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.
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Eden felt it deep in her bones that an expedition would be thrown at them soon. It kept her up at night, tossing and turning as she wondered how many lives would it cost for them to trudge beyond the walls once more.
She decided pushing herself during training would have been the best way to exhaust her thoughts. She sparred with every single squad member for hours on end. Then, she’d run laps until her muscles would give out and she no longer had any physical power to contemplate anything.
“Get into pairs,” Levi had snapped one of those days, flexing his arms against his chest as he impatiently waited for his subordinates to match up. Jean raised an eyebrow as Eden shuffled towards him, smoothening her hair down as she cocked her own brow.
“I’ve decided I want to keep today’s sparring session relaxing. I can’t be bothered to put in much effort, no offence.”
Jean snorted in response; whacking Eden on her arm. “None taken. I can’t exactly be afraid of a toddler dressed up in soldier attire.”
Eden tried her best to feign offence, but his comment made her burst out laughing. She kicked him in the shin when she finally calmed down and caught Levi’s glare with her peripheral vision.
The girl took a deep breath, clenching her fists as she viciously began the sparring session with Jean. He was quick to move out of the way and she was faster at calculating her next move. It pleased her immensely when she managed to topple him to the floor, albeit their difference in body mass and size.
“You’re lucky you’re just cute and I feel bad I might hurt you too badly,” Jean coughs as he grabbed Eden by the hand, using her as an anchor to pull himself up. She grinned widely at him, shaking her head as she stretched lazily.
Connie and Sasha were messing about, Mikasa was with Eren, Krista and Armin were together whilst Levi watched over the pairs with extreme distaste.
Or perhaps it was just boredom.
She listened to Levi correcting Connie’s stance and scolding Sasha for fooling around. Her amber eyes flickered away awkwardly back to Jean when the Captain’s own hard glare shifted towards her. Eden’s guts twisted uncomfortably and she wanted to heave.
The vivid dream from a few days ago had also plagued her mind. It felt incredibly real, as though it was Levi’s real fingers dragging against her flesh as she had panted under him. The coldness of his touch made Eden’s spine shiver, goosebumps peppering against her skin.
Her cheeks were always a tainted peachy shade and it was incredibly difficult for her to maintain eye contact with him for a long period of time. Thus, she decided it was best to avoid him as much as possible.
“Eden, let’s go eat; we can train again later,” Jean pulled her back into reality, his hand squeezing her waist gently as she blinked slowly.
“Alright, I guess you’re a masochist or something. I don’t know who else would want their asses kicked by a toddler,” Eden deepened her voice, mimicking Jean who in turn chuckled lightly.
“Maybe I’m just into strong women who are able to defend themselves,” he replied back cynically, the corners of his lips tucking into a wicked smirk. Eden rolled her eyes, freezing her movements when she heard Captain Levi’s cool voice from behind them.
They saluted him formally and he nodded back stiffly. The wind ruffled Levi’s hair as he marched towards them, the strands flickering before his eyes- not that it seemed to bother him.
“You’re dismissed,” he scowled at Jean, jutting his chin back towards the castle, wordlessly commanding him to leave. The younger boy hesitantly accepted his order and left sulkily, glancing back at Eden who reassured him with a smile that never reached her almond eyes.
“When you’re done, come to my office brat,” Levi instructed her in a composed manner; his eye twitching at the sight of her wordlessly staring down at her boots as she followed him back to the headquarters.
Her silence irked him deep down, but his indifferent mask stood stoically against his face. Levi brushed past her when Eden glanced at him quickly before mumbling her affirmation. She watched him stride away, the confidence in his walk practically oozing out of him; his white shirt clinging to his body exquisitely. Eden felt her heart strain painfully as she stood staring at him walk; deciding she’d take a longer path back to base.
With folded arms across her chest, Eden intently listened to Armin share his strategic plans with the rest of the group. They had all gathered in the Captain’s office, the parchment map neatly sprawled against his impeccably polished desk; Hange, said Captain and the rest of the squad circled around it.
Armin nervously spoke, stuttering every once in a while, completely captivating his audience with his scheme talk. A few chosen squads- including part of Levi’s Squad- would venture out into the openness of Titan territory within Wall Maria.
