Year 840 – Trost – Survey Corps HQ
NEW BEGINNINGS
/~~~~\
Blood.
There's just so… much blood.
Why was there so much…?
Levi heard a sickening crunch behind him and turned his head away from the heart shattering sight of Isabel's decapitated head to look through the fog, his eyes widening as he watched Farlan's upper torso spat out into the mud, forming another, somehow larger pool as he drowned in himself.
Everything was over now…
So much time spent together and now it was just… over…
Was separating from someone always so quick?
Would it always be this painful?
Levi glared up at the monster that took everything away from him. He only had one option now.
Kill.
1 MONTH LATER:
/~~~~\
Knock, knock, knock.
The banging announced on Levi's door, or rather, his shared door, causing a few groans to spill from various men's lips. Levi rolled his eyes, unsure if he could hate the barracks more. The people, the noise, the snoring. It was exhausting. He had been up for 3 hours now. Sleep was rare these days, but it always had been for the privileged. He still didn't consider himself one of them. And they felt the same way.
It's surprising he was even allowed to stay in the men's barracks. A dangerous criminal like him should surely be kept in the dungeons for sleep. He was just a tool after all. The freak that can kill titan's like lightning. They didn't see him as human. Not that they mentioned any of this to his face. They were too damn terrified to try anything with him. But he wasn't death. And he didn't sleep.
These idiots weren't subtle in the slightest.
It had been a month since Isabel and Farlan died and he had decided to stay with the corps. In truth, he felt it was his purpose. A strange notion really. His purpose was to follow around that bastard of a Squad Leader that manipulated them and cost him his friends lives?
And yet, he couldn't describe it any other way.
The resentment was still fresh, but he knew he had to protect that bastard for the rest of his miserable life.
Knock, knock, knock.
More groans.
"Is someone going to fucking get that?" Someone grumbled into their pillow. Levi heard a series of 'dibs not', like they were a bunch of whiny little toddlers. Rolling his eyes, he stepped down from the top bunk and walked over to the door, opening it. His lazy stare met that of a trembling cadet.
"I-Is cadet Levi here?" He asked shakily. Levi frowned.
"Whose asking?" He shot back, a habit of his picked up in the underground. Never give a person your name before you know theirs. Surface life was not coming easy to him. The cadet flinched and took a step back.
"S-S-Squad leader Erwin." He answered. Levi stared at him with dulled eyes, watching him sweat.
"Message received." He scoffed, slamming the door in his face and walking back over to his bunk. What the fuck did Eyebrows want so early in the morning?
"Hey, you should be nicer to the messenger cadets, dude. Their job fucking sucks. Picking up the balls to join the military where some fat ass higher up then decides to take those balls away from you and shove you in a desk job? It's a load of bullshit." Simon said through a yawn, scratching his messy bedhead.
Simon was the cadet that slept on the bottom part of his bunk. He was tall, stupid, with tanned skin, blonde hair and brown eyes. Although while his intelligence lacked, he made up for it in skill. He was liked by most, considered as a general 'nice guy'. The weirdo was decent towards him, despite Levi giving nothing back.
He didn't need friends and he didn't intent to make them ever again.
Simon would be dead in a year, or two if he was lucky.
"Noted." Levi replied plainly, opening his trunk, pulling off his shirt and starting to get dressed in his uniform. Simon yawned again.
"What does the Smith want?" He asked. Levi gave him a look, pulling on his jacket.
"Did you hear me asking for the rat's life story? I know as much as you." Levi replied bitterly, tying up his boots. He could feel the distasteful looks on his back but none of them spoke up. Simon didn't seem to care less about his sour mood.
"Maybe he wants to promote you?" He suggested excitedly. Levi scoffed, raking a hand through his hair as he walked towards the door.
"I'd rather suck a dick." Levi said nonchalantly, hands in his pockets, he kicked open the door and slammed it shut behind him. Interested, he listened by the door, supressing a smirk of amusement to himself as he heard the whispers start.
"What the hell is wrong with that guy?" One of them started complaining immediately.
"I know right?! It's like he thinks he's better than everyone else."
"Lay off him guys! He's new!" Simon defended. They ignored him.
"Being new doesn't justify that psychotic stare." One mumbled.
"He honestly scares me."
"Underground man. I'm grateful he hasn't slit any of our throats yet." One of them sighed.
"What?! You think he could really do something like that?!" Another panicked.
