Chapter 15. Hots On For Nowhere
A/N: Honest, officer, I have no idea how that smut got in here. Really. This chapter was all fluff and innocent sexual tension before, and then suddenly there was...yeah.
Dennard had contemplated keeping the truth from him; what would he be able to do with it, anyway? What was seen in the dark always came to pass. Not even Levi Ackerman could stop it.
Or could he?
The death of her papa had been irrefutable proof that the visions she saw at night were more than just mere nightmares. For the first time, Dennard felt something other than the utter terror that followed a vision; she felt hope. Levi, with her help, just might be able to prevent her latest revelation from coming to pass.
She'd been careful to assess his willingness to believe her visions in the first place; while Levi didn't strike her as a particularly superstitious man, he was far from stolid. But how would he react to this? This was different. This was...personal.
And so that's why he needed to know—she owed that much to him.
"We should be alright here, but keep your voice down." Levi glanced around the lithic space, as if searching for a Redeemer hiding amongst the catacombs.
Another fact she was learning about the short man: His affinity for negotiation. For a man of so few words, he'd managed to secure a few leniencies through Rikard. She wouldn't be forgetting the sun any time soon.
Just how he managed to do this wasn't entirely clear to Dennard, but she figured it involved divulging further information about the world up above. All she knew for certain was this current outing to "stretch their legs" afforded her the perfect opportunity.
"Spit it out, brat. What's so important?"
Dennard took a breath. "Remember those visions I told you about?" Another nod. She continued. "Well, I had another."
Levi stared at her, unblinking, waiting for her to continue. She didn't. "And? What did you see?"
She couldn't look at him, so she looked at the stone daggers protruding from the floor—he had called them stalamites? This wasn't her doing, she knew, and yet she felt incredibly anxious, as if she were about to confess some grave sin.
"Oi, brat," he prompted. "Just spit it out."
Dennard swallowed thickly, still unable to meet his eyes. "I saw Mikasa."
She could see his shoulders straighten in her periphery. When he spoke, his voice was as dark and empty as the cavern in which they stood. "In what...capacity did you see her?"
Mikasa. The name suited her much more than Mina. She could still recall the warmth of the woman's smile that day in the tavern. At that time, Dennard had only heard stories about the sun and its radiant existence amongst the clouds, and she'd likened Mikasa's expression to it. She hadn't been wrong.
She wanted to keep the memory of her smile, or even of her graceful power as she'd fought those men, but the image had since become soaked in blood. Pale hands clutching, dark hair strewn...so much blood.
Levi grabbed her shoulders with firm hands, going to his knees before her. "Oi! What did you see?"
She felt the sudden urge to apologize. Tears clouded her vision, blurring the image of his stricken face, and she blinked them away rapidly. Her emotions were answer enough, but he still gave her a small shake.
"Dead," she blubbered. "I saw her dead."
It was Levi who looked away this time, to the floor-daggers, his uncut hair obscuring his eyes from her view. He held incredibly still, but the tension was palpable in his arms, his hands. Dennard blinked away another set of tears, refusing to pule before him like a child.
Finally, with all the speed of a snail, Levi relaxed his fingers on her arms, his touch hovering. This was as close to a reassuring embrace as she was going to get, and Dennard accepted it wholeheartedly, letting out a shaky breath. He spoke in a softer voice, but his tone was no less bleak.
"Start from the beginning."
Private quarters: a bump in one's paycheck wasn't the only perk to a promotion.
Levi glanced around the spartan room, spying a picture of Armin and Eren resting on the bedside table. The dust on the windowsill was problematic, but the space was tidy for the most part. A set of throwing knives—the same ones that had nearly taken his eye—lay in a neat row on the desk accompanied by a whetstone and terry cloth for cleaning.
His eyes lingered over the neatly-made bed, and the memory from a few nights ago returned unbidden to his mind. They hadn't spoken since that night; for a small time, Levi was reminded what it was like to live without his mind being tethered to another's.
It was only a matter of time before that mirror she stood before gave him away. Levi elected to just observe her until that moment came, watching the concentration on her face as she pinned her sable locks up with slender fingers.
The back of her neck was pale and elegant. And soft. He knew this already. She twisted slightly to pluck a pin from her pocket, her waist curving pleasantly beneath the fitted style of her dress. He watched her back arch again as she brought the pin to her hair, only then noticing the lack of splint on her arm.
She was getting ready to go somewhere. He needed to speak up now while they still had time. It had taken nearly every ounce of control to not rush over here after his conversation with Dennard; but seeing Mikasa now—oblivious to his presence, bathed in a sleepy glow from the midday sun and looking very much alive—he could feel the familiar tightening of trepidation in his gut.
