Occasional Author

PFP from Invincible #5 Mainly writing for Invincible, but I do other things too! Check out my other stories on AO3 Here Requests are open.

[veryoccasionalwriting]

Links to my Fanfictions

Spin-off series Link! - Click me!

What I write for (To be updated)

Requests ARE OPEN!

Below is the masterlist of all my fan fictions for Invincible. All are currently published to AO3!! (Dispatch stories at the bottom of the list!)

Main Mark:

Always Second Priority | Tumblr Link - Getting crushed by a monster sucked. Watching your boyfriend save someone else? Even worse (Mini-Series) (COMPLETED)

A little Liquid courage | Tumblr link - You get a little too drunk with William and wind up on Mark’s doorstep with secrets you probably should’ve kept to yourself. Probably. [IMPLIED SEXUAL CONTENT]

Hungover - Sequel to A Little Liquid Courage

Too Young for Love | Tumblr Link - Mark introduces you to his younger brother, Oliver. Oliver immediately falls in love. You gently remind him you're dating his brother… and also that he's one.

Balcony - Mark returns home from a mission to visit you. (Basically just smut)

Back to Friends | Tumblr link - based off the song 'back to friends' by Sombr lol. Before Amber, there was you. Now Mark wants to be friends again, like nothing ever happened. But you're not ready to forget.

Seventeen Days - Mark left for only six hours. When he came back, you were barely alive. Now, as you lie unconscious in a GDA medbay, Mark finds himself on the edge of losing control.

The Best Notifications [Tumblr link / AO3 link] - Mark has a new habit: texting you every time he thinks of you. Which.. is a lot.

Pool Party! - You join William at a pool party. William has plans to hook you and Mark up.

Sexting, Kinda [Part 1 and Part 2] You and Mark try to sext for the first time. Mark is not very good at it. | Part 2 is just you two banging

Cam Boy Mark - NSFW!! - You and Mark try something new when you are away on a trip. It does not go well

Aquarium Date

Touch Starved Mark

Mark taking care of Drunk reader

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Alternative Marks:

In Every Version, It's you | Tumblr Link - In his universe, you died calling his name. Mark tore a hole through reality trying to undo it, burned every rule, crossed every line, just to find you again. And now you're here. Alive. Breathing. But you're not his. “I’m not leaving. I don’t care what version of you this is. I’m never losing you again.” (Had written this with Sinister Mark in mind, but it switched to just being whatever version you want, basically lol.)

It's a Viltrumite thing, you wouldn't understand. | Tumblr Link - Mark Grayson has a plan! It involves genetics, his legacy, and best of all, you! Unfortunately for Mark, you're still in high school and not remotely ready to discuss intergalactic breeding charts. (Omni-Mark in mind, can be whatever version you want. NO SEXUAL CONTENT.)

Pet Name - Mark Grayson is your high school sweetheart. He was strong, sweet in his own awkward way, and completely devoted to you. But things change. He starts holding you a little too tight. Watching you a little too closely. Loving you a little too much. You think it’s just him, you think it’s still love. You don’t know he’s not from this world anymore. You don’t know he’s planning to conquer it, and you don’t realize that you’re not the woman he loves. You’re the one thing that makes him weak. And he’s decided to keep you. [Pairing: Viltrumite!Mark x reader | TW: Toxic romance, dark romance, implied abuse, emotional/mental conditioning. Mark is just toxic, reader is currently clueless.] ONGOING SERIES

· ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Omni-Man/Nolan Grayson:

World famous author, Nolan Grayson - Reader finds Nolan's old books and they're a fan.

· ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Rex Splodes:

Whatever it Takes - Rex has always been impulsive, but this? This is something else. He’s decided he’s ready for a baby and you’re the only person he wants to do this with. (No Smut, implied sexual content)

Just Say it! - Rex trying and failing to share his feelings to you. [Gender Neutral self-insert]

Operation: BOOM BOOM BLING - After five years of dating, Rex Splode decides it’s finally time to propose. He has a plan, a ring and a dream. But this is Rex. And nothing can go good for him.

Always Second Priority | Tumblr Link - Getting crushed by a monster sucked. Watching your boyfriend save someone else? Even worse. Good thing Rex knows how to pull people out of wreckage, both literally and emotionally. (Mini-Series) (COMPLETED)

A Literal Miracle - Rex and reader had a baby. Their daughter already has him wrapped around his finger, and she's only 8 hours old. (Fluff, humor.)

Going out with a Bang - He always said he’d go out with a bang. You just didn’t think he’d mean it like this. (MAJOR SEASON 3 SPOILERS. PURE ANGST, NO HAPPY ENDING)

A Little TLC (Tinder, Love and Care) - You’ve made a lot of bad decisions in your life. Cutting your own bangs with school scissors. Trusting a guy named KyloRenRP69 on Discord, who turned out to be thirty-seven, married, and working in HVAC. Telling your entire friend group you’ve never kissed anyone and naively thinking they’d let it go. But downloading Tinder? Yeah. This might actually top the list.

Robot's Double Life - Robot’s always been weird and private. But when he starts going offline without explanation, Rex Splode gets suspicious and nosy. What he doesn’t expect to find is a hidden apartment… and you.

Temu Bed talk [But sexy] - WARNING: HEAVILY IMPLIED SMUT MINORS DO NOT INTEACT!! PLEASE!! You and Rex were enjoying your evening.. until Rex had to show you all the Temu condoms he bought.

Just one more message - TW list: Grief, hurt and no comfort, MAJOR SPOILERS FOR SEASON 3

· ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Other Characters:

Too Young for Love | Tumblr Link- Mark introduces you to his younger brother, Oliver. Oliver immediately falls in love. You gently remind him you're dating his brother… and also that he's one. (READER IS NOT A CREEP)

Robot's Double Life - Robot’s always been weird and private. But when he starts going offline without explanation, Rex Splode gets suspicious and nosy. What he doesn’t expect to find is a hidden apartment… and you.

· ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Dispatch:

The Incompatibility theory - Katon-Ur is told humans are incompatible with him. Be it mentally, emotionally or even physically. One impulsive night proves that assumption wrong, with consequences neither of them anticipates. | Multiple parts - Part 1

You're worth the HR Violation - After Robert rejects the idea of going public with your relationship, you decide not to push it. But when Mandy strolls in at lunch asking if you’re single and tries to set you up with another guy, Robert’s jealousy hits new levels. | Multiple Parts - Part 1

Dispatch Daddy - SPIN OFF SERIES - Robert Robertson is a hero, a father, a Dispatcher, and a man deeply in denial about still being in love with you.

[veryoccasionalwriting]

between leo and theo who do you think act more like of their respective parents? like does leo act more like reader or mark? it’s kinda funny imagining a scenario where they see leo and theo bickering or something and coming to a realization like “wait do we actually act like that”

Ooh, great question!

I think, much to Leo's dismay, he acts a lot more like Mark than he'd ever admit. He has a lot of Mark's personality traits which makes it completely impossible to deny Mark is his father. They're both stubborn, protective, impulsive when emotions get involved, and have a tendency to charge into things because they think they're right. Also like Mark, Leo is not scared to back down from a fight no matter if the outcome is getting beat up lol.

Meanwhile, I think Theo has a much more even mix of Reader and Mark, but he definitely leans more toward Reader. (Which, given who Theo biological father is, it's probably a great thing he acts more like reader lol.) He's more thoughtful, patient, and willing to step back and reassess a situation. He also values NOT being beat up lol.

Also: While Leo and Mark tend to dig their heels in when they think they're right, Theo is usually willing to let something go if he realizes it's not going anywhere.. which is sometimes a bad thing.

I can picture Mark and Reader overhearing the boys bickering one day and realizing they're basically watching a miniature version of their own arguments play out. Leo getting increasingly frustrated while Theo calmly explains why Leo is wrong feels very familiar to the both of them. Leo would be in full denial mode that he acts like Mark but Theo is very happy to admit that he acts like his mom!

[veryoccasionalwriting]

do you think leo and theo would like Kpop?

This made me giggle

Sure, why not? Theo is a girl group stan and Leo is a boy group stan lol.

[veryoccasionalwriting]

Can I ask you about the title name for Unwanted Devotion? It’s one of the main things that attracted me to your series and I wanted to know a little more about it

Hi!

So the title came because while I was writing the first chapter of the story, I was listening to Hopelessly Devoted to you from Grease lol. I already had plans to make Thragg 'devoted' to getting with the reader, so I kinda just messed around with the word "devoted" till I found something I tolerated haha!

[veryoccasionalwriting]

Ohhh i have a very specific question about Theo that i just thought about, you can ignore me if it’s too much of a spoiler to answer but; Theo doesn’t exist in any other universe right? Considering he only exists in mainline bc of Sinister Mark interfering he’s technically an anomaly…

Yep, that's correct! Much like Oliver, Theo doesn't exist in other timelines/universes.

So we got two weirdo anomalies going on in the main timeline. :)

[veryoccasionalwriting]

Just a few more pictures so i don’t blow up your inbox with the sheer amount of screenshots I’ve been taking of these two ft Mii Mark and Oliver!

AHH I love this so much ahah!! The screenshot of Leo hitting baseball Theo into space made me laugh really hard, I love that lmfao.

Also, feel free to blow up my inbox with these whenever you want. I am absolutely not going to complain about getting random Leo and Theo screenshots.

This is so sweet and it makes me ridiculously happy lol.

[veryoccasionalwriting]

I can’t draw but i’m addicted to tomodachi life rn so i made my own little designs of Leo (freckles) and Theo (glasses) i hope you like it! I might make one of Kael and Tess later too…

AHH OH MY GOSH I LOVE THIS!! 😭💛

This is AMAZING!! I absolutely adore them, and I think you captured their vibes/essence perfectly. Seeing Leo and Theo in Tomodachi Life was not something I ever expected, but it honestly made my entire week so far oh my goodness.

Thank you so much for taking the time to make this, it literally made me overjoyed to see this! I cannot even put it into proper words. 💛💛

[veryoccasionalwriting]

Imagining Mark trying to work out one day (he’s gotta ward away the dad bod somehow, he needs to maintain a certain look for his hero suit!) but keeps getting interrupted bc three year old Theo keeps furiously waddling in his way, trying to chase nine year old Leo down after he keeps teasing him then running away so Mark just snatches them up and starts using both of them as his weights instead

You can tell i’m somehow already missing the baby phase even though we’ve gotten plenty of babLeo and Theo content in the last fic 💔 but i’m so excited to see this story unfold!! You’ve genuinely become one of the only ao3 writers i keep up with tbh! 😭

I completely understand what you mean, even though I love Teen!Leo and Child!Theo, I still have moments where I think how cute baby Leo was, how cute toddler Theo would be and it makes me want to write more about them at those little ages!

Thank you so much!! I am so glad that you're enjoying, I'm really excited for people to see where this story goes and I hope that you continue to enjoy!

Working out with a toddler and a young child was hard work, but Mark had a certain.. look he had to upkeep. He couldn't fit in his suit if he had a gut.

So, Mark was in the living room, attempting to do push-ups while the boys were somewhere down the hall.

Suddenly, he heard it.

Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump.

He paused mid push-up and glanced toward the hallway.

Nothing.

Mark narrowed his eyes in suspicion when he saw a blur shot past the doorway.

Leo was laughing hysterically. "Dad! Theo's trying to bite me!"

