"Oh, hell no."

I stand by the doorway refusing to walk further into the room. I pinch my nose as I withheld the urge to vomit. The smell in here was sour and strong.

It was the smell of something dead and something rotting. It stung my eyes and made my body shrivel. Erwin had led Levi and I to the barracks where most of the soldiers slept.

There was one certain floor that has not been used in months however, and I was starting to understand why. The hallway was old and full of cobwebs. There was no stench but opening the first door to a room was traumatizing.

Bunk beds covered in dirt and dust. The walls stained with whatever brown stuff that leaked through the wood. A pile of old cloths was in the corner and I could've sworn I heard pitter patter of a rat's feet. I shiver at the thought praying to God I wouldn't have to see one.

"This is an order, Wolfram," Erwin points out with a scrunched nose. "I want you and Levi to clean this whole entire floor."

I shake my head, this was hard labor. I'd rather clean Levi's clothes than this!

"Sir, this is unfair!" I exclaim with a stomp. "Just because Levi was being an ass shouldn't mean I have to clean up his act!"

"Oi!"

I choose to ignore Levi's fuming and stare up at the Commander. I didn't want to do this. Cleaning is what I'm worst at, and I despised dirty places. He can't leave me in a dump like this!

"Please, sir, reconsider my punishment! Let me do something else and leave Levi down here!"

Levi mutters whatever curses he could come up with. I try to ignore them but with each one was worst than the last. Erwin shakes his head, his eyes staying firm and hard.

"This is punishment," he repeats. "You two don't want to be civil then this is the price for it. Believe me, I had something worse in store but I'm being nice since you just got released."

He raises a brow at me at his emphasis and I glower in response. The lies I smell and sense but, I chose to bite down my tongue. It made my face redden and fists shake, Erwin chooses to ignore my rage. He waves a hand at us before he takes his leave.

"Make sure very corner is spic and span."

I watch him walk down the stairs with fury in my eyes. If he wants this place cleaned then so be it. I won't be the one to do it though. I turn around and stare down Levi. I snap fingers and gesture at the cleaning tools.

"You heard him," I bark. "Clean this place until no more dust can be seen."

Levi stares at me as though I grew another head. Bewildered by my order he scoffs loudly in disbelief. I didn't understand what was amusing. I wasn't joking.

"Who the hell are you ordering around?" He snaps.

"You obviously," I retort. "There's no way in hell am I going into that filthy room."

"Oh, yes you are." He roughly takes off his jacket and tosses it to the ground. I furrow my eyebrows at the sight of him rolling up his sleeves.

"What are you doing?" I question warily.

"If you want to force me to do something, fine. I'll do the same." Levi stomps over to me, his eyes almost protruding out of its sockets.

I wasn't sure what he was going to do but, each intimidating step he took towards me filled me with fear. I unconsciously backed away, seeing the sight of his flexed forearm had me wonder if he was willing to beat me up now.

"Levi, don't you dare lay a hand on me," I warn darkly with each backward step. "I'll kick your ass if you do."

He doesn't answer, his silence was like a dark void that brought a shiver to my spine. I found there was no place for me to go when my back hits the hall. Despite his short height I felt smaller.

I press my lips together, sweat coating my forehead. I watch him raise his hand and I steeled my body for the worst. Instead, he reaches for the back of my collar and starts to drag me to the room. I started to stumble and resist yet his monster grip wouldn't let go of my shirt.

"Let go, damn it!" I shout while throwing a fit. "You're not taking me with you!"

"Stop being a wuss, you idiot!"

He flings me into the room and I stumble towards one of the bunk beds. Immediately I grab hold of the old wooden pole before I could land on the dusty sheets. A shaky breath escapes out of me with my stomach sucked in.

That idiot! I turn around my nose flaring and my eyes narrowed into daggers.

"You little--"

"Let's get something straight." Levi blocks the doorway with the door clicking shut behind him. "You're not going anywhere," he states. "Not until we clean this place. And if you try to, then it'll just land you back in the Medical Center."

He raises his chin, his arms crossed over his chest. "Get the picture?"

I grit my teeth with my eyes becoming cold. I couldn't argue, what was there to say? He got me cornered and I had no plans on fighting in this filthy room.
Seeing my silence as his victory, he tosses me a broom.

"You can start with the floors," he suggests stiffly. I make a face as I grip the cleaning tool.

"Then what will you be doing?" I question gruffly. I watch Levi cross the room and push open the shutters of the window. A cool breeze of fresh air swoops in.

"I'll dust out the sheets."

Just as Levi ordered we cleaned. Cleaned for a good two hours and this room was nowhere to, 'spic and span'. For those two hours none of us spoke.

Each breath we took beside each other was revolting. I despised the idea of being in a room longer than ten minutes with Levi and I'm sure he felt the same. Honestly, he didn't have to close the door though. It made me feel even more uncomfortable.

As I swept the last bit of dirt and dust into a small pile I created I let a small sigh.

