Family

Chapter Six; Memories

Ha. Here they come. Thought the soldier, hidden in the leaves of the forest tree, hearing the familiar metallic snapping of Manuver Gear.

"Coocoo. Coocoo." The soldier called, imitating a birds call perfectly.

Hearing the signal, the soldier on the ground let out a returning call, before turning the heavy ropes that operated the large titan.

Upon hearing it creak and turn, Eren and Mikasa quickly switched courses, heading towards the noise.

With looks, Eren relayed that he'd go first, and Mikasa reluctantly fell back, gray eyes flashing.

Eren went forward through the air like a shot, closely cropped black hair whipping back. His blades flashed, and a leather-bound foam wedge fell to the ground. Mikasa followed him, cutting through the leather with ease, and a wedge easily twice the size of Eren's fell to the ground, along with a slice of cardboard.

Damn. She still cut deeper than I did. Eren thought, quickly rounding around to wrap his lines around the titans neck, trapping it in place. Out of nowhere, Armin swooped down and delivered the final blow, completely slicing the back of the titans neck clean off.

The two soldiers emerged from their hiding places, grinning and shooting the trainees thumbs-up. This was the fourth fake titan they'd brought down in ten minutes, more than any of the others.

"Oh, come on! Leave some for the rest of us, yeah?" Sasha complained, she, Jean, and Marco emerging from the trees on their Manuver Gear.

Eren laughed, which he didn't do nearly as often anymore.

"Gotta be faster then!" He called back, eyes gleaming with a challenge.

"Fine! Most titans brought down before we return to the barracks wins!" Jean said, accepting the unspoken challenge.

Instead of baiting Jean further, the trio, lead by Eren, disappeared, melting into the forest greenery in search of more fake titans.

It had been over a year since Eren had joined the trainees, and the thirteen year old boy had just celebrated his birthday away from home.

It had been just two weeks ago, and it was a grey and stormy day. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin had snuck away late that night and gone into the town, for a night away from training.

For most of the night, they had milled around aimlessly, just enjoying the freedom of it all. Spending a little bit of money Eren had put away, for he never had a cause to spend it, they bought drinks and food at a small café that was open all night. Eren could remember the night clearly...

The new moon was out that night, so the trio's only light was the stars and the lanterns of the streets. Sitting at one of the café's tables, they ate hamburgers, fries, and drank soda, which they had not done since before joining the military training. Eren was laughing at some joke Armin had told, but his heart was heavy. He missed his birthdays back at home, with the lopsided cakes Hanji and Petra made (though neither of them could cook very well), and blowing out the candles surrounded by his family. So Eren's mind was in the past when Armin gasped and yanked on Eren's brown armh-issued jacket. Mikasa and Armin quickly looked down, eyes on the table.

"What is it?" Eren whispered, following his friends examples.

"Look at the man standing near the river." Mikasa hissed.

Eren did, and he gasped.

It was his father, though tonight Levi wore civilian clothing. Eren recognized the clothes-black suit jacket, which hung limply around Levi's shoulders, black dress pants, white shirt and cravat-they were the only civilian clothes his father owned.

They were his father's mourning clothes. The clothes he wore to funerals.

Eren wanted to run towards his father, wanted to just see him, or hug him, or talk to him face-to-face, not just through Eren's letters. But something stopped him, and it wasn't just Armin and Mikasa's hands on his sleeves. It was the expression Levi wore. It was ringed with sadness, and longing, and his steely grey eyes were misty.

It looked like someone precious to him died.

Levi was mourning the absence of his son. Of Eren, who sat a mere yard away from him.

Shaking off memories of his father's expression, Eren came back to reality and realized he had paused on a tree branch. Mikasa and Armin had paused worridly alongside him.

"Eren? Are you okay?" Armin asked.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Eren said quietly, and the three leapt off the branch into the chill forest air.

**********

Levi was remembering the night of Eren's birthday, just two weeks ago.

The entire Headquarters had been somber and silent, and it had just become to much. The place seemed deserted and silent without Eren, even packed full of noisy recruits, and on his birthday it was unbearable. So that night, Levi had dressed in his civilian clothes and decided to just walk to town. Maybe he'd visit the Ackerman's, who's son was a close friend of Eren's. Maybe Armin would know which camp he was at.

So he walked into town, carrying no light, and since it was the night of the new moon he couldn't clearly see the path. So Levi was primarily followed the path that his feet took him on.

Levi remembered, once, when Eren was only five, and still called him Papa. They had been walking the path towards town, and Eren had run ahead of him...

"Eren? Eren, you come back here!" Levi called out as five-year-old Eren ran ahead of him on the well-worn path, bright laugh filling the air as he chased after a small animal, perhaps it was a young rabbit or squirrel.

Soon, Eren was lost to sight, round the bend of the path, and Levi sighed.

"Eren, come back." He commanded, keeping his pace leisurely as he walked slowly down the path.

But Eren didn't answer him. As Levi got closer to the bend in the path, he picked up his pace, and now worry edged his tone.

"Eren? Where are you?" Levi called.

Turning the bend, Levi found Eren sitting in the dirt, cheeks dusty and tear streaked. He was holding his hand, which had small red marks, like something small had bitten him. His knees were scraped, and the palms of his hands were bloody.

Eren sniffled as Levi crouched down next to him and inspected his bitten hand.

"What on earth did you do, Eren?" Levi asked, taking a cloth from his pocket and fishing a bottle of water out. Wetting the cloth, he began to dap at Eren's scraps and cuts gently. Seeing him wince, Levi eased up a bit.

"Listen, Eren. If you hadn't run away from me and to that animal, you wouldn't have gotten hurt. Stay in my sight from now on, whether we're walking down this path or in town or anywhere else. So long as I can see you, I can protect you. And look, we're all done. Come on, in town, I'll pick up some bandages and antiseptic." Levi said, standing and brushing off his pants before offering his hand to Eren.

"Okay, Papa." Eren said, taking Levi's hand with a final sniffle.

Eren stood still while Levi brushed the dirt off his clothes and wiped the tears off his face. Then they set back off towards town, Eren staying firmly at Levi's side like he was glued there.

Even as he grew older, Eren had always stayed by Levi's side on this path. Even in town, or with his friends in the forest, Eren never strayed very far.

But now Eren was gone much farther than Levi could see, let alone know where his son was.

Walking down the darkened path, Levi knew his way well. He'd walked this path many times.

But in his memories, he was lost.