hello, new readers! this is the sequel to my story summer rain. if you haven't read that, you don't have to, but you'll probably be very confused as to what's going on and why, so i'd recommend reading it and then coming back.
to the veteran readers, welcome back! i pumped this out much faster than expected, but here it is, the next part to the awful cliffhanger i was cruel enough to leave. hopefully this makes up for it.
peep that explicit warning, folks, things are actually happening this time around :O
Darius Zackly, Erwin Smith, Hange Zoe.
That's Levi's order of who he would kill if given the chance today. Zackly because he's being even more of a cryptic asshole than usual, Erwin because he told him before the unnecessary meeting that this "was a very necessary meeting, Levi'' and Hange because she keeps grabbing his hand to write notes since she didn't have the bright idea to bring a piece of paper.
"Write on your own hand," he hisses at her, but Hange pays him no mind.
Next to her, Moblit is shifting uncomfortably, as are most of the others. This meeting had been going for three hours now, and these are three hours that he could have spent doing something useful, like training further with his squad. Since their first expedition together, he'd realized that while they did work well together, there was a measure of trust that still needed to be built if they were going to last long at all.
Thing is, he has no idea where to start. Is it better to approach Eld, the eldest and probably most mature of the group, or would Petra's easygoing nature make her a better liaison?
Fuck. This is why he's not down for this leadership shit. He'd even take being on Flagon's squad again over leading his own, the asshole, may he rest in peace.
"Alright," Zackly finally says, stamping a dull sheet of paper. "Approved."
Across the table, Pyxis sighs in relief, taking out a flash that definitely doesn't have water and taking a large swig from it. Levi wouldn't say no to a sip either. They all need some serious stress relief after this. The dumbass pastor looks murderous, but when they look each other's way, it only takes two seconds of glaring for old Nick to look the other way. The original kill list is scrapped - Pastor Nick is definitely at the top and then everyone else can fight for second place because the religious bastard and his stupid followers are the reason this took so long.
Because God forbid they besmirch the walls with something as silly as weapons that will help protect people. No, the Scouts and Garrison are just morons, they should take zero cautions and let the incident with Wall Maria repeat itself! That would be the smart thing to do, right? At least that way, Rose's fucking spirit wouldn't curse them a thousand times over!
If Levi had been religious, he would have renounced his beliefs right here and now just to see the look on the shithead's face.
Well, it doesn't matter now. After months of pushing, the law has finally been passed to man the walls with defensive measures. The operation will start in Trost, since that'll be the titans' next most likely target. For such a big and important project, the new base in Trost will host Garrison soldiers from other districts as well as the Scouts involved. The compromise is that the Scouts are to pause all activity outside the walls until the operation in Trost is complete. Erwin's willing, because he knows that certain sacrifices have to be made, and so he's agreed. Levi guesses him and Pyxis discussed it all beforehand, because they were deliciously prepared for every argument that the stupid cult had thrown at them.
As they file out of Zackly's meeting room, Erwin waits until they're out of earshot to murmur thoughtfully, "We're all looking at a lot of work these next few weeks before the operation can truly begin."
"We'll get them done," Hange says confidently, with a wave of her hand. "Levi, be a sport and come by my office so I can copy down those notes, will you?"
"No, Section Commander, you have to get lunch first." Moblit turns on her before Levi can vehemently refuse the request. "You haven't eaten at all today."
"How can I? There's been so much to do - there's still so much to do -"
"Hange," Erwin says mildly, "he's right. Your work can wait."
She huffs, nudging Levi's shoulder. "And how come no one's bothering Shorty about eating? I happen to know he hasn't had a single bite since dinner last night either."
Yes, but he's built different. And as much as Levi knows he works hard and has lots to do, Hange is without a doubt the biggest workaholic he's ever had the displeasure of encountering. If she could survive without food and water, she most certainly would. That's where Moblit comes in, just to keep the dumbass genius alive.
"I can bring you lunch too, Captain Levi!" Moblit offers kindly. "And once the two of you have eaten, I'll help with the paperwork."
"You're the best," Hange says cheekily, stretching her arms above her head. She's clearly in high spirits that things have worked out their way. "It's nice to have a right hand man to split the workload with, eh, Mike?"
Mike, who'd been quiet uptil now, scoffs from Levi's left. "Nanaba doesn't do the work with me, she just hounds me to do it myself."
"As long as it gets done, I suppose." Erwin smiles amusedly. "Levi, why don't you -"
"No," he says immediately. Hange laughs.
"Don't you know, Commander? Help is for the weak."
"That's not it. There's just no one I trust enough. At least not yet. Besides, unlike you, I won't die without one."
Erwin is about to say something else when one of the Garrison officers approaches him, demanding his attention. He waves the rest of them off, and Hange takes that as her cue to rush off to her office, with Moblit running after her and hollering for her to just hold on a second, Section Commander!
