Part 4: Dayling
The sun seeped through Karma's eyelids in a wash of red and orange. She squinted against the bright light. The pale blue sky was scattered with white tufts. The lull of the tide made her drowsy, but the slow breathing of the warm body against her drew her awake. Captain Levi's chest pressed against her back, his arm was snug across her tummy.
She was tempted to wake him—she already missed his quips and his company. But instead, she rolled to face him, careful not to disturb the position of his arm. He stirred for a moment, adjusted his neck, and continued his steady breathing.
Finally. She could study him in secret. She could stare and gaze—counting his long lashes, memorizing the pout of his lip, skimming her eyes like fingers across his cheeks and the curve of his nose and the arch of his brow—without interruption.
She'd always craved a private moment like this, as opposed to the usual quick glances or conversational eye contact. In those moments, she had to snag whatever snippets she could and tuck them away, puzzling his features into her memory piece by piece—what a shallow imitation she'd conjured. His features were defined and real, not some hazy sketch. His skin had small pores and faint lines. His brows were threaded with fine hairs.
She had never seen his hair unkempt either. Against the towel-pillow, shifting positions in the night—not to mention her exploring fingers—his dark hair was matted in some areas and feathery in others, an odd combination, but she almost preferred this look on him. The small imperfection made him seem more tangible; less of a perfect figment of her fantasies. It was something that was just for her. Who else got to see Captain Levi before he tidied up and pressed his uniform?
A small splotch of drool glistened on the corner of his lip. His breath was still scented with salt and making soft snoring sounds. It was the most perfect version of Levi she'd ever seen.
And this was only what was exposed. More wonders waited beneath the cloak.
Karma fought the temptation to look beyond his face without his knowing—it seemed like a violation. So, to pass the time, she mirrored his breathing and tried to imagine what he might be dreaming about. He looked so serene, certainly his mind wasn't flummoxed with battle and gore? Surely, he was somewhere beautiful and calm, maybe even this exact spot.
The pattern of Levi's breathing shifted and his eyes squinted open. He swiped crust from the corners and sucked in a deep yawn. Then he blinked and saw Karma, smiling at him. His lip curled too.
"Morning." His voice was throaty, and Karma found it wildly attractive. He stretched his arms, exposing his chest. Karma recognized the defined planes she'd traced with her fingers.
"Good morning, Captain. How'd you sleep?"
"Perfectly. I dreamt about last night over and over."
"The part where you touched the anus? Must've been a nightmare."
"I liked it."
"You're nasty."
"You know which part," he said, smirking.
"I know." Her heart fluttered and her stomach knotted. She knew what was coming.
"You still want to cash in that peek?" he said.
Karma glanced past Levi toward the campsite. It'd felt like they'd walked far from the rest of the regiment, but she could see them, rolling up sleeping bags and packing towels and umbrellas. They were far enough away where she couldn't discern facial features, but close enough where she could tell who was who.
"They're gonna realize we're missing. If they haven't already," Karma said, picking her nails beneath the cloak.
"Good. I had no intention to keep this secret."
"And what's…this?"
"Label it however you want—I'm yours."
"Hm, I like the sound of that." Karma grinned. "Alright, I think I'm ready to cash in."
"You sure?" Levi grabbed the brim of the cloak. She nodded.
He's mine. The words looped in her brain.
Levi lifted the cloak and pulled it over their heads like a private fort. The bottom hem of the cloak grazed Karma's knees.
Karma closed her eyes and took a deep breath, steeling her jitters. When she opened her eyes, the sun peeking through the fabric's tiny holes made it feel like they were under the stars again.
Levi was lying beside her, as exposed as she was. It was so strange to see their bodies next to each other. To think that what happened between them last night was real. She could see the arms that'd held her, the neck and chest she'd kissed, the legs that'd tangled in hers, the hands that'd stirred her heart and stomach to goo, the intimate parts she'd familiarized herself with.
All of him.
Captain Levi was never nervous. He never blushed or bit his lip. He never gasped or stared open-mouthed. But suddenly, he was doing all of these things.
"God…" Levi stretched a quivering hand, his eyes followed the path he traced with his palm and fingers. He shifted back and forth between disbelief and marvel.
His reaction settled all of Karma's nerves, and yet she found herself giggling. His eyes flitted back to hers. "You nervous?" he said.
She shook her head. "No. I guess I laugh when I'm really happy too."
He kissed her again and again and again. Sweet kisses. Sexy kisses. Sultry kisses. Surely, the others would've left by now. She and Levi must have the beach to themselves—the world to themselves. At least it felt that way in the bubble of the cloak, humid with body heat.
