Hey all, thanks so much for your support in recent chapters!
Going through a spell of writer's block trying to fill up the gaps to get to 850 so please bear with me.
Warning: this chapter contains smut (not as elaborate as the last one.) This is the second of the three chapters in this entire fic that will have smut in it so if you think it's not necessary to read, by all means skip it. As I said last time, it's only to expand on Blevi more.
Published: 11/03/2021
Revamped: ?
In the early days of February, the veterans of the Scouts were called before Premier Zachary. People in the Walls talk and rumours spread easily. When Levi returned to tend to Bláithín and report back to Mike and Hange that Ioana had mysteriously disappeared, people jumped to conclusions very quickly.
Conclusions that Ioana had commited suicide - if she did, that is - or that Levi had done away with her in the snowy mountains where it would be hard to track her down.
Levi couldn't help but feel indignant about the whole situation and that people made these assumptions so quickly. Then again, he also understood that many people were aware of his early days as a mercenary in the black market. What he was most disappointed about was the people behind the rumours; it was the squad leaders in the cadet corps more so than the cadets themselves. He could eventually find it within him to pardon a handful of hormonal teenagers who got a hold of a sensationalised rumour, but adults? People talked and they probably returned home and told more people who then told more people yet again.
The Survey Corps being involved in a case of a missing person? That didn't have a good ring to it. Not when people already had their own reservations about the legion to begin with. Public approval for the Scouts was never high in the first place, so this rumour would easily become a nail in the Scouts' reputation.
And so, in a cramped little office in Mitras, sat Bláithín, Levi, Hange, Mike and Erwin, with Premier Zachary sitting at the top. It wasn't the first time the Scouts had been called before high ranking members of the military who oversaw everything. It was usually after a series of particularly disastrous expeditions.
The silence between them was tense as Erwin and Zachary talked amongst themselves in hushed tones. Bláithín turned to Levi and poked him in his hip bone to get his attention. They weren't wearing their military uniforms today; instead, Levi was wearing a pair of black slacks and a white shirt while Bláithín wore a light blue sundress. Hange, Mike and Erwin also dressed in civilian clothes.
"I know you didn't do anything," she mumbled. "People just love to make up rumours about us. We spend tax money or we needlessly send people to their deaths with nothing to show for it… although, I kinda believe that last part at times-"
"I had intended to take the shitty brat in with me. If it meant knocking her out and carrying her down, I was willing to do it. But she definitely threw herself off the edge." Levi stated.
Bláithín nodded. Of course she believed him, there was no question there. She believed him when he came back to the cabin thay night and Levi's eyebrows were knitted together in deep concentration and thought. When he announced that Ioana threw herself off the edge, a staff member of the cadet corps had overheard and that was what set this whole farce off.
Some people loved to talk and it was stupid how a rumour set this whole thing into motion. But Bláithín tried to reassure him - and Erwin when they returned - that that's what this only was; a rumour. There was no evidence; it was just people talking because they had nothing better to do.
"If she threw herself to her death, then there is no way she would have survived. If she intended to commit suicide-"
"It wasn't suicide." Levi retorted, quickly.
"Yes, you've said that, but it is reasonable to assume that she-"
"I told you, she said she'd see me again… Now, I don't know how she knows that. I also don't know how she survived that fall. If she did, that is."
Bláithín reached for his hand under the table, making sure Hange and Mike sitting across from them wouldn't see the affectionate gesture.
"She wouldn't have survived a fall that big, Levi. Not unless she had ODM gear."
Levi shook his head, thinking back to the altercation. "Wouldn't have fit under the thick coats. She jumped off without any aid from the gears."
Bláithín withdrew her hand and sighed heavily. He didn't appear stressed out or anything, just heavily annoyed. More annoyed than normal, that is. She knew he just wanted to be back in HQ, a place of familiarity, and to go back training their now reduced squad of four. She pushed her chair back and he watched her as she approached Erwin and Zachary, joining their secretive conversation.
Levi just couldn't shake that final parting message from Ioana.
Ackerman, is that my last name? Mom never mentioned it to me, he mused to himself. Hismother had told him for years to only ever introduce himself as 'just Levi' when people called on him. When Erwin called Levi into his office one day asking for his surname to fill out documents that pertained to him getting citizenship, Levi said he had none, which obviously left the blond commander puzzled. Erwin asked why and Levi came up with a blanket excuse saying that his mother was a prostitute and his father was just a client who came into their room one day and left.
Levi was brought out of his introspection when Bláithín and Erwin sat down and Darius Zachary cleared his throat.
"Alright, let's get a few things straight," Darius announced. "Thank you for coming to this pretend trial. As far as the public is aware, this is taking place in the courthouse but they don't need to to know that."
"Are we really allowed to just, you know, sit here and pretend?" Bláithín asked.
Darius hummed in affirmation. He was right and as sneaky as it was, if the public were none the wiser, they could sit in here all day and have a tea party for all he cared. But for the sake of appearance, this had to be done.
The older man cast his gaze towards Levi. "Levi, I know you didn't do it, but I understand people may have their doubts on having a former criminal amongst the ranks. I'm sure that's the basis of the rumour and nothing more. Life in the Walls is very boring. People need entertainment and they will create it any way they can."
Everyone silently agreed.
"Erwin," he continued, now turning to the commander. "The journalists and scribblers can't write anything without commentary from me or other members of the military, lest they want an article without any sources or proof. I will order them to stay silent. Anybody who goes against that order will be punished severely. I understand not many people like the Survey Corps, but humanity can't survive without you lot."
Erwin nodded, grateful for the premier's judgement call. Zachary nodded at Erwin to gesture him to speak.
"This is… something I have neglected telling you guys," the blond began, precariously. "As you all know, public approval is at an all time low and Zachary was left with no choice but to slash funding unless he wanted a public outcry. I come with good news, though: we have found a sponsor."
