As soon as Ella was helped to descend from the horse, she stared at the entrance door of her new house. There was no way back. From the distance, it seemed a very small house but now that she was in front she realised that it was bigger than what she was expecting. A beautiful cottage covered by wood. Not far, there was an inhabited chicken coop. She thought it would be fun to get some hens in the future. Levi tied the horse to a tree and carried Ella's bag inside the house. As soon they opened the door, they noticed dust in the air and an old smell as if the house had been empty for years. There was definitely work to do... They were tired from the journey so Levi dusted superficially while Ella made two beds. They would have time to clean in the future. Ella went to the kitchen and prepared two cups of tea that Levi had brought with him. They both sat at the table, sipping from their cups.
"The reason this house was chosen for you is that it is not far from the Headquarters of the Corps, so whenever you need me, send a message and I will be here whenever you need me." Levi explained from his chair.
"The other day you said only three people know about the location and who will live here. I will take it that two out of these people are you and me but, who is the other?" She asked curiously. It was a clever question he thought to himself. Safety always comes first, especially when you are having a baby that you want to protect at all costs.
"That's right, you and I are two of these people, the third one is Captain Erwin Smith, from the Survey Corps. I admit I didn't like him at first, but the man has proven himself and I trust him. Thanks to him you can live anonymously in this house without worrying about any mortgage. On top of that, you will receive a monthly pension from the Corps as a result of the loss of your partner on the battlefield."
"It all sounds too good to be true." She said sceptically. "I remember what happened last time that I said that..." She shared her worries.
"I understand you feel concerned and wary but, you have my word. And as I said, if you need me, you let me know."
"Does that mean you will not be living with us?" She asked preoccupied. The way she asked made his heart melt. Levi looked at her confused and then turned around before giving her an answer.
"I thought that after all the things that have happened, you wouldn't want me around. Besides, now that you are in better condition I am required in the Headquarters." He explained vaguely.
"It is not about that..." She continued. "I have never lived by myself, or on the surface. Oh God, this is all too big for me." She lamented worriedly. Levi walked towards her and put his hands on her shoulders reassuringly and looked straight into her eyes. Ella could swear her heart stop for a moment.
"You'll do just fine, Ella. Just as you did all those months that we were away. You can do this. This is your new life and now you have the reins. Besides, I will come whenever you want me to." She nodded at his words, wiping her own tears with the back of her hand.
"There is one more thing I must ask you." He spoke. "Now you will be a rightful citizen here on the surface by the Survey Corps, so we need to validate your citizenship and we need a name for the registry. I never knew of your last name." Ella cleared her throat and looked back at him confidently.
"Church. Ella Church." She replied without hesitation. His eyes widened in surprise when he heard the last name.
"It suits you well." He said in a whisper. They both remained silent for an instant. "Now Ella Church, I will get the documentation sorted for you and you will be officially a surface citizen, and so will your child." Levi explained, breaking the silence.
"What about you?" She asked.
"My documentation is being sorted too, is a similar process as both will be granted by the Survey Corps."
"I don't understand." She complained. Levi sighed but he knew it was better to explain everything to her.
"Let's say I have a deal with Captain Erwin Smith. After Furlan and Isabel died, he wanted me to join them for good, not forced like we originally were. I accepted it with the condition of granting you a good life up here. He wanted me back as soon as possible, but then you... well, let's say you did not make it easy, so we ended up down there for way longer than what he wanted, yet he trusted me and kept his promise."
"Are you saying you are joining them voluntarily for me and that is why we have all this?" She asked unconvinced.
"I joined them because I wanted an easy life for you up here, but I also think I've found my path on life."
"In that case, I am happy for you, Levi. Thank you for procuring me and my child a good future." The two of them remained silent in the room uncomfortably.
"I will better get going." Levi announced.
"Already?" She asked like a scared child.
"I cannot stay here forever." He explained softly. Ella made a pouty expression, making Levi sigh.
"If you wish, I will stay until we find a better solution." Ella nodded, agreeing with this comment.
That same night, Ella asked Levi to take her out to the fields to see the stars. It was her first night on the surface and she wanted to make it memorable. She was feeling weak, but she had the certainty that seeing the stars will make her feel better. She covered herself with a blanket and followed Levi outside. The two of them walked slowly around the surroundings of the house. Ella felt disappointed when she realised the clouds were covering the starry sky but, continued walking in silence. Not too far, they found a tree trunk and they sat on it without sharing a word. Levi rose an eyebrow when he realised her disappointment.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Well, even though I know I'm up here, it does not feel like it. It is covered and looks exactly the same that down there." She said, trying to hide her frustration. Levi cleared his throat before answering.
"You know, I once said the same to them." He confessed. Ella looked at him confused. "But they showed me that it isn't. It is clearly different because you now know you are here." He finished, making their eyes meet. Slowly, the clouds faded, giving way to a crescent moon and stars. Her eyes opened wide, she could not even blink due to the beauty of the sky. The emotion made her sob quietly.
"Did they see a starry sky too?" She asked wiping her tears delicately. Levi simply nodded.
"I wonder where they are now, if they are happy, if they know that we made it up here. There are so many things I want to tell them..."
"I'm sure wherever they are, they do." Levi answered quietly. He obviously didn't believe that was true however, he did not want to hurt her feelings more. In any case, he didn't have the answer to that either, so it was better to keep things that way.
They spent a quiet time under the sky until Ella started sneezing. It was getting cold outside, and they had a small walk back home, so they decided to go back in. It was enough for the first night on the surface.
Word count: 1317
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THE PROMISE YOU MADE|| {Levi x Furlan x OC Fem}
FanfictionA young woman is being chased by a group of men in the dark Underground. She is scared and knows that they will catch her eventually, but what she doesn't know is that there is someone watching everything and is willing to help when she thinks every...
