She found herself in the stables, studying a horse from a safe distance. She inched closer, but when its ear twitched in acknowledgement, she stumbled backwards.

"Are you afraid of horses?"

Startled by the presence of someone else in the stable, she reflexively reached down to her belt, only to realize that Erwin had revoked her knife privileges.

"Sorry!" the person, a beautiful young woman with bright copper eyes, apologized, "I didn't mean to scare you. You're staring down my horse, though, so I thought I'd investigate."

"Oh," she replied quietly, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize this was your horse."

"You can pet her, if you'd like. She's really sweet. Her name is Cherry."

"Cherry," she mused softly, "You named your horse? Don't you ride it into battle?"

"Huh?"

"Aren't you afraid something will happen to it?"

"Oh," the other woman said, "I see. Yes, I named her. You're right; I do take her into some dangerous places. Isn't that all the more reason to give her a name, though?"

"Maybe. I don't know. I would be afraid of becoming too attached."

"That's an understandable concern, but I think Cherry is happy to have a name. If something did happen to her, then she would be able to pass knowing that someone cared enough about her to name her."

"Do you really think she's smart enough to understand the thought that goes into a name?"

"Of course," she replied happily, "She's smart enough to tell me when she's hungry, that's for sure. I bet she's smart enough to know that I named her because I care about her."

"She tells you when she's hungry?"

"Yep! She stomps her hoof on the ground super hard. She can be pretty grumpy."

"Sounds like someone I've just become acquainted with," she said with a tired sigh, turning her attention back to the horse, "I thought you said she was sweet."

"She is! Well, just not when she's hungry."

"Is she hungry now?"

"She has hay at the moment. She seems satisfied, don't you think?"

"I wouldn't know. I'm not big on animals."

"Anyone who says that is either a cruel person, or just hasn't met the right animal. I'm a pretty good judge of character, so I'm guessing the latter applies to you. Who are you, by the way?"

"Oh, uh," she mumbled, clearing her throat, "I'm Blake. I'm taking care of an injured soldier, but he's busy right now, so I'm just trying to kill some time."

"It's nice to meet you, Blake. My squad leader is actually busy right now too. I never have any free time, so I was planning on taking Cherry for a ride. Do you want to come?"

"Shit, I'm no good with—"

"It's okay! I'll teach you. Cherry will be a really great horse for you to practice with. She's super patient."

Biting her lip, she contemplated the offer with great care, trying to determine whether or not this would be a good way to blend in, or just the opposite. Socializing with people who weren't officers would make her seem like she belonged more, perhaps. On the other hand, this could be exactly what Levi had intended for her not to do, but should she really care so much about pacifying him? She was originally going to kill him, after all. He should be thankful that she was willing to come here in the first place.

"Okay," she reluctantly agreed, "I'll go with you."

"Great!" the girl cheered, stepping in front of her and opening the gate.

Deciding she should attempt to at least emulate some degree of courtesy and excitement, she said, "I don't think I got your name."

Smiling as she strapped a saddle onto the animal, she replied, "Petra Rall."

༻✦༺

Although she was frightened at first, riding a horse was surprisingly enjoyable.

Petra had been a wonderful mentor, considerate and helpful at every turn. She listened intently to Blake's stories about how her brother used to name the birds perched on the windowsill, even asking what kind of birds they were.

As the other girl helped her climb off of the horse, she found herself stumbling at the sight of a familiar pain in the ass.

"Shouldn't you be cleaning the barracks?" he asked, though it hardly sounded like a question at all, his arms crossed.

"Captain!" Petra cried, saluting him immediately.

"So?"

"Oh, right! I cleaned the barracks twice, sir, so I thought I'd spend this time with my steed."

"Put that thing away and clean them a third time."

"Yes, sir!"

With that, she and Cherry bolted back towards the stables, leaving the two of them alone in an open field.

"You were kind of rude to her, y'know."

"She's my soldier. How I discipline her is none of your business," he retorted.

"Oh my god, really? That poor girl is in your squad?"

"The hell is that supposed to mean?"

"She's so sweet," she explained, "And you're you."

"Yeah? I don't like you either."

"Holy shit, calm down. I didn't say that I didn't like you."

"Tch, might as well have. Whatever, I don't care. Let's go."

"Go where?"

"Your cell."

"What? It's not even dark outside," she protested, the captain already walking away from her.

