#it's clearly just a one time typo so I'm not too concerned about the mistake itself but as someone who has at times indulged in the practice

[medusasresfriadas]

mom found a small fuckup in a doctoral thesis that implies the 18th century was part of the middle ages and I can't stop thinking about a hypothetical high schooler uncritically copy pasting it into a school essay and being inmediately failed on every subject

[biggest-stupidhead]

I'm sorry for sending many requests 😭 but I saw something and I had to show you! I was reading about spellchecker mistakes and this popped up:

"Once, close to Christmas, I was wondering if we were going to work the day before, I asked “Hi boss, good afternoon. Are we going to have sex tomorrow? ”. He was on the second floor and you could hear his laughter in the entire office."

I thought it would be funny a levi x reader from that 😂 you pick if it's gonna be platonic or romantic!

 ahhhh this is so funny I love it! Tbh it took me way too long to understand what was happening but now I get it and I think it’s so cute. 

Summary: You make a typo in an email to your boss. 

Word Count:  1.3K

__

You leaned back in your chair and swiveled around to look out at the snowy city. Fat flakes of snow were spiraling down from the sky, you felt like a little kid when that familiar excitement that came with a good snow gathered in your chest. It was nearly Christmas, a time that wasn't celebrated in your office, your boss, Levi was only just recently warming up to the idea of allowing a birthday party for him to be thrown. Behind his back you had heard the interns calling him a slew of mean names: Grinch, scrooge, and even comparing him to that scary neighbor in home alone. You hadn't said anything, simply because you knew that they weren't wrong, but also you knew that Levi was deeper than the front that he put on. You turned around and decided to get up and grab a cup of tea, and probably one for Levi too.

You had gotten to know him well over the past four years that you had worked under him. He was a particular man, who loathed small talk, coffee, you assumed he hated children, and he also hated parties. You had invited him over to your humble apartment once for a beer and movie night with Erwin, Hange, Mike, and Nanaba. He had surprisingly showed, but proceeded to complain and be an absolute sourpuss the whole evening. You marched out of your small office and into the even smaller kitchen, where you weren't surprised to find almost all of the interns.

They had been lagging behind their usual pace the past few weeks, most offices offered a few days off for the holidays, but Levi basically held the employees until Christmas day. The interns all collectively straightened up at your presence, you worked directly under Levi and they were always hyper aware around you incase you had loose lips. Thankfully for them, you were no snitch, you just wanted your afternoon tea. Eren shimmied out of your way as you reached for the burner, he was in the middle of tying his hair off of his face. Mikasa was surprisingly no where to be found, you knew she and Armin were the two good ones. Connie and Sasha returned to their game that they had been playing, a weird spin on rock paper scissors, you had seen them play it before. They used a bowl large enough to fit their head in and an empty bottle of pop. As soon as they both matched the sign, for example, scissors, one would grab the bowl and the other the bottle. The goal was to cover your head before your opponent could bash you over the head with the bottle. It was a loud game, but it kept them busy so you didn't complain. Jean was officiating as always, legs crossed and nose in a magazine as he gave out half-assed hum of approval or disapproval. You finished the tea and stalked back to your office to catch up on emails. You glanced at the calendar and found it to be only a mere week away from Christmas. You decided to shoot Levi an email and attempt to bargain for a few extra days off.

"Hey Levi, good afternoon, is there anything you need? I was just looking at the calendar and couldn't help but notice that your birthday is only a few days away! Crazy how time flies. Anyway, I just wanted to know if we were having sex on Thursday?"

-(Y/n) (L/n)

You pressed send and continued to scroll through your emails as per usual. No less than five minutes later, your door practically blew open when Levi stormed in, stormy eyes dark and clearly crankier than usual.

"Oh don't tell me you were just yelling at those poor-"

"Explain now." He snapped, slamming his hand down onto your desk. You didn't flinch, well accustomed to his fits of rage. However it was a bit concerning that it was aimed towards you.

"I...don't understand sir?" you were careful with your words as you looked up at him, once again swiveling in your chair to stand.

"The email (Y/n)" he sounded exhausted as he gestured towards your desktop.

