This is My Last War (Attack on Titan // LeviHan) - Part 3

An Apple A Day...

"Levi, I can't believe you don't understand how I...!"

"No regrets," Levi said resolutely and pushed the door open for her, "they're useless, Hanji. The past is the past."

The kids who sat around the table fell abruptly quiet when they entered the downstairs kitchen.

"H... hi!" Zoë smiled, fiddling with a lock of hair that was tickling her cheek.

"Commander! Captain!" The 104th saluted as if they didn't in the least care what their two superior officers had just been doing.

"You're right on time," Ernst put an apple pie on the table with a smile, his hands protected by huge oven gloves. Three ones were already there, smelling heavenly. "Everybody's stomachs were growling, so I thought I'd better bake something. Big day tomorrow after all, right?"

"Thank you, Ernst," Zoë smiled extra brightly, looking for signs of displeasure in his face, yet finding none. He looked tired though, with dark hues underneath his eyes and stubble forming on his chin. "Sorry we kept you waiting, I know it's late."

"We used the other bathtub," Conny informed her in a chipper voice, "all of us who stank."

"Ah...," Zoë blushed, "yes, sorry about that..."

"We decided to get extra clean," Levi chuckled and sat down next to Mikasa, looking expectantly at the pies. His hair was still damp. In his civilian clothing, freshly bathed, he looked young and strangely carefree. Zoë swallowed hard. Not that she should still want to jump his bones after their extended tryst in the bathroom, but being celibate for months had obviously done a number on her.

Like he knew her thoughts, Levi winked at her... and she very quickly sat down and looked away, her face heating up.

"Can I start cutting?" Sasha salivated, knife in hand.

"Didn't you already eat at that restaurant?" Conny complained. "You will get really fat!"

"Who cares!" Sasha smacked her lips. "I'd rather be fat than miss out on good food! I'd take you there, Conny, if I didn't already know you'd embarrass me!"

"Embarrass you?! Like how?"

"You'd eat with your hands! You'd smack your lips! Niccolo cooks in a fine dining restaurant."

"Oh, fine dining, I see," Conny mocked her. "I bet they cook with water too!"

"You wouldn't understand," Sasha pouted. "I probably won't get any good food in the zone, they're even poorer than we were. Commander, can we eat now that you're finally here?"

"Yes, yes, of course!"

Mikasa glowered unhappily, her arms crossed in front of her chest. Both Jean and Armin, who flanked her, seemed uncomfortable because of it. It had to be about Eren's absence, there was no way she was going to relax until he was back.

"So, Armin," Zoë tried to start an innocuous conversation, "you were telling the others about your day earlier, did anything interesting happen?"

"Ah," he blushed and cleared his throat, "yeah, in a way. You see, Commander, today, someone came to ask for birth control."

Of all topics.

"Oh," she replied nonchalantly. "I hope you did help her?"

"It was a man," Armin explained. "I told him to wear condoms, but he was adamant he hated them and wanted something else. Apparently, he had always worn three over each other to make extra sure his wife wouldn't get pregnant again!"

"And then his willy almost fell off because of it!" Conny grinned, spoiling the punchline.

"The poor man," Zoë chuckled sympathetically.