There had been countless reports along the Wall Rose claiming there had been a surplus amount of humanoid creatures seeping towards human territory from the South-East direction.
It was a risky mission Commander Erwin had bestowed Hange- who in turn decided Armin was fittest for cooking up a plan of action. Eden’s heart faltered slightly as she thought about all the poor souls destined to lose their lives the following day. She contemplated whether there was someone else who was currently thinking about how they’re probably standing beside someone who’s got less than twenty four hours left in their hourglass.
Hange took over when Armin was done with his share of opinions. Eden caught his stare and smiled warmly at him; the twitch of her lips faltering as her grim thoughts infested her mind. He grinned back at her, nervousness abstracting him from catching onto her contorted, saddened face.
“This is a highly significant mission that could ultimately lead us one step closer to find out the secrets laying in your father’s basement,” Hange broke Eden’s reverie as her eyes settled on the key resting against his chest. “We’ve supposedly sealed Wall Rose’s breach. But, if the claims are true and there is a sudden increase in titan sightings; then maybe something else is going on,” Hange stroked her chin idly as she stared down at the faded parchment.
A haughty “tch” slipped out of Levi’s lips as his grey eyes finally ripped themselves off the map.
Once the meeting was adjourned, everyone made their way towards the exit of his spacious office and Eden followed sulkily. She missed being on the battlefield, knowing her actions could someday bring humanity closer to freedom; but she was deathly afraid of being paralyzed by grief once more. She cringed at the thought, her slowly footsteps leading her closer to the threshold. Until he called out her name.
She tilted her chin to the side, staring down at the floor from the corner of her eye before listening to him irritably command for her to turn around and face him.
Eden closed the door softly, trembling fingers engulfed around the icy metal of the handle, her hand flexing behind her back as she made her way closer to his desk.
Her lungs began burning intensely as her cheeks flamed up upon meeting his levelled stare. She forced herself to hold his gaze, blinking back at him through velvet lashes. Levi’s jaw clicked, the muscles in his mouth growing tense.
“I must say, you seem to be slacking,” Levi began, watching her carefully from behind his chair, fingers brushing against the headrest. Eden’s own bones clenched, her full lips concealing the way her teeth grinded against each other.
“Instead of improving your skills; your result levels are mediocre and stay the same…dare I say they’re worsening by your lack of concentration.”
His words hurt her wounded ego. Each syllable hurt more than the previous one- like salt being continuously pouring into an open gash. Eden’s knuckles grew as pale as the parchment still spread across his desk.
“I don’t understand. Why didn’t you tell me this sooner? I could have worked on everything today,” Eden inquired in a sharp tone, ignoring the glare he sent her way.
“I guess I just came to the conclusion now. I think your skills are lacking and it seems like your concentration levels are far off, brat. It’s sickening to think that a fellow comrade could potentially lose their life because you were too busy daydreaming about other things,” Levi replied in a venomous tone, his monotonous voice making everything sound even worse to Eden.
She stared at him wide-eyed and in horror. “With all due respect, Captain, but what the hell? I’ve proven myself to you countless of times; I’m ready to lay my life down if it meant saving others from that fate. I would never, ever allow myself to lose focus, especially during a life-or-death situation…”
“You should sit out of this mission. Spend the time thinking over your faults and then depending on the outcome, I’ll decide whether you’ll join us on the following expedition,” the Captain coolly cut through her words, craning his head to the side as he rubbed the bridge of his nose in irritation.
His nonchalance made Eden seethe.
“Why do I have to sit out of this when I’ve demonstrated that I can handle this? I don’t want to stay here…-”
“This is an order, Eden, we’re not negotiating here,” he lashed out at her, albeit his consistent, unbrokenly-calm reverie. “I will not have anyone killed out there because of you.”
His words poisoned her heart. She was so taken aback, she physically had to force herself to stay on her feet- her mind growing murky. Her mind flashed back to Petra and Oluo, Eld and Gunther.
