Another week, another battle scene. Seems like that's all I've been writing for the past two or three months hahaha. Just pain and misery. BUT! I promise there's good things coming in the near future, too! So for now just enjoy the political games and the attempt at forging alliances. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend and a good week ahead of you, my sweets!
As always my lovelies, go ahead and enjoy this chapter and don't forget to toss me a little review, to let me know what you think~ ;)
P.S. All Attack on Titan characters belong to Isayama Hajime. I only own my OCs.
40. For you
~ 854 ~
"Is this seat taken?"
Looking up from where he had been silently fixated on the floor, at the sound of Natalie's voice, Erwin was left staring at her bittersweet smile. Though he said nothing, nor moved a muscle, she went to sit at his side. And when he lowered his eyes back to the floor, she asked for his attention again, by bumping her shoulder against his arm and smiling at him. Again he tried to lower his gaze after they regarded each other for a long moment... and again she silently demanded his attention by repeating the gesture.
"You seem to be in a good mood." he finally said, knowing she wouldn't leave his side until he spilled what was troubling him. "Levi told me what happened... are you well?"
"I'm not here to talk about me." she smiled yet again. "But I'm fine."
When the faint spark of humor in his eyes died out, she at last set aside her playful demeanor and angled herself towards him. Reaching out, she pulled his right hand onto her lap, wrapping it in between both of hers; and he couldn't help marveling at just how tiny she was compared to him.
"You did the best you could. You did what you had to do. Because of you, our men are alive. You did what any good Commander would have done... what any good Commander should have done." she assured him, and this time her tone was as serious as it was kind.
But he could still see it in her eyes that it pained her to know how many innocent people had died because of them. Earlier, while Eren was giving his report, the young Scout had told him what had happened before the Jaw had attacked them. The reminder was enough to make him close his hand in a gentle grasp, seeing hers vanish nearly entirely in his hold. It was so odd how his mind was fixated on that... how it baffled him to—for once—truly see the magnitude of the burden she had to bear when she was so small. How she could bear it without being crushed by it; how strong she was despite her size implying otherwise.
"Thank you." he said, and the emotion in his tone found resonance in the way her eyes softened.
It was a gaze she had never afforded him, and he couldn't help feeling that he at last understood Levi's near-obsessive concern with her safety, with protecting her. It was enough that it stirred something so warm and unfamiliar in his chest; that it compelled him to free his hand so he could cradle the back of her head with it; that it drove him to lean down and kiss the top of her head... a kiss so full of gratitude and affection that it left Natalie staring down at the floor in stunned silence.
Never in her life had she felt a more fatherly affection than she did now from the man sitting next to her. And when he leaned back, leaving her to look back up at his face while his hand still warmed her head, she could only smile with unabashed emotion. Again, for a moment, she felt truly important... she felt that she mattered to this man, this leader of soldiers who could move entire armies with one word. She felt that he cared for her in a way her father never had. And she didn't care if that was just her projecting her own feelings onto him... it felt real, and she could only smile.
It was mere moments after he had withdrawn his hand that Levi finally entered the front part of the airship where they were seated. Walking over, he plopped a hand onto Natalie's head, earning a soft smile from her, and looked over to the Commander.
"Don't tell me you were all depressed and Nat had to cheer you up." he commented.
"A bit." Erwin replied with a huff and a smile. "But she did a good job, as she always does."
As though he had picked up on some invisible cue when Levi turned his eyes back to her, Natalie saw Erwin get to his feet and briefly weigh a hand onto the Captain's shoulder.
"I'll go check in with Hange and Onyankopon."
With that statement, he headed for the pilot's cabin, Levi dropping onto his seat with a heavy sigh once the door closed and they were all alone in that part of the ship.
"You look so tired..." the redhead said, reaching to brush the hair out of his face.
"I'm fine." he replied, taking hold of her hand and pressing a kiss to her palm before he looked back at her. "Listen. I know you'll probably try to defend them because you're always stupidly kind like that. And we don't really have evidence for it, but... do you trust me?"
Surprised by his cryptic words, she stared at him in silence while he squeezed her hand.
