||Manga Spoilers! || Promises {LeviHan}

Chapter 4: Promise

Levi's POV

By sunrise, we arrived at our destination, Hanji was awake. Though... she seemed out of it. Her eye never lifted from the ground. Continuously, she held onto the wall, clutching onto it for dear life. I couldn't force her to tell me that answer... not when we were all in close proximity to each other. Someone could overhear us.

Either way... I could see she was struggling much more than I was. Armin had to help her up while Mikasa had to help me walk. The second Hanji started walking... she went green and threw up on the side of the boat- plunging right into the water.

"I-I need to lie down..." She says, trying to push herself away from the water. "Please... I'm too dizzy..."

Armin nodded his head, quickly helping her to a medic. I couldn't help but watch her in horror. I remember how bad her morning sickness was when we both knew she was pregnant. But it utterly fell into a miscarriage. I remember it all too well...

"Take me to her." I growled to Mikasa, trying to walk. "I need to see Hanji."

*   *   *

The nurses came by to check on her- I wasn't allowed to go in. Private reasons, apparently. To respect Hanji's privacy, but also to respect my perseverance, they had me stay outside of the room. I was allowed to go in once they were done analyzing her. I've been near her way too much to know what really was going on. She... she had to be pregnant...

The nurses walked out, allowing me to go inside to talk. Stumbling inside, Hanji was sitting on a bed, staring off into her hands. "Let me guess..." She then looks up with a worrying look on her face. "Pregnant..."

Hanji nodded her head. "The one time I didn't want it to happen, Levi... that one, specific time..."

I collapsed onto the bed, pushing myself up against the wall. "Think we should tell them? Why you can't go directly into battle?"

"I would claim it's someone else's child." She says, putting her hands on her stomach. "If they knew it was yours... think of it, they wouldn't want a child prodigy of you to be born. You're a threat to them just by appearance." 

I tried to caress her cheek, seeing that damn eye-patch on her. "Then who is reasonable? Majority of the men you know have been dead for years, Hanji. What's to stop them from theorizing that it's my child... huh?" I looked towards her, seeing that smile on her face. My years with her told me that she had a plan already.

"Keith Shadis died a few hours ago... I can claim it was his..."

My eyes rolled a bit, remembering years ago. What those officers said to Hanji about Keith... an immature crush on him. It'll seem... reasonable. 

"What's wrong, Levi?"

"Keep saying those lies, perhaps one day I'll believe it. One day... I might believe that the kid that's inside of you isn't mine."

Hanji pulled me closer, allowing my head to gently lay near her stomach. A slight smile grew on her face as her hand ran through my hair. A sense of relaxation washed over me... I could tell it was a true mother's touch. When I closed my eye... I could go back in time to when I was still with my mother... Hanji's touch was just likes hers.

"Hanji..."

She chuckles softly, holding me tightly. "Believe it or not... this is your kid. The truth is... I never had direct contact with Keith without witnesses. There wouldn't be times when I could stay closer to him. But for you... it's almost majority of the time. Besides... a crush on him no longer stands true. Yes, I'll grieve... but he wasn't my true love... you know why?"

"Why?"

"Because I love you..."

I scoffed, nuzzling my head into her stomach. It was our baby there... our baby... "Hanji... promise me something..."

"Depends on what that promise is, Levi... depending on it, I'll keep my promise." She says softly, combing through my hair continuously. "Go on... tell me..."

"Promise me... that you'll keep that child safe... I'll take your place. Though I'm wounded, I'll still sacrifice myself to protect you and our future child. Promise me... promise me that this child will stand tall... and healthy..."

Hanji smiled, kissing my forehead. "I promise... the baby will carry on your name, Levi. But in return... I need a promise from you..."

I looked towards her... seeing her smile softly. "Promise me that you'll fight your best... not give in too easily... and to try to make it back home. I don't want our baby to grow up without a father like you, Levi..."

There was nothing else to say than: "I promise."