Dont You Want Me? Levi x Reader BOOK 2

Part 7 - Key to the Past

 You just stood there, barely able to breathe. WHAT DID HE MEAN? What the hell was he going on about? You looked out the window as the rain poured down from a grey sky. Surely he could have given you more than that. There had to be something in the files you had managed to get from the archives and Levi's room. Calming yourself down enough to be able to breathe, you rushed up the stairs and gathered all the files you could. The answer was in here, you were sure of it, you just had to piece everything together.

Grabbing the papers out of their files you placed them all on the floor as if creating a timeline or map, but yet you still couldn't see it. So this all had to do with a mission that Erwin couldn't go on, for whatever reason, as before the date was blacked out, it hadn't miraculously managed to turn up. There was no other information about the operation Golden Sun. You held your head in your hands, this was getting too much, the answer you were sure was staring you right in the face, but for the life of you, you just couldn't see it.

"So there you are." Said a voice from the door, you jumped, not noticing due to being lost in thought.

"Oh, uh, Eren... Hi." You answered holding your hand to your chest to stop your heart from jumping out of your chest. "You scared me."

"Hah. Well, I thought you had disappeared off into the night when I realised you weren't next to me this morning." He replied, his words implying that he wanted to speak to you about what had happened, but you really didn't have time for it. If anything you looked at him differently now, there was a pressure there that wasn't there before and you weren't sure whether you could go back to the way you were before. Then again, from the way he had acted, it didn't sound like he wanted it to. Why did he have to complicate things like this?

"Sorry... I-" You began to respond before he interrupted.

"Don't worry, its fine, Lex found me and told me what happened." You looked at him slightly puzzled.

"What.. happened?"

"Lex said that you heard him having a nightmare, he was apparently yelling, not that I heard and you went to him to calm him down." He paused. "He also said you sang to him. I've never heard you sing."

"Oh, yes, of course. I wasn't sure he would have told you that he had a bad dream, that's why I was wary of saying anything." Thank goodness for Lex. He had covered for you in the best way possible. He could have left the singing bit out of it though. Jeez, you couldn't sing to save your life, maybe, unless you could kill someone by breaking their eardrums. You smiled for the first time that day. and laughed at your thoughts. "As for the singing, probably best that only Lex hears it, he seems to have ears made of steel to find my wailing comforting."

Eren laughed and sat beside you, his face becoming serious all of a sudden. "About... Last night. I just wanted to say, I'm sorry." His face flushed and he looked almost sad. "I guess my anger by the way Levi has treated you, even right from the beginning, just boiled over. I can't explain why I kissed you, well, I can, I like you, but I never wanted to push myself on you. You've always been here for me and I feel like I betrayed you last night."

"You did." You answered almost immediately, but you were overwhelmed that he had apologised and so earnestly. Even though you were still worried where it was all heading, that would at least be your silver lining. "But thank you. For apologising. It really means something, or it will if you don't try it again. Friends shouldn't kiss, it's not a good idea, especially when one is in a relationship."

"But You aren't-" Eren interrupted until you put a hand up to silence him.

"Don't ruin it." Your words were hard but enough to stop the conversation in its tracks. "Whether it is or it isn't, I believe I still am, so for my sake don't mention it anymore. It won't change anything." It surprised you how direct you were being, somewhere inside you still held onto the notion that you and Levi were still together, even if he had acted like you didn't exist. You closed your eyes remembering the lingering feeling of his lips pressed momentarily on your forehead. "Just stay as friends nothing more, if you can promise me that, I might even sing to you at some point." You added with a smile and seeing him respond in kind you nudged his shoulder with your own.

"Oh, I cannot wait to go deaf." Eren chuckled. You looked at him shocked, how did he know you couldn't sing other than your throwaway comment? "Lex told me you sounded like a banshee and to never take you up on your offer to sing, he went to sleep to block out the sound!" He couldn't contain his laughter any longer and clutched his sides, as you punched his arm.

"I'm going to kill him!" It was beside the point that you hadn't actually sung to Lex, it was the principle!

"Kill who?" That deep timbre rolled off the walls of your bedroom, as you looked up at the redhead, looking completely innocent, clutching more files in his large hands. You glared at him, glancing down at Eren who was still laughing.

"You! Saying that I sounded like a banshee." You cried out in horror, only to see Lex smile, that smile that only he could pull off. The one that had such an air of innocence, but at the same time knowing he had been caught. It was infuriating!

"Ahh... that. I hold hands up, I did say it. It was cruel. Forgive me Kotenok." He said with feigned sorrow, his eyes playful. You growled as you stood up, making your way over to him to beat on his chest. Lex wrapped his arms around you with a chuckle. "Now now Little one. I did not mean it." You would have stayed angry, but the embrace that he pulled you into, melted your heart, as it always did, slowly washing the annoyance away.

"Hey, so he gets hugs, whilst I get a punch in the arm? How is that fair?" Eren stated indignantly. You pulled away from Lex and laughed.

"Life isnt fair Eren, you should know that by now. But you should have thought about that before your lips went AWOL." Your words were delivered with a sting to them, Turning back to Lex, unfussed to Erens response; you spoke again. "Did you need something?"

"Yes actually. I ran into Erwin on my way back from breakfast, he asked me to give you this. He said that it might help." Lex produced the files that he still held and gave them to you. Taking them with a look of confusion you opened the top one, only to find your own file.

