One Million to One || Levi x Reader

interlude: rainbows

Why the hell do you keep ending up with passed out men you barely know in front of you?

In all fairness, you happened upon Eren- not like Levi, who very deliberately found your doorstep. He's on his stomach, head tipped to the side. He doesn't look injured: no blood, no limbs at strange angles. But... is he dead?

You crouch down next to him and you fumble for a pulse, trying to figure out where to feel for it. You straighten up when you feel the steady bump bump under your fingers. "He's alive," you say, looking up to Levi.

He frowns. "So?"

"So..." you trail off; then, you realize he's serious. "So we should help him?"

Levi frowns, scrunching up his nose. "Why?"

You pause, failing to see Levi's dilemma. "Because we can? Because he clearly needs help? Because I have a conscience? Because helping people isn't a bad thing? I can go on."

"He's fine. Breathing and he's not injured." He gestures lamely at Eren. "He'll be fine."

Your jaw drops. "Remind me to never ask you to empathize with me, ever."

 "We don't know him."

"We do! We met him back in the five of spades," you insist, pointing at him as you stand up again. "He was normal! He was nice and he helped you fight the second shooter, right? And he had allies, so if they're not here now, then..."

You trail off, knowing that Levi gets what you're trying to say. It's safe to assume the worst. "Could've been like the two of hearts," Levi says warningly. "Split them up."

"Then helping him could help us find them too."

"Not everyone you meet is a good person, Bees."

"And not every person is a bad one!"

There's a standoff for a moment. You and Levi are glaring at each other, and you're starting to realize how annoying his unwillingness to trust is. You've been learning to tolerate it, learning that how you and Levi are relying on each other is out of necessity more than it's out of kindness or friendship- but sometimes his coldness is just too much. Like now, for instance.

You inhale, then exhale. He's stubborn, but so are you. "We can't just leave him here," you say, looking down at him. "It's cold. And there's- who knows what could happen to him? It's not safe out here."

"He'll be fine." Levi sounds painfully indifferent. "He's not going to freeze to death overnight."

"He might. Who knows, maybe if we- maybe if we help him, then we can team up with his allies too," you add, trying to find any justification you can. "They were smart kids."

"Smart kids that you insisted on helping to your own detriment," Levi reminds you. "If you help every single person you meet, it's going to get you killed."

You wave in the general direction of the hotel you just came from. "Did you miss the part where I literally lied and I- I got someone killed?" you say, your voice nearly cracking. "I- fuck, I didn't want to do that, but I didn't want you to have to fight him and there- there weren't enough doors for everyone."

His eyes narrow. "And now your conscience is killing you and this is your retribution."

"No!" Well, when he puts it like that... "Okay, maybe," you relent. "Come on, you have to admit that the timing is ridiculous. It's a sign. I can help him. To make up for what I just did."

"You didn't do anything wrong." Levi's voice is firm, and despite the evident frustration in his voice, he's not yelling at you. "It was you or him, Bees. It's survival."