Speak!
Chapter 13: Melody
From Zoe Hanji:
Hey Armin I have a brilliant idea.
Received: 9:13
To Zoe Hanji:
Oh really? What idea is this?
Sent: 9:14 AM, July 30th, 2013
From Zoe Hanji:
We need to get Eren and Levi on a date ASAP.
Received: 9:15 AM, July 30th, 2013
To Zoe Hanji:
Haha I must agree with you there. What could they do?
Sent: 9:17 AM, July 30th, 2013
From Zoe Hanji:
I don't know. Go see a movie, picnic in the park, swim in the lake. Something relationship-y.
Received: 9:19 AM, July 30th, 2013
To Zoe Hanji:
Hm… You've heard that the Shiganshina City Orchestra is in town until the 5th, right?
Sent: 9:20 AM, July 30th, 2013
From Zoe Hanji:
Of course I have! They're freaking amazing~ why?
Received: 9:20 AM, July 30th, 2013
From Zoe Hanji:
OH MY GOD THEY COULD GO TOGETHER AS A DATE!
Received: 9:20 AM, July 30th, 2013
To Zoe Hanji:
Haha exactly. My family already has four tickets: one for my grandfather, Mikasa, Eren, and myself. I'm sure that Gramps will be fine if Levi comes along.
Sent: 9:23 AM, July 30th, 2013
From Zoe Hanji:
Excellent :D should I drop some hints or you? Or perhaps both of us...
Received: 9:24 AM, July 30th, 2013
To Zoe Hanji:
Both of us should. I'll text Eren in a bit and see if he wants to.
Sent: 9:25 AM, July 30th, 2013
From Zoe Hanji:
Okay~ Levi certainly won't complain about it. Oh shit I have to go. Levi just came over.
Received: 9:27 AM, July 30th, 2013
To Zoe Hanji:
Okay. Dare I ask why he's over there?
Sent: 9:27 AM, July 30th, 2013
From Zoe Hanji:
Petra's teaching him something. It's a secret ;) nothing bad, I promise. See ya Armin!
Received: 9:28 AM, July 30th, 2013
To Zoe Hanji:
Okay I'll take your word on that. Goodbye Zoe.
Sent: 9:29 AM, July 30th, 2013
"Alright Levi, I think you should run through it one more time. You almost have it. If you can do a few clean run-throughs, you can pick up the pace." The raven-haired teen nodded. Stormy eyes narrowed in concentration as he started to move his hands.
It wasn't as hard as French, although he barely remembered learning that, but sign language was still complex. The change between letters, like 'A' and 'S' for example, was only the position of his thumb. Luckily, most of them were easy enough to differentiate, although it was a little awkward to sign some of them.
Thankfully, Petra was a patient teacher. Unfortunately, that just made him twitchy. It wasn't that he hated Petra – she was quite interesting and very nice in fact – but her stalking tendencies were creepy. Levi was almost positive the photo album she had shoved under her bed when he had walked in was filled front to back with photos of him. The same one Zoe had told him about the day before.
Levi faltered slightly in his rendition of the alphabet at the thought of that, but picked it back up within seconds. He traced a 'Z' out into the air and sighed. I think I got them all this time.
"That was good Levi. You only had a little bit of hesitance. Remind me to give you a chart before you go home, so you can study. I've got one lying around with the alphabet, the letters, and a couple of short phrases on the back."
Levi nodded and stretched his arms and fingers out. Several of the pale appendages cracked audibly, but it felt good.
"Hey Levi, at this rate you'll know as many languages as Petra!" Zoe chimed in from where she lay on Petra's yellow-and-white swathed bed. A lump of fluffy gray fur – Sophia – lay at her side, her feathery tail flicking around occasionally.
Petra laughed a little, a soft sound that filled the silence. "If Levi wants to learn thirteen more languages, then he'll be able to catch up."
"Ah, but he knows French, so now he only has twelve! Hey Levi, how do you feel about learning German, Latin, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Japan-"
"I don't care, stupid glasses."
A boisterous laugh was his response from Zoe, while Petra's ever-present smile spread a little more. "I'm sure I could teach you… If you wanted me to, that is." With that, the smile turned shy.