"I NOT!" Theo's little voice called from farther down the hall,

A second, much angrier blur went past him. Theo waddled after his brother at top speed, little arms pumping furiously.

"COME BACK!"

Leo grinned. "No!"

Mark closed his eyes.

There went the peaceful workout.

He lowered himself back into another push-up.

One. Two. Three -

"MY DINO!" Theo screamed.

"It's not your dino!"

"MY DINO!"

"It was on the couch!"

"MYYYYY DINO!"

Mark sighed. He managed another set.

Four. Five. Five and a half.. Six-

Tiny feet thundered past again.

Leo practically flew around the corner.

"Leo!" Theo whined.

"Can't catch me!"

Theo let out an outraged toddler gasp and charged after him.

Mark watched them disappear. "...Good luck, buddy." He murmured under his breath.

He somehow managed another set before Leo came sprinting back through.

"Hey Dad."

"Leo."

"I'm winning."

"Congratulations." Mark said with a small sigh leaving his lips.

Leo grinned and ran off again.

A moment later Theo appeared. He stopped when he saw Mark.

His attention span immediately abandoning the chase.

"Daddy."

"Hey, buddy."

Theo looked around in confusion. "...Leo?"

Mark pointed down the hallway.

Theo gasped dramatically. "THERE." Then he charged after his brother again.

Mark got through exactly seven more push-ups before Leo came running through the room once more.

This time Theo was gaining.

The toddler launched himself forward and he missed completely. He face planted into the carpet, letting out a small 'ufh' when he landed.

Mark and Leo both froze. Mark was already cringing, expecting Theo to burst out sobbing.

Theo slowly lifted his head, rubbing his face and stared around. For a moment, he found a random cheerio on the ground and popped it into his mouth.

"Ew." Leo murmured.

Theo looked up from the ground and blinked. "...Leo?" He blinked, if he'd completely forgotten what he'd been doing.

Leo began to laugh uncontrollably. "Dad, he hit his head so hard he literally reset!" Leo laughed.

Theo immediately remembered what he was doing when he saw Leo. His eyes narrowed. "LEO." And off he went again.

Mark finally decided he'd had enough.

The next time Leo ran by, Mark reached out and casually snatched him out of the air.

"HEY!" Leo whined.

Then Theo came barreling around the corner.

Mark grabbed him too.

Theo immediately pointed at Leo. "Bad."

Leo gasped. "What?! I did nothing!"

"Bad Leo."

"I didn't do anything!"

"Bad."

"Dad!"

"The jury has spoken," Mark said.

Theo nodded. Then immediately got distracted by Mark's shirt. "Ooo." He paused, then he poked Mark's chest, then his nose, then grabbed both of Mark’s cheeks. "Daddy."

"Yes?"

"Up."

"You are up."

Theo looked down towards the ground then back at Mark and gave him that wide smile. "More up.".

That gave Mark an idea.

A terrible idea that you wouldn’t approve of, but that meant it would be the best idea.

"You two interrupted my workout." Mark declared.

Leo immediately looked suspicious. "Dad..." He said slowly.

Mark grinned. "Oh yeah."

Before either boy could protest, Mark dropped onto his back and lifted both of them into the air.

Theo squealed in delight, so loudly that it nearly shattered Mark’s eardrums and Leo covered his ears.

"WHOOOA!" Theo squealed.

Mark lowered them. Then lifted them again.

Theo laughed so hard he almost hiccupped.

"GAIN!"

"Again?"

"GAIN!"

Up they went.

"GAIN!"

And again.

"GAIN!"

And again.

"I'm creating a monster," Mark muttered.

Leo was laughing too now. "Dad, we're not weights." Leo said as if Mark actually didn’t know that.

"Could've fooled me."

Theo was giggling like crazy as he looked towards Mark again. "Daddy." He started seriously.

"What?" Mark questioned.

"Fly."

"No." Mark said, shaking his head.

"Fly." He said even more firmly than before.

"We're inside." Mark pointed out.

"Fly."

"No."

Theo frowned slightly then looked towards Leo.

"Leo fly."

Leo immediately lit up as he wiggled out of Mark’s grip. "Yeah, I can do that."

Before he could move, Mark grabbed him and pulled him back down. "No flying in the house."

"Aww."

Theo nodded sadly. "No fly." He stared at nothing for a before he pointed upward. "Fly."

"You just agreed with me." Mark frowned.

"Fly." Theo demanded, but Mark didn’t give in.

Mark continued to use Theo and Leo as weights for a bit longer. 

Honestly? This workout was harder than lifting cars.

Cars didn't wiggle. Cars didn't scream. Cars didn't try to put their fingers in your eyes.

When you got home, you saw Mark, who was flat on his back.

"Workout going well?" you asked with a smirk.

Mark stared at the ceiling as if this was the worst thing in the world. "I used to bench press cars."

"Mhm."

"I fought and won against Conquest."

"Uh huh."

"I've survived being thrown into mountains and buildings."

You nodded. "Sounds impressive." You said with a small smirk.

Mark weakly pointed at the children. "They're stronger."

Theo immediately jumped onto Mark’s stomach when he heard that. "Strong!" Theo squealed.

The force of it nearly knocked the air out of Mark, he held his stomach for a moment before he groaned.

Leo burst out laughing at that, as if seeing Mark hurt was so funny while Mark playfully glared at him.

But, hearing the laughter made Mark grin slightly. 

The dad bod could wait.

For now, he had two boys using him as furniture.. And maybe a trampoline as well.

And honestly?

That was probably better than a dad bod.

[veryoccasionalwriting]

Unwanted Devotion [5]

One | Two | Three | Four | Five

Trigger warning: Just talks of murder. Thragg still being a lil bit of an incel lmfao.

Thragg had killed rivals before.

