Chapter 9
It was raining. Grey clouds covered the sky. Thunder roared, sparks of light flashing. Water pooled at the feet of his horse as it galloped hurriedly, the sounds of water splashing only increasing with each step. His horse then slips from the slippy terrain and falls, bringing Levi down and he slid across the flooded terrain. When he looks up, his whole world seems to pause.
Isabel's beautiful large turquoise eyes stared back at him. But now, they were dull and lifeless - all forms of life drained out from her once beautiful face. Crimson blood soaked the ground as her severed head laid lifelessly. Her bright ruby red strands of hair now a compliment to the crimson red blood staining the ground.
Levi's eyes widened, standing up from the pool of water covering his ankles. Then he's met with a titan - large glassy mischievous eyes staring back at him as its mouth bites onto something. No, Levi knows who it is - it's Farlan's half-eaten body. His best friend since he was a kid in the underground was now reduced to a half-eaten corpse, hanging in between the teeth of a titan as if it were a piece of dried meat. The titan's eyes meet Levi's as if taunting him to come closer. Then, it shakes its head and spits Farlan onto the ground as if it were a dog playing with a broken toy.
Levi stands, hands on top of the hilt of his blades as he was ready to pull them out - but his hands freeze. The blades don't come out of the box. His body is frozen stiff, his muscles taut but unused. Levi watches as the titan smirks, eyes heavy with bloodlust. It approaches him closer but Levi is still frozen, paralysed. Levi grunts, shaking and desperately trying to move his muscles - not to run, but to kill. The titan appears in front of him, its smile threatening as its breath touches Levi's face, Levi only feels rage. He wants to rip the titan to shreds until nothing is left of it.
The scenery changes in front of him, the titan now gone and replaced with another. The female titan emerges from the thick cloud of steam on the ground. It's back is against a large tree as its hands lay lifelessly beside its body. Its eyes are bloodied and closed shut and the sound of grapples digging into a tree bark jerks Levi's attention. It's Eld, propelling himself forward as he charged with his blades out, aiming for the female titan's neck from the side. As Eld charges forward, a look of determination on his face and he yells something, his blades briefly touch the skin of the female titan, ready for the kill - but in a flash, the female titan's eye reopens and bites Eld in half. Blood splatters across her chin as Eld drops to the ground, lifeless.
Levi's voice shakes. His breathing is abnormal. He thrashes against air, desperately trying to move his hands and legs - anything to stop the scene before him - but it's futile. He is frozen still. The female titan recovers, standing straight as it sprints through the forest with its eyes on Petra. Petra sprints forward, trying her best to build as much distance as possible - but still, her shaky eyes meet the female titan's. Fear runs coarse through her body as she calculates how the titan could have recovered when she was so sure they took out both her eyes. Then the next second, Petra hears Oluo yelling her name; but it's too late. Panic took over her. The female titan stomps forward and without hesitation, stomps her large foot on Petra as her body crushed against the tree trunk as if she was just an insect.
Levi releases a blood-curdling scream, yelling Petra's name. He thrashes again but his body is useless. He feels his heart clench, his blood boiling. No, no, no - please… not Petra. She can't die-
Oluo charges forward, rage on his face as he watched the woman he loved die in front of him. He goes for the neck like the veteran soldier he is and swings his blade - only to find it broken when a crystal forms on the nape of its neck. His blades break and before he can think, he's kicked by the foot of the female titan and sent flying across the forest until his body snaps as it meets the hard floor.
Levi growls in anger. His teeth snarling at the female titan. The guttural sound from his throat is like a wolf hunting its prey, anger and rage at its rawest form. Levi glares at the female titan, his body now fresh with red marks and blood trickling down his wrists and ankles as if there was an invisible chain holding him down. The female titan smirks, sprinting towards Levi with terrifying speed. Levi thrashes again, doing everything in his power to free himself from whatever that's holding him still as he yells and screams. He wants to kill, to break, to tear limb by limb, to slice the nape of its neck, to stab its eyes, then rearrange its limbs and cut them again - but nothing works. He is still frozen where he stood.
