There are certain times in life when a person has to bow out gracefully and accept the loss. There are certain things in life that a person has to give up on for the sake of a better cause. And there are even certain circumstances when a person should just back off and let another party win because that kind of competition isn't worth the reward.

You were not that person.

And you definitely would never bow out gracefully. Especially not to your fellow recruit member Levi "whatever the hell his last name was" since no one knew, not even if your life depended on it.

Three long, agonizing years in the 99th Trainees Squad you have spent in a bitter rivalry with Levi and you were not about to quit at the assessment. No, that was your time to shine and beat him to take the place of top student.

From day one you have always had it out for him. He was a natural at literally everything. From his studies to his precision in blade strikes to ability to maneuver with the omni-directional gear, and that irritated you to a degree you could not describe. What topped it off was the fact that Levi did not even care that he was perfect at everything nor did he even try to compete with you. Well, in the beginning he was fairly apathetic about his abilities but once be realized you harbored a deep rooted hatred for him in regards to that, he took up the habit of mocking you for always being second rate. That wasn't the case though; it was well known the both of you were equally exceptional. It was common knowledge that it would be difficult to decide who would be top student.

Compared to Levi, you had been trained by your parents, albeit illegally with the blades and 3DMG, from the ripe age of six to be a soldier. Your father was a lance corporal within the military police brigade and your mother also a corporal within the garrison regiment. It had always been expected that their first born would be a soldier and that had been drilled in your brain for as long as you could remember. Early on, your parents built up your endurance, your dexterity, and overall speed so you would outperform every other trainee. Your father even taught you all about the titans so that could even breeze through your studies. The expectation was that you would place in the top ten and join the military brigade under your father's direction.

Little did anyone know, you wanted to join the Scout Regiment and had been set on that early on, merely for the fact that your parents had said you had no place there. Having grown up in a stifling and strict environment within Stohess District, you desperately wanted a sense of freedom, even if meant risking your life. You could care less about furthering humanity's cause against the titans; you just wanted to venture outside the walls and feel like you had some sort of choice with your future. Erwin Smith had already approached you and Levi on joining the scouts two months ago, unbeknownst to anyone else. It was rare anyone sought out trainees personally for their branch but Erwin said he needed the both of you and your skills.

At the moment, you and Levi were squared off in your hand to hand combat assessment, one of the few pairs taking it seriously.

You had your hands raised in front of you, ready for any attack Levi would make on you. Technically, the both of you were supposed to be switching off with the wooden knife, each of you attacking the other in turns but somehow you both ended up in a heated match. You both were drawing attention, due to both of your loud cries and groans.

"You scared to hit me, Rivaille?" you mocked, hoping to incite some anger in him.

Levi snorted, the briefest smirk hitting his lips. "Nice try, princess," he said in a similar tone. "But you can't provoke me."

You glared harder at him when he made a motion with his hand for you to strike. "Fine, have it your way then."

With a burst of speed, you rushed him. Levi took this opportunity to step to the side and swing his leg around for a roundhouse kick but you easily evaded it. However, you didn't expect his other leg to come up and nearly nail you in the head; you barely had enough time to block the second strike with your arm. As Levi recovered from the momentum, you swung your arm hard into his side and he let out the smallest groan. You would have celebrated getting the first strike on him if it weren't for the fact that he struck you in the back merely ten seconds after you.

Back and forth you both went, drawing a small crowd of trainees who were more interested in who would best the other than taking their assessment seriously. You didn't pay attention to the growing cheers and were even more unaware of who was the crowd favorite. Regardless, both of you were equally matched; you and Levi were small in size and therefore you both relied more heavily on instinct and speed rather than sheer strength. That being said, Levi was the stronger one and he wasn't holding back on his powerful punches.

Seven minutes in and the both of you were beginning to sweat, chests heaving slightly as you faced off once more. For every hit one gave, the other matched it.

"Hurry it up, (l/n)," said Levi in a snide tone. "As much as I enjoy beating the shit out of an annoying, little princess, I would like it more if you were lying on your back in defeat."

You ground your teeth together. "Arrogant, son of a bitch," you snarled. "If anyone is lying on their back, it's gonna be you!!"

This time, the both of you rushed each other. Each of you threw an attack in quick succession, arm and legs flying through the air, dodging and blocking the other. The crowd surrounding you grew louder with each strike but your adrenaline was rushing so much that you couldn't hear anything.

