Two Captains | Levi Ackerman ff

5

Is he kind?
[Word count : 1695]

My face buried into his back made me lose all sense of direction, I didn't care where I was going anymore, I was so distracted by his scent, it was naturally musky, like the smell of the air when it would rain, but it smelled fresh, something like freshly picked and cut lemons.

"We're here." The vibrating of his back when he spoke shook me out of my sudden daze about his features, I let go of him quickly and attempted to get down but he scolded me quickly, "don't be an idiot and make the horse ride worth nothing by jumping down onto your foot.. here." He lifted me down gently, our bodies gliding close to each other as he did so but he pulled away quickly to find a place to set up camp; there weren't buildings like last time, only shelter from trees and whatever we had.

I attempted to explore, not warning Ackerman before leaving at all not caring about him and knowing he wouldn't care if I went missing either. I was trying to find something within this small forest that could be of good use as shelter, like an elder tree or some tree bark. However my eyes opened widely at a pool of water that sat next to a small pit of magma that seemed like it emerged once every ten years to warm the springs then cloud over in hardened obsidian when water hit it.

The water steamed slightly so I felt it with my hand checking for any dangerous signs, it turns out it was just a hot spring caused by something as lucky as random magma and a random lake. So I took my gear off, washing in the warmth as travelling had made me sweaty and dirty.

I heard grunting nearby, the voice seemed angry, no one would be nearby unless it was Ackerman or a titan, and I'd definitely rather encountering a titan while naked than Ackerman. "Where the hell did they go?" He groans, the voice drawing closer. Shit it-it's Ackerman..

It happened in seconds. I saw the metal zip past and latch onto a tree nearby, then his body flung swiftly by his gear, flying across the hot springs his eyes scanning the area, that just so happened to be where I was. Our eyes connected and his face grew red instantly, his sudden shock made him fling into the tree he grappled onto and fell to the floor, he unprofessionally stumbled over to me. "W-why the fuck did you think it was okay just wandering off like that-" he moved his arm away from his face and revealed his blush, "I can't take you serious when naked, sorry."

"Whatever, It's getting dark soon so if you're looking to wash I would do it now." I suggested playfully to tease him and it actually tempted him. I noticed his eyes move to the water then over at me then back down at the water. "Turn around." He states and I do as instructed, he was actually going to join me in the water what the hell was I thinking in suggesting that. I never actually thought he'd agree..

I heard the water crash as he stepped into it, feeling the waves on my chest and my neck as I covered any obvious parts from his viewing, he stayed in the opposite side of the springs to remove the risk of seeing each other. This was the first time the silence between us was awkward, he had just seen me naked just by pure chance, and now I'm practically sharing a Bath with him..

"Is the warmth helping your ankle?" He asked suddenly, his voice calming the silence to a hushed conversation, something I never thought I'd share with him of all people, "The swellings gone down a lot yeah. It won't be any better when I start walking again, if I rest it for a long time then walk for a long time it equals the pain out probably." I chuckle at my own incorrect logic, hoping he'd shrug it off as in that my ankles pain is nothing so I wouldn't have to be pitied and made fun of like earlier today. "It doesn't work like that." He noted and I scoffed,
"Why do you care anyways? Stop asking weird questions because you're bored." I mumbled defensively, standing up straight suddenly, "turn around, I'm leaving."

He followed as I instructed him and turned around listening to the sounds of me putting my clothes back on but lazily carrying my gear, only being able to get one boot on because my ankle hurt like crazy -I held that too. "I'll be back where we set up. Feeding the horse." Why did I tell him? He didn't care did he? He didn't go looking for me did he..? I distracted myself practically hopping away, Making my way back to the place Ackerman decided to set up camp.

When I arrived I saw someone looking at our things, a scout with a horse that carried almost double our supplies, the man that rode the horse seemed exhausted, they must've travelled all day in a constant run to be able to reach us this far out. I heard footsteps behind me and didn't glance behind, putting all my focus on the man. "What is it?" Ackerman speaks up behind me, he's who the footsteps belonged to.

"The expedition is extended 3 more days. We have an old map, commander said to explore what you can until supplies start running dry." The man gulped down water gaining strength by sitting down for a while. If he was expecting to return home he would have to travel all night again. He dropped the supplies off of his horse and set off already, not hearing a word from the two of us, sensing tension, negative tension, as if he had to be away from the both of us. "Ugh." Ackerman groaned and I rolled my eyes, he had to make a comment didnt he?

I sat by the tent, making a fire quickly to make dinner as we haven't eaten all day since breakfast. I looked through the new supplies and noticed even more meat was packed for us and I got excited, picking out small chicken bits to cook on the fire, taking a few potato's wrapping them in aluminium foil for later, and I took some lettuce too, just big leaves to put it all in.

I cooked the chicken over the fire while Ackerman watched from near the horse. Looking at the map, marking off a few of the surroundings we passed to add to it. We were beyond the wall, most of this was undiscovered or at least not written down except for that map, he seemed so focussed, his eyebrows not showing any frustration, his eyes seeming calm and gentle, his lips still not showing a smile but seeming as if they weren't being held in a frown, they were neutral, it was weird to see him so neutral..

I put out the fire and put the potatoes in the coals to cook slowly, using the lettuce as a plate for the chicken while the potatoes cooked. He glanced up from his drawing to watch what I was doing and I glanced at him in the same moment, cutting the potatoes open to check if they were done cooking.

I walked over to him, handing him the lettuce plate of chicken bits and potato. It wasn't a proper meal but it was food.

"Eat something. I've made enough for two of me." I instruct and he looks up at me, only for a moment and then he shook his head, "no thanks." Well at least he was polite about it. "We're with each other for more than normal I get it." I start to walk away back over to the warm coals to check the other potatoes, "Might as well make the most of what we have. Free meat." I giggled taking some chicken from another lettuce plate and then I took a bite of the lettuce with a smile on my face at the food that was just handed to me for hanging out with my enemy and looking around a little every now and then.

He was blushing beneath the map he was drawing, I saw it in his eyes, they seemed to shine differently when he was blushing. "Fine I'll have some." He agreed and put down the map, walking over towards me with his gear completely equipped when it wasn't necessary at 11pm.

He seemed to enjoy it, which was pleasing to see, he was silently complimenting my method of cooking on an open fire rather than an oven in the training camps we used to go to when we were training.

"It's too late to set up the new tent so I'm sleeping outside tonight." He suggests kindly?
"No. I told you I don't sleep much. It's best I stay outside." I say in retaliation to his sudden kindness, I wasn't used to it what was wrong with him? He had a reason for it surely. "Whatever. I was trying to be nice." I couldn't help but laugh at his statement.
"You? Nice to me?? That's impossible. Thanks for humouring me though." I rolled my eyes, eating the rest of my dinner and picking up the last potato from the coals, biting into it while Ackerman finished his dinner too. In silence.

He stood, "goodnight."
"Mhm" I replied as he entered the tent, I stared up at the sky, sitting by the warmth of the coals. I was without the blanket tonight, I definitely wasn't getting any sleep at all, I don't mind watching the stars.

"Everything stays right where you left it,
everything stays.. but it still changes,
ever so slightly,
daily and nightly,
in little ways,
when everything stays."
I sing to myself, noticing eyes looking at me through the window of the tent, and then a roll of them turning away quickly as I continued to hum to myself lightening the mood.