A/N: Hello everyone! It's been a while since I posted a fanfic. Life's been quite busy for me and I had little time to dedicate to my hobbies, but I finally managed to squeeze out something! This was a prompt I received for RivaMika Jam, last year, and I've been working on it every now and then. Obviously I didn't manage to post it in time, but I didn't want to just abandon it because of that, because the prompt is really lovely, and it was given to me by the wonderful justladydanithings on tumblr. It's going to be a two-part fic, and this is just the first one. I hope you'll like it!
Dusty Lenses
Part I
He misses the way her fingers would run through his hair every morning to wake him up, so smooth and gentle, slow and careful. Now he wakes up alone in the bed, her face is still the first thing he sees, but it's not a vivid one. It's a framed picture of her that sits on the nightstand beside his bed. She's smiling, tugging her bangs behind her ear, and he remembers the day he took that picture as if it were yesterday.
They went out on a date, one hot Sunday. They bought ice cream and sat in the park to eat it. She wore a lovely, flowery dress, one that he liked seeing on her, for it made her feel full of life—not that she wasn't normally like that.
She'd noticed how he wouldn't get his eyes off of her and had asked him to take a picture. He can practically hear the words she'd said play in his ear at this very moment:
"Take a picture, it'll last longer." She'd giggled at him, tugged out her camera from her bag and opened it before handing him the object, "I'm serious." She'd added.
And she hadn't lied. The picture had lasted, as well as the memories, longer than she did.
He reaches his hand over to the nightstand and grabs the picture as he sits up slowly, the blanket slipping off his upper half, exposing his naked torso. He stares at the picture in his hand with loving eyes, his lips a curl between a smile and a frown, but perhaps his arching brows make it seem more of a reminiscing look. He passes the back of his index against the glassy surface, over her hair—if only he can run his hand through its locks again and feel its smoothness against his skin.
His morning routine consists of using the bathroom, taking a quick shower and dressing up. He cooks his breakfast quickly too, sits alone at the small dining table next to a window to eat. He glances down at the street occasionally, watches the people walking by, not for any particular purpose but it being a habit, one he's developed once the seat opposite from him became empty, and the only thing that filled the air were the sounds he made as he chewed on his food or moved the fork against his plate.
He's used to loneliness. He hadn't grown up in a big family, nor had he had many friends. He appreciates solitude, for it gives him time to ponder things, contemplate life, and it's not so bad in the end. The routine doesn't bother him, either. He's an organized man, maybe even more so after he'd met her, and the influence is still there even when she isn't.
He cleans the dishes before he leaves his apartment, and, since he's early, he decides to take a walk to his workplace.
He manages a restaurant not so far away from where he lives. He's been working there for as long as he remembers. He likes his job, though he can do without the messy customers who leave trash behind. He doesn't mind staying late after they close to clean the entire place—he finds joy in it, most of the time, but he doesn't find joy in teaching those disgusting people the rules of cleanliness, or better yet, respect.
He opens a door with a sign on it that says "Staff Only", and enters a narrow hallway, then walks a few steps ahead where he finds two doors, one in front of him and one to his left. He takes the one in front of him, leading to the changing room, and goes directly to change to his work clothes. When he leaves the room, he spots one of his employees coming in.
"Good morning, sir!" she greets him with a wide smile, her eyes bright, "How are you doing today?"
"Good morning, Petra." He replies, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt, "I'm alright, how are you?"
"All good!" she answers, and he nods at her. "I'll be right back, sir."
She goes to get changed too, and not so long after, the rest of the employees arrive. They greet him and go to get changed as well, before they announce the start of a new work day.
They often have busy days, and busy days mean more angry customers, and more stressed employees, but after years of working together, they'd managed to get used to the routine, even though it isn't quite pleasing to any of them. They've learned to handle it patiently, for it would all come to an end sooner or later.
Sometimes Levi has his moments where he riles up at a customer for being rude to him, or crudely criticizing the quality of their service. Not that Levi often throws compliments at his own employees, but it's something else when a stranger tries to insult them. He's the only one who has the right.
