Note: Hello again! I'm back at it, and of course super excited to bring the second chapter.

So this will be the beginning of the actual plotline, the first chapter was just a warm-up!

There's a huge shift in tone that's going to occur in this chapter, just warning you guys. Last chapter was sort of serious, this time it's going to be less so. There's a lot of swings emotion wise, so just bear with me!

Thank you so much for the support!

Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman

Plushie

Chapter 2: Suddenly a Wife

"Armin! Armin, she's awake, holy shit!"

Mikasa stirred, eyebrows furrowing. Her teal eyes fluttered open, and she winced at the sudden light that greeted her. She lolled her head to the side dazedly, blinking hard. She attempted to move, but her entire body was sore and stiff. She groaned, stretching her legs for good measure, attempting to sit up, but failing. She plopped back against the plush cushions.

Her body was bandaged, including her head.

She examined her arms, bemused. Apparently, she had been mummified.

"…What happened?" Mikasa managed slowly, glancing around the room.

She was in a sterile infirmary room, at the Survey Corps headquarters outside the walls. She recognized the aged (yet immaculately clean) stone walls as well as the large oak doors. It seemed to be midday, and the sun was high in the cloudless azure sky. Sitting on the bench next to her were Armin and Eren.

But something about them was off. It took a few moments to register, but finally she was able to ascertain that they were older. Mature. She blinked again, but could not shake their aged appearances out of her head. What was happening?

Last she could recall; she had just been recruited as the sole member of Levi's elite squad. Her and Levi were to embark on a mission to hunt down a known 15-m titan shifter that dwelled in the forest of giant trees, however…

Everything afterwards was blank.

Mikasa could only remember the documents that outlined the mission, as she had reproduced them in her head over and over with fervor, wanting so badly to slice up the remaining titan shifters for what they had done to Eren.

"What is happening?" She inquired softly, head still swimming.

Armin frowned. The blonde stood slightly, then said: "The doctors say that she may have amnesia."

"Amnesia?" Eren repeated with disbelief. "How is that even possible? She was just sparring"—

"Mikasa, you are twenty-two years old, and you are…a Squad Leader of the Survey Corps. A week ago, you were sparring with Squad Leader Hange and a rotten tree branch collapsed beneath you. You fell, and we had to pull you out from beneath the ruins of the bark. You suffered no fatal injuries, just some scratches, but you hit your head pretty hard. The doctor says you have amnesia. What do you last remember?" Armin's blue eyes looked earnestly into hers as they searched desperately for answers that Mikasa could not produce.

Mikasa's stomach sunk as the information settled in. Her head spun as she slowly registered each fact—she was a Squad Leader, she had fallen, and suddenly she had lost three years of her life.

"I just remember our mission… Lance Corporal Levi and I were leading the Survey Corps… chasing a 15-m titan shifter in the forest. We were just entering the forest, then… I don't know, I fell…"

Armin's eyes widened in recognition, "That was three years ago, Mikasa."

"I know."

Armin and Eren exchanged glances. Suddenly, Eren looked extremely amused.

"Wait. So if that's the point you remember up to, that means you don't know that titans are nearly in extinction?" Eren asked, a grin marring his features.

Mikasa's eyes widened, "What?"

"We won the war, Mikasa," Armin continued for Eren, who frowned as he was cut off. "We"—

"I mastered titan shifting. There are lots of us now in the military. Humans have moved outside the walls. The titans have all been isolated to a trench—where you fell, by the way—and they were left there to die from lack of sunlight."

"They can't climb up," Armin mentioned, "Commander Erwin ordered the vines be burned. The survey corps continue to venture there. Squad Leader Hange can overlook their lifestyle and learn more about them in an isolated environment, where they're basically dormant without the sun."

Mikasa's mind melted. No more titans? What did this mean, "So we…"

"We're heroes," Eren cut her off, a wide smile stretching across his face, "You and Levi are in charge of the Survey Corps. The Military Police have been abolished. We do their job now."

Mikasa nodded slowly, then asked, "Just now… you addressed the Corporal as Levi…"

Eren blinked widely, then laughed out loud.

