Author's note: setting is somewhat modern time. Thought I'd try my hand in an AU. Idea came from a Voltage Inc Otome game. Also this one is pretty long. Sorry!
Part One
***********************************
"Dammit, Arlert! Hurry up and disable the security system already!" your leader hissed, a finger to his earpiece. Levi had his other hand lifted up, waiting for Armin's go ahead to give the rest of you the signal to move. You adjusted your footing quietly for a better spring when you were allowed to roll out.
You turned your (e/c) eyed gaze from the mansion to your leader, waiting patiently for the signal. Levi met your eyes briefly and he let the slightest smirk play across his lips
"I know, I know," you heard Armin say frantically back in your own earpiece. At Armin's voice, Levi looked away from you, his expression serious once more. "One minute."
You eyed the rest of your group, all of you crouched down in the shadows of the large wall you all scaled with ease thanks to your gear. Each of you were dressed in all black, to each his or her own style and preference. The two people from the group who were missing were Armin, the technical specialist and hacker who was stationed back at the van, and your leader, Erwin, who was back at headquarters dealing with covering your team's tracks after the heist.
The Phantoms.
The seven of you comprised the world renowned group of thieves, or the modern day Robin Hood. You stole from the bad guys and gave back to the good. It didn't matter the item or the place, nearly every mission was a success thanks to the specialties each thief carried. Erwin was the invention specialist: his father created the 3DMG for The Phantoms uses and Erwin has been tweaking them ever since to increase their advantages. He also gathered information to decide on what targets were priority and which ones could wait. Levi was second in command, an all around natural in nearly everything he did but he was the one who planned out all the missions to the smallest detail. Mikasa was the most agile and nimble; if any heist called for complicated evasions to retrieve an item (such as laser trip wires within a bank vault), she was the go to. Armin was the hacker and tech specialist: anything from shutting down security, watching and replacing security videos, unlocking doors, and/or retrieving passwords was within his realm. Eren was the brawn of your group, despite his overall size and stature. He could take down five security guards in no time flat with his exceptional martial arts training. Jean specialized in disguises and staking out targets. He could pull off nearly anything, and how he managed to find the correct uniforms for particular places always astounded you. Often times, he was unrecognizable to even his own team.
And you.
You were, by far, the best shot in the group and stealth was your forte. The Phantoms don't kill anyone, but you have used tranquilizer guns to knock out targets before moving in. Your role varied with each mission. You could be on the front lines stealing the item because Levi required your skill in stealth, or you could be covering the routes in and out of the target building with your silenced sniper rifle if need be.
"System down!" Armin said finally. "Video cameras disabled. You've got approximately five minutes before the system alerts the police."
Levi clenched his hand into a fist to signify you were on the move. The group had gone over the plan several times before getting here so you were aware of your role tonight in retrieving an extremely expensive, pink diamond ring from this several million dollar house. The ring was going to be sold on the black market in two days, but the ring itself was stolen from its rightful owners three years ago by the politician that lived here.
You shot out your steel cables and flew up towards the roof to cover your team in its escape while they landed on the balcony beneath you. The place was crawling with police and private guards but the ones along the grounds had been covertly taken out by your tranquilizer gun or Eren's sleeper hold.
You crouched down on the roof, rifle in tow. The guard you shot to sleep five minutes earlier was still lying up there and you moved him quietly and kicked away his gun.
This mission was an easy task, despite the warning The Phantoms sent three days prior. Originally, Erwin suspected this crooked politician wouldn't have alerted the authorities but he guessed wrong. Apparently, the politician had friends in high places.
You quietly scanned the grounds below, acting as a private guard while listening to your team go back and forth on the earpiece. From the sounds of it, they ran into some badges guarding the ring but a quick smoke bomb and a few throw downs, they were handled easily.
"Ring retrieved!" Mikasa breathed.
"Good work, Ackerman," said Levi heavily; he was on the move already. "Let's get out of here before the system goes off. (L/n)! Cover us and return to the van."
"Got it."
You raised your rifle a tad higher to ready yourself to cover your team when you felt something eerie behind you. At the last second, you leapt to the side and came out of roll, the small, silenced hand gun you kept strapped to your thigh pointing out in front of you.
Your heart fell as you found three black hooded figures standing before you.
"We should have just shot her," said one of the two tall men standing behind the smaller woman. Both men had their own hand guns pointed at you.
Her emotionless face remained steady. "The cops would have heard it," she said indifferently, both her shortened katanas half raised. How you managed to get snuck up on by these three was a little ridiculous but you knew that they were just as good as your team.
