Retribution– He wanted to know every inch of her. Levi/Mikasa.
It scared him that he was no longer afraid of dying.
Maybe it was because she was always there with her sharp blade, cutting through flesh with movements powerful yet controlled. Levi held his sprained foot and watched as that Oriental girl Eren had brought with him danced in the air through sprays of blood.
He limped over to the chimney of the house he stood on, holding it for support as he watched the girl land on the shingles with grace that rivaled his own. Around them, the sounds of battle reigned on. His own squad had left to aid Jean and Eren. This girl was probably headed the same way.
"Levi-heichou," she greeted. Her eyes flitted down to his foot, "do you require assistance?"
"Like hell I require assistance," he seethed. "Why is it always you? Didn't I assign you to the front guard, Ackerman?"
She nodded, but stepped closer. Her twin swords trailed along the shingles behind her. "I came from Jean's group, heichou. But your teammates joined us, and I though you would need backup." She looked west, where three fifteen-meter class titans were gathering in the distance. "I will stay here. Eren is well protected."
"Do you not know how to take orders, Ackerman?" Levi asked in a low voice. What part of 'front guard' did she not comprehend? They were in the middle of battle; there was no time for her to be making her own decisions.
"No," she replied. "I do not know how to take orders, heichou. When I can save someone I will choose to do so."
He paused, and the reached down to massage his ankle. "So you're another disobedient dog like the rest. I'll just have to train you."
"I know how you train people, heichou. I decline." Her words were sharp as her blades, which she sheathed as she walked towards him. "You are unable to walk. I will take you to the rear guard with me, where Eren is. I have already disposed of the ones you didn't get to."
Levi reluctantly allowed her to swing one of his arms over her shoulder. He held onto her firm build as she pulled him forward, and readied her 3DM gear for travel. "You're filthy," he muttered. "At least try to keep the blood off. You're getting it on me."
"I apologize if I dirty your clothes, heichou," she said. "But it will evaporate."
"Fine," he muttered. "Let's go join your boyfriend, then, Ackerman."
She stiffened slightly under his hold. "He's my family."
.
They'd had almost a month of peace before the next expedition, during which the Recon Troops under Erwin all remained in the old castle they had converted into their base. Levi had seen to it that every room was tidied and dusted to his own inspection. He worked Eren especially hard.
Not because he hated him. No, the kid's psychotic ways were starting to grow on him. It was to see that glint in Ackerman's eyes when she saw her foster brother collapse from exhaustion. Sadism held a certain pleasure, sometimes.
The meeting to plan for the next expedition was finished. Levi left the conference room to walk down the hall to another. He passed Armin's room, and finally stood before Ackerman's door. He didn't bother with knocking, and simply pushed the door open.
She was inside, sitting on her bed and sharpening her swords. For some reason, this held both elation and a tinge of disappointment. Disappointment because it would have been nice to see her doing something ordinary, like reading a book or writing in journal.
Elated because her cold beauty was only ever accented by the sheen of metal.
She stood up as he entered, quickly placing the blades and the sharpening block to the side. One hand curled to her chest in a salute. "Levi-heichou."
"Ackerman," he drawled. "Did you receive your orders for the expedition tomorrow?"
"I did, heichou," there was a sort of otherworldly stillness about her.
"Report."
"I am assigned to the west guard. I must deploy all typical flare-rules."
"And what must you not do?" He asked, walking closer. The door swung shut behind him. The evening sun that filtered in through the window highlighted Ackerman's face.
"I do not understand, heichou," she said, allowing her arms to swing back down to her sides.
"You must not," he said, "suddenly appear in my faction. I give orders for a reason and I expect them to be heeded."
"If you'll forgive me for saying so, you would have died ten times over if I had heeded your orders during the time I have been on your team. You are skilled, heichou, but you take too much on by yourself."
The room was silent as he stepped closer. She normally stood taller but her feet were bare, and his footwear allowed him to take height. Levi leaned in, and brought up the sharpened blade in one smooth motion. He held it to the back of her neck, noting with frustration that she barely flinched.
Had this girl lost her fear of death just like he had? Did she have someone who would rush in and remove danger just as the adrenaline rushed into her veins? Or was it for the opposite reason?
