symbiosis » levi ackerman

chapter twenty-two ; trust.

Levi:

Fallan had arrived at the courthouse a sweaty, heavy breathing mess. Her eyes were wild, and it looked like she'd been running.
"Parent's really that bad, huh?" I joked, and watched her look to the floor, fists clenched at her sides. I began to worry, so took a step forward and tried to brush her hair behind her ear, but she flinched away. Was she crying? Surely not...
"Hey, Fallan - what's wrong?" I tried to ask softly, but it came out as more of a grunt. Typical.
"Nothing. Can we just go home please?" She mumbled quietly, but I heard her voice crack with emotion. I nodded and stepped to the side, allowing her to walk past me and into the carriage.
I ran a hand through my hair and sighed.
"Fuck,"

We rode in silence - I didn't bother to pry. I knew she'd speak to me when she was ready, but I hated seeing her like this. Her eyes were red and filled with sadness as they stared out of the window. I removed my gaze from her and instead stared at my trousers, furiously picking at a tiny stain on the black fabric.
"Hey Levi." She called out, and I immediately snapped my eyes back to her, and raised an eyebrow.
"Yes?" I asked, as she still continued to stare out at the dark sky.
"You promised you'd tell me about your childhood."
Ugh.
I began to feel uncomfortable as I shifted in my seat a little.
"Ask away." I sighed, racking another hand through my hair, then letting it drop into my lap.
"How long was Kenny with you?"
I felt my heart tug at the question, and I swallowed down the lump in my throat, fighting to keep my composure.
"He found me when I was 14. He stayed with me until I was about 17."
These weren't questions about my childhood. She was trying to work something out.
"And you're the same age as me, yes? 24?" I could hear anger rising in Fallan's voice, but couldn't quite work out why. I carried on staring at her and nodded, but her focus was still on the skyline.
"Do you know how long it's been since my brother died?" She looked to me, eyes narrowed with a furious passion, "8 years, Levi."
Shit.

Fallan:

I watched Levi's eyes widen for a quick second, before he regained his composure.
"I see." He muttered, "You think I knew all along. Where's this thread of paranoia been spun from?"
"Your Uncle."
Levi sat up in alarm, eyes wide and mouth opened slightly.
"He payed me a visit on my walk back." I mumbled, feeling tears begin to well up in my eyes at the memory of our encounter, but I pushed the feeling away and instead stared at the floor.
"Jesus Christ Fallan, are you okay?" He asked in a panic, cupping my face gently and raising it towards him. The action was meant gently, but all I could see was Kenny and those cold grey eyes. He brushed his thumb over my cheek, and I leaned into his hand, desperate for the comfort it brought me.
"I'm fine." I said, but my voice cracked halfway through.
"I promise you," He pleaded, "I didn't know."
And I believe him. I really did.
Levi sighed and tucked a stray hair behind my ear, then let his hand trail down the side of my face, causing my breath to hitch. He smiled slightly at my reaction - which only made my heart rate quicken. He didn't smile often, but when he did it was a beautiful sight.
"You always get so nervous when I touch you," He whispered, face inches from mine as his thumb brushed against my bottom lip, pulling it down slightly.
I found myself breathless as I stared up at him with wide eyes. Under the moonlight, he looked gorgeous.
"Maybe that's because I don't like you." I whispered back, my face involuntarily inching closer to his. The small smile on his lips now grew into more of a smirk.
"Something tells me that's a lie,"
Our faces were growing closer and closer by the second, until the carriage jolted to a holt and there was a knock on the door. We both froze.
"What is it?" Levi growled, as the door was opened. Erwin stood there, looking rather amused at the fact Levi's hand was still attached to my face. I swatted it away and felt blush rise to my cheeks.
"There's a blockage on the road just ahead, it'll be cleared by morning. We'll have to stop for the night."
"Excellent," Levi sighed, resting back in his seat. I didn't dare speak a word, for fear of my sentences jumbling together with embarrassment.
"I have a friend with a cottage a bit further into the woods. Come," Erwin said, turning on his heel and heading towards the forest. Levi stepped out of the carriage and offered his hand to me to help me down.
Well, this will certainly make for an interesting night.

A/N
sorry for the short chapter, she do be tired :'(
anyway i promise there will be some more romance next chapter and THEN it gets juicy
i think i'm just gonna stay away from the anime plotline and develop my own storyline with Fallan and her family, and then maybe make a sequel once I've finished this book that ties in with the events of the anime???
idk lemme know what u think xoxoxoxo