When you awoke, every part of your body seemed heavy. Your mouth felt like sandpaper. A dull ache persisted in your head, but you forced your groggy eyes to open, inch by inch. Something wasn't right. Why were you lying on the hard floor?
All at once, you jolted upright, forgetting the discomfort in your body as adrenaline coursed through your veins. Your eyes had gone wide, and your breaths were coming in quick, shallow gasps. Your frantic mind processed the small space around you...the wood walls and floor...the single door on the opposite side...the ropes tied around your wrists and ankles...
Suddenly, you remembered. Leaving the club before your friends because you were tired. Fog making the empty, night-darkened streets more difficult to see. Behind you, the scrape of shoes on stone. And a foul-smelling cloth over your face.
You had been kidnapped – by whom or for what purpose, you didn't know. Was it random? Were you just in the wrong place at the wrong time? What did they plan on doing with you? How long had you been here? Had your friends even realized you were missing?
You got ahold of your racing mind before you could panic. You forced your lungs to take deep breaths, forced your shaking body to settle. This wasn't the first life-threatening situation you had been in – you were a soldier, after all. But somehow, the thought of facing titans didn't frighten you nearly as much as whatever monstrous humans were beyond that door.
Still, you knew that panicking wouldn't get you anywhere. Thus, while you tried to calm your body, you reminded yourself that you were strong. You were resourceful. You knew how to fight humans, thanks to the hand-to-hand combat training you had received from the military.
But the drill instructors weren't the only ones who had trained you.
While keeping an ear out for any noises beyond that door, you thought through everything that Levi had shown you. How to stealthily escape from deadly situations. How to listen and wait for the opportune moment. How to free yourself from chains and ropes.
The cords that bound you now were tight, but they weren't tied nearly as well as the ones Levi did. With only a small amount of difficulty, you were able to yank your wrists free within a few minutes. But just as you started on your ankles, you heard footsteps on the other side of the door, followed by slurred male voices.
"...get back to the game. This is a waste of time."
"That game is a waste of time. Hey, d'you think the other guys would like it if we brought the girl out? I bet she'd be more interesting than losing all our money to Crow."
"I can get behind that."
You tugged the ropes off as fast as you could while trying to control your racing heart. Then you launched yourself across the room, putting your back to the wall right next to the door. That position would give you the element of surprise – while your captors were still searching the room for you, you could attack from their blind spot.
You took a deep breath, reminding yourself once again that you could do this. After all, Levi had taught you other things besides stealth. Like how to beat people who were bigger than you. How to win against guns and knives with just your bare hands.
Moreover, Levi had shown you all these things because he loved you. Although he never wanted something like this to happen to you, in the event that it did, he wanted you to be prepared. To survive. To come back to him.
You would get back to him.
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Levi stared through the darkness and fog at the lonely, run-down house. It would have looked abandoned but for the light coming from inside. As he drew closer, he picked up on more signs of life – the clink of bottles, along with the murmur of voices.
It had taken both too long and not long at all for him to find this place. On one hand, this wasn't the first time he'd had to track a missing person, and although it had been a few years, his experience from the Underground served him well. On the other hand, every minute that (f/n) was in the clutches of these scumbags was another minute that terrible things could be done to her.
She had been taken several hours before anyone realized she was missing. It wasn't until the other soldiers who had gone out to celebrate Nanaba's promotion came stumbling through the front door that people started to wonder where (f/n) was, why she hadn't come back. Levi hadn't wasted any time in beginning his hunt for her, but still...hours.
It nearly drove Levi insane just to think about it, so he didn't.
One last time, he did a mental check of all the weapons he had brought with him. A pair of knives in his pockets, another in his boots, and one more strapped to his belt. Next to the third, he also had a pair of pistols, in case this turned into a gun fight. However, he would start with the knives, because they were quieter. He didn't want to announce his presence and risk these scumbags killing (f/n) before he could reach her.
Because she was still alive. He had to believe that. (F/n) was still alive.
He found a darkened window in the back of the house and slipped through it, dropping to a crouch in what he quickly realized was the kitchen. The voices were coming from the next room – all male. No sign of (f/n).
Then...
"Hey, that girl is probably awake by now. Think we should check?"
"Why bother? I tied her up nice and tight. She's not going anywhere."
"Now I really want to check, if you did the tying."
The other man muttered a curse. "Fine. Come on, then. I'll prove it to you."
Levi heard the sounds of footsteps on the wood floor, growing quieter as they walked into another area of the house. However, even with them gone, the room wasn't empty. When he discreetly peered around the corner, there were three other men sitting at a table, lazily playing a round of cards.
"Ah, this is boring," one of them grumbled as he tossed his hand on the table. "Maybe we should've told Wrecker and Snakes to bring the girl out here. I bet she'd be fun."
