Get Out Alive | Levi

A Living Hell

The next year proved to mean absolute hell for the civilians who had been forced from their homes by the Titans. All those able to fight were soon sent out to be slaughtered due to the food shortage, and my food often ended up in the hands of Eren, Mikasa, or Eren who I kept a close watch on. Unfortunately, Armin's grandfather was among those sent to 'reclaim' the wall and he was the last surviving family member of any of the three children. That left me in the precarious position of visiting them nearly daily and bringing them most if not all of my meals. After Eren nearly passed out from exhaustion, my meals got smaller as I brought as much as I could to them. Fortunately they seemed to get stronger and healthier by the day. Despite my hope that my starvation would go unnoticed, there was a day that the corporal followed me to where the three were staying.

"Hey Skylar," Eren and Mikasa mumbled halfheartedly as I entered the small hut where a dozen other refugees also took shelter.

Armin sat in the corner facing the wall, only turning to offer me a small hopeless smile as he clutched the hat his grandfather had given to him. The sight of the weary children nearly wiped the comforting smile off of my face, but I was able to keep up the facade.

"Hey guys. I brought something for you," I said, pulling a rather large loaf of bread from under my cloak.

"Thank you," Mikasa and Eren chorused as Armin shuffled over.

"Skylar," a cold voice drawled, stopping everyone in their tracks.

"Corporal," I responded curtly, my salute riddled with obvious exhaustion despite my best efforts.

My hand tremored against my will as the fatigue nearly made me dizzy while the children quietly munched on the bread, eyeing the corporal cautiously.

"What are you doing?" he questioned, gesturing at the trio.

"They need to eat. Let's talk outside," I said, silently begging him to not discuss this within earshot of the kids.

The raven haired man nodded stiffly and spun on his heel, leaving me to follow dejectedly.

"You are starving," he noted as I leaned on the wall for support, my facade gone.

"No shit," I groaned, shaking my head to fix my fading vision.

"You need to eat," he added.

"They need it more than me," I retorted, glancing back at the slightly ajar door.

The corporal merely stared at me for a moment before stepping closer, his gaze never leaving my own.

"I will speak to Erwin about bringing them some of the Survey Corps rations, instead of you starving yourself to keep those shits alive," he said finally, eyes averted to the wall behind my head.

My tired eyes widened in disbelief and I immediately swung my arms around his neck to embrace him tightly, despite my quivering arms.

"Thank you," I whispered into his ear as he stiffly snaked his arms around my waist.

"Tch," he responded, rubbing my back gently as a cool breeze chilled my frail body.

"Skylar," Eren called out, his voice harsh and angry as the brunette burst out of the hut, Mikasa standing watchfully behind him.

I released the corporal as the brunette stalked over, fury in his eyes which were close to being level with my own as he had grown much taller. Levi stood rigid beside me and stared down the angry preteen.

"You brought us your own rations?" he fumed, his fists tight as he stood directly before me.

"Hey kid, you should be thanking her instead of threatening her," Levi barked, seemingly unable to contain the corporal side of himself in that moment.

Eren took in a deep breath, making his body shudder slightly as his eyelids slid over his bright green orbs. We stood in silence for a moment before his eyes opened again, all anger gone and replaced with a twinge of sorrow. In an instant, the boy's arms were around me and I was trapped in his grasp which was now nearly stronger than my own.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly into my shoulder as we stood in the quickly cooling evening air.

​​​​​​"I know Eren. Let's go inside," I responded, taking in a deep breath as he released me.

The corporal followed us inside as the two children led us back to Armin who was finishing the last of the bread.

"Hey Armin," I smiled at him, ruffling his hair gently.

"Hey Sky," he responded, his lips twitching as he attempted to return the smile.
​​

Eren quietly took a seat against the wall and the other two quickly followed suit to his left. I shook off a wave of hopelessness as Eren shivered, having given most of his thicker protection to Armin and Mikasa. Sighing, I took a seat to the brunette's right and patted the spot next to me while looking expectantly at the corporal.

Levi glared at the dusty floor but sat beside me anyways. I gave a grateful smile when he shifted closer to me, offering a portion of his body heat. Soon enough, Eren's head fell onto my shoulder and he began to mumble.

"Skylar, We're going to join the training regiment," he started, making me take a sharp breath as I waited for the rest of his statement as though I did not already know.

"And I am going to join the Survey Corps," he finished, nearly incoherent as he drifted off into a fitful sleep.

"Shit," I muttered under my breath, sure to hold back the inundation of tears that waited just behind my eyelids as I screwed my eyes shut.

Once my breathing slowed, I carefully allowed my eyes to open. The light of the torch now seemed harsh as it hit my stinging eyes. After a few minutes I shifted Eren's weight to rest him against the wall and looked over to Levi helplessly. The corporal stared unexpressively, his steely eyes boring into my own brown ones. With a nod, he stood up and brushed the dirt off of himself distastefully before pulling me onto my feet. After gaining my balance, I knelt beside Armin and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead and then Mikasa's before reaching a shivering Eren. Silently, I clawed at my cloak until it fell from my shoulders and placed it on him. Then I kissed the top of his head before shakily returning to my feet and turning towards Levi as he looked on, as though he was curious.

After a moment of silent staring, we walked out silently. The Survey Corps insignia glared maliciously from Eren's makeshift blanket, as though taunting me as I left. Once outside, the cold air elicited a violent tremor from my body that had Levi by my side in an instant.

"Aw, you do care," I teased breathlessly as my body shook.

This resulted in a signature 'Tch' from the man before his arm pulled me flush against his side. The corporal wrapped the cloak around both of us as we headed back to the barracks in a comfortable silence.