LevixReader- Dirt-Stained Hands

Dirt-Stained Hands
Giant hands gripped your body tight, squeezing the life out of you. Your arms were clamped to your side, so you could do nothing but watch as the titan, human blood dribbling from the side of his mouth, lifted you up and brought you closer to his open mouth. Humid, blood tinted breath engulfed you as you squirmed and kicked, trying to escape, although you knew it was to no avail. As the titan's mouth got closer, you looked up one last time at the sky, tears falling from your eyes as your life flashed through your eyes- the titans entering the walls, your family eaten alive. You remembered joining the military, three long years of training and getting stronger. You remembered the first time you used the 3d maneuvering gear, the feeling of freedom and flying through the sky, nearly unstoppable.
But as your world grew dark, you remembered you weren't unstoppable, not in the least. The titan let go of you, your head and chest inside it's mouth, but before you could try to move, large teeth chomped down in one swift movement-
You bolted up from your bed, hand covering your mouth to keep you from gasping. Tears flowed freely from your eyes and you body was shaking uncontrollably. The deep breathing and occasional snore from the girls in the beds around you told you that you hadn't waken anyone up. After a few minutes of breathing deeply, you stopped crying as weren't shaking anymore.
This one had been worst than the others, so vivid and real. You had been having nightmares since the titans took Wall Maria, the nightmares worsening after the Battle of Trost. But despite those nightmares, you knew you had made the right choice in joining the Survey Corp; if only so you could prevent others from having the same dreams as you did.
You were just about to lie back down to sleep, it being the middle of the night and all, but then you heard a soft swish swish swish. What was that...could it be...a broom?
Who would be sweeping the floor in the middle of the night?
Ever so quietly, you got up from the bed, glad to have slept in socks tonight, and glided over the floor to the door, the wooden boards hardly creaking as you stepped on them. You carefully turned the knob to the door, opening it and closing it behind you before turning around.
The swishing noise had moved farther down the hall and you followed until you reached the mess hall, a certain captain dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and pants, sweeping a large pile of dirt and dust expertly toward a corner. He had his face and hair kerchiefs on too.
“Um...Corporal?” You asked hesitantly, knowing you would be in trouble for breaking curfew but unable to contain your curiosity. “Corporal...?”
“Dirty...still too dirty. Tch.” He muttered, passing you completely as he started sweeping the other side of the mess hall.
“Corporal Levi?” You asked again, but he still didn't acknowledge you. “Levi...?”
“Still too damn dirty.” He muttered again, passing you again, this time looking at you with dull eyes, even more so than normal. He looked right at you before continuing and it hit you.
Lance Corporal Levi was cleaning in his sleep.
“Bet shitty glasses made this mess.” He started muttering again and you held back a laugh, unsure what to do. Should you wake him...you could get in trouble for that. And it wasn't like anyone would know if you didn't...
“Oi, brat, get back to work.” He said suddenly, causing you to jump. He wasn't even looking at you, just talking it seemed. What, did he run on a timer or something?
“I gave you an order.” He said again in a low, dangerous voice. You had no idea if he meant you or not but you had seen this happen to Jaeger and Kirschtein enough to know you did not want to disobey that voice.
You quickly went to the mess hall storage closet and grabbed a rag, wiping off the tables. How was it even in his sleep this man could make you do what he wanted...
Wow that came out wrong.
Okay, so of course you kindasortamaybe liked the Corporal, why wouldn't you? It had taken some time before you could get past his foul mouth and intimidating demeanor...there was so much about him to admire. He lost his whole squad trying to capture the Female Titan, and although the operation failed, he was still on his feet taking orders.
You just didn't know how he did it.
“Still too dirty...my hands are too dirty...” He said, stopping, the broom hitting the floor as he looked at his hands. You stopped wiping the table and stared at him for a minute, waiting for something else to happen.
“They will never be clean again.”
Is this his big secret to coping with this life? Cleaning in his sleep?
“Sir,” You decided to speak. Levi was still asleep, but turned to you nonetheless, eyes on you. You gulped a little, although you knew he wouldn't remember this.
“[l/n]?” He inquired, “Spit it out already.”
“Er, Yessir. I was just going to say that I think dirt-stained hands aren't a bad thing, not if it prevents other people from getting dirty too. And of all the people, I think it was best that you have dirt-stained.”
“Why would you say that cadet?”
“Because you will always be trying to clean them.”
Levi and you stood in still in the mess hall, the only sound the wind from outside. What were seconds felt like hours before Levi spoke again.
“Finish up here then you will be done.” Was all he said, walking out of the mess hall and back toward his room, you assumed. If you didn't know better, you would have thought Levi hadn't appreciate what he said, but you knew what he said was his way of saying thank you. And for now that was all you needed.
Now if you could only have the courage to say it to him when he was awake.
* * *
Levi woke up, far more tired than rested. The sun shined through his perfectly clean window into his eyes, his back protesting as he say up and rubbed his eyes.
“Why the hell am I so tired?” He wandered out loud, the nagging memory of something in the back of his head. He just then realized there was something on his head and over his nose-the cleaning kerchiefs he used. Odd.
His body protesting, Levi got up and dressed, going through his rather extensive, hygiene focused, morning routine. It was just after he finished that he realized he had woken up emotionally better than he had in a long time- not feeling like titan shit.
He also had one name on his mind, although for the name of Maria, Rose, and Sine he couldn't think of why.
Cadet [f/n] [l/n].
Shaking the thought aside, he walked down the halls to the mess hall, desiring to eat alone in silence instead of with everyone else. As he stepped into the mess hall, the first thing he noticed was you, fast asleep on the floor, clutching a broom. Your hair was more of a rat's nest than it's normal style, your drool collecting into a small puddle on the floor. Yet somehow, Levi couldn't find it in himself to be angry, perhaps it was because of the state of the mess hall or because you were sleeping with a broom.
“Oi, brat.” he nudged you with his foot, standing over you as your sleepy [e/c] eyes opened up, staring at him for a moment before you stumbled up and gave a hasty salute, the hand behind your back still clutched to the broom.
“Corporal Levi, Sir.” You said through a yawn, eyes still dull from sleep.
“Perhaps I'm working you too hard if you've started cleaning in your sleep.” He said, watching your eyes go wide. “Go clean yourself up cadet. But don't expect any special treatment because you did extra work.”
“Yessir.” You said, staring to walk toward the girl's hall before Levi cleared his throat.
“The broom.” He reminded you, and you blushed, putting the broom in the closet and leaving, unaware of Levi's eyes trailing after you. You weren't such a bad soldier, or person either. He had seen you often, helping another soldier clean or train.
But he wouldn't dare go to you with dirt-stained hands.