Vista - Attack on Titan x Reader

CHAPTER EIGHTY SIX: Small Man

Why the hell is he here?!

When not caught up in my survey corp duties, I basically lived out at the orphanage. I knew I was running away from my problems, but it was easier for the time being. Not only that, but it was a great way to stay distracted.

At least it was until Levi showed up.

"Why is that small man here? Who is he? Is he lost? Are you lost, small man?" One of the boys waddled up to Levi and poked at his stomach, and I likely would have laughed if I wasn't too busy hating his actual guts.

"I don't know why the small man is here, Benajah. Why don't you show him the way out?" I avoided looking up as I pottered around, tidying up one of the many bedrooms with my favourite of the bunch nestled against my hip.

Odette hadn't left me alone since she had found me in the field that day, and I wasn't too frustrated with it. Sure, she was clingy, but she reminded me of myself. She needed someone. Anyone.
"Mall man!" She mimicked loudly, a finger in her mouth as she grasped the back of my shirt with her other hand.

"We need to talk, (Y/N)." Levi finally spoke, trying to step around Benajah, but the little boy wasn't having it.
"Nuh-uh! State ya business, small man!" He was quickly joined by several others, effectively creating a blockade between me and the captain.

"Run along, you lot. Bena, take her out to play for a bit, will you?" The young boy came to collect Odette, but the moment she caught wind of the impending pass over, she began to cry, throwing her arms around my neck as tight as she could. "Okay, okay! Nevermind!"

Once the others had hesitantly left the building, there was a long, painful silence. Levi stayed where he was, and I put a greater distance between us by moving to the other side of the room.
"You seem to be in your element here..." He finally mumbled, and I had to grit my teeth so I wouldn't immediately blow up.

"Whatever you wanted to say, hurry up and say it. I'm busy, and I have duties this evening." Knowing my grip on Odette would likely become too tight, I placed her down beside me, allowing her to cling to my leg instead.

My aggression came as no surprise to the man, and he continued to keep his composure.
"As I'm sure you have already heard, I have a letter for you, from Reiner. Whether you choose to read it is up to you, but you need to take it."

I can't read it...I won't...

Heaving a long, frustrated sigh, I finally looked over to him, and the moment our eyes met my gut twisted into knots.
"Leave it on the table and go, then. I'll burn it later." What else could I do with it? There was nothing Reiner could explain to me to change my mind. The same went for Levi.

The ravonet followed my first instruction, but he didn't make any move to leave. He just stood there, solemn in silence and flat in expression.
"We also have something else we need to talk about."

No, we don't.

"I don't want you near me." It hurt to say it, but it was the truth. His presence hurt me, and I couldn't pretend like it didn't. The anger and betrayal I had felt on that day in Shiganshina had only festered and grown over the past weeks, and him being right there in front of me, seemingly unaffected, made it worse.

"I didn't want to pull this card, but I'm still your captain, (Y/N)." Levi responded as I placed a hand on Odette's head, making sure she didn't take a run towards him to bite his ankles. "When you look at me like that, with so much disgust in your eyes...I hate it."

He was right. I was disgusted by him. I couldn't forgive him. He had surrendered the one thing I had left, and it hadn't been his to give up.
"What?! Are you gonna order me to forgive you, Levi?! Is that what you're gonna do?!" My voice broke when I shouted, and the little girl at my side yelled in his direction too, though it was merely noise. Taken aback, Levi shook his head once, taking a single step backwards to give us some space.