Chapter 8: Substitute? ~
(y/n) came back to the kitchen after Eren slumbered in his bedroom. She stopped before the closed kitchen door, tried to calm down herself.
She knew Levi would suspect something was wrong with her if he saw the look on her face. And (y/n) didn't want him to see her troubled expression. Because if he asked her the reason she won't be able to answer that. In fact, she didn't have the answer to herself why she felt jealous of his old love.
(y/n) took a deep breath & opened the door, plastering a smile on her lips. Levi was drying the washed plates when she came there.
"Do you need any help, Levi?" she asked him, tried to sound normal.
Levi didn't turn towards her & replied, "No." But then he suddenly remembered something & looked over his shoulder, "(y/n), take a bath. Now."
He acted as if everything was normal & (y/n) sighed in her mind. Though she didn't want to disobey him, at the same time, she didn't want to bath then.
"I have to make a report about the project I'm working. I want to finish the work first. So I'll bath later." (y/n) said with a sheepish smile.
Levi gave her a cold glare & carefully put down the plate on the kitchen counter, then he strode to her. Seeing the look on his face she took a step back. But before she could go any further Levi grabbed her wrist & pulled her towards him, picking her up in his arms securely.
(y/n) yelped as he did that, "L-Levi, what are you doing? Put me down. Hey!"
Levi only glanced at her once briefly before he walked out of the kitchen. (y/n) writhed in his arms as she continued to tell him to put her down. But all her protests fall on deaf ears.
(y/n)'s eyes widen as Levi came into the bathroom adjacent to his room. 'Why he bring me here?'
He put her down & calmly said, "Now strip."
(y/n) first thought she heard him wrong. Her brows knitted, a puzzled look on her face, "Pardon?"
The onyx haired man crossed his arms over his chest, "I said strip your damn clothes immediately. Or do I have to do that for you?"
(y/n)'s jaw literary fall on the ground when she heard him saying the sentences so nonchalantly. She immediately took a few steps backwards, covered her chest with her hands, a deep blush on her face. 'What? What did he say?... Don't tell me he wants to... is he going to do..that...h-here...?!' Her own private thoughts made her blush deeper.
Levi noticed her flustered expression & huffed, "Get a hold of your wild imaginations, stupid brat. The shower in your room is not working. That's why I bring you here. I'm going to do the laundry. I don't want you idle in my house wearing dirty clothes. So give me your damn clothes now." He opened the door of the bathroom, looked over his shoulder, "I'm waiting outside..so hurry up & strip."
It took (y/n) few moments to process the words he just said. She closed her open mouth, averted her eyes from him in embarrassment, only nodded in response. 'Me & my pervert mind!'
The bathroom divided into two parts. The outer part only had a medium-sized closet, a big sink & mirror; the second part consists of a shower room, a large off-white oval-shaped bathtub, toilet & a rectangular body mirror. The two parts connected by a glass door.
(y/n) stripped off her clothes and passed them to Levi, who was waiting on the other side of the glass door.
She drew a bubble bath, and then she opened the cabinets beside the mirror. She took a body wash bottle and washcloths.
(y/n) sat in the tub & starched her arms. She growled as her muscles ached in slight pain. The warm water slowly eased the muscle pain as the mild fragrance of lavender soap soothed her senses. But then her mind started to wander off to the events happened a few minutes ago & during the lunch.
'Why am I feeling bitter that he still love her? It's obvious that she is the only person he ever loved that way. But... What the hell am I thinking?!' She scolded herself. 'But why...why I expected him to touch me? It's not like he's going to touch me that way...or love me..ever...' (y/n) wrapped her arms around her knees, resting her chin on her knees, sighed softly.
She shook her head and scolded herself for letting the negative thoughts consuming her mind again. 'I better stop thinking about that. Otherwise, I won't be able to enjoy the bath.'
†*†*†*†*†
"(y/n), wake up."
"Mmm..no.."
"Wake up."
"Nooo.."
"Wake up, stupid brat."
"Ahh!" (y/n) wake up with a jolt as someone shook her by the shoulder harshly.
As her blurred vision cleared, she found herself sitting in the tub, naked and Levi was kneeling by the tub, glaring at her. As soon as the situation became clear to her, she squealed in embarrassment & quickly turned away from Levi.
"W-What a-are you doing here?" she managed to utter, blushed scarlet.
"I told you to take a bath, not to sleep here. You are in the bathtub about thirty minutes. When you didn't give me any response after I called you countless times, I have to come here."
(y/n) wanted to smack herself for falling asleep in the tub. And the worst thing was there was no bubble & Levi could clearly see her naked form.
"And you didn't even clean yourself I see," Levi said looking at the untouched washcloth & body wash container.
"I-I'll do that. Please g-get out of here." She hurriedly said.
But the onyx-haired male ignored her request and took the washcloth & body wash container. He poured an adequate amount of liquid soap on the washcloth & said, "Come here."
He knelt by the tub, grabbed her left shoulder. (y/n) felt her face was on fire when Levi touched her bare shoulder. She hugged her knees tightly as an attempt to hide her nude body. And a shiver ran through her body when he started to rub the washcloth gently on her back. But his hands knew their limits, never crossed more than her waist region.
First few moments she felt a bit uncomfortable at this. After all, she wasn't used to this kind of treatment from him. But then she gradually relaxed, closing her eyes, enjoying his fingertips brushed against her bare body for the first time. However, she felt a bit disappointed at his restriction to his movement.
'Why am I expecting him to touch me more?'
Her eyes fluttered open as she felt him grazing the back of his fingers on the side of her neck. Her breath hitched at this sudden feather touch of his fingers. She slightly turned her head towards Levi, meeting his gaze.
His fingertips caressed her jaw-line, whispered lowly, "You always make me worried you know." His thumb slowly brushed her slightly parted lips, wiping the droplets of water on it, "Why are you so desperate to hide from me?"
(y/n) eyes widen to hear this, a small quiet gasp left her lips. Did she hear him right?
They married about one year & in this year they were never intimate. He didn't touch her once from the day of their marriage. Then why was he behaving like this to her this time?
She didn't know the answer. (y/n) knew he didn't love her. But still, she couldn't resist him or should say didn't want to resist him that moment. All she knew that she wants him to touch her more.
Levi placed his both palms on her shoulder, pulled her gently towards him. (y/n) turned to him more, loosen her arms around her knees, revealing her naked body to him more. He moved his head closer to her. (y/n) leaned in, eyes closed in anticipation.
(y/n) could feel his hot breath on her face, his soft black locks lightly brushing her eyelids. Just as their lips were about to meet in a kiss, his eyes shot open. Levi's eyes widen as he realized what he was about to do. He immediately jerked away from her & stood up. (y/n)'s eyes opened immediately, stared at his shocked expression. Before she could ask him what happened, he stormed out of the bathroom, slammed shut the glass door.
Levi shut the glass door & leaned on it. He closed his eyes & cursed in his mind. 'What the hell am I going to do just now? It's wrong to do it with her.'
He looked to the wall mirror to his left, murmured to himself, "I won't be able to forgive myself if I ever use her as Natalie's substitute."
