CHAPTER VIII
Learning to live for himself was never easy but despite everything, he made it. Losing his mother when he was so young and then being raised by a criminal were the basis for his early maturity. Especially because of Kenny, who always encouraged his independence and only worried to give him the necessary tools to survive, the same that led him down a similar path, only he never harmed an innocent person for his own benefit. Something he fortunately shared with the only friends he had, the ones who showed him what was like to have a family to miss. Because Furlan and Isabel were exactly that to Levi: their family. And they were gone. That was the reason he was able to empathize with part of the grief that that woman was going through, but he guessed it was even harder for her, since this was about her younger sister. The one he was staring at in that precise moment after deciding to support them the day before, when he discovered a way to help a little by allowing some hours of sleep to the woman, so she could continue.
However, even though she previously had agreed, when he arrived a couple hours before for his first shift there, he almost had to push her out of the room.
"You're being quite irrational, lady" Levi said, exasperated "No one can tell the exact moment when your sister might leave this world"
"But what if she…" she was worried, he knew that. And also, stubborn.
"You may try to watch over her day and night, but I assure you, your human condition isn't going to allow it, no matter how much you resist it" the way those gray eyes darkened made clear he probably offended or hurt her. But almost immediately afterwards, they softened. Because his words might have been harsh, but they were true.
Fortunately, the woman gave up and silently left the room after asking him to wait in the hall for a couple minutes, so she could take care of the soldier's condition before.
Now that the clock in the wall showed it was almost 4AM, and although he wasn't sleepy or anything, he really needed a cup of tea. Specially if it was like the one she offered the moment he arrived. He was no idiot to go wake her up for something like that, not when she said he could grab anything he needed from the kitchen.
The Captain decided to check on the girl first, to make sure nothing changed for worse. So, he touched her forehead for fever, but the temperature was normal. He then placed the blade of his dagger under her nose and saw she was breathing without incident. And aware that only minutes had passed since he'd hydrated her the way he'd seen her sister do before, he left the room knowing she didn't show the signs of a quick death; by own experience with his mother, he knew how that looked.
Once inside the small kitchen, the man lit the candlestick on the wall and began to carefully look around, experiencing certain satisfaction to the wonderful view of everything scrupulously structured in there. Certain places were empty while other better provided but it was reasonable after the Titan's incident; besides, only one person really lived there now, and she was unable to leave the house to go buy whatever she ate.
Levi finally found the cupboard he was looking for. One that was particularly well disposed, because each level in it was labeled with small tags indicating the location of different things according to certain criteria. One of them pointed out Infusions, surprisingly subdivided in two categories: Domestic use to the right, and Medicinal use to the left. Why most people can't be like this? He said to himself; this sort of things seriously took stress away from him.
He continued to search, following the row of different-sized bottles in there and at disposal, reading each of their names. Here it is! He finally found the one he'd been looking for and once in his hand, he read Black Tea before opening it, just to receive that familiar pleasant smell, but this one was way more concentrated.
He placed it on the table nearby to boil water, trying not to make any noise so he could stay alert to any sound, such as the soldier's breathing, which he could hear from there.
When he'd finished, and although it was good, he noticed it wasn't the same delicious beverage from before. He got distracted as soon as he heard muffled steps approaching, clear sign that the woman had woken up.
"I hate to admit it, but you were right, sir" he heard her voice first, then she walked through the doorstep, drying her face with a small towel.
"About what?" he asked, not paying that much attention while sipping his drink.
He now looked in her direction and, as soon as she put the cloth aside, Levi couldn't help but contemplate how different her appearance was. Under the candle's dim light, the loosen dark hair falling over her shoulders gave her a more jovial and carefree look. Especially by the way it fell, with subtle waves that were probably a result of braiding it most of the time. Not to mention she was wearing a rather big long-sleeved t-shirt and pants as a pajamas; he suspected those were her father's.
"Sleeping an exact hour for every six was not going to last long" she accepted, staring at the object between his hands, somewhat absentminded "I just checked on her and it seems nothing has changed" Levi confirmed it with a simple nod "I'll take care of her needs before getting ready myself" the woman explained and then disappeared.
He felt better after having the hot liquid. Fifteen minutes later, the Captain went back to the soldier's room carrying his third one with him. The girl had been cleaned and her sister was taking a shower, so he just sat on the one chair inside there, quietly. When she came back ten minutes later, so did her usual style: dark trousers and a sweater, except these were hers. The long braid on her left shoulder was also back, and it was easy to notice the hair was still damp, just like that morning at the stairs in the military facility. And once again, he inevitably picked up on the floral scent around her.