"Why didn't you just go with them?" the man across from him asked.
"Because I –" the first man slurred as he stood up, then immediately fell back into his seat.
The other two laughed raucously at his drunkenness.
Levi pulled out his first set of knives, the steel so familiar that it felt like an extension of his arm. Quietly, he slid around the corner, going completely unnoticed by the filth sitting at the table. He wanted to torture them – slowly – for daring to lay a hand on (f/n). However, with her safety still at risk, he wasn't able to take his time here.
So he settled for showing them no mercy.
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The door opened, stopping just shy of smashing you into the wall.
"Wakey, wakey, little...hey, she's gone!" the first man – a hulking brute that was even taller than Section Commander Mike – gasped as he stepped inside.
"What are you talking about?" the other man snapped as he pushed past the former. "She has to be here –"
It was now or never. As the door swung shut, you jumped out from behind it, delivering a swift blow to the larger man's head. He dropped to the floor with a thunk, not moving.
Your heart was pounding, and unbridled energy coursed through your veins. In a way, the rush of battle helped you focus. Yet, given unfamiliarity of the situation and your fear of fighting humans, that focus was a frenzied thing, born out of the animalistic need to survive.
You didn't waste any time in attacking the second man. However, with the element of surprise gone, he was able to jump back before your fist could connect. Steel glinted in the dim light as he slid two knives from his belt, brandishing them in front of him. He smirked, expecting his weapons to frighten you into submission.
But to you, this was just another disarming drill.
Despite the familiarity of the concept, it wasn't easy. Your opponent may not have been nearly as skilled as Levi, but it was still a challenge to keep yourself from being stabbed as you fought with everything you had. Clearly, you weren't dealing with an amateur.
Duck, feint, hit, deflect. As you moved too fast for conscious thought, you could hear Levi's voice in your head, could feel his commands ringing through your bones. The fact that he had drilled these techniques into you was the only reason you were still fighting, rather than being tied up by this scumbag again – or worse.
You managed to knock one knife away. After delivering a solid kick to your opponent so he wouldn't follow, you raced across the room to where the weapon had landed. Just as your fingers closed around the handle, you saw the man pull his arm back – readying to throw his remaining knife.
So you threw first.
You had never been the best at this particular skill, and that showed as the knife slammed into your opponent's forehead hilt-first. Nonetheless, the man still dropped to the floor, unconscious – his own knife never having been thrown. So it worked out alright in the end.
For a long moment, you just stood there, your chest heaving as you took everything in.
Then slowly, you walked to where your opponent had fallen. You picked up both of the knives that had clattered to the floor at his side, your eyes locked on him the entire time as you watched for any sign of movement. Once you were armed, you cautiously poked at him, making sure he truly was out cold.
Satisfied that he was no longer a threat, you made your way over to the larger man and did the same thing. And slowly but surely, reality started to sink in. You had actually beaten them. You had survived.
However, you weren't free yet. You had heard them talking about others, so you figured there must be more of your kidnappers in the vicinity. You took a deep breath as you stood, trying to prepare yourself for the fight ahead, even as your body was still thrumming with panicked energy from the fight before.
You heard the click of the door opening behind you, and your heart immediately kicked into overdrive. Instinct took control, jolting you into basic survival mode as you whirled around, ready to fight your way out. Your eyes were wide, your chest heaving and breaths frantic as you locked eyes with your opponent.
Except...the face staring back at you was familiar. As those stunning, grey eyes met yours, Levi held up his hands, showing that he had no intent to hurt you. "Easy, (f/n)," he murmured, his calm voice pulling you back from the heat of battle. "It's just me."
Seeing him there filled you with a sudden, overwhelming sense of relief. You were safe. And you couldn't take it.
Your knives clattered to the ground as your knees gave way, and you dropped with a strangled sob. But Levi was there, catching you before you could slam into the unforgiving wood. He held you close, preventing your trembling body from falling apart as he carefully lowered you down to the floor.
"Easy...shh...shh," he murmured, petting your hair, hushing you gently. He made sure that your face was tucked into his chest, so you didn't have to look at your terrifying surroundings any longer.
"You...you f-found me," you gasped in disbelief, eagerly burying your face in his shirt, letting his powerful muscles and familiar scent envelop you like a cocoon.
Levi pressed a kiss to your head. "Yeah. I'm here," he assured you.
A relieved sob broke from your lips. However, you couldn't relax yet. "T-t-there are more..." you tried to tell him, hindered by the trembling of your body and the tightness in your throat.
"I already took care of them."
Somewhere in your mind, you knew what he meant – that he had killed them. However, you didn't feel repulsed, and neither did you blame him. How could you? Those men had kidnapped you, and they were planning to do worse. Besides, you had already known that Levi killed a lot of people when he was in the Underground City, and you had already decided that you didn't care. After all, it wasn't as if he murdered wantonly. He only did it because he had to – to save himself or the people he cared about.
