Author's Note: Thanks for 900K reads! We're almost to one million, my friends! *blush*
"But why do I have to go?" you whined to Erwin. Although he was technically your commander, he was also your older brother, so things were quite informal when you were in private. "It's just a bunch of stuffy nobles with their small talk and preening."
"(F/n), you're a section commander now," Erwin reminded you with an amused smile. That jerk. "Attending these functions is part of your new responsibilities. It's important that we interact with the people who are helping to fund our regiment. Besides, everyone is eager to meet you after your exploits on the last mission. You're becoming quite famous."
"But a ball, Erwin?" you insisted. "I mean...what if some crusty old guy asks me to dance? What if a bunch of crusty old guys ask me to dance?"
"What are you worried about? You're a wonderful dancer," Erwin stated encouragingly, intentionally missing the point.
You shot him a glare. "You know what I mean."
Erwin chuckled. "Come on. Even Levi attends, and you know how...anti-social...he can be. If he can stomach it for a few hours, so can you."
"Well, excuse me for not eagerly obeying your every whim like a dog," you quipped.
Erwin's smile turned sly. "You just wish Levi obeyed your orders like a dog," he murmured.
Your breath caught. "E–Erwin!" you squeaked, blushing furiously.
Your brother just laughed. He was the only one who knew about your crush on the raven-haired captain. Being his usual, annoyingly insightful self, he had figured it out, even though you were determined not to tell anyone. Ever since, he had been teasing you to no end. And on occasion, he actually encouraged you to tell Levi how you felt, but you never did.
You glared at him, sputtering half-baked threats and insults until he finally calmed down.
"Alright, I'm sorry," he said, sounding distinctly not sorry as he waved you off. "But will you please go to the ball? If you do, I'll buy you any dress you want."
That piqued your interest. "Any dress?" you asked, your eyes narrowing in suspicion.
Erwin held out his pinkie, indicating the sincerity of his promise. "Any dress," he confirmed.
After staring him down for a long moment, you reached out and wrapped your pinkie around his. "Deal."
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You made sure that Erwin's promise came back to bite him, but you weren't as cruel as you could have been. After all, the dress wasn't that expensive. Besides, in your opinion, the one you picked outshone even the most expensive dresses in Sina.
It was pure, sparkling gold, with off-the-shoulder straps and a heart-shaped neckline. The bodice hugged your waist – accentuating your perfect figure that you had earned from years of training – before spilling out into a flowing, floor-length skirt. That skirt parted nearly to your thigh on one side, allowing you to move freely. Around the slit, the dress was bunched and ruffled to give it some flair – as if the gold wasn't enough.
To go with it, you purchased gold heels that weren't all that comfortable, but they looked gorgeous. And when you added in your gold necklace, gold makeup, and sleek, styled hair, the effect was stunning. You looked like a lioness from one of Erwin's forbidden books – commanding and powerful.
That suited you just fine. After all, the more intimidating you were, the less chance you had of being asked to dance.
"Worth every penny," Erwin stated when he met you in the foyer of Scout Regiment Headquarters.
You scoffed, but even so, you were smiling. "You don't really believe that."
"I'll admit, it was painful," he conceded. "But you look beautiful, (f/n)."
"Wow, what a dress!" Hanji squealed when her eyes landed on you. "It's so shiny! Can I touch it?"
"Sure," you replied, chuckling. You glanced around, exchanging pleasant nods with Mike and Nanaba. That just left...
"Ah, Levi," Erwin acknowledged as the captain entered the foyer, impeccably dressed.
You turned to look at him, but you weren't prepared for the way he was already staring at you – wide-eyed, like the wind had been knocked out of him. However, in the time it took for you to blink, Levi became perfectly composed once again. It all happened so fast that you wondered if the awe in his expression had only been your own wishful thinking.
"Now that we're all here, let's get going," Erwin stated. He offered Hanji his arm, following Mike and Nanaba out the front door. Now, it was just you and...
