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The corporal avoided you like the plague. No matter what, that man would not face you. Your orders from him always came from somebody else and, if you confronted him, he would ignore you and return to his office where he'd lock the door. It flabbergasted you to no end! He was your superior, Humanities Strongest Soldier, for God’s sake! And he couldn’t even face you? What the hell was up with that?!
For that answer, you decided to confront the only person you knew who was semi-close to the man – Squad Leader Hanji Zoe. You gave a few ratts on the door to her office, not really sure how to word your question. From behind the door, you heard muffled voices. One was definitely Hanji’s, but you couldn’t tell the other. Not until –
“We can talk about this later, Shitty Glasses, now answer your fucking door!”
You heard footsteps and retreated backwards as the door suddenly swung open. Standing in the doorway was the subject of your questions – Corporal Levi. You gave a salute quickly to the short man frozen in the doorway, but the stoic corporal swiftly and stiffly brushed by you and down the corridor. You watched his retreating form with a confused expression until he turned down another hall.
“So! – what can I help you with, cadet?!” cheered Hanji’s voice, startling you. You jumped, turning your attention to her.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Squad Leader. But, it’s kind of hard to explain,” you chuckled nervously. Hanji grinned widely at you,
“C’mon on in kiddo! Make yourself at home!” You smiled at her as she invited you in and pointed you to a chair. Hanji’s office was messy, and had a blackboard covered in scribbles. You tried to take in as much as you could as you sat. Hanji plopped across from you in her chair, absentmindedly stacking mountains of papers so she could see you. “What’s u –?”
“Does Corporal Levi hate me?” you asked bluntly. Hanji cringed, eyes widening as she fell out of her chair. You gasped, standing and peeking around the desk. “Hanji, are you all right?!”
“I – I’m fine,” she chuckled nervously as she pulled herself up. “You just surprised me a bit.”
“Why?” You placed yourself back in your seat and watched as she uneasily sat back in her chair. Why was she suddenly so nervous?
“I – um – j-just not, um, many people come to my office! And, uh, especially not asking about the Corporal! – But the Corporal! The Corporal’s fine, he’s fine. He’s normal! Why? – Do you think he’s not fine? Why would he be not fine? Did he do something to make you think he’s not fine? Why – Why would he not be – normal, or fine?” Hanji chuckled nervously, eyeing you with an anxious smile and her left eye twitched furiously. You raised an eyebrow, before looking at the door.
“Well, he never – looks – at me. And I don’t mean in a romantic way or anything. He just – doesn’t look at me. He won’t even stand in the same room as me for more than half a minute. And he’s never directly given me an order, except for the first day of training. And, if I confront him about it, he completely ignores me like I’m invisible. It doesn’t make sense, and nobody else knew. They were all more surprised he didn’t yell at me for questioning my superior. So you were the next logical choice, since you seem to be closer to him. I was just hoping you knew something – anything. Have I done something wrong, or…?” you explained, before staring at Hanji. The woman’s eyebrows were drawn together, her face paler, and her quivering lip was caught between her teeth. Hanji quickly shot up out of chair, and grabbed your arm, hauling you up.
“N-Nothing’s wrong with Levi!” she chuckled nervously, toting you towards the exit. “D-Don’t worry your pretty little head about it! I-I’m sure you’re just overthinking it! He’s normal, he’s fine! Did I mention he’s normal? Now, if you’ll excuse, I have lots of important things to do!”
With that, Hanji flung you out the door and slammed it behind you. You stood for a moment, frozen in your spot; what the hell just happened? Blinking, you glanced back at the barrier, but just shook your head and went to do your chores. You didn’t know what was going on, but with the way Hanji was acting, perhaps it was best not to find out.
“What do you mean Squad Leader Hanji was acting strange?” asked Krista as you relayed the morning’s events during cleaning duty.
“I just – can’t help but think she was hiding something from me. She never acts that way,” you sighed, wiping down a window. “It almost makes me think I’m better off not knowing whatever it is.”
