Hope of Morning

by LadyHitachiin

The first memory she had was one of blood. Experiments and then being thrown down into the underground. She hated it, but within that dark and cold place, she had met him. He had given her wings and she gave him her loyalty.

2. Smiles and Laughter

Hope of Morning

Romance and Hurt/Comfort

English

Rated M

Levi Ackerman/Sakura Haruno

Warnings: Language, Violence

Summary; The first memory she had was one of blood. Experiments and then being thrown down into the underground. She hated it, but within that dark and cold place, she had met him. He had given her wings and she gave him her loyalty.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Attack on Titan/Shingeki no Kyojin nor do I make any money from my writings.

A/N: I finally updated. Honestly, I had this chapter sitting in my documents since this time last year. I hadn't updated at the time since I felt that I was moving the plot too fast and ended up with writer's block since I wasn't sure what to do or progress Sakura's personality and relationship with the others, especially Levi. I decided to just go with what I had written out and edited while adding in a few more paragraphs.

Thank you everyone for all of the follows, favorites, and reviews. Even after a year without updating and only one chapter being posted, I'm still getting them and I greatly appreciate it.

This chapter isn't as long as the first one, but I hope you all enjoy.

Chapter Two: Smiles and Laughter

All it took was that one night and Levi realized that the young girl was just a huge bundle of raw emotions. He had begun to wonder if he had made a mistake in allowing her to become his protégé. There were times when she would just sit on the couch and cry while staring off into space. Other times, she would show a temper that had been hidden previously, snapping at either Farlan or Isabel whenever they did something that got on her nerves or if she found it ludicrous. However, he didn't fail to notice in the three months since she had started opening up to them that she had yet to snap at him.

Although sometimes he would wonder if he had made a sensible choice seven months ago, he knew that he had made the right decision whenever she would smile. It had caught him off guard at first; the way she had smiled so brightly at him.

Levi remembered the way his heart had fluttered, and he knew that he would never be able to regret taking the pink haired girl in.

"Ne, Levi-sama." Sakura called out to him.

Levi looked up from his spot on the couch, his eyes previously looking over the book in his hands. A cup of tea was on the table in front of him, having been made by the youngest in the house. She had grown accustomed long ago to make his tea and if he was being honest, he preferred it when she made it over anybody else, even himself.

"What is it?" he asked, his grey eyes lazy as he looked at the child. She was standing on the other side of the table, a broom at her side that was held by both petite hands. It had been five months since he had cut her hair and it now reached down to the small of her back. She kept it brushed and tidy, but left her bangs in front of her face.

She hadn't grown much since she started living with them, but her body had filled out from the meals she ate every day. He had made sure of that. Levi made a point to the other two that Sakura received her meals before anyone else in the household, if not at the same time. She was a child, and he would see to it that she didn't suffer from hunger. As Isabel insisted that she wasn't a kid, he didn't feel the obligation to make sure that she ate. However, Sakura was younger and his student. She was his responsibility.

The pinkette wore a similar dress to when they first met, but it fit her body better and was clean. Even if she had a pair of slippers to wear, she preferred to walk around barefooted. He didn't understand why she chose to do it when she had footwear, but he figured it was force of habit. After scolding her so many times that he lost count, he gave up on getting her to wear her slippers. So long as she didn't drag in mud or dirt and she cleaned up after herself, then it was fine.

"I finished sweeping." the pinkette stated, looking at him calmly, "Need me to do anything else?"

While turning his gaze back down to his book, he replied, "No. You're fine now."

He was expecting her to run off to do her own thing. She had gotten into the strange habit of going outside to pester the small animals that roamed around the city, as well as making strange weapons out of the clay that broke off from some of the older buildings.

"Ne, Levi-sama." she said, her voice filled with sudden cheer.

Levi looked up at her once again and blinked at the excited smile on her lips. It wasn't unusual for her to smile like that nowadays. The wall around her heart had been broken down and she had allowed joy back into her life.

"What?"

The young female spread out her arms to the sides, one hand still holding onto the broom, and he was cautious of her jumping toward him to envelope him in some kind of bear hug. Her smile was bright, and her green eyes glistened with undaunted excitement. "I want to be able to fly."

The dark-haired male didn't respond, only blinked slowly at the girl before him, but that didn't stop her from continuing. She brought the broom between her legs in a riding fashion, the bushy straw behind her and she turned so that her side was facing him. Her hands were gripped on the handle of the broom in front of her. The girl kept smiling at him, her eyes twinkling. "Like a witch. I can go wherever I want and how high I want."

