*Levi's POV*

Considering Levi was still drained after everything that happened, he did manage to fall asleep once he got back from his late night bath. Sore muscles slightly soothed by the hot water, Levi stretched out on the couch this time, using his arm as a pillow as he set about trying to sleep, staring up at the ceiling, letting the fire slowly flicker and dim until his eyes drooped shut and he fell asleep for a few more hours.

When he woke around dawn, he felt stiff around the shoulders, having shifted in his sleep to an awkward position, apparently, or at least one that was hard on his shoulders. He sat up with a low groan, rolling his shoulders and massaging the stiff joints as he looked around the empty room, light barely filtering in through his office windows since the sun was still trying to rise above the walls. The fire had long since died, the coals not even hot anymore, and the room was utterly silent.

He was already up before Y/N, then, as he might have expected. Perhaps–he should probably check in on her and make sure she was still here and asleep, just in case she'd had a harder time sleeping than he did and it was quiet because she wasn't here.

Pulling on his jacket and starting to comb his fingers through his hair, Levi carefully opened the door to the bedroom, just to check on her and make sure she was all right. Shoulder pressed against the doorframe, his head leaned into the crack between door and frame that he'd created, peering inside the dim room to make sure she was still in there.

Her gear was stacked and haphazardly folded over by the dresser, everything except her shirt over on the dresser, which in itself was enough to tell him she was still in bed, since almost all of her clothes were folded and waiting for her. As for the woman herself, she was still in bed, the blankets twisted around her to showcase what must have been a restless sleep. The sheets weaved in and out of her legs, crossed over her waist, jumbled at her back, and only a bare corner was lying on her shoulder, stuck there by sweat. Her bare legs were sprawled out across the bed, easy enough since she was sleeping on her side, arms lying on the bed beside her as if she'd fallen asleep in the process of pulling them closer to tuck them into her chest. Her soft breathing filled the room, sounding occasionally like they might turn into soft snores more than once, but for now, it was still simply light breaths.

She was fast asleep still, looking like nothing in the world was going to disturb or wake her even if it tried. Levi leaned in the doorway, head resting against the doorframe as he simply watched her for a few moments, reassuring himself that she was okay, she was getting the rest she needed, and for now simply enjoying the brief moment of peace.

Eventually, he'd decided he'd lingered too long, and if he stayed any longer it was going to start getting creepy. So, Levi pushed away from the frame and quietly shut the door behind him, leaving his office and making sure the door was locked behind him so no one could get inside and disturb Y/N while she was asleep.

He needed to go see the others, first–Erwin had said there were a few injuries, nothing fatal, but he still needed to make sure they were okay. Afterwards, he was going to talk to Erwin and see what plans Erwin needed to discuss with him.

Rest time was over–at least for him–the nightmare the fall of Wall Maria brought was just starting.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(Several days later)

"The Garrison is still on standby in case there's another attack. It's been a few days since Maria fell, but no one dare suggests we won't be attacked again anytime soon. Any expeditions for the Scouts are being put on hold momentarily until the situation settles enough to proceed and we have a plan. Right now, the military as a whole is focused on damage control, recovery, and staying on standby in case there's another attack, including drawing up contingency plans for each branch for future attacks. As for the expeditions, we may not be able to do them yet, but I've already started on plans to travel into Maria, and what we would be doing–setting up supply lines for a greater expedition to take back Wall Maria. No one has talked about it yet, but that needs to be a future goal, and the Scouts will undoubtedly be the ones to carry it out. For now, though, we have no way to seal the holes that were created in the walls, so we can only prepare for an eventual mission to retake the wall while we focus on what we can do for now."

Erwin interlaced his fingers and leaned forward on his desk, staring intently at Levi, who was standing in front of his desk listening to Erwin's take on their current situation. Erwin's expression notably darkened, and Levi braced himself for bad news.

"For now, the more pressing issue is the refugees. This isn't something that can be discussed outside of this room, but the king and council have been discussing the situation with the famine. Before Maria fell, there was already a shortage going on, and now the government is panicking about the reality of the inability to feed the remaining population of humanity in the walls–especially with all the farm and hunting land that's been lost with Maria's fall. I have already been warned that a solution the government has been moving towards...is to send a large portion of the refugees out beyond the walls to 'retake the wall,' and the Scouts would be the operation's overseers."

Levi's eyes widened, his grip on his arms loosening as he stared at Erwin, starting to go slack jaw before the anger overtook the shock. Of course that was the solution the government was going to jump to first. How many did they want to send out? Thousands? No, that wouldn't be enough to make a noticeable impact on the issue. Tens of thousands? Hundreds?

And of course, the Scouts, the ones who tried to do something about this scourge on humanity, was the one that was going to be put in charge of the massacre. They would make sure that humanity would have yet another reason to hate the Scouts, more people against them, another dark spot on their reputation that made things so much harder for them.

As much as he railed against the mass slaughter that he was being told of, a dark part of him also said it made sense–if they couldn't come up with more food, then they needed less people.

But fuck, not like this–it was sickening.

"They haven't committed to it. Not yet. It's their plan for if they can't get the shortage resolved, which, realistically, they won't," Erwin said grimly before Levi could start yelling. "First, they're going to send the refugees to Rose's wastelands to try and get the land fit to cultivate food. Even with rationing, even if they got all the fields to yield crops and filled the rest with livestock, it wouldn't be enough to stop the famine. In reality, not all the fields will produce crops, crops will be lost, some fields won't produce as much as they'd hoped, livestock will die, and livestock needs time to grow and breed. Some kind of action about this famine is inevitable. Which means we'll most likely be carrying out their plan. Not for a few months, but...in the fairly near future, we will have to."

Levi stiffened, staring at Erwin without really seeing him–instead, it was like he was staring down the inevitability of having to take part in an intentional bloodbath, a culling of humanity. "I won't be a part of this," Levi said firmly, voice low and dark.

