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Michael
Levi returned from his mission weeks after leaving. It had been over a month, and I was beginning to get antsy and unsettled. Although content in my life for the first time in years, it was nothing without Levi in it. The morning of his return was dreary. The sky was dark and rainy, making the air feel wet and smell bad. My nose wrinkled up at the stench all through my morning chores, which had been switched from the stables to landscaping.
I was standing near the entrance to the main hall, large hedge trimmers in hand, trying to wipe the water from my eyes without getting mud all over my face and failing. Just as I gave up in a slew of curses the sound of hooves reached me over the tapping of the rain. I hurried to put away my tools, job unfinished but too excited to care, and rushed inside to rinse myself off and change clothes.
As I emerge from my shower now, I can hear the jovial shouts of soldiers echoing from the mess hall and peek in. Levi's squad is there, laughing with some others and eating an early lunch, just as the food is being set out. I walk to Petra, whom I know to be kinder and understanding.
"Excuse me, miss. Can you tell me where Corporal Levi is? I have something to speak with him about." She gives me a sly smile, making it clear she knows exactly why I want him, and points upwards towards Erwin's room.
"He went straight to the Commander, I believe." The others give me small nods of acknowledgement but otherwise say nothing, and I take my leave. When I get upstairs to the Commander's room I pause, uncertain if I would be excused for interrupting. Instead, I pace anxiously outside his door until it opens, maybe ten minutes later.
When I look up I am met with the familiar blue-grey eyes that I have missed so much. His eyes meet mine and I hope that it's happiness behind them for an instant, and then he looks away and back to Erwin who is saying something more.
"-everyone and see what we can do." His voice carries from within the room where I can't see him.
"Yeah, sure." The door closes and we are left standing there in a strange silence. I don't know why it is strange, or silent, and not loud and jubilant. Really, I'm not sure what I expected of our reunion at all. Finally, he speaks first. "Hey."
As eloquent as ever. I smile and wave a small, pitiful hello before stepping forward nervously.
After another weird moment, he smiles and chuckles a little. The unusual expression surprises me, but warms me up instantly. "What is it with us and crappy reunions?" I laugh, because of course he was thinking the same thing.
"I dunno." I close the distance between us with more certainty and pull him into me, my hands on his hips beneath his uniform jacket. "I really missed you, Levi. Welcome back." Our lips meet tenderly at first, but quickly grow hungry and fierce. I nip at his bottom lip, dragging my teeth gently over it until he allows my tongue full entrance. His tongue meets with mine, displaying an eagerness that wasn't there before his long absence. Just before I'm about to press him backwards into the door, it swings open roughly, stopping us in our tracks and making us jump apart. His cheeks are uncharacteristically pink, and it's absolutely adorable.
"Ahem." Erwin smiles at us both mischievously. "I'd appreciate it if you could both save the physical reunion for later. Preferably in a place less… here." I laugh loudly while Levi scowls and storms away. I give Erwin a wave and follow my disgruntled boyfriend downstairs.
A few hours later, Levi has gathered myself and my Captain, Ness, as well as Hanji, Kip, and his own squad. I am surprised to see Kip there, but in a way it makes sense when I think about how far he has come. He seems to be quite capable and has gained a lot of respect, even from Levi. Erwin settles the excited murmurs of the crowd, all crammed into his meeting room upstairs, and begins the discussion. He starts by briefing everyone on the truth from the beginning, as he and Levi seem to have deemed it necessary. I shrink into the corner and stare at my feet when he tells them all about my origins, and by the time he's gotten to my mystery meltdowns I am hugging my knees on the floor to hide my beet-red face. I hear footsteps and feel a hand on my shoulder, urging me to raise my head. Kip's big blue eyes are looking into mine, and I see that he is not angry or upset, but worried about me. I give him a weak smile and take his offered hand, letting it pull me to my feet once again. When the basics are covered and the questions have died down, Hanji steps up to the center and takes the Commander's place.