Levi isn't so fond of taking breaks, mostly because he doesn't have certain hobbies to practice on his spare time, or anything he can consider productive to do during a break, though on certain occasions he will take a break; occasions such as when his friends: Erwin and Hanji, drop by for a meal.
Today is one of those days. When they come, their table is always reserved for them, for no one uses it at that time of the day, and the place is less crowded than it was, a few minutes ago. Levi joins them shortly after they're seated, and as they wait for their meal, they chat a little bit.
"So Hanji and I are considering going to Germany for the Holidays." Erwin states.
Hanji gives a nod, "We got invited, actually." She expands more on the topic, "Keith Shadis, you remember him, right?"
"Erwin's bald manager. Hard to forget." Levi says sarcastically.
"Previous manager!" Erwin corrects him, "I'm the manager now."
"Well, that doesn't matter!" Hanji exclaims, "What matters is that he wants us to come and spend the Holidays with him."
"Good for you." Levi shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly.
"No, Levi!" Hanji shakes her head, "He wants you to come along, too!"
Levi arches a brow and looks at Erwin for confirmation.
Erwin nods, "Indeed, you're invited too."
"Why the fuck am I invited?" Levi asks in confusion. He isn't good friends with the man, had only seen him a few times when Erwin had brought him along to eat at his restaurant. He'd talked to him some of those times, and their conversations had mostly consisted of exchanging inappropriate insults in the middle of lunch.
"He says he remembers you having a… how did he put it—a unique, humorous side that he'd love to see again." Erwin says.
"Too bad I'm busy." Levi answers in disinterest. "The restaurant won't manage itself on its own, you know?"
"Oh, come on!" Hanji pleads.
"It's just for two weeks, Levi." Erwin adds, "I'm sure you can find someone to stay here temporarily while you're gone."
"No." Levi grumbles, "There's no one competent enough to take over my role and manage this place for two weeks without setting it on fire or turning it into a complete junkyard."
"Don't be such a killjoy. We haven't done anything like this in years." Erwin frowns, his tone firm.
"And I have no plans to do." Levi insists still, though they go quiet when Petra arrives to serve their meals.
"It's always a pleasure to see you two here!" Petra offers a smile at them as she sets the plates down neatly.
"Thank you, Petra. It's always a pleasure when you serve us our meals." Hanji returns her smile brightly.
"Enjoy!" Petra nods and walks away, leaving them to go back to their conversation.
"Levi, you're coming with us, like it or not." Erwin now speaks more firmly.
"You can't force me, now, can you?" Levi's brows narrow as he eyes him coolly.
"I damn well can, and I will." Erwin assures, and adds furthermore, "Your work matters, and I understand that you have great responsibilities that you cannot hand down to anyone else, especially if there's no one you can trust enough, but on the other hand you're denying yourself chances that come and go, without taking advantage of them. You've worked here for years, what has changed ever since? You see the same people every single day; deal with the same things all the time. What harm would it cause if you did something different just for once? Taking chances like these is what really makes difference in our lives."
"Maybe I don't want to make any difference in my life." Levi spits, somewhat bitterly, and it silences Erwin for a moment. "It doesn't bother me if things stay the same until the day I die."
"If it doesn't bother you, then surely it won't if they didn't." Erwin argues, notices Levi click his tongue and look away from him, but Erwin knows Levi is trying to avoid something more than just his gaze, and he doesn't hesitate to confront him, "Ms. Mikasa would've wanted the best for you."
It goes quiet, and Hanji is half-expecting Levi to flip the table, so she eyes Erwin warily.
When Levi sighs, all he can form is fatigued expression and a despairing breath, "This is as best as it could get for me."
"Levi…" Hanji finally decides to speak up, her voice serious, but not empty of softness, "Mikasa always told me that she was lucky to have you in her life, because you changed it in so many ways. She also told me that you wouldn't stop her if she ever wanted to go away and leave, because you loved her that much, you didn't want to get in her way. If you can love someone to the point of being able to let them ago, why are you so afraid of letting people in again?"