"Hope I didn't take too long" he heard her say as she approached to the girl and then sat in front of her, on the empty bed. She turned her eyes to him.
"Not really" he simply shrugged "Nothing to report in the past couple minutes" he said and took another sip.
"It's good to know" she sounded a bit relieved but at the same time, her eyes seemed sad.
"I left some at the kitchen" he didn't know how to comfort anyone, so he just slightly lifted the cup to show her what he was talking about "It's on the oven, to preserve the temperature" he explained and suddenly, that image of her at the kitchen assaulted his memory, inexplicably urging him to look in another direction.
Levi heard her standing up and walk out of the room, but involuntarily turned to look at her when she returned with the cup of tea and sat on the same spot as before. She held the object with both hands, surrounding it with them while her thin forefingers crossed through the handle; a curious detail, to be honest.
"It tastes quite good" she closed her eyes for an instant and seemed to enjoy the hot beverage's smell, then took another sip "I haven't drunk a well-rested tea in days".
"They're..." Levi was going to mention they were well organized, but he restrained himself from saying anything related to her parents and unintentionally make her sad again "You certainly have an interesting amount and variety of infusions there".
"You don't need to be careful, sir. Not after what you told me hours ago" she said, appreciating how he tried not to upset her. She gave away a tiny smile to ensure she was being honest "I'm not angry at you or anything. I was before, but whether I like it or not, what you said was true" she added while gazing at her sister, and then back at him "But yes. There has always been a huge amount of tea leaves and herbs inside this house. Aside from the medicinal use, our father was insanely addicted to it. Something Ilva and I inherited from him. The only way mom would get some tea was if it had some milk in it" Elia shudder and wrinkle her nose "A criminal act if you ask me. But well, it's a matter of taste".
Hearing her talk like that help lightening the mood and for once in a very long time, it also made him feel like a normal person. It was refreshing not to discuss about politics or putting up with the bloody bureaucrats and, above all, it had nothing to do with Titans. He could even picture the whole image in his mind, without even knowing the other faces.
"I didn't know there was so much variety. That's why I never dug for other than the one I knew" he admitted thoughtfully, looking at his cup and then at hers "Probably because this kind of merchandise never really reached the place I grew up at" he had the last sip, remembering the particular bliss he experienced every time they managed to obtain some decent tea leaves in the underground "Black tea was the most common and even so, hard to find. And none really tasted as good as the one I discovered when I joined the Corps, and all the more so now, compared to this one".
A discreet Elia watched him intently for those seconds he was drinking from the object. She wanted to ask him where was that, since she knew that the trade of tea was quite normal inside the three walls.
"He came from the lower suburbs in the Underground City, where he was considered a criminal" her sister said once, during the many speeches she'd given them about her hero "All recruits know the story".
"Actually, there are many types of them" she added, deciding that even if that was true, it was probably due to life circumstances rather than him trying to get rich "And there are several options to mix them with as well".
It didn't matter if he was now a renown Captain of the Survey Corps, both feared and respected; he went through a lot to develop this humane side that drove him to help Ilva and her, which showed Elia how noble his essence was. According to their parents, the most important thing to consider about anyone. And this man might be harsh and have a temper, but that didn't mean he was a bad person.
"I see" was all he said, and she thought he was done talking. But his expression changed, and he suddenly seemed to wonder something, so she just waited "What you gave me when I arrived..." he mumbled and waited for her response. Genuine curiosity in those frank eyes.
"That was just black tea with cinnamon sticks" she explained "I prepared some earlier because it's a good energizer, among other things. And in my case, I was aiming to alleviate the tiredness, with what you sir, have helped me a lot more today" she was bit embarrassed about her foolish behavior.
Levi looked at her briefly, and stupidly tried to take another sip, forgetting he already finished it a minute ago. That was his cue to know, it was time to leave.
"It had a peculiar taste but I liked it" Elia heard him say, without any mention of the help he'd provided "It'd be good if you could teach me more about this on another occasion" he chose his words wisely.
There it was: a normal request with the implicit message about wanting to continue to support them with something as simple as allowing her to have a decent rest.
