Author's Note
*pops bottle of champagne*
Also, the fact that this fic is on the 60k wordcount even after filtering a bunch of outtakes is almost problematic. So if you've made it this far, massive thanks for keeping up with it! Sending lots of heart emojis uwu
I know these past chapters have been a big chunk of boring introspection, but these two cupcakes are so similar and different between each other at the same time that it would be a shame not to explore it.
Levi pressed the trigger of his right handle. The gas flow propelled him towards the muddy wall where they performed ODM maneuvering training. He used his feet to support himself and avoid touching the dirty surface. Sophie had rearranged the compensating mechanism, so he was hanging from the wall with only one hook attached to it.
He had always liked to observe the Underground. When he wasn't in one of his walks, he climbed to the rooftop of their den to watch over the city. Despite being so used to the unchanged scenery of hanging lanterns and stone buildings, seeing the city from such a high, inaccessible point gave him a different feeling of peace and freedom. Perhaps Yan had been right, and they just needed a stroke of luck to find that crafty brat and her mother's ODM gear.
"Hey! Are you done showing off?" screamed a voice. Levi turned to it, and Sophie stood below him with her arms crossed, expectant.
"Just a moment!" He was almost 10 meters above her, so a loud command didn't feel unnecessary. She lifted her arm in acknowledgment.
Levi overviewed the city once more, feeling its cold breeze and quietness around him. However, his gaze instinctively switched back to Sophie, who was walking around in circles.
He had been observing her for a while. Her impulsive instincts always seemed to get her in trouble, even with the people who were on her side. However, unlike other thugs from the Underground, she didn't get into fights she couldn't win for the thrill of it. She did it because she had something to protect, and he had come to admire that trait of hers. Besides Farlan and Yan, many of his so-called comrades were just by his side because of his reputation. Unlike Sophie, Levi didn't have any family honor or a dream to fight for. He just wanted to survive.
Her reckless actions were not the only thing that had piqued his curiosity. She was always down in the basement. She never cared about what the other guys from the band did or who they beat up that day. Whatever their plans were, she would always be day and night tightening screws and muttering to herself. Levi had appointed himself to watch over her, make sure she had eaten, slept, and cleaned her workspace. He silently observed her work every day, trying to understand that passion of hers. She poured her heart and soul into that gear in an almost toxic way, like there was nothing else in the world. He wondered whether one day he would find something to devote himself to just like she had. Perhaps her obsession with those metal pieces was the reason why she had moved away from him.
He shook his head to avoid that the embarrassment from that night crept onto him. Using his ODM gear, he navigated back to the floor, kneeling as he landed. Levi stood up and brushed his clothes to get rid of the dust.
"Oh, so the King of the Underground finally decided to come down," Sophie mocked as she approached him. She wore a pair of baggy brown pants and a green shirt, with her hair in her usual bun.
She tried to curtsy by grabbing an invisible skirt, but her ankle trembled. Her face turned red as she awkwardly regained her equilibrium.
"You should watch your manners, then," he said, rolling his eyes.
She scoffed and began to walk around him, analyzing the state of the gear. "Was everything alright? Any weird sounds or shaking?"
"All good." He cleared his throat, slightly nervous at her examining gaze. She kneeled next to his right leg to check the condition of the wire. Suddenly, she grabbed his belt and gently pulled it away from his hip to check its tightness. Her closeness startled Levi, "Oi! Have you ever heard of personal space?"
She blushed and moved away. "Sorry."
"It's…fine," he whispered, regretting his crude response. "Just ask first." He wondered whether that same roughness he always carried with him was what had startled her that night.
"Right, can I check something?"
"Sure."
Sophie resumed her inspection, pulling the different components to ensure their correct functioning and attachment to the straps. Levi stared at her diligent work, admiring how she knew exactly which parts to check and how. He noticed red scratches on her fingertips, probably from all those weeks adjusting cogs. She tapped her nails on the gas canister, which made a hollow, clinking sound in return.
