#tinywoodenrobot fics
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Happy Birthday, Rio! This isn't my best effort and you deserved better from me, but I hope you'll take it anyway. 🥺
(I shamelessly lifted the idea for this from a kdrama I've been watching.)
Pairing: Rio x Emma
Rating: G
Additional notes: mentions of alcohol (wine)
She’s always beautiful, but there’s something different about her tonight.
Rio can’t exactly put his finger on what it is… or maybe it’s just that there are so many things that he can’t focus on just one. Maybe it’s the color in her cheeks, blush-rose tinted and prettier than any bloom he could find in the palace garden. Or perhaps it’s the way she beams at him - the ever-present telltale wrinkle of worry between her eyes is nowhere to be found, and her smile is more carefree than he’s ever seen it.
“I think I’m starting to feel the effects of the wine,” Emma says quietly. Her eyes never leave his, allowing him to see just how bright and clear they are.
“Is that so?” He flashes her a brilliant smile of his own. “Does this mean you’re starting to get drunk?”
There’s only a split second of hesitation before she nods. Her eyes shift away from him, and even though he’s already seen the lie, he says nothing to acknowledge it. “I’m sure I won’t remember any of this in the morning.”
“That’s good,” Rio nods, sliding her glass of water closer to her.
“Oh?”
“Yes.”
A minute or two of silence passes between the two of them. It’s more than enough time for Rio to think of everything that’s happened in recent months, and to wonder if Emma is doing the same.
“Why is that?” She finally asks, her eyes on him again. She reaches a hand out, and he thinks she means to pick up her glass of water. Her fingers curl around her wine glass instead, and she lifts it to her lips to take another sip.
“Because there’s something I want to say.” He tells her this knowing that they’re both still perfectly sober. “That is, if you want to hear it.”
Emma’s cheeks flush a deeper shade of pink. “I’m listening.” She has never seen Rio this way before. Though he isn’t exactly somber, his usual lighthearted cheerfulness is missing. His mood is serious, heavier.
She likes him this way. She wonders if she should tell him so. “I want to hear it, whatever it is,” she replies truthfully.
This makes him smile. It is a soft thing, tender and full of love.
She likes that, too.
“I don’t ever want to leave your side,” he tells her.
“Oh Rio,” she laughs quietly. “You always say that.”
“I want,” Rio continues, “to see you with gray in your hair and wrinkles on your face. I bet you'll still be as pretty then as you are now.”
The little wings that first started to sprout on her heart that hot summer day three years ago unfold themselves. “That’s too bad,” she says.
His eyebrows go up. “Is it?”
“It is,” she nods. Her cheeks are burning, but she doesn’t think it’s from embarrassment or bashfulness. “I plan to get old very slowly. If you want to see me with gray hair and wrinkles, you’ll have to stay by my side for a very long time.” She dares to look at him. “Do you think you would be up for that?”
She expects him to laugh, to wave his hand and talk about how silly and cute his Emma is the way he always does. To her surprise, his eyes are damp and misty. He’s as sober as I am, she thinks. It can’t be the wine, can it?
“Emma, if you’ll have me, I’ll stay by your side until the day I die.”
Those little wings attached to her heart are moving, moving, until her heart is soaring so high she thinks it might leave her chest. “I lied about something,” she admits, lowering her eyes to look at her hands. They are trembling.
Rio covers her hands with his, and the trembling stops. “What did you lie about?”
“I’m not drunk. I’m fairly certain I’ll remember this entire conversation in the morning.” She looks down at their hands, joined now so that their fingers are intertwined. “And what’s more,” she goes on, looking back up at him, “is that I’m going to hold you to that. You promised that you’d stay by my side until the day you die.”
“I can’t think of anything I want more.”
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The Pursuit of Wholeness
Of course I waited until the last minute to start working on Leonardo's birthday fic. I still have until the end of the day to finish it, but in the meantime, allow me to shamelessly plug the universe the fic will be related to.
This fic was written back in 2021, and it's still one of the things I've created that make me proud. Lately I haven't been able to say that a lot about my work, but this is one I feel good about sharing.
