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Chapter Text

What was it? He wondered in silence while looking at her through the window of the commander’s office. What was it that drew him to her tent that fateful night? The worst part was he hasn’t regretted it yet. She burst out laughing hysterically down in the courtyard and her voice reverberated through the empty halls of the castle. God, she’s loud! He thought annoyed at her disregard for basic social etiquette. No, she wasn’t an ordinary woman. No normal human being would be poking a giant monster with a stick so cheerfully and calling it a scientific experiment.

 The rest of her squad loudly gasped the moment her uniform jacket got caught between the teeth of the titan that had been actively trying to eat her for the last three days. She pulled it out and brushed off the incident with a good laugh. Yes, she was always smiling and laughing for some reason beyond his comprehension. There were many things he didn’t understand about Hange Zoë. The way she dressed and behaved like a man, her eccentric nature, her fearlessness, and the cruel monster hidden underneath her kind demeanor. Maybe it was the sum of all these confusing thoughts that made him plant a kiss on her lips that night in the tent.

She finished reviewing the strategy she developed to capture those monsters with his squad the next day and then she stood next to him, proud and a huge smile on her face waiting for words of approval, but what she got instead was a hand that grabbed the collar of her shirt and a kiss on her lips. She stared at him frozen and utterly confused, and he expected a well-deserved slap for his impulsive actions. However, the moment she returned to her senses she kissed him back so passionately he thought she was trying to eat him.

He pushed her towards the table violently, swept out all the books and papers laying on it with one hand while the other surrounded her waist, and lifted her up to the now empty space. They separated for the first time since her response and he looked at her brown eyes trying to find any hints of hesitation or even anger, but the eyes looking back at him were persuading him to finish what he started. Yes, she was a mystery now more than ever.

He took off her glasses and tossed them onto the ground. She slipped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer. He started to unbuckle the leather straps of her uniform pants so fast and desperately he almost broke them, he unzipped her pants and stopped again, what was it? He wondered one more time. What was this hunger growing inside of him? This craving for the wetness of her mouth? What was this uncontrollable urge to pin her against the table?

She clamped her legs around his waist and that was it. He stopped thinking, he stopped seeing, there was only her tongue, the heat of her skin under his lips, her hands grabbing his hair and pulling it with every thrust. He could hear her unstable breathing in his ear, every moan dying in her throat. Then he quickened his pace, and he felt her nails digging deep into his back through the fabric of his shirt. He had to prevent the table from shaking with one hand while the other was latched onto her. Her teeth sank on his shoulder as his rough movements inside of her were driving her to the edge of madness.

She never asked him to go slower or gentler, her body language was screaming what she could not, her kisses were hungry and raw, and she returned his violence with the same passion by scratching, biting, and pulling. He always had a feeling she would never let herself be easily dominated and that was proving to be true. Suddenly, an explosive sound near his ear made him realize she just slapped him hard on the cheek, and he reached the peak of pleasure.

He quickly stepped back before doing something he would regret in the future. He was sweating and his body was recovering from the waves of ecstasy when he noticed the candle lights still dancing in the blackness of the tent. She slid off the table and without saying a word unbuttoned her shirt and took it off slowly in front of him. He had no idea how beautiful her naked body was, hell, he didn’t even know if she was a man or a woman the first time they met, not that he cared about it to begin with. She concealed her feminine form under her uniform and masculine outfits. Her skin was covered with scars from old battles in some places, her belt was hanging from her hips and her slim waist. His body reacted automatically by getting close to her and pushing her against the table once more. This time she climbed up the table as her hands were undoing the buttons of his shirt. He removed it as fast as he could and pressed his chest on hers. There was nothing more delicious than the friction of skin on skin.

Levi kissed her down her neck and shoulder, and then she stopped him. She whispered, “And here I thought you only fuck like an animal.” He snorted and his lips glided over her collarbone. Her hands pulled his hair forcing him to stop again. “The candles… we’re casting shadows onto the tent,” she said looking at the source of light. He reached for the candles and using his fingers suffocated the flames on each one of them until the moonlight was all there was.

Her mouth found him in the dark, and he pinned her down on the table. This time she controlled his bursts of violence like taming a wild animal. He didn’t mind, he was enjoying this little game of pushing and pulling. He lost himself in the taste of her body even though he used to complain about her filthiness. Did she shower recently or was his mind so clouded by desire he didn’t perceive any nasty smell? The table supporting their weight was probably dirty as well. The tent was outside the castle where both squads were staying for the night.

They devoured each other until the tension that had built up for months was released. He laid his head on her chest while catching his breath. What was it? The question flashed in his mind, and he stood up when he noticed they had both finished, but he was still on top of her. He pulled up his pants, grabbed his shirt, and got dressed while she slid into a comfortable top and threw herself on the sleeping bag that was hidden in a corner.

“I can still hear people outside” she sighed and looked at him. He was standing near the entrance trying to find the perfect moment to run into the night without drawing unwanted attention.

“It’s your fucking assistant, he’s drinking in front of the fire near the castle’s gate,” he complained closing his hand into a fist.

“Maybe he’s too drunk to recognize you,” she said without taking her eyes off him.

“He looks sober enough to pay attention to his surroundings,” he responded scanning the area for more possible witnesses.

“Hey, Moblit! Have you seen the captain?” Petra’s soft voice froze him in place.

“Not really, he must be sleeping somewhere inside… It’s already midnight and he was assigned the three o’clock watch with Gunther, wasn’t he?” Moblit answered taking a sip from his canteen.

“This is odd. I can’t seem to find him anywhere… he wouldn’t wander outside all alone, right?” she asked, concern etched on her face.

“Of course not. The captain isn’t as reckless and irresponsible as someone I know.”

“Is that why you’re keeping watch near her tent?” Petra’s question was like a splash of cold water. The sudden realization of how impulsive he had been hit him and he felt stupid for putting himself in such an absurd predicament. What was it? He wondered in the darkness of her tent trying to escape from the invisible force that stirred the beast within him.

A breathy whisper brought him back to reality: “I’ll give you an opening… you can walk towards the side of the castle away from the fire.” Hange was behind him, covered in a coat, the air escaping her lungs brushed his ear and the unanswered question returned to haunt him. Why did it feel so good between her legs? He left thinking there wouldn’t be a second time, and both will forget it once dawn dissipated the shadows in her tent.

A terrified scream pierced the atmosphere, and a cloud of steam hid her from the grey eyes following her moves. A scout had cut the flesh of the nape too deep killing the test subject immediately. Nifa was struggling to hold her squad leader in place and prevent her from burning herself with the titan’s disappearing corpse. Hange was incredibly strong for a woman of her height and weight. “Noisy idiots!” Levi complained out loud voicing his displeasure to everyone in the office.

The tent was no more, and days had passed since that night, but the ghost of her touch was threatening to linger on his skin. Nothing seemed to change between them on the outside. He would pretend he didn’t want to listen to her endless ramblings about titans and incomprehensible scientific theories. She would ignore his irritable disposition and follow the same routine. However, her scent meant a different thing to him now that he knew what she tasted like. He knew how her skin felt under his body, he knew how her teeth hurt in his shoulders and how her breathing gets caught in her throat…. What was it again?

Chapter Text

Fuck! She cursed under her breath. The black ink was spreading quickly over her notes and research papers on the desk. What was she thinking dozing off in the middle of writing her observations about the latest experiments? When was the last time she had slept? She couldn’t tell but it had probably been days. The flame of the candle on her desk danced with the summer night breeze that entered her room through the open window. She stood up and closed it letting a deep sigh escape her throat. He has been watching her, hasn’t he? She could feel the weight of his gaze. Even though his words and attitude towards her hadn’t changed, there was a secret intention hidden in his grey eyes that made shivers run down her spine.

He had come to her tent that night, listened to her intently, and suddenly grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. That wasn’t anything new, he used to do it every time she got on his nerves, which was most of the time. And then he kissed her on the lips, she thought he somehow tripped and fell towards her, but he looked straight into her eyes waiting for her reaction. No, he had intended to kiss her. A million ideas raced through her mind and a split-second decision made her instinctively stop him before he could leave and kissed him back. Yes, her body responded faster than her mind, but she hasn’t regretted it.

His touch was rough and desperate. She felt something hit her back but she didn’t let go of his mouth. He skillfully lifted her up onto the table, he wasn’t humanity’s strongest soldier just for show after all. The slight pressure on her thighs was released as he unbuckled the leather straps of her uniform. He lowered her zipper and then he stopped. Was that hesitation? Was he coming down from some intoxicated state to the reality of his actions? No, he was thinking she would hesitate. Weren’t her feverish kisses enough indication of her desires? She cut the short distance by trapping his body between her legs and that did the trick.

The grip on her waist tightened and there was only his mouth on hers, his lips moving along her throat and his warm breath on her skin raising her temperature. He opened her legs enough to break the last barrier that separated their bodies, and she kept her arms around him bracing herself for what was coming. Yes, she was used to dealing with untamable monsters, but this was different, this was a monster she had brought to life. Why? He didn’t allow her to find the right answer as he started to move faster with each thrust. Her insides were burning, and the pleasure came in a series of spasms shooting throughout her body, she clawed his back, but he didn’t stop, she didn’t want him to stop. She wanted him to go even harder with the same cold determination he uses to destroy his enemies.  

A scream climbed from her gut and she bit him to release the tension in her throat. He was relentless, she almost ripped his clothes apart when the next explosion of pleasure hit her making her limbs tremble. And he still wasn’t satisfied, of course, he wouldn’t be, he was a dangerous man in more ways than she had imagined. Finally, she slapped him before losing further control of her senses. His body shook in response, and he quickly backed away. Drops of sweat slipped across his face and his breathing started to slow down.      

She got off the table, the fire still burning below her hips. She unbuttoned her yellow shirt and took it off slowly under his prying eyes. As smart as Hange was, she didn’t know a look could be so tangible, that an immaterial intention could touch her skin. She blinked and found herself trapped between the table and his body. No, he wasn’t satisfied, and neither was she. She melted in his mouth and moved her fingers along his shirt undoing the buttons of his clothes. He needed no words to understand what she was after. Maybe it was his military lifestyle, but he disposed of his shirt faster than she expected. He was even warmer now that his skin was pressed against her own or was it the combined heat of their bodies? His mouth went down her naked shoulder and she opened her eyes. The urgency was still there but he slowed down significantly as if he was enjoying her taste. She whispered without thinking too much “And here I thought you only fuck like an animal.” He didn’t say anything and glided his lips over her collarbone making his way further down her chest. Something started pulsating between her legs in anticipation of where he was going next. His tongue was like a flame grazing her skin, she pulled his hair and reluctantly stopped him one more time. Anyone could see the lights from outside the tent and knowing her squad, there was a high probability one of them would show up at any time.

“The candles… we’re casting shadows onto the tent,” she managed to say. He extinguished the flames using his fingers and soon night fell inside her tent. The darkness set her free and she desperately searched for his lips, the ones that sent shivers of delight through her body. He answered her silent plea by pinning her down the table. Finally, his full weight on top of her, she could feel him from head to toe. He didn’t wait any longer to penetrate her in a swift motion, a bit harsh and abrupt she had to hold onto his hips to keep herself from slipping off the table.

His powerful thrusts hit all the right spots inside of her. Her hands ran through his back feeling his muscles working tirelessly as he kept on slamming time and again into her flesh. She let herself moan lowly in his ear. She was usually loud when talking, laughing, and even walking so he was probably surprised by how much control she was displaying beneath him. Hange decided that the creaking noises of the wooden table were enough demonstration of their recklessness. He bit her earlobe hard in response to the sounds coming out of her. She covered her mouth with one hand just in time to block any suspicious noises from escaping her tent. He was doing the same when biting parts of her body and she would react by scratching him or pulling his hair.

What does he usually say about her? He says she’s filthy and disorganized, and that chaos follows her everywhere. Yet here he was, deep inside of her, touching her without restrictions, sinking in her chaotic self, drowning in her body. She never took those accusations to heart until one day she woke up in a tub completely dressed and soaked in water. Her hair was down and wet, it smelled delicious though. A nervous Nifa walked into the bathroom holding a dry uniform in her hands and told her she had orders to get her changed after making sure she had bathed.

“Captain’s orders,” she said helping her to take off her jacket. Then she added that he had been there moments ago washing her hair furiously, mumbling how sick and tired he was of her lack of proper hygiene. “He’s outside. I can’t leave until I see you cleaning yourself up and report it to him.” Hange burst into laughter, puzzling her subordinate.

“Levi! How detailed do you want the bathing report?!” she yelled laughing uncontrollably.

“I swear, four eyes, I’ll get in there and wash you myself. Zacharias can’t handle you anymore. You reek like a rotten corpse!” he finished with a loud bang at the door.

She continued laughing while throwing her damp clothes on the floor. She sunk into the soap-scented water, and a question came to her mind. Why did he constantly scold her like this? Hange, you stink, you left all your fucking papers on the floor, comb your hair at least once a year, don’t forget to eat, you talk too much, stop endangering my men, stay away from the titan’s mouth… and the list went on. Did he really hate her? What was it? She wondered scrubbing her arm with soap.     

Now, she could feel his insatiable hunger pounding into her flesh. The madness of his passionate kisses and the release of a long-time tension that had built up between them. One final orgasm overwhelmed her senses, and she closed her eyes. Immediately after that he shivered and his trained muscles tightened, and he couldn’t help but moan on top of her. His hair tickled her chest as he lay there panting and sweating, she couldn’t move either, her mind was still clouded.

The morning air refreshed her lungs as she sat near the fire eating breakfast. Most of the soldiers were awake and getting their equipment ready to hopefully catch some titans following her strategy. The red-headed woman from the special operations squad was trying to match the captain’s pace while discussing the final details of the day’s big mission. She glanced at her tent and thought there wouldn’t be a next time.

“You smell different…. like…” Mike stopped mid-sentence and took a bite from his loaf of bread. He had been sniffing her since she returned from the last mission.  

She had underestimated the tall man’s acute sense of smell. Hange didn’t say anything and focused on the mission’s report while cooling her food. A blonde, attractive woman joined them by sitting next to Mike and said: “The squad leader was saying that you smell different lately… he was convinced the aroma reminded him of captain…” the man squeezed Nanaba’s hand with a piercing gaze. Hange pretended she didn’t listen and asked her to repeat herself.

“We… we’re glad… the mission was a success,” she said dragging her words and taking a sip of her soup.

Her forehead bumped into the glass of the closed window. Why does she keep remembering his hands on her waist, the friction between her skin and his mouth? Why? The tent was no more, and the days were passing by, but she couldn’t forget. She thought she understood him better than anyone and lately she wasn’t sure or was she too scared to accept the truth behind his stares? She has been trying to convince herself that the night in the tent had been the result of a moment of poor judgment. However, the taste of his violent kisses will flash in her memories shattering her theories. Why? She said in a murmur.   

Chapter Text

The kettle whistled, breaking the dead silence in the kitchen. He was the only insomniac still awake in the castle. The captain added a handful of leaves to the teacup, absorbed in his thoughts. Then he reached for another cup and poured the boiling water into both. The comforting aroma of the brewing tea filled the room as he stood in front of the counter for a minute, calculating his next moves. He put the cups on a tray and made his way to the second floor through the empty halls. He stopped at a door and knocked. The flame of the torch next to the door had died, leaving the place in the dark.

Hange opened the door. The flickering light of the remaining torch reflected on her glasses, and he knew she hadn't been sleeping. A smile was drawn on her face, and he said "I brought you tea." She welcomed him into her room and returned to her desk. He crumpled up some papers before throwing them in a drawer. Then he put the tray close to her and sat down on a chair, keeping a safe distance between them. How long has it been? A month and a couple of weeks since the night in her tent. She hadn't said anything, and he did the same. Life went on as usual, but that didn't mean he had forgotten. A gleam in her brown eyes confirmed the suspicion that she remembered too.

“This is why your eyesight is shit,” he finally said bringing her attention to him.

“Not… maybe,” she agreed, much to his surprise.

“It’s almost midnight, you know that?” he lifted the cup to his mouth.  

She turned back to her papers, scribbled some words, and sunk the quill in the black ink.

“You know it isn’t late for me” Did he? What else did he know about her? The image of her naked body came to his mind unexpectedly. He swallowed the hot tea.

“Take a break… the tea is getting cold,” he insisted. Was it just the tea? He brings her tea at night from time to time. Was that the sole reason he was sitting in her room so late?

"Okay. Now that you mention it, I think I need to relax for a while," she rubbed her eyes and smelled the infusion before drinking it. Then she stretched her arms yawning, her hand landed on his knee without warning. Electricity surged into his body, bringing him alive.

She leaned towards him putting part of her weight on the hand holding his knee. He grabbed the back of her head and pulled her closer until their mouths met again. The familiar flavor of her lips awoke the burning desire to throw her to the floor. She opened her mouth and he lost himself in the feeling of her tongue. Her hair entangled between his fingers as she moved, trying to devour him.

She was about to climb onto his lap, but he pushed her to the ground. He was on top of her before she could complain. His demanding kisses made her gasp for air, blurring her glasses. This time, she took them off and put them under the desk, which was the sensible thing to do, because he would have thrown them away without a care in the world. His hand wandered from her knee to her thighs, and he could feel her skin getting hotter through the fabric of her pants. He never broke free from her mouth. He wanted to stay there, all this time waiting to taste it. He thought he had been patient, but now that she bit her lip trying to catch her breath, he knew he had been longing for this moment.

She started to lift his shirt up and he parted from her lips to grant her wish. Then she dragged him closer. He didn't know if she did it on purpose, but she exposed her neck when he tried to go for her mouth. He kissed her there passionately, and she shuddered beneath him. Her legs were climbing to his hips, rubbing her body against him.

He was sure she could feel the hardness in his pants growing, and her low moans confirmed it. Was she craving it too? Did she want him with the same intensity? He was bad at recognizing emotions. Hange knew that, and as if she was reading his mind, she lowered her own zipper. What was it? His hand moved from her inner thigh to the space between her legs putting a decent amount of pressure, and he heard her again.

How far are the other rooms? He didn't recall. Not now, he probably wouldn't be able to remember his name either. There was only her body, her sounds, her touch. He dragged his hand up and down over her opened zipper while tracing a line down her neck with his lips, then with his tongue, finally, he used his teeth, and her hand fell on top of his urging him to go faster. She found his gaze and there weren't any doubts. Her strong desire was obvious that even a person like him could see it.         

Up and down and she didn't look away; his pants felt tighter with every stroke. She arched her back and he stopped. Looking pissed, she tried to sit, and he kissed her blocking her curses. He was going to savor her, inch by inch until she couldn't breathe anymore and her legs gave in. 

He proceeded to unbutton her shirt, groaning in her mouth. She removed it, and the top binding her chest followed. He remembered this sensation clearly, the warmth of her breasts on him. Now he had more flesh to taste. The captain traveled fiercely over her bare skin, rolling his tongue in places that made the grip on his head grow stronger and her sounds grow louder.

He entered her fast making her gasp. What was this strong appetite for her? He could have found any other woman willing to satisfy him in the past month. However, any other woman wouldn't be Hange Zoë, the mad scientist. Oh, she was out of her mind, and it was driving him insane. She knew how to push him to the limit, especially now that he was inside of her. He didn't show her mercy and kept moving faster and faster, and harder until she sank her teeth into his shoulder again. Then she let go for a moment, but the moans in his ear were the fuel he needed to keep going.

She trembled, shuddered, and kept piercing his skin with her teeth eliciting sounds from him. Red spots appeared on her lips, and he realized it was blood, she was biting hard enough to draw blood. However, she started to shake, her muscles tensed, and this time his earlobe was the victim. So, he will have a bite mark for every orgasm she had. It was his turn now, but he fought it with all his might.

.

“No…. don’t… stop…. Don’t…” What was she saying? Don’t stop? No, she didn’t need to tell him that. It must have been something else, but he didn’t care.

“Don’t… hold… don’t hold it,” she finally articulated and he had to take her into his mouth to drown a scream.

His body betrayed him and followed her orders. It released everything from within him and it felt better than the first time. He couldn't think for a minute, but influenced by his instincts he moved away, or that's what he tried to do until she stopped him. Eyes wide open, an unknown fear ran down his spine when he felt wet, but pretty much close to her, part of him didn't even make it outside. The ecstasy turned into panic on his face as she laughed. Yes, Hange Zoë was nuts.

What did he expect? The one thing everyone in the Survey Corps agreed about was how out of line and bizarre she was. This is the same woman that takes a titan head-on. The same human that gives them names and talks to them. This woman ignores commander Erwin's orders if he won't get her what she wants. The same woman who used herself as bait to capture a titan for science, and the woman who he violently kissed, and she asked for more.

“So, your face is capable of displaying emotions,” she said softly. He leaned over her until their noses touched, so shocked, he couldn’t utter a sound.

“Don’t you like to live life recklessly?... One day I’ll tell you why nothing will happen,” she explained and licked his lips.

Relieved, he collapsed next to her, and another realization flowed through his mind: They were lying on the floor of her room. The dirtiest place in the castle. He sighed loudly.

“Why do we keep fucking in dirty places?” he asked but the question was directed at him and his poor self-control which was the cause of this problem.

“Hell if I know… The bed is over there.”

Hange was right as usual; her bed was a few strides from the desk, and he didn't see it. What was it? He stood up, encircled his hands around her waist, and lifted her up. Then he sat down on the bed, positioning her on his lap. She had closed her arm around his neck the moment he leaned down to get her. There was a fire in her eyes, the same fire engulfing him, and one day it will burn him. Today, her bare chest and stomach were glued to him, and he couldn't explain why he hadn't had enough.

He shifted their positions quickly and disposed of her pants. Scars and fresh wounds covered part of her legs. He got down on his knees and slid his hands along her thighs. Her breathing became irregular, and his mouth touched the flesh between her legs without breaking eye contact. What did she say about him the day he refused to help her with her crazy antics during the last expedition? Boring answers from boring men.

The hissing sounds of gas canisters filled the camp, and a familiar voice escaped the commander's tent. "Shut up!" She sounded angry, impatient. Then she stormed after Erwin, who remained composed and didn't turn to face her when she screamed his name. The blonde man who always followed her like a shadow reprimanded her shyly, but he didn't dare do more. The next time he looked in that direction, one of his men was on the ground, coughing and cursing for everyone to hear: "Crazy bitch!" Petra's disapproving glare indicated he was talking about Hange. Everyone believed that Hange Zoë was a menace. A storm raging inside the walls and they feared one day those walls wouldn't be able to contain her anymore.

The veteran soldiers used to tell stories about how scary she had been since her trainee days. "Don't get involved with Hange Zoë." That was the common advice circulating in the military and people would keep their distance. There was a brave woman who ignored the warnings. She wore her red hair in a long braid they said, she was a charming and adventurous lady. Everyone suspected she had joined the Survey Corps following Hange's steps. The innocent creature fell right into the belly of the beast.

They didn't seem close at first, but they saw them together more frequently as time passed. "She wants to get into Hange's pants. This attractive woman probably thinks she's a man." The rumors spread like wildfire until they eventually changed to "They're obviously sleeping together." A trusted eyewitness had seen the red-headed beauty coming out of her room late at night. All of them were unverified versions of the truth. However, there was something everyone could see, and it was the way her face lit up at any mention of the crazy woman's name, the way they found each other everywhere as if there was a gravitational pull bringing them closer. Was it possible that this woman had been in love with Hange? She got dragged into the abyss and it destroyed her.

The same abyss threatening to eat him alive. A beast sinking its claws into him, poisoning his skin. Although the poison was sweet, and it made his knees tremble and intoxicated his mind, it was deadly all the same. Yes, Hange Zoë was a menace. But he was the strongest, wasn't he? He didn't look like it, down on his knees as he was now. The king of hygiene was filling his mouth with her essence, digging deeper and deeper into her warmth until there was no air left in his lungs.

Her hands grabbed a chunk of black hair and pulled him away, leaving a sensation of emptiness behind. She was panting, sweat dripping off her body, her eyes closed. The motion of her chest rising and going down was hypnotizing. A loud slap burned his cheek and caught him off guard. He lost balance and sat down on the floor.  

“I… I…. I had no… no idea… you wanted me… this bad…” she confessed more relaxed.

 “You’re the smart one, aren’t you?” he said, licking the fluid from his lips.

“It…. It doesn’t work that way,” she responded. Her eyes fixed on his every move. 

“Don’t think too hard about it.” Why? Because he wasn’t.   

He cleaned his chin with his fingers. Then, he used the same finger to touch her lips. He expected another slap, but she closed her mouth around it. As she was cleaning his finger with her tongue, the deadly poison started to burn, pumping blood to every part of his anatomy. Especially the one that was aching and throbbing, begging to penetrate her. 

A bright light flashed in his field of vision and a sweet spasm traveled throughout his body when she grabbed his erection. He realized a second later that he was sitting on the bed and she was on top. Her legs wrapped around his hips, and her hands on his shoulders. Was he really the strongest? She began to buck her hips slowly, teasing him, making him want to throw her to the floor again, but he only dragged his hands along her back. She hugged him and picked up the pace, the moans in his ear indicated she was enjoying this kind of torture. He couldn't take it anymore and started to move as well. 

“We can’t… It’s too silent outside… and the acoustic of the castle will…” she whispered after punching him. 

“Bullshit!” he interrupted her.

“I’m gonna… I’m gonna scream...” she insisted.

“Bite me...”

“You’re bleeding already,” she showed the crimson drops on her hands.

“I’ll stop you,” he assured her, aching with desire. 

“But…. What if…” Was she appealing to reason now? They were screwing on the floor minutes ago and she didn’t stop him. 

“You don’t trust me?” he asked a bit annoyed and losing his patience with each excuse.

The look in her eyes changed. She did trust him when they were outside the walls fighting against monsters, seeking freedom. This wasn't any different. She resumed her movements, slow but precise. Fast, he thought, and she accelerated, faster, he held onto her lower back, faster, and her hips obeyed, deeper, their mouths collided, he promised. They caught each other's screams, moans, and whimpers until there was silence again.

It was late, he was tired, and his tea was cold. He got dressed while watching her lay across her bed, the candles illuminating her slim body. It was the first time he saw her completely naked; she wasn't a voluptuous woman, but her curves were in perfect harmony with her height, drawing a nice feminine silhouette.     

"It's getting cold," he said and threw a blanket at her. He needed to get out of that room before she decided she wasn't done with him because he would comply. One word from her mouth and he would stay and that made him angry, when did he allow someone to have this much control over him?

He put the cups on the tray, bent down to get her glasses off the floor, and stepped towards the door. She moved in the corner of his eye and he turned around to find Hange in a fetal position, ready to sleep. "Sleeping in that filth." He thought, forgetting how he was rolling in that filth not long ago.  

"Take a shower tomorrow," he ordered and checked the hallway.  

"Thank you for the tea," she said in a sleepy voice.

He closed the door and stayed in the middle of the hallway, thinking hard, even though he had advised her not to dwell on this situation. What was exactly the situation? A voice asked in his head, breaking his composure. Why was he roaming the halls of the castle at this hour, hiding like a criminal? Was he really losing it? No, he brought her some tea, just like he had been doing it long before the tent. He was perfectly sane, but his feet were planning to betray him and go back because he had become addicted to the taste of midnight tea. 

Chapter Text

The drops of warm water sliding down her back relaxed her sore muscles. She had forgotten how invigorating a hot shower in the morning could be. The citric smell of the soap cleaning her body was soothing her mind, keeping troublesome thoughts away. What was she running from? “Don’t think about it too hard,” he said while sitting on the floor, still licking her fluids from his lips. The water running down her thighs reminded her of his hands following the same path and it ignited a spark on her insides, right there between her legs.

She closed the hot water tap and opened the cold one. Did she really believe there wouldn’t be a second time? It didn’t matter what she believed; her body had been craving for a second time. Ironically, the tension between them had become unbearable after the night in her tent. Every time they found themselves alone, the thought of his breath on her neck wouldn’t leave her mind. But he didn’t touch nor kiss her for an entire month, he resumed his constant lectures about cleaning habits and proper social behavior that for a moment she was convinced whatever spell threw him in her arms had disappeared.

And then she would surprise him watching her with a feral look in his eyes. Was he fighting it? He had probably grasped the fact that he, the king of order and hygiene, had had sex with humanity’s filthiest human. He didn’t seem bothered by the mess in her tent though. He didn’t ask her if she had bathed before lowering her zipper either.

The mission to capture test subjects for her experiments had been a success. That kept her busy for weeks. However, from time to time her brain would give up and remind her how much she needed his insatiable kisses. The cold shower helped her regain some composure. She wrapped herself in a towel and got dressed. None of this will hide her smell from the tall man’s canine nose though. 

A blonde short-haired woman walked into the shower room. Her towel landed in one of the cubicles and she started undressing. She was a strong soldier and Mike’s most trusted squad member which was a great achievement besides surviving more than two expeditions, that is. Hange was tying her hair in a ponytail when she noticed the woman’s blue eyes staring at her from behind. 

“You’ve been working nonstop for weeks; you have to unwind for a bit,” she said taking off her shirt.

“You sound like Moblit.” He had asked her to stop her all-nighters but she refused saying scientific discovery wouldn’t wait for her while she sleeps.    

“We’re planning to go to town with Gelgar and some of his goons next week. His cousin owns a tavern and he said he’s organizing a drinking contest for him. I call bullshit on that but it’s not a bad idea to drink the pain away, gamble, get laid… the usual. You should come too…” she explained pulling her pants down.

“Not a bad idea at all…” Hange was seriously considering the invitation.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” she closed the door of the cubicle and turned on the shower.

She needed to unwind at least for a day, and clear her head. Stop thinking about her theories and midnight tea. She fastened the leather straps of her uniform, put on her boots, grabbed her glasses, and walked in the direction of the door when she heard a question so unsettling that she thought she had imagined it.    

“Hange…. Are you sleeping with the captain?” Nanaba casually asked from her shower cubicle.

She walked up to the cubicle, frantically searching for an answer but her silence had already spoken for her. The blonde woman opened the door and pulled her inside the cubicle. She turned off the shower so she wouldn’t get Hange wet again.

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone… and Mike has shut up about it too. He didn’t understand the change in your smell, so he asked me. He said your scent had some tints of captain Levi’s aroma and he thought it was odd because it has never happened before. So, I told him they must’ve spent a long time working together or something, and he insisted the only way two people can get their aromas mixed is by being close to each other, physically close. And since the captain is not the huggy type of person, I figured sex was the option left.”

“I’m impressed by your deductive skills…” she managed to say, trying to hide her surprise. Mike Zacharias didn’t speak a lot but when he did, chaos ensued.

“And you thought my strong point was being the pretty one, huh,” the blonde woman was pretty, her dark eyebrows framed her eyes beautifully. 

“Now, I really need that drink…” she sighed, putting on her glasses.

“There’s someone else asking around about you. I thought her curiosity was normal because new soldiers eventually want to know more about the crazy Hange Zoë but putting all the recent information together… it makes sense.”

“Her…?” she asked confused.

“The redhead in captain Levi’s squad. What was her name?... I don’t remember, everyone just calls her the cute one in the Special Operations Squad…”

“I’ve always been quite popular with cute women too,” she laughed wondering what Nanaba was trying to say.

“Everyone knows she has a massive crush on captain Levi. He’s the only thing she talks about, and she worked her ass off to be in his squad. I guess you wouldn’t know since you live immersed in your research, especially since you caught those two.”   

“Well, she has nothing to worry about…. I’m just the crazy bitch obsessed with titans,” Hange said and turned around to open the door again.

“Hange… is this just about sex?” the blonde woman asked holding her arm to prevent her from leaving the shower.

“What else can it be?” she responded without looking at her.

Why? She wondered while walking towards her laboratory. Why did he knock on her door the night before? “I brought you tea,” he said, and he had done it several times in the past. He sat down next to her and scolded her as usual but when she met his gaze, he stopped breathing for a moment, and she knew. The tea wasn’t the reason that drew him to her room. “Take a break… the tea is getting cold.” He insisted with the tea excuse, but he looked tense as if he made the wrong movement, something would snap. She has always been curious, and she wanted to know what would make the unfazed captain lose control.

Hange rubbed her eyes and sipped the warm tea. She stretched her arms and lay a hand on his knee. Surprisingly that’s all it took to break his calm facade, she started to cut the uncomfortable distance when his hand grabbed the back of her head and placed a desperate kiss on her mouth. So, he had been fighting it. Was her silence what kept him restrained? What are words when her actions reciprocated his desire?

She moved to sit on his lap when he sent her to the floor with a push. He was on top of her immediately after and she wondered what this wild impulse was, the one controlling his hands, his mouth and stripping him of reason. He hated dirty places passionately, he would spend hours cleaning the rooms of the castle with methodic precision. However, he was on the floor, eating her mouth so eagerly she had to bite him to catch her breath.

His body was getting hotter as she returned his kisses with equal ferocity. Impatient, she pulled up the edges of his shirt and he took it off, words weren’t needed when her body spoke such a clear language. And she was hoping it was loud enough for him to hear it because the heat between her legs was driving her mad. Finally, he put his hand exactly where she needed it the most and she pulled him closer, leaving no space in between until she could feel his heart beating fast, and his zipper pressing against her. She could tell he was more than ready, but he kept rubbing her over her clothes and as soon as she arched her back, he stopped.

Hange was frustrated and ready to complain when he silenced her. This time his hands unbuttoned her shirt, and she removed it when no buttons remained. Then her top, the last piece of clothing that separated her skin from him. She lay on her back bringing him down with her. She wanted to be tasted again, she wanted his tongue on her neck, her shoulders, her collarbone, her breasts, her stomach, her waist, and even further down. Then she felt it, his mouth tracing an invisible line along the places that made her moan and curl her legs around him.

She almost forgot to keep quiet once he was inside of her, pushing away her last strand of sanity. He was fast and he knew how to go deep, retreat just to come back with overwhelming force, pressing the spot where all her nerve endings fired signals that accelerated her breathing, put her mind in a haze and all she could do was hold onto him and not scream. This keeping silent thing had proven to be a great challenge. She wanted to let go, scream so loud the castle walls would crumble down.

The veins in his neck became visible and she realized he was holding his orgasm; how long would he torture her like this? A heavenly sensation shook her to the core, but she managed to tell him to let go. He obliged and relaxed, allowing himself to be swept off on a wave of pleasure, he started to pull away and she stopped him. She would never forget the expression of sheer terror on his face when he noticed what had happened.

She teased him, prolonging his suffering before confessing the truth. “Nothing will happen” she assured him and licked his lips. The door to that truth was heavily guarded, she feared the day she’ll have to open it and face it, face him. “I can’t look back.” She promised herself while standing in the middle of a busy market dressed as a boy with a book in her hand.

“Why do we keep fucking in dirty places?” he asked, probably mortified by his choices.  

“Hell if I know… the bed is over there,” she said, and she thought her messy bed will never have Levi’s seal of approval.

Her body was recovering when his hands encircled her waist and lifted her up as if she was a rag doll. He sat down on her bed, her chest pressed on him, and she felt the fire growing beyond her hips. The midnight air caressing her legs made her realize she didn’t have any pants on. She opened her eyes, and he was kneeling in front of her, his hands on her thighs, and their eyes met when his mouth touched the space between her legs. Her mind took a second to come down from a state of disbelief to intense pleasure. His tongue moved slowly at first, rolling over her sensitive flesh. Breathing became difficult, thinking became impossible, and her reality was reduced to his tongue exploring her most delicate corners. He reached her button of flesh and he latched onto it, her hands held onto his head tightly, but he didn’t stop.    

She trembled, moaned, and as soon as she felt relief invading her senses, he would do it again, and again, he was eating her with a voracious appetite she had no idea existed in him. There was a slight pain due to the constant stimulation, unbearable for most people, but Hange Zoë considered pain a spice to life. However, she wasn’t in the mood to explain to the uptight commander of the Survey Corps why her scream woke him up in the middle of the night.   

She pulled his hair freeing herself from his ravenous mouth. He seemed to be in some sort of trance, and she slapped him to wake him up.

“I…. I had no idea…. You… wanted me… this bad,” she blurted out breathing in and out.

“You’re the smart one, aren’t you?” Was he being sarcastic? She couldn’t look away as he licked her fluids from his lips. Why? The question resonated in her mind. If she was so smart, why was it difficult to find an answer? She wasn’t sure she wanted an answer at all.

 “It…. It doesn’t work that way,” she sounded more sincere than she had intended to be.

“Don’t think too hard about it.” Why? Hange has made her goal in life to think beyond ordinary human standards, and now she was being told to go against her own inquisitive nature.  

Wasn’t this nature as well? The tingles that invaded her limbs the moment he pressed his fingers on her lips, wet with her essence. The man towering over her was persuading her to ignore the voice of reason in her head. She tasted herself on his fingers and the room became quiet. He was a dangerous creature, an open door to a nothingness where his touch overruled everything else, and she was about to accept the invitation.

He surrounded her with his strong arms, held her while she moved on his lap, and surrendered to the sensations overrunning his system. Her hips reached the rhythm he initially demanded, and they clung to each other. She kept going until her insides took everything from him, leaving him exhausted and laying on her bed completely numb.

The sheets were wet underneath her worn-out body, she was falling into a deep slumber when a blanket covered her naked figure. Hange Zoë has never cared about hygiene, but she didn’t protest when he told her to take a shower in the same tone he uses to command his soldiers. The door closed and she sighed. If this was the quality tea he was talking about when she welcomed him into her room, she wouldn’t mind having it more often.

The teacup landed on her desk drawing her attention. A smiling Moblit reminded her that lunchtime was approaching. He picked up some books and asked her if she needed him to review the report she was writing. Hange usually shows a disturbing lack of consideration for her well-being, allowing her excitement to rule her behavior until she sees an exhausted Moblit sleeping on top of a pile of books or a Nifa trying to catch her breath, tired of running around carrying large maps and diagrams.

“Go eat. You must be hungry,” she said with a smile on her face.

“You didn’t forget the commander expects the report on his desk by tomorrow afternoon, right?” The young man asked checking his surroundings in case he was forgetting something.

“Erwin must have run out of laxatives… He’s been acting so…. constraint lately.”  Her assistant sighed while walking towards the door of the laboratory.

“Just don’t yell at him again…” He left murmuring something about how he shouldn’t need a drink this early.

“The squad leader is in her laboratory. I don’t recommend speaking to her if she’s too focused on her work. She says she’s listening, but she isn’t,” Nifa’s voice grew louder as she opened the door.

“Does she eat here? I don’t usually see her in the canteen,” a familiar soft and feminine voice asked. Where did she hear it before?

“It depends. Sometimes she won’t eat unless Moblit or the captain brings her food, she ignores basic needs when she’s working on her theories… Thanks for your help, Petra,” Nifa grabbed a stack of books from the hands of a short red-headed woman.

“They just call her the cute one from the Special Operations Squad”, Nanaba said that morning. A cute redhead woman… the one standing in the door frame of her laboratory matched the description. Her short straight hair was shining in light copper under the sun, her honey-colored eyes complemented her sweet smile perfectly. Not even the military uniform could hide her feminine curves, her shirt was tighter on her chest, then it started to loosen up down the small of her waist ending in the leather straps surrounding her round hips. She was a beautiful attractive woman, cute was an understatement.

Is this just about sex? Is it? She didn’t dare think about it. And yet he had knocked on her door late at night, he panted and moaned with her on the dirty floor of her room, then sank his mouth deep between her legs, and held her tight in his arms as she moved on his lap. Maybe she didn’t want to know at all. 

Chapter Text

“Hange Zoë won a huge bet against Boris Strong, the town’s gambling champion.” That was the day’s gossip at headquarters, even in the Garrison barracks according to the soldiers that were present in the tavern that night to see the events unfold. Some were saying her new achievement would travel all the way to the ears of the Military Police in the inner wall.

“What was the bet?” a young soldier asked his friend over the breakfast table near him.

“Boris told her he would fuck her senseless regardless of her gender if he was the winner of the game.” Another soldier explained joining the group.

“And she didn’t back down?” A woman asked cutting her loaf of bread in half.

“No, they say she even put a condition and accepted the bet.” Hange Zoë wasn’t the kind of person to back down when facing a challenge: titans, a tavern brawl, gambling, sex, you name it.

“What would she have done if she had lost?” Another woman was worried about Hange’s already trampled reputation.

“She would have had a hell of a time. Boris is popular with the ladies, they call him Strong for a reason and I doubt it has anything to do with his gambling skills,” a girl said blushing in the process.

Boris Strong was a tall, muscular man that no one had the courage to look the wrong way. He was also handsome according to the ladies in town. Golden hair, blue eyes, the kind of man who catches everyone’s attention once he steps inside a room. Of course, Hange would be the one having a beef with a person like him. He didn’t know exactly what it was that made her bring even more chaos to the world. Maybe it was the thrill of the moment, the adrenaline flowing through her veins, or maybe she was plainly insane.

