Chapter Twenty Two

Tender sun rays whisked Eden’s cheeks soothingly.

Through closed eyelids, she could still feel the light beaming through the glass window; washing over everything in the room; including her physiognomy. Her arm extended against the mattress; as though she was blindly searching for the contact of cool skin under her fingertips.

But, all she did was graze over the washed out duvet cover. Blinking rapidly, she carefully slipped her eyes open, arching her back as she stretched- like a slender cat equipping herself for a heavy day out on the cobbled streets of Trost.

She had memorized the room’s layout all too well; every single detail etching itself into the back of her brain as she recollected the heated position she had been placed in by Captain Levi. Gingerly, Eden pressed her fingertips against her lips; the taste of him still lingering, the softened flesh cracked and bruised.

According to her muddled up thoughts; she had passed out in the bed after being gifted with the carnal opportunity of kissing Captain Ackerman. The thought of his blown-out pupils gazing down at her in such a wanton way made heat rush through her body like adrenaline; despite the fact that she had only just woken up a few minutes prior.

The harnesses lay draped over the armchair; her body clothed with just her shirt and her pants. Eden was way too anxious to remove her clothing during the night; afraid that Levi’s glinting, silver eyes would scorch her body and she’d give in way too easily.

Resting her back against the headboard; she looked through the window with a blank look painted on her face; her knees pressed against her chest. She wondered where he had gone; whether he regretted it all, whether he wanted more.

Whether he was feeling the same way she was.

The front door creaked open and the sound of boots resonated through the spacious room. Eden’s eyes flitted towards the motion; only to be met with Levi’s uniformed back as he moved to close the door behind him.

Once he turned back in her direction; his eyes widened at the feline look that bore through him. He had two teacups in his hand; the steam grazing across his palms as it ascended out from the liquid.

“I brought you tea.” Levi spoke first in a low voice as he stalked across the room; gently handing Eden one of the teacups before lowering himself to sit beside her.

“Thank you,” she replied, shyly accepting the beverage with an unsteady hand and flustered cheeks. Levi regarded her intently through hooded eyes as her lips pressed against the orifice of the cup.

The tea was sweet and fruity- almost floral. Her stomach flipped when Levi rested his hand on the top of her knee.

Putting the teacup back onto the saucer resting on the nightstand; Eden perked up against the headboard, amber eyes glued to dull leaden-blue ones. His hand began trailing up her thigh. Her lungs begged for air as her heart grew stuck in her throat; lips parting slightly.

“I liked watching you struggle under me last night,” Levi breathed out; the hand on her thigh growing stronger. His words were like molten lava flaming her entire body up.

Levi swiftly used the grip on her body to pull her downwards, her head falling back into the pillows. Within a matter of seconds, he moved his body to tower over her, the darkened glint in his eyes revealing carnal fantasies making Eden’s own eyes widen. His knee pressed in between her legs as he lowered his head; promptly capturing her lips with his. She hissed at the sensation of his knee brushing against her; her arms snaking around his neck as she deepened the kiss.

His lips were gentler as opposed to the kisses he had peppered her with the night before. They were silky and smooth; but sharp enough to slice through the built-up tension in the room. Letting out a low, guttural groan, Eden’s body arched into him as his hand roamed her body over her clothes. His fingertips dragged painfully slowly over the curve of her breast, following the path along her slender waist before finally settling to squeeze her hip.

Eden let out another softened mewl against his lips when his own hips brushed against hers and his kisses grew more brutal. Her sweet sounds caused the Captain to hiss in pleasure against her lips; teeth sinking into her bottom lip.

“You’re being a tease,” the girl groaned as he sucked on her lip, a subdued growl reverberating out of him as he slipped his eyes shut.

“Where’s the pleasure in the lack of torture, brat?” His cool fingers raked through her hair before tucking on the locks lightly; causing her chin to jut out to the side. He used her angled head to kiss her neck; deeply enjoying the way Eden’s eyes fluttered closed, her fingers gliding over his sharp undercut.

Eden felt like time was slipping through her fingers in such a rapid pace. It was like the next breath she took was about an hour later; when both her and  the Captain’s lips were bruised and swollen.

He left her to change in peace and as Eden clasped the hook of her green cape around her neck, the scent of his cologne overwhelmed her senses once more. Every little flicker of her eye, every pant she took, every sensation that garnished her fingertips caused her to immediately think back to him.

She had never known what the term ‘forbidden fruit’ had meant until she was met with Levi’s cold lips.

Much to her surprise, Levi had offered to take her out on a tour around Trost. Albeit the painful memories of her first battle within this district playing out behind her eyes; she accepted, listening intently to the way the Captain informed her about another, undisclosed task that was hushed-up between himself and Commander Erwin.

Walking side-by-side, Eden refrained from asking why he had made her wait for him outside a sketchy pub. He came back out hastily, his eyes disinterested and narrowed- the clench of his jaw revealing that whomever he had met with inside the establishment, had also left him with a bitter taste on his tongue.

The passers stole nervous glances at the two soldiers; but neither of them paid any attention as they walked along the paved streets of the busy district.

“I remember this area. I believe this was the place you and I met for the first time,” Eden broke the comfortable silence, extending an arm to indicate the familiar rooftop from which she had sprinted off in order to save her friends from an impending death during the Battle of Trost.

Levi’s eyes flickered towards the highlighted region before letting out an agitated sigh, his eyes shifting away quickly. “Yes. I had only known you for perhaps less than thirty seconds and your temerity managed to piss me off beyond anything.”

Eden huffed under her breath, running a hand through her hair in irritation. She didn’t know what had possessed her to loop an arm around his when he quickened his pace.

But, she couldn’t ignore the way Levi’s body stiffened. His steps grew slower and the way they walked so close to one another caused their capes to mangle and brush with each step.

They strode back towards the lodging; but Levi redirected their strides in a different direction. It was narrow, colder and darker than the sunny, open streets they had previously walked through.

“A shortcut,” was all he had said in response to the quizzical look he felt pierce through the side of his face.

Within the darkened alleyway; Eden’s heart began racing as she imagined an opportunity to feel his lips against hers once more arise. As if he could read every single fleeting thought in her head, Levi grabbed the arm laced through his; pressing her up against the cold wall with a thud.

No time was wasted on words as his mouth found hers urgently, as though her lips were the only source of water in the entire district. His palms lay against either side of her face as he drank her in; his body leaning against hers when Eden’s knees threatened to give out. Her nails dragged against the path of his neck as she called for him softly, her brows laced together revealing just how much pleasure Levi’s touch was bringing her.

Her tongue dragged itself against his bottom lip, tasting the sweetness of the tea he was previously drinking. There was something about the way Levi’s lips tasted that left Eden feeling utterly intoxicated.

The Captain pulled away from her swiftly, his breathing unsteady, his pupils blown out. His lips curled up lightly in a wicked smirk as he watched Eden’s messed-up persona- her mangled locks, parted lips and drunken look on her face.

“Don’t you think your disheveled appearance calls for punishment, brat?” Levi’s dull voice rippled through the silence, causing Eden to straighten up and arch a brow at him.

She glided her palms over her uniform, clearing her throat under his scrutinizing stare. “What happens when my appearance is solely caused by your doings, Captain?”

The smirk deepened, the twitches in his jaw visible in the darkness and he stepped forward, brushing his fingers through her hair.

Shoving the strands behind her ear, he leaned in, the sensation of his iced lips scraping her ear sending chills along the path of her spine. “That means you have no one to go sob to if I ever decide to discipline you for it, Chiasa.”

Riding back to the Headquarters was comforting. They eased into a relaxing conversation and Eden’s cheeks would flush ever so often. Her horse stood galloping within close proximity to the Captain’s and the glacier winds grazed her face, numbing it completely.

“You can be honest and admit to enjoying my company, Captain,” Eden asserted through a large grin, the corners of her amber eyes crinkling when Levi glanced in her direction.

“Tch,” he scoffed, but his somewhat nonchalant mask revealed how unbothered he was by her playful demeanor. “If you’re just trying to rank up by messing around with your Captain, that’s not how it works, brat.”

His snarky response caught the girl off-guard and she let out a high-pitched, sheepish laugh. Levi’s head snapped back towards her; staring at her in wonder. This was perhaps the first time Eden had let out a hearty, full and raw laugh.

She cringed at herself, lowering her head, allowing her hair to curtain her blazing cheeks.

“But, we do make a good team,” Levi spoke once more, easing his horse into a slower gallop as soon as its pants began ringing through the wilderness.

“Oh? I apologize for the confusion, but was that a compliment?” Eden inquired, finally lifting her head after taming the blossoming blush that had engraved itself into her skin.

The Captain hummed flatly over the clattering sound of hooves. After a long pause, his deep voice asserted itself into the space between them. “Take it as you will. I suppose it wouldn’t hurt if you stopped doubting everything I say to you.”

Eden chewed on her bottom lip as she listened to his voice. It was like she was in trance, afraid to think about how quickly she’d agree to any sort of order Levi sends her way.

Lost in the vortex of her thoughts, the girl nearly missed the words that slipped through his lips.

Nearly.

“I don’t like seeing you with Kirstein.”

It was so out of the blue, Eden couldn’t respond to him immediately. Silence settled around them as the sun slowly began descending into its usual space for slumber. 

“What do you mean?” Her eyes were trained ahead of her, her knuckles growing white as the palms holding onto her horse’s reins became increasingly dampened with sweat. 

“It’s hard to believe you’re actually this dense, Eden,” Levi countered, his own knuckles growing paler as he finally urged his horse to gallop faster. Eden followed him, trying her best to match his pace. 

“Anyway,” he continued coolly, the shift in his demeanor causing Eden to physically become overwhelmed with dread. “That’s all I wanted to say.”

“Jean is just a friend,” she replied in irritation, very much aware of the way his head craned back towards her, eyes narrowed and filled with displeasure. 

“Didn’t seem like that when I caught you two in the stables. Or when I came to visit you in the infirmary…-”

“I’ll have you know, Captain,” she sliced through his words, lucid rage overwhelming her as each syllable trickled out of his mouth.

“Jean and I are just friends. Yes, we’ve had our moments, but that was it. Just moments. And when you saw him with me in the medical quarters; it’s because he came to tell me he couldn’t do anything with me anymore. He also let me in on the fact that it was not his name I called out when he saved me from the titan…it was yours.” She took a deep breath before her furrowed brows raised. “Still feeling jealous?” 

He didn’t respond. In fact, Levi didn’t even look at her. His gaze was focused straight ahead at the forthcoming sight of the familiar trees surrounding their base. 

After a while, all he did was scoff.

Arriving back at the headquarters was very anticlimactic. 

Levi was back to being cold and butthurt and Eden could only seethe in silence. He strapped his horse away in the stables and stalked off, not even shedding Eden a single flicker of eye contact.

Despite the irritation coiling inside her body, the girl continued on with her day as usual- going to greet her friends and spend some time with Sasha and Connie. 

Sometime later in the afternoon, the sensation of overthinking ebbed at her consciousness way too much for her to handle. So, balling her palms into fists, Eden marched towards the Corporal’s office. 

Just as her knuckles were about to rap against his door for the very first time; it creaked open, and she was met with Levi’s widened eyes. 

“Ah. I was just looking for you, brat.” 

She blushed, lashes flickering downwards as the color painted her cheeks sweetly. Following him back inside the office, her stomach was plagued with butterflies that never stopped fluttering around. Levi abruptly spun back to face her; his eyes glinting with a strange flame that lay unknown in Eden’s book. 

“I wanted to give you something,” he murmured, stepping closer to her. “Close your eyes.” 

Eden watched at him with wide eyes, unsure as to how she had to react. Levi’s head tilted to the side, the longer strands of raven-hair in sync with his movements. “Do you trust me?” 

She swallowed hard and barely managed to utter out a weak- “Sure?” 

His nod was the last thing she saw before slipping her eyes shut; nervousness overwhelming her. She listened to the way his boots echoed around the office; the sound of a door creaking open. Her palms grew sweaty and her heart was racing. 

His footsteps began growing closer, until she felt his presence burst through her personal space. “Give me your hand,” he instructed her in a creamy smooth tone that sent chills through her bloodstream. 

Eden did exactly that, feeling the way his fingers gripped at her wrist, guiding her hand outwards. She stiffened when her own fingers captured something that had the texture of hardened wood. Pulling her hand away, she jumped back, as though she had been burnt with fire. Levi was watching her intently, a broomstick in hand. 

“Go clean the stables.” 

Her dumbfounded expression was the only thing filling the silence for a very long moment. “Are you being serious right now?” 

Levi cocked a brow as he stepped forward, handing her the broomstick once more. “Am I ever ‘not serious’ about cleaning?” 

With a huff and the clench of her teeth, Eden snatched the broom out of his grasp before stalking out of his office- feeling even more outraged.

Cleaning seemed to do justice to her nerves. Being surrounded by nothing but dirt and things that needed to be organized tended to Eden’s thoughts and slowly she began feeling like each time she straightened out one part of the stables; another slice of her anger wore off somewhere into the distance. 

Not long after, gentle footsteps brushed against the stable floor, a sweet voice pulling Eden out of her daydreams. 

“Mikasa,” she greeted her childhood best friend warmly, walking over to rapidly throw her arms around her. 

The girl returned the sudden embrace before grabbing her by the shoulders, onyx eyes taking in her ragged appearance. 

“What happened? How was the mission?” 

Eden’s ears quickly grew red as she stepped back, nervously laughing. “What do you mean? Everything went fine? Why would you ask me that, heh…” 

Her defensive demeanor did not go unnoticed by the 104th Training Corps’ top soldier who in turn narrowed her eyes at the girl. Mikasa quirked a brow and a low sigh escaped through Eden’s lips. 

“The change of setting was pleasant. Everything went well. But, the man we met with was disgusting. He kept sending the most vile remarks my way; I don’t even wanna think about it. He was just gross.” She cringed at the memory as she spoke.

Mikasa glared at her friend, her arms folding across her chest. “And what? Captain Shorty just stood there and said nothing? Unbelievable…-”

“No no no!” Eden quickly interrupted her, rubbing the back of her neck as her cheeks grew pink. “He was the one who stepped in and warned Reeves not to speak to me like that. It was a nice gesture…” 

The girl opposite her stared into amber eyes, her own black ones widening as she extended one hand to point at her. “What’s with that look on your face, Eden?” 

Eden pursed her lips, trying her best to calm any raging blush that tried settling against her skin. “What look, Mikasa? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Blackened jewels for eyes narrowed even more. “You’re an open book to me; don’t forget that.” 

The sound of approaching boots crunched against the pebbles. Eden frowned deeply and Mikasa turned to glance behind her shoulder. Giving Eden’s arm a gentle squeeze, the female Ackerman gave her a faint smile before stepping away. 

“You’ll tell me about him when you’re ready.” 

Both Ackerman soldiers stiffly nodded as they passed each other. Eden stared at the Captain that inched closer; his bored stare bouncing from one surface to another. She waited for him to say something, but the man took his sweet time checking the stables and her work. 

“Did I do something wrong?” She finally couldn’t take it anymore, her frown carefully turning into a scowl as her eyes followed his moves. 

Levi slowly turned back to face her, his eyes finally resting against the frame of her face. “Yeah. Your cleaning is atrocious. Go over everything again.” 

Eden watched him walk away with her mouth wide open. When she was sure he was definitely out of sight, she swore loudly before kicking a bucket of water across the brushed-out ground. 

Whatever. I gotta redo everything, anyway.

An hour later, he was back. His eyes were a softer shade of grey, but he still maintained his distance, much to Eden’s growing displeasure. 

With a tight nod, Levi approved her cleaning before jutting his chin towards the exit. “Let’s go. We’ll debrief with Commander Erwin.” 

