Rivaille x Reader: Estranged [3]

The shadows danced, mimicking the movement of a torch whose flame swayed to an unheard tune. At times, the insistent partner would gust by, causing the flames to lean in either direction. On the night of one of the most terrible storms, a young girl sat beneath a holdfast near the entrance of an underground tunnel in the Inner Wall that carried said torch.  

You sniffled between damp matted hair and huddled up best you could to shut out the chill. Mom was gone, dad disappeared quickly after. They hadn’t returned since the last month on a night similar to this. The storm certainly brought bad luck. Away in the safety of the underground tunnel the rain pelted loudly against the empty streets as though a Titan dropped numerous marbles all at once.

Not long ago had a soldier come by, but going by the slurred song of some unchaste tune you knew well to avoid him. When he had disappeared you reemerged from the shadows and prayed for a miracle.

He didn’t understand why the boy insisted on following him. It was irritating and Johannes was not in the mood to be toyed with. On a night like this in particular, the man just wanted to drown under the rain with cursed spirits in hand. He wanted to indulge in the painful heat that would scorch his chest and receive him from the pain, even if it were to be awhile.

The thieve’s guild had been silent. Shavings of blades against whetstone were the only tune to play during the period of grief. Whenever she had been in mind, he’d head out back, tempering his knives before a heist. His men, in a show of solidarity would join him, partaking in his ritual.

Despite her fragility, she had been loved.

Levi had never gotten the privilege to meet the girl, but he knew the cost of life. For a boy he was precocious. He had come to Johannes after the boy was told to disengage from a former branch. Normally, Johannes wouldn’t have questioned it, but it could not be helped.

The boy was 9.

Something about a conflict of interest, he wasn’t entirely sure. If he was sure about one thing, it was how much he wanted to be alone.

He pulled the cloak over his head when the rain decided to pelt harder. “Boy,” Johannes warned, “You must go back, where I go is no place for a child like you.”

Levi had been known to be obedient, but childish inclinations still presided over at the worst of times. “No,” he shot back, tailing him tiredly. The boy had been following him for hours. Johannes couldn’t discern whether the boy knew his plan to tire him out or was just stupid. Perhaps he had been ordered by one of the other thieves in authority. If so, this boy would not let up.

A good trait… the man noted. Just… not now.

Having enough of this nonsense, he stopped midstride and turned toward the boy, shoving  a threatening finger at Levi’s nose.

Between wet lips, he warned the boy to head back he would end up regretting it later. The confrontation had nearly cracked the boy until a distressed cry echoed out from an underground corridor.

His dark eyes bugged in their sockets, threatening to slip out. Johannes noticed the expression and demanded the boy to speak up.

Levi lifted a thin hand and pointed towards the end of the street. The man followed it, realizing his age when he finally heard the cry. A flame that illuminated the entrance extinguished quickly after.

“Gott,” he gasped.

A girl roughly the same age as Levi cried in her sleep. It could be surmised that she had tried to obtain the torch held in its holdfast, but had burned her when she had thrown a slipper at it. As she would later explain in a fit of tears and snot, she feared she would die. She had been stripped of the basic necessities and feared she would die if she couldn’t properly warm herself up. In vain, the strong throw of the slipper managed to loosen the torch and consequently fell on her head. Thanks to the thickness of a headwear she wore, she only suffered hair loss when the girl had managed to run out into the heavy rain. Further assistance from Johannes contributed to her scarcity of burn wounds.

Levi had been ordered to keep watch, believing that in the company of another youth, the girl would feel more secure.

Unfortunately, Johannes didn’t account for Levi to be so rude and aloof. He was something else and the girl definitely did not feel secure in the boy’s company.

“You, cover your bald spot,” Levi said, shoving the hat into your small hands.

You took it nervously, flinching as he walked passed. What was his problem?

You sighed and placed the hat on, keeping your hands clamped tightly on the sides as you headed out from a room. The placed looked like any other guild, no different than what you had seen from the military police. If anything at all, this place was situated nearer to the Wall’s gates for purposes of other kinds.

