A/N: This chapter has been revised as of the 25th of August, 2018. I've reworked quite a bit of interaction here, choosing to move certain things into the next chapter strictly because I don't want a dramatic word court yet. That, AND because personally, I believe it's just better this way. More tension. (For those of you who have read the original, you could probably understand why.)
This is Levi's first POV in the work, and honestly, I still have a hard time writing for him. I'm afraid of making him OOC (T.T) After a brief discussion, with Erwin, these two's story together might finally begin.
CIAO FOR NOW!
LEVI'S POV:
I took my time walking through the halls, taking the extra few moments to gather my thoughts and take a deep breath, willing some of the tension from the day to slowly slip away before meeting with Commander Eyebrows. Perhaps he would know better how to go about the current situation at hand, seeing that at least six months of promise and recommendations seemed to suddenly go spiraling down the drain in a single day. Like always, only time would tell; but just as well, time was also against us in one form or fashion.
Upon reaching Erwin's office and entering, I discovered the man still pooled over maps and schematics of all sorts, eyes flickering over the ink bled pages.
"Levi." He greeted in a monotone voice, not bothering to avert his gaze from his work.
"Erwin. Gonna call it quits any time soon?" He nodded quickly, shuffling a few of the pages around on his desk.
"I still have a lot of data to go over after this morning, but I think a small break is in order." He stated plainly before leaning back to stretch and groaning softly, his eyes finally meeting mine as he relaxed. "How did it go?"
Shrugging, I let out a small sigh as I made myself comfortable in one of the chairs in front of his desk. "It could have gone better but... that brat is something else."
"Valkihar, you mean?"
"No. I was talking about the tooth fairy actually." I retorted in my usual level of sarcasm. "Of course, I mean Valkihar. Stubborn, shitty brat."
A barely-there smile slipped upon his features, mirth entering his eyes as he laced his fingers together and set his chin on them, propping himself up on the desk surface in front of him. "Not what you first expected up close and personal?"
"Not really. Her skills in the field are a lot more polished than her people skills, that's for certain."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, for starters, I think she's still butthurt about this morning. It was pretty obvious that she didn't exactly want to be in the same room as me just now."
"You're talking about that little incident you mentioned in your report, right?" I gave a small nod of confirmation. "To be fair Levi, you aren't always the easiest person to get along with, especially at first glance. Or, in this case, 'leg sweep' was it?"
I could feel the smirk pulling at my lips in response. "Yeah, she hit the ground pretty hard too. But it couldn't be helped. She had been half asleep ever since formation."
"I didn't realize my talking could be so boring." He made a poor attempt at a half-assed joke.
"I will never confirm or deny that one, however, that's not entirely the case here," I stated, the humor slipping away from Erwin's expression. "Turns out, the brat hasn't exactly had a decent night sleep in days, considering everything that just panned out in Hanji's study."
"I am aware that soldiers can experience regular bouts of insomnia. Sadly, it comes along with the line of work we do." He remarked, leaning back in his chair. "How severe are we talking about here?"
"Roughly five days straight."
Erwin's eyebrows shot up in response, stroking his chin in thought as his eyes turned down towards the paper covered surface of his desk, his gaze focused as if he could see through the material in front of him.
"That's rather excessive." He said pensively.
"Funny, that's exactly what Four Eyes said too." I slumped back into my chair, letting the back of my head hit the cushion behind me with a soft thump. "Valkihar insists that she just needs a proper nights rest and she'll be fine but, honestly, I'm not so sure."
"You have doubts?" Erwin asked, his eyes darting upwards at me.
"Of course, I do."
I pondered over the previous conversation over in my head, trying to find the proper words to express my train of thought; which in my personal opinion, took much longer than I thought acceptable. Never the less, Erwin waited.
"Even if she did get the proper rest she needed at the moment, the way she talked about it, it doesn't seem like this is a new problem for her. I can't say for certain whether the problem will resolve itself entirely on its own or not. Also, she was visibly agitated by her roommate's decision to seek us out before bringing her along, claiming that everything's just been 'blown out of proportion' and that she's 'fine'."
"So you think she's lying or just in self-denial?"
