spite || levi x reader

3 - 5

When you wake up, you're in your cell again.

At least, that's what it feels like. Everything is dark, and you can still taste the dampness of the underground cell on your tongue. You sit up, too panicked to notice that there's someone next to you, too frenzied to notice that you're laying on straw, not on cold cement.

Someone grabs you and you flinch immediately, tearing your arm away- holy shit you're going to get tortured again-

"Hey, hey."

Someone says your name. You blink rapidly, trying to force yourself to refocus. When reality finally comes into focus, you realize that you're in a barn of some sort, laying on a bed of straw behind a... a stall wall? Levi's next to you, watching you through narrowed eyes. If you squint, you think you can make out concern behind his guarded expression.

Then, you realize where you are and who you're with. "Levi?" you whisper.

He nods, his face relaxing. "It's me."

Tears nearly well up in your eyes. Somehow managing to find Jean, getting to the hideout, falling into Levi's arms and kissing him- it had all felt like a fever dream. "This is real?" you croak out, vision blurry.

"Real," Levi confirms quietly.

Real. Real, real, real. Levi's hand on your hip, his other hand cupping your face, the way you're curled into his lap. All of the mud and dried crimson that you're stained with. Every inch of it is real, and you've never been more grateful. He smells so nice: clean, something outdoorsy, and some sort of lemon tinge, despite everyone being on the run for so long. He smells like home.

You reach out, fingers trailing against Levi's cheek. It's true, he's real. Here, beneath your fingertips. You could cry. Hell, you actually might. Trembling, you stroke your fingers against his cheek, and despite the dirt that you know is embedded under your fingernails, he still lets you.

"I missed you," you say hoarsely.

Levi swallows hard. "Me too."

Carefully, he tips your chin upwards, and Levi slots his mouth against yours. You sigh in relief, the weariness melting from your muscles as you sink closer into Levi's warmth. You kiss him until the energy leaves you and you slump down, head falling against his chest.

Levi cradles you, one hand in your hair, thumb tracing aimless circles on your scalp. You let your eyes fall shut, wondering if you'll be able to fall asleep again. More sleep would be nice.

"Time?" you murmur.

His thumb stops drawing circles. "You've only been out for a few hours. Sun's only just starting to come up."

You hum contently. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing." Levi's fingers start drawing again. "Everyone's still sleeping. Connie's on watch." You feel him swallow against you, and then he continues, "we're still on the run. No clue where Eren and Historia are." You feel his head tilt. "You know anything?"

You rock your head against his chest. "No. Never saw them."

He nods. "The only thing I can think of at this point is infiltrating one of the military bases and beating the truth out of one of them." Levi shifts slightly. "We found a base. Don't have the manpower to take it down so we're scouting it out."

"I'm manpower," you hum.

"You would be, at full health." Levi helps to pull you up so that you're not laying on him, and you lean against the wall. He meets your eyes, and you can see that he's thinking, debating his next move. Debating whether to ask you what happened to you.