FOUR
something's gotta give

     THE NEXT MORNING was not easy for Valor. She'd only drank once before that, and not nearly as much. She didn't have much of a headache, but she felt exhausted and greasy, even after a shower. She made sure to find Erwin early that morning and accept his proposal, much to his delight. They planned for her to follow her new squad to their bunk after the ceremony that night, and after that, she'd join them on her first expedition outside the walls.

     She'd spent the day trying to sweat out her hangover, drinking lots of water, writing a letter to Armin, and generally wasting time until the ceremony.

     The sun was starting to get closer to the ground, the sky adopting a pink hue as a result. Valor sat on the porch of the bunks, pen and paper resting on her lap. She'd written Armin a short letter, informing him of the offer she'd received and telling him she wasn't going to be able to come visit before her first mission. It broke her heart to not be able to see her brother as much as she used to, but she wasn't stupid. She was older, with more responsibilities and less free time. She knew it was unrealistic of her to entertain the idea of seeing him every few days or even every day off she had, but there wasn't anything wrong with her dreaming of it.

     Kaede was off talking with some of the other cadets, and Valor hadn't seen Olivia or Mio since the night before. She made a mental note to ask Mio what the fuck was happening between those two later. Any more suspense and Valor was sure she'd explode.

     The blonde stood up, pen and paper in hand, before turning and walking back into the barracks. She put her letter in an envelope and sealed it, putting it in her jacket pocket to mail before the ceremony. She wouldn't be standing with her fellow cadets; instead, she'd stand with her new squad, as she'd already joined the Scouts.

     Her thoughts wandered to those in her new squad. Commander Smith, who'd ordered her to call him Erwin, informed her of the few other soldiers who'd already been chosen to join the squad.

     Eld Jinn, a seasoned soldier with some experience under his belt. Gunther Schultz, strong and experienced with Titans, though he had a hard time trusting others. Last but not least, Captain Levi Ackerman. She'd heard stories of him during her time in the Corps, gossip about 'Humanity's Strongest Soldier'. She'd seen him on occasion at the cadets training session, almost always accompanied by Erwin. She'd heard many stories about where he was from, how he joined the Scouts, and his impressive kill count. He'd supposedly grown up in the Underground, acting as a hit man of sorts until Erwin dragged him to the Scouts, kicking and screaming every bit of the way. Everyone she'd talked to made him out to seem like some sort of God, but Valor had a different feeling. In all the times she'd observed him, his eyes held no self righteous look or sense of pride. While everyone else seemed to think of Levi Ackerman as a god, she knew the man himself thought the exact opposite.

     She cracked her knuckles, running her hands through her hair as she made her way to a letter box a little ways from the barracks. She pulled Armin's letter out of her pocket and gently slid it in the box, hoping the messengers would send it out sooner than later. The blonde sighed, tilting her head up and closing her eyes, basking in the warmth of the sun above. All she could do was hope she was in the Gods favors.

     Valor's long fingers ran over the material of her cloak, still slightly shell shocked this life was reality. Her hair was in a low bun, stray strands tickling her face as she half paid attention to the spiel Erwin was giving the new recruits. She looked up, scanning the crowd for familiar faces before her eyes landed on her three friends. She smiled softly, locking eyes with Kaede before looking back down at her uniform.

     It doesn't matter what Erwin says. He could tell me I'll die tomorrow, and I still wouldn't change my mind. I've already decided.

     She was a Scout, truly and officially. All the hard work she'd put in the last two years was finally paying off, and she would admit she was incredibly proud of herself.

     "Can you give your heart? Can you give everything for humanity?" Erwin asked, stone faced and tone deathly serious. Valor looked back at her friends, brows furrowing. She had never really discussed with them what regiment they'd join. She faintly remembered Kaede promising to follow her to the Scouts, but she was in the dark on what Mio and Olivia would choose. "Those wanting to join other regiments are dismissed." Erwin said after a short pause, scanning the crowd. While the walls hadn't been breached in a century, there was still a lot of responsibility put on the shoulders of the Scouts. They were the ones who ventured into the unknown, battling Titans and scouting the land around them for some sign of life. They were the ones who provided information about the Titans to the people inside the walls. The lives of all who resided inside each wall were in the hands of the Scouts. Not all could handle that level of responsibility.

     One by one, recruits turned away from Erwin and retreated, not one person ever looking back. Valor frowned slightly. It was disappointing to see how many soldiers decided to take the easy way out, living restless, boring lives inside the walls. But she had to admit, it was better to have few Scouts who were willing to sacrifice their lives than many who ran at the first sign of danger.

     In the crowd, Kaede, Mio, and Olivia stood side by side, feet planted firmly in the ground. It was a rare occasion that Kaede was truly serious, and Mio was staring straight ahead, gaze not wavering. Olivia clenched her jaw, turning her head to look at Mio. He felt her eyes on him and glanced down at her, furrowing his brows. She swallowed hard, looking down at her feet.