She sulkily followed him out of the stables, albeit the way her heart melted when he sent her a sideways glance that disappeared as quickly as it arrived. 

This time, the Corporal led her into an unfamiliar office. The layout was definitely similar to Levi’s office; but the window behind the desk was larger and grander. Deep down, Eden preferred the comforts of Levi’s meticulously sterilized office more than Erwin’s one. 

The Commander stood to his feet when the pair walked in, brushing Eden’s salute away nonchalantly. His full height intimidated Eden and it took all within her not to visibly shrink in her boots.

“Captain Levi…soldier Chiasa…it’s good to see you’re back. I can safely assume everything went according to plan?” 

“Nothing we couldn’t handle,” Levi drawled out, scowling deeply at the way Erwin’s lips curved into a impish smirk. Eden chose to look down at her boots as Levi summarized the gist of their assignment to the attentive Commander who had leaned back down into his chair, his elbows resting against the wood of his desk, fingers linked together. 

His brows raised at the mention of Reeves’ attitude towards Eden. “When I send my Scouts out on a mission; I do not intend for such things to happen. However, sometimes it’s inevitable as there are all sorts of animals- not only beyond the walls; but within them too. And for that, I feel the need to apologize to you, Eden.” 

Her cheeks pinkened and she immediately looked down at the floor once more. “I understand that as soldiers, not all situations are pleasant. Regardless of whether it’s during a fight with a titan or when it’s just having a simple conversation with a merchant. Thank you, Commander, but you don’t need to apologize. Captain Levi stepped in and put him in his place, anyhow.” 

When Eden looked up, she saw the same devious smirk plastered against Erwin’s features. His ocean eyes glinted under the faint light emitted from the several oil lamps situated around the room. She even got the chance to notice Levi’s sharp glower that was directed towards the blond man.

Erwin nodded and muttered something under his breath, his eyes flickering off the Captain and onto the perplexed girl. “Isn’t that wonderful? Well, thank you for the information and your presence. You’re dismissed, soldier. Levi, please stay behind.” 

Clasping her fist over her heart, Eden bid both men a good evening before walking out of the office hastily. 

Walking through the corridors, her mind couldn’t stop rewinding the look that was carved onto Erwin’s face; the twinkle in his eyes, the stretched out smirk against his lips and the way his eyes kept holding the Corporal’s stare before flickering back to her. 

Tags:@idiot-juice-enthusiast   #attack on titan #levi ackerman fanfiction #levi ackerman fanfic #levi x oc #levi ackerman x oc #eren yeager #mikasa ackerman #armin arlert #jean krischtein #sasha braus #connie springer #hange zoe #erwin smith #fanfiction #fanfic #slow burn #enemies to lovers #ao3 fanfic #ao3 fanfiction #manga edit #levi ackerman imagine #levi imagine #levi ackerman smut #levi smut #shingeki no kyojin 

Chapter Twenty One

Whether it was her nerves blended with the anxiety of the upcoming mission; or the butterflies ravaging her from the inside-out, Eden could not sleep that night. 

Perhaps, she managed to rest her eyes for three and a half hours or so, spending most of her time curling around in her bed; listening to the piercing songs of the grasshoppers outside her window. 

When they began quieting down, the fatigued girl slipped one almond eye open; watching as the dawn sky began growing lighter. It was still dark outside, the air cool and crisp; and Eden wanted to make sure she was up and ready to go before Captain Levi could find a reason to be irritated with her. 

Shoving the covers off her body; she hastily got ready, spending a meticulous amount of time swearing under her breath as she fastened her hooks over her body, tightening them a breath away from asphyxiation. 

She pulled her hair into her usual tight bun as she made her way down the somber staircase- the eerie silence deafening and thick around her. Eden wondered whether the Captain was awake yet; or if he had even gotten a chance to sleep that night. 

Both her and Levi’s horses were still secured inside the stables. Rubbing their muzzles, Eden spoke to them softly, telling them that they’ll need to prepare for yet another assigned expedition. Her horse whinnied at her words; whilst Levi’s ink-colored horse stood solemnly staring back at her. 

“Even your horse is moody, gosh,” she muttered under her breath, holding the reins of both creatures as more sunshine began spreading evenly across the terrain. 

Her pacing grew slower at the sight of Levi emerging from the front doors of the HQ. The longer strands of coal hair stood pushed behind his ears whilst the shorter ones perfectly framed his face. 

His tired eyes settled against her approaching figure as he continued making his way towards Eden; his uniform well-pressed as always, whilst the green cape flowed with the gentle breeze. 

“Good morning, Captain,” Eden spoke up first, eyes shifting from his metal ones over to the darkened circles painted underneath them. He looked so strained and tired, it made Eden’s heart falter for a split moment. 

“Morning.” 

“I brought you your horse. I figured we can start heading to Trost as soon as possible in order to retrieve the report,” the girl chirped, her eyes glinting as she extended the hand holding his horse’s reins. 

Levi’s eyes dropped to her hand, slowly craning his own hand towards the harness. 

“Sure,” he replied rigidly and as much as Eden was irritated by his cold exterior; she couldn’t help but feel her insides warm up at the tender brush of their fingers once he took the reins out of her grasp. They lingered, even if it was for a split moment and it was enough for Eden to relax and smile at him warmly. 

The Captain’s brows furrowed at the younger girl before turning around, softly calling for his horse to follow. Eden chewed the skin on her bottom lip, trailing after the Captain and his beautiful horse. 

After they both checked that everything was intact and settled against the saddles, Levi whipped his head in Eden’s directly; his soft lips pursed into a thin line. 

“I have faith that you will not disappoint me,” he told her in a clipped tone, pulling the hood over his head. 

Eden nodded her head in affirmation; heated hazel eyes never leaving Levi’s jeweled hues. “I hope to never do such a thing,” she replied meekly, earning a nod from him in response. He seemed satisfied with her words, albeit the mask that remained intact against his hardened features. 

The girl swore to herself that she would do anything to see his physiognomy tamed, peaceful and soft. She knew deep down, that her heart would simply burst as the image of a gentle-looking Levi. 

She took one last glance at the headquarters before it disappeared behind a thick wallpaper of forest trees. 

Eden would always be a sentimental creature. 

Their horses strode along the pathway in silence; both individuals trying their best to focus their gazes ahead. Eden would always try to sneak a glance at the Captain’s sunken face when he wasn’t looking. 

But, unbeknownst to her, Levi was very good at picking up on every little detail happening around him. Regardless, he decided he would let her assume she was being enigmatic; the ghost of a light smile threatening to pull at the corner of his lips. 

Eden tried to strike up a conversation before giving up entirely. She was too tired and feared that she’d say something out of line, which would subsequently pull Levi into an even gloomier mood. And, she felt perfectly comfortable basking in the silence, listening to their horses’ hooves clattering against the ground.

Whether it was due to the lack of sleep or the sudden memories of the previous expedition flooding through her mind; Eden could vouch that from the corner of her eye; she caught sight of a titan. She panicked, pulling at her reins rapidly; causing her own horse to sense her fear; rearing its forelegs off the ground. 

She fell off the saddle with a thud, wincing at the way her elbow collided with the ground. Her lungs begged for air as she gasped out loud, squeezing her eyes shut at the sudden assault of colors before her eyes. Eden grew very nauseous. 

After a split moment; a set of cold hands pressed against her, awkwardly holding her off the floor. She looked up as Levi irritably clicked his tongue; gently urging her to sit up. He crouched beside her, one of his knees brushing against the outside of her thigh as he steadied himself on the terrain.

“Are you hurt?” He asked, almost impatiently as his eyes searched her body, fingers prodding against the bones in her arm. 

“I’m okay, I just thought I saw something,” Eden replied grimly, rubbing her elbow as she looked away, fearful that he’d notice the way her cheeks grew pinker at his touch. 

Levi sturdily pulled her to her feet, his hands lingering against her arms for a moment longer. “Well, be careful, brat. I understand it could be overwhelming for you after everything that happened; but now is not the time to lose track of your focus.” 

She timidly bobbed her head in affirmation, “I’m sorry, Captain. It won’t happen again.” Her fingers grazed over his fist that still gripped her by the elbow. Levi let go off her timidly, pursing her lips as his eyes washed over her; inspecting her one final time. 

“Well, unless you’ve got any more surprises hidden in your sleeve, I suggest we continue. We should be there soon.” He marched back towards his horse, turning to glance back at her after settling against his saddle. 

With plump lips pressed into a thin line; Eden followed his suit, masking a snort behind a breathy sigh after his words reached her ears. 

Sauntering through the Trost District made Eden feel highly uncomfortable. All the stares directed towards their dark emerald-colored capes made her palms grow sweaty as she wordlessly guided her horse to follow Levi’s direction. 

The girl continued silently following her superior’s orders when he asked her to tend to the horses before disappearing into a tall, luxurious-looking building. She stroked their muzzles, gently letting them know they would be able to rest in a moment’s time. After securing them in the designated stables; she clasped her hands behind her back, walking in the direction that Levi had disappeared in. 

Stepping into the building was overwhelming. People craned their necks to scrutinize the soldier with the ‘Wings of Freedom’ patch against the fabric of her cloak. Clicking her jaw, Eden pushed all the staring out of her mind and headed towards Levi. 

His back was facing her and once she reached him; she immediately recognized the utterly disinterested stare that was etched against his features. A short, balding, overweight man shifted his stare from the Captain onto Eden. 

One of his brows arched as a vile smile carved itself below his this mustache; framed by the hairs of his beard. 

“Dimo Reeves. I didn’t know pretty girls like you enrolled in the military. Especially with the Survey Corps. What a shame, really.” He extended his hand towards Eden, capturing her palm before she could react. 

She snatched her hand away as soon as he pressed his lips against her knuckles, her scowl revealing just how repulsed she was by his attitude. 

“There’s nothing shameful in devoting your life in order to see change, sir.” Eden sharply retaliated, wiping the back of her hand against her trousers as Reeves continued stared at her through darkened brown eyes. 

Levi remained quiet, his chiseled jaw tight and unmoving; his eyes never faltering off of the greedy businessman. 

“If you say so, doll. Now if you follow me, we can discuss the matters concerning your visit in a more private setting.” Reeves gestured towards the extravagant hallway behind him; eyes continuously flickering towards Eden. 

She felt her teeth grind together in her mouth, palms trembling due to the anger. Her bloodstream had become a cocktail blended with adrenaline and she tried her best to lower her head and avoid his probing eyes as her and Levi followed him down the hallway.

“Allow me to confirm, Dimo, we are not here to waste time on your bargains. You’ve contacted the Scout Regiment regarding undisclosed titan information. Let us know what you want in return and I’ll decide whether it’s worth the risk,” Levi said in a bored voice, his arms crossed against his chest as he stood in front of Dimo Reeves’ cluttered desk; with Eden standing closely behind him. 

She could feel the stares of the other two acquaintances as they loomed on either side of Reeves’ chair; narrowed eyes glaring at the soldiers in distaste. 

It took all within Eden not to glare back at them, instead, focused on training her face into a blank expression, lacking any emotion. Much like Levi’s everyday physiognomy. 

“Ah, yes, of course,” Reeves responded, craning his head downwards as his chubby fingers retrieved a cream-colored folder out of one of his drawers. He threw the folder against the papers scattered against his desk. “It’s a known fact that you soldiers are desperate for any drop of information. I stumbled upon these documents disclosing personal findings on the topic of titans.” 

Levi snatched the documents off the table, his nose scrunching in disgust at the mess. His grey eyes rapidly skimmed across the information ebbed in ink on paper. Eden remained silent beside him, her head facing forward whilst her own eyes rested against the papers in Levi’s hands. 

“A diary? How are we supposed to know whether this is coming from a reliable source?” Levi growled in irritation, placing the documents back onto the desk nonchalantly. Reeves’ eyebrows shot up as he quickly straightened into his seat. 

“It is reliable information. I was going through some of our personal belongings in the family vault and stumbled upon this report. Quite frankly, we Reeves’ men never keep something unless we know we can capitalize on it at one point in life. And since I have absolutely no interest in venturing beyond the walls, I offer you a deal.” 

Levi tipped his head to the side; dull, narrowed eyes glaring intensely at the merchant. 

Reeves continued hastily. “Captain, you can keep this diary and utilize the information within it for whatever way you desire and in return; I only ask for your assistance with protection if by any chance; another titan attack bestows our district.” 

The pause was thick with tension as Levi contemplated his words carefully. The weight of these pages could potentially cost them a fortune; but perhaps it was worth it. 

He nodded slowly at the businessman. “Very well. If there is indeed an unexpected attack, the Scouts will ensure your protection. However, that does not mean that in that moment; we will be risking the civilians’ lives in order to save yours. In addition to that, I’ll have you know that if we do take this report with us and we find out that it was all a farce; you better beg we never meet again.” 

Reeves let out a nervous chortle, placing his hand over his heart. “Times are tough, you know. Gotta be prepared for everything. And, I would never risk our civilians’ lives for the sake of saving my own.” Levi huffed in response. 

“I see we have a deal. You’re welcome to stay for a cup of tea with your little soldier whore. I’d love to get to know her a little better,” Reeves replied, licking his lips as he stared up at Eden. 

Her lips parted as she prepared to throw a snarky response back at him; only to have Levi beat her to it. “Refrain from talking to her in such a sleazy way. It doesn’t suit you and it’s inappropriate.” He stepped closer towards the desk, fingers picking up the report as irritated eyes settled onto the businessman’s angered face. 

“Captain Ackerman; I never took you for the possessive type of man. I assumed that you’d be willing to share delights like this. You can color me disappointed.” 

Albeit the aggravation taking over his mind entirely; Levi chose to turn away towards the door. Levi’s jaw clenched tightly. 

“I’ll be more than willing to color you black and blue if you keep this up. I’d rather willingly give myself over to the titans than to sit here and have tea with you. Thank you for the report.” His demeanor was cool and intimidating; voice low and absolute. It sent chills down Eden’s spine as she tailed after him; ignoring the sensation of Reeves’ eyes checking her out from head to toe as she slammed the door of his office shut. 

Her stomach flipped in distaste as she continued glaring out into the nighttime. Levi’s eyes flickered off the pages and onto her figure. He was sitting in an armchair in the shared room they were forced to rent for the night due to the worsening weather. He had said it was either that or camping out in the wilderness. Naturally, Eden picked the luxuries with a shared bed through gritted teeth. 

“What happened, brat? Why are you being so sulky?” 

Her head whipped back to look at him before she let go of an exasperated sigh. Shaking her head, she bit her tongue, pulling the hair tie off her head; massaging her fingers over her skull. 

The more she thought about Reeves and his words; the more frustrated she became. And it was unfortunate enough that the only person she could reveal her irritations to is Captain Levi. 

“Why are you being so stubborn? I asked you a question,” Levi inquired once more, putting the papers down before resting his forearms against his knees; glaring up at her. 

“Do you agree with what Reeves called me?” She barked the question at him a little too viciously; her bottled emotions filled to the brim. 

His silver eyes widened slightly, lips parting in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

Eden pushed her body off the wall as she stood in front of him, her slender arms folding in front of her chest as she looked down at his sitting form. “You know what I’m talking about…when he called me a ‘whore’.” She huffed in annoyance when all Levi did was blink up at her in a perplexed manner. 

“I’m asking you whether you think of me as a whore?” 

A sharp “tch” escaped through his lips as he ran a hand across his tired face; dropping his head to the ground. “Of course I don’t. Why would you say that?” 

Eden paused as her messed up mind attempted its best to formulate a valid response. She felt so blinded by anger and other emotions; every single thought seemed to integrate with another. 

“Because that’s how you make me feel sometimes. You’re so goddamn hot and cold with me. One moment you kiss me and then you ignore me for days. Then you see me again and you decide you want to punish me for no apparent reason. Why are you doing this to me?” 

