Underground - Chapter 36: Chapter 36

The next morning, when I awoke to the early morning light coming in through the window, it took me a moment to remember what had happened the night before.
I rubbed a hand across my eyes to wipe the sleep from my vision and then stretched my arms up and over my head to relieve the kinks in my back. As I did so, my fingers brushed across Levi's skin, and at the touch, it all came flashing back into my mind.
It hadn't been a dream after all.
I glanced over at him. He was still asleep next to me, his chest rising and falling with even, deep breaths, his face peaceful in deep sleep, his lips slightly parted. His arm was underneath me, I was lying so I was nestled in the crook of his elbow, and his other arm was casually slung up and over his head, his fingers twitching slightly every so often with dream movements.
A soft smile flickered across my lips as I watched him silently for a few more moments. When he was asleep, he seemed so much more like the boy I had known-gentle, unconcerned. I still couldn't believe that after all these years, I'd gotten him back.
I came up on my elbow beside him and reaching out a hand, ran my fingers gently through his hair as I said softly, "Oi, Levi."
He stirred slightly, and letting out a small groan of irritation, his eyes still closed, his voice thick with sleep, replied, "No, (F/N)."
I scooted up against him and laid my chin on his chest, throwing my arm over him as I said teasingly, "Wow. You're even grumpier in the morning if that's possible."
He scoffed, but didn't say anything in response. He snaked his arm around my waist, keeping me against him, his fingers cool against my hips, and then grew still. His breaths deepened again after a few moments.
I ran my fingers across the bare skin of his chest, tracing the multiple scars that marred the pale surface. Some were silvery with age, and beginning to fade, others were red and angry, and were obviously newer. I recognized some of the older scars and remembered the times he had acquired them in various ways when we were kids. Some of the newer scars were even familiar from escapades in the field when we were out on objectives.
Levi placed his hand on top of mine, stopping my tracing movements on his skin. I glanced up at him, and he was watching me, his dark eyes studying me intently. He raised an eyebrow at me. "Tch. You're actually pretty acceptable in the mornings, (F/N)."
I came up on my elbow again and looked down at him, giving him a slight smirk as I said in mock surprise, "Wow, Levi. I think that's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."
He rolled his eyes at me. "Don't get used to it."
"Oh, come on." I raised my eyebrows at him playfully as I intertwined my fingers with his. "Would it kill you to tell me I'm pretty? Just once?" I gasped as a realization hit me and I excitedly squeezed his hand as I said quickly, "Or wait! I've got something better." I leaned over and whispered into his ear seductively, "Tell me that you've never seen anyone kill titans as well as I can."
"You're a damn idiot." Levi said in annoyance, although I could tell he was trying hard not to smile, the corner of his lips flickering just slightly. He rolled over, forcing me back down on the bed, pinning my hands on either side of my head as he leaned over me, his dark hair falling over his forehead and into his eyes. He held my gaze, and the unspoken words in his expression set a fire in my stomach. He leaned down, putting his lips to my ear, his breath warm on my skin, and murmured, "I've never seen anyone kill titans as well as you."
I grinned and turned my head slightly to face him. Our lips were so close that when I spoke, they brushed slightly. "Good. And now that you've practiced, tell that to our cadets later today. I've been telling them that all along, but they won't believe it unless you say it."
He growled under his breath as I laughed and struggled to unpin myself from his grip. He held my hands down with strong fingers and I shrieked as he leaned over and playfully nipped my ear with his teeth.
After a few moments of playfulness, Levi pulled back, his hands still pinning mine down, and his face grew serious, his eyes going darker as he said, "Oi, (F/N)." He released his grip on me and ran a hand through his dark hair, tousling it effortless before he continued in a voice slightly laced with hesitation. "Did it still work for you?"
I knew exactly what he was talking about. He didn't need to say it out loud for me to understand what he was asking.
FLASHBACK
I crept through the dark, still world of the Underground in the middle of the night.
My bare feet were silent on the dusty ground as I made my way through the dilapidated houses and toward the edge of the town where Levi's house was located. I knew no one would come looking for me. I had left my father passed out at the kitchen table, surrounded by alcohol bottles, just like every other night.
