You panted, trying to catch your breath after an exhausting set. Once your heart rate was back to normal, you began cleaning your equipment and putting it away.
At this time of day, the training room was usually empty except for you, which suited you just fine. You were a little intimidated by how strong the soldiers were, and you couldn't help feeling inadequate and insecure next to them. However, right as you were putting your dumbbells back on the rack, Levi walked in, dressed for exercise.
"Going heavy today, brat?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the weight in your hands.
"Well, I have to work hard if I want to get rid of all this flab," you chuckled, though it wasn't entirely a joke. "I have to keep up with you, after all."
As you slid the dumbbell into place, Levi's arms wrapped around you from behind. You could feel his toned chest flush against your back, and he whispered, almost sadly, "You don't have to worry so much about it, you know." His hands brushed across your sides, your stomach. "I like that you're soft. I like knowing that you've never had to fight for your life."
You blushed. In mere seconds, Levi was able to sense your insecurities and give you comfort. He was also able to give you a flock of butterflies inside your core.
As a maid employed by the Scout Regiment, you had access to their training facilities. However, you had never felt like you needed to use them until you started dating Levi. Of course, he never said or did anything to make you feel inadequate. It was just that...well, he had the body of a god. And you felt like people would talk about how he could do so much better than you. You felt like he could do so much better than you.
Levi's lips grazed your neck, and you melted, every thought immediately flying from your mind.
"Do I need to remind you of how beautiful you are, brat?" he growled, nipping at your skin.
Your breath caught. "S-someone could...w-walk in here," you whispered even as you tilted your neck, exposing more of yourself to him.
His hands continued rubbing your sides, squeezing your waist. "Then how about we go take a shower?" he suggested huskily.
You stiffened, whirling around so you could smack him on the arm. "Levi!"
He simply chuckled.
Truthfully, both you and Levi wanted to wait until marriage for that kind of thing. However, he seemed to immensely enjoy teasing you about it. He certainly took advantage of every opportunity to do so.
You huffed. "I am going to take a shower alone. By myself." Your embarrassment shone clearly as you accentuated the words.
Levi smirked, leaving you absolutely breathless. "Have fun."
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You returned to your bedroom and peeled off your sweaty clothes, tossing them in the laundry basket before heading into your bathroom and turning the shower on. While you waited for the water to warm up, you caught a glimpse of yourself in the full-body mirror on the wall.
It wasn't like you were fat. (With food supplies being so low, no one but the nobles could afford to pig-out, anyway.) However, you still weren't happy with your body. Certain parts were flabby. Your thighs were covered in stretch marks from your teenage growth spurt. Nothing really stuck out to you as "pretty". And after seeing the female soldiers, day in and day out, with their lean bodies and defined abs, you were sad that you could never look like them.
"I like that you're soft."
Sure, Levi had said it. But you had a difficult time believing it.
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That night at dinner, you were still in a melancholy. You pushed your food around and pretended to take bites, but in reality, you didn't eat a single thing. You put on a good enough show, hoping that no one would notice.
But Levi did.
As soon as the two of you entered your bedroom, he grabbed your wrist and pulled you around. You stumbled, falling into his chest as you gasped in surprise. You looked up at him, your cheeks turning a bright pink when you saw how he was looking at you. You opened your mouth to say something, but before you could find the words, his lips were on yours.
He walked you back until your legs hit the bed. Then he picked you up and gently laid you on the mattress – all without breaking the kiss. You felt his hands on your sides, rubbing tantalizing circles over your clothes. They drifted down, further and further, until they reached the hem of your blouse.
You pulled back with a squeak when his cold fingers began pushing your shirt up. "Levi!"
However, when you looked into his grey-blue eyes, some of your surprise dissipated, replaced by confusion. Because his eyes weren't looking at you with any heat or lust. They were gazing at you softly, almost reverently. They were also a little sad.
"I promise I won't do anything," he murmured. "Okay?"
You were more confused than ever, now. If he didn't want to do anything, why was he trying to take your shirt off? Still you trusted Levi. You knew that he respected you, and that he would never lie to you. So you swallowed down your fears and breathed, "Okay."
