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poisonpeche · 2 years

Note

Ahhhhh I had a sexy lil dream about scare actor levi and it was just great 🥰 specifically when you wrote about seeing him walking slowly to you frame by frame in strobe lights - and then it became like a game of hide and seek, but everything was heightened because it’s a haunted house and he was dressed up with a chainsaw prop so the thrill was 👌🏼

A sexy lil’ dream about scare actor Levi what a fuckin’ trick AND treat, Nonnie.

First of all, love that for you. Secondly, I too have an overactive imagination and have him in my thots daily.

Let’s share a new nightmare dream together, shall we? 👻

***

Paranormal Activity Part II | Levi Ackerman x You

Summary: Scare Actor Levi chases you in a haunted house with the star of the show, a chainsaw. Or is it…You?

NSFW, MDNI, 18+ ONLY - TW: Role Playing, Mutual Masturbation, Light Spanking, Degradation if you squint, Temperature Play, Fake Blood & Gore, Spooky Themes. Turns out you two have a kink for Exhibitionism in Haunted Houses.

Read Part I

The grime of his pitch black makeup smears down his high cheeks and cut jaw.

Eyes as sharp and silver as a dagger in the night darting around every corner for you…

“Where are youuu, sweetheart?” He sing songs in a mocking timbre with a gentle rev of the chainsaw’s engine.

You’d whimper, but he’d find you all too easily.

Another game to your arsenal. Levi’s Game.

A crimson glow drips down the walls in a thick haze like blood, a fitting scene for the maze you’re panting through. Hair whipping as you twist your neck around with eyes wide. As you turn away from the only light source down a deep entrance, your fingers run over the battered and bruised wood of the hallway. You desperately search for something to hold onto as your sight strains against the dark void.

Tips extended wide and futile, you brush over something smooth to the touch yet hard. And warm.

“Hah! I found you, you sicko - you lost!”

A sliced neck greets you with entrails unfurling in waves and you nearly fall to the ground as a blaring horn is triggered with a flash. A decapitated figure suspended and tragic looms over you and you absolutely hate that he nearly got you.

A snicker, brutal and seductive floats through air and down your spine. It’s him. He feels near and far away like an entity. Like a ghost.

“What else would those gorgeous legs do, but lead you right into my trap? As always,” he mocks through a snarl.

You roll your eyes and gather yourself, lunging forward with a scoff. You begin searching for your next hiding place. But why not taunt your predator into madness while you’re at it?

“Hmm very funny,” you jeer, seizing control.

“What’s so funny, hm?”

“Funny, that you’re convinced they only get me into trouble. When they seem to only devastate you. Isn’t that right? Levi.”

You’re quite the multitasker as you manage to search for a new hiding place and fatally flirt with him. He lets you pretend to win as he watches your skirt ride up over your thighs while you bend down amidst an earthen set of uprooted trees and cracked stone.

Fuck, if he doesn’t love to watch.

The way the fat of your thighs spill through your fishnets. Another purchase for his girl. The lattice stretching wide against your skin.

He wants to lick you stupid.

But settles for pathetically twitching in his high waisted jeans wrapped so tight around his navel at the sight of you in that pastel pink skater dress. The one with with the high neck and flowing long sleeves against the harsh lines of your stockings and thigh high boots. The one he adores. He’d growl if it wouldn’t give him away.

The contrast of you makes him dizzy, but he can’t lose focus. Not now. Not when you’re within range. His prey.

“The only thing that would devastate me is not getting to taste you in that.”

You cut off your own whimper rising in your throat. But he hears. He always hears.

“Bet you’re wet for me right now aren’t you, sweetheart?”

This time you can’t stop the whine. And he laughs as your crouched thighs begin to tremble against the heel of your boots.

“That’s what I thought.”

He reaches down for you through the swirls of fog and you bolt right before he can have you.

His fingerless glove clad hand recoils and he snarls with a rip of the chainsaw, piercing the air and it has your blood rushing as you run.

And he just manages to smack your ass with the taught leather as he struggles to catch you.

The sting rushing to your skin as your skirt flutters like butterfly wings with a nocturnal beast gnashing at your tail.

“Give me what I want before I take it from you.”

You grunt in frustration as you round the corner.

“Lose already, so I can,” he heaves a delighted sigh through an evil grin as he rolls his neck with a shudder, “reward you.”

You gulp down a groan as you weave through a confined space of…hanging corpses. Lifeless bodies strung up and your imagination reels. They feel like they’re writhing against you. Slimy and unmistakably dead as they swing and knock you off your feet until your shockingly stilled. An iron grip around your waist as he plunges out a trap door to you close enough to catch you and devour your neck in a kiss. The heat of the dying chainsaw searing your thigh. Enough to send sparks through you, but not to burn.

He’s pulling you back through the door before you can protest with a tight grip around your wrist as you’re pinned against the wall of the secluded secret room.

He’s buries his sharp nose in the soft skin of your neck, nuzzling deep with a dark inhale of his cologne on your throat has his eyes rolling back. His scent of whiskey, oak, and mulled cider marking you at your own accord and he loses his damn mind.

“What were you thinking, pretty girl?”

You know exactly what he implies. What were you thinking wearing that deliciously femme dress flowing in cascades over your curves against the harsh crisscross pattern choking your legs? To top it all off with a masculine musk that has him seeing stars. His scent.

The way you toy with his expectations of you revs his pulse like the trigger of the chainsaw dangling in between your legs. Pressed against your pussy. Waiting.

“I wasn’t,’’ you whisper against him.

He grins at your submission. So you’ll behave after all.

“I’ll make sure of that,” he promises with every intention to have you fucked dumb.

But how?

He leans in to press sweet kisses into your neck. The dull heat of the chainsaw in between your thighs causes your moan to shiver across his tongue.

He’d laugh if he wasn’t so floored by you.

Taking off his demin jacket and laying it out on the floor beneath you, he softly commands, “Get down.” Another kiss to the corner of your mouth. “On your knees.”

Weak in them already, the short drop to the floor at his feet is a welcome relief. You bask in his presence waiting for more, gripping the backs of his ankles as you peer up at him.

“I know you like this shit,” he revs the trigger with a quick pulse that sends your heart racing, “don’t you?”

Wide-eyed and feigned innocence, you softly nod before him.

“I know you do, baby. Listen to me.”

He cups your jaw with his hand, thumbing your cheek with nothing but devotion. You tremble at his exaltation. He means to comfort you before the final blow.

“Fuck yourself on it.”

He lowers the chainsaw in between your spread knees, pushing the blade in between your parted thighs. The smooth flat ridge of the handle covering the trigger rests inches below your throbbing cunt.

Your answer is in the string of arousal that drips from your spread lips over the trigger of the saw.

Levi’s dark laugh has you squeezing your thighs around the outside of the machine as he sits down in front, facing you with his back against the far wall and legs spread to cage you in with his bent knees at your hips. He’s close enough to see every detail.

He likes to watch after all.

Who are you to deny him a good show?

You splay your palms flat over your plush thighs and inch agonizingly upward, dragging your fingers over your bunched hem in a slow reveal.

With a slide of your finger, the first gift of the night is unwrapped, a black silk garter straining against the fat of your thigh and threatening to spill over.

You swear you can see Levi’s throat bob at your display while he looks on with a hunger that sets you ablaze.

Palming yourself further still, the skirt drapes back to reveal a full set of intricate criss crosses and…What were you fucking thinking?

His heads cocks to the side in shock. Eyes sliding to the center of you to find nothing there. Just your bare pussy drooling through the fishnets. You’re not wearing any panties and he just might die.

“What am I gonna do with you?” Fondness dripping his tone as he reaches up to cup your jaw and you nuzzle against his palm with a kiss to his wrist.

His thumb strokes you under your eye with a tenderness that could break your heart.

You whimper and his eyes turn black.

“M gonna make it all better for you, baby. Do you trust me?”

Your tiny nod has a possessiveness seeping into every one of his thoughts as he reaches for you only to catch one of the loops in the netting and pulls hard.

The rip of the fabric exposes your cunt to the chill of the house, creaking and alive with blares of traps and screams all around you.

As a red light pulses overhead you see him in strobing images, each more beautiful and devastating than the last as he stares at you with pure hunger. His jaw hangs and lips part taking the image of you in.

“Sit. Spread my pussy out for me.”

More drips down your legs at the words.

Obeying, you slot the handle in between your lips as they drape over the sides. The warmth of the saw has you gasping at the contact, but you find yourself getting hard with the heat. Clit swollen and twitching at every movement against the soft sear.

“You can take it, baby,” he hisses through his teeth in awe of you as you relax into his warm voice.

Levi takes your wrists and drapes them around his neck and you soothe yourself with the soft shave of his undercut. You lace your fingers into his dark strands and pull yourself forward to him, riding the handle of the chainsaw. Your shameless moan has him in a daze.

“My perfect girl,” he can still smell himself on you as you buck to him.

The glint and gleam of his piercings against the dull light compete with his eyes only for you lost in the black grime trailing down his cheeks.

He reaches around your hips, grabbing a palm full of your ass. He encourages a deeper slide against the metal and you cry out for him. You’re so wet he can hear every movement you make. The sound of your own slick getting you off in return.

As you look up to Levi he’s unzipping his pants and taking himself out. Pink and aching and horrible.

He strokes himself to you as his head falls back against the black wall with his eyes sitting low as you continue to fuck yourself in front of him.

The leather of his gloves ruined from his weeping head as his bare fingers slide faster with every pump.

Your nipples harden at the sight of him and you pull your neckline down for him to see. The drool pooling on your tongue falls as you salivate, coating your nipple with a whimper. They perk and glisten as Levi’s tongue darts out. He wants to taste, but let’s you work. You deserve to feel so good.

