Levi's eyes shot open, his body forcing him awake.
Though, he felt no warmth on his outstretched arm, where (Y/N) had been huddled the night before in her bed.
Except, this wasn't her bed.
This wasn't her room.
He sat straight up, any lingering effects of sleep falling away immediately. He was in his own bed, back at the Scout Legion headquarters. He laid atop the covers, already fully clothed in his uniform. He was given no time to panic or process what had happened, because a body burst through the door, accompanied by a voice.
"Up, up, up, sleepyhead!" Yelled Section Commander Hange. "We've got work to do today!"
Levi could have sighed in relief- there was visible proof that his friend he previously thought was gone for good was now here, and existing, but his heart wrenched at the sight of her. Something was off.
"Hmm? Don't tell me you're nervous about going outside the walls, Levi! It'll be just like old times! Imagine, seeing those big, steaming bodies just collapsing from our blades against their necks later today.... oooooh, the thought makes me all tingly!"
At any other time, he would have uttered "Shut up, four eyes." However, he was hit with the realization of why this was so wrong. She had spoken these exact words to him just a few days ago, before they went on their expedition, before they came back to Trost, and before-
"Yoo hoo! Is the Captain in there?" Hange was at his side, knocking her fist on his forehead. He pushed away her hand.
"Hange." He said, his voice solemn as ever.
"He speaks!" She gasped, emphatically raising a hand to her mouth.
He blinked a few times, trying to wear the splitting headache off. He gave himself a few moments to collect his thoughts. He had transported back to his old life, to about a half a day before he left it. Had those days in the other world been a dream?
He shook his head, putting his priorities in order. "Hange, do you know anyone by the name of-"
He was interrupted by a knock at the door. Hange bounded over to open it.
She stood blocking the visitor, so Levi couldn't see who it was.
Hange's shoulders perked up. "Cadet (Y/N)! If it isn't my favorite member of Levi Squad! Good morning! Have you come to wake the captain up as well?"
Levi's eyes widened. He was frozen, unable to get up from his seated position on his bed. His mind willed him to sprint towards the door and fling Hange aside, but his body was in too much shock to let him move.
The voice on the other side of Hange finally answered her. "Good morning, Hange, and... something like that."
Levi felt as if there were tiny arrows stabbing his heart. That was undoubtedly the voice of the woman he had fallen in love with. She was here. She was with him. Only, there was just someone in between them.
Hange lifted one of her arms to pat the woman's head. "Good girl! You know, I can always trust you to reign in Mr. Grumpy over there. I'll see you over at the stables later!"
"Sure thing."
Finally, she stepped out of the way, allowing the visitor to walk inside of the room, and Hange quickly shuffled out, sneakily closing the door behind her.
They locked eyes.
"(Y/N), I..." Levi stammered, not really sure what he was supposed to say. It didn't matter, because in seconds, (Y/N) was pressed against him, enveloping him in a tight embrace.
"Levi..." She gasped, holding on to him like he could disappear at any moment. "I woke up a little while ago... I didn't know what to do. I recognized where I was as the barracks, and I had this uniform on, and I hoped and prayed that you'd be here too... thank goodness you are." Her words came out wavered.
He wrapped his arms around her, pressing his face into her shoulder. His voice was muffled as he spoke. "You're here, (Y/N), you're really here..." His hands gripped her shirt. He didn't want to ever let go of her, but he needed to see her face, he needed to look into those eyes...
He lifted his head and placed himself right in front of her face, their noses almost touching. He saw that look of pure love in her eyes, but also, there was something else.
Fear.
Of course she was afraid. She had been flung into a strange environment, just as he had. Except, the difference was that this one was significantly more dangerous than they one they had just come from. Based on what Hange said, she was in his squad. This was good news and bad news, since she would be close enough to him for him to be able to protect her, but it also meant that she would be placed in the most dangerous situations.
She hadn't prepared for this. Her body was soft, and gentle, and not battle-worn like the rest of them were. Of course she had to be thrown here on a day where they had to venture outside the walls- perfect timing.
