On orders from Erwin, for fear of attacks both from within the walls and without, the new and official Special Operations Squad has been roughing it out in a small cabin - roughing it out in the sense that so many people were crammed into a small house, completely isolated from the rest of the regiment. It wasn't like we were eating dirt, so we weren't roughing it out that bad, but...

At the very least, it's been interesting living in such close quarters with all of them, I had to admit - and that's putting it lightly. There wasn't much privacy, with only so many bedrooms and so many beds and so many nosy young scouts. The kids seemed confused as to why exactly we were here, but as was usual, Levi and myself were sworn to some level of secrecy. If things escalated, we would have to tell them what was going on and what might happen, but for now, all that mattered to them was following their orders, as any good soldier should operate.

As far as they knew, all they had to do was lay low, and protect Eren and Historia, but who or what, of course, was still unknown to them, and hopefully it would remain as such. They were on a need-to-know basis, and only we needed to know. But of course, in the event we had to tell them, how exactly were we to tell them that the royal fucking government was sure to come after us?

Erwin had heard mumblings recently, from his own close comrades and from even Pixis, that there were murmurings of danger heading our way.

So for now, this living situation, strange though it was, was manageable for the time being. The kids would rotate their duties, including chopping wood, preparing food for dinner, tidying up the house, being on watch, heading to town for supplies, and everything between.

With the rising suspicions that our enemies were hiding in the shadows of humanity just waiting for a chance to strike we needed to remain vigilant, even if that meant Eren and Historia had to be bored and remain at the homestead for a while. Levi and I would spend our days in the towns, visiting with Erwin, Hange, and the other squad leaders for meetings and briefings and the like, and - oh, there was more news.

Because of what happened in Stohess, and then continuing to keep Eren for ourselves instead of handing him over as the high brass demanded, Erwin was on trial. So, you know. Things were very quickly going sideways for us.

As for today, we had just returned for the day to the house after a long day discussing plans and counter-plans for what might happen within the next few days. I pulled back on Strider's reins and he complied with a whinny, happy to be done for now. Levi pulled up right behind me on his dark mare and dismounted his horse first.

He grabbed its reins in one fluid motion as he did, and he approached the side of my horse to help me down before giving me a chance to do it myself. After looping his reins around his arm, he reached up towards me. Considering I was riding sidesaddle, he was able to grab my hips and help me down from the animal.

It was a new way of riding for me - and I was only doing it because I was wearing a skirt that went down about to my mid-calf. I was only doing that because we had to lay low while we were here. Being in full Survey Corps uniform would admittedly ruin the whole being discreet thing, and so for now, Levi and I had taken to wearing our casual wear, what little of it we had.

No, we had to blend in and not bring too much attention to ourselves, so he had been wearing his black slacks, white button-up, cravat, and black jacket with dress shoes to fit in. I had taken to wearing a dark skirt, a white button up, and a sweater, and opted to wear not the uniform boots or even flats, but casual laced boots so I could ensure I always had my knife with me.

"Thank you, my love," I said with a smile as he helped me down.

When I was safely to the ground, he led both horses to the small hitching post outside the house and I waited patiently for him to secure them there. When he returned to my side on the pathway out front, he held his arm out very unlike Levi and very like a proper gentleman, and I looped my arm with his. We headed up the small path to the front door together and he opened it, letting me in before he followed and shut it behind us.

What we saw didn't surprise me whatsoever.

The kids were all arguing about something. That was made obvious as soon as we opened the door and heard all the noise. They'd have to watch their volume; any louder, or if the windows were open, anyone riding by would know this place was occupied by a group of rowdy folks, and any attention right now was bad attention.

"What's this commotion about?" Levi asked as we headed into the main room, but his words fell on deaf ears, so it seemed. No one seemed to notice us at first, and so Levi and I glanced at each other before taking in what was happening before us.

They were surrounding Sasha, who was defending herself, and for me anyway, it was obvious why: the damn girl probably tried stealing food again. Eren noticed us then, and I smiled at his panicked look and I took my arm from Levi's.

He continued on towards the kitchen table, and the man was silent, and that spelled trouble - for them, anyway. The kids only shut up once he was at the table and ran a hand underneath the table. I could see the fine dust covering his fingertips and I stepped to him, removing a handkerchief from my breast pocket.

"I'm quite sure we gave you enough time," Levi deadpanned, looking at the group. Eren pressed a hand to his forehead, and the others looked more confused than nervous or frustrated, and some had it in them to look away sheepishly. I couldn't help but find it amusing, but they'd learn... hopefully.

I handed the handkerchief to Levi, and he wiped his hands off, then reminded him gently of what we were meant to relay. Taking my hint, he said: "We'll discuss your lax cleaning job another time." He then looked at our Titan boy. "Eren. Hange is itching to get the experiments started."

"R-Right," Eren replied hesitantly.

"Hange and the others will be on their way shortly," I said to them all. "Freshen up and get ready to head out."

His hands now clean, Levi folded the handkerchief and set it in his pocket, and I knew without him needing to say it that he'd wash it and return it to me - though that much, he didn't have to do. But for now, as the kids dispersed through the house to get ready, I settled down at the table with a content sort of sigh. Thoroughly relaxed for now, but knowing more work was to come today, I closed my eyes.

As weird as the situation was, it was rather... domestic. It felt like we all were a family, though a really strange, large, mismatched one. It reminded me of growing up with El, especially when Caden came to live with us and we both had someone else to take care of. The nights here reminded me of those nights, as well. Caden would entertain us while he was awake, but once he fell asleep, El and I would discuss finances and the important things - adult things, I should say.