Bláithín stared at him with doe, blue eyes when he turned to her. He stared back with a sense of trepidation.
"It's your uncle, Sven Hahn. He has offered to sponsor us, and I accepted… under the condition he gets to talk to you."
"Absolutely not," Levi answered for her. "Bit of a dick move there, Erwin."
Bláithín averted her gaze and looked down at the floor, twiddling her thumbs as she thought.
Insolent brat, insolent brat… You never should have been born in the first place…
The mere mention of this man had his terrifying and aggressive threats and insults overwhelm her for a moment. Cast aside at the age of twelve and stripped of her inheritance, and now he wants to see her? She doubted it was out of a new found familial love for her. Sven Hahn wasn't the type to love anyone. He had twelve years to prove that to her when she lived between her parents' house and his. From her birth in 825, it was clear she was nothing more than a nuisance to him. Never came to visit her mother and father, or when her mother visited him, they were watched like hawks by his personal guards. Always saying Bláithín had to be watched because he envisioned "everything going wrong" the moment he found out Aisling was pregnant. Bláithín always thought the man was half mad, going on about everything going wrong and how she was the direct cause of it; how he just had these visions and that's how he knew.
Wait… visions?
Bláithín gasped as she remembered seeing that frightened, blonde girl in her vision in the desert landscape. She remembered this River Danu. She remembered the aurora-like forking of light above her that had her so captivated by its beauty.
Was Sven also getting these visions? Could he also see Niamh? Or were these a different set of visions, different to hers?
Either way, these 'visions' told him - convinced him - that Bláithín's existence was a nuisance and that she had a purpose. He told her that too. Was her purpose to just… be a bother?
"Your purpose, my little flower, is just to live and maybe everything will all be okay soon…"
Those were the last words her mother spoke to her before she died and they boomed in her head alongside her uncle's words.
What would he say to her when she meets him at this banquet? What would he even do? Does he want her back for some ulterior motives of his?
"Levi, your opinion isn't required in the matter," Erwin said. "Bláithín?"
"Ah…" she aired. She looked back at him, eyes forlorn. "How long do we have to prepare?"
"I was thinking of the Summer Solstice, June twenty-first." Erwin replied.
She blinked and let out a sigh. "Okay, fine." She mumbled. Truthfully, she didn't want to go or take part in this at all. But a day would come when she would have to face her family and their secrets.
As to what these secrets were, she didn't know. All she knew was that she was never allowed to wander aimlessly around the second floor of the Hahn Estate, not without being under the supervision of a guard at all times. When she asked why as a child, she was just told her uncle's study was there. But even then, there was always something being hidden from her as a child.
Even by her own mother, whose blue eyes always rained with an unspoken pain.
Her uncle's obvious contempt towards her; her mother's secrets; her absent father; being stripped of the inheritance; being sent off to Shiganshina… they were all linked somehow, that Bláithín was sure of.
Today marked the day she'd start uncovering them. Slowly but surely, she'd find out everything and eventually, everything will all be okay… at least that's what Aisling said.
"Levi, Bláithín, you two are free to go." Erwin dismissed.
Bláithín gave a salute followed by Levi, and the two walked out the double doors. Bláithín was a couple of paces ahead of Levi by the time he had shut the doors behind them. She continued to walk ahead until she reached the horses they had tied up outside.
"You gonna give me the silent treatment or are you going to tell me that you're upset?" Levi asked, hopping up onto his horse.
"I'm not upset." She murmured, her horse trotting alongside his.
"Quit your damn lying," he rebuked, quickly. Bláithín's horse ended up a few paces ahead of his, so he assumed to follow her. "You're not good at it, Hahn."
He snapped the reins gently and seemingly with their eyes, they had a conversation as to where they were headed. Bláithín just pointed straight ahead, looking for a familiar house.
"I just… I know I'll have to confront my uncle eventually and… I'm scared… That's all."
Levi only nodded and hummed. He had no idea what the girl had been through, and she was never comfortable saying anything about it. He just knew that her family name and her uncle seemed to leave her more terrified than Titans ever could.
The two held each other's gaze for a moment or two, finding more comfort in this than any haphazard verbal support Levi would be able to offer. He wasn't too good with words, but from being his partner, Bláithín had come to realize he expresses his affection in many other ways. His eyes were one of them; they always flickered and had something to say. Right now, it seemed they were saying, you'll be fine.
"So, where are you whisking me away to?" he asked, plainly.
She smiled back at him and gave him a cheeky wink. That gesture alone made Levi's heart skip a beat.
He zigzagged through the streets behind her on horseback, passing a market place and bustling people going about their day. Mitras probably started off as a happy yet disorderly hug of houses that had expanded as the years went on when more people flocked there. Levi figured this by how he barely remembered where they had come from. Still, Bláithín seemed to trot ahead of him confidently on horseback so he followed her.
The two of them weren't dressed the part at all. A sundress for her and a pair of black slacks and a white shirt might have been okay when walking around Wall Rose, but here, people were dressed for the nines. Ladies wore hooped skirts and heels and men wore suits out with berets to shield the brilliant rays of the February sun. The women were also wearing makeup and a lot of it at that; red lips and faces white with a lead-based powder, probably.
One thing was common amongst them all: the market - from old to young - was a gorgeous cacophony of smiles; everyone here was used to a blissful life without the scourge of the Titans ever hoping to affect them. Even so, Levi looked on ahead at the girl in front of him, wondering why she walked down the alleyway that day. Surely she could have run somewhere else, or did her little legs carry her to a place no noble person would willingly wander down?
Levi didn't know if that was stupidly brave or just plain stupid.
She was twelve, I suppose I can't fault her too much, he said to himself.
One day, he'd tell her. He had been saying that for years, meaning to tell her the only reason she ended up in the Cadet Corps was because of him.
He followed Bláithín down a cul-de-sac that had plenty of houses tucked away in it. "Hey, mind telling me why we're here? Erwin's gonna have our asses for playing truant."