"Mikasa didn't want to go." Levi answers, his pain disguised in a nonchalant voice.
"No, most definitely not." Hanji admits, "But she's gone regardless… Levi, it's been five years."
"You don't have to let her go if her memory keeps you happy. In fact you don't have to come with us to forget about her at all…" Erwin says more understandingly this time, "She was in Germany before the accident. That's where she spent her last moments, right?" those words earn him Levi's attention, and he adds, "I say you should come with us for that exact reason, so you can at least feel a bit closer from her."
Levi's eyes widen at the words, and he looks up at Erwin, meeting his gaze now, tongue-tied, but there's a faint color of life in his face this time. He doesn't want to forget Mikasa. She's no longer there—physically, perhaps, but that doesn't necessarily mean she's dead to him. All the things she'd told him, or had done with him—for him, their significance is greater than it has ever been, and he cherishes all of it, no matter how small it was; as small as a ring he meant to put on her finger when she comes back. A ring he can't bring himself to throw away, for even if she's never truly worn it, her being is caged in it, giving the rounded material an identity, a story, one he likes to remember from time to time.
When he comes back home that night, he does the usual; a quick shower, laundry, and then sits to have dinner as he waits for the washing machine to be done so he can move the clothes to the dryer.
He goes to his bedroom after that, decides that he doesn't want to watch TV tonight and instead sits on his bed. He reflects on Erwin and Hanji's invite, ponders the chances of leaving with them. His eyes escape to that picture sitting still on his nightstand, almost as if it can offer him an opinion, but it doesn't take long before Erwin's words strike him again, and the excuse to go is stronger than any other. When he wakes up in the next morning, he makes sure to call Erwin before he leaves for work.
"Hey, Erwin!" he says, his voice is as stoic as ever, but someone like Erwin, who's known him for years, can easily tell when there's even a fragment of excitement in his tone.
"Levi, good morning!" Erwin greets back. He's walking his dog in the neighborhood, enjoying the warmth of the day with the sneaky, cold breezes. "There must be an important reason as to why you're calling me at this hour."
"Yes." Levi answers, and doesn't waste another second to add, "I'm calling to ask if Keith's house meets my standards of sanitation, cause if that ain't the case, I'm reserving a hotel room."
The statement has Erwin's brows arching, eyes widening, and he stops walking to comprehend what he just heard. "What makes you think hotel rooms will be cleaner than Keith's place?"
Levi is silent for a moment, and he sighs, "I'll pay extra just to make sure of that."
Erwin chuckles, "I'm sure you will." He goes quiet for a moment and then finally asks, "So you changed your mind?"
Levi takes a few moments before he answers, "You were right. I'd be closer from her that way, and maybe then I'd be able to…" he pauses, realizes how much the mere thought of it hurts him, and even considering that possibility makes him feel guilty, but he adds reluctantly, "move on…"
"I'm glad." Erwin finally smiles and resumes the walk, "So I assume you found someone to take care of the restaurant?"
"No." Levi says as he looks out his window, "I suppose the restaurant also deserves to rest. I'm sending the employees off for their Holiday break sooner this year. Perhaps they'd like to have more time to expand on their plans."
"That's thoughtful of you. I'm sure they appreciate it."
"Regardless, I won't have to see Oluo's face for two fucking weeks. That's a win for me." Levi grumbles, "I could use a break from being imitated by a moron."
Within a week, the day of their flight finally arrives, and all three of them are sitting in the airport, waiting for their flight call.
"Aren't you so excited for this?" Hanji exclaims excitedly, holding her hands together dreamily, "I can't wait to see all the beautiful places in Germany!"
"You're just excited because you're going to see Keith." Levi claims, "Didn't you have a crush on his old ass?"
Hanji's face turns red within an instant, and she waves her hands in the air defensively, "That was a very long time ago, back when he still had hair!"
"I'm sure he's grown hair on his ass by now. That counts for something." Levi says, merely to tease her, and he seems successful when Hanji gives him an offended look.
Hanji frowns, "You're really mean sometimes, you know that?"
