~AN~: this was a little rushed so sorry if it's kind of bad; it wasn't meant to be anything other than a quick one- shot. I hope you like it:) and if you don't like it or think you can do better, then you're in the wrong place!
Nice to meet you
Where you been?
I could show you incredible things
Magic, madness, heaven, sin
He had been chased by at least four Titans before using his 3D Maneuver Gear to launch himself into a nearby lake. There were five at first but he had managed to kill it when it got too close. Levi, who at the time was riding with his own squadron, could only watch in sheer amazement at how the rouge cadet's quick thinking and tactlessness had saved his life; at the time, he had also singlehandedly discovered that Titans have an odd aversion to water and won't approach it. It appeared they couldn't bring themselves to dive in and chase after him. They could only stupidly stomp their feet and roar in anger before Levi swung by and sliced the napes of their necks one by one quite gracefully with his blades.
He had turned back towards the lake and frantically looked for the cadet that had dived into the lake. Without putting his bloody blades into their metallic sheaths, he made his way towards the lake until he saw him.
The cadet slowly swam his way to shore before being able to stand again. He looked down so it was really hard for Levi to make out his face, but Levi wasted no time in marching towards him, ready to give him hell for his recklessness. That is until the cadet reached up towards his head and pulled off what appeared to be a hair tie, letting (h/l), (e/c) fall over his shoulder in such a gentle movement, it made Levi halt in his tracks.
Not he. She.
She ran her fingers through her hair as an attempt to pull wet strands out of her face, which now Levi could see clearly: delicate features, smooth skin, and lips that had a natural pout to them. An actual real beauty, but nevertheless she carried the look of a seasoned soldier in her face. Tough, indifferent, and worn.
"Oi, you!" Levi attempted to yell out, surprised at how dry his throat had become.
The lovely soldier looked up from the water almost nonchalantly towards the Corporal and once her eyes gazed over his, he felt himself hold his breath.
She had a stunning shade of (e/c) eyes but as stunning as they were, he could see the look of a soldier who knew she had escaped death by a thread. Her silent beauty and her brazenness of a soldier made him all the more enticing to him.
Saw you there and I thought oh my god
Look at that face, you look like my next mistake
Love's a game, wanna play?
She had stopped trudging through the water with legs that felt heavy as lead. It wasn't the first time she has done something as risky and critical like using herself as live bait to lure the Titans away from her own squad. She was used to thinking quick on her feet and objectively, so it only made sense to her to dive into the lake. What would the Titans do other than drown? It was by luck and guts that she lived, but still, that was a scary close call.
But then she heard a rude shout and looked up, only to see him.
Who knew that she would ever get the chance to be saved by no one other than Special Operations Squad leader Levi Ackerman? She thought this to herself in amusement at first before realizing shit, it actually was him and not a mirage! Her feet didn't budge at all as she could only look back at his stern gaze. He only looked back at her with a mean but amused smirk on his face and she felt like he could hear her thoughts.
New money, suit and tie
I can read you like a magazine
Ain't it funny rumors fly?
And I know you heard about me.
Levi wasn't at all surprised at the look on her face. It's true that it was common knowledge that Levi was an infamous playboy and he had a special weakness for female soldiers. Not just any female soldiers, but girls like her. She was his type. Girls that looked like they should be a princess from Sina instead of lethal soldiers, girls that didn't melt at the sight of him, girls that weren't afraid to slice into a Titan's neck. But girls that would pull off impressive but deadly stints like that? It was almost intimidating because it made her almost as formidable as Levi himself.
Somehow, he had to convince her that those rumors were lies.
So hey, let's be friends
I'm dying to see how this one ends
Grab your passport and my hand
I could make the bad guys good for a weekend
He had approached her to lightly scold her at first, just to amuse himself as he usually did with pretty girls. "I have a question to ask you, cadet," he finally said, trying his best to keep his voice steady. He hoped he sounded as stern as he thought he did.
The girl pushed her hair out of her face as she got up and looked at Levi expectantly.
"So… you were the one who killed the 10- meter."
"Yes."
"And the one who thought of jumping into the lake."
"Yes, what's your question?" she said, tilting her head sideways.
