Ch.12 What The Hell Was In That Tea?
The report is finished within the hour, the kettle empty, and Levi finds himself staring at his bedroom door for the umpteenth time. He shakes his head with a tired sigh and walks over to a cabinet resting against the far wall, pulls out a spare blanket, and lays it over the couch. Then, he slowly unbuttons his shirt, hissing quietly as his still aching ribs protest. He folds the shirt neatly and sets it on the desk, then blows out the lamps on the wall; letting the night fill the room, broken only by the cool light of the half moon shining through his window.
Levi stands at the windowsill, staring up at the sky. His room faces the training yard, so the stars shine brightly overhead, unpolluted by the smoke of the city. The forest stretches all the way to wall rose. As he stares into the peaceful quiet he wonders, not for the first time if Isabel and Furlan are looking down on him, and if they would be happy with the path he has chosen. Tonight, he also wonders what they would think of Rhea. Isabel, he knows without a doubt, would have considered Rhea her big sister the moment she learned Rhea had saved him. Furlan would probably have been put off at first, but he would have come around eventually.
He turns away from the window and lays down on the couch. The cool, plush material soaks up all the tensions from the sore, overworked muscles of his back and shoulders, and a groan escapes his lips as he sinks further into the comfort. His exhausted body is begging him to sleep, so he pulls the blanket over his bare chest and closes his eyes. As usual, his mind refuses to cooperate. Most nights, Levi is plagued with gruesome images of the comrades he had lost, less often, by thoughts of his mother. Tonight however, the thing keeping him from sleeping into a much needed slumber is of a more pleasant, if frustrating nature.
The memory of Rhea's flushed face, slightly swollen lips, and ragged breathing as she sat in his lap slowly morphs into her wet, naked body, just centimeters from his as he teased her in the bath. Levi remembers her breathless question after breaking their kiss. What are you doing to me? He wasn't kidding when he said he should be asking her that. He feels strangely pulled to her, can't seem to stop touching her, like the odd desire to play with her hair. Then there is of course, his more carnal desires.
Levi hasn't so much as looked at a woman in five years. Those who join the scouts spend most of their time fighting for their lives, and the rest training to fight better. Scouts usually go one of two ways. They either sleep with everything that moves, in a vain effort to forget their grief; or they lose all sexual desire completely, throwing all of their frustration into training. Levi falls solidly in the second category. Along with the usual stress of fighting titans, his duties as Captain, left him without the time or desire.
Something about Rhea lit a fire in him that he has never felt before. He knows she should stomp out the fire and forget it. It has never made sense to him, trying to have a relationship when it could be cut brutally short without warning. On top of that, she would technically be his subordinate starting tomorrow. This combination made for a potential disaster for both of them. They should do the responsible thing and distance themselves.
But, for the first time in years, Levi doesn't want to be responsible. He has spent the last 5 years living as little more than a shell of himself, living purely for the sake of the scout's mission and his own revenge, and shutting his emotions behind a stone door. Rhea makes him a feel like himself again. She isn't some young cadet who he has to keep strict boundaries with. And…she's strong, incredibly so. If there's anyone in this world who might not leave him like everyone else, who has the strength to fight and stay by his side, he thinks it might be her.
So, even though it might end terribly, still might blow up in his face like everything else, he will take the risk. Because he's tired of feeling empty, and he's honestly not sure how much longer he can live that way.
Having come to a resolution, his ever turbulent thoughts quiet and allow him to drift into bliss at last. As his consciousness fades, he wonders if he will dream of Rhea again. A part of him hopes so.
Levi is not graced with another vision of Rhea's past. Instead, he wanders almost weightlessly through and endless expanse of white mist. Then, a portion of the mist clears, revealing a distant silhouette. As he cautiously approaches, the details become clearer. The blurry shadows transform into a beautiful brick house with a burgundy painted door, which swings open as he nears. Knowing that nothing can hurt him here, Levi steps into the house without hesitation. It is a modest home with striking stained-glass doors against the back wall. The colors on the glass appear to be moving in slow, swirling patterns, and he can make out the distorted shapes of trees through it. Beautiful as the scene is, Levi instinctively knows it is not his destination. He turns right, through another burgundy door, and into a kitchen. Standing in the middle is a young woman with bronze skin, dark hair, and beautiful honey eyes, whose body radiates a subtle glow. She smiles warmly at him, and he knows who she is even though he's never actually met her.
"Riley."
"Hello Levi. It's good to finally meet you."
Her voice is like a bell chime. Her smile reminds him of Isabel, and Levi feels the tension leave his body, replaced with curiosity.