Mike watches the two go. "They're not wrong, you know. It's a big help just to be able to share the pressure with someone."
"Don't you have some people to go sniff?" is Levi's dignified response. Mike chortles, thumping him on the back.
"Think about it, Levi." With that, he strolls away casually, not nearly as intent on missing lunch as Hange is.
Oh, Levi's thought about it alright. He's thought about it a lot. A second in command would do wonders for his workload, and most importantly, would serve as a liaison between him and his squad, someone who could communicate well with them without him needing to spell every single thing out for them. But it's all futile, because uptil now there's only one person (alive) who knows him so well that he could imagine making them his lieutenant slash assistant slash helper, and she's all the way on the other side of Wall Rose.
And he doesn't want to think about her.
He does that enough already. But it's not his fault.
It's like she's everywhere. A fucking nuisance is what it is. After six months, one would think that he'd have moved the fuck on, but no, (F/N) (L/N) still haunts his thoughts like an annoying pest.
When he sits down for lunch, he imagines her across from him, with a glass of milk of all things, rambling about her day.
When he's working during the dead of night, he imagines her trotting into his office, a cup of terribly made tea in her hands that he knows he's going to finish just to make her happy while she curls up in the visitor's chair like it's her second bed.
When he's training with his squad, he imagines her up in the air, hair loose and cheeks flushed from how much she's enjoying herself, making a face at him when he tells her to focus.
And when it's raining, all he sees is her, spinning and spinning with a carefree smile like not a thing in this world can bother her.
Seriously, when and why exactly did his heart decide that fantasizing about that woman was a healthy, acceptable thing to do?
"Cadet (F/N) (L/N), sir, from Stohess District!" she cries out proudly.
Does she want a reward? She didn't even answer his question.
Her smile had caught his eye almost immediately. She sticks out like a sore thumb, a bright presence in a wave of decidedly serious people. He doesn't like how he's immediately drawn in by it, how her smile is hands down the prettiest fucking thing he's ever seen. The point is that this is the Training Corp, and she should know what she's getting into. It's not a place for smiles, never mind how charming said smile is.
He absolutely can't let her sass go unpunished. He'd been looking for someone to make an example out of anyways, and now one has fallen straight into his lap. It's not like he can just ignore it.
Her hair spills all over her face as she goes down, almost gracefully. It's annoying, the prideful look that remains in her eyes as she glares up at him. It's annoying specifically because it intrigues him so much, and makes him want to know just who this woman is, the one who'd challenged him and then still managed to give him an icy smile while sprawled flat on her ass.
He'd had no idea then just how well acquainted they would become.
As she frolics - actually frolics - away, Hange grabs his arm. He scowls, trying to tug it away from her, but she only steps further into his space to place her palm against his forehead.
"Are you feeling sick, Levi?" she asks, brows furrowed in genuine concern. "Because I'm pretty sure you just agreed to train that cadet for the next two years."
He elbows her in the side and Hange half laughs, half groans in pain. Erwin only stares at him, bushy brows furrowed together waiting for an explanation.
This can't be that strange. So he's showing a sign of goodwill. She can take it as an apology for the public humiliation, not that he's actually sorry about that. Insubordination and goofing off are punishable offenses, so he punished her. And, just to be clear, she asked him to fight her. It's not like he could refuse, not when she requested it with such eager hate. It looks like she's learned her lesson, if her hair is anything to go by. He thinks that it looked nicer down, but this is more practical.
Truth be told, it's been a long time that someone's tried to show him up. Some rotten shits in the Underground always tried it, but this is different. Obviously she's not trying to kill him or screw him over, she's just so furious, and so petty. Her feud with him is something emotional without being tragic, and he's been craving something exactly like that. Something to make him feel anything besides sadness and rage. She'll probably have her fun and then quit in a few weeks, but until then, he can have fun too. And that's what this is about. Fun. Something about her is just indescribably enjoyable.
So Levi decides he'll enjoy her.
He doesn't tell Erwin or Hange any of this. Instead, he shrugs and mutters, "Don't really have anything better to do these days."
That's not a lie, after all.
It's been six whole days, and as she lies on her back groaning, he's genuinely confused. She did much more than two sets of exercises the previous days, so how have ten crunches rendered her useless?
"I only have core strength." She pouts, trying to garner sympathy points. "Not any of this muscle stuff."
"Crunches require core strength, idiot."
"You could stand to be nicer," comes her grumbling voice, as she throws herself back into the set. Now what the fuck is that supposed to mean? He's training her, isn't he? Is he supposed to kiss the ground she walks on every time she does something successfully? He'll do that the day she doesn't look at him like he's asked for her kidneys every time he orders her around, as though she didn't personally ask for this.
She's not even doing the crunches right, for God's sake.
"Like this." He kneels down, grabbing her by the shoulder and slowly lowering her and then raising her again. "You don't have to go all the way up, you'll just exhaust yourself more. And stop going so fast. Build a pace."
