Hey guys, I managed to write another chapter for ya'll. I hope you enjoyed the previous one. I've actually been updating way more than I expected. In this chapter, we'll get to spend time as the characters unwind from their first expedition. Well let's get into a very LONG chapter.
"Oh my gosh Levi," Petra excitedly squealed as she walked up to him, "I can't believe you're here. It's been years"
"…Yeah." Was all the Captain could come up with. He happened to be a little surprised by the appearance of the ginger-haired woman he hadn't seen in over a decade. The last time he spoke to her, she was yelling in his face, expressing how grateful she was that she would never have to see him again. years later, she's squealing at him like a little girl.
The woman seemed to notice that the man was blankly staring down at her and she then let out a sigh before slightly frowning, "Levi, I know we may have left things on a bad note back then and I said some pretty nasty things to you before you left but…" she then shifted her gaze downwards while holding her left bicep with her right hand, "after having some time to mature and move on, I've really come to regret my actions," she then lifted her eyes up to his, "I'm really sorry."
Levi continued to look down at her, his eyes not leaving her. She did seem really sorry. "It's fine," he started and noticed her perk up.
"Really?" she asked.
The Captain only nodded in response before witnessing her face retain its previous vibrant smile.
Since when did he think her smile was vibrant?
"That's great," she beamed at him. she then decided to change the topic, "say, how's the family?"
"Mikasa, the kids… they're okay," he responded, suddenly wondering where the twins had run off to. The damn brats disappeared as soon as they arrived at the new base.
"Wait… kids?" Petra's eyes widened in surprise, clearly unaware of the fact that the captain had more children. But then, they hadn't seen each other in years.
"Yeah, me and Mikasa got hitched and had three more," he explained, the woman nodding as she took in the information.
"Oh wow, congratulations. That's great."
"Thanks," he responded before taking a look at the shorter woman. She appeared to be dressed in the same uniform the Garrison soldiers wore, which was similar to the Scouts' uniform except the main colour was brown. It was now his turn to ask, "I take it you're a Garrison Soldier."
The woman nodded, "oh yeah. When you were dismissed, we were deployed to the Fort Rose to help train recruits. In fact, I was actually patrolling when I saw you," she explained before remembering, "oh, Oluo and the others are here too. They'll be excited to see you again—especially Oluo."
Levi remembered all his ex-squad members, the people he used to lead back when he was in Paradis' Army. Humanity's strongest soldier needed a squad that held great promise to lead and Petra, Oluo, Eld, and Gunther were the perfect candidates. Come to think of it, he wouldn't mind seeing them all again, to catch up on lost time.
"Petra, come on!" called a woman with platinum blonde hair that ended just below her cheeks. In front of her silver eyes were a pair of spectacles and she wore a stern face. She also wore a Garrison uniform much like Petra and rested her hand on her hip, expressing her impatience.
Petra then looked back at the woman before looking back at Levi, "I have to go, my partner's getting cranky."
"Okay…" Levi responded before Petra pulled him into a hug. It was uncalled for, definitely uncalled for but then… he didn't feel the desire to pull away. Her hug was as gentle as he remembered it, making him feel something he hadn't felt for a while. He couldn't pin point what it was but all he knew was that it was sort of…
Relaxing.
Petra then pulled away and beamed up at him, "I really missed you, Levi," she started locking her eyes with his for the last time before retreating towards her partner, "see you around."
Levi was left frozen in his spot, watching as the woman walked off with her colleague. He never understood why the hug made him feel that way and a part of him told him it was wrong; he had a wife after all. But another part of him justified him, telling him he deserved the good feeling, reminding him that his wife was probably still angry with him.
without wasting any time, Levi stuffed his hands in his pockets before walking back to his motorcycle.
He arrived at the base, eventually, and was met with the sight of the scouts lounging around. Curious about the cleaning they had done, he brushed his finger under a table and found a mass of dust accumulated on his pale fingers. That was when he ordered all the scouts in charge of the bottom floor to re-clean—again.
After ensuring that the job was done correctly, he decided to finally retreat to his quarters and catch some shut-eye.
"Hi daddy!" Marie was the first to greet him, running up to him.
"Hey, kiddo," he responded as he lifted her and placed her against his hip. He entered the room and caught no sign of his wife. He then glanced back at his daughter, "where's mommy?"
"She's in the bath," she responded, pointing at a door that was probably led to the bathroom.
Levi then proceeded to step in and close the door behind him. He put her down and took a better look at the room. It was very similar to his old quarters. It also had a desk, closet, bookshelf, and personal bathroom. The major difference was the fact that it was slightly larger with a wooden floor instead of tiles and came with a coat hanger. It was clean, very close to his standards. Mikasa had probably cleaned up when she got here.
The door to the bathroom opened, revealing his significant other in a white, knee-length, long-sleeved nightdress and a pair of slippers, her scarf around her neck. He found himself slowly preparing for her deadly wrath.
"Mommy, daddy's here," Marie said to her mother and the woman's eyes immediately went over to her husband.
"Hi Levi," she smiled at him before walking over to him and proceeded to help him take off his jacket.
"Hi," he responded, somewhat shocked by her greeting. This was not what he expected when he got back. When he got her to back off from Junior, she looked at him in a way that he had never seen. In a way that made his heart beat speed up a bit. He would never admit it but it was sort of unnerving.
"Oh, I ran a bath for you," Mikasa said after hanging his jacket on the coat hanger. She then crouched and began to work on his boots.
With well-hidden surprise, Levi watched as the woman helped him undress. Something was off. It wasn't like that was something she'd never do, it was more on the fact that… dammit, he couldn't place things together. There was just something off about her.
He eventually stepped out of his boots, allowing the half-Asian woman chance to place them next to hers near the shoe rack. The woman then proceeded to hand him a towel, "here, I made sure to get you a clean towel. If you need any help getting something clean you can call on me."
