Work Text:
ephemeral (adj,) lasting for a very short time; fleeting, short-lived, momentary
~~~~
“Captain Levi! There is a cabin in the distance.” Idahlia stated as she slowed her horse down to a trot in order to let Levi catch up. Rain was pouring all around them and making everything difficult to see.
He grunted in response and went ahead to get a better view of the house.
It was a small cabin, with a few buildings around it and then trees all around those, as the house was in a clearing inside the giant forest the scouts were supposed to be clearing of titans. That is until Levi and one of the cadets from Hange’s squad, Idahlia, got stranded due to an unexpected rainstorm and had to find shelter for the night.
“You go inside, I’ll stay out here and scope out the surroundings.” Levi said, without turning to her and shot off around the side of the cabin.
Idahlia tied her horse to the fence and went up to the front of the house. The stairs old and creaky and the windows dusty. She reached for the door handle and it was locked, but seemingly so old that she could force it open. Coughing as she walked in, the house was quaint, but homey. She walked directly into the living room and noticed the layer of dust on everything in sight. Levi won’t like that. She thought to herself.
She walked further into the house and made sure to walk quietly in case the house was inhabited by someone, despite it seeming vacant from the outside. After getting through the living room, she found a hallway and glanced down it. There was an open door on the left which led to the dining room, then an archway that led into the kitchen. A bit farther down, there were three doors which Idahlia assumed led to the bedrooms.
Idahlia turned into the kitchen and took note of the half full pantry and an indoor water pump. Next to that was a tiny table and two chairs, in front of a big window. She exited the kitchen and went down the hallway and opened each of the doors; surprisingly, it only had one bedroom, the other two doors led to a bathroom and an office space full of books. She walked over to the shelves and ran a finger over the spines of the books until one sparked her interest and she opened it.
“Oi! Are you deaf?”
Jumping in surprise, Idahlia spun around and noticed Levi standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. “Oh, I um, I was lost in this book.”
Levi glanced at the book she was holding and nodded, “The outside is safe for now, I took your horse to the stable they had outback. How’s the house?”
“Old and dusty, but it should work. I was gonna try to clean up before you came in because I know you don’t like messes, but-”
“It’s okay, I’ll go see what I can do. Get your gear off and dry off the best you can and try not to make more of a mess” He said as he gestured to the trail of water leading right to her.
“Oops,” Idahlia giggled as she set the book down and walked past Levi to the bathroom. Levi tensed a bit as she went past, him not being used to her so close.
~~~~
Idahlia wandered into the bedroom and searched the dresser for clean clothes. The drawers were barely full of anything, but she managed to find a beige skirt and a white flowy poet blouse, plus a black corset for on top. She put them on and did a little spin in the mirror, I haven’t worn clothes this pretty in so long. Before leaving she picked out a black long sleeve shirt and a pair of slacks for Levi to change into. She pulled her hair from the loose braid and ruffled it a little bit and left after giving herself another glance in the mirror.
Idahlia came out of the room and found Levi in the kitchen wiping the counters down. She paused in the doorway, not wanting to interrupt his work. “Captain, I found some clothes in the drawers. I brought some that I thought would fit, I don’t want you getting sick from the wet clothes.” She laughed a little bit to stop her rambling as Levi turned around.
There were a few seconds of silence while Levi blankly stared at Idahlia, but she was looking at something else. “Sir, your face is flushed, are you feeling okay?” She placed the clothes she was holding on the counter beside him as she rushed to Levi.
Idahlia leaned down and placed her hand on Levi’s forehead, “You don’t feel feverish, are you hungry? I haven’t looked too closely at the food here, but I’m sure I could find something.”
“I-uh, yeah that works. Thanks.” Levi rushed out and grabbed the clothes beside him before practically running out the room.
Idahlia stared after him in confusion, he’s never acted like that before.
~~~~
Idahlia took it upon herself to make dinner for the two of them, while Levi thoroughly cleaned the house and the mud she trailed in. After fixing up some kind of stew with the ingredients she could find, Idahlia found herself sitting in front of the big stone fireplace trying to get some of the wood to light in order to provide some warmth in the otherwise chilly house. She kept trying, but none of her attempts were working. Huffing in frustration, she sat back on her heels and tossed the log down.
“You weren’t holding the match right, you have to hold it at more of an angle.” She heard from behind her. Turning, she saw Levi leaning against the doorway watching her.
“How long have you been standing there?” She asked curiously.
Levi’s face burned a little bit as he stuttered out an answer, “Long enough to realize you were doing it wrong.”
“Then why don’t you do it,” she scowled and gestured at the fireplace.
Levi shrugged and walked over. He picked up the match and paused as he mumbled, “Why don’t I show you how to do it? Just so you know how to do it for next time, of course.”
