Chapter 2. Trampled Under Foot

The girl had been silent for most of the ride to Mitras. Though he wasn't one to complain about a lack of conversation, and it's not like there was much to chat about. Most of the people they passed on the street left them alone; No one recognized them anyway without their military garb, and the nondescript brown cloaks they wore worked well to conceal their identities.

He really wished Erwin would have given him a heads up about this. Although, to be fair, maybe the Aryan man would have had Levi been on time. Not that it was his fault—Cadet Braus had all the grace and coordination of a small Titan. About as mindless too, it seemed. Needless to say, objects of a fragile nature (tea sets, for example) were not safe when she was around.

Levi shook his head at the memory, gripping the reigns tighter in his fist. He had half a mind to fashion mini 3DM gear for his cups so they at least stood a fighting chance next time the auburn-haired girl tried to handle them.

Although, at this point he was sure he would have prefered Braus' presence to the sullen brat riding beside him. It wasn't her silence that bothered him—again, he appreciated that fact—but rather the girl's tendency to fry his last nerve. And she didn't need to talk to do that. For whatever reason, he and the brat were like oil and water.

He'd recognized her immediately as soon as he'd barged into Erwin's office yesterday afternoon. She'd had her back to him, hunched over a piece of paper, but he'd known it was she without seeing her face. No one had hair that impossible shade of deep black. It was longer than he'd remembered, just touching her shoulders, but unmistakable nonetheless.

Already piqued from the Sasha Braus Fiasco, he'd made it a point to avoid catching the raven-haired girl's eyes when she'd finally turned in her chair to face him; there was something about her ebony gaze that always managed to unnerve him—a rare sensation for the Captain.

Not that he'd ever give her the satisfaction of knowing.

He did look at her eventually, gray meeting black in a familiar, wordless challenge. But while her eyes were the same—just as fierce as the day she'd stared him down (was it five years ago, now?) in that courtroom while he kicked the living daylights out of her brother—there was something decidedly different about the sullen brat.

Maybe it was just the absence of that damn red scarf. She'd always worn that; It held some association with the Jaeger-brat and didn't seem like something she would readily forget to put on.

Odd. She was odd, always had been. And reckless. There was a time, he had to admit, that he would have been willing to give Ackerman a shot. Only a fool could ignore her skills in battle, reckless or not.

But his lasting impression of the girl had been after they'd rescued Eren from the Female Titan; She'd been foolish and reckless and nearly cost them the mission. There was blind devotion, and then there was just being fucking blind.

If there was one thing Levi had learned it was that everything is ephemeral, and he, therefore, had a hard time respecting anyone who clung so tightly to something in this impermanent world. Be that scarf or boy.

Because nothing's safe in the end, anyway.

This little undercover project Erwin had put him to for the past year and a half had been a good distraction. It was times like those that Levi felt most like a dog. Not just because he felt used, but because he wanted a job. He wanted a distraction.

At first, it had felt like time wasted tailing supposed members of The Redeemers through different cities. Gathering intel, learning names. Eventually, though, the stakes became higher the deeper he went, and soon he stopped returning to the Corps as Captain Levi in favor of preserving his alias and the progress he'd made.

He hated to admit it, but he actually missed the familiarity of his role in the Corps. All this clandestine shit and sneaking around reminded him too much of his life before in the Underground.

And now he was going back.

Growing up in a shithole and witnessing the hopeless cause that is humanity doesn't exactly leave one with a cheery disposition. But the options were either give up or trudge through. And Levi was no quitter; As long as he had a decent cup of tea, a clean space, and as little exposure to idiots as possible, he could manage trudging.

Ok, maybe the last requisite was a bit of a tall order, because fuck, of all the people to be stuck with.

With his luck, Ackerman would blow the whole operation, undo all the work he'd done, and get them both killed before the end of the month. Yes, Sasha Braus would've been better. At least she could follow orders and be reasonably cowed by him. Jaeger himself would do. Hanji, even .

"Who's meeting us at the entrance?"

Levi was so caught up in his head that it took him a moment to realize his companion was speaking to him. He turned in his saddle and looked at her, just making out the shadow of her dark eyes from under her hood. She repeated her question again when it became obvious he hadn't heard her.

"Don't worry about it. He's trustworthy," Levi replied nonchalantly, turning his gaze back to the road before adding, "just let me do the talking."

"I'm not worried. I'm curious." Her words were clipped. He'd clearly annoyed her.

"Don't be curious."

"If you would answer my questions instead of—"

" Questions? So you have more than one?" He faced her again. The brat wasn't going to give up.