"Like I just said. He's from the underground, Bill. None of them bastards have clean hands. Even the children are murders. I honestly don't know why we're still providing them food and water. We should just save the resources and block up the stair gates. Starve them all out." The same guy commented. Levi frowned slightly. He didn't give a shit when they talked about him. He actually found it quite amusing. But as much as he hated the place, the underground didn't deserve that shit to be spat at them. They had it hard enough already.
Silence.
"Know where the line is, Toby." Simon commented, a slight disgust in his tone.
"Tell me I'm wrong." He shot back.
Silence.
Levi scoffed quietly, shaking his head and starting down the hall. And they call him the savage. What was scary is that a lot of people had that point of view. How long before someone just decides to fuck it. It wouldn't take much. Block up the exits and people would last maybe a month top. It would be a blood bath. Fighting over the little food and water they had left. Crime would increase dramatically. Not that it wasn't high to begin with. If they don't eliminate the titans soon, who knows how long the underground people have left.
Shaking his head of the thoughts, Levi stalked down the empty halls, feeling the cool morning breeze wafting along the corridors, his breath coming out in slight clouds. He didn't get affected by cold. Winter in the underground was unimaginable.
Getting to the large oak mahogany door a few minutes later, Levi knocked his fist on the polished wood.
"Name and business." Called Erwin. Levi rolled his eyes.
"It was you who called me here, wasn't it?" He asked dryly. A giggle made him raise an eyebrow. Who the fuck was that?
He heard some mumbling and another giggle before Erwin finally replied to him.
"Come in, Levi. I have someone for you to meet." Erwin said. Levi made a face but opened the door, stepping inside and closing it behind him.
When he looked at Erwin, sitting at his desk, his eyes were immediately drawn to the third person in the room, casually standing behind Erwin's shoulders, her arms wrapped around him from behind, her chin resting on his thick blonde hair, smoothing the crinkles out of his uniform in an affectionate gesture. She was in a corps uniform, her hair tied back into a tight bun at the back of her head.
She had dark brown hair, sharp green eyes. Bright but dead inside. Sharp jawline, delicate facial features. She had a petite build, but Levi knew what muscle lay behind that uniform. He knew better than anyone.
Because he knew her.
Rya-fucking-Dolion.
There was silence for a moment as they panted. Levi raked the sweaty bangs out of his face as he stared up at her. Her eyes were closed, her cheeks slightly flushed from exertion, a light sheen of sweat on her skin. Her dark brunet curls hanging around her bare shoulders.
She looked so beautiful.
Levi loosened his grip on her hips, smoothing his thumbs over her skin in a rare moment of tenderness.
Rya startled slightly at the affection, opening her eyes to look at him. And just like that, the relatively human Rya that he was sometimes able to glimpse at during their time together in this way was completely gone. Stone face, her eyes blank, she didn't hesitate to climb off his lap, not without the subtlest of winces.
"You alright-?" Levi started to ask but was cut off.
"Fine." She said plainly, sitting over the edge and starting to pull on her clothes.
Levi sighed, leaning his head back on the headboard. Why was she always so quick to leave? It honestly made him feel like shit. Which made him angry because he knew why. Because despite everything. Despite how shitty she is of a person. Despite everything she's done… those glimpses where she lets him see her true self… well, they'd become addictive.
More than addictive. He craved her.
And he craved more than she gave him.
"You could stay." He spoke out before really thinking it through. Rya pulled on her shirt, raking her hair back as she turned to give him a nonchalant glance.
"Why would I stay?" She asked flatly, like the very notion was ridiculous. Levi averted his gaze to the window that held nothing but darkness. He heard a sigh as Rya pulled on her boots and stood up, crossing her arms. "What's up with you?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. Levi looked at her.
She was so… confusing.
Did she really feel nothing for him at all? Even after spending most of their lives together. Even after sleeping together for two years.
Because he did feel something. And he wasn't sure if he could keep doing this. At least not the way they were.
"I…" He thought about how to word this. "I want you to stay." He decided on.
Rya's eyes widened for a fraction of a second before she was back to her stony-faced expression. He didn't have to say anymore. She was smart enough to figure out what he was confessing.
"Understood." She replied simply, turning to the door. Levi's eyes darkened in anger and he stood up, grabbing her wrist before she could open the door.