He had been sitting in the darkness of the courtyard for a few hours, a bottle of the vilest rum he had ever tasted next to him and his scrambled thoughts. “Don’t think too hard about it” His own words had been tormenting him ever since he uttered them that night in her room, two weeks ago. What was there to think? He was too far gone at this point. The memory of her scent in his mouth hadn’t left his mind, and neither did the warmth between her legs and the fire in her eyes when she straddled him. Hange Zoë was going to be the death of him faster than any titan.

The peace of the hour before dawn was shattered with the sound of laughter, drunken feet dragging through the floor, and a couple of silhouettes trying to reach the dorms with visible difficulty. The blonde woman from Zacharias’ squad was forcing someone to walk while cursing every now and then. The man fell before they could reach the next door.

“Fucking hell! I’m not doing this again… I’m done,” Nanaba declared while resting her hands on her knees trying to catch her breath.

“Hang…. Hange… don’t…. don’t fuck Boris… he’s… he’s too manly… you won’t fuck me… if …. you… you… “ Gelgar stuttered, he tried to stay on his feet but tumbled over fast.

“You’ve mentioned that asshole too many times I’m starting to think you’re the one who wants to fuck him,” Hange’s voice reached his ears, and he paid more attention to them.

“I’m tired… I’m going to my room. Let him crawl all the way to his dorm. He deserves it.” Nanaba announced and disappeared into the hallway.

A couple of men grabbed the semi-conscious Gelgar from the floor and guided by Hange they dragged him to the side of the hall where he wouldn’t bother anyone walking nearby and the silence grew louder.

“You don’t even sleep on off-duty days,” she said looking down at him. 

She was wearing a long-sleeved shirt with suspenders, pants tight enough to be comfortable but still show her figure, and she was holding a black jacket over her shoulder. She lifted her glasses up with her free hand and he thought she was the most attractive person he had ever seen. Hange Zoë definitely underestimated her physical appeal.  

“Who the fuck will be able to sleep with this ruckus,” he responded drinking straight from the bottle.

“Your half-filled bottle tells me you’ve been here all night.” Observant, wasn’t she? What else could she see? Could she see his urgent desire to kiss her again? Could she notice his heart pounding in his chest? He wanted to hear her say how much she needed him, how lonely and cold her room felt without his presence. He swallowed the evil liquor hoping it would help him relax.

“What else can you see?” he ventured, knowing how dangerous this game was.

“You know my eyesight is shit. I think I’m a bit drunk too… “ she confessed and sat down on the floor in front of him. Then she ripped off the bottle from his hand and took a sip. She frowned and started to cough.

“I thought you knew how to hold your liquor,” he didn’t blame her though, that thing was the kind of alcohol people use to start fires.

“Did you find it in the stables? Horse piss tastes better than this,” she said smelling the opening of the bottle.

“I don’t judge people by the things they like to put in their mouths.”

“I wouldn’t judge you for that either…” She took another sip, her eyes fixed on him, and he knew. He knew she was thinking about the night he brought tea to her room, the night he kissed deeper parts of her anatomy he hadn’t kissed before. Say it, he thought, say you want me to kiss you, say you’re craving for more.

He didn’t remember how or why but when he realized his hands were holding her suspenders, and his mouth was seeking her tongue in a feverish kiss. Her lips parted and she deepened the kiss, the flavor of beer and rum clouding his mind, this was the closest Levi had ever been to feeling drunk. He forgot they were sitting in the courtyard. He forgot dawn was going to break in an hour.

“No… we can’t… “she whispered once she reluctantly separated from him. Those words again…

“Didn’t you like to live life recklessly?” he asked caressing her lips with his fingers, then slowly down her neck and he could see her struggling to keep her composure.

“Not…. Not here…” she said with her eyes closed, her chest going up and down.

“Hange… come with me.” He didn’t often say her name but when he did, something inside of him felt complete.

He hoped he hadn’t sounded desperate but there was no regretting it now. Would she come? Was she drunk enough to ignore the risk? She opened her eyes and put a cold distance between them. Hange drank the awful rum out of the bottle as if it was water and stared into an invisible point somewhere in the darkness of the early morning.     

“Dawn will come…” she finally said, and he couldn’t decipher her emotions. She kissed him, didn’t she? She didn’t turn away from his touch. Did she want him to beg? Was it a matter of pride? Was it a matter of control? Did she already fuck someone in town?

“Is that humanity’s brightest best excuse?” He was speaking without thinking but she turned to him and laughed.

“Must be the alcohol and whatever this crap is,” she complained but she drank even more. The new day was another off-duty day, and she wouldn’t be swallowing the devil’s piss if she had work to do.

“Drowning your regrets?” There it was again; his mouth articulating words before his brain could process them. It didn’t seem she regretted the night in the tent or the one on the floor in her room.

“I might need some morning tea to wash this down” Was that an innuendo? Was she flirting with him? Was that an invitation? She didn’t move though, the brown strands of hair of the bangs framing her profile were dancing with the morning breeze, and he wondered how long this obsession will last.

“Bring me the bottle once you’re done…” he said and stood up before pulling her suspenders again.

The way to his room felt empty, most of the soldiers were out of headquarters and he enjoyed the calm before the storm, but today he wasn’t satisfied. Will he ever be? It was like a curse; he would drink from her body to relieve the thirst, but the resulting pleasure was so addictive he had fallen into an endless cycle.

The first light of the new day entered his room through the window. He folded his shirt and placed it on a basket ready to be washed later. He was fighting the need to go back to the courtyard, the need to return to her. He imagined her holding her breath outside, feeling as conflicted as he was. “Fuck, I have to take a bath.” He decided, he needed to clean this sensation off his body. Maybe it would go away like a stain.

He stepped outside and was closing the door when he saw a figure at the end of the hallway. The bottle in one hand and her black jacket on the other, her glasses were still on her head, and he pulled from her suspenders once she was within his reach. Her back slammed loudly against the wall of his room, and he wasn’t sure whether the whimper he heard was due to pain or his mouth on hers. The clinking sound of the bottle falling to the floor was ignored as the fact that the door wasn’t locked. His hands roamed the legs that trapped him and pressed him to the warmth of her body, all the way to the small of her back. Her kisses tasted of the sweet poison that spread to his nerves, making his knees go weak.  

Her hands went from his bare shoulders to the back of his head as his lips strayed from their path and landed on her neck, nibbling on her skin. She wheezed, blowing air on his ear and he couldn’t stay restrained and bit her. The lower parts of their bodies were rubbing, and he was so focused on her earlobe that the moment she unzipped his pants took him by surprise. She wouldn’t say it out loud, but her actions were all he needed to know she felt the same.

She was urging him to enter her and today, he wasn’t going to wait so he pleased her like a lapdog. Her head went up and down the wall, and her ponytail started to loosen up each time he slid inside of her deeper and faster. He included his fingers in the process and soon her body tensed, and she bit her own lips drowning all sounds as a wave of pleasure rippled through her.

His hand brushed her small breasts as he started to unbutton her shirt, she removed the suspenders holding her pants fast so she could free herself from her clothes. Their ragged breaths intertwined, and she remembered. “The door… you didn’t lock the door,” She said millimeters away from his face, he kissed her in response, but she insisted. He checked the fucking door… and it was opened. Good thing she still has her wits about her, he thought turning the lock.

She was standing at the side of his bed, staring at it for some reason. What was going through her mind? He would never know, he stood behind her and slid one hand on her bare stomach, and he lowered the strap of her top with the other. He breathed on her ear, and she leaned down on him.

 “Your bed… is… very clean…” she said and swallowed. He could feel her pulse accelerating in her throat.

“Does that surprise you?” His lips rolled over her ear, and she moved a little against him.

“I’m…. I’m filthy….” she continued as the hand that was on her stomach reached her pants and was slipping under them.

“I want you…. I want you to lay on that bed… without your clothes… I want to… I want to fuck you on that bed” She turned around, there it was again, that fire making her brown eyes look almost red.

She sat down on his bed, her unzipped pants and top still on and he thought that was a sight he could grow accustomed to seeing. She locked eyes with him, and she smiled. It wasn’t her usual, kind smile. It was a wicked one, a devil’s grin.

“Boris told me he was going to fuck me senseless… “Her eyes started to go from his chest to his abdomen and finally…

“So I heard….” he responded, standing in front of her.

“He said I’ll fuck every hole you got until… there’s nothing left of you”

“What a gentleman…” He snorted. This asshole sounded like those pieces of shit he used to beat in the underground city. 

“And I… thought of you … in his place “ What was she saying exactly? He couldn’t tell because he was enraptured by her hand that closed around his erection. He didn’t feel like the strongest now either, she slid her hand slowly down and then up as he was trying to keep calm and collected.

The circuits in his brain fired violently when he felt her breathing and her lips gliding on his member. Hange Zoë was cruel, but he knew that. And yet he was letting himself fall deep into the abyss, ignoring reason and the warnings of how dangerous she was. Her tongue touched him for a second and he put his hands on her shoulders, trying not to lose this battle. She looked up and she seemed pleased with herself, then she did it again but this time she took longer to remove her tongue. The torture went on for a couple of strokes until unexpectedly he felt himself sliding into her mouth.

To his disappointment, he let a grunt scape as her tongue was swirling around him, slow and then fast and the world disappeared, only her mouth remained. The mouth that was going up and down his length, the mouth he became addicted to, the mouth that was taking him to an experience he had never dreamed would have with her. He shuddered and began to move, going deeper into her throat but she didn’t let him finish.

She pulled him down to the bed, her hand between his legs, and said something in his ear, something he thought he didn’t hear right. He stared at her while she took her top off, still confused by her words. Then she kissed him long until she noticed the lost expression on his face.

“Are you going to tell me that’s not your style?” she asked, cleaning her saliva from his lips.

She had no idea, did she? He stood up, turned her around so her chest was pressed to his bed, got rid of every piece of clothing she had left, and whispered in her ear something that sounded like a threat “Hold on…. tight .” He lifted her body a bit, positioned her where she needed to be, and without saying anything else penetrated her from behind, just like she had asked a few minutes ago. Maybe she was drunk, how can you tell the difference in a person like her?

Her hands were gripping his sheets with each thrust, rough and merciless, then he reached a steady pace and her body trembled, drops of sweat started to pool on her back. He leaned on her without stopping until his mouth was close to her ear, and his hand moved from her hips to pull her loose ponytail. “Is this what you wanted?” he asked breathlessly, she didn’t say anything, maybe she didn’t even understand his words. Her mouth was opened but no sound was coming out of it until he went deeper and pulled her hair again, she moaned, loud and he saw red.

 A primal impulse commanded his body as he kept pounding against her and pulling her hair, he didn’t care if she was being loud, he had been craving for it since the night in her tent. This was her true nature, loud and wild. Scream, he thought, scream like you did that day in the courtyard when your precious test subject was killed. Scream while I fuck you senseless, this was fucking in the pure animalistic sense, this was disrespectful and obscene but this was her order and he was obedient. She had turned him into a puppet hanging by her strings. 

He moaned as he felt the pleasure building up to a degree where he couldn’t hold it back and sank his teeth into her shoulders. His vision blurred and he wrapped his arm around her waist, falling onto his bed with her.

They stayed like that until she turned around to face him, she looked stunning with the early morning sunlight on her features, dawn had finally come but he wouldn’t let her go. She was going to say something, but he kissed her, and her intentions dissolved in a series of moans in his mouth. He climbed on top of her and dragged his tongue on her skin, licking the sweat from her neck, her chest, her stomach, and her thighs.

She switched positions with him, her hands went up to his abdomen and he hoped they were both thinking the same because he was ready to make her scream again. He shivered when he found himself inside of her, but now she was in control. Her hips started to rock painfully slow, and she punched him when he tried to move faster with her. His hands climbed from her stomach to her breasts, and she accelerated. She was riding him at the pace he wanted and she would open and close her eyes from time to time. He sat up to reach her parted lips with his finger, she looked at him as she put it in her mouth. There were no doubts anymore, Hange Zoë was going to be his undoing.

The loaf of bread melted like paper in his mouth, and he wished he could take a sip of his poor-quality alcohol to burn his taste buds. A red-haired woman sat down next to him, she had some papers in her hands and with an innocent smile announced that the meeting with the commander was in twenty minutes. Then she proceeded to talk about the new drills and exercises for the next expedition.

Petra was a skilled soldier and part of it was due to her dedication and hard work. Even though she became popular in the Survey Corps for being the cute one in his squad, she took pride in her duty as a scout, and he admired her for that. She said something about a batch of tea leaves that arrived from the interior, a gift from one of the sponsors of the capital to humanity’s biggest hope Captain Levi. He had heard her name before, she was the daughter of a noble pig, but she seemed to be a decent and intelligent woman for some reason. She has been financially supporting the Survey Corps against her father’s wishes. She would sometimes come from the inner wall to headquarters, and he would see her in Erwin’s company during her stay. Her enemies said she didn’t care about humanity’s victory but was more interested in the handsome and talented commander. 

“Lady Teresa Ignacio. Her assistant’s words,” she said going through a list of things on the papers.

“If they unloaded the boxes, Erwin’s must have accepted them,” he didn’t want to play into the hands of a noble pig.

“They saw her arrive this morning. They say she has her own carriage and guards following her around.”

“I bet she does. This meeting probably has something to do with her,” he sipped his morning tea and decided he had heard enough gossiping about the great gambling champion. 

Petra followed him as he strolled through the hall. He could hear annoying chatter the closer he got to the commander’s office. He figured people needed to talk nonsense when they were bored.    

“I’m not having sex with you, Gelgar.” Hange’s voice was not soft nor deep but a distinctive tone in between.

“Your… loss… “ he responded trying to regain the high ground, but it was obvious Hange’s remark left him speechless.

“Squad leader… the commander is waiting for you… the meeting is in ten minutes,” Moblit announced the day’s schedule trying to dissipate the palpable tension in the air.

“Of course, you’re all here in the middle of the hallway talking about worthless shit,” he said walking by the noisy idiots on his way to Erwin’s office.

“Does he have a stick up his ass all the time?” Mike’s squad member complained.

He heard him but he kept walking, he had no time and no energy to waste on them. Sounds of footsteps caught up to him and he knew he would find her walking by his side. A big smile on her lips as usual. The lips he had spent the morning kissing the day before, he almost didn’t let her leave his room. When she finally escaped his grasp, she rushed out the door and left her black jacket behind.

“You look in high spirits this morning, Levi!” she said sarcastically.

“Must be the stick up my ass,” he responded, and she laughed as they entered the commander’s office.

Chapter Text

A hand filled her pint for a third time while she was laughing with one of Gelgar’s friends. The atmosphere was smoke, alcohol, loud voices, and clapping coming from a table on a corner where men were gambling. An attractive server skillfully put down the plates on their table, her long black hair was braided in some strands that caressed her prominent cleavage every time she moved.

“Tonight’s food is on the house, boys,” she announced placing the last plate in front of Hange.

“Tell Ronan to come here before I go there and drag him out myself,” Gelgar said drinking half of his pint at once.

“Sure. If there’s anything else I can do for you, let me know. I’ll be at the bar serving drinks. My specialty is the strong ones,” she said in a seductive voice staring at Hange who looked back at her with a smile.   

“Bold, isn’t she?” Nanaba poured more drinks to everyone at the table.

“She’s a demon. She broke Boris Strong’s heart and ass recently. I would think twice before putting my dick in that one,” a man from Mike’s squad said.

“Good thing I don’t have a dick,” Hange laughed and drank from her pint.

The drinks kept flowing to their table and a couple of soldiers from the garrison joined them. They complained about losing money to the town’s gambling champion who haven’t lost a game that night, and people believed he had never lost to anyone since the day he was born. Hange chuckled and assured them that was only the truth for delusional idiots. She was going to mention some statistics, but her brain wasn’t working properly after litters of alcohol.  

The demon with the green eyes and the full cleavage was still serving drinks at the bar as she had announced an hour ago. She stood up and made her way to the bar without having a clear objective in mind. The woman smiled and put a glass in front of Hange.

“This is called the devil’s bite,” she poured a dark crimson liquid onto the glass.

“It hurts I imagine…”

“It burns… from your throat all the way down to your intestines. A dangerous bite…” the black-haired woman leaned down until she was face to face with her.

“I know a thing or two about bites…” she said and lifted up her glasses to the top of her head.

“There’s a way to fight the pain… If you drink it, I’ll show you…” she offered pressing the glass against Hange’s lips.

She swallowed the drink in one go and the demon woman pulled her jacket and kissed her with an open mouth over the counter. Her breath turned to fire burning her throat as the humidity of the woman’s tongue appeased the pain to a degree. They separated and a bitter flavor lingered in her mouth. 

“I have other tricks up my sleeve if you’re curious,” the server whispered biting her own lips.

“Does it involve the devil?” Hange asked getting closer to the demon woman until their noses were almost touching.

“Only if you are not a believer…” she said and was about to kiss her again when a loud bang caught the tavern’s attention.

The blonde man sitting at the gambling table was staring at them with a murderous look. He drank from a bottle and then threw it in their direction once he was done. Hange pushed the woman just in time to dodge the glass shards spreading everywhere after the bottle crashed on the counter near her.

“Get the fuck away from my woman, you bastard!” he yelled from his corner.

“Get over it, Boris! Look at me! This woman is not yours! I’ll fuck whoever I want…!” the demon woman shouted furiously.

“Is that what you want?! Then let that piece of shit come here if he has the balls,” Boris was the kind of man who solved problems with fists or gambling.

“Your man hasn’t come to terms with your loss,” Hange said pulling a piece of glass out of her hand.   

“He thinks his huge dick is the reason titans are kept outside the walls. You don’t have to follow his game… just come with me.”

She could have accepted the woman’s invitation, forgotten about the giant asshole’s homicidal stare, and sunk her mouth between the demon’s legs to see if she was actually some devilish spawn that crawled out of hell. However, the prospect of proving the unbeatable champion wrong made her feel something as intense as sexual arousal. She took off her jacket and walked up to the gambling table as the crowd in the tavern followed her moves in tense silence.

The champion’s current victim saw how his cigarette disappeared before he could inhale the tobacco smoke. Hange pushed him out of the chair and sat down with her legs open, puffed at the cigarette without taking her eyes off Boris. The smoke that blew out of her mouth stayed as a cloud between them for a minute before disappearing along with the man’s patience.

“You here to show me your balls?” he barked getting angrier by the second.  

“Why are you so sure I have balls? I guess is better than having your girl trying to fuck a woman after being with you,” she felt someone standing by her side.

“You have a dirty mouth… “ He ground his teeth.  

“I’m the filthiest…. You’re in or you’re gonna talk the rest of the night?” She threw some coins on the table and waited for the great champion’s reaction.

A vicious smile appeared on his face, and he put more coins on the table to indicate he accepted her challenge. The man who was dealing the cards stayed frozen until Boris made a signal to start the game. He was probably thinking about how reckless this person was to provoke him like that. They had no clue about the extent of her courage.

The first betting round started, and she raised the stakes without much reflection. Boris was supposed to be an experienced player, but his rage was going to put him right into the palm of Hange’s hands. This was a game of deception more than luck, and she had been deceiving people ever since she was a child. She roamed around the different districts of the outer walls posing as a young boy in her teenage years. Then she joined the military and made them believe she was just an irritable, resentful, indiscipline soldier who was seeking to die in a titan’s mouth until Erwin listened to her ideas on a cold night near the fire during an expedition. No, these small men who thought themselves rulers of the world were pathetic worms wriggling on the corner of an unholy tavern about to get trampled by her shoes.

Two rounds had passed, and she convinced him he could win this game, she wanted him to taste the victory as it dissolves in his irritating mouth. She smoked the cigarette while he was analyzing the possible outcomes of the final round that was coming next, and she was expecting him to reach the conclusion that would signal his demise. He played the hand conservatively and she knew why, he was planning to scare her because that’s how Boris Strong had won games in life. He would take advantage of his opponent’s weaknesses, trick them into making mistakes.

 She flew around slicing the necks of giant monsters, Hange wasn’t scared of a simple man no matter how muscular he was. He stopped the dealer until he could place the final card on the table. A smile, even more horrifying than the one he had on his face when he accepted her challenge, creased his lips. He swept off all the coins from the table and pointing at her, he stated his bet for the final round.

“I don’t care if you are a man or a woman, I’ll fuck you senseless if I win this game. That’s my final bet.”

“Hange…” Nanaba squeezed her arm, probably asking her to stop but she raised a hand in front of her.

“An hour… you’ll have an hour to fuck me,” she accepted the bet, and the tavern sank into a river of whispers, murmurs, and surprised gasps.

“You’ll be begging for mercy after three minutes and I’ll fuck every hole you got until there’s nothing left of you, including that dirty mouth of yours,” Hange Zoe didn’t beg anyone, and he was about to learn that very soon.  

“If I win, I’m taking your day’s earnings and you keep your dick away from that woman,” she said looking at the green-eyed demon who was staring at them from the counter of the bar.

“Her cunt is not that appetizing… you can keep her, the bitch isn’t worth the trouble,” he laughed and drank straight from a recently opened bottle.    

The last card was dealt, the decisions were made, and he thought he had won until she picked the bottle and gulped down almost half of its content. Then showed her hand and he seemed like a living painting, he didn’t move, he didn’t talk, and the silence of the tavern was so absolute that she felt a slight pressure in her ears.

She walked up to him, grabbed his hand, and pressed it between her legs.   

“It seems that you won’t taste this cunt either…. Next time, big boy” she said towering over him.

The dealer was calculating the champion’s earnings and filling some bags with coins while the tavern exploded in unrestrained excitement. Gelgar patted her back enthusiastically claiming he never doubted her skills while Nanaba sighed in relief and was walking beside her. They sat down at the bar where the demon woman received them with her seductive smile.

“Are you coming with me tonight or do you believe that resentful man child?” she asked pouring a drink for Hange.

“I’m sure you’re delicious but…” the woman interrupted her with a hungry kiss on her mouth.

Her lips were soft and warm, and her tongue dominated her completely for a minute. She surrendered to her greediness and kissed her back trying to match the demon’s lust. Hange rose to her feet and placed her hand on the woman’s neck as she felt her pulse accelerating under her palm, she pulled her closer until she felt the woman’s cleavage against her chest. A soft moan escaped the devil’s unyielding mouth. Oh, she could tell she was delicious just by her feverish kisses, and she was probably hot under her skirt as well. But as the burning sensation spread throughout her body the memories of another mouth came to her mind, and for a second, she imagined him instead of the attractive server in front of her.

She escaped the devil’s trap even though she tried to lure her back to her mouth with a bite on her lips, but she resisted. She was craving someone else and even if the meal on her plate was exquisite and appetizing it wouldn’t be the one she wanted.

“Come…. Come… come with me…. I’ll be all yours just for tonight… I’ll let you do whatever you want…” the devil whispered in her ear.

“You know I’m not a…” Hange said but she already knew the answer that came out of the server.

“Kiss me like a woman… fuck me like a man… I don’t care… I have all the tricks up my sleeve…”

“You’re really a demon, aren’t you?” she said gliding her lips over her jawline.

“Don’t leave me like this…” her breathing became more erratic, and her chest started to go up and down.

“I can’t go with you for the night…” she returned to her seat.

Why? The devil was gorgeous, and her tempting invitation stayed in her drunken mind for a while. Women had an irresistible allure that awakened the gentleman in her. The first time she stole a girl’s kiss was an accident. The girl thought she was a boy, but the sweet flavor of her lips made her wonder what she would taste like. The second time was intentional, and she liked her enough to confess the truth, but the girl didn’t seem to care. “You kiss better than most boys” she had said and made out with her until she guided her hand under her skirt and whispered, “I taste even better down here.” Hange found out later that night in the stables that she wasn’t lying.

She enjoyed the way women shivered under her touch, and they stopped breathing when they felt her hands drawing their silhouettes and they whimpered softly when her tongue reached the space below their hips. Men were a different story, sometimes she would allow herself to be dominated but it was fun to have these so-called strong beasts melt inside of her. And then, there was him…  

Boris had finally woken up from his comatose state and promised her he was still available that night. She only smiled and told him she would consider it if he ever beat her in a game. He was an impressively handsome man, his shirt barely contained his tone muscles and he was taller than her but Boris Strong wasn’t him .

It was past four in the morning when they arrived at headquarters. Nanaba was dragging Gelgar through the courtyard, one of her squad members was helping her but truth be told, none of them were in condition to keep the other from falling. She finally gave up and left him on the ground, mumbling things about Hange and how she shouldn’t fall under the champion’s charms.

She saw a figure sitting down a few meters away from them and her heart started beating fast because she knew who it was. She tried to ignore it, but she was already standing in front of him after everyone disappeared. His back was resting on a column, his dark hair covered one of his grey eyes and he looked up when he heard her voice.

 “You don’t even sleep on off-duty days” He had been drinking alone, that wasn’t a sight she would see every day. Was something weighing on his mind? Did it have to do with her?  

“Who the fuck will be able to sleep with this ruckus,” he responded, pretending to be calm but she knew better.

“Your half-filled bottle tells me you’ve been here all night.” He looked the other way and swallowed.

“What else can you see?” he said with a defiant stare. Had he been thinking about her all night? Did he want to touch her again? Boris’ words traveled through time, and she remembered seeing him in the champion’s place.  

“You know my eyesight is shit. I think I’m a bit drunk too… “ She needed more drinks to hopefully pass out and forget him. She ripped off the bottle from his hand and took a sip. She frowned and started to cough.

“I thought you knew how to hold your liquor.” Is this what despair tasted like? Maybe they both had the same idea after all.

“Did you find it in the stables? Horse piss tastes better than this.” The drink was strong and bitter but not as unforgiving as the devil’s bite.

The next exchange of words was so charged with sexual tension she would have kissed him anyway if he hadn’t pulled her from her suspenders and dug into her mouth with his tongue. It had been only two weeks since the tea night, but it felt so good being at his mercy. Why were his kisses so different from the demon woman’s? A warm sensation she knew too well was born in response to his passionate hands on her neck. She needed those hands exploring her body and she was going to allow him to do it right there until she remembered they were sitting in the courtyard.

 “No… we can’t… “ she whispered once she reluctantly separated from him. She had never imagined that performing a simple action would require all her willpower.

“Didn’t you like to live life recklessly?” He turned her own words against her, and she felt defeated. Don’t listen to me and throw me to the floor, she thought, climb on top of me and fuck me in the courtyard until dawn.  

“Not…. Not here…” She finally said. Would he listen to her? Wasn’t he fighting the same urge?

“Hange… come with me.” She almost lost it when she heard her name escaping his mouth in a tone she hadn’t heard before. His voice was begging her to get lost with him but the cold breeze of the hour before dawn brought her back to reality.

He walked away after trying to persuade her to ignore the risks and she had to gulp down almost the whole bottle to kill the animal in her head eating her common sense. Why did he make her feel so lost? She stumbled a little through the empty halls of the castle until she found him. He wasn’t wearing anything from the waist up, her bite marks and scratches were still visible on his muscular shoulders. She didn’t know what to say. Did she even need to say anything? He knew she wasn’t there to return the bottle.

He pulled her from her suspenders and slammed her back against the wall of his room. She pressed her legs into his hips as his hands were sliding to the small of her back. His lips abandoned her mouth and found her neck, his hot breath on her skin made shivers flood through her body. This wait was burning her worse than the devil woman’s drink. She lowered his zipper knowing there wasn’t anything more straightforward than that to get her message across.

 She clung to his bare shoulders as he finally penetrated her. Why was she so addicted to him? He pushed her against the wall harder with each stroke, the roughness of the bricks was scratching her back and letting her ponytail loose, but the pleasure was so intense she forgot the door wasn’t locked. He was already sending her over the edge when his fingers rubbed the knob hiding at the top of her entrance. Now his fingers accompanied his thrusts and her body tensed, a strong orgasm that had been building up since she stepped into his room shook her. She had to bite herself to avoid waking someone so early.

He unbuttoned her shirt as if her clothes were on fire, she helped him by unclasping her suspenders and for a second, her mind cleared. The door, did he turn the lock on the door? He didn’t care because he could only see her mouth. But dawn was almost here, and she knew they didn’t have time to waste.

“Lock… lock the door… you didn’t… “ she insisted hoping she wouldn’t have to slap him again.

“Fucking… hell..” he cursed and did as she said.

She dropped her suspenders on the floor along with her shirt and stopped at the side of his bed. It was exactly as she had imagined it, clean, not a single wrinkle on his sheets. Why did he want the deranged Hange Zoe? Wasn’t she a stain on his immaculate sheets? His hand on her stomach interrupted her thoughts and she felt the other lowering the strap of the top covering her chest. Her legs trembled and she didn’t fight the need to lean down on him. She confessed what was on her mind and his next words shocked her in an arousing way. Did he just say it? He whispered in her ear while reaching under her pants that he wanted to fuck her on his clean sheets. Oh, she realized she had wanted this since the night in her tent, maybe even before that?

“Boris told me he was going to fuck me senseless… “ she said sitting on his bed. Her eyes were boldly scanning his half-naked body.

“So I heard….” he responded, apparently unbothered by her gaze.

“He said I’ll fuck every hole you got until… there’s nothing left of you” she repeated the champion’s words that would have turned her on in the past but not anymore.  

“What a gentleman…” she recognized the sarcasm in his voice and the insinuation of something she still didn’t understand.

“And I… thought of you … in his place, “What would he have thought if Boris had fulfilled his wish? She hadn’t slept with anybody else for almost two months… What else could it be? The answer to Nanaba’s question danced on her mind.

He was close enough for her to grab his erection and she did it without thinking twice. If he was going to fuck her on his sheets, he would have to do it the proper way, rough and aggressive. She noticed the effort he was making to not react to her touch. She knew which buttons to press to change that. She glided her lips on him, pretending she wasn’t going to do anything reckless and then he touched his member with her tongue, and he almost fell to his knees. To have this much power over someone like him was exhilarating, she repeated it but this time she took her time until she was satisfied with the torture and slid his length into her mouth.

She heard him groan and lose the battle to her tongue, men were interesting creatures but for some reason he was different. She would usually have sex with someone to blow off some steam or just to feel alive before going outside the walls and then forget about it, but that hasn’t happened with him. 

He shuddered and she could tell he was going to finish but he had to carry through his words first. She pulled him down to the bed and whispered, “Fuck me hard from behind on your bed”. Then she disposed of the top on her chest and kissed him deeply, but he didn’t move as he used to, and she thought he didn’t hear her. Was he going to show her mercy now?

Harder, she thought, she wanted to know if she had some loose screws as people liked to say. She wanted him to fuck her as if she was a thing, not a person, just like Boris had promised. But she found out that night that she didn’t want that pretentious asshole inside of her, he wasn’t the one on her mind. Not even the demon woman’s tongue-filled kiss made her feel as his kisses do. Why? He was the one she wanted, the sour face clean freak captain.     

“I want to fuck you on that bed,” he said, and she had hoped he meant it. She didn’t need gentle caresses or sweet words. She needed his primal desire ripping her flesh apart, she knew he was capable of that, she already had a taste of it a couple of times. He was the strongest, wasn’t he? She hoped he could forget she was Hange Zoë for a moment, focused on her body, and see her as a pound of meat.

He had turned her around and unceremoniously pulled her pants down. Then he grabbed her hips and positioned her on all fours. “Hold on… tight”, he warned her as if something dangerous was about to happen. The coldness in his voice brought goosebumps to her limbs and she felt it, a sting like a bolt of lightning going through her insides. The pain was immediate, but he didn’t give her time to process it as his thrusts became more violent, her preservation instinct kicked in and her body tried to get away but his grip on her hips tightened and kept her in place.

Pleasure soon replaced the pain, and she closed her eyes, drowning in the sensation of his length sliding deeper than she thought was possible. Her mouth opened but her scream died in her throat, his hot breath was in her ear, but she couldn’t tell if he was speaking or not. A new level of sensations swallowed her when he pulled her loose ponytail hard, almost as hard as his next move. He was ramming her with ruthless force and her hands were holding onto the sheets for dear life. This was the strength of a titan slayer, this was the raw power of humanity’s strongest soldier, this was her making sure she was still alive.

She screamed, loudly and his assault continued with renovated energy. There was pain and there was an orgasm so intense it made whatever she had felt before seemed like a shadow of the real thing. And when she thought it had ended, her muscles tensed with a life of their own, and she screamed again as the pleasure grew in scale. This was fucking like an animal guided by pure instinct, there was nothing civilized in the way his hands were pressing on her hips while he was pounding into her at the rhythm of his accelerated breathing. This was what virtuous ladies would fantasize about in secret when they were pushing their fingers under their skirts but called it humiliation in public.

She wasn’t a lady, she was a soldier, she was Hange Zoë. And she promised the night she ran away from the house that had become a prison; she would never be scared again. She remembered what it felt like to be helpless and at someone’s mercy, and this wasn’t it. Boris would have done it to denigrate her, but he was doing it to please her, Levi was doing it because for some reason he wanted her as she was, loud, wild, and filthy.  

The last thing she felt was his arms wrapping around her waist and the softness of his sheets. They stayed like that for a minute, panting, trying to remember who they were. Then she turned around to face him, his black hair was soaked in sweat, his grey eyes were shining in a lighter color under the sunlight, his mouth was slightly opened, and he looked different, vulnerable. He wasn’t a weapon, he was just a man, and the way he returned her gaze made something in her stomach turn. What was he thinking?

Dawn had come and he was dragging his tongue on her skin. Would he ever get tired of her body? She pushed him onto the filth that was his bed and climbed on top of him. She started riding him slowly and he attempted to move but a punch kept him in line. He was looking at her almost in awe as if this was the first time he saw her naked. His hands were resting on her waist and then they moved to her stomach, they reached her breasts, finally, he was sitting when he caressed her lips with his fingers. She took them to her mouth and the lust on his face made her wonder if he would ever let her leave his room.

Moblit, her loyal assistant was trying to keep up with her and Nanaba. Erwin called them early this morning for a meeting, and when she saw him kissing the hands of the blonde woman from the inner wall she had an idea of the situation. Teresa Ignacio arrived before dawn on her own carriage. Her golden locks cascaded on her shoulders, which were usually covered by elegant capes, with every step she took. Her white shirt made of silk was partly hidden by an embroidered vest that enhanced the curves that shaped her body. 

They had exchanged some words a couple of times and she still wasn’t sure what to make of the noblewoman. Erwin seemed to enjoy her company, they would talk for hours over a cup of tea or a glass of wine, but she didn’t know if there was something else between them they weren’t seeing.  

“You did a number on him after all.” Nanaba’s voice reverberated throughout the hallway.

“So… the rumors are true? Squad leader…” Moblit sounded like a worried mother scolding her child for losing their virginity to the town’s most wanted delinquent.

“I wasn’t going to lose to a pretentious asshole,” Hange said as if it was the natural course of action. 

“They said they found Boris screaming your name in a brothel. Looks like the idiot lost a game for the first time in years.” Gelgar laughed approaching the three of them.

“Men… you act high and mighty and all it takes is a tickle in your balls and you’re down on your knees.” She said grabbing the bunch of papers Moblit was holding in his hand.

“What does it take to bring you down on your knees, Hange?” asked Gelgar with a grin on his face.

“I’m not having sex with you, Gelgar.” She responded sliding down her glasses and Nanaba started laughing her head off.

“Your… loss… “ he responded trying to regain the high ground, but it was obvious Hange’s remark took him by surprise.

“Squad leader… the commander is waiting for you… the meeting is in ten minutes.” Moblit announced the day’s schedule trying to dissipate the palpable tension in the air.

“Of course, you’re all here in the middle of the hallway talking about worthless shit.” He said walking by them on his way to Erwin’s office. 

“Does he have a stick up his ass all the time?” Mike’s squad member complained.

He ignored them and kept walking. She remembered how he wouldn’t let her go that morning when they were in each other’s mouth until dawn and a little bit after that. Hange couldn’t find her glasses and she stayed looking for them while he was in the shower. Then he came back wearing only his towel around his hips and found them in a heartbeat.  

“I’m not four eyes for fun…” she said and took the glasses from his hands.

She stood up and was trying to remember if she was wearing all her clothes or forgetting anything. His hands touched her zipper from behind and she was going to remind him that it was dawn when she noticed he was closing it. However, his wet hair was tickling her shoulder and his arms were surrounding her. She wasn’t a rock, she turned her head to find his lips and he kissed her, slowly, sensually as he had never done before. 

The despair was gone, and this kiss felt more intimate than when he put her on all fours. She wrapped her arms around his neck, hypnotized by the feeling of his lips caressing hers and Nanaba’s question hammering into her head. What else could it be?

Chapter Text

The captain caught Petra by the waist before she crashed to the ground, she had unexpectedly run out of gas in midair while doing training exercises with Eld. He lowered her to a safe spot and she apologized for her lack of attention, she insisted she had checked her equipment that morning as any elite soldier was expected to do. He listened to her calmly, he was used to people getting nervous around him, but he wasn’t angry, accidents happen, and he was glad it happened here and not outside in titan territory.

“Are you hurt?” he finally asked when she stopped talking to catch her breath.

“No… No, I’m not… I’m sorry, captain,” she apologized for the millionth time.

“Take your equipment to maintenance for an inspection, there must be something wrong with the canisters,” Levi explained without blaming her for the accident.

“If this had happened during the expedition… I…”

“We’re not in an expedition. And you’re safe… We do these exercises so we can find problems before they become a tragedy outside,” he interrupted her, he knew where that guilt trip would take her. 

 “Yes, sir,” she said with glistening eyes, and he thought she was going to cry but her voice didn’t break. Petra was a strong woman despite people’s opinions of her.

He would never yell at his soldiers unnecessarily, his squad was formed by the most capable and talented of them, they even knew how to properly clean, and he trusted them as much as they trusted him. That included Petra, she was responsible, levelheaded, and cautious when taking action. She wasn’t like her, the bringer of chaos that had been in his mind all the time since he kissed her before leaving his room that morning, a month and a week ago. Why did he kiss her like that? He remembers he wasn’t thinking anything in particular, but something drew him to her lips.

There was also the night in her laboratory when she returned from the interior. Erwin had sent her with Teresa to Wall Sina the day after their meeting at his office. She said her men, the ones who worked for her in the fields, had found some books before the fall of Wall Maria in a castle near the Shinganshina district. They usually grab weird things for her because she has a hobby of collecting old items and she rewards them handsomely for it. “I never paid real attention to them because the books arrived at my house a few days after the Colossal Titan had destroyed Wall Maria and I was busy working with the garrison to save as many of my employees’ families as I could.” They said she ran to Wall Rose as soon as the news of the fall spread through the different districts, she provided men and resources to aid the people who needed it but of course, she prioritized the ones who worked for her.

She said the books had some interesting drawings of titans, they were different from the ones in the history books the government used to distribute to the schools, and she thought there was the possibility they might find a clue about the nature of these monsters. Erwin decided that Teresa’s hunch was worth investigating, especially after the discovery of Ilse’s notebook, so he ordered Hange to travel with her and try to decipher the contents of those books. He thought why the fuck she just didn’t bring them to headquarters until she mentioned that the Military Police always keeps an eye on her and she had a suspicion it was because of her affiliation to the Survey Corps and her hobby. They were going to pretend Hange’s trip to the interior was to meet possible sponsors who were interested in supporting her experiments. They said it was going to take two weeks but those two weeks soon became a month and she even sent for Moblit after a week had passed.

Her absence affected him in more ways than one, headquarters became an oasis of peace and cleanliness. The rooms he cleaned stayed like that for a long time, there weren’t any papers on the floor or books on any corner of the castle. Everything was perfect and at the same time, it wasn’t. He finally cleaned her room a few days after she left and her scent was intoxicating, he had to pause his job and continue the next day. What did she do to him? Was she thinking about him as much as he couldn't take her out of his mind?

He concentrated his energy on the preparations for the next expedition, and he even helped Hange’s squad exercise in his free time because if he stops working for a long time, he will think of her and her lips, and the last kiss he gave her. The worst part is that she had kissed him back gently and wrapped her arms around his neck. And it felt like the earth stopped spinning and there was only her breath on him.

The torture came to an end the night she made it back safely to headquarters. She had a brief meeting with Erwin and then went to her laboratory. He didn’t see her, but he found Moblit in the canteen, and he knew she had returned. Her assistant looked like he hadn’t slept in years and was still drawing sketches on a piece of paper while eating, he approached him and questioned him about his deplorable state.

“You look like shit… “he said and placed a teacup in front of him.

“These couple of weeks were… hectic..” he tried to smile but he was obviously too tired to be polite.

“She’s going to kill you if you don’t take care of yourself,” he continued and poured some warm tea into the cup.

“Sometimes I think she’s going to die first… She hasn’t eaten in two days, I tried to drag her out of her laboratory for five minutes but… there’s only so much I can do when it comes to her” Moblit explained defeated.

