Elizabeth sniffed. " What I want to say is that I hate it. I hate how you look at me. I hate the way you always know that no I'm actually not okay and I hate it that you left without a second thought. I hate that. I hate that we will always be just best friends and nothing more. I hate that you are so incredibly happy without me. But I know that if I had to choose, I would rather you be happy without me than be unhappy with me. I really, really hate that."
As a detective from New York Taichi Kamiya is use to crime and injustice, he felt respect and admiration from the mysterious vigilante knowing as The werewolf, and at the same time get into troubles when the only witness from an important case is the animal party and local musician Yamato Ishida, and even when both of them have different opinions about everything they get involve into a romantic relationship, whatsoever Taichi fail in discover that The Werewolf and Yamato are in fact the same person. TAIYAMA SUPERHERO AU
The Digimon OTPWeek is here¡ So i decide to put together a multichapter from one of the one shots i made for the Taiyama week. The one shot itself would be the prologue, but with a few adjustment and correction because the first time i wrote it to fast and the spelling was awful. The first chapter would come between tonight and tomorrow.
And also because is the Digimon OTP week i would include some of my others digimon OTPs, mostly Joumi.
The prologue after the cut. :D
PROLOGUE
The place was crowd, at that was a lot to said, even for a small bar like that, the true was said, that was an ugly neighborhood, full of gangs and mafia, and in that bar, at that night according to rumors, the big heads of mafia would be meeting. Not a safe place for regular people, but the perfect place for a couple of cops.
"Are you sure that your lead is correct?" The younger of they, Davis Motomiya talk "for what i know this is a safe area" he was a free spirit, a kind soul.
" The Italian place around the corner is close kid " The other one explain, he has a big brown hair over his shoulders and several years of experience, the detective plaque usually in his neck was hide in his pocket - that put this bar in an strategic position-
"Yeah but i never hear about mob meeting in this place also, can you stop with the kid stuff? i´m almost 25" his partner laugh, suddenly distracting for the entertainment, a piano man play a smut jazz song, perfect for the atmosphere "Are you sure about the time? were is your informer?"
"there´s always a mob in any bar of this damn city, don´t full yourself¡ and i don´t care about your age, you a rookie " the detective ask for a couple of shot and invite his partner to pretend that they were drinking "my informer is gonna be here soon, let him work, and that´s not the important thing about tonight"Taichi talks with light in his eyes" the last thing he did was kick the hell out of the Italians past week, if they move to other place you can bet he would be there "
"he?" Davis laugh " for one moment i actually tough you were concern about the italian mob, and result that you only wanna see the urban legend "
" It´s not an urban legend¡"Detective Taichi yells " it´s true.. the Chinese gang to was arrested last month " he count with his fingers " the Russian crazy girl who stabs three judges, the deal with the explosive in the subway, and the fact that the armed robbery had drop 35% in the last six month are not coincidence¡ tell me, how many armed robbery had you stop?" the younger nod " exactly no one¡ this is some kind of vigilante, a man making justice by his own hand" he didn´t hide his enthusiasm, he just fall really hard for the vigilante, a powerful man who use his incredible abilities for justice, the admiration he feel for him only rival with his envy.
"you now how crazy you sound right?"
