Silver Lining | ʟᴇᴠɪ ᴀᴄᴋᴇʀᴍᴀɴɴ

Chapter 6

For the next few days, Captain Levi continues to train me, but just the two of us don't eat dinner again. All of us together take trips through the forest nearby to train 3D maneuvers. That's my strength, and the captain says so as well. In mock situations, I shine with my tactical knowledge. Like Levi said, I'm good at working in a team, but if it were up to me, I'd rather do things myself. I think that if you want something done properly, you should always do it yourself. I don't tell him that.

Jean is annoyed with the captain because he doesn't understand why he isn't allowed to train with me at all. I tell him that it's for the best for both of us. He only grunts. Eren talks to me a little more every day. On the fifth day after Levi's attival, Eren and I sit next to each other during dinner. Mikasa doesn't seem to care; she knows that I'm no danger to Eren.

"So you've actually known him as a child," Eren says when we sit together by the fire.

Almost the rest of the Squad is in bed already. Only Connie and Sasha are still outside, doing who knows what. Eren is leaning back against the tree trunk that is lying behind us, and I'm sitting on my blanket again.

I grin. "Yeah. He was really cute as a child."

Eren laughs. "He's changed a lot."

I laugh as well. Yes, Jean has indeed changed quite a lot, but not in the bad way Eren means. Jean grew up to become a stronger version of himself. As a child, he was as stubborn as he is now, but now he's a bit better at admitting when he's wrong. To me, at least. He's still a little closed off and cold to the others. To Eren especially. I don't know why that is, I don't know why they can't seem to work together.

"So..." Eren hesitates. "You're training with Captain Levi."

I look at him and nod. His apprehensive face makes me frown. This isn't a sensitive topic. Everyone knows that the captain is training me. I don't know if that makes them think that I'm the weakest of them, and it worries me. What if people still think I'm worthless? What if I still deserve to end up in the dirt?

Squaring my shoulders, I decide that I won't fall into that spiral again. I've been down that road too many times, and I know that being here is supposed to be the end of that road. But is it really? Just because I made it here doesn't mean that I have nothing to prove, nothing to improve. It only means that I have to work even harder because now I have even more powerful people to surpass. The stupid children in my neighborhood were just a start.

When we come back from our next excursion through the forest, the sun is high in the sky and burning down on us as we exit the shade of the trees. Everyone goes inside for a little refreshment. I go inside to take a shower, but I know that it's not the last one I'll be taking today because when I come back outside, Levi is already waiting for me.

I freeze mid-step when I see him. He's not wearing a jacket at all today, and he has the sleeves of his grey shirt rolled up over his elbows. He runs a hand through his hair and pushes it out of his face. I can't stop staring at him. This gorgeous but dangerous man is going to beat me to a pulp in a minute.

"Alright," he says when I reach him. "Today, I want you to be fast. Don't focus on hitting your target; focus on being fast enough not to become one."

I nod, understanding. Basically, what I have to do is avoid his movements and slip out of his way anytime he tries to hit me. He manages quite a few times, and the longer we go, the more exhausted I get. I get slower, too slow, slow enough for him to punch me in the ribs.

Wordlessly, Levi hands me a water, and I take it. "Don't give up," he says while I drink. "You're fast, that's good, but you give up too easily."

With a nod, I'm setting the goblet aside and listening to his advice. He watches me before continuing to speak.