Disclaimer: In no way does Dwellin own, produce, write, draw, or participate in the creative process or production of Shingeki no Kyogin (or, if you prefer, Attack On Titan) in any way, form, shape, or manner. It is the brainchild of Hajime Isayama.
Chapter 8
Sasha Braus sat up in the oversized winged-back chair and announced, brightly, cheerfully as if nothing the past several days had happened, "Hi guys! What's up? Is it lunch yet? I'm famished!"
All heads whirled in her direction, if she had to put an image to it, it would best be expressed as, their attention was glued on her like astonished leeches.
Some looked friendly, and some, less so.
Sasha heard someone mutter in a low, controlled voice, "I swear I'm gonna kill her yet." Jean by the sounds of it, if she guessed correctly.
These was one piercing glare that made her want to squirm in her seat.
"Stop squirming like a caught rat," snarled Levi-heicho. He stared down at her, crossing his arms with a face cold and impassive as stone. Although, his traitorous eyes lingered on the wisps of hair that had come loose from her ponytail to tantalizingly frame her temples and cheeks.
He only noticed where his thoughts were straying when one hand started to rise from his rigid posture with the intention of sweeping it back from her face. He caught and froze the hand before it could accomplish the act and forced it to casually, lower back into place.
He chanced a glance down at the errant hand about to act on its own. What the hell had been about to happen? Was his hand lifting on its own to reach down and—
He stopped the thought process there and focused back on the fake-Levi who seemed to be doing her best to shrink into the corner of the chair.
Seeing Levi-heicho had refocused his gaze on her, Sasha offered him a weak smile, hoping against hope that she could charm him out of an ill mood. Yeah, because I am so well known for my charm!
If anything, he looked even more forbidding than a moment ago. Oh dear God I'm a dead woman. She squeezed her eyes shut for a second and pleaded with anyone that listened to the prayers of hungry soldiers: Please let him lose interest and if not that, then let them bury me with my favorite spoon!
Sasha peeked out through one eye, nope he was still there. Now that she thought about, did she even have a favorite spoon?
Arms still crossed, Levi studied her as she did her best to sink down and become one with the cushions. He went over several different directions this meeting could take and pondered over which one he wanted to put his energy and time into.
Was it possible, thought Sasha, that one could think themselves heavier than the cushions so they would respond to her wishes and swallow her whole? Oh, and now the headache was growing.
She winced while looking for a hole in the group around her. Everyone in creation seemed to be between her and a medicine cabinet. What were the odds that they would forget all this past nonsense and get back to the daily routine they were used to before all this silliness happened?
Sasha starting rubbing her temples with her fingertips and noticed Jean put his hands on his hips. Oh good, here came the lecture.
"You really had me.. er, us worried, you know."
"I'm so glad you're in your right mind again!" Christa enthused with relief.
Ymir arched an eyebrow and asked, "When was that?"
"Never mind her, Sasha. Mikasa spoke up in a voice that was low and quiet but everyone was able to hear it clearly.
No one responded at first but then Eren added, "That's exactly right."
Armin offered a warm smile and continued, "Let's just hope there're no harmful consequences…" he slowed down as he remembered Levi-heciho and then explained, "With headaches, bad dreams, losing time, that sort of thing."
"Yeah, hopefully all good in the brain-box because you're probably on the short list to KP-hell," Jean stated with a sad shake of his head. Outside of trying to be noticed for promotion, no good came from calling attention to oneself from those who were higher up on the rank ladder.
Sasha gave a shaky laugh and raised her hand to rub the back of her head while saying, "So sorry about, well everything guys, uhh, I just wasn't myself, you know."
"Oh yeah, hard not to notice," Jean grumbled.
"We all know who you were trying to be," Eren said as he glanced over at their superior who gave the impression that he could have been carved from rock, so still was he.
Everything about Sasha seemed to wilt, even her ponytail. With shoulders sagging and face turned down to stare at her now clasped hands on her lap, she heaved a great sigh.
"I know what you're thinking and as soon as I figure it out, I'll explain things from what it felt like happened from my end."
Oh, she knew what had happened and why. She just wasn't ready to admit it in front of H.I.M. Wasn't it time for him to go chastise someone else, anyone else, other than her?
How mad was he anyway? Sasha didn't know him well enough to know his moods, let alone whether he was annoyed, irritated, angry, or even enraged with her condition of the past few days.
She chanced a peek up at him again. He looked the same, not one nuance of a change of expression or stance. If she had to guess, Sasha was tempted to believe that he might not be the forgiving type.
"Would you like a cup of tea?"
Sasha looked up to find Christa smiling down at her. "I just bought a new bag to try out and you can be the first to taste it."
"And I just bought cinnamon rolls this morning that can go along with it," Jean offered. He looked over to Mikasa to see if she had observed his generosity. She didn't, he noted forlornly. Such a pain being a nice guy when the girl you like doesn't even notice.
"That's very nice of you Jean."
"Well thanks, not that it does…" Jean started but turned his head to see Armin aiming a knowing grin at him. Perfect. Just perfect.
Both then noticed as Christa and oddly enough, Mikasa escorted Sasha to the kitchen. Ymir, of course, trailed after Christa. The males of the party looked at each other and shrugged.
"Were we invited?" Armin asked.
"Hells yeah! My cinnamon rolls, damn straight I got an invite!"
"Do you want to go?"
Eren, Jean, and Armin's head spun back to Levi, who was still standing in the same place, same pose.
"Yet you're still standing here." With that Levi moved out of his frozen stance and began walking toward the front doors.
"Uh, you mean 'us' with 'you'? God I hope not! Thought Jean panicking.
"Jean, I think he is asking if we would like to go join the girls and have tea also," Armin explained rapidly for he had seen a menacing glint appear in Levi-heicho's eyes before he moved off. He hoped stepping in might divert any ire their superior wanted to direct at them, specifically Jean.
"Yeah, I love tea!" Jean spun on his heel and headed for the kitchen. Perhaps another chance with impressing Mikasa would present itself.
"I sort of like tea," murmured Eren. He didn't care either way, he just didn't want to be stuck with someone he didn't know that well. However, after this encounter, what were the odds that Levi-heicho and he would ever meet? He'd probably never see him again, if he was lucky.
That left Armin staring at Levi, stuttering, and for once with not a thing to say. He pointed over to the doors that led to the kitchen. "Gonna go with them."
"Do that. Just tell Braus that I still want to have a… discussion with her and I won't forget."
Armin nodded.
"Oh, and I'll send someone to come and get her sometime tomorrow afternoon."
Armin headed toward the kitchen, the sounds of easy laughter and teasing easily heard even through the doors. He couldn't begin to think what Sasha would think upon receiving that message.
"And tell her that if she tries to flee, I'll find her and drag her back by her scrawny ponytail."
He is a very scary man. With that, Armin opened the door to the hall that led to the kitchen.
Until next chapter then….
~Dwellin
