Part of my longfic Once More, with Feeling. I did this because I'd been itching to write a few things from Levi's perspective, get into his head.
The first chapter is an addition to Chapters 7 and 8 of the main story from exclusively Nora's POV (as of yet), but who knows; maybe it's entertaining to read about Levi with his mind in the gutter even without any context.
Either way, it was a fun challenge to write!
Chapter 1: Of Tea and Messes
That woman was going to be the death of him.
With a groan, Levi leaned back in his armchair, wiping his hand over his face. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw her standing in front of him in that ridiculous getup; shoes, bare legs—one in a splint—wearing nothing but a nightgown with her Survey Corps jacket thrown over hastily. The thick mane of wavy hair barely contained in the sloppy braid, as stubborn and untameable as its owner's mind, driving him nuts.
Ridiculous.
Just like the round, deep brown eyes in her pale, freckled face, gazing or glaring or gaping at him with single-minded focus, as if he was one of the riddles of their small world she so badly wanted to solve.
There were freckles on her legs, too.
"Fuck," he murmured. He couldn't believe the things he had let himself say to her—tie her to her bed? Commenting on her damn eyes? And that insufferable smile, gleeful and provocative at the same time, lighting up her eyes whenever she managed to aggravate him. She succeeded far too often.
Finally, he thought of the way Nora had looked at him after he had patted her head; marvelling, stripped of any of her usual aloofness. Her hair had been surprisingly soft, and he had felt an urge to bury his fingers deeper in the strands.
That woman was going to be the death of him.
#
The glass in his hand was spotted and dull from years of use and insufficient polishing. Levi took a sip of his pint regardless, not even scrunching up his face a little bit. Disgusting, as expected. Maybe he should have ordered something stronger than beer today, though it likely wouldn't have made much of a difference.
Nora was particularly jumpy this evening, and part of him regretted that he had taken a chair beside her. Off-duty as they all were tonight, she was wearing a short-sleeved dress that was fitted at her slender waist, accentuating the subtle curves on her small frame. Her long hair was spilling down freely over her chest.
She couldn't seem to sit still, flinching every time she so much as grazed his side. No matter how light or accidental the touch. It was impossible to ignore, and it was fucking annoying. Not long, and Levi had enough.
"Dammit, would you stop fidgeting for one minute?"
To his surprise, she complied without opposition.
It got better after that, and worse. As the night dragged on, the booze seemed to remove some of the tension from Nora. She was always on edge, in her own, contained way—Levi was sure most didn't notice this about her. He could see it, though, even feel it exacerbating his own high-strung state; another thing vexing him about her.
So, it came as a respite—an entertaining one, at that—to see her at ease for once.
On the other hand, her thigh pressed against his under the table, the heat palpable through his trousers, didn't do shit to help him relax.
#
Nora was staring at the box of tea he had thrusted into her hands in utter disbelief.
"Why?" she asked.
"Are you an idiot?" Was she really asking why he would give her a little something for her birthday? Levi felt the answer was obvious, and no way in hell would he spell it out for her, or even for himself.
He was aware he should probably go. Instead, he was looking at her face far longer than was excusable. Her complexion would have been even paler than his if not for the faint rose colour dusting her cheeks, some times more pronounced than others, like now. The freckles sprinkled over her skin were most concentrated over the stretch of her nose to her cheekbones, the widest part of her face.
When she thanked him, her voice barely more than a murmur, he had to look away, unsure what she would find in his expression otherwise.
Probably nothing but irritation at himself, but still.
His name on her lips as she bid him goodnight—unexpected, new, and outright sensual to his ears—produced a flood of unbidden mental images; him devouring those full, rosy lips, fingers in her hair. His hands gliding over the front of the dress she was wearing, bunching up the skirt and lifting her up, pinned between a wall and his body, her legs wrapping around his waist, and he would—
Levi closed the door of his room with more force than intended. He leaned his head back against the cool wood, closed his eyes and took a long breath in through his nose, out through the mouth.
"Fucking idiot," he said to himself.
Time to take a shower.
#
He had been minding his business, chewing on his dinner without paying much heed to what he was eating, his gaze occasionally straying to the table where the five hand-picked soldiers making up his squad sat. Eld was saying something, making all of them laugh, and Nora put one hand over her mouth, thumping the other on her chest in an attempt not to choke out her bite.
