Chapter 19 - Eren's Expedition

                                    

                                          

During the day of expedition, Vien hurried out to the stables were most of them were finalizing preparations. She approached the cadets she stayed with overnight and made sure they were all set
                          
"Oi, I'll be taking attendance when you arrive so make sure to come back safe okay?" Vien laughed
                          
Connie showed his signature smirk and spoke "Dr. Vien you don't need to worry about us, we'll be finding you the moment we come back"
                          
"We'll be safe," Armin reassured
                          
Vien turned to the silent Mikasa as usual, and smiled "Mikasa, Eren may be out of your sight but he's safe with the Levi Squad so you should focus on yourselves okay?"
                          
Mikasa nodded, and went with the elites to find their formation. When all the new cadets stationed themselves, she went to the front to check on Eren and her squad
                          
"Eren?" She gently called him, and some of the members greeted at Vien happily with a genuine smile
                          
Levi saw her approaching, so he averted his gaze towards Eren who looked happy to see her. Eren went down on his horse and hugged her
                          
"Come back safe kid" Vien smiled
                          
Petra called out "Doctor, don't your squad mates deserve a hug as well"
                          
Vien laughingly pulled away from Eren and rushed to hug the four of them. Oluo looked away and pretended to be all tough, but he ended up hugging the doctor too
                          
"I'm sure all of you will get back safe and sound, I'll see you soon"
                          
Levi looked away without emotion and mumbled "Tch don't you have anything to say to your Captain?"
                          
Vien laughed, and approached the horse Levi was standing next to. She hugged the horse's neck and smiled to it "Make sure the Captain gets home safe and sound okay?"
                          
The Captain scoffed in disbelief, whilst his squad members muffled their mouths to keep their laughter inside. While the others were busy mounting their horses to leave, Vien turned to Levi and called him
                          
"Levi," Vien spoke "I'm worried about Eren and the others, but I'm also worried about you. So keep you and the others safe, okay?"
                          
"Okay doctor." His facial expression softened, as he ruffled her hair before looking away. She was shocked at the gesture, but this wasn't the time to think about it
                          
Vien smiled at him once more, then she knew it was time for her to leave. She hurried out of the huge formation and listened to Erwin yelling their forward signal
                          
The doctor watched the number of troops charge outside the huge gates, and stood there till all their figures gradually disappeared into the long, vivid yet perilous distance
                          
---
                          
Vien really had nothing to do in the Headquarters, all the squads, the cadets and even her medic friends were participating in the expedition. She wasn't really close with anyone left here, so she didn't go out that much. The little fracture on her shoulder also prevented her from moving too much, or else it would dislocate itself any moment
                          
She spent the whole afternoon in the yards, reading a manual under the tree so she went to work at 4pm. Only then she realized the Captain wasn't around when no one answered after she knocked
                          
"Oh right, I forgot" Vien mumbled, then entered the dimly lighted and clean room. It was spotless as usual, just like Levi's obsession with being clean. She giggled at the thought of both of them being freaks who'd keep everything neat
                          
Vien sat on her usual seat and began to do the unanswered paperwork on his desk, so that he wouldn't do any work when he arrived with his squad and Eren
                          
After all, they were to face titans the whole day. Imagine their exhaustion
                          
But when she was midway in her duties, she noticed a familiar piece of paper on a decoration. It was the note she wrote to him before she left, and she wondered why Levi displayed it on his table decoration
                          
"I guess he liked my letter" Vien laughed to herself, and stuck it back to the vase filled with flowers
                          
Vien averted her gaze to Levi's seat, and began staring into space. Before, she'd always dread to sit in this very spot because the Captain would be always seated here, and staring at her in an intimidating manner. The fact that he'd always call her a brat made her lose her patience once, but she stopped taking offense from that ever since she learned that Levi wasn't the brutal and heartless leader everyone described. Captain Levi was just very secretive and choosy on the people he'd open up to. And Vien just wouldn't notice that she already is one of those people 
                          
That was because Vien never tried to look at him as anyone more than a Captain and a beloved comrade. After all, a man like him at first glance wouldn't seem like a man capable of falling for someone. She couldn't deny that Levi was that attractive Captain most soldiers point him out to be, but she felt illegal to look at him that way, she wanted to restrain herself from catching feelings for her superior
                          
If he looked at me as a valuable comrade, it should be the same with how I think of the Captain. Shouldn't that be right? I'd really hate to get in a one-sided love circle. So I have no choice but to disregard any sort of romance I felt in his presence
                          
"Yes," Vien smiled "I'd be happy if I valued the Captain as a comrade"
                          
"Just.. a comrade" She convinced herself with a forced smile, and focused back to the pile of papers