Onyx | Levi X Reader

chapter twenty-five

After you'd left Levi's room, you headed straight for Aiden's.

It was quite early, which meant he was still sleeping. After knocking a few times, he opened the door. It was clear he had just woken up: brown hair tousled, hazel eyes half-closed. He saw the state you were in—eyes puffy from crying—and immediately pulled you into his room, into his arms.

He was warm, his body heat was comforting, and you let your legs give out completely while he held you up.

"What's wrong?" he asked gently, his tone giving the impression that you didnt have to answer if you didn't want to.

After a few moments of silence, Aiden sighed and led you over to his bed. He carefully led you so your back was against his headboard, making sure you were comfortable before situating himself next to you.

He gave you time. He knew you weren't ignoring him... he knew that you just had to get your thoughts together.

First, you had to ask him something.

"Did... you see Levi yesterday?"

Aiden tipped his head back against his headboard while he thought. "Once," he said. "He was dragging someone across the field. The poor bastard was covered in blood—looked like he couldn't even move...  Levi looked fucking livid."

You listened, your brain a mixed mess of emotions.

"I think he handed the guy over to the Military Police... Not sure what happened after that, though." He looked over at you. "Why?"

Your stomach twisted. You didn’t know what to make of the feeling that swelled inside you. Relief, yes. Satisfaction, maybe. But also that dangerous warmth—the thought of Levi, fists bloodied, standing over someone who hurt you. You should hate him. You wanted to hate him. But the image of him fighting for you clung to you, unsettling and heavy, and it left you guilty just to breathe it in.

Aiden's brown creased with worry. "He... looked kind of familiar... I..."

You watched as he finally pieced it together. He realized where he'd seen the man before and connected it to the state you were in now. Bruised knuckles and bandaged forehead.

The guilt turned sharper when you told Aiden everything, your voice low but steady as the words finally broke free. You told him everything—from when you were training, up until you knocked him out cold. His whole body tensed, fists curling white at his sides. By the time you finished, he was already on his feet. “I’ll tear him apart myself,” he spat, fury trembling in his voice.

“No,” you said quickly, rising after him. Your hand caught his wrist, firm despite the ache in your knuckles. “Don’t. Just… stay with me. Please."

His shoulders dropped, the fire in him giving way to something quieter, more fragile. He looked at you for a long moment before sitting back down, sighing, his voice low and raw.

"You knocked him out?" he asked, his question holding a subtle hint of fondness.

You looked down at your bruised knuckles and sighed. "Mhm..."

The corner of Aiden's lip quirked. "You know why I came up here, right?"

You nodded, tipping your head to rest on his shoulder, closing your eyes. "For your mother... to get revenge for what the Reapers did to her..."

You felt as Aiden nodded. "Mm... but that's not the only reason. Not the main one." He shifted slightly, his body heat providing a comfort that almost lulled you to sleep. "I came up here for you."

Your eyes opened in confusion, but you waited for him to elaborate.

"In the brothel, I... I heard you crying almost every night while the Reapers...–" He stopped for a moment, thinking carefully about his words. "I just had to sit there and listen to it. I couldn't do anything about it. Couldn't walk in and tell them to stop—because I wasn't strong enough."