New Chance

Hange and Levi walked nervously through the corridors of the infirmary. It was late afternoon the day before leaving for Liberio. Hange held her belly, as if to protect the baby that was growing inside.

"Are you feeling something?" asked Levi beside her, distressed.

"It was just a pang... But it's already gone..."

"Please, don't worry," said Levi anxiously, "it looks like it was nothing serious."

"That's impossible to ask of a mother," Hange gave him a sad smile.

Levi had to agree. He then looked at her belly, which was already in an incredible round shape, marked by the black uniform she wore, as if she had eaten a small melon. Without meaning to, he smiled, despite the tightness in his chest.

Ever since he found out Hange was pregnant, Levi has been taken by mixed feelings of fear, worry, and protection. Although he had already been a father for a long time, Lara got into their lives at the age of ten. He and Hange didn't have to go through one of the most difficult phases: when she was very little or a baby. So it was all new for him, because for the first time, he was going to have to take care of someone very, very small.

Levi found himself imagining that when the baby was born, he wouldn't even know how to hold it, for fear of accidentally dropping it to the ground. He felt a great weight of responsibility on his shoulders, both for the baby and for Hange, who had to be extra careful during her pregnancy.

In the first few days, Levi was very lost about what he had to do and acquired such a caring behavior towards Hange, that it reached an unusual level, having occasions when he wouldn't even let her get out of bed to get some water. So, with all the patience in the world, Hange and even Lara explained to him that he didn't need to overreact.

However, even Hange felt a little lost in what to do, which started to cause her some anxiety attacks and high blood pressure spikes, which is not good for a high-risk pregnancy, having moments when both Levi and Hange were quite stressed out about what to do during her pregnancy.

At that moment, they felt thankful for having Lara in their lives. Seeing how her parents were feeling lost, Lara decided to take action and try to help them in some way.

By the time she turned fifteen, Lara told Levi that she would like him to give her her monthly salary for her to buy some things she wanted, since until now, everything was put in an investment application by her father, as they had agreed some time ago. After talking over a good tea, they both came to a new agreement that Lara's monthly salary would be divided into a system called "70/20/10", where 70% of her money would continue to be invested in some application for her future, 20% she could spend on whatever she wanted, and 10% would be used to help with the household expenses, and thus, teach her to be responsible with the monthly bills.

So, with that 20% of her monthly salary, Lara usually bought drawing materials and tools, some clothes, books, vinyl records, and everything else she wanted.

Hange and Levi were very surprised when on a nice day of early pregnancy, Lara showed up at home with a pile of new books, pregnancy pillows, and even some newborn clothes.

Lara then made a spreadsheet by hand of everything they would need to do to ensure her mother would have the most peaceful pregnancy possible. So every night of Hange's early pregnancy, after they got home from work, the family would gather on the porch and, while drinking some tea, they would read some of the books together and learn all they could about the big world of maternity. Spending that time together did them a lot of good, especially for Hange, who was now feeling much more relieved and no longer lost.

There weren't many books about what to literally do during a pregnancy, but the material they found helped them have a good foundation.

After reading the books, it was time to put everything into practice, so almost every night before bed, Lara and Levi would drag the living room couches away and put the futons on the floor. While looking at her notes, Lara would instruct Levi to help Hange do some exercises that would be good for her and for the baby, like some stretches and very lightweight training. On weekends, they would walk around the house.

Now that Hange was responsible for another life inside her, she was taking a bath much more often, almost every day, because she always had to keep her intimate area very clean. Levi and Lara would alternate between helping Hange with the bath (not that she needed help, but because they wanted it to be a relaxing moment for her, with the right to even receive foot and back massages).

Lara also bought some essential oils to rub on Hange's belly, like lavender to relax her mother, and peppermint to help with nausea and vomiting, which Hange still had plenty of.

So every night before bed, Levi would rub the essential oils on Hange's belly, who felt like the happiest woman in the world at receiving all that affection, and would sleep soundly.