From the outside the place was blocked off by numerous caravans. Entrance was built in two places aside from the windows. A gap in the roof and another was a door, but was guarded and hardly ever used. Outside were shady men disguised as military police members, however, were absent of the special contraption. Not like anyone would notice to begin with. The cloak on their back with the emblem was enough.

Early in the beginning you had learned that the soldiers were easy to buy off. Crime could be committed for the right price. On the morning after your discovery and taken in, a soldier came to the door with a sullen expression, his hands too fidgety to keep still. One of the thieves dropped a tinkling bag into the man’s hand and with a nod, the soldier left.

At the time you hoped for the soldier to take you away. Far from here and maybe help you find your parents, yet the idea was a mere farce. A denial to a truth that your subconscious knew, but you wouldn’t admit it.

Johannes had been adamant at first to tolerate your presence, often wondering why he took you in. You did yourself! You’d have preferred the drunk solder. The distance was strong, icy, but it melted one day.

“Where are your parent’s?” the big man asked one morning.

You were silent at first, unsure of how to reply without revealing the fear that nearly choked you. You looked down at the sheets instead, tugging at them for support.

He was knelt beside you, observing your movements rather than looking into your face. If there was one thing he had learned in his years of expertise, it was always to look at someone’s body. Actions typically spoke louder than words. Beside, you intentionally obscured your eyes behind a veil of hair.

“Do you have anywhere to go?” he asked, gingerly placing a hand near yours. You flinched and he was quick to back off. You shook your head slow, negatively.

He nodded once. “Right,” he braced his knees and in one big sigh, he stood at full height. You looked up at him, wide-eyed. He was a Titan compared to you.

“You’re welcome to join us for breakfast,”

“Okay,”

Silence draped in the air. Johannes was reluctant to leave. He glanced at you once and was reminded of his little girl.

No, he couldn’t stand it.

The door clicked softly afterwards.

You eventually came out, furtive as a thief until those bug eyes of the boy zeroed in on you.

He was perched atop a crate sitting crisscrossed, and appeared to be bored. You wondered if he had been waiting for you to come out. Regardless, the sight of him made you slam into the door, hesitant. He made the unfortunate error of pointing out your bald spot. Something he would pay in time.

On the morning after your discovery, you awoke to him sitting on a bed across from yours. Upon notice of your awakening, he jumped off and slowly walked over. “Levi,” he said proffering his hand, but the look of disdain was evident. Since then, he had been curt and only gave kindness in the presence of Johannes.

Still clutching the hat against your head, you followed after Levi, being sure to trail behind him rather than beside or ahead. The damn kid had a habit of knocking over the hat.

Upon being served, you kept one hand on the hand and the other on the bowl. Eggs and sliced fruit; depending on your rank in the thieve’s guild, your meals differed based on importance in the group. The higher you were, the more likely you were to get meat.

You scurried to a table nearest to Johannes and scooted away when Levi joined you. The entire time you couldn’t help, but notice the boy staring—more like scrutinizing—at you.

“Something on my face?” you whispered, drawing up the fork.

Levi went ahead and consumed. Johannes took notice of your presence and gave something like a smile to you. You returned it all too eagerly, making him look away. Your smile slowly fell apart. You looked down, dejected. You wanted to go home. You drew the hand still clenching onto the hat down, distracted.

What was to happen to you anyways? Would they send you off? You knew no harm would come to you. Johannes exuded the same warmth as your father had.

Even if restrained.

You cried that night.

You sobbed into your pillow, doing your best to be quiet but to no avail. A rustle of sheets shook you into awareness, going stiff and silent at once.

The young boy sighed and rubbed an eye tiredly. “Keep quiet or I’ll kick you out of the room,” he warned grouchily, “and don’t think I’m kidding either.”

Despite the warning, he had been the one to leave.

On the morning after a few tearful nights had come the decision of your fate. You sat away from your adversary and clutched your hat tighter than usual.

“We’re going on a hike,” the big Johannes announced. Levi had wanted to go, but was declined curtly after several no’s.

