Mirage
A/N: My sister just bought me a Wings of Freedom necklace; I'm so happy. Haha. Anyway, hey Guys! As always, thank you so much for the continued support. I know I can be a crappy writer sometimes but you never give up on reading my updates. Love y'all. Here's Chapter 14! I can't believe I've been this far already, to be honest.
Summary: Humanity's strongest soldier had secrets of his own. So when the woman he loved died, he turns on another for pure companionship and comfort. But a night of mistake has its consequences. Levihan.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: CHANCES
The majestic sky was tainted with the colour of ebony, save for the light that the silvery moon and twinkling stars abundant above gave off.
Levi was breathing heavily as Nathaniel's eyes pierced him frozen in his position. The old man had an incredulous expression settled on his face, the flames from the lamp reflected some hint of curiosity in his huge, hazel brown irises. His left foot was tapping slowly against the footrest of his wheelchair.
Even Levi himself was in shock. He had uttered the words – those very words that seemed to tie his mind in knots, made him lose his sanity for mere minutes just getting lost with his unfathomable feelings and desires.
He loves her.
If love was defined as staring at the oblivious woman and be in awe with her simple beauty; wondering every minute about how she's doing and how her day's been going; lovingly stroking her cheeks while watching her sleep; fighting the urge to kiss, hug and cuddle with her; constantly worrying about her current state – then maybe he does indeed love her.
The list could go on and on, and he could enumerate all the things she does that makes him hitch his breath and admire the woman from afar.
But if there is one thing that made Levi certain that the cold façade in his heart has already melted, it was because he could now manage to crack the most genuine of his smiles.
She makes him happy, not in the way that he could feel himself floating with the clouds; not like that. But whenever she smiles, he could tell that he was home. Impossible as it may seem to the world they lived in, the stoic and cold Lance Corporal fell completely inlove with the loud, exuberant and unhygienic scientist everyone seemed to avoid for they feared that the woman had a few screws lose in her head.
He'd be damned if he still denied this fact to himself.
"I trust you, Ackerman," Nathaniel muttered, his tone softening a little. A small crease had formed on his already wrinkled forehead. "Take care of Hange, and make her happy. But if you don't, and once you hurt the daughter I love so much, I'm gonna kill you myself."
Levi was completely unfazed with the man's threat, as he was so very used to receiving death threats that he just shrugged those kind of statements off. But the thought of Hange getting hurt because of him nagged at his being.
"I know what happened between you two; my friend Dot Pixis told me all about it and I asked him to attend the wedding on my behalf, if you'll remember the man's persistence to personally witness your marriage. The Higher-ups don't attend those kind of events but I prompted them to," The old man interlaced his fingers together and grimaced. "I was aware of the fact that my grandchild's conception was a mistake, Levi."
His eyes widened. He had heard that someone from the Higher-ups had made an appeal to witness their wedding but he had no idea who it was, not even Erwin knew about this. All he knew was that the person who demanded it was a higher officer who worked in the background, does not attend the meetings but can interfere with the final decisions of the court.
Turns out, it was Hange's father, an old veteran of the Survey Corps. Levi let out a breath before speaking. He narrowed his eyes to the man before him. "I apologize for what I – we – did. But I already told Hange that whatever happens, I'll call my half of the child."
Nathaniel's lips twitched into a humourless smile. "Then why are you asking for your marriage to be dissolved after the baby is born? Are you planning to leave my daughter and your child so that you can claim your freedom once more?"
That caught him off-guard. It was true. He and Erwin were working on their divorce, without Hange's knowledge. It was hard on his part to keep this from her but he figured that if he told her sooner, she would've pried away from him instantly.
He gritted his teeth. "I just didn't want her to be bound to a marriage she didn't want. Both of us knew she was just forced into this hell of a marriage. You've got yourself wrong about assuming that I'll abandon them once we got out, no. I would never do that. I already told you, I'll take full responsibility of our child." Levi looked down to his feet, feeling himself losing. "I know how it feels to grow up without a father to run to. My childhood had been miserable as hell and I wouldn't want my own child to experience what I have."