All of a sudden, he saw her approaching and she carefully grabbed the cup he was holding and walked out towards the kitchen, and then returned to escort him to the door. Levi knew she was deeply grateful, but everything indicated she understood he had no need for compliments. They only made him uncomfortable.
"It'll be my pleasure to share some knowledge about tea leaves with you, sir" her words were formal, but her tone was friendly "Petra said she'll come to spend the night tonight, and perhaps also tomorrow" Elia lied. The redhead was only going to stay over that night, but she didn't want to take advantage of him "You may come whenever suits you".
"Until then" he said, looking first at the soldier and then at her. Elia saw him nod and after retrieving his jacket from the coatrack near the entrance, the man opened the door and walked out, where darkness hadn't been gone yet.
The Captain walked in no haste after lifting his jacket's lapels up, to protect himself from a cool breeze, one that felt good against his face.
There was no surprise in his subordinate trying to lend a hand to the woman, given Petra's natural solidarity, but there was also that familiarity they shared. He considered what would happen if his subordinate knew about this and concluded, he didn't care at all. Either way, he thought so unlikely; that woman seemed the kind with a reserved personality.
Now that he already passed the guards' entrance to reach his room, he was thinking about his duties for that day and the next, being the most pressing one to go and talk to the person who was in charge of training new cadets, but due to the meetings they'd have that day with the other divisions, he decided to go the next morning. He wanted to from the very first they had after the breach was closed but, for one reason or another, he was forced to postpone it. And it was imperative to know more about the brat before the interview that would take place in two days, according to what Erwin shared with him the night of the funeral.
Levi opened the door to his bedroom; a small space that fortunately he wasn't forced to share with anyone. Kind of a blessing considering this saved him from committing a crime if that individual was incapable to keep the place as tidy as he liked.
The Captain yawned wide and after taking his boots and jacket off, left these in an orderly manner on his favorite chair. He untied the white cravat, folded it and put it on the nightstand before unbuttoning part of his shirt to lay on the bed and rest a couple hours.
"You're not coming?" Oluo asked, curious and a bit disappointed "Training is almost over. I was going to invite you to my mother's house to eat some real food" he said without thinking, but soon realized that could be misunderstood "I mean, you're all invited of course" he talked in a rush and nervously laughed, trying to conceal his hope.
Gunther shook his head in silence, somewhat exasperated at the feelings his comrade continued to keep silent but all of them knew about, even Petra. It was about time for him to man up and tell her; he was sure the redhead would accept it. Not at once, though, he thought to himself a bit amused, considering the way they were always arguing, like a real married couple. He'd do it, had he known someone special. But Eld was the lucky one in the team. Unfortunately, he was unable to use his arm if he wanted to heal properly, but still exercised his legs in the meantime, despite the sling he wore.
"I'd go with you" Petra bowed, grateful for the offer "But I promised Elia that I'd come and help her for a few moments this afternoon. Her situation isn't the best, and although I don't do much, I want to stay beside her since we're stationed in Trost and my duties allow it.
"You're speaking about the nurse of the wall?" Eld finally joined the conversation, showing real interest "I haven't seen her at the military hospital. My fiancée and I wanted to thank her".
"Elia isn't a nurse" the redhead replied with certain frustration "She inherited the healing skills from her parents and probably would have become one, but she had to take responsibility over the family business, since both were somewhat old and her sister still too young. That's why after finishing school, she couldn't apply to med school" she explained to the three men around her "But you can bet that she knows way more than several nurses I've known" Petra said, proudly.
"How is the girl?" Gunther inquired, empathetic to her situation. The woman reminded him of his own older sister, who decided to stay home and look after their father so he could pursue his path and give him the chance for the future he dreamed of.
"Exactly the same" Petra's voice had a sense of gloom "It's like a time bomb, and that worries me. Elia has no other family; her grandparents and aunt died long ago. And even though she got some decent sleep last night, when she checked on Ilva this morning, she noticed something bad. Elia said there's a plant that can help with that, but since the market was not opened that early and she cannot leave her sister on her own to just go buy it, I'll go to support her".
"It's hard to believe that the girl in Blair's squad was her little sister and the same one who is about to..." Oluo was truly shocked when they heard the news "I could bet the Captain was going to recruit her. I would have done it" he added and then sighed.
Petra looked at him fondly. Had they been recruited to their team, it was very likely those three would have been there now, but their fate had been cruel. Just like many others.