And without warning, you found your arm caught in Levi's hold. For a brief moment, he paused while holding the most self satisfied, and strangely evil, grin on his face. "Fact number one: you were always second rate," he whispered so that only you could hear. The rage that erupted in your veins was indescribable.

With that, Levi twisted your arm and kicked your legs out from beneath you. The world went flying and you hit the dusty ground hard on your back, the breath forcibly escaping your lungs.

The crowd roared at Levi's win. He stared down at you with his stupid smirk before he turned away from you. You didn't even think once you saw the wooden knife lying by your side that you had ditched fifteen minutes ago. Just as Levi turned his back on you, you quickly moved, using your leg closest to him to sweep his legs out from under him.

Levi was on his back in a second flat. When he recovered from the blow, he found himself pinned down by you half straddling him, the wooden knife pressed against his throat.

"Fact number two," you spat, eyes black with fury. "It's never over until I say it is."

Levi stared up at you with a strange expression, one you couldn't quite place the emotion. He didn't look the slightest bit angry that he had lost to you. In fact, he looked sort of pleased with himself.

"So," he said in a low tone and still motionless, "are you going to move or are you going to take this to the next level? I wouldn't mind letting a rough girl like you ride me senseless."

Your eyes widened dramatically. "You sick fuck," you hissed, quickly getting off of him, completely unaware of how that comment actually made your heart leap to your throat for a second.

Before Levi could say anything, the both of you were swarmed by fellow trainees, all of them congratulating you on a great fight. It didn't sound like many people even cared who won but enjoyed just watching you have a good go at each other.

Finally, the crowd was broken up by your training squad leaders. It was time for a small meal break before moving onto the blade assessment. In reality, you were grateful because you really just wanted some peace after that fight.

You walked back to the meal hall when you caught Levi looking at you several yards off. He gave you his infamous smirk that you hated and turned away to answer someone's question.

You just wait, asshole. I will place first and all your stupid little comments like that will be meaningless.

******************************

Two nights later, the 99th Training Squad were gathered together to celebrate their completion of training. You were given a feast and drinks, and everyone was having a good time talking about all the experiences you've shared together.

You were ecstatic for entirely other reasons. You placed as the top student; you beat out Levi Ackerman and all his perfection. You were convinced hard work paid off better than natural ability. That aside, your parents would be off your tail now upon hearing you graduated training at the top.

Nearly all your fellow rookies assumed you were signing on with the Military Police, as you're parents' history was known fairly well. That couldn't be helped since there have too many times your training leader would scream at you to step up your game because you came a good line of soldiers or how your leader didn't want to hear it from your parents if you did poorly. Your parents even made a few unannounced appearances to check your progress. There was one time your father ripped into you in front of all your peers just after you finished a maneuvering gear practice session. Needless to say, everyone was aware of the expectation you were held to.

That day was brutal now that it came to mind, especially since someone brought it up in conversation just now. Your parents, particularly your father, were terrifying in their own rights. He had laid one into you, screaming at you for being a worthless daughter if you couldn't even use the 3DMG correctly. You had been frustrated; you had just been told your form was flawless for someone only having been using them for a short amount of time but your father was not impressed.

That was the day you started hating Levi. Your father had watched you both run the course simultaneously and when you had finished, all he did was compare you to Levi. Your fellow trainee didn't seem to care that your father was praising him, and belittling you, and that's when you realized you hated that stupid expressionless face. You never have been praised for anything, and there was Levi, getting all the recognition within the first ten minutes of meeting your dad. From then on, it was always some comparison between you two from your parents.

As far as you were concerned, you figured you'd let everyone continue believing you'd joint the MP until the time came. You knew it could cause a scene if you were to announce your true intentions here. Everyone would say you were wasting your talents.

You thought differently, of course. Why hone your skills for three years only to squander them in the brigade, where you knew firsthand that it was corrupt beyond imagination? What would be the point of being the best if you weren't going to use your abilities against titans? The whole point of training is to know how to take them out. Not to mention, you were personally requested by Erwin Smith.

An hour and half into the celebrating, you excused yourself outside for a breath of air. It was getting hot from all the trainees in there having a good time. You enjoyed watching them relax for once, but there was only so much admiration and congratulations you could take.

With a sigh, you stared up at the star speckled sky, a great sense of relief filling you now that this training was finally over. Admittedly, you had gone through the same type of relentless tactics with your parents though so nothing that your training leaders did ever surprised you.

"Now onto the Survey Corps," you said to yourself. Your thoughts landed on the reaction your parents will have and you couldn't help but snort quietly. "They're going to be so pissed."

