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When you take a closer look at his face, a scary realization hit you like a brick. It was Levi, the boy from St Domek’s orphanage. You remember playing with him in the city, back you could even call it that. What used to be your hometown is now inhabited by the moonscorched, all suffering from the light emitted by the trickster God you despised.
The war has changed you in ways you will never escape. There’s no going back to the happy life you experienced previous to these mind breaking events. You had no choice but to flee. Far, far away, where you could hopefully be safe from the Bremen army’s missiles and Rher’s moonscorching.
You often wondered about your friend’s fates. One of your closest friends was a boy named Levi. When you met him, he had recently lost his mother to his father’s fists. He told you the horrors he endured at the hands of this man, if he even is one, how he couldn’t protect his mother. You tried convincing him it wasn’t his fault, he was a child, there was no way he would be strong enough to stand up to an adult man
Despite all your efforts, the boy remained unfazed. You were older than him by two years only, yet he quickly viewed you as an older sister, a person he could count on no matter what.
Your footsteps resonate in the basement of the restaurant you tried raiding for food; to no avail. You were about to give up hope when you found stairs leading to a basement, and for a split second, you prayed to whichever God for food.
“Levi?” your voice echoes in his head
The figure by the fridge turns around, confirming your initial suspicions
You notice few puncture marks on his arm. He has been injecting himself with something, and the mere thought of seeing your friend ravaged by drugs broke your heart. When you thought it couldn’t be more broken by the recent events occurring in Europa, the world found new ways to break it again
The once meek boy you spent countless hours playing with is now a shell of his former self
“Y/N…” he groans, turning his back on you. He curls up in the corner of the room to avoid your gaze. He can’t bring himself to hurt the one he cherishes the most “I’m sorry… I’m so sorry”
“What… happened to you?” your voice is shaking. He promised himself he wouldn’t hurt you. Anyone but you
Levi feels your arms wrap around him
“I didn’t disappear, Y/N…” he breathes heavily while clutching his chest “I would never abandon you. I swear”
“I know… you were sent to fight, weren’t you? I heard rumors of the priests at the orphanage selling kids to the army”
He nods at this. You squeeze him tighter, unable to let him go. You sob into his overalls. All those days you spent wondering if he was okay, hoping for the best felt cruel. Being this hopeful in Prehevil is cruel to yourself
“I missed you… more than you can imagine” he whispers and turns around, gathering the courage to face you, cupping your face in his dirtied and cold hands “Y/N…” he pauses “I don’t want to stay in this place forever”
Another pause
“Let’s run away together” he suggests
“You want to run away with me?” your cries slowly cease, replaced by happiness. Levi gives you a sheepish smile, he’s not sure if it looks reassuring, he’s convinced all his attempts at smiling are creepy, but it is genuine. A genuine smile from him is a rare sight
“I want to put it all behind me. Everything. I just need you by my side, Y/N, please” he pleads, hanging on to you as if you were gonna perish just like all the important figures in his life
“Where would we even go?”
“Anywhere but here, anywhere you want”
“I’d love to go to Rondon… let’s go there and if we don’t like it, we can go somewhere else” you assure him, confirming his plans. He’s not entirely sure when was the last time he’s been this happy, his time spent in the army felt like a long blur. A blur filled with so much pain, his brain decided to repress them for his sanity
You stand up and extend him your hand which he happily takes. He promises he’ll protect you from the monsters until the end of the festival, he hugs you so tight, you can feel his heart beating in his chest when you snuggle up to him
“You’re the only positive thing in my life. I know I never got the chance to tell you, but I love you”
This confession takes you aback. You can’t find the right words, but what you can find are the right actions. You lift your head closer to his and kiss him deeply, he reciprocates the kiss and holds the back of your head, lovingly stroking it. You bury your face in his chest after separating your lips, too embarrassed to look him in the eyes, which he found adorable
“I love you too, Levi” you murmur