He groans at you. His star.

“Wanna fuck you with my cock, but I wouldn’t get the same view, now would I?”

Your panting picks up and you squeeze your thighs.

“Wouldn’t get to see all of you. How pretty you look…”

He leans in inches from your lips and catches them in a kiss.

A rumble erupts at your core as he pulses the trigger briefly beneath you, keening with your head thrown back. The vibrations of the saw sending your senses into overdrive as you fight to catch your breath. The thrill only mounting.

“Fuck, you like that don’t you? Of course you do. You’re mine.”

He revs it again for a longer pulse as your grind deepens and you have to grab his shoulder to steady yourself, gripping his bicep for dear life.

Your cry stifled by the chaos around you, but Levi sees it all unfold. Your parted lips in a scream and he’s already won.

“Lev’ it’s—fuck, so good—I wanna hah,” you beg and plead and it’s only fueling him to break you down to your most basic desires. To fuck and to be fucked. To twist and to writhe, and he’ll just look on and adore you like the art that you are.

“If you want to, don’t look away. Only me. Can you do that, my love?” He groans out on an exhale as he relentlessly works his cock. The flick of his wrist hypnotizing you. Precum smearing and his own thighs begin to shake.

“Don’t ever wanna—mmm—leave you. Never, never. Levi, you’re so, so—fuck, I…I,” you’re breathless, but somehow, “I love you.”

He presses the trigger into overdrive and you’re flying off the edge, tumbling and crashing into him. You can’t hear him say it over the cacophonous noise reverberating off the walls, but you see the tender I love you too flow from his lips with his eyes wide and glassy. The look he gives you could heal you and destroy you.

You want it all.

Your chest hitting his as you’re thrown from the machine crying out his name. You cum hard in waves and the scene brings him there as you shake in his arms. White dripping over his fist as he locks his dark eyes with you.

He promised he’d never look away.

Maybe you’ll learn to catch something as wild and unpredictable as smoke while he sinks into your eyes, spilling all his secrets in his stare.

***

Read Part I

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levi-my-beloved · 2 years

Text

Chapter Five (Part One):The Ackerbond Cracks

Pairing: Canon!Levi x F!Reader

Warnings: Vivid depictions of death, Gunther being a comedian, Levi being clingy tm, just some sad shit but i saved most of the heartbreak for part two so like, you’re welcome but also sorry :”3

A/N: THANK YOU TO @peace-for-levi, @levmada AND @poisonpeche for beta-reading this chapter. the team is growing y’all <3 and we need it cuz this is almost 200 pages now OKAY

Taglist: @levmada @awesomeness1679 @purplecandygerl @iam-thevillain-of-thisstory @pluvio-pluto @midnightbarnes97 @aresclouds @imkumichan @xxpadfootxx @cmjh3 @justa19 @notgoodforlife @leviackermanmyhero245 @kaea-peverall @jakillski @macaronnv @natalie-skz @oldtownwonderland @snailsposts @lunardeiity @clusiesuzie @hi-imkaiya @isabellawigginss @ackermandick @orionsalos @disaster-writer @temariskadi @nariko1989 @elizaack @dixie-chick @death-by-bullseye @leviackermanst @poisonpeche @arcticcashew @feelingsandemotionsnotexplored @littleagxs

How, the ever-loving fuck, did Hange manage to let her little titan pets die?

You stormed through the Scout headquarters with a face like thunder, arms folded in visceral irritation as you fought to keep your head on straight. You were so close to blowing up. So close to just screaming at the world. How many people had that asylum patient let die to secure them two little playthings. And now they were fucking dead.

Not only that, but you were storming through the headquarters in order to get to your horse, because you were about to embark on an expedition. Fan-fucking-tastic.

–Calm down.–

–HAVE YOU EVER TRIED TO CALM DOWN WHEN SOMEONE TELLS YOU TO CALM DOWN? IT IS A FUCKING PARADOX.–

Levi winced, his finger twitching slightly as your voice exploded in his mind, echoing down chambers he didn’t know existed.

You did have a point though. In hindsight, there were probably more helpful things he could have said in the moment.

Running his stirrup down, he measured the length against his arm, counting the seconds before you stomped through the stable doors.

Just as his internal clock hit zero, the wood slammed against the wall and you barged in.

“Are y—”

“Don’t.”

Levi held up his hands in cease-fire. He knew you were fuming, and he also knew it wasn’t at Hange. He understood your anger in grief, because he felt it too. He felt the guilt-ridden injustice of every life lost, and now lost for no good reason.

He was silent when he walked up behind you and took the bridle from your hands, hanging it on the post.

“I get it.” There was always comfort in knowing you’re not alone, and no greater comfort than knowing you’d never be alone again.

Leaning back, you were met with the warmth of his chest, your head fitting against his shoulder.

“It’s so fucking stupid.” All of it. The death. The pointless sacrifices for a fraction of a step forward—only to be pushed five steps back by yet another obstacle.

“I know.”

“Did they even learn anything?”

“Yes, but not nearly as much as they could have. Erwin suspects they were killed by some kind of traitor in the military. There was a gear inspection yesterday, but everyone seemed clean.”

You paused, turning to face him. “To stop humanity from progressing, I assume?” Levi nodded. “Why?”

He shrugged, aimlessly picking a horse-hair from the shoulder cuffs of your jacket. “No clue, that’s for Erwin to figure out. And that little brainy blonde kid. The one Eren’s friends with.”

“Oh, Armin?”

“Yeah, that one.”

You sighed thoughtfully, not even realising he had so seamlessly managed to calm you from your grief-induced rage by just talking to you.

He gently took your chin between his thumb and forefinger, tilting your head to look at him.“You alright now?”

His concern melted your heart. “Yeah, yeah I’m fine now. I didn’t mean to—I know you already know but I still wanna say that I didn’t mean to snap at you earlier, or just now. I’m sorry.”

Levi gave you an understanding half-smile, tilting your head so he could easily press his lips against yours. It was something you knew you would never get used to. The feeling of his mouth caressing your own, his arms hugging you close. He gave you butterflies just by being close to you, let alone kissing you.

“I know, you don’t have to apologise to me.”

“I am definitely going to abuse that privilege.”

“...Okay, you sometimes have to apologise to me.”

“Better.”

Levi hummed a deep laugh against your lips, and you smiled into his affection, the adrenaline injected into your veins only fuelling your addiction to him.

Your arms came up to wrap around his neck, his own tightening around your middle as you kissed in the stable, a private display only for yourselves and the poor onlooking horses.

Until the private display became a whole lot less private. You both instantly pulled away the second your ears registered a throaty cough from the door. Panic rising in your throat as your clouded mind fought to recognise the silhouette, and that panic calmed instantly the moment your brain caught up with your eyes.

“I hate to interrupt, Captain. Vice Captain.” You flipped Eld off with a stifled grin. This wasn’t the first time he’d caught you two, but you didn’t exactly choose the most private of places, as he’d pointed out. “But Oluo’s gear keeps locking up and he swears the firing mechanism is faulty. I personally believe he’s not doing it right but he wants a second opinion.”

You glanced at Levi, who genuinely looked like he couldn’t give a rat’s ass.

–Want me to take this one?–

–Would you?–

You tugged lightly on the bond between you, a feeling you’d both come to know as acknowledgment. –You tack up Finn, I’ll handle this.–

–Finn?–

–My horse.–

–You named it?–

–YOU HAVEN’T NAMED YOURS?–

“A response would be lovely.” You hadn’t realised that all you’d been doing, from Eld’s perspective, was just standing there staring at him. Not even showing any signs you’d heard him.

“Right, yeah sorry, I’ll take a look.” You shook yourself lightly, gathering yourself up as you took measured steps towards the door.

“Eld, could I have a word?” The blond’s head shot up in surprise, and you too turned back to Levi.

“Of course, Captain.”

You eyed him suspiciously as he walked past you. –Everything okay?–

–I need to talk through his manoeuvres with Gunther; they were out of sync the other day and I want to know why.–

–Mmmmhm? Sounds like you want date tips from the guy with a fianceé– you snorted, already out the stable door and walking towards a struggling looking Oluo.

–First of all, I don’t need date tips. And second, listen in if you want, not that I need to prove anything to you.–

Your loud cackle had his heart blooming, barely managing to focus on Eld before he started to talk. “Gunther looked out of shape last training. Any idea why?”

You were a little disappointed to learn that he really was just talking to Eld about teamwork, but you weren’t surprised. You hadn’t felt any deceit so it made sense. With this knowledge, you left his mind.

Levi sighed in relief.

“Oh, yeah he managed to twist his ankle on a bad landing. He’s absolutely fine now, so–”

“I need you to look after her.”

Eld blinked in confusion, clearly under the impression this was a conversation about the squad.

“Captain?”

“My eyes will be on Eren, I can’t look out for her during this expedition. I need you to do it for me. Just have her back as much as you can.”

Levi honestly didn’t feel awkward asking Eld to do this. He’d seen how close you two were, he’d seen your relationship with the blond, and if he was being honest? His heart would grow three sizes every time he saw you laugh because of him. You had a beautiful friendship, one built off trust and mutual respect. It was truly heartwarming to know you had this kind of support system around you.

He saw the realisation dawn on Eld’s face, brief confusion replaced by the steely determination he knew his squad possessed. “Of course, sir. I’ll keep her safe.”

That was all the reassurance he needed. Breathing out a sigh, Levi felt himself relax, knowing he didn’t have to worry about you during this mission.

“Thank you.”

Eld saluted, his visage a picture of gentle understanding. Understanding the need to keep someone safe. Levi assumed the blonde had felt that too, maybe even towards you. In fact, most likely towards you. Whilst Levi wasn’t blind to your affections towards Eld, he also knew his squad like the back of his hand. He could see how Eld felt about you all those years ago. Knowing it was too little too late, and you’d already moved on. Though, he just didn’t realise you’d moved on to him.

