golden / someone's ugly daughter

III. love is a scam

bang, bang, bang!

three shots rang out, and soon after you turned around and sat against the half-wall. you were frowning, hard, and almost steaming with annoyance. all three bullets failed to hit the bullseye, again. you groaned and slumped against the wall, feeling defeated for what seemed like the hundredth time. your father sat down next to you and placed a hand on your shoulder, smiling just a little. it was so faint yet so obvious.

"what are you doing?" he asked. "it's like you're not even trying." he turned back around to face the targets, and you rolled your eyes. you held the gun over the wall and aimed once more.

"i am!" you exclaimed.

"you're not."

levi grabbed the gun from your hands and positioned it better. you watched him reload it and aim it way better than you did, and all of a sudden you felt laughter bubbling up in your stomach. it was so weird watching him hold a gun. you giggled and looked back at the targets, not bothering to face him when he looked at you again.

"what's so funny?" he asked. you could hear a hint of playfulness in his voice. only you could recognize it, and nobody else.

"nothing, it's just funny watching you shoot a gun," you said, smiling. "it's just... weird."

levi didn't say anything. in all honesty, he didn't know how to reply so he looked back at the targets and aimed the gun better. and with the perfect precision, he fired the gun and hit the bullseye. he fired two more times and hit the bullseye again and again. then he set the gun down and looked back at you. your mouth had dropped to the ground in shock, but when you noticed him staring, you instantly turned around and glared at him.

"you're such a showoff!" you said, pushing him lightly.

levi smirked at you. "i have good aim, is all."

you rolled your eyes and slumped back against the wall again. levi sighed and stood up, placing one hand on his hip while holding the gun in the other. "i'm guessing you're done for the day," he said.

you nodded. "it's getting late anyway," you said, looking at the sun that is slowly starting to set. "mom is waiting for us."

levi hummed in reply and reached his hand out. you looked at his hand, then at his face, then back at his hand all in an instant. he felt his heart jump at the hope you would grab it.

and you did.

you grabbed his hand firmly and he hoisted you up with ease. you walked over to the duffel bag and placed the rest of the guns and ammunition back in there. levi already started to head down the ladder, and you followed only seconds after. you jumped off the ladder once you were close enough to the ground, and the two of you walked away from the watchtower. a comfortable silence befell you both for a little while. you enjoyed the wind blowing on your face and the smell of fresh air. it felt so good to be outside and get kissed by the sun. you shut your eyes for only a few seconds to bask in the moment, but then your father suddenly spoke up.

"i haven't had the chance to apologize for yelling at you a few weeks ago," he said, looking at you. "it was out of line."

you opened your eyes and looked at him, a little shocked that he brought it up. usually, he would move on with life and acknowledge that it didn't happen. life moved forward, and you're forced to go with it. but this was a new change. you looked back down at the path and frowned.

"it's fine, dad..." you said. "i couldn't care less about it anyway."

levi let the silence be his answer. it would be weird to other people, but to you, that was just a response that could mean so many things. it was an affirming silence, and that was all you could ask for. he could be so stern sometimes it scared you a little. it was as if your father had no soul, but you knew there was something in there. once you reached the main base, you and levi started to put your guns away. as he signed the papers, you leaned against the wall and looked down at your nails that needed shaping and filing. it was annoying you.