“You two idiots are hopeless…” Levi declared and left him with the cup of tea.

The courtyard was getting empty each passing hour as the soldiers swarmed to the dorms, he had been leaning against a column, his strategic position gave him a good view of the window of her laboratory where the lights were still on. The bars on the window were preventing him from seeing clearly inside but her shadow would darken the glass every now and then.

“Eld and I will start the exercises at ten, Gunther and Oluo will join later,” Petra’s sweet voice tried to get his attention unsuccessfully.  

“Remind Oluo that tomorrow is his turn to start cleaning duty first thing in the morning… I don’t want to hear shitty excuses like last time,” he said, his eyes fixed on the window.

“Yes, sir… the commander sent the list of provisions and the map with our positions in the expedition, we should take a look at it in the next days”

“We can do it tomorrow after the exercises,” he responded still not looking at her.

“Is that squad leader Hange’s laboratory?” Her question woke him up from his trance and he finally looked at her.

Her light copper hair was flaming red under the torches, her thin lips were slightly opened as she was trying to find the point where his sight was so focused. She turned towards him, and her pretty face was decorated with a gentle smile, Petra Ral was cute indeed. And he was pretending he had never heard of the rumors about her feelings for him, but he wasn’t stupid, and he had ears. At first, he was convinced it was the ordinary admiration people seemed to profess to him, but he wasn’t so sure lately.

Petra Ral wasn’t the beast closing its claws around him though. He ignored her question and told her she should be resting for tomorrow’s training exercises and silently made his way to the kitchen. He lit the candles and started gathering the leftover ingredients of the day, he decided on making a healthy stew. The water started boiling and he wondered what the hell he was doing in the middle of the night throwing potatoes in a cooking pot.

Holding a warm meal on a tray he headed to one of the few rooms in the castle with the lights on. He was about to knock when a tall blonde man with glasses opened the door, one of Hange’s squad members, he wished him a good night and disappeared into the hallway. He left the tray on the desk, and he realized she was sitting on the floor surrounded by papers and books when she hit him because he was stepping on one of Moblit’s sketches.

“The desk is too small for all your crap?” he said a bit annoyed.

“The floor is more comfortable…” she responded without taking her eyes off the papers.

“Your assistant said you haven’t eaten in two days. Stop that shit for two minutes and have dinner like a decent human being.”

“The canteen is closed…” she obviously didn’t want to interrupt her work because that was the lamest excuse he had heard from her.

“I brought you food.” Hange looked at him and then the warm meal on the desk. She smiled and stood up while he took a sit on a chair.

“Anyone would say you’re worried about me, Levi” she teased him.

“Of course, I’m worried about you, just like Erwin worries about you… “he explained and crossed his legs.

She had a bite of the stew and sat down on the desk next to the tray. He let her eat in silence while he was horrified at the mess in the room. Hange had arrived just a few hours ago and the laboratory looked like a place where a pack of rabid dogs had fought to the death in it. He sighed and put his eyes on her, she was staring at him through her glasses, the spoon was on her lips, and he had to fight the animal in his head telling him to pin her down on the desk.

She grabbed a spoonful of food and chewed slowly, she must have noticed his attention on her mouth because she licked the spoon afterward. Her legs were a little open, but he didn’t pay attention to it because that’s how she usually sits. However, the spoon fell, and she caught it between her tights, then placed a hand there and slid it towards her zipper. What was she doing now? He swallowed and couldn’t look away.

Her hand reached the space between her legs, and she pressed it, tilting her head backward, the hand went up and down and he tried to stand up. Her boots pushed him on the chest, forcing him to sit again. She had returned more evil than when she left. Her hand disappeared under her pants and without breaking eye contact, she rubbed herself.

The abyss opened in front of him and the pressure on his pants was making him sweat. The coat she was wearing dropped off her shoulders as she moved her hand faster. The room became hot as if someone had turned on a furnace inside. Her hands and fingers were going deeper and she let out a soft whimper. She pushed him back again when he tried to get close to her and he was on the verge of losing his mind. Finally, her body shook lightly, and she took her hands off her pants.

“Did you cook the stew?” she asked taking a couple of fingers to her mouth, and she let him stand in front of her.

He didn’t answer, pulled her coat and kissed her deeply, she followed his rhythm and when they separated for a moment, she whispered, “lock the door” Always the fucking doors, but he followed her orders. She had taken off her coat when he returned to her, he jumped right back to her lips, his hands on her waist, pressing her body against him.    

“I thought you worried about me as Erwin does…” she said while he was kissing her jawline.

“Does he want to fuck you?” he asked breathing in her scent. 

“I don’t know… “she answered wrapping her legs around him.

“Is he fucking the noble bitch?” Now he kissed her neck.

“She isn’t so bad,” she said and sank in his mouth.

His hands went all the way from her back to the zipper of her pants and he stopped. He took a spoonful of the stew and put it close to her lips. “You have to eat,” he said in a serious tone, and she ate it. He fed her twice and when he served the last spoonful, she grabbed the spoon and threw it over her shoulder. He was going to scold her, but she grabbed his shirt and placed a hungry kiss on his mouth. 

They flung his shirt over his head and he unbuttoned hers, and they continued until they were no clothes between them. Their chests were pressed against each other, and he wondered how he had lived without her these past weeks. Their kisses became wetter, more urgent, and hotter than the stew. He lowered her zipper, spread her legs apart, and kneeled down. His tongue made its way inside of her as she closed her eyes and tried not to moan so loudly, which became almost impossible due to the way his tongue was moving in and out of her, then up and down and she threw her head back until she was laying on her back on the desk.

He took off her boots, pulled off her pants along her underwear, tossed them somewhere in the mess of papers, and returned to what he was doing, kissing her where the fire was burning the most in her body. He would move his tongue until her hips were shaking and she couldn’t contain her sounds anymore. Then he stood up and was getting ready to enter her when she pushed him away, she got off the desk and directed him towards the chair where he was sitting minutes ago.

She sat on his lap, her legs on his sides, and kissed him passionately while he gripped her hips tightly and placed her exactly where he could finally get inside of her. They both gasped when their flesh met, and she started to move forwards and backwards surprisingly fast. He took her breast in his mouth and he didn’t let go, he followed her body movements and when she shuddered and slowed down, he grabbed her behind and guide her to continue because he wasn’t done with her. He waited more than a month to see her again and she was going to pay for all the nights he stayed awake with her body tattooed on his brain.

He removed her glasses and buried his mouth on her neck, she was shaking again. She didn’t realize but her moans were growing louder as he was guiding her to another orgasm, his hands making her hips rock back and forth. He knew he had to silence her, but he remembered her screams in his room and how they triggered an unstoppable wave of pleasure that crashed over his body. Now, he was close to his limit and her sounds were taking him there faster, so he let her be as loud as she wanted.

She stayed on his lap after it all ended, panting and her face on his shoulder. He caressed her back while he was recovering too. It felt so good to have her completely bare on top of him. She moved her face and their noses touched. He couldn’t help it and kissed her longingly. She kissed him back and the exchange continue for some minutes until their bodies were hot again.

He lifted her up and sat her down on the edge of the desk, her legs around his hips and they made out until he was ready to go back inside of her. The desk was heavier than the table in her tent, so he didn’t need to hold it and had both hands touching her without inhibitions. From her lips to her legs, and she was dragging her hands along his back as their thrusts became quicker, they were moaning, and groaning and forgetting they were in a castle where a considerable number of people were trying to sleep. He held her in his arms when she reached that moment of ecstasy all humans crave, he looked at her as she came, and he thought this was the moment she looked the most beautiful with the pleasure engrained on her face.

Levi understood there was no hope for him anymore, they were fucking on the desk in her laboratory, in the middle of all the chaos of papers and books. What was next? Erwin’s office? The fucking kitchen? He didn’t want to think about it, he knew he wanted her but was that everything? He had wanted other women in the past but none of them had made him lose his composure to this extent. None of them had made him question his sanity. But there’s a thing that invades him every time they’re alone, what is it?

“Eat breakfast tomorrow like a normal person,” he said, she was wearing her pants again, her shirt was still open and she was tying her hair in a ponytail. He was sitting on the floor, his back against the drawers of her desk and suddenly she sat on his lap, their faces in front of the other and he put his hands on her waist.

“Thank you… for cooking for me,” she whispered, and he gently caressed her cheek.

He kissed her just like he did that morning in his room. What is it? He wondered while she was on his lap but this time a different sensation flowed through his body, a strange one, a new one. They kissed and held each other a bit longer and then she sighed and said she needed to keep working. The trip to the interior turned out to be more useful than they had originally thought. He got dressed and left her laboratory after telling her to go to sleep that night at least for a couple of hours.

The canteen was busy early in the morning, he was sitting alone until Mike Zacharias joined him, he sniffed the air and the insinuation of a smile appeared on his lips. What was this giant idiot plotting? He had sniffed him during the meeting in Erwin’s office as well, but he usually poked his nose into other people’s business, literally. He directed his attention to the table where Hange was eating breakfast for the first time in forever, and he raised an eyebrow when he saw Petra next to her.

Their moment on the floor of her laboratory had occupied his thoughts more than any of the things that happened the night before. Her sweet whisper when she thanked him, and then that kiss. What did it mean? Did he need to understand it? He told her he was worried about her because he wanted to fuck her, but it felt like a lie. Was he lying to her or to himself?   

Chapter Text

The breakfast at headquarters was as bland and flavorless as she remembered, but it provided them with the energy they needed to start the day. Food wasn’t her passion in life after all. The sound of a tray hitting the table distracted her from her loaf of bread. Nanaba smiled and sat next to her, her short blonde hair was clean and shiny, there was a reason Mike spent a lot of his time with her. She remembered he had confessed on a drunken night that Nanaba’s scent was the most delicious he had ever smelled in his life. Well, if she smelled as good as she looked, he was probably right.

“Mike says you shouldn’t be too loud…” she said as if she was talking about the weather.

Hange frowned and kept chewing her bread. Mike was one the most silent individuals in the Survey Corps so he would naturally have that opinion about her. That wasn’t new so why was Nanaba mentioning it now?

“He heard you… last night…. in your laboratory…” she continued and bit her ration of bread.

“What the fuck was he doing near my laboratory so late?” Hange asked trying to keep her cool.

“He was going to his room from Erwin’s office. He said he thought someone was being tortured until he understood the nature of the sounds he was hearing,” the blonde woman explained with a straight face, anyone would believe they were discussing battle plans.

“I’ll keep it in mind…” A second after she let those words out, she realized it implied that they would do it again. Would they?

“So… 3D maneuver gear isn’t his only talent, huh…” Now Nanaba was smiling, and she felt it served her right for being careless.

“I’ll take it… I deserve this…” she smiled back and focused her attention on the food again.

They had spent a month away from each other for the first time since the change in their relationship and she thought he would forget everything and move on. However, he went to her laboratory late at night with a warm meal and intense hunger for her. His kisses were hotter than she had remembered, his touch felt as if he had been waiting for her return and the only reasonable question pounded in her mind, what did it mean?

Erwin had ordered her to join Teresa Ignacio on her return trip to Wall Sina to study a couple of books her men had found years ago near Shinganshina before the Fall. “It has illustrations of titans I haven’t seen in the books distributed to the schools,” she said, and Hange would have smacked the commander if he hadn’t admitted the importance of it. Part of her thought the reason Erwin was keeping the noblewoman close was her blue eyes and her long golden hair, without mentioning her physical appeal but after enjoying her company for a couple of weeks she understood everything.   

A glass of wine materialized in front of her, the hand that was holding it belonged to Teresa Ignacio. “Drink with me, Hange,” she requested with the gentle smile that had become her signature feature. She took a seat on an elegant armchair, she was tall, but she looked slimmer without the cape on her shoulders. The corset vest she was wearing was different from the one common women used to wear, it was embroidered and it had chains hanging on her waist, it complemented her pants and boots pretty well. A silver medallion was hanging in her full cleavage, and she wondered if it was a family heirloom of sorts.

“You live alone, Lady Teresa” she pointed out and sat on the couch near her. She hadn’t seen another human being in the big house besides her servants since she had arrived two days ago.

“My father…. doesn’t… enjoy my company, but the feeling is mutual,” she explained and drank from her glass, her blue eyes darkening with what she thought was sadness.

“Are all these books the result of your hobby?” she asked glancing at the tall bookshelves in the office.

“Some of them, I have collected all kinds of books through the years, there’s a couple that a member of the Church of the Walls sold me at an outrageous price… They usually don’t know I’m the buyer but still… some are just diaries from people that lived inside the Walls before 3D maneuver gear was invented.”

“That sounds like valuable information…” she said looking at the dozens of books in awe.

“You’re a curious person… Is that why they called you the nutcase of the Survey Corps?”

“I’ve never heard that one, but they called me a lot of things,” She acquired hundreds of nicknames through the years but mere words couldn’t hurt her.   

“There’s an account from the Shinganshina district about a time when people believed titans could give birth… they said they saw a child coming out of a titan’s belly”

“That’s impossible… titans don’t have sexual organs. They cannot procreate like that…” she clarified turning to face her.

“We know that now but there were even more things they didn’t know in the past… What do you think these monsters really are? They look eerily human but they’re not, they have mouths, but they cannot speak. And then there’s the one we called the Colossal Titan, it leaned over the Wall they said, it had eyes, it was covered in muscles and it had a mouth, but it didn’t eat anyone… and how did something so big disappear in a cloud of steam?” she wondered out loud and her curiosity seemed genuine. 

“You have many questions… we don’t have the answers for any of them yet. Have you always been interested in Titans? It’s not common for someone who lives in the safety of the inner Wall”

“I’ve been told I was a tool… well, that my cunt was a tool for my father to use as he pleased since I have memories of this world. My older brother would beat it into me, literally, in case I happened to forget it. I spent days locked in my room just to hide from him, and I would look outside the window because I thought if I finally made it out of my room, I would find freedom… but when I did, I found a giant Wall and it didn’t have any windows. I wondered why just like I wondered the same every time my brother’s palm burned my cheeks. I didn’t feel safe when I looked at those Walls, I felt stuck in a trap… a trap bigger than my father’s house.”

“It does feel like that sometimes… and we thought it was safer than outside until… they made it inside,” After a hundred years of relative peace, the attack of the Colossal and Armored Titans on Wall Maria had cracked the false idea of safety they had.  

“You’ve been outside the Walls… Tell me, Hange… What is it like to be surrounded by so much empty space that makes you believe the world is infinite?”

“It’s… terrifying if I say the truth. You never know where they could come from… It’s different when you see them in front of you” she answered with countless memories of those monsters eating her comrades in her mind. 

“Commander Pixis invited me to the top of Wall Rose some days after the rescue mission for survivors in Shinganshina had ended. I’ll show you the woman of my dreams he said, and he pointed below, and I saw it for the first time… a titan. It did look like a female, and then it opened its mouth and the most horrible sound I’ve ever heard came out of it… it reverberated in my bones. I felt as afraid as the day my brother pulled my hair and dragged me to the kitchen, put a knife on my throat, and told me he was going to fuck me from behind so my cunt would stay immaculate. That was the first time in my life I thought I was going to die because I was planning to fight him… I felt the same when I looked at that thing, the fear of dying,” she sipped her wine.  

She understood why Erwin would spend hours talking to her, she wasn’t like any other noble person she had met. She had a good grasp of the reality of the titans’ tyrannic rule on humanity, and she was kind and compassionate even though she didn’t receive the same treatment growing up. Hearing the stories about her charming brother reminded her of Levi’s bitterness towards them and she thought that noble people were indeed pigs. She hadn’t thought about him since she arrived, which was good to a degree, she would have a lot of work and hopefully, she won’t feel his absence.

The first week she left Teresa’s office twice a day and both were to sit and eat with her since she had insisted. Hange found the perfect partner for her long ramblings about titans and her theories, the noblewoman didn’t seem to get tired of her. Then she decided she needed Moblit’s help with some things, and he arrived at the start of the second week. Teresa left the house some days after that on business trips as she had announced before closing the door.

It was that night that she found herself dozing off over her notes again, Moblit was snoring on the couch, buried under his sketches. She hit him with a book and told him to sleep in a proper bed. He didn’t complain and left the office telling her she should follow her own orders. A cold wind made her shiver and she thought how great it would be to feel the warmth of his body now that she was freezing. She remembered his arms around her when he kissed her that morning. Why did he do that? Why was she thinking about him?

She hit herself on the face with her notes but that did nothing. This was the first time they were away from each other since it all started. Was he thinking about her too? Maybe this distance will help him realize he was being a fool and find someone else to fuck. She had no reason to believe any different. And yet the tone of his voice when he said her name the dawn in the courtyard was stuck in her memory, he pronounced her name not someone else’s. He usually called her any shitty nicknames he could come up with but Hange was always the last option on his list.         

“Teresa! Teresa! TERESA!” A furious scream coming from the first floor woke her up the morning of the third week of her stay in the noble house. She put her glasses on and went to investigate the source of the noise.

Theodor Ignacio, a tall, elegant man with an intimidating physique was standing in the middle of the entrance hall, a few steps from the main staircase. He had a commanding voice and she thought he sounded scarier than Erwin on a bad day. Teresa was at the top of the staircase, unfazed by his rude behavior. Her loyal assistant, the man she called Alphonse, was next to her, worry lined his face.

“What do you think you’re doing?! You’re not only wasting your resources on those clowns but now you bring them to your house?!” he barked, his eyes as blue as his daughter’s but icy cold.

“I don’t have the need to explain myself to you or anybody else. And even less when you come to my house announced and making such a distasteful scene,” she responded calm and collected.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Teresa,” he sentenced pointing a finger at her.

“Alphonse, show my lord father the door…. He’s leaving,” Teresa ordered and turned around ready to leave the hall.

“Don’t make the mistake to believe that wearing my name will save you from what’s coming for you, you’re still my daughter but mark my words, you’ll be alone with your sins on the day of reckoning!” he yelled while she was walking towards the hallway of the right-wing.

On the day of reckoning, why did he sound like he knew something more? Wasn’t he one of those nobles who were favored by the king? Why did Teresa’s affiliation with the Survey Corps trouble people from the interior? Was it because the population inside the Walls considered them a bunch of misfits and delusional idiots? He slammed the door shut before Alphonse could close it properly.  

The noble house had been doused with more mysteries and questions besides the books she was studying. The investigation was supposed to last two weeks, but the noblewoman showed her interesting books that pique her curiosity and she decided to stay a couple more weeks. There will still be plenty of time to prepare for the upcoming expedition. On that note, Erwin told her the morning she had left that he was planning to team up her squad with Levi’s squad since they had successfully caught titans, something that hasn’t happened in decades. Would they be able to work together again after the couple of nights they’ve spent in each other’s mouths?

“He’s furious because I turned down one more of his marriage arrangements” the beautiful woman explained while pouring tea on a cup.

“That’s one of the reasons he doesn’t enjoy your company?” she asked putting on the table the book she was holding.

“Marriage is useless in this world… don’t you agree with me, Hange?”

“For someone who is more interested in finding out what’s inside a titan’s belly, sure it is” she answered without thinking twice. She already sealed her fate the day she joined the military. If she had had such dreams, she wouldn’t have been a soldier.

She had never thought about it. The idea did not even cross her mind the afternoon her childhood friend, a young boy, gave her a kiss on the lips, the first one she ever had. She was thirteen years old, her hair was tucked in a long braid because her father had forced her to grow it and start looking like a proper woman . But that was everything he could do, she was still wearing her boyish overalls because her mother had told her since an early age that no matter what she wore, she would always be Hange in her eyes.

“I know you would never accept if I asked you to marry me, but I can at least do this…” the boy had said, and he pressed his lips against hers.

She had been curious about boys a couple of times but other things like insects or animals would quickly catch her attention. She used to hang out with the neighborhood boys every now and then, but she was convinced they saw her as one of them, and they also treated her like that. That’s why she was so shocked when this boy kissed her that she slapped him immediately afterward, she thought he was making fun of her. However, he looked at her confused and told her that if she didn’t like him, she could have told him without hitting him.

“You mean you’re serious?” she asked and lifted her glasses.

“I am… I thought you would laugh and maybe yell at me, but I didn’t think you would hit me” he confessed, his hand pressing the redness on his cheek.

“I thought you were being an idiot…” Hange explained and got close to him to check the state of his cheek.

“Maybe I’m an idiot… for falling in love with you…” he continued looking the other way.

“You’re not in love with me… it’s just your hormones recognizing I have a girl’s body…” she said inspecting the imprint of her palm on his skin.

“Do your hormones recognize I have a boy’s body?” he asked turning to face her with renovated courage.

“I don’t need my hormones to tell me you’re an idiot with a shitty sense of humor,” she answered still not convinced about the whole love thing.

The boy cut the distance between them again but this time he did more than just press his lips. And she felt a warm sensation spreading through her body, the one she had felt a couple of times, the one that would go away if she pressed her thighs together. Little did she know that a figure was staring at them in the distance, a tall figure with glasses like the ones she was wearing. That innocent first kiss changed her life in a way she wasn’t expecting it, the first kiss that brought hell to her years as a girl turning into a young woman.

She didn’t hesitate to answer Teresa’s question because she had decided what kind of life she wanted to live. She had a clear objective in life, to unveil the secret behind the titans and free humanity from their grasp. That’s what she was trying to do in Wall Sina, away from him, kilometers apart from his touch.   

“I think captain Levi isn’t very fond of me…” Teresa’s voice brought her back to her garden where they were sitting. 

“He isn’t very fond of many people,” she wasn’t lying though.

“It’s because of my name, I know it… Erwin told me about it, he said he was from the underground…. It’s hard to believe there are people living in that nest of rats,”

“I thought you were the kind of woman who didn’t care about other people’s opinions,” Why did she have to mention him? 

“I don’t… I wouldn’t be helping the Survey Corps if I cared. You think I don’t know what they say about me here, in the interior, and at headquarters. The noble bitch is giving resources to the Survey Corps and her cunt to the commander… When you are a woman your worth is measured by what you have between your legs, but the irony is that it’s a powerful asset if you know how to use it,” she said with a mischievous smile.

She wasn’t sure what kind of assets Teresa knew how to use but whatever they were, it was working well for her. She owned a pretty house in the interior, she had people following her commands and she wasn’t scared of her father, who was arguably more powerful than her. And on top of everything she provided financial support to the Survey Corps. Teresa Ignacio was another mystery inside the Walls.

She arrived at headquarters after a month and a half of staying with the blonde noblewoman. She closed the door of her laboratory and spread her notes and Moblit’s sketches on the floor. She hadn’t noticed that she was starving until he said, “I brought you food.” The canteen was already closed, she was sure of it, did he cook for her? Did he spend all this time waiting for her? She couldn’t hide her smile and stood up to sit on the desk. Was that everything he had in store for her? She wondered feeling less hungry for food, but hungrier for him.

He sat down on a chair and crossed his legs saying he was worried about her just like Erwin. She stared at him through her glasses with a theory on her mind. She was going to run an experiment to prove him wrong, and to relieve the tingling sensation that was torturing her since he sat on that chair pretending not to care about anything. She dragged her hand from her thighs to the zipper of her pants and pressed it, his eyes fixed on her movements. The tingles turned to goosebumps and an uncomfortable heat between her legs.

She touched herself to see if he wouldn’t care, and just as she thought he was on his feet in a heartbeat. But nothing was free in life, he had said he worried about her as a comrade and nothing else. Well, he was going to sit there and watch her as the comrade he was. Twice he tried to reach her but both times she pushed him back to his chair using her boots on his chest. What exactly was she trying to prove?

He didn’t answer when she asked if he had cooked the stew. He pulled her coat and kissed her deeply, and it felt as desperate as the first time they had kissed. She let herself be consumed in the intensity of his mouth on hers. He complained as usual when she reminded him of the fucking door that was still open. However, he returned as soon as he left and put a hand on the back of her head and gave her another kiss that left her unable to think.

“I thought you worried about me as Erwin does…” she said feeling his lips on her jawline sending goosebumps in every direction.

“Does he want to fuck you?” he asked breathlessly without separating his mouth from her skin.

“I don’t know… “she answered and wrapped her legs around him, pulling the rest of his body closer to her. She couldn’t describe with words the appetite overwhelming her.

“Is he fucking the noble bitch?” He kissed her neck, slowly and she tightened her grip on his hips. Would he make her wait for this? She had never wanted anything in life as much as she wanted him.

She wasn’t in the mood to talk, and he knew it, but she still prevented him from speaking with the most efficient technique, her tongue in his mouth. His hands were so close and yet he stopped. Was he really worried about her wellbeing? The sour face captain Levi was spoon-feeding her the meal he had cooked in the middle of the night just for her. Did he do this for everyone he fucked? Some part of her wanted to believe he did, but her intelligence told her otherwise.

The noise in her head was killing her so she threw the spoon over her shoulders and urged him to resume what he had interrupted. She undressed him fast, they had practiced it a couple of times already, and the fire that the friction of their chests pressed together ignited was telling her this wouldn’t be the last. There was no way they wouldn’t fuck again with this annoying chemistry stirring their animalistic impulses.

His tongue was deep inside of her and she knew they couldn’t be loud, but it was a losing battle. He didn’t stop until she trembled, the humidity of his mouth dampening corners and corners of her sensitive anatomy, he didn’t forget the spots that made her arch her back and lose control of her muscles. The release was a delicious dessert to his late-night stew.

When did he get rid of her remaining clothes? She didn’t remember and she didn’t care either, she sat him on the chair where he said he didn’t care about her and straddled him. Apparently, he couldn’t wait for one more second because she felt him sliding his erection into her, and she gasped in her wet kiss. Give me everything, she thought, I want everything from you, she moved her hips backward and forwards as fast as he liked it. She didn’t count on the orgasm that it provoked, and she slowed down.

His hands reached her behind and began to guide her while her breast was caught between his lips and if she hadn’t screamed before, this was going to break her. He didn’t allow her to recover from the sensation of the first orgasm and now, a new one was building up on her insides. She was already moaning louder than a few minutes ago, she knew it even though her brain wasn’t fully processing the sounds coming into her ears.  

More, ordered the demon in her, she was burning in his fire and begging for more. Finally, the relief came in a shockwave of pleasure that almost made her fall if he hadn’t held her in his arms. That’s where she was now, panting on his shoulder covered in a drizzle of sweat, and he smelled of lavender and those tea leaves he couldn’t live without. The fire hadn’t been extinguished completely, the wind was about to rekindle the pyre and it did when he kissed her slowly. There was something so raw in his kisses that affected her twice as bad now that she was completely naked on his lap.

Hange didn’t remember the moment he took her to the desk, she was focused on his hands roaming all over her figure, his mouth eating her alive, and she was rocking her hips again in the blink of an eye. This was a torture she could go through as many times as he wanted, she was his for that night in her laboratory, tomorrow was still ten hours away, and it could wait for all she cared.

Exhausted, she put her pants on while he was sitting on the floor, and she heard him saying to eat breakfast like a normal person. They both knew none of them were normal people, they didn’t behave like regular people, and she was sure they didn’t fuck like ordinary people.

She sat on his lap once more, her shirt was unbuttoned, her hair was messier than usual and she spoke words she hadn’t planned on saying. “Thank you… for cooking for me,” she whispered, and to her fear and surprise, he caressed her cheek, gently, sweetly.

Is this just about sex? She had answered immediately that time in the showers, but she felt a void opening in her stomach. A void that became bigger and more obvious now that he was kissing her like that morning in his room, without rushing, almost afraid of breaking her. He was breaking her though, he was breaking her resolve to put humanity’s freedom before everything in her life. He was breaking the invisible wall she had built to protect her heart, a heart that had been broken once, some years ago when she had recently joined the military.

 “I mean… if he’s as fast and powerful in bed as he is killing titans… “Nanaba was still teasing her, Hange only sighed and laughed with her. She wasn’t wrong.

“I haven’t seen you here in a long time, squad leader Hange” Petra sat next to her unexpectedly. Nanaba was laughing but she knew she had to stay quiet.

“I got tired of being scolded,” she responded with a kind smile.

“I can see he worries about you, but he’s right, you should take care of yourself more” Who was she talking about?

“Moblit can be annoying sometimes…” she ventured, parting the bread with her hands. 

“I meant captain Levi, he was in the courtyard staring at the window of your laboratory last night.” What did she expect, really? Of course, she was talking about him. 

“Oh! I didn’t know Levi had such entertaining hobbies…” she laughed.

“He says he cannot stand your recklessness but he’s always around you.” Was she trying to get somewhere with her comments?

“Probably trying to see when I finally get killed or eaten.” A bunch of lies and she knew it, he cooked for her, fed her, and then fucked her in her laboratory until she screamed and the tall man happened to hear them. Wait… did she hear it too?

“I doubt it… he’s kind but you already know that… sometimes I feel you’re the one who understands him better than any of us.”    

Did she? She’s been feeling quite the opposite lately, especially after his soft kisses or maybe she did understand their meaning and was refusing to face it. The void in her stomach grew a few sizes after Petra’s comments and she wondered how long it will take to consume her whole.  

Chapter Text

She had done it again. Hange Zoë had gotten under his skin and not in a sexual way. Rage commanded the hands that were holding the collar of her shirt, her green cape was covered in dirt and blood, she was filthy, and she burst out laughing. He was so furious he couldn’t open his mouth, but there she was, laughing her head off as a response to his threatening body language. He pushed her and she almost fell to the ground, he turned around and Petra’s expression was telling him she was afraid he would completely lose it and lash out at the idiot with glasses.

“Captain, squad leader Hange… she…. she did it to help…” Petra tried to explain.

“Don’t make up excuses for other person's irresponsibility” he cut her abruptly, he didn’t want to hear about it. He was tired, covered in dirt, and angry.

The soldiers were taking the carriages to headquarters, it was the usual sad parade every time they return from an expedition. Why did he believe she would change her ways only because they were fucking? She abandoned her position in the formation, rode like a madman towards a five-meter titan in an open field, and risked her life for another person.

They were riding to the next point on the map, she was meters ahead of him, and then it happened, one of those monsters jumped from an island of trees to the middle of their formation. She abandoned her position, reined in her horse, and turned back in the direction of the monster. She jumped from the animal while the hooks of her maneuver gear grappled onto the back of the titan, which violently changed its course towards her. Her feet were sliding fast on the ground lifting a cloud of dust when the head of the titan swung where she was, and he thought it was too fucking close to her, but she had managed to reel herself up near the nape of the neck.  

He was riding through the scene of the events when she came out of the cloud of steam the monster’s dead body was emitting, there was blood on her uniform and the blade she swung to the side to clean it. He gave her a murderous look and continued his way. He was so mad he didn’t notice Oluo was sitting on the ground near her. According to Gunther’s report, the moment the titan jumped, it brushed Oluo’s horse and it made him lose control of the animal, he got off before being trampled under it and ended up right in the line of the monster's sight. It was going his way when Hange caught its attention.

He grinded his teeth while listening to the description of the events. It didn’t matter, there were people riding towards him, she shouldn’t have turned back as she did. They had a plan, each of the soldiers had a job during an expedition and as always, she ignored it. He would get angry when lives were lost unnecessarily, he hated it but was it everything? He was furious because she put the whole operation at risk, that was it, right?

He avoided her presence for two weeks because he wasn’t sure if the impulse flowing throughout his body would make him squeeze her throat with his hands or violently kiss her on the mouth. He spent his nights sitting alone in the courtyard or in the kitchen, drinking tea and containing his fury the best he could. That’s where he was sitting with the candles out when a shadow made it into the room, he heard the person crash into the table and curse. That voice, the person was now standing in front of the windows where the moonlight reached her features. Her glasses were on top of her head, her brown hair was tied in a high ponytail, and she was opening the drawers looking for something, he imagined.

She didn’t know he was there in the darkness, staring at her silhouette, she was wearing comfortable pants, slippers, and her shirt was opened but she had a tank top underneath, part of it was lifted revealing a few centimeters of her stomach. He swallowed… his rage turned into a strong desire to get close to her, a desire he usually can’t fight.

“How long are you going to stalk me in the dark?” she said without interrupting what she was doing.

“I’ve been here all night… I’m not stalking you…” he responded but his eyes never left her.

“You didn’t say anything when I entered,” she was inspecting an opened drawer.

“Did you want me to say something?” he underestimated the impact of his words. His rage was speaking for him.   

“Maybe… “she said in a lower tone of voice.

He wanted to kiss her, but he was fighting it as if his life depended on it. What did she want him to say? She knew why he was angry and talking about it wouldn’t change anything because she will do it again on the next expedition, and the next, until one day she won’t return from one.

She sat in front of him, a knife in her hand and an apple in the other. Where did she get it? Fruits were not a common occurrence in the Survey Corps menu. She cut it and took a piece to her mouth, and he was still staring at her as the hopeless idiot he was. She was beautiful under the moonlight, and he knew she was even more beautiful under those clothes she was wearing.

“Even if I say something, you’ll do it again because that’s who you are… “he finally confessed, tired of the silence between them.

“Who am I, Levi?” she asked and bit another piece of the red apple on the table.

A reckless, strange, wild, and loud woman, but also the one he didn’t seem to be able to breathe without lately. The woman who makes him feel lost. He wanted to say it all, but he knew he couldn’t.

“A fucking irresponsible idiot” he answered instead.

“I might be… so, you know that… and yet…” the knife sliced the apple and hit the table loudly. What was this argument about? Why did it feel so alien to him? They had argued in the past but this argument in the darkness of the kitchen felt different, strange.

“And yet?” he repeated suddenly feeling hot.

“You fucked me almost every night the month before the expedition…” she answered and he was going to correct her but then… well, it was true… they would usually wait a couple of weeks before going at it again, but the last month had been confusing, wild for his standards and altogether unusual.  

The month of preparations before the expedition was the most hectic and bizarre he had ever experienced. They argued during the day, called each other names, disagreed on almost everything, and even threatened to punch each other.  Then once the veil of night fell, so did their defenses and the wall he built for others. He found himself stumbling to wherever she was, her room or her laboratory, and without the need for words, he would dive into her trap. It seemed like their bodies were constantly seeking the other, every time his tongue grazed her skin he wondered if he will ever get tired of her.

“What did you call me today?” he asked breathing in her ear as his thrusts accelerated.

“Shut up!” she almost yelled louder but remembered that silence was always imperative, even though the tall man had already heard them the first night they spent in her laboratory.

“I thought you liked to talk,” he said and slid harder into her, she bit her lips probably because she felt like screaming.

“I won’t…. repeat… myself…” she somehow managed to respond. His arms encircled her, and he pulled her towards him.

He kissed her viciously, biting her lower lip at the end and she slapped him. However, her hips maintained their rhythm, and her vengeance was an orgasm that made every muscle in his body tighten and tremble and he had to hold onto the desk to not lose balance. Why was this the only battle he kept losing? He stayed frozen for a couple of minutes, dealing with the aftershocks still flowing through him. He should have known about the hurricane that would be unleashed as a result before sticking his dick in a woman like her.

Her forehead bumped against his and her thumb touched his lips, they had fucked many times at this point, and he still didn’t understand a single thing about her. He did understand her body, the silent language that words couldn’t replace, but that was a tiny piece of the puzzle called Hange Zoë.

The first night they had sex he thought he was just dealing with the unbearable tension between them, the one that made electricity float in the air when they were close to each other, arguing, yelling, even just talking, but he had opened Pandora’s box. He had convinced himself he was stronger than everyone, the legendary titan slayer who brought renewed hope to humanity, but he never counted on the monster next to him, the unpredictable beast that was Hange Zoë.

She wasn’t scared or intimidated by him. He believed the reason for her behavior was stupidity and how wrong he was. She would laugh and pretend everything was a joke, but she knew exactly what she was doing most of the time. Her methods were clearly unorthodox, but she would put herself in the line of fire instead of others and that infuriated him. Why did she have such a disregard for her own life? Did she have a death wish? She was smart, and yet she would put herself in dangerous situations. Even Erwin had shown there was a certain limit to his recklessness, but she didn’t seem to have any.

She scared him. That was it, wasn’t it? She did to him what a titan never did. She made him feel small again just like he had felt before Kenny as a child. Somehow, they were similar, they were nuts and they were a mystery he could never solve. Kenny disappeared one day without telling him his full name or who he really was, was she going to do the same? Disappear in a titan’s mouth, outside the walls where freedom was supposed to exist.

He looked into the brown eyes trying to read his mind, and he felt something he never felt with Kenny, a gut-wrenching sensation too new for him he concluded he was getting sick. Don’t leave me behind, a desperate voice in his head put his fears into words, and he hoped this could be translated into his own eyes. He couldn’t speak such dangerous words, so he kissed her, holding onto her lips as if he was holding onto his own life. His hand on her neck fed onto her pulse, the sound of her beating heart.

She opened her eyes when he slowly broke the kiss, and something must have clicked inside of her because she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with the same passion he just did. Was that an answer to his silent request? Was she telling him that she would always return to him? Was she saying she won’t repeat Kenny’s story? He wanted to believe it.

“Captain! That was squad leader Hange’s orders!” Petra got off her horse, trying to save Eld from a sermon. These days of training with the fourth squad had been testing Levi’s patience like nothing else before.  

“She ordered to extend our territory… I thought you had discussed it before” Eld, a tall blonde man feared the short captain’s reaction.

“You know what happens if you pull off this kind of shit outside?! Titans happen and they can kill all of you if you aren’t paying attention, no matter how skilled you are. I thought you knew that” Levi didn’t take the lives of his squad lightly.

“Levi! If you have a problem with this kind of shit I can enlighten you, just say so!” Hange just arrived and was on her horse looking down at him, an annoying smile on her face.

“We know you don’t care if you end up inside a titan, but don’t you dare take my men with you. I thought I already made it clear for you,” he said and the eye contact they were holding was so intense it gave goosebumps to the ones witnessing the scene.

“That’s exactly the kind of thinking that has kept us inside these Walls for a hundred years… What else can I expect from short boring men,” she replied without shying away from his threats.

“Get off that horse and I’ll show you how boring I can be,” he challenged her guided by the blood boiling in his veins, a huge mistake on his part.    

She lifted her goggles and got off the horse, threw her green cape to the ground, and smiled. “If you want to hit me, why don’t you come now that I’m within your reach. I can even smell your intentions from here.”

“Squad leader! Abel’s group is back!” Moblit was desperately trying to prevent a tragedy. He wasn’t sure which course of action the captain was about to take. He didn’t often snap at the soldiers but again, he has never seen him this on edge before.

“We’re all regrouped… do we head back, captain?” Petra caught on Moblit’s terrified expression and decided to help.

“On your horses, everyone! Back to headquarters!” he ordered but his eyes were piercing Hange, who was doing the same with a sinister smile on her lips. He knew the taste of the poison on those lips too well and they were going to solve this in the privacy of her room, or his room, or her laboratory.

It was her room the night’s choice where they currently were, her lightweight body was on top of him, bare as the day she was born, their legs intertwined, her head was resting on his chest and her breathing was slower than a few minutes ago when she clawed at his shoulders as another wave of pleasure invaded her. He rested his hand on her back and was dragging his fingers downwards, she shuddered and looked at him. Her sinister mask was gone, there was a softness in her eyes, one few people had seen, and it melted his brain.

“I wasn’t going to hit you…” he said even though she didn’t ask.

“I know… “ she whispered. 

“I wouldn’t want you to end inside a titan either” What was he saying?

“You talk too much…” She pressed her lips to his and silenced his confession.

He opened his mouth, his hand had continued its way down her back while they were talking, and reached a comfortable spot below her hips now that he was kissing her. She had goosebumps but he didn’t know if it was due to his deep kiss or his hand grabbing her behind.

“You’ve been quite fond of that part of my body lately,” she said after biting his lower lip.

“I’m fond of every inch of your body.” His mouth crashed into hers.

His free hand was holding her jaw while she responded eagerly to his passionate kisses, then he laid her on the bed with her chest on the soft mattress, he positioned himself on top with his knees on her sides. He moved her hair to the side and started placing his lips on the back of her neck, one more below and he was moving down her spine. She shivered every time a kiss landed on her skin, he was at the small of her back now and kept going down for a couple of kisses and then stopped.

“No… don’t stop,” she sighed, and he encircled his hand around her neck from behind.

“Are you sure?” he asked, blowing air in her ear.

“Do it… every inch of my body is yours, tonight, “she whispered overwhelmed by the sensation of his weight on her back.

“That’s a dangerous power for any man to have…” he continued completely aroused by her words.

“You’re not any man,” he didn’t need more reassurance.

He meant it when he said he loved every inch of her body. And now she gave him permission to fully explore it even the corners he hadn’t kissed yet. Lust blinded him and her words didn’t weigh on him until later. He resumed his journey down to her soft bottom and she quivered with pleasure. Finally, his tongue made it to the only part of her body it hadn’t touched yet, he started slow, but he got encouraged by her positive feedback in the form of moans that escaped her now and then. It took just a short time for him to lose control and start eating her with the same excitement and speed he was used to.

