(WARNING mild sexual content)
A/N: this is my first time writing anything remotely smutty so bear with me.
That night's sleep was one of the best Levi ever had. It was long, undisturbed and made ever better by the addition of his clingy, drunken co-captain.
Leah woke before him when the beams of sunlight streamed in through the window panes and shone through her eyelids. The woman didn't reach a deep sleep that night and the headache she faced when her eyes eventually rolled open felt as if someone was hammering her skull.
"Ugh..." She whined, rubbing her eyes and rolling over in bed. When her hand landed on warm, bare skin, Leah jumped slightly. Levi was still asleep beside her, his exposed chest rising and falling in slow, shallow breaths and a peaceful look on his face.
Leah leaned her weight on her elbow and glanced down at herself. Her top was off too, though she was thankful her bra was still covering most of her chest and with a peek under the bedsheet, her skirt was still on along with Levi's trousers. In a steady flow, the events of last night came back to the hungover red-headed woman.
With her other arm Leah massaged her temples, regretting the copious amount of alcohol she consumed. She froze mid action when she remembered Levi rejecting her advances. Well- rejecting is a strong word, especially when he merely requested a delay on it.
Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Leah lay back, training her eyes on the ceiling as the previous night played out in her head. It was blurry in places but the meat of it was there. Her heart rate picked up in her chest and she felt the temperature rise in her body. The main question in her head remained unanswered. Had they kissed? She remembered doing something similar to the action, but couldn't remember exactly what.
Levi stirred as the rays of sunlight grew more concentrated on their faces. Leah's attention snapped so quickly to him, she was surprise she didn't give herself whiplash. The man sucked in a deep breath of air as he stretched his limbs. "G'morning." He mumbled.
Leah's face burnt. She'd heard him talk first thing in the morning before; this wasn't the first time they'd slept next to each other. However, with the pair of them shirtless and the memories of their previous encounters fresh in her mind, there was an added edge of hotness in his deep and raspy morning voice.
"Morning." She murmured back, "Did you sleep well?"
In a calculated and fluid movement Levi slowly rolled over and trapped Leah beneath him, holding his torso over her with an arm on either side of her body. His eyes were half-lidded and his raven hair dishevelled in a way that made him look ten times sexier than usual.
It was safe to say Leah was caught off guard and rendered helpless; like prey cornered by a predator. If she'd been standing, her knees would've given out from under her at this point as she felt herself swoon. "Once you stopped wriggling, I did, yes." He smirked, tilting his head to the side to look at her from another angle.
"I- um- yes, see- about last night-" Leah stammered, trying to hold eye contact with him but failing miserably as she looked anywhere but him. He leaned back ever so slightly, an amused look on his face.
"Cat got your tongue?" He purred out. Leah held back a shudder, becoming all to aware of the heat rising in her stomach. It was all too much. The way his skin glistened in the morning sun, his messy bed-head that showed a side of him she rarely got to see and most importantly, the evil grin playing on his face as he watched her lose her mind beneath him.
"No, but I-" Leah pushed herself to sit up, still locked in place by Levi's muscular arms but now robbing him of his superior height. He angled towards her, narrowed eyes glinting with an unknown emotion. "Spit it out then."
"Fuck." She muttered breathily, feeling her train of thought derail completely. "Fuck, what?" He teased, closing more distance. Leah could feel the heat radiating from his body as his chest almost pressed against her own and his lips hovered millimeter away.
"Fuck me?" The words left her mouth before she could regain any self-control. Levi's smirk widened, but he couldn't deny the fact her words had a huge effect on him as heat pooled in his groin. "That can be arranged."
"Will you hurry up and kiss me already." Leah pleaded softly, lifting both her hands towards his head and entangling them in his messy hair.
"As you wish, sweetheart."
There was no rush in the movements he made next. Leah's hands tugged his head closer and his lips met hers in a gentle dance. He slid a hand onto her waist, caressing the uncovered skin as softly as his lips. Their body's pressed together as the sensual moment continued, and a feeling of ecstasy flooded over both of them.
As the kiss progressed, Levi skillfully lay Leah back and when her head met the pillow, he detached his lips from hers and rested his forehead on hers. Their heavy breathing filled the room.
"You don't understand how long I've been wanting to do that." Levi admitted sheepishly.
"I'm offended it took you so long. If I knew you were that good a kisser I would've thrown professionalism out the window and kissed you the day we met."
