#steyla

*excited squealing and happy internal screaming intensifies*

You know what I really love about this dynamic?

While Marc may have been jealous over Steven falling in love with Layla at first, I really like how between punching him and helping him in the tomb in Ep4, Marc has come to accept that Steven’s in love with Layla. (Remember the angry “I’ll throw us off a cliff!!” and the resigned “So, you kissed her.”? It’s kinda telling how much thinking Marc has been doing while in the passenger seat.) And also, it’s pretty evident that Marc loves his Layla too.

So what we essentially have, is two men (alright, fine, two male identities in the same physical body, but still!) in love with the same woman (and her being in love with both of them too!) and it’s not even a problem! She’s not being painted into a corner where she has to choose, because she doesn’t have to! Layla doesn’t need to choose either Marc or Steven, she can have them both! Similarly, even though Marc loves his wife, he is completely okay with Steven falling in love with Layla.

It also shows, because in the following exchange,

Layla.

Marc.

Oh, baby.

Thank God you're okay. How did you get back?

-and here, Marc just let Steven front with easy access, Marc literally was like ‘hey Steven, I know you want to see her’ and Steven was probably like, ‘of course, lemme out!’-

Wow, you look amazing. What are you wearing? Hey, I'm really jazzed about showing you these new skillsets we have.

All right, show me what you got.

Yeah?

Yeah.

steven: LEMME OUT

marc: N O

layla: i want steven

marc: ugh!!!

layla: i Want steven

marc: fine!!

moon knight episode 4

marc: LEMME OUT

steven: N O

layla: we need marc

steven: n o

layla: WHERE IS MARC I WANT HIM

Trick or Treat

Aryella focused on making her eyes turn a light blue like the barmaid at Fairy Tail. Her hair is already white like her father's so that part was good. Her mom offered to make her outfit and style her hair. Auntie Steyla made her a fake demon arm to wear too. It was perfect just like Auntie Mira, when she was younger. The girl smiled when her eyes did as she wished. She hopes Auntie Mira will like her costume. She has always admired the kind woman behind the bar.

She was even told Mira had helped her parents get together. Her mother walked in and Aryella looked a bit surprised. "Mommy, why is your hair pink now?" She asked curiously. Sammy grinned at her daughter and set down the outfit and cloak that looked like younger Mira's clothes. "Well your Dad decided he was gonna dress up as master Makarov and so I'm gonna be dressed as Porlyusica." she replies with a smile.

"Grandpa and Granny aren't gonna like that much." She says with a smirk. Sammy smiles at her daughter and kisses her head. "Just like you know they hate it when you call them that." Sammy giggles. Aryella pouts at that. "But they kinda are like my grandparents so they will have to deal." She sasses back.

Her mom helps her dress up and bushes her hair to look like Mira did when they first showed up at Fairy Tail. Then her mom goes to get dressed up as Porlyusica and does make up to look more convincing. Aryella was watching her mom and didn't notice her father coming in till he scoops her up. She squeals in surprise and almost hits him with a flaming ball of earth. Kage extinguishes it with his own magic.

"It's just me, little one." Kage says with a laugh as he kisses her forehead. She frowns up at him. "That wasn't funny, Daddy. I almost attacked you!" Aryella grumbles with her arms crossed.

Sammy giggles at their antics and notices Kage's costume and bursts into laughter. "When you said Master I didn't think you meant the Fantasia parade outfit. You look ridiculous, my love." Sammy says after her laughter subsides.

He sets Aryella down and Pulls Sammy into a hug and kisses her quickly. "And you make a lovely Porlyusica. I figured if I made it ridiculous he won't murder me for it." Kage says with a mischievous grin. Sammy rolls her eyes at her ridiculous husband. "Why did I marry you again?" She teases. "You didn't have a choice, Soulmate." He replies, kissing her cheek gently.

Aryella makes gagging noises. "You guys are gross!" She sasses her parents. They laugh at her and go to kiss her cheeks as well and she frowns. "Nooo. Stop it!" She squeals and runs off. Sammy giggles and straightens up. "Shall we head to the guild?" She asks Kage. "If you two lovely ladies are ready then yes. Steyla said she has the last piece for Ary's costume." He says as he grabs the tick or treat bucket for their daughter.

