Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Part III:  Intoxicant

Insufferable throbbing in the chest, eyes severely maintaining a calm contact with the other, even winking felt forbidden, and he attempted to drop her a few words before she beat him to it.

"Don't look at me like that. Where's your tie?" Why are your lips ruddy? And why does your shirt look messy? The unuttered words bitterly birched her heart, because deep inside, she knew the answer. Please, don't tell me you were with her. Don't tell me you kissed her. Don't tell me you let her touch you—you… my fiancé. Unspoken but easily read in her eyes, the words were like a rope wrapped around her throat, choking her so silently, murdering her from within.

"I took it off…" Murmuring, his hand went to sense the absence of the fabric around his neck. He added, "I must have forgotten it in the restaurant." He claimed absurdly, but he could already hint disbelief in her eyes.

Don't lie to me. But I don't want to hear the truth either.

There was a knock on the door, followed by silence. The conversation was cut, and the time froze for both of them. They shared the prediction of who might be behind the door, and if their prophecy had any chance to be true, it would only mean one thing for their relationship, the end.

Please, don't be Mikasa. They prayed in the depths of their silence, and none of them had the bravery to answer the door. None of them had bravery to see what was waiting for them behind that door. The future of their relationship was on the edge. Opening the door would either be the last push off the cliff which ends everything, or a faint light of a new hope for them to carry on.

"Room service!" A voice broke through from behind the closed door, settling a cold feeling below the stomach of each of them. The voice was unrecognizable.

Huh?

"Did you order anything?" His pulse almost stopped, when she shook her head in denial. He inhaled, heavily, and made a decision to walk to the door and answer it.

The shorter the distance got, the faster his heartthrob went. He stood in front of the door, with a sharp exhale, he wrapped his fingers around the knob, turning it around, and at last opened the door.

"Good evening, sir. You forgot your tie in the restaurant, so here it is. I brought it to you." The employee said with a smile, holding up the tie to him. He glanced at it almost too quickly, quite convinced she was mistaken but she wasn't. It was, indeed, his tie.

Unsure of the real scene, he reacted quickly to cut off any more doubts Petra might be having, "Ah! Right, I was actually going back to get it just now. Thanks." Releasing one last sigh, he watched the employee as she walked away from the suite. Levi made a step out for a moment to stand in the corridor, only to catch Mikasa peeking through her door. She was smirking, and the game was at last solved. She was the one who sent the tie with the employee. It was a smart move of her, and, despite being frustrated, he was also thankful to her, for she saved him from another embarrassing moment with his fiancée.

Glimpsing down at the tie, he closed the door and walked back inside.

"So… it was in the restaurant?" Petra's tone wasn't holding the hints of uncertainty any longer, which gave Levi a warm sensation of relaxation, but she asked nevertheless.

"I told you. The air was heavy, and I couldn't handle it, so I took it off." Gaining back his lost confidence, Levi spoke, making one last attempt to convince his fiancée with his buff.

"Well, how was the fete?" Brushing off what small suspects she was still having, the bitter jealousy and silenced urge to slap him, Petra rolled the engagement ring in her finger, advancing in slow steps towards him. She held the tie in his hand and slipped it out of his hold, letting it fall on the floor. Her eyes sought for his, hands tugging at his collar.

"It was good, but would have been better if you were there." Levi passed his hand over her hair, and the disappointment he felt right away was unsupportable. The difference he felt when his fingers ran along its length. Her hair wasn't long enough, soft, but not like Mikasa's. He was disappointed and upset. He wanted her to be Mikasa. He wanted Mikasa in her stead, but he couldn't have her. He wished to forget her, just for one second, just so he could live one second with Petra without craving for the touch of another woman. She closed her eyes and buried her face to his neck. Her nose, her lips, everything was so different. "You should have come." He managed to say, but he lied. He didn't want her to come. He wished she came earlier, before he'd set his desire free, before he'd give in to her touch, before he'd kiss her, before he'd dance with her, before he'd talk to her, before he'd met her in there. He wished she came earlier when the fete was about to start. If she did, if only she didn't leave him, he wouldn't be lusting for another woman now. Her lips placed a kiss to his neck, another one lower, and another one. He wanted to push her away. He wanted to tell her he didn't want her. He was feeling guilty, even guiltier because the only guilt he felt was not giving Mikasa what he'd been giving Petra. Her hands eased the way for her lips with every button that opened. "We could have danced together." He cursed himself endlessly for his biggest lie.

He never loved dancing, but with her, he did. He wasn't a smooth talker, but with her, he wanted to be. He wasn't a greedy person, but with her, he was. He wasn't one to give in to his desires, but with her, he did. If only that her was Petra, because the only one he felt that way with was Mikasa. So strange yet so great, how fast everything happened. Just a few days ago he didn't know she existed, but now she was everywhere. When his eyes closed, he'd see her, haunting his dreams. When he opened his eyes, she wouldn't be there, but her scent would. Her scent and touch was always present, ghost yet real. He'd thought his hands were rough, but they still felt so soft and tender when running through the black locks of her hair, lost in their length like lost eyes in a dark, starless sky. But he found his way back nevertheless, back to the truth. If he'd wish to have anything in this life, he'd only wish to have her, at least for one time, for one day, for one night, for one more kiss, and one more touch. But he knew that wouldn't be enough, because she made him greedy and he wanted her for himself and only him for the rest of life.

It was lust, so why was he feeling his heart so involved?

He would search for an answer, but whenever he'd get so close to find it, he'd lose it again when thinking of her. He would search for an answer, but Petra's touch was distracting him, keeping him for thinking about Mikasa, to remind him with her being his fiancée.

"Let's go to the bedroom and have our own party." She breathed out with swollen lips against his chest.

"Okay." He couldn't say no. He shouldn't say no. He was dragged with hesitant steps to the room, with a confused heart and a lost mind. There was no tension, no desire, no need, just a dead body and an unwanted touch, forced kisses and a guilty wish for this to end. It was a nightmare, but he'd always seen nightmares, they would end when he woke up, become forgotten with time. But this was reality, and, for the first time in forever, he wanted to sleep to run away from it.

"Breakfast is here." Yet another morning came, burying the pain in yesterday, a pain that still existed today, and would even exist tomorrow, unwanted acts, time would put in the temporary forgotten folder, but would never be erased, except for those who wanted to forget. Petra walked in to the bedroom and jumped to the bed over her sleeping fiancé. "Get up."

"I'll join you in a bit." A tired Levi grumbled in a raspy voice against the pillow, his voice almost muffled.

"Come on. Get up, honey." Petra's hips moved against him in a try to shake him. But her attempt failed and she lowered her head to whisper a few words to his ear, "What do you want to do?"

Surprised by her question, Levi lifted his head off the pillow to look at her, "What do you mean?"

"Where do you want to go today?" She snuggled against him and said in a giggly voice.

"You… don't have work today?" He asked with a hidden, desperate hope that she did.

"Nope! Today's my break. We can at last make up for the time we've wasted." Eagerly, she exclaimed.

"Oh? Is that so?" Fuck.

"Did you have any plans for today?" Petra sat up and shifted off of him to the bed.

"Not really—I was planning to go to the gym," with Mikasa. "But you'd probably want to do something else." Levi turned around so he was lying on his back, eyes meeting hers.

Smiling, Petra shook her head, "No, not at all. I don't want to ruin your plans. I'd really love to go to the gym with you."

"You would?" Levi's tone was dull, and he faked a yawn to prevent her from sensing his impassivity. His plans for the day were already ruined. Having some hope to gain more privacy and freedom in his meetings with Mikasa, Levi had not suspected Petra to take the day off. Though Levi was in turmoil, betting whether Mikasa would come or no, especially after last night and that moment of temptation they shared, he would still wait for her.

"Yes, of course I would. I love exercising with you." She leaned in to kiss him, "Get up now. Let's go have our breakfast then get prepared to go." She kissed him again then left the bed.

"Yeah, I'll join you in a minute." He watched her until she walked out the door, and he cursed his lack of luck and intolerable state of confusion.

