Longing to Be Known | Levi Ackerman x OC

39

"I'd rather have you alive than watch you die because I made the wrong decision." He expresses.

"It's not your decision whether or not I fight." I roll my eyes.

"It may not be, but I can do my best to prevent it." Levi responds. He stays in his position for a second before turning around to step down before closing the door behind him.

My heart beats against my ribcage, knowing that the deaths of his squad is still fresh in his mind. It makes sense that he's being more careful during this mission especially since there are plenty of unknown factors and risks that we're playing with. Sitting in my seat, I think about his words on the expedition yesterday.

"I can believe in my own abilities or the choices of the companions I trust. But no one ever knows how it will turn out, so when you choose for yourself, make the decision you'll regret the least"

Even with this thought, it'd be selfish to keep me out of combat; we lost a lot of great soldiers yesterday and we need more help than ever. This is so convoluted and weird; I can't organize my thoughts completely.

A part of me wants to stay by Levi's side and explore the different sides of him that he seems to refuse to tell anyone else. Simultaneously, what Levi just said points to what I've feared this entire time; clouded vision and rose-coloured glasses. I know that he's doing all of this to protect me, but, it's clear that he can't always be the one to do so. My heart aches at the possibility of losing him; the thought of losing someone who gave me hope when there was none left seemed unbearable.

--

"So, you're the one that Erwin's been talking about." The lean man in front of me called out.

"I suppose that would be me, sir." I answered with my right hand over my heart, my left arm behind my back.

I didn't know his name, but I knew that he's known as Humanity's Strongest. This entire interaction is quite intimidating; however I try to hide the fact that I'm shaking in my boots.

"Tch, you're supposedly the best recruit since I came around but you're trembling in your uniform. Did our standards get lower?" The man crossed his arms, walking towards me in disgust.

"Name?" He asked.

His question shook me to my core. I stared blankly into his eyes, trying to figure out what kind of answer to come up with. I keep my lips pressed, deciding out what I'd actually like to be called--no one's ever asked me for my name before, at least, not someone I cared about.

Humanity's Strongest disappeared from my vision and I see the fluffy clouds resting peacefully among the sun's bright rays. I can't feel the ground underneath me right now, which means I must be in the air. I've noticed that situations like these happen in slow motion for me even though a lot of my fellow soldiers mention the quick pace of it all. I do what I can and follow through with the movement, arching my back while reaching out to touch base with the ground.

Just like that, time's pace felt normal again, so I landed upright on my feet after completing my back handspring. He had a look of shock across his face when he noticed his assault didn't work on me. He moved towards me quickly and reached out to grab my arm. I moved accordingly to get away from him to avoid his advances. I see him grit his teeth when he doesn't grab me in time, so I gained a little confidence; this is all that humanity has to offer?

But he disappeared from my vision, I took a quick look behind me and saw black for a millisecond before I'm thrown up in the air again. My arm was yanked from my side while an elbow struck my ribcage, forcing the air out of my body as I swung through the air over his shoulder. I coughed but kept quiet in every other aspect as I knew what was coming.