He cupped her face with his hands. Tears were starting to form in her eyes.
"Levi, I'm so glad I'm here with you, but... I'm scared. I... I don't know how to fight titans, and I..."
"It's okay. We'll come up with something. I'll tell Hange you can't come along. I'll say you're sick, or injured."
She searched his eyes. "That wouldn't work- she just saw me. I have to come with, Levi. There's no getting out of this for me..."
He shut his eyes tightly, fighting the curses from spilling out of his mouth. He needed to stay calm for her.
"I promise, I will protect you with my life." He said, each word so full of conviction. She knew he meant it. "I finally have you, (Y/N), and I'm not letting you go."
"I'm so sorry, Levi, I'm probably going to hold you back, and just be a nuiscance..." Her eyes drooped down.
"Hey, look at me." He commanded. "You are not a burden to me. Don't tell me you're forgetting how you took me in and shelled out a bunch of cash to take care of my needs, (Y/N). I have no problem fighting for you. I'll work twice as hard to make up for it. Don't ever feel like you're holding me back, do you hear me?"
She nodded, a quiet sob breaking through her quivering lips.
Levi did the only thing he knew how to do when he saw that sadness- he pressed his own firm lips against hers. He kissed her until she was no longer trembling. She was able relax at his touch for just a moment, melting into his loving embrace. This kiss wasn't meant to convey romance or attraction- it was an assurance of his devotion to her. This was a sign that he would be there for her.
He pulled back and wiped a tear from her cheek. "Come on, let's go find some breakfast, okay?"
She nodded, and he pulled her up with him, leading her to the dining hall. She managed to put on a brave face in front of all the soldiers, for which Levi was grateful. He didn't love to see that she had to hide her feelings, but it was reassuring that she could at least pull herself together for a little while.
After they managed to eat, Levi pulled her aside behind some buildings to try and get her familiarized with the ODM gear before they all had to leave on the expedition. She knew of the machinery because of the anime series, but she obviously had never operated it before.
Levi helped her dress herself in all the complicated belts and straps, and showed her all of the mechanics on the ODM gear and the swords. He showed her how to hold the grapples, and what to press to shoot them out.
Now it was time to see if she could actually balance on the thing. Thankfully they had one of the contraptions they used to use at the Training Corps for new cadets to practice on, so Levi helped her get set up, and let her try to balance with the gear.
Surprisingly, she was able to balance herself pretty well. She furrowed her brows and opened her mouth slightly in astonishment.
"It almost feels like... I've done this before. Like I'm doing this out of muscle memory." She said. "But that doesn't make any sense, right? There's no way I would have been able to do this before."
He locked eyes with her, not knowing what to say.
"Right?" She whispered harshly.
"I don't know, (Y/N), but I'm really glad this is coming easily to you." He sighed. He walked forward and unlatched her gear from the training equipment. "Do you... want to try on a building? or the trees? We have about an hour and a half before we have to be ready to leave, and we'll need some of that time to replenish your gear... so we can practice a bit."
"Let's do it." (Y/N) said, trying to force some confidence into her voice.
~
(Y/N) flung through the trees with ease. She wasn't a master by any means, but she had the basic skills of an amateur ODM gear operator. She had only lost her footing a few times, and Levi was beyond ecstatic about her results. None of that showed on his face, though- he still looked as bored and unimpressed as ever.
(Y/N) came to a shaky dismount in front of him. She wasn't extremely graceful, but she was adequate.
"I think I might be able to do this." She said. She had slashed a few dummy napes, and practiced moving around through a few tight spaces, so she was feeling a bit better. It was interesting how natural the movements felt to her- almost like she had trained with the Cadet Corps like everyone else.
"Good." Levi said, stepping towards her. "That puts part of me at ease. At least I know you can help yourself a little bit."
She offered him a nice smile. "How's about we go get ready to leave, then, huh?" She said, significantly more optimistic about her chances. She had managed to fool herself into playing down the danger in these expeditions.
