Levi returns home from a mission to learn his niece is recieving abuse from his peers
Don't mess with uncle Levi
Fluff
Mikasa sat quietly on a bench her nose buried in her scarf and her head bowed. Levi had been gone on a mission for 3 days now, but he had promised her he would come home safe. To reassure her, he had given her the pinky swear. A promise that among youths could not be broken, to break this promise was the worst thing you could do to a child.
Hanji and Mike had gone too leaving her in the care of other survey core members left behind. However, they had sworn to keep Mikasa safe and make sure she behaved. They knew if they didn't they would have Levi to answer to. So as to not have the strongest and one of the scariest members of their team on their case, they did as ordered.
But she couldn't help but worry for him anyway. She knew the dangers she would face if he was against titans, though he was as strong as she, he would still be in danger. There were many possibilities that could happen while out on the field. Gear damages or malfunctions, wire snapping, weapon damage and to top it off physical damage to himself.
She had already lost her parents tragically, she didn't want to lose her uncle too. Not after just getting to know him and realizing he existed. She couldn't lose her family a second time. It would just be too cruel, to remind her a second time of how painful and miserable life actually was when you pulled away the mask.
"Is Mikasa ok? She's been quieter than usual these past few days" a soldier said suspiciously. Though she was quiet generally, she was a lot more distant since Levi left. She still ate but she didn't seem as happy. Her eyes lacked shine and she seemed to be in a daze. Passing the days by staring out of the window and keeping her head bowed.
"She's always like that. Kid never speaks so much as two words" another grumbled. At least she didn't cause them too much trouble, even if she was Levi's niece. Kids were energetic, nosy and temperamental. Always asking about shit and asking for it. They never seemed to take no for an answer and got in the way.
Mikasa said nothing as she stared at the ground while the soldiers spoke about her as if she didn't exist. Since she had come to this place, she had become the topic of discussion. Be it in a positive note or a negative note, she and her uncle were the hottest conversation topic. However, her uncle tended to shut them up just by entering a room or looking at them.
She had come to learn that not only was she a rare Ackerman survivor but the last of the Asian clan. That made her a rarity of both sides and a very valuable individual. That was why those traffickers had come after herself and her mother. They didn't care for the male, only Mikasa and her mother because they were of value to them.
She was angry to know her parents had been killed in cold blood over something so stupid. Because of their genes and ethnicity, they had been sought after for money. Despite her heritage, was it too much that they had simply wanted to live a normal life? After the king had hunted them to extinction and tried to live in peace in the aftermath.
But no, they had been hunted down in cold blood and murdered. They had then sought to sell her at a young age and to god knows who in the capitol for high prices. To think what kind of future she could have had she hadn't helped kill them. She felt sick at the thought of where she could be now instead of being safe like she was now.
She bowed her head quietly, fear and nausea filling her body. "Uncle Levi… Please come home soon" she whispered quietly. She hated being alone, it brought back so many unpleasant memories. Being in his arms she felt safe and warm. The darkness in her heart and the memories of that day fading to the back of her mind. Locked away behind the door to the key of her heart.
Suddenly she heard a rumble in the distance. Quiet at first and then slowly growing louder and louder with every passing second. The sound of horses galloping towards them. She snapped her head up to gaze into the distance. Her black eyes filled with hope and impatience. Her eyes pinned to the horizon watching and listening for the source of the sound.
Eventually she spotted the survey team approaching the hideout in the distance. All worn and weary from battle, faces tired and scarred from whatever titans they had faced while she stayed home. There were a few members missing meaning not everyone had made it back from the fight, but her family were safe.
Levi looked a mess (emotionally, mentally and physically). Tired, fed up and worried. He looked like he hadn't slept well and he had semi dark circles under his eyes. He was gripping the reigns tightly while staring at his destination. She had learned some time ago that her uncle suffered badly with insomnia.
Hanji was wearing a firm expression her goggles still on her face. Her hair looked greasy, showing her lack of bathing and stress. Gripping the reigns tightly and following Erwin back the camp. It was a well known fact that Hanji was the squad leader and first in command after Erwin, though she acted goofy she was anything but stupid.
Mikasa slowly got to her feet and rushed in the direction of the entryway. She had to see them, she couldn't wait to see them. She had missed them all so much. She then rushed around the courtyard as fast as her legs would carry her. She was wearing the new outfit that Hanji had got her some time ago from a market.
A simple white dress with short sleeves and a crinkle O neck. It reached just below her knees giving her an angelic look. She was also wearing a rosy pink cardigan that just reached under her bottom. She still wore her signature red scarf around her neck and some simple brown pumps. The day she had tried them on Hanji had squealed with delight at how cute she looked.
