A/N: Warning, this chapter contains smut... and not with who you think!
Chapter 30
Four Years Ago – Somewhere in Marley
Her head shoots backwards, her body shaking as a building moan rumbles from her throat. She continues to grind against him as the sensation builds between her legs. Stray strands of blonde hair stick to her sweat glistening skin as she throws her hands down on the mattress between his head.
She leans into him, pressing her body against his and hooking her head in the crook of his neck as she begins riding him faster and harder to build the tension between her thighs.
He wraps his arms around the small of her back, grabbing hold of her and thrusting against her from below. She groans against his neck, the vibrating of her voice resonating on his skin and he returns with a deep growl.
She feels him harden around her and she begins to thrust hard against him, closing in on her own high. She pulls herself away from her tight hug on him and throws her head back to the ceiling as she releases an audible moan that makes him grateful none of the other warrior cadets are around.
She begins shaking, and her thrusts become sloppy as she reaches her high. He takes over from here, grabbing hold of her hips and stabilizing his feet against the mattress as he drives into her. She holds onto his chest for steadiness, and lets out another moan while he finds himself hardening and groaning at her noises.
Laylah begins shaking violently as she hits her high, clenching around him as her fingers dig into his chest. "Oh Zeke," she moans his name as it slips from her lips.
The sound of his name dripping from her lips thick like honey drives the blonde man over the edge as well, and his heavy deep thrusts become deeper as he shakes around her, reaching his own high.
There is silence afterwards as he looks up at her between heavy labored breaths. She smiles down at him, and he cannot help be realize how beautiful she is right now, with the red blush faintly kissing her cheeks and nose as her chest lifts with every heavy breath.
She tumbles off of him, rolling next to him as she stares up at the ceiling, still riding the waves of euphoria.
Zeke watches her, staring into her beautiful lidded eyes as her mind swims elsewhere.
"What are you thinking about?" he asks her, wanting desperately to know what she is thinking in this moment.
"I'm thinking about Annie," she tells him with a soft tone and his heart races, knowing where her mind is swimming. "Because the boys have not returned from Paradis, they are going to have Annie assume the Female before my term is over to retrieve them. Better to be safe and send a full-term Titan instead of one who has less than two months left," she says repeating what the brass told her.
"She's just as inexperienced as those boys, and they expect her to go with a fleet of Marleyan soldiers to retrieve them. But she will be the only Warrior headed out there. I'm worried for her."
"Maybe I can convince them to allow me to go?"
She shakes her head, "The Beast is not outfitted for war. You and the Cart need to remain here in case any other nation decides to retaliate as our resources deplete."
"Don't worry," he begins, seeing the concern in her eyes. "Annie will retrieve the boys and it will be a swift victory for the Marleyans. And if not, I will go and recover them myself," he promises her with a skeptical tone, knowing that the children are just that.
She turns to him, hiding her naked form under the covers of his bed. "You sound unconvinced," she says, watching his eyes behind the glimmer in his glasses.
"Everything we are and do is to elevate the great Marleyan nation," he tells her with his gaze fixated on the ceiling.
"Then why does it sound as though you're skeptical they will return?" she asks as she snatches the cigarette from him.
He looks onto her with narrowed eyes, reading if he can disclose how he truly feels about the Marleyans and the Eldians. He can still remember the look on his predecessor's face when he expressed his euthanasian plan and he wonders if she will return with the same adverse response.
She blows out a puff of smoke while Zeke decides to speak his peace, "Everything an Eldian does is to shorten their life," he says harshly. "There is no sense of patriotism in our actions, it is to repent for assaults that we never committed." Laylah blinks at him, unsure how to respond to his treacherous words, wondering if this is a test of some sort.
"The texts tell us that the worst action an Eldian can commit against a Marleyan is to not serve the nation of Marley, but that is not true," he continues, completely transfixed on the ceiling tiles. "The worst action an Eldian can commit against Marley is to not exist. If there are no devils to fight their wars, then how will the great nation of Marley conquer their enemies and maintain their power? When the last Eldian dies is the day that the grand Marleyan empire will fall."
She keeps her mouth shut, letting the idea of what he's is saying to swim in her head. His words are treacherous, regardless of the content being that Eldian's all die, it's in the name of displacing the Marleyan nation's military prowess.
"Imagine it, Laylah," he huffs with a wicked smile forming on his lips. "The texts tell us that the Founding Titan's power is the power over all people under Ymir. Imagine if the Founder used that power to change it all," he says with an incredulous scoff catching in his throat as his eyes widen with excitement at the idea.
"Imagine if the Founder used his powers over the Eldians and made it so that no Eldian could produce an offspring to be used for the Marleyans," he chuckles mischievously. "Oh how that would cripple the mighty nation of Marley," he smiles as his lips turn upwards in delight. "Then where would the great Marleyan nation be?"