As they walked back to headquarters, Levi spoke up. "So... do you know what the outcome of this expedition is going to be?"
"Well, so, what happens is-" (Y/N) started to speak, but she caught herself. Her mind was blank. "I... I don't remember..."
"What, did this just not get covered in the story?" He asked, his voice laced with concern.
"No, there's definitely something important... I just, I don't know what it is... I know you said when you got back to the wall of Trost that there was a big boulder, and I remember knowing why the boulder was there, but... I can't think of it now."
"Tch. If you can't remember, it must not have been important." He said, trying to reassure her.
"No, it was definitely important." She racked her brain, trying to think of anything that happened in the storyline. She knew there were things that she had previously known that were no longer coming to her. She remembered the feelings she had, but none of the details. She put her hands around her head, and Levi stopped, his hands hovering, not knowing what to do.
"Levi, there's so much more to the story... but I can't remember a single detail besides the title and stuff leading up to this point where we are right now. I know that I used to know, but it's... it's all gone, Levi. All of it."
Levi stood there, feeling useless. He didn't know what he could possibly do to help. All he knows are the few things (Y/N) was able to tell him back in her reality- about how he survives, they manage to kill all the titans, and that he would have the best soldiers in his squad. When he takes all those things into account, it seems like she only told him the good parts. None of that really helped them right now.
He hesitated to touch her out in the open, where he knew any wandering soldier could see them at any time, but he threw that worry aside and took her hands in his. Small blisters had already started to form on her previously soft, delicate hands. They matched his own worn-in ones.
"It's okay, (Y/N). I don't care that you don't know everything anymore. It's honestly kind of relieving. You don't need to worry about it. All you need to do is make sure you stay alive and safe, okay?"
She nodded at him intently. "Okay. I can just focus on that."
They started walking again towards the supplies building. "You're going to be fine, I know it." Levi assured her. He continued to say encouraging things to her right up until the point where all the soldiers were gathered, awaiting the Commander's call to action.
"Soldiers, prepare your minds and bodies for the 56th expedition outside the walls!" Commander Erwin Smith's voice boomed in front of the gathering. Levi stood just behind him. He had to separate from (Y/N), but she was stood with some familiar faces- Petra, Oluo, Gunter, and Eld. Though, in her mind, she technically hadn't met them before today, they treated her as one of them, and she felt comfortable around them. There were a lot of unanswered questions about this strange phenomenon, but she didn't have time to explore all of them. Right now she needed to focus on getting through this mission unscathed.
Levi kept his eyes locked on her during Erwin's whole spiel, wanting to make sure that she wasn't going to break down. He was impressed at her strength and bravery- she had only familiarized herself with the military equipment for about two hours, but she was already so optimistic about her abilities. Though, it was pretty incredible how she had the basic skills down already, like she had worked on them before.
He was comforted from that fact. It was about the only comforting thing he had experienced all morning.
He was just starting to get used to life in Chicago with (Y/N). He was beginning to think he could really thrive in a place like that- he was worrying about things like cleaning, laundry, jobs, and (Y/N)'s parents... but all of that just fell away now.
Earlier in the morning, Levi had managed to sneak a look at her file while Hange distracted her with something, and he looked at her general information.
She had graduated in the bottom numbers of the top ten with the 101st Cadet Corps and joined the Survey Corps immediately after. She was placed in Levi's squad after only a year of grunt work, having shown great skills and excellency in carrying through orders. She was from the town of Ragako, and her parents...
There was no information about them in her file, so he didn't know if they existed in this world.
It was strange- all of the soldiers seemed to recognize (Y/N)'s presence as normal- everyone besides Levi and (Y/N). They did their best to act, though. If one of them did seem off, they just would attribute it to a headache or nerves.
Levi's gaze didn't leave (Y/N) even as they all mounted their horses. She stuck by his side, just like the other members of the squad. It was a tight-knit group, for which (Y/N) was glad. This way, she wouldn't have to make up some more excuses for her closeness.
