Published 11/20/20
The next day, Isabel had thought about how those two siblings met Farlan. She had thought it was a group of childhood friends or something. But apparently, it was a stranger who hung out with two siblings. The quartet was walking towards a well-known inn. They had ordered bread and some water. They sat down and as usual, Isabel was scarfing down the food. (Y/N) nibbled on her extremely dry bread. It parched her mouth, causing her to look at the cabinets behind the counter that held several different items. The shopkeeper was in the background, beating his customers at arm wrestling left and right.
(Y/N) was about to mention the dirtiness of the place when they heard a loud, Hiyahh!!! echo throughout the inn. The shopkeeper had beaten another confident sucker.
"Woah! Yet another win for the shopkeeper!" He said pridefully, hands in the air. "I'm undefeated!"
The man he had just recently beaten was crouched over, clasping his hand as if it had been shot. He let out a defeated "Gahh!!!"
"Man... my win again? Ain't there a guy here with some backbone? This is pathetic!" He looked around the room. His eyes landed on the quartet sitting in the corner. He would never take on a weak girl. He thought Isabel looked weak. Farlan had always passed off the look as more brains than muscle, which was not exactly wrong. He saw some muscles in the two Ackermanns. "You guys are those infamous thugs from the Underground! Come one! Show some guts!" He got no answer from the two. "Alright, then... If you both win against me, not only will your meal be on the house... but you can take whatever you like!" He spoke. "Even my old lady!"
I don't really want her though... (Y/N) thought.
"Dear!" A woman, who appeared to be his wife, yelled.
Her husband simply laughed. "I'm not going to lose so I can say whatever I want!"
Both of the Ackermanns had spotted something they liked on the shelf. They would win for it. They both stood up, earning surprised glances from Isabel and Farlan.
"Oh? You're gonna do it Big Bro? (Y/N), you too?" Isabel asked. She was already hyped up.
"I'll do a round." Levi stated. (Y/N) said the same thing. He pulled up the sleeve of his shirt, revealing move muscles than the shopkeeper had thought he had. (Y/N) next to him did the same thing, showing the same result. (Y/N) heard Farlan talking to himself saying things like, What the heck are they doing... and He is going to get crushed by both of them... (Y/N) looked back at him and smiled. He looked and saw her smiling at him and he felt his face heat up. Isabel was beside him, missed these gestures, too busy cheering them on.
"Levi and (Y/N), huh? This is great, I've been waiting a long time to go against you two!"
He decided to face Levi first so if in the smallest chance he lost, he would at least feel better for beating his sister. The two males positioned themselves in front of a barrel which would be the battleground.
The man was tall and towered over Levi. "I don't know about your strength, but will it be enough to beat me?" He said as they positioned their arms. Clasping each other tightly.
"Go Big Bro! Beat his butt!" Isabel called.
Farlan had complete faith in the Ackermanns. "Please don't tell me we're gonna bring that lady home with us...?" He wondered aloud.
(Y/N) kept in a laugh at Farlan's comment. "This won't be too hard."
The referee put his hands on top of the two hands that were gripped together. He counted down. When he said go, he lifted his hand off, starting the match. It was kind of pitiful really... the match didn't even last ten seconds. Almost as soon as the referee lifted his hands, Levi slammed the man's hand to the table. Seemingly, with ease. A loud bam came from the table, revealing the force Levi had to push such a strong man's hand to the table. The man was for sure surprised. He grunted in agitation. Well, he won't lose against a girl so there was no reason to get agitated. The man and girl positioned themselves the same way he and Levi did. The referee once again placed his hands on top of the two hands that were gripped together. He counted down.
Maybe I'll make it more interesting for the spectators. Levi was too straightforward as always. The female competitor thought.
The referee lifted his hands. The man confidently pushed the girl's hand down. She grunted in strain. It was visible that she was clenching her teeth. Her head was pointed upwards as if that would help. She was also closing her eyes. Farlan had unconsciously stiffened. Isabel had become nervous and her cheering became louder. Levi... Well he knew what was going on. The man laughed triumphantly. As soon as (Y/N)'s hand was about to touch the table, she opened her eyes, smiling.
"Just kidding!" She smiled broadly. Immediately, her hand had pushed the man's to the other side, startling everyone (with the exception of Levi) in the inn. Isabel cheered loudly. And you could hear Farlan panting from holding his breath for the last few seconds. (Y/N) walked over to where Levi was standing. They looked at the shocked shopkeeper.
"We win." They started to move past the bewildered man, "We'll be accepting our prize now." They walked over to where the man's wife was standing against the shelf with a multitude of different items.
They looked around the shelf that the woman stood against. She could see their eyes weren't looking at her, despite them facing her. The man, however, could not and pleaded. "Ahh! I'm begging you! Please don't take my wife!" The siblings reached their hands passed her head and grabbed two things. A box of rare tea leaves and a jug of milk.
Levi pulled the box from the shelf and scanned it. "Just as I thought... These are some rare tea leaves, aren't they?"
