IMMORTALS • Levi Ackerman

chapter sixteen

016: at all costs

"I'll need you to ride along with my side for this expedition, Y/n" Erwin muttered as we were saddling up, heading to the gates.

I didn't say anything, but openly showed my reaction of surprise.

"And why is that?" Levi asked instead.

"It's not a means of secret but I'd rather just have the reason to myself, you know the objective behind this is confidential" Erwin muttered the last part a bit quietly that I almost couldn't hear it.

"Why her?" he asked, tone laced with doubt, but not directed towards me, it was directed to something I was unsure about, so I didn't say anything.

"Why not her?" Hange piped, head peaking out of nowhere. "Clearly she's headstrong in the battlefield, whatever Erwin might assign her with"

Levi's lips twitched upwards, arching his brows up and silently looking away.

"I'd gladly assist you, Commander" I replied shortly, earning a soft nod of approval from the blonde man as he looked ahead. The ground was slightly rumbling from the gates being opened, my eardrums ringing along the vibration, before Erwin's command I turned to look at Eren who was smiling down at young kids peeking out their windows.

"Hey, Eren" I gently called him over, earning his attention.

I smiled warmly at him, and he looked at me like how I remembered myself looking at my own mother. It was a weird sight, but I found a swelling joy inside my heart at the expression.

"Whatever might happen outside, out there, I just want you to trust"

His brows shot upwards, perplexed at the words, but clearly curios.

"I want you to trust, may it be on yourself or your fellow comrades because out there, it's one of the greatest thing to keep you alive. You don't have time to doubt, you act on it if you want to, with yourself or with your team. Just trust."

After a couple of blinks from the kid, he nodded firmly.

"I understand, Y/n-san"

"Good. So if shit get's down to it, don't freak the fuck out okay? It's actually very different out there than how'd you picture it, don't piss your pants though" I mumbled before placing beside the captain, so was debriefing everyone about me riding alongside with Erwin.

The gates were midway to opening, everybody settling down and placing their game faces on. I reached inside the pockets of my pants, pulling out the familiar old leather fingerless gloves. The worn out fabric felt tight against my palms as I closed and opened them, getting my grip in place.

Coiling the reigns around my hands, I took a heavy breathe, resetting my mind and clearing away all the unnecessary thought lingering behind my head.

"Oi" Levi's gruff voice called.

"Yes, Captain?" I turned to him.

"Don't die out there" he said sternly, that same unfamiliar look in his eyes present once again. A look that was so peculiar that it was beyond my vocabulary to decipher it, almost leaving me breathless at the expense. "That's an order"

This wasn't the first time that phrase left his mouth, but this was the first time I heard him direct it at me and me only, with a sense of security and maybe even sincerity.

"As if. I'm immortal, Captain" I snickered, feeling the air around us get a bit too serious than the usual, as if it was suffocating be with a strange consciousness. Levi cocked an eyebrow in amusement, truly a weird sight to behold but here it was.