Hello~! Not sure how long this whole thing is going to be, I'm planning on stretching it out as much as I can though xD We're in for a journey! Now, let me start off by saying that quite a bit of this story has been drawn from personal experience, so a few parts in this story may be a bit hard for me to describe but I'll try my best! The rating will probably be kept at T, but we'll see where that goes. Also sorry for the older readers, but you'll be pretty young in all of this haha.
Enjoy! ^-^
Chapter One- Floor Popcorn.
"_, Come on. It's nearly been a month. Time to get out." You hear the gruff voice of your Grandfather Pixis chime with false happiness from behind your closed bed room door. Every ounce of his pleasant being was focused on prying you, his precious Granddaughter, out of bed.
A month. That's all.
You shift in your bed, pulling the thick covers over your unkempt head of hair. You sunk deeper in the soft, cushy pillows, taking in the delightful scent of the fresh fabric beneath you. Never had your bed felt more comfortable. Never had sleep sounded so good.
You heard the door open, sounding like old, creaking bones. The weight of your bed titled to one side as Pixis sat at your feet.
"Get up." He said, his voice more somber than before. Obviously being his normal lighthearted self was getting him nowhere with you. You groan in annoyance, turning to face him. Your expression softened once you saw the look on his face. Pure perturbation.
"I'm worried about you, _" Said the man, his distressed features turning towards you. You hated seeing your Grandfather this way. You hated yourself for being one of the reasons behind his woebegone appearance. He was always such a jolly, beatific man. With sunshine blushing in his high cheekbones.
Now he carried stony-faced, which he would try his best to hide from you. Though at times, it would be too difficult for him to do.
You didn't look so hot yourself. Your scruffy (h/c) hair fell over your face in vicious tangles that you couldn't be bothered to comb out. Moonless, palatinate purple circles lay underneath your eyes, swollen and red from lack of sleep and crying. Your once lush and vibrant skin was beginning to lose it's fair glow. You felt like a stuffed rag-doll that someone had left up in their attic, to simply be alone and collect dust as the days flew by like shooting stars.
"I'm fine." You practically hiss, though you hadn't meant for it to come out that way. Pixis simply stared at you, crossing his arms over his chest.
"I don't believe you."
"Please just let me sleep."
"No." The old man stated, smoothing out his prim gray mustache that sat so finely upon his upperlip. "How about we go see a movie? Then we can go to Olive Garden." Pixis gently shook your left leg "Come on, _. You can't stay in here for ever."
You cringed at the mention of food. You haven't had the appetite to eat anything at all, there fore you were losing weight at a drastic pace. This didn't go unnoticed by your Grandfather.
But hey, come to think of it, breadsticks didn't sound all that bad.
You forced yourself up, your aching head pounding like thunder inside of your skull. You glanced up at your Grandfather.
"...Can I pick the movie?" You ask quietly and politely. Pixis smiled at you, ruffling your already bedraggled hair.
"Of course dear. Now get dressed." Said your Grandfather, his weight shifting off your bed and out by your door frame. A loud knock could be heard from downstairs.
"Be right back, hurry up and get dressed. Okay?"
"Okay."
You threw open your closet door, stepping inside the small, dark space. You picked through the mess of clothes to find something decent to wear. It had been awhile since you went shopping, you were so short that you could still wear clothes that you got a few years ago. Yup, mighty you, standing at only 4'11'' tall.
You hated being so short. You felt meek, voiceless. People would take one look at you and laugh, never listening to anything you had to say.
You decided on an oversized, black green day hoodie, and pair of blue jeans that hugged against your legs. You grabbed a pair of furry, Eskimo looking boots, shoving them over your tiny feet.
You put your hair up into a tousled bun before turning around, getting a good look at yourself in the full-view body mirror that hung ever so nicely against your closet door. You made a face.
"I look like hell." You thought to yourself, tightening up your bun so that it sat just beside your right ear. But hey, it's not like you really care what you looked like. You always felt as though you had more important things to focus on than your looks. Because really, why bother? Yourself was fine with the way you looked, and that was pretty much the only person you felt the need to impress.
Who gives a shit.
You hopped into the spinning chair beside your desktop, opening up your browser. You decided to check your deviantART account real quick before heading down stairs. You loved to draw and write, it was your passion. You wrote poems, short stories, drew comics and OCs. It was one of the things that truly brought you joy in life, even if you weren't the best at it (in your opinion.) Though everyone around you had commented on how much talent you had, you never found yourself believing them.
Because really, you felt as if you were nothing compared to the dexterous, masterly gift that many of the artist or writers possessed on deviantART, or anywhere else. From your view, you didn't even come close.
