The Universe In Her Eyes • Levi Ackerman

5 • kitchen duty

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The next morning Eva woke up extremely early, ready to prepare breakfast for the recruits and eager to keep cleaning the kitchen with the new supplies Commander Sadies got her.

She decided on a simple breakfast, baking fresh bread, to be accompanied with different spreads, as well as some boiled eggs.

That way she could leave the majority of the kitchen utensiles under water to soften the multiple layers of dirt and rust before being able to clean them thoroughly. Just as she was getting started on this, a certain Corporal appeared at the kitchen's door, observing her every move without making a sound.

"Brat" he called her.

"Good morning, sir" she greeted, looking at him from over her shoulder while rinsing a couple of spoons. "Tea?"

"Yes."

He walked in the room while she started preparing his teapot. He carefully inspected their surroundings, touching under the table and the small stool before taking a sit.

"Not bad, brat, not bad" he commented.

"The cleaning?" she questioned, earning a nod from him. "Well, still a lot to do before I am fully comfortable with it, but I guess it's... tolerable."

They stayed silent until Eva served him the cup of tea.

"Get yourself one."

She looked at him increduloysly, silently questioning his judgement.

"That's an order, Cadet."

Eva snapped out of it, quickly following her superior's command.

"Sit down."

And so she did, taking a seat across from him.

"Why did you lie yesterday?" he asked, out of the blue.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Yesterday night, you were lying" he affirmed, looking intensely to her, while she avoided his gaze.

"How do you know that?" she questioned.

"Your eyes, brat."

Eva was appalled. Her eyes? Did he really pay so much attention to her eyes?

Slowly, Eva rose her gaze, until their eyes met. And like the previous times, the feeling was fervent for both of them. Eva suddenly felt completely vulnerable before the man. He looked at her with such intensity that Eva felt that he could see her very soul. She felt... naked before him. Completely at his mercy. Weak. She did not like to feel weak.

"Well? Are you going to deny it?" he spoke, not breaking eye contact.

If it was anybody else, she would have denied it. But she just felt incapable of lying to Lance Corporal Levi. It was simply out of the question —she was physically unable to utter the lies that would have come naturally to her, should another person be seated in front of her.

"No."

"Good girl" he smirked.

That gesture and those words did things to her insides that she could not describe. She had never felt like that before.

They stayed silent, contemplating each other. Their teacups untouched. Until he broke the trance.

"So why did you lie?"

"I have my reasons" she automatically responded, thankful for her quick thinking.

"I want to know them" he insisted.