He heard her moan his name for the first time, and it was the most orgasmic sound he had ever heard. However, he snapped out of it quickly and put his entire weight on her, his fingers were running on the lips of her parted mouth while he said “Don’t say my name… too loud”   

“Fuck… I wasn’t… thinking…” she was still breathing fast.

“I don’t want you to think,” he told her, and his hands were on her waist, lifting her up slightly.

She straightened herself up, her back on his chest, his mouth on her ear, his legs touching hers, their knees on the mattress of her bed. He was caressing her waist and making his way up when he penetrated her, she inhaled and leaned on him. Her hands were on his hands mirroring his movements, they were a single entity, dancing their practiced choreography for the night, enjoying the other’s reactions and eagerness to please. Their body rhythm evolved in rapid motions stimulating their senses and taking them closer to the peak of ecstasy. Their hands were on her breasts, moving in circles, she moaned, he followed, there was heat and sweat, he was avoiding kissing her but, in the confusion, she turned and kissed him anyway.

He was slipping far from her room, melting with her, going where her kisses were taking him without questioning it. She was his and he was hers for those hours when the sun couldn’t cast shadows on them. Those hours when the Survey Corps was part of a strange nightmare where man-eating monsters dominated the world, and happiness and pleasure were lost memories of old times.    

Don’t leave me behind, his soul was begging her as the days for the next expedition became yesterday. Maybe that was the reason he was spending more nights in her tight embrace, maybe if their bodies kept touching his message would pass on to her. The sudden increase in the number of their encounters came with risks as does anything that should be kept secret. Moblit knocked on her door twice, the captain’s mouth was deep between her thighs on the first occasion, and the second time they were behind a bookshelf in her laboratory, she was pressed against the wall making out with him while he was thrusting into her. Her poor assistant got on his nerves, but he couldn’t hate him for doing his job.

Petra almost caught sight of them in his room the night before the expedition day, apparently, she wasn’t going to sleep until they had checked some last-minute details she considered important. She had asked Gunther to knock on his door because they knew he never slept more than a couple of hours. He almost let his frustration answer for him since he was on top of Hange enjoying the strong grip of her thighs on his hips while she was moaning in his bed.

He closed the door with more violence than he had calculated but left her under his clean sheets while he accompanied his two squad members to check whatever the fuck they needed to check and be done with it. The process of going through the maps and lists took an hour in which the only thing on his mind was Hange’s slim naked body on his bed.  

He returned to his room expecting to find it empty, but she was still there on a chair looking through his window wrapped in his clean sheets. He put his hands on her shoulders and he had an idea of what she was thinking because the same thoughts would torture him each time they went outside the Walls.

“Have you ever been afraid? I remember the first time you killed a titan, you didn’t look afraid…” she suddenly said with her eyes still outside.

“I’ve been afraid… I’m still afraid of many things… “He knew he was walking a rocky path, but he will never lie to her.

“We might not know how everything will turn out tomorrow but… you’re here now, and I’m here with you,” she said standing up and inviting him to sit in her place.

She dropped his clean sheets to the floor revealing the naked body he couldn’t take off his mind for an entire hour. She sat on his lap and he stopped caring about past tragedies. She was right once again, people will die tomorrow, it might even be one of them, but they had each other in the safety of his room for the night. It was still early, and he wasn’t satisfied yet.  

“I’m still afraid of many things” he had confessed in a moment of weakness. However, the events that followed the unexpected confession confirmed the reality of his feelings. He would say to everyone that as a soldier he was aware of the cost of fighting for freedom. The truth was more painful; he was not ready to lose her. He was lying to himself justifying his anger with the risks posed to the mission when he knew his world almost shattered the second she jumped from her horse to face the monster.  

“What the fuck are you trying to say?” he snapped at her and his heart was pounding in his chest, he felt so hot he wanted to open the windows of the kitchen and let the night breeze cool his head.

“I want you to fuck me again… that’s what I’m trying to say…” The queen of subtlety, isn’t she? She rose to her feet and leaned down the table, he got close to her, and she smelled strangely good, was it the apple she was eating? Did she bathe that day?

He stood up and pushed his tongue inside of her mouth, it felt like an eternity had passed since the last time he kissed her like this, she moaned lowly, and it unscrewed the few screws on his head. Now his hand was holding onto her ponytail while their kiss deepened and got louder and wetter. She crawled onto the table and sat in front of him, her feet on the sides of his chair and he was between her thighs, the place he wanted to be buried in. He yanked off her shirt to reveal her naked shoulders and his hand touched her, she was hot, temperature-wise, and when he kissed and sucked on her skin, he noticed she was so clean… Did she bathe for him, or was it a coincidence?

His hand encircled her waist and now that he started kissing her, he couldn’t stop, there was no way he was going to stop. Her touch roamed his chest and down his abdomen and he knew where she was going. His hands were also going places on her body, from her waist up and he was caressing her breasts. The moment his fingers brushed her nipples over the fabric of her clothes, he realized she wasn’t wearing that fucking thing she used to bind her chest with. He kissed her chest and she moved closer to him, her sounds and her hands were driving him mad.

“I even bathed for you…” she said, panting. 

“Is your room closer?... ” he was rubbing his lips on her neck. 

“You don’t want to fuck me here?” she asked and her hands were about to unzip his pants.

“I would but… I’m hearing footsteps…” he stopped, took his teacup, and pretended he was washing it when Nifa entered the room.

She smiled and didn’t question the fact that they were together in the kitchen in complete darkness. She said Petra had baked a pie the day before and they were going to have a late-night snack. She gladly asked them to join the feast. However, Hange thanked the invitation and excused herself saying she was tired.    

Nifa left the kitchen, he sighed and finished washing his teacup almost trembling because he couldn’t stop thinking about her and how he was holding the urge of running to her room. He walked up there though, slowly and cursing himself for being too weak, she broke his two weeks resolve in less than five minutes. She was a demon, but the warmth of her body was so inviting.

He stood up in front of her door. One hand on the wood, his breathing accelerated, and he wondered if she realized how deep in the abyss they were. Maybe she was following his advice and not thinking about any of this at all. He should be able to do it as well. He didn’t knock but just turned the door handle and it wasn’t locked. She was sitting on the floor with her back to the door.

She rose to her feet and kissed him with her arms around his neck, and he couldn’t say no. He lifted her up without much effort even though she was taller than him, and pushed her against the wall. He stared at her for a minute, how was he going to climb out of the abyss? Was there a way out of this? Did she really understand why he didn’t touch her for two weeks? 

Hange let her shirt fall, slid out of her top, pulled down the rest of her clothes, and stood like that in front of him wearing only her skin. He caressed her cheek and smelled the sweet citric scent of the soap she used to bathe. Don’t do this, don’t drag me to the depths of a feeling I’m fighting to comprehend, he thought but they made out anyway. A few minutes later he was on the bed with her, mapping her body, memorizing her sensitive spots. Making her shake and hold her screams while he devoured her bite by bite. 

 “You don’t trust me… you don’t trust that I’ll come back,” she said lying across the bed, her back was illuminated by the candlelights and he was getting dressed near the window. 

Yes, that was the reason he had been so worked up since the expedition. He silently asked her to not leave him behind, to stay with him, and then she put her life on the line. He knew he couldn’t control her, bind her to his will, she was a hurricane after all. Wasn’t that the reason he fell into her arms? He wanted to change that and at the same time, he didn’t. No, he would never ask her to go against her nature, who was he? He was just a man she was fucking.

“You have to trust me, trust that I’ll always come back…” she continued, clearly she wasn’t expecting any comments from him. “That I’ll always come back… to you…” Hange finally said and his stomach turned upside down. There it was again, that feeling he had never experienced.

He kneeled on the floor beside the bed right in front of her. He put his hand on her cheek and touched her lips with his, gently, the opposite of the one he gave her in the kitchen. She kissed him back and he felt her squeezing the hand on her cheek. This wasn’t fire, this was something else, something he had been afraid of all his life. And yet, his heart was about to burst out of his chest, and he wanted to trust her, to believe her words.

The kiss broke and their eyes were still closed, their noses rubbing and their breathing mixed in the little space there was between them. Only his silent request was traveling through the air… 

Hange, don’t leave me behind.

Chapter Text

The touch of her finger on the surface of the water became small waves that rippled through the tub. The thin layer of steam made her believe the water was hotter, but it was actually pleasantly warm. She spread a handful of herbs in the water, each one with different properties, and placed the citric scent soap within her reach.

Hange unbuttoned her shirt, pulled down her pants, and it felt strange not having different hands disposing of her clothes. She sat in the tub, removed the band holding her ponytail, and let her hair fall onto her shoulders. She sighed loudly and grabbed the soap and a sponge, rubbed them together, and then pressed the sponge on her right arm and dragged it slowly, then her left arm, finally she lifted her legs slightly to repeat a similar process. However, when the sponge caressed her thighs it reminded her of his hands on her body.

She closed her eyes and imagined those hands instead of hers on her neck, her shoulders, her breasts, and a pulse was born between her legs, now her hand was traveling across her stomach towards that uncomfortable place. Her fingers rubbed her sensitive spot, but they were his fingers on her mind. The memory of his tongue inside of her forced his phantom fingers to move faster until she arched her back against the bathtub. She opened her eyes just to find the disappointing reality that she was still alone, she tossed the sponge frustrated and a bit angry.

He has been avoiding her for the past two weeks, hasn’t he? The last time he touched her was the afternoon they returned from the expedition, and it wasn’t a caress or a kiss, he was furious, and his eyes were injected with an intense hatred she hadn’t seen in him before. He pushed her and if Nanaba hadn’t been there, she would have fallen to the ground. She laughed because she didn’t want to believe that the cause of those intense feelings was her.  Did he think she was going to change because he was sticking his dick in her? Did he want her to change in the first place? She wasn’t sure after these two weeks.

He had come to her almost every night in the past month. He didn’t care where she was, her room or her laboratory, he grabbed her by the waist and kissed her so passionately her entire body felt uncomfortably hot each time. Was it only heat? Was the day’s tension getting the better of them? Was it an unhealthy obsession? Maybe it was chemistry betraying reason. Whatever it was, it was strong and more powerful than them.

“I heard you say you brought me tea,” she said separating the last button of the shirt of his uniform. His lips were trapping her earlobe and the rest of his body was pressing her against the wall of her laboratory.

“I don’t think the tea is what you want,” he responded in her ear, and she shivered.

 “What do I want, Levi?” she asked positioning her knee between his legs.    

He attacked her mouth without mercy, she accepted her faith and let the current take her. He blindly opened her shirt to get access to her skin, he ran his hand from her chest to the zipper of her pants and opened it in a quick motion. He lifted her leg and placed it on his hips, she surrounded his neck with her arms and pulled him closer, understanding his desires but they never stopped kissing. She bit him when he penetrated her, a sensation her body had interpreted as natural but orgasmic and new even though she had welcomed him inside of her many times.

Her grip on his neck tightened and their kisses became wetter as he was thrusting gradually faster into her, the volume of her moans intensified and the responses to his tongue turned slower, her nails were digging deeper on his back as the pleasure was growing, and spreading through her anatomy with every hit to her flesh. He trapped her lower lip between his teeth since she wasn’t kissing him back. She was swimming in a river of the heavenly place his powerful thrusts were taking her.

A knock on the door tried to interrupt them but he openly ignored it and she didn’t hear it at first. But then she cried out in pleasure:” Don’t fucking stop… If you stop… I’ll…” her sentence died in a loud gasp as she felt him reach a delicious spot inside of her and brushed her pleasure nub on the way. The knocks were more insistent as the length that was going in and out of her body, and luckily, he realized she was going to scream and blocked her sounds with a kiss, she lost control of her limbs and a strong orgasm blinded her for a minute.

“Squad leader! I found the notes you thought you forgot at the noble house!” Moblit’s untimely appearances had become a nuisance lately. He was a dedicated and loyal assistant, but he seemed to smell they were fucking and knock on her door to remind her she was a soldier in charge of Titan research.

“Does he know we’re fucking?” Levi voiced his frustration slowing down his movements.

“I don’t know… He’s just a devoted soldier… “she explained returning to the reality of her laboratory.

“I’m devoted to you right now” She opened her eyes in shock and his words sobered her up in an instant.

He kissed her immediately and scrambled the ideas on her mind. They started making out intensely again while another voice joined Moblit’s outside. It was a feminine voice that belonged to a certain red-headed woman who was the prettiest among the female soldiers according to rumors in the Survey Corps.

“I thought I saw the lights on and she’s usually here if she’s not in her room,” Moblit said a bit worried.

“I just walked by the window and the lights were on… Maybe she fell asleep…” Petra was providing new theories to her assistant.

“The door is locked… She doesn’t usually lock the doors,” He was too sharp for his own good, wasn’t he? But she was just hearing them, pieces of the conversation in front of her door were traveling through her ears from one side and coming out from the other.

“That’s odd, do you think she was doing something important and then fell asleep forgetting that the door was locked?” Petra turned the door handle to be sure.  

She was doing something important indeed. Hange took off her shirt impatiently and pushed him against the wall, she kneeled in front of him, and forgetting about the chatter behind the door she took him into her warm mouth. His hands were pressing her shoulders harder and harder as she made good use of her tongue on his member, swirling around it, then up and down and hitting him more intensely at the tip.

“She has been looking for these notes for three days and I thought… I guess it will have to wait until tomorrow,” Moblit concluded, defeated.

“Why do you think she’s been locking the doors lately? You told me the same thing happened a few days ago in her room…” Petra was clearly making a bigger deal of this than it really was.

The sound of their footsteps dwindled away in the distance, and she felt his body jerking, he probably tried to tell her to back away, but she didn’t care. A bit of his fluid trickled down her lips and he cleaned her with his thumb while her eyes were on him, sweat glued strands of his dark hair to his face and a drop fell from his snub nose to her head. She stood up, closed the few centimeters between them, and swallowed. The next thing she felt was his tongue reclaiming her mouth in a violent kiss.

She could count with her fingers the number of men she had received completely in her mouth. Between accidents, moments of blind lust, or simply because she felt like it, there wasn’t a specific reason behind her actions, and she wouldn’t really feel much by doing it. However, the second she kneeled she thought she wanted all of him, and there wasn’t anything on his body she wouldn’t put in her mouth.

He lifted up her top slowly and she pulled it over her head and resumed her kisses but now leaning on his bare chest. His hands were on her waist, then he dragged them upwards along her back, he kissed her collarbone, and his tongue was on her skin traveling to her chest and he didn’t stop until his lips closed around her small breasts. She often found the size of her breasts to be rather convenient for her duties as a soldier, once she fitted her top tightly, they would practically disappear and never posed an issue when using maneuver gear. However, when naked they were the ideal size to decorate her feminine silhouette.

They almost knocked down the bookshelf they were hiding behind when she arched her back to give him complete freedom over her bare chest, he cursed and noticed the furniture had rocked a little. He scanned the laboratory probably looking for a safer place to continue, she sighed impatiently and lay on the floor taking him with her. Hange knew he was planning to complain but the friction of their bodies one on top of the other led him astray. Why did she never care about the rest of the world when he was with her? She hadn’t imagined someone would make her feel like falling into a void again.

“Get off that horse and I’ll show you how boring I can be,” he challenged her in a commanding voice. They had had this kind of argument before but there was something different in his expression this time.

Why was he letting his rage take control of his actions? Why was he so on edge around her lately? Was it a sexual fetish? Openly challenging her just to settle everything later that night. No, he wouldn’t be thinking about sex in the middle of training exercises for an expedition, would he? He knew she would never run away from a situation like this, so she did exactly what he wanted. Hange dismounted, threw her green cape on the ground, and opened her arms showing him she wasn’t afraid of his threats.

He knocked on her door that night, he didn’t need to say anything because she wanted the same. He undressed her without taking his lips off her, pushed her onto her messy bed, and climbed on top of her. He fucked her hard, she could feel his rage from earlier dissipating into her body, and turning into the strongest orgasms she had ever had. She let her head rest on his chest for a minute while stabilizing her breathing, she felt weirdly comforted laying on top of him. His fingers started tracing a line on her back gently, and she feared the meaning behind his next words.

 “I wasn’t going to hit you…” he said dragging his fingers along her skin. Was he genuinely concerned about her?

“I know…” she whispered sincerely.

“I wouldn’t want you to end inside a titan either” That was the truth, wasn’t it? The reason he had been so nervous lately. He had been thinking about the expedition and the risks involved in it. The risk that she might not make it back alive.

“You talk too much…” She pressed her lips against his and silenced his confession. She didn’t want to hear it now. She knew that feeling pretty well, the feeling of being someone else’s liability and she had paid a high price for it.

He was humanity’s hope, and he didn’t need a distraction on Titan territory. People called her smart and brilliant, but she didn’t see this coming. No, she had refused to think too hard about his slow kisses and the caresses on her cheek. It was easier to pretend he was only interested in the warmth between her legs, it was easier to convince herself there wasn’t a void opening below her feet.  

Lie to me , she thought, tell me you’re not coming for my heart. That heart was protected behind a wall thicker than the ones surrounding them. And yet he was the strongest, and he was threatening to break the walls inside of her. She kissed him so he would be distracted by lust and desire and stop thinking beyond the nights on her bed.

Overwhelmed by his soft lips on her skin, she had told him her body was his to do as he pleased. So much for distraction, but it seemed he hadn’t grasped the implications of her statement. His tongue found in her bottom another way to extract whimpers and screams of pleasure from her. Apparently, she had moaned his name loudly without noticing which he let her know before surrounding her waist with his arms. He stayed past midnight inside of her, then next to her, on top of her, and repeat until they were exhausted, and he decided he had to leave and sleep a few hours to prepare for the next day.

A knock on the officer’s bathroom took her by surprise, she gave permission to whoever was on the other side to enter thinking it was Nifa. However, Nanaba closed the door behind her, she had a shirt in her hands, and she said her squad member asked her to deliver it since she had forgotten it.

“They probably think I’ve no idea how to take a bath anymore” she smiled but it was true she had forgotten the clean shirt.

“Petra said in the canteen that the captain has been acting strange lately…” the blonde woman said and sat at the edge of the tub behind her.

“I don’t know what she meant by that…” she lied because she was thinking about it too.

“Hange… everyone saw how angry he was the day we returned from the expedition” Nanaba continued, and she felt her place the sponge on her shoulder.

“He’s always angry when soldiers die, I think he feels he could have done something to prevent it” The blonde woman was dragging the sponge along her shoulders while she was speaking.

“I know that but… Are you sure it had nothing to do with you?” She whispered in her ear bringing the sponge to the front of her neck.

“He hates the way I do things… that’s not new,” the sponge was near her chest and the blonde woman’s breathing was still in her ear.

“We both know there’s a lot of things he doesn’t hate about you… The things you do with him in your laboratory late at night,” the sponge fell into the water and was replaced by her hands on her skin.

“That has nothing to do with the expedition…” she insisted, and the woman’s hands stopped a few centimeters from her breasts. A minute of silence later she kept going and Hange closed her eyes because her hands were soft and were touching her delicately.

 “In my humble opinion, I think he worries about you, I think he cares about you… and I think…” Now her lips were close to her ear and she felt them rubbing her skin sending shivers down her spine.

Her hands were still caressing her breasts when she felt her earlobe in the blonde woman’s mouth. Then it went slowly down her neck and her breathing accelerated. She forced herself to open her eyes and Nanaba stopped whatever she was doing.

“I think he was afraid for you…” she finished her sentence and stood up.

“I appreciate your opinion,” Hange didn’t need another voice telling her exactly what was torturing her.

“Hange… Why have we never had sex?” she asked drying her hands with her uniform pants.

“Maybe because I’m not a tall man with a canine sense of smell” she ventured and wondered what her reaction would be.

“You’re the brightest after all, huh… well, if you ever get tired of short, grumpy men… it might be worth a shot, you know… before one of us dies,” Nanaba’s smile lightened up her attractive face, and got out of the bathroom.

Why? She would lie to herself if she said she had never thought about it. However, her mind and her body belonged to someone else, the short, grumpy man she had mentioned before leaving, and that scared her. Why was she bathing though? Oh, she was going to run another experiment with the objective of breaking through his anger because these past two weeks her bed had felt so cold without him.

She put on a pair of comfortable pants, a tank top, and the shirt Nanaba had been so kind of bringing to the bathroom. She knew he would be drinking tea in the courtyard or the kitchen later that night, so she worked on her notes until the time arrived. Then she walked downstairs with an apple in her hand, one of the many types of fruits Teresa had sent as a treat to the Survey Corps soldiers for risking their lives outside the Walls in the name of humanity’s freedom. She sent an individual selection of fruits to her with a letter sharing information about more books she had in her possession. The noblewoman also informed them of a tour the King was doing through the districts of the outer Walls, and Erwin had ordered her to go to Trost to participate in a dinner event the military was going to offer in honor of his majesty.

Hange sighed and entered the dark kitchen. She saw his figure sitting at the table with a cup of tea in front of him. She wasn’t surprised he didn’t say anything, but she was hoping he would finally talk to her and end this horrible silence between them.  She wanted to kiss him again, feel his hands on her waist and his tongue wherever he wished to put it.

The conversation could have gone better but at least he had been honest and told her he was angry at her because of her reckless behavior that certainly was taking years off her life. They had been comrades for a long time before getting into each other’s pants and he knew her. Why was he acting as if he hadn’t expected it? “He cares about you,” Did he? The tea and his warm stew flashed on her mind, besides the fact that it seemed he had waited for her return the month she spent at Teresa’s house.

“We’re in so much trouble, aren’t we, Levi” she whispered sitting on the floor of her room with her back against the door. She didn’t know he was on the other side reaching the same conclusion. He opened the door, and she was tired of listening to the turmoil in her brain. She kissed him because that was her heart’s desire. He kissed her back and pushed her against the wall, but he stopped, and she saw him going through the same doubts as her.

She let her shirt fall and disposed of the rest of her clothes, she couldn’t give him her heart, but he could have her body. Forget about the void , she thought, and hope one of us dies before it swallows us. They made out until they needed to catch their breath, then she guided him to her bed, sat on his lap, helped him get naked and they both got lost in a tight embrace.   

“You have to trust me, trust that I’ll always come back…” she said laying on her bed while he was getting dressed.

“That I’ll always come back… to you…” Wasn’t that the truth he was afraid to hear? He would have to trust her, or there was going to be no hope for them. They were still soldiers and that was a reality impossible to change.

He kneeled on the floor in front of her. He put his hand on her cheek and gave her one of the sweetest kisses she had ever received, confirming her theory. She kissed him back and squeezed the hand on her cheek. Don’t come for my heart , she thought one more time because she knew he would have it.

“Freedom is choosing the ones we love, don’t you agree?” Regina’s words returned from the death to pierce her fragile heart. She had loved her, hadn’t she? The sweet and pretty redhead with the long braid and the hazel eyes, the woman who stole her heart and broke it into tiny pieces. 

The young woman was sitting on her lap, she started to unbutton her shirt revealing the full cleavage hidden underneath. She was breathtakingly beautiful and Hange had had her eyes on her since their days in the trainee corps but she couldn’t allow herself to feel anything for anyone. If sex was what she wanted, she would have it but the gleam in her eyes was telling a different story. 

Hange Zoe was a soldier, a weapon to free humanity from the tyranny of the Titans, she had chosen this path because she believed there was something more to life than spending her days sitting on the ground and looking at the sky wondering if the world was this small. “What if there are other worlds outside, beyond the Walls?” her mother had whispered in her ear the night she was teaching her the names of the stars in the sky. 

Soldiers didn’t have time to waste on love. “We’re humans, we’re not the monsters that are trying to eat us. What would we have left if we abandon those things that make us humans,” Suddenly Regina was making sense, but she would probably say anything to convince her to lower her guard.

“You don’t understand… this is a terrible idea… not with me, you don’t know who I am,” Hange held the hand that was about to remove the last button on the redhead’s shirt.

“You’re not a crazy monster as people say… You’re a strong, passionate soldier… but you’re also the person I keep thinking about every hour of every single day. Hange, you’re the person I….” She kissed her hard on the mouth. Don’t say it, she thought, don’t speak those deadly words to me.

Regina placed her hands on her shoulders and pulled her closer as she deepened the kiss. Hange’s hands traveled from her legs to the woman’s waist, the instant her palm touched her bare skin, a powerful pulse vibrated below her hips. Regina was moving and rubbing her body against her and she felt her ideas slipping away. However, she fought her impulses and stopped before the redhead took off more of her clothes. 

“Yes, this is an awful idea,” she insisted and stood up to prevent the lust in Regina’s eyes to spread throughout her own body. 

“You don’t want me, is that it?” the young woman asked frustrated. 

“No… I want you, and that’s exactly why this is a shitty idea because you’re asking me for more” Why? Why do you want more from me?

“What if… I don’t ask you for anything else? What if I say I just want to sleep with you from time to time? Would you reject me again?” It was plainly obvious she didn’t mean her words. 

“You would be lying…” she sentenced and opened the door of the room. 

“Hange… I don’t want to die with regrets in the mouth of a Titan, outside the Walls. You’re right, I want your love and I won’t give up on you… We can’t say we’re fighting for freedom if we enslaved ourselves to a life of duty,” she smiled and Hange closed the door with a silent tear running down her cheek. 

What was duty for her? What did humanity’s freedom mean compare to a passionate kiss or a warm body on her bed? What was duty in front of the prospect of love? What would she become if she kills the human inside of her? A monster, more terrifying than any Titan, had already taken an important part of her. Would she continue to mutilate her soul? 

Levi, don’t come for my heart because you’ll have it and there will be nothing left of me to devote to humanity.      

Chapter Text

Erwin had taken Hange away again. It happened the day after she crawled over the kitchen table and told him to fuck her. “We have important matters to attend to in Trost”, the commander said in that arrogant voice of his, jumped into a carriage and she followed leaving him feeling miserable for almost two weeks. Then she returned and disappeared the next morning. Apparently, she was stationed in another castle away from people doing her unholy experiments from what he had heard. Her squad would come and go every couple of days, the only one who haven’t returned was Moblit.

He had missed her touch and her voice so much that he actually contemplated sneaking out of headquarters and joining her squad on their next trip. However, he played the obedient soldier and sat through painfully slow strategic meetings with the squad leaders and Erwin, who looked like he had lost his laxatives and hadn’t shit in months. Judging by this observation he reached the conclusion that he definitely wasn’t fucking the noble bitch, but he should and be done with it, he thought sitting near the window of the office with his legs and arms crossed.

“Levi, you’re to assist Hange in the next phase of her experiments. She needs your strength and agility, you’re leaving tomorrow morning on horseback, don’t take too many people with you, two of your squad members will suffice.” The blonde man with thick eyebrows ordered scribbling on a map.

“You’re not going to explain shit?” he asked serious and calm.

“I already told you, she’s working on a new anti-Titan weapon but if you want extensive details, just ask her,” he said and looked at him with stone-cold eyes.

That was his cue to stop asking dumb questions and leave. He decided to take Eld and Oluo with him calling it a strategic decision. He did think for an instant that maybe he wanted to leave Petra behind due to her unhealthy obsession with poking into Hange’s business lately, but he shook off the intrusive thought quickly.

A shadow of disappointment, sadness, whatever it was crossed Petra’s face in seconds and soon she smiled and didn’t protest. She had no evidence to believe different reasoning beyond her skills as a soldier founded his decision. This was Erwin’s command, he was a soldier on a mission, and the sex they were going to have was just a natural deviation from his orders unless he finds her too fucking absorb in her shitty experiments to pay attention to him.

“Captain, how long are you staying to help with the experiments?” Petra asked while handing him replacement canisters for his maneuver gear.

“A week, you continue the training exercises with Gunther,” he answered and placed the canisters on the saddle.

“Yes, sir.” She acknowledged his command. 

“Concentrate on becoming a soldier fit of fighting by my side, woman,” Oluo earned a murderous glare from Petra.

“You concentrate on acting less annoying and childish.” She threw the canister at him, and it would have hit him in the face if he hadn’t caught it on time.

“Eld, Oluo, we’re moving out!” he ordered before he had to listen to more useless bickering.

The castle was half a day away riding at full speed on the Survey Corps horses but they weren’t in a hurry… well, Eld and Oluo weren’t, and he shouldn’t be, but the prospect of seeing her again was enough motivation to avoid resting every hour and press on. Traveling on horseback was tiring for the human and the animal, but he would have crawled all the way to her if it was necessary, that’s how deep in the abyss he was at this point. Those two would have plenty of time to relax once they had reached their destination.

The building was hidden from prying eyes in a tiny forest near the border of Wall Rose, that was probably the reason she was sent over here, and he imagined Erwin was managing more information than he was publicizing. They arrived at sunset and a loud explosion welcomed them. They didn’t see anyone around though, the castle looked completely abandoned until he opened the door to the dining hall and the disorder and filth bordered into the obscene. He stayed frozen in shock, Eld sighed loudly because he knew what kind of work they were going to do for the next hours.

He grabbed the papers that were on the tables and the floor and threw them in a crate he found in the basement, scrubbed the floor and all the surfaces he could find, he found food crumbs below the table where the mess was concentrated the most. “Fucking hell, woman… how can you live in this filth?” he mumbled while scrapping a piece of fruit that was stuck to the floor. He has seen her ignoring her wet sheets and sleeping in them without a care in the world. He had told her in the month before the expedition to take showers more often unless she wanted to start smelling like those dirty brothels from the underground. And according to his nose, she had followed his advice. However, now that they had been apart for some time she had probably gone back to her old disgusting self.

 It was such a pity, he had grown very fond of the citric smell of her soap, truth be told he would have fucked her regardless of her smell. However, lust wasn’t blocking his nose or his eyes at the moment, and this was an unacceptable level of filth even for ordinary people. Eld went outside to change the water to resume his cleaning work when a familiar laugh was heard in the hall.

“Leave it to squad Levi to start scrubbing floors as soon as they arrive,” Hange entered the dining hall wearing a uniform covered in dirt, leaves, and stains of different liquids without mentioning the fact that her hair looked more disheveled than usual.

“How the fuck you can live in this nest of rats is beyond me, four eyes,” he complained resuming his cleaning job below the table.

“Squad leader Hange, commander Erwin sent us to assist you for the next week with your experiments” Eld introduced themselves officially since Levi was too busy containing his vomiting reflexes.

“I know… I know, he was here a few days ago… well, let’s have dinner, we’ve made a lot of progress today so let me treat you,” she smiled, and he wondered what kind of food she would cook with those muddy hands of her.

To Levi’s surprise, she washed her hands before getting the ingredients for her signature vegetable soup as she claimed when going outside to cook it in a fire. Moblit had lit a firepit while they were cleaning, and it took an hour for the food to be ready and the floors completely immaculate.

 “Lady Teresa will be here tomorrow, she’s been following the experiments closely,” Moblit announced and parted a loaf of bread to share it with Oluo.

“Your beloved noblewoman would have drowned in all the filth if I hadn’t come today,” he said and sipped his soup. He knew Hange was a good cook, they had eaten together in many expeditions after all, so he wasn’t surprised her soup tasted great.

“She’s probably more interested in my work than the state of the castle,” Hange was sitting on the other side of the fire, her glasses were on her head and even though she was dirty he still felt the old same impulse to kiss her right there creeping on his body.

“Do you really think we can trust her?” Eld questioned the same thing that had been bothering him ever since the blonde bitch started to roam headquarters and Erwin’s office more often.

“Erwin trusts her, and she hasn’t given us any reason not to, but I understand… however, following Erwin’s gut has taken us to the right places so far,” She answered while serving more soup to Moblit.

“The commander seems to know more than what he says sometimes…” Eld pointed out and chewed his loaf of bread.

“There must be a reason for it,” Levi could call Erwin whatever he wanted but there was no denying the man’s iron will and devotion to humanity’s cause. He knew that if someone existed who would free them from their predicament, that person would be Erwin Smith. He promised he would follow him to the gates of hell if he commanded it. He hasn’t regretted that decision a single day since he lost part of his heart to those monsters.

They heard Hange’s Titan chitchat for the rest of the dinner and Moblit ended up downing half a bottle of alcohol and went to sleep in his temporary room in the castle. Eld and Oluo followed him some minutes later, they were exhausted from all the cleaning and riding. At last, they were alone in front of the almost consumed fire pit, and he was trying not to jump to her side and kiss her. Was she feeling the same?

“You didn’t throw my notes, did you?” She asked genuinely worried about her research papers.

“They’re in a crate below your dirty ass table,” he answered and took a sip of Moblit’s alcohol.

“Erwin thinks someone’s been following Teresa lately, so we have to be on alert for possible intruders,” Teresa Ignacio’s wellbeing was first on the list of shit he didn’t care about. However, she seemed to be an important part of Erwin’s plans, so he forced himself to listen.

“Do you want me to check the area before she arrives?” he asked, and she grabbed the bottle from his hand.

“It might take you all night,” she said drinking straight from the bottle, and she stared at him with those eyes that indicated one thing, they were thinking the same.

“Your brain must be turning to shit if you think a simple job like that will take me so long,” he needed to let her know that they were going to fuck no matter what it took.

She got close to him, their faces were one in front of the other and the moment he leaned forward to trap her lips she drank from the bottle again. However, she threw it and kissed him with the alcohol still in her mouth and he savored the liquor, her fluids, and an uncontainable hunger that was fueling his own carnal desires.

“Then get to work, captain,” Was the distance making her more evil or he had forgotten how cruel she can be?

Hange Zoë was a monster. Kissing him like that, calling him captain, something she never does, and then sending him to patrol the castle with his pants feeling uncomfortably tight. The building was smaller than other castles in the area, but as he had supposed at first sight, they chose this place due to the small forest surrounding it. Who would be interested in spying on Hange’s experiments and why? Things had been getting weirder since they found Ilse’s notebook and the account of a Titan that spoke intelligible words. What was the world coming to?

He finished his shitty job and returned to the extinguished fire pit where no human was left. Would she go to sleep after that kiss? Didn’t she miss him too? She had given him signs that she was struggling with similar impulses in the past, was that everything for her? A way to blow off some steam? Her positive responses to his tender kisses and those words… “Trust that I’ll always come back to you …”, and there was also that time when she said she had imagined him in the place of another man. Are we falling into the same abyss, Hange? He thought about starting patrolling again because he wouldn’t be able to go to sleep with the spiral of doubts on his mind.

He found her sitting near a calm river stream a few meters from the castle. The moonlight was reflected in the clear water, and she turned around and put out the light of his torch. She said the water wasn’t cold and started walking into the river, he noticed she wasn’t wearing her boots. Suddenly one of the leather straps from her uniform hit him in the chest, she smiled and threw another one in his direction, she unfastened the last strap around her thighs and it ended near him. Finally, she unbuckled the harness on her chest, and he caught it. Was she doing what he was thinking she was doing?

All doubts disappeared when she unbuttoned her yellow shirt and threw it to his face, it smelled of many things but mostly her irresistible scent. He took off his boots and walked up to her, the water was indeed cold but soon that wouldn’t matter, she had taken the top that usually binds her chest and threw it in the same direction she was throwing all her clothes when he reached her.

She grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him closer to her and he was about to explode, but she didn’t move, and they stayed for a minute staring at each other, feeling their breathing pick up the pace and the heat from their bodies intensify each second. He pressed his lips against hers and she opened her mouth, it didn’t take long for their kisses to become hotter and his hands to roam her bare back and her naked chest to rub against his.

“You won’t fuck me if I’m too dirty,” she said unbuttoning his uniform. And she was so wrong, he would have thrown her to the ground the moment he saw her entering the dining hall of the castle if it depended on him.

“I’ll fuck you in a garbage dump if you ask me to,” he confessed, a strong desire was using his tongue to speak but he didn’t care.

“You know I might ask you to” she whispered and opened his shirt, her hands felt warm and soft against his skin.

He tossed the shirt to the side, encircled her waist with his arms, and kissed her so passionately that she let out a soft moan in his mouth. Her arms were around his neck and going down his shoulders as she responded hungrily to the tongue invading her. Was there a possibility of one of their men coming to see them? Absolutely, but he buried that thought with more kisses on her mouth. She undressed completely and dragged him to a deeper part of the river and he joined her even deeper inside of her.

They made out hidden by the trees, sheltered by the silent night, and guided by that raw instinct his hands wandered everywhere on her naked body. Finally, he lifted one of her legs and she separated from him.

“The water… is not the best idea… it causes extra friction.” She explained but he grabbed her leg again and pushed it onto his hips.

“You think I’ve never screwed in the water?” he said and with the other hand on her behind pulled her closer.  

“Have you been screwing someone else in the water?” she asked and hugged him tightly, ready for him.

“No… not since your tent.” He whispered in her ear and slid inside of her.

She held onto him as he moved against the current and slammed time and again into her, after a minute of adjusting she bucked her hips following his rhythm, and she started moaning louder than they had ever allowed themselves to and he decided that the castle was at a considerable distance from them. Even if they got to hear them, he honestly didn’t give a fuck because her screams of pleasure were hitting all the right notes on him. There were the cold waves trying to cover them and the moonlight on her face enraptured in the ecstasy he was making her feel.

Was this enough to claim her as his? She had given him her body, but he wanted all of her. He wanted her thoughts and her soul. He wanted Hange Zoë’s heart and that realization only brought despair and he kissed her long and deep. He couldn’t be so selfish as to ask her such a thing. Having her like this in the river, under the dim light of the moon should be enough. And yet he knew it wasn’t, these past weeks life had shown him he couldn’t fathom a future without her anymore. He couldn’t imagine a world where her laugh and her moans of pleasure were absent. Would there ever be a time when she could be his under the sun too?

They got out of the water and she pushed him to the ground, climbed on top of him, and rode him like the reckless soldier she was. She didn’t hold back her sounds or the movement of her hips and he felt her muscles tensing so he took control of her hips, she kept going until she cried out in an orgasm that spread through him but he didn’t want to let her go, not yet. His hands ran across her waist, she was wet and there was a bit of grass on her skin, she guided his hands to her chest as she accelerated again, he sat and tasted the water mixed with her sweat on her stomach, then dragged his tongue to her breasts, she moaned, and he couldn’t help it and followed her with his own sounds.

He was naked on the grass near the river, but her body was covering him. There was silence and some insects would chirp every now and then, the soothing sound of the river accompanied her gentle touch.

“Do you think they heard us?” she asked running her fingers along his muscular arms.

“Fuck if I care” he answered and placed his hand on her back.

“Is there a reason you only brought two of your squad?” She was talkative today, wasn’t she? Why was she asking this question? Did she want him to say it? To say that he had missed her since the day she left with Erwin, that he had thought about her all the time, that he had planned to sneak out of headquarters just to see her, that he didn’t even consider bringing Petra with him so she wouldn’t knock on their door at night, that he wanted more than her body, that he…. The expression on her face that night in her room after the conversation in the kitchen told him she probably didn’t want to hear any of that.

“Erwin’s orders,” he said and his heart started to beat faster.

“How did you choose those two?” Her insistence on this issue almost made him change his mind about his recent conclusion.

“Based on skill and the probability of one of them knocking on the door while I fuck you,” Yes, a bit of honesty wouldn’t hurt her.

“This isn’t a garbage dump but….” She didn’t finish because she reached his lips and kissed him, her hands were roaming his abdomen and he switched positions with her.

His hands got covered in dirt, but she didn’t complain when he caressed her skin, the smell of the grass made her look wilder than she usually was, so he grabbed a handful of dirt in one hand and ran it from her neck to her chest while she wriggled under him. She ripped more grass and dirt from the ground and put it on her breasts and her stomach, he was going to clean all of that with his tongue and she wasn’t going to stop it.     

Only Hange Zoë would be the one to make him literally eat dirt, many had tried, even Erwin Smith when Zacharias violently pushed his head onto the ground the time he caught him and drag him to the Survey Corps. If he had known that Hange was waiting for him on the surface, he would have crawled out of that hellhole sooner. He knew the surface was better in many ways than the underground, but he had no idea he would find someone like her, someone who smiled at him when the world stepped on him, someone who didn’t care where he came from, someone who wore the wings of freedom on her back and told him he could become humanity’s hope. She invited him to fight for something bigger than them. And now she was threatening to set him free even further.

She tasted of the earth, the water from the river, and the grass. It occurred to him that this is what freedom must taste like, and he had been seeking it all his life, through the cracks in the floor of the city above when he was a child, then outside the Walls and he had finally found it in the shape of a deranged woman.

She grabbed his hair while he was slowly cleaning the dirt off her nipple with his tongue, she moaned and was rubbing her legs against his. He knew what she needed but he had to finish his job first, he was meticulous when it came to hygiene after all. He was drawing circles on her skin and she moved insistently but he was keeping her in place using that strength people often praised. He trailed his teeth along her chest and her neck. She was whimpering in his ear, ripping more dirt from the ground and spreading it on his back, his shoulders, wherever she could reach. He tortured her for a couple of minutes until he kissed her on the mouth again.