Levi's house appeared before me, looming out of the darkness, and I circled around to the front door, opening it silently, careful to hold the knob just so so that the rusty hinges wouldn't creak.
Slipping into the crack I had created, I pushed the door shut behind me and was left in the darkness of the room.
I didn't need to see to know where I was going. I had walked this path many times before.
Padding across the room, I was careful to stay against the wall so as not to bump the table or walk into Levi's sleeping parents, who would be huddled together with blankets on the flat mattress in the middle of the floor.
As I made my way along the wall, to the corner where Levi spent his nights, I heard a rustle from Levi's parent's bed and then I saw his mother sit up in the darkness, glancing over to where I stood. "(F/N)." She said, her voice quiet so as not to disturb the others. She gave me a slight smile. "Bad dreams again?"
I nodded to her in the dim light and she waved me on my way, moving to lay back down beside the slumbering figure of her husband.
All was quiet again.
I reached the corner and saw Levi sprawled under his thin blanket, one arm above his head, his usual sleeping position. I slipped underneath the blanket and snuggled up to him, curling my back up against his side as I pulled the blanket up around my shoulders.
He stirred slightly beside me, and then he turned onto his side toward me, putting his thin arm over me. He spoke into my ear in a low voice, heavy with sleep. "Nightmares again, (F/N)?"
I nodded, my head rubbing against the bottom of his chin as I did so.
He pulled me closer to him, his breath already deeper as he fell back into sleep, but before he was totally gone, he murmured to me, "Don't worry. When I'm here, the nightmares stay away."
His steady breathing, his warm body against my curled back, the feel of the rough blanket against my skin, it all lulled me to sleep.
And he was right. When he was there, the nightmares didn't come.
FLASHBACK END
I gave him a slight smile, raising the back of my hand to his cheek, his skin cool against my knuckles. "It always works when you're here. That's never changed." I lifted my shoulder slightly in a shrug. "No nightmares."
"No nightmares." He smiled at me, truly smiled, his teeth flashing briefly against his skin, and it took my breath away. Damn, I'd never get over his smile. I wanted to wake up to his smile for the rest of my life, no matter how short it may be.
We were pulled out of the moment when footsteps pounded down the hall outside my room, and then the handle on the door rattled as someone turned it, and we heard Hange's voice calling from outside, "(F/N)! (F/N)! Are you up in there?"
Levi swore under his breath at the same time that I started upward in the bed, pushing him off of me as I shoved him toward the far side of the bed next to the wall. I glanced back at the door, the handle turning. "Get behind the bed!" He gave me an annoyed look and I gave him a pleading glance. "Please, Levi! Just hide!"
With an irritated sigh, he rolled off the bed, taking the blanket with him, and disappeared against the wall, just as Hange burst into the room, her hair disarrayed, her glasses askew.
I held the blanket against my bare chest and tried to put on an innocent smile as she turned her gaze on me and said loudly, "You are up! Thank heavens. It's almost time for the debriefing and you need to walk with me!" She grinned at me and shot a wink in my direction. "I want to hear all about last night!"
"Oh, yeah, the debriefing." I tripped over my words. I had completely forgotten about the meeting with Erwin this morning. I gave her another smile, hoping she wouldn't notice how frazzled I was feeling. "Right, the debriefing! I'll walk with you! Just give me a second to get ready and I'll meet you in the hall."
Hange clapped her hands in excitement. "Good! Because, you, my dear." She pointed at me wildly. "Owe me details on what happened between you and Levi!"
Without waiting for my answer, she left the room, slamming the door shut behind her.
I let out a sigh of relief and then scooted over to the edge of the bed on my stomach, peeking over the edge to get a look at Levi lying on the floor, the blanket still wrapped around him. He shot me an annoyed look and I gave him an innocent look, eyebrow raised, as I said sweetly, "How is it down there, Corporal?"
"Tch." He rolled his eyes at me and then motioned to the doorway with his thumb. "Please tell me you're not going to give four eyes all the details."
I shot him a wicked grin. "Oh, just the most important ones. Soon, everyone will know that Levi Ackerman has a humongous, titan-sized...."
He lunged up onto the bed and tackled me before I could finish my sentence, causing me to shriek with laughter as I tried to evade his grip.
It was the best night of nightmare-free sleep, and the best morning I had had in a long time.