Armin shot him a look, then said, "Mikasa. There's something else you should know."

Mikasa shifted, still in a state of disbelief over the information she was receiving. Suddenly fighting—a necessity of survival—was no longer a requirement. Humanity had overthrown the almighty titan race. Somehow, she had been a part of it. Somehow, they had avenged all the needless deaths, all the sacrifices.

Eren's mom…

Tears welled in her eyes, and rolled freely down her cheeks, "Armin"—

"You and Levi are married!" Eren blurted gleefully, smugly, even. Armin emitted an exasperated sigh, eyeing his friend with distress.

"Eren!"

Mikasa's blood ran cold. Tears stained her face but she stared at them, wide eyed. Her mouth hung open slightly.

For the first time in her life, Mikasa fainted.

Levi was situated behind his desk, legs crossed, and toe swinging impatiently. He was dressed casually in his silk cravat, frowning as he rested his cheek against his closed fist whilst her read over the forms in front of him. There were stacks of forms for him to look over and sign. There were books of research that required his approval before they were permitted to be for public viewing. There were people he needed to meet with, soldiers that required his orders.

Suddenly Erwin's job wasn't as fun anymore.

Erwin had happily chosen retirement in the city, leaving Levi with a raise but a shit ton of work.

Levi had barely a moment to step out of his office for a cup of coffee. The office was getting stuffy and dusty with the amount of paperwork that was piling up, and it disgusted him. It would be better to deal with it all at once, so he could finally organize everything accordingly.

But that would require several hours.

Where is she, he berated inwardly, scowling at the document before him. Eren Yaeger wanted permission to lead a squad to the ocean for "useful resources". Levi narrowed his eyes as he imagined the words "treasure hunting" instead.

"Fuck that," muttered Levi, neatly drawing an X in the "No" box and tossing it into the growing pile of rejects to his left.

A knock sounded at his door. Levi looked up narrowing his eyes, "What?"

The oak door cracked open. Armin Arlert poked his blond head inside the office, then finally stepped inside. He strode just in front of Levi's desk and saluted him. "Commander Levi."

"Yeah, what?" Levi asked impatiently.

"It's about Mikasa."

Levi perked up at her name, "Well?"

Armin bowed his head apologetically, "The doctor's hypothesis was confirmed."

Levi's scowl deepened, and he rolled his head back, "You're fucking kidding me. Amnesia?"

"Sorry, sir, it's true. She remembers your first escapade to the woods as a team three years ago, but nothing afterwards."

"Oh for fuck—Well, what's the old fart gonna do about it?"

"Unfortunately there's nothing he can do. We can only hope that her memory comes back soon. She's the new Lance Corporal, after all. The squad is relying on her."

"Ugh… shit," Levi groaned, running his fingers through his hair, tousling it. "Well, can I see her?"

"Sir, there's another problem," Armin rushed, though Levi had stood and was pacing towards the door.

Armin followed Levi's quick steps down the hall, towards the infirmary.

"Levi! She doesn't remember you."

At that, Levi came to a sudden stop. Armin nearly ran right into his back, staggering to a stop just behind him. The younger man huffed, then placed a hand on Levi's shoulder.

"Don't be too rash. She'll come around, her head injury wasn't that serious… Don't"—

Levi shrugged Armin's hand off, deadpanning, "She's my wife, for fuck's sake. Just because she has amnesia doesn't mean she's not my wife anymore."

With that, Levi continued down the stairs.

One level down was the infirmary.

Levi wasted no time, ignoring the frantic pleas emerging behind him from none other than Armin, who had followed him to the floor below—in attempt to stop him, for whatever reason. Levi snarled, throwing open the door.

Mikasa jumped where she seat in bed. Hange was also in the room, and was just about to place a tray of food onto Mikasa's lap. Upon seeing the Commander, Hange smiled sheepishly, quickly placing the tray on the side table and holding her hands up defensively.

"Now Levi, I know you probably think this is my fault"—

"It is your fault." Levi snapped. "Just shut up. Leave us."