And in turn, it reminded me of our time underground with Farlan and later, Isabel. On so many nights, Levi and I would be the last two up, talking about all manner of business or nothing in particular - those were the nights when I led the conversation.

The same thing that happened then, happened now. The young ones would talk for hours, entertaining us with stories and jokes, but once they went to bed, Levi and I would be left to talk about what was going on with the rest of the scouts and discuss who our enemies were.

We used to so frequently sit and talk by candlelight. It was something lost to time, something we just didn't find the leisure to do while with the scouts too often, what with our training and work and reports to do. It was something so simple, but I had missed it. Hell, after being brought up here, our new normal had become talking on the roof, or otherwise in bed.

But... this was nice. More and more I'd been thinking about the possibility of the war ending soon. I wasn't convinced it would, no; it wouldn't be that simple, things in life very scarcely were. Realistically, I knew it'd likely be another long while before it ended, before we could comfortably return to our duties as just titan fighters, and later, retire.

But in this environment, I found myself dreaming at night about us maybe getting married, having a nice ceremony, eventually having kids - having a home, like this. We couldn't fight forever, and though I was willing to put my life on the line, I didn't want to be another name in the long list of brave scouts who died for this cause.

I wanted to live a long life, the kind El wanted for me, the kind I wanted for myself and Levi, and all our comrades. We'd certainly earned it. I wasn't one to think about this sort of thing often - I knew how Levi was about marriage - but this environment didn't help. Domestic bliss and all that came with it, or some nonsense. Being here put us in a sense of ease, even if it wasn't to last. We could, for a time, pretend that we weren't criminals-turned-soldiers, that we weren't trained killers, that we were a normal couple.

We couldn't be sure of how long these arrangements might be our new normal, but as long as it did last, though, I'd take advantage of every moment.

Hell, even just walking through town today was fun, relaxing, and calm. It was just the two of us, essentially window shopping in the beautiful weather we had the pleasure of having today. I smiled at the memory.

—

I pulled back on Strider's reins, bringing the steed to a walk as we approached the communal hitching posts. Levi, as he usually did, had to show off. He stood in his stirrups and swung his leg over as his horse slowed, and he landed beside his mare and walked alongside her and she barely even batted an eye. I couldn't blame her; with him as a rider, his antics were just part of the package deal.

He took his horse's reins and reached up to grab mine just under the bit, leading my horse the rest of the way. I looked down at him with a smile as he did, feeling a bit like royalty. Dressed as I was, riding sidesaddle, with a handsome man leading me along... Though I had a feeling I was far too crass to ever be considered a lady of the court, I at least felt like it now.

Levi noticed my gaze and glanced up at me sidelong as he led both horses with him. His eyes in the sun were a beautiful pale blue, contrastingly bright compared to his black bangs that shifted in front of them. Seeing something that warranted it that I couldn't tell, he smirked up at me before returning his attention to where he was going.

This new normal for us was something we'd gotten used to fairly quickly, and I had to say, it was odd. For this time together, it felt almost like we weren't hiding away or fighting a war against Titans or otherwise. We didn't have a lot of time to ourselves, lately, which was normal but it was the way we were kept busy that we weren't used to.

Strangely enough, I almost felt like we were spoiled, months ago, even years ago, where expeditions were all we had to worry about. It felt selfish now to wish for that time back, but deep down, I wanted it all back. When not on an expedition, or training, or doing paperwork, we could relax in each other's arms, drink tea without a worry, and just enjoy being in each other's company.

We couldn't do that much anymore. No, we'd fought for days on end, and it seemed that like when things kicked off, they did so for days at a time and we'd only get a little bit of time to recover before it started again. I knew it was for the good of humanity, but...

Was it really too much to ask for some downtime with him, he who I loved? Was it too much to ask that these kids be granted a break, if no one else?

Levi hitched my horse when we reached the nearest empty hitching post, then did the same for his own. By now, I knew better than to get off of Strider, and waited patiently atop him until he returned to my steed side to reach up and help me down from the animal with a gentle but firm grip on my hips. Now standing at his side, I wrapped an arm around his waist, and he draped an arm over my shoulder. When we started to walk, his other hand slid into his pocket in a casual sort of manner.

It was a beautiful day out; the sun was shining, and clouds occasionally came to pass in front of it, disrupting the perfectly blue canvas that today featured a subtle gradient between several shades of blue. A wonderfully cool breeze rolled through the streets, bringing the scents of the market to us. Fresh sweets, produce, candles, and more, much more, delighted my nose.

We were to meet with Erwin later but for now, we could relax and browse the wares. We couldn't buy anything, due in part because we were trying to lay low, but mostly because for now our living arrangement was a temporary one and we couldn't have clutter around the place.

For now, we could just take advantage of this time to ourselves, because who knew when next we'd get a chance?

The market today was lively, bustling with people walking and talking, the sounds of everyone blurring into a dull murmur of chaos. I could hear someone advertising their famous roasts, another man peddling his art, and a woman urging customers to try her fish, for hers were the best in these three walls. We walked through the crowds slowly, taking everything in. as we went

Levi suddenly stopped walking, his arm around my shoulder keeping me from continuing as well. I looked at him curiously, only to see he was looking down. I followed his gaze and my eyes settled on a little girl in a plain dress with cute blonde pigtails bound with bows and these brilliant, bright blue eyes that seemed to sparkle in the sunlight.

To her credit, she met his look evenly, and after a moment, she tilted her head to the side slightly. "Why are you angry?"

One of his eyebrows rose, indicating his confusion. "I'm not," he answered, and for the most part, he sounded pretty honest. Actually, I'm surprised he even humored her. He didn't seem to particularly like kids – or, well, maybe that was just my assumption.

