Childhood Friends (Attack on Titan// Levi Ackerman Fanfiction)

Chapter Twenty Four

There was silence after Levi and the rest of the Special Ops left. Hanji was breathing softly. She was awake and in a lot of pain, but she was okay. Armin, the quick thinker that he was, used a piece of hot metal from the explosions that Sasha caused to cauterize the wound. He was helping her to her feet. Hanji was still managing a smile, assuring Armin that she was alright, and that they should meet back up with Levi and the team.

Nora was so silent and had such little presence that they nearly forgot she was there. She was back against the wall again, knees curled to her chest. She was staring blankly at the wall next to her, not even able to look at the deceased soldiers.

"Nora?" Armin was nudging her gently, bumping his shoulder with hers. She hadn't even realized he'd sat next to her. "Let's go meet up with everyone else."

He was avoiding saying Levi's name.

"No."

"What?"

"No." Her throat was dry and burned, but she repeated it again. "No." She stood up suddenly, her joints stiff from her cloistered position. She looked down at her hands, seeing the dried blood that caked them. She wiped them on her pants, and when they didn't come clean, she wiped them again.

Her throat tightened when she realized that the blood wasn't coming off on its own. She closes her eyes, exhaling a long breath before grabbing the straps on her thighs and pulling at them. Armin quirked his eyebrow at her.

"What do you plan to do?"

"Who knows?"

____

"Hanji! Armin!" Eren's voice was strained, but surprised. He was bruised and tired, but the way his blue-green eyes lit up was truly a sight to see. "You guys are okay," he says happily, shamelessly giving Armin a tight hug.

"Yeah, everyone is okay, of course they fucking are. I told them what to do." Levi thunks Eren in the back of the head, releasing an annoyed sigh. "Fucking brat. Let's get a move on."

"Um, Sir-"

"Shut the fuck up, Arlert." Armin swallows thickly, looking over at Jean. Jean will understand, Armin thinks to himself. He meets Jean's gaze, blue eyes filled with sadness.

Jean looks up, feeling Armin's gaze. The look in his innocent blue eyes said it all. Armin was practically begging for him to ask. "What happened to Nora?"

"Who the fuck cares." Levi snaps.

"No, she's... not here." Jean scanned over everyone. He looked and looked, but he didn't see her anywhere. "Armin... what's going on?"

Historia's eyes were fixed on the floor. Swallowing thickly, she looks to Armin. "She's not... dead, is she?" Eren's head snapped up. The mere thought of one of his friends dying while trying to rescue him made his stomach turn.

"The fucking brat is alive, don't worry," Levi snaps. All of the Special Ops squad, plus Hanji, Eren, and Historia, were all looking at Levi, some confused, others sympathetic.

And that's when everyone saw it. They all saw how he shook with any mention of her. How he subtly chewed at his bottom lip. How his fists clenched by his sides.

How he, despite whatever he said, was worried about her.

____

"All bow!" the chancellor of the court yelled the words, announcing them to people from all regions of the Walls. "Historia Reiss has taken the Oath, and should now be addressed as per her title. Presenting, Her Majesty, Queen Historia Reiss."