“I’m sure whatever it is will pass,” said the blonde hopefully. You sighed, shaking your head as you scrubbed the caked on dirt from the attic window.
“I – I don’t think it will. I’ve been a soldier for a little longer than you have, and only once was I ever given a direct order from the corporal.” Krista stopped, looking at you from her spot stacking boxes.
“And what was that?” she inquired. You chuckled sadly, stopping your scrubbing to stare absently out the clean spot in the window.
“‘Quit staring at me with that stupid face, brat.’ – It was the first day ever of training. I hadn’t even been staring at him! I’d done what everybody else had. He was only in front of me a few seconds before he said that and stalked off. He’s never talked to me since.”
“Do you think, maybe, the corporal’s just – shy?” asked Krista. This caused you blurt out a laugh, so hard that your eyes began to water and your stomach hurt.
“I’m sorry, Krissy,” you chuckled, wiping at the tears. “But the probability of that happening is slim to none. He’s the Corporal. And I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know how to feel that way – shy or otherwise. Besides, why would one encounter effect my whole ten years of service? It has to be something else. Something Hanji doesn’t want to tell me. – I bet when he comes to check our cleaning, he won’t even acknowledge me.”
“[Name]…” Krista sighed sadly, but you shrugged and returned to scrubbing the window. After a moment, you heard the blonde behind you return to her box stacking. You spent the rest of the day in the attic. The rest of castle had been scrubbed many times, but the attic rooms had been left alone. With the way the Corporal acted around you, you weren’t surprised that you were given the room that took the longest to clean. When the bells tolled for dinner, you told Krista to go ahead. You stayed behind, finishing up last minute things.
“Oi, brat, it’s dinn –” Levi slammed the door open, he must have heard you drop a heavy crate; he stopped short when he saw it was you. Levi stared at you a moment, your features outlined by the moonlight glaring in the clean windows. You stared back, and could have sworn you saw something in his eyes change. Abruptly, Levi turned on his heel to leave.
“Corporal Levi, wait!” you called, your voice surprising you. Levi stopped, but didn’t make any noise. “I – I’m sorry, sir, but I just want to know – why do you always do this? In my ten years of service, every time I talk to you you ignore me. Have I made you angry, or done something wrong?!”
You saw Levi’s grip on the door handle tighten, his shoulders shaking lightly. You stared at his back, and it seemed hours until he answered. Clearing his throat, Levi went down a step.
“No,” Levi answered curtly, not even turning to you. “Now get your ass to dinner.”
With that, Levi stomped quickly down the stairs. As you exited the attic, you turned to shut the door behind you. However, as you reached for the knob you noticed it was completely mangled. It wasn’t like that when you went up there.
“Th – The Corporal, he – he crushed the door handle. H-How…?” you breathed. Shaking, you pulled the door shut and ran down the stairs to the mess hall. You sat stiffly, eating your portion for the night. The image of the door handle kept flickering through your mind. How was it possible? You’d never seen anyone do that.
With the strange knot tying and untying itself in your stomach, you gave Sasha you bread and excused yourself. Quickly, you padded down the hall to your dormitory. You didn’t know why it bothered you. The castle was old, so there was no doubt that the handles were brittle. Your mind swam, there was something wrong about everything. But you just…couldn’t pick up what.
Suddenly, the castle seemed suffocating, the walls pressing down on you from all sides. Your heart rate quickened in anxiety, a panic attack trying to settle in and tighten your chest. Your feet carried you hall after hall, until you finally found a door to the grounds and flung it open. You tumbled out of the entrance, collapsing on your hands and knees. Your breath came in ragged draws, your form shaking. What was wrong with you?
You ventured further once your legs were stable. Clutching on to the building, you tread in the shadows. Stopping short as you rounded a corner, you saw Levi and Hanji. Hanji had her glasses atop her head, and her hands propped on her hips; she looked annoyed. Levi stood with his back to you, but his arms were folded across his chest.
