✓ Blood Lust (Levi Ackerman - Attack on Titan) #wattys2021

Chapter Twenty Three

My father sits on a barrel, watching Levi and I spar with a very Hange-like glee. My husband's weak leg was probably the only thing keeping me upright, but it didn't stop him from an upper onslaught.

"This is wife abuse!" I scream at him, trying to land a kick to his side, only for him to catch it and twist my body painfully.

"Tch. This is pathetic. And I heard you gave a good fight against Annie, but look at this." He shoves me and I fall onto my back. My dad laughs from his spectator's seat. I glare at him, getting back up. Levi turns towards the Commander. "You are the one that taught her growing up. I'm disappointed in you too." I stifle a grin now.

"Dammit, Eliora, you're dragging my good name," he calls out. I huff, turning back to Levi in a fighting stance. I focus on blocking, maintaining distance between us. Unfortunately, I don't think twinkle toes ever tires out, on the battlefield or in the bedroom.

"If you can beat me, you can beat anyone, Eliora."

My eyes widen. He's right. He's the strongest soldier. I can overcome anyone after him. We continue to spar, him correcting my movements. "Your defense is good but your hips are not moving together, which is odd since you are great at ODM gear." He goes to kick me in the side, and I turn funny, taking the force to the stomach. "Shit!" he grinds out, running to my side, my father following behind.

"Do your hips hurt?" my father asks, laying a hand on one, watching my face grimace. "I think you might've hurt them when you injured yourself badly. You've obviously been working out or you'd be..." he trails off.

"Pregnant?"

He nods. "Yes. We need to focus on that hip ailment, like Levi is using his good foot as an anchor now."

I stand back up, facing off against my father in a normal fight stance. He shakes his head, coming over, pushing my hips closer together. "You'll need to focus more on pivoting, not dodging. You have a small body, use it like Levi and Mikasa does. Again."

I retry the fighting stance, making my hips smaller than usual. He comes at me, a kick going for the same spot Levi hit earlier. I pivot, my feet sliding me around. This causes my father to be in my personal space, and if we were enemies, I could finish him easily as he's open here. I look over at Levi, always happy when I've been able to make him surprised.

"Doesn't this bring you back?" Erwin says, catching my attention again. "Telling you what to fix while we spar. All we are missing is your mother cooking, telling me that you aren't going to the military." My mind immediately goes back to that moment, when I was barely twelve.

"Daddy!" I scream out, running out of the house, despite my mother's protest that I'll trip again. He catches me in his arms, spinning me around. "You're back finally!"

He places a kiss to my forehead, setting me down onto my feet. He looks up, grinning at my mother. She, too, runs out towards him and he wraps her into a hug.

"I'm so sorry, Winny," she whispers into his ear, and I know what she's talking about. I lost another sibling. "I lost the baby, again." He places a kiss against her forehead. He was never mad at her, but she always apologized, and I didn't know why until the tea.

"It's okay, Lilly. Maybe we should stop trying."

My mother shakes her head harshly. "No. I won't. We will have another child. I promise."

"Lil..."

"Stop, I'm alright, Erwin. I'm just glad you're home. We're glad you're home," she says, putting her arm around me. I grin to the both of them, mine turning sly, my father noticing.