Starlight [Attack on Titan Fanfiction: Levi x OC]

Chapter 9: Shitty Glasses

*If you haven't seen the first OVA for Shingeki No Kyojin, then the first section of this chapter may make zero sense to you. Go ahead and watch it if you haven't already! (:

"Ilse Langnar."

An uncomfortably long pause ensues after this name is said.

For reasons that still remain unknown to me, Hange Zoë relishes in the mysterious aura that she exudes whenever she lets a long pause linger at the end of her statements. It used to work exceedingly well on me, to the point where I would be leaning forward on the edge of my rickety chair, conjecturing what she could possibly tell me next.

But now, it is just a waste of time.

"Miss Hange," I begin, "you know that I already find the stories you tell me interesting. You don't need to give them dramatic effect to catch my attention."

Scrutinization is the only response that I receive.

And then, tears.

"Cocoon!" She cries out while getting up from the chair behind her desk and throwing her arms around me in a tight embrace.

All I can manage to let out is a strained "Nngh."

"You don't understand how much I appreciate you!" Warm teardrops smother my cheeks as she pulls me in even tighter. "Nobody has ever listened to one of my stories without dozing off or just walking away, let alone has been remotely interested!" She breaks away from me for a brief second, only to take her hands and cup my face with her rough palms. "Thank you, Maicoon."

Maicoon.

My heart skips a beat.

"M-Maicoon?" I stammer.

"Well, I figured Cocoon was a bit awkward. I had to jazz it up a bit by incorporating your name into it! What do you think?"

"I-I think it's fine."

"REALLY?"

"Yea—"

Before I am able to finish, she squishes my cheeks with utmost adoration and love and gives both of them a quick pinch.

To prevent her from doing anything else to my face, I awkwardly push her off of me and scoot my chair over to the side of her desk, picking up a battered down leather notebook with blood stains permanently saturated into the bottom half of it. "So who is this Ilse Langnar person you were telling me about?"

"Ilse Langnar," Hange explains as she takes the notebook out of my hands, "was a soldier who took part in the thirty-fourth expedition beyond the walls. She was found dead in a tree during one of our later expeditions. I was with Levi and his squad at the time of discovery. They were unusual circumstances to say the least."

"Why is that?"

"Well, a while back, I had tried convincing Erwin to let me use one of our expeditions as an opportunity to capture a Titan alive."

"Wait, you did what?"

"Don't worry too much. He denied my request. But when we went on one of our regular expeditions for the sole purpose of setting up supply bases, I saw a Titan and took it into my own hands to capture it without any help."

Now...I understand what people mean when they say that calling Hange crazy is an understatement.

"Don't get me wrong; I had asked squad Levi for help beforehand. Right before the expedition began, I turned to Levi, but he instantly replied with an irritated 'No' in that monotone voice of his when I hadn't even asked him anything yet. Then he claimed that capturing a Titan was a waste of effort and that he would have no part in it. So it was all up to me. It wasn't something I couldn't handle. I mean, technically, I wasn't given permission to perform the task in the first place, but what was Erwin going to do to stop me? Fire me? Yeah, right."