With no further words to exchange, and a firm understanding of his mission, Eld turned on his heel and left his Captain to his thoughts.

Levi ran a hand down the side of his face, his adrenaline already pumping in his veins. Pre-expedition nerves didn’t really exist for him anymore. Not after having survived so many, and developing complete faith in his squad’s skills.

But today was an entirely different story. This was the first expedition since the Scouts were called back early, and the first proper expedition since Hange’s capture mission. Where he’d saved your life and sparked this entire bond.

Or was it sparked before then? He genuinely couldn’t remember.

It felt like you’d been bound forever.

A boulder of dread dropped in his stomach, pooling icily in his gut and sending ripples of bad omens through his system. It was bad luck to assume something shit was going to happen, something about making things come to fruition or whatever you would say, but he really couldn’t help himself at the moment. Something felt so… off. It could be Erwin’s sudden and possibly unwarrented confidence in Eren’s abilities, and his frantic search for that fucking basement.

–Oluo’s gear is fine. Idiot wasn’t—you okay?–

You really were some kind of soothing balm, weren't you? His dread washed away upon hearing your voice, calming his fraying nerves.

–Yeah, fine.–

–It’s not like you to get nervous, ‘Vi, what’s going on?–

He wished he could pinpoint the exact moment you started to understand what was and wasn’t like him. If he could go back to that moment, he didn’t know what he would do. Stopping the bond altogether seemed sensible, but he didn’t think he could live without it now. Not now after he knew what it was like to be so understood on such a fundamental level without having to utter a single vulnerability.

Well, almost.

But no, he wouldn’t change this. He couldn’t change this. It was a terrifying moment to realise that he simply loved you too much to do that.

–Talk to me.–

Levi shook himself lightly, taking your horse’s bridle from the post. –I’m fine.–

–Well, we both know that’s a lie.–

He chuckled to himself, feeding the bit through Finn’s teeth and securing the cheek piece comfortably over his chestnut coat. –Just squad-talk with Eld.–

–Ah, so that’s what it feels like when you’re lying to me. Interesting.–

Clicking his tongue, Levi gently encouraged your horse from its stall, looping the reins around the nearest tying post before starting to tack up his own horse. He really should name her…

–I’m technically not lying. I asked him why he was out of sync with Gunther the other day. Something about his ankle being twisted.–

He could fucking feel your suspicious squint glaring holes in the back of his head. He tried to ignore the feeling, exchanging his current saddle for a lighter one from the wall’s rack.

–You know I love you, right?–

Levi could never tame his smile when you said shit like that. His entire being blooming a warm orange at your words, feeling your conviction behind them.

–Yeah.–

“All soldiers assemble by the gate! The 57th Expedition is to begin imminently!”

Running his stirrups down, Levi quickly fiddled with the leather until the metal was low enough for him to fit his foot into. He was insanely flexible at the best of times, but even he had limits as to how high he could lift his leg. Bouncing into the saddle, he tucked two fingers between the girth and his horse’s ebony flank.

“Last minute adjustments?” You appeared by the doorway, and though your folded-arm stance looked defensive, your expression looked anything but.

You pushed off from the wooden frame, looping your reins free of the post and running your own stirrups down. “Need some help, or are you good?”

“I’m fine. Saddle up; we’re leaving in five.”

You nodded, gathering your reins in one hand, the cantel in the other and springing up, throwing your leg over. A buzz in his thigh had Levi move to the side slightly, narrowly dodging your leg.

“I heard. You gonna tell me what’s on your mind or am I gonna have to do some digging?” you asked, looking at him out of the corner of your eye.

Just as he could with you, you could also enter his mind if you so chose to; crossing that middleground threshold between you and browse his thoughts.

You’d accidentally done it once whilst trying to remember a specific line in ‘Frederik and Jules’, finding the answer on his own shelf of memories. He felt your overwhelming guilt in his damn soul, and almost no amount of reassuring could calm you down. It was only when he’d managed to explain that there wasn’t anything you hadn’t already seen did you take a breath and actually look him in the eye, muttering a thousand apologies before he kissed you just to shut you up. It took you some time before you were comfortable with bringing it up again, but you seemed better now. At least you were joking about it.

“Not if you’re gonna cry about it for the next three hours.”

Despite feeling the anticipation in his foot, Levi let you kick him lightly, knowing that, in some capacity, he definitely deserved it.

“Such an ass. Fine, don’t tell me. Be all mysterious and unhelpful, I don’t care.” You pouted in a way that told him you in fact, did care. But he just didn’t know how to explain himself right now. He was barely able to focus on anything other than the upcoming expedition, and explaining his emotions took every fibre of his concentration.

He instead placed a hand on your arm, bringing you back to him. “I’m fine.”

For the first time, you showed just how concerned you were. Brows tilted, eyes soft, he knew you were worried about him, but he didn’t quite know just how much until then.

“You would tell me if you weren’t, right?”

Levi genuinely had to think about that for a moment. “I wouldn’t need to.”

“Levi.” You said sternly, eyes hardening. “This whole… bond thing, I’m assuming, is built on trust. I trust you with my life, with my fucking soul. The least you could do is trust me with a damn thought.”

He knew you were right. You tended to be right quite a lot, but right now just wasn’t the time to tell you how fucking terrified he was of losing you. How scared shitless he was of the possibility you could die out here. He swore he would never let that happen. But sometimes things are out of his control.

“I do trust you…” he muttered, avoiding your searching gaze. But it was your turn to bring him back to you, securing his hand on your arm with your own palm.

“Then talk to me. Please?”

He hesitated. He wanted to. Fuck, did he want to talk to you. To selfishly have your reassurance that nothing will go wrong, and you’ll return safe and sound. But somewhere, he knew there was no guarantee of that.

“I will, but… not yet.”

You sighed, giving his hand a squeeze. You hated feeling powerless to help him, but you could only help him if he wanted it. There was nothing you could do if he couldn’t talk about it. You understood, of course you did, and you weren’t about to force anything out of him.

“Okay. Promise me you will, when you can.” It was more a request than anything else. Levi felt so thankful for you he swore he could cry. For just how understanding you were, for how accepting you were of him.

Leaning over, he planted a lingering kiss on your forehead. “I promise.”

You hummed a smile, satisfied with his resolve, before quickly capturing his lips before he could pull away further. You had to fight the instinct to clamber onto his lap, knowing vaguely his horse wouldn’t appreciate another rider, especially if that other rider is too busy making out with its owner to seat herself properly and not injure its back.

“We should get going…” Levi murmured against your lips, making no moves to pull away. The sentiment was there, sure, but there was no willpower. There never was when it came to being apart from you.

“We choose the worst moments, don’t we?”

“We?”

“Yes ‘we’. Are you not one half of this relationship?”

Relationship? The word had never really crossed his mind. He hadn’t explicitly asked you out, and you hadn’t explicitly said yes. With how things had progressed between you, he hadn’t exactly deemed it necessary, but now that you’d mentioned it, he started to worry whether he’d done things wrong.

He’d let the silence linger too long.

“O-oh. Sorry, yeah I guess this isn’t really–uh–fuck, I didn’t mean to rush you into anything I’m so sorry, I’ll uh–no, yeah, sorry, I’ll just go and uh, yeah, assemble. By the gate. And stuff. I’m sorry.”

Levi could feel your panic rising in his chest, your heartbeat racing as you fumbled about your words. Truth was, he didn’t want to startle you further by interrupting you, or raising his voice above your own. That hadn’t exactly gone well last time. So he took the short pause between the end of your apologetic stream and you actually walking away to interject.

“You’re fine. I just hadn’t thought about it. And I don’t really like the term ‘dating’. It feels superficial compared to what we have.”

You stopped for a moment, and Levi thought you would keep riding away without even turning round or saying anything. But he should have known better.

“Though ‘soul-bound’ might come off a bit strong…”

You were quiet, still slightly unsure of where you stood, but Levi was just glad you responded. He nudged his mare’s flank, prompting her to take a step forward and level with you.

“Better than ‘boyfriend’. Don’t like that term, either,” you laughed timidly, and he knew he was getting through to you.

“Labels are hard…”

“I don’t really think there is a label for this one. We’re just… together.”

You looked up at him upon hearing that, and Levi confirmed he cracked back through your wall of overthinking. “I like that one. Together.”

“Good. I like it too.” Levi pressed his thumb to the centre of your brow, easing the creases of worry that had accumulated there. “This busy head of yours…”

“It likes to stress me out.”

“I’ve noticed.”

You frowned. He pressed his thumb again.

“You’re one to talk,” you bit back, before relaxing completely with a heavy sigh. “I just, I don’t want to ever push something on to you if you don’t feel ready yet. I know this is newer to you than it is to me, and I’m just terrified of you feeling rushed into something you weren’t comfortable with yet.”

Did you know how perfect you were? Did you know how considerate you were? Levi’s thumb moved to smooth over your cheekbone. His heart warmed as you leaned into the touch.

“I don’t do shit I don’t want to. I’ve… felt like this for a while. Towards you, I mean. Bond or no bond, it wouldn’t change how things progressed. I just don’t know if I should have asked you properly. That’s what I was thinking about.”

“...Oh.”

“Idiot.”

He flicked your forehead and you swatted him away. “We really should go, before Hange comes looking.”

Levi rolled his eyes, though he agreed with you. “Any excuse for Four Eyes to stick their abnormally large nose into other people’s business,” he muttered to the soundtrack of your laughter. If he was being honest with himself? He said that just to see you smile again.

“You wrote what on the toilet wall?”