"Annie..." you said coldly.
"Did (f/n) just say Annie!?" you heard Armin cry into your earpiece. "She's here?"
"(L/n), are Braun and Hoover there?" demanded Levi.
"Yeah," was all you could say, not taking your eyes off the lifeless blue ones before you.
The Dark Angels.
The thought made you want to scoff. They were anything but angels, as far as you were concerned. They were traitorous murderers with a thirst for money and a knack for dirty politics. Originally, they were with your team but once they were caught back stabbing you guys, Erwin threw them out and relocated your HQ. If any group was your group's archenemy, it was them. They stole and killed whenever they wished for the thrill and the money behind it. The general public tagged the Phantoms as a side sect of vigilantes but were well aware that the Dark Angels were outright evil. Either way, law enforcement wanted to take both groups down.
Annie stepped forward. "Don't make the mistake and think I won't shoot you, traitor," you snapped, gripping the gun tighter.
"Please," Reiner scoffed. "You Phantoms are weak willed. You couldn't kill her even if you wanted to."
He was partially right. You would never shoot to kill, not even these three who betrayed your trust, but that didn't mean you wouldn't shoot either one of them to cause minor injury to them.
"Should we help her, Levi?!" Eren's voice shouted in your ear.
You weren't sure Levi would give that command but your team's safety and security of the ring were more of a priority than you. You were well aware you were backed in a corner; you knew you will not make it out of this without getting hurt, or make it out alive at all. These guys wouldn't hesitate in the slightest to kill you, which you vaguely wondered why they were waiting now. What the hell did they want with you?
You reached for your earpiece. "Secure the ring and don't come for me! I can handle them."
You knew you couldn't, not three against one. Even if you tried to escape, Reiner and Bertolt would fire on you in a second flat. You took out your earpiece and smashed it on the roof with your boot, hoping to God no cop could pull DNA off it later.
Annie smirked slightly. "You're actually cooperating with us without us asking?" she said, lowering her blades. "I'm impressed.... Throw your gun over and keep your hands where we can see them."
"The hell are you playing at? I thought you wanted the ring," you growled, dropping said gun and kicking it over to her. Raising your hands to signify surrender, you glanced over the roof to see any way you could escape unscathed and to make sure your team got out safely. Keep them talking, you told yourself. You were trying to stall as long as possible, so your team could escape with the ring and maybe long enough where the cops could end up being useful and stopping this fight. Though you felt the second was unlikely.
"We do," Bertolt replied steadily. "But you guys beat us to it."
You couldn't help but smirk. "Well, we were always the better thieves."
"The Pink Rose is worth more than anything any of us have stolen combined," continued Reiner, ignoring your remark.
You narrowed your eyes. "Seems like the ring means more than just money to you."
Reiner bit the bait and laughed derisively. "Obviously. That ring is the key to-"
"Shut up, Reiner," Annie snapped. "Let's just do what we planned. Don't monologue."
She caught on pretty quick though you weren't surprised. Annie approached you slowly, raising her blades once more. You figured they were going to attempt to take you hostage and hold you for ransom, the ransom being the ring. Even if that were to happen, you know The Phantoms wouldn't cooperate with their demands. You clenched your leather gloved fists, but still feigning that you would go with them quietly. The only advantage you had was your recently upgraded omni-directional gear, since the Dark Angels managed to steal a few old models. You would be faster and could maneuver easier than them. Even still, you knew you wouldn't make it out of this without a scratch. Not with guns involved anyways. If only you had a smoke bomb or flash bang with you but you gave your last one to Mikasa earlier.
The only other advantage you thought you might have is that Reiner and Bertolt were under Annie's authority; hopefully they will only open fire if she gave the order. Depending on your next course of action, you might be able to have a ten second cushion of time to flee before she gave command. That point aside, those two were not very good shots; you knew that first hand.
You were banking on that hunch but even if it were correct, you still didn't think it was enough to time to escape scot free.
It's do or die, you thought. Just as Annie was close enough, you spit at her. It was a dirty move but you didn't have much to work with. As she recoiled from your spray to her face, you took off in a sprint along the roof of the three story mansion, readying your gear to fire into the tall trees before you surrounding the wall that enclose the mansion.
"Shoot her!" Annie ordered. You felt yourself visibly pale as you neared the edge of the roof.
