The Prices I Pay ((MIKE ZACHARIAS X ERWIN SMITH X OC))

Chapter 15

As promised, Levi showed up at Silica's house by mid morning as she left for HQ. As expected, Levi had summoned a carriage for her, and found Petra waiting for her inside. After a bit of prodding, Silica came to learn that Levi requested her to accompany Silica on the way back to base as an escort to ensure that she wouldn't need help.

Despite the innocence behind Levi's actions, she couldn't help but feel irked that he found her helpless enough to need an escort to walk her across a courtyard, and even more so that it had been Petra.

She didn't necessarily dislike the girl, but found herself to be irritated by the occasional looks she would catch Petra shooting at her from her place seated across from Silica. Whether her constant glances were from curiosity or judgement she didn't know, but either way, it bothered her.

They arrived at base in record time, and as soon as the carriage stopped, Silica tossed the door open and stepped out.

"Do you need assistance, Captain?" Petra asked as she exited behind her.

"No," she replied, offering a patient smile. "Thank you."

Seeming relieved, Petra saluted in response, and didn't object as Silica turned to leave. Her journey to Erwin's office was — as it always had been — a short one, and she didn't bother to knock as she entered.

Upon her entry, Erwin looked up. Despite his initial surprise, he appeared to be relieved to see her, and stood when she neared his desk.

"Finished and ready for the —"

As Silica held out Erwin's folder of completed reports to him, she paused midstep with a surprised gasp and a hand on her belly.

"Silica?" Erwin asked, his sense of worry instantaneous as he rounded his desk to be at her side. "What is it?"

"The baby," she spoke into a laugh, and looked up to him with gleaming eyes. "They kicked. The baby just kicked."

"What?" Erwin couldn't suppress his surprise. "That's fantastic!"

"Oh my God," she jumped as she turned to him. "They kicked again. Give me your hand."

Without waiting for him to oblige, Silica grabbed Erwin by the wrist and positioned his palm on the lower left portion of her stomach. The silence that settled in the room as he waited for the tiny bump to hit his hand was thick enough to cut with a knife, but when it finally came, the laugh that escaped him was music to anyone's ears.

As he did so, Erwin lowered to his knees with his cheek pressed against her stomach, and held Silica in place by the hips while she placed her hands on his shoulders. He erupted in laughter a second time at the tiny blips of movement, and looked up to Silica with a bright smile on his face.

"This was the first time?" Erwin asked, and Silica quickly nodded. "Hurry, come sit."

Erwin took Silica gently by the wrists and slowly guided her to one of the armchairs in front of his desk as if she was the most fragile thing in the world. She sat as he asked, and watched him as he continued to delicately press his fingers into her tummy to elicit a reaction from the baby. It was almost cute watching how enthralled he was, and Silica had no problem with watching his smile grow with every movement.

"I don't think I've ever seen you this excited," the sound of her voice was soft; almost fond. "Or excited in general, for that matter."

"It's not everyday I get to experience something like this," Erwin transitioned his smile to her. He almost looked like an awestruck child. "It's magical."

Silica chuckled at the gleam in his eyes, and crossed her ankles whilst allowing Erwin to commence his prodding. Despite having already carried a child, — and the fact that she would never admit it — Silica had never experienced someone being so interactive with her unborn child, or the fact that she enjoyed it. It made a strange feeling come over her; like a tingling warmth. It was comforting.