Titans Rule, a Levi Ackerman x Fem OC story.

(18) A day off?

~Amelia~

"Rest?" I asked with a raised eyebrow. Did Levi even know how to rest?

"As much as I wish to be a part of this mission, I'm hurt, so Erwin told me to sit this out. That means you'll be hanging out here with me until I get better. Plus, your blood tests show you're not getting enough nutrients, which is probably why you keep fainting. So, Hange thinks it's best for you to take a break from missions for a bit." 

"I'm malnourished?" I whispered to myself. It certainly would explain a great deal. I wasn't getting my complete range of nutrients outside the Walls. 

"Let's get going," Levi called as he stood in the doorway, waiting for me while I was lost in thought.

Levi led me away from the crowd and towards what seemed to be some stables. He searched until he located what he was after: his horse. I mean, why else would he have entered the stable? There were two issues with horses: I couldn't ride them and was somewhat fearful of them.

As a child, I tried horse riding since my mother was an equestrian in her youth. Unfortunately, I didn't share her affinity for horses. They always tried to throw me off, and one day, I broke my wrist. Ever since, I've never ridden again.

Levi was guiding his horse out from the pen while I stood and watched him. "Are you just going to stand there and make me do all the work?" 

"Uh, sorry." I approached them. I still vaguely remembered how to tack up a horse for riding, so I let my muscle memory take over. Somehow, I managed to do it with guidance from Levi.

"Now, go and get your own horse. Do it quickly so we can get back to headquarters before it gets too late," he ordered as he adjusted the saddle to his liking.

I froze, too embarrassed to admit my fear to him. Levi looked me up and down with a disapproving expression. "Your legs seem fine to me. I don't see any reason they shouldn't be mounting your horse right now."

"I can't ride a horse," I confessed with a downturned expression. 

"Right, of course, you can't." Levi sighed heavily. "Well, you should have just said so. Come here," he beckoned with his finger.

First, Levi mounted the horse with the grace of someone who'd performed the motion a thousand times. However, although subtle, I noticed the wince on his face as he adjusted his injured leg. Once settled, he offered me his hand. "Come on."

Reluctantly, I slipped my hand into his. He pulled me up effortlessly. As I flailed my legs, I attempted to position myself as elegantly as possible. Eventually, I managed to sit in front of him, but the process was far from graceful; I may have inadvertently kneed Levi in the stomach.

"I have to warn you. Horses tend to dislike me," I informed him, citing my track record.

"Well, given the way you just mounted my horse, I'm not surprised. Your knees hurt more than I expected," he said, patting his stomach where I had hurt him. "We should be off."

Levi wrapped his arms around me, lifting the reins and cracking them to signal his horse to move. I could feel the warmth of his torso against my back, and his arms tightened around my sides. Overall, it was an exhilarating experience, and for the first time in my life, I was glad I couldn't ride a horse.  

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It took us a couple of hours to return to headquarters. I knew this as we entered the building, glancing at one of the many grandfather clocks scattered along the halls of the Scouts' headquarters. I lingered behind Levi while we made our way through the dark passages towards the dungeons, or so I believed. Instead of turning right as we were meant to, Levi turned left.