Winter Prelude
The basement was probably the worst place to be in this time of year.
From the small window placed close to the ceiling, he could see the outside scenery quite well. Snowflakes were falling along with the pure white droplets of frozen rain outside, colouring the ground and everything in reach. Winter winds caressed the still green pine trees, swinging them back and forth. The sky was a dull grey that day, a colour which made most people feel sad, irritated and mainly bored.
The colour grey also reminded him of a certain someone's eyes.
Eren Jaeger propped his chin on a free hand to admire the view. Unfortunately, the scene from his tiny window located at the basement was anything but exciting. He would have rather watched paint dry or Auroro recite his poems. Hell, even the latter managed to make him laugh from time to time.
Feeling a blast of chilly air, Eren snuggled closer into his blanket. He had dragged a chair and his blanket all the way towards the window, just to see something different. The action was futile. More cold wind had found its way in through the cracks of the stone walls and attempted to freeze Eren off his ass. The emerald-eyed boy may be a titan, but that didn't mean he would not be affected as any normal human would.
Damn, it's really cold in here. The young lad rubbed his shoulders and blew hot breath into his hands to warm himself and get his blood to flow through his veins faster. Standing up, he fetched his forest green hoodie which was lying on the small bed. Eren fingered the cloak lovingly. It was one of his most prized possessions, for it bore the insignia of the Scouting Legion on it. A pair of mismatched coloured wings: blue-black and white, on a dark blue emblem was emblazoned on the back. The cloak was proof. Proof that Eren Jaeger successfully joined the team.
Slipping it on, he made his way back to the miniature window. He was too bored and too lazy to lift his butt off the chair and do something. He had no intentions of going above. He didn't want to meet Petra, Auroro, Gunther, Erd and Levi. Especially not his height-challenged captain.
Why you may ask?
Well, the answer is a very simple one: Eren just didn't want to see him.
Childish, but he was considered to be a teen. So being childish couldn't hurt much. Besides, if Levi Heichou could act like a child, so could he!
~.~.~.~
The incident was actually a minor one. Eren was practising by himself at the training grounds one chilly morning when he spotted the stoic captain walk towards him. The boy immediately stiffened and tried his best not to look like a fool in front of his idol.
"Good morning, Levi Heichou!" he said as the short captain drew near. He saluted properly. Hand over heart.
"Mm." came the captain's only reply. He didn't even nod.
Silence enveloped them both, a very uncomfortable one at that. The captain was not saying anything at all, but continued to stare at Eren with his cold grey eyes devoid of expression. Eren fidgeted under the intense stare. He never liked being on the receiving end of those ice-cold stares that seemed to be giving you an x-ray.
Minutes passed and Eren was about to make up some excuse to heat himself up inside the gigantic castle, the stoic male spoke up. "Jaeger, what are you doing?"
Emerald eyes blinked back in confusion. What does it look like I'm doing, you nit-wit? was on the tip of his tongue but he obediently swallowed it back down. The last thing he needed was for Levi's foot to end up kicking his crotch. "I'm training sir." said the boy as respectfully as he could, willing all the sarcasm in his mind to go away.
If possible, the captain's frown became deeper. "I can see that, you half-brain." He crossed his arms. "I'm asking what are you doing without a guardian?" He was seething and stressing the words as if he were talking to a child.
Eren did not appreciate the tone. "Well, I'm sorry sir but all the others are in bed right now since they're too tired from the late night mission you gave us." the sarcasm was back with a vengeance, matching his tone with Levi's.
Before he could even acknowledge that he back talked his superior, a certain someone's knee came into contact with his stomach, effectively knocking the wind out of him. He doubled over and fell to the cold ground, wincing at the pain. A boot settled on the side of his head as he was clutching his stomach to lessen the searing pain. He prayed that his titan powers could work faster.
Levi dug the heel of his boot deeper into Eren's flesh. "Did you say something, Jaeger?" His name was dripping with venom.
Eren looked up to his frowning captain. "No, sir." If he was to stay here, playing the obedience game would be a small price to pay.
The captain was less than satisfied with the answer but lifted his foot anyway. "Report to Petra or Erd immediately."
"Yes, sir." was the solemn reply.
~.~.~.~
Just thinking about it made the anger in him boil like Mikasa's poorly made soup. How could the captain treat him this way? No, he wasn't looking for special treatment but the man could have reminded him in a more civilised way.
He was fuming at the mere thought, which was actually a good thing. The anger made his blood circulate faster as his heart pumped furiously. Eren was warm in no time flat.