Idahlia nodded and smiled a little bit at him, which made Levi’s face burn brighter. She scooted in closer and waited for him to show her. But he just handed her the match and took her hands in his and ran them through the motions she would need to do in order to get the log lit. He paused before letting them go and gesturing for her to do it. To Idahlia’s surprise, it lit on the first try.
She turned to him and smiled sweetly and Levi froze as their eyes met. Just then, they realized how close they really were. Their legs were touching and he could feel her breath fan his face. He jumped back and stood up quickly, dusting himself off. “Good-good job,” he stated.
“Thank you, sir.” She paused as she looked at the fire, “Oh yeah! I made us food, I wanted to wait until you were done to eat it.”
Levi stiffly nodded as he began walking into the kitchen.
~~~~
An odd silence swept over Levi and Idahlia as they were eating, not quite awkward but it seemed nobody wanted to speak as they were lost in thought. The rain was the only thing heard as the droplets bounced from the window. Idahlia took a few small bites and then gazed out the window.
“Is there something on your mind?” Levi asked, observing her lack of eating.
“Sir-”
“Call me Levi,” he muttered and kept his eyes glued to his bowl.
“Okay, Levi.” Idahlia smiled as she continued, “I was just thinking about my squad. I hope they’re okay.”
Levi simply nodded, understanding her worry.
“But, my mother always said that worrying makes you suffer twice.” Idahlia remembered, “So it’s not worth my time fretting over. I know they’re a strong team and Hange is a more than capable leader.”
Levi nodded again and stayed silent for a few moments before speaking up, “What’s your family like?”
“They were..chaotic. I was the second oldest in a family of eight. There were my parents, my older brother, then my three sisters and youngest brother. But we were happy, we really were. This food reminds me of something my mother and I would make on Sundays. Those were usually the days before we went shopping, so we had scraps and leftovers to make a meal out of.” Idahlia shook her head, “As much as I miss them, I’m glad I’m where I’m at now.”
Levi looked at her and she glanced at him before continuing. “But..I’m the only one left now. Way back when the wall broke, me and my brother were playing by the river. Then titans started streaming in and we ran as fast as we could to get back to the house. All that was there when we arrived was blood.” She shook the memory from her head, “it was a horrific sight.”
Both of them stayed silent as Idahlia sadly reminisced and Levi sat uncomfortably, not knowing how to comfort her or even react.
“Idahlia..you don’t need to tell me anymore.” Levi said, looking at her in concern.
She sniffled and wiped her eyes, not even realizing she was crying. “It’s alright, not many people know anyway.”
“Your brother, where is he?”
“He was in the garrison, but...got eaten at Trost.”
“I..Idahlia, I’m so sorry.” Levi said genuinely, reaching across the small table and grabbing her hand.
Idahlia glanced up at him and painfully smiled, “it’s okay, at least they’re safe. That can’t be guaranteed in this world. I just need to live every moment like it’s my last.”
Levi nodded and got up without a word to rinse his bowl.
Silence ensued once more, both of them reflecting as the sound of water dripping from the faucet filled the room.
Levi cleared his throat, “I don’t know any of my family. My mother died when I was young and I got taken in by this man, Kenny. He wasn’t the most supportive figure in my life, but I learned how to survive in the Underground.”
Idahlia got up next to him and dried the dishes as he washed and continued to speak, “I lived there most of my life until Erwin came and recruited me for the scouts. He said he saw something in me.”
Idahlia smiled at that as Levi stopped washing and stood there in thought.
“I-I met two of the greatest people in my life in the Underground, Isabel and Farlan. They were my best friends. Isabel, she was definitely energetic, but she was determined. Eren reminds me a lot of her. And Farlan, he..he was the most level-headed out of all of us. He was like my brother. And Erwin recruited all of us, we stayed together and trained. It was nice, we-we were like a little family.”
Levi shook his head and slowly washed the dishes with his now shaky hands. “But that’s all gone now. They..they died and it was all my fault. I pushed them to keep fighting and we got ambushed by titans and they couldn’t survive.”
Idahlia gently took the rag and dish from his hands as his knuckles turned white with his grip. “Levi, I’m so sorry.” But he only shook his head and turned away, walking outside the house. Idahlia wordlessly finished the dishes and went back to sit by the fire and read.
~~~~
Levi came back an hour or two later, his demeanor had changed back to the sharp glares and blank stares. As night fell, Levi and Idahlia found themselves occupying their time in silence, but also in comfortable company of one another. Idahlia was deep in a book as she sat in front of the fireplace with her knees hugged to her chest. While Levi was sitting in the corner chair cleaning and checking their gear.
All of a sudden Idahlia jumped up and ran out of the room. Levi glanced up and shook his head in confusion, but had a small smile on his face despite it. A few moments later, Idahlia came back and walked over to Levi and grabbed his hand. “Close your eyes.”
