Bargain (Levi x Reader)

Chapter 2: Hell

Damn it. Damn him.

Zeke had tricked Levi's comrades into drinking his spinal fluid. And then he had screamed, turning them all into mindless, bloodthirsty titans. Levi was forced to kill the men and women who had entrusted their lives to him, while Zeke fled – escaping Levi once again.

Levi tried to suppress his guilt and sorrow as he ended his subordinates' lives, one by one. He hoped they didn't feel any pain. He hoped they understood. But...God, when would this end? When would he stop losing every single person he was responsible for?

Maybe it would be easier if he simply died now, if he just closed his eyes and let the titans eat him. Then he wouldn't have to hurt anymore.

That thought caused Levi to hesitate – only for half a second, but it was enough. One of the titans yanked on his gear, breaking it, and Levi fell to the ground with a thud.

His body throbbed with pain, but he could still move. He scrambled to his feet and ran as the titan charged after him. It lunged, and in the blink of an eye, Levi made a snap decision.

He reached into his pocket, to the key that he kept there. He never understood why he carried it, since he hated the demon who had given it to him a little over a week ago, and he had vowed never to use it. However, strangely, he always felt more relaxed if he had that small weight in the fabric of his uniform.

Levi clutched the cold metal and pulled it out. Silently cursing himself, he yelled, "I want to go home!" And he hoped that this crazy, desperate plan of his worked.

All of a sudden, he was sprinting through a door that hadn't been there a second ago, into the most beautiful mansion he had ever seen. The floors and grand staircase were made of a shining redwood, with an equally fine red carpet covering their center, where people would walk. Marble busts and gold-framed paintings lined the foyer. And at the top of the staircase, on the second level, navy-curtained windows covered the wall from floor to ceiling.

He didn't have time to process all of this, though, because in the next instant, the titan crashed through the door behind him. However, only its head came through, as the rest was too big, and it didn't seem to be able to smash its way in. Stuck, it simply lay on its stomach, rolling its head around idly.

The impact shook the mansion and caused the marble busts to nearly jump off of their pedestals. All around the foyer, bustling servants stopped to gasp and stare at the strange sight that had just burst through the front door. Only one person seemed to still be moving, and Levi recognized her all too well.

"Levi!" Wrath gasped as she rushed down the staircase, wearing a glittering black dress that was far more modest than the one he had first seen her in.

Before Levi could make sense of the situation, her arms were around him. She seemed not to care about the blood and dirt that were surely rubbing off on her expensive-looking clothes. In fact, if Levi didn't know better, he would have said that she was genuinely concerned for him. Her embrace certainly felt real enough, and Levi couldn't help the sense of comfort that overcame him inside it.

Too tired and emotionally drained to think about it, Levi gave in to the sensation. He didn't care if she was manipulating him or not. Only minutes ago, he had been forced to slaughter his comrades. He just...needed something to take the edge off. And right now, Wrath was doing that.

Levi sighed, then relaxed into her. He weakly wrapped his arms around her waist and allowed his forehead to rest against her shoulder. Here, folded securely in her arms, unable to see or feel anything else besides the woman holding him, he was filled with a rare sense of serenity.