Levi smirked at her blunt remark. Normally he would have her running laps already but she seemed like she genuinely didn't understand what was going on. And he couldn't help enjoying himself a bit, he has always had a special weakness for pretty girls.
"You're a little too confident to be talking to your superior like that, brat," he snidely said to her, not to be rude but to see what else she would surprise him with.
The girl's eyes slightly widened a bit and they quickly looked up and down at Levi.
"Oh, I didn't think you were one."
Levi fought the urge to chuckle. Man, this girl has no shame. But I kind of like it.
"Well I do have a question. When do you have physical conditioning training?"
The girl tucked a strand of (h/c) behind her ear as she peered into Levi's eyes suspiciously. "Uh, every Monday and Friday mornings from sun up to afternoon. Why, sir?"
"So I know when to stop by and see you," Levi said with a wink.
She felt her heart sink. It couldn't be… it's just exactly how Sasha and Annie had described it. Those grey eyes, so cold but so inviting, are enough to weaken you into submission. The cocky smirk on his face draws attention to how devastatingly handsome he is. Chiseled cheekbones, a flawless complexion, a masculine jaw, and the attractive arrogance in his eyes made him appealing to any gullible girl. She couldn't believe out of all girls he could hit on, it had to be her. Wasn't he into really specific, beautiful girls? Could his feelings even be considered serious?
She hated to admit to herself that she had harbored a deep crush on him for the longest time too which is why she had always avoided him before…
So it's gonna be forever
Or it's gonna go down in flames
You can tell me when it's over
If the high was worth the pain
He often would gravitate towards her everywhere she was: the mess hall, the cafeteria, the training grounds, every chance he got. Levi enjoyed the flustered look on her face when he would show up by surprise. Sometimes he would playfully scold and threaten her with tiresome chores, only to ask her to make it up to him with dates. She would shyly decline and resist, but it made him only want her more. So much that he actually lost interest in pursuing other women in the meantime, which was unheard of. Levi had to know more of her, so he asked around for her name to look her up.
Her name was (F/n) (L/n).
What he found out shocked him. This shy but lethal soldier had almost been rendered mute because of the trauma she went through upon witnessing her entire family being slaughtered by a Titan. For five years she never spoke a word but surprisingly enough, she applied for the Survey Corps under the premise of revenge. It clearly explained her drive that made her such a valued asset to the Corps, and why she was so timid all the same. Now Levi had leverage; now he knew how to win her over.
All he had to do is make her believe all the rumors weren't true.
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
Cause you know I love the players
And you love the game
As the days passed, (F/n) slowly began to lose her will to fight off Levi's advances. How easy could it be to resist such a charming yet masculine man? Levi would have flowers sent to her, he would jog towards her just to open doors for her, he even would punish other cadets that made her uncomfortable. She couldn't get him off her mind, so one night while everyone was asleep, she took off to the training grounds with her 3DMG for some time of solitude. Alone time hardly came by but she enjoyed every minute she could get. As much as she tried to keep to herself, it was hard to not draw attention for someone with her prodigious talent and for some strange reasons, her looks.
"What's strange about the way I look anyway?" she muttered to herself as she swung by countless tress with wind whipping her face. "I just want to be left alone…"
All she thought of really was exterminating the one Titan that killed her family after all. It's better to be a lone wolf than form close friendships with people that would end up killed anyway. She didn't need people; she was independent and adept at what she did. She preferred it that way.
Tired of the physical exertion she had to put on her body because of her extensive 3DMG usage, she landed on the ground and slumped against a tree.
"I never thought I'd see the day where I would see one of my cadets using 3DMG equipment in pajamas."
She whipped her head around in surprise and her jaw dropped. Levi leaned against a tree only a few feet away, casually inspecting his fingernails. His grey eyes glanced at her from the corners of his eyes, making her heart pick up the familiar fast pace he caused.
"Corporal? What are you doing here?" she finally blurted out. She was so screwed now…
"Normally I'd have to follow you to bring you back for punishment, but I followed you because I was curious as to why you would be coming out here at night," Levi replied as he started to walk towards her, "It's not safe for a pretty girl to be out here late at night."