"Do you trust me, Nat?" he asked again.
"Always, Levi." she replied, her tone carrying none of the confusion he could see on her face.
"Then promise me you'll do your best to stay as far away from Floch as you can."
"What—?"
"I'm sure he was the one who shot you back there." he cut her off, watching her eyes growing wide in a mixture of horror and a pained form of resignation. "Connie said there was something weird about the Marleyan soldiers he found dead next to the cannon. And then earlier, before Lobov took him away... Nat, you didn't see the way he looked at you. I know that look; I've seen it in the Underground so many times. I know a murderer when I see one. Just... trust me on this, like you trusted me with everything until now."
Though she didn't reply, seeing her nod was enough for him, and he freed her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulders and pull her close, resting his cheek atop her head.
"I don't know what's going on recently... it's like the universe is trying to do everything to take you from me. I can't lose you, Nat. Do you hear me? I can't lose you!"
=0=0=
Levi had no idea how much time had passed when Erwin returned from the pilot's cabin to take a seat at his side. It had to be so late in the night, and he was grateful that he had convinced Natalie to get some sleep until they reached the island.
"Did you tell her?" Erwin asked, careful to speak in a low tone so as to not wake the redhead lying atop the bench on the other side of Levi.
Turning his eyes down to where she was using his lap as a pillow, the Captain nodded while reaching out of habit to push her bangs out of her face and trace the length of her forehead with his thumb.
"I think she may have suspected it already. She didn't seem that surprised, more just... hurt... disappointed." he finally replied.
Again he fell silent for a while, only to speak when Erwin had started thinking he wouldn't.
"I was so scared." he whispered, reluctant to admit it. "When I heard the shot and then felt her falling, I—I thought I'd lost her. I was never so terrified in my life."
"I'm sorry." the Commander sighed heavily.
"...Huh?" Levi retorted, turning a confused gaze up to him.
"I could have ordered her to stay behind; I should have done that."
"You would have had better luck taking over the world." he snorted.
For a split second, he sounded on the verge of laughter, and it was enough to bring a trace of a smile to Erwin's lips.
"We should arrive soon." he changed the subject, lifting the pocket watch he had been checking earlier as well.
"What do we do with Floch and the other idiots?"
"We will put them in the cells at the barracks until I can inform Premier Zackley and Queen Historia about what happened. It is their decision to make regarding what to do with them. My guess is that they will be charged with treason and executed."
"Shouldn't we first try to find out who helped them? There's no way they did all of that on their own. They had to have someone in Marley helping them."
"What do you suggest?"
"I've learned a few ways to loosen people's tongues."
"Levi..." the Commander shook his head disapprovingly despite the smile battling to overtake his expression.
"They almost killed her, Erwin." he scowled. "I'm not letting this go until we know exactly who else wants her dead. I'll bet anything that lanky bitch and her goons are involved too, somehow."
"Yelena?"
"I've had a bad feeling about her since she first set foot on the island. I warned Nat to stay away from her, but... well, you know Natalie. I would've had an easier time convincing her the sky was green."
The sound of the cabin door opening drew their attention at that moment when Hange stepped out to join them.
"We're almost over the harbor." the Section Commander informed them. "Should we go wake everyone?"
"Yes." Erwin agreed, moving to stand again. "I'll let you two handle that."
While he stepped back into the pilot's cabin, Levi at last noticed the researcher watching him with a smile.
"You two look so cute together."
"Did you hit your head?" the Captain retorted, before holding out his hand. "Never mind... give me your cape for a bit."
"Huh? What for?"
"Just give it here, three-eyes."
Once Hange had complied, he folded the cape and carefully lifted Natalie's head so he could pull away and use it as a makeshift pillow for her. She was usually such a light sleeper, and the fact that she hadn't woken up told him how exhausted she had to be.
'You always point out how tired I am, but never how tired you are...' he sighed, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead before he stood. "Come on, let's get those brats on their feet."
No sooner had he said that, however, than the rest of the ship erupted in commotion; it wasn't so much the shouting as the two gunshots that startled both of them and woke the redhead from her slumber, drawing Erwin out as well.