“Excuse me? Are you actually trying to insinuate that the death of your comrades were my doing? I was smashed against a tree by a 14-meter tall titan and you’re really going to turn around and blame their deaths on me?” Eden’s voice came out high-pitched and broken as she slowly edged closer to the desk.
“After you saw how hard it was for me to accept their deaths, you’re going to turn round and saying the one thing I never thought I’d hear you say…” Eden’s eyes burned with tears as she violently blinked them away, the familiar anger Levi so comfortably sparked inside her grew lit once more.
She shook under her clothes, the tremors sending jolts of adrenaline through her as she desperately tried to keep her cool; to no avail.
His words had caused a different type of heartbreak within her soul.
She extended her arms to keep herself from falling, her body leaning in over the desk as she stared at him through infuriated, betrayed eyes. “How dare you try to blame this on me?”
Levi finally looked back at her, his own grey eyes enlarging ever so slightly as he met a pair of hazel eyes filled with an unfamiliar fire that he could swear he had never known before.
He challenged her wordlessly and it took all within her not to flinch and break under his stare.
But Eden knew her limits and when he scoffed under his breath; that border was long forgotten and overpassed. She ripped the map off the desk, hauling it to the floor before grabbing the empty tea cup and smashing it against the wall behind Levi.
The man did not flinch as he watched Eden stalk around the desk, her expression contorted into one revealing immense anger.
“You keep telling me you want to see me fight and give my all, right? Well, let me prove to you that I’m a soldier who’s willing to sacrifice myself for the sake of the greater good.” Eden aimed to punch his face, wincing slightly when he casually seized her wrist, twisting her round until her back collided with his chest. His hot breath tickled her neck as she writhed against him.
Using her elbow, she shoved the bone into his ribs and used the one split millisecond she had whilst Levi was recoiling to spiral out of his arms and aim a kick towards his face.
But no matter how unanticipated her moves were, Levi was always one step ahead of her. She snarled in frustration as he blocked her upper-cut punch, both of his hands pressing against her collarbones as he shoved her hard against the wall; knocking the wind out of her lungs.
He snaked his fingers around her wrists as he pinned them against the wall, forearms pressing against her arm as she shuffled between him and the wall.
“Are you going to behave or do I need to tie you up, brat?” Levi muttered, tilting his head upwards, eyes holding hers as he kept Eden pinned with enough force to make her limbs go numb.
She huffed under his grasp and suddenly it dawned to her how incredibly foolish she had been acting. But his words, his indifferent tone; it caused her so much pain, she didn’t feel like she had it in her heart to ever forgive him.
Eden could practically taste the tension in the air. It settled around them like fog, clogging her lungs and her ability to think properly. Her chest rose and fell rapidly, heart voraciously beating against her ribcage.
The girl was close enough to see that Levi’s eye color was a concoction of grey and blue. She searched every inch of his face as he immobilized her against the wall, iron grip never faltering.
Hazel eyes flickered towards downturned lips causing her own lips to part slightly.
Scrunching her eyes shut, she shoved him hard and he stumbled back. Eden stared at him dumbfounded; completely not expecting his steps to falter. This was perhaps the first time she had caught him off guard.
She darted towards the door, gasping shakily when Levi grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her away from the exit.
“You don’t just start shit like this and then leave whenever you please,” he growled under his breath, brows scrunched together as he clenched his jaw tightly. Eden pulled her arm out of his grasp, glaring back at him before turning to head towards the exit at a faster pace.
Edging closer to the door; she violently spun around by the grip he inflicted upon the back of her neck, pulling her back towards him.
“Don’twalk away from me,” Levi said through gritted teeth, watching in wonder as Eden’s face reddened in fury. She shook her head forcibly and grabbed his hand. He stared at her haughtily as she yanked his hand off her skin before sprinting out of the office.
She vaguely heard Levi call her by her name and after reaching a few meters outside his office, she slammed into a tall lean figure.
“Eden, what the hell?” Jean asked in a perplexed voice as he pulled her back onto her feet; his grip tightening when his gentle eyes met the hard glare of the Captain.
Jean’s eyes shifted from Levi’s menacing stare to Eden’s troubled ones and with gritted teeth, he went to step towards their superior.