The female titan shifts, now turning into a furry creature that resembles an ape. His eyes glinted in the moonlight, its hands tightened into fists as it grabbed boulders and rocks and flung it across the air. Levi freezes, he watches as the castle crumbles. Nanaba is dead, lying on the floor. Then the scene changes again and he sees Mike screaming, begging - before he is bitten by a smiling titan. The ape titan smirks, taunting Levi.
"You're powerless, Levi. You can only watch your comrades die." The ape titan taunts. Levi yells, screaming at him. His rage reaches a boiling point, his wrists bleeding and a pool of blood forms on the ground. "Look." The ape titan points in the distance and the scenery changes again. Now, it's daylight - but a sea of corpses lay on the green grass. Crimson blood taints the fresh smell of dew. Soldiers everywhere, dead.
A horde of soldiers charges on their horses, charging straight for the ape titan. They yell and scream as rocks crush their bones and horses, leaving a trail of corpses in their way. Still, there are a few that stand. One in particular leads the cavalry, his blonde hair swaying in the wind as he charges straight without an ounce of fear in his eyes.
"Erwin!" Levi yells, voice hoarse. Erwin doesn't hear his yell, he only charges forward. A giant rock is thrown in Erwin's direction, his bones and flesh crush beneath it. Levi screams. Even Levi himself has never heard such a terrifying sound from his throat. It sounds helpless and in despair. He sounds helpless and in despair. The ape titan smirks, smiling wide with its teeth glistening.
"Their deaths won't have meaning, Levi." Zeke says, crawling out of the nape of the ape titan's neck. "All of these people died for you. For you to continue the cause. But look at you…." Levi looks down at himself, knees on the ground. He is powerless. Unable to move. Frozen. "Don't you wish you were dead, Levi?" Zeke asks. Levi finds himself all alone on top of a mountain of corpses. He is the only one alive. The sole survivor. Next to him, he finds Hanji's corpse. Then Mikasa, Armin, Eren, Sasha-
"Why did you let us die, Corporal?" The sweet voice sends shivers down Levi's spine. He knows this voice. It was the voice that called after him for a continuous six years. Levi turns his head, meeting Petra's dead gaze. "Why did you kill us?" Petra asks; her uniform a bloodied mess. Levi pales, unable to scream. The rage he felt earlier had now turned into jaw clenching guilt. His heart felt like it was on fire while his body was frozen stiff.
Petra grabs a blade from her box. She aims it at Levi's neck. "You never returned my feelings." Petra says, raising her arm as the blade faces the sky. "I wish I never followed you to my death." Levi closes his eyes, hearing the swing of the metal in the air. He waits for the pain, the blood, the hurt - the end. The end would finally bring him to a close. The final breath of air that he would take to bring him to hell.
Instead, he hears a clash of metal against metal. He opens one eye, watching as another blade clashes against Petra's blade. His eyes trail to the owner of the blade, her sleeve, then to her scout emblem on her shoulder, then to her jaw, then to emerald green eyes-
"Levi! Levi!" The voice brings him back to reality. The voice is loud, screaming almost and filled with deep worry. Levi watches as Rosaria shakes his shoulder, slapping him on the face with her entire strength. Levi almost tumbles back, his back hitting the chair. His eyes readjust, focusing on the woman in front of him. Rosaria pants, face inches away from his. Their breaths touching each other's face, both glistened with sweat.
"It's just a nightmare. It's just a nightmare." Rosaria yells, nails digging into Levi's shoulder. He doesn't flinch from the pain. No, he doesn't register pain yet. He's still stuck in his nightmare, memories still fresh. Petra tried to kill him. He failed. Humanity failed- "Don't!" Rosaria yells. Her eyes are a fierce green now, something Levi has never seen before. "Don't go back to that nightmare. You're here. Safe. In Trost with your team and mine." Rosaria coos, her fingers stroking his back. Rosaria drags Levi over to the bed and tucks him in. She lifts his head and places it on her chest.
Levi can hear her rapid heartbeat. Beating, alive. "You're safe, Levi." She coos again, drawing circles on his back. "You didn't fail them. Humanity hasn't lost." Levi lets the tears flow down his eyes. He's still stuck in his dream-like state. He doesn't know if this is yet another dream or a version of a nightmare that has yet to come to head. Still, it feels warm. It feels safe. So he lets his eyes close shut, the tears stopping.
"Their deaths will have meaning, Levi." Rosaria whispers. They both fall back to sleep in each other's arms.