Levi arched a dark eyebrow in curiosity. "A witch?" He had never heard of such a thing, and he vaguely wondered where she had heard the term from.

Sakura nodded her pink head, "A witch is someone who rides on a broom into the sky at night. They wear dark clothing and have long noses and moles and they can cast magic."

An amused smile tilted up the corner of Levi's lips at the girl's enthusiasm as he reached forward and grabbed his cup of tea. He brought it to his lips, but before taking a sip, he responded, "I don't think you can be one then."

Her bright smile fell instantly into a defiant pout, her brow furrowed, but her eyes still gleaming. "Why not?"

"Dark clothing doesn't suit you." The male started to drink from his cup, his eyes cast downward, only for them to tilt up when the child responded to him.

"That's fine, I'll just wear white." The pinkette jumped around so that she was facing the other way, her hair spinning around behind her. Her head turned so that she was facing him, her eyes closed, and her mouth open wide with a joyous smile. "And you'll be with me, Levi-sama."

Levi lowered the cup in his hand down to his lap before he could drop it. His grey eyes were locked on the features of the child before him, taken aback completely by her smile. It was genuine and far too beautiful for someone her age or in this circumstance. He had never seen anybody smile like that, much less at him.

His heart warmed and ached at the same time. He knew instantly that he wanted nothing more than to give her what she desired. What had him aching was that he had no idea how to do such a thing. She was stuck in this underground prison right alongside him and there was nothing he could do to change that.

"Levi-sama." Sakura called out to him, worry in her voice as she tried to get his attention.

The male had looked down at his cup, a frown on his lips as disappointment flowed through him. He wasn't able to do anything for her.

Although there were times when he would curse the day they had found each other, it was only from the rambunctious streak she had developed. Even he had trouble controlling her at times, his lectures or scolding's doing little to dampen her childish spirit, now that she had found it. It was as if she were making up for lost time, not that he could blame her. She was a child, after all, and she was on the verge of becoming a young woman. She didn't have much time left to act like a child and honestly, he wanted her to enjoy every moment of it. Granted he didn't have much of one growing up.

Levi didn't even attempt to beat her for her misbehavior. The girl could handle anything he threw at her and whenever he had smacked her for doing something that he deemed too much, she seemed more upset that he was angry with her than having been hit. He had seen her accidentally drop one of the larger kitchen knives, only for her to blink calmly at the large gash that ran down the front of her arm. "I got cut." she had stated after turning her attention toward him, her features calm as her blood traveled down her arm, over the curve of her elbow, and fell down to the floor. She held up her arm for him to see and the male had vaguely wondered if she felt the pain at all. What he didn't understand even more than her lack of expressing pain was how she managed to drop the knife in such a way that caused such a large cut.

The more time he spent with her, the more she began to express herself and the less he understood her. How could such an enigma exist in this world?

It was one such day when she took him completely by surprise; he had no idea how to react to such a situation.

He was standing in front of the kitchen sink, wiping a cup he had just cleaned with a piece of cloth. His back was to the front door and the room was quiet with only the murmurs of Isabel and Farlan on the couch. They were discussing when they would go on their next heist into the city since their provisions were getting low. Levi had been offered a small job from some gang leader that would pay him decent money, but he wouldn't be able to complete it for another few days. He had to wait for the right time, but that didn't fix their problem now.

That's why a certain pinkette had left a few hours earlier. Apparently, she had stumbled upon something that was so unusual and important that she had wanted to keep it secret. 'A surprise.' she had told him before she ran off. Levi wasn't sure what to expect from her, but by now, he had learned to expect the unexpected.

The dark-haired male had been reluctant when he watched her leave the small house. Not only because he didn't know what she would return with, but also because despite his earlier warning of 'kill or be killed', the female had yet to bring herself to kill anybody. He noticed that she was still a target of other peoples' amusement, having insults and looks that varied between disgust and curiosity thrown at her.

Levi didn't mind the curiosity, but he found himself irritated with how people treated her in general. He knew that she wouldn't stand up for herself if she were to be attacked again. Though she had begun to heal, and her heart began to repair, it was still in shambles when it concerned the world outside of their small house.

The male would sometimes leave at separate times whenever Sakura would go out and trail behind her at a distance to where she wouldn't notice him. She had caught him quite a few times before though and she hadn't been pleased. She didn't say anything to him about it, but she made her displeasure apparent by either a scowl or pout.

Levi wasn't sure how she kept noticing him, but she seemed to have keen senses, especially when someone was following her. That was the main reason why he hadn't followed her this time around. With whatever she was bringing back a surprise, he didn't want to risk her throwing a tantrum. She had thrown a few before and it always left him with a headache.

