In Another Life

Chapter 42

"So Kirstein huh? I thought you were married now?" Michaelson says in a hesitant joking manner.

Walking alongside him I hold up my left hand to show him my silver wedding band as we continue to walk along the outside of the base. It was cold. And I was begging to shiver.

"Ahhh I see." He almost sounded disappointed as he continued to look forward.

Bringing both of my hands up to rub my arms for warmth I feel Michaelson's cape drape over my shoulders as he covers me.

"There, can't have you getting sick on us. Now can we?" He close eyed smiled down at me.

"Hummm... thanks... Michaelson why are we here?" Coming to a stop turning my body to face him fully.

Bringing his hand up to rub his neck anxiously he looks back into my eyes.

"I heard you had gotten into it with Captain Ward, I wanted to make sure you were okay. The men here don't see many ladies so they tend to lose all self control." He laughs nervously.

"So that's his name huh? Ward? Well don't you think someone should teach them some self control?" Kicking the dirt in front of me with my boot.

"Of course! I agree Y/N. It's... it's just when I heard you were here.. well I was worried when I heard about Ward..I still care about you Y/N..... I think about us all time time." His hand drops from behind his neck and reaches out to grab ahold of mine.

My eyes instantly shoot up at the feel of his touch. His thumb begins to stroke back and forth gently on the back of my hand.

This feels wrong. His touch. Everything. Nothing about this feels like home. He's not... Levi.. he's not home.

Pulling my hand free from his I step back a step.

His arms instantly come out and wraps around my small figure bringing me close into his chest. I feel my body being slightly lifted off the ground as he tightens his grip. My face remained pressed tightly to his chest.

I can feel his lips brush against the cool skin of my neck as he digs his face deeper into my neck. He inhaled deeply before letting go of me. He took a step back and steadys himself against the building wall behind us.

"I'm... im sorry. I just had to feel you. Just once more. He may have been it for you. But you have always been that for me." He takes a deep breath before continuing.

"I've never stopped wanting you. Thinking about you. Dreaming about what could have been if I would have just tried a little harder. I hate myself for it. I hate myself for allowing him to have you. To love and hold you when I want that so badly to be me. I hate it." His fist slams against the wall one time as he hangs his head allowing his hair to cover his eyes.

You allow your hand to reach out and cup his face. Taking a deep breath before you say what you needed to next. He lifted his head and met your eyes. Bringing his hand up to hold yours against his face.

"Dylan.." allowing him to hear his first name finally roll off my tongue his eyes shoot wide open.

"I'll cherish the time we spent together forever. I do care for you and always will.... but not in the way I care for Levi.." I begin to pull my hand back from his cheek. But his grip tightens around my small hand. He squeezes his eyes shut and shakes his head.

"No.. you can't tell me you didn't feel anything. That you don't feel anything... Y/N! What we had was different. Much different why can't you see that!" He took a step forward towards me as I looked back and forth between his eyes searching for the words he needed to hear.

"Your right. What we had was much different from what I have with Levi.... Dylan we have a son together.. we are married.. it has always been him. It always will." Pulling my hand free from his tight grip I take another step back to create distance.

"I don't believe that Y/N. I've been with plenty of Women. You've always been different. I can't explain it but you are different." Dropping both hands to his side he looks down to the dirt.

"I love you Y/N I think I always have. I don't care if you don't see it the same way. I just needed you to hear it... at least once." Michaelson looks out at the trees that surround the base.

"I..... I can't. I'm sorry.." I couldn't take it anymore I needed to leave. Before I knew it I had turned and was running back for my quarters as I heard Michaelson start to chase after me. I untie his cape allowing it to fall from my shoulder as I run.

"Y/N please don't go!" His footsteps were beginning to fade as I turned corner after corner. I had lost him.

........................................................

"Connie! Sasha! And Chase you all take the 2 to the left. Jean you take out that last one to the right! Anna and Jason will supply you with back up. Meet back here after. I will take the two ahead!" Drawing out both of my blades as me and my squad hang off the side of the wall with our ODM gear.

"RIGHT!" They all say in unison.

"Don't be eaten!" I yell back at them as I shoot my hook into a nearby tree below us as we fall from the top of the wall.

Hearing the hooks of my cadets launch into trees behind me I make haste to take down the two in front of me.

There was a 15 meter and a 7 meter running straight for us.

Shooting a hook into the 7 meter Titan I use a little gas to propel me forward to fasten myself barley escaping the other Titans hand that was reaching out for me.

Barley skimming through the grasp of the 15 meter Titan I position both blades downwards as they make contact with the 7  meters nape. Instantly slicing through the tough skin of the Titan.

Cutting clean through its nape it collapses with a loud boom.

Hearing the sound of other wires cutting through the air I know it's backup. As I land on a nearby tree breach I turn around to locate the other Titan.

It was swatting mindlessly into the air trying to catch the flying cadets that circled it. Among those cadets was Michaelson.

Shooting a hook into a tree nearby the Titan I position myself to drop down from above to make clean cut onto the nape. But Michaelson was quickly grabbed by the Titan. He screamed out in agony as it's grip tightened around his waist.

Shooting a hook into its wrist that held him I use extra gas to accelerate myself downwards at lightening speed cutting the Titans fingers open allowing Michaelson to fall from his hold.

He slams hard into the forest floor. I land right next to him.

"Get up! Now Cadet! Move your ass!" I grab ahold of his arm ripping him upwards to move. Just in time to see his eyes grow twice their size as he screams out.

"Y/N MOVEEEEEE!" Was all I heard as I felt a hard object slam into the side of my body sending me flying through the forest.

I slam into giant branches just like before. Slamming particularly harder into a certain stump before falling more then a few feet to the forest floor onto my head.

Instantly black.