{LEVIHAN} Always

Chapter 21: Truth

Armin's POV

It's been some years since I saw Levi. I know he's retired and that I can always come by to say hi. But every time I've been offered to come over by Onyankonpon... I always deny it. The fact I could never find Hanji's body... it's devastating to me. The one thing that Levi entrusted me with, and I couldn't finish it. The one person who handed me this position... I couldn't let her rest in peace. I've been beating myself over because of this...

Levi tells me to leave it alone, that I shouldn't keep finding her. But I had to. I had to help put her to rest. Levi might still be grieving over her... 

"How long are you going to stand there?" Jean growls with his hands on his hips. 

Connie was next to him, backing down just a bit. "I would be terrified to visit Levi too. Something's... off. Just staring at him with that huge scar on his face and... it's scary."

"Isn't he always scary?" Gabi looks up to Reiner, who nodded in return. "What makes him much scarier than usual?"

"Gabi, it's the fact that his right eye is just white. It used to have color in it, but now, it just stares at you." Reiner says under his breath, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "Even for me, it's still a little intimidating."

"Onyankonpon," I began, turning towards him, "are you sure this is okay?"

"Why wouldn't it be? I told him I would be visiting with a few people." He replies before Pieck quickly interjects. 

"But we aren't a few people. It's almost like we're throwing a party for him."

"Party? Oh... we should probably head back into town and get something small for everyone to eat-."

"Just knock on the damn door, Armin." Jean continued to scowl, shaking his head. "We've been waiting for a very long time, and I don't want to continue standing out here. Just knock on the damn door before I do it."

So, I knocked on the door three times. No answer. We waited a few more minutes, knowing that Levi can't simply walk to the door. But soon enough, Jean got bored before rapidly knocking on the door. "Levi, it's us. We wanted to visit you. We have stuff from Marley too."

No answer.

"Don't tell me he's dead," Connie says with his shoulder drooping. 

"He's not dead, Connie." Mikasa nudges him and pulls Jean away from the door. "Maybe he's taking a nap or something. Older people tend to do that."

"Are you calling me old?" Onyankonpon chuckles a bit before taking his hat off. "He usually answers-."

The door suddenly opens, and I'm stunned to see who had opened it. "Who are you?" The little girl tilts her head to the side as she peeked out of the door.

Onyankonpon seems to be stunned too, which is surprising. "My name's Armin. What's your name?" She looks down to the ground, not knowing to answer me. Seeing her like that... reminds me of the first time I met Mikasa. She even looks like her too. "We're just here to find someone, his name is Levi."

"I don't know that name..."

I chuckled, kneeling in front of her. Behind me, I hear Connie asking Onyankonpon, "I thought you said Levi lives here. Did he move?"

"Unlikely, Connie. He's been here for years. Why would he move now?"

"Then who's the kid?"

"I don't know, Connie."

"Did your parents tell you to not talk to strangers?" I ask the little girl, trying to see if we can find her parents. "Is one of your mommy or daddy home? We want to ask them questions."