The Braun family residence was a snug home in the suburbs of Nodlon that didn't seem like much for a rather large family with two heroes from the Rumbling, but it was enough for them to live in. It didn't seem suitable for more than nine people to be in at the same time for several hours at a time. The whole family had to share bedrooms to make it work, but they were used to this from living together in their time in the Internment Zone.
Levi had been here after one of his surgeries to recover until he could get around again on his own. Those brats practically became his caretakers when they weren't at school. The other Alliance members tried to visit as well, but a lot of their time had been devoted to training to become ambassadors for the sake of peace under the guidance of Onyonkopon. Reiner was the one he saw the most, naturally. Levi couldn't be bothered to bitch and moan about his aching leg, but at least he could listen to somebody else do the bitching and moaning.
"I said once that Eren was the worst person possible to possess the Coordinate. But if we hadn't gone back home that day…" Reiner watched Gabi and Falco lay back on the lawn from the living room window. "I almost want to say it was worth it. It's nice. Gabi will never have to go through the hell I went through. But I still have nightmares. Marcel. Bertholdt. Marco. Marco especially." He inhaled deeply and crossed his legs on the sofa. "He would have been a better leader than me."
Too bad this brat had to be a Marleyan loyalist at the time. He could have used some guidance like Eren. Though maybe Reiner would turn out better, no matter how much he claimed to be no better than Eren.
Levi shifted in the armchair, mindful of the bandages around his knee. "I once told your classmates that for our version of humanity's survival, I would be willing to play the lunatic. Our humanity versus Titans. When we learned Titans were the same thing as humans, it took me hell of a long time to let those words bite me in the ass. Humanity's strongest soldier became a damn joke. But we were just doing what we knew was best. And you were just a brat. Tch, you brought your family this far. Don't wade in regrets."
"Capta- uh, Levi," he replied, mindful that Levi just wanted to be acknowledged by his name now, not his title, "you talk a lot about not regretting the choices you make. Why do you say that so often?"
Hell. This was going to take a long time to explain.
Even in the absence of Reiner, Gabi's family members who were there with them included her parents Giuseppe and Constantina Braun, her Aunt Karina, her uncle Mateo, her aunt Sigrid, her cousin Martino, and more recently, Gabi's seventh month old younger sister, Viola.
And joining them that night was Falco and his parents, Ramon and Cecilia. And Levi was there too, the odd one out without his own family. Plus that damn mutt he told them specifically to lock in a room before he arrived lest he try to steal his walking stick. Again.
At least the dog provided some comic relief that night. It felt like damn torture to have to remember the way they all came together after the Rumbling stopped. It seemed in those days following that there was no time to mourn the dead. Colt, Porco, Hange, Magath. The millions who were trampled upon without even a body to bury, millions of names forgotten.
Falco had remained pretty somber since that afternoon. His parents were likewise. He picked at his dinner like a younger brat would. His last happy memories with Colt were at that festival the night of Willy Tybur's speech, a month before the raid on Paradis. They had all the food and fun they could. Not as Warriors, just as normal brothers.
That was just like the night before the mission to retake Wall Maria. Nobody had a care in their little world they lived in. Those brats, the one with the same look in his eyes as Erwin, the one who desired to see the whole world, the big picture. The real world. Real humanity.
Dinner was eaten mostly in silence save for the incessant barking of that mutt who was not allowed to eat the roast beef and Viola babbling nonsense. Gabi turned to her.
"Is it bad that I'm happy that Viola won't ever have to wear an armband? She can walk around one day without anybody spitting on her. She'll never know what a Titan is for real!" Viola just blinked and started sucking her fingers.
Giuseppe cleared his throat. "Gabi. If you didn't have that medal with you, there would still be people hating you for who you are."
"Yeah, Dad, but at least it's worth something I did, not something my ancestors did."
What remained of the world governments outside of Paradis was fragile, but after weeks of containment, the Alliance had been awarded makeshift hero medallions. They weren't the same as the wings of freedom, but whatever had replaced them on Paradis paled in comparison. Nice to get a free pass to get around things like getting books that are supposed to be sent off to some dusty libraries or museums to clean up or to get around the city without anyone suspecting you are some island Eldian loyal to the Jaeger Faction.
It took longer for the Warriors' parents to really accept the Alliance members from the island. But again, Mr. Leonhart came to their aid and defense. He openly embraced Armin as a part of his own family. Anything for his daughter. Armin was heralded among the Marleyan army, so naturally, he was the model of a "good Eldian from the island". And of course, the Braun and Grice families were grateful to Levi for guiding them through the fight… not that he really did much. Pieck's father, Dolph, was stuck with Levi in the medical camp often for his own medical issues. At least they could bond over what it was like to be immobile. He lived with Pieck in their own apartment closer to one of the city hospitals where he received free care. But if they had not stopped the Rumbling, would anybody have given a damn to help him?
