December 25, 844
-Part I-
The sky hung low, its thick grey clouds tinting the sunlight a keen silver.
Survey Corps scouts shivered all around the new captain, but he stomached the cold with a set jaw and a resilient glare forward. Green capes draped awkwardly over bulky jackets and thick scarves.
Lonely snowflakes drifted down in a sleepy exhale from pregnant clouds.
Twenty of Survey Corps finest sat saddled upon their steeds, waiting patiently for Wall Maria's gate to rise. As always, Squad Leader Erwin was positioned right before Levi- even in today's unorthodox formation.
The horses' muscles twitched. Their tails swished back and forth. Some tentatively lowered their heads to sniff and paw at the dirtied mush of snow which littered the ground.
Besides Levi, Hange chatted quietly with Mike. Once again, Mike reassured Hange that he was confident in his ability to smell a storm coming and that these drifting snowflakes were nothing more than lost deserters of last night's storm.
For obvious reasons, the Survey Corps constrained their missions to the months between early summer and late fall. Spring promised unexpected heavy rain, Winter guaranteed mounds of constraining frost. Gloves also made the gear difficult to handle, while the frigid cold made the blades even more brittle.
But bastard military bureaucrats had intentionally stalled the Corps' budget for months, only finally approving funding for an expedition two weeks prior.
With the New Year steadily approaching, now being only six days away, the Survey Corps had been forced to choose between either losing a whole expedition's worth of funding or taking upon the dismal risk of their first winter venture into Titan-infested lands. Gathered upon Wall Maria's ceiling, facing the endless stretch of crystallized white hills, Erwin convinced Commander Shadis to approve this mission. "After all," Hange had spoken up, "we don't know how Titans behave in the cold. This could prove to be a splendid opportunity for progress."
A sharp chirp brought Levi back to the present.
His tired gaze left the embroidered wings on Erwin's back to see a sparrow kick up a small cloud of snow from a chimney before taking to the sky. Levi watched its spotted wings carry it up into the air. Up and up it rose, weaving through the snow, until it mingled with the clouds.
—
"Does it really look like shedding angel feathers?" Isabel peered up at Levi with wide green eyes. Reciting his mother's bedtime stories to Isabel had been the only thing that had been calming the girl down from her night terrors.
Levi paused, then shrugged. "Doubt angel feathers look any different from pigeon feathers," he grumbled, "All I know is that snow is cold and looks disgusting on the ground, collecting shit like glue."
Isabel folded her arms around her pillow, squishing it to her cheeks. "That's because we get the leftover snow, the scraps from up above. I bet real snowfall is a whole lot different." Isabel smiled tiredly up at Levi. Once she closed her eyes, and her breathing deepened, Levi rested his hand upon the top of her head.
As he turned to leave the room, he saw Furlan, arms folded over his chest, lingering at the door. He had heard Levi tell the story before.
"We should go to the hole for your birthday," Furlan said softly, clear blue eyes resting on Levi's dark grey ones. "Show her the falling snow."
The hole…
The hole was at the edge of the Underground and the only place where the scum of the earth could catch a glimpse of the sunlight. Yet, the sight felt more like torture than a blessing.
"Tch," Levi walked past him, "Do what you want. The drafts carry down more than enough of that grey shit for me."
—
A sharp metallic howl rang through the town at the edge of Shinganshina. As the gate creeped open, a heavy wind stormed through, ruffling the emerald capes. Scouts pinched their hoods to keep them from blowing back. Snowflakes tangled in their eyelashes.
With a loud, "Ya!" Commander Shadis spurred his leading horse to action. Under the watchful eyes of humanity, hidden behind fogged windows of warm homes, the Survey Corps left the walls.
A pure utter stillness greeted the scouts.
It had been one thing to see the never ending sheet of white from above the wall and an entirely different thing to see it stretched before you, burgeoning with a sole color; the silver-blue horizon bleeding into the sky. Racing with the wind, his comrades at his sides, little distinction between the sky and ground, Levi couldn't help but wonder if Commander Shadis had taken a wrong turn. Perhaps they were now racing through the cotton of a cloud, drifting in the grey open sky themselves.
Suddenly, the Titans didn't seem all too big.
Suddenly, Mike and Erwin felt extremely tiny- hardly any bigger than Levi himself.
"Ah, wow!" Hange exclaimed in a long exhale from where they rode. All around, soldiers smiled in agreement, Erwin grinning the broadest.
—
"Oh! They're called snow cookies?" Isabel asked excitedly, her eyes lighting up. Powdered sugar and crumbs covered half her face, her right cheek was stuffed with food.