“Leave me alone, Shitty Glasses! I’m fine!” spat Levi, stepping to the side of Hanji. But the woman immediately blocked him.
“No, Levi. You haven’t fed in two weeks and look at you! You’re already turning into a savage!” the brunette hissed back.
“I said I’m fine –!” Levi started, but Hanji’s eyes narrowed into a glare as she interrupted him.
“No you’re not! You said it yourself earlier – You. Almost. Attacked. [Name]! If you don’t feed, then you’re going to lose control and kill them!” You flinched, staring wide eyed at the pair. What was Hanji on about? Corporal Levi almost – attacked you? Why?! And what did she mean by ‘feed’, there was food in the mess hall.
Levi growled loudly, “It’s not going to help! Not with [Name]! Not until I taste their blood –”
“And run the risk of killing them!” the scientist groaned, throwing her hands up.
“Then what the hell am I supposed to do, Shitty Glasses?! I’ve told you, a thousand times, what it’s like with [Name]. I’m a fucking vampire – a damn monster! And it takes everything in me not to kill them!” Levi’s breathing had become uneasy then. You took an apprehensive step back, a stick cracking under heel. Hanji and Levi stopped, turning towards the sound. You pressed your hands over your mouth, and froze in your spot. After a moment, Levi muttered, “Damn cats.”
When the two started arguing again, you made your escape. This time, you did flee to your dorm. Slamming the door behind you, you locked it. Heart pounding wildly in your chest, you mauled over what you heard. You shook your head in disbelief. You had to be hearing wrong! Yeah, you were so worked up you were hearing things! You wanted to believe this, but at the same time you knew you’d heard correctly – and that the Corporal didn’t like lying. And he could trust Hanji, right? So why would he lie to her, if that was the case?
You. Almost. Attacked. [Name].
That sentence rang in your head over and over.
It’s not going to help! Not with [Name]! Not until I taste their blood!
You put a hand to your throat as you remembered that. If it was true, then – but how could it be?! Vampire, werewolves, goblins, witches – they were all folklore! Then again – Titans were folklore at one time too. Just giants of the forest told to eat unfortunate passers-by. And then they became abundant – then, they became real. Shaking, you trudged to your bed and slipped under the covers. You didn’t have a bunkmate, they were eaten, so you spent the night fearful and alone.
The night was spent with nightmares of crimson and flashes of white teeth. You stopped having titan dreams long ago, usually it was just blackness that invaded your subconscious. But that night dreams of the Corporal biting into you like an apple plagued you. In the morning, you awoke in tears. You wiped at them as you answered the door.
“Shit, [Name], you look like you slept in the stables!” gasped Connie when he saw your dark circles.
“Shut it, what do you want?” you snapped, glaring at the boy. He chuckled nervously,
“You overslept, and since your door was locked nobody could wake you up. Corporal Levi is furious, and told me to tell you to clean the entire West Wing attic by yourself. Just make sure you eat first, alright? You looked awful last night at dinner. Are you getting sick or somethin’?” You knew Connie meant well, but right now he was annoying you.
“I’m perfectly well. Thank you,” you said in a strained voice. “I’ll eat after I get ready.”
“A-Alright. Don’t work too hard.” With that, the boy turned and disappeared. Had you really overslept? You were usually good at waking up on your own. You supposed the previous night had taken its toll. You hadn’t really remembered much until Connie said the Corporal’s name. Then, it hit you like a brick.
You took your time getting ready, and peered around every corner before heading down a hallway. Great. Now you were paranoid, and avoiding the Corporal like the plague. You still had your doubts about what you heard but, at the same time, couldn’t shake the feeling that you’d heard right. You felt eyes on your back as you trekked to the mess hall, as you ate, as you made your way all the way to the West Wing. They only left when you shut the door (which you had to kick open because the freaking hinges were rusted) behind you, and began your cleaning.