You stiffened as your nerves got the better of you. You didn't know if Levi would have offered you his arm, but you didn't wait around to find out. Instead, you scurried off after Erwin, sticking close behind your older brother like a child.
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The ball was just as extravagant as you expected it to be. Erwin mentioned that it was being held at the estate of the richest nobles in Sina – Lord James Wayland, and his wife, Lady Clara. However, you wouldn't have needed Erwin to tell you that once you actually saw the place. It seemed impossible that anyone could have this much money.
Erwin dragged you around the ballroom for the better part of an hour, introducing you to this person or that. Honestly, you were meeting so many people in such rapid succession that you forgot their names right after you learned them. Apparently, Erwin's gift for socialization didn't run in the family.
At last, you managed to slip away with the excuse that you needed a refreshment. The table of drinks and snacks was blessedly not crowded, owing to the fact that the aristocracy felt richer when they let food go to waste. You sipped a glass of water and enjoyed the opportunity to take a breath...until a girl practically drowning in frills saddled up beside you.
"I take it you're the Scouts' new golden girl?" she asked slyly.
You gave her a quick once-over before replying. She was around your age, platinum blonde, and obviously swimming in money – both literally and figuratively. Everything from her makeup to her jewelry to that ridiculous frilly dress practically screamed that she was disgustingly rich.
"Clever," you muttered dryly. Then, for Erwin's sake, you smiled and added, "I'm (f/n)."
"Duchess Charlotte LaBouff," she stated, and you bit down on your laugh. "So, are you enjoying yourself, new girl?"
"It's...certainly something," you replied diplomatically.
Charlotte nodded. "It sure is. Just don't start thinking you belong here, alright sweetie?"
You blinked, taken aback by the cruel words in her delightful voice. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, please don't be offended!" she chimed, placing a hand on your arm, which you certainly did not appreciate. "I just wouldn't want you to get in over your head. People of your station are meant for...different things. You know."
"No, I don't," you stated icily, looking her squarely in the eyes. "Why don't you explain it to me?"
She appeared shocked that her words would be met with anything but the sincerest appreciation. Then her expression morphed into a pout, and she huffed before walking away, finally understanding that she wasn't welcome.
You gave an exhausted sigh before draining your water glass. Wanting some solidarity, you returned to Erwin's side – even though it meant meeting more strangers.
"Ah, (f/n), we were just talking about you," Erwin said smoothly when you appeared next to him. "Might I introduce Lord Hampton? Lord Hampton, this is (f/n), the Scouts' newest section commander."
"What a pleasure to meet you!" the middle-aged man exclaimed. "As the commander said, I am Joseph A. Hampton, of the Hampton Mining Company."
"Pleasure," you mumbled while he shook your hand vehemently.
"Commander Erwin tells me that you're quite the dancer," Lord Hampton continued. "Would you join me?"
You wanted to say no, but there wasn't really a polite way to get around it. Besides, although Lord Hampton appeared frivolous, you weren't picking up on anything malevolent. He seemed harmless enough.
"Of course," you agreed, trying to make your smile look genuine.
You let him lead you to the dance floor, and the two of you found a spot just as a new song was beginning. On the bright side, Erwin had told you that it was customary to dance with a person for only one song. The downside was that most songs lasted several minutes.
At least Lord What's-His-Name didn't ask you a lot of questions. Actually, he seemed content to prattle on about himself and his business. You learned more about the finer details of mining iceburst stone than you ever wanted to know, even after most of it went in one ear and out the other. You tried to make yourself pay attention, but it was just...so...
Well. At least you were good at appearing interested.
As you waltzed around the room with Lord...Hampton – yes, that was his name – your eyes happened to find Levi in the crowd, dancing with the blonde duchess you had met earlier. You felt a twinge of sympathy for him, since you knew that he hated dancing with strangers even more than you did. However, he did it anyway, because Erwin asked him to – because dancing with Humanity's Strongest Soldier did tend to loosen people's pocketbooks – even if they only regarded Levi as an object to be gawked at. He sucked it up for the Scout Regiment's sake.
