~Serena~

I’m hot garbage but I enjoy the occasional shitpost and random bursts of inspiration to write fanfics

[justyouraverageonlinedegenerate]

Shameless self promotion—but hear me out 👀

REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD READ MY POKÉMON LEGENDS ZA FANFIC THAT’S CORBEAU X OC:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/81639706/chapters/214718996

Thank you for reading this far. I like you.

• I consistently update every single Monday, and sometimes double update randomly. The story is 19 chapters and 110k+ words as of now, so you have PLENTY to read off the bat and don’t have to wait long for more.

• I’ve been writing for 14 years, so I’ve gotten pretty good at creating a captivating story with complex literary themes—and with good grammar. You won’t cringe while reading it, I promise.

• The main character/OC is just replacing Harmony, and it still follows the ZA game plot. I just added a lot more to it and expanded upon the existing themes. Made it a bit more realistic and intense.

• It’s very funny. I promise you’ll laugh a lot while you read it.

• There absolutely will be queer representation & disability representation throughout the book.

• It’s an enemies to friends to lovers slow burn between the OC (Lilith) and Corbeau. Lots of angst, romance, comedy, and dark themes.

• Did I mention our OC Lilith is a punk goth girl with badass style? She & Corbeau are an excellent match.

• Philippe is an adorable married man who loves to gossip with his wife. He also gives Corbeau so much shit for not pursuing any sort of relationship ever—despite Corbeau being so clearly down bad and touch starved. The poor man is lonely.

• Lots of short jokes and short king references that piss Corbeau off every time.

• Urbain catches so many strays and gets so much shit for his actions—AS HE SHOULD!

So, yeah. Does this sound interesting to you? If so, please give me a chance! I’d super appreciate it :) I don’t have many readers as of now, but I really appreciate the ones I have so far. I love interacting with them in the comments, and it’s something I look forward to every Monday when I update!

[justyouraverageonlinedegenerate]

If you need another shameless fanfic of our favorite short king to add to your archive, here’s my work in progress! I update weekly :)

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

[justyouraverageonlinedegenerate]

Me explaining to a friend my plan to successfully capitalize on islet watermelons and bring the #harvestella economy to its knees

[justyouraverageonlinedegenerate]

I credited you on the last ones, here! I u want me to take those specific chapters down then put in in the comments

I cant put links apparently so go to Quotev then search Mika Star, then find my ‘Funny Harvestella memes I found on tumblr’

I can’t find what it is you’re talking about… also, what am I being credited for? My fanfic?

[justyouraverageonlinedegenerate]

Accidentally on Purpose

Harvestella Fan Fiction - Brakka x Ein/OC

Description: After getting badly hurt on a job out with Ella, Brakka is forced to stay at her house on Bird's Eye Brae to recover. That was his story, and he was sticking to it. And no matter how many times Shrika would tease him about it, no--it was not all part of some elaborate plan just to move in with Ella.

____________________________________________

Chapter Four (FINAL CHAPTER)

A week had gone by since Brakka returned to living at the inn in Argene. His shoulder was as good as new, and he rejoined his usual work of assisting the Order on missions. Today he was serving as a bodyguard for some priests who needed to travel through the Silent Cave to get to Shatolla.

"You okay, Brakka?" One of the priests asked, hesitantly looking at the mercenary's straight face.

"Fine." Brakka answered shortly.

"You seem... different." Another priest expressed his concern as they made their way through the cave.

Brakka sighed and closed his eyes. "How so...?"

The priestess with them frowned as she looked at him. "You just seem so... sad."

"I said I'm fine." Brakka snapped, frightening the priests and the priestess into silence.

He didn't understand why he felt so... off. This was how he used to always live, so why did it feel so... wrong? He only lived with Ella for a few weeks, that shouldn't have been long enough for him to completely adjust and forget how to function on his own. Sleeping on the floor of the inn's basement again felt different now. Brakka noticed the rocky, uneven flooring poking at his back when he laid on it now. He hardly got any sleep all week because of that, as well as it just being so eerily quiet. He missed the sound of Ella breathing softly beside him.

He missed Ella.

Brakka's stomach growled. He reached into his pouch and pulled out his favorite biscuit snack and took a bite.

What the...! Was this always so disgusting!?

Brakka felt like he nearly broke his teeth biting into that rock solid thing, and he balked in disgust when he tasted the mossy, rocky inside of the biscuit. He finally understood what Aria was talking about.

Had Ella's cooking ruined him?

Brakka spit out the biscuit and threw the rest away. He'd just continue the mission a little hungry, then. Whatever.

"So, Brakka, how's Ella?" The priestess hesitantly spoke up, trying to lighten the mood.

Brakka came to a sudden halt and grabbed his rifle, then swung it around to point at the priestess. She shrieked as he pulled the trigger and closed her eyes, waiting for death to come, but... it didn't.

The priestess hesitantly opened her eyes to see the smoking end of Brakka's rifle barrel. She slowly turned around and looked over her shoulder to see the deceased corpse of a Crawler on the ground that was trying to sneak up on her.

The priestess let out the breath she was holding as Brakka monotonously spoke. "I wouldn't know. I haven't seen her in a week."

"Oh..." The priestess squeaked. "I thought you two were living together, though?"

Brakka despondently looked down at the ground. "No. That was only temporary."

"And here I thought you two were just a couple that moved in together." One of the priests chuckled. "Guess I had it wrong."

"Yeah. You did." Brakka spoke flatly.

_________________________________________________

Ella stopped herself at the kitchen counter when she realized what she was doing.

It had been such a habit for her to brew a pot of coffee in the morning for Brakka, so she did it this morning without even realizing it...

She drank tea, not coffee, so this was going to waste.

