Don't Die - Levi x Reader {Book 1}

Chapter 29

The next days and weeks passed in a flurry of activity. The expedition would be commencing in less than 24 hours and everyone was on edge. Soldiers ran from one end of the castle to the other relaying messaging and orders to various different people and Captains. (Y/N) hadn't spent more than a few minutes alone with Erwin for the last week and was beginning to feel the lack of his presence. She'd resolved to lock herself in his office that night and turn away any soldier that came knocking for at least one hour. Expedition or not, she was going to enjoy a cup of tea with her friend. After all, there was a decent chance one or both of them would die tomorrow.

As for Levi... well, (Y/N) hadn't had any lack of company from him. They'd quite literally spent every night together at the pond. By now, Levi was proficient in navigation via the stars and (Y/N) was very pleased with his progress. As she'd predicted from his initial talent, it hadn't taken Levi very long to catch on and truly grasp the depth of what (Y/N) was teaching him. He was beginning to realize that there really was a whole world beyond the walls and that the stars could lead him anywhere he wanted to go.

It was those endless nights at the pond that had managed to get (Y/N) through the last month. With the expedition growing closer with each passing second, (Y/N) had grown increasingly worried about her new friends. That time at the pond was time that she could simply enjoy the present moment and try to forget about the dangers that surrounded them on all sides.

And surprisingly, despite the two of them spending every night together, Levi and (Y/N) had managed to maintain their boundaries. Well, at least their semblance of boundaries. There was probably still a bit too much staring into each other's eyes and mysterious touching for their relationship to be considered completely platonic but no major lines had been crossed.

And that platonic relationship was beginning to be a serious issue for (Y/N). No matter how scared she was of letting yet another person inside her walls, it was becoming increasingly painful to keep Levi outside her walls. Every moment she spent with him had become a combined moment of bliss and torture. There was so much that he needed to know about, that she was so close to being able to tell him. They just had to get through this mission.

Not only had (Y/N) promised Erwin that she would wait to advance her relationship with Levi until after the expedition but (Y/N) also needed some reassurance for herself. She needed to see that Levi could survive. She couldn't bear to let him in before she had any sense of his ability to stay alive. But her resolve was weakening with every passing minute. As the threat of death grew closer, promises and boundaries were becoming less and less appealing.

Levi, on the other hand, was grappling with an entirely different situation. He'd let himself fall for (Y/N) just a little too much and he knew that there was no way he could simply leave her now. However, that need didn't exactly line up with his current mission. Levi seriously doubted that (Y/N) would ever leave the Scouts just to follow him. Plus, the fact that his mission directly related to Erwin didn't help. If (Y/N) found out his true intentions she would no doubt be upset, making his chances of convincing her to join him even slimmer. He was in trouble.

Both of them had found themselves between a rock and a hard place with neither really knowing how to move forward. The only thing that would solve their dilemmas was time, something that (Y/N) felt she was running particularly low on.

(Y/N) paced through the halls of the castle, a tray of tea in her hands that was extremely close to spilling. Unlike most nights, she was feeling impatient and her steps were falling rather unevenly.

She was on her way to Erwin's office. She knew that when she got there she'd have to be stern in order to get Erwin to relax for more than a few seconds. Soldiers would no doubt be walking in and out of his office with questions and reports. If (Y/N) was going to get any time with him at all, she'd have to pull out all of her tricks. She wasn't too worried, though. She'd never met a person that her tricks hadn't worked on.