Levi x Reader | Cold

Chapter Nineteen - Wings

"What was that?" Hanji's looking down at me in the room I have been sent to sleep in, curiously interrogating me.

"What was what?" I ask, letting my hair down.

"Rivaille just kissed you! On the mouth!"

I glance up at her blankly, trying to understand why it matters so much through her perspective. And then I remember.

Nobody really knows about what Levi and I were like years ago, besides that we were friends.

Do I want to tell her?

I give her another glance, to find an impatient face staring back at me. "We've kissed before," I mutter.

She gasps and sits down beside me. "How far have you gone?"

"Eh? It wasn't like that!" I cover my mouth with my hands and let out an embarrassed cry.

This time she laughs and pats me on the back. "I'm sorry, I'm just surprised, is all."

I nod, staring out into my window. So that's it, then? Levi will leave it at that, right? It didn't mean a thing?

"Were you and Levi," Hanji interrupts my thoughts, "together?"

"Oh," I feel my eyebrows furrow. Were we?

I remember his nightmare, him reading my journal, the time he kissed me before I left to the training camp.

Smiling at the memories, I remember how distant we've become. "You'd have to ask him that."

"Oh?" Hanji runs her index finger along the corner of my right eye. "Why are you crying?"

I blink the tears back and blush. "D-don't tell anybody," I plea, scared if people knew I was about to cry, they'd think I was weak.

But it is really just that that I don't want them to know?

I won't," she gives me a warm smile and hugs me. "Good night, Estelle."

"Good night, Hanji," I whisper, as she turns off the light and descends into the empty halls, shutting the door behind her.

---

"Wakey-wakey, starshine," Hanji pokes my cheeks and smiles down at me cheerfully. "We got this in the mail today, you want to read it right away, hmm?"

This gets me up from my bed in seconds. She hands me the letter and sits beside me. "Who's it from?" I ask.

"Not sure," she gives me a sincere smile. "Go ahead, open it."

I unfold the white paper to familiar handwriting. "Mom," I whisper, tears of happiness coming to my eyes.

Estelle,

I ran into your commander, Erwin, today. He told me you were brought to the special operations squad immediately. I'm so very proud of you, and I miss you so much. I've moved to the Karanese district, and from what Erwin told me, I'll see you soon, seeing as you will be leaving from there on your expedition outside the walls.

I laugh cheerfully and run my fingers over the letters, but stop once I see the next paragraph.

I'll be expecting you to visit me, and bring Levi, it's been a while since I've seen him. He's okay, too, I suppose? I was surprised when I found out he's Lance Corporal, since he was so sure he wouldn't join. Are you two engaged now?

I love you, and write me back before you leave.

Be safe.

- Mom