"Wait, so none of you know how to swim?" you asked, bewildered.
All around the dinner table, the cadets shook their heads.
"It's not like we get the chance to very often," Armin reminded you.
"Well yes," you conceded, "but it's an essential skill! And if there really is a giant body of water beyond the walls, Armin, wouldn't you want to know how to swim in it?"
Armin blushed at the mention of his childhood dream, but he nodded.
"Then it's settled! All of you can meet me by the lake an hour after breakfast tomorrow, and I'll teach you."
The cadets exchanged glances, some excited, some nervous.
"Well, it's not really up to us, (f/n)," Eren said as he scratched the back of his neck. "Captain Levi usually has us train –"
"Captain Levi!" you called down to the other end of the table. "Can I borrow the cadets for a few hours tomorrow morning? They need to learn how to swim."
"Whatever," Levi consented, waving you off.
"Thanks! Oh, and you'd be more than welcome to join us!"
"No," he growled.
"Suit yourself," you hummed, returning your attention to the cadets. "If you don't have a swimsuit, make sure you wear clothes you don't mind getting wet in. I would advise against anything white."
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"Now that everyone's here, there are a few rules before we get started," you announced, standing by the edge of the lake with the cadets. "First, no splashing each other, dunking each other underwater, or any other forms of roughhousing. You're all still learning, so we need to stay safe. Second, if you get any cramps, let me know immediately and get out of the water. And lastly, do not pretend to be drowning when you aren't actually in trouble. It's stupid and dangerous to fake an emergency. And if you do, I will kill you." You smiled sweetly. "Any questions?"
The cadets warily shook their heads.
"Good! In you go, then!"
You started with the basics, like floating and treading water, before moving on to actual strokes. Once the cadets had a few different forms down, you gave them the freedom to practice on their own. Then you got out of the lake, sitting under a tree to take shelter from the hot summer sun. You still watched the cadets carefully, of course, just in case.
After a while, you heard soft footsteps on the grass behind you. You looked over your shoulder to see Captain Levi, standing with his arms crossed and an annoyed expression on his face.
"Have you come to join us, Levi?" you asked. The cadets were far enough away that they wouldn't hear you address him informally.
"Tch, of course not," he replied. "I just came to get my squad back to training. They've goofed off enough today."
"Learning how to swim is important," you told him. "Plus, it's great exercise."
Levi only rolled his eyes in response.
You raised an eyebrow. "Do you know how to swim?"
Levi averted his gaze. "No."
"Then why didn't you come today?"
"I...I don't like swimming," he mumbled.
That was obviously not the real reason, but you decided not to push him on it. Instead, you simply stated, "Meet me here an hour after dinner. I'll give you a private lesson." You smirked. "Lucky you."
A faint blush dusted his cheeks, and you laughed. You loved seeing the shy side of him, especially since no one else ever got to.
You reiterated your instructions about proper swimwear before letting him retrieve his squad. You considered intentionally leaving out the part about not wearing white, but you figured that would be wrong of you. Very wrong.
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You arrived at the lake early, so you decided to take a little swim before Levi arrived. The water felt fantastic after the sweltering summer day. At least the sun had gone down, so the air would cool off soon. And there was a full moon tonight, which left you plenty of light for swimming.
You closed your eyes and relaxed, moving your body without thinking. A few minutes later, you opened your eyes again, only to find Levi standing at the edge of the dock. His normally expressionless gaze held a hint of wonder, and he couldn't take his eyes off you.
You had no idea how long he had been watching you swim, but the thought made you blush. You quickly made your way over to him, pulling yourself up onto the wooden platform.
"Well, are you ready?" you asked.
Levi nodded before kicking off his shoes. He then removed his shirt, leaving himself in nothing but his black shorts. You tried not to stare too obviously at the toned muscles of his torso. However, upon recalling the way Levi had watched you swim, you figured you had a little room to ogle.
Since Levi was much more responsible than the cadets, you only gave him one rule before allowing him into the water. "If you feel any cramps, you have to tell me immediately. Alright?"
Levi nodded his assent.
You smiled. "Then let's get started."
Unsurprisingly, Levi picked up on everything rather quickly. You even taught him some of the more difficult strokes, just because you knew he could do them effortlessly. Plus, you secretly enjoyed watching his muscles work as he propelled himself through the water. And the droplets gleaming on his pale skin didn't hurt, either.
Finally, Levi swam back to you and asked, "What else?"
You shook your head. "That's it. You've completely mastered everything I know."
Levi averted his gaze at the compliment. "Tch. Whatever."
You laughed. "Seriously. I mean, the only things I didn't tell you were 'no roughhousing' and 'no pretending like you're drowning'. But you're not as crazy as the cadets, so I didn't think you needed to hear that."
Levi looked up at you, a slight gleam in his eye. "And what if I am drowning?" he asked softly. A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth.
For the smallest instant, your eyes widened in surprise. Then a smirk of your own graced your lips. "Then I suppose I'd have to save you," you purred, closing the short distance between you and wrapping your arms around his muscled waist.
Levi returned your embrace, his deft fingers sliding across your bare skin. "I was hoping you'd say that."
"Mmm," you hummed as your body molded to his. Your legs became tangled as you both kicked to stay upright. "So like a boy, to be in need of rescuing."
Heat sparked with the first press of his mouth to your own. You wasted no time, tasting the crisp lake water as you slid your tongue across his lower lip. He parted, allowing you in to play before instigating a tongue war, which he easily won. As he pushed back into your mouth, you couldn't help the elated giggle that escaped your throat. Levi was usually more shy than this. His newfound boldness was...exciting.
"Quite eager today, are we?" you panted as you pulled apart for air.
A blush tinged Levi's cheeks, but he didn't look away. "You have no idea what that swimsuit of yours is doing to me."
You ran your fingertips down his impeccable abdomen. "Likewise," you murmured.
Something between a growl and a hiss escaped Levi's teeth before he returned his lips to your own. Wanting to hear more of his noises, you slid your lips across his jaw, then down his neck, trying to find his sweet spot. Your efforts were rewarded a few seconds later, when Levi had to bite down on his groan. "(F/n)..."
You chuckled, nipping and sucking the spot, and earning a few more of those lovely sounds. However, when you started to lick your way up his neck, Levi grabbed your hair and pulled you back.
"My turn, princess," he growled.
You shivered in anticipation.
Before you could blink, Levi had attached his lips to your throat, tasting you as you had tasted him. You moaned softly into his ear, sliding your hands up the back of his neck to play with his hair. You glanced down to see how his defined jaw worked on you, leaving you in absolute bliss. When he reached the spot where your neck met your shoulder, he bit down harshly, sucking the skin until he left his mark.
You gasped, arching into him as he claimed you for his own.
Once he was finished, Levi pulled back a bit to survey his work. Then he licked the spot gently, as if apologizing.
Both of you were left breathless as you gazed at each other with half-lidded eyes.
"You know," Levi panted, "I think I do like swimming after all."
"That reminds me..." you murmured as your breathing returned to normal, "...why didn't you want to come swimming with the cadets earlier today?"
"Tch, isn't it obvious?" he muttered, averting his gaze from you. Clearly, his typical shyness was starting to win out. Not that you minded.
When you didn't respond, Levi hesitantly returned his eyes to yours. "I wanted you all to myself, brat," he mumbled.
"Oh." Now that you thought about it, it did make a lot of sense. You grinned mischievously. "Well, you got me."
His eyes flicked to his mark on your neck, and he smirked. "That I did."