Daisy | Levi Ackerman

Chapter 48 - On The Oceanside

A/N: We're nearing the end now. Four days until Season 4 premieres on Netflix. I'm so emotional.

[Naomi]

February 12th of 851.

The sun is bright over Smith Manor today. It feels like an eternity since I was here. I was never quite brave enough to return after the terrible things that happened in Shiganshina just last year.

But now I'm back, and I'm fulfilling my promise to my uncle.  To my mother, to Aunt Celine, to Armin, to Commander Hanji. To Levi. I'm trying my best.

I took a deep breath as I lifted my gaze from my deep red-covered journal and stared into my uncle's gravestone of white marble in the family mausoleum, now blooming lightly with the tulip and daffodil buds that adorned it for the whole year round and only paused during winter.

As I looked at the snow drops on the roof wilting away to give room for the other, more vibrantly-colored flowers, my mind drifted off to Armin, as we sat there on the dinner table for an early breakfast together sometime last year.

It was dawn, and most of the Special Operations were still deep in slumber. It was the morning after the one I had the final recurrence of my nightmares about Bertholdt, Reiner, and whatever horrible things else happened that October.

Armin sat there to my right, as we laughed about the memories of the Training Corps, in the lightly chilled breeze of that day. The sun had not arisen yet, and we were having our hot chocolate in our little space at the huge, gloomy Castle- just being the friends we've always been, making up for lost time.

"I meant to ask you, Naomi," He started, lifting his concerned eyes from his steaming mug to me. "If you don't mind.."

"What is it?" I asked softly, my husky morning voice almost a whisper. I was leaning back on my chair, looking at him intently.

"W-Well, I... I was really worried yesterday." He told me, trying to be cautious. "But may I know why you... Why you suddenly bled and collapsed? A-Are you ill?"

I gave him a weak smile, my sullen gaze falling down to the edge of the table. I shook my head gently and enclosed my cold hands around the coffee mug. "No. I'm not. At least not in a permanent way."

"Then... Why?" Armin asked, leaning closer an inch.

"Armin," I started, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you soon enough. I just thought that there was no need for it. And when I discovered, I wasn't exactly in good terms with you all."

"Nao," He replied slowly, "Are you saying you were...?"

"With child?" I continued. "Y-Yes. I was."

I heard his breath shatter for a moment, pausing in disbelief. He then shook his head and blinked twice. "I-I'm sorry, Naomi. I really am."

"It's alright." I answered. "I'm almost... Healed. I don't want to talk about it anymore. It just opens the wound again."

Armin nodded in solemn agreement. "I'm happy you still trust me. And I'm proud of you for fighting like that. You've come so far."

My heart genuinely touched by his sincere remark, I looked up at him and smiled faintly. "Thank you, Armin. But I believe we've both come so far. I'm proud of us."

"I think Annie would be prouder." He said.

I took a deep, shaky breath, clearing for a moment what Annie wreaked among us; under the command of her affiliation. I focused more on our friendship, and though rather fixer-upper, how nurturing it has been.