I was shocked back into consciousness with a jump by the fire alarm sounding. My eyes flashed open and I sat up, head swaying with a throbbing pain appearing instantaneously in my forehead. As I made my way to the door, I heard the sound of panicked swearing and the flapping of air.
I opened the door to a woman jumping up and down under the fire alarm, furiously wafting a towel under the sensor and cursing at it. I closed my eyes for a second and breathed deeply. The scene had barely changed when I opened my eyes. I sighed heavily and dragged a chair across the room towards the alarm. The woman, who I eventually recognised to be Lena, stopped swearing and began apologising. I opened the fire alarm and popped out the batteries onto the floor. Looking at down at the woman, I gave her a look of irritation.
"S-sorry..." She said. "I woke up and thought I'd make you a thank you meal and then leave, but..." My gaze followed hers across to the microwave where smoke was leaking out from.
"What the hell did you do?"
"I don't even know..." She mumbled. Sighing once more, I tutted at her and began to fling open all the windows.
"What time is it?" I muttered, flopping onto the sofa with an umph.
"Just gone two o'clock. I'll be on my way now, sorry again."
"How are you going to get home?" I asked.
"I'll catch the bus."
"Do you know if there's a bus from my apartment to yours?"
"... No." She admitted. "I'll head to the bus station and then-"
"I'll drive you. What time does your sister need picking up?"
"Half three." She responded immediately, before charging into a list of pleasantries and polite declinations to my offer which I had not yet voiced. I subsequently ignored them all. "Stay here until 3 o'clock then I'll take both of you back."
"But-!"
"Take a shower." I added, getting up to fetch her a towel. "You can use Petra's stuff." I surprised myself that I managed to say that sentence without a break in my voice or a stutter.
"Levi seriously-"
"Here," I thrust the sand coloured towel beneath her nose. Strangely, she was avoiding my eyes. Well, she was avoiding looking at me altogether. I raised a curious eyebrow, until I realised that I wasn't wearing a shirt. I had taken it off to sleep in. Fortunately, I was wearing trousers. Yes, partially undone, but still covering the necessary parts. I tossed the towel at her face so that she had no choice to catch it. Then I grabbed some fresh clothes of mine, pushing her into the bathroom and throwing the stuff in after her.
"Levi!" She whined in complaint as I shut the door.
"It's my clothes, not Petra's..." I said. She didn't ask why and I would bet that she could guess. "Shout me if you need anything." Thinking about it, it sounded slightly strange to say that I'd just forced a woman to stay at my house, pushed her into my shower and insisted on driving her home. Especially when I'd known her a matter of days.
It didn't feel like that, though.
LENA-
I was astonished at the amount of trust I had in Levi. I'd even nearly forgotten to lock the bathroom door. Now, letting the hot water splash onto my face, I was feeling considerably relaxed. Even when I had stayed at Guthrie's house, I had been on full alert. If a man so much as walked by my side on the path for more than five paces, I was scoping out my escape routes. Though I wasn't feeling relaxed earlier. It was probably my fault for waking him suddenly with the fire alarm, but it was likely to have been a bigger shock for me when I saw the guy wearing nothing but trousers. It wasn't the first time I'd seen a guy topless- I wasn't a primary school kid. I'd seen Guthrie and Kurt countless times in such a condition and thought of it no more than something to poke fun at. Kurt was as flat as an ironing board, which he had countered with saying 'does that make two of us then?'.
The problem was, I didn't see Levi in the same way as I saw Kurt and Guthrie, or even those Calvin Klein models in magazines. Levi was different. I probably had a tiny little thing for him, but I'd have to smother that spark pretty quickly since he had a girlfriend. But it was only a little crush. Just a little one...
I'm naked in his house. I'm naked in his fucking house.
Water ran down my back and I scrubbed my hair with my fingernails. I felt filthy. It wasn't like me to go more than 12 hours without a shower, but after everything that had happened, I hadn't had time. I looked around for some sort of soap or shower gel... The side was lined with bottles, some decorated in pink with flowers and names such as 'Beautifying Blackcurrant' and 'Soothing Strawberries', the others were in black or blue bottles named 'shower gel'. Clearly gender differences there. Unless Levi used the soothing strawberry formulas. The thought made me chuckle.
I picked up one of the black bottles, because using Petra's stuff made me feel... on edge. I was in her house with her boyfriend using her stuff... The thought didn't sit well with me. So I used as little liquid as possible and showered with Levi's shampoo and shower gel instead. A few minutes later, I stepped out onto the bath mat feeling content and refreshed. I dried off and slipped on Levi's blue dress shirt. I couldn't help but notice the scent of washing powder with a hint of his own smell lingering on the fabric. It was a pleasant smell. I places a small dry towel around my shoulders so that I didn't dampen the shirt with my wet hair, before pulling on the pair of trousers Levi had left for me. The shirt had been a nice fit, since Levi was barely taller than myself, but the trousers were a little large all round. Maybe I should just put back on my own clothes...
