ELD'S P.O.V.
Eld sighed dramatically as he finished getting ready. He moved towards his bedroom door and put his hand on the cold metal of the doorknob before he remembered what an an embarrassment he was and groaned quietly, leaning his red face on the door.
Yesterday he had tried hard to take the others advice and ask Dilan out but he was so nervous he went catatonic! How the hell was he supposed to explain that to her, Dilan was one perspeptive girl.
Eld knew she was smart. Dilan acts pretty casual most of the time but Eld was quite sure she was a genius. Only someone with real brains could protect the left flank like she did. The girl came up with a plan in 10 seconds flat. And it was a good plan too. She was just completely amazing and Eld couldn't believe he had blown his shot already!
Eld shook his head stubbornly. He still had time to fix his mistake. He would just have to try asking her out again and make sure he used real human words from the dictionary. Nodding to himself, Eld straightened up and opened the door.
"Oh hey!" Dilan's voice immediately rang out and Eld's eyes widened significantly.
Shit, shit, shit. Get it together man!
Eld pushed down his embarrassment and turned to her, seeing she had just left her room and was walking down the hall towards him.
"Hey, you just got up?" He asked casually. Nice. Act like nothing happened. Good start. Dilan smiled and nodded.
"Yeah. So about yesterday..." She started and Eld swallowed hard.
Shit! Note to self, don't fuck up around someone as perceptive as Dilan. Of course she would figure out what he was actually trying to ask her. God I want to crawl into a hole and die!
"Oluo is pretty shit so I will have to spend a lot of time on him but I'm sure I could slot you in for a few hours every week." She offered, tapping her chin in thought. Eld blinked. Then he blinked again. What is she talking about?
"What?" He asked, stupidly. Dilan raised an eyebrow.
"You know, yesterday? You were going to ask me for fighting lessons..." Dilan trailed off hoping he'd get it. Eld stared at her blankly for a few seconds before realisation smacked him over the head. Oh right! my crappy excuse! She believed that?
Suddenly Eld realised Dilan was still waiting for an answer. Say something idiot!
"Oh yeah, sorry, rough start. Thanks that would be great. As long as you have time?" Eld replied with a smile. Dilan nodded.
"I'll always have time for you, green. You're pretty shit though, I wont be going easy on you." Dilan shrugged, heading down the stairs. Eld smiled widely, restraining himself from doing a victory dance.
Yes, it was not his intention but he didn't hate the outcome. He wondered how someone like Dilan brought his idiotic excuse before he remembered Petra said Dilan was pretty naïve when it comes to dating. Guess there wasn't much opportunity in the underground. Eld's smile widened as he thought about the fact that if he played his cards right, he could very well be Dilan's first kiss.
"Oi. Gin. Wipe that stupid smile off your face, you look ridicoulous." The Captain warned, giving Eld a deadly glare as he passed that made the blonde feel like he was going to piss himself.
"Yes, Captain." Eld replied, tensing. The Captain sent him an unimpressed look as he head downstairs. Eld slumped and sighed a huge breath of relief. He really didn't feel like doing laps today.
Waiting a minute, out of slight fear, after the Captain disappeared, Eld went down the stairs, wondering what he had done to piss of the Captain so early in the morning. Was it really because he was smiling? It was the Captain they were talking about so it was entirely possible.
When he got downstairs he saw Dilan and Levi talking about something in the lounge. He walked passed them into the kitchen where everyone was currently residing.
"What are they talking about?" Eld asked quietly, grabbing some coffee in a mug and taking a seat next to Oluo and Petra.
"Captain called Dilan to talk about a training exercise. I think we're doing something different today." Petra shrugged.
"I guess Dilan's envolved with whatever we're doing." Gunther added. They all watched them for a second, sipping their coffee in unision. Apparently the pair were aware of the eyes on them because the Captain's face dropped into a frown and he turned to glare at them.
Everyone jumped, creating a few coffee spills on the table that made everyone gasp, looking back up at Levi, expecting certain death. The Captain looked ready to kill but Dilan laughed, breaking the tension.
"They will clear that up right away." Dilan assured, giving them a pointed look and they nodded very quickly in response as Dilan guestured the Captain to his office. Levi glared at her in annoyance but complied and the rest of the squad mouthed 'thank you' and gave her prayer hands to Dilan, which made her chuckle, before she followed him into his office.
As soon as they were alone everyone sighed in relief.
"Thank fuck for Dilan. Without her we would all be dead 10 times over by now." Gunther sighed, standing up to grab a cloth and spray for the coffee.
"Truer words have never been spoken." Petra chuckled.
"Are you all this scared for your life constantly?" Oluo asked in worry and the others laughed.
"Nah, it eases up. Captain's been particularly strict recently though." Eld shrugged and Oluo nodded in understanding.
"And Dilan always saved you?" He asked hopefully. Petra chuckled.
"She does what she can. That girl is really a saint." She smiled, helping Gunther clear up the spillage.
Oluo nodded thoughtfully.
"Yeah, she's kind of amazing." He mumbled, a light blush on his cheeks. Eld frowned, not liking that look and apparently the others picked up on it too.
"Oi, Dil's taken. Eld has dibs." Gunther backed up the blonde and Eld gave him a grateful look.
Oluo frowned.
"Huh!? Who says you can just call dibs!?" He complained, confirming Eld's thoughts.
"I've known her longer; I've liked her longer. I have dibs." He said unapologetically, crossing his arms.
"That's total bullshit!" Oluo huffed, looking to the others for support. Gunther simply shook his head and Petra chuckled.
"Sorry Oluo. I like the idea of Dilan and Eld better than Dilan and you. I'm with Eld on this one." She said with a smirk, giving Eld a triumphant high-five.
Oluo glared at them.
"Bullshit." He mumbled and Eld rolled his eyes.
"Oluo she's way out of your league and she older than you." Gunther pointed out.
"Only by a few months!" He protested. Gunther chuckled.
"Doesn't matter, man. Girls like a guy that she can rely on. Not someone they will have to baby in the relationship." He pointed out. Eld smirked while Petra frowned.
"Oi, Dilan is a strong, independent woman. She doesn't need anyone!" Petra scolded, hands on her hips. Oluo smiled at the new ally.
"Exactly." He grinned. Eld scrunched up his face in confusion.
"Hang on, I thought you were on my team?" He asked.
Petra pursed her lips.
"I'm on Dilan's team. You better not let this petty rivalry get in the way of work and you better not annoy Dilan. If either with you mess with her, not only will I expose both of you, but I will beat your asses till no tomorrow." She warned dangerously and Eld and Gunther gulped.
"Petra, dear. No offense but you have never beat me in the art of-" Oluo started with a smug smile before Petra grabbed a handful of his hair and slammed his face down on the table with an impressive amount of force, keeping him there as he squirmed. "OW!" Petra smirked.