"I don't want you out there when it happens," Erwin said, sounding unperturbed by Levi's refusal–apparently, it went right in line with his plans. He didn't want Levi going out there with the sacrificed refugees, anyway. "You and Y/N, I will not send out with the rest. It's an intentional massacre, and I'm not putting either of you into the middle of that and risking you being killed. And as much as we may be tempted to have you go out there to try and save as many as possible, realistically, that's not the point of this operation. And I know you hate this kind of death, anyway. It was never my intention to send you into that. I do, however, want you and Y/N on hand to recover survivors when they inevitably retreat, though. Which means when it happens, you'll be stationed on the wall waiting to cover their retreat."

Levi stared at Erwin, trying to swallow the reality of what was coming, his mind trying to envision how many people crammed into the refugee spots in Rose were going to be fed to Titans for the rest of them. "There's no alternative?" he asked softly.

"Not yet, no. We have some time before we're forced to that point, several months, a year at most, to prepare for it. But we'll need to be prepared. Again, I'll put you and Y/N on the wall to cover the retreat. You won't be part of the actual operation. In the meantime, though, this cannot leave this room. It hasn't been decided officially by the government, word can't spread...but I wanted to give you a heads up, because it will happen, eventually."

Levi's arms dropped, and he sat heavily down into the chair opposite Erwin, elbows on his knees and hands dangling out in front of him. "It's all one fucking shit show, isn't it? More questions, and no good solutions."

Erwin gazed at him for a few moments, and then changed the subject, rather than continuing along a depressing topic that they couldn't do anything about yet and there was nothing more to discuss, just things to process.

"How is Y/N's recovery?"

Levi looked up at him when he spoke, leaning back in the chair and pulling his arms back into his lap, one of his legs propped up on the other. "She's made a full recovery. She doesn't like sitting around doing nothing, since she joined to do something, so she's been spending her free time trying to help with the refugees. Food distribution, taking care of the sick and injured, all of that."

"Has she heard anything from the vampire she discovered?"

"Not yet, no. But she also said she expects him to at least get settled somewhere in the walls before reaching out."

"...Do you think she's looking for him among the refugee masses?"

Levi cocked his head to the side. He hadn't considered that. "No...I don't think so. She didn't see him so she wouldn't be able to recognize him. And trying to find him would put her at a disadvantage since she wants him to not know what she looks like until she's ready. Plus, I don't think he'd be with the refugees. If he has half a brain, he'd be looking for somewhere abandoned, or quiet and out of the way, somewhere to lie low. He can't go out in the sun, so he shouldn't be somewhere where he could be cornered and forced out in the sun. He'll be looking for somewhere he can be undetected in the day until he can go out at night. And there's far too many people in the refugee shelters to be laying low the way he needs to. He can't disappear in a crowd, he can't go out in the day, which makes him stand out, and he's too new. From what Y/N has seen, he doesn't have control like she does. If he actually cares about not hurting people, he's not going to be throwing himself into the throng."

"You've been putting a lot of thought into this," Erwin observed. Levi's hand clenched slightly on his leg.

"I've seen him. I know what he looks like. I'll be there when she meets him. I'm involved in this. I'm making sure it's something that's thought through and handled smartly," Levi said seriously.

"What about our other issues? Don't think I've forgotten about the hunter or the reappearance of the vampire that turned her. Her sire in a way, I guess, since they created her–as a vampire, anyway. It's less of a mouthful to say," Erwin mused, sitting back. His words were casual, but the look in his eyes was serious.

"No. She's been focused on what's happened with Maria and this new vampire...and the refugees. To be fair, so have I. At the moment, it's the more pressing issue, I suppose. But I haven't forgotten, Erwin. It'd be suicidal to forget the other two threats, but they're dead ends right now. We might have to wait until they make another move."

"Which could be lethal, if we're not careful," Erwin pointed out.

"I know, but the best we can do is prepare for a threat and stay on guard."

Erwin sighed and stood up, moving over to the window to gaze out of it, hands clasped behind his back. "We still need to tell Hange. But Y/N should be there for that. Let her know it will be a meeting with the four of us. If she's recovered, we should do it soon."

"Just tell us when–we'll be there. As long as Hange doesn't try running crazy weird experiments on her, neither of us are going to complain."

"Hange could help us all understand vampires better, if she's allowed to investigate. Y/N said herself she had nothing explained to her, it's all been trial and error. There may be things not even Y/N is aware of," Erwin said pointedly.

"I'm sure some of those are theories you can't test without basically torturing her," Levi said, the unspoken second layer of 'I won't let that happen' vibrating in his voice, clear to both of them.

"It won't go that far," Erwin said calmly. "But she could still help us all understand things about them. Even Y/N said there are abilities older vampires have that she probably isn't aware of."

Levi let out a huff, looking away. "If Four-Eyes isn't busy today, I can find Y/N once I leave, bring her back here, and we can have that conversation, get it out of the way before Hange riots."

Erwin turned to look at Levi. "Is Y/N ready to have that conversation? I know it's not a small thing for her."

"She's been aware that Hange's going to be told for several days now, I would hope she's prepared for it."

Erwin hummed. "Then if that's how you want to do it, we can."

"Is that all, then?" Levi asked, holding his gaze and waiting expectantly for Erwin's answer.

"Yes, that's all for today. Make sure the rest of your team is aware of their new duties until expeditions resume. It's going to be a few months at the least."

"I know," Levi returned, getting to his feet and leaving Erwin's office and heading for his own. He ignored everyone he passed along the way, heading straight to his destination and getting himself behind the locked door of his office.

Once inside, Levi leaned heavily back against the door, head bowed low, staring at the ground as the grim reality of what Erwin told him hovered over his head.

There was going to be a massacre in a few months, and only a handful of people knew but couldn't say anything.

He'd spare telling Y/N about this. She had enough on her plate right now, so he'd wait until it was a tangible reality she was about to play a part in.

Right now he needed to find and tell her about letting Hange in the loop in a few hours.

He waited a few moments so he could process just a little longer in private, then straightened up and headed back outside his office to go searching for Y/N.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

*Reader's POV*

It wasn't difficult to realize that these spaces were being used to house refugees, as it was to accept that they were cramming so many people into what ended up being small spaces with the amount of people. All these refugees crammed into food storage buildings and warehouses, crowding together or trying to find some empty space to occupy where they could breathe for a few moments or be left alone.

