Two Captains | Levi Ackerman ff

4

Clumsy
[Word count : 1377]

I sat with a pained ankle by the fireplace I made last night, relighting the fire, the sun had just risen and I watched it emerge from the horizon, I was restless last night, I wasn't so used to being around someone when sleeping, it unsettled me because of a past fear I had as a child.

I was making breakfast, it's important to get a good breakfast, I never believed whenever people told me that when I was younger, I never noticed the difference until I became a soldier and saw I was extremely fatigued when I didn't have a decent breakfast. So I made some toast, eggs and a few meats as well as bread were the only foods included so I thought it would be perfect to make egg on toast for breakfast. Luckily there were things like pots for cooking included in our equipment packed, unluckily there was just one tent.

I looked towards the tent, staring for a moment noticing his movement, shifting from within the tent, it was calm, when he was asleep, any other time was stressful. My ankle felt shooting pains as I stood on it. Walking over the tent placing breakfast outside of it. Making my own and eating it right away while it was warm.

I heard more shuffling and looked towards the tent from my position by the fire, my foot kept near it easing the swelling and pain caused by my clumsiness.

He poked his head outside of the tent. His hair not so perfectly slick in a side parting, it was matted slightly which gave his hair dynamic, it made his face look so innocent along with his tired eyes closing his normally angry glare into something more melancholic and sad instead. His lips bright pink upon waking not as pale as normal, he seemed to have so much life in him within a vulnerable body of his upon just waking. I'd never seen someone so imperfect, someone who looked so amazing even when he was imperfect.

"What's this?" His deep moring voice took me off guard and I flinched at it slightly, it was so much deeper than normal and I have to say a little attractive if the voice wasn't owned by him. "I-uh breakfast. Do you not have eyes or something?" I thought on the spot, realising that my silence probably made him think some things or gave me away. He shrugs and eats it, very careful with his hands as not to drop it.

"I'm not a morning person. Deal with my shit mood." He stated to which I rolled my eyes, I couldn't care less about his mood. I sighed letting silence consume us once again.

"How are you up so early?" He asks, not reacting to me wincing in pain because of my ankle that I was trying to hide from him. "I get restless at night so I didn't sleep much. It's whatever I fed the horse and was bored so I made breakfast. They're my leftovers." I felt as if I was making excuses for my actions towards him, I shouldn't have to explain, he doesn't care does he?...

It wasn't leftovers either why am I lying?? Does it really matter??

I should probably explain why I'm restless at night. Things used to happen when I was younger. I'd stay in the same room as someone one night and the next day something would happen to them, it usually ended in death caused by titan, I've been told by those close to me all my life that it's something dumb to worry about and that I'm not cursed but they ended up dying too. I know it's something stupid, it's why I refuse to tell anyone.

A little curse suspicion is nothing.. it's the fact I was the cause for all of the deaths that pains me to the point I can't sleep. I get pushed out of the way and they get crushed, or I try to save them but it ends in horror. It's always involving me... that's why I've been afraid. It started when I was 3.

When I was up all night I decided to explore, that's the point we were at these checkpoints, to look for evidence, and to find materials lost by those who failed the mission we were taking in the past, all I found was a broken piece of equipment and a decade old empty canister.

On my journey I fell through the second floor of the run down building, botching up my ankle in the rubble but being left untouched other than that. I think I have sprained it, but I can't let him know I'm hurt, or that I'm bothered by something that of a torn or overstretched ligament.

He began staring at my ankle, so I started conversation, distracting him from the thoughts he had about me. "You look like a mess. How did you sleep princess? Sorry I took your luxury blanket." I teased him and he scoffed looking away while fixing his hair, running his fingers through it to remove any tangles but it only caused him to scrunch his face up in pain of a larger tangle. "Here's my hairbrush, use it to your hearts content your majesty, or whatever." I offer to him and he rolled his eyes, taking it from me anyways despite being bothered that I made fun of him.

He equipped his gear and figured out how to put down the tent on his own as I readied the horse, attaching the storage to its back once again and saddling it up ready for his majesty Ackerman to ride. I was walking perfectly fine but that doesn't excuse the pain. It's worse than a stab wound, in a pain scale it isn't of course but the fact that it's constant and a stab is something quick is what's more unbearable.

He packed the tent and started to leave without warning, I followed behind him quickly, catching up with a quick jog which hurt but I couldn't show that on the outside.

I walked slightly behind him today, so that he wouldn't see my expressions when I was in pain or frustrated, what hurt even more is that he rode faster today, seemingly rushing the travel time, which is reasonable and I would do the same, but it's painful for me at the moment so I can't help but complain.

Then his horse stopped, and he turned to face me, our eyes meeting which made him avert his gaze to my ankle then at something else instead. "Did you think I wouldn't notice your foot?" The silence that followed just confirmed his allocations as true, I wasn't sure what to reply, so he continued for me, "It's sprained, you shouldn't be walking on it, clumsy people like you (L/n) should know that." He stated firmly, almost trying to instruct me to do something but there was no order behind his words.
"So? I'm not a coward even if I am clumsy." I reply, not wanting his pity or him to continue the conversation any longer. I started to walk a little more until his voice took me by surprise.

"Get on the horse." He instructed, I looked in his direction and furrowed my eyebrows in surprise, "no, what the hell?" I was genuinely shocked he was trying to get me to share the horse with him, he was a selfish asshole that only ever thought of himself.. that's it .. he saw me as if I was dragging him down, he was only doing it to make the time go quicker.
"Get on the back of the horse." He raised his voice again and sat awkwardly on the horse so I could join, but as a reply I chuckled. "Like I'm gonna listen to-"

Two arms tightly gripping my waist within seconds I was lifted off of the ground like I weighed nothing, pulling me onto the back of the horse. My ankle hitting slightly then a quick rush of wind past my face. I had no choice but to grab his waist as I nearly fell off the back of the horse due to the speed he suddenly picked up on. "Ackerman what are you doing??" I yell In surprise blushing as I realise I was holding onto him so tightly, but if I was to let go I would fall. I noticed his cheeks were red too, obviously thinking the same thoughts as I.