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dont-f-with-moogles · 2 years ago

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Writer's Duel ⚔️

So, for those of you who don't know, Sailor (@sixpennydame) and I arranged a little Writer's Duel. The rules were simple - reverse shipping. Sailor was challenged to write a Levi x Hange piece whilst I was asked to write some Levi x Reader. Shots fired - here we go.

Hope Is A Fledgling, Caged In The Soul Characters: Levi x Reader, Hange, Erwin Word Count: 1407 words

Every year, in late summer, the firm you work for hosts a charity ball at a grand estate. The house is a stately, nineteenth century red-brick affair surrounded by a breathtaking expanse of lavish gardens. On this warm evening the venue has all the splendour of a wedding reception, only lacking those soft, floral touches - the bouquets and elegant centrepieces and wide-brimmed hats and bobbing fascinators. But even without such frivolous details, there is that unmistakable magic created only by the gathering of unlikely people upon a beautiful night laden with possibilities. Somewhere, amongst the rich history of the manor house, the low lights and swish of elegant fabrics, there is the promise of wild and exciting things to come.

With all the champagne and heat and activity you find yourself craving fresh air. As the evening has cooled, the French doors leading to the terrace have been closed. Even so, after you have stepped outside, you can still hear the clatter of furniture from within as the circular tables and chairs are dragged to create room for the dance floor. Every so often the muffled sounds are punctuated by a burst of throbbing music. You assume that the speakers are being tested in readiness for post-dinner dancing.

You lean against the terrace’s narrow stone balustrade and savour the gentle breeze against your warm skin. Instinctively your hand moves to your clutch bag in search of cigarettes. It has been some months since you vowed to quit. Uselessly, you fiddle with the metal clasp knowing that there are none inside.

Instead your attention lingers upon the rolling greenery which surrounds the estate. Hidden paths sneak off under canopies of low-hanging branches. There’s a glow cast from lanterns suspended from the taller trees whilst fairy lights embellish the dark walls like tiny stars. Here and there, little whispers of romance beckon.

The music from within suddenly amplifies. As you turn, that’s when you see… him.

Levi closes the door softly, places his hands in the pockets of his grey suit and begins to walk towards you. The breeze stirs his dark hair. As his eyes meet yours, something unspoken within you lifts. Something winged and beating, something almost impossible to contain. And yet, you must, for Levi’s own solemn expression gives nothing away.

“Sorry about before.” He joins you, leaning his back against the balustrade. “...I had to go help them set up the karaoke machine.”

You utter a small gasp of laughter. “Really? I bet Oluo can’t wait to get on that!” You grin at him, Levi returning the gesture with a wry smile of his own.

“Yeah… except that it meant we didn’t get to finish our conversation.” Levi lightly scuffs a shoe against the granite. “I know it was bad timing, given… everything you said.” You look away, your face burning. Levi lifts his head to take in the night sky.

“I didn’t want to leave things that way. That’s why I was looking for you.”

It takes you a moment to drive down that dreadful feeling; to turn the key upon it. Hope.

“Well…” you answer finally, chancing a look at him. “...here I am.”

That sombre expression has resurfaced, and yet, there’s a warmth in Levi’s eyes. He studies you as though with perfect clarity; as though capable of reading your deepest secrets on the map of your skin. Then, almost perfectly on cue, a dreadful caterwauling begins.

You both gasp and wheeze at the noise. Something about Levi’s husky, breathless laughter makes you break into an even wider smile.

“That’d be Oluo’s opening piece,” he chuckles. Your laughter slows as you both lapse into contemplative silence. Levi looks out over the grounds and then turns to you, his face half in shadow. The glint in his eye has faded. In its place, there’s a shade of something akin to regret.

“Oh.” It’s all you can manage to say. “I see.”

The silence imposes itself between the two of you. You release your breath slowly. Those caged feelings have ceased all at once. Now you feel… nothing at all.

