile. “It’ll all be okay. You just gotta trust me,”

“Listen,” he said, voice low, “I don’t care what you call us. I don’t care if you want space, or if you’re scared, or if you think you can push me away. I’m not letting you go. Not now. Not ever.” He took a slow breath, letting the words settle between the two of you. “I’d die before you ever would. I swear it. You’re mine to protect. And I’ll protect you. Always.”