Currently, you were helping hand out supplies that were unfortunately sparse, which meant you also had to be selective about who got them based on who needed them most. Some people tried to yank items like blankets right out of your hands, but you held fast because you knew as soon as you let one person get away with that, a swarm of people would believe they could get away with the same. And the blankets especially you were being mindful with, saving them for the susceptible, like children, the elderly, the frail, or the sick.

You were one of the few Scouts who came here to help out in your free time, able to slip through the cracks despite the fact that this was supposed to be Garrison duty. No, not MP duty, because they were too stubborn to leave the inner wall even with all the chaos happening out here with everyone else. Still, this was somewhere you wanted to be right now, even if it was odd for a Scout to be picking up Garrison duties in their downtime.

Not being able to go out on expeditions was making you restless, like you weren't doing what you came to the Scouts to do. If you weren't going out on expeditions, you weren't using your abilities to be an asset, you weren't doing something to help humanity. So, in the meantime, you were doing what you could, which, right now, meant that you were putting in extra time with the refugees to try and do something. Things were a mess right now, with how little time had passed since the wall fell, which meant all the help that could be given was much needed. Not everyone's needs were being met, especially with some of the Garrison troops meant to be helping, clearly turning their nose up at the refugees for a variety of reasons that didn't fully excuse some of the cruel words or sneers sent in the direction of the Maria refugees. So you were here to try and make up some of that difference where you could.

You'd just handed a blanket to a trio of children just a couple years short of their early teens when Levi made an appearance. You, as usual, caught wind of his scent long before you saw him, even in this crowd. As such, your lips twitched upwards to a smile in recognition, giving the two boys and gloomy girl a small nod before moving to the next, trying not to get so lost in thought with Levi's arrival that someone could swipe a blanket from you or you missed someone who really needed one.

Knowing he was here put your mind at ease. Not because you'd been feeling anxious but because recently he'd become a...safe place for you. You always felt safe around him. When you reached Wall Rose while retreating Wall Maria through your exhaustion, you'd almost passed out right there in his arms when he arrived because you knew if he was there, you'd be safe. The only reason you'd clung to consciousness until you reached the wall was in case he needed your help, because you understood that even though you felt safe, there was still danger.

And then later, his office had been your recluse, your safe place to steal away, finally getting some much needed sleep–and pleasantly surprised with a helpful blend of stress relieving tea before bed. He'd been warm and close the entire time, there if you needed him, even gave you his bedroom to sleep in for the night. You felt safe and wanted with him, since he never once actually complained about your presence. There was still that weird period of what seemed like emotional distance he hadn't had the chance to explain to you, yet, but you weren't counting that because you didn't know what it had been, yet. It certainly wasn't present, now, Levi was with you even more, now, inviting you to join him for tea or a meal whenever you brought him a cup or a tray in his currently paperwork-heavy stretches of work. You went to meetings in pairs, kept up with your training even though you were supposed to be resting. Sometimes Levi just showed up coincidentally and grumbled about how you two might as well do such-and-such task together if you were both there. Though, admittedly, you were guilty of looking for excuses to be around him–and not just after Wall Maria fell–though sometimes you did it subconsciously. Sometimes you had to wonder if he was doing the same.

He was your safe place, and someone whose company you actively sought out–you wanted to be around him, you were most comfortable around him than anyone else. But what about him? What was going on in his head? How did he see you?

You already established before Maria fell that he cared about you. If there had been any subconscious doubts about that beforehand, they were gone after the lengths he went to in order to make sure you were safe, and how protective he'd been afterwards. Always half a step away, subtly supporting you when you needed it, checking up frequently to make sure you were still holding up okay, making sure you were as comfortable as could be and nothing that was happening was having a negative effect on you. He'd been there the entire time, all the way until he was certain you were safe and resting and duties called him elsewhere.

Then there were the little vulnerabilities you'd been able to see around him that you hadn't yet seen him display around other people as openly, if at all. The feeding sessions alone was a gigantic show of vulnerability and trust, especially with the way that it made both of you feel in the high of the moment. The awkward moments blushing and moaning had been obvious enough, even if you both tried to ignore it in the moment and just keep going, ignoring the closeness of it all, how excited it seemed to get both of you–that you knew was something he didn't let just anyone witness, and he'd been more open about it this last time than he'd been the first time it happened. There was also how worried he got for you, the concern and the care, the glimpses of fear for your safety you saw, how uneasy he got at the thought of you putting yourself at risk–those were all vulnerabilities, ones that he showed in the tiniest twitches or gestures, or a glimpse in his eyes.

Of course there was the trust that had formed between the two of you, as well. That might have been the first to build, considering it was the first thing you both worked on after Levi found out what you were. Your position as a Scout demanded there be trust between the two of you, and it had deepened far enough you were both willing to trust the other with their life. You knew that Levi would watch out for you, he'd done it time and time again by now, and you were doing your best to do the same for him, though in your position, strangely enough, you seemed to be doing more of the making sure he was taking care of himself kind of watching out for him. You knew he could hold his own out in the field, so you didn't worry about him as much, simply kept tabs on him, kept one eye on him in case some freakish thing happened and he ended up needing assistance. But if he ever needed that help, you knew you'd be there in a heartbeat, before anyone else could react or blink. And Levi, well, ironically, even though you were technically stronger and faster, so on and so forth thanks to your vampire abilities, he was the one who seemed to be constantly looking after your physical wellbeing, protecting you in risky situations or routines gone sideways. Though there were a couple situations where you were just fine and his intervention had been appreciated, but not strictly, immediately necessary for some life or death situation–not for you, anyway. But it was still a level of trust that was almost shocking with the fact it had only been about a year, roughly, since you met.

Then again, you two already had a couple life and death scrapes, and going out into Titan territory was a dangerous experience that certainly forged bonds in fire, so maybe this kind of development was as to be expected, in your unique situations.

He cared about you, you two trusted each other implicitly, protected one another, he showed vulnerability around you even if it was in tiny glimpses. There was a softness to him you'd been able to pick up on with all your time spent around him–time both of you were seeking out, though that was a maybe for him since you couldn't be sure. You were comfortable around him, you felt safe around him, at peace, and dare you say it, happy, even.

There were plenty of titles for the kind of bonds you two had forged. Captain and Squad Member–maybe even right hand based on a few whispers you'd caught around Headquarters, Vampire and Donor, Friend and Comrade; those certainly applied, but they didn't...catch everything.

