Chapter 25: Shadow

Levi's fingers traced the outline of the fading bruise on her right shoulder as she wiggled deeper under the blanket, pushing it over her head. He chuckled and gently pulled the blanket back down and she mumbled under her breath. Levi propped himself up, leaning over her shoulder and pushing her hair back he kissed her gently on her neck, just below her ear. Milcah's lips tugged back with a smile while her eyes remained closed, but she turned over and snuggled into his chest with a happy sigh. Levi slept very little, and though Milcah wasn't a person to sleep for very long either he had kept her up much later than usual the night before, but based on the noises his actions had prompted her to make, she had enjoyed herself thoroughly.

"We were going to train today," he mumbled into her hair, twirling his fingers around it. Milcah cracked one of her eyes open, and sighed at him, letting her arms wrap around his neck, pressing her body against his.

"Is there nothing I could do to persuade you to stay in bed a little longer?" She murmured suggestively, trailing one of her hands down his torso until it disappeared beneath the blanket.

They didn't make it to the training ground for quite a while longer and when they did Milcah was much more awake. She was so grateful for the amazing night she'd spent with Levi after his birthday celebration. Spending the days before that apart from him had left them both eager for one another's presence. When he'd seen her fading bruise still present on her shoulder injury he'd immediately suggested that she try using a reverse grip with her knives, rather than holding them out to the side or swiping them down from overhead which would jar her shoulders more.

Milcah had been beginning to imitate some of Levi's techniques before their last expedition, but she hadn't had a chance to attempt his reverse grip hold. Leaving her blades sheathed, she gingerly twisted the hilts around in her hands. Her pinky and ring fingers gripped the controls of the hilt experimentally, knowing that they were now the opposite of what she was used to. It would not be enough to retrain her hands to use the controls upside down, she would have to become able to flip the hilts at will and adeptly control them regardless. There were times when she would need to use them with the regular grip as well.

Shooting into the trees she cautiously moved from tree to tree, trying to get used to merely maneuvering with this hold on her weapons. She followed Levi around the forest attempting to match his speed and turns. Milcah had a couple of close calls as she needed to gain dexterity in her fingers but she was able to recover with some ease due to her skill and experience with the 3Dmg. She attempted some vertical flips in her gear so that she would not have to activate her double belt, unsure that she'd be ready to handle it yet.

Accidentally hitting the wrong control, Milcah went into freefall between trees, saving herself at the last moment by flipping her hand controls and swinging from a branch that overhung a meadow of bright grass and wildflowers. Milcah let herself hang there for a moment to let her heartbeat return to normal and smiled when she felt a tug on her line and saw Levi lazily spinning around her, his line becoming hopelessly tangled with hers. He had swung around her without much speed so when they met in the middle they fell gently into each other's arms. Milcah stared into his dark eyes and her heart was filled to bursting as they began to slowly unwind, spinning in lazy circles. Levi tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and placed his palm against her cheek with unrivaled tenderness.

"Milcah," he began seriously, caressing her face. "I love you."

Her breath caught in her throat at his words and she leaned into kiss him, but just as their lips brushed their lines slid free of each other and they were falling away from one another. Milcah let herself drop to the ground and Levi followed her where she promptly tackled him to the ground in a passionate kiss and they rolled through the flowers. Milcah came up on top of him when they stopped rolling and she kissed him once again, her hair veiling them in their own world, having come loose.

"I love you Lance Corporal Levi," she told him and felt his fingers grip her waist tighter at her response, a look of relief passing across his usually expressionless eyes. They were interrupted by footsteps approaching the clearing and Milcah rolled off of Levi to see her Senior Team Leader Moblit enter the clearing.

"Milcah, I've been looking for you all morning," he said, rather crossly and Milcah blushed in embarrassment, tucking her hair behind her ear apologetically.

"I'm sorry Sergeant," she told him sincerely, pulling herself to her feet and saluting him. Moblit waved dismissively, he was a good-natured person and not one to remain upset for long. "What can I do for you sir?"

"Hange and I have been looking for a replacement for Team Leader Hassid and you were the first choice for both of us," he told her and Milcah started in surprise. She knew Hassid had been gravely injured on their last expedition but was surprised to learn that he would not be returning as his injury had appeared to be healing well. His infection must have spread. "If you'll come with me, we'll need to begin your training with his team immediately to have you all ready for the next mission."

"Of course," Milcah answered promptly. And with a squeeze of Levi's hand she chased after her Senior Team Leader.

From the shadows Kenny Ackerman lowered his spyglass, leaning against a tree and watching as Levi retreated back into their HQ. The runt hadn't gotten any bigger since the last time he'd seen him in the Underground, but it appeared that he was doing well for himself and had found him a nice piece of ass. Adjusting his bowler hat Kenny crept around the HQ to get a view of his target again. He had been shadowing Lance Corporal Milcah since their first encounter at the library and was enjoying himself immensely. It reminded him of the years he had stalked the Underground as Kenny the Ripper, slitting the throats of many pretty women like the one he was now watching. Milcah's pale throat made his fingers twitch for his knife and he frequently fantasized about what it would feel like to draw a blade across her thin neck.

Smiling toothily at the thought, Kenny sighed internally knowing he was only to watch her for the time being and, if the time came to dispose of her, he would have to do it with the utmost care and discretion like the bullet he'd put through the brain of Colman and his fiancée a year ago. Guns were so impersonal and clean. Kenny much preferred the feeling of his victims pulse against his hand and the smell of their fear, but since he'd been recruited into the Military Police's First Brigade anti-personnel control squad he'd had to play by their rules, though they didn't have many of those.

He itched to do away with the bitch he'd been watching and was waiting for her to betray any knowledge of Dr. Colman's flying device. She was making Levi weak and that runt was his pride. He'd raised him in the filth of the Underground after his mother, Kenny's whore of a sister had passed. Kenny had painstakingly turned Levi into a cold, calculating, killer and had enjoyed watching him claw his way to the top of the Underground's hierarchy before Kenny'd been obliged to join the Military Police. He hadn't spent those years grooming a remorseless killer for the first girl who'd flip her skirt for him to undo everything Levi had been taught.

So he continued to watch them both, happy to see that Milcah's new role as a Team Leader was keeping her busy and keeping the two farther apart for much of the summer. But Kenny couldn't see their frequent and fervent kisses in the hallways of the HQ or the time they would sneak together into abandoned rooms to relieve their pent up passions. But when they would go on moonlit strolls of the grounds, Kenny was their constant shadow and companion, his years of practice in remaining silent and unseen, never betraying himself to their confidences.

It wasn't until the summer had reached its zenith that Milcah at last revealed to him without a doubt that not only did she know of Dr. Colman's work on flight, but that she was close to achieving it herself. Kenny wrapped his fingers around his knife and grinned.

AN: I'm sorry for the long break since the last chapter, I've had an incredibly busy summer, but I'm so thankful for all of your follows and favorites and hope you'll continue reading and enjoying this story.