The Lost Comrade

Chapter 7

"We thought you were dead." 

That phrase. It was what I thought of them too. We both got wrong info. We all were standing well and fighting. None of us fell during that last attack. We might be beaten up in some way but we still made it through. 

I scan over them to see who is all still there.

Petra. Check.

Oluo. Check.

Eld. Check.

Mike. Check.

Hange. Check.

Levi. Not there.

My eyes drop to the floor. I know I shouldn't think about him after all this time but I love him more than Jean but Jean is also a better safer choice. 

"Levi?" My voice is barely a whisper. 

"He has just gotten grumpier," Hange explained.

"He's alive?" I am not staring at them like a crazy man. My mind spinning in circles. 

"Of course he is alive," Petra gave a soft smile, "you are the one that saved him." With that, my eyes fall back onto the ground and they filled with tears. I can't believe he is actually alive. The guy with the key that I gave him a long time ago. Before everything that has happened. I fall to the ground sobbing. They were all hiding under my nose this whole time. 

"Hey, Mikapika," horse-faced voice traveled into my ears now. I looked up to see Jean coming into the bakery. He scanned around the small space and his eyes landed on the group of unknowns and he followed the sound of my sobs to see me on the floor crying my eyes out. "Eren!" He rushed down beside me and started to try to soothe me. 

"I-I'm fine Jean." I choke out. 

"Was it another attack Dear?" I shook my head and looked back up at the faces staring down at us. Their faces twist into confusion seeing Jean and me. He stands up first and helps me to my feet but he still keeps an arm around me.

"Jean, these are my comrades when I was in the army," I explain.

"Comrades?" Jean questions. "These guys are my co-workers."

"Co-workers?" It was my turn to be confused. 

"Yes, Mr. Bozado is my boss," Jean explains.

"Mr. Kirstein you know Cadet Jaeger?" Oluo pipes in. 

"Eren is my boyfriend," Jean responds. I don't know what to make of this situation. My old comrades' faces fell into shock. If you just heard the guy that use to date one of your closest best friends is not actually dead and is alive and dating someone else wouldn't your mind explode too. 

"But doesn't Eren love-" It was Mike that slapped his hand over Hange's mouth to stop her from saying any more. I give her a small smile and hope Jean doesn't try to fill in the gaps. 

"Anyways, Jean why are you here?" I turn to face him.

He looked down at me like I was totally stupid. "We have a date after your shift finished. I left you a note reminding you of it." His tone sounded like he was tired and just done with everything. He didn't look tired though. There were no bags under his eyes and he looked like he was just heading out to work in the morning after a cup of coffee. 

"Can we just skip our date and hang out with my old comrades?" I look up to him with puppy dog eyes, pleading. 

He rolled his eyes before answering, "fine." My old comrades cheered hearing that we get to hang out. We move tables around so we can fit everyone at one table. Mikasa even closes up early so we can have the place to ourselves. I set out pitchers of lemonade and trays of different goodies. 

We laughed and giggled. There was a bit of gossip here and there. No one talked about Levi or seemed to acknowledge him. I wish someone just told me what he was up to nowadays and if he is living the peaceful life that he dreamed about. But if I hear those things I might turn back to that 20-year-old running around on a battlefield and learning how to kill. That part of my life left me once I lost my leg. I have Jean now, and I help run the bakery. I can't be the kid that doesn't know where life will take him and just takes risks to spice things up. I am not in that position to do that. Levi and the Army was a risk. 

My eyes drift over the pitcher that was once full of lemonade. My chair screeches against the floor as I stand. "I'm going to make more lemonade," I announce. 

"Let me help you," it is Hange that stands up to help. I give her a small nod and she follows me into the back room. 

"Can you grab the lemons?" I ask. "They should be right over there." I point across the room to the huge fridge. 

"Okie dokie," she skipped over there while I went and pulled out the sugar. "So, Eren what has life done to you?" 

"Well it took my leg away from me, but because of that, I was able to meet Jean," I explain.

I turn to look at her and see her eyes sparkling but also have a sad tint to them. "I'm happy for you but do you ever think about Levi?" Now that question stopped me in my track. No one asks me about Levi. It is always just me fantasizing what we could have become if we didn't lose each other.

"Of course I do," I answer honestly. "Levi is something special to me but I have always reminded myself that we wouldn't work out in the end. We are just too different." 

"Levi still loves you and he wants to find you Eren," she moves back over to me with the lemons. "He is miserable without you. He doesn't care about anything but you."

"Hange, I have Jean and I am sticking with Jean," my anger started to rise a bit. "Jean is more stable than Levi."

"Who that fuck cares about that!" She screeched. 

"Let's just make this lemonade. I am done talking about this." She does a small nod and we get to work.

Hey guys, thank you so much for hanging in there. I use to have a plan for this book but the more I look at it the more I hate it. Also, I am not going to make excuses for why I take forever to update. You guys just need to know I am a procrastinator and I have trouble trying to get my lazy ass to do stuff. I just hope you guy enjoy reading this crap. Also, I need some help.

A) Should I have Hange set up Eren and Levi on a "date" like she makes them meet face to face

B) Have Eren's old comrades make Eren come out with them and Levi is there

C) Jean has a business dinner and Levi is there

D) Whatever you guys come up with

Please vote and help me out.