"I'm actually happier when Levi's being rude. It's a sign that he's in a good mood." Erwin states, and Hanji sighs and nods in agreement.
As things go quiet, Levi looks to the distance, at people walking around, carrying their bags here and there. His eyes land on a seemingly young couple, sitting not far away from them, and as soon as the couple kisses, he's struck with a memory.
He recalls the day he drove her to the airport—the same airport he's in now.
He'd helped her carry her bags inside, and then stood with her to say goodbye. He was a bit grumpy that day, somewhat upset that she'd be leaving him for a whole month, but it was for work purposes.
"I knew you'd be this grumpy over it, that's why I asked you t come with me." Mikasa had said, her fingers intertwining with his.
"You know I can't just leave the restaurant." Levi had answered, "It's just one month; I'll be fine."
"Your face doesn't say that, though." She'd teased, and let go of his hand to wrap her arms around his neck, "I promise I'll call you daily. You can also help me out with picking the best shots for the article."
"Yeah." He'd nodded, and worn a faint smile at her as he'd held her by the waist.
"I'll miss you." She'd mumbled to him as she'd hugged him tightly before they'd have to part.
"I'll miss you too." He'd replied, holding her to him.
"Levi!" Hanji's voice is a little loud when she calls him in the present time, shaking him off his journey to the past.
He looks up and sees her and Erwin both standing up, holding their bags.
"Come on, that's the call for our flight!" she tells him, and he lets out a silent breath as he gets up, carries his bags and walks with them to the gate.
His seat is next to Erwin's, Hanji's is on the row next to them. One hour has already passed since the plane took off, and both him and Erwin are mostly quiet, exchanging some words here and there. Hanji, on the other hand, isn't as quiet, actually. She's already made friends with the guy sitting next to her, and even introduced him to them. The name is Moblit, if Levi remembers correctly, and all he can think of is how bad he feels for the man who's forced to listen to all the insane stories Hanji's been telling him since they took off. Levi leans to his right, looking out the small, rounded window of the plane. They're high up in the air as of now, and the view is nothing like he's imagined. He wonders if it's the same view Mikasa had gotten to see as well when she was leaving, and at the thought of that he remembers.
It's not something he likes to think about, really, mostly because it makes him think she'd known, or that she'd expected him to stop her, or at least come with her. He lets out a heavy sigh when the scene plays in his head again. She'd walked away from him after they'd said their goodbyes, and he'd stood there still to watch her. He'd smiled, a little too emotionally when she turned to him halfway. He'd thought her eyes were glistening, with tears… For a mere second there she looked sad, worried almost, and Levi's expression changed to a more questioning one, but she turned away from him soon and kept walking. And she hadn't turned again afterwards.
He tells himself she was probably sad that she was leaving, and tries to convince himself with that when he remembers how cheerful she was every time they had a video chat, and how excited she'd been to show him all the pictures she'd taken.
Now that he thinks about it, it hurts him, fills his chest with a heavy guilt. If he'd gone with her, things could have been different, but he'd made his choice, hadn't he? A choice he isn't particularly proud of now.
He closes his eyes, decides he doesn't want to watch the sky anymore, and next thing he knows, he's falling asleep. His dreams aren't peaceful by any means. If anything, they're uglier than his thoughts. The many times he dreamt of that day, when she was supposed to come back, all those horrifying ways he'd seen her die, over and over again. Every time she'd call his name, he wasn't there for her. Her voice rings in his ears continuously, as if he'd fallen into an endless loop.
"Levi!" the dream ends when Erwin starts shaking him.
Levi opens his eyes, a sweat drop tracing his face down, a gasp stuck in his throat, and he looks to his left, at Erwin, "What is it?" he asks.
"It's time for a meal." Erwin answers, "You slept well?"
Levi stays quiet, and then nods, "Yeah."
It's not the first time he's had this kind of dreams, and he's thankful Erwin is here to wake him up before he'd have to see her die yet again. He straightens up, fixes his posture and glances over at Hanji, who is still rambling to that poor, poor guy. She's going to drive him insane by the time this plane lands.
