It Started With Cadet Training (Reader/Levi/Erwin/Hange/Mike)

Peace

Your head is pounding when you return to consciousness. Your throat is dry, starved for water, and the sun glaring on your face isn't helping.

With a groan, you reach your right hand up and rub your eyes, trying to adjust to the bright light in the room. There's a shuffle around you, a few hastened whispers as you try to hold on to consciousness.

Sadly, it slips through your grasp again and you fall back into the comfort of the darkness.

The next time you wake up, you're determined to stay awake. The sun is still glaring down on your eyes as you slowly pry them open. You can feel sheets between your fingers, confirmed by opening your eyes.

Everything is brighter than it should be, with sunlight glaring in through a hole in the roof. It looks as if it was quickly cleaned, an old doctor's office with beds crowded together. You see a few scouts here and there, being bandaged up or resting from the fight.

A sigh of relief leaves your lips as you realize that you're still in Shinisaga. This time you take it slow while bringing up your arm, rubbing sleep from your eyes before slowly sitting up in bed. There's a gasp from next to you as you start to move.

Shifting your gaze you see Hange slumped over a chair, watching you with wide eyes. They look exhausted, their glasses sitting on top of their head as they greet you with a wide smile.

"Hey there Lance," they start to whisper, cupping the side of your jaw in their hand. It's warm to the touch, and you find yourself tilting your head into their palm. "Take it easy, there's no rush."

You smile back at them, opening your mouth to rasp out a few words:
"How long... was I out?"

"Not too long. Erwin and Mike have been talking with the Marleyan's for a while, something about a peace treaty," Hange explains, grabbing a cup from the nightstand and holding it to your lips for you.

You take a few small sips before gulping the rest down, your mouth feeling less like a cotton ball.
"The kids?" is the second thing you ask, your eyes darting around for any sign of them.

"Levi's watching them with Nanaba and Moblit," Hange informs you, brushing their thumb gently across your face.

"Good... I was worried about them," you whisper quietly, your voice still harsh from dehydration.

"We were worried about you too. Lance, you lost a lot of blood and..." Hange's sentence trails off as their gaze shifts from your face to the side of your bed.

"Hange?" you press, shifting your gaze to your left arm. Or what should've been your left arm.

In its place, sat an empty bed. Below your bicep, there was nothing but empty space. A sarcastic response from the universe, keeping you alive but sacrificing something to protect those you love.

"I match Erwin," you chuckle, unable to stop the mocking laughter escaping your lips for a moment. "Now we have a full set of arms together."

"We tried to save it, but it was damaged beyond repair. We underestimated the guns that Marley had," Hange explains, holding your remaining hand tightly. "Lance, I'm sorry -"

"Don't be. I was the one who got shot, you guys just did what was necessary to keep me alive. Besides, if I have to pay with an arm for humanity's freedom, then so be it." You weren't sure if it was shock that brought out the words or if you truly felt that way. You just knew they needed to be said at that moment.

"Are you sure? I know this is a lot, I'd understand if -"

"I had to amputate Mike's leg. He's still alive. Erwin lost his arm to a titan. He's still alive. I lost my arm to a bullet wound. I'm still alive. It's far better than the alternative," you assure them, lifting your remaining hand up to your lips, clasped around theirs. You press a soft kiss to their knuckles.
"Marry me."