Microcosmos || Rivamika

Ch17 Written in the Stars

Summary: After their travels, Levi and Mikasa have a hard time adjusting to normal life in Paradis. Armin and Mikasa reminisce about Eren. The Scouts receive an unexpected letter from Marley, and Levi feels he has no more time to spare.

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Nine Days Later...

"Captain Levi, Ackerman. We are grateful you came back safely from your mission in Marley." Premier Zackley nodded his head as he leaned back, the chair creaked behind him. Hange scribbled on her notepad as she rushed to write the last of the reports of Levi and Mikasa's encounters.

"Thank you, sir." Levi returned the gratitude in the form of a slight nod paralleling Mikasa's gesture.

In the end, the mission objective to bring Eren Jaeger back home was a failure — though it was not a total loss.

From locating Carly Stratmann in Marley, encountering Zeke Jaeger, and learning about Willy Tybur, it was at least enough to have yielded some important information. Hange was particularly excited to learn about the infrastructure of the Liberio Internment Zone — an unexplored territory even during the Scouts' months of living in Marley.

Though bloodied and torn, the letters to Queen Historia from Eren were also shared and discussed amongst the higher ups to Mikasa's hesitation. While it did not provide helpful or specific information to Eren's plans, the revelation made leadership cautious of the queen's interactions with Jaeger before he left. Zackley sighed and laid the love letters onto the table. Interrogating the royal queen would prove to be difficult.

"Very well. Great work again, soldiers. Our meeting is adjourned — as are you, Commander Hange. Us four shall reconvene again on Monday." Zackley stood to his feet and gave Levi and Mikasa each a solid handshake. "We haven't given you time to breathe since you've come back. You've even taken the time to inform the Stratmann family of their daughter. Please, do take the weekend off."

Levi raised his brows, impressed at the sudden grant. "Not even Erwin ever granted us a day off."

"Oh? Are you begging me to put you to more work, Captain?" Zackley chortled.

Hange bellowed. "Give him work, sir! I've had to pick up his slack—"

"Shut up, four-eyes." Levi huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head as he turned back to the Premier. "We'll gladly take the days off. Thank you." Levi pivoted to the door and nodded to Mikasa to follow, who gave a deep bow to the old man and trailed behind as Levi held the door open for her and Hange.

The door creaked to a close as the three stood outside of Zackley's office. Levi and Mikasa faced each other without saying another word; his hands fidgeted in his pockets, and hers tugged at the hems of her coat.

Another few seconds of tense silence passed before Levi finally cleared his throat and held out a handshake to Mikasa. "So... Great work, Ackerman."

She received the cordial gesture before nodding slowly and avoiding eye contact. "Thank you, again... Captain."

The awkward exchange rendered Hange speechless. Two silent soldiers gave a simultaneous turn and headed separate directions before she could say anything else. "Ah—see you, Mikasa!" Hange spit out as much of a final greeting as she could before giving a swift double-take to her short friend, who had already walked far off behind. "W-wait, Levi!!" She ran to catch up and slung a loose arm over his shoulders. "Levi, what was that back there?"

"You almost cost me a rare day off—"

"No, you dense man!" Hange poked his skull with the back of her pen, forcing his agitated attention to turn to her as he rubbed the sore spot. "I'm talking about Mikasa!" The mischievous glint behind her glasses revealed her suspicions as her brows lifted up and down. "There isn't anything else that needs to be included in these reports, Levi...?"