Tainted (Levi x Reader)

Chapter 34

A rustling sound announced Anya's presence. She peeked nervously over the edge of the ravine before turning around to clamber down feet first.

"Wait here for a sec," you told her quietly. You then walked down the bottom of the ravine a ways, climbing up and circling back to do a quick yet thorough check of the area. Satisfied that Anya hadn't been followed, you returned to your camp and passed her a ration of bland crackers and a flask of water.

She gratefully accepted and scarfed down the crackers, washing them down with several long gulps of the water. You then helped her back up the side of the ravine, leading her deeper into the forest to the clearing where the two of you had practiced the first time.

"So, how did things go when you got back?" you asked as the two of you walked side by side.

Anya looked up at the sky to avoid your expectant (e/c) gaze. "I was in a lot of trouble, of course. One of the caretakers tried to hit me and I−" a smile suddenly split her face. "I blocked it."

You nudged her shoulder good-naturedly. "Already putting my lessons to good use, huh?"

"Yeah." You both reached your destination.

A few hours passed while you trained, before Anya needed to head back. You'd shown her some more offensive moves. You saw the girl off once more, reminding her to continue refining what she'd learned on the days between meetings.

You then headed back to the ravine, your mind distracted as you began planning for next time. I should show her how to use a knife next, and how to gain the upper hand against someone who is using one...

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A month passed as you stayed in the forest. Days were spent training Anya, and every few nights, you saw Levi. He would catch you up on what was going on with everyone else, based mostly on letters sent by Hange and sometimes Armin.

Despite the relative contentment you felt, a part of you was still deeply uneasy. You would space out a lot, going to a dark corner of your mind that was always consumed by one desire: to finally kill your father. After all, you couldn't stay in hiding forever.

You sat beside Levi on the bank of the stream, taking turns skipping rocks and watching how the ripples distorted the reflection of the stars above. The two of you leaned against the broad trunk of a tree, hearing the gentle sighing of its branches far above.

Levi paused, turning over a small, flat stone in his hand with his face tilted up to observe the sky. "You've been very quiet tonight. Nothing new with Anya?" he asked suddenly.

You sighed and leaned back on your elbows. "I mean, she's always improving, getting stronger. I'm pleased with her progress."

"So what's bothering you?"

You were silent for a moment, trying to put the words together. You didn't want to worry him. But more than that, you didn't want him to see just how much your obsession was growing. You couldn't quite acknowledge it yourself, but it was there. And the part of you that was aware of it, was scared of it. "I'm just... wondering when I'll get the chance to end all of this. We're staking so much on this operation, on Anya."

"Your patience will pay off," Levi replied, briefly glancing over at you.

Silence reigned for several long moments. You sat back up fully. "Levi, what if I can't do it? My father is a horrible man who does sick things, but I still remember times when he seemed so human. And he's still my father. If I kill him so easily, does that make me a sick person, too?"