Levi nodded.
"Oh man! I wonder if snow tastes even half as good!" Isabel exclaimed softly, looking at the white cookies in the bag Hange had given her. Her chewing slowed, as if she was now trying to save every detail about what she was eating.
Although Furlan hadn't commented on the quality of the gifted treats, Levi saw him wiggle his fingers back into the bag and pull out two more.
Every muscle in Levi's body was taught, stiffly watching the two of them eat the treats. He had noticed Hange hanging around Erwin long before they bothered to introduce themselves to Levi. The odds that Hange had overheard the discussion about Erwin's fate were slim, but far from impossible. Just like the odds that the treats were poisonous…. Before Levi could snap at Isabel and Furlan to stop eating the crap already, Furlan popped another one into his mouth and told Isabel, "Find out yourself." He tilted his head back to Levi, "Winter isn't far away, and this time, we'll be above ground to greet it."
The two looked at Levi for consensus. He sighed and then, smiled.
Once they got their hands on those damned documents and Erwin Smith's life, they could finally be free from the Underground.
—
No flares had been fired on the ride to the small patch of pine trees just outside the western district. The one Titan that had appeared before them was easily dispatched by Levi, although both his swords did crack.
Commander Pixis split the expedition in two, taking nine scouts with him through the right wing of the woods and charging Erwin with taking his nine through the left. Levi, Hange, Mike, Nanaba, Eld, Gunther and three others followed the second-in-command into the grove, their horses slowed to a careful, but quick, trot through the uneven terrain.
When Erwin gave the order to dismount, all but one soldier aimed their grappling hooks to the trees, ascending to familiar heights.
Levi settled on a low branch, watching Hange linger under the drooping wings of a short pine. Up amongst the top of the trees, Levi spotted Erwin. They exchanged a brief glance. With a curt nod, Erwin gave Levi unspoken permission to investigate Hange.
With a quiet thud and scatter of white dust, Levi's feet hit the ground not far from the Squad Leader. "Oi," he spoke up. One hand hung relaxed at his side, the other remained at home upon the hilt of his sword. Hange appeared focused upon something at the roots of the tree, their lips pressed into a hardline as they poked and prodded the area with the toe of their boot.
As Levi grew closer, he saw that Hange was clenching their jaw, wearing an almost pained expression. Immediately, he stiffened. His grip tightened upon his gear, fingers hovering over the triggers. His steps grew quieter, slower. Had Hange found something?
When Hange looked up, their glasses caught the light in a way which obstructed Levi's view of their eyes. Expression unchanged, Hange waved their hand in Levi's direction, beckoning him to come closer.
Cautiously, he obeyed. "What is it-?" The second Levi was just under the lowest branch of the ancient pine, hanging heavy with virgin snow, Hange moved in a green blur. Their strong leg delivered a swift powerful kick to the trunk, rattling the bones of the worn tree just enough to cast mounds of snow down upon Levi.
Hange's loud, vibrant cackle rang all around. Startled birds scattered to the sky.
Levi stood, unmoving, staring at Hange.
Doubling over, Hange clutched their stomach as they laughed. "Oh… shit… I…" Hange couldn't even formulate half a sentence. Every time they tried to look up at Levi, they were seized with an even harder fit of giggles.
Three distinct snow piles crowned Levi's head and shoulders. Fuck. Levi felt frost slide down his previously warm back, torturously cold and unpleasant. Although he was unable to hide the shiver, he refused to give Hange the satisfaction of seeing him squirm and wiggle.
"Fucking annoying as shit, as always." Levi exhaled sharply. He dusted the snow off his shoulders, but before his hand got to the top of his head, Hange cried out, "W-wait, wait, wait, waiiiiiiit-!"
Struggling to regain composure, and still clutching their abdomen, Hange stumbled over to Levi. His weary glare fell upon the damned idiot who dared rank higher than him.
"Get your dumb ass up into the trees already," he grumbled darkly as Hange closed their distance, "It's not that damn funny. But I'll have a fucking hoot when a Titan's gonna come running over in response to that fucking mating call of yours."
Hange's eyes shined merrily before him. Levi saw the bright flush the laughter and winter air gave their cheeks.
"It isn't funny," Hange agreed. "It's hilarious." Hange reached above Levi's head, moving their hands in undecipherable motions. They were grinning from ear to ear. "If only I had a mirror on me... I really wish you could see yourself, Shorty," Hange whispered. Levi could feel them patting the snow atop his hair, not brushing it off. What the hell was Hange doing?