"Considering that I called her out on it, yes." I could see the disapproval pooling in Erwin's eyes, a mild form of surprise flowing through me at the sight.
"Don't you think that was a bit much though? We might have been keeping tabs on her over the past few months but if this has gone on as long as you speculate it to have without our noticing, either we're doing something wrong or it's truly not as big an issue as we're making it out to be."
"You didn't see the state she was in Erwin. If I didn't know any better, I would say she appeared as if shellshocked, but now I know differently. If something like this had happened beyond the walls, she'd be practically useless; no more fit to fight than a ball of Titan vomit."
Erwin was quiet for a few moments, the gears in his mind turning away like a grandfather clock while the rhythmic tapping of his fingers on his desk mimicked the tick of each second that past.
"So what are you planning then?" He finally asked, his eyes focusing hard on me.
"I'm not sure yet," I admitted. "She's done exceptionally well until today, but I'm still hesitant to make a decision at the moment. What do you think?"
A quiet chuckle rolled through Erwin, a curiosity forming in his eyes that I hadn't quite seen before. "I think... we need to administer one last test."
I won't lie, between the way his words came out and the current look fixated on his face, it made me feel a little uneasy. It was similar to the look he wore when he was planning something that had the potential to majorly backfire but swore that the payoff would indeed be worth it in the end.
"That being...?"
"A trial run." He stated, a smirk pulling at his features. "If you somehow deem her unfit under her new station, then so be it. But, considering her track record until now, I doubt you'll have much to complain about."
Taking a moment to weigh my options, I couldn't necessarily find a reason why I shouldn't give the brat her chance, putting aside the day's incidents for peace of mind. It might be an interesting experience regardless so, why not?
"Okay then. Consider it done. On... one condition."
"That condition being?" He questioned, a slight edge of surprise hidden in his voice.
"The brat needs at least a couple days to recuperate. Like I said earlier, she's useless to me like this, and I am in no mood to babysit her."
"Alright. Two days it is then." He affirmed, a tug of a smile pulling at his lips.
All the while, something about this whole situation didn't seem to sit right. Erwin was being too... malleable? No, easy going? No, that's not quite right either. Compliant? Possibly.
Damn it, it will come to me sooner or later. Or at least, I hoped it would.
"Why do I get the feeling that there's something you're not telling me, Old Man?"
"I'm not sure. But what possibly could I gain by keeping you in the dark about anything of that sort?" He jested, the smug look on his face was a dead give away that he was bluffing with me; but knowing him though, it could be for any number of reasons why exactly.
"Only you would know," I muttered softly before the door to the office burst open, Petra panting in the doorway as she braced against it.
"Forgive the intrusion, sirs!" She called in-between breaths, her cheeks blanched a mixture of various shades of pink as her eyes darted between Erwin and me. Did she really have to run here for whatever it was?
"Can't you see we're a little busy at the moment, Petra?" I growled, narrowing my eyes at her.
"What's going on?" Erwin questioned bluntly, our conversation suddenly put on the back burner as Petra righted herself and saluted.
"Cadet Valkihar has collapsed. Section Commander Hanji requests for Captain Levi's immediate presence."
"Shit." I hissed, burying my face into my chest and groaning softly. "I can't exactly ignore something like that now, can I?
The question was aimed at no one in particular, however, Erwin thought suit to answer it anyway.
"She's your problem now, Levi. Best get to work." He teased, the smirk on his face never fading.
"You know you could stand to look at least a little concerned right now instead of acting so smug." I retorted, glaring at him weakly as I stood up and headed for the door.
"Yeah, but where would the fun be in that?"
"This conversation isn't over, Eyebrows. I hope you know that." I stated, seeing the smug look on his face only grow before I followed Petra out of the door.
Petra took me to the other side of headquarters where the majority of the grunts' rooms resided, slipping into what seemed like another ordinary barracks room to find Hanji leaned over an unconscious soldier's bedside.
"Finally," Hanji remarked. "I'm guessing that you were still talking with Erwin just now?"
"No shit, Shit Specs." I groused, clicking my tongue at them in disdain before glancing over towards the bed. "How long has she been out?"
