I was standing in the market looking for something to buy for dinner tonight. Levi and I had just joined the Survey Corps and I wanted to celebrate by making a dinner for our team. As I picked up the vegetable to examine it I heard muffles behind me.
"Look at her."
"Go talk to her."
"No way, you go." I continued to look at the vegetable and smiled at the vendor.
"I'd like this please." I said. She placed it in a bag and I handed her my money. When I turned around I came face to face with a man who was a few inches taller than me. He looked at me with his dark brown eyes and ran his hand through his blonde hair.
"How're you?" He asked me.
"I'm fine. How're you?" I asked him.
"I'm good. I was just wondering if you wanted some help carrying your bags?"
"I'm fine, thank you." I said.
"It's really no problem." He tried to reach for my bag, but I placed it behind my back.
"That's really not necessary, now if you'll excuse me, I need to get going." I said as I pushed past him. I walked out of the market and began to walk down the street. I passed by towns folk and waved at the older ladies that were outside admiring the sun.
"Where're you headed?" I looked to my right and saw the same man from before falling into step beside me.
"I'm sorry, but that's none of your business." I said.
"Well a pretty girl like you shouldn't be walking the streets alone."
"I'm very capable of walking by myself, now will you please leave me alone?"
"I don't know about that-"
"She said to leave her alone." I heard a very familiar voice approach me. I looked around, but I still couldn't see him. I turned around and saw Levi walking towards us.
"And who're you?" The man asked. I stopped walking and stood beside Levi.
"That is of no relevance to you, idiot. So why don't you just leave her alone?"
"I don't know who you're calling an idiot, bud, but-"
"But what? What're you going to do, pervert?" Levi threatened him. The man walked up to Levi, but before he could make a move Levi grabbed hold of his arm and twisted it behind his back and pushed him up against the closest brick wall. "Now, leave her alone, got it?" The man said nothing in reply; instead he gave a nod of his head. Levi let him go and walked back towards me.
"Thanks, but I could've handled him on my own." I said. The two of us began to walk down the street.
"Then why didn't you?"
"I didn't want to cause a scene, like you." As we walked down the street people sidestepped out of our way – probably due to the altercation they just saw a few moments ago.
"Well maybe next time you shouldn't attract perverts."
"Well I didn't exactly ask him to come and stalk me." I pointed out.
"You sure about that? You're a pretty strange person…I don't know what kind of stuff you're into nowadays." I sighed at his comment.
"You're annoying, you know that?"
"So I've been told."
"By me."
"By you." I felt him slip one of the bags out of my hand and carry it in his own as we continued to walk down the street.
I woke up in my bed, alone. I hoped that Levi would have stayed with me, but I figured that he must've left in the middle of the night or early this morning. I looked up at the ceiling as I contemplated on getting up or not. A part of me just wanted to lie in my sheets and stay there for the whole day. Another part of me wanted Levi to casually walk into my room with my breakfast on a tray and a smile on his face, but I knew that wasn't going to happen. So I decided to get up and get changed for the expedition, besides, even though I had to see Levi's face, it wasn't going to be all that bad.
Once changed, I walked downstairs to the kitchen and saw everyone already sitting there having their breakfast.
"Morning everyone." I greeted them.
"Morning Ryder." Oluo, Gunther, and Eldo said in unison in a very groggy tone.
"Good morning Ryder!" Petra sounded more enthusiastic.
"Morning." Eren said while Levi made no greeting whatsoever. I sat down beside Petra and poured myself some coffee.
"Ready for your first expedition, Eren?" I asked him.
"I guess so."
"This is no laughing matter Eren. There will be no fun and games on this trip." Levi said. I rolled my eyes at his comment.
"And no one was asking you, peanut gallery." I said.
"I'm just telling him what should be expected of him, so he ends up being a top soldier, unlike you."
"I would take offense to that, but it's coming from you." I shot back at him.
"Do we really need this 'old couple' bickering in the morning?" Oluo asked.
"Don't you two get tired of it?" Eldo asked us.
"She needs to be put in her place." Levi said.
"He needs to be kicked off his high horse." I retorted. I heard the squeaking of a chair. I looked over to Levi and he had stood up and placed his hands on the table.
"We are leaving in exactly one hour. I suggest that you all get ready for our departure." He ordered before he left as I continued to sip on my coffee.
We sat on our horses as the bell rang. This was always the part that made my heart beat a little faster. I looked at Levi, but he kept the same calm and cool expression that he was known for. My hands tightened on the reins of my horse.
"We've driven away all the Titans in the area! Thirty seconds before we open the gates!" I heard someone yell from further upfront.
This was the scary part.
"It's time!"
You never knew if you were going to come back alive or not.
"Humanity will take another step forward!"
Levi and I never left the walls while we weren't on good terms.
"Show me what you can do!"
So I silently prayed to God.
"Open the gate!"
Don't let something happen to Levi. I looked at Levi one last time before we started to move.
"Advance!" Erwin's voice could be heard all the way from the front of the formation.
Please don't let anything happen to him.
I love him.
And we began to move forward.