Mikasa, who was awake nearly an hour ago, had finished a quick morning shower when she received a call from her friend, Krista.

"Come on, Mikasa. I'm your friend. Tell me what happened!" Krista begged. Her curiosity had become a burden since Mikasa last called, leaving her impatiently waiting to hear from her friend about the secret guy.

"Nothing happened. The fete was for the hotel fifth anniversary. They served free dinner for everyone, and that was it." Mikasa wore a sly smirk as she teased Krista, sitting on the bed to brush her hair.

"You know that's not what I'm asking about. Tell me about the guy!"

"What guy?" She settled the brush on her lap, amused by listening to the urgent Krista.

"The one you made us choose an alluring dress for you to seduce him with."

"And what makes you so sure that I wore that dress to seduce anyone?" She snickered softly.

"It's all clear from your tone, honey. You suck at hiding things. Now, tell me, is he handsome? What's his name? And what happened till now?"

"Krista, once I see you again, I'll tell you everything. I have to go for now." She looked over at a gym bag she was placing on the bed as she said.

"You're going to see him, aren't you?"

"I'm going to the gym." She clarified, but in other words, she was indeed going to meet him, even though she wasn't sure anymore if he still thought about going there. Canceling their meeting would make her feel guiltier than she already felt about last night.

"You're going to meet him there? Or are you going with him?"

"Krista, believe me, I promise that, once I'm back, I'll tell you everything with the boring details. The story has just begun, let it end first, and then hear it full." She continued to tease her friend.

"You're killing me. I can't wait to know."

"Bye, Krista. Take care." Knowing she wouldn't stop asking, Mikasa had to end the call herself.

"Okay, fine, bye."

Once she hung up, Mikasa got up again to get dressed and dry her hair. Within thirty minutes, she got ready. She made her way to the lobby, and passed by the receptionist as agreed.

"Good morning." She greeted the employee.

"Oh! Good morning, Miss. Mr. Levi said you're going to pass by. He left this for you." The receptionist pulled a paper from the drawer and handed it over to Mikasa.

"Thanks." Mikasa took the paper from her and nodded. The relief that blew within her felt strange yet great. After spending hours thinking whether her words would affect him and get him to change his mind about their plan, she was rather happy to know he didn't. She dared to seduce him, get him turned on, promise him with something she didn't give in the end, and instead, kicked him out so simply. That was so villainous of her, and she kept feeling guilty for it. But it wasn't completely wrong, either.

"Have a good day." The receptionist said, and Mikasa smiled lightly at her then walked away to leave.

The valet met her once she was standing outside. "Good morning, miss. Would you like me to get your car?"

"Yes, please." Mikasa handed him the key to get her car, meanwhile, she decided to read what was written on the paper. Levi wrote down the address for her, she recognized it and then noticed he also left her a side note:

There's a change in the plans. Petra's coming with me. When you arrive, try to pretend it's a coincidence. Don't you dare change your mind about coming! I'll be waiting for you.

"Oh…"

After the accident Levi had a few months ago, he was advised to keep away from driving temporarily. Even when he was on his own, he would either take a taxi or just walk. Seeing that Petra decided to come with him, she took care of driving, while he was sitting next to her, but his mind was elsewhere.

"It snowed a lot last night. If it keeps snowing like this, the roads will be blocked by the night." Petra said, attempting to break the calm in the car which had settled for minutes after the drive began, but Levi didn't respond to her, nor did he even hear her. "Where did you spend last Christmas?" Trying to find an interesting subject to talk about, she asked him, but his response was absent again. Her eyes gazed swiftly at him, realizing he was in deep thoughts to even hear her. "Levi!" She called out and he finally heard her.

The palm he was resting his cheek on slipped at the sudden call, "What is it?" He responded.

"What are you thinking about?" Petra shook her head with a grin.

"Nothing…" He shrugged his shoulder and crossed his arms, heaving a sigh for not realizing he was so absent-minded only thinking about her, Mikasa.

"I asked you, 'where did you spend last Christmas?'" Curious to hear his answer, Petra asked him again.

"I don't remember." His reply was rather quick. It sounded more of like riddance than an honest answer.

Raising an eyebrow in disbelief, Petra sighed, "You don't remember? How come? Is it that you spent it with another girl and you don't want to tell me about it?"

"No. I just don't remember." He grumbled.

Still unconvinced with his obvious lie, Petra decided to carry on with questioning him, "Do I know this girl who made you forget where you've spent last Christmas?"

The question was nothing more than a press on his temper, and he shouted, "Are you fucking deaf? I said I don't remember. Stop fucking assuming things. You sound like an incredulous wife and we're not even married yet!"

Though Petra was only trying to tease him, his reaction was out of extreme anger which never had he ever shown to her before. "Why are you yelling at me? Fine, alright. You don't remember." She yelled defensively, and he managed to calm down, "Were you drunk?"

Breathing in, he exhaled, "Yeah…"

"Oh! Aren't you so lucky? You'd have probably kept getting drunk every night, sleeping and waking up without knowing where you are or what happened to you, without me."

"Yeah, I'm so fucking lucky." He stated with a hint of sarcasm.

Mikasa was on her way to the gym. Having a lonely drive, she wore her earphones, listening to the weather forecast of the day, and hoping for any good song to play.

"In the end, we advise you, dear listeners, to stay home for the night because of the possible snowy storm. Stay safe to avoid getting locked into trouble, until tomorrow morning, when the operations of snow removal will begin. Have a good day."

As if it was planned, once the weather forecast ended, Mikasa received a phone call. The number didn't have a name, and for a second she was about to decline it, thinking it was from her mother, but she recognized it to be one of her friend's, and she answered, "Yes? Ah! Good morning, Rico. Yes. Sorry for not calling… I'm alright. Everything's great. Oh! No, no worries. I'm not that broken girl anymore. I'm currently having a great vacation in one of the most wonderful hotels ever, but I'll make sure to pass by and see you once I'm back. This is definitely going to be the best vacation I've ever had… Okay, bye."

After Levi arrived with Petra at the gym, Petra was already doing a warm-up on the treadmill, but Levi didn't join her. He decided to sit nearby, his eyes not moving off of the doorway, expecting Mikasa to enter in any moment. Petra noticed, but she wasn't sure yet of the reason behind those gazes.

"Levi, are you going to let me warm up alone? Why are you looking at the door like that?"

"I'm not looking at the door. I'm looking at the snow." He claimed, and added in justification, "Did I ever tell you how much I love snow? I used to spend the whole winter playing outside when I was a kid."

"Oh!" Petra nodded at the new information, "So, you do remember what happened when you were a child, but can't remember what happened last Christmas?"

"Some memories can never be forgotten…" His eyes found their way back to the doorway, waiting for Mikasa who might not even bother to arrive. He was beginning to realize how desperate he was to see her. It was an odd feeling, unexplained and uncertain. Though his wants were growing immense, just gaining a chance to see her would shut his wants for now. He wouldn't ask for more, only for her to come, "Where are you…?" And he found himself wondering so openly.

"Who?" Petra heard him.

There was so little time in his hand to think of a quick, convincing reply, which wouldn't sound like a lie, and he said the first words that came to his mind, "Where are all those great childhood memories, honey!"

Petra didn't suspect he was lying, and she only chuckled before saying, "Oh! Don't worry. We're going to have even better memories together."

His impatience was hitting as strong as a waterfall. He couldn't control it, or stop it. The bigger his impatience got, the lower his expectations went. He would look at the doorway, and hope the person approaching was her, but each time he was wrong, "Probably not coming…"

"Who's not coming?" Petra heard him mumble again, and she was confused.

"Uh…better memories…" He was thinking loudly and if it continued to be like that he would end up in a very embarrassing situation with Petra, one where he'd have zero chances to explain.

"Why not?" The moment Petra asked him that, his eyes spotted the subject of his fantasies walking through the door. He was in a complete denial for a second, certain he was only seeing illusions—the girl had him so trapped—but he wasn't. The realization set the fire within him out, only to give him a blow of a cold breeze.