" i have seen it¡" Taichi said in frustration
" did you? really?" Davis didn´t believe a word, this was one of his first assignment and he star to think that the commissioner match him with the worse option , Taichi Kamiya was famous for been reckless and passionate but also conflictive
" well.. not exactly" taichi was so full of adrenaline, he know it was true but he doesn´t have proofs" i kind of see him in the subway incident, i was there¡ and 14 people¡ but some of them want to testified? no¡only me, and apparently my word is not enough for my commissioner Tachikawa"
" And is true he has point ears?" some voice behind him said
"What?" Taichi turns around and find the pianist, one of his best informers,with all the chat he didn´t realize he wasn´t playing anymore" I hear he has point ears, and that he is cover with hair, like an animal " Yamato said with a big smile in his face, he wear a fancy white t-shirt, a black jacket and a hat that combine with everything, was without a doubt the elegant person in the place " some people in fack said he is an animal"
"You are moking me" Taichi try to not pay attention to him" he is human, i think" but fail
" Then what´s up with the nickname?" Yamato ask sitting next to to him, ignoring Davis
" the werewolf…" the detective wisper " i don´t know, i saw him do impossible things"
"Like what? Throw lasers from his eyes?" Yamato continues to make fun of him
" like jump over a moving train and fight at six guys at the same time"
"Sound like you have been watch so much cartoons detective"
" Why nobody believes me?" Taichi don´t care about this guy or his believes but he was tired of the people lack of faith- why is so incredible? are you telling me that you never seen or hear about nothing impossible in this city before?- he turn to his partner - you have been working for the police for almost six months, how many impossible things have you seen? - Davis mutter a couples of things nervous, he didn´t felt enough confident to argue with the detective - exactly¡ and suddenly a guy with super power is too much incredible?-
"Is not the super power thing what i dont believe detective" Yamato explain" is the vigilante thing- Taichi watch at him, curious" why someone whit that power care? why he risk his life? in my experience the powerful ones didn´t care for help the needy, he must be crazy, i lonely man with no sense of self preservation"
" For not been a total jerk?" The detective interrump , tired of his actitud, usually Yamato irritate him a little but today he was specially annoying
"Come on detective¡" the pianist insist " if you have that powers would you play the hero?"
" Of course¡" he answers visibly angry " and you?"
" me?" Yamato smiles" you are talking with the man who make money selling his people, and that remember me" he extend his hand " you own me catch"
"I didn´t have what i asking for" Taichi said without look at him knowing how much Yamato hate to be ignorate"
" did you see that skinny guy with a the purple hair in the pool table? " Yamato point at the corner of the bar " that is the younger boy of the Carmonis"
" You are kidding me" Davis said " What is he doing in a place like this?"
"He is waiting" Taichi guess " he isn´t hiding, he want to be found" he put fifty dollars in the pianist pocket, happy to have a legitimate excuse to touch him
" the rumors said the werewolf kill his big brother last week, he want revenge" Yamato look like if he found all that thing the most absurd situation ever" i bet he didn´t expect the police" he put his hand over Taichi shoulder" well gentlemen i let you to make your work "
Taichi watch him walk away and sit again in front of the piano
" What do we do know detective?" Davis ask, Taichi turn around facing the Italian guy
" Walk near to me " Taichi said, with that sharp look in his eyes " i have a few questions for him" the both approach to the Italian but before they were close some guy crush a chair in his head, and there everything happens in high speed: the italian stand up and star to shooting, also the rest of his gang, suddenly the entire bar succumbed to the chaos, but The detective was used to think quickly - To the ground¡- he yell at Davis at the time he pull him down, they hide behind a table, fighting against the crossfire, beside the confusion he saw the pianist run out the back door, in was the right thing to do for a civilian but Taichi didn´t help to think it was the coward way.
Yamato run trough the alley, as fast as he could, which it was faster that any other human, and with that speed he take of his clothes, he knew that night would be rough but he didn´t expect that, he put the mask and sneak inside the building, taking advantage of the shadow to camouflage his dark blue costume.
"Everybody calm dow¡" one of the armed guy yell shooting to the roof" we only want the Carmoni guy, deliver him to us and nobody would be hurt"
"Damn it" Tai wisper to Davis "we need to take out this people"
" But… How?" Davis try to look brave but he as shaking " we.. we need to"
"Calm kid, everything is gonna be fine" he said witout believe it " we just… "
Suddenly the light go out, Taichi hear some screams and hits, he take out his head of his barricade and see the origin of the chaos, he what just as he remember….. Dark blue tight full body suit, black gloves and boots,the jacked full of grey furry and in each hand a set of iron claws, all face cover, just two small windows for his wonderful blue deep eyes: it was the werewolf .
" Take the people out" He scream in his deep voice " detective¡ " He call him and Taichi feel chils
"Come on is our chance¡" he point at Davis and the both star to take the people out
The werewolf continues to fight, they outgrow him 20-1 but he didn´t surrender, and he did´t need to… he truly moves like an animal, he lurk like a beast, and attack like one, fight wasn´t a challenge but he also fight against himself, a fight that star since he get his powers, the memories of the explosion haunted him, the moths of agony, his brother fear… the remember of his little brother give him strength, he was so close to find him, so close for an answers, but for that…. for that he need the Carmoni family to speak.