“It’s not fair,” the boy argued, “Why do I have to stay behind and watch the prisoner?” he pouted, crossed his arms, and stamped a foot.

The men snickered behind their leader yet they ceased the second they were given an admonishing glare. He looked back down, glancing at you and then to the boy. His visage was hard.

“She is no prisoner, Levi, she is a guest and you will do well to remember,”

You were genuinely surprised.

“It is up to me whether we keep her or not, but until then you will watch her while I’m gone or you’ll pay the consequences,”

Levi was momentarily shocked, unsure of what to say. His head lowered, defeated. Without much of a rebuttal he conceded.

Orders were orders.

When they all had left and Levi was still standing by the door gloomily, you returned to the room knowing what would happen next. The dark-haired kid complained for the rest of the day, demeaning you and telling you your worth, which was squat. Eventually, you had enough. You walked out of the room, hat still on, and found that Levi was nowhere.

You became anxious as you walked around, going near a lantern left on by Levi. Did he head into one of the other rooms? Maybe he decided to sleep now, you thought. You were in the process of heading back into your room until you felt your hat push over and fall with a thud.

Then one of his hands gripped your shoulder. You retaliated with a force you never knew you had. You spun to face him, finding his features darkened by the shadows of night and you allowed yourself to fall flat on your bum. The way his face brightened revealed his shock. Your eyes locked onto his feet and without hesitation you swung your right leg to collide with his, effectively sweeping and making him fall.

He gave out an alarmed cry, cursing your name. “Ouch!”

The adrenaline scorched his capillaries, the motor neurons shooting off at the speed of an arrow. He was fast in scrambling onto his feet, but your anger overpowered his superior reflexes. You were on him, your hands running to places that you had no control over. A hand ran onto his shoulder, your thumb pushing deep into the crevice between the clavicle and scapula where a nerve sat. Levi squirmed. Your other hand ran over the indentation of where the shoulder met, the head of the humerus where, with enough force could bring enough pain.

“K-knock it off!”

He was able to push you off by rolling over. Not expecting it, you fell flat on your side, astonished. Levi looked over you and rubbed at his neck, sniffling. You looked past him towards the draped windows.

“What’s wrong with you?” he asked angrily.

You shifted your attention momentarily to Levi and back to the window, unblinking.

“You started it,” you replied dully.

You brought Levi down without trouble. You couldn’t believe it. You didn’t even know what to feel. It was as if an animal possessed you. For an hour you laid there. Levi sat by the corner, watching you, his hand still at his neck. By the time everyone returned with the day’s cargo in tow, they were surprised to find both you and Levi sleeping on the floor. In the morning the snitch had rat you out first.

“Well, you had it coming Levi,” one of the men said. Johannes concurred. “How’d you let girl get the best of you, boy? Maybe she has worth after all.”  

The two of you were taken out for a walk by one of the men, a thin yet toned man named Rudy. He led you both down to a stream where he ordered for you both to stay at while he went to grab something.

Levi knew the day had been set up for reconciliation. He wouldn’t do it. While you stood by the stream, watching the water glisten under the sun’s luminous rays, you were careful of Levi. You looked over your shoulder to find him by a tree. He gave you an ugly look. You looked away. The contempt smoldered into the back of your head.

You heaved a heavy sighed and went to your knees, leaning over to see your reflection. Your hair was a mess, but you appeared to be in good shape.

After sometime sitting by the stream you came to the conclusion of your wrong doing, but the boy had been harassing you since the beginning. Regardless, you knew you had to apologize. Of course you didn’t like it, but what else could you do?

For one thing you would have preferred for Levi to apologize first since he had been the instigator. However, you knew he wouldn’t. The boy was as stubborn as a mule.

“Dummkopf,” you growled. Getting to your feet you went over to Levi, his eyes closed. Being stealthy, you sat beside him, making sure to avoid being caught. You were successful.

Feeling the wind against your skin, you basked in it, glad for the beauty of the day. Sadly, it had been ended with the apology.

“I’m sorry Levi,” you told him, avoiding the sudden glare thrown your way. You heard him scoot away.