You couldn't help watching him for a moment. Despite the fact that he hated it, Levi really was a magnificent dancer. He was elegant and graceful while still appearing masculine, and his stoic expression gave him an air of mystery that was...well, attractive.
You vaguely registered that the faint buzzing in your ear was Lord Hampton's voice, but you couldn't tear your focus away from Levi enough to process what the nobleman was saying. You noticed he was holding the duchess unusually close...or...no, she was the one pressing herself closer, despite his repeated attempts to put a respectable distance between them. Her hands were wandering too, though Levi was doing his best to discreetly place them back where they belonged. You watched as those impeccably manicured fingers slid across his chest, and...
Oh no. Not on your watch.
"Lord Hampton," you said, interrupting the man mid-sentence. "I wonder if I might tell you something."
The man looked a bit stunned at your sudden statement, but he quickly composed himself and replied, "Well, of course, my dear. What is it?"
You put on your best show of feminine innocence, widening your eyes and tilting your chin down so that you looked up at him through your lashes. Then you murmured, "You see the Duchess LaBouff over there, dancing with Captain Levi? Well, earlier this evening, she confided in me that she would love to learn more about mining. Only, she's too nervous to ask, because she's been told it's not a very ladylike subject to be interested in. I wonder if you could start a conversation with her – without telling her what I told you, of course. Please?"
You batted your eyelashes, and the man was like putty in your hands.
"Certainly, my dear," he replied. "And don't you worry – I won't mention anything about our little chat. Your secret is safe with me." He winked.
You faked a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Lord Hampton. Let's go right now, before anyone else has a chance to sweep her away."
"Now?" he repeated in surprise. "But it's the middle of a song. It would be quite rude to interrupt –"
"Oh, don't worry about Captain Levi," you assured him. "I'll make sure he doesn't become cross with you for cutting in."
"Well...alright..." Lord Hampton replied nervously.
He led you through the crowd toward Levi. The timing couldn't have been better, because at that moment, Levi spun the duchess out, so that they were only connected by one hand.
"Now!" you hissed to Lord Hampton.
You reached out and took Levi's hand from the duchess, then quickly began waltzing him as far away as possible. You glanced over your shoulder, filled with satisfaction when you saw Lord Hampton leading Duchess LaBouff in the opposite direction, already droning on about this mining tool or that. She did not look pleased.
"(F/n)...?" Levi gasped, his wide eyes staring up at you. Your razor-sharp heels made you taller than him by quite a few inches.
You smirked. "Mind if I cut in?"
Levi quickly wiped the shock from his face, and if anyone else were looking, they would only see mild annoyance in its place. However, as you gazed at him, you realized that he was using that irritation as a shield, hiding his true emotions underneath. Hiding the fact that he had felt uncomfortable – perhaps even...violated – while the duchess was putting her hands all over him.
"Tch. Better you than her, I suppose," he muttered – again, masking his feelings with the bite in his voice.
Your grin disappeared. You hated seeing Levi upset. Perhaps if you could take him somewhere away from the crowd, where he could have space to relax...
"Hey," you murmured, an idea forming in your mind. "Would you take a turn around the garden with me? These heels are terribly hard to walk in, so I could really use an arm to lean on."
Levi glanced up to meet your soft, sincere eyes. He searched them for a moment, clearly seeing right through your plan. He knew it was for his own sake that you were asking, that you only made it sound like you needed him because you were trying to spare his pride. But even though he knew what you were doing, he couldn't deny that he needed to get away.
"Sure. Whatever," he muttered, playing along.
The song ended, and he held out his arm for you to take. Together, you walked off the dance floor and through the ballroom, making your way toward the back doors. People called out to you once or twice, trying to make conversation. But you simply smiled, waved, and kept walking.
The fresh summer air was a welcome relief from the stuffy ballroom. Once you both had a chance to take a breath, Levi mumbled, "Thanks, (f/n)."
"I've got you," you replied, squeezing his bicep reassuringly.
