Thank You

Chapter 3: Close One

I got up and swallowed heavily but something in my throat wouldn't let it go down. I looked over at my friends who were looking in the opposite direction. Thanks for your help... I was a bit shaky and my blood was pumping like crazy. I could feel my heartbeat in my throat.

I didn't dare look at Levi as I followed him to his office. I didn't want him to see my fear, I didn't want him to smell it. I kept an arm's distance away for precautionary measures. My speed was slow and sluggish and my eyes were blurry. I could see and feel my pulse in my eyes. Was this the end? Well, it was a good life indeed I guess.

I was still gazing down when I felt myself crash into something. I look up, " Ow, sorry about that."
I immediately look down at the ground avoiding all eye contact. I just didn't want to die like this. Did I run into him? If so, was I going to get chastised for it? IS THAT GOING TO DIG MY HOLE DEEPER??

After a long awkward pause I heard his cold voice once again, it was harsh and it hit like a whip, " What is wrong with your brain Cadet? Get it together. This is the second time you've ran into me."
He opened his office door. It was so dark that I couldn't even see the inside. I saw his head thrown to one side gesturing me to go in. I slowly nodded my head and gingerly made my way in.

I jumped a bit when he slammed the door behind him. This office gives off a tense aura. "Do you know why I called you in here Cadet (L/N)?" He sat down in his black leather rolling chair, which seemed bigger than him, and put his feet up. He turned on his desk lamp and moved it out of his face.

I kept my head down still avoiding eye contact with him. " Uh, no Captain. I don't. Why'd you call me in here?" I was shifting uncontrollably in my chair, I must've looked like I needed to use the bathroom. My cheeks were burning with embarrassment and my hands were sweating profusely.

He gave me those dark entrancing eyes and I felt my stomach fall into my feet. He moved in a bit which made me scoot back. " I saw your training out there Cadet. I want to take you and your idiot friends out into the field with me." How the hell does this guy have only one facial expression? Like, was he just born like that?

I clenched my fists and shoved them between my thighs. " Okay. Sure. I'm not a rookie though. I've been here for three years." I don't know why we have never seen each other before but he seems to mistake me for a rookie. He moved back but I still stayed backed up into my chair. I was so far into the chair I thought the back of it was going to snap. I shifted awkwardly in the hard, cold, wooden chair.

" Why the hell are making that stupid face for Cadet? Are you constipated?" He squinted his eyes in a manner that would scare a bear away. I cleared my throat holding back my trembling voice .

"I wouldn't be surprised. Rough day." I tried to crack a joke to ease up the tension but that did literally nothing. If anything, I think that just made it more tense. I dared to look up at him.

" Tch, just don't do it in my office. Out with you." He shooed me away.

I saluted him and swung opened the door and ran back into the Dining Hall. Eren and Armin ran over to me with concern on their faces.
" How much cleaning do you have to do?" Eren looked right at me with curiosity almost burning in his retinas. "How much cleaning do WE have to do? Did he say anything about me? Did he ask about me?"

I sighed in relief, " He recruited us onto his team actually. Not that I'm really a rookie but-"

I forced myself to smile even though I felt like I was going to pass out from so much intensity this early in the day.

Eren and Armin's eyes lit up " Really?!" they moved closer to me to hear the details.

I chuckled and just smiled, " Yeah, he wants us on his team. All four of us."

Eren and Armin high-fived and Mikasa, with the same stone faced expression on her face, (what is with black-haired people and their same stone-cold expressionless faces?) just sat there. It was almost like she knew what she was getting recruited.

After my story was done, Jaeger decided to ask a very "important" question, "Did Captain Levi say anything about me??"

"Not you in particular, it was more of a general statement. He was addressing all of us. You already asked me that."

He backed up and loosened himself up a bit, "Oh." He looking genuinely disappointed.

"Why do you ask..for the fiftieth time?" I took a sip from Armin's juice without him looking.

"No reason. I just wanted to know." Eren looked down at his plate of food and just picked at it. He was blushing and it wasn't subtle either.

I let out another big sight of relief. That was really close. I looked around the Dining Hall to see the Loud Ugly One crawling back under the table. I decided to pay him a little 'visit' to mess with him some more. I crouched down and smiled menacingly at him. " How's the weather down there?" I jostled him a bit, I could feel his entire body shaking.

I got up and saw two other guys looking at me, one freckled one and one with a shaved head. I want to touch his head..... I smiled at them creepily and asked, " What's your names? Huh?" I bent in close to them and felt the shaved boy's head. The freckled one looked terrified, " I-I'm M-Marco B-B-Bott a-and this i-is my f-friend Connie Springer" They must all be new recruits as well.

" Oh, cool." I was still feeling Connie's head. " That's a nice dome ya got here Mr. Springer."

Connie tensed up a bit and looked up at me, "Thank you...I think." He grabbed my wrist and took it off his head. " Please don't..stroke me."

I nodded and then I immediately began hitting table making the Ugly One jump a bit. Connie's head is so smooth, I expected it to be very prickly.
I decided to ask them one more question, " What's this little buddy's name?" I put my hand directly above his head and placed it above the table.

" Jean...Jean Kirschstein...uh..ma'am." Marco just looked so terrified, all the color had drained from his face. His freckles even lost their brown coloring.

I nodded and punched the top of the table again and made my way over to my table and sat down. I thought about the encounter I had in Levi's office and I chuckled, " That was a close one."

Author's note:

I'm not good with their last names so I had to look up Connie's. And also, sorry this chapter was so long, I wanted to fit some more characters in.The next chapter will, hopefully be up tomorrow. Oh...did I spell Jean's last name right?