Daisy | Levi Ackerman

Chapter 10 - The Captain's Woes

[Celine]

Petra assigned me and Eren to clean upstairs. While he was sweeping up the floor, I was wiping the windows. We were silently working. It killed me to think if I didn't act now, we might have some kind of a little strain in the friendship which could slowly end up in an eternity of silence.

Well, the utter speechlessness induced by my fluster was absolutely warranted, as, for as far as I know, having a human titan shifter isn't something one gets to witness every century. It was still difficult for me to have it settle under my skin.

I went down the stepladder, and squeezed the dirty water from the cloth, into the bucket. He was sweeping just a short distance away from me when I spoke. "Hey."

"H-Hi." He greeted back.

I looked towards him. "Are you... Alright? Not hurt, I hope? After what I heard of Levi doing to you."

He shook his head. "I'm fine. It was necessary for me to live. I'm thankful he did it."

"You know, I can't believe I'm saying this, but I agree." I answered, my shoulders falling.

"How about you?" He asked, looking at me, and back down onto the dirt on the floor. "I heard you passed out towards the end of the operation. The last time that happened, you didn't wake up for a couple of days."

I looked down, feeling as if I had become a burden in a way I hated to be. "I've recovered now. I think it was just... shock, you know?"

There was another silence between the two of us, the seconds ticking away like an hourglass towards the abyss. I couldn't bring about another topic. I couldn't think of any, even though I tried so hard to search for it as I wiped the dusty furniture.

"Cel,.." He called, his voice a little louder than earlier.

"Yes?" I responded, almost immediately, my back to him.

"Do you hate me for it?" He asked.

"For what?"

"For what I am."

I paused my wiping movements, and thought about his absurd question for a second. I turned around and saw him waiting for my answer, stopping in his position, holding the long broom.

"What could make me hate you, Eren?" I asked back. "You're my friend. You've held your neck out for me many times, and you trust me. Whatever the public should think of you, that doesn't change the fact that we're comrades."

He stood there, dazed. He let out an inaudible sigh of relief as he looked down. "I'm relieved to hear that from you. You know I,.. I respect you, Celine. To lose your trust in me is a big deal. It's like losing a... second Armin."

The way he said it so seriously made me giggle softly, and when he looked to me in confusion; I couldn't help but to laugh. He scratched the back of his head. "What's so funny?"

"Nothing." I said, toning down on the laughter as I wiped my forehead. "It's just that, you sound like a scared little boy. I have never seen this side of you ever during training."

He smiled sheepishly, his hand falling to his neck. "Heh. I do, don't I... Well, I guess my friends are more important to me than I've realized."

"In the end, we're all we have." I answered, shrugging. I looked back into the furniture I was clearing. "We better finish up before Captain Levi comes around."

"Right." He replied, and for the rest of our stay in there, the silence was now comfortable. It was like coming back to our normal friendship.

Soon, we were done with the third floor, and Eren and I walked downstairs to meet with Petra. As we were going down the stairs, he told me that Levi was probably cleaning somewhere in the second floor, and he'd like to report to him. I let him go and found Petra myself. We separated at the second floor, and I went to the ground one.