The sound of something running up the steps quickly and a loud, strange squealing noise had Levi turning around to look at the door. The other two on the couch didn't have time to turn their attention to the door before it burst open, resonating with a loud bang and one could have sworn that it was knocked out of place.

The dark-haired male nearly dropped the newly cleaned cup to the floor and his grey eyes widened as he watched the scene unfold in front of him, leaving him completely flabbergasted.

Sakura had ridden in, charging through the front door and circling around the clean room, on a large, brownish hog. The loud squealing continued to escape out through its snout, and it kicked its back hooves into the air while it twirled and circled around the room. The creature was covered with mud, and it tracked it all over the floor.

The pink haired child gripped onto a layer of loose skin around its neck and her eyes were closed while joyous laughs escaped her bright smile. The others stared at the scene in stunned bewilderment, trying to wrap their minds around what was going on.

The first to act was Isabel, jumping off of the couch and rushing toward the door when the hog decided to make a break for it, having decided that it didn't like the cramped space the pinkette led it to. The redhead swiftly shut the door and slid herself in front of it, her eyes and smile excited at the thought of eating meat. "You're not going anywhere."

The hog immediately halted before the female, causing the one on its back to fly forward slightly at the abrupt stop. Letting out more high-pitched screeches, the animal swiftly turned and headed for the bathroom, knocking the door open in the process. The hog didn't expect the tub to be right in its path after having entered through the door at such a fast speed. It skidded to a stop before it could collide with the object. This time, the female on its back lost her grip on the skin and flew forward. Letting out a yell, Sakura found herself colliding face first with the wall above the tub, a loud thud echoing throughout the room, before falling down into it ungracefully.

Sakura let out a low groan, her body upside-down in the tub while her legs hung over her shoulders, her rear end hanging high in the air above her. Her eyes were clenched shut and she could hear the hog running around in the living room more. She could also hear Isabel and Farlan yelling as they tried to catch it.

The pinkette took a moment to compose herself before she spun onto her feet and jumped out of the tub. She ran back into the living room where the creature was standing still in the center, having a face-off with the duo as they slouched down a bit in front of him and to his side. With a bright smile on her face, the child jumped toward the hog and spread out her arms and legs. She landed on the animal with a loud thud as its body collapsed under the sudden weight.

Sakura wrapped her arms and legs around the creature, holding down its legs in an attempt to keep it from moving. It struggled against her, trying to pull itself up to escape, still releasing squeals.

The pinkette kept her gaze downward and with a smile, she said, "Farlan, go get a knife. You have to cut the balls off before we eat it."

Farlan leaned back slightly and frowned, taken aback and slightly disgusted by her comment. "Ehh. Why me?"

She didn't reply though when someone knocked rather harshly and impatiently on the door. All gazes turned to the door, even Levi's, who had been previously watching the show with mild amusement and disgust at the mess.

"We're not home!" Sakura called out to whoever was at the door.

"Open this damn door before I break it down!" the man yelled behind the door.

Everyone stared at the door, unblinking and unmoving, but all it took was a few moments for Levi to walk across the living room and reach the door, his cup having been placed on the counter. The dark-haired male was calm as he opened it and they were met with the sight of three gruff looking men. Each had hair shaved down to their scalps and blocked shaped heads. If they were back in her world, Sakura would describe them as wannabe pirates from the way they carried themselves. Their shoulders were pulled back, trying to show off their muscular shoulders in their baggy and sleeveless shirts. However, their muscular arms with their bulging veins did nothing to intimidate Sakura or the short man standing in the doorway. They were all at least two heads taller than him, but still Levi didn't back down.

"That brat stole our hog and we're taking it back." the man in front stated, his glare settling over on the pinkette.

Sakura frowned and furrowed her brows, a look of confused defiance on her features. She still hugged the animal underneath her and it seemed to regain some strength as it slowly crawled across the floor, heading toward the direction of the couch. "Ehh, there's no hog here."

"Why you." the man growled at her and leaned forward slightly, his anger and irritation clear for all to see.

Levi had glanced back at Sakura when she had replied, and he returned his gaze to the tall man in front of him. With his eyes narrowed slightly and his mouth set into a firm line, he said, "You heard her." The man looked down at him and he added, "There's no hog here."

The man's anger grew, and he clenched his fists before he began to yell, "You've gotta be ki-", but he was cut off abruptly by a door slamming shut in his face.

