A new life in hell (reader x attack on titan)

Chapter XXX: Post confinement

(Y/N's POV)

I ran down to the dungeons as fast as I could, my bare feet hitting against the cold stone steps. It was a little ways past midnight and I was once again woken up by my brother's scream coming from underground. I pushed the gate and ran to cell number three, I rushed past Mikasa who was against her bars looking worried at Eren's cell. I clumsily turned the key in the keyhole and managed to push the door open.

My brother was sitting up on his bed, his knees pulled back on his chest and he was clutching his head as his whole body trembled. He looked like a child, like a child crying for help. I sat on the mattress next to him and brought his shaking body against me and wrapped my arms around him. He looked up and when he saw my face, he gripped on my shirt and violently bawled so hard that he his breathing became heavy and irregular.

"Shhh... it's okay... I'm here..." I hushed, rubbing his hair as he drenched my pajamas in tears.

For the past ten days, Eren and Mikasa have been imprisoned for insubordination during the last survey, but every night, the nightmares and his father's memories haunted my brother, so every night I would come down and calm him down and stay the rest of the night in his room so he could get some sleep.

Tonight was especially bad, whatever got him up must have been terrifying. Poor child... nobody should have to shoulder their parent's sins and regrets. It took awhile to calm him down but even after that he still looked scared out of his mind.

"(Y/N)?" he whispered when the last tears dried up.

"Yes?"

"Can I have some water?" he rasped.

I got up and handed him a cup that was left with the dinner he didn't touch. I brought him the whole tray and after he drank a small sip, I forced him to swallow the meal. He had become so compliant these past days in this cell and it was scaring me. Both him and Mikasa had become so pale and both had lost some weight.

I spoon fed him the food, and once he was done, I put the tray back on the floor, pulled out the chair and sat next to his bed. I gently lowered his head on his pillow and pulled the blanket to his chin.

"Dina... it really was her... that titan..." he mumbled, a blank look in his eyes.

Dina. Grisha Yeager's first wife, descendant of the royal family, got transformed into a titan after rebelling against the system. Also the titan that killed Carla and that Eren killed with the founding titan's power.

He stuck a hand out of the blanket, silently asking me if I could take it. I clutched in both hands and kissed it. He smiled, his face relaxed, then he immediately fell back asleep. I looked worriedly at my brother as he slept. He had become like a ticking time bomb, I could never know when he would get a nightmare and sometimes he would just start mumbling things with a blank look on his face. Levi and Hange said that it will pass eventually once he digests what he learned from those books and I just did my part by calming him down so he can get his rest.

"Is he going to be okay (Y/n)?" Mikasa asked from the other cell.

Mikasa had become slightly distrustful of Levi and Hange after the expedition to Shiganshina, but she still weirdly had faith in me, so I would regularly come down with Armin to make sure she is eating and we kept them company for most of the day.

"He's going to be okay. It's just a matter of time." I answered confidently.

She sighed in relief then her light footsteps disappeared as I heard her bed creak under her weight. I looked at my brother's face, not letting go of his cool hand.

You're going to okay. I'm going to make sure you are.

(Levi's POV)

I walked down the stairs, Hange holding a light behind me. I passed by the open gate and walked to the the cadet's cells. Mikasa was in her bed, sleeping soundly and when I got to Eren's cell, once again, I found my second in command, asleep on that chair next to him, holding her brother's hand. This has become like a daily routine, despite our protests, she always came back down here. I opened the cell door and kissed her forehead gently.

My official relationship with her was still confusing, but Eren, Mikasa, Armin and Hange were aware of our feelings for each other. It did shock them in the beginning but they eventually got used to my assistant using my first name infront of higher ups and acting a bit less professional around me.

Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up and saw me and Hange looking down at her.

"Good morning." Hange said pushing her glasses up.

"Get him and Mikasa up, we managed to shorten their time here, they leave today. Get them in uniform and out the door in an hour. we have a meeting to get to." I said putting a hand on her head.

"Okay!" she said happily.

I walked out the door and heard the girl wake her brother up and telling him that he could get out of that 'shit cell' now. I climbed up the stairs, the commander right behind me and I went in my room to change out of my field uniform and into the formal one. After that, I sat down and filled up some paperwork. It took a lot longer than I had expected because when the last sheet was filled, the hour was already up and I had to go meet up with the cadets.

I walked out my door, closing it behind me and went down the stairs and out the door. There I found my squad and the commander talking together. Eren and Mikasa were being welcomed back by their friends, Mikasa wasn't looking very good, her cheeks had sunken a bit and her eyes were dimmed, but she was still smiling, happy to be with her friends after so many days. Eren was looking better than her, probably because Armin and (Y/N) were able to force feed him, and he seemed somewhat relieved to be out of confinement.

I joined with the rest of them and I felt a bit guilty for those two's punishment. I never said it outloud, but I did care for the last of my comrades, the last veterans of the Survey Corp. (Y/N) must have picked up on my whirlwind of emotions, because she discreetly took my hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.

I smiled and looked at her gratefully. She was looking straight infront of her, with that stone face, but somehow I could tell she knew that I was happy she was there.

time skip, in the courtroom

After Hange debriefed on our discoveries in the Yeager basement, the higher ups were in absolute shock. The only one that seemed calm enough was Historia and Pixis, who was still mourning the lost of Erwin.

"This cannot be made public." said the military police. "The walls will be thrown into chaos!"

"And what, keep the population in the dark? No, we will return the people their memories." vetoed Historia. "The press shall publish this as soon as possible." she said looking at the journalists.

They nodded and scribbled more notes in their notepads. She faced us again, and said solemnly.

"You have been through so much, cadets and veterans, you will be rewarded for your service to the walls. I know it won't return the lives we've lost, but you will be honoured as heros for retaking Wall Maria. Now you are dismissed to go rest before the ceremony in 3 days."

We saluted her and left the room quietly. We left the building and walked back to the base where we all went to our rooms. Eren, Mikasa, Armin and (Y/N) went into their shared room and Jean, Connie and Sasha were in their's. I heard the injured girl ask between bites about the meeting that she couldn't attend, (Y/N) and Armin forcing breakfast into the released cadets' stomachs and Hange was tinkering with something in her lab. I just went into my room and lied down on the sofa and stared at the ceiling as the hours passed.