Levi listened to her intently, his softened grey eyes focused on the hardwood floor. “I don’t know, Eden.” 

The silence was deafening. His words bothered her more than if he had just not replied at all. Balling her hands into fists, her knuckles cracked as an angry blush peppered her cheeks. She began pacing back and forth as she spoke again. 

“What do you mean you ‘don’t know’? That’s not a good enough answer, Captain. You’re Humanity’s Strongest Soldier; someone people respect because you bring hope back into the walls and you can’t answer a simple question? I don’t think you truly understand how much you’re messing with my head,” her words trailed off, but Levi heard every single bit of it. 

He remained silent, fingers interlinked together, brows furrowed and jaw tightly clicking. All of a sudden, his eyes flickered back to hers and he glowered at her. 

“Know your place, Eden. Don’t speak to me with that tone.” 

She let out a humorless laugh, running a hand through her hair as she finally stood in one place, glaring at him menacingly. “How the hell am I supposed to know my place when you keep bringing me up and down whenever you feel like it? What makes you think you can treat me like that?” Her voice began shaking and the anger displayed itself as a thinly failed peachy mask against the skin of her face. 

Levi watched her curiously, his eyes widening even more before shooting up out of the seat and towards her. 

She felt a wet, warm liquid trickling down her lips. As soon as the taste hit her tongue; she immediately recognized the coppery taste of her blood. She mentally swore, stepping back away from Levi; fingers fumbling for her nose. “Don’t change the subject, I’m asking you something.” 

The Captain’s eyes narrowed in frustration as he whipped a handkerchief out of his pocket. She battled against the grasp he had on her wrist before her back collided with the wall of the room. He pressed her against the wall in place as he gently tipped her head upwards, allowing the handkerchief a chance to soak up all the expelled liquid. 

“Stop being so hotheaded. Look what you’re doing to yourself,” he muttered, cleaning her nose so tenderly, Eden could barely feel the fabric against her skin. 

She leaned her head against the wall, looking into his eyes as he meticulously focused on the blood, brows scrunched together. “I’m not doing this to myself; you are. All I ask of you is answers; nothing more.” 

Levi looked into her eyes with a strained expression on his face. He remained silent as he wiped the last droplets of blood staining her lips and cupid’s bow; his body still pressed against hers.

His eyes were a painting filled with so much turmoil. They were so stormy; Eden felt like she could drown in them. She pulled the bloodied handkerchief out of his grasp before lightly pressing his fingertips against her cheek. Tilting her head into his touch, her heated gaze did not falter as she suffocated under his own stare. 

“You don’t need to hide anything from me,” Eden said softly, closing her eyes for a split second as he grazed his thumb against her cheekbones; his other fingers moving over to her jawline. 

When Eden opened her eyes again, she watched as he leaned his head in towards her. But there was that strained look of his face; and the way his brows furrowed- making him back up slightly. She blinked at him through her velvet lashes, lips parting as she wordlessly asked him not to move away. 

He inclined his head to the side, the inner turmoil growing more visible as he squeezed his eyes shut for a long moment; fingertips continuously brushing against her skin. 

Levi let go of a shaky breath before craning his head back to fully face her. 

“Tell me not to kiss you, Eden. I’m begging you,” he said in a smooth, low voice; sending a jolt of electricity along the girl’s spine. It caused her to arch her body into his; each gentle brush causing them both to lose control of their breaths. 

“I-,” Eden began in a shaky, mellow voice; but Levi didn’t give her the chance to finish her sentence as his lips crashed against hers desperately; swallowing whatever she had planned to say. 

The kiss was intoxicating and urgent. Levi’s grasp on her face tightened slightly; as though he felt like she’d disappear if he let go of her suddenly. Her arms flung around his neck as he kissed her hard, soft mewls escaping through her lips. She pulled him impossibly closer; the pressure of his body pressed against hers so intimately sending heat all throughout her body. 

His lips were soft and sweet; yet the way he kissed her- leaving her breathless like that- Eden couldn’t deny the rough undertone he graced her with. Levi grunted into her mouth in pleasure when her slender fingers slipped through his soft hair- something she had dreamed of doing for a long time. 

She gasped against his lips when he effortlessly picked her up; lips never leaving lips as he carried her towards the bed; his hands pressing against her thighs. Eden gulped a breath of air as he loomed over her; before kissing her heavily once more. Her legs wrapped around Levi’s waist and she tried pulling him closer. He thankfully accepted the gesture. 

Levi’s tongue dominated her mouth as he explored every single inch of her; appreciating her delicious taste more than he could ever admit to anyone. Eden’s fingers found refuge in his hair once more, tucking at it gently as she sighed against his lips. 

The sound of her calling him “Captain” in such a sweet, sinful way made Levi kiss her harder. He finally moved away from her mouth; his lips pressing against the flesh of her jawline and throat in a lazy, sloppy way. Pulling him closer, Eden’s eyes fluttered shut; feeling the way her lips burned pleasantly as she squirmed under his touch. 

Goosebumps ghosted over her skin when she heard Levi sigh her name against her throat. Her mind spiraled and she felt like she had melted in his arms. 

It was in that moment when Eden confirmed to herself that Levi Ackerman would be the death of her. 

Tags:@idiot-juice-enthusiast      @hadassackerman

Link to the story in AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28919136/chapters/70952145

Chapter Twenty

A few days later, Eden was officially free of being barred away in the medical quarters.

Hurriedly, she gathered her things and practically sprinted back to her bedroom before wrapping herself up in her harness, uniform and boots. She felt so elated, as though a heavy weight had been lifted off her chest as soon as the nurse graced her with the green light.

Now, the only thing that was properly on Eden’s mind was the Levi’s last words to her. 

I guess it is, brat.

His words had carved themselves deep into her bones; as well as finding shelter in the darkest, most hidden place in her brain. She couldn’t stop thinking about him; scheming of ways to beat him at his own hot and cold game. 

Jean was more than happy to assist her with her games. Although she had never asked him for help, Jean would almost always find a way to flirt with her. It was just their way of communication- light, innocent and incredibly refreshing. He’d throw his arm over her shoulder lazily after training or lean against her side whilst they ate. 

Eden found herself laughing harder, talking louder and becoming more buoyant around Jean when the Captain was around. The atmosphere automatically grew bleaker when the intimidating man entered the room. He didn’t mean for that to happen, merely focusing on his cup of tea or the paperwork in his hand, but the daunting aura followed him everywhere. 

It put the raven-haired girl on edge every time she could sense him close by. Their eyes would meet over Jean’s shoulder when he’d walk into the dining area and Eden would automatically bat her eyelashes at her comrade; sending him the toothiest of grins that made her plump lips stretch widely, and eyes crinkle.

She’d never miss the chance to catch the way Levi’s jaw would clench tightly, stormy eyes twitching in irritation as the grip on his teacup would visibly grow stronger.

It made her thrive.  

When Levi had the chance, he’d be ruthless with Eden; making her run more laps than the others because he ‘wasn’t satisfied with her running’. His scowl would grow deeper when she’d flicker her eyes to Jean in front of him, a devious smile painted across her face. 

That made the Captain grab her by the arm and shove her away from the rest of the Squad, barking at her to continue running laps until the sun went down. 

Then one warm, sunny afternoon, Eden and her comrades were training outside, beside the wall of giant trees and buzzing bees. 

Levi was busy speaking to Hange as Eren trotted behind them sulkily, sending Eden a playful smirk when she caught her childhood best friend’s eyes. 

“Are you tired? Want me to carry you back to the medical quarters?” Jean’s deep voice mocked her as they stood opposite each other. Eden’s eyes snapped back to him, arching a brow. 

“Stop trying to make up excuses for not sparring with me, Jeanie-boy. If you’re not up for a spar session; all you need to do is beg me to go train with someone else,” she retorted, folding her arms across her chest. 

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, darling. I promise to go easy on you,” Jean sneered back at her, rolling the cuffs of his white shirt up to his elbows as he settled his body in the first fighting stance. 

She mirror him, pouting her lip as her hands balled into fists, stretching them outwards. 

“My hero, let’s see what you’ve got for me,” she said smoothly, charging at him without a second’s notice. 

He recoiled quickly, shifting his body out of the way as her fist swung at him. Raising his own fist towards her, Eden grunted as his knuckles nearly collided with her jaw. She captured his wrist, twisting it in an awkward way, kneeing him in the gut. 

He swore under his breath, smirking mischievously at the sight of Eden growing angrier; her erratic moves quick and choppy. 

“Feisty. I like it,” the boy muttered when Eden sent another punch towards his face. She caught him in the chin; ducking hurriedly when he stepped to the side, attempting to elbow her away from him. 

Suddenly, she let out a squeak when he grabbed her by the waist, slamming her down onto the ground. 

“Jeez,” she groaned, letting go of a shrill giggle when his fingers brushed against her side. “What the hell? That’s not fair…Jean…-” Eden shook with laughter as his fingers ghosted over her tickle spots. He fell to his knees as he attacked her ruthlessly, watching her try her best to squirm away in between heavy gasps for air. 

Eden was an extremely ticklish person. Her reflex was so bad to the point of her growing violent if someone touched her sides, just below her ribs and against the curve of her slim waist. 

Her palms pressed against his chest as she tried shoving him off of her; but her attempts were for nothing. Sighs of pleading echoed out of her, hazel eyes filling with tears as he continued pushing her, a wicked, victorious smirk masking his handsome features. 

“Don’t you dare ever say I’ve never won against you,” Jean growled at her, unable to suppress the lopsided smile that stretched across his face when Eden began nodding fervently. 

“Sure, no problem, I promise. I…-”

“Oi, idiots.” 

Her blood turned into ice as Jean froze above her. He quickly scurried to his feet, saluting the approaching man firmly. 

Eden lay on the ground, shaking; eyes wide as she tried her best to purse her lips and completely conceal the grin threatening to contort her face. 

The sun grew covered by Levi as he loomed over her, scorching eyes blazing down at her. She swallowed thickly as she moved to sit up. Thankfully, her Captain was a gentleman, and he decided to assist her with that by grabbing her by the collar and pulling her up to her feet. 

Her hands shot up to catch his wrist; but he shook her forcefully, his chiseled jaw defined by the muscles tightly clenching underneath. 

“This is why you nearly got yourself killed, you dumbass,” he seethed at her, brows furrowed deeply as Eden continued trying to free her collar from his iron grip. 

“Captain, it was my fault too…-” Jean began urgently, snapping his mouth shut when the Captain’s glare settled on him. 

“Shut it. You weren’t the one who spent nearly a month bedridden, straw-head,” Levi retaliated in a lethal tone, his words dripping with poison. Shifting his glare back to Eden, he ended the training session for the rest of the Squad and ordered for them all to head back to base and clean their quarters. 

“I didn’t tell you to go, brat,” he barked at her when she tried stepping away once more. 

He let go of her abruptly, causing her to lose her balance for a split second before recollecting herself. 

“Captain,” she began, her words halting their path on her tongue when he held his hand up. 

“According to the nurse, you’re fit enough to handle a real fight. Let’s see if you’ve forgotten what you’ve learnt,” he quipped, craning his neck before holding her gaze for a long moment. 

Eden stared at him in shock, her heart racing avidly as she stepped towards him. 

“I bet you missed beating me up,” she replied, raising her fists at him. 

He scoffed under his breath, swinging his arm towards her harshly as he spoke flatly. “Trust me when I tell you I could care less about your injuries, Eden. I can do what I want, whenever I want.” 

She dodged him quickly, twisting her body effortlessly until her back collided with his chest. “I find that hard to believe, sir.” The bone of her elbow caught Levi in the ribs. 

Eden didn’t know whether it was her retort that had affected him or the unexpected move; but Levi visibly grew angrier. He grabbed her by the hair and threw her against the tree bark beside them. The wood grazed her cheek and she winced; knowing better than to thrash when he kicked the spot behind her knee. 

Her knees buckled and she fell to the ground, her bones cracking as they met the hard floor with a thud. Pulling her by the hair once more, Levi craned her head until her face was looking up at his whilst he towered over her menacingly. 

“Watch your mouth, brat,” he snarled at her, ignoring the way she hissed when his fingers stiffly laced with her locks in a harsher manner. She couldn’t do anything but look into his blown-out, steel pupils. Yet, both of them had no knowledge of the tall individual who stood far away from the scene; watching them intently- cerulean eyes glinting as a smirk formed on his lips. 

With a tight nod to himself, a level-headed Commander Erwin watched as the pair sparred, undoubtedly sensing the intensity of each calculated move from afar. The tension made him affirm to himself that they would be the most suitable team for the new mission sealed in his mind. 

Gripping her collar once more, Levi shoved her to the ground before wiping his hands with the small handkerchief hidden in the pocket of his uniform at all times. 

“Get up. I want you to go clean the bathrooms. If you have the energy to mess around, I’m sure you can spend a good hour hunched over those grimy toilets.” He blinked down at Eden as she pulled herself to her feet; caught a little aback at the fabricated smile that plastered itself onto her face. 

“It would be my pleasure, sir,” she chirped back at him in a spiteful way; sauntering away rapidly in fear that he’ll pull her back and punch her in the face. 

She swore under her breath when she heard the door of the restroom swing open. 

“I literally just started. I hope you didn’t come to inspect my cleaning just yet…Sasha? Connie? What are you doing here?” Eden blinked at the duo who had walked in sneakily, twisted grins splayed over their faces as they both gripped some sort of cleaning supply.

“Nonsense, Eden. We came to help you out!”

“Ain’t no way we’ll let you clean on your own when you’ve just healed,” Connie retorted, heading towards the bottle of antibacterial cleaner. Sasha sprayed the mirrors with glass cleaner liquid, winking at Eden, affirming what the boy had just stated. 

Eden felt her insides warm up. “Thanks, you guys. I truly appreciate it. Can’t say the Captain will commemorate your actions with a medal though.” 

“Yeah yeah,” Sasha rolled her eyes at the girl’s words. “We know that! But, that’s only if he knows we’ve been here. Trust me, Connie and I are super good at remaining undercover. Don’t worry about anything but removing those icky stains from the floor, ewww.” 

They chattered as they cleaned rapidly, each individual focusing on a different area. Eden laughed when she found out that her friends had watched her spar with Levi; feeling a little proud that Sasha had decided to bet on her that she’d win this one. She kicked Connie’s boot when she realized that he had bet on the Captain. 

“You can’t blame me. I won in the end. Now Sasha owes me her weekly fruit snack.” 

Sasha concealed the grin from the oblivious boy, directing it only towards a set of warm, hazel eyes. “Allegedly. I just said I’ll consider giving him my fruit snack if I see that the Captain was being too harsh on you.” 

Their conversation came to a halt when the sound of boots resonated around them. 

Three pairs of wide eyes searched each other’s faces for an answer on what the hell they should do. 

“The cubicles,” Eden hissed through her teeth, shoving each comrade in a separate stall. The front door swung open viciously just as Eden managed to close the second stall’s door shut. She leaned against the wood, pretending to be taking a break when Levi’s glare settled against her face. 

She cleared her throat awkwardly, tapping her palm against the door as she pushed herself off it. “Hello there, Captain. I didn’t expect to see you so soon.” 

Levi didn’t respond. His steady stare lingered over the spotless floor, the sanitized sink and the shiny mirrors. He then sharply turned to frown at her.

“Quit playing, Eden. Who helped you clean the restrooms?” 

Silence settled around them as Eden’s brain racked with excuses. Her eyes widened and she feigned offence. “No one? You told me to come clean the bathrooms and that’s exactly what I did.” 

He paused, scrunching his nose at her words. “I didn’t take you for a liar. There’s absolutely no way you managed to clean everything in fifteen minutes.” 

Eden’s brows furrowed as she tipped her chin towards him. “I guess you need to stop underestimating me, Captain. Maybe I’m just full of surprises.” 