Before he could continue thinking how he could torture Levi like making a mess of his room or standing in front of him with three days worth of unwashed armpit scents, a low growl emitted from the pit of his stomach. His insides were being mushed around and vibrated. Patting his empty fuel tank, Eren reluctantly got out of his comfort zone. He needed to get something to eat before he starved to death.
Trudging up the stairs, the boy could feel and hear his stomach get emptier and emptier. It was growling and vibrating and tickling his intestines as well. When he reached the mess hall, he had to clutch his stomach to prevent it from making anymore strange noises which would attract attention.
Thank the lords for one thing though. No one was there. Not Petra, not Auroro, not Gunther, not Erd and especially not Levi. Eren breathed a sigh of relief, tension of facing them slowly sagging away. Flicking his eyes to the counter, he spotted a festively decorated plate of cookies. He assumed it was made by Petra (the girl was a genius when it came to baking) so he grabbed one to satisfy the organ called the stomach in him.
Little did he know that it wouldn't be his stomach that was satisfied only. His sense of taste was attacked by the heavenly cookie, numbing his tongue. Cinnamon was one of the main spices used with tons of sweet frosting. The cookie itself was baked to a golden-brown perfection and the texture was crunchy yet soft, a melt-in-the-mouth experience.
Eren stretched his tan hand, ready to nick another one when he heard the most peculiar sound. At first, the young lad thought the winter winds were playing a trick on him. They did make a whistling sound when passing through cracks in the windows. Yet it was different. Instead of the piercing tone made by the wind, this one was soft. Melodic even.
Could someone be singing? Looking around he spotted no one. He didn't register the voice either. It wasn't Auroro's glass breaking opera songs, nor was it Petra's cheerful cleaning songs. It didn't sound like Gunther's military march and it didn't sound like Erd's drunken slur.
Curiosity getting the better of him, Eren abandoned his plan of stealing the plate of cookies (he would have explained it to Petra sooner or later) to find the source of the sound. He went up the spiral staircase made of stone, tracing his hand against the wall as he did so. The higher he went, the more clearly he could hear someone singing.
"Wipe your tears." From the time things began to move,
Like the thawing snow, the glimmer of the future shines bright.
This dream is always knocking on the mind. Feel it.
The voice began light and steady, a feather falling from the sky.
On the corner of the asphalt, shivering in the icy darkness,
An unafraid pure heart.
Flowers are always looking up.
The singer built up his tone, raising his voice slightly to a crescendo.
No matter when, I don't want to forget it.
That smile is my sun.
Because the flood of love won't stop,
I'm being filled with these feelings.
I want you to let me stay by your side.
Let's share what we "believe"…
Eren stopped at the foot of the stairs. The song attacked his heart with its meaningful and painful lyrics. He listened carefully to find that the singer was indeed singing out to relieve pent up frustrations and pain. But what stopped him most of all was to find out who the singer was, leaning on the balcony.
"Levi... Heichou...?"
The said captain snapped his eyes to the cadet who was looking quite flustered, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. Upon meeting those sharp grey eyes, Eren cursed himself mentally for interrupting his captain on a private moment.
"What are you doing here, Jaeger?"
"Um..I-I was just... here to... um...uh,..I was..." Eren stuttered lamely. His captain's stare was giving him the chills.
Levi stared at him longer. "Cut the crap, brat." He crossed his arms across his chest. "Answer my question truthfully before I attempt to hand you over to Hanji's experiments."
The thought of the major and her scalpels flicked Eren's mind back on, prompting him to answer. "Yessir! I was just here to get a breath of fresh air." Although, it didn't mean that he couldn't lie.
The captain was doubtful about it. On any other day, he would have reprimanded the brat for telling him a lie, but he was just feeling so tired today. He didn't have enough strength to lecture the brat for an hour or more so he simply did what any sane person would do. He nodded.
Eren relaxed his posture a little when he saw affirmation. He seriously didn't want to face Levi's wrath at the moment. Not since his mind had yet to recover from the last attack.
"Are you done smiling idiotically to yourself, brat?" came Levi's voice.
Emerald eyes snapped awake. Eren tentatively nodded. It was then that he noticed what his captain was wearing, Just the standard uniform. No coat, no jacket, no scarf, no nothing. He also noticed that the temperature on the balcony may well be below freezing point.
Levi had gone back to looking at the fat snowflakes which rained down softly from the sky. He had no interest in looking at his subordinate who was a brat. He had no interest in looking at anyone, really. Just then, he felt a light pressure on his shoulders. His body tensed, ready to fight as he spun around, catching Eren by surprise.
