Bonds of Steel and Blood (Levi • OC)

CHAPTER 19 - From Hell to Peace

year 848

     "You're tugging on my hair!"

     "Oh, you're such a baby."

     "I don't remember ever consenting to this."

     "Petra and I consented for your sake. Your hair is getting out of control, and you refuse to cut it."

     "That doesn't mean it has to be braided."

     "Well, you always wear that boring man-bun. I look forward to seeing your handsome face every day, but that monotone hairstyle always disappoints."

     "I don't know if I should be flattered or insulted right now."

     Reinae laughed cheerfully, the loose strands of her tied-up hair flowing around her face. Her fingers were tangled into Eld's blonde hair, making an artistic braid.

     "Oh, it looks good, Eld," Petra chimed in, lifting her gaze from the book she was reading.

     "Of course it does," Rei said with pride. "I made it."

     "So arrogant." Eld rolled his eyes.

     They all turned—even Eld, who winced when Rei tugged on his hair to keep still—to the sound of footsteps. Levi was approaching them, wearing his regular uniform, despite his squad wearing casual clothes since they had a weekend off.

     "G'day, Captain," Oluo exclaimed, lazily saluting him from where he was laying on the grass.

     "When you said you're going to the training grounds, I didn't think it was for a... picnic," Levi said, grimacing at where they were all sprawled on the floor.

     "It's not a picnic. It's a torture session," Eld said, wincing when Reinae intentionally tugged on his hair again.

     "Don't you own regular clothes?" she asked Levi, barely looking at him when she posed the question.

     "I do," he replied, squatting a few feet beside her and Eld. "Don't you own a blouse that isn't half see-through?"

     "I could never rob you of the privilege of seeing my bra, Captain. I'm fearful you'd become even grumpier."

     Eld and Petra were holding back a laugh. Levi rolled his eyes when Reinae offered him a smile and a wink. Through the past year, their banter never faded out but became much less ill-minded and more just how they communicated. And it became a constant source of entertainment for the rest of Rei's squad.

     Petra looked at their captain, her expression growing worried when her eyes landed on his bandaged hand.

     "How's your hand, Captain?" she asked, her voice as sweet as honey.

     It didn't take Reinae long to realize her comrade had a massive crush on Levi, though she hid it surprisingly well. She became annoyingly aware every time she tried to flirt with him subtly.

     "It's fine," Levi replied blankly, eyes narrowing slightly at Reinae's fingers gently holding Eld's hair.

     "How weird to see our Levi wounded," she sighed with exaggerated worry. "One would think humanity's strongest soldier could handle a little hand combat."

     All the men in the squad struggled to hold it together when Levi's expression turned sour. They all remembered how he agreed to spar with Reinae and how, when he finally had her pinned to the floor and was already throwing a punch toward her face, she moved her head out of the way in one simple motion, making Levi punch the ground with all his force. They could all hear the bone in his wrist crack.