"I've known you for 8 fucking years, Ry. And I'm trying to tell you how I fucking feel." He growled. Rya turned her head slightly to glance at him.
"I was very clear when we started this, Levi." She said in a cold voice that pierced straight into his heart as she turned to look at him with disappointment. "I thought you were smart enough to separate your dick and your heart but maybe men don't have that kind of intelligence, huh?" She mocked, wrapping a hand around his member and he clenched his jaw, keeping his eyes on hers.
"Don't." He warned but Rya ignored him, starting to move her hand on him.
"So, what are these feelings? Do you like me?" Rya questioned, her eyes dead as she spat on her hand to provide a better lubrication, shoving him in the chest so he was sitting down on the bed before continuing to rub his already hard length. Levi glared at her as she gave him a wicked smile. "Or worse… do you love me?" She continued and Levi clenched his fists at the word, trying not to pay any attention to the hand slowly moving, providing him with such pleasure.
Unfortunately, Rya noticed his reaction to her question.
"Love, huh? How pitiful." She scoffed, leaning closer to him. "You don't know what love is." She whispered in his ear and Levi swallowed. He knew Rya was cruel, but he didn't expect this.
Done with her game, he pushed her hand away and stood from the bed, going for his clothes.
"Just go." He muttered spitefully. What the fuck was wrong with him? Of all the fucking people to fall for, he chose the violent sociopath. Was she right? Was it really just because of the sex? He wasn't sure anymore.
"Oh? Didn't you want me to stay?" She smirked, sitting down on the bed as Levi picked up his boxers. He glanced back at her, catching her dead eyes. "What were you planning? A night of kisses and cuddles?" She mocked.
Levi sighed, facing forward, he shook his head at himself.
Why did he tell her? What exactly was he expecting, if not this?
He felt a hand on his arm and looked to see Rya much closer now. Before he had the chance to say anything, she pushed him onto the bed, dropping to her knees. Levi's eyes widened, not intending to let this go any further, but her mouth slipped around his pulsing cock and he lost all words.
He knew this was wrong.
He knew it was fucking sick.
But as she sucked him, her hand slid over his knees and she rubbed his thigh.
And even that tiniest bit of affection from her made it all worth it. Made the inevitable self-loathing he was no doubt bound to feel after this… completely fucking worth it.
His hands gripped into her hair harshly, closing his eyes and focusing on that tiny bit of affection while he started thrusting into her. Rya hummed around him in a twisted sort of approval. Like she'd won. Proved to both of them that his feelings weren't real, and he just loved the release he gave her. The thought made him ache, but the added stimulation to his dick blocked that ache out for now.
It didn't take him long to get close to the edge.
Rya squeezed his thighs gently and it was all over. It was pathetic. He was so touch deprived that even the smallest amounts of real care sent him reeling. Because while they had fucked every other night for two years, they had never shared a single kiss, never shared a single intimate moment. She comes to his place, used his dick to satisfy both of them and then leaves. It was painful but he hadn't ever spoken about it until now. In a way he was as bad as her. The sex was great. Mind-blowing enough to put his feelings aside and enjoy the ride.
His body tensed and Rya tried to pull back but the grip on her hair was too tight to allow her and he spilled right into her mouth.
Levi panted as he came down, relaxing his grip and letting go of her hair. Rya turned her head to spit his cum out onto the floor, wiping her mouth and looked up at his tired face to glare at him.
"I should stab you for that." She commented bitterly, standing up and walking to the door. He'd never cum in her mouth before. She'd never let him. And he'd never tried to force her. What changed on her end of things? She could have easily pushed him off if she really wanted to.
She sighed, rubbing her face.
"Think of it as a parting gift, I suppose. Enjoy your feelings, Levi. We're done." She informed, opening the door and exiting the apartment without so much as a second glance.
Something in Levi broke as he stared at the door, a humourless laugh leaving his lips as he fell back on the messy bed and put a hand over his eyes.
"I'm such an idiot…"
He never saw her again.
18 years old back then. He was ashamed to say he even looked for her after that, but the woman had disappeared. He figured she had finally scammed herself a way on to the surface. Looking at her now, he must have been right.
It had been three years since that time.
He moved on, found company with Isabel and Farlan. Not that he ever forgot her. And he hated her because he had never been able to get her out of his fucking head.
"Levi, this is Rya Dolion. My fiancé and you're new Captain." Erwin informed, smiling up at her as she pressed a kiss to the side of his head, stroking his neck affectionately.