"Thanks," he said, hesitantly grabbing the fabric before waking into the bathroom. Well at least he could finally clean himself up.
About half an hour later, he stepped out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a white t-shirt and grey sweat-pants.
"Someone sure enjoyed their bath," Mikasa said from where she sat on the bed, book in hand while Marie was fast asleep beside her. The little tyke was probably exhausted from the trip and finally realised it when she was on the bed.
"Yeah, that bath was all I needed. Thanks," he said as he hung the towel on the hanger and made his way over to the bed and plopping onto it. Releasing a yawn, "man, I've never felt this tired in a while," he said after yawning, feeling himself fall victim to the same effect the bed had on his daughter. He let his eyes wander to where his wife sat reading, "watcha reading?"
"Oh, just some old book I found when cleaning the room," she responded, securing a bookmark on the page she was reading before closing the book and placing it on the end table. She then looked into his blue eyes again, "how's your leg?"
"My leg? Fine," he responded before the woman rose from her position and went to sit at the end of his side of the bed, placing his leg on her lap, "the hell are you doing?"
"I'm giving you a massage, honey," she responded before doing as she said.
Honey?
She was doing it again. Why was she acting like that? Sure there's nothing wrong with her pampering him but really, there was something off. Levi really felt himself growing weary. Was she planning to off him any time soon because this did not feel normal in the slightest.
Nope, he had to get to the bottom of things.
"don't worry. I'm definitely not plotting your murder" the woman said. It wasn't surprising that she sensed what he was thinking. They'd been together for years.
"Levi…" she started, surprised when he retracted his leg from her grasp. He then placed his legs on the floor and scooted next to her, "Levi, what's going on?"
"Mikasa, we just argued a couple of hours ago and you left looking at me like I killed your parents or something," he started, "I come back ready to hear how much of an asshole I am but end up being treated like shit didn't happen. I mean… you called me honey and you never call me that—after we argue," he explained as the woman looked at him with her neutral face. "Mikasa, the fuck's going on with you?"
The woman only cocked an eyebrow at him, sporting an amused look on her pretty face, "I never knew there was something wrong with taking care of your partner."
"Last time I checked, partners didn't make each other think they were secretly plotting to stab each other in their sleep," Levi responded, humouring his wife.
"Okay," she started, "but first things first, I don't appreciate hearing the word killing and my parents in the same sentence so if you don't mind…"
"My bad," he apologized, remembering the reason why.
"Now, the thing is…" Mikasa started, "when I got here, I was still pretty pissed and since I didn't know any gyms nearby, I started cleaning up to blow off steam. Apparently I was over doing it because Marie kept on asking if I was okay." She then sighed, "thanks to you, I've started stress cleaning."
He watched as his wife got up and walked over to the end table, grabbing the book she was reading and walking back to sit next to him.
"When I was done dusting the bookshelf I found this book and coincidentally, it happened to be a parenting book," she said, motioning towards the book, "reading this book helped me realise that I've been a bit… much."
"You were right, I've been babying our kids for way too long and that's probably why Junior did break down the way he did," she started, "I've been nothing but hard on you, forgetting that you mean well for our kids too," her face then softened, "I shouldn't have blown up at you like that and I guess all I can say is that I'm…sorry."
Levi looked at his wife's eyes. Now that seemed more believable than the massaging and name-calling. "You don't have to apologize for anything," he started, "he's your son and you have every right to be concerned about him—and be angry at anyone who threatens his safety, including this midget you call your husband," he finished while pointing at himself at the last part.
"That's true but…" she started, "I'm still going to have to give Junior more space and give you more of my trust." She then held out her hand, "from now on, we'll push him as far as we can. truce."
Normally, this sort of exchange could only be imagined between children and seeing Mikasa offering such a gesture made her look… childish? No. Levi took in her appearance and noticed the way her grey eyes showed some sort of eagerness. Her eyebrows furrowed, lips pursed and overall soft but straight face was somewhat… cute. Perhaps even endearing.
Levi equally took her hand in his, "truce," he responded before they gave each other a light squeeze. Not letting go of her hand, Levi thought of something, "hey, Erwin's given us some time off from work."
"Really?" Mikasa asked, disbelief evident in her tone.
Levi nodded, "…well it was more of Commander Pixis' insistence that we take a break," he explained, "I was thinking we could head out to that park tomorrow with the kids for a picnic or something like that. We can even invite some friends to hang around if you like. So what do you think?"
Mikasa appeared to be processing the thought while Levi watched, patiently waiting for his wife's response. He then noticed the way the corners of her lips twitched upwards before a small smile formed on her face. He raised his eyebrow, signalling that he was waiting for a verbal response.
"That sounds fine."
"Great," he returned the smile.
"But then, what time are the snacks going to be made?" she asked, probably acknowledging how short notice the outing seemed.
"Don't worry, I'll be up before everyone else," he said confidently, acknowledging the fact that he only slept a few hours a night.
"Great, then you can wake me up as soon as you do," she started, "We can do it together like we used to."
The captain couldn't help but remember the times when their friends and family would say they were coming over for dinner or lunch and they would have to tag team in the kitchen, making sure everything was perfect. He had to admit that he really missed those days, the days when they were a regular family, the days when there were no titans wreaking havoc.
"Okay," he responded before another thought popped into his mind, "I saw a cinema on my way here and maybe we can go check out a movie later on," he suggested, "I bet there's some horrible romcom or horror movie we could trash—like we used to."
Mikasa's only response was to lean in and plant a kiss on his lips. She then pulled back and looked at him with her gorgeous grey eyes. All the coldness the they once held had been smothered by the warmth they now carried. The last time he saw them look like that was the day before the titans made their unrequested debut.
Suddenly, a great feeling flowed through his body. He felt even better than the way Petra made him feel earlier on in the day. The feeling was the same one he got whenever he'd wake up next to Mikasa's gorgeous face. He felt the same way whenever he'd sit at the table during dinner and gaze at the family he was graced with; four beautiful children and an amazing life-partner, not regretting any of the decisions he had made over the years. He felt the same way whenever the day would end and he would lay down to rest, holding Mikasa securely in his arms. He felt…
Content.
