Redflame Ave.

RedFlame is a self-insert x canon yumeship between Mars and Bertholdt Hoover from Attack on Titan. Art credits: terra_cyteSharing OK!
Anniversary ♡ 28 July 2025

• About Redflame
• Lore
• Art Gallery
• Writings

About Redflame

Mars
They/She. Persona. INFP-T
Birthday: Jul 2003They fell in love with Bertholdt sometime in 2020. It was a gradual love and if you asked her, she couldn't quite tell you how it happened either. They realised that the love they had for Bertholdt was different, so special and incomparable to any others before.An introvert, Cancer sun sign and an INFP, Mars is an overwhelmingly emotional person with lots of love to give. They seem to fall in love easily, but it takes forever for her to come to terms with and fully commit their heart to love. They love hard, always struggling to keep all of it from spilling out their heart. She finds comfort in showing love to others. The eldest daughter who loves loving and caring for others (but longs to be cared for too).Living with ADHD, Mars is often in their own world, thoughts spiralling endlessly. They're fascinated by many things and could watch video essays for hours. With the right topic, she could yap Bertholdt's ears off (not that he's complaining). They find Bertholdt to be so similar to them, making her slightly more attuned to his feelings. They always try to find the best way to comfort him when she senses he isn't feeling his best, be it listening to him, giving advice or simply being present with him.

Bertholdt
He/They. Canon. ISFJ.
Birthday: Dec 2004Bertholdt falls first, but lives in denial about his feelings for the initial bit. He catches feelings naturally as Mars starts spending more time with him.Bertholdt is quiet, but has a strong personality. He chooses to build walls around him, protecting his peace and privacy. He realises he likes Mars when he finds that he really didn't mind at all when they started to pull out the bricks of said wall. Bertholdt is sensitive towards others, especially people he cares about. He's full of love and is the embodiment of kindness and warmth (but never felt he was worth of receiving what he gives).Bertholdt is attentive and while he enjoys affectionately poking fun at Mars, he's always there to offer a hand whenever they need it. Bertholdt loves listening to Mars' incoherent yapping, and finds himself able to let loose and talk about his own interests with her until both lose track of time (Mars always listens, even if he's talking about the most niche subjects).(Note: I met Bert in 2020, when I was 17 and Bert was canonically about 16. For the purposes of RedFlame, he's been aged up to match me, reflected in the birth year. Due to lack of official content of Adult/TS Bert, art and edits may inevitably still use his canon 16 y/o self as references.)

Redflame In A GlancePet names:
Mutual: My heart, my love, sayang
Beru → Mars: Sweetheart, Baby
Mars → Beru: Beruberu, DearestTropes:
Kindred souls
Awkward idiots in love
Slow burn with mutual pining
Birds of a feather
"Never thought I'll find somebody who could love me."Dynamics (Mars/Beru):
𑣲 Dumbass / "Hey, they're MY dumbass."
𑣲 Physically clingy / Emotionally clingy
𑣲 Chaos / CalmLove Language:
1. Physical Touch
2. Quality Time
3. Acts of ServiceExtra: Udo is adopted as their "son" (too close in age to actually be, but dynamics-wise he is)

A gallery of RedFlame art!
Thank you to all the artists who have helped made this possible. Please click on the pictures for links to their pages!
(Gallery sorted by date. Creditless art are mine.)