"What, you want to go watch the sunset with a cold beer? Want me to rub your feet while you sit around on your ass and eat cheese cubes?"

"What the hell is wrong with you? Do you think you're funny?"

Saying nothing, he continued walking, his silence only serving to infuriate her further.

"What about you, Captain? How do you want to spend your night? You gonna terrorize some other sweet girl like Petra? Or are you gonna kiss your commander's ass some more?"

That seemed to irritate him, because she was suddenly greeted with the toe of his boot shoving itself into her abdomen, briefly knocking the breath out of her. It didn't exactly hurt, however, and she found herself wondering how hard she would have to push to get him to actually push back. Falling backwards, she sighed, gripping his ankle in her hands.

"Too close to home?"

Still maintaining his silence, he only reacted with widening eyes when her hand slithered up to the back of his knee, sinking her fingernails into the tender flesh there. Gritting his teeth, he attempted to jerk his leg away, but she held him in place.

"Not gonna actually kick me, Captain? You softer than people make you out to be? Or are you actually suffering from a hip injury?"

"I can't break your ribs before you make yourself useful," he said calmly, finally managing to lift his foot off of her, "I don't care about the shit spewing out of your mouth right now, but I won't let a worthless pig like yourself speak to me like that. I have half the mind to shove a bar of soap through your hollow skull, but that would be a waste of good soap."

"Unbelievable," she mused, looking up at him, "You're unbelievable, Captain. Won't you fight me? I did plot to kill you, after all."

"No. Pick yourself up off the ground."

She obliged, albeit slowly, making a show of inspecting her fingernails when she was back on her feet. When she chuckled quietly to herself, he gave her a confused look.

"Something funny?"

"You're unbelievable," she repeated, trying to hide her small grin, "I understand now."

Frustrated, he huffed, crossing his arms again as he returned to the path leading back to camp. She looked over his shoulder distantly, not really paying attention to where she was going, crashing into him as a result. He stumbled forward, catching himself at the last second, but she somehow managed to meet with the grass again.

"Did I break you?" he asked, an expression that was a mixture between disgust and concern occupying his features, "Aren't you supposed to be some hotshot assassin? I thought you'd be able to take that."

"Take what? Your twisted perception of discipline? It won't work—not on me, at least. I know you aren't going to actually hurt me. Even when I scratched you, you still made an effort to restrain yourself. I have you figured out."

"Stop," he hissed, "Get up."

"Me? No, I don't think I will. I'm relishing in the joy of exposing you."

"What exactly do you think you've discovered, huh? You think you know shit about me just because I don't wanna waste time beating your ass?"

"Why won't you?"

"What?"

"Why won't you beat my ass, Captain?"

"You—"

"You aren't sure if I deserve it yet, huh? You're not looking to put yourself above anyone, you're just irritable as hell. And here I thought you really were an ill-tempered pervert who got off on the power trip that comes with being a military officer."

"What? You're so bored that you're placing bets on who I am? I wish Erwin had you hanged instead of making me put up with your shitty excuse for manipulation."

"Who cares if I'm trying to figure you out? Lie down with me, Levi. Just for a minute."

"Absolutely not."

"If you do, I promise I'll get up and walk with you back to camp. It'd be awfully suspicious if you were carrying your nurse, wouldn't it?"

Mumbling profanities to himself, he actually sat down next to her, bringing his knees up to his chest and resting his chin on them.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she inquired several minutes later, observing his furrowed brow.

"I don't understand what you're trying to say about me."

"I had a feeling, considering you wished death upon me."

"You wished it upon me first."

"I never wished for your death; I simply thought it was necessary. Up until a few moments ago, I was actually still deciding whether or not I should just kill you and leave."

"As if you could do that," he snorted, though he moved farther away from her anyway. 

"You're right," she admitted, "But you're missing the point. I don't want to kill you at all."

"Am I supposed to be relieved?"

"You could be flattered, maybe. And you were right about me trying to manipulate you."

"I'm not an idiot."

"But your suspicions aren't the reason why you didn't fight me when I asked you to," she rambled, smiling, "You really aren't obsessed with power or authority. You're just trying to get shit done, yeah?"

"I don't care whether or not you think I'm a good person, Varga."

"But I've kind of forced you to listen to me for a few minutes, so, for now, what I say matters."

"I mean, not really."

