Perception
For the rest of the week, Ezreal continued to train under the guidance of Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert. The mapmaker's skills improved as each day passed. Finally, it was time for Ezreal to demonstrate his new skills to Levi.
"Wake up," a cold voice barked.
Ezreal's eyes snapped open to face the short brunette's face. "Good morning, Levi. I'm sorry I overslept again," the blonde man said, apologetically, with a cheerful undertone.
"Why do you always act so carefree when you know you're in trouble?" The commander asked.
"I don't know," Ezreal replied, shrugging.
"Well, let's get a move on. I want to see what you've been taught," Levi said.
"Wait, Levi," the cartographer said, grabbing the captain's hand before he could leave.
"What?"
Ezreal pulled Levi back and kissed him gently.
"Ezreal, providing me with such affection isn't going to make me treat you any differently."
The blonde man was surprised to hear Levi use his first name. "Alright. From now on, I won't kiss you for that reason," Ezreal confessed. "However, I liked the way that felt, so I'll be doing it for a different reason," he added.
Levi sat down next to his assistant for a brief moment. He looked down at his boots, and then spoke. "Get your gear on and meet me at the training grounds."
It was extremely difficult to read Levi. He always wore the same expression. After he left, Ezreal got dressed into his uniform. He'd learned how to put the 3D maneuvering gear on correctly in less than a week.
The explorer marched across the courtyard to the training facility. Levi, Mikasa, and Armin were waiting for him.
Once Ezreal was harnessed to the cables, he gave Mikasa a hand signal, indicating that he was ready to demonstrate what he learned. The dark-haired soldier hoisted Ezreal into midair with the tension lever.
The cartographer stood still at first, getting used to the feel of being his own center of gravity. Levi watched him carefully. Ezreal did a few successful turns and flips. The captain wasn't satisfied.
"Think fast, assistant," Levi said, throwing one of his blades towards the blonde man.
Ezreal caught the narrow blade by its handle as it spun towards him. Levi crossed his arms, while Armin and Mikasa applauded.
"You may let him down now, Ackerman," said the captain.
Once Ezreal's boots were touching the ground, Armin ran up and unfastened him from the tight harness. "You did an amazing job, Ezreal!" The smaller blonde cheered.
"Thank you for your guidance, Armin," the mapmaker replied.
Levi averted his eyes to the ground, as his assistant approached him. "Did I meet your expectations?"
The brunette looked at Ezreal. "You pass."
Levi stared off into space. "Levi?" His assistant said. It almost looked like he was sad.
"Let's go eat," the captain said, breaking his train of thought.
Mikasa and Armin went to their rooms, leaving Ezreal and Levi by themselves in the dining room. When he was finished eating, Levi got up to get a cup of tea. He poured two cups, then sat down next to his assistant and handed him a hot mug of tea.
"Thank you," Ezreal said.
Levi held his teacup by the rim, not by the handle. He grabbed the cup from the top, sprawling his fingers along the circumference. Ezreal noticed this, but didn't say anything.
"Tomorrow, you'll take part in your first extramural expedition. Be prepared for the worst, and remember, this is where your exploration skills will be needed," Levi said, taking a sip of tea.
"How long will it take?" Ezreal asked.
"It could take anywhere from one week to one month. All you need to pack is your uniform and your gear. The supply wagon will have everything else you could possibly need."
"I see. So, our mission is to locate and capture an extra-terrestrial, correct?" The cartographer asked.
"Yes."
"I know this is none of my business, but were you and Mikasa close with Eren?" Levi froze. "I heard Armin mention his name to Mikasa while I was training. If I'm not mistaken, Eren was the name of the soldier you were with when you encountered the alien."
Levi paused. "Eren is now dead. He was the strongest member of my team. He was Mikasa's brother," he stated, flatly. Ezreal could tell this was a difficult subject for even the captain to broach.
"I'm sorry I mentioned it. It's really none of my business," the blonde man apologized.
"You are forgiven. It's your job to put pieces of information together like this. Is that not right?"
"That's right," Ezreal said, looking towards Levi. He was staring at the wall, drinking the last of his tea.
The captain stood up, and gestured for Ezreal to do the same. "I'm going to wake you up tomorrow morning, so be prepared," Levi said.
Ezreal nodded. "Goodnight, Levi."
"Goodnight."
That evening, Ezreal laid out a map of the area surrounding the base. On it, Levi had marked the approximate location of where he and Eren had encountered the crashed ship. The mapmaker made a mental note of the location, and then took out a larger map. It had a smaller scale, but the features of the land were clearly defined.
According to the map, it wasn't going to be difficult to reach the impact site. However, it had been several weeks since the incident passed. The present location of the armored alien was virtually unknown.
After scanning maps of the area for a couple of hours, Ezreal turned out his light and got in bed. He thought about Levi, and how wonderful that kiss felt.