Chapter Text
“Good morning, Captain Levi!” you chirped, sending him a dazzling smile as you carried your tray of food and walked passed his table. Your friends who had been accompanying you, meanwhile, either looked down and walked quicker or nervously saluted their intimidating superior.
Levi’s heart ached sweetly.
He nodded softly at you, and your smile widened before you turned around, satisfied with his response. He subtly narrowed his signature glare at Jean, who now held your attention as your group walked to your designated table.
He leaned back in his seat, food forgotten as he silently listened to the lively conversation occurring around him.
“I’m just saying! Hypothetically, if the rest of the world were to suddenly disappear, and the Scouts were the only ones left, it’d be up to us to repopulate, no?”
“Oluo!” Petra groaned, while Eld scrunched his nose in disgust at his friend’s theatrics. Gunther simply rolled his eyes as he continued to eat.
“Just where are you going with this, Oluo?” Nanaba tiredly asked, deciding to entertain Oluo’s thoughts for the day.
“All I’m saying is it takes two to tango— and I already know who I’d want my partner to be,” he playfully spoke.
"Well? Humor me.” Eld insisted, forgetting about his annoyance and somehow fully invested in the conversation now.
Oluo hesitantly began to look to his left towards Petra as he sheepishly smiled, yet all hopes he had were destroyed as the rest of the table roared with laughter. Petra’s eyebrows twitched in irritation and disgust, and Oluo shrunk in fear, lifting his hands up in surrender. “I’m only joking!”
Levi’s lips twitched upwards, and Hange’s eccentric laughter could be heard over everyone else’s laughter. Slowly, the conversation began to gain the attention of the whole table of veterans. Oluo, now thoroughly humiliated, decided to target Hange.
“Okay, then tell me who you’d pick!”
Hange paused thoughtfully. She then grinned widely, playfully nudging Levi with her shoulder. “The Captain here looks like he hasn’t gotten a good lay in years.”
“Fuck off, four eyes.” Levi drawled, maintaining his disinterested expression. His friends could see the humor dancing in his steely eyes.
Once the laughter had calmed down, Eld seemed to be deep in thought before running a hand through his blonde hair and confiding in the rest of the table. “I already know who I’d pick.”
What Levi didn’t expect to hear was your name. He had been lifting his cup to take a sip of his freshly-brewn tea when he paused momentarily at the mention of your name. Several gasps as well as stifled laughter rang amongst the small group of friends, when the low baritone of Miche’s voice could be heard across from Levi.
“Me, too.”
Levi was now frowning.
“Welcome to the club! I’ve been saying this for months now— she’s hot as fuck,” Nanaba exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration.
“Have you seen her on the ODM gear, holy shit, what I wouldn’t give to be one of the titans she cuts up,” Oluo drawled, shutting his eyes in mock longing.
“Settle down, Oluo, you’re making a mess with your drooling.” Levi deadpanned, suddenly extremely annoyed. He spread his legs and leaned back, resting his arm on the back of Hange’s chair right next to him.
“Sorry, Captain.”
“Honestly, I think what makes her beautiful is her kindness. Hell, she can even give Lenz a run for her money!” Petra mused, relieved that Oluo’s attention was now on some other poor soul.
Miche nodded, the typically reserved man speaking up twice now. “She smells really nice.”
Erwin’s deep chuckles caught Levi’s attention, and he glanced at him only to be met with a slightly flushed Commander. Immediately, Levi knew who Erwin would pick— and Levi was not happy.
Since becoming Erwin’s second-in-command, Levi had grown to discover many things about the Commander. The most surprising fact he had learned was that while Erwin was a clever, powerful, and kind leader, he was also a bit of a ladies man. In all honesty, Levi shouldn’t have been as surprised as he was— the blonde man had a God-like face and build, and even that was doing him an injustice. Coupled with his gentlemanly personality and sharp mind, it was no wonder many swooned over the Commander.
“If I were in charge of repopulating with her, rest assured that the population would be back to normal in no time,” Erwin muttered to his closest friends (his family, really), and the table couldn’t keep quiet anymore as most people threw their heads back in laughter. Hange couldn’t hold herself up, and began to lean against Levi.
Levi clenched his jaw to alleviate some of the irritation he was feeling. Have they always felt like this about her?
Just then, Levi heard your melodic laughter and looked up, only to be met with the sight of you laughing gleefully and leaning into Jean’s chest as he looked down at you affectionately. A disgusting feeling began to bloom in Levi’s chest, yet before he could fully acknowledge it, he was brought out of his thoughts with Hange’s loud voice. It seemed he hadn’t been the only one to notice your touchy display with the other cadet.
“Oh, would you look at that?” Hange teased. “Sorry, guys, looks like there won’t be any repopulating going on for any of you.”
Mumbles and playful comebacks could be heard all across the table, as the veterans began to converse amongst themselves, the previous conversation now long forgotten.
Levi, meanwhile, couldn’t soothe the strange feelings that had suddenly creeped into his heart.
▲▼▲
Your plump lips turned into a pout when you realized that Captain Levi had ignored your greeting. Again.