"Honey, I'll…go to the bathroom for a moment. Keep doing warm-ups. I'll be back." Making a lame excuse to leave, Levi couldn't keep up with the development of the situations, and he found himself already up, walking to Mikasa's direction.

"Okay." He heard Petra say.

Counting the steps that separated them, Levi turned to hide behind a wall. He waited for Mikasa to walk by so cautiously, and, on the right moment, he pulled her by her hand behind the wall with him.

"Levi!" Mikasa gasped.

If happiness existed, he never knew what it was till now, till he saw her. It was the kind of happiness and excitement which caused him to get so flustered, even his attempts at wording were so useless—even unnecessary, because all his lips managed to do at the moment, was joining hers in a long, needy kiss, which she re turned. He had thought she'd reject him, and he was even prepared for it, but he would still kiss her, and try to hold their lips together as long as he could. If it were to be their last kiss, he'd wanted it to last for as long, so he wouldn't regret it later. But she didn't reject him. She welcomed his lips warmly, just as if she shared the same feeling as his. He was relieved. "I thought you weren't coming." He had to break the kiss and ask.

Mikasa passed her tongue over her lips, answering, "Why? Do you think I'm scared of her?"

"No." He smirked, "I know you're not. It's just… never mind." He did not want to talk about it. Last night was making his chest aching, his pride and selfishness. It made him feel stupid and worthless and completely helpless in front of her—He had never felt that way, ever, before, especially not because of a girl.

"Levi," Mikasa could tell he was still upset. She could read it all in his eyes. His eyes were avoiding hers so helplessly, but her hands cupped his cheeks, and she brought his gaze back to her, meeting it with her eyes, "I'm sorry about last night. I really am. It was so stupid of me to just… ask you to leave like that." She was clueless on what to say either. Needless to say, she wasn't good at apologizing. She was embarrassed, still, just thinking about it, but she kissed him again and everything felt alright when he kissed her back. Talking was pointless. For them, a kiss would solve a hundred problems. Their lips fell apart again, catching their breaths.

"You don't have to apologize. It's… actually my fault. It felt like… I was too pushy." He mumbled in a cocky tone.

"No. No, you weren't—I…" Mikasa knew they were both mistaken, one way or another, but it was her fault more than anyone's.

"Fine, then let's stop apologizing." He suggested, figuring out how they both found it hard to express their apology.

"Yeah, that's good."

"Okay, so Petra's over there on the treadmill…" He peeked from behind the wall to make sure she was still there.

"Don't worry. I'll just make it sound like a coincidence. I wanted to spend some time in the gym then I met you out of the blue."

Levi turned around to face her again, "Actually, more like met Petra out of the blue, because I'm supposed to be in the bathroom."

"Oh! Got it! Just don't take so long to come back… She might try to slap me." She scoffed.

"I'm sure you can defend yourself." He said, not in a complimenting way, because he knew, though he only heard her story, she was so strong.

"Alright, I'll go now." Mikasa almost gave in to a smile so uncharacteristically, but she turned around to leave immediately.

"By the way, Mikasa…" He called before she'd leave, "You look… beautiful, today."

"What? I'm not wearing anything special, though." She checked her athletic outfit and looked at him questioningly, wondering whether he was joking, but pretty sure he wasn't.

He showed a small frown, "You don't need to wear anything to look beautiful…"

"Watch it. That's called dirty flirting…" She warned, not exactly unamused.

"It's called stating facts." He claimed.

Mikasa arched her eyebrow in amaze, "How do you know? You didn't see me wearing nothing."

"Yet…"

Within the ashes of their burnt desires, a glimmer of lust sparkled in their eyes. They were stripped of guilt, worn with ego and they felt like the only beings left on earth, daring gazes and hungry bodies. Only containing their rapacity considering the place they were in.

Mikasa turned her back to him, ending the countable seconds of tension they shared, and walked away. She walked straight ahead towards Petra, and tried to sound as plausible as possible when greeting her.

"Good morning, Petra." Mikasa said, setting her gym bag down.

"Oh! You?" Petra responded with a not-so-welcoming tone, "What? Are you stalking Levi or something?"

Mikasa rolled her eyes at Petra's assumption, "If I were stalking Levi, darling, I would be doing it now, instead of coming to talk to you."

"So, you think I'm actually going to believe this is a coincidence?" Petra stepped off the treadmill, her hands on her hips, "You know, I'm not an idiot. For your own good, and ours, stay away from him for the love of god. He's engaged if I may remind you, engaged to me. And all these moves you're making aren't going to fool me. I know exactly what you're trying to do. I'm a girl too, in the end."

Mikasa narrowed her eyes, folding her arms against her chest, "So, you're saying that you know exactly what I'm trying to do, because you tried to get with an engaged guy?"

"No!" Petra exclaimed at Mikasa's comeback, "Excuse me, honey. I'm not that kind of bitches."

"Well, excuse you. Who are you calling a bitch?"

Petra smirked, shortening the distance between the two of them by stepping closer to her, "You listen to me well, Mikasa. If you ever tried, or even thought about getting near Levi again, you have absolutely no idea of what I can do."

Mikasa shrugged her shoulders in nonchalance, "I don't know what makes you think I'm trying to get near him. You're just too obsessed with your fiancé, you think everyone's in love with him."

"How about find yourself someone else's fiancé to mess around with."

"Okay, just to make this clear, I'm not the one who goes to him when feeling lonely. It's him, who always comes to me, because apparently his fiancée is too busy with work to stay with him. So, before blaming it all on me, how about you reconsider your life choices and tell me again whose fault is this?" Mikasa said sharply, drawing silence for an instant.

"Are you… giving me tips on how I should treat my fiancé?" Though Petra wasn't aiming for things to get worse, Mikasa's words offended her to the point where she was clutching her fist to punch her, but Levi arrived in time and she released her grip.

"Petra! What's happening?" He stood next to her, but she only gazed at him to look back at Mikasa.

"Good morning, Levi." Mikasa greeted, attempting to keep going with their little game.

"Hey! I… didn't think we'd see you here too." Levi's palm rested on the back of his neck, sensing the failure of their plan coming.

"Well, looks like someone else thought so." Mikasa could have ended the argument right then. She could have pretended none of that argument happened, but, uncontrollably, she developed an urge to continue. "Your fiancée… thinks I'm stalking you. Does it look like I'm stalking you, Levi?" Her eyes sought for his and it was as if she was challenging him to choose a side to stand by, hers, or his fiancée's.

Levi parted his lips to say something, but all he could let out was a sigh. He turned, facing Petra, "Now, Petra, what's your problem exactly?"

Petra's eyes widened, unable to believe he was now accusing her of being problematic, "Oh! Right… So, now, I have a problem. Just… whom do you think you're messing with, a five-year-old child? Even fucking five-year-olds aren't dumb anymore. Levi, instead of asking me about my problem, how about you tell me about yours? It isn't that hard to tell me you hate how I keep getting too busy with work. I mean, sure, work isn't as important as spending time with you. It's raining money anyway what's the point of work? I can just go seduce my boss with a couple of words and you'll see how we'd buy an entire house made of money."

"You shut it right there…" He warned.

"No. No, I should just be okay with you spending time with Mikasa, while I work for both of us to save money for our wedding, because it happens that you, honey, had a car accident a few months ago and needed some time off. I should totally understand that whatever I'm doing isn't as important as keeping you amused. Actually, I shouldn't even have called out today for your sake. You have Mikasa to spend your time with. Silly me, thinking I'm doing you a favor by leaving my job to have some time with you, when, obviously, I ruined your plans for the day. I'm so sorry. You know, I'll just leave you two together to spend the rest of the day without me getting in the way."

Wrathfully, Petra clasped her handbag and drew her way to the doorway to leave, but before she'd manage to, she felt a tight grasp around her wrist.

"Petra, wait…" Levi pulled her back.

"Don't touch me." She pressed her hands to his chest and pushed him off, slipping her hand out of his hold. She shot a glare at him warningly, backing away with slow steps, "Don't come after me. Go back to her. You're here to see her after all. Also, I would really appreciate it if you spent the night somewhere else. Well, I don't think it'll be that hard to find a place anyway. You could spend the night with her and share a bed with her and fuck her all you want. I should try and understand that too."