Levi let go of a breathy huff, shaking his head ever so slightly as he turned to the side; still standing stationary at the threshold. “Come with me. Commander Erwin wants to speak with us.” 

Curiosity seeped through her as she quirked a brow in his direction. “Oh?” 

Letting out an exasperated sigh, he titled his head towards the hallway. “We don’t have all day for you to process my words. I can write everything down for you later. Let’s go.” 

“I’ll meet you there. Let me just put everything away…-”

“Did I ask you? I said come on,” he impatiently threw at her, watching with a dark glint in his eyes as she trotted towards him wordlessly. It was as if she could sense Connie and Sasha’s impending laughter and she wished she’d just linger around a little longer. 

Walking past the threshold, Levi drearily matched her pace before placing a hand on the small of her back; guiding her towards his office in a bored, aloof manner. 

Eden’s face remained emotionless; but her insides grew heated up as she couldn’t focus on anything but the firm press of his hand against the thinly concealed skin. The sound of cackles and giggles echoed through the hallway a moment after the pair had disappeared towards Levi’s office.

“I’m sorry Commander, I’d just love some confirmation. So, you want me to accompany Captain Levi to retrieve an undisclosed report regarding ancient titan findings for Hange from the Trost District?” Eden repeated what the Commander had previously just reiterated, making Levi pinch the bridge of his nose in irritation. 

“That’s right,” Erwin smiled at her from behind Levi’s desk, his arms clasped behind his back. His height intimidated Eden so much. The Commander was definitely a force to be reckoned with and although he had starkly contrasting features in comparison to her Captain; his deep-blue eyes visibly revealed the thirst he had to lead his people towards victory. 

Inclining his chiseled jawline towards the shorter man, Erwin spoke again. “I trust you are able to manage this assignment on your own. If you’re aware of the type of man Dimo Reeves is; you’ll know better than to trust the words he’ll throw your way.” He leaned over the desk, fingers settling against the immaculately clean wood, “At the end of the day, merchants thrive on bargains and what better way to lure the Survey Corps in with a deal regarding unspoken secrets about the world outside the walls?” 

Eden nodded her head in affirmation, trying her best not to continuously flicker her eyes back to the Captain beside the Commander. She could feel his stare piercing through her skull; as though he was urging her to break her pact and meet his eyes. 

Blinking rapidly, Eden pressed her fist over her heart, saluting them both formally, holding the Commander’s inquisitive stare. “I would be honored to assist my Regiment on a mission that could substantially assist humanity in the bigger picture. Thank you for considering me, Commander.”

The tall man waved her off, but stood impressed by the confidence emitting from the young woman. He could definitely appreciate why Levi seemed so intrigued by her. 

She was like a fresh breath of air; her eyes glinting with the flame of hope- although having first-hand experiences with exactly what humanity’s hardships were like. Many comrades would lose that spark after the second, or even the first battle in open territory. 

This was why Erwin has decided Eden was the best choice to accompany Levi on this classified operation. Putting all his cards in, Erwin knew that there was a considerably enormous chance for Dimo Reeves’ proposition to be a farce. 

But, it was worth the risk.

“Very well, Chiasa. Prepare yourself. You are to depart tomorrow at the brink of dawn. The Regiment has full trust that this will all be for something. You’re dismissed.” 

Bowing her head lightly, Eden began stepping backwards towards the exit of an office she knew all too well. 

“Thank you, Commander. Captain.” She glanced towards Levi, the butterflies in her stomach going wild as he stoically tipped his head downwards in response. 

Closing the door with a trembling hand, Eden rushed back to her bedroom, praying to whoever could hear her thoughts that she’d have the power to go through a long mission with only Levi by her side. 

Tags:@idiot-juice-enthusiast     @hadassackerman

Link to the story in AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28919136/chapters/70952145

Chapter Nineteen

He didn’t visit her again.

A constant vortex of hurt spiraled within Eden. Her mind never left her at peace. Nausea became such a great part of her; the poor girl had forgotten what it felt like to be healthy.

She constantly stayed up, wondering where she had gone wrong; what she had done to offend him and whether their shared, heated moment was just a miscalculation caused by the depths of trauma inflicted upon them during the hours beyond the walls.

Her thoughts would pierce her brain with such intense magnitude; she would often fall asleep with tears still streaking down her face.

Eating was another burden. Mikasa, or Sasha, or even Jean would come to her and force her to eat. She just didn’t have it in her to continue pretending Levi didn’t excessively impact her.

That was one of the only things she’d look forward to in her life; getting back on her feet and her friends’ constant visits. Sasha and Connie would always try and make her laugh with their foolish bickering and mindless ideas. Historia would sit with her quietly; pulling her hair into small braids or just combing the tousles out. Mikasa would come and read to her, attentively ensuring her plate was licked clean. Eren and Armin would pop by as well and try to ease her mind from her injuries by reminiscing about their childhood. Armin would remain quiet most of the times, leaving the talking to the other boy.

And then there was Jean.

Sometimes, he would visit her very early in the morning; before training. He would talk to her about the upcoming missions and then bicker with her about their equivalently effective combat skills, always smirking when Eden would say she could still kick his ass, albeit all the fractures she’d grown accustomed to.

He would also come and visit her late at night when she yet again couldn’t close her eyes in peace and beckon sleep. They would talk about life beyond the walls, wondering just how different people would be…if there even were any people left.

But, Eden never uttered out a single word regarding her and the Captain to anyone. Her friends could see the dimness in her eyes- the fiery flame long extinguished by a reason unbeknownst to them. The charcoal-haired girl physically wouldn’t bring herself to let the words roll off the tip of her tongue; afraid it would bring a wave of emotions that would subsequently make her crumble.

Yet, her eyes would always flicker towards the door; hoping she’d see the man her heart yearned for walk in.

After nearly two weeks, she could finally start going on walks around the HQ. She’d stroll around before the brink of dawn or at some ungodly hour during the night; afraid she’d accidentally fall captive to a pair of soft, steel eyes.

Her ribs and head trauma had slowly healed and Eden began craving the taste of being out sparring with her friends again.

Then one day, she was laying in bed, reading one of Mikasa’s book when a timid knock sounded from the other side. She perked up quickly, snapping the book shut whilst meekly affirming to the other individual that it was okay for them to enter.

Her heart faltered in disappointment; eyes threatening to well up with tears yet again as Armin walked in shyly.

Eden sent him a sweet smile, thanking the fact that he was still not close enough to see how her bottom lip wobbled. He returned the grin as he walked towards her hastily.

“Eden,” her childhood best friend greeted, sitting beside her on the bed, handing her a blossoming chamomile flower.

Eden’s heart clenched at the flower.

“How are your ribs?” Armin inquired whilst placing his hands on his lap, fingers twitching as he pulled at his sleeves.

“I’m as healthy as a horse,” Eden replied cynically, running a hand over her face as she blinked back at him. She could tell there were something specific on his mind by the way his brows furrowed. His physiognomy was no secret to her; she could read him like an open book- just like she could read both Mikasa and Eren.

“I’m sorry about that day,” he suddenly blurts out; startling the girl.

There it was.

“What are you talking about?” She asked him softly, pulling her knees to her chest, listening to him snivel. He shook his head, lowering it as he spoke.

“I lost control of my emotions. Instead of jumping into action as soon as that titan grabbed you; my feet felt cemented to the ground. If Jean wasn’t there…-” Armin snapped his head away from the girl, tears swimming in his eyes, grazing down his cheeks rapidly.

“Armin,” she called out for him, her voice sickly sweet as her heart cracked at the sight of the boy crying. She took his hand in hers, gently urging him to look at her.

The rigidness in her eyes dissolved as she helped him calm down, the smile on her lips reassuring and warm. “Don’t ever blame yourself for what happened. Truth be told, I probably would have reacted the same way. Seeing you get picked up by a titan…or Eren…or Mikasa…I’d just be petrified. There’s absolutely no way for me to recover if I ever lost you,” Eden whispered to him, pulling him into a gentle embrace.

His arms wrapped around her tightly, body shaking with the tremors of the quiet sobs that spilt against Eden’s shirt. She held him there; her mind recollecting the way she’d hold Armin every time they’d catch him beaten under his bullies’ boots. Their other two friends would chase them away, but Eden would stay behind and calm Armin down. He was like her baby brother, and watching him feel guilty for freezing utterly broke her.

“Armin you’re so bright and such a genius. You can’t deny that fact when Commander Erwin bestowed the previous expedition’s strategic plans to not only Hange, but to you too. Shit happens, we’re at war. You froze, but you had a comrade that was there to help out. Don’t blame yourself for ‘what if’ situations,” she continued, pushing the sun ray strands of hair out of his eyes.

Nodding tightly, Armin wiped the tears away, clearing his throat awkwardly. “I suppose you’re right. It’s just, the thought makes me sick to my stomach, Eden.”

In turn, the girl hummed in agreement; handing him her untouched glass of water that sat upright on her nightstand.

After about an hour, Eden finally managed to steal Armin’s memories of that dreadful day away, even if it were just for a short period of time. She spoke to him about training and Eren and the horses in the stable- pretty much anything to keep his wrestling thoughts at bay.

That was until, Armin gazed at her through curious, sea-blue eyes, his words making her heart feel like it was squeezing her throat shut.

“So are you and Jean…like a thing now?”

She sat there blinking at him for a long moment; trying her best to keep the thick layer of emotions off his radar.

“We were…something,” she began, and for some reason, the glint in Armin’s eyes made her feel reassured. Like it was okay for her to finally reveal her inner thoughts. He always had a way of assuring the girl that she could share anything with him. It was just the kind of person he was.

“It was nothing official; but it was there. But, Jean decided it was best to end it. I guess I have no one else but myself to blame for that,” Eden sighed, her chest shaking as she closed her eyes- begging for the tears to not glisten across her pupils. But, it was too late.

“Why would it be your fault?” Armin urged her. He knew what type of person Eden was, too.

She was a sensitive girl that had troubles expressing her feelings. When they were growing up together, he would always be the one holding the paintbrush, urging her to paint out her feelings- convincing her that nothing harmful would come her way if she opened up about all that bubbled up within her soul; weighing her down.

Dropping her head, she let out a loud sob. It was now her turn to break down. Thinking back to Jean; guilt ebbed away at her conscience. “It just is. He’s such a sweetheart and being with him felt comfortable. He was someone I can wholeheartedly trust and rely on to stick by me through thick and thin. A-and I feel so lost, it’s like I’m drowning in my own thoughts,” she continued, her voice cracking, filling up with immense pain to the brim.

“Perhaps something happened that led him to reaching his ultimate decision?” Armin inquired, shifting closer to Eden as he rubbed a soothing hand over her back.

The broken girl cradled her head with her palms, shaking from side to side at the flickering images of Captain Levi washing through her mind. It was like torture, watching something that brought up so many sickly emotions within her over and over again.

Speaking about it was even worse.

“Everything is so unclear to me, Armin,” she cried, the feelings seeping out of her unstoppably, “He came here and told me he couldn’t be with me anymore because he didn’t want to feel like he was sharing me with someone. He wouldn’t dwell on it; but he reassured me that whatever happened, he’d be by my side. He also told me that when he pulled me out of the titan’s grasp, I had called for the Captain instead of him before passing out.” Eden ducked her head, wanting the blankets to swallow her whole.

She had never admitted anything regarding her and Captain to a single soul; afraid that she spoke it out into the world, it would solidify whatever emotions scorched her body to a different extent.

Armin patiently waited for Eden to recollect her messed up thoughts, her sobs low and heart wrenching- sending around the type of pain that makes ones organs shrivel up inside their body.

“I’ve always had such a hot and cold relationship with the Captain. Sometimes, he’s so good to me; and he looks at me as though I am an equal instead of a freshly-recruited Scout. Then, other times I feel like he’s the cruelest person in the world. He kissed me, you know?” Eden began rambling; finally ready to rid herself of all the baggage holding her heart. “He came in after Jean had left and we spoke. Then, he kissed me…”

There was a long pause as Armin processed her words carefully, trying his best to conceal the fact that his friend had just confessed to kissing the most intimidating man on base.

“I think it’s perfectly understandable for you to feel confused,” Armin began, his soft, comforting voice sounding like a beautiful melody to the heartbroken girl.

She stared at him through thick tears; speckles of green and brown swirling around her pupils when she blinked.

“I’ve noticed the way he looks at you during training, but naturally, I disregarded any additional thoughts just because I always assumed he was just highly impressed by your skills. But, now that you’re saying all this, it makes sense,” Armin mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck as he smiled back at her.

“Nothing makes sense,” Eden spat the words out as though they were laced with poison, wrapping her arms around her knees tightly. “He kissed me and he’s not spoken to me in nearly two weeks. I feel like I can’t keep up with this game.”

“Eden, you’re one of the strongest people I know. I’m sure you’ll get through this without my opinions clouding over you. But, you should just listen to your heart. Your heart is the one thing that can dictate your feelings and truly make you realize what it is you want exactly. Open your eyes and look for the thing yearned by your heart.”

His words had struck a cord in her. Long after he had left, Eden thrashed in bed, thinking hard about what Armin had neatly laid before her.

She sighed to herself, pressing her palm against her chest, feeling the way her heart beat behind her ribcage.

“What the fuck do you want?” She muttered before concealing her body under the thick duvet and falling into the grips of a deep slumber; for the first time in a very long time; feeling somewhat at peace.

-

The following few days, Eden caught glimpses of the Captain here and there. But, he never advanced towards her; therefore she never approached him. Often, he’d catch her stare from afar and his eyes would shift away almost immediately. It made Eden’s chest burn with displeasure as she’d huff irritably and stalk off the other way.

But, what she’d never know was how Levi’s stormy grey eyes would always fixate on her retreating figure; drinking every single detail about her in before she’d disappear back into the castle

Spending the days watching her comrades train from afar; she felt too afraid to actually move closer to them. She’d watch the way Levi’s hair would be ruffled by the wind’s slender fingers. The way his features would contort into an irritated sneer if someone messed up during any part of the training sessions.

Then one day, she waited by the stone walls of the HQ, arms wrapped around herself; watching her friends gasp for air after finally finishing their seeming endless amount of laps. The sun was setting, a warm orange blanket tainting the earth.

Jean stalked towards her, chest heaving as his cheeks were painted a pretty soft shade of pink. Eden raised a brow at him, pushing herself off the wall as she met him halfway.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to pass out because he made you run a few laps…-”

He glared at her menacingly before letting out a snort. “Are you kidding me? We’ve been running for the past hour and a half, nonstop. Did you not see what he did to Connie when he bent over to ‘tie his shoelaces’?”

Eden laughed as the memory of Levi pulling Connie up by the ear flickered through her mind. “Poor boy. And to think he thought that he had come up with a sly excuse to rest.”

Jean offered to accompany her on her walk and they fell into a whirlwind of conversations about everything. She’d tease him about his stance and he’d bully her about her tousled her; immediately apologizing when she feigned offence.

“I thought you knew how to take a joke, Jeanie-boy,” she snickered at him, gently elbowing him when he glowered at her.

“I can take a joke darling. I just don’t know how far I can push it,” he muttered under his breath, draping his heavy jacket over her shoulders when a cool breeze settled around them.

“Oh you! Although always making fun of your fighting skills; you know that deep down, I sincerely admire your upper cut punches,” she retorted, eyes glinting up at him when his lips curled into a smirk.

“Now, that’s what I’m talking about. Do keep going…-”

The sun was a long forgotten memory for the day as grasshoppers chirped into the darkness; the two soldiers’ boots grinding against the pebbles as they made their way around the front area of the headquarters. Eden swore that she’d seen someone walk into the stables with her peripheral vision before brushing it off solemnly; knowing for a fact that if someone did go to tend to the horses; it most probably wouldn’t be the person she was craving to see.