Everyone was knock down just the carmoni boy remains, he hide behinds the wall meanwhile the werewolfe walk to him.
"Don´t hurt me¡" the boy yells " please¡" And the vigilante smiles
" give me a good reason"
" i.. please i could pay you¡ werever you want, anything you ask for, please¡ my family have money they Would pay for everything you want"
I want my little brother, i want my sanity, my childhood, my innocence He tough
"I dont care about money, i want information " he close his fits to his face, making his claws next to his neck" 2001, laboratory 102, what do you now about that? " he felt the adrenaline, he could smell his fear, it was the most delicious of the smells …. he need to calm down, control his nerves or he could kill the guy before he sing
" What do you care about that?" the Italian said in pure fear " o my god…" he wisper suddenly fascinate" you was a test soldier… the formula works… the patient zero"
" What do you know¡?" he scream desperately… it was his only lead to his missing brother, to his misterius powers, to his parents lost, he nail his claw in his chest, not enough for killing, never enough for killing, but enough to cause pain " come on little bird.. sing¡"
"Drop the weapon¡" a voice behind they interrump and the werewolf doesn´t need to turn around to recognize him, he could distinguish that voice in any place, that smell, those steps, how he didn´t see him coming?
"Stay out of this detective¡" he demand
" I´m not gonna repeat it, drop the weapon¡" Tai point at them with his silver handgun " drop him¡"
" He deserve it¡" The vigilante speak
"it´s not in your job to said it " his hands didn´t shake, not a doub in his voice - the justice would take care of him¡-
"the justice didn´t take care of him in past fifteen years¡" he nails his claw deeper making the Italian scream
" I wasn´t in the justice system fifteen years ago¡ i promise to you¡ i would make it happend¡" Tai didn´t want this, not like this " there are almost twenty cops outside, he wouldn´t scape, and if i shoot you, you neither- Yamato laught thinking of how easy would be elude that bullet, knock him off and run away with the unconscious Italian in his back, beside the detective was lying
" thirteen" he said "there is only thirteen cops outside " he turn around to see the detective face and was that face was what surprise him
"You are not a criminal¡" Taichi shout" you are a hero, a hope for this city¡ you need to act like one¡ I believe in you, are you listen to me? i believe that you are a hero " he didn´t see him with fear like everybody else, she challenge him, demand him to do the right thing " we have plenty of witnesses, myself include that see Carmoni shoot and tread, we can put him beside bars" Yamato gasp, the smell of the blood make him crazy, but the detective was right, he could put Carmoni in jail and meaby with the little one behinds bars his entire family would follows him, but he need to be sure , he need to be involve in the case.
The vigilante drop the Italian to the detective feeds, he was shaking, crying…
"No one would testify " the Werewolf said walking to the window, back to the detective " everyone are too afraid for the Mafia "
" let me handle that…"
"Yamato Ishida" he said slowly, enjoying the game " he would do it" Taichi laughs finally allowing to calm down, Yamato hear his heart bit harder to the mention of his game and little someting move inside him
" He a coward, a mole , a pretty boy with to many opinions, he would never…"
" Let me handle that" the werewolf repeat
" Don´t hurt him " the detective rush
" i can´t make any promise" He said just before jump outside the building
Taichi walk off the building carring the unconscious Italian, he put him in the police car and read him his rights
" Rought nigh " Davis said meanwhile they drive to the police station " i hope we didn´t back to that place in a long time"
"We need to come back tomorrow" Tai answers " we need to interrogate Yamato Ishida…"
Since the distand a mysterious figure watch them, he never tough about work with the police, everything started like a personal revenge but grow into something else, without thinking he become the city hero, the hopes of many.
He smile for himself, his brother would be happy, T. K. would love all the hero trope, the hope speech…. but he didn´t have that inside him, he didn´t feel like a hero, sometimes he didn´t even feel human, he was more a hunter, a predator, but that detective, he making felt…. need it, Taichi believes in him, the last person to do that was missing, better to keep an eye on the detective.