"Ackerman," he began. "You are good. I can see that. I would take you on my squad, except that I have no confidence in your ability to abide by a group's decision. But know," he slipped the blade closer, "that I have far more experience, and it would be wise for you to remember that."
"As you wish, heichou," she replied evenly.
"And if I see you out of position tomorrow, then I won't hesitate to train you like a loyal dog should be trained," he smiled wryly. "You see your foster brother every day; you should know that it works."
She remained silent. It frustrated him that she didn't react, even where he was placing the blade against the dip of her neck. This soldier was so full of life, yet lifeless at the same time. It thrilled him, and he knew exactly why.
.
One meter down. Ten centimeters across.
Levi spun his blades down into the flesh of the ten-meter-class's neck, slicing it evenly. The metal glinted in the evening light. He stumbled, but landed on the Titan's back to cushion his own fall.
Ch. I'm dirty again.
He quickly pushed hair out of his eyes and looked around, observing the rest of team. They were receding into the distance, drawing away the two fifteen-meters that had invaded their formation. They would rendezvous with Erwin in five minutes. Good. Most of the buildings in the ruined city had been razed almost to the ground, and few other than him could fight in places like this. He'd ordered them to leave, deciding to take the remaining two titans by himself. Where was the other one?
He glanced around, and froze.
Jean. That idiot.
The grey-haired man was crouched down a few meters off, holding an injured leg. The other titan – a towering fifteen-meter class, was descending down onto him, prepared to pick him up.
Levi's eyes narrowed as he raised his blades.
The back of the neck wasn't possible. Jean would be swallowed by the time he had attained the correct angle.
Ankle? No, there was rubble on the ground. Once he was there, there would be no holds for his 3DM.
Fingers. It was the only target that would save Jean. He bit back his frustration and leapt forward, off the evaporating carcass of the dead titan. Without moments he had covered the distance between himself and Jean.
"Kirstein! Get out of the way!" He commanded. The recruit immediately stumbled to his feet, backing away from the titan's hands. But he wouldn't make it in time, unless…
Levi's blades cut cleanly through the four fingers that reached for his subordinate. Immediately after the digits began to fall off, he leap back, dragging Jean by the front of his shirt.
"Kirstein, get away. I'll lead it to somewhere I can get a hold on a building." Levi said sharply, pushing the man away.
Jean paused, "heichou, that's-"
"Just go! Stop doubting orders!" He turned to yell out. He kept his eyes on the man until he nodded and started to run, stumbling on his injured leg.
The giant hand came toward him and Levi turned back too late. Before he could move, the hand had swept him off his feet. There was a sudden, searing pain in his stomach where it clenched his body tightly, uncaring towards the delicacy of the human form.
He managed to cut open the hand at the last moment with another swing of his blade, and realized that was the worst possible thing he could have done. He was midair, with nothing to shoot his 3DM to, and the lumbering giant was reaching for him with its other hand.
Levi almost hoped it would catch him in time. If only so that he could land properly on his head, where he should have landed.
It was her fault that he was no longer afraid of dying, and he hated it. Because just as one part of him cringed in fear at the thought of falling to a bloody death, another perfectly anticipated the strong arms that were suddenly around him, changing his course.
Why on earth did she have to arrive at that time?
"Ackerman!" He yelled into the wind. "There are no holds!"
She didn't reply, but he heard the zipping sound of her 3DM being released. Where on earth was she aiming? Before he could think any further, they both landed roughly onto the half-evaporated carcass of the first titan. One of his hands was digging into the muscled flesh of Ackerman's side. The other was grasping the crumbling bone of the titan beneath them. He pushed himself up and wrinkled his nose at the sight.
"Ackerman," Levi said slowly. "We're both filthy." He raised one arm, looking at the bloodstains that leaked through every inch of white cloth. Beside him, she was in the same condition.
But she stood up, not caring about the mess, and offered him a hand. "I would think that remaining alive would be your priority, heichou."
Levi hissed at the pain in his side, but he stood up without her aid. "That doesn-" He paused when he looked at her.
