Anastasya
Candlelight danced across the stone walls of the cabin, pushing back the darkness of the night beyond the cosy sanctuary. Anya sat at the dining room table, her head propped up on her elbow, as she mulled over the conversations she'd had with the squad over dinner. Historia had finally come out of her shell, telling them all of her tragic childhood, before shutting down again. She sighed, wondering if the golden-haired girl would be able to deal with whatever came next. She sat up straight when she heard the familiar clop of hooves outside, listening for any conflict between the rider and Mikasa and Conny, who were out on watch. However, the gait of the horse was slow and relaxed, and she got up and opened the door to see Levi handing the reins to Conny before stalking towards her, tired but unharmed.
"Have you eaten?" she asked, stepping back to let him inside.
"No time," he replied.
"I saved you some dinner."
"Thanks."
He kissed her cheek and then dropped into a chair. A moment later, Anya placed a bowl of warm vegetable stew in front of him, along with some fresh bread.
"Any trouble?" he asked, studying her as he tore the bread in half and began eating.
"None," she replied, watching him back as though he were the most interesting person in the world. "We put Eren straight to bed when we got back here. His face is normal again now, but he hasn't woken up yet. I put Mikasa on extra watch duty as punishment for her disobedience earlier, and to stop her from suffocating the poor kid."
"Good," he said, after swallowing his mouthful. "Where are they all?"
"In their rooms. What did Erwin say?"
"He's not happy. He wants us to abandon the plan to seal the hole using Eren."
Anya felt her eyes widen.
"Already? We've only just started to experiment."
"We don't exactly have time to spare."
"Still, I'm surprised... Continuing to transport supplies to Wall Maria will almost certainly take even longer..."
She frowned, nibbling the tip of her thumb.
"Erwin knows something we don't... Maybe he believes that we're going to need Eren at full strength for something else, and soon... What do we do now, then?"
"We lie low and wait. He's still trying to find out why Historia's father is of so much importance," Levi replied.
"Hmm."
"What? What are you thinking?"
"We need to find out if Eren can really control the Titans or not, like he seemed to do on the day of the invasion. Even if he can't seal the hole in the wall, he could still help massively by directing the Titans away while we get the supplies through and work on the wall. The best part is that he doesn't seem to need to transform to be able to do it. All we need are a few Titans... Maybe I can take him and a few others be-"
"Absolutely not," said Levi. "Are you forgetting you're not meant to be riding, using ODM gear or sparring for at least another two weeks? Let alone killing Titans."
She sat up straight and scowled.
"This is such bullshit. You do realise that if something happens in the next few weeks, if things get dangerous like we think they will, I'm a sitting duck."
"Don't think that hasn't crossed my mind," he admitted quietly, placing his spoon down.
She pursed her lips. She hadn't paid much heed to how worried Levi was for her, but the way he looked in that moment showed her that she was only adding to his worries. Perhaps she should have stayed in Trost after all.
"Nothing to be done about it now," she said weakly.
"Yeah. How's the pain?"
"Much more manageable now, thanks to the new painkillers. My shoulder's going to need some work, though. I thought after they popped it back in it would be smooth sailing, but I'm going to have to do some exercises to get it back to how it was."
"I'll help," he said, flicking her lightly under the chin.
He stood and went to wash up his bowl and spoon, as well as the pot that had been used for cooking, while Anya made them both tea. She hid a smile, taking a moment to enjoy the rare, mundane moment.
"How did the brat take her punishment?" Levi asked, glancing out of the window to where Conny and Mikasa stood at the lookout post, rifles slung on their backs.
"She didn't protest, but she certainly wasn't happy about it. It's a good job Eren's so important or else I'd be even more irritated at how much she smothers him without regard for others' safety."
"Let's hope she learns sooner rather than later, before someone gets seriously hurt."
YOU ARE READING
The Path Back to You | Levi x OC
Fanfiction"Reveal yourself," Erwin ordered, though Mikasa detected uncertainty in the commander's voice. It was almost as though he were afraid of who lay beneath the cloak. The entire regiment held its breath as the rider reached up with pale hands and lowe...