Taking his jacket out of her extended grasp, Jean began making his way up the steps towards the grand entrance of the base when Eden spoke up softly.

“I want to stay out a little longer. I’m so sick of laying in bed all day. This is the only form of exercise I can add to my new routine. And as much as I’d love to take up your offer to spar in secret; my nurse would beat me back into bed if she did find out. Trust me when I tell you, she wasn’t exactly nice when she caught me doing sit ups in my room one morning,” she sighed tiredly, rubbing her eyes until stars peppered her vision.

“Oh right, no problem, I’ll leave you to it and pass by to hang out later on tonight. I need to eat now,” he rambled, stepping back down towards Eden, causing her to stiffen ever so slightly at the gentle touch of his fingertips brushing her hair behind her ear.

She looked up at him with widened eyes as he craned his neck, planting a faint kiss at the corner of her mouth.

“I miss you,” Jean muttered out grimly as he ran his fingers through her wavy hair. Her heart began galloping in her chest as Armin’s soft voice gently beckoned her to recall his words.

What does your heart want?

Eden reluctantly took a step back, tenderly catching his wrist with her fingers. “Jean, I…-”

“I know, I know. See you later, darling,” he replied quickly, kissing her knuckles before walking away; leaving Eden alone with her overwhelming thoughts.

She walked for a long time, kicking the rocks from under her boots; tucking at her hair as she thought deeply about her life.

It was strange to think about the little, frail girl she once was- constantly disregarded as a human being by her ignorant parents. She’d always seek comfort in her friends, until one day, she decided it would be best to bottle up her emotions and tuck them far away from everything in the universe.

Eden was so deep in thought as she glared down at the ground; she didn’t pick up on the heavy, impending footsteps stalking towards her from behind.

She yelped as someone caught her by the wrist; twisting her around, slamming her body against the wall. Dropping her head, Eden let out a cough as the heavy air collided with her lungs.

Her heart skipped a beat; butterflies rousing in her stomach once she looked up to see her Captain pressed against her firmly; his eyes holding traces of seething somberness. She felt like she could cry out of happiness; but that ecstasy blended with the pain and anger she grew to feel for him after falling asleep every day, cradling her fractured heart.

“Captain,” she sighed out, inclining her head to face his ever so slightly as she felt his hips pressed against her in place. It took all within her not to bite her bottom lip as heat spread through her body like an unrestrainable wildfire.

Levi’s pupils grew darker as he listened to her soft, pleading voice. He held her wrist beside her head; using the weight of his body to keep her unmoving. It seemed like his plan ricocheted back towards him when she began writhing against him, a slice of his stoic façade ebbing away

His iron grip grew stronger as he leaned in towards her, tilting his head to the side as he watched her wide, amber eyes gaze at him.

“You guys didn’t seem very much ‘broken up’ to me,” Levi snapped at her, noting the way her eyes flickered to every single inch of his face.

Eden wanted to free herself from him; but the more she squirmed; the harder it was for her to focus on his words. Albeit the anger that ran its course through her body; the ultimate amount of proximity between them made her heart beat so fervently. She barely heard his words over the sound of her blood rushing to her ears.

She looked at him through hardened features and Levi’s eyes widened at the flicker of her lashes and the bittersweet blush that freckled her cheeks.

Parting her lips as she held his heated stare, Eden slowly retaliated, “We are broken up, sir.” Her words flowed through her lips as though she had just uttered out a sinful confession.

Levi’s eyes flashed with what seemed like contemplation; as if he was thoroughly processing each word in his head. Their eye contact didn’t waver as Eden grew to completely forget about the coldness of the nighttime wind. She stood pinned against the wall by Levi in the most staggering of ways. Every little twitch her body couldn’t hold in; she’d feel his body against hers and it drove her insane.

Levi huffed under his breath, the forearm pressed against her throat gently moving away so he could grip her hair with his fist.

He tilted her head to the side. “I’ll believe it when I see it.”

Eden watched his eyes flicker to her lips and she curled them slyly. Capturing his stare once more, she raised a brow.

“Is that a challenge?”

A dark glint blazed in his eyes as silky strands of hair fell over them. He leaned his head towards hers slowly, halting in the last moment when their noses brushed; lips a breath away from touching.

Eden’s chest moved rapidly as she tipped her chin up to meet him halfway; but a cruel smirk ghosted over his lips.

“I guess it is, brat,” he retaliated after a long pause before pulling away altogether. He stalked off authoritatively, leaving Eden burning up against the coldness of the stone wall.

Tags:@idiot-juice-enthusiast   ,   @hadassackerman   

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE FOLLOWS, COMMENTS, REBLOGS, LIKES AND TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE LEFT ME ANONYMOUS MESSAGES. You literally make my heart smile. 

As always, link to the story in AO3 can be found here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28919136/chapters/70952145

Chapter Eighteen

And with another groan, Eden slowly awakened from her short nap. Her head was spinning and the room was dimmer- the only source of light being the oil lamp on her bedside table. 

She felt extremely nauseous as she came back to her senses; colors flickering before her amber eyes in a fleeting way. Then, she stiffened. 

At the foot of her bed, she saw Captain Levi sitting wordlessly; with his head lowered; one hand on the duvet and another resting on his knee. At the sudden stirring movements, his head snapped to the side, grey eyes meeting hazel ones. 

Eden held her breath; blinking a few times slowly. She couldn’t tell whether her mind was playing twisted games from the effects of the drug or if Levi was actually calmly sitting on her bed, watching her curiously. Her hand reached for his and she immediately came to realization when her fingertips made contact with his cold skin. 

He really was there. 

Levi, in turn, flickered his stare to the resting palm atop of his before pulling his hand away. He then gently rested it over hers, fingertips brushing over her knuckles. Eden’s heart squeezed warmly at the closeness- dozens of butterflies gathering in her stomach as she rested her head back against the pillow with a sigh; trying her best to ignore how dazed the aftereffects of the medication inflicted upon her. 

“How are you feeling?” He asked in a cool, restrained voice as he eyed her down, taking a note of her awfully pale face and colorless lips. 

“Not gonna lie, this medication is making me loopy, but other than that, I can’t help but feel absolutely useless,” Eden replied in an even tone, shifting her heated stare away from his face and onto the ceiling. 

She heart Levi hum in agreement under his breath. “You’ll manage. You would’ve felt even shittier if you broke a bone or lost a limb.”

The girl let go of a breathy laugh, a peachy blush creeping against her pallid cheeks. “Always a positive one, aren’t you, Captain?” 

He huffed softly, his searching gaze exploring every single inch of her face. “Something like that.” 

Perhaps it was the treatment oozing through her veins or it was the comfortable atmosphere lingering around them that made Eden’s dainty fingers curl around his hand with slight pressure. He returned the gesture timidly; lips pursing together as his brows bunched up against his usually strained face. He watched her through jeweled-grey eyes as her face relaxed; hazel eyes fluttering shut. 

“I’ll leave you to healing in peace,” Levi muttered softly, gently pulling his hand out of her feeble grasp. He shifted off her bed, freezing when he felt her grip the cuff of his shirt.

“No no, you don’t have to go…you can stay,” Eden mumbled out delicately; but by the time she could process his responsive actions; her world had darkened once more. 

The sound of turning pages washed through her the next time she woke up. Albeit feeling much better, Eden could still feel remnants of the sedative rushing through her blood. She swallowed thickly and opened her eyes. 

To her extreme surprise, Levi was casually sitting in the same spot as he was before; but this time, he had a book in his hands. He looked so peaceful, until he felt Eden’s hooded eyes glued to his frame. Snapping the book shut sharply, he placed it on the duvet before settling his narrowed eyes on her perplexed expression; the muscles in his jaw visibly rigid. 

“Hi,” she spoke up meekly, trying her best to sit up, but failing miserably. She mentally kicked herself and settled into the pillow. Her lungs burned in discomfort and her muscles ached. It was like all the pain was slowly ebbing away at her sanity; leaving her drowning in a vortex of self-hatred and hopelessness. 

Levi didn’t respond to her at first. She watched as his contorted mask cracked for a split millisecond; agitation imprinting itself on his incredibly pretty features. 

“You missed your boyfriend’s visit by ten minutes.” 

Her eyes grew wide; breath cementing itself in her throat. She blinked at him hastily. 

“We broke up.” 

The three words hung in the air as the aura tensed. The flame in the oil lamp flickered, visibly disturbed as Levi’s brows raised ever so slightly.

“I see.” 

Eden’s lips laced into a thin line as she grazed her fingertips against the duvet. A sharp jolt of pain collided with her ribcage and she winced, dropping her head, tousled waves of charcoal hair veiling over her face. 

“I’m afraid, Captain. I’ve never felt such pain in my whole life. It really made me realize how frail our lives are. How everything can go to hell in the blink of an eye. I guess I had to go through this to really comprehend the magnitude of what it is we’re actually doing.” 

Levi let out an irked “tch” as he ran a hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. He didn’t look at her when the weight of his words slapped her hard across the face. 

“Maybe if you stopped being so reckless; you wouldn’t feel like your life is so fragile.”

Eden glared at him, teeth grinding together behind closed lips. His hardened exterior grew present once more. It completely flustered her how she felt like she had spoken to two completely different individuals when comparing her current conversation with the one they had prior to her passing out. Her knuckles grew white as she gripped the covers. 

“How am I being reckless? It’s my duty to give my all when we’re out there. This is what I consciously signed up for when I joined the military. But now, when I’ve actually felt what it feels like to nearly lose my life; it just really puts things into perspective. I thought you’d be the one who’d understand where I’m coming from.” 

“But there’s a difference between fighting for humanity’s greater good with some common sense in your head and just recklessly throwing yourself in dangerous situations,” Levi retaliated coldly, his eyes deteriorating the barrier Eden attempted to build in order to conceal her pained expression.

He hastily turned away from her, knitting his fingers together as he rested his forearms against his thighs. “If you continue being so careless, we will lose you…” 

A heavy silence drowned them both as Eden processed his words carefully, her palms sweating; heart galloping in her chest. Levi craned his head back to meet her eyes, and Eden finally saw a gleam in his eyes that she had never known of. It made her feel faint, her body reacting to that scorched stare in ways she could have never even imagined. 

Her lips curled upwards- a sly, cat-like smirk painting over her features. Levi watched her in such a meticulous manner; it made her feel like he could see right through her. 

Suddenly, Eden tried rising up- the words gliding off her tongue in a slow, lazy manner. “You’re gonna miss me if I die, aren’t you?” 

Levi shot up towards Eden, hands gently pressing against her shoulder blades as he urged her not to sit up. He huffed under his breath in annoyance; smoothly lowering her back onto the pillow as he spoke. “What kind of question is that, brat?” 

He was so close, Eden could practically taste his faint cologne.

 Levi’s eyes grew hooded as he watched her closely, the density in the air practically cutting off Eden’s ability to breathe. His cold fingertips were still pressed against the skin above the pajama fabric of her shirt. She swallowed thickly, velour lashes lowering at the sight of how close his face was to hers. The silence was deafening as neither of them had anything to physically say to each other at that point.

The Captain’s own face visibly relaxed, metal eyes growing softer as his fingers brushed against the curve of her jaw; coiling around the back of her neck. A shiver ran its coarse along the line of her spine at the sensation of her hair between his fingers. 

Inclining his head ever so slightly, his chilled lips pressed against hers. 

At first, it was gentle and timid. But then, he applied force against her neck; pressing her full lips harder against his. Eden felt frozen, her heart threatening to explode and break all her ribs. Her fingertips reached to touch his and he immediately grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers. 

If Eden could freeze time and live in one single moment for the rest of eternity; it would always be this one. 

Levi was the one who pulled away first; his breathing ragged and short. Eden felt like she had no air to take in anymore. The exhilarating feeling of Levi’s lips against hers had solidified every question, every fleeting thought she had experienced up to that moment. She craved more. 

He brushed his nose against hers before leaning backwards slightly; his fingers still entangled with hers. Eden tried her best to calm her intoxicated heart; but to no avail. 

Gentle circles were rubbed into the back of her hand with his thumb, but Eden’s dilated stare could merely focus on Levi’s growingly tense expression. He released her trembling hand, his heart clenching uncomfortably at the saddened expression that flashed across her features. He reached out to push a strand of her hair behind her ear, his retracting fingertips grazing along the curve of her jaw once more.

“You should rest, Eden. I mustn’t keep you up all night,” Levi said to her under his breath, the flame in his eyes vibrant and alive as he explored her face. With knitted brows, he abruptly rose from the bed; craning his neck to look at her over his shoulder when Eden managed to call him by his given title in a voice filled with all kinds of emotions. 

“Will you come visit me again tomorrow?” Eden inquired, chewing on her bottom lip anxiously as she waited for his answer through the long, quiet pause. 

“Not if I can help myself,” Levi replied glumly, holding her gaze for a moment longer before walking out of the medical quarters; leaving a dazed Eden with heated cheeks fervently gaze at his retreating figure. 

Happy Valentine’s Day! Hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much as I did writing it! 

Tags:@idiot-juice-enthusiast   @hadassackerman

The link to the story in AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28919136/chapters/70952145

The Wrath of War

Chapter Seventeen

“We’ll get through this,” Eren had said, pulling his friends into a tight, group hug. Eden nodded, the muffled voices around her slowly slowly becoming sharper and clearer. 

Where was she?

“You, Mikasa, Eden and I. We’ll join the Scout Regiment and fight for the sea. We’ll fight for the taste of freedom. And then when that day comes, we’ll sit together and reminisce about all the tough times we’ve gone through just to get to that moment,” Armin replied softly as they pulled away. 

Each child had a flame in their eyes. Two pairs of crystal blue eyes, a duo of onyx jewels as well as another pair of honey-colored eyes that glinted with a shade of emerald. After the horrors they had witnessed that day in Shiganshina; the deaths that had cracked through each crevice of their bones; they had vowed to fight until death grabbed their hand. 

Eden felt drowsy as the world around her slowed down and the faces of her friends grew blurry. She looked around to see the atmosphere change, those distant voices that rang at the back of her mind growing more realistic. 

“Hey, Eden, I brought you an apple. Well, honestly, Connie made me give it up. I actually really wanted to eat that apple…-” 

Slap

“Ouch, sorry. Scratch that, I didn’t mean it like that. I was just joking, hehe,” Sasha rambled on, rubbing her arm as she rolled her eyes at Connie’s irked stare. 

Velveteen lashes fluttered opened gradually; the immediate light burning her pupils. Eden hissed, shutting her eyes once more as she came to her senses at a dreadfully slow pace. She caught sight of the familiar layout vividly resembling the medical quarters situated at their base. 

Two light gasps bounced through the air. Her bed shifted under moving weight and once she took a deep breath; Eden managed to open one eye. 

Sasha and Connie stared at her through comically wide eyes. The girl blinked slowly at them, raising a weak hand to touch her pounding temple. 

“What…happened?” 

The duo exchanged glances and Sasha swallowed thickly. Connie bounced on his heels before clearing his throat and rubbing the back of his neck.

“You got severely injured on the battlefield. Safe to say, you were this close to being squeezed to death,” Connie pinched his fingers together, indicating the lack of space between his index and his thumb finger. “You’ve been out cold for the past couple of days, on IV’s and stuff, I don’t know.” 

Eden tried sitting up, but the weight of her tattered body pleaded her to remain still. “What do you mean I’ve been ‘out cold for the past couple of days’? What about Armin? He was with me, is he okay? And the rest, where are they?” The words trickled out through her lips like a mellow waterfall. 

Sasha sent her a wary smile, placing her hand over hers against the warm blanket. “Everyone from our team is healthy and safe. Unfortunately, we can’t say the same about Hange’s squad. She lost a couple of her comrades during the battle.” She lowered her eyes as she spoke, bottom lip quivering. 

