Remember

.

"You're alive!"

He tripped as he walked over to me and nestled his head into my lap before his arms snaked around my waist like vises; he faked a cough and sniffled before i even attempted to speak.

"Im not the armored titan anymore Lily- they're gone, they're all gone! Even the normal ones."

I did my best to try and smooth out his wild hair but most of my fingers were still too numb to move, so i made an awkward cradle with my wrist instead.

"...i know."

I winced; talking felt like rubbing my throat raw with a grind stone.

"They told me that you died...i saw your body when we got back-"

He finally gained enough composure to get back up to his feet but i merely smiled before rolling my shoulder blades around in a feeble attempt to wake my hands up.

"I cant tell you how, but you're right. I did die that day but my brother did more then just save humanity... where's Levi?"

With shaking knees, i hobbled around as i got up and narrowed my eyes when Reiner's face fell and he suddenly couldn't look at me anymore.

"Reiner, what happened to Levi?"

"...he didnt die, but when the walls fell and we went to go stop your brother...he got hurt really bad just before hand."

"Take me to him. Please."

I tried to put one foot forward on my own but nearly toppled over before i took more then two steps, Reiner had to catch me and prop me up by my shoulders to keep me from falling onto my face.

"I dont know if i can, Im not even supposed to see you without probable cause. Things are....well, still tense out there."

"Please, i need to see him. I need to know that hes ok- Reiner, he told me not to go on that recon mission in the first place."

"...you love him, dont you?"

There was a touch of hurt in his voice but i would have to worry about that later, my face must have shown what i was thinking because he groaned before i answered.

"One condition, you let me carry you on my back."

"Im not-"

He put a finger to my lips before he folded his arms across his chest in an air of smugness.

"Not up for debate im afraid, you're weak right now so you either let me help you or you just have to wait and find him on your own."

*

Barely concealed from the backside of a wheelchair, I caught the aroma of his favorite tea before i could see much else of him, he balanced his tiny cup by the rim as he always preferred to do but was just staring at a beige colored wall; Reiner had carted me all the way to a new house on what used to be the outskirts of Maria. Rangers clad in all black had let the both of us go without so much as a complaint, but their icy stares rose the hair on the back of my arms.

"Watching paint dry are we now Captain?"

The cup nearly fell from his hand as he turned his chair around and Reiner bent his knees so i could slide off easily from his back.

"Lily?"

I tried to fake a cough but nearly cried when the pain felt like razor wire scraping the inside of my throat, through the tears in my eyes i could barely make Levi out trying to turn his chair around more in the thick carpet; half of his face was hidden under bandages as was his right hand, also missing a few of his fingers. He gave up trying to move the thing and just settled for looking at me longingly, even when the tears were cleared up.

"What happened to you?"

He held his bandaged hand out to me and without thinking i took it, my other hand seeking out one of Reiner's before dragging him forward so i could touch the both of them comfortably.

"I lost all sense of stability when you died, Zeke did all of this so i killed him myself."

"Zeke?"

Levi aimed a weak squeeze at my fingers and just shook his head side to side.

"Dont worry about it Lily, everything's finally the way it should have been from the start."

I brought his hand up to my forehead before closing my eyes and letting go of the both of them, a dull pounding making its presence known in both of my temples.

"Not...entirely."

I waited until the ache was gone and when my eyes slid open Levi was already staring at me with a cold intensity i knew all too well.

"It's got something to do with you coming back, doesnt it?"

"Yeah- you could say it like that."

I felt Reiner shift his weight from foot to foot and i chuckled nervously, grindstone feeling be damned.

"But it's something you both need to see so you know im not bullshitting you."

I got to my feet and pressed a few long fingers to the part of Levi's head that wasnt bandaged; his good eye closed and he just soft-pressed his head into my hand.

"All i ask is that you hear me out."

*

"You shouldnt do too much, you need rest!"

"No i dont , i need to wake my body up and this is one way to do it."

Levi was gripping the arm rests of his wheelchair so hard his pale hands were turning white at the knuckles, he managed to get his chair to the very edge of the porch but Reiner had insisted on following me halfway out into the sunny yard. I kept both of my palms raised close to my mouth in a warning not to come any closer, i didnt know just how this would go.

"Lily..."

"Dont."

Watching my brother having done this many times before, i lifted my right hand closer to my mouth and watched as comprehension finally dawned on Reiner's face.