Ella clutched her forehead, almost a little fatigued. "Why did I do that...?"

She shook her head to regain her bearings. She'd felt so off all week since Brakka left. She didn't think when she offered for him to stay for a few weeks that it would change her life so much, but it did... Ella caught herself stepping over the spot by the front door where Brakka usually left his boots, which she tripped over the first few days. Him leaving his boots out by the door used to annoy her, but now she sort of missed the damn tripping hazard. Ella let out a heavy sigh as she headed outside to do her farmwork for the day.

"Ugh, cheer up already, will you...?" Juno balked at Ella as she flew over to her. "Your attitude is depressing ME!"

"Huh?" Ella wearily looked up at the fire fairy. "What do you mean?"

Juno dropped her jaw in shock. "What do YOU mean, what do I mean!?" She flailed her arms about wildly. "You're so depressing right now that it's wearing all of us down!"

Ella met the eyes of the other three fairies awkwardly hanging behind Juno. She could tell they agreed with her, but just didn't want to say it out loud.

"I'm sorry..." Ella frowned. "I'm just not feeling like myself today."

"Cheer up, Ella..." The great water fairy flew around her head. "What's got you so down all of a sudden?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Juno scoffed. "She's clearly in love with that idiot, and she misses him!"

Ella gasped at Juno's crude remark, slapping her hand over her mouth. "Juno...!"

"What!?" The fire fairy threw her hands up in frustration. "It's true, isn't it?"

Ella somberly looked down at the ground and frowned. "I..."

"Are you going to tell him?" The earth fairy squealed with excitement.

Ella frowned, kicking at the dirt on the ground. "I don't know..."

"Aww, you should...!" The wind fairy cheerily hummed. "Love is just so wonderful..."

Ella shifted her weight to lean up against her shipping box. Should she tell him? Did she want to tell him...? The answer was both yes and no. Ella wanted nothing more than to run and jump into his arms, but part of her was scared he wouldn't return her feelings. She had felt that her love was unrequited and was afraid to tell him the truth about how she felt.

But if this was how she felt without him...

A single tear rolled down Ella's cheek, and the fairies all gasped.

"Ella, no...!" Juno chirped in surprise. "Don't cry!"

"I-I'm sorry..." Ella wiped at her eyes. "I'm just so torn on what to do..."

"You can talk to us, you know..." The earth fairy mused aloud.

Ella let out a heavy sigh. "What happens if I tell him how I feel, and he doesn't feel the same?"

"Well, I would imagine it would be very awkward and permanently ruin your friendship forever." Juno replied matter of fact.

"JUNO!" The other three fairies yelled at her.

"What!?" Juno rose her hands up defensively. "It's true...!"

"She's right..." Ella frowned, exhaling sharply. "That's exactly what I'm afraid of."

The water fairy flew over and tapped Ella's shoulder. "Don't fret, Ella. You have all the time in the world to decide."

Juno suddenly looked over at the front gate as she spoke. "So, uh... Ella. Hypothetically speaking, if you saw Brakka right now, what would you say to him?"

Ella huffed and massaged her temples. "What a great question..."

The wind fairy spun around in a circle excitedly. "Well, here's your chance!"

"WHAT!?" Ella leapt up immediately, completely startled. She tore her gaze away from the fairies and over to the front gate.

Sure enough, a familiar tall, dark, and handsome mercenary was coming right this way.

"Brakka...?" Ella hesitantly spoke as she looked at him. "What are you doing here?"

Brakka swiftly walked up to her and spoke in an even-tone, wearing a completely straight face. "You and your wily charms have completely ruined me, she-devil."

"Eh?" Ella blinked puzzlingly.

"How do you plan to take responsibility for what you've done?" He calmly asked as he stared at her longingly.

Ella cocked her head to the side in confusion. "I don't understand, what did I do?"

Brakka huffed sharply. "I can't sleep, I can't eat, I can't work without thinking about you..." He began to list off her offenses and counted them off on his fingers. "I can't sleep on the floor anymore. It's too quiet in my room for me to feel relaxed. My once favorite snack is now ruined for me because I apparently can only eat your cooking now. All anyone does at work is ask about you, because you're so damn popular for being your altruistic self..." He shook his head in disbelief. "What am I supposed to do with you?"

Ella was taken aback by his sudden declaration. "Brakka, what are you trying to say?"

Irritated, Brakka furrowed his brow and closed his eyes. "I can't believe I'm doing this." He took one step forward and grabbed Ella by the waist, pulling her to his side. With the other hand he tilted her chin up as he crashed his lips into hers.

Pleasantly surprised by the sudden kiss, Ella slowly closed her eyes as the fairies all awed at the scene unfolding before them. Brakka hungrily kissed her a few times before he pulled away to catch his breath.

He stared into her lavender eyes deeply. "That's what I'm trying to say."

Out of breath herself, Ella felt like her heart was going to burst from her chest at any moment. "I... we... what... huh?"

Brakka chuckled at her frazzled response. "Ella, I'm not a good person."

Ella's eyes snapped wide open as she glared at him in confusion. "What are you saying? That's not true."

"Yes, it is." Brakka sighed and looked away from her. "You should know better than anyone that I once threw away everything for the sake of revenge."

Ella's eyes softened as she shifted her weight. "I know..."

Brakka steeled himself as he continued. "Ever since Amadeus stole everything from me, it's all I've lived for."

Ella frowned. "But you've found new purpose now..."

Brakka sighed. "You're not listening." He turned away from her somberly. "I'll say it again. I'm not a decent man. I lived my entire life pursuing revenge. I can't live a normal life."

"You're wrong."

Those words cut through Brakka's self-doubt like a knife. He turned to look at Ella, surprised. "Ella..."

