Such a fine day. It would be a waste to spend it in the office... specially when you had a thinking slump. They're like writing slumps, but for scientists instead of writers? Right?
At any rate, such was the case of Hanji Zoe. Even her brilliant mind needed a break every once in a while. Said soldier was currently trekking her way over the pebbled pathway towards the southern fields of Wall Rose. And as much as she'd like to spend the rest of the day watching titans from the edge of the walls, she wouldn't want to bore the flowers she brought with her eccentric theories and ideas.
Lilies for the men, roses for the women. Same goes for the girls and boys. She was carrying quite a handful, but that was okay. She'd do anything for these people. After all, she misses them like hell.
It wasn't exactly safe, but she was a soldier. It was never safe. And anything that could cause her trouble inside the walls was child's play compared to anything that could happen outside. Mercifully, the sun didn't seem to flare too much today, making it just the right temperature for walking around. More like trying not to trip around.
She finally arrives and the stoned archway welcomes her quietly. Almost eerily. She tries to come here whenever she can. The recent events just seemed to pile up so much that she hasn't been able to do so as frequently as she wants to. Needs to. After all, talking to all of them was a nice way to vent and clear her mind.
She spread the flowers all over, having done so too often that it felt like second nature. She sat down, her legs crossed and with her back to the entrance. A few spare flowers in her hands, said limbs trying to form it into a flower crown. It was quite a challenging task. It took so much of a delicate touch. Like a mother's caress.
"Hey, guys. It's been a while, huh?" She says after a while. Her voice laced with melancholy. "Things have been all over the place. I've been working my ass off with keeping Erwin and Levi from killing themselves. Those two will be the death of me one day," she groans, arms flailing out to make her point.
"Petra and Oluo, I miss you guys like crazy. Do you know how much more quiet it is without you guys arguing all the time? It's like drop a needle and you'll hear it quiet. And Erd and Gunther, it's so much more of a hassle to teach the newbies without you guys. They don't seem to take me seriously unless I'm mad sometimes. And oh, Levi looks more constipated without you guys. Like really," she actually laughs a bit.
Unbeknownst to Hanji, a certain constipated looking soldier was well within hearing range. Silently listening to her ramblings. Curious and somehow entertained. If not slightly annoyed by how true everything the brunette said always sounded.
"Mike and Nanaba! I wanted to be the godmother of your children! What the hell? You better already have a kid when I get there or I swear," Hanji continues.
Levi leans on a nearby tree and continues to listen. Taking in the calmness of Hanji's voice. Which was odd since she was venting and whatnot. He wasn't here to visit everyone, except maybe his squad. And Isabel and Farlan. It was Isabel's birthday today. He brought her sweets and flowers. The night before she died, the brat got him to agree to buy her sweets if they were able to kill a titan. She did. They both did, the idiots.
"The newbies are doing great. Like really. Imagine how much of an asset a shifter is. A determined one, at that. Eren Jaeger might just get us out of this mess. With the help of his friends, of course. Armin's a lot like our beloved Erwin-danchou. Calm, cool, and collected. Well, not really, but he has the brains for it. Mikasa is just as good if not better than Levi. Truthfully, the only thing Levi has going for him is his experience. And the fact that he's not madly in love with an eccentric brunette like Mikasa is," she laughs out loud this time.
Levi almost threw a branch at Hanji for that. And not for the ranking him below Mikasa.
"Jean, Connie, and Sasha. I like imagining them as a love triangle. If we ever got out of this in one piece. I'm starting to sound sadistic again, aren't I?" She chuckles, her head hanging low on her shoulders.
Levi could actually imagine what she had just said. Funnily enough. Although just the thought of a combination of any of the 104th made him want to throw up. Biggest batch of troublemakers he's ever seen. And for them to create little versions of themselves? He'd rather not raise them again.
"Historia's getting there. It must be tough, being a queen. But she's holding ground. Thankfully. Or else we wouldn't have had the budget to prepare for the next mission. Hopefully the last," Hanji leans back on her arms and looks up to the brilliant blue sky. Almost as if it were inviting her to take a dip in the clouds. The thought made her smile.
Levi was about to get up and show himself when she started talking again.
"Speaking of the 104th, Eren's a lot like you, Isabel."
Levi almost dropped the flowers he was holding.
"He's rash and impulsive. Grew up too soon. Too much weight on his shoulders. But he still manages to make everyone around him laugh every once in a while. I think Levi might see you in him sometimes, when he's, you know, not as much of a slave driver as he usually is," she actually giggles.
Levi didn't know which one made his breath catch in his throat. The sound of her giggle or the fact that she saw what he thought only he saw.
"Anyway, I gotta go, it's a long walk back and Erwin might still need me for some last minute stuff," she says as she stands up and starts to walk towards Isabel's place. She crouches with her hand on the cold headstone, "Happy Birthday, kid! Tell Farlan and the others I said Hi, alright?" She places a small pack of cookies beside the flowers. "I promise I'll bring something better after the mission. Assuming that I'm alive, of course."
And he realizes all at once that Hanji was the only one who really welcomed them to the scouting legion. Open arms and all. Literally.
"You'll live," Levi's voice makes her fall to the ground in surprise.
"Levi! What are you doing here? How long have you been standing there?" She fixes her glasses as she stands up.
"Long enough. How did you know it was her birthday?"
"I uh, she told me. Once, when we were training," she says, avoiding his gaze.
The short man only nods and crouches on the ground beside her and places his flowers and sweets beside the cookies.
"I'll make sure you stay alive so you better make sure you bring her the cookies you promised," Levi declares as he stands up.
"Don't make promises you can't keep, Levi," Hanji teases, a wry smile on her face.
"I don't. I've had years of experience, four-eyes. I think I can handle saving your crazy ass," he tells her.
"Alright then. We'll come back here the minute we can, after we retake Wall Maria. And more cookies for Isabel. Deal?"
His heart beats louder in his chest when he sees her smile at Him. He's not sure whether he's happy that he realized it before the mission. Or unhappy because he just realized it. The troublesome feeling called love.
"Deal," Levi says almost begrudgingly. "And if anything, Erwin is the constipated one. Not me."
And Hanji turns into a ball of laughter and half-meant apologies as they trek their way back to headquarters. Levi would keep his promise. Hopefully add a ring to her finger if he could. Just as soon as all the damn titans were gone.