"Oh yeah, did I forget to mention?" She asked innocently as Oluo struggled. "I'm a lot stronger now." Petra smirked evilly and Eld made a mental note to never mess with Petra as the door to the office opened and Petra let go of Oluo's face to act casually, sipping her coffee.
Oluo groaned in pain and Eld hid a smile at the very obvious bruise already forming on his forehead. Gunther choked on a laugh, managing to hide it with a cough as their superiors entered the room. Dilan sniggered at Oluo's stunned, battered face and the Captain narrowed his eyes at the scene.
Eld saw Oluo give Petra a subtle smug look, obviously thinking she was about to get punished.
"Saddle your horses. Meet by the gate in five." Levi ordered in a monotoned voice, getting 'yes Captain's' in response before leaving the room. Oluo's eyes widened as everyone burst out laughing.
"What the hell? That's so unfair! Why weren't you punished?!" He demanded. Petra giggled, putting a hand over her mouth.
"Cause you're a rookie. Besides the Captain doesn't give two shits about such stupid things." Dilan shrugged, throwing an arm around Petra's shoulder. "This your beautiful work?" She mocked with a smile, poking Oluo's red forehead and he winced, blushing with embarrassment.
Eld tried hard to contain his glee.
Petra laughed.
"Yep. He questioned me. Had to teach him a lesson." Petra said and Dilan smiled proudly.
"That's my girl. Come on, before we're late. I can't hide every fuck up you make." Dilan said, gaining grateful smiles in response before they all stood and head outside. Eld knew he couldn't let such an amazing person get away. He had to man up and ask her out. The only question was when he would find the balls.
LEVI'S P.O.V.
Levi glanced back at the squad who were riding a bit behind himself and Dilan. Oluo seemed to be fitting in well with the group. He was glad there hadn't been any more dramas after yesterdays debacle. Levi couldn't stand another headache.
His gaze fell on Eld and Levi frowned subconsciously. He was coming down to the second floor this morning when he saw him and Dilan talking and he couldn't help his blood boiling. Especially when the blonde shit stood there smiling like he had just won the fucking lottery. By god did Levi want to punch him in his stupid face. Then maybe kick him and punch him again.
"Oi, you've got that look in your eye." Dilan commented, snapping Levi out of his murderous thoughts and he faced forward again.
"What look?" He asked, monotoned.
Dilan smirked.
"You look like you're about to murder someone." Dilan said casually and Levi had to bite back a smirk. The brat read him so well. "So? Who we killing?" Dilan asked and Levi couldn't fight the smirk that time. How is she so perfect?
"Undecided. I'll keep you updated." Levi replied and Dilan laughed, nodding. There was a moment of silence and Levi couldn't stop the question. "What were you and Gin talking about this morning? Caught him with a stupid smile on his face. I almost threw up." Levi explained in a bored tone and Dilan chuckled.
"Just asked me for some fighting lessons." She explained. Levi frowned slightly.
"He has lessons." Dilan rolled her eyes.
"Not one on one lessons. I thought you'd be happy, Eld could use some improvement and it's not like you can spend your time teaching him, you have the whole squad to worry about." Dilan said curiously, raising an eyebrow at Levi's clear foul mood.
"Gin is decent. You should be focusing on Swaltzs and Bozado." Levi argued. Dilan narrowed her eyes at him, and Levi looked away, feeling like the woman was reading his soul.
"Is there a reason why I shouldn't teach Eld too?" She asked slowly, tilting her head. Because I'm a jealous fucker who is having some very unwanted possessive feelings. Levi thought with an internal eyeroll.
"No. Whatever. Do what you want. Just don't let it get in the way of your duties." Levi decided to say, and Dilan looked at him for a moment. Levi pretended not to notice and stayed staring straight forward.
"You're jealous." She smirked and Levi's eyes widened.
Holy fuck. Is she a mind reader?
Levi said nothing, slightly paralysed. Dilan laughed and Levi sent her a deadly glare, masking his surprise.
"Calm down, Levi. You're still my best friend, Eld's not going to replace you." She smiled and Levi felt an instant relief at her words, even though she misinterpreted. The sentiment was the same and he felt immediately better. Still, he didn't have to give her the satisfaction.
"Tch." Levi mumbled, looking away to stop from smiling back. Dilan chuckled warmly.
"Don't be embarrassed. I get jealous as fuck. You even think about replacing me and I will beat your ass." Dilan warned with a smirk. Levi felt a warmth in his chest, and he couldn't supress the smirk back.
"Noted. Lucky for you I can't tolerate anyone else in these stupid walls." He replied and Dilan smiled, nodding in approval.
They arrived at their destination shortly after. Levi had taken them to the front entrance of the forest where the dummies were centralised for proper practice. He had something different planned for today.
They all stabled their horses and gathered in front of him, waiting for instructions.
"Today, we do something different. We have a new recruit and I think we'd all like to see how he's improved in the last 6 months." Levi stated and everyone look at Oluo. The man himself gulped and paled. "The special ops are a squad like no other, we're elites and we have to have each other's backs. There is no space for liabilities here. Is that understood?" Levi asked and Oluo straightened up, his face determined.
"Yes, sir." He replied firmly. Levi nodded in approval.
"Bozado, you will remain here. The others will come with me and I will brief them on the training exercise. Your main objective is to get to the other side of the forest, slicing at least 30 titan napes before you get there." Levi explained and Oluo's jaw dropped open. "Problem?" He asked. Oluo snapped his mouth shut quickly and shook his head. "Good. Wait five minutes before you begin. You will be observed throughout the exercise." Levi said, monotoned before starting to walk towards the forest, the others followed him wordlessly like the dedicated soldiers he had trained them to be.
"S-sir!?" Oluo asked and Levi turned slightly. Guess he still had to break this shit in. Still, he'd humour him for now.
"Yes, cadet?"
"W-what will the others do?" He asked, his worry clear from the sweat on his forehead.
"You'll see. Just focus on your objective and try to survive the initiation." Levi said plainly, catching Oluo's eyes widen in dread before he shot off into the forest, the others following him.
OLUO'S P.O.V.
Oluo watched with a very dry mouth as his new squad shot into the trees leaving him very alone and slightly freaked.
"Okay Oluo, calm the fuck down. You can do this. You've trained hard over the last six months just like Dilan told you to. You can survive this. You will earn your place here." He muttered to himself, gaining some inspiration.
A cadet walked by, giving him a weird look for talking to himself and Oluo chuckled nervously as he noticed him, focusing on something else as the cadet disappeared. He sighed in relief, looking at his watch.
2 more minutes.