He longed to take hold of her hand, to graze his fingers lovingly across her back, to funnel into her any form of comfort, but he couldn't- not now. Now he had to switch modes in his brain. He had to focus on the mission.
He had to be Captain Levi of the Survey Corps.
When the gate opened in front of the Scout Legion, (Y/N)'s heart dropped into her stomach. All of her confidence that she had managed to build up fell away. She had seen people do this before- she had watched as soldiers left the walls- but that was only through a screen or through the pages of the manga. Now, it was real- it was 3D- it was right in front of her- and she could barely take it. It took all of her willpower to not pass out and fall off of her horse.
Thank goodness Levi was there beside her. If she didn't have him, she'd be gone.
Erwin led the charge. Followed behind him was Hange and her squad, and then, all of the horses around (Y/N) had picked up the pace. She filed in with the crowd, making sure to stay close to Levi. She had barely been able to pay attention during the de-briefing, but she knew her place was just to Levi's back right. Behind her, in a sort of star-shaped formation, was Oluo. To his left was Eld, and in front of him was Petra, in the opposite position to (Y/N). Gunter held in the rear at Oluo and Eld's heels.
The formation was tight, exactly how it should be. Levi squad broke off towards the middle left, still in view of Hange's and Erwin's own battalions.
(Y/N) took a deep breath, realizing how tense she had been until then. She tried to loosen up her shoulders while remaining in proper form. There was nothing good about being stressed out in the field. She needed to gain the confidence back.
The best way to do that was to keep her gaze fixed on Levi, who radiated power and strength. He had pushed away his worries because he knew he had to, and (Y/N) needed to do the same. There was no room for letting emotions get in the way, no matter how strong they are. He kept a tight hold of his reigns in one hand, the flare gun in his other.
(Y/N) took quick glances at the other members of her squad. Petra gave her a reassuring smile- and that did wonders for her confidence. She took another deep breath, filling herself with not only oxygen, but also determination.
As the group neared a forest of trees, the formation changed. The groups moved in tighter, and (Y/N) was now a lot closer to Hange. The section commander started yelling over the sounds of beating horse hooves.
"Isn't this exciting??" She screamed over the loud militaristic stampede.
(Y/N) didn't know if she could handle having a casual conversation with Hange right now, so she opted to give her an emphatic nod, her eyebrows raised. Thankfully, she didn't have to worry for long, because Levi soon chimed in.
"Shut up, four eyes! Worry about your own damn squad!"
Hange let out a loud laugh and saluted with two fingers off of her forehead. That seemed to shut her up.
As the group neared the edge of the forest, (Y/N) saw it.
A group of about 3 titans in total- coming from the left-hand side, right where the Levi squad was headed.
Levi made quick work of the flare gun, firing off red smoke immediately. (Y/N) remembered Erwin saying that titans should not be engaged unless it was absolutely necessary. These titans didn't seem to be abnormal, and they weren't moving especially fast. Still, they were terrifying.
Levi lead the squad away from the group of titans, avoiding them but also sticking to the correct formation. (Y/N) watched as other groups did the same, turning back around as well.
If Levi's memory served him well, and this was going to play out like it had last time, the worst was still yet to come. He bit back his anxieties and pushed forward.
He counted in his head.
3...
2...
1...
Right on cue, an abnormal burst through the tree limbs at the edge of the forest, charging right at his squad from behind. The disgusting creature crawled on all fours, its appendages bending in ways no human could. He heard (Y/N) gasp behind him. She was the one variable that wasn't the same as last time. He fired off the black flare gun and turned to look at the thing again, scanning past his squad's worried faces along the way.
Seeing (Y/N)'s face contort like that made him sick to his stomach.
He moved a foot up to kneel onto his horse, then yelled to his squad members. "I'm going to engage! Keep your course!"
He said that, knowing full well that Oluo and Petra would ignore his orders and come to his aid. They were great soldiers, but sometimes they just didn't seem to listen to him. The three soldiers flew through the air towards the titan, aiming for its neck.