Photobooth

“Get in here!” I say, grabbing Bertholdt who stands hesitantly in the corner of the tiny room.The countdown flashes in the corner of the screen. I strike a simple pose but Bertholdt barely made it into the frame. As the pictures appear on screen, a laugh escapes my lips seeing the flustered expression on Bertholdt. He desperately tries to defend himself, hands flailing around as he yaps about being pulled without warning in the last seconds. How silly, this boy. I let him ramble on as I chose the pictures to be printed.“Well, you know what? Skill issue.” I stuck my tongue out at him, picking up the printed photostrip and walking away.Bertholdt catches up practically immediately, his arms finding its way naturally around mine. I show him the photostrip and he gives a light bump. I let out a faux cry.“You didn't have to print that photo out, you know…” Bertholdt comments under his breath.But with how adorable his red, flustered face is, the very image of a deer caught in the headlights, there's no way I wouldn't have picked it. It's what made the whole photostrip worth it, anyways.(‘◉⌓◉’)“Okay, let's take a proper one this time,” Bertholdt ushers me into the photobooth, closing the curtains behind him.He clicks through the options before looking back at me, “You ready, love?”I nod, and the ever familiar countdown begins. Bertholdt bends down to frame his face next to mine. I default to the usual peace sign. Bertholdt follows. How cute. The camera clicks and the countdown starts again. A quick discussion later and we both place a heart near our cheeks. Our matching bracelets shine brightly with the lighting of the photobooth, the charms dangling as we hold our poses.Click.Bertholdt slides his arm under mine, “Let's make a heart together, sayang.”He forms half a heart, trying to keep it framed in the middle. I completed it. The countdown continues. I glance at Bertholdt, who smiles back. God, he's gorgeous. The camera clicks.Bertholdt straightens back up. He's just about to ask what to do for the next pose when I pull him down. I meet his eyes, the surprise in them apparent. I hear the camera click.Fuck that. Bertholdt places a hand over mine, the one gripping onto the fabric of his sweater. A thousand different voices chant the same thing in my head. I want to kiss him. My hold grows tighter, biting my lips hesitantly. Bertholdt notices, because of course, he does. He cups my cheek, leaning closer. I think the camera clicks again, I don't know. I don't care. I just want to kiss this beautiful face.“Can I?” he asks, tender.“Please,” I exhale, tip-toeing to practically crash my lips onto his.And the camera clicks, forgotten.

I Got You

“Come, sayang,” Bertholdt invites, his arms wide open.They climb on him, finding their place on his chest. The drumming of his heartbeat in their ears relaxes them. Bertholdt slowly places a hand on their head, patting tenderly. The other lays on their back, a firm hold. They melt deeper into him, arms wrapping around. The silence is gradually broken by Bertholdt's humming. It's a random tune, or maybe it's a song he knows. They didn't care too much, really. It envelops them in a small bubble where nothing else exists but the two. Neither knows, neither care how much time passes them by.They then look up and of course, Bertholdt is already looking back. They push themself up, face meeting Bertholdt's. Their eyes scan him; his hair, his nose, his eyes, his lips, his cheeks. A heavy sigh escapes their lips. Bertholdt snickers, a smirk forming on his face. It's not condescending, not arrogant. It's a knowing smirk. They pause, watching Bertholdt. They don't really need to ask, he knows what they want. Bertholdt smiles slightly, eyes looking so gently, like he'd let them do anything they ask to. And he nods.They waste no time, lips kissing Bertholdt's face like he was oxygen. Like each kiss was the antidote of a poison that's pumping in their veins, like each kiss was a breath of air and her lungs were running out. Bertholdt doesn't say anything, just continues to hold her back, hold her close. He likes it, likes being so well showered with love when he knows they get too overwhelmed to form words. He loves that loving him brings them a comfort that nothing else could. He feels special, that way.She pulls away, eyes locked on Bertholdt's. They flip down briefly to his lips. Bertholdt waits. He doesn't rush because it's not for him and he knows. Their comfort is the priority now. So he doesn't move, just looks at her. Let her know he's there for her, let her know he's waiting for them. They breathe in, leaning in and kissing him on the lips. Bertholdt kisses back, matching her desperation and all that explosion of feelings within her with his own. Their hands find their way around Bertholdt's face, cradling his face. His arms tighten around her, to keep her grounded, keep them from floating away in their mind.They both pull away to take a breath. She holds him. He looks at her. There's tears in her eyes now— everything within her has crumbled and she's left bare. Lost.“Beru, my love, please take me away,” they whisper, voice weak and tired.Bertholdt kisses her nose. He kisses their lips and turns them over. He hovers above them. He wipes away their tears, kissing them on their forehead. She looks at him, just needing something to distract them from the mess in their head. Bertholdt looks back, eyes as kind as ever.“I’ve got you sweetheart, I've got you.”

