Chapter Eighteen - Solidarity

"Levi."

The voice of his superior catches Levi off guard as he paces down the hallway, stopping him in his tracks as he turns to face his commander. Erwin appears professional as always, but there's a strange look lingering in his eyes. Annoyance? "You disappeared yesterday. Care to explain?"

Levi bites down on his tongue, turning his eyes down towards the floor. "I was taking care of something."

"Something more important than your responsibilities as a soldier?"

"Yes."

Erwin stares him down for a moment before closing his eyes and sighing. "I see. So, how is she?"

Levi's eyes widen, the very mention of her causing his posture to stiffen. He not-so-discreetly attempts to tuck the small bag in his hand out of sight. "She's fine. Well– not fine, but better. I'm taking care of it."

"Hmm," Erwin replies thoughtfully as the two continue to walk. "Well it's good to hear that she's getting back on her feet, but I must remind you that we can't afford to neglect—"

"I get it." Levi interrupts. "Things just got… messy yesterday. I don't plan on making a habit out of it."

Erwin doesn't respond. Levi can't tell if that's a good or a bad thing.

Not that it matters right now — he has a package to deliver.

***︎

Quinn lets out a groan as she peels the thick blanket from her head, squinting to shield her eyes from the morning sun. Despite the exhaustion lingering in her bones, she can't remember the last time she'd had such a restful night. What little sleep Quinn actually managed to get wasn't interrupted by endless bouts of dry-heaving. The nightmares still hadn't let up, but this small victory gives her enough motivation to actually peel herself out of bed and get ready for the day. It was like the grime she was coated in had weighed fifty pounds, and now that she'd scrubbed it off, she was born anew.

The lingering scent of peppermint oil helps, too. Keeps the nausea at bay and all that.

Quinn is completely distracted mapping out her day in her head, when she nearly trips as her boot collides with something sitting in front of her door. Looking down at her feet, she finds a new "inconspicuous" brown bag. A smile spreads across Quinn's face as she picks it up, already having a pretty good idea of where it came from. Inside is an unopened tin of tea leaves with the word "Chamomile" printed on the front, along with a small note taped to the bottom.

Meet me tonight after dark. I'll show you how to make it.

Levi should know better than anyone that Quinn doesn't need any kind of instructions when it comes to making tea, but it's been forever since they were last able to share a late night cup together.

She wouldn't miss it for the world.

The promise of freshly steeped tea and personal company helps carry Quinn throughout her day. A few people even commented on how she looked a lot "brighter" compared to yesterday, though none of them would believe her if she told them that Levi, of all people, was responsible for that.

Well, except for Hange, of course.

"Quinn!" an excited voice breaks out from behind her as she sits idly in the mess hall, just moments before Hange plops down in the seat next to her. "Look at you! You don't look dead anymore!"

Quinn scoffs and turns her head to the side, trying to hide her embarrassment. "Thanks, Hang."

"So, what happened? Did you finally have an epiphany or something?"

"No, actually," Quinn presses her lips together and glances down in her lap. "It was Levi. We… talked yesterday."

"Do you mean talked as in talked, or talked as in talked?" Hange asks with a mischievous smile. They wiggle their fingers in the air to punctuate their sentence. Their outrageous implication makes Quinn smack the side of their arm.

"It wasn't like that. He just helped me pull my head out of my ass." Quinn insists in a firm tone. Another smile spreads across Hange's face, earning them another whack. "Not literally."

"Alright, alright," Hange grumbles as they rub their arm dramatically. "Well, no matter what I'm glad you're feeling better. I figured if anyone could get through to you, it'd be him."

One of Quinn's eyebrows raises in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well," Hange says thoughtfully. "Given your guys' relationship and all–"

"Please, Hange, don't start with that again." Quinn sighs. "Levi and I are just–"

"Just friends, yeah yeah, whatever." Hange waves their hands dismissively. "If I had a nickel for every time I heard that from one of you, I'd be living it up in Mitras by now."

"'One of us?'" Quinn asks, sounding just a bit too eager than she would've liked. "What does that mean? Have you been talking to Levi about us?"

Us. It's funny how such a small word can cause such a dramatic flip in her stomach.

Hange gestures to their smirking mouth, pretending to secure it shut with a zipper. "Whoopsie. That must've slipped out. Anyways," they continue as they stand from their seat. "Duty calls! Gotta go, good luck with your friendship!"

