it was about time, really. things got real weird when the memories of past lives (or whatever the fuck) started kicking in, and time just got away from them. but he didn't forget Erwin casually sort-of maybe asking him out via text before all that, and he was hoping Erwin didn't forget, either.
so when Erwin invited him to come to the zoo with him, he may have felt a little bit of a thrill. holy shit, it was finally happening. they were gonna walk around and look at animals and maybe even hold hands. they were gonna stop and eat somewhere and it probably wasn't gonna be that great because it's a fucking zoo but it wouldn't matter. they were gonna stall strategically to spend as much time together as possible until closing time, and then Erwin was gonna drive him home and then just before going back into his apartment Erwin would... maybe... kiss him. (?!?)
he's beginning to think maybe he does kinda like that guy after all.
but what he definitely didn't expect was a third wheel. to be fair, he would be pissed off no matter who it was, but naturally it's the absolute fucking worst possible option, holy fuck he just wants to punch him in his stupid fucking face why are you here why are you here—
uh.
anyway.
well, needless to say, it would be nearly impossible to hide his anger, so the best he can do is try to tone it down to moderate irritation. a bad mood, perhaps. for instance, there's a zoo map in his hands that he very badly wants to rip in half, but he doesn't, because he's only moderately irritated. his ability to keep a cool head and not just throw Zeke in the fucking tiger exhibit is truly inspiring. ]
Well, you know where the primates are. We'll just meet up at the end of the day.
[ his last remaining hope is that this weird motherfucker will just spend the whole day being amazed at monkeys and forget to hang out with them. fingers are crossed. ]
needless, to say, ezekiel was ecstatic to not only invite philosophical friendly co-worker erwin smith with too many free passes he has to his main job, but to talk to erwin about gibbons. he’s even brought a little friend! one of the young male white-faced gibbons he spends the most time with called boba (listen, all the zookeepers are nerds), holds zeke’s hand as they walk over a wooden bridge leading into the exhibit waiting area, an elongated arm playing around and eventually hanging onto zeke’s as a swing— look how cute—?!
it’s something, possibly the only something, that puts a wide grin on ezekiel for a number of reasons. one: it’s definitely cute. two: it’s even cuter when he understands the rapid-fire oo!s (excited! excited! happy! play! zekel! friend! excited! carrot!). three: absolutely monke.
oh lawd they coming, and levi seeing zeke holding this vocal gibbon’s hand and doing the oos with him is all he needed. ]
[ on the one hand, erwin wants to date levi real bad. it kind of simmers under his skin in a way that he can't explain, running deeper than it normally would for their level of closeness, but he decides that's just fucking normal and goes with it because he's too intense to begin with, so may as well be fucking nuts about wanting to date the guy you like.
THAT SAID, that this has turned into a trio isn't the end of the world for erwin, mostly because he has other plans for just him and levi. a lot of them actually, any of which can be implemented at any time. he plans a lot, you see.
he can sense the mood radiating off of levi though and as they stand next to each other his hand drifts to briefly graze the small of his back, which is wildly presumptuous but feels normal.
anyway, zeke with his gibbon friend is kind of cute but also funny, and he huffs out a laugh at the display. ]
Showing off already?
[ his hand is actually kind of still hovering at levi's back, only barely not touching him. ]
[ under most circumstances, Levi would be hyper-aware of the hand hovering at his back—which is actually kind of weird, as he has no real reason to be in survival mode all the time—but right now, he's too busy being pointlessly indignant about the guy he doesn't like being at his own place of employment (the absolute nerve). and now he's got a fucking monkey with him, wow, soooo coooool. why is it fucking shrieking at him? Zeke probably told it to with his monkey mind control powers or something.
...nah. that would just be silly. ]
Wow. You never told me you had kids.
[ more shit that probably won't even offend this guy. not only that, but he realizes that Erwin was laughing just now, so he glances up at him for a second and then just kind of shuts up. if Erwin likes it, then it's fine.
[ zeke is having the time of his life! this is his kid. and the fact that levi was there with erwin had only managed a soft little kink in a clean blanket spread about his day. he hasn’t said anything untrue and offensive, at least. boba still swings from his arm and he has to off the support of a tree branch there before trying to pull the ape up into his arms. ]
Erwin, [ a pause, ] Levi— this is Boba. He’s going to start off your day. Want to hold him?
[ boba is already reaching for levi (coincidence? no—) with long furry arms. look how cute his kid is HOLD HIS KID ]
[ he arches an eyebrow when boba reaches for levi first, then shifts to intercept and offer his arm to be grasped. why? who cares. definitely not to spare levi what erwin can see he doesn't like. ]
[ here's the thing, though: Levi may not be too crazy about Zeke—or people as a whole, really—but animals are another story. he would have let Boba grab onto his arm without much of a fuss, although Erwin stepping in to protect him from That Guy He Doesn't Like's monkey minion is extremely cute, and for the briefest fraction of a second it makes him smile. sort of. just a little.
anyway.
he realizes suddenly that he has no idea how he's supposed to interact with a monkey, but it's probably safe to pet him, right? he's just going to tentatively try to pet him. he's not just trying to "accidentally" touch Erwin, either. honest. ]
[ boba takes what he's given! a delightful arm for him to slide of zeke's hold and onto erwin's, going to his arm to shoulders and hanging around his neck. just chilling there. zeke laughs, and gently proceeds to help guide erwin's hands underneath the ape. ]
There— and you can let go when you've had enough, he'll find his way around.