It didn't account for the softness in his gaze, the vulnerabilities that peaked through, the flustered way he'd been speaking before the wall fell, how he held to your hand when you'd given him the necklace, the boundaries you were allowed to cross into private spheres despite him being a relatively private person. He could have just as easily let you rest in your quarters that night, he didn't have to insist you sleep in his room. His fingers didn't have to brush against yours every time you handed him something. He didn't have to hold so tightly to you in the moments where his arms found their way around you for whatever reason, be it in the heat of battle, when you were injured, or when you were feeding off him. His gaze didn't have to linger on you every time you were in sight and he didn't think you knew, like right now as he approached you from behind. And now, the gaze wasn't cold and calculating like it had been those first few months when he'd been watching you. Now it was warm, patient, understanding, safe, even if it was only his eyes that gave it away.

Levi...What are we?

When Levi came up behind you as you moved to get rid of the rest of your stack of blankets, you were unfazed by his approach, handing two blankets to a girl who had a sick mother watching her from a few feet away while the little girl asked you hopefully for two. As she ran off with them, leaving you with one more to hand out, you turned your head to look at him, an eyebrow raised.

"I assume you're here to fetch me for something?" you asked, ignoring some of the stares and whispers Levi's presence was causing among the refugees. How many were people whose towns he'd warned? Were there any of the five hundred or so that had been on the boats from Shiganshina?

Levi nodded, gaze momentarily following the girl you'd just given the two blankets to as she ran back to her mother before settling back on you. "Erwin wants to have this talk with Hange out of the way."

Oh. Shit...right...that was still happening. Right now? Fuck.

After that brief journey of a train of thought, you turned back around to do a quick scan, searching through the crowd before you picked your way over to an elderly gentleman who'd managed to poach himself a seat on the ground up against a column, getting some rest where he was relatively safe from the main throng. You gave your last blanket to him, turning around to find that Levi had followed you, staying a step and a half behind you to give you room to maneuver in the crowded space.

"Is it going to be as soon as we get back, or...?"

"As soon as we get back. The sooner we get this over with, the better," Levi said pointedly. "Is there anything else you need to do?"

"No, that was my last blanket, I can head back, it's no problem," you reassured him, following him once he turned and started to lead the way back through the crowd towards Headquarters, ignoring any whispers from the refugees about him.

As you walked with him, you let out a breath you hadn't realized you'd been holding, some of the tension easing out of your shoulders as you walked with him.

Even though you had been around crowds almost constantly since Maria fell, you couldn't help but feel a little shifty when you were in these crowded places. Never before had you been around so many people so publicly, and in an easily identifiable uniform, not to mention so often since these little trips were something you were doing while you were 'recovering' and more so after you found out there wouldn't be more expeditions for a while. The publicity, how you stuck out in the crowd instead of blending into it, put you on edge, irritating your self-preservation instinct to stay out of the public eye. You felt exposed in crowds like this, wearing your uniform.

However, once again, being next to Levi brought a sense of safety back into your chest, settling some of the anxious flutterings at the same time that it reminded you that this was your life now. You weren't hiding in the Underground anymore, you were out in public quite frequently now–regularly as a Scout, and right in the public's eye since you were almost always right beside Humanity's Strongest. It was an unease you were going to have to kick now that you were out in the public's eye, amongst some of the most limelight bathed individuals in the military, putting yourself at the center of these conflicts and tragedies and operations in order to help however you could.

Still, you took a step closer to Levi as the two of you navigated the crowds, just to feel a smidgen safer as the two of you made your way back, letting out a soft sigh of relief when the crowd thinned and it was just the two of you walking back in silence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just like Levi said, the two of you were heading straight to Erwin's office from the refugee camp you'd been at, Erwin and Hange already inside and waiting for the two of you, from what Levi seemed to surmise. You were nervous about what was going to happen, but you were rather proud that you'd managed to keep your nerves hidden outwardly on the trip here–no shaking hands, no sweating, no shiftiness, you walked calmly beside Levi the entire time. Still, Levi seemed to notice something, because in the last stretch as they reached the grounds of Headquarters, he side-eyed you and spoke up.

"If you're not ready, you can still back out. Give it another day," he proposed evenly. However, you shook your head.

"No, it's already been decided to tell her today, I'm not going to back out now," you murmured, taking a deep, slow breath to settle your nerves again. "I'm just worried about how this will go down, how she's going to take it."

"You already have Erwin and me on your side–if Hange doesn't like it for whatever reason, then Hange's going to have to find a way to deal with it," Levi said bluntly, coming to a stop in front of Erwin's door and staring intently at you before he spoke again. "Are you ready?"

Honestly, no, but if they were going to wait until you were ready, this talk was never going to happen. You had to do it now with the mindset that you couldn't back out, like when you'd come clean to Levi and Erwin.

Though at least this time you didn't have to sit in a cell while you explained, wondering what their verdict was going to be. This time you were already safe.

You gave Levi a little nod, and even though he could probably tell you weren't ready persay, he still opened the door and led the way inside.

Erwin was situated at his desk, doing paperwork as calmly and casually as if there wasn't anyone else in the room. Hange was leaning against the back of the couch, hands braced along its back with head tilted up to the ceiling until you and Levi made your appearances, snapping her out of her thoughts and causing her to center all her attention on you. Levi ignored the obvious look of anticipation, waiting to see what you were going to do before he found a perch. You didn't think you could make yourself sit still, but standing meant you were going to pace, and since you were going to be the center of the conversation, you couldn't exactly lean against a wall and try to blend into the background. Which meant you ended up standing awkwardly somewhere around the center of the room in front of Hange, Levi huffing slightly in frustration before he ended up taking the position you envied leaning against a wall as a silent observer.

"Good, we're all here. Well, Erwin?" Hange asked expectantly, turning her attention from you and Levi to Erwin, who was still calmly writing at his desk. Erwin's silence stretched on for a painfully long several minutes, it felt like, before he paused in his writing, looked up, and raised an eyebrow at you.

"This is about you, correct? I assume you'll want to lead the discussion, then?" Erwin asked patiently, officially tossing the reins of this matter right over to you.