Hange abandons Quinn alone at the table, leaving a mess of unanswered questions to fester in her mouth. So Hange's been harassing Levi about this, too? And he fed them the same 'just friends' line that she did? The thought that he could be feeling the same things she was sparks a feeling of excitement in Quinn's chest, but only for a second.

What if Levi really meant it?

He wasn't exactly the type to beat around the bush. In fact, he was extraordinarily blunt compared to the average person. It's a lot easier for Quinn to picture him telling Hange off in a persistent manner, rather than getting all embarrassed about it like she does. Hange obviously doesn't seem very convinced, but that could be chalked up to delusion just as much as intuition.

Maybe that delusion was finally rubbing off on Quinn.

She thinks back to the tiny note in her pocket, pulling it out and staring at it as if it could contain a secret message hidden between the lines.

Tonight.

She'll talk to him tonight.

*︎**

"You're late." Levi scolds Quinn as soon as she slips through the kitchen door. She rolls her eyes and props herself up on the counter across from him.

"Hey, don't blame me. They've got twice as many guards on night watch as they did before." she sighs, absentmindedly kicking her feet. "Not that there's much of a point, since they keep all the food locked up in a storage room now."

"Hm, yeah, speaking of that," Levi pauses and reaches behind him, tossing an unknown object toward Quinn without warning. She barely manages to catch it before looking down at her hands in confusion.

It's bread.

Quinn's eyes dart back up to Levi with an accusatory glare. "You stole food?"

"Don't give me that look. You need to eat more. You're starting to look like a skeleton."

Quinn snorts and glances back down at the roll in her hands. "Yeah, me and everyone else."

Levi crosses his arms firmly over his chest. "I already know you've been giving away your rations these past few days. Stop punishing yourself and eat."

There's a faint trace of guilt in Quinn's eyes as she gnaws on her bottom lip before tearing the roll of bread in half. She extends one of the pieces toward Levi without a word.

"I don't want that. I'm not the one who needs—"

"Take it." she insists, gesturing it toward him even further. "Take it, or I'm not eating any of it."

Levi sighs and rolls his eyes, begrudgingly snatching the bread from her hands. "Stubborn."

Quinn lets out a ghost of a laugh before shoving a small piece of bread into her mouth. "Coming from you."

"Don't talk with your mouth full." Levi reprimands before taking his own bite. He chews his food thoroughly and swallows before speaking again. "Did you remember to bring the tea?"

This time, Quinn is the one to toss something to Levi, who catches it with one hand effortlessly. He quickly finishes his half of the roll before turning around to prepare the tea. Quinn watches him with intrigued eyes as she picks at her own food.

"The trick is to let your water cool a little before pouring it over the leaves. It'll burn it if you don't." Levi explains as he begins to pour the water. "It also takes a little bit longer to steep before it's ready." He turns back around once he's finished, looking at Quinn with a raised eyebrow. "I noticed you haven't been to Trost lately."

Quinn nearly chokes on her last bite of bread, swallowing it down roughly. "I– yeah, I haven't. I guess I've just kind of run out of resources there."

"So no luck?"

"No," Quinn says with a timid shake of her head. "Nothing. Not even from my mom's side of the family."

"Your mom's side? You have more family out there?"

"Not much," Quinn replies, anxiously picking at her nail beds as she speaks. "My mom has a brother, but they stopped talking a few years ago after his wife passed away. They had a daughter, Rheta. She's eleven. They live in a small village a few miles east of Shiganshina." She pauses and presses her lips into a thin line. "Lived."

A moment of silence passes before Levi responds. "Tell me about them."

Quinn looks surprised for a moment, unsure of where she'd even start. "Well, I used to babysit Rheta a lot back when my aunt was sick, but that stopped when I left for the Cadet Corps. After that, I only got to see them once or twice a year. Then my aunt died, and it just kind of… stopped altogether. Rheta was eight the last time I saw her. She's a sweet kid, but very shy. I tried to build her confidence as much as I could, but…" Quinn's voice falters. "I wasn't there enough. I should've shown up more, but I never would've thought–"

"Hey, don't start doing that." Levi cuts her words short, closing the gap between them as he rests both hands on her shoulders. "Nobody thought those freaks of nature could actually breach the wall – not even the Scouts."

"That's the problem, though. That 'Colossal' or whatever they're calling it – it doesn't sound like any Titan we've ever seen before. I mean, it was taller than the wall and didn't have any skin, and it didn't come here to eat. It just broke the wall and disappeared, same with the Armored Titan. They weren't acting on instinct. They did this on purpose."