"I'll keep the rest to myself if you answer the first." She sounded like a goddamned child. He grit his teeth.

"You may have a shiny new promotion, Ackerman, but I'm still your superior. I don't think you get to tell me what to do—"

"If I recall, Liam , we left certain identities behind us when we departed headquarters this morning. Unless plans have changed, I believe I am your wife." She kept her voice low, despite the lack of passersby on the twilight road.

"I wasn't aware a husband was required to share everything with his spouse," he replied, but there was no mirth in his tone. He wasn't playing. The brat was walking on ice, and damn her if she thought this was a game…

"Perhaps not. But back on the subject of superiors; in this case, I think it's safe to assume who is usually in charge in a marriage."

A million replies danced on Levi's tongue but he knew all of them would only serve to dig him a deeper hole. His glare intensified but the brat refused to back down. She didn't even waver.

Finally, all he could do was scoff and face the road once more, if only to escape the look of triumph he'd seen in her sable eyes.

••••••

The most glaring indicator of their arrival into Mitras was the city's inhabitants; Their clothes were indicative of the style worn by the upper classes, and the ladies adorned their hair with various ridiculous trinkets like beads or colorful feathers.

These people reeked of wealth. Not a scrap of their attire was practical—especially from the perspective of two hardened Survey Corps members—and served only to display their opulence and privilege.

It was one of the reasons that Levi hated coming to this place. That, and it was the closest he got to his life before the military, despite just how different this sparkling world was from its bleak counterpart below.

Ironic, really, Levi thought with a scoff, which earned him a curious glance from Mikasa. He ignored her, urging his horse forward and through the mass of affluence.

"It's unusually crowded for this time of night," Mikasa muttered from his right, her horse flanking his own.

"Light Festival," he replied sullenly, eyes combing the crowd. "Bunch of rich fuckers playing with lamps and shit. Or something like that," he added, scowling as a group of adolescents raced in front of them, colorful paper lanterns overflowing in their arms.

"Oh, that's right," Mikasa said quietly, her voice strangely soft. "They light them up and the lanterns float to the sky. It's pretty."

He barely refrained from rolling his eyes, because of course Ackerman was a complete sap when it came to this kind of shit.

Instead, he muttered, "people love to play with fire."

As if to punctuate his words, a very loud firecracker exploded into the air directly above them, bathing the world below in bright red and causing the horses to prance and whicker nervously. Levi grimaced and reigned in his bay.

These weren't the military-bred mounts that were used to loud noises and chaos, but standard packhorses that barely saw anything more exciting than a cart or saddlebag. Another necessary detail to aid in their cover, but inconvenient nonetheless.

Levi cast another glance through the crowd, trying to tune out the chaos and din of the festival. There were too many people, too much movement and light to focus on one given person. Which, really, was the point.

"This way," he grumbled to Mikasa, steering them away from the main bustle of festival goers and toward a small courtyard reserved for tethering and watering horses.

Levi dismounted first, saddle-weary legs screaming as he walked his horse to the hitching beam. He heard Mikasa groan and assumed she was probably just as sore as he—riding for most of the day in a saddle was brutal even for seasoned riders like themselves.

While the horses drank from the water trough, Levi took stock of the surroundings. There were no other people or animals in the secluded courtyard, and the babel of the festival was significantly quieter. He could actually hear his own thoughts.

"I wonder how much attention those fireworks draw," Mikasa murmured, running her hand over her horse's withers as the animal drank from the trough. "It's like people forget about Titans this far into the walls."

Levi scoffed through his nose and shook his head. "Easy to forget when you have the money to seclude yourself in a fancy house," he said bitterly.

He unhooked his water canteen from the saddlebag and took a drink before passing it to Mikasa. She stared at him strangely for a beat before finally accepting the proffered flask.

"Thanks," she said, averting her eyes.

He wasn't sure why he'd given her the water. She probably had her own in her pack, but he felt the gesture was somehow…necessary. Before he could dwell further on it, a resonant voice began speaking from behind them.

"Lovely night for a light show, eh?"

Levi's hand shot out to still Mikasa before she could grab the knife at her belt. She looked quickly between him and the man emerging from the shadows, confusion etched on her features. Levi gave her a curt, reassuring nod, a signal to stand down, and she relaxed slightly.

"Not polite to sneak up on people," Levi said as the man approached.

The man wasn't particularly tall, standing maybe an inch or two higher than Mikasa, but he was built like a tree and covered in tattoos.

Intricate patterns of ink covered his bare, muscular arms and continued up to his neck, and covering the entirety of his shaved pate was a detailed design of a compass rose. His eyes were a bright blue and he sported a full, dark beard, which gave him a somewhat roguish look.