"Congratulations, (l/n)," you heard a voice say behind you. At the sound of who it was, you ground your teeth together.

Levi was the last person on earth you wanted to be out here with you. On the other hand, this could be the best opportunity to gloat.

You turned to him with a triumphant expression. "Are you just saying that as a formality?" you asked with an unamused laugh. "Or are you going to somehow try to make an excuse for yourself?"

Levi rolled his eyes and stopped at your side. "I wasn't aware that congratulating you was such a crime. There's no need to be so defensive," he replied casually, not favoring you with a glance. You had been lifting your mug up to your lips when you froze.

Ugh, what a snarky, piece of shit, you thought. Why did he even bother to come out here?

"Whatever, Rivaille."

Levi snorted. "Now that your internal competition is over with me, you should just call me Levi," he said indifferently.

"No thanks," you said flatly, hoping he wasn't going to attempt small talk with you. His very presence was irritating.

At this, he laughed very briefly. "I knew how much it meant to you to place first in the assessment, although I have yet to figure out why it involved loathing me as much as you do. As far as I know, I've never done anything to deserve it."

He paused and he finally turned his gaze to you. "Unless it's some senseless pride thing."

You couldn't be sure as to why, but you were beginning to shake with anger. Maybe it was the way he had an undertone of arrogance, like he was mocking you, or maybe you just had had it up to your ears with him. The way his voice sounded grated on your nerves.

"So let me get to the point," he continued on, well aware of your growing aggravation. "What is the real issue at hand? I think it's safe to assume you don't actually hate me-"

"Yes I do!!" you shouted, cutting him off. "I seriously fucking hate you. I worked my ass off for years to be the best and you just fucking waltz in, like some fucking god and do everything perfectly! This entire time, I've been compared to you and I'm so sick of it! You never worked for it, it just came naturally to you. And you don't even care. YOU DONT EVEN CARE THAT YOU'RE SO DAMN PERFECT!!! So why the hell do you get all the praise!?"

Levi held a steady gaze while you completely snapped, having been waiting for this moment for some time. The fact that he didn't even react to your words just angered you even more.

But you realized something; he was right. In reality, you only misdirected your hatred for the way you were stifled as a child onto Levi, who seems like he had everything. Not that you thought he did, but because you worked so hard to be the best, and he didn't, it only felt natural for you to hate him. Especially since all you wanted was for your parents to praise, maybe just once, instead of making comparisons between you and Levi.

"You know what pisses me off about you!? That stupid, arrogant smirk. And your dumb face where you look disinterested about everything! You have no passion for this. You just walk around all fucking high and mighty because you're so damn good at being a soldier. Do you even care about anything at all!? And don't even pretend to think you know me! You don't know anything about me so don't fucking tell me what I feel about you!"

At the mention of his smirk, Levi flashed you one. "Fact number three," he said, taking a step closer. "I do know you."

You were rendered completely speechless at this statement, on the fact that he sounded so sure of himself.

"Three years is a long time to get to know someone, you know," he said, that air of superiority lingering in his words. "I know you're a perfectionist and that you're prideful as hell. Because of that pride, you are competitive, independent, and strong willed. You've even sacrificed close friendships so that you could concentrate in placing within the top ten in our squad. But I also know that you're scared to let your parents down; that's why you've been working so hard. I know I'm your scapegoat for that too."

Levi did not break your dumbfounded gaze as he plowed on with his speech.

"I know you feel trapped; I can tell by the things you've said and done. I know you want to join the Survey Corps for that very idea of freedom. I know even little things about you like how you don't like potatoes; you never eat them when they're served at meals or how you like to bite your lip when you're feeling uncomfortable. Out of all the training, you enjoyed the endurance sessions the most because it allowed you to run until you couldn't run anymore. Or how the 3DMG training makes you feel like you're free from the world that suffocates you. I know you sneak out late at night to hide up on the ridge overlooking the lake and cry because you feel like you're not worth anything other than what you lay claim to as a soldier. So...don't tell me I don't know you, (l/n). I've been paying more attention to you than you've ever realized."

You found yourself backed into the wall and Levi was now leaning in close to you, hands outstretched against said wall. You don't even know how you managed to find yourself stuck between his arms, but you were unsure of what to say. He honestly did know a lot about you.

"Fact number four," said Levi when you refused to speak. "I like you. I like the passion you have to be a soldier, and I like that you don't need someone to take care of you. You get things done and you are self reliant. I like that you believe in your own abilities and you're driven to succeed. But most of all, I like you for being the stubborn, little princess that you are."

