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

Chapter 29: The Promise We Made

trigger warning: suicide, suicidal thoughts

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"Who... am I?" Levi repeated quietly, his dull eyes widening. In only a few seconds, it seemed as if all of the light had died from his eyes, as if the dark circles beneath them had gotten ten shades darker—as if his world had crumbled to dust.

Lowering his arms, he choked, "What do you mean?"

"I—I'm sorry," Chi stuttered, drawing on an awkward smile. "You must have the wrong person."

"No, I'm Levi... your lov—" But he cut himself off and drew on a crooked smile—the best he could muster. "...I mean, I'm a friend."

"Oh? You're my friend?" Chi asked, releasing the tension in her shoulders. "Then maybe I should introduce myself. I'm..." She faltered and her eyes fell to her lap, eyebrows knit tightly together as she wracked her head for an answer. "I'm..."

"Chisaki," Levi answered for her, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Chisaki Matsumoto. But everyone calls you Chi, idiot."

At that last remark, she recoiled again and her eyebrows furrowed. "Did you just call me an idiot?"

"I—I mean, you're just Chi. Sorry, it's a habit." Nodding in understanding, Chi let out a deep breath, eyes flickering over to study his face. His steel gray eyes were now cast down to where his hands rested in his lap, hi lips pressed together into a thin line; his shoulders were drawn, as if he were in deep sorrow.

"Oi, Levi?" Chi murmured, gently placing her hand on his shoulder. "Are you... are you okay?"

His head snapped up, his gaze softening as it landed again on her curious, wondrous golden eyes. "...Yes, I'm fine."

Chi cocked her head inquisitively. "But you don't seem like you are."

"Just what are you implying?"

"I don't know. But..." Her hand slid over to his neck, then up to his cheek where she cupped it carefully in her hand. "I can't seem to remember why—well, I can't remember anything, but I feel like—I feel like you're important. Like you're special. There's something in me that keeps screaming to me, saying someone named Levi has to be kept close to my heart. There's a lot of jumbled things in my head that I can't sort out, but the only thing that stands out is your face." Leaning in closer, her curious eyes flitted over his chiseled features, his high cheekbones, his perfectly carved lips...

"And even now I'm thinking there's something about you I can't get off of my mind," she explained, her eyes glazed over with curiosity and confusion. "When I really think about it, I feel a really sharp pain right here." Her other hand went over to her chest and rested right above her heart, a pained expression coming across her face. Looking deeply into his eyes that greatly resembled the color of gunmetal, she whispered, "And I can see it in your eyes. You look like you're in pain; like you're in agony. I can see the emptiness, the hollowness, the loneliness. When I look in them, I can see that you've suffered a lot, that you've lost a lot of things that have been important to you. My brain reacts instantly, and I can't really help it, but I feel the strong urge to help you. I feel the strong urge to be there for you. I can't explain how I know this, but... Levi, because you said we were friends, I hope you know I'm here for you."

She flashed him a small smile as his eyes grew wide, and in an instant he moved in and engulfed her into a bone-crushing hug, all breath being squeezed out of her body. Unable to respond, she sheepishly froze,  sitting there with her arms plastered to her sidesr. As Levi withdrew, Chi covered her cheeks with her hands, awkwardly, patting them in attempt to drain them of color.