And just like that, her dark eyes snapped to meet his in the mirror, widening ever so slightly as she focused on his form. Her nimble fingers paused in their work, mouth parting in a silent oh. Levi reminded himself why he was there, putting aside any thoughts of pale skin or slender waists or that damn bed as he stalked toward her. Her cheeks bloomed with color.
"Levi, I—"
"You can't come here." He halted about two feet away from her. "You can't come to the Underground."
Mikasa looked about ready to turn inside out. The blush from before had disappeared, her face pallid. Her hands slowly fell away from her hair, and she tilted her face down, eyes leaving his in the mirror. "Is this...is this about that night—"
"No," his eyes flickered to the bed again despite himself. "It's not. The kid, Dennard—don't ask me how it's possible—but she has these visions. More often than not the things she sees come to fruition. Her mother's death, her dad's." Mikasa met his gaze once more, a look of unease dawning across her face. "She's seen yours."
Her voice was steady when she spoke, soft. "Why are you telling me this?"
He scoffed in exasperation. "Mikasa—"
"Wait, just stop." She spun to face him straight on. "I'm not going to just...this doesn't change anything."
Levi couldn't have been more surprised if she'd slapped him. "It changes everything."
She appeared way too detached for his comfort. "I'm not afraid of dying."
"I know, and that's what concerns me."
"Since when did you let worry get in the way of duty?"
"Duty?" Stubborn, stubborn woman. "Fine. What if I ordered you not to go?" That panic he'd wrangled into submission was starting to rear its ugly head again.
Mikasa's gaze was solemn. "It's not up to you, Levi. I've become an integral piece to this operation." She walked to the desk, the fabric of her skirt caressing his leg as she brushed past him. "There will always be people depending on us. You said it yourself."
"Fuck what I said." He sounded desperate. He was desperate.
"Levi."
He followed her. "I didn't realize you were so keen to play the martyr."
It was a feeble dig, and they both knew it.
"How does it happen?"
"Excuse me?"
She lifted her face to the ceiling, eyes closed. "My death."
Levi braced both hands on the desk, suddenly feeling lightheaded. "Look, your death doesn't have to fucking happen if you don't come looking for me in the first place."
"So she's certain it happens in the Underground?"
"You're not listening—"
Mikasa's head snapped back to him, eyes burning. "No, you aren't. I asked you a question and you keep dancing around it."
Levi pushed away from the table to face her. "Well, she didn't exactly describe the gory details, brat. She saw you die and it happened in the Underground."
"And you believe her?"
"Wouldn't be here if I didn't."
Mikasa finally displayed the barest hint of agitation, her brow creasing as she processed the information. "And you believe there's a way to prevent this from happening?"
"I do, and it's called keeping your ass here. You're still recovering, anyway. You can use that."
She was already shaking her head, a bitter laugh bubbling past her lips. "Too late."
He was angry again, impatient with her stubbornness. "How's it 'too late,' Mikasa?"
He already had an inkling, just hoped it was wrong—please let it be her pride talking and not her duty. Don't let her get anymore involved. His stomach gave a sickening lurch as she brought him up to speed, and he hated himself for leaving that day. If he had just stayed…
"My role in all this is far too integral, whether you like it or not. Rubie thinks she has us in her pocket. Me, in particular. I spoke with Erwin again this morning, and he thinks we can use this—play her at her own game." She looked over his shoulder to the clock on the wall. "I'm meeting Rubie soon."
He was reminded how desperately he needed a haircut as he carded his fingers through the messy locks. "Since when have you all decided to keep me in the dark? Where the fuck was Hanji, anyway? She should never have left you alone with her that night—"
"In case you'd forgotten, you're practically in my head all the damned time. And no one's keeping you in the dark," she growled, jabbing a finger at him. "I'm not a child, Levi. I don't need a chaperone." He started to protest, but she spoke over the top of him. "The main focus of that day was to confirm Rubie's identity. Erwin's orders were to do whatever necessary to avoid rousing her suspicion." She tensed and glanced around the room, as if the walls themselves had suddenly decided to listen. She lowered her voice to a murmur. "But I saw an opportunity that night, and I took it. Since then, I've been getting closer to her, letting her think she's got me."
Levi shook his head. "And what if she does get you? You cannot underestimate this woman—"
"If you don't trust me, trust Erwin. He's thought through every outcome."
"Clearly not this one."