Eden let go of a slow sigh, the movement causing her lungs to burn up and swell against her heart. She palmed the fabric of her blanket in between her fingers. “Shit. Was the mission a failure then? Did we manage to secure the sighting hotspot?” 

Both of her comrade-friends shook their heads glumly. Connie spoke up.

“We came back to help Hange’s team after seeing that separation would only make things worse. Captain Levi shot the final flare at the sight of literally a dozen titans heading our way. We just didn’t have enough manpower to push through all of them; especially since your team was already completely ambushed. No one expected it to be that bad…” 

Eden stayed silent as she tried to process his words. Her brain racked against her skull as she thought about all the pain and suffering her fallen comrades had experienced right before their lives were ripped out of their bodies by the vile, humanoid creatures. It made her blood boil and her lip quiver. 

“How did you manage to pull me out of the titan’s grasp? I can’t remember much except how peaceful I began feeling when I finally closed my eyes…I thought I was dead…”

“We’re so happy you’re not, Eden. What happened was…-”

“Excuse me, leave the poor girl to rest,” the familiar voice of the assigned nurse made her two friends jump out of their skin. She ushered them both out in an irritated voice before walking back to Eden. 

“Can you please tell me what’s wrong with me? When can I join my team back on the field…-”

“Not anytime soon, dear. You should be grateful you’re not currently six-feet under. Your lungs collapsed due to the pressure, so you’ll be sticking to bedrest for the time being until it gets better. Don’t look at me like that, I told you, it could’ve been worse. There was some internal bleeding that we stopped once you arrived, what else…ah yes, you’re lucky…this time, you managed to fracture just two ribs!” The nurse told her, pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose as she spoke. 

Eden refrained from the need to roll her eyes at her and involuntarily winced instead at the sudden pains in her chest. The medic assured her that this would happen often until her internal organs heal with the help of medication, rest and the will to live. 

 Deep down, through all the trauma her body underwent that day; Eden’s mind was fixed on one tiny thought that seemed to devour her entire soul; would Captain Levi come and visit her? 

The day’s hours quickly trickled by as Eden spent it dealing with constant visits, naps and by sulking and glaring at the ceiling. She begged the nurse to give her something to numb the pain; but the older woman had assured her that she will do so after dinner.

Eden didn’t even have enough energy to snap back at her. 

The sun began settling, bringing in a warm, orange shade into the infirmary. The rays grazed against Eden’s blanket, caressing her skin softly as her body began to ache. Mikasa had just left, bidding her a good night after helping Eden bathe.

The injured girl felt like such a nuisance and begged her friend multiple times to leave, stating she could manage on her own. But Mikasa being Mikasa; never left her side. Her nurse finally injected her with a large dose of painkillers, assuring her that they would stop the pain for at least a couple of long hours. She had also told her that they would make her feel sleepy and droopy. Eden merely nodded and thanked her for the medication.

Now, tightly wrapped up in her warm duvet, the charcoal-haired girl counted the each clock tick; completely bored out of her mind. She didn’t feel like the medicine had kicked in yet; but the nurse had reassured her that it could take some time for them to kick in and knock her out. Her eye twitched at the sound of the door gently opening. 

A tender smile crept up on her face as he made his way towards her bed. 

“Hi, Jeanie-boy,” she greeted him softly, tilting her head towards him against the pillow. 

His expression was strained and that remained intact when he sent her a smile, pulling her hand into his. “Hi, darling. How are you feeling?” 

“I’ve been better, but I’ll manage. Can’t get rid of me that quickly now, can you?” 

He let go of a gentle huff, his thumb rubbing circles against her soft skin. Eden bit her lip, brows lacing together slightly. He remained silent, staring down at their interlinked fingers.

“Something is wrong. Talk to me,” she urged him gently, squeezing his hand with her palm. 

Jean pursed his lips tightly; clenching his jaw tightly as contemplation painted against his tense face. “Do you remember what happened…that day?” 

Eden’s own expression grew more rigid as she tried her best to call back any memories she had. She released an exasperated sigh, sinking deeper into the pillow. 

“I’m sorry Jean. I really can’t remember much. My horse threw me off the saddle; Armin came back for me…we ran towards the horses and then a titan just grabbed me. That’s all I recall.”

Jean bit his lip before running a hand across his face; shifting against her mattress. She watched him silently, afraid that if she pushed him; he’d snap at her. And she wanted Jean to open up on his own terms. 

“I feel like I can’t really do this anymore, Eden.” 

Her almond eyes grew larger, lips parting in wonder. “Can’t do what, Jean? What’s going on?” 

The boy only shook his head in response, eyes betraying how deep in thought he was. Eden’s heart clenched uneasily. 

“I can’t just share you. It’s not right and I don’t feel good knowing I can’t have you all to myself.” 

His confession hung in the air heavily. Jean watched her carefully as she tried understanding his words. But, to no avail. 

“I-I don’t understand. What are you talking about?” 

Jean pinched the bridge of his nose before saying, “You’ll understand what I’m telling you on your own terms. I’m sorry it has to go down this way. You mean so much to me, Chiasa. And I can fully understand the situation you’re in right now. The confusion and all. I’ve been in that position. Which is why I’m trying to help you make things easier- even if nothing makes sense to you right now.”

Eden placed her other hand over his, grazing the skin on the back of his palm reassuringly. She listened intently to each word; feeling her heart crack just a little bit.

“I don’t want to lose you, Jean.”

The boy made a face, leaning in closer towards the resting girl. “Psh, who said anything about losing anyone? There’s no way in hell you’ll lose me, Eden; you can trust me on that. Otherwise, you can write a letter to my mother and tell her how embarrassed I was when she sent me that stuffed plush bear and you were the one who caught me with it.” 

The memory made Eden laugh, her eyes crinkling at the edges as Jean’s own brown eyes twinkled down at her. 

“That’s a deal.” 

Jean leaned in closer, pressing his warm, plush lips against Eden’s forehead. She closed her eyes, taking in his scent that seemingly overwhelmed her entirely. Everything with him was so cozy, definite and practically perfect. It was such a stark juxtaposition to the feelings the man with steely, blank eyes sparked within her. 

“But, just because I’ve decided to let you go now, does not mean I will not keep trying,” he muttered when pulling away. Eden sent him a toothy grin that was masked with a layer of grimness once her question slammed against her brain.

“Can you tell me what happened after I blacked out?” 

Jean’s eyes darkened as he looked down at their hands. He gritted his teeth, craning his neck to the side before meeting her curious gaze. 

“I…I was the one who saved you.” He hesitated for a moment, but continued nevertheless. “When all went to shit and the Captain shot the terminated mission flare; I made my way back to you. I don’t know what it was, but I just knew that something was wrong. I found Armin charging at the bastard that had grabbed you, aiming for its wrist tendon but…I managed to slice its nape seconds before you were going to land in its mouth. It was a miracle, really. If I was even a millisecond late; you would have…died.” 

Eden felt like the air was knocked out of her bruised lungs. She looked away, realization creeping down her spine as she thought back to how close she was to death. Only to be saved and gifted with another chance at life. She suppressed a yawn, her lids growing heavier.

Jean released an empty, humorless laugh; shaking his head at the memories that flashed before his eyes. “And then, when I got to you…you said his name.” He stood abruptly, gently laying Eden’s hand back against the softness of the duvet as she watched him sleepily; her mind overpowered by the drug previously injected into her bloodstream to tend to the pains. 

She was drowning in so many questions, but felt like she didn’t have enough time to answer them for herself. She called for Jean gently; earning a sweet, supple smile from the boy as he gazed down at her. His head snapped towards the entrance and immediately, his expression contorted into one filled with deep-rooted vexation. 

“Out of everyone within the walls; why him?” Jean muttered under his breath- a question devoted more to himself rather than the dazed girl on the brink of slumber. He bid her a good night and went his separate way.

Eden groaned in response, her lids completely slipping shut by the time the sound of approaching boots had reached her ears. 

Tags:@idiot-juice-enthusiast   @hadassackerman

Thank you for all the support!! xx

Link to the story in AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28919136/chapters/70952145

Chapter Sixteen

 Slamming her bedroom door shut, Eden huffed under her breath at the resounding bang that snapped behind her. She walked through the headquarters in irritation; making sure to steer clear from anyone she couldn’t deal with so early in the morning. 

The ever so energetic Sasha had woken her up; letting her know they were to get ready and go on another expedition beyond the walls. Apparently, there were more unusual Abnormal titan sightings alongside the exterior part of Wall Rose. 

Commander Erwin had instructed for Captain Levi and Hange’s squads to head to the area and assure that this wasn’t a ploy created by the traitors who’s identities still lay unbeknownst to them. Regardless, the Commander had sent Levi a detailed letter, assuring him that this expedition would suffice to humanity in more than one way and lead them a step closer to victory. 

Erwin’s letters would always state that fact; regardless of the amount of death and trauma his Regiment had seen. 

Eden quickly ate breakfast in the kitchen; unbothered and groggy. Her head pounded, reminding her how little sleep she had gotten the night before since she spent it twisting around in her covers- thinking about everything that weighed on her heart. 

Her boots crunched soundly against the pebbles spattered across the ground as she made her way to the stables not long after escaping the kitchen, unseen. Her fingers fiddled with the clasp of her green, Scout cloak as she secured it to her body. The charcoal-haired girl ignored the accompanying steps that cracked through the gravel behind her. 

After taking two long steps into the stable, her back crashed against the wall, heated lips pressing against hers gently. 

She returned the favor, her fingers interlinking with his before squeezing his palm lightly. His kisses would always be so gentle. Yet, every once in a while, he would slip up; growing more urgent. It was always something that intrigued Eden.

Jean let go of a low sigh that recoiled through her. “Do you accept my apology?” 

Eden chuckled lowly, standing on her tiptoes as she reached to grab him by the collar. His hands settled against her slender waist, pulling her flush against him.

“You haven’t even apologized yet.” 

Rolling his eyes, Jean pressed his forehead against hers, kissing the tip of her nose sweetly. His mouth then met hers tenderly, his tongue gliding against her bottom lip lazily. Eden’s teeth captured his tongue before sucking onto it teasingly. Her arms looped around his neck, a humored smirk lacing itself against Eden’s fatigued features. 

“I’m sorry about last night, Eden. I shouldn’t have gotten pissed at you for something that wasn’t your fault.” 

“Yeah, but I just don’t get why you didn’t come up to me and let me know what the issue was so we could resolve it. I still don’t know what happened…-” 

Jean hesitated, his fingertips stroking the side of her face before he kissed her temple softly. “Can’t you just let me apologize to you, woman?” She laughed under her breath, tipping her chin upwards before he kissed her swiftly. 

Her nose flared at the scent of spices and cologne in a way that made Eden feel incredibly comfortable and safe. She knew that whatever happened, Jean would always be by her side; supportive as ever and willing to go through thick and thin for her. 

Just as she would for him. 

“Kirstein, you’re not wearing your ODM gear. I suggest you get a move on because I don’t plan on prolonging this expedition just because you need help strapping your harness to your ass,” an irked voice barked from the entrance of the stables. 

Both Eden and Jean’s heads snapped to the entry-way and the girl pursed her lips as she lowered her head. Jean’s jaw clenched painfully tightly before his brown eyes flickered towards Eden’s downturned face. He let go of her hesitantly and by the way he walked past the Captain, Eden could safely assume he was infuriated. 

She fixed her saddle and tightened the reins on her horse before quietly making her way out of the stable. Although her eyes were promptly fixated on the ground, Eden could sense Levi’s presence still lingering around her. 

The air was hot and she felt irritated at herself when she began struggling to breath the closer she got to him. 

Suddenly, Levi grabbed her by the wrist, shaking her slightly as he furiously stared into her eyes. “What the hell is wrong with you, brat? We’re about to go on an expedition where someone could potentially lose their life and this is what your mind is focusing on?” He scoffed under his breath, crossing his arms against his chest.

Eden’s amber eyes widened slightly, heart stammering in her chest. “I-I’m sorry, what? What do you mean?” She balled her trembling, white knuckles into fists, hiding her hands behind her back; the reins leaving prints on the inside of her palm. 

“Don’t act stupid with me, you know what I’m talking about. And then you dare question why I decided to leave out of the previous mission,” Levi snapped at her sharply, iron eyes burning at the utterly perplexed girl. She moved her chin to the side, as though really taking the time to process his words. 

None of the answers her mind provided her with explained what he was referring to. Her relationships with other people- specifically Jean- had absolutely nothing to do with the Captain. Yet, standing before him in awe; no words landed on her tongue. 

Levi stiffened before shaking his head slightly. He lowered his head as though he were trying to recollect his thoughts. Combed, velvety raven hair toppled in front of his face and through the strands; Eden could see a sense of agitation carved onto his strained features.  

He suddenly looked up at her, lips parting slightly and pupils dilating as his hand reached for her neck. Eden stood cemented in her place, the air hitching in her throat as his fingertips grazed the bruises he had inflicted upon her. Her eyes widened comically, eyebrows arching as she searched his blank face for an explanation.

But, he never met her stare. 

His fingers gently prodded against the most vibrant bruise and Eden couldn’t rid herself of the fluttering notions within her gut. It made her knees weak and her stomach flipped. Her palms grew sweaty and her mouth went dry. Those feelings grew even more vivid once she caught sight of his stoic face relaxing ever so slightly.

His cold touch brought back memories of yet another heated interaction between them. Yesterday’s training had been impeccably intense; but as much as Eden felt incredibly hurt by Levi contusing her so horribly; she couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride at the fact that she had managed to catch him off guard and swing at him.  She knew her powers would never level his; yet she basked in the tiny victory their encounter had bestowed her with.

A cruelly ice-cold shiver ran its coarse along her back and she swatted his hand away, causing her heart squeezed uncomfortably. Levi finally met her stare, but did not say anything.

Eden bit her lip, bouncing on her heels in trepidation as she tried to formulate a singular, coherent response. “W-why do you care what I do in my free time?” 

Immediately, Levi’s brows furrowed. He looked very deep in thought as a scowl etched itself across his perfectly sculpted features. Looking away, that scowl transformed into an expression of distaste as a soft scoff slipped through his downturned lips. 

“I don’t fucking know,” he growled at her, jaw clenching imperceptibly tighter that what it was before. 

Eden watched as he walked away from her without even giving her the chance to respond.

Eden and Armin got assigned to Hange’s squad formation since her team was incomplete. It was like a slap in the face for the girl as certainty crept into her when she imagined how relieved Levi must have felt knowing he can place her under someone else’s direct command and keep her away from him.

Sending her blond  friend a wide smile, her own eyes remained blank as she reminisced the recent turn of events. She couldn’t quite put her finger around why his answer bothered her. 

Was it because it had left her yearning for more answers or because she just felt like he had pushed her into a bleak vortex of confusion? 

Regardless, the expedition had begun and Eden knew better than to dwell on her feelings when so much was at stake. 

 They headed in the abnormals’ direction and Eden began growing more nervous as the minutes ticked by. She felt confident in her fighting; but it was incredibly difficult for her to split herself from all her overwhelming thoughts. She was an incredibly emotional individual- meaning she struggled immensely when it came to separating herself from a situation that had struck her heart. And it felt worse knowing that out on the open fields where a titan could strike at any moment. Her anxiety surpassed the roof. 

Captain Levi had decided that since they were to oversee an affected, exterior part of Wall Rose; it was best for them to ride on the outside side; rather than travel from the inside and then climb up the wall with their ODM gear. That way, if there were any more phenomenal situations; they could deal with it there and then. 

Apart from the hooves scraping against the grass, it was quiet on titan territory. Hange twirled her flare-gun from the center of their diamond formation, as though she was bored with the circumstances. Eden pursed her lips and urged her horse to gallop faster. 

