Chapter Text
The whole notion about “opposites attract” must be fucking bogus – there was no magnetic allure nor the satisfying click of puzzle pieces locking together to reveal your “other half–” nothing like that. For you , it was like your parents physically pushing two opposing magnets shoulder to shoulder. For over a decade, this only made a greater force to repel against one another.
Your arms are thrown around in angry gestures to no avail– once again, trying to plead your case to your insufferable mother. She refuses to be reasoned with, intent on sending you on a ride with the short-fused midget man, Levi.
"I don't want to be stuck in a four hour drive with Levi– let me just take anything else if you want me at dinner so bad–"
"C'mon sweetie, you know how I am with you being on transportation with strangers !" Your mom counters, tone unwavering. "We know him and his family; he's safe , we'll see each other on Christmas dinner and have a good time!"
The crackle of your FaceTime call only grinds a nerve.
"I don't know him, mom–" you argue back with a bite, "I mean, we've spoken less than two fucking words since our last stupid family gathering!"
Your mom's lips are pressed into a thin line at the curse words that tumble out of your mouth.
"I don't want to hear it. We take your safety seriously and the last thing you should be doing is swearing at me!"
" Mom! "
You pace exasperatedly around the confines of the dorm, hands running through your hair.
"I've already talked to Kuchel about it. Everything is arranged and I do not want to hear another complaint from you."
The sound of her phone angrily slapped onto a table makes you flinch.
"For Pete's sake– the things I do for this ungrateful child –"
She's hovering briefly on your screen before the call ends abruptly.
A beat of silence passes, during which you idly stand to stare blankly at your phone. Your arm raises high and you recall the way your ex-boyfriend Zeke used to pitch– throwing it at your bed with full force. It flies back off somewhere with a thud.
" UUUUUGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH !!!"
Like a teenager in their coming of age movie, the angsty battle-cry reverberates in your room as you fling yourself onto your bed in a useless tantrum.
You're cursing into your pillow, face pressed firmly into cushioned comfort.
Shit . Your phone.
Blankets are tossed in the process of scrambling up to find wherever it has landed, more colorful language leaving your mouth when you find it wedged behind a cabinet.
With a wince as you scrape your arm, you finally yank the device free.
A thoroughly cracked screen greets you back, and you definitely regret not investing on a case.
When the screen comes on with a text from Levi bluntly detailing the time and day he's picking you up, you kick the edge of your desk.
"For. Fuck's. SAKE !"
Your thumb tries to tap on the screen with no response. Of fucking course .
The world tips sideways when all the will to hold yourself upright leaves your body.
Ow.
You're not even sure why you hoped to avoid your parents' micromanagement, instead opting to take a coach bus from Shiganshina from Trost. Of course they sent fucking Levi to deliver you safely home like a parcel.
You hardly recall the first time he's called you a brat , it's always been the same damn nickname as far as you could remember. The stupid garden gnome always belittled you, scowled whenever you entered his line of sight and clearly did not want to be within a ten foot radius of you. However both your parents' agenda contained the exact opposite – trying to force a friendship between you and the several-year older fucker. While you don't know if the dislike for each other is truly personal, it sure is mutual .
On top of that, both you and Levi are fundamentally different– there's no way a hostile man in some biochemistry program would give the time of the day to some credulous freshman hoping to major in fine arts. He navigated life in solitude, only having a grand total of two friends while you had countless to strike up a conversation with. When you dislike your environment and the people you’re obligated to form relationships with, you truly revel in the freedom of making friends with people you genuinely like . Unlike Levi , people flock to your warm demeanor and boys line up at your feet. You once brought your ex, Zeke , to a Thanksgiving dinner to which Levi promptly bumped into him, scoffed , and wiped his offended shoulder with a lysol wipe. It's impossible to wrap your head around how someone could have a problem of such magnitude with a person they just met .
While Levi maintained a semblance of respect toward your parents (whom you believe to deserve it the least ), you did get over the fact that he clearly disliked being around you . However, it was his prejudiced contempt toward someone you loved , Zeke, which truly pissed you off. There's only so many people you can spend your energy on hating , and Zeke made the list just by entering the front door of Levi's family home for a dinner he was invited to.
