Chapter 67 - The Ocean

                                    

                                          
"In love?!" asked Lara, perplexed, gazing at her mother.
"Yeah," chuckled Hange. "And from what you've told me about Armin's behavior, it seems he likes you too."
"But," Lara had a puzzled expression, "I've always heard that being in love was an incredible feeling... For now, it's been terrible for me! It feels like I'm sick and it's not being happy at all, not for me and apparently not for him either."
"Well, you're right..." Hange placed her hand on her chin, "Despite that Armin is giving signs he likes you, it seems like something's really wrong, for him to be ignoring you that much and, apparently, also be suffering..." Hange then frowned, "Tell me, when exactly did Armin stop talking to you normally?"
"Right after we finished our punishment of cleaning the stables, when we got back from Shiganshina. He started spending lots of time with Eren and Mikasa in prison and then, all of a sudden, he seemed to turn into another person with me."
"That's weird..." Hange pressed her lips together, "I wonder... Maybe Eren said something that made Armin change his behavior towards you?"
"That's what I suspect. Ever since we got back from Shiganshina, Eren's been acting quite strange. I feel so sorry for Mikasa..." Lara's expression turned into deep sadness, "She's so depressed, doesn't smile at anything else, is always downcast... Mikasa loves Eren very much, but he just doesn't requite her, and what makes me anguished is how he treats her badly and with coldness, while she does everything for him..."
"I've noticed that too..." nodded Hange, pressing her lips together.
After a pause, Lara took a deep breath.
"Why can't couples be just like you and Dad? You love each other so much, get along so well..."
To Lara's surprise, her mother let out a loud laugh.
"It seems like you've forgotten how much Levi already made me cry because of his reluctance to admit his feelings."
"Really?!" Lara was now very curious, "When was that?"
"Oh, it was the week before we went on that mission where you almost..." Hange looked down sadly, "You know..." She lifted her head again, "And then, you had that horrible fever and Levi rejected being your father." Hange then giggled and looked out the window, contemplative, "Oh... But when you came back to us, and your father and I were alone in that clearing and had our first kiss..." Hange sighed like a little girl in love.
Lara couldn't hold back a laughter of contentment.
"Although," chuckled Hange, "that was just a sloppy peck... Levi would only give me a proper kiss when you went to Winter Training, on a day I was having lots of cramps and a terrible headache."
"I still think he took way too long to express his feelings towards you", Lara had a mischievous smile.
"Tks!" Hange clicked her tongue, "I confess that there were moments when I wanted to shake him so that he would ask me to marry him at once... But, I liked that mysterious and methodical way of his, because, even though he took way too long, it was for a good cause and, in his own way, Levi would always end up showing that he loved me at certain moments."
Then, they heard the office door open and to their surprise, Levi walked in and closed it.
"Did someone say my name?" he said, as if asking if it was going to rain or not.
	"Huh?!" Lara turned to her father, "I do remember locking the door, how did you get in?"
"I've got several copies of the key," replied Levi, "I need to, 'cause your mother has already lost it about four times."