"Wha—?" Natalie gasped, sitting up just when Jean burst through the door leading to the middle section of the cabin.
"Commander... Captain! Floch and four of his men escaped!"
"What? How?!" Levi scowled.
"I thought I heard noises coming from the cargo hold and went to check. Lobov's men are unconscious, but still alive. I don't know how they got loose, but they were just about to jump out when I saw them. By the time I woke everyone, he and four others leaped through the door."
"Was that you shooting just now?" Erwin inquired, his calm tone settling the young man's frazzled nerves.
"...Yes." Jean hesitated, looking remorseful. "They had their gear on and one of them tried to shoot me. I... it was more of a reflex than a conscious decision. I apologize; I should have kept a clearer head."
"It's alright. It was self-defense." Hange assured him.
"The two we managed to tackle are with everyone else now. We took away their gear and tied them again."
"Good." Erwin nodded. "What's done is done. We will add this to the official report. Make sure the others don't get away. We'll be taking them straight to the cells when we get to Shiganshina. Tell everyone to get ready; we'll be docking in a few minutes."
"Yes, sir!"
=0=0=
They had been running through the sand dunes for a while now, following the railway north to reach the forested area of the island, while the sky lit up more and more above them.
"What do we do now? We're fugitives... we can never go back home."
"Stop whining, Lukas." Floch retorted. "We'll be fine."
"Are you sure Yelena won't say anything?" Saskia inquired.
"She won't. If she did, she would have to explain how she knew about it and then turn in her own comrades who helped us. She won't do that."
"I don't know." Benjamin replied. "There's something about her I don't like."
"We'll just have to be careful and lie low for a few days until the commotion dies down." the redhead shrugged.
"I can't believe that fucking asshole shot Robin!" Lukas scowled. "I'll make sure to get him back for that!"
"They still have Paul and Liam." Benjamin contemplated aloud. "Do you think they'll talk?"
"They won't." Floch replied. "They know how important what we're doing is. They're fully dedicated to our goal. For now, we'll head into the forest outside Wall Maria. There are some Survey Corps stashes hidden there that we can use. They'll have supplies and some weapons."
It was well into the morning that they at last arrived at the hideout—a barebone little cabin nestled among the dense trees and greenery. It had intentionally been built in a hard-to-find spot, as part of the plans Erwin and Natalie had made together in the case of an attack. Thus Floch knew it contained not only blades and gas tanks but also canned food and crackers, as well as a first-aid kit and some clothes.
"Pack up everything you can, refill your gas and get the blades, then change out of the uniforms." Floch ordered. "We can't stay here for long; the Survey Corps will start combing through these hideouts to find us. We'll get over the Wall by tonight and hide right under their noses."
"And then what?" Saskia piped up. "We need more people if we're going to go against the military."
"There are more people in the Survey Corps who support us, just not openly. Which is a good thing, for now, because we'll need someone on the inside to keep us updated with their moves. Also, Benjamin... you'll take Robin's place as my second-in-command. If I'm not around, you're in charge of the others."
"You still think getting rid of Dietrich is enough?" the young man inquired after nodding in agreement.
"It's obviously not!" Lukas interjected. "The Commander and Captain Levi will never side with us if we kill her."
"We don't need them." Floch retorted. "We have Zeke who controls Yelena and her volunteers. And with Dietrich gone, Eren will eventually see that our cause is the right one; he'll come to us on his own. As for Erwin and Levi... well, a Commander can always be replaced, and a Captain... can always meet his end in an unfortunate accident."
~ oOo ~
"Levi... are you sure we need to keep her tied up?" Natalie inquired, as the two of them and a few of the Scouts assigned to that mission rode alongside the cart, which, for the moment, carried Zeke and Reiner along with the two children.
Turning his eyes from the surrounding plains dyed red with the setting sun to her, the Captain then looked past the woman to where Gabi was bound and gagged, glaring daggers at them.
"She brought it upon herself." he at last replied, prompting Gabi to launch into another muffled tirade of unintelligible noises.