Levi frowned at her in suspicion, gripping her hand tighter to stop her from walking further.
“Just trust me, you’re gonna love this.” She wholeheartedly reassured.
He shook his head with a small smile at her antics and closed his eyes, letting Idahlia lead him. She let go of his hand and placed her hands on his shoulders and directed him into one of the dining room chairs.
“Hold out your hands,” Idahlia said and he felt a warm cup in his palms. “Anddd open.”
He looked down and saw he was holding a mug of hot tea, he glanced at Idahlia and she was now sitting next to him excitedly.
He couldn’t help himself as he smiled at her again and held the mug in his signature way and brought it to his lips. Upon tasting it, he could tell the tea was old. But to his surprise, it had been made the exact way he liked. She must’ve remembered when I had her make me tea all those years ago.
“What do you think?” Idahlia asked as she rested her chin in the palm of her hands and looked at Levi.
He blushed and broke the eye contact quickly, “It-it’s good. Thank you.”
Idahlia smiled as she nodded, “I know how much you like tea, I mean everyone does, but I made it for you quite a bit back in the day. And I found that in there a bit ago and thought of you. I hope it helped.”
Levi let her ramble and then mumbled out a quiet “I appreciate it” as she stood up.
Before leaving, she paused. “I forgot to tell you, but there’s only one bedroom. Meaning one bed. So we can take turns sleeping or I can sleep on the couch, whichever you prefer.”
“I don’t sleep in a bed so it works out.”
Idahlia turned back to him, “Where do you sleep then?”
Levi kept his eyes on the cup he was holding, “I have a nice armchair back in my office I can sometimes sleep in.”
“Well you’re in luck, there’s a comfortable chair in the bedroom too.”
Levi finally looked over at Idahlia who looked like she was waiting for something.
“I guess I could sleep there.”
She smiled, satisfied with his answer and continued on her way.
~~~~
Idahlia found herself back in front of the fireplace reading again. Levi was outside again, this time checking the horses and making sure the perimeter was still safe. As he wandered back inside, he paused and smiled at the peaceful sight in front of him. Idahlia curled up by the fire with a book in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. Before he could realize it, Idahlia had looked up from reading and was staring at him.
“Levi?”
“Um, yes?” He stuttered out as he tried to appear nonchalant and like he wasn’t just staring at her.
“Do you like to read?” Idahlia asked, closing her book.
“Not particularly,” Levi replied, turning his back to her to cover up the embarrassment of being caught.
“Well, can I read to you?”
Levi froze, the last person he remembers reading to him was his mother. “I-”
“You don’t have to, it was just a suggestion. Although it’s a lovely story, a girl finds her true love and it’s so sweet-”
“Yes,” Levi paused and sat back down in his chair, “Please.”
Idahlia smiled widely before opening the book back up and clearing her throat. “There were once these two girls, Meredith and Abigail…”
Idahlia read on and on, while Levi sat in the rocking chair listening quietly. After a few minutes she paused and got up and moved to a spot on the floor next to Levi. He wouldn’t look at her until she began reading again, but when he did the view was breathtaking. The fire reflected warmth across her face as her eyes were bright with excitement. Her expressions were vivid as she read through the dialogue and she seemed to not be able to hold back a smile during the cute parts of the story. It was absolutely mesmerizing. God she’s beautiful. He thought to himself.
~~~~
A few hours went by before Idahlia stopped and decided to go to bed, she sat at the vanity in the bedroom when Levi walked in and took his spot in the small armchair. He watched as she took her braid out of her hair and brushed through it with her fingertips. He didn’t notice Idahlia could see him staring at her in the corner of the mirror. She just smiled and hummed to herself until she got her hair detangled.
She walked to the bed and paused before looking at Levi, “If you change your mind about the bed, just wake me up. We don’t need you tired tomorrow, it’s gonna be a long day.”
Levi nodded and didn’t take his eyes off his gear in an attempt to ignore his heart racing at her concern for his well being.
Idahlia got under the covers and blew out the bedside lantern. She was quiet for a few minutes, the only thing being heard was Levi cleaning metal with a rag and the thunderstorm echoing through the field.
“Levi?”
“Yes?”
“Why did you open up to me so easily?” Idahlia pondered as she laid under the blankets and stared at the ceiling.
“I-I wanted to. You shared an important part of your life with me too,” He explained.
“But you never open up like that to anyone, at least not with random people like me.”
“You...you’re not a random person.” He mumbled, voice growing quieter.
A small smile stuck to Idahlia’s face, “I see. Well, goodnight, Levi.”
“Goodnight brat,” Levi mumbled back, leaning back in his chair and gazing out the window at the starry night sky.