And that was okay, because you still had fun on the website. You still had fun expressing who you were on so many different websites. You loved the giddy feeling you got before posting a new picture or story. You couldn't quite do that in real life. It made you feel alive.
Strange, most people would find that silly.
You quietly walk downstairs. Not because you were trying to be sneaky or anything, you were just so small that you barely made any noise with each step you took.
"Is she okay?" You hear a rather charming male voice say, flowing tiny music-notes into your ear. The words made you blink in confusion, you recognized that voice. It was Erwin Smith, the young man who came and worked for your Grandfather around the house every now and then. He was a junior in High School at the moment, three years older than you were. Erwin was also probably the closest person you had to a friend.
Erwin was a very handsome guy. Fair skin, trim, honey-comb blonde hair, sky blue eyes, muscular body. All of that coupled with his kindness made him pretty popular with the ladies.
You didn't like him like that though. Hell, sometimes you didn't like him at all, but he was your friend.
You stopped in your tracks, listening in on the conversation between Erwin and your Grandfather. You assumed it was about you.
And you were right.
"I'm afraid, not at all." Pixis said, his voice stern. "But we're both trying our best. We're actually going to the movies. Want to come, son?"
"Nah, I've got work at 7. I was just coming by to check on her." Erwin paused, taking a deep breathe before continuing. "Man, I can't believe she lost both of her parents at once...I just...I don't know." He ran a hand threw his sunny hair, trying to calm himself. "I don't know how to help her. There's nothing I can say that will make her feel any better."
You felt your heart drop down low into your stomach.
Say it like it is, Erwin.
Yes, that's why you've been cooped up in your room like a hen, staring at the many quiet faces of the posters on your wall. That's why you haven't been eating, or sleeping correctly. Why your face was normally stained with dried tears, and why you'd been lashing out at nearly every person who spoke to you.
Your parents had been killed-off by a drunk driver. Murdered. Gone. Never coming back, ever.
And today marked the first month without them.
It wasn't fair.
Erwin was right, nothing anyone could say would ever change what had happen. You would wake up every morning for years to come, dried mouth and burning eyes. The trimming pain of tiny glass shards and razor blades flooding your already fractured heart.
Hoping that you'd walk into the kitchen and find your Mom making pancakes and your Dad reading the paper.
But no, a simple "It'll be okay,_" would not make that happen. You were honestly tired of hearing that.
"I know. We're all barely getting by..." Pixis said lowly. "...But, _ is a strong girl. She'll be okay."
"Psh, thanks papa." You scoffed in your head, continuing to walk down the many steps of the white staircase, eventually meeting with your Grandfather and Erwin. Both towered over you in height comparison.
Erwin smiled brightly at you, leaning down a bit, his hands resting on his knee's. He then reached one of those brawny hands out to pinch your cheek. "Hey, Shortcake."
Ah, there it was. Classic Erwin.
"Hi." You said dryly, shoving your hands into the open pockets of your hoodie. You glanced up at him with heavy eye lids. Your lack of sleep being glaringly obvious, but Erwin chose not to comment on it.
"Going to the movies?" Asked the beachy blonde in a pitched voice, talking to you as though you were a little kid, which you were use to by now. You felt as though Erwin tried really hard to be some sort of big brother figure towards you.
A little too hard.
"Yeah, I am."
"Whatcha seeing?"
"Don't know."
"She hasn't been out of her room long enough to know what's even playing. I swear, she'd stay up their her whole entire life if she could." Pixis teased, putting his hand on your shoulder.
Is that an option, Grandpa?
"Well, I'll see you guys later then." Erwin beamed, waving at you. The happy white sparkle in his light blue eyes shone like rare pearls floating through the ocean in the mouths of clams.
"God, what's he so damn happy about?" You found yourself bitterly thinking.
"Yeah, see you later." You say. Pixis patted Erwin on the back, hard.
"Take care, son."
Not long after your departure with Erwin, you were sitting in the leather chair of your Grandfathers car, playing games on your phone as he drove you up to the movie theaters. You hopped out of the passengers seat, walking with your Grandfather up to the movie boards to see what was playing.
"Pompeii looks pretty cool." You offer, wanting to see something your Grandfather would enjoy as well. He nodded down at you, handing you a twenty dollar bill.
"Pompeii it is then! I'll get our tickets, get yourself what ever snacks you want. Don't spoil your appetite though, we're eating after this!" Pixis beamed. You look down at your money, giving your Grandfather a small smile.
"Thank you. You're really sweet." You say, giving him a hug. He returned the hug and the smile, satisfied to see that he had made you happy.
That was all he had ever wanted to do.
