Perennial Rose | {Levi x OC} | Shingeki no Kyojin |

Chapter 33: Subconscious Benevolence

Within Wall Rose, Survey Corps Headquarters

A silence that is as sweet as sugar. It is glazed with the soft rustling of the grass underneath my fingers and leaves above my head.

I open my eyes and a familiar forest scene welcomes me. Large trees reach up to the sky and spread their branches in a net that conceals the earth from the sky.

The bark is rough against my back; I can feel every groove in its surface even through the layers of my shirt and jacket as I sit against the trunk of this tall tree. The fine grass envelopes my legs like the hairs that cling to the side of my face.

"Do you think I should be joining my squad? I feel like I'm not doing much as their leader," I say as I tilt my head up to the canopy. The branches full of vibrant leaves shade the entire area that surrounds the tree's trunk, allowing strings of light to slither their way into the concealed forest.

"You wanted them to figure out their strengths and weaknesses on their own, right? Then I don't see why you would want to mess up your plan."

A breeze blows in one direction, leading my eyes to the person who accompanies me under the shade. He sits peacefully against the tree with his arms folded and eyes fixed forward.

I nod. "I guess you're right." I play with my shirt unconsciously and add, "Ah, I forgot to thank you for letting my squad watch yours, Levi. I really appreciate it."

Levi raises one knee and rests his forearm on it. "Things have been a bit slow, and I didn't have much planned today. Plus, they all wanted to see this wild squad for themselves."

I sigh and respond, "I see..."

He asks, "And what exactly will they learn from my squad?"

Bringing my leg over the other, I explain, "Well, your squad's teamwork is absolutely outstanding. They've enlaced all their abilities in a way that hides their flaws and brings out their strengths. I thought that if my squad observed this, they might be inspired to do the same. And maybe they will realize their own strengths and weaknesses as they compare themselves to your squad."

Levi plainly remarks, "I didn't have to do all this with my squad."

I respond while running my hands through the grass, "You're a different case. You could choose the right people and let them be. They progressed as a group on their own. I, on the other hand, have no choice but to get myself involved in the kids' development as a team."

"Speaking of the kids, what's taking them so long? We've been waiting here for quite a while now," Levi says as he looks down to the ground.

An image of them on a branch, quietly observing the Special Operations Squad attack a wooden Titan comes to mind. "I hope they're behaving," I mention aloud.

"That depends on how well you disciplined them last night."

The blissful image of this imaginary dream squad transforms into the dreaded scene from the previous night. I tiredly explain, "Don't even remind me. I took your advice and tried your method, but I think I hurt them a bit. Maybe I was too harsh..."

Their terrified faces indeed burned me like hot tar in my stomach. I lay awake in bed that night, regretting what I had done to these poor, young souls.

Levi tells me in a low grunt, "Who cares if they were hurt? In the end, the only thing that matters is that they realized the shit they were giving you and will no longer act like pesky brats."

He allows a moment of silence to fill in this break in his speech, then calmly adds, "Your discipline worked. They were a lot quieter this morning than the last time I saw them. Not bad, Renata."