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Tradition They Say	By : Sasunarufan13 Category: +. to F > Attack on Titan /Shingeki No Kyojin Views: 2611 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Attack on Titan nor profit from it. Hajime Isayama owns it.

Chapter List
- 4
- 5
- 6
Author's note: Look at me, posting it on time! I'm proud of myself :')
Warnings: Hm, some drama.
I hope you'll like it!
Chapter 5
His hands automatically shot down in order to operate his 3D gear, but of course they met nothing as his cannisters were empty and currently lying discarded on the forest floor.
As he kept pluming towards his inevitable death, he felt a strange calmness descend over him. So this was it then, huh? Surviving all those years in that hellhole only to be brought out into a bigger hellhole above – only to end up here: straight into one of those monsters' mouths he'd been determined to wipe out entirely one day.
Faith had a strange sense of humour if you asked him. What had been the point really? Why had he tried to survive for so long when he would end up in the same position as all those before him? Why had a part of him thought he'd been different after all?
Because he'd wanted to be different. He'd rebelled against the shit life had thrown at him from the very start. He hadn't been content to be like other people. He'd wanted more.
That desire was now proven to be fatal after all.
Resigned he closed his eyes and relaxed. I'll see you soon, Isabel, Furlan.
There was the whistling of the wind, something poking his back briefly before –
A deafening roar had his eyes snapping open and then the air was slammed out of him when he smacked onto something unforgiving. Gasping, feeling like he'd never get enough air inside his lungs again, he lunged forwards, but then whatever he had landed on – a titan's hand, he was sprawled across a titan's hand, fuck, fuck, fuck – closed around him, forming a flesh like cage.
His heart skipped a beat and he could only stare frozen at the giant fingers curled over him like some kind of fleshy pillar. Was this how death would find him: crushed into a titan's hand until nothing but some splatters of blood remained? He honestly couldn't say which fate would be worse: being eaten alive, consumed in the titan's stomach fluids, or crushed to death.
And what about Eren? Fuck, what was going to happen to the kid with him gone? The only reason why the Survey Corps had managed to keep him within their ranks was because of Levi's promise to keep him under control. With him dead – would the nightmare start all over again for Eren? Who would find him first: the guy who'd been so eager to get him as his Companion or the Military Police Brigade? With Levi no longer there to protect him – what would happen to the kid?
Then two of the fingers parted slightly, and a single gigantic, green eye stared back at him flatly. For one quiet moment, the both of them – him and the titan's eye – seemed suspended in time as they stared at each other until the silence was replaced by a steady rumbling sound like one of those old engines and the fingers closed again –
Shutting off his only chance at escape.
"Wait, fuck!" He shot forwards, realising too late what kind of opportunity he'd just let slip through his fingers, but his leg buckled underneath his weight, pain flashing up worse than before and black dots appeared in front of his eyes, his vision blurring, and he crumpled down against a finger.
The pain was getting worse, his entire leg feeling like it was on fire; the flames crawling up towards his thigh, spreading out through his hips and licking up his spine.
The flesh coloured walls were dancing right in front of his eyes and he blinked, trying to focus, but it was a lost cause.
Right before he lost consciousness, he thought, At least it won't hurt anymore.
He felt like he was drowning. Not in water, no, but in blazing heat; a fire which consumed him from the inside out and made him want to claw at himself, his nails digging deep lines into his skin, trying to create openings to let the pent up flames escape.
It didn't help.
The fire continued to rage, continued to eat him, never once letting him escape those blazing arms. They dragged him back every time, dunking him under, surrounding him, pouring into him to set him alight once more.
All he could hear was roaring. Maybe it was the rushing of his blood, but no, that couldn't be, because it was being boiled by the flames, turning into something which their ancestors once described to be as lava. Whatever the hell that was. All Levi knew was the all consuming heat, the ferocious roaring filling his ears, the pounding in his head as if someone was cracking his skull with a hammer.
He knew too well how that last one felt.