The Pursuit of Wholeness - a multichapter Ikemen Vampire AU
Pairing: Leonardo da Vinci x Amelia Martin (Black Female OC)
Rating: E
Additional tags: angst, canon divergent, trigger warnings - blood, physical assault, pet death
Summary:
He'd told her that the words she'd said matched the look on her face.
Rare, he'd called it... to her ears, it sounded like he was unaccustomed to something that had been second nature to her since she'd learned how to speak.
Of all the things she’s been told tonight, it’s the statement that sticks in her mind the most. As if she hasn’t learned that she’s accidentally traveled back in time to an entirely different century. As if she hasn’t learned that most of the men - him included - living in the secluded mansion in the woods are famous, long-dead historical figures.
As if she hasn’t learned that they are all vampires, brought back to life by M. le Comte de Saint-Germain.
“I didn’t expect him to be warm.” She murmurs it to the dark, empty bedroom she’s been given. “I thought vampires were supposed to be cold.”
He’d pulled her down into his lap, his eyelids heavy with drowsiness even as he asked her a series of questions she wasn’t emotionally equipped with the answers to… even as she’d settled comfortably there, allowing herself to breathe in the pleasant aroma of tobacco smoke that lingered on his clothes and mixed with his natural scent to make an olfactory cocktail so alluring she wanted to bury her nose in it forever. He’d been warm; consequently, she’d been reluctant to move. That deep, throaty voice he’d spoken to her with - she wondered if he always sounded that way, or if it was a byproduct of his half-asleep state.
She finds herself wondering if she’ll get the chance to find out for certain. Her own eyelids are heavy with fatigue, and despite her misgivings about the secrets surrounding the mansion she’s agreed to stay in for the next thirty days, her emotional distress and physical exhaustion come together in the perfect storm of deep, dreamless slumber.
Read it here on AO3
#Ikemen Vampire#ikevamp leonardo#leonardo da vinci#tinywoodenrobot fics#ikevamp leonardo da vinci#ikevamp
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A Break in the Rain
Rating: G
Fandom: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Relationship: Levi Ackerman x Original Female Character
Additional Tags: Coffee Shop AU, Fluff, Levi and Erwin are good friends but Levi won't admit it
Summary:
“Do you plan to stand there at the door all day, or can I make you something to drink?”
It takes her a moment to realize that the low, almost-sullen voice is directed at her. She turns in the direction of it, finding its owner is a slip of a man standing behind the counter. His serious gray eyes are observing her, and though his expression isn’t exactly unfriendly, his mouth is turned down in a slight frown.
“I’m sorry,” she offers, dropping Rosa’s umbrella in the bucket by the door. There is only one other umbrella there, and Lia surmises it must belong to the blonde gentleman sitting in the corner of the cafe. “I was just checking the hours.”
“I know,” the man behind the counter replies. “I saw you.”
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“Lia, it looks like it’s going to pour soon,” the nursery owner remarks, her eyes on the sky. “Did you bring an umbrella with you?”
“I didn’t, but I’ll be fine.”
Rosa frowns, narrowing her eyes. “And catch your death of a cold because it started raining on you halfway through your walk home?” She shakes her head. “Wait here. I have an extra one. You can bring it back to me tomorrow.” Without waiting for a response, the older woman vanishes into the doorway connecting the nursery with her home. Lia can hear her muttering to herself in the back room as she rummages through her belongings, looking for the spare umbrella.
A few minutes later, Rosa returns with the umbrella. It’s a huge, domed thing made of pvc material. “Here you go,” she announces proudly as she hands the umbrella over. “I would be surprised if even a single raindrop managed to reach you while you’re carrying this.”
Skeptically, Lia raises an eyebrow. “Are you sure I can borrow this? You won’t need it?”
“Where am I going to go?” Rosa motions to the room around her. “I’ll be closing up soon, and I don’t even have to go outside to go home.” She smiles fondly at Lia. “You can bring it back to me if you want. Or you can keep it - it’s part of a set I bought on the shopping network a few years ago.”
“In that case, I’ll bring it back for sure.” She pauses. “No reason to permanently split a family up.”
“That’s an odd way of putting it, but I suppose you’re right,” Rosa muses. She glances out the plate glass window. “You’d better hurry if you want to get ahead of the rain - looks like it’s going to pour any minute now.”