The expedition so far had gone surprisingly smoothly, all things considered. Only a few titan sightings, and Erwin’s long-distance scouting formation was working a charm by avoiding engaging altogether. You’d never made it this far with so little casualties; it was inspiring.

A stop was called just as the sun was setting, and the order to make camp was sent out. Flares of green smoke accumulated in the sky as each section came together separately; the right wing, left wing, centre and rear defences all staying in their respective lanes. You’d set up tents, tied the horses down and your squad had just made a campfire.

You were walking over when you heard Hange’s abrasively loud laughter, only hearing the end snippet of the conversation.

“Oh, you have to tell that story again. It it priceless!” Hange managed to splutter between fits of laughter. Even the Commander looked amused. You glanced at Levi to your left, who had walked over with you and was just as confused as you were. Though, to your complete unsurprise, it was Gunther who was asked to repeat himself as you dragged over two crates, asking Miche and Nifa to shift slightly and make space for the both of you.

“I just thought the men’s toilets could use some literature! I’m quite the poet, after all, and those walls looked so dry,” Gunther cleared his throat dramatically, “Here I sit, broken-hearted. I tried to shit, but only farted. Then, one day, I took a chance. Went to fart, and shit my pants.”

You gaped, unsure whether to be disgusted or impressed. You saw Levi pinch the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, and to the rest of the circle, it would have seemed like disappointment. But you knew he was trying his fucking best not to laugh. Looking at both Hange and Erwin and seeing them smirking slightly, eyes fixed on Levi, you knew they’d figured it out, too.

“Gunther, that’s disgusting and you should be ashamed of yourself.” Petra frowned, masking her reluctant smile with a disapproving pout.

“Gunther, that's amazing and you should be proud of yourself,” Eld countered, grinning wickedly from ear to ear. The rest of the circle seemed to have the same opinion as Eld, Miche all but falling from his crate after laughing too damn hard. Even Eren had loosened up enough to laugh lightly, though he looked almost scared to do so.

You pitied the kid. He’d looked up to these people all his life only to find they’re as mature as children.

–Levi. Stop laughing, it's not that funny.–

–I’m not laughing.–

–I can feel it.–

–Look at my face, do you see me laughing?–

You took the opportunity to steal a glance in his direction, only to find his face still obscured by his hand. His eyes slid to you, amusement dancing like firelight in his irises, and the second his lips pulled up slightly, you cracked. A disobedient snort fell from your mouth and you buried your face in your hand to stifle your maddening chuckles. You were close enough to hear Levi’s own quiet laughter, his face too hidden by his palm, his shoulders barely moving as he actually giggled. Nifa looked like she was about to faint, having also been close enough to hear.

–Now look who’s laughing.–

–You’re laughing too!– you avidly defended yourself.

–I wasn’t the accuser, you were.–

You flipped him off, and the entire circle, including yourself, froze. You hadn’t meant to make that gesture out loud. Fuck, you completely forgot you were in company, too focused on your silent conversation. Even those aware of your relationship looked confused, Eld and Petra exchanging glances between themselves. Levi too seemed to freeze, having no idea how to play this one off.

“Oh, come on, I knew you found it funny! I just needed to make a face to get you to crack, but there’s no need for that!”

You could actually kiss Nifa. The circle drew their attention from you to her, allowing you to shift your gesture a micrometre to the left, now pointing in her direction.

You caught on instantly, sighing theatrically. “Yeah yeah, everyone else didn’t need to know, though!” You rolled your eyes, feeling the rest of the circle relax before the conversation continued.

Levi never thought relief had tasted any sweeter. “Thank you,” he murmured, briefly catching her eye. She looked a little nervous.

“Don’t mention it, Sir,” she whispered back, before rejoining the conversation.

Levi quickly scanned his comrades’ faces for any hint of suspicion. Eld gave him a ‘that was fucking close’ look, something Levi appreciated, and Petra just gave him a subtle nod.

Though it was Erwin, observant as ever Erwin who kept his attention, darting his blue gaze between him and you pointedly. Levi knew what he was asking, that raised bushy brow told him everything.

Gritting his teeth and averting his gaze, Levi nodded slightly in confirmation. When his eyes found his Commander again, he didn’t find the reprimanding look he was expecting, but rather understanding contentment. He looked almost proud.

–Erwin knows.– He might as well tell you.

Though your response surprised him.

–I know.–

–How?– Levi turned to look at you, finding you smiling gratefully across the campfire and at Erwin’s congratulatory look.

–Because you’re not the only one I can silently talk to.–

–You can hear his voice too?–

–No, idiot. I was in his squad before he became Commander, we worked together, so can have the same level of conversation we used to before we could do this.–

There was a pregnant pause.

–How didn’t I know this?–

–You never asked!–

–You should have told me!–

–Aww, you jealous?–

–No, just would have been nice to know I could eavesdrop on more conversations, silent ones at that.–

You tugged hard on the bond and Levi felt your faux irritation. –You’re such an asshole!–

A mental image of his hand flipping you off appeared in your mind. That’s probably what you should have done earlier, had you thought of it.

“Hey, Eld, when the hell are you gonna get married? We’ve been waiting for years now, literally!” The question drew you back from the conversation in your head to the one between your friends. You’d vaguely registered they’d started talking about their future plans, which, whilst being a dangerous topic for Scouts, was always something nice to dream about.

Your eyes slid from Miche, who’d asked the question, to Eld, who was currently rubbing the back of his neck bashfully.

“Ah, soon! We were originally going to do it next winter, but I think we’re getting impatient and have instead planned it for a week after we return from the expedition,” he explained, and the whole circle fell silent in gobsmacked awe.

“You kept that one quiet!” Nanaba gaped, leaning forward on her crate. “When did you decide this?” Your friends all inched forward on their seats, listening with baited breath to everything Eld had to say.

“Just before we left. Sort of a spur-of-the-moment decision if I’m honest. But when I think about it, I would rather die married to her than die having unfulfilled my promise to her. I guess I would find more peace that way.”

It was admirable to think that way. You hadn’t even considered the possibility of marriage. Not yet, anyway. You’d only just had the ‘are we official?” conversation, which wasn’t exactly a conversation and more of a decision on labels.

Your face broke into a beaming grin as Eld looked at you. You’d never been happier, or prouder, than you were right now. Your best friend was getting married. Holy shit Eld was getting married!

“I still think you would have made a better couple with—”

“Leeeeeet’s not finish that sentence, Nana,” you interjected. Walls, what the fuck was with her fixation on you and Eld. Levi laughed in your head.

“Actually, I want to talk to you about it, if that’s cool with you.” You’d never seen him look so nervous, so of course you nodded with as much reassurance as you possibly could.

“Sure thing, ‘course it’s cool with me.” You grinned.

“There’s still hope!”

“Shut up, Nanaba,” you both said in unison, prompting a spattering of laughter across the circle.

“Hey! We should play a game! Maybe str—”

“No. No strip games. I’m never playing a strip game with you lot ever again.” Levi folded his arms, crossing his ankle over his knee. Absolutely not. There was no fucking way he was about to play strip anything. Though it may be how he managed to bag your hoodie, and it may have been what triggered… that night, but he was fucking done with them. Never again.

“Again?” Erwin raised a thick brow and you snickered quietly. Levi poked his tongue into his cheek, regretting he even said anything in the first place.

“Yeah well… it only happened twice,” he mumbled begrudgingly.

–And both times went wonderfully! Who knows what will happen this time?–

–Stop talking.–

Levi clenched his jaw against your wild laughter in his head, refusing to let you have the satisfaction of seeing him smile because of it.

“He was actually pretty good at strip poker! Only being beaten by his very own Vice Captain. Poetic, really.” You gave the opposite side of a circle a proud little wave, much to Levi’s displeasure.

“That so? Interesting… I wonder why…” There was the Erwin you knew. A sly, clever bastard who never failed to spot a clue. That was more like the captain you used to know.

You only realised now just how much you missed the old dynamic. When he didn’t have so much stress on his shoulders and actually had the spare time to spend with the rest of you. They were days you didn’t know you missed until now. Though there would always be an empty space where she used to sit.

That didn’t matter anyway. Not anymore. Ilse was gone. She had been gone for over twenty years.

Levi glanced at you upon feeling a sudden shallow hollowness in his chest. You didn’t look present, rather appearing like you were somewhere else completely. He gently pulled you back through the bond, and watched as you returned. He sent you a concerned look when you turned to him, but with a wave of your hand, you brushed him off.

–Later.–

The conversation around the circle died down slightly, the light crackling of firewood accompanying the now gentle murmur. Surprisingly, it was Hange who first pulled the plug on the night, stretching their arms high above their head with an obnoxiously loud yawn that put a smile on your face. Moblit followed suit fairly swiftly after, and before long half the circle was gone.

Petra, your tent share, sent a nod in your direction before standing and stretching her weary limbs. “I’ll see you back at the tent. Or not… depending on stuff…” She threw a pointed glance at Levi, who wasn’t even subtle in his eavesdropping this time, blatantly listening to the conversation and raising a brow when he was mentioned.

You tossed them both a flat look. “See you later, Petra.” It was an extremely obvious ‘fuck off’ and one the ginger simply grinned at before waltzing away.

–How many people know, exactly?– Levi asked, shuffling a fraction closer to you now there were less people to scrutinise.

–Eld, Petra and Erwin, from my understanding. Petra figured it out after you rejected me.–

–I didn’t— –

–And, well, you saw Erwin today so that’s how he knows.–

You didn’t even acknowledge his interjection, knowing full well what his argument was. It still didn’t excuse what he did, but you forgave him. The sex was fucking great, after all.

Levi’s dramatic sigh echoed in your head, and you were just about to call him out on it when Eld wandered over.