Ella chuckled nervously. "It's so strange to hear you call me by my name..."

Brakka curled his lips up into a wry smile. "I'm only going to say this once, so listen carefully."

Ella nodded her head. "I'm listening."

Brakka took in a deep breath to first calm his nerves. "You would be so much better off with someone else. Someone who could give you the normal life you want."

Ella frowned, "What if there is no one else?"

"Huh?" Now it was Brakka's turn to be surprised.

Gathering her nerves, Ella stepped closer to him and jabbed him in the chest with her finger. "What if I don't want a normal life?"

Brakka took a hesitant step back as Ella pushed forward.

"What if what I want... is you?"

Brakka's breath was stolen away by the intensity in her voice as she spoke those words. This was totally his moment to tell her how he felt, and even in this she managed to outshine him.

"Ella." Brakka spoke sternly as he placed his hands on her arms. "Despite everything I've said..." He gingerly looked down into her eyes and smiled. "Could you somehow find it in your heart to love me?"

Ella let out a nervous chuckle as tears streamed down her face. "Of course, you big dummy." She grabbed him by the collar and yanked him down to her level to steal a kiss.

Finally. Brakka got what he wanted. After all this time, he finally told her the truth, and she felt the same all along. Nothing could possibly ruin this--

"I feel like we should've had popcorn or something." Juno grunted in annoyance as she crossed her arms.

"JUNO...!"

"WHAT!?"

Brakka and Ella both laughed at the fairies' banter, then turned to look back at each other. It was so nice for Ella to see Brakka actually smile. It used to be such a rare occurrence, but now he smiled so much more.

"Now, that just leaves one more problem to solve." Ella looked up at him and smiled mischievously.

Brakka raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What...?"

"What are you going to tell Shrika?"

"...fuck."

[justyouraverageonlinedegenerate]

Accidentally on Purpose

Harvestella Fan Fiction - Brakka x Ein/OC

Description: After getting badly hurt on a job out with Ella, Brakka is forced to stay at her house on Bird's Eye Brae to recover. That was his story, and he was sticking to it. And no matter how many times Shrika would tease him about it, no--it was not all part of some elaborate plan just to move in with Ella.

____________________________________________

Chapter Three

A month had gone by, and spring quickly shifted into summer--and with no Quietus in between. Brakka's shoulder was fully healed and had been for about a week. He started helping Ella around the house once he was able, cleaning here and there, and washing the dishes whenever she cooked for him. They both had gotten so used to living together that this just felt like their everyday lives now.

"I should get back to work..." Brakka quietly grumbled under his breath.

"Yeah?" Ella perked up. "You feel up to it?"

Brakka stretched his shoulder and rolled it back, then gently patted the spot where he got hit with the axe. "I think so. Shoulder's feeling alright enough."

"Okay." Ella gently smiled and tilted her head to the side. "Well, I guess it's a good thing I took the liberty of doing this..." She walked back into the bedroom to retrieve something.

"Do what?" Brakka rose an eyebrow in her direction.

Ella came back to the kitchen with a pile of folded leather clothes. She unfolded Brakka's mercenary cloak and held it up for him to see. "Tah dah...!"

Brakka smirked when he saw she had stitched up where his cloak ripped from the axe. "Nice job, El... you can hardly tell."

He took the cloak from her and went to the bedroom to change. He ditched the casual clothes he'd been wearing and switched into his usual mercenary cloak and gloves. This felt right. He grabbed his rifle that was propped up against his nightstand and headed back out to the foyer where Ella stood.

"Now there's a familiar sight I've missed seeing." Ella smiled brightly as she eyed Brakka in his mercenary getup. "Though I didn't mind seeing you look like a regular person for a while."

Brakka softly chuckled. "Yeah, I've definitely missed this."

The two stared at each other in silence for a moment. Was this really it? Ella wasn't going to tell him to leave, but she also wasn't going to ask him if he was leaving either. She didn't want to know. The awkward silence droned on for a moment more, then Brakka looked away and started to walk towards the door.

He stopped next to where Ella stood suddenly. "I'm heading to Argene to meet with the Order." He slowly reached up and patted her on the head softly. "...I'll be home later."

Ella couldn't help but grin at the sound of that. He'll be home later... He called her house home. He wasn't leaving yet.

"Okay." She smiled sweetly at him. "I'll see you later. Be safe!"

_______________________________________________________________

"Well look what the cat dragged in..." Shrika smirked and placed a hand on her hip as she watched Brakka march down the aisle of the temple.

"Long time no see." He smirked, stopping to stand in front of her.

Shrika was raring to go with questions and one-liners to tease him. She missed having her favorite victim around to tease. "So, how's the wife?"

Brakka sighed and rolled his eyes. "She's fine, thanks for asking." He calmly took her jab in stride.

Shrika widened her eyes in shock that he didn't get his feathers all ruffled up and deny it as he usually did. "What's this?" She smirked all-knowingly. "Who are you and what have you done with Brakka?"

"Very funny." He rolled his eyes, unamused. "I've just decided to not let your teasing bother me, that's all."

"Fair enough..." She raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Well, welcome back. We missed having you around."

"And I've missed having things to do." Brakka remarked calmly.

"What, was Ella that boring to be with?" Shrika chuckled.

"What?" Brakka sharply exhaled. "Of course not!" He froze, then began to backtrack a little. "I mean..."

Shrika couldn't help but laugh at how flustered he got all of a sudden. "It's okay to like someone, you know."

Brakka stared off into space despondently. "Yeah, but not her..."

Shrika dropped the playful act and grew concerned. "Why not?"

Brakka frowned and stared at the floor quietly. He said nothing as Shrika analyzed him closely.