Armin quickly rushed to Mikasa's side. Her usually composed face was openly bewildered as she watched the scene before her unfold.

"Mikasa, Commander Levi"—

"Commander Levi?" Mikasa repeated incredulously, looking towards the offending man. She narrowed her eyes slightly. "The shorty became the Commander?"

Levi twitched at the slight, then pushed past Hange, "I would have been happy to demonstrate in your stead. I fucking told you that the meeting would only be a half hour. I would have been there in less time than the brats would have taken to fucking put on their gear."

Mikasa gawked at him, then frowned, "I don't understand what you mean, sir."

Levi exhaled, barely managing to conceal his frustration. He turned a nasty glare to Hange, who brushed it off with a laugh, waving her hand carelessly.

"Don't look so mad, Levi! She's alive and well. Well, it looks a lot worse than it actually is. She had a bunch of scratches so we bandaged her up, but honestly she was hardly injured"—

"Could you shut the fuck up for a goddamn second. My wife just called me sir," Levi spat. He shook his head, crossing his arms across his chest and leaning against the wall. He regarded Hange disdainfully, then averted his gaze towards Mikasa. He pushed off the wall, nearing her slowly. Mikasa stiffened as he sat on the bed, eyes never leaving hers. "You really can't remember, Mikasa?"

He called me by my name, "I'm afraid not… Levi."

She tried his name for good measure. She saw him ease slightly, then he sighed.

"Tch. Well, no use crying over it," he muttered standing and then grabbing Hange by the head, "Until my wife recovers, you will handle her job."

"What?!" Hange shrieked, shaking her head from his hand and pointing a finger at him, "I have experiments to do! My titans"—

"Your experiments will be put on hiatus. I don't really give a shit if they're fucking, sleeping, eating—whatever it is they're doing it's not worth taxes anyway. They're subdued for now and that's all that matters."

Hange groaned.

"You withdraw your team from the trench until Mikasa has made a full recovery. That's an order." Levi clipped, then gestured towards the door. "Now get lost. Both of you."

Armin cringed beneath the Commander's pointed stare and sighed, shaking his head in defeat. He offered a final smile to Mikasa before obediently following a muttering Hange out of the room, closing the door behind them.

Mikasa's stomach fluttered against her will when she realized that she would be left alone with the Corporal. No… not the Corporal anymore. The Commander. Somewhere along the lines, he had taken Erwin's job. She wondered who replaced Levi as the Lance Corporal. Mikasa shifted uncomfortably, watching as Levi paced, examining her room. First, he started at the curtains. He eyed the windowsill contemptuously, muttering curses and the word "filthy" repeatedly under his breath. He straightened the curtains, then started towards the shelves. He organized the medicines that were there, examining each one before meticulously placing it back on the shelf. He opened the cupboards, examined each article of folded clothing, and then closed them. Finally, Levi settled on the bench next to her bed. He looked at the side table, on which was the neglected tray of food that Hange had brought for Mikasa.

Wordlessly, he took the tray then placed it on her lap. Mikasa stared at the food dubiously. She averted a passive gaze to Levi, who was watching her expectantly.

"Well? Eat." Levi muttered. He leaned forward, propping his elbows on the side of the mattress.

Mikasa moistened her lips. Pancakes. Complete with a square of melted butter and syrup drizzled overtop of it. She had not had pancakes since she was a small child, even then it was so rare.

Levi had read her mind: "Now that we're not cramped within the walls, we have more land to produce food. And a variety of foods, at that."

Mikasa nodded listlessly, picking up the fork and neatly cutting a triangle out of the stack of pancakes. Levi watched as she stabbed the piece and brought it to her mouth. She chewed quietly, then swallowed. "It's so sweet."

"You want something else?"

She shook her head, continuing to eat. Levi watched as she devoured the pancakes. When her plate was empty, he took the tray off of her lap then placed it back on the side table.

"I'll bring it down later," he said, though Mikasa was not concerned about the tray.

She narrowed her eyes at him, "Why are we married?"

