The pain before happiness (Levi Ackerman x Reader)

Fourteen [Suicide Mission]

 "Your highness," Erwin bowed to the royal blood as she entered the room. They were in the infirmary. Levi was wide awake on the chair beside the bed while Eren was fast asleep on the foldable bed beside the bed.

"How are they?" Erwin looked at her sadly and shook his head and Historia knew what he meant. "Have you tried the vaccine?"

"She is rejecting everything we gave her." Erwin said.

"The titan serum?" She asked. Erwin shook his head. "How are they coping?" She took a step closer to where Raven laid on the bed.

"Please do not take one more step closer." Levi glared at her. "I do not appreciate you being here."

"Levi, apologise to her right now." Erwin demanded.

"I will not." Levi said, "I do not appreciate you being here either, Erwin."

"Le--," Historia raised her hand and stopped him.

"On behalf of the royal family, I am here to apologise for sending her on that suicide mission." Historia bowed to Levi and Eren. She then left the room with Erwin.

It had been almost three months since they rescued the former general who was on her brink of death. She was brought back into the Wall Rose. Everyone in the military was in a distress upon the disappearance of the captain and soldier. Not until Levi and Eren returned with a barely alive former General. She was immediately referred to the medical staff and they waited, for hours. Levi had to even stopped Eren from barging into the room as he was scared that they would hurt her instead. It was almost half a day gone when the doctors finally came out.

"She is suffering a horrendous amount of injury. We tried everything we could and all we could do is hope for the best." That was all the doctors said.

Since then, Raven stayed in a comatose state, showing no sign of waking up. The only indication of her life was the terrifying slow heartbeat on the monitor hooked on her.

"Eren, wake up and take a shower." Levi woke the younger up. Eren groaned and stretched his limbs out and plopped. He fell to the floor. Levi could not hold back his chuckles as he fell. Eren whined and rubbed his bump that was aching.

"Boke," Levi chuckled. Eren smiled at the sight of his smile. The two of them have not had any time to relax after what had happened. Now was the only time they ever felt a little lighter where only the three of them were in the room and no one else. "Go and shower. After that, I'll go get some dinner."

"Curry potato?" Eren tried his luck to have Levi cook for him something.

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"Fine," Levi huffed and ruffled Eren's hair. Eren cheered and rushed into the washroom.

It was that night when Levi and Eren prepared to go to bed. They pushed the two foldable bed on each side of Raven's.

"May you please heal our dearest Raven and end all of her sufferings." Like every other night, Levi prayed. He plants a kiss to Raven's forehead and Eren's before climbing into his bed. For the first time in so long since Raven was back with him, Levi slept without any nightmares. Unknown to anyone, a tear rolled down Raven's cheek and the slightest move to her finger happened.

Erwin Smith entered the room tiptoeing at dawn. He smiles sadly to the sight of the three sleeping on the bed. He quietly sat on the chair, looking at them. It had been tough on the three. Erwin could not help but, reminisce the night when Raven handed over the general position to him.

Erwin was called into the General's office.

"Erwin, I shall officially hand over to you as General Smith." Raven passed him the badge. He refused to take it.

"There is something you are not telling me. What is going on, Raven?" He asked the younger. With all due respect, he called her by her name. They were close and have been since they met.

Raven sighed, "I will be on a mission and I will not return."

"Where are you going?"

"You do no--,"

"Of course, I need to know."

"Yeager's crib. I am on a mission to kill Grisha Yeager and I need your help."

"I will be glad to go w--," she cut him off.

"You are not following me. You will stay here, be the general and --,"

"That's absurd! It's a suicide mission."

"Erwin, listen to me." She pinched the bridge of her nose. That was when Erwin noticed her features, the bags under her eyes were worst than usual. Her usual silver shimmering eyes were red and puffy, indicating that she had bawled her eyes out. "You will stay here and fulfil your place as the General. I will go on the mission and attempt to kill Grisha Yeager. This could mean that our miserable life filled with Attack on Titans might stopped but, if the table turned and I failed to kill him, we will be expecting attacks which include from me." Raven leaned back to her chair, feeling the exhaustion creep into her. "This is where you come in, Levi and Eren are bonded to me by all means when I die,"

Erwin cut her off, "If you die, the bond will be broken."

"Yes, and since the three of us shares a very strong bond, both might lose control. You need to tame them. I have locked Levi in the basement, and I need you to bring Eren to him. You keep them chained until everything ends."

"You.... You broke it, didn't you?" Erwin asked. Raven looked dejected and the sight of the missing ring made more sense. "Couldn't you have explained to him this situation?"

"You know it is impossible Erwin." She sighed.

"At the very least, it will save you from the heartbreak of doing it." Erwin was right and Raven was not going to deny it but, she had done it anyways. "Raven, it's very unhealthy to always put others before yourself, you know."

"Let's not talk about it." She deadpanned.

Erwin shook his head in disapproval, "eventually, we have to." He approached the general. Erwin wraps his arms around the general tightly, "It has been so tough for you. Please, you need to live your age." He muttered. He felt Raven trembled in his embrace as she buried her face into his chest. She started crying silently. Erwin held him tighter. For all he knew, Raven had bottled her feelings to the extend that it was overflowing and yet, she never failed to keep it within herself. From being a general of Survey Corps at a very young age to having to sacrifice herself for everyone's safety.

"Erwin," Raven finally looked up to him and wiped off her tears, "please keep Levi and Eren safe. I will put their lives in your hands. Promise me."

"I swear from the bottom of my heart."