“Why are you making me wait?” she asked breathlessly.

He spread her legs and entered her, but he stayed frozen eating her mouth. She tried to say something, and he didn’t allow her. He would bite her lips or distract her with his tongue, or suck on the sensitive skin of her neck. Then it became torture for him as well, so he thrust into her slowly but deeply and she let out a gasp and repeat until he was doing it at his usual fast pace. He extracted all kinds of sounds from her as venom is extracted from a wound, even though she had voiced her concern about others hearing them, she didn’t control herself.

He bit her earlobe while she arched her back, and he bit harder, she moaned louder than before and he slipped into a primitive state, he sunk his hands into the dirt on each side of her head and pounded her like a mindless animal in heat. She screamed and trembled, but she didn’t ask him to stop. He had to stop once his body gave in to a rush of pleasure that left him on top of her with his mouth opened.

“You have screwed in the dirt too?” she asked softly, they were laying on the grass, face to face, their legs entangled, and his hands were drawing circles on her hips.

“You know the answer, don’t you?” he responded, they were looking at each other trying to understand this thing that was eating them alive.

“I’m smart… is that what you think? she said, and her fingers were now touching his lips.

“You have a shit sense of hygiene… that’s what I think,” he answered before running his mouth.

“But I have you… to clean… for me,” Yes, I belong to you , he wanted to say, I’m yours and I want you to be mine . He kissed her tenderly to appease the clamor in his heart.

They stayed in silence, kissing from time to time, caressing each other until she remembered that life was supposed to continue the next day. He watched her walking in the river again, her hands brushing off the dirt of her arms, her waist, and in the blink of an eye he was dragging his hands along her back pretending to help her, then they were on her stomach and her breasts. She tried to complain but his touch interrupted her, and she leaned on him. It took some willpower and torches lighting up in the windows of the castle to get dressed and head back to reality.   

Her cape was flying behind her when she got off her horse, her assistant attempted to help her, but she dismissed him showing that she was capable of that much at least. Teresa Ignacio, Erwin’s noble bitch arrived on horseback early in the morning, she announced that some men were going to bring her things later that day. Hange kissed her hand as gentlemen do, he snorted and glared at her when she tried to greet him and Eld welcomed her to dissipate the attention from his rudeness.

He knew her kind very well, he had lived years below them eating the dust from their polished shoes. She could smile and fool everyone, but he didn’t believe in her supposedly honest desire to free humanity from the Titans. Now, she was walking beside Hange to the area where the experiments were taking place, she was as tall as her, but her porcelain skin was indicating that she had never done any hard work in her life. Her blonde hair looked almost silver against her dark cape, and she smelled of dried flower petals, he would have enjoyed the scent if it wasn’t coming from her.

She disposed of her cape revealing a perfect feminine figure, her curves were prominent in the right places without falling into the obscene. As much as he despised the noblewoman, he couldn’t deny her beauty. There was something sensual in the way she walked, he had seen her displaying her charms around the commander of the Survey Corps and fighting Titans must be his only fetish if Erwin had never fallen into her trap.

They spent the day listening to Hange’s theory behind the new anti-Titan weapon that was supposed to help immobilize targets. One of the main problems was she hadn’t found a material strong enough to not snap under the tension a five to ten-meter monster would apply when moving. And it also needed to withstand the heat of the Titan’s body, he didn’t mind hearing her going off about her scientific shit, it was actually arousing seeing her passion for her research. He would never admit this out loud though.

A few explosive chargers later the evening surprised them, it turned out that the things Teresa brought weren’t her wardrobe change as he had incorrectly guessed. Two of her men arrived with five wooden boxes full of different things, one had fresh meat, fruits, and vegetables because as he had realized that afternoon she liked Hange a lot. Well, he did understand it… she was brilliant, passionate and a strong soldier on top of everything, and physically attractive but he wasn’t sure which of these reasons were driving the blonde bitch’s actions. The others contained resources for the experiments and some shit Erwin had asked her to bring.

“There’s a dining hall in the castle, Lady Teresa,” Moblit told her while Eld was tending to the stew in the fire pit.

“Don’t worry about me, I haven’t eaten on a chair and a table my whole life, we’re sharing the meal with you here,” she said smiling. She was sitting next to Hange on a dry tree trunk.

“I think squad Levi has prepared a room for your stay tonight,” she said replacing her goggles with a pair of glasses.

“That’s so kind of you but I haven’t come on vacations here, so I don’t really mind the conditions,” Her cape was on her lap, and he realized she wasn’t wearing the usual long-sleeved shirt under her corset but short-sleeved clothes of fabric so thin it was practically see-through. 

“Lady Teresa, this is for you…” Eld finally served the food because he wanted to eat and pretend to go to sleep so he wouldn’t listen to her condescending kindness more than necessary.      

“Thank you… Alphonse, please join us before the food gets cold,” Her assistant was standing near her, he had spent the day around her like a shadow and he wondered if he gets to fuck her when no one was watching.

Alphonse was a man as tall as Eld, his long dark hair was tied in a low ponytail, and he wore elegant clothing and gloves in both hands. He looked like a noble himself, but it was obvious he was a slave to the blonde woman’s will.

They were laughing and acting like they were all comrades in an expedition, except him who seemed more annoyed as Teresa’s happiness grew. Then he saw it, she was talking and laughing and then her pale hand decorated with rings on her fingers caressed Hange’s leg and his blood started to boil. What exactly happened in that month she spent at the bitch’s house? However, he had seen her flirting with women many times when they were out in the taverns, and she wasn’t behaving like that towards Teresa.

“Did you fuck her in that month you went to her house?” What a way to start a conversation but she knew he wasn’t subtle. They were sitting at the top of one of the towers of the castle because she said she wanted to see the stars.

“Would you mind if I did?” she answered with another question and his unjustified anger grew a bit.

“I knew you had a shitty taste in women but that fucking bitch…” he blurted out and tried to sound calm.

Hange leaned towards him and kissed him deep and slow, his face felt warm and he forgot about the soldiers still wandering around the building since it wasn’t very late. He placed a hand on her neck and kissed her back, she could do whatever she wanted as long as she kept kissing him like this.

“I haven’t fucked anyone else since the tent either,” she whispered, and he didn’t reflect on that information because he was dying to taste her again.

His back was against the wall and she had sat on his lap, her knees were touching the floor and he was trapped in between. She was kissing him while running her hands on his abdomen and his chest over his shirt. He pulled her towards him so suddenly she almost hit her head against the wall but now her weight was fully on him, and he made the jacket of her uniform disappear in seconds. She was unbuttoning his shirt and he unbuckled her belt to slide a hand under her pants. Her gasp turned into a moan when he fulfilled his objective and touched her between her legs under her clothes, he rubbed her gently and then harder when she started to move in his hand. Her mouth imitated the speed of her hips as the pleasure built up every time he drew circles around her most sensitive spot with his fingers.

She was about to shake when a loud noise coming from downstairs killed the moment, she fixed her uniform quickly and ran to investigate. He stayed behind cooling off for some minutes because they probably needed him in his five senses if they had encountered problems. The problem was a man with a rifle who was on his knees in front of the bitch’s dog who was threatening him with a sword.

“Did Ignacio send you to keep an eye on my lady?!” Alphonse asked and there was nothing of the kind and elegant assistant in him, only a hungry beast closing in an innocent prey.

“Men who kill for coins don’t usually have mouths,” Teresa said, she was standing behind her assistant, her cape on her shoulders and the same arrogant expression he was used to seeing in Erwin.

“I’m giving you a choice, you can talk willingly, or I can learn the information from you, but I can’t promise you will be able to talk again after that,” her assistant wasn’t bluffing, he recognized the face of a murderer and Alphonse was proving to be one.

“Teresa…” Hange was interrupted by the man who tried to recover his rifle which was centimeters away from him, his hand touched the gun and stayed there covered in blood, detached from the rest of his arm.

The man screamed while Alphonse cleaned his sword with a swing. Then he dragged him outside and Levi witnessed the scene standing in front of Hange, his blade in one hand, and his attention fixed on the threat. The noblewoman followed her assistant after assuring them she knew how to deal with that kind of man. Eld and Oluo sighed loudly after seeing the bloody trail staining the clean floor of the dining hall and the human hand they left behind.

Teresa Ignacio left the castle the next evening, she didn’t say what she was planning to do with the man but clearly reporting him to the Military Police wasn’t one of her intentions. He continued assisting Hange with the experiments during the day and then getting her naked and enjoying her flavor at night. He found out that she liked to see the stars while they fucked because she insisted on staying on the tower twice, then she ended up on top of him on the table in the dining hall which was the most reckless idea they came up with since the doors couldn’t be locked and anyone could have caught them, which didn’t happen that time. However, Moblit reminded them how inopportune his appearances could be when they were making out in the river, and he showed up at midnight.

Fortunately, he was loud and Hange pushed him underwater when she saw his torch dangerously close to them. He looked up and he saw the light closer and he wondered why the fuck he was taking so long to leave. The muffled conversation reached his ears and he tried to focus.

“It’s not safe to be here alone so late…” Moblit said worried about his superior as the loyal and dedicated soldier he was.

“I wasn’t going to wake you up so you can see me bathing,” she responded pretending to rub her arms.

“I wasn’t sleeping… you know I was working on one of the reports for the commander,” He had no idea how close they were. Have they bathed together before? Why was he speaking as if it was normal to get up in the middle of the night to bathe your superior? Well, he was probably immune to weird requests having Hange Zoë as said superior.

“Levi and his men surveilled the area before going to sleep… “she explained.

“They did it the night we found that man spying on Lady Teresa,” He was extremely annoying, like a loving mother who didn’t have another objective in life than protect her children.

Hange said something else and got out of the water. He was running out of air, so he climbed to the surface. They were farther away, Moblit had his back to the river and was handing the clothes to her who was getting dressed in front of him like it was nothing. Part of him wasn’t surprised but at the same time, a question emerged in his mind, a question he hadn’t considered even once in his years of service in the Survey Corps. Everyone joked about Moblit being her lapdog but how much of that was a soldier’s loyalty and how much it was something else. Why was he thinking she had fucked every person that talked to her?

They left him in the dark, wet, aroused, and annoyed. Some minutes later he was looking for his clothes cursing her assistant when she grabbed him from behind and told him they weren’t finished yet. She had convinced Moblit to leave her alone and they kissed and touched and moaned in the river until they were tired.

“Are you leaving at dawn?” She asked, she was laying on top of him, but her eyes were on the sky. They had decided to spend his last night in the castle on the tower.

“Erwin’s orders,” he responded feeling a hole opening in his stomach. He wanted to stay like this, on the tower of the abandoned castle, he wanted to fuck her while she looks at the stars.

“Did he order you to have sex with me?” she had been asking the weirdest questions this past week.

“That was my decision… nobody orders my dick around,” he answered convinced of the truth.

“Is that so?” he heard her question but was distracted by her hand that was stroking his growing erection.

He knew if he tried to speak, he would sound like a pathetic piece of shit, so he kept his mouth shut. He should think things through before uttering them in front of her, he concluded. She was moving up and down on top of him, her breasts were rubbing his skin and he focused on the sky above sinking in the pleasure flooding him. She bit his neck and that was it, he grabbed her behind and positioned her where a simple thrust would take him inside of her. She didn’t fight it and started to rock her hips and kiss him. Did she know the power she had over him? Was this her way of saying she will miss him? Did she want him to stay? Say it, Hange, he thought, say it and I’ll stay with you all the nights you want, say it and I’ll have you in the river, in the dirt, in the grass. Say it and I’ll follow you because your skin tastes like freedom and that’s all I ever wanted; to be free. 

Chapter Text

Hange drank all the wine in her glass at once in an attempt to force the alcohol to reach her head faster. If Erwin hadn’t ordered it, she wouldn’t have come to this ridiculous charade. She was bored, the coat of the elegant military uniform she was forced to wear was hot and Mike Zacharias was the least indicated person to have an entertaining conversation with.

“I thought that woman was you for a second, then I saw she was wearing a dress,” Mike handed her another glass of wine.

“Titans will fall from the sky before you see me in a dress,” she snorted and downed all the contents of her second glass in one go.

“I wouldn’t reject the idea completely if I were you,” he said, and she wondered if he was talking about the Titans or the dress.

“The dress?” she asked and grabbed another glass from a server near them.

“Both…” he looked at her and smiled. She rolled her eyes, this tension of I know that you know that I know about what you do with the captain in your laboratory at night was annoying her. However, it could have been worse.

The elegant dinner was dull, boring, and crowded with uninteresting people. Most of the nobles there had never been outside of Wall Sina before, and they were drawing fake smiles on their faces to please the King. The military personnel who were invited to the event were the commanders and high-ranking officers who mostly attended out of curiosity since it was the first time in history that King Fritz put a foot outside of his palace in the capital.

She saw Teresa Ignacio greeting the woman Mike thought it was her and now that she was paying attention she had to agree. Her long brown hair was tucked in a braided updo, her eyes were light honey though but her nose, it was the nose, right? That’s why Mike confused them, they had similar noses. Somehow it seemed to her she was looking at a younger and more feminine version of herself.

The blonde noblewoman extended her hand and she kissed it like a gentleman, Mike shook her hand and she complained about the lack of stronger drinks. She wasn’t enjoying the evening either, but the King was set to arrive at any moment. She was wearing a dark crimson cape which was the same color as her corset vest, the golden embroidering on it made her look regal.

“Even Alastor Pallas is worried about his majesty’s mental state or that’s what his granddaughter made me understand,” she said looking at the brown-haired woman.  

“He’s probably worried about his assets and how this charade will affect him,” Hange was looking for another server.  

“This charade has made Reiss crawl out of his cave which I will consider an accomplishment,” Teresa turned in the direction of a man with big blue eyes, he just dismissed a mysterious tall man who was wearing a hat and a coat over his elegant suit and didn’t look amused in the slightest.  

“More assets in danger I suppose…” She finally found another glass of wine, but Erwin’s hand grabbed it before her.

“The King will be here soon, and I’d like you to observe him closely and tell me what you make of him… sober,” he said putting emphasis on his last word and smiling at Teresa.

The expression on the noblewoman’s blue eyes changed when she saw Erwin Smith. There was a kind smile on the commander's lips when he kissed Teresa’s hands without breaking eye contact, and the seductive expression on the woman’s face could tighten any male pants. Hange was in front of them, and she felt the familiar vibrant tension that electrifies the air every time she’s with Levi in the same room.

“It seems that is exactly what he wants… he wants people to see him but why and the timing is also interesting,” she said, feeling that Erwin was not listening to her.

“He’s coming with a Military Police escort, they said he visited the market this morning” the commander still had his eyes fixed on the beautiful woman in front of him.   

“He was checking the food supplies himself, but I’ve got more news to share with you,” Anybody would believe they were talking about the moon and the sky guided by the tone in their voices.

“Hange… I’m counting on you to behave accordingly,” his commanding tone returned to remind her of her mission, and he walked away with Teresa on his arm.

“I thought bathing for this shit was enough…” she complained and fortunately Mike gave her a new glass of wine because she felt like punching the table.

King Fritz entered the salon after a member of the Royal Council announced his arrival, he had left the cape he usually wore in public behind. His short white hair was tied in a small ponytail and there wasn’t a crown on his head. His tall, elegant presence indicated his royal status. His white tunic displayed a delicate golden embroidery and a necklace of Maria, Rose and Sina was the only jewelry he was wearing. He gave a heartfelt speech commemorating the Fall of Shinganshina and how the good people of Trost, the military forces, and some nobles worked tirelessly to give humanity some of their lost dignity back.

There seemed to be a degree of honesty in his words, maybe the tragic loss of territory in Wall Maria changed something in him. He exchanged words with everyone who got close to him, and he would smile politely and listen to the guests, but his responses became more aggressive when Rod Reiss approached him. Alastor Pallas joined them. The cane he was holding in one hand looked more like a weapon than a walking aid. He easily towered over Reiss, and he looked down at him through his small dark rounded glasses.

“The commander of the training corps says we have some promising talents among next year’s cadets,” a feminine voice distracted her. A blonde woman with glasses in a military uniform grabbed some appetizers from the table near them. The sigil on her coat was the rose from the Garrison.

“That must be good news for the Garrison and the Military Police…” Hange said holding her fifth glass of wine.

“This unprecedented talent is a young girl named Ackerman, Keith Shadis says sometimes it feels like he’s watching a female version of captain Levi,” She must be impressive if the former commander of the Survey Corps has formed that opinion.

“I hope she doesn’t have his sense of humor…” She downed her glass of wine because the last thing she needed was to think about him and the sweet kiss he gave her the night before Erwin dragged her to Trost.

“You must be the crazy Titan researcher from the Survey Corps… Hange Zoe,” Yes, her fame preceded her everywhere inside the Walls.

“Rico… commander Pixis wishes to talk to you,” another soldier from the Garrison told her holding her arm.

“Maybe you’ll have time to listen to my theories another day,” she smiled and both soldiers excused themselves and joined the bald man who haven’t stopped drinking the whole evening.

“Shadis, huh?” Mike looked at her with that annoying attitude of knowing everyone’s secrets.

“Nanaba tells you everything, right?” she asked trying to divert his attention from her terrible choices in life.

“Nanaba’s words are not the only things I’ve heard walking around headquarters…” Her carelessness was coming back to haunt her.

“You two sure are getting a kick out of this,” Another glass of wine silenced her.

They were staying in a house owned by Teresa in Trost instead of the military barracks. They continued drinking with her way past midnight once they have returned from the event. Erwin shared his theories about the King’s tour, and he would exchange furtive glances with the noblewoman that made her suspicious of the nature of their relationship. However, she had no right to poke her nose into other people’s lives since she was guilty of a similar crime.  

She stumbled to her room around three in the morning with Zacharias walking behind her to make sure she didn’t fall and break her skull. Hange undressed and put on a pair of comfortable pants and a tank top and tried to sleep. Even though she had drunk a lot, she couldn’t stop her brain from going back to headquarters and reliving the night she crawled on the kitchen table and told him to fuck her. She cursed herself for having waited two weeks to finally confront him because now she was lonely again, haunted by the ghost of his kisses and the feeling of his powerful hands on her body.

The nobles had asked the Premier for Levi’s presence at the event. But Erwin told her he wasn’t planning on using him just to amuse a couple of rich pigs. He could have ordered him to come, and she would be in his arms, enjoying his scent and listening to his complaints about the noble people. And she would kiss him deep and slow to draw his attention to her again. Out of all the things she missed about him, his kisses took the spotlight, they always manage to leave her out of breath and wanting more.

For the following two weeks, they traveled through the different districts between the Walls searching for materials to build her new experimental anti-Titan weapon. The idea had come to her mind after reading the books in Teresa’s house, she designed a prototype with Moblit’s help and the commander had given her permission to start the experiments.

She was so focused on her research and the prototype that she didn’t notice she was back in the district she had escaped from as a teenager until Teresa mentioned a piece of information that brought to her memories of the nightmare, the one she had tried to forget all these years.

“The local people say there’s a laboratory of experimental herbal medicine in the outskirts of town, however, they warned me the man in charge is an eccentric hermit,” she said while Alphonse opened the door of the carriage for them.

“Aren’t all scientists like that?” she smiled but a question pounded in her mind. Was he still alive? She thought she had killed him the night she escaped from his grasp.      

“He’s brilliant they say, and his medicinal concoctions had saved this town from epidemics and helped people when doctors couldn’t do much for them. But they don’t see him outside of his laboratory often…  It seems that the curse of a brilliant mind it’s a degree of insanity,” What a selfless soul, wasn’t he? The man she remembered was very different from the picture the people in town painted for Teresa. He was a man mad with grief.

“Plants aren’t exactly Titans,” she said, hoping that the noblewoman wouldn’t suggest what she was thinking. Her heart was beating faster and the carriage felt so small, that it was getting harder to breathe. 

“Erwin told me you have a vast knowledge of medicinal plants too,” She wondered if the commander had told her what use she was putting to that knowledge. They allowed the rumor that she knew how to prepare contraceptive concoctions for women to spread so they wouldn’t deal with unwanted releases from military service for that kind of irresponsibility.

“Titans were not one of my passions before joining the Survey Corps,” she said looking through the window of the carriage.

“I thought you would be interested in visiting this place… it’s rare to see laboratories of this kind,” Her fears came true when those words reached her ears. 

“I’m working on an important theory now so I don’t want to be distracted, you should know how short my attention span is…” she laughed and pretended she wasn’t scared. An old fear was creeping on her body, and she wanted to get away from that place as soon as possible.  

“This is chamomile… It has white petals, and tiny yellow flowers in the center, see?” The woman was holding the small flowers in her hands. She was sitting on her lap looking at the plants with curiosity.

“Is this for your tea, mommy?” the little girl asked and fixed her glasses to see them closely.

“Yes, this is the flower your father uses to prepare the infusion when your tummy hurts,” her mother explained with a smile. Her long brown hair was braided, and it smelled of spring flowers, and it tickled her ear now that she was on her lap.

“It doesn’t taste good…” she said, wrinkling her nose to show her displeasure.

“Did you cut her hair again?” a grave voice asked. The little girl turned around and a tall man with glasses was standing near them, he was wearing a coat covered in green and dark stains.

“I had to… She had something sticky entangled in it, I couldn’t fix it, so I cut it, she must have gotten it somewhere near the river. She spent the whole afternoon there collecting insects,” the woman explained, caressing the little girl’s head.

“And you gave up on the skirt too?” the man sat down on the grass next to them.

“She’s always running around in the mud, in the river, in the forest, climbing trees, a skirt will be a nuisance for her… besides, I don’t wear skirts either and you still fell in love with me,” her mother smiled at her again.  

“When are you going to show her how to be a proper woman?” he asked but he was smiling too.

“There’s no such thing as a proper woman… Hange can be whoever she wants to be and she will still be my sweet daughter,” she hugged her tightly and her skin was warm, and it smelled of those herbs she puts in the tub when she bathes.

“I think she cannot see very well with these glasses… she keeps adjusting them, we’ll get you the right ones so you can catch more insects,” her father said and caressed her cheek.

“If I see better… Can I help you with your plants?” Hange asked, excited for his answer.

“I told you it’s a dangerous job for a little girl, but if you keep studying… I’ll show you the laboratory when you grow up a little more,” he promised, and he did fulfill it.

He showed her the laboratory and how to be a proper woman. He showed her the monster hidden inside of him. He ripped her apart and it took years of her life to stand back on her two feet. “I can’t look back,” she whispered sitting in the carriage, the same words she had repeated to herself as a prayer since she cut her hair short and put on men’s clothes pretending she was somebody else.

She arrived at headquarters after a couple of days and didn’t have time to do anything but pack the things she needed for the experiments. She spent that day putting her notes and research papers in order with Moblit and wishing she would have time to see him before leaving. He was somewhere doing training exercises with his squad, and she was sure he didn’t even know she was there, craving for his touch.

Moblit and her squad members readied the horses, and her heart sank when they told her they were waiting for her. She sighed, put on her jacket, and was about to climb on her horse when the Special Operations Squad arrived, and she heard his voice giving commands to his soldiers. He stood near the stables watching her and she wondered if he was feeling the same urgency to run to him. Only one kiss, that’s all she wanted to calm the palpitations in her heart.

She forced herself to smile and left. Was this going to be a constant in their lives? Erwin sent her to an abandoned castle surrounded by a small forest some kilometers away from headquarters. She spent the first week immersed in her experiments and her research because if she relaxed for a minute, she thought of him and how scared he was of losing her. The caresses on her cheek and the sweet kiss on the edge of her bed would flash in her mind and time would pass slowly.  

“The traction isn’t enough but we’re adjusting the length of the cables,” she explained to a serious Erwin Smith who was visiting to check the advances in the development of the new weapon.

“Do you think we would be able to test it in the next expedition?” he asked looking at the piece of the cable she was talking about.

“We might be… But we have to test the durability of the hooks, I’m not sure how to recreate Titan size strength here inside the Walls,” she was wondering if Erwin would give her permission to go outside for something like that.

“I’ll send Levi with part of his squad… he’s the only human with such strength inside the Walls,” he said and how did she not think about it? Of course, she had been forcing herself to forget about him, to keep him out of her mind and her heart.

“Well… that will take care of that,” her heart started to beat faster inside her chest for some reason.

“I think someone is following Teresa… She’s going to arrive in two days, so you’ll have to be careful, Theodor Ignacio is a relentless man and that makes him dangerous,” he warned her and left the same day.     

Finally, Levi was going to come after weeks without seeing him. A doubt plagued her thoughts that night, who would he bring? All the members in his squad were capable, talented, and reliable soldiers so how would he choose them for this mission? The beautiful redhead knocking on the door of her laboratory crossed her mind, but she felt stupid and decided to check her notes to fix some issues they were having with the prototype.   

He had arrived at sundown and when she entered the dining hall, she saw two men of his squad cleaning with him, there were no signs of a third person in the room. She had cooked vegetable soup for them, they drank and talked. She reluctantly sent him to patrol the area remembering Erwin’s words, but she was hoping her kiss was enough indication of the strong desire pulsating between her legs.

Hange had been sitting near the river to soothe her mind lately and that’s where he found her. The moonlight was shining on the calm surface of the water. Tired of waiting for this moment, she walked into the river and took off her uniform without saying anything. They didn’t need words to communicate what their bodies were screaming for them. He pressed his lips against hers and she opened her mouth, she had missed his flavor, his tongue entwined with hers, his warm hands running on her skin.

“You won’t fuck me if I’m too dirty,” she said unbuttoning his uniform. Was there a limit of filthiness he could handle from her? He had fucked her on the table in a tent, the floor of her room, and the messy desk in her laboratory.  

“I’ll fuck you in a garbage dump if you ask me to,” he confessed, a contagious lust dilating his pupils.

“You know I might ask you to” she whispered and opened his shirt. She had spent weeks imagining this moment and now that it was happening, somehow it felt surreal.

She didn’t notice when he got rid of his shirt, she just felt the familiar touch of his chest against hers and the fire was burning so hot inside of her she couldn’t wait any longer, she separated from him and undressed completely. The water was cold, but they weren’t, his hands were drawing her figure while she was kissing him as she had wanted to do for countless sleepless nights since she left. His passionate responses told her what she already knew, he had gone through the same struggle as her. Suddenly he lifted one of her legs and she thought this was a bad idea.   

“The water… is not the best idea… it causes extra friction.” She explained but he grabbed her leg again and pushed it onto his hips. Of course, he didn’t care.

“You think I’ve never screwed in the water?” he said and with the other hand on her behind pulled her closer. 

“Have you been screwing someone else in the water?” she blurted out and hugged him tightly, ready for him.

“No… not since your tent,” he whispered in her ear and slid inside of her.

What did his words mean? Why did she ask such a thing? She shouldn’t care what he does with his life, should she? He wanted her body and they just couldn’t fight this chemistry between them. And then there was this beautiful woman in his squad. What was her name?... Petra. Shouldn’t he be interested in her? She was pretty, feminine, and delicate and she had an attractive body.

Levi didn’t bring her with him. Erwin gave him the order to choose only two members of his squad and he didn’t choose her. Why? Why did he leave her behind? Was it for her? Was it because he wanted to have her like this, in the river? Was it because she had knocked on their door while they were together? There was something Hange found difficult to understand, even though she had seen obvious signs that confirmed the suspicion that he wanted more than her body, he wanted all of her.

She had said that having sex in the water was a terrible idea which was justified by the challenging logistics of it. However, he still managed to make her feel good, he was strong and the current of the river had no impact on his ability to move. She started to moan loud and louder as his thrusts hit her sensitive spots. Would the men in the castle hear them? Part of her rational brain wondered but the other side, the one fueled by pleasure and desire, ignored the risks and an orgasm shut her rational side completely.  

She took him out of the water and a wild impulse made her push him onto the ground, then she sat on top of him. The water of the river was slipping from her hair to his naked body, and she kissed him, he pulled her closer and their bodies were touching, pieces of a puzzle that fit perfectly together. He surrendered to her will and the same wild impulse guided her hips and took them far from the castle to a dimension of their own. Touch me , she thought, claim what is yours . She grabbed his hands and ran them across her stomach and her chest. Would this be enough? Enough for him to forget about her heart.  

She stayed on top of him, resting, she had grown to like the comforting feeling of his muscular physique under her. The sounds of the insects and the water running reminded her of another time when she thought life was simpler. She asked the question about why he brought those two with him out loud, and she got the answer she was secretly hoping for. Did she want him only for her?  Wasn’t that selfish?

They switched positions and now she was on the ground, he did something she thought he would never do, he ripped the dirt and grass from the soil near the river and spread it from the neck to her chest, she arched her back feeling a rush of pleasure flowing through her veins. She had always belonged to the wild, the dirt on her body smelled like home, like those afternoons she would follow frogs and insects along another water stream, those afternoons when she knew once she was back home, she would find her, smiling and excited to learn about her discoveries. She would sit on her lap and explain the anatomy of each creature she had found. Then she would return to the river with her and release the insects back into nature because she said no living being was born to stay in a cage.

He didn’t only cover her in dirt but then she felt his mouth cleaning her breasts, drawing circles on her sensitive peaks, and then his tongue would follow all the way to her neck. Why was he torturing her? She stopped questioning the fact that a clean freak like him was eating the dirt from her body. He had said he would fuck her in a garbage dump, and he was demonstrating the veracity of his words. Men and women had wanted her in the past but not with this passion and fervor. Maybe Regina, but she couldn’t remember anyone else or maybe she hadn’t been paying attention because after the redhead she grew afraid of opening her soul to another person.

Regina became a scar on her heart, a painful memory and she didn’t want him to follow the same path. Just fuck me , she thought, do whatever you want with my body and don’t take something else from me.  As if he was reading her mind, he accelerated even more, and she couldn’t process anything besides the vibrations rising from the pit of her belly. She spread the dirt on his shoulders and his back. She wanted him to smell like home too because his arms already felt like a place where she could be safe.

They were laying on the grass, so close to each other she felt his breathing on her cheek, they had exchanged a few words and she was a hypocrite, she kept saying in her mind that she didn’t want to give him her heart and yet the words she had spoken were saying the opposite. “I have you..” she said, whatever came after that didn’t matter because that was her deepest desire escaping from her throat. I want to be yours , she thought, and I want you to be mine. He gave her another of those gentle kisses he had been giving her lately, his hand on her cheek and he parted from her so slowly their lips were refusing to separate.

They looked at each other in silence and they knew, they both knew those kisses were not only sweet but loving . However, words were dangerous, words complicated everything, and she knew he couldn’t find the words to describe the feeling that was driving him to kiss her like that. She didn’t want him to find them, not now, not tomorrow, not yet, she was scared, more scared than the first time she faced a Titan. She was scared because that was the same feeling that made her miss him every time they were away, she didn’t only miss his body but him in his entirety.

Words were forbidden between them, so she kissed him back delicately, again and again, his hand started drawing a line gently along her arms, her waist, and her hips. Who would have thought that the same hands that kill in seconds could touch her so tenderly? She caressed his cheek and placed another kiss on his lips. How did we let it come to this? She thought but she liked these kisses as much as she liked when he pushes her to the ground or her bed and makes her scream with pleasure. Maybe if those words were never spoken it was safe to stay like this, on the grass, holding hands.

Teresa Ignacio arrived the following morning. Everyone had been polite and kind to their distinguished guest, except Levi. He refused to speak to her, and he would constantly glare at the noblewoman. She sat with them by the fire and even invited her assistant to sit next to her but something unexpected happened while they were eating and talking, Teresa touched her leg, and she wouldn’t have noticed it if it wasn’t for Levi’s murderous look. Was he….? Was he thinking they had slept together? Was that the reason his expression changed from mild annoyance to blinding rage? He had no idea how many times she had chosen him over other people, did he? Maybe a bit of honesty wouldn’t do any damage.

“Do you want to know what I’m going to do with that man?” she asked and poured the wine she had brought with her. It was past midnight, but she couldn’t sleep, and neither did the blonde woman.

“Are you sure you can get information from him?” Hange was starting to understand why she wasn’t scared of anyone.

“Alphonse hasn’t always been an ordinary assistant, he has received military training, he’s a skilled swordsman and a strong fighter. There was a time he wasn’t inclined to follow orders, he was part of a criminal group that trafficked people and weapons anywhere inside the Walls. He told me his people had provided young innocent girls to depraved rich men who think they can buy anything. He said he had lured young boys from the underground to the surface just to be exploited and abused. He’s aware of his sins and doesn’t make up excuses for any of them. He didn’t even blink when he confessed he had killed my brother,” Teresa sipped her wine, no signs of remorse or sadness on her face.

“Your older brother is… dead?” She had no idea about that part of her family history.

“He was my father’s pride and joy, they were both fools, my brother would gamble with powerful men, criminals, all of them. He was so arrogant I’m sure he thought he was immortal, he brought his own death upon himself… that happened many years ago. I was young but I was already of age so, in his grief, I tried to convince my father to give me a small percentage of his assets, he refused, laughed at me, he said “Your cunt is all the assets you need, women don’t do business”

“The same old song with these people,” she said, she had heard it all before.

“Until he finally signed the papers… he almost spit on me, but I didn’t care, I had the papers and I know he regrets it. That’s one of the reasons he despises me,” there was a shadow on her features every time she talked about her father, and she knew that feeling too well.

“So… Alphonse can get any information from that man, don’t worry about him, focus on your experiments and I’ll take care of this,” she smiled, and Hange didn’t ask further questions.

His face was in the crook of her neck, her hands were running along his back as he was moving inside of her, and her legs were wrapped around his hips, but her eyes were fixed on the stars in the night sky. She moaned in his ear and he kissed her neck, her cheek, and finally her mouth while her body tensed and shook under him, then he reached his limit and she saw his face overwhelmed by pleasure. She liked to see him get lost in that heavenly moment, her insides made him feel like that. She held him in her arms for some minutes, the stone the tower was made of was cold after all and he had put the only blanket they brought under her.

She was sure it was late, probably two in the morning but the sky was so beautiful, so they had stayed at the top of the tower. He sighed and looked at her, he moved a strand of hair that was glued to her cheek, and then his hand lingered there so she smiled and squeezed it. He lay next to her, and she accommodated part of her body on top of him, her arms and her head on his chest and he surrounded her with his arms. She smiled again because she hadn’t felt comfortable and warm beside another human in a long time, she closed her eyes for a moment.

“That’s the Dog Star, can you see it?” the beautiful woman with the long brown braid whispered in her ear. She was laying on her lap, they were outside on the grass, a few meters away from their house.

“Is there a star for all the animals?” she asked, looking at the night sky in awe.

“I don’t think so but there are infinite stars in the sky, not all of them have names,” she answered.

“Infinite?” little Hange has never heard that word before.

“It means that it has no limit… there are no Walls in the sky,” she said and there was sadness in her voice.

“Why are there Walls around us?” She has never wondered such a thing but now it almost seemed strange to have barriers surrounding them.

“There are monsters outside, giant monsters that eat people… “she sighed and rested her chin on her daughter’s head.

“Are there only monsters outside the Walls?” Hange’s curiosity always made her ask question after question, but her mother would answer each one of them with a smile.

“I don’t think so… What if there are other worlds outside, so far beyond the Walls it’s impossible to walk over there?” She pointed at the horizon and an idea was born in the little girl’s mind. 

“Can we go outside, mommy?” She wanted to see the other worlds her mother was imagining.   

“No, only strong, brave soldiers go outside… they wear an emblem on their uniforms that people called the Wings of Freedom,” 

“Freedom?”

“Yes… we’re all free as the birds in the sky, like a river stream, or like you, you’re free to dress and do the things you love, nobody can tell you otherwise… not even your stubborn father,” her mother smiled and kissed her cheek.

Her stubborn father did more than just tell her she wasn’t free, she showed her that her will wasn’t her own and she almost believed it. But she remembered her mother’s words, the smell of her hair, and her smile when she taught her about the worlds outside the Walls. She ran one night, she ran looking for that infinite horizon and the promise of a life she could call her own.

Levi, would you stay if I ask you to? Would you stay at the top of the tower with me like this for as long as I live? She wanted to ask, but she knew she couldn’t. Tonight should be enough, and maybe tomorrow once everyone went to sleep, she could have him again for another night under the stars. She opened her eyes and he was looking at her, she didn’t know that silence could say more than words. They cut the little distance there was between them and they kissed gently at first and then his hands pressed her back bringing her closer and the sweet kiss turned into a passionate one. 

The worlds and the monsters outside the Walls could wait for one more night. Tonight only the tower was real. Tonight only his sounds of pleasure and his kisses mattered. Tonight there was only him and her under the night sky.  

Chapter Text

The fire quickly consumed the dry log he threw minutes ago and it was still cold in the godforsaken cabin he was staying with his squad. He sighed and a feminine hand offered him a cup of what he presumed was tea. Petra seemed to enjoy the winter more than him, she hadn’t complained once since they started the training exercises two weeks ago. Each squad had been assigned to an area in the coldest place inside the Walls and in one more week, they were supposed to return to headquarters to finish the preparations for the next expedition. Everything irritated him lately, the fucking snow, the shitty provisions they had, the cold nights, and the loneliness.

He had remained the obedient soldier on the outside as always, especially in front of his men. However, he would have downed an entire bottle of the strongest alcohol he could find if given the chance. Not even a day had passed since he made it back from the abandoned castle when Erwin summoned all the squad leaders to share the details about his winter program. Hange had stayed one more week at the castle and when she finally returned she had spent days and nights in meetings with Erwin and her squad of idiots. He had participated in some of those meetings but he grew tired of that shit pretty quickly, so he noticed she would walk near the men’s shower room on her way to her laboratory the mornings she had meetings with Erwin.

He got the information from Erwin the day before, so he knew exactly the moment she was going to walk nearby. He pretended to clean the area until he saw her. He grabbed her arm without saying a word and dragged her inside the shower room. He caught her by surprise, so she didn’t have time to yell at him until they were in one of the shower cubicles.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!” she exclaimed but he signaled her to speak lowly since he heard a door opening.

“You haven’t taken a shower in a long time, have you? I can smell it even when I’m on the other side of the castle,” he whispered in her ear.

“That…. might... be true… but that’s not the point, the point here is that…. it’s the morning…. and…” he interrupted her with one of the hottest kisses he had ever given her, leaving her breathing ragged and in silence.

“I’m sick and tired of this bullshit of waiting… you know that,” he said and slithered his hand around her waist.

“Fuck… why did you have to choose the busiest hour in the showers?” She complained but she grabbed the collar of his shirt and kissed him hard. She had let the papers on her hands fall to the floor which was already wet in some parts.

He pressed her against one of the walls of the cubicle with his tongue in her mouth, her hands were holding onto his back, and she must have changed her mind because she was responding passionately to his kisses. A soft moan escaped her and the hand on her waist continued its journey down her lower back, then he stopped on her behind and lifted her a bit against him. Now the lower parts of their bodies were touching, and their kisses became deeper, and he groaned in her mouth.

The temperature started rising exponentially from there, she was rubbing herself against him and he directed his kisses to her neck, she wrapped her lifted leg around his hip and pulled him closer, how were they going to stay silent here? The sound of a shower turning on a few cubicles ahead gave him an idea. He turned on the shower in their cubicle with one hand and she didn’t complain, she didn’t even try to say anything but kept kissing him. She had been craving it too, huh? They were both completely wet in more than one sense, his lips were running down her collarbone towards her chest and she was trying to control the sounds coming out of her throat, he kissed her over the fabric of her wet shirt, and she shuddered. Her hands were almost below his hips when a loud bang froze them in place.

They stayed still for a minute paying attention to the environment. Apparently, someone had closed one of the cubicle's doors loudly but that was everything, so they resumed what they were doing under the rain from the shower. She separated from him and unbuttoned her shirt fast and he helped her because she was doing it too slowly for his taste. He was going to throw the wet shirt to the floor when she grabbed it and placed it in one of the hooks inside the cubicle. Anyone was going to see there were two sets of wet clothes on the floor and they couldn’t have that. Again, she was the one still thinking given the circumstances. Her skin felt even more delicious than the warm water and she wrapped her arms around his neck to have maximum contact with him and was devouring him, but he didn’t mind, this was everything he had wanted for weeks.

Fuck the experiments and fuck Erwin for keeping her all for himself since she came back from the abandoned castle. He kissed her mouth, her chest, her stomach, and when he reached her zipper he lowered it without a second’s hesitation, but she was wearing the uniform, so he had to unbuckle all the leather straps around her thighs, the water had done something to one of them because it wasn’t opening, and he almost ripped it apart.

“Fuck… fucking hell… “ he cursed and had to stop kissing her to see what the problem was.

She calmed him down and got rid of the straps in a minute and took off her boots too, he forgot about them. She threw them outside the cubicle. Well, at least the unisex nature of the uniforms was going to be of some advantage now. No one would be able to tell those were her boots.

