Fukushuu - Chapter I
Summary: His gaze curiously pursued every delicate movement of her dance, his mind ignoring its usual alertness as to whatever dangerous intentions she might possess. Levi/Mikasa. Dystopian Mafia AU.
“Mikasa!”
The faint voice caresses her ears, the tone of beckoning failing to budge her from her crouched position. The pleasant “ding” of the oven and the knocking sound of soup ladle against stainless pot follow close behind. Mikasa hears, recognizes; but she does not react. She knows the biological time for sustenance has come and that her mother’s voice will only escalate in desperation as her seat remains empty at the table, that the smell of her mother’s Japanese fusion cooking –partially influenced by her German father - will soon saturate her nostrils and temporarily satisfy her hunger; but nothing can alter her current resolve as she observes the graceful climb of the visiting praying mantis upon her favorite houseplant. Its double-bladed forelegs, with their occasionally aggressive swinging motion, struck her as familiar, as if she had grasped her own weaponry of identical style in a secondary life. But the memory – or is it a premonition? - remains fleeting, almost non-existent; something that only echoes within the confines of her own 9-year-old imagination.
“It’s time for dinner, Mikasa!”
“Mikasa!”
“Mikasa…”
—
“MIKASA!”
The boisterous voice assaulted her eardrum, the tone of beckoning causing her to cringe as she quickly attempted to regain control of her own momentum. Suddenly she was twenty again, embroiled in the midst of her most dangerous and important mission yet. She was just about to complete the final turn and come face-to-face with Erwin one last time – the perfect opportunity to reassess her target’s vulnerability and quickly get the job done. One, two, three steps towards the table and one swift slash across his firm neck would’ve been the end, but Armin’s sudden call of her name – heard only within her own hidden earpiece - had completely unraveled her plans.
Mikasa buckled, her line of sight suddenly veiled by only red fabric that flew across the air as she lost control of herself. Her last sensible action was to conceal her short sword once again in the midst of the confusing scene, but prioritizing that step only caused further imbalance. As her one ankle twisted awkwardly while the other foot became entangled in her own clothing, she felt her whole body succumb to the forces of gravity, descending against her will towards the hard tatami mat without any sense of direction or security.
She gasped, more so from her shock at her own shortcomings than the fall itself, and prepared for the hard landing that never came.
A pair of strong arms suddenly grasped around her, whilst the owner’s torso provided immediate cushion from her own body or head impacting the ground. Her eyes quickly darted above her to identify the rescuer, and they were greeted by a familiar shade of blue, coupled with the unnervingly cold expression that she had been hesitant to look at for too long.
Levi. Erwin’s second-in-command. At the recognition, her brain began to recall a great deal of the notorious data she had researched and read on the man prior to this mission. Glancing behind him, she saw that he had stood up and stepped over the table before reaching her, knocking bowls, plates, tea cups all over the area in the process – and all within half a second. He truly does have reflexes that rival my own.
“Mikasa! Are you alright?” Ymir’s yell knocked Mikasa out of her reverie, and she faintly realized that both her hands were actually clutching the front of Levi’s black suit jacket for dear life. She immediately released him and shoved herself backwards, removing herself from his arms in a nanosecond. “Sorry, sir.”
At least that damsel moment was somewhat in character. She thought as optimistically as she could, unsure of why she had hung on to him in that way or why she lost control so humiliatingly prior to that.
Besides lowering his arms and staring at her with the same level of nonchalance as before, Levi failed to react strongly at her abrupt actions. And other than Hanji, who was now watching her with slight concern, most of his fellow companions also failed to show much emotion. Even Erwin, who had previously referred to her as “a jewel,” seemed completely unperturbed by her recent stumble. The unusual circumstance only made Mikasa even tenser as she tried to readjust her now-disheveled hair. They really are a bunch of cold bastards.
“Did you hurt your ankle, my dear?” Ymir was now next to her, examining her socked foot carefully. As the actual owner of the teahouse she was performing quite wonderfully; even Mikasa herself might not have recognized the intelligent and calculating woman that was now disguised within.
“I am honestly not sure…if I could be excused, could you possibly examine it in my room?” Mikasa feigned her condition and hinted for Ymir to assist in escorting her out of the area. But before her comrade even reached out to help, Levi moved alongside her, silent as a passing shadow, and lifted Mikasa into his arms without effort or consequence.
She felt her jaw drop at the sudden change in elevation, while her mind was once again disturbed by how undetectable and instantaneous the man’s actions had been. As if on command, her arms automatically wrapped around his neck as she struggled to find the right words to say.
“Erwin, you will excuse me while I help these two ladies?” He spoke for the first time, his voice a deep, sharp timbre cutting through the silence that she had allowed.
“Of course.” The blonde man nodded once and proceeded to pour himself more tea. “Do what you must.”