Falco fidgeted with the table cloth. "It helps me to think that Colt would be happy that I'm now safe and don't have to get shot at on the battlefield. And I don't have to be a Titan anymore." He sniffled. "After I finish school, I want to go help at the refugee camps. He'd like it if I were helping other people and if they knew what it was like to be a Warrior candidate."
"Me too!" Gabi interjected. "I'm going wherever Falco goes. We're not going to be apart ever again."
Tch. These two sounded like Eren and Mikasa more and more each day. They'd probably be getting married the second they finish school too at this rate. Levi sipped his wine carefully. So many opportunities he missed to open up to several women in his life. At least he knew about his own heritage now.
The damn mutt was still going at it. Martino excused himself to take the dog outside to the small lawn. He carefully led it by the collar to avoid anymore improvised games of fetch. Constantina and Karina began clearing away the dishes from the table. Sigrid excused herself to lie down because of a headache. Gabi and Falco went to join Martino outside. The men, save for Levi, went to chat up in the living room area. Levi made himself useful by taking dishes to the sink as well.
His knee was throbbing again, but fuck it. Got to be somewhat useful. He could at least make up for his lack of apartment cleaning by helping here.
"How do you think Reiner is doing today, Karina?" Constantina asked.
"Oh, my boy has got to be doing his best. I'm really proud of him." She sighed. "I still can't believe myself some days. It's because I really was a poor mother, wasn't it?"
"No use in hating yourself now," Cecilia Grice interjected, picking up a fussing Viola to hand her over to her mother.
"My own son, a walking weapon. All to impress the man I wanted to be with." Karina threw down the dish towel. "Oh, Timothy. Why do I still remember you? I was young and idiotic, a little whore." She laughed faintly.
Levi rolled his eye. He still had some work to do with Gabi and Falco. They still seemed innocent enough, but maybe those little fawns would suffer too much if they went to an overrun refugee camp full of disease. These places were more and more like their own Liberio was back in the day.
"Oh, thank you, Levi." Karina took his dishes from him. "You know, the children really do like you a lot. I never could have imagined Gabi looking up to somebody other than my Reiner." Constantina nodded in agreement.
Levi shrugged his shoulders. "It's nice to have the company. The brats I oversaw have their own little lives and jobs to worry about now." Tch. Captain Reiner and Captain Levi, caretaker of brats. He picked up his wine glass and leaned against one of the walls. "Not sure what they see in me either. I never did much to impress them."
Constantina rocked her baby. "I think that in the Warrior program, one of the units they covered was about the royal family and the Ackermans- mostly legends. That's the one lesson- uh- propaganda which the children loved even if they were taught that the clan was even worse than normal Eldians. So many questions from Gabi about why the King didn't do something about the problem of the Subjects of Ymir by using Ackerman genetics to stop us from turning."
Damn good question, Constantina.
"Did they tell you that they used their medals to get me an entire goddamn book about the Ackerman clan from their school trip the other day?" By… chance? Fate? No, don't get started on this.
Cecilia raised an eyebrow. "Tina, (Mrs. Braun's nickname), did your Gabi do this? Looks like she hasn't changed much since her Warrior days. She's going to get Falco into so much trouble when they run off like they say they will." She chuckled.
"Relax. Falco will always be there to protect her. Colt taught him well to protect those he loves to the last." They smiled painfully.
Maybe if he hadn't been such an idiot with Zeke, maybe there was a chance he could have stopped Floch from shooting the flying boat, and maybe he could have been able to prevent Hange from dying. No, you're doing it again, shit for brains. Was this all what Eren saw and couldn't control? You gave up all that power you sought. He put his right hand to his breast pocket close to his heart where he kept the old signia of the Survey Corps.
The somber silence was interrupted by heavy panting. The men in the living room grumbled.
"Theo, noooo!" Falco cried from the doorway as Gabi plodded in after the dog, which made its way right to Levi. If the Paths hadn't closed, he'd be reacting before the animal even got in the door. Still, he hadn't lost all his touch. He raised the walking stick above his head.
"Sorry, Levi!" Gabi pleaded, grabbing Theo's collar. He just gets excited. You should get a dog too!" He glared at her. "Or… maybe a cat would be better." She and Falco made their way to the dog's room to lock him in. Tch, maybe she should get her one of those birds that didn't shut up.
The three women were wide eyed. "Calm down. Just a mutt. Dealt with wild dogs all the time in the Underground. Rabid one tried to attack my group once. This one just needs some damn discipline." He sipped his wine as if nothing happened.
Giuseppe, Matteo, Ramon, and Martino spoke something to each other about stepping outside and that it was getting hot in there, and they made their way to the door. Sigrid, who shut herself in the spare bedroom, opened her door to complain about the dog too. Viola was getting fussy, so her mother went to put her to bed. Cecilia went to join her husband outside. Levi and Karina remained in the kitchen.
"Any word from Onyonkopon?" Karina asked.