"You've liked me that long?" Levi's voice betrayed his entertainment. His hands still roamed her midsection, tracing her warm skin with careful movements.
"Hm. You were a bit grumpy, but I suppose I did find you attractive to some extent."
"Grumpy?" A low laugh bubbled from him. "I suppose I was quite. It's amazing the side of me you bring out."
Leah ran her hands down from his hair to rest on his collar, and her eyes flicked to the spot on his neck she'd kissed the night before. There was no mark, and the memory had only resurfaced when his lips met hers.
Leah grazed her thumb over the area and Levi was transfixed by the concentration on her face. "This could get messy." She mumbled honestly after a pause.
"I know." Levi's eyes softened, giving her his full attention as she continued. "Relationships are complicated, even when we're not on the brink of war. I'm glad this has finally happened... but what if this just makes things harder." Her voice was fragile, a whisper that could have been drowned out by the wind.
Levi clasped her hand not on his neck in his and interlocked their fingers, giving it a tight squeeze. "The way I feel about you will never change. It's never not going to hurt if anything happens to you. But if you don't want to commit to anything, I can keep going how things were... I think." His gaze left hers and shifted to their joined hands, glossing over their sandwiched bodies.
"I don't think I can." Leah sighed, pressing a kiss to Levi's forehead. "But I know what you mean. Losing you would hurt more than anything in the world right now, and I doubt being allowed to express my feelings for you will change that fact by much."
Levi blushed at her tone and words, rubbing his thumb over hers. "So you want to give it a try?"
"I don't see why not, Co-Captain."
Levi lifted an eyebrow and fixed her a stern look. "Oh, you are so for it now." He growled, pinning her to the bed and attacking her lips with his. Their first kiss had been intimate and loving, but now his arousal and growing passion towards this woman was shining through as he hungrily kissed her.
Leah let out a startled squeak at his sudden ferocity, lifting a hand to tug at the hair on the back of his head as she traced his toned chest with the other. His hands pawed at her flesh at first but when he realised things were getting too steamy, too quickly, he resorted to tickling her sides and stomach. As much as he wanted for things to go further, the last thing he wanted was to rush things with Leah. Kisses were a good start.
The woman wriggled beneath him, her laughs muffled by his lips still latched on hers. "Levi- stop-" She forced out, trying to grab his hands and stop the tickling.
"What was that, Darling? Speak up." He ordered, angling his head to divert his abuse to her neck. He sucked at the sensitive skin, nibbling softly with his teeth. Leah gasped at the sensation, halting her contesting for just long enough for Levi to push himself off her, a satisfied grin on his face.
Leah lay there, wide eyed and flustered. "You're cruel, Ackerman." She berated in mock annoyance, shifting to sit up beside him. "You're beautiful, Anderson." He tucked a strand of her fiery hair behind her ear. His charming smile caused any frustration in Leah to evaporated as she leaned in to kiss him once more.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Captain Leah, are you in there?" Mikasa called from outside the room. Leah fell back from Levi and bit down on her lip as her eyes darted between Levi and the closed door, begging for help from Levi. He just shrugged, a content look on his face.
"Uhm- Yeah, I'm here." Leah said, her voice shaking unsteadily as she tried to pretend like nothing was happening.
"Hange sent me to get you. We've got to head to the International Speech Forum soon. Have you seen Captain Levi?"
"What do I say?" Leah hissed under her breath to Levi who was laughing silently at the panic on her face. The woman elbowed him playfully and decided to keep their new relationship a secret for now.
"I'm just up. Can you tell Hange I'll be out in 5 minutes. As for Levi, have you tried checking the cleaning cupboard?"
Levi frowned in offense at Leah's words and she stifled a chuckle. "Uh... no, we've not. I'll do that now. Thank you, Captain."
The sound of footsteps faded down the hallway as Mikasa walked away and Leah gave up holding back her laughter.
She lay back on the bed, clutching her stomach as her fit of laughter continued. While at first, Levi's scowl remained, it soon melted away as Leah's infectious laughter touched his heart.
"You do have a weird obsession with cleaning." Leah reasoned as they made their way down the corridor of their lodgings to the social area where the rest of the Scouts were waiting.
The pair had fixed themselves up in no time, dressing back up in their smart outfits from yesterday. "It's not weird to like things clean." He retorted.
"Whatever you say, Cap."