She took a step back and clenched her fists. "I'm not a pretty girl. I'm a soldier. How many more Titans do I have to keep killing to prove it?" She almost said the latter too angrily. It honestly did get on her nerves how despite having achieved as many kills and even more assists than Mikasa Ackerman herself, she wasn't always taken seriously because of her appearance. True, she was smaller than some in comparison but she was faster. And much stronger. Truth be told, she didn't really know why because of how withdrawn she was and also because she wasn't brought up by anyone ever since she lost her family. People were a subject she never got to understand.
Her remark surprised the Corporal. He smiled to himself, knowing exactly how to play his cards now.
"Apologies, cadet. I'm curious though, could it be that you don't possibly think of yourself as pretty as everyone thinks you are… because you're a recluse as a result of losing your family at such a tender age?"
She froze and stared at him in horror.
"How did-"
"I'm your superior kid, I'm supposed to know everything," said Levi haughtily. "I also heard you spent the last ten years as a thug, is that right?"
This can't be happening, she thought in despair. (F/n) had fought so hard to hide her past from her superiors and subordinates, where would Levi get this information?
"Why do you look so angry? It actually interests me because I was part of a trio of thugs once," he added with a crooked smile forming on his face.
This ought to gain her trust.
Cause we're young and we're reckless
We'll take this way too far
It'll leave you breathless
Or with a nasty scar
They spent the rest of that night talking about their past experiences. Despite his intentions, Levi couldn't help warming up to her on a much more intimate level. Her traumatic experiences as an orphan and the things she had to do to survive on her own tugged hard at his heartstrings. He even found himself sharing his own experiences with her, which amazed her because she always thought no one could relate to her. By the end of the night, Levi took a chance.
"I know I keep nagging at you for a date, but I'm serious when I say I really am interested in getting to know you more. Will you let me?" Levi asked cautiously.
(F/n) looked down at her hands. "I've refused this whole time because I hear you're a player and that you dump girls once you meet another girl."
"That's not true. It's a rumor an angry ex of mine passed around after a bad breakup is all," Levi retorted with a wave of his hand. He then slipped a hand on top of hers and she turned her head towards him in surprise.
"Believe me, (F/n). I've never met such an incredible woman like you, someone who I can relate to so much. I wouldn't throw you away at the sight of another pretty face," he smiled.
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
But I got a blank space baby
And I'll write your name
Sure enough his plan worked and three months later, he had won her over. But Levi couldn't help himself from being the kind of man he truly was, so he avoided actually asking her to be his girlfriend. It was difficult for (F/n) because she had genuinely came to feel strongly for Levi, a feat she thought she would never achieve. He had made her smile more than she ever had throughout her whole lifetime and she felt another resolve to fight for a better life other than just revenge. She even had laughed once in front of her fellow cadets, shocking them since she had never laughed before. Color returned to her cheeks and happiness came to her in such a way she never thought possible.
Cherry lips
Crystal skies
I could show you incredible things
Stolen kisses, pretty lies
You're the king baby I'm your queen
But if things were going so well, why wasn't Levi asking her to be his already? (F/n) couldn't help but think to herself that maybe there was some truth to the rumors that prohibited her from dating him in the first place. It wasn't until an additional four months later that she started to see that maybe she had been wrong this whole time.
Find out what you want
Be that girl for a month
But the worst is yet to come
Next to her abilities was Mikasa Ackerman. She had been away for a while, assisting the Garrison on eliminating the Wall Titans and once she returned, Levi started to act strangely. While they were away at expeditions, he had a tendency to let go of whatever he was doing if Mikasa ever got herself in a dangerous situation. Which was strange because she was more than capable of taking care of herself…
Oh no
Screaming, crying, perfect storms
I could make all the tables turn
Rose garden filled with thorns
But that wasn't it. Once on an expedition, (F/n) had swung herself onto a Titan's back and hacked off the nape of its massive neck. She held on as it collapsed to the ground. It was at that opportune moment when she looked to her side and saw Levi assist Sasha Blouse with killing a Titan much smaller than the one she took down. They looked like they were laughing together about something. Why would he be helping her when it was (F/n) dealing with a 5- meters taller Titan?
At that moment of distraction, (F/n) failed to realize that a variant Titan had spotted and leapt at her. It grasped her in his hand and smiled wickedly at her as it squeezed her so tight, it made her 3DMG snap in half. Another scream was heard and both the Titan and (F/n) turned and saw that Petra was running towards them with another Titan pursuing her.