"Now you're just talking bullshit." Levi's tone rose, drawing some people's attention to them.

"Oh? Am I, Levi?" The way her words came out, the way her eyes sharpened, and the way she smiled and shook her head, all of it left Levi stunned. She knew and he was sure of it. She knew ever since the moment he walked to their suite last night. Not even after that employee brought his tie back was she convinced. But she closed her eyes and pretended not to see. There was no need to argue anymore. And Petra left when seeing he dropped the argument, leaving Levi surrounded with curious gazes, which he threatened with a glare.

"I'm sorry." He felt a hand on his shoulder from behind, and heard Mikasa apologizing, "Maybe I shouldn't have come, after all. I didn't mean to cause trouble—"

"I thought we agreed to stop apologizing." He cut her off immediately, his voice not showing any affection.

"Yes. But not to the point where-" She was cut off again by the severity of his gaze when it met hers.

"Forget about it."

Knuckles turning white from the tight hold on the steering wheel, eyes fixed on a road which appeared to be nothing but the way to hell, there was only one image playing on repeat in Petra's head; the image of Levi with Mikasa, her fiancé with another woman. She gave in to anger. She'd had enough with paying patient. She'd had enough with playing dumb, acting ignorant, avoiding all the sorts of problems her relationship with Levi could go through. She'd been silent about a lot of things, for countless times, and she only hoped for him to do the same. She had waited for him to see all her efforts, appreciate them and maybe start putting efforts into their relationship to work. But all she'd ever gotten from him was the impression of being his source of annoyance. She'd wanted to ask him, 'Why did you propose to me? Why does it feel like you don't care? Do you even love me? Do you even feel anything for me?' But she'd come to think it would sound dumb and unnecessary, always coming back to the conclusion of how clumsy Levi was in expressing his feelings. She wouldn't want to make him feel nervous, pressured, and she'd shut her curiosity to know the answer just for him.

The further she thought about it, the more she increased the speed of her car. Rushing and hurrying to go back to lock herself in a room, to have a chance to reconsider the choices she had made. He did not deserve what she'd done for him. All her efforts went in vain and realizing it so late was creating a cloud of regret and shame fogging her mind and sight. She woke up at the sound of a car veering off the course, finding herself advancing in the direction of another one behind it. She gasped, and made a quick turn to avoid the crash, only to run to another car. Panicked, she hit the pedal. Her eyes shut, and all she could think of was death waiting for her. She heard some noises around her, but nothing hit her car, and she opened her eyes when everything stopped. She was safe.

Terrified, Petra rested her head on the steering wheel, her eyes watering and the tears dropping on her lap. Both scared and upset, the near-death experience she just had had her losing consciousness. And people who had been watching, rushed to help the car drivers.

"You… you really are tough, aren't you?" After several minutes of watching her exercising on the nautilus machine, Levi got impressed. She was a strong, energetic woman. Pulling the weights seemed so easy just by looking at her.

"I told you, I'm used to going to the gym. Just because I haven't been into one for a while, doesn't mean I've forgotten how to exercise." She smirked, holding her laughter at his surprised expression.

"How hard can you punch?" He asked out of curiosity.

"What?" She raised a brow at him.

"Let's try. I want to know." Levi stepped out of the nautilus machine.

"Okay." Mikasa followed Levi as they both stood away of the training machines. He handed her a pair of boxing gloves while he wore the focus pads.

"Let's see how strong you are." He challenged, holding out the focus pads to her.

"What's the point of this anyway?" She shrugged, faking disinterest.

"I think it's the best way to let out your rage. If there's someone you hate, and really want to punch but can't, this is the best way to do it." He explained with sarcasm, "But if you'd like to get scientifically…"

"Can I imagine Petra?" She cut him off.

"Petra?..." He exclaimed, "You hate her?"

"Not exactly hate, I just really wanted to punch her." Though she must admit, she did feel a little bit of guilt after she left, but that wasn't enough to change her mind about wanting to punch her.

"Go ahead." He permitted, giving her the signal to start. Mikasa's eyes focused on the pads, and she swung a punch at one of them almost too weakly, but not quite. "You call that a punch?" He mocked, and she rolled her eyes at him, "Come on. I know you can punch harder than that." Before he finished, she shot another punch, stronger, but still not what he'd expected. "Is that it, Mikasa?" She directed several punches, each felt harder than the previous, but Levi wasn't satisfied. He wanted more, more rage, more strength-more. "Look at me. Look into my eyes." She complied and he continued, "It's me, your fiancé, who cheated on you, who lied to you and promised to marry you but then left you for someone else. Don't you want to punch me so hard till you break every bone in my face? Don't you, Mikasa?"

His words were the spark that set fire in her eyes, sending the force into her bones. She was clutching her fists harder till she almost stopped feeling her knuckles. If Levi had thought her expression was scary, it was definitely nothing compared to the one he saw now. She resumed the punching with full strength, and she swung her fists to the focus pads, strong and aggressive. Levi was almost stepping back, but he stood still, receiving countless punches again and again. He could now feel it, the real anger she was hiding within, it could create a monster.

"Now that's what I call rage." He said, and he saw her looking at him before focusing her eyes back on the focus pads.

Between cut breaths and punches, Mikasa began to talk, "I just…wish to have a chance…to make him… drink from the same cup… make him go through the same pain… perhaps then, he'll understand what's it like to love someone who's only playing around with your feelings, to let them be your everything, while you're nothing but a fucking toy to them."

Levi listened, carefully, keeping his mind focused on both her punches and words, and just then, he realized how honest and determined she was, but also how broken and fragile she'd been.

"You gain so much strength from hatred." The words left his mouth in a bitter voice.

"…That's all I've learned from life…" She admitted.

"It's because you're too afraid of love, because it makes you weak." He took a guess.

"Wrong." She punched and he dodged, feeling the difference in the punch, "It's because no one needs strength when they find love. Because…" She loosened her grip, and dropped her hand, eyes looking down, "Because there's no strong and weak in love. You feel equal, even… but once that special bond is broken, nothing looks the same anymore." She clenched her fist again, "And it turns out that the world you've built was nothing but a fantasy, its walls made up of lies…" And she punched again.

"If they were lies, then how come you truly experienced them?" Levi was trying to provoke her, to make her give it her best, to let out all she'd been keeping inside.

Mikasa paused, taking a break to regain her breaths and give him a proper answer, "You only experience what you believe is real."

"Oh?"

"For example; a child doesn't know what fear is, unless you teach them, show them. Otherwise, they'd grow up without fears. They would never experience what fear is, unless they believed in it." She gave further explanation to her point of view, and he listened to her carefully.

"You're saying that fear doesn't really exist?" He concluded, hinting a smile from her.

"What are you afraid of?" She resumed punching, and he matched her with dodging each of her punches.

His mind took off in a small drive of thinking, whether he had any fears, but nothing came to his mind except for one thing, "Nothing in particular, I still… can't drive a car without having flashbacks from the accident, which is why I avoid driving, but that's not an actual fear."

"You're afraid of the consequences, the possibility of having another accident, I see. I'm afraid of trust." She confessed.

"Trust?" He questioned, asking for more details.

"Yes." She paused again to wipe the sweat off her forehead, "But, I have a rule to work by, so it makes it less scary for me."

"Hm! What's that?" His curiosity was stolen, once again. No matter how much he knew about her, he would always seek to know more.

"Trusting myself more than anyone." she gave him an answer, only to increase his interest more, "Before coming to trust someone, I've learned to trust myself first, so that if ever someone turns out to be untrustworthy, I won't be so hurt, because in the end, I…"

"…still have someone to trust, that is you." He finished her phrase, receiving a confirming nod from her.

"Exactly!" She smiled at his guess.

"Sort of complicated but makes sense." He removed the focus pads and placed them back in their place.

"It's only complicated if you believe so." Mikasa did the same with the boxing gloves. Silence took place as the two exchanged secret gazes, both wanting to talk but hesitating to.

"Levi,... why did you stay?" Mikasa initiated, "Why didn't you go with Petra?"