In effect, he was intimidating to look at.

"Wasn't sneaking, you just weren't paying attention," the man said, his rasping voice suiting his cutthroat appearance.

"This your guy?" Mikasa murmured beside Levi, her wary eyes never leaving the fierce-looking man.

"Don't tell me you've kept your friend out of the loop," the man said with a deep chuckle, eyes glancing over Mikasa. "Especially one so lovely."

The comment was meant to be friendly, diffuse the tension, and for any other woman it may have been perceived as a compliment. But it only rankled Mikasa further, and with a quick motion her knife was drawn and ready in her hand.

Levi spoke up before the situation escalated out of hand. "Efran," he said with a slightly exasperated look toward the man. "Surprised you found us so quickly."

Efran ran a tattooed hand over his bald head. "I think it was coincidence, actually. Courtyard seemed like the best place to escape all that nonsense." He gestured at the lively crowd out on the square with a scowl.

Levi nodded in agreement and set to unloading his pack from his saddle, Mikasa quickly copying his actions. Good. At least she's not protesting anymore.

"Efran, this is…Mia." He couldn't bring himself to introduce her as his wife, despite the fact that Efran was wise enough to assume that Mia wasn't even her real name. Still, he didn't miss the subtle smirk on the man's face as he nodded at Mikasa.

"A pleasure, Mia. I admire a woman who doesn't take any nonsense from a man." This seemed to surprise Mikasa, judging by the slight widening of her eyes, and she even gave him a gentle smile in acknowledgment. Efran chuckled and nodded at Levi. "Especially this stubborn bastard."

Mikasa's smile grew. Levi only scowled. "As much as I enjoy shooting the breeze out here, we are on a bit of a time crunch."

Efran made an elaborate display of exasperation for Mikasa's benefit before bowing dramatically at Levi. "But of course, yer high and grumpy. Follow me this way." He turned on his heel and stalked back the way he had come, adding over his shoulder, "leave the horses. I'll take care of them when I come back."

Levi nodded once at Mikasa before adjusting his pack higher upon his shoulder before setting off after Efran.

••••••

Mikasa hadn't said a word since they'd left Mitras, and Levi reluctantly admired the woman's stoicism. Despite her history of hotheaded outbursts, she'd followed along with this whole charade without pushback. The decision to add her to this mission must have been last minute, given the fact she'd received just a crash course of its details and her role in it before being released into the field the next day.

He'd seen flickers of uncertainty and wariness appear on her face several times, especially when they'd begun their initial descent into the Underground, but she either pushed any questions she had aside or figured them out for herself.

I'll keep the rest to myself if you answer the first.

He never did answer her question, he realized, so he made a note to answer any others she had when they were in private later—as well as tell her more about Efran and his history with the man.

They followed Efran through the security checkpoint, the guards there not even batting an eye as Liam and Mia made their entrance into the Underground.

Efran played his part well, and there was never any trouble. At least, nothing a few bills placed discreetly in the hand of a recalcitrant guard couldn't fix.

After a half hour of maneuvering through the broken and dirty streets of the Underground, Efran finally brought them to a filthy, two-story tavern that looked like a Titan had used its roof as a seat at some point in time. Above the front door hung a sign that read The Black Dog Inn.

As far as buildings went in the Underground, especially lodgings, this one was in relatively good condition.

"Under your name," Efran said to Levi, keeping his voice low and motioning to the tavern with a jerk of his chin.

"Thanks as always, Efran." Levi reached into his coat and produced a small, unmarked envelope and handed it to the man. He could feel Mikasa's eyes watching the exchange, but she remained mum.

"Right, then. I'll be off," Efran muttered, nodding to both of them briskly as he pocketed the envelope. "Take care of yourselves," he added before turning to leave without another word.

"Thank you." It was spoken quietly, but Mikasa's voice halted Efran in his tracks. He turned back to look at them, a look of mild surprise on his bearded face, before smiling softly and nodding at the raven-haired woman.

The expression wasn't one Levi had seen on the man very often, and it made him look significantly younger, the creases in his brow disappearing completely.

Levi exhaled sharply and made for the inn. This was starting to feel like one long, drawn-out goodbye, and he'd always hated those. He held the door for Mikasa and she muttered a thanks as she passed him and entered the tavern.

He surveyed the dark street once more, casting a quick eye over the shadows and buildings that were rotting on top of each other before following her inside.

