Deviate | Levi Ackerman x OC

Ch. 28

"You want to know but you don't want to ask," Levi commented after a minute.
"What?"
"You're intentionally avoiding 'that' question but you want the answer to it anyway."
"I– I don't know what you're talking about."
This made him laugh quietly. "What do you want, Ace? Some fancy outing? A handwritten letter maybe? Or perhaps I can single-handedly spell it out in the stars for you?"
I smirked as I pretended to think about it for a minute. "Now that would truly be something impressive. But no, I don't need any of that."
He knit his eyebrows together and opened his mouth to complain.
"I don't want any of that because all I ever truly needed was to know where your head and heart were. Ya know, so I can adjust mine accordingly."
He shook his head at me with a slight grin. "Whatever you say. Hopefully you were able to get the insight you needed."
"I absolutely was. Thank you," I smiled back at him, squeezing his hand that still held my cheek.

We reveled in this peaceful moment until I swiftly added, "You also don't get to hate Mike, either."
"I didn't agree to that," he replied with a huff.
"Okay fine, let me correct myself: you don't get to hate Mike for what happened earlier today."
"Ace, he was all over you and–"
"And I politely turned him down. That is it and that isn't enough to loathe him for."
Levi didn't sound convinced. "If he does it again, I swear I'm going to–"
"He won't."
"And how do you already know he won't?" He challenged, pulling his hand back and anticipating my response.
"... I just know," I shrugged.
"Because... he's going to know you're mine?"
My heart fluttered hearing that one but I tried not to let it show. "First of all, I am my own before I am anyone else's."
"Naturally, but you are mine, too. And I'd say that about sums it up."
"Not so fast, we need to leave room for Hange."
"Oh joy," he deadpanned.
I snickered at his lack of enthusiasm. "They're already all over me for the details."
"So you did already tell someone?"
"Just Hange. They caught me on my walk back this morning and wouldn't leave me alone about it. I kept it on a need-to-know basis, though."
"Sounds like them," he groaned. "Okay, well... would it be better to just make it known all around?"
"No," I snapped a little too quickly. I immediately regretted that and my lightning fast decline didn't get past Levi.
"Oi, fuck it all," he narrowed his eyes as I fumbled to explain. "Isn't that where this entire argument stemmed from? Mike flirting with you because he didn't know you were otherwise occupied?"
"No, this began due to you getting unreasonably upset after Mike did whatever he did because we hadn't established any terms."
"That sounds a lot like the same thing."
I wrinkled my nose at him.
"So if it could've avoided this altogether, why wouldn't we just put it out there?"

"Because," I thought quickly how to explain it in a way that wouldn't further offend him but also get my thoughts across well. "I care about you deeply, more than I think I ever intended to. But... I've also worked really hard to get even to this point. And I don't want–"
"Anyone to think you were given something you didn't earn on your own," he finished my sentence for me.
I looked at him sympathetically and nodded my head. "This is also a first for you, too. I wouldn't want it to look like you can't kept it professional."
"I couldn't care less what it looks like to anyone else."
"Well I do," I insisted. "We're both very capable in our roles independent of one another. We just also happen to be compatible in... ways outside of work, too."
"Hm, is that what you'd call it?" His tone was laced with a hint of amusement. He was thoughtful for a moment before speaking up again. "So where do we go from here, Ace?"
I wrapped my arms around his neck, bringing him close to me. "I say we just... enjoy the ride, whatever that looks like here. Don't think too much about it or put unnecessary pressure. We both know where we stand now – I think that's all the confirmation I was looking for. We can figure out the rest as we go."
He pursed his lips and wrapped his arms around my waist. "I think that's fair."
I couldn't hide my relieved grin. "Good, glad we're all in agreement."
Levi looked confused at my choice of words. "All?"
"Well yeah. You, me, and Hange."
His face fell and he groaned. I couldn't keep my laughter to myself. "Hey, you're the one who said whoever ended up with me was signing up for a union with them, too."
"Shit," he cursed as he remembered that conversation.
"I was simply reminding you of that. Give you an out to change your mind still."
He pulled me in tightly against him. "I would never."
"Perfect," I beamed. "They're going to be so thrilled!"