Promise me [Levi Ackerman x OC]

✦ II: Welcome home ✦

The footsteps from the street were near, making her set apart her sight from him and turned forward her face in fear remembering why she was there in the first place.

The boy realized what was happening, standing up and taking her hand for her to follow him behind a pile of empty wooden boxes. They watched through a small slit until the suspicious person left kicking the trash on the floor after failing in finding her.

The girl relaxed letting a long sigh of relief and lightly flinched hearing the murky voice from the one at her side. "You like to seek trouble, don't you?"

"What do you mean?"

"The other night when the man was choking you."

"It was you!" Her eyes widened in shock letting the basket fall to the floor, and with a big smile, she threw her arms around him gratefully.

"Oi, what's wrong with you? Stop!" He pushed her away with a displeased face after the sudden display of gratitude.

She stepped back a little, with an apologetic demeanor and was able to take a better look at him.

His clothes were old and dirty, torn on the rims, the black bags under his tired eyes and the thin limbs with faint muscles let her know how mistreated he was.

"How long has been since you eat something?" Hazel couldn't avoid feeling concerned about her fallen angel. His only answer was to look down to his feet, embarrassed by the question. "At least let me thank you by inviting you to dinner."

With a soft voice, she tried to catch his attention by reaching his hand and squeezing it with delicacy. He backed up and looked at her, accomplishing her goal.

He could swear that he almost melt just by the sight of her bright smile and tender eyes, his heart beating hard within his chest, but he didn't change his expression with bored eyes, scowl, and lips pressed together.

He felt defeated at her and rolled his eyes releasing a long exhalation which she took as an answer before taking her belongings and dragging him, pulling from his sleeve with cheering air.

He couldn't understand why she cared. Why after what happened she could be that serene?

The weak boy started to feel self-conscious, aware of his appearance, he was a real mess. What would her family say about letting in a complete stranger who looks like garbage?

He lost track of time since he was abandoned by his mentor, the one who taught him everything to survive and live on his own, but when the man left, the guy fell into depression and denial believing he would come back. He was starving to dead, hopeless, and homeless.

"I'm Hazel, by the way." She made him come out of his rambling thoughts and just nodded in acknowledgment. "We are here."

They stopped by the foot of the stairs that led to the door for a moment, noticing he wouldn't walk for himself, she pushed him until they reached the top, unlocking the door allowing him to step in. At first, he was about to escape but she stopped him before he could.

"Welcome home..." She announced almost in a scream. "Now, can you tell me your name?" She insisted with pleading eyes that were shining bright even under a dim light of an oil lamp over the center table in the living room.

"It's Levi."

She did a little reverence like she was greeting a noble. "Well, Sir Levi," taking her posture back and dragging him again around the short distance to the bathroom she forced him in. "I'll make dinner while you take a nice shower, what do you say?"

Still couldn't understand her caring actions, he stood puzzled there when she went into a room before returning with folded and clean clothes for him.

"You can shower with hot water just for like 3 minutes, after that it will turn cold, so I suggest you hurry up." She closed the door behind her to do her tasks meanwhile.

He couldn't remember when was the last time he could have a shower like this and ignored the fact he had to be fast to avoid the cold water. Taking his time to get rid of the filth on his body, Levi felt every inch of his skin caressed by the clean water, and once satisfied, he turned off the shower to step outside and dry with the towel that was there.

He got dressed, getting ready to get out of the little space taking a breath of bravery with his dirty clothes folded in his hands. Immediately, the sweet smell of food reminded him how starving he was.

Levi hesitated and got to the living room next to the kitchen and let out a gasp watching there was an additional person that made him feel self-conscious, a tall man with messy brunette hair next to Hazel, laughing while finishing serving the food.

She turned around with two plates and look back at the black-haired boy in the middle of the living room with her big grin. "Hey, just in time! Take a seat, dinner is ready." She pointed to a chair but Levi didn't move unaware of how to act. "Declan, don't be rude." She nudged the man.

The one who whirled in his place with his own plate in his hands faced Levi with the same grin as her, and other similar features as hazel eyes with long lashes, freckles in his cheeks, that allowed him to assume they were siblings. "Hey. Don't be shy, come here, this looks delicious."

Levi had no other option than to take their invitation and sit in silence. Suddenly, his guts made a loud noise at the sight of the food in front of him, letting them know how starving he was.

"Go on. I hope you like it." She encouraged him, taking her own food to her mouth.

Eating in comfortable silence, Levi was grateful that they didn't ask anything knowing how introverted he was, an observant and a listener, not a speaker. He finished and just stood there with fixed eyes on the table, feeling his full stomach by his first meal in days.

"Thanks for the food, Hazel," Declan said relaxing at ease in the chair. "Levi." His voice waked up the young one from his trance. "So, tell me, does Hazel make you have a hard time?" He was staring at her with an accusing face.

Levi didn't know what to reply, but he was honest and steady to speak. "Yes, a couple of times."

Hazel was left blushing in shame, needing to hide her face with her hands. Levi repressed a chuckled, finding it how cute she was all flustered. He quit looking at her, noticing the weird feeling just by her reaction, and turned his eyes to the table again.

"Tsk. Hazel, what I'm going to do with you? I'm sure Levi has some better things to do than saving your ass every time you got in trouble." Declan pinched his nose irked by his sister's recklessness. "I have to apologize for her lack of attention and her ability to seek problems, but also, I have to thank you, if you hadn't been there I wouldn't have her right now."

Levi was stunned by the sudden praising and nodded in response incapable to say something.

The older one removed the all dishes from the table to wash them, when he finished, approached Levi and shook his hand in gratitude. "I hope you agree to stay the night here, it's already too late for you to go."

With that said, Hazel stood up in a rush with a happy face dragging Levi again through the hall and opening a door to let him in. He found it was a small room with an individual bed neatly made, a wardrobe across the bed, and a bureau beside it with an oil lamp.

"Make yourself comfortable." She said sheepishly playing with her hands on her lap.

These people keep on surprising him, even if he hadn't asked for anything, why these people were this kind to him?

He didn't think that he deserve this treatment, he was nasty in his own eyes. They didn't know him and the atrocities he had made, no matter if it was in self-defense or just to punish someone, sometimes he had enjoyed the feeling of dominance over others.

It was too good to be true.

Reading his mind, Hazel took him by his shoulders and look into his eyes. "Levi, you save me twice. I couldn't be more grateful to anybody." Her lips started to twitch up forming a light smile and her arms rounded his torso hugging him for a few seconds before he untied her and took a step back.

"Oi! I will stay, but stop trying to get so close to me."

"Deal," she agreed with hopeful eyes.