It had happened again. One moment, she felt like she was dying tenfold, then the next, familiar hands caressed hers and suddenly she was alive again. She couldn't explain what was happening, but she was grateful that Levi was always there for her when she needed him most.

"Thanks." The woman mumbled as she sat up on the bed, Levi following suit once he had woken up. "I thought you said you didn't sleep?" She questioned him, glad that he did.

Levi turned his legs across the edge of his single bed, he'd slept sat up again, consequently receiving a stiff neck in return. He didn't mind it though, at least he was finally getting a good nights rest. Yesterday, he could notice the difference, he worked better, had less headaches, and Hange had even gone as far as saying he was more tolerable.

"I usually don't." He didn't elaborate, Carmen felt as though she knew why. If he was anything like her, then he wouldn't want to talk about it, so she simply nodded her head in understanding.

"Isn't it uncomfortable?" She asked. "Sitting like that all night? I can't imagine it is." It wasn't just a hunch, she'd heard him crack his neck a few times, rubbing the ache afterwards.

"I manage." He reassured, the last thing he wanted was for Carmen to feel guilty - especially when he was helping her. As usual, he walked towards the small station in his room and began to make some tea, it always managed to make his mornings more bearable, he hoped it would do the same for his squad mate.

"You shouldn't have to. You shouldn't have to sacrifice your health just for me." Levi didn't see how it was that important, it was only light back pain, nothing he couldn't handle. "This is a long term thing, I doubt it's going to disappear anytime soon." She added, hoping her hint would make it through to him.

"Your point?" He asked, unsure as to what she was suggesting. It was out of the question for him to just leave her alone, not after everything he'd seen. Last night alone was as troublesome as the others Mikasa had described. He'd heard her gasping for air and saw her hands clutching her torso, when he finally grabbed her hands, he saw the scratch marks along her, she'd been clawing at herself for some unknown reason. Luckily, it wasn't severe enough to draw blood, but there were a few marks remaining.

Carmen hesitated, whatever had come to mind was instantly pushed aside. "Nothing, forget I said anything." She turned down.

Levi was confused, but didn't question it, she was staying and that's all that mattered. "What was last night's nightmare?" He wondered, wanting to know what had distressed her so much. She hadn't ever explicitly told him what they were about, but he had a few guesses.

"It doesn't matter." Carmen lied, it most definitely did matter. When fighting the dolls, she'd sliced a few of their torso's open, assuming it was quick and painless - however now she knew the truth. Her nightmares were never short, somehow they managed to last forever. The blade through her own torso entered her tantalisingly slow, then everything began to spill. It was horrific.

Levi disagreed with her, he knew it mattered, but didn't push any further. "Here." He handed her some tea as the two took their places at his desk again. "It's Historia's coronation today, we're expected to be there." The man informed. "I don't know who the other guests will be, so stay on guard, don't act irrationally."

"You're trying to tell me that some of them might be there." The blonde assumed as Levi nodded. "Don't worry, I'll be on my best behaviour." She rolled her eyes. Seeing Levi begin to drink his tea, Carmen copied his action, taking it as a hint that the beverage was finally safe to drink. "I best be going then, I need to freshen up to meet the queen." She told him, standing from her seat and making her way towards the office door.

Abruptly, Levi stood from his seat, stopping the blonde in her tracks. "You may as well bring your things here, it'll be easier." He told her, causing the woman to tilt her head in confusion. "You're going to be staying here for a while, so you may as well just bring some of your things. The higher ups have extra storage space, I'm sure everything would work out."

Levi was well aware of how desperate he sounded, but it wasn't exactly his fault that Carmen managed to help him sleep at night. He hadn't felt so rejuvenated in years, and he was already hooked. Plus, it was her, out of everyone she was probably the only person he'd ever suggest moving in with.

The assassin froze for a short while, considering her options. There wasn't a reason to decline what he'd offered, it was a good deal - she could sleep better, have more privacy, and best of all, she could be in his company. Were there any cons?

"Okay." Carmen decided, watching Levi's concerned features ease. "I'll meet you later, I'll bring the breakfast again." She offered before leaving the room, frankly, leaving Levi amazed at how easily she'd agreed.

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.
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The Levi squad was decorated in their formal uniform, long green trench coats and their clean white shirts. Each of them were nervous as the crown was neatly placed on top of Historia's head, she appeared so solemn, so calm despite being forced into the position of queen. For that, Carmen respected her.

However, she couldn't overlook the familiar faces in the venue, some were MPs, others were nobles, either way, she knew they were frauds. Their smiles were fake, she could tell that they would have rather kept the corrupt system that benefitted them. It infuriated her.