"This is my pace!" she insists. So her pace is lightning fast? Yeah fucking right.
"Your pace is shitty." She must know how much of a headache she's giving him.
The way she huffs, like a misbehaving child, it's so irritating. What an annoying, menacing, ridiculously pretty brat. Levi's fed up. He'd thought she would give in first and cut this out, but it seems like she has no intention of stopping whatever it is she's doing.
"Listen, if you just go a bit slower, you'll be able to do more. And I don't care that you don't want to do more," he quickly says when she opens her mouth. Closing it and rolling her eyes, she starts doing the crunches for real, and now that she's taking his advice it doesn't look like she's killing herself trying.
After doing about ten more, she looks pleasantly surprised, and then looks up at him with a grin. "Hey, that works. Thanks!"
He's not a fan of the charismatic twinkle in her eyes. There is no way he's going to fall for that, as much as his gut reaction is to ease up. That natural allure will have to find some other poor chap to bewitch.
"Sucking up won't get you anywhere. You have ten more to go. Get to it."
Okay, the feat with Hange's lab is no easy accomplishment. Levi's impressed. He'd expected her to either still be stubbornly pouting and complaining about how she should be getting paid (seriously, where the fuck does she think she is?) or to have fled the scene altogether. Instead, the room looks more clean than he's ever seen it.
He's content to walk her back until she suggests that some people will believe that they just had sex.
First the crack at his sleeping habits, now this? The woman clearly has a death wish.
He turns to her, and asks her to clarify. Say it, he wants her to fucking say it. It's absolutely hilarious how she squirms. This one should watch her mouth, but he's happy to take advantage of these moments until she wises up.
"They might think we slept together."
"I see. And what would you do if these rumors spread?"
"Gouge my eyes out, sir."
Levi snorts, and she looks surprised. So extremely comedic, and she doesn't even realize it. Such a stark contrast to the rest of, well, the world. People aren't always so blunt, especially not with him, whether it's because they're scared of him or they pity him. She falls into neither of those categories. No, she's just a snarky little spitfire who enjoys this game of theirs too much.
Not that he doesn't. In fact, he might even enjoy it more than she does.
Stealing food from the kitchens?
Now, that's just a new level of disobedience. Another punishment is in order.
Except this time, there's no one watching. Knocking her down now won't be any fun at all. And suddenly, as he watches her splutter out excuses in her stupid expensive-looking nightgown stealing what should have been on his plate tomorrow night, Levi is starving.
She's fucking beautiful. Lips falling slightly open in shock as she watches him, a hypnotized look in her eyes. He takes his time swallowing. He wants her to keep looking at him with that exact fascinated expression, like it's the most interesting fucking thing she's ever seen. And when she offers him another bite, he can't help but smirk. What a delectable sight.
The pastry isn't nearly as delicious as the feeling of her lips pressed against his cheek. It sends shivers straight down his back, reminding him that they're still standing in the middle of the base, and that devouring her, while certainly an enjoyable thought, isn't something he should be considering. Not here, not now, not ever.
This girl. She's tempting him, and he's letting himself be tempted.
Now, he thinks, beyond pissed off, just who exactly would make her cry? Someone looked at her, a bright flame in a neverending universe of darkness, and really tried to put it out. Someone successfully brought her down to her knees of her own volition, and made her shed tears for their worthless self.
Levi isn't really that good at this whole comforting thing. He just knows he wants it to stop. Wants her to be her stupid happy self again.
So he reads the ridiculous letter, and then begins to wipe her cheeks, intent on making her calm down. It's not like she's hysterical, or overly loud - silent tears just stream down her cheeks somehow making her look graceful even when she's upset. But for whatever godforsaken reason, it hurts to see her like this.
She's obedient for perhaps the first time, and stops crying when he tells her to. Good girl.
Before he lets her go, he makes it clear that only he's allowed to make her cry, relieved when she agrees. Because Levi knows - he knows that he's never going to. Not on purpose, anyway. So at least until she joins the Scouts, he's going to keep that smile on her face, whatever it takes.
Listen, he knows he's fucked early on. He wishes it could be some big, dramatic moment but like everything else in his life it's painfully underwhelming. The scene, that is. The feelings, on the other hand, hit him like a ton of fucking bricks.
All it takes is one bad day, a splitting headache, a walk to his office, and the sight of her waiting outside with a cup of tea in her hands.
"There you are!" she chirps, holding her hands out. "Here, I tried again. I think it's a lot better this time."
And he knows, as soon as something inexplicably squeezes his chest tightly, that he's totally and utterly gone for her. Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
What is it about her? About the moment? Her eagerness, her genuine happiness to be standing there as though she's been waiting for a dear friend, the way she brightens up as he takes the tea from her hand, or the smile she sports as she follows in behind him, just so they can have another long conversation? All of the above? What is it about this fucking woman?
