Stay Beneath Him (INCOMPLETE) (Levi x Reader Fanfiction)

90: Interruption

  The following Monday afternoon, you were once again a pupil of Levi's relentless training, subject to repeated drills of blocking or escaping attacks. He never moved on to teaching you offensive maneuvers, adamant that you knew how to defend yourself first. "You'll almost never be the one to initiate a fight," he had said.

  "Or that's what I want you to think," you had replied. "But one day I'll launch a sneak attack against you."

  "I'd like to see you try," was his daring response.

  You were now practicing parrying punches, Levi sending light blows that you blocked with swiping forearms. He had briefly lectured you on how to parry punches that you couldn't dodge, once again prioritizing safety of your head and placing emphasis on deflecting strikes instead of taking the brunt of them.

  "Quicker!" he hollered, never slowing in his barrage of jabs while he critiqued your performance.

  "T-trying," you answered as your mind was purely focused on defending yourself. Left. Shit, from the right. Head. Head. Protect my head. Ah! You flinched as one punch bypassed your defenses and reached your face, Levi's knuckles halting just before connecting with your cheek.

  The two of you froze. "Too slow," he criticized.

  "Sorry. Let me try again."

  "I like that spirit." He withdrew himself, then readied up just as you readjusted your stance. "Don't screw up this time," he said before engaging you with more ferocity than before.

  Sharpening your attentiveness, you quieted the pleas of your weary muscles as you stopped his blows, moving faster to defend your head without letting him catch up. He was still holding back, as he had to, but you had learned to shut down the embarrassment of being coddled by your trainer during your time as his pupil.

  Left. Right again. Easy. Easy. Head! Protect head. Goddamn! No more comprehensible thoughts could form beyond these ones, Levi moving faster than your mentation. He sent one, then another, then another, before his foot unexpectedly slid back.

  What? Why is he-- oh! You lowered your arm right when his foot went flying into your side, your muscle memory strong enough to save yourself from his surprise kick. It rattled you with more force than you thought he would exert, but your stance was sturdy enough to keep yourself from buckling. Continuing your practiced maneuver, you wrapped around his leg and pivoted forward before swiping his grounded leg, shoving his chest and sending him to the ground.

  "Good!" he exclaimed right as he slammed into the mat. "Very good! I'm glad you're attentive."

  "Thanks!" You grinned, still securing his ankle in your arm as you looked down on your fallen opponent. "I'm getting pretty good at this, huh?"

  "Not bad, that's for sure." He relaxed his tense muscles, letting his leg sit in your hold. "You catch on pretty fast."

  "I can, sometimes," you boasted.

  "Alright." He yanked his leg out effortlessly, then got to his feet. "Let's try that one more time."

  The door to the studio opened, distracting you.

  "No, focus on me," Levi chided, though he also glanced at the new visitor. "This room is reserved."

  "It's me." Erwin Smith entered.

  "Hi, Erwin." You waved.

  "What're you doing here?" Levi asked.

  He closed the studio door, crossing closer to you as he fixed the bolo tie that was part of his attire that hardly matched the aesthetic of the room. "Just came to check on you two. Keith told me you both always rent this room after his class."