The Shift; Levi Ackerman X

II

(Just a little teen romance for a spicy backstory.)

Two Years Later...

Trinkets twisted on strings above woollen blankets, red and green glass glistening in the sunlight once the sun rose high enough. Victor yawned with his awakening, his long hair braided down. The other cadets had already begun to dress and leave to the dining hall. He groaned as he sat up, his bunk mate glancing over with her brown eyes. "What are you looking at, Brathsmith?"

"Uh, nothing..." She turned away to put her shirt on, grabbing her jacket a moment later. "We get to go to our chosen factions today, Vittoria. I-i know you were hand picked but you still get a choice on which or if you're going to even stay at all."

Vic stared at her, his eyes looking her up and down. "Two years have passed and you still know how to get on my nerves." Leonna sighed as she left. Vic dressed quickly, hearing a couple screams from the girls. Graham Filles, the blonde, idiotic master of tomfoolery, was terrorizing the girls dorm, clothes being tossed at him and Monty Reynolds. Vic rushed his straps to meet them. "Guys, wait for me!"

Grahams laughter bellowed down the hall. "Ahh, Vittoria! How's my favorite girl on such a fine morning?" He held his hand out for Vic, him walking past ignoring both of them.

"Wow, great going Filles." Monty chuckled. Graham elbowed him and followed Vic outside.

"How much could a 15 year old girl get for giving a guy like me some love."

"Absitively posolutely nothing... For you." He grabbed his plate of breakfast and sat at a back table, Graham and Monty following. Brathsmith was already seated across from him, her shy eyes glancing up every now and then. "Hey, Leonna."

"Hello." She whispered. Victor had always admired Leonna, her bravery in their 2 years of training. He still had no idea how she had made it into the top 10 of their sanction, let alone top 5 just under Vic himself taking #4. She was the smart one, taller than most of the girls and even half the guys. Timid in nature but could really beat her way through anything.

"Hey." He slid his plate towards her, giving her the last of his meat. "Chin up." She smiled taking the plate.

"So, uhm, Vittoria." Leonna swallowed. "I think I'm going to join the scouting legion. With Kurt and Hona." Monty paused his conversation with Graham that was going on in the background. Everyone was looking at them like they had seen a ghost. She swiped a lock of her black hair behind her ear.

"You're doing what?" Everyone's eyes moved to Victor. He was turning red with embarrassment. "I thought you wanted to join Janess in the military police?" She shook her head.

"You're going with Captain Hange and Erwin. Even Levi is in the scouts-"

"Yeah cuz he's crazy. I'm crazy. Hell I don't even think Graham's gonna live long enough to see a titan out there, let alone kill one. That's crazy. You, you're perfect." He thought it was quiet before, but with those words it seemed like he could hear crickets in the silence. A tear streaked down Leonna's cheek.

"No, I'm not." She slammed her plate, running from the dining hall with all the cadets watching. Graham went to speak only to have Victor slap his mouth closed. Vic got up leaving. As he exited the hall he ran as fast as he could to catch up, him catching up with Leonna as she was entering the stables. "Vittoria, don't-"

"No, let me apologize. I really didn't mean to offend you or anything, you, I just... Please, stop crying, you're going to make me cry with you." He wiped his face, Leonna looking down at him with all the care in her heart.

"I want to go with you, Vittoria."

Victor chokes up, his mouth feeling dry. "Me..? Not Janess?"

She scoffed. "Oh, fuck Janess. Do you pay attention to nothing? Janess and I we're friends, but when I told her how i felt about you she left the military completely. She won't even join the stationary guard because i don't like her the way I like you." Leonna exhaled. "You're oblivious."

Victor relaxed. "I don't know what to say..." Leonna stepped forward, her lips meeting Vics. The both of them grinned, little chuckles falling from their mouths.

Later that day, all 30 plus cadets celebrated, everyone eager to sign their names to their factions. Nine out of the top 15 cadets had decided to join the scouting legion, three heading the the military police. Harkness Vermont was the only one in the top 10 to go to the military police while Coray Albrecht joined the stationary guard. Thebtop 15 were very close knit, as they were among the first to volunteer besides Ofelia Garendez. After Janess quit her training to become a civilian once again Ofelia was moved up to the 10th spot.
Graham, Kurt, Harkness, Victor, and Leonna were the top 5 in order followed by Monty, Hona, Merio, Coray, and Ofelia as 6 through 10. Quite the group.
There was a kid, Wilbur Richarde, who came in with his cousin, Amele Dorien, from Trost district. They were quite possibly the worst pair of boys of the whole of the trainees.

All of them had gathered in the dining hall to eat before bed, so many of the cadets ogling the new couple entering. Victor was on edge since the speech that early afternoon, most of the people he was hoping to be there not showing up at all. There was no news of the scouts return. He looked to Leonna who was still her usual quiet self, bobbing happily as she ate. Merio was looking at them, staring at Vic from another table.

"What the fuck do you want shot for brains?" As soon as the words left Victors mouth the door to the hal was slammed open, five Scouts making their way inside after Pixis, all grabbing food. It was Levi and Erwin, Hange mingling in the background with Mike and Nile. Pixis was only checking around the room, leaving with a sigh.
All five of the scouts were covered in dirt, Hange and Erwin with blood on their jackets. It hit Victor hard in the chest when he remembered that titans didn't leave blood stains, meaning it had to be human or animal. He was startled by Leonna's hand grabbing his.

"You don't look so well..."

He shook his head. "I think someone got hurt, but I don't know who. They look fine but Erwin and Hange have blood on their clothes."

Leonna glanced over at the table four of them sat at. "I don't think something too bad happened." With that a plate was set before Victor, Levi sitting down with his usual glare.

He paused his look to take a sip of his drink, his hand resting over it after setting it down. "Why'd you called me crazy." He stared at him, his lids flicking as they moved to Leonna. He hummed, his tongue clicking. Victor swallowed squeezing Leonna's hand. "Does Pixis know about this?" He cut his slab of beef, eating a small chunk.

"I think everyone knows with what happened in here this morning." Victor sighed pushing his plate away. "I don't want to talk about it with you. You'll just get on my case about being an idiot."

"Exactly, 'cuz you're a little shit who fucks up too often. You could say im your conscience but you never listen."

Vic rolled his eyes, Leonna standing up with both of their plates. He looked up at her. She nodded and left. Victor focused his attention on Levi. "None of you we're at the graduation. We were supposed to be doing the separate recruit sign ups tonight but because you all got in so late We have to wake up early again tomorrow instead of sleep in." He blew a loose hair from his face. "What happened?"

Levi finished his drink, nearly slamming it down. "Nothing important whatsoever. Someone got injured but that's the same shit every once in a while."

Victor furrowed his brows taking in the stature of his friend. "Are you drunk?"

He chuckled. "I can't get drunk, numbnuts. I'm drinking tea." He stood, dusting himself and leaving Vic alone ate the table.

The cadet rubbed his eyes on his way out of the dining hall, him following the path into the girls dorms. Hona shoved past him as they both entered, him tripping over small Fannie digging in her trunk. He apologised as he stood, quickly making his way to his bunk without disturbing any of his other roommates.
Leonna was undoing her belts, her long brown hair tied into a bun to not get caught. Most of the girls had cut their hair reluctantly, Leonna still not ready to give hers up. Victor unbuckled his in a rush, watching her hang her button up on the corner of their bunk. He took his braid out puting the elastic in his pocket. His eye's closed once he hit the pillow, passing out in a blip.