The tea is just as bad as last time, if not worse, but he dutifully drinks it all, as she makes herself at home in his office and starts talking his ear off about the many unhealthy effects of insomnia and why does she care why is she looking at him like that what's the matter with her why doesn't she just shut the fuck up for once why is she so pretty -
Levi feels like a piece of shit, he really does. Actually, that's understating it - he's not even sure he deserves to be alive right now. So many people that he didn't save. So many that are still out there, terrified for themselves and their families. So many that died right in front of him, begging for help till the very end. Their screams and cries have haunted him for several nights, and he's sure they'll haunt him tonight too. He certainly won't be sleeping any time soon, not that he has the right to.
So when she appears, concern written all over her face (concern for him?), he has to take the small reprieve. He wants to focus on her, naive and charming, for just a short moment. And then he swears he'll go back to tormenting himself like he should be. Just a single horseback ride. That's all. Can he have that, or is even a miniature break too rewarding for the likes of him?
He'd wanted to ask her when they first rode in and they'd looked at each other if she was okay. A simple enough question, but one that he can't bring himself to ask even now. She looks morose. Like she's struggling.
When she looks at him, he fully forgets how to breathe. He curls his finger under her chin, heart pounding. She's calming and makes his heart race all at once. She makes him dizzy with how much he likes her.
Goddammit, things were so much simpler when he was just a kid in the Underground.
There must only be pain that she sees when she looks back at him. How could she - why would she ever want someone so fucked up?
Levi doesn't kiss her. He just gazes at her for as long as she lets him, until she turns back and the choked feeling building up inside him deflates.
She leans back, resting her head on his chest and breathing softly as though he's the one providing her comfort and not the other way around. All of a sudden, his eyelids feel heavy, like her mere presence is enough for him to relax and lose himself to the sweet throes of unconsciousness. He breathes in her comforting scent, wishing he could hold her close in other places besides horseback.
Maybe he'll be able to sleep tonight after all.
There's never been as breathtaking a sight as her twirling in the rain, and there never will be.
"Number two, (F/N) (L/N)!"
She could have had the first position if she really wanted it, but from the proud sparkle in her eyes as she grins at him from across the field, he doesn't think she really minds.
Why would you make me fall for you?
He would have said it. He really would have.
But she kisses him before he can get the chance, lips brushing against his like a heated whisper. There's no time to process any of it. The realization that she feels...something for him, the thrill of that revelation, and the crushing sadness that nothing can come from it, because there's no situation where this ends well for the two of them; all these thoughts crash over him in a split second. He knows he can never have any of it.
Despite all that, he mourns that she pulls back before he can have a proper taste.
Levi's not suited for this. What the fuck does he know about romance? All he knows is that he's liked this girl for more than a year now, and now she's leaving, so what is he supposed to do? Stop her? Just because he wants to make her part of his squad? Just because his heart beats faster around her? He'd never forgive himself if he did something like that. Maybe she's proclaiming herself selfish, but he certainly isn't, and (F/N) doesn't change that.
Every single thought in his mind that is screaming for him to get another taste is pushed to the side. He forces his mind blank, and he makes the tough decision to let her go.
So why the fuck hasn't he let her go?
One week into the operation, and it's going smoothly. Several officers have transferred over to Trost, which is now overflowing with soldiers. Levi's sure some of the citizens are sick of looking at their uniforms, even if the merchants are happy for the extra business. As for him, he's only got about a hundred documents to fill out each day, and not much else to occupy his time with. Even training exercises with his squad seem futile - without any real titans to fight, training becomes very repetitive very quickly.
Not that he's complaining - predictability is always preferable to terror. He just doesn't think there's any need to be throwing confetti, anything could go wrong at any moment. Erwin knows that, but that won't stop him from voicing his opinion out loud anyway, just to make sure there's a healthy amount of negative energy to balance out the hope. That way it hurts less when things inevitably go to shit.
As he's walking over to his office, he turns the corner and gets the wind knocked out of him immediately.
Levi grunts as he's pushed back, arms quickly flying up to catch the lightning bolt that thinks it's fun to run around the base. The person is dressed in a flowery dress - a civilian, no wonder. He's about to give them a dry comment and then move on, when they beat him to it.
"Sorry! That's my…" She meets his eyes and freezes, the familiar smile on her face falling. "Bad."
...Now whose cruel idea of a joke is this?
So one of the Garrison officers brought to Trost for the project is her, of all people. He doesn't want to insult her, he really doesn't, but surely there were other people better suited for the job and up to the task. Surely she's not their only option. Look at her, not even in uniform, wandering around like she owns the place. She's certainly not the prime example of a respectable soldier, so just what the actual fuck were the powers that be thinking when they shipped (F/N) (L/N) here?
It's when she snaps to attention that he realizes he's still holding onto her. She steps back, fist to her chest immediately as she greets him with disgusting formality.