They arrive to Germany a few hours later, and it's nighttime. Once they retrieve their bags, they find Keith waiting for them, and he welcomes them, exchanging a few words before they head out with him and take his car.
"How was the flight?" Keith asks as he drives.
Erwin, who's sitting in the passenger seat replies, "It was great. I really liked the cookies they served us. Levi wasn't a fan of the restroom, though."
"Restrooms should be the cleanest part of any airplane. How many asses do you think sat on the same fucking toilet seat? It was fucking disgusting."
"It wasn't." Erwin says with a silly smile.
"Hanji doesn't seem to have anything to say about it, I see." Keith looks at her through the rearview mirror, and she's deep in her sleep, her head falling loosely onto Levi's shoulder, while he keeps pushing her away from him.
"It's about damn time her energy ran out." Levi grumbles, and pushes her off onto Erwin's shoulder instead.
Keith smiles as he watches them, and then focuses back on the road, "Well, it's nice to have you here at last."
Erwin nods, "It's good to see you too, after all this time."
It's nighttime, and so they don't have time for a whole lot to do. As soon as they arrive, Shadis directs them to their rooms so they can rest. Levi and Erwin share a bedroom, while Hanji gets her separate one. She heads towards the bed automatically, and drops asleep on it. Levi eyes her judgingly, for she hasn't even changed her clothes or washed herself yet. For all she knows, she can be carrying god-knows how many germs.
Levi makes sure not to touch anything until he's scanned it fully, and he gives a suspicious look to Erwin and Keith who, for some reason, look at him funny.
Keith wishes the two of them a good night and leaves the bedroom, closing the door behind him. Erwin takes out his pajamas and heads to the ensuite bathroom.
It's late for unpacking, but Levi grabs one of the smallest bags he brought, and pulls on the zipper slowly to open it. He pulls out his sleepwear; a cozy, maroon sweater and a pair of grey sweatpants. He places them aside on a bed, and next grabs Mikasa's picture, the one that always sits on his nightstand, the one he always falls asleep while staring at. He sets it down on the nightstand by the bed that he's claimed, stares at it quietly, and soon enough the place doesn't feel so strange to him anymore. He waits for Erwin to come out of the bathroom before he grabs his own clothes and goes inside to get changed. When he returns to the room, he folds his clothes and sets them on top of one of the bags. He does a cautionary check-up on the mattress and bed sheets, to ensure that everything is satisfyingly clean, before he lies down at last.
Erwin watches him with a funny face, and shakes his head. "I made sure to let him know you liked everything neat and tidy; don't worry."
Levi gives him a mere shrug of his shoulders before he gets in bed at last, his scan confirming Erwin's words. "And why should I trust a guy I haven't seen in years to do as told?"
"True, but I'm your friend and you see me, everyday; you can, at least, trust my word." Erwin smiles as he grabs a book he brought with him, sits on his bed, and searches for the page he last stopped reading to resume it. "You're going to sleep?" he asks.
"Yes. I need to wake up early and unpack. You should too." Levi says as he lies down, and turns to face away from Erwin, his eyes fixed on Mikasa's picture.
"Staring at her picture helps you sleep." Erwin states, and even though he doesn't see Levi's face, he can picture his eyes widening ever so slightly, "Reading a book has that effect on me." Erwin pauses before fixing his eyes on the book and adding, "I hope you don't mind me keeping my lamp on."
"No." Levi answers simply and pulls the covers all the way over his shoulders as he gets comfy in the bed.
"Alright then. Goodnight, Levi!"
"Goodnight." He mumbles faintly, his gaze never leaving Mikasa's picture until his eyelids begin putting weight on his eyes, and he can no longer keep them open, slowly drifting to a deep sleep as everything gets darker and blurrier.
In the morning that follows, Levi is awake earlier than everyone else. He takes a quick shower and changes back to his casual wear, and next thing he does is start unpacking his bags. He doesn't normally feel lonely, even when being alone, but having Erwin shout random words in his sleep every now and then is enough of a reminder that he's, in fact, not alone.
