Their bath was warm and comforting, though Levi did most of the work. Aubrey still felt weak and her muscles were exhausted, both from their physical activities and the emotional strain. The best she could do was kiss his skin and run her hands over his chest while he washed her.
Levi did his best to be gentle when he went over the mark on her neck. Every time he saw it, he felt a surge of shame.
He kissed the bite and then Aubrey's lips, trying to apologize. He did that with every imprint, scratch, and bruise he found, hoping she understood just how horrible he felt.
Aubrey got the message. After a while, she couldn't stand to see the guilty look on his face any longer and she moved into him, locking their lips together. Tears fell down her cheeks as she kissed him, urging him to understand that everything was alright, that he hadn't hurt her, that she didn't blame him. After all, she'd done the exact same damage.
Eventually, they ran out of breath and laid against each other in the bath until the water went cold.
Levi got out first, helping Aubrey to stand up behind him. He handed her a towel and watched as she dried herself, eventually wrapping it around herself until she could find her clothes.
Aubrey nearly laughed when she thought about how many times she'd dressed and undressed in the last day. It was a little ridiculous. A certain someone couldn't seem to keep his hands off.
Aubrey smiled when Levi handed her a toothbrush. His was already in his mouth and as soon as she took it, he returned to scrubbing his teeth while walking out to the main room. When he returned he had their clothes in his hands. He handed over everything that was hers and spit in the sink before dressing himself. Aubrey did the same but paused when she got to her pants. The button was missing and she suddenly remembered a heated Levi getting a little too impatient.
"You broke my pants." Aubrey raised an eyebrow at him, an amused expression on her face.
Levi's eyes traveled to where the fabric was frayed, recalling how he'd torn the clothing off in haste.
He smirked. "They were in the way."
Aubrey couldn't help but laugh, but not just because of his snarky comment. That smirk on his lips was the closest he'd come to a smile since the expedition. The sight made her hopeful.
Levi grabbed her hand, pulling her back to the room but paused when he realized that her legs had yet to regain their strength. He opted to just carry her instead.
He scooped her off the floor and eventually set her down in the desk chair. When he had her settled, he headed for the bed, ripping off the sheets and tossing them into the corner of the room. They were no doubt disgusting.
He made his way to the small closet and searched until he found a new set of bedding.
Aubrey's eyes widened. How many sets of sheets did that closet have?
Levi had the bed made in minutes and Aubrey had to hold in a laugh. A clean freak in his element.
The second he finished, he strode toward her, lifting her easily from the chair. He had both of them lying on the mattress in no time at all.
He pulled her close and her back pressed into his chest as they lay on their sides, their legs twining together automatically.
Levi kissed the back of her head and wrapped his arm around her waist. Aubrey snuggled back against him, running her fingers up and down his forearm in an unconscious motion.
She felt comfortable, content, and, in a way, she felt as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Levi had opened her up to the discussion of Erwin and, while it might not have been the most professional conversation, she knew that they could begin to work through it. He loved her, she loved him. As long as they had that, they would make it.
Aubrey glanced at the window. The curtains were still closed but she could see some brighter daylight coming through the cracks. She guessed that it was around mid-morning.
She sighed. So much had happened in such a short amount of time. She was exhausted.
And yet, she didn't feel like she could sleep yet. There was still so much to be said, so much to be done. Plus she was afraid to leave Levi alone with nothing but his thoughts.
"Oi."
Levi's voice broke her from her own thoughts.
"Hm?"
Aubrey continued stroking his forearm, curious to hear what he would say.
"We're missing training."
For a moment, it was silent and then Aubrey barked out a laugh. She couldn't believe that training had even crossed his mind. It was so ridiculous that she only stopped giggling when Levi finally spoke up.
"Oi, what's so funny?"
Aubrey reigned in her laughs and shifted so that she was facing him. She was still smiling when her eyes finally met his. She struggled to keep herself under control as she explained.
"There is no training today. There's never training the day after an expedition."
Levi narrowed his eyes.
"Hmph."
Levi rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling. Aubrey couldn't help but chuckle again as she stared at his profile. He looked far too grumpy for having made such a small error. Though, her laughing at him probably hadn't helped.
She scooted closer to him, resting her head on his chest and reaching up to clasp her hands around his neck.
"There is training tomorrow, though. I'll have to go see Erwin tonight and tell him that we won't be showing up for at least a few more days."
Aubrey winced. The thought of speaking to Erwin put her on edge. She was still angry with him and she wasn't exactly sure how their encounter would go down. Would she explode on him like she had with Levi? If she did that, their argument would probably end in the infirmary rather than the bed.
"What do you mean?"
Aubrey was broken from her thoughts at the sound of Levi's voice. His tone was serious, grim even. She had to take a minute to think back to what she'd said. Her mind had wandered too far into the future.
"Well, um, we won't be going to training so I'll need to get us excused."
Levi started to sit up and Aubrey had to scramble to move back.
"Why aren't we going to training?"
Uh oh. Aubrey could sense another argument coming on. She braced herself. Hopefully she'd be able to keep her pants on this time.
She swallowed, preparing for whatever reaction he might have.