The old man remained quiet, contemplating the words that came out of the man deemed as cold-blooded and ruthless. When Levi looked up to meet his eyes once again, the man had an undiscernible look on his face. Pity and so much more. "But you told me you love her."
Levi's jaws were tight and both his fists clenched into balls. For the first time in his life, he was running out of words to say. The man was good at catching him off-guard with his ridiculous one-line statements and they're making him crack the cold demeanour that he had always mustered. "It isn't mutual. I prefer it to be that way."
"How can you be so sure that she doesn't reciprocate?"
"She doesn't. Well if she does feel it at the moment, it's just because her pregnancy had made her that way, an emotional wreck." Levi gritted his teeth before turning his back to retreat. "If you'll excuse me, it's getting pretty late. I'm heading off." He started walking but he could feel that both his feet were heavy, but he managed to walk.
Levi trailed his fingers through his coal black hair, then pressed his hand against his pounding temple.
What is happening to him?
He'd gone upstairs, his footsteps light. While on his way to the room he shared with Hange, he heard some music. Someone was playing the piano and was singing along with it. Levi neared their room and realized that the music was coming from the inside. Pressing his forehead and palm against the wooden door, he continued to listen to the beautiful voice.
'Haven't you heard? I'm stuck on a verse. I'm… stuck on a boy who… fills me with joy. I knew I was wrong to jump straight on into the picture so pretty. But he is so pretty to me…'
The lyrics pierced through him.
'And he doesn't know just how far I would go…. Just to kiss him. He doesn't know I pine. So I make whirlpools. And watch him sparkle. And we'll make love…. Make magic…'
Her voice was shaking, he could tell from the way she uttered every word.
And he was shaking too.
There was a slight pause before she pressed on the keys again and started to sing again.
'And haven't you heard? I thought I had first… And he loves me so, we're two in a row. Just look in his eyes. They're grey as ashes. A picture so pretty… But he is so pretty to me.'
The song finished. Levi hesitated at first, but he wanted to see her – to look into her eyes. Slowly, he turned the knob and opened the door, and he saw Hange sitting before the piano. The room was enveloped in darkness, the only light was coming from the silvery white moon that peeked through one curtained window.
Hange turned her head to greet him, her eyeglasses reflecting the light. "Levi…. Did we really make an awful lot of mess during dinner that you took so long to finish cleaning?" She had this sweet smile on her face that Levi couldn't resist.
He gently closed the door behind him and walked towards his wife, his eyebrows a little furrowed. She attempted to stand up but the look on Levi's face froze her on her chair. Once he reached her, he just stood behind her on her seat. He leaned in, bent his back lightly, and reluctantly wrapped his arms around her body. Levi buried his face on the crook of her neck, inhaling her scent that smelled of sweat and something sweet that is naturally Hange's.
His palms rested against her rounded belly and when she felt him lightly stroking it, he placed her own hand on top of his'.
Their wedding rings shone in the dark.
"Levi… What's… What's wrong?" she whispered.
It took him a full minute before he answered. "You were screeching like an alley cat again. But this time, you added the piano. I swear my ears are hurting,"
"Wow. Thank you very much, Captain Shorty," Hange replied in a very sarcastic tone. She felt him nuzzling her neck.
"Why haven't you gone to sleep yet? You must be tired with all the traveling. The doctor said to just keep it light. Get your ass on the bed, now."
"I was waiting for you, dumbass," she smacked his hand. "And how can I move, you're almost choking me half to death."
Levi smirked against her neck. Slowly, he unwrapped his arms from her body and pulled away. "What, you can't sleep without me by your side now? What the fuck's happening to you, Shitty Glasses?"
"Idiot. I have something to tell you," A sigh escaped her lips. Hange stood up from the chair and moved over to the bed, where she arranged the sheets and pillows. "Nicholas told me that they'll be going to an affair at Mitras tomorrow night, all of them. Nicholas, Emilia, Mom and Dad. They're asking us to look after the kids. Is it alright for you to babysit my nieces?"
