A Myriad of Scents (RivaMika Week 2015)

Day 8: Earthy

JULY 10TH, Day 8: Earthy (e.g. Ocean Air)

Mikasa woke with the thin white sheet wrapped around her and immediately pulled it closer as she heard the wind raging outside. She was cold and was sure a breeze had penetrated a crack or crevice somewhere in the cottage, which resulted in a brisk chill in the air.

But what struck Mikasa was that she found a cold space beside her. Levi was gone and suddenly fear and loneliness hit Mikasa in the chest like an anvil.

Surely he wouldn't have left me here by myself...Does he regret staying with me last night?

Something from the corner of her eye caught her attention. Steam was rising from a cup on the table beside the couch she found herself sitting on. She reached over to the cup, trying to keep the sheet wrapped tightly against her.

She brought the cup up to her nose and smelt the familiar scent of mint.

Levi must have left this tea for me. He must not have gone far.

Mikasa let the hot scented liquid roll down her throat, her chest immediately warming up. Feeling more relaxed, she laid back into the sofa and looked out the window. The view outside was bleak. Rain had just started to fall and drops splattered onto the window, Mikasa found the sound soothing and only wished that Levi was here beside her.

As she drank her tea and listening to the rhythmic pitter-patter of the rain, she could feel her eyes getting heavy and sleep lace her body and she began to dream.

***

Levi cursed himself as the wind tore at his green cape emblazoned with the Survey Corp emblem. He neared the front door to the cottage and quickened his pace. He was eager to get back to somewhere warm and dry, but most of all, back to Mikasa.

He set the buckets full of fresh water as he finally reached the door of the cottage. Levi had used the last of the water for their morning tea. Although Mikasa had still been asleep when he made it, he made her a cup none the less and set it down on the table beside her. Levi leaned against a worktop in the kitchen and just watched her sleep as he drank his tea.

The short statured captain finally opened the door to the cottage to find Mikasa still lying on the sofa with the cup of mint tea in her hand, but her eyes were closed and she appeared to be asleep. Levi allowed himself to smile for the briefest of seconds, just before she woke up at the sound of the wind slamming the door against the wall.

Levi set down the buckets full of water yet again and marched briskly to the door to close it shut, forcing it against the strength of the wind.

Seemingly embarrassed that she had been caught sleeping; Mikasa shot up off of the sofa and began to fold the sheets.

"So you're finally awake?" Levi said

"I woke up earlier, but you were gone. I must have dozed off again." Mikasa said as she stretched her limbs.

"You must have a lot on you mind with the Nile Dok situation." Levi mused

"Mmm... I was wondering why we haven't heard anything from Headquarters yet?" Mikasa asked

"We won't be hearing anything from them at all. Erwin specifically said that we won't receive a message until the Military Police and Nile Dok have left Headquarters. He doesn't want to risk them seeing any suspicious activity from our scouts and having them followed." Levi finished.

"So we wait..." Mikasa pondered

"We wait."

***

The evening seemed to descend quickly that day, as the overcast clouds consumed the sky and darkness began to fall. Mikasa and Levi were busying themselves with making dinner for night. Somehow they avoided about talking about their sleeping arrangements last night and continued to make polite conversation. What Mikasa feared most was any awkward silences that might invite the topic of conversation to turn to what exactly they were going to do about each other.