He wondered what they were planning to with him. Did the others already know this was about to happen? Surely not otherwise they would have warned him. Hm, odd. They followed without question. He thought before he remembered what Dilan said yesterday about trusting them and the Captain. He had to trust his superior without any reservations or he was sure to die out there.
Oluo nodded to himself in understanding. He could do that. But first he had to make sure he actually had a place in the special ops. Unless he impressed Captain Levi, there was a high chance he would be shipped again and someone else would be picked. He couldn't let that happen.
Oluo looked down at his watch and took a deep breath. This is it. Now or never. Don't fuck it up.
Oluo ran forward, shooting his hooks and pulling himself into the breeze. He had gotten a lot faster and a lot better at manoeuvring. He figured he would practice on what he knew and go from there. He swung around a tree, keeping his eyes out for titan dummies and squad members, his eyes narrowing on a titan hiding behind a tree and hooked himself round, propelling towards the wooden training statue. He had no idea how he was going to get 30 dummies. His top in an allocated time was 15 and Oluo was pretty sure the Captain had a time limit for this training exercise. He just wasn't going to tell him like last time.
Hooking into the shoulder and gaining momentum, Oluo reeled himself in and sliced deep into the nape. Deep enough but it could be deeper. He will have to do better next time.
"You will be observed throughout the exercise."
Levi's words rang through his ears and he looked around for any sign of anyone but couldn't catch even a glimpse of evidence to suggest he was being watched.
His father was in the military, so he had taught him the tells, however Oluo supposed this was different. There were humanities two strongest soldiers in this squad. If either Levi or Dilan was watching him, he wouldn't be able to find them. Or perhaps it was a tactic, designed to distract him, make him self-conscious and lose his focus.
Either way, Oluo wasn't gone to let it distract him. He belonged in this squad and he was going to prove it.
It was about 10 minutes later and Oluo was still soaring through the trees without interruption. He had added another 10 titans to his kill count, which he was rather proud about, bringing his score up to 11. 19 left to go, however he didn't know how much time he had left. With that thought, Oluo pushed himself even further.
He blinked as something started coming at him. The object was fast and silent and Oluo almost didn't notice it in time, not that it mattered since he didn't move fast enough, and the thing smacked into his face sending him flying.
Oluo yelped in surprise, free falling for a stunned minute before regaining his senses and hooking onto a tree, landing on a branch and looking around while he rubbed his sore cheek.
What the hell was that?!
Look around he saw nothing out of the ordinary and decided to continue. The Captain had told him to focus on his objective after all. He shouldn't have stopped to check anyway. It was probably just a... flying rock?
Oluo shook his head and kept going until he found around titan dummy, twisting around a tree and about to slice into the nape when something grabbed his foot and he panicked, jolting to a stop and almost dropping his blades in surprise. He managed to keep hold of them as he shot his wires up high and drove upwards, causing the thing on his leg to let go. Oluo snapped his head around to try and catch a glimpse of what happened but nothing again.
Someone was messing with him.
Was this the exercise?
Shaking his head, a little frightened, Oluo dove downwards making quick work of slicing the nape before speeding out of there hoping to lose whatever thing was following him. Who knew training with Levi squad could be so fucking terrifying?!
DILAN'S P.O.V.
Dilan chuckled to herself as Oluo soared away in a clear panic and re-joined Levi who was high up in the trees before they started following him. She had been given orders to rough him up and freak him out, try to distract him and sway him out of his original objective.
It was pretty fun kicking him in the face. She was going to throw him a second ago, but the boy pulled an impressive move to evade her attack. He was doing well, and Dilan was proud of how good he had gotten. Apparently, her midnight talk with him got through. His speed was still immensely impressive, even more so now he had an idea of what to do with it.
"He's doing well." Dilan commented as they watched him from above. The other members of the squad were dotted around, waiting for their moment to strike.
Levi hummed in thought.
"So far." He mumbled. Dilan rolled her eyes. Such a grouch.
"He's gotten better, you have to admit it." Dilan provoked and Levi glared at her.
"I'm not saying he hasn't gotten better. That doesn't mean he's ready for the squad. He still slices too shallow and if he doesn't keep his cool during intense situations, he is going to get himself killed out there. Attack him again, mess with his head." Levi ordered. Dilan sighed but knew her friend was right. They both wanted their squad to survive. Oluo has freaked out on an expedition before. If he loses his cool, he will probably die on the front lines.
"Yes, sir." Dilan replied as they were in a professional setting right now and dived downwards. She landed soundlessly on the floor, running after Oluo as he stopped to attack another titan. Dilan let him complete it this time, nodding to herself as he did a pretty clean slice.
She picked up a rock and hit him in the foot before hiding behind a tree.
"Huh?" Oluo frowned, looking around. He scowled at nothing before taking off again. before he could get too far, Dilan threw another rock, hitting him in the arm and he winced. "The fuck? Where are you?!" He yelled, annoyed.
Dilan cringed, knowing Levi was not going to like his reaction, but luckily the boy shook his head and refocused, mumbling something to himself as he sped away, eager to get away from whatever was attacking him. Dilan decided to pull one more move on him before re-joining Levi's side. From there they would be able to watch the next checkpoints in the shadows.
OLUO'S P.O.V.
Oluo looked around him nervously as he approached his 14th Titan dummy. His heart was pounding fast in anticipation. Whoever was attacking him, they were fast. Too fast. He couldn't spot them, and it was putting him on edge. He didn't know when the next attack was going to take place.
Oluo took a deep breath, keeping on alert.
This is the exercise. He reminded himself.
Losing your cool is going to get you nowhere and you can't go back to the barracks. You have already gotten used to a certain luxury that the Inn provides. Also saving humanity, becoming a better soldier and making a name for yourself and all that shit. But the bed is very comfy. Remember this Oluo.
Oluo found the next titan dummy and was about to slice when something glinted at him. Something that was being reflected from a beam of light breaking through the trees.
Metal?
Oluo's eyes widened and he allowed his instincts to take over just in time, abandoning the slice in time to jump out of the way of the attack. He ended up swinging into a tree but thankfully his hooks minimised most of the impact and he just bruised an arm.
Oluo looked around him with narrow eyes, hoping to get sight of the attacker but again he was met with nothing. They were good. But he did manage to evade. With that prideful thought, Oluo swung down hard onto the nape, creating a deep slash and shooting off. He would prove himself. He had too.
Another long while went by and Oluo was so high strung he felt like he was on some sort of drug. His eyes were darting left and right, waiting for any kind of attack and none came. He remained alone and he kept killing titans without any interference. Oluo took a breath and tried to calm down.
They are trying to get in your head. Reacting like this is letting them win.
