Hope | Chapter 1 | Levi x Reader

Night time started to take over and forms itself, consuming the horizon before releasing its shining stars. It has been another long day of hard work. You have never been this more exhausted than you have been before. But, you knew what this meant. The moment you have always waited for each day, bedtime. 

Yawning loudly starting to make your way towards your dorm, your eyes not breaking contact with the floorboards. Not even bothering to join in with the very few left in the dining hall. All you wanted to do is to rest. Although there was something very peculiar bothering you. You didn't know what it, but you tried all that you could to remember what it was or what it could be. If only you have known what it could be you would be able to sleep at ease at night, but it looks like tonight it's not happening until your brain decides it's enough of wondering what it could be.

You blinked once, twice. Feeling the weight of the day slump off on you. Your posture was poorly straight due from all the training you've done today. Weary [e/c] eyes never leaving sight from the floorboards. Tired as hell you could feel your eyelids starting to shut off on their on. Hell, you just wanted to reach the comfort of your bed. 

Startled the bone, you felt your face collide against a well toned body. You blinked, not moving an inch for a few moments trying to comprehend why it suddenly became dark. Rising a ghostly hand to touch the fabric of the strangers chest, running the tip of your fingers gently against their abdomen. Underneath your curiosity, you felt them tense but not relax. Realization shocked into you, freezing in your movements.

A cold and deep voice broke the silence and tension of the hallway, "What do you think you’re doing, soldier?"

You instantly recognized that voice. You felt your voice shot. So many thoughts began to rush through your head. This made Rivaille irritated by the lack of contact.

"Do you even know who're listening to?" Rivaille asked grimly. 

Eyes growing wide deep with full concentration, you knew very well who it was. Five years back, it was him. So, that was what you were trying to figure out in your mind from the lack of memorization. You snapped out of the ocean of thoughts that had pulled you into its tide. All heartedly jumping back from Rivaille's torso positioning yourself into a wobbly, not the very best or the worst salute, you could muster. You gulped to swallow down your fear. "Corporal Rivaille!" You squeaked.

"What a dope." Rivaille muttered under his breath as he rolled his eyes, cocking his head slightly to the side. "At ease, soldier." 

'Stupid stupid stupid..' You mentally cursed yourself deeply inside your head. Just great embarrassing yourself in front of a higher up. With a tired-some sigh, you slumped back into a lazy stance, letting your arms dangle loosely against your sides.

Rivaille’s head dipped, his grey shallow eyes staring sharply into yours. It made a shiver run down your back. His eyes wondered traced every angle of your body. By the look on his face, he was in deep concentration. He was fully aware of who you were. Although the past wasn’t enough to say he knew you. But from the very day he gazed his eyes on you on the day of graduation. To this day, where you run around for errands and helping others in training.

You twiddled with your fingers, intertwining them and parting them. You kept quiet to yourself since you were timid around anyone who was higher in rank of you. Not wanting them to think dumb of you.

‘Say something! He’ll think you’re disrespectful if you don’t apologize!’

Setting all your thoughts aside, you cleared your throat to speak. “Uh I’m sorry for running into you, Corporal. It won’t happen again!”

Rivaille nodded his head. “Damn right, it won’t happen again,” he replied sharply with his deep monotone voice.

He didn’t bother to continue with this conversation. He started to take his toll to towards the door. Leaving you stranded in the middle of the hallway as you heard his heavy footsteps echo and fade away within the room. It didn’t feel right at all. As if something was missing, something was left to be said before he was gone. You couldn’t figure out what it was, but you needed to say. And yet, you couldn’t.

You felt remorse burry sink in. It is very strange feeling this emotion because whenever you caught a glimpse of him, you felt at ease. Calm and gentle. All you ever wanted was to approach him and talk to him like anyone else did. Something was holding you back from doing so. Could it be from the fear of rejection or the shyness that you own?

..It was now or never, you thought to yourself.

“W-Wait Corporal! I need to tell you something!” you called out to him, panic rang through.

Rivaille stopped in mid-step, half way through the hallway and near the exit that lead to the other side of the castle. Where his dorm, the boys and girls dorms were located at.

He turned his head ever so slightly over his shoulder, “Follow me, Cadet,” he snapped his sharp tongue at you.

You were caught dumbfounded by his words. Follow him? To where? And why did he want you to follow him?

“Wh-What?” you quietly asked.

Rivaille peered over his shoulder, his face glowered while as his expression was irritated. “I said follow me,” he coldly said, continuing to stride down to the exit. “Well Cadet? Are you coming or not? Or would you rather have a fun trip outside tomorrow running laps for hours until I decide when it’s best for you to stop?” Full impatience was detected in those words.

