I stood quietly in the background as reports were quietly made, everyone subdued as those in the camp prepared to leave for the return trip to HQ. It had been a hard blow to the troop and I didn't envy our team leader having to face the new Commander with the news that was being relayed to her when we met them on the way back, our squad having broken off from the rest to perform routine reconnaissance. The losses had been devastating for everyone.

I hid the wince as yet another scout came in and reported additional losses, both of men and of supplies, horses having run off or been killed and carts that were crushed beneath the titan's feet. It was looking more and more grim with every person who opened their mouth.

Sometimes it sucked to always be the one put on watch so close to the team leader, being one of the select few to hear all the incoming news. Some days I would rather be one of the ignorant many who only heard what was deemed necessary for them to be told so they could do their jobs.

--------

Even after everything that had happened, nobody had expected to be ambushed so close to meeting up with the main group. The fight was over before it even began, the few survivors being the only ones to flee before they were snatched up and eaten or those who were able to be saved when the titan was killed before they were able to do more than take a bite of them.

Sadly, the ones doing the saving died in the attempt more often than not, with the one they were trying to save often following behind. Very few were successful with how many titans were surrounding them on all sides.

--------

Out of the entire team, only five soldiers made it back to the main squad with only minor injuries, with two more soldiers being carried with them on horseback, both severely injured. Our team leader had been killed trying to save those she was in charge of, managing to save only one victim with any success, the rest being grabbed up again as soon as they escaped the previous titan. That or dying of blood loss before they had managed to get to the tree line and potential safety.

Taking only enough time to ensure none of them would bleed to death, the new Commander had the troops hurrying back to HQ before any more titans showed up.

--------

I opened my eyes to darkness, the smell of antiseptic and blood mixing in a nauseating fashion. Blinking a few times, my eyes finally adjusted enough to see part of the room around me, the faint outline of beds and cabinets on each side of me. As I shifted to try and sit up, I felt pain roar to life as the bandages wrapped around my leg shifted against the bed sheets. Looking down, I watched as the crisp white blankets slowly blossomed with red as the blood ran from the reopened wounds.

"You should have still been asleep with the amount of medicine you were given. Hmm, I'll have to make an adjustment to the dosage if you're going to burn through it this fast." The soft voice of a young man carried through the room quietly, my head turning to the left before spotting him almost hidden in the shadows on the far side of the room.

"What happened? Where is everyone else? How did we get back to headquarters?" The questions began spilling from my lips as fast as they popped into my head, my heartbeat growing faster with each one as I realized just how little I could remember after seeing the first titan coming out of the tree line.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news for you. The majority of your teammates are dead. You are one of only seven survivors and your team leader was not one of them. Sadly, this means all the information from any survey reports is also lost, something that doesn't sit very well with the new Commander." I listened to his soothing voice as he walked closer, slowly coming out of the shadows to reveal a rather handsome looking man with dark eyes and short, black hair.

The smile he gave me when he caught me staring had me turning away, my cheeks growing warm as I heard his soft laughter. Trying to ignore how embarrassed I felt, I coughed lightly and glanced towards him, liking the way the smile on his face made him look even more handsome. Bringing a hand up to cover my cheeks once I realized I was staring again, I turned to face the other way again before speaking.

"I see... I take it the Commander is concerned about the missing reports then and what they contained? I know he talked in length with the team leader before we left for the mission and some of the reports did contain information that could have impact on future missions." I raised my hand more before running it down my face tiredly, as if I could somehow wipe away the exhaustion that was filling me.

"You speak as if you know what was in those reports. Did your team leader talk to you about them before the attack? I was under the impression the attack happened while the reports were still being made." I could feel his curious gaze on me as he spoke, fighting to keep my eyes open.

"I was always positioned close enough to hear the reports as they came in." Fighting a sudden yawn, I let my eyes close as I leaned back against the pillows. "I have a really good memory for stuff like that, so the team leader always talks... I mean, she used to always talk to me after reports were made, to make sure she didn't miss anything or to see if I had a different understanding of what was reported. She said it was best to have two minds working on the same thing, because one would often catch or understand what the other didn't."

With those words, I finally let myself slip back into the deep sleep I had been in before, not even feeling the prick of a needle as more medication was given to ensure my recovery.

