"You weren't hugged enough as a child, were you?"
Stay calm. Levi reminded himself, feeling his temper spike when he catches her smirking in the rear-view mirror.
"My childhood isn't any of your business, brat." He shoots back curtly, but her smile widens as she leans in to press her forehead to the bullet-proof divider separating them.
"I sense an unresolved tension. Let me guess, Daddy didn't show up to your boy scout ceremony?"
Levi scoffs, keeping his eyes trained on the road as he answers.
"Tch. Daddy's gone."
He feels the atmosphere change as the woman's smile wilts, and she leans back into the hard plastic seat.
"Oh…" She says softly, tugging her scarf up. "I'm sorry."
Rolling his eyes, the man drums his fingers restlessly on the steering wheel.
"Oh please, I don't need your pity." He mutters, and there's no more talking after that.
He watches through a small plexiglass window as Petra interviews the young woman, and he almost feels bad for the small red-head. The dark-haired tree-hugger has her fixed with an irritated expression as she responds to the officer's questions with short, impatient answers.
"Full name?"
"Mikasa Ackerman."
"Age?"
"16."
Petra blinks her large amber eyes, obviously surprised at the girl's age.
"16? My, you're a little young to be getting arrested, don't you think?" Her comment is met with an almost insulted look from Mikasa.
"Well that other cop looks about twelve, and he's in the police force." She shot back. Levi scowls from outside the room, hands balling into fists at his sides. The nerve of this hippie girl.
Obviously uncomfortable, Petra squirms in her seat before glancing back at her notes.
"Um, let's move on to the next question." She offers, and Mikasa's withering look has her recoiling as if she'd been stuck.
By the end of the interview, Levi isn't sure who's being interrogated and who's doing the questioning anymore. Petra has shrunk down in her seat like a scolded child, deflated and looking as if she's about to cry. On the other hand, Mikasa has straightened up, chin lifted in confidence while a half-smile quirks on her lips. He's not sure whether he's pissed at her for turning his comrade into a quivering mess or impressed with her determination.
Sometime later, Mikasa Ackerman is lounging on the bottom bunk in her cell, idly tracing patterns on the cool metal with her fingertips. Levi watches her carefully from the bench outside, hands clasped and pressed to his lips. He's curious of something, but too stubborn to ask.
"What's so special about that tree?" He finally breaks after a few minutes of silence. Mikasa glances up, looking at him through inky bangs.
"What's not special about it?" She finally answers, and Levi frowns, brows furrowing in confusion.
"What are you-" He's interrupted as she rolls off her bunk, landing on her feet and begins to pace.
"It's so old, but it's still so strong," She murmurs, a faraway look in her glassy eyes, "There's a crow's nest about twenty feet up."
"What's so impressive about shitty crows?" Levi sighs, growing impatient. Mikasa smiles wistfully, perhaps the first real smile he's seen from her.
"Crows mate for life." She says softly, and the look of simple adoration on her face makes the older man almost forget to breathe. When he finally gathers himself, he clears his throat and looks around the cell awkwardly.
"So you did it for a couple a birds?"
Mikasa's expression reverts back to one of weariness as she reaches up to touch the base of her throat, where her scarf should be. Unfortunately, it's packed in a ziplock somewhere in Petra's desk, along with the rest of her belongings.
"You're missing the point." She sighs, walking back to her bunk. Levi, frustrated but determined to figure this girl out, presses on.
"Then what's the point? Why would you stake out in a tree arranged to be chopped down?" He demands, but Mikasa waves his words off with a lazy shake of her hand.
"It's not worth explaining, you wouldn't understand even if I did." She turns over, facing the wall and tucking her hands into the sleeves of her sweater.
Levi knew the conversation was over, leaving him thoroughly annoyed. However, he stood and left the room, but not before looking back over his shoulder at the only occupied cell.
"You're here for the weekend, or at least until someone bails you out." He calls, and Mikasa says nothing.
He's genuinely surprised when someone shows up at the station the next morning with a check written out for Mikasa's freedom.
He's rather small and on the scrawny side, with a bowl-cut that makes Auruo snicker when he catches sight. Nevertheless, he's polite and seems nice enough, and within a half an hour Mikasa is led out by Petra, who seems relieved to see the teen go.
The dark-haired girl is thrilled to see the boy ("Armin!"), rushing across the lobby to throw her arms around the smaller boy's neck. Armin laughs nervously, but his relief is apparent by the way he hugs her back.
They leave soon after, and Levi can't help but wish he'd insisted on her explaining things to him. It was a pointless thought, though. He'd never see the girl again, and that was fine with him.
If only he knew how dead wrong he was.