Be Kind (Doctor Reader x Levi Ackerman)

Chapter 8: Forced Proximity

Chapter 8 - Forced Proximity

"Hey, it's me," Mario's familiar voice calls out from outside your bedroom door as he knocks on your door.

After the fiasco during this morning's training, you took the afternoon off to recuperate in your room. You've been lying on your bed for an hour, processing the events that occurred with Johanne and Captain Levi. You were reprimanded by Keith Shadis, but it was more of a lecture than a scolding. Luckily, you were on the Instructor's good side, so you didn't get told off much.

Mario must have been worried about you, and went to look for you in your room.

"Come in," you said, your voice muffled by your covers.

Mario enters your room, and plonks himself at the edge of your bed, causing the mattress to recess and shift.

An aromatic, earthy scent wafts into the room and you realise Mario was bringing two cups of coffee. And a bottle of whiskey?

"Um, I hate to have to ask this... but are you still a Scout?" Mario asked.

"By some miracle, yes, I am still a Scout," you murmured.

"Yay! Congrats," he beamed, and handed a cup of coffee to you, putting away the whiskey bottle. "Coffee. Black."

"And what's the whiskey for?" you raised a brow, taking the coffee cup from him.

"In case you answered 'no'."

You choked out a laugh.

"I'm serious. If you said no, I'd quit the Survey Corps and drink that with you," he grins.

"You wouldn't," you shake your head. "It's your dream to join the Scouts and help people."

"Oh, I definitely would," Mario said. "This place won't be the same without you."

You pouted and ruffled his blond hair. It always amazes you how soft and light his hair was.

"So... what did the Captain say to you?" Mario's brown eyes were large with worry. "Niko and I were quite worried when he demanded you to come to his office. Even Instructor Keith shivered a little."

"He asked me why I beat up Johanne, and if I was sorry for what I did," you sipped on the black coffee, energy coursing through your blood vessels once again.

"And what did you tell him?"

You looked at Mario with a dead serious expression. "I said, she kept asking for a fight, so I gave her one."

There was a silence between the two of you as you looked at each other. Then, as if a bubble had burst, you both erupted into maniacal laughter. Mario doubles over, clutching onto his cup of coffee for dear life before he spills it onto your sheets. You've already set your cup on the floor, using your hands to hold your convulsing stomach instead.

"I can't, I can't believe it! You-you said that to.. Ha-HA-HAA Captain Levi!" Mario howls.

"I mean, I wasn't lying! She technically did want to fight me," you wiped away a tear.

"What else? What else?!"

"He said if I knew what I've done, he could put me on probation or suspend me."

"And then?"

"Then I said.. then why haven't you?"

Mario is already deceased. He's collapsed to the floor, rolling all over, and banging his fist to the wooden planked floor. you can't help but laugh with him too.

"You—you! Ha-HA!" he yowls. "You're crazy!"

"I've been getting that a lot lately."

When Mario finishes laughing, you explain the gist of the rest of the conversation.