Despite experiencing many difficulties at first, Levi proved to be a very dedicated husband, making sure to go with Hange to every medical appointment, helping her at work so as not to overwhelm her, and also making a much healthier menu for her and the baby.

He also made sure he wasn't the little spoon at bedtime anymore, and now Levi slept wrapping Hange in his arms, his hand holding her belly, as if he wanted to protect the baby from all the evil that existed in the world. Sleeping like this with his wife brought such joy to his heart that he himself began to sleep better, although he still had some sleepless nights due to his anxiety and worry. Hange was also very surprised and happy that, on weekends, Levi would bring her a nice breakfast in bed, very balanced and full of fruits.

Lara also proved to be a very helpful sister, especially at work, where she now spent much less time in the lab and more time in her mother's office, helping her with whatever was necessary, so that Hange would avoid getting up. During their lunch break, Lara and Levi walked with Hange across the lawn of the training area, so she could get some sun and exercise.

Whenever she had the opportunity, Lara would sit on the couch at home and ask her mother to lie on her lap, while she read a children's storybook for her little brother or sister to start recognizing her voice. Hange simply loved these moments, because Lara would caress her belly and kiss her mother's forehead.

Now, speaking of the sex of the baby, their opinions were split. Hange and Lara were fully convinced that it would be a girl, but about five days before Levi and Hange left for the port to make preparations for Liberio, the couple were both in bed late at night. Levi was talking to his wife's melon belly.

"Hey, brat," he said, his mouth close to Hange's belly button, "let's do a test."

"Don't call the baby a 'brat'," Hange pouted and wrinkled her nose.

"Alright then," Levi rolled his eyes, "I'll call you what your sister calls you."

"Much better!" exclaimed Hange, stroking her husband's hair.

"Tiny-Human-Bean, if you're a boy, kick once. If you're a girl, kick twice."

They both waited anxiously, looking at her belly and placing a hand on it.

Then, they felt a big THUMP! on the side where Levi had placed his hand.

"IT'S A BOY!" he exclaimed so loudly that Hange had to scold him, to not wake Lara up.

"I'm not so sure..." she said, placing her hand on her chin, "The baby could be playing a trick on you."

"What nonsense!" Levi clicked his tongue in indignation, "He would never do that to me. I don't think they can even do these things."

"Babies are smarter than you think, honey," chuckled Hange.

Still, Levi remained obstinate, claiming that it would be, indeed, a boy, for the baby itself had told him. That night, Hange went to sleep laughing a lot at her husband's naivete, even though she was feeling some sharp pains.

Back in the infirmary, Levi and Hange met up with one of the oldest nurses at the Headquarters.

"Hange, darling!" exclaimed the nurse. "How are you doing? I figured you two would show up sooner or later."

"Hello, Jude," replied Hange, holding her colleague's hands, "I'm doing fine, thank you. Please tell me how's Lara, I'm so worried. We've just found out she had an accident."

"Oh, don't worry!" Jude waved her hand, as if shooing a fly. "It was nothing serious! Darling, remember your high blood pressure. You cannot stress, it's bad for the baby."

Jude then explained to them everything that had happened, in how Captain Rufus maliciously forced Lara and Armin into combat and that in the scare of his shout, they both ended up doing the same attack and Lara twisted her foot, suffering a small luxation. Hange had an astonished expression, while Levi had an annoyed frown.

"Hange," he said, looking at his wife, "Please, fire Rufus and put Armin in his place as the instructor! That fool..."

"Look, Captain..." said Jude, "I don't think that's a bad idea at all. Because right after Armin and Lara got here, Rufus showed up with a dislocated wrist, and as far as I was told, Armin did it himself, to teach Rufus a lesson."

Levi couldn't help but look surprised, just as Hange was puzzled, too.

"Armin did that?!" asked Hange, eyes wide. "Armin Arlert?!"

"The very one," chuckled Jude. "But, in our nurses' opinion, he should've done more."

