Looking down at the formal orders before me, and seeing Erwin's neat yet clearly quickened, hastened, nearly frantic ledger, I knew that this was thrown together as best as he physically could on such short notice, but it was still rushed, and it was still shit. For a man so smart, he could be a complete and utter fool, sometimes - and this was one such instance.

I read the orders once more; perhaps I'd misread? But I hadn't, and my disappointment returned tenfold. I did what I could to stifle my groan, I did, but it fought back rather valiantly, and managed to escape me anyway.

Levi glanced over at me upon hearing it, and because he'd already read it, I knew he was thinking the same thing: this was shit.

Ugh. The whole thing was shit.

Along with the orders that we were to keep Eren hidden away starting... well, immediately, actually (and in an old castle, by the way, which was such incredible bullshit I would gripe about later), we would have to stop for supplies at a village nearby using our allotted requisition funds to stock up.

So there was that to look forward to... along with all the damned cleaning that there was to be done, surely.

At this point in time, we were still at the courthouse. Only a precious hour or so ago, we'd secured our custody of Eren, and since it hadn't been long at all since we'd all congregated in here, we were, of course, still in this designated meeting room of ours.

I thought that perhaps, now that we had custody of him, that we might be allowed to go home or even secure him somewhere while we went off to continue cleaning up in Trost, but that was a no-go, and it was surprising.

There had to be more Titans there, and if it was able-bodied soldiers needed to fight and help clear the streets of bodies and debris, the scouts had more than a few to spare right now. Still, perhaps they had who they needed already, which cleared up our schedule to go home to our base.

Apparently, I'd been naive in thinking that; I hadn't realized that we weren't even allowed to let the main force of scouts see him, not yet, not until Erwin would make a formal announcement and even then, he wasn't to mingle, he was to stay with us - always close enough so we could take care of him, and... take care of him, if need be.

All this and more were listed out and detailed on this sheet of paper in my hands, and if I didn't trust Erwin or respect him entirely, I'd have told him to shove it, because I was tired.

One, we'd only just gotten back from an expedition in a rushed panic. Two, right after that, we were forced directly into the belly of the beast that was a military court session. Three... fighting Titans was tiring, and going to the market when it was sure to be busy was not something I was looking forward to.

Erwin had written these orders up hastily nearly as soon as the proceedings of the trial had been sorted, and while he was off working with Commander Pixis to continue coordinating efforts to clear Trost District of Titans and discuss something or other, the rest of those with us followed and so Levi and myself were effectively left alone with Eren - with a Titan-boy hybrid.

If someone told me yesterday morning that today I'd have joint custody of a teenager who could turn into a Titan, I'd have asked if they were feeling alright, truly. I'd ask if they were feeling feverish, because otherwise, what kind of fucked up idea would that be? It was insane.

I could hardly wrap my head around it now, even after it happened to me. Hell, though Ilse wrote it in her dying moments, the thought of a talking Titan was insane enough. So someone who can turn into one?

Goddesses help me, my head hurts.

...and I could really go for a nap, right about now.

I leaned back across the couch, letting my head hang back over the arm. I'd been sitting with my back to the arm and my legs outstretched before me, but now stretched across the whole thing, draped like a blanket and about as lifeless as one, too. My eyes fluttered closed, and I let a long, drawn-out sigh pass through my lips.

Levi, who had been sorting through a pile of reports by the window, probably looked over once more at the slight noise, and after a moment I heard the gentle sound of his footsteps thud through the room. When the light footfalls came to a stop, I let my eyes open, and I found myself looking up towards Levi. Standing as close as he was, I had this awful view of him, for this wasn't his most flattering angle, but I did what I could to focus on his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Levi asked quietly, knowing that any conversation we shared would be eavesdropped with acute interest by the boy sitting across the room.

"I'm just tired, I suppose," I responded softly and honestly. "It's been a really long day."

His eyes softened with what looked like understanding. "I know."

"How far is this old base? Do you know?"

"So far that Erwin advised us to get going as soon as possible," he answered me without answering me, and I fought the urge to scowl outright.

I wasn't stupid, I knew it would get me nowhere. So instead of grumbling, I sat up, turning to set my feet on the floor. Pausing before standing at last, I set my elbows on my thighs and looked sidelong up at Levi.

"At the very least," I said with a hopeful tone, "we get out of fighting more Titans, today."

"That depends on him, now doesn't it?" Levi asked, louder now, and gesturing rather obviously towards the only other occupant of the room. Across the small space, sitting apart from us with his spine straight as a rod, Eren stood up somehow even straighter, knowing that now the topic of conversation was him.

"Get up, kid," Levi ordered. "We're heading out. I expect you to give us no trouble."

"Yes, sir," Eren managed to say, slamming a salute to his chest. Then, we left, intending only to gather our squad who would have been given the word to get here, tack our horses, then head to an old, decrepit, abandoned Scout Regiment base.

—

"Man, look at these weeds," Eld said. "This place has gone to hell."

The journey had been long, but at long last we reached the base. We'd all just tacked the horses in a rather pitiful set of stables, and it was a damn good thing that - while dirty and, as I said, pitiful - the stables were in relatively good condition. Some upkeep would be required, at least by Levi's standards, but for the horses, they were serviceable. At the very least, they would do for now.