"You think you're not good enough for her, don't you?" Shrika folded her arms across her chest. She scoffed when she saw him visibly flinch. "That's what it is, isn't it?"

"I'm done talking about this." Brakka brushed past her as he regained his composure. "Let's get back to work."

Shrika sighed, then shrugged her shoulders. "Suit yourself."

__________________________________________________________

"I'm home..." Brakka stepped through the front door of Ella's house sluggishly.

Ella sprung up from her desk in the bedroom and quickly rounded the corner to greet him. "Welcome home!" She noticed how tired he looked and rushed to his side. "Are you okay? You didn't push yourself too hard, did you?"

"I'm fine, El." Brakka dismissed her concern with a flick of the wrist. "I'm just tired."

Ella frowned a little bit. She didn't like seeing how low energy he was. "I made dinner..." She gestured to the dining room table that had two plates made and waiting for them.

Brakka's gaze drifted to where she pointed, and he took a slow, deep breath. "Thank you. That looks great." He motioned towards the bedroom as he spoke. "Let me get settled real quick and I'll join you."

Ella smiled brightly and nodded her head. "Okay!"

That night...

Brakka lied awake in bed, staring up at the ceiling as Ella snoozed peacefully in the bed beside him. He couldn't get what Shrika said out of his head.

"So, how's the wife?"

Wife... hah. The thought of Brakka ever being married made him want to laugh, but something in him stopped him. He turned his head to look over at the sleeping Ella, and he gently smiled. He guessed he wouldn't mind if it were someone like her. Over the past month, they sort of have lived like a couple... she took care of him while he was injured, cooked for him, repaired his clothes, welcomed him home at the end of the day... all things a wife would do, he figured. But... they were just friends.

He knew Shrika was just teasing, but there was some truth to what she said.

Ella had sort of taken up the role of being Brakka's wife, almost. He didn't think Ella realized she'd done that, but... Brakka wasn't sure how she'd feel if Shrika teased her the way she teased him. The thought of Shrika teasing Ella about Brakka irked him, and he couldn't help but feel annoyed. Shrika could tease him all she wanted, but Ella was off limits.

What was this feeling? He felt almost like... he was being over-protective.

"I need to stop before it's too late." Brakka muttered to himself, gently slapping his face. "Snap out of it, man..."

All of these thoughts swirling around his head were driving him insane.

Ella was his closest friend. He cared for her very much. He fell in love with her and felt guilty about it, like she deserved better than him... but at the same time, the thought of her with someone else made him want to punch something. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to handle her being with someone else, but he also knew he couldn't have her, either... maybe she would just stay single forever? Yeah, that would work. She'd never marry, and they would just carry-on being friends.

...but would she be happy that way?

Brakka grabbed his pillow and shoved it over his face to muffle the groan he let out in frustration. This line of thinking was getting him nowhere, and he needed to sleep.

Annoyed at himself, Brakka rolled back over to face Ella as he watched her peacefully sleep, and he hoped that he'd join her soon...

___________________________________________________________

"Good morning!" Ella beamed as Brakka groggily stepped into the kitchen rubbing his eyes. She was standing at the kitchen table sifting through a stack of letters in her hands.

Brakka was not really a morning person, that much Ella figured out day one of living together, so she got in the habit of brewing coffee for him first thing.

Brakka stumbled over to the coffee pot and poured himself a cup. "What's all that you got there?"

"Oh, you know, my usual letters..." Ella trailed off as she continued reading through them. "Istina wants me to visit the kids at the orphanage again, Cherie got to go to Shatolla and meet with her biological parents, Rog and his dad made up, and now the lighthouse is working again... oh, and a wedding invitation from Berg and Shirin!"

Still waking up, Brakka blinked owlishly at that information overload. "You sure are popular, huh?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that..." Ella bashfully rocked back and forth on her heels. "I just like to help people whenever I can, and they send me letters about how they're doing after..."

Brakka smiled gently at her earnestness. "You really don't know just how wonderful of a person you are, do you?"

Ella whipped her head around and stared at him in shock. "What did you just say?"

Whoops, did he say that out loud?

"I, uh..." Brakka stumbled over his words as he watched Ella's face flush bright red. "You sure are weak to praise, huh?"

Ella covered her red cheeks with her hands shyly. "Ahh, don't look at me...!"

Brakka chuckled as a knock came from the front door, and he looked up to see a familiar face walk in.

"Shrika?" Brakka rose his eyebrow in surprise.

"I thought I might find you here." Shrika smirked wryly. "I went to your hell hole at the inn, but you weren't there, so I came here looking for you."

Brakka awkwardly kicked at the floor as he sipped his coffee. "So... what did you need?"

Shrika placed a hand on her hip and looked over at Ella. "Sorry to take your man away from you, Ella, but the Order needs him for a mission."

Brakka thought Ella's face couldn't get any redder and was pleasantly surprised to see her turn the color of a tomato. If he wasn't annoyed at Shrika for teasing Ella like that, he might have laughed.

"That's enough, Shrika." Brakka interjected with a deadly serious stare. "I'll be ready in five minutes." He placed his coffee cup down on the counter and motioned to head to the bedroom when Shrika suddenly stopped him.

"So, when are you going back home?" She calmly asked the forbidden question.

Brakka stopped where he stood, keeping his back to Shrika. Ella's face returned to its normal color as she despondently stared at Brakka's back, scared to know the answer.

"You're all better now, right?" Shrika rose a hand up by her face as she spoke. "So, there's no need for you to stay here anymore, right?"

Ella held her breath unknowingly as she stared at Brakka. Brakka sighed, then said, "I'm going home tonight."

Ella felt crushed by that statement and tried not to show it. However, Shrika was deadly perceptive. Shrika frowned when she looked at how sad Ella got all of a sudden. Brakka was his usual standoffish self, but she could tell he was sad to say that too.

