Following the Voices (Levi x Reader) Part IV

I knew I was dreaming. It always started out the same way. Somehow I knew I was dreaming, and that it was the same dream as last time. It was the dream that shake me more than anything else in the world could, but be wiped out of my mind the very second I woke up.

I was in a room full of glittering lights. There were a lot of people there, but I couldn’t make out any of their faces. The colours looked like a mesh of twinkling stars. I can’t exactly make out what this is or what I’m doing. All I know is that I’m bored out of my mind.

I begin walking around, turning my head this way and that, as if I’m looking for something, or – judging by the great mass of bodies gathered around – someone.

It takes a while, and I grip my hands in what I would assume was nervousness. I can’t seem to think straight. Then I spot whoever it was that I was looking for.

That person was standing there, and it seemed to be a young girl, judging by the dress. Her hair had some sort of decoration that, in the haze of the dream, was blurred. I couldn’t make out her features at all, but I said something and she turned around. I would guess I called her, but I couldn’t hear any voices. I didn’t even know what I said.

I think she smiled at me and then came up to me. In every dream it was the same. Things were weird and didn’t make sense. The shade of her blue dress shimmered into a golden one, and as she walked toward me, the innocent smile seemed to become slightly malicious. As if she was planning something horrible.

Then, just as it all changed, it was back to normal. She came up to me and before I said anything, she pushed me into the mass of bodies. I didn’t know what was going on, but I knew something was about to happen.

Looking back up, she seemed to be laughing at me, but I once again couldn’t tell due to the haziness of the dream. I wasn’t irritated, for this always happened. There would only be two sounds in this dream, and that came when it ended.

I felt my pulse quicken, knowing that this dream didn’t end well for me. Why couldn’t I wake up? Why couldn’t I control what happened, like in a lucid dream? Why was it that I was stuck here, knowing something bad will happen, yet be completely powerless to stop it?

The girl took my hand and began to do some sort of movement. We were spinning around, and I felt my body turning this way and that. It felt like we were at a concert where the pop stars told everyone to get up and dance, but no one knows how to really dance, so we just spin and jump on the spot like idiots. Of course, the girl didn’t seem to notice.

Someone else from the crowd suddenly pulled me away, and embraced me tightly. She said something, to which I replied. The new girl stiffened, and then ran away. I simply stared back, unsure of what to do.

I turned back toward the girl who had been spinning me in such a strange fashion only to find that she was no longer standing behind me. It was so strange. I knew I never let anyone boss me around, but this girl had taken complete control of our situation. It was as if she was there to control the dream. To make it move forward.

I felt the truth of that thought ring through my body. She was the centre of my dream! The reason anything happened at all! Maybe if I could find her, I could get her to change my ending into a happy one! Or at least something that wouldn’t have me waking up screaming.

So I began searching, and just like how a dream doesn’t need to make sense, the twinkling room disappeared. I was in a maze, and I knew I had to get through the maze to find whoever that girl was.

So I began walking, taking a few steps in one direction before coming to a dead end. Then I would turn around and walk another way. This went on for what felt like hours, until I came to the end of the maze. It hadn’t been difficult. It had simply been large and slightly confusing.

Coming out, the scene changed. The girl was there, once again, in a bright blue dress. We were in the park, and she seemed to watch me as I approached. She was seated on a swing on the far side of the park, gently rocking back and forth. I came up to her and sat down on the swing beside her.

We sat for a moment before I said something once again. I couldn’t see her or hear her, but somehow I knew she’d responded. I felt my mouth rise up, and I felt my chest heave as I laughed, but it seemed fake. Forced. Like I didn’t want her angry at me, so I laughed to save myself. I wasn’t afraid of her. I just didn’t want her angry at me. It was like she was the only person whose opinion of me mattered.

I turned to her only to see that she was watching me. I said something again, but I didn’t know what I’d said. She frowned and turned away. After a moment, she turned around and brought her finger to her lips, covering them. I read her lips to understand the single word that was said: secret.

What had I asked her? I didn’t know. It was like I was a spectator in my own body. I could see, but I was trapped. I couldn’t do anything on my own.

I tried to ask her to tell me how to end this dream, but nothing came out of my mouth. She laughed slightly, her lips turning upward, and she jumped off the swing. She took my hand and began pulling me away. She pointed to the sky, where the stars rearranged themselves to look like me.

… Wow I had a scary looking face…

But soon I saw a message being written out for me in the stars. They were hard to read as they each got brighter and brighter, but I somehow managed to read them.

Be warned, and protect the one you love.

What did that mean? I didn’t love anyone, did I? I turned to ask the mysterious girl what it meant, but she had run off to the edge of the park, leaving me alone.

I ran after her, yelling something. She turned, shook her head, and kept running. She had a smile on her face, and I knew this was some sort of game to her. I glanced up at the stars again, and this time they were clear.

This is a made up scenario, but the danger is real. This girl isn’t real.