The soldiers saw her running off and chased after her immediately. However, they had no chance of catching her, because of her Ackerman genes Mikasa was faster than they ever hoped to be. So instead they were subjected to a game of cat and mouse that they had no hopes of winning whatsoever.
Levi slowly climbed off his horse grunting a little as he did so. His body ached from fighting and he smelled disgusting. He couldn't wait to take a bath and get some food in his stomach. He had been living off the essentials while out on his mission. He had missed eating hot food and being able to sleep in a warm bed, being out on missions was rather exhausting.
Though he had tolerated and semi enjoyed Hanji's jokes and antics, he had very much missed his niece. Those small black eyes of hers that lit up conveying the emotions she hid in her young heart. She was indeed his small ray on sunshine in this bleak and shitty world that was filled with cannibalistic giants and corruption.
"UNCLE LEVI!" a small voice cried loudly. She had never thought she could feel so lonely without him. Having to wait for him to come home and hope he survived. Having to sleep in an empty bed without him to comfort her. The memories of her parents death tormenting her as she slept, she had been so scared and lonely without him.
Not being able to sit in his arms as he walked along or sit on his lap. To not have him for company or hear him curse like he always did. Hell, she had missed him calling her brat now and again. She had just missed his company in general, the quiet had been haunting and rather unpleasant for her.
Levi looked behind him to see Mikasa running at him like a bullet. Her black eyes filled with tears and a look of relief on her face. Had she really missed him that much? He hadn't seen eyes that bright since Isabel, but since they had met each other the hole in his heart had slowly began to heal over time.
A warm feeling filled his heart. Before she came into his life he had never thought that having someone to welcome you home could feel so nice. He had rather adapted to his guardian role. He knelt down and she rushed into his arms. Though the strength she impacted him with would have knocked over a normal person, being an Ackerman it barely fazed him.
She was growing stronger every day and she was very perceptive for her age. However, she was still very naïve in some senses which he hoped to retain before she was old enough to fight. To still retain some of her childhood innocence in these times was a good thing, they were the future of tomorrow and deserved happiness.
She would have to throw away and sacrifice a lot of things upon her training. Less time to have fun and most of it being used to harness her skills to defeat the titans. In between those 5 years, he would make sure she enjoyed her childhood. Though he would have to go away a lot like he had now, he would spoil her as best he could.
Mikasa buried her nose into his chest and sobbed. He smelt like blood, dirt and sweat yet he was able to retain some of his signature scent too. She was glad he had come home. The fear of him not returning, of being alone again after just learning she had family. Of having to attend another funeral for a family member, it wasn't worth thinking about.
Levi could feel her trembling in his arms, the tears spilling from her face onto his shirt. Though he hated getting dirtier than he already felt, he would allow it this time. Mikasa had been through so much in the past week. Losing her parents, attending their funeral, adapting to living with him and now him going away into battle.
She had handled it well but was allowed to cry when it became too much for her. She had come to care for him a great deal and they had developed an emotional attachment with one other in the short time they had known each other. The impact of realizing they were not alone hitting them.
They shared a bedroom, they bathed together and they ate together. Levi would read her stories now and again, plus carried her everywhere when she was with him. She was used to being close to him and not apart. Him going away into battle would have been hard on her, especially since she had lost her parents. The fear of losing him dwelling on her young mind.
"Stupid!... You dummy uncle Levi! I… I thought…" Mikasa sobbed. She knew he was strong and could fight. But what if something had happened, like that day. She had seen enough blood, she had seen enough death. She just wanted to get her life back together, to rebuild a family and live in a semi-peaceful state with her uncle.
She wanted to continue understanding him and building a family bond with him. Though she knew it was stupid, the lingering fear of his possible demise still stayed on her mind. She didn't want him to leave again even though she knew it was impossible to ask. But she just didn't want him to get hurt, or she would be alone all over again.
Slowly he wrapped his arms around Mikasa and petted her head gently. She was so weak and fragile, despite her immense strength. She was still very much a child in that sense. She softened in his arms but continued to cry. Though she had been stoic when they first met, over time she had come to learn how to show her emotions every now and again.
"Stop crying brat. I'm home now aren't I?" he soothed in a weary tone. He was trying to reassure her in his own way, for he didn't want her to worry unnecessarily. Those that had something to fight for were strong, because the desire to protect things that were precious to them had that flame deep inside their hearts.
Hanji smirked, though Levi was acting like his usual self she could see that he was happy. He really had adapted into his new guardian role very easily. It was so cute to see him being all sweet with her. "I'll get the horses away. You two have bonding time to make up for" she teased. It was clear to see that Mikasa had no intention of letting go of him any time soon.