"Levi, it's only been a day. You need… time."
Levi's eyes went hard and he scoffed.
"I'm not made of glass, Aubrey."
Aubrey shook her head, raising her hands to his face.
"I know that but you are human. Loss hurts and you… you've lost a lot."
Levi's eyes went from hard to fiery in an instant.
"I'm going."
Aubrey could hear the panic in her own voice when she spoke.
"No, Levi. I can't let you do that."
Levi's hand went to her wrist, squeezing tightly.
"Can you stop me?"
Aubrey didn't know what to say. She didn't think she could.
Long seconds of silence passed as the two of them stared each other down. Aubrey could see the determination in his gaze and she suddenly realized that she really couldn't stop him. But if she couldn't stop him… maybe she could get him to make a deal.
"Fine."
Levi was slightly shocked by her yield. She'd hardly backed down to him before. His eyes lost their harshness and he waited, hoping she would explain.
"But I have conditions."
There it was.
"What kind of conditions?"
Aubrey took a deep breath, taking her time to think about anything she might want to include. She only had one shot.
Finally, after several rounds of internal banter, she came to a conclusion. She knew what she wanted. She took one more deep breath and began.
"First, I want you on the Special Operations Squad. I want to be able to keep an eye on you."
Levi raised an eyebrow but didn't respond. He wasn't going to say anything until she was done.
Aubrey saw that he was expecting her to continue and she hurried on to her next demand.
"Second, I want you to take a room in the castle. All members of Special Ops are offered one. I want you out of the barracks." And out of a room full of memories. Aubrey was careful not to mention how Levi's dorm would now serve as a reminder of his best friend. The next time he walked into it, he'd have to face the half that would be empty forever. At least if he moved into the castle, he wouldn't have to face that half for long.
Aubrey shook her head, ridding her mind of the lingering thoughts. She still had one more condition.
"And lastly, I want you to tell me why you feel the need to go to training."
That request also stemmed from her personal experience. After her friends' deaths, Aubrey had thrown herself into work. It was the only way she could avoid thinking about the pain. But it had done her more harm than good. Here she was, months later, and she still hadn't been able to clean Tika's half of the room. She'd pushed everything down so far that it had left her incapable of healing. She didn't want Levi to make the same mistake.
Levi stared at her, trying to make out her expression. For once, it was nearly as neutral as his own.
He considered her words but it didn't take him long to reach a decision. Soon, he was opening his mouth to answer.
"Fine. I'll join your Special Operations Squad, it makes no difference to me. Maybe I can keep you from being such an idiot all the time. Who knows what kind of shit you get yourself into when I'm not around."
Aubrey rolled her eyes. He was ridiculous, He'd been a troublemaker ever since he arrived.
Nonetheless, Aubrey agreed.
"Okay, good. Next."
Levi smirked, pleased that she'd settled but also because he was looking forward to seeing her reaction to his next response.
"As for your second request…"
Levi paused. He wasn't ready to answer quite yet.
He leaned forward and Aubrey's eyes widened as he came closer. She reminded herself to keep her shirt on. He kept leaning and leaning and soon Aubrey had no choice but to bend and make room for him, her back hitting the bed for the millionth time. He hovered over her, hands on each side of her head as he stared down at her. The smirk was still on his lips.
"I'll take a room in the castle as long as you take it with me."
Aubrey's mouth popped open. He wanted her to… live with him?
Her mind raced and the only thought she could make out was that she wanted to hear him say it again. Her hands reached for his cheeks and her eyes searched his, desperate to take in every aspect of his expression.
"Tell me again."
Levi's smirk grew wider and wider and eventually there was a small smile on his lips. A smile.
Aubrey felt her own lips twitch and soon she was grinning up at him, anxious to hear him utter the same words over again.
Levi leaned down, his mouth stopping next to her ear.
Aubrey could feel his breath on her skin and she shuddered as adrenaline rushed through her body. She strained her hearing, waiting for the smallest sound. Finally, she got her wish and Levi whispered gently into the silence.
"I want you to take a room with me."
Aubrey couldn't contain herself any longer. She pulled his face to hers, their noses just millimeters apart. She was still grinning as she looked up at him, knowing that he could see the absolute happiness on her features. She sucked in a breath.
"Okay."
She thought she saw a flash of Levi's teeth as his smile grew even wider but she didn't get to look for long. His lips hit hers with a gentle intensity and Aubrey kissed him back, a giggle escaping her when he broke away.
He moved instantly to her neck, his tongue finding the all-too-familiar sensitive spot. She gasped and he moved on, trailing across her collar bone.
Aubrey could barely think. His lips were as intoxicating as ever and the excitement from the previous moment was still running rampantly through her veins. But there was something she needed to remember…
It came back to her as soon as Levi's hand slipped beneath the fabric of her shirt.
Right, keep the clothes on.
Aubrey grabbed at his wrist, catching his attention. She knew just what to say.
"I think you still have another condition to follow through with."
Levi groaned, his head dropping into the crook of her neck. The last thing he wanted right now was to talk about training.
"Later."