Eden leaped in front of him, gripping his sleeve tightly as she wordlessly told him he was about to make the gravest mistake of his life. Jean hesitated, but nonetheless took a step back; his insides burning with immense rage when Levi’s brow raised in a vexing way.
The girl continued pulling at Jean’s sleeve silently, leading him away from the Captain’s office. She craned her neck to peak back towards him; his stone-cold eyes meeting hers before he slammed the door of his office shut.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” Eden repeated after Jean continuously urged her to reveal the outcome of her hour with Levi, but no matter how hard he pressed her, she did not back down. “Just a stupid quarrel. He told me to sit this expedition out instead of joining you guys tomorrow…”
Jean huffed under his breath as he walked her back to her bedroom. His forearm rested against the frame of the open door as he stared down at Eden with a frown.
“I can stay and hang out with you, if you’d like?” Jean muttered out as she wrapped her arms around his waist.
“No, Jeanie-boy, you need to rest, you have a long few days ahead of you.” He rested his arm around her shoulders as he pulled her closer.
“Admit it, you’ll miss me.”
Eden smirked as she pulled away gently, biting on her bottom lip. “Maybe just a little bit.”
Bidding each other good night, Eden closed the door lightly before changing into her oversized shirt and shorts and throwing herself into bed.
Hours had passed and she could not stop thinking about everything. About the expedition, about Levi…and then Jean…and then Levi again. She groaned, thinking back to Jean’s words earlier that evening.
Quietly padding through the dead hallways, her heart ached as she thought back to her altercation with Levi. It took all within her not to swerve her body into his offices’ direction as she continued straight ahead.
The girl quietly waited outside his door until it slowly cracked open.
“Eden?”
She looked up at him, blinking at the sight of his bare, lean chest, the way his muscles rippled when he stretched.
“Jean, do you want to hang out?”
He groggily rubbed his eyes before letting go of a breathy laugh, moving to the side, admitting her entrance. He was dressed in just sweatpants, the v-line on his body highly defined. It made Eden’s cheeks grow pink as she silently thanked the dimness surrounding them.
Pulling her knees against her chest, Eden settled her back against the wall as Jean leaned back against his headboard. The sat in comfortable silence until his deep voice brought her back into the room.
“Listen, are you sure you’re okay? I swear, if that man tried to hurt you in anysort of way, I will…-”
“I already told you, it was nothing. You know me, I just get upset very easily and I don’t like being put into time-out,” she replied hastily, running a hand through her freed locks as Jean watched her. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to risk your position in his squad just for me.”
He snorted, lips curling upwards mischievously. “Maybe I’m just using you as an excuse to fight with the Captain and then once I get kicked out, I’ll form my own squad. Then, I’ll have you recruited.” Eden laughed at his words, gently shaking her head as he scowled at her.
“Yeah, you’re right. As if Levi would allow me to transfer you into my own squad.”
“Oh sure, because that was the only fault in your plan, right?”
“Yeah yeah yeah,” he brushed her words away as he chuckled and she moved to swat at his arm. But, Jean was quicker and he pulled Eden closer to him by her arm.
Her eyes widened when she realized that she was straddling him. She awkwardly settled against him, causing him to grip her by the waist to stop her erratic movements. His fingers flicked the hair off her neck, settling around the curve of her throat.
“What are you doing?” She sighed out when he tilted his head to the side, pulling her closer to his face by her neck.
“I just wanna see something,” he muttered, thumb brushing against her jawline. Eden let out a low, shaky breath as she kept her eyes settled against his.
Jean swiftly captured her lips with his own. The kiss was tender and gentle. It made Eden melt away within the comforts of his bedroom; far away from the unknown deep waters that’s every other aspect of her life. He pulled her closer by the waist, his toned arm snaking around the small of her back as she shifted in his lap.
A moment later, she ripped her lips away from his, gasping for air; her forehead pressed against his as he waited for her patiently, eyes closed, taking in her sweet taste.
Eden’s arms were looped around Jean’s neck, her chest pressed against his as her face scrunched up at the forbidden thoughts beginning to plague her mind. She wanted to cry out in frustration as her mind imagined stone-grey eyes glaring at her.
