Daisy II | Levi Ackerman

Chapter 14 - Evergreen

851

[Naomi]

"All my life, I'd been raised getting almost everything I needed and wanted that I've spent it wondering about the people whom I could have given the excess to." I mused, as Levi and I walked down an empty street only faintly lit by a defective yellow lamppost. "And now that I'm here... I do not feel pity, or anger, or the likes... I feel ashamed. I feel guilty."

Levi eyed me pensively, as I walked only a short distance from him on the pathwalk, cutting a wide space between closely-erected tall buildings which were all mostly abandoned. The darkness pervaded most of the area, but some windows provided even a faint firelight, making anyone who was unfamiliar with the place feel unsafe and watched.

But I felt safe with Levi. I always did.

"And you're guilty, for what reason?" He asked, his hands in his pockets as I looked to him.

"Because I know I could have done something." I answered. "I feel cruel. I feel selfish. For so long... I'd been taking this place for granted."

"Yes, but you know, people mostly realize they'd been greedy only when they're already laying on their deathbeds, afraid to confront the consequences for their lifetime of sin." Levi answered, his tone calm against my coursing thoughts; induced by the feeling of being completely ignorant to the decaying life that was becoming of my subjects living underground. "What's important now is that you're making up for it. And at such a young age too."

My pensive gaze alighted to the ground.

"It's already a great gesture that you're doing this for the children here." Levi assured me once more, his gray eyes sullen yet sincere. "When I was a kid, I needed people like you. People who would show me that the world was so much more than just knives and bills."

I eased down on my ranting, regarding Levi with a softened gaze as his expression of gratitude circled my heart. "This isn't completely me. This is you. You, who made me think about reaching out to this place, who made me realize it still exists, and that people here still needed our help."

"You credit me a lot for the great things you do, for the great person you've grown into." Levi muttered, looking towards the ground in a solemnity that touched me.

"Because you deserve it." I found myself saying, still slowly walking. "You fulfilled your promise to Aunt Celine really well. To be there for me. And you're still fulfilling it so well."

Levi lifted his gaze at me, moved by the earnest words that escaped my mouth. I gave him a faint smile, that colored even more shades of surprise in his face. He then loosened onto his usual frown, but he smiled faintly.

"I don't think I've had much significance with you growing up to be a 'fine young lady', I wasn't around for the most part of your growth." He said, "But I know you make me a better man."

Feeling appreciated more than ever, I closed the distance between us and linked my arm around his, looking up at him. "We make each other better. That's it. No protests, no counterpoints. That's the truth."

Levi only squeezed my hand softly, returning his attentive gaze to the dimly-lit road before us. I observed further, my curious eyes flickering from the high, black ceiling above- to the rotting structures of broken dreams, of bleakness and hopelessness- until the overwhelming sensation of being caged in like a display bird crept up in my heart.

"This place is like an eternal nighttime." I remarked weakly, looking around the town. "With no moon and no stars. Just a black sky. Every day, you wake up and it's nighttime. No sun to greet you, no clouds to gaze at the funny shapes of... No fresh breeze."