"Are you heading that way right now?" Eld asked. His arm was really doing great thanks to what she did "Will you bring some food for her or cook once you get there?
"Umm, yeah but I hardly think I could cook something for her" the redhead said with a sheepish smile, a bit shamed at her own lack of culinary skills "I was thinking about buying something at the market before getting there".
"In that case, I have a better idea" the man stated with confidence "I need you to come with me to my fiancée's house. She's an excellent cook" Eld said with pride, then blushed when his three comrades stared at him with a witty smile in their faces. But he composed himself and continued, immutable "She'll be happy to show her gratitude for helping me. We both will".
About an hour later, she was on her way to Elia's house, carrying one bag with several food containers inside; they smelled deliciously. Thank you, guys, Petra said in her head, grateful for the amazing people around her, whom she could blindly trust whether it was on the battlefield or any common situation.
As soon as she reached the door, she knocked twice and waited patiently. The moment Elia saw her, she tilted her head, and those eyes reflected all the affection and gratitude towards her. Elia offered her a hand with the bag, but Petra winked at her, and so she stepped aside to let her in.
"Mom always said the greatest treasure is having a good friend" this time, she saw a faint but sincere smile on her face. She just smiled back, reassuring she'd be beside her no matter what. Just like Elia did when her own mother died, years ago.
"I'm sorry I couldn't arrive sooner" she apologized "Eld's future mother-in-law gave me a whole speech to repeat to you, but you know I'm not the best memorizing" Petra scratched her neck distractedly "The important thing is how much they wanted to say thank you so much".
"You don't need to apologize, Petra" Elia said as she gestured her to follow into the room where Ilva was.
Now with the daylight, it was easier to see how bad those red marks on her skin would get soon. Besides that, she also took a note on how paler she was getting; it was subtle, but quite clear.
"By the way, what's going to happen tonight?" Petra requested to know the instant they were outside the room.
Elia assured her she slept around seven hours since she arrived, but she was on duty that night, and most likely out of town, delivering a message on behalf of the Commander. So, she wasn't going to make it.
"Don't worry. Ilva's friend will come tonight" she replied after they both sat at the dining table, knowing she was lying to Petra because she didn't want to worry her "What about you?" the woman said with real interest.
"Everything's fine. Despite being chaotic times with the whole Allied Titan affair, there has been a lot going on for the entire militia" she explained, lowering her voice while looking everywhere "A matter of which I know nothing. The Captain is the one who attends the meetings and I assist him and other officers with some responsibilities or delivering his messages when he's busy in his office.
Petra had no way to know she was sharing information about the same person helping them. Elia was particularly concerned to discover how demanding his day at work was. When does he get to rest then? she asked herself. The night he was there, he'd arrived at nine o'clock, allowing her to sleep for almost eight hours straight. Even if he was an adult and decided freely what to do with his time, this was a point that still worried Elia.
"What about your comrades?" the healer looked at the bag her friend carried with her.
"The guys are all well" the redhead said and continued "Training and taking time with their families has been a bit difficult but not impossible, unlike when we're on mission," she added, remembering the present. She stood up and handed the bag to her "Eld asked me to please bring you this" Petra began to take things out of the bag and placed them on the table "His fiancée and him are very grateful for the help you provided that day. Oh! And his mother-in-law more than anyone else".
Elia looked at everything that covered her table, surprised by such incredible gesture from people who barely knew her but were definitely honorable. She couldn't be happy at this moment of her life, but they certainly managed to make her feel better.
"Please remind me to send them a thank you note with you before you leave, girl. It wasn't necessary for them to do this. I'll gladly help them whenever they need me" Elia promised "That obviously includes you".
"Now, we better eat before it gets cold" the redhead was looking at her now.
"Can you get the dinner service, please? It's inside one of the kitchen top drawers" the healer asked "I'll go change Ilva's leg bandages".
"I'm on it" the redhead was already setting the table.
Both women enjoyed the outstanding meal while chatting a little about the past, nostalgically remembering several situations and the people they used to hang out with, whom for the most part were already married and everything. And although Elia laughed a little, nothing could dissipate the sadness and constant anxiety in her eyes.
"I'm very sorry to see your sister like this" she said in a lower voice, staring at the empty plates "Especially now that you have to go through this on your own".