Over the course of the past month, Levi had started acting strangely towards you.You had first noticed it when it seemed like he was avoiding you. You had grown accustomed to seeking his grey eyes out in a room, relishing in the comfort that they would always bring once your eyes finally met; however, as time progressed, you noticed that it had apruptly stopped.
You merely brushed it off, chalking it up to the fact that the Captain probably couldn’t spot you in the crowded rooms. As time progressed, you noticed the only interactions between you two were when he would yell at you and even go as far as berating you during training. The first time it happened, you had gracefully accepted his criticism, obediently redoing the exercises until he had been satisfied.
The second, third, fourth, and fifth times, however…
Each time he yelled at you, your fellow cadets would flinch and give you looks of pity. Captain Levi’s disapproval of you came as a shock to everyone— you were the top cadet, rivaled only by Mikasa, and every squad leader had wanted you on their team. Erwin had once praised you, teasing that Levi may have to give up the title of Humanity’s Strongest. You fondly remember the butterflies you had gotten at the ghost of a smile that had appeared on the Captain’s handsome face as his response.
You could take the yelling, the extra chores, the seemingly unnecessary punishments, but what hurt you the most was when Levi had begun ignoring your presence. In the hallways, in the mess hall, during training, whenever you would greet him or try making conversation, as it had somehow always come easily to the two of you, he wouldn’t acknowledge you. A simple bored look would be sent your way, and you would flush in embarrassment before kindly bidding him a good day and leaving.
"Honestly,” Jean sympathetically said your name before continuing. “I think it’s time to get over your little crush on the Captain.”
“Wh— I don’t… Jean!” you squeaked, horrified. “I don’t have a crush on the Captain, are you insane?”
“Come on! Since he’s started acting like a dick, you’ve been all sad and mopey like a lost puppy.” Jean pointed out, softening his eyes as if to soften the blow of his slightly harsh words.
“That doesn’t mean it’s a crush! I’d be just as sad if you started ignoring me like that too,” you mumbled, staring up at him as your voice grew dejected towards the end.
Jean’s heart lurched, and he momentarily faltered at the sweet look you were giving him. Quickly composing himself, he patted your head sympathetically. “There, there, dear.”
Upon hearing the sarcasm dripping from his words, your mood brightened and you shoved him playfully. “You’re such an asshole.”
Jean felt his smile growing upon seeing your own mood brightening, as you tuned into the loud conversation going on at your table. Having felt eyes on him for a while now, he looked up and noticed the Captain’s cold eyes silently observing the interaction between you two. His eyes narrowed upon noticing Jean’s gaze. Jean unwaveringly held the gaze for a few seconds in defiance before looking away to rejoin the conversation with your friends. Levi may be his superior, but you were his best friend.
His own feelings aside, Jean really disliked when you were upset.
While you had felt a little happier after talking to Jean and joining in the argument about who could eat more between Reiner and Sasha (you had confidently placed your money on Sasha, playfully flicking Reiner’s forehead for even thinking he stood a chance), your mind began to wander. You had always admired and liked the Captain, and it only increased with each conversation you had with him. Your admiration had grown into genuine friendship when the two of you began spending more time together. Memories of soft smiles, warm tea, and playful banter filled your head.
You unknowingly began to smile at the memory of the first time he had smiled at you, and you froze. Yes, you admired and liked the Captain, and it certainly didn’t hurt that he was handsome, but you began to suspect that somewhere along the line, your feelings towards Levi had developed into something more, something you could finally put a name to.
You only grew more disheartened upon realizing that Jean had been right.
▲▼▲
Levi seethed your last name, and you flinched as you prepared yourself for the carping Captain’s bombardment of insults. Bertholdt had offered a shy smile, mumbling a quick ‘good luck’. You smiled appreciatively in response before you turned around and responded to Levi, making sure your face remained neutral. His arms were crossed and his brows were furrowed over his impassive grey eyes.
“Yes, sir?”
“Again.”
One simple word, and yet it carried so much heat.
You nodded though you felt your body deflate with dejection. The training exercise had been one of the most difficult ones, and having done it twice already— and still managing to finish first each time— you could feel the toll it was beginning to take on your body. Apart from the strenuous circuit about to wreck your body (for the third time today), you hadn’t been getting proper sleep for the past week. To say your body was in agony would be putting it too lightly.
Nevertheless, you obediently moved to the starting line, and began the circuit again. Your tired legs begged for mercy under the strain of the ODM gear, yet you ignored it as you flew through the trees, easily catching up to your friends who were still in the middle of their first attempts.
“Again?!” Eren had questioned in surprise, and you nodded gloomily. Anger overtook his features, and his fists clenched as he soared through the air with you. Armin and Krista had sent you looks of sympathy as they flew through the air beside you, yet you smiled in response.
“I’ll be okay! I’ve dealt with worse,” you reassured.
