Daisy | Levi Ackerman

Chapter 20 - See You Again

[Naomi]

Two days later.

"Levi, you ought to rebuild the special operations squad by now." My uncle said, as they both sat there in his office at the Smith Manor, by the desk. I had just come in with the coffee cups for that afternoon when I saw the two of them there, discussing the future of the Scout Regiment, which step we were going to take now that we have been informed of the unacceptable identities and intentions of the two titans.

I found smiling difficult nowadays, no matter how much I tried- I could never retrieve my past resting face. Even Armin had noticed the slight change of my bubbly disposition- though I go to great lengths to cheer up the ones around me, inside of me I could no longer find something to keep me at ease.

We would have to get to the bottom of this chain of lies before I could rest in assurance that I'm allowed enough liberty and luxury to smile frequently again.

"I'd been considering." Levi answered flatly, as I closed the door behind me slowly, quietly. "I'm going to take Eren's... Friends. That Oriental Ackerman, Arlert, Blouse, Kirstein, Springer."

"Hmm. Commendable." Erwin replied firmly, his hand placed underneath his chin in pensive thought. He didn't need to ask Levi twice if he was sure of his choices.

"I'm going to take your kid too, officially." Levi added decisively. "If you'd still trust me with her."

"I'd give her custody to you in a second, but I am now giving this important decision to her." My uncle replied, making me stop at my tracks at a sudden warmth in my chest.

My uncle? Allowing me to make decisions for myself?

Erwin looked over to me considerately, followed by Levi's stone-cold gaze, his head tilted back with lazy pride. "What would it be, Naomi?" My uncle asked. "I think you are old and experienced enough now to decide. And I know you have been contemplating a relevant amount of time about it."

I approached them slowly and set the silver tray on the desk. "Thank you for giving me the chance, Commander." I said, taking the cups away from the tray and setting theirs in front of the two of them. I raised my face again to look at them both. "But I'd already told Corporal Hanji that if ever you'd both let me go, I'd join her squad."

I caught a glimpse of Levi's surprised, disappointed look, quickly concealed. My uncle took a moment before answering.

He put his hand down on the desk and took his cup. "Very well. You've made a wise decision. I trust it."

"That's all I needed to hear." I said warmly, making my uncle look up into my eyes. I saw some sort of a smile in him, before the meaningful silence was broken by Levi's chair scraping against the wooden floor.

The two of us looked towards him as he walked over to the window, holding his cup in that strange way he always did. He looked over outside, his eyebrows furrowed in deep thought.

In my heart, nothing changed with the way I felt about him. I just had more control of it now, attempting to diminish it in every little way I possibly could. In fact, half of the reason why I planned to enlist into Hanji's squad was because I wanted to get away from his intimidating presence, to get away from myself craving that safety I felt with him. The other half was purely out of my childhood ambition regarding scientific research and innovation of military weaponry.

"Perhaps that would be better." Levi commented, not looking at me or my uncle. "This whole operation with Eren and Lenz is risky."

"That is the truth." Erwin replied, reverting his attention to his scheming papers. "But neither would be Hanji's squad. They're operating closely around the Church and the Internal Unit. Other than that dangerous proximity alone, once the Internal finds out about Naomi's real identity, she'd be even more of a probation matter. She has a motive and she's, by blood- not a noble."