ㅤㅤ

(the voice behind him snapped the air in two. levi froze. every muscle in his back went rigid, like a dog bristling at an unseen threat. his hand tightened around his cut, smearing red across his knuckles. for a heartbeat, he didn’t turn. didn’t breathe. he just stared at the cracked pavement as if it might swallow him whole. when he finally looked over his shoulder, it wasn’t anger on his face but something sharper, more brittle—a flash of surprise, vulnerability, then the walls slamming back up. his jaw clenched, his eyes hardening to glass “the hell are you doing sneaking up on people?” (he snapped, voice low but frayed at the edges. he wiped his hand against his jeans, as if the blood wasn’t there, as if nothing had happened. but his shoulders stayed tight, betraying how rattled he really was.) 

@bledstreets           fuck.   that's  your  favorite  word  or  somethin'?

(levi’s eyes softened almost imperceptibly, the hardness he usually wore cracking under the weight of kellin’s concern. his chest heaved, and for a moment he just stood there, staring at kellin, unsure if he could handle how close he felt to breaking entirely. finally, he let out a shaky laugh—half bitter, half tender—running a hand down his face.) “i… it’s not you,” (he admitted, voice rough and uneven.) “it’s just… been a long day. and you… you’re always…” (he trails off, shaking his head.) i don’t know. (he whispers, vulnerably. something he rarely let show.) 

@bledstreets          *  his  instinct  was  to  keep  pushing,  but  he  knew  that  would  be  a mistake.  instead,  he  almost  shrunk  down on  himself,  pulling  his lip  in between  his  teeth  as  he  stared  at  the  other.  *     you  good, man?   i  didn't  mean  to  ...  make  you  upset  or  anythin'."

(levi’s shoulders slumped, the tension in his body melting into exhaustion. every sharp word kellin threw his way felt heavier than it should, settling in his chest like lead. he didn’t answer right away, just stared ahead. finally, his voice came, low and trembling, almost unrecognizable: “i… i can’t… not today.” the words were jagged, torn from somewhere deep in him he rarely let anyone see.)

@bledstreets          'nd   who  says  you're  not   allowed  to  want   'em?

@bledstreets          right.   i'll  stop  sayin'  that  when  you  stop  actin'  like  it.     *  he'd  never  wanted  to  be  mortal  enemies  with  levi,  but  that's  how  their  relationship  seemed  to  develop.  breaking  from relationship   would be  like  breaking  up.  he  wasn't  sure  it  he  could  handle  that.   *  

(he opens his mouth to speak… maybe to be defensive, maybe to fire back— but nothing comes out. what could he possibly say if he knew he was right? Instead he shakes his head, wanting anything but to be vulnerable in front of kellin.. wanting anything but to tell him the truth.) that’s not true, man. quit saying shit like that. 

@bledstreets          yeah.    you  don't.   'nd  yet  you're  always  tryin'  to prove  somethin'  to  me.    *  it wasn't him  trying  to  be    rude.  it  was  him  being   honest.  incredibly  honest,  and  almost  vulnerable   to  levi.  rather  than  attacking,  he  was  sympathetic.  trying  to  prod  as  to   /why/  levi  always  seemed  to  go  out  of  his  way  to  get  his  attention.  *

i shoulda talked t' y' . 

@-rhatty-         /how/?  it's  not  like  i  advertise  that  fact  'bout  myself. 

except i shoulda known 

“ nope ” she said simply as she glanced at him , her face not really giving anything away as she took another drag of her cigarette “ does that happen to you often ? it’s not normal ” she commented. 

@gmblersriot         "'nd  it'll  stop. you  got a  tissue  or  somethin'?"

@cantstop_ / !

!!

mm . my car was an , uhm . . apology , really . plus , was livin' in th' middle of nowhere with nothin' 'round - needed it .

@-rhatty-      really.   my  parents  wouldn't  get  me  one  'nd  where  'm  from  everything  can  be  walked.   same  here.  i  just  walk  everywhere. 

really ?!