-Year 842: Wall Maria-
"Rivialle? Why are you here?"
Katsu closed the door behind her, coat in her hand as she expected someone other than him to come get her.
She pulled him towards the back yard, just for precautions.
"What are you doing here?" She repeated.
"'Get you back to the quarters safely', is what they told me."
"It's more risky to trust my life to a criminal." She glared at the man who did not look fazed one bit. "You can go tell them that I'll just come home by myself by sunset."
A moment of silence befell amongst the two, a challenge of each to break the silence first.
Levi was the one to break the ice. "Erwin sent me here to fetch a hime, not a spoiled brat."
"Why don't you tell him that, ne? And while you're at it, tell them I won't be needing an escort from now on if they'll only keep sending you." Katsu scoffed.
"Why are you so persistent? it's not like I'll do something to you." Levi rolled his eyes, averting his attention elsewhere.
"That's what they always say."
"Who?"
"Underground criminals like you."
"You've met some?"
Katsu sent him an 'are you kidding me?' look. She hesitated, then thought he was also a little too smart for his own good, he would figure out sooner or later. "Of course. I'm in the Military Police division too. I constantly get missions to there as well."
"Tsk." Katsu walked ahead, deciding just to let it be. For now.
"Ne, Levi?"
He hummed. Katsu was well aware of the soldier following them, so she was carefully speaking just lowly. Levi was aware of this too, only he didn't know who or why they were watching.
"Why did you agree to join the Corps?"
He remained silent for a few minutes. She thought for a moment, before continuing.
Erwin was using you, and anyone as his pawns, just keep the fight against the titans going. Though it's pointless if the pawns are unwilling, they are to die a pointless death, because fear had overcome them, overcome life long, long ago.
"You were forced, but still, you could've refused. I was opposed, too, I could've helped you get out of the ordeal." You would only be useless to us. She looked him straigth in the eyes, only giving away the truth.
"You would've had much better than what our fate in the Legion lies. Nobody, not even criminals, deserves to be forced to die pointlessly out in the battle we know we can't win."
I have been forced too, at first. But now, I'm willing to die, just for humanity, for them. I'm going to save them, even if it costs my last breath.
He didn't know why, but he felt as if he could trust her and her words. Words that sounded so sincere, yet so controling, urging him to back down, to admit defeat.
Before he knew it, he was slightly cracking. He internally cursed himself, stopping him from almost, almost saying anything before it's too late.
"I..." No, I can't. Levi debated his inner self for a while. "I had to."
"I know, I just said-"
"I had to."
Seikatsu sensed an even darker aura raidiating off Levi. It was mixed with emotions she didn't think he could show easily, but she knew better than to judge. She sensed regret, anger, and most of all, pain. She knew better than to dig an even deeper hole.
Because somehow we're alike.
She settled with holding his hand. He jolted a bit at the sudden warmth enveloping his, struggling a bit at first, but reluctantly gave in the next moment.
Seikatsu accepted the silence that followed the road they were taking. Both of them collected their thoughts as they walked around aimlessly- mostly in the secluded parts -careful not being seen, and neither willing to head back soon.
After a while, Levi once again broke the silence. "You're rather intelligent for a twelve year old, brat. Care to tell?" Now a nasty smirk was plastered on his once handsome face.
Seikatsu shrugged and smiled. "I was born with it." Atleast there are good sides on that damned syringe. "Why, am I outsmarting you, old man?"
"Do I look old?"
"Hmm, maybe. But you are short." She again sensed the aura darken, partially playfully, this time. "How old are you anyway?"
"Seventeen."
"No fucking way! I see wrinkles!" She playfully gaped, and recieved a missed hit in return. "Although your height does give it away."
This time, she did recieve a hit on the head. Painful one, might she add. She internally snickered. Although I am more or less a feet shorter. Oh well, I still have years to grow.
-Year 842: Survey HQ-
As the sun began to set, the two hastily made their way to the headquarters, chatting about random little things every now and then, just to dissolve some tension. It was mostly initiated by the ever bright and playful princess though.
Something in their guts just told them to stay that way.
And so that's how they got curious stares from the Corps.
One minute, there was an unspoken war between them. The next, they were talking like normal people would on a daily basis. Neither of them cared enough and continue to talk- well, Katsu did -as they made their way upstairs.
They got inside a private area for higher scouts, where they had decided to settle Levi and the other two just for a while.
"What's going on?" It was Petra who noticed the arrival first, looking back and forth from their faces to the intertwined finger back to them.
"Yeah, did you two hook up or something?" Isabelle whispered loudly, inching closer to Katsu's face with a serious- seriously constipated expression.
Katsu sighed, trying to conceal her blushing face. "We're... friends... now."
"I thought you didn't like him." Petra sat across the table, eyes still glued to the hime with a mischievous glint in them.
"W-well... I, uh... maybe not?" Levi snorted, and tugged her to the couch, before letting go and resting his arm to the back of the couch where Katsu sat.
"Aren't you two moving too fast?" It was Erwin who said that, he just got back from a rather exhausting trip to hell- the capital. Petra greeted him first as always.
"A little too fast." Hanji said, appearing out of nowhere.
"You guys are misinterpreting this again." Katsu huffed, falling back onto the couch. "I'm too young, you know."
"Yeah, twelve years old with the maturity of a late teen. I'm pretty sure you wouldn't understand what it's all about yet." Hanji stated, snorting in the end. "Well, maybe sometimes you don't."
"Anyway, since I wasn't here for a while, care to tell the game plan?"
"Right." Erwing said just as Mike walked in with an exhausted Furlan. Katsu stared at Erwin, knowing he'll always be the one to give straight forward answers, at Petra or Mike would try to sugarcoat it and such, Hanji would definately make everything worse.
"For the next couple months, these three will be learning under ones in the highest positioned scouts. Mike will be incharge of Furlan, though he handled Levi well enough when we captured them. Petra will be incharge of Isabelle. She maybe the opposite of the Isabelle, but she can handle."
"And you..." Erwin paused, Katsu rolled her eyes. Always the drama king. "You will be incharge of Levi. I trust you will look after him." He turned to the raven. "Levi, please look after our dear hime too. She could be a bit of a... pain sometimes."
"Hey!"
"As for me, I would be too busy with paperworks and such, and Hanji would be busy with research, so we can't do it." Hanji's eyes lit up as she recalled something.
Hanji whispered something to Mike, who nodded while staring at the princess. She proceeded to skip to the door.
Katsu knew what it was and shivered. She jumped and was about to make a run for it if it wasn't for Petra who blocked her way easily.
"H-hey, aren't I scheduled a bit further in the month?"
She yelped when Mike became sneaky and lifted her up with ease. She struggled, almost kicking the two corporals in the face, but her cries for help were unheard like always.
Her last hope shattered when even Levi and the other ex-thugs leaned back with amused glints in their eyes, enjoying her show.
Her only hope now was that Hanji would go easy on her, without being ecstatic and such, which a chance of 0% to never.
"Don't worry, Katsu. We'll be done in no time." Hanji grinned, the start of hell for Seikatsu.