✵

Tension hangs in the air like a grey cloud in the studio. My gaze shifts between Thea and her visitor, who I've come to learn is her ex-husband. The man is averagely built but leans towards the lean side. He sports short, thin raven hair, closely cropped on the sides and back of his head, yet relatively shaggy everywhere else. His face is adorned with a moustache and goatee, giving him the appearance of someone in his late thirties.

Pieck stands awkwardly beside the man, seemingly unsure of how to navigate this peculiar situation. Her lips press into a thin line, and her fingers tap restlessly against the door. I almost feel bad for her—almost.

"It's been a long time, Althea," the man finally breaks the silence, his dark eyes fixed on her, a small smirk tugging at his lips.

"Not long enough considering that you decided to grace me with your presence," Thea's voice is cold but civil. "And please do refrain from addressing me by my full name."

"Come now. You used to love it when I called you by your full name."

"Only a very select few can. You lost your privileges."

"Uh... am I supposed to be present in this little reunion?" I speak up.

All eyes are on me.

"I'm just asking 'cause I feel like I'm intruding on an A and B conversation, and I should C myself out."

"That's quite alright, darling. You're free to go about your day," she tells me, giving me a smile that doesn't reach her eyes. 

I get up from the couch and make my way towards the door. I give Thea one last look. I may not know what kind of relationship she has with her ex-husband, but judging from their interaction, I have an inkling feeling that their marriage did not end on the best of terms. While her demeanour is calm and civil, I can sense the hostility she has towards him.

"You sure you'll be okay, boss?" I ask.

"Yes, darling," she assures with a stiff nod. "Now run along. You did tell me that you recently moved to a new place and have a lot of unpacking to do."

I'm still a bit sceptical about her response, but I decide to trust and take her word for it and take my leave with Pieck. Whatever is going to happen is between Thea and her ex.

✵

"So how are things going with Thea's project?" the blonde man who is seated on the couch opposite me asks.

"We haven't officially started the project. This was just a test shoot or whatever she called it," I answer. "I can't give a proper judgement on the first try if things change over time."

"First impressions are important, Levi," he emphasises. "I know my sister. She can be a bit... intense and rigid to work with for lack of a better word."

You're not wrong about that, eyebrows, I internally vocalise the thought as I lean back and sink into the couch.

Erwin lives a fairly quiet but simple life despite coming from a privileged family. But then again living in a small house in the suburbs instead of constantly being in the spotlight is fitting for a university professor. Especially now that he's married and has a child.

"Well, I wouldn't call her intense. It's just that I don't know when I should take her seriously," I answer honestly.

He arches a curious eyebrow. "How do you mean?"

"I dunno. She's just so enigmatic. I can't tell if she's serious or if she's just trying to fuck with me."

"Language," he gently but firmly reprimands me, nodding towards his three-year-old toddler who is seated on the floor, eyes glued to his iPad.

"Aw, come on. He's too invested in playing games on his iPad to even listen to a single cuss word," I retaliate.

Erwin still holds his firm and strict look, and I roll my eyes.

Before he can respond, there's a loud commotion and a loud and raucous jeer at the front door. I internally groan exasperated as the brunette saunters into the living room and throws herself on the couch next to me. Her hair is tied into a messy ponytail and her face is framed with a pair of rectangular spectacles.

"Yo," she greets with a wide grin spread across her face.

"You're as loud as ever, four eyes," I remark dryly.

"And you're as serious and uptight as ever, shorty," she counters, pinching my cheek. I slap her hand away, glaring at her. She giggles mischievously before sprawling out on the couch, arms and legs akimbo as if she owns the place.

Hange Zoe is another professor at the Trost University, a colleague of Erwin's and one of the loudest and rowdiest human beings I've ever met in my entire life who I'm convinced is a mad scientist with the number of experiments she enjoys conducting. I'm honestly surprised that she hasn't already cooked up a virus or created some machine that's going to give Ultron a run for his money.

"Anything I miss?" she asks.

"Not really. Levi was just talking about his modelling endeavours with Thea," Erwin tells her.

"Shorty got a modelling gig?!" she gasps amazed. "How's that going for ya?"

My eye twitches annoyed at the nickname. "I haven't officially started yet but she seems... pleasant... and divorced apparently."

The room suddenly becomes dead with silence. Hange's eyes are a mixture of surprise and worry. Erwin's expression, on the other hand, is mostly grim and unsurprised, but I can see the slight disappointment and his eyes. The room suddenly falls into a dead silence. Hange's eyes show a mixture of surprise and concern. Erwin's expression, on the other hand, remains mostly grim and unsurprised, but I can detect a slight disappointment in his eyes.

"I take it you met Nile Dawk," his response sounds more like a statement than a question.

"I take it that they're not on good terms?" I respond with a question.

He's quiet for a moment until he sighs. "It's complicated."

"I hardly call cheating complicated," Hange remarks dryly.

My eyebrow quirks at this new information. So that explains it.

The tension in the room during Thea's encounter with her ex-husband had been palpable, even to an outsider like me. Their exchange was a careful dance of civility layered with unresolved history. Thea's demeanour had been calm and collected but venomous, revealing little about the emotions brewing beneath her civil facade. On the other hand, Nile exuded an air of confidence tinged with a hint of mischief as if he was here not just to visit but to stir the pot.

"Let's not discuss my sister's marital affairs, please and thank you," Erwin says. Hange raises her hands and rolls her eyes. "As for what you said, Levi. Don't mind it too much. Thea has also had a knack for playing mind games for as long as I've known her. But I assure you, she's harmless."

Erwin's words hang in the air, a clear indication that he'd rather keep family matters private. But as my gaze lingers on him, I can sense his disappointment, buried beneath the stern facade. It's as if he wishes he could shield his sister from life's complications, even though he knows she's more than capable of handling herself. His loyalty and protectiveness towards her seem to run deep and make me respect him more than I already do.

His attempt to reassure me doesn't entirely alleviate my wariness. While he believes Thea is merely playing mind games, something about the situation doesn't sit right with me. Her enigmatic demeanour still leaves me with more questions than answers and I'm not one to easily dismiss a gut feeling, especially when it comes to deciphering human behaviour. But something in my gut is telling me that I should be careful around her.

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