Today’s Question: What’s your favourite scene/moment between them?
Personally I really like the brief exchange while the ventral canons are warming up. It's a perfect example of how, when they're under attack, they have no problem working together and sharing information.
When she realized she liked her captain, she punched him on the face.
It came like a quick punch to the gut when Mikasa Ackerman had realized that she liked her captain.
At first, she thought nothing of it, throwing away the strangeness of herself from the most farthest recesses of her mind. It was all a strange, weird blur to her. That was the first time ever had she experienced it; it was like she didn't know herself anymore, which was strange, because you're supposed to know yourself better than everyone else.
Besides, wasn't she supposed to hate him? ... Or maybe it should be dislike instead. Hate is such a strong word. Yes. She disliked Captain Levi. Why? Why indeed?
She disliked him because he made her feel strange. He is the cause of her cheeks flushing. He is the cause of her heart racing with a strange sense of anticipation whenever he approached, only to drop in disappointment when he only passed by her. He is the cause of the nauseating somersaults that her stomach made whenever he was mentioned. He is the cause of her distraction and she disliked him for it.
He is an allergy, Mikasa was sure of it. He was carrying a strange disease to him and he was affecting her in a way she sort-of liked but really disliked. She felt so confused and different and she felt like a stranger to herself.
She wanted to be cured of this. Whatever this was, it was affecting her mental and physical state. How would she protect Eren and Armin if she's like this!? Feeling so lightheaded and distracted almost a hundred percent of the time that even Christa managed to flip her onto her back during training a few days ago.
She was rapidly getting disappointed with herself because she was letting this...attraction, ruin her life. Literally.
She had possibly ruined it even further the moment she let the cause of her troubles approach her one day asking (demanded actually) for a round of sparring while she rested on a bench, just finishing her daily laps.
And foolish, foolish her, she had accepted the challenge without the proper knowledge of what will happen.
"Surprising, Cadet," Levi drawled, still a little preoccupied while wrapping his dominant hand. He didn't even say her name, yet her blood started to rush and her self started to become queasy anyway. "I didn't know you can still accept my invitation to spar through all your awful distraction."
Shame and as well as embarrassment came over her. "I am not distracted." she turned away to busy herself with tightening the wrapping on her dominant hand, away from his prying eyes.
"Please, even a civilian can notice your mind has left the building almost all the time." he placed a hand on one side of his hips. "I'm not one to pry, but don't let this ruin your overall performance, Cadet. You have potential. Don't waste it by allowing some other shit occupy your mind."
How helpful, considering you are my problem, sir. "Understood." she murmured with a barely noticeable cringe, which he thankfully didn't notice. But he was right, though. She was letting some other thing mess with herself, but how can she stop when she didn't even know how to? He was always in her mind, always seen by her eyes, always being sought out among the throngs of people, always in her dreams. Levi was everywhere even though he really wasn't. She was turning mad with all of this.
"Are you done yet?" he asks again when five minutes of idle time passed.
Mikasa turns to him and nods determinedly. Whatever that was happening to her, she can't let it take over her sanity just like that. If she wanted to impress him (did she really think of that? ... she did think of that), she should be able to get over herself to prove him wrong.
What she didn't expect, however, was the awe and the admiration when he was on to her seconds after she gave her answer. Mikasa managed to duck from his fist, but she barely had enough time to block his knee from bashing the side of her face (and she remembers how the same knee bashed her brother's face but instead of using that thought to fuel her will to fight him, she doesn't).
"Impressive." he says. "But you need more attention."
"I evaded and blocked your hits."
"True, but you're still distracted." he narrowed his eyes into a focused glare. "And while you're training with me, I'm going to make sure that your only focus is me."
You already are my cause of distraction! Good thing her cheeks were already flushed with exertion, because he wouldn't notice how it turned darker with the words he said, even though what he meant was completely different from what she had in mind.
"I told you before, sir, I am not distracted."
She took the offense after blocking one of his hooks, throwing a swift leg to swipe him off the ground he was standing on. Levi had jerked back to avoid it and she spun to make another attack with the same leg.
