𝐌𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐓𝐨 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭 || 𝐋𝐞𝐯𝐢 𝐀

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟐𝟔 : 𝐈'𝐥𝐥 𝐁𝐞 𝐖𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

LEVI  POV

"What do you mean they don't live here?" Levi demanded, his voice low and menacing, like thunder on a stormy night. The landlord trembled, his eyes darting wildly around the deserted alleyway as if searching for an escape route.

"T-T-Toji left the place... 7 months ago," the landlord stuttered, his voice barely audible over the sound of his own ragged breathing. Levi's grip tightened, his fingers digging deep into the landlord's arm.

"Did he mention where he was going?" Levi growled.

"H-he informed me on the phone... about leaving," the landlord stammered, his voice cracking with fear. "N-next day, his friends came... and moved out his things." The landlord's words tumbled out in a frantic rush, as if he hoped to appease Levi's wrath by revealing every detail.

Levi's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing into slits as he processed the information. His grip on the landlord's arm remained unyielding, his fingers digging deep into the man's flesh like claws. The landlord whimpered, his eyes pleading for mercy as Levi's gaze seemed to bore into his very soul.

Hange's voice cut through the tense atmosphere, calm and authoritative. "Levi, let the poor man go," she said, her eyes fixed on Levi's grip on the landlord's arm.

Levi's gaze lingered on the landlord's terrified face for a moment before he finally released his hold. The landlord stumbled backward, gasping for air as he rubbed his sore arm.

Levi turned away, his long strides eating up the distance as he walked away from the scene. Hange fell into step beside him, her shorter legs moving quickly to keep up with Levi's pace.

"We can't just go around grabbing people to find (Y/n)," Hange said, her voice low and reasonable. "It's not only illegal, but it's also not going to get us the results we want."

Levi's expression remained grim, his eyes fixed on some point in the distance. "I don't care about the law," he growled, his voice low and menacing. "I just want to find her." Hange sighed, her eyes filled with a mixture of concern and understanding.

"I know, Levi," she said softly. "But we have to be smart about this. We can't just barge in and start threatening people. We need to think this through, come up with a plan."

Levi's gaze flickered to Hange's face, his eyes narrowing slightly as he considered her words. For a moment, the two of them walked in silence, the only sound of the soft crunch of gravel beneath their feet.

Levi's mind was a vortex of emotions as he recalled the morning he woke up to find (y/n) gone. He had woken up from a deep sleep, feeling groggy and disoriented, only to be met with an eerie silence. At first, he thought she was just out for a walk or running some errands, but as he looked around the empty room, a growing sense of unease began to creep over him.

It took him a full minute to notice that all her bags were gone, vanished without a trace. A cold fury began to simmer in his veins as he realized she had left him, without so much as a word or a note. He felt like he'd been punched in the gut, his breath knocked out of him.

He tried to reach her through calls, only to be met with the infuriating message that her number was unavailable. He tried again and again, his frustration growing with each failed attempt. He was mad, he was furious, and he was determined to find her.

He still remembers how he had stormed out of the room, seeking out Hange and Blake, demanding to know if they had any information about (y/n)'s whereabouts. But their responses only added to his growing sense of desperation. "She left the city this morning."

Levi's mind was a whirlpool of regret and self-recrimination as he replayed the memories in his head. He couldn't shake the feeling that if only he hadn't slept so deeply, he could have stopped her from leaving. He would have been more vigilant, more alert to her plans. He could have caught her before she slipped away, could have made her stay.

The thought sent a wave of guilt washing over him, eating away at his insides like a corrosive acid. He knew she had been determined to leave, had seen the resolve in her eyes, but he also knew that he could have made her stay. He could have used his words, his touch, his presence to keep her by his side.

But he had failed. He had slept too deeply, too soundly, and now she was gone. The weight of his failure pressed down on him, making it hard to breathe, hard to think. He felt like he was drowning in a sea of regret, unable to find a lifeline to cling to.

Hange's voice was soft and gentle, a stark contrast to the disruption that had been brewing inside Levi. "Levi, you really do love her, huh?" she asked, her eyes filled with a deep understanding and compassion.

For a moment, he said nothing, his emotions swirling inside him like a maelstrom. But then, something shifted inside him, and he felt a weight lift off his shoulders. He took a deep breath, and his words tumbled out in a rush, like a dam breaking.

"I do," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I love her." The words felt strange on his lips, but also liberating. He had finally admitted his feelings, finally accepted to himself and to Hange that he was in love with (y/n).

"I knew it," she said softly, a gentle smile spreading across her face. "I knew you had feelings for her, Levi." Levi felt a sense of relief wash over him, as if he had finally unburdened himself of a secret he had kept hidden for too long.

Levi rolled his eyes, a hint of exasperation creeping into his voice. "You knew it from the very start, didn't you?" he said, his gaze locked onto Hange's knowing smile. Hange chuckled, the sound low and throaty, and nodded her head in agreement.

"You're right," she said, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "I knew you had feelings for her, Levi. You're not as subtle as you think you are." Levi's expression turned wry, and he shook his head, but Hange just laughed again.

Levi's expression turned serious, his eyes narrowing as he focused on the task at hand. "Hange, we need to find her," he said, his voice low and urgent. Hange's smile faltered, and she nodded, her expression turning somber.

"Intel's working on it," she said, her voice crisp and professional. "It might take a week, but they'll find something. We'll leave no stone unturned, Levi. We'll find her." Levi's eyes locked onto Hange's, his gaze burning with intensity. He nodded, a small, fierce smile spreading across his face.

"Good," he said, his voice low and deadly. "I'll be waiting."