"I'm sorry, Mio. I told you I couldn't do it." She murmured, turning away from him. His eyes widened, and so did Valors and Kaede's.

"Olivia!" He said her name like a plea, a heartbroken look on his face. She turned, looking at him from over her shoulder. "You promised... You promised we'd go together. I don't want to lose you." He spoke to her quietly, taking a step toward her, and she glanced down at the ground.

"You're cut out for this line of work, Mio. I'm not. I'm weak- I belong with the MP's, not with people like you. I'm not gonna hold you back, and you shouldn't try to let me. You do what you trained to do, and maybe one day we'll find ourselves together again." She smiled at him, tears in her dark green eyes. Mio clenched his jaw, not speaking. She waited a moment before nodding, his silence enough of an answer for her. She turned, back to Mio and the Scouts, and didn't look back.

Kaede looked at Mio sympathetically, but he avoided her gaze as he turned back, standing tall with his face to the Scouts once more. His decision hadn't changed; his goal since the start of the Cadet Corps was to join the Scouts, and no one would change that. Not even Olivia.

     Valor hid her shock and disappointment behind an expressionless face, swallowing hard and biting her tongue. It hurt to know that Olivia wouldn't be joining them on their journey, that she wouldn't be able to share the memories they'd make in the Scouts. But, Olivia had shown that she wasn't cut out for the Scouts, as much as her friends wished she was.

"If I asked you to die, could you do it?" Erwin's somber words broke Valor's train of thought, snapping her back to reality. The cadets that stood in front of him were all quiet, an uneasy feeling falling over them. Valor couldn't say she felt any different. The question made her truly wonder, if she was sent to die, would she be able to accept that? Would she be strong enough to sacrifice her life for the sake of humanity?

All she could do was hope she was as strong as she thought she was.

She rode on horseback, near the back of her squad. Levi and Eld took the front, Gunther in the middle with Erwin, who was just traveling with them, along with a scout named Hange, who rode next to her. The rest of her squad would be joining them the next morning, when they would ride out for their first scouting mission. They'd only ride out to see how many Titans surrounded the walls, and try to find anything new in the relatively unknown territory.

They slowed to a stop in front of a quaint building, no taller than two stories, made of stained logs and cobblestone. It was just outside of Trost, near the inner gate. Valor held the reigns with one hand, her other adjusting the tan scarf she wore. Her horse huffed from underneath her, shifting on his feet. She shushed the disgruntled horse, running a hand over his tan and white speckled neck. She scratched behind his ear before looking back in front of her, feeing Hange's gaze on her but dismissing it.

They all rode to the stables located on the side of the building, which she assumed was the Scout's barracks. There was a small training field to the left of the building, defined by a short wood fence. She dismounted the horse, holding the reigns gently as she stroked his face gently. She wanted to form a bond with the animal, as she hoped he'd serve her well for a long while. Valor mused he'd need a name in the near future, but she decided that was a problem for another day.

Hange found themself side by side with the newest addition to Levi Squad, Valor Arlert. They'd heard quite a bit about her, and their interest was certainly piqued. The blonde had even caught the attention of Levi, who was very rarely interested in other soldiers. The two made quiet conversation as they took care of their horses, feeding them and removing their bits. Hange tried to hold back their questions desperately.

They failed, like most always. "I've heard quite a bit about you, Valor Arlert. What do you think of the Scouts thus far? What's your opinion of the Titans? How much do you know of them?" The brunette asked question after question, Valor blinking in muted surprise. She wasn't quite expecting the bombardment of questions so quickly, but she took it in stride.

"I don't have all that much to go off of, but I think the Scouts are very capable and I'm incredibly grateful to have been accepted into such an important squad." She spoke quietly before Erwin could scold Hange for their intrusive questions. Instead, he stayed quiet, silently eavesdropping on the two's conversation. "I think the Titans are an irrefutable danger to the citizens of the walls, but I'm curious as to how they came to be. I don't know much of them, but I'd like to." She answered the questions calmly as they began to walk back to the barracks, eyes focused on her squad mates in front of her. Hange hummed, impressed with the girl's proficient nature.

"You're quick," They commented with a smirk. Valor hummed, a ghost of a smile on her lips.

"So I've been told. I've also been told I'm good at reading people."

"Oh really? Prove it. Read me," Hange teased, head turned as they looked at Valor. Valor spared the tall soldier a glance, looking them over before returning her gaze to the back of her squad mates heads.

