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https://youtu.be/AysCOncqve4

Mikasa got hurt, she made a careless mistake and ended him getting her foot trapped in one of the pests cages. Only problem was, it was only met to holds it captured prey not kill them. Leaving her ankle a cut up mess and bleeding as if she'd be drained from all her blood. 

It was a simply training exercise, Commander Hanji sent all the veterans with all the newly joined up cadets and soldiers. To test them all out over handling a month long expedition in the wildness. 

Mostly since they'd be set over to the ocean and kept in the port town that had finally finished being sent. The town belonged to the survey corps and would be the soldiers home as they stayed guarding the ocean, it wouldn't be some fun beach house for any of them. They'd be given a certain amount of rations and left to work ungodly hours before they swap over with the next lot of troops sent over to take their place while they rest up back home before swapping all over again. 

None of them was looking forward it, not even the few veterans that still stood with air in their lungs. At first, once they got over the feeling of lost and suffering from the death count just to seal up wall Maria, they did enjoy the fame over being hero's.  

But now, everyone wished that everyone love and support was left towards "Humanity strongest" and "the girl worth a hundred soldiers" since they were sick of all the fame now. 

Jean, Connie and Sasha tried asking for pointers from both Mikasa and Levi over how they survived this before but neither was much help. 

Armin tried his best to stay kind to all and give any pointers to anyone who was cheering for him and fanning over him but he was mostly spooked by some of the few that seemed to hold a crush for him. Becoming the new Colossus was still haunting for him and a large burden on his shoulders, more so when he was given a gag order like everyone else to keep such a fact a secret from anyone else inside and outside of the walls until it was time to use his gift. 

He tried asking Eren over how he handled being a titan shifter at first and the strange dreams he's gained. The .. memories that came from the Colossus shifters before him. Sometimes, he was so scared of falling asleep in case he was dragged into memories that he'd force himself to stay away and even got Mikasa to sit with him throughout the night, slapping him awake if he starts to doze. 

It worked at first but he needed sleep just like Mikasa did and Levi made sure the both of them faced their demons and fought against their nightmares as they slept. Mostly by threatening to choke hold them until they pass out if it was needed. It worked for Armin but some hot chocolate worked best for Mikasa. 

Of course, that wasn't the worse over it all .. Eren had changed .. somehow. 

He grew distant and always lost in his own thoughts and well, something was odd about him but no one said a word. A lot had happened and they all carried their scars now .. some demons couldn't be chased away no matter how much they tried facing them. 

It's how Mikasa foolishly got hurt during the training exercise that was only meant to be four days the most. It was nothing compared to the full month they'd spend with all the fresh cadets and soldiers who moved from the garrison and Military police regiments. 

She was meant to be the veteran, not the newbie who had no clue over what to do. 

Yet, she simply misstep in the woods and gotten herself trapped like an idiot. 

Armin and Jean rushed over once one of the fresh cadets just passing the training corps had cried out in horror over the sight. Mikasa, was proud over herself for keeping such a harden and unbothered expression on her face while she wanted to cry out in agony. 

In truth, after a few minutes she whispered towards Armin to simply cut her foot off to free her when he wasn't strong enough to open the trap up again. Jean, being a good friend was telling everyone else to back off and get back to their own duties or to carry on sleeping since they wouldn't be allowed to lay in time morning comes. 

It's when Levi walked over to see what the whole commotion was about and finding her keeping a poker face, seeing through it and in swift move, kneeled by Armin and freed her foot. She whimpered ever so slighter, stumbling back and landing on her behind from the sudden weight freed from her injured foot and she wondered if she'd be able to chop her own head off with the trap instead of facing the future embarrassment. 

Levi was already barking out an order to Armin to fetch one of the first aids kit and he did hurry away while Levi moved to squat down by her injured foot. He carefully and slowly lifted her leg, leaving her to keep herself pushed up with her elbows while eyeing up her deep and very painful wound. 

He never spoke a snarky comment towards her.

No insult either. 

Not even a dry sentence that would normally fuel up her anger. 

She wasn't sure if the pain had gotten to her head at first but even Armin seemed startled over how silent and .. almost kind the captain was openly being right now. Jean had walked away, to go wake up either Connie or Sasha to help keep an eye on the night watch now she was out of the game. No one really tried waking Eren up anymore, he'd refuse anyway and if he was forced to help anyways .. he'd just be bitter towards the new cadets and soldiers they were meant to be training. 

When Levi did speak, Mikasa had to do a double take and still turn towards Armin for translation.

"Don't give me that look otherwise I'll drag you by your good foot through the woods instead of carrying you back to the base" Levi scoffed back annoyed over the look she was giving him after he decided to carry her back to the base and get a proper doctor to check out her foot. 