Levi closed his eyes and turned around, heading back toward the small kitchen. Since his eyes were closed, he didn't see the reactions of the others, but he could still imagine them. Sakura had her eyes closed while a bright smile adorned her lips, an amused giggle leaving her. Farlan was smiling sheepishly while Isabel was outright grinning at what had just transpired.

The dark-haired male was pleased when the men didn't make any attempt to further disturb them, but that didn't mean that they wouldn't be seeing them again. He would have to make sure that he kept a closer eye on Sakura for a while, whether she liked it or not. Especially if she was going around stealing animals.

"Farlan, you gotta cut off the balls." said pinkette repeated calmly and ironically, innocently.

"Why me?"

-SCENE CHANGE-

The fiasco with the hog had ended quickly, much to Levi's relief and much to his satisfaction, Sakura had cleaned up the entire mess caused by it. Farlan had asked her where she had gotten it, but Levi didn't think she gave him a reply. She most likely got it from one of the illegal traders. They had small farms on the outskirts, hidden between other buildings and they were generally kept secret from other citizens. Animals such as hogs and goats were bred within the small space and traded for money to citizens above the surface.

How the small child knew of the farms or where they even were, Levi didn't know. He probably didn't want to know where she got her information from. Although she most likely stumbled upon it herself during one of her many solo escapades. She had probably discovered places within this underground cage that he had no clue about. It wouldn't be surprising if she pulled him off to join her on one of her adventures one day, only for him to be left dumbstruck by the discovery.

Although he liked the thought of her having gained a sense of adventure and her antics never failed to amuse him to a degree, he found himself enjoying her presence the most when she was calm. She had an intelligence that was far greater than the average adult and she could carry on a conversation of any topic with any of them. When she found herself comfortable enough to rummage through his room, much to his chagrin, she had found all the books he kept in his dresser. He kept over a dozen, turning to them when he was bored and had nothing better to do, but she had read them all in less than a week.

Most of all, Levi enjoyed the moments when she would sit beside him on the couch while Farlan and Isabel did their own thing, leaving them in the house by themselves. He would always have something to occupy himself with, a cup of tea and a book, or something or other. The female would sit next to him quietly in a daze of her own thoughts. They would sit and simply enjoy each other's company, neither feeling obligated to strike up a conversation.

There would be times when they would speak, casually talking about things that didn't really matter. Other times, on rare occasions, she would fall asleep next to him and lean her head against his shoulder.

She was sitting on the couch beside him, her hands on the cushion by her sides and her legs swinging back and forth. She was looking ahead of her while he read the book he held in his lap, his teacup on the table in front of him.

"Ne, Levi-sama."

"What is it?"

Sakura kept swinging her legs back and forth lazily, her gaze on the table in front of her, but she didn't focus on it. "I've decided what I want to do with my life."

"What is that?" he asked, his eyes still trailing over the words in his book, mild curiosity settling in his mind from the female beside him.

"I'm going to destroy the underground city."

Levi looked over at the small female beside him, surprised, but he kept his face neutral. "What do you mean?"

The pinkette kept her calm gaze ahead of her, her legs still swinging back and forth. She didn't appear to have much concern on the subject from the look on her face, but her words suggested otherwise. "People aren't meant to be held up in some hole. We need sunlight to survive."

A gloomy darkness settled over her green eyes while her pink brow furrowed. "People are getting sick, they're starving, and they're being forced to do things they don't want to do in order to survive."

"You say that like you aren't one of them." he replied, his cool gaze still on her and he watched each emotion varying around sadness swimming through her eyes.

"I'm different."

"How so?"

Sakura's expression softened and the smallest semblance of a smile grazed her lips. "I have Levi-sama by my side."

The male didn't bother to stop the scoff that left his lips, and he turned his attention back to the book in his hand. Honestly. Children. He wasn't even going to indulge the girl anymore. The whole idea of destroying the underground cities was ludicrous to begin with. "How can someone that can't even kill destroy a city?" Okay, maybe he would indulge her a little bit.

A thoughtful hum escaped the female's throat and she seemed to resign the thought for the time being with a huff, "I don't know."

"This is why you're still a kid."

"Iie." she replied, and he instantly recognized a teasing lilt in her tone, "I'm still a kid 'cause I haven't had my period yet."

Levi let out an exhausted groan and decided that was it for him. He closed his book and stood up from the couch, quickly making his escape. He tossed the book onto the couch and ignored the calls of "Levi-sama?" following his back while he made his way to his bedroom.

"Levi-sama!"

~END OF CHAPTER TWO~

Please review! I might make the next chapter more angsty, but in the next two or three chapters, I plan on going into the time they join the scouts. Look forward to it~!