Many of them.

Some because they had proven weak.

Some because they had become obstacles.

Viltrumite society had never viewed such things as unusual.

Strength removed weakness.

The equation was simple.

Efficient.

Clean.

So why was this different?

Thragg stood atop another building overlooking the apartment complex.

Hours had passed.

The city below had darkened.

Lights flickered from thousands of windows.

Millions of humans continued their insignificant lives.

Yet his attention remained fixed on one apartment.

One.

The realization alone irritated him.

His arms folded tightly across his chest.

Inside, he could hear movement.

You.

And him.

The human male.

The sound reached him clearly despite the distance.

Laughter.

Your laughter.

Again.

The muscles in Thragg's jaw tightened.

Why?

The question returned for perhaps the hundredth time.

Why him?

He replayed every interaction he had witnessed.

The male possessed no notable qualities. Objectively speaking, he was inferior in every measurable category.

And yet you continued choosing him.

It made no sense.

Thragg hated things that made no sense.

His entire life had been built around certainty. Everything followed a logical path.

Everything except you.

"I still can't believe I got fired." Your voice had carried, causing the uncomfortable thump in Thragg's chest again.

The human male laughed softly. "They were idiots."

He heard your soft agreement with laughter following. 

Thragg's stomach twisted violently at that. His hands clenched.

The sensation shocked him enough that he actually looked down at them.

His fists were trembling. Not from fear. But from anger.

The realization disturbed him.

Because the human had said nothing offensive. Nothing threatening. Nothing worthy of retaliation.

Yet Thragg wanted to silence him.

Immediately... Permanently.

A simple solution. Remove obstacle. Problem resolved. he could procreate with you when your mate was dead and then Thragg would go back to normal. 

His eyes drifted back toward the apartment.

The male emerged briefly onto the balcony. Alone. Picking up a few items left behind. Completely unaware of Thragg staring at him. 

The human looked impossibly fragile.

One hand. One small, simple hit.

That was all it would take.

A single hand around his throat. Less than a second.

No suffering, struggle, evidence.

Gone.

The image formed in perfect detail.

Thragg imagined it.

The crack of bone, the sudden silence that would follow. Thragg could throw the body into space and no one would ever find them. You'd  just assume this man broke up with you without a goodbye. You'd be grieving, heartbroken and Thragg could swoop in and comfort you. 

The thought brought relief.

That realization horrified him.

For the first time in his life, Thragg felt almost like he was pathetic thinking these thoughts.

No.

This was becoming irrational.

The human had committed no offense.

He was not an enemy. He posed no threat.

Logically, his existence should have been irrelevant. You should be irrelevant and Thragg should just move onto a new human to procreate with. 

And yet...

Thragg's eyes returned to the balcony. His gaze remained fixed there.

Because despite everything he had just told himself, despite every attempt at reason,  He still wished the human would disappear.

The balcony door slid open and you had stepped outside. 

Instantly his attention shifted.

The anger faded. Not completely, but you seemed to calm him in a weird way that he didn't understand. 

You smiled when you saw the male.

The one you never gave Thragg.

Something ugly twisted inside him.

The male moved toward you. His hand found your waist. He had said something to you that Thragg didn't bother to try and listen in on. Instead, his eyes narrowed. 

You leaned into this man comfortably. And all at once the man had kissed you. 

Thragg felt the anger fester up in him as he squeezed his hands and he let out a low noise that sounded something like a warning growl to someone that couldn't hear him. 

It was instinctive.  It was possessive.

Slowly, Thragg looked away from the balcony. Because for the first time since arriving on Earth, he found himself genuinely disturbed.

Not by humans, as much as he wanted to admit it.

But by himself. Because a few weeks ago he would have killed a thousand strangers without losing a moment of sleep.

Now he was standing on a rooftop in the middle of the night contemplating murder over a woman he barely knew.

And worse...

Part of him had already started deciding how he would do it.

The human still did not understand he was in danger.

But Thragg did.

--

Taglist: @shycreatorreview

[veryoccasionalwriting]

Hey could I theoreticly request Anissa on here?

Hi hi!

I unfortunately do not write for Anissa at this time. Sorry about that.

[veryoccasionalwriting]

Sickly sweet [Mark Grayson x Reader]

No triggers other than you being drunk lol. Just some good ole' fluff. William is also a bit of a (loving) hater.

William had been dreading this all week.

Not because he didn't trust you.

Well... that wasn't it. Not exactly.

It was more that he had spent the last year watching you and Mark become so disgustingly, painfully, nauseatingly in love that he'd developed a permanent eye twitch.

The two of you held hands everywhere.

You shared food and fed Mark like he was a baby.

You wore each other's clothes.. which brought up a very strange convo when Mark ended up accidentally wearing something of yours to class one day.

You had matching phone wallpapers.

It was revolting to William.

"Just so we're clear," William said as the two of you walked down the street towards the house party that William had so kindly invited you too. "No drinking too much."

"I won't." You nodded.

"No accepting drinks from strangers."

"I won't."

"No wandering off."

You gasped dramatically. "William."

"Yes?"

"You wound me."

William narrowed his eyes. "You once got distracted by a weird looking bug and followed it into traffic."

"That happened one time."

"It happened three times."

You scoffed. If William had seen the bugs, then he would have followed it too!

William groaned.

The only reason he'd agreed to bring you without Mark was because Mark had been called away for hero stuff.

Apparently weird space attacks didn't care about social schedules.

Unfortunately.

Because William would have preferred if Mark came. Mostly because then you became Mark's responsibility.

Instead, you were his... Which was somehow worse.

It wasn't that William didn't like you. Far from it. William adored you, regardless of how disgusting you and Mark were together. But you were a handful sometimes.. and William didn't feel like dealing with sulking Mark if anything happened.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Three hours later.