Levi clicked his teeth at her, Hanji really was a smart-ass sometimes. Why couldn't she just keep her thoughts to herself like a normal person? It was embarrassing as hell. However, he was in a good mood being home so he would talk to her later. Right now, he had Mikasa to calm down and he needed to bathe. He had more pressing matters at hand.
Levi sat in the tub quietly his arms hanging out the sides, water dripping onto the floor. His eyes pinned to the ceiling as he allowed his thoughts to trail off into nothingness. He was glad to be home, to be able to clean himself. To be back with Mikasa and allow himself the simple pleasures of tea and her company. He had missed it quite a bit.
Mikasa was sat at the end of the tub, her hair damp from the bath. Using his legs for support as she sat in the tub. Her black eyes calm and emotionless, but red from her crying. Since her breakdown earlier she had calmed and was now in a relaxed state. But she was back to clinging to him like she always did. Using him as her method of comfort.
"Did I hurt you?" Mikasa asked abruptly. He hadn't said anything, but she had heard from Hanji that fighting took a toll on his body and wore him out quite a bit. Though he had no physical wounds that she could see, he could have hurt himself internally. Knowing she couldn't see his injury was what worried her most of all.
"Eh?" Levi said raising his head to look at her and looking at her in confusion. The water from his bangs trickled down his face but he paid no attention to it. Though she was indeed a smart child, she had a habit of asking the most unusual things every now and again that very much confused him.
Mikasa turned to look at him her black eyes filled with worry. Water trickled down her face from her damp hair but she ignored it, keeping eye contact with him. "When I ran at you. Did I hurt you?" she asked again this time more cautiously. She knew that her uncle pushed himself sometimes when it battle, I mean he was still human at the end of the day.
Levi blinked and then realized she was worried about him. Though if he was injured he would have told her, but not fully depending on how serious it would be. He then sighed and stroked her head to reassure her "Give me some credit Mika. I'm capable of tolerating a lot of damage" he said gruffly. It would take a lot to hurt him.
He had dealt with poor living standards growing up in the underground. Pushing himself to get food and keep himself alive. Learning to fight and learning to take care of himself. He had learned how to tend wounds among other things. Though his capability of taking damage had gotten better as he had grown up since his weaker days.
Mikasa blinked innocently then settled. She could see in his eyes he wasn't lying and he knew never to break promises with her. Content with his answer she curled her knees under her chin and stared at him. She had a lot to tell him about since he had been away, though it was not anything good.
"I didn't like the people you left me with" she huffed crossly. They had talked about her a lot and even teased her sometimes. Commenting on her race and appearance, her relations to Levi and her future career. Saying how connections always made a difference and how she was a lucky little shit.
Levi became stern. He had hoped that the other cadets would have been kind to her, or at least respectful of her. He had guessed wrong, meaning they would have to be spoken to later. He then reached out a hand to stroke her hair a little "What did they say?" he asked sternly. He would make sure they paid dearly for upsetting his niece while he was away.
They never dared do shit to her when he was around, they knew what would happen if they did. The minute he left they took advantage of that and picked on her quite a bit. Fucking cowards. Picking on a girl when she was weak and defenseless but unable to do so when he was around.
Mikasa pouted puffing put her cheeks a little "They keep staring at me. They even called me weird. They said I'm miserable like you because I'm quiet" she said sulkily. Was it bad that she had missed her uncle? Was it bad that she had conveyed how she felt? Why was it since she came here so many people judged her and called her names?
Why was her heritage so fascinating? Yes, she was half Asian, yes, she was an Ackerman. But she was also human. She wasn't some form of amusement for them to watch all day. Why was she being picked on for being so different? She couldn't help where she came from. Was this why her family had been hunted down? Because they didn't fit in?
Levi frowned, his eyes darkening. He knew some of the recruits would take an interest in Mikasa because she was the last known surviving Asian. There were few people of her race even alive. However, she was still a child. To torment her because of her ethnicity was the lowest a person could go. To boot she was his family, one of the last family members he had.
He never knew his father or what his family name had ben, his mother was dead, his uncle had abandoned him and his whereabouts were unknown. His half-sister her mother was now dead as was her husband. All of his family ended up with tragedy and death, what did the world have against the Ackerman clan?
Mikasa was all he had left in the world. She was very precious to him and he would not allow the other core members to treat her so badly. It was uncalled for in every sense of the word. He then sat up picked up Mikasa pulling out the plug. He no longer wanted to bathe and would enjoy distracting her of this.
But he knew Hanji would be able to pull some strings. She had an interest in inspecting titans. But she also had a hobby of punishing humans for information or punishment. It would be nice to have them suffer for bullying his niece.
