Bubblegum

Bubblegum

This isn't the direction I had in mind when I had the idea, but I kinda like it.

Pairing: Platonic Levi Ackerman x Tiny (black fem OC)

Rating: T for teen

Warnings: cursing, off screen violence

Navi is pinned

There was a girl that lived down the alley from him. Levi rarely saw her, but he knew she existed. He could hear her. Arguing with her customers, laughing with friends, cursing at the royals and high blood of their society for damning the unsavory population to live underground. Her boisterous voice carried through the deteriorating walls into his hideout. It ruined what little sleep he could get.

Levi had established himself in the underground as someone to avoid. His short stature parted crowds like a hot knife through butter. He didn’t have to stomp loudly to make others feel his large presence. Like the rats they were, the underground population scattered at the first sign of trouble.

Everyone but her.

This would be the fourth time in the year Levi had his fist banging on the rotting door of his neighbor’s. The softened wood disgusted him, but he couldn’t call the woman dirty since most wood down here had some form of rot in it.

“Levi… How can I be of service?” Her voice broadcasted clearly in the alley, an unachievable feat if she was behind the door talking. Jet black hair shifted back as he craned his neck up to look at the window. Half of the opening was boarded up with scraps from a pallet. His neighbor left a space big enough to showcase from her nose to her crossed arms under her covered chest. “Kinda busy. I still have a client with me.”

“It’s late. Keep it down.” He demanded. Plush lips pulled back into a smirk before her body turned. He could hear a conversation between her and her client.

“He can’t help it. Not everyone is as tough as you, sugar. Or as boring.” She ended her sentence with a pop from her bubblegum. Levi found it annoying. The chewing and blowing and popping she did with the candy caught in her incisors. Every flash of her teeth sparked a fire in him.

“Finish in the morning.”

“Sleep in the morning.”

“Tiny-” He huffed. It was pointless. She didn’t listen to anyone that didn’t pay her to. Even the customers she took weren’t guaranteed respect.

“You think I want to tattoo this thug’s chest in the middle of the night? You don’t think I’d rather be sleep, too?” A mumble came from behind Tiny, her client most likely defending himself. Levi didn’t know what she said to the thug, but when she turned back to the window her jaw resumed the movement.

Chewing. Blowing. Popping.

The worst had to be the smacking of her large lips when she sucked the gum back into her mouth to repeat the process.

“Point is, I need some money and he’s paying double because it’s late-” the sound of furniture sliding against the wooden floors interrupted Tiny. She popped her gum and held up her index finger at Levi, focusing now on the ruckus her client started. Levi resisted the urge to bang his head against the filthy cracked cobblestone. All this because he wanted to sleep.

“Yes, you are paying double. I said it when you got here. Don’t play stupid.”

...

“Pay me now, and leave. 10 silvers is worth what I’ve already done.”

...

“I don’t care If you don’t want to walk around with a half-did dragon on your chest. I’ll finish it when I get the rest of my money.” Levi’s tired eyes widened at the sound of more furniture moving and feet scuffling. Flesh connecting to flesh, grunts and curses unleashed, coated in venom.

The idea of helping his neighbor rolled around his mind for a moment, only for a body to burst through the rotted wooden scraps that once covered the window in the next.

Levi had grown used to the sound of bones breaking, he’s been a cause for quite a few. The noise emitted from a half-clothed body slapping against the wet streets of the underground, however, was new to his ears. The groans of the poor bastard were low and long.

Chewing. Blowing. Popping. Smacking. Chewing. Blowing. Popping. Smacking. Chewing. Chewing. Pause?

“Sorry bout all that, sugar. Guess you can go to sleep after all.” Tiny leaned against the window sill, her face visible with the firelight making a halo around her silhouette. From his viewpoint, her curls looked like a shapeless blob. Her gum had been tucked into her cheek, making her face asymmetrical.

Levi grunted. While this isn’t what he had in mind, the quietness he craved became a reality. His boots made little noise as he turned around to head back home. Her chewing did not resume.

“Before you go, Levi, be a dear and check if his pockets are empty.” Cold eyes met her mischievous ones. Her smile spoke what her lips contained. The silence would be temporary if he refused her request.

The thug only had two pockets, both empty, but it’s ingrained in everyone down here to never keep the coin in easy target spots like that. There, under the soles of his wretched and mangled shoes, Levi found 3 golds. The metal did not shine in a place as dark as the underground, but the clanging of the coins in his palm told Tiny all she needed to know.

Her descent to the first floor and wrenching the rotten door did not surprise him. Levi turned and looked square into her face. Her movements made little noise, but the chewing and blowing and popping and smacking of her gum grew closer as she approached him. Levi dropped the coins in her waiting palm without looking. The cool temperature of a lone coin registered in his mind.

“For your troubles. Sorry for the noise, sugar.” Levi scoffed but pocketed the coin. Tiny returned to her door quickly. The underground was still the underground, even at night in an alley with the ruthless Levi.

Levi had returned to his home and reclined on his bed, He was ready for sleep to overcome him, but all he could hear was that blasted gum. Behind his lids, all he saw was her lips and jaw working, flashing that stupid piece of candy.

Chewing. Blowing. Popping. Sucking. Chewing. Blowing. Popping. Blowing. Chewing-

Levi did not sleep that night.

Taking down my say it fic because every time I reread it, I hate it

Next shipment keeps getting neglected, imma squeeze in some writing while studying

Having 2 blogs is hard. I be reblogging and shit on my other blog, then gotta delete it bc i aint meant for that to happen

Feel like revamping my blog today, might as well before the next batch of exams hit me

Have a bit of time today to work on my WIPs, hopefully i can get some done and added to the queue