Levi shook his head and leaned back against the white wall. "Thanks, but no. I don't want to learn any more languages than I have to… or want to." The ginger-haired girl across from him shrugged at the response she had doubtlessly been expecting. She – hopefully – knew that Levi saw her as a friend and nothing more.
"That reminds me," Zoe mused. Oh great… here comes the flood of words. I wonder how hard I would have to hit my head right now so I could pass out and not have to listen… Brown eyes flickered over to him as Zoe pushed her glasses further up her nose. Her gaze was intense. "Why are you learning ASL? Is it so that you can talk with Eren without him having to rely on his phone?"
Slate eyes glared at the outlandish woman before Levi turned his head away from her. It couldn't hide the light dusting of pink that had spread across his face. "Shut up," he muttered, perturbed. She really knows me too well. It's like I'm a fucking sheet of glass sometimes. The pale teen sighed and pressed his fingers to his forehead. "And if I am?"
"That's so cute! Isn't that right, Petra?" Zoe cooed.
"It's adorable," Petra giggled. It was both a truthful and a jealous statement from her.
Levi heaved another long, heavy sigh. Pale fingers skimmed through inky locks as he glanced back up at the two women. "Shitty glasses…" he muttered.
Zoe sat up completely and hauled Sophia into her lap. The feline let out a soft meow of protest, but she curled up in Zoe's lap all the same. "But it's so sweet!" she insisted. "But do you know what's sweeter?"
Those wild brown eyes widened with excitement. Oh God… Levi didn't even bother to humor her with an answer. Zoe charged on. If it weren't for the cat in her lap, she probably would have started waving her hands around and bouncing on Petra's bed. "A date!" she sang.
The blood in Levi's body couldn't decide whether to flood his face or vacate that region, so his face settled for a slightly darker pink and a sever poker face. "Zoe Hanji…" he gritted, teeth bared, "Shut. Up."
The brunette fiend grinned and wriggled her fingers at him. Her face smoothed out and she glanced at Petra. "I almost forgot to mention it, but I managed to get two tickets to the Shiganshina City Orchestra! I already cleared it with Mom and Dad. We're going tomorrow."
Petra's head snapped around, ginger-and-blonde hair flying, amber eyes wide with excitement. "Really?! Oh my gosh! Zoe, thank you!"
Levi stared at Zoe for a moment, silver eyes narrowed with thought. Their conversation trailed off after a few minutes and Zoe's eyes flickered back to Levi.
"What is it?"
"There's an orchestra here?" He received a grin in response.
"Of course there is! I forgot you weren't here the last time they came to play. They were here about three years ago. They're absolutely phenomenal. They're rated among the top ten orchestras in the entire world! Ah, I can't wait! Their music is divine."
Levi nodded slowly, his gaze thoughtful and distracted. After a few minutes, his gaze refocused and intensified. His father wouldn't be home until around eight. He had time. "Petra. Can you start teaching me some simple phrases after another run-through or two?"
The amber-eyed girl nodded enthusiastically. "Of course I can!"
Over on the bed, Zoe smirked triumphantly and ran her lightly tanned fingers through silky gray fur as Levi threw himself into Petra's American Sign Language lessons.
Armin spun his phone in his hand as he stared up at his ceiling, sky blue eyes as blank as the smooth, white plaster above him. The plastic and glass had warmed beneath his fingers, but it remained silent and dark. I should text Eren eventually and drop some hints about inviting Levi. Gramps wouldn't mind. Besides, Mikasa is determined to meet Levi, come Hell or high waters.
The blonde teenager let out a soft sigh and started to spin his phone the other way. He knew he should text Eren soon, but it was only noon. There was time. Besides, another matter entirely dominated his mind: Jean. His strange behavior from the other day, the call, the fact that he had actually been drunk, and then how he had acted during the call outright confused Armin.
Confusion wasn't something he was used to unless it came to people, and even then, it was rare. Jean, however, had managed to confuse the hell out of him. It brought dozens of questions to mind, none of which he could give an answer that seemed to fit. Why was he drunk? Why did he have to be? Why did he want me to talk? Why did he start crying? Why did he hang up without telling me anything? Why, why, why?
Fingers ran through long, blonde strands as he started to spin his phone in the other direction. I should text him. Or I could call him. Maybe he'll give me an answer. I don't know. The other day just made everything… strange. The fact that Jean seemed to be a homophobe was startling.