"You use too much gas," she mumbled. "My shoulders are still sore from pumping air yesterday."
"I'll do it tonight," he replied, staring at her. She lifted her head, and their eyes locked for a moment before her attention returned to the gear. None of them had commented on the events of that night, and he could feel the awkwardness in her presence. But at that moment, he felt like asking her. Why did you move away?
He had seen her with the others. They liked her, and they were nice to her. Farlan and Sophie danced around while the stew boiled. Yan visited her in the basement and provided her with an entertaining conversation instead of Levi's awkward stares. He wasn't as tall and handsome as Farlan. He didn't have his dancing skills or Yan's friendliness. Even the other guys from the Underground asked about her when they came in to plan the heists. Perhaps he had never stood a chance.
Levi snapped out of his thoughts as he felt her moving the strap surrounding his thigh. His first instinct was to scold her once more, but he decided to let her arrange the harness.
"Shit, the fabric is wearing out again. I need to change it," she noted. "And I still need to fix the last gear, clean the workspace, adjust the suspension mechanism…" Levi stared at her, drifting into her usual monologues about the technicalities of the gears. He liked to listen to her, not because he understood any of what she was saying, but because she usually figured out the solution at the end. She gasped, "Oh wait, that's right, I can just change the tension."
Levi smirked. "There you go," he thought.
Sophie stood up and continued. "Okay, I'm going to my dad's basement to work on the fourth gear. You guys double-checked the entrance, right?"
"We changed the board covering it, so it shouldn't creak now. I don't think anyone is going to find out about it."
"Thanks." She paused, and they stared at each other in silence. It had been their first real interaction since the basement incident, and he wanted to say something, but he simply couldn't. She resumed, "I know I'm supposed to clean the house today, but I want to finish that gear."
"It's fine. I'll clean it," he interrupted.
"You sure?"
"Yeah."
"Okay," she whispered. "See you later, Levi." She turned around and headed towards her old house.
"Wait," he gasped, extending his arm but without grabbing her.
She turned to him. "Hm?"
He didn't know why he had stopped her or what he wanted to say. All the things that came into his mind when he looked at her, he couldn't put them into words. He stared into her dark eyes, that same pit he always fell in. He slowly lowered his arm and promised to himself that, once she came back from her dad's workspace, he would tell her how he truly felt.
"Don't get in trouble, okay?" he finally said.
She giggled, "Like I ever do."
Levi stopped in the middle of the hallway. He commanded his feet to continue walking, but he was unable to. If honoring the deaths from Shiganshina meant giving up Sophie for a boring meeting with Zachary, he would have to. Duty was not over yet. However, his mind kept returning to the memory of her green shirt, swaying as she turned around before disappearing.
Inevitably, he imagined all the things that would've gone differently if he had stopped her that day or if he had followed her. Perhaps if she hadn't been so obsessed with fixing those gears, she wouldn't have gone to her dad's workspace that day, and he wouldn't have lost her.
Do you think that if we had been born on the surface, we would've become different people?
Despite his aversion to regrets, he found himself recalling Sophie's questions and how things would've played out if they had stayed in the Underground. He reckoned they would've remained surrounded by death and misery, just like they were on the surface. Nothing would've changed, and they would've hardly known happiness there, despite being together. Perhaps she was right, and choices were not all that mattered.
But she had made a choice down at Asbel's cell. She could've walked out of the HQ and forget about him, but she didn't. She decided to let go of her fears and doubts, and not even Levi's or Asbel's words had been enough to prevent it. He wished he could do the same, but a crook husband wasn't comparable to the fate of the people in Paradis.
Hange snapped their fingers in front of Levi's face. He blinked several times before delivering a murderous look to them.
"I know it's late, but keep it together, okay?" they sneered.
"Give me a break," he said, shaking his head. Keep it together. That's what he had been doing ever since he had come back from that dreadful expedition, and he needed a break. He muttered, "Hange?"