~~~~
Idahlia’s eyes flew open and her heart raced as she lurched forward with a gasp. Her hair was plastered to her forehead and eyes were watery as she continued gasping for air. But her efforts were to no avail, instead it got worse. She started quietly sobbing and brought her knees to her chest in an attempt to muffle her crying and her thoughts and not wake Levi in the process.
“Idahlia..?”
“Le-Levi, I’m okay, you can go back to sleep.” She assured, despite her voice quivering as she spoke.
“What happened? Is everything okay?” He questioned as he hurried from the chair to sit on the edge of the bed. She raised her head and met his eyes, their only source of light was the moon shining brightly through the window. Levi could see the panic and fear in her expression and immediately knew what was wrong. Nightmares. Everyone in the survey corps had them, it was just like the plague.
Idahlia just kept her eyes trained on Levi’s and he took this opportunity to try and soothe her anxiety.
“You’re safe, nothing is going to hurt you, okay?” Levi moved a little closer to her, “It was all just a dream. We’re perfectly fine right here.”
Idahlia scooched in and filled the remaining distance between them and leaned her head on his shoulder, while Levi tensed, not used to someone touching him.
Idahlia was silent for many moments before finally speaking up.
“Levi, what if everyone thinks we’re dead? What-what if they’re dead? My squad members, I just left them there. God why would I do that, I just sent them to their-”
“Hey, stop that.” Levi grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him, “You didn’t know we were gonna get separated from everyone else. They were near my squad too, if they stuck to the formation then they should’ve stayed safe.”
“But you-you know accidents happen-”
“Don’t. Don’t even start that, thinking of all the what if’s is pointless.” Levi said and laid her head back on his shoulder. “Nobody knew that titan was gonna jump out, it surprised all of us.”
Idahlia hiccuped and nodded as they both gazed out the window at the stars. She moved her hand down and searched for Levi’s. Levi froze and stared at their conjoined hands as Idahlia played with his fingers idly. “You know Levi, you’re not stone cold like people say. I can see how kind you are deep down. This world has just caused you to mask that, it does that to all of us at some point.”
“I’m still not a saint,” Levi muttered.
Idahlia smiled gently and sniffled as she squeezed Levi’s hand. “Everyone does what they have to in order to survive.”
Levi kept his eyes on their hands, rubbing a thumb across her knuckles.
“Can you sleep in the bed with me? We don’t have to be close or anything, I just..want someone near me.”
He nodded and let Idahlia guide him back into the bed. Although they remained apart while laying together, they both had the most peaceful sleep in a long time.
~~~~
Surprisingly, Idahlia woke up first. She sat up and stretched her arms, not noticing how Levi had gotten much closer during the night. She smiled as she gazed at his sleeping figure. Reaching down, she swept some of the hair from his eyes. She smiled as she glanced up at the big window. The stormy skies had cleared, making way for a bright sunny day. Except there was a massive shadow blocking the window. The shadow of a titan. It was a smaller one, but it was crouched in front of the window seemingly frozen as it stared at the pair.
Idahlia tensed up and slowly moved her hand down to wake Levi.
“Levi, wake up please. There’s a bit of a situation.” She shook his shoulder lightly.
He only groaned in response, shifting a bit to block the light from his eyes. Idahlia began shaking him harder and his steely eyes burst open and looked right at her. “What do you want brat? I’m trying to sleep.”
“That..” Idahlia pointed at the window with a shaky finger. Levi’s eyes widened as he followed it and he slowly sat up, keeping his eyes trained on the titan who hadn’t moved an inch but it’s dead eyes followed their every movement.
Levi’s hand subconsciously wandered until it found hers, “When I count to three run to the living room and get your gear on as fast as you can. Then go outside and get on one of the big branches and wait, don’t worry about me. Just get yourself out as safely as possible.”
Their eyes met as Idahlia nodded, she squeezed his hand in reassurance and waited for him to count.
“One..”
“Two..”
“Three.” They took off like bullets to their gear. The second they ran out of the room, the titan seemed to gain all movement again. It’s arm shot out and broke the window in an attempt to grab them, but they were already in the living room. It continued pushing its arm around the room, knocking over furniture and sending objects flying, all in an attempt to get one of them, but after a few seconds it seemed to realize they weren’t coming back and made its way around the house.
Idahlia put on her gear with shaky hands and kept fumbling over every buckle from the mixture of adrenaline and fear running through her. Levi turned to her, already having his gear on. They could hear the shaking of the ground as the titan stomped its way to them again.
“Come here, quick.” He helped her with the buckles she was struggling with. “It’s gonna be okay, just get to that tree as fast as you can. I’ll be right out after you.”
Idahlia nodded and watched for a second as Levi had gone back into the kitchen for something. She took a deep breath and centered herself before going to the door.
