Verena's POV
"You need to stand up now."
I fold my arms over my chest and shake my head. "No, I'm tired."
"That's a shitty excuse. Now stand up," Levi orders firmly.
I look up at him defiantly. For the last few days, I have been practicing with the prosthetic- taking walks around the base, walking up stairs, and I even tried to jog once as well. None of which was without difficulty. I am starting to think that I will never be able to walk again. Levi has been by my side every day, making sure I do the exercises, pushing me to go a step further. I'm grateful for the help, but Levi can be a hardass sometimes. "No, I said I'm tired," I say, repeating my excuse.
Levi lets out a frustrated sigh and leans closer. "Verena..." He has that warning tone now, and I know that if I continue to defy him, he'll get angry.
I roll my eyes. "Fine, fine." Pushing myself off the bed, I stand up. I hesitate before putting weight on the prosthetic. For a moment, I am standing up straight, but then I try to take a step forward, and I begin to wobble. Suddenly, I am pitched forward, falling face-first towards the floor. Before I know it, Levi is there, grabbing me. His arms are wrapped tightly around me as he steadies me. Once I am back on my feet, he takes a step back, still gripping my arms. I look up into his eyes, and he gazes down at me. For a long moment, we just stand there, gazing at each other without a word. I can feel his warm breath, and I am very aware of my hand on his chest. I can feel the muscles beneath his thin, white shirt, and my mind begins to wander. Heat rushes to my cheeks, and I know I am blushing. Levi seems to realize that he is still holding me and finally lets go. Stepping back, he watches me carefully, making sure I do not fall again. Then, when it is clear that I am stable again, he walks over to the door and turns to face me.
"Walk to me," he says, motioning to come there.
I pause, taking a deep, shaky breath. Tentatively, I take a small step with the prosthetic. I am hesitant as I continue to take small steps toward Levi. My heart is pounding in my chest, and I am shaking. My eyes are glued to the floor, watching every step I take carefully. I can feel Levi's dark gaze on me as I move slowly across the floor. He doesn't say a word. When I am almost to the door, I look up and meet his gaze, stopping.
"Come on. Don't stop, Verena. You're so close." He's trying to be encouraging, and it makes me smile. Without saying a word, I take the last few steps, closing the gap between us. Levi reaches out and grabs my shoulders. "There. See? You did it."
I smile proudly. "Now what?" I ask.
"Now, we go into the hall and head for the garden. Just like yesterday."
I feel apprehension grow inside me. Yesterday did not go so well, and we had to turn around at the stairs. Levi can see the worried expression on my face, and he attempts to reassure me, "Doubting yourself won't help. You can do this." I nod, feeling anxious.
The door clicks shut behind us as we return to the room. Levi helps me back over to the bed, and I plop down on it with a sigh. Putting my head in my hands, I groan, "I'm never going to be able to walk again."
"You can. You just need to stop doubting yourself," Levi says.
I shake my head. "No, that's not it. I just can't!"
"Well, if you're going to keep thinking that way, then you're right, you're never going to walk again!" he shouts.
Startled, I look up. Levi's eyes are narrowed at me, and I can see rage ablaze in them. I had seen him angry before, but this was different...This was anger, but it was also pain. Without another word, Levi whips around and heads out of the room. The door slams shut behind him, making me jump. I stare at the door, speechless.
Levi's POV
Slamming the door to my room closed, I slide down and sit on the floor. My back rests against the door, my head resting in my hands. "Damn it..." I know I shouldn't have yelled at her, but I was getting irritated. I want her to believe in herself more. I want to see the courage that I saw in her before. I want to see that fire again that burned in her bright green eyes. I want Verena back. Letting out an enraged cry, I slam my fists on the floor. My knuckles sting, but I barely notice.
***
The next day, I return to Verena's room with a plan in mind. She looks up from a book, and I can see on her face that she did not expect to see me here. She slowly closes the book and sets it on the bedside table as I come over to the bed. We stare at each other for a long moment without saying anything. Finally, I break the silence, "You don't have to try to walk to the garden today."
She furrows her brows. "I don't?"
"No."
Verena gives me a suspicious look, knowing that there must be some catch. "Then..What am I doing today?"
"I'm going to teach you how to dance."
"You really don't have to do this, Levi." Verena gives me a nervous look as I finish tightening the strap on her prosthetic. My fingers accidentally graze her thigh, and we both stiffen.
