Some JeanCon for @tolkienlockianand@asphodelmeadowx. Thanks for always being two of the kindest people on the site. You’re both awesome!

Modern

• After years of living in a studio, Jean and Connie are thrilled to get an apartment with a separate bedroom. It’s not huge - their bed takes up most of it - but it’s a step up for sure. 
• It’s a really cute place. They are on the ground floor so they have their own little yard. Just enough space for a table and two chairs. 
• Jean makes breakfast for them every Saturday. Omelets, bacon, fresh pastries from Marco and Mina’s bakery, and coffee. They either eat in bed or in their little yard. 

• Connie works as a gym teacher and Jean is a photographer. Jean has less regular hours so he handles the grocery shopping. 
• Jean has done the yearly photos at the grade school where Connie works for the last few years. A few of the kids knew he was Mr. Springer’s husband and kept giggling. 
• Jean told Marco he was planning to propose to Connie. And Connie told Sasha he was planning to propose to Jean. And you bet Sasha and Marco got together and made sure Jean and Connie surprised each other by proposing at the same time. 
• They did it at Marco and Mina’s bakery. Mina manages to take a video of both of them kneeling and looking hella surprised by the other. 
• Connie and Jean get married in same barn that Sasha and Niccolo, Mina and Marco, and a few other friends got married in. 
• They got married in the fall, had burgundy and gold as their colors, and had a red velvet cake. 
• Jean and Connie did a Disney Cruise for their honeymoon. 
• And bought a little house a few years later. Nothing fancy. Two beds, 1.5 baths, with a nice sized yard. Their dog Missy loves the yard. 
• Jean and Connie are happy together. They love their little house, their dog, and their friends and family. And they love each other. More than they could ever really articulate. 

shit I got sad and happy at the same time….

Jean died, but now he can be together with his baby Marco

byallmeans1:

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 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

Chapter Fourteen

Training had become Eden’s life. 

She trained from the brink of dawn, up until Hange dragged her back into base for dinner. As the only member who had stayed behind from Levi’s Squad; she felt astonishingly stupid. 

When Eden wasn’t running laps or working on building her muscle strength; she cleaned anything she could find, and until her fingers grew raw. The windows were invisible, the floor was glistening, the banister free of even a grain of dust. There were a few Scout members who had also stayed behind at the headquarters; but Eden did not find the power to strike up a conversation besides a meek “hello” and a friendly “good night”. 

Her mind raced with thought of her last moments with the Captain. By the time she had woken up the following morning; Jean’s bed was cold and the atmosphere had altered into a grim, grey nightmare. Albeit sharing nothing more but a few hungry kisses; Eden felt both calm and guilt-ridden at the same time. Her mind was all over the place.

She avoided lingering anywhere close to Levi’s office, afraid it will bring back her dreadful memories to life. A stone-cold weight tangled around her heart, pulling at it uncomfortably as his dull eyes flickered in her mind.

Her muscles were constantly aching. Once the ache of her hard training began going away, Eden would grow exasperated and go train harder; whether that was going into the nearby forest and practice her ODM skills, or just finding any sort of exercise that would keep her mind at bay and her muscles in pain. 

But this one morning, she walked through the empty corridors; the other Scouts all laughing and sparring outside as Hange locked herself in her own office- memorizing all the information Eren had bestowed upon her with his new powers. 

Her dainty fingers curled through the thin fabric of her long skirt as her heart beat against her ribcage. She blinked twice before walking towards the Captain’s office, her hand coiling around the doorknob shakily. 

His office door was unlocked. But of course, no one would ever dare walk into Levi’s office without his permission. Why would he care enough to lock the door when it was a known fact that the person guilty of entering his personal space would suffer horrendous consequences? 

Eden’s eyes widened slightly when she saw the dim-lighted layout staring back at her. His office was in the exact same condition as when Eden had stormed out- a vortex of emotions reflecting in the mess around her.

She looked at the ripped map on the floor, the shards of china glittering across the floor from the cup she had thrown. Guilt washed through her as her lack of anger management scrutinized her.

Bringing all the cleaning products she could muster; Eden began tidying Captain Levi’s office quietly, her brows scrunching together when she bent over and picked up all the small pieces of the broken cup. 

The girl decided to look for glue and then spent a long hour sticking all the pieces together carefully. Once she was done, she twirled the cup in her fingers, picking up a black marker and scribbling a small “sorry :(” on the cracked surface, shaking her head as she gently placed the cup back onto its tiny saucer.

There was something incredibly peaceful that had washed through Eden during the time she spent cleaning Levi’s office. It was like all the wrath and outrage etched within her had slowly begun fading away every single time she had successfully cleaned one of his shelves; or when his desk became as spotless as it usually was. 

