ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴍᴇʀᴄʏ {ʟᴇᴠɪ ᴀᴄᴋᴇʀᴍᴀɴ}

Faulty Gear

{Mercy's POV}

      Shannon and I made our way to the stables to go see Ronnie.
     As we approached each horse whinnied and neighed at the sight of us.

     "Are you excited?" Shannon asked with wide eyes.
     "About what?"
     "About being on a squad with me, idiot!" He retorted and smacked his palm to his chest as if he was hurt by my questioning.
     "Ecstatic," I replied as I pet the velvety muzzle of my horse.
     "Not that I'm complaining," he started, "But why did they move you to Squad 47 anyway?"
     I glanced at his expectant honey colored eyes, and knew I couldn't tell him the truth.
    "Because Commander Hange knew that with a dumbass like you your squad will need all the help it can get," I jeered and raised a brow at him which only resulted in him shaking his head and clicking his tongue.
    "Can't argue with that one."
     Shannon and I hoisted ourselves onto our horses.
    The sun was high in the sky, but it wasn't a hot day. The playful breeze swept over the walls that surrounded us and dove down to rustle up the fallen leaves on the ground like it was a game. Our horses would whinny and shook their heads randomly as we trotted through the streets. Children were playing behind buildings. They'd gawk at our passing and burst with excitement at the admiration for our horses.
    It was a brand new, childlike, nostalgic day.
    "I remember playing in streets like these when I was a kid," Shannon laughed as the children halted several feet from us to stare. "How about you?"
     I remembered the shackles around my wrist and the intensity of my father's anger. I remembered the hunger and the confusion and the pools of my own tears.
     I couldn't remember playing or laughter.
     Still, I nodded my head and pretended to agree with him. 
    "So how was your mission into the unknown?" He asked with a lifted brow.
    "I'll save that story for when we see Ronnie. Then I can just tell you both," I said as I watched the townspeople slowly clear the streets to make way for us.

     "Come on," he sighed, "At least give me something to think about."
     I looked over at him to see his expectant stare and realized he wasn't going to shut up unless I gave him some kind of information.
    "The sea is larger than you could imagine. It's endless," I said, "Kind of like your arrogance."
    He pursed his lips and furrowed his eyebrows before blowing raspberries at me.
    "Like I said earlier today, that-"
    "-Concussion made me a bitch. I know," I laughed.
    It was nice to finally talk and joke with Shannon. With the memories flooding my brain and the stress of the mission I didn't realize how much I needed it.
    I looked at my fingers curling around the reigns of my horse. It baffled me that they had enveloped Levi's hands just hours before.
    I wondered what possessed him to take such a brazen move back at my quarters, and why he was so passionate about it all.
    I had my suspicions about his feelings toward me as the mission progressed, and his actions only confirmed them.
   He did want to join me in that field after all, I thought as I recalled looking back at him those several days ago. His eyes were so relaxed and soft.
    Still, I couldn't shake the desperate look he had as he kneeled before me earlier that day. His gaze was passion filled and pleaded for forgiveness as if he had done something terrible. I also was relieved to know that him being cold and distant wasn't my doing... He was just struggling with his feelings.
     I wasn't angry at him for booting me off his squad, but my bones ached at the thought of not being close to him and my skin longed to touch his again.
    I thought about his thin hands and what he'd said to me during our handshake that reminded me of-
   "You sure are deep in thought," Shannon scoffed which made me turn my attention to him. "What're you thinking about?"
    "H-How much I miss Ronnie," I answered and looked around at the townspeople.
    "Well, stop being sappy over it," he laughed, "We're on our way to see her right now."
     I nodded my head and continued to look around.
     Gawking children were accompanied by their mothers who nervously whispered for them to not get too close to the street. Merchants under tents were boasting loudly about their products. A stray dog was quietly approaching one of the booths and snuck off with one of the merchant's goods. I watched as the man cursed and mumbled as he chased it off.
     I couldn't help but giggle at the sight.
    As I panned my attention back to the street ahead, a shadowy figure caught my eye.
    A man dressed in all black hid in the shadows of an alleyway, and disappeared after meeting my stare.
    "Did you ever figure out what crawled up Levi's ass?" Shannon asked nervously.
    "What do you mean?" I asked absent minded as I kept my focus on the dark alley.
    "Uhm, what do you mean?" He countered. "What about at the graduation ceremony where he grabbed you like you were a stray cat? Or just his overall attitude? I bet he was a bitch to work with."
     I remembered how he removed the cloak from my body in the midday heat. How he comforted me when I was breaking down in the tree. How his eyes longed to sit next to me in the field and how comforting it was to squeeze his hands.
     "He's not as bad as you think he is," I laughed through a subtle smile that I couldn't contain.
     Shannon's face contorted slightly as he noticed my grin.
    "W-What's that suppose to mean?" He said with furrowed eyebrows as our horses moved along. My lips went straight and I tilted my head.
    "Why are you upset?"
    "I'm not!" He retorted and threw his hand up. "He's a total dick from what I've seen and heard, and I just don't understand why you're trying to see something good in him."
     "Because there is good in him, Shannon," I argued. "Sure, he can be a real pain in the ass, but he's actually a good guy."
    "How?"
    "How what?"
    "How is he a good guy? What makes him such a good guy in your eyes?"
    A flash of black showed in my peripheral and I quickly turned my head to see another figure disappear.
    "We need to pick up pace," I said quietly as I stared into the darkness.
    "Did you seriously just change the subject," Shannon muttered and I quickly whipped my head around.
    "What is your problem, Shannon?" I pleaded. "Why are you so fixated on Captain Levi?"
    "Because I wanna know what makes him a good guy!"
    "He just is! Now-"
    "But why?" Shannon shouted and I could feel everyone's eyes on us. Another dark figure emerged from the alley directly behind my sight of Shannon.
     The hairs on the back of my neck began to stand and I could feel my heart beating faster. I felt uneasy with all of the ominous figures emerging and disappearing.
     "What?" Shannon said quietly as his face relaxed at the sight of my alertness.
     "Let's go," I demanded and quickened the pace of my horse.
     "W-Wait for me!" I heard Shannon call as he whipped his reigns.
     Whoever those people were I could feel they had ill intent. I didn't know who they were, or why I was so uneasy at the sight of them, but I knew I had to leave. If they wanted a fight I wasn't afraid to dish one out, but I remembered the children and the townspeople surrounding us and decided to just avoid it all for their sake.
    They were probably just some street thugs, but it felt as if we were being targeted.