The steady drip of water echoed in the quiet room, each droplet hitting his skin like a balm against his battered body. Kare stood under the stream, letting the water cascade over him, washing away the grime of months spent outside the walls. His frame, though leaner now from months of hardship, still bore the strength of a titan slayer. His muscles, earned from years of relentless training and survival, bore countless scars.

For months, he had evaded titans, fought them with nothing more than his leftover blades, and endured without proper ODM gear. And yet, somehow, he was still alive. That thought alone both awed and frustrated him. How he managed to cheat death was a mystery. And yet despite being back home... all he got was questions and the desperate need for answers.

"Fuck," he muttered, his voice echoing in the stone walls around him. For the first time in what felt like forever, he let the word escape his lips, raw and unrestrained. Here, in the solitude of the washroom, there was no one to see him crumble, no one to sense the weight crushing his soul. He was expecting much to change... but the news he got honestly shook him.

Commander Erwin was gone. Only nine scouts had survived the Battle of Shiganshina District, and that was counting those still inside the walls, recovering from their injuries. The rest… gone.

The knowledge cut deep. He scrubbed at his dirty blond hair, his green eyes staring back at him from the reflection in a pool of water on the floor. The bags under his eyes were dark, evidence of sleepless nights filled with memories of blood and death. His thoughts swirled, unbidden, until he forced himself to push them away. There wasn't time for this — not now.

When the water finally ran clear, Kare stepped out, drying himself quickly and donning the clothes the others had managed to find for him. He tugged on a black shirt, buttoned it neatly under a vest, and added the tie. The fabric felt foreign against his skin after months of rough cloaks and scavenged gear. He slung on his trench coat, its Wings of Freedom a testament to his identity, his purpose.

He was still a scout.

Outside, the sunlight was sharp and clear. Kare found Eren seated near the table, his gaze fixed on the ceiling. Armin and Mikasa stood nearby, engaged in a quiet conversation. Eren's head tilted back as Kare approached, his expression unreadable.

"What?" Kare asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing." Eren's tone was flat, but his eyes followed him, scrutinizing.

Kare adjusted his sleeves, glancing at the others. "I'm surprised you managed to find clothes that fit me."

"Oh, I got that for you," Armin said.

Eren smirked faintly. "You're a tall bastard. It wasn't easy. Honestly, though… we didn't really have time to, you know, sort through everything. Most of it came from…" He trailed off awkwardly.

Kare caught the implication and shrugged. "The dead?"

"Not really," Eren said. "We… thought about burying your old clothes with you."

Kare stiffened, but Eren pulled a journal from his pocket and handed it to him. "Speaking of which, you left this. I thought you might need it back now that you're here."

For a moment, Kare just stared at the journal. His journal. His mouth opened, then closed again as heat rushed to his face. Eren smirked.

"Shit," Kare muttered.

"You really think fondly of us, huh?" Eren teased.

"Well… I do," Kare admitted begrudgingly. He handed the journal back, trying to push down his embarrassment. His mind raced. Who read it? What did they see?

"Who read it?" he asked, his voice low.

"Just a few."

"Fuck…" Kare groaned, rubbing his temples. Eren's smirk only grew wider.

"Eren," Mikasa cut in, her voice sharp. "Stop bullying Kare."

Eren shrugged, his expression sliding back into a stoic mask. Kare shot him a look, then turned to Mikasa. "So, what's with Mr. Yeager here acting all serious? He wasn't this bad before."

Mikasa gave Eren a long look, her arms crossed. "A lot has happened," she said simply.

Kare sat at the table, leaning back and gazing at the ceiling. "Guess there's a lot to do."

"You're right," Mikasa replied, her tone measured. "And you should get to it."

Kare smirked, his gaze bouncing between Mikasa and Eren. "Oh, sorry. Am I interrupting some alone time? Should I leave?"

"It's not like that," Eren growled, his ears reddening.

"Sure, Eren. Suuure."

Eren looked like he wanted to retort, but instead he laughed, shaking his head. "It's good to have you back, Kare."

Kare nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah. Thanks for letting me wash up. We'll catch up later?"

"Sure."

As Kare rose, he glanced at Mikasa. "Watch his back, okay? Don't let him brood too much."

Mikasa's faint smile was reassuring. "Got it."

"Hey, don't just agree!" Eren protested.

Kare waved as he walked away, heading for the door. The streets of Shiganshina stretched before him, alive with activity as people rebuilt their homes and lives. It was strange to see life returning to the district after so much loss.

He wandered aimlessly at first, letting his feet carry him through familiar streets. Eventually, he stopped in front of a house — a house he hadn't seen in years. His old home. The sight of it brought a wave of conflicting emotions. Nostalgia, grief, anger. For a long moment, he just stood there, staring at the door, his hands clenched into fists.