"Yeah, well, it's been abandoned for years," Gunther replied to his best friend, standing by his side as he always did. "I bet the insides' in shambles."

Levi and I, walking side-by-side, approached the two from behind. "In which case," Levi spoke, effectively surprising them, "we have a problem, don't we? Best grab a broom and get to work, gentlemen."

"You know how it goes," I said, following Levi into the building but looking over my shoulder at them with an easy smile. "Clean until it's spotless, and even then, know it's not good enough, so keep going. Oh, and we have an entire castle to do, and then the grounds."

Leaving their grumbles behind us, knowing they'd get to work, we stepped right up to the base's main entrance. As soon as Levi pushed one heavy door open and I the other, I was hit with a wave of dusty, muggy air.

"Oh, that's gross," I muttered, waving my hand in front of my nose to attempt to clear the air. The air, now unsettled, let loose a cloud of dust from a chandelier up above and it drifted down towards us and somewhere, a door creaked open on its hinges - one left open and now disturbed by shifting air and pressure, of course.

Aside from being incredibly dirty and unkempt, it was dark as well. It was clear even to a blind man that it had not been occupied in many years. Back when the Survey Corps was larger and got a lot more funding (so, at least a generation ago), it was able to occupy more than one base - and it needed to. There'd simply not been enough room in the original base. But as numbers dwindled, public trust in the regiment faltered, and funding was withdrawn, they'd been forced to settle into one and one alone, and so it remained even now.

It was so incredibly obvious that it'd been a long, long time since anyone had lived here, which meant it would be a long night.

I walked over to what I guessed was a broom closet as Levi examined the room with a cool, calculating gaze. The door creaked open on its hinges when I pulled it open, and I didn't even bother looking into the small space because I was far too disgusted by the grime left behind on my fingers and palm in simply opening the damn door.

Upon realizing the grime was there to stay on my fingertips, I gave into my fate and gathered my nerve. "Right," I said, holding back a sigh.

I pivoted and looked over at Levi who was searching another closet here in the entryway to assuredly look for cleaning supplies.

"I'm going to look for matches and work on brightening this place up," I told him. "We'll get nowhere if we can't see what we're doing. I'll try not to take too long."

Levi nodded wordlessly and left me to it. I peeked into each room I passed, my eyes vigilant in the search for a matchbox. There were plenty of candles and lanterns and candelabras to light, but nothing to light them with so far.

The building was spacious, with room for several hundred people, and I could imagine it being full of soldiers and life. If ever we would have the numbers to occupy this place again, I could so easily imagine it and I hoped to get to that point someday.

Still, for now, it was safe and secluded, allowing us to watch over Eren and allow for experiments to be done, while putting the least amount of people at risk in the case that he attacked or lost control. It also worked to protect him in case anyone came to steal him away, which Erwin warned us about.

Either way, our priority was trying to figure out what it was the Titan boy could and could not do, and how far he could safely go. This was a good chance as well for the boy to get used to the training being in the regiment would entail, especially receiving orders from two of its strongest soldiers.

Additionally, what this assignment meant for me was a chance to be a bit more lax in my responsibilities. I wouldn't have to do paperwork for Erwin... or at least, not as much, though I would have to eventually draft further reports of what happens here, down to the smallest detail. But for the most part, Levi and I could do things on our own terms. That was, if we could agree to those terms, anyway.

For me, this assignment meant a welcome reprieve from the hustle and bustle of the main base, some peace and quiet with the company of my squad and Levi.

But for Levi, this trip away from the main base meant all that I mentioned, but with the addition of long hours of unnecessarily loud lovemaking, should we find the time.

He'd made sure to tell me as much before we left - and had the audacity to act surprised by my flustered, embarrassed reaction. I had half a mind in that moment to believe he was only teasing me, but with the way he'd gotten embarrassed too, I knew that he had meant it and had been second-guessing himself until I stammered out a response to reassure him.

My mind started to drift as I finally found a box of matches, but I shook my head as though to physically remove the thoughts from my mind. I couldn't risk thinking of that right now, so I took a match out, struck it against my boot, then lit a candle. I pocketed the matches then picked the candle up, readying myself to get to work.

—

Everyone at the base was busy cleaning away, or so they had been told to. Gunther and Olou had been sent to a nearby town to pick up horse feed and whatever else we would need for them, while everyone else was cleaning somewhere around here. Once the two men returned, they'd be ordered to do the same.

After illuminating most of the base and opening all the windows I could find to start airing it out, I tied a mask over the bottom half of my face, then met up with Levi to help clean. I was used to cleaning with him, it was a regular thing that he worked into the daily routine even when underground.

While I wasn't as disciplined about it as Levi was, he kept me on track; I certainly enjoyed having a clean place to live and work in, especially after dealing with the muck underground.

It was hard not to be diligent in my cleaning when so close to Levi. Honestly, it had a lot to do with him. I wanted Levi in my life, and part of that meant ensuring he was comfortable around me, which in turn meant I had to help keep the environment we lived in clean.