The West Wing’s attic was even messier than the central attic had been. There was hardly room to move, and there were many large objects covered by white sheets. Hardly any light could be seen through the thick layer of dust on the windowpanes. This was going to take days to clean. You placed down your cleaning supplies and stretched, eyeing all of the mess. Rolling up the sleeves to your button down, you began to move things. You shoved boxes to the side, stacking them as high as you could reach. With each of the larger objects, you removed the sheets, folded them and placed them in an empty box.
There was a variety of things beneath the sheets; a large plush chair, a tall mirror with a fancy metalwork frame, a painting (which you recovered to prevent damage), a coat rack, a metal suit and serval other strange items. Such as a tall dark wood armoire that looked to be aged beyond the era of titans, and a small matching table. Everything looked so old, somethings you were afraid to touch but did nonetheless.
You sighed as you finally pushed the last box to one side; now to start your dusting. You began at the far end of the attic, cleaning every nook and cranny you could reach. But still, by lunch you hadn’t so much as made a dent in the grime. You groaned as you rolled out your sore shoulders and stood from your spot. However, a rush of dizziness washed over you, causing you to teeter. You reached for something to hold on to as you fell backwards, but you only came up with air. This sent you crashing through the mirror.
Glass shards rained over you, giving you nicks in your exposed skin and you felt blood oozing from your scalp. You groaned, raising a shaking hand to your head and pulled it away to find dark blood. Lovely. You sat for a moment, a little dazed, when the door to attic flung open.
“Levi, don’t!” shrieked Hanji. You raised your head to see Levi stalking towards, Hanji gripped onto his jacket trying to pull him back. The woman had no effect on him, her heels scraping across the floor.
“Get the hell off of me, Shitty Glasses!” the male growled, turning and shoving Hanji across the room. Her back hit hard against the opposite wall, her head bouncing her into unconsciousness. Levi turned sharply on his heel, his attention directed at you. “You know, brat, it wasn’t nice to spy on our conversation last night.”
“I – I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you stated weakly, trying to move but everything hurt.
“Tch, don’t lie to me. I could smell you a mile away. You were eavesdropping. Which means, I guess there’s no point in hiding anymore.” Levi took a step forward, and in a flash had you shoved against a nearby wall. You gasped, heart thumping painfully against your rib cage as you mind tried to process what was going on. His torso pressed to yours, one hand on your jaw pressing it up to expose your neck. Levi’s face hovered dangerously close to you skin, it gave you chills. “Ten years, you shitty brat, I’ve been able to control myself. And then you pull this – why?! As if it wasn’t hard enough.”
You could feel Levi’s form shaking, whether from rage or restraint or something else you couldn’t know. But you sucked in a sharp breath as he pressed a kiss to your jugular, and then whispered in your ear. You shrieked, which Levi quickly muffled with his free hand, as he bit into you.
It hurt.
It burned.
Like a thousand Hell Fires.
You tried to fight against him, but your body was quickly becoming weak. An odd gurgling sound escaped your throat, the edges of your vision darkening. Was this how it was going to end for you? In pain? Killed by a creature you didn’t know existed. Killed by a man who hated meaningless deaths more than anything. You hoped not. And you clung to that hope as your knees buckled and your consciousness gave way to blackness.
There was dark.
Black.
Nothing.
You were numb, and you floated in this nothingness like the clouds in the sky. Who were you? Were you – alive? What had happened for you to be dead? Shimmering glass reflected in your mind’s eye.
That’s right.
You lost your balance.
You fell into the mirror.
But after that?
“Shitty Glasses,” resounded a voice. The Corporal.
That was right, he –
“I’m sorry, [Name], forgive me.” That’s what he had whispered to you before – he bit you. Because Lance Corporal Levi…
He wasn’t human.
But the question remained – were you indeed living? Or had Levi drained you of your life’s substance? You could hear murmuring around you, but that didn’t answer anything. It could be just your mind replaying old memories.