--------

I woke up in the dark again, not knowing how much time had passed and unsure what had awoken me until I tried to move my hand, finding such to be impossible. Pausing in the attempt, I looked down to find my fingers encased within the warm hand of a blonde male, his sleeping face resting on my thigh. Stunned, I just lay there, head twisted into a position that grew more uncomfortable as time passed.

"Ah, I see you have woke up again. I apologize for the position you are currently in. The Commander was interested in talking to you once he found out you had heard the reports that were made before the attack, however you were still asleep when he arrived. I'm afraid that he refused to leave until you woke up and wouldn't listen when I tried to tell him it could be hours. At least he's finally getting some rest." The clicking heels of the one I assumed to be the doctor treating me came closer as I felt the man resting so close to me begin to stir, his fingers twitching as he gripped my hand a bit tighter before suddenly letting go.

It was only moments later that the man, the new Commander, sat up and looked around the room like he was expecting to be attacked. After assuring himself of his safety, he slowly turned towards me with the smallest quirk of a smile on his face, looking almost unused to the feel of it on his lips.

"Hello. I'm Commander Erwin Smith. It's a real pleasure to meet you." I was shocked at not only how deep his voice was, but how gentle those callused fingers were when he reached out and took my hand in his again, giving it a gentle squeeze before releasing my fingers once more.

That tiny smile on his face never vanished, as for the next few hours he asked me questions about the various reports I'd heard.

--------

It took a few weeks before I was able to convince the doctor to release me from his care, something he seemed reluctant to do even though I had healed up as nicely as could be expected. I mean, there wasn't anything left that could be done about the scars and making me sit in that bed any longer would serve no purpose but to drive me insane.

I was just not one of those meant to spend all my time in one spot doing nothing, one of the many reasons I ended up joining the Survey Corps instead of getting an office job in one of the government sectors like my father had wanted.

Grabbing the cane the doctor had provided, I began limping my way down the corridor, more than ready for some fresh air after so much time surrounded by the scent of cleaning supplies and medicine.

I had just made my way out the final door, the stars carpeting the sky above me, when I heard familiar footsteps behind me. Turning my head, I sent a smile to the young man I had grown so familiar with, his answering smile causing my heart to nearly skip a beat.

"I told you I would be fine. You didn't have to hurry out here so fast." I almost jumped when I felt his arms wrap around me from behind, a warm breath against my neck bringing a matching heat to my cheeks.

"Now what kind of doctor would I be if I failed to keep an eye on my only patient?" I felt his lips brush against my cheek before turning my head towards him, the stars the only witness to what happened next.

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Blood, there was so much blood... It was everywhere, my hands and face, dripping from my hair... I could smell it with every breath, taste it when I opened my mouth to scream... And once I started, I didn't feel like I would ever stop screaming, the pained sound tearing from my throat as I watched the titan drop what was left of my lover to the ground and turn towards me.

Moments later the monstrosity toppled to the ground, Erwin appearing from behind it with swords drawn, his 3DM gear allowing him to land safely nearby before rushing towards me.

"It ate him! He's dead, he's dead, it ate him and now he's dead!" The words were rushing out of my mouth in a wail of despair as Erwin put his arms around me, holding me tight as I slowly crumbled into a sobbing mess.

"I swear I will kill them all for you, I'll do whatever it takes to make this world a safe place for you to live in. For us to live in." I clutched at his shirt as he made his promise to me, not really listening as all I could hear anymore was the screams of my late lover as the titan had bit into his side.

I didn't even stop to wonder how it had gotten inside what should have been a safe area, no titans having been spotted for miles around. Nor did I wonder how Erwin had appeared so quickly, so conveniently in time to save just me.

--------

I was kept safe by him, by Commander Erwin. Safe from titans, safe from the dangers of the world, safe from everything. Everything but himself. I was hidden away from everyone and everything I had known, kept within his secret room and slowly forgotten about by all but him. It was easy for him to do, since he was the only one who knew I had survived the attack of that titan.

What was frightening was how he tried so hard to keep that one promise he made to me, one that he renewed every time he saw me, kissed me and touched me. He was determined to make the world safe from titans and he was willing to sacrifice anyone and everyone to do it. Everyone but me. If only he would realize that by now, I was the only one who didn't care if he killed all the titans.

I'd finally realized it wasn't the titan that killed my lover. Not really. After all, Erwin was the one that lead it to us. It's amazing what you can find out if you just listen long enough to put all the pieces together.