While it seemed Reiner had a fair amount of authority over her, even he couldn't fully restrain the girl. And that evening, while they were trying to load them into the cart, she had—of all things—jumped into Levi's arms and tried to bite his face. Thus, the Captain had ordered her tied up and gagged until she learned to behave.
"If you want out of those, learn to behave like a human being." he retorted to her unflinching murderous glare. "Didn't your parents teach you at least that?"
On that note, he urged his mare ahead, leaving only Natalie riding alongside the cart; he was far too old to deal with that kind of shitty, bratty attitude.
"She'll learn, eventually." Eren replied from where he was riding on the other side of the cart, before reaching down to tousle the girl's hair.
His gesture prompted her to jerk forward, trying to get away from his hand, just to end up losing balance and falling onto her face. While she growled and sputtered heaven knew what behind the gag, Eren chuckled and winked at Natalie, who could only shake her head with a resigned smile.
"Stop it, Gabi." Falco scolded her, reaching to pull her back onto her seat. "Can't you see they're not going to hurt us?"
When she turned her glare upon him and again launched into a muffled tirade, he could only sigh and exchange a knowing look with Reiner. The only thing that seemed to calm her down as they continued on their way was the sight of the giant forest they were approaching. In the waning daylight, it looked more menacing than anything they had seen before; with the trees looming over them higher than the Titans themselves, and the dark shadows—usually chased between the branches by the sunlight—now expanding as if to swallow them whole.
Once the convoy had made its way inside, it was like night had already fallen as Levi ordered for the caravan to move off the beaten path, so thick was the canopy hanging over them. The carts were now moving slowly, having difficulty with the dense greenery mixed with rocks and wood that made up the forest floor, as well as the suffocating darkness penetrated only by their lanterns. Eventually, a few of the Scouts accompanying them had to dismount so they could use the blades to hack away at the bushes and make space for the wagons to pass. Falco couldn't tell how long they kept that pace, but he felt grateful for all the armed soldiers around them when a faint howl echoed somewhere far to their left, followed by the hoot of an owl just before it took off in flight somewhere above their heads.
Eventually, they reached a small clearing in the dense trees and Levi ordered them to set up camp. It was almost surreal to watch Reiner helping the Scouts as they unloaded and set up the tents and supply boxes. But even more surreal was the fact that some of them—particularly Levi's squad—seemed happy to have him back.
"Seems weird, doesn't it?" Zeke spoke up after taking a long drag of one of his last cigarettes, startling both Falco and the still tied-up Gabi into looking at him. "Reiner could never say this in Marley, but during the years he and Bertholdt spent here they made a lot of friends."
"They... do they even know what he and Bertholdt did?" the boy gulped.
"They do."
"And they... don't hate him for it?"
"Maybe they did once; but he sincerely regrets and repents for doing that. When one's feelings are genuine, no one can remain untouched."
Turning his eyes back to the Scout group, Falco watched as Connie smacked Reiner's back before bursting out laughing like they'd just shared a good joke, while Reiner smiled fondly at the shorter soldier. It was an expression Falco had never seen on his face before, except whenever he was watching Gabi.
'I... I always felt that something wasn't adding up in what Marley taught us about these people.' he realized, his gaze going to Gabi, who seemed just as stricken as him at the scene unfolding before them. 'I'm worried for you, though.'
He knew it was probably impossible for Gabi to ever see them as anything other than devils who only deserved death—especially after the Liberio fiasco. But right as his mind was conjuring up dark scenarios, it startled him to hear footsteps approaching the cart.
"Come on, you two. We'll be having dinner soon."
Looking over to Natalie's kind smile and then to Eren as he approached, he tried his best to swallow the anxiety bubbling in him with so much uncertainty floating around. While Eren climbed into the cart to pick up Gabi, unimpressed with her struggling, he stood and went to follow when Natalie gestured for him to join them.
"Aren't you hungry?" she asked at last, realizing Zeke hadn't stood from his seat.
"Listen..." he said, taking another long drag of the cigarette and sighing the smoke up into the darkening sky. "Everything I proposed as part of my plan wasn't personal. I know the good Captain has feelings for you. That's more than obvious to anyone who's even remotely familiar with human emotions. That said, I still think that you're the best option if you really want Historia to not be involved in this."