Her question was already answered in his mind, but it took him a couple of seconds before he speaking it, "Because… if I left, I would be caged in a world of fantasy, its walls made up of lies."

Mikasa could hint sarcasm in his answer, having her wondering if he truly meant what he said, "… You think you're funny?"

"There's a fine line between 'funny' and 'honest'." He was honest.

She knew he was honest, and his honesty was raising even more questions, "What are you really afraid of?" She had assumed he was afraid of the consequences, but, "If you were afraid of the consequences of your actions, you would have left with her, because you'd be concerned for the affect it might have on your relationship."

"I might have also been afraid of the consequences for not staying." Truthfully and confidently, he continued, "The things I would miss if I left with her, like having a chance to know more about you."

There was a fine line between 'funny' and 'honest', and a fine line between him and her. Nevertheless, Levi was crossing the line so inconsiderably of the things that would come after, "She's your future. And I'm soon going to be in the past. You should rearrange your priorities." The circumstances of their meeting had been so strange, so mysterious but so interesting. They were developing interest in each other, which was growing to something bigger than just interest between two strangers. It was attraction and last night approved it. It was lust and their eyes spoke with it whenever they met. It was unspoken because their kisses said it all.

"Or I should use the chances life gives me, before they soon become from the past." He was challenging her, and he wouldn't do so unless he knew she would accept it.

"Levi—you don't make sense at all." He was messing with her, and she loved it, loved him for it. Being dared to reach the unreachable, to do things she would regret later but love and enjoy in the meantime.

"I don't make sense if that's what you believe." He shut her up with her own comeback, and made sure to steal her chance to complain with a forceful kiss.

She didn't know how his hand landed on her neck, just felt herself leaning forward to meet his lips. She wasn't a fan of kissing in public places, but with him, she'd do even more without minding. But she enjoyed teasing him, and broke the kiss, "You—I see how it is now."

He smirked, maintaining a respectful distance between them, "Enough exercising, what do you want do now?"

"I'm—I'm kind of hungry. Shall we go have lunch in a restaurant?"

"Alright. Let's just take a quick shower before leaving."

A few minutes passed and they were already in the car, Mikasa driving to the nearest restaurant in the area. It was all silent until Levi received a phone call. He slid a hand to his pocket and pulled his cell phone out. It had Petra's name on the screen, and he heaved a sigh before answering it, "Yes, Petra?" There was a quick change in his expression from annoyed to concerned, the sharpness of his gaze vanishing as his eyes widened. "What?... Where?... Okay, yeah! Thanks for letting me know. I'll be there soon." He hung up.

"Is there a problem?" Mikasa was also concerned after hearing his tone.

He gulped, "Petra's in the hospital."

"Hospital? W-What happened?" Shocked, Mikasa's eyes widened.

"I don't know. They said she almost had a car accident, but she didn't hit anything. They said she was just unconscious and they had to take her to the hospital to make sure there was nothing wrong." He explained nervously, tucking the phone back in his pocket.

Mikasa obliged to change their direction to the hospital then, only to arrive a few minutes later. They asked the receptionist before heading to the first floor where Petra supposedly should be. They walked till a woman and a guy stood up and walked straight to them.

"Are you Levi?" The woman asked.

"Yes?"

"Hello, I'm the one who called you." The woman introduced herself, "This is my husband. We drove her to the hospital."

"Is she alright? What happened?"

"The doctors just took her to her room. Don't worry about her. Like I said, she avoided the accident luckily and she might have lost consciousness because of the shock."

Levi was going to ask more when he finally saw the doctor walking out of the room, and he walked to him instead, Mikasa and the couple following him.

"Is she okay now? What was wrong?" He asked in concern.

"No worries, sir. Your wife is alright. She will have to stay here for a little while, just to make sure nothing went wrong." The doctor smiled comfortingly, reassuring him.

"She's not my wife. She's my fiancée. What happened to her?" He questioned.

"Your fiancée? Oh, sorry. We—we thought she was married because… well…" The doctor stuttered to finish.

"Well?" Levi pressed.

"She was pregnant." The doctor stated.

"What?" Levi exclaimed in disbelief.

"Was pregnant?" Mikasa added.

"Sadly, she lost the baby. She wasn't injured at all. But chances are that she hit something when trying to avoid the car the crash. Perhaps when she hit the pedals and the sudden stoppage of the car caused her to bump into something. The shock might have affected her as well. She was only one-week pregnant anyway." The doctor explained the situation to Levi, whom still appeared to have a problem believing it.

"Are you sure she was pregnant? It can't be—I mean, she's been on the pill and…" unconvinced, Levi needed a confirmation, which most likely, even if he got, he would still deny it.

"It happens. You can't depend 100% on the pill. We're sure she was pregnant. You may see her now." The doctor nodded and walked away, leaving a shocked Levi in denial. Mikasa watched him the whole time in silence. She saw how concerned he was for her, but she also saw the way he refused to believe her pregnancy, and she wondered about his true feelings for Petra. Did he love her? Did he hate her? Did he feel guilty? Did he feel sympathy for her? She couldn't tell, but nevertheless, he was nervous and she placed her hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"Well, since everything is good and she's fine, there's no need for us to stay. Excuse us." The woman excused herself and left with her husband.

"Let's go see her." Mikasa encouraged the hesitant Levi, and she saw him look at her from over his shoulders, before walking to the room. She followed him.

Levi peeked from behind the door at the sleeping Petra, hesitating for a few seconds before walking into the room. Pulling a chair near the bed, he sat down next to her.

The silence was eerie, and all Mikasa could see in Petra at that moment was herself, when she was once lying on that bed that one night. She didn't look at her the way she did in the gym. She looked at her with sorrow and pain in her eyes, the pain she'd felt and was still feeling after all this time. That pain was much scarier than the silence in the room.

"I… I can understand what she must be going through. I was pregnant once too." Mikasa said, taking a seat next to Petra on the bed.

"I'm wondering… whether she knew or not, and whether she was going to tell me if she knew—I'm wondering about a lot of things. One thing I'm sure of is that, no matter what her answer will be, I won't fully believe it." It was too late to fix anything. He'd never be able to look at her the same way he did again, "I'm not sad. I'm actually grateful, because just the thought of having a child now is freaking me out. It's not because I don't want kids—it's because I don't think I want kids… with her." He confessed harshly.

"Levi—"

"Maybe I really made a huge mistake when I proposed to her. Everything feels so wrong now. I haven't thought through it well. If I did, perhaps I would have realized this earlier." He should have known when he proposed to her, that they were not meant to be. He should have known whenever they made love, because he never felt love for her. He was grateful, but not in love. He wanted to thank her, but not devote his life for her.

"What are you even talking about?" Mikasa couldn't state an opinion either. It was his life, his choices to make. But she wasn't sure if she truly wanted him to leave Petra.

"I don't want to marry her. Trust me. I'll do her a big favor if I don't. She's a nice woman, and she needs someone who'd treat her the way she deserves and I know I won't, because I don't want to be with her. If I marry her, I'll hate her, and make her life—both our lives miserable. It would be too late to realize it then, and it's not too late now." He could still fix it, "I can still fix things now. I'll let her get the rest she needs, and once she's ready to leave the hospital, I'll break up with her."

"Are you even listening to yourself?" Mikasa queried.

"Yes. And I should have listened to myself a long time ago, but I kept ignoring what I truly wanted, because I thought it's unfair to her. But now I realize I've always been unfair to her. Now, I'm going to listen to myself and do what I really want. I appreciate what she's done for me, but I can't give her the happiness she deserves, neither can she give me the happiness I need." Their relationship was shoved down their throats and it was hard for them to swallow. Levi had no intention to carry on with this torture, and he decided to leave back to the hotel. "Let's go."

Levi beat Mikasa to the door and left, as she stayed there just for a few more seconds, observing Petra with empathy. She followed behind Levi, and once the door closed, the tears Petra had been holding the entire time were finally released.

Levi got back to the hotel with Mikasa, and they headed straight to the elevator and back to their suites.