Ackerman's hair was spotless, shifting softly in the evening light. The rest of her body was drenched in the titan's blood. Her shirt clung to her and her hands were still holding her blades. She hadn't dropped them during the fall, or let go of them even once. She was inexperienced, but she was damn good. One day – maybe in a day – she would be as good as him. Somehow, the thought made him crawl with a sort of sadistic pleasure.
"Heichou?" She asked in that even voice. "Were you going to say something."
"I was going to do something," he muttered, reaching forward. Without hesitating, his hand tangled itself in the front of her bloodstained shirt, low enough to feel the dip of her breasts underneath. He pulled her close. She didn't resist, simply looking slightly surprised when his breath was on her cheek.
"Ch. You disobeyed again. You were supposed to be with Erwin."
"I saw Jean running, and I thought you would need more assistance," she said.
His hand clenched further into the material, even as he felt the blood start to evaporate. He muttered his words into her ear, "you need more training, Ackerman. You see, I want you on my unit and I won't let a little disobedience get in my way."
Levi didn't let her reply, he simply pulled her forward and pressed their mouths together, forcing hers open. He tasted blood, and it belonged to neither of them. Somehow that fact paled in comparison to the rough feeling of Ackerman's lips against his own.
They weren't soft, or warm. They were the lips of a killer, and that was what he liked most. It took a little while before she started to reciprocate, and he noted with satisfaction that his own experience gave him a far greater upper hand in this. She was young, after all. But they didn't care about age. No one did, in the Recon Troops. The younger ones died the same way the others did.
He drew back, but his hand was still holding the front of her shirt. All the blood had evaporated, and it was white once again. He let go and sent her almost off her balance before she expertly recovered it.
She opened her mouth to ask.
"Fine, Ackerman," he said before she could speak. "If you're that interested in playing savior, you'll be on my guard from now on."
She nodded blankly, but the sight of her slightly reddened lips told him more than her expression did. "That is fine, Levi-heichou." She paused. "Do you want to ?…"
"Oh yes," he said gravely, tuning around and retrieving his blade from the carcass. "I want to. You'd better stay alive, Ackerman."
.
"I have a name," she told him the next morning. "It's Mikasa. Mikasa Ackerman."
"Really?" Levi turned in the sheets, propping himself up on his elbows as he regarded the girl laying beside him, blanket riding dangerous low on her bare chest. "I didn't think you owned one," he said dryly. He looked around the room, wondering where his shirt had gone from when he'd thrown it off.
She gave him a blank look.
"Of course I know your stupid name," he muttered, running hand through his hair. "I've heard it a million times. From that psychotic brother of yours. 'Mikasa, Armin', on and on. You, that blond boy, and the titans are all he thinks of."
She nodded, and pulled the sheets up to her neck. He located his shirt on the floor below and slipped out of bed to pull it on, giving her a view of his fully naked form as he did so. It didn't take long for him to find his pants as well.
When he was dressed, he turned around to see that she was still watching him. Levi sighed, running a hand through his hair. But he didn't doubt that she liked it as much as he had. Ackerman had rode him like a silent animal, like the perfect way she was. He usually frowned on relationships between comrades, but this one, he would do. Ackerman was perceptive, and she analyzed every inch of him to predict his movements, and move just in time on him. A true team player, when she put her mind to it.
Levi gathered her clothing from the back of the chair nearby and threw it onto the bed. The red scarf she always wore lay on top of the rest of her recon uniform.
He wondered what to tell her, since he wanted her to come back the next night in the same way. He wanted to take her in the same way, with her on top where he could see the glorious sight of her dark hair spilling over firm shoulders. He didn't think he would ever he able to get enough of her. Of Mikasa's lean form and sharp eyes and sharper mind.
Of the way she looked when she cut down a titan, and stood atop its dead flesh like a living, breathing symbol of mankind's retribution. He was in love with that, and he couldn't separate it from Mikasa Ackerman.
"Leave your door open," Levi muttered. "We have to be too quiet here, since Erwin-taicho is next door. Your room is only by Eren's. That boy sleeps like a log."
He couldn't describe the sort of deep contentment he felt when she nodded and reached for her scarf.
I love this imagery of this pairing. Feedback?