An Amber Lipstick Stain

                                    

                                          


You whistled under your breath, your hips moving to the sound of the old radio in Levi's office as you slowly cleaned out all of his belongings, a bubbly-sensation coursing through your body. 
"Hm.. Hmm, hm.." You hummed under your breath, sweeping around his wooden floors (despite them already appearing to be completely clean). 
Knock Knock!
Your body flinched at the sound of a knock before realising it was just Armin as he raised an eyebrow to you, wondering what you were doing. 
"Hey, Armin." You smiled gently, "Could you throw me that polish?" 
He threw it over as you caught it gracefully, nodding a 'thankyou' before he closed the door behind himself, leaning against the wall as he curiously watched you clean the cold Captain's office. 
"Y'know, it's quite strange," Armin began with a small smile forced against his pale lips, "You and Levi seem so comfortable and calm around each other, you're polar opposites, yet you even each other out quite nicely. I could never have pictured you and him together." 
You laughed gently as the warm sun shon patterned shadows into the office, "Yeah, I probably would've said the same thing a year ago.. To be honest, we didn't exactly get off to the best start." You felt yourself laugh louder as Armin smiled at the sound of your contagious happiness "Y'know- When we first met, he told me that I was only allowed to refer to him as Captain - he told me that apparently calling him by his name was too formal and people would mistake us for friends.." 
He chuckled along to your story, "That doesn't surprise me.. but you two still make a good match together - from the look of it, he has quite the soft spot for you." He placed either hand in his pockets, wandering closer to you as his head leaned over your shoulder to look at what you were doing, "But anyway, what're your doing in here? Cleaning? Isn't that supposed to be Levi's thing?" 
"Usually. But he's out of town for the day and he's been so stressed lately.. I wanted to take some of the pressure off of his back and clean his office. It hasn't been cleaned in a few days - that's how you know he's overworked.." 
"You're kind. You've always been kind." Armin nodded calmly before you watched as he extended his arm, reaching for a cloth, "Here, let me help take some of the work load off of your back."
"Oh, Armin, you really don't have t-!"
"No, really; please." His eyes widened kindly as you felt your heart soften at your friends calm voice, " I'd like to spend more time with you anyway, we haven't had much time to catch up since we last saw eachover. And afterwards we can go get food - I'm famished." 
You felt yourself smile tiredly, patting his golden hair with a warm sigh. 
"Sounds great." 
He turned up the volume of the radio as a song came on that he enjoyed; you could hear him hum as he began to polish his mantels and cabinets. 
You swept the floor tiredly, wiping your brow as you slowly inhaled, both of you catching up on everything you'd missed. 

The blondes head suddenly perked as you lowered the volume, his eyebrow raising with an inquisitive gaze. 
"Hey, Y/N?" He asked as you heard him lift a used mug from the side. 
"Mhm?" 
He clicked his tongue, turning his body to you as you did the same, "Why don't you wear this colour more often?" 
Your eyebrow raised, matching his. 
You scoffed, walking over to him, "What are you talking about?" 
"This mug, it's a pretty shade." He muttered, placing it in your hands as your heart suddenly dropped to the bottom of your chest, "I bet it looks nice on you - is it new?" 
He was holding one of Levi's favourite tea-cups: a pressed up lipstick stain on the rim where someone had drank it. It was a dark shade of amber with a specific tone you struggled to recognise. 
You shook your head, "I've never worn this shade before in my life." 
"Huh, but you must've-?" 
"No.." You took the glass from his fingertips as you closely examined the shade and colour, "I've never worn this." 
His blonde head tilted to the side as your eyes felt slower and more strained to see out of, "You don't think that-.. maybe-.. Erm." 
He struggled to admit what his mind had immediately went to after seeing another woman's lipstick on his cup. 
You forced a brave front, your head tilting up to look out of the large window pane, "No-.. no. We shouldn't pry: I trust him enough to know that this is just a friends. Levi has plenty of friends who wear lipstick." 
"Yeah! Yeah.. of course." His wide smile grew back reluctantly, "But-.. are you sure that-?"
"Drop it now.." Your face softened with a slight worry you couldn't prevent, "Please? It's making me anxious - it's probably nothing." 
"Let's just go get some food, alright? I remember a great place in the main town. We can ask Mikasa to join us, too." 
You nodded, "Yeah.. sounds nice, just let me get a jacket!" 
He gave you a friendly thumbs up before watching as you quickly left to go to your room. 
Different thoughts ran through your mind - does Levi actually have a friend who would wear that shade of lipstick? To be honest, the only woman he even spoke to was Mikasa, but you'd never seen her wear lipstick. 
You forcefully shook your head, remembering the story he'd told you about his ex girlfriend cheating on him - if it hurt him that much, then he wouldn't have done it to you. 
That train of thought slowly made you feel better.