Can't Get Along (Levi X Reader)

12. Broken Promise

Reader POV

I adjusted the tightness of my harness and then slipped on my green cloak, throwing the hood up over my head as I stood beside my horse and scanned the faces around me. Squad Levi was gathered on horseback a few paces to my right and I spotted Levi having an angry talk with the Commander across the field. I frowned, not happy that he wasn't coming with us. After the last expedition, I didn't feel confident that I could handle being out there but I had put up my cold front for everyone else to see and acted as if I could handle anything thrown at me. Erwin probably saw right through it but then again, if you weren't scared to go out there and face titan territory then it would be worrying. Being scared was good. It meant that you were alert to your surroundings and that you were skittish enough to have a chance to avoid getting killed. Possibly.

When Levi finished talking with Erwin, I watched him approach me with hasty steps. I opened my mouth to greet him as he reached me but he just cut me off by grabbing a fistful of my cloak and pulling me down into an urgent kiss. I returned it after a short second of shock at the public display and hugged him after he pulled away. "You better come back alive, brat." He grumbled, holding onto me tightly. Nobody witnessing this dared to say anything, afraid that they might get punished or hurt when they got back if the titans didn't get them first. I pulled away from the hug and placed a light kiss on his lips before moving to get on my horse. "I'll come home to you, I promise." We stared at each other for a long moment before he turned to go back inside the castle, probably not wanting to watch us leave. I didn't blame him. I was scared that I would never see him again too.

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Levi POV

I locked myself in my office hours ago when the expedition first left. A few other cadets that had stayed behind tried to get orders from me to keep themselves busy but I refused to talk to anyone. As much as I hated to admit it, Erwin had been right to make the call for me to stay here and not go on the expedition. I wasn't thinking straight. The only thing on my mind was (Name)'s safety, not anyone else's, not even my own. That sort of mindset was one that would get people killed. I was a liability at the moment and Erwin had made the right call.

I rested my elbows on my desk and my hands gripped at my hair as I stared down at the wooden surface. I could only imagine the worst things happening out there...

Jean POV

After jumping the narrow ravine on my horse, I pulled him to a stop and watched for the rest of the squad to do the same. First was Eren and Mikasa right behind him. Then Sasha and Connie made it safely across. Lastly, Armin made the jump with (Name) right behind him and we all watched in horror as the titan chasing us snatched her up off her horse that jumped the gap and kept going. Eren was about ready to bite his hand and shift into his titan form but Armin stopped him by pointing up at the struggling girl in the giant hand.

She managed to slice her way out of the grip, cutting off a few of the titan's fingers in the process. She tried to use her ODM gear to make it to the ground safely but she used a bit too much gas and slammed right into the ground, skidding harshly across the dusty surface of the flat rock before the opening of the ravine. Armin was the first to reach her, grabbing her arm before she could fall into the seemingly bottomless pit. (Name) looked up at us with blood seeping from her (h/c) hair on the right side of her head. It oozed down her face, even getting in her eye but she was so out of it that it didn't really bother her. "Armin, we need to go. Hurry." Mikasa called from her horse, still beside Eren.

"Armin..." I heard (Name) say as I stood just behind the blond male, watching this scene in shock but my attention quickly turned to the titan who was now making its way toward us again. "Hurry and pull her up, Armin. We need to go, now." I urged him and he tried to pull her up but to no avail. (Name) grabbed the patch on her right jacket pocket and ripped it off, holding it up to Armin. "Take this back to Levi, please. Tell him I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise." Armin shook his head but still took the patch and gripped it tightly with his other hand. He stuffed it in his left jacket pocket and tried to pull her up once more but she fell unconscious and her hand slipped right through his grip.

We didn't have time to watch her fall as I grabbed the back of Armin's jacket and dragged him back to our horses. If we stayed any longer we would all die. Better to sacrifice one than everyone. "Move it, Armin. We gotta go." I barked orders and the six of us somberly turned our horses away from the ravine and kicked them back to a gallop to regroup with the rest of the formation on the retreat that had been called by Commander Erwin just before they'd been chased off course.

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Levi POV

I rushed outside when I saw the approaching group of soldiers coming back from the expedition. I needed to confirm that (Name) had made it back alive. I went to the carriages pulling the fallen soldiers first, not that I wanted to see their faces and be reminded of any memories I might have of them but I needed to check if any of them were (Name). None were and I heaved a sigh of relief until I spotted my squad dismounting their horses over beside the stables, no sign of the girl I was looking for. Her horse was there but she wasn't.

I walked right up to Jean and Armin to get the low down on what happened. "Where is (Name)?" I asked, tone grouchy but holding a very obvious hint of worry and dread. Jean and Armin exchanged a solemn glance and the blond one pulled something from his jacket pocket, holding it out to me and avoiding eye contact. His hand shook and I froze when I saw what he held. The chest patch from (Name)'s jacket. I didn't hear a single thing the cadets in front of me said as I took the patch from him, feeling as if my heart was no longer even beating but I knew it was.

I held the patch in both hands, stroking a thumb over the white side of the wings that was stained with some of her blood. My eyes stung with threatening tears and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep myself from crying as I looked back up to the living members of my squad. I scanned their faces for a brief moment before silently turning away and walking right back to my office to be alone with her patch and my overwhelming feelings of grief...