"About an hour now. I was actually kinda surprised when she blacked out shortly after you left, expecting her to pop right back but..." They trailed off, wringing out a damp rag from a pail of water that sat at the bedside and setting it atop Valkihar's forehead. Running their hand haphazardly through their hair, Hanji sighed heavily, a weary and concerned look on their face. "She hasn't roused since."
"We shouldn't be surprised, honestly. She looked like she was gonna drop any second anyway." If anything, my words seemed to only further deepen the crease in between their furrowed brows. The brat only fell unconscious because of exhaustion, right? What else should they be concerned over, I wondered.
Beneath the thin sheets, I could barely see the subtle rise and fall off Valkihar's chest as she breathed shallowly, quietly. Sweat beaded around the damp strip of cloth across her skin, which was surprisingly warm, almost burning hot beneath my fingertips when I stretched out my hand towards her.
"Fever?"
Hanji nodded slowly. "It can happen when the body undergoes copious amounts of stress. It weakens the immune system greatly, but I doubt she's contagious if that's what you're wondering."
I shook my head softly, sighing as I retrieved one of the two desk chairs in the room and set down next to Hanji, who looked at it warily for a moment before looking back up at me. "Best get comfy. I doubt she'll wake any time soon."
Giving a grateful nod, they fell back into the chair behind them, lacing their fingers in front of their self with another heavy sigh.
"She's been drifting in and out of intense rapid eye movement for a while now; must be one hell of a dream."
"Or a nightmare one." I could help but add, Hanji's expression suddenly turning more solemn in response. Turning back to the door, I had almost forgotten about Petra's presence since she hadn't spoken a single word since arriving. "You're free to go. Carry on as usual for the rest of the day. I'll know if you guys slack off." I warned.
"Yes, Heichou." She responded, and with a final salute, she was gone, her light footsteps fading away beyond the now closed door.
"And what exactly do you have planned for the time between now and when she wakes up?" Hanji asked curiously, glancing up at me from the corner of their eye.
"Same as you, if you insist on staying here the entire time that is," I stated plainly, choosing to lean against the far wall instead of fetching my own chair.
"I'll stay with her for the meanwhile, that way you aren't forced to stay if you prefer to oversee your squad." I shook my head softly, not that Hanji was looking back to see, their eyes still trained on Valkihar's unconscious figure.
"They're grown ass adults. They can handle themselves for one day." The conversation between Erwin and I forced itself back into the forefront of my mind. There was something about his sudden reservation sitting awkwardly strange with me, an uneasy feeling forming in my gut. "Besides, aside from giving his permission for a couple days rest as requested, he's also given me the go-ahead for one last test."
Their eyes flickered over to meet mine, a studious look settling in dark orbs as Hanji readjusted the glasses that framed them. "So it's settled then?"
"More or less." Hanji's shoulder dropped a little as a small sigh escaped their lips. "However, I still think there's something amiss here."
"What do you mean?" They asked, their voice rising in pitch due to their curious tone.
"I'm not sure," I stated, unsure how much I actually wanted to divulge to Hanji at this moment.
Sure, Erwin could be quite cautious when it came to withholding secrets. Hell, I probably knew that better than anyone, considering at one point in time I was trying to kill him, but I still wondered. I wondered what information could be so fucking important about this one little brat that he thought it safe to keep from me. What did he know that I didn't?
"Levi?" My head shot up at the sound of Hanji calling out my name, a sympathetic look cast upon their face. "If you're gonna stay here until she wakes, then you should at least get comfortable. I've got a feeling it's going to be a while yet until that happens."
Reluctantly agreeing with a small nod, I checked my watch before heading for the door. "I'm gonna grab some tea and a few other things. You gonna need anything while I'm out?"
They pondered for a brief moment, their eyes glancing at the items they had already moved into the room and then up to Valkihar before shaking their head.
"No, not at the moment. Just make sure to bring enough tea to share."
CELICA'S POV:
Everything felt muddled together and nothing felt quite right, as if that pestering voice in the back of your head is screaming at you but you don't know why because you can't make out what they're saying anymore. The only thing that I did know was that it was dark and humid, unbearably hot, humid, and musty.
