Breaking Barricades (Levi x Reader)

14. ** Regret **

It took quite some time before I had completely regained my composure. I had to reassure Levi multiple times that I would be fine by myself so he would actually go work with Eren and the rest of our squad. I could hear him muttering orders left and right from outside my window. I felt bad for Eren, who received the brunt of the orders, and apparently never cleaned anything to Levi's incredibly high standards.

By the time everyone had gathered for lunch, I was able to muster enough strength to join them. They were all starving after attempting to live up to Levi's tyrannical expectations of cleanliness. But I found it difficult to stomach anything more than tea.
Petra tried to offer me a few more options, since she had taken inventory of our food when we arrived. I thanked her for the offer, but declined.

Eren, showing concern, inquired about my absence from the morning chores and my reluctance to eat, but Levi just told him to "mind his own damn business."

After our short break, I ventured outside to collect firewood, which had been allocated to me the night before. The days were warm, but the nights were cold and dark, requiring constant kindling for the fireplace.

Levi had handed Eren off to Hange for the afternoon, who was more than happy to take over. I had barely reached the edge of the woods when, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Levi approaching.

"Oi, what are doing out here?"

I laughed under my breath.

"Following your orders to get firewood."

"Tch- I meant what are you doing out here by yourself, smartass. Those orders were for this morning, when Gunther would have been with you."

I bent down to collect a few sturdy branches, remaining silent. When I returned to a stand, he casually took the wood from my arms.

"Garden needs to be weeded. Yeager was supposed to do that, but Hange suckered him into helping her with her crazy experiments..."

I sighed, pivoting to return to the fortress, when I paused.

"How long were you in the Underground City, Levi?"

Without stopping, he muttered,

"Too damn long..."

I glanced to my right, noticing a few yellow flowers dancing in the breeze. I knelt down and tenderly ran my fingers over the soft petals. Levi had become aware of my apprehension and turned back around to watch me caress the golden blossom.

"The thing I missed the most when I was down there, in the Underground City, was how nothing ever bloomed. Nothing was ever really alive."

Levi gave up on convincing me to come back to the fortress with him, as he sat on the grass beside me. He reached over and plucked one the flowers from the ground, slowly twirling it between his fingers, before crumbling it into his fist. I didn't understand why, but I wasn't about to ask.

I decided to gently rest my head upon his shoulder, enjoying the warmth of the sunshine while listening to the trees swaying in the breeze. I nervously began twirling my fingers around a few blades of grass, knowing he was waiting for me to continue confiding in him.

"I was banished to the Underground after everything happened... the Military Police charged me with theft and murder, blaming me for my mother's death. I had nothing but the clothes on my back, and I was scared to death. But somehow, I was able to survive down there for years. I learned how to sweet talk merchants into helping me every now and then, but since I was already labeled a thief, I decided to own that title and became incredibly good at pick-pocketing."