DNA

Adventures

"Hanji, you missed a right turn." Levi points out on the GPS. I sighed, 27 times already and I either missed turns or went into another direction. It was almost night, about 6:36 pm. We haven't eaten yet and I've been driving all day.

"Sorry, Levi."

"Let's stop." He looks out the passenger window and points out signs. "Stop here. We should get something to eat."

"Alright..." I pull over. 

We spent a couple minutes in the fast food restaurant, just eating a quick burger. Levi was silent for awhile, only offering to pay the whole thing and to drive to the next state.

I wanted to sleep while Levi drove, but the excitement of meeting my aunt was overwhelming. To make sure that Levi wasn't too worried about me, I closed my eyes, pretending I was asleep.

"Hanji..." Levi says very quietly under the cover of the soft music. Whenever I felt the car stop, his hand stroked my head.

"You idiot... why did you have to fall asleep?" I hear him chuckle as the music faded. The car took a complete stop and I felt Levi's hand on my forehead. I felt his lips on the side of my head, "I don't know if you can hear me... but I love you..."

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"Huh?" I open my eyes to see the sun rise. I look to Levi, his eyes as normal as ever. It seemed... he was too focused... "Levi..."

"Tch, you're awake." Weird... he wasn't like that way last night... said he... loved me...

"Have you been driving all night?"

"So what if I did? It doesn't matter to you in any way."

"Levi, it matters to me if you're the one that needs to sleep. I can drive-"

"Yesterday, you got us lost a couple of times. Taking different streets and turns. I hated it whenever you drive and get us lost. I'll drive today and tomorrow."

"Non-stop?"

He nods, "Yeah, got a problem?"

"Yes, I do. You need rest."

"I can handle the driving. All that matters is you meeting your aunt."

"Don't forget, we're going to find your mother."

"No point in finding her. Erwin said that she will be impossible to find. Your aunt was easy, mine will be difficult."

"How difficult? I mean, just finding a woman with the name, Kuchel, wouldn't be that hard."

"Yes, it will be."

"Levi-"

"Hanji! I mean it, we're never going to find my mother!" He yells as he pulls over. I see his chest rise and fall as he took deep breaths. I remember when he does that whenever he's upset. I had to stay away from him until he calmed down. Mother... she used to soothe him by her words.

"Levi..." I lowered my voice, trying to be like her. "Calm down... please."

"I'm trying to tell you, that she's impossible to find. I'm not going to find her that easily." He lays his head on the steering wheel. I rub his back, just like Mother used to do. He sniff, like he was tearing up.

"There there..." I move close to his face, "I'll drive, okay?"

"No..."

"Let me drive. Sleep."

"And how are you going to get to the house? You're going to get us lost."

"Input the address onto the GPS and turn the voice navigation on. I shouldn't get lost like that."

"Fine..." He turns the GPS back on and starts to input the address. In swift movements, I hear the robotic voice.

"Turn right and continue on the interstate."

"Thanks, Levi."

"Just don't get us terribly lost." He gets out of the car as I scoot into his place. He sits where I was sitting and lowers his chair. "I'm going to take a nap. Yell if something bad happens to us, okay?"

"Okay." I reply.

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"Momma..." I hear Levi quietly say in his sleep. Mother always said to leave him alone when he slept, remembering how he always asked for his mother when he was little. I take quick glances whenever I was able to stop, he must remember when Kuchel gave him away. I kept trying to remember what happened when my parents were dead... how my life was... but I can't remember.

Honk honk

I swerved as a car's headlights moved close to the car. "Damn it!" I swerved so hard that I felt the car tip, just a bit, causing my heart to stop. Luckily, the car moved back down to the ground. I took quick breaths, my heart pounding.

"Hanji!" Levi sat up quick, breathing fast as well. He lifts his chair up, his hand on the dashboard. "What the hell-?"

"I'm sorry, I was paying attention... I don't know what happened... I was just looking forward... and suddenly the car was there..." I lay my head on the steering wheel. "I'm so stupid..."

"Hanji, it's fine. It's late. You're tired. Calm down." He sighs. "We need to sleep in a bed, I can't stand just taking naps in the car."

"Same..."

"Can you drive to the nearest motel? We'll sleep there for tonight."

"Yeah, just point out the nearest one and I'll pull over. Got it?"

"I will."

We pulled over to the nearest motel and booked a room. We slept in separate beds, and he even offered to get some fast food. Once we finished eating and we were bathed, we started to enjoy watching some late cartoons. Levi knew how uneasy I was that night, so he allowed me to sleep with him. Watching the cartoons, I started to fall asleep. I remember falling into his arms and he caught me. I hear him calming me down as I closed my eyes. Before I knew it, I blacked out.