“Hey… so, could I just quickly talk to you? It’s nothing bad, I promise, I just— I wanted to ask you something.” He looked as nervous as he was earlier, maybe even more so judging by his relentless fiddling with the hem of his tee.

You nodded, standing from your crate and breezing past your partner, grazing your knuckles along his calf and up to his knee as you left. It wasn’t supposed to be an arousing touch, more of a comforting gesture. You guess it worked both ways.

You followed Eld to a more secluded area, somewhere quiet and away from the soft hubbub of the campsite. “So, I wanted to ask you something. I’m sorry it’s so late notice but I didn’t even know I was getting married so soon until yesterday.

“I was just wondering, since, you know, we’re so close and everything, and considering everything we’ve been through together, I was wanting to ask if you would be my best man? At my wedding?

“I know it’s traditionally a man’s role, but I just, I can’t see anybody filling that place other than you. And I just, I want you at my side. It wouldn’t feel right without you there as my best friend.”

Eld shuffled foot to foot, anxiously awaiting your answer as you stood staring, completely dumbfounded by his request. It seemed you too had a tendency to leave silences for too long.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to! I just thought, well, yeah, you mean so fucking much to me, and it would be weird not having you by my side on the best day of my life. I asked Georgia already and she was more than happy with it. She actually encouraged me to ask you, so—”

You couldn’t stop yourself. A wave of utter adoration prompted you to lunge forward and wrap your arms around him, holding him tight. “Of course I will, idiot. I’d be honoured.”

It was only brief, but you couldn’t tame the tears lining your lashes as you pulled back, grinning at his loud sigh of relief.

“Oh, thank fuck for that. I thought you were going to say no for a moment then. It just makes sense for it to be you. That and you look better in a suit than Oluo does.”

You laughed tearily, wiping the underside of your eyes with the heel of your palm.

Eld settled a hand on your shoulder, squeezing gently. “This can’t be the first time I’ve made you cry, right?”

“It certainly won’t be the last, either,” you countered, clasping his arm. “I better start practising my speech, huh?”

“If you want it to be any good.”

“Maybe I could behave like a jealous ex-lover and ruin your wedding.”

“Oh, I’m sure Georgia would be thrilled.”

Some selfish part of you hoped nothing would change after he got married. You hoped the two of you would stay this close until the end of days. A world without his friendship seemed so utterly depressing, you don’t think you could survive it.

Eld sighed contently, removing his hand from your shoulder. “Well, I shouldn’t keep you from your captain. How’re things going with him, by the way?—Haven’t had the chance to ask since our last chat.”

You instantly felt his presence in your head a little more prominently.

–You better say nice things about me.–

You silently snorted at that. –I’m gonna tell him you sleep with socks on.–

–I still don’t understand your issue with that.–

–Because it’s fucking weird, Levi!–

–Weird that my feet get cold?–

–Weird that your feet get cold enough to warrant wearing socks to bed!–

–Fine. I’ll shove them up your ass next time, then we’ll see who thinks socks are weird.–

You smiled broadly to yourself, and Eld flashed you a shit-eating grin.

“Damn, down that bad, huh? I’ve noticed you always fall into some kind of dazed trance whenever I bring him up in conversation.”

“Nah, I can just hear his voice in my head telling me to say nice things about him.”

Eld threw his head back at that, laughing heartily as if you’d just told the world’s funniest joke. “You and I both! I swear, Georgia lives in here.” He tapped his head with two fingers in a knowing gesture.

If only he did know.

“Tell me about it. A constant nagging little voice in my ear.” You smirked, knowing full well he was listening to every word.

–Watch it.–

Theory confirmed.

“But in all seriousness, yeah it’s…” You searched for the right word, finding that they all fall short in describing just what you share with him. “He’s… everything. Guess we both got our fairytale endings.”

Eld’s smile softened to something more resembling genuine happiness. “Yeah, guess we did. Glad it didn’t end like Frederik and Jules to be honest.”

You gaped, unable to believe what you were hearing.“You’ve read it as well?” you screeched, Levi’s rumbling laughter bounced inside your mind.

“Yeah? Who hasn’t? I actually lent the Captain my copy ages ago. I think he must have forgotten, I haven’t seen it since.”

–Fuck. I completely forgot it was his.–

–You little thief!–

–Not the first time I’ve been called that.–

You wanted to let out your cackle, the urge burning your lungs as you fought to keep it in. –I can imagine.–

“I’ll see if I can return that to you. Chances are, he loved the story so much he dedicated a little shrine to it in his office.” You grinned wickedly.

–You little shit.–

You sent the same mental image of flipping him off as he sent you earlier.

–Guess who now suddenly snores in her sleep and kicks me in the middle of the night the next time Hange asks after you.–

–You wouldn’t…–

–Try me.–

“You two are made for each other, you know that?” You hadn’t noticed Eld had been chuckling away during your little mental domestic. You raised a brow, a lopsided smirk pulling at your lips.

“Why’d ya say that?”

“You complement each other. And I don’t mean in the ‘oh you look nice’ kind of way, I mean in the way you work together as a pair. You’re so similar, yet different in the ways that matter. I’ve noticed the Captain keeps a lot close to the chest. You do too, though you would never admit it.”

You opened your mouth to argue, but found no counterpoint. He was right.

“But you talk to him. I can see it. Not even I was ever as close to you as he is. And in doing so, you’re helping him, too. You encourage each other to evolve and grow, and I think that’s quite beautiful.”

You were completely dumbstruck. A blanketed silence filling your mind as Levi too had no idea what to say.

“Eld… I—”

“You don’t have to say anything. It’s just an observation. But, I better be the best man at your wedding.”

Someway, somehow, you managed to nod, still trying to hold back the torrent of tears from your eyes. If Eld could see, he didn’t comment as he squeezed your shoulder one final time before returning back to the now quiet camp.

–...That was…–

–Yeah,– you agreed, also having no idea how to describe what just happened.

–You alright?–

–I think so, it was just… a lot.–

–I get it.–

–I know you do.–

You felt him playfully tug on the bond, and you felt the urge to bury your head in his chest.

–Did you just mind-hug me?–

–Wait, you felt that?!–

As if in response, a warmth like no other settled in your chest, enveloping your heart in comfort. –Oh… this is nice.–

You heard him snort in amusement.

–I guess it’s a good way to hold each other when we’re apart.–

–I hate that idea.–

–Of holding each other?!–

–No! Walls, no! Of being apart. From you. I hate that idea.–

You felt it again, only this time tighter. You couldn’t help but sigh into the phantom embrace.

–I know. So do I.– Fuck, you wanted to kiss him. –I want to kiss you, too.–

You cackled, high and loud, as you started to walk back to the dying orange glow of the camp.

–Should I just assume you hear everything now?–

–Probably for the best.– You could fucking hear his smirk from, well, however far away you were from him. The beating heat from the fire caressed your cooled skin as you trudged through the dewy grass, only to find the original circle of crates empty. You stood for a moment, puzzled as to where he’d gone, before footsteps crunching behind you had you whirling.

“I apologise, I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Of all the people you were expecting to emerge from the dark, Erwin wasn’t one of them. The friendship you used to have had drifted apart since his promotion to Commander, which you weren’t resentful about. It was predictable, considering most of his time was taken up with planning, strategising and meetings. You couldn’t help but think how lonely it must be at the top.

“No, it's fine! Just wasn’t expecting anyone, that’s all.” You waved off his concerns, gesturing for him to join you as you took a seat, picking up a stick with which to stoke the fire back to life. You were honestly surprised when he took up your offer, sitting on the crate next to you.

“It’s been a while since we just sat and talked like this. For that I’m sorry. Spare time hasn’t quite been as abundant as it used to be.”

You looked at him, only to find a man who seemed exhausted. Nothing like the young, spritely captain he used to be.

“Nothing to apologise for. Things happen.” You waved off his concerns, throwing your stoking stick into the campfire as it crackled back to life. The following silence was surprisingly comfortable, considering you hadn’t spoken one-on-one for years now. You could see the toll those years had taken on him. Those sacrifices weigh heavily on his shoulders. You were glad, due to his position, that Levi had grown closer to him as you’d grown more distant. At least, that way, he still didn’t have to bear the burden alone.

“I actually wanted to offer my congratulations on finally securing your relationship.”

You nodded gratefully, before his words actually sunk in, and your head snapped to look at him. Maybe he wasn’t completely worn down. It seems he could still cause mischief when it suited him.

“I’m sorry? ‘Finally’? What do you mean ‘finally’?” you asked a little incredulously. How long had he known?

“All those evenings we talked strategy and tactics yet you still can’t see the obvious. You’re not as subtle as you think you are.”

“That’s become extremely apparent lately,” you grumbled, much to your commander’s amusement.

“I mean both of you. The way he looks at you now is the way he’s looked at you for years. I like to think I’m quite a good friend of your captain’s. It’s taken me years to learn how to read him. But you could read each other instantly. Even if your head was turned for a few years.” Erwin raised his eyebrows to you, and you sighed, dropping your face into your hand and muffling your groan of embarrassment.

“You too?! The only one who didn’t notice, apparently, was the man himself. But I would really like to stop talking about my old, pathetic infatuation with my squadmate. Please.”

Erwin chuckled quietly, eyes moving from you to the open flame. “Very well. But in those years, you didn’t see him.”

You furrowed your brow in confusion. “What are you trying to get at…?” you asked slowly, before it dawned on you, and you felt sick to your stomach. “You’re worried I’m going to hurt him…?”

You understood why. Somewhere deep down, you were scared of this as well. You’d be a fucking idiot not to notice the frienship between Erwin and Levi, but you didn’t grasp just how deep that connection between them ran. Until now.

Erwin stayed silent, eyes still trained on the dancing flames. You were nowhere near as good at reading him as you used to be; you currently had absolutely no idea what was going through his head right now.