William was regretting every decision he'd ever made. From being born to now.

"Where's [Name]?" he asked literally everyone as he traveled down the party.

He had lost you when you had proclaimed you were running to the bathroom.. never to return to him.

Nobody knew where you were. No one even knew who you really were.

Fantastic. Wonderful.

He was going to get murdered by Invincible.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Elsewhere, Mark finally arrived to the party. The emergency had turned out to be much easier to deal with than he had expected and he had your phone location so he knew you were still here.

When he had landed nearby and jogged his way to the party, he couldn't stop the smile on his face.

You had no idea he was coming. He'd wanted to surprise you. Maybe steal a few minutes together. Maybe walk you back to your dorm.

Maybe-

A body slammed into him, catching him completely off guard.

"MARK!"

Mark barely caught himself. His arms wrapped around whoever or whatever hit him out of instinct so they didn't fall together.

His eyes looked down and it was you.. and you?

Well.. You were very obviously drunk.

Not blackout drunk. Not falling-over drunk... yet.

But definitely drunk.

Your eyes lit up like Christmas morning. "YOU'RE HERE."

Mark blinked. "...Hi."

You threw your arms around his neck, nearly knocking you both over. "Oh my God!" You squealed as if you hadn't just seen him a few hours ago.

Mark laughed nervously. "Okay."

"No, listen." You grabbed both sides of his face, staring at him very importantly. "This is important."

Mark immediately became concerned. "What?"

"You are...."

"What?"

"So..."

You squinted at him.

"So pretty."

Mark stared at you.

You nodded at him. "Pretty."

His face immediately turned red. "Oh."

"Very pretty."

"Thanks."

"You have nice eyelashes that I am jealous of."

Mark looked more red than a tomato. "[Name]"

"And your hair." You reached up, starting to mess with it gently. "Soft."

"You've had alcohol." Mark said quickly.

"You have freckles."

"I do not. That's dirt from my fighting earlier."

"You do."

"I don't."

You squinted harder, then nodded. "Okay, You're right.. that's dirt."

"Thank you for agreeing finally." Mark teased, pretending to sound exhausted.

"But you're still cute."

Mark covered his face. "Oh my God."

It got worse. Much worse.

Because drunk you apparently had absolutely no filter when it came to your love for Mark.

William finally found you twenty minutes later... Only to discover you sitting on Mark's lap. In the middle of the couch.

Holding his face. Again.

"Your eyes are so brown."

Mark looked like he was literally being held hostage right now.

"They're not that brown."

"They are."

"They're really not."

"They are, like beautiful.. coconuts? No.. like.. Topaz! That's what I meant!"

Mark sighed. "Thanks, babe."

You immediately kissed his nose.

William made a noise of genuine suffering. Like seeing this was the most disgusting thing he had ever witnessed in his entire life. "Oh, come on."

Neither of you heard him.

"You're my favorite person," you informed Mark.

Mark’s eyes lit up right away when you said that.

William gagged at the sight.

"You hear that?" Mark asked smugly.

"Shut up." William hissed.

"Favorite person, William. You were kicked out of first place."

"I was never in first place." William said, rolling his eyes.

You had finally looked over your shoulder and towards William. "Oh hi William."

"Hi." He frowned.

"You look upset." You blinked, clearly confused.

"I wonder why." William remarked sarcastically to you.

You thought about it for a moment, head hazy and memory fuzzy. So, you went with the only logical thing in your mind right now. You pointed towards Mark, who blinked. "Because he's too handsome and it's just not fair?" You asked.

"Nope." That was the last straw, William turned.

"William-"

"Nope."

"William wa-"

"I'm leaving."

"William!"

"You two deserve each other.. Disgusting. I need something more to drink because of you two."

Then he walked away.

Because there was only so much disgustingly cute stuff he could take when he was helplessly single right now.

A little while later, Mark finally managed to convince you to leave.

The second the cold air hit your face, you leaned against him.

"Mark?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

Mark smiled softly at you. "I love you too."

"No." You shook your head towards him. "I mean like… Like a lot."

Mark laughed. "Good."

"No, listen." You frowned as if Mark wasn’t understanding.

"I'm listening."

"If you were a worm..."

"Oh no. Not this again." Mark murmured.

"...I'd still date you."

"That's your standard?" Mark teased.

"It's a very high standard. Would YOU date worm me?" You asked him with a small frown like he was offending you.

"Obviously." Mark scoffed before he smirked at you slightly. "You are ridiculous. I'd date you if you were a worm, frog, or a ghost."

"Yay, you're so sweet!" You said happily, clearly pleased with his response.

"Mm, and you're drunk."

"Mhm."

"And adorable."

"Mhm."

Mark kissed the top of your head as he pulled you closer to him.

You immediately snuggled against him.

And as he walked you home, Mark couldn't stop smiling.

Because sure, sober you was sweet.

But drunk you apparently thought he was the most attractive person on the planet.

And honestly? He was going to gloat about this the rest of his life and certainly tease you when you sobered up in the morning.

[veryoccasionalwriting]

Unwanted Devotion [4]

One | Two | Three | Four | Five

I don't think there are any triggers for this chapter?? other than SUPER SUPER SUPER vague implied sexual content?? I think I say the word 'Mate' but like.. in the context of boyfriend lol.

Thragg stared at you for a long moment after your words left your mouth. “You are being inconsistent,” he repeated.

You swallowed hard as you stared up at him. “No,” you said carefully, trying to keep your tone calm. “I’m not. I just… think we misunderstood each other.” You said gently to him.

Thragg’s eye's narrowed slightly. Irritation was still there beneath his expression and he barely contained it, Like he genuinely could not understand why this conversation was happening at all. “You offered compensation.” He stated to you.

