The carriage was quiet as we left the prison. Then Mikasa had to break the silence. "Levi, how are you such a love expert anyway? " Armin looked shocked. I don't want to know what he thought she meant.
"Everybody had their ideas about you and Eren. I saw that they were probably right."
"Oh, you guys talked about Eren!" Armin seems relieved. "She admitted to be in love?"
"Please, let's leave this between cousins." I hope she liked that; her cousin brother helping her with her secret.
We were visiting Eren. It was the same cell from when I met him. Mikasa and Armin spoke to him first. Then I got a moment with him.
Wonder how lousy he feels. Not able to get his ass kicked by titans.
"What did you do to Mikasa? "
" Do? "
" She's different. She's not like an older sister any more. "
" Aren't you happy? "
" Why do you care? "
" I don't, you merely sounded unhappy. "
" What did you do? "
So he was happy. " I taught her reason. "
" What do you mean? "
" A gifted soldier like her should not lose function over an idiot like you. "
What was the noise down the hallway?" Mikasa? "
" Hey Eren, I forgot to tell you that he and I are cousins. "
The news spread over Eren's face visibly. Of course he cared. He was going to go crazy. Damn it!
"What! How! Are you crazy!"
"Shut up."Wait; she said it too. The look on Eren's face… that annoying brat.
"Alright, let's go. We'll get you out Eren."
He is clearly still not over it. "How does it matter that we're cousins?" I hope he realized that the significance he was giving this was empty bullshit.
The carriage was peaceful. The waves of the deal left. Everything seemed normal. But Erwin's dead and Hange is the commander. That weirdo's my boss. Mikasa broke the peace again.
"Have you ever loved somebody?"Her gaze was on me. 'Loved.' I don't even trust. But I have loved people - in a friendly; brotherly way. Isabella. Dead. My squads. All died. Erwin. Killed. Petra. 'Brotherly' love only? Dead.
In summary: "Every girl my age in the squad is either dead or Hange."
"No ghosts of the past?"
My expression probably changed. Images flashed in my mind... the orange hair, the dead eyes. "Ghosts, but ghosts only."
Even Armin looked sorry for me. "Is that why you're so closed?"
"It's why I no longer get attached."
That silenced the carriage once more.
We reached the squad. I put my things in my room there. They had collected my other things. I put on my uniform. It's never left me. "Don't get attached, Levi." Fuck you, Kenny. But you're right.
Orders had arrived before we did. Our next mission was to go to Shinshiga and find the secrets of Eren's basement.