[18+] Levi Ackerman

Pride [Part Three]

          Your encounter with Levi goes unnoticed by most. You sit down to eat dinner when Reiner walks in and his eyes scan you as if to see if Levi hurt you in any way. When he sits down on the opposite side of the table you move your collar up without thinking, Levi had left some marks on your throat and you kept trying to hide it. So far nobody had noticed, but Reiner's gaze is now fixated on your eyes.

     ''You have to report him,'' Reiner says softly.

     ''Report what?''  Bertholdt interrupts your attempt at finding an excuse. Levi briefly explained why he was ordered to stay away from you. You both had decided it better to try and avoid situations that would see you two alone. I will find you when this is all over Levi had promised you, but there was as little conviction in his voice as there was passion in the last kiss he gave you. And so you watched Levi walk out of your life once more, but this time you finally accepted that you will never get him away from the Military or his debt to Erwin Smith.

     ''She's hurt-'' you kick Reiner under the table before he says anything else. Bertholdt's eyes jump between you, trying to understand the situation.

     ''I have trouble controlling my horse, Reiner thinks I should ask for a different one,'' you hold out your hand to show Bertholdt the bite mark Luna had left earlier. He inspects the bite and sits down next to his friend who is now staring at you, but to your relief doesn't say a word further. You finish dinner quickly, all you want to do is take a shower and change out of your underwear that is still soaked from your encounter with Levi.

     ''He's using his position to manipulate you,'' Reiner's voice comes from the shadows as you step outside the bathhouse. You wonder how long he was waiting for you.

     ''He didn't do anything, Reiner,'' you shiver slightly in the night air, your wet hair is draping your shoulders and causing your skin to break out in goosebumps.

     ''What are the marks on your throat?'' he steps closer to you, lifting your chin so that your neck is exposed. Your lock your eyes on his, trying to stay calm, searching your head for a reasonable explanation.

     ''Reiner, you will have to let it go-- please,'' nothing comes to your mind, but you can't let him know about your past with Levi. You feel annoyed that you're left with having to defend Levi's actions, even though you didn't mind them at the time. Reiner nods subtly, but there is something behind his eyes that reminds you of Levi once more. He might agree to not ask questions about what happened, but he's never going to forget.

          After the encounter with Levi you see very little of him. You know that there are long expeditions being done by the Survey Corps and you often hear about the number of Titans that Humanity's Greatest supposedly kills without as much as catching his breath. The more everybody hears of Levi's heroism the more Cadets decide that fighting along the Survey Corps is where they want to be. There is aloud exception that is determined to join the MP, but only the top ten finishers in the Corps will get the opportunity. Nile had told you that you will get in the MP no matter what and, after having spoken to Levi who seemed to be very opposed to the idea, you begin questioning Nile's decision.

          There is not much time to think though, the training becomes more intense and after a few months Commandant Keith announces a survival exercise coming up. The Cadets are split into two groups, each group will have to follow a map and meet at a point, the whole time everything needs to be noted down and any inconsistencies in the map corrected. You meet with your group for a week before the trip, discussing strategies and reviewing survival skills. You know that you have skills to survive most things, but the idea of the vastness and the unknown of large distances of woods and nature scares you. There is comfort in knowing that Reiner will be around.