After spending a few hours locked behind her superior’s office door; she vaguely heard horse’s whinnies and people’s voices. Eden ran to the window, pressing her cheek against the cold glass as she tried to see the commotion. But, it must have been happening on the other side of the estate. 

She went to pick up the cleaning supplies when the sound of boots echoed behind the closed door. 

Eden froze. 

Without any rational thought, the agitated girl fell to her knees behind Levi’s grand desk; her head ducking as she waited for the footsteps to fade. 

But they never did. 

The front door slammed open as someone hastily walked in. The sound of their boots came to a halt. There was a short moment of hesitation before any noise broke through the silence. 

The door closed slowly. 

Eden held her breath until her lungs burned uncomfortably. The thought of Levi finding her behind his desk made her want to throw herself out of the window. 

She listened to rustling before a loud thud echoed through the room. The sleeve of his cream-colored jacket hung over the edge of the desk, brushing against Eden’s face. She pushed it away gently, heart stammering at the sight of dried up, unevaporated blood. 

Had he been injured? 

The rip of fabric and a low groan reverberated through the office. She peaked her head above the wood of the table. 

Levi stood with his back facing her, hair tousled; fidgeting with the grey fabric of his shirt that stuck uncomfortably to his skin. He clicked his tongue in irritation, huffing softly as he ripped the cloth covering the right side of his ribcage, where a large gash stood freshly opened against his pale skin. 

Eden rose to her feet, cheeks peppering with a faint blush.

Levi stiffened to the sound of movement; his head craning in her direction as he stared at her over his shoulder.

“Are you unaware of the term ‘knock before you enter’? That’s still a valid expression if you’ve decided to come through the window,” he said in a gruff voice, eyes narrowing as he watched her fidget behind his desk.

“I’m sorry, sir. I had no right barging into your office without your permission. I wanted to clean up before your arrival. I didn’t know you’d returned…” Eden offered in a low voice as she tried her very best to conceal the tremors in her speech. 

Levi ignored her and walked towards his desk, the ripped cloth pressed against the wound as it soaked with his blood. 

“You’re hurt,” Eden whispered, eyes widening at the blood. How could he walk around when it was clearly visible he was in no position to stroll around so carelessly? 

Levi scowled at her before glancing down at his concealed injury. He huffed under his breath. 

“Thanks for the heads up,” he snapped at her huskily, unfastening the ODM buckles wrapped across his torso. Eden could tell he was struggling to do so with one hand; but knew that he would never in a million years ask her for assistance. 

So she decided it was best if she did not ask. Instead, she stalked towards him and gently brushed his cold fingers away from the metal clasps; brows scrunching in concentration. Ignoring the jolt of electricity that rushed through her when she touched him; she loosened the leather straps. 

Levi stiffened and watched her wordlessly, mouth pursed tightly as his right hand pressed against the bleeding wound. Eden hurriedly finished and headed towards the connecting room after inquiring whether that was a bathroom- earning a tight nod from the Captain as he leaned against his desk awkwardly. 

After several moments, she emerged from the bathroom, bucket filled with warm water, a cloth and a bottle of transparent alcohol. Eden had also found a first-aid kit box filled with sterilized needles and thread and placed all of the items on the desk beside him. 

She didn’t have the time to stare at him; the defined muscles peaking through the ripped fabric of his shirt and his sunken, tired face because agony seeped through her at the sight of the smooth, red liquid tainting his skin. She submerged the cloth in the warm water, squeezing the remnant liquid out before pressing it against his skin. 

The cloth grew red almost immediately as she continued cleaning the site. 

Eden met his hooded eyes before pressing her lips together in a tight line. “I can suture the wound for you, if you want. It’ll hurt, but I promise I’ll try my best to be as quick as I can.”  

Levi had not flinched once during the whole cleanup session. He had watched her intently, grey eyes leaving her face only when he wanted to check up her method of cleaning the wound. “Go for it, brat.” 

The girl nodded in affirmation, urging her nerves to calm down as she reached for the needle. At this point her hair was messed up, her fingers were stained with Levi’s blood and her mind was spinning.

Never would she have imagined being the person tend to Humanity’s Strongest Soldier’s battle injuries. 

Her heart spasmed rapidly as she closed the wound, Levi’s fingers snaked around the throat of the alcohol’s bottle. He took a long swig, eyes closing as the needle made intricate contact with his flesh. 

Eden shoved the hair out of her face with the back of her hand; completely disregarding the wetness that smudged against her cheek. 