"Captain! I apologize for my hastiness!"
Yes, apologizing is exactly what she should be doing, the clumsy minx. His mouth doesn't agree with his thoughts, and he doesn't give her the scolding that she damn well deserves.
It only hits him fully how much he's fucking missed her.
"At ease." He steps back himself, there's no need for them to be close to each other at all. Her tone is professional, which means that not a bit of their friendship matters right now. "So you were transferred here?"
What a stupid fucking question, Levi thinks to himself, why the fuck else would she be here?
She nods, still saluting. "Yes, sir. I arrived only a few days ago, I'm still settling in."
"With no uniform?" he inquires.
Don't look at her lips don't look at her lips don't look at her lips -
Looking sheepish, she finally meets his gaze directly, a hand coming up to tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He notices that she still wears it in a bun. "I'm done for the day. I was just visiting some friends and I'm on my way out now. I, uh…" She bites her lip. "I actually have a date."
Oh.
Well isn't that just fucking fantastic? Does she want him to skip up and down with pure joy? This fucking brat, she has absolutely no idea what she's done to him, does she? Even the irritation he feels is qualmed by the astonishment that she's gotten her work done quickly enough to be going on a date in a town that she's even familiar with. But of course she is, she's always been quick to adapt. She's always had a certain charm to her as well, so it's definitely no surprise that someone besides him finally noticed it.
"Right." Levi swallows, wishing he could be anywhere else in the world. Hell, he'll take his chances outside of Rose, at least out there he'll die by getting eaten and not out of awkwardness. "Well, Cadet -"
"Sergeant, sir." He swears he sees her smirk, but it's gone in a flash.
He rolls his eyes instantly. "Forgive me for not keeping tabs on your promotions."
"Forgiven," she says easily, and her gaze becomes formal again, "but even so, I'd still be a private, not a cadet."
Levi only stares at her in what he hopes is a menacing glare. He hopes she has a fantastic time with her sergeant title and her tall and handsome date, and then she can go back home to her lovely little Garrison base where she can pretend like guarding the walls is an actual job. Yeah, it hurts seeing her. That doesn't mean he's not still bitter. Not that he could bear any real ill will towards her, but he doesn't have to play nice by any means.
Of course, maybe the fact that they both slipped into their usual banter so quickly means that he's much more forgiving than he'd first imagined.
"You're dismissed," Levi firmly states before this gets out of hand, and he can't help but add, "Sergeant (L/N)."
Her eyes soften just a bit. "It was good to see you, Captain."
Without another word spoken, she thumps her fist against her chest again and turns to leave. Frankly, Levi's not certain people have to salute if they're out of uniform. He's not exactly the person to ask about military social customs. He's also not the person to ask about regular social customs, because he'd thought that if someone initiated a kiss, that meant they liked you, and would be happy to see you. But maybe he's mistaken. Six months is a long time, after all, long enough to forget people.
So maybe she has. Maybe it's time he forgets her too.
Except how can he forget her when she's right in front of him, grinning charmingly at someone else?
(F/N) doesn't make it easy on anyone. He doesn't think he's ever seen her face painted, highlighting each and every single pleasing feature on her face. Her hair, while still up in a bun, is loose on either side of her face, prettily framing it. There's something shiny in her hair too, but God knows what it is. And she's wearing the same dress from earlier, casual but still teasing, hiding just enough skin to be deemed appropriate.
All in all, she's downright gorgeous, and if anyone knows it, it's her.
A damn heartbreaker is what she is, even if he still cares about his ego enough to refrain from saying she left him heartbroken. That seems like a little too fucking much, be it the truth or not.
When their eyes meet, Levi wants to duck away. He assumes she'll avert her gaze, either mortified or angry that he's somehow caught her on her little outing. If anything, her eyes light up and she quickly says something to the man she's with before hurrying up to him.
He has absolutely no idea what to do. She's clearly walking towards him. She's obviously about to talk to him. It might look ridiculous to run. So he doesn't.
"Captain," she breathes with a dazzling smile. Remembering herself, she salutes, but he's hardly concerned with formalities right now. "I...didn't expect to see you here."
No, their meetings are never quite planned. Always crashing into each other, like an invisible force is obnoxiously rubbing it in their faces that they were never possible. It's practically dangling it in their faces at this point.
"Sorry for interrupting." Even though he didn't, she's the one who walked up to him. "You don't need to pay me a homage every time we see each other. I'm sure you're having a lot of fun." Hopefully that didn't come out in the biting tone he'd thought it did.
She bites her lip, looking a bit nervous. That's a first. "Actually, I'm not. That's why I…" As she trails off, a crafty expression takes over, and he somehow knows exactly what she's about to ask even before the words even leave her mouth.
"Would you please join us, just for dessert? We're nearly done, it's just - he's been talking about, well, nothing interesting, and I'm...I'm so bored." She blows out a puff of air, shoulders sagging. "He's nice, don't get me wrong, but if I have to spend five more minutes hearing about his family's bread making business, I don't know what I'll do."
