Natural Strength || Levi Ackerman x Reader

Chapter 4: Harmless Games

Since you're not a higher ranking official, you have to sneak out of the girls' barracks to meet up with Levi while he can take his sweet time strolling out in the open without question. He makes it to the training field before you and already turned the lights on that are only used for night exercises.

"If you want to throw in the towel now, I won't blame you," you say, securing your leather straps on your shoulders.

"No. We're both obviously upset with each other and this is the way we always take our anger out and I'm not going easy on you," Levi replies.

"If you weren't such a cocky little bastard, I wouldn't be angry," you defend yourself.

"And if you weren't so persistent about proving yourself, I wouldn't be angry," Levi responds.

You swallow your other offending comments and make it to the makeshift starting line. Levi joins you and you know that you'll both be fine after blowing off some steam and having the little amount of fun neither of you are granted with often.

"One..."

"...Two..."

"Three!"

You hold the handles to the swords without the blades in them and shoot off into the trees with Levi on the other side of you. You're soaring through the trees and you duck bellow branches to avoid painful bruising. At this time, you're not focused on the little competition, you're just gliding through the woods. You're too used to having this experience of flying while battling titans that you've never gotten to enjoy the real affects of freedom.

You tilt your head back and breathe the air. It's not freedom, no, that's not right. Beyond those walls--that's where freedom lies, but inside these walls is better than The Underground. The walls are more of a prison of security, but you long everyday to go beyond them whether you're risking your life or not. The only freedom you feel on the inside is moments like these with Levi, and that's good enough for you.

As you bounce your feet off another tree and rocket yourself through more of the brush, you realize you do have that urge and thirst to prove yourself worthy. It's hard being in the shadow of Levi Ackerman when you're just as strong as he is in reality. You don't want to overshadow him either, but seen as the equal you are, at least in his eyes.

Your feet touch the ground the same time as Levi's as you hit the clearing on the other side. You put your handles in their place on your equipment and look over at Levi who you can only see with the vague light from the moon that highlights his sharp bone structure.

"Sorry for calling you a 'cocky little bastard'," you apologize.

"Sorry for saying you're annoying," he replies.

You raise a brow. "You didn't."

"Well, I was thinking it."

Levi smirks and you chuckle at his stupid joke that one day may get him a black eye. You join his side and rest your arm on his shoulder as you trek back through the wooded area. It's convenient that he's only an inch taller than you and perfect resting height.

"What are we doing tomorrow, Corporal?" you ask.

"Relaunching the expedition Hanji fucked up so badly on," he answers, not minding your close proximity.

"I'm not going after her if she runs off again. Lesson learned."

"Shitty-Glasses can take care of herself when she's not high on science. She knows when she takes it too far, at least when she's alone."

"As long as we get the expedition done and over with fast enough to get back for afternoon tea, I think we'll both be happy," you say.

"I could go for a cup right now."

"You always want tea. It's an obsession of yours, let's be real. You even have a collection of tea leaves," you point out.

Levi narrows his eyes. "How do you know about that?"

"Actually, I found it in your house the first time around in The Underground, and when you asked me to get your jacket from your personal quarters here last year, I so happened to stumble upon your resurrected collection."

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" he utters.

"We're friends, Levi, things happen. That reminds me, are you still wanting to open a tea shop one day, you know, after we save humanity?" you question.

Levi's natural frown somehow deepens even more. "It would be a pleasant change from this shit hole."

You smile and listen to the leaves crunching under your boots and noises whistling through the branches and wind. You make it back to the regular training grounds but both of you fail to see someone approaching.

"How's your date going?" Erwin asks, crossing his arms over his chest with a stern face plastered on.

"Please, stop," you say, dropping your arm from Levi's shoulder.

"We were just having a contest of who's faster with their gear, Erwin. Nothing to worry about," Levi insists.

"You shouldn't be walking around this late together. It's suspicious," Erwin replies

"No one else would be out to see us anyway. If anyone asks, we're late-night training. It wouldn't be unusual for the top soldiers to be doing such, especially since we've trained together for six years, Sir," you say.

"Good point. Who won?" Erwin asks.

"Sir?" you reply in confusion.

"Who was faster? I'm curious."

You share a look with Levi.

"We tied," Levi says.

"Wouldn't expect anything different. All right, get some sleep before the expedition tomorrow. I don't want your bodies being dragged back here from exhaustion," Erwin dismisses and goes back to his office most-likely.

"Do you think his eyebrows ever try crawling away from his face?" you ask in the most serious tone you can muster.

Levi suddenly chuckles deeply and shakes his head. "It wouldn't surprise me."

You give yourself a personal victory at receiving a laugh from Levi Ackerman--a task harder than killing any titan in existence. Every time you hear that rumble, it fills you with a sense of pride to know that, even for a short time, he wasn't tense and carrying the weight of death and decisions on his shoulders, because of you. This will always be your greatest accomplishment.

You wonder if you could be falling for him because of these thoughts, hell, maybe you already have. But what you are sure about is that Levi is your best friend, the only person you truly care for, your partner in crime and you would do anything to keep that smile on his face for as long as possible.