Bad Boy Week

Day 6 - Post - war, wings and bandages

The sound of the kettle shrieked through the air, an indicator of the water boiled hot. Leaning his injured leg on his cane, Levi walked towards it, taking it down the flames. He set on to brewing his exquisite black tea, now fairly used to his missing fingers on his right hand.

Life post - war was tranquil, with nothing to fight for anymore. As the last standing veteran of the Survey Corps, Humanity's Strongest he was used to receiving a myriad of reactions from people. Awe, Shame, Pity, Disappointment, Disgust, Admiration, all sort of reactions as he passed by the streets of a town in Marley, either on his wheelchair or sometimes a cane, if his knee felt strong enough.

Today, was a cane day but Levi felt as if he would need his wheelchair as a dull ache throbbed through his knee.

Settling down on a lawn chair on the patio, with a cup of fresh tea in his hand, he looked out at the sky.

A flock of birds flew above his humble cottage - birds, their wings, reminders of so many past memories.

The Commander Erwin Smith, his vision for the world, his bright eyes dazzling like the wings of freedom.

Hange Zoe, and their sacrifice to stop the rumbling, soaring in the sky like a free bird, towards their death.

And lastly, Eren Yeager, who yearned for freedom to the point that he became a slave to it.

Birds, flying free with their wings, such a normal sight but a symbol of Levi's past that he no longer wished to associate with.

Carefully drinking his tea, his hands shook. He couldn't hold his cup the same way from the rim, with the missing fingers, so he had resorted to using his left hand and gradually got adept at it.

Life post - war was... good yet bad.

He didn't have to risk his life nor his comrades. He wasn't used to this, this unfamiliar peace and at the back of his mind, he was perhaps ready for another war to unfurl.

He lived, each day, trying to fight his past demons, carrying the burden of everyone's sacrifices and giving meaning to them by building a world without Titans, a world where everyone can live in peace, can live well with the basic necessities. With their families and friends.

His injuries were destructive, however by some miracle he was alive and breathing, sometimes the survivors guilt weighed heavy. But he pushed on.

Who knew the value of human life better than he?

Drinking his hot beverage, his mind was absorbed in his melancholy musings. Falco and Gabi visited him a lot, he got letters from Armin, Mikasa and Jean and the others who were still on Paradis.

It wasn't that bad, considering that the brats were not fighting for their lives like they used to before.

He looked up at the sky, breathing in the fresh, earthy air and the faint taste of black tea lingering on his lips. Marley had a exquisite collection of tea. A lot of variety than his home, the island of Paradis, a place where he'd seldom return to.

He looked at his hands, the stubs of his missing fingers, healing slowly. He didn't require bandages anymore for the wounds had healed, given time.

The scar would stay on forever, a new addition to his collection.

But gradually, it was healing.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------