Oh, (F/N). Always doing things because you're bored, with no regard for anyone else. In that sense, she hasn't changed. She'd warned him that she wouldn't change, so it shouldn't be a surprise. He's no better - even before she gave her reasoning he knew he'd join them. Levi really wishes he could deny her, but he can't, not when she's looking so hopeful.
And so he finds himself third-wheeling the lovebirds' date. God, this is pathetic.
The place in question is an outdoor cafe with bright lanterns strung up around the tables, illuminating everyone in the glowing warmth that they provided. Levi feels ridiculously out of place here. This is precisely another reason why liking her is a stupid idea. She belongs in places like these, cozy little outdoor bistros where people could huddle together and whisper lies to each other. He decidedly doesn't fit in, but it makes him wonder; if they were...involved and she'd asked him to come here, would he have agreed? Probably without question.
Pierre, the man of the hour, is pretty boring, even though he's a fellow Garrison soldier who'd transferred to Trost with her. He'd thought that the guy would be upset or up in arms that his date had brought an unwanted visitor to sit at their table, but instead he's absolutely thrilled, waxing poetry about how he's honored to meet Humanity's Strongest Soldier. Levi should mention that he despises that title with a passion, but he can't even get a word in with how fast Pierre is talking.
Instead, what ends up happening is him and (F/N) exchanging glances every few seconds only for her to look away, clearly trying very hard not to laugh. He's better at keeping his composure, but even he can't help but roll his eyes very obviously a couple of times.
"So, Captain, how is it you and (F/N) know each other?"
That might be the first chance he's given for anyone else to talk. Levi jumps at the opportunity.
"I met her on her first day in the Training Corp."
"Oh! You two hit it off, then?"
She smirks then, hiding it in the glass in her hand as she takes a sip of water. "Oh, he basically fell in love with me right then and there."
Oh, that's how she wants to play, is it? He's more than happy to step up to the challenge.
"I wouldn't say that." Levi leans back in his seat. "What was it you said that day, (L/N)? That you were excited to be there?"
"Excited is an exaggeration. I was happy to be there." She smiles pointedly, setting her glass down on the table. "People should be eager to serve in the military."
Pierre nods, opening his mouth to go off on another long tangent, but Levi doesn't give him the chance. Gaze trailed only on her, he drawls, "People tend to be eager when they know exactly where they plan on going."
Her eyes flash.
"Yes, that kind of thing does make people happy. Especially if they know they have the support of their friends."
Levi laughs scathingly, leaning forward. Is she fucking serious?
"Their friends who they keep secrets from?"
"Some friends aren't owed every single detail about a person's life," she bites back, glaring, and oh, now Levi's enjoying himself.
He makes sure that she can hear the sarcasm dripping from his voice when he answers. "You're absolutely right, (L/N). Some friends just aren't good enough for that. Tell me, how many of your friends do you spend hours and hours talking to on a daily basis? Just for my own edification, of course."
She's biting her lip, her expression is tense, and he can see her nails digging into her palm. Good. He wants her to get riled up, just for him. Her date can go suck on a breadstick. "Only the ones I expect not to guilt trip me, Captain."
"And how many of them do you -" her eyes narrow dangerously, but he pays it no mind - "plan to abandon without even telling them?"
"I didn't abandon anyone," she says with gritted teeth. "You could have written."
Levi shrugs. "I don't write when I expect people not to write back. Someone who up and leaves without notice isn't going to write letters, are they?"
"Oh my God." She scoffs, not breaking eye contact with him for even a second. "This is - I can't believe you. Are you really this petty?"
"Am I this petty? Didn't you want to - what was it, get revenge on me? Yeah, that was the height of maturity."
(F/N) is on her feet in an instant, hissing furiously.
"You embarrassed me in front of everyone."
He's standing too, glowering at her.
"You were asking for it with that annoying-ass attitude."
"If my attitude is so terrible, then why'd you spend so much time with me? You're insufferable."
"Oh, well, if I'm so insufferable, why'd you spend so much time with me?"
"For fuck's sake, Levi! I -"
Pierre clears his throat loudly, and they both freeze, finally breaking eye contact with each other to look at him. He seems a bit wary and extremely confused, and his voice is meek as he glances between them. "Er…" He gestures behind him, where people are giving them glares and concerned looks. "I-I don't think that kind of language is allowed here."
Levi blinks a few times, remembering exactly where he is and wondering just what the hell he's doing. In front of him, (F/N) apologizes profusely to the table next to theirs before she sits down, looking mortified. He copies her, and the table is plunged into the quite literally the worst silence he's even partaken in. Quite an accomplishment, considering how much he usually likes his quiet time.
She breaks the silence first. "I'm so sorry. I...was out of line." Whether she's apologizing to him or her date he doesn't know, but it's Pierre who responds nonetheless.