After living in a world where all those he cared about kept on dying, the only one to bring him this feeling was Mikasa, his wife.
"I think tomorrow's going to be an amazing day."
"Me too."
"You sure you don't need help with that, Junior?" Mikasa asked, looking back at her son, who was carrying a drinks cooler—struggling to carry a drinks cooler.
"Actually…"
"No, he's fine," Levi cut off his son as he walked beside him carrying a meat cooler in his right hand and their rented grill in the left, "he's barely lifting anything."
"Since when did you become Junior?" Junior threw a glance at his father.
"About the same time you got a girlfriend."
"ugh, asshole…" Junior mumbled before turning his gaze back to his mother, mouthing a "help me."
Offering her son an apologetic shrug, Mikasa turned and looked at their destination.
The Ackermans had just arrived at Fort Rose's Rose Park, their chosen picnic site. It looked just like any other park with a large amount of bright green grass and several rose bushes dotted around the place. On different spots were gravel patches with benches probably meant for barbecues. The most noticeable thing was perhaps the large fountain in the centre.
There were also a bunch of people about, kids kicking a ball around while their respective families and friends enjoyed their times together, adolescents probably on dates were seated in secluded areas, avoiding the watchful eyes of the adults present, Garrison guards patrolling the area not without a drink in hand of course.
"Fort Rose really outdid themselves with this park," Mikasa said, acknowledging the how nice the place actually was. She then spotted a free bench and proceeded to lead her family in that direction.
"Hey mom, where do we put these," Dean panted as he carried a picnic basket, Daniel right behind him with another one.
"Right there," she pointed at a spot next to the bench, allowing the twins to place them there.
"You look winded dude," Daniel said, casually patting his brother's back.
"How come you look the same?" Dean asked, surprised by how his brother had barely broken a sweat, "that shi… basket was heavy."
"Mhm," Daniel shrugged in response.
"Where are…" Mikasa started, looking around for the remainder of her family before she finally spotted the Levis were probably arguing about the drinks cooler with Marie watching them. She should've just taken it from him.
Rolling her eyes, Mikasa walked over to where the two men bickered and grabbed hold of the drinks cooler, easily lifting it, "stop arguing and come on, the meat should have at least started cooking by the time our guests got here."
She then turned and started walking.
"Mommy, thanks for stopping them," Marie said, walking right next to her mother, "I tried to stop them but they kept on arguing and arguing. It was like I wasn't even there," she sighed before putting her hands on her hips, "why are men so… clueless?"
"Trust me, I've asked myself that question my whole life." Mikasa then smiled with a cocked eyebrow, "where is all this coming from?"
"Miss Keen talks like that all the time," Marie explained. Miss Keen happened to be the woman in charge of the day care she would go to during the day back at Fort Maria.
"Really?" she asked before finally resting the cooler next to the picnic baskets. She then looked back and saw the men arrive right after her.
"Tch, why can't people clean up after themselves?" Levi asked, looking at the visibly spotless table in disgust before pulling out disinfectant spray and a cloth from God knows where, "I guess you have to do it yourself if you want it done right."
"Hey mom, can we go play?" Dean asked, pointing in the direction of the other children chasing a ball.
Mikasa shook her head, "You need to eat first," she raised her index finger while saying this. She then motioned for the picnic baskets, "now let's set the table."
"But dad's still…" Daniel started but stopped when he noticed the table sort of sparkling, "wow…"
"Come on guys, let's get to work," Mikasa started, grabbing a red checked picnic blanket from one of the baskets and placed it on the table. The twins proceeded to unload the other food contents that consisted of sandwiches, cookies, both meat and fruit pies, sausage rolls, among others.
"Mommy, can I help?" Marie asked, looking at her mother and brothers setting up the table. The girl must've been feeling left out.
"Here, you can help us set things up," she responded to which the girl nodded giddily.
"And… there," Marie said, placing the final muffin on the small pyramid they had made. "it looks perfect," she said in awe.
The table looked pretty well set, drinks cooler filled with ice and drinks right beside it while an assortment of treats decorated the table. Waking up at 4 AM for a quick grocery run proved very useful to the Ackermans. Mikasa couldn't help but smile at her family. It brought back memories of similar times, going on outings with everyone, the kids' excited babbling while she casually conversed with Levi.
"Hey, Mrs. Ackerman," Levi's voice called, snapping her from her thoughts.
"What is it, Mr. Ackerman?" she asked before turning to find Levi rummaging through a bag. He then stood straight, pulling out a black material up with him. Mikasa then sighed, "how do you still have that?"
"There are two articles of clothing I cannot do without. My cravat and…" he started before fastening the material around him, "my barbecue apron," he finished, motioning for the black apron he wore. On the front was written "Humanity's Greatest Cook"
Talk about cheesy.
"Please tell me you're taking that off when Irene gets here," Junior said from where he sat at the bench, cell phone in his right hand while he propped his head against his left.
"Fuck, no," he said before turning to the grill and placed some patties onto the grill. Soon, the aroma of well marinated meat filled the air.
"Looks like we arrived right on time," a familiar voice called.
"Commander, Irene, glad you could make it," Mikasa offered a smile at the two blonde as she greeted them.
"There was no way we'd pass out a chance to have a relaxing picnic," Erwin said before their hands separated, "oh and please, we're off duty. Formalities aside," he insisted, flashing her a charming smile.
"No problem, Erwin," she nodded before motioning around, "feel free to help yourself to as much as you like. Levi's getting the meat ready so you'll have to make due with these snacks for now."
"Oh my gosh, Mrs. Ackerman these are amazing," Irene said after taking a bite out of one of the sandwiches, Erwin agreeing right beside her.