Levi's jaw honestly dropped open.
What.
The.
Fuck?
/~~~~\
Levi stared at them in utter shock, barely concealing the surprise on his face. Rya had yet to meet his eyes, apparently too focused on the man in front of her, brushing her fingers through his hair gently. Levi's jaw tightened at the sight.
Erwin chuckled, turning his chair around to face her, large hands sliding onto her hips.
"You'll have to let go of me some time, darling." He pointed out quietly. She smiled softly and Levi felt a little faint. 11 years he'd known that girl, and that was the first time he'd seen her smile since they were kids.
"Fine." She teased with a small eye roll, stroking his cheek with her thumb before turning to look at Levi for the first time. Levi looked into her eyes and saw no emotion. Oddly enough it relaxed him more than anything. Her eyes were dead. It seemed to be the only fucking thing that hadn't changed.
She walked around the desk, towards him, observing him all the while.
"Levi." She greeted professionally.
"Fuck. Ry… I'm close." He warned. Rya stared down at him, only working her hips faster in response as she sunk her nails into his shoulder and leant close to his face. Her lips so close. All Levi wanted to do was to claim them with his own.
She moved to his ear and he didn't get the chance.
"Cum before me and I'll fucking kill you." She whispered darkly, biting into his jaw and Levi grunted.
"Fine." He spat, throwing her onto her back and lifting her legs over his shoulders as he started to pound into her, giving her everything he had. He'd watch her face contort in pleasure and her mask of indifference crack. Sometimes he'd get lucky with a moan of his name. He wanted that day to be today.
Pressing his thumb to her clit while restraining her hands to the bed, he drilled into her with even more force and Rya threw her head back as she came.
"Fuck Levi…" She moaned quietly and breathlessly. Levi smiled slightly while she wasn't watching, letting himself go as he pulled out and collapsed on the bed next to her. She let out a shaky sigh and waited five seconds before sitting up and starting on her clothes. "Not bad." She commented in a bored voice before leaving his apartment.
A sudden rage filled his veins and before he knew it, he'd forced Rya up against the wall, hand around her throat, snarling at her. Erwin stood from his chair.
"Levi! Release her at once!" He demanded in a stern authoritative voice. Levi hesitated, watching as Rya's eyes glinted in a sick amusement.
"You better do what he says. He can get really protective." She whispered, the smallest of smirks on her lips as her eyes stared into his.
"Levi." Erwin warned for the second time. From the meaning behind his tone, Levi knew there would not be a third chance for him to take this back.
Reluctantly, Levi realised her throat, taking a step back, his breathing heavy with frustration and hatred. He couldn't look at her anymore, turning to Erwin.
"Erwin, she's a-"
Before he could finish his sentence, a boot slammed into the back of his leg and a sharp yank on the back of his collar had him forced to the ground in a killer back-slam. Rya pressed her boot to this throat, staring at him plainly.
"Pitiful." She commented.
"Love, huh? How pitiful." She scoffed, leaning closer to him. "You don't know what love is."
The memory hit him hard. He didn't know if he had been this angry in his life.
"I'll still take him on. Teach him a few things." She continued, infuriating him further with every fucking second, she pretended not to know him.
"I don't know Rya. Perhaps this isn't such a good idea." Erwin mumbled, looking at the scene in front of him in a slight shock. Levi was still baring his teeth at her. He was fully ready to kill but the pressure on his neck was too much to get up.
"Trust me, baby. I can handle him." She smiled sweetly, softening Erwin's eyes. Levi rolled his eyes, hard.
"Fucking snake!" He choked out, the words quiet and strained. This had to be a scam. Surely Erwin could see that?! This was Erwin after all!
"Alright. Is there a reason he's trying to kill you?" Erwin asked, concerned, continuing to converse like Levi wasn't on the floor being suffocated.
It seems all these years she hadn't lost any strength. She'd always matched him in power. Kenny called them special, but Levi was convinced they were just freaks.
"Oh. Yeah, I used to know him." Rya admitted casually and the two men blinked. She admitted it. What kind of fucking game was she playing?
"You know him?" Erwin questioned in surprise. Rya nodded, stepping off of Levi's neck, causing him to cough as she walked back over, into Erwin's arms.
"Remember I'm from the underground." She murmured, hands on his chest as she looked up into his eyes. Erwin nodded. "Remember I had a trainer?' She asked. Erwin nodded again.
