Dancing With Death: An Ereri Fan Fiction

Chapter 3: To You, After 2000 Years

"Wow! Free candies!"

The kids were running to get in line as Levi handed out candies to them. Onyankopon said it would lift their spirits despite today being the 3rd year since the Rumbling shook the earth, killing billions of people. Only 20% of humanity survived, all thanks to Eren.

He sighed, remembering that man once again. He vowed never to let a single thought of Eren pass through his system, purposely throwing the idea of Eren Yeager out the drain. Levi didn't want anything to do with him. He was a monster.

And yet, Levi's heart flutters when he sees the forest or meadow, remembering the warm green in Eren's eyes and signature shirt or the flock of birds hovering over them because they were free, just like Eren had always wanted. No matter how hard he tried to erase Eren from his life, he would constantly be reminded of him in every little insignificant thing.

"A lollipop!" A Middle Eastern kid exclaimed as Levi held the candy in his hand, dreading the memory of when a clown snuck up to him and handed him a treat, thinking he was a child dressing up. Since that day, Levi hated lollipops and clowns.

"Here," he gave the kid the candy, feeling warmth enveloping him as his face lit up in glee.

Levi never thought he'd be good with kids. He was born and raised in the Underground, a crime-ridden city filled with criminals and homeless people and devoid of anything good like love and comfort. All his life, Levi was exposed to bad people. As a matter of fact, he lived with an infamous serial killer who was rude and tenacious but taught him everything he needed to know to survive the Underground. Who would've thought Levi, once the scariest thug in the Underground and humanity's strongest soldier, would play around with kids and give them candies to keep them calm and collected?

"Thank you, Captain!" The children gathered before him, bowing their heads in gratitude.

"I told you, kids, already, I'm just Levi," he tsked, ruffling his hair in annoyance. These kids never learned anything. He's retired. He's no one's Captain anymore. He's just a man who's lost everything.

"No, uh!" A female voice spoke behind him. It was Gabi. "Kids, you should never forget Captain Levi Ackerman, humanity's badass who saved us all! Don't you agree?"

"Yes! Captain Levi is humanity's badass!" The kids said in unison, almost piercing Levi's eardrums with their high-pitched yells as they put their fists over their hearts in honor of Levi.

"Gabi! You shouldn't say that. They're kids!" Falco warned her, grabbing a smaller kid and putting his hands over her ears, but Gabi only stuck out her tongue while Falco put a palm over his forehead as he remembered the last time when Gabi taught the kids the word shit. Falco had to come and apologize to every family's tent on behalf of Gabi.

"Now, run along, kids! The Captain will be back tomorrow with more treats for you!" Gabi said, shooing the children away from Levi, who silently thanked her. His ears needed a break from their squealing.

The kids rejoiced, once again thanking Levi, before running back to their tents with their mouths stuffed with candies.

"You two done planting?" Levi asked them, eyeing their sorry excuse of a stake for the tree. "Or have you just been flirting the whole time?"

The two, once standing so close to each other, stepped to the opposite side and evaded eye contact, all the while blushing.

"You're unbelievable," he said, rolling his eyes at the young couple.

"Bitter," Gabi mumbled, earning a slap on her shoulder from Falco. "Ow, what was that for?"

Levi watched as the two bickered, only for Falco to caress the area where it hurt while Gabi frowned at him. The sight before him had a little smile creep to his face until he recognized the same scenario before and he didn't like how it ended.