2807

“You sure like talking to me, don't you?” Bertholdt asked, breaking the silence.Mars looked at him, eyes blinking quickly in confusion. Had they not been obvious? She scanned Bertholdt's face, trying to find any sort of hint that he was joking. There wasn't any. He was dead serious. In fact, he seemed to be waiting for an answer. He was beginning to fidget with his hands, his eyebrows furrowed.They took a deep breath, calming herself, “What do you mean?”“You always find me, everyday. You always talk to me, no matter if it's as short as greetings or as long as rambling about your days,” Bertholdt explained, “I'm not complaining, I like listening to you. You listen to me too, you always ask about me and my day too. But… why?”Mars didn't answer. The words she had been holding herself back from saying bubbled in their chest, threatening to explode out. Bertholdt waited patiently, but it was obvious he was getting anxious. The silence that was peaceful before now felt tense. She could hear her heart racing.Are they doing this? Right here, right now?“Well, why do you think I like talking to you?” Mars asked back, trying to buy time to arrange their own thoughts.Bertholdt took a moment. A thousand and one possibilities run through his head, one by one processed and eliminated. Ever since they found him again, it was like she could not stay apart from him. Every day, without fail, he would get a message from them the moment they woke up and before they went to bed. No matter what kind of day it was— horrible, joyful, boring, silly, whatever it was, she always found time to find him and talk to him.Bertholdt won't pretend to be naive, or ignorant. He's always been observant, he's always been attentive. He knew they liked him. They even confessed once, 4 years ago. He could not forget that night. Although that confession never really went anywhere then, before she left to pursue other things. He thought that was the end of it; the end of them, left on a cliffhanger. So when they came back, much more confident, much more expressive with him, he didn't know how to react. He didn’t want to expect too much. Though at the same time, after harbouring feelings for so long, he hoped there's something.But he didn't know. He'd rather be in denial first.Bertholdt shook his head, like it would shake off all the thoughts. “I don't know.”Mars didn't want to buy it. She knew he had his suspicions. It's not like they even tried to hide it much, this time. It was pretty obvious to anyone who looked, and they knew Bertholdt is someone who always paid attention. But whatever, they'll bite.She grabbed his hands, holding them up in the space between them, “I like talking to you, Mr Bertholdt Hoover, because I am fucking in love with you.”“Oh.”She brought their hands down, but not letting go,“I mean, I did confess to you before. I thought it would've made it pretty obvious now.”“You did disappear for 4 years after that confession, you know?”“Touche. But you know it wasn't because of you right?”Bertholdt nodded. They've mentioned it before. Didn't make it easier to accept, though.“I never stopped loving you. I realised that recently. Every time I remembered everything, like when I saw new pictures or news of you guys, you always came to mind first. I looked for you everywhere I went. Even though I rarely spoke of you anymore, my heart still held space for you, even when I didn't realise it.”They paused, letting Bertholdt process.“When I finally opened my heart to find all of you again, I think all those feelings and love I have held for you over all these years exploded. The moment I saw you again, the moment I heard your voice again, the moment I found you again— everything just felt so right. I missed you more than I even knew, and it made me realise how much love I had for you all this time.”“Finding you again meant I could learn about you again, get to know you again, and fall in love with you again. Four- no, five years ago, I fell for you for the first time. Now, I can proudly and loudly say I am in love with you, have always been in love with you, and always will be in love with you. Everyday now I regret leaving you, regret not holding on to you just a little tighter, a little longer then.”“I'm not going to apologise over and over again, because yes, I am sincerely sorry for leaving you like that. You, of all people, never deserved that. I did it despite knowing you, how you might react to it. I made that choice and I know I'm being selfish to even ask for all this, to pretend that never happened. But I think it was a break I needed, and the reason I could return to you and love you this fiercely, this purely, this fully. Without holding any sort of bitterness.”They squeezed Bertholdt's hands, “I love easily, I know that. And I fall for people over and over again. But God, I know my love for you is so, so damn special. It's never been the same with you because somehow, I just can't ever love you normally. I can't get myself to move on from you, and I cannot imagine a life where I'm not in love with you. You've made me yearn like never before, you've made me constantly wish and wish for you, made me always think of you every single waking minute. Loving you feels so right, like it was just simply meant to be. If there's anybody I want to be with, it's you. Only you, Bertholdt Hoover.”Mars ended the ramble, looking at Bertholdt who seemed to be deep in thought. She wondered if she talked too much, or if they said something wrong. The longer Bertholdt kept quiet, the more their brain spiralled.