Oluo could understand their motive behind the training. He had a while alone to think about why the Captain was doing this exercise with him. In short, they needed to make sure he wasn't going to crack under pressure. Out there in the field, they were going to be on the front lines, the most dangerous position. Some missions were going to be like this. He'd be alone one second, seemingly safe and then the next something will fly out of nowhere and there might be a titan about to swallow him whole.
The Captain needed to make sure Oluo wasn't going to freeze up or lose his cool. He needed to be deemed trustworthy if Levi was going to put effort into him to train him up as an elite. He needed to prove he had potential.
Taking another deep breath, Oluo looked around him before slicing his 26th titan nape. Four more to go.
Still no sign of anyone.
Oluo wiped the sweat off of his forehead, deeply hating the tense, thick, unbearable silence but proceeded anyway, ducking under a tree and spotting the next dummy. It was a smaller one. 5 meters. Oluo dove down low, not missing a beat as he twisted round it and was about to slice the rubber when...
CLANG!
His blades collided with something that was definitely not rubber and Oluo blinked as he was suddenly met with a grinning Gunther, protecting the nape from him. Oluo sprung back in surprise, grappling to a tree as Gunther hooked onto the titan dummy, blades glinting in the sun.
"Gunther?! What the hell are you doing?!" Oluo asked, baffled. Is this where they had all been? He looked around for the others but only saw Gunther.
The boy smirked.
"I am under orders to protect this dummy. If you want to get to 30, you'll have to go through me." He grinned a determined grin. Oluo blinked, his brain catching up.
4 more to go, 4 more squad mates, minus the Captain. Oluo supposed he would have to face his team and get around them in order to achieve his objective.
Damn the Captain's good.
"Seems that way." Oluo smirked back, readying his blades.
"Remember when we spared in the training corps. I always kicked you on your ass." Gunther teased, obviously trying to egg him. Oluo wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. Not today. Not while his superiors were watching.
"Nice try, Gunther. Let's do this." He moved onto the task at hand, not wanting to waste time.
Gunther smiled, impressed and nodded, readying himself. They both flew through the air and their blades clanged as the steel collided, throwing them both back at the impact and they flew through the air going back and forth, each trying to gain the advantage. Oluo looked at his opponent, trying to think of ways to get the upper hand.
He had known Gunther for a long time, since they were both toddlers. They were all from the same village, it's why they knew each other so well, despite being different ages. The only reason Eld is older is because he joined the training corps late. His father tried hard to rope him into the farming business but gave in after seeing how unhappy his son was. So, they enlisted together and here they are three years later.
There were disadvantages to knowing a person so long, for instance, they knew all about your previous fuck ups. However, there were benefit's too. An example being the fact that Gunther had a weak spot behind his left knee after he broke his leg playing football and it had never healed the same.
Oluo repelled Gunther's blades, flipping backwards and hooking his gears, using his gas to throw himself up and into an arch movement so he was now behind Gunther in one swift movement he kicked him in the back of his left knee and Gunther cried out in pain, losing focus as he tried not to fall. Oluo used the window to swing upwards and slice deep into the nape, grinning in triumph.
He dropped to the ground where Gunther had managed to land before collapsing on the ground, nursing his wound with a frown. Oluo offered him an apologetic look and a hand up.
Gunther crack a smirk and took it.
"You bastard. Who knew you would use my childhood against me?" Gunther chuckled. Oluo smirked and pat him on the back.
"You put up a good fight, man. See ya at the finish line." Oluo said before shooting off into the breeze.
It didn't take long before he was met with his next target, but what surprised Oluo was that both Petra and Eld were waiting on the branch next to the titan. Oluo dropped to the ground, as quietly as he could and hid behind a tree, watching them and waiting to decide his next course of action.
He couldn't take them both, so he needed a plan.
"It's been a long time!" Petra whined, kicking her legs that were hanging over the edge of the branch.
Eld sighed, crossing his arms and leaning back on the tree.
"You know how he is. Maybe he bit his own tongue off and died of blood loss." Eld suggested with a shrug. Oluo frowned at them as Petra chuckled.
I'll show you, man bun.
Oluo quickly formulated a plan, grabbing a rock, he threw it to the side, hitting a tree in the distance and making an audible thump that put both squad members on edge as they stood up, looking towards that direction.
"What was that? Was it him?" Petra asked. Eld frowned slightly.
"Oluo's not normally that quiet. It was probably just an animal. But I'll check it out, stay here." Eld suggested and Petra nodded before he shot off into the distance.
Oluo smirked.
Dance my puppets! Dance!
Taking a gamble while Petra was distracted, Oluo ran along the forest floor, hiding up against the tree and realising a breath as Petra looked down but couldn't see him.
He edged around the roots of the tree, careful not to trip up before getting around the back and spotting the titan dummy and its oh so unprotected nape.
Oluo smirked as he waited for the right moment shooting his gears and swinging around, too fast for Petra to react before he sliced deep into the rubber and Petra gasped at the sudden entrance.
"NO! Oluo where the hell did you come from!?" She asked, exasperated. Oluo grinned as Eld heard the ruckus and came back, clearly not happy. They both landed on the branch and Oluo couldn't help a little gloating this time.
"Well you see Petra dear, I am clearly superior-" Oluo started before his tongue caught between his teeth and he bit down hard, blood spraying out, his face contorting in pain.
Petra sighed loudly.
"How did we let this idiot outsmart us?" She frowned. Eld smiled, rolling his eyes.
"We underestimated him clearly." He chuckled.
"Exfphactly!" Oluo mumbled through his swollen tongue. He wiped the blood away, managing to speak normally. "Why are you both here? Who's on the other titans?" He asked curiously. Petra and Eld shared a smirk.
"Guess you'll find out soon enough." Petra said gleefully. Eld nodded.
"Good luck, mate." He grinned. Oluo frowned, dread dripping into his stomach but he jumped off the branch anyway and flew off. From their words and using logic, the last two dummies had to be Dilan and the Captain, right? He didn't want it to be true since there was no way he was beating either of them, but you don't always get what you want.
Oluo ducked down as he found the next titan dummy, Dilan sitting casually on top of the head of a 14-meter wooden figure, eating an apple. He dropped to the ground, hoping to pull of something similar to the method before but alas, Dilan was no moron.
"Come out, Oluo. I saw you coming a mile away." She chuckled. Oluo sighed and walked out into the open, looking up at her.
"I'm supposed to fight you?" He scoffed. Dilan sniggered and finished the last bit of her apple before throwing the core into the distance and dropping down to the forest floor effortlessly.
"I've been watching your work and I've been very impressed so far." Dilan smiled and Oluo tried hard not to blush.
"R-really?" He asked, hopefully. Dilan chuckled.