"Yes?"
"I've been here before," he said with a broken voice. Despite their close relationship, he couldn't help but feel embarrassed for discussing his personal matters with them.
"Uh, yeah? You literally work here?" the mocked, confused.
"They promoted you to Commander, not to Comedian of the Corps, four-eyes," he countered, rolling his eyes. Levi rubbed his forehead, putting together everything that had happened. "I meant that I've been in this situation before. She always does this damn act, just like in the Underground or the chapel. You think you have her figured out, and then she disappears." He scoffed and concluded, "I'm fed up with it."
"Yeah, she is so annoying, right? Acting so cool like she doesn't need anyone else," said Hange, stroking their chin. "Reminds me of someone."
"I doubt I have given the Corps half the trouble that Sophie has."
"Oh, want to bet? Because I prefer a thousand hours of paperwork because of her than one of your mandatory cleaning sessions."
"It's not my fault you live in a damn pigsty with mushrooms growing under your bed."
"It's for research!" they hissed, lifting their arms. Hange stared at Levi, slowly shaking their head in disapproval until they grunted, "Ugh! Just go!"
Levi stared at them decisively, "I can't. The basement…"
"It's an order," they interrupted.
"This better be one of your comedy acts," he grunted.
Hange crossed their arms and sighed, "Erwin was right in that letter: you deserve something good." Levi lowered his head, still not over Erwin's death. Hange continued, "I can't change her sentence, but whatever there is between you two, you need to sort it out. Otherwise, you are going to be grumpier than usual, and I don't want you to go around stress-cleaning the entire HQ, scolding the other recruits." They placed a hand over Levi's shoulder. The gesture startled him at first, but his gaze softened in gratitude. "If you don't do this for your sake, do it for mine."
"Hange…"
"No offense, but the meeting won't change just because you are not there leaning on the wall and silently judging everyone." They moved their hand away and sighed, "I'll brief you later. It will be fine."
Levi paused before whispering, "Thank you."
Hange scoffed and wavered their hand, "Whatever. Bring me some of those cinnamon buns from Mitras when you come back, okay?" They turned around, heading towards the office. "Oh, and tell her that she still owes me from that night in Trost."
"Owe you what?" he frowned. "What night in Trost?"
Hange giggled as they resumed their walk, "Oh, she knows."
"Oi! What does that mean?" he growled, but Hange was already too far away, humming in satisfaction. He muttered, "You two are going to be the end of me."
Levi adjusted the collar of his shirt as he stared at the grand door in front of him. Two lit-up torches at each side illuminated the entrance in the darkness of the night. To ease the pressure of duty on him, he had changed his clothes from the Corps uniform to a simple suit. Inside the black jacket was a small box, which had been waiting under his bed for over a decade.
He gulped, staring at the inscription on the door written in perfect calligraphy: Asbel Barnes & Sophie Lhant. He passed his fingers through her name before grabbing the door knocker and hammering it into the metal plaque. The sound was louder than what he anticipated, adding to his nervousness. He shivered at the chill night wind swirling around him. It was late, but he hoped that she hadn't gone to sleep yet. He knocked on the door once more and waited.
"Come on…" he mumbled, tapping his foot. "Screw it," he said, grabbing the handle. He pushed it, and the door emitted a loud, creaking sound in return that made him question his intrusion.
The first thing he saw once inside was Sophie, standing in the middle of the hallway wrapped in a bathrobe and holding a lit-up candle. Her hair was in a bun, as always. She stared at Levi with wide eyes and an open mouth, completely frozen.
"W-why, what's wrong with you?!" she gasped.
"Why didn't you lock the door?" he replied.
"For the third time, why are you breaking into my house in the middle of the night?" she countered, lifting her arms in disbelief.
"Sorry," he mumbled, closing the door behind him to avoid staring at Sophie in a bathrobe. "Hange asked me to guard you."