Trying to move past it, I take a step back and say, "I told you that I would someday. Besides, if I can show you that you can even dance with this metal leg, then hopefully it will prove to you that you can walk with it."
"But I can't-"
I stop her, quickly interrupting, "No, you can, but you won't."
She stares up at me, but doesn't say anything. I hold out my hand to her, and she hesitates before taking it. Her gentle hand rests lightly in my palm as I help her up. She sways forward, but I help her regain her balance. Once she seems steady on her feet, I pull her hand up and place it on my shoulder. She gently grips my shoulder, and by the expression on her face, I can tell this is new for her. My hand reaches around her waist, resting on the small of her back. Our free hands entwine, gently grasping one another. My heart beats wildly in my chest, and the overwhelming feeling is back. I have to resist pulling her into me.
Her green eyes meet mine, and she raises an eyebrow at me. "Now what?"
"Now, we dance."
Slowly, I step to the right, and Verena follows my move. Her prosthetic causes her movement to be jittery and rough. She looks apologetically to me, but I continue to move slowly around the room, leading her. I can feel her hand clutch mine tightly as we start to spin. She trips over her prosthetic and stumbles into me. I stop, waiting until she gets herself upright again to continue moving. I can feel warm her breath against my neck, and I try to ignore it.
I look down at her and say, "You're very clumsy for a soldier."
Verena's POV
Levi's words remind me of something, and a memory from long ago nags at me. "I know," I mumble, my mind elsewhere. I start to think back, allowing the nostalgia to take hold of me...
I straddle the windowsill, wiping the window in my room. Outside, the sun is high in the sky, and most of the Scouts are out training or relaxing, while I am stuck here, cleaning my room with Levi. He had insisted that we cleaned it while we had downtime. I told him I was fine with it the way it was, but he told me the thought of it kept him up at night and so we were going to clean it. Three hours later and we are still cleaning. I groan, leaning back. "Can we stop now?" I ask, turning to Levi, who is busy dusting every inch of my bookcase.
Without even looking at me, he replies, voice muffled by the cloth over his nose and mouth, "No. You're room is still fairly dirty. Besides, you're not even done with that window."
I glance at the window and shrug. "It looks clean to me."
Levi looks up, narrowing his eyes at the window. "There are still smudges on that glass. You're a shitty cleaner."
"Well, they didn't really cover the best cleaning techniques in our training," I say jokingly. Levi glares at me, and I roll my eyes.
"I'm going to get some more cleaning supplies from my building. I will be right back. That window better be cleaned properly by the time I get back." Levi sets down the duster and heads out of the room. I hear his footsteps on the stairs and then nothing. With a sigh, I return to wiping the window glass. After a few moments, I realize I forgot something. Glancing down, I see Levi exiting the building below me.
"Levi!" I call down to him, leaning out the window a bit more. My hand grips the windowsill, steadying me. He looks up, confused. "Can you bring me back some water from the well?" He gives me an irritated look, and I just flash him a smile, leaning forward a little more. "I'm just so thirsty from all this cl-" Suddenly, my hand begins to lose its grip on the windowsill, and I grasp at the air, trying desperately to grab onto something- anything. My fingers barely graze the window as I slip forward, plummeting to the ground below.
"Verena!" I hear Levi's startled yell over my frightened cry.
My heart seems to drop into my stomach, and I am weightless. The air whizzes past me as I fall. I squeeze my eyes shut tight, anticipating the inevitable. Then, without warning, my descent stops, but I do not hit the ground. Instead, a pair of strong arms cradle me, keeping me off the ground. Opening my eyes, I look up at Levi. He's staring down at me, his eyes wide. We look at each other for a long time without speaking. I can feel his arms around me, and the heat rushes to my cheeks. I know I am blushing. Swallowing hard, I manage to stutter, "Th-Thank you."
"You're really clumsy," he says.
I let out a small laugh. "I guess I am."
***
"Verena?"
I look up at Levi, bringing myself back to the present. We are turning, and I try my hardest not to stumble this time. I complete the turn without any problems and smile. "This is nice," I say.
Levi stares at me for a moment before nodding. "Yes it is."