The second before you could shoot your steel cables, bullets whizzed past your head, and one made contact into the left side of your lower back. The force of the hit caused you to cry out and stumble forward over the edge with no time to attach yourself to the tree. You scrambled in midair to work your gear before something solid collided with you before you hit the ground.
You looked up and found Levi carrying you bridal style, eyes terrifying with fury. "Levi!" you said, both relieved and in immense pain. He landed on the ground hard, the sudden jerk to a halt causing more pain for you, and he sprinted back the way he came toward the entrance, shooting off his cables once more.
"Don't you ever do shit like that again! Or I swear to god, I will kill you myself!" he barked, flying over the wall and landing heavily on the floor. More bullets were spraying you from the roof, one of them having picked up your ditched sniper rifle and using it against you. The van was running and waiting across the street and unfazed with the gunfire, Levi ran at top speed, practically throwing you in the back.
"GO!"
Jean floored the pedal before the back doors even closed, bullets littering the side of the van, and you took off into the night. There was a commotion in the van now, questions firing at you in all directions from everyone. You couldn't make out much through the din, and even worse was your throbbing, bleeding side. Your vision swam as you tried to hold it together so the others wouldn't worry.
"Shut the fuck up!" Levi bellowed over everyone. He rounded a frightening death glare at you and you visibly flinched. "You! Strip. Now."
You hesitated. The second they would see it, you wouldn't be able to pretend anymore. Keeping your breathing even took everything you had.
"Now, (l/n)!" he repeated harshly. You jumped at the tone and struggled painfully to remove your black, long sleeve shirt and revealed your sports bra beneath it. Your gunshot wound was dripping in blood and the van's occupants cried out.
"You were shot!?" said Armin aghast. You were losing a lot of blood and now that they were aware of the situation, you collapsed to the van floor.
"(F/n)!"
Every breath you took in was labored and ragged and you could feel a warm hand pressed to your lower back to stem the flow of blood. Not that mattered, but you wondered who had their hand on you.
Eren exchanged a worried glance with Armin before speaking. "The bullet is still in there."
You already knew that since it didn't come out the other side of your stomach. But you knew that meant you had to have it extracted. With a painful sigh, you attempted to wipe some sweat that was running into your eyes and brushed your (h/c) hair aside. Trying to stay focused on the voices above you was growing difficult as the seconds ticked.
"We can't take her to a hospital," said Mikasa quietly. You already knew that too, unfortunately.
Jean made a sharp turn, nearly throwing you into Levi before slowing down the car now that you were far enough from the scene. He spoke up, clearly confused and worried. "Wait, why the hell not!? She's shot!"
"That's exactly why," Armin replied, watching Levi clean up some of the blood. "The hospital has to report to the police when they get patients with gunshot wounds."
"That's such bullshit!" snapped Jean. "She'll die!!"
Levi straightened up. "We will have to see what Erwin says when we get back," he said with finality. It was clear he was worried; his voice was shaking just slightly. "He might be able to pull some strings and get the hospital to keep quiet."
"I'd rather not waste any time," you groaned. Now you were annoyed with all the attention, despite your life possibly on the line. "Someone can just dig it out back at HQ. I'll be fine."
It went quiet for a moment. "Who shot her?" asked Jean from the driver's seat.
"Leonhardt did," you heard Levi say, his tone so dark it could have sent shivers down your spine. "I saw it."
"Does...it matter?" you whispered, gripping Mikasa's hand tightly. "Please...just hurry."
********************************
Your piercing cries of agony filled the deep underground basement of Levi's house, which was used as your team's headquarters. You tried desperately to hold it in but with each stab with surgical equipment, you found yourself drenched in sweat and blood. You felt so weak, you wished you could have just been stronger to handle the pain.
Erwin was able to call in a private doctor, one sworn to absolute secrecy about the situation to come and perform your extraction. How Erwin managed these things was beyond you.
"You have to be still!" said the doctor of your pathetic moans. You knew that but it was hard to remain motionless when he was digging so deep into your back. "Hold her down!"
Eren and Jean were holding down your legs while Mikasa and Armin pinned your arms to the table you were lying face down on. You opened your eyes that were filled with unshed tears and desperately stared at Levi, who was across the room having his blood taken by Erwin. The both of you thankfully had the same blood type and he was the only one who would be able to give you transfusions to combat your rapid blood lost.
Levi was staring at you, his whole body trembling as he watched you scream. He averted his eyes away from you and he clenched his fist in anger. You never begged for it to stop, you were too prideful and strong to take back your words and Levi knew that.
