(AN: my OC's name is Zoe; it was kind of unintentional in my naming, but I bring up the association with Zoe's name and Hanji's last name, and make it something of a thing. I'm not good at naming, so it was a swing and a miss, but all I can do is clarify at the start of the story.)
the chips are up and on my shoulder, you heard me?
"Attention!" Keith called. "From now on, these three will fight alongside you. You three, introduce yourself to your fellow soldiers."
Quiet stretched, but then Levi curled his lip back from his teeth, and said, "Name's Levi." And that was enough fucking talking for one day, never mind his friend's much more cheery introductions.
A couple days later, some actual cadets were scooped up and left there for a few months while they trained. Flagon snapped his fingers at a girl, and she turned from her food, quick to slam her fist to her chest. Levi's eyebrows twitched slightly, and he stared at her, impassive. He'd picked up on why they were here, this being showing Levi and his friends what trained Cadets, who were almost done with their training, could do.
"She's top ranked in her class," Flagon said, and the girl barely held a smile in, glowing, almost, with the praise. "And you're going to work with her."
Levi's lip curled, and he scoffed, "I don't work well with others."
"Well, you're going to have to get good at it. If you can't work with her by the end of the month, I'm going to tell-"
"Fine." Fucking blondie.
The Squad leader turned on his heel, and walked away, the trainers moving by him, one heading towards the two of them, the others to his friends and other Cadets. Levi assumed this was a big bump up for the Cadets; out of the 15 here, he meant. Most of them weren't for shit, but the pretty girl was, flying through the air with as much precision as Isabel, more even, all of her moves executed perfectly, without enthusiasm. Still, enthusiasm was a distraction, he supposed, and Isabel twirled excessively.
He was faster than her. Of course he fucking was, none of these people knew what it was like down there, knew how to survive like he and his friends did. Yea, he wanted out, but he wanted them out with them, where Isabel didn't muse over cake for hours. And they still had the nerve to call them names, like they were better than them? Fuck, it wasn't as if he was here to take care of anyone but Isabel, Farlan, and himself; that's who. Levi knew he could, confident to an extreme degree, and it was bolstered by every grudging compliment given to him, by Flagon.
By the next week, he'd found a lovely common ground in any outward emotion shown, going with bored/horrified at the almost universal stupidity at every single turn. He was fairly miserable, two fingers at his temple, trying to dispell the slow throb that seemed to spring up after Flagon's lessons, or any one of those shit stains called Cadets who raised their hands as soon as a question was proposed. At least his partner sat and took notes, hand raised when no one else could find the answers.
When he was called on, he only sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. After a few days of this treatment, Flagon didn't ask him. So maybe he wasn't as depressingly stupid as Levi had first imagined. Any hope was quashed immediately out in the field, by the Squad Leader, and the overeager Cadets.
To summarize, he was miserable, his partner was attractive and nervous, and his friends refused to do his cleaning to his expectations.
Now, lunch, his partner glared at him from her table, thankfully a ways away, a lone apple, small sandwich, and drink on her tray. Farlan cleared his throat as she stood up, his eyes drifting over her body, nodding slow, a soft 'nice', reaching Levi's ears. Levi stamped on his friend's foot, and Farlan choked on water, suitably disabled from staring, spluttering wildly while the pretty girl stopped at their table. The girl made to speak, opening her mouth, still looking at Levi instead of a red Farlan. Isabel glared, making the pretty girl turn and walk away, head tipped down. Farlan leaned around Levi, watching her as she walked away, and Levi watched her out of the corner of his eye, much smoother about it. His friend was distracted by Lei, another pretty girl, as she flounced by, but Farlan pointed towards the one he'd been injured for, due to his stare.
Farlan's sigh was heavy, almost longing, "Fuck, Levi, she's- fucking shit, that's a good-looking woman. It's really awesome up here, I mean; everywhere. And it's clean, so that's a plus for you."
"She's got a nice-" Levi stopped himself, catching Isabel's annoyed look.
"Did you see Lei when she got wet?" Farlan blew out a breath, his fringe flopping up briefly. "Yea. We should talk about that."
Levi ignored his friend, talked to Isabel, "what?"
"You two are such guys."
"Yea, thanks for bringing that up," Farlan snorted, rolling his eyes, food already demolished. "You gonna eat that bread?"
"What has she got that I don't?" Isabel snapped, arms over her chest.
"Why does it matter?" Levi asked, swatting Farlan's hand hard away from his food.
"Because I'm a girl."
Farlan cracked a grin. "What has she got? First, she's got a gorgeous face, and piercings, so, you know what that does for me. And," Farlan elbowed Levi, and Levi had to fight to keep his mouth shut. "great ass. Just in general, she's small, , so, I'm there for it. If she talked more, I'd definitely go for it. There's, like, no conversation, even around the Cadets, and she kind of shrinks herself; some weird shit. Also, she's smart, and smart girls are very good at maneuvering better in relationships; and screwing you over. And, she wants to be a Military Police; takes orders like a dream. I mean, I'd still, you know, but nothing long term."
Levi clenched his teeth, rolling his eyes. "Wasted talent."
"Ah, fuck, most of these people want to be behind Wall Sina." Farlan waved his hand, then set both on the table, and Levi knew he was going to start on Lei, because his friend was into her, and put the pretty girl in second place behind Lei.
Levi nodded his agreement, eyes cutting around the room. Eventually, Levi made the pretty girl second in her class, the rankings only considering the group here, training away from others. She was still no1 to the training communities, but finding herself down a rank on other's charts made her tense up. This snapped any idea of team work, and though she became grating, there was something about her that stopped him from outright hatred.
