Walking Among Spirits (Levi x Reader) [REWRITE]

[ Chapter 10 ]

Content Warnings:

•Strong Language
•Violence
•Gagging
•Anxiety
•Angst
•Death
•Guns
•Loss

•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•

This chapter is inspired by Maksim Mrvica's "Leeloo's Theme."

Sensitive content is present in this chapter, please read at your own discretion.

Flashback

Your very first day of school was one you never forgot. It seemed that everyone was capable of making friends and finding their people. Everyone except you. You were always the oddball that children didn't flock to or feel eager to get to know. That afternoon when you came home, you already knew school would be challenging if no one was interested in paying attention to you. All you wanted was a friend. You didn't care about how many, one was enough.

For that reason, Tristan was your only best friend for a long time, until you met Katsumi. The older boy always stood up for you and took the blame if you accidentally broke something in your father's shop. He had no reason to but he looked out for you, anyway. Whether some classmate made fun of you, he was always willing to talk to them to make them apologize to you. Even if your other brother, Quincy, was the one messing with you. Tristan was there to have your back, no matter what.

The two of you were stuck at the hip for years, until he had to leave for Cadet Corps to pursue the Military Police. Even far apart, you still maintained your close relationship by exchanging letters whenever you had the chance. Nothing excited you more than hearing back from him when he found the time to reply to your letters. You wished you had gotten more time with him before he suddenly grew up to start his own life. Most of the memories you remember of growing up with him were after he had left, considering you were still fairly young, only eight-years-old.

After your first full week of school, a pattern developed. No one would talk to you because they ran off to their other friends. Feeling left out of everything, your brother tried to lift your spirits everyday when he would pick you up. One day in particular, Quincy had the bright idea to open his mouth and tease you about it, which didn't end well. "Maybe they don't like you because you are weird?" The boy, two years your senior, pondered at the kitchen table. You had pursed your lips, truly believing the hypothesis. The idea made you feel worse than before but of course, Tristan tried to save the day. "Don't say that, Quince! They're the ones missing out on how cool she is!" The eldest barked, in full-force protection mode. "He's right." You shrugged, accepting the fact that Quincy was telling the truth, you were just a lonesome weirdo.

Tristan whipped his head around with wide (color) eyes and immediately shook his head. "Don't believe the first thing he says, (nickname). You know he's annoying." He then rolled his eyes and glared at your brother. "Hey, that's rude!" The other (texture)-headed boy frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. Tristan only sighed and left it alone, knowing that if he engaged it would only fuel the argument. You never did understand how someone could be so calm and patient. He never lost his cool in front of you, making sure he only presented his positive side to you. The last thing he wanted was to influence any more negativity into your life.

The boy was so charming to the point of catching the eyes of your classmates when he would pick you up from school. Maybe, your brother would be the reason kids would talk to you? The thought was a bit of a stretch, though. Why would anyone talk to you even if you had a cool big brother? Even though he was an amazing person who turned the heads of others, he was the most oblivious person to the attention. He would never admit to being a heartthrob for his kind and gentle nature, calling himself nobody special besides your brother. You desperately wanted him to see his own reflection because he impacted your life so greatly just by being there for you.