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Disclaimer: Do I really need one? I'm on FanFiction not FictionPress for crying out loud!
Spoilers in this chapter: Attack on Titan: No Regrets.
Spoilers over all: Everything. Correct me if I make any mistakes.
Dim lights cast shadows on the dirty and dusty walls of the stone tunnel. A small figure hides, crouched down in the darkness. They shift around, staying always in the shadows, and lean against the cool, damp stone, their legs hanging off the side of the ledge bathed in shadows. Letting out a soft sigh they wrap their arms around their thin frame before falling silent and still once more.
Not far up ahead is a staircase to which the first is turned towards. A second figure of young complexion, light brown hair, and deep, chocolate-colored eyes slowly makes their way down the grey stone stairs. With every step they test different ideas on how to silence, or at least muffle, their footsteps. Feeling like he has made progress in his findings, he gives himself a small nod of satisfaction at the bottom of the steps. He then crosses to the other side of the tunnel before hugging the wall and its shadows as his path draws him closer to the ledge.
The first figure silently shifts, preparing for ambush, as his victim creeps nearer. He silently launches himself off the ledge and grabs the second's shoulders, pushing him over onto his back in a pin. The second blinks rapidly, startled by the speed of the assault, before smiling up at the first.
"Levi," he softly chides, "we're in the light." He knew that Levi hated stepping out of the shadows for fear of being found and always got mad at the second if they stood in the light for too long.
Though Levi is obviously older, they both still look young in age. The second one studies Levi's raven, straight back hair, parted in the middle and styled in an undercut, his cold, intimidating grey eyes, and facial features as if to memorize them. Levi observes the second without betraying a hint of emotion.
"You're late," he deadpans quietly before standing up, pulling the young male up with him, "what's your excuse this time, Sven?"
Sven lets out a quiet, sad sigh, suddenly feeling tired and as if the weight of the world are on his shoulders. Levi, who had turned around, looks at his friend, concern only showing faintly in his eyes, "Sven?"
His friend brushes past him lightly and slowly makes his way up to the ledge. Levi, silent and fast, is sitting on the ledge before Sven has even made it up halfway. By the time Sven gets up onto the high ledge, Levi is rummaging through the bag he kidnapped from Sven earlier. His friend takes the bag away from him and pulls a sandwich from within a hidden pocket Levi hadn't noticed earlier. He hands the sandwich to his friend before placing the bag between them and leaning against the wall heavily.
With manners learned from Sven, Levi eats the food slowly despite his starvation. He hadn't eaten for so long. Sven studies him, Levi's thinks, because he always does, and doesn't mind if he is for he studied Sven earlier, as he approached. Levi feels a little bad about pressing Sven's crisp, white shirt into the dirty floor, but Sven should have learned by now to wear something different. Levi got away with his white, long sleeved, button up shirt with a collar simply because he is a neat freak. Levi had noticed earlier that Sven isn't wearing his normal black suit jacket and black slacks, just the short sleeved, white shirt, tan pants, and black cravat. Both of them are wearing knee-high boots, but that's the only common thing. Levi doesn't have multiple clothes like Sven; he doesn't have the money that Sven does either. No, he lives in the Underground District, the poor district, while Sven lives above, within Wall Sina's rich society. All he has to wear is his shirt, boots, and black pants, but Levi doesn't mind too much.
Remembering that the sandwich might be all that he could get to eat for awhile weighs down on Levi and looks over at Sven, having finished, and notices with curiosity that Sven is looking out ahead, into the blackness of the other wall. He does not start the conversation, he never does, but he really wants to ask Sven what's wrong, he can tell that there is something troubling him. Levi distracts himself by putting his hand in the pocket and pulling out three sandwiches with surprise. He looks up at his melancholy campaign; Sven always ate with Levi, it was his way of reminding himself of what Levi goes through every day. Not eating in between lunch and midnight always reminded Sven of Levi's daily battle for food. So why is he not eating? Sven is normally so full of energy and life, always excited and chatting away, so why is he so down? Why is he like this? Levi's mind buzzes as he softly calls out his friend's name.
"I'm not hungry," Sven murmurs tiredly, the fatigue lacing his voice, "you can have it." Levi started to get the feeling that his friend's tiredness isn't the normal "its midnight, Levi, what the hell do you expect of me," tiredness that Sven gets when he visits sometimes. He moves the bag to Sven's other side and moves to sit close to him, their arms barely brushing against each other. Some people thought that Levi didn't care, but he had taught Sven better. Levi has his own silently way of showing his concern, such as sitting so closely to his friend.
"Why are you so quiet tonight?" Levi inquires softly, finally giving up on Sven starting the conversation. The eerie silence had gotten to him, only Sven is able to make the silence seem suffocating to Levi, he never had a problem with it at any other time.
Sven turns exhausted, depressed, brown eyes to Levi's cold grey ones, "I'm moving," he whispers.
A startled look flashes across Levi's face for the briefest of seconds. "Why," he asks with slight confusion. He realizes that Sven must be tired from packing and getting everything in order. He actually had stuff to take with him when he moved.
"I don't want to join the military," he gives a small shrug, looking away, "so I got a job as an apprentice to become a blade maker. My parents told me to find something to do with my life so I settled for moving to a factory city over joining the military."