“Oh...I know it was a bit of a long shot, but I had to ask.” You shrugged, still confused on why he was so upset. Levi growled and rounded your desk, he pushed you rather roughly back into your seat before shoving your chair aside and leaning over your computer. He clicked through your emails before opening the one that you had sent minutes prior. He reached back and hauled you back to your desk. His hand was gripping the back of your chair, causing the leather and wood to groan under the pressure he was applying. You looked up at him with concern written over your features. 

“Levi?”  

“Just read the damn email.” Levi growled as he glared at the screen. You sighed dramatically and turned your gaze to the screen, where you slowly and carefully reread the email. Levi watched your face closely as your eyes scanned the screen. You gasped when you realized that you had somehow replaced work with sex. You turned with a hand over your mouth to look up at him. 

“Levi I swear I didn’t-” 

“Oh no don’t double back on me now (Y/n)” Levi teased as he looked down at you with amusement sparking in his eyes. 

“Please you have to understand-” 

“No I understand just fine, you want to fuck your boss.” Levi hummed, hand still resting on the back of your chair. 

“It was a typo.” you huffed stubbornly, of course you thought he was attractive, but you had never dared cross that line. You were surprised that Levi was being so playful on this matter, usually he was a stickler about in office relationships. 

“Oh a typo.” Levi scoffed as he swiveled your chair to be facing him, you rolled your eyes trying to mask the flustered feelings that were threatening to come to the surface. 

“Yes a typo.” You confirmed as his hand slid off the back of the chair in favor of resting on the arm of the seat, effectively caging you in. 

“Well in that case...yes you can have Thursday off. But only if you get all that paperwork done before then.” Levi’s breath was fanning over your face, the lingering scent of tea and mint flooding your nose. 

“Consider it done.” You assured him as you crossed your legs confidently and leaned back in the chair. 

“And when I have the day off....we can go try out that new restaurant down the street.” You said boldly and Levi hummed in agreement. 

“No plans for Christmas Eve then?” Levi inquired as he drummed his fingers on the arm rest. 

“Levi...I don’t celebrate the holiday.” You couldn’t help but giggle at the way his face screwed into a confused expression. 

“You asked for it off though?” Levi said slowly, not understanding why you were being to difficult. 

“Yeah, my family celebrates it but...I just don’t really.” You shrugged and Levi glowered down at you. 

“That’s not confusing at all.” Levi huffed sarcastically and you rolled your eyes. 

“Maybe if you’re extra nice to me...I’ll tell you why I don’t celebrate the holiday.” You said with a sweet smile up at him. 

“You don’t have to, I don’t celebrate it either.” Levi shrugged as he went to stand, you reached out, hoping to keep him close. You snagged him by the tie and brought him back into your space. 

“So dinner on...Thursday then?” You hummed, tilting your head up to meet his eyes. 

“Yes, dinner...” Levi swallowed thickly at the feeling of you tugging on his tie. 

“Perfect. See you then.” You said, releasing his tie and turning back to your work. Levi let out a relieved sigh as he went to leave your office, glad to have settled that awkward ordeal, and even more excited for Thursday. 

[charlotte-bane-blog]

Challenge 1: Charlotte Bane

I didn’t edit this so I am truly and deeply sorry for all the mistakes and typos, but I hope whoever reads this that they enjoy it :) People mentioned: @berklee-boyer @alinaschreave @domschreave @princepercyschreave @princesslillianschreave

———————————————————

It’s easy to let your guard down. It’s easy to make mistakes. But five sets the record.

I was used to attending formal events growing up, but not as an invited guest. I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I was completely terrified and insecure. Being a six in a room full of ones and twos was enough to knock down my ego a few pegs.

As my maids proceeded to set my hair and apply my makeup, I couldn’t help but think of the recently eliminated. There were girls sent home that I never imagined I’d make it further than. The process made me feel special but terrified. I felt that I could be thrown out at a moment’s notice.

“I’m not okay,” Berk exclaims as she swings open the door, effectively interrupting my thoughts.

My poor maid, startled, dropped her brush and glared at my blonde friend. “Berklee! What?”

“I don’t know! Something about my hair doesn’t seem right!”

I examined her hair to try to figure out what her issue was. “What about it?”

