Natural Strength || Levi Ackerman x Reader

Chapter 22: Come Back To Me

The next day is like the last but with less work. You're at the same desk with a mountain of paperwork and Levi trying to annoy the hell out of you.

"Levi, stop throwing pencils. You're making a mess--as hard as that is to believe."

"Levi, stop making that noise, it's bothering me."

"Levi, don't try to get up."

"Levi, sit back down."

It was an ongoing continuance of a bored workaholic and hard-working soldier who can't get ten minutes of peace to finish a report. You were so very close to throwing Levi out of his own office because he's making you exceptionally frustrated by doing anything as simple as breathing too loudly.

"If you would give me half of that stack, it would get done quicker," Levi says matter-of-factly.

"The work isn't what's bothering me, it's you."

Levi frown deepens. He won't admit it--like many things--but he's worried. Any minutes of any day, the titans could be ready to attack the district and you will have to go lead a team of relatively new cadets with Hanji's squad tagging along. Levi hates that this will be your first mission not being by his side and you don't seem to realize it.

Thinking the worst, he's scared these days spent with him lounging around his office while you're drowning in his work will be the last you spend together. If only he hadn't saved Mikasa and broken his fucking ankle--no, he doesn't regret saving a comrade and she was right about Eren.

"Squad Leader (Y/N)!" a member of Hanji's squad shouts as he enters the room with a salute. "The titans have attacked."

You dart out of your seat while picking up the cape on the back of your chair to throw it on in haste. Levi grabs his crutches and rises on his unbroken foot to follow after you and the other soldier.

"Are the others ready?" you ask.

"Yes, everyone is out front waiting for you," the soldier answers.

"(Y/N)," Levi says.

"What? Why are you up?" you question hastily, looking at the neutral man.

Levi bucks his head to tell the soldier to let them have a minute alone before leaving.

"What is it? I have to go, like, right now," you continue.

"Just..." Levi fumbles. "Come back to me, okay?"

You grin and lean over to lay a tender kiss on his lips.

"I'll always come back," you promise, and after a fleeting moment, jog off to lead your first mission solo.

✱✱✱

You hop on your horse and take off through the field with Hanji on your right and both squads behind the two of you. Racing under one of the gates, you continue forward in a rigid silence until spotting the final gate to the targeted district in the distance.

"We'll leave our horses out here!" you announce. "I want Hanji's squad taking the left in whatever formation is your usual. My squad, I want Mikasa, Eren and Armin to go around and take them from the back, but be cautious of approaching titans. Connie and Sasha handle the right side. Jean, you're with me."

"Ha! Hear that, Jaeger!? Squad Leader wants me with her!" Jean boasts.

You direct Hanji to the left as you ignore the commotion of the young recruits behind you.

"Because you need the most help!" Eren retorts.

"She and Captain Levi are always partnering together, and since he's not here, someone has to fill in!" Jean replies.

"It wouldn't be you!" Eren inists.

"Shut up!" you command. "Do you guys want to die today? Because be my guest, the titans are just on the other side of that wall. Either get your shit together with your comrades or get eaten, your choice."

You let your words engrave themselves in the tension as you slow the group down to dismount and engage the 3DMG. You use hand signals to direct everyone's positions before using the grappling hooks to climb up the wall and stand on top with Jean towering over you.

"Damn," Jean mutters.

You scan the area with this vantage point to detect almost fifteen titans between 10-18 meters. None seem to be abnormal, but they're already working their way to the opposite wall where you and Jean are now standing.

You take out your blades and hold them to your sides as you ensure the others are where they're supposed to be, and it appears that everyone is already getting to work.

"Follow my lead and do keep up," you say, engaging your gear and going straight for the center.

It's weird, you admit, not having Levi around to bounce ideas off of or telling the Scouts what to do. You have an impressive record of solo kills, but it doesn't compare to the assists with Levi because you always work best together.

His words before your departure struck something within you, although it may not have registered at the time. Levi has it already in his head that you may not return, not because you can't lead a team, but because that's what his coping mechanism is--expecting the worst. It makes your adrenaline skyrocket and you want to fight harder, so he never has to lose someone he loves again.

You swing around and slash the nape of the titans one after another with Jean observing your movements and diving in himself. You keep your eyes sharp and calculating on the other soldiers incase they need help.

"Arlet, behind you!" you shout.

Armin turns, but Mikasa glides across with her sword to cut the titan down. Afterwords, you go back to your assassination plan throughout the district until there are no more titans threatening the makeshift peace humans have built over such a long period of time.

You inspect the wall from the ground and see no further damage done to it before meeting the other troops at the rendezvous point where the horses are on the other side.

"Any casualties?"

"Nope. All the citizens were evacuated successfully and are now refugees in Wall Rose. It's not safe enough for them to be here anymore with titans adapting and growing more over time," Hanji answers. "I believe this mission has been a complete success."

Cheers ring out from your squad and you put a hand up to silence them.

"Do not take this so highly. You have seen the horror inflicted by titans, yes, but this is no victory, we merely stopped their reign of destruction for a day. You all did well, congratulations for that," you state.

The soldiers salute you and Hanji before you order them to prepare to return home. Running through your mind, you determine leading this was stressful enough and you can't imagine trying to lead a whole expedition with Erwin.

That's never been your goal in the Survey Corps.

The only focus you have now is getting back to HQ to see Levi and finish that damn paperwork.