"Didn't I have a guard already? Isn't he outside?" she said, leaning towards the door.
"He had to go, so they appointed me instead."
"Why? What happened?"
"He had…the runs," he said. The refined atmosphere of the manor instinctively forced him to polish his language.
She let out an exaggerated gasp, "Oh, how terrible." She paused and lifted an eyebrow, "So they decided to send the most skilled member of the Corps to make sure I don't escape? That's almost flattering."
"Everyone had more interesting plans for tonight than guarding you," he replied, crossing his arms.
"Why are you not wearing the uniform, then?" she asked with a smirk. Levi shook his head; she was having way too much fun pushing his lie to the limit.
"I don't need a uniform to pin you against the wall if you do something funny," he snapped. Sophie lifted her chin and grinned. He babbled, "Wait, I didn't mean…"
Sophie stared at him decisively. Suddenly, she burst into a loud laugh that resonated in the entire manor and forced her to bend over. Due to her sudden motion, she almost dropped the candle, but she quickly recomposed herself. Levi frowned at first, but he felt his body relax with the sight of her smile.
"Thanks for the warning," she giggled. "Well, what are you doing standing there? Come in."
Levi cleared his throat and followed Sophie on the way upstairs. He turned his head around to have a better view of the manor. Despite the lack of light in the area, the metal ornaments and expensive vases shimmered as Sophie moved around, holding the candle. But what he noticed the most was the fresh and clean scent of the building. It almost resembled the same one of the forests outside the Walls.
Sophie led the way, but she suddenly stopped in the middle of the staircase. Due to the darkness, he almost bumped into her. Levi wanted to scold her for her abruptness, but instead, she stared at the wall, frowning. Once he turned around, a small breath escaped his lips as he saw the grand painting in front of him. The silver frame gleamed in the candlelight, and the art depicted an elegant lady wearing a blue dress, with her hair in an intricate bun.
"That's…" he mumbled.
"Disgusting," she finished. With a swift move, she removed the needle from her updo and stuck it in the painting. She moved her arm to the side, scratching the canvas. The fabric ripped, cutting the lady in the picture diagonally. Sophie grunted as she removed the needle from it, with her loose hair swaying with her motion. "Sorry, I just hated it," she whispered, looking down.
Levi turned to her and clicked his tongue, "Yeah, blue is not your color."
She scoffed in response, "Oh really? What is my color, then?"
"Green," he said. Sophie lifted her chin and grinned.
"Huh, I never thought about that." She turned around and continued walking. Levi took a moment before following her to observe the ruined artwork once more.
The layout of the manor resembled the one in Ehrmich. Once Levi got to the second floor, he distinguished seven doors, each leading to one room. He found it an excessive number, given that only two people lived on that floor. It was clear to him that Asbel and Sophie had tried to be as separated from each other as possible.
He stopped at the first room with an open door, even though Sophie continued to head towards the end of the corridor. It was a small area, but what captured Levi's attention was the grand piano in the middle of it, with stacks of music sheet on its top.
"I didn't know you played," he said. Hearing his words, Sophie halted her walking, but she did not turn to him.
"He did," she replied. "That's how he dealt with his emotions. And composing helped him to think." She paused for a moment before adding with a softer voice, "It was supposed to be the kid's room."
Levi looked at the room once more before grabbing the handle to close the door. For a moment, he had glimpsed her life with Asbel. The idea of that horrible man sitting next to her on the piano gave him a strange feeling of melancholy, like nostalgia for something he never had. She had even mentioned kids, probably a dream that she had once shared with him, just like the toyshop she had dreamt about in Ehrmich.
"I see." Levi walked towards her, and she resumed her guidance until they reached the last door. She opened it and invited Levi to enter.