Zeke turns to her, and he's struck by the sight of her. Her eyes are widened with shock, her mouth left slightly agape, and panic furrows in her brows. The look in her eyes hits him and he realizes that she does not share the same sentiment as he does.
Despite all the times she offhandedly spoke her treacherous words about keeping the Female Titan from Annie, she lays here with the shocked look in her eyes as if she were a devout patriot this entire time.
He narrows his glare at her, reading the intentions of her expressions. Will she turn him in for this? Will she inform the brass of his treacherous thoughts?
"Don't speak that way," Laylah commands him in a low tone, lifting herself from his bed as she begins gathering her clothes. "Never speak that way again."
Zeke's heart races at her response, seeing that she's not as willing to hear his stance in this as much as he expected her to be. He begins to panic as the realization that she will turn him in and he will be devoured by the next warrior in line to assume his Beast Titan sinks in.
"Laylah," he lifts himself from the bed as she continues to dress herself in her uniform. "It was nothing, just a thought. It is not how I view the Marleyan's or the Eldian's."
"I should go," her voice trails off as she pulls onto the fabric of her overcoat.
Zeke lifts himself from the bed, tugging on his pants as he fumbles with the material to pull them over his legs. "Laylah wait," he begins as he stumbles after her.
"I'll see you in the morning," she says as she pulls her blonde hair out of her overcoat and heads towards the door of his apartment.
Zeke begins to panic, feeling the heat of the situation rising in his chest at the realization that she will tell the brass about this. His throat begins to collapse on itself and he needs to say something—do something to stop her.
Without even thinking, Zeke grabs a book from his nightstand and smashes it over Laylah's head with a loud crunch. She grunts as she falls to the ground, unconscious and bleeding from her scalp. Zeke panics when he looks down at her, dropping the book from his shaking hands.
He falls to his knees and quickly checks her vitals to see that she's still alive and breathing. He looks down on her, seeing that once she's awake she will undoubtedly turn him in and everything he's worked for will be for nothing. He can't let that happen. He won't let her rob him of this.
He lifts her unconscious body into his arms and slings her over his shoulder. He isn't even sure what he plans on doing with her. Once she gains consciousness, she will remember this conversation and his assault against her and she will inform the brass of his treachery.
Under the cover of night, Zeke carries the limp and unconscious body of Laylah slinged over his shoulders. He is able to evade Marleyan patrol guards as he navigates himself towards the pier. He can dump her body, and wipe his hands of this.
But if he does, it's no secret that he was her lover—at least not from the brass—so if she mysteriously dies, will they assume he was involved somehow?
Zeke groans to himself as he tries to form a hasty plan while her body lies atop his shoulder. He doesn't have time to scheme out a well thought out plot, so he needs to come up with something that makes him look good with the brass so they do not assume he's involved in any way with her disposal.
Inspiration strikes as Zeke glances up at the moon shining over the water of the Sea. He makes quick work of evading the patrols and getting to a docked boat scheduled to leave for Paradis to survey the port for a safe landing for the Female's transport scheduled to leave the following week.
He throws her at the bottom of the ship, stowing her in the storage area and tying her down so she's unable to escape when she comes to. He wipes the perspiration from his brow as he watches the soft features of his unconscious lover.
"I'm sorry," he breathes as he watches her. "I can't let you ruin this for me," he says, planting a kiss on her forehead before he lifts himself from her and leaves her stowed away at the bottom of the ship.
Three Days Later
Zeke launches himself in the war room where the commanders and high-ranking military officials gather for a meeting. His intrusion is returned with a shocked look from each of the officials.
"Zeke," the General begins with a hiss in his tone. "What is the meaning of this intrusion?"
"It's Laylah—the Female," he quickly corrects. "She's… she's gone!" he makes a show of appearing to be frantic and shocked. Sweat accumulates on his brows, his chest lifts and falls with labored breaths, and his face is twisted with the sting of betrayal.
"She left this," he informs them as he lifts a letter that he fabricated after dumping her body. One of the officials takes the letter from him as he paraphrases its contents. "She's written that she's unwilling to allow her half-sister Annie to assume the Female Titan. She's taken the men captive of the survey ship that departed three days ago."
"And you're just telling us this now?" the General growls as he lifts himself to his feet.
"I just checked on her apartment this morning after not seeing her for days. I came as soon as I read the letter," he informs them apologetically.
"What the hell is this?" he grumbles under his breath.
"Sir," Theo McGath begins. "If she does not return, we will lose the Female Titan. She only has two months left of her term."
Zeke keeps himself from smiling, knowing that she will die before being able to divulge his secret to them.
"We must get her back and to her successor immediately," the General agrees. He looks up at Zeke as he quickly formulates his plan. "Zeke, you will go and retrieve the Female Titan, as well as the others that have failed the Paradis mission."
"Sir?" Zeke questions, not expecting they would send him to retrieve her. "As the Beast, I am the final line of defense for Marley. If I leave, we allow the motherland to be open for a devastating attack."