The question seemed to jar him slightly. He sighed, rolling his eyes and resting his chin in his hands, "We fell in love."

"When? How? Why?"

"Jeez… Is it really that hard for you to believe?"

Mikasa lowered her gaze and tightened her fists. Yes it was hard for her to believe. For as long as she could remember, ever since she was a child, she had loved no one but Eren. She knew since the moment he saved her that he would be the one for her. Ever since she found the will to fight, ever since he wound his red scarf around her to keep her warm. Hadn't she always been in love with Eren?

She squeezed her eyes shut as she recalled vividly Eren's mother getting eaten by a titan. Why was she remembering that now?

Then she realized—her scarf!

"Where is my scarf?" Mikasa suddenly asked, bringing her left hand to her bare collar.

Levi blinked, then snorted, "Shit, you haven't been worried about that ratty old thing since we got married."

Mikasa did not understand what would ever possess her to take it off her person.

"I want my scarf back, please," Mikasa said darkly, ignoring his statement. She clutched the bed sheets, eyes challenging his.

"Mikasa. Don't you get it… Look, I really don't care that you have amnesia. Shit happens. The point is: you don't need that scarf."

Mikasa clenched her teeth, narrowing her eyes furiously, "Sir, I"—

"And fuck, don't call me that!" Levi snapped, eyes flaring. He exhaled, clutching his head and groaning. "I can't believe this."

She had nothing to say. She settled for glaring at the top of his head.

When he looked up at her again, he reached out. His fingers found her hair. Mikasa flinched as he touched her neck. He twined his fingers in her hair, following the ebony strands down past her shoulders, just below her collarbone. Mikasa bit her lip. Her hair was different.

Again, he spoke as though he read her mind: "You grew it out after we got married. I told you over, and over, and last week… I never want you to fight or put yourself in danger ever again…"

He sighed, his hand holding the side of her face.

She instinctively brought her hand up to hold his wrist, clutching it tightly. Mikasa grimaced trying her hardest to pry his hand away but he resisted her, unabashed. Instead, he grabbed her hand and pulled her forwards into an embrace. He held her for a while to his chest, arms squeezing around her and face buried in the crook of her neck. He inhaled her scent, holding her close, crushing her almost. She emitted a gasp, wriggling her arms free to push against his chest, attempting to peel away from him. He only tightened his grip around her.

Finally he released her, and she launched back against the pillows with a huff, red faced from having fought him. She frowned at him, "Please don't do things like that."

Anger flashed in his eyes, but he forcibly relaxed, leaning away from the bed.

Finally, he declared: "We're going home."

"I have to stay with you?" Mikasa inquired blankly.

Levi muttered a curse, looking over his shoulder at the woman behind him. Mikasa stood in the doorframe of the house's entrance, glancing around suspiciously. It took all of his willpower not to grab her by the arm and yank her inside.

"You live here. We live here." He motioned for her to come in. "Could you get in? It's cold, and you're letting in dust."

Mikasa stepped inside, closing the door softly behind her. She watched Levi as he removed his shoes, and stepped into a pair of pink slippers. Mikasa crinkled her nose. It was then she noticed that there was a smaller pair of slippers just outside the mat as well, supposedly meant for her use. She sighed. There was no use in resisting her fate at this point. She removed her shoes obediently, then stepped into the slippers. For a few moments, she relished how comfortable they were. With small, slow steps, she crept further into the house.

The house was incredibly clean, complete with polished hardwood floors and an oak bannister. The walls were of smooth white plaster. She blinked widely of this, but then shook off the surprise that overcame her. Things were different now that the titans were gone. Assuming that humans had more resources, upgrades like drywall and hardwood flooring must have been far more attainable. Not to mention Levi's new position must have came with a hefty raise in salary…

Mikasa ventured deeper into the house. There was a living room with a sofa, a coffee table, and a fireplace. The kitchen was attached to the dining room, which had a long dining table that was capable of seating eight. Three chairs were lined on either long side with one chair at each end. Finally, there was an office with a large desk. Each wall was lined with shelves with countless books, each organized alphabetically and categorized according to their contents. Not even just the office—everything in the house was neat, organized, and devoid of any dust or wear.