If the ashen-haired teen had been beforehand, Armin had never seen it. Not even when Jean had constantly teased Eren in elementary, when Eren could talk, when his personality was fiery and aggressive as opposed to his almost passive personality of the present. He hadn't seen any indication of Jean being a homophobe when they had worked on a project in science in the eighth grade. There had been no hint of it at the end of the year or in the beginning of summer. The only thing that had changed was that Jean had suddenly become reclusive. His chest felt heavy with sorrow.
Armin chewed on his bottom lip. What should I do? What did Eren do when he wanted to see Levi? He texted him, that's what he did. Armin made up his mind within a second. He shot a quick text to Jean.
To Jean Kirstein:
Hello.
Sent: 12:31 PM, July 30th, 2013
Armin dropped his phone onto his stomach and sighed. Did I make a mistake? Perhaps I should just let this stupid crush go… Easier said than done, dammit. The blonde boy rolled onto his side, grabbed one of his pillows, and crushed it to his chest as he pulled his knees up.
I wonder what Gramps would say if I told him about Jean… Or what Mikasa would say. Dear God, never mind. That would be a mistake. I mean, no offense to Mikasa, but last time I told her I liked someone, she nearly started World War III in an attempt to find out whether or not Annie was going to break my heart or something. Okay, perhaps that's an exaggeration, but still… "
Dammit…" he whispered, his voice muffled by the pillow. "Why can't things be simple?" His phone vibrated against his side in response, incessant and attention demanding. Armin snatched it from his size and stared at the screen. New Text Message – Jean Kirstein. A grin splashed across his face and Armin opened it, giddy with excitement.
From Jean Kirstein:
Hi. What's up?
Received: 12:36 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Jean Kirstein:
Not much really. I'm just reading a bit. What about you?
Sent: 12:36 PM, July 30th, 2013
From Jean Kirstein:
Ha no surprise there. What are ya reading? I'm just watching some boring movie with my mother
Received: 12:37 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Jean Kirstein:
'The Descent of Man' by Charles Darwin. What movie?
Sent: 12:38 PM, July 30th, 2013
From Jean Kirstein:
Isn't he that theory of evolution dude? Fuck I don't even know the title. Something with shitty effects and lots of murder
Received: 12:40 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Jean Kirstein:
Yep. I'm surprised you remember that, although we did learn about him just last year. Mm, that sucks. I'm guessing you can't change the channel?
Sent: 12:41 PM, July 30th, 2013
From Jean Kirstein:
Eh I only remember because you drilled everything into my head for every test and the finals. Nope. I've already asked like ten times
Received: 12:42 PM, July 30th, 2013
Armin stared at Jean's text for a moment. Each text made his chest feel a little lighter. Should I ask him? He seems fine right now…
To Jean Kirstein:
Haha anything for a friend! Oh, that sucks . why don't you just leave the room?
Sent: 12:44 PM, July 30th, 2013
From Jean Kirstein:
Mm I'm glad you did help otherwise I woulda bombed that class. Because 'family bonding time'
Received: 12:45 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Jean Kirstein:
I'm certainly not going to let that happen on my watch! Ah, that sucks. Hey Jean, can I ask you a question?
Sent: 12:47 PM, July 30th, 2013
From Jean Kirstein:
Great because I might need some help with bio too. Yea it does. Sure whatever
Received: 12:49 PM, July 30th, 2013
Armin's fingers twitched nervously and he hesitated. A breath caught in his throat. Should I? That was the big question. The one he couldn't answer unless he asked. Armin took a breath and started to type.
To Jean Kirstein:
I'll be glad to help ^^ do you want to hang out tomorrow?
Sent: 12: 52 PM, July 30th, 2013
From Jean Kirstein:
Thanks. Sure. When and where?
Received: 12:56 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Jean Kirstein:
No problem~ Christian's Café at 3?
Sent: 12:56 PM, July 30th, 2013
From Jean Kirstein:
Sure. GTG moms demanding I put the phone down. See ya then
Received: 12:57 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Jean Kirstein:
Okay. See you~
Sent: 12:58 PM, July 30th, 2013
Armin set his phone down and smiled softly. Well, at least Jean didn't deny me. Tomorrow I'll find out. Tomorrow… He rolled over and picked up the book he had been reading earlier: "I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream," by Harlan Ellison. Eren had given it to him for Christmas the year prior.
