Criminal (Levi x Reader) Chapter 11

Did I really make the right choice?

You had been asking yourself that questions a lot over the last two months, and always you would answer yes, though as time went on, the hesitation between question and answer became steadily longer, drawn out. Now, you could not even say it.

There was no doubt that you loved Levi, you had left your fiancé for him, but you could not help but wonder if it was the wrong choice to make. He had promised he’d be there for you, protect you with his own life, and yet where was he now? He hadn't told you, of course. His lifestyle did not exactly lend itself to the sharing of his criminal activities.

It wasn’t that you had expected him to sweep you off to his castle in the underground and make you his Queen, but you had hoped, at least, that he trusted you enough to tell you what he was up to. You had also expected to see more of him than you currently did, after he practically stalked you for three days when you had met. But after that first night together, he never stayed until morning, opting instead to sneak out in the hours before dawn, leaving you to wake up alone and shivering from the lack of warmth you were so used to when you were with Erwin.

Sometimes, you wouldn’t even see Levi for days. There was no warning as to when he would disappear like that, and when he finally returned, so great was your relief that you forgot to question it, and instead succumbed to your lover’s warm embrace and frenzied kisses for a night. And, of course, by morning he’d be gone.

You had not seen Levi in three days now, and as you headed home from work at the Tavern, you wondered absently if he would be making an appearance that night. You made a vow tonight that you would bring the issue up with him and not let yourself be hypnotised by his steel blue gaze or his whispered love confessions.

You reached your house, fumbling in your pocket for the key. You grasped it and brought it out to unlock the door, but it opened before you. You jumped slightly, and smiled, lifting your gaze to the figure in the doorway. You had been expecting Levi, but that was not who greeted you.

“Erwin?”

“[Name].”

He did not smile at you, but nodded, his eyes softening. He stepped back to let you pass and as soon as you were inside to closed the door behind you and pulled him into a tight hug. He stiffened at the contact, hesitating for a moment before he lifted his arms to return the embrace, careful not to stand too close. You pulled back and frowned at him.

“Why so formal?” you asked.

“I’m here on business,” he remarked, his face expressionless. “I thought it would be best if I came myself, despite my reluctance.” He said the last word with a hint of bitterness you had never heard before.

“What business could the Commander of the Survey Corps have with me?”

“Not with you, with Levi. Is he here?” He strode over to the dining table and took a seat.

You blinked, unsure if you’d hear him right. “With Levi?” You couldn’t hide the hurt from your voice. You had not spoken with Erwin in two months, and you were happy to see him again, but he seemed cold, formal. This wasn’t the Erwin you knew, but the Commander.

“Levi’s not here. I don’t know if he will be tonight,” you said bitterly.

Erwin cocked his head slightly. “Trouble in paradise?” His eyes flashed with an unfamiliar emotion.

“Not your business,” you snapped back.

Erwin dropped the subject quickly. He knew you well enough to not stir your anger. He sat silent for what seemed like a long while, during which you took a seat opposite him, studying his face.

“[Name]?”

“Mm?”

“Are you… Happy? With the choice you made.”

You did not know how to reply. Were you?

“I don’t know,” you said softly, eyes cast downward. Erwin surprised you then by reaching across the table and taking your hands in his. He squeezed gently.

“I want you to know… I don’t resent you for the choice you made. But I wish you had chosen differently.”

Tears sprang to your eyes then as your guilt flared up. “Erwin, I –”

“What is he doing here?” a familiar voice snarled from over your shoulder.