--
As Rosa predicted, the rain starts ten minutes after Lia leaves the nursery. She is halfway between the nursery and home when the downpour truly begins - wind-driven sideways rain that not even Rosa’s domed umbrella can protect her from.
She ducks into a cafe. Her intention is to wait the storm out, or at least wait until the violence of the wind and rain subsides a bit. The cafe is a dry haven, decorated in warm shades of green and brown that instantly make her feel at ease.
The place is almost completely empty. Remembering that it’s late in the day, Lia turns suddenly to check for a sign with the cafe’s hours. She finds it in block letters stenciled on the glass entrance door, breathing a sigh of relief when she notes the closing time as 9:00 pm. That’s still a few hours from now, she thinks to herself. I don’t know that any of the other cafes around here stay open as late.
She’s grateful for it, and it puts her fears of being booted out into the storm once more to rest.
“Do you plan to stand there at the door all day, or can I make you something to drink?”
It takes her a moment to realize that the low, almost-sullen voice is directed at her. She turns in the direction of it, finding its owner is a slip of a man standing behind the counter. His serious gray eyes are observing her, and though his expression isn’t exactly unfriendly, his mouth is turned down in a slight frown.
“I’m sorry,” she offers, dropping Rosa’s umbrella in the bucket by the door. There is only one other umbrella there, and Lia surmises it must belong to the blonde gentleman sitting in the corner of the cafe. “I was just checking the hours.”
“I know,” the man behind the counter replies. “I saw you.”
Lia isn’t sure what to say to that. She moves closer to the counter, her eyes on the chalkboard menu behind it. The items are written in block letters, almost as neat and symmetrical as the ones on the front door. She smiles. “Someone has really nice handwriting.”
“Oi. You hear that? She thinks your handwriting is nice.” This time, his words are directed at the blonde man sitting in the corner.
The man looks up, flashing Lia a polite smile. “Thank you,” he calls. “Hearing you say that is worth the hassle it took for me to get it done.”
“Hassle?” She repeats, confused. “Was it a hassle?”
“Don’t listen to him,” the man behind the counter interjects, before the other can respond. “What would you like to drink?”
“Oh,” Lia exclaims softly, returning her gaze to the chalkboard. “I’m usually the sort of person who drinks the same thing all the time, but I’m curious about some of these menu items that I’ve never heard of before. What’s a London Fog Latte?”
To her surprise, the man behind the counter actually smiles, and Lia can’t help but to notice how it completely transforms his face. Even wearing a scowl, he’s handsome. A smile makes him stunning, and she’s momentarily caught off-guard by it.
“It’s one of the best things you’ll ever drink,” he tells her. It doesn’t sound like a sales pitch - he actually seems convinced that what he’s saying is true.
What the hell, she thinks. He doesn’t seem like the sort of man who gets excited about much. If he thinks it’s good, maybe I ought to give it a try. “Alright,” she says aloud. “I’ll have a London Fog Latte, please.”
--
He brings it to her a few minutes later, setting it down on the table she’s sitting at. She’s chosen a small round table right next to the plate glass window at the front of the cafe. It allows her to watch the rain falling and the people on the sidewalks hurrying to their destinations.
Lia looks down at the soft clink of the mug and saucer making contact with the table’s surface. The drink is housed in a delicate white mug, sitting atop a matching saucer. There is a tiny set of wings on both, done in pretty silver paint. “Thank you,” she smiles, noting the shape of a cloud that’s been made into the foam of her latte. “The cloud is very fitting - for the drink and the day.”
He looks through the window and up at the sky. “Doesn’t look like the rain is gonna stop anytime soon,” he remarks.
“That’s unfortunate,” Lia sighs.
He looks back at her. “Do you have far to go?”
“Only a few more blocks,” she replies. “I think if I can stay here for a bit and warm up and get dry, I’ll be okay for the rest of the journey.”
“Stay as long as you need to,” he says with a shrug. “Enjoy your drink.”
--
As promised, the drink is delicious. Lia savors it to the last drop, feeling disappointed when she finishes it. In the time that she’s been sitting and enjoying her latte, not a single soul has come into the cafe. It is only the three of them still: the preoccupied blonde man in the corner with the nice handwriting, the handsome, somewhat-sullen man working there, and her.