They were dirty and loud, but even underground, I'd never seen him even so much as talk to a child, even in the few instances when they would run by us, maybe bump into us, or sometimes, start talking to us while we roamed the streets looking for trouble.

"Well, you look angry," she replied, and I couldn't help but smile. Goodness, his own subordinates and more than a few of his comrades were scared to even look at him wrong, and here was a little girl, talking back to him like it was nothing.

"Do I?" His words humored her, yet his face remained stoic, and I glanced down at the girl to gauge her reaction.

"You have angry eyebrows," she explained evenly, and with a matter-of-factly sort of tone like this was the most obvious thing in the world to explain. "Just like my dad."

"Lilly," we heard suddenly, and a tall man jogged up to her in what seemed to be a panic, dodging people in the crowd as he approached as quickly as he could. "I thought I told you to stay by my side!"

"I got bored," she said, positively beaming at the sight of him and reaching towards him. As soon as he was close enough, the man picked her up, frowning worriedly at her as he set her on his hip.

"You scared me," he insisted, and I knew by his tone alone that this wasn't the first time something like this happened. "I was only talking to Uncle Teddy for a minute. You couldn't sit still for a minute?" He sighed and seemed to deflate a bit, but then noticed us. His dark brown eyes widened, and his gaze turned apologetic as he pieced together what happened. "I'm so sorry," he said. "Was she bothering you folks?"

"Not at all," I answered, shaking my head. "What a beautiful young lady you have - and very polite." I smiled at the girl who grinned mischievously at me, and I had a feeling she knew I was covering for her, at least a little bit. I was happy to do it; she was incredibly cute.

"Ah," the man said, smiling now, "thank you. Fortunately, she takes after her mother in every way."

My heart warmed at that, and I nearly outright cooed - for him to say something like that, oh goodness, the hopeless romantic within me was melting. Before I could do anything to react to the way Levi glanced sidelong towards me, likely wondering what the hell had struck me so speechless, the little girl pulled our attention towards her once more.

She suddenly pointed at Levi, saying, "Daddy, he has angry eyebrows just like you!"

"Lilly," her father admonished. "You can't say things like that! What do you say?"

Lilly kept the smile on her face but apologized to Levi in a way that sounded rehearsed, and perhaps it was. Goodness, this little one was a troublemaker.

A woman approached us then, a bag of groceries in her hand and a composed sort of air about her. "Hello, dear," she said, pressing a kiss to the man's cheek, "and hello, lovebug," she followed, with a kiss to Lilly's forehead. The little girl giggled, a happy, twinkling sort of sound, and the woman, with beautiful golden hair and blue eyes, turned to us. "Hello there. Are these new friends of yours, honey?"

"Not quite," he answered with a laugh, "just some poor folks Lilly decided to bother."

"I wasn't bothering them," Lilly protested. The woman narrowed her eyes at the man, hearing something she clearly did not like.

"Honey," she said slowly, and the man blanched, already knowing that somehow, he was the one in trouble. "How exactly was she able to bother them?"

"Ah," the man muttered, adjusting his hold on their daughter to free up one hand so he could scratch his cheek nervously, "right. About that..."

"I'm sorry for whatever she said to you," the woman said, dropping the subject and looking at me. I opened my mouth to speak but her eyes narrowed slightly, and she pursed her lips, as if thinking deeply, and I faltered. "I know you from somewhere, I think."

My eyebrows furrowed. I certainly didn't know who this woman was. I didn't recognize her, and I couldn't say that anything in her features even brought anything to mind. There was just nothing to recall, there was nothing there.

"Oh!" It came to her suddenly and she snapped her fingers of one hand as a smile spread across her lips. "I used to live in Shiganshina, by the outer gate, before I moved in with my husband. It was... oh, a year or so before the wall fell that I left. I knew I recognized your faces. I'd always go outside to watch the scouts pass through."

"Oh?" Levi mused. "You don't happen to be one of the people who'd throw things at us, were you?"

"Oh, no," she said, shaking her head. I slapped his arm gently, sending him a stern look, silently telling him to play nice. "Not at all. I'm not nearly brave enough to go out there, so I couldn't possibly disrespect those who are."

"Thank you," I said, smiling a little in a rueful sort of manner. "But there is a fine line between bravery and stupidity, you know."

"Regardless," she said, "I appreciate what you folks are doing. And let's see... I think I know your names... I must. They're there, on the tip of my tongue." She put a finger to her chin, thinking for a moment before- "Ah! You must be Captain Amaya, right?"

My eyes widened, but I relaxed right away and smiled. "Yes, I am."

"And you," she said, turning to Levi. "Hm. Oh, why is your name not coming to me? You're Humanity's... White Wing, aren't you? Our strongest man?"

"So they say," he replied dryly.

"Oh! Captain Levi! That's it!" She exclaimed, finding it in herself to look a little sheepish. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to forget your name. I just... Well, I admire you both so much, but Miss Amaya..." She looked at me, something in her gaze that warmed my heart. "To hold your own against the men... Well, it's inspiring to say the least."

"Ah, thank you," I said sheepishly, unable to keep from blushing lightly. For someone to believe in me so...

"Thank you for all you do," she said earnestly. "Both of you."

I bowed my head slightly to her. "One day, we promise that your little one will be able to run freely outside the walls, without the threat of Titans. I fight for that future with all that I have." I glanced at Levi, then took his hand. "We both do."

"Really," Lilly gasped. "Wow!"

"Of course," I said, looking at her, still seated comfortably in her father's arms against his hip. "The lands beyond the walls deserve to be seen by more than just soldiers. That's why I fight."