It seemed like forever that they silently regarded one another, and he knew from just the look in her eyes that his sincerity had reached her again, just as it had back at the warehouse.
"We'll talk it over when Queen Historia and Commander Erwin get here."
The nigh-imperceptible hesitation in her voice, as well as the way she suddenly averted her gaze, told him she was still considering his proposal. He knew she probably suspected that he had only chosen her to get back at Levi. And... well, he couldn't deny that some part of him had done it exactly for that reason. But at the same time, if he was to ever have a child, he wanted to do that with a good, strong woman who wouldn't let his royal blood go to waste. Was it selfish of him, knowing that she and Levi loved one another? He knew it was, but couldn't see a better option at that moment.
"Come on, you have to eat something too." she called out, startling him out of his line of thought.
Smiling with subtle amusement, he took one last drag of the cigarette while climbing out of the cart before putting it out beneath his foot and following her to the camp. While the redhead went to take a seat next to Levi, Zeke settled near Reiner and the kids while a few of the other scouts had started making dinner after lighting up the fires. Around their fire was only Levi's team, Sasha and Connie already working on preparing the food, while the other men had split into two teams on either side of theirs.
It was the sound of Gabi's voice, when Reiner removed her gag so they could feed her, that drew Zeke's attention when she again started begging Reiner to not let himself be fooled by the devils' tricks.
"Gabi, I have no intention of betraying them again." Reiner at last replied, when she paused long enough to let him speak, his reply silencing her for the moment.
"What?!" she shrieked. "What about Aunt Karina? Do you know what will happen to her if we don't go back?"
"She'll be fine, as will your parents. Even if anything happens to her, I can't save her anymore."
"What are you saying, Reiner?" Gabi insisted, her expression turning to a disturbing note of horror. "She's your mother! You're her only child and she loves you!"
"Yes, she is, and I love her. But I can't save her. You don't know this, because I never told you about it. My mother... has been delusional my whole life. She still clings to this dream that my father will one day come back into our lives; she loves that dream more than she ever loved me. If she had loved me more, she wouldn't have pushed me to become a Warrior, hoping that would get my father back. But he won't ever go back to her. My father is Marleyan, and he already had a family before he even met my mother."
"That woman sent you, didn't she?! This is her way of taking revenge on me! I won't die because of you two!"
Even after so many years, his father's words still rang so clearly in his head every time he recalled that day.
"Is... is this why you betrayed Marley?" Gabi spoke up after a long moment of staring at him in utter shock, just like the others. "Is this why you sided with the island devils? Is this why you'll let your mother die? What—because of your stupid daddy issues?!"
"I did it for you!" he snapped back, this time his raised tone silencing her thoroughly. "I know I can't save my mother, but I want at least you to have a better life than I did! You and Falco are all that matters to me right now!"
Giving her a moment to process his words, he then spoke again more calmly.
"Now I suggest you calm down. You won't accomplish anything by acting out like this, especially not against Captain Levi. You can't always win fights through determination, even with this suicidal recklessness of yours. Just because he's short enough to not look much older than you, doesn't mean you can take him lightly."
The faint sound of scraping drew Natalie's attention from Reiner and Gabi to Levi, whose fingers had tightened onto the metal cup he was holding such that his knuckles had whitened entirely. Reaching over to cover his hand with hers, she drew his murderous stare from Reiner to herself and shook her head with a soft smile, while mouthing 'don't'. It took all she had to not burst out laughing at the offended expression on his face, but she felt him relax as she stroked the back of his hand with her thumb.
"You don't know him, Gabi... you haven't seen him doing the things Bertholdt and I have seen him do." Reiner went on, earning everyone's attention again. "Annie, who was the best in our group, was nothing to him. Even the War Chief didn't stand a chance when we went against the Scouts. He's the only person on this island who can be an actual devil... and I'm telling you, you don't want to see that; because it might just be the last thing you ever see! And he can be just as ruthless to his allies as he is to his enemies. When I joined the Scouts with the rest of my team, they told all of us how he bloodied Eren up until he was spitting his teeth."