You walk into the theaters, running up to the concession stand. You bought popcorn, M&Ms and a large drink for yourself. Food, man.
You gave the cashier your money, managing to carry your snacks in your small arms.
You glanced up at tall ceiling for a moment. Just a moment, that's all.
But that moment was too much.
Smack!
You ran into something hard and strong. Great, just your fucking luck. Of course something like this would happen. You were knocked off your feet due to your light-weight, but who ever had ran into you stood firm and strong, not even flinching.
You rubbed your now sore rump, glancing up to see grave, silvery-blue eyes glaring down at you.
A vexed, irritated, indignant, furious, enraged, foaming at the mouth dog ready to chew you up and spit you out.
"Watch where the fuck you're going." The teenager spat.
He appeared to be with a group of four others, all of them giving you pretty similar looks, but they weren't nearly as brutal as the one you had ran into was giving you.
Why was the guy even mad? It was an accident.
They were a rather odd bunch. One of the teens had cropped brown hair and olive skin. Another appeared to be a bit older than the rest of the group, with dusty blonde hair and copper eyes, sporting a similar haircut to the man you ran into. The last male had rather long blonde hair which was folded back into a pony tail, a small beard grazed his chin. The only girl of the group was one not much taller than you. She was very pretty, light amber hair, golden eyes, and a cute, curvy figure dawning the latest fashion.
She appeared to be holding hands with the guy who scolded you.
You glance down, seeing your fresh popcorn and drink littered across the movie theaters crazy pattern floor. Your head then shot back up, seeing a very similar mess all over the dark haired boy that you had ran into.
Oh.
You felt as though hot water were boiling inside of your stomach. Your teeth gritted together, and you gave him the same grim expression that he was giving you.
"What happen, Levi?" The ginger haired girl said, looking down at you.
"Nothing. Just telling this kid to watch where the fuck she's going, that's all. She got me filthy!"
The guy was blunt, honest. Had to respect that.
However, you were also blunt and honest.
"No, YOU watch where the fuck YOU'RE going! Look what you did, you creep! This shit is expensive!" You hissed up at the boy. He seemed rather surprised there for a moment, the whole group did.
Then they laughed. All of them except for 'Levi' himself. Even the girl, Petra had chuckled a little. Though she was trying to hide it with the hand that wasn't holding Levi's.
"How old are ya, kid?" The oldest looking one said, leaning in towards you. His untidy hair falling a bit past his small eyes. You cringed a bit, but stood your ground.
"Fourteen." You answer, crossing your arms over your chest, an angry look still taking over your features.
"Ah, that explains it." The olive skin one chimed in, nudging his blonde pony-tailed companion in the shoulder. The comment made you even more flustered.
"What the hell is that suppose to mean?" You spat. The teen put his arms up in denfense.
"Nothing, you'll learn when you get into High School not to mess with Levi, little girl." He stuck out his hand. "I'm Gunther. This is Oluo, Petra and Eld." Said Gunther, gesturing towards his friends.
"And it appears you've already met Levi." Oluo threw in, a cheeky grin plastered across his face. God, you wanted to punch him so hard. What was he doing with a bunch of highschoolers anyway? He was at least twenty-five or something.
You were beyond pissed.
"Well, I personally don't give a shit about who any of you are." You say without a care in the world, a smirk on your lips. This comment made Levi let go of Petra's hand for a moment, crouching down in front of you. You and all of Levi's friends were confused by his actions. He just sat there, his gainsboro orbs having a full-on psychic battle with your worried soul. Twitchy tension built in the thick air, and it squeezed at your throat. The roaring lion within you was threatening to bust out of it's cage and attack at any moment if this continued on any longer.
"...Man, you're tiny as fuck." Levi stated, a nasty tone in his voice. Everyone laughed once again. Your shoulders drop at this and your eyebrows knit together in pure discomposure and humiliation.
You, of course, wouldn't let anyone know it, but that did hurt you. You had been picked on for your height your entire life, and it really did get old. So what if you're shorter than nearly everyone your age? This made you the target of bullies, but you had the voice and will to say what you wanted to say. That's something that most people didn't have.
"Oh, how original." You began, voice dull. You finally stand up, wiping off your pants. "Make fun of my physical appearance just like everyone else."
Only you noticed Levi frown at your words.
"_, You coming?" You hear your Grandfathers merry voice ring out of nowhere.
"OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO~!" They all teased, Levi being the only one to keep quiet yet again.
"She came here with her Grandpa!" Eld pointed out.
"How cute!" Gunther chimed in.
You let out a deep sigh, bending over to pick up your bag of M&Ms. The only thing that hadn't been ruined by your fall.
