"Hello? Did I kill you? Did your soul leave my body?"

i'm still here so?

"You can't take that back," Levi snapped back to consciousness moving closer to me, "it's a promise."

"Sure?"

"Good," he looked around, grabbing me by the wrist, "we should write it down on paper, I won't let you back out of this."

there he is

"You're being ridiculous."

"You wouldn't understand how important this is, here, write down what you just said to me and sign it."

"If you say so," I sighed, taking a seat at Levi's desk, "I didn't think you were that interested in things like these," I gestured to the room.

most of these tools i recognize

but there are some that i've never seen before

it's a little impressive

"I'm allowed to have hobbies Y/N."

"I thought you were only interested in making my life hell."

"Don't flatter yourself, I don't think of you as much as you seem to want me to."

oh boring

we both know that's a lie

not that i blame him- i'm also obsessed with me

"You lie as easily as you breathe."

"Are you going to sign it?"

"Yes hold on- jeez you could be a little nicer to me- I'm doing you a huge favor."

selfishly i-

i'm a little excited to learn that he's also interested in magical objects

he suddenly seems a lot more human

"Satisfi-" I turned to look at him, my voice trailing off as I realized how close we had gotten.

"What's wrong with you?" Levi scoffed, snatching the piece of paper from my hands, in the process further closing what very little distance we had.

im-

"Nothing-"

"Then act normal."

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"

"There you go, you're normal again."

"I'm always normal thank you very much."

"I agree, you're always an asshole."

"Die."

"You wish."

"Where did you even get all of these things?" I glanced around, reaching for a crystal he appeared to be using as a paperweight, "you shouldn't have half of these."

raw materials are even further restricted than tools

how old is this?

if it made it's way to levi recently then- has someone found their way into the woods?

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Yeah I would."

you certainly didn't get them from my father

the crown then?

but i don't think they would give away something so highly coveted without something of equivalent value in return

"Forget it," he sighed, rubbing his forehead, "it's a hobby."

an expensive hobby

"Hold on a second-" I shot up from my seat, "who's to say that you didn't curse the two of us to be like this?"

i haven't forgotten that his first reaction was to assume that i had done it

"That's nonsense."

"You're the one collecting expensive magical items in your strange dark office, if anything your relationship to this is the strange part."

it makes sense for me to have a connection to magic

"Don't make blind accusations, that's a shitty thing to do."

"Oh right- says the guy who accused me of witchcraft the second this happened."

you're not one to preach tolerance

"That's-"

"Admit it you were an asshole."

"I don't want to apologize to you."

"Wow- it would be a shame if something were to happen to your body."

"Fuck you."

"Whatever, I find it interesting that's all."

"You do? Don't lie."

"Yeah I do- I mean I have to, as the heir to a giant magical forest and all that," I gestured dramatically at myself.

"I didn't think you would actually be interested in it- I mean I'm going to inherit several mines but I'm not interested in the production of some shitty rocks."

you're so crazy

"Stop bragging."

"Do you actually find it interesting?" I felt his eyes boring into me- attempting to figure out if I was hiding something.

"Don't stare too much- I know you're self obsessed but-"

"You're thinking of yourself idiot," he paused. "I'm serious."

"So am I- I find it genuinely interesting, is that a crime?"

"No."

"I didn't expect you to be interested in something like this-" I looked around the room, "it kinda goes against your 'too busy for anything' persona."

"I- forget it."

"What?"

"I don't have much time for it anymore."

"That's a shame."

"I never thought I'd be agreeing with you on something."

"I never thought that I would discover your weird hobby," he appeared to flinch at the comment, "our weird hobby."

"Gross."

"Oh shut up I'm trying to have a moment of understanding."

"My mother is supportive enough," Levi launched into a story, "don't look at me like that, it's fucking scary."

"Like what?"

"Like you're concerned for me-"

"Well I'm not-"

"Stare at the wall."

"Ok-" I hesitated a bit before turning to stare at a bookcase instead of Levi, "this better?"

"So you do know how to listen."

"I can turn around right now-"

"Don't," he picked up again, "I've never met anyone else who was interested in this."

"People our age don't even know that this sort of thing exists- I don't blame them."

"It's shit- think of everything that could be done."

i agree

"That's exactly why it's kept under lock and key."

regardless of my own personal feelings i can understand it

"It's still shit."

"Why did you get interested in this?"

"Why the fuck not? It's cool," I could almost hear him rolling his eyes, "or is your family going to prevent people from thinking about magic now too?"

I didn't know what to say about that- biting my tongue before I said something I would regret later.

his frustration

"I know how you feel," I muttered, turning around, "the rest of the world isn't like you and me Levi Ackerman."

i understand him

that's a first

it feels good

"What do you mean?"

"I mean the rest of the world doesn't appreciate this," I motioned towards his collection. "That's why it has to be kept under lock and key, because the rest of the world doesn't understand."

or at least that's what i'd like to believe

"That's fucking stupid, sorry."

"Yeah it does sound a little dumb when I say it out loud."

"A rare moment of self awareness on your part."

"I think the magic is getting to my brain, I think for a second there I didn't hate you."

"Fuck, me too."

"Weird."

"Really fucking weird."

_______________________

EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH THIS CHAPTER

- amimi