Nora ended up sending Levi a dozen texts that night and the next day, asking him if he was okay. "We don't have to hang out if you don't want to. I'm sure you need plenty of rest."

Rest did sound nice. As much as he loved going to the parks, doing it in all his free time with Nora was starting to wear on him. As was the lying, but he couldn't blame anyone but himself for that.

On his day off, he found himself lying in bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking of Nora. She was always so sweet to everyone she met. He'd never seen her be rude to anyone, even when defending others. And she was easy to get along with.

It was seriously a shame he'd passed out right before telling her the truth.

"Disney day?" he texted back, not able to take not seeing her anymore and knowing she was probably already there.

She sent a gif of Genie's mouth falling open, then Pooh with his utensils dancing happily in his chair. "Are you sure?"

"You pick the time and place."

She ended up choosing the Magic Kingdom. It was usually her choice.

Levi made sure to put in a water bottle, which he was going to refill as many times as needed throughout the day. He might have to pee a dozen times, but at least he wasn't going to pass out again.

One less excuse to not tell her today.

As expected, Nora was already inside the park when he arrived. She'd been kind enough to traverse back to the entrance, leaning up against the brick wall by the Main Street train station. He spotted her as soon as his MagicBand finished scanning the touch point, chiming as it turned green.

Nora pushed herself off the wall, looking ready to start running back into the park as she skipped towards him. "Hi."

He smiled. "Hi."

She clapped her hands together, rubbing them. "Are you ready for an awesome Disney day?"

"You do make pretty awesome ones," he admitted. "First, I was wanting to tell you—"
The whistle to the train sounded nearby.

"Oh my gosh, Levi. We've never been on the train together! We have to go."

Before he could say anything else about being Jack Sparrow, she'd practically yanked his arm out of his socket, forcing him up the stairs to the train station above so they could board before the train left.

He rubbed the joint as they sat on the wooden bench, Nora beaming and twitchy with her Disney energy.

Levi decided not to try to speak over the train's narration, whistles, or horn. Not to mention they were now surrounded by people and he didn't want his confession to be heard by everyone or to make Nora be stuck with him if she decided she couldn't deal with the revelation.

Thinking about it made him want to jump off the train.

Soon, he was too caught up in the whirlwind of Nora's Disney desires to even think of the opportune moment to tell her. They went into all the shops that sold pins because she was looking for a specific rare one they'd been selling lately, but usually sold out. She wasn't much of a collector, but at the same time it was a cute set of Mickey ears that was limited edition that matched a pair she had. By the time he caught up to her, she was already onto the next rack, or saying they needed to try the next store down.

As if sensing his growing weariness from the onslaught of attempting to buy merchandise, she bought them Mickey pretzels, which she took pictures of before they ate off Mickey's poor ears, and they even ended up getting Fast Passes to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, an impressive feat.

Nora kept checking her watch.

"Is something happening at a certain time that I should know about?" Levi asked, still munching on the warm dough that had the perfect amount of salt.

"The three o'clock parade is at three."

It was one of the most commonly asked questions of Cast Members—"When does the three o'clock parade start?" Levi rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Nora. I didn't know that."

She grinned. "I should be the Cast Member, not you."

He nudged her shoulder and she laughed.

It wasn't long after that that Nora shot like an arrow towards Adventureland, forcing him to yet again keep up. Once they passed the Pirate entrance, his heart sank. He knew exactly where she was taking him and why she'd been checking the time so persistently.

She came to a stop at his meet and greet area, frowning when she spotted Jack Sparrow. "Dang. He's never here when I want you to meet him."

Levi stared at the other Jack. He barely knew him, besides the fact that his name was Hunter. They'd spoken a bit at first for training, but it's not as if he could shadow him. There was only one Jack Sparrow.

"You want me to meet Jack Sparrow?" Levi asked doubtfully. As much as they'd been hanging out lately, she didn't seem to mention going to see Jack, or she stated things very matter-of-factly and then changed the subject.

Her head bobbed back and forth. "Well, I thought maybe you'd enjoy it."

"Why?"

She gave him a classic Nora pout. "Because it's fun."

"I guess you come here a lot?" It wasn't really a guess, but it was the best wording he could think of.

She scuffed her shoe. "He's fun to talk to."

Levi pulled up his phone, staring blankly at the My Magical Experience app. Anything to not look at Jack or Nora. "Surprised you'd want to share him with me."

"Why?"

"I don't know. You've always gone to see him by yourself, right?"

"You're always working when characters have meet and greets."