They stopped outside of a tiny cottage. Levi and Bláithín stepped down from their horses and he watched Bláithín admire the house, flooded with some deep emotion. Judging by her face, he presumed it was nostalgia. Ivy had forked out in every direction of the house and the vines hung precariously over the front door. Bláithín walked up to the window sills of the house; the lilies and lavenders had been watered by their next door neighbour.
"Why are we here, Bláithín?" He asked, impatiently.
"I'll explain in a bit!" she called out. She hopped over the wall that separated this house and the neighbour's. She rapped on the door, impatiently. Whilst waiting for the door to open, she whistled for Levi to come over. He had finished tying their horses to a hook outside the house, and hopped over the wall before standing behind her.
A man no older than fifty answered. He was short-sighted, but apart from his eyes, the man was very lean for his age and a few inches taller than the blonde. Crows feet pressed into his eyes and he had scruffy brown hair that was going grey by the roots. He blinked as his eyes adjusted. "Lady Hahn? Is that really you?" the man asked.
Bláithín smiled brightly at the man. "Mister Ashdown, it has been an age," she spoke. Levi noticed her accent changed a bit, probably to mirror the tone nobles spoke in. It didn't sound bad, it just sounded clearer and, well, different. She spoke with charisma, not the murmuring and mumbling under her breath she did back at HQ. "How have you been?"
"Please, Charles is fine. It has been an age. Just shy of ten years if I'm not mistaken," he returned with a smile. He peered over her shoulder, eyeing Levi precariously. "Who's the man?"
"This is Captain Levi of the Scout Regiment. I'm his second-in-command." She replied.
"Ah, so you followed in your mother's footsteps after all," he said, still looking over at Levi. "I suppose you're here for the keys?"
"Yes, I am. And thank you for keeping the flowers watered, even after my parents' deaths. The house is overgrown with ivy but the flowers add a bit of life," she complimented.
"Would you mind waiting outside?" Charles asked Levi. Charles didn't give him the chance to answer as he invited Bláithín in and shut the door in his face. Then again, Levi also didn't really care to strike conversation with a stranger.
Bláithín walked in through the hall of Charles' home. The house was welcoming from the open door to the wide floor was an old-fashioned parquet with a blend of deep homely browns and the walls were the greens of summer gardens meeting a bold white baseboard. Upon the walls were the paintings of children, so obviously so loved.
In the kitchen and dining area was a large table with lunch already being set by his servants in the background who busied themselves. Behind the table stood a grandiose bookshelf. The blonde wasn't here too often as a child but she remembered seeing plenty of science and medical books here. He worked as a doctor currently, though that wasn't his prior profession.
Charles Ashdown wasn't an important figure in Bláithín's life, but he was one of the few people her parents trusted. The keys to her parents' house were handed to him once the Hahns found out of Simon and Aisling's passing and he was around to tend the garden and make sure the house didn't grow too unruly. He also had his maid clean the house sporadically. They never remained in contact but he would always welcome her as an honoured guest.
Charles was also a former servant of Sven Hahn who left when he saw a dip in his lord's sanity over twenty years ago, leaving on the grounds of him no longer feeling comfortable working with someone. When he found out he moved next door to the other Hahn sibling, he thought he'd have to move again. But it was a pregnant Aisling who comforted him and told him getting out now was the wisest thing he could have done. And as such, the two formed a great friendship and mutual feeling of trust. One of the few people Aisling could entrust her children to if everything went to shit, basically.
Charles was the uncle she never had, in other words.
"I'm sorry I was never there for you that night your uncle sent you away. I never got to apologize." He said, suddenly, as he retrieved a wooden chest. Inside laid a bunch of keys.
"If my uncle was or is as crazy as I am starting to suspect, then perhaps you would have been put in danger also. It's okay, Charles, really. I'm happy." She replied.
Charles handed the chest to her. "That man… Can I trust him? This 'captain' fellow?"
"Yes, I can assure you he's trustworthy and perfectly safe."
"Ah…" he aired. He furrowed his brow in thought and looked over at her. "Husband?"
Bláithín blushed furiously at the question. "A-Absolutely not!"
"So, it's a recent arrangement…" he concluded. "Just thought I'd ask, I was watching you two next door. Seems to care a lot. Constantly looking at you, tending to your horse while you hopped over the wall..."
"You're as astute as ever, Charles."
"Had to be for your uncle," he said with a sad smile. Bláithín didn't know what to make of that smile, what kind of things had he seen while working there? It was a sad smile with a pair of eyes that begged for forgiveness. He cleared his throat and handed her the keys. "So, what brings you two to Mitras?"
"I haven't told him yet, but I have asked our commander for a few of our saved days off to be given to us. That and… I realized today it was the perfect opportunity to dig a little."
Charles froze and averted her gaze, shutting the wooden chest. "Bláithín… I have seen things in that house that can't be uncovered. Even to this day, I haven't told a soul. I don't want to. Hell, I don't know what would happen if I did."
"Hence why I intend to dig so that no one else will become a victim," she countered. "I recently found out, though I'm not sure how or why - if it's true even - that Elise got involved and… well, she passed away two years back. I intend to end the suffering with me."
The older man cupped her younger hands and gave an affectionate squeeze. "My condolences, I had no idea. And what of her daughter? I believe she was married off?"
"Ah, yes, Eden. I take care of her now." She spoke, fondly.
The two chatted briefly for a few more minutes before Bláithín had to excuse herself, knowing Levi was probably sick of waiting for her. Charles bid her a farewell and a nod to Levi, but he left her with a warning or perhaps a piece of advice. Both perhaps?
"If what you find becomes too much to bear… find me. I'll deal with the consequences…"
Bláithín tried shaking away that warning in order to carry on with her days off with Levi. The short man wasn't too impressed he hadn't been told about this surprise vacation of sorts, but if it meant him getting a bit more time to relax, he wasn't going to complain. Heavens, the man needed it.
