"Do we really have to do this?"
Levi eyed the device in front of him critically, mistrust written in every line of his face. The man standing behind that thing was already setting every sense of his on the highest level of alarm - the smile on the man's face seemed a little too wide, not all that sincere, his shouted offers and promises of a discount were shrill, too loud even amidst a noisy market - but it was his machine, that weird contraption that was making Levi's skin itch. It looked too complicated, too otherworldly, reminding him of how far they've come. And how much they still didn't know.
What was accompanying the work of that thing, the bright flash of light, the sudden, loud click... it reminded him of guns, violence and pain. The things he rather didn't think about during this fine, sunny day. On a foreign, enemy territory.
"It's an order, Captain," Hange clasped him on the back, forcefully enough to knock all breath out of him. Then, leaning into his ear, they added, "And a request from a friend. Just one photo, pretty, pretty please?"
Levi scoffed, taking his eyes off Hange - their puppy eyed stare was becoming too pathetic for him to resist - and turned to that hellish device, the photo camera as Onyankopon had called it.
It was still rising hairs on the back of his neck, but- Hange had asked him. It was an order from a Commander, and a request from a friend. How could he possibly say no?
He sighed, and gave them a quick nod.
"I'll bring the brats, they probably want to test that thing too."
In the end, they've spent most of their money on playing with that photo camera. The kids and Hange made a dozens of photo, solo ones, group ones, in sets of couples and trios.
Levi was present only on two photos - one with him, Hange and all of their brats, each of them, except Levi and Eren, smiling unbridled, their happiness bright and on display; and the other - only of him and Hange, in that photo Hange had an arm wrapped around his shoulders, and he had gingerly held them by their waist. Hange was smiling, as always, but their expression was more reserved, more gentle and private, as though meant only for him. And the content he had felt in that moment was stored in a small uplift of his lips that Hange didn't fail to notice. They haven't missed the opportunity to tease him for it either.
Even that man behind the camera, that sleazy guy Levi didn't trust from the very first glance, picked up on a change in his demeanor. "Your husband is a shy one, eh?" he chuckled, talking to Hange.
And Hange, despite becoming bright red and sweaty, prepared a retort fairly quickly, "He's bold where it matters."
But Levi wasn't bold, not where it truly had mattered. And so, these two photos were the only things that he had after Hange left.
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