"Use your goddamn gear, you idiot!" (F/n) screamed, not believing her eyes that Petra could be so scared of a normal Titan. Ignoring her, she tried to squeeze herself out of the variant's hand but to no avail. The Titan began lifting her to its mouth until out of desperation, she leaned down and bit its hand as hard as she could. It had been known that Titans can feel a degree of pain and it worked, as it roared angrily and swung her around violently.
Then she saw a green streak: Levi had maneuvered himself quickly with his gear to Petra's side, picked her up by her waist and swung her into a tree far enough out of her Titan's grip. (F/n) looked at the sight as if she was watching a car crash in slow motion. How could he not go for her instead? She was the one about to be eaten!
Rage swelled up in her heart and suddenly, she decided to not succumb to this situation. She was going to live long enough to give Levi a piece of her mind. (F/n) struggled greatly to reach a hand down her side and slide out one of her now broken blades as the Titan swung her around; with one swift movement, she slashed one of its fingers off causing her to get sprayed with blood. The variant screamed in wild rage but loosened its grip enough to let her fall from its grasp. She fell hard on the ground and yelled out in pain, but didn't allow herself to lay there in agony. She forced herself to get up and hurriedly limped towards Levi and Petra who were watching this entire time.
"(F/n) are you okay? Oh goodness, I thought you were a goner!" wailed Petra in exaggeration, only achieving in annoying (F/n) even more. She was lying on the ground with Levi kneeling next to her, trying to comfort her. He looked up at (F/n) who looked straight up… pissed.
"Hey, Petra had a panic attack and I was trying to help. I thought you had it under control," he said almost too calmly. It infuriated (F/n); how could he be so calm like this when she almost had her head chopped off?! Why didn't he come save her? She was in more danger than Petra!
She threw off her damaged 3DMG gear and stretched out her hand towards Petra who only looked at her in confusion.
"W-what do you want-?"
"Your gear. You obviously have no need for it since you can only bring yourself to run away instead of using it," she said through clenched teeth. Levi stood up and tried to walk towards her.
"(F/n), calm down," he started to say until (F/n) flickered her angry eyes at him, startling him enough to stop walking. She lifted an angry finger at him.
"You don't get to tell me to calm the fuck down when I almost got killed while you were too busy attending to a fit of anxiety," she spat out angrily. Levi narrowed his eyes at her almost ready to snap back until Petra quickly relinquished her gear to (F/n) so she would leave. She took it without looking away from Levi's gaze, put it on, and took off to finish off the variant Titan.
Levi knew he had somehow blown his cover and the thoughts that she might be having now.
Keep you second guessing like oh my god
Who is she? I get drunk on jealousy
But you'll come back each time you leave
Cause darling I'm a nightmare dressed like a daydream
That wasn't the last time either. Levi began spending less time with her and would give her the worst excuses for not saving her that day. How could Petra and Mikasa die that easily anyway? They were strong fighters like (F/n), why would Levi choose to save them than her? To make matters worse, Levi not only would be caught in their company. There were other instances (F/n) would see him look at other girls and to an extent, flirt with them when he thought she wasn't looking.
"You're overthinking."
"You're just jealous."
"It's no big deal."
"Babe, you didn't need me. They just needed more help."
"You're assuming."
"It doesn't mean anything."
"It's you I have eyes for."
He would take advantage of her innocence and make her think that her suspicions were all in her head. Levi secretly knew she was on to him, but also his own feelings for her kept him from rightfully letting her go. He knew he was no good for such a kind and devoted woman, but it only made him want her to stay more. So he lied so she could. She was warned before anyway, right?
Boys only want love if it's torture
Don't say I didn't say I didn't warn you
Boys only want love if it's torture
Don't say I didn't say I didn't warn you
It was a vicious cycle. Levi had stopped being the consistent charming and protective man he was to her and she wondered if he stopped caring as much because he knew she had fallen for him. But when she tried to ask why he was so friendly to other women or why he would spend time with them instead of her, he would either get angry with her and then immediately apologize and remind her that it was only her he was devoted to. Levi showered her with kisses and flowers and affection, but it just… was not enough to forgive him for his rude indiscretions. How could he be so openly flirtatious to other women without thinking he could get caught? (F/n) would find him in corridors or coming out of someone else's door with different women each time. She never would have imagined that Levi mistook her innocence for stupidity, how could he possibly try to make her think that he wasn't fooling around?