Levi sighs and attempts to give Quinn a look of reassurance. "We don't know if that's what actually happened–"

"Don't do that. Don't try to lie to me to make me feel better." Quinn interrupts in a firm tone. "You've talked to just as many witnesses as I have. You and I both know that this is something entirely new. We have no idea what we're dealing with, or what they're capable of."

Levi tightens his grip on Quinn's shoulders. "Well they don't know what we're capable of, either."

His eyes bore into hers with unwavering conviction – steely, strong and so undeniably sure.

"How do you do that?"

"Do what?"

"… Always find a way to make me feel better."

Something in Levi's eyes softens, and his grip on Quinn's shoulders relaxes. He slides his hands down her arms in a brief moment of gentle affection. "I don't know. I think you just have bad taste in company."

Quinn's voice drops to a whisper. "I don't think I do."

The air around them is thick, humming with an energy so intense that it makes Quinn's ears start to ring. He's a lot closer now, so close that it'd only take the slightest nudge forward to make the oh-so selfish decision to close the gap completely and take what she desired most. Her eyes start to betray her, flicking down to the plush skin of Levi's lips for the briefest moment before darting back up. When their eyes meet again, there's a storm brewing in that deep swirl of gray.

Then, just like that, it's gone.

Levi releases Quinn's shoulders and pulls himself back, redirecting his attention back to the tea. "It's probably done by now."

Quinn can feel heat rushing to her face, a sense of foolishness beginning to gnaw at her. When Levi turns back around and hands her a cup, she averts his gaze in embarrassment. "Thank you." Quinn mutters as she takes the cup from his hands. A sweet, floral scent floods her nostrils as she raises it to her lips and takes a sip. "It's nice. Sweet."

"Yeah," Levi replies softly, cradling his cup by the rim. His watchful eyes leer over his hand, focusing solely on her. "Sweet."

A tense silence settles between them, one that Quinn desperately wants to fill with questions she can't bring herself to ask.

'Did I do something wrong?'

'What did Hange say to you?'

'Why did you pull away from me?'

'… Are we really just friends?'

The two finish their tea in silence.

*︎**

"So, how are you feeling?" Levi asks as the two approach the door to Quinn's bedroom. She rolls her shoulders a couple of times, letting a small yawn escape her lips.

"I do feel more relaxed, actually." she says with the most genuine smile she can muster. "The tea was really nice."

"Good. You'll sleep better tonight."

Quinn glances back at her door, her nervous hands fidgeting at her sides. This was quite possibly the worst moment to bring this up, but the thought of sitting alone in her dark, empty bedroom alone felt like crawling back into the belly of a beast.

She can't be alone again. Not yet.

"About that, I– I know this is probably silly, but I just thought that maybe, since you—"

"Just spit it out."

"… Would you sit with me for a bit? Just until I fall asleep. I understand if you're tired, though. I can still probably manage to—"

Levi cuts her off with a nod toward her room. "Just shut up and open the door."

Quinn does as he says and leads the two into her room, crawling into her bed as Levi pulls out the chair at her desk and turns it to face her. He sits down in silence, his gaze once again fixed entirely on her. It still feels too difficult for Quinn to meet his eyes. The admiration in her chest no longer manifests itself as a flock of carefree butterflies, but a thousand pounds of dead weight.

'Are we really just friends?'

Levi finally takes his eyes off of her and glances over at the chaotic mess of a desk to his left. More specifically, to her discarded pile of dismal failures.

"I've been meaning to ask you about these," he comments as he reaches over and retrieves one of the papers. "These faceless drawings of yours."

Of course, he would've noticed those the last time he was here. Quinn had completely forgotten to hide them before allowing him to deep clean her room. "I've never seen you leave something unfinished before."

"I…" Quinn starts as she pulls the blanket snugly around her. Despite her lingering anxiety, she forces herself to meet his eyes. "Ever since Wall Maria fell, certain memories have become… blurry. It's like, I can't remember their faces anymore. Any of them."

Levi remains silent, a hint of surprise evident on his face.

"I don't know why." Quinn continues in a soft voice. "It's like my brain won't let me. It's holding them hostage – my family, my friends, everyone that I've lost in these past few months. They've all been replaced by these faceless ghosts."

Levi glances back to the side, carefully returning the drawing to its pile. "I think I understand."

