Disclaimers:

I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin / Attack on Titan

Rated-T: Swearing


Chapter II

I hear a distant sound of cracking wood and feel warmth embracing my body. But there was something else I could hear. I heard a steady thud of a heartbeat behind me. It was all so relaxing I wanted to stay there. Stay in this warmth and listen to the heart beating like a lullaby. I wanted to stay here because it's the safest I've felt in such a long time. Even more safe than when Eren came to rescue me.

But the pleasantness of my little sanctuary was ripped from me by the sudden rush of memories when just saying Eren's name in my mind. His blood spraying into the air as the Female Titan decapitated his Titan and tore Eren from his Titan's nape. She took him from me. Then the events after when the Captain and I went after her, how quick he was when he tore through her body. Then my mistake of letting revenge take over, nearly getting me killed. But then he saved me, I was safe because of him. He took me away from death's embrace, but there was a cost. The spinning trees, the blood leaving my body, the Captain and his eyes. The look of pain and fear.

I woke up with a start, then pain searing through my back and stabbing into my skull. Then warm arms wrapped around me and pulled me back near the heartbeat lullaby.

"Shhhh. Not too quick, Mikasa. We don't know the extent of your injuries."

I relax my body, putting the pain to rest. I look in front of me and see the source of the warmth. The fire was crackling, giving off some light, but as I looked at my surroundings, everything was engulfed in darkness. As if reading my mind, he answered my questions.

"After I grabbed you before the Female Titan did, I tried to retreat back into a tree, but the bitch grabbed my wire and we flew off into a different direction. I fell into some bushes, but when I got up, I saw you slouched against a tree. When I ran over you were already losing consciousness. Some Titans were heading our way, so I had to use your 3DMG, because I used the last of mine saving you. I got us up in this tree, but now neither of us have anything left in our tanks."

"Damn, any good news?" I scoffed

"You're still alive."

I was taken by surprised. Suddenly becoming more aware of my surroundings. I tilted my head back to see his eyes looking down at me. Then realizing that I was leaning on him, my body was lit in flames with embarrassment. I quickly tried to get up off him, but my body retaliated, stabbing my back in pain.

"I told you to not be so quick with your movements. You never listen do you?"

"But.. um.. Captain. I'm basically laying on you." Saying it outloud sent even more waves of heat through my body.

"Well atleast you don't seem to have brain damage." he replied mockingly.

The heat of my embarrassment changed to anger at how much of a condescending asshole he was already behaving like.

"You were leaning on me because, since you were unconscious, I didn't know if you were going to toss and turn, not only possibly worsening your injuries, but also the risk of you falling out of the tree. So it was either tying you to the tree with the 3DMG cord, or…" he trailed off, also realizing the embarrassment of saying it outloud ".. or.. Umm.. or me holding you and keeping you safe."

I was stunned by his showing of emotion. I guess he really is human. I slowly pushed myself off of him, reluctant to leave his warmth and safety, but knowing it was better to do so. I was just another one of his soldiers to command, not a patient or loved one he needed to care for.

"Thank you, Captain" I said quietly as I sat up and faced him. Keeping my head down.

"You're welcome, Mikasa"

"Mikasa..? Did he really just call me by my first name? Maybe I do have brain damage."

I looked up in confusion, his eyes then meeting mine. They were steel grey, with no life in them. As if looking into a dead man's eyes.

"Wait.. there was something there, a small spark deep inside.. if I could just look a little closer…"

Being so deep in trance from staring into his eyes, I never noticed that I was slowly leaning in till I was only a few inches from his face. I swallowed, my body tensing up before retreating.

But as I was putting distance between us, he grabbed the back of my head and pulled me in. Our lips met and I melted under his kiss. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around his neck and his around my waist as he pulled me in closer. Our tongues battled it out as the flames within us merged. I held onto him like it was the last thing in this world, and I never wanted to let him go.

He pulled away, breaking our kiss, his eyes widened at what he had just done.

"I- I'm sorry I shouldn't have done that.. I just.. I don't know anymore." he said with his head down. "I've already have lost too much and I'm not willing to lose anymore."

"I've never seen him like this, I don't think anybody has; but at the same time, I also think nobody has lost as much as he has either."

"It's okay.." I said hesitantly, carefully searching for the right words. "It's okay to feel alone and broken. To feel pain and fear."

And as I said those words, he picked up his head, his eyes filled with emotion.

Startling me, he spoke harshly "I'm trusting you, Ackerman, not to say shit if we live."

And although it was a command, his eyes were pleading.