She swore she could taste unsweetened black tea on her lips as her mind messed with her, bringing out images of Levi. His captivating stare, his constantly downturned lips, the dark circles under his eyes made Eden feel nauseous with emotions.
Her lips collided with Jean’s in a harsher, more vicious manner. It was as though she no longer needed to breath, she needed something more to succumb to her unquenchable, carnal thirst. Soft moans and mewls escaped in between her heated, desperate kisses as she tried to rid herself of the intensely grey, sunken eyes that could not be erased from her mind.
Jean let out a groan when she tucked on his hair, feeling his sharp undercut graze against her fingertips. Through closed eyes, Eden imagined the stark contrast of straight, charcoal-black hair against her pale fingertips; forcing her grip to grow stronger.
Her brows were scrunched together and her eyes were tightly squeezed shut. A single teardrop managed to wet her velveteen lashes as she drowned in the idea of her lethal Captain under her.
Yes, this is a Levi x Reader story. But, in this household, we take the enemies-to-lovers/ slow burn tropes v v v seriously. Stick around for more and thank you to everyone who’s taken the time to read the story! xx
Waking up early, long training sessions, cleaning, spending some time around Eren and Hange, more cleaning. It was a never-ending cycle that fatigued Eden more than any of the expeditions they were sent to.
However, the charcoal-haired girl could never stop thinking about that blurry mess of a night. Her stomach flipped as the blood in her veins warmed up; blotches of memories snapping into her mind at random points during the days and nights. She couldn’t tell whether the moments in which she randomly woke up during that night with Levi’s arm wrapped around her tightly as he dozed off beside her were mere fragments of her imagination.
Nonetheless, it didn’t matter because once she truly awakened in the morning; he had already moved away. Walking back towards her; Levi tossed her a water flask when the effects of the whiskey lingered at the back of her skull.
The strangest thing of all was that everything seemed perfectly normal between the girl and the Captain. They continued on horseback and reached the headquarters just as the sun had waved its goodbyes.
Levi had given her the reins of his horse and asked her to tend to their animals as he stalked off back to his office to note down the strangeness of this mission and report back to Commander Erwin.
No breach.
Not even one titan jumped in their way. It was truly a peculiar notion that managed to imprint in Eden’s mind as she thought over that fact.
Yet, a week and a half later, the remnants of that night still managed to crawl back into her consciousness.
She lay on a white bed in a lace, black dress with her hair down. Her waves were like a halo around her head. Looking up, she met her reflection in a mirror above her and she made a face, hardly able to recognize the girl staring back at her.
Jean appeared, smiling gently down at Eden as he took her dainty fingers, lacing them with his larger ones, pinning her arm above her head.
Eden stifled a sigh, closing her eyes and leaning into his touch as his free hand trailed over the softness of the flesh against her cheeks, her jaw, her throat, her collarbone.
He drew a map against her skin, head leaning downwards as his lips brushed the corner of her mouth.
“I knew you couldn’t resist me,” he groaned against her skin as he fervently pressed kisses down her jawline, Eden’s fingers lacing through his dirty-blond hair. He pressed his knee in between her legs and she stifled a groan, fingers flexing against his hair as she squeezed her eyes shut.
Suddenly, his kisses grew harder, his fingers grew more desperate as they locked into her hair, tucking her head to the side, allowing him more access to her exposed throat.
“Can’t stop thinking about me, can you brat?” A cold, impassive voice drawled against her skin. Eden’s hazel eyes snapped open at his voice, her lips parting as she stared up into the mirror.
Instead of seeing Jean’s light hair gliding through her fingers, she saw Levi’s soft, raven strands of hair perfectly contrasting her pasty skin. She felt her fingertips brush against his sharp undercut as he glided his tongue against the columns of her neck and her back arched into him.
He pulled away, grey eyes staring down at her indifferently before settling on her lips. He leaned over, his face edging closer and closer as Eden’s heart began racing, the threat of having it rip through her chest becoming very realistic.
Eden woke up with a gasp, her blood pounding in her ears as her forehead lay covered in a slick of sweat. She felt heat coiled up inside her as she squirmed uncomfortably under her sheets, her mind completely void of everything but the most real dream she had ever experienced.