"Well..." Shrika cleared her throat. "I guess we're going back to Argene, then."

[justyouraverageonlinedegenerate]

Accidentally on Purpose

Harvestella Fan Fiction - Brakka x Ein/OC

Description: After getting badly hurt on a job out with Ella, Brakka is forced to stay at her house on Bird's Eye Brae to recover. That was his story, and he was sticking to it. And no matter how many times Shrika would tease him about it, no--it was not all part of some elaborate plan just to move in with Ella.

____________________________________________

Chapter Two

It had been a few days since Brakka came to stay with Ella, and life was certainly... interesting. First off, having four different annoying fairies flying around helping with the housework and farm chores was new to Brakka. Juno was especially... annoying. She almost nagged him to rest and stop trying to do things himself more than Ella did. Brakka was stubborn, and he wasn't about to let his shoulder slow him down--unless those scary, piercing, lavender eyes belonging to Ella looked at him a certain way. He felt like a kid again, having someone taking care of him. It wasn't a bad thing, just... weird.

Something he didn't expect to like was all of the home cooked meals. Ella was always active in the kitchen, cooking and baking while singing and dancing away... it was kind of cute. And, on the upside, Brakka had never been more well-fed in his life. He didn't miss his usual biscuits he'd eat for a snack all the time; the ones Aria had accursed so much...

He was able to get up and walk around, but he needed help doing just about anything else with the state of his shoulder. He felt embarrassed that Ella had to help him get in and out of his shirts each day. Something as simple as that he should be able to do himself.

Ella would come and go throughout the day, back and forth between farmwork and visits to town. She'd make the trip and back to the clinic daily for Brakka's pain medicine, which he appreciated. Ella did her best to keep him from feeling lonely, being all by himself in the house for hours at a time. Sometimes, Brakka would just come sit outside and watch Ella do her farmwork. She didn't mind, and she'd chat with him as she worked.

Brakka just couldn't shake this perpetual feeling of... well, awkwardness.

Why did he feel awkward? Well...

He was an independent man and a mercenary. He never had to rely on anyone's help before, so he really didn't know how to accept it. Before he met Ella and Aria that fateful day almost a year ago, he was very much a solitary guy. He'd have brief conversations with his clients that were work-related, and the occasional interaction with an informant, but that was it. Perhaps you could argue that his social skills were underdeveloped because of it. Then, once Ella and Aria came bursting into his life, things changed quick. He went from a solo lifestyle to being part of a huge team, and it was kind of... fun. Not that he'd ever admit it to anyone, especially Ella. She'd never let him live it down for admitting he actually liked her and her friends. Brakka was always standoffish and indifferent outwardly, but everyone understood how he really felt underneath all of that. He was a trusted friend and ally to them, and they knew it. Ella especially understood how to read Brakka. He was a hard man to understand at times, always saying one thing but meaning the other.

"Don't follow me," really meant, "I don't care if you come along."

"Stay out of my personal business," would actually mean, "you can help if you want, I guess."

"DON'T talk to me while I'm in town," actually translated to, "I don't mind if you come say hello if you see me."

He was a hard man to follow, but Ella seemed to do it with ease. She found his dual personality to be amusing. It was kind of adorable to her that he'd outwardly be standoffish, but on the inside actually be pretty lonely and want to be around his friends.

Brakka was not the most verbally communicative guy, but Ella understood him and his awkward ways of expressing himself just fine. Even a subtle look on his face would tell her all she needed to know. It kind of creeped him out at first how easily she could read him, but then he grew accustomed to not having to think too hard about what to say to her. Over time he grew to like that about her.

Over time he grew to like a lot of things about her.

No matter how much he would push her away, she'd stay. Regardless of how harsh his words could be, she saw right through him. She always gave him her hand anytime he needed it. Even without asking her for help, she always gave it. She was a fearless leader with wily charms he didn't quite understand. He didn't understand how someone could be so likeable until he met Ella.

Brakka watched Ella plow her field and plant seeds as his mind wandered. In a way, he thought of Ella like a sticky trap. The harder you struggled, the more stuck you got. The harder he tried to push her away, the harder she fought to stay. He didn't notice when it happened, but she quickly became a very important person in his life. He couldn't imagine his life without her. She just sort of... grew on him.

Not that he'd ever tell her.

Brakka wasn't really one for talking about... feelings. He spent years denying them, and now that the floodgates had opened and he was experiencing everything for the first time in years, he struggled to parse through it all. He went through a lot once his quest for revenge was over. He felt lost and alone, but Ella was always there to remind him that wasn't true. She was always there. He went from having a life without purpose to now having multiple motivations driving him. Maybe Ella's altruistic nature rubbed off on him, but Brakka enjoyed his mercenary work more now that he focused on helping people. He quickly became the Order's right-hand man, and he felt bad that he was leaving them to fend for themselves for so long.

Although he did appreciate having a break from Skrika's incessant teasing.

Oh, did she get a kick out of his letter explaining his current situation. Shrika quickly wrote back with well-wishes, as well as a congratulations to graduating to domestic life. Hilarious. Brakka dreaded how much she was inevitably going to tease him about staying with Ella once he got back to work.

Shrika was scary perceptive, and she could see through Brakka in ways Ella was oblivious to. Such as, well, I don't know... that Brakka had hopelessly fallen in love with Ella months ago and had kept quiet about it all this time.

Yes, the big bad mercenary guy who always preferred to be alone had fallen in love with a bubbly altruist with a pension for getting herself wrapped up in solving everyone's problems.