From Armin Arlert:
Hey Eren, are you ready for the orchestra? :D
Received: 3:13 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Armin Arlert:
Of course I am!
Sent: 3:14 PM, July 30th, 2013
From Armin Arlert:
Is Levi going to the orchestra?
Received: 3:15 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Armin Arlert:
Um… I don't think so…
Sent: 3:16 PM, July 30th, 2013
From Armin Arlert:
Mm that sucks. It seems like something he'd be into ^^ plus, he's missing out on some fantastic music~
Received: 3:18 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Armin Arlert:
It is good… It'd be nice if he could come along…..
Sent: 3:19 PM, July 30th, 2013
From Armin Arlert:
Mhm~ It's really too bad, especially since the tickets are cheap.
Received: 3:21 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Armin Arlert:
Do you think he'd agree to come with me? I'm sure he'd love to go see it, but…..
Sent: 3:26 PM, July 30th, 2013
From Armin Arlert:
Definitely~ Stop worrying :-P He'd love to go on a date with you!
Received: 3:27 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Armin Arlert:
Armin! …..would it be alright with Gramps and Mikasa?
Sent: 3:27 PM, July 30th, 2013
From Armin Arlert:
What? Make you blush XD~ Of course! Gramps would love to meet him and you know Mikasa is dying to see the guy she might need to kill :D
Received: 3:28 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Armin Arlert:
NO!... Maybe -.- Oh god . She'd better not break my first boyfriend
Sent: 3:28 PM, July 30th, 2013
From Armin Arlert:
Haha, good :-) Awww, but that's no fun! Ha, don't worry about it, Levi can hold his own
Received: 3:29 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Armin Arlert:
Mean -.- No that's lots of fun, just not for you :-P Yeah, but so can Mikasa… well the orchestra shall be interesting at least!
Sent: 3:31 PM, July 30th, 201
From Armin Arlert:
Na~uh, I'm the nicest person ever ^^ ask anyone! Haha, so true! Now I REALLY can't wait for the orchestra
Received: 3:32 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Armin Arlert:
Ask anyone that actually knows you, ya mean :-P *shakes head* I'm either going to really love this decision or regret it fully -.-
Sent: 3:33 PM, July 30th, 2013
From Armin Arlert:
Nooooo, that'd be cheating XD It'll be fine, stop worrying!
Received: 3:33 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Armin Arlert:
Hahaha :D Fine
Sent: 3:33 PM, July 30th, 2013
Soft knocks roused Levi from his book. He glanced up and looked at his clock – 8:23 – and then at the door. Father is home. Dimly, Levi could remember hearing the door open and his father call up, but it hadn't actually registered in his mind. He had been too immersed in reading The Book Thief. The short teen slowly rose, swung out of bed, and opened the door.
His father stood in the hallway, like a taller, better-dressed, blue-eyed version of himself. Despite the suit and slicked-back hair that generally gave him a cool and refined look, his father looked nervous, apprehensive even. His icy blue eyes darted around for several moments, anywhere but Levi, before they finally settled on his son. "Hello Levi," his father offered. He shifted slightly. The fabric of his suit rasped against something that sounded similar to cardboard.
Silver eyes flickered down and spotted the small, cardboard box wedged between his father's elbow and hip. Levi's gaze settled back onto his father's face while he wore an impassive mask. "Hello Father."
They stood there awkwardly for several minutes. Neither knew what to say or do. It was times like then when their estrangement with each other was painfully obvious. His father cleared his throat quietly. "So… how were things while I was gone?"
Levi jerked a shoulder up in a shrug and shifted a little. "It was good."
A nod greeted his words, along with a slight, uncomfortable pause. "What did you do?"
I can't tell if he's just humoring the natural parent-child relationship shit or if he's actually trying to make amends or something. Levi decided to go along with it, just for the sake of being civilized. Plus, on the off chance that his father really was attempting to fix their estrangement, perhaps he could try too.