"Yep. I'm interested to know how you dodged my last attack." Dilan asked curiously, tilting her head slightly. Oluo's eyes widened.
"That was you?!" He asked and Dilan smirked, nodding. He sighed. Of course, it was her. The attacks were flawless after all. "I saw a flash of metal, so I ducked." He shrugged. Dilan hummed in understanding, seemingly impressed which made Oluo way happier than he would care to admit.
"Okay cadet. Here's how this goes. We both know you're shit at combat and have no chance at beating me. The deal is if you can last 10 seconds against me, I'll step aside and let you cut the nape." Dilan offered.
Oluo, nodding supposing it was a fair deal.
"Any rules?" He asked.
"On ground fight. No weapons. Only fists. Good?" She asked and he nodded again, sheathing his blades. Oluo got into a stance and took a breath. Dilan leaned forward slightly before running at him.
1
Oluo's eyes widened in panic as there was suddenly a foot hurdling through the air towards his face.
2
He narrowly dodged the attack, ducking under the leg.
3
He stumbled but regained his balanced, quickly deciding on a defensive approach. If he attacked back, Dilan was likely to use his attack against him and get him on the ground. He needed to keep his limbs close and avoid her attacks.
4
Dilan dropped her leg back down, twisting on her heel and using the momentum to send a right hook towards his jaw.
5
Oluo wasn't able to avoid that one, wincing and stumbling at the impact but managed to duck under another incoming fist, kicking her in the shin as he did so, and Dilan gave him an impressed look for being able to get a hit on her. Not that she was affected even minutely from the impact.
6
Oluo stumbled backwards as he was given a sharp shove to the chest.
7
Dilan grabbed his arm, as he had stupidly reached out to try and grab something to hold onto to keep himself up right, instinctively.
8
He was kicked in the kneecap and he yelped at the sharp pain as Dilan got behind him.
9
Oluo fell to his knees, his arm twisted behind his back. He knew what was coming next and he screwed his eyes up in anticipation.
10
Dilan grabbed his other arm, restraining it and forcing his face into the dirt.
Oluo breathed heavily, wincing from the impact, wondering in awe how someone could get that good at combat. He would never be at that level, no matter how much he trained. Dilan may very be the definition of small but deadly. Her movements were so efficient it was scary.
This was a dangerous woman. Someone not to be messed with.
"Fucking hell." He breathed. Dilan chuckled and leg go of him causing Oluo to sigh loudly in relief as he managed to get up.
"Not bad, rook, nice defensive method. I'd say that was just 10 seconds. Go on then." She smiled encouragingly. Oluo smiled back, looking up at the titan nape before frowning at a sudden realisation.
"What's the point? I'm up against the Captain next. I'll never beat him." He sighed. Dilan hummed in agreement.
"No, I don't think so." She commented bluntly and Oluo gave her a playful glare which made her laugh. He shot his gears and sliced the nape, landing safely and walking back over to Dilan. "You won't beat Levi through brawn. You have to use brain. Although that's pretty difficult since he's got an unnatural amount of those too." Dilan chuckled. Oluo frowned in through before it came to him.
"Dilan are there any rules to this exercise?" He asked. Dilan blinked at him.
"Rules?" She asked. Oluo nodded. "Well there was none set specifically. Why?" She asked.
Oluo smirked.
"I have a plan."
LEVI'S P.O.V.
Levi sighed in annoyance, waiting for the shit to show up. Dilan had suggested he be the final opponent. He didn't see the point, but he didn't protest. The best way to test Bozado's capabilities was to see how he would attack an enemy much stronger than him. However, Levi had to admit. So far, he had been impressed.
Avoiding Dilan's attack was surprising, using Gunther's weakness like that was impressive, outsmarting both Eld and Petra was interesting to watch, even if the idiot ruined it by gloating afterward.
He seemed to have some brains in that head of his. Levi wondered how he was doing with Dilan. He knew he wouldn't beat her in combat. Levi was curious to whether he had survived the 10 second time limit. He wasn't sure what he was going to do when Oluo faced him. Probably just beat the shit out of him and see how the boy handles it.
Levi's ears pricked as he heard a slight hissing. He looked around, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up. Something was coming. But where?
Levi looked around again but saw no sign of an intruder. Oluo wasn't this good. What the hell was going on?
Levi's eyes widened as he realised what was happening a second too late and looked up in time to catch a glimpse of orange before a person collided into him, pushing them both off the branch he was standing on as the idiot, he now realised was Dilan, wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist as they fell, leaving Levi to make sure they both didn't die.
"Brat!" Levi gritted but Dilan ignored him.
"NOW OLUO!" She yelled, avoiding Levi's death glare as he managed to hook them into a tree.
Dilan laughed, letting go of him to jump back into the air and Levi watched with surprise was Oluo materialised out of nowhere and cut the final nape.
The bastard did it.
"WHOO!" Dilan cheered, swinging towards him, landing on the ground and slapping him on the back, hard enough to make him splutter.
Levi frowned and landed on the floor, walking towards them. Dilan smirked in amusement while Oluo's eyes widened and he gulped, looking at the ground.
"I assume you're behind this little alliance?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Oluo tensed, looking very regretful.
"Yes, sir." He admitted.
"And you thought it would be a good idea?" He demanded, monotoned. Oluo gulped again.
"Yes sir." He squeaked. Levi stayed silent for a long time, enjoying him squirm. The truth was, Levi was pleased he had taken such initiative as to find a way to beat him using the team.
But he didn't like that he was bested by a rookie, so he was glaring him down first. Dilan gave him a look and he rolled his eyes but agreed the boy was probably about to shit himself.
"You impressed me today, Bozado. Keep it up and we'll make a fine soldier out of you. Welcome to the special ops." He said, monotoned before walking away. He heard some spluttering from the kid, sounds of disbelief, and some praise from Dilan before Levi disappeared into the trees to round up the other shits.
DILAN'S P.O.V.
"Okay, you'll all be okay?" Dilan asked as she prepared to leave. It was later that afternoon, a few hours before sundown and Levi and herself had been called to HQ by Hanji. Dilan was slightly worried about leaving the others alone by themselves. They would likely set the Inn on fire.
"Yes, mum." Gunther teased with a smirk and Dilan gave him an unamused look which made him snigger.
The four were seated in the lounge with the fire on, relaxing after the long day of training. Dilan had convinced Levi to give them the rest of the day off, considering they had worked hard recently.
Levi was reluctant to agree but Dilan suggested if they didn't have a break every now and again, they were going to burn themselves out and be no use to anyone. Levi glared at her for that but did give in. He was currently saddling the horses.
"We'll be fine, Dil. Will you both be back for dinner?" Petra asked kindly.