Hange couldn't help but laugh. Levi was still surprised.

"Can we see Lara?" asked Hange anxiously.

"Sure. But I just got out of her room and she was sleeping. A couple of hours ago, Armin was helping her walk around the corridors, and I'm happy to say that Lara can now walk quite well with the help of a crutch."

"Is Armin here?" asked Levi, confused.

"Yeah!" Jude raised her eyebrows. "You had to see the poor thing... Armin hasn't left her side for a single minute these days. He's feeling terrible for hurting her. He's so helpful and caring with Lara…" Jude's expression turned into sadness, "I feel so sorry they're not together… In my opinion, Armin is making a mistake."

Levi and Hange looked at each other, worried. They knew this more than anyone. Jude then pointed to Lara's room and kindly asked them to go quietly, so as not to wake her, and walked off down the corridors. Before entering the room, Levi stopped Hange and said in a whisper:

"Let's peek through the door."

"What?!" exclaimed Hange, but also whispering, "I've already told you to stop doing this!"

"No, don't get me wrong..." he replied, "It's just that I wanna see how Armin behaves when he's alone with our daughter and thinks no one's watching, if you know what I mean. I can't help but think about these things, I'm a father!"

Hange had to agree, and when they peeked through the door, they couldn't help but feel a tightness in their hearts.

Lara was lying on her side, fast asleep. In front of her, Armin was sitting in a chair, his elbow leaning on the bed, holding his head. He gazed at her with a mixture of tenderness and bitterness.

Lara had a palm of her hand facing up, resting on the pillow. Hange and Levi saw Armin caressing it with his fingers. He pressed his eyes together as if getting up courage, and then intertwined his fingers with Lara's, squeezing her hand tightly. At that moment, Armin's eyes turned red and teary, and his expression was one of deep sadness. He covered his face and after a few seconds, when he uncovered it, they could see that a tear was running down his cheek. They got back to the corridor, looking at each other with great sorrow.

"Oh, Levi..." whimpered Hange, feeling her eyes getting teary, "Look at that... How long will it last? I feel so helpless for not being able to do anything..." she stroked her belly.

Levi pressed his lips together, frowning and looking down at his feet. Then, he felt something in his heart, but didn't say anything to Hange. She signaled for them to make a fake cough and popped up at the bedroom doorway.

Armin sat up straight in his chair, turning very red. He quickly wiped the tear away from his face. Hange signaled for him to come to them. Armin went out into the corridor and closed the room door behind him, rubbing his hands together nervously.

"Commander... Captain," he looked from one to the other, very shy, "I'm glad you're here."

"Hello, sweetheart," Hange gave him a kind smile, "We've just arrived from the port and came straight here when we found out what happened to Lara."

"Please, forgive me!" he exclaimed, with a desperate look. "It was an accident, I didn't mean to--"

"Don't!" exclaimed Hange, squeezing his shoulder affectionately. "No need to apologize. We've been told everything and we know it wasn't on purpose."

Armin looked at his hands nervously. His breathing was rapid. Levi remained silent.

"Dear, thank you so much for taking care of Lara," said Hange, blinking slowly with a smile. "We're glad you care so much about her, this way we can rest easy."

Armin looked at her from below, smiling awkwardly.

"Can we go in?" asked Hange, pointing to the room.

"O-Of course!" exclaimed Armin, quickly straightening up and opening the door. "Please..."

Hange thanked him and went in. However, Levi remained standing in place.

"You're not coming?" she asked, confused.

"I am," replied Levi, impassively. "I'm just gonna talk to Armin first. Close the door, please."

With a raised eyebrow, Hange complied. Armin had an expression of pure astonishment and thought, "Now he's gonna kill me!"

Levi signaled for both of them to walk away from the door. Armin was breaking out in a cold sweat. Levi ran his hand over his own face and took a deep breath.

"Do you remember what I told you when we were in Shiganshina and you found out that Erwin had died and you had become the Colossal Titan?"