"I promise that I'm not usually that manipulative. It's not something I'm good at, if I'm honest."

"Okay?"

"I think we should try to be friends, Levi."

"No."

"It would help things if we got along, wouldn't it?"

"I doubt it."

"You don't think it's weird for you to hate your nurse? People might get suspicious."

"I don't think hating someone like you would be that out of character for me."

"Your friends think I'm nice. I could tell."

"My friends?"

"Hange. Petra, too."

"Petra is my subordinate."

"Hange isn't."

"Hange isn't my friend."

"Okay, Levi."

"I'm serious. None of those people are my friends."

"Not even Erwin?"

"Friendship and respect aren't the same thing. I respect my comrades, and I respect my commander, but we aren't friends."

"I've never had many friends. It was always just me and Lewis."

"I don't care."

"I bet Hange and Erwin think of you as their friend, y'know."

"You told me that you weren't usually manipulative. If that's true, stop trying to analyze my relationships."

"I've never been super smart, either. Lewis has always been the more enterprising of the two of us. I see a lot of that in Erwin. I understand why you admire him so much."

"I'm starting to wonder if you can even hear anything I'm saying."

"I'll let you take a crack at me, if you want."

"No."

"No? Surely there's something about me you've found interesting. Otherwise, you'd avoid me a lot more than you do."

"I can't avoid you, idiot. We're trying to fool the Survey Corps."

At that, she sat up, her eyes intently boring into his as she considered his words.

"What?"

"That's what we're trying to do?"

"I don't know what you're asking me."

"You said we're trying to fool the Survey Corps. I was under the impression that we were trying to fool whoever wants you dead, and that the Survey Corps just happened to be some of the other people we'd have to convince."

"Obviously, we'd have to convince them. You said yourself that you aren't very smart. Stop trying to be."

"I'm not smart," she confirmed, "That's why it's taken me such a long time to understand why Erwin insisted that I come with you to this facility. We can't keep up this charade at the tea shop—the person we're trying to fool isn't there, huh? You all think it's someone in the Survey Corps."

"I have noticed something about you, actually."

"And now you're changing the subject."

"You wanted to know."

"Fine. Enlighten me."

"Okay," he agreed, exhaling, "You don't talk how you should."

"Excuse me?"

"You kill people for a living, but you didn't grow up on the streets. You aren't absolute shit at concealing it, but I can tell. Your language doesn't match your occupation."

"You think you can get all of that from the way I speak?"

"Yeah. You use dressed up words. You swear like a pig, but it doesn't always sound natural."

"So you've been analyzing my language, Levi. It sounds like you're obsessed with me."

He gave her an incredulous look in response, murmuring, "You're the one who tried to bait me into a pissing contest to figure out if I had morals or not. If anyone's obsessed, it's you."

"Mean, Levi. That was mean."

"Again, hypocrisy."

"I suppose you're right," she replied, adding, "And it would seem that you're stupid, just like me, considering how far off your analysis is. It's okay. I'll give you points for trying."

"That's a whole lot shittier than what I said."

"Aren't you supposed to be some hotshot military officer? I thought you'd be able to take that."

"Enough. Get up."

"As you wish, Captain."

He was already standing by the time she made it to her feet, rolling out some of the tension that had materialized in the air and leaked into his shoulders. She watched him curiously.

"Don't look at me," he told her, not even turning around to confirm whether or not she had been doing that at all.

"Ever? But we're friends now, Levi."

"Like hell we are."

"What do you mean? You let me stay out until sunset. That sounds like a thoughtful friend to me."

"Damnit," he whispered, taking note that the sun had, in fact, started to set, "Can't believe I let you waste my time like that."

"My bad."

"Yeah, I'm sure you feel terrible."

She only smiled, the two of them walking down the hill in silence for the remainder of their journey.

"Might have been wise for you to ride your own horse here, Captain. It would've taken a lot less time for us to come back down."

"Maybe," he snapped, "But walking this far doesn't bother me, and I noticed how messed up your shoes are, so I'm sure this is uncomfortable for you. It's a fine punishment for your stunt from earlier. Besides, bringing a horse is something only a smart person would think of. According to you, I'm stupid."

She titled her head back and allowed a genuine laugh to escape from her, her eyes meeting the rose-colored sky as she did so.

"Yeah," she agreed, "You are."

He scowled.