Noticing the flutter of a tiny flag hidden in the bushiest part of the trees, you ran up the trunk, feeling as if you were defying gravity as you collected all the flags, and displayed the maneuvers that had been taught for you all to use during this exercise. A dummy titan had appeared suddenly, and you took a page out of Levi’s book as your gear’s hooks sunk into its neck and you were pulled above the titan. Gracefully, you had spun yourself, gaining momentum as you spun faster and faster towards the titan until you readied your blades and carved out its nape.
“Damn, girly!” Ymir cheered from ahead of your group, and you sent her a wink as you delicately landed on the branch of the tree.
Looking past your freckled friend, you tried to catch your breath when your eyes met stormy grey ones. Though Levi’s face always retained the same disinterested expression, you prided yourself in being able to decipher small changes that spoke great volumes about his mood. Like now, for instance. His eyes had widened a fraction of an inch, and his lips had parted only slightly. Though you were almost sure you knew what that meant, you didn’t want to give yourself false hope.
You blamed the hot flush of your cheeks on your fatigue.
Levi, meanwhile, had quickly composed himself and looked away towards his fellow section commanders. All of them held similar expressions of wonder as they marveled at your little spectacle. Along with the immediate irritation he had felt, a sense of pride had also blossomed.
“If she doesn’t join my squad, I swear I’ll lose my shit!” Hange yelled, the subtle threat of her statement heard amongst her peers.
“I think she’d be better suited for my squad,” Miche quietly mused, and Oluo’s laugh could be heard from behind the squad leaders.
“Yeah, right! You’re just saying that because you want to fuck her!”
“Oluo!”
Stifled laughs could be heard amongst the group, and Levi’s jaw clenched tightly. He quickly spared another quick glance in your direction, and his breath hitched slightly when he saw you were still standing there, cheeks beautifully rosy, as your chest heaved due to your panting. Your long dark hair flowed with the breeze, and your cape followed suit. The midday sun behind you had cast a halo over your head, and Levi stilled, silently admiring the sight.
He had learned to grow painfully familiar with that sweet sweet ache in his heart.
He belatedly realized you had crossed the finish line, and you were now standing in front of him, tiredly looking up at him in anticipation. In that moment, many fleeting thoughts crossed his mind; how pretty you looked, the odd sense of possessiveness and pride he had felt when you successfully took down the titan using his move, how unbelievably tight his chest was, how—
Unfortunately, Levi also realized that they had an audience. He could practically feel Oluo and Eld’s blatant ogling, along with Hange’s snickering, and Miche’s soft blush. With cold, half-lidded eyes, the Captain turned back to your hopeful eyes.
Once you saw the slight furrow of his brows and the ice in his eyes, you braced yourself for his critiques. You couldn’t help but pout, any remnants of your giddy smile now long gone.
“Explain to me just how you made it to the top ten, Cadet,” the Captain grumbled, unamused. You dug your fingers into your palm, attempting to alleviate some of your hurt.
“I’m sorry, si—”
“That wasn’t a question.”
Your head was pounding, and you swore your legs were about to give out from your fatigue. Briefly, you wondered when the last time you had had water was.
“And the prissy little brat’s not even paying attention— wonderful,” he spoke again, earning a few sniggers from some of the scouts.
Normally, you would be embarrassed, but the rapid tightening in your chest had you slightly alarmed. Earlier, you had blamed your sweating on the strenuous exercise underneath the unforgiving sun, but the sweating had only worsened, and you had begun to shiver.
Jean had been standing with the rest of the cadets, fuming as he watched Levi toy with you. The rest of your friends held similar reactions, not understanding why the Captain had it out for you. Jean’s anger turned into concern when he glanced at you and noticed the state you were in. Your entire face was pale, and your unfocused eyes were glazed over. His heart almost dropped when he thought he saw you sway under the weight of the ODM gear.
“She’s…not looking too good.” Armin quietly observed out loud.
You felt goosebumps cover your arms and you shivered once more. You attempted to stay up right, but it was getting more difficult by the second. Everything around you had faded to an incessant buzz, but you couldn’t care less.
Jean, now extremely stricken with worry for you, shoved himself forward through the crowd of people, yelling for the Captain to stop. Levi paused to look at the younger man, and his annoyance edged him on.
“Aw,” he cooed sarcastically, “Would you look at that, brat? Your pretty little boyfriend’s causing a—"
He paused to send you a bored look, yet he grew still when he noticed your state. Concern clouded his features, and he felt his heart falter in apprehension when he noticed the pooling tears in your usually bright eyes. You were beginning to stumble, looking deathly pale despite the beads of sweat dripping down your face. Not caring for the little spectacle anymore, Levi softly called out to you, guilt and worry consuming him. The Captain, Humanity’s Strongest, froze.
"Captain!” Jean had finally shoved himself to the front, yet he feared he wouldn’t be quick enough to catch you. “She’s gonna pass out, dammit! Get her to—”
The buzzing in your ears grew louder as your eyesight blurred. You could feel the world spin, and belatedly understood that your knees had finally buckled. Briefly, you realized there was a commotion occurring around you, yet you didn’t register anything that was being said. All you had registered were the strong arms that had caught you, and the broad chest upon which you had comfortably lost consciousness on.
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