Once he was finished giving blood, Levi shot up to a stand. "Why the fuck didn't you give her pain medication!?! You're hurting her!"
With the rush and lack of blood, Levi's head swam and he nearly collapsed on the floor before Erwin caught him by the arm. "Levi, calm down," he urged in an authoritative voice. "She will be fine. He knows what he's doing."
You hardly noticed the yelling going on in the midst of your agonized sobbing. "Like hell he is!" Levi shouted, shaking Erwin off him. He ran over to the doctor, who saw it coming and promptly stopped digging into your back. "Stop! It's fucking killing her! You're killing her!!"
Levi shoved the doctor away from you, mentally losing it from watching you suffer. "Get him out of here!!" bellowed the doctor, entirely unfazed as he picked up his tools again. Erwin and Jean practically had to drag Levi against his will. On his way out, Levi punched a gaping hole into the door, letting out a long cry of frustration. Now that he couldn't watch you suffer, he could hear it clearer than ever, reverberating through the walls and his head.
Levi took to pacing the room despite Erwin's demands for him to sit and eat a candy bar to pick up his glucose levels or at least drink some water.
"Stop trying to take care of me," Levi finally snapped, throwing the chocolate bar at the wall. "I'm not the one you should be worried about here!"
The procedure took two long, draining hours and by the end of it, you lost consciousness completely. When it was all said and done, the bullet was extracted and you were given Levi's blood. The doctor left behind a prescription for pain medication, antibiotics, and left extra medical supples. He also ordered them to keep you on bed rest for at least a week, drink plenty of fluids, and eat healthy food.
"For the record," the doctor had said, looking grave. "The bullet was deeply embedded. This was extremely dangerous and if you don't tend to her wound every two hours or less for the next twenty-four hours, she could die from sepsis. She should have been taken to a hospital with a sterile environment."
"We couldn't do that," said Erwin firmly. "You aren't being paid for that explanation either. Only secrecy."
The doctor sighed, nodded slightly, and took the check without another word.
Everyone was emotionally and physically spent after seeing you suffer in the manner you did. The fact that it was Annie's fault did not sit too well with the team either. A couple even wondered of stealing the ring was worth it now.
"(F/n) would tell us it was," Mikasa said as the team watched you sleep. "She always puts the mission before her own well being."
Eren agreed. "And she'd tell us we were worrying too much about her."
Another long silence passed through them before Erwin stood up from his seat beside you. "We need to plan our next course of action against the Dark Angels tomorrow," he said, rubbing his tired eyes. "For now, we all need rest."
********************************
Your opened your eyes slowly to find yourself in a very unfamiliar room bathed in natural light from the window. From the looks of it, it seemed late in the day but you couldn't be sure. As you looked around, it was decently furnished and impeccably clean, but nothing sentimental was anywhere to give you a sure clue of who the owner of the room was. Your eyes landed on a digital clock at the nightstand.
6:28pm. Now you really wondered how long you've been sleeping.
The shower was running from the bathroom that was attached to the room and you wondered who it was. Probably Mikasa if someone was going to shower while you rested in here. You tried to shift but inhaled sharply from the shot of pain and you settled back under the large, black covers. It smelled strangely familiar, like a sort of musk and cedar scent mixed with fresh soap. You couldn't quite place your finger on it.
The shower water stopped and you waited patiently for Mikasa to come out while your mind traveled onto the events that landed you here. The heist, the Dark Angels showing up, getting shot...and removing the bullet from you. Reiner had said something about the ring being a "key" and pondered in it for a while before your thoughts wandered again onto how long you've been out cold.
Footsteps resounded on the tile floor and you looked up curiously as they came your way.
However, you were definitely not expecting who you saw.
"JEEZUS CHRIST!" you shrieked, throwing the black duvet over your head. "Levi!?"
He had come out entirely naked with only a dangerously low towel wrapped around his waist and had been using another hand towel to dry off his hair. When he saw you were awake, the only reaction he had was to freeze on the spot.
"Oh...you're awake already," he said in a monotone.
"Obviously! And you're not wearing anything!" you replied, still in hiding. However, Levi wrenched your cover away from your grip and you found him sitting at the edge of the bed with a concerned expression.
"How are you feeling?" Levi reached out and placed a hand at your forehead. "You're still burning up."
"I'm fine," you replied automatically. He narrowed his eyes at you and you recoiled from the look.
With a heavy sigh, he rose to a stand and walked to his closet. "Stubborn as ever, I see."
You frowned as he went into the mini room to get some clothes. While listening to the rustling further in, you sat up again, ignoring the pain. "How long was I out for?"