After a while, I start to get the hang of it, and my tense muscles finally relax. I smile up at Levi as we step back, turning slightly. I can see the proud look on his face, and happiness swells in me. Moving closer, I lean my head on his shoulder and close my eyes. I feel Levi stiffen. I start to pull away again, but he quickly says, "You can stay there if you want." I hesitate, wondering if I really should, or if I should just step back. After a long moment of deliberation, I decide to remain where I am, any consequences be damned. We stay like that for a long time, just dancing lazily around the room with my head on his shoulder and his hand on my back. Our fingers are still entwined, hands gently gripping one another. I don't want to stop dancing. I want to dance on and on because if we stop that means I have to let go of him. It means I have to pull away, and I won't be this close to him again. Why do I want to be this close with him anyway? I feel my heart beat faster in my chest. Perhaps...I do love Levi. Opening my eyes, I steal a glance at his face. His eyes are closed, and he looks peaceful. No matter how I feel, we're still soldiers. Love is too complicated when you have already dedicated your heart to something else, and especially when there is no guarantee for tomorrow. Either one of us could die without warning. It would be too complicated...Too painful.
The sun begins to set, and the room grows darker. We finally stop dancing. Levi grips my arms, steadying me as we pull away from each other. I don't meet his gaze. There's silence for a long time, neither one of us wanting to break it first.
Finally, Levi decides to speak, "You're not too shitty of a dancer. You dance better than you clean."
I smile softly. "Thanks...I think." Gathering up the courage, I manage to look up at him again. His expression is soft, and there is a ghost of a smile on his face. My heart skips a beat, and a warm feeling fills my body. I don't even realize I am staring until Levi gives me a strange look.
"What?"
"N-Nothing," I stammer, taking an unsteady step back. Levi watches closely, making sure I do not fall. His hands finally release their grip on my arms, and I suddenly miss the feeling of his gentle touch. "The nurse will be in soon to check my leg and bring dinner. You should go get something to eat."
He nods. "Yeah, I guess I should."
I sit down on the bed and smile. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
Levi takes a moment to reply, his gaze locked on me. "Yeah, see you tomorrow." It takes him a moment to get himself out of it, and he hesitates before turning and heading for the door. I watch him as he slips out of the room, sighing as the door closes behind him.
Looking down at my hands in my lap, I mumble, "What have I gotten myself into?"
Levi's POV
I lean against the door to Verena's room, my heart beating wildly. I didn't even realize how late it was getting...How long we had been dancing like that...She was so close to me... I can still feel her warm breath on my neck, and her small hand gripping mine gently. Covering my eyes with my hands, I try to push the thought of her to the back of my mind, but it does not work this time. I am overwhelmed by my feelings. "Shit. Shit. Shit."
Verena's POV
The next day I sit on the edge of the bed, the prosthetic lying on the mattress beside me. My left foot is planted firmly on the wood floor. I scan through the documents Erwin brought, reading over various reports, each one making me more and more disappointed. "They called it reconnaissance, but it was just a slaughter," Erwin says.
I look up from the report and nod. "It's horrible. Thousands of refugees sacrificed so that mankind could go on. I wonder what they told their families."
"That their loved ones gave their lives fighting to retake Wall Maria. That they died like heroes."
I snort and roll my eyes. "Yeah, that's so believable. They might as well just say, 'we fed them to the titans so that we could have some more food. They died like cattle'."
Erwin crosses his arms over his chest. "I'm not disagreeing with you. However, I think the hero thing is a bit gentler, don't you think?"
"Still...It's not hard to figure it out," I say, returning my attention to the report. I'm silent as I read.
Erwin leans forward a little and asks, "So how are you feeling?"
I pause at the end of a sentence. "I'm feeling a lot better. My wounds have healed nicely."
"How are you doing with the prosthetic? Levi tells me you're doing well."
I hesitate, briefly glancing at the metal leg beside me. "I'm doing...Okay, I suppose. It's still a little weird walking on it. It's just odd...Not being able to really feel it beneath me. That's why I hesitate when putting weight on it." I turn to Erwin. "And Levi gives me too much credit."
"Well, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. I know you. You're persistent. You won't give up no matter what." Erwin pushes himself up, and I collect all of the papers, slipping them back into the file. I hand the file back to him, and he tucks it under his arm. He turns to head for the door, but stops. Erwin looks down at me. "I don't think you're giving yourself enough credit. You're a lot more capable and a lot stronger than you think, Verena." With that, he departs, leaving me on the bed, his words echoing in my head. His words are familiar, and it takes me a while to figure out why...
"Look, it's easy."
