25. Gaps and Everything Wrong

Eren leaded the way towards where the superiors all meeted with the royalty. He's anything but enthusiastic about it. He have to be honest, meeting Historia's right now nice, but not this early.

"Commander and the others will be right down the hall. We aren't allowed to go there unless we have to," Eren said, pointing down the hall. Levine rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue.

"Great," he said, sarcasm trailing his voice, "Now tell me if I should bow and greet Her Majesty."

"Come on, it's not so bad," Eren said and Levine raised an eyebrow at him, "I mean, it's just Historia. What could possibly go wrong?"

"Don't jinx me here, Eren," he replied and huffed, "This is such a drag."

And so he started walking down the hall and went to the meeting place where he saw Hange and Erwin, Hazel and Levi together with Historia fancy clothes and two bodyguards, MP's to be exact, behind her. Levine almost made a gag face, again, when he recognized the MPs' face. They're one of those rare appearing ones when he make a ruckus underground.

"Oh! Hey there, little shorty!" Hange greeted with a huge grin on her face. Levine was unfazed by this and saluted only to be dismissed by Erwin.

"It's nice to see you, Levine," Historia's said with a small smile. She always acts so civilized and ethical whenever she is in that royal get-up, but when she wants to loosen up, Levine would have to resist rolling his eyes.

"So do I, Your...Majesty," his lips twitched a bit, wanting to drop the act and be sassy and all. Can he do that? He saw Hange snickering to Levi and Hazel in which the couple shook their head at.

"So that everyone's here, what are we discu--" Hazel narrowed her eyes when Connie bursted into the room withbeads of sweat on his face and a look of desperation.

"Hazel-san! Hazel-san! Louis is---" he was cut off by loud crying. Levi looked away, Hange awed, Erwin have a bead of sweat on his cheek, Historia chuckled a little, Levine was about to run out the room and Hazel rolled her eyes knowing that her husband is avoiding to calm their son down.

"Urgh! I'll go," she stood up and walked out the room calmly. A few moments later the crying died down. The rest assumed that Hazel did a great job making the baby boy stop crying.

"Wow. The great Levi Ackerman is afraid of a child's cry. So sad," Levine said out loud after he noticed that his brother did avoid the situation.

This statement made Hange laugh and tease the fellow soldier. The two MPs shared a look but did not said a word.

"Let's just get on with it," Erwin said and so they did proceed with their meeting with Historia.

---

The meeting didn't last long, but for Levine who doesn't like these sorts of stuff, he thought of it as a waste time for snoozing.

"I'm surprised I stayed awake for that long," Levine said and Levi looked at him with his emotionless expression, a trait they both share.

"Tch, I wouldn't be surprise if you feel asleep in the next meeting," he said and Levine turned his head to his brother.

"Wait, another meeting?" He paraphrased, but Levi didn't got the chance to speak when Hazel came walking to them with Louis in her arms.

"So what did I miss?" The blond asked, craddling a giggling baby boy that tried reaching out to his father, but stopped in midway when he saw him with his uncle.

"Historia's just told us about some plans about repairing some parts of the HQ and a probable escort again to the underground," Levine said and Mikasa joined in the scene as Hazel gave Louis to her for a while.

"That's all?" Hazel asked, raising an eyebrow while Louis played with Mikasa's scarf.

"Yes, apparently," Levi said and Hazel noticed that Louis stopped playing with the ravenette girl's acrf and stared at the brother for a while, looking at them curiously.

"Hmm. Louis seem to be confused of which is Levi and which is Levine," Hazel muttered and the brothers turned to her, saying the exact same thing.

"We are nothing alike."

"Sure, you're not," Hazel said with sarcasm and took Louis back and left with Mikasa. As for the two, Levi went ahead and followed his wife and child while Levine decided to go back to finish--start rather--his report.

As he walks down the hallway, he noticed that the carriage that Historia used is still outside meaning that the young royalty might still here. That girl really likes detours.

"Hey, Levine," he turned to his left and Armin and Eren walks towards him.

