Love Story (Levi x Aristocrat Reader)

Chapter 4: Season of Change

Their midnight meetings turned into a regular occurrence. Levi made the journey to (f/n)'s estate two or three times per month, careful to avoid being seen by anyone. Thankfully, the Scouts were already used to his insomnia-induced irritability and the dark circles under his eyes, so they never suspected anything was out of the ordinary.

Soon enough, summer melted into autumn, and colorful leaves crunched beneath their feet as they walked through the forest to their usual spot. The Harvest Moon filled the sky, casting its orange glow through the increasingly bare tree branches. Every now and then, a crisp breeze ruffled their hair, kissed their cheeks, and caused a few more leaves to drift toward the earth.

Levi had to brush a pile of the dead foliage off their stump before he and (f/n) could sit. It had become normal for them to stick close to one another – close enough that shoulders and hands and knees often touched. Yet, he still felt a now-familiar fluttering in his stomach as they settled in next to each other, her warmth setting his senses alight.

He cleared his throat, trying to think of something else in an attempt to prevent a blush from rising to his cheeks. Of course, he had already considered simply moving over until they no longer touched, but...despite the fact that allowing these sensations was a bad idea for so many reasons, deep down, he didn't want them to go away. And that weakness was also problematic.

Contrary to his original expectations, his feelings for (f/n) had only grown stronger with time, to the point where he had to acknowledge he was in love with her. He'd kept that truth to himself for months, because there was no way anything good could come of it. A perfect girl like her would never love someone like him, and even if she did, countless other obstacles would prevent them from ever being happy together. Her father would never approve. Her social circle would scorn her. And Levi himself had nothing to offer her. In fact, he couldn't even promise her a future, since the mortality rate for Scouts was so high.

Originally, he had resolved to keep his feelings secret, to be content with simply remaining her friend. After all, even that much was a million times better than he could've ever hoped for. He still got to see her often, and hear her voice, and feel her warmth...

But he should've known it couldn't last. Despite the ease with which he hid his emotions in every other area of his life, he seemed incapable of doing so when faced with the woman he loved – a rather irritating discovery, really. Even if she hadn't figured out his feelings already, his shyness and fumbling would soon give him away. These days, he couldn't go an entire night without literally stuttering in front of her. If that didn't clue her in...

After giving it weeks of thought, Levi had decided to just tell her how he felt. He still didn't see how it could end well, and he hated it. He hated the idea of opening himself up like that, when he was painfully aware it could never work, even if she somehow accepted his feelings. However, he couldn't go on as he was – not when she was bound to discover the truth sooner or later.

The only other option was to end their meetings altogether. He'd thought about it, tried to convince himself to do it, but...the hours he spent with her were the closest he got to happiness in his otherwise bleak life. They gave him something to look forward to – and to live for. Perhaps it made him weak, but he didn't want to let them go. To let her go.

Thus, the only way forward was to admit his feelings. At least if he did, he'd be free from the stress of futilely trying to hide them all the time. He didn't dare to hope that (f/n) would return them, but maybe...maybe she'd consent to still being his friend. For Levi, that would be enough.

He planned to do it tonight, but not right away. He'd do it later, just before they parted ways, so she'd be able to leave quickly if she felt awkward around him. And also...less altruistically, he wanted to hang out with her just one more time, before everything changed. He wanted this final night to be as long-lasting and normal as possible.