#nightmare harem

❧ not only is this man oblivious, he's also really bad with processing emotions-- emotional constipation, if you will

❧ it was basically love at first sight for you; his standoffish behavior held a mysterious aura that captivated you and you just had to know more about him

❧ so, you started small, seeking him out everyday to see what he was doing, to get a feel for his routine

❧ you would ask him questions about whatever he was doing: what book he was reading, how he liked his tea, what his horse is named, just simple small talk-y questions

❧ at first it annoyed him; what were you doing talking to him, anyway? didn't you have work to do? besides, wouldn't lucia be more fun to talk to?

❧ but you were persistent, continuing to seek him out every day, asking him endless questions about himself, sneaking compliments in every now and then, and eventually he started humoring you and giving real answers

❧ he remained unsure as to why you wanted to bother him so badly; he didn't think he was that interesting of a person to talk to, even on a good day

❧ over time, though, he grew to appreciate the company, beginning to anticipate your visits and seemingly endless conversation

❧ he also noticed how his favorite meals would be prepared more often, coincidentally on the nights where it was your turn to cook, and similarly his favorite beverages would always be prepared for him right on time, and more food for his horse would already be ordered before he would even bring it up to kaim

❧ levy, the dumb bitch, brushed all of this off to be coincidence and didn't think twice about these happenstances

❧ it's not until he finds you curled up in the library one day reading a book he told you about the day prior that he starts to feel something twinge in his heart

❧ you're too entranced with the story to notice him peering at you from the aisle, so he scurries away not wanting to disturb you

❧ he sees you carry that book with you everywhere for the next week, noting how the bookmark travels through the pages, until one day it's no longer in your possession

❧ that day, you bring him his tea as he sits at his desk in his room, important papers sprawled across it. you make quick small talk, intending to leave him to his work quickly, when he does something rare; he asks you a question

❧ "what did you think of the book?"

❧ it catches you off guard, yet a smile splits across you face and your eyes light up, a sight he finds that he could get used to seeing more often

❧ you excitedly ramble about what you thought of the story, comparing your notes to what levy's told you about it, how it reminds you of another book you read years ago

❧ and levy's got this soft smile on his face, taking in everything you're saying, noting how you gesticulate at certain words, how your expressions label your emotions so clearly, how you lean in ever so slightly toward him

❧ "-but i guess i should let you get back to your work now, huh?" he blinks back into focus, not realizing he'd let his mind wander so much that he missed your concluding thoughts

❧ "right," he coughs, trying to hide his sudden awkwardness, "well, i'm glad you liked the book."

❧ you smile at him and begin to head out his door when you hear him call out to you, "meet me in the library after dinner. we'll find you another book to read." and he flashes you a smile, the brightest one you've seen from him yet, and you feel your face burn, taking in the expression in awe. at a complete loss for words, all you can do is nod a few times, finally slipping through the door and shutting it softly behind you

❧ you bite your lip in excitement, and begin to scurry off elsewhere in search of something else to do. levy finds himself staring at the door for a moment longer, a soft smile and distant expression on his face before he sighs and returns to his work

❧ just as promised, he meets you in the library after dinner's been cleaned up, and the two of you wander the endless aisles of books. he asks you about your literary likes and dislikes, listening intently and mentally sifting through his options. he pulls a few that meet your tastes, as well as a few that meet his own, per your request-- why you would request such a thing puzzles him, but he complies anyway

❧ even once you've collected a reasonable stack of books, your conversation doesn't end, and the two of you find yourselves lounging on some library chairs, talking for hours about anything and everything, completely losing track of time

❧ he learns about your interests aside from reading, what your life was like before living in the manor, and even what your hopes for the future are

❧ it's not until the clock strikes midnight that the two of you decide to call it a day, bidding each other good night before heading off to your respective rooms

❧ levy's unable to sleep that night for some reason, his mind playing your conversation over and over, and when he does manage to sleep his dreams are full of images of you

❧ the next day, he's in a daze, making his way through the halls with a far off expression on his face. surprisingly, it's mefy who points it out to him

❧ "brother, are you alright," mefy asks concerned, genuine or otherwise, "did you not sleep well?"

❧ levy hesitates for a moment, instinctively wanting to brush off the concern and keep his thoughts to himself, but he figures his younger brother wouldn't be so bad to confide in; so, he tells mefy everything. about how you've made yourself a regular in his routine, how he found he doesn't mind the company, how your efforts to know him have turned mutual and you spent hours talking the night prior, and about how he couldn't sleep because he was too busy thinking about you

❧ mefy listens intently with a small, knowing smirk on his face. "i'm jealous," he pouts in fake disappointment, "they don't spend time with me like that... you must really be something special to them, then."

