A Different Sky (A Levi Ackerman Story)

That's An Order

Year 845

Verena's POV

          It's been almost a year since Levi and I met. We've grown to be good friends- well, in my opinion we have. I still don't think Levi's ready to admit that I've managed to get close to him. For the last two months, we have been preparing for a large expedition beyond the walls, the second one since my first expedition as a Squad Leader. Earlier this week, the entire regiment made the long journey to one of our bases near Shiganshina, and since then, we have been doing nothing but formation practice and 3-D maneuver gear training. We will not be getting any new recruits until after this expedition, so it will be just Levi, Markus, Hanna, and I. As the day of departure grows closer, I can become more and more nervous.

                                                                                                ***

          I sit on the roof, gazing up at the night sky. The stars shine brightly in the darkness, and even though the moon is just a sliver in the sky, it does, too. There are no clouds drifting across the vast expanse of deep blue up above. It is a perfectly clear night. The world around me seems to be hushed. The only noise is the breeze whistling through the trees. It rustles my hair as it moves past me, and I smile.

          "What are you doing up here?"

          I am startled by the familiar voice, and I whip around. Levi is standing there. He is clad in a plain white shirt and black pants. It is one of the rare times I have seen him out of uniform.

          "Oh...Well, I come up here sometimes. It's peaceful," I admit. He makes his way over and takes a seat beside me. I turn to him and smile. "What are you doing up here, Levi?"

          "Like you said...It's peaceful." He peers up at the sky, and the silvery moonlight makes his eyes shine. His gaze shifts to me and he asks, "So, are you ready for tomorrow?"

          I hesitate, thinking about tomorrow- the short journey to Shiganshina, and the expedition to follow. I can feel a wave of anxiety rush over me, and my palms become slick with sweat. "Yeah, I'm ready," I say, trying to hide my nervousness. My voice breaks, and Levi notices.

          "Is something wrong?"

          I avoid his gaze. "Well, I'm just a little nervous."

         "Why?"

          "This is a big expedition. I know the last one went fine, but the one before that..."

          "That's not going to happen again. Markus and Hanna have been on an expedition since that time, and they did fine." He pauses for a moment before adding, "And those two brats have been trained well...by you."

          "Still, I just-"

          He gives me a hard look, narrowing his eyes. "Are you doubting yourself?" I don't answer. I glance at him, and then glance away. "Well, you shouldn't. You're a damn good leader." Levi lets out a sigh as he pushes himself up again. I look up at him. "Come on. We both need to get some rest." He holds out his hand to me, and I take it. Levi helps me up, but he doesn't let go right away. Our fingers are touching lightly, and it sends a shock through my body. I can feel my heart begin to race, and all I want to do is hold his hand like that for the rest of the night. Suddenly, Levi pulls his hand away and turns to head back down into the building. "Let's go before you try to convince me to stay up here all night with you." I giggle softly as I walk over to the door with him and back down the stairs.

          

          Pulling my hair back, I tie the black ribbon around it to keep it in place. My hands work quickly to pull on my boots and finish fixing the straps on my gear. Looking myself over in the mirror, I smile. "Perfect." My hair sways gently as I turn to put on my green cloak. I button it closed and head out the door. Making my way down to the stables, I meet up with Markus and Hanna. Hanna smiles and waves to me as she comes over.