Lilly reached her hand out, her pinky outstretched. "Pinky promise!"

"What?"

"Lilly," her father said warningly.

"Please," she pressed. "Pinky promise!"

"Alright," I said, linking my pinky with hers. "I promise."

The girl giggled and I laughed quietly as we broke from the promise. The woman spoke next. "Are you two on break today? No official soldier business to attend to?"

"No," Levi answered. "We're supposed to be lying low for the time being - but clearly that didn't work."

"I see," the woman said. She looked between us, smirking suddenly. "You know, I always wanted to hear that you two ended up together. I mean, we all knew the story of you two becoming captains for the same squad, but it always seemed too good to be true." Heat rushed to my face and I glanced away when she sighed wistfully. "Oh, to fight for each other against our greatest threat together... How romantic!"

"Don't go getting any ideas," her husband muttered. "Listen, don't let us keep you any longer than we already have. Stay safe out there, for the sake of all of us."

"We will," I responded. "It was lovely meeting you, all of you. We'll continue fighting as hard as we can."

"Thank you," the woman said. "And please do, just keep yourselves safe." They walked off together, and I smiled as I watched them disappear into the crowd.

"What a cute family," I remarked.

When it was impossible to pinpoint the family amidst the sea of others all walking through the markets, Levi pulled me close, setting his arm around my shoulder and pressing a kiss to my temple. I closed my eyes briefly as he did, relishing the feeling. He let go of me when he pulled away, running his hand down my arm to link our fingers.

"Come on, brat," he said, starting to walk again.

—

I was pulled from my thoughts, albeit gently, by a sudden hand on my shoulder. I knew it was Levi without having to open my eyes, but I did so anyway and looked over at him. While I'd been busy thinking, Levi had sat down in the chair next to me and angled his body to face me. He draped his arm over the back of my chair, leveling an even look with me.

"You look like you're thinking too hard," he said to me. "What's on your mind?"

I laughed to myself, shrugging a little. "You'd call me an idiot," I said.

"Probably," he reasoned, yet his eyes remained earnest and his gaze remained genuine.

I considered my words for a moment more before answering. "I'm thinking about our future," I finally told him.

His gaze softened, almost imperceptibly - that is, if you didn't know what you were looking for. But I did, and so I smiled. "I'll still call you an idiot, but it's not because of that," he said. A relieved breath left me, and I shook my head fondly as I met his gaze. He really could be sweet, when he wanted to be.

"Being here has been nice," I said softly. "I know I shouldn't let my guard down - and I won't, don't worry. But it's been nice. Just... how calm it's been, I mean, being here in a house and not an office. I know it's the calm before the storm, but it's nice to just... exist, like this, with you."

Levi seemed to consider my words, his eyes drifting around the room in a casual sort of way. I took the moment to just look at him, to take in his features in this light, in this environment. In these casual clothes, he seemed like a refined sort of gentleman, and he was handsome, incredibly so.

The sun streaming in through the window passed over his skin in a way that made him seem to glow, and in a word, he seemed ethereal. And goodness, if ever I felt like I didn't deserve him, it was right now. That jaw, that hair, those eyes...

"Our home will be nicer than this," he said at last.

I felt my heart swell and skip a beat. "A bigger yard would be nice, too," I added, and he hummed in agreement and leaned towards me. I met him halfway, knowing exactly what he was going for, and we shared a sweet, gentle sort of kiss, the kind full of love and nothing more and nothing less, conveying what so many words could not say.

Perhaps if I was a more educated woman, I would be able to articulate more clearly exactly how much he meant to me. A hero, an inspiration, a source of everlasting love and joy... But alas, I did not know what other words to say other than just the words themselves - but Levi beat me to it.

"I love you," he said.

I hummed affectionately, taking his face into my hands and pulling him in for another peck. "I love you more than words could ever say," I whispered against his lips, and he chuckled.

"You damn brat," he muttered, though even with the forced tone of annoyance, he was happy, I knew he was. It was displayed so clearly in his eyes, and the slightest hint of a smile curled on his lip, and in turn, my own smile grew. He brought one hand up to hold my own in place on his cheek, and he kissed me once more. Only then did he draw away.

He'd been more affectionate these past few days. I enjoyed it, of course I did, but at the same time I wondered where it was coming from. He had always shown his love for me, opting to prove his love more so than just state it, and I never got tired of his odd little ways of doing so.

He'd give me the rest of his meal some nights, sometimes he would tell me that there was no one else who could make tea like I did, and if ever we sat next to each other at meals or otherwise, he'd often mindlessly drum his fingertips on my thigh. At night, he would either sit in bed or lie by me, perhaps not always getting to sleep but always being there, and there were a million different things he would do throughout the day to prove his love.

But recently, he'd initiated more kisses, and more often than was usual, he would pull me in for a hug. Hell, even when walking through town, he'd throw a lazy arm over my shoulder, around my waist, or take my hand when going through crowded areas and warn me not to drift too far. It was all so simple, and yet so uniquely Levi.

I enjoyed the slight shift. Perhaps he had felt the relaxed nature of being here too, and the subtle family dynamics we had fallen into, and so he felt more at ease himself, prompting him to do more of this kind of thing? Whatever the case, I loved what he was doing and hoped he wouldn't ever stop.

"We should get ready, right?" I asked. "We can't show up for an experiment in these clothes, can we?"

"No," he answered. "Probably not."

So, we got up, intending to head to one of the rooms where our uniforms were stored away so we could start getting ready - but I couldn't possibly let him go without pressing another kiss to his cheek.

And so that's exactly what I did.