Levi moved to lift your chin slightly with his fingertips. "Being your rival was entertaining on my end. It gave me far more opportunities to talk to you."

"I am not some toy!!" you snapped, sounding more like a whining child then a woman who was offended.

He was close, way too close for someone you supposedly hated. In fact, for someone you thought you would have loved to see burn in a fire, you hated that you liked the way his hand was traveling slowly from your cheek and down your neck.

"Also," Levi said quietly, "I am very attracted to you...physically."

His hand lingered at your chest, flashing a sly smile as he moved in closer to your lips. Your mind screamed at you to push him away but you didn't. Instead, you welcomed his rough and passionate kiss, responding in kind. Maybe you were lonely, or maybe you might actually like him, but you knew there was a part of you that wanted this and a part that told you this was a disaster in the making. Either way, you let Levi's tongue dominate you and let his hands roam dangerously close to places that probably shouldn't.

Levi pushed you against the wall with his own body, his hot breath mixing with your soft pants. You weren't really surprised with the way things were headed; the sexual tension in the air that surrounded you was palpable. You didn't keep track of how long he kissed you, moving to your neck and collarbone and leaving his mark every so often. His fingers were slowly unbuttoning the two buttons of your shirt, distracting you with heavy kisses and pushing his hips against you. A soft moan escaped you when you felt something hard grind against you. Pushing aside the fabric of your shirt, Levi teased you with his lips against your breast.

"Levi...w-wait..." you whispered into his hair. This was certainly not the place for this.

"Why?" he breathed against your skin, one of his hands gliding up your bare thigh. His fingertips brushed past your skirt and his hand altogether stopped between your legs.

He never gave you a chance to reply because he was back to exploring your mouth, tongues dancing together in a heated match. Levi was a bit rough, biting down on your bottom lip and tugging a little while the hand between your legs stroked you.

"Levi..." you moaned, losing your conviction to stop him. This was going no where good and fast yet you didn't even care anymore. Was this out of loneliness? Frustration? Or was it honestly something you didn't want to admit to yourself?

And just like that, he pulled away from you completely and made sure chest was covered by your shirt. You didn't quite understand what he was doing but his eyes were searching yours for a long moment, to the point where you were beginning to feel uncomfortable. "Depending on your answer," said Levi finally while he smoothed out his own shirt, "we can save the rest for later."

He gave you a lazy salute and walked away, leaving you frustrated and confused. Your eyes followed him until he closed the door to the celebration inside before you realized you should clean yourself up too. Going back in there looking disheveled would be a little suspicious.

You returned to the festivities, careful to stay as far away from Levi as possible while you evaluated all that he said to you. It was easy for you to feign interest in the conversations with the other trainees but your mind was still processing your own feelings. Did you honestly hate Levi? Or has this whole competition you've created really mean you actually admired him in some ways? You honestly didn't know what to think.

The night came to a close, with you having avoided any interaction with Levi following your intense moment outside. Although, you both caught each other looking at the other several times.

A sense of freedom.

That's all you wanted. You wanted to be able to choose where you were going with your career, to decide what was best for your own life.

And as you were lying in your bed that night, unable to sleep, you realized Levi was offering exactly what you wanted. He was allowing you to be exactly who you wanted to be, not who your parents expected you to be, because he liked you for who you were...as is.

"Dammit," you hissed to yourself, listening to the even breathing of the sleeping girls in your room. "This is too cliché."

It was. Falling for my enemy? Isn't that something only for books?

Entirely annoyed with yourself, you rose out of your bed quietly. As carefully as you could, you put on some warmer clothes and slipped out the door. You've done this time and time again and have never been caught once in three years, but this time you were on a mission.

"That asshat better be there," you grumbled, sneaking your way through the training camp to your usual hiding spot.

There wasn't a whole lot of moonlight to guide your way but you've memorized this path after a few times. So many thoughts were rushing through your mind, there was so much you wanted to say.

You made it to the small clearing at the ridge and stopped short when you saw a figure leaning against a tree with his arms crossed, gazing out over the lake. Now that you were there, you were actually surprised to find Levi here. There was a part of you that didn't expect him to be.

He turned his head towards you but you couldn't see his expression. "About damn time you showed up," he said. That tone of arrogance still irritated you and you almost preferred him being emotionless. "How long did you plan on keeping me waiting for you?"