"Honestly, I have no idea what this is about. Don't worry about it though. If we're not back in time we'll just grab a snack. Behave and go to bed early. If I find out you've been partying without me, I will not be happy." She warned and they laughed, nodding. She smiled in approval and left the house, jogging to the stable to catch up with Levi. "Do you know what this is about?" Dilan asked, mounting her horse and following Levi towards the gate.
"No, but apparently it's urgent. We should get a move on." Levi suggested and Dilan nodded in agreement. With that, they both galloped off.
A brisk ride to the compound and they stabled their horses, moving quickly towards Hanji's lab which was what the telegram requested.
Dilan opened the door, slightly worried now and stepped inside.
"Hanji?" She called. Was it her or did the lab seem messier than usual? 5 lamps were on, shining on different pieces of parchment. There were files everywhere. Dilan would think someone had robbed the place but knowing her friend, it seemed the more unlikely of the two options. The second option being Hanji was just the messiest person within the walls.
"Oi, shit face." Levi called impatiently as they looked around the eerily quiet place. They shared a look, not liking the lack of noise. From experience, they both knew something was off.
"HA!" Hanji shouted, surprising them both as she jumped up from behind a large stack of papers. Dilan had grabbed her dagger at the loud noise and had been preparing to throw it in the direction of Hanji's face before she jumped up.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING!? I ALMOST KILLED YOU!" Dilan exclaimed in utter annoyance. She had even cut her hand on the sharp edge from the abruptness of realising it was just Hanji and stopping herself from throwing it.
She threw knifes holding the bladed end. It gave it a better spin.
"Oops. Sorry Dil." Hanji chuckled nervously as Levi sent her a death glare before he took Dilan's hand and inspecting the gash on her palm.
"Idiot." He muttered, rolling his eyes and leading Dilan over to a sink and washing the blood away before it got on the floor. Dilan pouted, biting back a wince.
HANJI'S P.O.V.
Hanji watched the pair curiously from the doorway as Levi gently washed Dilan's hand, being the most affectionate Hanji had ever seen him. Dilan didn't seem to be phased in the slightest which led Hanji to the conclusion that Levi must be kind like this a lot when they were alone.
Makes sense considering his feelings for her. Such a tricky couple. They were a lot harder to get together than Hanji had once thought. It was pretty easy to let Levi know about his feelings, but Dilan was the more difficult case. Originally, Hanji had planned on leaving Levi to pine for her for a while before Hanji would clue Dilan in on the big secret but then shit exploded. With her expedition to capture a titan raging, then the trouble with Levi's friends and then Levi's poisoning and Dilan's imprisonment.
It seemed as though the world was against them being together. Hanji saw differently though. Those two were soul mates. She could see it so clearly from the outside.
It was love.
The thought made her smile until she remembered her shitty orders from the Commander. It had happened the night Levi threatened to resign if Dilan didn't get justice from those sadistic guards. Levi was dismissed but Hanji was told to remain...
From the tone in the commander's voice, Hanji knew this was not going to be good. The door closed behind her short friend and Erwin looked to her with icy blue analytical eyes.
Hanji swallowed dryly, knowing what was coming next. Erwin gestured to a seat and Hanji took it without questioning. It was better not to anger Erwin when he was in a mood like this. His cold eyes wanted answers and he was willing to do whatever it took to get them.
"He knows, doesn't he?" Erwin asked in a low voice that sent a shiver down her spine. She swallowed again.
"Knows what?" She asked and Erwin gave her a disappointed look.
"Knows that Dilan is the little sister of his dead friend, Farlan Church." Erwin said emotionlessly and Hanji's eyes widened.
Not from the shock of finding out, of course, she had known for a while now, but from the fact that Erwin would willingly give her this information. They had been hiding a lot from each other lately. There had been a shift in loyalty in the corps. You were either loyal to Dilan or Erwin.
Hanji didn't really know how it happened, she had been a loyal corps member for over 19 years now and never faltered once in her understanding of the chain of command. And yet, as soon as Dilan came into the picture, she found herself doing all sorts of crazy shit to help that girl. Hanji supposed she saw Dilan as something of a sister. She loved that girl to pieces. More than her loyalty to the commander it seemed.
Hanji decided not to play innocent anymore. The cat was out of the bag and they both knew it. Still, it's not like she had to confirm how knowledgeable she was, so she stayed quiet.
"We've known each other for a long time, Hanji. You've had my undivided trust for a long time. Which is why I find your betrayal so hurtful." Erwin continued in a commanding voice. Hanji frowned slightly, pursing her lips.
"I don't believe I've betrayed you or done anything to lose your trust." Hanji defended. Erwin raised an unamused eyebrow.
"Oh really?" He asked. Hanji didn't answer. "How about discontinuing a background check on Dilan without my permission? Plotting with Levi to get him medical leave doesn't ring a bell? Or what about abandoning your duties to go run around the underground?" He said coldly.
"With all due respect, commander, that was over a year ago now." She pointed out. Erwin smiled but it was a sinister smile that made Hanji swallow, yet again. She really didn't like it when Erwin got like this.
"Oh, so you want a recent example of your insubordination? Is disobeying my orders to, instead, follow Dilan into the dark forest after I told you to stay put, good enough for you?" He mentioned and Hanji frowned.
"If I didn't do that, Levi would put dead." Hanji countered. Erwin sighed, pinching the brim of his nose and closing his eyes.
"It's not the fact that you disobeyed for the right reasons." He started, opening his eyes. "It's the FACT that you DISOBEYED IN THE FIRST PLACE!" He raised his voice and Hanji shrunk back a bit.
"I'm sorry, it won't happen again." She replied, looking at her hands. Erwin sighed and took in a breath to calm down.
"I should hope not. Now tell me, how long has he known?" Erwin refocused, his eyes daring Hanji to lie to him after their recent conversation about discipline. She couldn't lie. Especially not when she had a feeling the Commander already knew when he found out. Hanji had to cover for Levi in that meeting, saying he had some urgent business with the squad and that he couldn't attend.
"He found out a week before the expedition. The door was open when you and Mike were talking. We heard the whole thing." Hanji explained. Erwin sighed.
"As I suspected." He frowned slightly. "Does Dilan know?" He asked. Hanji hated that she was going behind their back to talk about them like this but didn't see much else she could do right now. She needed to win back the Commanders trust. Maybe she could use it to help Levi and Dilan in the future, should Erwin try to go up against them again.
"Last time I checked; Levi told me he wasn't going to tell her." Hanji explained and Erwin looked relieved but confused.
"Why wouldn't he? I thought they were close." He asked, curiously. Hanji sighed.