His horse nudged him gently, breaking his reverie. Kare turned away with a sigh. There was no point dwelling on the past. He had responsibilities, people to report to. With a resolute step, he began walking again, heading toward the Scout Regiment's headquarters in Shiganshina.

The streets blurred around him as his thoughts wandered. Erwin, Hange, Levi, Eren, Mikasa… so much had changed. So much had been lost. And yet, here he was, alive. Somehow, he had made it through, but he couldn't shake the weight of it all. The ghosts of the fallen lingered in every corner of his mind, their voices urging him forward.

As he reached the gates of the headquarters, he took a deep breath, steeling himself for whatever came next. Responsibility wasn't new to him. He had always been the one at the rear, the one keeping his comrades alive. Now, he was one of the few officers left, and he had a duty to uphold.

As Kare stepped into the Scout Regiment headquarters, the air felt heavy, filled with the weight of loss and exhaustion. The large hall was quieter than he remembered, its usual hum of activity replaced by murmurs and the occasional cough. His sharp gaze picked out several scouts who were still recovering, their bandages stark against their uniforms.

At first, no one seemed to notice him. Kare walked further inside, his boots echoing against the stone floor. He took in the scene—the battered remnants of the regiment, the tired eyes of his comrades, and the palpable grief that hung in the air. Then, a voice broke the quiet.

"OUR MAN'S BACK!"

The shout was loud, excited, and carried the kind of disbelief one might expect from spotting a titan on the horizon. Kare turned toward the source, only to see one of the scouts pointing at him, eyes wide with recognition.

The effect was immediate. Heads snapped up, conversations halted, and the room froze as faces turned toward him. For a moment, the air was thick with silence, disbelief writ large on every face. Then, as if the floodgates had broken, his comrades surged toward him.

"KARE!"

"WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN?"

"YOU ASSHOLE! YOU DISAPPEARED!"

"HOW ARE YOU ALIVE?"

Kare barely had time to process the barrage of questions before he was pulled in every direction. Hands clapped his back, gripped his arms, and ruffled his hair. Their voices overlapped, a chaotic mix of joy, frustration, and relief.

"Where the hell were you?" someone demanded.

"Damn it, if you'd been during Shiganshina, we would have crushed those sons of bitches!" another said, though their tone was laced with affection.

"No kidding! It's good to see your tall ass, though."

Kare's chest tightened as he took in their faces, seeing the flickers of hope and the suppressed grief. He was back, but so many weren't. He swallowed hard, unsure how to respond, but their joy was infectious, and he found himself laughing softly despite the emotions threatening to overwhelm him.

The commotion reached a crescendo before being abruptly cut short by a sharp, familiar voice.

"Shut it, you brats," Levi barked, his tone as cold and commanding as ever.

The crowd parted like the tide, and Kare looked up to see Captain Levi standing at the edge of the room. His arms were crossed, and his perpetually unimpressed expression was fixed on Kare. Yet, for the briefest moment, there was a flicker of something else—a small, almost imperceptible smile that vanished as quickly as it appeared.

"Well, well. Look who finally decided to show up," Levi said, his tone dry. "Still as much of a tall bastard as I remember."

Kare straightened, raising his hand to his heart in a crisp salute. "Kare Freund, reporting back for duty, Captain."

Levi's mouth twitched, but whatever comment he was about to make was cut off as another figure zipped into the room, moving faster than Kare could react.

"KARE!"

Hange collided with him, wrapping him in a bear hug that nearly knocked the wind out of him. "My assistant! My dear assistant! You're alive!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with emotion. Tears streamed down her face as she buried it against his chest, her grip unrelenting.

"Hange," Kare managed, his voice muffled by her shoulder. "Good to see you too."

Hange pulled back, her eyes wide and glistening. "I thought you were dead! We all thought you were dead!"

Levi pinched the bridge of his nose. "Shitty four-eyes, would you stop blubbering and explain what's going on? Now's not the time for theatrics."

Hange turned to glare at Levi but kept one arm slung around Kare's shoulders. "Excuse me, Levi, but I think a little celebration is in order. Do you realize how much I've missed my assistant? My competent assistant?"

Levi sighed, though there was no real annoyance in his tone. "Yeah, yeah. And now that he's back, maybe we can actually get some work done around here." His sharp gaze flicked back to Kare. "Don't get too comfortable, Freund. I've got a feeling you're about to be overworked."

Kare smirked, his posture relaxing slightly. "Wouldn't be the Scouts without it, sir."

The crowd erupted into laughter, the tension breaking as the scouts traded quips and jabs.