Onyonkopon, after the Rumbling, had taken to working for the government of his homeland as the main resource for Paradis' geography and culture from his time on the island. He argued for the immunity of the rest of the Alliance as the only non-Eldian survivor. That had been the roughest experience having to wait caged up again in containment. Between the former shifters, the two children, Jean, Connie, and Levi, it had been a more difficult process for the former shifters and Levi. The shifters because of their prior ability to shift, but Levi, damn it. If he had just given his last name as something stupid like Brown or Smith, he would have been granted it in no time. Of course, everybody knew he was one of the two non-Shifter Eldians to not turn because of being an Ackerman, so that didn't help any. So many questions about his connections to the royal family.
"Quieter than a drugged baby," he replied, nodding toward Viola's room where she fussed. Karina toyed with the dish towel. "The brats told me there was no update today."
"Oh, of course. I worry about those island dev- oh. The Jaeger Faction." Karina shook her head. Her head scarf came loose. He wasn't the only one to keep his old dress habits and old ways. She sighed. "Sorry. There still seems to be a divide between the good Eldians and bad Eldians. At least according to our neighbors."
"I don't even hear mine talk. Maybe that's not bad." The first day that they arrived in Onyonkopon's land after a long, uncomfortable boat ride, there were several riots upon the arrival of the Alliance even though there were a lot in the crowd cheering for their victory over the devil. Armin was the most heartbroken even though he was told to expect this. One could suppose standing up to Muller wasn't the basis for further negotiations.
They had to avoid rotten bits of garbage and whatever refuse remaining from the Rumbling the rioters threw at them as the police tried to control them. Gabi's eyes were filled with fear and terror as well. She was the one who enthusiastically volunteered to help him walk down the ramp, but she was the one who needed his help. They'd both been on the receiving end of hatred for different reasons, but she had just gotten used to the idea of not wearing an armband.
Karina carefully piled the washed plates in the cupboard. "To think I was pushing Gabi to be the same as my Reiner. And then to find out she has these island devil friends she talks about now! Kara? Kaya? What was her name?"
"Kaya."
"Yes, Kaya. And Reiner called his own friends he made devils for eating potatoes and getting lost!" She laughed nervously again. "Why am I remembering all this tonight?"
He shrugged. He had no clue what else to say.
Karina brushed her headscarf up. "Oh, who knows? It's all more difficult on anniversaries." She paused. "Gabi told me that Onyonkapon is concerned about you."
Great. The brats mothering him wasn't enough.
"Tch. Everyone is."
"We just don't want you to end up to where my Reiner was."
There was a long silence. Captain Levi, Humanity's Strongest Soldier. Or he once was. He's as strong as an entire brigade.
Finally, he responded. "I don't regret making the choices I did when I did. I only did what was expected of me because of what we knew." He set the glass on the table. "The Rumbling. Ending it finally gave meaning to it all. Where I'll go next, can't say."
Karina smiled pitifully. "Or maybe you aren't like my Reiner. Or maybe I'm less of a ninny now." She looked at the kitchen clock. "Oh, it's getting late. I'd better get Giuseppe to start the car."
If it was any consolation to the island Eldians, the Eldians stuck in the Internment Zone were not allowed to drive cars either. The rest of the Alliance and their families had been granted privilege to learn to drive when granted immunity. Levi didn't wish to yet. No reason to drive anywhere. And Connie did not bring out the best of them all when he crashed his vehicle into a fruit stand on the first day. It was not like riding a horse.
"And how about you come over tomorrow? Afternoon tea? It must be boring waiting around all day for the children to visit."
Levi froze. Why was she doing this all of a sudden? But… why the hell not? Falco wasn't wrong about him needing something to do.
"Uh.. I can. I'm not a pain in the ass enough for you, huh?" Karina frowned. Shit.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I just… it gets boring around here too for Sigrid and Tina and the baby. Their husbands being gone all day laboring. Unless you-"
"No, you're right. I need to stop being the pain in the ass and come over." What the hell got into him?
"You're coming over tomorrow when we're not here?" Gabi poked her head in from the hallway. "But you never do that!" Falco grabbed her, but she fussed and broke free. "Aunt Karina, are you setting up a date?"
"Gabi!" Karina put her hands on her hips. "Where do you get such ridiculous ideas from? It's just afternoon tea, dear. Go find your father to start the car." She motioned her away.
Levi set his wine glass by the sink while the aunt and niece spoke. A date? That did sound like ridiculous shit. She was still caught up on that Timothy from all those years ago. Brats imagine things all the time. She'd better serve different tea than what Onyonkopon always gave him.
...
The car ride back was uneventful. The Grice family as a whole was far less feisty than Gabi. But Falco was very… protective of him along with being overly polite. He followed him every step back to the apartment entrance, peering left and right.
"I-I sometimes forget we don't live in the Internment Zone anymore. If we stayed out past curfew, we'd get beaten with rods. Our neighbor's kid did once, and he couldn't sit right for a week."
Levi nodded and sent him off for the night. Nothing changed in the apartment building save for a leak in the entryway ceiling that the landlord was stopping with a bucket. That better be fixed tomorrow.
After he readied himself for bed, he looked at the book left on the side table. Lots of reading left to do. At least he could have something to discuss with the women tomorrow.