A/N: I apologize for the delay. I hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I do not own Attack On Titan
I found myself sobbing. Tears streaming down my face, I neatly folded the letter and placed it back in its envelope. I stared at Tyrion for a while before standing up and wiping my tears away. I couldn't believe what I had just read. I knew about Levi Ackerman. I had heard of him, everyone in town knew him, even new people like me. He had grown up in town and had been an A student throughout his entire scholar life. Albeit he rarely talked to anyone, he had been involved in every charity event in town. He had always donated, had always helped people when they needed. I had met an old lady that claimed he had fixed her roof after her husband passed away.
But I also knew that he had died in Iraq a few months ago. He had gone MIA whilst in a rescue mission. Posthumously, earning a Silver Star when he gave his life to protect his comrades as they were being chased by the enemy. Flags had been at half-mast all summer to honour him.
I sat down on a nearby chair and leaned forward, resting my elbows on my knees. I stared at the dog, his brown fur reminded me of chocolate. I sighed as I watched his body rise with every breath he took.
-Hey, Tyrion. –I whispered. His tail swished.
I kept whispering his name, over and over, and each time, his ears lowered, his eyes softened, and his posture relaxed as a wave of contentment just seemed to flood him. I stroked his ears, rubbed his shoulders, buried my face into his scruff and hugged him.
-It's just you and me now, Tyrion. Just you and me. Your old owner gave you to me. –I said as he licked my cheek.
I searched for one of his tennis balls with my hand and smiled when I found one.
-So, what do you say we play some ball? –I offered, showing him the ball. His ears perked up.
He tore the ball from my hand and stared at me.
-Yeah? Do you like that? Ball? – I offered.
He disappeared into the next room, leaving me alone. I stood up from the chair and organized the room. It was a bloody mess and Tyrion was probably playing with his tennis ball. I heard his nails clicking against the wood floor and I turned around to look at him with a grin on my face.
When he came back, he had three tennis balls in his mouth.
I couldn't help but to laugh. He was so adorable. I beckoned him to come closer and he, for the first time, listened to me. I petted him and allowed him to snuggle up to me. His body relaxed with every intake of breath, and so did mine. I closed my eyes and continued to run my fingers through his fur. A sudden feeling of peace overwhelmed me, nursing me into a sleepy haze.
I couldn't fathom the amount of suffering Levi Ackerman had endured before he died. I couldn't even begin to imagine what he had gone through. Every nation in the world claimed to value peace, telling their children violence is never the answer while refusing to hold their own government to the same standard. No one ever agreed to war, we were still pulled into it. War left nothing but broken families and suffering in its wake. I heard the dog sigh sadly and I opened my eyes to look into his. I smiled at him, even though I knew he couldn't possibly comprehend the meaning of my muscles stretching in order to show him my teeth. I giggled at my own stupidity. I was a little odd. The dog laid his head on my lap.
"He didn't want to leave you behind, you know?" I spoke up, noticing how his ears perked up at the sound of my voice. "I'm sure he thought of you before he…" I trailed off, not really wanting to utter the reality of his end. I held back my tears. I didn't even know the man, yet I understood his pain. I somehow found a way to empathize. "He must've been an amazing man." I continued talking to Tyrion, as if he understood me. He was good company, especially with the sound of his tail wagging back and forth behind me. Levi was certainly right. He was a smart dog.
I couldn't help but to wonder the impact adopting a pet had on someone. Had Levi been lonely? Or did he simply prefer solitude? After all, being lonely and being alone were two completely different things. Had he been an outgoing man? Had he had an amazing sense of humour? How had his relationships ended? How old had he been? Had he been a slob? Or a neat freak? Had he preferred sweets over salty food? Had he ever fallen in love? Had he been tall? Had he watched other shows besides Game Of Thrones? Who had been his favourite character? My mind went wild thinking about the man who had previously owned my dog.
"Did he ever fall in love, Tyrion?" I asked, smiling sadly, reminiscing about my own romantic history.
And I broke down in tears. I couldn't forget him, no matter how much I tried. I regretted it as much as he had. But he had left with her, leaving me behind. It was impossible to erase the image of him tangled up with her in bed; his hands finding her skin, even when the lights were turned off. And I had refused to imagine all of the things he had told her. Their naked bodies looking like porcelain, as if they belonged together. As if they fit together perfectly.
I remembered it vividly. Slapping him as hard as I could and only smiling at her sadly. She had not even known about me being engaged to that piece of cock. He had tricked her, lied to both of us. She had shed as many tears as I had. After yelling at him and calming down, I had packed all of my belongings and moved back into my parent's house. The thought of my engagement ring hitting him on the face still made me smirk.
It had been almost two years since I ended things with him. But, why was I still crying over someone who clearly didn't love me? I had moved on. I had left him behind. I had built myself back up and learned how to be happy on my own, without his shadow following me everywhere I went.
"There can be no deep disappointment where there is not deep love." –Martin Luther King, Jr.
A/N: I can tell it's certainly been a while. I will update when I can. To be quite honest, I've long lost inspiration for this story; but I started it, so I will finish it.