"I met up with Zoe. And a new…" Levi hesitated, unsure of what he should say. He hadn't mentioned Eren to his father. He hadn't mentioned that he had a new friend, or that said new friend was also his boyfriend. Fuck… well, he'll find out eventually. "And my boyfriend." Levi delivered it with a nonchalant air, although putting the words 'boyfriend' and 'Eren' together, even in his thoughts, made him want to smile.
Light blue eyes widened slightly, but it was not with disgust. It was more with surprise. "That's good… I'm glad you've met someone you like."
The raven-haired teen nodded. He picked at the skin on his thumb, unsure of what to do. The polite thing would be to return his father's questions with some inquiries of his own. "So… how was work?"
A grimace flashed across his father's face. "The meetings were hellish, but we worked everything out. Also…" He shifted the package beneath his arm and held it out towards Levi. It went from one pair of pale hands to another. "This is for you." Gray eyes peered at his father, but Levi only received a shrug. "It's for you to find out. Well… I'll be downstairs."
"Alright, Father." Levi waited until he heard steps on the stairs before he shut his door and inspected the package. It was simple and small, about half the length of a shoebox and about the same depth and width as one. It wasn't heavy, not really. Clear tape bound the flaps together. The short teen took it over to his bed and sat with it in front of him.
For several minutes, Levi simply stared at it as if it was a bomb of some sort, ready to explode at any moment. I suppose I should open it… With a sigh, he hooked a fingernail beneath the tape and slowly started to wedge it upwards. It was a slow process, made slower by a lack of scissors, along with Levi's hesitance to open it.
As Levi gradually pulled it up, one thought continued to echo in his mind: Is he trying to win my favor? Eventually, the tape peeled away and nothing stood between Levi and the contents of the package. No more reasons to delay. Levi pulled the flaps back and peered inside.
A yellow blanket sat inside, messily arranged and rumpled. Some of the ridges were too solid to be natural. It had been used to wrap something. Levi pulled the soft fabric back and stared at the contents in the box. A VCR tape and a cassette tape nested inside the confines of the blanket. They looked like they hadn't been touched much. Only a few scratches dotted their surfaces, while the tape was wound up nice and tight.
Levi pushed his glasses up and inspected them. The cassette tape was labeled "Recording '95". That was before I was born… I wonder what it's of. He flipped the VCR tape around until he found its label, which declared "Oct. 9, '96". Both labels were written with black ink in a delicate hand. Mom's writing… These are Mom's tapes. I'll get the player in a few minutes.
With the utmost care, he set the two tapes beside him and glanced back into the box. Several things remained. On top, there were two immediately noticeable objects.
Two piano keys, one white and one black, lay on top of several papers that had been folded over. When Levi touched the keys, they were cool and smooth beneath his fingers. Well-worn – he could clearly see where someone's fingers had frequented over the years – but well loved. If his guess was right, they were keys from his mother's piano. The same piano that he had crawled onto the bench of to play simple tunes beside his mother. The piano with which his mother had played lullabies to carry him to sleep.
Levi held the keys close for a minute before he set them down next to the tapes. He picked up the pages and unfolded them. They had been folded for a long time, but they stayed open with some help. A musical score littered the pages, one for piano. "Nocturne in E-flat Major, Opus 9 No. 2" by Frédéric Chopin jumped out at his eyes. Mom loved this piece… She'd play it as often as she could. I'd almost forgotten.
The thought that he had started to forget sent a pang of sadness and guilt straight to his heart. The memories from when he was young had started to fade. Most of them were murky with time. He could barely picture his mother's face with any clarity. The soft smile Levi had worn moments ago fell away. Pale fingers curled up, but he was careful with the pages. All of these things are Mom's… How did he get them?
The black-haired teen glanced back into the box. A stack of black-and-white photographs dwelled within the yellow nest. Black-and-white had been his mother's favorite way to photograph.
"Colors distract. I like black-and-white because it allows you to see the stark beauty of everything and find a second meaning to it."
At least I can remember that.
The photograph on top was a one of his mother with a massive smile on her expressive face. She sat at her piano, fingers barely touching the keys. She looked so alive, so happy. It made Levi's heart ache with grief, but a smile crept onto his face with it. He flipped through the pictures, careful with each and every one.