“Be mine, then,” Bertholdt finally spoke, his fingers sliding between hers so their hands clasped together.Their eyes widened. She tried to get away, but Bertholdt held firm to her hands. He pulled them closer, making them stumble at the sudden movement. Before she could step back, Bertholdt bent down, resting his head on their shoulder. She froze in place, feet planted to the ground. The familiar scent of his cologne and his shampoo being so close makes their heart race faster.“Don't try to run away again,” he said, a little crack in his voice.“You said you wanted to be with me. You said you only wanted to be with me. Only me.”“I've been waiting for you this whole time, holding onto hope that you'll find me again. When you came back and immediately came running to me, I felt alive. I know what you mean by your feelings exploding because I felt it too. All those feelings I had to hold in, all the love I had to bury deep, could finally be set free, released back to you.”“It hurt when you left and I thought I wouldn't ever be able to forgive you for doing that but it wasn't something I could choose. The moment I saw you again, the moment you stuck to me, any of that bitterness washed away. Like you said, I never stopped loving you either. I could never hate you, or hold a grudge against you. I wanted you, I always did and I never stopped wanting you.”Bertholdt straightened back up, squeezing their hands so they'd look at him. Though her vision's blurred by the tears pooling in their eyes, they see his eyes glistening too.“So be mine, and let me be yours. Only yours, for however long you'll have me. This does feel right, this feels like it was meant to be. Let's not leave it hanging again like we did before. We've already waited and repressed it for way too long. I don't want either of us to regret and mourn what might have been. Again."There's tears rolling down both their faces now. Mars wriggles her hands out of Bertholdt's grip, bringing it up to wipe Bertholdt's tears away instead. Bertholdt mirrored them, hands cupping her face as his thumb grazed tenderly across their cheeks to wipe off the tears. They held each other like that for a while, soft smiles on both their faces.“I'll be yours, for as long as you'll have me,” Mars tiptoed to close the gap between them, throwing their arms over Bertholdt's shoulder.Bertholdt's smile widens, leaning forward to meet her in the middle, “You're mine. Always mine, my love.”The first kiss was brief. Like a taste of what's to come, lips touching for just a moment. Yet the heat lingers between both of them. The kiss was like a seal. A mark of finally ending the years long pining, all the time spent waiting and waiting. It's a mark to a new beginning for them, to be able to love each other the way they've ached to for so long.The second one lasted until they were breathless. It's a culmination of all that yearning and love they've held within them all those years. She's not sure of fireworks and butterflies, but she's feeling everything all at once. Feeling his hands holding them close, smelling his scent she's grown so fond of, tasting the sweet apple from his lip balm, hearing his quiet moans like a secret only for them to hear, and looking into his eyes to see the same adoration she has for him reflected in them. He's feeling their lips pressing onto his, smelling the fresh scent of their perfume, tasting the mint they had probably popped in just before, hearing their soft, pleased sighs, and seeing their eyes, looking at him like he had given her all the moons, the planets, and the stars across the galaxies.A string of saliva remained connected when they pulled away. She gave him a quick peck. Bertholdt slides his hands down, moving them around her and resting just at the small of their back. The two bumped their foreheads lightly, giggling upon the impact but neither minded.“God, this was so long overdue. I've wanted to kiss you for so long,” Mars confessed, still reeling over what just happened.“Me too,” Bertholdt agreed, giving another quick peck on their lips.“So… I'm yours, now?” she questioned, the phrase still sounding so foreign on their tongue.Bertholdt pulls their body closer, “You're mine, all mine. And I'm yours. Always, only yours.”They looked at him in wonder and awe, like a child would upon a starry sky, “My boyfriend…”“Your boyfriend.”“My love…” “Your love.”“My heart…” “Your heart.”“My wife…”“Your wi-” Bertholdt paused, moving his head backwards.She pulled him back, kissing his nose, “My wife.”Bertholdt sighed, because he knew this was who he fell in love with in the first place, and repeated, “Your wife.”She laughed. And he smiled. In the peaceful night, a new chapter began. They held hands as they walked back. Their steps felt lighter and their smiles couldn't be wiped off their faces. Even saying goodbye did not feel as difficult as it usually did because they knew they would find each other tomorrow.
Again and again.“Good night, my love,” Mars said, arms automatically reaching out and around Bertholdt to envelop him in a hug.His hand landed on the back of their head, patting her hair gently as he wished back, “Good night, sayang.”She pulled back. “Sayang?!”“Yes, sayang,” Bertholdt's voice was smug, hints of teasing. “Something wrong, sayang~?”They didn't reply, frozen.Bertholdt tilted his head, “Love?”“Oh. Sorry. Y-yeah, goodnight Beru.”Bertholdt smirked again, “Goodnight sayang.”That did it. She grabbed him without any warning, pulling him in for a kiss that almost made them tumble onto the floor if it wasn't for Bertholdt's quick instincts stopping their fall.