She noticed how the captain rarely left her side, he knew she was on edge and figured that it wasn't wise to leave her to her own devices. "You okay?" He asked her for what she thought was the third time.

"Yeah." She replied, it had been the same answer each time, despite it being a lie.

After standing far from the crowds on their own for a while, Hange and Erwin eventually began to walk towards them. Carmen still hated the commander, but never acted on her obvious anger. So, as he approached them, she made sure to keep her eyes glued to him, continuing her glare.

"Levi, Carmen." The man introduced himself. "Could I ask you to stop glaring?" He asked, noticing the look of anger from both the scouts.

"You couldn't pay me to." The woman retorted, Hange audibly gasped at the interaction.

"Levi, a word?" He requested, ignoring Carmen's remark. Reluctantly, Levi complied and followed Erwin away from the other two, making sure to send Carmen a sympathetic glance beforehand.

She watched as Levi conversed with the man who betrayed him and their squad, but she couldn't exactly tell anyone the truth - that would mean she'd have to confess to all her crimes. Beside her, Hange leaned over her shoulder, trying to read her facial expressions.

"You've got beef with Erwin." They accused, but Carmen wasn't surprised, she'd sensed their presence for a while.

"What's it to you?" She questioned, while Hange simply put on a serious expression.

"He's not a good enemy to have." They warned.

"Neither am I." She replied. "I'd tell you to ask my opponents, but..." It was sickening when people underestimated her, it had happened with the dolls, with Helga, and she proved them wrong. Although, she could hardly call her position a victory - the dolls still managed to haunt her.

"There's a difference between physical and intellectual power - you should be careful." Carmen nodded her head, she was being careful, the glaring was something she couldn't control. It was better than her blatantly attacking him. "Anyway, you were in Levi's room again last night. I heard you." They smiled as the assassin groaned.

"It's not like that." Carmen deflected, being truthful for once.

"I know." Hange said, sounding a little disappointed. "It's just fun to tease him about it. I don't think he's ever actually done anything before." They gossiped. "So, what exactly do you think about him?"

"Hm?" Carmen questioned. "What are you getting at?" She pried, she didn't want to accidentally give Hange the wrong impression.

"You know." Hange nudged her slightly. "Is he a looker? His personality? What do you think?"

For some reason, Carmen felt like it was a trap, no matter what she said, it would be blown out of proportion. However, if she shut down the question altogether, then Hange would probably just assume she was in love with him and keeping it to herself. Either way, she was screwed.

"He's thoughtful." Carmen eventually decided. "He knows me better than anyone, and I trust him with my life." Hange's eyes beckoned her to continue, apparently they weren't fully satisfied with her answer. "As for his looks..." She struggled to find the words, until she remembered something Petra had described Levi as when first meeting him - she learned to agree with her opinion through time. "He's pretty."

It wasn't a heavily masculine way to describe him, but Carmen felt as though it was fitting. He was attractive in a more delicate way than others, his features weren't too rugged, he was far more soft and careful. Carmen nodded her head, confirming her belief. "Yeah, I think that suits him." She added, turning to Hange after staring at the Captain from afar.

"You think he's... pretty?" They questioned, not seeing where Carmen got that idea from.

"Like the moon." Carmen confirmed. "You won't tell him I said that, will you?" She asked, not thinking about the consequences of her confession.

"Of course not!" Hange beamed, alerting a few nobles to look their way. Despite the loudness of their voice, Hange doubted that they'd stay true to their word - if it came down to it, they'd tell Levi. However, they hoped that the two would figure things out on their own first. "Oh, Levi, we were just talking about you." Hange waved at the approaching man, receiving a glare from Carmen. "All good things." They added on, winking in the assassin's direction.

"Ignore them, I think they've been drinking." Carmen said in a threatening tone, trying to convince Hange to shut their trap. Fortunately, Hange did, and changed the subject to something more professional for the trio.

"What did Erwin want?" They wondered, noticing Levi had wandered back alone while the commander chatted with a few noblemen. He looked in his element when conversing with the snobs, knowing when to crack a joke and when to laugh obnoxiously loud at theirs - his acting skills amazed Carmen.

"He mentioned a few of the nobles investing in new equipment for the scouts, in return, they want to be credited for our upcoming victory." Levi scoffed, trust the nobles to somehow make the scouts' hard work about them. "He wants to introduce the top investors to the strongest in the regiment - you and I." He revealed, rolling his eyes at the exchange.

"So they're showcasing us?" Carmen asked, causing the captain to nod.

"He does it often, trying to convince people to join the scouts because of the potential they could become as strong as us." The assassin didn't like the idea, but she'd been showcased her whole life, so it wouldn't be difficult for her to adapt to the change.

"Oh great." Hange quietly announced, sarcasm dripping from their voice. "He's bringing one over."