The darkness seemed never-ending, a low guttural groan resonating around me from all angles. The thickness of the air around me felt as if it was trying to choke me from the inside out, a vile and disgusting smell perforating my nose and throat. I dropped to knees as I attempted to retch, neither grateful nor ungrateful that nothing had come up, a thick, warm liquid coming up to crest over my knees as I doubled over.
This place... was I inside of a Titan's stomach?
The surface beneath me shifted, opening up into a seemingly endless void, plunging me feet first into the liquid until it completely enveloped me. I thrashed and kicked in attempts to bring my head back up for air but an unknown weight at my feet kept me in place, my lungs burning for the need to breath proper air.
A bitter flavor coated my tongue when I couldn't withhold my gasp for breath any longer, my body soon going limp as I choked on the liquid that filled my lungs. Just as I thought everything would fade away, I felt myself being pulled up and heaved onto a sturdier ground, my coughs echoing in the air around me.
"She's fine." I heard a faint whisper as I took my first solid breath of air again. "She's fine." They repeated in a more breathless tone.
Falling over onto my side, the hand that was wrapped around my wrist began to pull away before I secured it in my own.
It was warm, but not uncomfortably so. A subtle intake of breath reached my ears, and I was unsure if it had been my own or not. There was a brief moment where I could have sworn that I had caught the scent of meadow spring flowers and grass, however, it slowly morphed into a different scent; one of the spices of autumn time. It reminded me of cinnamon with a subtle mixture of pine from an evening trek into its forests; spicy and strong, but not overwhelmingly so in a negative way.
I opened my eyes again, not entirely sure when I had closed them, to find only white sheets at first. My head felt heavy like lead, my eyelids as well, forcing myself to blink them a couple of times to clear the grogginess of my vision slowly.
Out of the corner of my vision, raven black locks appeared that framed a set of familiar steel blue eyes, which were fixated somewhere amongst the sheets. My body clenched in response, my fingers twitching tighter around another set that rested within mine, warm in my grasp.
A look of curiosity flickering in those eyes briefly before glancing up, making my skin run hot again when they pinned mine.
"Finally awake now, are we?" A ghost of a smirk pulled at his lips as he spoke, mirth filling his voice. I quickly snatched my hand away from his and buried it under me as I pulled the sheets tighter around my body and rolled onto my stomach, partially burying my face in my pillow to hide any evidence of my embarrassment.
"I believe that's the second time you've asked me that today, sir." No, shit. It was word-for-word what he had spoken to me earlier. You would think a guy like him would not bother repeating himself so casually.
The smirk on his lips only grew as he withdrew a handkerchief and casually wiped off his hand before stashing the cloth away once more. Did that fucker think I was contagious or was he that much of a germaphobe?
"Can't be helped. You keep falling asleep on me." In an instant, the smirk was gone, replaced by his usually stoic and uncaring expression. Was he teasing me, I honestly couldn't tell.
Choosing to ignore that last comment out of spite, I rolled over again, setting my back to him this time.
"You're not gonna ask exactly how you found yourself back in your room, and in bed nonetheless?" He baited, the tone in his voice telling me for sure that he was, in fact, teasing me now.
I sighed gently into the sheets, putting the pieces together in my head. "I passed out, didn't I?" I asked remorsefully.
"So I've been told, but you'll have to take the details up with Hanji when they get back." I shot the pointed look that was originally intended for him down at the sheets beneath me, irritated at his comment.
'Well if you're gonna act like you don't know anything, why bother bringing it up?' I argued silently.
The chair he was seated in groaned softly as he shifted to lean back into it, or so I figured. Footsteps quickly changed my track of mind and I glanced back over my shoulder to see him pouring a cup of freshly made tea into a cup from a platter set up on my nightstand. "Sit up."
The command wasn't lacking in authority but was surprisingly gentle and I did as he requested, keeping the sheets draped across my shoulders while he handed me the cup. When the back of his hand trailed across my forehead and cheeks, the sudden unexpected movement almost made me drop my drink. However, that didn't mean that I didn't jump enough to scald the edges of my fingers when a splash of tea slipped over the brim of the cup.