—

With a mighty roar, Eren... fell over.

It was all rather anticlimactic, and I let out a huff. His Titan this time was skinny, and it looked almost malnourished, looking not at all as he usually did, and more like one of the kids of the underground city, if I had to make a comparison.

"What's wrong, Eren?! Get up!" Hange yelled down to him. "The future of humanity is riding on you!"

As of right now, we were up on a short clifftop to watch over Eren's experiments. Until now, they'd been going very well. The 104th cadets were down below with Eren, mounted on their horses and ready to act if necessary to intercept if Eren lost control. But up here with me and Hange were Armin, Levi, and Historia.

"Get up, dammit," Hange continued.

"Hey, four-eyes," Levi said. "He's not quite the same this time. He's not even ten meters, and some of his body doesn't even have muscle. Plus, Eren's ass is hanging out."

"I can see that," Hange said exasperatedly. "Eren! Can you still move? Give us a signal or something!"

"Hey," Levi said as Mikasa dismounted, and we all watched as she rushed to Eren. "That gloomy brat is acting on her own again. Time to think up a punishment?"

"No," Hange said, a clear anxiety rising in their chest. "There's no signal. We're done here!"

I followed Hange and Moblit down to help get Eren out and cleaned up, not knowing just how bad it was just by seeing it from up there. And... Oh, no. Yeah, it was bad. When I landed next to Hange on his back and slid my knife from my boot, I got to my knees and reached underneath the boy, cutting away at the flesh holding him, but it was... not right. It wasn't the same as it normally was. He was unresponsive and his Titan body was clinging to him far more than it usually did.

Hange grabbed him underneath the arms and pulled. "Hot! Hot damn, you are hot!"

"Hange, wait," Mikasa said hurriedly. "Eren is bleeding!"

I leaned in closer and looked, and... I nearly shrieked. Parts of his skull were exposed. Exposed! That wasn't supposed to be exposed!

"Eren!"

"Whoa," Hange exclaimed. "Check it out, Moblit! Eren's face! Hurry up and sketch it!"

"Now is not the time," I said, nearly panicked. He'd healed from so many injuries before, but this? His damn skull being exposed?!

"Section Commander," Moblit protested. "Are you lacking in human compassion?"

Mikasa cut him free, and Hange fell back with Eren in her arms. I stuck my knife back into my boot and got closer to Eren, pressing a hand to his neck to check for a pulse. It was still beating steadily, and I sighed with relief, drawing away.

"Sorry," Hange said, "I got carried away..." I helped Hange hold Eren as she stood up. "Experiment's over! All troops, disperse at once!"

I helped carry Eren to one of the wagons. "Amaya," Hange said as we hobbled over, "are you joining us in visiting Erwin?"

"I am," I said. "Levi will be there as well."

"Good," Hange said. "We've got a lot to discuss."

Well, that was the understatement of the century.

—

"I see," Erwin murmured. "Another failure, then."

Levi and I were seated in Erwin's temporary quarters, where he was to be kept before his trial, around a small circular table, drinks before us but neither of us had even touched our cups. What we discussed was just troubling, that was the long and short of it. Erwin was standing by his window, reading a report.

"If the plan would have worked out," Erwin continued, "we could have plugged the hole in Shiganshina District in less than a day."

"It's because we lack information," Levi said. "Might be a different story if there was a book about the hardening ability. But we have Christa. No, Historia Reiss... Maybe we learn about the wall through her?"

"I read the entire report about her upbringing," Erwin went on to say. "She's the illegitimate daughter of Lord Reiss, and it's by no means a happy story. But the real mystery here is why a mere regional lord would know the secrets of the wall."

"I'm sure Historia doesn't know much," I considered. "Even if her father, the Lord, knows anything, if she's illegitimate, then it's even less likely she's been told a thing. If we're going to learn anything, it probably won't be from her. It's unfortunately how this kind of thing usually goes." I sighed. "As for what they might have... Another Titan, perhaps? No, that makes no sense."

"We can't rule out any possibility," Erwin said. I shook my head and set my chin on my hand. We needed concrete things, not just my speculation. I wasn't nearly as good at this as Erwin was. "The family is significant. We just don't know why yet. Any guess is better than no guess, Amaya."

"I guess so," I said, if only to appease him. It was quiet for another moment. "How are you doing, Erwin? Everything else aside, how are you holding up?"

He looked at me, an odd look on his face, as though surprised I was asking about him, but it soon melted away and he smiled. "I find myself still trying to reach for things with this arm," he said, looking down at his loose sleeve. "But otherwise, I couldn't be better."

"Erwin," I said with a sigh. He was being tried for treason soon, how could he just pretend everything was just ok? Maybe it was just my personal experiences with the law, but I'd be freaking the hell out if I was in his position. "When is your trial?"

"Soon," he told me. "But don't worry about that. I have a plan."

"That worries me," I said, meeting his eyes, but he looked confident. Well, I guess that's all I needed. "Just be careful," I said. "I didn't save your ass just for you to get hanged instead."

Erwin laughed openly, a sound we didn't hear often from him. "It seems as though you're always left to clean up our messes, Amaya. I've only got one arm, Levi's got a bum leg, and yet you're unscathed."

"I do not have a bum leg," Levi protested right away, pausing in his movements to lift his teacup towards his lips.

"You don't think that you do," I said, "but you do. You really shouldn't be pushing it as much as you have. You're not immortal, Levi. Neither of you are. How many more times will I need to tell you both to be careful?"

"At least once more, I think," Erwin said with a laugh. "We're both stubborn, you know that."

"Unfortunately," I said through a sigh, "I do."

