31, April, 19XX
Dear Petra-
We were ambushed and pushed back another hundred yards. Luckily no men were lost. This time.
I got some new men and, per routine, I'll explain them all to you. Not too many to report this time.
Rifleman Armin Arlert. I doubt the kid has shot a person in his life. He's the shortest one from the four that I got, yet his brains make up for it. And he's still taller than me. Damnit.
Erwin absolutely loves the kid and I am tempted to dump the kid in his hands. Then I'd only have to worry about 10 other people. Huh. That's a thought.
Next I have Rifleman Jean Kirstein. French descent. How do I know? His cocky attitude. He really reminds me of a horse. I fed him the oats that we feed the horses and get this; he said they were really good. If that isn't a sign, I don't know what is.
Grenadier Marco Bott is the horse's friend and the one that actually keeps the idiot in line. I actually like Bott. He respects me and actually fucking listens to what I tell him to do.
I plan to protect this angel for as long as I can and bring him home to show you.
And finally. The laughing stock of my entire squadron.
The German Rifleman. Eren Jaeger.
Remind me to kill him when I won't get in trouble.
This kid has given me such a headache, and it's only been a day. A new record. Oluo took five.
The damn kid tried to get into No Man's Land two minutes after he joined my squadron. I think the kid is really just trying to get killed quickly.
I…I really love you Petra.
Send my regards to my parents. I send a bloodied kiss your way.
All my love,
Levi Ackerman
1st SSgt of the 101st Airborne and rifle squadron
…..
"Line up!" Levi shouts, placing his recently written note in his breastpocket as he hops out of his dugout. He ignores the men's groans and grumbles as they wake up and he moves to the washroom, splashing cold water on his face before turning to face his charges, who were lined up along the wall of the trench, bleary eyed and yawning.
One, two, three, four, f-wait, where's blondie? Ah there. Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, e-
"Someone care to explain where Jaeger is?" He all but growls, silver gaze cutting deep into the men's souls.
The blond one, Arlert, timidly raises his hand.
"Speak, Arlert, if it's worth my time." He barks.
"Sir, yes, sir!" Arlert shouts, saluting him as he shifts his azure gaze hazily above Levi's head. "Soldier Jaeger is still sleeping, sir!"
Levi's eyebrow twitches in annoyance.
"Elaborate, Arlert, why the lovely Jaeger is still sleeping."
Arlert swallows nervously and nods.
"He said he wasn't feeling well, sir!"
"At ease, soldier." Levi sighs wearily, insides seething in anger. "All of you meet up with Sargent Smith and receive breakfast. Meet back here at 0700 hours. Dismissed."
His charges salute him before heading off through the narrow passageways of the trenches. He should be with them, grabbing a much needed cup of steaming hot coffee.
But no.
He had to go kick an idiot's ass.
…
His temper goes from bad to worse when he sees the mess of brown hair poking out from the crappy government given blankets. With a grunt he jumps down from the side of the trench to land in front of Eren Jaeger's dugout.
He's about to yell at the teenager when Eren turns to face him, brow furrowed and drool running down his chin. He snorts, a smirk ripping across his muddied face.
This could be fun.
Levi leans against the dirt wall and watches the young man, interested to see what he does.
"Mmph…L…" Eren moans and Levi straightens, eyebrows arching up in surprise.
"L…Levi…"
He did not just fucking moan my name.
"Eren fucking Jaeger I will give you three seconds to get out of your bed and standing before I make your asshole meet your mouth." He growls, muddied foot kissing Jaeger's face.
Jaeger's eyes snap open in panic and he shouts, pushing Levi's foot off of his face as he jumps out of his dugout, saluting him…well…the wrong way.
Levi taps his shoulder with the butt of his gun, forcing the young man to turn around to face him. "You idiot. The wall is not superior to me."
"Sorry sir!" Jaeger shouts, eyes still wide.
"Hmm. You can start by making your bed and actually start looking like an actual human being."
"Sir yes sir!" Jaeger nods, saluting him once more before rushing over to his dugout to start making his bed painstakingly nice.
"So Jaeger." Levi growls, leaning against the dirt wall to watch him. "Mind explaining why you weren't up when the sun reared its ugly ass?"
Eren freezes slightly. "I-I made a mistake sir! It won't happen again!"
"It won't happen again. And you want to know why?" Levi leans forwards, face a mere inch from Jaeger's.
"Because. If I ever find out that you have slept in as long as you want…I will make sure that your mother gets a box as big as my fist sent back to her, containing all that they could find of her precious son. Get it?"
Jaeger looks up finally, fierce eyes locking to his.
"My mother is dead, sir." Is the only thing he says.
….
The story of Eren Jaeger. As told by the brat himself.
Levi leans against the opposite wall to listen to the German boy, oddly silent as the boy recounts his tale from the confinements of his dugout.