Ella had quickly snuck her way into his heart without him even realizing it. He wasn't sure when his feelings changed, but he noticed how much more he worried about her when they were out fighting the war against Quietus. Sometimes he'd be so distracted looking out for her that he'd miss his shot. He'd find his mind wandering to her more often, taking place of his usual thoughts about work. Soon enough, just like how revenge had once consumed him, Ella had magically taken its place in Brakka's mind.

As perceptive as she was, Ella was completely clueless about how Brakka felt about her. And he intended to keep it that way.

He... didn't deserve her.

He was not a good person. He was a wanted man for the longest time who had to live in the shadows, and he did many horrible things throughout his life... he was once a man consumed by the desire for revenge and nothing else. He was a brute, and she was a ray of sunshine.

She was ridiculously bright and shining all of the time--a beacon of hope for the people around her, just like Shatolla's lighthouse. Someone so bright had no place being with someone stuck in the dark.

So, he kept his feelings from her. He wouldn't tell her.

"Hey, space cadet. What are you thinking about?"

"Huh?" Brakka shook his head, snapping out of his thoughts as he realized he was face to face with Ella.

"I've been talking to you for a few minutes now, and you've just been out of it." Ella chuckled as she rested her hands on her hips. "What were you thinking about?"

"Nothin'." Brakka smiled wryly as he looked down at the ground. "Don't worry about it."

"Okay, if you say so." She shrugged with a cute grin.

"Stop that." Brakka dismissively waved at her teasingly.

"Stop what?" Ella laughed incredulously.

"You're doing it again... using your wily charms on me." He smiled and looked away from her.

"Nuh uh!" Ella giggled. "All I did was smile!"

"Bingo." Brakka snapped his fingers.

Ella scoffed in disbelief. "What, I can't smile now?"

"No..." Brakka trailed off. "It's just... you're so bright at times. It's almost too much."

Ella playfully frowned. "Sorry."

"Gah, don't do that to me." Brakka sighed heavily. "Never change despite what I say, El."

Her smile quickly returned to her face as she beamed at him. "Okay!"

Her adorably infectious grin sent shivers down his spine. It was too bright to look at, but at the same time, he couldn't look away. Ella was just too damn charming for her own good, and he worried that might get her into trouble someday. If a guy like him fell hard for her, others surely would too. He'd certainly caught Heine looking at Ella a certain way before, which made Brakka suddenly feel like breaking something in half.

Brakka suddenly winced as a sharp pain ran up his shoulder, which put Ella on high alert.

"Oh, I suppose it's time for your medicine." She pressed a finger to her lips thoughtfully. "Come on, let's go inside and I'll make lunch."

"Alright..." Brakka carefully stood up and followed the petite girl back into the house.

It had only been a few days, but Brakka was starting to get used to this routine. He'd wake up, and Ella would have already been up for a few hours and made breakfast for him. She'd go out and work on the farm, and he'd either putter around the house, or go sit outside with her. She'd take a break and make lunch, and they would sit and eat together. Even though she was teasing when she said it, Shrika was right--this was very much domestic life.

What scared Brakka was how much he didn't mind it.

____________________________________________________

It was getting harder and harder to ignore his feelings for Ella as the days passed. He had grown accustomed to living with someone and sharing everyday life with them. He quickly had forgotten what it was like to be alone. He got used to sleeping in an actual bed, and he wondered how he always slept on the floor before with no trouble. Having three home-cooked meals a day suddenly became the norm, and he couldn't imagine going back to how he used to live anymore.

At first, he couldn't wait to heal up and get right back to work. Now that it had been two weeks, he was dreading leaving.

"How's the shoulder?" Ella turned the corner and leaned down to inspect his wound.

Brakka pulled his face away from hers in surprise, not expecting her to get so close all of a sudden. He fought back the blush that threatened to climb onto his cheeks. "Better. I can move it a little, though it still hurts."

"Are you still bruised?" Ella leaned in closer to take a look at his shoulder carefully.

Brakka held his breath as he stared at the oblivious girl wide-eyed. "No, the bruises have cleared up."

"Good!" Ella backed away and clapped her hands together excitedly.

Brakka let out the breath he was holding and shook his head at her. "It must be nice being so clueless..."

Ella tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Hm? What do you mean?"

Brakka just sighed. "Exactly."

A sudden knock at the door caught the two off guard, and Cres called out to them. "Ella, I'm coming in."

Ella straightened up and looked at the doctor who just walked in. "Hey, Cres! Come to take a look at our patient?"

Brakka stared down at the floor to hide his embarrassment at the statement "our" patient.

"That's right." Cres smiled, then turned to look at Brakka. "Okay, mister. Time for your medical exam."

While Cres set Brakka back up in the bedroom for a medical exam, Ella mindlessly started cleaning the house. Brakka's eyes were trained on her as she danced around with a broom sweeping, which didn't go unnoticed by Cres.

Cres smirked all-knowingly. "Shoulder's looking good. You should be fine to go home in a few days..." She lowered her voice so only Brakka could hear. "...if you want to, that is."

Startled, Brakka blinked at the doctor strangely. "Wha... of course I want to go home. And as soon as possible." He answered hurriedly.

Ella stopped sweeping for a brief moment as she heard that, then slumped her shoulders and quietly sighed in disappointment. Was it wrong of her to not want him to leave? She had really grown to enjoy living with someone again, especially since it was Brakka. Ever since Aria moved out, it had gotten pretty lonely for Ella. She had many close friends, sure, but... Brakka was different. If you asked her who her best friend was, Aria would come to mind first. But if you asked her who she truly cared about most... Brakka would be her first thought.

And she knew why. She just didn't know how to tell him... or if she even wanted to.