Mikasa shook her head. "Don't you see? It couldn't have gone better. He managed to veto the supposed visit to her brother and buy us more time."
She had an eerily familiar, resolute expression on her face. It was different from the youthful bravado he'd witnessed Jaeger or Isabel wear. This one was more stoic, and far too resigned.
"We can't keep doing this dance forever, though. Eventually, we'll need to make a move, and that will most likely end with me in the Underground. As I said before, I'm willing to sacrifice—"
Levi brought his fist down on the desk—hard—a resounding crack that rattled the throwing knives. "Fucking listen to yourself!" His volume seemed to surprise her more than the strike. "You come here, you die. This is me protecting you!"
Mikasa wouldn't look at him, only stared at some point out the window. She was deathly quiet, chin raised and jaw set.
Levi wanted to break something—throw the chair, anything. She clearly wasn't understanding the gravity of the situation. How was she not balking at this? "You. Will. Die." He repeated, grinding the words out through his teeth, gripping the edge of the desk to keep from hitting it again.
"Do we get you out?"
"What?"
She turned to look at him then, dark eyes swimming with unshed tears. "In her vision, did Dennard see anything else besides me? Did anyone else die? Did we get the two of you out?" Her voice was strong despite her visible emotion.
He wanted to lie. But he couldn't. Not to her. "I don't know."
She only nodded, eyes downcast and face solemn. "Alright, then."
His chest felt like it might cave inward, the slump of defeat tugging on what remained of that wretched space. Hell, at this point, he wasn't above begging; he'd already thrown his dignity out the damned window, so he might as well grovel. "Tell Erwin." She was shaking her head. "He's not going to risk someone as valuable as you. You tell him about this and he'll..."
The words died on his tongue when he felt her touch his hand, and he looked down to see her fingers reaching along the table's surface. She brushed her thumb across his knuckles, turning his hand so his palm faced upward, tracing across the lines there.
He flicked his gaze back to hers, utterly beaten. "Just don't do anything stupid, alright?" He'd intended it as an order, but it sounded far too pleading. "You keep your head down and this might turn out to be nothing. Don't be a hero."
The corner of Mikasa's mouth twitched, eyes twinkling as she regarded him from beneath dark lashes. "You sure you don't have a heart, captain?"
Levi didn't share in her mirth. He did, however, take a small amount of satisfaction in her surprised gasp when his fingers wrapped around her wrist and pulled her toward him. Her body was warm against his, the puffs of her breath soft. It felt like he was holding an open flame, but he greeted the burn, knew that it went beyond any unseen tether linking their minds.
He reached out with his other hand, and she tensed at the delicate brush of his fingers against her lower back, pulling her closer. "How's your arm?"
She blinked at him, slow on the uptake. "Oh, uh, fine. Hanji took off the wrappings this morning."
A dark wisp of her hair had sprung free from its clip, and he watched her pale throat convulse as he tucked the tendril back behind her ear. Her skin was warm and soft, unlike his hands, the calluses on his fingers. He knew he'd find the same roughness on hers; both their bodies bore the permanent markings of a soldier. Her face, however, was smooth. Feminine.
Her pulse hammered hot and quick beneath his fingers as he trailed them down the side of her neck, across her clavicle—her chest, which rose and fell with shallow breaths. He followed the subtle curve of her waist, thumb straying over her hip to gently press against her lower abdomen.
"I could feel you." Just the memory of how she'd felt—how she'd sounded when she came—made his pulse hammer and his head feel light. His fingers itched to feel her skin.
Mikasa made a small sound in the back of her throat. "Don't," she pleaded. "Don't use that to make me change my mind."
He didn't really understand her logic; but her voice was strained, words jumbled, so maybe she didn't either. And, really, there wasn't a hell of a lot he could make Mikasa Ackerman do. "I'm not using it," he replied, turning his head to brush his nose against the smooth line of her jaw. "Just remembering it."
She shuddered, hands gripping his shirt. "It's nearly the hour. I need to go. I need to meet Rubie."
From the safety of her shoulder, Levi sent a disgruntled look heavenward, finding a new reason to detest the redhead. The sigh she made when his lips found her neck sent a jolt straight to his groin, and he gripped her side harder. "Don't talk about her, please."
"Don't start something we can't finish," She countered, glancing at the clock before looking back at him, her pupils full and bottomless.
Out of time. Always out of time. She grabbed his chin, pulling his attention back to her.
"I'm going to get you out of there, Levi. I'm going to get you both out of there," her hands moved to the collar of his shirt, holding him in place, pinning him with those onyx eyes, "and then I'm going to kill that fucking Rubie bitch."