 “I can’t have you tearing my uniforms apart,” she said and kissed him again.

“Take this fucking thing off too..” he whispered touching her unzipped pants. However, she kissed him one more time as if she hadn’t heard his orders.

“Is that an order?” she asked defiantly, and she should have known that wasn’t a challenge for him, the soldier who was as strong as an entire brigade.

He pushed her against the wall but she dodged him when he went straight for her pants. She was standing on the side of the door, a hand on the handle and she said she was going to open it if he got closer. Hange Zoe was a lunatic, and she was the only human who could play him like this. His desire to touch her only grew with this new turn of events.

“Take off your clothes,” she said in a commanding voice, the one he had heard her use on the field with her squad. She turned the door handle when he gave a step toward her. Yes, she was capable of that and more, and as much as he hated to admit it, he was burning for her.

He unbuttoned his shirt and threw it on the floor, and he continued until he was completely naked. She supervised the entire process with her chocolate eyes inspecting every corner of his anatomy. He stood in front of her, piercing her with his grey gaze. She leaned on the door, and he knew she wouldn’t reject his touch this time. He got closer, grazed his lips on hers, and backed away when she tried to kiss him. If she wanted to play, then they were going to play this little game. He looked at her intently, her eyes, her neck, her breasts, and he glided his hand over all those places without putting a single finger on her.

She suddenly kissed him harder than before and pushed her body against his, he pressed his hand between her legs, and she moaned impatiently. She got rid of the rest of her clothes, and he kneeled in front of her. He put one of her legs on his shoulder and said: “Hold onto something…” He didn’t wait for her reaction and sunk his tongue deep inside of her, she gasped but the water falling down on them blocked her sounds. He moved fast around her sensitive places and her hips started to shake by themselves. She was battling an orgasm and her instinct to scream. He didn’t help when one of his hands ran along her stomach to her chest. He caressed her breast with the warm water still raining on them, and he heard her muffled screams. Finally, he stood up and kissed her while rubbing himself against her thighs, she grabbed his member and slid it inside of her.

“I thought we were gonna play… “he said with a thrust that made the back of her head hit the wall.

“Fuck… you… “she whispered, overwhelmed by pleasure.

He placed his hands on the wall and slammed into her, her legs were on his hips, and he didn’t restrain himself even though they could hear more people in the other showers. Was it a shitty idea? Definitely, this was one of the worst ideas he could come up with but the feeling of her warmth around him was worth it. She pulled his hair when another orgasm made her tremble and he licked the water from her neck, her earlobe, and a moan louder than the shower reverberated in the cubicle. He stopped for a second, she put her feet on the floor and was paying attention to any indication that somebody had heard them. Nothing happened so he turned her around and entered her from behind, his body was keeping her squeezed against the wall, he grabbed her wet ponytail and resumed his fast and precise movements.

“You didn’t think any of these through,” she said, resting with her back to the wall. His hands were still on her waist, and he had just turned off the shower.

“Well… I guess we’ll have to stay here a bit longer,” he kissed her passionately, she responded positively but her next words brought him back to reality.

“I have to… make it to the laboratory… sooner than later,” she looked at her wet uniform that was hanging from a couple of hooks.

“Fuck… we’re fucked, aren’t we?” he said and realized now their dire situation.

“Your uniform is wet too…” No, he hadn’t thought any of this through and they were both trapped inside of the cubicle. Her assistant would be looking for her at any moment.

“I’ll put it on… and bring you dry clothes before your fucking assistant makes a scene because he can’t find you,” he started to put on his wet uniform anyways.

“What if someone sees you with my clothes?” she asked, thinking about a different solution.

“I don’t know… people don’t ask me those things,” he answered, and he had a point. Who would dare ask him anything about it? Wait… Petra was sufficiently attracted to him to ignore his sour face and ask stupid questions like that.

“I’m sure she will… the woman in your squad,” Did she know about her and her interest in him? Is that why she asked him those questions about his squad in the abandoned castle?

“She can be… annoying sometimes,” he admitted but there was something in the way she was looking at him… was she thinking he was interested in her too?

“She… she’s interested in you, isn’t she?” she finally asked the question that was floating in the air.

“She’s my subordinate,” he said dryly.

He left the cubicle after assuring her he was going to find a way to bring her new clothes. However, he hid from Petra and Moblit in the hall and decided he had to change first and then try to solve the problem. The moment he went to Hange’s room to get her a dry uniform, Nanaba was already there.

“I honestly didn’t see it coming, squad leader Mike and squad leader Hange,” Petra said and sipped his tea. His men were in the kitchen of the cabin gossiping before going to sleep.

“Well… they saw them getting busy in the men’s showers…” Even Gunther had information about it. That’s how fast the news had spread among the Survey Corps soldiers.

“I have never thought about it but… Can you imagine having sex with her? If she’s as crazy and well… passionate as she usually is with other things…” Eld said pouring more tea.

“I wouldn’t do it, she’ll probably bite my dick off,” Oluo had the best understanding of her personality than any of them.

“She saved you in the last expedition,” Petra punched him.

“She helped me in a difficult situation,” he put on his usual arrogant act once again.

“I’ve heard she was into women,” Petra was very well informed for his taste.

“You interested, Petra?” Gunther asked just to tease her.

“I… I… I have never… but if it’s her… I… I wouldn’t mind… I also heard she knows how to treat women better than some men,” She glared at Oluo who was looking at her in shock. He was tempted to burst open the door and put an end to their worthless conversation.

“I think there’s no way sex with her is boring… but she’s kind of scary,” Gunther gave his honest opinion on the subject.

“Well… they were doing it in the men’s shower so she’s definitely into weird stuff,” Why was he still listening to this shit? It was his fault though, so he deserved it.

“Do you think she talks about Titans during sex?” Another stupid question and he was going to open the door.

“Oh… do you think Moblit has…. You know… they spend too much time together,” His hand was on the door handle, but he stopped, he was interested in their opinion.

“No, he told me they have never slept together… I…. asked him…” Petra quickly filled them in with the latest news.

“He does look like he wouldn’t be able to handle her…” Gunther was the voice of reason in the group.

“What about…. the… the captain… “there it was, Petra poking her nose in their business again.

He suddenly opened the door and they fell silent. He asked about the preparations for the next day, and they answered immediately. They had finished their work before wasting their time on gossip. He went to the room where he had been pretending to sleep. How did she crawl so deep under his skin? He had thought about her many times during these years they have known each other wondering what she would taste like under her uniform, sometimes he had brushed the idea off quickly because they were so different, she was fire and he was ice.

He had no idea she had been thinking about him too, he had no idea until he planted that kiss on her lips and she kissed him back with a similar passion she often displayed for her research. It’s been many months since then and they haven’t stopped fucking at any opportunity they find, and he had thought the night in her tent had been a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. He couldn’t remember coming back to a woman’s arms like this, a woman had never occupied such an important amount of his thoughts, a woman had never felt like home. That wasn’t true, he had felt like that in his mother’s arms, but he didn’t dare compare them because that would mean she had reached his heart and that was unknown territory for him.

Someone had tried to poison Erwin Smith was the news he woke up to a day before starting the winter training. He opened the door of the commander’s office and he was sitting on his desk, drawing on a map. As usual, he didn’t look up when he entered the room. This wasn’t the first time someone had tried to kill him, and he wondered if it had something to do with the blonde bitch he was so fond of.

“What’s the fucking dumb reason you’re here and not seeing a doctor?” he asked standing in front of the desk.

“I’ve already seen one… I won’t die anytime soon but he didn’t know what to do to eliminate the poison in my system. Hange is making an antidote, she found out about the poisoned wine after all,” Erwin said as if he was talking about the weather or other trivial matters.

“Poisoned wine? Do you know who brought it to headquarters?” He saw the boxes Hange and Zacharias brought with them after their trip with Teresa Ignacio. Was the wine in one of them?

“Mike says he saw Teresa buying a couple of bottles from the last district they visited which is the one Hange said you could find the poisonous plant they used in the wine,” There it was, everything he had suspected from the noblewoman coming true.

“She was taking her sweet time… Are you going to question her?” Something was telling him Erwin wasn’t planning on confronting the bitch.

“I don’t think she’s responsible for this… Someone is trying to frame her, that much is obvious,” Really? Was he really that blind when it came to her? If Hange ever did something against him, would he act like this as well? No, Hange will never hurt him, would she?

“Erwin… I never thought I’ll see you losing your wits to a woman,” What a rich observation coming from him. The man who some days ago had ignored all the risks and fucked a woman in the men’s shower at the most crowded time in the morning.

“I understand your concern but that’s not what’s happening, Teresa has proven to be our ally in the past, many expeditions wouldn’t have become a reality if it hadn’t been for her collaboration,” he was finally looking at him with a somber expression on his face.

“You already know who could have done it then…” he pointed out. Erwin Smith always had a backup plan.

“I have an idea but no evidence… Isn’t it strange, Levi? Every time we’re close to an important discovery, the assassination attempts increase,” Did he mean Hange’s new anti-Titan weapon? Who wouldn’t want them to fight the Titans and why?

A soldier knocked on the door before he could answer, and he announced a member of the Royal Council had just arrived at headquarters. A Titan that spoke? The King’s tour? A new anti-Titan weapon? A man spying on Teresa? An assassination attempt? And now a member of the Royal Council visiting? He was starting to think a lot more shit than just Titans was going on inside the Walls.

If Hange was the manliest woman he had met, the person getting off the carriage was the most feminine man he had ever seen. What was with all these blonde people from the capital coming to the outer Wall? His long silver hair was tied in a low ponytail, he was wearing a crimson tunic and dark riding pants and boots underneath. One of his servants held his hand while he climbed down the carriage, Erwin greeted him. The noble’s face lightened up when he saw the commander of the Survey Corps and they walked to his office listening to him complimenting the fresh air outside of Wall Sina. He didn’t want to take part in that meeting, but Erwin signaled him to stay so he sat down on a chair near the window where he could distract himself with the view.

Flavio Wolff, that was his name, one of the men closest to King Fritz inside the Walls. He was fairly young to be in a position like the Royal Council but he suspected family ties had helped him reach notoriety and sat on the right of the King. He had a big mouth too and a soft voice, he was the total opposite of Hange. Why was he thinking so much about her? Oh, he was going to leave for the mountains in a couple of days.

“It’s rare to see a member of the Royal Council coming to the Survey Corps’ headquarters,” Erwin said inspecting the noble in front of him.

“Word that you’ve been poisoned reached my ears and I had to come to oversee your health myself since you’re the commander in charge of humanity’s counterattack,” the man said, and he gestured a lot with his hands. What he probably meant was that he was there to make sure he was dead.

“It hasn’t been two days since then… “Erwin’s brain was working at full speed to uncover his true intentions.

“Truth be told I was already on my way, the King sent me as part of his latest efforts in joining the fight against the Titans in a more proactive manner,” he seemed annoyed by his job.

“What would the King like to know about the Survey Corps? I believe he could have summoned the Premier to get information about the military” he explained, he wasn’t buying that story either.

“The Premier has claimed the military is open to the King’s and everyone’s scrutiny,” He was sure the Premier didn’t think the King would actually act upon that claim.   

“I repeat my question, what does the King want to know about the Survey Corps?” he insisted, leaning forward a little over his desk.

“Wouldn’t you treat me first? I have been to the outer Walls before, that’s where the fun is after all, but this is my first time here,” What a load of shit, was he really trying to convince him there were no brothels in Wall Sina?

“Erwin! I think I….” Hange burst through the door and interrupted herself after noticing the noble presence in the office.

“Great timing, Hange… this is the Royal Councilor Flavio Wolff, he was sent by the King to oversee the preparations for the next expedition, I’d like you to show him the latest developments in anti-Titan weapons,” he ordered, and Hange was confused but smiled anyway.

“Weapons! Sounds exciting,” the councilor said but he was scanning Hange from head to toe.

“In that case, we’ll have a lot to talk about,” she was irradiating happiness and excitement, that’s how much she loved her work and he felt sorry for the silver idiot.

He celebrated too soon because Erwin ordered him to accompany them to Hange’s laboratory or wherever they were going. She started to talk about her Titan theories on the way to her laboratory and Flavio looked interested in her words for a minute. However, that interest died as she kept talking about Titan entrails and more graphic stuff. They spent the rest of the morning listening to the objectives of the prototype of the new weapon. Honestly, he was just content with being with her in the same room even if they weren’t fucking.

Levi kept staring at her lips though and how the hair of her chestnut bangs caressed her face every time she moved. He also admired her silhouette when she bent a little to lift something from a table, the uniform was tight enough to show her curves. He wanted to put his hands around her slim waist and kiss her as he did in the shower two days ago. Oh, he would kill for a chance to take another shower with her before leaving.

Erwin invited the noble to eat with him so he left the laboratory early in the afternoon, and Moblit had gone to look for some notes she had forgotten in her room. The result was they were alone in the laboratory feeling the familiar tension irradiating from their bodies. He decided they had to be more careful after the shower fiasco but she purposely sat on her desk without taking her eyes off him.

He did the only sensible thing the situation required and stood between her legs, fighting the urge to touch her. He wasn’t planning on kissing her, but she pulled him closer, and as soon as he realized their tongues were intertwined and his hands were on her waist. He felt the heat in his body becoming unbearable as their kisses turned deeper and more passionate. He almost lost control when she moaned lowly in his mouth but the sound of footsteps approaching and then the door opening forced him to separate from her and pretend he was doing something else.

 “I knew I saw them on your desk upstairs,” Moblit announced happily and closed the door. Who else could interrupt them but him? He had a talent for it.

“There weren’t many options… unless Levi throws them in the trash,” she said and fixed her glasses to look at the papers.

“You have the same shit written a hundred times in different papers,” he complained, maintaining the act that everything about her bothered him.

“That’s not… okay, forget it,” She didn’t have any arguments against it, huh? “Moblit, they were supposed to bring the new hooks today, can you check if they have arrived? Then you can have lunch… I think I’m going to do the same,” Was she sending him away so they can be alone again?

“Yes, squad leader. Should I check the report?” he asked worried about the shitty paperwork he never gave a fuck about.

Hange told him to forget about it and he finally left after asking the most annoying questions. She got off the table and stood next to him, in front of the window. Something was troubling her, and he didn’t know how to ask what it was. Was it the unexpected visit of the councilor? Was it the poison in Erwin’s wine? Was it him and the fact that he was leaving again?

He was bad with words so he caressed her cheek and cut the distance until their noses were touching. Tell me , Hange, tell me about the things that are making you sad and worried . Once again, he realized he didn’t know anything about her. Why wouldn’t she trust him? Was it really sex the only thing she was interested in? That question would pop up frequently in his mind and even though she had told him she hadn’t slept with anybody else and that she would always come back to him, he had doubts all the time.

“I have another meeting… tonight… with Erwin… about… the weapon,” she said looking at him with a sad expression in her eyes.

“I’m leaving for the mountains… tomorrow,” Ask me to stay , he thought, ask me and I’ll do anything to stay with you.

“I know… “she whispered and held his arm tightly.

“He wants to test this thing in the next expedition, doesn’t he?” the commander hadn’t told him directly his plans, but he knew that was the reason he had been torturing her day and night.

“Yes… Levi… “ she opened her mouth but no sound came out of it. Do it , he thought, ask me to stay . “Have a…. safe trip… in case… we… don’t see… each other before you leave,” she said and the grip on his arm tightened.

He kissed her deeply and slowly, and she kissed him back. That was the only language that never seemed to fail them. The language of her soft lips against his, the language of their bodies pulling closer like magnets. He wished there could be something more, more than secret and furtive kisses when no one was watching. He knew he was a fool, but his heart had never beaten fast for another person in his life. She was the first that had broken his defenses and left him no other option but to surrender. Sometimes it hurts, the uncertainty of it all. But the feeling when he was with her was so beautiful, just like her smile and her happiness.

The door suddenly opened but whoever it was had already seen them. He didn’t want to turn around and find out.

“Erwin… wants you to keep entertaining the noble, Hange,” Zacharias' voice hit him in the guts.

“He probably wants me to explode something outside in front of him,” she said, surprisingly calm.

“He trusts your judgment… He also wants to know about the antidote…” Did he know about them? He couldn’t tell if the giant idiot was being his usual self or if seeing them kissing was no surprise to him.

“That will have to wait… but it will be ready before I leave for the mountains,” she answered.

“Oh… and…. I… know I have no say on this matter but…. You might want to lock the door next time,” he suggested and confirmed the fact that he saw them.

“One more word and I swear….” Levi turned around but she stopped him. The giant idiot smiled and closed the door.

“He…. He…. He heard us… the first night we… we fucked on my desk,” Why has she never mentioned it?!

“Is that why the fucker keeps smelling me during meetings?” he was angry, and he should have suspected since they weren’t exactly being careful all the time.

“I… guess… but he hasn’t told anyone… would it be a problem for you?... if people… knew…” What the fuck was she saying? Was she implying she wasn’t someone important to him? Where did she get these ideas?

“You know I don’t give a fuck about people,” he answered in the most Levi way possible.

He left the next day without seeing her again. And now he was stuck in the snowy mountain, freezing his ass off and wishing the fireplace would work for once. Maybe it was just the loneliness that was making him feel so cold. The rest of the squad hadn’t complained about it, not even Oluo who usually complains about meaningless shit.

Petra handed him a new set of firewood logs and he threw them on top of the extinguished fire. He noticed she had been trying to make him feel comfortable but there was only one solution to his problem, and she couldn’t help him. Well… maybe if he hadn’t been so deep in the abyss and ignored his responsibilities as a squad leader for a night, but that idea had never been on the table for him. She was his subordinate, period.

He suddenly heard a familiar voice coming from outside. It was getting dark, and he wondered if he was daydreaming. However, Petra was looking through the window, confused. He stood next to her and the person in front of their cabin was definitely her. She was wearing a heavy coat and her goggles were on top of her head, she was signaling the rest of her squad to hurry up. What was she doing here?

“Squad leader Hange!... Did… something happen?” Petra was shocked to see the fourth squad battling the snow to get to them.

“The only thing that happened is survival training… It isn’t really training if they stay in the same area for weeks,” Hange explained and checked if all his subordinates made it to their destination.

“We’ve been… training…. around… the mountain… for days,” Nifa said, trying to catch her breath.

“Have you been camping outside?” Petra was horrified at the prospect of sleeping in the snow.

“We have…. two…. nights…” Moblit answered and collapsed on the stairs of the cabin.

“It seems your brain is turning into shit, four eyes,” Levi declared but he was dying to touch her.

“This squad will have the most capable soldiers once this training is finished,” Hange announced with a smile that contrasted the tired faces of her subordinates.

“Come on in… we just lit the fireplace, I’m sure it’s warm now,” Petra helped Moblit to stand up and guided them inside.

His squad welcomed more mouths for gossiping and Hange had disappeared after dinner. Petra offered Nifa to share her small bed with her and the rest of the fourth squad prepared their sleeping bags and placed them near the fireplace. He was going to give Hange his room since he could sleep on a chair anywhere in the cabin, but she was nowhere to be seen. It was eleven at night and he was worried. He grabbed a torch and went where Abel told him he saw her for the last time.

There was another cabin, smaller than the one they were staying in, a few meters north. He walked up there, and he didn’t find a single human. However, he saw footprints on the snow, and he followed the trail towards the woods of dry trees that surrounded them. He climbed up a hill and saw a lamp at the top, she was there, and she indicated him to follow her. He did it because he couldn’t deny her anything.

She had set up a tent near a small cave and she pulled him inside. The tent was small because it was designed for the cold weather and she lay on her coat that was covering her sleeping bag. He was on top of her and she kissed him. The cold disappeared in seconds of making out, his hand slipped under her shirt and her skin was so warm, it didn’t compare to the shitty fireplace in the cabin. He started to plant passionate kisses on her neck, and her collarbone, and then he unbuttoned her shirt and continued slowly down her chest. He ran his lips on her breasts over the fabric of her top. And she pulled him closer with a low moan. He kept going down and was kissing her stomach, he reached the space between her legs and kissed it tenderly without removing her clothes. Her hands gripped the coat, he kissed her again applying more pressure, and she moaned louder this time. Another kiss with even more pressure. He included his tongue but was moving slowly up and down her zipper, pressing a little bit on her pants.

“I crossed a fucking mountain for you but… I’m not begging you” she said, and he stopped to look at her.

“You don’t have to,” he whispered, and they were face to face.

She leaned forward and kissed him as slowly as he was doing it. He grabbed her waist and pulled her towards him, eating her mouth, and enjoying her flavor. She caressed his neck, then his shoulder, and she touched his chest. She slid her hands under his shirt, and he took it off as she got rid of her own shirt. Even though it was a cold night outside the top part of their bodies were naked and the contact of skin on skin ignited something between them as friction turns on a match. He was moaning in her mouth, their chests pressed, and she took her hand to his zipper and lowered it, he didn’t stop her. She touched him over the fabric of his underwear. His kiss became hotter, his tongue was dancing in her mouth, she glided her hand up and down and he groaned and now his tongue moved to her bare breast, she pushed a button and he reacted. They continued this little game until she closed her hand around his erection and stroked it.

He bit her lip and pulled down her pants, he held her in his arms and penetrated her slower than he usually does. She covered him with his coat as he started to pick up a pace. Her nails were on his back and he felt her orgasm shaking her body, making her arch her back but he didn’t stop, he sucked her earlobe while she came one more time. Then he continued down her neck, and she was making all kinds of sounds, drowning in pleasure, and that was the only way he wanted to see her. She wrapped her legs and arms around him when his body jerked and he closed his eyes, concentrating on the sensations.

He stayed on top of her under the coat, he would kiss her tenderly from time to time and she would smile. Her fingers were caressing his back and suddenly she sighed. No, don’t say we have to go back, he thought. They both knew it was a worse idea than the shower to stay outside in this cold even if they had the heat of their bodies to help them sleep comfortably.

“I thought you were teaching your squad survival skills,” he said looking at her.

“I still am… coming here was just an afterthought… but since they already believe I’m fucking Mike, there was no harm in showing up here too,” she explained caressing his cheek.

“I was just an afterthought…” he repeated without thinking.

“I… didn’t mean it like that… Levi… I … I crossed the mountain thinking about you, no one else” she said and held his face between her hands.

“You’re all I’ve been thinking about these past weeks,” he blurted out, the weakness of the moment stirred his tongue.

“Levi… I don’t want to be a burden on you, outside the Walls,” was that what she was so worried about?

“You’re not a burden… “ he said quickly.

“Remember, when we go out there… you must trust me, even if you don’t like the way I do things. You have to trust that I’ll come back…” she repeated her words.

“I trust you… like you trust me,” he assured her even though he was having trouble controlling his fears when it came to her safety.

She smiled, it seemed that was what she wanted to hear. He kissed her to reinforce his words. He didn’t want to regret this decision in the future. He was scared to regret it. They switched positions and she rode him under his coat, in the tent, in the snowy night among the forest of dry trees. They promised, he promised to believe in her, but he didn’t know that promise was going to be tested once again.

Levi climbed on top of the seven-meter Titan that was battling against the hooks of the new weapon and was threatening to move, he couldn’t kill it yet when suddenly a loud piercing noise made him look to the right. Hange was rolling on the ground away from her horse, she was leaving a trail of blood on the wet grass and Moblit’s animal almost trampled her, but his reflexes saved her.

“Haaaaangeeeee!” Moblit’s scream of terror replaced the one that wanted to escape his throat.

Chapter Text

The aroma of herbal essences hit her face as she opened the door of her father’s laboratory, it had been days since the last time she saw him in the house, he had always been dedicated to his craft, but it only got worse two years ago when the unthinkable happened. She poured the tea she brings him every afternoon and turned to see he had a pair of crazy goggles on to magnify the flowers he was inspecting, she stood next to him because her curiosity was a powerful driving force in her life.

“The purple petals feel like velvet to the touch, this is one of the most beautiful flowers we have in this area…” he explained, rotating the flower between his fingers.

“Is it medicinal too?” she asked, he had been teaching her about the plants he used to cure diseases.

“This is the extract from the flower, can you smell it?” he put a thin glass with a few drops of a dark substance under her nose.

“It has a… fruity scent… and a flowery one… it’s weird, it smells like a common flower and at the same time it doesn’t,” she said sniffing the substance one more time.

“It’s poison,” he declared, and she looked at him, horrified. “Old people in these parts call it the silent killer, it can kill slowly over time, a few drops every other day and, in a month, or less depending on the dose, the person will die leaving no residuals in the body after a few hours, and since it smells like an ordinary flower to people it’s hard to detect… the body paralyzes one part at a time… death by flowers, such a beautiful way to die, don’t you think?”

“I guess it’s better than to be eaten alive by giant monsters,” she said, and a shiver ran down her spine.

“This is nature, Hange… even the most beautiful flowers are monsters in disguise,” he looked at her for the first time since she arrived, and he inspected her from head to toe with those judgmental eyes she never got used to. He lifted his goggles and ran his stained fingers on her lips, the scent of the herbs that plagued his laboratory made her dizzy.

“I brought you tea, it’s chamomile with a few drops of peppermint essence,” she slid the cup of warm tea in front of him.

She turned around to leave because she knew those eyes meant he would scold her again, but he held her by the arm and his grip was so strong she knew it would leave a temporary mark on her skin. He grabbed the strap of her overalls that had fallen without her noticing and buttoned it up. He despised her outfits and how dirty and messy she was, and as she grew up, he found more reasons to dislike her.  

“You’re becoming a woman, you can’t go around dressed like this… how long has it been since you bathed?” he asked and brush off some dirt she had on her shoulders.

“I don’t know… I don’t keep track of the days,” she answered, and it was true, she used to bathe with her mother a few days a week but since she was not here anymore, she didn’t care about hygiene.

“I’ll prepare your bath after dinner… Hange, I don’t want to see you rolling in the mud with those idiots, you have to behave like a proper woman,” those idiots were the neighborhood boys she would hang out with sometimes.

“I stopped cutting my hair… as you wanted,” she said hoping that would tame his wrath. His brown eyes softened a bit, he caressed her cheek and went back to work on his experiments. It was those gestures that convinced her he still loved her, she didn’t know an idea had been brewing in his mind, an idea so horrific it would change the course of her future.

Why was she remembering him now? She was sure she had buried him in the deepest part of her mind and locked the door, maybe it was Teresa’s words who had summoned him into her life again, like a demon opening the gates of hell to get her. She sighed and paid attention to Erwin’s words, he was talking about the weapon and how it could change the objectives of the next expeditions if the field test proves to be successful. Suddenly she smelled something, a strange flowery fruity scent and it was gone in seconds.

The clinking sound of a glass hitting the table distracted her, it seemed to her that the commander had tried to lift the glass, but his grip wasn’t strong enough and it slipped from his hand. Maybe he was tired as she was, these long meetings during the days and nights were taking a toll on her body. She had seen Levi a couple of times, sitting on the table in Erwin’s office with the usual sour expression on his face, so close to her and they couldn’t touch. It was incredibly frustrating, she would kill for a minute in his strong arms, she had tried to keep Moblit outside of her laboratory at least for a night but he found a valid excuse to stay each time.

Erwin dismissed them and announced the time of the next meeting, she grabbed her papers and made her way through the halls of the castle to her laboratory. However, she didn’t arrive at her destination because a hand pulled her inside the men’s shower room, and in the blink of an eye, she was in front of the man she had wished to kiss and touch for weeks. She scolded him, but he gave her one of those kisses that takes your breath away and melts your neurons, leaving nothing but a physical instinct to act upon.

The papers with notes about the prototype of the new weapon fell from her hands, his demanding kisses pushed her against the wall of the small shower cubicle, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, their tongues were stroking each other, his hands lifted one of her legs and she could feel him rubbing his hardness between her legs. She was losing herself again as it usually happened with him, her assistant was waiting in her laboratory, and her subordinates needed the instructions for the winter training which was among the wet papers on the floor. There was only his body trapping her in the small space of the shower, and she didn’t want freedom, she wanted him and everything he had to offer, she didn’t feel exclusively pleasure with his touch, there was something else she was afraid of uncovering.

Many hands had run along her skin since she lost the fear of her impulses and understood it was nature. However, she knew some people seek sex to feel that something her parents once had, that something that made her mother smile in her father’s mouth with each kiss. Her mother had loved him until she expired her last breath and he had loved her in return because a great part of him was buried with her. He was swallowed in an emptiness that his plants never filled, not even his daughter’s presence helped mitigate the pain.

Levi must have turned on the shower because it started raining inside, the water was warm and her uniform quickly absorbed the drops falling on her, their mouths kept seeking the other, and his lips became the anchor preventing her from being swept in a current of despair. And now those lips were tasting the water slipping down her neck, he closed his mouth around her breast over the wet fabric of her shirt and she moaned. Her hand almost found his erection when a noise interrupted them. He had acted on pure lust when he chose this time and place, hadn’t he? What was so wrong in others knowing they had been fucking their brains out for a couple of months now? She hasn’t regretted it a single day, not even after he surprised her with his sweet and tender kisses.

She unbuttoned her shirt with his help because this weeks-long wait made his patience shorter than usual. Hange kissed him hard once she was half-naked in his arms, she has never cared about taking showers or bathing but if he was going to be with her covering her in kisses and caresses, she would do it more often. This was so different from the times her father used to force her to bathe, he had tried to scrape the dirt that proved she wasn’t a proper woman off her body, but Levi wanted her in any shape or form.

He returned to the house after dinner and prepared a warm bath with the herbs her mother liked so much. She hated baths so her father dragged her by the arm to the room where the tub was. He pulled down her overalls, then her shirt and her underwear until she was completely naked in front of him. Hange didn’t mind being like this under her father’s gaze but now she was thirteen and her body had changed whether she was ready for it or not. He kneeled to make eye contact with her and took off her glasses, put them on a chair near the tub, grabbed her waist, and turned her around, she knew he was looking for wounds or scratches she had acquired rolling around in the dirt as he called it or that’s what she thought.

His finger pressed a fresh scratch on her leg, and she shuddered but covered her mouth, the yelling would be worse if he realized it hurt and it wasn’t a superficial wound. She thought he was taking care of her, she thought he still had a place in his heart for his young daughter, she didn’t know about the idea crawling into his brain, the idea to destroy the only evidence of his love in this world.

“You told me you didn’t go to the river,” he said, and he pushed his finger into the small wound in her leg.

“I didn’t… I scratched my leg a few days ago,” she explained, hoping he would believe her.

“Hange… don’t lie to your father,” he turned her around, and there it was, that unjustified anger in his face.

“I’m not lying to you…” she lied, and a burning sensation on her cheek indicated he had slapped her.   

“Your mother never lied to me… and I’m sure she didn’t teach you to lie and roll around in the dirt with those boys, you’re not a child anymore… and there are many things boys want from a young woman,” he was furious, but he never actually raised his voice. His calmed anger was more terrifying than a storm of screams.

“I’m not stupid… and she taught me my body belongs to me and nobody else…” another slap, this time he put more strength into it.

“I’m your father and you belong to me,” she could feel his breath on her face and the grip on her arms tightened aggressively.

She stayed silent, he indicated to her to get inside the tub, and she obeyed because she had heard those words for two years and was starting to believe them. He said the soap was one of his creations and challenged her to identify the herbs and flowers he had used to make it. His eyes lingered on her while she rubbed her arms with soap and then left. He’s worried about me , she thought, I’m the only person he has left. And she tragically repeated the same words once she was under him, submitted to his will.

Now, Hange Zoe felt powerful in the shower, making out with him, and even more powerful when she took control and commanded the strongest soldier inside the Walls to get naked for her. He could have fought her, he had the physical power to do as he pleased but he chose her, he chose to reveal his vulnerabilities and just be a man in front of her, a man who apparently felt something more than lust and desire for her filthy and chaotic self. He teased her for a while, pretending he wasn’t dying to fuck her, but she had been in control of her body and her life for a long time now and she knew exactly what she wanted, she wanted him to fill all the spaces in her, physically and spiritually.

Once the effects of the orgasms subsided and her mind cleared, she realized they were in trouble. Her uniform was wet, she was naked in a cubicle in the men’s shower, and it was the time in the morning when the soldiers washed and refreshed themselves to start the day. Levi assured her he would find a way to bring her a change of uniform and left after kissing her, her problems disappeared for an instant and she buried her hand between his legs while the kiss lasted, he cursed and opened the door before taking off his clothes again.

“We start the training at two this afternoon… “a familiar voice said, and she wasn’t sure about Levi’s strategy skills, so she took the matters into her own hands.

“Mike… Can I ask you a favor?” she was hoping he was alone.

The door of the cubicle suddenly opened, and the tall man looked at her with a raised eyebrow, his shirt was unbuttoned, and his hair was still messy from the shower, she pulled him inside to prevent somebody else from seeing her and she didn’t calculate the consequences of her actions.

 “Is there a problem in the women’s showers?” he asked, but she knew he was teasing her because a thin smile appeared on his lips.

“I’m not in the mood as you can clearly see… “he had been staring at her naked body since the door opened.  

“What do you need?” An absurd urge to slap him was born in her but she needed his help, so she took a deep breath instead.

“Can you ask Nanaba to bring me a dry uniform?” she was going to owe him one but it was better than running naked through the halls of the castle.

“What makes you believe I know where she is?” he started to button up his uniform. 

“Don’t fuck with me Mike… even if you don’t know, you can find her just by smelling her…” she didn’t notice she got closer to him while speaking but fortunately he seemed unfazed by the bizarre situation.  

He mumbled a lazy “fine” and went outside the cubicle, and she prayed he was going to help her because she was running out of ideas. She waited some minutes, cursing Levi for his lack of self-control but then again, the sex had been amazing and she couldn’t deny she had thought about doing something stupid too just to be with him. The door opened again and Mike gave her a change of uniform with underwear included, Nanaba was so considerate, wasn’t she?

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”, she scolded him.

“Mostly the view…” a strap from her uniform hit him in the chest and he closed the door.

She got dressed as fast as they were trained to do it. The shower room was empty, and she took advantage of that to get out of the cubicle. Mike was standing near the door of the shower room, and he gave her a pair of glasses which she had probably thrown away during sex, and then he touched her shirt and she hit him, but a soldier already saw them and saw her where she shouldn’t be.

“Make it quick, soldier… the training exercises start soon,” she ordered in her commanding tone.

“Yes, squad leader Hange,” he said and ran to one of the cubicles.

“It’s unbuttoned… your shirt…” Mike was starting to get into her nerves, but she looked down and he was right.

“I guess you’re going down with me,” she showed him a sarcastic smile and walked down the hall where Nanaba followed her.

“Is this a squad leaders thing? The sex?” the blonde woman smiled and dodged Hange’s fist. She was used to people gossiping about her but now it was different, she was thinking about Levi and his reaction to the mess he had caused.

She sat on the desk of her laboratory, quill in hand, and replicated the notes she had lost in the shower room, Erwin wouldn’t appreciate hearing she lost his instructions while she was fucking in the men’s showers. Suddenly she remembered she had smelled that flowery scent in his office a couple of times during meetings since she returned from the abandoned castle. What was it? Why was it so familiar to her?

 “Death by flowers… such a beautiful way to die…”

Hange ran to the commander’s office with a worrisome thought in her mind, she slammed the door open and the man with thick eyebrows looked at her expecting to hear the reason she was in the room. She sniffed the air and she wished she had Mike’s canine nose, she leaned closer to Erwin, and there it was, the flowery scent, it was barely perceivable, but she knew she wasn’t mistaken.

“Erwin… is there something new in your office that wasn’t here a few weeks ago?” she asked scanning the room.

“What do you mean?” he was staring at her wet hair, but she didn’t care.

“Mike… call Zacharias, we have to find the source of this scent… if I’m right, someone is trying to kill you, Erwin,” his expression changed, and he sent a soldier to look for the tall man.

“How are they doing it?” he wasn’t really surprised, as commander of the most hated military branch he had grown used to being a target for those who didn’t care about humanity’s future.

“It’s poison… an extract from a flower… it can be found north of Wall Rose,” she said and the memories of Teresa talking about the laboratory of herbal medicine danced in front of her eyes. Could it be her? Had her kindness and wish to help humanity’s counterattack been an act? Wasn’t she interested in Erwin? She had helped them for years, why try to kill the commander of the Survey Corps now?

She described the characteristic scent to Mike once he arrived, it seemed like any other flower scent to ordinary people, but she was sure he could perceive the difference if he knew what to look for. Hell, he had found out about her sexual encounters with Levi right after it happened. He told her the source of the smell wasn’t there but fortunately, he remembered it was stronger the nights Erwin had a certain bottle of wine on his desk.

A couple of tests in her laboratory confirmed her fears. The bottle of wine that Teresa bought in the district she never wanted to go back to was laced with poison, his poison, the kind only he knew how to extract and process. The noblewoman forgot to mention that the crazy hermit on the outskirts of town had a vast knowledge of the deadliest poisons inside the Walls, he was more than her personal demon, he was a dangerous man.  

He was supposed to be in his laboratory, what was he doing outside? She wondered after she received a slap across her face, he was towering over her, and his glasses reflected the lights from the candles in the room. His rage was oozing through his skin, his fists were trembling, and she didn’t know what her fault was now. He mentioned the good-for-nothing boys she called her friends, and how she kept straying from the path of being a proper woman, what did it even mean? Her mother used to say she could dress as she wanted and she would still be a woman, why was he so angry at her?

Then he touched her lips while saying she knew nothing even if people claimed she was smart for her age, did he see her kissing that boy earlier? He grabbed her arm tightly and said he was going to show her how to be a proper woman, if words weren’t getting through her skull, then actions will. He dragged her to an abandoned room that used to be her mother’s studio, pushed her against a table and her stomach hurt from the impact, she felt his hand on her back keeping her in place, and then the sound of her boyish overalls being ripped apart, she tried to stand but he was so strong. Her mother used to say that he had trained to be in the military, but that science finally won the battle in his heart.

Sharp pain in her most intimate parts made her body shake. Her hands tried to get a hold of the table as the pain intensified with each thrust. She promised herself she wouldn’t scream, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of knowing she was suffering. However, soon the pain turned unbearable and a loud cry slipped from her mouth, then the tears followed, a river of them. She didn’t even know if he was enjoying it, or if he was doing it for the sake of destroying her. Her long brown braid was glued to her face once he finished the torture and left her alone in the studio.

Her glasses had fallen to the floor when he threw her against the table, it was difficult to see without them and now she was wondering if there was anything worth seeing in this twisted world. If being at someone’s mercy meant to be a proper woman, she didn’t want to be one, if this pain in her lower body was a consequence of it, then she was going to be someone else.

The boy had told her he was in love with her, she didn’t believe him, but that kiss on her lips proved her wrong. If she could be loved, why did he despise her? Was this his way to love her? He said he was going to teach her something just like he had taught her about plants and herbs, maybe she was being too stubborn to understand. She sat cross-legged next to the window and saw the moon moving slowly in the sky through a curtain of her tears, it was a beautiful night, but her heart and body were broken.

The flames from the campfire warmed her face as she was looking at the stars of the winter night, she heard her squad members laugh and talk about random nonsense, it was okay, they had walked around the mountain for hours. They had stayed in their designated area for weeks, training and exploring the land but she felt it wasn’t enough so one morning she announced they were going to move and learn how to survive in the different terrains the snowy mountain had to offer. They didn’t protest and packed their things, she guessed they were used to her antics but on one hand, she was right. On the other hand, she had dreamt about him the night before and realized she had had enough of waiting for destiny to bring them together again.

She had asked him if he would be displeased with people knowing about their kisses and he said he didn’t care about other people. Then she remembered all the times he ignored the risks of getting caught because the desire of having her in his arms was stronger than anything else. It was a stupid question, even more stupid than the one about the redhead in his squad. Maybe he was thinking about her too. She wasn’t used to knowing someone had her in their thoughts, not in this way at least. She sighed and Moblit offered her more soup, but she was hungry for a short, grumpy man, not food.

“We’re going to arrive tomorrow at the cabin where the Levi squad is staying,” Abel announced looking at a map.

“I don’t think the captain will be happy to see us there,” Moblit said worried about Levi’s reaction to their unexpected visit.

“He’s never happy… so what’s the difference?” Lauda asked and took a sip of his canteen.

“Petra thinks he’s… he’s… interested in someone,” Nifa shared the latest gossip.

“She says that because he keeps rejecting her advances… probably,” Keiji seemed to know about the gossip too. Did everyone know about the redhead’s interest in Levi?

 “I don’t think the person capable of catching his interest has been born yet,” Moblit sounded convinced of his theory.

“What do you think, squad leader? You understand him better than us,” Nifa asked her opinion and for a second, she didn’t know what they were talking about.