Petra reached it first- since she was the lightest one, she moved the quickest through the air. But the titan was ready for her- it waved a limb in a frenzy and she had to retract from engaging with it.
Oluo headed straight for the neck, and managed to cut the thing, but his slice wasn't large enough to incapacitate it.
While it reeled from the injury, Levi was able to swoop in and finish the job. Instead of reveling in his victory, he quickly jumped away from the carcass, anticipating what was to come.
Another titan came bursting through the trees, almost tripping over the dead one on its way out. Levi cursed himself for not remembering about it sooner, because it had already gotten out of the forest.
It was 15 meters tall, and all 15 meters of it were sprinting towards Eld, Gunter, and (Y/N).
(Y/N) didn't allow herself to freeze. Instead, she used her adrenaline as fuel. She gripped the handles of her swords, standing up just as Levi did and engaging her ODM gear. She let her body do the work because her mind was too flooded with fear.
She shot her grapples towards the approaching titan's head, propelling herself forward and upward. Its arms were shriveled and short, so it wasn't able to grab her on her way towards its weak spot. She reached the top of its head, and swung off of it, making sure to cut the nape of its neck deeply with her blades.
Levi was frantically on his way, but the titan was already tumbling to the ground by the time he got there.
As much as he hated seeing her throw herself into battle like that, he had to admit that he was extremely impressed with her work. She had disposed of the titan like it was nothing- like she had done it dozens of times before. And according to her file, she had. Her statistics were comparable to the rest of the squad members. It was no wonder she did that so effortlessly.
There was no time to congratulate her, because they had to return to their horses. The four soldiers did so without words, getting back on their course.
For the rest of the ride, there were no more words, and there were no more titan encounters. It turns out the plains were so bare because all of the titans had spilled into the city of Trost, which was now blocked off with a giant boulder. There were a few stragglers perched at the base of the wall, which Hange's squad took care of with ease, while the rest of the legion travelled to the top of the wall to witness the spectacle below.
Levi took a deep breath. This is about where his memory stopped. He would jump off that wall towards the two titans below, and then black out.
Except this time when he went to move, (Y/N) was right beside him. She went down with him, and he didn't black out. They killed the two titans and landed in front of the abomination in front of the wall.
They were now operating past his memory. Everything that happened after this point was new- they were out of luck with (Y/N)'s M.I.A. manga knowledge, and Levi was now flying blind.
The events of the next few days were a blur- the city was wiped of titans, and humanity was able to re-take territory from the enemy for the first time in history, thanks to the titan shifter, Eren Jeager.
Jeager...
When Levi heard the name, he leaned over to (Y/N) and whispered. "I think I had a dinner named after this kid."
(Y/N) raised a hand to her mouth, suppressing a giggle. They were in a meeting, after all. Levi was being risky, making her laugh in such a serious situation.
After composing herself, she leaned into his ear. "That was just a coincidence, but I did think it was funny at the time."
Levi shot her a sly look. It was nice to see that she could let loose- she had been awfully tense during the past couple of days, understandably so. The only respite she got was when she snuck into his room each night to cuddle in his bed with him.
Normally, he wouldn't spend so much time laying in bed. Most nights he would spend in his desk chair. But now, he had a reason to break in that mattress each night, because the woman he loved was waiting for him in it.
They were always so tired by the time night came, so they barely had any time to talk over the past couple of nights. But today, their duties were a little more lax. Tomorrow, things would pick up again, but for a little while at least, they were able to have a chat under the covers.
(Y/N) traced her fingers along Levi's jawline as she smiled at him. "Levi..."
He looked at her with a soft gaze. "Yes, my love?"
Her tone suddenly shifted to a serious one. "Why do you think I'm here?"
Levi blinked. "It... it must be the same reason I was brought to your world."
"Hmm." She hummed. After a few moments of silence, she spoke again. "This is insane."
"You're telling me."
"I'm living in a place that I was almost positive was completely fictional. This place was created by some dude who had a good idea. How is it that I'm actually here?"