He found himself watching her in the same way Farlan did; excusing the all around lack of chance his friend had with her. Levi worked with her everyday, was even involved her personal workout routines. It seemed that her involving him in it had been a mistake, the event organized mostly by Erwin, who'd tricked the girl into agreeing to help Levi out, roping their shitty training instructor Farlan into the idea. Of course, Levi wasn't given an option out either, and as he woke up at her insanely early hour of training, he sincerely regretted his decision to join the military.
Levi's attraction to wasn't romantic in the slightest, confined to the sexual variety. He didn't look past skin deep, and the small slivers of personality he picked up, from that less than stony silence she tried to keep around him, managed to only appeal to his addition of details of a possible bedroom scene. In the rare 'calm' variety of dreams, he was entertained by her naked body (to whatever point he'd been imagining it when conscious), tousled curls shading her face, muscle thick thighs wrapped tight around his hips. Levi was always interested in making his dreams a reality.
He caught her lingering looks, returned them as best he could in the moment. She often ducked her head when she'd been found out, and he wanted to tell her he felt it too. Whatever it was, the way she drew him in, wasn't something he was going to ignore. Levi made sure to shift close to her whenever they were alone, gave her tips on her 3DMG form that she thanked him for, albeit in a grumbly form after dinner.
A training run had them closer than ever, and being the gentleman he was, saved her from hitting the ground as a 3DMG manuever couldn't be pulled off. His quick move, an arm around her waist stopped them from getting seriously hurt. They hung there for a second, her arms tight around his waist in turn, pressed too close. She raised her eyes to his, and for a moment, everything kind of slowed down; all very romantic and poetic. The line gave out, and they crashed the rest of the way to the forest floor, his body over hers, caging her under him.
Levi didn't move, blades lying forgotten, hand fisting in the grass beside her hair. He shifted, new knowledge that he was between her legs surfacing, his eyes still on hers. A second later, he leaned in, pressing a bruising kiss to her lips, almost surprised when she responded, but he went along with it. All because he'd thrown caution to the wind, and it wasn't as if she was going to mean anything to him, he was very, very good at not developing feelings. Besides, she wanted to be a Military Police.
His hand slipped behind her head, tilting his head, tongue lashing into her mouth. She kissed like she fought, not backing down, leveling with him on this, at least. Levi moved to find one of her legs, jolting her as he pulled, fitting his hips snug between her thighs, the 3D movement gear making it a bit awkward. He nipped hard at her bottom lip, and she brought a hand up to his hair, and yanked.
He chuckled, amused with her, wondering if he could fuck her right here. A noise reached his ears first, and he pulled away from her, glaring over his shoulder. When he turned back, she was standing up and away, grabbing her still useable blades, stabbing them back into her handles. She jumped, using the device to move her up to a faraway branch. Levi got in a slight smirk, dragging the back of his hand over his lips, before she jumped again, and moved out of sight.
"Get the fuck up," Falgon shouted, glaring as he passed over him.
Levi's mood soured, headache starting up, and he jumped, jetting ahead. At least he didn't have to take off his shirt to really get her attention, he'd almost resorted to teenage shit like that. He maneuvered out of the forest, the cardboard Titan cutouts behind him in no time. As he walked back into camp, he took a beat to memorize her name; Zoe. With the nice ass, as the boy who supplied it added, chuckles going around the male Cadet table. With a barely contained sigh, he walked away, sitting next to his friends.
In the days after the incident he kept to his previous patterns, noticing her confusion at times. When he placed himself close to her, her eyes looked from his lips to his eyes, brow wrinkled, arms crossed tight over her chest. She turned away from him, toe of her combat boots digging into the ground before she walked away. He wanted to let things settle, have her alone someplace quiet, with no gear on, make sure she wanted him.
As the deadline to be able to work together at a novice level neared, he was with her in the set up simulation. For once, they made it through with barely a hiccup, the pride rising slightly in his chest. He crossed paths with her later that night, had her grasping the sleeve of his shirt to get him to turn to her, gazing down at her. Her tongue pressed over her chapped lips, inhaling sharply, guiding his hand to her waist, body pressing close to his, lips presented invitingly.
"You're okay with this?" he asked, recalling the fact that he didn't want to waste time on shit like this, with how much he wanted to get his hands on her in a very literal sense.
"Yes."
Consent allowed him to push her back against the wall, meeting her lips with as much intensity as he could muster, a hand at her cheek, other still where she'd placed it at her waist. She made the slightest noise as he pulled back, tipping her head before she leaned in herself, initiating the next kiss. The hand at her waist dipped to her ass by the third kiss, pulling her body flush to his, splaying his hand over her pants.
Zoe looped her arms around his neck, slipping one of her hands under his shirt, nails digging into his bare skin. Her body was still tense against his, and Levi didn't want that at all, dropping his lips to her neck, pressing an open mouthed kiss to her neck as he raised her knee slowly to his hip, pressing her body harder against the backing wall. He pulled back to kiss her again, savoring her taste, tongue pressing against hers, felt her body shiver against his. She was living up to every fantasy he'd had to her, even if her clothes weren't off.
He made sure to kiss her with a certain urgency, her legs around his waist soon enough, shirt collar in disarray. Her cadet jacket was on the ground, a sleeve in the radius a near by lamp created, the two of them still cloaked in relative darkness. Levi left a mark on her neck that was even visible in the dim night.