It was dark outside and the moon was high in the sky by the time we said our goodbyes to Erwin and left him to his devices. Erwin walked us to the door, and I had given him a hug, offering him well-wishes until the next time we were to stop by. He and Levi had shaken hands, and we made our way outside to where our horses were hitched. With my steed and Levi's mare both tacked, we mounted up and made the ride back out to the countryside outside of the district.

The moon's light illuminated the entire sky and when we returned to the house. Getting there, we didn't need to light a lantern to see our path laid out before us through the countryside. The entire landscape seemed to be bathed in this pretty shade of blue, the dark shadows cast across the land the only departure from it.

There wasn't anyone else around, and if I didn't know any better, I might think that we were the only two around at all. Truth was, this area was rather populated; it wasn't dense, not by a long shot, but there were other people around. They just weren't out, and it cleared the way for a peaceful ride along a winding dirt path through the foothills as we made our way back to our home - or, our temporary one, I should say.

Just the two of us, riding our horses in a tranquil sort of quiet, the sacred kind shared between lovers, where words didn't need to be said, we needed only to exist. It was calm, it was serene, and it was lovely.

Though I was absolutely someone to note when something was romantic, I didn't do it now. For one thing, it would fluster Levi, and right now, he seemed so incredibly at peace with his surroundings, I didn't want to ruin it by embarrassing him and make that all that he could focus on. No, I was perfectly content as we were, right now.

What I would do was glance over at him. Riding side-by-side as we were, with enough room between the horses for them to trot along comfortably, it was tough not to. And when he looked like that? Goodness, what was a girl to do but look at her man?

My man.

Goodness, was it wonderful to be able to say that. Over all the weeks of fighting together, and even apart, it was a damn good thing that despite all that had been lost, we hadn't lost each other.

I got caught looking at him once, and I could only smile at him, for he had the cutest dumbfounded look on his face. After getting over his embarrassment, he allowed himself to smile, and what a sight it was. But then he realized he was doing it, and so he cleared his throat and all his usual shyness came out.

Of course, all good things must come to an end, and when we finally reached the house again, I thought that it might have signaled the end of such a wonderful night, what with the rowdy kids and the promise of things going wrong when we least expected it (such was the luck of the scouts). But it wasn't.

When we dismounted and hitched the horses, we went to head inside but realized all the kids were gathered out on the front lawn talking quietly, looking up at the sky, and so we stopped walking. "What are you kiddos doing up?" I asked gently. It wasn't that they weren't in trouble; it was just odd they'd be outside this late.

"Nothing," Connie said in a bored manner, not taking his eyes from the sky. They were all lazing about, and after a quick head-count, I noticed Mikasa and Eren weren't with them.

"Where are Eren and Mikasa?"

"Still inside," Sasha answered.

"That bastard Eren hasn't woken up yet," Jean told me. "Mikasa's watching over him."

"Thank you," I said to them, grateful for the answer, at least. Levi tugged on my arm to let me know to hurry up. "Don't stay up too late," I said. "And don't go falling asleep out here, either." I got a few lazy responses as I let Levi pull me with him into the house, but before we reached the door, I called once more to them. "Oh, and don't be too loud!"

There were a few murmurs of agreement as we reached the door, and I was not at all surprised to find that all was dark in the house. Thankfully, we knew the layout of the house by now and assuming the kids didn't move anything around (which was pretty damn unlikely, now that I was considering it), it would be an easy thing to brighten it up in here. Levi walked to the table to light the lantern with the nearby box of matches. I headed to the kitchen cabinets and crouched down to grab the teapot, intending on making us something to drink.

"We're almost out of tea," I said to no one in particular. It wasn't meant to reach anyone's ears but my own, and they were simply meant to be a reminder to myself to get it next time we traveled into the city.

Levi sat down at the table and as I began washing some of the dishes the kids had neglected to clean earlier, I could feel the weight of his gaze on me. I turned my head to look back at him when I finished with a plate, my brain working on its own as my focus was drawn to him and not on my task. I mindlessly set the plate on the rack to dry, and it was at that moment he realized I was looking at him.

His eyes met mine and I smiled gently at him before turning back around to continue with my work to hide my smile and at the same time, hide the warmth creeping up my neck. I knew he was still looking at me, and I wanted to know why exactly he was, but it warmed my heart too much, so I let him be.

When I finished up with the few dishes that were left, the water was boiling, and so I finished preparing the tea. I grabbed two teacups and set them on the table. I poured each of us a cup and set the pot down in the center of the table.

I settled into the seat next to Levi, hardly making a single sound in the otherwise silent house. I raised the cup to my lips and took a sip, sighing contentedly as the warmth filled me, from my fingers all the way to my toes. I set the cup down gently and watched out of the corner of my eye as Levi took a long draught.

When he lowered the cup slightly, I asked, "How is your tea tonight, my love?"

"Good," he answered, setting the cup on the table. "Just like always."

I was taken aback slightly by what he said. He really wasn't much for... compliment giving. I'd have expected him to just stop at "good", but he hadn't, and so I smiled and took another sip of my tea to once more, hide my sudden shyness.

We sat like that, like we did on so many nights, just drinking quietly with only the noises of the night to accompany us, for what felt like hours but was really only a few peaceful minutes.

Every once and a while one of the kids would say something too loud and we'd hear it, but I found myself smiling every time it happened. We didn't know what was to come tonight, tomorrow, or in a month from now. There was no way to know. They could stand to stay up and have a little bit of down time, I figured. Still, I didn't want them staying up too late.

"Erwin must be bored out of his mind," I mused absently, looking at Levi.