It was a large area, illuminated by a silver chandelier that supported many lit-up candles. The wall in front of him had a grand window leading to a balcony. Even from his position, Levi could almost see the stars on the other side of the glass. Levi wandered his eyes through the entire room, mesmerized by its splendid décor and design. The boy from the basement would've never imagined that the girl that talked with stew in her mouth would end up living in such an elegant place.
"So, uh, in case you haven't noticed, I was planning to take a bath," said Sophie, leaning on the door frame. "I hope you don't have to be present for that, given that I am such a dangerous criminal and I might escape at any moment," she mocked.
"It's fine," he replied, still too captivated to pay attention to her words.
"Great. The kitchen is downstairs if you want some tea. Make yourself at home."
Levi didn't even consider her offer. Once he felt her presence leaving the room, he began to walk around, observing every detail. It felt like getting to know a side of her that he had never expected would exist.
Most of the books populating the walls were on science, and he recalled seeing some of them in Hange's office. He figured the room was Sophie's private study. Between some book stacks, there were models of bridges, houses, and guns. He grabbed one of them, resembling a church similar to the one in Stohess. Rubbing his fingers through its surface, he felt a carving: another secret engraving. He wrinkled his eyes to read the inscription. There were a set of numbers written, but he couldn't figure out their meaning.
He placed the model back on the shelf and walked towards the middle of the room. A small coffee table acted as the centerfold, surrounded by a large couch and a set of wooden stools with matching cushions on top. There was a chessboard on the coffee table. By the look of the pieces, the game was still on. He kneeled next to the board to analyze the play. Both kings were threatened on each side—the white one by the queen and the black one by a bishop. Levi meditated what the next move of the white pieces should be, but he quickly gave up.
The other side of the room had a large desk and an armchair, resembling Sophie's workshop at Ehrmich. However, a chest of drawers closer to the window got Levi's attention. The first thing he noticed was the beautiful vase close to its corner. He inspected its design, and he figured that he could've afforded an unlimited supply of tea leaves by selling that vase alone. However, his gaze went towards two picture frames next to it, facing down. He lifted the first one, and he sighed once he did.
The picture in the frame was a fine-colored artwork depicting a man and a woman. He wore an elegant suit, and she wore a wedding dress, holding a bouquet with her hands. He surrounded her with his arm, and she rested her head on his shoulder, smiling. Taking a closer look, she had the same dimple on her cheek as when Sophie was genuinely happy about something. On the lower corner of the paper, the artist had signed and dated the artwork. The numbers were the same ones engraved in the church model. Levi put the picture frame back down and lifted the one next to it. It had another colored drawing, although less refined and skilled than the previous one. It portrayed a close-up of a man with brown hair and blue eyes, and the signature on its corner read: S.L.
"Curiosity killed the cat, you know that, right?" said Sophie behind him. Levi cleared his throat and returned the frame.
"Sorry. It's just that people don't usually have their picture frames facing down," he said as he turned towards her. She stared at him with her arms crossed, wearing a long, simple grey dress with a black band tied around her waist. Her hair was down. "I thought you didn't like wearing your hair like that," he pointed out.
She looked down before replying, "Well, uh. In the Underground, it was a weakness. Long hair is easy to grab and pull in a fight. But my mother loved to brush it, so I never dared to cut it." She paused and gulped, "I guess…it's all a matter of safety."
"Safety," he repeated. Levi felt like it was comforting that she considered him a safe person to be around. But it was also heartbreaking that she had kept her hairstyle, even on the surface, just in case someone would hurt her. "Sophie?"
"Hm?"
Levi approached her, placing a hand inside his jacket to retrieve the cardboard box inside. Sophie frowned. As soon as he took the container out, she anxiously shook her head.
"Oh no, no. The answer is no," she babbled.
"Wait, what?" Levi switched his gaze back and forth between the box and Sophie's terrified expression. "Ah, shit. No, that's not what I meant, I…" He paused and frowned, "Wait, the answer is no?"
She rubbed her forehead, "Just what the hell do you have in that box, Levi?"
