Blue and White - Levi Fanfiction

Ch. 73 - Dark Night, Brighter Stars

The sun had long set by the time the food was gone, though our stomachs and hearts were full, incredibly so. Darkness crept across the landscape like a wave, and it was quite a sight to watch the darkness approach from the east, blanketing the ocean first and coating it in this dark haziness before reaching us.

When the skies above our heads grew dark, I realized with a start that we were blessed with one of the prettiest night skies I'd seen in a while, because though not full, the moon was as gorgeous as it was bright.

After a while, we realized just how late it became, mostly because Emi was soon fast asleep in my arms. When we made the walk down to the base, with Levi holding the basket, the blanket folded up inside, Emi remained soundly asleep, the cutest, most content look set upon her face and settling upon her petite features.

The coastal trail was dark and quiet, but from where we were on one of the higher cliffs, we could see the little camp's nightly glow peeking through the trees. There was the golden lantern glow of the nightly patrols, the candlelight pouring out from the few permanent buildings there were, and the more subdued tones emanating from the tents. There were a few campfires burning strong, either from soldiers swapping stories or having late dinners.

Even from up here, I could hear the sea shanties the Marleyan volunteers were trying to teach the scouts. There was excited shouting coming from the makeshift bar, and I could only hope there'd be no brawls tonight. It was a weeknight, so perhaps everyone would behave themselves - or maybe that was just wishful thinking. These were all soldiers, after all.

Looking out over the water, with moonlight waves cascading across the shoreline, I couldn't help but stall in my step slightly to watch for a moment. I could distinctly note Levi stopping just half a pace after me, and as he was walking next to me on the path closer to the cliff's edge, I could so clearly see his eyes meet my figure, then turn to follow my own gaze even within my periphery.

Despite the enticing thought to just stare at him, I continued to look at the horizon before me. Goodness, wasn't that still so strange to say? Me, a pale and sickly rat, now seeing the sea and the distant horizon far beyond it. Though, pale and sickly rat was hardly a way to describe me now, wasn't it? I was muscled now, though rounded out after my pregnancy, and I was healthy - incredibly so, thankfully, and perhaps miraculously so.

I didn't allow the thoughts on myself linger; instead, I returned my attention to the landscape before me, gorgeous as it was. The moonlight shimmered silver across the waves, seeming to glitter and dance together in such a way as to seem seamless and intentional. How nature could make something like that, so chaotic yet so coherent, was well beyond my sensibilities.

I sneaked a glance at Levi. It didn't matter how many times I saw him in the moonlight, because each time I saw that ghostly blue glint on his skin, the ethereal glow of his already gorgeous eyes accentuated by the night sky, it stole my breath away.

Levi was as observant as always and caught me looking at him. "Any particular reason you're looking at me?"

"You're just so pretty in the moonlight, my dear," I cooed.

"I'm not pretty," he scoffed.

"That is for me to decide," I said. "I'm the one who gets to look at you every day, after all."

"Watch where you're going, stupid," he muttered, clearly flustered. "You're carrying our daughter."

I chuckled but said nothing more, and meaningfully and rather obviously pulled my eyes away from him. In his attempt to get over his embarrassment, brief though it was, he freed up one hand and pressed it to the small of my back to guide me to fall (and stay) back in step with him.