Anything to please him also to save you from running painful, laps. That was the last thing you needed. Hesitantly, you walked your way down towards him. Rivaille shot a glance at you before opening the door for the both of you to pass by. Your pace quickened, not wanting him to grow more impatient than he already was. Once, you passed by him. You felt his steel grey eyes bore into the back of your head. It made you nervous and uncomfortable than you already were. You started to regret the fact that you needed to tell him something that was very important to say after all these years. You sighed.

 How could this get even worse? You asked yourself.

Before reaching his office, you come to a halt. Rivaille stepped out in front of you, digging into his pockets and pulling out the key to his chamber. Swiftly he opened the door, stepping aside for you to come in. After you already did so. You waited for his orders. Your [e·c] shifted throughout his office. Everything was neatly in order and spotless clean.

‘Huh, so every was right. He is a clean freak after all..’ you thought to yourself

With the lock of the door, it made you shot up and cleared your head. “Cadet [Last] , take a seat.” Rivaille spoke tiring, as he made his way around you to take a seat in his chair. Without minding your presence in the room, he resumed back to his paperwork that lied in a small stack on either side of him.

You shifted your feet to the chair in front of his desk. You looked around in every corner, every cram and nook of his office. Just to avoid catching his look. He was just too bearing and attractive for your liking. Even if you did catch his look, you would become a flustered, melting mess.

After the long silent tension that was settled upon on. Rivaille’s eyes finally left the sight of his paper work and casted its way to your features. Trying to get a better look of you. You would catch his stare, before averting your gaze to your twiddling thumbs, feeling your cheeks radiate. Rivaille was still unable to tear apart his eyes off you. Furrowing his eyebrows in concentration, what could he be thinking? Rivaille shifted his gaze upon your [e·c]  eyes, promptly speaking, “Say [Last], what is it that was so important for you to say to me? I’m dying to know.”

“Well, I just wanted to thank you for saving my life in the past. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you,” you shyly spoke. “It means a lot to me. I just wanted for you to know.”

“I couldn’t just leave a child that was stranded in the middle of the street to die for nothing. I was just doing my job.” Rivaille replied. You obviously knew when he would speak that way. It was his way of saying, “It’s nothing, no need to thank me.”

“I know, but I mean without those words of motivation you had told me. I wouldn’t of became a soldier I am now. I would have been living a risky life out there, hiding behind a wall.”

Rivaille kept quiet. Letting those words settle into his head.

“It’s nothing,” he replied soothingly. “Now, do you know why I asked you to come here to my office?”

“Uh no Sir?”

“Great. Since I know that you’re an obedient, face-paced, skillful worker. I have decided to choose you as my subordinate. Starting tomorrow you are now my subordinate,” he spoke apathetically. “You will follow each and every given order. Protest, question my authority, or go by your way. And, you’ll suffer the consequence. Also, on how many sick days you have taken, they will have to be made up for. So I’d be careful if I were you. Is that understood?”

Your eyes shot wide open, bewildered for what you just heard. Your lips twisted with unpleasantly. “What?! But Sir, that means I won’t be able to keep up with my act-“

Sure, you were picked to be his subordinate. Cool and all, yeah. For a petite and timid girl like you not everyone else knew the inner rebel, misfit side of yours. You didn’t let yourself be bossed around so easily.  Or even take orders from anyone.

“Did you hear what I just said? Don’t question my authority. You don’t have to worry about you missing out on your activities. Just do as you’re told and you’ll be fine.”

You bowed your head in shame. These types of conversations weren’t normally as they usually were whenever you had to talk to him while you ran errands for the others. They weren’t very long conversations, it didn’t mind at all. What made your heart content was spending that very few moments of time with him whenever you had to stop by his office to have him fulfill tasks or deliver documents assigned to him. It made you puzzled for why he was asking like this. What made him sound so harsh like this? You scornfully shrugged it off, assuming he probably had a tough, awful day.

“Yes Sir, “ you replied defeated.

“Alright. I hope to see you here by 6 to be assigned for your tasks. If you’re late, you’ll be given punishment. I don’t care if you were caught busy taking a shit and you couldn’t hold it in long enough. You’re excused.”

You narrowed your eyes at him. You tried to keep a straight face as possible and try not to giggle at the fact of an older man making poop jokes.

Without a word you got out of your seat and headed towards the door. Your fingers lingering the handle, tugging it open before taking a step. You softly muttered. “Goodnight Corporal.”

You felt like a caged bird with a broken wing. Taken away from its freedom  to fly to be locked away in a cage, longing to fly once more.