Quinn leans up slightly in surprise. "You do?"

"Yeah," Levi nods as he turns back to face her. "When my mother died, some time passed before she… before we were found. As the days went by, her face became completely unrecognizable. After that, it took a long time for me to remember what she actually looked like. It came back to me in bits and pieces, but it did. Most of it, at least. My point is that they aren't gone forever. You'll remember them again when you're ready to."

There's a pool of tears welling up in Quinn's eyes that she doesn't even attempt to hide.

"Please don't start crying."

Quinn sniffles and wipes away a stray tear, a soft hiccup lingering in her voice. "I'm sorry, it's just— it helps to hear that I'm not alone."

"That's kind of been my whole point." Levi grumbles as he leans back in his chair. "You aren't alone. You never were — you've just been isolating yourself this entire time. Now stop with this mopey stuff and go to sleep."

A somber smile spreads across Quinn's face as she settles back into her bed, the weight in her heart finally starting to lift.

No matter what may or may not exist between them, Levi cares about her. And Quinn cares about him. If this is all that they are — or all that they'll ever be — then that's completely fine with her.

*︎**

He's a coward. A god damn fucking coward.

Quinn had fallen asleep in a matter of minutes, but even then, Levi couldn't bring himself to leave her side. He stayed in that chair for what felt like hours, watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest, admiring the look of absolute peace on her face. She was so close, earlier — so close that he could feel the warmth radiating off of her. The way her breathing started to quicken ever so slightly, and the way she glanced down at his lips, her jade-colored eyes sparkling with interest – it practically felt like an open invitation.

She wanted it.

But Levi couldn't do it.

Fuck, he wanted to. He wanted to so badly, but he just couldn't bring himself to take that plunge. Quinn was vulnerable right now — far more vulnerable than Levi had ever seen her before. She needs his care and support, but not like this.

To kiss her like she is now would be taking advantage of her.

Not to mention, the world was actively falling apart around them.

No, Levi needs her whole. He needs the world whole.

Despite his certainty, he still can't help but drag his feet as he makes his way back to his quarters. What if that was his only chance? Tomorrow isn't exactly guaranteed in this line of work. Even if they aren't planning to venture back into Titan territory any time soon, those bastards could attack Wall Rose at any given moment. The Scouts would undoubtably be on the frontlines, and god forbid Quinn loses herself on the battlefield again. These thoughts consume Levi so intensely that he doesn't even notice the unmarked envelope resting on his bed — not until he finds himself sitting right on top of it.

The moment Levi lays eyes on the contents inside, his blood runs ice cold.

*︎**

Levi hasn't been acting like himself lately.

He isn't exactly a cheerful person to begin with, but it felt as though Levi was becoming more and more stressed with every passing day. There was a permanent crease between his eyebrows, and his eyes were perpetually directed towards the floor. What made Quinn even more confused was that despite his shift in demeanor, Levi still made a point to join her for tea every night, and even continued to sit with her until she fell asleep. Throughout those small moments, Quinn tried multiple times to ask him what was wrong, but Levi never budged. He would just insist that everything was fine over and over until he was blue in the face. Quinn is sure that he's lying – she just can't figure out how to draw the truth out of him. The walls that he's built around himself are much too sturdy right now.

It's around midday when Levi seeks her out again, finding Quinn holed up in one of the workshops performing some much-needed maintenance on her gear. When their eyes meet, Quinn notices the uneasy expression on his face has intensified tenfold.

"I won't be able to show up tonight." Levi states curtly as he approaches the front of her table. "Erwin's sending me to handle something back in Sina. I'll be gone for a few days."

He tries to make it sound as inconspicuous as possible, but the way Levi's voice falters at 'something' is enough for Quinn to know he's stretching the truth. "What's 'something'?"

"It's complicated."

"Okay, so when are you leaving?"

Levi hesitates for a split second. "Tomorrow morning."

Another lie.

"Is everything okay?"

"Damn it," Levi groans and rubs a hand over his face. "Will you stop with that already?"

Quinn responds with a curious hum, making her skepticism obvious. Folding her hands in front of her, Quinn gives Levi a knowing smile and cocks her head to the side. "It's not like you to lie to me like this, Levi."

Levi's eyes drop in an instant, his complexion flushing a soft pink. One of his hands reaches up and rubs at the back of his neck. "I don't have time for this right now. Just… promise me you'll take care of yourself while I'm gone. I'm not sure how long I'll be."

