Reciprocate

Reciprocate Part 1

Reciprocate~

A Levi Ackerman Fanfiction
By: Darian Williams

"What a mess." I mumbled, shaking my head at the filthy, dish ridden tables in front of me. I had been a member of the Scouting Legion for almost a month now, and I still couldn't get used to the way the other soldiers left HQ looking like it was overrun by pigs. I hung my jacket on a peg by the door, pushing back my sleeves. I couldn't leave the mess hall like this. "Heichou won't mind if I borrow one of these..." I murmured, reaching into a nearby drawer. I retrieved a white bandana, one of his, it had an "L" embroidered on one corner, and tied my hair back, tying the cloth over my ponytail to keep it from falling into my face.
I grabbed a few rags and some cleaning supplies from a cabinet in the corner of the room. With a determined scowl I began collecting all of the dishes, depositing them into the kitchen sink. There was a pileup a meter high!
Rolling my eyes I then got to work scrubbing the tables. There were six in all, each one grubbier than the last. I had my work cut out for me, but I was determined to keep this place clean!
I was working on the underside of the third table, trying to clean off chewed gum and spitwads, when footsteps alerted me to someones approach. I leapt up, bashing my head on the table in the process. "Ow!" I almost yelped, and went from rubbing the back of my head to an awkward salute when Lance Corporal Levi entered the room. "Sir." I winced as I addressed him, forcing myself to speak out of respect, despite the ache in my head. "At ease soldier." He replied, allowing me to drop my arms and tend to my head. Instead of doing so, however, I picked up a clean rag and began scrubbing the top of the fourth table, waiting patiently for him to speak. "What are you doing?" He asked, glancing around the room, mildly curious. I turned to look at him, blushing brightly. He was 5'2" and absolutely gorgeous. He had short cropped black hair and baby blue eyes, almost silver in this lighting, and though he was older I could never keep from blushing when I saw him. "Cleaning, sir." I replied, staring at the table instead of meeting his eyes. "At 3am?" He asked, and tilted his head in an adorable puppyish way. "Yes sir. I came to get a glass of water, and the other soldiers left the mess hall dirty. I found it displeasing." I replied. I kept my tone even and chose my words carefully. It was taboo to even THINK about the Corporal in the way I wanted to. "Thats quite admirable of you. Thank you. As for that water, perhaps a cup of tea instead? Allow me to help you finish up and we can chat." He said, and I saluted once more, taking his words as an order. To my surprise he chuckled softly and removed his jacket, hanging it alongside mine. I watched as he went to the drawer where he stored his cleaning attire, and he shook his head, tying on two bandanas. He wore one on his head and one on his mouth, to keep from inhaling the chemicals in the cleaners. He glanced at me and almost winced before picking another from the drawer and approaching me. I held very still as he tied the cloth gently around my mouth, brushing his fingers against my covered lips as he finished. "If you're going to clean I don't mind you borrowing my bandanas, but please, be safe and wear two. Inhaling chemicals is nasty buisness." He said, his tone gentle, and under the white bandana I blushed like a mad woman. We got to cleaning together, and it almost felt natural. Working side by side we cleared two more tables, finally moving on to the sixth. I was reaching over the table to fetch a dish from the corner, I'd missed it earlier, when I suddenly felt as If I was being watched. I glanced back and Heichou was absently staring at my butt, his hands still cleaning the table. "Sir?" I asked, straightening up, and he shook his head, a blush suddenly creeping over his face and his normally narrow eyes widening. "Er. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to be rude." He almost choked. I was shocked, I had never seen him like this before. "I... It's fine. So. Um. Why are you in uniform so late, Corporal?" I asked, awkwardly changing the subject. "I got dressed when I heard you banging around down here. And I could ask you the same thing Jade." He replied, his tone was harsher than before, but by no means rude or negative in any way. "Truthfully I never went to bed. I've been having trouble sleeping Sir." I replied, glancing away from him. By this time we had swept and mopped the dining area and were doing the dishes in the kitchen. "Tch. Truthfully, I lied. I never actually went to bed either. I have also been having trouble sleeping. And we're alone, stop calling me "sir." My name is Levi." He replied, stacking the clean dishes carefully. "Oh. Okay. Yes s... Um. Levi." I replied, blushing again. I froze solid when his arms suddenly came around me, his chest pressed against my back as he reached over me to pull out a tea set from the overhead cabinet. I could've sworn I saw him smile from the corner of my eye as he shut the cabinet and withdrew, starting to brew the tea on the stove.
