Tainted (Levi x Reader)

Chapter 17

You gazed out the third-story window of the room where you and Levi guarded Pastor Nick. Your (e/c) eyes tracked droplets of rain that streaked down the glass as rain poured from a darkened sky outside.

Levi approached and nudged your shoulder, handing you a steaming cup of tea. "You should sit," he murmured to you.

"You should sit. You took the night shift watching him," you flicked your hand toward where Pastor Nick sat, staring blankly at a wall. Now there's a guy who really loves walls. You rolled your eyes.

Just then, there was a knock at the door, startling all three of you. Levi put a hand on your shoulder to tell you to stay back. He then silently approached the door and opened it.

"Oh fuck no. Go away." Levi immediately tried to close it, but a foot shot out and wedged itself in the way. The door was pushed back open, and Joan strolled in.

"Joan? Why aren't you god knows where with everyone else?" You set down your tea and made your way over.

She threw Levi a hostile glare before answering. "Erwin ordered me to stay behind. Said he had a feeling you might need help keeping the Pastor safe."

Levi tch'd. "Erwin wouldn't do that. He wouldn't waste titan bait if he could help it."

"Yeah, well, he couldn't help it," Joan retorted. She plopped down in a chair by the window, putting her boots up on the coffee table directly in front as if to mock Levi.

You were already annoyed with both of them. Joan for being so brash and egging the Captain on. And Levi for being immediately hostile. What was with them?

"So this all we gotta do? Sit on our asses and make sure he's still breathing okay?" Joan directed her question to you.

"Pretty much," you answered with a glance at Levi. You heaved a sigh and went to sit on a couch that was against the wall adjacent to the window. Levi closed the door and briskly came to sit beside you, still glaring daggers at Joan as he crossed his legs and rested an arm on the back of the couch.

"Oh my god. Is this seriously how it's going to be?" you groaned. "You guys are going to end up killing each other. And then I'll have to watch that sad sack of shit all by myself. Can't you just agree to get along? Or at least be professional?"

"Yeah, I can do that," Levi agreed through clenched teeth.

"I can do it better," Joan taunted, raising her chin.

You buried your face in your hands, shaking your head. Levi snaked an arm around you as you were leaned over, pulling you closer to him. This was going to be a long few days.

_______________

Caught in a trance by the pattern of the moonlight dancing over the floorboards, you were having trouble sleeping that night.

As if he had read your thoughts, you heard Levi's voice softly from outside the door. "(Y/n), you awake?"

"Yeah, come in."

Levi carefully opened the door and closed it behind him. He crept over as you pulled back the covers invitingly. He stripped down to his underwear and climbed in beside you, turning on his side to spoon you. He bent one arm for you to rest your head on, and the other was draped over your side, fingers interlocking with yours. His breath softly fanned your exposed neck, and you reveled in the warmth of his skin pressing against yours as the two of you cuddled.

After a while, you shifted around in his embrace to face him, eyes locking with those steely ones. He brought a hand up and cupped your cheek, fascination in his gaze as it flickered over your features. Your heart fluttered as you watched him right back.

"Why do you make me feel like this?" Levi murmured.

"I've been asking myself the same." You couldn't help a small smile.

Levi pushed himself up a bit until you were on your back, with him leaning over you. "Every time I see you, I just want to do this." He kissed you slowly, tenderly. His lips moved in sync with yours, deepening as it went on. He pulled away to breathe in your ear, "it drives me mad."

Levi laid back down with you facing him. "Like the other day, when I saw Eren with his hand on you..."

You kissed his jaw softly, shuffling impossibly closer. "You don't have to worry. I've got eyes for you alone."

Levi grunted. "Likewise." You laid flat on your back again so he could rest his head on your chest while you soothingly ran your fingers through his soft black hair. His arms locked around your waist as he nuzzled to get more comfortable. Aww, you thought with a smile as you sensed him drift off to sleep. Adorable.

_______________

Only two days later, the four of you were relocated to Trost, housed in some military barracks the night you arrived there.

Pastor Nick was more agitated than usual, as impossible as that seemed. It was only made worse when he was informed that his three Scout escorts had to leave, ordered to rendezvous with the remnants of the 104th at a remote cabin within Rose. You remembered looking up at the window as you, Joan, and Levi departed on horseback, seeing the paranoid face of Pastor Nick staring after you, his hands pressed up against the glass as if begging you not to go. We can't babysit him forever. He should be safe there.

You were healing well, having no more need for your crutches, and your two previously broken fingers were good as new. On top of that, your new branding was through the nasty, early bit of recovery. It was starting to scar, but you still preferred to keep it hidden under a leather bracer.

You rode between Levi and Joan as you kept to a trail that passed through the forest, en route to the cabin. You tried to reason away your nerves. Alongside the official report, you'd been told many of the horrors that took place when Erwin led the Scouts to take back Eren.

You weren't very familiar with either Reiner Braun or Bertholdt Hoover, you'd only spoken a couple times before, and sometimes trained together. But the fact that the enemy was so close... fighting beside you, sharing breakfast, sleeping under the same roof? Another disgusting reminder of just how two-faced people can be.

"There's the cabin," Joan's voice startled you from your thoughts. The three of you approached and tied up your horses at a small stable on the side. You were then received by Moblit at the door.

"Where's Hange?" you asked as you walked past him into the cabin.

"She and Connie went to report to Erwin. They should be back tomorrow," Moblit replied.

"Captain! (Y/n)!" Armin, Eren and all the others greeted, standing up from a table where they'd been having breakfast.

"What am I, chopped liver?" Joan huffed.

"I'm sorry, I don't know you all that well..." Armin apologized earnestly. Joan only shrugged.

_______________

As promised, Hange and Connie returned the next afternoon. You answered the door to the section commander's grim brown eyes and troubled frown.

"Pastor Nick is dead."