There was roaring and blazing heat and –
Sometimes he thought he felt something cool, tiny little spots, less than an inch, touch him and for those moments only the fire seemed to retreat slightly, hissing as if turning into steam.
Then he was pulled under again and he wondered how long he'd still had to endure this torture.
Snippets of conversation slowly trickled into his ears after a while, pricking through the strange haze which had fallen over him.
"… out of your damn mind if …"
"Listen to …"
"… your fault that he's now …"
"… I didn't think, okay! I'm sorry I …"
"You have no right to …"
"… he's not in a good …"
"… -ake it?"
"Not sure … pretty hefty … wait and see."
"What if …"
"… - trong. He's not going to …"
Something touched him again after some time had passed, but the touch was gone before he could even fully register it, snatched away before it could offer him relief. It stayed gone for quite a while, leaving him to suffer through the never ending fire, but then something else touched him almost tentatively; the pressure of it enough to distract him somewhat.
The sensation of being touched didn't leave him for a long time.
His ascend into consciousness wasn't gradual. Instead, one moment he saw nothing but darkness and the next one steel grey eyes snapped open and his body tensed, ready to lash out.
Quickly he became aware that he was in his bedroom, on his bed. So he hadn't become a titan's meal after all, huh? How had that happened? Had one of the recruits come back just in time?
Swiping a hand across his forehead, he grimaced at the tacky feeling of sweat coating his skin. Sitting up, he was disgusted to discover that he was practically swimming in his clothes; the material damp and sticking to his chest and legs. Had he had a fever? That must have been the case; why else would he be sweating and feeling like he'd been thrown off one of the towers?
He wanted to swing his legs from the bed, dying to take a bath in however long it'd been since he'd been brought back, but a dull ache in his leg stopped him just in time.
Glancing down, he furrowed his eyebrows and threw back his covers, studying the white bandages covering his leg from his knee to his toes. Right, his leg got screwed up again thanks to Zuschauer. Shit, how bad was it? Was it broken after all? God, he hoped not. A broken leg would leave him out of commission for a long time – time they couldn't afford.
Well, only one way to find out whether it was truly broken or not. Bracing himself, he shuffled closer to the edge of the bed and lifted his legs, preparing to put his feet down on the floor.
The door swung open before his feet could touch the floor.
"Captain, you're awake!" Eren rushed over to him, pushing him back down in the bed. "How are you feeling?"
"I'd feel better if I could get up," Levi replied, narrowing his eyes. The brat looked like he hadn't slept in weeks; the bags under his eyes dark against his pale skin. His hair resembled a bird's nest more than usual and he was dressed in a simple moss green shirt and black trousers. "I'd definitely feel better if I could take a bath. How long was I out?"
"Nearly two weeks, sir," Eren admitted, his hands still hovering above Levi's chest even as he took a step back, as if he wanted to prevent the older man from getting up. "Your fever was more severe than we thought."
"Clearly," Levi muttered. "Is my leg broken?"
"No, just a severely sprained ankle, but you got an infection which led to the fever," Eren explained, dropping his hands next to his sides. "You probably won't be able to put any weight on your foot for at least two more weeks."
"Oh joy." He glared down at his leg and his anger aimed at Zuschauer flashed up once more. If only that stupid bint hadn't been so fucking pathetic out there, he wouldn't have a screwed up ankle again. Just one more reason to loathe her presence. "What happened? How did I get here?"
For some reason that question had Eren turning bright red and he jerked his thumb at the door. "Erm, I'm going to get Miss Hange and the Commander. They need to know you're awake."
"What I need is to know what the hell hap – fuck it," he cut himself off with a scowl when Eren rushed out the room; his quick footsteps fading into the distance.
Couldn't Eren have at least helped him get into the bath first before running away like his arse was on fire?
"Looks like you're going to make a full recovery after all," Hange announced cheerfully, lowering the stethoscope. "Moblit, get some fresh bandages; we don't need another infection settling in. You want some painkillers too, Levi?"
"What I want is to get some damn answers," Levi snapped, crossing his arms and pulling his leg away from the scientist's hands. She'd been poking and prodding him for close to an hour underneath the watchful gaze of Erwin and he was beyond sick of it.