“I apologise. This was supposed to be celebratory.” The man straightened his posture, as if remembering himself.

You didn’t know what to say. Couldn’t offer any words of reassurance. That fear had always been in the back of your mind. You hadn’t exactly hurt your previous partner.

You’d just abandoned her in the field and left her to die.

“If it’s any consolation, I worry about that, too. I can’t say that I won’t, but I can say it will never be my intention. I promise you that,” you said quietly, your voice barely above a whisper.

Your commander seemed satisfied with that answer, nodding once in silent confirmation that he’d heard you. “Then I wish you both all the best. I truly do.”

You smiled gratefully as he stood, throwing one last glance into the fire. He looked hollow. Like you’d felt earlier. You wondered if he ever got to talk to anybody about that. About that obvious vacancy he felt. Or maybe he’d just come to terms with it. You’d watched him sacrifice his humanity over the years. Maybe this was something he had to sacrifice as well.

He left without another word, boots swishing in the longer wet grass as he walked. There was something so infinitely sad about his life. You suspected it was loneliness.

–You coming? Or do I have to drag you to bed?–

You chuckled, Levi’s petulant whine, a welcome change from the conversation you’d just had.

–And I think this counts as later, as well…–

Right, yeah, you’d forgotten about that. You’d said you’d talk to him about what happened earlier in the circle. You had no idea how you were going to explain this one. And you were genuinely debating just letting him delve back into your memories so he could see for himself. A coward’s solution, but you didn’t know if you were brave enough to voice anything out loud.

–Yeah… yeah, I’m on my way.–

Levi could feel your hesitation. He could feel your anxiety. If he could ease it, he would. But right now, he didn’t exactly know how to tell you he already knew. He didn’t mean to be, but often he would find himself gravitating towards the comfort of your own mind. He hadn’t meant to hear about Ilse, and he would much rather you’d have told him in your own time.

He felt your approach before he heard it. That magnetic pull between you getting stronger the closer you came, before the door of his tent was ruffled to the side and you stepped in, but not without a quick glance to the outside. He guessed you wouldn’t be sleeping with him then, since you still wore your uniform and had no alternative clothes with you.

“Hey. Sorry, got caught up talking to Erwin, of all people. Didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”

You sounded far too sincere for his liking. Far too remorseful for somebody who would usually flip him off for being such a tease. Whilst he waited on the edge of his camp bed, you made no further indication of coming towards him. You were nervous. He would even go as far as to say unsettled. You were fiddling with the drawstring of your hoodie, bringing it up to your lips so you could chew on it. Better than chewing on the skin.

You felt a phantom warmth envelop your chest, setting you at ease slightly. Taking a deep, steadying breath, you looked up to his expecting gaze, a grateful smile pulling at your lips. “Mind-hug?”

Levi opened his arms for you. “You can come have a real one if you want.”

You looked as if you were about to cry at that, quickly shuffling over and into the comfort of his embrace. Settling in the crook of his shoulder, you held him tight, arms wrapping around his torso in an almost childlike grasp. His own settled around your shoulders, hand cupping the back of your head gently.

“I should have told you,” you whisper muffled into his shirt, but he heard enough to understand.

“No. You shouldn’t have done anything. You should tell me, yes, but you shouldn’t have already told me. Not if you weren’t ready. And not if you’re not ready now,” he reasoned remarkably well for somebody so terrible with words.

“You don’t even know what it is yet.”

“That’s not strictly true…” he confessed, bringing you back from his chest to look you in the eye. “I seem to gravitate into your head. I don’t mean to, I guess it’s just where I feel most comfortable. So I heard you. Earlier.” Levi swiped his thumb across your cheekbone, genuine remorse flashing in his silver irises. “I’m sorry.”

You found it difficult to be angry at him. Especially when you could feel how regretful he was. “Don’t be. It kind of makes things easier for me.” You turned in his arms, your back now resting against his front just as he caged you in with his legs. You’d never felt safer. “Besides, it was years ago now.”

“What happened?”

You sighed, the back of your head nestling into the hollow of his throat, his chin resting atop your forehead. “What always happens, ‘Vi. Titans. I think it was my first year as a Scout. Or my second, I can’t really remember.” You started quietly. “I—She was a year ahead of me in the Cadet Corps, so she was fourteen when we met. Told me her name was Ilse. I told her mine. That was really where it started.

“We were close by the time she’d enlisted in the Scouts. Best friends, if you like. At least, that’s what everyone else assumed. Guess I was just a lot more subtle back then.” You started to draw random shapes against his hands in an attempt to distract yourself. “We, uh, had our first kiss the day she left for the Scouts. I was scared she would die and I would never see her again. When I learnt she came back alive after her first expedition, I vowed I would join the Scouts a year later, so I could be by her side.”

“So I have her to thank.” Levi gave you a small break, interjecting when he felt you start to get overwhelmed.

This was hard for you. Really fucking hard for you. You’d never breathed a word of this to anyone before, and despite you literally being bound to him, Levi still felt a sense of pride being the one you felt comfortable enough talking to. He really shouldn’t be surprised at this point, but he couldn’t help it.

“Pretty much. I joined a year later and I was put into the same squad as her. I honestly don’t remember our Squad Leader’s name, it was such a long time ago. I just remember stealing quiet moments for each other, sneaking out whenever we could, bailing each other out of trouble.

“It was only for a year. I was still young as a Scout, ‘fresh meat’ as they called us back then; don’t really hear that anymore. I hadn’t really experienced the horrors of titans in the same way my class had. I’d been fairly lucky, but it was only so long until my luck ran out.

“We’d strayed too far from the formation for anyone to see the black smoke we fired. An Abnormal came out of nowhere. Three of us were dead before we’d even drawn our blades. With our Squad Leader in three scattered pieces, we were directionless.

“I can still hear her as she was thrown from her horse. The sound of her gear breaking upon impact. Fear had never been a problem for me until this moment. I stared at the thing, and it stared at me back, too innocently. I knew she’d been rendered helpless. I knew she was defenceless and with her horse now dead.

“And I still left her. I turned tail and ran. I could have fought, my blades were still in their scabbards, unused. But I fled, and I left her behind.”

Levi tightened his arms around you upon feeling two wet droplets land on the backs of his hands, where you were still drawing aimless patterns.

“I killed her that day. I could have saved her, but I chose to save myself instead. I loved her, and I killed her.

“And it’s not the same. Before you tell me it wasn’t my fault, and that I couldn’t have done anything to save her. It’s not the same as being helpless to save someone. Because I could have. There was no way you could have saved Isabel and Farlan. You would have died as well. But I don't feel like I should have died with Ilse. Because I could have saved her. But I didn’t.”

Levi remembered the day Ilse’s body was discovered. Remembered how dead you looked for the following days after. How blank you looked. It was like you’d faded after that. A bright, burning red faded into a washed out, sun-bleached pink.

He wished he’d asked you about it. Wished he’d gone further than just a general “You alright?”.

Though, he knew you most likely would have brushed off his concerns. You always did. But he should have known you were lying to him when he asked if you’d known the girl. He knew now the answer lay in your eyes.

But as to what he should say now, he had no idea. There were no words of comfort he could offer you because, in truth, a better, more experienced soldier would have saved the girl. Ilse may have been spared of her horrendous fate.

Though it seems you weren’t done. “When I returned alone, I was bombarded with questions about what happened. I couldn’t answer any of them. I didn’t speak for the following two weeks. Ilse’s bed stayed empty, until—”

“Isabel,” Levi finished, remembering the argument you had with Nanaba over it the day he and his friends were introduced to the Scouts. You had fought tooth and nail against Nanaba for that bed, and for Isabel’s right to sleep in it. It was the first time he’d seen your fire. And though he’s never believed in love at first sight, Levi definitely looked out for you specifically on following expeditions. For Isabel, he used to tell himself.

Now, he wasn’t so sure.

“Does anybody else know this?” he asked, voice tamed to a tender whisper.

“No. Nobody. Not Hange, not Eld, not Erwin. You’re the only one.”

The tent fell silent, only the distant chirping of crickets in the long grass accompanied your breathing as Levi processed everything you’d just told him. You really do wish you’d told him sooner. Maybe when Ilse was found again, skeletal and headless. You’d been tempted to take her patch, but shock had locked away your free will that day, barely able to ride back to camp.

“Ilse’s notebook advanced our understanding more than anything we’ve discovered so far,” Levi began, just as you began to pull away. “Her retelling has been worth more to the Scouts than Hange’s mind or my skill. She’s been more of an asset to the cause than any of us.”

You didn’t know you needed this. You didn’t know this was what you’d been needing to hear for over twenty years. And Levi knew you were listening to every single word he said, because you didn’t move. You barely even drew breath.

“She was unwavering in the face of death, writing until her very last moment. Whether it was a decision, or your natural response to the situation, what you did that day shaped our future. You can’t regret that. The sacrifices you’ve both made haven’t, and won’t, be in vain. I’ll make sure of it.”

Like iron manacles being released from your wrists, Levi felt a weight lift. You’d been chained down by your decision that day, dedicating yourself to strategy, making sure nobody on your squad went into battle unprepared, all because of that. He felt them fall away now, clattering to the ground. Though you didn’t say anything.

You didn’t need to.

“You okay?” It was almost rhetorical, but he waited for an answer nonetheless. He heard you sniffle, before feeling you nod.

“Thank you. From both of us.” You turned in his arms, Levi shifting his legs to allow you to move more freely to turn and face him. His hands instantly fixed your hair, returning loose, wild strands back to their places.

“She’d be so proud to see who you’ve become.”

He didn’t quite know how much those words would mean to you until he felt them hit home in his own chest, your damp cheeks glistening again with silent tears. Tears that were thumbed away gently before he leant forward and placed a kiss on your forehead.

