The Raven

Chapter Eleven: Invisible Awakenings

Levi inhales deeply. "Petra-"

"I know you never wanted this marriage, but the least you can do is try and go along with it and stop acting like the victim-"

"We are not married," he cuts her off. "We are still just engaged to be married and the only reason it remains that way is so that Mikasa isn't sent off to another bunker for good."

When he says my name, my ears prick and confusion bubbles within me. I want to ask what it is they're talking about. When had they planned on sending me off to another bunker? Why had I never heard if this?

"She should've been sent away. The northern bunkers could've used her skills and knowledge but you just couldn't let her go," she says bitterly.

"She belongs here."

"Well she won't be around for very long, will she?" she counters with venom.

I feel as though she's just slapped me with her words. Never in my life have I seen Petra like this. She isn't a person who says such cruel or inconsiderate things and I can tell that even Levi is shocked. Neither of them say anything, I can't even breathe in the suffocating silence.

As if surprised by her own words, Petra's bitter expression softens out and her bottom lip drops. She hugs her arms as if she's cold, huddling into herself and shakes her head. "Levi... I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Get out," he growls. She doesn't move but then she blinks away the last of her tears and rushes out. A sigh comes from Levi and now we're alone. I walk around to the other side of the bed, looking at my physical body before raising my eyes to him. There's a shiny look in his own eyes and his hand reaches out, covering mine. Warmth fills me but I can hardly feel it with the sorrow I find on his features. A pain fills my chest as he grits his teeth and hangs his head.

Neither of us notice Hanji until she speaks up. "You can't keep blaming yourself for this, Levi. It wasn't your fault and I'm sure Mikasa will understand that."

"Whether she does or not is irrelevant," he replies bitterly. "If I had have let her go, then she probably never would have gotten messed up in this."

"And do you think she'd be happy up there in the north?" Hanji questions with a raised brow. "Away from all of her friends? Away from the place she worked so hard to build and the area she is familiar with? Away from you?"

"I wouldn't have had to marry Petra and she wouldn't have had to witness our relationship every day of her life," he mutters.

"Why didn't you marry Mikasa?" Hanji asks, a genuine look of curiosity in her eyes. "It's so obvious that you love her, we all knew it. So why just discard her for a woman you've never even been attracted to?"

"It's complicated."

"So is titan biology, but I'm managing," she counters, sitting down beside him. "Try me."

"I was given a two choices," he begins slowly. "Mikasa could either go up to the northern bunker to mate with another male with a weak connection to the Asian bloodline or I could marry Petra and she could stay here."

"Why you two?" Hanji questions. "Why not anyone else?"

"We've been dubbed Humanity's Strongest," he replies with distaste. "They want more like us in future generations."

"So why not let you and Mikasa mate and create super-strong-titan-slayer-babies?"

He runs a hand through his hair. "They couldn't afford for both of us to be taken off the field at the one time."

"I suppose that does make sense in a way," Hanji says. "Mikasa's going to have to do a lot more work if you're gonna be stuck minding your pregnant wife." Her features darken. "If she survives until then, that is."