The Story of the Lake, by TheStupidSheep
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I don't own Attack on Titan. I just wanted to fangirl for a second.
Mikasa Jaeger works on a public library. At the last hours of the day, a mysterious man comes, sits at the farthest table of the reading area and looks at the lake across the street from the library, always without picking any book. Curious, Mikasa tries to find out what brings him everyday to the same place and at the same hour, forgetting in the process her own demons.
I have to close.
She has to close.
Time has passed as fast as the wind, but Mikasa doesn't want to close. She doesn't want to go.
Go, where?
As always, the thought of going "home" feels as excited as going anywhere. Living alone, being alone, is something she's always feared.
I have to close the library.
She sighs, turning off the computer. Stands up, puts her red scarf and starts saving her stuff in her backpack, looking around the place to make sure there isn't anybody.
The public library has a reading area with wide windows. A lake is seen from then. Today, a full moon is reflected on the water, making an aesthetic image that always takes out everybody's breath in the town, but not Mikasa's.
There is a man sitting in the last table. He is drinking a tea, he is not reading. She's never seen that man in the library before.
He grabs the cup in a weird way.
Frowning, Mikasa takes up her backpack and walks towards him, passing her fingers through her short black hair to see better what's in front of her.
The man doesn't pay attention when she sits in the same table. The keys of the public library jingle in her hand, saying hi for her.
"I'm closing, sir."
The man still doesn't look at her. His eyes are stuck in the lake outside, his long eyelashes trembling with the little movements of his eyeballs.
Long… eyelashes?
"Give me five minutes" he says, drinking his tea without turning.
Mikasa raises a brow and sees the time. She should've closed forty minutes ago, but forty minutes ago she didn't want to go home, where the loneliness was waiting for her.
Now, she is noticing the muscles of his arms and how his chest goes up and down with the breathing in a very slowly, slowly and peaceful way.
She blinks and stands up.
"You're not reading anything."
"I'm not. You care?"
"Actually, no."
"Disappointing."
Mikasa crosses her arms.
"Disappointing?"
"To work in a public library, you should encourage people to read, but you're here, telling me you don't care if I'm reading or not in a library that was supposed to be closed thirty minutes ago. Disappointing."
His voices is deep, a calm sound that makes her feel more irritated.
Wait. Am I irritated? Why…?
"What I think is disappointing is that you are waiting for someone to encourage you to read when you are clearly surrounded by books. That's disappointing."
Finally, he turns and looks at her.
"The difference is that I don't live of this."
She doesn't pay attention to what he says.
He is handsome… and he also looks dangerous.
The realization of this makes her stand out and grab the keys harder, putting them through her closed fingers, waiting for him to do something harmful to her, to take out a knife and…
"You need to leave now, please."
She takes a step back. The man smiles sideways and puts the cup on the table, standing on his feet. He is shorter than her, but he radiates wisdom, a wisdom that feels overwhelming against her.
While he puts his long jacket and his scarf, she realizes how tired he looks. His movements are slow. However, he doesn't seem to be clumsy, nor doing it on purpose. He is really tired.
But he still looks dangerous.
He doesn't notice Mikasa's fear, she thanks. Shakes her head, trying to smile, but she can't. Too ashamed, she lets him pass her as he walks towards the exit door. She was too harsh. Now, the possibility of losing a customer that only wanted a little time of peace exists.
"I'm sorry" she says, trying not to roll her eyes at her own stupidity "I didn't mean to…"
His long jacket waves when he turns around and looks at Mikasa, taking her off guard. His grey eyes catch the lamp's light on the ceiling, and she is able to see the dark circles under them, as if he never sleeps.
"Recommend me one."
She stills.
"What?"
He points with his head to a books pile on a table.
"Recommend me a book."
In her mind, Mikasa's parents were screaming. She smiled.
Five minutes later, she has two books in her hands. A fiction war book and a children's book.
He is leaning on the exit door frame, waiting for her to bring the book. She looks secretly at him, admiring the way he doesn't seem to give a fuck about what happens around him. His shaved temples and sharp jaw help him look like of a man without fear, and that's all what she needs to finally pick up the book for him.
Two minutes after she is closing the library and turning to face him, knowing he haven't gone yet. He is staring at the lake across the street, but his body is fronting her.
She knows he is dangerous. Even with that, she lets a little smile dance in her lips.
When he looks at her, the smile is gone.
Mikasa gives him the book with the cover facing the ground.
"I need your name. I didn't write it on the record."
"Levi Ackerman."
"Levi Ackerman, have fun reading your book."
They walk in opposite directions.
Levi Ackerman. His name is Levi Ackerman.
He doesn't watch the cover. He already knows what book is it.
He always has known.
Hello! First time writing in english, first time writing a Rivamika fic. PLEASE, tell me if a have any mistake. Hope you like it.
xx
La que tals.