Coming for your heart

Chapter 27

The tables where they had been eating the last weeks every morning and evening had been put aside so they displayed some kind of a platform from where everyone present could watch what was happening on the great space they had created.

On the other side of the room some of them were standing together like a little band, old instruments in their hands and big smiles plastered across their faces.

They greeted them with playful bows and bashful laughs, not used to being the center of attention. Eren returned the wink, smirking at the way they blushed when they caught sight of it.

"You...you organized this? What for?", Armin laughed breathlessly, eyes wandering around the room in silent wonder.

"Haven't you been the one to ask for a little fun?", Eren responded and followed his friend in the middle of the room. Armin took a look at the small buffet built up against a wall and huffed in astonishment.

"All that food...where-?"

"When Sasha heard we were about to do something like that she was all cooking and preparing and whatnot to get something out of what those nobles leave day by day." Mikasa shook her head at the girl who was looking at the food with saliva shining on her lips and Connie holding her back while telling her that not all of the food was for her.

While they got into an argument about how much food a person could handle, Eren gave the band a sign and they nodded, whispering something to each other only to start playing each of their instruments a second later.

A happy tune filled the space between the four walls and some girls and boys joined them on the provisory dance floor, motivating each other to dance.

Armin turned around when the small hand of a girl landed on his shoulder and a shy voice asked for a dance.

Eren laughed and gave him a shove in her direction, sending him straight into her arms.

He himself got out of the chaos, sitting on the tables and clapped his hands to the beat of the music.

The rest of their small group had been watching the brave ones so far but when even Mikasa dared to dance with someone they all shrugged and joined them with loud cheers.

Some of them sang strange lyrics in foreign languages to the songs played and their friends laughed when the words were simply nonsense.

Connie had given up on holding back his friend and Sasha was all over the food the second he let go of her but still was the first one to eat with her, feeding her some small deserts with grunting laughs and snickers on Sasha's side.

Eren leaned back, watching the group in amusement.

He didn't even waste a second thought on the possibility of guards showing up.

Levi POV

Erwin's strange behavior had thrown Levi off from the beginning.

It wasn't like the man to get distracted that easily or to think about anything but his next mission. He knew the Commander quite some time now and never had he watched him being that restless.

First, he thought it was about his fiancée. Maybe he had gotten her pregnant and was worried or some shit.

But then again, he would have surely mentioned it as casually in a conversation as one would mention the weather. Yet he had never spoken even a word about what was bothering him so much.

If only Levi wasn't so sure that it had nothing to do with the upcoming battles...

He groaned, feeling the headaches coming back and massaged his temples.

Izzy was by his side, as always. Together they strode through the palace. The dog had slept the whole day and by now she was used to the odd sleeping habits of her master and just followed him around whenever he would get up from bed, acknowledging that he wouldn't get any sleep that night either.

Again.

Just as always.

So he took to making a walk, the animal toddling beside him in such a peaceful manner that no one would think of her as a big, bad hound trained to fight in wars.

"You should go back, get some sleep.", he grumbled, scratching her ears while walking. On some days he was sure that she could understand him in some way.

Her eyes were too attentive, filled with something that made her better company than any human Levi had ever encountered.

Izzy only responded to his suggestion with a soft growl, raising her head to meet his fingers at just the right places and Levi huffed softly.

"Thought so. Tough girl."

Just as he was about to continue the one-sided conversation her ears perked up at something only she was able to hear and Levi raised his gaze as if he could hear those noises too if he only concentrated enough.

"What is it, Iz? Something wrong?", he murmured.

She barked softly and sped up, not checking if her master was following her.

She knew he always would.

- - -

They arrived in the servant's tract not even five minutes later and Izzy still continued to run through the halls, her master not letting her out his sight once.

What is she up to? Those brats should all be asleep by now. Wouldn't want Erwin to tell me again that I have no business here if Izzy woke them up with her barking.

She stopped in front of a door and lay down at the short signal of her master who took in the little gap that had been left when someone had tried to clumsily close the door. And then he realized where his dog had led him to.

The kitchens. 

(Soooo...the servants are celebrating and Levi is short of finding out. Something's wrong with Eren, Mikasa is worried and Armin delighted - nothing new there. 

What do you think is wrong with Eren? 

I think this chapter is a bit longer than usual, hope you like it!)