"I will now announce the results of my experiments with Michael, as well as our theories and thoughts regarding it." Hanji flips through some papers on the table top and pulls one out. "Michael has displayed the following Titan-like abilities: the ability to function normally with little-to-no sustenance; an abnornally high body temperature both internally and externally-" I shiver at the memory of that particular 'experiment', "-the ability to heal at an excellerated rate; the ability to sustain himself on little-to-no sleep; and an abnormally high level of endurance." Their eyes grow wide as they look at me, as if these strange things are written on my forehead. Levi steps beside me, instantly diverting their attention back to Hanji.
"In addition, the following things have been learned that cannot be linked to the Titans: a high sensitivity to touch that we believe to be the side effect of enhanced senses, which leads us to his incredible sense of smell and sharp eyesight. He has also displayed a high level of emotional sensitivity; quite the opposite of the emotionless Titans." The paper in Hanji's hand hits the table and the room remains quiet and stunned. I remain shrunken behind Levi and Kip. "That's it!" The Captain walks back to our side of the room and Erwin once again takes the stage.
"With that information, combined with Michael's memories, we have developed a theory. That theory is as follows:" He turns to the wall behind him and lowers the thin cloth hanging there, revealing a large display of papers illustrating his words as he continues. "We believe that Michael's uncle was more than just the blacksmith he claimed to be. He was obviously capable of much more and thus approached by his military for the sake of some grand plan. Michael's uncle began working with them before eventually changing his standing and secretly turning on them. He did this by turning his nephew into some sort of enhanced fighter. We believe he was made this way specifically to survive whatever the military was plotting, and perhaps stop it." Erwin's hands gesture to the crude, hand drawn maps recently added to the wall. "These maps here spawned from our belief that the leaders and royals of Michael's people were somehow connected to our own and thus escaped the very intentional slaughter, which we also believe they orchestrated."
Levi and his squad shift under our gazes when Erwin gestures to them. "Thanks to Levi's team we now have evidence to support this. They have spent the last few weeks in the depths of the underground, searching every nook and cranny for signs of connecting tunnels. As you can see here, they were successful." The maps show a number of tunnels spreading out from the capital like the reaching tendrils of a monster; all in the direction of my previous home. They intersect and divide at strange places, some seeming random and others simply looking abandoned. My gaze is torn away when Levi speaks up.
"The tunnels weren't hard to find, but they were obviously meant to seem meaningless to anyone who wanders in accidentally. It took us a few weeks to determine the main paths to take, before we had to turn around and return. We believe this main tunnel will take us all the way to Michael's home, in the northwest." The others nod along and soon a heated discussion is born. I listen as they each volunteer their own theories and offer different forms of support. Levi and I stand to the side, watching the chaos in our own bubble of silence. He wears a bored expression, contrasting my own very concerned one. What does this all mean?
After a time it is decided that a select few of us will form a temporary squad, made for the sole purpose of exploring this main tunnel to its end. If we really reach my home, then our mission will continue further.
Levi will lead us, but his squad will remain behind to be present in the event of any emergencies. Ness gives his consent for me to leave while making a light-hearted comment about never really having any say in my life to begin with. I give him an apologetic smile and thank him anyway. It is then decided that Kip will come along, and I suspect that was their entire motive for inviting him to this meeting. He agrees enthusiastically and slaps me across the back. Lastly, Hanji is assigned to accompany us along with a few of the best research and medically trained soldiers we have. With that, our infiltration squad is formed, and we are to prepare ourselves to leave the following evening. The business is wearing us all down visibly and Erwin dismisses us.
As we file out of the meeting room, I glance at Levi, who is leaning against the wall next to the door while waiting for me. "We're going into town." I perk up at the prospect of fresh air, and happily comply; remembering our brief outing years ago. The memory brings a large smile to my face.
"A field trip, eh? Sign me up!" And thus, Kip invites himself along, much to Levi's dismay.
After the leisurely trot into town, we arrive just as the sun hits the low western sky. There are only a few hours left of daylight, and I wonder how Levi intends to spend them. Obviously not in any intimate way I would have fantasized, seeing as Kip has been allowed to come along. "Oh, man, I haven't been out here in forever! Look, look!" He continually runs his mouth at every passing street bard and slaps me hard on the back whenever he sees something he believes I care to look at. I love his spirit, I do, but he isn't giving me any room to get closer with Levi. When he insists we stop at the bench of an artist so he can get his own portrait drawn, I get a moment to speak with him at last.
