Work Text:
You frowned deeply as you continued to scrub at the floor, not being able to avoid getting several splinters. Hanji’s latest experiment into optimising the Scout’s flare guns had not only been a resounding failure, but also resulted in a rather large explosion, dye from the device splattering her entire laboratory, no surface spared. As one of the only people authorized to access her lab with time to spare that afternoon, you’d quickly been roped into clean-up duty.
The work was tough, the dye staining most of her furniture - not to mention the walls, floor and ceiling. Hanji herself had not been spared from the explosion either and would be sporting green patches on her skin for at least the next week. You supposed you were lucky not to have been stained by the dye too, having the forethought to wear thick clothing and some of Levi’s extra cleaning gloves before setting foot in the room.
You huffed again when you thought about your boyfriend. The two of you were supposed to be spending the afternoon together catching up on some admin in his office, but instead you’d been obligated to do this. Of course, Levi would understand but you were annoyed not to be spending time with him.
“What’s got you so down in the dumps, Y/N?” Hanji asked. You had no hesitation in telling her, secretly hoping your friend might feel just a little guilty for keeping you away from your boyfriend. But to your disappointment, she only laughed and stopped scrubbing the table she’d been working on. “I’m sure you can stand to be away from each other for a while! You’re usually so clingy, it might do you both some good.”
“Excuse me? Clingy? Have you even met Levi?” You asked, bewildered. Levi was renowned for his unaffectionate nature and was only recently beginning to open up to you about it.
“Of course! The two of you are always together!” Hanji exclaimed like it was obvious. “It’s rare to see the two of you apart these days.” You had to admit, she did have a point - although you’d never give her the satisfaction of saying that out loud. “I think if the two of you didn’t see each other at least once a day, your heads would explode.”
“We can keep our hands off each other if we want to…” You said somewhat defensively, although you weren’t entirely sure it was true. “We don’t need to be around each other all the time - we’re not clingy.” You said the word with disgust. Both you and Levi had made a point to retain some independence from the other and it annoyed you to no end that Hanji was suggesting overwise.
“Oh really?” She smirked at you with a raised eyebrow. A feeling of apprehension came over you at the look. Once Hanji got an idea in her head, it was rare for her not to see it through, especially not without a struggle. You let out another deep sigh as you waited for her to continue. “I bet you couldn’t go a whole day without talking to him.”
It seemed like a bad idea but you could never resist the urge to rise to a challenge. Your competitiveness and stubbornness was by far one of your worst traits - at least in your own opinion.
“Challenge accepted.” Hanji’s grin was devious at that.
“You can’t tell him what you’re doing either - or write stuff down or anything like that. You have to ignore him for a full twenty-four hours otherwise you lose.”
“And what do I get if I win?” To you it seemed like a tall order with little or no pay-off.
“The satisfaction of winning i guess? And proving to everyone else that you’re not as clingy as we all thought.”
“Wait - everyone thinks we’re clingy? We’re not!” Hanji cackled wildly at that.
“You have no idea! Start from tomorrow.”
You got back to your scrubbing rather aggressively in an effort not to throw your cloth at her. You weren’t sure why the idea of being perceived as clingy annoyed you so much but it did, and you cursed yourself for not being able to resist taking up the bet. But then again, if Levi had been in the same position, you got the distinct feeling he would’ve taken her up on the bet too.
Ignoring Levi for a whole twenty four hours seemed quite mean in your eyes, especially since Levi was only recently beginning to open up to you about his feelings and other aspects of your relationship. What the two of you had together was somewhat fragile an you were reluctant to ruin that. At least it was only for one day though. You’d be sure to come clean and make it up to him the day after. You could manage that, right?
That evening after you’d finally finished making Hanji’s lab at least a little more presentable, you’d made sure to be extra-affectionate with your boyfriend. You supposed it came from a place of guilt because you knew what was happening the next day. Some part of you hoped that if you gave him enough love in advance, it would make ignoring him easier to manage, but you knew people rarely worked that way.
You stretched as you woke up that morning, not even opening your eyes as you felt around blindly on the other side of the bed. You weren’t surprised to find it cold, Levi long since having got up. That wasn’t abnormal though. Your boyfriend suffered with insomnia at times and often you’d stay the night in his bedroom only to find him already awake and dressed in the morning.
It was only after this that you remembered the bet. Perhaps it was a good thing Levi had gotten up before you, lest it be over before you’d even started. Already, you knew the day was going to be harder than originally thought. It filled you with a nervous kind of energy as you got yourself ready for the day, thanking the walls silently that Levi was allowed an ensuite bathroom and you’d have the chance to pull yourself together before you saw him.
You took a deep breath before leaving his bedroom and making your way into the adjoined office. Lying to Levi was never a strong point of yours but you consoled yourself with the fact you technically wouldn’t need to lie at all if you didn’t say anything. Perhaps the easiest way to get through the day would be to avoid Levi completely - that way he wouldn’t figure out you were ignoring him at all.