"Don't take all the credit Mrs. Ackerman," Levi said from his position at the grill.
Mikasa rolled her eyes, before looking back at the blondes, "Levi made the sandwiches," she explained, "but be sure to try the pie. It'll put the sandwiches to shame."
"Noted," Erwin started before excusing himself, "excuse me, I need to have a chat with Humanity's Greatest Cook over there."
"Irene!" Marie said before hopping into the blonde girl's arms, "I missed you."
"I missed you too, cutie," she responded, smiling at Marie.
"Oh come on. I want to show you something I learnt," Marie said before the blonde started to walk in the directions she gave.
Mikasa watched as Irene walked off with Marie, Junior quickly joining them I their walk. Trying his best to get close to her. Even after such a heartbreak, he was still into her.
Her poor little boy was in love.
There was something about the way he would look at the blonde girl and try so hard to catch her attention that she found somewhat amusing. In actuality, it reminded her of someone.
Her gaze then shifted over to the grill where her husband roasted the meat, casually chatting with his much taller best friend. Thoughts of how their relationship had grown flowed through her head. The time when they were rivals in the military to the time he got her pregnant. Throughout the course of her pregnancy, the had evolved from rivals, to acquaintances, to friends, to co-parents and finally to husband and wife. Time had moved huh.
"The fuck are you staring at?"
Mikasa snapped out of her thoughts and noticed that the two men were looking at her, Erwin looking curious and Levi looking the way he always did. Levi was the one that asked the question. It was these times when she'd wonder how she ended up loving him because he always had his way of ruining the moment. From what she knew, most partners would ask an "are you okay" or give a concerned look but Levi was... Levi.
Mikasa only shook her head, subtly rolling her eyes, in response before turning towards the rest of the park. She felt herself get a bit excited when she spotted three familiar faces.
"Hey, Mikasa!" Eren shouted, a little too loudly as Historia gently nudged him in the side as a sign.
"I'm glad you guys could make it," Mikasa greeted, actually beaming at them.
"There was no way we were going to pass this up," Armin was the next to respond.
She then watched as Eren tried his best to settle his nerves, "Hey, Levi… Commander." The poor man had a thing for trying to get on Levi's good graces but Levi being Levi simply countess failed attempts.
"Jaeger, nice to see you," Erwin responded while Levi kept his eyes on the grill, clearly ignoring the brunette.
"And that's how you do it?" Marie said, holding out a not so perfectly made flower crown in her hands. She was offering it to Irene who, lifted her and allowed her to place it on her head.
"How do I look?" she asked the toddler.
"You look really pretty," Marie cooed at her.
Pretty? No, she wasn't pretty, she was beautiful.
Junior felt his face warm up at the sight before him. Irene really did look beautiful with that no-so-good flower crown. It didn't go unnoticed how cute she looked holding Marie in her arms. It kind of gave him a warm feeling on the inside. Was this how his dad felt whenever he'd see his mother hold him as a kid? He then started to wonder how Irene would look holding his kid.
He then shook his head, shaking off the thoughts in his mind. He was only seventeen. In no way was it normal for him to be thinking about having kids with someone—especially if that someone already had a boyfriend.
"You okay, Levi?" Irene asked, offering him a concerned look.
"Oh me?" he asked, scratching the back of his head while sheepishly grinning, "I'm great…heh."
"Okay…"
Before Junior could say anything, he felt something hit him on the back of his head. "Ouch!" he said before looking back to find Dean smirking at him with a rock in his hand.
"Junior has a crush…" he said in a sing-song tone, mocking him.
"get lost," Junior rolled his eyes before looking back at Irene only to be hit again.
"Dean," he said with a scowl on his face, looking back at his brother who still wore the smirk.
"Hi," Dean casually greeted as though nothing was happening.
Once again, Junior rolled his eyes and turned back to Irene, "you enjoy being an only child, don't you?"
Irene shook her head in response, "no, I actually admire your life," Irene said before looking at Marie, "I mean, I'd kill to have a little sister like yours. I mean look at her. She's freaking adorable," Irene said, smiling at Marie whose face went a light shade of pink.
"Sure she's cute when she's feeling girly," Junior started, ignoring the rocks that kept on hitting him, "wait for her to tag team with the twins. She becomes a brat."
"I'm not a brat," Marie's lips quivered at the insult. Her eyes then became it bit watery.
Irene pulled her close, "don't worry, you're not a brat," Irene comforted her before glaring at Junior.
Shit! He screwed up. Irene was upset with him. what was he going to do? Should he apologize or may he should…
"Ouch!" he gasped. His train of thoughts was broken when Dean threw a rock that seriously hurt. He looked back at his brother and saw him chuckling at him. this was getting annoying and he had enough. Dean had to pay.
Junior then proceeded to pick up the same rock and hurl at Dean, hitting him square in the face.
"Ow!"
"Levi!" Irene gasped, concerned for the twin.
"Don't worry he's…" Junior started but stopped when he noticed Dean still covering his face. The boy's torso was trembling as sniffles could be heard. Shit he was crying.
Junior started to walk towards his brother, Irene watching from her position as the teen approached his brother. He then placed his hands on his shoulders, "Dean stop crying. I'm sorry," he apologized before Dean broke into a cry.
"D-Dean, stop crying? Junior panicked. There was no way his parents were going to spare him.
"What's going on?" Mikasa's voice went as she suddenly approached the boys, worry evident in her eyes.
"Junior threw a rock at Dean!" Marie exposed. She had this satisfied look in her eyes as though she were getting revenge for being called a brat.
Shuddering when he noticed the dark glare his mother flashed him, he backed away from Dean and allowed his mother to take a look at him.
"Dean, show me your face," Mikasa said, her voice as calm as ever.
Dean slowly removed his hands to reveal a slight cut on his lip. The blood had already dried up and his lip was only a bit swollen.
"Okay, let's clean you up," she said before easily lifting him and propping him against her hip. She then turned back to the others, "food's ready," she said before walking off.