Working in tandem as we always did, in a content, familiar, and comfortable sort of silence, Levi and I had found a large, open room full of dust and cobwebs. It might have been a meeting room, or maybe an office, or something else entirely, but it didn't matter: it was devoid of furniture and was as dirty as the rest of the place, so it needed to get fixed up.

Multiple sets of footsteps sounded behind us at once, and I turned from what I was doing, which was starting to reach up with a broom to dust a corner.

"Captains," Olou greeted, Gunther at his side. Both saluted, but I waved them off.

"Welcome back," I greeted, lowering my mask from my face and noting that they were looking at me and me alone, for I gave them the orders to leave so now they were checking back in for their next orders. "How'd you do?"

"We got what we needed for the horses," Olou confirmed. "Feed, hay, new rakes, and a new latch for the field for their pasture - among other things. They're taken care of until evening, and we have enough supplies to last the week here."

"Excellent work, thank you," I said. "Eld was cleaning downstairs last I saw, so please go tell him what you paid and give him what you didn't."

Upon sending them off, they'd been given part of our allotted budget for the month. When it came to matters of the budget, I usually left them to Eld, as my aide. It wasn't that I was lazy or couldn't do the math, I just found it boring, and he didn't. Besides, he was good at it.

"After doing that," I continued, "get to cleaning."

"Yes, ma'am," Olou and Gunther said together, then turned on their heels and left.

Just as they did, my attention was brought back to Levi. With a disgusted click of his tongue, he opened the window with dramatic flair only he could muster, letting the sunlight stream into the room. I smiled and crossed the room.

Now alone in the room, I figured I wouldn't get in too much trouble for distracting him for a moment, right? I sidled up to him, setting the broom to rest against the wall for now. As he stepped away from the window, his focus caught on me, and I smiled. It was obscured underneath the mask, but I knew it was clear in my eyes that I had only mischief on my mind.

Catching on right away, his eyes narrowed. "What are you up to?"

"Nothing too distracting, I hope," I said, reaching up with one hand to hook a finger on one side of his mask. "May I?"

He glanced around pointedly, and must have decided we were alone enough, because he nodded. I lowered his mask with one hand and my own with the other and leaned in, pressing a light, loving kiss to his cheek.

"There," I said, drawing away from him. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" I brought both hands to his mask with the intent of setting it gently over his nose once more, but he grabbed my wrist, keeping me from doing so. "Levi?"

"If you're going to kiss me," he mumbled, his grip on my wrist loosening, but only so that he could drag his fingertips across my palm then further to thread his fingers through mine, "then do it properly."

He leaned in when it became evident I was too surprised to do so, but I was not too surprised to react when he kissed me. Our lips met in an unhurried, tender kiss, and I smiled against his lips.

When he drew away, it was all too soon in my opinion and I hummed with discontent and let my bottom lip jut out in a pout to let him know.

"One more," I requested quietly. "Please?"

"Only one," he murmured, easing my pout away with another kiss.

This kiss, perhaps, was a precursor of things to come: there was more force to it, and he let go of my hand only to wind both around me.

When he pulled me closer, I was careful not to let my hands - dirtied and dusted - touch him. Instead, I laced them together and draped them behind his neck, allowing no space between our bodies. I could feel his heart beat against mine, and when my head tilted, he obeyed without hesitation.

My tongue slipped through his lips and between his teeth, meeting his. If this was a fight for domination, he did not fight hard. He did as I silently asked, and if I didn't know any better, I'd have said he was a model soldier with the way he followed orders, even unspoken ones.

When I raked my tongue across the roof of his mouth and withdrew, taking his bottom lip between my teeth, a contented, pleasured groan passed through his lips, and my own curled upwards in a sly smile; I so loved this man, and I so loved the way he loved me.

With only another peck, we both drew away, but neither of us went far. When my eyes finally opened, for I was enjoying the moment far too much to hurry through it, I found myself the focus of his stunning pair of eyes that were a pale yet beautiful blue that reminded me of the sky with the sunlight streaming into the room.

"Good boy," I nearly purred, and he seemed to shiver from my words.

"Good girl," he said after composing himself, surprising me. A flurry of butterflies alighted in my stomach, and I smirked, liking that he was fighting back. "With the cleaning, I mean."

"Thank you, my love," I replied earnestly, recognizing his honesty. Then, teasingly I said: "I've been paying careful attention to the layout of this base. After all, we need to find a quiet corner away from the others to do what you've been wanting, right?"

"R-Right," he managed to say, and my smile turned sly. Goodness, I loved having this sort of power over him. I could hear the slight yet distinct sound he made as he swallowed, and I decided to let up on him a little bit.

"Try not to think about it too much," I said. "Don't want you getting excited or distracted."

The sound of more footsteps startled us both and we broke away from each other. I fixed my mask over my face, as did Levi, and I grabbed the broom once more before looking towards the doorway to greet whoever was coming to see us.

Lo and behold, Eren came into the room, pulling his face mask down so he could speak. "I'm done with the upstairs, captains," he announced. Levi turned from the windowsill to look at him skeptically, but any retort he had prepared was postponed when Eren continued. "If I may ask, where will I be expected to sleep?"

Levi pulled his face mask down. "Your sleeping quarters are in the cellar," he told the boy.