He got closer to her and opened the carton, revealing parts of a switchblade inside it. Sophie gasped at the sight.
"I broke it in a fight sometime after you left," clarified Levi. Sophie grabbed the container and analyzed the pieces.
"It only needs a couple of screws. Even Erwin with one arm could've done it," she said, using her index finger to move the parts around the box as she inspected them. "Why did you keep it like this for so long?"
"I wanted you to fix it," he admitted. Sophie lifted her head and stared at him.
She smiled, "I see." She grabbed his hand and guided him towards her workspace. He wasn't startled by her touch anymore.
She sat on the armchair and opened a few drawers to take out all kinds of tools and screws, scattering them over the desk. Levi stared at her work, with his right arm surrounding the back of the chair and his left hand on the board, to support himself as he leaned forward. Whenever she tightened a screw, she didn't do it with the reckless and passionate spirit of the basement girl; she was careful and composed. The delicate motion of her hands and the clinking sound of the tools on the switchblade transported Levi back to those endless nights in the Underground. Back when he had no duty to Humanity, and she wasn't a silent criminal.
As she finished tightening the last screw, she turned to Levi, who stared at her over the top of the chair.
"Kenny's last name…it was Ackerman, right?" she whispered. Levi nodded in response. She blinked several times and added, "Is that also your last name?"
"Yes."
She looked down for a moment before opening another drawer from her desk. She retrieved the same sharp-tipped, long tool from Ehrmich. Levi observed her tracing a capital letter "A" on the switchblade with perfect calligraphy, just below the crude "L" she had carved a decade before. As she finished the engraving, she rubbed the metal to get rid of the remaining dust. She handed the switchblade back to Levi without looking at him.
"What's it like inside your head?" she whispered.
Levi grabbed the switchblade and put it inside his jacket, "What do you mean?"
"When you killed those people from the Police. How did you feel?"
"Why do you ask that?" he said, uncomfortable at her question.
Sophie placed her elbows over the desk and rubbed her face. Levi couldn't see her expression, but he figured that it wouldn't be a peaceful one.
"I've always wanted to know what was he thinking when he…killed my father. What thoughts ran through his mind as he smashed his face," she said with a broken voice.
"He's gone, Sophie. It doesn't matter now."
"I want to know," she commanded, still without facing him.
Levi sighed and placed a hand over her shoulder, but she didn't react to his touch.
"I didn't feel anything. It was like in the Underground," he replied. Sophie turned to him. He continued, "I only wanted to survive and to protect my comrades. But that doesn't mean that I don't feel sorry for them, only that I chose to protect my subordinates over the Police. There were greater things at stake." He observed her face, realizing that she had been in that golden manor for too long, too detached from the world to remember the violence surrounding them. "You didn't think twice before you stabbed everyone with that needle of yours. Because you knew what was important to you." He concluded, "For Kenny, showing his strength was the most important thing."
She gulped, "So he didn't feel anything?"
"I don't know. Did you?"
She pushed the chair back, forcing Levi to step aside. "I don't remember," she whispered, leaning her back on the edge of the table.
He wasn't sure whether to believe her. He figured she would've blocked all memories from the Underground in the process of becoming a respected lady. But no one could easily forget who they used to be.
"Then can I ask you something else?" he said. Sophie nodded in response. "What was it like inside your head when you were with Asbel?"
Sophie stared at him and crossed her arms, meditating her reply. Suddenly, she slid away from the workspace and walked towards the coffee table in the middle of the room. Levi remained next to the board and observed her.
"Let's play chess," she instructed.
"We agreed on no more games, Sophie," he hissed. He was baffled that his question had backfired, and she had turned it into one of her schemes to prove a point.
"It's not a game." She began to rearrange the pieces without listening to Levi's complaint. She continued, "You know how to play, right? I'm sure Erwin taught you."
Levi grunted, "Yeah, he taught me only to beat me five times in a row." Despite his initial resentment, he followed her. Sophie signaled him to sit on the stool corresponding with the white pieces. She took her place on the other side of the board.