"So, what's the plan?" he asked her.
Bláithín smiled back at him as they walked back up the street and into the town's centre. "First, we need a bit more coin. And I know just how to do it."
Levi was not impressed when Bláithín dragged him to a dingy tavern.
He looked at her disapprovingly upon hearing the people inside it yelling curses and heavy thuds. Bláithín, on the other hand, looked at this place full of glee. She smiled back at him as she burst through the wooden doors.
The bar was hundreds of conversations told in loud voices, all of them competing with the folksy music that dominated the atmosphere from the musicians in the corner. The crowd was young, mostly consisting of the younger soldiers of the Military Police, but there were a few old geezers too. Levi had to wind his way through the warm bodies to keep up with his partner, who was already up at the counter.
Does Bláithín like to drink? No shitting way, Levi said to himself. He placed a hand on the small of her back and she looked over at him.
"Why are we here?" he muttered into her ear. She could hear the displeasure in his gruff voice.
"Levi, we are here to be bums, for three days. We deserve some time off. Besides, Erwin allowed it."
"I meant, why are we in a dingy tavern?"
"You really are stupid, Levi…" she aired. Surel;y a criminal from the underground should know why they were in a tavern of all places; it was a great source of income if you played your cards right. She turned to her left and pointed towards a man in the corner. Beast, rather, because this man was easily seven feet tall. She cleared her throat to talk amongst the burly, booming men. "That man over there, his name is Dumbo. I don't have many memories of my dad but he loved this place! Beat that man in an arm wrestle and you get some cash in return."
Levi eyed the man with a cocked brow. The man was all muscle, buff arms tearing through his shirt. The man was also missing his left eye or it was injured, a black eye patch was there in its stead. Dumbo had a buzzcut and there was a large scar racing from the top of his head down to his temple. Levi knew he could take him, his short stature was not to be reckoned with because he knew where his fists could land him if he allowed himself to sink that low. He wasn't about to create a bad reputation for him now, though.
"I ain't fighting that fucking beast."
"You're right," she affirmed. Bláithín had ordered two whiskeys with the little amount of money she had with her. She downed one of them in the blink of an eye. The alcohol coursed through her and burned her throat, she shook her head with the chills that ran down her spine. She rolled her sleeves up until they were tucked behind her elbows. "You won't be fighting him."
"Bláithín, what the hell are you thinking of-?"
"I will be instead." She stated with a confident smirk. Levi's eyebrows rose in shock.
She strode over to the corner table where Dumbo and his lackeys were situated. They were cheering when Dumbo's fist collided with the table victoriously. He screeched out in cheer, standing up and almost knocking the table down with him. The cheering fell to a nought instantly when he laid sight on the small, blonde woman approaching them. She did her best to appear innocent, twiddling her thumbs and flashing her doe, blue eyes at them in mock fear. The men all guffawed in laughter when this frail thing asked to fight Dumbo.
Levi watched on from a distance with an amused smirk. He wanted to believe his partner could easily beat Dumbo in an arm wrestle, but there was easily two feet in height difference. The girl had to crane her neck up straight to look at him in the eye.
"Ay, look at this weak thing! She wants to take me on? Me?! Go back home to your children and stay in the kitchen, lady!"
Levi's smirk fell instantly.
"You're right… I am but a weak lady who just wants to hang with the brave, strong men…" she cooed, batting her lashes."Even so, I'd love to take you on."
"Who did she come with?!" Dumbo called out. A man whispered in his ear and he locked eyes with the onyx haired man who kept his gaze fixated on his partner. "That shorty? Two midgets thinking they can waltz in here and he lets his dumb wife take me on?!"
Dumbo looked down at the girl who was now sitting down at the table, elbow already hitched to the surface and waiting to take him on. His lips parted but he put his hands up in defeat; he'd show her not to trifle with big, burly men like him.
… Or would he?
People began to place their bets. Most of them went to Dumbo but a few other people placed them on Bláithín, giving her the benefit of the doubt.
I have to say…" Dumbo began, taking his seat, "it's cruel your husband is allowing his weak, frail wife to fight someone like me." He taunted.
People started to cheer for Dumbo already before the fight had started.
"A woman? Fighting Dumbo? Sheesh, this won't end well…"
"She's so small!"
"She'll be pummeled into the ground by him!"
Bláithín only smired and leaned over towards the burly man. Her cerulean eyes sparkled with a sense of warning and threat. "I will just say this: if I win this fight, then you won't stand a chance against my fun-sized husband…" she whispered.
"You fucking bitch!" the bigger man snarled.
The foul stench of alcohol graced her senses and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. This man had a few drinks in him already. She could feel a small tingling in her arms, but that didn't faze her at all. She was a noble woman who had a glass of wine with her dinner every evening growing up and would drink with her friends after a devastating expedition; she could handle her alcohol, contrary to popular belief.
"We'll start on my count!" a staff member called out. "...Go!"
Dumbo didn't react in time, not nearly fast enough when his fist collided against the table with a loud thud. Levi smirked from a distance, genuinely surprised. He knew she was strong, but didn't know she was strong enough to fight a drunken man who clearly wanted to play dirty. The crowd watching them barely had the time to react, she was too fast. The impact of his fists against the table reverberated throughout the bar and the silence from the onlookers was palpable.
"...A weak, frail noble woman just beat Dumbo? What is the world coming to…?" someone spoke out.
Dumbo yelped in pain, clutching his fist with his other hand. Bláithín laid her hands out and started collecting the heavy bags of coins. The onlookers were left to slowly absorb this new reality; Dumbo lost, his winning streak was finished. Levi almost let out a laugh at her confidence.
It was almost beautiful how bold and hot-headed she could get at times.
The girl really had grown up a lot.
"That-! No! She cheated!" he cried out.