As expected, your boyfriend was sat at his desk filling out paperwork as you entered. He sat hunched over, scribbling furiously, with a second chair pulled up next to his own. A tray containing a teapot and two steaming cups was balanced neatly off to the side. Your heart fluttered at the thoughtful gesture, Levi having already prepared for your arrival and taken steps to make you comfortable while he got some early work in, but you resisted the urge to go over to him. Instead, you simply closed the door behind you and began to make your way to the opposite side of the room and out into the corridor.
“Good morning.” Levi didn’t look up from his paperwork as he spoke. “I made you some tea, it’s that shit Erwin brought back from Mintras - i thought you might like to try it with me.” The tea had been expensive and you knew Levi had been hoarding it - fiercely protective and saving it for the right occasion. That only made ignoring him all the more harder when you realised he was willing to share it with you.
You resisted the urge to stop and continued to walk out of the room, saying nothing. It was difficult not to look behind you to make sure Levi wasn’t too offended but you controlled yourself. You knew you’d break down the moment you turned around.
It meant you didn’t see the shocked, slightly hurt look on Levi’s face as you left. He looked up from his paperwork and frowned at your retreating figure. The two of you always spent mornings together before breakfast, even if you hadn’t stayed the night. Did you have somewhere else to be? Levi couldn’t remember any major changes in your reschedule.
You made your way down to the breakfast hall almost twenty minutes early in an effort to avoid Levi, sitting alone at your regular table until the food was served. Ignoring your boyfriend felt mean and you couldn’t help the uneasiness in your gut as other soldiers began to filter in. Was this bet worth it? You weren’t able to come to a conclusion before Levi reappeared into your field of vision.
He had a somewhat sour look on his face as he took his regular seat next to you, almost throwing himself into the chair to express his annoyance. Neither of you said nothing for several minutes as you chewed quietly, keeping your eyes on your meal. You could practically hear the cogs turning in Levi’s brain.
Usually you’d be quick to strike up a conversation with him, why was today so different? Were you angry with him? Levi reasoned if that was the case, giving him the silent treatment was incredibly childish and disappointingly petty. Perhaps he should do the same.
You took a deep breath as you looked up from your meal, keeping your gaze anywhere but the raven haired man beside you. The tension between the two of you was palpable and you hated it. Could you really make it through the entire day like this? From across the room, you caught Hanji’s gaze and froze. She seemed to do the same for a moment before her lips turned up into a mocking, somewhat playful smirk. You could tell she doubted your ability to last though the morning, let alone the next twenty four hours.
That look alone was enough to convince you to keep going. The point of the bet, disproving that you were clingy, didn’t seem to matter anymore - just proving Hanji wrong for the satisfaction of it.
After a tense breakfast, avoiding Levi comes more easily. You spent most of the morning leading a training exercise with the new recruits so had the perfect excuse not to be around him. You managed to put the bet out of your mind for most of the day, finally getting back to HQ in the early afternoon.
There was nothing on your schedule for the rest of the day meaning you had some rare free time. Usually when a space like this opened up, you’d spend it with Levi - but today that wasn’t an option. Instead, you took the opportunity to catch up with your squad, most soldiers socialising in the mess hall when they weren’t on duty.
You found yourself at a table with the four of them, several others you weren’t so familiar with quickly joining to share rumours of the next expedition and gossip over the instructor’s personal lives.
“You know I heard squad leader Tandy’s wife is having a baby?” One of them said, encouraging you all to lean in and keep your voices down. “But i also heard that she’s four months pregnanct and Tandy only visited three months ago…” They raised an eyebrow and you hummed at the speculation.
“Who do you think the real father is then? It’d have to be a civilian, surely?”
“Or,” Someone else butted in. “One of the MPs stationed in the area. You know how they love taking people’s wives…” That much was certainly true - although it mostly occurred after their previous husband had been killed in action. The MPs were notorious for swooping in to comfort grieving widows.
Your squad continued to speculate about the real father of Tandy’s baby along with the rumours of the squad leader’s own affairs with other members of the Scouts. Although much of it was just conjecture, you suspected there was some truth to what they were gossiping about.
You were pulled from the conversation abruptly when you felt someone sliding up the bench to sit uncomfortably close to you. When you looked over, you saw it was one of the lesser known recruits. He had slicked back hair and an uncomfortably smug expression on his face that made your skin crawl. You did your best to subtly shuffle away from him to put some distance between the two of you, only to find yourself at the edge of the bench.
“Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you are?” Despite the compliment, there was something in your voice that made you want to vomit. The smoothness of it so obviously fake. “I think your looks are wasted on the military, you should have become a performer instead.” Somehow the recruit came even closer, so close you could almost feel his breath on your cheek.
“That’s not your call to make…” You kept your voice steady and firm, trying not to show the recruit how much he was unsettling you. “I’m perfectly happy just where i am, thanks.”
“It sure doesn’t look like it.” The recruit cocked his head with another smug smile. “You and the Captain looked pretty frosty this morning. Trouble in paradise? I can make you happy.”
He lent in before you had the chance to react. But before his lips brushed yours, the recruit was abruptly lifted from his seat.