"I've never played against him, but I bet he would've wiped me out as well," she smirked. "Go ahead."
"Did Asbel teach you?" he asked, moving his first pawn.
"No, Pixis did. He considers it a rite of passage. I believe he is the only one that could win against Erwin." she replied, moving her pawn. "Asbel gifted me this board for our fifth anniversary. The theme was wood, you know?"
"Why? To keep you entertained?"
They exchanged pieces before she replied, "No. To test me." Levi stared at her, confused. Sophie elaborated, "Aristocrats don't talk about their feelings like regular folks. They are more reserved and secretive. There is nothing they hate more than weakness, and they see emotion as a weakness." She paused to evaluate her play before adding, "Instead, everything is some sort of mind game. A strategy to read into each other, to find out the truth about them, and exploit it."
He scoffed, "I can see how that rubbed off on you."
"Exactly. I couldn't stick needles into people to prove a point. I couldn't scream or cry to soften them. Instead, I had to be smarter." She frowned and added, "I had to use the same dirty tricks they used, always playing by their rules."
"That sounds…" he moved another piece as he thought about a fitting word. "Lonely."
She looked away, tapping her fingers on the board. Detachment had always been a part of Levi's nature, but he knew that wasn't Sophie's case. She had to learn that by force.
"That's what was going on inside my head. Lies, games, and loneliness," she sighed. "Asbel played chess with me to see if I was ever able to outsmart him."
"I would say you did."
"No, not at chess, and it took me ages to figure out his strategy. Once I did, I kept losing on purpose so he wouldn't see me as a threat." She arranged a strand of hair behind her ear. "Chess was the only way we had of talking and understanding each other, beyond the fights and the rules."
"Does that work?" he asked, wondering how a fight between a stuck-up aristocrat and a hot-headed intellectual would look like.
"Yes, and I can prove it to you." With her knight, she eliminated Levi's pawn. Her play made him instinctively frown. "See? You flinched."
"I didn't."
She lifted the pawn she had just obtained, showing off her victory by playfully rotating the piece with her fingers.
"You did. Because that's who you are. You don't like losing pawns, even if it's for the greater good." She paused and commanded him, "Look at the board."
Levi analyzed the play; he had lost one piece, but her move allowed him to win her knight using another of his pawns. The exchange benefited him
"Sorry, I can't analyze you by your chess plays," he mocked, moving the piece and grabbing Sophie's knight in return.
She smiled and responded to his play, "I know. Everyone has their own ways of understanding people. You observe, I touch, and Asbel plays damn chess with them."
"Pretentious jerk," he mumbled. "What did he say about you?"
"That I was bloodthirsty. I was too focused on the short-term satisfaction of eliminating pieces, and I lost sight of the endgame because of it." She smiled, "Which to your vocabulary translates to troublemaker brat, I guess." Levi was about to move the next piece, but Sophie placed a hand over his. She whispered, "Careful with that bishop."
Levi stared at Sophie, confused.
"Why are you helping me?"
"You've lost way too many times." She slowly slid her hand away from his. "I think it's about time someone helps you to win."
He moved a different piece instead and recalled their conversation at HQ. "You said I was the king. Does that mean that you are the queen in this game?" he teased her.
"Oh no, I'm a pawn."
"You are definitely not a pawn."
"Yes, I am. At first, the pawn is limited, but once it gets to the other side of the board, it can turn into a queen or any other piece. Whatever the game requires it to be. But of course, it does so in the enemy's territory." She concluded, "A powerful but dangerous strategy."
"Yeah, powerful and dangerous. Sounds like you," Levi admitted.
Sophie smirked and moved her piece, "Check."
"Well, how unexpected," he mocked, lifting his arms. "It's not like you are one of the smartest women in the kingdom."
She clicked her tongue, "Don't be so dramatic. It's just a check."