Eren's shoulders dropped and he looked visibly disappointed. "The cellar? But sir, again?"

"It's our safest option," he continued. "Your abilities are far from being under control – this you know. You might go titan in your sleep. One of the conditions of us having you in custody at all is that we keep you under strict security. Morning, noon, and night. While we're in dreamland, you're in restraints."

With each word Levi spoke, Eren seemed to get more and more upset. I fought the urge to smile; he was a cute boy, really. And when frowning like that...

"That's the rule," Levi finished. He then looked Eren up and down, as if judging him on his cleaning abilities by his looks alone. "I'll check your work. Take over here. I want it spotless."

"Yes, sir," Eren said, watching as he walked away.

I made to follow - not to check Eren's work but to check on the others - but caught sight of a particularly disgusting looking cobweb in the far corner of the room along the same wall the doorway was situated on, so I went to that, instead. I heard Eren sigh, and not a moment later, Petra walked in, broom in hand and smile across her face.

"Oh, Eren, try not to look so discouraged," I heard her say. "Sorry, I hope you don't mind me calling you Eren. I noticed the Captains do, and, well, they pretty much set the tone for the rest of us."

Oh, she couldn't see me. Well, consider my curiosity now piqued. I didn't consider her to be one to haze a newbie, but perhaps this would be her attempt at it? Or maybe she was just trying to be friendly. Whatever the case, I wanted to hear it.

"Whatever," Eren replied with a forced sense of nonchalance. "It's just that I, uh, well- did I really look that discouraged? Or were you just saying that?"

"Everyone reacts that way," she said in an almost conspiratorial manner, like she was gossiping with an old friend. "Up close and personal, Captains Levi and Amaya don't really seem like the heroes they're cracked up to be. For one thing, they're a lot shorter, especially Levi. And a bit on the temperamental side, too."

I lowered my broom and set it down, resting my elbow on the end of the handle, amused by what I heard.

"Not exactly imbued with what you'd call the social graces," she continued.

"It's not that," Eren said, seemingly forgetting that I was here, that I hadn't left. "I'm more put off by the seriousness. They're so dead earnest to follow the higher-up's rules."

"Let me guess," Petra said, "you think strength means living by your own rules, flouting everyone else's."

"Well, they didn't strike me as the kind to take orders."

"Time was, they would've lived up to your expectations," she started, and I could just hear the smile on her face through her tone. "That's what I understand, anyway. I don't have the details. Story goes, they were quite the rogues before joining the scouts."

Eren blinked in confusion and the silence stretched on, suspension rising high before at last she finished: "they were high-rollers in the capital's black market."

"How the hell did they, I mean..."

"No clue. Folks talk, but who knows what really brought them here, right? The most popular version involved Erwin. They say they dragged them into the scouts kicking and screaming."

"The commander...?"

Before this could go too far, I crossed the space and made my presence known. "Eren," I said, "weren't you told to finish up by the windowsill?"

"Uh..."

"Captain," Petra said, surprised.

"Petra," I said, "last time one of my subordinates told a story about me, he was running laps for hours. Do you remember?"

"Yes, ma'am," she replied.

"So you remember," I considered, "but decided to do it yourself."

"Yes, ma'am," she replied once more.

"Do you think that was a smart idea?"

"No, ma'am," Petra answered.

"I see. I suppose since you didn't learn the lesson, you may like to take over cleaning the wing Olou is in charge of, and he can tell you all about it."

"If that's what you deem fitting, ma'am."

"It is. Now get going." As I spoke, I watched as Levi approached, though I didn't say anything. Hell, another spook ought to teach them a lesson in talking about your superiors.

"What's going on?" Levi asked now, walking into the room again and making our two subordinates jump out of their skin, or nearly.

Petra stepped to the side and began sweeping nonchalantly, doing what she could surely to stabilize her heart rate and appear natural. Levi walked past them and further into the room, a nasty look on his face.

"Your cleaning is lamentable," he said to Eren. "Back upstairs now."

Eren ran back upstairs with a quick "yes, sir", and Petra took the chance to bolt from the room as well. I couldn't help but laugh. Levi walked back over to the window, clicking his tongue when he saw that Eren hadn't done anything to it. "Damn brat didn't even do this like I asked him to." I only shook my head fondly and continued to clean.

—

"So," I said, lowering myself to sit on the couch that had been recently cleaned top to bottom, cushion to cushion, "what do you think of the brat?"

I settled down beside him, staying upright for now and stretching my arms far above my head. It'd been a long, long day of cleaning and working hard. And now, as the sun finally started to set, we settled into the room we chose for our office while here, which, just like at the main base, had a joint bedroom attached to it. But for now, we were content to relax for a few precious moments here on a couch set just before a large window, shined to perfection.

When I relaxed, Levi set his arm around my shoulder. I hadn't been expecting it, but I smiled and leaned into his embrace, letting him pull me to rest against him. I certainly wasn't going to deny him, or deny this.

The weight of his arm was comfortable when set around my shoulders, and so was the warmth of his body against my side. When my head came to rest on his shoulder, I closed my eyes, enjoying the moment while it was so quiet, so calm.