"My parents came from Germany when they were first married." Eren recalls, looking down at his untied boots. He knocks them together, trying to buy time while honestly trying to clean the forever muddied shoes. "They had only been in the States for a couple of months before I was born. My father was a loved doctor so one day he went for a house call and never came back. He's not dead, he just…" Jaeger looks up and sighs, scratching the back of his neck. "He just…left…"
Levi says nothing but crosses his legs and leans back against the wall once more, eyes feigning disinterest.
"My mom…" Eren swallows hard here. He cracks a smile and a soft laugh. "Mütterchen, like I always called her…well…she went to sleep one day…and never woke up." Jaeger shrugs and moves to stand, but one look from Levi forces him back down.
He steps forwards, planting a foot on Jaeger's shoulder as he glowers down at him.
"You're forcing me to miss my morning cup of tea and coffee, to tell me that your mother "went to sleep one day and never woke up"? I call bullshit. Sit your ass back down and tell me the damn truth Jaeger."
Eren smiles slightly instead, a soft chuckle escaping his dried lips.
"You do care, sir."
Levi glares at him, foot digging in harder into the teenager's shoulder. "Of course I care, not because of some sappy reason. But because I literally care about every one of my charges. Now out with it."
"What about your parents?"
Eren swallows hard when Levi's gaze turns darker and more sinister. He unconsciously flinches and moves back when Levi leans in closer, voice dark and evil.
"The only ones that know about my parents are dead. And you'll be next if you find out."
…
"E-Eren's mother?" Arlert looks up from his book, the light above him attracting pests of the night and the occasional night bird. Levi looks up in disgust at the insects that swarm the light and gingerly sits down at the edge of Arlert's dugout. "W-why are you asking sir?"
Levi sharply looks at him, fixing his dirtied cravat with a clear of his throat. "Are you questioning me, soldier?"
"O-of course not sir! I just…Eren has told me not to tell anyone. It's been hard since Mrs. Jaeger has passed away."
"Listen to me, and listen closely, Arlert. That brat has been wasting my time since he got here. I haven't gotten a straight answer from him since day one, and I think, as his commanding officer, I at least deserve to know the truth. If you do not answer me when I ask another question, I will personally make sure that you do not leave my line of sight for the next three months. Are we clear, soldier?"
Armin looks at him, eyes wide in unadulterated fear and Levi leans closer, eyes glinting in the night light.
"Are. We. Clear."
"Y-yes sir!"
"Good. Then tell me what happened to Mrs. Jaeger."
Carla Jaeger had apparently been ambushed just outside of her house right after the war started three years ago, by men who thought she was helping the Germans. They beat, raped, and beheaded her before placing her head on the doorstep outside of her house, where her young son, Eren, who was 16 at the time, found her head when he came home from school that afternoon. They never recovered the rest of her body and the police never started a full investigation to find her body or her killers.
All because she was a German immigrant.
"Eren said he wanted to destroy all of the Germans that tainted his mother's name and reputation so he could repay her." Armin sighed, removing his glasses as he tucked his book away, since it was nearing curfew. "That's all I know sir. Eren should be returning soon."
Levi nods, standing as he pats Arlert's shoulder. "Thank you for your honesty. Rest well, soldier."
…..
He walks past the newest soldiers, ignoring the soft moans that come from Bodt's darkened dugout. One glance at the labeled uniform that lay before the mouth of the dugout tell him that the sloppy bastard is none other than the horse Kirstein.
Levi makes a mental note to punish the horse for his sloppiness the next morning and snorts as he continues on.
Isn't that basically considered bestiality?
He hears the soft pants from behind him before he sees the person and when a moon-covered hand reaches out to touch him; Levi swings around and grabs the hand, jerking it hard to the right before slamming the culprit against the dirt wall.
"Ow, ow, ow, ow, Damnit Levi! Let me go!" Eren growls, voice muffled by the dirt. Levi glares and pushes the teenager harder into the dirt.
"Is that any way to be treating your superior? And you should've expected just as much, considering you snuck up on me. You're lucky I didn't shoot you."
"Just let me goooooo!"
"Because you didn't use your manners, I think I won't." Levi grabs his arms and swings him around, forcing him onto the ground.
Eren tilts his head to the side to glare up at the older man, trying to wiggle out of his hold. "Why the fuck are you even doing this?!"
Levi glares just as darkly down at the German boy. "Why didn't you tell me the truth about your mother?"
Eren freezes, staring up at him. "Y…you know?"
"Of course I know. Why didn't you just tell me?"
Jaeger stares at him for a long moment before growling and kicking Levi's legs out from under him, rolling to the side as Levi falls down and forces the older man onto his back, straddling his hips as he holds his arms to the side.
Levi stares up at the enraged teenager, uncaring and eyes dulled. "You'll die if you do this for any longer, Jaeger."