[ meanwhile, with levi trying to pet boba— apes are very interactive! boba's already reaching and curling his fingers around levi's. or, trying! oooo oooo! ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
early march?? pre-event fuckery idk
it was about time, really. things got real weird when the memories of past lives (or whatever the fuck) started kicking in, and time just got away from them. but he didn't forget Erwin casually sort-of maybe asking him out via text before all that, and he was hoping Erwin didn't forget, either.
so when Erwin invited him to come to the zoo with him, he may have felt a little bit of a thrill. holy shit, it was finally happening. they were gonna walk around and look at animals and maybe even hold hands. they were gonna stop and eat somewhere and it probably wasn't gonna be that great because it's a fucking zoo but it wouldn't matter. they were gonna stall strategically to spend as much time together as possible until closing time, and then Erwin was gonna drive him home and then just before going back into his apartment Erwin would... maybe... kiss him. (?!?)
he's beginning to think maybe he does kinda like that guy after all.
but what he definitely didn't expect was a third wheel. to be fair, he would be pissed off no matter who it was, but naturally it's the absolute fucking worst possible option, holy fuck he just wants to punch him in his stupid fucking face why are you here why are you here—
uh.
anyway.
well, needless to say, it would be nearly impossible to hide his anger, so the best he can do is try to tone it down to moderate irritation. a bad mood, perhaps. for instance, there's a zoo map in his hands that he very badly wants to rip in half, but he doesn't, because he's only moderately irritated. his ability to keep a cool head and not just throw Zeke in the fucking tiger exhibit is truly inspiring. ]
Well, you know where the primates are. We'll just meet up at the end of the day.
[ his last remaining hope is that this weird motherfucker will just spend the whole day being amazed at monkeys and forget to hang out with them. fingers are crossed. ]
let it begin
needless, to say, ezekiel was ecstatic to not only invite philosophical friendly co-worker erwin smith with too many free passes he has to his main job, but to talk to erwin about gibbons. he’s even brought a little friend! one of the young male white-faced gibbons he spends the most time with called boba (listen, all the zookeepers are nerds), holds zeke’s hand as they walk over a wooden bridge leading into the exhibit waiting area, an elongated arm playing around and eventually hanging onto zeke’s as a swing— look how cute—?!
it’s something, possibly the only something, that puts a wide grin on ezekiel for a number of reasons. one: it’s definitely cute. two: it’s even cuter when he understands the rapid-fire oo!s (excited! excited! happy! play! zekel! friend! excited! carrot!). three: absolutely monke.
oh lawd they coming, and levi seeing zeke holding this vocal gibbon’s hand and doing the oos with him is all he needed. ]
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THAT SAID, that this has turned into a trio isn't the end of the world for erwin, mostly because he has other plans for just him and levi. a lot of them actually, any of which can be implemented at any time. he plans a lot, you see.
he can sense the mood radiating off of levi though and as they stand next to each other his hand drifts to briefly graze the small of his back, which is wildly presumptuous but feels normal.
anyway, zeke with his gibbon friend is kind of cute but also funny, and he huffs out a laugh at the display. ]
Showing off already?
[ his hand is actually kind of still hovering at levi's back, only barely not touching him. ]
He looks like he's having the time of his life.
no subject
...nah. that would just be silly. ]
Wow. You never told me you had kids.
[ more shit that probably won't even offend this guy. not only that, but he realizes that Erwin was laughing just now, so he glances up at him for a second and then just kind of shuts up. if Erwin likes it, then it's fine.
when did that become the rule? huh. ]
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Erwin, [ a pause, ] Levi— this is Boba. He’s going to start off your day. Want to hold him?
[ boba is already reaching for levi (coincidence? no—) with long furry arms. look how cute his kid is HOLD HIS KID ]
no subject
[ he arches an eyebrow when boba reaches for levi first, then shifts to intercept and offer his arm to be grasped. why? who cares. definitely not to spare levi what erwin can see he doesn't like. ]
He's quite the charming start.
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anyway.
he realizes suddenly that he has no idea how he's supposed to interact with a monkey, but it's probably safe to pet him, right? he's just going to tentatively try to pet him. he's not just trying to "accidentally" touch Erwin, either. honest. ]
no subject
There— and you can let go when you've had enough, he'll find his way around.
[ meanwhile, with levi trying to pet boba— apes are very interactive! boba's already reaching and curling his fingers around levi's. or, trying! oooo oooo! ]
He's liking the attention.