The Humanity's Strongest & The Graceful

A Late-Night Workout

A Few Hours Later:

Levi's POV:

After Tessa and I returned from Trost, we collected Eld, Gunther, and Eren for the patrol before Erwin and the rest of the Scouts arrived. We briefly explained to them what was on the rest of the agenda as we left Headquarters to what was in store for tomorrow. Though there were no Titans on this side of Wall Rose, we still acted as if there were any to plan a course of action as practice for teamwork, listening for commands by Tessa and me, and how to stay two steps ahead of the enemy. Whenever we stopped the simulation, Tessa would quiz Eren on the series of whistle commands for Kip to see if he remembered them. I was surprised he got the right in one try, though he almost confused the Scout and Track orders.

However, while Tessa was busy instructing the others what to do, my mind was elsewhere since I couldn't get what Tessa told me out of my head because I almost lost her another time. Tegan and Alexander were close to getting her and admitted they had no plans to stop until they did have her. I began to wonder of the what-ifs, like what if she hadn't honed into her surroundings; would it have happened? Even now, while I sit in Tessa's office chair doing Hange's half of the stack of paperwork, my mind is still focused on what almost happened.

When we returned from the patrol, I ordered one more final cleaning, not because I wanted to be sure everything was spotless and organized for the others but because I needed something to distract me. It worked for all about five minutes until Gunther asked Eren if any of his classmates were planning to enlist in the Scouts, only for Eren to answer that some wanted to join the Military Police. After Eren's response, it directed my mind back to what I was trying to avoid thinking about again. Thankfully, my aggravation on the matter was hidden perfectly well by my stoic expression, which even fooled Tessa because she assumed I was annoyed with doing Hange's paperwork since she was busy in the city. If only that would be the case because I would preferably be annoyed doing Hange's fucking portion than overthinking what could've happened today.

With Tessa mentioning Hange's paperwork, I used that as an excuse to leave, hoping it would give me another opportunity to think of anything else. As I walked to mine and Tessa's room, I undid my cravat and the top buttons of my shirt, ready for the unpleasant stack awaiting me to look over and sign. However, I fooled myself. After all, I have yet to do a single piece of fucking paperwork since I've been in here because I couldn't get my mind to focus. I wouldn't say I liked it when it went to this point because it would stress me out and make me even more bitter to everyone, including Tessa.

Even now, I'm still sitting at Tessa's desk with the two stacks gawking at me, but I ignore them as I rub my temples to nullify my aggravation before trying again to work on the paperwork. I let out a frustrated sigh while taking the first file from my stack and began working, hoping this would finally distract my mind from this overtaxing day. Between the last-minute patrols, Hange blurting out mine and Tessa's engagement to Erwin and Miche, learning Alexander and Tegan were in the city around the same time Tessa and I were was enough to push me to my breaking point. However, I thought it was my composure that I had felt snap, but it was actually the pen in my hand, leading me to see it in two pieces on the chestnut desk. I let out another frustrated sigh while falling back into the leather chair, "Today is not my fucking day." I groan as I run my non-covered ink hand through my hair before getting up to clean up the mess from the broken pen.

After cleaning the desk, I realized I couldn't work as my mind remained frustrated, leading me to walk into the bedroom to change out of my uniform and into my gray sweats before grabbing the bandages off the dresser to wrap around my hands and wrists. Since I can't block it out with cleaning and paperwork, it leads to my last resort: working out until my mind is exhausted and relaxed. After wrapping both wrists, I walk over to barely close the bedroom door, only to stop when I hear Hange's screeching outside the windows, which means the rest of the Regiment is now here. Great. I run my bandaged hands through my hair and sigh, wondering if I should join Tessa in the welcoming, but I decide against it, assuming she and the others will think I'm too busy with the paperwork, which makes me scoff because only if it was that fucking easy.