Armin pressed his lips together, wearing a worried expression. That day was so troubled, with so much information and events…

He lowered his head and signaled he didn't remember.

"I said, 'above all, never regret'," recalled Levi.

Armin looked up. Levi was shorter than him, but at that moment, he felt very small and helpless in Captain Levi's presence. Armin lowered his head again.

"Tell me," continued Levi, "do you regret anything?"

Armin's expression turned into deep anguish and felt his heart tighten. His eyes watered and he covered his face.

Yes, Armin did feel regret. Just now, in that infirmary room, as he intertwined his fingers on Lara's and shed that tear, he was feeling regret. This inner conflict and this feeling had been consuming him every day of his life since he had decided to distance himself from Lara. But Armin didn't have the courage to reverse what he did, for he still didn't want to make her suffer because of him. Therefore, he himself decided to continue suffering silently.

During all those years, he thought about how he would like to go back in time and be able to act differently. But, Lara was right about him: Armin was someone who would put others above himself, so he thought it was better to keep avoiding too much contact with her, even if it would cost him his own happiness, just to not allow her to suffer from being with someone who had his days numbered.

But every day, Armin couldn't wait to go to Lara's lab, just for the sheer pleasure of seeing her, even if it was just for two minutes. Every day, he slept cuddling her drawing, trying to accept that it was all he would ever have of hers. Every day, Armin had to struggle with himself for not taking Lara in his arms and beg her to be together, even though he knew he was going to die soon. Every day, Armin tried not to show how much he loved her, but he failed miserably.

"Your expression says it all," said Levi.

Still downcast, Armin pressed his eyes together, trying to hold back tears, and swallowed bitter saliva. Then, he was startled to see Levi place his hand on his shoulder.

"By now, Lara must've already told you about her adoption process and how…" Levi pressed his lips together, feeling a tightness in his chest, "... I initially rejected her, for fearing disappointing her."

Armin nodded and slowly looked at the Captain.

"Please," said Levi, squeezing his shoulder, "don't make the same mistake as I did."

Armin's eyes widened in surprise.

"Don't wait until you see her passed out in your arms, to take some action," continued Levi, with a sorrowful look. "Don't leave it to the last minute, because of the fear that I know that also lies inside you."

Armin ran his hand over his face and couldn't help but shed a tear.

"Listen here," Levi shook him lightly, "right now, you're getting a new chance to change, which I almost didn't get. Almost. So please, don't waste this opportunity."

Armin's eyes widened, astonished at the Captain's words.

"Lara has already suffered enough in this life, for ten years in that orphanage," continued Levi. "I beg you, do not let her suffer anymore. I know that in your mind, making her suffer is you being together, but as a father, I tell you that making her suffer is you being apart, even if you're going to die... Nine years from now?"

"Yes..." replied Armin, almost in a whisper.

"So," continued Levi, now patting him on the shoulder, "make it the best nine years of your life!"

Gradually, Armin felt a warmth fill his chest, and a little smile began to form on his lips. Levi looked down at his own feet and pressed his eyes together hard. Getting up courage, he said:

"Look, although you two are very mature, I think Lara is still young to get married. I'd like her to wait at least three more years, when she turns twenty. But..." Levi took a deep breath, "I allow you and her to get engaged, at least, if that's what you want now."

Armin covered his mouth, perplexed.

"A-Are you serious?!"

Levi blinked slowly.

"Yes, I am. You have my permission. Hange certainly approves too. I just ask that you take action as soon as possible."

To Levi's surprise, Armin covered his face and started laughing.

"Captain," said Armin, with a big smile and tears running down his cheeks, "thank you so much!"

Levi then placed both his hands on Armin's shoulders, squeezing them tightly.

"Levi."

"Come again?" asked Armin, confused.

"Just call me Levi."

Then, to Armin's utter astonishment, Levi did something completely rare and unexpected.

He smiled.