Doubt

Mars gazes at him, like looking at the night sky with an abundance of twinkling stars. Bertholdt shifts in his seat across her, looking away but keeping them just right in his peripheral view. There's a light tension in the air: words sitting on the tip of their tongues, her hands itching at the edge of her lap.“You really look so cute in this outfit, you know?” Mars breaks the silence, “You always do, but this one…”Bertholdt turns to look at them, whose eyes are locked onto him. Bertholdt flushes red. He utters a thank you, rambling about how he got his sweater at a random shop he found with Reiner and how he's been wanting to wear it out but never really had the opportunity to. Bertholdt glances at Mars as he shares, seeing the same earnest attention in their eyes listening to every syllable that leaves his lips. He feels his face heating up, avoiding eye contact.Mars leans forward and runs a hand down his sleeves, “I love the colour, it feels so soft…” She continues to trail down, slowing down slightly as she brushes against the back of Bertholdt's hand before she pulls away.The bus makes a turn and Bertholdt starts picking up his things. He tries his best to ignore the growing heat on his face. Mars bites the inside of their cheeks, watching him looking all flustered. He really wears his heart on his sleeve; there's a peek of blush through his brown skin. His attempt to remain nonchalant makes the whole image even more adorable.“Thanks for today, Mars,” Bertholdt manages as the bus nears his stop.“Thank you too, Bert,” Mars says, pausing for a moment. “Get back safe, yeah? Let me know when you're home.”Bertholdt nods, getting off the bus. He waves and watches the bus driving away before he starts walking back. Bertholdt was only a few steps away from the stop when his phone vibrated. He halts as he reads the incoming messages.“I know you just alighted”
“But I miss you already.”
“If you're free tomorrow, let's go to the library? I've got work to do and having you with me would make it waayyy easier.”Bertholdt sends a quick reply before turning off his phone and rushing back home. The moment he does, he drops his things in his room and knocks on Reiner's. Reiner opens the door to an unnerved Bertholdt, looking like a dazed puppy. He welcomes him in and they naturally settle on Reiner's bed. Reiner watches as Bertholdt pulls his knees up, then grabs a pillow. He plops his face down onto the pillow and lets out a dramatic cry.“What happened..?” Reiner asks. Bertholdt lifts up his phone, showing the messages to Reiner.Reiner hums in understanding, “Texting you that immediately when you just said goodbye… Interesting, huh.”Bertholdt makes a muffled whine-cry kind of sound in response, before lifting his head up, “I’m surprised I made it home alive, I was so close to exploding so many times today.”Reiner looks at Bertholdt, inviting him to elaborate. Bertholdt starts to rattle on about the day. How Mars kept looking at him no matter what he's doing, like they were going to burn the memory of him into their brain. How they did not miss a single opportunity to touch him - arms grazing against each other as they walked, helping to get an eyelash off his cheek, patting his head saying his hair looks a mess, pulling him by his hands or his sleeves. How they kept giving endless praises and compliments.“At one point, she was tapping her fingers on the table dangerously close to mine so I could just feel the very subtle, gentle brushes every single tap. All while looking at me and saying how much they like spending time with me?” Bertholdt cries out, burying his face into his hands, “I don't get it.”By the end of his yapping, Reiner looks at him with a deadpan look. He pinches the bridge of his nose, sighing. How Bertholdt does not notice, or rather, pretends not to notice what was happening between the two of them has been a cause for his stress more often recently. Since Bertholdt and Mars found each other again, they've been tiptoeing on the lines of friends and lovers. Reiner bets the tension is going to snap soon, but until then, he's kind of stuck.“They're waiting for you to ask them, you know,” Reiner says. Bertholdt looks up, again, looking like a lost puppy who's discovering the world for the first time.“Ask what?” Bertholdt questions. Reiner swears there's a red question mark floating beside his head. His friend is just that obvious.“Ask them out. Officially.”Bertholdt turns even more impossibly red, his ears looking like they're about to burst. He tries to deny, tries to find words to say but fails. He just ends up sputtering before then saying, “No way.”“She literally doesn't do that with anyone else. You know them, she's quiet and closed off. Even more than you. The fact that they keep talking, praising and even trying to make physical touch with you every way possible must mean something, no?” Reiner lets the question hang in the air for a moment. “I know you already know she likes you, why even wait any longer…”Bertholdt keeps quiet.“You've liked them for years, and despite everything, you were drawn back to her the moment they came back. I think it's the same with them, so just confess already,” Reiner continues, “If there's anything stopping you, just tell them. Who else is going to understand how you feel if not her?”“What if we've just misinterpreted all this?” Bertholdt asks, his voice just barely above a whisper.“I’m not that close with them yet it's so obvious to me. So I seriously doubt that.”“And I doubt that anyone could love me that much. What if they're only in love with the idea of me?”Reiner gets up, walking towards his desk, “I don't think that's very fair of you. You're belittling and denying her feelings then mentally rejecting yourself, especially when they're being so frank and open about their feelings for you. If you don't want to pursue this, you better put a stop to it and don't string them along anymore. It'll only hurt both of you.”