Slowly, she opened it, keeping an eye out for the titan. The ground was muddy and wet with morning dew and the remnants of the rain storm the previous day. Once the coast was clear, she sprinted through the yard the best she could, as it was slippery, and readied her hooks and aimed for the highest branch on the closest tree. As she was flying, she heard the thundering of the titan’s run in an attempt to grab her. Idahlia breathed with relief as she thought she made it far enough away. But the titan leapt through the air and swatted her like a fly before she could make it to the tree.
A scream ripped from Idahlia’s throat as she fell through the air. She tried to regain control and grapple to the tree, but the titan grabbed her from midair. Idahlia froze as she was brought closer to the titans mouth, I can’t go out like this.
Her hands shook as she stabbed at its chubby hands with dull blades in an attempt to get it off, but its grip was deathly. The longer she struggled, the more lightheaded and weak she got. Her attempts to fight it off were becoming feeble as it opened its mouth and brought her nearer.
“NO!” Idahlia seemed to find her voice again as she screamed and cried, “Please no!”
Suddenly, a blade flew from below and cut her from the titans hand. Time seemed to slow as she fell to the ground. Levi flew past her and hacked at the titan’s nape and the giant crumbled. Idahlia landed on the ground roughly with a cry, immediately feeling thousands of pricks of pain throughout her whole body.
Levi rushed to Idahlia in a panic, “I-I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have sent you out here by yourself, that was stupid-”
Idahlia weakly laughed, “It’s not your fault, that thing was like a kangaroo”
Levi shook his head in response and ran his hands over Idahlia’s limbs and torso to check for blood or bones sticking out. Once satisfied, he lifted her up into a sitting position and gave her his canteen to which she accepted gratefully.
“What’s the situation looking like doc?” Idahlia winced as she sat up a little straighter.
“Thankfully, your legs and arms are okay and there’s no external blood. But I can only imagine you broke at least a few ribs and bruised your abdomen, especially since that titan had a death grip on you and you fell at least four meters down.” Levi flushed once he realized he had been rambling and running his hands over her body.
Birds started squawking and fleeing the forest as the ground had begun shaking lightly, signalling one thing. More titans.
Levi hoisted Idahlia to her feet and hurried to get their horses from the stables, "Quickly. This place isn’t safe anymore.”
~~~~
The journey through the forest was long, every turn looked the same and Idahlia was basically out of commission due to her injuries. She remained slumped over her horse's reins and kept groaning in pain due to her body getting jostled at every movement. Levi stayed close by so she didn’t hurt herself more, but that only caused him to be more distracted and therefore more lost.
“Idahlia,” Levi called and she jerked her head up in an attempt to seem more attentive, “Let’s rest a bit, we’ve lost the titans that were behind us for now.”
Idahlia only grunted in response and shakily slid off her horse and stumbled against a tree. Levi guided her down to sit and passed her water and the small amount of rations they had left.
“I-Idahlia, can I check your torso?” Levi stopped and tried to ignore the butterflies in his stomach. “You’ve probably broken a rib, so we might need to wrap your abdomen.”
Idahlia nodded and stripped her shirt off without wasting a second. Levi froze, not expecting her to be so forward. He moved closer and avoided her eyes. But she kept them closed as she sighed and leaned her head back onto the tree.
Levi directed his gaze to Idahlia’s stomach, not her chest, although looking at her stomach didn’t do anything to stop his face from turning bright red. Her stomach had dark bruising wrapping around her body and back. He ran his fingers along her ribcage gently as he tried feeling for broken bones. Idahlia hissed in pain and jerked away.
“Sorry,” Levi breathed quietly, “That’s one broken rib.” This process continued until he had checked the entirety of her ribs, finding too many broken bones for comfort. “I need to wrap it now, it’ll be tight but it’s going to keep you from hurting yourself more.”
Idahlia opened an eye and watched Levi dig through a bag in search of bandages. She laughed dryly and closed her eyes again.
“What’s so funny?” Levi asked as he got closer.
“You’re like a nurse,” Idahlia smiled, “It’s quite cute.”
Levi’s hands froze right where he had begun wrapping them, “I..” he stuttered and felt his face grow hot once again.
“I’m just messing with you, although I really do appreciate this.” Idahlia admitted.
Levi just nodded and kept to his work, now in a hurry to get done and get back on the horses.
After Idahlia was secure, they began their journey to the base where everyone else was staying to rest during the mission. The sun was slowly setting as they reached a break in the woods. Idahlia had managed to stay alert the best she could given the condition she was in. Her head and body ached as she kept her eyes on the horizon as they barreled through a field.
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
They tensed up as their eyes searched for each other knowing exactly what was causing that sound. Titans.
Levi simply nodded at Idahlia as they took off faster than they had all day. They veered off the path in an attempt to confuse the titan running behind them, but it only kept up, if not getting a little closer.
Idahlia cracked the reins, but her horse couldn’t keep up the pace, tired from running all day.
