One Month Later
"You're IT!" A red-haired boy with freckles touches my arm as we play a game of tag in a grassy field next to the orphanage.
"Oh, no! Milo tagged Miss Sina! Run!" A blonde girl named Diana cries out as I start chasing after her little brother named Ray.
"You can't catch me!" Ray taunts, moving with quick feet. He is the fastest runner out of the kids, but not as fast as me. Of course, I have to go easy on them without ruining their fun.
I have been playing with these children this entire afternoon and it brings me joy when I see bright smiles on their faces. Matter of fact, these kids deserve all the happiness.
Milo stops in his tracks to point at something in the distance. "Somebody is coming!"
We all stop running when we hear the neighing of a horse and I glance up to find a scout riding toward the orphanage. I narrow my eyes to focus on the person, only to realize it is Levi.
Much to my relief, Levi is finally back from his month-long expedition, and my heart pounds with excitement. Just seeing him thrilled me to pieces, so I sprinted through the field.
"Levi!" I call out while waving my hand in the air and on the dirt path, his horse stops for him to climb off. Levi is now standing with a warm smile, but that slowly fades away when I toss myself onto him and we crash to the ground.
"Fuck!" Levi cries out, lying on his back and I push up on his body with an uncontrollable smile, seeing his face up close.
"I'm so glad you're back!" I say despite how pissed he is, so he sits up with a frown while holding my waist.
"Sina, you got us fucking dirty." He groans when our clothes are dusted with dirt and we help each other up on our feet again. Levi is patting himself down until I squeeze him into my arms, getting him filthy again.
"Don't you get it? I missed you so much!" I bury my face into his strong neck and our hearts are now pounding against each other. He starts giving in to the feeling, so he wraps his arms around my body for a tighter hug. His heart tells me he missed me too after being separated for a month and he brings a faint blush to my cheeks when his nose breathes on my shoulder.
"That scent..." Levi sniffs, then softly smiles against my neck. "Have you been using that soap I got you?"
I nod and blush even harder when he can't resist sniffing my body. When he breaks the embrace, he scans down to find me wearing the white dress and smirks at how I made myself look presentable to him. "You knew I was coming back."
I huff at him with my arms crossed behind my back, looking down in embarrassment like a child.
"MISS SINAAA!" Milo hollers as he runs down the dirt path along with Diana and Ray. They all approach me with laughter and shortly after, their eyes immediately light up when they see Levi.
"No way! Are you Captain Levy!?" Ray points at Levi until Diana pinches him by the ear for being abruptly rude. Almost everyone inside the walls recognizes him as humanity's strongest soldier, and Levi crosses his arms at them with dull eyes.
"It's Levi, kid." He corrects and lets it slide this time since they are just children. I then turn to Levi to introduce them one by one. "Levi, this is Milo. Diana, and Ray."
"Miss Sina is very nice!" Milo suddenly hugs me from behind and I pat him on the head with a grin.
"Yeah, she likes to play with us!" Diana adds. "She also takes very good care of us!"
"I see," Levi says, holding back his smile. "Have you three been staying out of trouble?"
"Mhm!" Diana nods adorably.
Levi is relieved, knowing that the orphanage is treating me well. "But, if one of you hurt Miss Sina, expect me to—"
"Sir, why are you short?" Ray unexpectedly asks Levi, which surprises us all and Diana tugs him by the ear once again. Levi does not seem fazed by his question, and I start to believe he has a soft spot for kids.
"I want to be like you, Captain Levy!" Milo raises his arms in the air, eager to become a soldier one day. If only they knew how dangerous it is out there. After losing their parents to the titans, it seems like their dream is to grow up and bravely fight for humanity. I cannot bring myself to convince them since they are still young. Children are allowed to dream big.
Levi pats Milo on the head, ruffling his red hair. "One day, you will become as strong as me."
"Milo, Diana, Ray!" A female worker hollers from the orphanage. "It's time to head back inside!"
"Yes, ma'am!" The three obediently reply in unison, and the sun is already setting behind the walls. Before they run back to the orphanage, the children throw me a big hug to bid a fond farewell. They hurry back inside and the lady approaches me with a woven basket. "I prepared dinner for tonight and this is for you."
I gasp when she places the basket into my arms. "I-I can't accept this, Vina! You're always feeding me!"
"Please, you're always working so hard." Vina insists and it is difficult for me to decline her kind gesture at this point. "We're very fortunate to have a strong lady like you here."
"That's good to hear." Levi elbows me, so I bow slightly with a smile.
"Thank you so much!"
From there, Levi takes me back to my cabin on his horse and for the night, he is staying over to rest after a long expedition. He changes to his normal clothes and steps into the kitchen where I am setting up the dining table. We enjoy our evening with some dinner from Vina and I brew some tea for Levi to ease the stress from working. We have a small talk about our days without each other and when we finish our meal, something crosses my mind.
