symbiosis » levi ackerman

chapter thirty-four ; examinations.

Fallan

I groaned and let my head fall to rest against the cold oak wood of my desk. I hated not knowing things, and in my current situation, there were a lot of things left unknown. 
I'd been staring at the empty parchment of the report I had yet to fill out for around 3 hours, and my mind was well - blank. Everything had always been so easy up until now, answers had always come to me instantly, but now as I sat staring at the piece of yellowing paper, I had never felt so hopeless. I ravaged the furthest nooks and crannies of my brain, desperate for a single answer to all of this; and yet, there was nothing.
A single knock sounded at my door and I mumbled out a come in, not bothering to raise my head and look to the figure walking through my door. 
"Having fun down there?" Benjin asked, and I could hear the smile in his voice. 
"Tonnes." I grumbled, and looked to him. He'd begun to look older almost, maybe the exhaustion had finally set in for him, like it had for everyone else. The golden flecks that used to shine bright against the hazelnut tones of his irises had dulled, and no longer held the spark of childish light they used to. That was one thing I'd always confusedly admired about Benjin, he'd maintained his youthfulness even through the horrors we'd witnessed. While most of us matured to cope, he had almost regressed. 
"If there's something you're not telling me Sallow, make it snappy. I feel like an idiot here." 
Benjin simply chuckled in response, and I shot him a narrowed glare.
"You need to stop hanging round with that Corporal, you're beginning to sound like a sour old hag. Trust me for once, I'm not keeping anything from you this time." 
I sighed and stretched back in my chair, feeling a satisfying crack from my spine. Maybe he was right, I'd definitely felt a lot colder and meaner recently but I doubted that had anything to do with Levi. I'd probably hardened to deal with the copious amounts of shit life was currently throwing my way. 
"No offence Benjin dear, but you made it decidedly hard to trust you." I said, and watched as his smile faltered slightly. 
"None of this was my choice Fallan." He replied softly, taking one of my hands in his. I stared at our intertwined hands for a minute, before looking back to him with a raised eyebrow.
"You always have a choice." I couldn't help the bitterness that seeped into my tone. It was petty, of course, but how would you feel if you discovered your only friend was simply there because he had to be?
Benjin shook his head and chuckled lightly again.
"Oh Fallan, you have no idea." He breathed and dropped my hand from his clasp. 
"That's only because you keep sheltering me from the truth." I bit back.
"You couldn't handle the truth." He snapped, and I flinched away. I heard someone clearing their throat from behind him.
"Am I interrupting something?" Levi drawled, and I breathed a sigh of relief. 
"Benjin was just leaving." I spoke, smoothing my hair down. Benjin looked almost deflated as he reluctantly turned and headed towards the door. He cast one final look in my direction and brushed past Levi, who was leant against the doorframe with his arms crossed. I rolled my eyes as the two stared at each other as they passed, like a pair of mortal enemies. 
Drama queens.
"Stop sneaking into my quarters." I mused as Levi walked over to me.
"Stop letting little brats with bruised egos walk all over you." He tutted, and I hung my head in embarrassment. It was always the same, weak little Fallan needing the big strong Levi Ackerman to be her night in shining armour.
Levi picked up the empty pieces of paper from my desk and lifted my chin with the sheets. I felt my breath hitch as he stared down at me, as expressionless as ever. 
"I mean it." He tapped the paperwork under my chin once before placing it back on my desk neatly. "Looks like you've been busy." 
"Oh, right... Yeah." I mumbled, snapping myself out of the haze he'd induced. 
"What's wrong?" Levi asked, concern tinting the edges of his words. I sighed and rested my head on my hand, rolling my quill between my fingertips.
"I'm fed up." 
"I can see that, but why?"
I looked to him, swallowing the lump in my throat as he raised an eyebrow at me quizzically. 
"I'm fed up of being treated like a child." I said lowly.
"How so?" 
"All the sheltering, the secrets, things being kept from me because poor little Fallan couldn't possibly handle the truth, the fact I always need you to save my arse from my own subordinate-"
"There's nothing wrong with being protected." He began, and I looked to him questioningly. "Something of value should always be protected." 
I felt my heart swell as I smiled warmly at him. 
"You think I'm valuable?"
He walked round the desk and pulled me up, snaking an arm around my waist. 
"You," He whispered, caressing my cheek with his hand. "Are the most valuable thing to me." 
I leant forward and pressed my lips to his gently, wrapping my arms around his neck and pulling him in closer. 
"I will always look after what is mine." Levi said as he pulled away, and I ran my hand through his hair. "And I will also encourage what is mine to get on with her paperwork if she wants the promotion she's been put forward for." 
I groaned and buried my face in his chest, inhaling the scent of citrus I'd grown to love. 
Damn Levi.

A/N

Ayo filler chapter check~
Sorry for the late update I literally read all of Killing Stalking yesterday and it ruined me so I had to read some Sangwoo x Readers to get over it