Attack on Oneshots [SnK/AoT]

Farlan, Levi, and Isabel

Warning: Feels Town ahead.

Everlasting Friendship

"Big brother Levi!" The crude man turns his head around to the sound of the voice, immediately coming to face with two individuals he hasn't for the longest time. The girl who had called him was waving her hand, bouncing with joy and excitement as she ran towards the surprised Corporal with uncanny speed. Not too far, a man with dirty blonde hair was following behind her.

"Isabel...?" Levi said, barely above whisper, at the sight of the girl with pigtails, and then turned his attention the taller man behind her. "...And Farlan." Unable to fathom the situation, he furrowed his brows in confusion when two of his old comrades stood in front of him, smiles wide as humanly possible. "What the hell are you doing here?" He said in a nonchalant tone despite the turmoil of emotions residing inside the short man. He was happy, to say the least, to meet his friends after so long, but he's unable to show his joyous mood when he still felt guilty for his actions, for he can never forget the choices he made that lead them to their death.

"Not even a hello?" Isabel puffed her cheeks exasperatedly, but it didn't last long as she giggled joyously. "It's nice to see you again too."

The taller of the two, Farlan, clamped his hand on Levi's shoulder with a chortle. "Still haven't changed I see." He said, though it seemed like it wasn't just Levi's personality he was referring to, seeing as he was visibly eyeing the man's length. Usually, Levi would kick him for that, or force him to clean his room, but he was too frozen in place to neither do, nor say anything.

The Corporal stayed silent for a while, staring at his friends' never-ending smiles with a face one would describe as expressionless, but in all honesty, he just didn't know what sort of face he should make. Was this a dream? He thought, not sure how to react. Although, for some reason or another, it didn't feel like it. He had dreams about his two friends before - nightmares, really - and occasionally, memories of their days together before entering the Survey Corps. But this dream was nothing like the former or latter.

After a moment of silence, Levi parted his lips to speak. "I'm sorry." He said in a dead-panned manner, his voice not relaying any emotions. But Isabel and Farlan knew Levi long enough to know that wasn't the case. They both could sense the slight tinge of guilt and remorse in his words - his eyes, which were usually cold and uncaring, was filled with harbored anguish.

The two old comrades glanced at each other and sighed loudly, shaking their heads in unison. "What the hell are you talking about, Levi?" Farlan said with a slight laugh. The said man furrowed his eyebrows, opening his mouth to speak again, but Isabel beat him to the punch as she simultaneously clapped the man's back, making him slightly stumble forward.

The Corporal glanced at her with a glare, but softened at the sight of her wry smile.

"Yeah, Big bro. What the hell are you talking about?"

Before Levi could say anything back, Farlan sat on a chair, motioning for Levi to sit as well. At his gesture, Levi realizes for the first time that he was inside his old hideout in the underground. He hadn't notice at first, since he was too focused on Isabel and Farlan's arrival, but glancing around, the room sent waves of nostalgia to his normally unfeeling heart. He pursed his lips and sat on his usual seat - Farlan across him and Isabel sitting in the middle, her head propped on top of the chair's headboard; she always had a weird sitting habit. The place hasn't changed a bit; same old wooden floors and cielings, but of course, not a speck of dust was present, just how he liked it to be. Not too far, he could see three pairs of broom by the corner, and some other cleaning utensils. He remembered how he bought those brooms for each one of them - the taller one for Farlan, the middle's Levi, and the shortest for Isabel.

While the black haired man was busy basking in his nostalgia, Farlan took the chance to speak. "You know, Levi..." he trailed off, looking at the ceiling. This caught the shorter man's attention as his gaze follows the taller one's line of sight. His eyes widen a bit at the sudden change of scenery. He was no longer in their old room, now they were perched on the rooftop of the Survey Corp's Headquarter's; his eyes trained on the same cloudy night sky, with the moon barely showing, which resembled so much like the night before that day.

"I..." he glances at Isabel, who occupied Levi's other side, "No, we don't blame you for anything," he smiled, in contrast to Levi's frowning face. The short man opened his lips, about to say something, but was stopped when Farlan spoke again. "Remeber the night before the expedition?" He whispered and Levi nodded slowly, slightly remembering the conversation they had before going out the walls the day after. "Yeah... me too." He said vaguely, not attempting to add in details. Levi was unsure how to proceed, for the first time, and was caught in what he thought was an 'uncomfortable' silence.

Isabel suddenly squealed in delight, cutting through the quiet atmosphere. "Oh, look at that! The clouds are clearing!" At her words, the Corporal looks up at the sky once more. He could now see the numerous stars littering the world's ceiling, sparkling and showing its brilliance. "You know what, big bro..." Levi shifted his gaze to Isabel, her eyes seemingly glazed with un-shed tears. "I was really happy at that time. When we left the walls... I've never felt so free in my whole life. It was a scary experience, but all the while exciting. We, who were born in the undergrounds, no one would've believed that we managed to leave that wretched place - let alone, the walls." She glanced at the Corporal, briefly, then looks to the sky again. "It was a short life, but it was a pretty good darn life - we had."

"Short life?" Farlan snorted, "Was that supposed to be a pun?" He eyed Levi, making Isabel roll her eyes and laugh.

"Caught me, huh?" She jested.

Levi didn't reply and shook his head disbelievingly at his old comrades. These idiots, he thought. They were the only two people he knew that would make jokes out of their own deaths.

"Brats." He said, slightly chuckling and shaking his head. "You both are stupid brats." He repeated once more, a lone tear rolling down his cheek. Isabel's lips trembled at his words, continuous tears streaming down her cheeks - but a smile still present on her face - as she threw her arms around Levi, Farlan following suit.

In the midst of their crying, Levi could hear voices overlap his friends' wails.

"Levi... don't... -ie," he heard someone scream incoherently. He could also hear the numerous sounds of swords clashing in the background, as well as hear the tearing of flesh and canon shots from afar.

"Well, that's our cue." Farlan said as Isabel wiped a tear. The short man looked perplexed at the sight of the two standing up. He stood up to follow, but they both shook their head 'no'. The scenery was changing again, and everything was pure white. No matter how much he ran towards his friends, the space between them never changed and they continued to go on farther, leaving him alone.

"'Till next time!" They shouted, and Levi clenched his jaw as he fastened his pace. He had so many things to say, so many things left unsaid. But, inevitably, he stopped running when they were no longer in sight.

"Till next time..." he whispered to himself, and then closed his eyes. When he opened them again, he was welcomed by the sight of Hanji by his bedside, an unusual serious expression on her face. At the sight of Levi's awakening, a huge grin played her features.

"Had a good dream?" She asked, and Levi nodded, a faraway look on his face.

"Yeah," he said, allowing his lips to curl ever so slightly. "I did."

- - - - -

A/N: How was it? Did you cry? *crosses my fingers* >.< I tried my best to make it bitter-sweet!