Thunderous footsteps clashed closer to them; catching everyone’s attention. Hange snapped her head in that direction, eyes widening hungrily as she shot out a black flare through the clear, blue sky. Eden could only assume that Levi and his team would continue towards the sighting, as it seemed purely pointless for them to retreat and jump into a fight. 

“Everyone get ready! Multiple abnormals ranking between 12 and 16 meters incoming from your left.” Hange yelled over the horses’ hooves, a wild spark glinting in her eyes. 

Eden watched as they mindlessly sprinted towards their squad; their movements bizarre and irritating to look at. She huffed under her breath and readied her swords. 

Once the humanoid creatures were in their perimeter; Hange gave the members on the outer positions in the formation the green light and Eden steadied herself on the saddle of her horse. She didn’t really have a plan in mind; so she just winged it. Which was perhaps not the best idea when she was knocking on Death’s door; but now was not the time to go over details. 

Squeezing the handles of her gear, the familiar sound of the iron wire slicing through the air echoed around her. She pushed herself off her horse; allowing the wire to guide her through the air before hooking herself against the wall. 

Counting the seconds under her breath, her hazel eyes never left the approaching titans’ disgusting faces. The scent of rotting flesh and bones hit her on the tenth second. Scrunching her nose, she began to count down. 

Hitting the third second, she pushed herself off the wall, pulling out her blades as her hooks clenched around the skin on the closest titan’s collarbone. The wire recoiled and pulled her towards it with such sheer speed, everything around her grew blurry. With a grunt, both blades sliced through its hardened skin effortlessly, the steam nearly blinding her. 

The titan toppled to the ground and in the last moment, Eden craned her neck back to appreciate the long cut that perfectly severed the titan from the inward part of its shoulder; all the way to the other side. A shriek pierced through the air. 

She let out a soft gasp as she watched one of her fellow comrades from Hange’s team become crushed to pulp inside a titan’s massive mouth. Eden watched in horror as another girl let out a bloodcurdling screech, reaching for the deceased man. Another titan swooped in and caught her mid-air; pulling her limbs apart as though she was just a rubber toy.

Swallowing thickly, she forced herself to focus on her path; choosing to disregard the way her blades trembled as she landed on another titan. She slashed its nape, blood spurting in her face, burning her skin. She spat the liquid that had fallen into her mouth in disgust and angled her hooks to grip the wall. 

Eden watched as Hange and Armin and a few others continued onwards towards the first team and her eyes grew wide at the sight of more titans emerging out of nowhere. Growing cautious, Eden decided it was best to preserve her gas reservoir as much as possible. 

The amount of approaching titans made her feel like using a limited amount of gas was the only choice that could possibly gain her another day. She reached the top of the wall and began sprinting forward, eyes calculating how far she would need to run in order to intercept her horse and jump down on its back. 

Her comrades looked so small as she looked over the edge of the wall. The sight made her dizzy. When she decided the time was right, Eden flung herself over the edge, using her ODM gear only when she wanted to slow herself down; a breath before she managed to slump onto her saddle. But, her horse whinnied at the earth-shattering footsteps of the nearby titans, throwing her off and sprinting away. 

Eden vaguely heard Armin screaming her name as she wheezed out, her lungs burning with adrenaline. She looked up to see a large palm reaching for her, wide, dead eyes peaking over her as it stared hungrily down at Eden. She backed up, fumbling to stand and pull her blades out. 

Another high-pitched yell reverberated through the open air. The approaching fingers toppled to the ground as the beast let out a deafening roar. Armin ran towards her, putting his bloodied swords away before grabbing her by the shoulders. 

“Are you okay, Eden?” He asked her as she pulled herself to her feet. 

“I’m fine, Armin, thank you for that,” she replied, goosebumps appearing against her skin at the sound of echoing cries and pleas for mercy emerged from their fallen comrades. “We need to go, it’s not safe out here. We should head to the rest of the team and figure out what the hell we’ll do when there isn’t a hungry-looking titan looming over us,” she yelled, pulling his sleeve as they ran towards the horses. 

Everything slowed down for her once a yellow flare shot through the air in the distance. 

Levi’s team. 

Eden’s heart faltered as her mind fluttered elsewhere, subconsciously slowing her running down. Armin turned around, face contorting in a horrified manner as he reached for Eden’s hand. There was a static sound that muffled all the noise in Eden’s ears; her lips parting as she felt thick fingers snake around her body. She watched Armin run back to her and she screeched for him to turn around and go. 

Tears streaked the ocean-eyed boys’ face as she was hoisted off the ground effortlessly, her fingers slipping away from his the higher she went. Eden thrashed and flailed before letting out a pained cry when the titan’s grip grew more solid. She felt as though someone had poured cement over her body; the pressure close to crushing her bones to dust. 

Blood spurted out of her mouth as her lungs begged for mercy and her limbs grew weaker. In that moment, she felt like there was nothing else she could do. She felt so utterly helpless and what pained her the most was the fact that she would probably never be able to say goodbye to her friends, to Jean. 

To Levi. 

Her life really did flash before her eyes as her eyesight grew foggy, the pressure of keeping her body awake became harder and harder as the seconds ticked by. She saw Armin, Eren and Mikasa’s baby faces; back when they used to play tag in Shiganshina. She watched Connie and Sasha daring her to balance a loaf of bread on her head after training. Jean’s face appeared with the silly, cocky smirk that made her swoon and slap his shoulder. 

Then, his face contorted into Levi. His cold, indifferent stare sent chills down her spine. 

How could someone so emotionless bring up so much commotion within her? 

But, she knew she didn’t have enough time to question it. Eden just focused on every single details of his face she had memorized as the pain seeped through her body, pulling her into a vortex of darkness and serenity. 

Tags:@idiot-juice-enthusiast   @hadassackerman                    

As always, the link to the full story in AO3 can be found here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28919136/chapters/70952145

Chapter Fifteen

The conversations around the campfire grew slower and sloppier. Hange’s squad had brought out beers. Eden had some; but not enough for the alcohol to take over her mind. 

But, sufficiently enough for her cheeks to glow a light pink shade and for her eyes to continuously attach themselves onto Captain Levi’s face. 

He, on the other hand, looked incredibly perplexed as he stuck to drinking tea. Glaring in distaste at the looks of his comrades slightly boozed-up; Levi’s glower grew deeper every time they met Eden’s hazel eyes. 

Jean’s arm lazily rested around Eden’s shoulders and he pulled her flush against his side. The girl stiffened, dropping her head as she stared at the pebbles under their boots. 

“Eeeewwww….get a room guys!” Sasha giggled in her high-pitched voice. Connie slapped her shoulder and wriggled his brows at Jean; who in turn curled his lips upwards, the effects of his beer visibly painted against his cheeks lightly.

“Alright, is the Captain’s office free?” 

Levi snapped his head towards the younger man; emotionless veil intact, yet Eden knew better as she watched his eyes glint with cold wrath. 

She shivered under her clothes. 

“Don’t push me, straw-head.” 

Sasha and Connie broke into a fit of laughter, clutching their sides. Even Eren smirked widely as he watched Jean’s face disfigure into an infuriated scowl. 

He opened his mouth, ready to retort back but Hange beat him to it as she grabbed Levi by the shoulder. “Please, that office will already be preoccupied by our dear Captain and his immaculate stack of cleaning products.” 

That made the potato girl whip her head back and laugh harder; her twin following suit. Many of their fellow comrades joined in at Hange’s snarky joke that displeased Levi even more. He yanked his shoulder out of her grip, rapidly rising to his feet, visibly cringing when a tipsy Hange grabbed his sleeve. 

“No Levi, stay, I’m sorry, I was kidding!” 

He stared down at her, jerking his hand out of her reach whilst huffing under his breath in irritation. He remained quiet as he stalked back towards base; metallic eyes meeting gentle, golden ones in the last moment. 

Her fellow comrades went back to their previous conversations and Eden decided it was perhaps her time to retire for the night as well. After all, she had plenty of memories to go over in bed. Standing up lazily, she glanced down at Jean who raised a brow at her. 

“I’m tired, I’m going to bed.” Eden turned to bid her comrades a good night, stiffening slightly when Jean stood to his feet beside her. 

“I’ll accompany you then.” he replied huskily, waiting for her to begin her pacing towards the headquarters as they both disregarded the obvious whistling directed at their retreating figures. 

“My my, what a gentlemen,” Eden glanced up at the boy, one side of her mouth curving upwards in a sly smirk. He returned the smile, crossing his arms against his broad chest as he leaned against the doorframe outside of her room; shrugging nonchalantly down at her. 

“What can I say, I’m more than just hot.” 

Eden barked out a laugh, running a hand over her face as she tried pushing the blush off of her skin. “Sure, Jean, whatever makes you sleep better at night.” 

They stood outside Eden’s room silently, Jean lazily resting the side of his body against the wall as the girl settled her palm around the door’s handle. 

“Well, good night then.” 

Next thing she knew, Jean’s lips collided into hers with such sheer force; Eden was thankful there was a door the pressed against her back. 

Twisting the handle, Eden walked back into the room, soft sighs escaping through her even softer lips in between heavy kisses. Jean kicked the door shut with his boot and gracefully picked her up, arms snaking around her waist as her legs wrapped around his own. 

He kissed her hard, his tongue fighting for dominance that she eagerly provided him. Their teeth clashed as he bit down on her bottom lip, sucking lightly as a groan reverberated through her body. 

Jean threw her onto the sturdy mattress before pressing his knee in between her legs, bending downwards to capture her lips once more. Eden was so lost in the ecstasy of his kisses; her mind blank. Except, ever so often, she’d think of something that would make her blood boil; her back arch and her kisses harder. 

A low, gruff moan escaped through Jean’s parted lips as his fingers ran their course across Eden’s body before reaching back towards her face. He tilted her head to the side, fisting her hair in his palm as his warm lips left a trail of sloppy kisses from the flesh behind her ear, along the line of her jaw and then against her neck. 

His kisses grew urgent as she felt his teeth scrape against the side of her neck, an unfamiliar pain shooting through her, causing her to pant out in delirium. He sucked on the sweet spot of her neck, the pain waking her up completely. She arched into him, wrapping her legs around him tightly, fingers gripping the longer strands of his hair as his name slipped off the tip of her tongue wickedly. 

Jean devoured her skin like she was the air in his lungs, inhaling the sweet scent of chamomile flowers that layered against her flesh. After a long moment of her neck feeling overwhelmed by the sensations of Jean’s tongue, lips and teeth; Eden pulled his head back towards her face, kissing him soundly. 

She slowed the kiss down; urging him to settle close to her; tending to the nerves emitting out of him. He rested his weight against his right forearm, whilst the other one continued exploring her body; her delicate mewls stimulating him. 

But, that was all the night had stored for the both of them. The taste of each other’s lips lingered several hours later as they slept in her bed; Jean’s arm wrapped around her waist possessively. 

“Shit. No no no…-” Eden huffed under her breath as she stared at the pale skin on her throat and the highly visible love bite that was painted. She continued swearing under her breath as she tried pulling the collar of her shirt upwards, only to fail miserably at concealing it. 

She decided her only option would be to put her hair partially up and leave a couple of strands to curtain the sign of intimacy shared between herself and Jean the night before. Glaring with displeasure at her disheveled appearance through the mirror; Eden turned to Jean who stood smirking at her from the edge of the bed. 

“I should beat you for this,” she muttered under her breath, kicking his shin with her boot. He chuckled lightly, standing up abruptly, fingers tilting her face to the side as he stared down at the love bite. 

“Oh no, I’m so scared. How am I going to sleep soundly at night knowing Eden Chiasa is out to kill me?” 

Eden scoffed, shrugging her uniform jacket on, straightening the fabric with her fingers. “You better be scared. Let’s go, Jeanie-boy, otherwise I’m going to write a letter to your mother and tell her you’ve skipped breakfast today.” 

It was her turn to laugh as he blew a sigh out in irritation, knowing very well that Eden would really do such a thing just for the fun of it. 

“I like your hair down like this, Eden,” Mikasa complimented her sweetly when they made their way to the training ground. Eden’s cheeks flushed and she began stuttering. 

“Yeah, thanks, it’s kinda cold outside today…you know what they say…protect your neck if you don’t want to…catch a cold…-” she finished off with an embarrassed chuckle, swearing at herself in her head. 

What the fuck Eden?? 

They spent the remainder of their morning training and running laps; until Hange stalked over to the group, loudly beckoning Eren; who in turn was followed by her fellow raven-headed friend. 

Her heart dropped down to her guts at the sight of the approaching, gloomy-looking Captain. He went over to every single individual, fixing their postures, commanding Sasha to stop talking and making Jean do more laps just for the sake of it. 

Finally, he reached Eden. 

He was about to speak when his hard glare fell onto her neck. His lips pursed and she awkwardly shifted her stance from one foot to the other. Levi craned his neck to the side, the muscles in his jawline clenching hard. 

“Alright, brat, let’s see how much you’ve progressed since the last time we sparred.” 

“But Captain, you’re hurt,” Eden began nervously, only to close her mouth swiftly when he nonchalantly brushed her words aside. 

“I think I’m fine without your medical expertise, you idiot.”

He didn’t allow her with a moment to collect her thoughts as he lunged at her. forearm squeezing her neck, blocking her airway. Eden used the fact that she was pressed against a tree- once more- to her advantage as she snapped her head to the side in the last moment, Levi’s knuckles colliding with the wooden surface. 

Levi gritted his teeth and Eden struggled to dodge all of the hits he sent her way. He was lethal and had incredibly quick reflexes. It irritated the girl, causing her to fight back harder; trying her very best to mimic his movements. 

After several heated moments of Eden getting absolutely destroyed by the Captain; she caught him off-guard and aimed a punch for his nose. His head snapped back and she could see a thin trail of blood trickle down into his mouth. He looked back at her in such a cruel, unfazed manner; craning his neck to the side; spitting the crimson liquid. He glared at her from his peripheral vision and she stared back at him, chest heaving, knuckles shaking. 

Levi’s head bobbed in affirmation ever so slightly; surprising Eden completely as she feeling of praise washed through her. 

But that feeling was quickly replaced with outrage when he kicked her legs from under her, causing her to topple to the ground. Within a matter of milliseconds, Levi was on top of her, ice-cold fingers squeezing at her throat. She watched him with wide eyes, ignoring the way small blood droplets fell against her skin. It was a complete parallel to the moment they had shared in his office less than twenty four hours ago; when the atmosphere was serene, heartwarming and perfect- to Eden. 

Instead, the air hitched in her throat as his thumb pressed against the purple blemish against her neck; imprinting his grip over it. 

Eden curved her body upwards towards his, gasping for air as her fingers urgently shot out to snake around his hand. She stared into his hooded, wild eyes through darkened blotches; trying her best to loosen his grip. 

Levi abruptly let go of her and she choked on the overwhelming amount of air seeping into her lungs. Her eyes burned with tears as she clutched the tender skin on her neck before pulling herself out from under Levi. 

Eden began walking away from him; only to turn her head back to catch his sorrowful stare over her shoulder. 

She halted, lips parting as her bottom lip trembled. Levi watched her carefully.

In the last moment, Eden let out a short, humorless laugh before walking off; feeling utterly helpless as the tears began bleeding down her face. 

Eden skipped dinner and sulked around in her bedroom. If she had hated looking at the love bite on her skin before; now she despised herself. Spending long moments in front of the mirror; staring in awe at the bruised handprint sketched across her neck. She could tell how much more pressure Levi had placed in his thumb as it brushed over the love bite meticulously concealed by the newly placed discoloration.

Not long after nine in the evening; a gentle knock echoed through her room. Eden heaved herself out of the bed and swiftly opened the door with a deep, darkened frown etched into her features. 

“Hey, we missed you for dinner?” Jean inquired, handing her a piece of bread. The fatigue-ridden girl gently pushed his hand away, smiling weakly at him.