Berklee looked at me as if I was stupid before her faced formed into one of thought. “I don’t know. Like it looks amazing. Maybe I’m just nervous. Like what do you even do at a ball?”

I chuckled at her rambling. “Your hair is definitely gorgeous. And does it look like I would know? Aren’t you the know it all three,” I grinned.

“Stop,” she rolled her eyes. “But do I look okay?”

I let out a sigh. “You look beautiful, trust me.”

“Girl, you look so much better.”

I smiled a bit to myself. It was nice to be complemented once in awhile. With my former profession, I was used to being the one to offer my praise. This all felt so new, yet amazing. “I’m not even fully dressed,” I retorted, gesturing to my robe.

Berk gave me a flat look. “Whatever. Hurry up.”

“Just a second,” I hushed. “I have to finish up my hair. How is it by the way?”

“I love it! The twists are super cute,” she grinned.

I smiled and nodded at her before walking into my closet with my maid. She helped me into the gown since there was no possible way of me getting it on or off single handedly. Once the job was done, I stepped out to show Berk. “Here, how’s this?”

“Oh my god. That’s amazing! It’s so pretty! It’s so you!” The dress was a gorgeous emerald color that reached the floor. There was a 90% chance I’d end up tripping over it at least once tonight.

“Thanks, Berk,” I said awkwardly. “We should probably head over now. Wouldn’t want to be late.”

With that said, Berk and I made our way out of the room and down to the ball. I was met with beautiful decorations and a striking wave of anxiety. I took a deep breath and walked towards the Bitch Squad for a small photo session with the press. I smiled at them and spoke to them for a bit before leaving the group. I still have no clue why I left. I probably should’ve stayed with a friend to help my nerves. But, alas, I had made the first mistake of the night.

I glanced around the room before deciding to busy myself with a few refreshments. I noticed a guard eyeing me closely, so I grabbed a drink, hoping it would discourage him from starting a conversation with me. This plan did not work.

“Hey, princess, how are you,” the guard smirked.

I looked at him out of the corner of my eye uneasily. “I'm… uh… okay.”

He inched closer to me. “Wanna dance?”

I stepped back. “I don’t think so…”

“You sure?”

“Positive.”

The guard leaned back. “Alright, but find me when you change your mind. Because you will.”

I cringed. “Okay…” I definitely wasn’t going to change my mind. I stepped away from him quickly and looked around for an easy exit or distraction. I was definitely distracted as I saw Evan and Kat talking. Percy had mentioned before of his thoughts toward the pair. He said he felt his brother was a bit hypocritical. Evan must’ve thought the same thing since he seemed to leave Kat quite suddenly. Huh, I thought.

I found a comfortable area to sit in as I watched the ball go on. I was kicking myself for not enjoying this ordeal like all the other Selected seemed to. This could be your life, I scolded myself. You have to get a grip.

Pulling me out of my thoughts, an older woman strutted towards me regally. “Is there something wrong, darling, or are you just not a party person?”

I looked up a bit startled. It was Princess Lillian, Percy’s mom. This should be fun. “Everything’s fine,” I smiled weakly. “This is just a bit new for me.”

Lillian sneered down her nose as if she thought she was better than everyone else. She probably did. “Well, you’d better get used to it if you ever hope to join the royal family.”

Though what she had said was true and something I had already told myself, I wasn’t comfortable with the way she spoke to me. To be honest, it sounded like my own mother.

“Guess you’re right. My apologies, your highness,” I said, gritting my teeth. “I didn’t mean to offend you so greatly.” I didn’t sound sincere at all.

“Of course you didn’t.” Do you not understand sarcasm, Mrs. Schreave? Lillian eyed me more carefully. Part of me was worried she could read my mind. “Which one are you again?”

Should I say someone else’s name, I asked myself. Nope, definitely not. That would end very badly. “Charlotte, ma'am.”

Her eyes flashed with recognition. “Ahh, you’re the one my youngest is so obsessed with.”

Youngest? “Callie? Funny. I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting her yet.”

“No, I mean Percy of course.” Poor, ignored Callie.

“Right, Percy. I’m not sure I follow.”

Lillian pinched the bridge of her nose. “What don’t you follow dear girl? It’s not that complicated.”