“You shouldn’t judge people or things by the way they look or present to you, sometimes what’s in their hearts cannot be seen,” Even the most beautiful flowers can be monsters in disguise…

“You’re talking about Titans again, aren’t you?” Moblit really didn’t see her as a person capable of talking about human stuff, did he?

“You’re not wrong… the same applies to Titans. Speaking of which… I was thinking about… a new theory…” she started but her squad interrupted her by saying it was time to prepare the sleeping bags. She just smiled and sipped water from her canteen.

They arrived at sunset at Levi’s cabin and Petra was the first to come out and pretend she was concerned about them, but she was sure she had perceived a note of shock and disappointment in her voice. Levi welcomed them with his what the fuck you’re doing here attitude but when their eyes met, she saw the intentions hidden in his heart. He had been hoping for this to happen, he had wished for her to come out of nowhere as she had. They bantered with each other and got inside the cabin to eat with the rest of the soldiers.

The cabin was too small and the walls too thin, but she refused to go without having him on top of her. She escaped the cabin while the squads were sharing the latest news, probably talking about her and Mike which she couldn’t care less. She set up a tent at the top of a hill in the middle of the woods of dry trees. Would he come for her? Would he ignore her absence? She waited and at almost eleven she saw his torch approaching her. She pulled him inside her tent, smaller than the first one where everything started, but it would do. They had the heat of their bodies and this something she kept feeling when she was with him.  

The second night they ditched the tent and set a fire inside the small cave at the top of the hill, that’s where his lips were placing kisses on her neck while she was on top of him under her heavy coat, he couldn’t see it, but she was smiling until the heat that had been building up inside of her exploded in a delicious orgasm. His arms held her as her body recovered its normal state, then he kissed her deeply and she felt like smiling again, to think there had been a time when she thought she couldn’t be loved. Was it love this something they had? Another kiss made her forget her ideas and focus on the moment.

Her hand was caressing one side of his face, even though he didn’t smile often he had a weirdly attractive face, strands of his black hair covered his right eye and she removed it, she wanted to see those grey eyes that always seemed to read her soul. She felt his hands running down her back and she sighed, they had to separate again at dawn, the excuse she invented to stay one more day wouldn’t work a second time.

“Erwin refuses to believe his noble bitch tried to poison him,” he said, she wasn’t sure what to think of her either.

“He thinks it doesn’t make sense but… I don’t know, she’s a noble after all…” her hands were on his lips, she liked to feel them under her fingertips.

“I would probably say the same shit if you tried to poison me…” his confession took her by surprise.

“Levi… I’d never hurt you… physically or…” somehow, she felt she needed to say it out loud.

“You don’t know that… “he was being honest and real as usual, but his eyes were saying he wanted to believe her.

“You said you trusted me,” she reminded him of the promise they made the night before.

“I do… Hange, I’m not one of those fuckers who lie to people…” She knew it though, she had never seen him lied to anyone, even if the truth was ugly.

“I’m glad I’m people to you,” Why was she stirring his tongue? They were naked under her heavy coat in front of a fire in the middle of a snowy mountain. What else did she want to hear?

“You’re not… just people to me… you’re…” she interrupted him with a kiss, she was still afraid of those words.

Don’t speak, don’t think, just kiss me , she thought, and she hoped he could read her mind. Words were like thorns are to roses, they hid behind sweet phrases, but they could pierce your skin and hurt you. She didn’t want that, not now, maybe tomorrow she would reflect on it or the day after, or next week, or next month, or maybe never because she could die the next time she steps outside the walls. 

Tonight, death felt so distant, like a memory of a different reality. Tonight, she was alive in his arms, in his mouth. His hands were drawing her from head to toe, his lips were on her chin, then on her neck, he wasn’t biting her, he was kissing her slowly as if time had stopped for them. He lay her on the sleeping bag, and they made out in front of the fire on the cold winter night, but she was hot and got even hotter when his gentle kisses landed on her breasts. His lips were like feathers on her skin, and the humidity of his tongue made her arch her back as the pleasure intensified with each stroke to her nipples. His hand ran down her stomach while his mouth was busy with the upper part of her body, then his fingers touched her most sensitive parts and she moaned loud because the cabin was far away and the rest of the world didn’t exist in that cave, in the middle of the dry trees.

He moved his fingers until she grabbed the back of his head and pulled him closer so she could have his body pressing her to the ground, his mouth took moans from her as her hips started to shake because his fingers were determined to provoke as many orgasms as they could. Finally, he joined her while she was distracted by his tongue on her neck, and he whispered something in her ear as his length made its way inside of her body.

You’re my Hange Zoë…. 

Those words didn’t hurt as she had feared, he called her by the name she chose after she had escaped her father’s house, the name that reminded her of her mother. His father had wanted to possess her as if she was an object, he had tried to change her and then break her when he realized she would never belong to him. Levi had never judged her, he would complain about her filthiness but at the end of the day, he had sunk deep inside of her ignoring those superficial details that didn’t define her as a person. He had confessed he liked her body and shown his devotion on many nights like this one, and he had been scared at the idea of losing her. No, she had given herself to him and he had understood the message of her passionate responses to his sweet kisses. 

Levi was a flower among the dry trees in her life and if he was going to be the death of her, then… wasn’t that a beautiful way to die?

Chapter Text

Hange’s blood was crimson, and it was spreading quickly around her head. Did he really deserve this? To be stripped of every human that represented something in his life. Maybe if she didn’t mean so much to him, she would be safe again. Maybe if he had never kissed her that night in her tent, she would be on her horse and not lifeless on the ground. Maybe if he hadn’t told her she was his in the cave in the forest of dry trees, her life wouldn’t be at risk. He could hope that was the case at least.

The raindrops were slipping down his face, but he didn’t feel them, he didn’t feel anything besides that familiar fear of death approaching his door. Her eyes were closed, her chest was going up and down and her hands were opened, empty, if only he could grab them and whisper in her ear that she would never die as long as he was alive. A ridiculous thought, he knew he was only human, a powerful human but there was a limit to his abilities. As strong as he was, he couldn’t save people he loved in the past, under a similar rain he had lost young and sweet Isabel who was full of dreams of freedom the day a Titan ripped her head off, and brave Furlan who promised him they were going to make it back alive from that tragic expedition.

Hange couldn’t be the next, not now that they had this something that made his heart beat faster and filled his mind with thoughts of her. Was he a curse to other people? She had survived many expeditions before he joined the scouts, she was a capable soldier, so why did it seem she had been in more danger lately? Had it always been like this? Maybe he had forgotten everything that happened before the night in her tent because he felt a new life started back then, a new life in which the feeling of her lips on his was a reality and not a desire.

When did he start seeing her as more than the crazy Titan scientist? He remembered now. A year had passed since he joined the Survey Corps and the commander had invited everyone to a tavern to celebrate the acquisition of enough funds for the next expedition, and to raise the soldier’s spirits so they would have the energy to sacrifice themselves the next time they went outside the Walls. She was wearing a jacket, a vest over her shirt, and pants that traced her figure so attractively, he had thought her attractive before but that night he couldn't stop staring at her. She had invited a woman to her table, and they had been talking and laughing nonstop for half an hour while he looked at her mesmerized from the dark corner he was sitting with soldiers of his squad.       

He knew about her affairs with women, but he had also seen her flirting with men. That didn’t stop him from wondering what her lips tasted like, how did her skin feel under those manly outfits she wore, and what did her face look like when pleasure flooded her slim body? What did she taste like between her legs? He had imagined encircling her waist with his hands a couple of times but that night at the tavern his fantasies became bolder and hotter. What would she do if he kissed her on the mouth? He had no idea if she ever saw him beyond the short captain who scolded her for being filthy and disorganized, would she reject him?

She kept pouring drinks into her glass, maybe if she was drunk enough, she wouldn’t mind his touch but then he realized he wanted her to be sober to respond to his kiss. That blonde bitch would probably end the night somewhere in a bed with her while he would return to the loneliness of his room, thinking about her like the weak idiot he was. He considered acting upon his desires that night, but something stopped him, they were good comrades, what if things just go downhill between them if they get in bed? Erwin needed his strength and her brains, and he needed them working together towards the same goal. He couldn’t ruin that for a night of pleasure. He left the tavern frustrated and angry at himself.

He suppressed his impulses for a couple of years and tried to fuck other women occasionally but he would see her in those women he took to his bed. It didn’t help the fact that they would argue, fight, and an awkward tension started to float in the room when she was in front of him. The first time he grabbed her by the collar of her shirt to scold her they ended so close he felt her breathing on his lips. He saw something in her eyes that let him know she was feeling the tension too. Would you have me at least for a night, Hange Zoë?

And with that hope in mind, he had entered her tent and found out she wanted him too. Now, she was more than a body to have sex with and he knew it, but he had never been in love so this pressure in his chest was still alien and new to him. He knew he wanted to see her alive and happy, he wanted to have her in his arms all the nights left in his life, and he didn’t even care about a world outside the Walls if she wasn’t going to be by his side.

One of those man-eating monsters was the reason behind this tragedy. He had climbed on top of the seven-meter Titan that was battling against the hooks of the new weapon and was threatening to move. However, he couldn’t kill it yet, so he unsheathed his blades and waited for instructions when suddenly a loud metallic noise forced him to look to his right side. Hange was rolling on the ground away from her horse, she was leaving a trail of blood on the wet grass and Moblit’s animal almost trampled her, but his reflexes saved her. How did it happen so fast? A second ago she was on her horse commanding her squad members.

“Haaaaaaaaange!” Moblit’s scream of terror replaced the one that wanted to escape his throat.

A cable from the anti-Titan weapon snapped and the hook hit her in the head at a dangerous speed, the impact sent her rolling on the ground and now Nifa and Moblit were on top of her, their uniforms stained with Hange’s blood. The woman put her green cape on her head and was pressing it to hopefully stop the bleeding. Abel and Keiji were keeping watch in case they spotted any Titans around them. Moblit was calling her name, but she wasn’t responding, he took off her goggles and inspected her eyes, whatever he saw scared him, and yelled at Lauda to communicate the accident to the commander.

The hand holding his blade was trembling in rage and in one swift motion, he cut the nape of the monster. He wanted to run to her, hold her in his arms and ride at full speed to headquarters but they were still in Titan territory, and the rest of the soldiers were still at risk of falling prey to one of those monsters. He let everything in Moblit’s hands, he knew he was going to do the impossible to protect her. 

She had done it again. She had insisted to try the weapon on an abnormal to test its efficacy in extreme conditions. She had fired the hooks instead of letting a soldier of her squad do it, and that was the reason she was the closest to the Titan when the cable snapped. Once again, she had put her life on the line of fire. And once again, his heart had climbed from his chest to his throat watching the blood pooling around her. “You have to trust that I’ll always come back to you,” and he wanted to believe it with all his strength, especially now that she was unconscious on Nifa’s lap.

Erwin had signaled the retreat because the weather had worsened significantly since they started the operation, but he had sent two squads with Hange ahead. He almost went with them when he ordered him to stay at the back with his squad. Had they managed to stop the bleeding? Were they going to make it on time? How deep was the wound left by the sharp hook? He had seen the damn hooks and they weren’t exactly hooks, they were sharp metallic things designed to pierce a Titan’s flesh and deploy the hook mechanism inside to hold onto the monster. Which side hit her? Did it just hit her, or did it sink onto her head? He didn’t want to imagine that scenario because the wound not only would be deep, but it would have had the power to break her skull. He closed his eyes for a second to kill his fears and keep riding towards the Walls.

She had moaned in his ear when he penetrated her after saying what she meant to him. Did she understand it or was she too distracted by his touch to pay attention to his confession? She wrapped her legs around his hips and that was his signal to move as fast and go as deep as he wanted, but he didn’t want to let his words disappear without knowing she had heard them. He pulled out and went back in, she gasped, and her fingers sank into his back, then he repeated the same motion going faster each time.

“You’re mine, Hange,” he said in her ear while he reached a steady pace, for a minute he didn’t care if he had sounded aggressive, he was being honest.

“I’m… I’m… I’m yours, all of me,” she responded between moans of pleasure. Was she being honest too? Was it the heat of the moment? He wouldn’t know until later, but her words were honey to his ears.

He kissed her and his mouth was replicating the intensity of his thrusts, she was kissing him back, but she couldn’t respond a few times due to the overwhelming pleasure her body was experiencing, so he bit her lip, or his tongue grazed them when that happened. He wanted to eat her alive, that’s how strong his desire was. He bit her neck hard while she glued him to herself as an orgasm made its way into her body, he loved how she shivered and trembled a little when her mind was clouded in that ecstatic moment.

He was still going without giving her room to breathe, his fingers joined the efforts to make her writhe under him, he was drawing circles around the bundle of nerves that electrified her limbs, and then he would apply pressure and she would cry out in satisfaction. Soon her hips were moving too bringing him closer to his orgasm, finally, it arrived, and he separated from her since that action was imprinted in him from his experiences with other women, but she grabbed his bottom and prevented it from happening.

“I’m… I’m yours… but… you’re… also mine,” he didn’t know if her voice made him come faster or the meaning behind what she said.

“Hange… I’m yours,” he said with his head on the crook of her neck. He kissed her shoulder covered in sweat and she dragged her hands along his back.

What did this mean? He wasn’t sure but he had never said it to another person in his life, not even blinded by lust. Were they going to be in trouble for this? Was she going to regret it in the morning and said she got carried away by the moment? If so, he didn’t want the morning to arrive, he wanted to believe her again, but he was afraid of asking and finding out the truth to be different from what he initially thought.

Her breathing had stabilized and when he lifted his head, he found her looking at him, she was so beautiful with the light of the campfire dancing on her skin. She opened her mouth and he put a finger on her lips. No, don’t tell me those were lies and meaningless shit people say while fucking , he thought, and he would have to repeat it all another day, another moment. She kissed him instead of talking and he decided that was better.

It was almost midnight and they had to go back to the cabin before any of the soldiers realizes they weren’t in any of the rooms, he started to get dressed while contemplating her naked body. Everything about it seemed perfect to him, her breasts were the ideal size for a woman, they weren’t ridiculously big or too small to ignore their existence, then the curve of her slim waist was so seductive it had always caught his attention because that was something her uniform couldn’t hide, he would say it actually accentuated it with the leather straps of the maneuver gear around it. Her hips weren’t prominent but again, they still gave curves to her feminine figure, and her long strong legs proved she was taller than him. There were some scars and scratches on her skin, but they weren’t many as you would expect from a soldier with her years of service.

“You should draw me next time,” she said with a smile probably feeling his gaze. Her voice was another one of her charms, he had never heard another human with such a confusing and alluring tone in their voice. It was difficult to tell if a feminine man or a woman was talking, but she knew how to manipulate it depending on who she was flirting with. Hange Zoe was a pit of temptations and he had fallen right into it.  

“I could ask your assistant, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind,” he responded pulling up his pants.

“You’re not happy that he saw me naked that time in the river,” Oh! She remembered it. “He saw me naked before, you know scientific discovery doesn’t wait…. Not even the weird occasions when I’m bathing but I don’t think he sees me as more than the reckless squad leader he has to take care of for some reason,”        

“You say that because you think other women are more desirable, four eyes… I bet you thought the same of me before that night in your tent,” She went silent and just stared at him, maybe realizing he was right.

 “Not everyone wants to fuck me,” Why was she so sure though? She truly underestimated her physical beauty.

“The man who’s twenty-four hours, seven days a week with you is not everyone ,” She smiled again, wait… did he sound like some paranoid asshole?

“Mike saw me naked too… in the men’s shower when you left,” she confessed but she was still smiling.

“You have no idea about normal human behavior, so I’m not surprised if half of the Survey Corps has seen you naked… Erwin probably has too,” Was she going to be offended by this? The question got answered quickly when she laughed.  

“He has actually… and I saw him too, some time ago when he wasn’t commander… but we never fuck,” What an interesting observation to make. 

“I don’t care…” he lied, and she knew he was lying.  

“Nanaba said she wants to fuck me… I might even consider it if you don’t care,” She was trying to push him to the limit now.

“Petra said the same thing, would you consider that too?” he slipped his shirt over his head, and she was still looking at him, surprised.

“Would you mind? She’s very attractive…” the devil’s grin was back on her face.

“What if I say I would mind…” he whispered after he got closer to her face.

She didn’t say anything and sat to place a gentle kiss on his lips, he kissed her in return, and this time she opened her mouth while his hands went to her bare waist, the kisses intensified, and he was straddling her as his hands caressed her back. She threw her arms around his neck, and he felt the irresistible warmth of her skin through his shirt, the sound of their wet kisses reverberated in the empty cave until a noise caught their attention, it was the noise of dry tree branches being stepped on. He stood up to check their surroundings and she wrapped herself in her heavy coat.

He stepped outside and saw a new set of footprints in the snow. Who was it? Who saw them? Was it Petra and her dedication to meddle in their affairs? Was it Nifa who realized her squad leader wasn’t in the cabin? Was it Moblit and his ability to detect when they were together? Whoever it was, it had to be one of the soldiers in the cabin. He convinced her to make out a little more until she reminded him that they didn’t need both squads to show up in the cave.

He was hypnotized by her hands putting her clothes on. Why was he staring at her so much tonight? Was this strange feeling a premonition of things to come? She buttoned up her heavy coat and announced she was ready to leave. He put out the fire and caught her by the waist before she put her foot outside. He kissed her again, he could kiss her all night without getting tired, she surrendered to his unyielding mouth but soon they were walking down the hill.

The winds of winter were absent at this hour, the chill air was freezing his nostrils and he was following Hange’s lamp in the dark of night. The metaphor described his life accurately, she was the fire, the light guiding him through the blackness of a Titan dominated world. She had told him he was humanity’s hope, but she was his hope of brighter days, she was everything he had never dared to dream about and tonight she said she was his.      

He guided his horse to the stables under the pouring rain and tried not to think the worst, her squad had made it before them. However, the cart in which they brought her was stained with bloody footprints. He walked slowly around the courtyard, pretending to check if anyone needed help because he was terrified to go to the infirmary and hear the tragic news. Nifa brushed his arm when she passed him running with a bunch of bottles in her hands.

Lauda, the silent guy of the blonde ponytail in her squad was walking beside Erwin and he averted his ears to listen to their exchange.

“She’s still bleeding… Celsus says he can’t inspect the depth of the wound if the bleeding doesn’t stop, she’s unconscious though, Moblit described the accident and he thinks she might have a concussion, but he needs to see if her skull was pierced or not,” the soldier explained quickly.

“What are the implications of a skull fracture?” the commander asked maintaining his calm demeanor.

“He doesn’t want to consider it but if she has an opened wound to her brain, the possibilities of survival decreases, he could try to fix it, but she’s exposed to minor infections that will worsen her condition,” Why did he have to listen to this?

“This anti-Titan weapon will cost us dearly if she dies,”

He stopped following them. Erwin couldn’t be considering such an awful ending to her beautiful life. Well, the commander was being rational and calculating the possible outcomes coldly. He wasn’t capable of that anymore, not after the nights in the forest of dry trees, not after her kisses before leaving the cave. He felt so useless and powerless standing in the middle of the hallway, soldiers were walking by him, wounded, others helping those who couldn’t walk, and some with the rain on their defeated faces. A hand touched his shoulder, the blonde woman from Zacharias’ squad had patches of mud covering her pale skin, but her blue eyes were transmitting her message, trust her they said.

You have to trust that I’ll come back to you…

Another soldier stood next to him, Petra’s eyebrows frowned in a worried expression, she was also dirty and wet. He noticed the hands holding her green cape were trembling, but he didn’t know if she was scared or just cold. Suddenly she was in front of him, she grabbed his hands and squeezed them, she gave a step forward and was as close to him as she has ever been in all the time under his command. He was concentrated on his grief, and he didn’t have the energy to move.

“She’s a strong soldier, someone like Hange won’t go down like this… she’s going to survive,” she said in a low voice so only he would hear it.

He stayed silent and walked away. He knew he was going to be of no help in the infirmary since her squad members were already taking care of the situation. He took a short bath because an instinct was pressing him to go to her even though he had chosen to not intervene for the time being. Once he was refreshed and clean, he entered the kitchen, pour water on a kettle, and sat on a chair near the window. The rain was still falling outside as if the sky was crying the tears he had trained to suppress.

They had been talking in the courtyard, suspiciously close to the wing of the building where his bedroom was. He had been pretending he wasn’t paying attention to the movement of people around them, waiting for the moment to take her to his room. This was the night before the first expedition since they learned that sex was the most effective way to deal with the tension between them. The castle fell silent, and they went to their original destination, separated by a couple of minutes.

He opened the door and pulled her inside, she was in his arms in seconds, they were kissing aggressively, and his hand sneaked under her clothes, making direct contact with her back. Then he slid his hands to the front near her chest while pushing her towards his bed, and she undid his belt as he felt goosebumps running on the skin of her breast once his hand reached them. She started to unbutton her shirt and he lifted her up and lay her on his clean mattress, they took off the clothes covering their upper bodies and he put his weight on top of her. She kissed him with her lips, tongue, and teeth, and he responded passionately to her attacks. His hand was free to explore her body now that she was completely exposed under him, he started caressing her neck, then her chest and her breasts, he took his time there because she whimpered in his mouth, his fingers were brushing her peaks and she threw her head back and moaned softly because nobody could hear them.

He was going to lower her zipper when she reacted and left the bed, he prepared to stand up, but she pushed him onto the mattress, then pulled down her pants and her underwear in front of him, tossed her glasses aside in the process, and his eyes couldn’t leave her. Hange Zoë was magnificent, towering over him completely naked, maybe it was the result of the constant exercise the use of the maneuver gear required that her body was toned and slim or maybe she had been born like that, perfect to his eyes.

It seemed she was admiring him too, her fingers were running down his abdomen, and she closed those fingers around his prominent erection after freeing it from his pants. She massaged it while watching his reaction intently, her hand felt so good, but it was her eyes on him that almost made him finish too soon. She surprised him when she kneeled and sunk a good portion of his length in her mouth, he held her ponytail while her head was going up and down, and then her tongue was stroking him and he gripped his clean sheets with his free hand, but he wanted to enter her, he didn’t want it to be over.

He pulled her hair firmly and she understood. She climbed on the bed on top of him, aligned her body with his and he was inside of her in the blink of an eye, she took a deep breath, put her hands on each side of his head, and started to move. He was touching her eagerly, her back, her waist, he grabbed her bottom and pushed her upwards, he accompanied her movements without taking his hands off the lowest part of her anatomy, the three Goddesses knew how fond he had grown of them.

They rested for some time, he pushed his tongue in her warmth and when he was ready, penetrated her again and again in different positions, even on the chair near the window once he got back from checking the useless maps and lists for the expedition with his squad. They were still on the chair, she was leaning down on him, her head on his shoulder and he knew it was time for her to go. They couldn’t literally sleep together, not yet, they were soldiers with important responsibilities, and they weren’t ready for the implications of sharing a bed in that way. Would I ever be able to sleep beside you, Hange?  

The kettle trembled and whistled. He prepared some tea and punched the kitchen counter. The warm infusion traveled down his throat and it tasted of nothing, the tea leaves were at the bottom of the cup, but his favorite drink had lost its flavor. Petra was in the room again, watching him trying hard not to fall apart, she knew he was worried about Hange, did she know exactly what she meant to him? Was she the one who saw them in the cave in the snowy mountain? She got closer again, the redhead asked him a question that he was too immersed in his thoughts to answer. And suddenly her rosy lips were gliding his, he stopped her by holding her shoulders, he knew this was bound to happen.

“You’re my subordinate, Petra…” he said, his steel cold eyes met hers.

“I want to… devote my short life… to you,” she was frighteningly sincere, and her honey eyes were glistening with hope.   

“I want your strength and your skills, not your life,” was he being too straightforward? He needed to be clear about this though.

“Why do you think you can’t have both?” Stop, he thought, don’t make me say something shitty and hurtful, not to you.

“Petra… you’re a capable soldier, you’re part of our team, I wouldn’t want you to leave because of…” he was making a considerable effort not to curse.

“Is it because of another person? Another soldier?” She definitely knew something.

“I can’t do this… I have an objective, I have to help Erwin… kill those fucking monsters, I can’t…” he didn’t know how to say it.

“Is it because of squad leader Hange?” She finally said it, huh?

Levi was at a loss for words, her question was a low blow, he whispered, “I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about” and left the kitchen. It was her but he couldn’t say it, he couldn’t even say it to Hange herself and for sure, he couldn’t confess such a thing to his subordinate. He managed not to kick the wall, controlled his anger and his feet took him to her, the mad scientist who was fighting for her life in the infirmary.

It was already the evening, and he hadn’t heard of her condition in a couple of hours. The chaos in the place had subsided, a couple of soldiers were leaving the room with bandages, and he found her laying on a bed, her head was covered in bandages too, blood was oozing through the white fabric, and her uniform was red in the chest. Moblit was sitting on a chair next to the bed.

“Erwin sent me to report on her status,” he lied because he had to maintain appearances even though Petra had seen through him.

“Doctor Celsus stopped the bleeding, and he said the wound is considerably deep… she has a concussion too so she’s still unconscious…” he said without taking his eyes off her.

“Her brain will be more shit than it was before,” he was worried about the implications.

“We won’t know until she wakes up…” Moblit’s voice trembled a little.

“Captain Levi! Are you finally here for a checkup?” Doctor Celsus was one of the tallest men he had ever met, he was around his late thirties, his hair was black, and it touched his shoulders, he had a goatee and he thought how someone so messy could be in charge of other people’s health. Some say he had been a butcher before dedicating his life to medicine.

“I’d prefer to keep my limbs in place, I need them to kill Titans,” he answered glancing over him.

“Such a pity… you might be an interesting specimen,” he put on a pair of clean gloves and leaned over Hange.

“When is she going to wake up?” he asked while the doctor was uncovering part of the bandages on her head.

“Hopefully soon or we’ll be in trouble. Her skull looks intact, the wound is deep, but the hook didn’t break her bones, tell commander Erwin her brain won’t be affected if she opens her eyes tonight… he seemed very concerned about it,” he announced and covered the wound again.

He wanted to stay by her side, but her squad members were taking turns in case she happened to wake up and needed something. He slept for an hour leaning against a column in the courtyard, then visited the kitchen and went back outside. A couple of hours after midnight he noticed that things got hectic near the infirmary. Nifa was sharing the news that Hange was finally awake with a man from the fourth squad as they were walking in the hall.

The infirmary was full of people, so he turned around and escaped to his room. Erwin had visited her early in the morning and said she was in considerable pain but was herself. Levi kept himself busy the rest of the morning talking to the commander and cleaning. He waited until the afternoon to go to her. He brewed some tea with an herb that was supposed to calm physical pain and made his way to her room. She had insisted to leave the infirmary as soon as possible, he had noticed that she didn’t like places like hospitals, but he never asked why.

Nifa opened the door and Hange was sitting with her back against the head of the bed, papers were spread on her lap and his blood started to boil. Was she worried about her stupid ass research in the state she was in? She smiled when she saw him and that almost made him forget his anger.

“I swear four eyes… you cannot stand on your feet yet and you’re thinking about your shitty research,”

“Levi…. I….” he interrupted her by slamming the desk.

“I told the squad leader to stop thinking about the notes, I’ll check them with Moblit right now,” she said and stormed outside.

There was an uncomfortable silence between them now that they were alone. He put the teacup on her night table, then sat down on a chair next to the bed and she placed her hand on his knee. How could he express the relief to know she had survived? He wished he was better with words but Hange would understand even if he stayed silent.

“The tea is… for the pain,” he explained, he didn’t want to touch her and made her situation worse.

“Why did you take so long to come to me?” she suddenly said, and her eyes were telling him she was sincere. Did she want to see him sooner? She had been surrounded by her squad members and even Erwin visited her… she didn’t need him, did she?

He stood up with a hand on her cheek, but he saw the bandage on her head and didn’t close the distance, he sat on the bed beside her. They were looking at each other, saying everything they couldn’t put into words. She finally whispered, “Just… kiss me,” and he pressed his lips against hers, she was warm and alive and that was enough for him. The kiss was sweet and tender because he didn’t want to break her any further.

“You look like shit,” he said after parting from her mouth.

“I feel like shit…” she confessed and touched the bandage.

“Your brain is going to be more fucked now,” she laughed even though he didn’t mean to be funny.

“I… was…. waiting… to see you but… you… weren’t there when I woke up,” she sounded sad, and he couldn’t bear making her sad.

“The morons from your squad were keeping watch in the infirmary… and I thought… you didn’t need me there,” It was true, she was surrounded by so many people who cared about her, what difference would his sour face make?

“They’re not…. you …” their eyes met again, she leaned towards him, and it wasn’t in his system to deny her a kiss. However, there was still blood on her forehead.

“Your head… you’re hurt…” he whispered on her lips.

“Fuck it,” she said, and they kissed properly this time. He tried to be gentle though and when he felt he was losing control, he separated from her.

“Your tea…” he gave her the cup and she smiled, that’s how he liked to see her, smiling, happy, and safe.

“It smells good,” she sipped the infusion, and he moved all the papers from her bed to the desk.  

“Fucking rest for a couple of days… I’m sure you’ll figure out what went wrong later,” he assured her, and he was ready to leave and allowed her to rest as he had suggested.

“I’ll do it if you stay with me… until I fall asleep,” she grabbed his hand before he could get away.

He stayed beside her, he watched her close her eyes and peacefully doze off. He didn’t let go of her hand until he was sure she had fallen asleep. He was tempted to lay on the bed by her side, but it would have been too much temptation and she needed space to recover. He did the same the following nights, he took tea for the pain to her room, some passionate kisses for her soul and then he would watch over her while she slept. The treatment seemed to be working because her headaches subsided and after four days of being in bed, she could walk a short distance without feeling dizzy. 

She wanted to see the stars, she said so he helped her climb the first set of stairs to the roof but then there were more stairs, so he picked her up and carried her in his arms the rest of the way. She didn’t complain and when he was going to lower her she said “Don’t… let’s sit like this” and he asked what would happen if someone saw them, she responded that he was helping her and that was all. He sat on the floor with Hange on his lap and her head on his chest. She was relaxed and soon Erwin would start to pester her with the fucking weapon that almost took her life. 

“Are you… comfortable?” she asked and he didn’t understand why she was worried about him. 

“You’re not heavy for me… “ he answered with his hands on her legs. 

“I didn’t ask that,” she was playing with the collar of his shirt. 

“Hange… don’t ask stupid shit,” He was more than comfortable with her, he felt like the world made sense where they were together. 

“Thank you… for putting your trust in me,” She was probably saying it because he behaved like himself even though she was in danger. She didn’t know about the torture he went through in his mind. 

“I trust you but… for fuck’s sake you don’t need to test it in every expedition,” Scolding her a bit wouldn’t hurt her. 

“I won’t… Levi, would you stay with me until we find the other worlds outside the Walls?” Goddammit, he would stay by her side until the end of time but he wasn’t sure that was the right answer. He was afraid to say the wrong thing which was exactly what was going to happen. 

“I don’t give a fuck about other worlds… but I’ll stay with you or you’ll lose yourself in your own mess,” he quickly added and waited for her reaction. 

“Fuck you,” she whispered but now they were face to face and he couldn’t resist it. He kissed her slowly and progressively hard. 

The rain had stopped a few days ago and the sky was clear, the air felt new and she was on his lap, making out with him. He had no idea he was healing more than her physical wounds with his kisses, and they had no idea a pair of honey-colored eyes were watching them from afar, uncovering the truth she knew about but feared for months. He had no idea how this reality hurt her. He had no idea about the doubts in her mind and heart. 

Was this the only reason she wanted to be in his squad? Didn’t she want to fight beside him? To free humanity from the terror of the titans? A tear fell down her cheek and the sudden pressure in her chest answered her questions. Yes, she wanted that and much more, she wanted his love, the kind of love a man feels for a woman, the kind of love he probably feels for her.

Chapter Text

Her last command was still floating in the air when a piercing sound entered her ears but something heavy impacted her head immediately. The ground was spinning or was it her? Everything was green and then grey, it alternated between those colors until there was only a line of trees and legs of many horses, a thousand of them. Darkness swallowed her, she thought she heard her name in the distance, and suddenly the world went silent.

Smoke from her mouth spread around her, she was sitting on the floor with her back against the bed, her shirt was unbuttoned, and she was still wondering why he had stared at her the whole night. She drank the strong alcohol she brought from the tavern directly from the bottle, why did the mighty captain Levi keep an eye on her since she stepped inside that tavern? He had watched her before with the same predatory intent, those cold grey orbits of his were difficult to ignore. He was undressing her with that invasive look, what would he do if she actually takes her clothes off in front of him? His reactions were often unpredictable because he had learned to shut down his emotions, but she knew he was kind, was he passionate too? What would it feel like to be at his mercy?

A rush of heat was born between her legs. Fucking hell, she couldn’t have been turned on thinking about him, the sour face, clean freak captain of the Survey Corps. She puffed at her cigarette and leaned her head down on the bed. Her breathing accelerated and the more she made an effort to forget him, the more the heat ran through her body. A hand touched her shoulder, and the blonde woman laying on the bed had woken up. If she couldn’t have him, then she would have her instead.

She took the bottle with her and climbed back onto the bed. The woman kissed her hard and pulled her closer. Hange was on top of her, she put her knees on her sides, poured some of the alcohol on the woman’s bare chest while she arched her back, then she proceeded to clean it with her tongue. The woman was moaning and rubbing her legs against her, her tongue reached her prominent breasts, and she grew more impatient under her. She was beautiful and she tasted even better with the alcohol on her skin.

She was nibbling on her nipples when thoughts of him invaded her mind. The woman grabbed her unbuttoned shirt and pulled her chest close to her face, she wasn’t wearing her top that night because the vest that was on the floor covered her just fine. Her lips moved smoothly along her neck, her tongue was rolling on her small breasts, and she wondered if his mouth would feel as good as this. The woman’s legs were wrapped around her hips, and she gave in to her fantasies, and let her sounds of pleasure fill the room. Hange separated her companion’s blonde strands from her face while she continued what she was doing on her chest. The stranger wouldn’t mind that she was thinking about another person.

The attractive woman pinned her against the bed and kissed her savagely on the mouth, biting her lower lip while unzipping her pants. She was bold but that convinced her to follow her to this inn, Levi’s insistent stares probably influenced her decision as well. If he was going to fuck her only with his eyes, then she had to find someone else who felt real. A couple of fingers slipped under her underwear and the sensation couldn’t compare to whatever the short captain was trying to achieve from the distance.

“Are you thinking he would feel like this?” the woman suddenly said while rubbing her private parts gently.

Hange opened her eyes in surprise. Did she moan his name without realizing it? How did she know exactly what was occupying her mind?  

“He was watching you the whole night but…. You were watching him too, from time to time,” the blonde beauty explained and applied more pressure on her wonderful fingers.

“He’s… that’s not…” she tried to lie and pretend that wasn’t the truth.

“Maybe he would feel more like this…” she continued and slipped one of her fingers inside of her, Hange opened her mouth and gasped.

“But… he’s strong… and even if he’s short I bet this would be more realistic…” she inserted more fingers and Hange held onto the woman’s arms.

“And then… he’s also fast, isn’t he? That’s what I heard that he kills a Titan in seconds…” her fingers were moving in and out of her increasingly fast, she moaned loudly because her imagination was drawing him in that bed instead of the blonde stranger.

“He’s probably experienced… a lot of women or men out there wouldn’t think twice in sucking humanity’s most powerful soldier’s dick… and he was a criminal, a tug from the underground... sex is a tool to assert dominance over others…” her other hand was drawing circles around her most sensitive spot at the top of her entrance, brushing it slightly making her gasp and melt in front of her.

“Judging the intensity of his stares he would certainly do this…” she replaced her fingers with her mouth and started to suck on her bundle of nerves that were making her limbs go weak and soon her hips responded to the strong stimulation, but the woman didn’t stop and persevered with the rest of her fingers still inside of her.

 She lifted her upper body while crying out in pleasure, sweat started to drip from her forehead, and she pulled the woman’s hair when an orgasm dominated her body. Would he make her tremble like this? Was this kind of desire the driving force behind his persistent looks? But she was filthy, and he was clean, so clean it was driving her nuts. She wanted to spread the black ink that constantly stained her hands on his chest, then his muscular back, and continue down his hard abdomen. She had seen him half-naked treating his own wounds after every expedition, and he was everything people imagined him to be under his uniform. And then she wanted to kiss his dirty mouth, he was terrible with words, but words weren’t what she needed from him. She needed his lips rolling on her skin and his tongue tasting her nipples, her stomach, her neck, and the space below her hips just like the woman pleasuring her.

Levi, you’re a fucking coward , she thought laying on the bed and catching her breath after her temporary lover spent her body’s ability to orgasm. Was he somewhere with another woman or man? Was he thinking about her unclean self when thrusting into them? She hoped that was the case. She hoped he was going through the same torture as her. Hange would forget about it in time until the short captain enters her tent with the excuse of reviewing her new strategy to catch Titans and pins her against her table putting an end to years of uncertainty and unbearable sexual tension. Tonight, she didn’t know it yet, so she kissed the woman that had her fluids still in her mouth, she cleaned her while making out, she was so delicious it almost made her forget about the short idiot who didn’t have the courage to do the same.

“You should fuck him… “ the woman said, one of her legs was still on Hange’s shoulder and she kissed it stopping in her inner tight.

“We…. are… comrades,” she explained more to herself than anybody else.

“Bullshit, you could die the next time you go outside the Walls, live your life while it lasts. Titans don’t care if you fucked your comrade, or if you had a dream of starting a family, or if your parents are going to have a part of you in return, they will eat you all the same,” God, she sounded exactly like Regina. They had a point, but it wasn’t as simple as that.

He was humanity’s renewed hope in the shape of a man, he was Erwin’s greatest discovery, and she was the creative brain he needed to finally devise a definite counterattack against the Titans. Humanity’s freedom was significantly more important than the heat between her legs, or was it? The pretty woman had lit a cigarette and she put it between Hange’s lips, then kissed her taking all the smoke in her mouth. She lay on the bed again, her shirt was still unbuttoned and the woman was running her fingers along her naked stomach.

“I’ve never fucked anybody like you,” she confessed, and she was reaching her chest.

 “A woman?” That was usually the case, a lot of women who got interested in her were just curious or confused but it didn’t make any difference when they let her go down on them.

“A soldier,” she whispered, and her fingers were tracing the shape of her breasts. Why was she so provocative and sensual? The last person she had met who fit the same description was Regina, the redhead with the big smile.

“There’s not any difference…” everything seemed to be the same for Hange Zoe lately.

“You’re stronger than other women, and your body looks like one of those illustrations from the anatomy books, it’s beautiful… and your voice, I knew I wanted to take you to bed as soon as I heard you talking in that tavern… captain Levi might be worth an entire brigade but he’s wasting his time,” she started to caress her chest midway through her sentence and leaned down to bite her neck.

Hange left the inn sometime after that, she gifted her bottle of alcohol to the woman, and without saying her name she told her it was probable they wouldn’t see each other again. This had been her life for a couple of years now, a series of one-night encounters without real attachments involved. Part of her thought she didn’t deserve to be loved or maybe it wasn’t in her destiny to experience such a meaningful connection with another human being. Each time someone confessed their love to her, tragedy stroked, so it was safer like this. Levi seemed to be a person who wouldn’t develop feelings for her so there wasn’t any danger if they acted upon their desires, was it?

Her vision was more blurred than usual and sharp pain in her forehead reminded her of the accident during the expedition. The figure hovering over her told her to stay still and tried not to move excessively. For a second, she thought it was Levi but when the world cleared a little bit she realized it was a blonde man with hazel eyes, Moblit, of course, it was him. Then a smiling Nifa offered her a glass of water, she made an effort to sit and scanned the infirmary quickly, her heart sunk because as much as she appreciated her subordinate’s presence there was a particular face she had expected to find, the face that came to her mind when the world faded away and she feared she wouldn’t wake up again.

The doctor inspected her and happily announced that her brain was as damaged as it already was before the hook of the anti-Titan weapon hit her. They argued because she wanted to leave immediately to her room, but Celsus insisted to keep her in the infirmary overnight in case a secondary injury worsen her condition. She sighed and Moblit threatened to tie her to the bed if she didn’t comply. The rest of her subordinates visited her throughout the night and even people from other squads who had been worried about her.

“He was livid when we returned and you were still bleeding in here,” Nanaba explained, she sent Moblit to take a bath and rest for a couple of hours while she volunteered to take care of Hange. The blonde woman was carefully cleaning the blood on her cheek and neck.

“He isn’t here…” she said, disappointed and maybe she had let her voice reveal her feelings because Nanaba’s knowing smile suddenly annoyed her.

“He’s the sour face captain of the Survey Corps, he has to live up to his reputation, what would people think if he runs to you scared shitless?” It was true in part. She knew Levi tended to hide and control his emotions to prevent him from doing stupid shit outside, but she couldn’t control her heart.