"Really?" her arm shot out to throw a fist on his face when he caught that wrist and pulled her forward. She quickly lost her momentum, making her gasp as he rotated that arm so it pressed against her back, his other arm grappling around her neck to hold her down. "Then. Prove it by getting out of my hold, Ackerman. Within 40 seconds."
So she did, because him being this close to her did not help her any other way, actually. Goosebumps threatened to rise from her arms when his breathing warmed her bare shoulders, shivers she suppressed when it collided with her neck. But every time she tried to move her locked arm and wriggled under his arm his hold would only tighten, and she was considering on biting down his arm to get herself free. As much as possible, she didn't want to hurt him too badly.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing is wrong."
"Your 40 seconds had passed."
"Dammit."
"Because you were distracted." he still refused to let her go. He even leaned even further so his words were heard loud and clear beside her ear, and she knew he was smirking from the knowing tone of his statement. She disliked it. "Why don't you just admit that you're distracted?"
"What will I achieve if I admit that I'm distracted?" she asked in frustration. "Why would it matter if I'm distracted or not?"
"So you are distracted."
Mikasa sighed. Levi snorted.
"What will you achieve when you admit you're distracted? Well, Cadet, then you admit to yourself that you know yourself better than anyone." Wrong, you're wrong. I don't even know what's wrong with me. "By admitting to yourself that you're distracted, you become aware of the flaws you have to fix." So I have to fix my distraction towards you? "Did you get what I said?"
She breathed in heavily. (Which she shouldn't have done, because all she took in was the musky, masculine scent that emanated from the man behind her, and her cheeks flushed.)
"Yes, sir."
"Good." he lets her go. The moment he does, her skin burns from where he had touched. "Now, let's try again. Take the defense this time, and I'll be on offense. Focus on trying to block my hits, and evade any locking chances. Otherwise, we're going to start over when I get my hands on you."
Fuck it, stop saying words like that! Mikasa ignored her tingling face.
They started over again like he said, this time, their roles switched. Like he had duly instructed, she tried to block his hits. It was her most successful feat, since her level of speed almost matched his, so it was easy for her. But when she sees his opening to lock her again, she ripped herself as far away as possible to evade it.
By doing so, she could have sworn she saw a flash of satisfaction across his face in the form of a impressed smirk. Her eyes widened. I did it.
Long before she realized though, it was all too late.
When her eyes lifted, his face was already too close for comfort. Her eyes stayed glued on his and time seemed to slow down as his arm went around for her neck. Move! she tries to tell herself, but her body and mind betrayed her to stand stock still and stare wide-eyed at him.
Then she felt it. Her heart raced and her knees quivered. Her fists turned sweaty as they shook and her cheeks darkened considerably enough for him to notice before her fist had flew in to blow against his face.
She knew now.
All these signs, all that stuttering, blushing mess...all that lingering glances...all that need to impress him...all that fuss because of him...was because she liked her captain. Mikasa blushed redder than the color of the rose that he had given her one time.
Of course, that was the reason! She should have known! What else could be the reason why he was everywhere where her eyes landed? Why he tended to creep into her dreams, and it's impossible to sleep?
She liked her captain.
She liked Levi.
Levi.
Speaking of Levi, why is he on the ground...—
Shock ran through herself when she realized exactly why he was on the ground, with a busted lip and thoroughly knocked out.
"Sir!"
Hange never knew the reason why she found her colleague unconscious with a busted mouth with a blushing Mikasa Ackerman on her clinic, but she had a speculation anyway.
When Levi wakes up, unable to properly breathe with a weight sitting on his front for some reason, the first thing he sees is blue. No, not the sky or any of those crap (as far as he knows, there is no gaping hole on his apartment ceiling), but, literally blue. And it was dark, and it seemed to be covering his face.
"What the fuck—" he raises a hand to swat the offending thing away and he knows there is only one perpetrator to this. "Mikasa, what the hell are you doing?" He groans and his assailant snickers in self-satisfied discretion.
"Guess."