They head off to the guild and Steyla meets them outside with the arm she made for Ary. She happily hugs her and eagerly tries it on. "It's perfect! Thank you, Auntie Steyla!" Aryella says excitedly.

Steyla smiles at her and watches her run off to greet her other Aunts seeing the twins right inside. Sammy hugs Steyla as well and looks at her costume. She was wearing a dress covered in shimmering crimson spider webs and was tattered looking at the bottom. She also had ripped tights and crimson heels on. She had a cape and fake fangs as well.

"Nice vampire attire!" Sammy says. "And thanks for helping Ary." Steyla grins at her. "I'd do anything for that precious girl. Also looking good there, "Porlyusica"." She uses air quotes saying Porlyusica's name. They laugh and walk in with Kage to find Aryella talking excitedly to Celeste about her costume.

Mira walks over to greet Sammy and Kage. "You two almost look just like Master and Porlyusica." She says with a giggle. Sammy grins at her and raises an eyebrow. "Have you seen Aryella's costume yet?" Sammy asked. Mira shakes her head. "I just got here myself. She's dressed as her Satan soul Halphas form.

Aryella suddenly yells out to them. "Auntie Mira!!" She runs up to them and strikes a pose. "I'm you see! See! Do you like it?" She asks with sparkling eyes. Mira smiles warmly and seems touched. "Wow! You look just like a mini me. You really wanted to be me though?" She asked.

She tilts her head to the side. "Of course. Auntie Mira is the best!"

She says like it's the most obvious thing in the world. Mira hugs her happily with tears of joy in her eyes. Erza and Master join them. Master sees Kage and he looks like his soul leaves his body. "Are you dressed as me?!?" He seems surprised. Kage laughs at that and Sammy giggles as Erza gives her a hug. "Who else to accompany our little Mira other than the two people who were there for her growing up." Kage replies with a grin. "But why this outfit?" Makarov whines.

"Because it's the most Halloween-like outfit you've worn." Kage says with a shrug. Erza laughs with the couples at Master Makarov's grimace. "Well we are letting you know that all the trick or treating is gonna be at Fairy Hills." Erza says happily. She was dressed as a witch. "We figured since the guildmates living so spaced out and Magnolia being so big would be tiring so we set everything up there to make it easier for the parents and children." Master explained.

They nodded in agreement to that. It just made more sense and Erza takes Ary from Mira. "You look adorable! Just like a mini Mira." She coos carrying her to Fairy Hills as Sammy and Kage follow. Aryella giggles and beams at her. "Thank you, Auntie Erza! Mommy and Auntie Steyla helped make it for me." She says happily.

They approach Fairy hills and see Lucy outside. She's in her Aries star dress and is handing out candy to Romeo, Wendy, and Asuka. Kage hands Aryella her bucket as Erza sets her down. She takes off running up to the Blonde.

"Trick or treat, Auntie Lucy!" She holds out her bucket excitedly. Lucy gives her a handful of candy with a warm smile. "You look adorable, little Ary." She says while making a wool cloud for Ary to play with so her parents can catch up.

Sammy smiles as she approaches. "Thanks Lucy. Happy Halloween. Love the star dress." She tells her as they both hug happily. Kage waves at her with a grin. "Where is Natsu?" He asked, noticing her by herself for once which was rare. Usually Natsu is by her side or at least not too far. She shrugs her shoulders. "He ran off inside a while ago. So I'm not entirely sure but I heard Cana yell his name not too long ago so he might be helping her." She says.

They move on and go from door to door. Most girls loved her costume and the guys too. Elfman picked her up. "Dressing as my big sis is Manly!" He said letting her ride around on his shoulder for a bit. Lisanna hugged her and cooed over the adorableness. "You look just like Mira! It's amazing!" She exclaimed. They part from the Strauss siblings and continue on their way. Once they reach the last room it happens to be Nilima's. She gives Aryella enough candy to finish filling up her already close to full bucket.

Narrator: -[Now, she helps Steven into a harness.]-

You know how hilarious this is? Poor Steven, our favorite socially awkward alter, probably never seen a climbing harness in his life, just stands there, probably gazing DOWN at Layla (who’s being resourceful and crouching down before him helping get this harness up his legs), he’s probably feeling a bit hot under the collar, looks back up, and says,

And pauses. He freakin’ PAUSES. 😂 Steven looks back down, probably realizing that what he said came out the wrong way, and goes,

Layla pops back up, and Steven tracks her movement, never taking his eyes off her face.

