Underground (Levi x Reader)

Staged

Early the next morning, we were back on the road, riding alongside the wall as we headed westward again.

As we rode, I couldn't help but think that it was a beautiful morning, even if we did have to keep a constant lookout for titan bastards. The sun was shining on the trees, wet from the night of rain, and the birds were even daring to emerge and sing to each other.

I glanced over at Levi, who was wearing his usual dark expression despite the sunshine, and then said under my breath to Johnson, who was riding beside me, "Johnson. Do you think it's possible for one person to bring the clouds back to the sky again?"

Johnson flicked his eyes quickly over to Levi and then back to me, giving me a slight smile as he said, "I don't know. But if anyone could do it, Corporal Ackerman could."

I chuckled under my breath, enjoying this quiet moment of light hearted ribbing while it lasted, and muttered to him in amusement, "Sometimes, I think he's not even really upset about anything. He's just worn that scowl for so long that his face is stuck like that now."

Johnson laughed at my remark and Levi shot us a glare, as if he knew we were talking about him. Johnson clamped his mouth shut and blushed, focusing his gaze downward on his hands that held the reins. I wiggled my fingers at Levi, giving him a slight smirk, and he scoffed before turning forward again.

After a few moments of silence, Johnson pulled his horse a little closer to mine and, glancing over at Levi to make sure he wasn't looking our way, asked me quietly, "Corporal. Has he always been like that?" I raised an eyebrow at him and he hurried to clarify. "Corporal Ackerman. Has he always been the way he is now? I know you two grew up together and I was just curious what he used to be like before he was this way."

I glanced over at Levi, who rode in silence, his eyes focused on the road ahead of us, and felt my heart skip a beat in my chest as I remembered what had happened last night. His touch on my skin....

I focused back on Johnson, who was looking at me expectantly. "No, Johnson. He wasn't always like this." I flicked my gaze back over to Levi quickly. "He was very different growing up. Sweet, and open, and braver than anyone I've ever known." I felt a small smile curve my lips as I remembered our younger years. I looked back over to Johnson, growing serious again. "That part hasn't changed. He's still braver than anyone I've ever known, but the way the world is now...it would change just about anybody. It's not a surprise he's adapted the way he has."

"Oi, (L/N)."

Levi's voice calling my name broke into our conversation. I pulled away from Johnson and rode over to him, coming up beside him as he glanced over at me. He pointed toward the horizon. "What do you think of that?"

I looked to where he was pointing, above the stretch of trees in front of us, and saw what he was referring to. A large, dark pillar of smoke was rising into the air ahead of us.

"What the hell?" I said under my breath, squinting my eyes to try and put the column into closer focus. "There's no other squads out this far is there?"

"Tch." He shook his head. "Not that Erwin mentioned. We're the only corps out this way."

My horse danced nervously underneath me, snorting and pawing at the ground, and I reached down, laying a calming palm along its neck as I glanced over at Levi. He met my gaze with his dark eyes, his face calm, though I knew he was just as worried as I was about what lay ahead of us.

He adjusted his grips on the reins in his hands as his own mount snorted nervously, throwing its head back to sniff the incoming wind with flared, nervous nostrils.