"So, do you want to have lunch or…?" Mikasa paused at her door to ask him. They were supposed to go have lunch in a restaurant but they had to cancel it.

He had so many things in mind at the time but food, and he felt sorry to decline her offer, "I lost my appetite. Now, I just want to sit and think calmly about… so many things."

"Okay, then, I understand. You need to rest. Take care." Mikasa turned around and opened the door, but before she'd go inside, Levi called her.

"Let us meet for dinner tonight." That should make up for their canceled lunch.

She turned back to look at him, "Sure." Mikasa gave off a nod and watched him leave before she walked into her suite. Once the door shut, she leaned against it. There was a slight glistening in her eyes, the words she'd heard from Levi today replaying in her ears. What he told her in the gym, what he told her in the hospital, and most of all, the unspoken words their kiss held. She'd been forbidding herself from sharing just passionate moment with anyone for the last six months that she'd forgotten how amazing it felt. A sudden realization snapped into her; Levi did not want to be with Petra. Somehow she wasn't that surprised because she knew, but it was more of a relief to hear him say it. She wouldn't be haunted by guilt if she surrendered to her desires—in fact, the only thing that would make her feel guilt was not using what little time she still had to share more of those moments with him. No more hesitance, just selfishness.

They met each other again on dinner. Mikasa arrived earlier and waited for him to come—because she thought she made him wait enough already—They took their seats in front of each other, and waited for their preordered dinner while having a small chat.

"How are you feeling now?" She thought it was unnecessary but still wanted to ask. He looked so much better.

"Better… and hungry." He hadn't eaten anything. He had no appetite to till now.

"Good, then you'd better eat well now." And to shut her curiosity, she decided to ask, "So, have you called her?"

"No." said Levi nonchalantly.

"Oh!"

"What?"

"You're supposed to ask about her. She only had a miscarriage today." She rolled his eyes at his unbelievable carelessness.

He attempted to reply but the waiter arrived to save their food and he preferred to get to the good stuff rather than talking about the same subject over and over. He had spent his entire day thinking about it and he wasn't planning to keep doing so for the entire night.

"Anyway, I'm hungry, like I said." Levi began to eat, and Mikasa did the same as she saw he wasn't up to discuss the matter with her. But she placed her fork down to talk.

"How long are you staying here?"

"Till the end of the month, maximum, but mostly before Christmas." Not that he planned anything special for Christmas either way.

"Oh! Same as me," There was still time in their hands, and it made her relieved, "I would stay here till the end of the month, but my friend will be so upset if I don't spend Christmas with her. But, I really like this place. I might come back from time to time."

"Give me a call when you do. It'd be nice to meet here some time." Even though they've only been here for a few days, Levi spent a good time in her company, memories which will stay safe with him, memories that gathered in a necklace he still put around his neck. Memories not only he cherished, but so did Mikasa.

"If you were afraid of the consequences of your actions, you would have left with her, because you'd be concerned for the affect it might have on your relationship."

"I might have also been afraid of the consequences for not staying."

"…"

"The things I would miss if I left with her, like having a chance to know more about you."

"She's your future. And I'm soon going to be in the past. You should rearrange your priorities."

"Or I should use the chances life gives me, before they soon become from the past."

Words she'd never forget, never erase, words that were now so precious. Words she thought were crazy before, but found so sweet now, "We should…"

Their eyes met and his hinted something else in them, "What is it?"

And if he could answer her with her answers, she could definitely do the same, "We should use the chances life gives us, before they soon become from the past." Once more chance, "You were right." That was all she needed, "If I… If I invited you again… to my suite, tonight…"

"So you can kick me out again?" He mocked.

She shook her head and smiled faintly, "So we can use the chance of being alone… so I won't feel this guilt anymore, and so…"

"We can have dessert…" He finished.

"And enjoy it…"

Only staring into each other's eyes got them excited and even almost canceling dinner to get straight to the dessert, but they controlled their impatience for a number of minutes till they finished having dinner. They were counting the minutes they took to finally get to Mikasa's suite, and even when they did arrive, they were still containing their impatience, and simply decided to sit on the couch, the couch which still brought back those hot moments to life.

"So—" Levi proceeded to talk.

"Would you like some wine?" But Mikasa cut him off with her sudden suggestion, and she stood up to get the bottle of wine.

"I—I prefer not to drink tonight." He watched her nevertheless bringing the wine bottle and a glass for herself, pouring the drink into it and holding it up to drink, "Are you nervous?"

"… No." She claimed and he stole the glass from her hand to place it down on the table.

"Then stop drinking." He knew her, how she'd only drink when she was nervous. And despite denying it, he knew she was nervous now too.

"Alright." She brushed her hair back with her fingers and met his gaze.

"Well…" He fixed his seating position, and before he said any additional words, he was, again, cut off.

"Let's talk." She made another suggestion, and Levi began to wonder whether she was trying to procrastinate.

"Talk?" He was sure as hell that was not the purpose of inviting him to spend the night here.

"Yes, talk. Tell me… about… your… uh… family, maybe?"

"Family?" What?

"Yes." I screwed up, didn't I?

"Family…"If she needed time, he would give her that, and he would tell her about what she wanted to know anyway, so he began to talk, "Okay, family. I—honestly I have no idea what to tell you about my family. My parents are dead. I don't have any siblings, and both sides of my family have conflicts. I didn't want to get involved so I left. There really isn't much I could tell you about my life. I've spent most of the nights drinking in bars and getting wasted. God, I can't even remember what happened last Christmas."

"I've spent it with my fiancé—ex-fiancé." Her gaze softened and her tone sweetened distinctly at the warm memory, "He… He proposed to me that night. It was the best Christmas night I've ever spent in my whole life. Even though that relationship failed, I still feel happy just thinking about those memories and how… how realistic they felt."

A frown managed his face, the smile he'd longed to see on her was finally there, but he was not the reason and it made his heart itch in jealousy, "Let me ask you this; do you have any pictures… with him?"

"Gosh, no! I got rid of them all after what happened. Even if I wanted to keep any, my friend wouldn't have let me. She literally discarded everything that would remind me of him." She might have gotten rid of the pictures, but she would never be able to get rid of those feelings, those memories and that pain, and everything he caused to her, but that was one way to forget, even for a short time, that he existed.

"Too bad." He sighed, "I wanted to see his face. Like they say; the world is small and maybe I'd happen to meet him one day. It'd be such a big pleasure to give him a hard punch on the face."

"Oh, really?" her eyebrows rose in disbelief.

"Really." He confirmed with a nod and a wide smirk.

"Why would you even do that?" For someone she met in a hotel, it sounded more like an act her boyfriend would do (if she had one).

"Because… Despite the time we've spent together was quite short, I'm pretty sure you're not the kind of girl who deserves to get cheated on." Levi was never all that dreamy person. His interests were afar to believe in wishes and asking for second chances and such. But Mikasa made him become the opposite of his person. Only one chance was he all he wanted to get from her, and he would show her how, if he could have been her fiancé instead, he would be the hand that holds onto hers and never leaves her. He was astonished by how dumb and crazy she made him feel.

"And…" Impressed but not convinced, she added, "Is Petra… that kind of girl?" There was no answer he could give and Mikasa took it as an evidence of his hesitance and uncertainty. Mikasa left his side and got up, refusing to go further with the discussion, but Levi's hand grasped her arm strongly, pulling her back to fall on his lap.

"Not this time, Mikasa." His words came out in a hot breath, tickling the insides of her ears. "You're not going to use Petra as an excuse. I've already said I'm breaking things off with her, so why should I wait till then? My relationship with her is over." His voice was deep, tantalizing the buried urges within her and shaking the depths of her caged heart, her chest beginning to move up and down in rushed, insecure breaths. His nose nuzzled her hair, taking in a deep inhale to steal her pleasant scent, giving her no time to figure out an answer to her question; did she want him to touch her? The question remained unanswered as his free hand grasped and pushed her hair to the front, uncovering the back of her neck and drawing his lips urgently to press against her skin, warmly leaving a ghost kiss, stimulating a soft sigh from her. Her voice was law and insufficient to drench his wants to hear more. His teeth snapped at her skin tenderly, forcing a gasp out of the depths of her throat. He smoothed the spot he bit with his tongue, finally hearing a moan escaping her; she preferred licking. He took note of that and continued his journey to discover the millions of undiscovered things about her.