Levi carefully pulled your shirt up over your head, tossing it aside. He gazed at the newly revealed skin for just a moment before dipping down and unbuttoning your pants. You lifted your hips to help him as he slid them off, all the while forcing yourself not to shake from nervousness. When he was done, you were left in only your bra and panties.
Levi hovered over you, his eyes moving slowly as he took in every detail of your skin. You squirmed underneath his gaze, fighting the instinct to cover yourself.
At last, Levi released a sigh. He stood, then held out a hand to you. "Come with me," he muttered.
Hesitantly, you took his hand, wondering where you were going. You didn't wonder for long, though, because Levi only led you a few steps away, into your bathroom. He positioned you in front of the mirror, with him standing behind you.
As soon as your eyes locked with your reflection, you wrapped your arms around your middle, trying to hide as much as possible.
However, Levi wasn't having it. He slid his arms over yours, gently gripping them and guiding them to your sides. "Look, brat," he murmured into your ear. "I want you to see what I see."
It took a minute, but you stopped fighting him. Once Levi knew that you would keep your arms down, he released them and brought his hands back to your torso. His calloused fingertips lightly roved your skin, leaving trails of goosebumps in their wake.
"Your body is perfect," he whispered, his eyes looking wistfully at your form in the mirror. "Your skin is so smooth, and soft, and clean."
One of his thumbs stroked a line right under your bra, indicating the area without touching anything he shouldn't. "These are just right. Not too big, not too small."
His hands skimmed down your sides, then came to rest on your hips. "I like holding onto these," he murmured.
"And these..." His fingertips grazed your thighs, lightly brushing your stretch marks while again carefully avoiding any sensitive areas. "...are completely normal. In fact, they look like tiger stripes. You shouldn't be embarrassed by them."
As Levi worshiped each part of your body, you stood completely still. At first, you were paralyzed by insecurity. But Levi took his time, and eventually, his caring words started to sink in. You stared at yourself in the mirror, your eyes following his hands as they moved across your skin, and you felt your heart swell within your chest.
"This," he stated as he spread his palm across your stomach, "is the perfect size. So please don't starve yourself. I've seen too many starving people in my lifetime, and I don't want that for you."
Tears welled in your eyes, both from his tender words and from the reference to his heartbreaking life in the Underground. Levi had experienced a lot of hardship in his time, but when he looked at your body, he saw it as physical proof that you were healthy, that you were safe. And that was beautiful to him. He wanted those things for you, because he loved you more than anything on this earth.
Levi stepped in front of you, his hands lightly gripping your arms as he gazed into your eyes, his face mere inches from your own. "Do you understand?" he asked quietly.
The lump in your throat made it impossible to speak, so instead, you nodded.
Levi held your gaze for a moment more, making sure you truly did know how much he cherished you. Then he dipped down and pressed chaste, loving kisses to every inch of skin he could see.
You had to shut your eyes, or else you would have started crying. You had spent so many years hating your body, but Levi adored it, worshiped it. And once you had seen yourself through his eyes, you could never go back to the way things were before.
So you stood there, savoring the feeling of Levi's lips on your skin, and silently apologizing to your body, to yourself, for all the things you had thought and said.
You felt Levi's mouth leave your body, and a second later, he placed a gentle kiss on your lips. Only then did you open your eyes.
"Ready for bed, brat?" he muttered.
"Yes," you breathed through the tightness in your throat, giving him a grateful smile.
Levi took your hand while you walked. Once you both had crossed into the bedroom, he released you and searched the floor until he found your clothes. "Here," he said, holding them out to you.
You looked at those clothes, then at Levi. But you felt like you needed this for a little while longer.
You shook your head. "I'm fine. Let's just go to sleep."
You waited while Levi carefully folded your clothes. Then the two of you crawled into bed together, cuddling in close. Levi had an arm thrown around your waist, but you didn't feel insecure, as you would have an hour ago.
Instead, you felt protected.
Adored.
Loved.