Bonds of Steel and Blood (Levi • OC)

CHAPTER 40 - A New Dawn

three months later, year 848

     That year's spring was warmer than usual. Flowers bloomed with more color, and the sun was gentle on Reinae's face when she laid on top of Wall Rose in Trost, a cigarette in one hand, a book in the other. Her hair had gotten too long, so she had it braided from the top of her head, letting it hang over the edge of the wall. Her face was relaxed, her green eyes lacking the sharpness and wariness that had been present in her gaze for her whole life.

     "Oi, brat!"

     She rolled her eyes at the familiar voice, ignoring it as she turned the page of her book. Levi stopped, towering above her, and without looking at him, Reinae could feel his disapproving gaze on her.

     "Who allowed you to slack off?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

     Reinae took a deep inhale from her cigarette, looking at Levi to blow a smoke ring into his face. She bit her lip to hold back her smirk when she saw his eyebrows furrow as he tried to keep his patience.

     "You should join the others to- "

     "I've checked my gear, prepped my horse, gone over the formation with Eld, and even checked off my daily requirement of solidarity by fixing Petra's torn shirt," she interrupted him, returning her gaze to her book. "So if you don't mind, Captain, I'll spend the rest of the day right here, getting high."

     Levi's eyes narrowed with skepticism.

     "You sowed Petra's shirt?" he asked, doubting her words.

     "No?" Reinae said, glancing at him with a disgusted expression that said 'How could you even think that?'. "I threw it in the trash. Problem solved."

     Levi scoffed, shaking his head, but he couldn't help his mouth stretching into a smile. He squatted next to her, reading the title of the book she was reading.

     "You picked up the book I recommended," he noticed, his voice betraying he was pleasantly surprised.

     "I have," she replied, closing it and letting it rest on her chest. "And I've realized that if you're high enough, any book can be interesting."

     Levi's face dropped again and Reinae laughed, taking another inhale from the cigarette. Levi's eyes disapprovingly stopped on the rolled herbs.

     "You should quit that."

     "I'll quit when you manage to go a day without frowning."

     "I don't frown that much."

     "Mhm, keep telling yourself that."

     Levi rolled his eyes. He looked into the distance, to where they were heading the next day.

     "Remember those two kids?" he asked.

     "Of course," Reinae replied. "I still have a scar on my thigh reminding me of that mission."

     His eyebrows furrowed when he remembered how she almost hadn't returned that time.

     "Erwin asked me to go to visit them to where they're settled now."

     Reinae sat up, her eyes full of questions.

     "He says enough time has passed and that we could try and get their statement about what'd happened to them," Levi explained, his tone betraying his disagreement. "About how they'd survived for that long."

     Reinae scoffed. She let her legs dangle off the edge of the wall, leaning back on her hands.

     "He can be so insensitive sometimes," she said, frowning. "Like such young kids could forget the horrors and fear they've lived through..."