What if he didn't feel the same way? She didn't want to ruin their friendship and make things awkward, but on the other hand, things were already a bit awkward between them because of how she felt about him. Ella tried not to be too obvious about it, but it was hard to hide how much she cared about Brakka. Watching him jump in front of an axe for her gave her the scare she needed to realize what her feelings really were. He was more than just a friend. More than just a trusted partner that she could fight beside. He was...

"Hey, El. Could you lend me a hand with this?"

The sound of Brakka's gentle, rugged voice pulled Ella out of her train of thought, and she turned to walk over to him. "Coming!"

[justyouraverageonlinedegenerate]

Accidentally on Purpose

Harvestella Fan Fiction - Brakka x Ein/OC

Description: After getting badly hurt on a job out with Ella, Brakka is forced to stay at her house on Bird's Eye Brae to recover. That was his story, and he was sticking to it. And no matter how many times Shrika would tease him about it, no--it was not all part of some elaborate plan just to move in with Ella.

____________________________________________

Chapter One

It all started like your average day for Brakka. Get up, take on a job, and go. That was his life as a mercenary. Granted, he took a bit of a detour from that when he spent nearly a year helping Ella and their friends purge Quietus from the planet, but that was beside the point. Now that he was back to his mercenary work for the Order, he had no real need to take on odd jobs anymore, now that he had a steady line of work--but this one was special. He couldn't turn down a request to kill a monster that had eradicated a small settlement outside of the Jade Forest. Knowing there was a monster out there who had orphaned several just made Brakka tick, and he wasn't about to let that thing live. He knew all too well what it was like to lose everything.

Knowing that this monster was going to be particularly tough, a massive goblin called the "forest guardian," he recruited an old friend to accompany him and lend a hand.

He did not ask her for help, no. Brakka never asked anyone for help.

If anything, he usually did the opposite, such as write a letter specifically telling a certain someone NOT to talk to him if they saw him around town. He simply mentioned the job and waited for her to inevitably offer her assistance the way she always did. He trusted very few people in his lifetime, but this one he trusted wholeheartedly to always have his back when it came down to it.

Ella was truly an altruist, always helping anyone in need--especially her friends. Anyone knew who Ella was, and in not just Lethe Village, but Shatolla, Argene, and Nemea too... Anytime someone was in trouble or needed help, she was always there. It never mattered how big or small the request. It could be overwhelming sometimes walking around town with Ella because of all the people who would stop them to say hello to her. Brakka was never really the social type, so it was hard being friends with someone so... well, popular.

Ella had accompanied Brakka on many jobs before, and this one was no different. When she heard about what this monster had done, she didn't hesitate to declare she was coming with him. With Proshades and Heresy in hand, Brakka and Ella carefully made their way through the forest towards the last reported sighting of their bounty.

"This way." Brakka monotonously waved her over to their left.

Ella came to a stop when they rounded a corner, and she stared widely at a goblin monster that even towered over some of the trees around them. "Is that it?"

"Has to be." Brakka mused aloud as he began to study his target from afar. He was already beginning to strategize exactly how he wanted to go about taking it down.

They had worked together and fought side-by-side countless times before, so little ever needed to be said before going into combat. Ella and Brakka were always in sync, almost as if they could communicate without having to speak. She was a skilled swordswoman, and he was a master marksman. They would often do something called a switch, which involved Ella charging in to stun and/or disarm the enemy, then backing out of the way for Brakka to line up his shot. This strategy would not work as easily this time, however, given the size of their target.

Ella and Brakka looked at each other and silently nodded. They knew exactly what to do.

While the monster had its back turned to them, Ella swiftly charged in and dealt a crushing blow to the arm holding a massive battle axe. The monster cried out in pain as it dropped its weapon to the ground. Brakka swept in and lined up his shot, then began to fire. The two alternated between Ella stunning it with sword skills, and Brakka dealing the damage with his bullets. It seemed to be working just fine, until--

The monster suddenly surged with power, gaining a second wind. Ella took a hesitant step back as she saw this, gripping her blade tightly. It swung its hammer-like arm towards Ella, sending her flying backwards and onto the ground.

"ELLA!" Brakka shouted as he sprinted towards his friend on the ground.

Ella's sword had been knocked from her hands and sent across the floor, and it was too far from her reach. She sat up with her hands outstretched behind her back just in time to see the monster pick up its axe and swing it high above its head. Ella quickly clambered to her feet as she widened her eyes in horror. Just as the axe was about to tear into her flesh, however, she was shoved out of the way.

"GAH!" Brakka hissed as the axe came into contact with his shoulder, leaving a gash a couple inches deep.

"Brakka...!" Ella shrieked as she saw him take that massive blow.

He was kneeling on the ground and clutching his open shoulder wound as the monster rose its axe once more. Ella wasted no time dashing in with a sword skill, dealing one last crushing blow to the monster. The monster fell to the ground and shook the earth it stood on, letting out a deathly shriek as it perished.

"Oh my god, Brakka...!" Ella dove to her knees beside her friend who was now lying on his back.

"I'm fine." Brakka grimaced through the pain as he applied pressure to his wound.

"You are NOT fine!" Ella barked at him in annoyance.

Brakka scoffed through the pain as he looked at Ella's face, seeing she was beside herself with worry. "It's just a scratch."

"Like hell it is!" She scolded him. "What were you thinking!?"

Brakka let out a strained chuckle as he struggled to get to his feet. "I was thinking you were about to get hit by that axe..."

Ella grabbed his unhurt arm and helped him up, then swung it around the back of her shoulders as she used her body to support his. "So you dove in the way instead!?"

"I really didn't give it much thought." Brakka wryly half-smiled as he reluctantly accepted Ella's aid.

"I would have been fine!"

"I know."

"I can handle myself, you know!"

"I know..."

"I'm not some helpless damsel in distre--"

"Ella, less talking, more getting me to a doctor."

"Urk...! Right, sorry."