He couldn't imagine why. "Well, maybe someday it'll happen."

Sure.

"You don't like character meet and greets, do you?" she asked.

Levi pocketed his phone, trying to hide his grimace. "They're fine. I'm just not very good at talking to them."

He really wasn't. You'd think with as many meet and greet interactions as he'd had, he'd be fine on the other side. But no. When he was Jack, he found it to be a fun challenge to say the perfect Jack things, to make guests laugh and to touch their hearts. But when he was Levi, all he could think about was that some person was getting paid to interact with whatever guests came up to them and how weird it was that he was on the other side of things, knowing exactly what it was like to be interacted with by awkward adults. Adults in general were fine, especially if they were good at playing along, which Levi wasn't. Not when he wasn't wearing the hat.

"Well, you just made me decide what we're doing today." Nora grabbed his arm. "Character day."

"Why?"

She tugged him along. "You're going to learn how to talk to them."

"I know how. I'm just not good at it and it's awkward."

"Nope. I'm going to teach you how."

She strolled him towards Main Street. Because apparently the first character they had to meet was Mickey Mouse himself.

"Check out my girl." Nora handed him her phone in line. A video of a small girl with a bald head and a shining smile was doing a secret handshake with Merida. "That's Malia. She has alopecia, which is an autoimmune disorder where her hair doesn't really grow. She's perfectly healthy and obviously the best kid ever, not to mention beautiful." She swiped through videos. "She's shy, like you, but meeting characters has really helped her come out of her shell."

"So you're trying the same thing with me."

"Yep!"

Levi soured. "This isn't some ploy to try to get me to change into a really bubbly person, is it?"

"Levi, you're great as you are. I'm not trying to make you different. If you're introverted, you're introverted. That's great. But you can't go your whole life not talking to people either. And I think it would be nice if you got more comfortable being able to have interactions with people, don't you?"

"Characters."

"People." She twisted her fingers around a gold chain he hadn't noticed before. At the end was a small cursed piece of Aztec gold.

His mind shorted out. He tried to focus on Mickey instead as they waited their turn.

He'd never been Mickey before because of his height, but he had been Tigger. Face characters had to train as the regular meet and greet ones prior to taking on their own role. Which meant he'd had to stuff himself in the itchy, blazing hot fur of Tigger. And no, they did not have some sort of air conditioning inside of them. He even had it easier than most characters considering the Crystal Palace, the table service restaurant where Pooh and the gang hung out, was inside, but it did require the energy of an entire power plant to be Tigger, leaving Levi utterly exhausted by the end of each shift.

Levi pursed his lips. Maybe he could act his way through the interaction and Nora would stop their tour of characters.

As soon as Mickey was in sight, he did his best. He hugged him, which really wasn't so bad. It's not as if he was against characters, it's just as a grown man, especially one who had been in the suit, it felt a bit weird to do the pretending with people in oversized costumes when there weren't any kids around.

Except Nora, of course. And this was for her, so he asked Mickey questions. Took the lead on the interaction. It's not that he didn't know how to be a normal human, he just preferred not talking unless it was necessary. A lot of the time it wasn't.

Mickey planted a few more kisses on his cheek before sending them on their way.

"Wow." Nora pushed him. "The Mouse himself loves you."

"I mean, he did hire me."

She smiled. "Look at you, sounding so confident. You're ready for the big leagues."

"What does that mean?"

Levi's hands balled into fists at his side, ignoring the trickling fountain in New Fantasyland. "Why do we have to meet him?"

"Because you show such promise that I believe you're ready, young padawan."

"I would seriously rather meet Kylo Ren."

"Kylo Ren doesn't talk."

Exactly. Or at least, not in the way most face characters did. "He's still intimidating. That makes it difficult to interact with him."

"You're not getting out of this, Levi."

But he so wanted to. For so many reasons.

"Look, he's not that bad."

"He's vain."

"Yeah, but he's not that bad."

A man strode towards the ever growing meet and greet line and bellowed, "Where's my applause?"

The line burst into a clapping frenzy, which was saying something considering most of the guests were families with oblivious children. Still, there were enough fangirls and adults with a lot of Gaston adoration that made up for the silent gawking. Some pretended to swoon as they called out compliments, hands to their chests, kisses blown, squeals sounding like trumpets to his arrival.

Levi forced himself to not roll his eyes. Theater people. Instead, he raised an eyebrow at Nora, who had been clapping politely, giving him a puppy dog apology pout.

He did not accept the apology.