Her jacket was tugged up to hide the large hickey, but when she walked by, Farlan and Levi caught sight of it. Levi's smirk crawled over his face, and his friend noticed, glancing to Isabel, still half asleep, drooling onto the table. Farlan slapped his shoulder, turning him.
"Did you-?"
"None of your business."
Still, Farlan's eyes glistened with tears of pride before he whispered, "Please tell me what it was like."
"Maybe."
"I'll do the cleaning to your standards."
Levi's eyebrows lifted, and he looked over. "Really?"
"Yes."
The Regiment took them outside the wall for barely an instant, and that's when her gear malfunctioned. It'd been something of trial run, practice for the Scout Regiment, a glimpse at the terror of the Titans, see if they didn't break down. Not they saw any until they were coming back. Zoe and her squad members had been zipping ahead, trying to gain a good length on one, before tipping back to disable it. At some point, even as she whirled, and sliced the flesh off and killed it, her gear stuck, everyone back inside Wall Maria, squad members using air in their 3D gear. Levi got her back in one solid piece, leagues ahead of everyone else.
A shared rush to get into each other's pants occurred, with Levi savoring her as best he could. Maybe she didn't think she had a lot of time, but he'd wanted more of it here. They'd just managed to get clothes back on before Flagon had rushed in, looking almost surprised to see Zoe, the group apparently held up at the river.
Various hookups spread across the months left, and some semblance of other feelings for her popped up. They worked well, like an oiled machine, and he was better with her at his side, nothing needed to be said, a connection there that he'd never tell Farlan or Isabel. Still, they noticed his absence, her leaving the room, him coming back late at night, the nicks she left prominently displayed when his shirt was off, or in the shower.
Farlan caught them twice, one in probably one of the most compromising position he'd been in, his head between her legs, his uniform pants still on, just as she was coming, her shuddering breath hitching suddenly. Her fingers had been taken abruptly out of his hair. Levi frowned, but then he heard the strangled yelp his friend had given. With a sigh, he set his forehead an inch down from her belly button, thumb still sliding over her hipbone, grateful he hadn't pushed her shirt up over her breasts.
"Didn't you have a run today, or some kind of assessment?" he asked, cutting his eyes to his friend, annoyance laced in his words. Embarrassment was out the window, it was all fucking done.
"I-I c-Didn't need me, set back, I-I'll wait out there," Farlan bumped hard into the door, before he remembered how to open it.
Zoe attempted to get up, but he slapped his arm over her stomach. "Did I say you could get up?"
She smiled slow, relaxing into the sheets again, legs parting for him again. In the end, Farlan was left outside for an hour, and she bit down on a pillow, legs and arms almost giving out as her third orgasm shocked through her. Levi's smirk was far too wide, eyes on her ass as she moved slow, his pants back up to his hips. His hand mark was red on her ass, and he looked up at her as she tugged her shirt back on, careful with her pants, wincing as she slipped them over the hand print.
He stood, catching her elbow as she attempted to complete the distance to the door, kissing her hard before opening the door. Farlan watched her go, moving slow into their room, eyeing the covers, rumpled, the lingering sex smell clearing out via the window he'd opened. Levi let the door shut, and went to arrange his bed, feeling his friend's eyes on him.
The second time he caught them she had his cock in her mouth, in that late phase where she went limp, eyes glassy, looking up at him, letting him do almost whatever he liked to her. Thankfully, Farlan had only got the briefest of looks, and it was night, before snapping the door shut. His appearance had almost killed the mood, not that there was much.
Three days later, Zoe said, "Your friend keeps staring at me."
"Who?"
"You only have two friends, I think you can figure it out."
Levi gave a short shrug, guiding his cloth down his blades, making them gleam. "Probably trying to recall your pretty orgasm look." she attempted to kick him, but he grabbed her ankle, yanking her to him. "Or the way you look with someone's dick in your mouth? All flushed, looking like you just got fucked proper, but it's only because you fucking love the feel of it, huh?"
She dropped her eyes, hardly responding, but a faint blush appeared on her skin. He smirked, hoping she'd make the right decision, come with him in the Scout Regiment. Then when his plan was executed, he'd take her with him, especially if it all worked properly. Levi stationed his long legs to either side of her, arm thrown over his knee, tipping his head up, watching the birds, wondering if Flagon could find them, hoped he couldn't.
Isabel wasn't Zoe's biggest fan, though Levi was sure it mostly stemmed from her taking up his time, how easily she managed to get him emoting, whether it was just a smirk, or a something less than that. Isabel crossed her arms over her chest, surprisingly awake at a late hour, tapping her foot on the floorboards, Zoe at his side, laughing. Levi shook his head.
"It's not funny," he attempted mouth pressed into a firm line, though he knew it was; he had a couple of jokes up his sleeve, even if they were only good because they were laughably bad, and dry.
"Yes it is, and you know it," Zoe pressed a tad closer, wrapping her arms around his arm, and Levi didn't pull it away this time.
They were still far away from Isabel, and Levi hadn't given a hint that he'd seen her till they were about ten steps away from her. With a sigh, he raised his eyes to his friend, pointing at the door, mouthing at her. She shook her head, and he glanced once to the ceiling, wishing she'd save this for later, not wanting to argue with her.
"You weren't here," she said, not waiting for Levi to at least send Zoe away.
"Isabel, give me a second, okay?" Levi's eyebrows were twisted, annoyed with his friend, and really didn't want to fight, but this was ridiculous. He turned to Zoe, surprised when she leaned up.
"I hate sleeping alone," she breathed, and he smirked, hand out to press against the wall. "come with me, maybe?"