"To be honest, the only thing that pains me is to see her so still" Elia confessed, concentrated in her hands on the table "Ilva was always brimming with energy and eager to live but this state of hers is so unnatural" Petra could tell she wanted to cry but Elia perseveringly restrain herself from doing so "She consistently tried to fend for herself, because she hated being unable to do something on her own and now, whether she knows it or not, there's nothing we can do to change it. And she'd be so mad" her friend sighed, worried "For example, those irritations on her skin are nothing but a result to her immobility, and this is jut the beginning. They can get really bad in no time".
"But this plant you'll go try to find, isn't going to heal them?" Petra scowled, intrigued.
"Unless she comes out the coma, they won't disappear. The plant can only help me to stop them from turning into bedsores this soon, but they hardly heal if the patient doesn't move" Elia explained, and stood up with an apologetic smile "I think I better go now, so you can go back to work in time"
"Don't worry. I still have some time left, so take yours to go and get what you need" the redhead assured her after taking a look at the clock and stopped her from piling up the dishes "I'll take care for this in the meantime and watch over your sister".
Elia smiled at her in gratitude and went to check on the girl before heading out. Returning a minute later and carrying her notebook in one hand, where she'd written a list not to forget anything.
"I'd have asked you to go but I've run out of many ingredients for the preparation, and I need to find the right ones" the healer said as she grabbed her light jacket and bag "Don't you worry about the dishes or anything. Ilva's all that matters"
"Alright, I'm just going to leave these soaking and then I'll go stay beside her. I promise"
"Thank you, Petra. I'll go now" Elia opened the entrance door and, without saying more, rushed out to her own mission.
It had been a considerable time ever since the last time he managed to feel decently rested after waking up.
He reviewed his schedule mentally, knowing that he only had morning training with his squad, but he'd retire earlier in order to ride directly to the Academy since the only meeting he was required to attend was at 8PM, with Erwin and Hange, to discuss what they'd ask to the Yeager boy the next day.
Unfortunately, after talking to the Main Instructor's assistant, his good mood was soon gone because the man was not in town at the time. He had not been there ever since the attack, which meant the people at the inner wall took him to find out more about the kid.
"He should have arrived last night, but I think it's more likely that he'll get here tomorrow night" she said, with absolutely no confidence about the information provided, which was increasingly irritating to Levi "Can I help you with something else, Captain?" damn, that stupid smile made it worse.
"If that's the case, I need a complete report on a cadet" he indicated, unaware of his scaring gaze "And deliver it directly to my office as soon as possible. It's urgent and classified".
"Well noted, Captain" Levi saw her taking a notebook but wrote nothing in it since she was still looking for a pen inside a very chaotic drawer. It took her at least two minutes to find one but he was frowning in complete silence because there was one right onto the desk, under some folders; he could see the tip of it sticking out "Umm, a report on who?"
"A cadet from the 104th Southern division" Levi replied, somewhat calmer to see her actually writing this down "Eren Yeager".
By the way she stared at him briefly, he confirmed he wasn't the first and only one requesting that.
"Alright, Captain Levi. We'll see this through as soon as possible. However, for now, we could provide a copy of the cadet's final grades, if you want" the woman offered.
"Fine. I'll take that for now" he said, not really believing this might tell something significant about the brat's behavior but, it was better that walking out empty handed.
The instant he got the document, he turned around and left that place. It was frustrating but they'd have to improvise a little during the interview. The good thing was that his sight was keen, and he'd would know if Yeager lied about anything.
After being back at the facility and once he finished feeding and grooming his horse, the Captain set out looking for something to eat before figuring out what to do that afternoon. The fact that his mood remained as bad as an hour before made him look even more antisocial than usual, reason why people crossing his path didn't even try to begin a conversation. Things got better when he decided he'd go to the market to get a few things he needed to replace: a broom, furniture polish and soap powder for his clothes. He doubted his luck that day but still hoped he'd get his hands on the new floor cleaner that came from inside the walls, and he was excited about it. Many merchants talked about it the last time he had some time to go shopping.
With that idea on his mind, he left the building after changing into his civilian clothes, white shirt tucked in black pants and a blazer over it. He always saved his white cravat around his neck for the last.
Unexpectedly, his afternoon went better than he'd planned because he actually found this new product well known in Wall Sina; a bit expensive but if there was one thing he spared no expenses, was anything cleanliness related. The seller in the store even made a demonstration to show how effective it was, and so he purchased it, along with a polishing liquid the same man offered; the thing was supposed to repel dust from any furniture for at least a week. Levi was hard to deceive, and the way he stared at the man, promised he'd come back if that wasn't true.