Then the message changed to continue.

Be careful, Levi. What you’re about to see is this girl pulling you through your dream. This is something you need to see.

Then all the stars disappeared, simply vanishing from sight. I hadn’t realized I was still running, but when I looked down again, I was running on the sidewalk. She was there, waving to me with a silly grin on her face.

Why did that grin seem so familiar? Why did her physique seem so familiar? And her hair? Her smile? Even her frown? Where had I seen them all before?

She laughed and ran onto the street. There was suddenly a bright light and sound came back to my world.

A car was screeching as it tried to stop, but it was too late. I was running, trying now to save the girl, but I only reached the end of the sidewalk just as the car rammed into the girl’s side. I watched in horror, completely frozen on the spot. There was red everywhere. It was absolutely everywhere, dripping down the side of the street. And, just as dreams don’t make sense, the world turned white. The red ran down the sides, the ground, and stained everything in sight.

Then I ran forward, screaming out the only thing I could.

“______________!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”






I sat up in my bed, panting. Sweat was pouring down my face, back, and body as the image of red flashed before my eyes. Then, just as it always did, the dream disappeared. Wiped clean from my memory.

I couldn’t remember why I was so afraid at the last moment. Why I felt so scared. So… vulnerable.

But with the nightmare no longer clouding my judgment, I took a deep breath and took in my surroundings. I was in the nurse’s office, sleeping on one of those puny and uncomfortable cots. The pillow was on the ground and my sheets were tangled up in an absolute mess.

I saw a note on the table beside me, and I picked it up. It read:

Levi, I know you’re wondering what happened. I was talking to you about the dance, but you must’ve been exhausted, because you collapsed in the middle of the hallway. The nurse said you’re only exhausted. You should take care of yourself better. I saw you were tired, but I didn’t realize it was this bad. I’m sorry.

Anyway, I brought you here. Don’t worry. I thought you might be uncomfortable, so I loosened your tie and stuff. Nothing weird happened.

See you soon.
-Erwin

I glanced down at my clothes and, sure enough, they were a disaster. My tie was loosened and hanging limply around my neck, as well as my top three buttons had been undone. My long-sleeves’ cuffs were undone and rolled up to my elbow, and my shirt was untucked. My socks were off and folded onto the table, and my shoes were on the ground next to the table.

“Tch. That Erwin. Doing unnecessary things again.” I frowned for a moment before letting a smirk grace my features. He may do things unnecessarily, but he really was the best friend I could ask for.

I began pulling my socks back on, when the oddest thing happened to me.

Flashes of my dream began replaying themselves in my head. This had never happened before!

I saw a girl in a dress laughing with no sound. Her grin was so carefree, her notable features – such as her physique, hair, smile, and frown – were so familiar, and I felt an odd connection with her. I pulled on my shoes and kept thinking.

Who was she?

The one that makes YOU want to smile, right Levi?

The one that always stands by your side?

It’s so obvious, dimwit!

It’s ________!

I stopped, completely shocked. I’d been dreaming about _________? What did that mean? I’d had this same dream three months before I even knew she existed! How did this make sense at all?

Sighing, I sat back down on the bed. This was giving me a headache.

I heard the door open and someone entered. Glancing up, I saw our school nurse, Ms. Kaya, enter the room

“Oh! Mr. Ackerman! You’re awake. Nice to see that. How are you feeling?” she asked, her voice high and cheery.

I nodded. “Fine. I have a headache.”

“Oh! Do your parents allow you to take medication from the school?”

“Yes. As long as I see what I’m being given first.”

“Here you are!” She handed me a bottle of Advil. Usually I take Tylenol, but I decided this was better than nothing.

“Thanks,” I muttered. She handed me a glass of water and I downed two pills.

Then _______ came back into my mind. Why was she in my dream? This was so confusing!

I placed the glass onto the table and began tucking in my shirt when it flashed through my mind.

Red. Red everywhere. The car crash. _________’s accident. Everything suddenly came back to me, and I froze mid-way through tucking in my shirt. One side of my shirt was now tucked, the other untucked, but I was frozen.

The entire dream came back to me. The lights, the maze, the park, and the accident. But I’d had these dreams since before she had come into my life! How did I know her? What happened? What-

Maybe they were a prediction of the future, Levi.

Maybe you fell asleep today because fate decided you needed to be aware of the future!

Heh, think it’s crazy?

Well, you hear us in your head. It’s not that unbelievable at this point!

My heart began to race and I began sweating again. No, that couldn’t be right. They were teasing me, weren’t they? They always did that! They were like annoying friends that followed you everywhere. They… they couldn’t be right, could they?

Then the red flashed before my eyes. I heard the screeching of car tires and myself screaming ________’s name.

Oh no. No, no, no, no.

All thoughts left my brain. All I saw was red, and I couldn’t take it anymore.