Levi awakens feeling oddly refreshed. His eyes were terribly dry and his throat hoarse. What had he been doing the night before? It felt as if he just came back from war- Levi blinks when he turns his head, his eyes meeting the closed eyelids of Rosaria's. Levi pales, trying to think of why he was in his subordinate's bed. He realises his head was loosely placed on her small chest, his black hair against her smooth skin. Levi slowly raises the blanket around them, peeking under the blankets. He lets out a sigh of relief when he confirms they are both fully clothed. In fact, Levi was still in his uniform.
He grimaced at the realization. How could he have fallen asleep in his dirty uniform? His eyes wander to Rosaria's eyelashes, wondering for the second time if a woman's eyelashes were usually this long. He's reminded of the time in that snowy cabin in winter. How they held each other to sleep. Levi gulped thickly.
This is bad.
Levi was ashamed of himself. Although nothing inappropriate had happened last night, sleeping in his subordinate's bed was bound to bring a shitload of nasty rumours if anyone found out. He wasn't even sure how he ended up here. Wasn't he on the chair reading? Maybe he dozed off and somehow stumbled into her bed? Levi shook his head and sighed. He was getting way too comfortable with Rosaria. He knew he was closer than usual to her, but he assumed it was normal. Now, Levi confirms that it has indeed reached an alarming level of attachment - something that he was always careful about, especially with his line of work.
Levi raised his head, ready to go back to his room and put all this behind him when he was suddenly met with piercing green eyes. Rosaria blushed, eyes wide as she stared at him. Levi paled, unsure of what to say. Their faces were inches apart, hair and clothes messy. Rosaria's mouth opened and then she closed it. She averted his gaze and brought the blanket to her head, covering herself completely as she rolled over the bed with the blanket as if she was a burrito. She then rolls away from Levi, hovering at the edge of the bed completely covered in the blanket.
Levi finds himself at a loss for words as he feels strangely angry.
Why is she distancing herself away from me? Am I that repulsive?
Levi glares daggers at Rosaria, arms crossed over his chest. "Oi." He says. There's no response. "Oi, brat. Answer me." Rosaria doesn't move, pretending that she doesn't exist in this exact moment. Levi gritted his teeth. He grabs the edge of the blanket and yanks it. Rosaria yanks it back and the two end up in a tug of war. "Let go!" Levi growls. Rosaria glares. "No! It's my blanket!" Levi snarls his teeth.
What exactly is she trying to do?! Is waking up in the same bed as me such a horrifying thing?
"I said let go, Rosaria! That's an order!" Rosaria fights back, yanking the blanket as if her life depended on it. Her face flushed red from a mixture of embarrassment and blood rushing to her face as she pulled with all her strength. "I said let go-" Levi's words stop halfway when he watches Rosaria about to fall off the edge of the bed. Levi's eyes widened and his legs moved on their own, knees on the bed as his hands caught Rosaria's waist swiftly, preventing her from falling and injuring her ankle.
A second later, a moan escapes Rosaria's lips as their eyes meet. Levi blinks, wondering if he heard wrong. Then he realizes his fingers are touching something soft. His eyes wander downwards to see his fingers on top of Rosaria's left breast - rather, his fingers were roughly brushed against her nipple against the thin material of her dress.
Levi gulped, watching as Rosaria's face turned lifeless. He felt the blood rushing towards his abdomen and his mind blanked. Scratch being too comfortable with Rosaria, things were now sexually tense with her. Levi swallowed thickly, his fingers still on the soft mound of flesh. His mind blanked, unsure if it was because he didn't want to move his hands or pure shock since he hadn't touched a woman in how many years-
A loud knock at the door echoed throughout the room. Their hearts almost jumped out of their chest. "Captain, have you seen Corporal Levi? I knocked on his bedroom door but found it empty. He's not usually late…." Eren's voice came through the door. Levi gaped. Had it already been this late? He didn't even know the tim-
"Captain? Are you there?" Levi's heart jumped in his chest. The doorknob turns slightly and Rosaria's yell brings Levi to his senses. "Stop right there Eren!" Rosaria yelled through a forced voice of superiority. The door never opens. "E-eh? Is- something wrong-" "Unless you want to walk in on me naked, you better stand where you are!" Rosaria yelled, her nails digging into Levi's hand on her breast. She glares at Levi, teeth snarling.