And fuck was it tempting, especially when she added 'I'm all yours'. He knew that, at least, her body was his, and he . Levi was making it his mission to know every inch of her, what to touch to make her unravel faster.
A small noise from Isabel told him he'd better not take her up on that offer, and Levi knew if he did, he wouldn't hear the end of it. He breathed deep, closing his eyes briefly, weighing the good and bad here. Eventually, he pulled back, not before nipping hard on a sensitive little area on her neck, his other hand smoothing superstitiously over her ass.
His argument with Isabel spanned over a good amount of time, berating him in the same way an insistent swarm of mosquitoes would. "It's not as if I'm going to fall in love with her, dammit. She's just a warm body, get that?" He finally said, his tone making his friend flinch. Levi apologized in his own, non-vocal way, ruffling his hand through her hair, promising to steal her a muffin.
But Zoe wasn't. Because you didn't spend a good amount of time with someone who was only a warm body. He allowed her such late nights, in the room adjacent to Isabel's , her body snug for the moment against his, focusing on the ceiling from his bed, though he kept some peripheral focus on her.
"Not your type?" she laughed, free hand playing down his chest.
He wondered if she'd ever really develop feelings for him. Levi thought differently, reminding himself that he wasn't particularly loveable, his prickly demeanor staving off most. She was a pretty flower, that flourished in the light, wasn't she? He'd gotten used to the dark, cold, harsh underground, and flowers never turned to the dark for energy, did they? And who wanted flowers when they were dead?
"You're very...kind. Does it seem like I go for sweet girls?"
"Am I?"
"Not always. Like when you don't win."
"I'm competitive. It's not a crime, is it?"
"Zoe, when you actual get pissed, and stop caring about how people might judge you; that's when I like the you the most."
She stopped looking at him, eyes drifting away from his. He didn't get a response to that; didn't press for one. Levi turned onto his side, shoving an extra pillow in between them. Zoe couldn't leave his quarters; it was past curfew, and if they caught her, it would mean a number of punishments on her shoulders. So he let her stay occasionally, making sure to put as much space between them as he could.
Levi didn't want to lead her along, and he didn't want to let her get close in the slightest. He was still awake when he heard her breathing even out, giving a short shiver before her body fully relaxed into sleep. Her heel dug briefly into his thigh as she kicked out, and Levi sighed into his pillow, turning to scowl at her over the barrier. Though it was a mistake to let his eyes linger on her face, wild curls plastered to her cheek, he still pushed her foot away from his side, sliding the pillow between them further down.
He preferred sleeping alone.
Favorite part of his entire shitty day.
She the type to seek love and make it everlasting; I'm the type to wake up and say you never happened. I mean I fucked the girl with hella passion, but it's cold how we smashing, left her sleeping on a separate mattress.
I think her body makes for better practice.
Farlan nudged him awake in the morning, though Levi didn't know when he'd fallen asleep, shifting slowly. Zoe was still next to him, and Farlan pointed down at her, mouthing 'what am I supposed to do'. Levi waved him away, pointing at the door, alternating between these two motions until Farlan was out of the room, and Levi turned his attention to Zoe.
"Hey," he said, and she shifted awake, taking a bit of time. "Get up."
Zoe smiled, eyes barely open, stretching beside him with small squeaks. His brow furrowed, listening to her, then shook his head, knowing there was a serious assessment today, concerning his team work ability with someone other than his friends. She left to get dressed, and Levi met her out near the largest run, and even from a distance back, he couldn't see the end of the forest.
She stood, talking to the other Cadets, five left from the 10 that already went, waiting for them, to complete the partner drill. Actually, no, she wasn't, Zoe stood, hands awkwardly twisting behind her back, tugging at her fingers, a bit on the edge, same as he. Isabel and Farlan were at his side, talking and laughing. He turned, eyebrow arching, lips twisting down, wishing they'd take this with a bit of gravity.
"Right, so," Flagon eyed Levi and his friends. "We're looking for the fastest time, as well as perfect kills, the team aspect tying in with perfect leg cuts. If both of these spots are not hit, the kill will not count, and 5 minutes will be added to your time."
Isabel stuck up an urgent hand, and Flagon took a good long moment to look about for another question before finally saying, "What?"
"What's the record? How are you gonna stick in all 4 groups? Are we going to be back in time for lunch?"
"The regular time is around 30 minutes; record, 13 minutes with no mistakes. The down time between each run will take about 20/15 minutes, so this should take 4 hours, or less," Flagon listed, sounding tired. "While that's happening, we'll work on your hand to hand combat skills, and since you two have already done that," Flagon looked to Farlan and the Cadet he was partnered with. "You'll be running through the forest first. I'll fire off a green flare, and you'll start. When complete, the men on the other side will fire off a red. A blue one will be shot off when the clear up is done and good, and the next group will go. Lunch after this, a bit of downtime, then we'll work on hand-to-hand assessments. Everyone straight?"
The five Cadets snapped to quick attention, while Levi and his friends remained stationary. Levi leaned back against the tree, head tipped low, barely acknowledging the first sound of a flare gun, Farlan and the Cadet making a bit of noise as they put their 3D devices to use. Flagon snapped at the rest of them, 6 other 3D devices resting away, a couple of trainers just walking down the hill.
They paired off singularly, Levi's hand brushing Zoe's as he walked past her to the unlucky Cadet who'd been paired with him instead. For a moment, he was distracted, watching her tie her curls up before she shifted herself into that odd waiting stance. The trainers hadn't been happy with that, and they glowered over it as much as they did Levi's odd way of holding his blades.