He doesn't quite understand everything Erwin mumbles, but he can swear he heard him say something about his dog peeing on his cravat, or his bathroom being filled with soap. Levi wonders what the hell he's dreaming about, even worse: wonders if these things have actually happened to him before, and he's urged to wake him up just to ask him, but he decides to focus on setting up his belongings neatly instead.
By the time he's almost done, he hears a very loud thud from the room next to theirs, and the sound of something breaking. He figures it out as soon as he hears a weeping Hanji, and lets out the heaviest of sighs. They spend one night at this guy's place and Hanji's already breaking things.
"Levi?" Erwin is awake at last, and he sits up lazily, rubbing his eyes, "What was that noise? Is Hanji alright?"
"If you're so concerned about her, you should go check for yourself. I'm busy." He gestures at the closet, that's now half-filled with his clothes, neatly placed on each shelf, only one more bag to go.
"This is supposed to be a chance for us to relax and not worry about minor things." Erwin sighs, "Unpacking the bags so early counts as a minor thing."
"If you're staying in one room with me, those goddamn bags of yours better be unpacked before noon."
Erwin heaves a sigh and lies back down on the bed, now rethinking whether convincing Levi to come with them was a good idea. He soon sits back up when he makes up his mind, and says, "I'm going to check on Hanji and then come back to unpack. I hope that's okay with you." He drags himself out of bed, puts his slippers on and then walks to the clutter of his bags.
"Make sure to scan the kitchen in the process and see if everything's sanitary enough. Not here to die from food poisoning." Levi says the words, before Erwin leaves his sight.
"Levi, give it a break, will you?" Erwin says with a despairing sigh. "Besides, Keith is actually taking us out for breakfast, today." He bends down to open one of his bags, takes out some clothes, before he heads to the bathroom, and closes the door behind him.
Levi then resumes unpacking, and he stares at what he's got left to take out from the last bag, and reaches his hand to grab a camera—her camera. It's not her favorite, but it doesn't matter. It reminds him of her and the times he'd seen her use it. It's gotten old over the years, and he knows she stopped using it because it started causing the pictures to look blurry on the top right corner. She didn't bother to fix it, because before the thought had even occurred to her, he'd gotten her a new one. He remembers taking a picture of her holding her new camera with the old one, as a goodbye of some sorts.
He grabs the object, and looks through its lens. It frames the place perfectly with all its imperfections, and as he sets the camera back down, he now reaches to grab some of the pictures he brought with him.
Erwin had told him he should come here to feel closer from her, and he figured bringing some pictures that she took while in Germany would be helpful. He looks at each and every one of the pictures she took, most of which she wasn't in, but it doesn't make the scene less beautiful. She had a natural talent when it came to capturing the moment at a perfect angle and perfect timing, all of which made the colors and lighting blend in beautifully to shape an outstandingly gorgeous scenery. He wasn't anywhere near her talent, but sometimes he took pictures of her, and just that would be enough to make the photo the loveliest it could be.
It was her being, the mere existence of her in details, small or big, what made it all so vivid and full of life. Even the memory of her remains unchangeable, perhaps blurry just the way her old camera captures it, but beautiful nonetheless.
He puts the pictures aside on the bed, and then moves to the next item he has in the bag. It's a small, red, suede box. Its contents remain unused, for neither time nor life had been in its favor, but its stories are endless. He grabs the object carefully in his hand, and opens it. His eyes fall on a diamond ring, and he flashes back to five years ago, to the day he bought it.
He'd stood in front of Hanji and Erwin, holding the box open in his hand to them. "So? What do you think?"
"Oh my god! Levi!" Hanji had squealed with dreamy eyes, snapping her hands together and locking her fingers as she'd leaned closer to the box, her eyes almost sparkling at the beauty that displayed in front of her, "It's so beautiful. So gorgeous!"
"So you think she'll like it?" he asks in uncertainty, more or less asking for Erwin's opinion since he figured Hanji would be excited no matter what he got.
"Are you kidding? She would marry you on the spot!" Hanji had screamed at him, "I had no idea you had such a good taste with rings!"
