𝗟𝗜𝗧𝗧𝗟𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗗𝗘𝗧 || l. ackerman

Chapter 24

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𝑳𝑰𝑻𝑻𝑳𝑬 𝑪𝑨𝑫𝑬𝑻
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You haven't spent time around children often, you don't particularly like nor dislike them. Though there were kids who you dislike for being spoiled, and then there were kids you pity. You wonder if you expressed your thoughts, how you pity these three kids in front of you, would they be angry? There are people who don't like being pitied.

You watched as they ate the soup and bread like those were the first food they ate in days. You were afraid it might be the case.

You looked around, wondering if you should start a conversation or just leave them be. But when you looked back, you found yourself not wanting to leave just yet.

"So," you started, thinking of questions to ask them, something personal or something random. "Your parents, are they..."

You trailed off even before you could finish your question. You were reminded of how the higher-ups dealt with them, making the adults go outside the Walls. It's like blatantly sending them to their deaths without being the ones to kill them.

"Nevermind," you said, giving them a reassuring smile.

"Dead," suddenly the boy with teal green eyes spoke. "They're dead."

"Sorry," you muttered, looking down. "I shouldn't have asked. It was insensitive of me."

"It's alright," the same boy said. "More importantly, earlier, you mentioned the Scout."

"Eren," the girl said in a tone that sounded rushed as if she wanted to stop him from saying anything about the Scout, you lifted your head and looked at her before looking at the boy with teal green eyes whose name you now know as Eren.

"Yeah, I did say that," you nodded. "I used to be a Squad Leader in the Scout Regiment."

"Used to be?" the boy who looked timid asked for the first time. "What happened?"

"I..." you trailed off, thinking about whether to tell them or not, they're still kids after all. But whether they understand the exact reasoning or not, they're bound to learn all about it sooner or later. "I gave birth."

"You gave birth?" the girl asked. "So you leave the Scout when you give birth?"

"I suppose so?" you said. "When you give birth, you become a mother first and a soldier second. It's different for men though. They're still a soldier above anything else, so they can protect their wife and kids."

"Your husband is a member of the Scout too?" the boy, Eren, asked. You'd never seen kids look quite as enthusiastic when talking about the Scout, except for this kid.

"Yeah," you said. "He's quite famous in the Scout. He's called Humanity's Strongest Soldier."

"Strongest," the girl muttered, and she seemed to have a look of admiration already.

"What does he look like?" Eren asked and you looked back at him.

"Hmm," you hummed, looking up for a second. "What does he look like? Well, he almost always scowls. He rarely smiles or laughs. His eyes are sharp and steel gray, his hair styled in a neat undercut. He's not that tall but he's..." you trailed off, feeling your lips stretching in a smile. "...really good-looking."