"I-I'm s-sorry, captain! I'll go look for Corporal Levi outside!" Eren shouted, quickly retreating. When his footsteps can be heard creaking on the stairs, Rosaria lets out a breath of relief. "Until when are you going to grope me, Corporal?" Rosaria said through gritted teeth. Levi immediately released his grip, eyes blinking. "S-sorry." Levi muttered. Rosaria bit her lower lip, clearly unamused. She glares at Levi with tears in her eyes and proceeds to grab her crutches, dragging herself to the bathroom.
Levi is left standing alone in her room, extremely confused and dishevelled.
"It's strange. Why hasn't Marley attacked us? It's been over a year since the battle in Shiganshina." Hanji said, her fingers tapping on the table. "Who knows? Maybe they got scared." Levi answered calmly, sipping on his tea. His eyes briefly meet Rosaria's across the table. "We've been training our troops to kill both humans and titans for the past year and we've come a long way, especially now that all three military factions are now a united force under Premier Zackaley's guidance. The people support and trust us, and we now have a true Reiss queen on the top. Paradis is at an era of change, an era where we fight for freedom after more than a hundred years of lies and betrayals and wrongful deaths." Rosaria speaks, her arms crossed as she meets the other squad leaders' gaze.
"Yet, if Marley chose to knock on our doors right this moment - we would undoubtedly perish. They have five titan shifters and who knows how many troops of soldiers and technological advancements." Hanji nodded, her fingers knotted together on top of the table. "I propose to build a base beyond the walls. Near the shore where the ocean is."
Lobov sighs. "That's unheard of. Building a base beyond the walls sounds redundant. If Marley does invade, that base would be the first to crumble. There are no walls to protect it at the very least." Rosaria nods. "Commander Lobov, you have great experience leading the Garrison before joining the Scouts. I've always looked up to you as I heard many brave stories of your feats from Pixis when I was under his guidance." Rosaria shifts in her seat. "But I think you're forgetting that walls can be broken easily."
A sheen covers her emerald green eyes. "Even our HQ in Wall Sina can be reduced to ash if Marley wished for it. We need to think two steps ahead because Marley is already ten steps ahead of us." Lobov stayed quiet. "This base, it's the front lines of our formation. If Marley invades, where do you think they'd come first? Break the walls like the armoured titan did six years ago?" Armin asked, sitting at the front of the table. Everyone stays silent for a few seconds as they think about the answer.
"No. They have to cross the ocean. That's their first point of contact with Paradis." Levi answered. "Exactly. This is why it's crucial we stop them before they can get to the walls. Eliminating our enemies at the earliest opportunity will greatly increase our chances of survival." Armin and Rosaria nodded. Hanji folded the papers on the table. "It's settled then. We move forward with the plan to build Paradis' first base beyond the walls." Everyone looks up at Hanji.
"I'll bring this up to Pixis and Zackly. They might not be thrilled at first, but if it's for Paradis' survival - they'll agree." Levi nodded. "By next week, we should get clearance for us to move the necessary equipment to build our base beyond the walls." Rosaria tilted her head. "I'm assuming we'll be moving 50% of our personnel to the base? How do we decide which squads move and which stay at HQ?" Rosaria asked. "Squad two to eight - make the necessary preparations to move. This includes Levi Squad as well, and of course our two titan shifters. They will be our trump cards for when Marley does attack." Armin nods.
"The remaining stay at HQ as per usual." The other squad leaders nod, scribbling notes in their papers. "Meeting dismissed. Good job Captain Rosaria, and Armin." Hanji said, smiling. "The pleasure is all Captain's. We were discussing it the other day and she proposed the idea." Armin said. "Armin deserves credit as well. He's the strategist of the Scouts. I sincerely believe he has the potential to live up to Erwin's name." Armin's eyes cast downwards to the ground, almost guilty. Rosaria and Hanji each place a hand behind Armin's back.