All he needed now was the broom, which he'd have to look around since he had no favorite place in his mind for that. During that wandering, he discovered a new store where they were selling all kinds of things, and among those was his one favorite: tea. He was eager to drink some, especially now that he'd learnt more about it after discussing it with a well-versed person in the subject. Perhaps they have something new, he said while remembering that his own supply was close to run out; he hadn't bought any since the last failed expedition.
Fortunately, the place inside wasn't crowded. The only annoying thing was the number of Military Police Brigade officers patrolling all over Trost since the attack. They've brought this ridiculous amount of them just to be ready in case the brat went rogue and tried to escape. As if you could handle anything but wiping your own asses, you useless morons he thought to himself. But of course, that place was no exception. There was one who particularly called his attention because he was shamelessly looking more at the women inside instead of products, as if they were objects for sale too. Disgusting, Levi hated those specially, but he already promised to Erwin he wouldn't get in troubles with any of them or they might use it for their advantage at the trial. He breathed out, relieved to see at least most people in there were not alone, so the fool would have no chance.
Levi moved away from that foul presence and paid more attention to the various shelves. He soon located the sign on the wall, and according to it, the Infusions section was at the last aisle, near the end of the store. When he found them, the many types of leaves were saved into tiny bags, inside some kind of very large open drawer, subdivided in multiple square spaces and each one of them was labeled. His eyes went straight to his favorite: black tea. And two more spaces to its right was another that called his attention: black tea with cinnamon, but above this one was another stating it also had ginger added. The Captain was in the middle of the dilemma, trying to make up his mind about trying a new one on his own or getting the one he already knew he enjoyed, besides the usual and indispensable black tea. But all of a sudden, he heard a familiar voice not so far away, to where he began to approach. It came from the Plants section, near the biggest window so they could get sunlight.
"Please, don't do that again, sir" yes, he knew that voice. And he heard the clear warning in it. She may have said sir, but her tone made it sound more like an insult than a deference to whoever she was talking to, though he suspected he already knew that too "I've just told you; you've confused me with someone else. I'm not your fiancée and you're making me uncomfortable".
When Levi reached the corner, they were a few meters away, but it was her; identifying her was no problem because civilian women wore no trousers, even less dark ones.
The woman had her back to him, so she had no idea he was there. And right behind her was the pig from before.
It was no surprise that the few people near them just stepped aside; no one ever wanted reprisal with these corrupt devils. That uniform protected whoever wore it.
"You shouldn't say that sweetheart. Even if you're not right now, you could be if you wanted to" he heard him say it, speaking inconveniently near her ear "Just accept my invitation and I'll give you whatever you want".
From the tension Levi saw on her shoulders, he could tell the jerk already tried something. And that disgusting promise was even worse because he got to watch the libidinous way in which that nasty human being was contemplating her body, as if she was a piece of meat or something.
The hell, he cursed. He wasn't going to let that asshole get away with whatever he was planning to do to her or any other woman. His blood boiled just to remember how much his own mother had to cope with to just survive.
The instant Levi walked a few steps in their direction, despite the woman remained still with her eyes fixed on the window in front of her, the ferocity in the tone of her voice made him stop.
"I'd never do it. I respect myself too much to even consider it" she replied, emphasizing every word to see if he understood "Now leave me alone. You're wasting my time and I need to get back to my own business".
Having said that, the Captain saw her looking to her left and beginning to move in that direction, but the fool had dared to embrace her from behind, preventing her from walking away.
Unconsciously, his entire body tensed at that vile piece of shit's audacity, but something he didn't foresee just happened, keeping him exactly where he was.
"I warned you not to do that again" the woman sounded calm, but he could picture well the anger in those eyes saying otherwise.
In the blink of the eye, he saw her trampling on his left foot, and immediately afterwards, she adjusted her position to properly balance her weight on her legs and crouch down a little. Levi saw her use her right elbow to hit him hard right in the stomach, and the man automatically bend in pain and lost his breath for a few seconds.
According to basic military training, that idiot was supposed to know how to defend himself from an attack like that, but he clearly didn't expect it from someone like her. Never underestimate anyone, he recalled the voice of someone from the past.
"Stupid bitch! You've just signed your sentence" the jerk began to insult her, but she just seemed really tired of the situation "It'll be your word against mine and believe me when say no one will help you" he continued to threaten her, pointing at the stupid emblem in his back "You should have accepted when you could".