"He's loud," Levi said simply, breaking the silence - but it wasn't a shock, it wasn't a bad thing. His voice was calm, and in that way it was calming to hear him. Goddesses, I could just about fall asleep. The only thing keeping me up right now was this, my desire to talk with him and unwind after such a busy day.

"So are the others in the squad," I said quietly. I tucked my feet up on the couch, trying to get comfortable before decidedly stretching them across Levi's lap. "And we picked them. Oh, and so is everyone else in the entire regiment. We'll just have to get used to him, I suppose."

As I adjusted, Levi set his free hand on my shin, and let the other drop down to my waist. I smiled and cozied against him more. Yep, I could fall asleep like this... and that feeling was amplified when his thumb began to rub my waist rhythmically.

His touch was warm, even through the fabric of my shirt, and I wished for a moment that I'd had the foresight to take the harness and straps of the uniform off so that I could just fall asleep.

No, but I couldn't do that. There was more to be done today, we just had these few moments together as a short break.

He hummed thoughtfully in response. "He'll probably shit his pants when we take one step out of the wall."

I laughed. "I think he'll piss himself like Petra did as soon as we left Trost for her first expedition. But that's far off, isn't it? We'd have to reclaim Maria, first."

He clicked his tongue and turned his head, looking towards the far corner of the room. "If we could just stay there longer, we could."

"True," I murmured, opening my eyes and tilting my head back to look at him. "You could do it by yourself, couldn't you? Strong as you are, quick as you are..."

His chuckle rumbled through his chest, and I smiled at the sound. "You'd never let me do all the work," he said. "You know that."

"No, I wouldn't," I agreed, "but maybe I'd just sit and watch for a while. I do so love watching you work."

"Is that right?"

"Mm-hm," I hummed happily. "Like at the trial."

He looked down at me, his brows pinching together. "The hell are you talking about?" He seemed to piece it together with the look I sent him alone, with the way it went from coy and innocent to sly and playful. "No, Amaya. What?"

I giggled, for it seemed I effectively flustered him once again. Goodness, I was better at that than I thought. "You know," I said slowly, implying that which he already figured out. "I'm not saying anything, just..."

"You mean when I was..."

The words he wanted to say remained unsaid. He and I both knew what he meant. You mean when I was beating the shit out of the kid?

In a word... Yes.

I bit my lip to hold back another laugh, but his cheeks flushed and he opened his mouth as though to speak, but when his eyes flicked down to see my lips, he faltered and let the words die in his throat.

"I won't lie and say it didn't give me ideas," I said. "Not at the time, but..."

"You're..." He cleared his throat. "You're disgusting."

I smiled, satisfied by the look on his face. "Oh? Is that why you seem to be considering it, yourself?"

"You're just an idiot," he muttered. "You expect me to think that you... you want me to..."

"Say it," I purred.

"No," he protested. "Stop being a brat."

"What is it you said...? Something about pain being the best teacher? It seems I haven't learned my lesson, Levi."

The man was, effectively, at a loss for words.

"You damn woman," he hissed when I started to move.

I disentangled myself from his embrace and got to my knees, sitting back on my heels and facing him. It was really so I could see him better, but I'm sure all he could focus on was the fact that I was on my knees beside him.

"Do you get off embarrassing the shit out of me?" I shrugged a little, but said nothing more. "You don't need to keep up the flirting or whatever this shit is. You already..."

My smile grew warm, soft, and genuine - and only because I already knew what he was going to say. My face lost all the playfulness, and now he wasn't looking at a woman trying to tease him, but his woman, adoring even the sight of him, and he picked up on it immediately, for his features lost some of its hard edges and he sighed out his embarrassment and frustration in a huff.

"As I said," he continued quietly, "you don't need to keep all of... that up. You already know that I love you."

"I do," I affirmed softly. "And I love you, so much." I took his face into my hands and pulled myself to him gently. I planted a kiss on his forehead, then drew back, letting my hands return to my lap. "But we've been together for how long, and I can still fluster you so much? I'd have thought you'd have gotten used to it by now."

He looked stubbornly yet oh so cutely away, and I shook my head fondly at him.

"To think, I hold so much power over you," I cooed. "Still, whether or not we try one of my ideas is up to you. But at any rate, I have hope that we'll be able to help the kid block the gate into Shiganshina, so we really can kill all the Titans there and in Maria and finally leave the walls."

"It's been a while since we have, hasn't it?"

"Over five years," I said. "I miss it, to be honest. Danger aside..." I smiled when he took my hand into his own. "What is it you used to say? From one cave to the next? But when we're out there, with no walls and no limit to where we can go..."

He nodded, gazing into my eyes with so much fondness that it was hard to believe he was looking at me. He was usually so aloof, so unwilling to let his guard down... but when it was just us, he knew there was no judgment, he knew there was only love, and a lot of it.

"You said earlier that you think the kid will piss himself on our first expedition," Levi said, and I laughed aloud, because how had such a sweet turn to the conversation inevitably come back to this? "I think he'll shit himself."

"Of course you would," I said, shaking my head with disbelief.

"You don't think so? Why don't we bet on it?" Levi asked with a smirk and I bit the inside of my cheek, enjoying this rare yet wonderful moment of playfulness from him.

I considered his words, then asked: "What are your terms?"