My patience was definitely running out with this woman. Whatever I had drunken earlier wasn’t helping my control at all. “I don’t follow,” I began slowly, “why you would choose the word ‘obsessed’. It’s not that complicated,” I mocked.

“You’re all he talks about. You’re all the media talks about in regards to him. Seems like an obsession to me.” This woman didn’t seem too fond of this realization.

I shrugged. “I prefer the word ‘interested’, don’t you? Sounds less crazy. You wouldn’t want people thinking your son was crazy.”

“My son is crazy, darling. Both of them are, in their own ways. The trick is just learning to accept it.”

Don’t say it, Charlotte. Don’t say it.

“Did you also accept yourself?”

Why? Why did I do that? This would be the second mistake of the night.

“Excuse me,” Lillian blurted.

Shoot. I have to fix this. “Just that if your sons are both crazy, in lovable ways I assume, wouldn’t you say you are too?” Total B.S.

Lillian look absolutely appalled. “No, of course I am not! How dare you accuse me as such,” she exclaimed.

“I didn’t accuse you of anything. I simply asked a question.”

“Mmhmm. A question insinuating that I am, in fact, crazy. Which I am clearly not.” Yeah…

I simply nodded. “Clearly.”

Lillian crossed her arms. “Well, is there anything else or are you able to enjoy my party now?” Oh yes, I’m just having a grand time.

“I’m enjoying it immensely,” I grit out. “Thanks for asking.” There wasn’t a genuine bone in my body in that moment.

“Excellent. Have a nice rest of your evening,” she responded before turning to leave. When she finally walked away, I let out a deep sigh. Lillian was the mother of Evan, Percy, and Callie. I haven’t met Callie or Evan personally but I knew they weren’t awful. And Percy… he wasn’t too bad.

I forced myself to stand up. I may not have been having the best of times, but I might as well try to be social for a bit. If I was feeling miserable after trying, I’d leave. Simple as that.

I spotted Berklee and decided to make some conversation. “Hey, Berk. Enjoying yourself?”

She turned around and smiled at me. “Yeah expect that my feet are killing me. You?”

“Horrible. I just got done having a lovely conversation with Princess Lillian.”

“What happened,” she asked concerned.

“I was already feeling pretty awkward and she wasn’t really happy about that. But, she said her youngest was obsessed with me. I’ve never even met Callie. She did correct herself and say Percy, but whatever. You’ve spoken to Callie, right,” I rambled.

“Yes I have. She’s the cutest,” Berklee grinned. She really seemed to love that girl. “She’s right over there if you want to talk to her.” She pointed over to a little girl with blondish hair.

“Yeah, sure. Why not?” Berklee grabbed my hand and led me over to the youngest royal. Callie was a whirlwind of energy. She was pretty funny for a little kid. Though the moment she mentioned that I seemed to be the topic of conversation quite frequently. “Oh!! YOU’RE Charlotte!!” Callie exclaimed after I was introduced by Berklee.

“I’M Charlotte?”

Callie grinned. “Yeah. I keep hearing your name, but didn’t know what you looked like.” This little girl seemed to have a mischievous glint in her eye. She acted innocent, but I had a feeling she knew exactly what she was talking about.

Berklee and I shot her a questioning glance. “You keep hearing her name,” Berk asked.

“Yeah. Dom and Percy talk about her a lot.” I flushed at her response. I hoped it wasn’t anything too awful. It probably wasn’t bad at all. Percy and Dom were interesting guys, but I doubted they were the type to gossip. I think.

Callie continued to ramble about her silly antics and never fail to embarrass me with talk about her brother and cousin. She was a good kid.

Berk and I said our goodbyes as she left to enjoy more of the ball. I stood there for a moment thinking about what else I could do to pass the time and maybe actually have fun there.

“Hey there, angel,” someone whispered from behind me, sliding their arms around me.

I jumped away from the person and whipped around. “Jeez, what is wrong with you!? You scared me half to death,” I yelled at Percy.

He simply laughed. “Sorry, I thought it was funny.”

“I’m sure you did.” I retorted sarcastically. “What are you doing over here?”

“Just… came to check in on things. How are you feeling about being at your first ’royal ball’,” he said with raised brows and finger quotes.