Layla grins, likely holding back a laugh herself at Steven’s poor attempt at course-correcting himself.

He can’t take his eyes off her.

Layla adjusts her position, tightening a strap somewhere on the right side of Steven’s harness. Our sweet, lovestruck dumbass keeps watching her.

The narrator continues: -[With two ropes hanging nearby, she leans close to secure the harness.]-

Steven’s just enjoying her presence, I think. Her face is so close to his, and it’s almost like his heart is going a million miles per minute. It’s a miracle he can keep still at all.

Layla comments, “You smell like him.” She pauses, then wistfully adds, “I mean, why wouldn’t you, right?” There’s this little moment where Steven has this sad look in his eyes, because he realizes that he knows how much Layla loves and misses Marc. Perhaps it might feel a little greedy on Steven’s part because while he does want to be with Layla, he understands that he’s a factor in Marc and Layla’s relationship that neither Spector had seen coming.

The narrator goes, -[Layla leans in to kiss him.]-

Which she almost does, but Steven, carrying some of that guilt within him, speaks up before she can kiss him.

“Marc's trying to protect you from Khonshu,” says Steven. Layla’s taken aback. “What?”

Steven explains, “That’s why he’s been pushing you away. He thinks Khonshu wants you for his Avatar, and he won’t let that happen.” Layla looks away, trying to process this new piece of information. She’s downtrodden that this is something else that Marc had failed to tell her. She’s pained on the inside, trying to reconcile her love for her husband Marc and her obvious feelings for Steven. Seeing Layla distressed, Steven, true to his honest nature, tries to bring her some measure of comfort, and says, “It’s alright. I just felt like you should know that.”

The narrator states: -[Turning away, she puts on a glove.]-

Steven sees Layla’s mood souring a little, and apologizes. Layla turns back to Steven and asks him, “Why are you telling me this now?” He’s not too sure why he disclosed this set of information to Layla. “I dunno, I just thought you deserved to know,” he says softly.

Layla finishes putting on her gloves, looks back into Steven’s eyes, and tells him, “Well, it wasn’t his call to make.” A beat. Then, “I don’t need protection. What I need is honesty.”

Luckily for Steven, honesty is one of the hallmarks of his whole being. He’s been nothing but honest from the get go, having nothing to hide or keep away. He gazes at Layla, and sighs. “Yeah, I get that,” he tells her. She preps the climbing rope, and asks, “That’s more of a ‘you’ thing, isn’t it?”

Layla hooks a carabiner onto the front loop of Steven’s harness and secures it with a tug. Distracted, Steven stammers, “What, being, uh… Honesty?”

Layla exhales and, despite her inner conflicts and pain that has settled deep within her, looks up into Steven’s eyes, and smiles. She decides to humor him a little. “Yeah. Being honesty.”

A little pause. Layla and Steven gaze into each other’s eyes.

The narration continues.

-[She smiles ruefully at Steven, who rests his hands on her shoulders before pressing his lips to hers.

Her eyes closed and face tense, Layla returns the kiss, then breaks away. Steven’s lips broaden into a smitten smile.]-

Layla returns the smile, looks into his eyes before she turns away and says, “I’m going to go down…” Into the tomb, she means. All too quickly, Steven agrees: “Okay.” Layla cuts in, “…first.” Smiling, he tells her, “Yeah. Great.”

She continues, “Before I belay.” For some odd reason perhaps known only to him, Steven says to Layla, “Thank you.” She picks up her backpack, which has been resting on a rock this whole time. With both his hands over his racing heart and mind reeling over the fact that he and Layla had just shared this wonderful moment together, Steven stumbles over his words a little. “What’s… what’s ‘belay’?”

Layla is amused. “I still can’t tell whether you’re joking or not.” She chuckles, which brings a little smile to Steven’s face.

The narration continues: -[She clips one of the ropes to her harness.]-

“All right,” quips Layla.

-[She steps onto the edge of the pit and jumps in. Steven looks down after her and smiles… then suddenly punches himself in the nose.]-