"Oh, I almost forgot." I quickly get up from my chair. "I need to give you something."
"Something for me?" Levi raises a brow when I hurry into the room and after a minute, I return to the table with a white fabric in my hand.
"Your cravat. I took my time washing the blood off and now I am giving it back to you." I hand it over to Levi, and he slowly takes it with a bittersweet smile.
"Thank you," Levi tells me. "I don't think I ever told you why I keep this on me."
I sit back in my chair, eager to hear why and he continues. "This cravat came from my mother's shirt after she passed away, so this is the only thing I have left of her."
"I'm... sorry about your mother." I express sympathy. "I'm sure she was a loving mother to you."
"She was indeed." Levi's eyes are now gloomy. "She worked as a prostitute in the Underground District. It was painful to watch when men treated her like shit, and she never put up a fight. If only I wasn't a useless piece of shit back then I would've..."
I lean forward to place a hand over his balled-up fist with the cravat and he relaxes a little. His eyes are now filled with guilt. "You remember when I pinned you down on my desk? I realized what I was doing to you and had to stop because it reminded me of how defenseless my mother was and—"
"Levi," I softly call out, fully understanding that his mother was a victim of abuse. "You don't have to finish if it hurts too much."
"I'm sorry, Sina." Levi apologizes and I shake my head.
"You are not in the wrong here, Levi." I give his hand a comforting squeeze. "Look at you now. You're the strongest soldier known to mankind. Your mother should be proud."
Levi is no longer tense, knowing his mother is watching over him, and lets out a sigh. "And don't worry. I won't treat you like what those swine did to her."
"I know you're not a monster," I tell him before leaving my chair. "I'm feeling a bit sleepy."
"You're going to sleep in that dirty dress?" Levi is flabbergasted knowing how much of a germaphobe he is.
"Of course not. I'm going to change." I roll my eyes, recalling the moment I fell into the dirt in this white dress. I plan on washing it tomorrow since I am exhausted from my day and now that I think about it... Levi does not have a bed to sleep in. "Where would you like to sleep tonight?"
Levi leans back with his arms crossed. "I'm fine sleeping in this chair."
"No, that won't do!" I raise my voice at him since I am against that idea. Then I finally come down to the last option and blush at the thought of it. "If you want... you can sleep in my bed."
His expression softens at my offer, but he politely declines. "Why? So you can sleep on the floor?"
"No! I meant... sleeping with me!" I say, putting a hand over my chest now that my heart is thumping rapidly.
"Sleep with you? In the same bed?" Levi is visibly in shock at my sudden invitation and unexpectedly, he lets out a soft smile. "Well, since you're allowing me, I would hate to say no to that."
Levi stands from his chair and now our faces are inches apart. I swallow a lump down my throat, and then his mouth cracks open. "Let's go to bed. I also feel tired myself."
"Wait!" I push on his shoulders. "Let me go change first!"
For some reason, I sense a hint of impatience coming from him and his hand reaches out to feel the fabric of my dress while scanning me down.
"Let me take this off for you."
My face warms up in an instant when I fall speechless, and I want to believe my ears are deceiving me. No, he meant it when I gazed into his silver-blue eyes. There is something he desires from me behind those tragic eyes and I am about to find out when his mouth is on mine. Despite the strength, his lips are smooth and I cannot get over the warm pressure. As the kiss grows deeper, I gradually give in and melt in his arms. Shortly after, we end up in the dimly lit bedroom.
His hands snake around my waist and every muscle in me is tensing when he slips the dress off for me. Now I am standing in my undergarments and Levi opens his eyes to discover the faded scars all over my body.
"These scars..." Levi sounds hurt, brushing his fingertips across my collarbone. "You have so many..."
"I had some injuries even before I joined the military."
"When you were alone in the underground?"
I nod, flushing again and he feels guilty. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you then." Now, his hands are on my back, deliberately undoing my bra, and leans in to whisper into my ears. "Let me see all of it."
In bed, I fall on my back and my arms fold across my chest in embarrassment when he towers over in between my legs. He gently grabs my wrists to pin them above my head, exposing my breasts as he admires every inch of my body. Leaning down, he plants soft kisses on the scars across my chest, then down to my abdomen.
"This is embarrassing..." I shut my eyes tightly, holding back my moan. I try my best not to flinch at the sensation of his wet lips tracing down my skin.
"Aren't we both embarrassing ourselves?" He croaks. Next, he moves away from the bed to peel off his shirt, revealing his defined abs and strong arms.
When he returns to me, my eyes widen at the feeling of his clothed member pressing against my flower. Probably this is the part where most of his strength lies. He reaches down to undo the zipper of his pants and I dare myself not to move. Levi is the one committing me now. My protector has become a predator.
He unhurriedly removes my underwear and drops it on the floor, exposing me entirely.
"I'm going to put it in you..." Levi nuzzles up on my ear, positioning his member in between my legs. "I wonder what kind of sound you'll make..."