Her head tilted to the side, giving his tongue more room to explore. His tight grip slowly disappeared around her wrist, which she soon took advantage of to push the back of his neck and press his mouth harder to her. She was driven into the act despite her uncertainty to make any move with him before his relationship with his fiancé was officially over, but it was undeniable for both of them that they desired each other, irresistible now that they had a taste of each other's touch. His lips surrounded her skin, giving it a gentle suck. She hissed and moaned and he did it again to get more of her. He felt her fingers pulling at his hair like she wanted to tear his locks off his scalp. It was painful but bearable, and he kept on shifting from licking to sucking to licking again, winning palatable moans from her in return.

Mikasa was not a submissive woman, even with Levi forcing his dominance on her, she would not submit to him without a taste of revenge (Hearing him moan under her touch, if she could call it revenge). Her bottom pressed to his hips tauntingly, creating an arousing contact. He swallowed a hiss, but he could not prevent her from sensing his hardness through his pants. Pleased by both the sensation of his erection pressed to her ass, and his low itching voice, Mikasa repeated the same motion, her bottom moving against his erection, successfully stealing small breaths and groans from him. It was pleasant but unfair, and he wanted to equalize it, his hand found a way under her skirt, tracing the soft skin of her inner thigh and trailing the straps of her underwear before sliding underneath. His finger found her bundle of nerves and pressed it ghostly, repeatedly and teasingly, having her shaking and unintentionally, causing his erection to harden even more.

"Levi—ah!" Mikasa gasped in a short breath, his touch had her on the edge of her seat, demanding more contact. Her thoughts fused to become a pure craving of his hands on her body. His finger flicked her clit, transmitting a storm of forgotten feelings; the pleasure and the ecstasy she hadn't felt for long. Her refusal to surrender with ease to this bliss and her violent urge to take more than give drove her hips inward and backward persistently, rubbing herself against his fingers once and pressing to his arousal another.

Levi struggled to keep his mind focusing on fingering her, instead of surrendering to the pleasure he received from her constant teasing. With the use of two fingers, Levi spread her folds open, enhancing the friction of his finger against her clit. The intensity of the pleasure caused her hips to rock at the development of a staggering amount of relish. Between gasps and hisses and hot breaths, they danced in their seats. He stimulated her clit with faster and harder rubbing. Her head fell back on his shoulder, lips separating from one another to draw the way out for loud moans. Levi used the chance to take her earlobe between his lips, keeping a steady pace of sucking and fingering. He whispered leisurely, "Are you enjoying this?"

"L-Levi, d-don't slow down—ah!" The words left her mouth in a desperate, needy tone, not giving him a second choice and obliging him to comply and rub her bud faster contently.

"Like this?" He asked with tease in his tone and flicked her bundle of nerves quicker, his eyes watching the change of her visage fussily, as if he were afraid he would miss any of her turned-on expressions. He could tell she was enjoying it rather too much to be able to concentrate on talking. The way her lips parted to let a moan out, then her teeth bit on her bottom lip and eyebrows furrowed. And the urge to kiss her was rushing through him. When he felt her releasing an amount of liquid, he used the opportunity to rub around her slit, sliding his finger in.

"Fuck—mm—yes, yes!" She cried out, feeling his finger moving in circles within her, stretching her and then pulling out of her to slide in again. He repeated the action with a quickened pace.

Levi saw her as a puzzle he had yet to figure out how to bring its pieces together to get the full image, but each time he thought he was close to finish it, he remembered there was a missing piece that he had yet to find. The questions roaming in his head were just as countless as the times he'd love to fuck her, and he would take his whole time doing so. But the sooth of having her moaning to his touch was an accepted answer to most of his questions. She was with him when she could have been with anyone else. He was touching her when anyone else could have been doing it. It disgusted him to think about it, so he loved to cherish that moment. "How long has it been since you let a guy touch you?" His curiosity tugged again, and her eyes opened after good three seconds of hearing the words leaving his mouth bitterly with a taste of jealousy. His eyes sought for an answer in hers, fishing a smirk in the curves of her lips and a soothing look behind the grayish shade in her eyes.

Her fingertips lowered his head and her lips grazed his, "You're the first one in a very long time." She murmured, reassuring him and shutting his curiosity. Their lips fused together in haste, curing the wounds of a broken heart with temporary pleasure. Love was not what they needed from each other in the end. They were attached in a special bond, attraction. The attraction they could not hide. The one they hunted in one another's gazes. His lips linked to hers ravenously, his finger going in and out and back in, the tempo increasing slowly as well the pleasure. Her lips obliged to part from his, allowing an escape for the moans suppressed in her throat.

The constant thrusting of Levi's finger was building a strong orgasm inside of her, and her knuckles whitened from tightly holding onto the couch, like she was holding on to a horse's reins so as to not fall. Two more thrusts, and her release was forcing its way out, "God, Levi—" Her hips trembled in his lap until her orgasm finished and her moans turned into gasps to even her breathing. Her back pressed to his chest, seeking for his comfort.

Levi's hand found its way out from underneath her panties, his fingers stuck into his mouth as his tongue licked them clean. Counting the seconds it took her to even her breaths, both his hands settled on her hips, shifting her weight onto the couch and laying her on her stomach. Levi's eyes scanned her body painstakingly, drawing invisible lines of a nude painting to draw an analogy of the real but unseen naked girl, curiously measuring the accuracy of his expectations by resting a palm on her back and tracing the curves of her body with it, going to her front to touch her breasts then lower to her stomach and back to her hips then thighs, going under her skirt to squeeze her ass before sliding her underwear down to her mid-thigh and pulling the skirt to her waist.

So perfect. He thought when finally done examining her figure, though he would still have to do it again after taking her out of her clothes.

Mikasa's heart beat exceedingly when Levi's palm was exploring the different parts of her body, a pinkish tint striking her cheeks as his hand explored lower, the tint reddening when her panties were removed and her ass was exposed. Her eyes closed, and she buried the lower part of her face in the pillow, waiting to know what his next move would be, and the things he was thinking about doing to her. Whether it would be dirty, or tender, it didn't matter to her.

"I really do hope you're protected." Levi sat up on one knee, waiting for a response from her before making another move. Though, in reality, he didn't care if she were protected. But he hoped her answer would still be yes just for reassurance.

Mikasa nodded, pulling away from the pillow to answer him, "Of course I am." She would be lying if she said she wasn't expecting this to happen sooner or later. Mikasa was sure that, eventually, she would end up fucking this guy, and not only because she planned for this night to end up like this, but she'd been on the pill for a while. Things happen and she'd better be ready at all costs.

"I would still fuck you either way. I have no patience to go bring a condom." Levi sneered, hearing a muffled chuckle from her.

"I wouldn't mind either." Mikasa admitted, giving Levi a signed authority to do all he desired with her.

Receiving her approval, he unbuckled his belt, unzipped his fly and unbuttoned it, before pulling his pants and boxers to his mid-thigh. "I'll take all my time with you. We have an entire night in our hold, and thousands of things we can try." He worded his intention decisively, pressing the head of his cock to her ass, and preparing to thrust in (Her prior orgasm moistened her entrance enough to ease his way in). With careful eyes, he calculated the safest pace and angle as he began to push his length through slowly and cautiously, remaining subtle and dexterous so as to avoid harming her.

Mikasa's fits clutched sturdily on the couch, her taut insides stretching the further he pushed through. Her teeth gritted to contain the cries of pain she needed so urgently to release, but her lips parted eventually, and her cries were now only muffled by the pillow she pressed her face harder against. The painful pleasure rushed through her veins, and her vision turned blur while she struggled to adapt his enormous size inside her.

"You're so fucking tight." Levi puffed, averting from proceeding to thrust till making sure she was not hurt.

"I—I'll be fine. Keep going." She stammered, pushing away from the pillow so he could hear her before she rested her head back on it.