Junior sighed as his mother had spared him. His irritation then grew again when he noticed Dean giving him the finger behind his mother's back. He then smirked once more when Mikasa flicked him in the head probably because she noticed.
Junior then turned to Irene and Marie, "let's go eat."
The three approached the table, joining everyone else to eat. There was a casual chatter going about the table. The occasional 'pass the salt' or 'did you know' was thrown about and everything ran smoothly. There were also the times when Levi or Mikasa would reprimand the twins for slurping too loudly or talking with their mouths full. It was like a regular family picnic, as though none of the people were soldiers trained to fight man eating titans.
"That was good," Junior muttered to himself as he wiped the bun crumbs off his lips. For some reason, his eyes wandered towards Erwin who seemed to be contemplating something. He then glanced back at Irene and noticed the way she had this worried look in her eyes as she subtly shook her head at her father.
Was there anything wrong?
"Can I go to the bathroom?" Daniel asked from his spot.
"Sure," Mikasa responded, nodding at him.
"Speaking of bathrooms," Erwin suddenly started, grabbing everyone's attention, "what happens when you go to the bathroom in France?"
Junior tilted his head at the random question. Deciding to look back at Irene, he noticed her still shaking her head.
"European," Erwin answered, erupting a few uneasy chuckles from the table except from the twins, who burst out laughing.
Did the commander just tell a dad joke? Junior then glanced back at Irene, who face palmed. So that was why she looked so worried. She didn't want her dad to to do anything embarrassing. Oh this was going to be fun. He then looked back Erwin, "hey um, Uncle Erwin. I didn't know you told dad-jokes."
"Who wouldn't tell dad jokes? He always laughs," he said again, gaining a few uneasy chuckles once more while Dean and Daniel laughed, the latter, bouncing in his spot as he still had to go to the bathroom.
"Dammit Erwin, that wasn't funny," Levi commented, irritation evident in his tone.
"Really?" The commander raised his eyebrow, "if it wasn't funny, then what was it?"
"Fucking terrible."
Losing interest in the men's conversation, Junior looked at Irene again. Her face was red and somehow, seeing her so embarrassed made Junior feel good. Was this his sadistic side coming out. Sure he liked her but he was getting a kick out of this. He then shifted his eyes around the table until they landed on his father, who was staring back at him. That could only mean one thing.
He was onto him and he could tell that behind that bored gaze lay malicious intentions.
"Hey Erwin," Levi started, his eyes not leaving Junior.
"What is it?" Erwin asked, curious about what his friend had to say.
"Did you hear the rumour about the butter?" he asked. In no way did it look like something funny was about to leave his mouth.
"No, I didn't hear about it," Erwin responded, clearly interested in the punch line.
Don't do it, don't do it. Junior was literally praying inside that his father would just respect himself.
"Well, I'm not going to spread it." Even though his tone was plain, Erwin gave an amused smile while the twins had full blown lost it.
Junior had started to regret his actions. He even somehow started to envy Irene because at least her father was oblivious to the fact that he was embarrassing her. That short asshole was doing it to get on his nerves.
"Hahaha…oh," Daniel laughed before going silent all of a sudden, his face going pink.
"Did you just piss yourself?" Levi asked, to which his son quickly shook his head.
"No."
"Tch, if I get up…"
"No!" he said before running off to the bathroom.
The eating continued and eventually, everyone had finished having their share of the food. Of course the left overs were still there. They were just organised on the table for anyone that still felt peckish.
Mikasa sighed in relief from her seat. Thankfully the picnic had gone well and everyone looked satisfied.
"Hey mom, can we go play now?" Dean asked, already standing with Daniel beside him, the latter of whom was found trying to dry his pants with the hand drier in the bathroom. At least he didn't smell like urine.
Mikasa nodded and the boys were already gone. She suddenly felt the need herself to use the restroom and got up, "excuse me." Was all she said before she stepped away from the table.
Instinctively, Irene and Historia had followed suit, the former holding Marie as they walked alongside Mikasa while the men were questioning 'why women always went to the bathroom in packs'.
After freshening up, the girls stepped out of the restrooms. Mikasa maintained her position in the lead as they walked.
"Those bathrooms are really nice," she heard Historia's voice comment.
"Oh yeah, it's even better than the ones back at the barracks in Fort Maria," Irene's voice responded.
Staying silent as the blondes chatted, Mikasa kept her eyes forward. It wasn't like she didn't like to talk to others. She actually enjoyed several conversations she would have with the other soldiers. It was just that she didn't have anything to say and whenever things were like that she'd stay silent and let those around her speak.
"I said no!" she heard a familiar voice say from around the corner and she immediately silenced the women behind her by raising a hand.
"Mikasa?' she heard Historia call but she stayed silent, slowly walking towards the corner and leaning against it. Peering over it to see what was going on.
She was able to see four familiar people. Douglas, Reiner, Bertholdt and Annie. For some reason, that group hung around together almost all the time except for the times Douglas spent with Junior. All dressed casually and it seemed like they had come out to the park like everyone else. But for some odd reason, she still got a suspicious feeling and decided to listen in.
"But come on," Doug said, his voice sounded like he was pleading, "we can just kick it around for a bit," he finished while throwing and catching a soccer ball in his hands.
"Doug, there's no time for that," Annie responded, appearing irritated by the boy. Perhaps they had been having that discussion for a while, "we have work to do."
"But we've been working for such a long time," he whined, "can't we take a break… Just for a bit."
"Doug, for the last time…" Annie started, "we don't have time for breaks. Why can't you get it through that thick skull of yours, you idiot?"
"But Annie…"
Bertholdt was the one to step in, looking down at Douglas with a soft gaze, "listen Douglas. We understand that you probably want to relax and we can't blame you," he started, "but we don't have time for this right now. We still have a lot to do," he then sighed when he noticed the sullen face the teen wore, "...maybe we can hang out later."