She cradles the cup and saucer in her hands and walks up to the counter. “Excuse me,” she calls, and both men look up. Her eyes are on the one behind the counter, and he moves from the stool he’s been reading on to approach her.
“Well?” He raises his dark eyebrows at her. “How was it?”
“It was fantastic, just as you said it would be,” she admits with a smile. “So good that I’d like to order another.”
This seems to surprise him. “I’m glad you liked it.” He takes the cup and saucer from her, setting them aside and reaching for a clean set. “I’ll bring it right over to you.”
“Oh, should I pay for it now or when you’re done making it?”
He shakes his head, now fully focused on crafting her drink. “This one’s on me.” He looks briefly up at her, flashing her another smile that transforms his face. “If it wasn’t for you, I’d have to close up shop.”
The blonde man in the corner snorts quietly. Lia isn’t sure if it’s a reaction to what he’s said or something else.
“O-oh,” Lia manages. “Thank you so much.” She turns away, then turns back a split second later. “I’m Amelia, by the way,” she offers with a smile of her own. “Amelia Martin… but you can call me Lia for short. Everyone does.”
“Nice to meet you, Lia,” he nods. “I’m Levi. Levi Ackerman.”
“Otherwise known as Captain Levi,” the blonde man in the corner pipes.
Lia has been so focused on the shop owner that she nearly forgot the other man was there. At his interjection, she inclines her head to the side curiously. “Captain?”
“Nobody asked you.” Levi hurls the words in the direction of the man in the corner, though he never takes his eyes off of what he’s doing.
For the first time, the blonde man in the corner stands, and Lia is a little taken aback at how tall he is. “Someday you’ll have to get him to tell you why,” he says, the corners of his eyes crinkling in mirth. “But it doesn’t seem like today is that day.”
Still a little confused, Lia smiles politely. “I see. Well, I wouldn’t mind having an excuse to frequent this place.”
“Oh? My drinks aren’t reason enough?”
She laughs. “Well, that would be the main reason.”
“Don’t let him intimidate you,” the blonde man laughs with her. “I’m Erwin, by the way. Erwin Smith.”
“Erwin Smith with the nice handwriting,” Lia adds. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise.” Erwin watches Levi for a moment. “Levi here would probably never admit it, but he’d be delighted if you came back often. The shop isn’t as popular as I think it should be, but he takes a lot of pride in his drinks and they’re better than the stuff you can buy at chain coffee shops.”
Levi pauses what he’s doing to cast an irritated glance at Erwin. “You gonna speak for me forever?”
“Sorry,” Erwin laughs. He holds his hands up in a gesture of mock surrender.
“If you’re sorry, go home.”
“It’s still raining,” Erwin protests. “You’d send me out in the cold rain?”
“Without hesitation.”
Their exchange makes Lia smile. “You two must be very good friends,” she observes softly.
“We are, though he won’t admit it,” Erwin whispers to her. “Ask him who he calls when the shop gets too busy for him to handle alone.” With those last words, he smirks in Levi’s direction and goes back to his corner.
“Asshole,” Levi mutters, but Lia gets the feeling it’s said out of a sort of affection.
Lia watches him for a moment, then turns her attention back to the rain pelting the window. “I should be happy that it’s raining this way,” she murmurs, not really talking to him but not completely talking to herself. “It means the flowers will be healthy.”
“Flowers?” Levi motions to the bar where three stools are. Understanding his meaning, Lia nods and meets him there, settling herself in the middle stool just as he sets her new drink on the bar.
“I work at a nursery,” she explains. “It isn’t just where the owner sells plants and flowers - she has some that she grows there, too.”
“I see.” Levi rests his elbows on the bar across from her. “Do you like what you do?”
“I do,” she replies without hesitation. “There’s something really nice about being in a place where you can constantly watch things growing. I think it’s a good reminder of how resilient life can be.”
This time, it’s Levi who inclines his head quizzically. “Resilient, huh?”
