Oneshot: The Christmas Miracle (AoT/SnK- The birth of Levi)

The Christmas Miracle-Levi Ackerman

She stumbled down the street as the excruciating pain consumed her, like the tremors of an earthquake, each contraction grew harder to bear, using the cold cobblestone wall as support, she slowly made her way down the street which proved incredibly difficult as she was lost in the forest of her own glossy black strands.

In a world with no light, today was supposed to be a happy day, today was Christmas, today was also the day that Kuchel will meet her child, in the flesh, but she couldn't focus on that right now, she had to carry on, she needed to find somewhere safe so she could safely bring her child into the world, with nothing but the dimly lit Christmas lights and a mothers intuition, Kuchel carried on, with the occasional sharp jolt of pain which felt like the twisting of a knife, she stumbled in through the door of a local inn.

"I need...a room" she huffed at the innkeeper, feeling the contractions worsening, she yelped in pain, feeling rough yet gentle arms support her. Kuchel met the eyes of the innkeeper, his alarmed muddy brown eyes staring into her own "you're giving birth? Here, I'll take you to the room up the back!"

The man wraps his arm around her as he carefully leads her to the back room, Kuchel's cries only seem to get louder as she accidentally digs her claws into the back of the innkeeper, causing him to hiss in pain. Reaching the room the man hastily unlocks the door, Kuchel hobbles onward immediately collapsing on the worn-down bed, she yelps again, her muscles contract harshly and she yells her loudest, gripping onto the sides of the bed tensely as the innkeeper rushes into the bathroom and bringing back a warm towel.

"H-he's coming" she smiles weakly as the innkeeper pulls up a stool beside her, grasping her hand for the support.

"He? You're so sure that you're going to have a son?" The innkeeper looks down at her, awaiting a response but is only greeted with brief silence, Kuchel stares at the paint chipping on the roof of the room before laughing slightly "I'm sure, mothers intuition I suppose" averting her gaze to her stomach, as she rubs it with her free hand and smiles weakly, her pain restrains her as she screams sharply she grasps tightly onto the strangers hand as she tips her hair backward screaming, as tears fall from her eyes. "Okay! We need to deliver this child, I...uh! I don't know how" he panics "this isn't my job! I'm an inkeeper" he looks over to Kuchel with concern "how could I possibly be of use?" He frowns as Kuchel turns her head to look at him, her pale face and weakened smile leaving what seemed like a permanent imprint on his mind. "Just...try..." she says panting between breaths "I'd rather have an honest man like you try to deliver this child, instead of having a liar and a thief take him from me" she sighs as she closes her eyes, losing conciousness completely, the innkeeper looks onward, his heart throbbing with pain, he knew life was not easy in the underground, and just by looking at this young woman, he could see that she too had been through her fair share of misery, and that so long as she was condemned to the underground, she could never escape it. "Alright" he sighs "I...I'll try..."

The labour was incredibly tedious and the tide had kept changing, as the inkeeper watched the young woman fade in and out of consciousness, worried and fearing the worse after a few more hours had passed, yet another cry was heard, Kuchel awoke with wide eyes for the cry was not her own. Sitting up urgently she scans the room, she yelps in pain as she holds her lower abdomen as her eyes meet with a pair of familiar brown ones.

"I'm glad you finally awoke" he smiles as he walks toward her, holding a small bundle in a burlap sack with gentle cautious hands, taking a seat on the same stool that he had sat on once before. "This is your son, you were right, mothers intuition is so scarily accurate, I'm sorry I couldn't find anything comfier to wrap him in, it seems all out rooms are occupied tonight." he smiles down at the bundle before passing it over to Kuchel who accepts it willingly, staring down at the child, not wanting to miss a blink, she sees the soft thin layer of dark hair covering his skull.

Tears well in her eyes as she clutches onto the newborn child, who cries in response, though to most it would signify sadness, to Kuchel it signifies life, she looks down at the child as he balls his fists tightly, moving his limbs uncontrollably as if he was nothing but a marionette. "He's here, he's alive, he's okay..the pregnancy was so difficult, I feared neither of us would make it" she chokes between sobs as the wet tears stain her cheeks, she looks up at the inkeeper who in response leans over and hugs her gently. "I know, it's not easy" the man says sadly "I lost my wife a few years ago, she couldn't carry our child and inevitably lost it, the guilt overwhelmed her, and she eventually took her own life...I wasn't there for her, I didn't help, I was more focused on my job, and because of that I lost two of the most important people of my life, that's why, I want to help you." He smiles at her weakly as tears form in his eyes, his curly brown hair acting as a shroud as he looks down at the young newborn. "Stay here as long as you like...I'll provide for you until you are absolutely confident that you can provide for yourself, and for the little one, no one deserves to live like this in this hell-hole, not you..nor that child." He abruptly stands up as Kuchel watches him warily, the young child has seized to cry and a peaceful silence consumes the room "uh, sir?" Kuchel asks curiously as the inkeeper walks to leave the room, he glances over his shoulder and smiles gently "My name...My names Kuchel! I-I never asked your name, may I ask...what is it?" Kuchel blushes embarrassingly as the man laughs softly at her. "My name? Ah, my names Levi, this probably wasn't the best first impression, but as of yet it's pretty safe to say that it's a unique one, nice to meet ya, Kuchel!"