Mikasa cocked her eyebrow, wondering what it was they had to do. Coming to think of it, this group was pretty secretive and often kept to themselves. Well, she still had to listen.
"No, Bertholdt," Annie cut in, glaring at Douglas, "we can't keep babying him like this. He has to know that when it's a no, it's a no. there's no way his eighteen-year-old ass should be whining because he wants to play ball," she spat coldly, "ugh, it's because you guys entertain him that he acts like this. If you always let him get what he wants, he'll never get strong enough."
Mikasa suddenly started to feel bad for Doug. She didn't know why but she just did. Motherly instincts, perhaps. It could also be the fact that the conversation sounded eerily similar to the ones she'd have with Levi.
"Come on, Annie. Cut him some slack," Reiner spoke up, "he's just a kid."
"He's eighteen."
"Yeah, and you know that he never got to enjoy all the eighteen years of his life," he defended, "Annie, feel for him. he just wants to have fun with you. It's not a crime."
"You know what? Fine," she started, her face returning to her normally calm one, "you can do whatever you want. I'm leaving," she said as she started to walk off.
Mikasa watched the whole scene play out in front of her. Annie started to walk off and the guys started to follow her, calling out to her. The short woman quickly turned and pointed at Douglas.
"No, since you want to play around like some kid, you stay here and do just that," Annie started, "we're going to do what we're supposed to do," she continued, keeping her glare on the boy before she briefly locked eyes with Mikasa and then back with Douglas, "you should come back when you start acting like a normal eighteen year old."
With that, the woman left, Bertholdt and Reiner following behind. Mikasa cursed at herself, she had been noticed. Minus-one for stealth.
"Poor Doug," Irene's voice whispered from behind her. She could tell that the blonde was itching to rush over to her boyfriend but she kept herself grounded, as though waiting for orders from Mikasa. She appreciated the discipline she held. She was impressed.
She was about to leave but something kept her there. she looked at Douglas who had remained standing on his own, looking abandoned and distressed. It was an unusual sight to see the normally goofy boy looking so unhappy. Something started to pull on her innards. She felt the need to reach out but she kept on fighting it. A large part of her hated seeing a child look so sad. The feeling kept on growing until it finally overwhelmed her.
Curse her motherly instincts.
"So, Junior," Erwin asked as the men had remained at the table, away from all females.
"Yes?" Junior asked, wondering what the man had to say to him.
"You're still interested in Irene, right?"
"W-What!" Junior nearly choked when he heard the question. What was with the commander today? did he have one too many drinks?
"You heard him," Levi responded, resting his chin on his fist, "do you still wanna get some from his daughter?"
"I…uh…" Junior started before the man nodded as though he got an answer.
"So that's a yes, right?" Erwin asked, his serious face was on.
Junior decided to nod. Still curious as to why the blonde asked what he did, he asked, "why do you ask?"
"Well you see, you've always been the first young man to come to mind whenever I think about the person that'll take Irene's heart," he explained, casually.
"H-How come?" Junior asked.
"Junior, I can tell that you're a responsible young man," Erwin started, "Like your father here. You're a man of commitment and would be willing to do anything for those you care about," he explained, "All I want for my little girl is someone that will love and protect her unconditionally and I know you're more than capable. You just have to work on your own weaknesses before you realise what you're capable of."
Junior didn't know whether to take that as a compliment or not, because he never thought he would see the day Commander Erwin Smith would tell him about how he wanted him with his daughter. Though he did want to be with her, he still had to accept the fact that she was with someone else, "Thank you Commander but... Irene's already with someone else."
"She is?" Erwin asked, eyebrow cocked. He seriously didn't know.
"Yeah," Levi answered from his seat, answering the question.
"Hey but I don't think that matters," Eren spoke up, leaning in, "you're still young and there's a lot of time for you guys to discover what you really like. Plus, even if she's with someone else, one principal I've grown up with is that if you want something, you have to fight. You can either win, or lose and if you don't fight, you can't win."
"Come on Eren," Armin said, "I don't think that applies to this sort of thing," he started, "I think he should just be patient and let her be. If they're meant to be, then she'll come around. If they aren't, there's plenty of fish in the sea."
"I couldn't agree more, Arlert," Levi acknowledged him with a nod.
"Well then…" Erwin seemed to have recovered from his shock, "who is it that she's with?"
"Meyer."
Junior watched as the man's eyes widened. He clearly did not like the sound of that.
"Meyer?" Erwin asked, looking unnerved.
"Yeah," Levi confirmed, "you got a problem with him?"
The Commander shook his head, "no, I have nothing against him. It's just…" he started, "it's…him. Maybe that's why Irene never told me."
"Well too bad, Erwin. Looks like Meyer's going to be your in-law soon," Levi said, mockingly as the blonde man suddenly pinched the bridge of his nose. Levi then turned to Junior, "hey Junior, you should feel proud. Eyebrow over here thinks of you as a better match for his daughter."
"I promise you that you won't be as thrilled as you are right now once Marie turns 14," Erwin threatened.
Junior only felt himself blush. Sure the fact that Erwin was in favour of him was encouraging but that didn't change the fact that Irene was still with Doug.
Speaking of Doug, the girls were returning and he was with them. What on earth...
"Hey everyone," he waved at the crowd at the table, his grin less enthusiastic than usual. Junior also noticed his father casually patting Erwin's back as though to comfort him.
"Hi Douglas," they responded.
Historia was the one to speak, "oh guys, we met Douglas on the way here and offered him to join us. We hope you don't mind?"
Everyone at the table shook their heads, signalling that he was welcome to join them. The boy immediately took notice of the left overs and his stomach let out a loud growl.
"Sorry," he apologized, sheepishly…yes, sheepishly smiling.
"Help yourself, Meyer," Levi decided to offer, "help yourself to everything. You can even eat the fucking table if you want."