“Not… well to be honest. Lots of anxiety in me at the moment,” I sighed and offered him a small smile.

“Why? Just cause I scared you,” he teased.

“No.” I rolled my eyes. “Because I’m not used to this. It’s stressful doing new things, I’ve come to learn.”

Percy shrugged. “Yeah, I get that. But seriously, there’s nothing to worry about here. It’s just the Selected and my family. No big deal. It’s not like you need to worry about the Czar of Russia showing up or anything.”

“But I do need to worry about Illean Royalty being here,” I pointed out.

“Nah, we’re not as special as people think. Really, just be yourself and you’ll be fine. Or just ignore them. That works too,” he joked. Percy looked around the room. “Listen, I have to be seen talking to more than one person, but if you can survive the rest of this ball, I’ll save the last dance of the night for you. Okay?”

“Okay.” Not okay. I really didn’t want to left by myself. I didn’t want him to leave.

Percy gave me an encouraging smile before walking away. I watched his retreating figure and say him turn towards the direction of Aricia. My chest tightened.

I never considered myself an overly emotional person. Everything I felt, I usually kept inside, and I was not about to let it all out. I needed to get out of there.

I stalked towards the exit and say Alina by the door. I figured I’d at least greet her. Looking back, I wish I hadn’t. Don’t get me wrong, I love Alina. But what I did next shone that moment in a negative light. “Oh… Hey Alina.”

“Charlotte,” she exclaimed, drink in hand. “Where are you going?”

I wracked my mind for an excuse. “Just thought I’d take an early night.”

“Noooo! What happened?” She was clearly drunk.

“Nothing,” I glanced towards the dancing couple. “This just isn’t really my scene. I just haven’t gotten used to all this yet.”

“Well that’s because you haven’t had anything to drink!” Alina looked at me as if I was crazy. “Come on, let’s find out what you like!”

“I don’t know, Alina… “ I’ve never had a real drink before. I wasn’t sure if I could even hold my liquor. Percy and Aricia weren’t worth getting drunk over. I looked over towards them again and practically threw my last thought out the window. “You know what? Never mind. I’ll try those pink drinks.” And that was the third mistake.

“Hell yeah you will!” Alina dragged me towards the refreshment table and grabbed me a glass.

I took a sip of the blushed liquid. I burned a bit but had a fruity aftertaste. “It’s not that bad, I guess.”

“It’ll get worse if you keep sipping it like that! Chug!” Wait, what? I wanted to say no. I should’ve said no. I didn’t say no.

I took a deep breath and drank a large gulp. “Oh my God, what’s in this?”

“Keep going,” Alina encouraged and ignored my question. “You can’t get drunk off one glass, so you better chug faster.”

Stupidly, I followed suit. I finished the drink and pressed my palm to my forehead. I still wasn’t feeling it. By then, I wanted to. I wanted it to distract me. “Give me another.”

It took about three drinks to really get to me. It really got to me. “I think we’re done now,” Alina giggled.

I was beginning to why people drank and also why they didn’t. “The room is spinning, oh God,” I stumbled. “This night sucks. Like super sucks.”

“Why?!”

“People. People suck.” He sucks. “You know what, I wanna dance. I’m going to dance.” Before Alina could even get a word in, I stormed onto the dance floor. I needed a dance partner. Maybe that creep of a guard from earlier. Yeah, he’d work. I search the room for him, trying my best to clear my blurred mind. I spotted a tall guy with brown hair and figured it was him. Even if it wasn’t, it didn’t matter. I just needed someone. “We should dance.” I grabbed the guard before recognizing him as someone else. “Oh wait… uh. You’re not the guard from earlier…”

Prince Dominic Schreave. Of course.

That was my fourth mistake of the night.

“Well, hello there, Charlotte.” Dom smirked.

“Your highness… I’d curtsy, but I don’t think it’s possible in this position.” Dom and I were a dancing form. I was trying my best to act ‘not drunk’. I’m pretty sure I was failing. I was sure he could smell the alcohol in my breath. Just great.

“No need to curtsy. Are you feeling okay? You seem a little… high-strung.” He glanced at me worriedly.

