ミ★ 𝘓𝘦𝘷𝘪 𝘈𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘖𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘴 ★彡

A Love Story

 You curled up on the chair in the corner of the makeshift library, scanning through one of your latest reads to find out where you were. You couldn't check out books in normal libraries because you'd never be able to return them on time and you couldn't take them with you anywhere because blood or steam or whatever else was out there would ruin them, so it became a habit to place the book back where you found it.

Except, in the one place the Levi Squad was staying for weeks, there was a library. And you could take anything.

Yet, you still managed to lose your page.

The door opened and Levi appeared with his usual cup of tea and wet hair from a shower. You two continuously ran into each other on this mission, with you rambling on and on about what happened in the book you read. He, on the other hand, remained silent, which made it somewhat (very) awkward for the two of you, but he would listen to your rants on why you didn't like a character and sometimes give the tiniest reaction.

You thumbed through the pages, your eyes darting up at Levi before they returned to your book. "What's that one about?" he asked.

You looked up excitedly, ready to tell him everything about the plot, but upon further inspection, his baggy eyes were sunken in. His brows were creased more than usual. Plus, he was actually talking and prompting you to talk, too.

What was going on?

"The main character just volunteered to leave her home to fight in twisted games instead of her sister, who got chosen," you replied as he sat next to you on the floor. You kept reading the book, your eyes tracing over every word. Levi closed his eyes and leaned his head back.

"What else?"

You made a mental note of the page you stopped at and put the book down. "Are you okay?"

He stared at you through half-open eyes. "Yeah. Just tired." He picked up the book you were reading and inspected it, then looked up at you. "Is there another story you can tell?"

For the past few months, you'd been telling Levi stories to distract him. Hange said it could be good for him and he reluctantly gave it a try. You were the perfect fit for him because you read constantly and Levi didn't have enough time to read anything. Between all the paperwork and missions and training he had to do, he was a busy man. So, you'd read to him as an attempt to combat his insomnia and night terrors.

"What genre?"

"Doesn't matter."

"Even romance?"

"As long as it's not boring."

You thought for a moment. A romance that he wouldn't think was boring?

Romance, tragedy, what was the difference? You picked up a familiar book—a play—from the bookshelf and skimmed through the pages, looking for ways to tell it correctly. You sat close to Levi, your shoulder against his.

"There were once two families: the Capulets and the Montagues..."

Rays of sun peeked through the blinds, casting slits of light on the wall opposite of you. Levi remained silent as he slowly woke, feeling the weight of you on his lap. Your hand was still on the book, but your other hand was used as a pillow and your side was weighing him down. He stared down at you, admiring your peacefulness.

You were never so quiet. He didn't want to wake you, so picked up the book and continued reading where you left off. Yet, he couldn't help stroking your hair. He couldn't help placing a hand on your shoulder just to feel your warmth. He couldn't help feeling comfortable as you pressed against him.

Hours later, you stirred, slowly waking up. "Brat, you're finally awake," Levi mumbled, tentatively taking his hands off of you.

"G'morning," you groaned, still half-asleep. He dropped the book on the floor, creating a loud thud and your eyes snapped open. You were laying on him, your arms wrapped around his thigh. "Oh, I'm sorry." You attempted to sit up, but his hand fell on your waist.

"I don't mind," he mumbled quietly. You rested again, staring at his hand. You pulled it towards your face, fidgeting with his fingers. "What are you doing?" he asked, his brows furrowing at the strange feeling.

You shrugged. "I dunno. You have nice hands."

He interlocked his fingers with yours. "I read the rest of the book last night."

Your head turned towards him and you smiled. "Did you like it?"

"Why did it end that way?"

"Because people go to great lengths for love, I guess."

"But why didn't they run away together? Why didn't anyone else get blamed for what happened?" His face scrunched in confusion. "It doesn't make any sense. Their deaths were purposeless."

"They were symbolic, Levi. They tried to run away together. And who would be to blame? What would be the point in blaming anyone when they're already dead?"

He shrugged. "The parents. Tybalt. Everyone, really."

"And what did everyone do after they died?" You questioned rhetorically. He thought for a moment, but you answered the question yourself. "They united as one. That's why they died; to show how stupid the violence between the families was."

Levi sighed, running his hand through his hair. "That's still stupid. I hate romances."

"That was a tragedy."

He scoffed, pushing you off. "Your stupidity is a tragedy." You frowned but when he looked at you, you couldn't help but get mesmerized by his pearly eyes. "Next time," he murmured, "can you make up a romance story? An original one?"

You smiled, taking hold of his hand again. "Only if you help."

"What's that supposed to mean?" You shrugged with a grin, pulling your hand away. But his grip on your hand wouldn't loosen. Instead, he kissed to back of your hand. "If you insist," he whispered, "I'll help."