The main floor of the inn was practically dead, with the exception of a squat, elderly man and a very thin young woman, the latter of whom was too busy scrubbing something on the floor to notice the two strangers enter the door. Levi grimaced and tried not to think about what kind of atrocity she was cleaning.

The man looked up from his position at the bar, setting down a tray of dirty dishes before wiping his hands on his apron and smiling.

"Ah, welcome, travelers. I'm afraid the pub is closed, but we have several rooms avail—"

"Schwartz. I have a room under Liam Schwartz." Levi pushed his cowl back and ran a hand through his hair. The Barman faltered briefly and glanced over at the young woman, who had ceased her scrubbing to stare at the newcomers.

She gave the older man a soft smile before rising shakily to her feet, tossing the soiled rag she'd been using to the ground with a wet splat. Levi clenched his jaw at the sound.

"I've got it, Papa," she said to the man before addressing Levi. "I have your room ready, Mr. Schwartz. I'll show you to it." Her voice was light, and coupled with her diminutive height—she was probably a full head shorter than Levi—it became startlingly apparent that she was only a child, possibly no older than twelve. No doubt small for her age and severely malnourished, as most children were in the Underground, but a child nonetheless.

Wisps of chestnut-brown hair escaped from the tiretaine kerchief wrapped around her head to caress a narrow face and delicate neck, giving her an almost ethereal, elfin look. Ragged cloth slippers covered her small feet, and she wore a plain-colored dress–which was probably just an adult's shirt fashioned as a tunic, as she was practically swimming in the thing.

Her eyes were strange, however. The amber-gold irises were keen like a cat's, and Levi suspected that the girl saw a lot more than people realized.

She sent another reassuring smile to her father before motioning for Levi and Mikasa to follow her. She led them up a flight of stairs and down a narrow hallway lined with doors, making a left at the end of the hall before continuing down a short passageway to where another door marked with the number 10 stood. Levi noted how this one was separate from the main hall and mentally praised Efran for booking the most secluded room.

The girl produced a key from her dress pocket and deftly unlocked the door, holding it open politely for her tenants as they entered the room. "Here we are. It's not much, but it's our most comfortable," she said in a quiet voice, passing the key to Levi. The room was small but surprisingly clean, and Levi wondered if the girl tended to the upkeep of the rest of the inn as vigorously as she'd scrubbed the floor downstairs.

A small table and two chairs sat in the corner, and a stack of wood was piled next to the hearth. The bed was nothing much, but it at least looked comfortable—

Oh.

The bed. Singular.

Mikasa must have registered the same thing at that moment because her eyes shot from the piece of furniture and straight to him. He wasn't sure what he'd been expecting–they were posing as a couple, after all–but seeing the lonesome bed pushed against the far wall suddenly made his stomach drop.

He realized the girl was speaking to them again "...and if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. My name is Dennard."

"Thanks, Dennard," Mikasa said with a smile, her face slightly flushed.

The girl gave a polite nod before exiting the room, turning one last time before closing the door to say, "oh, and congratulations on your wedding."

The quiet that ensued after Dennard closed the door was so painfully awkward, that Levi found himself searching the room for something, anything , to busy himself with. He threw his pack onto the floor, trying to make some noise to fill the silence, and zeroed in on the woodpile next to the fireplace.

"I'll get a fire started. It's fucking freezing," he said, turning away from Mikasa and inspecting the hearth with an unnecessary amount of deliberation. He found a matchbook next to the poker and snatched it up.

"I'll take the floor," she said, her tone flat. Levi paused his fireplace deliberations to peer at her from over his shoulder.

"Floor's filthy," he muttered. "Besides…" he paused and looked down at the matches in his hand, choosing his words. Finally, he sighed and stood up to face her. Her face remained passive, but he saw her fidget slightly. "We need to make this look…as realistic as possible."

He didn't need to elaborate. She averted her eyes to a point beyond him, contemplating his words. He was right, of course–they needed to keep up appearances even behind closed doors and sleeping separately didn't exactly scream "just married."

He really hated Erwin right now.

"Fine," Mikasa said at last through gritted teeth, tossing her own bag to the floor next to his own. "I'm going to use the wash basin," she gestured toward the large pitcher and bowl on the table. "Keep your back turned."

He refrained from making another crack about giving orders, and instead turned his back and resumed his task of starting the fire. He could hear her rustling behind him as he stacked logs and kindling onto the grate, suddenly finding the sound of buckles and buttons being unclasped to be rather uncomfortably graphic.

He cleared his throat and struck a match forcefully. "Why aren't you wearing your scarf?"

It was a dumb question, and he didn't know why he asked it, but he was searching for anything to break the tension in the air. A belt rattled and fabric slid across skin.

