Angel With A Shotgun [Levi Ackerman x OC] / Attack on Titan / Shingeki no Kyojin

Code VII: Her Questions that Divide

After closely monitoring the rest of the gala using the security system installed their van, the duo discovered nothing to be of significant interest, heading back to HQ when the crowd finally died out around 1 AM. Levi's mood seemed to worsen as the night went on, grumbling about how they wasted precious time for naught.

Xora let out a small breath of relief when her feet once again touched the hard cement of the walkway towards the entrance of the squad's base.

Levi brushed himself off and muttered, "I'm going to kill them." He stormed off toward the entrance of the mansion, unlocking the front door and slamming it open. The lights inside were off, the once-lit chandelier now dark, leaving the house drowned in darkness. It was almost eerie, but it felt strangely cozy to Xora.

"Shitty-four eyes!" Levi growled, smashing his palm onto the light switch to flood the lobby in a warm glow. "You little shit... I'm going to beat the shit out of you."

A small yelp came from a room down the central corridor. It seemed to trigger something in Levi and he walked briskly down the hallway, kicking one of the doors open.

Xora followed his footsteps down the hallway until she came upon the room he had gone into to find him him throttling a half-asleep Eren and nearly-unconscious Hanji, their heads locked in the crooks of Levi's elbows.

"Just what the hell do you two think you're doing?" Levi snarled. "Who said you could go fuck off while Codename XX and I were out there risking our lives for this mission? What if we'd gotten into some serious trouble?"

"S—sorry, Captain!" Eren gasped, clawing desperately at Levi's arm. "But I couldn't say no to Hange, she threatened me that she would—"

"I don't want any excuses. I'm going to—"

"Captain," Xora whispered, rushing over. She freed the two squirming ones from his arms and shoved them both behind her back, eyes flashing. "Please... excuse my insolence, but neither of them are in their right minds. You can punish them when they're no longer intoxicated. It would be fruitless to do so now."

"Yeah!" Hange  slurred, pointing a finger at their captain. "Levi, you should listen to her. She's smart."

"Hange," Eren hiccuped, his forest green eyes swimming across the room. "I—I think I might have had a bit too much to—!" He held his mouth and stumbled to the door, rushing to the nearest bathroom. Hange laughed and followed him.

Levi clicked his tongue in distaste before straightening and dusting off his jacket, stalking out of the room angrily while muttering profanities. Xora followed closely behind him. Once they reached the foyer, Levi turned to Xora. All of the anger seemed to have been washed out of his expression.

"You did a good job on the mission tonight," he complimented, though his tone was indifferent. "However, it would be helpful if you practiced your acting skills. Any person there wouldn't have been able to guess that we were supposed to be husband and wife."

"I'm truly sorry for my mistake, sir," Xora apologized, bowing. "Although I have very little experience, I will work harder. I will not let you down."

Levi turned to look at her, his eyebrow twitching. A look of something not unlike amusement fell upon his face. "You're telling me you've never been in a romantic relationship before?"

"I have never had the time, care, nor the need for a romantic partner."

A brief bark of a chuckle escaped through Levi's thin lips as he leaned forward, and without any warning, he placed his surprisingly warm lips onto Xora's cheek. She let out a small gasp and he withdrew, Xora's hand darting to her cheek. Her skin flushed a deep red and she could not help but portray deep discomfort.

"C—captain!" she exclaimed. "What—"

"Practice," Levi interjected, turning away. In that split second, she swore she caught the flash of a smirk upon his lips. "Consider it training. I'm going to turn in for the night. Bonne nuit, mon amour."

Xora's jaw dropped, sparks exploding from where his lips touched her. Levi's shoes clicked against the tiles as he climbed the stairs and disappeared from view. Her hand was still glued to her cheek. Her eyes scanned the lobby in embarrassment; she hoped no one else had seen that. 

She wandered down the corridor, guessing which room would be hers. She thought about going back and asking Hange, but it seemed hopeless, so she resorted to finding Levi once more.

From within one of the rooms on the left side, she heard rustling, and came upon it to find it ajar. Xora rapped her knuckles on the wood.

"You can come in," a voice called from within. Xora pushed open the door, but froze the minute it slipped wide open. There was Levi, his back turned to her, but it was his bare back that again drew a deep flush to her cheeks. Before he turned to face her, she spotted tattoos on his back—a pair of wings.

"What do you need?" Levi asked, peering at her. Xora could not speak as her wide eyes slipped down to his torso, tracing along his muscle and the several scars across his skin. He came close to Xora and snapped his fingers in front of her face, ripping her out of her trance. "Earth to Xora."

"Ah!" she cried, her eyes tearing back up to meet his. "I was just wondering where my room was located. Please accept my apology for my indecency. I'm very sorry. I didn't mean to look—the timing is a bit—" Bowing her head, Xora ducked out of the room and shut the door, closing her eyes tightly. She was mortified.

She'd only taken three deep breaths when the knob clicked again, the door swinging open to reveal Levi now dressed.

"Follow me," Levi invited as he moved around Xora's rigid body. He walked past two doors before opening the third on the opposite side of the hallway, holding it open for Xora. "You're staying here. If you need anything, you can ask that shitty four-eyes. Though she may not seem very reliable, she's your person." And with that he returned to his room without another word, the sound of his lock turning before Xora had even entered her designated room.

The room was grand and luxurious, though not large as Hange's bedroom. Still, Xora was quite surprised at how hospitable they were to their guests; the bed was just as big, with a personal bathroom and a walk-in closet, the entire room colored in a pretty pastel shade of cream. The bed did not have a canopy like Hanji's, but Xora preferred it this way; it would be easier to escape in the case of emergency.

Sighing, Xora slipped out of her dress and opened the wardrobe, happy to find that behind the rows of clothing, there was a stack of folded skinsuits. She grabbed whatever looked comfortable and headed to the bathroom. When she glanced at herself in the mirror, she could still see the makeup Hanji had painted on earlier packed on her face most of it either faded or smeared. She grabbed a small towel and scrubbed relentlessly until the las of it disappeared. It felt nice to recognize the face in the mirror once more. When she was finished washing up, she went and collapsed into the bed.

It felt quite wide compared to the one she used at the IE Headquarters. Snuggling into the feather-stuffed covers, Xora let the drowsiness overtake her fatigued senses, but before she could fully fall into a slumber, she fell into deep thought as she brooded over the questions in her head.

Who was this "Alan Clark"—this person Levi knew and seemed to dislike?

Why was she so familiar with Levi's melody?

Why did Levi kill that man without so much as a second's hesitation?

Who really was he? And how did he know her name?

Why did Levi kiss her?

And with that last question, she felt a heat return to her cheeks, but by that point, she was too exhausted to care, and finally gave in to sleep.

---

[Good night, my love.]