He did bandage it up, clean the wound up and add disinfected that earned Armin to whimper and flinch as he watched it all happen while Mikasa oddly showed no signs of wanting to punch the captain for making everything hurt even more. 

"Armin?" Mikasa dumbly asked as she looked to her friend with desperate eyes to help her out with what was happening. 

"I've got the dress picked out for you to be cremated in. Don't worry, I'll know that he murdered you when he tries covering it up" Armin smugly grinned as he gave her a large thumbs up. 

"I'm not going to kill her, she's the only other decent soldier left in my squad and I ain't gonna be left trapped with you brats on my own" Levi sighed as he stood up and turned his back to her, placing his hands on his hips and waiting for her to hop onto his back. 

"I think that's an actually compliment. I really am going to die" Mikasa commented with slight concern, wincing a little as Armin helped her to stand up. 

Levi glancing over his shoulder, watching as she limped towards him, Armin behind her and ready to awkwardly help stabilize her if she did fall backwards. He knew better than to try and full on catch her since he'd just end up as a landing map for her instead. 

"Yikes! When did you get so fat?" Levi groaned back as he moved his arms a little to have a better grip on her legs. 

"I think I'd preferred being trapped" Mikasa stated as she glanced down to the trap, ready to hop down and step into it again.

"Geez, don't earn more paperwork for me" Levi grunted back in annoyance as he'd already have to fill out one accident report thanks to her. 

"Captain will you be returning once you've taken Mikasa to a doctor?" Armin asked with a worried but curious look towards the two. They looked a right funny pair right now with Levi giving Mikasa a piggy back ride but Armin knew better than to laugh right now. In truth, he was worried over Mikasa being left by herself at the hospital cabin in the base since she was awful with doctors and well, he was also worried over the training campsite they stood in .. Levi helped to keep some of the cocky older military police soldiers in check. 

"I'll head back once I know she's going to be alright. If she's gotta have her foot chopped off, I want to hold the honours over slicing it from her leg. You don't drink any alcohol .. not even for pain relief .. right?" Levi casually answered as if it Mikasa injury wasn't a huge deal before slyly adding his own hopes if her foot did need to be chopped off.  

"No, I don't. The smell of alcohol makes me sick" Mikasa grumbled back, a little proud she doesn't take anything for the pain but also knowing Levi would tease her for acting like a innocent child by keeping away from tasting any alcohol. 

"Have you tried any?" Levi asked as he started walking, knowing the base was only a twenty minute walk away. 

Armin smiled as he watched the two walk a way, finally letting an amused chuckle escape his lips before shaking his head amused. A knowing look in his eyes before returning to watch over those on the nightshift. Glancing around for Jean and to see who Jean woke up to help, surprised to find Eren actually standing awake and willingly helping. In fact, he was already staring in the same direction, a conflicted look in his eyes that send a chill down Armin spine for some odd feeling. 

"Yes but it doesn't make me any happier or sadder than I already was when drinking some. I at least know I'm not a lightweight but the scent of alcohol simply makes me feel sick" Mikasa answered Levi as honestly as she could since she didn't really understand why any alcohol made her feel sick. She was able to drink it but the scent always just made her want to throw up. 

"Was your father a drunk?" Levi asked with a raised eyebrow, glancing to his right shoulder where she rested her chin. 

"Never" Mikasa huffed back. 

"Mother?" Levi asked instead as he knew it could be any parent. 

"Of course not. They were good people. In fact, my father never liked the taste of any alcohol either. He could drink it but he never liked the taste or scent. Mother liked sweet wine but it was expensive to buy" Mikasa snapped back, a little insulted that he decided to assume her parents were alcoholics. 

"My mother drank beer, she was a tough old las that's for sure. She could outdrink anyone in the undergrounds" Levi mentioned out of the blue, knowing parents was normally a personal and sore spot for her just like it was for him. 

"Can you?" Mikasa curiously asked, never really seeing Levi drink before. But he always left early during any celebrations held in the food hall for the whole base to enjoy. She always wanted to sneak out early like he did but she had to help her drunken friends and family back to the barracks otherwise they'd sleep in their own vomit somewhere. 

"Of course I can, learnt from her after all. But I'm sure she'd be able to still outdrink me if she was still about" Levi admitted, a little proud over holding his liquor but his voice turning fond as he thought over his mother. 

"I think she'd be rather proud over the man you stand as now" Mikasa confessed out of the blue, she never met the women but the few times Levi had mentioned her. She knew the women would hold pride over her son right now. 

"She'll be pained by the stained man I stand as. I'm tainted and cruel, I've got a lot of sins on my shoulder to live with. She's blame herself for not being able to give me the better life" Levi bitterly replied, self hatred filling his eyes once more. 