I mulled over my thoughts as I scrubbed, finishing the dishes and draining the sink just as he finished the tea.
He led me to the end of the last table, accross from the door and nearest to the candles on the wall, and set the tea tray down.
I sat accross from him, hardly able to look at him out of confusion and embarrassment. It almost felt like he had fooled me into an unexpected date.
I added sugar to my cup and sipped it quietly, enjoying the warmth. Instead of looking at the man in front of me, I found myself gazing at the lapel of his jacket where it hung beside mine across the room, imagining the ripple of his shoulders under it's tight seams. "Is there something wrong with my coat?" He asked, and I realized he had followed my gaze. "No, sir. I mean... No, Levi. I was just.... Imagining how broad your shoulders look in it...." I choked, almost squeaking, and he chuckled softly. "My shoulders are over here." He replied, and I looked up, wary, to see him seated comfortably, legs crossed and gripping his teacup by the rim. I glanced at my own hand, realizing my grip was identical, and couldn't help but giggle. "Jade?" He questioned my quiet laughter, and I glanced between our hands, inviting him to do the same. "Oh." He smiled briefly before covering his face with his hand. It was to no avail, I could still see that his face was turning red.
"Have I upset you Heichou?" I asked, and I realized what I had called him almost as soon as the words left my lips. The normally stoic-faced mans' cheeks flushed even redder. "I thought.... I told you to call me.. Levi." He said, and to my shock he was stuttering. The ever stoney-eyed Corporal's facade was broken. "I'm sorry s... Levi. I'll go..." I whispered, standing to leave, assuming I had upset him.
"N... No. No. Stay. Sit with me." He said, patting the long wooden bench beside him, and though his tone was gentle, I knew with certainty that it was an order. Blushing, I obeyed, taking the seat beside him, toying with a loose strand of my long golden blonde hair as I did so.
"You're nervous." He spoke calmly now, but his voice still quavered. He took the strand of hair from between my fingers and shifted my shoulders, carefully turning my back to him and redoing my ponytail. He was a perfectionist, every member of the Scouts Regime knew that, but no soldier had ever had the honor of being worked on by his skillfull, limber, hands. He pulled my hair gently, tightening it up so that it wouldn't fall down again, and I was startled when I suddenly felt his breath on my neck. He suddenly scooted closer to me, leaning in and nuzzling the soft spot between my neck and shoulder, his breaths uneven. I felt his nose brush the skin all the way up to my jawline, where he planted a gentle kiss. "Levi... This is wrong." I almost gasped. "You're the Lance Corporal... My superior. I'm a rookie... I'm so much younger and less experienced than you... You're underling. It's taboo. What will Erwin think?" I asked, my hands trembling. "Who I care for is not up to Erwin. Nor is who YOU care for up to the other troops. You shouldn't care what they think." He almost growled, and he flipped me around roughly, glaring into my eyes, his own ice blue, yet somehow as black as coal. I moved to back up, almost frightened by his change in demeanor, when he suddenly dropped his shoulders in defeat, his expression softening. "I'm sorry. Forgive me for being so harsh. It's just... You must understand. For a man of my status... Tch, and stature, love does not come around very often, and when it does, the chance is often missed. I have only been in love once before... That person... Was killed. Eaten alive in front of me, by a Titan. I never told her how I felt, and to this day, I feel regret. I will not make the same mistake again. You have to know, that I am unconditionally, and irrevocably in love with you. Age and experience matter not, for whether or not you reciprocate my feelings, I promise to always have your back, and I vow to protect you with my very life." His voice quavered, but his tone was very serious. Although he spoke quietly his seriousness almost echoed through the empty mess hall, rooting me to my seat. "Levi... I...." All I could bring myself to do under his intense pressure was to lean forward, head tilted, lips parted, and when I did, he exhaled sharply. His tender lips came crashing down on mine, moist and ready. We kissed wetly, our hands entangling in eachothers hair. He let out a soft groan, his tongue dancing past his teeth, daring to engage in battle with mine, first pressing past my lips, then dancing around my tiny mouth, darting skillfully towards the most tender parts, as if searching for the nucleus of a Titan. Though his lips were busy his jaw was taught, as if locked in a determined grin, and he continued to kiss, oh yes, he could kiss, and like an all powerful angel he bore down, sucking away my very breath until I was forced to pull away, gasping for air. "Corporal... Levi... I... Reciprocate your feelings." I gasped, and he smiled, actually smiled, a triumphant sparkle in his icy blue eyes.