I hang a couple feet off the ground, my harness hooked up to the cables. Nile stands by the lever, leaning against one of the pillars holding up the cables. Erwin watches me, examining me and trying to figure out the technique I'm using.
"If she can do it, Erwin, you can, too," Nile says with a grin.
I glare at him. "Shut up." Turning back to Erwin, I smile. "He's right about one thing though. You can do this, Erwin. Come on. It's your turn now." Nile cranks the lever, lowering me down. My boots touch the ground as the cables grow lax. I unhook my harness and walk over to Erwin. He looks down at me, unsure. I smile up at him and gesture to the cables. "Go on." Erwin sighs and walks over. Once he has hooked himself up, he gives Nile a thumbs up, and Nile begins to turn the lever again, hoisting Erwin into the air. Erwin's boots leave the ground, and he becomes unstable. He wobbles in the air, arms out in an attempt to steady himself. "Just balance out your weight, Erwin." Determined, he struggles to stay still. I am about to tell Nile to let him down, when suddenly, he stops moving. Erwin grows still, and the cables cease their trembling. Erwin lowers his arms slowly and looks up at me. A wide smile spreads across his face.
I smile and exclaim, "You did it!"
"Finally!" Nile says.
Erwin's blue eyes shine with pride. "Yeah...Finally."
Nile lowers his after a few moments, and Erwin unhooks himself. I bounce happily over to him with a grin. "Told you you could do it."
"Fine. You were right. Again," he admits reluctantly.
"When isn't she?" Nile asks, rolling his eyes. I elbow him lightly, and he chuckles.
Smiling kindly, I step closer to Erwin and place a hand on his shoulder. "I think you need to give yourself more credit. You're a lot more capable and a lot stronger than you think, Erwin."
***
I smile at the memory. It's been a long time since I thought about that. Shifting on the bed, I lean back against the pillow. I miss those days.
Tightening the strap on my prosthetic, I stand up. Steadying myself, I turn slowly back to the bed and snatch my clean shirt off of the blanket. I am about to slip it on when the door clicks open. I am about to turn away, thinking it is the nurse again, checking up on me. "Hold on, I'm changing-" I stop, seeing a familiar dark gaze. The heat rushes to my cheeks, and I know my face must be beet red. Quickly, I cover my bare chest, not knowing what else to do.
Levi's POV
I stand in the doorway, my hand clutching the handle tightly. Verena is standing beside the bed, shirtless and trying desperately to cover herself up. Her cheeks are reddening as she tries to use the shirt to cover herself for the moment. I look her over, seeing the scars on slender body. I wonder what they're all from. Without a word, I turn around and step out of the room again, closing the door behind me. My face feels warm as I press my forehead against the door. My heart is pounding rapidly, and the blood races through my veins. "Damn it..." Seeing her like that didn't help me at all. It's definitely worse now. I came here today thinking that I could forget what happened yesterday, forget my feelings, and move on. However, after seeing that...It's going to be almost impossible to just "forget my feelings and move on". Every time I close my eyes now, all I see is Verena's embarrassed face as she tries to conceal herself. I let out a frustrated sigh. "F*ck."
"Levi?" My eyes open slowly at the soft sound of Verena's voice coming from the other side of the door. "Levi, you can come back in now. I'm dressed."
Hesitating, I turn the door handle and cautiously open the door. Inside, Verena is standing beside the bed, the shirt she used to conceal herself now on her body. I can see the faint blush on her cheeks, and the embarrassment she is trying to hide is evident to me.
"Uh...We can just forget that happened...Right?"
"Yeah. It never happened," I tell her, trying to erase the image of her from my head.
"Good. Let's get going. I'm determined to get down to the garden today."
Verena walks out of the building, her green eyes lighting up at the sight of the vibrant flowers and various vegetables of the garden. She picks up the pace, heading quickly to the garden. I can see the determination on her face, and I wonder what made her decide to trust in herself finally. I walk beside her, matching my pace with hers. We reach the edge of the garden, and she stops. Looking down at her boots, she pauses. I watch her curiously as she puts her prosthetic forward, stepping into the garden finally. She smiles wide, her face lighting up. Verena looks up at me, happiness in her eyes. Then, she turns back to the garden and tears suddenly spring to her eyes. They trickle down her cheeks as she says joyfully, "I did it. I finally did it." I gaze at her, watching her as she cries happily.
I smile a little. "Yes...You did."