"You, are suffocating me with—wait, what the hell is this anyway?" He demands as he successfully manages to swat whatever was covering his visage and breathing source. The sudden brightness makes him cringe, and after the initial bleariness fades he finds his girlfriend smiling at him, lips spread wide and cheeks oddly flushed. "What? Something on my face?" He wipes his face for any traces of sleep (no drool, he thanked the gods) but Mikasa only shook her head.
"It's finally snowing." She whispers conspiratorially, like she was letting out a big, confidential secret. Levi stares at her for a minute, resting his chilly palms on her kneecaps. He then notices the change in the atmosphere, the temperature had dropped and he can't feel his toes trying to wiggle.
"Oh." He purses his lips as Mikasa continues to smile. "So…what of it?"
"You know what that means."
"It's…winter?" He honestly doesn't know. He blames it from the disorientation of sleep.
"And it's snowing."
"What's your point?"
At this point, she started to scowl down at him and shoved the blue thing back into his face, making him yelp in surprise at the unexpected impact. She got off of him at his confused sputtering, and he could vaguely hear her grumbling underneath her breath. Levi sat up and yanked the thing off, finally taking a good look at it. A blue scarf. His scarf.
Oh. Realization draws in too late and he scrambles off the (warm, cosy and comfy) bed, instantly swearing the moment his numb feet met the even colder floorboards to follow Mikasa outside the bedroom. "Mikasa, hey, come back."
The tinkering of spoon against porcelain makes his head snap towards the kitchen counter where, sure enough, Mikasa was perched on with a glare on her features, stirring her hot (from how it smelled) chocolate. Though she was still wearing one of his long sleeved shirts which she claimed to be her favorite—he doesn't understand; it was just plain, boring white—and her pink plaid pajamas and her ridiculously adorable bunny slippers, the loyal scarf around her neck never failed to be present, already coiled around her neck in a warm cocoon.
"Go back to bed." She quips as he steps towards her, rolling her eyes.
"How am I supposed to get comfortable without you there with me?" Mikasa's cheeks flush even more, but it doesn't quite wipe off the annoyance in her expression.
"Nice try." He raises an eyebrow, amused as he wraps the scarf around his neck as well, comfortably setting himself in between her legs. She lets him trap her against the counter and merely takes a sip of her beverage, the sweet aroma wafting through his nose. "Sad to say, but flattery will get you nowhere."
"I wasn't trying to flatter you. I merely stated the truth."
Mikasa shrugged. "'Kay."
"Are you mad?" He nudged the cup away from her lips so their noses bumped, eyes locked with hers.
She innocently grinned. "Is the city we are living in once a part of the Walled Empire?"
"Yeah…?"
"You have your answer, Levi." She placed the cup down and leaned forward, loosening the blue scarf to re-wrap it around them both. Levi gave her a bleak stare as their eyes met once again, this time closer than ever, the warmth of her breath fanning his lips and cheeks, providing more comfort at the drop of temperature.
"I don't understand why you always do that. I mean, you have your own scarf…" she only shrugs again and he sighs and asks himself why he adores her that much. But the question always gets wiped off his mind when she does these little things that always made his mind blank out, focused only on her.
"It's warmer." Mikasa argues. "Never mind that. Well?" Her eyes widen in question, and Levi still finds himself crumbling even though he's already a goner. So he just smiles gently and doesn't question it.
"Do you wanna build a snowman?"
Spring
"But I really am fine, Levi." But he doesn't even bat an eye as he pushes her back down for the umpteenth time. Mikasa sighs in exasperation. He nudges her the tissue box, expression stern.
If she knew this would happen, she shouldn't have told him about her little springtime problem. Ah, but, even if you don't tell him, he'd still find out. You're living under the same roof, remember?, the voice inside her head argues, and for the first time ever, she agrees.
"The snot running down your nose says otherwise, woman." she glares futilely at him as she blows hard on the tissue paper. Levi cringes in return and she smirks at this, but her mood sours immediately after.
"At least let me out? Only for a few minutes?" she tried again.
"Do you want your allergy to get worse?"
"Well, no but—"
"Then, no."
"Levi."
"Mikasa."
She groaned. Levi snorted. "Quit it, Mikasa. A "no" is a no. And you can't make me say otherwise." Mikasa rolled her eyes.
