Chapter Text
A 'tsk' escaped his lips as the soles of his boots padded down the dock, making a rhythmic sound as he went forward. He didn't hate being on the sea, he just hated this particular port. The seagulls seamed to have a fiesta every time he was close by. He hated it how he learned to play tag with dropping crap, and the fish slaps from fishermen passing by. He considered the stench of mixed seafood and sweat just a bonus of the hell he is in. The harbor had been alive for more than a decade, and it wasn't even close to 'well kept'.
"Captain Levi" he whipped his head to the direction of the call to become face to face with one of his first mates, Petra. "We have finished packing, the ship is ready depart any moment" she reported.
"Not bad" he replied "The sooner we leave, the sooner we can make it back to London" He slapped his cap over his head, and made his way back to the S.S. Wings of Freedom.
The assignment had been fairly simple, ship the trade from the Philippines back to the British land. They would be carrying back a large sum of spices, fruits and other goods from the asian country as per Erwin's orders. He just hated how small the port was, comparing to where the S.S. WOF would dock back in Britain. His subordinated knew that the Captain hated a filthy space, Eren, one of the younger lads, would volunteer to start cleaning and gathering everyone else as soon as word got to them that the Captain would be back in a few days.
He closed the door of the bridge and was greeted by his Co-captain, Mike Zacharias. The man had been sleeping with his feet on the deck much to his dismay. He shoved his legs away and wiped away any remaining dirt with his handkerchief before sitting down on his own seat. Heaven knows he didn't do well with the tall blonde, it was Erwin's decision to put them together for the mission. Something to do with the distance they have to cover, and better instincts. Mike's sense of smell was beyond formidable, he could get a job as a k9 dog if he wanted to. Levi just wasn't sure what they would need it for, but Erwin insisted they would.
"Morning short grump" Mike stirred and sat upright finally awake while Levi only gave him a scowl at the nickname.
"Its already four in the afternoon" he hissed
"Ahh, all cargo ready to go and sail?" Mike
"Petra said so. Just waiting for the damn anchor to be lifted then I could get out of this shitty port" he complained.
"Nothing like the smell of seagull crap" the man joked while he just groaned, earning a small laugh from his current partner.
"Captain! we are good to go!" Eld alerted from the deck.
He inserted the key for the ship in its rightful place while Mike worked with the buttons. He had pulled down the lever to start the propeller and finally, hoisted the steam so it could raise power to undock. He had given the signal that the ship was about to go and a local, stood on the docks to give them the permission to leave. Mike had rung the bell while he carefully steered away into the deep ocean. It was going to take a week or two to travel by sea, excluding weather circumstances and water conditions. He braced himself for the long ass travel by actually picking up new novels before he left London. He had already finished more than a half on the way to the Philippines, and he wasn't sure if his tea supply would also last for the travel.
He groaned slumping further down his chair with his sudden realization. He could've gotten some ginger tea down the market of their previous location even if it was bloody hell and an unhygienic path. It could've at least got him through the agony of sailing across borders with a man he didn't like much.
"You can take a rest first" Mike spoke. "I slept through the whole job while you commanded the loading. Get some rest" he offered.
"Make sure you won't get this boat sunken down after hitting an ice berg" he warned.
"Yeah, I'll wake you up once we reach the icy borders of Beijing" the man laughed.
----
"Levi!" he was awaken by the loud booming voice of his co-captain. He sat down properly with a groan before facing the man who woke him up with a scowl.
He was sure he wasn't even able to sleep a good two hours judging from how dark the sky got. It would be five- thirty to six in the evening now, the sky looking dead and starless. He wished he could've gotten more sleep, yet he didn't. He rarely got any sleep anyway, even at home. His bed could not comfort him, yet oddly, the sound of the soft waves crashing the boat, and the steady rocking of the sea made him comfortable, even in a chair. This was one of the reasons he joined the navy, the perks of sailing to his solitude.
"Levi it stinks" the man complained, voice stern and serious while he kept his eyes down the wheel.
"Have we reached Beijing this early?"
"Not yet, but we are near, I couldn't let go of the wheel as per your order awhile ago not to sink this ship. But it really stinks" Mike scrunched up his nose after taking a few sniffs.
"Maybe you accidentally crapped you pants"
"This isn't the time for shit jokes Levi! I'm serious" Mike shot back, eyebrows furrowing even more.
This was one more thing he didn't like about Mike. The man didn't get his sense of humor.
"Where does your k9 senses point to then?" he raised an eyebrow.
"below the deck, grease and week old sweat mixed with the scent of watermelon"
He grabbed a lamp closest to him and carefully lit the flame.
"Just make sure the boat doesn't hit shit" he hissed before leaving the bridge.
He pulled his coat closer to himself. The cold wind blew through his cheeks, indicating that there would indeed be ice or maybe even snow soon. The deck was lifeless and dark, devoid of people who probably decided to stay inside for some warmth. There wasn't an amazing view for the time anyway, Oluo and Petra would not be able to gaze at stars while Eld would try to teach them mapping out through astronomy. Gerger and Nanaba -Mike's first mates- would not be able to drink to their hearts content under the moonlight with a few other third mates.
