(Levi Ackerman x OC) Melting A Frozen Heart ~ Attack on Titan

Chapter 7: Emptiness

"Damn, is this girl going to leave any for us?!" Oluo yelled in frustration. "Heichou... we can't let a girl like her run off and do her own thing like this, can we?!" Everyone else was trembling with the awe. Chi had taken down each and every one of those titans herself with incredible speed—but where was she? They never found her body. Had she been eaten by a titan?

Soon, the skies started darkening; Levi called for a retreat.

"Dammit," Levi growled. "Where the hell could she be?" Everyone took turns shouting her name, hoping for a reply, or any kind of sign, but they never saw her.

As they neared the gate in the outer wall once again, they saw a figure standing next to a dimly lit lantern. The figure was leaned against the wall, their horse grazing leisurely next to them. When the squad came closer, Levi recognized the very woman who they'd been desperately searching for. Waves of relief washed over the entire squad, but with exasperation. They were so worried about her that they'd done nothing useful in that entire day.

"Oi! Chi!" Eren shouted. She looked up at them solemnly.

"Hey," she greeted. She mounted her horse and slowly trotted over to them.

"Where've you been?" Petra cried. "We were looking all over for you! Don't just disappear like tha—" Levi silenced her by raising a palm.

"Let's go," he cut in with cold eyes. Wordlessly, everyone followed as they entered the gates and continued to the castle. When they reached it, they all dismounted their stallions and fed them before going inside. The tense atmosphere practically crackled between the entire squad, and everyone knew.

"Chi," Levi called from the back of the stables. Everyone else was still heading towards the castle for a late dinner after putting the horses in their spots and giving them food and water. Chi turned around and stared at him with blank eyes. He beckoned for her to come to him. She shuffled over to him and before she knew it, something hard smacked against her cheek, thrusting her to the side. She clutched her cheek with one hand but kept her face stone as best she could.

Levi had slapped her. With eyes that smoldered with fury, he was clearly angered by Chi's rash decisions that day. But he felt a twinge of guilt.

Chi straightened and let her hand fall to her side.

"Yes, Heichou?" she asked nonchalantly.

"What the hell did you think you were doing?" he demanded, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

"Training."

"I told you earlier to stick with the group. You completely ignored all of the instructions I had given earlier—and not only that, you hindered all of the others' training as well. If it wasn't for your impulsiveness and lack of self-control, our training as a team would have been executed just fine."

"I apologize for the inconvenience, Heichou. I promise it won't happen again." Chi's voice was monotonous, and she kept her gaze level with Levi. He was agitated.

"You'd better stick to those words of yours," he ordered, venom lacing his voice, "or you'll be facing the consequences. Next time, I won't be as lenient. On his squad, we work together. Should you commit another stupid act that I deem unfit for this squadron, you will be removed immediately. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." And with that, Chi turned around and began to walk away. She hoped—and tried to push that hope away—that Levi would stop her and explain his unreadable demeanor. It was a polar opposite of the caring man she thought she new.

She hoped he would tell her that that morning, he was only so cold because he didn't get enough sleep either.

She hoped that he would tell her that he liked her just like she did he.