Morning, Shiganshina
The air was still.So quiet that every sound felt louder — boots on stone, wheels over dirt, voices calling out prices.
Leon sat on a low stone wall near the market. His elbows rested on his knees. He stared at a crack in the ground.
Carts rolled by. A baker shouted. Someone was cooking onions and bread nearby. The smell made his stomach twist, but he didn't move.
"…Did you eat?"
A quiet voice. Calm. From behind him.
He turned his head slightly.
Mikasa stood there. Same red scarf, same steady eyes.
"I brought extra," she said, walking over. "Take it."
She held out a small bundle wrapped in cloth.Leon didn't move. Just stared at it.
She sat beside him anyway — close, but not too close. She opened the bundle: a warm piece of bread, a few slices of dried meat.
"Eat," she said again.
Leon picked up the bread and took a slow bite. It was soft and warm.
They sat like that for a while, not saying much.
Then he said, quietly, "Leon."
Mikasa turned to look at him. "What?"
"That's my name," he said. "Not the one I was born with… but it's what I use now."
She nodded once. That was enough for her.
She never asked questions. Not when it wasn't needed.
Leon had never told anyone. He wasn't from this world.
He came from a place with bright lights, tall buildings, and busy streets. No Titans. No walls. Just noise and money and bad luck.
He remembered a small apartment. Cold nights. Too many losses at cards.
Then he woke up in a snowy forest — in a body that didn't feel like his. In clothes that weren't his.
He thought he was dreaming. Until he heard a scream.
Years Ago
The door slammed open.
Two men walked in. Dirty coats. Cold eyes.
Mikasa's mother was already on the ground. Bleeding. Her father wasn't moving.
Mikasa — small and scared — just stood there. Frozen.
Leon had been nearby. He wasn't supposed to be there. But something made him stop.
The first man didn't even see him coming.
Leon picked up a thick stick and hit him hard. The sound cracked through the room.
The second man pulled a knife and rushed at him.
Leon tackled him, knocked the blade loose, and kept hitting until the man stopped moving.
Silence.
Mikasa stood still, shaking. Her eyes wide.
Leon walked up slowly. He crouched beside her and wiped her cheek with the back of his hand.
"You're safe now," he said.
They stayed like that until help arrived.
Grisha Yeager came running — with Carla and young Eren behind him.
He took one look at the scene, picked up Mikasa, and brought her home.
They offered to take Leon in too, but he said no. He was used to being alone.
Even so, after that day… Mikasa kept showing up. Never asked if she could. She just did.
Present
Leon finished the last bite of bread.
Mikasa was still beside him. Quiet. Still.
She never smiled much, but when she looked at him, it wasn't pity. It wasn't thanks, either.
It was something else.
Like a thread had tied them together that day… and she never let go.
After a while, she said, "There's a place past the fields. South side. Green hills. No one goes there."
Leon looked at her, confused.
"I go sometimes," she said. "It's quiet. Good for thinking."
He looked away. "I'm not in the mood to go anywhere."
"You should come."
Her voice wasn't loud. But it didn't leave room for no.
Leon sighed. "Why?"
She stood up and dusted her skirt. "Because you sit here every day like it's already over."
He blinked. Said nothing.
"I'm not going," he muttered.
She didn't move. "It'll help."
He scoffed. "I don't care."
"You've been sitting in the same spot for three days."
"Maybe I like it here."
"You don't."
"I'm not going," he said again, sharper now. "Just go do your thing — train, or babysit Eren, or whatever."
Mikasa didn't say anything.
Then she stepped forward, crouched, grabbed his wrist — and stood up, dragging him halfway off the wall.
"Hey—what the hell?!"
She didn't answer. Just held his wrist and started walking.
"Let go."
No reply.
"I said let go!"
"Then stand up."
Her grip was like steel.
"You serious right now?" he asked. "You're really gonna drag me like some sack of potatoes?"
"If that's what it takes."
He dug his heels into the dirt. "You think I won't fight you?"
Mikasa turned to him, her voice flat:
"You won't win."
They stared at each other.
Ten long seconds passed.
Leon groaned. "…Fine. Crazy woman. You win."
She let go the moment he stood up. Turned and started walking without another word.
He muttered as he followed, "This better not be some long-ass walk…"
On the Road
They walked in silence. The road turned from stone to dirt. Trees lined the sides. The city was fading behind them.
Leon was lagging.
Halfway there, he stopped, hand on his lower back.
"Wait," he muttered. "My back's killing me."
Mikasa stopped and turned.
He hunched forward slightly. "This is stupid. I haven't walked this far in weeks."
She stared at him, face blank.
"What?" he asked, annoyed.
"You don't take care of yourself."
Leon snorted. "I'm still breathing. That's enough."
"No," she said. "It's not."
Her voice was calm. Cold, even.
"You sleep too much. Eat trash. You don't train. You're weak."
Leon clenched his jaw. "Thanks for the pep talk."
"It's your fault."
He looked away.
Mikasa turned and kept walking without another word.
Leon stayed there for a few seconds.
Then, sighing, he followed — slower this time.
His back still hurt.
But his pride hurt more.