"It's alright, (F/N)." He places his hand over hers and squeezes it in a show of comfort. Levi, meanwhile, prays that the titans will break through Trost right now so that he can escape this mess. "Our night's ended here, anyways."
What a shitty mess he's made of things. Just what the hell was he thinking, dredging up the past right now? And who did he think he was, acting like she owed him anything? If there had been any camaraderie left between them, he'd certainly screwed it up by ruining her night and making an ass out of himself. He'd messed up, badly.
The lovebirds stand up to leave once they've paid (and apologized to the waitress), and Levi follows suit. He's about to leave and try to forget this terrible night by drowning himself in work when she looks at him and softly asks him to wait a minute.
And even after that argument, he can't refuse her when she asks something so sincerely like that.
She walks a safe distance away with Pierre, who she talks to with lots of hand motions. He doesn't look too upset, and even gives her a sloppy kiss on the cheek before he leaves. That's strange, why wouldn't he wait for her? Then the two of them could walk back to the base together. It's better to walk with someone when one is an unfamiliar city.
He walks up to her before she can trot back, and the first thing she does is wipe her cheek. Levi nearly chuckles, but he catches himself when she takes a deep breath and looks at him.
"Listen, I -"
He holds a hand up, interrupting her. "Don't apologize. I'm sorry. For...all of that. I shouldn't have said any of it, especially not in front of him."
She seems to consider this, and then shrugs. "Well, I probably shouldn't have invited you to sit. I just…" She suddenly laughs, shaking her head with her eyes focused on the ground. "Ever since I ran into you today, I haven't been thinking clearly. So when you showed up here, I...dunno, I guess I freaked out."
She'd freaked out after seeing him? What did that make his reaction then, a panic attack?
"Not to mention you were bored."
She snaps her head up, relaxing when she sees that he's only messing with her. "Right," she agrees, running a hand through her hair with a wry grin. "I was bored."
"Well, I can see why." She starts walking, and Levi falls into step with her like it's second nature. "You sure know how to pick them, (L/N)."
Amazingly, she looks much more comfortable now. Still gorgeous, of course, but with all the familiarity of the girl he'd spent two years getting to know. She's always been a laid back person. Anger, sadness, she'd never seemed to particularly enjoy dabbling in either of those. No, her default mode has always been cheery.
Case in point, her lips have twisted up into a smile. "Yeah, well, that chapter's come to an end, not that it ever really started."
Shit, had the guy really been scared off by their little tiff? It hadn't been that bad. What a coward. "Sorry. "
"Don't be." She chuckles, rubbing the back of her neck tiredly. "This would have been my one and only outing with him anyways."
"Yeah? Pastry chefs aren't your type?"
"No, I prefer butchers."
"Good choice. Less sugar, more knives. They probably know when to shut the fuck up, too."
No matter how satisfied Levi had been seeing (F/N) pissed off, seeing her throw her head back and laugh is infinitely better. It's been ages since he heard the sound, and it's like music to his ears. The pang in his chest intensifies. He's missed this. He's missed her.
"We're going the wrong way, you know." When she furrows her brows at him, he clarifies. "The base is in the other direction. Unless you have another date to get to."
"Oh, I'm not staying at the military base," she explains, waving her hand casually as though she's telling him what she had for breakfast. "They didn't have enough room for everyone, so I managed to find a newly built apartment complex nearby and I rented it out for everyone at the Utopia base who needed it."
He only stares at her in astonishment. "You…rented it out."
"Yes?"
A frown forms on his face. "I didn't think you'd be dancing in money, I assumed your mother cut you off."
She grins slightly. "Nah, Mama couldn't cut me off completely even if she tried. Some stuff is rightfully mine. Especially everything my father left me. You know, besides the lack of a male parental figure." At this, her eyes cross funkily, like her abandonment issues are the punchline of some great joke. Levi's had a few amusing thoughts like that about Kenny too, so he's not fazed.
"Your comrades must be pleased."
"They are. All thanking me for my generosity and whatnot." She snorts. "It's too bad you're not there to let them know the truth, right?"
Levi sighs, making her look. He stares at her crossly, and then mutters, "Don't say shit like that. I don't think you're a terrible person or anything."
"Aw," she coos teasingly, "that's high praise, sir. Keep going and you'll make me blush." After a beat, she adds, "But I appreciate it. Thank you."
They fall into silence after that, leaving him to properly think. This is so strange, the two of them walking together like no time has passed at all, or like they hadn't just been at each other's throats. That goes to show that no matter what happened, there's no real hard feelings harbored, at least not on her end. Well, she's also not the one who'd been left behind like an idiot, but still. This is good. It means he can let go of this grudge, if it could even be called that. As long as she doesn't hate him, it's fine.