❧ levy stares at his brother in confusion, "why would they only want to be around me? it doesn't make sense; there's no way they don't spend time with everyone else."

❧ mefy's expression drops, and he looks at his older brother with a hint of disappointment at his obliviousness. "maybe you should just ask them about it," he tells levy bluntly and walks off, leaving him feeling only slightly stressed

❧ levy spends the rest of the day thinking about how to approach you with this question. you, of course, take note of the far off expression he's had since the morning and how it only got worse throughout the day

❧ you find him at the stables right before the sun sets, and greet him as you always do, with a big smile and a soft expression; he only nods at you, continuing to brush his horse's coat without a word

❧ you feel yourself deflate slightly at his change in demeanor compared to the night prior; why was he acting so standoffish? was he just tired from the late night, or were boundaries overstepped last night and he decided he's had enough of you?

❧ pushing your worries aside, you ask him about his day while petting his horse's snout affectionately

❧ rather than answer your question like a normal person, he answers with a question of his own, "why do you talk to me?"

❧ he winces at how your face falls in slight horror at his words, how you assume the worst about their meaning. "no, wait, I mean," his words fly out quickly, stumbling over one another in an attempt to make clear his meaning, "there's so many other people around you to spend your time with, why waste it on just me?"

❧ you blink at his rush of words. "I don't think time spent on you is a waste," you laugh lightly, "out of everyone here, I just think you're the most interesting. i've felt drawn to you since I started living here." as you finish your statement, your eyes drift from his own back to his horse, suddenly feeling sheepish

❧ he stares at you, cheeks tinted pink at your words. "I don't understand," he mumbles, mostly to himself but you hear anyway

❧ "are you alright," you ask hesitantly, looking back over at him, "you've been kinda... spacey all day. did you get much rest? I know we stayed up kinda late."

❧ now it's his turn to avert his gaze, feeling sheepish himself. every ounce of self preservation is screaming at him to say he's fine, but something in his heart is whispering for him to tell the truth. so he does

❧ "no, I didn't sleep well last night," he says bluntly and winces slightly at the apologetic look on your face, "it wasn't your fault! I was just... my head was full of thoughts and I couldn't get them to stop."

❧ "oh? do you wanna talk about it," you ask, equal parts concerned and curious

❧ he hesitates once more, suddenly feeling very vulnerable. taking a breath in, he bravely meets your gaze, "it was you. I was thinking about you."

❧ your heart pounds in your chest at his blunt confession. "so it was my fault you couldn't sleep," you joke, trying to ease the sudden tension between the two of you

❧ he smiles softly and rolls his eyes, and continues to confess, "I don't know what to make of it; it's been plaguing me all day and I can no longer focus when thoughts of you cross my mind."

❧ it feels as though your pounding heart comes to a complete stop, and your eyes go wide with the hopeful realization that maybe, just maybe, levy is starting to feel for you the way you feel about him

❧ you swallow nervously, collecting your thoughts. "do you think it's because you like me," you mask your nerves with a teasing tone, shaky smile adorning your lips

❧ he scoffs lightly at your words, "of course I like you, y/n, otherwise I wouldn't allow you to spend so much time around me."

❧ it's your turn to roll your eyes at him. "no, dummy," he makes a look of mock offense at the name, "I mean, do you like me?"

❧ "I already-" he cuts himself off, your question finally making sense to him. did he have feelings for you? is that what the soft feeling was whenever you come around, the willingness to ruin his sleep schedule just to stay in your company for a moment longer, the welcome anticipation of when you would knock at his door with his afternoon tea in hand? it all suddenly clicks, and his face burns red at the realization

❧ you smile at him, waiting patiently as the cogs turn in his brain, taking his expression as an affirmative answer. you put him out of his misery by speaking first, "I only ask because i happen to like you. a lot, actually. I wouldn't read all those books for just anybody."

❧ he continues to stare at you, his slightly overwhelmed expression fading into one akin to a young schoolboy receiving his first confession letter, all flustered and hopeful and disbelieving

❧ "well," he finally speaks, clearing his throat, "good."

❧ you laugh at his short response, him being emotionally stuck up as always. you reach forward and grab hold of his hand, gently squeezing it in your own, flashing him that beautiful, bright smile he's come to adore, and he feels his awkwardness and his exhaustion slip away