When she was done, she bent closer to his skin, cutting the thread with her teeth as her fingers pressed against his lean chest. She pulled away, inspecting her good work. 

She would never let him in on the fact that she had never sutured a human wound before. She merely had a passion for sewing from a young age and assumed she’d be able to stitch him up efficiently. Lucky for Eden, she was successful. 

Taking the bottle out of his grasp, Eden sent him a gentle smile before tipping some of the alcohol over his stitches. She watched in amusement as Levi’s expression contorted into one filled with pure rage as he glared at her, jaw clenching tightly. 

“Enjoy my suffering while it lasts,” he spat out at her, earning a breathy chuckle from his subordinate. 

“It’s okay, I’m done now,” she replied gently as she patched a layer of soft, cotton gauze over the fresh stitches. 

She glanced at him, smiling lightly as her blood began pounding in her ears. “There. Now you can go back to sulking and drinking tea.” 

Levi stared at her intensely, his grey eyes fixating on a certain place of her face. Eden’s cheeks pinkened as she imagined what a mess she looked like; tangled hair, scrunched up clothes, wide eyes looking sweetly back at him. 

The girl tried her best to keep the emotions away from her face as Levi reached over to grasp her jaw. Keeping her face secured in his grip; he tilted his own head to the side as his thumb grazed over her cheek. It moved slowly inward until his fingertip brushed against her lip. 

Eden’s breathing hitched in her throat as she parted her lips lightly; mesmerized by his captivating eyes once more. It was as though she was in trance, unable to look away as the only thing she could focus on was his hand on her face. 

She leaned into his touch ever so slightly. 

A long pause settled between them. It was both comfortable and incredibly nerve-wrecking. Eden did not know how to feel in that moment. 

She dropped her head when Levi pulled his fingers away excruciatingly slowly. Eden let out a low sigh before pulling herself to her feet, eyes searching his as he too, pushed himself off the desk. 

“I’ll head out, I don’t want to bother you any further,” she mumbled, pushing her hair behind her ear as she twisted her body towards the door. 

“I need to meet with Hange, anyway,” Levi replied in a cool tone, his indifferent mask back in place. Eden felt as though she could catch that mask crack every once in a while. Even if it was for a split moment. 

He shrugged his cape back on; concealing the wound with the velvet, green fabric before opening the door for Eden thoughtfully. 

Eden turned her head immediately as her blush deepened, clearing her throat hastily and thanking him under her breath. 

They walked side by side as Eden made her way to greet the rest of the Squad whilst Levi headed to Squad Leader Hange. 

Her hazel eyes widened as the familiar face of a boy always eager to see her came into view. He stalked up the stairs, cocoa eyes never leaving her face. 

“Eden,” Jean greeted her softly, bending over and brushing his lips against her cheek. 

The girl glanced at Levi would marched off; the muscles in his jaw tightly clenched. She blinked slowly as she watched him leave her sight; trying her best to brush the feeling of disappointment threatening to conquer her soul. 

“Jean, are you okay?” She stepped back, checking his uniform for any signs of bleeding. He seemed fine. 

“I’m alright. It was a tough couple of days- everyone in our Squad is fine. Can’t say the same about some of the other teams, unfortunately. You look…different.” he replied, looking away as trauma flickered behind his eyes visibly. Eden rubbed his arm reassuringly. 

“Don’t think about it. It won’t do you any good. I’ve had nothing better to do but train, so thanks. Would you like to go for a walk?” 

Jean searched her eyes in wonder, lips curling upwards as he played with a strand of her hair. 

“Already trying to get me alone, Eden? At least wait till I shower.” 

Eden scrunched her nose in distaste, shaking her head as she shoved Jean gently. 

“I’m just curious about what happened? I’ve never been on a practically week-long expedition. Must have been horrific?” They walked together towards their usual training spot, Eden’s ears perked up as Jean began telling her all about the last few days. 

Eden listened intently to the sudden, unexpected titan attack that ambushed their campsite on the second night. She hugged her knees close to her chest as the words of his memories trickled through his lips like a fairytale. 

They had found a gap in the wall, practically concealed by a nearby forest, large enough for 12 meter and shorter titans to come through. Eren had spent an entire days trying to build up enough force to seal the breach with the broken remnants of the wall. 

Finally, Eden had built up enough courage to ask Jean what has happened to Captain Levi. 

“I’m not sure, to be honest. One our way back, a few abnormals intercepted us. Captain Levi told us to go; he wanted to handle them and have us reach safety, I guess. After some time, he just came back on ODM, bloodied up and moody. You know how he is; but I heard he had gone to rescue some of the fallen comrades from the other squad. I think that’s when he got injured.” 