He passed by the kitchen where he heard laughter. Everyone must've gathered in there instead of the dock, the boiling and cooking giving some warmth for them. He peeked in to find his first mates and a few of Mike's all gathered together and eating the rations they have prepared before leaving the mother land. Seeming so absorbed in their conversations about their own lives, he slowly closed the door without them even noticing.
It began to be colder as he went further down the ship. The cargo laid at the bottom, where the cold water would already be touching the exterior. It was the most convenient place for storage. The right temperature, as if the perishable goods were in a refrigerator, and the biggest space, that can fit all the load. It was also the darkest spot of the boat, devoid of any light except when a lamp is lit. They would not risk burning the load nor the boat itself so they never left any sort of flame in the area, not even a scintillate could be seen in the heaps of crates.
His boots made a rhythmic sound against the metal as he went down. His sense of smell might not be as strong as Mike's, but his hearing was quick. It wouldn't even take any supersonic hearing to know that something indeed moved. It was shuffling, and then the sound of something mushing, probably pounding food or chewing.
He tried his best to be quiet, tiptoeing through the dark and dimming his fire so he wouldn't startle whatever was moving down the load. He passed walls of crates and some sacks before lowering down further, leaving a good amount of space to peak. A piece of black cloth moved with the shadows, hair coming out of all directions peaking from above. He wasn't quite sure if what he was seeing was human. It groaned while slathering watermelon juice all over the metal floor, head bobbing up and down while eating and making a larger mess.
He braced himself, bringing his pocket knife out and leaving the lamp on top of a crate. He counted up to ten while thinking of a plan, a habit he had picked up in his training days in order to stay calm. The unknown stopped making noise and froze, he knew it had sensed his presence, most probably preparing to face him as well. He gripped his weapon tighter down his hand and prepared to burst down some light before attacking.
On the count of three, he turned the lamp bright and lunged at the hairy shadow. Instead of stabbing raw flesh, he stabbed a whole water melon. The shadow quick to move beside him, it cloaked its face further before drawing a similar looking knife to his -one that definitely caught his attention- but slathered with watermelon juice. He sure did not want to get stabbed by a dirty knife. He whipped backwards just as the shadow was about to slash him down. He tumbled backwards and adjusted his grip before lunging at the shadow, successfully making whatever it was, drop its weapon. He held its wrists right away and pinned tried to pin it down only to knock a few crates over making it regain stature and run for the knife.
He stood up and prepared himself for the attacker's next moves, yet it just tried to run, a stupid move in his opinion. He took notice of the way it limped instead of running straight, it must've been injured when the crates fell. It would not have anywhere to run to in the dark cargo, except to hide in the shadows and wait for the right moment to possibly stab him if he wasn't looking. Muttering curse words, he followed it right away.
"Captain Levi!" Just as Petra opened the door, the cloaked being swung forward, successfully leaving a streak his left cheek. He hissed at the sudden pang of pain yet took the opportunity to twist its wrist that was right in front of him. He dropped its weapon back to the floor and slumped it down, shifting his whole weight to his arms so it wouldn't have the leisure to stand back up again.
Eld and Gin quickly came to his aid and held his opponent. He stood up and caught his breath, wiping away some blood that trickled down his face with his hand. The creature groaned, being faced into the light by Oluo who shoved a lamp in their direction. It lowered down its head, bringing the cloak further down to cover its face, yet Levi had enough of its shenanigans and removed the tattered cloth quite forcefully.
"I guess I'm caught" she spoke with a small laugh. Eld and Gin slowly but hesitantly loosen their grip only to earn a death glare from Levi.
"Oi! what is a stow away doing in here?" Oluo asked with an edge, trying to copy Levi like he always did. He shoved the light further into her face making her wince in the sudden brightness.
"Oluo!" Petra scolded, hitting the man on his nape.
"It was your jobs to make sure we only had fucking cargo in the ship" he growled at the bickering duo. They only lowered their heads down in apology and stepped back. He directed his gaze back at the stow away who only looked at him with a stupid grin. "Shitty glasses" he scowled at her.
"Nice to see you too Captain Clean Freak"
----
"If you remembered, the 34th expedition which was reported to be run over by the Titan Pirates of Spain, I was actually a part of it and they most likely declared me dead like the others-" she explained before taking another bite of bread, crumbs spilling all over the table and some on the floor much to Levi's dismay. "-But I actually made it out alive by swimming to the shores of Càdiz. And since then, I have been living by hopping from one ship to another in secret" she followed up eating the last bits of bread.
"You never got caught?" Lynne, one of Mike's first mates asked.
"Never" she replied. "I used my knowledge and skills, but I didn't expect to be found by someone I've trained with before" she directed her gaze with Levi.
"So you two really knew each other before?" This time, it was Gerger who asked while passing her a glass of water.
"yes" she nodded. "I joined the Navy training two years back before he did. We had a year of training together before I was finally sent to missions barely seeing him, then I was lost on my third one"
"But that does not explain how you boarded my ship in fucking Asia" Levi said as he stood in the corner with his arms crossed.