So it's gonna be forever
Or it's gonna go down in flames
You can tell me when it's over
If the high was worth the pain
The constant suspicion, the constant manipulation, and the constant lingering feeling that she wasn't the only one in his heart proved to be too much for (F/n). She was not used to feeling so stressed and broken because of a man, and she didn't know how to cope with this. She couldn't take it anymore and marched down to Levi's room to confront him. (F/n) almost opened his door until she heard whispers from the other side. Instead, she opened it slightly and carefully peeked in.
"But I thought you had something with (F/n), Corporal," a redheaded girl was saying. She wore the Survey Corps uniform and (F/n) immediately recognized her as one of the newest recruits. She sat on Levi's chair nervously as the raven-haired soldier leaned down towards her until their faces were an inch apart.
"What? She's not even my girlfriend. You wouldn't call me a liar would you, cadet?" he said with the same sly but trusting smile he had given (F/n) before.
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
Cause you know I love the players
And you love the game
"I would," (F/n) said, letting the door slide wide open.
Levi and the redheaded girl looked up and mutually stared at (F/n) in shock. All she did was stare at Levi, her vision slowly getting blurry as tears began to build up in them. The last time she ever cried was the day she witnessed her family getting slaughtered.
Maybe she had a heart this whole time after all. But now, it was irrevocably broken.
She did nothing nor say nothing, choosing to instead turn away without a single word. Hurried footsteps chased after her and she felt her arm being grabbed and she was swung around. Levi had caught up to her and was looking at her with an angry desperation in his eyes.
"(F/n), that… that was nothing, I was just playing around. It was nothing honestly-" he said in a hushed whisper.
"It's nothing that you denied that I was nothing to you?" she asked with a hurt look, which made Levi's already heavy heart sink even lower.
"It was stupid… you aren't nothing, you're my girl (F/n). Ugh I'm an animal, I'm so sorry. Just… just tell me what to do to make it right!" Levi exclaimed as he gripped her shoulders tightly.
"You don't have to. I never even belonged to you in the first place," (F/n) responded quietly before prying herself out of Levi's grip and walking away.
He stared at her retreating figure and after a stunned silence, yelled at her angrily, "Don't you walk away from me! I won't forgive you if you come back! I don't fucking care if you even try!"
Cause we're young and we're reckless
We'll take this way too far and leave you breathless
Or with a nasty scar
Once she stepped into her room, (F/n) collapsed on the ground and cried out in heartbroken agony. She screamed in anger at how stupid she could have been to fall for a shameless manwhore like that. She had been warned so many times and she still didn't listen! How could he do this to her? What did she do to not deserve his love? Why did she deserve ithis/i? (F/n) could do nothing else but dig her face into her hands and sob uncontrollably, overwhelmed with misery.
She was a disciplined and formidable soldier before she even met that bastard. All she ever wanted in life was to devote herself to fight for humanity and to avenge her own family; she wanted to get rid of all the evil that had pushed humanity to bring of extinction so she could finally sleep at night in peace once again. She had saved countless lives without seeking anything in return, so why in the hell was this happening to her?
It was because she was too innocent, too forgiving, and all too human.
The soldier slowly looked up from her tear-soaked hands, and stared at her vanity in her room. A strange impulse made her get up from the floor and walk over to her vanity; she took a seat on the stool as she stared at her reflection, realizing it was the first time she had seen her reflection in years. She saw puffy (e/c) eyes, a reddened face, and disheveled (h/c) hair. It's been so long, she never even realized she looked like her mother. Her mother was the most beautiful human being within Wall Maria; so beautiful that (F/n) always desired to look like her. The last time she had looked at a mirror she was a frumpy and frail child with oversized clothing on her tiny body. No one would look at her twice the way the way they would at Mother.
Now it seemed like it was her own mother staring back at her instead of that child.
Maybe that's why I was looked at so strange; maybe that's why Levi was interested and possessive of me… Well, it doesn't matter anymore. Because I'm going to exploit this.