Levi is still watching you as though on the brink of an apology. The music and hubbub of enthusiastic voices filters through the closed doors. Outside in the chill air, the wall of silence seems insurmountable, obstructing every possibility before it has started from your lips. Almost as the strain nears breaking point, an ugly thought rears. Steeling yourself, you ask the question to which you fear the answer.

“It’s her… isn’t it?”

Your eyes dart to his face. Levi is gazing out over the darkened grounds. Then he dips his head by the smallest fraction.

You nod too, a sardonic smile curling upon your face.

“Have you heard from her? Do you even know when she’s coming back…?” Your intention is far from cruel. Even now there isn’t a single part of you that wants to hurt him. And yet the question hangs there between you like a blade waiting to slice the tension.

“...not yet.” Levi pushes himself away from the balustrade. Hands stowed within his pockets once more, he crosses to the far edge of the terrace. “At this rate, it’d be easier for me to fly out there than keep waiting…”

Without meaning to, Levi’s words bite into you. It takes every inch of your strength to flatten the emotion from your voice. It takes even more, an unthinkable amount of resolve, to remember how much his happiness means to you… even if you are not the bringer of it.

“I… hope you two work things out.”

There’s a scrape of gravel as Levi turns around to look at you. His eyes narrow in discomfort. With another shallow breath, your fortitude begins to crumble. The words fall unchecked before you can prevent them.

“And if I’m being even more honest… I hope that you don’t.” Envy rises like acid in your throat. You attempt to press your lips into a firm line but a tremble runs through them. You blink, the trees and terrace starting to blur before you.

“I hate feeling like this…” you utter in a voice brittle with defeat.

Levi approaches you, despite your secret longing to have him leave you alone under the empty sky. You turn your head away. With a small gasp of shock you feel his hand take yours. His palm is warm against your knuckles as his fingers curl beneath your own. His kindness is worse than his cruelty could be.

“It’ll pass.”

Your throat is too tight to speak. You press his hand back in reply.

…

Erwin jolted at the sudden rattle of the handle. As his office door opened, he half-rose from his desk and slammed the lid of his laptop. Levi crossed the threshold, eyes moving from the papers in his hand over to his superior.

“I brought the report…” Levi was frowning at the laptop upon which Erwin was nervously drumming his fingertips. “What the hell were you doing?”

“Mm?” Erwin’s eyebrows lifted, his chin resting in his other hand. “Oh, nothing important. Budget checks, board meeting arrangements... Thank you, Levi, that’ll be all.”

Levi placed the small pile of documents on Erwin’s desk and, choosing to say nothing more, began towards the doorway.

“Levi… have you heard from Hange yet?”

Levi stopped. He glanced over his shoulder, his expression sour.

“Not since her flight landed last Thursday.”

“Well… don’t give up.” Erwin gave a resolute nod. “It may seem hopeless but I’m sure she will message you when she can.”

Levi glanced away uncomfortably. He hesitated as though about to counter Erwin’s remark but, instead, pushed down upon the door handle and let himself out of the office.

Bonus:

A young woman let out a jubilant cry, causing several customers’ heads to whip around in panic. Even the baristas frowned over the clouds of steam which issued from their coffee machines.

“Iconic-Eyebrows has just dropped a new chapter!” She waved her phone in the face of her companion. “He said he wasn’t posting it until Thursday!”

Wrinkling their nose in derision, the woman’s friend began scrolling through their phone. Neither spoke a word as they read. Then, with an exasperated sigh, the woman’s companion threw themself back in their seat.

“Will they just get together already?” they huffed, “I know it’s a slow burn fic but why did he switch to ‘x Reader’? How many obstacles do you need in one story!”

... I'm sorry - I tried! But EVERYTHING IS LEVIHAN!

@this-is-krikkit

#writer's duel #I yield I yield I yield!#levi x reader #sort of #meta #I really did try though - it's just that all my other ideas sucked #it always comes back to levihan #l'm so sorry #sailor wins #lovely moots 💕#genuinely this was fun though and I want to try writing on a wider range of ships and things #tw: mention of cigarettes #and I had to get that Fleabag reference in there

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