Still, as soon as her opponent moved, she dipped in an instant, a bit of dust flying up as she twisted around, the boy's momentum carrying him farther as she shoved him down to sprawl in the sparse grass. Levi noticed her punches were pulled, and the boy didn't hit the earth too hard. Someone snapped his name, and he turned to face his partner, knowing it was that annoying Cadet who'd gotten a bit too chummy with Zoe from time to time, handsy, even. Not that she talked to a lot of people, always very reserved and polite, so people were more of acquaintances to her.
Lucas rolled his broad shoulders, very muscly, but very stupid. Levi was far stronger than his build gave, and though he was fairly short, he still wasn't shorter than Isabel. It was the only thing people could really poke fun at, but then, Levi couldn't give a fuck about that, assured in his own skill to kill them if he wanted.
The trainers circled, snapping when someone threw a harder punch then necessary, allowing them to scuffle about briefly, till they started applying skills to this. They gave an example, walking through the steps, patting the place where they should be connecting. Levi was almost beyond bored, until the blue flare shot up from within the tree.
He saw the time sheet before that, just making out the numbers as the red flare was fading from the sky. 19 minutes, and some seconds, and Farlan was sure to grumble about his partner later on, but Levi had told him to sort it out, stop complaining, it was his problem. Still, 19 was fucking good, next to the other times the 10 Cadets had made yesterday, almost none of them dropping under 20, and only one was lower than his friend's.
Isabel and her partner went next, and she gave one of her overjoyed hoots as she did. Her time was 19 as well, though Farlan's was a couple seconds less. Another blue flare went up, and the two Cadets went, and this time the red flare took a fairly long time. So he sparred with Zoe, who was damn good at hand-to-hand, almost as good as he was, using his strength against him. She'd beat him many times before this, and he'd pulled a more shady move to win himself.
Levi caught sight of the red flare first. His heart gave a little jolt, and he breathed through the first jolt of adrenaline, standing next to her before they were called over to their gear. Levi scrutinized his, checking every inch of it, tugging at the leather straps, testing it, checking the tank of gas before he deemed it useable. She'd done the same thing, lifting her legs once it was on, jumping for a second, before they were placed in the same location the others were. Flagon still had no idea that they were actually working well together, as he'd been gone for the last week or so.
"Hey," Levi said, catching her attention, recognizing her short breaths, knew she could push herself straight into another panic attack. That he'd held her through one honestly scared him, because he didn't want to feel anything for her. "Let's beat that record, huh?" he lowered his voice, "We've got this."
He saw her close her eyes, breathe deep, then nodded. "Yea."
The green flare shot into the air, and they took two steps in perfect rhythm, his swords out as the silver line attached to a tree, tipped at the odd angle. They alternated between legs and the kill spot, jetting along, hardly using their gas, except for redirecting themselves. There were 20 Titan cut outs, all varying meters, and he was sure she was counting in her head as well.
His gear was an extension of his body, same with her, he knew, because her movements were as graceful as his, as if she'd been using it for the amount of time he had. Still, Levi had raw talent, along with moves that had never been taught to him, so partnering with anyone besides his friends felt a bit off, because he knew how to adjust himself for Isabel and Farlan. And now he knew how to adjust to her style, whirling between the cutouts.
Her style was much more clipped, conservative, like his own, and unlike Farlan's and Isabel. The two sometimes were more flashy than necessary, especially Isabel's, though she could ride a horse much better than he could, and Zoe, especially, who was still trying to master that part. Farlan was a bit skittish towards some things, psyching himself out, messing up when he did. While Zoe was nervous, she did try and take his advice of breathing, which did sort out some of her blunders. In front of another Titan, however, he wasn't sure if she could breathe through that, because she still was nervous to even considering 'Titan Territory'.
She bounced quick between trees, and he noticed the flash of pain on her face as she clipped a branch. Zoe powered through, tipping her head to provide direction, the last wooden construct looming out of his own sight. Her blades hacked through the legs before his gouged the neck, bursting from the trees. Levi caught sight of a wide mouth, everyone who stood out on this side, besides his friends, stared up, keeping eyes on them, the red flare already up in the air.
Zoe and he landed within seconds of each other, her crouched, a blade flat on on the grass, other out to the side, before standing. Levi didn't touch the ground, letting his knees bend just slightly, reducing the landing pain, blades held odd still. He stabbed them back into his holster, another pair lying forgotten back in the forest, dulled after 15 kills, same as hers, the wood putting strain on them. She did the same, standing still while she tied up her hair again, almost nervous.
"Was it bad?" she asked, biting at her bottom lip, voice small. "I know it was bad; I could've done better, I don't think-I just-" She stopped herself from rambling.
Flagon was riding over, hiding his stunned look well, slipping off horseback, comparing his times with the regiment troops on their end. Levi stepped forward, and she trailed after, nervous biting of her bottom lip continuing. The two older people shifted away, man who'd been firing the flares joining the huddle. The squad leader jabbed his thumb over his shoulder, the assistant jumping on horseback, along with another female.
They exited the course 15 minutes later, giving Flagon a nod. The man didn't look happy, but Levi could give a shit, knowing how Zoe could work herself up if she didn't live up to standards set by herself. This increased the pressure on her shoulders, and she disappeared during some meal times to her room, working through a panic attack, he'd discovered.
"How about you let me know my time?" Levi didn't temper his tone, still not happy with Flagon.
The man glared over his shoulder, but turned none the less, looking at the two in front of him. Flagon shoved the board under Levi's nose, lips twisted down. 12 minutes on his board, and 11:58 on the people at the end. Zoe's eyebrows shot up, and she gave a soft noise, hand slapping to his arm, and jerking him about by his jacket. Levi pulled it out of her grasp, knowing he could've done better alone without the partner slicing leg coordination, but still, he'd shown that he could be just as good working with another person.