Levi frowns at him, his brow furrowing more, and says, "why not get a closer job? Why move when you become a merchant or something?"
He snorts at the word merchant, "and become a fat pig that he lost himself to his money? No thank you," contempt drips from his words, "I would never do something like that." He looks at Levi, his eyes clearing of their contempt, "I know how you feel about them, Levi, and how you feel about my family. But there is so much you have yet to learn," the fact that Levi is six years his senior does not stop Sven's soft chide, "there are things you have yet to learn, like how there isn't any closer jobs." He looks back across the way, a small smile tugging at his lips, "besides, I enjoy the idea of making blades for the Survey Corps; it makes me feel like I will be preventing Tobi's death." Levi suppresses a sigh at the mention of Tobi, Sven's older brother, he hated him for the way he ignored Sven. Just because Sven was adopted didn't make him anything less than Tobi, that's the way Levi sees it. "Don't worry Levi," Levi's eyes snap up to met Sven's soft brown eyes, "you have Farlan and Isabel." He seems to have a second thought because he then adds, "and that other guy," to the list. Levi once more suppresses a sigh; Sven had no idea of what Levi went through or did. Levi once more contemplates what Sven might do if he finds out while Sven realizes, not for the first time, how little he knows about Levi. He gets up, deciding that it is stupid to consider how different things would be if Sven had never been adopted or if someone else had taken in Levi, like the Worthington family that lived next to Sven.
Sven slowly starts his descent down the crumbling rock "staircase" in the wall of the tunnel. Levi grabs Sven's bag and launches off the ledge, landing with only a small thud on the ground far below. Life in the tunnels had taught him stealth and quietness amongst other things. Sven heard the noise and is now looking at Levi down below. Levi considers his young friend for a moment, way up on the wall. Sven decides to try and copy Levi so he jumps off, heading straight for Levi. Surprise registers within Levi and on his face as he sees his friend take a literal leap of faith. He trusted Levi enough to do something that terrified him, which touched Levi's self-described, cold heart.
Sven's heavy landing sends the tunnels into a frenzy of echoing the sound, making Levi cringe internally; such a noise could be the last noise anyone ever made in Levi's world. Sven starts to fall, not being use to landing, and Levi catches him before he barely even starts to crumble to the ground. "Careful," he murmurs softly, his mouth close to his friend's ear now.
"Thanks," Sven lets out quietly, feeling incredibly embarrassed, why did he take that stupid leap? Sometimes he felt like such an insider in Levi's world; he had seen in his eyes, he knew that that noise could have meant his death in Levi's cold world. Levi knew how to be swift and quiet, something Sven envied strongly. Levi could even pin Sven to the ground, having jumped off the high ledge, and not make a noise, not even Sven's back against the pavement made a noise when Levi did it. Sometimes Sven wonders if Levi's really an assassin, sometimes he wishes he could be more like Levi, silent and stealthy, but this is not one of those times. Right now he just wishes that he didn't have to leave his friend behind, that he could spend the rest of his life with him. He wishes, not for the first time, that he could get Levi out of this life and into the light of day, the life of the city above.
The unexpected weight of his bag on his shoulder startles him and causes him to look up at Levi, catching his eyes with his as Levi drapes the strap over Sven's shoulder. Emotions suddenly choke him as he realizes that this is the last time he would ever see or speak to Levi again. He surprises Levi, not for the first time, by throwing his arms around him and pulling him into a fierce embrace. He's never hugged Levi before and he has never felt the muscles Levi's small frame hide either. After a few hesitant moments of surprise, Levi hugs his childhood friend back. They had known each other for too long to be separated so easily. Levi holds Sven close, nearly crushing him, as he realizes that even when Sven visits his parents, he will never again be able to visit Levi. It's time for them to move one, time for this good thing to come to an end. Levi doesn't realize that it is his unflappable, calm demeanor that has been Sven's source of strength for the past few years. He doesn't know that Sven only gathers the courage and strength to move on because he knows that Levi accepted the move before he even questioned it. Sven almost cried, but knowing Levi would still be able to get on without him helped to ground him. He lets go sooner than either would have liked, and lets Levi take the lead.
Levi surprises him when he takes them into the light's path. leading them down the tunnel while being bathed in light. They get to the bottom of the stairs and Levi looks at Sven with his normal, calm look, "take care," he murmurs softly, hoping Sven won't get himself into trouble.
"Stay safe and unharmed, Levi," Sven murmurs, "I don't want to find out you died in these tunnels." Sven didn't need to put his greatest wish to words, Levi understood well enough what Sven meant; get out of these tunnels, make a life for yourself, be happy, not weary. Sven wants Levi to have a better life, they both knew it just as well as they both knew how difficult it would be for Levi to escape the Ackerman that he is a disciple to; to escape this world.
Sven reaches in to his bag once more, nearly forgetting, and pulls out a small parcel that he hands to Levi. He nods curtly and then walks up the stairs, never once looking back. He doesn't need me, he has Farlan and Isabel. Sven disappears into the darkness of night while Levi opens his gift, walking away from his ledge and further into the tunnel and back towards the Underground District.
May 09, 2014 (Day First Published On): Trying to finish the next one. Will post it soon. Hopefully.