Levi groaned. The thought of Samantha and Veronica, Hange's two cheerful and mischievous nieces, taunted him. He remembered how they were in their dinner earlier, loud and had a lot of questions that Levi had no answer to. At least if it was just the baby, Romian, he was sure he could get through it. But those two brats will be a huge pain in the ass, he's sure. "Don't they have a babysitter?"
"She only babysits during the day," Hange chuckled upon seeing the alarmed and infuriated look on her husband's face. "I do this a lot back then, whenever I visit. But of course it'll be a lot difficult now because I'm heavily pregnant and yeah, there's fragile little baby Romian. You'll help me, right?"
He let out a deep breath before moving to the bed. He laid down beside his wife, who scooted over to create some space. "I'll do it, but I want a reward."
"Like what, a lifetime supply of brooms and cleaning materials?" She teased. Hange grabbed the blanket and pulled it over her body.
Levi hummed. He moved closer to Hange and pulled her to his body. "Yeah. That'll do it."
The four left when night began to claim the skies once again. The two brats, Samantha and Veronica, had uttered their goodbyes to their parents and promised to be good while they were gone. Hange kissed both her mother and father goodbye as Levi just nodded.
He noticed that before they got in the carriage, Nathaniel had his eyes entirely focused on Levi. The man never spoke a word about their conversation the other night, and so far managed to stay civil and casual with him the whole day. But all throughout the times they've been together, he could feel the air thick with tension.
Although, he also realized even though they rarely talked that day, the old man's actions had softened towards him and he had started warming up. Earlier, he offered him some drink, to which Levi declined because he doesn't drink that much.
They all trailed their eyes to the retreating form of the carriage and witnessed as it disappeared into the night.
"Okay," Hange started. She had her hands placed on her waist as she looked down to her nieces. "It's still early so I guess sleeping time is off the schedule yet. What are we going to do?"
Samantha, with her bouncing strawberry blonde locks framing her delicate face, jumped up and down in joy. She was giggling. "Aunt Hange, can we play for a while? Can we, can we, can we?"
The younger one, Veronica, mimicked her sister's movements and started jumping. Her hair was very unlike her sister's and so much like her dad's and aunt's; it was the shade of chocolate brown, one they inherited from their grandfather.
"Yeah, sure. You still have the toys and oh, the dolls that I gave you a year ago?" She beamed at her nieces.
They had moved from the backyard to the living room. Hange and Levi slumped on a couch sitting side by side with each other. Her body was curled up against his', and her head was resting against the crook of his neck. They just watched as the two kids played on the floor with their numerous toys. Romian was soundly sleeping on her cot, placed just beside the couch.
All of a sudden, Veronica looked up from her doll and eyed Hange's belly. The little girl had a curious look on her face, pursing her lips before speaking. "Aunt Hange, Uncle Levi, where do babies come from?"
Hange and Levi looked at each other, a goofy smile now plastered on her face. Levi raised his eyebrows, motioning for her to answer Veronica's question. Hange just stuck her tongue out. "You answer,"
"You're the fucking scientist here, Four Eyes." He sneered.
"Well, I want to hear your version of conception." Hange just gritted her teeth. She knew this was some kind of a ridiculous thing, especially to the both of them.
Levi glared at her, then without more ado, he turned his head towards Veronica. He motioned for her to move closer, which the little girl did. He picked her up and sat her on his lap. "I don't really know where babies come from, brat. But you see this?" he gently tapped Hange's rounded belly. "The baby is in here."
"Uncle, I know that already. What I want to know is how the baby got inside." She pouted. "Auntie, did you eat the baby?"
Hange finally lose all the might to hold herself back. She released a giggle that seemed mock Levi. "No, I didn't… Ugh, your Uncle Levi put the baby inside me." She bit her lip.
Veronica blinked, flashing her long lashes. "How did he do it?"
She turned red, releasing a nervous laugh. She eyed Levi and saw that the man was very unhappy with her answer, his eyes were flaring with anger. "I don't know, ask your uncle." Levi suddenly looked alarmed and Hange couldn't help but chortle at his reaction.