"Kenny, I think his name was." Erwin replied and Rya nodded. Levi was pretty sure his brain was fried at this point. Was it really true? Were these two really engaged? Was there even the slightest possible chance that this wasn't some big-ass manipulation?
"Yep. Levi was the kid that trained with me." She explained and Erwin glanced over to him, still on the floor.
"That explains his skill. It also explains why you've refused to meet him up until this point. Why didn't you tell me?" He asked. Rya offered an apologetic look.
"Thought it might affect the mission with Lobov. No harm done though, right?" She shrugged. Erwin sighed.
"I suppose not. I'd like to talk to him alone now if that's alright?" Erwin asked. Rya smiled and nodded, pecking him on the cheek.
"See you at lunch." She squeezed his hand and left the room without glancing at him. Levi had to swallow down a wave of past feelings this whole meeting was bringing up. He stood from the floor and noticed Erwin pursing his lips at him.
"I thought we had an understanding, Levi. You may not particularly like me, but I believe we trust each other. Respect each other, do we not?" He lectured, like a disappointed father. Levi growled, slamming his hands down on the table.
"Erwin, that girl is completely fucking insane. I don't know what she's told you about herself but-"
"Born in Sina, brought down in the underground by her trainer, Kenny. She was trained by him in basic survival skills and combat until she was 10 when he abandoned her. From there she grew up, stealing to survive. Over time she adopted the lifestyle of a thug to avoid starvation, becoming the leader of a small gang. She did a lot of unsavoury things to survived and I'm aware of all of them. At 18, her gang got on our radar and we brought her in, similar to you and the 3DMG. When observing how skilfully she evaded my men I decided she would be useful in the fight against humanity. So, I enlisted her. Three years later, she's Captain of the Corps and my most beloved fiancé. Feel free to fill me in on anything I missed. Or perhaps, maybe you just learnt something new?" Erwin said in a smug voice. Levi sat down in the armchair and sighed, scratching his head.
So, she was captured, just like he was.
Was that why she never came back to see him? Or even if she hadn't been taken… would she have still cut him out of her life so easily?
"She's dangerous, Erwin. You may know about her, but you don't know her." Levi said seriously. Erwin frowned.
"Are you trying to suggest I don't know my own fiancé?" He asked.
"Yes. You have no fucking clue how dead she is on the inside. From the looks of things she's quite the fucking actor but it's clear as day if you pay attention. The lack of life inside her eyes. She's a sociopath-"
"Enough Levi!" He ordered sternly, looking at him with anger. "You clearly have some resentment towards her, but people change. Care to tell me what she did to you that was so terrible?" Erwin asked through gritted teeth.
Levi paused. He rather not tell the commander they used to fuck. Not for her sake, but for his own. He was a deeply private man. That information belonged to Rya and himself, no matter how much she pissed him off.
"Fine then. Maybe I'll ask Rya later." Erwin sighed. Levi wondered if she would tell him. She told him everything else. Did he know everything about her? Did he know the details of how much blood she had on her hands? Even now, Levi was certain no one knew her like he did. Erwin may be familiar with this new Rya. But the original, the cold-blooded killer. She was familiar only to him.
"How long has she been a Captain?" Levi asked, wanting more information.
"A year now. She showed tremendous skill in the field and I convinced the Commander to give her the position. I'd like her to train you, teach you the ropes. One day, when I'm Commander, I'll offer you your own position as Co-Captain and give you your own squad but for now you have to sort out that aggressive temper of yours and start earning the respect of your comrades, like Rya has." Erwin informed and Levi clenched his fists.
"I'm not going in her squad." Levi warned. He'd rather off himself then spent a further 5 minutes with that dreadful woman.
"Yes. You are." Erwin replied, authority seeping into his tone and Levi tightened his jaw. No escape. "They meet at the right hand of the campus. The special operations group have their own private training grounds." He explained and Levi's brows furrowed in thought.
The special operations group…
That's Simon's squad.
Great. Now he would get the pleasure of seeing Simon being eaten. Extra motivation to stay away from that one.
It was still hard to believe Rya had been fighting titans all these years. Was she there on the last expedition? Did she see him? Wait…
She knew about Lobov. She knew Erwin was manipulating him and she didn't fucking warn him!? What the fuck is wrong with her?! Maybe sociopaths don't understand the meaning of honour or loyalty.