Of fucking course.

Your gaze flickered around the room to take in your surroundings, the action probably looking shifty when really you were looking for the closest visual aids in the room to help prove your point and give Hange a bit to chew on. It was still light out. The sun was just starting to set, dusk approaching, so if your explanation wasn't too long, you could showcase how the sun normally burned you. There was always cutting your hand open or something like that, surely Levi had plenty of knives on him–but that wasn't as much proof. Titans regenerated, too. With that evidence alone, you didn't narrow down what you were to anything specific. You weren't about to flash your fangs and red eyes at her–that was far too aggressive and confrontational. And you doubted Erwin would appreciate you breaking anything in his office, so you would refrain from displays of strength. Speed was still something you could play with, though.

But first...how the hell were you supposed to broach the subject?

Let's start with finding out what you had to build upon.

"I know there are legends out there, so...have you ever heard anything about blood-sucking demons that lurk in the night? Not politicians, I mean...out of horror stories, or scary stories children tell to scare the hell out of each other," you approached tentatively.

Hange raised an eyebrow at you, as if questioning why you would start with something like that. Fair enough. "Does that have something to do with this?"

"Just humor me," you asked patiently, and Hange took a moment to rack her brains before she ended up shaking her head, a small frown on her face as she stared hard at you.

"No, I haven't, though you've certainly piqued my interest."

You hummed, backtracking slightly now that you knew there weren't any legends to build on, like there had been with Levi, who'd grown up in the Underground and must have heard the warning scary stories as a child, considering you thought the Underground was where most of the vampires within the walls were congregated.

"Okay, then...what do you know about me, so far?" you asked instead, deciding to build off whatever she'd managed to observe.

"I know your abilities seem to surpass Levi's. That you were able to cover an impossible distance on foot when you were warning Maria residents about the wall. That there's some kind of big secret only you, Erwin, and Levi know about, obviously. A secret that required new flare colors for Levi's squad alone, that's caused our casualty rates to suddenly plummet for the time being, and that you're somewhere else entirely in the formation, though I don't know where. And I know something about you is inhuman."

Okay, that was a good start–you could work with that. Especially that last bit, because she wasn't wrong.

"You're right. My abilities do pass Levi's–in raw strength, at least, and it's because I'm not human. Not anymore, at least. I'm what you call a vampire–something it seems very few people in the walls are aware is even a thing, anymore," you said in an even tone, holding Hange's gaze so she could see you were serious about this.

Right to it, then. Best to just get it over with, like Levi had said. Lay it all out on the table for Hange to make of it whatever she wanted.

Hange blinked, started to say something, frowned, and then leaned back against the couch, eyes narrowed slightly. "Vampire?" she asked, the word clearly meant to encourage you to elaborate, since the word meant nothing to her.

"An immortal creature, once human but turned at some point into a night monster or demon, whatever you want to call it, that preys on humans for their blood to survive," you defined, well aware that you were casting yourself in a bad light, but it was the harsh truth of what you were. You heard Levi give a frustrated huff that only you caught with your enhanced hearing, though you didn't know what specifically you'd said to irritate him, so you left it alone and continued like you hadn't heard him. "Of course, I found a way to walk in the sun without bursting into flames–not an exaggeration–and I've managed to find a way to take the blood I need without killing anyone...in case you're wondering about that part."

You were probably giving her more questions than answers, and even you felt like you were giving a rushed explanation that was a shortened version of what you'd told Erwin and Levi. At least they'd already had an idea of what you were going into their interrogation, with their own set of questions they needed answered. Hange didn't know anything about how this worked unless you told her, and you doubted Levi and Erwin wanted to be here for a complete overview of how you ticked, so the specifics would have to wait for later.

"So you're an immortal creature that can't walk in the sun, but managed to find a way to do so, and you eat human blood instead of regular food?" Hange asked, clearly confused with quite a few facts about you that she knew from observing you that made that difficult to believe, even for someone who'd been open to you not being human. This was a lot to process, and there was probably parts about that explanation that made her want to treat you as dangerous, but Erwin and Levi were both relaxed and acting as if it was entirely casual. Or maybe it was just the sheer unbelievability of it all. Maybe she'd be more ready to accept it with one of the visual aids you'd been thinking about a few moments ago.

"Levi, can I borrow one of your knives?" you asked him, turning to face him and holding out a hand in askance, not even bothering to ask him if he had one on him, you knew he probably had several.

He sighed, already knowing where you were going with this as he reached down to fish one out of his boot, tossing the slender blade your way unconcerned, knowing you were going to catch it with ease–and even if you weren't it would help make your point. After tossing you the knife, he moved away from his position by the wall, heading over to the windows in Erwin's office instead, staring out towards the forest not too far from Headquarters as if whatever was out there was more interesting than the discussion of what you were with Hange.

While Levi was keeping himself entertained, you turned to face Hange again, holding your palm out facing the sun coming through the windows so she had a clear view of what you were about to do, and plenty of light.

"It's a lot to take in, so, I can show you a few things. For one, I can regenerate like the Titans do–though there's no steam, and I don't think I can regenerate as extensively as they do–but what I can self-heal is rather impressive, if I may say so myself," you said, trying to bring a bit of light-heartedness to the conversation to help put everyone at ease, even while you put the blade in your palm and pressed in deep, hissing as you pulled the knife downwards, cutting open your palm deep enough you had to tilt your arm upwards so blood trailed down your arm and not onto the floor, keeping your palm open so Hange could see the wound that was already stitching itself closed.

She gasped, starting to step forwards before you approached her, hand outstretched so she could see the wound for herself. Hange grasped the edges of your hand, studying it closely as the muscle and skin closed itself up in front of her, turning into deeply scarred tissue before fading to little more than a red mark, then white, and then disappearing entirely.

