Chapter Text
"You should come along, you'll actually have a chance." Levi insists, he's practically pleading with you to join him, Furlan and Isabel - you're the last person he would want to leave underground. It's a hellhole he knows all too well but you shake your head, persistent on staying. "Levi, I want to stay down here." You insist. "I know... it isn't the best but my aunt is here, everything I know is down here." You understand his concern, living underground isn't easy in the slightest but it's all you know.
If you were honest with yourself, you were more worried about Levi than anything. Your thoughts shifted to the dangers of the Survey Corps, and you felt a pang of worry in your chest. You couldn't deny how much you cared about him - he was your first everything after all.
Levi thought the same he knew that his concerns for you were valid, but it didn't ease the worry that constantly gnawed at him. He knew that you were on a dangerous path, one that would lead to destruction and pain if you stayed down here. He hated the thought of something happening to you - of you being hurt or worse.
"I'm just trying to look out for you." Levi's eyes soften as he speaks, his expression becoming more tender. "I don't want anything to happen to you." His hands find yours, he holds your hands gently between his own. "You understand that don't you?" He tries to get you to understand his concern, to see things from his perspective.
You nod your head slowly, understanding his worries for you. Your eyes meet his, a mixture of vulnerability and affection swirling in their depths. "I do, I understand." You murmur quietly. "But I can take care of myself, I promise." You gently squeeze his hands in reassurance, trying to ease his anxiety.
Levi's grip tightens slightly as you speak, his eyes searching your face for any hint of doubt. He takes a deep breath before finally relenting, the worry in his expression fading slightly. "I hope so." He responds, his voice firm yet tinged with concern. "You have a tendency to get yourself into trouble after all." A small sigh leaves your lips as you roll your eyes at his comment - a slight smirk playing at the corners of your mouth. Levi was always so serious, always so protective. He was practically overbearing at times but you knew it was only because he cared. "I think you exaggerate my tendencies a bit."
A small huff of a laugh escapes Levi's lips as he hears your response. He releases your hands, his own moving to rest on his hips. "I don't think I do." He retorts, his tone slightly mocking. "I seem to remember at least three instances where I've had to pull your ass out of trouble."
You can't help but smile at his words, a wave of fondness washing over you. "Maybe I just like getting into trouble so you have to save my ass." You tease, crossing your arms over your chest.
An amused look crosses Levi's face and he rolls his eyes in response. "Yes, I'm sure that's exactly what you do." He responds dryly. "It's a miracle you haven't gotten yourself killed yet." You pout slightly in mock offense, resting a hand against your chest. "Hey! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself thank you very much." You argue, tilting your head slightly. A small smirk tugs at the corner of Levi's mouth at your faux indignant expression.
He steps closer to you - his eyes locking on yours. "And yet you still manage to end up in dangerous situations that I have to rescue you from." He counters, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Your face softens. "Levi... I'm serious, you know."
Levi's smirk fades slightly as he hears the seriousness in your voice. He takes another step closer to you until he's standing mere inches away, his gaze never wavering from your face. "I know you are. Believe me, I know." He responds, his voice softer now. His expression shifts, his eyes flicking over your face as if searching for something, trying to read your thoughts. "I just... I worry about you. More than I care to admit." He confesses quietly, his voice low.
"I know you can take care of yourself. But you're reckless, you don't think things through, you act on impulse and it's dangerous." His voice is firm but there's a hint of vulnerability buried beneath his words. "I don't want to lose you." His hand comes up to brush a strand of hair away from your face, his touch gentle. "Promise me you'll be careful." He says softly, his eyes locking with yours.
The worry in his voice is palpable and it tugs at your heart. You can see how much he cares, how much he worries. It's more than just protectiveness, it's fear. Fear that someday he might lose you. "I promise." You murmur quietly, your eyes never leaving his. "I promise I'll be careful." A subtle sigh of relief escapes Levi's lips as he hears your words. A hint of relief washes over his face as he hears your words. He swallows hard, trying to keep his emotions in check. "You better keep your promise." He mutters, his voice low. "Or else I'll have to kick your ass." You snicker. "Fine." - "But do they know about me? The Survey Corps... I mean."