Suddenly, it dawned on you that you were alone with Levi, holding onto his arm while the two of you shared a moonlit stroll that was almost...romantic. And despite the fact that you were now out of sight with no need to keep up pretenses, he didn't let you go.
You quickly turned your face away to hide your blush. Trying to calm yourself down, you focused on observing the garden instead.
Like the rest of the estate, it was quite extensive. It had been built in the form of a hedge maze, and the walls reached higher than your head. You definitely wouldn't have walked through it alone. However, it was impossible to not feel safe when you were with Levi.
The two of you strolled through it together – at first silently, then exchanging a few words here and there. Before you had fully realized it, you and Levi were actually having an enjoyable conversation that was both natural and relaxed. With your hand on his arm, you could feel that Levi had loosened up a lot, too.
"Is that...mold?" Levi hissed, glaring at a spot on the stone path while he led you around it.
"It might be," you replied with a shrug. "But we're outside, so what's the harm?"
"Tch. I can't stand mold," he grumbled. "They should just throw some bleach on it. It's not that difficult."
Your brow furrowed. "Really? Bleach will fix that?"
"Bleach fixes everything."
You nearly doubled over as you launched into a fit of giggles. Levi halted, raising an eyebrow as he regarded you skeptically. Clearly, he didn't think his blunt statement was anything out of the ordinary.
"What?" he grunted.
"It's just..." you stammered, trying to catch your breath. "The way you said that...it was just so funny!"
As you gazed at him – still laughing – you saw his expression soften almost imperceptibly. Something like tenderness shone in his eyes, as if he liked hearing you laugh. As if he liked being the one to make you laugh.
A blink, and it was gone.
"Tch," Levi muttered, pulling you along. "Don't be stupid."
When you reached what you thought was the middle of the maze, you found a small open space, paved with stones and surrounded by roses that grew right out of the hedge walls. If you thought the setting seemed romantic before, it certainly was now. Feeling your nervousness start to escalate, you slipped your arm from Levi's and started walking around the alcove, telling yourself to just breathe.
"So many red roses," Levi muttered. "What's the point?"
"Well, what color would you want them to be?" you asked playfully.
Despite your demeanor, Levi seriously considered the question for a moment. "White," he stated. "I'd want them to be white."
"Is that your favorite color?"
He shrugged. "Guess so."
"Well, maybe we can find a white one for you," you offered casually.
Levi turned away, suddenly so absorbed in one of the ubiquitous roses. "That...seems unlikely," he mumbled.
Your brow furrowed at his strange behavior. "There are a lot of red ones," you agreed, watching him closely, trying to puzzle him out. "I wonder if Lady Clara had them all painted red, like that queen from the fairytale."
"No way to tell," Levi replied, still hiding his face from you.
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After having a few drinks, Nanaba decided to take a walk and get some air. Seeing that Hanji had consumed more than a few drinks, she hauled the brunette with her. After all, Hanji was erratic enough while sober.
The two women had been friends for years, and their stroll through the mazelike garden was pleasant. However, when they neared the center of the maze, Nanaba pulled Hanji to an abrupt halt.
"Shh," she hissed suddenly. "Do you hear that?"
Hanji shook her head.
The two women stood in silence for a moment, until...there!
It sounded like two people talking, and the more they listened, the more they recognized the voices. How could they not, when they had known both (f/n) and Levi for years? Except, Levi's voice sounded a lot less harsh than usual...
"I wonder if Lady Clara had them all painted red, like that queen from the fairytale."
"No way to tell."
"Maybe we could bleach them?"
"Tch. I don't think it works that way, brat."
"You sure? What happened to 'Bleach fixes everything'?"
Their shared laughter carried on the wind, like two bells chiming together. At the sound, Hanji and Nanaba exchanged a wide-eyed glance. Aside from the occasional mocking sneer, they had never heard Levi laugh before. They had never heard him sound so...lighthearted.