Eden’s skin dotted with goosebumps as she chewed on her bottom lip. How easy it was to be wiped out by a titan. Gone in the blink of an eye. 

She felt like she was about to physically be sick. 

“I want to talk about us,” Jean pulled her reverie back to the present; picking a chamomile flower and handing it to her. She took it gracefully, smiling warmly at him, eyes creasing.

“What about us, Jeanie-boy?” 

He rolled his eyes at the nickname, readying himself to throw a snarky remark Eden’s way. But she was quicker, blocking his words before he could open his mouth.

“I really enjoyed the night we were together. I feel…safe with you. I can’t really explain it. But I feel like I don’t want to put a label on anything just because of the circumstances,” she replied meekly, resting her chin on her knee. 

Jean smirked widely at her, standing to his feet and pulling Eden up from under her shoulders. “Fine by me, darling. But, this doesn’t mean I’ll be going easy on you during training.” 

Eden’s own full lips curled into a mischievous grin, grabbing his chin before pressing a gentle kiss on his cheek. “Thank the heavens, I was starting to think you’re going all soft on me.” 

They began walking back to the headquarters as the sky grew painted with every shade of orange, pink and red whilst Jean told her about Hange’s celebratory surprise scheduled later that night.

It was a campfire night. 

Hange had decided to treat her and Levi’s squad to a quiet night under the stars; in honor of Eren’s ability to seal the breach. They had plenty more information to uncover; but during the mission, it was established that there had been an extinguished campsite close to the breach. This led the superiors thinking that there must have been a few titan-shifting traitors amongst the ranks. And this could subsequently be tied to the female titan from a few weeks back.

Regardless, Levi’s Squad and some of Hange’s teammates sat around a large fire, the crisp nighttime air cooling their skin whilst the flames melted the cold away. 

Eden and Jean came a little later because they both went to their respective quarters and took showers. Sasha and Connie snickered upon their arrival, her three childhood friends smiled at Eden tenderly, Hange was too busy speaking to her second-in-command whilst Levi sat looking as bored as ever. 

Jean sat beside Eden on the bench surrounding the fire and Eden shifted uncomfortably. They had managed to sit down exactly opposite their Captain. So, wherever Eden looked, she would always be in his view. 

Her palms grew sweaty as the chilly breeze kicked in. She let out a low whistle, awkwardly turning towards Jean. 

“I’ll be back soon, I guess I should have brought my jacket…-”

“Here,” Jean shrugged his cream-colored Scout Regiment coat and threw it over her shoulders. Eden pursed her lips, thanking him under her breath as she looked down at her fingers in her lap. 

She didn’t know what to do. 

“Would you rather never eat potatoes or never eat meat?” Connie’s voice asked Sasha in a very serious tone. 

“That’s outrageous. I can just choose one and then just steal the other food when no one is looking,” Sasha replied in an equally solemn tone, crossing her arms across her chest. 

“I’d just choose meat and then beat the shit out of anyone who wouldn’t give me potatoes,” Eren responded in a cool tone, shrugging lazily when Mikasa shoved him with her elbow. 

“Ridiculous,” Levi muttered under his breath, slender fingers gripping his teacup in his own, peculiar way. He tilted his jaw the the side when Hange slapped her knee beside him, pulling him into a conversation.

The fire crackled and Eden grew hypnotized by the swirls of fire dancing before her. Over the flames, sharp, grey eyes glared at her. Eden stiffened, holding his stare levelly, raising a brow slightly. 

She jumped at the sudden motion of Jean’s arm settling around her shoulders. Looking up at him, Eden noticed the way his face was contorted into an irritated glower. Her arched brows bunched up together, her fingers flexing in exasperation. She cracked her knuckles, staring down at the tips of her boots, unable to brush the feeling of disappointment. 

Eden wanted to ask him how he was feeling. Whether he felt any pains in his wound. If he wanted her to redress and clean the injury tomorrow. She wanted to ask him whether she can accompany him on the next expedition; knowing damn well she would be of much more use fighting beside him rather than waiting for them to come home like a bored housewife. 

Most of all, she wanted to ask him why the hell she could feel his constant stares burning into her soul. Why his eyes were the only ones that made her feel like he could read her like an open book. 

She wanted to know when the hell her heart started hammering in her chest every time his face flickers through her mind or when she hears his detached voice that perfectly matched the deadpan expression he constantly carried around with him.

Eden wanted to know why he kept looking over and why that made her insides burn with an unfamiliar flame that threatened to burn her crucially. 

