Underground (Levi x Reader)

Hate

The first thing I was aware of when I woke up was the pain in my ribs and head.

The second thing I was aware of was being tightly curled up against Levi.

His arms were still loosely wrapped around my waist, his jacket still draped over the two of us, my head on his chest. I could hear the sound of his heart beneath my ear, the rhythmic beating a comforting sound in the silence of the room.

I glanced up at him, his head leaned back against the wall, his lips parted slightly, his eyes closed as he breathed deeply in sleep, in and out. The corners of my lips quirked up into a small smile. He looked so much less threatening when he was sleeping, more like the boy I had grown up with. I reached up and gently pushed the dark hair back from his forehead, careful to keep my touch light as my fingers brushed across his forehead so as not to disturb his sleep.

I sat up slowly, holding in a groan as I moved my tender ribs, and careful not to wake Levi, pulled the jacket off of me and stood up. The fire had gone out sometime during the night, and I shivered in the chilly air of the room, flinching again as the movement hit my ribs.

I glanced down, running a finger over the dark, large bruises that had formed along my side. I wouldn't know if anything was broken until we got back to base and Hange looked me over. Everything sure hurt like hell though.

I moved silently around Levi and picked my clothes up off the floor. They were dry thankfully, and I slipped on my uniform with measured movements, careful not to jar my ribs anymore than I needed to. Leaving my 3DM harness and gear on the floor, I padded across the room and opened the door, slipping outside before shutting it quietly behind me.

I took in a deep breath of the morning air, glad to see the sun back again after so many days of rain, and squinted in the bright morning light as I studied the wall in the distance.

Suddenly, I heard hoofbeats coming toward the village.

I looked toward the east in time to see riders emerge from the trees, headed in my direction. They approached me, slowing their horses as they reached me, and I recognized Jaeger, Ackerman, Arlert, and Miller on the mounts' backs.

Jaeger pulled up his horse in front of me and said, "Corporal! You're a sight for sore eyes."

I flashed a grin at him as I shaded my eyes from the sun, looking up at him. "Yeah, well, I'm alive. So I'm not going to complain."

He flicked his gaze behind me, to the closed door, and then met my eyes again, the question he wanted to ask clear in his eyes. I nodded to him. "Corporal Ackerman's fine as well, Jaeger. He's too stubborn to go down that easily."

Just then, Levi opened the door behind me, securing his 3DM harness around his waist as he emerged from the house, squinting over at Jaeger. "Oi, I heard my name. You'd better not be talking crap, (L/N)."

I raised an eyebrow at Jaeger. "See? What did I tell you? Alive and surly as ever."

Miller jumped down from her mount and came up to me, relief flashing in her eyes as she said quietly, "I'm so glad you're all right, Corporal." Her eyes flicked to the empty doorway behind us. "Is Johnson...."

I shook my head and she looked down at her feet, dropping my gaze as tears started to gather in her eyes.

I cleared my throat, emotion welling up again, and turned back to Jaeger. "Please tell me you brought our horses with you. Because I think I've walked enough to last a lifetime."

Arlert came forward, our mounts trailing behind him. He flashed me a smile as he handed me the reigns to my mare and then threw Levi his as well.

Levi swung up onto his stallion as I ran back into the house to grab my 3DM gear. Pulling the harness on as I walked back out the door, I mounted my mare and glanced over at Miller, whose eyes had cleared of tears, but who now wore a sad, stoic look on her face. Arlert was saying something to her quietly, his hand on her back, a sympathetic look upon his face.