Levi x Reader: The Girl Beyond the Walls

Chapter 8: Departure

(f/n)'s POV: 

I sat with my back against the trunk of the tree, closing my eyes to remember the feeling of the wind kissing my skin as Levi carried me through the trees. The mumbling conversation held by his squad as they surveyed the landscape dwindled further into the background; in my mind, I was flying again. 

"Hey, (f/n)." Gunther placed a hand on my shoulder. I opened my eyes and saw the squad looking tense behind him, peering out at an oncoming horde of titans. 

Levi came over, looking down at me with flashing eyes. "We're about to deal with the coming titans. You stay put. Don't think if you run, I won't be able to catch you."

I held his gaze and said nothing. 

"Heichou, they're coming!" Petra cried. 

Levi shot me one last look before they all leaped from the branch, swinging down below, blades glinting in the sunlight. I watched as they worked together as a team, relying soundlessly on each other. Their coordinated efforts were extraordinary; I never learned that kind of cooperation. I never needed to. 

I turned and faced the mountains again. The rocky ridges resonated with my spine as I felt a chill flow down it. I thought of slipping away, gliding over the dale and winding between the arches, searching for him. I wanted to press my fingers into his skull, wear him down with the hatred in my eyes. Why did you do it? 

The wind exhaled along my skin, lifting strands of my (h/c) hair, as mountain passes filtered through my mind. I felt my fingers twitch as I imagined myself venturing down them. I became consumed with the peaks I saw in my head that all sound behind from Levi and his squad faded into silence. As I sat there, alone on the branches, I could hear the wind clashing against the face of stone. 

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Levi's POV: 

We slew the coming titans and broke their ranks like water against rock- though, on the horizon, we continued to see movement as more made their way East, towards us. My squad waited, perched on the boughs with their gear latched tightly in the bark, and I looked up to the branch (f/n) was left on, only to find it empty. 

She really wants to test my fucking patience. I darted upwards swiftly, landing gracefully on the wood of the pine, my eyes narrowing in anger as I scoured where (f/n) had been to see if she left any trace. 

"Alright?" 

I swiveled my head around only to find her nestled near the edge, facing the distance as it broke through the canopy. She looked at me curiously. "Thought I'd run off, did you?" 

"Tch. I know there's no way for you to get down from here. Just wanted to make sure you weren't doing anything stupid, brat." 

Her usually snarky demeanor has rescinded, and for the first time I could see gentle traces of sadness cloud her (e/c) eyes. She quietly turned back to look at the mountains. In all my time living in the walls, in the underground, I'd never seen anyone look so fondly on their origins before. 

Looking back over the Western vale, far-off titans still crossed leagues to reach us here in the forest. A cloud of dust rose over their crossing; the ground beneath trembled at their slow approach. I saw in the eyes of my squad members the same anxiety and fear that grips us all in the face of thundering bloodlust. And yet, there (f/n) sat, without a care as to what loomed behind, gazing only at the mountains ahead. 

I hesitantly knelt down beside her. She didn't acknowledge me. "Why do you like the mountains so much, anyway?" 

"Created by the mountains and tempered by the cold." Her eyes were unwavering. 

"What the hell does that mean?" 

She finally turned and looked at me, her chin resting against her shoulder. "It's a quote from an old book we had, in my village," she said. 

That's how it was to be- information of her past gradually dripping from her in conversation, information we so desperately needed that she held onto so resistantly. "Didn't think your people had enough history for books, what with how cruddy and small your village looked." 

"It wasn't the first village my people settled." She turned back to the view. "We called ourselves travelers and vagabonds. We walked far and wide, building house and fire when night descended, leaving at dawn on the days when the stream dried or the crop failed. Our lives were as inconsistent as the land we created it on." 

"Tch. Sounds like a pain in the ass." 

"At least we never got tired of the view." Her eyes clouded, and a far-away lust creeped into her (e/c) irises. "I can recall the sting of cold rock, the snow blanketing my hair, the wind like breaths of ice against my cheek." She looked at me with a sense of conviction I dare say I came close to admiring. "You want to know who we are?" 

"It's the only reason why you're here." 

She smiled at me again, her eyes accenting the light that grew in her expression. "We're nomads that like living on top of the world." 

I felt something stir in my chest as my mind grew hazy under a whirlwind of thoughts. Looking back, I saw my squad still perched on the sides of trees, anxiously awaiting the coming horde of titans in the distance. I cursed under my breath at the confliction (f/n) caused in me. It's probably for the best. 

"Fuck it," I muttered, taking her hand. 

"What are you doing?" 

I stood and lifted her up. "Just shut it and hold on to me," I said. 

She tentatively wrapped her arms around my waist, and using my ODM gear, we flew into motion, zipping through the trees. The surprised calls of my squad members sounded behind us but still I glided through the wood, (f/n)'s body pressed tightly against mine. Even though the wind whipped past my ears, I could hear her laughter. It was softened by the breeze but echoed in my head, and the magnetic lure of her joy caused the ends of my lips to curl in a slight smile. 

We landed softly on the ground, at the Southernmost tip of the forest. 

"Tch, you really enjoy that, don't you?"

Her eyes were shining when she looked at me, tendrils of (e/c) furled in her delight. "I'm from the mountains," she said. "If the sierras were given the chance to walk, they'd ask to fly, instead." She looked out over the horizon. "Why'd you bring me here, anyway?" 

I thought for a while, before giving a little sigh. "So you can go back home." 

She turned to me promptly in surprise. "What?" 

"What? You think I enjoy sitting around listening to you mope about your home and the mountains and the wind and the snow and every other damn thing?" Her expression didn't change. "Stop looking at me like that. I'm not doing this for you, I just want some fucking peace and qui-" 

(f/n) came and embraced me, her arms wrapped around tightly. I stood for a moment, dumbfounded, before hesitantly placing my hands on her shoulders. As she broke free, she placed a tender kiss on my cheek. 

"Thank you," she said. 

I just nodded, nervously rubbing a hand along the back of my neck. "Right. I mean, I didn't do it for you." 

She gave me another smile before turning around, heading out into the valley, to the ridges she so frequently longed for. 

"You know," she said after a few steps, looking at me over her shoulder, "I still don't care for the Cornered City, but I'm glad I met you, Captain Levi." 

I watched as she left, slowly dwindling among the landscape, feeling strangely disappointed at her departure. I didn't know why I felt a frown growing over my face as she disappeared among the hills, a steadily growing pain eating away at my chest- or maybe, I just didn't want to think about the reason. 

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