I picked up my shirt and sniffed it gingerly... Maybe not. Once I was dressed and had rubbed my hair dry as much as possible, I left the bathroom...
To find Levi fast asleep on the sofa.
How the Mighty Fall (in Love)- Year 851
"Good," Levi let go of Luca's hair. "Start talking when you're ready then."
Levi stalked around to the front of Luca and dragged another chair before him to sit on. Luca moaned slightly and spat out blood from his mouth to allow him to speak. He swallowed.
"The scouting legion are preparing a rebellion against the King." Luca started to tell his story, loathing himself more with every word. However, he wasn't about to stop talking. He'd been submitted to this torture for days on end, possibly weeks. He'd tell them almost everything he knew in hopes that they'd let him go. That was his plan anyway. It was that or more hours of Levi taking his anger out on him. "We, the Military Police, know that. Do you have any idea how much havoc that would cause?!"
"What Erwin decides to do is up to him." Levi simply shrugged. "You know I'm not interested in that." Luca paused, wondering where to go next.
"I don't understand why though."
"There's no need for you to. Keep talking. Tell me about your father."
"He was a farmer and a good man."
"Cut the crap and get to the good shit." Levi immediately snapped. This guy was able to wind him up far too easily, but then again, since that day Levi had been irritated almost constantly. There was something inside him, chewing away at his organs and grating on his mind. Every day he felt weaker. Every day he felt less like himself.
"My father was into researching the Wall Cult and Titans. He worked for your bastard of a commander." Levi's eyebrows rose sharply. Finally, some good information. "Then a few days before the wall broke, he up and left quickly. He said he had discovered something vital. Once I joined the MP, I was immediately put on the special forces unit when they discovered who my father was. My mission was to capture him. My motivation... Well, I'm sure Lena told you." The name stung Levi in the chest. He didn't let his face show it.
"She told me that you'd been blackmailed. They told you that they were holding your mother and sister captive until you found him."
"Exactly. They said it was assurance that I wouldn't betray them and tell their secrets, and that Mum and Ema were living safely somewhere inside the walls."
"Except they weren't."
"Even so, I would have stayed in the MP. They're stopping a war that the legion are trying to stir up. Your organisation is ruining the peace in our walls!"
"I'm not here for political arguments." Levi strode forward and bent down inches away from Luca's face. "What happened next?" Luca paused, biting back information. Levi noticed this, and an aura of threat burned around him.
"We never found him. My bosses suspect that the scouting legion have him, and all the evidence points that way. That's why we infiltrated your squad."
"Is that so..." Levi muttered, eyebrows raised. He knew where he had to go next. "Well, I feel like I should spare you a piece of information for your hard work." Luca narrowed his eyes. "Your sister... She died in action on the last expedition." Levi stayed only long enough to view his expression, before he left. The pain on Luca's face resonated anger within him- this guy had been a part of torturing his own sister, had no qualms in abandoning her, and then showed an expression like that. An expression that reverberated a shiver down Levi's spine.
Because he recognised Luca's face as his own.
He locked the prison door closed and began the long walk up to Erwin's office from the basement. He had questions. He passed Eren's room cell and paused... An idea throbbed in the back of his head. If the scouting legion really did have Lena's dad... then where would he be? Levi knew the rest of this corridor was lined with prison cells, but had never ventured any further in. He knew that the entire facility was dotted with skilled guardsmen. Why skilled?, he suddenly thought. Why were there always skilled soldiers along the corridor which usually only contained Eren and a few low-class criminals awaiting tribunal elsewhere? Levi remembered the time when Petra and Erd were removed form his squad for a day to serve their turn on guards duty. Shouldn't this be a rookie job? None of them posed a threat, and the guards never served outside the cells anyway. They were always placed at the doorways in the centre of the corridor.
They weren't keeping an eye on prisoners at all. They weren't stopping anyone from getting out...
They were stopping people form getting in.
The Chemicals Keeping Us Together- Present Day
LENA-
I'd stacked a whole packet of cheese crackers on Levi's body before I deemed it time to wake him up. The temptation had been too great, seeing him lying there so innocently. On top of that, I'd kind of become used to his presence. Before, I felt like I was in a stranger's home but that sort of cautiousness was wearing away. It was 14:47 and I was bored of piling crackers onto his nose and feet.
I leant forward towards his ear and began to blow. Instantly, Levi twitched, then woke up in surprise. He twisted his head sharply away from the unpleasant sensation of cool air down his ear, causing the crackers to scatter all over the sofa. He looked around, dazed, until he caught my eyes. He paused for a long time, staring into my eyes. I suddenly regretted the closeness of our faces, as his staring triggered my face into full on blush mode. His eyes roamed down to his feet, where there were piles of crackers slowly slipping. Then, he looked towards the floor where there was a scattering of crackers that had fell.
"Did you just..." He began, eyebrows furrowing first in confusion, then in disgust.
"I got bored," I said, defensively.
"And you thought you'd wreck my house?"
"It's not wrecked..." I pouted, feeling a sense of guilt bubble inside me.