"Whoever loses has to do whatever the winner says," Levi said.

"That's no fun," I protested.. "If you win, you'll just make me clean."

"That's the point," he said simply. I looked at him with a frown bordering on a pout, and that broke him down. "Fine, then. You got something better, brat?"

I felt the urge to smirk, though I did what I could to hold it back as best I could. "Loser has to do whatever the winner says," I began, and he looked at me skeptically, "in the bedroom."

That got his interest. To be able to control the night's activities... Now that would be fun, but I made sure to add, "To an extent, of course. You know I'd never force you to do anything you don't want to."

"I know," he said gently. "Though I'm certain that anything I come up with, you've already thought about."

"Maybe," I considered. "The only way for you to know is to win, right?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "It's a deal," he said. "But you seemed ready to share some of your ideas already."

"Oh? Interested in hearing them, now?" When he set his hands on my hips, I knew without needing him to answer that I was right.

He guided me to sit up, then to ease myself to straddle his lap. I got comfortable atop him, then linked my fingers behind his neck. When one of his hands detached itself from my hip and ran instead of my thigh, and his lips found the hollow of my throat, I sighed his name out and tilted my head to offer him more room to work.

Adopting an authoritative tone, his next words were simple. "Tell me."

Enjoying the attention and the way that his hushed words rolled like waves across my skin, I decided to tease him so more. It was just so easy, and he made it so incredibly worth it. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

He clicked his tongue, then brought his teeth to the sensitive skin of my neck. "You damn woman."

I sucked in a breath, liking where this was going. So when he - with me still atop him, pushed forward on the couch, then turned, I did exactly as I knew he wanted. I leaned more of my weight against him, set a hand on the back of his head to cradle it, then pressed my lips to his. Guiding him to his back was a simple thing and he went willingly, obediently.

With the way he grasped my waist, I wondered if he might let me take him right here. Whether one of our subordinates would be foolish enough to come knock on the door, or if it would be worth having to clean this couch again as he assuredly would make us do...

I brought my lips to his jaw, kissing a line towards his neck.

Hell, it was worth the risk. When I drew away and looked into his eyes, looking for now past his flushed cheeks and heaving chest, I saw only compliance and a whole lot of love. I smiled, pressing a loving kiss to his lips, which he reciprocated eagerly.

I knew he far preferred proving things with actions, and not words. So, if he wanted me so badly to take him right now... then who was I to deny him?

—

By the very next day, we were sent word that all the Titans within Trost had been eliminated by way of cannons and some of our more elite veteran soldiers. With a bit of repair work and a few more sweeps of the city to clear it of debris and corpses, the citizens would be cleared to return home.

But that wasn't the only exciting bit of news: Hange wrote to me, letting me know with all the excitement in the world that Erwin had granted them the permission to capture two Titans, and they did, with Moblit's help and that of the rest of their unit. It was incredibly exciting; everything Hange had been working for was coming to fruition, and not only that, but the amount of research that could be done, the knowledge that could be gained...

It was good to have so much good news. This morning, I was in the market within the town closest to the base we were occupying. While Levi ran general training, I set off with only my aide and a list. We'd had dried rations last night, and the same for breakfast this morning, but while we were here and had the extra budget to spare, I was going to take advantage of it.

Eld, it seemed, was eager to waste our allotted money as well.

"Thank you, sir," I said, accepting the vegetables from the merchant and setting them in my basket.

As I stepped out of line and started down the street again, Eld at my side, I tilted my head upwards slightly, basking in the sun for a moment. Eld fanned himself with his hands, clearly not appreciating the warmth like I was.

"It's only spring," he muttered. "Why the hell is it so damn warm?"

"I don't know," I responded. "But I like it. If you need to stop for a minute, just say so."

Eld smiled down at me. "Sure you don't just want to stop anyway? Seems like you're enjoying it."

"It's been a few years now," I said, "but I'm still not used to... all of this."

"It always slips my mind that you're from the underground city," Eld said, looking forward to watch where he was walking. I did the same, shrugging a little and letting the conversation fade away.

The market wasn't quiet, but it wasn't terribly busy compared to some of the ones closer to the other base where we would normally shop for supplies. For such a perfect early spring day - which was abnormally warm for the season - it made sense. People were more than taking advantage of the beautiful weather, and I was happy I was here and not training. That was one surefire way to ruin a lovely day: sweating through it.

Walking by a jewelry stand, I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I managed to overhear a conversation that had me slowing in my step. "Sir," the merchant said to a customer, "is it an engagement ring that you're looking for?"

I slowed to a stop without even realizing it. "That's right," the customer said with a nod. He was a pale, skinny sort of man, and judging only by his clothes, he was likely dirt poor. "I don't have much, but I want the best ring money can buy for my lady."

"But of course," the merchant agreed. "Nothing but the best for your special someone. Good man. I've got quite a few rings here..."

I'd stopped midstep, and only when he got a few paces ahead did Eld realize and walk back to me. "Captain," he called, "are you alright?"

"Just fine," I responded, still gazing towards the stand.

"You look like you're thinking real hard," he said, and I was sure he was right. My lips were pursed, there was a knit in my brow, and I was still standing stockstill, the basket's handle held in both hands in front of me. Snapping out of my reverie, I blinked once, then twice, then started to walk before Eld would clue into what I was looking at.

