The Crocus Lawn// Levi x reader BOOK 1

XI

"Extracurricular? Seriously?" You sigh, realising what 'teaching tricks' actually meant.

You look out over the faces in your squad. A lot of them or new, or have been here only a year or so. Eld included, the lot of them looked nervous.

"You agreed to this, your 'guard dog' won't protect people who don't at least stand a chance," Levi grumbled, clearly just as annoyed as you.

"C'mon, Spud. You promised," Nanaba added, having decided to join you.

You mutter a reply, something of the affirmative. Grabbing your blades, you fit them into your harness before walking over.

"Alright, here's how it goes. There's 2 ways to use this: 1) you can take advantage of the temporary blind spot to escape your enemy," you start, glancing at Levi. He'd perfected that part at least. "2), gain enough height from the loop to allow you a sheer, vertical drop. The force from the fall will allow you to completely behead a Titan, not just slice it's nape, without compromising your blades."

The soldiers look down at their blades, the lightweight metal glinting in the sun as several pairs were turned and inspected. Finally Petra, the girl you had learned was friends with Oluo, looked up.

"When do we start, Captain?"

You catch Nanaba smirking next to you. Captain wasn't a rank here, there was the Commander, Section Commanders, and Squad Leaders. You were a second in command Squad Leader, you weren't really sure the archaic term quite fit your role. But, you supposed...

"Alrighty, that's a far better, more appropriate title than second in command," Eld began, "these two here are my Captains! Treat them with as much respect a you would me, your Squad Leader."

Two birds with one stone, you thought. Eld had effectively relinquished power over the Squad, a responsibility he loathed, and simultaneously bolstered both Levi's and your position. Someone should get that on paper, maybe Captains get a pay rise.

"Alright folks, fly!" You yell, and watch the soldiers scramble.

Of course, you'd gone over the principle with them. 'It's a lot of gas, shoot out, up if you're low, and down if you're high.'

"I cannot emphasise enough just how much gas you have to release between the two separate hook shoots!" You shout over the whooshing of gas and clunking of cables. Nanaba had the trick nailed, swooping in graceful arches over the other soldiers. Surprisingly, it was Oluo who pulled it off next. You heard a gleeful 'whoop' from Petra as she noticed her friend spinning back round. Unfortunately, she didn't notice the tree, and crashed into the leaves.

"Petra, are you okay?" You asked, zipping towards the tree she fell into.

"Yes!" She said, poking her head out from the foliage, ridding her hair of twigs.

"You have to watch out, I think you almost had it there too," you said, gently, "always, always watch out for those trees, Petra. It's an easy mistake."

She nodded, gathering herself up before dropping below the tree line. You see about to follow her to see if she could pull off the loop, when she came flying back to where she started. A perfect loop, even with the obstacle of the tree line. You smiled at her, and she beamed back at you.

—————

"Fine, yeah," muttered Levi, taking a drag from his own cigarette, "I'll admit it, you sure know how to lead them."

"Fine? Yeah?" You question.

"I was wrong about what I said, about you being nothing like your brother. I was hopeless teaching Isobel, so I gave up. He- Farlan didn't."

You looked across the branch towards him, cautiously. He's being uncharacteristically nice. Deciding not to overthink it, you take out your own cigarette, and hold it out to him to light.

The treetop meeting had become more frequent since the dual promotion to Captains. It was entirely arbitrary, of course, but Eld and Hange made such a case. Your hand shake with the Commander was nothing special, but you couldn't help but notice the especially proud gleam in his eyes when he took the hand of Levi. You had the feeling that the Commander had been waiting for the day that Levi took some sort of charge. Whatever he had seen or heard of Levi in The Underground and the events that followed must have convinced him of something.

"Its not lighting, put it in your mouth and come here."

You look down at your unlit cigarette and sigh, before moving closer. He held his lit cigarette to the one between your lips, and you gently inhaled as the embers began to catch. It was intimate, and mildly weird, to be so close to him, doing such an ordinary act. Too soon, you thought, he moved away.

"Thanks, Captain," you laughed.

"Tsk, cut that out. It's belittling."

"Sure, would you rather Mr... Mr" you pause, realising you don't know his surname.

He still looked obviously annoyed, but you caught a glimpse of something softer in his eyes.

"Ackerman..."

"Mr Ackerman-"

"Enough!" His smoke was over. He turned and dropped from the branch, falling a few metres before shooting his hooks out. In the twilight, his pale skin seemed to glow even brighter, his raven black hair casted impossibly dark shadows beneath his eyes.

—————

"Tell me, please, what the colour of his hair had to do with the meeting?" Nanaba asked.

You were sat back in your dormitory, which you now shared with Nifa and Petra. So much for Captain perks. You hid your face, before clawing at your hair in mock frustration.

"Nana, that's not what I said at all! I said when he flew away, his hair- which is dark- made his eye bags look worse, and that I don't want a sleep deprived Captain on my squad!"

Nanaba looked over at Nifa, who was sat on her bottom bunk. They met eyes, tried to contain their laughter, and failed completely.

"Oh his flowing hair! His dark brooding eyes!" Nifa mocked, clutching at her heart and faux swooning.

"Guys leave off, she's just concerned," Petra sighed as she entered the dorm from the bathroom.

"Yeah guys," you grumble, "besides, we'll have eye bags if we don't turn in for the night."