"They are close, but this is Levi we're talking about. He believes he killed them, that his actions killed Church and Magnolia. If Dilan really is the boy's sister, then it's possible Levi thinks Dilan will resent him for her brother's death. Plus, I bet he doesn't want to upset her with the details. Dilan's happy right now and Levi doesn't want to jeopardise that, so he plans to bear the weight of the secret by himself. Even if it destroys him." Hanji explained, mumbling the last part, trying to ignore the guilt curdling in her stomach.
Erwin hummed in understanding.
"An unforeseen circumstance but not an unwelcome one. It's obvious, if what just happened is any indication, Levi's loyalty to Dilan has increased tenfold, just as I expected, which is an inconvenience, but Dilan was the wild card. As long as she stays in the dark, I think this could work." Erwin said thoughtfully. Hanji looked at him in disbelief.
She couldn't comprehend this man sometimes. Does he even have emotions?
"It wasn't finding out that Dilan and Farlan were related that made Levi loyal to her. He wouldn't gamble his position in the corps for that. Levi is loyal to Dilan because he cares about her and it works the other way around. You can't dictate how they feel and move them around like chess pieces. They are real people with real feelings, and you need to start becoming aware of that before your ignorance ends up biting you in the ass!" Hanji gritted out, angrily.
He had done enough to Dilan. She didn't want the games to continue. Erwin was unperturbed by her aggressions and adopted a curious expression.
"I see... so they have feelings for each other is what your trying to say. Very interesting. I will have to take this into account from now on. Letting them start a relationship could cause trouble for the corps so we can't allow that to happen. Unfortunately, there are no strict rules about superiors dating subordinates, however it is heavily frowned upon. That should be enough to deter them now until I can get an actual rule written up. Thank you for bringing this to my attention, section commander." He smiled smugly and Hanji's eyes widened. The blonde bastard had bested her. How could she do this? How could she ruin this for them!?
"Am I dismissed, sir?" Hanji asked, trying and failing to keep the resentment out of her voice. Erwin nodded and she stood up, ready to leave when the bastard spoke again.
"Hanji, you are under strict orders to make sure a relationship does not occur between them. If you find anything of merit that suggests something between them has happened you will report back to me immediately. Is this understood?" Erwin said firmly. Hanji's stomach dropped but she nodded anyway.
"Yes sir." She sighed, leaving the room.
"Ow! Levi it hurts!" Dilan complained, snapping Hanji out of her daze. Levi rolled his eyes and continued bandaging the girl's hand to stop blood getting everywhere.
"Shut up. If you weren't an idiot, this wouldn't have happened in the first place." Levi replied in a bored voice and Dilan glared at him.
"How is this my fault!?" She huffed.
"Hanji's always doing crazy shit like that. You should be used to it by now." He shrugged. Dilan scowled, mumbling a mutter of curses under her breath but didn't retort.
Hanji smiled at them sadly. Their time would come, she knew it. They just had to hold out a little longer.
"Oi, four eyes. What was so urgent you needed us here now?" Levi asked, eyes still on Dilan as he finished tying the bandage up. Hanji blinked before understanding the question and gasping.
"YES, I REMEMBER! WE MUST MAKE HASTE!" She screamed, grabbing a cloak and her key before speeding out of the door, startling a stack of papers in her urgency to get moving.
LEVI'S P.O.V.
Levi glared at where Hanji was before glaring at the stack of papers on the floor. His fingers itched and he desperately wanted to straighten things up. This was the danger of coming into Hanji's lab.
"Oh no." Dilan commented. "Levi we cannot clean right now!" Dilan argued before he even had the chance to start cleaning, reading him completely.
Sometimes Levi was pretty sure the girl had a key to his mind. He clenched his fists, really fucking wanting to clean up. Drawbacks of OCD. He thought sarcastically.
"Hey." Dilan said in a softer tone, gaining his attention, she seemed to have noticed how uncomfortable the mess was making him. "If it's really messing with you, I'll come and help you another time, but you know as well as I do, Hanji is a creature of habit. Give it a day and it will be in shambles again." Dilan said with a smile.
Levi had to bite back a smile at her words. She really did care about him. Especially considering how much she hates cleaning. He knew she wasn't lying. If he really wanted her to, she would come back with him and clean the whole place until it was spotless. That was just the kind of selfless person she was.
Levi sighed and nodded, avoiding the mess.
"You're right. She's not human. Let's go before we lose her, and this ends up becoming an utter waste of time." Levi suggested, frowning as he stepped over the files. Dilan chuckled and nodded.
They managed to track Hanji down, following her into the more secluded part of the compound where the crazy scientist did most of her experiments. The place was banned from cadets and word around the corps was that it was haunted by the soldiers who died during Hanji's failed experiments.
Of course, that was bullshit. No one had died during Hanji's experiments so far. There were just a few burns and one minor amputation of a man's thumb but Erwin had paid him off and they weren't allowed to talk about that.
"HURRY UP!" Hanji yelled at them. Levi and Dilan rolled their eyes in unison but quickened their pace and followed the crazy shit into what looked to be a massive tent. It was dark in the space and Levi narrowed his eyes, trying to make anything out. He felt on edge. What was with that?
"Levi somethings in here." Dilan whispered beside him which confirmed his theory. She felt it too. Levi stepped forward, about to grab Hanji from where she should be moving in front of them before a loud groan made him freeze. Dilan gasped and grabbed onto his arm. "The fuck!" She hissed. Levi swallowed. There was only one creature who made that noise.
"Alberto I'm home, honey!" Hanji cooed through the darkness before an oil lamp was lit, illuminating the place. Dilan's breath hitched and Levi's eyes widened when they saw they were standing right in front of a massive 4-fucking-metre titan tied up with chains. It had a collar round its neck, and it was in a sitting position, thick metal bolts pushed through its limbs and into the ground. "Hi baby, how have you been?" She asked in a mothering tone, walking forward to pet the Titan's foot.
Dilan gasped out something incoherent, still majorly stunned but Levi managed to snap out of it as the beast tried to lunge towards their idiot friend, putting strain on the chains. He grabbed Hanji by the scuff of her collar, pulling her and Dilan back until they reached a safe distance.
"What the fuck, shitty glasses?!" Levi spat, incredibly angry. They almost walked straight into it.
"What?" Hanji asked, tilting her head, oblivious to the dangers. Levi and Dilan sent her furious glares.
"A little warning would have been nice!" Dilan hissed. Hanji blinked at them for a second. Then she blinked again. Suddenly, she cracked a grin and burst out laughing.
"Oh my god! I forgot to tell you!" She cackled like a mad woman and Levi and Dilan looked nervously to the titan who was stirring slightly.
"Hanji please stop laughing. You're angering it." Dilan whispered, pleadingly. Hanji's head snapped around to the titan, eyes wide and notebook already at hand.
"I am?!" She exclaimed, walking over and looking at the creature with fascination. Levi all but face palmed.