"What are we doing here, exactly?" I try to put my enthusiasm into my voice but I am pretty sure all that comes out is uncertainty and annoyance at Kip's constant interruptions.
His lips turn up into the smallest smile, meant only for me, and he just says quietly, "Anything you want." I feel my tension relax to know that we aren't here on some business; that maybe Levi just wanted to spend some time with me outside of Headquarters. I nod enthusiastically and jump down from my horse. While Kip is stuck standing still for his portrait, I take the opportunity to pull Levi down to me and lead him away after tying up the horses.
We backtrack to one of the buildings we passed down the street, ignoring the loud street musicians and well-dressed employees passing out samples and pamphlets. This side of town has always been livelier than the slums we visited last time, and I have no problem finding what I am looking for: a rowdy pub with a thin crowd that we can navigate easily. My fingers are hooked into his, pulling him inside before he can protest and not caring who sees us or who might recognize our uniforms. I pull Levi up to the bar and order two small drinks, nothing too strong but enough to give me an excuse for acting a bit differently. When the small glasses clink down, sweating with cold droplets and full of brown liquor, I take them and shove one at him. He looks at me hesitantly, a bit confused by my insistence. I know he doesn't really drink, but I can't help but want this moment to happen. "Take it. The last time we had a drink together was what? Three years ago before we really knew each other, and things were damn awkward?" He takes the glass in one hand and gives it a sniff. "To us, Levi. To whatever comes after all of this bullshit. To us, in a time when we can afford a simple trip into town more often." My voice is loud and strong, trying hard to carry over the loud music of the shitty live band and the cheering patrons, but he hears it and gives me his small smile.
The glass in his thin fingers comes up and clinks into mine. "Alright, I'll bite. To us." We down the contents in one go, both shivering as it hits our insides and slapping the empty glasses down on the bar. I pay for our drinks with a few small bills, having little else to purchase with my monthly allowances, and take his hand again. It's cold from holding the drink, but still sends warmth through my entire body. Or maybe that's the alcohol. "You know, I've never done this before." I raise a questioning eyebrow at him, and he gestures to the bar as a whole, and maybe the town as a whole. "Any of this. Just going out for no real reason, hanging around and having a drink. Having a relationship." The last part comes out quietly and I have to strain to hear it, but I do and it almost sends me into tears. This is the first time Levi has acknowledged what we have as a commitment; a relationship! He's basically just admitted that he sees me as his boyfriend, which is a very big step up from his evasiveness weeks ago.
"You're a bit different now. Since you came back." My lips are hovering over his ear where I can be sure he will hear me over the noise, and our bodies are pressed close. I love the way I have to bend my head down just slightly to do this, because his obvious disgruntled glare is adorable. Now, however, he doesn't look bothered. Instead, he looks content, perhaps even happy despite the crowd around us. His face turns up to speak into my ear, tickling with his warm breath.
"Being back in the underground was hard. It brought back a lot of memories. Then we found the tunnels, and all I could see in them was evil. Whoever made them caused all of your pain and suffering. I guess I realized then how much I was missing you… and how much you've come to mean to me." I can hear in his voice how hard it is for him to say this aloud; feel it in the stiffness of his body and fingers around mine. The omission makes me blush with joy and eagerness. I can't be in this bar any longer.
"Let's go." I pull him out of the door, dodging patrons hanging about in groups in all the wrong places. The fresh air outside has taken on the scents of the night; the kind of atmosphere that makes people awake at the dark hours do reckless things. I want to be reckless, if just for tonight, but I stop just outside the bar with no idea where to go. As if reading my mind, Levi's hand squeezes my own. He pulls me along now, in the controlling way I expect of him. Perhaps he is finally remembering himself.
We sneak back to the artist, now on his fifth portrait of Kip and looking quite exhausted from listening to his exaggerated stories and raving about all of the autographs he'll be giving out. I chuckle at the scene as we pass unnoticed, and eventually we end up outside of the old tailor's shop Levi once brought me to.
"What are we doing here?" My surprise is a pleasant one, but it isn't exactly what I had in mind.
For the first time, Levi's smile is mischievous and I really must wonder what has happened to him. "We can't exactly blend into the crowd if we're wearing our uniforms." I look at him as if he is a complete stranger; surely a doppelganger. "Don't give me that look, shit-head. I was the king of wreaking havoc back in the day."