I bit back a soft groan of pain from the burn, the sound coming out like a muffled whimper instead, and ignored the subtle glance he gave me in return.
"Hmm, you still have a slight fever." He stated before quickly retracting his hand and began to pour his own cup.
"Is that why you're here then? Babysitting me?" I retorted, slightly bitter at the day's events as a whole and his involvement in them.
A low chuckle slipped past his lips as he took back his original seat, and I cursed myself for the way my stomach flipped in response. In all the morning glances I've stolen at him, the idea of him bearing any relative human expression seemed as good as a snowball's chance in hell. Now, judging from what I had seen only of today, he might have a human side after all.
Yeah, right. Maybe a sadistic side since it seemed he was getting a kick out of my misery of all things.
"You could say that..." He mused, a dangerous and yet curious look forming in his eyes as he glanced at me again, throwing my words from earlier back at me.
Yep, this guy was a sadist.
As if there was no better time in the universe to arrive, Hanji popped into the doorway. By the Walls, I was glad to have someone interrupt and save me from this guy.
"Sorry, Levi. I..." Hanji paused, their eyes immediately locking onto me. "Oh my, Celica. You're up!" Their enthusiasm couldn't be any less hidden in the way their eyes shined and their voice hitched into a higher tone.
"Easy there, Four Eyes. Let the brat wake up properly before you start berating her with questions again." The captain warned, giving Hanji a half-assed glare as well.
I took another sip of my drink as my gaze flickered between the two as more words were exchanged. It was an interesting sight, to say the least. It was amazing how they interacted with one another, considering how completely opposite they could be at first glance; erratic and playful, and then stern and stoic.
"That's it. I'm out." I heard the captain proclaim, pulling my gaze back to him as he stood from his chair. My shoulders slumped at his statement with what I would have believed to be 'relief' as I watched him set his cup aside, steam still rising from the surface of the mahogany colored liquid. "Don't let Hanji drive you insane with the questioning."
He stated while I gave a small nod in response, followed by a meek, "Yes, sir."
"She knows she can say 'no', right, Celica?" Hanji added, turning to me with a certain gleam in their eye.
"Um, I'm not sure how to answer that one," I muttered into my cup, an exasperated look pulling at my features, unsure as to what the 'correct' response would be in this case.
"Hmph. You're so literal." Hanji pouted. "You might be just as bad as Levi."
"As if." I retorted, hearing another voice chime in at the same time. Across the room now, the captain was rubbing the bridge of his nose beneath furrowed brows.
In between us, Hanji let out a squeal as they cupped their cheeks in their hands. "Awww, how cute. Y'all bonded so much while I was away you're finishing each other's sentences."
I felt the color immediately drain from my face, the captain's face morphing into a foreboding glare at the scientist before trailing over to me, and then, back at them. "Tch. That hardly seems to be the case, Shit Specs."
"I second that statement," I reinforced, having finally finished my tea during their debate and now lacking in anything else to distract from my actual thoughts slipping free as I set the empty cup aside. "Minus the derogatory comment, of course."
"Oh, I don't really pay it that much mind. I'm used to Levi's pet names." Hanji informed, a grin plastered to their face.
"You say that as if it's supposed to be a term of endearment." The captain deadpanned.
"Well, for you it is, Shortstack." I choked on a chuckle that I forced myself to repress, pulling the sheets in front of my mouth to not-so-subtly hide the smile pulling at my lips in amusement.
From Hanji's playful tone alone, they could have said 'Sweetheart' instead and still get the exact same look of distaste from the captain. Or perhaps he truly was insecure about how height; I couldn't blame him if he was. With him passing barely at 5'3", I still had a good couple inches on him at least. And yet, at the same time, I've never met a more intimidating person before.
I guess it's true what they say; the shorter you are, the closer to hell you are. Because anywhere this guy went, hell seemed to follow him like a hound on a leash.
"Whatever. I'll see you two tomorrow."
Wait, did he say tomorrow?
"What for... exactly?" I blurted out, my tone turning sheepish at the end much to my own chagrin. The captain gave me one last smirk before leaving for the night.
"You'll just have to wait and seen, then."
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