"I know how it's going to end," he replied.
She smirked and moved to the other side of the board, kneeling next to him. Sophie stared at Levi's pieces and hummed, "Let's see, what do you reckon?"
Levi stared at the game, analyzing all the moves. He had to use the same strategy she had used with Asbel. He had to understand her.
After a moment of deliberation, he moved his piece. Sophie nodded in satisfaction and moved to the other side to evaluate her response. Once she played her turn, she returned to Levi's side. He quickly saw a way to win, so he placed his hand on the bishop leading to the checkmate. Before he could move the piece, Sophie put her hand over his. Levi looked at her for a moment and then switched his focus back to the game. Together, they moved the bishop across the board until it hit the king, making it fall.
Levi turned to her, "You let me win."
"No. I gave you the chance to win," she whispered. Levi stared at her face, feeling the blood rushing through his body. She continued, "You decided to deliver the killing blow. It was your choice."
Levi paused, repeating those last words in his mind. Sophie could've won the game and still show him how it was like to be inside an aristocrat's mind. Instead, she was by his side, helping him to win. He chose to deliver the killing blow.
"Sophie?"
"Hm?"
"Were you ever going to join the Corps?"
She scoffed, "Oh, no. Not if I can help it. It was Erwin's idea to test Asbel's network and see how he would find out."
Levi smirked. Of course, those two had planned everything to the core. He was relieved that he hadn't failed his rank back at the dinner.
"Is there any other secret husband I should be aware of?" he asked, staring at her.
"What?" She blinked several times. Seeing Levi's decisive gaze, she clarified, "No."
"Are you drunk?"
She babbled, "I'm…sober as a judge. What's going on with you?"
"Are you part of any other secret complot I should know about?"
"Of course not! Did Hange set you up for this?" she exasperated.
"No," he said. "It's because I'm going to kiss you. And I don't want anything to come between us. I want it to be just you and me," he whispered.
He felt his hand tremble as he supported himself on the table before bending over. Sophie's eyes rapidly scanned his face up and down, and Levi's heartbeat increased the closer he got to her face. Her shaky breath brushed Levi's lips as he slightly opened his mouth to meet hers.
"Wait," she commanded.
Levi stopped, just before his lips had barely touched hers. He slowly moved away, feeling disheartened as if he had woken up from the sweetest dream.
Sophie looked away and elaborated, "I know what it's like to wait for someone who might never come back." She paused and grabbed his hands, "I want you, believe me when I say I do. But…"
"But what?"
She stared at him with her pupils flickering.
"I don't want you to hold onto this once I'm gone, but I don't want it to be meaningless either," she whispered. "That's why I didn't kiss you before."
Levi moved his hands away from hers and used them to place her hair behind her ears. "I live on the edge of death, Sophie. If I don't value what I have now, then I have nothing left." He slid his fingers along her jawline to lift her chin. "Let this be my choice."
Sophie looked at the chessboard once more and put the white king down as a sign of surrender.
She batted her eyes and smiled, "Okay. Just you and me."
Levi closed his eyes and gently pulled Sophie's face closer to him, feeling her breath merge with his as their lips locked in a small and sensitive kiss. He let the fresh scent of her skin and the tenderness of her mouth surround his senses. There was no whiff of alcohol, no fear or desperation like at the dinner. No duty followed him like a shadow, just as he wasn't risking it all for a woman that would only get him in trouble.
They broke their kiss with a breath, slowly separating from one another as he observed the gentle expression on her face. Levi slid his fingers through her arms until he grabbed Sophie's hands. He stood up, inviting her to do the same as he stared into those eyes that made him dizzy every time he fell into their darkness. Her cheeks blushed like they did that night at the basement—the one he always found himself coming back to. Sophie placed her hands behind his neck, bringing him closer to her and stroking his undercut.
Levi let himself be guided by her as she whispered in his ear, "I've missed you."
"I've missed you too."