Don't count on it, you filth… the Captain thought as he walked straight towards them, without even trying to hide his disdain for that guy. Who besides was quite dumb, for he was ridiculously happy to see who he was. The woman noticed him a second later, but she just stared at him, very serious and without saying a word. The defiant rage in those grey eyes let him know she didn't feel no hint of regret or shame for her behavior. Levi only smirked internally.
"Ah, Captain Levi!" the man saluted him "How good to see you! I need to report this criminal. She attacked me for no reason after I tried to ask some routine questions" he was shamelessly pointing to the woman now.
"I see" Levi said without greeting or even looking at her directly.
The Captain gave a look around the place, observing the three people who were on sight and stood by. The same that now were looking away.
"You'll be my witness, Captain" Oh am I, really? Levi sarcastically said to himself. The pig was so full of himself.
"Right" his voice sounded extremely bored, which she did notice "I didn't see such thing, so please enlighten me. What questions did you ask the lady here, that drove her to attack you?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"Uhh I..." he babbled, unprepared for that and completely cornered "I..."
"Because what I saw was a person defending herself from a piece of wretch who crossed the line".
"But…but" the guy stuttered, alarmed, and trying to find a way out of it. He seemed to forget that those from the Survey Corps weren't that reasonable. They were nothing but delusional fools who risked too much for nothing. Especially this one Captain "I tried to resist but she seduced me"
"I had no idea that standing up while looking for whatever you need gives that impression to someone else" Levi stated with dry sarcasm "And it doesn't make sense when she kept telling you to back off". this time he dedicated the man one of his trademark murderous looks.
The man shivered and clenched his jaw, scared, and frustrated. There were many stories about this short soldier inside and underneath the walls, but only high-ranked officers knew for sure. But the man was dangerous, and he wasn't going to risk taking a beat for some woman, so he just stepped back and decided to leave.
Levi kept his eye on him until seeing him disappear through the front door. He knew well that he wasn't going to change after that, but he'd probably think twice meanwhile they were stationed outside Wall Sina's safety.
When he turned to her, he saw the woman reading a crumpled piece of paper in her hand. He was close enough to see it was a list and then focused on the plants right in front, as if completely oblivious to what had just happened, which surprised him a little.
"Are you alright?" he asked. She seemed fine, but who knew.
"If you help me find this, I'll be better" she said and gave him the list. Everything in there was crossed out except for something called aloe vera "It's a plant that has thick, wide, fleshy upright leaves which may be gray-green in color to regular green. And their edges seemed a bit serrated" she explained in detail, concentrated.
"I was mostly referring to that pig that just left" he inquired, somewhat surprised.
"Oh, well, no need to worry, sir" she just said with a slight shrug "He's not the first one I've encountered or seen. Some men are just really that sick, or insane".
The way she said it, certainly stated this wasn't a scene she hadn't experienced before. That truly pissed him off; no woman should have to suffer this kind of abuse. Being treated like an object was what his own mother had been reduced to in her trying to survive, and he'd hated individuals like the previous one since the day he understood what she had to endure.
"Captain?" the healer interrupted his thoughts after seeing the discomfort in his eyes.
"Who taught you those moves?" he changed the subject and chose to satisfy his curiosity.
She looked down and closed her eyes for a few moments, her fists clenched. That gave away the answer she'd confirm seconds later.
"My sister" was all she said with nothing but melancholy before slowly walking away. The wanting to be alone vibes were obvious.
Levi just followed her with his eyes and lost her the moment she walked out of the store. He understood how difficult must have been for her to remember those lessons, only to come back to reality and assimilate the girl's horrible situation; bedridden and no hope to recover.
He breathed out, tired and somewhat sad before returning to get what he came there for. he finally decided to just buy what he usually had and some of the one with cinnamon; she promised she'd teach him more about others next time anyways.
He looked at the clock on the store wall, realizing it was time for him to return to quarters if he wanted to dine in peace and take a bath before the meeting about Eren Yeager. May his eyes also be that honest, he thought now that he was walking by himself.
The only item he didn't get that day was the broom, and he was glad he hadn't found a decent one, or else he'd have broken it in half right on that beast's skull.
There's just a lot that I want to share already but anyways, at least they're interacting a lot more from here on.
Thanks for reading!
Namárië