She fanned her face, gasping for air as her head slammed back against the pillow. Her mind flickered to Jean…and then to Captain Levi. She groaned, hiding her face with her arm. She couldn’t bear meeting his eyes.
Perhaps ever.
Waking up before the first raw sunlight rays, Eden dressed in her uniform and hastily went about with her morning routine. She practically tripped down the stairs when Jean sweetly greeted her from behind.
“Morning, Jean,” she began, saluting him awkwardly before mentally slamming her head against the wall.
Wrong man.
He laughed at her and casually threw his arm over her shoulder, walking down the stairs with her. “Eden, I know we’ve been busy and everything; but we need to talk. I feel like you’re avoiding me or something.”
Eden’s eyes flickered around the empty foyer as she quickly thought of a response.
“Not at all Jeanie-boy, but I do need to go,” she blurted out, stepping away from Jean when he made a face. “I need to go clean the stables today. That’s why I’m up so early, I wanted to get a head-start before the horses wake up.”
He stared at her as though she had grown out a second head. She let out an awkward, high-pitched laugh. “Live a little- go for a stroll and I’ll catch you later.” Turning on her heels, she sprinted out of the castle, completely ignoring the way Jean watched her go with a deeply confused frown etched upon his face.
“Oh really? So, you complain when I make you clean, but then you spend the entire day here scrubbing horse shit on your own?” Levi’s voice made the girl’s eyes widen as she suppressed a groan.
It took her a moment before she slowly turned back to face his standing form at the entrance, bored expression present, folded arms against his chest. Luckily for her, she was done and so she immediately assumed that it wouldn’t be obvious if she slid past him hurriedly.
She paced towards the exit, shrugging her shoulders comically as she looked down at her boots, hair acting like a thick curtain concealing her bright red cheeks. Her palms were sweating and it didn’t help feeling his cold glare drilling through her skull.
Right as she was about to sigh out in relief, her grabbed her by the elbow. Eden refused to make eye contact as she immediately snapped her head in the opposite direction, heart praying that her flustered face would disappear.
“Have you got nothing snarky to say back?” He shook her by the arm, his other hand reaching to capture Eden’s chin and bring it back so he could properly scowl at her. Perhaps he was taken aback by her rosy cheeks or the way her eyes avoided his at all costs.
Eden caught his stiff brow raise with her peripheral vision, albeit the iron grip he had against her jaw.
“I need to go braid Connie’s hair. I mean no- he’s gonna braid Sasha’s. No sorry- he’ll watch Sasha braid my hair,” Eden fumbled out and Levi’s arm still stood outstretched towards her as she stepped back.
Eden ran as quickly as she could away from the stables, heat coiling within her gut as she felt his perplexed stare follow her every move.
The two young soldiers met after training and walked back towards the headquarters side by side.
Jean glanced down at Eden who stared back at him, nervousness fluttering inside her. “I know we need to talk, I’m sorry it’s taking so long.”
“I can wait,” he replied hastily, running a hand through his hair, making Eden stifle a cough.
“No Jean, listen; I care about you a lot. But with everything going on, all the stress and shit we have to go through, I just really didn’t have enough time to think about you and I. I’m not really sure if I’m making any sense, but I just feel like I need a little more time to think things over and really stabilize myself on my own two feet.” Eden told him in a gentle tone and this time it was her turn to capture him by the wrist and halt him in his steps.
He smirked down at her, nodding slowly as he brushed his knuckle against her cheek. “I mean, that’s fine by me. As long as you’re fine trying to keep up with me during our sparring sessions, I bet you’ll never be able to beat me.”
She scoffed loudly, sending him an eye roll before elbowing him in the ribs. “Please. You’re just lucky I feel bad for you most of the time. I don’t want to send you back to your mother all bruised up because she’ll probably beat me.”
They bickered for some time, laughing and hitting each other like kids coming out of high-school.
“Thank you for being someone I can truly rely on, Jeanie-boy,” Eden said to him gently before standing on her tiptoes, full lips planting a sweet, tender kiss against his cheek.