"Speaking of which, you sure have grown taller Armin." Hanji said. Armin blushed. "You're taller than me now." Levi raised an eyebrow. "You must easily be two heads taller than Levi!" Levi clicked his tongue and glared at Armin. Armin paled. "Oh, how're your injuries, Rosaria?" Hanji asked. Rosaria sighed, grabbing her crutches. "Doctor said it's gonna be another 4 weeks at least before I can take off the cast." Levi frowned, looking at Rosaria's cast.
"Corporal Levi has been a big help though. He has become my human crutch and helps me up and down the stairs in our base at Trost." Hanji's eyes glistened in the dark. "Oh… Really…." Hanji smirked, adjusting her glasses. "So who helps you to the bathroom and all?" Hanji asked. "Oh, Levi does." Hanji further smirked. "So you have to strip in front of him?" Hanji asked again.
Rosaria blinked. "Well, I don't have a choice. Our rooms are next to each other. And we share the bathroom. The kids are on the first floor and it's far too inconvenient-" Hanji laughed. She grabbed Levi's shoulder and hooked her arm around him, their faces inches apart. "My, Levi. Didn't take you for such a responsible commanding officer." Levi grunted, already well aware of what Hanji was hinting at. "I'm sure you're a hardworking commanding officer as well by getting hard-" Levi's elbow lodges straight into Hanji's throat, choking her.
"Hanji-san!" Armin yelled, holding Hanji in his arms. "Sorry, my hand slipped." Levi answered. Rosaria shook her head and stroked Hanji's back calmingly.
"Does it hurt?" Levi's voice breaks the comfortable silence in the carriage. Levi sat across Rosaria, the two alone in the carriage heading back to Trost. "Ah… My ankle's getting better. My ribs too - breathing doesn't feel so challenging anymore. The burns on the other hand…" Rosaria leaned into the cushions. "They still hurt… but I'm more worried about the scars." Levi raised an eyebrow. Usually, they would have just ridden on horseback but with Rosaria's ankle, riding was impossible.
Levi met her eyes as if silently asking her why. "Well…. I know I'm a soldier so scars are something that comes with the job. In fact, before the injury, I already had tons accumulated over the years." Rosaria fumbled with her fingers. "But I guess I'm still a woman. Having obvious scars on the majority of my body will allow others to look down on me. Men especially." Levi scowled. "Why the hell do you care what strangers think? They're just scars." Rosaria sighed. "You're a man, Corporal. It's different for women. Normal women would have freaked out if they were in my situation because no man would want to marry them and they'd be treated like freaks and out of a job." She fumbled with her fingers again. "I'm lucky that I'm way beyond the age of getting married and have accepted that I'll die a soldier; so I'm not that bothered by the scars. Still, it's not something I'd be proud to show off I guess no matter how much I tell myself I shouldn't behave like this."
Levi scoffed. "Well, any guy who turns you down regardless if you have a couple of scars or not is a fucking joke. You're beautiful, strong, kind and can cook the best meatloaf I've ever had in my life. If anything, men should be licking your toes for a chance to be your husband." Levi answered honestly. In fact, he was a little pissed that there would be stupid men out there who would turn down the woman in front of him. She was young, still young in Levi's book - stunningly beautiful too. He's seen the way the brats on his team stare at her when she's wearing a sports bra or the occasional sundress. Hell, even Levi himself stole a few glances when no one was looking.
Rosaria blushed, licking her lips nervously. "You're over exaggerating, Corporal. You're just saying that because you have a good heart." Levi rolled his eyes. "Not everyone has a good heart like you, Corporal. You'd be surprised there are a lot of cruel people out there." Levi crossed his arms. "I'm the last person in these three walls to have a good heart, Rosaria." Rosaria snorted. "No, I'm right. I knew from the first time we met that you have a good heart." Levi raised an eyebrow. "I've killed. I've tortured. I've done a hell lot of crimes that would have resulted in the MP throwing me behind bars if it weren't for Erwin." Levi was building a strong case for himself. "Yes, I know. I knew you grew up in the underground. I've heard your stories here and there…" Rosaria nodded her head.
"It doesn't change the fact that you've done plenty of bad things…. But I know you have a good heart. There's kindness in you. Loyalty. Empathy. Compassion. You value your comrades' life above all else. You... " Levi watched her struggle to find the right words. "You feel guilty don't you?" Her eyes meet stone-cold eyes, shock glazed over the usual calmness instead. Levi doesn't respond.