"Yes sir!" I responded mockingly with a salute. But still with my left fist behind and the right fist over my heart.


Besides the cicadas singing in the night, the wind rustling the leaves, and the last of the fire crackling weakly, all was uncomfortably silent. I nor Levi had spoken a word for what felt like a lifetime.

I shivered, goosebumps covering my body, from the cold wind. The fire was dying and the cold darkness was closing in. Levi stood up and started walking away.

"Wait! Where are you going?!" I asked him as he was disappearing into the darkness.

"Don't worry I'll be back" he called out. But that wasn't a good enough answer for me.

I tried to stand up, but my legs retaliated. I was able to get one leg to cooperate but the other absolutely refused, which left me in a kneeling position.

"What the fuck I can't even stand? Fuck that, come on body!"

After struggling for my muscles to cooperate for about five minutes, I was on my feet. I straightened up and that's when my injury hit me once again. Searing pain ran up my back, blurring my vision and making me light headed. I felt my body go limp as gravity took its toll. But before I landed, I was caught.

"For fuck's sake, I can't even leave you alone for a few minutes?" he said as he sat me down. He walked to his side of the fire and started feeding it with kindling that he had gone to gather.

"You know you could've just told me you were going to get some sticks" I said while waiting for my eyes to focus.

"And you could've just stayed here patiently and trusted that I'd come back" he replied with attitude.

"Tsk..Trust him? Yeah right" my thoughts paused for a moment thinking of anything that made him untrustworthy, but I couldn't. "Well I guess he hasn't done anything to make me not trust him. He's probably the most trustworthy person I know. But wait.. Eren is supposed to be first, always."

I thought to myself, recalling my memories of Eren, desperately searching for a moment of trust.. but I couldn't. He had always put the extermination of Titans before me. Always.

"Hey, Mikasa?" he said trying to get my attention "No sassy remark? Have you finally ran out of your infinite amount of attitude?"

I scoffed "You'll never be so lucky"

He smirked at my response and turned his attention to the fire.

We both fell into silence once more, watching the flames dance. My body shook with a shiver, and I tried to wrap my caped uniform tighter around my cold body. Levi looked up and frowned at me shivering.

"Tsk. You're pathetic" he said as he stood up and walking around the fire and in my direction.

"F-f-fuck you L-levi" I said shivering uncontrollably, watching him walk behind me a sitting down.

"Mhm sure.." he said mockingly as he straddled his legs. I glared at him, but he wasn't phased by it. "Are you gonna scoot over here or freeze to death? We still got hours before the sunrise so you can either suffer with your stubborn ass or suck it up and come here."

I thought for a moment, still wanting to hold my own, but I fucking hate the cold. "Y-you come here, it h-h-hurts when I m-move." I said giving in.

He smirked "You're such a baby, Ackerman" he said as he scooted over, wrapping me in his warm arms.

I never knew such a simple embrace could make me feel like bliss. I leaned back, allowing my body to melt into his, hearing his heartbeat softly.

"H-how come you're not c-cold?" I asked with honest curiosity, looking up at him.

"Hmm" he paused looking for an answer himself "I suppose it's because with everything I've seen and everyone that I have lost, I prefer not to feel than to let my emotions kill me." "But…" he paused.

Impatient for him to finish my sentence "B-but what?" he looked down at me with his steel grey eyes. He continued with his sentence "But you've been making me feel things again"

I blushed and whipped my head and settled my gaze on the fire so he couldn't see my cheeks.

"I already saw that Mikasa"

"I d-don't know what the f-f-fuck you're talking ab-bout. It's c-cold as fuck that's w-why my cheeks are r-r-ed, o-okay? T-t-that's all" I said defensively.

"Mhm.. sure.. Whatever you say." he said lightly laugh "Just relax and go to sleep."

Although completely frustrated that I could't even control my voice and especially not wanting to do anything he tells me to do, the cold was too sedating for me to refuse. So I succumbed to his warmth and fell asleep to his heartbeat lullaby.


So I'm just now noticing that the first chapter was 3rd person POV and this one is Mikasa's POV, so for all the OCD people (me also being one) I know the inconsistency is frustrating, but I'm sorry I'm just too lazy to change it. I'm also sorry that Levi is so OOC, I'm just trying to keep a smooth pace with the story, without dragging it along and boring you with a slow transition of his character, which would need 2 or 3 detailed chapters for Levi to show more emotion, because well, it's Levi. Anyways let me know what you think. Oh and also the next Chapter is going to be Rated-M, just to let you know.