Blood (Levi x Reader)

7. ** Diverted **

When we returned to our cabin, everyone was exhausted.  Jean and I sought out Sasha and Connie to see if it had been either of them who set up the trap.  At first, Sasha jumped up with excitement, thinking venison was on the menu that night, but Connie threw his arm in front of her.

"Wait- we only set up traps right inside the woods so we wouldn't have to drag anything back too far.  Sasha, did you put one up while we were out today?"

"Uuugh- I should have....venison sounds amazing..."  Sasha groaned hungrily, with drool streaming down her chin.

I turned on my heal quickly, making my way toward Hange and Levi, who were conversing in the corner of the room over tea.  This was bad. Levi saw me approach out of the corner of his eye and set down his cup, recognizing the severity of my expression.

"What's wrong, (Y/N)?"

"Levi, Hange, we have an problem.  I found a hunter's trap nearby where the experiments took place, and unless someone from your squad, Hange, set up traps to catch some dinner, we're not alone."

Hange stood up quickly and made her way outside to speak with her squad members who were tending to their horses, as they would be departing soon.  Levi took another quick sip of tea, then rolled up his sleeves as he stood from his chair.  He grabbed his rifle that had been propped against the wall behind him, then placed his other hand on my shoulder. With a stern glare, he muttered, "Stay here."

With that, Levi signaled Jean to follow him outside, as I turned around to speak.  But a sudden sting of pain from my side stopped me, reminding me that I needed to sit this one out. My body was imploring me to retire for now, so reluctantly, I listened.  I slowly began to walk down the hall when I passed by Eren's room and paused.  He had yet to reawaken, and Mikasa was holding his hand in hers.

Instead of sifting through my anxiety alone while awaiting Levi's return, I took the opportunity to sit with Mikasa, even if it was only in silence. She glanced up as I quietly entered the room. I tried to crack a smile and offer a greeting, but it felt too strained, so I just acknowledged her with a nod. She did the same and turned back to watch Eren as he slept. I pulled up the chair that was against the wall and took a seat next to her. Most of her face was covered by either her red scarf or her pitch black hair, but her eyes blazed forward, completely fixed on Eren.  

Usually I felt awkward during moments like this, where the silence was all too loud, but I was too damn tired to care. Neither Mikasa nor I were particularly talkative individuals, not much for useless conversation, but somehow my presence seemed to bring her a bit of comfort.

Crossing my arms over my chest, one hand delicately cradling my aching side, I felt myself gradually lose the ability to stay awake. Drooping my chin to my chest, I inhaled deeply and released a long sigh. In that moment, I surrendered to my exhaustion and finally gave myself permission to rest.

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I found myself floating within a strange phase of consciousness, in-between being awake and asleep, when I felt Levi's warm hands carefully slip underneath me. Lifting my body into his arms, I mirrored that of a rag doll, completely limp within his grasp. With a tired groan, I leaned against him and nuzzled into his chest. He smelled amazing.

I could feel his voice reverberating against my cheek as he muttered something to Mikasa. She softly whispered back with fatigue plaguing her voice, but I couldn't process either of their words. Attempting to join the conversation, I mumbled, "...everything okay...?"

With a gentle squeeze to my shoulder, Levi answered reassuringly. "For now, yea... go back to sleep..."

I wasn't sure of his tone, but I couldn't wake up enough to say anything else.

After a few more exchanges with Mikasa, Levi carried me down the hall and into our room. Still cradling me in his arms, he pulled the door shut behind him, then gently laid me down on our bed. Pulling my boots off one by one, he carefully began to remove my uniform, tediously unbuckling each belt, until I was stripped down to just my shirt and underwear. I curled into a ball and smiled.

I could hear the shifting of Levi's clothes as he quietly removed them from his muscular body. The bed dipped slightly under his weight as he crawled in beside me, pulling the covers up over my shoulder. Inhaling through his nose, he sighed audibly and gently ran his fingers through my hair, before draping his arm over my waist. I automatically snuggled in closer, craving his warmth.

Soft lips pressed gently against my temple, causing me to smile. A sudden warmth began to flow through me as Levi whispered calmly into my ear.

"Heh, that smile of yours... It's too damn pure for this world..."