While Leah and Levi thought they'd covered up their night together well, Hange's knowing smirk when they walked into the room together, standing just a bit too closely, told them they weren't as sly as they'd first anticipated.
As they dressed for the day, they'd discussed their new relationship. They agreed it was none of their comrades' business and they wouldn't mention it unless directly asked about the subject. They knew what the cadets would be like if they found out, and while they could use a distraction, there were more important things at hand presently.
"Nice of you both to join us. Let's get going before we miss the speech." Hange declared to the congregated Scouts.
The speech itself was a real mood killer compared to the great start to the day Levi and Leah had. While they defended the Subjects of Ymir living off of Paradis Island, they condemned the Eldians living on the Island itself; scapegoating them at the true threat to humanity. As soon as the spokesperson utter these words, the room erupted into applause, the men and women surrounding Leah clapping in support.
The day was made even worse by the final disappearance of Eren. Looking back, Leah blamed herself for letting him out her sight. They should've been more vigilant after he wandered off the first time.
But after hearing what was said in that speech, the thread of patience Eren was hanging by was severed and he slipped out of the community hall unseen by his comrades.
Months later, at the start of the year 854 as the Scouts lay low in Marley as the mid-East war came to a close with Marley as the victor, they received a letter from Eren addressed: to my family.
He'd had it posted to the Azumabito, who passed it to the Scouts in hiding. With the spontaneous blood testing getting more common in their area the Scouts had to be careful and watch their backs.
The letter read about how he was leaving their futures up to Zeke. He entailed the plan regarding a raid on Liberio. He explained he was going to do it with, or without their help and left them with a date, time and location.
His plan was to declare war on the outside world by going on a rampage at the festival of world ambassadors taking place in Liberio.
Eren's letters sparked arguments among the Scouts. Nobody was inherently opposed to helping Eren, as he was undoubtedly family, and he was in lethal danger.
However, his plan would see the death of hundreds of innocent Eldians as the festival was set to be held inside the Eldian internment zone of Liberio.
The Scouts were backed into a corner, and Eren knew this, using it to all but force them to help. Eren was Paradis' number 1 trump card, and they had to do everything they could to protect him.
So with help from Hizuru and the Azumabito clan, the Scouts arranged a getaway airship for their escape after the raid and prepared themselves with new uniforms and weapons.
They retained their effective thunderspears, aware of the fact the other holders of the 9 titans could end up involved in this conflict. They swapped their stand-out white and green Scout uniform for a new all black outfit that ensured they stayed hidden during the night attack and also hid any injuries sustained.
The Azumabito also arranged for more Paradis soldiers to be shipped over and organised with gear on the day of the raid, providing Eren with the backup he requested.
Their preperation was finalised with the arrival of their new weapons. The blades for killing titans were useless now, in combat with humans guns were always more effective.
Leah hated the way the pistols and handguns felt in her grasp, but knew there was no alternative. They'd spent their modernisation years on the Island heightening their aim and marksmanship.
The Captain's aim was remarkable, and since the revelation that titans were all once humans, Leah was numb to the disgust that once plagued her at the idea of killing another human being. In her mind she really was becoming the devil these people feared.
And on that fateful night as Leah crouched on the rooftop of one of the many internment housing complexes, she accepted the fact that to protect the ones she loved, she'd have to take on the role of the devil with open arms.
The chaos that ensued after Eren's transformation and massacre caused Leah to throw all caution to the wind. Anyone in the Marleyean white uniform was an enemy and had to be destroyed. That was the mantra that replayed over and over in her head.
Leah's orders were to prevent reinforcements from reaching the hub of action and tipping the balance in Marley's favour. She was stationed on the outskirts of the festival, but close enough to the centre that when Armin went colossal and sent atomic explosion sweeping the distance from the harbour of Liberior to the edge of the internment zone she'd be just out of reach of the fatal blast.
She clutched her rifle steady in her arms and scanned her surroundings. The last time she'd done anything like this was also the first time she'd shot a gun; back in Rod Reiss' basement. She'd come so far since then in her gun-manship. Any movement of white uniformed soldiers and Leah aimed her gun and silenced them with one clean shot to the head. She only had to hold their back-up off long enough for Connie, Jean and Sasha to get their plans for stalling them in place and set up signal lights for the airship.
This meant that when Connie hollered at Leah that they were all done, she swiftly took to the air, abandoning her post and an area littered with dead soldiers, to join up with the main brute force.