“It’s just really hot in here. Do you think it’s hot in here?”

“I don’t know. Hmm… maybe it’s just you,” he winked.

I let out an overly loud laugh. Yeah, that’s not obvious at all. “You’re so funny! Who knew you were so funny? Wow.”

“Yeah, I am pretty funny… Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

“Is ‘no’ an acceptable answer?” I grinned.

Dom raised his eyebrows. “Is there anything I can do to help?” Probably not, I thought. That’s what the drinks were for.

“Tell me what’s in the pink drinks they’ve been serving here?”

“The Amarula Sunsets? Please tell me you didn’t drink one…” Dom looked actually freaked out now. How sweet. He wasn’t the one I wanted to worry.

“I didn’t drink one. I drank three,” I giggled.

Dom’s eyes widened. “Holy… Charlotte, those things are filled with vodka! And I’m guessing you haven’t had much of a chance to drink in the past, so you haven’t built up any tolerance… maybe someone should take you back to your room…”

“No, no I’m fine. I’ll be fine,” I stumbled. “I’m so sorry. This is really embarrassing…” I looked over towards Percy, hoping he didn’t see that, but didn’t spot him at all. Where was he?

“Charlotte, are you okay,” ran over and asked frantically. Speak of the devil and he shall appear.

“I’m fine,” I grumbled.

Percy glared at me. “You don’t look fine.” He looked over to Dom. “What happened?”

I hated he looked at me that way. I hated that it bothered me at all. I didn’t want my emotions to get out, yet I let them get the best of me. I drank to make myself forget them, but lost control of them altogether.

“She drank too many of those Sunsets,” he replied.

Percy ran a hand through his hair. “Char, why would you do something so stupid?”

“I didn’t realize what was in them,” I bit. I may not have known what type of alcohol was in those drinks, but I knew what I was doing. In the back of my mind I knew I was being stupid. “You’re stupid.”

Dom nodded towards Percy and stepped away, seeing he could handle this.

“Why am I stupid, angel? You’re the one drinking things when you don’t know what they are.” I knew.

“Th-they were pretty.” I stumbled again and fell into Percy. God, this was embarrassing. I was so pissed off. And for what? A guy? What would my mother think…

Percy catches me. “Maybe I should take you to your room…”

“Don’t flirt with me,” I slurred into his shirt.

He let out a laugh. “For once, I’m not trying to. Come on,” he said as he led me towards the doors.

From that point, I can only remember mumbling random things to Percy. As we got closer to my room, a strong wave of nausea hit me. “I feel like I’m going to be sick.”

Percy groaned. “Ok, let’s hurry this up.” He picked me up bridal style and raced me into my room.

“Percy, I swear to God if you drop me…”

He grinned wickedly. “Never.”

“Put me down anyway,” I scolded. “You have to leave. I’m going to be sick. Why the hell do people drink?” I knew why I did at least.

“No, I gotta make sure you don’t choke on your own puke. And I don’t have any clue why people drink. I guess to make themselves seem more interesting. I’ve never had any interest though,” he responded as he carried me into my bathroom and set me down.

“You’re already interesting.” I dropped to the toilet and leaned over to breathe. Percy gathered my hair up and held it back.

“Exactly why I don’t need to drink. And neither do you.”

It was quiet for a little while as I steadied my breathing. The feeling of throwing up was beginning to leave. “I think I’m fine. Nausea passed.”

Percy rubbed my back. For the second time that night, my chest tightened. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“This was the worst night ever,” I said lowly.

He chuckled. “It absolutely was not the worst night ever. I have had SO much worse.”

“Did you make a complete fool of yourself in front of someone you’re supposed to try to impress,” I retorted.

“You ever heard of strip poker?”

“You’ve played strip poker? You’re 17.” Sure, I was one to talk. I was getting drunk at 17.

“Yeah. Word of advice, never play it when an African King is in the next room over. And you’re playing against his daughter.”

“Of course. His daughter,” I muttered and rolled my eyes.

“Yeah… being a little drunk in front of a few minor royals is nothing compared to that… You should’ve seen Uncle Jameson’s face,” Percy laughed humorlessly and shook his head slightly.

