#creative partner stuff

Loosely inspired by @museaway's fic make believe

It was a while since Reiner had visited Rose Street. The sidewalks that had been laid with red, brown, and gray bricks were a welcome sight. According to Gabi, one of her favorite places in the nearby mall had closed, and something undoubtedly inferior opened up in its place. Otherwise, things more or less looked the same. The community college was a 20 minute walk northward, and even further away in the opposite direction, was the Ymirheim Historic District. He scanned his surroundings, looking for Bertolt’s tall form among the huddles of people. There were quite a few hanging around, but it wasn’t so crowded that it would be hard to spot him-- Suddenly, an icy grip landed on his shoulder. It felt gentle, but firm… and as cold as death. “Ah!” Reiner yelled and jumped, wrenching his body around to meet Bertolt’s large eyes. It took a moment to register that he was safe, and then he laughed, to alleviate any lingering remnants of fear. But his hands were still clammy and the pounding of his heart couldn’t be quelled, “…oh, you scared me.” “Sorry…” “I-it’s fine! I’m okay! It really isn’t a big deal,” Reiner stammered, holding up his hand, giving Bertolt a disarming smile, “It’s nice to see you, Bertolt…” Simply saying his name warmed Reiner’s body, and dusted the apples of his cheeks with pink and red. He wasn’t sure if his heart was racing from being scared… or if it was something else. Rather than dwell on those possibilities, he spoke instead, “I hope I didn’t keep you waiting.” “Not for too long.” He’d never seen Bertolt out during the day. While his presence during those hours were missed, in this moment, Reiner couldn’t imagine him at any other time. He belonged to the night, and was more beautiful than the smattering of stars and clouds above.

Written by: The Mother of Sighs & WhatAGoodIdeaThisIs

Written by: The Mother of Sighs & WhatAGoodIdeaThisIs

Graphic by: The Mother of Sighs

-- The Sun's Shadow, Chapter 2: Home While working on the latest chapter of our fic, I drew a couple little illustrations to go along with it.

☀︎ Written by: The Mother of Sighs & WhatAGoodIdeaThisIs Fandoms: - Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan - Vampire: The Masquerade - World of Darkness Summary: Hitting all the familiar milestones of moving out, going to college part time, and having a steady job, Reiner Braun has begun his ordinary adult life in his sleepy hometown of Ymirheim. Being such a dependable guy with a sunny disposition, it’s easy for him to make friends, and he soon draws the eye of an alluring, though mysterious stranger. As their lives tangle, Reiner’s worldview is called into question, and he is forced to reckon with the dark, sinister underbelly of the town he thought he knew. ☀︎ Pairings: Bertolt Hoover/Reiner Braun | Marco Bodt/Eren Jaeger ☀︎ Rated: M - For eventual depictions of violence and sexual themes. Read on AO3! Graphic by: The Mother of Sighs

Their study session proceeded normally, just like all the other ones. Having something else to focus on helped Reiner get his mind off things… until he’d glance up, that is. Reiner thought he saw Bertolt looking at him once or twice, but he wasn’t completely sure. More likely, it was a trick of his peripheral vision. Reiner kept his head down once his concentration drifted elsewhere. He allowed his gaze to wander. Bertolt sat at the other end of the bed, his textbook open over his lap. His brows knitted in concentration, large eyes following the small print. The nearby lamp-light left a glossy sheen on his dark hair, and highlighted the points of his features. “You look awfully flushed, Reiner. Is the thermostat too low? I can fix that for you.” Before Bertolt’s feet could reach the carpet, Reiner held up his hand. “No, that’s fine! I’m feeling warm,” he said, “There’s an easy way to fix that.” Quickly, he pulled off his sweater. The short-sleeved T-shirt he wore under rode up his stomach, and fell back down once it was out of the way. Reiner slung his sweater over the headboard behind him so that it wouldn’t get wrinkled. “See? I’m feeling better already.” Reiner laid down on his side and stretched out, trying to align his spine after being hunched over his book for hours.  His shirt rode up as he did so, the cool air suddenly noticeable on the skin of his stomach. As he pulled it back down, he looked up at Bertolt, expecting him to still be busy going over his notes.  Instead, Bertolt’s eyes were pointed more towards him. Not at his face however, but focused more down at his middle.  Bertolt’s tongue flickered across his lips. A small, hardly noticeable motion. But it seemed oddly carnal.  No. No, that couldn’t be it. He was just probably lost in his own head. There was probably some sort of rational explanation for it… like… “...do you need chapstick…?” Reiner suddenly asked.