Chapter Ten

                                    

                                          
You awoke to the sounds of birds flapping their wings in the trees. For a second you forgot where you were, but then you saw Levi hunched in front of you on the grass, his back toward you. In his hands you could see the drawing of yourself from when you were a child. You forgot that he had it still. It was amazing that he didn't just throw the piece of garbage away.
                          
The sun looked like it was about to set in a little while.

                          
This is one of the few chances you had to admire Levi while he didn't know you were looking. It felt a little bit creepy that you liked to do this, but it's not like you're spying on him or anything. 
                          
You loved the way his black hair just reached the level of his eyes, so that sometimes he could purposely look menacing by tilting his head down. It made it even more special when his eyes were in full view. 
                          
You knew the man looked scary sometimes, but in moments like these when he thought no one else was watching him, he looked somewhat sweet and innocent. If it weren't for his muscles being fully visible through his white button-down shirt, he'd look weak too. That was probably because he was so short. That fact never bothered you, though. It wouldn't matter if he was the size of Wall Rose. He was still an attractive person.
                          
Levi was fully occupied in his thoughts. He stared down at his hands, clutching the childhood drawing of you. He wondered what it must have felt like to be an innocent child who dreamed of the scouts. Your naivety would have rubbed him the wrong way on anyone else but you. There was something different about you that was alluring to him. He just couldn't figure out what it was. 
                          
He tried to convince himself it was your strength and your good military qualities, but he knew it was more than that. Everyone on his specialized squad had the same qualities, but he didn't feel the same way with any of them as he did with you. This feeling was alien to him, and he was worried that finding out what it meant wouldn't actually be a good thing. 
                          
If it was what he was suspecting, that would be annoying. A romance is not what he's looking for. He just wants a good soldier like you by his side, or at least that's what he's been telling himself. Anything extra would just get in the way. 
                          
But there was another part of him that wanted to pursue this imaginary romance, if it even exists and you feel the same way. He has no experience with this kind of thing, so there's no way he'd even know what to do or how to treat you.
                          
Levi is perfectly comfortable with the relationship the two of you have built up right now. It's one of trust and faith. He appreciates how honest you are with him about your thoughts, and how you don't hide anything from him. If you have a question, you ask. If you have a problem with something, you make it known. 
                          
He still wasn't ready to open up about his own life yet, but he knew that eventually, if you stuck around long enough, he would be able to tell you. So far in his life, Commander Erwin's really the only one who knows his full story. And it's not like he goes to the commander for regular therapy sessions or anything. 
                          
You felt like a person he could be honest with without fearing judgement, though you did tease him when he got soft sometimes. But that was healthy. Too many other people were so intimidated by him that they didn't dare mess around. You were never like that. The first time the two of you talked, you lectured him about manners. Usually it goes the other way around. 
                          
You were a change of pace in his life and he wasn't going to let you go without a fight. He had been hoping that you would accept his offer, but Levi was no stranger to being let down. He had prepared several arguments to persuade you if you declined. He was determined to keep you with him.
                          
Eventually you stretched your body out, then curled up into a ball on your side next to Levi. He looked down at you with a gentle gaze. 
                          
"Hello there." He said softly. You smiled.