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The second you were dismissed from the meeting, you excused yourself and dashed out of Hange's office. Despite the corridors buzzing with soldiers, your journey to the sleeping quarters was rather smooth. It wasn’t until you rounded the final corner that it was interrupted, a rough jostle bringing you to a clumsy halt.
The hiss the impact roused was familiar. Stepping back, you were met with Levi's displeased scowl before he looked down at his ankle with a wince.
"Shit, have I stepped on you? I'm so dumb, sorry—"
"Four eyes rubbed off on you."
You rushed to wind an arm around his waist. "Why aren't you in bed? You're still in pain."
"You're going to forget I even exist if I rest any longer," he muttered, lips pulled downward in a pout that you found way too adorable for his liking.
Assuming it was nothing more than his dry humor, you brushed the remark aside with a laugh and supplied a playful, "How could I?" as you led him back to his room.
Inquiries about the Scouts' last trip to the shore ensued, and you appeased his curiosity with a detailed account of all the developments. Having sprained his ankle in the previous expedition—when the volunteers had first arrived at Paradis—Levi hadn't been able to come along this time. It was the one he'd twisted years ago in his fight against the Female Titan. You couldn't help but wonder if it'd become somewhat of a chronic injury. He had once mentioned that it'd kept bothering him since.
"No more stupid skits by shitty glasses then?" he asked as you helped him settle on the bed and removed his jacket. Your own was discarded soon after.
"Yes, thankfully. Yelena lured the fleets in with wireless communication, and with Eren and Armin's help, we were able to arrest everyone. Damage was minimal too. At this rate, we'll have a few battleships in our arsenal in no time. Onyankopon also spoke of building a port."
Levi's brows arched.
"Hange's going to show you the plans later, but it's a place where ships can safely lower anchor. It'll be our point of contact with the outside world."
A low, unimpressed huff was all he gave by way of reply as he took his shoes off and lay back. The reaction, or lack thereof, was enough to tear your eyes off the kettle you were filling. You glanced back at him in mild confusion.
His behavior was strange—that much was clear—but you couldn't quite pinpoint the cause.
Once the stove was on, you joined him. With his hands clasped on his stomach and his feet crossed—injured one on top—his gaze remained affixed to the ceiling even after you'd perched by his side.
The soft call of his name barely earned you a hum. You took hold of one of his hands to demand the entirety of his attention on you.
"What's the matter?" You could swear the lightest of blushes dusted his cheeks right before he evaded your gaze again.
It was long moments of alarming hesitation before he finally grumbled, "Why didn't you come to see me first when you got back?"
You tilted your head, stunned. Is this truly the issue?
Throughout the years, various situations had taught you that Levi, contrary to what his character and status might suggest, was emotionally dependent. He craved his fair share of attention and care. You'd seen it sprinkled in his actions, words, and attitude. And to the best of your ability you’d tried to meet those needs. But when your hearts were dedicated to humanity, balancing the two was not always the easiest.
This, however, suggested that his feelings ran deeper, heavier, bordering on insecurity. Was it an oversight on your part or had you simply never been put in a position where his neediness had a chance to manifest in full? You didn’t know. But now wasn’t the time to figure it out.
Fingertips prancing along his knuckles, you said, "I just wanted to get the briefing out of the way so we could catch up in peace."
"And why wasn't I called for that?"
So this wasn't about you alone. Whether to be relieved or not, you weren't certain. "We just figured we'd let you rest."
"You've been away for a fucking week. I've rested plenty enough."
At this, you couldn't suppress a chuckle, although the glare you were immediately dealt made you bite your lip. Kicking your boots off, you stretched beside him, gingerly brushing the fringe away from his still frowning forehead.
"Is this your way of saying you missed me? Because I missed you too."
Another unconvinced scoff was all you reaped, your amusement now at an all-time high. Who would've thought that an insecure Levi would be so adorable?
"You're so cute." You placed a kiss on his temple.
"Get off me," he mumbled, but his tone failed him, the delight of finally being drowned in your affection unmistakable. The sensation of your mouth traveling across his face must've been satisfying as well from the heavy sigh he heaved.
"You're the one always taking care of us," you said, cupping his cheek, his skin smooth under the caresses of your thumb. "So you can't blame us for looking out for you this time."
His glower dissipated at your words, features reverting to their usual state—calm, unperturbed, and a tad intimidating. And under his scrutiny, it was your turn to blush. The ghost of a smile danced on his lips, but you weren't given a chance to relish it as they directly hunted your own. As his arm slid around you to bring you closer, you slung a leg over his, startled by his painful groan when your foot landed on his sore ankle.
"You fucking klutz, I'll never recover at this rate."
Your stream of apologies was cut off with another kiss. And once you found comfort in his embrace again, you allowed your tongue and touch to get acquainted with this novelty of his.
The exploration was only interrupted by the whistling of the kettle long, heavenly minutes later. If it weren't tea you were about to make, Levi wouldn't have let you go. You were back by his side shortly after, cups and saucers neatly on a tray.
Sitting upright, Levi sipped at the fusion he knew you poured your heart into making every time, the glint in your eyes as you raved about visions of a bright future and the many destinations you could one day visit when the port would be built filling his chest with warmth.