Her black tight-fit uniform came in handy for approaching unseen. She closed in, just as the towering figure of the Beast Titan approached ominously. Leah landed on a fallen building among all her comrades, some familiar faces, some less so, but all Scouts nonetheless.
Levi stood at the forefront, his Scout cape flapping out behind him. His stubbornness and sentimental nature meant that when it came to the uniform swap, he refused to let go of such a statement of the Survey Corps.
"This'll be them all for the time being. Good job, team." Leah announced as she stepped up onto the collapsed wall Levi stood atop. He gave her an approving nod, his eyes conveying the words he couldn't say. I'm glad you're safe.
Both of them turned their attention forward to stare daggers at the beast titan. Their combined hatred for Zeke Jeager was perhaps the wind that fanned the flames within them that night. Leah tightened her grip on her rifle.
"Stay alive. That's an order!" Levi barked as he drew his blades; another staple of the Scouts he couldn't let go of. He was certainly a man of habit, albeit his skill with the blades was unparalleled. Without any hesitation, Levi anchored his ODM Gear onto a building and shot towards the Beast Titan.
Leah trained her eyes on the jaw titan clinging to the side of the building behind Zeke, and the cart titan perched on top of said building. Levi swung around the Beast's head tauntingly, giving time for other Scouts to join him in the air.
There was only so much damage Leah could do without the valued thunderspears. She hovered around in the air, trying her best not to stay still but also stay out of Zeke's firing line as he hurled his signature boulders. Slowly she picked off more white-clad soldiers.
When Leah was swept dangerously close by a round of bullets from the cart titan's machine gun, she was forced to dip down and land behind a building.
She pressed her back against the stone wall and sucked deep breaths of air into her lungs, her eyes darting around to watch for danger.
Just then there was a clatter of metal and Leah's gaze landed on a small pipe-bomb bouncing towards her. She dove through a window into one of the houses, expecting it to be a grenade but when the shattered glass around her settled and the pop of the explosion died down, Leah realised the blast hadn't been the main threat.
A steady stream of thick white gas flowed in through the cracks under the door and the broken pane of glass Leah broke in through.
As she clutched a wound on her arm, which was sliced open by a shard of glass, she rose to her feet with a sense of urgency. She gasped in a mouthful of clean air before the gas could get any closer and made for the door of the house.
Just as she took a bounding step towards the exit, the world shook around her. Plaster crumbled from the ceiling and the following bang that resonated through the air left Leah dazed and disoriented.
She was forced back to the floor, her face flat against the carpet of glass. The breath she'd held was expelled from her lungs the second she fell to the wooden floors and she was forced to wheeze in the gas seeping in beneath the wooden door.
With her ears still ringing and the world now spinning like a fever dream, Leah staggered for the door and swung it open. The main blast from Armin's colossal was over, and Leah's hearing readily returned to her.
Shouts and gunshots refocused in her ears as she limped down the street, back towards the action. A bullet ricocheted off the wall just beyond Leah's head and as a result she quickened her stumbling down the street. Less and less of her surroundings made sense as the seconds ticked on and the gas she'd inhaled took effect on her brain.
She knew she was at risk of imminent death, but as she moved all she could think about was her overwhelming urge to laugh. The colours around her grew more vibrant as she tripped over a rogue brick on the street. Leah toppled forward onto her knees and crawled a few meters as more gunfire rained down on her before collapsing to the stone floor and rolling onto her back.
A lopsided smile graced her features as she gaze into the sky through half-closed eyes. A laugh bubbled from her lungs as hues of reds, greens and blues danced in her vision. A soldier in white uniform fell from a rooftop in her peripheral vision.
Another cackle escaped Leah.
"Captain Leah! What the hell happened to you?" Jean's voice sounded painfully funny when it reached Leah's ears, as if someone had distorted it with a filter.
Leah snorted and choked as another uncontrollable laugh siezed her chest. This time the numbness that had been repressing her panic until now relented enough for a jolt of pain to travel through her body.
"Shit. Connie, help me get Captain Leah on the airship!"
The intensity of the pain rose progressively the longer Leah's chortles continued. Her vision pulsed between darkness and Jean and Connie's faces as they tried to maneuver her onto the safety of Onyankopon's airship. When her lungs convulsed and the air left her completely, the darkness closed in terminally and Leah was forced from consciousness.
(3760 words)