Kapitel 18 – Teacup
There was another commotion that caught the attention of Levi in the Dining Hall. He refused to endure the noise anymore. Standing up, he decided to go over to check up on the situation by kicking the lots that caused the troubles. Before he left, he gave his team a sideway glance and said in a low tone, "Watch the Teacup for me."
Before that, he heard the reason for their commotion. It sends his blood boiling.
"I bet I can get her to kiss me in a week," one soldier said with a smirk, thumb brushing his nose cheekily and smiled to the rest of his friends. "Maybe less. I just need to loosen her up a bit."
Another soldier piped up. "I can get her to sleep with me in a week. How's that sound?"
"Damn," the first soldier who planned to kiss 'her' said, rubbing his chin and licked his lips as he stares at her small back. "She is just too shiny."
The other soldier nodded in agreement. "Like a bunny," he had said, looking at her up and down.
Despite sitting down and focusing on her task on devouring her breakfast portion, Freya still draws attention from this filth, as Levi had labelled them as.
The rest of the soldiers in that table laughed. "Got to break them new toy in before you can use them on the fields, eh?"
"My, my," Levi started dangerously, jolting the rest of the soldiers into a flurry of action. Some of them toppled their empty tray, whilst the rest stood up too quick and stumbled. "Having a good chat, are we?"
"Levi Heichou!" The rest of them saluted, fear evident on their face. Some stuttered and started to sweat right then and there.
Levi sneered, the muscles on his nose twitched involuntarily at the sight of shitty soldiers. This will be the least they could do – cowering whenever he shows up behind them. Sometimes, it amuses him to no end with the way they immediately shrunk at the sight of him.
"Get to the stable and clean them horse shit up," Levi barked the punishment out for the soldiers talking dirty about his Secretary. "A week! If you lot don't move in another 2 minutes I'll have you clean them for a month!"
All of them scrambled off quickly in fear of the midget Captain.
Freya watches as they flew past her back and shrugged, returning to her tray as she finishes the last portion of her potatoes before moving on to the eggs. Probably just soldiers talking shit again.
"Come to think of it, the Captain has never called her a brat or crap or shitty either," Oluo muttered jealously as he stares at Freya right after the Captain is out of sight and hearing range, eyes narrowing at the very sight of her in braids. That style made her looked a lot younger, drawing attention from every male in the room.
Including his Captain.
Those who didn't know would have thought Oluo is in love with Captain Levi when in fact, he loves any form of praises and attention from his superior.
Gunther chuckled and replied, "That's coz she is not a brat or crappy in her work or shitty either. On the contrary, she's almost like a star here in our regiment. Everyone knows her and what she has done at Trost that day. No one can deny the lives she has saved, and no one can deny her contributions to the Scout Regiment. You only ask for the shitty comments from Captain if you've done a shitty job."
"But that's not fair," Oluo said, pouting in misery. Out of all the members in the Special Operations Squad, he is the one that earns the most comments from the Captains, and all of them had a sort of shit in it or horse dung comments. "He calls her Teacup! Everybody knows that's his favourite thing in the world. This all happened too fast, too quick! It's like he has been hiding her all these while in the dark and choose to pluck her out of her little hiding spot whilst the rest of us fight out there."
Everyone suddenly looked up in unison. Oluo gave a confused look and turned to look at what they are looking at. But before he could do so, a familiar deep monotone voice spoke from behind him.
"So, you want a new nickname huh?" Levi scoffed, glaring down at Oluo. He finds his infatuation with him a little overwhelming at times, bordering on being annoying. He knew Oluo always tries to copy his style, and that grates on his nerves whenever he sees him acting like him.
Oluo, on the other hand, gulped.
It was Captain Levi standing behind him.
Eyes widening in fear, Oluo quickly stood up and answered his Captain in a stutter, "L-Le-Levi Heichou!"
Levi clicked his tongue. "Sit down, Princess."
"P-Princess?!" Oluo sputtered, eyes bulging wide at the new nickname. "But Heichou, why?!"
The rest snickered. Levi sat back down on the bench and sipped on his tea. "Get used to it."
Whilst Freya digs into her breakfast, she looked up at her Captain sipping tea and staring at her. He gestured to the rest of her breakfast with his head and frowned. It was his way of telling her to make it quick.
She nodded her head and took in the peeled egg in one mouthful. While chewing, her eyes drifted to Oluo, whining on and on about how the Captain is showing favouritism towards her alone.
"Even if I did," Levi said gruffly, holding his teacup with that peculiar hold he has on the cup inches from his lips and gave Oluo a sideway glare. "What can you do about it?"
Oluo's mouth turned down in disappointment and glared at Freya.
Freya's mind on the other hand, drifted towards the tantrum Oluo is throwing. Nicknames. The Captain did call her shitty and a brat before, but it was just for that while only. Afterwards, he begun to call her Teacup.
Mini Teacup. China Teacup. Teacup.
Freya looked back at Levi, who then picks up one of her papers resting beside her and casually glanced through it, waiting for her to finish her breakfast. What Oluo said earlier was correct. Teacups is his favourite thing in the world.
Levi loves teacups, she mused to herself as she finishes up her breakfast and prepares to wash them down with tea. He likes them so much that he would clean them to a sparkling degree and stores them in a cushioned box when he's not using them in his office in his study table's drawer.
She remembered he even requested for her to use that specific set as well when preparing his tea, said he felt better when its that set. It was his favourite, and he trusted her enough to take care of them carefully when most of the time he does not allow anyone else to handle them.
Not even Petra or Eld.
A realization dawned upon Freya the more she ponders on the nicknames.
"Everybody knows that's his favourite thing in the world."
