Breaking Barricades (Levi x Reader)

3. ** Stranded **

I lost my footing as the force of the Titan's fists brought the roof crashing down around me. Instinctively, I reached upward to grab hold of something, only to pierce my palm on a splintered support beam. I screamed out in pain but knew better than to let go.

Looking through the roof, I was finally able to see who had come to our aid. The speed of my savior was unmistakable. Levi zipped around the titan, slicing into its skin in a fit of rage. I struggled to rejoin the battle, but my stomach dropped when I realized I could no longer move my arm; I must have broken it in the fall. I was rendered completely useless, left only to dangle helplessly, at the mercy of Levi.

The commotion must have caught the attention of another Titan nearby. Levi had almost finished off the first one when he was swiped by a second. He was quick to recover until a third, smaller Titan jumped onto the roof next to him. Its eyes slowly peered down toward me, abandoning its initial target for a more obtainable one.

"Shit," I whispered.

I heard a heavy thud outside, knowing Levi had downed one of the two Titans he was facing. The weight of its body hitting the ground caused more of the roof to crumble, making the nimble Titan jump toward me. I screamed in agony as it caught onto my broken arm. I could feel its weight beginning to tear at my socket; the bitter taste of death engulfing my tongue.

All at once, the second Titan's corpse came crashing down from above. With a swipe of his blade, Levi sliced the small titan from my arm and grabbed my waist, pulling me away from where I hung. But even with his speed, we weren't fast enough to escape the collapsing roof as it caved in around us.

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I have no idea how long I was out. All I know is that when I woke up, my arm had been wrapped and splinted, my wounds had been wiped clean, and a few of my gashes had been roughly stitched up. I winced as I tried to sit up to take a look at my surroundings. I couldn't have been alone, but I didn't see anyone. I suddenly realized that even though I was still trapped within the wreckage of the abandoned building, I felt strangely at peace.

I could see rays of light peering in, dancing against the bricks and stone. I watched birds hopping about the ground, pecking for food daintily, before flying off from the sound of footsteps. I looked up, fully expecting to see Mari. Instead, Levi turned the corner, nursing a slight limp. I must have gasped at the sight of him because he glanced my way and sighed.

"Took you long enough to wake up."

I rubbed my head, trying to remember what had happened.

"Where's Mari?"

Levi didn't respond to me. He just slowly made his way over to the cape he had spread out beside me and plopped down on the ground with exhaustion. I knew what his silence meant, so I just hung my head in shame. I had lost my whole team, and Levi had gotten injured because of my selfishness.

"I'm sorry, Captain. I should have been able to save them myself, without getting you involved."

"Tch- you still think you can go it alone, don't you...?"

"What?"

Levi's eyes narrowed as he leaned in closer to me.

"Just fucking say thank you."

I blushed from awkward embarrassment and looked down at my lap, avoiding eye contact.

"Thank you... Captain."

Levi flopped onto his back and let out an annoyed groan. Sliding his palms up over his forehead, he pushed his hair out of his face. I could see how frustrated he was, but I wasn't fully aware of our predicament just yet.