“For helping me move!” you shot back before calming yourself down. “Which I appreciate, seriously, but I didn’t mean… myself.”

His eyes narrowed again at the phrasing.

Yourself.

As though the concept itself was offensive to him.

Thragg exhaled slowly through his nose. “…I see.”

You relaxed slightly at that. “Okay. Good.”

But he did not sound understanding. If anything, he sounded colder now, more distant... Like he was trying very hard to force himself into behaving correctly. “You are rejecting my offer,” he stated flatly. When he said it like that, it sounded less like disappointment and more like a formal observation.

“Yeah,” you admitted awkwardly. “I am.”

His gaze held yours for several long seconds.

And for the first time since meeting him, something inside Thragg’s chest twisted unpleasantly.

It was unfamiliar enough that he despised it immediately.

Humiliation.

Not because a human had denied him physically. That alone would not have mattered. But because he had lowered himself into this strange performance, attempted restraint, attempted civility, and still arrived at failure.

Unacceptable.

“You should reconsider,” he said finally.

Your stomach tightened a little. “Thragg…”

“I am capable of providing significantly more than any other male could.”

You tried to laugh it off. “I’m… not looking for that kind of arrangement.”

Thragg stepped back before taking a breath. “Very well,” he said. Then without another word, he turned and walked away.

You stood there for a moment afterward, staring after him. “…What the hell,” you muttered under your breath.

Because that had been weird. Really weird.

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Thragg did not go far though he knew he should have.

His mind replayed the interaction repeatedly.

Failure. Rejection. Contradiction. None of it aligned properly.

You had responded positively to him. Admired him, sought his assistance. Your body language had indicated comfort and interest repeatedly. Yet the moment he clarified expectations, you withdrew.

It made no logical sense.

Unless... there was another factor interfering.

That was why he had stayed. To watch, to linger. 

Thragg remained motionless atop the building as he watched you continue organizing your belongings below.

Humans were emotional creatures, irrational. Weak-minded. Their attachments frequently overrode superior judgment.

Perhaps that was the issue.

The thought settled unpleasantly within him.

Nearly an hour had passed since he had 'left' but he continued to watch. 

His eyes narrowed as a vehicle eventually pulled into the parking area nearby.

A man stepped out.

The male was unremarkable in nearly every conceivable way. Laughably weak by comparison, Thragg could tell simply by looking at him.

Yet the second you saw him, your entire face lit up. And Thragg hated that instantly.

“There you are,” the man said softly as he approached you. “Sorry I’m late. Traffic was awful.”

“It’s okay,” you replied with a smile.

Thragg’s jaw tightened slightly as the man moved closer to you, reaching down to take one of the bags from your hands.

“You shouldn’t be carrying these yourself.”

“I had help earlier.”

The man smiled faintly. “Yeah? From who?”

You laughed awkwardly. “Uh… weird gym guy.”

Gym guy.

Thragg stared.

Then the human male touched your face gently and kissed you.

Everything inside Thragg went still.

His eyes locked onto the sight below him, your hands lightly rested against the human’s chest. 

The male said something afterward that Thragg did not hear.

Because the realization had already settled into place.

This was your mate.

That was the inconsistency. That was the interference.

Not rejection because of him.

Misguided attachment.

His gaze lingered on the male human below for several long seconds.

Then slowly, Thragg’s expression hardened.

Because suddenly your behavior made sense.

And worse, it meant another man had touched what Thragg had already started viewing as his.

Thragg remained on the rooftop long after you and the human male had disappeared inside.

Beneath him, millions of humans carried on with their meaningless lives completely unaware that one of the most dangerous beings in the universe stood above them trying to understand why his thoughts kept returning to one specific human woman.

His jaw tightened slightly.

No. Not returning to you.

Fixating on the unresolved issue.

That was different.

Thragg folded his arms behind his back again, eyes fixed toward the apartment building across the street. His eyes could still track movement through portions of the windows. He could hear the faint vibrations of voices if he focused hard enough.

Your voice.

That alone caused irritation to flicker beneath his skin again.. because it sounded different with that male than it had with him.

There had been nervousness when you spoke to Thragg. Caution, unease.

But not with that human. You sounded more relaxed, at ease with him. 

Thragg despised that realization instantly.

His mind attempted to organize the situation logically.

Humans formed attachments easily. Primitive bonding instincts, dependency and familiarity. Weak creatures often sought comfort in what they perceived as safe rather than what was objectively superior.

That had to be the explanation.

Because biologically, strategically, physically - there was no comparison.

Thragg was stronger, smarter. More capable and more disciplined.

He could provide protection beyond anything the human male could even comprehend.

And yet you had chosen him.

The thought sat poorly inside him.

Viltrumites did not bond the way humans did. Attachment was weakness, sentiment clouded ones judgment. Relationships existed for continuation of the species and not much more than that.

That was all this was.

A biological drive left unresolved too long.

Nothing more.

He did not love you. 

The concept itself was absurd.

You were human.

Weak. Emotional. Fragile. And he hardly knew you.

Your species spent more time chasing comfort than survival. There was nothing admirable in it.

And yet his thoughts drifted unwillingly to your smile again and to the way you had looked at him after he lifted the bed.

Something unpleasant twisted in his chest again that he didn't know how to place.

Thragg scowled immediately.

This was desire. Instinct. Nothing else.

He desired access to you physically. That was the source of the fixation. A simple biological response that had escalated due to repeated interruption.

It would cease once resolved.

That was all.

The conclusion should have satisfied him.

It did not.

Because the moment he tried to settle back into that rationalization, another memory surfaced instead.

You laughing with the human male.

Why did he even care?

The question came before he could stop it.

Why that male?

Thragg replayed every visible detail of him with clinical precision.

Weak musculature, slow reflexes, average height. No visible combat capability or authority or exceptional intelligence detectable from speech alone.