Levi stood behind you, a firm grip on the recruits arm hauling him up to stand and gathering the attention of the rest of the hall’s occupants. After a moment, he released the other man roughly, pushing him away as he did. The look in Levi’s eyes was murderous and for a moment you thought he might punch the recruit. It was impossible not to flinch when he turned that gaze onto you instead.
“My office. Now.”
Anyone who didn’t know Levi well would’ve said his tone sounded perfectly calm, but you’d been around long enough to know different. Your heart plummeted when you thought about what your boyfriend might have in store for you. The raven haired man turned to leave, not checking to see if you were coming with him. But as a superior officer, you had no choice but to follow Levi as he stomped back to his office.
The journey there was quick but still fraught with tension. You knew Levi could hear your footsteps but he didn’t turn to look at you. Neither of you said a word until you finally made it back to the office. You knew Levi liked to conduct his personal business behind closed doors, always wary of gossip in a way you weren’t. The thought made you consider what other people must have thought at this stupid bet. As far as you knew, only Hanji even knew it was taking place. What were the rest of the Scouts thinking? That the two of you had some kind of argument? No wonder that recruit thought he had a chance with you. It was with a great, heaving sigh that you realised that by agreeing to this bet, you’d not only upset Levi but made a public spectacle out of your relationship.
You closed the door silently as you and Levi entered the office. Your boyfriend walked to the middle of the room before turning to you. His expression was a difficult one to read, unusually closed off. There was anger in his eyes but hurt and desperation too. It only served to make you feel even worse when you realised you were the one making him feel that way. Levi said nothing for almost a minute and you resisted the urge to break the tense silence before he finally spoke.
“What have I done to make you ignore me?” You could tell he was trying to keep his voice level but you could still detect a slight wobble in his tone. You swallowed and gave no reply. It seemed almost stupid to admit to the bet out loud, especially when it was obviously causing so much tension between the two of you. At your silence, Levi looked down. “If you’re going to break up with me, I at least deserve to know why.”
Your eyes widened with surprise. You’d been ignoring him less than a day and Levi already thought it spelled the end of your relationship? Granted, you’d never even given him the silent treatment before but the fact that Levi was jumping to such conclusions spoke volumes. Was he really that insecure in your relationship? You’d enormously underestimated the blow the bet would do to the trust Levi had placed in you.
“Things were fine at dinner last night…” Levi frowned but he seemed to be talking to himself more than to you. “And then in the evening you were really affectionate with me. Was that it? I know i huffed at you but… i actually really like the way you are like that…” He swallowed and when his eyes met yours again they were full of tears. “I promise you i can change if you just tell me what I’m doing wrong.”
Levi had never really been willing to compromise when it came to things like this. Both of you were of the firm belief that you were individuals and didn’t need to change yourself for anyone else’s comfort, not even your partners.
It was another long moment before you realised that you still hadn’t spoken - and that Levi looked a second away from bursting into tears.
The bet was off.
“Oh walls Levi, I’m so sorry!” The words rushed out of you in a single breath. Levi looked at you, still somewhat fearful and confused so you continued. “It was a shitty bet with Hanji, I’m so sorry for agreeing to it - i didn’t think i’d hurt you like this! It’s just she said the two of us were clingy and annoying so to prove her wrong, i had to ignore you for a day. But I’m sorry it was such a stupid idea and I didn’t think about how it would effect you at all!” Now you were the one close to tears, struggling to get the words out as quickly as possible as if it would help the guilt ebb away. “I knew you were in pain but i was too stubborn to break it off, I’m sorry…”
Levi didn’t say anything for a long moment, absorbing what you’d said. The day had been emotionally exhausting enough for him already so it took longer than usual for him to make sense of your garbled apology.
But then Levi took a deep breath and opened his arms to you. You were quick to accept the hug, practically crashing into the short man and shriveling into his shoulder. The fact that Levi said nothing about you dirtying his clothes just proved how much he must have needed this hug too.
“You’re an idiot.” Levi said, voice muffled into your shoulder.
“I know.”
“But you’re my idiot and i probably would’ve taken the bet too if i’d been there…”
“That doesn’t make what I’ve put you through any better…” Levi took a deep breath and squeezed you a little tighter.
“I think there’s a way you can make it up to me…” When Levi pulled back there was a glint in his eye.
“Oh?”
“Hanji is in her office this afternoon. And while she might have been responsible for this cluster-fuck of a day, she’d never want it to escalate too far…” He paused to consider something before continuing. “I think you should run in there crying and tell her I’ve broken up with you for ignoring me.” Oh Levi’s plan was evil - you loved it. “But make sure you mention that you still didn’t say anything so technically the bet is still on. If i know Hanji, and i do, she’ll sprint up here screaming and trying to fix our relationship. And then, technically, you’ve still won the bet - at least in her eyes.”
Levi wasn’t normally one for petty schemes and pranks like this, but you guessed it was more than warranted in this circumstance. And you had to say, it was a good plan. Not only would Hanji be subject to the same emotional stress as the two of you and finally be forced to be accountable for her actions, but it’d also be damn funny.
“Have i ever told you, you’re a genius?”