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𝑳𝑰𝑻𝑻𝑳𝑬 𝑪𝑨𝑫𝑬𝑻
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That night when Levi came back after taking the kids back to Wall Rose and when the baby was sound asleep in his crib, you found yourself in the balcony with Levi having casual tea at midnight. It was the kind of peaceful night you desperately wish would last for a lifetime and beyond.

The silence was neither awkward nor uncomfortable. If anything, it was more peaceful. The most peaceful you've ever been when you're with someone.

But after a while, you were the first one to break the silence. "The kids, what do you think of them?" you asked, curious as to his answer. But you should have expected that.

"Loud," Levi said, sipping tea while you chuckled, shaking your head. He had never met a kid who is not noisy by his standard. Even those who aren't kids, he would call brats and would complain about how loud they are. One good example of that is Hange, not that Levi had ever been seriously annoyed by her.

"Determined," he continued, lowering the teacup. "Strong-willed, smart. They might survive training, provided they don't bitch out halfway through it."

"Levi," you said, almost in a reprimanding way.

"I'm just saying. You know how hard it is to survive training. They need to go through hell and back."

"But they've been through one already," you said, glancing down. "One that is real and more terrifying than anything else."

When the Wall Maria fell, hundreds of children had witnessed hell. They had lost their parents, their siblings, their friends. Some of them might have actually witnessed it before their eyes, how their parents were eaten by the titans as they watched helplessly, unable to move from fear.

Just thinking about it made you feel sad yet a sense of anger also bubbled up inside you.

"They'll make it," you said, looking back at Levi with a smile. "Who knows, they might even be in your Squad."

The very next day, just as the streets in the Interior started to get busier and you were on your way downstairs with the baby in your arms, you found Levi in the living room with Erwin along with Hange and Mike.

You stopped when you got near and they looked at you.

"Y/n!" Hange said, making her way towards you. "It's been a while!"

Mike sniffed, he does have a habit of doing that so it doesn't bother you now anymore. He scrunched the bridge of his nose after a moment, probably because he smelled the scent of detergent as he too made his way towards you.

You let Hange hold the baby, he's old enough to support his head after all and you trust Hange. After greeting the two, you walked up to Levi and Erwin who looked at you.

"Do you want any refreshments?" you asked, looking at Erwin who shook his head.

"We wouldn't take long," he said before he glanced past you to see the two who seem to be having fun with the baby.

"Do you have any second thoughts?" you asked and Erwin looked back at you.

"Very well. Tea would be fine."

You smiled at him. "It's been a while, brother. I'll go get some tea and crackers."

When you excused yourself to the kitchen, Levi and Erwin sat down on the couch. Then Hange and Mike joined the two before Erwin looked at the baby.

"Lucas," Erwin said. "He's growing well."

"Is he?" Levi looked at the baby as well, and when the baby saw it, he outstretched his arms up to him so Hange handed the baby to Levi. "There were times when his mother would worry about his well-being."

You came back after a moment, a tray of refreshments in hand.

"Erwin, what's the purpose of your visit?" Levi asked just as you were lowering down the tray.

"Your suspension," Erwin started and you visibly stopped, your hands frozen for a moment before you slowly put the tray down and straightened up, taking the baby from Levi as you put him in his crib. "Is almost over."

"What do you mean, Erwin?"

Erwin took a cup and sip the tea before lowering it down, his eyes on the liquid before he looked up, glancing at you.

"It's alright," you said. "His suspension wouldn't last forever anyways."

Erwin looked back at Levi who's waiting for him to continue.

"You are hereby given a new order, Levi," Erwin said, his words seem to carry the weight of humanity and not only Levi felt it. "You are to be the new Captain of the Special Operations Squad. At the end of this month, you will hand-pick the members who will be part of your Squad from the new batch of cadets."

Erwin glanced at you and there was a momentary silence before he closed his eyes for a second and when he opened them, he's looking at Levi.

"You will need to train them from the break of dawn until dusk, and if needed, until midnight. They will become the most elite Squadron in the Corps, so choose them wisely."

"Erwin, what are you playing?" Levi asked, the side of his lips turning up in a smirk but it wasn't the kind to provoke anyone. "You sound like you want me to build an elite Squadron to commit treason."

"Have you forgotten who the real enemy is, Levi?"

"Right," Levi said, shaking his head. "We'd be killing titans. Not those people, especially not the Royal Family."

"I will prepare everything. Once you have hand-picked the cadets, you will move to a castle in Wall Rose where your Headquarters will be located."

Erwin stood up, and so did Hange and Mike.

"Then, we'll be taking our leave," Erwin said, but before they could walk to the door, you spoke.

"Am I," you started, looking at their backs and Erwin glanced behind. "Allowed to lend a hand?"

Erwin turned around to completely look at you. "In what way?"

"I want," you said, standing up. "to help Levi in hand-picking the cadets."

Erwin was silent for a second, averting his eyes down before he looked up at you and nodded once but he didn't say anything and he turned around, walking to the door until they were gone.

Then you fell down on the couch beside Levi.

"You want to help?" Levi asked and you looked at him. "Or don't you trust your husband's judgment?"

"What do you think?" you asked before a playful smile grazed your lips.

But then the smile didn't last as your lips slowly fell into a frown and you looked down.

"It hasn't been a year since our son was born and you're leaving again."

You felt a hand under your chin and slowly, Levi made you look at him.

"It's not like I'd be gone forever," he said. "When our son starts to crawl, it won't be long until he starts to walk, then he'll be running, and riding a horse. You can take him to Wall Rose and he can watch how his father disciplines his Squadron."

"By discipline, you don't mean beating them into a pulp?" you asked before feeling the side of your lips turning up in a smile once again.

"Depends," Levi said with a shrug.

"Ah right," you started, remembering those children again. "In a few years, I wonder if those children will get to be members of your elite squad."

"Who knows?" Levi muttered, straightening up as he took a cup of tea and took a sip before it got too cold. "If they survive through the grueling training, and if they don't piss me off, I might hand-pick them."

"I'm sure they'd be part of your elite squad," you said, taking a cup as well and a cracker. "I'll put my bet on them being part of your elite squad."

"Why do you believe in them so much?"

"It would be a bit of a stretch to say, but they somehow remind me of myself. When my brother and I became orphans, I think I was their age," you muttered before shaking your head. "No, I think I was younger than them."

And so does Levi. Because no matter how much he shook it off, he couldn't. He realized it now, that feeling he got when he watched those three walk off. He was reminded of himself probably more than you were reminded of yourself in them.

It's been a while since Levi thought of those two. The only friends he had back in the Underground. It's been a while, he thought.

Until he realized you were looking at him closely and he blinked away the haze in his eyes to focus on you.

"Before you leave, why don't we go on an outing? The three of us."

Right, Levi thought. It's not like he's forgetting those two. He still has them in his memory, and they hold a special place in his heart. It's just that, he has the ones more precious to him now that letting the memories of his friends slip from his mind was inevitable.

And Levi thinks those two would be more glad that way. That he's not a prisoner of the past because he now has those whom he looks forward to spending time with in the future. It's just that he was briefly reminded of them when he saw those three children last night. As transient as it was, in an ephemeral period of time. 

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