"You know what I'll do if you don't let me join you." She can feel her patience running thin. Her allergy made her twice as irritable and she was trying not to push the brunt of her exasperation towards Levi. He was only trying to help, but she didn't want to trouble him.
"Precisely why I'm staying to take care of your ass." Levi bit back.
"I'm sorry, Levi, but this ass can handle itself." She sat back up. "She can still sit up without getting herself hurt, see?"
"You'll get hurt sooner or later." He knocked on the wooden nightstand thrice. "Not to say I'm jinxing you though."
"It's just a—" a violent sneeze broke through her sentence. Levi scrambled back as far as possible as he hissed in surprise.
"Damn, Mikasa! Give a warning next time why don't you?"
Mikasa glared at him through her teary eyes, hands covering her dripping nose. "Do you have any idea what a sneeze means? It's involuntary! Cannot be controlled!"
"You didn't have to sneeze in my face!"
"Involuntary!"
Summer
Mikasa felt the weight of his glare before she felt his fingers dig on the side of her half-exposed waist in a protective hold. She should be feeling grateful, but she couldn't help but feel amusement instead. The summer sun felt refreshing on her skin, and damp warm sand digging in-between her toes. The sheer magenta sarong Levi had fervently insisted she wear did very little to conceal the finely sculpted, milky white legs that made every male in the vicinity turn and threaten to break their own necks.
And consequentially, digging their own graves.
"Aren't you feeling a little seasick yet?" She hears Levi mutter with an inaudible growl. "Maybe it's time we head back."
"You're a smart person, Levi. You should know what being seasick means." She says back with a small smirk. "Besides, didn't we just get here? It'd be a waste to go back home just like that."
"We can go back next time." He holds her to himself tighter and she pretends she doesn't notice because it was so hard keeping her face blank and her laughter suppressed. "Besides, it's too fucking hot out already."
"It's 10AM, Levi. The sun is just right." She casually says with a knowing smile. "Perfect for sunbathing, don't you think?" She tested the waters first to see what his reaction would be.
"Absolutely not." He fell right into it. Mikasa wanted to laugh.
"Why not?" Mikasa dared to rip herself out of his arm. When she turned back, his expression was etched into one of full irritation as he glanced left and right. She followed his gaze as well, finding herself the apple of every man's eye. Some women were even giving her nasty looks. She noticed, with a chuckle, how Levi twitched when someone had the audacity to catcall while passing her.
She supposed the two-piece green bikini was too much for everyone to handle. Even through the annoyance and the protectiveness Levi's expression told, the reddening of the tips of his ears told her more than enough. And he had enough respect for her, for putting his jacket over her exposed upper area. Mikasa was flattered.
"Fine, fine." She sighed in mock annoyance. Levi's expression faded reluctantly, but he pulled her to him by the sides of his jacket around her anyway. Mikasa grinned. "It's fun teasing you."
"That shit wasn't funny, Mikasa." He grunted. "I'm serious."
"I understand, I understand."
He lets her go. She immediately placed a kiss on his cheek and grabbed hold of his arm with her own, a firm reassurance that she wasn't to be whisked away by some random shithead while he was around. That must have been what he was thinking, since he had smirked in approval, and they continued strolling along the seashore in renewed peace.
Autumn
"I want it here."
Mikasa turns to look at him. He says nothing else, his gaze roaming around the proposed location. Annie was right; it was a beautiful place, the ground filled with soft blades of grass with a few surviving wildflowers. Trees with hanging branches and drooping leaves that have turned red and brown and yellow and orange from the passage of time, giving way for winter's slow domination.
Seeing it like this, with all the myriad of reds surrounding them, would it still be a good location when the time comes? Especially on summer?
"Are you sure, Levi?"
He glanced back at her. "Of course."
"Okay."
"But let's move the date to the first day of fall." Her eyes blink in surprise. He motions her hither to his side, and she crosses the distance with long strides, his arm wrapping around her waist as they surveyed the area. "It's more beautiful this time, no?"
Mikasa chuckles. "I suppose, alright." She lifts her left hand and splays her fingers wide, admiring the shine of the white gold band with small 6 diamonds encrusted in the middle. "I've always wondered what a wedding in autumn looked."