Karma wished they could stay like this forever. No distractions. No responsibilities. But they had a regiment to return to. And Levi had his captain duties.
"Ready to go back?" she said, smoothing his ruffled hair. He kissed her once more on the tip of her nose.
"If we have to."
They wrapped themselves in towels—baby pink in the sunshine—and headed to the beach where the Scouts had finished loading up for departure. They were standing by their horses in odd combinations of beach clothes—tank tops and board shorts, sundresses and floppy hats—and riding boots.
The beach was empty. Everything had been cleaned up, including their clothes. And there was no way Karma and Levi could ride home horseback in nothing but flimsy towels.
"Shit," Levi said under his breath.
"Looking for something?" It was Mikasa, wearing white spaghetti straps, jean shorts, and black lace-up boots. She was covering up her amusement with folded arms and an unconvincing glare.
"Yeah. Can't you tell?" Karma gestured to her pink towel.
"Fun night, huh?" Mikasa gave up on the glare. She was full-on beaming, which was a rare sight.
"I'll tell you all about it when I'm not naked."
"Alright, fine. I have your clothes, one sec." Mikasa grabbed a lumpy, cinched-up backpack from her saddle and tossed it to Karma.
Karma flipped through the contents. She hadn't thought to pack panties or a bra, so she'd have to use her bikini. She passed Levi his briefs and white button up and sandy, wrinkled dress pants. Maneuvering to keep the towels in place, they stumbled into their clothes.
"Okay, you're excused. Bye," Mikasa said to Levi, scooting him towards the horses.
He glanced at Karma who nodded and mouthed, "One sec."
"Tell me everything," Mikasa said, hands on Karma's dainty shoulders.
"All the gorey details? Are you sure?"
"Nevermind—I'll take the PG-13 rundown."
"Basically, we hooked up."
Mikasa scoffed. "I know that's not everything. I've seen the way he looks at you—look, he's doing it right now."
Sure enough, Captain Levi was watching her with a wistful smile, leaning against a tree and fidgeting with that shell again. It must've been in his pants pocket.
"Alright, there's more. But first, how did things go with Eren?" Karma said, wiggling her eyebrows. Mikasa sighed.
"I chickened out. As usual." She tried to act like it wasn't a big deal, but there was subtle disappointment in the crease of her brow as she picked at the hem of her tank top.
"What happened?"
"Well, it was dark and we were hiding and I said something like, 'Hey, Eren. Have you ever thought about your future?' He went on about freedom beyond the ocean. Then I said, 'What about afterwards?' He just shrugged and said he hadn't thought much about it. I asked if he saw me in his future, and he said, 'Of course, you're family.' And I didn't know what to say next. Then Conny found us and peed again and we got cold and decided to just go to bed."
"That sucks. I'm sorry, Mikasa."
"It wasn't all bad. Me and Jean stayed up talking for a while, complaining about Eren."
"Good." Karma paused. "Is there anything there?"
"With me and Jean? Bleh, no thanks."
"Well you stand a good chance—apparently he'll go after anything that looks in his direction. Plus, he's a great kisser," Karma said with a grin. Mikasa faced her riding boots, shaking her head.
"If he gets over you and I get over Eren, then we'll talk."
"I'm holding you to it."
"So what else happened with Levi?"
"He…loves me. I guess he has for a long time."
"Are you kidding? Karma, that's amazing!"
"It is. It was. And I really have you to thank, Mikasa."
"Oh, please. All I did was shove a shell at you. You're the one who made him fall in love."
"But I would've never been brave enough without you." Karma pulled her into a tight hug. "Thank you infinity."
"You're welcome infinity. Now go ride off into the sunrise—or whatever the hell they do in romance novels."
"I will."
Karma skipped to her captain's side under the tree. He pocketed the shell and pulled her against his chest. "Ready to go home?" he said.
"If I say, 'I'm already home,' would that be stupidly cheesy or acceptably cheesy?"
"Perfectly cheesy. Sasha would approve."
Karma snickered and slipped her hand into his pocket to snag the seashell. She threw it at him and ran off, squealing and giggling as he chased her. He caught up and snatched her in a backwards hug, lifting her off the ground.
"What am I gonna do with you?" Levi said, lips tickling her hair.
"Love me unconditionally?"
"Damn right."
Captain Levi gave the regiment the go ahead to ride back without them. They snapped away in a smattering of hooves.
Standing beside his horse, Levi grabbed the reins. Karma was about to mount hers when he said, "Let's walk," and held out his other hand.
Guiding their horses, fingers locked together, they headed home. Though both of them felt they'd been there all along.
The End