His mouth started again, his lips kissing behind her ear and moving quickly over all of the skin he could find.
Aubrey clawed at him, yanking on his hair.
"Levi, let me keep my pants on for more than fifteen minutes, please."
He grunted, finally pulling back and he shot her an annoyed look. Why should her pants stay on?
Aubrey just laughed at him. He was always so impatient.
She sat up, pushing against his chest. It was her turn to be in charge.
Soon, they'd reversed positions. Now Levi was on his back with Aubrey hovering over him.
"You still have another response to give me."
Levi stared up at her. He was finding it exceedingly difficult to keep his hands off her. She was just so… tempting.
His mind was clouded and it took him a while before he felt like he could even begin to form an answer.
Eventually, though, he was able to focus on what she'd requested of him. She wanted to know why he insisted on going to training.
Levi sighed. His answer wasn't all that complex.
"I want to go because I've decided to stay."
Aubrey furrowed her brows. By 'stay' she figured he meant stay with the Scouts.
Up until now, she hadn't even let the thought of Levi leaving cross her mind. It was too painful. Every time her mind had steered her toward it, she'd pushed it down and refused to even acknowledge it as an option.
But now, she was confused. She was overwhelmingly relieved to have confirmation that he was staying with her but… what did that have to do with training?
"Levi, you can stay and still miss a few days of training. Erwin will understand."
Levi closed his eyes, inhaling deeply.
"Ah, see, he's the reason I have to go."
Aubrey was only growing more puzzled by the second.
"What do you mean?"
Levi opened his eyes again, watching Aubrey's reaction carefully.
"He said something before you got to me. It's like… he has a bigger goal, like he can see something I can't. And you… you follow him so… intensely. So I will, too."
Aubrey didn't know what to say. Levi had obviously fallen subject to one of Erwin's speeches. She couldn't blame him. She had, too.
"If I'm going to be a part of this shitty regiment, I should at least show up to your fucking training."
Aubrey didn't speak yet. She had a feeling there was more.
"Not to mention I don't think I can handle sitting in this crappy room all day. I need to do something."
That was the answer she was afraid of.
Aubrey placed a hand on his cheek. She was satisfied with what he'd told her. She'd let him go to training. She just had one thing to add.
"Levi…"
His gaze dug into her and she struggled to stay put under the intensity. It took strength to finish her sentence.
"Just promise me that when you come home, you won't hold it in. Go to training, forget about everything. But when we come home, I want you to lean on me, okay?"
Levi didn't speak. His only response was pulling her lips to his.
Aubrey melted into him. All she could think about was how much she loved him, how much she wished she could take the pain away. In such a short amount of time he'd become essential to her survival. Without him, she'd wither away.
Levi kissed her slowly, only breaking away when they both ran out of air.
Aubrey collapsed onto his chest and his arms wrapped around her shoulders.
She felt the exhaustion creeping back in but fought it. She still couldn't leave Levi alone. His mind would have nowhere to go but the past.
They lay there for a few minutes but despite her efforts, Aubrey felt her eyelids begin to droop.
She propped herself up, rubbing at her eyes in an attempt to wake up.
"You're tired."
Aubrey shook her head, trying to brush off the comment.
"It's nothing. I'm fine."
Levi narrowed his eyes and soon he reached for her, finding it easy to manipulate her body when she was so exhausted. He shifted them onto their sides, sliding his arm under her neck for support and pulling her head into his chest.
"Sleep."
Aubrey tried to resist, feebly pushing him away but she found herself too weak to make any real difference.
"I can't leave you alone."
Levi sighed. She was ridiculous.
"I'll sleep, too. Close your eyes."
Aubrey stopped fighting.
"You're really going to sleep?"
"Yes. Now give it up."
Levi knew he probably wouldn't be able to actually drift off but he could tell that she desperately needed to rest. He'd say whatever it took to get her to sleep.
Aubrey paused for a moment. She still doubted his words but the idea of closing her eyes was just too tempting. She'd just take a short nap.
She felt all resistance leave her body and she snuggled further into his chest. He was so warm that she was sure she wouldn't need a blanket.
It took almost no time at all for the drowsiness to return and in a matter of minutes she felt herself drifting off.
Levi watched her relax, happy to see that she had finally fallen asleep.
He resolved to not move a muscle until she woke. If his presence was all it took for her to find peace then he'd stay still; not a single nightmare would bother her. Not now, not ever.
A/N: Okay, so this chapter was a little more fluffy and a LOT more lighthearted lol. I hope everyone enjoyed! Next chapter will include the Erwin confrontation and then I'll start wrapping things up pretty quickly.
I think I've said this before but Book 2 will take place 10 years in the future. We'll go from the No Regrets era to the AOT Season 1 era. I'm really excited about starting it! I've been waiting lol.
Anyway, back to the actual chapter. I hope the "moving in" part wasn't too cheesy. I couldn't resist. I'm a sucker for some cute fluff. Plus, you've always got to make up for fights with some cuteness lol.
Y'all are leaving me some GREAT comments. I died while reading them for the last chapter. I think the general consensus is that it was SPICY. Keep leaving them if you can! I enjoy them immensely :)
