Birdie (Levi x OC)

thirty-four

The mess hall was loud, filled with the laughter and chatter of Scouts eating their morning gruel. I scanned the room for Hange and Moblit but didn't spot them. They're probably still sleeping, I figured, dismissing the thought.

I followed Levi as he poured us both tea, and we grabbed plates laden with suspicious-looking scrambled eggs and a piece of coarse bread. I grimaced at the sight of the food.

We found an empty table, sitting across from one another. I sipped the tea gingerly; the warm fluid was a welcome balm against my throat, soothing my exhaustion. Levi, meanwhile, began to eat, taking slow, deliberate bites while staring hard at the tabletop, clearly deep in thought.

I picked up my fork and pushed the food around the plate, my exhaustion making my stomach churn with nausea.

"Are you okay?"

I looked up at Levi. His brows were furrowed, his gaze fixed on me and my neglected breakfast.

"I'm not feeling very hungry this morning," I said, tearing a hunk off the piece of bread. I examined it, taking a deep breath through my nose.

"You're overtired," Levi stated matter-of-factly.

I nodded. "I might have broken my promise last night. Sorry."

"Eat," Levi commanded, nodding toward my plate. "Even if you don't feel like it, something will help."

I scrunched my nose up and sent him a quick glare before popping the torn piece of bread into my mouth to appease him. "Happy?" I asked, a slight edge of sass in my tone.

"Very," he replied, returning to his own plate.

I continued nibbling on the bread and sipping my tea. Levi had been right—eating a little something had managed to settle my stomach.

I hadn't done well with the eggs, earning a clear, disapproving glare from the Captain.

"I've eaten the bread," I said, raising my hands in mock surrender. "I'll eat at lunch, I promise."

"Just like how you promised you would get some sleep last night," he retorted.

"Hey, I—"

The sudden arrival of the rest of squad Levi interrupted my rebuttal.

"Captain! Birdie!" Sasha called out loudly as she and the others slid onto the benches beside us.

Levi sighed, looking slightly exasperated. "I can't have one moment of peace without you brats, can I?"

Jean and Connie laughed, energized by the morning, but Armin, Mikasa, and Eren looked considerably less thrilled to be awake. I made eye contact with Eren; he looked even more exhausted than I felt.

"Are you okay?" I asked, my brows furrowed with concern.

"Yeah, I'm alright," he mumbled. "Just have this horrible headache I can't seem to shake."

"Maybe we take a break from the hardening experiments today?" I suggested, turning to Levi for approval.

Eren jumped in before the Captain could speak. "No, Birdie, it's fine. I want to keep going. The mission is coming up soon, and I have to be prepared."

I frowned deeply at him and looked to Levi for support. The Captain shook his head. "If he wants to keep going, we'll keep going."

My frown deepened, but I didn't argue. Beside me, Mikasa cast a sharp, worried glance toward Eren.

"Are you going to eat your eggs, Birdie?" Sasha inquired, scootching closer.

I laughed, the tension breaking instantly. "They're all yours, Sasha."