"There's a lot I'll have to explain about how it works and the nuances of what I am, but I don't want to make Commander Erwin and Levi sit through all that again, so we'll stick with the important stuff for now," you said as Hange turned your hand over, feeling the now-smooth skin of your palm that had been ripped open a moment ago. "Again, I'm not human anymore–though I used to be, and my vampire abilities do make me stronger than Levi in several ways against the Titans. Though even you saw I have my limitations and things that have to be addressed before I can be of the most use. I've been working with Commander Erwin and Levi to put my abilities to use helping humanity against the Titans. That's what those flares were for–special signals between myself, Levi's Squad, and Commander Erwin to help guide the Scouts away from danger while we're out in Titan territory. Explaining that is going to go into a whole mess of explanation about my senses and abilities, our communication set-up and all that–"

"You said vampires prey on humans, though–I'm going to need a bit more clarification on that," Hange suddenly interrupted, looking up from where she'd been staring at your hand and meeting your gaze full force. It seemed she wanted the explanation about how Levi and Erwin were able to overlook a factor that very easily made you a natural enemy of humankind, like Titans. She wanted that reassurance before you continued explaining anymore.

"Well...vampires need blood regularly to survive. Human blood, preferably. I could get by on animal blood, but it wouldn't make me as strong as I need to be to do what the Scouts need me to do, plus, vampires have a...desire for blood, a lust for it, that makes it difficult to resist and requires a lot of control. If I was drinking animal blood, I'd have shit control over my thirst. So, I was feeding off...the worst of low lives in the Underground, until a few months ago when Levi decided it was too risky for me to continue."

"Too risky? Why?" Hange asked, her eyes sharp, soaking in information at a rapid rate right now as the topics changed rapidly, you trying to give her a quick bare essentials explanation while Levi and Erwin were here simply to interject on your behalf and defend you if necessary, or possibly defend their own decisions and actions regarding what to do with you and your presence here.

"Well..." you started to say, glancing back at Levi, surprised he wasn't giving you a look or speaking up with what you were talking about. He was still staring out that window, still as a predator staring down prey, body fully turned to the window so he wasn't even glancing your direction. Was he avoiding looking at you? Did he think that made this easier for you to talk about, somehow? "Where there are threats to humanity, there's those who fight them, right? Vampires have their own Scouts, vampire hunters that have made it their mission to wipe out any vampire they come across. I had a run in with some of them. Levi felt it was too dangerous for me to keep hunting in the Underground and came up with an alternative. One where no one died, but I still got the blood I needed to survive without losing strength–I ended up gaining strength, actually."

You tore your gaze away from Levi since he seemed to not be giving this conversation any attention, looking tense and on edge–agitated, at least, over in his spot by the window, and you decided to just let him be and keep focused on Hange, tearing your gaze slowly from Levi and turning your full attention back to Hange once it was clear he wasn't going to interject in this part of the explanation, even though he featured heavily. "The blood thing is pretty complex, it'll take some explaining another time, the same with the hunters and how they figure in as a threat, right now I just want to–"

As you were turning to face her, the hairs on the back of your neck stood on end as Levi took a sharp breath, drawing your attention back to him. Your eyes snapped in his direction, but by the time you were looking at him, he'd already crossed most of the distance between the two of you, body colliding with yours in a protective shield as a sharp, "Down!" from his voice cracked through the room. You were already thrown off balance by that point, hearing glass shatter as Levi seemed to push you back and to the side away from the windows. There was some kind of muffled impact you felt before you hit the ground, Levi making a sound as if the air had been pushed out of his chest a split second before the two of you hit the ground in a mess of limbs and even some glass from whatever shattered.

The scent of blood cut sharply through the air, causing all of your senses to burn white hot as your brain registered danger and that Levi was bleeding.

"Hange, shut the curtains! Stay away from the open windows!" came Erwin's quick orders like cracks from a whip, two pairs of footsteps rushing to the wall of windows to start closing curtains and cutting off visibility while you were piecing together what just happened and your current situation. Thankfully, that process was a rapid one with the two facts that had cemented in your head, because Levi was hurt, and he wasn't moving off you.

You sat up as much as you could with Levi on top of you, Levi groaning in pain, the sound coming out choked and forced as you stared at the shattered window something had smashed through just beyond where you and Levi were now, a window you'd been standing a few steps away from while you talked to Hange. That detail was caught more in the background of your vision, though, because you were more focused on Levi, on the dark crimson rapidly pooling across his back, a wooden stake clearly meant for you sticking out of his upper back, the clear cause of the pain in his voice and the sharp scent of blood filling the air.

As Hange and Erwin rushed to cut off visibility for whoever had just attacked–you had a pretty good idea–you rushed to treat Levi, heart racing as you tried to move out from under him without dislodging the stake and causing more bleeding, one of your hands reaching around to press against the wound and apply pressure, trying desperately to stopper the bleeding.

"Levi?" you asked in a voice that cracked slightly at the end, praying he was still responsive considering he was so still. Hopefully he was just afraid to move, or in too much pain to move, or he didn't move because he was afraid he'd dislodge what was embedded in his back or accidentally fuck himself over even more if he did move.

He groaned and coughed, breaths choppy and hard to take in, each breath sounding like he was trying to suck in air but his throat kept closing up. When he coughed, blood spattered onto your clothes. This wasn't good–how rapidly the blood was spilling out of him, his difficulty breathing–fuck, did it hit a lung?

No, that part wasn't important at this immediate second. You had a pretty clear objective right now, now, before too many precious seconds slipped away.

For the second time, but under entirely different circumstances, you found yourself in a race against time to save Levi's life before he bled out.

Using the knife you'd just been using to show Hange your healing, you plunged it into your wrist without hesitation, crying out at the pain but still tearing the blade to the side to make sure it was a sizable wound that gushed blood, yanking the knife out and ignoring how your head spun from the violent and sudden pain.

"I need help over here!" you called to them, about to shout before realizing this was a scene you couldn't risk any other Scouts stumbling across, and you couldn't draw attention like that. Erwin was at your side in a second, keeping pressure on Levi's wound to try and staunch the bleeding while you carefully rolled him onto his side, your one free hand running across his cheek and into his hair to get his attention as you tried to get him to follow your instructions, wincing slightly as he coughed up more blood.

"Keep trying to breathe, especially breathe out, you need to get the air out, but first, you know what I need you to do, we've been here before," you said in a rush, holding Levi's gaze even though his eyes were hazy, and strangely at peace despite the frantic panic that was racing through you, that look in his eyes only riling you up further and causing your panic to double at the thought he might be giving in to a rapidly approaching sense of death. What the fuck was going on in his head that he was looking at you like that?