Levi's brow furrows slightly as you ask the the question. "No. They don't." He responds after a moment, his tone guarded. "Why do you ask?" You shrug. "I want to keep my gear." Is all you say. Levi's expression shifts from guarded to curious as he hears your response. "Your gear?" He asks, his voice tinged with surprise. "Why do you want to keep it?"
You hesitate before answering, not sure if you should admit the reason. "It... I don't want them to take it away." You mutter, looking down at the ground. "It's important to me, I don't..." You trail off, not knowing how to fully explain your reasons. Levi watches you silently for a moment, studying your expression - he knows there's more to it, there's something you're not saying. He's tempted to press further, to ask exactly why the gear is so important to you, but he doesn't. Instead he reaches out and gently touches your chin, tilting your head up so you're looking at him again. "They won't take it away." He says firmly.
"I promise they won't." He repeats, his eyes locked on yours. "I won't let them take it away from you, alright?"
You nod slowly, feeling a pang of vulnerability at the intensity in his gaze - you know he's trying to reassure you but there's something he's not saying, something he's holding back. You want to ask him about it, but you don't. Instead you just smile weakly and murmur a quiet "Thank you."
It hasn't been long since Levi left with Furlan and Isabel, though your goodbye was bittersweet you can't help but feel relieved that he's no longer here - you love him dearly but he always deserved more. You still missed him deeply, your heart aching with his absence - you found yourself thinking about him more often than you'd liked to admit, wondering if he was okay, if he was happy. A sickening feeling stirs in your stomach but you chop it up to the strain that came with helping your aunt move around crates a few days ago.
You try pushing the feeling aside, attributing it to the physical labor you'd been doing earlier that week. But the feeling doesn't go away. Instead, it grows stronger by the day.
You'd felt queasy and fatigued, with a constant headache that just wouldn't go away. Every movement you made felt like a struggle, your body aching and heavy. But the days went on and the symptoms only got worse. Each task you undertook felt like a monumental effort, your energy diminishing rapidly.
Your attention turns from your physical state to the knock on your door. You're pulled from your thoughts by the sound of a knock on your old, creaky door. With a weak sigh, you hoist yourself to your feet and slowly make your way across the room to answer it. Your movements are slow and labored as you make your way to the door, your body feeling heavier than it ever has before - you reach the door and open it just enough to see who's on the other side.
"Hey, sweetheart." Your aunt sighs, you're a bit relieved that it's her.
"Hey, auntie..." You reply back weakly, leaning against the doorway slightly for support. The mere act of standing is exhausting and you can feel beads of sweat starting to form on your forehead. Your aunt frowns slightly as she takes in your appearance. "You look fucking... terrible." She points out bluntly, looking you up and down.
You force a weak smile in an attempt to downplay your condition. "I'm fine, just tired." You respond, though you're sure you don't look very convincing. Your aunt doesn't look convinced. "You don't look fine." She says bluntly, her brow furrowing in concern. "You look like you're about to keel over and pass out. Have you been feeling unwell?"
You let out a small sigh, admitting defeat. "Yeah, I don't feel so great." You confess, your voice a bit raspy. "I've been feeling crappy for a few days now but it's just getting worse, I don't know why." Your aunt's frown deepens. She steps forward and rests a hand against your forehead, checking your temperature. "You don't seem to have a fever..." She muses, her eyes scrutinizing.
"I'm not sure what it is then." You respond weakly. "I just feel tired, aching all over, and nauseated pretty much constantly."
Your aunt hums in thought, her hand still on your forehead. "When you say nauseous, how bad is it?" - "It's pretty bad." You confess, wincing as a wave of nausea washes over you again. "I feel like I'm going to throw up at any given moment." - "And you're aching, all over?" Your aunt asks, her tone turning more urgent. "Do you have any other symptoms? Anything at all?"
Your eyes widen slightly as the realization hits you. "Actually..." You murmur, swallowing thickly. "I haven't had my period in a while."