"I didn't know it was your ship to be honest. The last time I've heard of you, you were just one of Erwin's first mates, sailing with the Survey Corps battle ship and not some cargo boat"
"Then why were you in Asia? Did you decide to take a side trip and shit in the Philippines because your ass couldn't hold it any longer?"
"We both know Erwin's ass is bigger than his budget, count on him to do business like that" she laughed. "You never changed Levi"
"But Miss Hanji, why did you not go home right away when London is just one ride away from Càdiz?" Petra asked.
"Oi!" Levi hissed seeing that she suddenly perked up, dirty glasses suddenly gleaming under the light. She had a habit of never shutting up until she finished her story once someone became interested of her whereabouts. There was surely no escape from her thoughts once you get caught up.
"Are you really that interested?" She smiled at the woman in front of her while propping her elbows down the table. Levi attempted to leave and turn his heels but she grabbed him right away from the back of his collar. "You're not leaving Levi" she gave him the stare. He sighed and sat down on one of the chairs, there was no escape.
----
"In the end, I was able to find three new species of Finches aside from those in Charles Darwin's list, a new type of pitcher plans, was able to learn Spanish, Chinese and Russian, and had detailed notes about my travels. I can't wait to get back home in England" she finished, yet everyone else seemed to be dozing off aside from Levi. "Did I say something wrong?" She furrowed her eyebrows looking at every single on of the people in the room who were snoozing with concern.
"Your crazy brain rambled them to death again four eyes" he sipped his cup of tea that he had brewed a few moments ago while she spoke. She gave him a small laugh and looked at him straight in the eyes, a hint of longing and admiration coming from her own. She clearly missed her comrade.
"So how were you while I was gone for about five years?" she asked him.
"fine for someone who has his ass burning, sitting down for days driving a ship" he earned a soft chuckle from from her, one he missed, but would never get tired of hearing.
"I never expected you to become a captain of an errand ship. I thought you'd be sailing the seas on expeditions together with Erwin, fighting for the British army on times of crisis. I see Mike had followed the same path as you too" she seemed lost in her thoughts.
"He isn't an errand ship like I am" he replied stiffly. "He actually climbed the ranks right away and became a general. Erwin just insisted he comes with me for this trip" he explained
"I see" he noticed her wince as she tried to shift from foot to foot.
"Sorry about your shitty leg" He stood up, bringing down an emergency kit from one of the drawers of the kitchen.
"I can do it, we trained for first aid for ourselves anyway" she tried reaching out for the box, but Levi held it back, pushing her arms away.
"I'd rather take care of you" he knelt down in front of her and tended to her foot.
Comfortable silence had enveloped the two of them. Everything seemed quiet, except for the small snores the people around them had made. He focused on wrapping her injured foot while she looked at him, memorizing his every feature as if she had forgotten him after a long time.
"Let me take care of you too then" She placed a hand over his once he tucked the bandage snug around her leg. She brought out iodine and cotton from the box and lifted his face. He winced at the sudden contact but soon after grew accustomed to the mild stings. She was gentle, fragile in his eyes, she had also lost a lot of weight too judging from her features. Had she not been taking care of herself? She seemed like she did not even take a bath for ages too, looking like a hobo more than a soldier. He would give her a bath like he always did, five years ago, but he'd rather be happy and content of having her right in front of him, even if it meant putting his cleanliness standards aside. He had looked into her eyes, her eyes that seemed so warm and more like home. Eyes that provided him comfort, more than his small house back at the mother land.
"Sorry" she muttered. "For everything" she finished cleaning his wound and secured a sterilized cloth over the scar.
"Welcome back" he replied before standing up and heading for the door. He stood still for a moment, feeling a sense of relief and happiness. It dawned upon him, she has returned. After a long time, he felt secure and safe. It took him 6,660 miles, to find the familiar face he'd been searching for.
----
"So you've found her?" Mike greeted him as soon as he reached the bridge. The sun starting to peak out of the bright blue ocean. "This is why you refused Erwin's offer to make you a General isn't it?" the man removed his gaze momentarily from the horizon and faced him. "You could have been one of the Commander's Generals but instead, you passed the opportunity to me. Its to find her isn't it?"
He brushed of his co- captain and looked at the map, trying to make out their location by measuring the distance of the sun with his keen eye. They must be in between Thailand and Myanmar, the waves becoming larger, and the wind having a warm and tropical scent.
His thoughts drifted off to the last time he saw her, and how he found out she was gone. Devastated, that's how he felt, a feeling that he didn't feel for the first time, but somehow, it felt heavier in his heart when it was her. For five long years, he felt empty, not being able to move on despite (the few people he called) his friends' encouragement and support.
"You knew that if you became a General, you'd be occupied commanding a fleet, going through war and gala's instead of searching the whole world where she is. If you were a Captain, you'd go to different places for trades. You hoped she was still alive and just somewhere out there didn't you?" Mike asked again.
"I just believed I'd make a decision I won't regret" he replied, taking the wheel into his hands, more gentle than he normally would. He knew his strength could have been used in war far greater, yet was is a peaceful world if his heart would be in chaos?