Levi had eyed Hanji suspiciously, still not convinced, then looked up at Erwin, who was wearing a wide smile, and that sent a wave of reassurance within him.
"It's amazing, Levi." As soon as Erwin spoke, the tension left Levi's face, and he finally released a faint breath he'd been holding for god knows how long. "Congratulations in advance."
"Hey, if, by any chance, she doesn't want to marry you. Can I please, please, please get the ring?" Hanji pleaded.
"Get lost, four-eyes." Levi closed the box and put it in his pocket, rolling his eyes at Hanji.
"Oh, come on! Don't be stingy! I deserve a ring like that, don't I?"
"You're not even worth a finger."
"You're too mean for a person who wants to be a husband."
The memory fades away as he puts the box in his pocket, leaving nothing behind but incomplete dreams. A sigh leaves his mouth as he continues to unpack what's left, and the times flies faster than he expects.
Keith sits with Hanji and Erwin at a table, in a diner he took them to once they were all set and ready to start their day. They're sipping coffee and eating some baked sweets on the side, chatting and laughing as they enjoy their time. Meanwhile, Levi is in the bathroom. He takes long to come out because he has to scan every single corner of the place before he touches or uses anything. Surprisingly, the place lives up to his expectations and he compliments the owners in his mind. He thinks he might actually mention it to them on their way to leave, doesn't find it strange for a second to compliment someone's bathroom.
When he finally walks out, he hears Hanji from their table comment, "There he is, at last!" and he shoots a glare her way as he walks back to the table.
He pulls his chair to sit down, but before he does Hanji startles him with a loud gasp, and he freezes, looking at her with a raised brow. "The fuck is your problem?"
"Isn't that…" she stutters, and he doesn't know what she's talking about, "Is that a cockroach crawling over your shirt?"
Levi panics, brushes his clothes off repeatedly, and he tries to locate the goddamn cockroach, but stops when he hears everyone else laughing, making him realize it was a sad excuse of a joke. Levi aims a death glare at Hanji, and grabs her by the collar, "You're fucking dead, you piece of shit."
"I was just messing with you! Take a deep breath!" Hanji tries to calm him down, but it only seems to make him rage more, "Erwin, do something!"
"I'm sorry, Hanji…" Erwin chuckles, "This is all too amusing for me to do anything."
"How do you like it now, four-eyes?" Levi huffs, and Hanji gasps loudly one more time but all it does is make his expression go darker, "Do you think I'm an idiot to fall for the same trick twice?"
"No…" Hanji shakes her head, shock written all over her face. "I'm not imagining things, am I?" she asks and it confuses him but he figures she's just messing with him again, "That is… Behind you… that's…"
Erwin and Keith look in the direction she's looking, and as soon as Levi sees the genuine reaction on their faces, he does too.
It's a mixture of shock, surprise, disbelief, and confusion all at once. None of them can move, or explain what's going on, for the scene feels utterly unrealistic.
"It's her, isn't it?" Hanji asks again, "That's…"
Mikasa… Levi finishes in his head. He doesn't know what he's looking at, or who. He just knows it's a living image of her, walking in the same diner they're sitting in. Her hair is shorter, much shorter than he ever remembers, but that's almost the only difference he can spot. Those features, the entirety of her figure, they're all recognizable, and not just to him. Levi thinks he's trapped in one of his dreams, gets a silly thought that maybe asking Hanji to slap him will do the trick and wake him up.
He remains frozen in his place nevertheless, a thousand thoughts races through his mind, and all he can do is stare at the girl opposite from him, so full of life; the girl who supposedly died five years ago in a plane crash on her way back to him; the girl he was going to propose to and spend the rest of his life with, the girl he spent years of his life mourning day and night.
It can't be, he thinks, but he sees it with his own eyes, more real than anything.
"Mikasa…" her name leaves his mouth in a despairing breath, and all his surroundings fade to nonexistence as her image is all he can see.
Is this a dream?
To be continued.
A/N: Thank you everyone for reading! Stay tuned for the next part.