“I’m proud of who you’ve become.”

In hindsight, your past should have told him exactly what those words meant to you. How nonexistent they were for you growing up.

When was the last time anybody had said that to you…?

It didn’t matter. He was here now. He had you. And he was never letting you go. Not even for a second.

“Stay with me tonight. Petra already knows, and nobody else will find out. I just, I don’t want to fall asleep alone again. I’ve missed you.”

You’d torn out your heart and laid it bare for him. The least he could do was be honest with that. And it took you all of two seconds to think about it, before you nodded again, though this time you felt a little more sure of yourself.

“Okay… Give me two minutes to get some clothes. I need to—”

“I’ve got spares.”

You looked at him, unconvinced. “‘Vi, I’m ninety percent sure you don’t, and I’m not wearing anything either of us have already worn. I already stink of horse and sweat.”

“Wear my hoodie,” he bargained, and your disobedient lips pulled into a reluctant chuckle.

“I think you mean my hoodie. And no, you’ll be cold. You already wear socks and still complain.” You poked the centre of his chest, right above his heart, and he huffed, rolling his eyes as if you were the one being unreasonable.

You placed a kiss on the tip of his nose to placate him. “You drive a hard bargain, Ackerman. I’ll be gone for less than five minutes.”

“Sleep naked.” He had nothing left to offer, but he desperately didn’t want to be away from you, for some reason. He just wanted you with him.

“Levi Ackerman, you are scandalous. And what if someone were to walk in, hm? What then?”

“Then the only witnesses left would be us two.”

You snorted in amusement, sweeping back his bangs and resting your forehead against his. “I’m sure Erwin will be thrilled at the idea of you killing his soldiers.”

“Then he should teach his soldiers to knock first.”

“On a tent door?”

“It’s loud enough.”

You loved these discussions. When you would talk about absolutely fuck all as if it was the most important thing in the world. You craved these moments with him. Where it really was just the two of you, and nothing else mattered.

You sighed heavily, deciding upon nipping out just to retrieve what you needed, but Levi beat you to it, and pulled off your hoodie in record speed, handing it to you. You could see the goosebumps prickling his skin instantly.

“There. Not naked.”

“‘Vi… you’re freezing.”

“Then warm me up then. Stop stalling.”

You gaped in mock offence, half tempted to throw the jumper back at him. Though time really was of the essence, considering he was getting colder the longer you took.

Sighing again, mainly for dramatic effect, you started to pull off your boots. “Anybody ever told you you’re needy?”

“‘M not needy,” he muttered, pouting like a scolded child.

You laughed lightly, tugging off your uniform and relieving yourself of your breast bindings. As necessary as they were, fuck did it feel good to take them off at the end of the day. Even Levi felt that relief, emptying a breath as you fed your head and arms through the hoodie he was wearing not two minutes ago, revelling in its warmth.

You’d barely folded your uniform, placing it neatly next to his before his arms wrapped back around your middle, and he hauled you into the space next to him. There was barely enough room for the two of you, but that only served to help the temperature situation. Levi shuffled down the camp bed, his head finding a home in the hollow of your throat. Only then, once he’d made himself comfortable, did he sound content.

“Warm enough?” you teased, your hand lacing through his hair.

He all but purred at your touch, only nuzzling closer when you started tenderly scratching the coarse hairs of his undercut, humming non-commitment at your question. Your other hand left featherlight trails down the taut muscles of his back, coaxing him into relaxing completely. You knew you would likely need to relieve that tension again soon, probably when you returned from the expedition, but this was the best you could do for now.

“Thank you. For staying.” Hot breath fanned your skin as he mumbled into your chest, earning himself a ginger kiss to the crown of his head.

“Didn’t exactly need much convincing.”

Sleep pulled at your mind, a day spent on horseback settling in your bones as you melted into his loose embrace, his arm thrown over your middle to barely cup your back. Guess you weren’t the only one exhausted.

“Guess not.” He hummed again, letting relaxation and comfort consume him. He would usually wait for you to get to sleep first, but he couldn’t tonight, eyes too heavy to keep open. –Love you.–

You smiled sleepily. –Love you too.–

“Your orders, sir?!”

Heart in your throat, stomach doing flips, you pressed down into your horse’s neck, stooping low in the face of certain death behind you. Everything had gone tits up ridiculously fast. The entire left wing had been completely wiped out but this fucking… thing now hot on your trail.

“Order us to engage!”

Your breath came quick and short, all your effort put into not losing your grip on your sanity. You could barely hear the zipping of wires behind you over the roaring of wind in your ears, the dying screams of those sent into the abyss nothing but a candle in the wind. You’d never encountered anything like this before. This Female Titan.

“Captain?! Your orders?!”

Your squad were too on edge to focus, too eager to jump into the fray, adrenaline running hot in their veins. You felt it too, that overwhelming itch to do something. To stop the pointless death behind you, to put an end to those thundering footsteps coming ever closer. But your squad’s pleas fell on deaf ears, your Captain not even turning his head to acknowledge their desperation. And in that desperation, they turned to you.

“Tell us to engage, please! We can take her on, all of us!” Gunther called to you, a fear, the likes of which you’d never seen before, danced in his eyes. You could see your pursuer now as you looked back to your squadmate, a deranged smile pulling at her bloodstained lips.

But you couldn’t do anything. You were only in charge in the absence of your Captain, not when he just wasn’t responding to you.

But why? Why wasn’t he saying anything? Should you take over? It was exactly what he was just talking about. Should you put your trust in your squadmates, or should you take the initiative? Should you pull emergency rank and make the decision, or should you entrust everything to the man who’d never led you astray.

The answer was obvious.

“Ride on, and ride hard! That thing catches up to us, we’re dead!” you shouted back over the blood roaring in your head. You had to put your faith in him. No more doubting.

Your reiteration seemed to have calmed your squad somewhat, turning their focus away from the monster on your tail and towards the path ahead, the formation tightening as they put all their effort into encouraging their mounts. You just fucking prayed it was the right decision.

And just as you started to doubt yourself, your Captain turned his head back to you, gratitude shining briefly in his irises, before they hardened again. “Everyone, cover your ears.”

You didn’t hesitate. Not as he raised his flare gun to the canopy above. Though you couldn’t see a colour corresponding to the smoke. Realisation dawned on you just as you created a vacuum with your hands over your ears, and the deafening crack of the gun shattered into the trees. Your vision flashed white despite the preparations you made, swimming slightly when you regained your senses, the deafening scream of disorientation ringing in your covered ears had you shaking your head.

For one, horrendous moment, you thought it had done nothing. Until yet another cacophony of explosions rang out around you, and the sickening sound of metal ripping through flesh replaced the nothingness of being stunned.

Looking back, you saw your pursuer trapped, hands covering her nape, steel wires protruding from every single limb. They’d caught her.

Thank the fucking Walls.

“Switch to ODM and keep going, I’ll rejoin you all soon,” Levi instructed, before once again turning back to you. “You’re in charge.”

–Stay safe,– you responded as he fired his anchors, supposedly leaving without another word. Though you knew better.

–Always. You too.– It was less of a direct request out in the field. The idea of staying completely safe in these conditions was laughable. It was more of a stay as safe as you possibly can when galloping through the territory of giant man-eating monsters kind of request. ‘Staying safe’ was impossible.

You switched to ODM gear when the titan and your Captain were far behind you, making sure nothing else was chasing you before you did.

“That’ll teach ya not to doubt the Survey Corps, kid! What other regiment could do that?”

Under usual circumstances, Oluo’s constant bragging pissed you off, but honestly you were so relieved you were out of the woods you grinned along with him, Eren looking starstruck at the group.

“You trusted us, Eren. Thank you.” Petra once again surprised you with her sincerity, her hair whipping her face as she too had turned to look back at Eren. Though you could see Eld’s shit-eating grin from a mile away.

“I mean, Petra, Oluo, you guys have come quite a long way considering the first time you two saw a titan, you pissed your pants.”

Petra released a furiously indignant yowl, flailing her swords about in front of her. “I thought we agreed never to speak of that again! What the hell, Eld?!”

You threw your head back with a loud cackle as she made a swipe for him, just over his head. But there was a reason that, if ever you died, Eld would take over your position, demonstrating that reason with a skillful dodge, finding himself soaring next to you in the front.

“You’re such a shit.” You grinned wickedly, earning yourself a mischievous wink from the man.

“Thought the tension needed breaking a little. Eren looked like he was going to throw up.” Looking back, you saw the kid grinning wildly in awe. Guess he wouldn’t have considered the fact that even you all came from the bottom up.

“Wait, seriously? Did it, like, rain down on everyone?” he asked, a childish glee taking over his face. It was the first time you’d actually seen him behave his age. It was kind of refreshing, seeing him as a teenage boy rather than this prodigy everyone believed would save humanity. A shit ton of weight to place on the shoulders of a fifteen-year-old kid.

“Stay focused, it doesn’t matter who’s pissed whose pants.”

You’d never been more surprised in your life. You knew field-Gunther and home-Gunther were two completely different people, but this was on another level. Since when wasn’t he a fan of toilet humour?

You glanced at Eld who seemed to be thinking the exact same thing.

“But just for a record, my pants have remained dry.”

You snorted, setting free your untamed grin as the further away you flew from that bitch behind you, the more relaxed you felt. To the point where you were happy enough to engage in casual conversation. “So, Eld, about your wedding—”

“You really want to talk about that now?” Eld gave you a look of incredulous disbelief, before it cracked into a smile as you nodded eagerly.

“I just don’t want to get anything wrong! Like, what should I wear? What flower colours have you chosen? Do you want me to match you or just like, turn up in whatever? We have a lot to discuss!”