"Overworked? He just came back from the dead!"

"Give him a break, Captain Levi!"

"He's earned a nap, at least!"

Kare chuckled, his heart feeling lighter than it had in months. Despite everything — the pain, the loss, the weight of survival.

This reminded him why he had fought so hard to return. These people, his comrades, were his family.

The officer's meeting room was dimly lit, the faint glow of lanterns casting long shadows across the walls. Kare sat at the rectangular table, his posture upright but his hands resting loosely on the armrests of his chair. Across from him, Hange leaned forward, her elbows on the table, her sharp gaze fixed on him. Levi stood to the side, arms crossed, his eyes unreadable but attentive as always.

"Well," Hange began, her tone serious, "we've got a mountain of work ahead of us. And with you back, Kare, I'm seriously tempted to throw all of it your way." She smiled, though there was genuine weight behind her words. "You know Erwin had high hopes for you. He talked about your potential more times than I can count."

Levi gave a small nod of agreement. "He wasn't wrong. But I'd rather keep you mobile. We're stretched thin as it is, and we need someone who can actually get things done. With the way things are, having you stuck behind a desk would be a waste."

Kare took the praise in stride, though he couldn't help but feel a pang of loss at the mention of Erwin. He nodded solemnly. "I'll do my best. Whatever you need, just say the word."

Hange grinned, sitting back in her chair. "With you back, I feel a lot more confident about the upcoming expedition to the ocean. If anyone can help make it a success, it's you."

Kare managed a small smile at her enthusiasm. "I'll do what I can."

Levi tilted his head, his sharp gaze boring into Kare. "So, where the hell were you? From what I remember, after you made yourself bait for Eren and the others, you vanished. Took your sweet time coming back, didn't you?"

Kare sighed, his hands resting on the table as he leaned forward slightly. "I stayed in the Forest of Giant Trees for a while. After those bastard nearly wiped me out, I figured it was the best place to hide while I waited for an opening to move north. I kept going, hoping to make it back to the walls."

His voice faltered, and he hesitated. "I missed a lot of the action, though. If I'd—"

"Stop." Levi's tone was curt, but not unkind. He held up a hand, cutting Kare off. "You can't do shit about it now. Focus on what's ahead, not what's behind."

Kare nodded, swallowing his guilt. "You're right. So, what can I do to help now, Captain?"

Hange's grin returned, this time with a mischievous edge. "Well, funny you should ask. We're in desperate need of a diplomat these days."

Kare blinked, caught off guard. "A… diplomat?"

"Don't worry," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "With you around, we've got a much better chance at success. You've got connections, after all. Pixis and Zackly, right?"

Levi raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. "Pixis and Zackly? What the hell kind of connections are we talking about?"

Kare scratched the back of his neck, a sheepish expression crossing his face. "It's not much. Commander Pixis and I have had a few discussions about strategy in the past. As for Commander Darius Zackly… well, he asked me to draw the outside scenery while we're on expeditions. I guess he liked the results."

Levi snorted softly, the corners of his mouth twitching in what could almost be a smile. "Figures that you'd somehow get to know them. Forgot how much of a nosy bastard you are," He straightened, his expression growing serious. "Anyway, with most of the Scouts gone, we'll have to rely on you for more than just fighting. Hange here might be joking, but she's not wrong. We need someone who can handle both blades and politics."

"What about the older members of the regiment?" Kare asked. "I saw some of them outside."

"They've got their hands full too," Levi said bluntly. "Everyone's overworked. You will not be an exception. Speaking of which…" He paused, his sharp eyes narrowing slightly. "What's your relationship with Historia?"

Kare tilted his head, confused for a moment. "Historia? Oh… you mean Krista. I nearly forgot. It's still strange to think of her as Queen Historia." He thought for a moment before answering honestly. "We're good friends. She's someone I respect a lot."

Levi nodded slowly. "That's acceptable."

Kare frowned slightly. "Why? Is there something going on I should know about?"

Levi didn't answer directly, instead giving a faint shrug. "Let's just say being back doesn't mean you're getting off easy. You've got plenty to catch up on, and I'll be bothering you with this and that for a while."

Kare leaned back, a small, resigned smile on his face. "I figured as much. Whatever you need, I'll do it, Captain. This is something I want to do. No, even if you say you don't need help, Captain. I'll bother you for some."

Hange clapped her hands together, her enthusiasm lighting up the room. "That's the spirit! Oh, I'm so glad you're back, Kare. Things are finally looking up!"

Levi sighed, shooting her an annoyed glance. "Shitty four-eyes, calm down. We're not celebrating yet. We still have a lot of shit to talk about."

Kare couldn't help but chuckle.

He really was back home.