But still, he's so fucking conflicted. The night spiralled out of his control so fast, and now he can only listen to the sound of their steps on the pavement as he walks her to the fucking apartment complex that she decided to purchase for her fellow soldiers. God, she's really - really something. She thinks she hides it so well, but anyone can see it in the way she looks at her friends. If someone needs help, she helps. She's kind, but not nauseatingly so - no one would be caught dead calling her sweet, unless they didn't know her at all. He hates being so enamored by her.
"You didn't have to walk me," she murmurs quietly, interrupting his train of thought.
Levi looks straight ahead as he grunts out a response. "Force of habit." Out of the corner of his eye, he sees her beam, but ignores it for both their sakes.
When they reach the complex - definitely new and shiny, if a bit small - (F/N) stops and faces him, inhaling deeply as if in preparation.
"Thank you, Captain." She offers him a small smile. "I'm...glad we got to do this."
She extends her hand, and he stares at it for a couple of seconds before shaking it. Her fingers curl around his palm, squeezing his hand ever so gently. This is perfect, right? A friendly handshake gives them both closure, and ends their story on a much more positive note. Levi can let her go now, knowing they don't hate each other.
She purses her lips thoughtfully. "You know, a kiss is typically the best way to end a date."
His eyes widen.
Is she - why would she -
She reads his expression and laughs nervously, taking a step back. "Kidding! I'm kidding. Sorry. I should go inside. Good night, Captain."
Right. Just a joke. There'd be no way she...even if she initiated it before...it's stupid to think about it. They've just made amends with each other, and this is the best kind of farewell he could think of, with the both of them on friendly terms. He has to let her go, right now. Holding on is dangerous, and indulging in any of these complicated feelings will never end well. Letting her go is the best choice, the only choice.
But then he'd never get to have a proper taste.
Just as she turns to go, right before her hand leaves his, Levi tightens his grip and tugs her towards him, and before she can say anything he presses his lips against hers possessively, swallowing her question.
He can't let her go. Not yet. Not when he hasn't done this.
(F/N)'s response is instantaneous, an excited whimper escaping her as she slides her arms around his neck, effectively trapping him. As if he'd pull away now, with her flush against him, kissing him back fervidly. Her lips are soft, warm, sweet, and she moves her mouth expertly against his. His arms wrap around her waist and pull her closer. She's fucking intoxicating. He wants her. He wants her so bad.
Her mouth opens invitingly and Levi takes the opportunity, sliding his tongue in to explore the crevice to his heart's desire. One of his hands reaches up to cup her face and hold her still, allowing him to completely dominate her mouth, not leaving any room for her to breathe as he kisses her fucking stupid. If only her date could see this scene unfolding in front of him - the girl he'd bored to death in someone else's embrace. Should have appreciated what he'd had, but it's too late now. She's his, his, his. He feels her hand in his hair, tugging it hard enough for him to growl against her mouth.
She's so beautiful, he can hardly believe she's real.
Without any qualms, she suddenly presses against him right there and he groans, pulling away to either apologize or whisper something suggestive - who the hell knows - but she doesn't let him say anything at all, tugging him in by the collar to kiss him again.
Fuck if he can keep himself away. Levi lets her keep pulling him forward, lips locked even as her back hits the wall. This is exactly where she belongs and where he belongs too. The things he wants to do to her, things he's felt guilty just for having fleeting thoughts about. How he's imagined kissing her, feeling her, fucking her. Every single time he's wanted to kiss her hard enough to bruise her lips comes to the front of his mind right now, making him bite down on her lip hard enough to draw a small whine from her that sounds so filthy he does it again immediately.
It's only then that they separate for real, gasping for air. Her cheeks are flushed, the lip rouge she'd clearly taken pains to put on is smudged, and she's nearly trembling with desire. The image makes him shudder and consider whether or not air is really that important. It pales in comparison with his need to take her right now.
Eyes lidded, she bites her lip, gazing up at him with possibly the most erotic expression he's ever seen in his life. "Do you want to come in?" she whispers breathlessly.
Yes, their story could have ended here. It's just too bad that can't let it, not until he gets to unravel her, worship her, and have her come undone for his sight and his sight alone. God, she's fucked him up badly.
Hesitantly, longingly, absolutely smitten, Levi nods.
8000 words just to say levi's a simp
anyways, how's that for a cliffhanger apology? :D anyone else feeling a bit hot in here?
never fear, we're going to get back to reader and her pov (because i enjoy it infinitely more than writing levi's, he's such a downer even if i do like dropping the f bomb every other sentence), but this segment of the story will be split between them, because you know what's better than one pining idiot? two pining idiots!
this story will also be much more heavy with scenes between the two of them, with some exceptions here and there. that's a warning just in case anyone was too attached to the ocs in summer rain (i know, it's just me lmaooo). not that every single scene will be romance-heavy, but for the most part, it will be.
buckle up, folks, he's got you right where he wants you, and he doesn't plan on leaving.