"Survivor's guilt. It's only natural considering you lost so many comrades. Hell, there were only nine surviving members after the battle at Shiganshina." Rosaria averts her gaze, staring out the window. "That night… when you dozed off on the chair in my room." The sentence catches Levi's attention. "You were having a nightmare. You probably don't remember it…. But you were screaming, yelling - it was like you were in agony. Most of the time I couldn't make out what you were saying because you were grinding your teeth so hard but I'd heard the murderous aura in your grunts and yells. You were clenching the sheets so hard that there was a hole." Levi blinked. He didn't remember having a nightmare. When did this happen?
"At first, it seemed like you were out for blood. You were thrashing, screaming - trying to kill someone or something. Then, all of a sudden you turned… lifeless. You stood still, frozen almost. You didn't fight. You didn't resist. Instead, you…" Rosaria takes a shaky breath, her fingers clenched into a fist. "...you waited for death with open arms." Levi's eyes widened. He felt a tremor in his blood. Had he really… awaited death? Even if it was just a dream… Levi never gave up. He just kept on fighting, moving forward - trying to find meaning to the deaths of the people he lost.
Rosaria places a hand on Levi's left hand, resting on top of his thigh. "Only a man with a good heart would feel guilty about living, Levi." Her eyes met his. "Only a man with a good heart would stand up over and over, swearing to continue the fight his dead comrades gave their lives to - no matter how many corpses he's had to bury." Levi lets out a shaky breath. "The people you lost… they know you have a good heart too." Rosaria smiles. "They wouldn't want you to feel guilty. They'd want you to live a good life and be happy." Levi's mouth gapes slightly open, unsure of what to say. "Their deaths will have meaning. We just have to believe it till the end." Rosaria looks out the window, briefly wondering about the people she lost since the fall of Wall Maria.
Levi sat there, unable to find the right words in his throat. He had never felt this vulnerable. He had never been so bare and naked with his weaknesses laid out in front of him. He was careful, always keeping others at a distance. Not too close, not too far. In fact, four-eyes Hanji was probably the closest friend he had. After all, she had been there since Farlan and Isabel's death. So the situation in front of him confused him. No, rather the woman in front of him confused him.
She always had a knack for slipping into the cracks of his locked heart. Finding ways to get closer to him subconsciously. Allowing him to be comfortable with her presence. She brought out a vulnerable side to his usually stone-cold, stoic and unbreakable facade. She dug into the feelings he kept away deep in his locked heart. She'd say things that would make something shift in him. Something deep inside of him. And he'd find himself exposed and vulnerable unlike he has ever been in his life. Levi thinks back to the time when she was sleep talking and in a dream-like state due to heavy medication from her fresh injuries - the few words she muttered incoherently while she was sleep talking actually made Levi cry. The more Levi thought about it, the more he felt how stupid he was. How could he have cried like that? He was lucky that Rosaria didn't remember it but still, having his emotions and feelings so exposed didn't feel right.
Levi swallowed thickly, hand still underneath hers. Their eyes meet again and Levi feels a spark in his blood. Despite all of his reservations… Levi didn't hate it. He didn't hate how she made him feel. In fact, he'd be different from his usual self - chatty - he'd find himself talking a lot more around her subconsciously, playful - he enjoyed teasing her and seeing her unique reactions and awkward blushes, they would always make his heart jump a little, kind - he was more easy-going on the brats, something he wasn't sure if he liked it or not. Being soft wasn't exactly something he wanted, especially in his line of work.
"Levi? You have this weird look on your face." Rosaria said. Levi felt his fingers twitch, his throat suddenly dry. Levi couldn't understand. Why did he feel so conflicted when it came to the woman in front of him? He couldn't decide if he hated her, or wanted her-
"As you like to put it, you have this face where 'you have a hard shit stuck in your ass that won't come out no matter how hard you push-" Levi raises his free hand unknowingly. It lands on Rosaria's chin as his thumb grazes her smooth cheek. Rosaria's eyes widened. Levi strokes her chin gently, looking into her eyes with a deep gaze. Their eyes never break contact, even as Levi slowly leans forward. Levi's breath tickles Rosaria's nose, but before she can even register the feeling - Levi's lips are on hers.