"You know what I seriously hate about you, Rivaille?" you spat, feeling your body shaking slightly from all your pent up emotions. Even in the dark, you could tell he wasn't expecting that to be the first thing from your lips. "I hate that nonchalant, 'I don't give two shits about what people think of me' attitude of yours. It's annoying as hell."

Your feet moved forward.

"You know what else I hate?"

Levi sighed. "What's that?"

"I hate that you're right," you continued, practically marching up to him now. "I absolutely hate that you're right. I hate that this whole damn time, for three years, I actually admired you. That I wanted to be you. That I honestly wished I didn't have my parents' expectations to live up to and didn't care what they thought of me. And I hate you for making me realize that!"

By now, you were standing in front of him and you could see that his face was void of emotion. Your own feelings were everywhere; you wanted to slap him and you also desperately wanted to kiss him. "It's so stupid. I could have spent the rest of my life competing against you, hating you...but you..." you trailed off for a second. "But you had to go and ruin it. Just like that. Just by telling me you like me!"

Levi was as quiet as he had ever been but he didn't break your gaze. You waited, wanting him to break the silence, to kiss you, to mock you...anything at this point.

"Say something, dammit!" Without thinking, you swung a fist right at his face but he easily caught your hand in his. His hold was tight, but strangely gentle.

You weren't sure if he was hesitating or thinking because he didn't reply immediately. "So, is this some half ass attempt to confess your feelings for me? Because if it is, it could use some work."

"Ugh, you are such a fucking prick!" You were not about to wait any longer and you moved in, kissing him with a mixture of frustration and passion. Levi did not hesitate to return the gesture; it seemed like he had been waiting for it, in all honesty.

You lost yourself in his urgency and were entirely willing to let his hands roam all over you once more. You threw your reservations to the wind, in far too deep to turn back now. Not that you cared, but you weren't even sure what kind of repercussions this could have. For all you knew, he could just want to sleep with you and be done with it. If that were the case, you didn't entirely know how you would feel.

"Wait," you said breathlessly and you pulled back slightly to look him in the eye. "I need to say something."

Levi rolled his eyes as if annoyed, but the tone in his voice betrayed him. "I'm listening."

"Fact number five." You had used a voice that was an attempt to imitate and mock him, to which Levi scoffed at. "I misdirected my hatred and...I'm sorry. That being said, I like you...I think."

Again with that smirk you hated. "I know," he replied casually. You narrowed your eyes at him.

"Just because I like you doesn't mean I appreciate your superiority complex," you explained. Even so, you returned his expression and kissed him.

"Hmm," said Levi gazing at you for moment, as if trying to read your mind. "You're forward today."

You had to chuckled at this, though it wasn't entirely out of amusement. "I'm beyond sexually frustrated, no thanks to you, asshole."

"Try walking off a boner and then you have room to complain," Levi snapped. This time, you laughed and fairly loudly at that.

"Whatever, you did that to yourself."

Levi's fingertips were tracing your jawline, looking into your eyes with a surprisingly soft expression.

"For the record," he said, cupping your face with his hands. He leaned in and planted a light kiss at your forehead. "No matter what your parents may say about you joining the Survey Corps, no matter how much they will be angry with you, I support you and I'm proud of you."

You could not remember the last time you cried but you felt your eyes burn with tears. "You're-" said Levi, pausing to kiss your cheek, "a-" he kissed the other cheek, "brilliant-" the tip of your nose, "soldier."

He kissed your lips once more, trying to convey praise for you. You felt relieved, in a way. If there was one sentence in this world you have always wanted to hear, it was "I'm proud of you." And Levi said it. That was enough for you. It wasn't "I love you" or "you're pretty" or "you're amazing." It was that someone was proud to be with you or proud to know you or just honestly proud of your accomplishments.

He pulled away and wiped away your stray tear that you weren't able to hold back. "Alright I'm done with the emotional, heartfelt shit. We have unfinished business."

You stared at him for a second in confusion before you found yourself grinning at him slyly. You knew what he meant by that and you were happy to oblige him.

"I agree." Without any reservation, you groped Levi from the outside of his pants, giving a gentle squeeze between his legs. You stroked him just slightly, leaning in to kiss his neck. He smirked, purely enjoying the sensations and your straightforwardness.

But before you could do anything else, he swept you up bridal style. "Sorry princess," he said. "As much as I like you taking initiative, if anyone is going to be dominating, it will be me."

What ensued after was a blissful, rough night under the stars, one you would never forget.