Is This Love?

Butterflies

(I'll fully translate dialog into Japanese when I complete my Japanese classes. Levi and Mikasa are not siblings. Levi's real last name is not Ackerman. (So I've come to believe.) I've made Levi to not have a last name in the beginning of everything but later in his life.. He takes up Ackerman after a trainer who was an Ackerman. Scaled Mikasa's age to about 25 since it will be weird for /a 30+/ year old man to like a 15 year old. I ship this pair regardless. Don't like it? Don't read it. RivaMika <3 LeviXMikasa :D Enjoy. It's just baby love to start with. Will get more intense in next chapter... maybe the one after that. Stay Tuned.)

Rivai's POV

It has been two months since Petra's death. I mourned to myself when I get the chance. Nobody needs to see me like this. Not anyone CAN see their captain like this. It isn't healthy really. I was putting my horse away since I fed and cleaned him up to rest. I was walking back to the entrance of the scouts base. I was tired from working out and training my hardest to keep my mind focused on my duty as captain. I was lost in thought and bumped into someone accidentally.

" I'm Sorry ." I looked up to see it was Mikasa. She actually smiled at me for once without giving me a cold glare. Even though I can tell she blames herself for my injury, she still has that grudge on me for beating the shit out of Eren. Seems she cares too much for him than she does for herself. Not really a good thing on her behalf.

"Oh? It's fine, Levi-Heichou. Don't apologize." Mikasa held her smile. My heart fluttered seeing that smile on her lips. I didn't know what to say to her. I laid a gentle hand on the side of her face and looked at her. She was shocked by my affectionate action but she didn't seem to move nor push me away.

I spoke softly to her as my gaze held hers. "Please. Call me Levi." I didn't need her to call me captain all the time. It was respectful and all but.. sometimes I don't need that kind of respect. Especially since my squad was killed, there was nothing I could've done to prevent it either.

"Hai. Levi." She laid a hand over mine and kept it there for a few minutes before gently removing my hand from her face. "I must be going. Eren is probably waiting for me." She looked away as the soft breeze pushed some of her bangs over her eyes. I only nodded and started to walk away since I was still tired. I felt a soft hand grip the sleeve of my coat. I turned around and Mikasa planted a kiss on my cheek. "Arigatō." She softly giggled and walked off leaving me in shock. Did she just.... kiss my cheek? Why? I had thoughts running through my mind the rest of the evening. I was lucky to even fall asleep.

Morning came too soon for us. We had a scouting mission to do in a nearby forest. Titans have spotted out there. I only wish I do not let my team down this time. Loosing Isabel... Farlan... EId... Gunther... Oluo and Petra really tore me up on the inside. I won't let that happen to my new squad members. I am better than that now. I rolled out of bed and yawned some while I stretched out my sore muscles. A pain went down my spine and I winced slightly. I really must've slept that hard. I still am tired. I changed into my clean uniform and pulled on my scouts khaki jacket. I added on my forest green cloak and used my fingers to fix my sleepy hair. Pulling on my boots quickly, I walk out of my quarters closing the door behind me. I stepped outside getting half blinded by the brightness of the sun. Everyone was already awake and had horses ready to go. Did I wake up late?

"Good morning squad. I'm sorry. I'm late." I spoke with a tiredness in my usual deep voice. My squad greeted me with the respectful solute. I, of course, did it in return before mounting my horse. I looked ahead and said no more as Erwin readied us to head out. He shouted for us to ride on out as soon as the gates opened. We charged through getting in our formation. My squad and I were in the center of the formation. I had Mikasa and Eren on both sides behind me. Armin was behind me in the back as for the other two.. they were off to the side of our small group in the middle. I pulled on my hood and made my horse go faster. They kept up with me surprisingly. The formation we are all in stayed in position until flares started going off in the distance. They were green so we started to change direction to avoid Titan conflict. After about an hours ride to the nearby forest we all dismounted in my squad and sped up into the trees with our maneuvering devices. We kept a look out as Erwin and the others watched our horses. I narrowed my eyes and leaped over to another tree branch. Titan... nearby. I was about to engage when I noticed someone landed by my side. Mikasa put a hand on my shoulder shaking her head. I sighed annoyingly and moved my shoulder from her touch. I held the hilts of my two swords, turning one backhanded, and pressed the triggers to shoot lines into the trees nearby. I zipped over to the Titan and sliced the nape of it's neck with such quickness, It didn't even see me coming. I landed on a branch and watched it's body fall to the floor.

"You are really stupid. Filthy monster." I muttered under my breath and headed back to rejoin my squad. Mikasa narrowed her eyes not happy with my selfish action. She walked over to me and smacked me across the face. Eren and Armin gasped in shock at what she just did. I had sheathed my blades before she did that. I place a hand on the side of my face and looked at in her shock. My eyes widened and she gave me the cold glare.

"Baka! Are you trying to be killed by the Titans?" She snapped at me but tears filled her eyes. Is she crying? Or is she just that mad that I took down a Titan..... I looked down and avoided her deadly gaze. My face stung where she smacked me. I rubbed my cheek and fixed my cloak. It wasn't any use to get in a fight with her here.

"Sumimasen Mikasa." I bowed my head to her. Me being my average 5'3 in height and her being 5'6.. Made her look like a mother scolding her child. I am no child though. She was right though. It was foolish of me to go out there like that with no backup. "It will not happen again." Is she getting overprotective of me? Why? I can take care of myself just fine. She pulled me in for a hug. I reached the bottom of her chin since I am three inches shorter. I froze in her hug and felt those butterflies attack my stomach again. I didn't know whether to return her hug or just stand there with widened eyes.

Night fell as we were returning to base. We rode inside and put our horses away. I walked over to Mikasa and looked at her with my regular expressionless gaze.

"Can I talk to you?" I crossed my arms and she nodded at me. I pulled her aside and took a deep breath. "You did not have to smack me." I looked up at her and lowered my hood.

"You could have died. It was a stupid move." She laid a hand on her arm and her gaze left mine. Worry was in her voice even though she tried to hide it. I saw right through her since I know how she feels. I pulled her in for a hug. My arms wrapped around her waist as I rested my head near her shoulder. She returned my hug with arms snaking around my neck. Our slim bodies touched making me tense in surprise. She probably noticed my body tense because she pulled away after four minutes into the hug.

"I apologize." I mumbled softly and looked down thinking to myself. What should I do now? She might hit me again and probably yell at me for apologizing. I looked back up at her when she said nothing in return. I hesitated and grabbed her red scarf to pull her closer. I pressed a kiss to her cheek before walking away. My face was flushed a red tone as I headed to my quarters. Her face was red as well. She smiled and walked to her own quarters with butterflies in her heart. Trust me... mine was filled with them.

-

"The difference between your judgement and ours is something that arises from the gap in our experience. But not relying on something like that is just fine. Choose. Whether you should believe in yourself, or believe in the Survey Corps, myself included. I myself don't know... I never have. Whether I believed in my own abilities, or whether I believed in the decisions of my trusted comrades, in the end no one ever knew what the outcome would be. So I guess... you have to do your best to make a decision that you won't regret."

End Of Chapter 1.