Vista - Attack on Titan x Reader

CHAPTER NINETY: Seabreeze

Slowing up between Hange and Levi, I slipped my reins into one hand and sighed contentedly, sweeping my hair from my face only for it to fall straight back.
"Excited, (Y/N)?! I'm excited! New things are so exciting!" Hange beamed at me in an almost infectious manner, but it didn't quite get me.

"It's just water, so not particularly. Especially not when I know what's beyond it." I wasn't meaning to be such a downer, but it was hard not to be. We were sitting ducks. Who knew when the Marleyans would strike?

Glancing towards Levi, I caught his lingering eyes, willing away the faint heat that wanted to claw its way up the back of my neck. It wasn't the time for that kind of thing.
"Lighten up. The other brats seem excited, mostly." Levi muttered, motioning his head towards Connie, Sasha, Floch and Jean, who were all chatting away merrily. Armin and even Mikasa seemed pumped too. The only one who kept a stone face was Eren.

He hadn't been the same since the ceremony after Shiganshina. He was distant, and far less mouthy. I didn't want any part of it, despite having mostly forgiven him. He had his friends to take care of him, so I wasn't about to involve myself.

"They didn't stay up most of the night mapping out the route. Forgive me if I'm a little lacklustre." I replied flatly, stretching my back out in hopes it would click. "Honestly, I would've preferred to stay back at-"

"It's just up ahead! Let's go!" Armin's shrill shout cut me off, and the troublesome trio shot past us in a flat out gallop, the others close behind with Hange kicking off straight after them. Levi and I exchanged a quick glance and followed, but not nearly as fast as the rest of them.

"So, you really would have preferred to stay behind? Somehow I doubt that." The ravonet commented, and I could feel his eyes on me. I could always feel them when he was close by.
"Well...partially...but I guess the devil in me didn't want to miss out on something like this..!"

Kicking off into a gallop wasn't the same now as it had been when riding Boy, but there was still a kind of thrill. Especially when there were no more titans. Levi took my silent challenge immediately, racing me towards where the rest of our group had halted atop the grassy hill.

I wonder why they've stopped all of a sudden?

Once we reached them, I understood why.

The ocean. Armin hadn't done it a lick of justice in his long-winded stories. He had been correct when he had said it stretched as far as the eye could see, though. I couldn't help but sit there, statue still, gazing out across the rippling blue.

Saltiness bit at my senses, but it was in no way unpleasant. It was actually wildly refreshing, and I felt myself breathing deeper on instinct. Everybody was murmuring amongst themselves, but I was silent. I had travelled so far during my time outside of the walls. How had I missed such a thing?

"Uh, guys...go on ahead. I'll lead the horses down." I spoke up after a while, everyone's heads whipping towards me. They all began to dismount and race down the hill. All except Jean and Levi.

Yay for awkward.

"I...uh, we'll help you." Jean offered, his eyes contradicting his smile when they flittered to the captain. Levi shooed him away with a limp wrist, already gathering the reins of Hange's horse along with his own.
"Go down and be human with your friends. That's an order."

The tension was thick, and Jean looked to me for an answer. He'd go if I told him to, but at the same time I didn't want to be alone with Levi.
"Both of you get your asses down there. I have this covered." They were both silent after I spoke, hesitating far too long for my liking, but eventually they sighed in tandem.