"No, I didn't," she spoke, calmly. Gently, even, as if she was talking down to a child. "You just blindly assumed a woman couldn't take you on." Even from this fight alone, Bláithín had made more than enough money for the pair of them. They could now go back to the marketplace and buy groceries for dinner.
"Dumbo…" she called out gently, but there was a sense of something akin to foreboding in her tone, "If I managed to beat you, you're definitely no match for my husband."
She walked away now basking in her rewards, a wailing Dumbo in the background.
A noble woman did that; she created that amount of disorder and chaos amongst a string of burly, drunk men.
She smiled as she approached Levi who was already walking out the door. He held it open for her and she closed it behind them as if none of that ever happened. He followed her from behind, they were probably going to get some food now. The silence between them was thick and heavy for a few minutes until Levi spoke out.
"So…" he aired. "'Husband'? Is that my new nickname?"
"A-Ah!" she stammered, cheeks flushing a beet red. She hurriedly turned around to face him, waving her arms frantically as she tried to defend herself. "I-It's just because everyone in there assumed a-and I just went along with it! Don't worry, it means nothing!" she squeaked.
Levi was silent as they walked to the marketplace. He genuinely wasn't too bothered by it, he was more on edge over the lack of paperwork that he wasn't doing or he missed the feeling of gears on his hips. He looked over at his flustered partner and he huffed a heavy sigh.
"You think I'm mad?" he asked her.
"I mean, you once said-"
"Tch," he uttered. He sidled up next to her and latched onto her hand to get her to walk beside him rather than ahead. "It means nothing, I'm not fussed either way."
Husband and wife.
Man and woman.
Those words freaked him out to no end. He just couldn't see himself getting married when they were fighting man-eating monsters as a profession and either one of them could die. Plus, would marriage change anything about them? He viewed marriage as just a relationship with legal consequences if they decided to split up or if one of them died.
As he watched his blonde partner walk by his side now as they walked into the vast expanse of stalls, her face getting less flushed and returning to its normally warm demeanour, he began to ponder…
What if the Titans weren't there? What about when this dumb war against the beasts was over? What then?
His mind drifted back to all the times Bláithín watched over Eden as though she were her own daughter. She never said it outright, but she didn't have to; she so desperately wanted to be a mother one day. They were lovers now. Shouldn't he owe it to her to at least… consider these things? To consider a life in which they married later on down the line, or where she was pregnant with his child? To consider this kind of life in a world where Titans didn't exist?
Tch, he said to himself bitterly. This girl was making him so soft and he hated it. He wasn't used to it.
The man clearly wasn't as bothered by her calling him her husband, not as much as he thought (not that he'd ever admit or even acknowledge that.) He could have scolded her for playing pretend or told her he didn't like it. But hearing her say the word 'my' before calling him her 'husband' made his heart lurch forward.
"Levi, did you hear me? I asked how does stew sound tonight?" she asked. He had been blindly following her this whole time that he hadn't realized they had arrived. It appeared that Bláithín was mentally making a list.
"I'm fine with anything," he muttered in response.
Bláithín walked up to the merchant at a stall and began to chat with him, pointing towards the vegetables she wanted. She laughed as he made some conversation with her and she was smiling from ear to ear.
She fit right into this environment and meanwhile, Levi was itching to do work.
He watched as she dragged him around from stall to stall and how well she fit into this situation; she didn't seem out of place at all. Clearly, this was Bláithín's natural habitat.
A habitat she was cast aside from.
The sun was high that day and it shone down on her, reflecting her features beautifully. Her bright smile, her blonde hair, her blue eyes. Everything about her looked beautiful today and she fit beautifully into these surroundings. She had a paper bag hugged tightly against her chest now filled with groceries and she just looked so… normal.
This was the life she was meant to have.
The life her uncle stole from her.
What a shame it must be to never be wanted by some people and to have your existence condemned. What a shame it was to be stamped on constantly like the little flower that she was and to be bruised black and blue again and again.
And what a shame it was for those who cast her aside again and again and never appreciated her brilliance. She was always bright and warm, it just took a lot of digging, and only so few people were lucky to experience that.
Perhaps the world never wanted her - hell, she probably didn't want to be here herself sometimes - but that didn't matter. Because there were people in this world that needed her.
Like Mike, Hange and Erwin.
Like how Elise did, or like Eden.
Like how Levi did.
Aisling and Simon's house had been tended to occasionally over the years and this brought a great sense of relief to Levi. He had no intention of staying in a house where cobwebs adorned every corner. It was the same as Charles' house in terms of layout. The stairs leading up to the bedrooms were on the right and a hall led into a spacious kitchen. To the right of the front door was the lounge. It was perfectly cozy and inviting for a once family of four. There was a grand fireplace in the heart of the sitting room and the walnut bookshelves added a sense of age to an otherwise not-so-old house. There was a one-seater and another plush sofa towards the window.
Levi walked into the kitchen with the paper bag in hand and placed it down on the kitchen table. The kitchen had the hues of light upon a cloud, the kinds of creams and greys that soothed. And so, too, the blues of the recently washed dishes by Charles' maid and the rich browns of the well cared for wooden countertops soothed the soul upon entering and were a delightful welcome.
Sunlight shone through the window and illuminated the kitchen and kept the overgrown garden alive and well.
"Walk around, Levi. I'll cook something real quick for us." She said, kindly.
Levi did as he was told. He walked up the rickety, wooden staircase that had a burgundy carpet spread over it. It felt soft against his feet, it was probably the latest addition to the house before life in this cozy little home fell to a nought. His feet brought him to the first bedroom he saw.