He didn't seem to notice that I said anything. He was looking down at the table in front of him, drumming his fingers against his leg. Were these... nervous ticks? From Levi? I'd never really seen him anxious before. I'd seen him confused, angry, happy, shy, and so many other things... but this? This was new. What I couldn't figure out was what exactly he had to be anxious about.

"Levi," I pressed gently, leaning forward in my chair to see him better.

He blinked in surprise, coming back to his senses all at once, just from my voice alone. He looked at me and his shoulders slumped, as though relaxing slightly under my gaze. "What's wrong?"

"I was going to ask you that," I said softly, as though coaxing a wild animal to come closer. Goodness, there was an agitated sort of buzz in the air, one that I wouldn't ever associate with Levi. But he seemed to be on edge, and I wanted little more than to just pull him away from it. "You seem nervous."

He clicked his tongue, looking away. "I'm not."

I smiled knowingly and leaned back against the chair again. "I didn't think so," I said. "A brave, strong man like you; what could you possibly have to be nervous about?" He sent me a look that told me silently to knock it off, but I didn't. "And honestly, what should I ever be nervous about? With you to protect me..."

I let the man breathe for now and went to pour myself another cup of tea, only to find that it was empty. Had we really already had the whole pot? It was smaller than the one we had back at the base, and we'd been sitting here for a while, but still... I set the pot back down with a sigh.

"Are you done with your cup?"

Levi nodded in answer and I took it from him. I stood with the intention of bringing them and the pot to the sink, and I did; after I set them down and my eyes drifted up towards the window above the sink, I rose up onto my toes to get closer and I squinted out the window. The kids still out there, sprawled out in the grass, chatting their heads off.

"It's about time they come in, isn't it?" I asked Levi quietly, not really anticipating an answer from him. "They really shouldn't be out this late, especially if Erwin's right about who our enemies are. I'll fetch them."

I started to head towards the door but slowed when Levi stood up abruptly, making the chair squeak against the wooden boards of the floor. "Amaya," he said, making me stop in my step completely.

"Yes, Levi?"

"Just wait a second, brat," he said, his hurried tone not at all like what I had regarded him with, which was all the patience and softness in the world. I looked at him curiously, because I'd stopped walking. It was clear that I was already waiting for him. Goodness, he really was nervous.

He met my eyes briefly but looked down, and my eyes trailed the movement, finding that his fists were clenching and unclenching. I clenched my own hand, only for a moment, because I had the sudden desire to work out the tension in his hands that was so clearly finding its way to his shoulders, his face. Just what had him so worked up?

"Earlier, you..." He cut himself off right away and cleared his throat. "Earlier, you were talking about our future together." I nodded at him, urging him silently to continue. I felt my heart skip a beat when I finally let myself register what he had said, and where this might go. "And... I'm not, you know I'm not good with words. Especially not like... not like this."

"You're doing fine so far," I said quietly, smiling at him. He looked up at me with narrowed eyes, not appreciating the comment outwardly, but likely finding the encouragement helpful all the same, especially if I was to take the way he stepped closer to me as any indication of that.

"Amaya," he said quietly, and I could nearly hear his heart nearly beating out of his chest, "I love you." He took a deep breath in, averting his eyes briefly before they returned to mine. He spoke after summoning his nerve. He got the next words out in a rush, as though he thought that nerve would leave him suddenly. "And I just want to get this out of the way and see a ring on your finger already."

Oh.

My eyes widened and I could feel my heart rate quicken and I couldn't help but fear that it might burst right through my chest. My heart swelled so, and I could feel happy tears well up in my eyes and I lifted one hand to palm the space over my heart as though to keep it in place.

A ring.

He said... he wanted to see a ring on my finger.

He ran a hand down my arm and grasped my left wrist lightly, guiding it so that my palm faced the ceiling. With his other hand he reached into his jacket's inside pocket and drew out a small, velveted box, setting it on my palm. He opened the box for me, revealing two simple yet incredibly elegant wedding bands.

"Marry me," he said, his eyes rising from the box in my hand and the sparkling bands inside and meeting my own, adding a quiet, "please, Amaya."

I looked from the rings to his eyes, seeing the silent plea in them, the nervousness, the fear, the trepidation. My smile grew and all I could manage to do for a moment was nod. He blinked, as if surprised by my answer. I realized how hesitant only a nod would have seemed, and so I let the smile that I'd been holding back appear on my lips.

"Of course, I'll marry you, Levi," I said surely, "I love you. I love you more than anything."

His eyes seemed to clear up and he let out a breath of what I figured was relief. "You will," he said quietly, his voice breathier than I'd ever heard it. "You... You want to marry me."

His words were phrased as statements, but very clearly vocalized questions, one he was almost frightened to ask.

"I will," I assured him. "And I do. Goddesses, Levi, you make me so happy. You always have, ever since I joined you in the city. You brought me in when I had no one, you let me prove myself and become a leader, you taught me the joys of flying and what I could do to push myself, and more - so much more. I love you more than words can ever say," I paused as I wiped a tear away that had managed to roll down my cheek, "and I'll love you until the day I die... and maybe even longer than that."

The moonlight seemed to find its way further into the room, illuminating the bands in my palm and making them shine in the same way Levi's eyes did. As for Levi, he had been rendered speechless, so it seemed. He looked at me for another moment before coming to his senses and turning his attention to the rings.

They were silver, made so much more stunning by the moonlight creeping in. He lifted one out of its velvety cradle and took the box from my hand, setting it on the table. He took my left hand and slid the band onto my ring finger, treating me as though my hand was made of glass. It should have been the other way around; the rings were what were delicate here, not my hand, and yet he held me as though I had been sculpted of such delicate materials that might break when even looked at wrong.