"Hanji, why the hell are we here!?" Levi demanded, having reached the end of his tether a long time ago. Hanji pocketed her notebook after a few scribbles and turned back to them, clapping her hands.
"Yes! I need you two to watch Alberto while I go to the Sina science dinner." Hanji explained. Both of them blinked.
"What?" Dilan asked.
"Yeah, it's this dinner where I have to talk up my work to a bunch of nobles, so they'll give us funding. Erwin doesn't normally let me go because apparently I 'talk too much' but they need a representative and I've promised to be on my best behaviour!" She informed with a grin and a thumbs up. Levi was this close to ripping his hair out.
"We don't give a shit about your crappy dinner! Why do you need us here? You have a whole fucking taskforce to watch this thing." Levi asked, annoyed. Hanji chuckled.
"Yeah, well, the taskforce is coming with me so the nobles can talk to the 'team who captured the titan'. No one else is brave enough to do it so I'm putting my best soldiers on it. I left you a game of cards and some alcohol to entertain yourselves." Hanji said with a smile, grabbing a briefcase of something before walking towards the exit.
Levi shared an exasperated look with Dilan and they both rushed to stop her.
"Hey hang on! How long do we have to be here with this thing!?" Dilan asked. Hanji hummed.
"We'll probably we back around 2 am. But then the guys are going to be drunk and want to sleep so I'll be here like 5 tomorrow to relieve you of watch duties." She said with a smile and both of them balked at her. "If anything happens to him, I will kill both of you." She turned happy to murderous in a second and both of them gulped. "Otherwise, make sure you keep it dark in here and have fun. Chow!" She laughed as she ran out of the entrance, leaving them in a silence apart from the heavy breathing of fucking alberto behind them.
"How did we let that happen?" Dilan asked after a moment of stunned silence. Levi was equally baffled. They were practically put on baby-sitting duty.
"No fucking clue. I feel like it was your fault though." Levi said with a sigh, walking over to the minimalistic wooden table with the oil lamp resting on top of it and taking a seat, hoping to god it was clean. Dilan huffed, walking over and sitting down too.
"How the hell is it my fault?" She protested and the titan shifted. Levi gave her a look and she immediately lowered her voice.
"Well I recall a time long ago when I wanted to kill her. You said I shouldn't. Here we are." He summarised in a bored voice and Dilan laughed softly, shaking her head in disbelief.
"If you look at it that way then I suppose, logically, I must be the one to blame." She rolled her eyes. Levi smirked, picking up the pack of cards.
"Damn straight, brat." He said simply, shuffling the pack. In all honesty, despite the inconvenience, he was happy for some time alone with Dilan without having to watch out for the squad around every corner. From the contented look on Dilan's face as she opened the bottle of brandy Hanji had left them, she felt the same way.
"Deal em out then. I believe the score is 8 all, correct?" She asked, taking a swig. Levi smirked.
"Not for long." He said smugly. Dilan smirked, back, her orange eyes fiery with determination.
"Bring it on, grumps."
A long few competitive hours later and the pair had stopped playing cards in favour of focusing on their drinking. They had abandoned the table and chairs, sitting downside by side against the wall. Thankfully, the titan had passed out a while ago, so they didn't have to worry about making that much noise. Not that they were being overly loud anyway.
They were both pretty tipsy. Levi smiled tiredly as Dilan took a glug of the bottle and sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder. He had noticed Dilan had become a lot more affectionate with him since he almost died. Guess that went both ways. He wondered if it meant something on her side.
"Hey Levi?" Dilan slurred. Levi smiled in amusement, looking down at her. Dilan was a lot more drunk than him.
"Yeah?" He asked, taking the bottle.
"Do you remember anything about your mother?" Dilan asked, leaning into him. Levi froze slightly at the question, just as he had lifted the bottle to his lips. He paused, looking down at the sleepy girl. It was only Dilan. He could talk about this stuff with her.
"Some things. She had dark brown hair and grey eyes like mine, but hers were lighter. She had a kind smile and she always used to tell me she loved me, even though my existence made her life so difficult." Levi sighed. Her passing still hurt him, despite how it had been over 20 years now. A warm hand slipped into his, squeezing it for support and Levi smiled subconsciously.
"She sounded amazing. I wish I could have met her." Dilan mused and Levi felt his heart warm at that.
"Me too. She would have liked you." Levi replied genuinely and Dilan smiled.
"It's nice you have memories of her. All I know about my parents is what my brother told me." Dilan yawned tiredly, leaning her head back on his shoulder, oblivious to the fact that Levi's whole body just freeze up remembering one detail that he had been trying hard not to let get to him since the expedition.
Dilan was Farlan's little sister.
Farlan's sister was holding his hand, Farlan's sister was leaning against his side, Farlan's sister was the girl he was indisputably in love with. Levi swallowed dryly, feeling the guilt rising up his throat, trying to choke him. He bit his lip as he felt a urge to cut, trying not to let the feeling get to him. Would now be a good time to tell her? While they were on the subject?
His stomach curled at the thought and he took a deep breath, not being able to do it. Besides, it wasn't the right time. They were stuck here together, and Dilan might need some time alone to deal with this news. She was intoxicated and tired too. They both needed to be fully sober for that conversation.
Still, would there ever be a perfect time? It was entirely possible Levi would always find an excuse to shove in the way and 'plan' to tell her another time. Would he ever be able to risk her hating him?
"Dilan..." Levi whispered. Dilan hummed that she was listening, her eyes were closed. She looked close to passing out. "You'll always be my friend, right?" Levi asked hopefully, needing to hear her say it right now. Dilan smiled, keeping her eyes closed.
"Yep, you can't get rid of me. I'm stuck in your life forever, bastard." She muttered drunkenly. Levi smiled, breathing out in relief.
"Good. That's a promise." He said softly. Dilan gave a small nod, her consciousness fading. Levi smiled, tucking some hair behind her ear as she passed out. "I'll be honest one day. You deserve the truth." He said quietly, leaning his head back on the wall, he took a sip of alcohol, sighing in annoyance as he realised the brat had left him alone for the rest of the shitty night.
She will be paying for this tomorrow. He thought without any real irritation or malice. If he was more honest with himself, he would admit he was glad Dilan fell asleep. He loved how safe she felt around him that she could pass out whenever she wanted and know she'll be fine. If he wanted Dilan to feel anything around him, it was safe.
A/N: Hey! Sorry for the slight delay in update. I had one of those days yesterday where I couldn't find the will to do anything but lie in bed and sleep. School is kicking my ass. Still, writing this story always manages to help me gather some energy and I have you guys to thank for that.
Hope you enjoyed the chapter. We're getting super close! Love you all! Thanks for reading! X