(Y/N) had also pulled her prize from the shelf and looked at it. "And this... Is the milk that those rich, military police say match well with that tea?"
The two Ackermanns made their way to the door, signaling Farlan and Isabel to get up too.
"Let's get out of here." Levi said.
Isabel looked and waved back at the people in the inn. They were all watching the four leave. "Thanks for the free food!"
When the four had gotten back the hut, prizes in hand, Levi and (Y/N) brewed the tea immediately. (Y/N) put the milk in her tea while Levi had it straight. Levi and (Y/N) held the cup from the brim with their fingers as to not have a repeat of a few years ago. Handles are not to be trusted. Isabel said she wanted to try some too so they obliged. When she had attempted to drink the tea, she had dropped the cup filled with the precious fluid, spilling it on herself and Farlan.
Days Later
After the event with the shopkeeper, Isabel and even more questions about where the two Ackermanns came from, and how they met Farlan. Seeing as she could get at least one of them answered, she decided to ask Farlan to tell her that night, when the siblings had gone to bed.
They sat down at the table, mugs sitting beside them. They were both wearing their night clothes. (Y/N) was walking past from the bathroom and noticed they were talking about them. She ran quickly and quietly towards her and Levi's room. He was sitting on his bed, reading a book and looked up at (Y/N) when she burst through the door.
"Big Bro, come on! Farlan is talking to Isabel about us!" (Y/N) half whispered half shouted. He reluctantly came with her. He really wanted to finish the chapter of the book... They stood outside the door listening. Levi was crossing his arms. And (Y/N) had her hands intertwined and cradling her head as she leaned against the door. Farlan was explaining how he heard about them so he went through a lot of trouble to see them.
"I wanted to see if they were as good as people said they were." He said, sipping the liquid from his mug.
"And were they?" Isabel asked.
"Yup. Once I had the guys surround them, I told them, 'It's a crying shame, but I'm also one of 'em.' " Farlan said.
Isabel looked at him in amazement. "Wow! You're so cool Farlan!"
Farlan scoffed. "Yeah... I assumed I would be able to beat them easily. Well, at least that was how I thought it was gonna go down."
Silence lingered until Isabel broke it, "Farlan... Don't tell me..." She paused. Farlan looked at her with nervousness, what would she ask? "Don't tell me you're actually that stupid."
Farlan deadpanned at what she said. "Shut up! I had absolutely no idea my plan would fail from the very start. I couldn't believe they were taking them on by themselves, not exactly needing to depend on their brother or sister at all. And (Y/N)'s movements were as graceful as they were painful. She looked like an angel fighting a demon or something. And yet still, I thought if I beat them up, and they seemed like they would be of good use, I could let them join my group. So, after the MP's were heard, I attempted to recruit them and threw a rope down." Farlan looked up. He thought Isabel would be amazed or something, but it looked like she was stifling a laugh.
"Pfft, Haha! You seriously thought you could just rope them in like that?" She asked.
"Lay off... it happened awhile ago, right?" He seemed done with this conversation now.
"Aw man, don't stop there! Tell me what happened after that!" She begged him.
He looked at her questioningly. "You really want to make me continue this pathetic story?" He asked.
"Aw C'mon! You suck!" She replied.
"Alright fine." He raised his hands in defense. "Well, I followed them to this hut. Levi obviously went to that tiny pond to wash his hands. Without that scary guy, I thought I'd maybe figure out more about (Y/N) and her brother." He said. His light gray eyes looking at the ceiling as if in deep thought.
Outside the door, (Y/N) felt Levi tense up after hearing that Farlan had gotten closer when he had left. She put a hand on his shoulder to calm him down.
Farlan sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "She heard me or something though. Because she called out to me calling me blondie, telling me to come in. I still have no idea how she knew it was specifically me though... She let me stay and introduce myself though. Levi was obviously hesitant especially when... when... he walked in seeing me talking to (Y/N). It took a certain... problematic situation to earn his trust." Farlan said.
Isabel somehow made it through all that without speaking. She finally spoke. "Well, (Y/N) is smart so it was probably her brain that figured out it was you! But still... I mean, look at it, this is Big Bro and (Y/N) we are talking about. You could've just lured them in with a broom and some milk! Also... you suck at stealth." She laughed during the last part. Farlan sighed and went to their room. Isabel was right behind him, laughing at Farlan's failed attempts when he met the Ackermanns.
(Y/N) and Levi were left standing outside the door in silence. She looked at him and smiled.
"Good times... kind of, Huh?" She said. She did not expect an answer from him so she walked into their room.
Levi still stood there. "Yeah, it kind of was." He said. A small smile crept onto his face. However, it disappeared as soon as he started walking to their room as well.
(Y/N) quietly snuck into Farlan and Isabel's room. Isabel was changing in another room. Farlan just finished pulling a night shirt over his head. It was a bit big for him, but in the Underground, never anything fits one perfectly. He turned around to see his cru-FRIEND standing there. He jumped, placing a hand to his chest. (Y/N) let out a chuckle.