"Mia didn't seem like a scarf-wearing kind of girl."

The response was reasonable—they'd forsaken military garb in favor of civilian attire, leaving behind anything unnecessary or distinguishing—but Levi sensed it wasn't completely true.

"Fair enough." He watched the kindling blaze.

Water sounds and mild splashing met his ears, and the image of Mikasa Ackerman bathing suddenly came unbidden to his mind. He tried valiantly to tune out the sound of damp cloth brushing against skin. Keep talking .

"I knew Efran before I joined the Corps. Back when I was living...here."

She was silent for a few beats save for the swirling of water before uttering a simple, "I figured."

"Erwin needed someone trustworthy, someone I knew well enough to transport our coded messages back and forth."

"He was the messenger Erwin mentioned?"

Levi could hear her toweling off and felt a sense of relief; He wasn't cold anymore and the fire was starting to make him sweat, but he wouldn't know what to do with himself if he pulled away from the hearth. "He's the one. I wager we'll get further marching orders by the end of the week."

"A week?" They'd been keeping their voices low, barely above a whisper, and not in consideration for their neighbors. But Mikasa was clearly surprised by his words.

"Keep it down, brat," he hissed, removing his cloak and tossing it blindly behind him. Too fucking hot. "Are you fucking done yet?"

"Yeah, hold on, just a sec," came her disgruntled reply, and then, "ok, you can turn around."

Levi tore himself away from the hearth, tearing at his cravat hastily. Mikasa had changed into a tunic that hit her just above the knee, her clothes folded neatly and placed on one of the chairs. She turned from the table and her eyes widened as she witnessed him unbuttoning his shirt.

"Easy, brat, I'm not gonna get ya," Levi said with a scoff as she scurried past him. He wet a fresh cloth with water from the pitcher and dragged the cool fabric across his neck.

"Thank you," she said from the bed, her voice small. He turned to look at her, cloth paused mid graze over his shoulder, and saw her dark eyes watching him from the safety of the blankets. "For answering my questions," she added to clarify.

He looked away, resuming his wash. "Sure thing." He suddenly felt that he should apologize for earlier, especially after she'd behaved herself and refrained from pestering him, but he realized that made her sound too much like a dog. He held his tongue.

He decided to not make a bigger deal than was necessary about getting into the bed. Mikasa had her back to him, but he still faced the opposite wall, wishing suddenly that a third pillow was available so he could place it between them.

"Heichou," she whispered about twenty minutes later. The room had warmed up a little by then thanks to the fire, its faint, orange light flickering up the walls and across the shadowy ceiling. He couldn't bring himself to reprimand her for speaking his title out in the air.

"Hn."

A pause. The fire crackled.

"How long has it been since you were…" She trailed off, but he knew what she was saying. So far she hadn't asked him anything about his life in the Underground, and he wondered if this was a question she'd been holding in for a while.

"Eleven years."

She didn't move or respond, but he could feel her pause. He didn't know why he'd answered her. He should have told her to just mind her own business. He waited for her to respond, to ask another question, but when several minutes passed without a word he realized she'd fallen asleep.

Eleven years.

He stared at a flickering shadow on the wall. It hadn't fully hit him until this moment just how long it had been. Of course, it wasn't like he'd been unaffected by the return to the Underground after all this time.

But.

Eleven fucking years was a long goddamn time, the more he thought about it. Hell, it was about half a lifetime ago for the brat currently sharing a bed with him. He hadn't been much older than she was now. He didn't feel particularly old—and he wasn't, despite having been past the requisite age when he'd first joined the Corps—but in this moment Levi felt like he'd lived a thousand years.

He thought about the tavern girl and her golden-brown eyes. The eyes of someone who'd lived a lot longer and seen too much. Like him. Like the girl behind him.

Woman, maybe. She wasn't really a girl anymore. Stopped looking like one a while ago. Not that he really paid attention to that sort of thing.

He closed his weary, too-old eyes, the blaze of the fire burned into his retinas, and fell asleep to the sound of embers and Mikasa's breath.

A/N: Ok, I confess I actually really enjoyed writing from Levi's perspective. It occurred to me while rewatching season 1 of the anime that despite how quiet and reserved he is, he actually talks a lot to the Titans he's killing. So, while everyone else sees him as this silent, brooding dude, I bet he's totally thinking a million things up in that head. I tried to convey that in the narrative, I guess. Levi: Queen of silent judgment.

Also, I have a Tumblr account currently dedicated to this fic. Check it out if you're interested! Pics/art/and comments about the story will reside there. .com