I panic a little thinking how he is going to fit inside me. Carefully, he eases into me but not all the way when I let out a sharp cry against his warm neck.
"Are you alright? Does it hurt?" Levi sounds genuinely worried and I nod since this feels unnatural to me.
"It hurts a little..."
"That's because you're not used to me yet," Levi explains in a low voice. "Do you want me to keep going?"
I nod again, believing I can adjust to him quickly and he plants a kiss on my forehead before pushing all of him into me. A moan escapes from my lips as my hips lift from the bed and Levi rests his elbows on each side of my face.
"I'm gonna move so hold onto me properly," Levi demands, so I circle my arms around his neck.
I can feel his weight holding me down and our bodies collide. Levi moves slowly at first, sliding in and out of me. I am adjusting to this sensation and the pain fades away. His lips crash down to mine and I cry into his mouth at the pleasure. He speeds up relentlessly and I keep up by meeting his thrusts.
Levi breaks away from the kiss to look into my teary eyes and thrusts even harder, and deeper into me. "Sorry, I wanted to be gentle, but it's fucking impossible when I'm deep inside you..."
"You feel so good..." I moan louder this time as he is still dominating over me. My body quivers when something builds up inside me.
"Shit... I'm getting close." Levi warns and I tighten my legs around his waist. His hands are now holding my hips and he tenses up with tremors. "Fuck!"
I finally reach my climax as he quickly pulls out of me and his body jerks with his release, spilling his seeds over my abdomen with a deep sigh of sweet relief. I jerk at the warm consistency and my chest goes up and down as I pant, feeling my head spin.
Levi is now staring down at my glistening, naked body, then catches me staring at his toned body. "Don't look at me like that. You make me want to fuck you again."
I can't respond since I am in a daze and Levi climbs off to rush to the cabinet for a small towel. As I am lying in bed, he wipes the mess off my body. "This won't do. Let's go wash up."
Levi sweeps me off the bed with his arms and I rest my head against his bare chest. When he carries me to the bathroom, he lowers me into the bathtub and warms up the water. Soon, he steps out of his pants, now completely naked, and joins me for a hot bath. He allows me to sit in between his legs, so I can lean back to relax against his body. His arms rest on each side of the tub and I gradually melt away.
"Need me to wash your back?" Levi asks and I let him by hugging my knees to my chest in the water. He takes a wet towel and the soap bar to scrub my back in silence.
"Want me to wash your back too?" I ask in return and he shakes his head. That's when he leans in from behind to embrace my body, kissing the visible scars on my back.
After a nice bath, we feel completely refreshed and Levi wraps me in a warm towel before carrying me to bed. Through my sleepy eyes, I watch him throw on a pair of pants before climbing into bed to wipe me down and dry my hair. He later finds my nightgown in the room and helps me put it on, then my head falls back to my pillow.
As I fall into slumber, Levi throws a blanket over us before bringing me into his arms and watches over me since he has insomnia.
Levi then kisses my temple. "Sweet dreams."
⚔︎
The morning birds chirp away outside the window and my eyes crack open, feeling the sunlight against my exposed skin. Not only that, Levi is sound asleep against my body. I can feel his naked chest on my back until I turn under the blanket to find his peaceful sleeping face. I smile at the view and tuck some of his hair behind his ear.
While admiring his face, I want to stroke his cheek but I make a fist when his eyes slowly open. He breathes out while rubbing the sleep out of his eyes to see me awake, so he smiles back.
"Did you sleep well?" He asks in a raspy voice and I nod.
"You smell like the sun," I say, feeling the warmth of his body. The bed sheets also have his scent.
I find a new world within his arms filled with sunlight when he pulls me in for a hug, burying his face into my chest. "And you smell like flowers." He takes in the scent of me, finding his escape from this world.
Later, I make us some morning tea and bring it into the bedroom where Levi is sitting up in bed. Right when I place the tray down on the bedside table, I can sense something is troubling his mind. "Are you alright?"
Levi listens as I pour some tea into both cups and he sighs.
"I need to tell you something." He sounds serious, so I lower the teapot to look over at him. "They've decided we're going on a three-week-long expedition."
I feel my heart sink a little. We were looking forward to spending the month together after a long expedition, and now the world is going to take Levi away from me again. Why do things always turn out like this between us?
"I need to be at the Headquarters this evening, so I'll be leaving at noon." Levi seems to never catch a break and I can also feel it.
"Levi," I set everything down to sit on the bed and take his calloused hand. "I know all the weight is on your shoulders, all the losses, all the pain you've suffered..." I lean in to circle my arms around his neck and rub his back. "I know you will continue to fight, but know I will always wait for you here. I will embrace you and give you the rest you deserve."
Levi's eyes soften at my comforting words and lets out a relieved smile. "I'm glad that my reason for living is you."
I smile back. "I love you, Levi."
His hands cup my face to give me a small peck on the lips. "I love you, too."