Instead of worrying about it, you allowed yourself to be comforted by his embrace. He felt so warm, so strong. Yet, those solid muscles cradled you gently, as they always did. They may have guaranteed death for his enemies, but for those he loved – for you – they conveyed a calm and dutiful promise of protection.
When your cries and shaking had subsided enough, Levi murmured, "I'm going to take you home now. Alright?"
You nodded, then tilted your head up to look at him. His sharp eyes met yours softly, and while others might have cowered at the intensity in those grey orbs, you felt completely safe under their watch. Tenderly, his calloused fingers brushed the tears from your cheeks.
His gaze flicked meaningfully to the two unconscious men on the floor, then back to you. But you shook your head, silently telling him that he could leave them as they were. You'd had enough for one night.
Levi stood, carefully lifting you in his arms. "Don't look," he whispered as he moved to open the door, and you were all too happy to comply.
------------------------------------------
After Levi helped you get clean and tended to the few scrapes you had earned, he snuggled into bed with you at your request. You knew you were safe now, but even so, you wouldn't have felt comfortable without his calm, protective presence at your side. You wanted to sense his strong arms around you and his warm breath on your skin while you slept.
"You feeling okay?" Levi asked once you both had settled underneath the covers.
You nodded. "Thanks to you."
Regret flashed in his eyes, and a second later, they fell. "I'm sorry," he muttered quietly. "I never wanted something like that to happen to you. I...shit, I hate it. I should have been there to stop it. I failed you. I –"
"Levi, shh. That's not true," you cooed, reaching up to brush your fingers through his hair in a soothing gesture. "You're being way too hard on yourself. You didn't fail me."
But instead of being reassured by your words, Levi seemed to only sink deeper into self-loathing. He subtly pulled away from you, keeping his eyes averted, curling in on himself. Despite his stature being shorter than most, you had never seen him look so small.
"It wouldn't be the first time...that I lost someone because I left them alone..." he admitted, almost too quietly for you to hear.
Your heart wrenched. He had told you about Farlan and Isabel before. You had known he still missed them, but you hadn't known he still blamed himself for their deaths. However, it made sense that such a thing would come back to haunt him in this sort of situation.
You slid your hand down to cup his cheek. "Levi, look at me," you stated, softly but insistently. You waited until his remorseful eyes hesitantly met yours before continuing, "What happened back then wasn't your fault, and what happened tonight wasn't your fault either. You can't be with everyone all the time. Besides, it's impossible to say that you failed me when it was your training that saved me in the first place."
Confusion sparked in his eyes, and his brow furrowed as he started back at you.
You smiled, letting a small hint of pride shine through. "How else do you think I got out of those ropes and beat those scumbags? I used what you taught me," you stated smugly. A second later, your expression softened, as did your voice at the thought of what happened next. "And then you came for me. You got me out of there. So don't blame yourself, okay? You have absolutely nothing to apologize for."
Levi's eyes searched your own for another moment. You could see the debate going on behind those grey orbs – wanting to believe you, but still feeling terrible over what had happened. His fear was understandable, of course, given how he had suffered in the past. But you couldn't allow him to think that this was his fault.
You smiled brighter, showing him that you really were okay, letting him see how truly grateful you were for him. Your thumb stroked gently across his cheekbone, conveying exactly how much you loved and cherished him. Perhaps, by allowing him to feel those things, you could pull him out of the dark place he was trapped in, just as he had done for you.
"Thank you for finding me." You pressed a kiss to his lips. "Thank you for fighting for me." Another kiss. "And thank you for teaching me how to fight for myself." Another kiss.
His mouth was soft, and it yielded easily to your own. Although it was in his nature to hide his vulnerabilities, he needed your comfort just as much as you had needed his. You weren't the only one who had been terrified tonight – but while you had been scared of losing your life, he had been scared of losing you.
Yet, the warmth of your supple lips slowly but surely melted that fear away. You were here, in his arms, alive and happy and whole. And by the time your last kiss was done, Levi was gazing at you with softness in his eyes and a small smile on his face.
He watched you for another moment, just taking it all in, before pulling you close to bestow a kiss of his own. His lips molded to yours tenderly, thoroughly, conveying how glad he was that you were alright. You were the most precious thing in the world to him, and you felt that in every loving movement, every soft touch.
Afterward, the two of you nestled together and let your eyes gently close. It may have been a dangerous and difficult night, but you both had made it here, safe and warm in each other's arms. Now, you could finally allow your exhausted bodies to get the rest they required, your racing thoughts soothed into silence by the feeling of your lover next to you. That assurance was all you needed as you drifted off into a peaceful sleep.