"What is this... why this?" You said, more to yourself than anyone else.

"It seems that it is your file. No idea why he gave me, or what it means." Lex replied simply. Scanning the page, you couldn't see what would possibly be relevant to the case.

"I really don't get it." You said with a frown. Eren offered his hand to have a look, pursing your lips in thought, you passed him your file. You stood there in silence trying to work out why you were connected to all of this. Lex seemed to be in the same state, leaning against the frame of the door, staring at the ceiling with his hand stroking his chin. The silence was broken quite suddenly.

"What the fuck?!" Eren exclaimed. He seemed to be in the habit today of scaring the crap out of you. Even Lex look startled.

"Speak. What is it?" Lex demanded, half through shock, half through eagerness. You scrambled over to Eren, hoping to whatever higher power that he had seen something.

"Alright, calm down. I'm sure it's nothing-"

"Get on with it! What is it!!" You urged just as harshly as your counterpart.

"Well, I just thought it was really strange that Erwin's conflict of interest happened on the same day that we lost the town that you lived in..." He trailed off as he saw the look on your face, you felt your heart drop into your stomach. Lex stepped over you and grabbed the papers Eren was looking at.

"It is true Kotenok." He paused whilst looking through the rest. "Hmmm.. It also seems to be directly related. Erwin was on 'clean up' duty. Disgusting term.... Goodness.... He was found in an isolated street close to the towns local inn, didn't you say that you lived near the inn?" It was then that Lex looked at you, your eyes had welled up with tears. All of this was related to you. WHAT THE FUCK WAS GOING ON! He must have seen the whirling vortex of thoughts in your eyes. "Don't... I know this is a breakthrough...But you must remain calm... Don't .. Do anything stupid...."

You got up not paying any attention to him and ran out of the room. You needed to see it for yourself, whatever was going on, you would find answers there. You would have to go back home.

"COME BACK!!!" You heard Lex and Eren calling after you as you ran through the passageways, but you wouldn't stop, you wouldn't be dissuaded, people were hiding stuff from you, probably had been all your life. You would find out one way or another. You sped past a group of people almost knocking yourself onto the floor but kept on going. You heard more people calling after you, in fact, you were sure you heard Levi's voice but he wasn't important at the moment. Nothing else was.

You ran into the equipment cupboard, grabbed the first harness and 3DMG you could and sped to the stables. There was only one horse that was fast enough for you to get you there in record time. Levi's horse. It also meant that no one could use him to catch up with you and to try and stop you. It seemed that he had already been for a run as he was still saddled, you fed him a little hay, as you slipped the harness and gear over your body. God, it felt to be in it again, like you finally were whole again. Without much hesitation, you led the horse out of the stables, climbed upon him and raced out of the courtyard and back towards home.


~~~~

Alexei watched as he saw her ride away and sighed. It would have been a stupid thought that she wouldn't do something rash, she was young and hotheaded. It made him chuckle internally, just like he was when he was younger. Still, this meant that she was now alone and without protection, even with all her promises and prior fortune at not becoming food for the Titans, that did not mean that she would be so lucky this time. He heard multiple footsteps follow him to where he stood in the grounds and looked down to see not only Eren, Jean and Sasha but Levi as well.

"What is she doing?!" Eren exclaimed. "All I did was tell her that the dates matched up!" His words almost sounded hopeless. Levi growled with irritation, marched up to Eren and grabbed his jacket collar with force.

"What. Did. You. Do?" His voice was scathing. Lex looked slightly bemused at the sight that he was now seeing, and that was mirrored by Sasha and Jean who were now trying to prise the two apart.

"GET OFF ME! I saw the dates matched up, I was actually helping, unlike you!" Eren tried to wriggle free of Levi's grasp but was only released when Levi threw him to the ground.

"You are a fucking Moron! Because of you, she has thrown herself into danger once again, what's more, is that she has no idea what she is getting mixed up in." Levi retorted bitterly.

"Hold up!" Jean interrupted. "How the hell was she supposed to know what she was getting into if you couldn't be fucked to tell her?"

Lex groaned as he saw Levi's eyes flashed at Jean and knew that a fight was soon to follow. He walked in the middle of them and broke them up with a growl of his own, due to his voice being as deep as it was, it stopped them in silence. "Enough. Levi, we were bound to find out soon. You should have spoken to me if it was sensitive to her." He glared at Levi, he was getting fed up with the way that he was treating his little sister, the only ones that had done anything wrong in his mind were Levi and Erwin. "This could have been handled better. If she is injured... or worse. Alexei will deliver your heart to you on platter." The looks on everyone's faces had now changed to shock and were somewhat fearful. They had never heard Lex speak like that, but they also knew he was resourceful enough to make it happen. "Now we can argue until sun goes down or we could go after her and make sure she is not hurt. One person out in wilderness against Titan does not stand chance." His voice was stern and for a moment there was silence until everyone pulled their thoughts together and scrambled to get their gear together.

They regrouped at the stables, only to hear a yell of anger from inside. On peering in, Lex saw Levi throwing something across the barn. Ah, he thought, he has just realised Kotenok took his horse. He couldn't help but stifle a laugh, it was almost as if she had left a very crude message to Levi by taking his prized mount. Before he mounted his own horse, who was now in the courtyard, he looked up at the sky with a prayer in his heart.

Please let her be safe, I cannot lose her. May her horse be swift as angels wings and guided by the goddess of fortune.

Kotenok. Do not die.