"Just the bandages then, Moblit," she snickered and her assistant nodded before silently leaving the room.
"What do you want to know?" Erwin asked calmly, sitting down in the only available chair in the room.
"How about how I apparently didn't turn into titan food?"
"Eren didn't tell you?" Erwin looked surprised; his thick eyebrows lifting up.
"If he had, I wouldn't be asking you now, would I?" the dark haired man sneered, slapping Hange's hand away when she went to poke his thigh again.
The blond hummed thoughtfully. "Well, apparently Eren transformed into a titan again to snatch you before the other titan could get to you. He got rid of the remaining titans and then made his way back to the base with you. By the time you two arrived, you were already unconscious. You've been bedridden with fever for nearly two weeks. You got us all really worried there, Levi." Blue eyes deepened and there was not a trace of amusement left in the older man's face.
Ignoring the remark about their concern, Levi instead focused on the part of Eren turning into a titan despite the fact that Levi had explicitly told him not to do it. "That dipshit actually went ahead and transformed again? I'd ordered him not to do that!" he growled, realising that Eren had been so quick to leave this room again because he'd known he'd get chewed out by the captain otherwise.
That little shit had actually gone and ignored his orders? Did that idiot have a death wish after all?
"You can't blame the kid." Hange shrugged. "What was he supposed to do, Levi? Watch you die? He did what he thought needed to be done – he made a choice and stuck to it. Isn't that something you taught him?" She looked at him knowingly and he itched to slap that look away.
"He's not supposed to take any unnecessary risks," Levi hissed through gritted teeth; his nails digging into his palms. "What if he'd failed? He would have died as well! There was no reason for him to do something so fucking moronic!"
"Why wouldn't there be a reason?" Erwin leant forwards; his hair casting a shadow over his eyes. "He saw that a comrade was in danger and reacted – we've all done that."
Grey eyes threw him a poisonous glower. "I'm replaceable," Levi answered coldly. "He isn't. Humanity needs his shifting ability and we almost lost that thanks to his stupid stunt."
Tilting his head to the left, Erwin murmured, "Have you ever considered that you're not replaceable to him? You're not in any way replaceable, Levi, not to Eren, not to me, nor to anyone else."
"Whatever. It still doesn't excuse his moronic decision to risk his life." Levi clenched his jaw. How could Eren have been so stupid? If he hadn't managed his full transformation, he'd have likely died too – and for what? Just to save Levi from being eaten? So many people died; that was a sad fact of life. Levi would have just been one of the many who'd lost their lives in the war against the titans. There hadn't been any reason for Eren to risk his own life like that.
Quirking an eyebrow, Erwin rose up. "One could consider your decision to save him from the titans eating him as moronic too," he remarked. "I was told you cut him out while there were three fifteen meter titans surrounding him and attacking him. That could have easily ended badly for the both of you as well, no?"
"That's different," Levi grinded his teeth.
"Is it really?" Erwin left the room before the other man could form a retort.
Fuck that giant, really. What did he know?
"He was really worried about you, you know."
Levi started, flickering his eyes to Hange. He'd honestly had forgotten for a moment that she was still sitting next to him.
"Eren," she clarified, looking solemn for once. "We could barely convince him to take a break. He kept insisting he needed to watch over you."
"Proves what a stupid brat he really is," Levi grunted, ignoring the way his stomach did an odd squirm at hearing that titbit of information.
"Perhaps," she hummed and the meaningful look she gave him unsettled him. "But it also shows how devoted he really is. You got something good there, Levi. Don't screw it up, please."
Levi snorted and lowered his head against his pillow. "You don't know what you're talking about, four-eyes," he muttered darkly, staring up at the ceiling.
Something good? The kid was just an idiot for risking so much for one person. Such devotion never ended well.
Something Levi knew all too well.
When Eren finally gathered his balls and dared to return to Levi's bedroom, he came bearing a tray with dinner and some strong smelling tea. The offer wasn't enough to quell the glare aimed at the kid and he kept his eyes down when he shuffled closer to the bed.