Levi shifted closer to her, letting his hand caress her waist. "You wanna know what I think? I honestly couldn't care less right now. All that matters to me is that we're together."
(Y/N)'s heart warmed at his words. Though she was afraid of this place and the future she may or may not have, she, too, was just glad to be with him. When they were alone together, it didn't matter what reality they existed in. The important thing was that they were at peace in each others' arms. Though the reality of the days ahead always weighed onto their hearts, they tried to push it away for moments like these.
Tomorrow there would be a trial held for the young Jeager, and it would be Levi's job to convince the jury that Eren should be placed under the jurisdiction of the Scouts. Levi would have to prove this by showing he could give the kid a beating whenever he needed to. Levi was feeling a bit uncomfortable about having to put on a show, but Erwin believed it would be in everyone's favor, so he would go along with it. A part of him did want to put the kid in his place- since he was partially responsible for making a mess out of Trost.
After the trial, if they were successful, Levi and his squad would occupy the old Scout headquarters- a secluded castle where they could safely figure out Eren's titan powers without putting too many people at risk. Levi couldn't help but think about the layers of dust that must coat every surface in that old, abandoned place.
Thinking about all his duties somewhat overwhelmed him. Back where (Y/N) is from, the only thing he had to worry about for the next day was what restaurant to force her to take him to.
"(Y/N)..." He mumbled, feeling weird after what he just said about not caring where they were. "Do you think we'll go back to your reality again?"
She thought for a moment. "I really don't know. Do you want to?"
He shifted his eyes to the pillow between them. If he said yes, he would be admitting his weakness. Truth was, her life was a lot easier for him. He felt safe, warm, and loved. But here, he felt powerful, respected, and confident. This was his element. This is where he felt at home.
But there were multiple times at (Y/N)'s home where he felt the same kind of thing- times where he felt like he belonged. It was when he saw a musician playing their heart out on a corner, or when he tried a new food that was introduced to him, or when he gazed at the historical artifacts in that giant building, or even when he used a vacuum for the first time.
He couldn't lie to (Y/N), and he certainly couldn't lie to himself.
"I do." He said. He did want to go back- everything about Chicago was fascinating to him. It was new and fresh and exciting. And it was a place he felt safe- despite (Y/N) mentioning to him that the city had a reputation for crime. It was nothing compared to the filthy Underground City. Not only did he feel safe there, but it was definitely better for (Y/N) as well. She had somehow proven her skills on the battlefield, but he was still worried. She didn't consciously have those abilities- they were somehow hard-wired into her.
There were no titans in her home. She wasn't required to fight there. She was a simple janitor, and the biggest threat to her life were the drunkards mulling around at night- which Levi could take care of with ease.
Suddenly, he was overcome with heavy guilt.
He placed a hand on her cheek. "I'm so sorry, (Y/N)."
She searched his eyes. "For what?"
"It's my fault you've been dragged here. This place... It sucks. You deserve to have a peaceful life, but you're stranded here because of me."
She blinked at him a few times, trying to convey to him that his words were lost on her.
"You sound like I did when we met. Remember how I said it must've been my fault you were pulled into my world? You have no right to feel sorry for me. I chose to love you, Levi."
Her harsh but comforting words really struck a chord with him. Their roles really were reversed ever since waking up here.
She let out a small laugh. "I still can't believe how crazy this is. We've only just met this week, but it feels like I've known you forever."
"About that..." Levi drawled. "On the first day, I went and pulled your file. It said that you've been in my squad for two whole years already."
Her eyes widened. "Really?"
He nodded. "And that you graduated three years ago in the top ten of your Cadet Corps. Congratulations, by the way."
She smiled. "Well, I don't have any recollection of doing any of that, but thanks!"
Something clicked for her just then.
"Hold on. We're talking about this stuff like it didn't happen. Like it's made up." She said.
Levi just looked at her. "Isn't it? Neither one of us remembers any of that."
