spite || levi x reader

0 - 7

TW: Panic attack, and Levi does a shitty job of helping. Go figure.

Some horses veer off, heading in different directions but remaining in small packs. Levi stays behind Erwin, with Hange on your right and Mike on your left. That's good- people you know. Some of the Corps had given you weird looks when you hopped up on Levi's horse, so it's comforting being around people who know your exact situation.

You ride for maybe half an hour before you hear a shout. "Titan in the east!" Hange shouts, and you look up. There's some sort of creature that looks vaguely human lumbering towards you, its arms swinging awkwardly. It's walking like its ankles are both broken, and it's swinging a mop of black hair side to side as it jogs.

"What the..." you trail off, eyes wide. That's a titan?

"It's too close!" Hange calls. "Must be an abnormal!"

"Zach's squad has it handled!" Erwin calls, and you tighten your grip slightly around Levi. You watch, fascinated, as two people swoop up between the buildings. The titan bats at one, but the figure ducks. The second spec heads for the nape, and you can barely make out the spray of blood. The titan falls.

"Wow," you murmur.

Levi leans backwards slightly. "Remember to-"

"Tell you if I remember anything," you interrupt. "I know." You lower your voice. "And if nothing happens, I'll just make something up so this whole mission thing doesn't feel useless."

"Idiot."

The horses ride on, cantering over the plains. You're wracking your brain for memories- riding a horse, slaying titans- but nothing comes up. You purse your lips. Maybe this is a good thing. From the sounds of it, these memories might be better off not coming back.

Red flares start popping up ahead of you. That should mean titans ahead. Erwin pulls out a flare gun and shoots a green flare off to the left, and Levi slowly leans his horse left. The group rides on for another half hour, but you don't run into any titans. This was the strategy Erwin had talked about; avoiding rather than engaging unless necessary.

Another half hour in silence goes by, the wind messing up your hair beyond quick repair, but a giant forest eventually appears over the hill. "Is that where we're going?" you ask Levi.

He nods in reply. "Hold on tight."

"Why?"

"We're going up into the trees."

"I can do it," you say, thinking of the gear Erwin gave you.

Levi's tone is sharp and leaves no room for discussion. "That's a last resort option and you're only to use it in case of emergencies. It'd be suicide to be out here without it. You don't have practice and counting on suppressed memories doesn't count as experience."

You frown. "But I can-"

"No. Non-negotiable."

You purse your lips so that you don't say anything else. It's frustrating, but you can't push your luck.

Levi starts speaking again, but he's a bit quieter and less sharp than before. "The last thing we need right now is you getting injured trying to use gear. Remember what the deal was. You obey everything Erwin and I tell you to, no hesitation."

"Fine," you grumble, shifting your grip around his waist. "Sorry."

You enter the trees behind another group. You keep your eyes up, looking up at the high branches. "This is perfect for you guys," you murmur, thinking about the Survey Corps flying around with their gear. "Plenty of trees for hooks and high branches."