The man tailing Erwin was short and stubby, an average nobleman. His hair was neatly combed over his obvious bald patch, and his teeth were yellow with his poor diet. Despite being shorter than Levi, the man walked with his head held high, looking down his nose at the scouts he was approaching. He made it incredibly easy for each of the scouts to detest him.

"May I introduce you to Lord Becket?" Erwin introduced the man, Carmen couldn't put her finger on it, but the name felt familiar, like a bad memory she couldn't shake. "Lord Becket, these are my greatest allies, Section Commander Hange, Captain Levi, and his second in command - Carmen."

Lingering his eyes on her figure, the nobleman outstretched his hand to both Levi and Hange, giving them firm shakes with his sweaty palms. "I've heard a great deal about you." He then reached for Carmen's hand, which she reluctantly gave him. "Especially you, my dear." Carmen felt the sudden urge to punch him when he brought her hand towards his lips, opting for a kiss rather than a shake. The woman gritted her teeth and glared at him as his lips caressed her hand before tugging away from him.

Noticing the tension, Hange cut in. They feared if they let Carmen death stare the man any longer, he might have just ceased to exist. "So, Lord Becket, what made you want to help out the scouts?" They asked him.

Lord Becket laughed loudly at their question. "I'm afraid it's for selfish reasons, oh, I'm so bad." He laughed, mocking himself in attempts to prevent the scouts from hating him - too late for that. "You see, I used to have a lovely holiday estate in Wall Maria, a stunning castle that the King stayed in once. But, when Wall Maria fell, we lost one of our four homes. I'd really appreciate getting it back once this is over, and to make sure I'll be compensated for any damage done to it."

"Maybe you could let workers stay in it while they repair villages and build new houses?" Hange suggested to him, causing both the nobleman and Erwin to laugh.

"May as well rent it to underground scum!" He laughed louder. The trio didn't laugh at his words, each of them were well-aware of Levi's past, and knew that if they were to open their mouths, none of them would be able to prevent the insults from flowing out. "Realistically, though, I may gift it to my daughter and my son-in-law. You do remember her, don't you Carmen?"

All eyes turned to the woman as she began to realise exactly where she remembered the surname Becket.  Although she'd never met the man before, she distinctly remembered being given a mission by his request. Which meant that, regardless of his crimes, becket got to walk free - even though he had a man killed.

Carmen struggled to stay composed, so she reverted back to her old habit of disassociating from the situation. Her eyes, although glued to the nobleman, were empty of all emotion. Her features were the embodiment of neutrality as she finally answered the Lord.

"Yes, I do." She replied to him. "I'm sure she'll be happy with your gift, especially after all she's been through." Her words were oddly calm, it made Becket worry.

"Yes, I'm just glad she got there in the end." He continued, trying to ignore the obvious tension blooming. "My own daughter, marrying a stable boy, I couldn't allow it."

Carmen remembered the way he screamed when she tied the rope around his neck, how he was always calling out the name of his forbidden love before she finally ended him. But she didn't have a choice - Lord Becket's daughter simply couldn't marry a stable boy.

Rubbing her temple, Carmen took a step back. Her memories were painful to recall, she hated reviewing their faces, their final, dying words. "Sorry, I'm starting to get a migraine." She apologised, beginning to walk away from the group before Levi grabbed her arm.

"I'll take her back to our base." He suggested. "We need to keep our skilled soldiers in peak condition."

Erwin briefly nodded at his request, causing the duo to flee the venue as quickly as they could. The captain knew it would be difficult for Carmen to see so many familiar faces, but he never expected someone to thank her for her work - he made it way too obvious. However, there wasn't any evidence to support his association with the dolls, which put the scouts in a tricky situation.

Carmen stayed silent on their voyage back to the base, Levi could partially understand why. It must have been too overwhelming for her, she needed a time of comfortable silence, which he could happily supply her with.

Eventually, when they'd arrived back, Carmen quickly tied Bowie's reigns to its stall. Preparing to rush to her room, she turned to Levi. "I'll meet you in your office." She informed him before swiftly leaving him and heading towards her room. She didn't wait to hear his protests, or his mumbles after she'd ditched him - she needed to check something.

Entering her old room, she immediately opened the drawers and searched for the items she'd hid. The first thing she clutched was the list, eyes scanning it until they landed on a familiar name - Arnold Becket. There was a hint of hope in her that it wasn't him, but that had been diminished as soon as she'd looked over the names once more.

"One day." She began, kicking the drawers in her rage. "They'll all be dead."

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Authors note

Would it even be a Levi fic without Hange meddling?

Also, I researched it - and yes - it is possible for someone with cognitive insensitivity to pain (CIP) to have headaches.