"Eliza. Eliza, wake up," Mikasa said, shaking Eliza awake. Eliza had forgotten that she asked Mikasa to wake her up and she groaned as she sat up.
"I hate you," she mumbled at Mikasa.
"No you don't," Mikasa retorted. "You hate Levi."
"You're right, I hate Levi," Eliza complained as she got up and got changed. "If it weren't for Levi, I would still be asleep."
"No you wouldn't," Mikasa told her. "I know you, remember? You were awake until about an hour ago and even then you forced yourself go to sleep."
"So? I can still think I'd be asleep, now can't I?" Eliza said, buckling on her harness.
"You missed a strap," Mikasa told her.
"I did? Where?" Eliza asked, feeling all her buckles. She was pretty sure she got all of them.
"Here," Mikasa said and Eliza felt one of the thigh straps cinch up tighter.
"Oh, thanks. I forgot that the Survey Corps requires all the straps buckled," Eliza said. "Hey, what time is it?" she asked.
"You've got about fifteen minutes until five," Mikasa told her. "Why?"
"Oh, Levi stopped me in the hall last night and said he wanted me to bring him breakfast this morning. Well, I'd better go," Eliza said. "See you later."
Eliza made her way carefully down to the kitchens. She trailed her fingertips lightly along the stone wall as she walked; it was easy to lose her sense of direction in a building, especially one this big.
Finally, Eliza walked into the dining hall. She knew the kitchens were somewhere near the back of the room, so Eliza walked in what she hoped was the right direction. She was pretty sure she was heading the right way since she could hear the sound of pots and pans being clanked around.
Eliza felt along the wall until she found an opening. She walked through it and listened. It didn't seem like anyone was in the room with her; Eliza couldn't hear any footsteps or scuffling or any noises at all, really. Even the clanking was gone.
"Hello?" Eliza called out. "Is anyone here?"
She heard rapid footsteps coming from a distance away, like the person was in another room. The footsteps got closer and closer until eventually the person they belonged to walked into the room.
"Hello, dear!" a woman said brightly, a few feet away from Eliza. "You must be Eliza, right?"
"Yes," Eliza answered. She was in slight shock at the woman's bubbly tone. How could anyone be that happy in the morning? "Um, I need-"
"Oh, I know what you need," the woman said, interrupting. "Corporal Levi told us yesterday evening that you'd be coming down this morning."
"Us?" Eliza asked.
"Mhm, me and Dottie," the woman replied. "If you'll wait there, I'll bring the trays out to you, okay?"
Eliza was about to nod, then she realized what the woman had said. "Trays?" she asked.
"Yes. What about them?" the woman asked curiously.
"I, um, only need one," Eliza said.
"What do you mean you only need one?" the woman asked, confused.
"Well, I don't think Levi's going to eat two breakfasts," Eliza pointed out.
"One's for you," the woman told her.
"Oh, well, in that case, I still only need one," Eliza told her.
The woman sighed in frustration.
Just then, another pair of footsteps bustled into the room. Eliza recognized them instantly, even though it had been years since she had heard them.
"It's okay, Melinda, Eliza doesn't eat a lot," Dottie told the other woman.
Melinda huffed indignantly, her bubbliness gone. Then Eliza heard her walk away.
"Thanks, Dottie," Eliza said. It was good to, well, not exactly see her again, but be around her. Dottie had been like a mother to her while she was in the Cadet Corps.
Eliza felt strong, wiry arms wrap around her shoulders. "It's good to see you again, buttercup," Dottie said. "You've grown so much in the last four years." Dottie released Eliza and she felt Dottie swipe her hair away from her eyes. Dottie gasped lightly in shock. "What did they do to you?"
Eliza smiled. "It's okay, Dottie. I'm used to it now."
"That doesn't make what they did to you any more right," Dottie complained.
Eliza sighed. "I know, but what's done is done. No one can go back and change it."
Then Melinda came back with the tray. Eliza held her arms out and Dottie settled it in her hands. "Thanks, Dottie, Melinda. What time is it?"
"Um, about three minutes to five," Melinda answered.
Eliza groaned. There was no way she was going to make it back to Levi's office in three minutes, not even if she could see. She groaned. "Levi's going to kill me. Sorry, Dottie, but I need to go."
"Bye, buttercup. See you tomorrow?" Dottie called out after Eliza.
"Yep! See you then!" Eliza called back over her shoulder as she walked out of the room.
Eliza finally made it back to Levi's office. She had no idea what time it was, but she knew she was late. She didn't realize that it would be so difficult to find her way with a tray in her hands. As it was, Eliza had had to balance it on one arm while she felt along the wall to make sure she was going in the right direction.
Eliza opened the door to Levi's office and kicked it shut behind her, balancing the tray in both hands.
"You're late," Levi told her from approximately where his desk was.
Eliza glared at him. "Why don't we blindfold you and send you down to the kitchens to get a tray and see how quickly you can get back here. Ouch!" Eliza exclaimed as she rammed the side of her hip into Levi's desk. She set the tray on the desk, not caring where it was, and rubbed her hip.
"I'm pretty sure I told Melinda and Dottie to make up two trays," Levi remarked.
"You did," Eliza said, still rubbing her hip.
"Well where is the other one?" Levi asked.
"In the kitchens. Do you really need that much food?" Eliza asked.
"It was for you, stupid," Levi told her.
"I'm not hungry," Eliza told him.
Levi sighed. "Fine, whatever." Eliza heard a chair scrape backward. "I have a meeting with Erwin. While I'm gone, I want you clean my office. The cleaning supplies are in the cabinet by the bookcase." With that, Levi walked out of the room.
Eliza rolled her eyes. How the hell was she supposed to know where the bookcase was? "It's not like I'm blind or anything," Eliza muttered to herself. With a sigh, she began to feel around for the elusive cleaning cabinet.