“I didn’t take you to be somebody who worried about this kind of thing.”

You dramatically placed your hand on your chest in faux offence. “I can’t believe you’ve just said that. Me? Not worry about my best friend’s wedding? How dare you, Eld Jinn!”

He gave you a flat stare, but before you could respond, a bloodcurdling scream split the earth behind you. Your heart stopped for a moment as you whipped your head back. It was far too loud to be human. What the hell was going on back there? Surely Levi would tell you if something happened, right? You didn’t seem to be able to listen in on his conversations like he did so effortlessly with yours. Not yet anyway. So you honestly had no way of knowing whether he was alright or not unless you asked down the bond. And distracting him didn’t seem like a good idea either. Maybe you should turn—

“He’ll be fine. It’s the Captain. He’ll be okay.”

You didn’t know how Eld knew, though you never knew how Eld knew. Whenever you were worried, upset, stressed, anxious, he always seemed to know. And always seemed to know how to calm you down, too. You couldn’t stay worried when his tone sounded so calm like that, so reassuring. You often wondered why Levi didn’t make him the vice-captain to his squad. It did make more sense.

“Yeah… yeah. He’ll be fine. You’re right. Sorry.” You turned your attention back to the trees ahead, trying to push your worry to the back of your mind, the blond next to you helping with his honest smile. You wished he would take your shoulder, but you also didn’t particularly want his blade in your face. Which, you thought, was understandable.

You let loose a strangled breath, trying to ease yourself back into the steady rhythm of the conversation. And you’d just opened your mouth to pick it up again, before slamming it shut upon hearing Levi’s voice.

–Stay sharp. Erwin’s asked me to replenish my gas.–

–What? Why? I thought you captured the thing.–

Fuck, you hated this, hated this not knowing. The triumph instantly followed by disaster. The relaxation followed by anxiety. Just as you were letting the adrenaline seep from your blood, you receive a message like this. Fuck this day.

–The bitch called some friends and they tore her to pieces. We didn’t see a body.–

–Wait… it’s a shifter? Like Eren?–

–Erwin suspects the Armoured and Colossal are the same too.–

–Shit.–

–Just keep going. I’ll be with you soon, I promise, just keep going.–

“Hey! The hell do you think you’re doing?”

Your head whipped back to Gunther, but he wasn’t talking to any of you. Rather his head was turned towards the trees beyond. Sickly dread pooled in your gut. There wasn’t supposed to be anybody near you. The nearest squad was the rear defence, and they’d all been wiped out by whatever was chasing you. So who the fuck was this.

“Soldier! State your name and business here! I don’t know if you know who we are, but—”

Gunther didn’t get any further. Everything happened too fast for you to process. One second he was flying in formation, the next he was dangling like a limp puppet from his gear. The sickening slice of steel through flesh carved its way through your mind, etching deep into the tissue of your head. Gunther, your Gunther, who gifted you all the most cursed, terrifying objects he could find from the market, who would make the most revolting jokes and then grin like he’d just won comedy. Gunther, who never let you forget you saved his life that day, and swore he would always be in your debt.

Now hung lifeless from the wires of his gear. Gone.

“GUNTHER!”

It was Eren who screamed, your numb brain only just managed to realise; Eren who went to change direction back to your dead friend.

And it was Eld who intervened. Eld who’d managed to keep his head enough to the point where he could intervene.

“No! Keep moving! We can’t afford to slow down every time somebody dies! If we do that, nobody would—”

You went to cover your ears as the all too familiar, thunderous crack shattered the forest, lightning splitting through the canopy as the Female Titan once again materialised before your eyes, and started giving chase. You snapped out of your shocked state.

“Eren! Keep going and do not stop. We can handle this, but she can’t get to you. Do you understand me?”

The remaining eyes of your squad searched for the same display he showed in you earlier, and found all you needed to see. That doubt, replaced with hope. With trust.

“I understand! Good luck!”

You all smiled in unison, turning as if stepping mid-air, back to face your foe.

She’d just murdered Gunther. You couldn’t focus on that now, couldn’t grieve that now, but you let the rage of injustice fuel your bones, that furious adrenaline coursing through your veins as you caught Eld’s eye and nodded once.

Let the fucking battle commence then, you bitch.

Arcing high, you both held your blades above your head, a roar of utter, boiling wrath flying from your lips as you went to strike, before switching your gear’s trajectory and firing your anchors backwards. She had no idea who she was messing with. You were the elite squad for a reason. Hand-picked by Humanity’s Strongest himself for a reason. And now you were angry.

Eld, you saw, did the same, obscuring the enemy’s vision with a thick, smoky cloud of gas.

Petra and Oluo were already in position, firing anchors through the smog to dig into the flesh of her face, working together like an oil slick.

You relished the look of surprise, found pleasure in the sick squelch of her eyes being gouged repeatedly by spinning blades.

“She’s blinded! Won’t be able to see for roughly a minute!” Eld shouted over the explosive hisses of gas. You felt your squad fall into clockwork unison, hearts beating as one.

“More than enough time!”

“We’ll finish her off before that! Put this bitch in the ground!”

“Fuck capturing this thing!”

“We take her down, here and now!”

It didn’t matter who was speaking at what moment, not when you were so in sync it was instinctual. You crossed Eld’s arc, mirroring his movements on the opposite side as you pointed to your underarms with your blade. He got it. You knew he got it. As did Petra and Oluo, whose direction changed to swing up high, high up into the canopy.

Your eyes followed their movements as they held suspended in the air for what seemed like forever, before letting gravity take its course. Falling down in that same arc, they carved through the flesh of the Female’s underarms, rendering as much of her arm as useless as they could.

There was not a second before you and Eld jumped back into action, moving impossibly quickly past one another, slicing chunk after chunk of bloody tissue from her flesh, valleys dug deep into her arms. Petra and Oluo tapped in, spinning hot razors through buttery muscle.

“We’ll fucking tear your shoulders apart!”

“So you can no longer hold them up!”

“And then your arms—”

“Will DROP!”

You felt the satisfying pull against your steel, another thick slice flying from her body, before your heart leapt in triumph and her arms dropped to her sides, a sick part of your subconscious compared it to Gunther’s lifeless body. “They’re down!”

“Her neck! Slice the tendons and her nape will be exposed!” Eld continued, switching out his chipped blades for new, sharper weapons with the victorious song of metal against metal.

Your vision flashed red. This was it. She was completely defenceless. Looking to Eld, he saw it too, though with a little more clarity.

Both you and Eld sharply switched your direction, blades held to cut through the exposed tendons of her neck.

But you were out of sync. You were going to reach her first. Not to matter, she couldn’t do anything anyway, and Eld was only a beat behind.

But he was a beat too far.

Time stood still as, somehow, her eye opened. Just the one, the other still remained closed, bloodied. An icy iris trained on you, watching your fate with vicious glee. You’d acted too quickly, too brashly, and it was going to be your downfall. Your death.

You thought it odd how these moments stretched. How her mouth seemed to open in slow motion, strings of saliva clinging to her teeth, snapping with slick droplets. You were vaguely surprised at how long it took for him to enter your head. How long it took for Levi’s image to comfort your last breaths. Soft eyes and tender smile reserved only for you. A lover’s touch in the dark, that charged trepidation. You let it consume you.

–I love you. I always will.–

You couldn’t hear his coherent reply. His panicked voice flooded your mind, but agony flooded your heart. You weren’t dead. At least, you didn’t feel dead. Not as white hot pain exploded in your side and back. But it was nothing compared to your heart. Nothing compared to the shattering silence of realisation.

Just as Eld was torn in two; just as you were showered in his blood; just as she spat out his torso, and he fell like a discarded toy.

You couldn’t move. If the pain wasn’t stopping you, the shock was. Lying in such a position where, under any other circumstance, you would wonder why you were waking up to him, facing him. Next to him.

In another life, maybe that’s what could have been. But in this one, you suffered the consequences of your recklessness. Though, you supposed, only for these last few moments.

Your bond suffered under the same white noise as before, only this time it was inside your head. You could barely hear him now, barely hear his roars of your name, a pounding on the other side of a door you didn’t know existed. How could he sound so loud, but so far away.

Your vision swam as you lay on your side, gear tangled and wrapped around your body, pinning your limbs. Petra’s broken screaming rang in your ears, before being abruptly cut off as you watched her life snuffed out against the trunk of a tree. Oluo’s raging words hung tightly in the air, unfinished promises lingering stagnantly when the crunch of his broken body graced the forest floor.

Silence blanketed the clearing, though the ground still trembled with the fury of the fallen. Eld’s severed torso staring blankly to the sky, a gentle breeze just stirring his crimson stained hair. It was the last thing you saw before your world faded to black.

–TALK TO ME!–

Levi felt his voice tear, though no sounds left his throat as he raced. His head felt as if it had been split open, and molten steel was being slowly poured into his skull. The bond had gone dead. No heartbeat, no feelings, no thoughts. Only a solid wall as he ploughed through the forest. He would feel it. He must feel it. If you were dead… he would have felt it, right?

So you couldn’t be. He tried to reason with himself, still pounding on the barrier between you. His fists echoed the reverberations in his mind, the scene in his head strikingly similar to your memories.

–Please. Please answer. Please.–

There was no life behind that wall. Nothing he could feel, or see, or hear. He would have felt it. He would have felt it. He wouldn’t lose you here. He made a vow that he would protect you. Made a vow he would keep you safe. How could he have broken it so soon? How could he have let you down so soon?

How could he have let you die so fucking soon?

He couldn’t entertain them. His thoughts. His emotions. Not now. Not whilst, from the sounds of it, the fight was still on. Whatever was happening beyond the treeline was his duty.

And it was the perfect chance for revenge.

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