Mikasa blinked up at him in confusion and worry. Was he mad at her? She didn't mean to upset him, she had only been telling the truth. Maybe she shouldn't have said anything. He must have known what she was thinking because he decided to address her after learning these facts.
He then looked down at her quietly "Mikasa. Uncle Levi is going to have a word with Commander Erwin later. Hanji will make sure those guys never talk to you again" he said firmly. When she was through with them they would be lucky if their sanity was intact. She would make them hurt in ways they never deemed possible when she was through with them.
Mikasa stared up at him wide eyed and nodded quietly. She had heard her uncle could be very scary when angry, even scarier than herself. He would teach those men a lesson, making sure they never picked on her again. Then they would know how it felt to be bullied.
Levi sat at his desk going over paperwork, a candle on his desk to illuminate the room. He was now changed into plain open white shirt and trousers for bed. He was not one to wear his uniform to bed to prevent creases and for hygienic purposes. Anyone who did was not only lazy but disgusting in his eyes. How could anyone do such a thing?
Mikasa was fast asleep under the sheets, her black hair spread across the bed. Her long lashes tickling her cheeks, weary from crying and the warmth of the bath. At her age, she needed all the rest she could get to grow up big and strong. He would make sure she was raised correctly and grew up to be a fine young woman one day.
There was a gentle knock at his door to which he put down the paperwork. He moved the seat as quietly as possible as to not disturb Mikasa and went to answer the door. As he opened it he was met with Hanji standing at the door smiling as always. She had relaxed into her own comfy clothes and had bathed which he was pleased to see.
"How's she doing?" Hanji asked curiously slightly peeking into the room. She had seen how happy she was to see Levi when he returned, it had been way too cute for her to handle. She couldn't stop looking at Mikasa, she was just so cute and full of life. She wanted to squeeze her tightly and never let go.
"She's out cold. Been a long day for her. What with all these pieces of shit giving her a hard time" he growled under his breath. Picking on a child of all things, how pathetic. To take advantage of someone smaller or weaker than you was the cowards route and only made you a disgrace of a human being.
Hanji looked concerned, she knew Mikasa was a rarity in bloodlines but she was still a human. On top of that she was an adolescent, which made it even worse. Levi may have come across as a cold, uncaring and unsociable shit. But he had a kind heart but had an odd way of showing his affections towards those that were precious to him.
"What did they say?" she asked sternly. She would help Levi in any way she could. Commander Erwin would certainly find this piece of information interesting. He had sworn that Mikasa would have full protection from himself and his subordinates now that she was under Levi's official guardianship.
Levi frowned "They made fun of her for being quiet of all things. Apparently being related to me means your all the same. Heartless and uncaring" he replied dryly. Just because they weren't as expressive in how they felt, they were made out to be heartless. He was capable of handling how he was treated he was more than used to it.
But he would not stand for Mikasa being treated so badly. She was still a child and she had been through more than enough without harassment from older people. No wonder she had cried so much after he returned from the mission. How long he had she been holding back those tears he wondered?
Hanji nodded. Mikasa was still so young and had already lost her family and was adjusting to a new life with her estranged uncle. How the hell was she supposed to act while coping with all this? The bullying from the other core members would not be very pleasant for her either.
She had lost everything only to learn about an uncle she never knew existed. Levi had never been a parent before either so he was having a hard-enough time too. This was not acceptable. "I'll let Erwin know. But I'll have to have a personal word with those guys. You have enough on your plate as it is. And Mikasa has it rough already" she said sighing wearily.
It seemed since Mikasa had come to stay with him things had been rather bumpy. What with him having to go out on a mission and her parent's funeral. He only hoped that they were able to bond without any unpleasant experiences in the future. Just to have time to bond and really act as family for once.
Levi gave a small smile of appreciation. For all she was a pain in the ass, Hanji was his closest confidant and very helpful to him. He very much appreciated her company in the core. "Thanks for your help shitty glasses" he said in an amused tone. She gave him a playful hum and smile before bidding him goodnight for the evening as he closed the door behind her.
Levi then returned back to his desk to look upon Mikasa as she slept. Though she was indeed a beautiful child she was also very damaged, much like himself. She was lost and unable to fit in. She was adjusting as best she could while learning about life and herself. Her outlook on life very different than what it should be for girls her age.
But at least at night she was able to get some peace and dream about whatever she wanted. He only hoped that her dreams were indeed pleasant and not more memories of her parents. "Sleep well shitty brat" he said gently stroking her head. For all she was a lot of trouble for him sometimes, she was indeed precious to him. They were family after all and all each other had left.