Nothing.

The male possessed nothing worth selecting.

And yet you had allowed him proximity that you denied Thragg.

That realization burned worse than the rejection itself.

Because Thragg was beginning to understand something he did not want to acknowledge:

Your refusal had not been because you were unwilling to be with someone.

It was because you were unwilling to be with him.

The thought caused something sharp and ugly to twist through him instantly.

Possessive irritation surged beneath his skin before he suppressed it again.

No.

This was not emotional attachment.

He simply disliked losing.

That was all this was.

He had identified something desirable and encountered obstruction.

The human male was the obstruction.

Thragg exhaled slowly through his nose, forcing calm back into himself.

Below, one of the apartment lights shut off and he could hear the way your keys were rattling, probably preparing to leave. 

He could hear you laughing, giggling, telling the man to move and get off you in a tone that you hadn't used with him. You were allowing him to touch you.

The thought landed like poison in his mind.

And for the first time, Thragg found himself unable to fully control the violent impulse rising in his chest.

--

Taglist: @shycreatorreview

[veryoccasionalwriting]

I thought I saw your face again [6]

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6

You woke up feeling like you hadn't really slept at all. Your mind was foggy, your body unsure if it even wanted to wake up.

For a moment, you kept your eyes closed. Lingering in that fragile moment where things could still be different. Where this might still be a hospital room. A mistake, malfunction. Something fixable and you'd just wake up to your parents gathered around you saying how worried they were.

Your fingers twitched against the sheets. No IVs. No machines. No steady beeping.

Your stomach dropped.

Right. It wasn't a weird dream. 

Your eyes opened slowly. Still half hoping things would be different. But when you looked, the ceiling above you wasn’t yours. The air didn’t smell like home.

It wasn’t a hospital.

You were still here.

Two thousand years too late.

You swallowed hard and pushed yourself upright. The bed shifted beneath you, adjusting subtly, almost as if it knew you were awake. Like it was responding to you.

Okay, that was a little bit cool. You were willing to admit that.

“Okay,” you whispered. “Okay. We’re... we’re getting up.”

Because what else were you supposed to do? You couldn’t just lie here and pretend it would undo itself.

So you stood.

You walked over to the window without thinking. Something you did every morning.

You stared out the window, feeling yourself freeze for a moment.

God.

It looked… normal.

Well, Not really -  but at a glance?

People were walking, talking.. just living.

Parents ushered kids along sidewalks - except the sidewalks shimmered faintly and moved beneath their feet. Vehicles drifted overhead instead of on the street, gliding through invisible lanes. Somewhere in the distance, someone laughed. A small service robot rolled past, handing out drinks like it was the most normal thing in the world.

It felt like a normal morning.

And yet when you tilted your head upward.

The sky was so much different. Planets you had seen last night still hung there. Massive and impossible, gleaming in daylight like they had always belonged.

“…This is insane,” you murmured.

Because how could everything feel so normal… when everything was wrong?

You stayed there a moment longer, watching. Trying to commit yourself to your routine you did every morning back in your time. To continuing.

Even if it wasn’t yours anymore.

Eventually, you forced yourself away and stared around the room.

Your eyes landed on the other small room, a thought lighting up in your mind.

Bathroom. Start small. That was normal.

Right?

You stepped inside. The lights adjusted instantly, almost as if it knew what your eyes needed.

You stared at your reflection before you started to stare at the counter before you let out a small groan. “Great,” you muttered. “No toothbrush. Awesome. Love that for me.”

The mirror shifted, like it could hear you. A red hue washed across the glass, and a holographic wheel appeared.

‘Good morning! Please select what you forgot! Charges will be added at a later date.’

You stared at it. “Oh my god.”

Slowly, you tapped for a toothbrush and hairbrush.

“Sorry, Mark,” you muttered under your breath.

Ten seconds later, a hidden panel opened. A small robotic arm extended, offering your items right away.

“Thank you?” you said cautiously. You weren't exactly sure what the proper robotic etiquette was yet.

But there was no response from the mirror, not a surprise. 

You brushed your teeth. Fixed your hair. Splashed water on your face. Tried to make things feel normal.

But your heart was still racing, threatening to fall apart for you.

Right now, you just needed to function. Just survive.

A soft knock echoed through the room.

You froze. Your head turned slowly toward the door.

“…Hello?” you called.

No answer.

Of course not.

You approached cautiously and immediately stepped back when the wall lit up.

A holographic interface unfolded in midair. A thin beam scanned outward, reconstructing the space beyond the door.

You blinked. “…Okay. That’s - yeah. That’s not terrifying at all.”

Text appeared before you: 

Marcus Sebastian Grayson – Requesting Entry Allow Access / Request to Leave

You stared in confusion. “…Wow. That’s… really not casual.”

You hit Allow Access. Not like you wouldn't allow that anyways.

The interface vanished instantly and the door slid open.

And there he was. Mark stood in the doorway, looking almost exactly like last night - Just in different clothes.

“Hey…” he said gently. “I know I probably seem like a creep or a stalker, but… I figured you didn’t want to be alone.”

You exhaled shakily. “…No. I - yeah.” You stepped aside quickly. “You’re right. I don’t. I don't want to be alone.” God, you really didn’t. “…Thank you for coming back.”

“Yeah,” Mark said softly. “Of course.”

He stepped inside. The door slid shut behind him.

You hovered awkwardly near the edge of the room, unsure what to do with yourself or him.

He lifted what he was holding slightly. “I, uh… brought breakfast.”

Your stomach immediately growled loudly. You blinked, embarrassed seeing how it had only been like 10 hours since you had ate. “…Oh.”

A faint grin came to Mark's lips. “Yeah. Figured you might need it.”

“…Yeah. I do.”

