Orders | Levi Ackerman

73• The Father

Tired and drenched in sweat, Mia and Eren fell upon the grass. She turned to him, huffing with the air neither she nor he could grasp.

" Your skinny ass has improved..." She muttered, " How come?"

Eren glanced at her. His gaze latched onto the warmth that flushed her cheeks and made the blue in her eyes shine all the brighter. His heart sank as he used all the remaining strength he could muster to turn away and frown once again.

He instead kept his view to the sky. The same hollowness in his chest matching the grey nothingness above.

" I had to do something in those four years. What about you though? You were locked up for most of them and yet you nearly beat me."

Mia sat up, scoffing at him. " Ha! I ended you, Jaeger. 'Nearly beat me' my ass."

He couldn't help the smile that curved on his lips. It was near impossible to fight. Eren covered his face with his hands, groaning at her. Mia laughed back at him, quieting when his silence stifled the air.

" Seriously, Mia. How'd you do it?" The change in tone caught her, a sense of dread wallowing in the pit of her stomach.

" I dont know...once I had the titan serum, it was sorta easy." She smiled uneasily, finding his stare uncomfortable. Mia folded her arms, smirking, " Guess Im just that strong, huh."

Eren stood up, looking down on her. "Yeah...one last question."

Mia raised an eyebrow, looking warily back at the door to the castle. Her mind told her to leave, to perhaps even call for someone and yet, she stayed still.

She took in a breath, meeting Erens glance. Her eyes stayed fixed onto his, both cold and unmoving.

" Mia...you opposed Zeke. Why would you do that when he saved you?"

He was off. Mia couldn't pinpoint exactly how but this wasn't the boy she grew up with. Her heart ran cold, a chill running up her spine.

" He's the enemy, he wants the whole of paradis to crumble and to kill all the eldians. I can't stand by that. No matter what he did for me." Eren stayed silent, his stomach twisting at the ferocity of Mia's words.

" You can't stand by that. Right, Eren?"

She tapped her foot, chest heaving when no response came. Her eyes narrowed on his, turning away to stop herself from freaking out at him.  " I'm going back inside."

Mia prayed that he'd stop her, convince her otherwise of the fearsome man he was growing to be. She hoped, that just like before, he'd wrap his arm around her and call her a name she hated. 

But he didn't.

His glare stayed pinned to her back. Nausea filling his stomach at the girl who walked before him. Eren knew she'd oppose his plan, that she'd be the most problematic when it came to inducing it. And after their training, worry grew if he'd be able to stop her alone.

She was stronger; far more deadlier than when all she could do was scream. Her morals had shifted too. Prior, she'd only worry for herself, now it seemed she'd risk it all for a man she had not known.

A laugh pressed through his lips, the irony of it all aching his insides.

And who would've thought? Mia and i, the best of friends, now facing off against one another.

I just wish she'd quit with me. She's gonna be more of a problem if she doesn't.

Mia opened the door, her eyes falling to her feet. Her heart sank as she sighed and took one final look back at him.

But she won't, because I never quit on her either.

—

The sun set over the castle, a golden hue embedding every crevice of its stone walls. Mia laid against her wall, hugging her knees as her mind spiraled with the endless possibilities of what was happening with her friend.

Her breath lessened with each passing second as her answers fell too. She didn't even hear the sound of her door creaking open.

" Mia?" Historia whispered, cocking her head at the girl on the floor.

She grumbled, placing her head between her hands with a sigh, " What do you want?"

Historia sat on her bed, gently flattening down the creases of her blanket. She wondered if what she planned on saying was good timing but she had waited far too long for her to miss her change again.

"...Mia...what's your fathers name?"

She froze, eyes flickering to Historia. Mia had only given the file to Levi, he wouldn't have betrayed her - would he?

Mia stood up, placing her hands in her pockets. " Why do you want to know?" She narrowed her eyes.

" Just answer the question. It's not a big deal."

She growled, trudging up to her and meeting her glance, " What do you know?"

Historia smiled uneasily, placing a hand on her stomach and another by her face. Regret laced the tremble in her throat, maybe she shouldn't have brought it up.

" I'm going to ask you once, Historia, who gave it to you?"

Mia didn't need an answer of if she read it, that was clear. She knew Historia wouldn't have asked if the information wasn't already known.

Historia shifted in her place, whispering back, "Levi told me..."

She stood up, grabbing the back of Historias neck and pulling her in. A scowl crossed her lips, but nothing would compete with the words that left her mouth.

" If you tell anyone about you and I being related, you-" Her eyes flickered to Historias large stomach, " - and your baby will face me and I'd love to see you go against a titan."

Mia turned to the door, opening it without another look. " You act like some cold hearted monster but I know better. You've changed, Mia. You would never hurt your family."

She grumbled, curling her hands into fists. Mia looked back to Historia, her eyes ablaze, " You are not my family. Eren is. He was there, you weren't."

Silence filled the air, leaving only them to stare off at one another. Historia placed her palm on her stomach, gently circling around the baby bump.

" He'll be your family in more ways than one soon."