Some were photographs of his mother. Others were of his father, back when he was younger and didn't look so tired. Many of them were of Levi: as a baby, as a toddler, learning to walk, sitting at the piano. If the pictures were anything to go by, he had smiled and laughed a lot when he was younger.
Where did that child go? He disappeared when his mother died. He disappeared after Milwaukee, when he was beaten and screamed at. He disappeared when he was dragged from home to home since no place seemed to want him.
Levi reached the last picture in the stack and froze. It was the only one in color. His parents stood in the center of the picture, caught in each other's arms and frozen mid-step in a dance.
His mother had worn a sun-yellow dress with a small, black coat over it that went down to her waist and cut off at her elbows. She had worn elegant black sandals with a slight heel. It gave her an extra inch, one she desperately needed to combat his father's height. Her smoky gray eyes were focused on his father, while a brilliant smile lit her face up. Even though it was a picture, she radiated undiluted happiness and adoration for the man that held her.
His father was dressed in a nice, dark blue shirt with black slacks, black dress shoes, and a white bowtie. His inky hair was cropped short, much like how Levi's was presently, but without the undercut. A soft smile graced his father's face, which softened his features even more than the reversal of time did. Levi's hands shook slightly as he held the picture.
They look so happy here… They could have married. They could have raised me together. Things could have been different. Why didn't they? Anger bubbled in Levi's stomach, but it was weak. It didn't matter now. There was no way to change it.
He sighed and set the pictures next to the other objects. A glint of sliver inside the box caught his eye. Levi turned back. There was one more object in the box. A small locket lay in the yellow folds, where it glinted up at him. Two wings adorned its sliver surface, like those of an angel. It looked familiar.
Levi's hands shook as he picked it up. It was small, barely bigger than a quarter, and very thin. His thumb found the clasp on the bottom and it opened with a quiet click.
Two small pictures sat inside. His mother and father stood together on the left side. His mother's hands were clasped over the gentle swell of her stomach. A happy, peaceful smile was spread across her face. His father had an arm around her waist, but his smile was sad, like something was about to happen.
Silver eyes pulled away from that picture and went over to the other. It was a small photo of his mother, a close up of her face. Silver eyes stared at him, mischievous and playful. The corners of her pale mouth were pulled up in a mysterious, Mona Lisa-esque smile. Her inky hair was pulled back, but some strands had escaped to frame her small face and delicate features.
Levi swallowed hard and shut the locket with a snap. Looking at her was hard, even after so many years. Seeing his parents happy and together hurt even more. Levi clasped the locket around his neck and the weight settled on top of his breastbone, cold and small.
The raven-haired teen rose after a few moments and grabbed the VCR tape. He strode across the room and turned the TV on. Within a minute or two, the tape was in and he stood back to watch it.
For a moment, everything was black and there was a small voice, quiet and feminine: his mother's. Her words were indistinct over the sound of fumbling, but eventually everything went silent and the black receded as the person in front of the camera stepped back.
His mother stood in the middle of their old living room, the piano behind her. The black was actually the dark, navy blue sundress she was wearing. It didn't hide the bump of her stomach, swelled with the child inside. She smiled at the camera and waved with a quick flutter of her fingers.
"I went to the doctor the other day and found out that I'm going to have a beautiful baby boy. You probably can't hear me, but hello, Levi! I can't wait to see you grow up. I hope you look like your father. He's a beautiful man, really. I know he left before you were born, but he had to. One day, I'll tell you, but that's not the point of this video. I'm going to make some videos and tapes so I can give them to you when you get older so that you don't forget."
She turned and slowly eased herself onto the piano bench before she turned back and looked at the camera. "I'm going to play you my favorite song. I hope you'll come to treasure music too. It's how I met your father. So Levi, my beautiful, beautiful son, this is for you. It's called 'Moonlight Sonata' by Beethoven."
She turned to face the piano and took a quiet breath. Her fingers skimmed across the bone-white keys and settled. She took another breath and started to play.
Two long notes sounded out at the same time while further up the scale, three others began to play in a one-two-three pattern, each only lasting half a second or so. The melody was slow, melancholy almost. The pattern of three repeated as a constant in the song, while another note, higher than those, joined in with the two low notes. Together, the lowest and highest notes created a soothing undercurrent.
