One Million to One || Levi x Reader

interlude: tea

The very first thing the two of you do when you get back to your apartment is clean.

At first, you thought it was a good idea because of the plethora of blood in your living room, courtesy of Hange. Not their fault, of course- you'll blame it on Levi and how he hacked at their shoulder to get the bullet out. So cleaning up the blood is a good idea. God, you feel like you've scrubbed blood out of your floorboards too many times at this point. 

But no: Levi insists on cleaning everything. Dusting, wiping down the windows and counters, scrubbing sinks, sweeping. "It's disgusting," Levi grumbles as he wipes over your (relatively) clean coffee table.

In all fairness, he doesn't make you help him. Levi helps you scrub Hange's blood up from the floor, then arms himself with rubber gloves and tackles the rest of your apartment on his own. "Can I... can I help?" you ask tentatively, hoping he'll say no.

"You don't have to," Levi dismisses.

"Great, because I totally didn't want to."

"Then why'd you ask?"

"To be polite, obviously. I can do something else." You pause, trying to think of what. "Want me to take inventory? See what we still have leftover from when we were here last and what hasn't expired yet?"

Levi nods. "Sounds good."

And that keeps the two of you busy for a while. You compile a massive list of every medication, non-perishable, and piece of equipment in the vicinity. You're suddenly much more appreciative of how well Levi insisted you stock yourselves before, because it's making life a lot easier now.

You tally everything up, and with Levi still cleaning, you decide to make lunch. It's about midday, give or take, but it feels like you've been awake forever- you might just have to collapse for a nap soon enough. You find some potatoes that you'd stored well enough to allow them to survive, and you decide that'll do.

By the time you're done making your scrappy little lunch, Levi's just about wrapped up. "You cooked," he says, and he sounds surprised.

You scoff. "You can pretend you're not shocked."

Levi rolls his eyes. "Am I about to be poisoned?"

"Only one way to find out," you insist, plopping yourself down in your chair at your small kitchen table. "Eat up."

He waits for you to take the first bite, but Levi does eventually eat. "Edible" is his only feedback, but he eats nearly the whole thing, so you'll take it as a compliment. You don't think you did that bad of a job- how hard is it to mess up potatoes, anyway?

This is weird, though. You're back in your apartment, just you and Levi. You left for the Beach all of a week ago- less than- but before then, you had Eren. So it's been a while since it's been just you and Levi.

Nothing's changed but everything's changed. It's weird.

Levi finishes before you do, but he doesn't leave the table. He waits until you're nearly done before he murmurs, "so. What's our plan?"

You frown. "Why are you asking me?"

He shrugs. "You're the brains, right? That's the shit Zeke said. Brains, brawn."

He points between you and him and you roll your eyes. "The presence of brawn doesn't predicate the absence of brain."

"Speak normal."

"You have a brain. You're allowed to use it."

"Your brain works better."

"I don't think that's how it works. I think we're all wired certain ways, sure, like I might be better at math and you're good at fighting- but that doesn't necessarily mean my brain is better. What does better even mean, anyway? Like, define better. Besides, my brain wants a nap right now, so I might not be the best person to ask."