"Whatever." Levi sighed, standing up and turning to the door. He was so fucking done with today. He almost felt tired enough to get some actual sleep.
"And Levi." Erwin called and Levi looked back, observing the serious expression on his face. "Harm her again and there will be consequences." He warned. Levi frowned slightly but nodded anyway and exited the room, closing the door behind him with a heavy sigh, rubbing his face.
"Oi." A familiar cold voice spoke, and Levi turned his head to the right, seeing her.
The cheery expression was gone, as well as the warmth.
Did that mean she was putting it on? Or was it just how she acted towards him? He used to think he was one of the only people that she truly trusted. It was what she said to him when she first proposed they start sleeping together. That she trusts him with her body. The words made him feel warm. But looking at her now, all he got was a cold chill.
She wasn't always like this. There was a moment in time… after Kenny left them that she was just… herself.
Levi glared at her before walking the other direction. He heard an annoyed scoff before a slight swish and a sharp pang of pain brushed his ear. His eyes widened at the dagger that lost momentum and skidded onto the floor, bringing a hand to his ear, he pulled it back and saw the red.
She threw a fucking dagger at him.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" Levi yelled at her, turning around. She was the only one in the world that had the power to pull such emotion out of him. Luckily, she'd only clipped the ear. There wouldn't be any permeant damage.
She looked at him plainly.
"Don't ignore me Levi. You know what comes after a warning shot. Now move it." She ordered, walking away, expecting him to follow her. Levi growled under his breath but forced his legs to move after her. After the warning shot comes the headshot. Kenny taught them that and Rya was always very strict with his lessons.
He caught up to her, glaring at her out of the corner of his eye. She kept her eyes straight forward but pulled a white cloth out of her pocket and offered it to him.
Levi scoffed silently. Like he'd ever accept help from her. Rya rolled her eyes.
"You're bleeding all over the fucking floor." She reminded, grabbing his hand and causing fire to spread through his nerves as a result. The feeling was gone just as quickly as she shoved the cloth in his hand and let go of him. Levi swallowed, lingering before averting his gaze from her and removing the hand from his ear so press the cloth into it, trying to stop the bleeding.
They continued in silence as Levi followed her through the empty halls, eventually starting up a spiral staircase.
"Where-"
"You'll see." She cut him off, going up the stairs, leaving Levi to grit his teeth before following her, trying and failing not to stare at her ass. She looked good in the uniform, there was no denying it. How had she been hidden away from him all this time? He'd been at the corps for a month. It's likely they would have run into each other at some point. Unless of course, Rya didn't want them to. She always had a way to control the situation. No matter how impossible.
After a few minutes they got to the top and entered a long corridor of doors. Before Levi could ask Rya continued walking, stopping at a door a little away from the end, pulling out a key, opening the door and stepping inside. Levi hesitated.
"In." She ordered, impatiently. Levi frowned but complied and she closed the door behind him as they entered. It was a simple room from the look so it. Drab military colours. Navy curtains and rug, a bed in the right corner closest to him that was only queen sized but definitely a lot bigger than his bunk. On the left top corner was a small utilities unit with a stove, upper cabinet and lower cabinet as well as a small bookshelf. Opposite the bed under the window was the standard military trunk for all personal possessions to be placed in. Not that Levi had any of those. The final thing Levi noticed as the door on the right. If he could guess, that lead to the bathroom.
He looked at Rya, who was leaning on the wall observing him, arms crossed.
"This your place?" He questioned. Why did she bring him here?
A small smirk appeared on her lips as she pushed off the wall and walked over to him, grabbing a handful of his collar and tugging him down so he was closer to her face.
"Why? So desperate to fuck me already?" She whispered. Levi glared at her mocking, hating how she managed to cause a reaction in him, pulling her hands off him and shoving her back. Her smirk widened ever so slightly. "Little Levi matured, huh? Did he realise love only exists in fairy tales?" She teased.
She was exhausting as always.
It was obvious she didn't regret how they left things in the slightest.
If she wanted to play this game, so be it.
"Hm. Seems that way. Turns out I was fonder of the sex than your delightful company." He shot back in a bored voice, sinking his hands into his pockets and leaning on the wall. She raised an eyebrow.
"Impressive. Glad you got there. Romance is for imbeciles." She scoffed. Levi narrowed his eyes.
