He suddenly wakes up from a small clattering sound. His arms and body tighten, he's ready for anything.
"It just the couple making breakfast downstairs." Mikasa quietly tells him.
He slowly relaxes and takes in his surroundings. He's on the bed, Mikasa is tightly in his arms, her back pressed warmly against his chest. There's sunlight coming in through the window. It must be morning.
"They've been making breakfast for the last ten minutes." She says, sounding amused that he had only just woken now.
"You drugged me." It's the only logical explanation for why he slept as deep and long as he did.
"I did not." Her simple reply.
A breath. He realizes she's still trapped within his arms. He slowly releases her. She calmly gets out of bed, and starts to change with her back to him. So he gets out of bed and does the same.
They go down to breakfast and it's much the same as the day before with Mikasa doing all the talking and him just vocalizing when politely appropriate.
The couple explain the two jobs they do in regards to the tea shop; the woman works the shop while the man works in the garden and attached field. The woman says for Mikasa to shadow her while Levi goes with her husband into the fields.
"Actually, Levi will be manning the shop and I'll be tending the herbs." Mikasa states.
The woman is a bit surprised, but gives a curt, "Okay then. Levi, you're with me." And she gets up and motions for Levi to follow her.
He's also a bit surprised, why would Mikasa volunteer him for the more people-interaction facet of this job when it's been her doing all the interacting with people thus far in their journey? Did she not trust him to learn how to garden properly? True he never took care of plants before- growing up in the underground and having more important things to do with his time once he was on the surface- but he's smart and a fast learner. He shoots her a puzzled look over his shoulder and sees her giving back a slight wave, and then he's gone. Out the door and making his way with the woman down the walking path to town to learn how to run a tea shop.
Which is surprisingly easy. He likes tea. And he likes organization possibly even more. Maybe Mikasa knew this kind of work would agree with him. And the people are all very kind and polite too. It would seem most of the tea shop patrons are regulars as all know the woman by name and ask how her husband is, and when she is leaving, and so on.
Around noon the woman addresses what Levi has been wondering since meeting them yesterday.
"We all know who you two are, of course." Levi is suddenly tense. He doesn't do well with people treating him like a celebrity just because he is efficient at slaughtering.
"You two really picked the right town. While everyone here is grateful for everything you've done, no one's much of a military-idolizer. You both will remain unbothered here." She says it calmly, but something in her tone when she says 'military-idolizer' makes him curious.
"Did many people from these parts enlist?" He asks.
The woman's lips tighten as she nods her head.
"I'm sorry for your losses." He says. There's not much else to say. During the war you justify every death as the reason you've made it as far as you have, but somehow saying that to this woman doesn't feel right.
"Many people, my son included, just wanted to make a difference. Who knows what their sacrifice was for. But here we accept the wishes of others and support them, we don't stand in their way."
Hearing she lost her son is sad. No child should predecease their parent. But it was a cruel world then and left many parents child-less. She wasn't the first parent he'd known to lose a child, but he was finding himself hoping that maybe she would be the last now that the war was over.
"Anyways," The woman brought herself out of her short grief, "This town respects you both. Possibly Mikasa Ackerman even more considering her evacuation of the citizens way back during the Trost breach. She was a local hero back then, standing up to thugs and greedy merchants to make sure everyone got through the gate safely. Many people here owed her thanks. But she won't be bothered now, neither of you will be. The remaining townspeople are here because they like the quiet life, everyone else has moved on."
The day continues on with Levi taking the front and filling orders and keeping things organized. Mikasa and the man arrive mid-afternoon. She carries with her a large satchel, presumably full of herbs and spices she harvested earlier.
As the man leads her into the back and she passes behind Levi she gives him a small smile and a quick shoulder squeeze. Then they're in the back and the man is showing her the stores and containers. Levi and the woman join them and give a report on the day; what sold well, what herbs they are out of and need more of, etc. Mikasa nods, making her mental note for her haul for the next day.
She makes two teas for the man and woman and urges them to go socialize with their friends before they leave.
The last few hours of the work day Mikasa and Levi work in sync. Filling orders, making tea, interacting politely with customers. Levi can't deny its easy work and they've picked it up seamlessly.
When the last patrons leave the couple makes their way to them and tells them its time to head home. Levi closes up shop and they all trek home contentedly.
Mikasa makes everyone dinner that night as a thank you to the couple for all they've done. It's a homely affair and Levi can't help but think he's chosen the right path when he decided to follow her.
The couple insists on doing the dishes since Mikasa cooks and they all say their goodbyes, knowing the couple is leaving early the next morning and won't be coming back.
In bed that night, drifting to sleep, Levi can hear the couple talking quietly through the open window. They must be sitting outside, he thinks. They talk about how Mikasa and Levi will do just fine, how happy they are they were able to give their home and their work away. Then, they start talking about the ocean and Levi tunes them out. His last thought before falling asleep is how the couple had lived so long with routine and mundane and now in their old age they want adventure, yet he never wants adventure again.