"Yeah that's right." You paused, a genuine smile formed on your lips.
Pixis hadn't seen you smile like that in over a month.
"And let me tell ya, I'd rather go to the movie's with my Grandfather instead of punks like you any day. It's quite an honor. This man has done more for me in the past month than anyone has in my entire life."
You gave a respectful bow to the group of teenaged dirtbags.
"Fuck off." You say sweetly before going off with Pixis, who had never looked so proud in his entire life.
You left the teenagers to stare at you in pure astonishment and wonder.
Just who were you?
"Who the actual HELL does that gril think she is? Running her mouth like that." Oluo grumbled. Eld smirked "I like it. Don't see many girls like that around this town." Gunther nodded in agreement.
Levi only gazed at your moving figure, not a single word left his taciturn lips. No one would be able to tell what he was thinking just by looking at him, you'd have to have telekinesis or some shit.
"You okay, Levi?" Petra asked in a concerned manner , squeezing her boyfriends hand a bit tighter. Levi looked down at her.
"Yeah. you guys go ahead, I'll be right back."
Your tired (e/c) eyes stayed glued to the flashing screen. The sounds, the color, the cries, all catching you up in the superb adventure of the brilliant motion picture. Pompeii was incredible!
"Hey, _" Your Grandfather whispered to you. You glanced up at him, dazed.
"Yeah?" You whispered.
"I'm heading to the restroom. I'll be right back."
"Okay."
You yawned, slouching lower in your seat. It was actually kind of nice watching a movie in the theaters alone. Though you really enjoyed having your Grandfather with you, watching it alone was...new, Different.
And different was great.
It wasn't long before you sensed a presence beside you. It took you a moment to pry your eyes away from the movie as you spoke.
"Hey, that was quick Grandpa-FUCK!" You pretty much yelled the fuck part. It echoed throughout the theater, making many people look over at you in annoyance.
"Hi." Levi said casually, sitting down in the seat right beside yours.
You blink your eyes in confusion. Not really knowing what to say. What was up with this guy? "Where's your snotty ass friends?" You decide to ask, venom dripping in your voice to match your deadly snake glare.
"They went to see Frozen."
Of course.
"I just came to give you these." Levi said, holding up a large bucket of popcorn and a drink to replace the ones he had caused you to spill. You were surprised by his actions, but not at all touched.
"I don't want those. Just go, please." You almost beg. Levi scoffed at your stubbornness.
You reminded him a lot of himself when he was your age. Though he was only three years older than you.
"Look, at least get your money back here. Not like buying this benefited me in anyway either. You were right, this shit's expensive." Levi stated, pushing one of his silky jet locks behind his ear.
You scratched the back of your head. Well, he did have a point. You then let out a defeated sigh.
"Fine." You spat, taking the snacks from his hands. "Thank you."
Levi was quiet for a moment, looking up at the large movie screen.
You blinked your precious (e/c) orbs. Why wasn't he leaving already?
"This movie looks a lot cooler than Frozen. In my opinion." Levi whispered to you.
"Yeah, mine too." You whisper back after awhile.
"So..are we okay now?" Levi asked, keeping the same dull tone. You raised one of your eyebrows.
"No."
"Okay."
At one point you looked over at him. The movie lights flickered, dancing upon his creamy, pale skin like mini ballerina's. Making their way up towards his spruce hair that fell in straight ribbons of ebony near his eyes.
His eyes.
They were uncut diamonds. The silver dragon. Hard, intimidating, spine-chilling, blood-curdling
Simply breathtaking.
With hesitation, you reached your small hand out in front of him. You have no idea what possessed you to do this, but you did. You couldn't take it back now.
"I'm _" You say, your gaze meeting his. He looked at you for a moment, his plain expression never faltering before gripping your hand in his larger one, giving it a firm shake.
"Levi."
"Cool"
For the most part, you both kept quiet. Levi probably should have gone back to watch Frozen with his friends...and Girlfriend. But no, instead he chose to sit and watch Pompeii with someone who was pretty much a total stranger.
Funny how things work.
"You know...I'm short too." Levi says out of the middle of courage the cowardly dog nowhere. You were totally thunderstruck by this.
Of course he was taller than you, but he was pretty short for a guy. You really liked it when people were only a little bit taller than you, instead of towering over you like the statue of Liberty in toms, skinny jeans and a hooded.
"I can see that." You reply quietly.
Damn, Grandpa where are you?
Thank you so much for reading! :3 I really do hope that you all enjoy this because it was wonderful to write. Again, not sure how long all of this is going to be but I'll stretch it out as far as I can xD Next chapter should be out soon! 3