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A few hours later, Levi returned from informing the Queen; of our plans, our new information, of the new world in which we stood. Eldia vs Marly. A rivalry we had known nothing about, but one that had shaped our entire existence since King Fritz took us all to this damned island. The fact it was an island was a revelation in itself. We were surrounded by water. A hell of a lot of it. And that was just the thing… The Marlians considered us devils apparently, and while we might not be the cruel demons they thought, but I sure felt damned. Thirteen years. That was how long a regular Shifter lived; so either my bastardised version thanks to Vincent would be less than that, or exempt. But it was Vincent, so I expected to drop dead any moment. And now I had to tell Levi.
It had been a few hours, but I still had no clue how to tell him.
He came into the room, weary and worn. He hung up his coat and loosened his cravat, letting it drape over the back of his chair in the small kitchen area of our dorm apartment. Hanji had spoken of looking for proper accommodations for everyone, while we regrouped and figured out what to do from now. I had suggested me and Levi return to HQ, to keep it up to standard for when the Scouts were needed again. Because we would be. She said she would think on it. And in all honesty, with my new knowledge pressing against the back of my throat, I hope she agreed. Alone. A bubble. It would be perfect for us to figure all this out. And to perhaps live a little of that oh-so-uncertain future.
"Hey." He murmured, kissing my cheek, not realising how quiet I was or how stiff. Exhaustion hid it. "Join me for a shower?"
"I just had one." I kissed his cheek and headed for the bed, it was still early, but exhaustion sunk into me as well. "Come to bed after?"
"Sure… Is everything–"
"We'll talk after." I kissed his cheek again and put my hand to his chest. "Go on, go feel more human."
He smirked and nodded, going and getting the water going, while I peeled the uniform away from me and clambered into the sheets, glad of their cool cleanliness against my skin. I laid my head on the pillow, not intending to sleep, but finding myself jolting awake when his weight pressed onto the other side of the mattress.
His hand landed on my hip. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"S'fine." I yawned, rolling over, towards him. "Good shower?"
"Mm, did the trick. The Queen took the news well, but in all honesty I think that might be because it hadn't sunk in yet. Not sure it has for me either."
And yet I had more to lay on top.
Or should I wait?
No… No he had to know. I couldn't let him find out some other way. It had to come from me.
He lay down next to me and kissed my shoulder. "You look like you have something on your mind."
I kissed the hollow of his throat, still warm and slightly damp from his shower. "I need to tell you something, and it's connected to what Vincent's done to me. Whatever he's turned me into."
"All right…" He ran his fingers through my hair.
"After you and Hanji left… Eren had some more information."
And I told him. Slow, steady and without skimming a detail. Levi was very still, as usual, but the warmth seeped from his skin like it was circling a drain. His hand shook as he continued to play with my hair. A couple of times his breathing hitched a little. But I just let him process. Let him feel. That was what this whole thing between us had started for, to let him feel again, to let him be human. And that unfortunately also meant pain.
Eventually, his hand moved to cupping my jaw, angling my face gently to look up at him so that he could kiss me. Gently at first, but growing more insistent, as his pulse quickened alongside. Panic. Fear. Confusion. No doubt he was as swamped with them as much as I had been, if not more so, because of course he wanted to save me. My Captain. My Levi. He wanted to fend off the world's dangers and keep me protected. But this danger had come before him, long before him or any of my current family could have protected me.
The kiss slowed, and Levi put his forehead to mine, his eyes closed. "We haven't finished deciphering Vincent's notes, have we?"
"No, but I doubt there's a solution in there. We're more likely to find something in Dr Jaeger's work, I think."
A bitter huff left Levi and he leaned back to look me in the eye. "I suppose you're right, why would Vincent include a means of helping you after he's doomed you."
"Unless he eventually planned to do it to himself and needed an out, it's the only way I can think he would create or seek a solution. But it's just a theory… and we may yet find out that he purposefully avoided a time limit. Wanting me as a puppet for as long as possible."
Levi nodded, hand slipping into my hair again. "Then let's hope for that at least. If only to stop every clock driving me fucking mad."
I smiled and shuffled closer, hiding in the crook of his neck, glad to have his arm wind round me and hold tight.
He kissed the top of my head. "Thank you for telling me."
"Thank you for listening." I kissed over his heart. "I won't stop fighting, Levi. The last thing I want to do is leave you too soon, as foolish as that might sound coming from the mouth of a Scout."
He chuckled and lay on his back, pulling me to lay across his chest. "Look at us being all greedy with time all of a sudden, eh?"
"Mm, quite the bad habit." I traced along his collarbones. "Now let's be greedy for something a little more tangible."
"Sounds wonderful." And he pulled me into a fresh fire, burning, and alive.
LEVI POV
Research took its toll. Between the gnarled notes of Vincent Sanshi and the waffling drivel of Dr Jaeger, it was mind numbing at the best of times. Vincent's work was wayward and haphazard, the notes often beginning methodical but deteriorating into rambling madness by the end of a page. To think of Robyn at the mercy of this madman turned Levi's stomach. It made it hard to read anything at all. And then, as each day came and went without answers, there was also the unanswered question of her time limit. Did she have one? Was hers shorter? Considering how badly the healing affected her body, it seemed likely to be shorter. Vincent had seen her as kindling, as nothing more than fragile fuel for his dreams and vision.
