His Wounded Heart Beats For One (Levi x Reader Fanfiction)

14: Eight Hearts To Dedicate

You and Thea pass through the empty mess hall and leave the main building, joining the nurses that are dispersing across camp. Soldiers have begun preparations for training, sounds of hissing ODM gear already filling the air. The sun beats relentlessly, pouring into your clearing with unpleasant heat.

Thea stops on the porch steps, encouraging you to sit down with her. You do, copying the way Levi sits with elbows resting on thighs and fingers clasped. Thea leans a shoulder against the stair railing, sighing to herself. "Um, I don't know if he should've brought up your dad. That seemed kinda mean."

"It's okay," you reply. "I know what he was trying to do, and I can handle it. He's just using what he can to convince me."

"Still a little intense," Thea remarks. "I don't know what it's like, to be related to a Scout, but I can't imagine losing a family member would be very motivational to join the army they died in. You, out of all of us, are probably the least compelled to enlist."

You aren't sure if she's right or not, but there is some merit in her point. None of the other nurses have that connection to the regiment like you do. "Well, I don't know yet. I'm still thinking about it."

"Yep. I am, too." Thea flicks a speck of dirt off her sleeve.

You look over the nurse beside you, curious of her intentions. "Why would you want to join? Like, what would your motivation be?"

Thea grins, chuckling to herself. "Okay, I know Levi said to be careful, and Section Commander Erwin is sneaky, but I was really moved by hearing lives could be saved. Like, a lot of lives. I know it's really elementary thinking, but...god, I don't know. I could save people. Isn't that what we're supposed to do?"

You shrug. "Sure. Help people, save people, whatever. Do you think that's enough to warrant risking your life outside the Walls?"

She sighs, studying the grounds. "I don't know. I don't know if I can risk my life to help others. It's...noble, I guess. But it's scary. Really scary."

"Yeah, it is. That's why we're all hesitant."

"Or completely resistant, like Lisa."

You harrumph. "Yeah. She made her opinion quite clear."

"I don't blame her, though. I mean, she has Emma to look after, too. We can all risk our own lives, but I don't think she wants to endanger her sister, or leave her behind." Thea laces a loose lock of hair behind her ear. "I have my own family in Shiganshina, but I'm pretty much on my own these days. I'm not as close with them as Lisa is with her sister."

"Same here. I have Walt, and my mom in Keidelburg Village, but otherwise I'm on my own, too." You have the freedom to go on these small journeys because of your independence, though this notion grows bitter now that it can be used to justify joining the regiment. You don't have a lot to leave behind.

"I keep going back to thinking about how I could help others. I don't want to keep declaring people dead. Leon was the third soldier that died because we weren't quick enough. Because we weren't there." She hugs her knees, somber grief taking over. "We've been offered this opportunity to prevent that from happening again. It's just a matter of if we're willing to dedicate our lives to that cause."

"It is."

"I've never considered being a Scout in my life. Medicine was and is my passion. But applying it to the world—or outside the world is not what I expected I'd be doing with it."

"Yeah. It doesn't even feel right to say we'd be Scouts, since we don't have the proper training. Well, the proper ODM training."

"But we've got the medicinal education. We're qualified for something, I guess."