"You're incredibly smart and inquisitive. You ask people questions to get closer to them, but also to get information for your personal gain; experiments, maybe. Blackmail, another possibility." She smiled, a teasing tone in her voice. Hange scoffed, a smile on their face at the blonde's joke. "You developed an overly eccentric nature to act as a shield from the outside world. The pain you've suffered was so severe you put on a face and pretended it didn't really hurt you at all." She continued casually, hitting  Hange right where she least expected it. The taller soldier couldn't help but laugh softly, nodding. The blonde was good, they'd give her that.

     Erwin and Levi gave each other shocked looks, not turning their heads. The blonde had barely known Hange for an hour and she'd already laid out their entire personality for the world to see. Levi couldn't help but wonder to himself if she could see right through him, too.

     Erwin opened the door to the bunks, looking back at the rest of the squad. Hange and Valor had gone quiet, looking forward at the Commander. He nodded, motioning for them to enter.

"Your rooms are down here, and in the basement. Mine and Captain Levi's offices are upstairs, if you need us." He explained quickly before nodding and heading for the top floor. Valor shrugged, turning away to go look for an empty room to put her things in. She had a small green knapsack slung over her shoulder, stuffed with her very few personal belongings. It was a bit peculiar to her, that they'd have their own rooms. She hadn't had her own space in so long that sleeping in a room alone seemed almost wrong. She disregarded her apprehension, though, and slowly pushed a door on the left of the hall open.

     It was empty, save for a single bed, nightstand, desk and window. It wasn't the coziest, she thought to herself, but it was hers. She was more than satisfied with that. The blonde dropped her green knapsack on the bed, tucking a strand of long hair behind her ear. She didn't have much to unpack; just clothes and a few small keepsakes. a pretty rock from Kaede, a pin from Mio, a book Olivia had gotten her and her collection of letters from Armin. She decided to leave unpacking for the next morning and quietly exited her room, heading for the porch at the front of the cabin.

She wasn't tired; it was a rare thing for her not to be exhausted by the end of the day. But her mind was buzzing and it was too nice of a night not to enjoy. The stars were out, moon shining down so brightly Valor could've mistaken it for day. She quietly opened the cabin door, slowly pulling it open to muffle the creaking sound the hinges made.

She sat, legs hanging off the side of the porch as she gazed at the stars above. It reminded her of the night she told Armin she'd enlisted. The stars, much like they had looked on that night, were so bright and looked so close to the ground she was tempted to reach out and try to grab one.

Aquarius. Apus. Columba. Eridanus. Orion. She remembered all of the constellations- she could read the sky as if it were the back of her hand. She sighed, kicking her legs with little effort. Her hands rested on the wood beneath her, propping her body up on the rough planks below.

Lost in her thoughts, she'd just barely noticed the squeaking of the hinges of the door behind her. She noticed, though; the hair on the back of her neck stood up ever so slightly, but she remained still. After a few moments of silence, she spoke up.

"Come to stargaze?" She asked softly, surprising the short man standing behind her. He let out a soft 'tch', taking a few steps toward the edge of the porch. He stood upright, solemn face turned upward toward the bright sky. He looked bored, but Valor could see in the love and admiration in his eyes at the sight of the sky. She stared up at him, and when he met her gaze, she didn't back down. "A pleasure, Captain." He could feel himself growing infatuated with the sound of her voice. It was silky smooth, and sweet like honey. Valor Arlert had a way about her that made people stop and stare. He could feel himself becoming infatuated with her, and he couldn't bring himself to want it to stop.

     "Couldn't sleep."

     "So I've heard." She replied easily, pulling one knee to her chest. "You're the night owl of the Scouting Regiment, aren't you?"

     "You could say that." He replied shortly, sighing before sitting down next to her, one ankle resting on his opposite knee, one leg hanging off the porch similar to Valor. "I heard the way you picked Hange apart earlier." He mentioned to her with an uninterested look on his face, secretly watching her reaction from the corner of his eye. She shrugged, tilting her head slightly.

     "I'm just good at reading people, I think."

     "Then read me, Arlert." He challenged, turning his head to look at her. The moonlight illuminated his face, highlighting his sharp features and making his grey eyes gleam. A ghost of a smile appeared on her lips, and she stared at him for a moment, not speaking.

     He always seemed to be wearing an unimpressed expression. He didn't seem close with the other soldiers, other than Erwin and begrudgingly Hange. She'd heard all about his effortless feats as "Humanity's Strongest Soldier" but by the bags under his eyes and his glossy gray eyes, she knew it didn't come easy. He'd gone through hell to get to where he was now, and that's exactly what she told him. He was silent for a moment, tearing his gaze away from the recruit and turning to look back up at the sky. Furlan and Isabel would have loved her.

     He wanted to know more about the blonde. She was calm, observant, and determined- all things he admired in a person. A small smile made its way onto his face. She had to be pretty good at reading people to pick him apart so accurately. "Tea?" He asked, and her smile grew.

     "Of course."

[ it begins (:
they're so precious
i love them and can't
wait to dive deeper
into their relationship ]