That’s when the first pain shot through your head.
And then another in your back.
You groaned, the feeling coming back one ugly pain at a time, until you finally could feel your whole body. You pushed your consciousness forward, willing away the darkness. You wanted to see. You wanted daylight and blue skies and green trees. And it all seemed to be there, on the other side of this thick black fog. You ran, pushing and rushing and willing until finally –
You choked coming out of your slumber, your throat dry and scratchy. Your body hurt, your head and neck most of all. The shapes above you were blurry at first, swirling around and around, before finally settling into familiar shapes.
Hanji. A nurse. Krista. They stood worriedly above you. Hanji had a wrap around her head, and you suddenly wondered how she played that off. As your eyes opened farther, you scanned your peripherals for the Corporal. But he was absent.
“Hey, kiddo, you’re alright,” sighed Hanji with a smile. “Welcome back.”
You raised an eyebrow at the woman, your eyes flipping over to a teary Krista.
“[Name], I was so worried! When the Corporal said you hurt yourself cleaning the attic, I couldn’t believe it!” sobbed the blonde. Choking more, you sat up.
“H-How long – have I been out?” you asked, looking at the side table where water was. Sipping it, you waited for an answer.
“A-About a week. You lost a lot of blood. That mirror cut you up pretty bad, huh?” At this you snorted, and eyed Hanji; the woman slightly flinched.
“Yeah,” you muttered, placing the cup down. “I guess. How soon can I leave?”
“You can leave tomorrow, after we make sure you’re not going to go back into a coma,” stated the nurse. After nodding to her, the nurse wandered off, followed by Krista who had chores.
“Hanji, don’t you dare leave me. I think it’s time we talked,” you spat, glaring as she turned. She cringed to this, hesitantly looking over her shoulder. The woman chuckled nervously, before sitting on your cot.
“R-Right, silly me –” she stuttered, but you cut her off. You were annoyed and scared, and over all unsure how to react to everything.
“Cut the shit, Hanji. You knew what Levi was, and you didn’t tell me?! I asked you if you knew anything, and you just started acting weird. What the hell was that?”
“It’s not like you would have believed me if I told you! I didn’t even know until years after working with Levi. And you’re the main reason why I know! With vampires there’s this thing called ‘Lust’, where it’s basically a vampire’s soulmate. And they crave the blood of the one they Lust after, usually they end up killing them and –”
“Whoa, whoa – soulmate? You’re telling me Levi attacked me because I’m his ‘soulmate.’” You eyed Hanji warily, crossing your arms. “I’m not buying it.”
“You heard our conversation, [Name]. You’re the only one Levi has issues controlling himself around. You’re like a drug, or something to him. It’s really not his fault, honestly,” groaned the brunette. “Levi’s been beating himself up in his office since – that.” Hanji pointed at the bandage around your neck. Placing a hand on it, you flinched. Remaining quiet for a moment, you thought things over. Why were you thinking so rationally about this?! Probably because you were used to being scared out of your wits, so you could think through your fear.
“I want to talk to Levi,” you said abruptly, gripping the sheets tightly in your hands. Hanji jumped, whipping her head around to look at you.
“What?! Are you fucking crazy?!” she shrieked. You shook your head, a lightly chuckle escaping your lips.
“I could be. I just – want to know, Hanji. I don’t understand anything, and Levi is the only one who can explain it. Please, I’m terrified right now.” It was true, your shoulders had begun to shake and your face felt hot. Tightness settled in your chest, making it hard to breathe. “I need to talk to Levi. I need him to explain things to me. How – why – why me?”
The next day, after you ate, you were released. The first thing you did was beeline for the Corporal’s office. Your stomach was in knots, your back ached and your head throbbed, but you were fine overall. If anything, you were terrified.
Of Levi.
Of everything.
Your pace slowed as you neared his office, your heart beating painfully against your chest. Still, you swallowed thickly and raised your hand to knock on the door.