I bolted from the room and ran down the hallway. I slid down the railing (our school had one nurse station for every floor for convenience purposes) of the stairs to the first year’s classes.

‘_____. _______. ________, please be alright! _______! _______! _________!’ I chanted in my head. I pulled open every door, disturbing every single class, but I didn’t care. That gruesome image of red, staining everything around it as it bled out of her body, shook me up more than anything else in the world. The mere ¬thought of her being harmed in such a way made me sick to my stomach. I had to make sure she was alright! I wasn’t taking any chances, even if the possibility of her actually being hurt was miniscule.

She had to be alright!

“__________!” I yelled, opening one door. I stared into it, and the teacher and class stared back. I quickly scanned the room, but then one lone person stood up from her desk.

___________.

“Senpai? What’s going on? Is everything alright?” she asked, worried. It seemed that she didn’t know what I’d collapsed. Out of instinct I checked the clock on the wall, and it read that it was still before lunch. Only fourth period, in fact. She didn’t have time to find out.

“Senpai?”

“Mr. Ackerman! I understand you’re the student body vice president, but that does NOT give you permission to interrupt my class!” the teacher scolded me. I glanced at him before looking back at _______.

She was ok! There wasn’t a mark on her body. She only cocked her head at me slightly in her cute way as she stared at me in confusion.

Ignoring the teacher’s angry remarks, I walked into the classroom and went to ______. I took her by the hand and began pulling her with me. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew that, whatever it was, I needed to do this.

“Ackerman!”

“I’ll be taking Ms. [Last Name] with me, sir,” I hissed. Then I pulled her away. Maybe it was the look on my face, or the shaky way I held her hand, but she didn’t complain as I led her away.

We walked down the hallway and I began pulling her up behind me up the stairs. I heard her overly low stamina affect her as after one and half flights of stairs, she was already breathing hard.

“Senpai? What’s wrong?” Her voice quivered with worry, but I couldn’t think straight. I was still sweating and my heart rate had not gone down.

I must’ve been quite a sight, though. I’m not surprised she was worried. After all, I was always prim and proper, but now my tie was still loose, my shirt partly undone, and my shirt untucked.

I opened the door to the roof and walked outside. The day was relatively nice out, with only a few fluffy white clouds dotting the pure blue sky.

I brought ________ out to the center and stopped.

“Senpai?”

I let go of her and plopped myself onto the ground. I saw my hand was shaking, and I gripped it. What was wrong with me?

_________ sat beside me and looked at me with worry in her eyes and expressed in her face. She took my hand gently in hers and said, “Please, senpai. Tell me what’s wrong. I want to help you.”

I gripped her hand and, with a fury I hadn’t known had been within me, I growled, “Levi.”

“Wha-“

“You call Erwin ‘Erwin-senpai’ and Hanji ‘Hanji-senpai,’ but to me it’s always senpai. Senpai this, senpai that, and it drives me insane! Just call me Levi! Not senpai, or Levi-senpai! Just Levi! Aren’t I your friend? Aren’t I the closest to you, ________?” I looked into her eyes, angry, yet pleading her with my eyes. Asking her to tell me the truth.

She smiled at me. “Of course you are. There’s no one in this school that’s closer to me than you.”

I felt relief wash through me and I loosened my grip on her. I saw her smile, so benevolent, and then a flash of red marring her features.

I shuddered, and she gripped my hand tighter. I looked at her and saw her for all her beauty.

[h/l] [h/c] hair that swayed in the breeze. Beautiful lips and skin that seemed to glow in the sunlight. [e/c] eyes, framed by small glasses, that watched me carefully, benevolently, but I knew those eyes could become stern when they needed to be.

That red scared me, but I saw her. She was here, in front of me, and she was safe. She was safe. She was safe, and that, I realized, meant the entire world to me. Nothing else mattered than her safety and happiness.

I leaned over and put my head on her shoulders.

“Senpai?”

I pulled her into a hug and let myself just relax against her. She stiffened and said, “Senpai?”

“Shhh. I… I need this right now. Please, just let me do this. I just feel so shaken,” I murmured. This was so embarrassing, showing weakness. But if it was her, I felt it was ok to let her see me like this.

She remained silent for a moment, and I wondered if she would push me away. Then she relaxed against me and put her arms around my back. She enveloped me in a sweet embrace that was firm but comforting and soft all at once.

“Of course. I’m here to help and support you,” she replied. “I’m here for you… Levi.”

I smiled and didn’t bother to try to stop myself. I hugged her tighter against me.

“Thanks.”

I breathed in her scent and let myself melt in her embrace. So warm, so friendly. She was wonderful. She was safe. I finally realized what the voices had been telling me all along was right.

She was cute. She was nice. She was beautiful. She was comfortable to be around. She was perfect, and her flaws only made her more perfect. I couldn’t imagine her any differently, nor did I want to. I couldn’t imagine my life without her anymore.

I was in love with __________.