"Yeah, sure," Quinn sneers in a mocking tone. "I'll be sure to do that."

"Promise me, Quinn."

He sure as hell isn't in any position to be making demands right now, but the genuine concern in Levi's voice is enough to break through her snarky facade.

"Okay, Levi. I promise."

Really, Levi should know by now that Quinn has her own means of digging into the Scouts' inner workings. It didn't take long for her to figure out that wherever Levi is going, it sure isn't under Erwin's orders. If he's lying about that, then it's safe for her to assume that he lied about when he'll be leaving as well.

He isn't leaving tomorrow morning.

He's leaving tonight.

It's the only answer that makes sense. Levi works best in the dark – if he was planning on taking off in secret, he would definitely do it under the veil of night.

Quinn has to prove to him that he isn't the only one who's good at sneaking around.

She put on the darkest outfit she could find — a navy green button up with sleek black pants, and a long black cloak to obscure her figure. Trying to take her gear with her was out of the question – neither Quinn or Levi had the means to break into the equipment room, which was heavily guarded late at night. Those rigs were far too clunky to carry discreetly, anyways. If Quinn had tried to grab it, there's no way she'd be able to hide herself away this easily.

Quinn lets out an exhale of relief as she slips herself inside an empty stall, tucked away in one of the far corners of the musty stables. The soft commotion of horses echoes throughout the barn, a series of huffs and clacking hooves that she can only pray will die down before Levi shows up. Wherever he was going, he sure as hell wasn't going to get there on foot. He'd have to stop here to retrieve his horse, and that'll give Quinn all the confirmation she needs to know that he's hiding something.

The hardest part was the waiting. Quinn's attention span had never been the greatest, and the hours of sitting and waiting in silence were taking that to a whole other level. She almost wishes that she'd thought about grabbing her journal or something to keep her brain occupied. Counting the lines on the barn's wooden walls wasn't cutting it anymore. After a while, they all started to blur together, and just as Quinn's eyelids start to feel heavy…

The distinct sound of boots against straw snaps her awake.

Quinn listens with baited breath as the footsteps make their way to the left side of the stables, right where Levi's black stallion was being stored. She hears the horse whinny in excitement, followed by a soft "hush".

That was definitely Levi. Quinn could recognize his voice anywhere. She presses her back against the wall and peers around the corner, spotting the silhouette of Levi reaching up and patting his horse's snout affectionately. She can't help but smile at the sight, a soft huff of amusement escaping her nose.

That amusement is quickly lost when Levi's head snaps straight in her direction.

Quinn retreats around the wall as fast as she possibly can, her heart plummeting to her stomach. There's no way he actually heard that – it was barely audible to her own ears. Plus it was far too dark for him to see her from this distance. There's no way she'd already been caught.

The barn goes completely silent. No movement from Levi, no commotion from the horses, just the thumping of Quinn's heartbeat in her own ears. Maybe she was just being paranoid. Maybe it really was a coincidence that Levi had looked her way when he did. Gathering up what little courage she has left, Quinn takes a deep breath and peers her head back around the corner…

Slam.

An unknown weight barrels into Quinn's chest, pinning her up against the wall. The impact is followed by a familiar chill pressed against her neck. In the blink of an eye, Levi had her pressed up against the wall, a dagger held firmly at her throat. His eyes are scorching with murderous intent, before quickly widening in shock.

"Quinn, what the hell?" Levi exclaims as he pulls away, stowing the small blade at his side. "What the hell are you doing sneaking around like that? I could've fucking killed you!"

Quinn exhales in relief the moment the weight on her chest is lifted, slumping against the wall and trying to catch her breath. "Yeah, believe me, I noticed."

"What the hell are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same question." Quinn replies as she points a stern finger at him. "Where are you sneaking off to in the middle of the night? I already know you aren't going anywhere under Erwin's orders. Your lying really is a bit rusty, Levi."

Levi's mouth scrunches up in a scowl. "That's none of your business. Now, get out of here and go back inside. I have to go."

"No!" Quinn's tone rises stubbornly, taking a few intimidating steps towards Levi. "Tell me what's going on. Where the hell are you running off to where you're gonna be gone for days? Did something happen? Are you in trouble?"

"Quinn," Levi stresses through gritted teeth. "Drop it. This doesn't concern you."