Only, he'd already seen it, and figured it out. Eld fell into step alongside me, and with the height he had over me, he made sure to shorten his paces so I wouldn't have to hurry. "Hoping someone will make a stop there, soon?"

"Oh, I don't know," I said, knowing there was no denying what had my attention. "I never really... thought about it."

Eld peered down at me, kindness in his gaze but also quite a bit of curiosity as well. "About marriage in general?"

I nodded. "Back where I grew up, it was never really an option. People could say they were devoted to each other, sure, but there was no way to officiate it. And... something like that - the ring, I mean - is a luxury, something that would never be seen underground." I sighed. "Love is rare down there, anyway."

"But, and pardon me for speaking freely, you and Captain Levi are together, aren't you?"

"Speak as freely as you like," I told him. "You know I don't care about formalities like that when it's just us."

"So?" It was a prompt for me to answer his question, so I nodded.

"Yeah," I said, drawing a deep breath in. "We are."

We found ourselves by a row of trees, and I stopped underneath one, hiding for a moment from the sun in the shade. Eld stopped a pace or so after I did, then turned to face me, searching my face for... something, I'm not sure what.

"Eld," I said unsurely, looking towards the crowd, though not letting my eyes focus on any one thing. "How long do couples usually wait before getting married?"

"Depends on the couple," he answered, sliding his hands into his pockets. He rocked back and forth on his feet, from the heel to the ball, over and over. "My parents dated for... four years, I think, before my father proposed. But my cousin and her spouse courted for only a year or so."

"I see," I said quietly.

"Captain," Eld said, and then corrected himself: "Amaya, you... how long have you been with Captain Levi?"

"A long time," I answered absently. "I told him I loved him for the first time while still underground. He loved me then, but we decided to wait to do anything until we reached the surface. When I first said it, I think I was... twenty-five years old, somewhere around there. But by the time we got up here and actually started... expressing it, it was what year, 844? And now..."

"850," Eld answered when I trailed off. "So you're now what, thirty-three?"

I nodded slowly. I'd known him a long, long time, and loved him for nearly as long. I was content just loving him, I was. But what was this strange feeling forming in the pit of my stomach now? Did I want to get married? The wedding part didn't matter to me, but being formally tied to Levi, to perhaps taking his name... only, did he have a last name? Huh. Maybe he'd want my name?

Anyway.

It wasn't the grandiose declaration of love, it was the simple matter of being his, of him being mine.

Maybe he didn't want to spend what little money we actually made on a ring? Maybe he didn't consider marriage as an option at all? Maybe he... didn't want to marry me, or...

"Hey," Eld said gently. "I didn't mean to bring it up to upset you. I wouldn't overthink it, alright? Married or not, your devotion to each other is clear."

Was I upset...? I suppose I was. But why?

"Come on," Eld said. "Let's finish up and head back before Olou gets sent out to fetch us."

I smiled now, letting the thoughts get tucked away to the back of my mind for now. "We wouldn't want that, now would we? He'd spoil all our fun. Now come on, I'll show you how a criminal heckles for better prices."

—

"Here," I said, setting a pot of tea and two cups down at the table.

It was a simple thing, but I didn't realize how easily spooked our Titan-boy was. He'd sat down in the seat I'd occupied only minutes ago. As per his usual responsibilities, Eld was working on documentation, and I had decided to join him, because I'd been restless and truthfully, I wasn't quite ready to be alone with Levi yet.

It wasn't that I came to a revelation, I was just having trouble sorting through my thoughts. I loved him, and he loved me, and there was never a doubt of that in my mind. But it was just so strange, and I... I didn't know if I wanted to get married, but to at least be his and his alone...

We weren't ones to display it in public - Levi didn't like the idea. I didn't want to make him uncomfortable, and honestly, when we were supposed to be at work, we had to work, but to at least have a ring so that everyone would know without a doubt who we were to each other...

I don't know. It was all a mess.

So, after dinner and after everything had been cleaned away, Levi had retired to the office we claimed for the time being, but I stayed here to work on some reports and keep Eld company. And it seemed, while everyone else got ready for bed, that Eren wasn't tired yet, either.

Eld and I had been sitting across from each other, but I'd gotten up to make tea, and in only the few minutes I'd been away, Eren had taken my spot. In simply setting the tea down on the table, the poor thing nearly leapt up.

"Captain," Eren hurried to say. "Good evening. I know I should be in the basement, but I was restless and decided to take a walk. I can-"

"Relax," I cut in, smiling warmly. I settled down into the seat beside him, and slid my paperwork over so that it was before me once more. "No need to panic, Eren."

"You're not going to make me go downstairs?"

"No," I answered. "Not at all. I'd rather know what you two were talking about."

"We can't tell you," Eld said cheekily.

I shook my head with disbelief, though I knew his words were in jest. "Talking about me, hm?"

"Kinda," Eld answered. "He was asking about what I was doing, and I told him I'm your aide."

"It just seems like the kind of work a recruit like me should be doing," Eren said. "The financial reports, anyway."

"I see," I said.