"Yes, and if you don't retrieve the Titans, you'll be our only line of defense," he grits his teeth. "You go on that island, and you will not return without the Female, the Jaws, the Colossal, and the Armored. If you do return without them, you will be stripped of the Beast."
Zeke's heart races wildly in his chest, knowing that he cannot return with the Female as she will tell them about his treacherous thoughts. He wracks his mind about how he will appease the brass, while also maintaining his innocence.
They instruct him to prepare for his mission and Zeke wracks his mind for a plan. He needs to dispose of the Female, while also managing to bring her back to the brass. It seems like an impossible task until the solution strikes him in an instant.
He smiles to himself as he heads towards the ritual area where Warriors assume their Titans. All he needs is the serum and his plan will move forward accordingly.
One Month Later
"Bertolt! Reiner!" the blonde panics at the sight of the two shocked boys who stand before her as she thrashes in the harsh grip of the blonde man that she once called her lover. "Please," she beseeches them, "Zeke is lying!" she yells at them. "He wants to—"
"Listen to me," Zeke speaks over her at the two. "Laylah stowed herself away on a ship so Annie would not assume her Titan. She has moved against the Marleyan empire. Her term is almost finished and we will lose the Female Titan if we do not act swiftly!"
"Reiner," Bertolt's shaking voice speaks up as he turns to his blonde friend. "What do we do?" his voice cracks.
Reiner watches with wide shocked eyes at what's unfolding before him, unsure what to believe or how to respond. If only Marcel was here. He would know what to do.
"Reiner," Zeke watches him with hard-pressed eyes. "I am your War Chief. You know I am loyal to Marley and her great empire. This woman seeks to dismantle Marley's control over the Titans. She's come here to rob them of the Female Titan as well as you boys. We've already lost the Jaws, we cannot lose the Female as well. Think about your family and what that will mean if we return without them."
Reiner gasps at the idea, knowing that they've already botched this plan plenty with losing Marcel and failing to retrieve or lure the Founder out of their confinement. Zeke is their only option to bring in the Founder and regain what they've lost.
"What do you suggest?" he asks with a rough tone scratching at the edge of his throat.
"Reiner!" Laylah thrashes in Zeke's hold as her voice tears from her feral response. "No! Don't do this! You can't listen to him! He wants the Eldians to—" Zeke quickly places a gag in her mouth to stop her from divulging anything to the blonde.
Before Zeke can suggest something, they all hear a crashing and roaring in the distance. They're heads shoot up towards the sounds and they move towards the commotion, being mindful to not be seen.
Beyond the tree line of their location, the four of them are able to see a battle of people zipping around a Titan as they attempt to kill it.
"Those are the Scouts," Bertolt informs Zeke from what they've gathered while they hide within the walls since their assault. "They act as their military and they battle Titans outside the walls."
"They act more as Titan fodder," Reiner grumbles under his breath as he watches them fail to fight back against the beast. "They always come back with less than they ventured off with."
Their eyes fixate on the casualties the Scouts face as they frantically attempt to fight back against an Abnormal.
Suddenly, a Scout flings herself into the air and expertly slashes into the Abnormal's Achilles heels, then in the back of its knees to render it immobile. The four of them watch in awe at the blonde soldier as she singlehandedly takes out the Abnormal.
They watch with wide amazed eyes as she shoots up its back and to its nape and she drives her swords into the back of its nape. The three of them watch as she remains at the nape of the neck and Zeke's eyes widen when he notices that she's figured out how a Titan operates. She's severed their connection to their movements, and drives the Titan's action as her own.
They're eyes fixate on her as they watch her look down at the Scouts that she's saved from disaster. She holds the Titan in place, freezing its actions and keeping it at bay from killing any other soldiers.
The Abnormal struggles in her grip and she presses down on her swords, trying to hold it into place as Zeke thinks about how detrimental this woman will be if they begin a full-scale attack on the island. Save for the Armored, this little puppeteering trick will work on any of the Titans Marley throws at them. With her within the ranks of their soldiers, Zeke cannot expect a swift victory against the islanders of Paradis. In fact, with her using this puppeteering trick of hers, it is all but certain that she will be the death of each of them.
And that is when Zeke looks down at the blonde in his grip, and his plan begins to formulate.
He looks up at the blonde girl atop the Titan as she calls for a brunette soldier to assist her in taking over control of the Titan, noticing that she's hurt and unable to hold down the Titan.
Zeke's eyes glisten with excitement as he watches the girl with intent. He notices her harsh movements, and though he cannot hear anything being said, when he sees her defiantly ride off away from a blonde man that appears to be her commander, he can't help but smile when he realizes that he's found his Trojan Horse.
A/N: Well, here we are. Never thought I'd say I'd write Zeke smut! What do you think about Zeke's betrayal and how Willow really got the Female Titan? What do you think is coming? Can't wait for you all to see! Please leave a review and let me know. Thanks as always!