“Resilient,” Lia repeats. “Things that grow outside are always exposed to the elements, good or bad - whether it’s sunlight that’s too harsh or extreme heat or relentless rainfall, they hold fast in their environment and endure it. Even if it damages them, there’s always a chance they can bounce back. Resilient, wouldn’t you say?”
“Guess I never thought of it that way before, but you’re right.”
She doesn’t know why, but the admission feels a little like praise. It warms her from the inside out, and she hides her smile behind the rim of her mug.
--
The rain stops at 8:47 pm.
Erwin Smith with the nice handwriting is long gone; he made his way out into the downpour at seven-thirty, and since then it’s just been the two of them - Levi Ackerman the mysterious man Erwin called Captain with a talent for making beverages, and Amelia Martin, the nursery worker.
“Thank you for letting me stay here,” Lia tells him as she watches him wipe down all the countertops. She’d offered to help but he’d declined, saying he would feel bad making a paying customer help him clean up his shop.
“But every drink you fixed for me after the first one was on the house,” Lia had protested. “You made me food too, and didn’t charge me for it. I feel bad - the least I can do is help clean up.” He hadn’t budged though, and so Lia had contented herself to watch and keep him company at the very least.
Levi shrugs, turning to look at her. “I didn’t wanna close up shop early,” he points out. He pauses for a moment, and then speaks again. “But it was nice to have company.” His gaze drifts to the window. “It’s dark out,” he observes, his eyes flickering back to her again. “How far did you say you had to go?”
“Just a few blocks,” Lia answers. “I’ve walked it this late before,” she adds, unsure why she feels the need to explain herself. Perhaps it’s because after spending a few hours with Levi, she feels like she knows him well enough to know he would worry. “The way is straight and well-lit, and my building has good security.”
He doesn’t look convinced.
Lia inhales deeply and lets the breath out. “If you’re worried,” she starts, half in disbelief about what she’s getting ready to say, “I could text you when I’m safely home. Just because you look like you’ll worry if you don’t know that I’ve made it.”
Levi looks at her for a moment, then sets his rag down. Lia’s heart sinks a little when he walks away, but the damage is mitigated when she sees him rip a piece of paper from the notebook at the register and scribble something on it. When he comes back, he holds the slip of paper out to her. “That’s my number,” he tells her. “I want to know the minute you’re home safe.”
“And what about you?” Lia asks. “How will I know when you get home safe?”
He scoffs. “You don’t need to worry about me.” Before she can form a rebuttal, he goes on. “But if you’re worried,” he continues, his eyes on the counter, “then maybe I’ll call you when I’m home to let you know I made it safely.”
She can’t see his face, but the tips of his ears are red. It makes her smile. “Yes,” she tells him softly. “I think I’d like that.”
#Attack on Titan#Shingeki no Kyojin#Levi Ackerman#Levi Ackerman x OC#Amelia Martin#tinywoodenrobot fics#Erwin Smith
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Into the Underground
Rating: Teen and Up Audiences
Category: F/M
Fandom: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Relationship: Levi Ackerman/Original Female Character
Characters: Amelia "Lia" Martin (Original Female Character), Levi Ackerman
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Pre-Canon; some outright and implied racism and class discrimination; non-descriptive, canon-typical violence
Summary:
"It stings," she complains.
"Good," he fires back. "Let me remind you that what almost happened to you would've been much worse than just a shallow knife cut."
He's right, and she knows it. "I know," she admits. "And I'm sorry."
He says nothing.
"My name is Amelia," she offers. "But you can just call me Lia. Can I at least know the name of the man who saved my life today?"
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Welcome to my blog.
Hello! My name is Valerie, like the Steve Winwood song (or Ra Ra Riot - whichever generation you are). I've returned to Tumblr once again, after about a year-long hiatus. Please consider taking the time to read this post before following or interacting with my blog.
About Me:
She/Her
Black
39 years old
Multifandom content
From time to time, I post and reblog NSFW content. For your protection and my peace of mind, I ask that you don't interact with my NSFW content if you are a minor.
My profile pic is courtesy of the lovely and talented @annypuff. My header picture was a piece of selfship fanart created for me by the amazing @drewadoodle (you can find the art here and the companion fic I wrote to it here: Happy Birthday, Yves Kloss!).
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