"Here's your dinner, sir," Eren said meekly, lowering the tray carefully onto Levi's lap.
"Finally got the balls to show your face again, hm?" Levi narrowed his eyes and picked up his cup. He eyed the tea warily before taking a careful sip of it. His eyebrow lifted in surprise when the strong floral taste of jasmine filled his mouth. What had Erwin promised the higher ups in order to get a hold of this particular tea?
Balling his hands into fists, Eren scowled down at the floor. "They told you about it, sir." His voice was flat and resigned, as if he hadn't expected anything else.
"Yes, seeing as a certain someone fled the room before I could get my answer." Dinner was just some slices of toast with some jam, but he figured that was reasonable, considering he hadn't eaten in quite a while and his stomach needed to adjust again.
"Sir, I just wanted - "
"You're a fucking moron, do you know that?"
This time green grey eyes glared down at him, sparking with a familiar fire. "Captain, you told me before that it was up to me to make the choice and I chose! I couldn't have just let you die!"
"What if you hadn't completed the transformation on time, hm? Did you ever think of that or can't your brain handle more than one thought at once?" Levi sneered and the tea sloshed a bit over the rim of his cup when he placed it rougher than intended on the tray again.
"But I did," Eren retorted tersely. "You're the one who taught me to make my own choices and not regret them. Well, I made mine and I don't regret it."
Levi stared at him, studied the look of sheer stubbornness on the kid's face, and realised that no matter what he said, no matter how much he'd chew out the other one, it wouldn't make much of an impression. Eren had made his choice and was determined to stick to it.
He was a fucking idiot and his blind loyalty to Levi would get him killed one day for sure; his luck would ran out eventually.
"Don't ever risk your life like that for me again," he said sharply, not ready yet to give in entirely.
Eren pursed his lips and didn't say anything, but the look in his shining eyes said it all: this was one request he would never obey.
God, why did he have to be stuck with such a reckless moron? Clucking his tongue, he jerked his head towards the chair. "Sit down and fill me in on everything I've missed while I was out. But first answer this important question first."
Eren had just been lowering himself into the chair when he froze and gawked at the older man with large eyes. "Erm, yes, sir, what's the question?" he inquired nervously, plopping down abruptly when Levi glanced meaningfully at his awkward hunched position.
Regarding the boy solemnly, Levi questioned calmly, "Please tell me there's still a sense of cleanliness left in this place even without my supervision."
Eren gaped at him for a few seconds before he suddenly burst into laughter, howling as he clutched his stomach.
The corners of Levi's mouth twitched a bit and he picked up one slice of toast. He'd actually been quite serious with his inquiry – he was somewhat apprehensive to leave this room and discover in what kind of a deplorable state the castle had been left in without him supervising those brats. He'd let Eren have this moment, though.
It didn't happen often that a soldier had cause for genuine laughter after all.
"Miss Hange said you can try walking around without the cane starting tomorrow," Eren informed him. His back was to the tub and he was busy folding towels after having cleaned the sink thoroughly.
"Yeah, I know, she dropped by this afternoon to tell me," Levi said absentmindedly, scrubbing his legs. He was a bit more careful with his ankle, but after two weeks of forced rest, he wasn't bothered by it anymore.
In fact if he'd had his way, then he would have already been walking around without that damned cane, but every time he'd tried, Erwin, Hange, or one of the brats had popped up to hand it right back to him. He'd had half a mind to whack them with it – some of the recruits must have read that desire on his face, because they'd always been quick to scurry off as soon as the cane was back in Levi's hand.
Tomorrow he'd finally get rid of this blasted thing, though, and he would be able to take baths in private again. Due to his screwed up ankle and his recovery from the infection and the fever, it had been deemed too risky for the captain to bathe on his own in case he slipped and fucked up his ankle even worse. Given the contract between them, it had made sense for Eren to be the one to help him in the bathroom.