But at least in between the notes and cross-referencing, they were allowed a little peace as well. Staying closer to town, to stay in touch with the Queen seemed like a good idea. Robyn had been looking forward to setting up the new HQ together, he knew, but the Queen needed their help. In fact, she seemed to especially want his and Robyn's help when it came to her plans of opening an orphanage. Children of the Underground would even be included. Levi couldn't think of a better way to begin Historia's rule, than such an act of kindness. And of course Robyn threw herself into things 100% as always, excited to pass along such much needed hope to those that needed it most.
And that was what kept catching in his throat. She had the unknown timer ticking over her head, possibly killing her with each second that passed, and yet she kept smiling. And he knew why. She didn't want him to be afraid, she didn't want him to be lonely, she didn't want him to be in pain. He just hoped she wasn't hiding her own instead. She seemed happy though, vibrant and her usual veracious self. As long as he hadn't missed the signs.
When Keza joined their efforts at the orphanage, he was glad of another set of eyes to keep on Robyn, but he still couldn't stand to be in the same room as the woman. He had allowed Erwin to die. Keza was alone. A widow. She would never want for anything in this life when it came to money, but in terms of everything else, Levi feared he had doomed her. Something had been lost. She remained beautiful of course, and as warm and loving as ever towards everyone. But the light in her eyes had shifted. Doubts. A smallness. And as much as she had irked Levi to begin with, he missed that sense of intensity from her now. She was somehow stiller. It was wrong. But every time she caught his gaze lingering she gave him a small smile and dipped her head. She bore him no ill will, but she was also still healing.
It would take time.
Like anything else.
No more word had come from their Marley counterparts, and no patrols had seen any signs of approaching forces. The Sword Toothed Titan that Robyn had seen outside of Shiganshina also hadn't been spotted. Robyn theorised that it might not be part of the Marley forces, if for no other reason than it hadn't been involved in the fight at Shiganshina, it had turned up afterwards as if only to spectate. There was also no mention of that type of Shifter in Jaeger's journals – we now had a better idea of their technology, their team of shifters, and the tech would have only gotten stronger since. But it seemed more and more likely that the Sword Toothed Titan was within our lands, from another enemy within. The white cloak that had swept Kenny away kept coming back to Levi during these conversations. It couldn't be a coincidence. But he had also come up empty when trying to find out if any organisation was known by that uniform, or if anyone typically wearing such garb had ever been seen working with Kenny. Or even against him.
So the search went on. And on. And in between the questions, and careful medical check-ups on Robyn to see if she was diminishing at all, they did manage to all find a little slice of normalcy. Patrols went out. Scouts continued to be vigilant as much as the other branches of the military. But there was also space for a little more life. A little more mundanity that had been so sorely lacking before.
It had been another long day. The rain poured over the city, rushing down drains, gurgling along gutterings. It made the cobbles shine. On the field, or at base, rain had only ever been a problem, yet as they climbed the stairs to their small apartment, a few streets away from the orphanage, Levi found himself enjoying the sound of it hitting the stairwell windows. He unlocked the door, and he let Robyn shuffle inside first. They toed off their shoes and unpacked their food from the market. Robyn filled the kettle and set it onto the stove to boil, while he unpacked the new tea they had found. She set out the pot and two cups, and went to the large window in their living room. She let her hair from its tie, tumbling down her back in swathes of auburn and flickers of coppery gold. Beautiful. She breathed a sigh of contentment. She smiled. A warm expression that made his heart ache whenever he saw it, because it could be so fleeting at times. These days it lingered a little longer day by day. He hoped it might stay forever eventually.
The kettle whined. He poured the water into the pot. She unlatched the window and let in the crisp air, droplets pattering against the sill as she braced there and looked back down onto the street. Her eyes shone with something as she took up a perch, hugging one knee to her chest, propping her chin upon the raised knee. Casually stunning as always. And then she caught him staring. She raised a brow and looked down at herself, as if something had to be amiss in order for him to gaze so intently. Then she saw nothing was wrong and she laughed. A blush bloomed on her cheeks and she rolled her eyes. So alive. So astonishing. So Robyn.
She bit her lip. "What're you staring at, you–"
"Marry me."
She blinked and stared right back at him, going very still. The breeze shifted her hair, making it drift across her bright hazel eyes, but still she didn't move. He huffed a laugh at her obvious bamboozlement and went to the bedroom, to his bedside drawer, and came back with a small leather pouch. She eyed it. She eyed him. The blush bloomed brighter and she tucked her hair behind her ear as he went to her side and dropped to one knee.
The ring was simple, the stone a light topaz, a lighter shade than her eyes, set into a thin band of silver that gently twisted. She looked at it, and then back at him.
He reached for her hand, and held it gently, but firmly. "Robyn Sanshi, this is me officially saying 'fuck it' to Fate, or whatever else you think it is that'll punish us for daring to be happy. We have no idea what's coming, what we'll face, but I don't care anymore. As long as I face it with you, I can take it. Any of it. So what do you think?" He swallowed hard, nerves finally catching up with him. "Will you Marry me?"
"I… I will." She breathed, smile breaking into view and beaming down at him. She held his hand tightly and then held out her left, fingers parted. "I will marry you, Levi."
He slid the ring onto her finger, it was a tiny bit loose. Almost perfect. But they could get it altered at the jewellers though, they had promised as much. She gazed at it and bit her lip. She spun it on her finger. She looked happy. The rain got heavier outside as he stood and cupped her face, gazing into her welling eyes before kissing her lovingly.
"I love you, Robyn."
"I love you, Levi."
What could go wrong...? Lol cya next time folks!
Shoutouts:
BeChillDarling: Well done you on catching up! Glad you're still enjoying, and glad you like Keza, she's a joy to write in all honesty. Thanks for reading and chiming in ^-^ cya next time!