Since then, you honestly thought he was a dick .
Kicking your luggage out from under your desk, you begrudgingly shift up to get started on your last minute packing. A shirt is tossed here, a jacket there, and an assortment of presents you collected to give for Christmas during the expanse of the year.
It feels like you're forgetting something.
Ah.
You booked your coach bus for tomorrow.
You have to… unbook that.
A heavy laptop is pulled onto your lap, the screen flicking on when you unfold the shoddy device. You’re stuck on the loading screen. Shit. Shit. Shit .
There’s three quick knocks on your wooden door.
Occupied by the current catastrophe before you, you’re not really thinking when you invite whoever it was in.
“Come in,” you raise your voice absentmindedly.
When the door creaks open, you realize your mistake and your head snaps up to the sight of tomorrow’s chauffeur.
“You should lock your door,” a disgruntled voice mutters.
Levi stands before you, empty coffee in hand and a backpack sitting on his shoulders. You don’t stare too long, but you do notice the eyebags that adorn his features– far heavier looking than his school bag and winter coat.
You don’t respond to his comment, not wanting to fight a battle you can’t win.
“Why’re you here?” you speak dryly, eyes glued intently to the buffering sign on your laptop screen.
“ Well ,” Levi says with an air of sarcasm, “I texted a brat to let her know I’d be picking her up tomorrow morning–”
“Yeah, okay I know! I got your text– I don’t have to reply to everything you send me,” you’re muttering with an eyeroll.
Levi scoffs and you can feel his eyes roll without glancing at him. “Ungrateful fucking brat .”
Your finger prods at the spacebar with force , clearly irked by his frequently used insult.
“Old fucking hag .”
There’s no response to your attempt at pissing him off, Levi pivoting on his heel to leave your dorm. Just as he does, your laptop screen goes black with an audible whir of death.
“Shit Levi, wait–” you need to cancel that coach bus.
“ What? ” his reply is sharp with an enunciation of the ' t ', making you wince at the request you’re about to make.
“Let me borrow your phone.”
When your eyes meet his, he’s looking at you like you’re crazy.
His brows furrow as he jerks his head back slightly in a confused motion. “ Why ?” he demands.
“I need to cancel the coach bus.. My…” you gesture vaguely at your laptop. “It died.”
“Use your phone.”
Your eyes dart away from his, not wanting to provide the context for your shattered screen. “My touch screen broke.”
“Oh,” he grunts. “Here.”
He tosses his phone on your bed and you reach out to grab it without meeting his eyes. “Thanks,” you mutter.
Getting yourself busy with the task at hand, you don’t notice how Levi is scanning your well-decorated dorm. Clean, but not neat . His gaze travels down the expanse of nicknacks freshly dusted on a shelf, beside a small vanity area with a tube of lipstick and mascara toppled over. There’s a wall of polaroids with you and various friends, clumsy smiles beaming at the lens with arms outstretched and the occasional picturesque photo of a random item. When he (begrudgingly) helped you move in at the start of last year, you barely had any photos up. It was clear– the way memories of people are littered around your place with the photos, trinkets and cards, even a friendship bracelet adorning your small wrist.
Your grumble catches him out of his daydream as you flop down again, his phone tumbling out of your hand in careless resignation.
“ Oi , you brat–”
You grunt in response.
“Be careful with things that aren’t yours ,” he hisses.
“Couldn’t cancel the coach bus on time,” you mutter.
“Not my problem. You’re a careless brat.”
“Get the fuck out,” you’re pointing at the door with one arm off the bed.
“ Tch , you’re fucking welcome .”
Done with your attitude, Levi exits promptly with a kick of the door shut.
“ Fuck you, asshole! ” your voice is muffled but still makes its way to the hall.
It’s going to be a long drive.
