Wait for Me

Chapter 7

After ten minutes of waiting for Levi to return from wherever he had disappeared to, I began looking around nervously. "Where is he?" I mumble, suddenly finding myself sliding out of my chair when I only got responses of shrugging shoulders and nervous glances.

Weaving past other tables I make my way to the main hallway, quickly walking up and down the space in search of Levi.

Checking doors I passed along the way, I still seemed to find no signs of my teammate.

I guess the only other place would be the bathrooms right? I jog over to the men's room, pushing open the large door after reaching my destination.

Honestly, I felt completely stupid for not checking this place first after instantly spotting Levi hunched over the marble sink.

"Oh thank g--wait! Are you okay?!" I rush over placing a hand on his back. Oh god, I don't know what to do in situation like this! Gah, maybe I should have brought Armin. I heard he reads medical books in his free ti--

"Relax kid. You're looking at me like I'm about to explode."

I take a step back, mumbling an apology. Silence quickly hung over us to the point it began getting awkward. I cleared my throat, desperate to fix the atmosphere. "Nervous?"

Levi chuckles. "More like ready to accept my inevitable loss. I'm horrible with people, Eren."

I couldn't help but widen my eyes out of shock. Levi, the same man who was seemingly fearless, cocky, and uncaring of another's feelings...was hiding away in a bathroom because he was actually worried about his horrible people skills.

I cant help but smile, and look at him as an equal for seemingly the first time after meeting him.

"Listen, don't treat this like a competition..." I was going to say be yourself, but we all know that would be...disastrous. "Make sure to enjoy yourself before anything. Look, I'm not the best at giving helpful advice but I do know that I've been in your shoes. Figuratively of course."

Levi raises an eyebrow playfully, standing up straighter with a smirk.

"My first year doing this competition, I was freaking out, and stressing exactly like you--"

"Oi, im not freaking ou--"

"--the only difference? I didn't have someone who cared enough to help me."

Oh shit, that came out a lot more sappy than I intended...please don't take it the wrong way!

Levi looks at me with an expression I couldn't quite read, but I could tell the nerves he was feeling a few moments a go were now gone.

"Care to enlighten me on what you did then?"

It took me a second to realize he was referring to what I said about my first competition. "Oh...well, I just pretended I was cooking for someone I respected and was comfortable around."

Levi scoffs. "I'd try that if there were even someone like that in my life."

"Wait what?" I couldn't have heard that right.

Levi flashes me a small smile. "Thanks kid, I better get going." And with that, Levi jogs out of the bathroom.

I sort of just stood there in disbelief of what I heard, and the fact that my words actually got across to Levi.