Levi watched, enraptured, as his mother's slim fingers slowly waltzed their way across the keys. She swayed slightly to the music, a smile on her face. Her shoulders shook slightly. An indistinct, almost unnoticeable, shape trickled down her face as the cluster of three notes dropped to two and rose up the scale. She was crying, but there was still a smile on her face.
Levi continued to watch and listen. The grief, dulled by time, mixed with sorrow and a little joy. All too soon, the song drew to a close. His mother smiled softly, wiped her face, and turned towards the camera. "I hope you enjoyed that. I love you." She stood and approached the camera once more. The video cut to black. There was no more on the tape.
Something dripped onto Levi's hand. He glanced down. There was a small drop of water on his hand. Is the roof leaking…? It's not raining. The raven-haired teen brought a hand to his face. His cheeks were damp with tears, while his eyes continued to water. When did I start crying?
He had been too focused on the music, too focused on his mother, to realize that he had started to cry for the first time in years. He hadn't even realized how much seeing those things had hurt or how happy they had made him, until then.
Levi pulled his glasses off his face and scrubbed at his cheeks and eyes. He turned the TV off and shuffled into the bathroom to splash some water on his face. The water was cool and helped calm him down. Levi wiped his face off and inspected himself in the mirror. His eyes were a little red, but he had never been a messy crier. He hung the hand towel back up and left his room. The walk downstairs was quick and his mind was blank.
His father sat downstairs in one of the dark green armchairs, a book in hand. Blue eyes flickered up to Levi after a few moments. Confusion flashed across his face. "Do you need something?"
Levi shrugged. "I just… wanted to say thanks. And goodnight… Dad."
Surprise flashed across his father's face, but a small, hesitant smile crept up after a few moments. "Goodnight… son."
From Eren Jaeger:
Hey Levi, Armin Mikasa Gramps and I are gonna see the Shiganshina Orchestra on the 5th. Do you wanna come with us?
Received: 8:53 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Eren Jaeger:
Sure. What time and how much?
Sent: 9:13 PM, July 30th, 2013
From Eren Jaeger:
I'll come to your house at 5. Tickets are 35
Received: 9:14 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Eren Jaeger:
Alright it's a date. Can't wait. You can come over sooner if you want
Sent: 9:15 PM, July 30th, 2013
From Eren Jaeger:
Haha I guess it is. First official one ^^ what time?
Received: 9:17 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Eren Jaeger:
Damn right it is. Anytime you want
Sent: 9:18 PM, July 30th, 2013
From Eren Jaeger:
^^ Okay. I'll text you before I come over
Received: 9:18 PM, July 30th, 2013
To Eren Jaeger:
Sounds like a plan. So what are you doing?
Sent: 9:19 PM, July 30th, 2013
Chapter 13: End
A Few Important Announcements:
1. The poll is now closed and many thanks to the 20 who voted!
2. I made my high school softball team, so update time will drop a bit. Sorry.
3. This is now also on AO3
4. For all of you wondering why Levi hasn't realized yet and wondering when he will, all I have to say is that It. Will. Come. In. Time. There's a reason as for why. You'll see soon.
Mm, I like this one. I finally got to write Levi's mother :D Anyways, much to come, much to be planned, and lots more! I'll try to update ASAP, but expect at least a week. Until then, have a wonderful day/night/existence!
creoleereri: I'm sorry but I can't stop laughing XD The sad part is that I can't because of a wonderful thing known as plot. Just be patient and good things shall come...
satori02: Yeah... My beta and I are horrible to them. That sucks . At least some people are accepting... Yup!
FlawlessFlower: Thanks~ Haha glad it came out like that ^^ Thank you :D Mhm! That dear has a good side too. You'll see more of that soon~
AdDicTiOn: Haha tis unfortunate you can't! Hm, it's a strange word to put with Levi... I like! Thank you! Hahahaha sorry about those (not). Mm, his is quite the struggle... Maybe someday things will change. Thank you o/o Haha I wish your stalking well!
huangangelin: Never. Kidding. Patience darling, patience.
Anon: I know, but there's a lovely thing called 'Plot' that must come first. Eventually. Be patient. Good things come in time.
KarukaKoi90: Thanks~ Ah, I'm glad you stuck with it ^^ That he does and that he has~ Thank you, I will!