"Says the woman engaged to one of the highest-ranking members of the Survey corps." He retorted, a slight growl seeping into his voice as he remembered the way she touched Erwin. The way Levi had always wanted her to touch him.
She chuckled dryly, looking down at the shiny rock on her finger.
"I suppose I'm an imbecile then, aren't I?" She smirked. Levi stared at her.
"Don't tell me you're actually in love with him?" He asked bitterly. It couldn't be true. She smoothed her hand along the surface of the desk, tilting her head back to look at him, a strand of dark chocolate hair seeping into her face.
"Jealous?" She asked simply. Levi clenched his fists.
She was getting a rise out of him so easily. It was embarrassing. How did he still feel things for this woman after all this time?
The real question was how deep those feelings were. Levi knew there was a time when he loved her but now… after everything she did, after everything she was currently doing to fuck up his head… he wasn't sure what he was feeling.
Maybe what he said was true. Maybe he just missed the sex.
"Intrigued." He went with. "I know you Ry. You aren't the type to get tied down and certainly not with Squad Leader Eyebrows over there." Levi countered and just like that Rya was on him, pinning him to the wall, knife under his throat. Seems her speed hadn't fallen during her absence.
"I'd advise you to stop talking, Levi. Offend my fiancé, you offend me. And I don't like to be offended." She spoke in a terrifyingly calm voice. Levi swallowed, uncaring at the knife under his throat but feeling her body so pressed up against his own was more that distracting.
"Bullshit." He shot back, staying still so the knife didn't cut into his skin. "I know you-"
"You don't." Rya interrupted, taking a step back, she walked slowly towards the window while trailing her finger down the dulled edge of her blade. "You've never known me Levi. You only know the person I want you to, like everyone else." She shrugged. Levi felt a tug on his insides at the cold words but ignored it.
"And Erwin knows the real you, huh?" He asked. Rya sighed, looking out the window.
"What do you think?" She asked quietly.
Silence.
"Is this real? You're really here, engaged, Captain of the corps with no agenda?" He asked, knowing full well he wasn't going to get a straight answer.
And he was right.
"Whatever makes you feel better, Levi." She straightened up from where she was resting her weight on the windowsill and turned to him, throwing the key towards him. Levi caught it in his right hand, looking down at it with confusion.
"What is this?" He mumbled, confused. She rolled her eyes.
"I should hope after 21 years of life you know the answer to that yourself." She provoked, walking towards the door. Levi stopped her.
"Rya." He said seriously. She looked at him with those dull green eyes. He missed how bright they were when they were teenagers. When she was truly his for a split second in time. He was brought out of his thoughts as she lifted up a hand to his face and Levi hesitated, unsure of what to expect, his throat tightening as she delicately took a strand of his hair curling it slightly around her finger. She was so close. He could feel the heat from her skin on his face.
"Your hair… it looks longer." She murmured softly. Levi's heart was starting to beat faster as she brushed it away from his eye and met his gaze again. All Levi could do was hope and pray there was no blush on his cheeks. Was she trying to get a reaction out of him, embarrass him? What did she want?
Rya pursed her lips slightly and turned to the door.
"It's your place now. Special operations get their own quarters. I've always saved this room for myself because it has the best view but these days, I tend to stay in Erwin's lodgings. Enjoy." She informed, bored, opening the door. Levi was confused. Why would she give him her room? It wasn't like her.
"Why?" He asked before she could leave.
Silence.
"Think of it as an apology." She stated simply. "Take the day to re-accommodate yourself. Training starts tomorrow at 8. Be there." She added before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.
Levi blinked, still focused on her first answer.
An apology?
Did she mean for the way she left things? For leaving him. Or for how she just dismissed his feelings? If she was sorry why would she mock him about them?
Perhaps she wasn't sorry for that at all and this was about his friends. Surely, she'd have heard if she was involved with Erwin.
Levi sighed and rubbed his face, sitting down on the edge of the bed.
She was too fucking complicated.
"I've always saved this room for myself because it has the best view…"
That was a weird thing for her to say. Since when did Ry care about views? Levi stood up and walked over to the window. It faced the forest, filling the frame with green leaves and wildlife, but there was a slight parting, giving his eyes access to a lake in the distance that was currently shimmering in the rising of the sun. It looked quiet. Tranquil.
Levi sighed crossing his arms as he watched the start of a new day.
It was a nice view.