Could it be… Freya thought to herself, feeling her neck and ears heating up as she stares at Levi. That…he calls me Teacup… the reason he calls me Teacup…
By then, her cheeks has flushed red completely. Levi lifted one elegant eyebrow and looked at her quizzically.
That Captain Levi…treasures me…like his Teacups?
"Freya," Levi spoke suddenly, his teacup still hovering near his lips. "Your face is red."
Petra's eyes widened in concern. "Are you okay?" she asked.
"You alright?" Eld said from beside her, leaning forward to check on her as well. He missed out on Levi frowning at him.
"I'm…" she started, her eyes couldn't help but to glance up towards her Captain's, who's stormy grey eyes stare into hers patiently, waiting for her to answer him. "I'm good. Good. Just…the err… potatoes…in my stomach…dancing. Full yeah, full. I'm a bit too full."
Levi merely raised one eyebrow at her as a silent question, and she replied with biting her lips and gulped audibly.
He almost wanted to chuckle. So that's what she is thinking at. It was so easy to guess what she was thinking sometimes. All her emotions and expression written clear as day on her forehead. He knew the wheels are turning in her brain about what Oluo is saying.
Yes, teacups are his favourites. Alongside tea with it.
And he bestowed her that nickname because she deserves it for being the first in his life to not judge him from where he came from.
CALL MY NAME-CALL MY NAME-CALL MY NAME
After breakfast, Levi and Freya left the Scout Regiment and heads towards the Military Court. The rest of Special Operations Squad returned to their headquarters to train with their Three Dimensional Manoeuvre Gear. They all knew a new batch is coming soon after the latest batch graduates at the Cadet Corps.
With the coming of new batches, they will need to learn from the best and look up to a squad to improve.
When they reach the stable, they heard a loud whinny sound accompanied by something that sounded akin to banging on the wooden stalls.
Freya moved along deeper into the stable. The whinny becomes louder the nearer she got to the furthest end of the stall.
"Midnight?" she called out. Hoofs sound pawed the stable's ground in respond.
Ambling slowly towards Midnight, Freya finds he is now in a new stall, somewhere that allows the giant black beast to enjoy the outside view of the stable. "Oh, Midnight," Freya called, heart soaring at the sight of her beloved beast. "Oh, you're alright. I'm so glad. Thank Wall Maria and Captain Levi."
Patting the horse's long face fondly, Freya brushed her hand down Midnights long neck and rubbed her face into Midnight's head. Midnight reared its head and begun to sniff through Freya's hair and neck, as if to check if his owner is alright.
Freya laughed. "I'm alright, Midnight. I'm all good now."
"Not yet," Levi said from the side, opening the stall door next to Midnight's stall and pulled Nacht's reign, urging his grey ride to trot out of its stall. "You're good, but not yet all good, Freya."
"But I am good…" Freya mumbled to Midnight as she stroke its neck lovingly. "Aren't I, darling?"
Midnight snorted and trotted backwards, shaking its mane in response.
Levi saw the whole ordeal and smirked.
Freya huffed. Even Midnight agrees with Levi.
"Come now," Levi said to her, clapping his hands to call her over. "We need to go."
Freya patted Midnight goodbye and told him to be good while she is gone. The horse snorted and sniffed her hair in response. Levi watches their interaction from where he stood on the wooden stool next to Nacht. The giant beast Freya had chosen to be her ride really loves her, because that's what Nacht did to him too whenever he talks to his horse.
Freya slowly walks towards him and passed him her walking cane. No longer afraid, she allowed Levi to lift her up to his horse and sat her gently on its back.
"Thank you, Levi-Heichou," she smiled at him from above. Levi grunted in response and swings himself up behind her.
"Ready to ride?" he said in deep monotone, gauging her reaction. He almost chuckled when Freya's neck reddened in response.
Almost
CALL MY NAME-CALL MY NAME-CALL MY NAME
The ride to the Military Tribunal Court without any further incident. Apart from the occasional bounce on the rocky roads, Freya managed to keep quiet whilst she is encased within Levi's arms. She looked down to focus on his hands holding onto the horse's reign. She is holding onto the saddle. Occasionally, his hands would brush hers as they rode.
She observed that there are a few scars around his knuckles, suggesting that in the past, he must have fought a lot using his fists. Probably back when he was in the Underground.
And sometimes whilst training as well. His reputation precedes him.
"All good?" Levi asks her from behind as he rides, urging the horse to run faster. Freya looked up and smiled.
"All good, Heichou."
Levi looked down at her briefly, then look back up towards the road and said, "My name."
Freya looked up.
"Levi?" she said without thinking. He asks her, and she answers.
When he look back down at her, she suddenly remembered their morning kiss.
"Oh," she continued, a light blush colouring her face. Blinking and looking down immediately, Freya repeated in a smaller voice, "Oh."
"Call my name when we're alone," Levi told her, feeling her tense up. And of course, that blush as well. "Just my name."
"Call…your name…?" Freya repeated, more towards herself that towards Levi. It was as if she needed to repeat that request to herself in order for it to sound real enough.
That this wasn't something she hallucinate.
Wait. Has she ever hallucinated before? No. So there's no possible way this was a dream too. Everything felt real enough. The wind, the speed they are going on the horse, the bumps, and the very real body of Captain Levi behind her.
"I'm not asking you to repeat my request, Freya," Levi told her as he urged the horse forward.
"Oh, I was just repeating it to myself, Heichou," Freya replied, watching his arm flexing with the reign he held in his hands. She caught herself calling him his title, and quickly corrected it by saying, "Levi. I mean, Levi. This… I'm…I mean, it's all so… surreal."
Right then and there, Levi immediately pulled the reign of the horse and halted their ride. Before Freya could comprehend the situation, Levi sank his fingers into her hair and pulled her face to him and kisses her deeply.
End of Kapitel 18: Teacup
Updated on: 30th September 2021