perception ⸝⸝ aot

15

I pad down the rickety wooden hallway, running my fingers along the walls after dropping my belongings in the room where Levi's squad's beds were. Levi dropped me off at Erwin's, where he was making a slow recovery. I took care of him for a week in Trost, tending to his wound and helping him get used to one hand. I also started research on prosthetics and will begin to build one for him. 

I had already gathered the materials necessary and requested a work table as well. Now that Erwin was fine on his own, I had to return to my designated station: Levi's squad. No one in the squad knew I had returned. Excitement and nervousness mixed into one as I slowly walked to the kitchen.

"It's almost like we're back in the Cadet Corps," I overhear Sasha say, her voice laced with nostalgia. It made my heart wrench with sadness. 

"Yeah, all that's missing is Ymir and Marco! ... And (Y/N)," Christa replies, she sounds sad. "I'm a little surprised Levi isn't going back for them."

"I mean, did you see what (Y/N) did out there?" Mikasa says lowly. "She's dangerous... Plus Ymir wanted to go with them."

"Sasha... What did you just put in your bag?" Armin says lowly as I turn to stand in the doorframe, leaning against it. She turns her head to Armin, her hand still stuffed in her bag. "Nothing bread-related," she mutters

"Give it back!" Eren says, annoyed, as he and Jean walk to Sasha. Christa's the first to take notice of me, and when she does, her mouth opens in surprise. She blinks a few times, rubs her eyes, and when I'm still there, she lets out an odd noise of surprise and happiness. 

"(Y/N)?!" She yells, dropping the firewood she cradled in her arms. She ran to me, throwing her arms around my neck and hugging me tightly. They still didn't look at me though, until Levi walked in from the front door. Christa pulled away from me but still held my hand tightly.

"What's all the commotion about?" He looked at them, glaring. They all continued quarrelling about the food, but Eren stopped and turned to Levi, then he looked at me. Levi turned to me, putting a hand on my head. "Welcome back, brat," he ruffles my hair and I give him a small smile. The smile felt foreign, it felt like I hadn't smiled in forever. Perhaps it was because of the tears I shed every night, deep in thought about Bertolt.

Levi turned away from me and put his hand under the wooden table that sat in the middle, dust fell from under it as he slid his slim fingers. Everyone was quiet now, looking at Levi. Eren, Jean, Armin, Mikasa, Connie and Sasha. "I'm sure I gave you enough time," he looks unimpressed, slightly annoyed with them all. "Anyways, we'll discuss your lax cleaning job another time," he says as he wipes his fingers with a white cloth. "First of all, welcome back (Y/N). But she isn't just a comrade anymore. She's Lieutenant Amana now," he says with pride, then, pauses as he nods to me. They all gasp and salute me. 

"Stoop," I say sheepishly as heat rushes to my face, scratching the back of my neck. Yes, my rank had been officially raised to lieutenant, which means I rank right below Captain Levi. Lieutenants have many of the same responsibilities as lower-ranking police officers, but they assist in investigations, formations and other tasks that Erwin sets to private. In short, I'll continue doing what I do, except I won't have to be so secretive about it.