Nanaba quickly slapped a hand over Hanji's mouth before the latter could start squealing. "Hush," she hissed. She glanced around to make sure they were alone, then whispered, "I'm going to get a closer look. Don't move, and don't make any noise. Got it?"
Hanji nodded.
Nanaba released a breath, then removed her hand from Hanji's mouth. Stealthily, she eased her way through the maze, stopping just around the corner from where (f/n) and Levi were. She could still hear them whispering, but their voices were now too quiet for words to be distinguishable. After a moment, the sound stopped completely.
She got down on her hands and knees, then carefully peered around the hedge that separated them. When her eyes locked on her comrades, it was an effort to stop herself from squealing. They stood in an alcove of red roses, Levi on his tiptoes, arms around each other...
Kissing.
Nanaba scurried back to Hanji, practically dragging the other woman out of the maze before explaining what she had seen. It was a good thing she did, because Hanji's subsequent scream certainly would have alerted the lovebirds to their presence. Nanaba didn't want to interrupt such an important moment.
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You parted gently, naturally, pulling back just far enough for you to get a good look at Levi's face. The sight that greeted you made your already-racing heart do a somersault. He was stunning – lips parted, cheeks red, eyes wide and innocent – nervous yet trusting. You had never seen Levi show so much emotion, let alone look so flustered and vulnerable. But you loved it.
"You're beautiful," you whispered unabashedly. Your head was still fuzzy from kissing him, so you didn't have the presence of mind to be embarrassed about saying something like that, bluntly, to his face. In that moment...you just wanted him to know.
His blush deepened, and he quickly hid his face, dropping down from his tiptoes as he stuttered incoherently. And although your own shyness was starting to come back to you, the sight of Levi looking so adorably flustered warmed your heart. It was equal parts surprising and endearing – how the strongest man alive suddenly became so weak when he was here in your arms.
You couldn't help giggling softly, giddy from the butterflies that still fluttered around your stomach. Recalling how Levi had stood on his toes to kiss you, you remarked sheepishly, "Maybe I should take off my shoes next time."
Levi glanced down at your heels before looking off to the side again. "N-no..." he replied, his voice so soft that you almost couldn't hear him. Almost. "...I l-liked it..."
Your eyebrows shot up ever-so-slightly. A second or two later, your expression melted into a warm smile. It seemed that Levi was full of surprises, each one more endearing than the last. You couldn't wait to see what else he kept hidden behind that stoic mask of his.
After some half-finished sentences and beating around the bush, the two of you linked arms for your stroll back through the garden, holding each other a little closer than formal etiquette dictated. You could still scarcely believe that this was happening, and you felt so giddy that you didn't trust yourself to speak. Instead, you walked silently next to Levi, who seemed incapable of speech himself.
Each of you stole shy glances at the other while you meandered your way back. Occasionally, your eyes would meet before quickly darting away again, faint blushes and small smiles on both of your faces. It was a bit awkward, but in the sweet, innocent way of new love.
After one of these encounters, you hastily turned your gaze toward the flowers, though your mind was decidedly elsewhere. At least, until something caught your eye...
"Hey," you murmured as you slid your arm from Levi's. You stepped up to the wall and plucked something off it before turning to face him again, a satisfied smirk on your lips. "What do you know?"
A delicate pink graced Levi's cheeks when he saw what you were holding in your hand. He quickly glanced away, looking anywhere but at you as he stuttered, "T-t-that's..."
You smiled softly as you closed the distance, standing with your toes touching his while you slid the white rose into the chest pocket of his jacket. Then you placed a reverent kiss on his cheek. "Gorgeous," you whispered against his skin.
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Levi escorted you into the ballroom with a formal manner – completely unindicative of what had transpired between you two in the garden. You had come to a silent agreement that this was neither the time nor the place to announce your relationship. Privacy was much more amenable to both of you.
However, almost immediately upon crossing the threshold, you encountered Hanji, and your hopes for secrecy went out the window. The brunette was bouncing on the balls of her feet, looking like she was about to explode. Your eyes widened, and you exchanged a worried glance with Levi, before...
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"