“Go away, [Last],” grumbled Levi from inside. It startled you, but you were surprised. Not after what he had said to you; he could smell you from a mile away.
“Corporal Levi, please, open up,” you whined, placing your hand on the door.
“No.” You flinched at his harshness, but didn’t leave. This was something you had to do. Levi wasn’t on his own anymore. He’d dragged Hanji, and especially you, into this.
“C’mon, we can talk about this,” you shouted through the door; he growled at you.
“Go the hell away, brat, there’s nothing to talk abo –”
“You dragged me into your mess. Don’t tell me there isn’t anything to talk about! I deserve an explanation, damn it!” you spat, stomping your foot.
“Do you want to get hurt?!” he yelled, slamming something.
“I already am!” Levi stayed silent at this, and you stood leaning against the door. “Levi. There’s nothing you can do to hurt me more. You didn’t kill me last time. I don’t think you’ll kill me now. You’ve already pulled Hanji into this, and you – bit – me. I need answers, Levi! You’re not alone anymore. Just let me in – I – I trust you.”
Stupidly brave words, [Name], stupid brave, you scolded yourself. Nonetheless, you heard Levi’s chair move and a moment later the door opened a crack.
“You don’t know what you’re doing, brat,” Levi growled. You moved and smiled at him.
“I think I do. You can’t stay closed off forever, Corporal,” you said. “I know you can control it. Just – let me in, ok?” Levi’s eyes scanned you warily, but he moved to allow you in. Smiling, you walked into his office. It was the first time you’d ever been in there. It was so neat and pristine, just like how he wanted everything else. When you turned to face him, Levi had his back pressed against the door with a rag over his mouth and nose.
“What do you want to know?” he asked, finger nails clawing into the door.
“Everything,” you stated simply. “I want to know everything. About you, about this – vampire thing. How your ‘Lust’ works. It’s the least you owe me for making me dinner last week.” Levi’s eyes narrowed, a low growl emitting from his throat.
“Fine,” was his only word as he began to explain. Levi mainly told you of vampires, and how they worked. You also learned Levi had been like this from a young age, and he had to train on his own to be around people. He was strong, you knew that. He seemed stronger still as he told you some of his struggles of being around you. Occasionally he’d have to excuse himself, your scent being all too intoxicating and inviting. It was dark when the extent of everything had been told.
You curled on a sofa, your head lulling against the back as you dozed. Levi finally had the courage to move to the other end of it, pressing himself against the arm. His rag was gone, but his rigged form told you he was still fighting.
“So what does this mean for you and I, Corporal?” you asked sleepily.
“What does what mean?” he grunted back. Yawning and rubbing your eyes, you looked at him.
“I’m your Lust. Your soulmate or whatever,” you stated, “so what does that mean for us?”
“You’re staying with me, idiot. I have claim over you now. You’re my property.” You nodded, getting the idea. With a sigh, you laid your head back down.
“I guess we’ll have to work on your tolerance, though.” Levi cocked his head slightly, questioning you.
“What tolerance, brat?”
“You can’t stand to be around me for too long. But we can work on that. Whatever you’re comfortable.” Levi gave you a stiff nod. Glancing at the clock, you stood and stretched. “I should be getting back to my dorm. I’ll see you in the morning, Levi.”
“Oi, brat,” he snapped when you were at the door. Turning, you found him in your face. You gasped, you were going to have to get used to this. Leaning forward, Levi kissed you. It was short and simple, you could feel his teeth pushing against the back of his lips. When he released you, he was quick to get on the other side of the room. “G’night – [Name].”
You gave him a small smile before exiting. Your heart still pounded in fright against your ribs. This was a new kind of fear. But you could work on. You’d have to. He owned you now.
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A/N: I’ll give ten points to anyone who knows why I chose the West Wing ;3 Also, sorry for it being shit near the end. I was really tired while writing it.
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