Big thank you to everyone supporting this story! Thank you for all the comments, reblogs, likes and follows! I appreciate every single one of you!! 

Tags:@idiot-juice-enthusiast

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

GREAT DESCENDANT — Pt. 1 Leather Journal

↪Attack on Titan series

↪content; warrior!reader, aged-up character, graphic description of violence, slow burn, season 4 spoiler

Tiny footsteps belonging to you echoed throughout the empty hallway. Your forehead scrunched as a bead of sweat trailed down your skin, but you dismissed the discomfort as you needed to find your father, wanting some explanation.

It was around four in the afternoon, and you were certain that your father must be occupying himself inside his study, probably enjoying his coffee as he read some reports regarding the military advance. You always wondered why he got all of that information even though he was not even in the military, but perhaps the book in your hand was the answer to your question, and you had to find out more.

You were used to running around this part of the mansion — since you would spend some of your time here with your father when he didn’t invite the military higher-ups or some of his business partners for a meeting together. Truthfully, you could have waited for later after dinner to confront him, but your mind was already fueled with curiosity that wouldn’t die without being given the right extinguisher.

So you scurry out within an instant, far from the east wing where the library was located to the west where your father would entertain his friends and colleagues. In your small journey, you took off your mules and ran barefoot, ignoring the gasp from the maid that you passed in the hallway.

Panting, you felt the exhaustion course through your body as you finally reached your destination. Some eyes regarded you with worry beneath their intimidating gaze, but they knew that you had been running out of breath before, certain that it was nothing serious.

Two guards were standing tall on each side of the door, guarding your father’s study against the outside, and you were certain there were another two on the other side of the door. They didn’t give you any attention or warning, so you knew that he was not in some kind of meeting or too engrossed with work.

Sucking a deep breath, you hide the book that you found behind your back before raising your hand to the wooden door, knocking it with your knuckles several times, soft yet enough that it would echo inside the room. You heard the rustling of papers, probably from some of the military letters that he read.

“Name and busi—”

“It’s me, pa!”

Your voice cut him off in a gleeful manner, holding yourself from bursting hundreds of questions. If you wanted to know the truth, you needed to play your cards right. Well, what could a six years old girl do? Anything of course, especially if you were the only child (for now) and your parents loved you like you were their stars in the night sky.

You tried to hide your smirk when you heard the audible ‘click’ coming from the inside, followed by the door opening simultaneously. The sun penetrated through the windows, lighting up the whole room and the hallway behind you. A pleasant smell of cedarwood filled your nostrils in an instant, the unique scent that you knew embedded on your father’s suit too since he spent the majority of his time here.

There was a massive round table in the middle of the room, one where you like to sit when your father was busy with work but wanted your company. You would sit there without a care and boredom since your nose mostly touched the paper book in your hand, too engrossed with whatever literature that you could find within his study.

You didn’t need to go back and forth from the east wing and grabbed some books there. Your father studies already engaging enough with a wide variety of history, self-improvement, and many other philosophy books. The room would be engulfed with silence if that happened, but the atmosphere was serene and comforting to both of you, making times fly past naturally and just felt right.

“Well, isn’t it my precious daughter?” He stood up from his plush leather chair, dark yet warm eyes never left your figure as you skipped toward where he was. His lips shaped into a gentle smile as he watched how giddy you looked right now, with both hands on your back as if you had a surprise for him.

It was indeed a surprise, but whether he liked it or not was another story.

“Pa, I need to speak with you!” Your bubbly personality was always so endearing. You were witty, smart, wise — his little rascal but still had a personality like a noble lady when needed.

“And what do you want to talk to me about, my little star?” He walked closer before kneeling in front of you, levelling his eyes with yours. “Something serious? Something playful? Or maybe you just want to talk to me since you missed your pa so much?” His smile turned into a little smirk, raising one of his eyebrows in a teasing manner.

You jutted your lips at his question as your hands clench tighter on the brown books that you found before. Your father waited for any kind of explanation, but you didn’t open up your mouth, not even a little. But you suddenly averted your gaze away, pupils shifting back and forth.

He blinked, trying to understand what it was that you wanted. Your father then looked past you, finding the guards inside the room. It left a question inside his mind at the moment, because you never once needed to talk alone as you always threw questions at him without caring if anybody heard.

This would be the first time, and he decided to indulge you with it.

“Guards, you can wait outside.”

“Sir, with all due respect—”

“Please.”

The two guards looked at each other before giving your father a salute, answered with a firm nod from him. You stood still with your eyes closed as you waited until the sound of footsteps started to fade, not realizing the scrutinizing look that he threw at you. The second you heard a gentle thud echoed in the room, you let out a breath that you subconsciously held.