When Levi raised his hand up to his head, Hange smacked it away. "Don't touch my work!"
"Your work-? Four-Eyes, what the hell is on my head?"
"Honestly?" Hange's eyes remained focused on whatever the hell they were sculpting atop his head, "The pile that fell on you looked exactly like the giant turd your horse dropped during the last expedition."
Levi blinked. Reluctantly, his lips twitched up. He immediately remembered how much effort it had taken him to retain composure while all the scouts around him were losing their mind at the sight of the giant swirling shit his horse had taken right in the center of the town street. Levi pressed his lips together to swallow a chuckle.
"Then why are you messing it up?" Levi asked flatly. From where he stood, watching Hange's whiskey-colored eyes turn upwards, he could count each and every lash on their upper lid.
"Because I'm making it into something even better," Hange replied, "Now, don't move. I said- Stay still, Levi!"
"Tch." Yet, although he was painfully aware the scouts were probably watching them, he obeyed. His eyes flickered over Hange's face in silence.
Behind him, heavy steps crunched on the snow. Even before Erwin spoke up, Levi identified the man by the sound of his stride.
"Now what's taking you two so long?" Erwin asked in the lull of his deep, soothing voice. Levi was torn between turning around and answering his Squad Leader and also fulfilling Hange's pleading to stand still.
"I need you two up in the trees," Erwin continued, standing close behind Levi now, "Just because we don't see any Titans around, that doesn't mean we shouldn't be careful."
Erwin was right. Just as Levi resolved to pull away, Hange threw their hands up and brightly declared, "Done!"
Before Levi himself could turn around, Hange smacked those hands down upon his shoulders and twirled him about to face Erwin.
Levi's eyes widened.
"Doesn't his birthday hat look cute, Erwin?" Hange tittered softly, giving Levi's shoulders a squeeze.
Levi's eyes fell to the small wrapped box in Erwin's hands.
"Is that what it's supposed to be, Hange? A hat?" Erwin asked with a small smile and furrowed brows.
Although he couldn't see them, Levi knew Hange was pouting.
Slowly, Levi's gaze drifted up to the trees. The seven other scouts were smiling down at him, sitting and standing on low branches. Just then, Levi realized that every solider he had come to like, come to care deeply for, was here. Every face was familiar. These were friends. People Levi had cultivated countless memories with over the past two and a half years.
Eld caught his eyes and grinned, giving him a wave. A spark of warm light flickered to life in the hands of the highest scout. Little flames unfurled like decorations as the scouts tossed the lighter between themselves. Each pair of hands cradled a small powdered cupcake with a lit candle.
Hungry, but timid, birds decorated the unoccupied branches, waiting for the opportunity to steal crumbs.
At his ear, Hange murmured, "Did you really think we were going to let you escape celebrating your birthday for the third time in a row?" Levi's eyes flickered to the corner of his gaze, but when he met Hange's soft gaze, he quickly looked back to Erwin.
"Erwin…" Levi began.
The towering giant of a man smiled down at him. He extended the small gift box toward Levi. "Happy Birthday, Captain Levi."
All up in the trees, a chorus of voices echoed:
"Happy Birthday!"
"Happy Birthday, Levi!"
"Happy Birthday, Captain!"
"Happy Birthday!"
Levi stared up at all the smiling faces that peered down but looked up to him. As clear as day, Levi could picture Furlan and Isabel amongst the branches, holding the lit cupcake, cheekily grinning along.
You're a Captain now! Oh, man, that's so cool! Isabel would say. Show those snooty stiffs what it means to be from the Underground! Hell yeah!
Furlan would fold his arms over his chest and say, Not bad for the scum of Earth. Just don't let all the good food and tea get to your head, Levi.
The clouds continued to shed white feathers, the small clumps drifting down slowly, lazily.
Something got into Levi's eyes. He blinked it away.
Hange's hands fell from his shoulders.
He took the present carefully from Erwin and bowed his head. Hange came to stand at the blond's side, smiling at Levi.
Erwin Smith pressed his right fist over his heart. "We thank you, Captain Levi," he said, his unfaltering deep blue gaze meeting Levi's with a stern warmth, "for your work and service for humanity." Hange also took up the salute, their eyes dancing.
Carefully, Levi raised the gift to his heart in a mirror to their pose. "Thank you," he said not just to Erwin, but to everyone, "for letting me protect humanity."
A/N: may or may not have had Red Swan on loop as I was writing this. Isabel/ Furlan/ Levi/ Hange's history tied to the manga version of No Regrets, not the anime version.