“Levi!”
Levi’s head snapped to her as he saw his worst fear come to life. A titan was mere feet behind Idahlia as she was struggling to escape. Her fearful eyes met his and she was flung from her horse due to the animal's panic.
Idahlia flew off her horses back and hit the ground hard. She laid there frozen as the abnormal titan sprang past her with it’s mouth opened and swallowed her horse in one bite. Levi was to her side in an instant, he pulled her to her feet and pushed her to his horse and mouthed “go.” She hesitated as she watched Levi sprint towards the beast and rip off his cape. He shot into the air and came down on it’s nape and in a split second, it was dead. But Levi kept hacking at it and cutting its limbs and slicing its flesh. It felt like an eternity before he had stopped and almost immediately began to inspect Idahlia for injuries.
“I’m fine,” she said as she pushed him away as he was covered in blood.
Levi just stared at her with an incredulous look on his face, You’re fine?! We’re stranded in the middle of a forest and we have no gas to use our gear and now you’re without a horse. Not to mention you were flung from it while it was galloping quite fast and you’re now hurt more than before.”
She just shrugged in response and took more of an interest in the grass below their feet, not quite wanting to argue with the furious man.
“How can you stand there like that? You’re thrown off your horse, almost eaten by a titan. AND THEN YOU DON’T LEAVE WHEN I TOLD YOU TO.” Levi shouted, red in the face. “DO YOU NOT REALIZE HOW RECKLESS THAT WAS?”
Something in Idahlia snapped and she finally mustered up the courage to look him right in the eye, “Well if that hadn’t happened, then I’d be dead. Which maybe you’d prefer by the way you’re sounding right now.” She calmly spat and started walking - hobbling - to Levi’s horse as she climbed on and continued in the direction they were previously headed.
“HEY! GET BACK HERE!” Levi yelled, to which Idahlia only gave him an obscene hand gesture and kept on her way.
~~~~
Levi trailed after Idahlia and gave her space as she stubbornly refused to be anywhere near him. He kept an eye out for any dangers, as she was now quite injured and vulnerable, but also incredibly stubborn. After the sun had fully set, he noticed she had stopped at a tree and was drifting off in a shallow sleep. He hurried after her, wanting to make sure she was still breathing. When he made his way over, he noticed her shivering figure and pulled off his cape and laid it across her body. Once he was satisfied, he used the remaining blade he had to cut tree limbs and start a pitiful fire in order to provide some source of light and warmth. Levi kept glancing at Idahlia every so often as if to double check she was still there and safe.
“You scared me out there,” He mumbled out loud to no one in particular, “I was weak and now you’re hurt. I feel so powerless and I hate it.”
The night hours went by tediously and soon the sun had risen and Idahlia’s eyes fluttered open. She sat up and saw Levi sitting rigidly with his back to her and the remnants of a fire in front of him.
“Did you sleep any?” Idahlia asked as she rubbed the tiredness from her eyes.
He shook his head and stayed facing away from her, “How do you feel?”
Idahlia paused and winced as she stretched out her body, “Um, not the best.”
He finally turned and blankly studied her, staying silent for a few moments as the tension in the air got thicker and thicker. They both sat there observing one another, waiting for someone to break the quiet.
“Levi look-”
“No.” He interrupted, “Listen. When I saw that titan about to eat you, I..I froze. I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t do anything. I was weak and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you.” He finished and ashamedly kept his gaze on his hands and fidgeted with his fingers.
Unsure what to say Idahlia shifted closer to Levi and wrapped him in a hug. He tensed up immensely and she began to pull away thinking she crossed his boundaries. But he only pulled her back in and held her tighter than before. He felt her put her face in his neck and sigh contentedly. They stayed like that for what felt like hours, having the hug portray the emotions they couldn’t say out loud.
Eventually their arms loosened and they pulled away, keeping each other at arm's length as they maintained eye contact. Levi’s stomach was doing somersaults as he gazed into Idahlia’s eyes. She softly smiled and finally looked away, trying to cover up the blush that was now covering her face.
Levi quickly stood up and rubbed his arm. “I, uh, we only have one horse.”
“We’re both fairly small, we should fit. Idahlia stated, standing up as well while Levi looked at her wildly. She glanced at him and gave him a questioning look. “I don’t see the problem with it.”
Levi bit the inside of his lip and nodded before walking to their horse.
~~~~
They had managed to stay awake and alert the whole time back to the base without anymore titan incidents. The only incidents that had happened was Idahlia having intense dizzy spells and almost swaying off the horse. That is before Levi managed to get a grip on her shoulders and wrap an arm around her waist to keep her steady. When they got in sight of the people on watch at the small cluster of houses, everyone began yelling to get Erwin’s attention.
“It’s Captain Levi!”
“Wait, who’s that with him?”
