Chagara - Chaos in the Darkness (Levi x OC Fanfic / AttackOnTitan)

7. Setting the table for two

Levi enjoyed the silence as he walked through the empty corridors of the headquarters. Apart from him, only a handful of soldiers were currently here. He had eaten breakfast alone and skipped lunch to avoid Hanji and her annoying stories about titans. If his stomach wasn't growling, he would skip dinner too. Only to avoid having to meet Hanji and not ruined his day.

Since Erwin had certainly not moved an inch from his packed desk all day, Levi hoped to run into Mike. If necessary, he could leave him alone with Hanji and continue to enjoy the silence. When he opened the door to the dining room, he found it empty. The food counter seemed to be closed.

But light was coming through under the kitchen door. As well as sounds and a pleasant smell. Warm light, a happy hum and a pleasant food smell - was that the description hiding behind: "I want to build a home"? The home to which one always wanted to return from the cold darkness? It was the phrase he heard so often from soldiers. They prayed that phrase over and over again when they left for another expedition.

Levi didn't know. And he didn't know why he was sinking into such sentimental thoughts now. Was it because of the holidays? His age? The fact that he had nothing to do? Shaking his head, he opened the kitchen door.

"Oi! When's dinner?" With these words he entered the kitchen.

"If you help me, sooner," he received in reply from Chagara, who was laboriously trying to get some plates from one of the hanging cupboards. However, she failed to do so because of her too short height.

"There is something called a folding ladder. It's over here in the corner," Levi said as he approached her.

"I know. But the folding ladder and my pride don't fit," Chagara replied as she tried again to reach for the plates. But no matter how much she stretched, she was a good two centimetres short of reaching the dinner plates. "Damn," she hissed between her teeth.

"Tch."

"And why didn't you bring the folding latter with you now?" asked Chagara, noticing Levi standing behind her.

"Because you're already here." With those words, he grabbed Chagara's hips and lifted her up.

"Huh." A surprised sound came out of Chagara's mouth.

"Could you hurry up?"

"Ya," Chagara muttered to herself. "I can't be that heavy."

Levi frowned. Why was she bringing up her weight when he was complaining about her slowness? But her statement had caught his interest. To better guess her weight, he started swinging her up and down.

"Ya!" Chagara held the plates tightly.

"You should rather eat more," Levi only said with an expressionless face as he placed her on the floor in front of him.

She looked at him sceptically. Had he been serious? But then she looked at her plates. Levi watched as she counted the dinner plates. Several times. With an "Oh" she finished the third recount.

"Oh what?" asked Levi.

"Oh, we're one short," Chagara agreed. "And we have to go up there again," she added sheepishly.

Levi sighed and gestured Chagara to put the plates down. She obeyed and he lifted her up again.

Just as Chagara reached for another bowl, the door flew open.

"Ayumi," Eva, the kitchen help, began, but stopped when she saw the picture in front of her. "Oh, I didn't mean to interrupt."

Levi frowned.

"I'll come back later. I'll pass out the food then." And Eva left the kitchen again.

"What was that now?" asked Levi as he once again placed Chagara safely on the floor.