“I don’t need your apology,”

You sighed.

-----

“So, did he ever forgive you?”

You looked up from the diary, dazed until Rosa’s inquiry shook you from your reveries. You nodded.

“Yeah, he did,” you withdrew your hands from the table, folding them over your thighs. “We ended up playing in the steam, he said, ‘Since you were able to best me, I guess we can play together just this once, but you’re not off the hook!’”

You both smiled.

A knock on the opened door brought both of you back into awareness. You turned your head over to see a young man with an envelope in hand. “Miss ___?” he asked, studying the envelope and looked to you curiously.

You nodded and paced over to him, taking the letter and thanking him for his trouble. “It’s from the military,” he informed you. You dropped him a few coins and he went on his way.

Staring at the letter, brows knitted in thought, you slowly returned to the table. Retrieving a letter opener, you cut open the thick paper and slid out the contents. There was evidence of water stains and greased prints from food on the edges as you unfolded it. A smile shot across your face when you read the first line.

“Why, he’s coming home in a few days,” you told Rosa. She smiled at you from her seat. Her attention was focused more on the diary though.

“He says he would have made it in the top ten if he hadn’t misbehaved,” you laughed, “Oh dear, I shouldn’t have taught him to run around like a squirrel.” You placed a hand on your cheek, shaking your head as you perused the letter.

At the start of training in the military, a young man by the name of Weiss bounced in the air as he was held by the balancing contraption. He leaned forward, allowing gravity to sway him forward as he planted his hand against the ground to steady himself. With a sharp intake of breath, he let the weight of his legs to fall after him and he returned in place in a full 360 rotation.

“Knock that off, Wrange or it’s the laps with you!” the strict bald man threatened. He grabbed onto the wires to stop him from doing any more.

“S-sorry sir!”

On that same afternoon, Lance Corporal Levi was asked to look over the new batch of kids to join the army. He conceded yet stated he would come late. By the time he arrived, a ginger haired girl by his side, he ventured through the familiar yet extended training grounds.

They were all green, he thought, confiding in the girl by the name of Petra who said that there would be potential recruits for their branch. He maintained his usual stoic expression and replied languidly, obviously disinterested with the task of having to come here.

The darkness began to weigh down, the horizon blending into a dark lavender while lights were alighted dimly in the cabins where the recruits slept.

“It’s getting late,” Petra pointed out, “I think we should be heading back now,”

The short young man nodded softly, scanning the area before turning around and heading back.

“Weiss, what do you think you’re doing!?” a young girl shouted in alarm.

The two Legion members immediately turned back, their eyes widening when they saw a young man with silver blond hair standing atop of the lunch building's roof.

He implored to the girl to hush down before anyone caught wind of what he was doing. Too late for that, the leader and a member of the Scouting Legion found them just in time a short distance away.

Petra bristled under her cloak. “Levi, we have to stop him,”

“Is the army getting desperate now? The kid is insane.” Levi agreed. Before they could reach over and scold him to come down, the young man disappeared briefly. Had he seen them?

No. A few seconds later he shot out from the darkness and hopped onto one of cabins with a silent thud, having performed a break roll to mitigate the impact on his back. Since all of the cabins and the large lunch building being in close proximity, there was no way he could have fallen, not with his jump, at least.  A girl of long blond hair ran after him, horror plastered across her face with a hand over her mouth. She tried detecting him, hoping he was alright and before she could call out his name, he hopped from the cabin to the ground. He landed into a crouch and quickly rolled over again till he ended up in a kneeled position.

Hands risen above him, he cried out excitedly despite the girl telling him not to do such a thing again. “Wasn’t that cool, Christa? A woman taught me how to be a squirrel!”

The girl was not amused. “No, it’s not cool! You could have really hurt yourself, y’know?”

In their moment of a possible lover’s quarrel, the two were frozen in place when the Lance Corporal made a loud scratching noise in his throat.

“What do you two think you’re doing out after curfew?”

But what I really want to know is what you meant by a woman teaching you how be a squirrel.

Levi thought, excusing the girl and ordering the boy to follow after him.