"Back in the day? What, like, four years ago? You sound like an old man!" He rings the small bell located by the side entrance and waits for an answer.
"Older than you seem to think, apparently." I laugh at him but don't bother asking. His age doesn't matter to me one bit, and I rather like this 'king of havoc' side I am glimpsing.
The old man hobbles to the door moments later, wearing an old set of pajamas and looking concerned. He doesn't question Levi a bit when he sees us, and happily lets us within the shop. I thank him a million times while Levi simply moves about as if we aren't completely intruding after closing hours.
We emerge minutes later, wearing casual slacks to cover our boots and loose button-ups. He tucks his into the waist of his pants, but I leave mine out, earning me a small scowl. We wrap our old clothes into one of the tailor's brown bags and I carry it under my arm. I smile and wait for Levi to take the lead again, and he does; taking us further downtown and closer to the slums before ducking behind an old warehouse building. We quickly find a set of rusty steel stairs and ascend hastily, being annoyingly loud in our steps. I think the nighttime air has gotten us drunk, rather than the bit of alcohol. We reach the rooftop and I am immediately blasted with the cold air of early autumn. I toss the bundle of our wrapped clothes to the concrete and follow him to the edge, where he is looking out at the town.
The warehouse isn't the tallest building around, so the view is obscured in some spots, but I can clearly see the light-up streets of uptown and hear the far-away hums of the drunken crowds. On the opposite side, I see the darkened streets of the slums, dotted occasionally by small bonfires and smoky pillars in the sky. It's beautiful in the way that humanity is; imperfect and flawed and honest. After taking in the view, we look at each other.
"Tonight is the last time we can do this for a while. That doesn't mean we'll never do it again." Levi's words are honest. He knows we could very well be playing with fire. He has seen the casualties of war with Titans; now we will war with something greater. Yet still, he is confident we will have a future at all.
"How did you know about this spot?"
He shrugs casually. "I told you I was the king of wreaking havoc. You don't just give something like that up because you join the military. You could say finding spots like this is a habit made only worse by a soldier's tactical thinking." He smirks again and it's like the night air is in our veins.
"Not that I think we'll die or anything, but I'm really glad we did this tonight, before leaving." He just nods in agreement and lets me hold his hand tighter. I take deep breaths and try to memorize the smells and the view and Levi's strange behavior. A minute passes before I feel him pull me closer, and his nimble fingers grasp the back of my neck. My head is angled down as he kisses me deeply, causing me to moan into his mouth and grind our hips together. I can feel his body reacting, moving with my own and accepting my advances. I really hope tonight will be the night, even if it's here on this rooftop in the middle of town, but deep down I know that Levi would never allow such a thing. Still, I press onward in an attempt to test my boundaries; running a hand down his chest and fingering the waistband of his pants. His breath is heavy against my own, our kiss never breaking or relenting. I feel him press his hips roughly into my own, and I know he can feel my arousal straining hard against his. We both let out breathy sighs and moans at the friction, our hands wandering each other's bodies greedily. I feel no reluctance from him at all, and my hand is encouraged to trail south to his erection. The unexplored territory is exciting on its own, but his enticing groan of approval when my fingers wrap the length through his slacks is almost enough to send me over the edge. I stroke him gently and trail my lips to his ear, and then down his neck to his collarbones; my hidden fetish. Just as I feel his fingers tighten on my shoulders, I hear a familiar voice calling from the streets below us.
"Leeevvviiiii!? Miiiichael!?" We both curse loudly, not bothering to feel embarrassed this time. I peek down over the edge and see Kip's darkened figure riding his horse slowly through the streets, our own horses tied behind him and an armful of paper portraits.
"Well, I guess we have to call it a night…" I let the obvious disappointment hang in the air a moment before calling down to him. "We're up here, shit-head!"
He stops and looks up with a mock expression of hurt. When I turn back to Levi, he's pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, but the hint of an amused smile still rests on his face. "I would have gone with a much better insult." He says playfully as we descend the stairs.
"The night isn't over yet, Levi. We still have the entire ride back with him." His frustrated sigh echoes through the streets as Kip begins to chatter the instant we reach the road.