Eld, skillful and dutiful as always, looked down and continued to write even as he spoke. "That is how they do it in the Military Police," he explained, "but the movement of materials in and out is supposed to be an important and highly confidential matter."

"All commanding officers can appoint an aide," I explained as Eld's brows bunched together, running the pencil along a line of receipts. I could see the gears moving in his head as he figured something or other out, so I spoke to give him the chance to think. "Eld just so happens to be mine. He's so good at it, he gets to do all the budget work."

"And what an honor it is," Eld said dryly, though not even a moment later, he glanced up and smiled at me. Then he looked at Eren, his sly smile growing earnest. "Take Hange's squad. Their aide is handling it over there. The squad's got a lot of secrets because of the Titan research they're carrying out."

"Especially now," I cut in. "Now that they've captured two, I mean."

Eren's large green eyes met mine, then looked back to what Eld was doing. "Um, is there anything I can help with?"

"You must be tired, right? Just get some rest, if the captains haven't given you any orders."

Eren looked back at me, and I shrugged. "I don't have anything for you to do. If you want to stay up and keep us company, go right ahead. Do you like tea?"

"-How about he makes you some tea?"

Eren looked confused, and I wasn't left wondering why when I heard the voice that spoke at the same time I did. Just as I asked if he liked tea, Levi had spoken up, and we all turned to see him at the door to the mess hall now, leaning against the doorway with his arms crossed. He looked at Eren, then to Eld, and finally... they settled on me.

I met his gaze evenly, giving him no reason to think my mind was still muddied with strange thoughts, though I'm sure he was curious as to why I hadn't gone up to the office with him.

"I already did," I said.

"Captain Levi," Eld said. "You're here late."

"Heard some incessant brats' voices all the way from upstairs," he stated simply, then looked at Eren. "Get me a cup, will you?"

Eren got up right away. "Yes, sir!"

I smiled and watched him go as Levi crossed the space, taking... Eren's spot. As he settled into the seat next to me, I set my elbow on the table and set my chin in my hand. I took my pen in my free hand and looked down at the ledger before me. All progress had been halted since I'd gotten up to make the damn pot, and it seemed like I'd leave it here for the night.

"Seeing him acting awkward about life as a soldier makes me realize that he really is just a regular kid," Eld said, watching him go. "I wouldn't have minded fetching you a tea cup... Or did you do that for Eren's sake?"

"Who knows," Levi deflected absently.

I met Eld's eye, nodding imperceptibly at him. The gleam in his eye told me understood what I'd said only with my face: that he was correct, Levi just wouldn't admit it.

"Treating him as special when it comes to anything aside from his power of the Titans may actually be a burden on him," Eld mused. "So should we be treating him like any other recruit?"

"Sure," Levi said, taking the document from Eld when he held it his way. "Teach him whatever. You handle it."

"We're busy enough," I agreed through a sigh, watching as Eren returned with two teacups - one for Levi, one for himself. I reached for the teapot but he beat me to it, pouring tea for the four of us. "Thank you, Eren."

It wasn't long before the four of us sat and worked quietly together. I worked Eren through basic report writing, showing what I had done so that I could - for now - give him something to do and give me something to ensure I could avoid speaking with Levi for the moment.

But sooner than I knew it, the moon was high in the sky and Eren went downstairs, Eld went across the hall to the barracks and... Levi and I were left alone.

I gathered my papers before me, then stood from the table. "I'll clean up," I said quietly.

I didn't get a single step away before Levi was standing too, and was grasping my wrist gently. "Amaya," he said quietly. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," I assured him. "I'm just tired."

He shook his head, not believing me. "You usually drag me back to the office after dinner chores. Today, you stayed here. Did I do something?"

"No," I answered honestly.

"Did something happen at the market?"

"No," I answered, and right away he could tell it was a lie. "It's nothing you need to worry about."

He shook his head once more. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"You didn't do anything," I said, "so it's not your fault, and there's nothing you need to do."

Levi opened his mouth to speak more, then closed his mouth. He considered my words for a quiet moment more before letting go of my wrist. "I'm sorry for not checking on you earlier."

I smiled at him, the gesture reaching my lips easily. "You have nothing to apologize for," I assured him.

"Let me take care of the cleaning," he proposed. "You can head to bed, or take a bath, if you want."

"You're sweet," I said. "I think I'll just turn in, though."

"You're sure?"

"I am," I answered. "Don't worry about me, I'm alright. Thank you for this. Goodnight, Levi. Sleep well."

Once more, I took only a single step away before he grabbed my hand. One of his eyebrows rose, and it was clear that he felt something was missing. Well, it was. I didn't intend to, but I hadn't called him love, as I always did when saying goodnight to him.

"Can I..." He cleared his throat after - as always - looking around to ensure no one else was around to see - and a frown tugged at my lips at the simple action. "Can I kiss you?"

I nodded, for I knew that in this moment words would fail me. He leaned in, and I met him halfway for a sweet, simple kiss.

"Goodnight, Amaya," he whispered once we drew away, letting his lips graze against the skin of my cheek before pressing another kiss there. "I love you."

I drew away silently, meeting his eyes once more before stepping around him to head towards the hallway, lamenting that we would always remain as we were now, lovers only in private.