What More Could I Need (Book #2) AOT Fanfiction

Coming to Terms

Takahiro Akiyama

"Levi Ackerman? I haven't heard that name for years." The old man behind the bar slides me a glass of scotch even though it is way past his closing time. He owns an old bar in the middle of nowhere but was packed an hour ago. I've been asking around about Levi for a while and the last person I spoke to told me this is where Levi spent most of his time. "Levi is a different fellow, I doubt you'll ever find one like him."

"How well did you know Levi?"

"Levi came to me some random night and looked like shit. I got a few drinks in his system and he started going on about some girl he wanted to look for. He said he knew her in the past life and wanted her again."

"Did you get the girl's name?"

"I can't remember. He was babbling so much."

"Do you happen to know anything about the 'previous life'?"

"Of course, I lived it. I knew Levi back then too. He was an underground thug then became one of the best soldiers that fought against Titans. I could understand where he was coming from about wanting to see all the people he knew back then. I've reunited with some of my old comrades but it isn't easy when they can't remember themselves."

"Back in that life, did Levi have any companions that he might go out of his way to find?"

"I had already retired by the time he came around but he did have another strong soldier he never parted from."

"Name?"

"If I remember correctly, her name was Saichi Yamazaki. I met her a few times during the night soldiers came together at a pub but I would mostly hear stories. She was an extraordinary person and there wasn't a single person who didn't know her."

"Was she liked?"

"Not at all. That girl had a mouth on her and was very rude to anyone she felt like. people might not have d liked her but they respected what she did for humanity and definitely feared her. She would kill you if you let your tongue slip when talkin' to her." That sounds precisely like my Saichi. "Saichi worked hard, at the end of the day. She had a beautiful daughter with Levi. They raised her perfectly while still fighting for humanity."

They had a daughter, huh. "If you saw her again, would you recognize her?"

"Anyone that knew her would." I pull out my wallet and find a picture of her that was taken at her university graduation. I hold it up to him and wait. He examines it for a minute and begins slowly nodding his head. "That's her, for sure. I recognize those eyes anywhere. How do you know her?"

I tuck the picture away and down the scotch in one gulp. Cheap taste. "She's someone I hold close."

"If Levi finds her, you might have some competition."

"What do you mean?"

"Levi loved that girl. Saichi meant everything to him. It wasn't until that he was around her that he was softer and easier to deal with. From what I was being told, they had a bond that no one understood."

Saichi Yamazaki

I remember. I remember who I used to be. I wish I could feel happy that I have Levi with me but all I can really feel is guilt. It sits on my chest, applying unbearable pressure. What I had done I could not undo. The guilt is a stain on me, an ugly scar. I have to... I have to leave my wrongdoings in the past and move on. 

I haven't left my room for days. I can't. I have to face Levi and I don't know if I can at this point. I left him behind in the past without a word of explanation. He has painful memories that he shouldn't have to deal with. How can I face him when I made him suffer? 

There's a soft knock on my door and I assume it's Aki again. The person knocks again then speaks. "Saichi... It's me, Hange." I drag myself from my bed and stand at the door. I want to open it but I'm not sure who else is out there. I listen in and hear a few more people breathing. Excluding Hange, I hear about three more people. I barely recognize their scents but they're all males. "I'm with Erwin, Mike, and Nanabe. Please open the door. Levi isn't here. He went to a meeting with your father."

I slowly open the door and the men are waiting with sympathetic facial expressions. Tears fill my eyes and I practically throw myself into Hange's arms. He smells different from when he was a soldier. There's no ash, no blood. He smells strongly like cologne and shampoo. He holds me tight. "We're glad to have you back, Saichi."

Erwin chuckles and rubs my back. "Yeah, it took you long enough."

I laugh and wipe my tears. "Shut up, you cocky bastard."

I escort them downstairs and we sit on the couches with cups of green tea. Thankfully, Aki and Maki are still at baseball practice. We sit in silence for a while before Hange talks first. "So, how do you feel?"

"Well, it's very weird for me right now," I reply, cradling my cup. "I remember all of you and that's good, right?"

"Levi called Hange and Hange called us," Erwin tells me. "You locked yourself in your room. I'm sure you haven't eaten."

"I'm fine, Erwin." I gesture to the crates. "Maki would use the emergency keys Takahiro has in his room to put food on my dresser. He wouldn't say anything but he brought me food three times a day. I'm lucky to have them."

"Saichi, now that you remember, shouldn't you talk to Levi?" Nanabe asks. "He's really worried about you."

"Yeah, I guess so. I just can't find the right words. I'm a different person in this life and I want to make sure that we're still compatible. We were in rough conditions back then and needed each other when things got bad. Everything between us was circumstantial. That includes Suri. I...I just want Levi to be happy. Maybe... Maybe fate kept us apart for a reason."