The Titan Queen - Levi X Reader

Chapter 18 - The Soldier

Two minutes.

That was all that Isabel gave you to sink into your silent stupor.

You stared wordlessly at the door to your bedroom, now shut. Inside, you weren't sure of whether to laugh or scream or cry. Mostly, it was all three – but only on the inside. Your face was nothing but a mask, covering the raging chaos within. Two minutes was all she gave you before she came and knelt on the floor before the bed - which you only just blankly registered - and slapped you as hard as she could.

It was strange - you heard the smack, and you saw the world whip around to the left suddenly - but you didn't feel the pain immediately. You saw the shock on Mikasa's face as she reached for you, her onyx eyes wide. Even though you knew that she was Mikasa, and that she was your friend, you couldn't help the surge of sudden hatred for those eyes.

And as you contemplated that, the pain came full force.

"What the hell, Magnolia?!" You gasped, reaching a hand up to cup your stinging cheek. Tears came, unbidden, to your eyes as you searched for a red-haired girl at your feet - and then started. Petra and Isabel were looking at each other with open, honest looks - suddenly riveted by what they found on each other's faces.

Jean cleared his throat from where he and Eren were leaning against the door, prepared to block anyone from coming in. "If you two are going to start kissing, let me know - I'll turn around."

"Would you, though?" Marco looked up at him from where he was sat against your wall, watching Isabel with a frankness that was almost scary. "I would have thought you'd have pulled up a chair and some popcorn." You watched as Jean's colour darkened from his normal paleness to a colour that was quite accurate when asking someone to imitate a plum.

Sasha perked up at the mention of food, giving Isabel a subtle warning touch on her shoulder before she stood up and faced Jean with both hands on her hips. "It's hardly like you'd see kissing anywhere else, is it?"

"Old joke," Connie scoffed.

Isabel broke out of her reverie of Petra then - and used her new-found focus to look at you with a raised eyebrow. "Well, we know that Jean's been kissed at least once -"

You allowed your friends to distract you. "Isabel Magnolia, I am thirty seconds away from killing you and you are not helping!"

You smiled at Jean's embarrassed wail but used the following conversations that people were having to think. At this point, what did you truly know?

You had been the unofficial princess of humans. You had been an excellent student, would have been an excellent soldier. Isabel loved you. You adored your friends, would give up anything to keep them happy.

Anything to do with Levi, though, was a blurry mess.

You had indeed been a mock princess. And what did you want, truly?

The answer to that question lingered on your lips so that you could taste the words.

Human princess. Titan queen.

Petra was looking at you with a mixture of pity and helplessness, and you merely gave her an empty look - even allowing your eyes to flick down to the ring on her finger. It was so bright, so pretty - and when you mentally compared it to the iron band around your finger, it made yours seem so much darker and foreboding. "I know that you've always hated me," Petra said, her voice softly but firmly rising above the chatter of your friends. "But I want to talk to you, now - and only after I've finished are you allowed to make your decision about me."

Isabel cast an assessing glare at her before shrugging and turning to you. You contemplated it, for a brief second, but could you handle hearing more? The last thing you'd heard had knocked the world out from underneath your feet. Had Levi ever truly loved you? When had it crossed from merely being a job to actually caring for you - or had he ever crossed that line?