As Gaston passed them, his step faltered, eyes flashing between Levi and Nora. No one but Levi seemed to notice, but the second bit into his skin like shards of glass.

Gaston rubbed his gloved hands together, inviting the first family forward, instantly on his knees as a little girl rushed into his arms.

"Do you come see him all the time?" Levi muttered to her.

"Um, no."

Then why was she twirling a string of her hair, which was something he realized she did when she was nervous? "Are you sure?"

"He comes to see me, okay?" Nora said, crossing her arms. "I'm always minding my own business, eating delicious cinnamon goodness, and he just so happens to come into his tavern all the time."

"So you don't plan that?"

"Of course I don't," Nora said. "In fact, I have never, ever once stood in this line to see him."

Levi frowned. "Why?"

"He doesn't need a bigger head."

Truer words have never been spoken. Levi was about to ask Nora more questions about her interactions with him, but a girl in the group in front of them gushed, "He's so hot."

Donald's bottom.

Nora bumped her elbow into him. "You okay, Levi?"

"Fine."

"You don't look it."

Levi lowered his voice, making sure the girls in front of him weren't listening, "I'm not a fan of Gaston."

"I mean, he's not my favorite either. I know he's not the humblest guy, but he is easy to talk to. Don't you think a face character would be better to try conversation with anyway?"

Levi shriveled his nose, but the conversation of the two girls in front of them grew louder, drawing both of their attention.

"I wonder what he's like when he's not in costume."

"Don't we all wonder what he's like without that on?"

"Or without anything on?"

A fit of giggles ensued.

"But seriously, who would you rather have?"

"Gaston. Duh."

"But what about Jack?"

A scoff.

"No, not the one from today. The one from yesterday."

"Oh, the sexy one."

Levi's neck flushed. Now that he'd given them a second look, he recognized them from yesterday. They'd been polite enough, but it had still been obvious they thought he was pretty much meat at the market, much like Gaston.

"He was amazing. The way he could get his voice to sound just like him..." The girl trailed off.

"Still, he wasn't very flirty," the other girl sniffed. "But really, what I wouldn't give to have seven minutes—"

"Excuse me." Levi jumped at the sound of Nora's voice. She'd tapped one of the girls on the shoulder, forcing them to turn around. "But it's not his job to flirt with you."

The girl looked her up and down. "And who are you?"

Levi almost said his lawyer, but pressed his lips tight.

Nora crossed her arms. "Someone who cares if you treat my captain like a Ken doll."

The girls inspected her. One sniffed. "You mean Jack?

"Yeah? Why are you so protective of him? 'My captain.'"

The other girl gawked. "Are you his girlfriend?"

Levi let out some sort of sound in between a cough and gagging, but the girls didn't notice.

Nora stammered out a few words before anything coherent made it out, "Jack and I...are..."

"So you ARE together!" She lowered her voice, grabbing for Nora's arm. "What's he like? Is he that hot when he's not a pirate?"

"What's his name?" the other asked, coming in on Nora's other side, Levi forcing himself behind her, ready to reach his hands out and force them off.

"What's his real hair color? Is it long?"

"Is he tan?"

"Is he good in bed?"

Levi started coughing, trying to ignore the stares of the family behind him, the parents clearly listening in on the conversation and disapproving.

Nora shook the hands off her, stepping until she rammed her back into Levi's chest, holding her hands up. "That's all a secret."

She pressed against him, shuddering, her hair brushing his chin. Ursula may as well have stolen his voice, for as good as it was doing him.

"Oh, come on! We won't tell." A pause. "Wait. Do you know Gaston too, then? Maybe they're friends!"

"Oh my gosh, that would be so cool. You could totally hook us up with all the princes."

"You ladies talking about me?" a voice purred.

Nora jumped, bumping her head into Levi's chin, making him bite down on his tongue.

The girls in front of them squealed, turning their attention to Gaston.

"Wow. You're amazing." The first flipped her hair while her friend stood as if she was in the presence of royalty, beaming as if Gaston was the sun.

The two were ushered forward as if Gaston was a pied piper, their attention fully on him. Nora reached her hand down to Levi's, squeezing hard.

His throbbing tongue was forgotten about as he stared at their joined fingers, not caring about the sweat so much as her strong grasp, begging him not to leave her, stabilizing her to this moment.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Fine." Her hand slipped from his grasp.

His body felt less tethered to the earth, as if existence was less real without her touch. "Good."

But it wasn't. And he knew it. What else was he supposed to say?

A shriek made them look back at Gaston. It soon turned into a wail.