"Well... that was only to save me from getting shot to death." Eren replied, rubbing the back of his neck and slightly wincing at the memory.
"I'm just sorry we weren't there to watch this suicidal idiot getting put in his place. I'm sure it was a great show." Jean retorted with a shrug and a sarcastic sneer.
"What's that, horseface?" Eren shot back with a displeased frown, without missing a beat.
"He still did it with no hesitation, didn't he?" Reiner retorted before they could start arguing, turning back to Gabi. "My point is that you shouldn't take his patience for granted. Consider the fact that he only had you tied up, and that he's still talking to you. Don't get yourself into more trouble than you can handle."
In the utter silence that fell over the group, broken only by Sasha and Connie chopping up vegetables, Gabi finally lowered her head and looked away with a sullen pout.
"Really, Levi?" Zeke at last interjected, drawing all eyes around the campfire to him. "I thought my little brother was always your ally. Even to save him, wasn't that a bit much?"
"No." the Captain retorted, his deadpan expression sending an icy shiver down Falco's spine. "And I'd do it again if he had it coming."
=0=0=
The sound of light footsteps drew Reiner's attention from the fire he had been staring into, to Natalie approaching him.
"Mind if I sit with you?" she asked, and her smile again reminded him of her expression at their last meeting before he'd left the island.
But he nodded and watched as she took a seat near him, reaching for the metal kettle to pour herself a cup of tea.
"How's Gabi doing?"
Her question caught him off guard, turning his mind back to his cousin. She had eventually seemed to accept her fate—begrudgingly so—such that they had been able to untie her. With all the commotion from Liberio and then a whole day of stress, a full belly was enough to sap the last of her energy. When she had started drooping in her seat, Levi had told him to put her and Falco to bed in the nearest tent.
"She's calmed down for now, but I can't guarantee she won't act up again. I'm just worried she'll piss off Captain Levi more than she should."
"She'll get better... she just needs time to see that we're not the monsters they made us out to be." the redhead replied. "I just... I wanted to tell you that I'm glad you came home. Eren and the others missed you, even if they won't say it directly."
"They'll never forgive me for what I've done."
"They will. Or at the very least, they'll come to understand why you had to do what you did... enough that they'll be able to live with what happened."
"I know why they believe you'll make a better future for everyone, but..." he said, the words getting stuck in his throat until she turned her eyes upon him. "Do you really believe there's a chance to make all of this better somehow?"
His question silenced the woman, leaving her to slowly trail her gaze back to the crackling flames. He could see on her face the multitude of emotions his question had stirred in her, and he realized she too was just as uncertain and hesitant as the rest of them. It was odd, but it made him feel so... connected with her, on a level he couldn't yet fully comprehend. But then he saw the fear ebbing back like the waves of the sea, leaving behind that determination he had caught glimpses of before.
"We will." she replied.
When she looked back at him, he was so surprised and—to an extent—shocked by that fierce confidence and certainty in her eyes that it startled him to feel her hand wrap around his own.
"We have to." she went on, and something in her tone made him believe without a trace of doubt that anything she said could become reality. "And we will... we will make a better world for all generations who will come after us. We will make a better world for Gabi... for Falco... for all the children who don't deserve to suffer as we have. We will be the last generation of this madness, one way or another. I'll do whatever I have to, for that to happen."
Just as it had happened in Marley, hearing her speech was... hypnotic, almost. He didn't know what sort of magic she poured into her words that made her reach the heart of anyone she was talking to. But again, he felt both reassured and determined to see her vision come to life.
"Alright..." he nodded, turning his hand over to return her grasp. "I'll support you then, no matter what. I'll be your shield whenever you need me. No matter what you decide, I'll trust that you can lead us to something better."
To hear him say the same thing as Eren was enough to bring a soft smile to her lips; a smile that warmed her entire face while she nodded in response. Maybe... it was time to try another experiment with Historia and Eren. Maybe Ymir held all the answers, and perhaps it was time to swallow her fears and try talking to the girl.
=0=0=
"Are you bored?"
Startled from where he had been poking at a patch of dirt with a stick, trying to keep himself occupied, Falco looked up to find Natalie smiling down on him.
