Hand in Hand

4. Close

Levi's arm was slung over (y/n)'s body and her leg wrapped around his torso. They laid there asleep, tangled in a mess of hot limbs. The blanket had been tossed on the floor sometime during the night. Bright rays from the sun broke into their room through the window, causing (y/n) to slowly wake up. She took in the sign of Levi. He was so beautiful laying there asleep she couldn't bear to wake him up.

She selfishly thought to herself that she didn't want anyone else to see him this peaceful and vulnerable. Soft snores sounded from his half open mouth. His hair was tousled and tangled in the back and, for once, his eyebrows were soft and not pursed together. He looked like a restless baby who had finally gotten to sleep after hours; this rest was well deserved.

(Y/n) slowly climbed on top of his torso and lowered her face to his. Bringing her hand to his cheek, she brushed her fingers along his skin. "Levi," she hummed. "It's time to wake up."

Levi's head tossed to the side and he grunted. (Y/n) laughed and pushed her forehead to his. They were inches away from each other. Her nose just barely brushed his, heat rising to her face. "You have to wake up Levi."

Levi opened one eye. "Mmm. I was sleeping so good."

"Yes, I know, but we have to leave and go meet up with Erwin."

He moaned in annoyance and threw his head back, wrapping his arms around her back and pulling her body flush with his. "Why are you mentioning another guy's name when you're in bed with me?"

(Y/n) smiled against his chest. "Sorry Captain Levi, I won't do it again. We really do have to go soon though."

Sighing, Levi sat up and looked at (y/n) sitting on his lap. The nightgown had ridden up her body, exposing her thighs. He ran his nimble fingers up and down her sides. "Yeah, I'm getting up. You have to get up too though."

(Y/n) tilted her head and chuckled. "I am up. I'm the one who woke you up."

"No, you need to get up. Now."

"Levi what are you talking about?"

"Why won't you get up already? Get up!"

"Get up!"

"Huh?!" (Y/n)'s body sprang straight up. She sat panting with her hand over her heart. 'Damn it I sat up too fast!' Looking around the hotel room, her eyes found Levi, already dressed. He was sitting at the desk across the room.

"Damn you're stubborn," he said, clearly annoyed. "I don't how many times I yelled at you to wake up. We need to leave soon so get dressed."

'It was a dream...' Realization and disgust hit (y/n) like a wave. "It was just a stupid dream..."

"Excuse me?" Levi questioned.

She looked up and shook her head. "It's nothing. Give me time go shower. That old lady has my uniform, she said she'd wash it for me last night. Hey, did you sleep in that chair?"

"Yes," he said sharply. "After you fell asleep I left the bed. I prefer a chair to a bed anyways."

(Y/n) slowly nodded and hopped off the bed, remembering a conversation between her and Hanji from a while ago in which Hanji told her how weird Levi could be.

Levi watched the way her body moved as she got up and stretched. He watched her hands as they lazily picked up her boots. He watched the sunlight illuminate her skin, revealing indents on her arms that the blanket had made from a goodnight's sleep. He watched the front part of her nightgown that had untied itself during the night. Levi watched everything, he couldn't tear his eyes away. His heart began to beat faster when he realized that he had been starring too strongly at how her untied nightgown was hanging so low in the front, almost exposing her completely.

Levi stood up and rushed to the window so she couldn't see him. 'Hasn't she learned how to cover up in front of men she barely knows?'

He turned around to find that she had already left. A breath that he didn't realize he had been holding in, audibly let itself out. Levi thought of last night. (Y/n) had fallen asleep so quickly that it almost made him envy her. He rarely ever got good sleep.

He thought of they way she had turned over and grabbed him in her sleep before he got up and left the bed. Having someone cling onto him made him feel like a father protecting his daughter, even though she wasn't young enough to be his daughter and he didn't see her in such a way. Protecting someone from a titan is a different feeling than protecting someone from themself.

The world could be cruel, Levi knew this, but people could be much more cruel to themselves.

Throughout the night, Levi had kept asking himself why her clinging onto him made him feel nice. Why did it feel good when someone needed him? People always needed him, especially in battle. This time was different. This time, it felt like he needed her as much as she needed him. Never had he been the one to be protected.

'Why do I want to... do I want to keep her safe? Or maybe she's just getting closer to me because of Hanji's absence...'

"Levi?"

He looked up in response to his name. (Y/n) stood in the doorway, dressed in her uniform.

"I just paid for the room. Are you ready?"

Levi didn't move from the window. He let his eyes linger on her figure. She was perplexing, and he wondered what it was about her that caught his eye from that very moment two years ago up until now. His squad working with her seemed to be the only good thing that came out of the 104th and Eren Yeager.

"I'm ready. Let's go."