The little girl turned to Levi and searched the man's eyes. "Uncle Levi, how did you put the baby inside?"
His cheeks flushed so he tilted his head to shy his face away. She'll pay for this. "Well," he glanced at Hange before continuing. "You see, if two people love each other, they manage to obtain this power to create a baby that is like the half of themselves."
A small dent formed on Veronica's forehead. "But how does that happen? What do you do with this power to make the baby, Uncle?"
Levi's eyes widened. The kid was sure a descendant of a Zoe, as her curiosity always gets the better of her. Always thirsty of some knowledge. "Ugh, when driven by the force of the power, those two people just do something together, something really sweet that makes everything alright. And then they have the baby." He didn't know if what he was saying still made sense anymore, but he couldn't possibly tell her about sex. So he just clung into false hopes. He tried to avoid Hange's eyes, but he noticed that the woman had stopped laughing. Her breathing seemed laboured as she listened to his story.
The little girl jerked him away from his thoughts. "So the baby is half you, and half the person you love?"
He smiled then ruffled the kid's hair. "Yeah, I suppose that's it." The little girl scurried down to her feet and Levi released her.
It was Hange's turn to speak. She cupped the little girl's face in between her palms. "Like you, Veronica. And Samantha and Romian too. You are half your mother and father. They fell inlove, and because of that, they had you. All three of you." She pressed her lips into the girl's forehead and gave her a sweet kiss.
Veronica stared into her eyes. "So you love each other too," She turned to Levi and back to Hange. "Aunt Hange, do you love Uncle Levi?"
She paused. Levi saw the small lump that had formed on her throat as he anticipated her answer. His heart was beating fast, cold beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.
Hange looked down to her feet before opening her mouth to speak. "Well, I-"
A sharp cry echoed into the room. Romian was bawling in her cot.
Levi let out a breath before hurrying over to the baby he just put to sleep about half an hour ago. He rolled up the sleeves of his crisp, white shirt and his strong forearms flexed as the baby kicked and spit with growing fury. He held the baby in his arms, but she continued to cry. "Is she hungry?"
"No, Emilia said one bottle of milk is enough to get her to sleep," Hange replied.
He swayed the baby back and forth but she just continued sobbing. With a sigh, Levi stuck his finger into the baby's mouth. The cries had stopped and she sucked on his knuckle, her eyes half-closed. "I can tell the brat is hungry."
Hange smiled as she watched Levi cradling the child and swaying a little. "You're good with her. Ever handled a baby before?"
"No, I just watched Emilia care for her all day. It's not like I've never seen a mother, anyway." He ran his fingers through the soft tuft of brown hair. "Just getting prepared for the months to come."
She thought of that, too. Months from now, she'd be giving birth to their own child and Levi with a baby on his arms will be an everyday sight. Hange bit her lower lip before dragging herself up from the couch. She turned to the two girls, who have started playing on the floor again. "Sam, Veron, I think it's your bedtime already. Come on, I'll put you to bed."
Samantha sprang up. "Will you read us a story before we sleep, Auntie Hange?" She asked, her eyes glowing.
"Of course, now go and wait for me in your room, okay?" The two hurriedly ran upstairs, with Hange billowing behind them. She looked over her shoulder. "Levi, you're alright here by yourself? You can handle Romian right?"
"Yeah, go," He motioned for her to follow the girls. Levi yelped to her retreating back. "By the way, you were of no fucking help with the explanations earlier."
"But you did good!" she yelped back.
Levi followed her retreating form until she disappeared from his sight. Romian was already soundly sleeping. He sat down on the couch with the sleeping baby on his arms.
If the little brat didn't cry, he would've known if Hange really loved him or not. He was disappointed, really, but blaming the baby wouldn't make things different. He's sure he'll find another chance.
Levi looked down on the baby and took in her features. He marvelled at the thought that months from now, he'll have one to call his own.
He pressed his lips against the baby's forehead. "Sleep tight, Romian."
A/N: Hope you enjoyed this rather fluffy chapter. Give me a review!