Levi presses into her soft, velvet lips. Seconds pass, both of their eyes gazing into each other. Rosaria flutters her eyelashes, subconsciously closing her eyelids halfway as she leaned into the kiss. Levi takes this as an opening, leaning closer towards her and slipping his tongue into her mouth. Rosaria lets out a surprised gasp. Levi swirls his tongue on the roof of her mouth, then across her teeth and then slowly, finding her own tongue and lets it tangle with his. When Rosaria moans into the kiss, Levi goes deeper - his tongue fighting for control as it swirled with her tongue and teased every fibre of it. His other hand slips out from underneath Rosaria's hand and finds its place on the curve of her small waist.
Levi remembers this waist very clearly. It's the same small waist that straddled his hips innocently and awakened his sexual desire in his room one night. It's the same waist that he places his hands on, feeling the curve of her bones and the smoothness of her skin. God, Levi loved her waist as much as he loved tea.
His kiss became rougher and deeper, igniting another moan from her. Her face is flushed, hands awkwardly placed beside her now. Levi moves his fingers from her chin to the back of her ear, gently stroking the sensitive skin behind it. She flinches, back arching slightly as she lets out a tiny moan. Levi smirks in the kiss, grazing his thumb across her ear slowly and gracefully. In response, he sees her shake slightly and her breath hitches. Levi bites her lower lip, taking it in his own mouth then teasingly releases his grip on it, letting the plump red lips bounce back. His tongue goes deeper again, inciting a loud moan from Rosaria as she places her hands on Levi's neck.
The motion is enough to set Levi on fire. He's suddenly placed a hand on her butt, a soft pillowy feeling that he wished he could bury his face in - and then with the other hand on her waist; he pulls her body towards him. She sits on his lap, straddling his hips awkwardly in the small space of the carriage. Levi is careful of her ankle, putting a hand on her thigh as he stroked it through the material of her standard green coat as if he was trying to alert her to be careful of her ankle. Instead, he hears a seducing, high-pitched moan from her. She leans into his chest, their chests touching. Levi is briefly reminded of the soft mounds of flesh he saw. How supple they looked, how smooth her skin was, how perfectly rounded they were, how her pointy nipples bulged from her beautiful milky breasts. Gods, he remembered how hard he was when he saw the sight. It took years of training to successfully hide the erection and the lust on his face then and there.
Without realizing it, Levi let out a low growl from his throat. It surprised even himself. Rosaria responded back by grinding her hips into his as her tongue swirled against his. Levi could feel the blood rushing to his abdomen, how the pressure was making his pants insufferably tight. Her hands grazed against the naked skin of his neck, brushing gently. She draws her thumb up and down against his flesh, enticing him further. He briefly wondered what those gentle fingers would feel like on his erection, the image vivid in his mind. He remembered the feeling of those fingers on his shoulders and back as she massaged the fatigue away from his body. He had no doubt that they'd be able to do an equally good job at making him com-
The sounds of footsteps bring both of them back to reality. Levi pulls his mouth away from hers, shock replacing the lust in his head now. His ears perk up, catching the footsteps of the rider circling from the front of the carriage and slowly towards the door. He suddenly realized that they're back in Trost and they hadn't even noticed the carriage stopped. He looks down, glancing at Rosaria's embarrassed green eyes and her flushed cheeks.
He feels a deep feeling in his chest. Something familiar. Something he feels whenever he returns from battle and the corpses of his comrades weighs heavily on his mind.
Levi pushes Rosaria off, setting her down on the seat. He gets up, a hand on the handle of the door as he twists it open. He opens the door, stepping out almost immediately. He doesn't turn his head nor call out for his subordinate in the back. Yes, his subordinate. He was reminded that he was indeed her commanding officer at that exact moment. He can feel Rosaria's gaze through the open door on his back. Still, he doesn't turn. He walks forward like the veteran soldier he is.
He remembers the feeling now, the familiar feeling in his chest.
Regret.
Author's notes:
I can already tell you either hate me or love me. Well, I would too if I were in your shoes. This is actually my first time writing NSFW, albeit a mild one - and I'm surprised it came so naturally without me having to refer to anything. I guess it proves I am indeed dirty as Levi would like to call it. This chapter is our longest to date with 6K words.
Well, I'm about to update the tags to smut now and please leave a review as always!