"Are you sure?" Mikasa touched concern in his question, and she afforded him a confirming nod before he complied with her wish. "Then, let me hear your voice, Mikasa. Let me know you're loving this." Tightly but gently, Levi's fingers wrapped around a lock of her silk-like hair, yanking it back and distancing her face from the pillow. A sudden gasp escaped her as he pulled her hair, but she sealed her lips again, only to part them again when he resumed thrusting, her tightness and his bulkiness liberating a constant wave of eagerness.

Levi's free hand held her leg around his waist, adjusting his position to allow himself thrust deeper. His length was lastly fitting inside her, his hips moving slowly to stretch her more. Pulling slowly out, thrusting back in, Levi picked up the speed, his thrusting getting easier.

"Fuck—Levi," Mikasa purred, the pain turning to pleasure and her cries becoming desperate moans.

Levi's hips slammed sorely against her flesh, sweat dewing his forehead and drawing glistening trails on his face. His need to know how he would feel when he entered her was filled, restlessly riding the two of them toward an orgasm.

After several loud screams and aggressive pulls on the couch, her hands covered her mouth to quiet herself, and it was as if he punished her for doing so, hitting a deeper spot with a forceful thrust, pushing her to drop her hands from her mouth and hold on tight to the couch, "Levi—ah—ah, yes, fas-ter…" She pleaded with him, and he irresistibly quickened his thrusting. His hand dropped the leg he was holding around his waist, sheltering her back with his body, guiding his hands over her breasts and stomach. Mikasa brought his face closer, turning her head to join his lips with hers, kissing as they both moaned into each other's mouths. Mikasa's hand guided Levi's to her sex, seeking for a stronger push to hit her second orgasm. His fingers touched her wet bud playfully, but his constant teasing was still not superior enough to lead her to the bliss she could almost see before her eyes. Wrapping her long fingers around his wrist, she removed his hand from her sensitive area, and shoved his fingers to her mouth, teasing the tips with her tongue and moving them in and out on a constant tempo, only conceiving her doing the same thing, but with her mouth around his cock. The arousing thought was the key that opened the door to a powerful orgasm, their hips jerking feverishly , and between stolen breaths and husky groans, their bodies relaxed and ridded of the tightness overcoming them a moment ago.

"Jesus..." Through the sharpness of his voice, Levi supported his weight with his palms, lifting his upper-part from her. His hips moved gradually to pull out of her, his features showing nothing but disturbance over the sticky feeling and the messy sight of the couch. "That's a huge mess."

Mikasa bit back a moan as he withdrew from her, feeling emptiness replacing the fullness instantaneously, "I'm not cleaning that off." She whimpered, her eyes closing sleepily.

"It's too early to think about cleaning. I'm still thinking about getting the bed dirty." He scoffed, tugging up his pants so it wouldn't interfere with his standing.

With the support of her elbows, Mikasa rolled around, laying her back on the couch, her eyes shooting a daring gaze at him. Her lips separated in a composed attempt to make a comment about what he said, but her teeth came in a temporary contact with her lower lip, seductively, instead. Diminishing the distance between them, his lips tied with hers in a tender kiss, as his hands slipped beneath her back and thighs, lifting her from the couch. Mikasa clung to him with her arms around his neck, and she parted her lips from his to turn and glimpse at the object he leaned to pick from the table. "Why are you bringing the wine bottle?"

"Would you rather hear my answer than see it?" His questioned settled a weird feeling in her stomach, storming her curiosity and yearning.

They arrived at the dim bedroom, only a trail of light sneaking through the open door from outside. He placed the wine bottle on the nightstand and dropped Mikasa on the bed, but she trapped his legs between hers, pulling him over her.

"Let's make things fair." Responding to the vital call of her dominant mood, Mikasa's hands snatched his shoulders, reversing their positions and claiming her control back. Her core made a tantalizing contact with his erection, and she estimated the small sound he made under her touch. Poking his cock out, Mikasa lowered her head. Her tongue moved delicately over the head of his cock, tormenting the confined aspiration between repossessing his entire supremacy over her, and surrendering to her touch. Her lips enfolded the head, propelling his entire length into her mouth eventually. Maintaining a deliberate velocity, her mouth tracked the length of his arousal, forward and rearward. Levi's world trembled in delight and gratification, the light strokes of her tongue and frequent sucks escorting him to a near orgasm. "S-Stop…"

"No." Her mouth moved around his length as she spoke in opposition, producing a ticklish stir which led him to release a tiny amount of a salty fluid. She swallowed it with a firm suck, stimulating him enough to finally release.

"Fuck." He groaned, using his elbows to lift himself up.

Mikasa resumed her seating position, wiping the leaks from her mouth with the tip of her index. His hand attained her back, closing the distance between them and pressing their bodies together. Their foreheads touched, noses scratched, and lips sunk into one another's.

"Now, let me answer your question." His statement increased her excitement promptly, their clothes settled aimlessly on the floor of the room as they freed their bodies from them, save for the only material that connected them soulfully and physically, their Wings of Freedom necklaces; a permanent reminder of their not only trip back to childhood innocence, but also of their current state of liberated urges and unleashed desires toward each other.

Keeping their lips connected, Levi laid Mikasa on her back, parting from them to sit on her waist area and get the wine bottle he left on the nightstand.

She was the pure temptation and the utter seduction in an enchanting woman disguise. She was his one and only to get him wasted when all the drinks failed to do so. His teeth tore the plug of the bottle off, spitting it to the ground to land on the pile of clothes they discarded.

Hovering the bottle of wine over her body, the liquid seeped along her neck, shoulder-blades, breasts and stomach. Her fists clutched around the sheets under the cold breeze the wine sent when tracing the curves of her body, and Levi's tongue pursued the trails, evenly, faintly, unhurriedly, sucking the taste of her skin, flavored with the wine. He continued the ay descending, giving her nipple a swift twirl before passing her chest area and abdomen with leisure licks. Her hips trembled sensitively when his tongue passed over them, and the ticklish feeling persisted all the while as she watched.

His tongue flicked her clit once and she gasped, spreading her legs and wrapping them around his shoulders demandingly. She had thought she experienced the pleasure of her life until his tongue was playing with her bundle of nerves, a game she knew she would lose but the consequences were worth it. The immense ecstasy each flick created, and the wild flutter her heart tracked with each suck, hair pulling and head tilting, it was all she wanted and more. Her head fell back, and her knuckles whitened under the tightness of her grasp on the pillow. Just as if she were a time bob, each moment passing was closing up the explosion. One last flick was all, and the time was out.

"God…" Her breathing was uneven as she released the last bits of her orgasm, withdrawing her grips on both his hair and the pillow.

Levi sheltered her body with his, stroking the length of her arm with his palm and entangling his fingers with hers. He relished every small detail of her face, and signed her lips with a kiss to claim an unspoken possession over her.

Her hand strengthened their hold, coming across a disturbing material around his finger. Mikasa's eyes opened to define the identity, and her lips withdrew from his when defining the material to be his engagement ring.

Levi's eyes tracked the way Mikasa's were following, and his chest ached when seeing she was staring at his ring—he should have remembered to remove it earlier, how foolish of him. There was a constant, quick throbbing in his heart, telling him Mikasa was going to ask him to leave, just like she did last night, but his concerns were all defeated when she pulled the ring off his finger, dropping it on the floor and linking their fingers together again.

"Shall we continue?" Mikasa murmured reassuringly. He nodded, lips curved in a faint smile.

The two resumed their journey; warming up for a next intercourse with ravenous kisses and lip biting. Mikasa adjusted her position with the use of her elbows, lifting herself up as Levi prepared to penetrate her. Her legs spread, and he pushed his length through, riding her toward a new heaven of ecstasy, their tongues leading a battle of dominance which turned out to be more of need than a battle to double the pleasure with linked bodies.

It did not matter how long these moments were going to last, because all we thought about was the present. The lust and attraction became passion and tenderness. When all we've wanted to do was to fuck, the word seemed too strong, and even inappropriate to describe it. I would say we made love, but there was no love between us. Even if there were, it was only there for one night.

To Be Continued.