Was this all Levi's doing?

Mikasa wandered back into the kitchen once she completed her tour of the first floor. Levi stood at the sink with his back facing her. He was drying the dishes.

He began to put the plates away into the cabinet. He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, "Done wandering?"

She lowered her gaze, "Sorry."

"Don't be," Levi replied as if automatically. He faced her, leaning back slightly against the counter.

"I understand that we're… married," she enunciated the word carefully, "However I am not comfortable with sharing a bed with"—

"I'll sleep in the guest room," Levi interrupted her irritably. He tilted his head at her, eyes examining her expression.

She remained earnest and unexpressive, to his dismay. He sighed, then flicked his head towards the stairway.

"We have three bedrooms. The master bedroom is our room, but since you bumped your head that's your room for now. I'll just stay next door."

"… Okay."

"There's a bathroom attached to our bedroom, and another one down here. I don't really care which one you use. Your toiletries and clothes are all in our room, just look. Just don't fuck up my closet."

Mikasa nodded slowly. "…Alright."

Mikasa ascended the stairs slowly. The staircase led to a hallway with three doors.

She guessed the room at the end of the hall to be the master bedroom. She cracked open the door. An immaculate bedroom, definitely the master bedroom. There was a large window with billowing white curtains, a king sized bed with white sheets. The bed was made. There was a large bureau and a closet door which was shut. The bathroom door was open, revealing spotless tiled flooring.

There was an oil lantern on the side table. She found matches in the drawer and struck the wick to life, illuminating the bedroom with a musty, yellow glow.

She walked towards the closet. She cringed a little bit upon recalling that he had called it his closet.

But where else would her clothes be?

Mikasa turned the knob of the closet door, swinging it open as quietly as she could. To her dismay, the two rows of neatly hanged clothes indeed belonged to Levi. She released her breath, closing the closet door softly.

She checked the bureau next. She opened the bottom drawer, immediately finding silk nightgowns in varying colors. Her eyes widened marginally. What did she need so many for?

Perhaps it was best to not overthink anything. The world was different three years later. Humanity progressively began to heal, making itself comfortable in the world once more. The world was full of resources, possibilities, and mysteries. The more the survey corps explored, the more land humanity could dominate, and the more they could learn and develop as a growing race. And, as all these changes were happening, she was changing as well. Who was she now? She was married to Levi. She was a woman who had nothing to fight for anymore. A woman that lived in a pretty house, with pretty nightgowns, in a world she had known to be nothing but cruel and unforgiving.

It slowly sunk into Mikasa that the person she had become was a person who was at peace.

But last she could recall, she was still at war with the world. Then suddenly, she woke up to a life in which the world was no longer her enemy.

It made no sense.

She shook her head.

Mikasa's shoulders slacked as she carefully removed the dress she had been wearing in the infirmary. The discarded garment crumpled at her ankles and she slipped into a lavender nightgown.

Mikasa concluded that amnesia would be the new enemy, the new battle she had to fight.

She needed to learn who she was.

Mikasa trudged towards the bed, peeling back the white covers. Slipping her feet out of the slippers she crawled into bed, pulling the comforter over her and sinking into the plush mattress. She reached towards the nightstand, extinguishing the lamp. Within a few moments, darkness shrouded the room. She stared up at the ceiling for several moments through half lidded eyes, then shut them all together.

Five minutes later, the door swung open. Mikasa tensed, but continued to feign sleep.

She heard the floor creak softly beneath someone's weight. She maintained her breathing, forcing it to remain even. She relaxed her muscles, focusing on her breaths.

She felt a weight shift the mattress.

A pair of lips softly touched hers.

Mikasa's entire body stiffened, and blood rushed to her face. The shorty…

The bed shifted as Levi rose. Mikasa listened to his retreating footsteps, then finally to the sound of the door closing shut again.

Her eyes flung open, and she brought both hands to her face.

I can't get used to this.

Tomorrow, her mission would begin.

End Chapter 2

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