"Now, now. No need to be heartbroken," Gaston called after her when her friend picked her off the ground. "We all know there's only one woman for me."

Gaston turned to face them, eyes only for Nora, his smile so bright Levi almost looked away.

He held his arms open for her, as if for a hug. "Nora."

"Gaston." She didn't walk into them, only stepped forward. "What'd you say to her to make her react like that?"

"Oh, you know women and their flair for dramatics. Of course, the most excruciating pain in the world is knowing I'm taken."

"Right," Nora said dryly.

He put a hand under his chin, dimple showing. "What's it been, a day since we last saw each other?"

"Two."

He grinned. "You're counting."

"And I didn't come see you. I just so happened to be sitting down and eating a cinnamon roll."

"On my throne. Which I made for my future wife who I also know loves cinnamon rolls." Gaston turned to Levi, the first time he'd acknowledged his presence in any way, talking behind his hand with a wink. "If she'll have me."

Levi forced himself not to turn towards her, forced his face not to show his pale horror.

So that's how he was going to play it?

Levi's hand twitched towards Nora's, his mind shutting down his body's reaction. You're not dating her. You don't get to be protective.

But him???

Nora sighed, probably assuming Gaston either meant Belle or was joking around. "Gaston, this is Levi."

"Oh, we've met." Gaston crossed his arms casually. Levi didn't miss the subtle puff of his chest, the shift of the feet of all male bravado.

"You have?"

He started prodding one of his own muscles, clearly bored by the subject of Levi. "Yeah. A long, long time ago."

Great.

Levi sighed. "Yeah, it was a while ago."

Gaston's lips thinned. "So, what are you two doing today?"

"We're on a character quest. That's the only reason we're here, Gaston," Nora said. "Levi hasn't met many characters, so I figured we'd do that today."

True, but not the real reason, which Levi appreciated. "Yeah. I'm not much for characters."

He emphasized characters, watching Gaston's eyebrows sink lower.

"Oh?" Gaston leaned against his wall. "Have you gone to meet that sparrow man?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow," Nora corrected at the same time as Levi did, though with less mumbling.

"Yeah. The one that probably has a lot of diseases and clearly no sense of oral hygiene." He glanced at Levi. "Not to mention awful people skills."

Because Gaston had such great people skills.

"At least he doesn't have a ponytail," Levi muttered.

Gaston ignored him. "So did you meet him or not?"

"He wasn't there. I mean..." Nora touched her necklace again. "I think we just missed him."

Gaston blinked. "At least I'm always here to make your day, right?"

"You make a lot of guests' days," Nora said politely, already backing away, drawing the interaction to a close. The exact opposite of how she was with Jack.

Levi followed suit, more than eager to get away from him.

Gaston raised his voice, "Next time you don't have to come with him. You don't have to bring a pretend boyfriend along and hide your feelings from me."

Nora went pink, her steps quickening. A round of laughter and applause for Gaston started up again, following them far longer than was really necessary.

The irritation he'd felt vanished. His hand twitched in her direction again, but stopped.

He wanted to ask what sort of relationship she had with Gaston. Clearly, they talked a lot. She'd never mentioned it before. They'd gone to eat cinnamon rolls before, but Gaston had never come in. He tried to avoid him and never saw him when they did or, if they did, they seemed to get their snack and leave. Had that been something Nora had done on purpose? She didn't want to hide Jack with him, but she'd gone through the trouble of hiding Gaston up until now.

Then again, they'd met him. She hadn't held back from that. But judging by his comments, was there something between them?

They got all the way to the Rapunzel bathrooms before she said a word.

"He's so..." She hopped, stomping the ground with both feet at the same time to indicate all the words she was feeling.

Same. "Nora?"

"Yeah?"

"That was the worst."

She gave a quick, jerky nod. "Yep. You win. We're done."

"Those girls..."

Nora rested her head against Levi's bicep. "I don't even want to think about them. They're the worst. And girls like that go up to the guys here all the time. It's awful that they talk about the characters as if they're not actual people. It's not like they went into the business to be talked about like all they're worth is their bodies."

"Even Gaston?"

She rolled her head so an eye faced him, displeased. "I don't know him well, but I'm guessing he doesn't like it either."

Levi doubted she was right. "You didn't really tell those girls if you knew Jack or not."

"They didn't give me a chance." The soft weight of her head cuddled back into its spot. "Obviously I don't know him."

How wrong she was.

Drama, am I right?

How are you guys liking Gaston?

Question of the Chapter: Who is your favorite Disney villain and why?

-Flips