“Are you okay?” I actually worried about Percy. I wasn’t exactly sober but I wasn’t fully drunk either. I wanted him to talk to me.

“Yeah, just… I’ve made a lot of stupid mistakes in my life… Well, I think you need to get to bed. Sleep off the embarrassment and hope you don’t wake up with a wicked hangover.”

The room became quiet. “You never danced with me.”

Percy looked at me nervously. “Are you…,” he cleared his throat to continue. “Are you feeling well enough for a dance?”

I looked looked up hesitantly. “Are you asking me to dance?”

Percy stared at me for a moment. I couldn’t make out the look on his face. “Yeah, I guess I am.”

“Then I feel well enough.”

Percy smiled softly. “Well, okay then.” He pulled me closer to him and let me rest my head on his shoulder as we began to sway slightly.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

Percy tightened his hold on me. “What are you sorry for, angel?”

“For being an idiot,” I started. “For getting jealous and not thinking.”

Percy jerked in surprise. “Jealous? Of what?”

I glanced up at him and shook my head quickly. “N-nothing. It’s nothing.”

“No, tell me… Please.” The look on his face and in his eyes told me I couldn’t lie or refuse him. I wanted to.

I dropped my head. “You… other girls… her.”

Percy let out a breath. “You know I have to dance with other girls if they ask, right?”

I looked away quickly. “I know. Of course I know that.”

“Then why’d you let yourself get so drunk? I know it wasn’t entirely an accident. You’re too smart for that.”

“That’s the thing, Percy. I’m not smart. I’m a six. I’m a stupid maid. I can’t be some princess or three,” I pointed out. I knew I wasn’t exactly his type. I knew there was no point to what I’d done tonight. There was no point to any of this. I was a pastime for him. I wasn’t a real prospect. I was just me.

Percy stared at me. “You were smart enough not to trust me at first.”

“I wasn’t smart enough to not let myself get hurt so easily by trivial things that… that shouldn’t even concern me.” I ran my hand through my hair. It was a while before we said anything.

“Everyone has their limitations, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.” I scoffed at his joke. “Anyway, you really should be getting some sleep…”

“Maybe I should…” Percy made no move to leave. “I’m still in my dress.”

He grinned. “Do you need help getting out of it?”

I looked down quickly. “Actually, yes.”

Percy flushed and I strangely loved the sight. “Oh, um…. What do you normally sleep in?”

“Whatever is given to me. Usually a night gown. They’re in the closet over there,” I gestured.

Percy nodded and walked to the closet. He ruffled through the hangers before pulling out a skimpy nightgown. He turned around with a questioning look and his signature smirk.

“Definitely not. Grab the white one,” I said flatly.

He chuckled and pulled it out. “I see. So you’re going for the pure, virginal one.” Nothing wrong with that.

“You don’t call me angel for nothing.”

He smiled slightly. “Alright, turn around.” I followed suit. “Hold onto your dress.” I grabbed the front and held it to my chest. Percy slowly pulled down the zipper of my dress. The whole ordeal felt very intimate. Time seemed to slow down and everything faded away. Every problem outside my top was silenced.

When the zipper reached its final point, Percy stilled for a moment. He began to speak but his voices cracked. I smiled to myself. “Ok I’m going to put the nightgown over your head,” he instructed. “So now you can drop the dress.”

“Okay,” I responded quietly. I dropped my dress and tugged the nightgown down fully. I turned around slowly. “Thanks, Percy.”

“You’re welcome, Char,” he replied sincerely. “Alright.” Percy put his hands under my knees and lifted me up. “Let’s get you to bed.” He carried me over and gently set me onto my bed, lifted the covers, and tucked me in. He stood back up to leave.

“Percy, wait.”

“What?”

I hesitated before reaching up to kiss him on the cheek. “You’re a good guy.”

He stared at me with wide eyes and let out a small laugh. “I know, but people never seem to realize it…” He looked at me seriously. “Are you going to be okay now, angel?”

“Yeah,” I said softly. “I’ll be okay.”

He took my hand in his and squeezed it before letting it go. “Good night, Char.” Percy walked to the door but hesitated like he was nervous to leave. With one last glance, he stepped out of the room.

That was my fifth and final mistake of the evening– letting him.