"Really, thanks," he said before propping himself at the table and began to stuff his face, completely oblivious to the curious—and annoyed, in Levi's case, stares he received from everyone that was present. He was eating like an animal that hadn't eaten in days and he made a mess of the table.
A short while later, all the leftovers were completely gone and Douglas proudly patted his stomach after he let out a large belch, "that sure hit the spot."
"You're welcome," Mikasa said, beginning to pack up all the plates and bowls.
"Hey guys, Douglas came with this ball," Eren said, holding the soccer ball in his hands, "why don't we kick it around a little?"
"That actually sounds like a good idea," Levi agreed, having finished wiping the table, "it sure had been a while since I kicked damn ball around."
"I'm okay with that," Erwin said, standing up before looking at the others, "perhaps you would like to join?"
The Armin and the girls all passed while Junior and Douglas had agreed to join them.
"Ouch! What the hell dad!" Junior asked as Levi had just kicked the ball at his face.
"That's for hitting your brother!" Levi responded.
Mikasa watched the game alongside all those that had opted out. the game had been playing out the same way since they had started. They were simply passing the ball to each other and her husband had gotten a kick out of making it his aim to hit the other players with the ball instead of passing it, easily blocking any incoming shots.
"Dad!" Junior yelled again, covering his stomach.
"The Captain's so rough," Irene said, holding Marie on her lap.
"That's why I never play these games," Armin responded, slightly cringing as he saw Eren get knocked over.
"Dammit," Mikasa cursed as the brunette fell to the ground. She was extremely close to running onto the field and giving her husband a taste of his own medicine but decided against it.
"Is this how he always plays?" Historia asked, looking concerned for the other players.
For some reason her husband had become a topic of discussion and it wasn't like she hated it, it just added a bit of unreasonable pressure to her as all the questions were directed at her. She wasn't in the mood to answer questions while Eren and Junior were at risk of getting injured. Oh well, she had to give an answer.
"That's just his way of having fun."
"Hurting other people?" Armin asked, eyebrow curiously raised.
"He just has a habit of annoying people," she explained, "but he…" she started.
"Fuck!"
Everyone went silent as they watched Levi drop to his knees, clutching his…nether regions. Judging by the fact that the ball had landed right in front of him, everyone knew he received a shot to the groin.
"Karma's a bitch huh?" Mikasa muttered to herself, somewhat pleased that someone had gotten revenge on the midget. What was on her mind was who the clever bastard was. He deserved a reward.
She watched as her husband finally regained his composure and glared at Douglas, "Meyer, I swear you're on my shitlist now!" he said before the game resumed.
The game had turned into Levi trying to hit Douglas with the ball over and over again. The boy had gained the ability to dodge nearly every shot at him, laughing his lungs out as the adrenaline had probably fuelled him. At least he was having a blast.
Seeing the smile on his face gave Mikasa a warm feeling in her innards. It felt good to see him so happy and perhaps bringing him along was a good idea. At least his day would end better than it started.
Eventually the game had ended and the guys started to return. Mikasa rose from her position and walked over to where her husband and son walked over together, Levi was probably making fun of him for something judging by the way Junior scoffed.
She then pulled out her phone, "hey guys, I want to take a picture of you." Her request had caught both Levis off guard but immediately, her husband had already gotten into position, his bland face on display together with their son's, "come on, guys. Smile."
Levi looked up at his son, "come on, Junior. Smile for the both of us."
"No, Why should I smile for you" he responded.
"Come on, smile," Levi said, continuously nudging him.
"Hey, even if you're not going to smile, at least hold each other or something," Mikasa said before Levi pulled the hesitant Junior closer to him. they were close but not smiling. She needed a smile, "smile guys."
"For fucks sake, Junior, can you smile already?" Levi asked, looking up at the boy again.
"I'm not… heh…I'm not…hehe," Junior struggled to keep a straight face as his father started to gently pinch the side of his torso, "heh… dad…heh, s-stop."
"I won't stop till you fucking smile," Levi somehow found himself chuckling.
Click! Mikasa took the picture and looked at her phone. The picture showed both Levis standing next to each other, Junior having a very large smile of his face, looking very happy. Beside him, his father also happened to have a smile on his face. It was very small but still, you could tell that he was happy too. Looking at the picture helped her realise how much Junior had grown to look a lot like his father, except with a friendlier face. Wow, he was becoming a man soon and her throat felt a little tight.
"How is it?" she heard Levi ask and she nodded at him, flashing them a smile, "it looks amazing."
The rest of the day progressed, the twins were still kicking the ball around and the group had separated into smaller groups.
"Wow, your parents look so cute together," Irene pointed out as she, Junior and Douglas looked at the Ackerman couple, who were seated on the picnic blanket to have their alone time. their hands were interlocked while they seemed to be deep in conversation.
Junior looked at his parents. They were enjoying themselves, giving each other gazes he had come to know over time. "Yep, that is definitely the look they give each other every December 25th."
Irene cocked her eyebrow, "Christmas?"
Junior looked back at her, "December 25th isn't just Christmas for us."
"Well, what else could it be, then?" Irene asked, probably wondering what he meant.
"In my family it represents three things," he started before holding out his fingers, "Christmas, my dad's birthday…"
"Aw…" Irene cooed.
"and their wedding anniversary."
"Oh… my God that is so cute!" she cooed, "they got married on his birthday. That must have been the best birthday gift ever. Oh my gosh, I so… want that."
Junior rolled his eyes at her. Yeah, it was pretty cute but he didn't verbalise it like her. To him it was just… normal.
"Wow, that is so… on my goals list now," she said before looking at him, "when's your birthday, Levi?"
"Believe it or not, January 25th," he said, as the girl's eyes widened. He had to admit that making her get so excited by his words felt so good. He had a boost of self-confidence, "why, you wanna marry me?"
"Maybe."
"W-What!" he choked on his words before the girl laughed at him.
"Relax, I'm just curious," Irene chuckled.