"Just shut up!" Eren shouts, voice ringing in the cold darkness. "You don't understand. You don't know me! You don't know my family! You had absolutely no right to ask about me or my mother!"
"I have every right. I am the man that will tell you when you die and when you live. You should fear me."
"I want to. Oh, how I want to. But I-"
"But what?" Levi taunts, a nasty smirk snarling through his deadened lips. "Why can't you fear me, Jaeger-"
"Because I love you!"
They both pause, Levi's uncaring façade cracking in shock. Eren glares down at him, tears dripping down to hit Levi's cheeks, unfazed that he just confessed to something so taboo, so sinful.
"I don't know why I do. And honestly I don't care. But I love you so fucking much it hurts. I haven't loved anyone this much since my mother was alive. I didn't tell you about her because every time, every goddamn time I speak her name, I see her head on our doorstep. That's not who she is. That's not who I want to remember. And I don't want any pity. So don't give it to me."
Levi's shocked look has slowly left and he stares up at the teenager once more and sighs. "I get it, I really do. But can you let me go-"
Levi is cut off when the hot-headed German leans down and captures his lips in a tantalizing dance. Levi freezes, breath halting in shock, and Eren pries his lips open slowly with his tongue, dazzling eyes slowly closing.
Stopping his fight, Levi's eyes slowly flutter shut, and he kisses the teenager back.
I haven't kissed anyone like this since-
Levi's eyes fly open in a panic, realization setting in at what he's done.
Since Petra.
My fiancé.
The one that I am cheating on right now with the sworn bane of my existence.
Levi lifts his legs up and kicks the German straight in the stomach. Eren coughs hard, falling back onto his ass as he glares up at his senior. Levi stands quickly and brushes off some dirt and grass, straightening his uniform and hair, hands visibly shaking.
"What the hell, sir?! I thought you liked that! You kissed me back just as much as I was kissing you! I thought-" Eren stops when the muzzle of Levi's gun kisses his lips, where Levi's lips still haunt the teenager.
"I am going to say this once, and only once." Levi growls, crouching down to Eren's height. "I have a fiancé back home who has gone through so much shit for me and she does not deserve this. She does not deserve my cheating on her because I can't keep my lust for myself. You are repulsive. I don't want to see your face again. I am a straight man with dreams for a future with my wife, a woman, and we will have children, and I will be able to sleep at night because I know deep in my heart, that I never slept with a man behind her back. If you thought we could have a nice little relationship with flowers and little smiles on our faces, I'm sorry but you're mistaken. I am not available. I never will be. So take your little crush and move on to some else. I am nothing but your commanding officer, to whom you will kiss my feet because you are so grateful that I care for your sorry ass. Am I understood?"
Eren Jaeger glares up at him, eyes burning bright in anger.
Levi presses the muzzle of the gun harder into the dried lips of the teenager. "Am I understood?"
Eren growls and opens his mouth, taking the muzzle of the gun in-between his teeth.
"Understood, sir."
….
"C-connie!" Arlert yelps, fixing his glasses as he looks up in surprise and fear. "G-give me my food back!" He whines, standing up to glare at the bald teenager. The bald teenager just cackles in response and shoves the bread in between his teeth as he darts around the sitting soldiers, the blond brainiac chasing after him.
Levi sips his tea, and watches his girly charge, snorting. "And you say he's the smartest soldier you've ever seen. Erwin, I think you're losing your mind."
The blond commander just smiles in answer, eyes turning grim and serious. "Levi, all joking aside, we've lost a lot of land. And a lot of men."
Levi grimaces and sets down his cup, leaning back against the dirt wall. "I know Erwin. I was planning on advancing tonight with my squadron."
Erwin nods, looking out to the soldiers. "That would be smart. Why don't we plan at HQ along with-"
"Commandant Smith et Chef de Brigade Ackerman! Nous sommes pris dans une embuscade sur le côté nord!" One French soldier shouts, ducking down at the top of the trench borders, gun strapped to his back.
"Shit." Levi hisses. "Three of my men are over there. Eld! Gunther! Gather up the men and bring them back to HQ. I want all of them safe and sound there!"
Gunther and Eld nod before shouting to his charges. Erwin looks to Levi and he grits his teeth.
"Get a medic there Erwin and I'll be there in five." Erwin grabs his arm when he moves to leave.
"And if you die?"
"Tell Petra I'm sorry."
…
Translations:
Commandant Smith et Chef de Brigade Ackerman! Nous sommes pris dans une embuscade sur le côté nord!
Commander Smith and Squad Leader Ackerman! We're being ambushed on the northern side!
…
A/N: Thank you to my lovely beta who has saved my sorry little ass, Miriala, for speedreading like 5 chapters for me today. Updates will be more regular now. Thank you Miriala soooooooooo much.
See you all next chapter!