"Like hell it doesn't! You're my—" there's the smallest crack in Quinn's voice. "You're my comrade, and Scouts don't let our comrades face their problems alone. Tell me what's wrong. I can help you. I can go with you—"

"You are not going down there!"

Down there?

"'Down there?'" Quinn's mouth falls open in disbelief. "You're going back to the Underground?"

Levi winces and closes his eyes, mumbling several curses under his breath.

"Why the hell would you go back there? Are… are you—"

"No, I'm not leaving the Scouts. I need—" Levi sighs and crosses his arms, pressing his fingers to his forehead. "There's some shit I need to handle, and I need you to not get involved."

"Well, it's too late for that. I'm involved now, and I want you to tell me what's—"

"Damn it, Quinn. You don't—"

"I'm not letting you go down there alone!"

Levi's hands collide with both sides of Quinn's arms, shoving her back against the wall with a thud. "Quinn," he huffs out. "Can you kill someone?"

Quinn's stomach drops. "What?"

"Are you capable of taking someone else's life?" Levi stresses. "Because that's the type of shit that goes on down there. You went down there once with an elite team of Scouts and a full set of ODM gear, and that was in the nice part of the Underground. What you witnessed doesn't even scratch the surface of just how bad things get. People get their throats slit walking down the damn street. There are rapists and traffickers around every corner, and pretty women like you are their fucking bread and butter. I can't take you down there. It isn't safe. If something happened to you, I—"

"And what if something happens to you?"

Levi's jaw flexes in frustration. "I'll be fine–"

"If I were to let you go down there alone, and you never came back, I wouldn't be able to live with myself. You've done so much for me. Whatever's going on, I want to help you."

Levi's response barely comes out as a whisper. "That's different. I wasn't risking my life—"

"We've risked our lives for each other more times than we can count." Quinn states in a firm tone. "I know how to fight. I know what it means to kill or be killed. You know that."

"Killing monsters is a lot different than killing human beings, Quinn."

"Is it?"

Another moment of silence passes, the frustration on Levi's face starting to melt away. "There's no way I can change your mind, is there?"

Quinn shakes her head. "Not a chance."

He lets out a defeated sigh and takes a step back. "Fine. Then you'll need a weapon. We won't have access to any gear down there." He reaches down and unfastens the holster on his thigh, containing the very same dagger that was pressed up against her neck moments ago. "You know how to handle a smaller blade, right?"

Quinn can't help but snort at his comment. "Maybe even better than you do."

That was a lie. Quinn was no novice with a blade — her father made sure of that — but she was still well aware that Levi could outperform her in nearly every form of combat.

She just wanted to see if it'd get under his skin.

Judging by the raised eyebrow Quinn's little quip earned her — she was right.

"Really?" Levi draws out in an amused tone. "That's a bold assumption."

Before Quinn can respond, Levi surprises her and crouches down on one knee, starting to strap the holster to her thigh himself.

For someone who can secure his ODM straps in a flash, Levi's hands work unusually slow. His fingertips brush against the back of her thigh, traveling along the taunt surface of her pants as he wraps the strap around the circumference of her leg. Quinn is rendered completely motionless, her brain unable to process anything else but the sensation of Levi pulling the belt tight, tight, tighter. It's far too snug, and there's no way Levi doesn't know that, but he chooses to completely ignore it. He rests one of his hands on the outside of Quinn's leg, tucking one of his fingers under the strap as if he were testing its fit. When finally he looks satisfied, Levi's attention flicks back up to Quinn, and the look in his eyes is absolutely lethal. "Prove it."

There's a pathetic crack in Quinn's voice. "Prove what?"

Levi stands back up and gestures to the knife at Quinn's side. "Prove to me that you know your way around a blade better than I do." He moves a few steps back and takes a defensive stance.

"I- No! You don't even have a weapon!"

"Don't need one." Levi says with a smirk. "You won't even be able to graze me."

Quinn's face twists up in annoyance. "You're crazy. I'm not gonna attack you while you're unarmed. "

"Quinn, if you want me to believe that you can handle yourself in the Underground, then you're gonna have to prove it to me. Right here, right now."

There's a taunting edge in Levi's voice that's slowly clawing its way under her skin, and he can obviously tell. His smirk spreads into a cocky smile, and fuck him for looking so good right now. Quinn raises one hand and undoes the single button of her cloak, letting it fall to the ground as her other hand retrieves the dagger from its holster.

She takes in a slow, deep breath, and lunges for him.