“That’s Idahlia from Hange’s squad!”
“They’re safe!”
It seemed Levi had turned back on his stony facade as he began barking orders at the cadets.
“Someone get her to the infirmary.” He demanded as he gently helped Idahlia from his horse and passed her to the cadets. “Where’s Erwin?”
“Behind you, sir.”
Levi turned and saw Erwin casually making his way over to him, standing as proud and strong as ever.
“Ah, Levi. I see you made it back in one piece.” Erwin stated as he stood with his hands behind his back and a small smile on his face.
Levi looked to him, “Of course.”
Erwin gestured for Levi to follow him, “Come on, you must tell Hange and the others about how you survived. Plus you’ve got paperwork to do.”
Levi simply nodded, but his attention was elsewhere. His gaze followed the cadets and Idahlia as they led her to the infirmary.
~~~~
“So what you’re telling me is you found an abandoned cabin, then a titan found you so you had to flee and then you just happened to find the base?” Hange reiterated.
“Yes.” Levi nodded.
“And you both somehow made it out alive?” They asked again.
“Yes, four-eyes what’s so hard to understand about this.” He sighed and gripped his nose in aggravation.
“Nothing, nothing. I just can’t see how she was able to deal with you and actually survive it.” They laughed at their own joke while Levi rolled his eyes. “What did you guys even do in that cabin?”
“I-what?” Levi whipped his head around to see Hange smiling suspiciously.
“Hange. Leave him be,” Erwin scolded, though he seemed to have been holding back a laugh of his own.
An hour went by of them questioning Levi on everything that happened and updating him on the current state of the mission. When he was able to get a moment away from them, he rushed to the infirmary. He tried to act nonchalant as he asked a nurse where Idahlia was. Upon figuring it out, he opened a curtain and spotted her laying on a bed in deep sleep. She had a washcloth on her head and a bandage wrapped around her skull.
A nurse passed by and he grabbed her arm and asked her what was wrong.
“She has a concussion, could barely walk without people holding her up. Then she passed out on the bed here, so we checked her ribs and she has lots of bruising and a few broken bones. But other than that, she’s fine. She just needs lots of rest.”
Levi nodded as he pulled a chair up to the side of the bed. He sat there for a bit, making sure Idahlia was still safe. He watched her sleeping face, noticing how peaceful she looked. He reached into his bag and pulled out the book she was reading to him a few days prior.
He opened it back up to where they left off, “Meredith lay on her back watching the clouds, while Abigail played the lyre. A beautiful melody filled her ears as she hummed along. Abigail stopped playing as they made eye contact, the world around them faded as they slowly began to lean in.”
“Levi?” Idahlia groaned as her eyes fluttered open.
He put the book down and was at her side in an instant. “Yeah, it’s me. Do you need anything?”
She closed her eyes and gestured at the wide curtain letting in bright light, “Curtains.”
Levi quickly closed them and sat back down, waiting for her to say something. But she only laid there with her arm over her eyes. She stayed that way for a little bit before popping her head back up and looking at him, “Are you gonna keep reading or no?”
“Um, yeah. On it” He grabbed the book from the side table and opened it where he had left off and began reading.
It felt like hours went by as he read to her, her laying there and listening diligently. Eventually, Levi reached the end and closed the book softly, gazing at the ground.
“What did you think?” Idahlia asked with a gentle smile on her face as she watched him.
His ears turned pink as he looked anywhere but at her, “It was good.”
“Yeah it was.” She agreed, “So that’s what was in that bag.”
Levi nodded slightly and set the book on the side table. “I knew how much you enjoyed it and I figured you’d want to finish it.”
Idahlia reached out for his hand and ran her thumb across his knuckles, “Thank you, Levi.”
“You-you’re welcome.” He replied, face turning redder and redder the more he focused on their conjoined hands.
“Knock, knock.” Hange spoke as they peeked behind the hospital curtains. Levi jumped to his feet and kept his hands behind his back in an attempt to cover up any affection between the two of them. Hange only smiled before speaking again, “Good news Idahlia, you’re going to be released tomorrow, per my request. But you can’t train or do any hard labor for two weeks until you heal.”
Idahlia sat up and smiled widely, “That’s great! Can I visit the squad?”
“Of course,” Hange nodded as they turned to Levi, “Would you care to keep Idahlia company as she goes? Safety precautions, you know.”
Levi curtly nodded and walked out of the closed off room.
Hange turned back to Idahlia with a grin, “What’s wrong with shorty?”
Idahlia shrugged and glanced around before adding, “Between the two of us, he’s been acting off ever since we found that cabin.”
Hange’s grin got even wider, if possible, “Hm. I’ll have to question him some more about that later. But for now, you go see everyone. We’re regrouping and will be headed back to HQ within two days.”
