Promise me [Levi Ackerman x OC]

✦ III: Protect you ✦

Hazel left him when he closed the door to finally lay down, trying not to think about how unreal was the fact they had let him stay at their home.

The mattress embraced him and without knowing it, he was fast asleep.

Levi wasn't used to receiving this nice treat making him feel untrustful, everything he might need had to earn it using his skills, inflicting pain and fear. They turned his world upside down, seemed that helping someone in need could give you nicer things. 

Even if he didn't show it, the boy was more than grateful because before that night he had never tasted a real meal, had been a long time since he had slept on a bed, he took a shower, or feel welcomed.

He was homeless, helpless, lonely, and on the edge of death.

The compassionate siblings managed to convince Levi to live with them, basically adopting him.

Hazel had to beg several times before Levi accepted, even though she could be a pain in his ass by all her urging pleads for him to stay, the girl could make him feel the warmth invading his heart with a smile or a simple look, it was a feeling he hadn't felt and didn't want to lose.

It didn't take him long to feel comfortable around them, although his personality was detached, they didn't seem to care, the siblings could see through him that deep inside he wasn't that tough.

Declan knew how hard life in the underground city could be, full of disease, poverty, and hunger. They were privileged for having somewhere to live and jobs to survive. He knew not everyone had that luck and for that, he was happy to help at least one unfortunate soul, the one who save his sister.

Levi had the potential to stand up, he just needed the motivation to keep living and he found it in them, his new family, the spark of light he needed and for the rest of his life, he will be in owe with them.

✦

"How was your day?" Hazel got out of the restaurant to find Levi waiting for her and get back home.

Levi's new routine was escorting her to the job and back, afraid that something like the last couple of times happened, listening to how her day was, always with her cheery vibes.

"Fine, how about yours?" he answered monotonously with his hands on his pockets syncing his pace with hers.

"Real bu~sy, I'm exhausted." She sighed stretching her arms above her head while he hummed in acknowledgment. "So, today I was in storage duty, and guess what I found." Her smile widened noticeably with a mischievous stare. Without expecting him to answer, she took something from the basket and handed it to him. "I remembered that you told me how much you like it."

Levi took the square can and opened it. "Tea leaves?" His lips twitched in an attempt to smirk. "Thank you, Haze."

"I knew you would appreciate it." She said in a triumphal tone with her plan in mind going as she expected.

"What now?" His lips got back to be a fine line and rolled his eyes when he noticed her strange demeanor.

"Don't be so grumpy, I want something in return." She poked his arm before clinging onto it. "I want you to teach me something to defend myself."

Lightly jolting her from him, he felt curious and a bit concerned for the reason she might need to guard herself. "Why would I do that? Am I not here to protect you?" He rose a brow looking a bit offended.

"Because I gave you tea leaves. I know you can protect me, but I don't want to be always a burden to you or Declan." Pouting like a child, she crossed her arms in a huff.

"You know you aren't" Levi frowned and took the basket from her before the things drop.

"Please!" Hanging from his arm again and with her pleading eyes, she squealed before hiding her face in his bicep.

"You already know how to use the knife to defend yourself." He managed to set his arm free from her.

"Well, it didn't work back then when you had to save me, right? I barely saw you, but it's obvious that your moves are fast and effective. You told me that your mentor taught you a lot of things." Her eyes were supplicants once again when she suddenly stopped in front of him.

He let out a big sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose with two fingers knowing she won't stop whining. "Alright, brat."

"Thank youuu!" Hazel finally celebrated what beforehand she knew was going to accomplish and restarted her walking. "This must be a secret, you can't tell Declan. He would be mad if it happens to know."

"Why?" Starting to regret accepting her request, Levi halted when they reached the steps from the house

"I'll tell you later."

As they got in leaving the basket on the table, she put the pot to heat water and took out the cups for the tea, while Levi waited for the water to boil adding a few leaves. He poured the infused water into the cups and went to where Hazel was waiting patiently for him.

"It's heavenly, Levi." The sip made her throat warm with the liquid, and let out a sigh in delight.

Declan got out of his room ready to leave in a hurry. Approaching the table, he kissed the top of Hazel's head and stroked Levi's hair leaving it messy. "Hey guys, I have to go. I got the night shift to supervise the healer's patients."

It would happen often, Declan had to take extra shifts to keep an eye on the frail patients while the healer rested. Sometimes it took him a couple of days, working harder than they paid him for, and when he came back, slept the day straight.

Neither, Hazel nor Levi approved this, but he was always trying to help people and couldn't change his mind.

On occasions, the patients' relatives blamed him for the deaths or when the treatment didn't work, giving him a hard time and some troubles with people but all he cared about was to help.

Declan started with trying to gather money for the family doing the shady jobs when he was younger, then when he decided to find Hazel's cure also rescuing Levi from his homeless life so he didn't die, now aiding the patients, even the ungrateful ones.

Both teens ate dinner before making more tea to sit on the sofa in silence, each with a book.

"Stupid," Levi muttered with a light scowl, troubled about Declan's lifestyle.

Hazel turned from her side of the couch to face him taken aback by his random comment. "What?"

"I just can't believe he denigrates himself that way, he takes care of everyone else but him."

"You're saying you are worried?" Lifting her eyebrows, Hazel couldn't believe he was showing concern for her brother.

"I never said that." He changed the topic to shake off the fact his emotions were being displayed "Are you going to tell me or what?"

"Hm?" She turned her head at him noticing he was with a stoic semblance with his closed book in his hand. "Oh!" She realized what he was talking about, closing her book as well as leaving it on the coffee table.