He set the container on the table. It unfolded automatically into plates.

You stared. “Of course it does that.”

A quiet huff of amusement left him. He almost said something - but stopped himself. “You get used to it.” 

He wanted to tease you, remind you that you had been the one lying and saying you're from this time period. But he stopped himself. He was sure that you didn't need that right now. 

“You keep saying that.” You sat across from Mark, and your eyes dropped to the food. 

It looked… mostly normal.

“…What is it?” you asked, poking it.

“It’s called Karston meat.”

You looked up slowly. “I’m sorry - what the hell is that?”

Mark exhaled, “Okay. So.” He paused, choosing his words carefully. “A long time ago, livestock was normal. Cows. Chickens.”

“I’m familiar with food,” you said flatly.

He gave you a look. “Right.” He huffed. “Things got bad.”

You frowned. “How bad?”

“Water shortages. Infrastructure collapse. Overconsumption.”

You leaned forward slightly. “…So people just stopped farming?”

“Not immediately. But it became unsustainable.”

“…What happened to them?”

Mark hesitated. “They became endangered.”

You blinked in confusion. “…Cows are endangered?”

“And chickens.”

You stared at him. “What.”

“I know-”

“No, that’s insane.” You said quickly like Mark didn't know that.

A small smirk flickered across his face.

“Vegans ruled the world for a while.”

You narrowed your eyes. “…You’re joking.”

“Yeah,” he admitted with a playful smirk on his face before he carried on. “People adapted. Synthesized alternatives at first - but that didn’t last.”

You leaned forward slightly. “…So this is lab meat?” You asked nervously. 

“No.” Mark paused. “They found a planet,” he said. “No intelligent life. Just… organisms.”

“…Organisms?”

“They reproduce fast. Need almost nothing.” He then paused. “They don’t feel pain.”

“…Oh.”

“Yeah.”

You looked back down. “…So I’m eating a space blob.”

He laughed. “When you say it like that-”

“It’s bad.”

“It tastes good.”

“That does not help.”

“It’s also healthier-”

“Okay, stop,” you said quickly. “You’re making it worse.”

Mark laughed lowly at you. “…We can do the history lesson later,” he said quietly. “Let’s just eat.” He glanced towards you one more time. “…And not think about it.”

You hesitated then nodded. “…Okay.”

Because honestly?

You were too tired to spiral about space food ethics on top of everything else.

You took a bite, hesitant like you thought Mark was going to poison you. But as the flavor hit your mouth, it wasn't too bad. The texture was.. not normal. Kind of a mix of meat and mushroom which was really weird. But.. “…Okay, wait.” You paused as you took another bite. “…That’s not bad,” you admitted.

Mark grinned towards you. “Told you.”

You pointed your fork at him playfully. “Don’t get cocky. It’s still weird.”

“Everything’s weird to you right now.”

“…Fair.” You took another bite.  This wasn't bad at all. 

And across from you, Mark watched you attentively. Because something you didn't know was that Mark was hoping, praying that maybe.. somehow, someway you were his. And that you would somehow remember him, as insane as that sounded.

[veryoccasionalwriting]

After reading chapter 145 and seeing Leo describe his own abilities to Nolan i can definitely imagine him kinda having a black bolt thing going on in the future power wise and i’m so excited to see it

Oooh Black Bolt is a super good comparison actually, I never thought of it like that! But now that you bring it up, I could totally see that sort of 'complex' (if that's the right word? lol) for Leo!

[veryoccasionalwriting]

Goodbye slaf hello saf!! (saying this like i won’t go back to re read slaf a thousand more times anyway) but i love the first chapter already!! My boys have grown so much and Leo is employed omg….🥹 🥹 🥹 Btw u can ignore this if this question is some kind of spoiler but i’m just wondering is the Zach Leo friends with THEE Zach Thomson as in (comic) Techjacket?! If so that would be SO COOL ik a lot of ppl don’t really care but i LOVE legacy characters AND both techjackets so it would be a dope homage!!

Hehe thank you so much for sticking around, and reading the sequel!! It genuinely feels kinda weird writing them this much older now?? Like Leo having a JOB and not being a tiny baby?! Theo being almost 10 and being able to talk??? I almost wrote Theo as a infant still lol.

And omg… 👀 I can neither confirm nor deny that this may in fact be THEE Zach Thomson. Perhaps.. Allegedly. Buut there is a lot of fun canon comic things going to happen in the story sooo 👀👀

[veryoccasionalwriting]

These recent chapters have been tooth achingly sweet i’m kinda nervous what’s in store for the sequel now 💔

But my goodness! i cant believe we’re at the end now! It feels crazy’s being here from the first chapter and seeing how far the story has come, i’m excited to see what you cook up in the next one! xoxox

AHH this is so sweet 😭! Thank you so much!!! Honestly it feels kind of surreal to be this close to the end of SLAF after spending so long with this family. I think a year is the longest I have ever actively updated a story (I have certainly had projects going longer than a year but.. updating? Yeaaah no.) I started this fic thinking it would be something to do in my free time since I had no job at the moment, and then it morphed into almost 200 chapters of something I write even while I'm at my current job (lol).

And trust me… your nervousness for the sequel is probably justified 👀 Hehe.

Seriously though, comments like this mean a lot to me. I know there is a handful of loyal readers (and commentors!!) that have read every chapter and grown along side them and it gives me such a genuinely happy feeling.

Thank you all for sticking around this long. ❤️❤️❤️💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

[veryoccasionalwriting]

Maybe reader could persuade Mark to agree to change Theo’s name if she convinces him that someone out there is might shorten his name to “Phil” instead of “Theo” LOL

Hahah I mean it's a compromise! I could imagine that William would probably call Theo 'Dr. Phil' as a nickname though if that happened.. which might fit?? 🤔