Idahlia nodded before bouncing out of bed, “Thanks so much Captain!” She ran out of the room yelling for Levi to find him and drag him along to see her squad.
Hange only shook their head and smiled at the sight. Levi’s got himself a little crush.
~~~~
After Idahlia caught up with her squad and made sure each of them were safe and well fed, she finally wandered to get some food for herself.
“About time you eat, I almost dragged you away from them.” Levi muttered. “You’re like their mother.
“Hey! They are like my children, I have to make sure they’re all doing okay.” Idahlia defended.
Levi snorted and shook his head as they walked over to get a tray. He made sure to pile more than enough food on your plate.
“Slow down there, short-stack. I don’t need quite that much food.”
Levi froze looking at her, “What did you call me?”
Idahlia realized her mistake and blankly stared at him, Is this the part where I run or apologize?
“I-I’m sorry, it slipped out. I didn’t mean it-”
Levi huffed and slammed the spoon down, “Fine. You can get your own food.”
“Wait! Levi!” She put her tray down and stumbled after him. “It was only a joke-”
She wasn’t aware of Levi standing right outside the door when she swung it open and ran straight into him, causing both of them to fall into a heap on the ground.
“Oh my, I’m sorry!” Idahlia profusely apologized as she quickly got off him and grabbed his arm to help him back up. Levi only stared at her as she rambled off apologies.“Sir, why are you looking at me like that?”
Levi yanked his arm from her grip and walked away, both of them sporting a heavy blush.
“Wait, no! Come back.” Idahlia shouted as she ran after him a second time.
Levi groaned and turned back to her, “Fine. Follow me, brat.” He ordered as he roughly grabbed her hand and pulled her after him.
They went down the hallway with Idahlia stumbling after Levi. Despite being short, the man can sure walk fast, she thought. They eventually made their way outside after quite a few abrupt turns and finally behind a secluded tent.
Both Idahlia and Levi stood there while an awkward tension filled the air. Idahlia played with the ends of her shirt and dug the toe of her boot into the dirt, trying to figure out how to start the conversation, despite not knowing what Levi dragged her out here to talk about.
“So..?” Idahlia prompted, gesturing for him to begin speaking, “You didn’t drag us out here to get cold feet.”
Levi gave her an attempted cold stare, one that just withered away into an uncomfortable grimace. “This is already hard enough, don’t make it more difficult.”
“Levi, I’m confident in saying I have absolutely no idea what you’re saying.” Idahlia giggled at his behavior.
Levi looked up at her, his face flushed pink. He didn’t make any attempt to cover it up, he just gazed at Idahlia’s face. She felt herself growing hotter with each passing second he watched her.
“You’re so beautiful.” Levi murmured and brought his hand up to her cheek, gently rubbing it with his thumb. Idahlia’s face turned bright red and she felt herself leaning into his touch more and more.
She smiled before mumbling, “I was thinking the same thing about you Ackerman.”
Levi’s face burned brighter, if that were possible, and she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into a tight hug. One the pair didn’t let go of for a while, content in each other's embrace.
Idahlia started giggling and pulled away, covering her mouth with her hand. Levi’s eyes widened as he smelled himself. But her laughter didn’t let up, it only got more profuse after she watched Levi lift an arm and sniff his underarms. Levi eventually joined in, with a few chuckles of his own before settling with a smile. “What’s so funny?”
“You-you like me,” Idahlia stuttered out in between laughs, now sitting on the ground clutching her stomach, “Humanity’s Strongest has fallen for me. Me. Of all people.”
Levi lightly sat next to her, not sure if she was making fun of him or being earnest. “I..of course I do,” He stated as if it were obvious.
Idahlia reached over and patted his cheek, “You really are cute, Captain.”
Levi blushed at the comment and rolled his eyes, trying to keep his dignity. “Come here,” he mumbled as he pulled her in and their lips met.
Idahlia’s laughter abruptly stopped and her eyes widened before fluttering closed and losing herself in the kiss. Levi brought his hands up to cup her cheeks and Idahlia wrapped her arms around his shoulders to bring him closer.
They pulled away after a few moments, Idahlia leaned her forehead against Levi’s as they caught their breath. “That..that was the best kiss I’ve ever had.”
Levi only blushed at the compliment and pulled away. He stood and grabbed Idahlia’s hand to pull her up with him. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. Idahlia only giggled at the affection.
“Is it safe to assume you feel the same about me?” Levi pondered.
“Oh definitely not,” Idahlia deadpanned as she leaned against a nearby tree.
Levi’s hopeful expression fell and he let go of her hand. “I guess I’ll-” He began before being interrupted by her giggling again.
“What are you laughing at now?” He questioned exasperatedly.
“You’re just so cute,” Idahlia smiled and brought her hand to his cheek and pulled him in for another kiss.
“So that’s a yes?”