"Finally," I breathe.

I never thought in the many years I would live I would see hefty amounts of rat droppings and dead cockroaches. I cringe at the sight of the pile. At least, that was done.

I turn to grab a dustpan. When I reached for it I felt something furry rub on back of my ankle. I stiffen at the feeling with my face going pale.

My heart thudded against my chest and rang in my ears. I pray continuously hoping it wasn't what I thought it was. Slowly, as though as I was being watched, I turn around.

When I grudgingly look down at the floor I see something grey scurry over my feet. I let out a deafening scream and started to wildly jump around.

"A rat!"

I drop the broom and the dustpan, immediately making my way to Levi. I quickly jump on him clinging on to him like a leech. He was stunned by my behavior as he drops the duster and sheets and, starts to stumble about the room.

"What the hell?!" He muffles. "Get off!!"

I wrap my legs tighter around his waist and tighten my hold around his neck.

"Like hell I would!" I shriek. "I just saw a fricking rat, dumbass!"

Levi tries to pry himself out of my hold but I wouldn't let him. I wasn't about to get killed by a rodent.

Levi groans irritably, "You're chocking me, you moron!" I don't listen, I was too busy frantically looking around for the cursed thing.

"Where is it?" I shout. "Where the hell is it?!"

Levi sighs and drops his hands dramatically. He glances at me with a frown. I look at him in terror. My lips were pale and my skin white.

"It's just a rat," he mutters.

I gasp, the audacity of him to even say that. Just a rat. Where the hell has he being living under? A rock?

"Just a rat, my ass!" I shriek. "Do you know how many diseases those creatures carry?!"

"Look, all you got to do is trap it and take it outside."

"I am not doing that!" I exclaim. "I'm not going nowhere near that thing!"

Then an idea struck my mind. It was brilliant. It required no work of me and I would be safe on Levi's surprisingly comfortable back.

"How about you trap it?" I suggest.

"Yeah, no," he quickly denies. "It's not my problem you got a phobia for rats."

"Do it before we all die from it!" I almost beg.

"Stop being dramatic and suck it up!"

I was getting tired of his back talk. All I ask was simple favor, where's the harm if he complies?

"You either kill it or trap it, Levi. Or so help me, I will grab those cockroaches and shove it down your throat!" 

I glare at him, hoping my threat sounded fierce and promising. If he wanted me off him then he better do what I say. Or else I would be strapped on him like a backpack. Levi finally looks away and releases a little huff.

"Where did you see it?" He mutters.

A fluttery feeling greets my stomach and I resist to victoriously smile. Quickly I point to my pile of dirt.

"Over there."

With a heavy sigh he searches around the pile then around the room. There was no sign of it but that didn't brighten my mood. I know it's somewhere. It was waiting to kill me with the plague.

"Are sure you saw a rat?" Levi questions after a while. He turns away from a corner and scans the room. "Or was it a dust bunny?"

I shake my head furiously, "It was a rat!" I proclaim. "It was fat and gray!"

"So are dust bunnies!" Levi retorts.

He glares over his shoulder, mood turning foul. Mine was too. I knew what he was implying.

"What? Are you calling me a liar now?" I demand.

"That's what it looks like!" He shouts. "It's been ten minutes and that little shit is nowhere in sight!"

"Then you're not looking hard enough! It's probably harder for you and those beady little eyes of yours!"

His nose starts to flare and his face becoming red. He breathes heavily with his teeth clenched.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me!" I huff. "Your beady eyes can't even see what's in front of you!"

He clicks his tongue and glares to the side. I watch him nod mindfully with a proud aura filling my core.

"That's it." I hear him growl. "You crossed a line."

He takes a step and something underneath his foot loudly crunches. When I hear a loud, helpless squeak I couldn't help but do the same. I shriek in fear and wildly try to somehow bring my body further away from the floor.

I try to climb atop Levi's shoulders but he tries to resist and push me off. It was a tough struggle. Him wanting me to let go and me wanting to hold him tighter.

"Emma! I can't see!" Levi panics. I had my arm cover Levi's eyes causing him to stumble vigorously around the room.
"Let go!"

"I won't do such a thing, idiot!"

His foot steps on the broom and I felt ourselves wobble back and forth. My eyes widen at will come next and I never thought I would hold onto a man this tight in my whole life. I shut my eyes close, preparing impact.

Yet, when our bodies land on the floor with a thud I didn't feel any aches or pain. I kept my eyes shut a little longer until I hear a small groan in front of me. Confused, I slowly open my eyes.

When my eyes land on what's before me, a sudden lack of air dries my throat. I couldn't speak nor could I breathe properly. All I could do was stare back those sliver eyes under me.

I had realized we both fell but, with me atop of Levi.

/\/\/\/\/\

I really want to give y'all some soft scenes with these two but the story has to progress first!😩

I'm getting so impatient here!😤
And I'm the author!-_-

Anyway!
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