Hi everyone, apologies for the delay. I have been busy with midterms and I am under copious amounts of pressure to learn a lot of violin repertoire, and all of my free time has been spent studying or practicing. I just wanted to write something short and sweet before the expedition chapters kick off (maybe in two chapters' time.) I'll probably be adding more to the expedition as well, just for the sake of developing characters too, particularly Bláithín and Levi's relationship. I'm trying to make it seem like a bit of a slow-burn but I guess I am kind of failing at that :'D
Anyway, please comment/favourite the fanfiction, I'd love to know what you guys think!
Levi walked into the Mess Hall in the middle of the night. The cold still plagued him and sleep was virtually not there, and he was getting rather demented. For almost a week, his nose had been running and his head was pounding. If he wasn't going to sleep, he figured he might as well stay up. Though, he probably would have felt better had he not refused the help from Hange when she called around to him. Levi, however, refused to receive help from 'a Titan lunatic that belonged in an asylum.'
"Oh, Levi," his squad leader greeted, "still can't shake this cold, huh?" He shook his head. "That's too bad."
She motioned him to sit near her in the Mess Hall and began to pour him a cup of tea. She appeared to be reading a book unrelated to military life or doing reports like what most squad leaders did. He took a look at the pages and saw intricate drawings and designs and noted that perhaps it was a book of poetry.
He sat down and began to inspect the cup for cracks or old stains. He didn't use the handle though, he let the cup dangle from his hand, per say, and drank out of it that way. Bláithín looked at him with a quirked brow but then let it slide. Levi began to drink from the cup.
"Oh," he said, "this black tea tastes good." He commented, surprised.
"I add ginger to it sometimes, it gives it a much more interesting flavour. Black tea is just hot leaf juice…"
Levi took a double take. "That's what all tea is, dummy."
She scoffed. "Ugh, 'leaf' me alone, it's late and my brain isn't working right."
Levi shook his head upon hearing the lousy attempt of a joke and sighed. He continued to drink, still pleasantly surprised as to how good it tasted. "Did someone teach you to make such a good cup of tea?" He asked with intrigue.
Bláithín looked up and a weary sigh left her. "Yeah, my mother…"
Levi got the message that something must have happened judging by the shift in her tone. "She must have been a good person. You should be grateful."
"Of course, I am. Eternally so… She taught me what it meant to be strong but also, what it meant and how to be a lady." She stated.
"A lady? As in, a Lady of an estate?" He asked.
She nodded. "I was born in Sine, and if my uncle ever kicked the bucket, I would have inherited the estate. I would return to Mitras and be a Lady people would know me for and be proud of… Or even if I didn't inherit Certain circumstances prevented that though. At twelve, I was more or less kicked out for unknown reasons. With little else to do and nowhere to go, I was placed in the training corps. Someone brought me to a guard I think…?"
Oh, she remembers, he said to himself. Should I ever tell her..? Perhaps, not. Not yet.
"... Why didn't you go back? Do you not know how many people would kill to live up there?" He asked with a scowl on his face. "Shitty brat." He added.
She thought of her uncle, the abuse she got. The pain she experienced whilst living there and how it haunted her. Maybe a normal life would be far better than the hell of fighting Titans. At her age, some people were finding suitors to take their own hand in marriage. A few years after that, maybe her abdomen might have swelled with a baby inside. Would she ever be able to experience even a sliver of that kind of peace?
No, she said to herself. She wouldn't truly feel at peace until she could no longer be associated with her uncle. Even when she went out in public, people would recognise her face and its similarity to Lord Sven's. He used to be loved and adored before he went 'odd' years ago. He used to send out extra rations, some even reaching the Underground.
It was how Levi knew the Hahn insignia when he saw her.
There was a knocking on the door, a loud knock at that and it was followed by a voice.
"Oi, Olympia!" the man yelled, trying to open the locked door.
The young woman gasped and she brushed her son's raven black hair. She walked over to the basin and soaked her hands in the water and washed out any cruds or dirt from his hair. She moved her rough, calloused hands down to stroke his cheek.
"A noble girl from the Hahn family was born today and the people from above are handing out rations. Will you go get us some, Levi?"
"Olympia, don't keep me waiting! I'll pay you double if you take me now!" he cried.
Kuchel gasped at the proposition and kissed Levi on the forehead and answered the door to the eager man. She was not in the mood to be used again for a man's sexual pleasure, but she had a son to provide for.
"Mom, is that one of your male friends?" he asked innocently.
She smiled sadly and nodded before rushing him out the door.
Maybe those rations helped his mom live even just a few more days. To think she would leave that lifestyle… he couldn't comprehend it.
"I am more than aware that some people would kill to live in the capital, Levi."
Levi stared back at her, eyes widening. She knows, he said to himself. He looked away for a second and pushed his chair out, he didn't want to be scolded, or reported for that matter.
"Sit back down," she ordered, coolly, "I am not losing any more people that I am able to protect. If you are going to kill Erwin, you're going to have to come through me, first." He couldn't tell if that was her being protective of her close friend or her being "heroic". He could tell she was serious though. She smiled at him and sighed. "I do trust you're not going to do anything you might regret though. Or that you won't deliberately put anyone in harm's way because of your actions."
She got up and took her cup of tea with her. "I hope you sleep well. Keep drinking that tea." She told him.
Levi looked back at her and nodded in a way of reciprocating her words. He turned his attention towards the book again. After a pensive moment, he stood up and took the book with him as he walked back to his dorm.
He continued to think of the squad leader who he was slowly getting to know. Whether he wanted to admit it or not, he realized he had no reason to be hostile to her anymore. She didn't seem to be in an immediate rush to inform Erwin of the thug's ulterior motives (or at least, she didn't have to since he already knew, unbeknownst to Levi.) If she had no reason to run off to Erwin right now, then surely she must be getting used to him too, right?
He crawled into his bed only to find someone already sleeping in it.
"Isabel? What are you doing here? You'll catch my cold." He whispered, knowing that Farlan was trying to sleep.
"Your bed is always warmer, come inside."
He was too tired and sleep-deprived from his illness to put up any kind of fight with her. "Don't come whining to me when you get a runny nose," he said as he slid under the covers. He displayed the book in front of them. "You have always liked me reading to you, huh."
She nodded as she turned her head into the crook of his neck. Levi knew Isabel was deeply attached to her, and he, too, but he would probably only ever see her as a sister. The thought of pained him of not being able to protect her, especially during the upcoming expedition. He ruffled her hair occasionally as he began to read, enjoying the vibrations that came from his chest. Levi was the most literate among the trio, being taught to read very young by a man of dubious character, Kenny. He learned everything he ever needed to survive in the underground, such as how to hold a knife and how to 'greet the neighbours'.
He continued to flip through the book until he came across a language he didn't quite recognise. He felt as though he was looking at swirls and doodles, rather than actual words. He saw sketchings and notes made in pencil in that language too. They all spoke the same language within the Walls, so the markings made it clear that Bláithín understood it too.
He decided to think nothing more of it though. After all, she received formal and prestigious education up in Mitras.
Isabel fell asleep to the sound of Levi reading poems of love, death, sadness and family, savouring the warmth he provided. After a while, he heard the sound of light snoring.
And so did the blonde haired squad leader who happened to be listening to him reading too...
PLEASE review! I'd love to know what you think!