The next few weeks Verena pushes herself to the limit, determined to be able to walk and even run again. After grueling workouts and difficult routines, she is able to walk steadily again, and she is even able to run quite well. When she tried the prosthetic with the 3-D maneuver gear, she didn't falter once. If I wasn't aware of what happened, I would never believe she had a prosthetic.
"I'm so tired!" Verena groans, falling back onto her bed.
"You did good today," I say as I take a seat in the chair beside the bed.
Sitting up, she smiles. "I think I'm finally ready to go back." She stretches, her shirt lifting up slightly, a few scars peeking out from under the hem of her shirt.
"Verena..."
"Hm?"
"Where did you get those scars?"
She stops and stares at me. Her eyes are clouded, and I cannot tell what she's thinking. She's silent for a long time, and I start to regret asking. I am about to tell her to forget it, when she finally says, "They're from a long, long time ago. A drunken fool attacked me." She pulls her shirt down a little, covering them back up. She avoids my gaze, glancing away. I can tell that I've made her sad, and I wish I hadn't asked.
"I'm sorry," I say softly, not sure what else to say.
Verena shrugs. "It's not a big deal. Stuff like that happens. All you can do is move on from it." She turns back to me and smiles. I gaze at her, still amazed by her strength.
"What happened to him?" I inquire.
"Who?" She furrows her brows.
"The 'drunken fool'."
"Oh. He died a long time ago." There's a look of nostalgia on her gentle face. "He wasn't always a drunk. He used to be very kind, but then the woman he loved died, and he consoled himself with alcohol."
By the way she's talking, it seems like she knew the man personally. I lean forward. "Verena, did you know this man?"
She hesitates before answering me, "He was my father."
My eyes widen a bit, and I cannot find my voice.
"My mother was a Scout. She was killed while out on an expedition. Papa couldn't handle her death, so he drank to forget, but he was a cruel drunk. He would come home smelling like the saloon, furious for no reason. I was the only one around, so he took his anger out on me. As I got older, I learned how to fight, so when he came after me I could hold my ground. The last time I saw him was when I left for training. I received a letter a couple years after I graduated saying that he had died. I didn't attend his burial. I never went back to my old home. I left that all in the past."
Curious, I ask her, "Did you become a soldier to get away from him?"
She shakes her head. "No. I became a soldier because I wanted to make a difference, like my mother was trying to do. Papa tried to stop me, suddenly worried about losing me." She rolls her eyes. "He suddenly wanted to act like a father again."
There's silence again. I am not sure what to say. I never imagined her having a life like this. No parents came to visit after she lost her leg, but I had only assumed that they were no longer alive. I never once thought she had such a troubled past.
Sucking in a quick breath of air, I admit, "I lost my mother, too."
Verena's POV
My eyes widen, and I gape at Levi, shocked. It is the first time he's spoken about his past since we met. He pushes himself up from the seat and looks down at me. "So...I understand what that must have been like for you." Levi avoids my gaze as he turns and starts for the door. "I'll be back in a little. I have to check on something. Try to rest while I'm gone." With that, he is out the door. I sit there, gazing at closed door, wondering what suddenly made him share that with me. You really are a mystery, Levi.
Levi's POV
Holding the bouquet of flowers, I quietly open the door to Verena's room. While I was heading back, I passed through the garden, and I had remembered something Verena told me once:
"How can you not like flowers, Levi?" Verena gives me a surprised look, turning away from the cart of multi-colored flowers. We had been in Stohess District for over an hour, sent here yet again on another errand mission, and she had spotted the flower cart from almost a street away. Without fail, she dashed right over, dragging me with her.
"I never said I didn't like them. I just said I didn't care about them," I correct her.
"Well, I think you should. They're beautiful-"
"They carry insects," I say interrupting her.
She tries to continue, "They smell nice-"
"They rot quickly."
Verena gives me an irritated look. Then, she crosses her arms over her chest and huffs, "Well, I like them, so we're getting some."
"Fine. Just don't put them in my building."
Turning back to the flower cart, her eyes scan over every flower. "Ah! Here they are!" She pulls out a bouquet of white and pink flowers. The petals unfurl from its center and curl back slightly. Pink explodes from the center of each petal, and fades out into white along the edges. "Lilies," Verena tells me, "They're my favorite flower."