"Yes, but everyone else does. And... that would really explain how I'm able to operate the ODM gear so well. My muscle memory does it for me because I've actually been in your special operations squad for two years, Levi."
His eyes widened as she spoke.
"That would make so much sense, right? That explains how everyone knows me, and how no one questions the fact that I spend time with you. Heck, we could be public with our relationship and not even know it!"
He froze. She was completely right- what if the two of them had been living double lives, just not retaining the memories of them? Was that even possible? Oh, how he yearned for the power of his new friend, Google, at a time like this.
If that was the truth- if it was true that they had been existing in each other's lives this whole time, then Levi was angry. He was robbed of at least two years of knowing (Y/N).
This was all starting to make a lot more sense. It explained why his feelings for her were so strong and sudden, and why he was so quick to act on them. It was because his mind had suppressed years of love and affection.
"(Y/N)..." He said, his voice barely above a whisper. "What do we do?"
"I don't know... should we tell someone? Do you think Hange would know anything about this?"
He sighed. As much as he didn't want to open up to somebody about everything, he supposed Hange would be the least egregious to let in. "We should tell Hange. But we only have a limited time to do so, since the trial starts in the early afternoon. I don't know how much time we'll have to talk after that."
"Then it's settled." (Y/N) said. "We'll go to Hange in the morning, and let her know everything. And I mean... everything."
He rolled his eyes. "I don't think she'd let us walk away without spilling every detail."
(Y/N) giggled. Just the sight of her being a little carefree caused Levi to take her chin between his fingers, tilting it towards him.
"We don't have to tell her... every detail." He purred. His lips were practically touching hers as he spoke.
She smiled. "Aw, I really wanted to tell her about how adorable you are when you're being romantic."
"I thought I told you only you get to see me like that."
"Right, right. I'll keep it all to myself then."
(Y/N) leaned into his lips, kissing him gently. He longed for more, though. He wasn't sure when they'd be able to be with each other like this again. He didn't know the state of the castle- or if Erwin's plan would work- or if she would be suddenly ripped from his reality at any time.
He pressed his lips harsher against hers, showing her how much he wanted to feel her- how much he needed to feel that she was real. His arms snaked around her waist and his hands found their way up the back of her loose shirt, feeling the soft, bare skin of her back.
She gasped a little at his touch, and that sweet sound only encouraged him more. She kissed back, showing him that his advances were welcome. She would stop things if they got too far, but this display of affection wasn't purely a show of lust- it was a demonstration of his desperate love for her.
He needed to know that she was here, and that she was his.
She felt the same way. She returned his affections by roaming her hands down his chest, along his arms, and down his back. She felt each of his strong muscles through the thin fabric of his shirt. She ran her hands along him the same way he did to her- trying to convince themselves that the other was real.
They still had this doubt even after a whole week of being together.
Only in moments like these were they really able to express themselves, with these passionate, loving embraces.
Eventually, their hungry kisses turned tender, their desperate touches turned gentle, and as they tired each other out, their movements became slower and softer.
(Y/N) opened her eyes halfway to gaze at the man after they had broken for air. His cheeks were flushed, his hair pushed away from his forehead, and his eyes... his eyes were so full of passion. That was something she didn't get to see often.
But it was something she could definitely get used to.
He let out a soft sigh, still breathing a bit heavy from their make-out session.
"I love you so much, (Y/N)." He breathed out, the words alone sending a wave of emotion through his body. He couldn't get enough of the sound of her name on his lips. If their theory was true, he was robbed of hearing it for two whole years, at least. It was time to make up for it now.
"I love you too, Levi." She whispered. His name from her lips was another one of his favorite sounds. Usually when people said his name, they were asking him for something, or feeling intimidated by him. But when she said it... it carried so much more meaning. It sounded so special coming from her, like she cherished his name. He loved the way it sounded rolling off of her lips.
He hugged her close to his body, and closed his eyes. "Don't ever leave me." He whispered.
(Y/N) reached her hand to comb her fingers through his hair.
"I wouldn't dare."
~