"A... a bit..." he replied, trying to swallow the knot in his throat.
"I asked Jean to look through the library for some interesting books for you and Gabi." she nodded, crouching in front of him to be on the same level. "He'll be back later today and I'm sure he'll bring something that you'll enjoy."
For a few moments, they silently watched each other in the sunlight that filled the clearing, listening to the birdsong surrounding them on all sides from the tall canopy of the forest.
"Can... can I ask you something?"
Though looking surprised by his question, the redhead nodded with a reassuring smile.
"You can ask anything. I can't promise I can answer every question, though."
"Why... I mean... I guess you didn't really take everyone, just Gabi and me. I realize now that Mr. Zeke and Vice-Chief Braun went with you willingly."
"You want to know why they wanted to come back here?"
"I... yes..."
"It's not a simple answer, I'm afraid." Natalie sighed, and the genuine sorrow on her face caught Falco off guard. "What happened in Liberio wasn't supposed to happen. We didn't go there intending to kill anyone; simply to take Reiner and Zeke with us while the play distracted everyone."
"I... I guess I'm not blaming you for what happened there." he replied, and it was his turn to startle the redhead through his words. "I understood that you had traitors in your ranks. And... I think I'm starting to understand why they wanted to return here."
Though she didn't reply immediately, Natalie shifted to a seated position on the grass across the dirt patch between them. Her gesture surprised him because he hadn't expected that she was genuinely interested in talking or spending any length of time with an enemy.
"You really care for them, don't you?" she finally asked, and it left Falco guessing whether she was about to somehow blackmail him.
"Maybe..."
His cautious reply made her chuckle, again leaving him at a loss for words.
"I promise no one's going to use what you say against you... not here." she promised. "I won't press you to talk if you don't want to. And I can't speak for everyone else, but at least I'll never judge you for what you think or how you feel."
The changes in his expression were subtle enough that she probably wouldn't have caught them if she weren't staring directly at him. But she could tell that he was worried for his family, just like Gabi was worried for hers.
"They won't think you're traitors, Falco." she said as softly and reassuringly as she could, hoping to give him a bit of comfort. "There's no way they can think that... you and Gabi are just kids and we took you by force. We took Reiner and Zeke by force. We made sure the military wouldn't go after their families; they won't go after yours either."
"My family isn't like Gabi's..." the boy replied after a long silence. "My uncle was... he was part of a Restorationist group. He was sent here many years ago."
"Was it the same group that Grisha Jaeger led?"
"How... did you know that?" he gasped.
"Eren is Zeke's younger brother; Grisha Jaeger was their father. I... knew from someone about Grisha and his wife heading that group; before we even found Grisha's books where he talked about it in detail."
"My older brother joined the Warrior candidates when he was my age, to try and atone for our uncle's sin." he went on, strangely encouraged by that weirdly inviting presence of hers. "But we knew that wasn't enough, even when he was chosen to inherit Mr. Zeke's Titan. Not that that matters anymore, now that Mr. Zeke betrayed Marley. He'll probably want to give the Beast to someone on your island."
"Are you a candidate as well?" Natalie asked, hoping to distract him from that topic.
"Yes, so is Gabi. We were training to see which of us would inherit Vice-Chief Braun's Armor. She was the best in our class, but... I don't want her to give up her life for Marley. If I can save her by being the one to inherit the Armor, I'll do whatever it takes to get there."
By now he was frowning something fierce at the dirt, drawing harsh lines in it with the stick. As much as Natalie had hoped to not bring up the topic of the shifters' lifespan, she couldn't just sit there and let him think that he had to end up eating Reiner.
"You won't have to inherit anything, Falco." she said, and the gentleness in her tone drew his attention back to her; his expression fell into surprise such that she fully realized he was probably no older than she had been when she had first joined boot camp. "I promise... you won't have to eat anyone. Not for many, many years."
Sooo today's replies for my lovely reviewers :D
1. aLeexheaven - Thank you so so much for the encouraging words! I'm really happy that you're enjoying the story and your comments make my day!
So these are my replies for today. Cheers, lovelies~ ( ˘ ³˘)❤