She was still glowing three days later. Of course, she was now spending more time with the Cadets, and training away from him. He saw Lucas trailing after her, knew the strained smile, and frowned. More time passed, and he suddenly went a week without her, stuck getting himself off in the shower, happy with the late time he'd chosen. Not entirely the no sex route, but he wasn't going to complain, taking the no she gave him, and the distance to heart.
Levi finished the wash, dragging his towel quick over his hair, making sure he was marginally dry before stepping out. The warm air and him being wet didn't make his progress any better, pants low on his hips as he walked back to the barracks. A noise distracted him, and he stopped, looking about for the source, giving a short huff, shaking his head as he reflected on the idea that he should've fucking brought his knife. He was getting lazy.
Still, in the torchlight placed strategically around, he caught sight of Lucas a good ways away. Then he registered Zoe's presence, and frowned deep, wondering if he should go up to her, but thought better about it, giving the two another look. One of the torches gave a sharp flare as he did, literally shedding new light on the situation, the way Lucas was advancing on her, backed into a corner. For an instant, he stood, until he saw Lucas grab her wrists, the sharp yelp she gave.
Levi strode down the corridor, catching words from Lucas, "Oiya, come on, be game."
She squirmed, trying to hit him, but her room was limited, and when Lucas got in close, used his bulk like he was now, the smaller person usually didn't have a chance, "Lucas, I'm serious, you-you're hurting me, I said no." She got in a smack, the sound reaching his ears, and Levi picked up his pace.
"What, so you'll fuck a sewer rat, but not me? Fucking slut-" Lucas bared his teeth, shoving her hard against the wall, "think about that answer," he gave her a shake, just as Levi stepped up.
Levi grasped the man's hair, yanking hard, listening to the yelp, Lucas's eyes shifting fast, trying to take in the situation. He'd let go of Zoe as Levi tugged a bit harder, lips starting to form around 'sewer', but Levi sent his face into the nearest wall, the boy stumbling back, dazed as blood bloomed at his temple. Lucas swung out wildly, and Levi side stepped the half-assed attempt, driving his elbow into Lucas' back, sending him sprawling.
Before he could stand up, Levi pulled Lucas to his feet , only to slam his booted foot down, used to the semi-darkness, as that's what he'd fought in for the most part of his life. He heard the satisfying, almost wet noise as Lucas's kneecap was hit, not broken. Yet. Lucas's mouth hung open, shout of pain stalling in his throat, and he lunged, hand catching Levi's wrist despite his quick movement.
Levi was slammed back against the wall, managing to keep his head from connecting, but the rough stone grated against his bare back. He was actually happy he'd not dried himself completely, yanking his wrist away without much trouble, bringing his leg up as he pushed from the wall, connecting with Lucas's stomach, ducking another wild punch, and throwing his shoulder with his full, though small, weight, against the already off balance boy.
He stepped back, knowing Lucas would get back up, because he'd seen his stamina, how he could ignore pain, along with his brutality, breaking a smaller Cadet's nose. No apology, but the Cadet had laughed it off with him.
Lucas used the wall to stand, lumbering towards him, blood from his forehead leaking down his cheek. Levi managed to bounce away again, but his shoulder grazed hard against the wall, pain thrumming, mixing with the back injuries he'd suffered,
"Fucking," Lucas' voice was a growl, "sewer scum. Think you can beat me? I've had more training, you piece of underground shit, I can fucking crush you."
This time, Levi allowed Lucas to connect with him, hooking his arm around the boy's neck, turning on the ball of his still stationary foot, sending Lucas hard to the ground, his body cushioning the worst of the fall on Levi's side. Lucas' arm almost came out of nowhere, and he managed to move, but Lucas's nails scrabbled at his skin, until Levi lifted his arm, smacking it away with the back of his.
As a result he lost some of the weight he had on the boy, and Lucas surged up, attempting to grab for his neck, but Levi squirreled away, bouncing back. He watched Lucas close as the boy circled, their progress out of the hallway to the courtyard heralded by a lack of torches, moonlight replacing it. By that time, their noises had roused a couple of the Cadets, watching from a window.
Levi's eyes went to Zoe, her eyes wide, that pretty little nightgown she always wore fueling his anger. Lucas probably fucking waited around, for her to go to the bathroom, whatever, he was still a fucking pig. The large Cadet had moved in the split second he averted his eyes, and Levi dodged again, but Lucas tipped himself, just enough to throw Levi off balance, causing him to fall. Levi curled so he wouldn't hit his head, but the impact still hurt, back sliding over the rough stone, further opening the scratches. Lucas' foot connected with his stomach before Levi could rise to his feet.
He was back up, putting the pain to the side, knowing if he'd stayed down, it wasn't going to get any better. Levi breath came a tad harder, feeling blood ooze from his wounds, knowing that Lucas was worn down. Still, he had to finish this before that blond shithead, Erwin, or whatever was alerted to this, or him waking up more Cadets, or the Scout REgiment troops. Lucas and he circled each other, and Levi watched him closely, the way his knee threatened to give, remembering how the boy fisted his hand tighter before swinging a punch.
Lucas' hand clenched, moving quick, but Levi had seen the tell, planting his boot, ducking under the punch, using the immense speed the boy had put into this. Levi gripped his wrist, the weight barely on his shoulders before he shoved off, the boy's legs in the air, falling hard on his back, curling like Levi had, head avoiding the stone. Bastard, that fucking shit eater; Levi wanted to break his fucking neck, touching Zoe like that, hurting her. With clenched teeth, Levi stepped in, spitting down once.