The rooms had light green wallpaper and the four-poster bed had sickeningly soft velvet cushions thrown about. There was a vanity and a chest of drawers next to the bed, with an oil lamp on top of it. Peering inside the chest of drawers, it was nothing but dresses, low-heeled shoes and frilly hats. Levi scoffed at this - thinking about how different her childhood upbringing must have been to working as a soldier now - before walking over to the bookshelf that stretched from the floor to the ceiling. It was full to the brim of books, not a single space was left unoccupied. This must have been where the girl got her love of poetry and reading from. With her consistent badgering, he could now read comfortably and not stumble over words so easily.
He took down one book from the shelf and tried to read it but was left dumbfounded. The words in this book were words he could not recognise. Even the letters or characters were different.
Was this another language?
Levi shook his head and placed the book back and began to read a few more books from her shelf. He walked around the room and checked every nook and cranny. Underneath the bed, he caught sight of a rectangular box. The outside of the box was a soft fabric and it had a zipper. He pulled it out before him as he knelt on the ground and unzipped it.
Undoing the felt straps of the violin made the notes ring. It was probably a semitone out of tune (not that he'd know) and the bow's hairs were loosened entirely. He recalled the drawn photo of a younger Bláithín playing the violin that he saw in Erwin's office when they were discussing the report he had made.
Bláithín was stirring the stew as it began to simmer in the cast iron pot when she heard footsteps. She turned around to see Levi at the door to the kitchen holding the violin and bow.
"Play." He instructed.
"T-that's not mine…" she mumbled. She was absolutely not going to play for him. Although, knowing her lover, he'd get her to play for him somehow.
"And the case it came out of didn't just have the name Bláithín Hahn sewn into it, I see." He countered, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"It's been years… Beside, we have stew to look over! What if it burns? Oh no, I can't possibly play-"
"I'll cook, you play." He said simply and handed the instrument. He took the wooden spoon from her and began to stir.
Levi had no idea how to cook, but he saw her stirring and assumed that was an easy enough task to do. He heard a groan from the violin as she twisted the pegs to tune it and plucked at the bow, seeing if there was any rosin on it. There didn't seem to be any, but she had to make do with what she had gotten. She placed the violin under her chin and imagined the subtle orchestral accompaniment in the background. The violin rang when she played with long strokes. Her left wrist rocked, the vibrato full and wide as she played the passionate theme of the last piece she had ever learned. She was surprised she still remembered it, or maybe she played it that often as a child. She reached the ascending double stop octave passage, the instrument producing clear notes as she finished the phrase. She lowered her violin again and ended with a cheeky "ta-da!" and a sarcastic bow.
Levi didn't know what to think beyond the fact that that playing was simply stunning. The Hahns were all musical if he recalled, and very intelligent too. That was what Erwin had said to him before.
"Levi!" she screeched, violin placed down. He had his back turned to the stew that was now bubbling furiously, sloshing over the hobs. She shoved him aside and tried to see how badly burned the stew now was. "Okay, we can salvage it, it's not too bad."
Levi scratched the back of his neck and walked towards the table. The more he saw her here in Mitras - from cooking to playing the violin or interacting with the locals - the more out of his depth he felt. And the more sorry he felt for her for being taken out of his comfort zone. All her life she had to assume new roles, never quite adapting to the last one, and here she was, back where she truly belonged.
Is this the simple life she wished she could return to?
… But how could she return to it? Not while her birthright was revoked.
Maybe after the Titans were gone?
He secretly hoped she'd see that kind of life some day, because if this is how happy she was being back at her parents' house, just how much growing up did she have to do in such a short space of time to live the life of a soldier?
Sure, clumsiness aside, she was very skilled and she was probably used to this career now. But who wouldn't want a peaceful life of just being a housewife and mother in a world without Titans?
She gestured for Levi to sit down as she passed him a bowl. The meal looked so vibrant and colourful compared to the food they got back at the Survey Corps. The food wasn't gone-off either, everything looked so fresh. They both brought a spoonful to their mouths and they ate in comfortable silence. Levi took the spoon away from his mouth in surprise, ogling it. There was no way something so simple could taste so good. Was this some other skill she was expected to learn as a child?
"How is it?" she asked, innocently. He looked over at her and she was smiling brightly at him.
"It's good." He said plainly.
Damn him and his inability to show more emotion than that. It wasn't just good, it was probably the best thing he had ever tasted. He didn't taste much delicious food in his life; he didn't care for it. In the Underground, if you managed to find something to eat at all then that was a luxury in itself. He was just shell shocked and so used to the sludge they ate in the barracks that something could taste this great.
"Meat? That must have cost a fortune?"
He was referring to the chunks of beef that were swimming around in the bowl.
"I made quite a bit of money today! I could afford it!" she chimed, eating a bit more. She watched Levi eat and judging by how fast his spoon kept diving down into the meal, she knew he liked it. She pursed her lips into a thin line. "Want some tea? I got leaves today too!"
"Damn, just how much shit did you buy?" he asked.
"Lots. You were so lost in your head today for some reason, guess you weren't paying attention." She mumbled, pushing her chair out. She placed her empty bowl in the sink and began washing it up. She fished through the bag until she found the small paper bag of tea leaves. She searched the kitchen before finding the kettle and bringing it into the sitting room where she'd light the fire.
It wasn't long before Levi finished, washed up and met her in the sitting room. Dusk was beginning to set by now and with bellies full, they both wanted to just completely relax. Well, relax more with their few days off. The lit fire would provide comforting warmth to them both, the glowing light dancing amongst the coal and logs. Bláithín stood up and walked to the corner of the room, fiddling with a contraption in the corner that Levi had never seen before. It had horn-like structure coming out from it and a lever in its side, of which he assumed had to be twisted.
And then there was singing.
Recorded singing, not live, but Levi stared at the weird device in awe. Of course, Levi wasn't one to show his emotions outright, she could only tell by the way his brows had raised. The voice from the contraption belonged to a woman and there was a light piano accompaniment in the background. The song was also dance-like in rhythm, with a lilting feel to it. The voice carried and was sustained with vibrato.