____________________________________________

"You got lucky." Cres sighed as she finished sealing up the stitches she had sewn into Brakka's shoulder. "Any deeper and it would've hit your ribcage, and any more to the right and it would've severed your carotid artery."

"I sure feel lucky." Brakka grimaced as she cut the surgical thread off at the end.

They were back at Ella's house on Bird's Eye Brae, where she had set Brakka up in her spare bed. Her house wasn't too far from where they were in the Jade Forest, and Ella had quickly retrieved Cres to attend to her friend. At some point along the way, Brakka had lost consciousness due to blood loss, and Ella had to carry him the rest of the way home. It was not an easy feat, but she was grateful for all the muscle she had developed from her daily farmwork.

Brakka looked around for a familiar face he did not see. "Where's El?"

Cres was cleaning up her medical supplies on the other bed with her back to him as she replied. "I sent her out for some medicinal herbs. She was driving me crazy with how much she was fussing over you."

Brakka let out a small, pained chuckle. "She was fussing over me?"

"Oh yeah, big time." Cres exhaled sharply. She turned to look at him. "She was as white as a ghost when she came and found me. She wouldn't leave your side the whole time I was treating you, she was that worried." She placed a hand on her aching head. "I couldn't take any more of her constant questions and concern, so I sent her out."

Brakka closed his eyes and winced from the pain of holding back a laugh. "I could see her doing that..."

"Cres, I'm back!" The front door swung open and quickly shut as Ella's voice rang out through the small house. She came sprinting into the bedroom where the doctor stood with an armful of herbs, and when she locked eyes with Brakka, she almost burst into tears. "Brakka, you're awake...!"

Ella threw down the herbs next to Cres and ran over to the mercenary, trying to avoid his wound as she squished him in a hug. "Ow, ow, El... careful." Brakka chuckled as he slowly patted her on the back. "I'm fine, see? It's going to take a lot more than that to kill me."

Ella pulled away from him as tears streamed down her face. "You scared the hell out of me, you idiot...!"

Brakka sighed and closed his eyes. "Don't cry, El... you know I don't know what to do when you cry..."

Ella sniffled and quickly wiped at her eyes. "I'm sorry."

"Ain't no need to apologize either." Brakka shook his head, not entirely surprised despite how he sounded. "If anything, it's me who should be apologizing for worrying you so much."

Ella let out the breath she didn't know she was holding. "I'm just so glad you're okay..."

"Ahem." Cres awkwardly cleared her throat as she swung her medical bag over her shoulder. "Well, if that's all you need from me..."

"Oh, right--sorry..." Ella stammered as she took a step back from Brakka to put some space between them.

"So, Doc." Brakka sat up against the headboard as he looked at Cres. "Will I live?"

Cres placed a hand on her hip as she looked at the mercenary with a scrutinizing eye. "Somehow, you lucked out." She sighed, then waved a finger at him. "No physical activity or strenuous actions for at LEAST a few weeks. You need to rest that shoulder."

"A few... weeks?" Brakka stared at her with widened eyes. "I can't be out of work for that long..."

"Well, tough shit." Cres glared at him in annoyance with her arms crossed over her chest.

"I at least need to get myself home..." Brakka motioned to get up, only to have both girls nearly pounce him to push him back down.

"No way in hell am I letting you walk back to Argene in this state!" Ella barked at him as she corralled him back to the bed.

Brakka sighed as he looked away from his friend. "But I have to go home, El..."

"Not if home is all the way in Argene, you're not." Cres remarked with a critical look. "When I said no strenuous physical activity for a few weeks, I meant no strenuous physical activity for a few weeks."

"But--" Brakka began to protest, only to be quickly silenced by Ella.

"No buts!" She angrily pointed at him. "You're staying here, and that's final!"

"I can't stay here for a few weeks, El." Brakka looked at her with an ever-serious face.

"Why not?" Ella rose an eyebrow at him. "I have the space, and I have a doctor just down the hill in Lethe who can come treat you as you heal." She frowned, annoyed at his stubbornness, but not at all surprised by it. "Besides, you need someone to stay with you and help you while you get better. You're not gonna be able to use your left arm for a few weeks."

Brakka sharply sighed. She was right, as much as he hated to admit it. He felt awkward imposing like this and staying at her house for a while, but even he knew he was in no condition to go anywhere, despite what he had said. He knew his limits, and this injury definitely hit it.

Ella gave him a pitiful, guilty look with saddened eyes. "Please, Brakka...?"

Oof, not those eyes. Those eyes were Brakka's weakness--he could never say no to them.

"...fine." Brakka laid back down in bed begrudgingly.

Ella breathed a sigh of relief, and Cres awkwardly cleared her throat once more. "Well, I'll leave you guys to it..." She turned to walk out the door. "I'll come check on you in a few days to see how that wound is healing."

"Thanks, Cres!" Ella waved good-bye to her with a smile.

Well, that was it. Brakka was stuck living with Ella hovering over him worriedly for the next few weeks. He wasn't used to living with someone, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing... He'd write to Shrika later to let her know he'd be stepping back from his work from the Order for a little while. It was a good thing he was right-handed.

Living with Ella, eh...? Should be interesting.

[justyouraverageonlinedegenerate]

Accidentally on Purpose

Harvestella Fan Fiction - Brakka x Ein/OC

Description: After getting badly hurt on a job out with Ella, Brakka is forced to stay at her house on Bird's Eye Brae to recover. That was his story, and he was sticking to it. And no matter how many times Shrika would tease him about it, no--it was not all part of some elaborate plan just to move in with Ella. 

[kiramartinauthor]

[butchamy]

Story idea when you try to actually write it:

[justyouraverageonlinedegenerate]

I'm crying 😂