She gripped her head tightly and shuddered at the sudden wave of memories that hit her.
"Why don't you wear makeup? It suits you better."
"You should wear tighter clothes. I think I'd go crazy if I see you in a dress."
"Why don't you smile more? Let me see that pretty smile."
"Let your hair down, I keep mistaking you for a guy."
Levi's stoic face and his thoughtless remarks kept replaying in her mind, tormenting her to the brink of insanity. Something inside her snapped and an insidious, sly smile curved her lips. Without a second thought, (F/n) opened a drawer, took out a pair of scissors and began to cut off her hair. With a clear objective in mind, she kept hacking at her hair until it was short enough. She took out hair dye and spent the next few hours soaking her hair in it before washing the dye off and drying her hair.
After straightening and styling it into an angled bob, (F/n) took out a makeup set she had received from Levi as a passive suggestion that she would wear it for once. She carefully worked on her face until she couldn't recognize herself any longer. Foundation, powders, eyeliners, and other unfamiliar substances were applied to her face until she finished it off with a dark red lipstick over her lips.
After she was done, she dug around for fabric and began to modify it to make her plan come into fruition. (F/n) smiled to herself as she cut the fabric, already relishing the way she was going to make Levi pay for her suffering in the worst way possible. She didn't care how long it took, she was going to enjoy every second of it until she could find the opportunity to shatter his heart into a thousand pieces and turn him into an empty shell of a human being.
She was going to take everything away from him until all he had was his own misery and regrets. Even at the expense of her own identity.
A few days later….
Levi was slouching against the wall of the tavern as he idly watched people drink, dance, and chat away. Occasionally his eyes would flicker to each attractive woman that would walk pass him and smile at him, clearly recognizing him as that one famous soldier. This time however, he wasn't that into this game he liked to play at all. Levi couldn't stop himself from thinking about (F/n) and how badly he wished things didn't turn out the way they did. Maybe he should have been more careful, or maybe he just should have stopped his playboy ways altogether. Because for once, losing someone actually hurt. It really fucking hurt. Not just anyone but (F/n)… man, that girl was so beautiful. Maybe the most beautiful girl that had ever walked into the Survey Corps. That's probably why so many people were thrown off that someone like her could even be there. That face and the way she was made Levi feel like he was in a dream when he was with her. Not to mention she was the only person he ever had respect for. And to be fair, he shouldn't have taken advantage of her innocence so she could have stayed with him. Maybe if he actually tried to be the man she deserved instead of thinking she was entitled to him, she would have not just stayed but she actually could have been happy. Damn he loved how happy she got whenever he did something she loved; why didn't he do it more? Why couldn't he just change? Fuck, now he spent way too much sulking over her again…
His eyes caught a flicker of auburn hair and he looked up. An eyebrow rose as he saw a woman in white heels and a strapless, short red dress walk into the tavern with her back to him. His eyes traced the curves of her figure and when he looked over her arms and shoulders, he noticed muscle and definition. She was either a soldier or an athlete, but regardless, he felt drawn to her because of another mysterious force.
Gathering his composure, Levi walked towards her as she leaned against the bar's counter seemingly to order something. A crooked smile already set on his face, Levi leaned in ready to begin his usual game play.
"A pretty girl shouldn't be out here by herself."
The woman turned around and Levi's heart came to an abrupt stop. She was drop dead gorgeous, with a perfectly airbrushed face, thick eyelashes, and dark red lips. Her eyes were defined with black eyeliner and she had a sexy, short angled bob that perfectly framed her delicate face structure. But the most defining characteristic of hers were those (e/c) eyes that were all too familiar.
Could it be…? No, how could it? She looks so similar to iher/i but they couldn't be any more different. His (F/n) would never wear these kind of sexy clothes, no matter how hard he tried to make her. She saw no need for makeup either and her hair wasn't auburn either. What the hell? Levi was so thrown off, all he could do was gaze at this woman's face wondering if his guilt and constant thoughts of (F/n) have made him go crazy.
The woman smiled sweetly at Levi and flirtatiously tilted her head to the side, letting her long bangs sweep delicately over part of her face.
"Hello, stranger."
Got a long list of ex-lovers
They'll tell you I'm insane
But I got a blank space baby
And I'll write your name