He brought the toe of his boot down, kicking him, recalling Zoe's trembling voice and kicked harder, even as Lucas tried to crawl away. Levi thought he was saying something, but the rush of blood was blotting it out. Lucas was shifting away every time he brought his boot to land, and Levi dipped to grab the boy's collar, driving his fist down, the satisfying crunch of his nose reaching him somehow.
Levi alternated between punching and kicking him, until he was faced with a corner, smiling down at Lucas, the action feral. His hands rested on the wall, using it to prop him up as he kicked mindlessly at the curled Cadet in front of him, taunting him, able to hear himself, but not Lucas. Somebody's voice managed to stop him for an instant, Levi's bloody boot resting on Lucas' chest, whipping around, clenching his bruised hand into a fist, pain flaring through him as he did.
Zoe.
Her hands fluttered, not touching him, eyes wide, lips moving despite the muted sound till he focused on her. "Levi, you're going to kill him, and your back- please, please," she brushed his sweat damp hair away from his face, and he hated that it calmed him, "Focus on something else, take a deep breath."
He focused on her, shoulders sagging after a minute, adrenaline draining away, and he put a bit of weight on her. She looked scared, and he dropped his eyes away, ashamed he was the one making her look like that. Levi didn't show it, turning back to Lucas, impassive as he stared down, almost disappointed when Lucas took a breath. Zoe dipped to check on her assailant, and his lip curled, wondering how she could show any sort of kindness to someone like Lucas.
"We've got to get him to a medic, or something."
"Is he awake?" Levi asked, as a Cadet jogged out.
The boy looked between them, pointed at Lucas, said, "I'm here to help if you want."
"Is the medic awake?" Zoe asked.
"Yea, it's only 10, I'm pretty sure he'll be up."
"Okay, let's get there."
Levi plodded along side them, the walk hardly taking ten minutes. The man's eyes almost bulged when he saw Lucas, speaking hurriedly to the Cadet, briefly spending time on Levi, pressing a towel and alcohol into Zoe's hands, along with water. She sat him down on one of the cots, ignoring his protests, making him roll his eyes, setting his forehead in his hands.
He barely winced as she guided the alcohol first over his wounds, gritting his teeth instead, muscles jerking in response to her cloth passing over. The other was warm, and he relaxed, especially when he felt her skin on his, tipping slightly, seeing that she'd pressed her forehead to the hardly scarred part of his back. Levi almost smiled, but thought better of it, gazing out on the opposite wall.
"Thank you," she murmured.
Levi didn't respond.
With a slight sigh, she continued, "It doesn't look too bad. None of them are too deep. No stitches."
He remained silent, just sore and tired, like he'd always felt underground. Her hand slid slow over his back, a mild temperatured ointment making his wounds smart for a second, then nothing. His breath came slow, wondered if her hands were magic, giving an involuntary shake, telling himself that was silly, but his mind still wandered. Levi didn't have time for this. Hadn't, at least, world fast paced, the underground a place where you had to grow up fast.
So he hadn't had time to fall in love, wondered why this girl was breaking down barriers, stepping into a place he reserved for specific people. Not pretty girls, with soft hands, and a smile that made his scowl clear up. Soft hands, the ones on his back, her thumb working slow over his wounds. Felt the lips that curved up into that smile touch, kind as her hands, to his uninjured shoulder.
Levi stood abruptly, jerked the door open harshly, hands protesting, tipping his head to look over at her. "Tomorrow, 8pm, you'd better be in my room."
"I have to clean-"
"My fucking room, Zoe," he snapped, lip curling in distaste(even in the name of cleaning). "Next time, better be prepared to fight your own fucking battles. I've got better shit to do than get hurt because you're not strong enough."
She looked taken aback, frown twisting down, attempting, "Levi, I never-"
"If you're not there, I'll come and find you, and you don't want that."
Over the month they had left, he found the littlest things to dislike about her, slept around, made sure she knew about it. He didn't want to be talkative with the scout regiment men, but they did know the classiest, ah, termed, brothel, he thought, assuring him that the presiding Mistress made sure her girls were clean, though the same standard was held to the men. Levi didn't understand why they all clustered outside the door, telling him 'he could do it'.
"What-" he attempted, but then one of them touched his shoulder, and he had to shut up, focusing on not moving away and punching him. Did they think he'd never slept with a girl?
"Don't come fast, you'll get a bad rep." In fact they did.
Levi looked at the man for a few seconds, before rolling his eyes, turning on his heel. He snapped the door closed behind him, eyes flicking once over the girl. She didn't have a single trait close to Zoe, and he resisted the flare of annoyance, close enough to the door to hear the chuckles of the men. They speculated there, and Levi sneered at it before turning to the girl. woman. Without the shape that Zoe had, and the woman shifted into a similar position she had once.
She'd been reading in his bed, naked except for a hastily drawn across sheet, legs drawn up, hooking her knee over the other. Like the woman was. The woman reached, as if to guide him. Levi felt he should've gone with the bloke who paid for this, or filled out some preliminary form on the amount of experience he had. He was willing to do just that, despite his general dislike of paperwork.
She was from one of those hunting clans, if her way of speaking was anything to go by. Levi noted she didn't even attempt to mask the accent; maybe apart of her charm, though he couldn't find much of that in the first place. Not that he was looking for just that, his face void of any real comforting emotion, tone of his voice not carrying any real inflection.
