Promise me [Levi Ackerman x OC]

XXXIV: Insomnia Club

Hazel spent the night making her finals reports about the cadets performance at the training. She didn't noticed when she fell asleep at her desk, the chill of the morning waked her up.

It was nearly dawn, so she arranged the paper in piles and decided to take a shower and get ready. By the time she got out to her office again, the sun had got out, and she saw the back of a head from someone who was sat in the couch. His black strands of hair were hanging above the back of the seat.

"How long you've been there?" She stood at the door waiting for him to noticed her. "Levi?" He didn't respond so she walked up to him and when she was in front of him, Hazel saw him with eyes closed and struggling in his dreams, or maybe nightmares.

His face was in pain and hands were in fists, making little movements with the head and hard breathing. A tear was starting to roll down his cheek, she decided to wake him slightly shaking his shoulders.

"Levi... Hey, Levi." He finally abruptly opened his eyes. "Hey, it's okay. Shh..." Hazel sat down beside him caressing his hair. "It was just a dream." She waited for him to settled down. "Are you okay?"

"How long you've been here?" He gulped and took a breath. "I'm fine." He growled and faced the floor wiping from his cheeks the new tears that had fallen.

"You're clearly not fine. You look dreadful... how long it's been since you had a decent sleep?" His eyes were faintly swollen and with black eye bags. He refused to talk. "You know, it's very normal, don't be ashamed. Com'on, let's go for breakfast."

She tried to distracted him and pulled him by the hand heading to the mess hall. The halls weren't crowded yet, but Levi felt anxious remembering they were holding hands, or more accurately, he was being dragged by her around the building, and the few cadets that they ran into the way looked at them taken aback.

He pulled his hand from hers making her stop and turned to see him before she entered the mess hall. "What's wrong?"

"I thought you said you didn't want inner troubles with others so we should kept distance."

"Don't be stupid, what else they could say about us by now?" She took his hand again to dragged him to her usual table making him sit and waited for her to return with both breakfasts and a big smile.

"I don't know if I should be sitting here." He was about to stand up from his seat but a hand in his shoulder made him stay where he was.

"Why is that? Everyone is free to sit wherever they want." Erwin offer him a reassuring face and sat beside him. "Good morning."

"Morning, Erwin." Hazel answered clearly pleased by his help making Levi stay.

"Look who finally joined us." Hange took seat seconds after.

Levi felt more and more uncomfortable with every person who made it up to the table, Miche and Nanaba after Hange. Everyone seemed to be fine with him there.

"So..." Miche tried to break the ice. "What happened? You look tired. Do Hazel, has something to do with that?"

Hazel elbowed Miche who kept implying they were fucking, Nanaba did the same in the other side of him making him cringe in pain. Hange laughed spiting her food, Erwin, in other hand, just kept eating hiding a little smirk. Levi stood quiet looking at the mess of table he was in.

"You're such a dork. He is just one of the insomnia club." Hazel answered making an accusing look to Miche.

"Welcome to the club." Everyone responded except for Erwin and Hazel. Levi was surprised that all of them had the same problem, but didn't showed it and kept his neutral face.

"We found out a way of distract ourselves when we can't sleep." Nanaba felt empathy for him and started to give her advice. "For example, I draw landscapes, Miche do exercise, Hange get into her experiments and investigations, and those two workaholics, do reports and plans for explorations. Also, talk about the nightmares helps you to overcome them over time."

"Yeah, shorty. What are your nightmares about?" Hange used a sarcastic tone that made Levi look at her with disdain.

"Is nothing of your business, shitty glasses."

"Please, not again." Erwin pinched his bridge of the nose.

"Com'on, Levi. Maybe it'll work, give it a try." Miche encouraged him expecting not having to hear again a discussion between them.

He hadn't been able to sleep a full night since a month ago, the one he went to Hazel's room and slept in the same bed, he had been peaceful knowing she was beside him. By now he was really tired of having the same nightmares. After few seconds of challenging Hange with his cold eyes, he sighed and decided to listen the advice.

"They start with heavy rain pouring over me and the body of my dead friends." His voice was cautious, trying to stay firm and don't break, the rest were listening carefully. "Then, I'm surrounded by darkness and Declan appears."

He noticed that Hazel wasn't the only surprised by hearing the name of his brother. Except from Erwin and Hange, no one else knew that Hazel and Levi had lived together in the underground city, but her friends knew about her brother.

"Declan, like... Hazel's late brother? You knew him?" Miche was still surprised Levi could knew about him and more surprised that he was in his nightmares.

"Late brother?" His wide eyes went from Miche to Hazel. "Why didn't you told me?" It was obvious in his face he was in struggling in the inside with his feelings, anger and sadness. He couldn't hold back any longer and stood quickly leaving the place.

"What was that?  Did I fuck it up?" He was disconcerted.