"What is it?"

"Have you seen Historia? We've been looking for her," Armin said and Levine internally sighed. He have an idea where she might be but he won't tell them that.

"No. Go look someplace else. I'm not a lost-and-found booth," he said and Eren made a face before turning around.

"Oookay. Where you at now?" He asked and Levine lied saying he'll be doing his report when he will go their rendezvous place.

The duo left and Levine went to his tree and his thoughts were confirmed when he saw Historia's sitting under it.

"Tech, the whole Scouting Regime is wondering where the hell are you," Levine said and Historia's turned to him and sheepishly smile.

"Sorry. I just don't want to go back yet," she said and Levine rolled his eyes. Girls and their desire for freedom.

"You're a handful. I feel bad for your husband-to-be," he freeze and looked away, feeling his heart beat fast. It's annoying how much his body malfunctions in a simple teasing that he said! And it wasn't even directed to him.

Historia's looked down blushing. When Levine said husband-to-be, Levine's face popped into her head for some reason. This only made things awkward for the of them.

"Umm...Levine...you...do you..." And this is bad. Historia's is speechless. She came here in hopes to talk to him, but after what he said, she's lost-at-words.

"Tch, if one of those two bodyguards of you see you here they might point fingers to me. Considering my history with their brigade," finally, Levine was also the one who loosen the awkwardness that he started.

"Oh...don't worry. I'll make them understand," she said and stood up, "Anyway, you saw me in the crowd earlier, right?"

"Yeah, I did. And quit yelling my name," he glared at her but Historia giggled.

"If I didn't, you wouldn't have saw me and you'll be in a bad mood all expedition," she justified and Levine huffed and looked away.

"Tch, like you'll make my mood any better."

"Hey!" Historia's giggled and Levine was awestruck. He thought, why is their social status so far from each other? Maybe that husband-to-be he was feeling bad ealier might be him for all he know. But with that huge gap in their social status, he doubts that.

She'all probably marry into a rich aristocratic pig.

"You love her. Just tell her," Yami told him, crossing his arms across his chest, "It's better than letting her go away and marry a pig without confessing."

"She's too young," he muttered and thankfully Historia didn't heard that.

"Levine?" Historia's called and he looked at her as she gives her a smile.

"what?" He remained emotionless at this, but deep inside, he's arguing whether to run or stay here with Historia. He just don't know.

"We're friends, aren't we?" That simple question kinda hits him.

"Or worst. Get friend-zoned," Yami said, hissing and clutches his chest. He wanted to run right now.

He's a person who locks himself up from other people and came here without knowing anything really and yet, here he is, falling in love with a girl whose out of his reach and getting friend-zoned. Such harsh fate this world is throwing at him.

"Yes. If that's what you want," he said and turned around. He's just grateful that he mastered the art of being emotionless in any situation or else, he might be a mess.

"Levine?" Historia's said with a worried expression and her eyebrows knitting together. Did she said something that might've offended Levine?

"I'm going now. I still have a report to finish. I'll tell them where to find you," he said and left casually. On the way, he bumped into Jean and two of the MPs. He pointed to his tree and there they saw Historia.

He went to his office, ignoring anyone he come across the hallway. He just wants to go somewhere he could be alone.

When he finally arrived in the office, he locked the door and leaned against it.

"Levine," Yami firmly said as shadow casted over young soldier's eyes.

"Argh...I knew I should've avoided people," he muttered and Yami looked away.

"Levine, you're just been...okay, being friend-zone really hurts," Yami said, giving up in whatever he was about to say. He too can feel it. How hurt Levine feels. How complicated can things get?

"I won't go see her anymore. I don't want to. That's gonna be the last time," he muttered and slid down the door. Yami watches him slid down and his eyes slightly widened when he saw Levine's eyes dripping wet with tears.

"I don't want to get romantically attach with anyone."

---

A/N: If you think Levine is overreacting about being friend-zoned well no! He's not. Being friend-zoned really hurts. I know that since I felt it too.

It hurtsue!

~RSE out