"She would be proud over the man you stand as. You might have done a few bad acts in your life but you've saved more than you've killed. You've cared for so many and protected even more. We all have our sins, our demons we  can never be rid off. But you're a good man, Levi. You hold a heart of pure gold. It's just disappointing that you'll never be able to see that over yourself" Mikasa lightly argued in defence as she dug her chin into his shoulder a little to give him something to focus on instead of the demons creeping in the back of his mind. 

"You call me as Captain, brat" Levi scolded back but it wasn't holding it's usual bite to it. 

"If you can call me by my name then I should be able to call you by your own" Mikasa huffed back.

"That's not how this rank thing works" Levi scoffed back as he rolled his eyes at her antics. He was still her captain even if she stood as a veteran now and became a squad leader during expeditions. 

"Should be" Mikasa pouted. 

"Your impossible" Levi commented, a smirk on his lips. 

"It's my job as your subordinate to keep you on your toes after all" Mikasa smugly shot back, knowing she was doing her job when she got on his nerves. 

"Why did you get hurt today. I can normally keep my hopes over you being untouched by any form of harm. You scared me today" Levi finally asked the nagging question that's been swimming around in his mind. He knew she wasn't a god, she was human that got hurt still but .. she wasn't stupid. A pest trap wasn't meant to be what could hurt her in life. 

"I was lost in my thoughts. A little like Eren has been" Mikasa sighed as she tried pushing away the thoughts that tried popping into her mind again. 

"Worried over that titan boy again? You really need to move on from him, live a much better life of your own decisions" Levi frowned, acting a little disappointed over her line of thinking again. 

"I gave up on him months ago. He's only a brother to me. I thought I might have held a crush on him but I was wrong. I was blinded by my fear over being left along that I attached myself to him. I would break if I lose Armin as well but Eren was the one to never care over me or my background. Armin cared for me but he was still curious over my Ackerman blood, he just never over stepped the line and was happy to stay as the family we are" Mikasa mindlessly rambled back as she knew how bad she use to be towards Eren but she's found peace and actually opened her eyes to the truth. She wasn't the scared girl she was use to stand as and held more people by her side, her family had grown and she needed to trust them in staying alive with her. 

"Okay, so you will you devote your heart too" Levi asked a little surprised over how much she's been sorting out without anyone notice. He did notice she wasn't as fixed up on Eren as she use to be when she first joined but he assumed it was due to them being so busy and Eren pushing them all away. He didn't really notice that she changed as well, becoming someone she was happy to be. 

"That's what I was thinking over tonight. It seems I've fallen in love with someone I shouldn't have. In fact, it pisses me off whenever my mind unconsciously drifts to thoughts of him. My eyes seem to never be able to leave him when he's close either .. it sucks" Mikasa admitted shyly, a fed up look in her eyes as she didn't want to deal with such a problem. 

"You think he feels the same?" Levi asked, he knew she could have anyone she wanted and he was surprised she hasn't already tried making a move towards them already. 

"Of course he wouldn't hold any romantic interests towards me. I might be a rising hero but he's seen me at my worse and at my weakest points in life. He always seem to find me when I don't stand as my best. It's embarrassing" Mikasa scoffed back bitterly, glaring at the ground he walked towards and always seemed defeated over the love before it had a chance to fully bloom. 

"M-Mikasa, who are you in love with" Levi shakily asked as the list of men who would have to respectful reject her due to duty was very few .. the list of names even less involving their regiment. 

"You'll turn to hate me if I do tell. It against the rules, even if there was a chance they feel the same" Mikasa whiny voice was muffled by her burying her face into the back of his head, not liking the conversation anymore. 

"Mikasa, please tell me" Levi demanded, his heart pumping a million beats a minute and he was certain she could hear it ringing from his ears. 

"I love you, Levi" Mikasa whispered softly beside his ear, her grip around his next tightening every so slightly as she's never felt as scared as she did right now. 

"..."

"I won't ask you to feel the same or try to let me down softly. I already knew I was a lost cost but at least, pretend that this was a simple pain drugged  confession. My words mean nothing, I'm simply hurt and my brain is left in shock still. My words hold no meaning just like a drunks wouldn't" Mikasa sighed, lifting her sadden gaze towards the night sky above and already knowing she'd never have her feeling accepting like she wanted them to be. 

And, if he placed a kiss to her forehead once she laid sleeping on the hospital bed later that night, sitting by her side throughout most of the night .. he'd simply blame it over the shock that had taken over his brain.

Drunken actions from all the shock over the girl- .. no, women worth a hundred soldiers getting herself hurt. Just like her words were simply pained drunk words as she said they were. 

Whispering his confession before leaving once he knew he'd need to return to the others, his heart calm as he knew she'd be just fine .. that she'd be alive and greeting them all as they return the next day. 

Maybe .. just maybe he'd be brave enough to tell her how he truly felt once he get's injured himself.

He better start keeping an eye out for those hidden pest traps around the woods.