Levi x Reader/OC | Unlikely Love

Four - Who You Are

Levi

I walked through the quiet and isolated streets, enjoying the solidarity and the beauty of the city when it wasn't crammed with desperate starving people. Since the fall of Wall Maria six months prior, the world had become an uglier place, and I didn't even think that was possible.

We were passing through Wall Rose as a recruitment exercise planned by Erwin to find kids to join the cadets and to find potential new soldiers. I agreed, we needed all the warm bodies we could get, but recruitment really wasn't my thing. So, I took every opportunity I could to skulk away and if I saw anyone that I thought worth recruiting, I would tell Hanji or one of the more excitable scouts. Realistically, I wasn't convincing anyone of anything.

I jammed my hands in my pockets as I walked, my warm breath forming clouds of frost as I exhaled.

I was about to look up when I bumped into something...no...somebody.

The thin, fragile figure squeaked as it dropped whatever it was holding and I suddenly felt a huge splash of freezing cold water over me.

Who the hell would be crazy enough to venture out on a freezing night like this?

"I'm so sorry" a timid voice exclaimed. The voice was kind of pretty, but frightened.

"Shit" I cursed as I began to look up. "Watch where you're going you damn br-"

I stopped in my tracks as I laid eyes on the person in front of me.

She was small, smaller than me, and her hair was brown, but a different kind of brown that I had only ever seen before on one person. Her blue eyes were lonely, but kind.

"It's you" I said.

Sophia

My jaw dropped open as I laid eyes on Levi, the scout who had come to visit me around seven months ago with his colleagues to buy my horses.

He was the same as I remembered him, but looking at him up close I noticed a few finer details. His eyes were cold, and his jaw was chiselled and sharp. His hair was so black it almost blended in with the raven sky, something about him didn't look real.

I didn't know what to say.

"You're from Shiganshina"  Levi breathed. "How in the hell did you survive, your home was on the outskirts"

"I happened to be in the city that day" I responded, still in a state of shock.

I looked down at Levi's wet clothes. His white shirt was soaked through so that I could see the skin and muscle beneath.

"I'm so sorry for spilling water on you" I said, my eyes wide, half with fear, half with curiosity.

"Tch" Levi looked down on himself, scowling. "What a pain in the ass. Do you live nearby?"

"I work at a tavern just up the road. There's a fireplace, you could dry your clothes"

"Fine"

Levi and I walked in silence, I didn't mind it but something about him was making me feel really awkward.

When we finally arrived at the tavern Levi immediately made his way over to the roaring fireplace and sat down, beginning to dry off.

"Uh..." I hesitated. "Can I get you a drink?"

"Tch" Levi responded, still scowling. I wondered if his face did anything else or if it was stuck like that. "Come and sit here, you're soaking wet too, moron"

I was shocked by his offensive choice of language, but then I remembered that I had spilt freezing water on him on one of the coldest nights of the year, so I sat down none the less.

"That day..." Levi started. "In Shiganshina..."

I swallowed.

"I'm...sorry" he said.

I looked at him. "Sorry? For what?"

"Losing everything you had like that...it must have been hard"

I looked away. "I didn't have much to lose in the first place" I admitted.

"What about your family?" he asked.

"My parents died a long time ago" I sighed. "I'm glad they never lived to see that day. All they ever knew was peace, and they deserved that"

I could feel Levi's eyes on me, but I didn't look at him. I hadn't talked to anyone about what had happened on that horrible day, in fact, I hadn't really had a proper conversation with anyone since I arrived in Wall Rose. All I did was worked and slept, but I was surviving, and that was what mattered.

"I understand..." the dark-haired man spoke softly. "...What it's like to be alone...I understand"

My eyes met his, and we held eye contact for a few seconds. Beneath the coldness of his steel orbs, I saw flashes of pain and anguish. I wondered what had happened to him.

"So what are you doing in Wall Rose?" I asked, pretending I didn't know already.

"We're here to recruit people for the scouts. Won't be staying long though"

"I see"

We sat in silence for what felt like hours. Until eventually, Levi stood up.

He patted himself down before turning to me.

"I should be getting back to work, it'll be daybreak soon" he said, the coldness had returned to his voice.

"Of course" I smiled, also standing up. "Sorry again"

"Don't worry about it"

I watched as the dark haired man put his survey corps cloak on and left the tavern, shutting the door with a soft click behind him. I wanted to know what the feeling was that was rushing through me, was it simply because I was lonely and craved human interaction, or was it something more?

Levi

I closed the door behind me and sighed, the light of the sun beginning to break through the morning clouds.

Honestly, I wished I could have stayed and talked to Sophia more, found out more about her, found out why I feel this strange connection to her, but it wouldn't have done anyone any good. What was the use in dragging another innocent person into my life? I'd already lost enough.

I walked through the cobbled streets, back to where I had been staying with the Survey Corps, and tried to put the timid girl out of my mind.

What is it about you?