"You look shocked," Bláithín spoke. She pointed to the machine. "This is a phonograph. Not many are available within the Walls. It's a device that plays back music through the vibration of this needle on the groove of this rotating disc." She explained.
Levi got closer to the phonograph and could then hear more of the music. It was a slow song but the waltz-like feel to it was undeniable.
"It's my parents," she mumbled. "My dad was playing the piano and my mom sang this. It was their favourite song."
Levi remained silent, feeling it was more appropriate to do so. She walked back into the middle of the sitting room and the orange and yellows of the fireplace complemented her beautifully. She extended her hand out to him. "Dance with me?"
"No." He muttered and opted to sit down.
"By the Walls, you're so terrible at being a partner sometimes." She grumbled in annoyance. "You have your girl asking you to dance and you're going to refuse her?"
"Yes." He replied, walking back towards the sofa.
She tossed her head back and groaned. When she saw that he had sat down again, she jumped over and collided with the sofa, head landing in his lap. He let out a curse but he made no effort to try to shove her away. In fact, within seconds, his fingers were massaging the scalp on her head. His eyes were trained on the fire and hers were looking at the phonograph.
"I'll get you dancing with me one of these days, Levi." She said with a fond smile.
"I'd love to see you try." He said, ruffling her hair.
"I'll do it. Just you wait."
"I'll be armed and ready."
She turned her head and looked up at him now. "Are you enjoying the absence of paperwork?"
"Mm. It'll be a while before I can fully relax. My mind keeps jumping back to Eyebrows, I can't imagine he's sitting by and not letting my paperwork pile up."
"The paperwork that I do a lot of." She corrected.
"Quiet, you."
The back and forth continued for a while until Bláithín sat back up, back pressed towards the sofa. She moved to her haunches and stared at Levi for a few moments, taking in his gunmetal eyes, his angular jaw, his floppy hair. This was all hers, and she was all his. Levi turned back to look at her and she could see his normally hardened gaze soften. She smiled softly at him, eyes flickering with the fire.
And like magnets, the two were drawn to each other. She kissed him softly and lovingly and he reached up to cradle her head in his hands. His lips moved against hers, wanting more and more; constantly wanting more and more. He'd take her right now if she let him, that was the power she possessed over him; his composure and discipline would crumble instantly around her. She was just so soft and irresistible when she was pressed against her. She moved her head and parted his lips and was granted more access and he groaned softly into her mouth.
She pulled her away and she could see the disappointment on Levi's face.
"Come on, we should get ready for bed soon." She stated. Levi could see a flash in her eyes and a part of him knew that statement had two meanings.
She gestured for him to follow her up the stairs and she directed him towards the guest room. She disappeared for a moment and came back with a spare change of clothes for tomorrow. She explained to him that they had been washed recently and that he didn't need to have a hissy fit. She walked over to the window and pulled in the shutters. She turned around and saw Levi standing a few feet away and much like before, she pulled him close to her, hating any second that passed that wasn't against his chest, lips moving against each other.
He was good at what he did. They had been intimate a few more times when they briefly returned to HQ before being summoned here and every time he touched her, he touched her like she was the most precious thing in his life.
Simply because she was.
Soft touches contrasted his potty mouth so much and she loved every pull and push against each other, like the tides crashing against the shore. They moved so well together, every kiss being responded to in kind and they both drank in each other's breathless sighs.
Everything about him signified strength and discipline and restraint. Except around her. Around her, he buckled.
Everything about her was kindness and warmth and a touch of hesitance and clumsiness. Except around him. Around him, she was confident and at her best.
Hands reached for the bottom of her blue sundress and he pulled it over her head. He inhaled sharply as he took in the sight before him and latched onto the sweet spot of her neck, hands roaming over her body. His hands deftly undid her bra and he tossed it behind him. He guided her towards the plush bed, stopping to pull back the covers before laying her down. He trailed his lips all over her exposed chest and she let out soft moans in response. Levi removed his cravat and began to unbutton his shirt. In the darkness of the room but with whatever moonlight had filtered through the shutters, she could make out his perfectly sculpted body. She leaned up to trail her long fingers down his chiseled abdomen.
Bláithín wasn't sure how long they stayed tangled in each other's embrace like that, their kisses had started out as passionate and loving but they eventually became tumbling and consuming.
"Levi…" His name left her lips in agonized desire.
"Hmm…" was the noise that was breathed into the crook of her neck.
Bláithín reached down between them and began to undo the button of his black slacks. He smirked against her neck and he stood up to take them off all the way. His hands returned to her body and he slipped her panties down and within seconds, his mouth had stopped his trail of kisses down her torso and was at her sensitive bead. He pleased her with the flat of his tongue and she pressed his head further into her. He lapped up her fluids and teased her entrance, planting kisses along the fleshy part of her thighs.
"Levi… please…" she gasped, completely at his mercy.
He got up from his knees and sat down on the bed next to her. He stayed there on his knees and he gasped when she felt her fingers trail down his torso this time.
"Can I have a turn?" she asked. She had never done this before, so she was expecting Levi to guide her and help her out… which he was more than happy to do.
He grabbed her hand and it was brought to his underwear. He was unsheathed in a quick motion and her eyes widened at his member. His fingers guided her thumb over his tip and he taught her the motions. Her fingers moved up and down his length, teasing the tip every now and then which always elicited a groan. He moved to kiss her and his moans slipped into her mouth. Once he started cursing against her, she knew she had him.
"Fuck… Fuck…" he moaned under his breath. If he hadn't reached down to stop the movement of her hands, he would have come undone right then and there.
He set her down beside him as he tried to control himself. He eyed her up and down, trying to determine whether this was something she'd be interested in.
"Levi?" she asked, not sure what to make of the silence.
He grabbed her by her hips and pulled her over his lap, both now seated. He brought his forehead against hers and whispered against her lips. "I want you to sit on me." He said, his voice hoarse.
"U-Uh, okay…" she mumbled. "How do I-?"