He did manage heaving breaths, shame and lust carried there, at least expressing some emotion externally now, losing the poise he preferred in this setting, as always. His hand clenched at the headboard, trying to overwhelm himself in the same respects, to find some solace in the lack of similar traits, but all this woman did was stab the idea that he did care deeper into his body, one of his more painful wounds. The girl didn't shudder like Zoe did, didn't curse, try and muffle herself in the slightest, try to provide some lingering resistance to him. Maybe it was her was of trying to lessen the pride he carried, though he wasn't the one to be humble.
For a brief second, his vision swam, and Levi saw her, hand curling into a fist, driving it into the headboard, pain shocking the image from his mind. His breath slowed, and he collected himself enough to slip off the bed, running a hand through his hair, making sure he looked suitably ruffled enough for the inference to be made that he'd given more effort, involved himself to the point of physical depravity.
"The people I walked in with, they got the tab, right?"
The woman shifted, almost catlike, the small smirk assuring him that his assumption was correct. As well as being satisfied. Which didn't please him as much as he'd thought it would, shaking his head to rid himself of the lingering guilt. Fuck; it wasn't as if he'd cheated, but he-
"Fuck it." Levi opened the door, jolting back from the men there, snapping, "Oi, can you move?"
"She was-she came."
"Well, yes, usually, females are supposed to enjoy sex."
"But she was-"
"Look, I have shit to do, are we going to go back, are are you going to stand there with your mouth open," he'd add something else, but he was tempered by the desire to use them, broadcast this achievement to Zoe that way.
Levi didn't talk on the way back, allowing the congratulations to pour over him. As if they had same sixth sense that allowed them to know his reasons, they proceeded to go into graphic terms right as he passed Zoe. Saw her stiffen when the men repeated the phrase reverently, 'You fucked her brains out', agreements with the phrase going around.
He was a bit too eager the next day, catching her and dragging her into a small room, hands roving over, her back pressed to his chest. Levi ignored her questions, hearing a bit of jealousy there, hands tightening in a response to her tone, a surge of sadistic glee rushing over him. She stopped talking as well, and Levi's success seemed to disappear, as he realized that nobody managed to linger on his mind in the same way. She'd been yelling fuck me, hadn't she? Now, fuck you; a wonderful juxtaposition, even if it lacked that difference on paper. More emotional. And he was decidedly less advanced when it came to emotions, rather than 3D gear.
Levi gave a brief shake of his head, pressing it into the crook of her neck, hands sliding slow under her pants, the pretty little buttoned vest she wore over her shirt open. He felt her tip her hips slightly, hand rounding to the back of his neck, and Levi watched her face, how she bit her lip, chewing there for a good second, then melted into him, jaw dropping, breathing harder. Her pants were dropping from her hips, and she made an attempt to catch them, but he made a sound, and she stopped.
"The door, Levi."
He wanted someone to catch them, his hands sliding further under her pants before he pushed one into her underwear. "So fucking wet, Zoe," he breathed, and she shivered, nodding. "for me, isn't it?"
She nodded again.
"Say it."
"I'm...wet for you, Levi."
Levi's fingers slipped into her, hiding his smile in her shoulder, "Tight too, aren't you baby? " He shifted back, hand slipping from her, turning her and pressing her against the wall. His eyes stayed on her as he dropped to a knee, tugging off her pants after her shoes, underwear moving with them. He hooked her leg over his shoulder, stalling with a couple kisses to her inner thigh, waiting for a little plea as he embellished on his last words, "aren't you?"
He got one, her voice warbling, "Please, Levi."
In the end, no one caught them.
Lucas didn't tell anyone who'd beaten him up, though he certainly didn't get near Zoe again, and even took a number of steps back when Levi passed, widening his distance from her. Levi almost managed a smirk, and Isabel and Farlan laughed out right, slapping high fives behind him, though Levi's hand was still bandaged, and the wounds on his back were healing slower than the bruise. He didn't show he was in any pain, mostly because he wasn't most of the time, and so he didn't come off as weak to his fellows.
Levi saw that Farlan and Isabel were going out to drink, gave his male friend a pointed stare as he stated 2 hours. Farlan repeated it, almost flushing, but didn't give Isabel the chance to ask, even as she whined, the taller boy pushing his friend down the hallway. He went and found Zoe, pouring over a book in her room, her roommates reading in bed, or not reading at all, Lei's face pressed against the pages, wide mouth open and drooling.
He leaned over her chair, eyes flickering over the book, frowning. "What the shit is that?"
"It's a book, Levi."
"On maneuvers? Fucking shit, Zoe," Levi said, reaching and snapping it shut.
She didn't meet his eyes, fist clenching before she said, "You lost my page, asshole. I have to study, Levi. I have tests, you realize. I can't just sit around, and fuck you." She opened the book, cut a glance back to him. "Besides, you can just go back to that brothel, can't you?"
Her voice was cold, something he'd never heard in it. He straightened, taking a step back, the awake roommate's eyes widening before he ducked behind his book. Levi narrowed his eyes, glaring at her, knowing it was his fault, but it was really hers for making him care about her. Shit, that was so backwards, even he realized the false argument.
He did; fuck, he did care about her, he didn't even know how to operate around feelings like this. When he tried drinking, he ended up telling her how he felt. Levi managed to shut them down, finally, as the weeks drawing to her graduation progressed. In all honesty, as he walked to Erwin's side, away from her, he wished she was with him.
But then she chose the Military Police. And he continued on with the Scout Regiment.
You weren't perfect, but you made life worth it. Stick around, real feelings might surface.