"When was the last time you've had a woman, Levi?" Hange asked out of nowhere, voice clinical.
Now he was having trouble not to choke on his food. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He glared at the woman sitting in front of him, evaluating eyes behind her glasses fixed on him in something akin to scientific curiosity. "Am I asking you when you've had your last fuck?"
She chuckled. "No, though it's been a while, now that you mention it. Besides, it's not like I'm ogling Moblit."
"What does that have to do with anything? You can't be insinuating I'm hot for Moblit—"
"Of course not, silly. I was just drawing a comparison to your situation."
"If you don't start making sense soon instead of spouting random shit, I'll punch you in the face."
"Good grief, you're really tense." At his positively deadly expression, she grinned, waving her hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. I was asking because you really seem to be in dire need of releasing some steam—"
"If you're suggesting what I think you are," he said, nose scrunched up in obvious disgust that would have been insulting if they hadn't known each other for so long, "let me say right away that I have no interest whatsoever. Never going to happen."
Hange laughed at him outright, shaking her head. "Not me. Nora would be more suitable, since you two so obviously have the hots for each other."
Levi's eyes widened for the fraction of a second before he got his expression back under control.
"I don't want to screw my subordinate," he said flatly.
"Sure you don't." Arms crossed, Hange lounged back in her chair, clearly enjoying herself. "That's why you keep checking her out." She raised her eyebrows. "You must have a purely scientific reason for your interest in her secondary sexual characteristics, then."
He stood up abruptly, the legs of his chair screeching on the floor. It had been long since Levi had been as immensely pissed off as he was right now.
"Fuck off, Shitty Glasses," he growled, and left the hall.
#
"It looks like something exploded in here." Levi took in Hange's office. The desk was covered in loose papers, books, and folders; there wasn't enough space left to put down even one of the cups he had brought, let alone all three of them. Stacks of books were placed on the floor at seemingly random places between the door and the desk where both women sat bent over their research. Nora was engrossed in reading, twirling her hair inadvertently, while Hange was brooding over something she had written down earlier, scratching at her scalp with the pen in her hand.
They both looked up at his arrival.
"How can you work in this shitty mess?" Levi strode over to them, his expression laced with disapproval.
"We need all that stuff, we really can't afford to miss anything when we're trying to—wait, is that tea?" Nora was distracted immediately, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the cups Levi was carrying.
"What do you think, idiot? Now clear up that shit so I can put it down." He nodded at a corner of the desk. She complied eagerly, unfazed by his insult.
"No," he stopped her when she reached for one of the cups. "This one's Hange's."
"What's the difference?" Nora narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
"He probably spit in that one," Hange supplied with a grin.
"You are disgusting." Levi clicked his tongue, part of him already regretting he had come—and not only because of the mess in here. "The difference is that Hange puts a shitload of honey in hers. Plus, she has the blend from the Regiment's supply, seeing as she wouldn't even notice the difference. I won't waste the good stuff on someone like that."
"A sensible decision." Grinning broadly, Nora inhaled deeply with her nose over her cup. She always did that before her first sip of tea, he had noticed. Appreciating her favourite drink with all her senses, smell first. Eyes closed, Nora swallowed, savouring the taste. Her tongue flicked out briefly, licking over her upper lip.
"Thanks," she said, a word she used as sparingly as 'please', 'sorry', or even 'hello'. Still more frequently than he did, probably, and when she made use of courtesies, she always did so in earnest.
"I really needed that," Nora added, and Levi realised he had been staring for too long yet again. He didn't answer, instead busying himself with his own cup, fingers on the brim. Over the back of his hand, he saw Hange was watching him with a thoughtful expression, nibbling on her pen.
Damn woman knew him too well.
"You know," she began, a smirk on her lips that didn't bode well, "In the past, you never used to come bringing tea to my office. I wonder what changed."
For a split second, his traitorous gaze flickered to the sandy blonde woman at the desk, her long-lashed eyes and undivided attention already back on her reading material.
"Maybe all these years in this loony bin are finally getting to me," Levi said.
Hange gave him a knowing look. "That must be it."