Past doesn't matter (Levi x OC x Erwin) AU/modern +18

Chapter 34: How long until you break? Pt. 3 🍋

"GOTCHA!"

Two strong arms slung around my waist and lifted me from the moving ground, a sharp and deep gasp from pure shock pumping up my lungs in a matter of seconds. My heartbeat was rivaling a jackhammer in speed and intensity alike as I was put down on the stable floor again, joyful, loud laughter accompanying me as I turned around to look the culprit in the eye.

Of course, it's Erwin...

With a strong punch with the flat of my hand against his hard chest, I pushed him away from me, angry and still so deep in shock that I had to lean against the treadmill behind me, my hand above my heart as I tried to catch my breath.

"Goddammit, Erwin! Don't you dare to scare me like that ever again!" I bargained, his laughter still not dying as he's supporting himself against another sports machine but from laughter.

"I'm...I'm sorry, sweetheart. I just saw you in your world and I couldn't resist." He apologized, wiping a few tears from his eyes before he inhaled deeply after his laughter finally subsided. My heart still hasn't calmed down fully, but at least I don't have to convince it that there's no danger around.

"Fuck, Eyebrows...You know damn well that I'm a scaredy-cat and easily startled. Why would you do that to me?" I whined overdramatically, stemming my hands into my hips to give him the "Scolding Mom" look, but instead of a beaten or defeated man, he came up to me and this time, he wrapped his arms around my back tenderly, pressing me against his chest while resting his face on top of my head, where I heard him taking a deep sniff of my hair. I could tell by the change of temperature that I was blushing. Hard.

A few people around stopped their workout to give us their curious gazes, somewhere filled with adoration, and of course, those of the females who thought that they looked better than me, game me glares that rivaled Mikasas. All green from envy.

"Again: I'm sorry, sweetness. I didn't mean to scare or hurt you. You looked so deep in your thoughts, and I'm sure you were brooding about Friday again, and I came to think you needed a distraction. My bad if I guessed wrong here."

"No...no. You're right about that." I sighed in defeat, leaning into him as I returned his hug when my arms laced around his back. I closed my eyes for a moment and inhaled deeply, and my senses were tickled by Erwin's unique masculine scent, mixed with his usual aftershave. His calm aura and caring nature, together with that intoxicating smell were always able to calm me down. I felt his warm breath on top of my head as he breathed a few kisses into my hair, his hand stroking up and down my back soothingly.

"You think you're ready for what's coming, sweetness? I would understand if you want to quit our arrangement."

"No. I'm not, but we can't go on like this. Stealing kisses in the shadows, holding each other like this as if we're a couple and so on. We can't, and you know that. Sooner or later, Levi will find out on his own, and then it would be even worse for all of us." I reasoned, trying to sound mature and logical, but Erwin has no idea how tempting the suggestion was to simply forget about all this and pretend to continue living as if nothing happened between us, but it will destroy us if we do this. I'm not made for lies like this. It wouldn't take long for me to crumble into pieces at Levi's feet, begging for forgiveness and then it would be already too late. I don't want that, and I'm sure no one else would want to see that.

Erwin nodded with a reassuring hum, squeezing me tighter against his chest, resulting in another sigh from me as if he was pushing out the air from my lungs.

"I know. I knew it from the very beginning that this is wrong, that we 're doing something forbidden by betraying Levi like this, but somehow, my sanity snapped and I wasn't able to think straight anymore when you're around. Can you understand that?"