"Eek!" squealed the boy who was unprepared for the situation. He almost fell butt first onto the cold, hard floor.
Before levi could open his mouth to ask what the hell was Jaeger doing, a surge of warmth ran down his spine, causing him to shiver involuntarily. Peeking over his shoulder, a flash of forest green could be seen clearly against the white snow. Seems like the brat was considerate enough to give him his cloak.
Levi sighed. "Brat, I don't need this." He began to peel the fabric off his body, but a hand stopped him from doing so.
"Use it, Heichou. If not, you'll freeze to death out here." The look in his eyes was deadly serious.
Levi clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Oi, brat. Are you saying that I can't take this cold weather?" he questioned mercilessly.
Eren shook his head so hard, Levi worried if it would pop straight off his neck. And what should he report to the higher-ups then? The titan boy shook his head off? "No, but Heichou would have to take care of his health more. After all, Levi Heichou is Humanity's Strongest! What would happen if you fell sick?"
Eren was acting like a mother hen. One that irked Levi to no end. Shrugging his shoulders in defeat, Levi gave in. "Fine, fine." He wrapped the cloak around himself tighter. " I will accept your cloak this time."
The boy beamed. "Thank you very much, Levi Heichou!"
Another nod. "By the way, haven't you something else to do, Jaeger? Or should I have to assign you some tasks?"
Eren sweat-dropped at the statement. Levi's tasks were always back-breaking and he would love to avoid it at all costs. "N-no, Levi Heichou. I shall be on my way!" With that, the boy saluted and ran down the stairs, leaving Levi alone with his thoughts once again.
~.~.~.~
Checking the castle was a pain. It was huge and spacious with tons of crevices and hidden stairwells. Every nook and cranny was to be checked before he went to rest every night. They didn't want someone to slit their throats and take Eren away at night.
Levi dug into his pocket for the brass key he always had with him as he approached his room. He cracked his neck to loosen the stiffened joint. Being short had more cons than pros, it was difficult to keep looking up at others.
Upon reaching his door, Levi stopped as his eyes settled on a foreign object. It was a box wrapped in standard brown paper which they used to deliver parcels. On top of it was a bright red bow hastily and poorly tied and the words 'To: Levi Heichou'.
He picked up the box in front of his door and flipped it in his hands. No stamp, no return address. Just his name. The key clicked and he entered, bringing the box in with him to examine it closer. After setting his boots near the mantel, he took off the cloak and jacket and plopped himself down onto his chair.
Placing the box on his oak table, he untied the red ribbon and unwrapped the brown paper. The lid of the box was not closed tightly so he was able to open it without any hassle. The first thing he saw was an envelop. Puzzled, he slid out the letter within, hoping it wasn't another death note.
Dear Levi Heichou,
Please excuse my poor writing and informality, but I was in a rush to deliver this to you. I wanted you to have this by today if possible.
In this box is a present that has been made for Heichou. I know that Heichou is a very strict but caring person and I also know that Heichou never shows his emotions to anyone.
But when I heard Heichou at the balcony today, I felt as if I were about to cry. Heichou's song was so sad and full of emotion. It was a very beautiful melody.
Heichou, I hope that you will not get mad at me for writing this letter to you. But if you do, then you know where I am.
Last but not least, I would like to tell Heichou my main aim for delivering this box:
Levi Heichou, Happy Birthday and Merry Christmas.
From: Le Brat, Eren Jaeger.
Unconsciously, traces of a smile had begun to creep up Levi's poker face. Putting the letter aside, he looked into the small box once again and pulled out a dark blue scarf. It was a decently made one without any frills. The material was some sort of silk which warmed up when you wrapped it around your neck. Levi fingered the dark blue fabric softly, as if it were fragile.
"Don't get cocky, brat."
Yes! I have finally finished this fic, just in time for X'mas!
This is my first SnK fic ever and I apologize for not finishing my other fics first. I just got out of hospital and was on medication most of the time I couldn't find the brains to write. But I'm almost back on my feet and will continue my other fics as soon as possible!
Extras:
- The song that Levi sings in this fic is "Knocking on the Mind" by Kenichi Suzumura. I know, it's not sung by Kamiya Hiroshi but I couldn't stand the temptation of using the lyrics.
- Levi's birthday is seriously on the 25th of December. Check it out on wikia
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Levi, and a MERRY CHRISTMAS to all and to all a good day!