"There's crackers everywhere. If just one of them is trodden into my carpet, I swear-" CRUNCH. Pepsi looked up at us and I could have sworn he looked guilty as hell. He then continued to nibble on the cracker, watching the both of us with eyes that said 'don't shout at me please'. My eyes probably said exactly the same as I looked at Levi's seething expression. He sat up gingerly and ran a hand through his black hair, exasperated. "Help me tidy up. Just so you know, I HATE mess."
"Message received loud and clear." I said in a small voice, beginning to pick up the crackers. Levi crouched next to me and a few times, our hands touched by accident. I refrained from speaking in case I put my foot in it, so to speak. After a few minutes, he sighed.
"Sorry. I didn't mean to snap."
"Sorry..." I muttered in reply. Levi put down the crumbs he was holding onto the table beside us and looked at me.
"Lena-" He began, but stopped. He sniffed the air like a cat who'd caught the scent of catnip. His eyes flickered over to me again and he leaned forward, sniffing the air delicately. My muscles froze as he came towards my neck and breathed in. His breath tickled my neck.
"Are you wearing my shower gel?"
"Y-yes!" I stuttered as he leant back in for another sniff.
"I can't smell it when I wear it... I didn't realise it smelt this good."
My mouth became drier than the crackers in my hand, my eyes wider than the damn dog's. He was so close. I could feel his hair on my shoulders. He drew back slightly so that he could meet my eyes, and I could have sworn his pupils dilated. His mouth opened a little, tongue sweeping across his lips. Without thinking, a daring part of me flared up inside. I leant forward towards him, testing my luck. The gap between our faces shrank and he didn't move away. I kept my eyes trained on his, trying to read his expression. His deep brown, almost black eyes weren't giving out any messages. He was reading me, like I was reading him. My own eyes weren't far from closing at this point as my vision separated into two. I closed the gap between Levi and I, two strangers joined together by chance. Coincidence.
My lips locked on his, and his hands immediately knotted their way into my wet hair. It wasn't a passionate kiss. It wasn't hot and powerful. It was tentative and nervous. Neither of us really knew what we were doing or even if we should be doing it. But we were anyway. I took a breath and deepened the kiss, shuffling closer towards him. Still, he didn't back away. He let out a gasp and I decided- fuck it.
Unfortunately, this thought came at exactly the same time that he decided oh shit, and he pulled away quickly. Moments before he stood to his feet and turned away from me, I could see the hurt in his eyes. And I realised that I'd just kissed a guy whose girlfriend had tried to kill herself last night.
Tears began to run down my hot cheeks before I realised it and I grabbed my stuff in a hurry. I ran to the door, yanking on my shoes as quick as I could.
"I'm sorry." I cried, blinking away the tears so that I could see. "I'm- god, I'm so sorry. I'm really sorry, and not about the crackers, well I am, but I mean- I'm so fucking sorry."
And I left the door, taking with me a million more regrets.
KURT-
"I'm telling you, you do the division first which makes the answer 33."
"You just do them in order!" Guthrie said, stubbornly. He pointed to each individual sum as though that would change my mind or somehow make his way of thinking clearer.
"Guth, I'm a teacher!"
"Trainee." He reminded me. "All the more you should know! 0 + 6, minus 4, divided by 2-"
"But BIDMASS! You do the multiplication and division first!" I interrupted. I was tiring of this argument quickly.
"Bid-what?" He frowned.
"Trust me, Guth. I got top marks. You got an E."
"E for effort."
"E for 'I spent more time pounding rocks than doing maths'."
"I know I'm right. I've never heard of this Big-mass thing and engineers are good at mathsy stuff."
"Fine, let's call Lena and see who's right."
"We're not calling Lena. Not again. I'll call one of my friends."
"Your friends are all engineers too!" I cried, ready to rag my hair out at this stage. "You don't have a brain cell between you!"
"Not all of my friends are from work. And it takes brains to be an engineer." He reached forward for my phone on the table in front of us. "I'll google it."
"How do you know my password?"
"Lena told me it."
"How does she know?"
"She guessed."
"How?" I demanded, jaw hanging open. That girl could be ridiculously smart at times.
"No idea." He had google up now and began typing in the sum. A second before he pressed 'ok', my phone froze in his hand as an incoming call appeared on the screen.
Incoming call from Luann.
Guthrie gave me eyes that said 'really?', before passing me the phone. I answered, standing to move away from Guthrie.
"Luann?"
"Kurt, I need a lift. Please." I immediately made my way for my jacket, grabbing it on my way out. Her voice was trembling a little, and though she usually asked me for lifts places, she almost never said 'please'. That sent warning bells off in my head.
"Where to? Are you okay?" I signed to Guthrie that I was leaving and mouthed 'I'll call you later'. He raised his hands in exasperation, whispering back 'what am I supposed to do?!'. I ignored him. I had other things to think about.
"I'm fine. I got a call from my mum's carer..."
"I got it. Where are you?"
"At home."
"I'll be there soon."