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Sunlight filtered into the room through the wide windows, leaving everything in its reach in a warm, radiant halo.
“I had a really weird dream yesterday, Heishichou,” With spooling black hair, she scuffled down the staircase and towards the dining table. Mikasa spied the croissant and butter and coffee laid down at her usual seat.
“Is that so?” He replied, while taking a sip from his own mug of coffee, holding the mug at its rim instead of the handle.
The girl shuffled into her seat, pulling the wooden chair back with a creak as she went, then lowered her maroon-red scarf. Reaching for the fork, she began, “It was really weird, and a bit too real… I was running after Eren and Armin again back at home, down the pebbled roads, but I lost them in a bar of some sorts,”
Levi raised an eyebrow, but said nothing more.
“I was screaming their names… I felt tiny and scared all over again… It was nasty…” Mikasa described it with a slight shudder as she took a bite out of the croissant.
“Then there was this guy that I found familiar. We went some wide space and I tackled him or something,”
“Tackled?”
“I think I had beaten him up… But I did not feel scared anymore. It felt like… children playing around,”
Levi stood abruptly, with a blank face, and headed to drop his plate and mug into the sink without a word.
“It was a weird dream,” Mikasa repeated awkwardly, “I don’t know why I decided to beat him up,”
“Sure,” He replied shortly.
“I don’t even know who he was…” Mikasa listlessly poked the croissant with her fork, “Why am I even using a fork to eat a croissant? I don’t even do that most of the time,”
She stared out the window to see a bird chirping noisily.
“I feel lightheaded,” The girl sighed, “And surprisingly chatty,”
“You sure are, brat,” He replied as he scrubbed the plates with slightly more violence, and the flow of water from the tap filled in for the silence.
After a moment, she piped up, still prodding at her bread.
“I think… He was kind of short, like a kid’s height… But I knew he wasn’t a kid-” Mikasa bit her lip and her face turned pale.
She stared at Levi in horror and let out a strangled gasp.
He continued to wash the dishes as nonchalantly as one could possibly do so when washing the dishes.
“Could… Could I check… something?” Mikasa stood up suddenly, the chair screeching as it gets pushed back.
“What is it now?” A groan.
“Just really quick… Nothing really…” She tugged her scarf tighter and took large strides towards him and stopped right behind him. Then she stretched open her arms, shuffling baby steps forward, and gingerly slid her hands under his arms, across his waist, until she felt her frighteningly cold fingers lock.
Levi jolted but kept washing. I told you. He was washing the dishes with much indifference.
Then, Mikasa doubtfully set her gaze onto his shoulder, and placed her head comfortably onto it. It fits. It was the right height. It couldn’t be… It couldn’t… Could it?
She pulled away, spluttering, “I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’m so sorry… What did I do? … I’m so sorry, I really didn’t mean to…”
Only a scoff came from him, then he sighed, “Go finish your breakfast,”
“Oh,” Mikasa slid away, her face burning, her heart pounding.