LEVI POV

We were kissing, and I had my hand running up her shirt grazing her nipple with my thumb, when suddenly her phone started to ring.

Ignore it, ignore it...

I couldn't, my gut told me to pick it up. I pulled away from her and both of us glanced at the phone. It was Mikasa.

I grabbed it before her and picked up.

Mikasa: Levi? Yeah, you need to put Star on the phone. It's about her mom.

I heard a door close on the other side of the phone.

"Yeah. Here she is..."

Mikasa's voice sounded a little urgent.

I handed her the phone.

"It's important," I said to her.

I really hoped it wasn't what I feared.

I know the pain of losing a mother, and I would never wish that on anyone.

"Mikasa? Yes, why? They what? She's—"

She immediately started to cry, but they weren't tears of sadness. A smile of relief came over her face. "—she's alive?"

I sighed heavily, placing a hand on her back.

"-when? Investigating? Wait...what's the bad news? Mikasa? Oh...she never...she never told me..."

Her expression changed again.

She was sad, her eyes darkened in the candlelight. I swear I could see the color start to drain from her face.

"It's alright. Yeah. Thank you Mikasa, you're a good friend. Yeah, I will visit her as soon as she's in the clear. Thanks. Much love."

She hung up the phone.

"What's wrong?" I asked, looking at the floor.

"She's alive but-she-she has cancer, Levi. And she doesn't remember who she is," Star choked out, tears streaming down her cheeks like the rainfall.

I didn't have the right words to say to her. Watching her smile fade so suddenly was like watching the life drain from a fallen comrade. But she wasn't my comrade, she was the pretty girl I fell in love with.

I grabbed her with both my arms and just held her. She sobbed uncontrollably. There were no more walls between us, she let her guard down completely, holding onto me for dear life. I knew this feeling all too well. That hopeless feeling shattering your entire world. I felt it when my mom died, when Isabel and Farlen died. I couldn't fix it but I could be the person she needed most. I don't have anyone back then to cry to. But I wouldn't ever let her feel like that.

"She's had cancer for a month and never told me," she cried. "It fucking hurts so much!"

I squeezed her tightly.

"I know..."

I let her cry for as long as she needed, holding her and caressing the back of her head. At some point, minutes later she raised her head up and looked at me. She had make-up on today, just a little mascara that had ran down her cheeks, and light eyeliner.

I wiped her face with my hands.

"L-Levi, you'll get your hands dirty," she said.

"Huh? Sweetheart...hush. It's fine," I said, a little taken aback.

Even in her most vulnerable state, she still cares more about something as small as me dirtying my hands with her tears and make-up.

"Least...she's alive...but I don't know what stage she's in, or anything else for that matter," she sniffled. "And I can't visit her till they are done with investigating things. She's still in shock."

"Okay we will get through it...hey, I'll get a wet rag. Some of this is not coming off."

She didn't protest.

I came back and cleaned her face up.

Her eyes were red, the light that sparked in them dimmed by her melancholy state.

"It's okay. It's going to be okay. She's alive and I have to have faith," she whispered, looking down after I cleaned her face up.

"Yeah. And I'll be here, I won't go anywhere. Alright? Anything you need."

I was going to get her the biggest fucking bouquet of flowers tomorrow.

"Levi, can you just hold me? All night?"

"Anything..."

——-

We stayed up a little later, laying in the bed just holding each other. I had my shirt off and she wore an oversized shirt and her undergarments.

"I don't know if I can sleep," she said.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Umm...you know how I said I love the sound of your voice?"

"...yeah...."

"Can you read to me?"

"Read to you? What do you want me to read?"

She blushed.

"Umm, on the third shelf there's a book of fairy tales. Just pick one, it's a compilation...please."

Her voice was so soft, usually she was a bit obnoxious when she was around everyone, especially Hange. But with me she almost shrank it seemed.

I grabbed the book and she laid her head on my chest when I got back in the covers. I picked a story that looked cute and not too short. I didn't know how long it would take her to doze off. I started reading to her, watching from the corner of my eyes, as she started to nod her head off. I was halfway through the story when I felt her start drooling. I didn't give a shit. It's not like we didn't already share saliva amongst other things. Her breath smelled like mint, her hair giving off the scent of lavender. I put the book down once she started lightly snoring. She made the cutest faces when she did that.

As for me, I wasn't going to sleep much. I was too worried about her.

When morning came I got ready for work. Her phone went off when I got out of the shower. She was still asleep. I typed her password in.

Someone messaged her social media messenger.

—-Kenny Ackerman: Hello there pretty lady, names Kenny. I'm a friend of your little boyfriend Levi Ackerman. I'm sure he's told ya about me. Have him call me or text me. Here's my number.—

Tch. Little. What an asshole.

I put his number in my phone. I'd deal with that later.

I kissed my sleeping girlfriend goodbye and met up with Hange.

"Good morning Leeevi!" Hange shouted. Her fucking car was always so loud with music and a bunch of annoying idiots in the back jabbering about nonsense.

"Morning four-eyes," I managed to say.

We were cleaning a bunch of shitty sports bars this morning. Disgusting.

Whenever I had a break I would text Star. Sometimes even if I wasn't too busy. She was the one distraction I could never say no to.

Levi: Hey sweetie.

Star: Hey love.

Levi: Did you eat? Hydrate? Take your meds? Shower?

Star: Yes. Mikasa said I should be able to visit my mom this Sunday. Hey did you know we've been together a month and a half?

Levi: I'll go with you. Oh, well shit.

Stat:?

Levi: I didn't mean to move so fast...I'm sorry.

Star: That's fast? Why are you apologizing?

Levi: Now you sound like me...Anyway, I just wanted to treat you well.

Star: You do. So shut up.

Levi: Alright.

Star: You Mr. Ackerman said not to question our love and trust. We had a whole fight over it.

Levi: Yeah, yeah. It does...sometimes feel like you're almost familiar to me. I can't explain it.

Star: SO YOU FEEL IT TOO?

Levi: Yeah. Lately I just keep getting these feelings of familiarity around you. From the day I spoke to you the first time...something felt oddly comfortable. Anyway, we can talk more later. I have to go yell at my idiot co-workers. I love you.

Star: I love you too.

Later that day when I got off, Hange took me to go buy some flowers. That wasn't enough though. I also got Star a pair of gold dangly earrings. Hange was really helpful and I gave them gas money, and even bought them some books they wanted. A lot of shit had happened in a month and a half. I put the entire mission of finding out the mystery of why I'm here in the back of my mind. I had a sneaking suspicion Kenny knew a lot. But right now I had to take care of my girlfriend. This was very unlike me...

Then again I had never been in love before.

I was waiting in the clothing department looking around while Hange decided to try some things on.

My phone started to blow up.

Ugh. It was the group chat. Annoying.