Blue ( levi X reader )

Chapter 10

Over the next few days I found myself either holed up in Levi's study divulging our deepest darkest secrets —just kidding, we had casual conversations or some times found ourselves reading in silence—or training. Levi's presence when he wasn't nagging us to clean or to get our shit together was soothing.  Erwin and Hange would occasionally drop by to bother Levi and we'd talk all night over a too many pots of tea.

Levi used this time to teach me his techniques. Little did I know that meant dragging me out of bed at 6 am daily for gruelling pre-lesson 'warm up' sessions that left me bathing in sweat and my muscles on the verge of falling off my close to breaking bones.

Failing to realise I was only human, his lesson plans included much unwarranted beatings. The last time I checked, I did not sign up to be Humanity Strongest's punching bag.

"Oi, Scheider! Get up!" Levi nudged my arm with his feet. Getting into a kickboxing match with him was equivalent to asking for a death sentence.

"It hurts," I whined, pulling my body up into a kneeling position supported by the wooden wall. "What kind of lesson is this?" I asked, pushing my hair out of my face.

"This leads to my lessson for today, so get the fuck up, brat."

I groaned and standing up straight, resuming my stance. Levi clenched his gloves hands in front of his face. Even on foot he was fast, it took my full focus to avoid his advances. I had been hit way too many times this fucking morning, my motivation to end this session gradually increasing every time I was brought down.

I dodged his fist, taking the opportunity to deliver an uppercut punch below his arm. Levi narrowly missed the fist, turning his body to the side. I felt a sudden jab in my shoulder blade, the pain shooting up my shoulder. I winced, stumbling.

I felt my hands being twisted back as Levi kneed the back of my knees, causing my tense legs to instinctively curl and drop. He pushed my back down into the ground. I struggled to free my hands, only for Levi to twist them even harder. "Ok, Ok! White flag, Captain! I surrender!" I gave up. I wanted my arms intact after this session.

"Tch. Pathetic," he said, a hint of disappointment in his voice. He got off my back. I pulled myself into a sitting position, massaging my shoulder.

"I thought you could do better than this?" Levi asked.

"Ackerman, it hurts," I stressed. "Give me some time fucking to recover, and we'll see." I glared up at him. He walked over, arms crossed. He bent down, shaking his head lightly, tsk-ing. He reached his hand out, I winced, pulling back slightly. Another Ackerman finger flick, and I might suffer a concussion.

He pinched my nose. "You're cute for thinking you have any time to recover," he teased. I slapped his hand away, holding my nose in the other.

"What is with you and inflicting pain?!" I asked, my voice a nasal thrum from cradling my nose.

Levi relaxed his hands on his hips. "You should know very well there is not much time for you to recover when we're out there. Time waits for no one, and neither do Titans. The ugly giants will just keep coming and coming and you will have to keep runninging and fighting." He stuck a helping hand out, "Also, the lesson today is pain."

I grabbed his hand, pulling myself up. Though my legs were very well about to buckle and collapse at any given moment.

"Pain is the best teacher," he continued. "We grow and learn quickly from pain." I didn't fully agree with him, however, I was open to hearing what he has to say. Plus,I didn't have the energy to argue back. "You're filthy; get yourself cleaned up. Then come down for dinner," he ordered. "I'll whip something up."

"You're cooking?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"Yes."

"The Levi Ackerman can cook?"

"Is that so fucking unbelievable?" He snapped raising an eyebrow.

I grinned, "No. It's just—" I had been doing the cooking the last few days because the cooks were given the week off. The handful of people who stayed back for whatever reason were left to do all the cooking by themselves in their own homes.

"Just what, Scheider?" He squinted his eyes, curious but annoyed. Levi Ackerman was like an onion; He had many layers to his personality. One of them being scary enough to make a new recruit piss their pants if they pissed him off. It was sort of heartwarming to see him so different from his usual cold demeanour.

"Nothing. I'll look forward to dinner," I said, stuffing my hands down my pocket nonchalantly. I walked past the Captain, and in the corner of my eye, I caught the stone man crack a small smile.

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Levi never cooked often, that's what the military cooks were for, but he wanted to do something special just for today. He had grown fond of Y/N over the past few days. Levi found himself enjoying the peaceful week with her. She was quite a talker once he got to know her.

But he could listen to her talk all day, and wouldn't complain. She had that voice that was calming and soothing. He liked how passionate she was when talking about her views and outlook on the world. She often talked about wanting to bask in the sun sandwiched by blue skies and waters. It would be the ultimate freedom, she had once said. Her presence was like a warm hug on a cold day... strangely synonymous with how he felt around Farlan and Isabel.

He ought to make a special meal for no other reason than to show his appreciation for her willingness to spend time with him. She didn't mind his obsessive cleaning habits—well, most of the time at least—neither did she really care much about his quiet and vulgar nature. She, too, exerted somewhat most would call unladylike attributes, a simple but apparent contradiction to how she carried herself and took care of her appearance. Levi found her to be quite refreshing.

In some ways, he found her being quite similar to him; their personalities complemented one another in a lovely symphony. Levi was surrounded by teenagers every day. Yes, he had colleagues who were slightly older, in their adulthood but being leaders as well, they had their own responsibilities. They couldn't be there all the time.

He was glad that now he had someone in his team to relate to and connect with. She made him happy, even if they were living on borrowed time.

Y/N came down to the kitchen, blessed with the aroma of a warm, fresh meal accredited to Levi. The Captain never failed to surprise her, especially now that she knew him much better. "Wow, Levi. I am impressed, I'm not gonna lie," she praised, looking at what seemed to be potato soup and some kind of grilled pork. They didn't have meat often, given how expensive it was due to its scarcity, so this was a special treat.

"Try it," he probed, serving a bowl of soup and pork to her. Her knife went through the meat like butter; it was tender and juicy—well-cooked. Levi watched keenly as she put the piece of meat in her mouth. Her eyes lit up, sparking a sense of satisfaction through him, proud of himself.

Y/N tried the soup next. Potato soup was a typical household dish; everybody has a different potato soup recipe, making it enjoyable. Levi's soup made her heart drop into the endless pit of her stomach. The taste of it was reminiscent of her mother's potato soup; it was a taste she hadn't had in almost a decade. The warmth and love she so dearly missed.

"What? Is it bad?" Levi asked a tinge of worry in his expression, noticing the gloss in her eyes. She looked up from her soup, holding back the tears.

"No, it tastes like home," her voice cracked while a sad smile sat on her lips, "I love it." Levi leaned back, relieved. The two enjoyed their meal, occasionally talking about today's training session and revealing a little more about themselves to one another. But that heavy emptiness never left and it kept the Captain wondering what was truly on her mind.

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Word Count: 1426

Thank you for the 100 reads! ❤️ I really hope you guys are enjoying it so far. Any feedback is welcomed~~ you can DM or leave it in the comments. Thank you so muchhhhh.

xx alex