Those Wings Of Freedom ✶ Levi x Reader

☾Chapter 17 - Let It Out Again☽

*3rd Person POV*

Levi's eyes met yours for a painful second. Your chest wavered as you searched his hues for the familiar hidden happiness. The grey gliding with joy over his eyes.

No, any bit of happiness that resides within him was being stolen. The only emotion emitting from his eyes was desperation. Your eyes began to well up. There was no time for waiting. Time is not on our side at the moment.

With a fierce tearing noise those metallic wings were ripped from your spine. They torn through your clothes and expand to an arms width. The metal-like material glints from the sun slowly descending through the sky.

"Evening, Petra," You hissed, taking long strides closer and swiftly wrapping your wings around her waist. "Petra" mustered all her strength to remain attached to Levi. You can even see her venom teeth seeping into Levi's skin as the man stifles scream. As your wings continued to grow larger your grasp on Petra increases and squeeze tighter, and tighter and tighter until...

A horrific sound rebounds against the walls of the office, scraping against the insides of your head and sends an after effect of ringing in your ears. A pop of black dust swirls through the spot where Petra once lay flailed over Levi. You sneered as you recount the moment.

No, the memory.

You smile gently as the dust subsides to view Levi. Still the same Levi you remember. He was stock still, clenching the arms of his office chair with intense force. His breathing is erratic and eyes blank. 

You walked closer until you're beside the corporal. You rested a hand on his arm and stared deeply into his eyes. You sensed him trembling slightly and frown. That would have been a frightening experience. You leaned forward and pressed a kiss onto his forehead before lifting him into your arms. 

You place him onto his bed where he finally moves. He turned his head towards you and furrows his brow.

"What the hell was that...?" He whimpered. You knelt down and wrapped your hands around his. You leaned on your elbows and observe Levi's terrified expression. 

"I don't think now would be the best time to explain..." You murmur in reply.

"(Y/N), I need to know what we're up against! Do we even have a chance...?" Levi snapped. You pursed your lips as you noticed tears welling up in his eyes. Before Levi was so stoic and now, here he is letting everything out. Taking his own advice for once.

Abruptly you notice your own tears racing down your face. Hurriedly you slide your arms under Levi's back and envelope him in an embrace. You bury your face into his shoulder and tangle your fingers in his hair.

"Levi, I'm so sorry," You whisper, holding back sobs. That's when you hear it. You feel it. With all your essence you embrace everything in that moment. Levi pressed his chest against yours, winding his arms around your waist and pulling you closer to him. He digs his face into your own shoulder and begins to...

Cry.

He wails out, slightly muffled by your shoulder. He snivels. He blubbers. He does all the knitty gritty ugly cry that he hasn't done in years. But, you adore it so much. The way your shirt dampens. The way he squeezes a little too hard. The way out of anyone in the whole world, he trusts you with his emotions. 

Levi curls into a ball and moves his arms to your back as he entangles his legs around your waist. You move your own legs onto the mattress and lay on top of the man. You will make sure to protect him with all of you. With everything you can muster. Your heart pounds against your rib-cage as you rub your hand up and down his spine. You place multiple kisses along his neck muttering that everything is okay, it'll all be fine. 

When, in reality you knew everything was going to go wrong. The very vague information you received at the office was to spread your wings out as the war begins. Well, at this point in time you're unable to produce your wings for five days.

A knot in your stomach appears, but you continue to swaddle the man with love and sympathy. This continued for another hour or so before Levi drifts off into sleep, which was an accomplishment for him considering his insomnia. You roll to one side, Levi's once tight grip loosening. You stare at the man for a good minute. His red puffy cheeks make you want to cry yourself, but the way he attains such peace in his sleep is mystifying. The way his wet hair still falls perfectly onto his scalp, with the exception of a strand which descends onto his forehead. 

You produce a small smile as you return this hair onto his head. How can one person be so calm after such things that happened just a few hours before? It was mesmerizing. 

You return closer to Levi, resting a hand on the crook in his side above his hip. You peck his lips once more before resting your eyes closed. Tomorrow was going to be a nightmare. But, today was certainly a dream.

//A\N\\

Hello, it's friendly neighborhood writer. So, first off, sorry for the short chapter. I want to save most of the action for the next chapter and didn't want to go into the next day in this chapter, so that's that. I hope this fluff was also ok, I'm wary about it. Anywho,  as always I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did don't be afraid to vote! It means a lot ^^. I'm also hoping to finish this book in the next two chapters so that's a thing! Yay~! Have a lovely day/night!