Underground (Levi x Reader)

Swim

After dinner, I walked back alone to the officers' quarters.

The sun had set and twilight shadows were beginning to cover the ground. Most of the cadets were in their barracks for the night, gambling or drinking or messing around with their fellow squadmates. I passed a few groups who were still out around some of the fires, talking and laughing quietly amongst themselves.

When I reached the barracks where Levi had been cleaning earlier, I noted that the lanterns were still lit in some of the lower floor rooms, even though I knew that that building wasn't full of cadets and they only occupied the upper floors.

I stopped for a moment, leaning against a tree, my arms crossed across my chest, as I watched the windows of the lower floor. Just as I had predicted, I saw a small, dark figure dart past one of the windows, broom in hand. I rolled my eyes. I knew I'd still find him here when he hadn't shown up for dinner.

I started to turn to leave and continue walking back to my quarters, but something made me pause. I glanced over my shoulder at the brightly lit windows again and let out an annoyed sigh. Why did I feel the need to do this to myself?

I walked over to the barracks and pushed open the heavy, worn, oak door. It creaked as it swung open to reveal the lit common room beyond, and Levi, who had been crouched in the corner, scrubbing at something on the floor, glanced up at me as my shadow fell across the floorboards.

I leaned against the doorframe and raised my eyebrow at him. "Still cleaning, Ackerman? Don't you think you're just imagining dirty spots at this point?"

He pulled the handkerchief from off his mouth and let it drop down around his neck as his black, blank eyes met mine. His face remained emotionless as he said in a slightly scornful voice, "Tch. These brats are disgusting. I'm not imagining anything, (L/N)." He dropped his eyes down the length of my body, my open jacket, the cropped t-shirt I wore, the tight leggings, and then said flatly, "Trying out dressing like a girl for once, (L/N)?"

I gave him a cheeky smile as I stretched my arms above my head, revealing more of my skin as the shirt pulled up slightly. "Do you like what you see, Ackerman?"

He scoffed and dropped his dirty rag into the bucket at his feet. "I'm just glad you're not wearing that disgusting stained uniform from earlier. Other than that, I couldn't care less what you choose to wear."

I dropped my arms back down to my side, slightly disappointed that I hadn't been able to get a bigger rise out of him with my teasing, and then said, "Well fine. But I think I'm going to hike up and find that little lake above the barracks that all the cadets keep talking about and go for a swim before bed." I raised my eyebrow at him again, testing how far I could go before I pushed him over the edge and he yelled at me. I loved pushing his buttons, and I was searching for just the right one this time. I needed a win after the last few days. And there was nothing that cheered me up more than annoying the hell out of this pompous ass. "So if you would prefer to see me without any clothes, male or female, you could come along, Ackerman."

He furrowed his brow as he looked at me, but other than that, his face remained as devoid of emotion as ever. The look on his face as he studied me for a moment, however, reminded me of something in the back of my mind, something I had pushed away a long time ago.

FLASHBACK

"Levi! Come on!" I spoke in a loud whisper, waiting for him at the top of the large pile of fallen boulders, perched precariously on the edge of one of the stones with my bare feet.

"Shut up, dummy. I'm right here." He climbed up beside me and shoved me a little, causing me to stumble backward as I laughed.

I took his hand in mine, his rough, cracked skin nestled against my palm, and dragged him up the rest of the boulders. When we reached the top of the dark pile of stones, we stood side by side for a moment, our fingers still intertwined.

I looked out over the large cistern finally full of water again and shot Levi a grin in the dark shadows of the Underground night. "See, I told you! They filled it this morning again for the year."

The cistern was the main source of water for the Underground, and it was filled once a year, from cloudy, already dirty runoff water from the main city above. However, it didn't matter. The one day a year when the cistern was filled, Levi and I would sneak out at night and go for a swim, the cold water cleaning our bodies of the year of grime that had accumulated.

I dropped Levi's hand, my eyes never leaving the dark, mossy, pool of water at our feet, and stripped my tattered, dirty dress over my head. I dropped the ragged fabric at my feet, standing in the cool night air beside the edge of the pool in only my yellowed underwear and bra, and glanced over at Levi. He was staring at me, a slight blush colored his cheeks.

"Levi? What's the matter?" I looked down at my body. We had been doing this for years, and even though we were older this year, thirteen and fourteen, he'd never paid attention to me before now. I was stick thin, all my ribs could be seen under my pale, translucent skin, and my joints were knobby from lack of fat. My skin was mottled with bruises in different stages of healing, green and yellow and dark purple. I noticed, however, that even though we never had enough to eat and I was the same everywhere else as I had been the year before, maybe even a little thinner, that I did fill out my bra more than I ever had before now.

I raised my eyes back to Levi, who looked away in embarrassment when my gaze met his dark one, and couldn't help a smile from crossing my lips. I shoved him. "Come on, dummy. Get undressed. It's time to swim!"

I dove into the water without waiting for him, and the cold took my breath away as I submerged myself under the dark, turbulent surface. I came back up for air, my hair wet and plastered against my forehead, just as Levi dove into the pool beside me. He surfaced next to me and I spit some water at him before saying, "Race you to the other side!"

I took off, my arms cutting through the water, Levi close behind me. It took us just a few moments to reach the other side of the small cistern, and as I grabbed the lip of the tank and turned to watch Levi come up just short of me, he gave me a grin and splashed some water at me. "You cheated. You didn't give me time to get ready."
I pushed some wet, heavy hair out of my eyes and grinned back at him. "Whatever. You're the one who promised to never leave me behind again. But I made no such promise."

He laughed and ducked under the water. I felt his arms go around my legs and I shrieked as he pulled me underneath the murky water again.

FLASHBACK END

Coming out of the memory, I suddenly felt an aching in my chest as my eyes focused back on Levi, who was still watching me, his dark, flat gaze unwavering. I had been messing with him before, trying to get him to blow his top, but now, I really did want him to go for a swim with me. Just like old times.

"Oi, (L/N). Did you fall mute or something?"

I opened my mouth, and almost without my bidding, his name fell from my lips, a name that I hadn't used in years. "Levi, I....."

Instantly, I realized what I had said and I clapped a hand over my mouth. A strange look, maybe it was my imagination, flashed quickly across his face as his name came from my lips, and he took a step toward me, as if drawn by an invisible thread.

I stepped back from him and turning, rushed out the door into the dark night. Tears started to fill my eyes as I ran blindly through the shadows, back toward the officers' quarters.

What an idiot. We'd spent years together now in the corps. He'd never acted like he cared once since he brought me here. Why did I think things would suddenly go back to the way they were before? I had to stop these memories. I wasn't good enough for Levi Rivaille Ackerman anymore.

And I had to accept that and bury him in the Underground with everything else.