You were alone now, with your father waiting for any syllables to come out from your lips. A few seconds ago you were so eager, ready to burst out all of the questions that popped inside your mind. But now, as he gazed at you with a look that you couldn’t fathom, you started to rethink your decision.

Would he mad at you for reading the book that he strictly said was forbidden to read? He always kept it inside a glass compartment, telling you that it was filled with a history of mankind. The truth that someday he would tell you. So would he be angry if you knew it now instead of later?

“You read the journal, my star?” You subconsciously dropped the book as you never thought he could see through you like that. Your hands were shaking behind your back before you tightly grip your bow’s dress, fearing that he would not let you walk inside the library ever again.

Seeing the distress in your eyes, he immediately rested his hand on your shoulder, squeezing it gently as if to make sure that you didn’t have to be afraid. That whatever you did, you always became his little star, the daughter that he loved so much. “It’s alright, sooner or later I will tell you all of it.”

His voice was calm as he picked up the book from behind you, opening it right in front of your face as he checked that in case some pages were wrinkled. You still kept your mouth shut, waiting for him to say something more — because for sure his words before were still not enough to calm yourself.

When he looked at you again, you were averting his gaze and decided to look down. So he closed the book and reached out for you, holding your much smaller hand as he brought you toward his desk. The silence was deafening as he didn’t say anything afterwards, making you have to focus on the footsteps to dwindle your concern.

His hand was warm as it engulfed yours, squeezing it softly here and there as he plopped himself to his chair. With how light you were, he picked you up and tucked you gently on his lap, wanting to make sure that you were comfortable since it would take some time to explain everything to you.

“Now, can you tell me what you already know so far?”

It was now that you finally dared to look up, curious about the expression on his face. You should have known that your father wouldn’t be angry at you, he couldn’t, at least not towards you. His face didn’t even show any sign of resentment, he just sat there, looking down, and waited until you were ready to talk.

“Almost everything, I guess.” You finally dared to speak up, yet it still sounded so timid. “That King Fritz was not our enemy, it was thanks to him that the war is over.” Continuing your words, you swallowed a huge lump. “And those people on the island, they are not demons, but they are exactly like—”

“Us.”

He finished your word without pause, knowing what you were going to say next like he always did. Your forehead scrunched at this, lips turned into a scowl as you tried to understand the world that you live in right now. All the war, the hatred that Eldians received inside the internment zone, if only this true story was out in the public then they wouldn’t get treated like that, right?

“B-But why do we hide this information, then?” You croaked out, not believing that your family concealed such truth. “If people knew that King Fritz was the one who wanted peace, if only the whole world knew that Eldians did not want anything but to live like a normal human, they were not going to be treated like this, pa!”

You were begging right now, needing some answer that could justify the choice they made. It felt awful, like someone had put a blindfold on you all your life, whispering to you that the world filled with hatred and that because of your ancestors, because of the blood that flows inside your veins and there was nothing else that you could do except living through the brutal knowledge.

But it was all a lie, because your family could have made a change in this world yet didn’t do anything about it.

Your father just sat there, listening to your cries and complaints. He knew from the start that you were someone that would do anything for Eldians to be free, he often saw you sneaking around and talked to the maids, after all, questioning about how their children were at home and many other mundane things.

He didn’t have the courage to tell you, the reason why he kept the information to himself when he was warned by the current inheritor. He didn’t have the courage to tell you what lies across the sea, what slept inside the walls that the king had made. As your father, he didn’t want his six years old innocent daughter to know that the fate of the world was in their hands — the Eldian.

His lips turned into a frown as he realized. No matter how much he wanted to protect you from this cruel world, no matter how much he just wanted you to live and be happy without a burden on your shoulder, he couldn’t grant his wish.

Because soon, you would be the one in the family who held the biggest responsibility.

“You would know soon enough, my little star.” He gulped down, dark orbs gazing at your face as he was so tormented from this fact only. Your beady eyes shone under the orange hue that slipped through the large windows, making you look even more innocent, an angel to him and his wife as he cradled you like this on his lap.

Soon, and he needed to start telling you now how much weight you would carry throughout your life. “Once you inherit the war hammer titan.”

“Wake up!”

You sat up straight as you tried to inhale the air bit by bit, feeling like your dreams that you had just stolen the oxygen out of your lungs. No, it was not a dream, it was a memory that you had with your father. The day when you knew the truth, the day when you knew your responsibility and how you needed to keep a blind eye over it.

And for sure, hiding the fact from everyone was the hardest part. Especially when you had these people you called friends as you invaded the island of Paradis with the mission to take back the founding titan. You wanted to tell them the danger, or how the people inside the wall were not as different from those in Liberio.

