Work Text
“Mommy!” Kuchel calls, and when Mikasa doesn’t respond immediately, she yells, “Mommy! What’s this?” She holds up the bunch of purple flowers, a few of them crushed in her grip.“Those are lilacs.” Mikasa walks through the waving grass, aware of her heavy steps and the prominent footprints left in her wake. She rests a hand on her ever-growing belly. “Are you thinking about bringing them to the tea shop?”Kuchel studies the little blossoms with an intense gaze. “Yeah,” she says. She looks up at Mikasa. “Do you think Daddy will like them?”Mikasa considers the fragrant flowers in her daughter’s hand. Levi had never expressed an aversion to lilacs. He probably wouldn’t like the heavy scent. Kuchel bites her lip as she waits for a response, a habit she picked up from watching Mikasa’s every move. “Of course he will. He loves everything you give him.”Her face, which had started to edge toward stormy, brightens. “OK!” she cries, dashing past her mother and hopping back and forth between Mikasa’s footprints toward the road. Mikasa follows Kuchel at a decidedly slower pace.It takes half an hour to get to the tea shop with Kuchel on a good day. Bad days - days where she is distracted and popping in and out of the tall grass or squatting down to study the bugs and rocks and little animals along the road - take much longer (though they’re only really bad now because Mikasa is exhausted: anemic from the pregnancy). Today - “You’re going the wrong way, honey!” - is a bad day.Kuchel stops but doesn’t turn around. “I saw a lizard, Mommy! Could I keep it as a pet?” Mikasa shakes her head and laughs despite herself.“I’m sure the lizard would be much happier out here than with us.”“Are you sure?” Kuchel finally looks at her, tipping her head back to see up from under the brim of her sunhat.“I’m sure. He told me so earlier.” This makes her daughter rush back toward her. Kuchel grabs Mikasa’s hand with both of hers, crushing the lilacs against her and filling her nose with the thick scent. It’s enough to make her feel a little ill.“You can talk to lizards?! Why didn’t you tell me?” Mikasa uses their connection to lead them in the right direction. The tea shop is in sight, and she’s dying to sit down. The bag on her shoulder is getting heavier by the minute.“Oh, I never told you?” She manipulates their hands so Kuchel is holding the flowers in one hand and Mikasa’s in the other. “I’ve only been able to do it recently. I’m still new to it so I couldn’t possibly teach you yet. Maybe someday.”The little girl frowns at this. She furrows her brow, apparently thinking hard. “If you can do it, then I must be able to do it.”Mikasa hums, smiling as Kuchel makes little noises at things they pass, trying out words and sounds to see if she can crack the code. The rest of the walk is uninterrupted.The little bell jingles against the door when they open it. Levi is dusting and straightening his various boxes and jars. There are a few parcels on the counter, and no one else in the shop.Mikasa lets go of Kuchel’s hand. Their daughter runs over to Levi with a greeting of “Daddy!”, throwing her arms around his legs just as he starts to turn around.“Careful, sweetheart,” MIkasa calls, walking over to a chair near the front. She takes the bag off, puts it on the table, and finally sits down.“She’s fine,” Levi says, reaching to pick her up. “What do you have there?” he asks Kuchel.“Lilocks!” she says, shoving the partially bruised bunch into his face. Mikasa watches this, a hand on her belly again. She smiles at the way Levi is trying not to cough at scent, flowers tickling at his nose.Their words fade into the background as she takes all of this in: the little girl supported by one arm, the scars on his face, the things the war took from him, and thinks, I’m so happy you’re alive.