"This is where you died, isn't it?"
Riley's smile dims slightly, a flash of pain shines in her eyes, and he regrets opening his mouth. She recovers quickly with a laugh and a shake of her head, a mannerism she had obviously learned from Rhea.
"Blunt as ever I see. Yes, it is."
Levi has at least a hundred questions, but decides to start with the most pressing ones.
"Why are you here, and how?"
"The how is a bit complicated, and not something a living mortal need worry about. The why, however, is quite simple. I came to warn you."
"About what?"
"Rhea is in danger, and quite frankly, so are you. The enemy you face inside the walls is much greater than you realize. Do not let my sister out of your sight. Even within the scouts, she isn't safe."
"Are you saying there's a spy? Is it Carter? What is he planning?"
Levi can hear the acid in his tone, but Riley isn't affected by his unintentional intimidation tactics. She sighs and shakes her head again.
"I can't give you the details. Just promise me you won't leave her alone."
"Rhea isn't weak. She doesn't need me to protect her every second, and I don't think she would appreciate it."
"Levi dear, listen to me."
He smirks at the familiar, ridiculous, term of endearment, but waits for her to continue.
"I know that Rhea is strong. She's the strongest person I've ever known. But she has no clue what she is, or just how vulnerable she is in her human form. Your enemy knows exactly what her weaknesses are. He is cunning and ruthless, and he will stop at nothing. Do not leave her alone, or you will lose her, I promise."
Levi observes Riley. The more she speaks, the more solemn her face becomes. Her promise rings with truth, and it fills his heart with dread. Riley somehow knew exactly what would happen to Rhea, and it would be because he had left, just like he had left his friends. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice.
"Alright. I'll stay by her side."
"Thank you, Levi."
The kitchen seems to pulse, and the room begins to swirl, reverting back into white mist. Riley's smile turns wistful.
"I'm out of time. Before I leave, I have one last request."
"What is it?"
"Be careful with my sister."
Levi frowns.
"Do you really think she's dangerous? You should know her better than that."
The house is almost completely evaporated now. Riley's body begins to turn translucent, and she laughs her bell like laugh again.
"No, I don't think she's dangerous. I said be careful with her, not of her."
"I don't understand."
Riley is completely transparent now. He can see through her to the endless white mist.
"Rhea has suffered great loss, and she blames herself for most of it. She sees her gift as a curse that is destined to bring only suffering. She doesn't believe that she deserves things like happiness or love. I always believed that it would take someone gentle, open, and loving to break her from her self-hatred. Those things are not in your nature, and yet it is you she is drawn to, that she trusts. So perhaps I was wrong, but still I can't help but worry."
Levi glares at Riley, but there's no heat behind it.
"You worry that a brute like me will hurt her."
Riley turns her head away, ashamed.
"Not on purpose."
Levi runs a hand through the silky black locks hanging into his eyes.
"I don't blame you. But, you're definitely wrong."
Riley looks back to him, confused.
"Rhea doesn't need someone gentle. She's too stubborn and strong-willed for that. She needs someone who isn't afraid to call her out on her self-deprecating bullshit. I won't hurt her, but I'm not going to just let her wallow in her grief. She's done that long enough."
Tears come to Riley's eyes, and her smile now is radiant.
"I think you may be right. Thank you, Levi, truly. I must go now. Take care."
He watches as Riley's body fades completely, and the white mist turns to darkness.
When Levi's eyes open, it is early morning, judging by the soft rays of sunlight filtering in through his window. His dream conversation had felt so short, he was sure he had been asleep for barely an hour, but he had clearly slept through the night. He sits up and swings his legs off the couch, catching the blanket as it falls from his sculpted bare chest. He eyes the kettle laying innocently on his desk.
"That's the last time I drink peppermint tea. Damn."
Levi makes his way to his bedroom, pausing as he steps through the doorway. The clothes he had let Rhea borrow lay in a heap on his floor. She is curled up in the center of his bed, completely naked and clinging to one of his pillows, one leg thrown over it. The blanket hangs haphazardly over the side of the bed, having been kicked off sometime in the night. He dips his head so his bangs cover his eyes, but his lips stretch into a smile, and he fights to quiet his laughter. After several minutes he collects himself, pads quietly over to the clothes, picks them up, and tosses them into the hamper, which is less than two feet away. Great, he's roommates with a wild woman who's had no need to clean for years. He'll have to fix that. He grabs a clean uniform from his wardrobe and walks to his bathroom, stopping one last time to chuckle at Rhea's utterly ridiculous position. Then, he shuts the door behind him and gets ready for the day.