selfish [levi ackerman]

5

You were at another party.

Yeah, stupid. You knew it too. Two parties two days in a row. 

It thrilled Sasha, but it wasn't like you. None of this was. Which was why, draped in a toga and olive branches, you sat on the balcony of an entirely different fraternity house counting to two hundred.

Unlike the last time you did this, you were alone, which made the counting process far easier.

Deep exhales escaped your lips as you stared at the sky; the silver stars that peppered the darkness eased your tension slightly. Each tiny, twinkling ball glowed magnificently amidst the others, every one just as beautiful as the last. Could you, among all the bright students at your university, shine just as brilliantly as everyone else? You pondered this as you reached one hundred and seventy four. 

Who did you think you were attending parties that you weren't sure you wanted to go to? Drinking things that made you turn your nose up? Thinking about people who didn't have the slightest interest in you?

These past two days had been a whirlwind, and as you reached two hundred you promised yourself that you were going to start living only the way you wanted. 

You smiled gently and relished the cool breeze on your face. You were going home and tearing this stupid toga right off. 

Warmth enveloped you as you squeezed your way through a thick crowd of students. It smelled like a frat party, which made you long for your lavender incense even more. You knew if Sasha was anywhere, then it was probably the kitchen, so you pushed your way there to say a quick goodbye. 

"Hey, Sash," you yelled over the thumping electronic music, "I think I'm gonna head out." 

Sure enough she was sat up against the counter, brandishing a bag of cheese puffs and talking to a guy with a shaved head dressed as Zeus. 

"Weally?" she asked with her mouth half-full. 

You nodded as you came closer, pulling her in for a hug goodbye. 

"You two have fun," you said to the both of them, "not too much fun, yada yada, bye I love you."

Sasha yelled a jovial goodbye as you waved, the loud music muffling as you slammed the front door shut. Now to begin your dreadful trek home. 

You gulped slightly when you mapped how far the Pi Kappa house was from Sina Hall. It was about a twenty minute walk in the dark. Alone. In a toga. And sandals.

Disgusting. 

The thought of your tea and incense motivated you as you stepped off the front stairs, weaving around a couple that was displaying a little too much public affection.

"Hey." 

You knew who it was before you even turned around.

You twisted your head back, your heart dropping to the deepest pit of your stomach. There was absolutely no way in hell this was real. 

"There's no way," you whispered. He was dressed in the same uniform and everything, only this time he dawned glasses and his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. The lower arm tattoo you'd noticed previously was visible now, and you could make out a few others just above it. This pattern repeated on his other arm, only with different images and sizes. Patchwork sleeves. Your throat suddenly felt dry, so you swallowed.

He eyed you up and down as he approached, taking gentle steps down the stairs to reach you. 

"What're you doing here?" he asked, his face unreadable as per usual. 

"I was just leaving," you replied, "good seeing you though." You turned to walk away but felt an unfamiliar sensation gently brush your wrist. 

"Are you walking alone?" he questioned. You stared back at him, the feeling of his fingers against your wrist lingering.

You nodded. "It's not bad. Only like.. ten minutes," you lied.

"Great, because I'm walking you home," he stated. 

You swayed a little in place. You weren't your most sober, and his words seemed to intensify the effect. 

"I don't need-"

"Let's go, come on," he interrupted, walking ahead.

You cursed under your breath and followed suit. A long walk was treacherous generally, and walking with a hot, irritating man wasn't going to make it any easier.

The first minutes were spent in silence, only the sound of crickets and cicadas serenading the both of you.

"What made-"

"Why are-"

You both spoke up simultaneously, stopping mid sentence to allow the other to continue. More silence ensued.

"Are you always just present at every frat party?" you asked, breaking the awkward silence.

Levi turned his head to you. "I have a good friend. They drag me to these sometimes."

You smiled lightly. "The girl I met the other day? She seems lovely."

"No. Different person," he replied. 

You nodded, assuming that the other girl was either a class friend or a former hook-up of some kind. It wasn't your place to pry, so you instead turned your attention to your sandals. These were going in the garbage as soon as you got home. How did people wear these?

"What made you decide to come to this?" he asked, "I thought you had been pretty overwhelmed the night before."

Your heart sped up a little. The true reason was complicated. Maybe you felt a smidge impulsive and decided to let Sasha talk you into another night out. Maybe you wanted an excuse to dress up again. Maybe you were secretly hoping to see him again, for some confusing, deep-rooted, ungodly reason that you couldn't quite decipher. 

"Friend also dragged me," is what you went with. 

He nodded, breaking his eye contact with you. 

Your heart thumped in your chest as you walked beside him. It was comparable to your steps' sound on the sidewalk: repetitive, loud, incessant. Just two days ago you had barely recognized this guy, now he was walking you to your dorm, alone at one in the morning. You eyed his tattoos again, taking notice of a pair of angel wings on his right forearm. 

"Nice sandals," he said. 

You tilted your head to stare at his blank face. This bastard was teasing you. 

"At least I dressed for the occasion and not in some waiter cosplay," you retorted, attempting to keep your voice as monotoned as he had.

"I don't believe in dressing up. It's useless," he replied instantly.

"What happened to 'having the capacity to enjoy yourself' Levi?" you asked with an air of sarcasm, "Or do you just love wearing that waiter uniform? Does it do something for you?"

His glasses shined as he turned to face you again. 

"I'm crazy about it actually. I love nothing more than rolling these little sleeves up and making women wish they could know their waiter's name," he spoke, "Maybe I'd even offer to take them back to the kitchen and show them how attentive-"

You groaned out loud and covered your ears, earning the smallest smirk from him. 

You soon arrived at Sina Hall, the both of you stopping in front of the large glass doors. 

He motioned to the phone in your hand, your phone charm dangling as you raised it up. 

"Can I see that real quick?" 

Confused, you unlocked it and handed him the phone. He quickly typed something in and handed it back to you, the contact screen illuminating your face.

"In case you were ever thinking of walking home alone again," he stated, turning and walking the other way. You stood dumbfounded as you stared at the back of his neck. 

You needed some sleep, because clearly you weren't thinking straight.