She barely got the words out before his mouth was on hers. She met him eagerly, pressing her body flush against his, making him groan when she slid her fingers through his hair. Fuck did it feel good when she did that thing with her tongue.
Without breaking the kiss, he cornered his gaze to the hateful timekeeper on her wall. A quarter till. He moved to her neck, tongue laving across the porcelain flesh and making her groan.
"Levi...Levi, please I need to…"
Her words were interrupted by a gasp as his hand slid forward across her clothed crotch, fingers curling. Too much skirt. "What do you need to do, Mikasa? Tell me what you need."
She gave him a side glance, her expression equal parts reproachful and torpid with lust as she repeated, "don't start something you can't finish." Those pretty, pink lips parted on another gasp as he ran the back of his first two fingers against her.
"I better make it quick then." Levi's mouth continued its exploration of her neck, while his hands went to work gathering the hem of her dress. She reached for his belt, but he only swatted away her hands. "No time," he rasped, yanking her underpants down across her thighs and earning another one of those breathy little sighs.
Mikasa's teeth slid against his jaw, a curse escaping on her exhale as he touched her scorching flesh for the first time. She was so incredibly soft. Here, but everywhere else too—breasts, hips, thighs, mouth. It was all he could do not to rut against her hip like a hormonal teen. She made another attempt at his belt, but he pressed her ass back against the desk.
"Levi," she protested, her underwear slipping to her ankles. She stepped free from the garment, and he grasped the back of her left knee, hauling her leg around his hip. Another curse left her mouth as she ground against his working hand.
He glanced at the clock again. She was getting close, but he needed to speed things up. "Did you touch yourself like this?" Her bottom lip disappeared between her teeth, the sight as tempting as it was erotic, and he couldn't help but lean forward and recapture it for himself.
She threw her head back as his thumb joined the fray, exposing the pale column of her throat once more to the graze of his teeth and the press of his tongue. Levi wanted to mutter all sorts of dark little promises against her throat—questions and revelations too. Instead, he only breathed, "let me feel."
And she did.
Levi gasped in surprise as the connection ripped open between them, the sudden onrush of sensation almost painful in its intensity. Mikasa gave a small whine when his thumb increased its pressure, and she pushed the feeling across the bond.
She quickened around his fingers—he could feel the peak that wasn't his—and he pulled her close to swallow her cries with his mouth. Mikasa clung to his shoulders as her pleasure wracked her frame, finally pushing his fingers away when it became too much.
"Brat," he breathed, resting his forehead against hers.
His hand was sticky. She saw him inspecting the dampness there and grew flustered, glancing around the table for something he could use to clean himself with. There was nothing.
Levi watched her eyes widen as he licked his fingers, silently delighting once again in having inspired such a reaction in her. Perhaps she thought his actions out of character. Maybe they were—but he had a hard time finding anything filthy about Mikasa.
"I think you could make it to Erwin's on time at a light jog," he deadpanned.
Mikasa snorted, which then dissolved into a breathy laugh. "You're unbelievable." She shook her head, eyes trailing over him. "I wish we had more time."
He cast another glance at the clock. "Weren't you the one waxing on about duties just a moment ago.
She glared, but he found the sight oddly attractive. That, and seeing her slumped against the table, all flushed and disheveled, was doing nothing for the problem in his pants.
"Ok, I'm going to go now."
"Ok."
"Right."
She bent and shimmied her underwear back into place, and it was all he could do not to hoist her onto the table and make Rubie wait for another fifteen minutes. He carded a hand through his hair.
"Fuckssake. Get going. Damn brat."
"Wait," she said, hand reaching but not grasping.
He waited for her to speak, watched the conflict play out on her face. Her hand retreated back to her side, along with whatever she had wanted to say. He understood, though. "There will be time after."
Time to talk? To figure out whatever the hell this thing was between them? Maybe, but maybe not—he wasn't one to make empty promises. She didn't question him, however, merely nodded.
And then he was gone.
Tl;dr — Dennard has a vision that Mikasa is gonna bite the dust. She tells Levi, he flips out and tells Mikasa. They fight–he wants her to stay away from the Underground and Rubie, but she's become far too involved in the mission to do so. They argue, they make up, and he...ahem...does naughty things to her.
Apologies for the late update on this one. The scene between Levi and Mikasa tripped me up for a few reasons. For example, I actually cut the smut at first (I know, I knowww) because I thought it was...I dunno too ooc for them? Maybe it is still. Also, trying to keep this at an M rating but might be toeing the line. You let me know.