Don't Die - Levi x Reader {Book 1}

Chapter 57

(Y/N) waited until the end of the week to start packing. She knew that the sight of her things disappearing into bags would send Levi into a spiral. Actually, she was a little worried that it would send her into a spiral, too. But she'd left it too long and now she had no choice. She'd be leaving in the morning and she'd yet to pack even a single shirt.

Erwin had given both her and Levi the day off from training. (Y/N) wasn't sure if that was better or worse. Without the distraction, she was sure that her mind would wander to places that would make the pain nearly unbearable. But... she also wanted every moment with Levi that she could possibly get. They didn't have many left.

Levi hadn't been happy when (Y/N) had told him about her trip to see Erwin. Just as (Y/N) had suspected, they'd gotten into another fight. This one had raged for hours with long stretches where neither of them could even speak through their tears. But, eventually, it had ended in the way that almost all of their fights did. They'd grown so exhausted, so broken, that the only thing that would help was each other. Before they'd been able to stop themselves, they'd been wrapped in each other's embrace. (Y/N) had just repeated to him how much she loved him, how badly she wished she could stay but also why she needed to go. She'd had to whisper to him for what seemed like forever before finally, finally, Levi had made a switch. His words turned from "you can't go" to "when you go" and (Y/N) had known that she'd gotten through to him. He'd accepted, no matter how reluctantly, that she was going to leave.

After that it hadn't been a matter of deciding whether or not (Y/N) was actually going to go, it had been a matter of being as close to each other as possible before they were ripped apart. The rest of their week had been spent quietly. They'd hadn't spoken much, just held each other tightly, trying to savor every touch. They'd still gone to training, though. They'd needed the distraction. If they'd allowed themselves to stay in bed all day, they would have crumbled over and over again. Just the nights they spent together were already hard enough.

But now, the time had come to face reality. (Y/N) would be gone by this time tomorrow and they both knew it. Whether they were ready or not, it was time to start saying goodbye.

(Y/N) turned her attention to the closet as she finally resolved to finally start filling her bags. It felt strange, otherworldly, as she walked toward the door. She'd never thought that she would be moving out so soon after moving in. She and Levi had only gotten a few months of bliss, just a short time in which they could be together with nothing in their way. She had a feeling that it would be a very long time before they could live like that again.

(Y/N)'s hand hit the knob on the closet door and she gently pulled it open. All of their clothes were hung neatly. Every single shirt looked pristine and crisp. Levi made sure they stayed that way.

(Y/N) reached for one, pulling it out slowly and then proceeding to fold it. She hesitated for just a moment, realizing that this was the beginning of a hard journey, and then after a deep breath, set it in the box at her feet. She reached for another, repeating the process all over again. She went for another and another until she finally came to the last one. She smoothly removed it from its hanger and pulled it to her body as she started to fold. But when her eyes landed on the fabric, she paused. Her eyes widened the tiniest bit and she sucked in a sharp breath as she saw what she was holding. It was the shirt that they'd bought together on their first trip into town. A spark of pain started to rush through her but it was quickly cut off by the sound of a voice.

"(Y/N)?"

(Y/N) turned around to see Levi coming out of the kitchen. They'd just eaten lunch and he'd been cleaning up. But he must have heard her gasp and now he was standing across the room, his eyes flicking between the shirt in her hands and the half-filled box on the floor. She'd hadn't told him she was going to start packing.