Try Not to Melt Challenge

“Whatever I do, you need to try not to melt into the hug, okay?” Mars repeats, eyes scanning Bertholdt’s expression.They catch a glimpse of earnest determination as Bertholdt nods. He opens his arms wide, bracing himself for Mars’ hug. He looks so beautiful and oh, so handsome. Mars carefully wraps her arms around. She finds herself snuggling their head against Bertholdt as she squeezes tighter. Bertholdt remains steady, holding his arms open. Mars tightens their hold even more, shifting herself to push them both impossibly closer together. She feels Bertholdt wavering, yet he holds on.“Beru…” Mars looks up at his face, trying to tease him into melting.Bertholdt is 2 shades away from a Red Delicious apple, which is a lot considering his tanned complexion. He managed to quickly turn his head away the moment Mars looked at him. Bertholdt is biting his lips, staring as far away as he could to resist. There’s still that determination from earlier. Ever so earnest, ever so eager to listen to his beloved as he resists the aching urge to return the hug.Shit, he’s too cute…Mars teases him again, swaying them side to side. “Apple pie, my sweet, my love… Sayang…”"Meri jaan..?"They feel Bertholdt tensing in their arms. She sees his arms closing in for a second before he stretches them out again. They can hear his racing heart beating in his chest. It’s irresistibly cute how hard he’s trying, even though his entire body is shaking, just wanting to melt. Bertholdt, ever so loving, goes along with whatever shenanigans Mars puts him up to. No matter how ridiculous. Just because they ask him to.Because…The realisation hits her like a truck. Mars drops their head back onto Bertholdt’s chest, taking in a deep breath to calm their own racing heart.Mars whispers, “You love me that much?”Silence. Mars drops her arms, leaving their head pressed against Bertholdt.“Can I hold you now?” Bertholdt asks.Mars nods.Bertholdt wastes not even a millisecond to coil his arms around Mars, pulling them like he wants to fuse their bodies together. Mars feels their lungs crush between them and her feelings squeeze out through her eyes. Bertholdt doesn’t say a word. He rests his head atop of Mars’; a silent reassurance. A hand finds its way behind their head, patting gently.“I thought this challenge was for me?” Mars can hear his smirk as he asks."Shut up.”Bertholdt squeezes them in his arms, planting a light kiss on her head. “And yes, I really do love you that much, my sweetheart.”“I know.”