The boy had been a blushing, stuttering mess at the start – it had been so bad that Levi had started to wonder whether the younger man had been trying to imitate Hoover – but fortunately he'd got used to helping Levi into the bath after a couple of days had passed. He still utterly refused to look at Levi as long as he was taking a bath, but at least he'd stopped looking like he'd pass out any second, so the captain considered that to be good progress.
Still, he couldn't help but question once more just how sheltered Ackerman had kept her friend. The first few days had been a repeat of the underwear incident all over again.
"I bet you're happy with that news, sir." Eren started putting away the towels on the shelf.
"So ecstatic in fact that I'll ram the cane up the arse of the first person who tries to push it back in my hands," Levi confirmed, eliciting a nervous chuckle from the brunet.
He'd finished washing himself, but the water was still relatively warm; it wouldn't hurt to linger in the water for a little bit longer. Tomorrow he'd be back to taking up all aspects of the training sessions again – he could hardly show new moves with the 3D gear when some of those moves relied on him pushing himself off a surface with his wrecked ankle – so a little bit of relaxation wouldn't go amiss.
For a while the bathroom was filled with nothing but the sound of the water gently sloshing about whenever Levi shifted slightly and the soft footsteps of Eren as he moved around, putting other things to order.
Watching Eren replace some empty shampoo bottles with new ones, Levi suddenly realised he hadn't seen or heard Zuschauer in a while. To be more precise: he hadn't seen her at all since waking up from the fever. Was she hiding somewhere in the castle?
"Eren."
"Yes, sir?" Eren shook a bottle back and forth; a contemplative frown on his face as he appeared to decide whether the bottle was completely empty or not.
"Where's Zuschauer holed up?"
The stiffening of Eren's shoulders piqued Levi's interest and he quirked an eyebrow. "I assume she didn't get eaten during our last mission." He'd be quite annoyed if his ankle had got fucked up for nothing.
"No, she didn't get eaten. She – she's actually not here anymore."
Levi paused, confusion making him furrow his eyebrows. "Where did she go?"
"Back to the inner city. Said she'd seen enough of us both and would inform her superiors that our contract is genuine," Eren replied haltingly; his hand still clutching the bottle.
"Huh. Just like that?" Grey eyes narrowed.
"Just like that, sir."
So Zuschauer was gone. After weeks of pestering him and Eren about their relationship, she'd just upped and left. Had their kisses convinced her? Or had she decided to take the cowardly way out and hadn't wanted to remain nearby when Levi woke up in case he got angry? She was pathetic enough to do that.
Well, it didn't really matter. He'd got what he'd wanted, hadn't he? Zuschauer was finally gone, they wouldn't be scrutinised anymore. They wouldn't have to pretend to be something they weren't. They could stop being on their guard every time they left Levi's bedroom.
Everything could go back to normal.
No Enquirer and Companion anymore. Just captain and subordinate.
Just as it should be.
Later that evening, he stopped Eren from rolling out his sleeping bag. "With Zuschauer gone, you don't need to sleep in my room anymore," Levi reminded him.
Green grey eyes stared at him startled. "Oh, erm, I – I suppose that's true," Eren muttered, staring at the sleeping bag in his arms like he was suddenly lost.
Nodding at the door, Levi said firmly, "I'll see you in the morning, Eren."
"Ah, y-yeah, erm, good night, captain." Eren threw him one last indiscernible look before he shuffled out of the room, the door closing behind him with a quick 'click'.
Lying down, Levi stared at his ceiling and breathed out slowly. Zuschauer was gone. Everything would go back to normal. That was what they had wanted all this time. They were finally free of her and could return to how they were before.
Just like he'd planned from the start. They had fooled her and Eren would be safe from other Enquirers. All's well that ends well and all that bullshit, he guessed.
For some reason, finding sleep that night was a lot harder than it had ever been before.
AN2: Hey, at least Levi didn't die, right? *whistles innocently*
Please leave your thoughts behind in a review; should you spot any mistakes, please point them out to me.
I hope to see you all back in the next chapter!
Cuddles
Melissa
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Tradition They Say