Chasing Ghosts [Attack on Titan](Wattys 2014 Winner)

Chapter thirty-one - Reminders

Chapter thirty one

I frowned, rolling my eyes. “Stop being dramatic” he said nothing and went down the steps towards the mess hall in silence, trailed by Petra. I shifted my shoulders and looked up at Tamaki who was watching were the young  man had vanished around the corner of the hallway. “What an ass.” He grumbled. I shrugged “Its just the way he is.” Tamaki nodded and sighed quietly I remembered he could play piano and a thought came to mind. “Hay, there is a piano here you know.” I said. Looking up into his deep green eyes, the boy shifted his tousled hair to the right with his hand. “Really? Where?” I chuckled softly “C'mon.” I went up the steps towards the third floor of the building, I pushed open the door into the dusty room. The windows where still painted in brown dirt and what little light that could get though made the room turn a dark yellowish brown. I pushed the cover of the piano up and off the keys that were dust free from Levis use.

I sat down and waited for him to do the same. “Hm, this is a really old one. How long has it been up here?” He asked me. I shrugged “I only found it recently.” He tipped his head “Where you using it…?” I shook my head. “No, Levi was.” He set his hands down on the keys and didn't play for a moment. “Whats wrong?” I asked. He turned to look at me but said nothing “Its nothing.” He chuckled then began to play. I listened closing my eyes and letting the flow of the music enter my mind, it was beautiful and very solemn. Very soft, and quiet. It was sad, but yet. It was happy, like an ending of a good book. I opened my eyes and watched his fingers fly across the keys as the music filled the room, echoing and bouncing off the walls.

He lifted his hands after hitting the last note, I smiled. “That’s a beautiful song, whats it called?” I asked. He blinked, tipping his head slightly and looking at me. “An end, once and for all.” He said quietly. “I hadn't really been thinking about a title for it, I just come up with music off the top of my head.” He explained with a soft laugh. I nodded “That’s amazing Tamaki.” That had sounded much musher then I had intended it to. He looked back at the keys and said nothing, standing up. “We should go, the others will wonder where we went.” I nodded standing up and following him out of the room and down the steps. To my surprise, Erwin was standing in the main hallway. Looking flustered. “There you two are!” He half yelled. I recoiled in surprise at his angry tone. “We have been summoned to wall Sina for a, subject dinner.” He said. His gaze was on mine. I frowned moving past Tamaki to stand across from the tall golden haired commander. “What do you mean?” I asked. Erwin rubbed his head in frustration. “The Judge, he wants to see how you two will act in a very public and social environment.” He explained. 

I frowned, putting my hands on my hips. “Uh, why?” I demanded. Erwin glared at me, his eyes flaming blue. “Because, you almost killed a woman and Levi is a former thug.” He explained “The judge wants me and Tamaki to accompany you two.” The commander explained folding his arms with a soft sigh.  “Why did you get me into this mess.” He muttered quietly. “The party is tomorrow, we have until six to get there. Do you have anything to wear?” He asked, I just now noticed that Levi was at his side a scowl on his face. He spoke “No.” I nodded with him. “A captain of a titan fighting Corp doesn't think to have a dress.” I stated smartly. Erwin rolled his eyes “Then that’s one more thing you two have to do tomorrow, find something formal.” I sighed loudly as did Levi but we didn't object. “Alright.” I moved past him and started down the steps. “One more thing, Alya. Don’t make a idiot out of yourself…  please?” He said. I spun around to look at him. “The party is tomorrow Erwin and I know how to act around people.” I grumbled.

I went down the steps to the kitchen and dining hall. I ate the small dinner the cook had prepared for us, my mind wasn't on my food. Ever since I'd disturbed those old and forgotten memories by telling my past to Levi… Qwill had been in my head constantly.  I remembered his swoopy black hair and massive blue eyes and I felt a droopy sadness go to my eyes. He was my first friend, I owed so much to him. I sighed inwardly and put my head sideways on the table my ear pressed to the oak wood. There was thunk to my side and I sat up to face Ackerman he was leaning back in the chair with a bored expression on his face. He lifted up the cup of tea and took a sip in silence then looked to me. “This is ludicrous” He sputtered. I stifled my laugh at the big word he'd just used. “I didn't know you had such a vocabulary.” I offered him a smile. He just raised an eyebrow at me, taking another sip of the tea. “There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me Alya.” He said. I peered around him at the dining hall, it was empty. Everyone must have been hanging out in their rooms or out doing training. “Well, what about you and Petra. She likes you a lot you know.” I said putting my head on my hand looking at him with a sideways glance smooshing my cheek with my fingers.

He lifted his nose slightly to look into the window across from the table were we sat. “Shes a kind girl, but to kind for my liking.” He said “I like a woman with fire, hmph. Not that I'll find anyone like that.” I sat up and leaned against the back of my chair “Your too picky Ackerman, being that way will never get you anywhere with the girls.” I said raising my left eyebrow at him and lowering my eyes to give him the ‘Are you serious’ look. He copied my facial expression “I could say the same about you.” I frowned “What do you mean?” He chuckled half heartedly “You know what I mean, Tamaki seems to really like you but you don’t give him more than a second glance.” He stated, sipping the liquid in the pearly white cup.  I rolled my eyes “I thought you didn’t like him.” He shook his head and shrugged “I don’t, he is an ass.” The boy said simply. I let out a low wishful sigh. “As are you.” He rolled his eyes at me, finishing the tea and looking at me. The moonlight reflected into his intense steel gray glare. “You know, you remind me a lot of Ferlan and Isabel” I blinked, tipping my scarlet head to the right. “You have almost the same hair color as Isabel and your eye color is the same as Ferlans hair color.” he suddenly brushed a lock of red out of my eyes."Red is such an interesting color to correlate with emotion, because it's on both ends of the spectrum. On one end you have happiness, falling in love, infatuation with someone, passion, all that. On the other end, you've got obsession, jealousy, danger, fear, anger and frustration..." He trailed off. 

I froze, unmoving for a second. I recognized that touch, but I said nothing.