You wished you could ignore how much blood Erwin had on his hands trying to stop the bleeding from Levi's back. Levi's nose started to wrinkle in distaste–good, he heard you–but before he could have any form of complaint or refusal, you pressed the heavily bleeding open wound against his lips, immediately garnering a reaction from Erwin and Hange.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

"L/N, if you're trying to–"

"My blood can heal, remember?" you said sharply, directing that statement at Erwin since he was the one you'd mentioned that detail around–you didn't reach that point with Hange. "And he needs all the time we can buy him," you added breathlessly, feeling Levi start to resist the first few seconds on instinct before he started forcing himself to drink, which was difficult as his breathing turned shallow and rapid, choked off by coughs that spattered more blood against your arm that you tried to ignore, making sure he drank a lot, praying that the amount would have some kind of effect that would speed up Levi's recovery even more.

"I think he's bleeding into his lung, we need to seal that wound up so more air doesn't get in," Hange announced, flying around Erwin's room as she looked for the tools to do just that, you and Erwin working together to keep the pressure on Levi's wound and seal it up as much as possible. While Erwin pressed from the back against the wound with both hands, you held Levi in place with one of your hands, the other currently pressed against his lips to make sure he was drinking from you.

After he'd forced down several gulps and the pressure against his mouth was starting to interfere with his breathing, you pulled your arm away, hand shifting so it was cradling the side of his face closest to the floor, holding his head up with fingers threaded in his hair as he struggled to breath and Erwin and Hange raced to seal the wound up. Each breath he took sounded like a barely managed wheeze that was abruptly cut off before he tried again, over and over, rapidly, trying but struggling to breathe out, eyes locked with yours when he managed to focus through all the shit going on to actually look at you. It just made your chest tighten in fear, as if you were the one who couldn't breathe as you listened to each painful breath.

"Keep looking at me, Levi, you're going to be alright. We've been here before, you're going to be fine."

That was a lie. Last time it was an abdominal wound and you'd had about half an hour tops to get the bleeding under control and for your blood to work it's magic, and even then it had been a close call. This time it was a chest wound that must have punctured into his lung, and he had minutes for them to get control of the situation before he died. Your blood didn't work that fast.

Your thumb gently but hastily stroked along the side of his face, hand on his arm tightening as Erwin cursed over something the other two were doing, Levi stiffening and his breathing momentarily halting before he managed to suck in a few jagged breaths after a few seconds of struggle.

There was so much blood...

"You just have to hang in there, okay, Levi? Not forever, just long enough for my blood to do its job and heal you, okay, that's all you need to do, just hold on until then. If you're stubborn enough to force me into half the shit you have, you're stubborn enough to hold on for a few minutes, okay? Okay, Levi?"

You stressed your words, trying to keep ahold of his gaze as his eyelids fluttered and his breathing kept sputtering out. Weak coughs rattled from his wounded chest caused blood to bubble past his lips and down from the corner of his mouth and into your palm or onto your wrist.

"Your eyes–" Hange gasped at one point, but you quickly snapped at her, in no mood to be answering questions right now.

"Ignore it! We can talk about it later!" you bit, too stressed and panicked to even feel guilty about snapping at her. You were far more worried about the man dying in front of you–again. Except this time with odds stacked painfully against him, even with your blood in play.

Levi's head started to grow heavier, eyelids fluttering, and you lifted his head back up, cursing over and over in your head as you felt your heart thumping painfully in your chest, wildly, like it would burst out at any second if he showed one more sign of moving closer to death.

"Don't you dare fall asleep until I tell you to!" you snapped at him when his head bobbed. When his eyes cracked open to look at you, his breaths a bare rattle, you pushed on. "You know what happens if you die with my blood in your system, Levi, you don't get to die, now, okay? You have to stay alive. No going to sleep, no giving up, you fight tooth and fucking nail, got it?" you growled at him, the anger effect ruined by the fear you felt for him coloring every word.

You thought there was a bit more vitality in his rasps after that, and he was certainly struggling to stay awake, though that didn't mean he was going to be successful. You just needed him to be fighting for his life subconsciously as well as consciously. That way he didn't just let go while he was unconscious. You needed him fighting to stay alive, to stay human, now that your blood was running through his veins.

"Come on, Levi...come on, just hold on...stay with me..." you pleaded in a low murmur, eyes starting to burn, wondering what the fuck Erwin and Hange were doing on the other side of Levi. You could still feel the pressure Erwin was exerting on the wound, but the scent of blood in the air was so thick...

"Something strange is happening and I don't know enough of what's going on to fix this properly," Hange said from across you, voice sounding strained. You tore your gaze from Levi's face for a few heartbeats, looking over at his back to get a quick view.

Erwin's and Hange's hands were stained with blood, Erwin's more than Hange's, and they had a hasty, makeshift seal around the wound, but the stake seemed to be shifting slightly in place on it's own, which was disrupting their seal and letting air back into the space around Levi's lungs, making it difficult for him to breathe over and over again.

"The wound's trying to heal the worst of it on it's own. You're going to have to pull the stake out as my blood heals the worst of the internal damage so the stake's not in the way, little at a time, and controlled, keeping the seal as much in place as you can so air doesn't get in and crush his lungs and heart before the injury can heal enough for his lung to start working properly on their own again," you observed, pulling incrementally on the stake to pull it a smidgen out of the wound, feeling guilt as Levi's body gave a visible twitch in pain, breath choking off for a moment. "Like that. And keep that wound sealed–he's not going to heal as fast as me, so this will take a while."

You turned your attention back to Levi's face to see his consciousness was leaving him, rapid eye movement beneath his heavy eyelids already kicking in as he tried to stay with you, a task that you knew he was going to ultimately fail on a consciousness level. Too much blood loss, too much struggle to breathe and too much pain.

"Don't you die on me, Levi," you murmured to him, still supporting his head and holding him still while Erwin and Hange followed your advice that took into account the fact the blood was starting to kick in and slowly stitch his body back together. It should work fairly quickly for the severe, immediately mortal stuff, then slow down once it reached the more minor problems and the blood started to work it's way out of his system. You'd have to make sure your blood stayed in his system to make sure there weren't complications while he recovered...

