Unspoken Norms | Levi Ackerman ✔️

Chp 34 ~ Shortie's Birthday Part 1

Fun Fact: If Levi's squad members threw him a birthday party, he'd be a bit annoyed because it's not that valuable to him. But he would appreciate the effort and have a great time nonetheless.

_____

Your POV

Levi never said it, never asked me out. Maybe he didn't know how to. But his confession from two nights ago stayed true.

The last day came in the blink of an eye, a day full of class parties and gifts. And of course, the presentation assembly that followed. Longer than usual assemblies, and twice the size of the crowd. Parents, siblings, relatives, all gathered to witness the students receiving awards.

During the assembly, I couldn't contain my excitement for tomorrow night. We'd organised it the day before, on our group chat. According to Hange, Levi's birthday was on Christmas.

And there was no way we weren't going to celebrate such an important date. Just a surprise birthday dinner at a fancy Italian restaurant. It was going to be our group along with Levi's friends; Furlan, Isabel and Erwin. Hange kind of crossed over with us and them, blurring the lines between our groups.

At the start of the year, I would've felt uncomfortable around Levi and his two best friends, would've deemed it scary to hang out with such popular people. But now... Levi had stripped away his popularity. So did Furlan and Isabel. Their ties with Jarrod and Arden had been cut off.

And now it seemed Riverko—Levi's oldest rival—was gaining some amount of attention. It didn't matter to me anymore. With Levi at my side, that cold, intimidating aura a constant threat to everyone, Jarrod no longer sought to bully me.

I closed my eyes, feeling that bubbly joy swirl through my veins. It has been a good year, despite all the hardships I'd gone through. Settling in with a group of friends, getting bullied, facing the pressure of the grade and the exams...

I've found new confidence in myself. And I've also found the one I loved.

The assembly droned on. But my attention was never on the stage.

Just wait until tomorrow.

***

Levi's POV

Apparently, (Y/N) needed me to help her with summer break maths homework. And apparently I 'excelled' in maths according to that brat.

I shrugged on a white shirt and a flannel jacket crisscrossed with dark teal patterns. It wasn't anything particularly fancy. Ordinary, but smart.

Before I could pass the kitchen, Kenny let out a huff from his slouch beside the bench. "Where you going with that sort of costume?"

I gnawed at my bottom lip, my daily bout of frustration reaching its peak. "Is it any of your business?" I snapped curtly, grabbing the keys and opening the door. Kenny's chuckle was cut off the moment I slammed it shut.

Outside, the evening sky was painted with faint hues of peach and magenta. Stars twinkled to life as darkness gradually ensconced itself. I slipped my hands into my pockets and began the walk to (Y/N)'s house just a few streets down.

By the time I arrived and knocked on her door, twilight had fully emerged. I forgot to mentally prepare myself. (Y/N) greeted me in a simple floral dress, hair unbound. As I looked her up and down, she too returned the scrutiny.

"L-Levi! You... look so..." she stuttered, a blush evident on her cheeks. She cleared her throat, straightening her back. "You look striking. Handsome."

I didn't say anything. I couldn't find the right words—not when she praised me like that. But confusion swelled in my chest. Why was she wearing something so nice?

"Oh, um, can you come with me first? I need to go somewhere before we start maths." (Y/N) fidgeted with the folds of her dress, rosy flowers sweeping along the hem.

I narrowed my eyes. "You're acting odd. Why."

Even though she caught me unawares by wearing a beautiful dress, I still had some amount of composure left. (Y/N) glanced down, biting the side of her lip.

"You'll see."