Breaking Levi's guard is nearly impossible. He can predict every one of her moments before Quinn can even think about making them. Every slash is met with a dodge, every lunge cut short with a block. As Quinn makes an attack to his left, Levi spins to his right and lands the brunt of his leg straight into her abdomen. Quinn flies backwards and lands to the floor with a thud.

"There are children in the Underground that are stronger than that. You aren't even trying."

Quinn pulls herself up as fast as she can, her chest heaving. "Yes I am."

She dashes towards Levi with another attack, when one of her boots slips on a stray patch of straw, causing her to stumble forward. Levi takes advantage of this and grabs ahold of her right arm, turning her around and securing her back against his chest in a grappling hold. The very same hand that's clasping the dagger is now holding the tip directly under her throat.

Levi's gruff voice brushes up against her ear. "If it's this easy to get you to slit your own throat, you won't last a second down there."

Quinn tries and fails to hide the shakiness in her voice. "You really seem to enjoy holding me at knifepoint."

"You make it too easy."

A surge of adrenaline surges through her as Quinn forces every ounce of strength on pulling herself arm forward, ducking down and flipping Levi's weight over her back. He lets out a grunt as he collides with the ground, glancing up at Quinn with a look of shock. She doesn't give him time to recover, dropping to the floor after him and trying her best to pin him completely.

It never matters how close she gets.

Levi always wins.

Her arms are rendered useless the moment Levi gets a grip on her wrists, flipping their weight and securing himself on top of her. He ends up straddling Quinn's waist, pinning her hands down next to either side of her head.

"Drop it."

Quinn tries to kick herself free, but Levi responds by hooking his legs around hers and locking them in a vice grip. His face is looming over hers, his silver eyes shining behind the curtain of black hair threatening to hide them away. He leans down just an inch, commanding her in a low, husky voice. "Drop the knife, Quinn."

She can barely hear him past the frantic thrum of her heart, unable to take her focus off the weight of Levi on top of her, and the fervorous energy radiating off of his body. He doesn't let her move a muscle, keeping her completely at his mercy. The small knife in Quinn's hand suddenly feels too heavy to hold, and she releases her grip on the hilt without a second thought.

"Good girl."

Holy fuck.

A fire ignites itself in Quinn's chest, radiating all the way down her body and pooling deep inside her gut. It's a feeling that's almost foreign to her — at least, to this degree. This wasn't just butterflies in her stomach, or a flutter in her heart – this was devastating. Earth-shattering. Mind consuming. She can't take her eyes off of him, doe-eyed and dazed, admiring the small, wicked smile lingering on his face that makes her entire body ache.

Fuck, she needs to say something. Anything. Quinn searches frantically for something to redirect her attention to, before finally being reminded of the tension around her thigh. "That wasn't fair," she squeaks out. "You tightened the belt too tight. I– I couldn't move as well."

One of Levi's eyebrows raises curiously. "Well, why didn't you say anything before?"

Because I liked the way it felt when you did it.

Nope. Absolutely not. She cannot say that.

Quinn opens her mouth to speak, trying and failing to give him an answer. Her brain is working at a snail's pace trying to figure out how to answer Levi's question, so he asks her a new one. "Do you want me to fix it?"

That question only makes her problem even worse, but Levi doesn't wait for an answer. He releases Quinn's arms and climbs off of her, settling on his knees as his hands find her thigh again. His feather-light touch feels like it's singeing her clothes, heightened by the wave of relief she feels when Levi releases the buckle's clasp. Again, his hands move painfully slow, adjusting the length of the strap carefully and securing it in a new loop. After he's finished, Levi slips another finger under the strap to test its hold, but this time he grazes his hand against the inside of her thigh.

If Quinn wasn't already on the ground, her legs would've given out right then and there. Levi's touch is so brief, but his hand is so close. Just a few more inches up and–

"Is that better?"

"Huh?" Quinn asks with a couple of blinks. "Oh, yeah, uh— thank you."

One of the corners of Levi's mouth twitches upwards, the mischief in his eyes still lingering. He pulls himself to his feet and extends a hand down to her. "C'mon, we need to get going."

Quinn stumbles three times trying to stand herself upright, her face beaming red. She can only hope the barn is too dark for Levi to notice.

"You okay there, Quinn?"

There's a look of blatant amusement plastered on his face, the evil bastard.

Maybe mouthing off to him isn't the best idea.

She can't wait to do it again.