But if he died before the blood could stop the worst of it, if he slipped into a transition phase, leaving humanity behind...

No, no, he couldn't die now, he couldn't turn into a vampire, not like this, not without a choice like you had–at least without a choice in being shoved into the transition phase. There was still the actual decision that he would have, but you didn't want that for him, and you doubted that was what he wanted. He needed to pull through this, he needed to be okay, because if he wasn't...

If he wasn't, you weren't sure what you were going to do. Already, with his life in such a precarious situation, you felt like you were simultaneously burning up from the inside while your limbs seemed to be freezing up on the outside, repeatedly begging and asking for him to hold on just a little while longer, keep fighting, hold on, don't die even for a moment.

But he did. Once his consciousness left him, while Erwin and Hange were struggling with the pace of the healing wound and keeping a balance between the first aid and the body stitching itself together at a superhuman rate but much, much too slow for the situation and slower than a vampire, he suddenly stopped breathing altogether, the other two struggling to get the air back into the right part of his lungs for so long the collapsed lung pressing up against his heart for so long, that his heart seized up, stopped beating, and you were the only one who had a chance to start his heart beating again. You had to ignore the burning of tears in your eyes as you frantically used your vampire strength to give him chest compressions with one hand, fighting to get his heart beating again while Erwin and Hange frantically relieved the built up air in his chest as best they could without letting more in, all three of you fighting what felt like a losing battle, none of you willing to give up considering you were still balanced on the razor's edge with saving him. It was a razor's edge, and you kept almost tipping over the side that plummeted into Levi's death, but you kept dragging him back, you kept your balance, and there was still a chance to save him without turning him into a vampire.

The back and forth continued torturously, where you were forced to sit there and hold him in the position you knew he should be in while you were all trying to treat the wound, listening over and over to his lungs struggling to work while they healed, listening to the sound of his heart fighting to beat and then stopping, which you would have to get going again, listening to Erwin and Hange curse as you felt like every second was hollowing you out, staring at Levi's unconscious face, at the blood trailing out of his mouth and spattered across the floor, hearing the sickening squelch of the wound being constantly messed with, the stake moved out little by little as Levi's body tried to heal and Hange and Erwin tried to keep the wound sealed so air wouldn't make an already nearly impossible situation even more difficult.

At long last, you heard the clatter of the stake falling to the floor as it fell out of the wound, Erwin and Hange moving quickly to seal the wound up completely and tightly with the bandages, moving clothes out of the way as much as they could, both of them talking quickly with each other to coordinate while you sat there continuing to stare at Levi's face, holding him steady while they worked, activity starting to spark up inside you again as you came out of the dark tunnel the situation seemed to have been sucking you into with every passing second, your surroundings coming into sharp focus around you one by one.

Your hearing was the first to come back into focus. You could hear Hange and Erwin discussing if they needed to clean the wound since it wasn't going to be done by a medical professional and it was healing itself with the vampire blood, and then discussing leaving an easy way to open the wrapping just enough air could be released so Levi didn't continue to have air where it didn't belong crushing his lung. Beyond their discussion of technicalities and how to best approach Levi's wound, you could hear Levi's breaths, still shallow and wheezing, still struggling to get the air he needed with every breath, but no longer stopping entirely, which meant he was slowly recovering. His heart was beating again, slow and unsteady, but beating, his body working to stay alive with assistance from your blood. A few strides away there was the whistle of wind through the broken window covered by fluttering curtains.

Across your hands was a mix of still sticky and dried blood, caking your hands in an uncomfortable way. The scent of blood was still alarmingly cloying in the room, sharp in your nose, and causing an ache in your jaw that had gone entirely ignored up until now. Ignored because your emotions had been too erratic and strong for even the scent of blood to pierce through–or maybe the control you had of yourself was coming into play after feeding off Levi for so long, or maybe you really were adjusting to it like you'd both hoped would happen.

Your hands were shaking–were still shaking, they had been this entire time, but no one said anything–and Levi's blood was splattered across your clothes and staining your hands. As the shock and panic started to wear off, anger–no, especially with your heightened emotions, it was rage–took its place.

You knew exactly who was responsible for this–the stake gave it away, and you'd just been talking about how vampire hunters were a danger. You'd known that hunter was still a threat, but you had no leads to follow, but the last thing you'd expected was this.

Feeling the furious heat seething from you, you very gently put Levi's head down on the ground, making sure it was turned so if he coughed up any more blood it wouldn't block his airways. The activity in the room had calmed down slightly as you got to your feet, tearing your attention away from Levi and towards the broken window.

"You've got him, right?" you asked, a distance in your voice as you moved over to the window, peeking through a crack in the curtain to look in the direction of the woods, trying to eye the trajectory the stake was launched–fired, perhaps crossbow style, or some kind of rifle contraption, you wouldn't be surprised, hunters were inventive, they had to be in order to even the playing field enough to kill vampires. You needed an area to start from, and you thought you could pin it down based on where Levi was shot and how it came through the window.

"He's as stable as we're going to get him, but we won't be able to move him safely for a little longer," Hange said in concern, glancing between you at the window and the wound. Once you heard that and you had your general destination, you turned sharply away from the window, hurrying out the room even though you had to resist the urge to stop and stay with Levi in the process. Hange tried to tell you to stay, but Erwin seemed aware of what your train of thought was, stopping Hange from yelling or chasing after you as you let the door shut tightly behind you.

You really, really wanted to stay with Levi and make sure he was going to be alright, but there wasn't much more you could do at the moment, Erwin and Hange had the situation as under control as they could, and the rage burning through your veins demanded you not let this threat remain in this world any longer, especially now that Levi had almost died because of it.

You headed to your room without drawing attention, using your speed to pass most people since you didn't dare risk someone seeing you with blood all over your clothes and coating your hands. Once inside, you didn't clean up or anything, you just attached your ODM gear as fast as possible, grabbed your plain cloak, and threw it on. You locked your door by habit, opened up the window, made sure there was no one around to see what you were about to do, and then jumped out, landing gracefully on both feet and only pausing long enough to collect yourself after the landing before taking off for the woods at a pure vampiric sprint, eyes burning crimson in a call for blood.