—
It’s five fifty-five in the morning, the bite of the wind nipping at your nose and fingers as you pull your luggage through the snow. You know better than to chance it and risk being late for Levi– as much as you love to piss him off, there's nothing more unbearable than hearing him prattle on about how crucial it is to be punctual. You're trudging to the curb, the satisfying crunch of the snow making you crack a small smile in the midst of the howling winds. Listening keenly as you dig the heel of your boot into the ground, your mind goes adrift and you don't catch the roar of Levi's sedan pulling into the driveway.
HONK!
You jump from the loud noise, squinting your eyes to scowl at the offending midget who's interrupted your winter fun. Fucker .
Even through the winds battering your ears, the rattling rumble of his engine and labored roll of his window are heard.
"What you gawking for? Get in ."
You're rolling your eyes, yanking your luggage into two hands as you mutter a slew of insults under your breath.
You knock twice on the back of his car.
"Open your trunk!" you hiss.
You're met with a sarcastic sneer.
" Puh-lease ?"
Not wanting to deal with his antics, you kick your boot into the bottom of his bumper which ensues in another honk and the trunk popping open. You roughly shove your luggage into the trunk, not paying any mind to whatever else is the back of his car. You're pissed off now, taking your anger out on the slam of his trunk.
When you walk to the passenger side of his car, you hear the doors lock.
You knock twice on the glass.
"Levi! What the fuck ?"
His window is up now, but you can see what he's saying with how he mouths in exaggeration:
"Ah-po-lo-gize ."
Your knuckles hit the window five times in rapid succession as the cold bites at your skin.
"It's cold – let me in, you fucking sadist !"
When you realize he won't relent as he stares back at you with a challenge in his eyes, you concede with a dramatic groan and final knock on the glass.
" Fiiiine , I'm SORRY!"
He turns back to the wheel and simply motions to the backseat with a point of his thumb. You want to fucking scream at how insufferable he is.
You yank the back door open, climbing in with a visible storm raging over your head as you slam the door shut. Arms flying to cross over your chest, you find yourself dreading the trip far more than you thought you were capable of.
"Maybe try not to abuse my car and I'll stop treating you like a fucking animal ," he snaps at you, stepping on the gas with jolt of the vehicle.
You want to wring his neck.
"Maybe try not to be such a petty little bitch ."
He's making a turn, diligently making a shoulder check before moving forward.
"Not a single productive thought in that head of yours."
"Fuck you, Levi. Fuck you ," you snap.
"No thanks," he mutters as the signal of his car stops.
There's a charged silence that follows soon after, making you rub your cold hands on your thighs for more comfort than for warmth. Ah .
You're stuffing your hands in the pockets of your winter coat, digging around for your earbuds– Levi would definitely not give you DJ privileges. When you recall carelessly throwing it somewhere inside your luggage, you grumble and slump down into your seat. Your eyes flick up, and Levi's glaring at you through the rearview mirror with an expression that reads " don't try anything ."
Huffing angrily, you angle your torso to face the window to watch as you leave the snowy city into the plains of white fields that stretch out into the corners of your vision. The sky got brighter bit by bit, but you couldn't witness the beautiful pastel colors of the sunset as it got obscured by the snow clouds– much like your life with Levi in it. You stifle a snicker at the thought.
To pass the time (or "fast travel" as you and your friends would joke), you let your head fall against the glass, cushioned by your layers of hair. Just as your eyes shut, the small clicks of the volume rocker sound to your displeasure and you feel a fireball of heat rising in your chest before you realize what's playing.
Sunset by Andy Shauf softly plays on the subtly tinny speakers of his car, lulling your shoulders to droop at your sides.
You're about to comment on how you appreciate the song but stop yourself when you realize who you're talking to– instead choosing to shut your eyes quickly as the vehicle exits onto the highway, blankets of white tucking the barren farmlands to sleep. Crossing your arms to keep your stomach warm, you shift slightly to relax against the door.
As much as Levi wants to chastise you for pressing your oily head onto the pristine windows of his car, he recoils at the thought of disturbing the peace that floats over you both.
"Spoiled brat ," he thinks.
" Getting chauffeured for free ."