Despite the spontaneity of the whole situation, Ymir stood up and bowed with courtesy towards the guests before leading the way. Without another word, Levi followed, his grip unyielding against Mikasa’s arm and thighs. She could only hold on and gaze questionably at the profile of his face, uncertain as to what he might gain by doing something like this. As all her notes had informed her aplenty, he was certainly not a man without an agenda.
—
Halfway down the hall, Mikasa decided to investigate firsthand. He had not looked at her a single time since he pulled her from the ground, and the lack of acknowledgement alone was perplexing.
“Thank you very much, Sir…”
“Levi.”
One word. That is a start. Mikasa searched for her next question, but to her surprise he spoke first.
“You danced very well, Mikasa.” The compliment caught her off-guard, but the frigidity in his voice prepared her for the words that came next. “I was surprised at how quickly you came apart at the end.”
“I just made an uncharacteristic erro—” Somewhat unsettled at his criticism, she started to respond in her usual brusque manner but quickly remembered the role she was supposed to be portraying. “I mean, my sincere apologies for disturbing your enjoyment of the performance, sir. I hope your leader was not displeased.”
With that, Mikasa lowered her head and looked away, both to maintain her submissive demeanor and out of shame for the unusually docile words that just exited her lips.
“Erwin does not care much for trivial matters like these.” He stated plainly. “And neither do I.”
With that, the silence continued, and Mikasa could only focus on how closely he kept her body against his as well as the strangely comforting sensation as he carried her. When they finally reached the door to her and Ymir’s quarters, she felt a conscious loss as Levi placed her on the ground again, her mind almost immediately missing the invisible imprints his fingers had made within such a brief period. She could only gaze at his back as he departed them just as wordlessly as he came, without even a farewell or good night.
—
“Here, go in your section of the room.” Ymir whispered as soon as she was certain that the coast was clear. “I knew it must have been Armin when I saw you fall. But he wouldn’t have distracted you like that if it was not important.”
Mikasa nodded and retreated behind another panel that separated the square area and provided an additional layer of privacy. She promptly started to remove her kimono and nagajuban before hissing into her hidden microphone, which was attached to the top edge of her inner bounds.
“What was that?!”
“Mikasa. I’m sorry.” Armin sounded genuinely apologetic. “Hannes needed you to abort before you got too ahead of yourself. He saw the look in your eyes from the surveillance footage.”
“Armin, I had them all there, right there! In. The. Same. Fucking. Room.” She continued her subdued protest, her arms wildly gesturing in the air. “The heads of The Legion itself! I could have eliminated them all in one sweep and you know it.” Mikasa’s mind swiftly returned to the scene in the performance room, recounting every detail of where each individual had been seated in context to her. Her trained neurons automatically analyzed each scenario of what could have been, and every imagined outcome showcasing a successful completion only exasperated her further. The only wild card had been Levi. He was too impossible to read, too unpredictable, too dangerous as all the rumors had whispered and data files had declared. Even her attempts at deciphering him as he carried her to her room just now had been completely futile. Somehow, the sensation of his fingers firmly against her skin – even with her kimono as a buffer - had been the worst distraction.
“It is not the right time yet, Mikasa. I must remind you that these people have pertinent information that we still need.” As usual, Armin appeared utterly immune to her frustration and anger, his voice not faltering from his typical adamant tone. “As you already know very well, we chose you for this because we knew you’re the only one who could complete all the final objectives without issue…”
You mean the only one who would even survive a duel with someone like Levi. She scoffed inside.
“…and because of that, we decided to overlook the risk of you acting on your own accord. I know this case carries extra personal baggage for you, but as your handler I need you to suppress your emotions until the right moment comes. Do you understand?”
“I—Yes.” She decided that it was once again fruitless to argue with her most trusted comrade. Instead, she walked to her armoire and wrapped herself in one of her short robes, her mind determining that an early rest might be the best remedy for such a night.
“I’m glad.” The relief in Armin’s voice was apparent. “Look, we know they are all here at the teahouse for the entirety of next week as scheduled. We have to act much closer to the end of their stay. Just wait for Ymir and the others to gather more intelligence from all the members before we move on with elimination. That is your expertise and will stay that way, alright?”
Mikasa sighed and grunted her agreement, though Levi’s face immediately surfaced at the mere mention of “elimination.” That is going to be a bloody one…
Before she could reconcile her thoughts, Ymir’s voice beyond the room separator suddenly sounded in an act of warning, causing Mikasa to immediately remove her communicator and earpiece before tossing them beneath her dresser in the corner. Armin would have to wait until later to finish any other grievances.
“Sir Levi! I thought you had returned to your quarters. What are you here again for?” As quickly as Mikasa’s own reactions, Ymir’s announcements became audible. She listened alertly and shuffled against the far wall of her room, adjusting her position so that her robe properly covered herself as well as it could. The short length, however, refused to go past the top of her thighs, so she extended her legs and feigned the action of nursing her ankle just as the panel slid open.
