Bertolt is shaking. Wheezing, heaving up air. It's dark out. It's been nearly three days since Anastasia last visited. He had woken from a nightmare, a hand snapping to grip at Reiner's hand so hard, his knuckles burn white.

Reiner hushes him, holding his hand, brushing away the hair from his sweaty forehead. "It's all right, Bertolt." He hums softly, careful not to wake anyone. "Shh,"

Bertolt muffles a cough, and squeezes his eyes shut, lips chapped from the cold. "Reiner -- you're --" He swallows thickly.

Reiner kisses his forehead. "I'm here." He murmurs. "Don't worry. I'm here."

Bertolt buries his head into Reiner's shoulder. He inhales his scent, swallows back his saliva and tears and hugs him close.

^

When Bertolt wakes for the second time, Reiner helps him up and they wash their faces and scrub their teeth and change. It's human -- all too human and Bertolt feels sick before he even walks out the door of the barracks.

When he does, however, a small form wraps their arms around him and he looks down.

"Huh?" Reiner questions. "Anastasia?"

The blonde pulls away and gives Bertolt the biggest smile he's ever seen. His heart swells and he hugs her back, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around slowly.

Reiner crosses his arms and bares his teeth in a chuckle. "Look at that, you little lovebirds."

Bertolt sets her down and Anastasia takes a step over to kiss Reiner's cheek. It's a soft thing, and Reiner's ears grow so pink he's practically steaming.

"Don't let the captain see you kissing boys, Anastasia."

Sita says, coming out from behind her. Anastasia turns and blushes. "Whoopsie."

The rest of their squad stands positioned at the lunchroom doors, having already eaten.

Anastasia and Sita sit at different tables, Anastasia in the middle of Reiner and Bertolt, chuckling and laughing with them. So small and comparison to their large bodies. Bertolt gives a soft grin to her as she tells a story about the Core, and Reiner gives his loud laugh.

The door abruptly opens, and the room falls silent. Squad stands attention at their positions.

"Anastasia Mae." It's Erwin, and a shiver runs up her spine. "Follow me."

Reiner squeezes her thigh in reassurance and Anastasia leaves quickly, following Erwin.

"Yes, sir?" She says, once both of them are by the old tree by the entrance to camp. Erwin, tall blond and handsome as a God, looks down at her with big blue eyes that she drowns him. Her eyes drag down to his chest, but she snaps them up.

"Captain Levi is going on a small camping activity and needs a partner. Everyone else has already paired up. It's a two person trip."

She understands before Erwin even tells her and her positive attitude desolves.

"Sir, are you saying I should be paired with the Captain? Levi?" She asks.

Erwin nods, hands behind his back as he turns his head away to stare out the sky. "Levi seems to bond with you well. Anyway, I need you to keep an eye on him. He's been acting up lately."

She wants to protest, she wants to screaming out and grab Erwin by his gloriously thick shoulders and shake him. No, I don't want to! Please don't make me!

"Understood," she nods, saluting.

He looks back down at her, and gives her his smooth grin, exhaling through his nose, eyes crinkling. "Thank you, I knew you were reliable."

She bows after she is dismissed and meets Bertolt and Reiner at the door. "I'm leaving for a few days," she murmurs. "Captain Levi and I will be doing a team building exercise in the mountains."

Bertolt says nothing. His dreaming chokes him. Reiner, however, pulls them both into a hug. "Good luck, be back safely." He says.

It takes a while for them to separate, and Squad rides back to Base silently. Anastasia grips the reigns with white knuckles. Grits her teeth. Furrows her brow.

Sita trots next to her on her stallion, eyeing her.

"He knows not of us," Anastasia says. "I know what he is to do to me. I know he brings no harm but..," Anastasia looks down. "I dislike to separate between me and my... Lovers."

That word. Lovers. Like a bird finally learning to fly, Anastasia takes her tongue and expresses herself.

"Persevere." Sita whispers. "Stay strong."

^

It's not a hard thing, sleeping in the same secluded area as a clean freak. Anastasia finds he likes to keep very tidy and when dousing the fire with the last of his water, he slips on some gloves and shoves dirt over the embers.

It's silent. Anastasia sits by her own tent, eyes downcast.

"If you need to piss, then do it now." Levi snaps.

She stands with a sigh, and shuffles to the tree where it was designated for the bathroom and pulls down her pants. She thinks to herself as she uses the restroom, that, when she returns from this, she might just tell Erwin she'd like to live the barracks with Reiner and Bertolt, but when she cleans herself and dresses again, she hits the stone cold wall of Levi's eyes and glances down again.

"Goodnight," the thoughts of wanting to live with the two boys at the trainee camp burn and grow. Anastasia feels a sense of insecurity around Levi. He is old, strong. He could easily hurt her if she were to be off guard. She crawls into her tent, dresses more comfortably, and lays down in the sheets.

Too late. He seems to like you, comes a voice. Anastasia turns on her side. If he touches you maybe you should run away. Just like last time those men touched you. How often do you want this to happen again?

She shuts the voice out, and sleeps.

^

The morning begins with Anastasia cooking a light breakfast as Levi packs his things.

"Erwin gave orders to ride up the mountains, gather some plants, then ride down. Understand? No picking flowers. No lagging behind."

"Yes, sir." Anastasia says, pouring or some food for him as he finishes.

Both of them eat silently, Anastasia already packed before they load their horses, and set for the mountains.

The woods clear out for a desert landscape. Cracked, flat orange rock leads up to a mountain fifteen miles away. The sun beats down on their shoulders. The horses pant as they trot towards their goal.

"There are plants in this landscape?" Anastasia asks. "What kind?"

"Ask Erwin when we get back -- hell if I know," he replies, a lift but in front of her.

"You know, you don't have to be so mean," she retorts. "No everyone here is trying to kill you."

His steel blue eyes look back at her and she looks down. "All I'm saying is that I won't hurt you if that's what you're afraid of. Besides, there's no crime in being nice. Having a big heart in a crime world like this is the bravest thing to be."

Levi's heart rattles in its cage. It beats and cracks like the earth underneath the hooves of the horses. He turns forward and forces his horse to a gallop, Anastasia speeding up to follow him.

"Are you going to answer me? Or is this exercise a waste."

"It's not an exercise its an errand. Erwin needs the damn plants but is too old to get it himself."

"Then why lie?"

He grits his teeth. "Ask him yourself. I'm not a prophet."

Anastasia purses her lips, and reaches one hand back to pull her hood over her head. "Do you enjoy the heat?" She asks.

"I don't mind it," He grumbles.

"Do you enjoy the Core?"

"No," He says simply.

Anastasia looks over at Levi. "Did something happen?"

"Just shut your damn trap and keep riding, I'd hate to be back late."