"About fifteen hours," he called from the walk-in closet. "You fainted during surgery."
Your mind's eye recalled the ordeal and you internally cringed. That must have been rough for everyone.
Levi strolled back into the room while buttoning a casual button down shirt. You gazed at him for a moment and lowered your eyes when he met yours. "I'm really sorry you had to go through that," you said to the covers. "I didn't mean to cause you trouble. You know...with giving blood and-"
"The hell are you apologizing to me for?" he cut in, glaring at you. "Did you forget that you were shot?"
You hesitated to speak. "No. But...you lost it in there. I just feel guilty, I guess. For causing such a scene."
Levi held out a large, white pill, a smaller off -white one, and some water instead of replying. You obediently took the pills and downed them, assuming they were for the pain and to combat a possible infection.
"I've never...seen you lose your cool like that. Ever," you pressed, trying to get some understanding. "I was surprised."
Your leader sat down at the edge of the bed again and looked carefully at you. You avoided his eyes, fearing you wouldn't like what you'd see in them and kept them at your hands. Maybe he was disappointed with how couldn't handle the pain during surgery or maybe he was still angry with the course of action you took with Annie.
"You're very important to..." Levi trailed off with an uncharacteristically soft tone. "...the team."
"...Yeah, I know."
You were one of the original members with Levi and Erwin. Several years back is when you and Levi were tasked to recruit, at the time, the four teenagers. Eren, Mikasa, Armin, and Jean were just a bunch of kids with little direction or guidance. You weren't much older yourself though.
There was another long and painful silence but you didn't have much energy to say anything. Levi, however, did. "I need to change your dressing," he said, tone reverting back to deadpan. "Remove your shirt and roll over."
You did as you were told, watching him gather the supplies from the bathroom before returning to your side.
His touch was surprisingly gentle, almost unnecessarily light. He pulled off the gauze and tape slowly to avoid causing you anymore pain; the way his fingertips grazed your skin was comforting, in a way. You watched his face as he tended to you, cleaning up blood with peroxide, and you couldn't help but notice the genuine concern lingering in his eyes even though he was doing his best to appear apathetic.
"Quit staring," he snapped.
A light chuckle escaped you. "Hey Levi?" you said quietly. He paused in taping up a fresh bandage to glance at you.
"Hm?"
Maybe it was the medication kicking in or maybe you just didn't care anymore because you were inches from death not twenty-four hours ago. "You're so handsome."
Levi froze in his place. "You're high," he muttered, though you saw the lightest bit of pink along his cheeks.
"I am not. I just took the meds like three minutes ago!" you protested, aware that he was still stroking your bare skin despite having already finished. "I'm serious."
"You've never said anything like that to me in the last seven years we've known each other," he replied, clearly flustered in his own way.
You smiled and adjusted your pillow so you could look at him easier, enjoying his touch probably more than you should. Levi was the one person you trusted the most with your life. Seven years was a long enough time for you to learn to love his strange behavior and way with words. In the beginning, the two of you butt heads about everything, mission related or personal issues. He was usually so apathetic about most things but he had a way of being downright rude with veiled insults and his vulgar and dark humor. As years passed though, you learned more about him and began to understand him. Hatred became tolerance, and then your tolerance turned to friendly affection. Now...after seeing the way he reacted to your pain, you realized you harbored more than just friendly fondness for him.
"I've always thought it," you admitted, not feeling the least bit shy. "Anyways, the ring is safe right?"
He looked grateful you switched the subject and began putting the supplies back. "Of course. The Dark Angels have no way to retrieving it."
"We need to keep it for the time being," you said firmly. "They're not after it for money, but for something else. Reiner said something about it being a 'key' or whatever. No clue what that means though."
Levi turned to you with a pensive gaze. "'Key'...?" he said slowly. "I'm not aware of what that means either but I'll pass the information onto Erwin and Arlert. They'll be able to find out."
He sat down on the chaise across the room with nothing more to say and opened up a large book. You couldn't make out the title but it looked like a complicated read. "In the meantime," he said without favoring you a glance, "you should get some rest."
"No," you said flatly and without thinking. At this, Levi flashed a look of warning at you and you hurried to finish your sentence. "I'm hungry. Besides taking the meds without food will fuck up my stomach."
"Tch." Levi shut his book with a snap. "So demanding."
"Please and thank you!" you called to him as he left the room. You weren't sure what he mumbled but you knew he sounded irritated.