As soon as the ring was snug on my finger, he drew my hand to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the ring and it was like he did it instinctually, without even thinking about it. But he blinked, realizing what he was doing, and I saw a delicate blush rise from his neck and settle on his cheeks, but I didn't have it in me to tease him, all I could do was smile.

"My turn, right?" I asked once he let go. With his answering nod as permission, I reached down and gently pulled his ring from the box. I held it delicately, and I too found myself holding it as if it were made of glass.

It seemed to be identical to my own; the band was thin but strong, a beautiful silver all the way around. There was no diamond, no jewel, only stunning silver, and it made sense - we were soldiers through and through. A diamond would too easily be lost or broken. On the inside of the band, I saw that our names, simply "Levi and Amaya" was engraved lightly, and that was what made my smile grow.

It was so simple, yet so beautiful. It stood for our love and represented it beautifully. Our love was simple, and this was an incredible representation of it. We didn't tend to make things too complicated, why would we? Perhaps due to its simplicity, our love was beautiful. We didn't need too many material things, physical reminders of our love. We expressed it through our words, our actions. And that was enough for us.

I took his left hand and slid the ring on his finger, just as he had. And just as he did, I lifted his hand to my lips and pressed a soft kiss to his ring, the metal startlingly cool against my lips. "They're beautiful, Levi," I said, looking into his eyes when I pulled away.

"You're beautiful," Levi said, and upon seeing my smile, he added for good measure a rushed, "idiot."

His cheeks darkened, and his eyes were almost teary, but he had a beautiful smile on his face. Another tear rolled down my cheek and he wiped it away with a gentle swipe of his finger. I placed my hands gently on either side of his face and drew him closer to me, unable to allow so much space to be between us any longer. His hands found their way to my waist and I pressed my forehead to his, closing my eyes.

"We might not have time for a real wedding," he said quietly. "Or the money to afford one, or-"

"That's fine," I said earnestly, cutting him off before he could run himself down a road I didn't want him to. The finances, the time, everything that went into planning and executing a wedding... none of that was necessary.

"This is perfect," I assured him. I opened my eyes to see that he was already looking at me, stunning irises of imperfect blue flecked with silver and black searching my eyes for any hint that I was lying, but he found none, and a single tear rolled down his cheek. I caught it against my thumb, knowing that he needed this. "This is all I need."

How long had it been since he had felt such love? Since anyone had regarded him with such patience, such reverence, such respect? So much of his life had been spent alone, and anyone who he decided to allow into his life left him, either by choice or by dying.

But me... I was still here. And I would always fight to remain at his side.

"You are all I need, Levi."

He let out a quiet laugh. "What the hell did I do to deserve you?"

"I should be asking that question," I said with a smile. "But I'm just so happy right now, I don't really care about the answer."

"Is that right?"

"It is," I said. I lifted my head from his only to lean in to press a sweet, lingering kiss to his lips. Our eyes closed and he let out a content noise, melting against me and losing himself in the kiss. After one kiss and then another, sweet pecks full of nothing but love, we pulled away and I opened my eyes. He took an extra moment to open his, a smirk on his lips.

"So," I began, "will you become Mr. Ikeda?"

"I think so," he told me. "I don't know my last name for you to steal it."

"I don't mind," I said. "I don't know my own last name, either."

"Ikeda it is, then," he said, drawing me in for another kiss. One of my hands lowered to caress his chest, feeling the powerful beating of his heart just within, still racing with excitement and love. It was then that we heard the door swing open, and a chorus of voices approached us. "Shit," Levi whispered against my lips.

I chuckled against him but drew away to turn my head to look at them from the corner of my eye, seeing that I had my back to the door and consequently, to them as well.

"Are we interrupting something important?" Connie asked.

"They were sharing a tender moment," Sasha squeaked, bowing her head. "We apologize for interrupting!"

"We're sorry!" Armin said, his cheeks burning red.

"You guys are fine," I said with a laugh, pulling away from Levi to face them, running my hand down his arm to link fingers with him.

"And you told us not to stay out too late," Historia said. "It doesn't seem like you two were exactly getting ready to go to bed."

"H-Historia!" Jean admonished, surprised at her words.

"Wait," Armin said, and everyone turned to look at him. I smiled, because I knew at that moment that he had us figured out. I followed his line of sight and realized he was looking at my left hand, which was down by my side. And more specifically, he was looking at my ring. "They have rings."

"There's the box on the table," Jean said with wide eyes. He looked at me with a smile. "Did you guys..." I nodded, lifting my hand and displaying the ring for them, unable to find the words to say. "Congratulations!"

Levi let go of my hand as I was rushed by their sudden swarm of hugs. I grinned and patted them all on the heads as they repeated their congratulations over and over. "Thank you, thank you," I said repeatedly as I struggled to return all the hugs I was getting. When they calmed down slightly, I pulled myself from them. "Off to bed, all of you," I ordered sternly. "It's almost morning."

They started to complain, but with a stern look from Levi, they said their goodnights and headed to the bedrooms. There were two, one meant for the boys and one meant for the girls, but our numbers weren't exactly even. Historia, Sasha, Mikasa, and Armin had taken one room, and I shared a bed with Levi in the room the rest of the boys were in. Connie, suddenly remembering this, stopped in his step.

"You two aren't going to be up all night... doing things, are you?"

"Connie," I said sharply. He got the picture and bolted to the bedroom. I sighed and shook my head, but a smile grew on my face. Levi ran a hand across my back to settle on my waist, pulling me to him so he could press a kiss to my temple.

"Let's head to bed, wife."