Levi stood in the doorway, a dominating presence despite his shorter-than-average build. He had taken off his suit jacket, and the pure white shade of his cravat stood prominent against his pale skin as he adjusted it slightly with one hand.
“I have one more important question for Miss Mikasa.” He stated while maintaining his eyes on her, not even paying attention to the freckled woman who was closely behind. “Would you please leave us?”
Ymir’s response was detectably nervous. “Sir Levi, just so we are clear, we do not provide the kind of service you might be wanting…”
“That is beyond presumptuous of you to say to someone you do not know well, Ymir.” He glanced back with repulsion in his voice. “I am not looking to satisfy myself in that manner, much less via someone who has just been injured.”
Mikasa inhaled sharply and prepared for the consequences of her next words.
“It’s alright, Ymir. You can leave us.”
With suspicious eyes and a glance of warning towards Mikasa, Ymir turned around to make her exit. Almost immediately, Levi slid Mikasa’s door shut with a thud.
“What is it that you wanted to ask?” She questioned, her hands unconsciously gripping the hem of her robe. Every fiber of her body was on high alert, but she knew she had welcomed this particular scenario all on her own accord.
At the next blink of her eye, he had crossed the room and closed in on her sitting form, the momentum propelling her back almost flush against the wall. His left hand somehow managed to wrap around her and seize both of her wrists against her spine, while his long, thin legs knelt down and clamped tightly around her thighs in a vice grip manner, preventing even the slightest shift from any of her limbs. Despite the precarious situation, the silk fabric of his black trousers felt almost sinfully luxurious against her own bare legs, and she discerned every callous upon his left palm – a quick satisfaction of her earlier curiosity. A sense of thrill that Mikasa had not ever experienced started to bubble within, and her usual reflex of retaliation was, for once, utterly suppressed. She had seduced and been seduced on countless missions prior to this one, but between the undeniable attraction she possessed towards Levi’s indecipherable persona and the controlled aggression he just executed upon her, her mind and body came into intense conflict as to what to do next.
“Sir, I thought you said you weren’t looking to…” She managed to gasp out at last.
“Like I told Ymir. You are all far too presumptuous.”
To her horror, she observed his right hand reach next to her, hunting within the sleeve of her discarded kimono before removing the short sword she had so carefully concealed. All the while, his penetrating eyes never left her face, a cold expression conducting a silent interrogation that suffocated any chance of further excuses.
Do not act. She inwardly recited Armin’s orders as she felt paralyzed by the deterioration of the situation, helplessly watching as Levi’s petrifying gaze gradually consumed her facade. Do. Not. Act.
“So what exactly was this for?” He raised the sharp tip against her neck, gently caressing every bump of her arteries before laying the entire blade just below her chin. “Who are you?”
“I…I am no one of significance, sir. This is for my own protection. As you can imagine, not all of our customers are as chivalrous as…as you have been.” Even with the weapon pressed against her neck, Mikasa responded without hesitation. She only hoped that with the lack of proximity between them, he would not see the beads of sweat that were starting to form above her brow. She knew very well that every breath, each now filled with his intoxicating scent, could be her last, because a part of her had already admitted defeat.
Should I fake some tears of terror? Or is it pointless? Does he already know I am here to kill Erwin? Does he know who I am? How can I get out of his stranglehold? Is he going to try to kill me first? She struggled to keep her racing thoughts in her own head and not accidentally confess via her charcoal eyes, which finally started to water on her mental command. She traced the contours of his defined features, trying to memorize each miniscule detail as an act of reconnaissance – so her soul could remember him and return to haunt him if she were to die at his hands.
When the first trail of tears began to run down the side of her face, she finally felt Levi’s grip on her wrists loosen. But before he released her completely, he leaned in, almost completely eliminating the distance between their lips before suddenly changing direction.
“Be more aware of yourself, Mikasa.” His whispered against the side of her cheek. “And less focused on those around you. That is what I advise.”
The chill of his breath against her skin immediately caused it to flush deeply, though she soon realized that the redness was not restricted to just the side he had been close to. And as quickly as he was next to her he was gone again, straightening his posture and smoothing his suit before turning away. Silently, he walked out with resolute steps before sliding the door shut, all without giving her another glance.
As she stared at the gridded wooden panels of the exit, her eyes still clouded with liquid and a remnant shadow of his departing figure, Mikasa felt herself shudder. Though Levi had provided that final piece of advice with little sense of authority in his tone, she was, for perhaps the first time in her life, completely intimidated. Or even threatened.
Worst of all, she felt bewitched.
Source: http://fuku-shuu.tumblr.com/post/65304961384/fukushuu-chapter-i
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