So, I searched the garden until I found a group of white flowers that resembled lilies. If they're not lilies, I'm sure she'll like them anyway. I step into the room and stop. Verena is tucked under the blanket, her head resting on the pillow. Her eyes are closed, and her chest rises every now and then. I walk over, looking down at her. "I guess you actually listened to me for once," I mumble. Setting the flowers down on the bedside table, I head out of the room and return shortly with a clay vase filled with cool water. I slip the flowers into the vase and place it on the table, careful not to make any noise. Glancing down at her, I whisper, "Sleep well, Verena."
Verena's POV
My eyes flutter open, and I glance around the room groggily. It's dark, and the only light comes from the open window. I turn to grab a drink of water, but stop when I see the clay vase on the bedside table. The white flowers appear to be glowing in the silvery moonlight. I smile. "Lilies..."
***
Erwin hands me my new uniform and boots. I smile. "I figured since your other one was torn and covered in blood, you would want a new one," he tells me with a slight chuckle.
"Yeah. It's nice to have a uniform that isn't torn and covered in blood," I tell him, setting the clothes and boots aside. "So, I heard Keith is stepping down."
Erwin nods. "Yes, he is."
I eye him. "I also heard he will be putting you in charge of the regiment."
Erwin shifts in the chair, clearly a little uncomfortable. "Yes, he has appointed me as he successor. After he retires, I will become the Survey Corps' Commander."
"Commander Erwin Smith," I say, testing it out. I smile. "I like it." Erwin smiles proudly, his eyes lighting up. "So, will Mike be promoted then?"
"He will be my replacement."
"Speaking of replacements...What's going to happen to Levi when I return to my post?" I inquire, finally asking the question that's been nagging at me for a while now.
Erwin grows serious again. "Well, he's a good comrade and a great soldier. He's done well as Squad Leader, and I would like it if he could stay one. I will be promoted before the next expedition, and when that happens, I will assign him a squad of his own. We've gotten some new recruits since the last expedition..." His voice trails off for a moment, and he glances at the prosthetic hooked up to my leg. Then, he looks up again, meeting my gaze. "There will be plenty of new Scouts. You'll even have some new squad members."
I feel a mix of sadness and joy. I am happy for Levi, and I am glad that he will be able to have his own squad and remain in his current position. However, I am sad that he will not be a part of my squad anymore. "I'll have to choose a new Senior Team Leader," I say.
"Markus is to be doing quite well with his training. Hanna is, too. Either one of them would make a fine second-in-command." I nod, pondering over who I should pick. Erwin stares at me, quiet for a moment before saying, "I didn't come here just to deliver your new uniform and discuss new details. I had another reason for coming here today."
I raise an eyebrow at him. "What is it?"
"Levi has told me about the progress you've made with the prosthetic, and I wanted to know if you think you're ready to go on an expedition again. It's okay if you're not. I just wanted to know."
I glance down at the prosthetic, my hand on my right knee. For last few weeks, I was able walk and even run with the prosthetic. However...Am I ready to go out beyond the walls again? With a sigh, I nod, meeting Erwin's gaze. "Yes...I'm ready."
Erwin smiles. "Good. This expedition will be different from any of our previous ones. We will be leaving from Trost District, and we will begin to establish a route to Shiganshina. This will be one of many expeditions that we will conduct in an effort to try to take back our land. However, for right now, we will focus on trying to get to Shiganshina. Attempting to plug up the hole is another issue that we can deal with once we've established the path."
"Right. Well, I'm sure I can handle it. It's in three weeks?"
"Yes. Three weeks from now."
"Alright, I'll be ready." I smile. I am about to say something else when the door opens, and Levi steps into the room. Erwin and I turn to him. He looks at me and then at Erwin. "I didn't realize you were here, Erwin."
"Oh, I was just about to leave anyway," Erwin tells him, standing up. He places a hand on my shoulder and smiles down at me. "I'm glad to have you back, Verena."
"I'm glad to be back," I say. He gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze before heading out. He says a polite farewell to Levi before disappearing out the door. Levi closes the door and gives me a curious look.
"What were you two talking about?" he asks, strolling over.
"We were discussing his promotion and how things will go when I return to my post. We also discussed the upcoming expedition."
He nods, taking a seat in the chair Erwin was previously seated in. "Right. We're leaving from Trost District, I believe."
I nod. "Yes. Erwin and I also discussed my part in it."
He raises an eyebrow at me. "You're part in it?"
"Erwin asked if I would be able to go on the expedition."
"And what did you tell him?"
I pause for a moment before answering, "I told him I was ready."