"I'll tell you." He said back, desire thick in his voice.
He moved her hips lower as she held him by the tip. With nod from him of something akin to encouragement, she guided it in and they both moaned at the sudden feeling of fullness. Though they never said it, they were grateful they didn't have to watch the volume of their moans and grunts. Bláithín looked down at him, his hands still at her hips. "What do I do?"
"Move. That's all there is to it. Back and forth, or up and down. You just gotta feel it in your-" he was interrupted when she took his advice sooner than expected. "-hips…" he said, though it came out as a moan.
Their world became a kaleidoscope of pleasure and warmth and fulfillness. She rocked against him slowly and she pulled him in for a passionate kiss. He could only respond in kind. He felt so lost in this motion, in her lips, his brows knitted together in pleasure as she moved.
"Levi…" she moaned out.
"Shit…"
"Levi…" she said again. "I think… I think I lo-" she began but against her will, the words stayed lodged in her throat. Levi eyed her curiously with a hooded gaze. With a cocked brow, he dismissed whatever that was and leaned in to kiss her.
It wasn't long before they both came to their highs. They sat there, basking in each other's warmth, catching their breaths. They exchanged a few more soft kisses before Bláithín removed herself and guided Levi to the bathroom where they washed up. The short man always insisted on having a bath or a shower after they were intimate, but tonight, he was so blissfully tired that he was fine with just a washcloth.
They retreated to the bedroom and Levi slipped in first. It had become a habit for them to fall asleep in each other's arms (if Levi slept that night) but they'd eventually drift in and out of each other's arms.
Bláithín awoke later that night feeling a bit parched. She turned back and saw her sleeping partner and she couldn't help but watch for a minute. He looked so calm and at peace, no scowl or frown. Any time he fell asleep, it was always to be savoured and she tiptoed out of the room after slipping into her dress from before to shield herself from the February chill.
She smiled as she softly let the door shut behind him. These three days were to be appreciated, when were they going to get so much free time again? So much time to be alone and to completely explore one another more?
She tiptoed down the stairs and into the kitchen to get a glass of water. In her exhausted state, her feet carried her into the sitting room. She stood in front of the fireplace, a few embers still sparking. She stirred the coal around, wanting it to burn a little longer to keep them warm throughout the night.
This little house was a kaleidoscope of memories, of paintings adorning the walls, with each of them conjuring the emotions of those sweet eternal moments. Moments of a much happier time, a more peaceful time. She looked over at the phonograph, the last physical memory of both her mother and father. She placed the water down and dragged a finger over it.
"Ah… I'm home…" she mumbled. "I only wish I could see you two… I wish that Elise was here…"
Curiosity got the better of her and pulled open the drawers that the phonograph sat on top of. She was met with a drawer that was filled with a bit of everything; knitting wool, buttons, sewing needles, jewellery. She pulled the drawer out fully and circular disc.
A record? A record with no marking or label on it either.
She assembled the phonograph to play this new record and when she heard a crackling noise, she was half tempted to turn it off. She was expecting music to play again like before. She reached to place the record back when she heard a person speaking.
"I don't want to do this…" the voice spoke.
Bláithín cocked a brow at the familiar voice.
...Mom?
Even in the dreadful quality and crackling noises, she could hear her mother's voice shaking. Her mother was crying at the time of recording this.
"The year is 838… This is Aisling Hahn. I am leaving a message for my daughters, Bláithín and Elise…"
Bláithín's eyes widened at this. This was the first time she heard this message or even came across this record.
"I don't know who'll discover this first… but if you have discovered this, I have probably died. This is my farewell message…"
Bláithín felt a warmth envelop her, as if hearing her mother's voice was connecting the two again after ten agonizingly painful years. She felt as though she was being embraced in her mother's arms. But hearing her mother be so upset made her eyes prick with tears.
"Elise, Bláithín… I'm sorry I was never around enough. I'm sorry for not being a good mother. I-I… I'm sorry I left you two all alone with Sven… I know you hated him… I hated him too… At least, I did towards the end…"
The tears spilled over her cheeks. Bláithín's lower lips trembled as she listened to her mother sob.
"I'm… sorry… I never got to hold you two more… You two were my world… Please know this: everything I have done, I have done to protect you… Ah, gods. This is too much, I…"
Her mother let out a strangled sob and Bláithín felt her heart split in two.
"My diary… If you found this record, then you'll have found my diary… Everything is in there, I'm sorry. I just can't do this right now. I-"
Diary?
Bláithín rooted through the drawer, but she saw no diary. She shook her head in confusion, baffled by this statement. That was until she pulled the drawer out and emptied its contents on the floor. She turned the drawer upside down until the open side was facing the floor and there she found the diary; taped to the bottom of the drawer.
"Bláithín, my sweet, little flower… read the diary… If you find this… then perhaps Niamh hasn't forsaken me just yet…"
And the recording ended.
Bláithín tore the diary away from its tape and held it close as she inspected it. She walked closer to the fireplace to get more light to shine on it. It was another tattered journal but this one was falling apart more, indicating it had been completely filled up with entries.
With trepidation, she opened the diary and flicked to the first entry…
… And she was immediately taken elsewhere…
She saw a whirlwind of imagery; she saw beyond the Walls, she saw people, she saw her uncle's opulent manor and it all came together as a blur of confusion, haze and vibrant colours…
Ah, Bláithín said to herself, this is another vision…
Yes, this was a vision and it was taking her somewhere; this vision was taking her to the past of Aisling Hahn.
At last, we get to see my first Special; the tragic love story of Simon and Aisling Hahn. It'll be done in an entry format btw. So, it'll be like, "825" at the top of the scene and then I expand. Sorry if it's a weird format.
Let me know what you thought! Do you like mostly plotless Blevi chapters? I'll need to do a few more to get us up to present 850, as realistically, my plot can't 'kick off' without Eren's transformation.