But you had made a vow to your father to keep your lips sealed, no matter how much you wanted to share it. And you were not going to break that promise, not when you knew there was a high possibility that you wouldn’t make it back alive.

“I am sorry, I should have been more gentle.” Your gaze still cast down your lap, wanting to control your emotion first before interacting with the other warrior. “Nightmare?” But his gentle, mature voice was so endearing you couldn’t help but lookup.

His forehead scrunched in worry as you realized that he squatted down right in front of you. Large hazel eyes scrutinizing your every movement, and you felt so bare with how he seemed like he could see right through you.

“I am fine, Marcel.” You answered him a matter of factly, not wanting to prolong the constant worry that he had for his fellow warriors. “Sorry, I will clean up the firepit and be ready in a minute.”

“Oh, no need. I mean— you don’t need to.” He stood up, reaching out his hand for you, and you took it despite the confusion that was written all over your face. “I already cleaned it up, so you just have to grab your bag and we will be ready to continue our journey.”

“Marcel!” You exclaimed, stomping your feet to the ground subconsciously as your eyes drilled on his skull. “It was supposed to be my turn!” And your outburst of course caught the others’ attention. “You always do something like this, making sure that everyone could leisure around while you did all the work.”

“(Y/n), I am sure that he—” The glare in your eyes now fell to another victim, the colossal titan inheritor, and you could see him flinch from just being the recipient of your glare. “N-Nevermind, I will just, uhm, check on Reiner if he is okay.”

And just like that, he scurried off to find his friend, not wanting to interrupt your little tantrum that he was sure would subside soon.

Bertolt knew you, you were always a little cranky when you woke up, at least that was what he could see by the past three days as he woke up with you not far from him. You needed at least a minute just opening your eyes without doing anything, and after that, you were good to go. So he understood why you seemed so extra for what Marcel did right now.

You continued to scold the older boy who just stood there scratching his nape bashfully and apologizing for what he did. He didn’t do anything wrong, but you just disliked the idea that someone did something that was supposed to be your job. Though you always said thank you before taking your leave.

Feeling that you had enough with boys, you walked to Annie who was currently nibbling at some sweets that you gave her before at the boat that brought the companion here. She seemed to see your little quarrel but decided to keep silent, waiting for Marcel to lead the way when he was done fanning his reddened cheek.

Three days had passed after Marley dropped you off to this cursed land. Everyone had so much expectation for this generation, and the fact that a Tybur took part in the mission brought so much hope to the Eldians in your homeland.

Your father was right about the burden that you were going to have. All the expectations set the bar so high for you. So for that, he prepared you to be a reliable and strong individual. Ever since the revelation, he pointed a lot of private instructors to teach you all the basic things about self-defence, archery, firearms, and swordsmanship skills.

You were shaped to be the Eldian’s saviour in Marley, ever since you were six. And you would make sure that all your knowledge and experiences would be put to good use.

Marcel told you about the plan, and for now, they all would rely on Bertolt and Reiner’s titan since it was the most destructive and save the rest for later days. When he first told you about the plan, the two of you were alone, he liked to discuss strategy first with you because your mind was the most mature of all of them.

And all the time he told you about it, your mind always thought that it was so wrong for him to ask for your advice. You wanted to tell him not to destroy the whole outer wall, just one district was enough and everyone could sneak in already. But you knew the chances to get in were lower if there was not enough damage.

So reluctantly, you agreed. You told him that he was brilliant, telling him that it would work for the warriors. And after that, everyone would enrol in the military cadet corps, some would graduate to be a survey corps, while the others joined the military police regiment. It would need a few years to get by, but it would be the safest and optimal route.

Just a few years here and you could come back home, reading books and annoying your father even more. Though you were sure that your mother would scold you for spending too much time with him, she would want you to go horseback riding with her while telling some stories about the family.

Yes, everything would be just like before, and you couldn’t wait for it.

Your eyes fleeting toward the brunette who walked in front of you, his hair swept to the back, reminding you of his brother that was the complete opposite of him in terms of personality. Marcel was gentle, compassionate, reliable, all the things that you would expect from an elder sibling. Meanwhile, Porco was aggressive, emotional, and somewhat a little rude when he talked.

And the big difference between Porco and Marcel that you knew, was the fact that the younger brother despised you. The blonde often threw shades and mockery, telling you that you were not like them, how you were a spoiled kid, and could never understand what Eldian really feels with all the privilege that you had due to your last name.