Jean’s expression softened and he gave her the warmest smile.
She grinned back, yet deep down- to her surprise- she did not get flustered at the intimate touch whatsoever.
That evening, she lay in Sasha’s bed whilst her infinitely-hungry friend played with her hair- styling it. Connie paced around the room angrily; talking about the cookie he had stolen from the preserved rations; only to later find out that Sasha had stolen it for him.
“Boohoo, I wish I had your problems,” Eden rambled out, wincing when Sasha accidentally pulled on her hair a bit too tightly.
“Oh, I see, are you too tired of having Jean crush on you? Is that it, Eden?” Connie sat on the edge of the bed, leaning towards the laying girl, his thin brows bobbing up and down. Eden kicked him off the bed with her knee, but it was too late because Connie’s words had already caught Sasha’s attention.
“He’s right you know, we saw you kissing, hehe,” Sasha cackled as she continued braiding small sections of Eden’s hair together, completely ignoring her flustered expression.
“Don’t get me started, this isn’t even the half of it,” Eden said timidly as her two friends gasped simultaneously, urging her to go on.
“I had a dream last night. And Captain Levi was in it,” she mumbled out and only Sasha managed to hear it at first. She laughed hard, tears pooling in her eyes as she dodged Eden’s slap aimed for her arm.
“What?” Connie yelled irritably, cupping his ear to delineate that he did not quite understand what she had uttered under her breath.
“I said…I had a dream and the Captain was in it,” Eden said in one breath, covering her crimson face with her palms as Sasha and Connie laughed hard.
“I can’t- you dreamt about Captain Levi? That’s hilarious, imagine if he knew…-”
As if on cue, said devil barged through the door- standing at the threshold with an emotionless expression on his face.
“Sorry to interrupt your little slumber party but I wasn’t satisfied with today’s training session so you’re going out again.” He stepped to the side as Sasha and Connie sauntered past him, still giggling under their breaths.
Eden let go of a large sigh before hopping off the bed and following her friends’ suit until Levi gently caught her by the wrist. She spun round, eyes fixing on the way he held onto her before she gingerly glanced up at him; heart palpitating faster under his sharp stare. His fingers faintly glided against the braids laced in her hair; making Eden purse her lips as another wave of blush caressed her cheeks.
“Your hair looks different, good different,” he uttered out casually, his face devoid of even the slightest bit of expression.
Eden held onto the air in her lungs. “Thanks,” she managed to sigh out. She watched as he stiffly nodded, letting go of her wrist. His cold fingertips lingered as they brushed against hers and she began chewing on her bottom lip when he began walking off, her hand feeling empty.
Tags:@idiot-juice-enthusiast ty so much for asking me to tag u! I’m super happy ur enjoying the story so far ! <3
As always, thanks to anyone who took the time to read and interact with my story, I appreciate all the support! xx
Aside from Jean, Connie and Gabi turning into a pure titan, what really hit me was Pieck’s father turning into a titan.
Looking back a few chapters before, Pieck wanted to give her dad (THE ONLY FAMILY SHE HAD) an access to a better health care but most of all a bright future, so she became a warrior.
They were able to reunite again, even if it’s just for a short time and you can see how both were worried and relieved to see each other again.
But what really saddened me, was how Pieck saw everyone else but most of all her father, who turned into a titan right before her eyes. The only family she had whom she worked hard for and is the sole reason for her warrior candidacy, in order to give him a bright and long future, was gone in an instant.
Of course Inukasa is the only character she can relate to of her 2000 years of tormenting people they are both slave there disturbing love for men who do not want them and look at them and call them slave. but even when the men insult them they still want to be with that man who treat them bad and not move on and get a damn life two very disturbing women pathetic bunch.
Well … Even from there … I can’t see how much I don’t give a flying fuck …
So … A team of specialized researchers looking if I give a fuck …
“There are so many lives I can value. And I decided who those people were six years ago. So you shouldn’t try to ask for my pity. Because right now, I don’t have time to spare or room in my heart.” - Mikasa Acherman
Some portraits might contain mild to major spoilers in the future
High res image and psd file on my Patreon . com / carooliveira