A half hour later, at your request, you had a bed tray in front of you with a shortstack of chocolate chip pancakes and milk.
"You're such a child," Levi sighed, watching you practically inhale your food. From the second you smelled it from the hallway, you didn't realize just how hungry you were.
"Bite me," you said with a mouthful of food. Levi chuckled for the first time since you awoke and surprisingly, it sounded genuine. You continued to talk to Levi normally for the next forty-five minutes when you started to feel a bit sleepy from the medication.
You were settling back into the fluffy pillows when Levi returned from doing the dishes. He made for the chaise but when he caught you making a strangely pathetic face at him, he stopped.
"What's your problem?" Harsh as usual.
Through half lidded eyes, you clutched a pillow in front of you and stared at him with puppy dog eyes. In reality, you really didn't even know what you were going to say but you were starting to feel a little loopy.
"What?" he snapped, unaware that his face was lightly pink again.
"Please come lay with me."
Levi gave you the strangest look and you nearly laughed outright. It was a mixture of disgust and confusion, and possibly even horror.
"You really are high," he muttered irritably. "Absolutely not."
"Please!!" you begged him, getting out of bed. "I'm scared."
"Hey hey! Don't you dare get up." Levi was at your side instantly and pushed you to lay back down. "The hell is your problem?"
Even if you were a little out of it, the words that came from your lips were nothing but truth. "I'm scared," you whined. "I don't want to be alone while I sleep. What if...what if Annie-?"
"Leonhardt will never hurt you again as long as I'm with you, (f/n)," Levi cut in. "I will never let her hurt you again."
You looked down, surprised to find Levi gripping your hand in earnest.
"'As long as I'm with you'...?" you repeated quietly. "You do realize what you're saying, right?"
Levi raised an eyebrow, not understanding what you were getting at. "Yeah. I'm never letting you out of my sight ever again, that's for damn sure."
You gripped the front of his shirt and basically wrenched him closer so that you could feel his breath over your skin. "So lay with me then."
He froze, looking like he was internally struggling with something. "You are making this incredibly difficult for me," Levi said with a strange tone. "I'm a man and you're a woman."
You laughed and released his shirt. "Jeeze, I wasn't asking you to have sex with me! I mean, I wouldn't put up a fight if that's what you wanted."
"Just shut up and move over," barked Levi, not wanting to hear anymore of your medicated words. He wasn't sure if you were serious or just under the influence but either way you were making him way more flustered then you realized.
You moved over to your left and Levi slid under the sheets and laid down beside you, stiff as a board and obviously feeling uncomfortable. You've never known Levi to act so awkward.
"...Fucking ridiculous," you heard him say under his breath. You turned on your right side, still clutching the pillow to your chest and continued to stare at his profile, the medication making you somewhat unaware of your actions or maybe you lost your inhibitions.
"Stop staring and go to sleep."
"Hey Levi?" you said quietly, ignoring his order.
He sighed heavily. "What?"
"If I asked you to kiss me, would you?"
Levi finally turned his head to you, clearly at his wit's end with your uncharacteristically weird behavior. "No," he said flatly. "You're high as a kite and you're just talking out your ass right now."
You giggled, hiding behind your pillow. It fell silent yet again and Levi prayed you had fallen asleep. In reality, you actually were starting to drift off but you still wanted to talk to him.
"Levi...."
"Dammit, (f/n). Just go to sleep!" He sat up to look sternly at you but what he found was you looking peaceful next to him. Your eyes were closed and you were gripping your sacred pillow as if it was all you had left in this world. "God, you're such a kid sometimes."
You shifted onto your back, wincing slightly at the pain but you didn't hear him. "Levi...don't ever...leave me okay?" you mumbled.
"You dumbass," he replied with a gentle smile. He reached over and stroked your cheek, unbeknownst to you. "I haven't left your side in seven years. You're just too naive to notice."
You smiled at this but Levi knew you were already too far into your sleep to remember this conversation. "Promise?"
He snorted. "Fine. Whatever."
You didn't reply as you had fallen completely asleep again. Levi breathed a sigh of relief but didn't get out of the bed and gazed at you for a long moment. His thoughts were all over the place in regards to you. He wanted revenge against Annie for nearly killing you, he realized some things within the last few months that he needed to deal with, and he wondered vaguely about the ring.
But out of all his thoughts, they all kept coming back to you, the woman sleeping in his bed with the most vulnerable expression he has ever seen anyone have.
"Hey..." he whispered close to your ear. "I think...I'm in love with you..."