Breaking Barricades (Levi x Reader)

10. ** Forgive Me **

The silence between us was long and stagnant. Neither of us were sure what to say next, and neither of us wanted to initiate eye contact. I remained seated on the table before Levi as he held his gaze low to the ground.

Unaware of how long we wordlessly lingered, I finally squeezed between Levi and the table, slipping to the floor. I began to quietly collect the shards of broken tea cup, wanting to give my hands purpose. Levi followed suit, carrying the tea pot and remaining cups with him to sink, where he began to scrub them clean.

I calmly stood next to him, holding a fresh towel in my grasp. Taking the rinsed cup from his hand, I proceeded to polish it dry, before placing it back in the cupboard.

Once we were finished with the dishes, I gathered up my cape and lantern in preparation for retiring to my room. I slowly glanced over my shoulder, finding Levi still hunched over the sink, the steam from the faucet rising around him.

I hesitated before slowly trudging into the adjoining room, closing the door behind me. No more had the handle clicked when I collapsed to the floor in sheer despondency. I buried my face into the green cape that had once promised me freedom, only for it to bring me back to the place I was running from. I dropped my chin to my knees, hugging them to my chest, making myself as small as I could. I leaned against the side of my bed, staring off into space, begging for sleep to come. But I could only watch the flame of the lantern flicker, gently burning the wick away. I let out a pitiful laugh.

"We're the same, you and I... slowly wasting away until our light burns out..."

I could hear the floor shift just outside my door, followed by a soft knock. I lifted my head to find Levi letting himself in, before he slowly shut the door behind him. Without saying a word, he squatted down before me with a look of remorse on this face. Becoming cognizant of my reluctance to fully address him, he sighed in defeat.

"I was wrong about what I said... I was being selfish," Levi mumbled, attempting an apology.

I gave a slight nod, remaining silent. He restlessly cleared his throat, bringing himself back to a stand before muttering,

"Well, then... Good night."

As he turned to leave, I lunged forward, propelling my body against his, clutching his chest in despair. I buried my face into his back, begging him to stay.

The speed in which Levi turned to face me extinguished the flame from the lantern, enveloping us in the darkness of the night. His hands desperately reached for my face as our lips converged with urgency. We had failed miserably at communicating verbally, so we allowed our bodies to speak instead. We craved the comfort of connection, starving from the absence that distance had forced upon us. We were quick to forgive our misunderstandings and acknowledge our ignorance. There was still so much we didn't know about each other, and yet, so much we wanted to learn. However, in that moment, all we needed was unconditional love.

We didn't waste anytime stripping each other of our outer layers, aching for genuine intimacy. Our silhouettes were barely visible as we collided in the dark. Levi thrust me against the wall, proceeding to feast upon my neck. I groaned at his ravenous nips as he traveled upwards toward my ear, tormenting me with a breathy confession:

"I want you so fucking bad right now."

Without hesitating, I wrapped my arms around his neck and tenderly whispered:

"Then make love to me, Levi."

Obeying my command, he hoisted me onto his hips as I encompassed him with my legs. The emptiness inside of me was generously satiated, as we passionately blended our souls. Nothing could ever compare to the safety I felt when we were together. He really was my missing puzzle piece, the only person who could make me feel whole again.

Levi steadily lowered me from the wall onto the rug-covered floor, swiftly restoring our connection. I ran my fingers through his jet black hair before seizing a handful and tugging vigorously. Throwing his head back in ecstasy, I lustfully pressed my lips against his neck. He growled seductively at my dominance before sweeping my knee back towards me so he could plunge even deeper within. I gasped in shock before releasing an orgasmic cry, eventually surrendering to the overwhelming desire to break free.

Appeased by his ability to grant me euphoria, he took control of the pace as I writhed beneath him. I wrapped my legs behind his back as if to plead for even more. The intensity spiked as we both peaked, trembling with satisfaction and intoxicated by our long-awaited return to each other.

I hugged his glistening chest against mine as we basked in our blissful glow. We could feel our rapid heartbeats begin to ease as we melted into an impervious embrace. My sense of security had been reawakened by Levi's reminder that I could still be brave; that I had always been strong. I just needed someone to remove the blindfold from my eyes.

I sighed with contentment, resting my head atop his shoulder. He gently began stroking my hair, as we absorbed the serenity derived from our intimacy. I felt so warm, lying next to the man I had fallen in love with. I placed my hand on his chest, propping myself up on my elbow, bringing my gaze back to him. He was staring off into space, deep in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" I whispered curiously.

He blinked, not fully realizing he had wandered off, before looking back at me with sincerity in his eyes.

"Heh...honestly...? I never saw myself as a person who would... fall in love...with someone else."

My eyes widened as I stared at him in disbelief. I was speechless. To hear him utter anything remotely close to being in love was unbelievable. I felt him gently take my hand as he softened my gaze.

"(F/N). I'd be a goddamn hypocrite if I didn't say this, because I would regret it for the rest of my life if I didn't... so, just know this: I have never felt such a deep, burning desire to protect any one person before in my life. I see you hurting, and I get so angry that you won't let me in... but I realized tonight that we're so similar in that regard... that we both have seen the worst of humanity... and yet we still fight for it."

I brought my hand to Levi's cheek, breathing in the softer, more vulnerable side he was showing me. I gently smiled.

"Levi. You made me realize that I could still fight. You were able to reignite my desire to live again, by reminding me that I had always had the strength necessary, even when I had already given up. And you... you showed me what love really is... even though I had discarded my need for it long ago in order to survive... but that was never really love to begin with..."

Levi squeezed my hand, letting me know I didn't have to go down that road again. With a heavy sigh, he pulled me in close and kissed my forehead, before scooping me off the floor and onto my bed. He crawled in next to me, pulling the sheets up over our skin.

"Try to get some sleep- and don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I will be right here beside you, all night long."

With a drowsy smile, I snuggled into his arms and happily whispered,

"I love you... Levi."

"I love you too, (F/N)."

There was a strange yet comforting feeling that washed over me that night. For the first time in my entire life, I envisioned a future that was all mine. Mine to decide; to go down the path that I chose. Levi had made it clear that our paths would never be identical, but that he would always be there to walk alongside me, intersecting routes whenever we wanted or needed.

No matter what life threw at us, we wouldn't allow for anyone else to choose for us. And that... That was the freedom I had desired all along.