But that didn’t stop you from wanting to befriend him. You could see through his harsh facade, he was actually gentle inside and cared deeply for all the warrior candidates. He even let his guard down that day when they knew Reiner would be the armoured titan inheritor instead of him, letting you sit beside him outside the headquarters as he let out a sob.

He wept silently when you put your hand on his back, comforting him through the single touch. That was the only push he needed before breaking down in front of you, cursing himself for not being a better candidate, that it was his fault for being too confident in his skill and not trying harder to get the military’s attention.

Oh, if only he knew. If only he knew the real reason why he was not here.

It felt like it happened such a long time ago despite knowing a month just passed ever since. You wondered what the other warrior did right now, more accurately, what was he doing right now. Maybe he had lunch with his family, or perhaps beating himself to the pulp and kept on training until he couldn’t stand anymore.

Knowing that was enough to make you frown since you really cared for him, and to think that he blamed himself for his failure broke your heart even more. Every time you walked, there was an extra weight on your chest as an ivory shark tooth pendant grazing your skin, reminding you of your days in Marley once again.

Especially the day when you received the necklace, something you never took off ever since.

And now as you walked right behind Marcel, you could only imagine that the brown strands were blonde instead. But you shook your head after that, knowing for certain he would have a longer lifespan, that he wouldn’t have to carry so much burden like the rest of you. He could enjoy his life, and that was what caused Marcel to put Reiner on the pedestals instead of him.

You didn’t remember since when you were getting left behind. Of course you could still see the fellow warriors in front of you, but they were a few meters ahead from where you were. It happened a lot, so you didn’t really complain since they knew sometimes you would need alone time.

It was not like there were titans around anyway, the Marleyan Military had assured you that the titans would only be there near the outer wall. So everyone should be saved since it was still halfway through the journey, no one needed to worry and be too on guard for now.

At least that was what you believed until you saw a large shadow looming from behind you.

The silence was deafening when you felt the air sucked out from the space around you, leaving you to stand there alone as you slowly lost the ability to breathe. Fear, that was what you felt right now as your mind could only conclude one thing — there was a titan, right behind you.

No, you still needed to finish your mission. You had promised your father that you would come back to him, you had promised your mother that you would come back home intact, even if it needed you a few years to grant that, as long as you could see them again, it was alright.

As long as you could come back and see him happy and living a beautiful life even when your term was going to end, it would be fine.

But you were glued to the ground, your muscles tensed and you couldn’t move your limbs to run, or just to evade that gigantic hand which now ready to crush your small body with its hand. Yet despite all that, you felt a strong push coming from your side, pushing you out of the way and snapped you back to reality.

You saw Marcel, his dark brown hair dishevelled as now his torso engulfed in the hand of a titan. He looked distressed, panicked, and he flailed his body around as he tried with all his might to survive, despite an impeccable fate that he already knew deep inside his heart.

No one knew where it came from, one second they were chatting, and the next as Marcel saw a titan running toward you, his feet moved on their own with one goal to reach for you. You couldn’t see it, you just gave him an empty look as you were just deep in thought a moment before.

He knew that you would be too shocked to understand what happened, he knew that you couldn’t move away when you turned to see what was standing behind you. And there was something inside his soul that boosted him to run faster, pushing you away as he decided to replace you.

“Come on, let’s go!”

He heard Reiner shouting at you who was still sitting on the grass, eyes focused on him as you tried to wrap your head around you. There were tears in your orbs when Bertolt and Reiner pulled you away forcefully, your legs even wobbled, and that was when the ravenette decided to hoist you up over his shoulder.

Marcel heard the shout, the pleading in your voice as you called out his name. The others were running to safety, but he could still see you as your hand stretched out for him, not believing that you would lose him like this.

“(Y/n)!” He screamed with all his might, hoping that you could hear what he said. Wide teeth already surrounded his head, and it was a matter of time before his world turned black. So he needed to say it, he needed you to tell his brother that his job was done for now. “Tell Porco I did it!”

Then he was gone as the jaw of the titans closed with his body in between it. He died in the hand of a titan who no one knew where it came from. You should have been cautious, no matter what, this island was filled with titans and you shouldn’t have trusted whatever the Marleyan Military said. And it should have been you, not him.

Your eyes never left the scene as you saw Marcel being devoured alive, starting from his head, slowly down to his hip. The details were so vivid and you were sure it would be engraved in your mind for as long as you lived. This would be your constant nightmare, reminding you every day what a cruel world you lived in.

And you didn’t know if you were ever ready — if someday you met a circumstance when you had to face Porco, knowing that his brother died saving you.

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Shingeki no Kyojin: The Final Season

Episode 69 end card by Makita Kaori