Why did she always do this to him?
"Mine's on February 6th," Doug butt in. They had forgotten he was there.
The boy then took in a deep breath before throwing his arms over their shoulders, "Thanks for having me you guys. I had a blast today," he started, clearly not noticing the looks Irene and Junior gave him, "my day started out really badly and I almost cried… I swear. You guys hanging out with me and kicking the ball around really made me happy so really…thanks."
Junior found himself dumbstruck at how sincere Doug sounded. It wasn't something he'd see every day but he'd start to see him differently after hearing him talk like that. When he thought about it, Doug had been his 'friend' for about a year and he barely knew much about him. Sure they shared a bed and, unfortunately, some clothes but his knowledge of him was nearly to a zero. Just who was Douglas Meyer?
Offering a smile of his own, Junior spoke, "you're welcome, Doug. You're welcome."
"Wow, today's been a great day," Mikasa said, resting her head on her husband's shoulder. The two had decided to seclude themselves on the picnic blanket near a couple of trees. They needed to end their day at the park together.
"Yeah, it has" she heard him respond, the vibrations of his baritone voice send a tingling sensation down her spine. How had she forgotten how hot his voice was? she then sat up straight and her grey eyes met his blue ones that sort of shined brightly under the sunset. Not only his eyes looked good but his entire face too. The lighting was perfect and hit him in all the right ways. Man she was lucky.
"Sing for me Mr. Ackerman."
"Sing?" Levi looked surprised.
"Yes sing," she repeated, "The last time you sang was on our wedding."
"No..." he shook his head, "the last time I sang was when Junior was one."
"Okay, the last time you sang to me was in our wedding."
"So?"
"I want you to sing for me," she answered. Though it was random, she remembered how her husband sang to her on their wedding. His amazing voice and look on his face took her to cloud nine. She wanted to feel that again.
"I'm not going to sing to you."
"Why not?"
"I don't want to."
"Levi..."
"Mikasa..."
Mikasa didn't know why but she suddenly looked away from him and crossed her arms, a frown forming in her face.
She could sense his gaze still in her and she knew he was probably wondering why she was acting the way she did. Well she didn't care, she wanted him to sing.
"Tch, you're such a brat sometimes," she heard him say. She still kept her gaze away, "...fine, I'll sing to you..."
"Really?" She looked back at him.
"Just not today. The last time I sang to you was at a very special time. I don't see why things should be different now," he finished. He then noticed the frown still on her face, "I'll even sing that song you like."
Though it wasn't what she was hoping for, it was better than nothing. She then held out her pinky, raising her brow expectantly.
"Such a brat," he said, locking his pinky with hers.
"Great," she said before noticing as Levi's eyes shifted from hers and travelled over her shoulder and he flinched a little.
"What is it?" she asked, not turning to face where he was facing.
"Dean just tackled some kid," he responded, "why is he so rough?"
"Why are you so rough?" Mikasa asked, forcing the man's eyes back to her. She then noticed as his pupils slightly dilated and he licked his lips, making her face heat up when he leaned in and whispered into her ears.
"Funny, you've never asked me that in bed."
Mikasa slightly gasped after he said those words. Soon she found herself going crazy as he pulled down her scarf and started planting soft kisses from the base of her neck up to her jaw line.
"Whoa, Levi. Easy," she said but didn't pull away. Instead she tipped him over onto his back hovered above him using her hands as support for her upper upper body on each side. She then locked her grey eyes with his want-filled blue ones. She then blushed when she saw him bite his lip.
"Marry me, Mrs. Ackerman."
Mikasa chuckled but kept her loving gaze, "We're already married Mr. Ackerman."
"Well then may I kiss my fucking bride?" his voice came out with some sort of command and Mikasa willingly obliged.
She lowered herself onto her elbows and planted a kiss on his lips, slowly melting into his embrace when his arms wrapped around her.
The moment was perfect. It was just the two of them in the little world they had created. This was what they needed. No titans, no fighting, no arguing, no stress, no anger, just sweet and savoury love.
It was bliss.
Though their make out session was involving, Mikasa had to pull away when she felt his hands travel all the way to her rear. Nope this was not the place to be doing this.
"The fuck did you pull away for?" he growled, visibly annoyed.
"Levi, this isn't the place to be doing this?" she said, trying to bury the regret she felt too. She really didn't want to pull away either.
"What do you mean?"
"Levi, this is done in a bed, in private," she said, as though explaining to a child.
"Last time I checked, the twins weren't made on a bed," he said, throwing her a smirk.
"Ugh, don't be difficult," she said before turning and resting her head on his chest, deciding to watch the sunset together as a more appropriate option.
"I'll say this again, Levi," Mikasa started, "I enjoyed doing this with you. I enjoyed having such a great day with family and friends and ending that day with my husband. Without worrying about the damn titans."
"Me too."
"Oh gosh, I just wish things could stay like this forever," Mikasa said, closing her eyes as though trying to burn this moment into her brain. She knew she was going to go back to fighting again.
She then felt Levi grab onto her hand and give it a tight squeeze, "Well, Mrs. Ackerman. I promise you that all of this fighting will be over soon and we'll have as many of these moments as we want."
Mikasa wiped a stray tear from her eye. Gosh she loved this man. despite all his imperfections, he was more than perfect for her. If there was one thing she would be grateful for, it was the man that whatever mighty forces lie out there had granted her. She could never imagine herself in the arms of another man and she prayed he felt the same.
"Promise me, Mr. Ackerman," she started, "Promise me that you'll never leave me."
She felt him chuckle before speaking.
"I wouldn't dream of it."
Hey guys. Thanks for sticking with the story so far and I hope you enjoyed this extra long chapter. I'm sorry if the POVs are a little disorienting. I'm still learning. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my little attempt at fluff and Dadwin's dad jokes. Now it's time for the story to progress even further. I'd love to hear what you all think and I guess for now...
Peace.