“No thanks, I’m not hungry. I’ve decided to have an early night; with everything going on tomorrow…-” 

“What’s wrong with your neck?” Jean frowned darkly as he stepped closer to her, shoving her charcoal waves of hair behind her hair. 

Eden froze as his warm touch and her brain immediately bombarded her with fleeting images of the Captain atop of her; his unfaltering grip compressing her throat until she felt like she was at the brink of passing out. 

Flinching, Eden awkwardly shuffled away from Jean, wrapping her arms across her chest tightly. 

“It’s nothing. Just an accident that took place today during training. I’ll live.” 

“Did he do that to you?” Jean seethed, glaring down at the unwavering girl.

“If you mean by he, our Captain, then yes, Jean. We always spar. Today, I managed to catch him in the face and I guess he didn’t like that.” 

Jean shook his head slightly, staring at the darkened bruise cloaking over his love bite. His brown eyes narrowed. 

“No, that’s not it,” he muttered under his breath, more as a tale to himself rather to the girl before him. Then, he snapped his glare back to her face and knitted his brows in frustration.

“How the hell could you be so stupid?” 

Eden stared at him in dismay, her mouth open as she searched for words in response. “Huh? What are you talking about, Jean? How am I being stupid?” 

Her questions seemed to fall on deaf ears as Jean watched her, drowning in distress. His eyes fell once more to her tattered skin before he walked off; leaving a stunned Eden leaning against her bedroom door; the chills of the hallway air lacing over her skin. 

With wide eyes, she watched him retreat; the anger practically dripping from him.

Her fingertips brushed against her neck once more, sending haze of heat through her heart.

Tags:@idiot-juice-enthusiast @hadassackerman 

Link to the full story in AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28919136/chapters/70952145

Title: Love, In Other Words

Chapter 22 – F.U.N

In their new relationship – whatever that means – Chloe and Lucifer agree to take things slow…. Whatever that means.

Read Chapter 22 on AO3:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/35179738/chapters/92126554

Chapter 22/ 30 ; Chapter Length: 4,847words

Fic Length: 129,670 ; Language: English

Rating: E

View previous posts for category, warnings, and characters

Tags: slow burn, friends with benefits, pining, UST, smut and fluff, angst, sad Chloe, denial, POV, friends with benefits, vaginal sex, oral sex, Chloe’s inner voice is Lauren German, canon adjacent, dirty talk, risky sex

Read from Chapter 1 on AO3:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/35179738/chapters/87654103

Title: Love, In Other Words

Chapter 20 – Mum

Chloe meets the mystery woman and Lucifer invites himself over for a movie.

Read Chapter 20 on AO3:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/35179738/chapters/91723006

Chapter 20/ 25 ; Chapter Length: 4,915 words

Fic Length: 119,499; Language: English

Rating: E

View previous posts for category, warnings, and characters

Tags: slow burn, friends with benefits, pining, UST, smut and fluff, angst, sad Chloe, denial, POV, friends with benefits, vaginal sex, oral sex, Chloe’s inner voice is Lauren German, canon adjacent, dirty talk, risky sex

Read from Chapter 1 on AO3:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/35179738/chapters/87654103

RISE OF A SUN/FALL A STAR | harry potter au fanfiction series

ONE SHOT SERIES: a trip to diagon alley

character(s): draco malfoy | narcissa malfoy | lucius malfoy | asterope malfoy ( oc ) | maeve macleod ( oc ) | molly weasley | fred weasley | ron weasley | george weasley | ginny weasley | percy weasley | ollivander | elias black ( oc )

warning(s): main character ( asterope malfoy ) suffers from a ptsd flashback, minor violence recalled through flashback | draco malfoy is a kid and surrounded by his family thus he acts differently than how we see him act through harry’s perspective

summary: With the arrival of their Hogwarts letter, it meant that the Malfoy twins were off to Diagon Alley. Asterope Malfoy, marred by an encounter with a werewolf, has been the shame of her family so a trip to Diagon Alley meant being left in the care of their Squib maid. However, she will soon find out that being left with the Squib maid meant she could get away with things that her parents would never let her do like befriending the Weasleys and getting a pet cat.

small preview:

“I wonder what kind of wand Draco’s gonna get,” Mae says to Aurelia.

She shrugs her shoulders, studying her wand “M'not sure, probably something boring.”

Mae laughs and shakes her head “you seem real impressed with that wand of yours, wee moon.”

“Oh, I am,” Aurelia says, “I think Draco should be at Madam Maulkin’s right now, can we go there … I wanna rub it in his face that my wand is cooler than his is!”

“I don’t think he’s got his wand yet, wee moon,” Mae says.

“So, why would that stop me from bragging about my wand?”

“What if his wand ends up being cooler than yours?”

Aurelia snorts “As if… So, can we?!”

READ THE REST ON AO3 HERE!

BOOK SCREENCAPS: eye of the hurricane, book one| goblet of fire

❝Asterope Malfoy (Natalia Dyer), Neville Longbottom (Matthew Lewis), Cedric Diggory (Robert Pattinson), Ginny Weasley (Abigail Cowen), and Olivia Newton (Lana Condor)inHarry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.❞

READ ON:

READ HERE ON AO3||WATTPAD||FFN||QUOTEV

CHAPTER UPDATE:45 || DOUBT COMES IN

… Neville smiles back at her “I’ve always seen you as a good person.”

She gives him an appreciative smile “I know, Plant Boy,” she places both her hands against Neville’s chubby cheeks and adds in a a much softer tone, “Thank you.”

Neville inhales sharply, leaning forward and eyes fluttering shut, he wants to kiss her so badly. Aurelia smiles at the serene expression of Neville’s face before leaning in and kissing his nose then she quickly pulls away. Neville grins goofily, placing his hand over her bandaged hand and suddenly Aurelia’s eyes widen and she pulls away, jumping to her feet “Oh, shit!”

READ HERE:

READ HERE ON AO3||WATTPAD||FFN||QUOTEV

CHARACTER MOODBOARD: remus john lupin

❝It’s not your fault that our wedding was postponed, well it partly was but it’s not as though you can control when you almost die. No, Donna and I have postponed it because it seems that I’m not the only one with unresolved feelings for Sirius Black.❞

READ HERE ON AO3||WATTPAD||FFN||QUOTEV

CHAPTER UPDATE:44 || DUMBLEDORE’S ARMY

… “Shit,” Aurelia mumbles, glancing at her three friends “Do you think —”

“Smith,” Olivia says darkly, cutting off Aurelia’s question but still answering it as though she had known exactly what Aurelia was about to ask.

“It wasn’t me,” Zacharias mutters from behind them, “I’m not that much of a little bitch.”

The four girls turn on him, giving him dirty looks.

“That’s debatable,” Aurelia says, narrowing her dark eyes at him as she crosses her arms over her chest.

“Well,” Hannah mutters under her breath, “At least he’s self-aware.” …

READ HERE ON AO3||WATTPAD||FFN||QUOTEV

i finally got over my writer’s block for chapter 57 of make them gold and honestly it’s wild from start to finish and i love the chaos involved. also it’s where draco’s redemption starts, aurelia gets into a fist fight, and everything starts to fall apart for our dearly beloved, asterope.

CHARACTER MOODBOARD: bellatrix lestrange ( née black )

❝Do not get this wrong, Granger, you stand in the way of what I want and I will kill you. I play by no one’s rules.❞

READ HERE ON AO3||WATTPAD||FFN||QUOTEV

CHARACTER MOODBOARD: sirius orion black

❝You are not to blame for the actions of our family.❞

READ ON:

READ HERE ON AO3||WATTPAD||FFN||QUOTEV

BOOK POSTERS: Make Them Gold

—in honor of mtg reaching 47k reads on wp & 9 bookmarks on ao3

Asterope Malfoy had always wanted nothing more than to make herself gold, whether it meant being her parents’ golden child or breaking free from her family’s extremely dark and shockingly evil reputation. After being sorted into Hufflepuff, Asterope chose the latter of options, she changed her name, disowned herself from her family, and did everything her family wouldn’t do. The last thing she wanted was to wind up in the Triwizard Tournament, have a year long identity crisis, all the while falling in love with her best friend and yet, that’s exactly what happens.

While Asterope couldn’t have predicted that she would be tossed into a game of survival alongside Harry Potter, she should’ve known fate would have it out for her. After all it was well known that things never did go easy for the members of the noble and most ancient house of Black who tried to free or better themselves. Traitors to the Black family have met cruel fates dating back centuries and unfortunately, Asterope was no exception. She would find herself the centre of decade old prophecy that could end with her dying as a villain painted black rather than living as a hero made of gold…

READ HERE ON AO3||WATTPAD||FFN||QUOTEV

(message me if you want to be added! ) tag list: @ocfairygodmother@fyeahharrypotterocs@lost-in-the-shelves@giveourfuckingflamingosback

BOOK POSTERS: the rise of a sun/fall of a star series set

— inspired by vakarians ’s cover on wattpad

Esrom Riddle née Trelawney wanted her husband dead for what he did. The certainty of his death would be a long wait, at the hands of child no less. If Esrom Riddle played her cards right, it would be at the hands of his own flesh and blood, his worst fear. She didn’t care what she had to do, who she had to hurt or turn into a pawn to get what she wanted. Esrom Riddle never expected that her own pawns would play their own games, not even her third eye could have predicted the mess she made to ensure her husband’s death…

READ HERE ON AO3||WATTPAD||FFN||QUOTEV

(message me if you want to be added! ) tag list: @ocfairygodmother@fyeahharrypotterocs@lost-in-the-shelves@giveourfuckingflamingosback

RISE OF A SUN/FALL A STAR | make them gold

CHAPTER UPDATE:53 || PARACOSM

… “in which what’s meant for the greater good might not be the greatest good…”…

READ HERE ON AO3||WATTPAD||FFN

happy halloween!!! ( message me if you want to be added! ) tag list: @ocfairygodmother@fyeahharrypotterocs@lost-in-the-shelves@giveourfuckingflamingosback

IMPORTANT NOTICE

prudence sinclair hargreeves and the universe created for her AS WELL as carrie “011” and the universe created for her AND princess porcelain’s universe have been moved over to @bbrowningbooks for PERSONAL REASONS so if you want to read their stories and see edits for their respective stories follow @bbrowningbooks

AND THE STORIES ARE AVAILABE ON AO3 ( HERE!)

PRUE’S STORY LINK

CARRIE’S STORY LINK

PORCELAIN’S STORY LINK

RISE OF A SUN/FALL A STAR | make them gold

CHAPTER UPDATE:56 || SUNFLOWER GIRL + PLANT BOY, REPRISE

… “in which aurelia black finally admits her feelings to neville longbottom…”…

READ HERE ON AO3||WATTPAD||FFN

(message me if you want to be added! ) tag list: @ocfairygodmother@fyeahharrypotterocs@lost-in-the-shelves@giveourfuckingflamingosback@ocappreciationtag

CHAPTER UPDATE|chapter two: i will do anything for you

… “So am I, mi pequeña luciérnaga, it’s the last gift we’re going to have until all of you are grown and have your own kids!”

“That’s gonna be a long time, papá,” Moerai says in awe, eyes going wide as she pulls away from him.

Her papá chuckles “Indeed it is, Moe, but it’ll be worth the wait.”

Moerai nods in agreement “My kids will have the neatest gifts!”… .“

READ HERE ON AO3||WATTPAD||FFN

(message me if you want to be added! ) tag list:@ocfairygodmother@lost-in-the-shelves@farfallasunicas@claryxjackson@ocappreciationtag@toalltheocsivelovedbefore@giveourfuckingflamingosback

PLAYLIST RECS | did you get enough love, my little dove?

❝After her papá disappeared and her younger cousin, Mirabel, wasn’t blessed by the miracle, Moerai Marigal knew that her family was in shambles although they bury it under layers of denial. And then nearly a decade later, Mirabel starts claiming that the miracle is dying and it’s up to them to save it. But after all the miracle’s put her through, Moerai wonders if it’s worth saving.❞

READ HERE ON AO3||WATTPAD||FFN

• { encanto door from @mindplaceinspace}

( message me if you want to be added! ) tag list:@toalltheocsivelovedbefore@ocappreciationtag@lost-in-the-shelves@claryxjackson@farfallasunicas@giveourfuckingflamingosback@ocfairygodmother

CHAPTER UPDATE|chapter one: my little firefly

… “"You better not be encouraging Camilo’s antics, mi pequeña luciérnaga, you know that your Tía Pepa won’t like that.”

She hadn’t been playing games with Camilo today, he had recently been blessed by the Casita and his gift was that of shapeshifting. Herself, little Mirabel, and Camilo had been having a blast with his gift, much to everyone’s chagrin, since his birthday.

Moerai shrugs her shoulders nonchalantally “Tía Pepa doesn’t scare me, papá! ‘Sides, I don’t mind her storms.”

“Well, luciérnaga, she scares me,” … .“

READ HERE ON AO3||WATTPAD||FFN

(message me if you want to be added! ) tag list:@ocfairygodmother
@lost-in-the-shelves@farfallasunicas@claryxjackson@ocappreciationtag@toalltheocsivelovedbefore@giveourfuckingflamingosback

BOOK POSTER: my little versailles

❝With the gift to see into the past of a person or object, Moerai Madrigal had silently been deemed the more useful version of her papa, Bruno Madrigal by her abuela, although Moerai would hardly call her ability a gift. Since her fifth birthday Moerai has had to deal with the crushing weight of not being able to touch anyone she loves without seeing everything they’ve been through and she had to deal with the pressures of being a magical Madrigal.

After her papa disappeared and her younger cousin, Mirabel, wasn’t blessed by the miracle, it wasn’t hard to see that her family was in shambles although they buried it like the past under layers of denial and the five stages of grief. But somehow her family moved on in an unconventional way, Moerai stayed the same, always wondering when her papa would come back, wondering when it would be alright to talk about him again. And then Mirabel claims that the miracle is dying and it’s up to them to save it.❞

• { encanto door from @mindplaceinspace}

READ ON:

WATTPAD|AO3|FF.NET

( message me if you want to be added! ) tag list:@toalltheocsivelovedbefore@ocappreciationtag@lost-in-the-shelves@claryxjackson@farfallasunicas@giveourfuckingflamingosback@ocfairygodmother

RISE OF A SUN/FALL A STAR | make them gold

CHAPTER UPDATE:55||RETURN OF THE DEATH EATERS

… “in which aurelia black isn’t very good at goodbyes…”…

READ HERE ON AO3||WATTPAD||FFN

(message me if you want to be added! ) tag list:@ocfairygodmother@stefelias@lost-in-the-shelves@farfallasunicas@claryxjackson@ocappreciationtag@toalltheocsivelovedbefore@giveourfuckingflamingosback

back on my oaut bullshit ( aka the first show i ever obsessed over and the first show i wrote a fanfiction that i actually finished ) ( technically speaking i finished season one of the story before season two came out so it had an ending but i was gonna add more once season two was released but during that time i reread it ( i was 12 at the time and at the peak of my marianas trench phase ) and realised it sucked and went bye bye and threw it to the void.

however i am ( ten years later still a huge marianas trench fan and a ouat fan, especially the first two seasons ) getting back into that show again like i do annually and i want to rewrite ( for like the seventh time ) my ouat fic i wrote when i was twelve and cringey because listen the bones of the plot went hard my writing did not! SO here i am in 2021 rewriting my ouat fic!!

It will now be called

SHALLOW GRAVES FOR SHALLOW HEARTS gotta get that Ever After by marianas trench references in there because they’re the ones who started it all!! instead of porcelain because it sounds better and the MC is a heartless ( literally ) bitch who wants back her heart!!

( also please go listen to Marianas Trench’s album EVER AFTER because it goes so hard and it deserves more attention and there’s a fairytale story attached to it!! )