Can't Get Along (Levi X Reader)

11. Warm Hearts

Reader POV

I opened my eyes, squinting in the bright sunlight streaming through the window of Levi's bedroom. I yawned and stretched out my legs a little only to wince at the sharp pain in my hips and lower back. So it hadn't just been some dream... I smiled and moved to sit up and look around. Levi wasn't in the room but the bedroom door was open and I could see him seated at his desk in his office, looking over some documents. I watched him set the paper down and reach for his cup of still steaming tea, holding the cup in that strange way of his but I liked that quirk he had. I found it rather cute how he didn't trust the handles on cups to the point he had developed an entirely new way of holding them.

I pushed back the covers and swung my legs over the side of the bed and Levi looked over at me from his seat in the adjacent office, getting up a second later to come to my side. "Good morning." He said, looking a bit tired himself. I offered him a warm smile and pushed myself up from the bed, grimacing at the pain in my hips but I would have to deal with it because of training later this morning. It appeared to still be early so maybe I could try and relax my muscles with a nice warm shower or even a bath. Levi frowned at seeing the pained look on my face and he wrapped his arms around me, his hands giving my hips and lower back a gentle massage. "Corporal, I'm fine. You don't have t-"

"Shut up, I want to. I should have been more gentle." He cut me off, looking up into my (e/c) eyes with his silver ones. I'd never seen such a warm, soft look in them. Something about last night had changed something in him. As much as I didn't want to be babied, I had to admit that this overly sweet and caring side of the usually so gruff and cold Corporal Levi was something that I really liked. I rested my head on his shoulder and wrapped my arms around his middle loosely with a soft sigh as he continued to help loosen up my muscles with the gentle massage. He placed a few feather-light kisses on my neck before pulling away from me. "You go take a bath. I'll get you some breakfast." He half-heartedly commanded, trying to put up his cold act again but now I could see right through it. I only nodded though, deciding it would be best to not draw too much attention to his odd behavior.

I entered Levi's personal bathroom as he left to go get some food for me, turning the water on in the bath to allow the tub to fill up. I stepped in when it was mostly full, sighing as the warm water surrounded me when I lowered myself in until I was sitting stretched out in the tub, only my head and tops of my knees above the surface. It felt so nice to just let myself relax in the bath, the warm water easing my aching muscles from the night before.

Levi POV

I left the mess hall with a tray of food for (Name) and was just about to reach my office when Mike came out of his next door and walked up to me. I raised an eyebrow at him and saw him smirk. "You should really keep it down next time, those walls are sound resistant, not sound proof." I nearly dropped the tray but managed to stay composed. Shit, I had been so caught up in the moment last night that I'd forgotten others might hear (Name) if she was loud. I leaned away slightly and glared at Mike as he sniffed at my head and shoulder. "Oh, so it was a Cadet, huh? Not just any Cadet, but that one you supposedly couldn't get along with... Interesting." "Shut up, Mike. And don't you go telling anyone, got that?" I growled at the man who just stood upright and held up his hands with an amused chuckle. "Sure, whatever you say, Levi. But you know if Hanji catches wind of this, you'll be dealing with Erwin. She can't keep her mouth shut." Mike disappeared back into his office and I sighed, entering my own.

I saw (Name) seated on the couch dressed in her shirt from last night, waiting for me to return. The tiniest of smiled tugged at the corners of my lips and I walked over to her, handing her the tray of food. "I'll give you a pair of pants to wear so you can go back to your room and get changed for the day once you finish eating." She nodded and got right to it. I left her there to eat and went to my bedroom to find a pair of pants for her to borrow. I didn't want her walking the halls during the day when someone might see her in such a vulnerable state of dress. Those marks littered over her shoulders and neck proved that she was mine and I couldn't help but get agitated thinking about other men looking at her the way I did.

I was a bit surprised at these feelings since before last night I wouldn't have cared. Well, sure I would have cared but not to this extent. For some reason, having such gentle and perfect sex with her last night had set my heart aflutter in a new way. I wanted her all to myself and I could feel my attraction and attachment to her growing by the second. It scared me. Me, the cold Corporal Levi who wasn't supposed to give a flying fuck about anything at all. And I was finding myself head over heels for this girl. Was I in love? No. At least, I didn't think so. But it sure felt like it. And perhaps it was something similar. Whatever it was, she warmed my entire soul up whenever she was around and I found it difficult to keep my normal cold composure up around her. I would smile and I noticed that she would too. It was quite obvious that we were on the same page with our feelings. We made each other happy.

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There was one thing I was dreading amidst all these warm feelings though. Our next expedition that would be in just a few days. I was terrified of losing her and despite her being on my squad now, I was scared that I wouldn't be able to bring her home safely from it. Unfortunately for me, Erwin noticed a change in my behavior as the days passed and he took me off the mission. My squad would be led by (Name) and I would be staying here at HQ because supposedly, I wasn't in my right mind and could get others or even myself killed in this state. I'd kill that damn shitbrows if (Name) didn't come back home from this expedition and I made that very clear to him as they prepared to leave early that morning...