“I have an idea of what happened but…” a strong headache interrupted her and Nanaba prepared the medicine the doctor had given her for the pain.

“Try to relax tonight, recover, and then you’ll have time to think about the weapon… and he will come, soon… he cares about you, Mike said he was sitting in the courtyard not far from here” she smiled again, and Hange smiled back, it was no use to pretend she wasn’t thinking about him in front of Nanaba.  

The pain was bearable, and she managed to sleep for a couple of hours. Moblit returned before dawn and once the early morning arrived, even Erwin had been in the infirmary checking on her but no signs of the face she was longing to see. Why hadn’t he come to her yet? Was he thinking his presence wasn’t necessary? Was he thinking she could survive without him after his confession in the cave in the snowy mountain? Did it mean nothing to him when he said she was his and he was hers?

“We were so worried about you, squad leader Hange,” Petra said with a bright smile. Levi’s squad showed up after she was forced to eat breakfast.

“It’s a relieved your injury is not as severe as we feared,” Eld said, and he sounded sincere.

“Did you see what happened?” she asked them, curious to confirm her suspicions about the weapon.

“I think one of the cables of the weapon snapped,” Gunther answered since he was one of the soldiers around her during the operation.

“It snapped and the hook hit you, we thought that thing pierced your skull,” Oluo was being abnormally serious.

“I guess my brain would have come more fucked out of this,” she laughed, she had been lucky the sharp hook didn’t get stuck in her head.

“Captain Levi was going to come but he’s in a meeting with the commander,” Petra said, and it seemed to her she was paying attention to her reaction.

“Who needs his sour face around so early? Besides, he would have complained and start cleaning the room…” she smiled but her heart started to beat faster the moment his name was mentioned out loud.

“He was very worried about you,” the cute redhead continued as if she knew something the others ignored.

She responded with a joke and Petra didn’t push the issue any further. However, part of her was happy to know he had been thinking about her but why was he not by her side? Didn’t he want to kiss her after she almost died? Maybe that’s what she needed for the pain, his sweet kisses, and the caresses on her cheek. Levi, you’re being a fucking idiot again , she thought after everyone left. She tried to sleep but the smell of the medical supplies was driving her insane, infirmaries and hospitals brought disturbing memories to her mind, memories of the time a doctor let her know her body had been altered and she had received a lifetime punishment for a crime she never committed.

Celsus finally sent her to her room at midday. She was getting ready to walk all the way up there, but she almost fell after the first couple of steps. She held onto Moblit’s shoulder thinking he was going to act as a crutch for her, but he suddenly picked her up in his arms. He said she was in no condition to walk when she opened her mouth to argue about that statement. Well, he was right so she let him help her and her thoughts immediately went to Levi, his words in the cave and how bothered he sounded by her assistant’s loyalty.

He lowered her in her bed slowly, too slowly in her opinion and for a minute he stared at her, very close to her face and his arms still wrapped around her body, she could have sworn he was looking at her lips but she shook off the ridiculous idea once the moment passed. He refused to hand her the notes about the weapon that were on her desk and stayed in the room until she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

The long red strands of hair tickled her cheek and a kiss on the corner of her lips woke her up. The warmth of Regina’s naked body against her back felt better than the thin sheets covering her. She had sneaked up during the night in her room and under the excuse that someone would see her stayed to sleep beside her. This experience was new to Hange who had never slept with another human being like this until dawn. The redhead kissed her before she could open her eyes, she tasted like the light of the new day, she was fire as the color of her hair.

She was on top of her under the sheets and was kissing her tenderly until Hange grabbed the back of her head and deepened her kisses. The woman moaned in her mouth and she laid her on the bed. The fire locks spread around her, and nothing was covering her skin. She was a voluptuous woman, she liked to run her hands over her hourglass figure and enjoy her reactions. She started in her neck, the sensual space between her breasts, she continued down her stomach, her small waist, and kept going further down but stopped between her legs, she was hot and her temperature increased as her fingers explored the depths of her anatomy. She was doing it gently which seemed to be frustrating for Regina because she started to move against her hand.

“You’re… cruel… with me…” she said and placed her hand on top of Hange’s. She forced her to pick up the pace.

“Isn’t that why you like me?” her touch lingered in the sensitive spot, the sweet button that made her companion gasp.   

“I… I… harder… do it harder or… I’m going to…” she couldn’t finish her idea because the hand rubbing her unexpectedly obeyed her orders and pleasure surged in her body.

“What are you going to do?” Hange had climbed on top of her and whispered in her ear, then licked that side of her face while moving her fingers faster.

Regina couldn’t answer so she looked for her mouth and kissed her at the same pace as her fingers until she bit her and held onto her as her hips followed the fingers that were taking her to ecstasy. She wasn’t satisfied though and used her tongue to draw circles around her erect nub, she sucked it next and inserted a couple of fingers inside of the redhead who was quivering, caressing her own chest and moaning louder and louder. The soldiers in the other rooms could hear her at this point but she had heard similar sounds many times after she joined the military. The only rule in place prevented male soldiers to roam the dorms of the females but it didn’t apply to this kind of sex. The rumors at headquarters said the commander didn’t care about the private encounters of his soldiers as long as they kept it subtle and didn’t affect their performance in the daily training exercises.

Regina was licking her fingers now that she was next to her, she loved her adventurous nature and her bubbly personality. She had accepted the challenge to have someone she could be vulnerable with, someone who made her forget about the darkness of the world they lived in for an instant. Hange's cold intelligence warned her she would regret it in the future, but her heart had been aching for something like this since a young boy told her he was in love with her. That story didn’t end well though, she had gone to him a few months after his confession and undressed in front of him with tears in her eyes, she wanted to know if the touch of a person who actually loved her would feel different from the torture the monster in her house subjected her every time he left his laboratory.

The boy wasn’t sure at first but cupped her face and asked her softly if she knew what she was asking from him. He wiped the tears falling from her eyes and she kissed him, that was the first time she experienced pleasure and not pain, the boy’s hands moved hesitantly along her body but kindly, and as the heat between them increased the nervousness disappeared leaving an innocent desire to satisfy their biological demands. He confessed it was his first time, so she guided him through the main process, she knew what her mother and some books had taught her about human sexuality and reproduction, and she didn’t take anything of what her father had done to her as an example since she considered it violence and not sex.

It had felt so good they had a second encounter some weeks after that but somehow her father found out. He punished her so terribly that part of it had been blocked by her subconscious to keep her from falling into crippling despair. She did remember the lower part of her body ached for days and he started administering her an infusion saying it was for the pain and discomfort, but he kept forcing her to drink it even after she had recovered completely. Hange drank it for months without understanding his motives until one day he finally said coldly, “We can’t have you bearing children…” How long was he planning to torture her? Was it ever going to end? Wasn’t she broken enough for him? What else could he possibly destroy in her?

Young Hange Zoe didn’t know or didn’t grasp the extent of the evilness festering in his twisted mind. She would find out later once her body had been irreversibly altered. The boy stayed away from her, and she guessed that was her father’s doing. She tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t look at her and when he did for a few seconds, she saw a deep red mark across half of his face. She didn’t cry that night, but rage made her tremble, a rage that would rule her life for many years to come until her curiosity over the mystery of the Titans became her ultimate destiny.

That morning beside Regina the past felt unreal, her kisses had woken her up from the nightmare of those days. They were face to face and the redhead was smiling, she smiled most of the time they spent together. What was so wrong with loving someone? Why would life punish her for seeking freedom and happiness? She smiled back at her, she had to keep moving forward and repeated the words that had prevented her from crumbling down: “I can’t look back”

“Hange… I love you… you know that?” She grabbed her hand and kissed it gently.

“You’ve said it before,” Why was she not afraid of confessing her feelings?

“I’m not asking you to love me back just… let me stay by your side for as long as I live,” the woman had no idea the impact those words would have the day only a part of her returned to Hange.   

“It’s too late for that… I think I’ve fallen in love with you,” Regina stared at her, gladly surprised by her words.

“Are you giving me your heart?” she asked softly.

“A part of it… “ It was enough for them.

“I’m yours and you’re mine,” She didn’t know she would hear similar words from the least expected person years later, the short man who was pretending he wasn’t important to her, the man who said he would mind if she slept with somebody else, the man who was afraid of losing her.

Levi had finally appeared in her room that evening with a cup of tea and a bittered expression on his face which melted away when she asked him to kiss her, he had been gentle though, but she was craving a real kiss. Then she impulsively grabbed his hand and promised she would fall asleep if he stayed with her. He did it without question. He returned to her room every day and gave her the same treatment, herbal tea for the pain and sweet and passionate kisses for her heart. She was recovering fast and even forgot about her notes, she hadn’t felt this relaxed and content in forever. One night she came up with the excuse of seeing the stars in the night sky so they would be alone in a place where people wouldn’t find them easily.

They were making out on the roof after he told her he would stay with her until they find the worlds outside the Walls. They started slow and tender but now the passion that had dominated them since they put their hands on each other was dictating the intensity of their kisses. His hands pushed her against him even though she was already sitting on his lap, her tongue found his and the cold air had no effect on their bodies, they separated to breathe but he kissed her again, his hand traveled to her ponytail as she was eagerly following the rhythm of his mouth. Only the wetness of them making out could be heard on that side of the roof, her hand slipped under his pants and he stopped her.

“You’re not… fully healed yet,” he explained and she knew he would change his mind if she tried to convince him but he was being so sweet with her so she nodded and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“How long are we going to wait?” she asked with a seductive smile.

“A few days… you know how much I want to fuck you but… Erwin will lose his shit if I break you,” he said, and his hands were caressing her back.

“So… you’re worried about Erwin…” she whispered.

“I… don’t want to break you,” he confessed and gave her a sweet kiss on her lips. She smiled and kissed him back slowly, what was so wrong about them kissing like this? She was terrified. Scared of what her heart beating faster in his presence could mean to him. She had gone through it twice and the ending of those stories wasn’t short of tragic. Hange was hoping his strength would save him from the same fate.

His lips touched her neck and she opened her eyes, lost in the pleasurable sensation of his gentle bites but for a second, she thought she saw someone running downstairs through the door they came from. Had a person followed them to the roof? Who could it be? There were many possibilities, from Nanaba to one of the soldiers from Levi’s squad. It was useless to dwell on it now, whoever it was had already seen them. What was so wrong with people knowing about them? She had never considered Erwin’s reaction though. The commander wouldn’t usually pay attention to this kind of gossip. But it was them, his secret weapon and the mad scientist of the Survey Corps.

“Where did they go?” she asked scared and dizzy. Three weeks had passed since the expedition, she was already on her feet but sometimes she needed to take a break. However, she wasn’t prepared to face the reality that was unfolding in front of her.   

“Captain Levi, the commander, and Mike went to investigate a laboratory Lady Teresa said could lead to the responsible for the poisoned wine,” Nanaba repeated her words with a raised eyebrow, she didn’t understand Hange’s reaction to the news.  

No, they didn’t go to him, did they? That was the only laboratory Teresa mentioned in their visit to that godforsaken district. Would he mention her? None of them had any reason to talk about her, Erwin shouldn’t say she had discovered the poison for her safety if he suspects him. Why? Why did Levi have to go too? Her heart was about to burst out of her chest, and she needed fresh air to breathe, would he do something to them? There was no way he would kill the strongest soldier, but he was smart and cunning. She wanted to climb on the first horse she finds on the stable and follow them, they had no idea what kind of man he was.

She walked a few steps and the whole world started spinning, she was in no condition to ride a horse, she would have to trust Levi’s strength and Erwin’s mind. She wondered if he would be able to sense that Levi was someone important to her, he was a demon after all, but the idea was ridiculous. Why was he still alive? Fear, the kind that freezes your limbs and leaves you with a sensation of impending doom threatened to overpower her. Nanaba helped her to walk the hall leading to her laboratory but she assured her she could reach her destination without issues. She opened the door and the short pretty woman from the Special Operations Squad was standing in front of the window. 

“Do you need help, squad leader Hange?” she asked and gave a few steps towards her but Hange smiled and told her she was fine. 

“Are you waiting for Moblit or Nifa?” That was probably the case, wasn’t it? 

“I… brought a book I borrowed from Nifa… she said she took it from your bookshelf so I thought I should come to give it back before I forget it,” Petra explained but she looked nervous for some reason. 

“Sure… There are more books in the one at the back, you can come and check them out whenever you have time,” Yeah, it was great to hide behind it to have sex too but she failed to share that information. 

“I… this is so embarrassing… but I have a few questions and I don’t know who to ask,” the pretty woman said and her cheeks were red. 

“I’m not sure if I’ll be of help but you can try me,” she smiled and started to put the things on her desk in order. 

“There’s someone I… I’m interested in… and I’ve never felt this for anybody else before and I’ve been thinking that our lives as scouts are very short. I wanted to wait to find the right person to give them this part of me…” Hange had stopped moving and turned to look at her, she fixed her glasses and smiled. 

“Are you talking about sex?” Petra’s face reddened but she nodded. 

“What exactly do you want to know?” It wasn’t the first time a young female scout had come to her in search of this kind of advice. 

“Does it… hurt… the first time?” She was clearly embarrassed to admit her virginity but she never judged people by their sexual experiences or lack of them. 

“It depends… we all have different tolerance to pain. It can feel like a sting for some women or like a painful scratch for others, but the pain should last for just a moment and then… well, it should feel good,” She wondered who the person Petra was planning to give her virginity to was. 

“Is it true that I should try it… with… my fingers first?” Was she talking about this with Nifa?

“You can try but it’s obviously not the same, however, it can help you get used to the feeling of penetration in your body which isn’t the only way to feel pleasure,” Was she saying too much? 

“Can you… show me… the other ways?” She noticed that the pretty woman had gotten closer to her and her breasts were almost brushing her face. Petra was very attractive and if she had asked this in the past she would have complied but… she couldn’t do it now.

“Do you want me to teach you how to masturbate?” What a way to twist the redhead’s words. 

“No! I… that’s not what I meant… I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked such a thing,” she was about to run away but Hange grabbed her arm and stopped her. 

“I can show you but… I won’t touch you and I won’t let you touch me either,” she whispered in her flirtatious voice that had automatically been activated and her hand was on the woman’s red cheeks. What was she even trying to accomplish with this?    

“Nobody… would… know?” she asked, Hange could tell she was aroused by the way her chest was going up and down and her lips parted after pronouncing the last word. 

“Nobody needs to know…” she said and her mouth was centimeters away from Petra’s. 

The pretty woman leaned forward but she backed away quickly, they were playing with fire and this wasn’t the fire she wanted to get burned with. So, it was true what Levi had told her that night in the cave. She laughed and said she was joking but she could give her all the advice she needed. Petra looked confused and disappointed but probably understood that it was a bad idea to get into the crazy scientist’s pants.

“Is it because… you’re in… love… with someone?” she suddenly asked and that question would come back to her in the future. 

“Oh! I’m in love with my research! Titans are an exciting mystery to uncover, don’t you think?” Hange Zoe told her biggest lie yet. 

Petra closed the door of the laboratory saying she had work to do as well and she let her head hit the desk. Love, that cursed word again. The word that had brought sorrow and divine punishment to those who uttered them in front of her. Levi, whatever you do never say it , she thought. Maybe keeping it hidden in their hearts would prevent the curse to affect them. She wanted to live more days in his arms, she wanted to kiss him and have sex with him, and fight beside him for more years. Would it ever come a time when she could pronounce the cursed word without fear?  

Chapter Text

A pale green liquid was boiling in a glass on the long table full of weird contraptions he had never seen except for the thin glass tubes, a couple of flasks and the microscope the bizarre man was using at the moment. The big room had windows everywhere, even the roof was made of glass so the sunlight could reach the plants, herbs, and flowers that were everywhere in the laboratory. The house which was a short distance from the plant nursery was surrounded by a garden of plants of different colors and shapes, it might have been beautiful if it wasn’t for the uneasiness he felt the moment he stepped into the place. His instincts were indicating to him there was something wrong with the house and its owner, but he couldn’t point out exactly what it was.

He had reluctantly agreed to speak to them, but he hadn’t said a word since they followed him to his laboratory. Erwin asked him a question, but he said he needed to write something down before answering. He was as tall as the commander, his brown hair was tied in a bun and some white strands fell over one side of his face, he was wearing a pair of glasses with a thin frame and there was something oddly familiar about him. Now that he was watching his profile while the man was looking through the microscope it occurred to him that he had seen this scene before, his slightly hooked nose was similar to Hange’s. Of course, somehow, he reminded him of the mad scientist of the Survey Corps, even his voice sounded like a low-pitched version of hers. Who was this man?

“We’ve heard you know everything about plants, and you seem the only one in possession of that knowledge in this district,” Erwin said but the man wasn’t impressed.

“I fail to see why soldiers would be interested in plants,” he responded still looking through his microscope.

“We're interested in a flower, one that is native to this land,” the commander was testing the waters, was the man going to fall for it? He was a scientist, wasn’t he smart?

“I know what kind of flowers might attract the attention of a couple of soldiers,” he had pointed out the fact they were soldiers more than once.

“One that was mixed with wine and used in a murder attempt,” Erwin had officially lost his patience, he thought it was weird he hadn’t asked directly from the start of the conversation.

“The silent killer… old people in this town know it and the knowledge it has been passed through generations,” he explained and inspected Levi from head to toe, his hazel grey eyes could make anyone uncomfortable.

“I believe old people wouldn’t know how to process it to put it in a bottle, that indicates a level of complex work and expertise,” the commander wasn’t an idiot either, the mysterious man obviously knew something, and Levi suspected poison distribution wasn’t his only secret.

“My expertise lies in medicinal herbs and plants not poison as some ignorant idiots believe, commander,” Of course he knew the blonde man in his laboratory was Erwin Smith, his fame inside the Walls was too great that even this hermit had heard of him.

“Medical expertise also relies on the knowledge of illnesses and anything that might be harmful to one’s health, I’d say poison extracted from plants fits in that category,” Erwin said, his blue eyes fixed on the scientist’s reaction.

“I never say I didn’t know about it. I’ve developed an antidote for the silent killer’s poison which is unique and the only one inside the Walls… I don’t extract it to sell it in bottles of wine,” If that was true then… Where and when did Hange learn how to make the antidote?

“Do you think is possible for an ordinary person to learn how to extract the poison from the flowers,” Levi noticed Mike had been sniffing everything in the laboratory, maybe he would be able to find the poison if he was hiding it.

“A very patient person with the right equipment,” he responded, the strange man didn’t seem afraid or intimidated by them.

“Have you had any students or someone who might have learned it from you?” Was he expecting to hear Hange’s name from his mouth? Because he was.

“I don’t talk to people more than necessary and I don’t take on students either,” the man answered and glanced over Levi again.

“Do you have nobles as customers or servants from noble houses?” the poison couldn’t have magically appeared in the wine, there had to be some connection between the murder attempt and a noble.

“I do… I guess you want to know the names of the most recent ones, nothing is for free, commander… if you are here without a military police escort it means this isn’t an official investigation,” he was smart, they had underestimated him.

“Name your price,” Of course, Erwin had no problems getting his hands dirty, he had forgotten how he managed to get rid of Lovof in the name of humanity’s cause.

“You’ll be in my debt, and you'll pay my price without conditions or reservations when the time comes,” He clearly knew more than just the names of plants.

“Do you want me to trust you blindly?” At least he asked the question.

“You know I'm risking my life and my work in this laboratory by giving you this information,” He had some relation to the poisoned wine, but he didn’t know if they had evidence of that.

“I accept your conditions… Who has been around this place lately?” Was Erwin sure he wouldn’t regret it in the future?

“Almost two months ago a tall man, well dressed and with a gun in his belt came to me requesting my services, he said he worked for Rod Reiss...” he put emphasis on the nobleman's name.

“He made his first public appearance in years in the King's Tour in Trost… The timing is perfect… Nobody told us your name,” Levi paid attention to his answer.

“Doctor Thanatos… that’s how people know me around here… commander, there’s something intriguing me about your case. How did you identify this unique poison and where did you get the antidote? I don’t remember seeing anyone from the Survey Corps requesting my help,” that was the question dancing in their minds as well.

“We have a talented scientist in the Survey Corps. Her knowledge spans through different subjects not only Titans,” Erwin answered but there was a shadow of doubt in his expression.

“Her… There aren’t many scientists inside the Walls… would you mind giving this to your scientist? Doctor Thanatos would like to make her acquaintance someday, Titans aren’t my specialty but I’m sure an inquisitive mind is always open to learning,” the doctor handed him a pot with chamomile flowers in it, and the commander looked at him for a minute so he added “It’s a harmless type of chamomile flowers, you can even grow it and use it to make tea, I’m sure captain Levi would appreciate it,” he turned to inspect him again.

“If you lied to us, I’m coming back to slit your throat,” Levi threatened him, and Thanatos burst out laughing. That laugh… Why did he look more and more like Hange? His facial features were similar to hers, he would know because he had stared at her face more times than he could count. The instant he smiled the familiarity became uncanny. However, his madness seemed to come from a scarier place than Hange’s. He knew she could be scary, but she wasn’t coldblooded, something about this man indicated to him that he was.

“I wasn’t expecting any less from humanity’s strongest soldier!” he exclaimed amused but not afraid at all.

The house he lived in was a nice place, bigger than ordinary people’s homes but not as luxurious as a noble’s property. It wasn’t common to find a beautiful house like that outside of Wall Sina, he thought it was the perfect family home but there weren’t signs of other people. He kept the image of the man’s face in his mind during the trip back to headquarters. He realized they didn’t know anything about Hange’s past before the military, she had never talked about it either as if that time didn’t exist at all. Could it be that the strange man named Thanatos was related to her? They were both scientists, he had also pointed out what they were already thinking, there weren’t many people devoting their lives to science inside the Walls. And the physical similarities were too obvious for him. How someone full of happiness like her could have anything to do with a creepy man like the doctor in that laboratory of plants?

“The scent of the poison was stronger near one of the cabinets in the laboratory,” Mike said once they were in the carriage.

“He probably sells it, but I don’t think he was lying about Reiss’ involvement…” Erwin’s brain was working at full throttle to solve this mystery.

“There’s more people involved that he didn’t mention, isn’t there?” Levi wasn’t as sharp as the commander, but he wasn’t stupid either.

“We’ve already discussed Teresa’s loyalty, I won’t repeat myself, Levi,” The noble bitch had Erwin’s blind trust which was an impressive achievement for a woman who wasn’t a soldier. Was he in love with her?

“I saw some resemblance between him and Hange,” the tall idiot mentioned out loud the most intriguing part about the man.

“She must have her reasons if she knows him and never talked about it, I don’t see how questioning her relation to this man would help with the investigation,” The commander was right but part of him wanted her trust. He wouldn’t push the issue on her though.

They arrived at headquarters after a few days of traveling across the territory in Wall Rose, Petra was the first person to greet him and report the squad’s training exercises results and the issues that arose in his absence. They hadn’t talked about their conversation in the kitchen the day of the expedition and he assumed she must have understood his feelings towards her or his vague answer to her question confirmed her suspicions there was more than comradery between him and Hange. He was hoping the latter was the case.

Hange’s slender figure was in the middle of the hall, and he couldn’t wait to have her somewhere nobody could see them and kiss her again. She was holding a bunch of papers in her hands and he knew she had been working on the shitty weapon. It was true she felt better than three weeks ago but he was worried about her. A pretty smile appeared on her lips when she saw him approaching her, she joked about the castle’s peace being disrupted by his presence, he responded with a sarcastic comment and Moblit interrupted them with some bullshit about work.

“The man who works in the laboratory of herbal medicine asked me to give you this… His name is Thanatos and he said he would like to meet you someday to discuss your work in Titan research,” Erwin handed her the pot with the chamomile flowers, and he had never seen her like that before. Her eyes were fixed on the flowers, but it seemed she was looking at a dangerous creature that would bite and kill her on the spot. Her hands were trembling slightly when she reached for the pot and her face was pale. She let the papers fall from her hands and Moblit picked them up.

“Did you… say… Thanatos…?” she asked with difficulty.

“That’s how people in town know him… we’re going to have a meeting this afternoon to discuss our findings and the advances on the weapon if you don’t mind, Hange,” she nodded and Erwin asked if she was feeling okay, she said she still felt dizzy from time to time, and he advised her to take a break until midday.

He followed her to her laboratory after giving orders to Petra. Moblit had to help Nifa somewhere else, so they were finally alone. He locked the door behind him, and she found her sitting on the floor in front of her desk, apparently lost, he sat on her chair and put his hand on her cheek. She was in pain, but he was sure it wasn’t the wound on her forehead. She grabbed his shirt with both hands, their noses were touching, and he didn’t know what to do, he wanted to kiss her, but this wasn’t the moment to be selfish, so he left her to decide. She whispered, “Hold me… please hold me for a minute, Levi,” he sat on the floor with her and wrapped her in his arms as she had asked him to do. He was so inexperienced when it came to showing his feelings, but Hange understood, he was sure she knew how worried he was about her.

A drop of water fell on his arm and he realized it wasn’t water, she was crying and that made him furious, why did she have to suffer and cry? She was born to smile and laugh, tears should never stain her cheeks, but he couldn’t change the cruelty of the world inside the Walls. Can I be the one to calm the storm in your heart? He thought, but he didn’t know if he was the right person to act as someone’s strength and support. Levi held her in his arms until she calmed down, she looked up and he wiped the tears from her cheeks with his cravat, then she kissed him longingly on the mouth, he responded passionately because he missed her touch these past days he had spent traveling with Erwin.

“Thank you…   for this,” she said, why was she always talking as if he was doing her a favor? He would hold her in his arms forever if he could.

“Hange… I would have done it without you asking me it if I wasn’t so shit at… these things,” he admitted and she smiled, sometimes he felt he didn’t deserve her smiles.

“You’re not so shit at this…” she kissed him and this time she threw her arms around his neck, and he put his hands on her waist.

“I have… to… check on the rest… of the … squad,” he said frustrated, he didn’t want to ruin the moment with stupid ass obligations but there was no helping it.

“I was worried about you when you left,” that confirmed she knew that man and she knew he was dangerous if she had been worried about him of all people.

“I’m hard to kill… and I had to come back to you…” she smiled again. By the walls, she was so beautiful when she smiled, she probably wasn’t aware of that. He kissed her because that was everything she deserved right now, and if he couldn’t change the past, he wouldn’t be the one to hurt her in the future.

He regretted the instant he put a foot outside of her laboratory because Eld found him and gave him the news that fucking Flavio Wolff had arrived at headquarters and the commander was requesting his presence to welcome him. Was he being punished? Why was he suddenly on the welcoming committee of the Survey Corps? Was there something Erwin wanted him to hear? The Royal Councilor was as blond and feminine as he remembered, he was wearing an elegant dark blue tunic with golden embroidery over his black pants and boots, but he had brought a guest with him besides his servants and a military police escort.

“This is pastor Nick, he’s helping me get back on the path of the three Goddesses that had protected us from the evil of the Titans for a century,” Flavio said with a smile, and he couldn’t tell if his tone was sarcastic or that was how he naturally spoke.

“Where were your Goddesses the day Wall Maria fell, or they just didn’t give a shit about that Wall since none of your noble pigs lived there?” Levi wasn’t one to hold his tongue in some situations.

“So impious… as expected from the strongest man alive,” Flavio scanned him from head to toe with a look that made him uncomfortable.

“That’s why men like him have the indecency of disrespecting our merciful Goddesses,” Pastor Nick was wearing the dark tunic the Wallists used to wear with a thick golden necklace of his beloved Goddesses as the sole decoration in his outfit.

“There are no men like him, Pastor Nick,” the councilor said in a flirtatious voice and that convinced him to shut up for the rest of the meeting.

“It’s a pleasure to have you back at headquarters, however, you haven’t stated the reason for your visit yet,” Erwin was clearly following the councilor’s polite act which was exactly the way noble people treated each other.

“I’ve come to see the results of the field test of the new anti-Titan weapon since that was one of the objectives of the last expedition,” This fucker came to annoy Hange as well. Knowing her she will put on her best mad scientist show to satisfy this man’s curiosity.

They had a brief meeting in the commander’s office before heading to Hange’s laboratory who had been warned beforehand of the councilor’s visit to prepare a sort of presentation that would make the noble happy. She opened the door with a huge smile on her face, he had cleaned all the tears from her cheeks earlier, so he was happy to see her calm and collected. Half of the information presented to the blonde man was real results from the expedition, but she didn’t reveal the plans for the weapon clearly. They weren’t sure what was the intention behind the King’s so-called efforts to be more active in the counterattack against the Titans. Pastor Nick interrupted her a couple of times to give the Goddesses opinions on her weapons and she responded the best she could without cursing. What was he doing here?

Levi was done with the guests after spending hours with them. He was sitting near the window of Erwin's office concentrating on his tea, he was on the verge of punching someone when the conversation became interesting. The nobleman was talking about the Military Police's official investigation of the murder attempt. They didn’t know shit or were pretending not to know which spoke volumes of the interior's interests. When did the MPs solve any crimes anyway? The councilor announced he was staying for a couple of days and he was invited to occupy one of the big rooms of the castle which was on Hange's floor and he cursed in silence. Her room was out of the question for his nighttime plans with her. Flavio Wolff was nosy enough to open her door and probably try to join them judging by the seductive looks he had been throwing him all day.

He was free of responsibilities in the evening as he had coldly calculated but she was still in her laboratory. He sighed, took a warm shower, and read a book sitting on his bed until he fell asleep. It wasn’t common for him to dream but he dreamt of her, laying next to him, completely naked and happy. We'll live in a small cabin in the forest and I'll make love to you every night… he opened his eyes shocked by the desires expressed by his inner voice. What was it? Was it… love ? Why did he say make love and not fuck? Was there a difference? He didn’t know, he couldn’t tell because this was too new for him, he never saw his parents being in love as it usually happened with children. The first example of parental and romantic love comes from the adults raising them. His mother's tender kisses and sweet words were all he had in the short period of time they spent together. Then Kenny saved him from an early death but he put a knife in his hand and told him he had to fight if he wanted to survive in this world. Young Levi survived because he was strong and sex was an animalistic instinct he suppressed for some years until he learned that it could be a tool. Love had been forbidden for him, at least the romantic kind. Was Hange Zoë’s madness turning him insane as well?

His hands were tied to the headboard of the bed with ropes, where did they come from? How did he let it happen? There was no point in thinking about it now, he was a prisoner in his own room. However, this kind of prison wasn’t so terrible as he would soon find out. She was securing one of the ropes, but he wasn’t even trying to escape, he didn’t want to run from her grasp. It was exhilarating to be at her mercy, there was already an invisible rope tying him to her and it was made of a strong material. Hange Zoë was crawling over him, and he tried to kiss her, but she backed away, goddammit, of course, there was going to be some real torture involved.

“You won’t run away without me knowing it now,” she said with a seductive smile, everything she did was sensual. She did seem upset about his visit to that laboratory though.

“How long are you planning to keep me here?” he asked wishing the answer would be forever.

“A couple of nights until you learn your lesson,” her hands were running over his abdomen, but he was still wearing clothes and he wanted her to rip them apart soon.

“Shit, I’m a slow learner… I’m dumb as fuck,” she was closer, and she had noticed his efforts to reach her lips but kept a short distance from him.

“Anyone with a little motivation can learn…” she finally kissed him passionately, this was all the motivation he needed to do anything.

“Do whatever you want, I don’t give a fuck,” he said after they separated and there was a beautiful smile on her face.

“That's a dangerous request, captain,” By the walls, hearing her calling him captain aroused him as if he was an inexperienced teenager. She will realize the power of her words and there would be no chances for salvation.

She had a sharp knife in her hand and cut her finger a little to show him it was a real knife. Then spread her blood on his lips and he cleaned it with his tongue. She allowed him to suck her finger while she watched him. He could feel his pants getting dangerously tight as her finger went in and out of his mouth. The next thing he felt was the blade cutting his shirt, the sound of the fabric being shredded was intensely erotic and represented the magnitude of his wild desires accurately. Her hands followed the path of the blade on his skin, they were soft, but her touch was firm, without hesitation or fear. She was wearing her glasses so he was sure she could see him perfectly well now, Hange looked like a scientist on the verge of an interesting discovery that would involve his uncomfortable erection.

Her lips inadvertently rolled over his neck and continued down his chest and his abdomen, she didn’t stop and moved over his pants, putting more pressure where his member was aching to be released. Then the knife went over her yellow shirt and the first button flew, she looked at him and satisfied with his reaction did the same with the second button until there were no buttons left and surprisingly, she wasn’t wearing that motherfucking top he hated so much, there was only her skin. He instinctively tried to move his hands and she smiled, this was a losing game for him, he could use his full strength and free himself, but he would probably destroy the headboard in the process.

She kissed him again, but it did nothing to appease his lust, on the contrary, it made it worse. The instant their lips separated he was craving for more, she cut a bit between her breasts that were partially covered by her shirt, the blood started dripping down her stomach and his mouth opened, she was a psychopath but such an irresistible one. She dragged a finger from her stomach to her chest and for a second, he didn’t care about the headboard but it would be too suspicious to ask it to be replaced even if they invent a believable excuse.

That finger ended up in her mouth and she sucked the blood slowly while staring at him, how long was this torture going to last? She finally took off her shirt, but she didn’t move an inch closer to him, he was falling into despair now. She put a hand on her neck and started going down, he knew what was coming next and he was trying to find a way to free himself without breaking the furniture. Her hands were on her breasts, and he would kill an entire brigade for those hands to be his.

“Hange… I’m gonna break this fucking thing if you don’t…” She interrupted him with a mind-numbing kiss, her tongue stroking his and he stopped thinking, then he bit her neck, but she backed away again.

“Break it if you want, I won’t try to explain shit to Erwin… I might even tell him the truth,” Was she threatening him for real? He had never stopped and thought about him since they had sex in the tent. Would he get mad that two of his best soldiers had been fucking their brains out? He didn’t usually care about people’s private lives if it didn’t affect their military obligations, but it was them . Experiencing Erwin Smith’s rage was such a terrifying prospect that it almost ruined the moment for him. However, she had her hands under her pants and probably her fingers inside of her erasing all thoughts of the commander of the Survey Corps from his mind.

“Tell him I fucked you in the tent, in your laboratory, then in the river, in the tower of the abandoned castle he sent you, in the showers, in the cave, in…” he interrupted himself because she was moaning, and her body trembled as an orgasm ran from her insides to her limbs. She liked that, huh… The idea of describing their encounters to the commander turned her on.

“Have we really fucked in all those places?” she asked but her hands were still in her pants.

“Tell him I'm gonna fuck you in his office, on his desk and he can stay and watch but I won’t let him touch you,” her hand accelerated as he spoke and he could tell she was close to another orgasm so he continued “I’m gonna bend you over his shitty chair and fuck you in the ass with my fingers in your…” she moaned again and louder and her body jerked.

“Where are you gonna put… your… fingers,” She had always been a curious one after all.

“So deep in your cunt you're gonna scream,” Her hand unzipped his pants and grabbed his erection which was growing harder with every stroke.

“Is that what you want? To fuck me in the ass?” Why was she asking such a thing? Listening to her bold question and feeling her touch were enough to make him come but he resisted.

“I'll do it… if… you… want me to… Hange, I'll… do whatever the fuck… you ask me to,” his confession had been driven by lust, but it was true. She had let him stick his tongue in her behind but surprisingly he hadn’t penetrated her there yet. He thought she might have never done it but now he had doubts, it wasn’t a bad thing though.

“Listen… I want you to fuck me hard… in the ass,” she got closer and whispered in his ear, she stopped touching him so that all his attention was on her words. He looked into her eyes, and he saw pure and raw lust, and it drove him to the edge, but he wasn’t planning on disappointing her.

She was untying him, she was on top of him and he couldn't wait. He took one of her breasts in his mouth but fortunately, that didn’t stop her from freeing one of his hands which immediately went underneath her pants from behind and she held onto the headboard when he slid a finger inside of her, getting her ready for what was coming once he was completely free. He whispered, “get me off these shitty things, now” and she continued with the other rope.

He put his now free hand on her waist, and she kissed him while cupping his face, suddenly she whimpered against his lips when two of his fingers went in and out of her behind fast. He laid her on his bed and pulled down her remaining clothes but she grabbed him by his ripped shirt and inserted her tongue deep in his mouth. They made out while his hands were massaging her nipples, then they caressed her inner thighs, and he could feel the heat coming from her body.

They separated, he grabbed her waist and glued her to his chest, kissed her one more time, and turned her around. “Do you… want me… to do it?” he asked again while she was sitting millimeters away from his member.

“If you don’t do it now… I’m gonna fucking kill you,” she said without stuttering and that was the answer he needed to cross yet another line with her. Contrary to popular belief or what she might be thinking, he hadn’t done this with many people, there hadn’t been other women in his life that had forced him to throw his cleaning obsession away for a moment of pleasure. It had happened a couple of times when he lost it for a minute or two but not like this.   

She gasped when he finally lowered her and penetrated her behind, his arms were wrapped around her waist and he kissed her neck, she leaned on him, and he started to move slowly and nibbled on her earlobe sending chills down her spine. His hands reached the space between her legs and rubbed her gently until she whispered “harder”, and he picked up the pace on both sides. She gripped his sheets and sweet sounds came out of her open mouth. The fact that she didn’t find this uncomfortable at first told him this wasn’t her first time and somehow, he felt a bit angry thinking about the idiot who might have done it with her before. He knew it was a ridiculous notion since she had been free to do as she pleased but he couldn’t help it.

She turned just enough to find his mouth and they kissed passionately as she was reaching the peak of the pleasure that had been building up inside of her. He felt it and he had to concentrate not to get swept off in her strong orgasm. He kept pumping into her and filling her mouth with wet kisses and some bites. She accompanied his thrusts with her movements, and he started producing his own sounds. They were probably being a bit loud and if someone happened to walk in front of his door, they would hear them.

He couldn’t hold it any longer and released himself rather violently, she slipped down leaving her head on his chest and he wrapped his arms around her. She looked up and he knew what she wanted so they kissed again, his hands were massaging her chest, her abdomen, all the parts of her body he could reach. It will never get old just to feel her bare skin against his, she sighed and sat on his lap, threw her arms around his neck and he leaned a bit on the headboard of the bed, she still had a scar on her head where the weapon hit her a couple of weeks ago.

“Does it still hurt?” he asked looking at the wound on her forehead.

“No… Celsus’ infusions actually relieve the pain… and your tea, and this…” she kissed him, and his world was complete again.

“You’re still wearing your shitty glasses,” he said, and he took them off her face, her back was towards him when he penetrated her, so he hadn’t noticed it.

“I can still see you if you’re close to me,” she smiled and she was the most beautiful woman in the world when she did it.

“Is your eyesight that fucked?” he had teased her countless times about it, but he didn’t know how bad it was.

“It is… if I move a meter away from you, I’ll see you but blurry, however when I’m this close I can see your face perfectly, your eyes, your nose, and your lips…” her fingers traced a line along with those places in his face she had mentioned.

“Why were you so upset earlier?” he was curious, but her expression changed, there was fear in her eyes.

“I… I heard about that place when… we went on that trip with Teresa and… people said a dangerous man lived there, and… I guess I was scared for you, mad scientists are an important threat,” she explained, and he felt that wasn’t everything, but she looked so upset talking about it that he decided the information wasn’t worth it.

“Erwin said he was fucked in the head, but he couldn’t prove that he had something to do with the poison,” she smiled nervously, and she was moving her fingers down his chest.

“I know you didn’t mean it when you said you’re going to fuck me in his office but… we should do it, one of these days,” he will fuck her in the courtyard if she ever asks him that.

“I won’t let him touch you, you’re mine,” she was surprised for a second, but she kissed him.

One kiss after the other and soon they were making out, their chests were rubbing and his hands were exploring her anatomy freely, then he dragged his kisses to her neck and she moaned softly, his mouth was on its way to her breasts when a noise outside interrupted them. He hugged her but he was trying to find the direction where the sound came from, was someone watching them again? Well, to be fair he didn’t close the blinds when he sat on his to read, and even if the windows were barred, a person with the intention to see them could have done it without issues. He looked through the closed windows but there was nothing or nobody around, he opened them and checked the surroundings and finally closed the wooden blinds. Was it the same person who saw them in the cave or was he just paranoid? She didn’t look worried though, laying on his bed, completely naked under the sheets that were covering her now.

He sat on the edge of the bed thinking about the possibility of this person being Petra, but if it was her, what did she want? If she had already seen them in the cave what was the point of spying on them? Did she think she didn’t see it clearly and was trying to confirm it? Hange grabbed his hand and invited him to resume what they were doing. He wasn’t surprised she didn’t care about this hypothetical person watching them fuck but what if this someone shares their discovery with Erwin? He shut down the conflicted thoughts in his mind when she climbed on top of him under the sheets. Whoever it was, they better get a good look because they weren’t going to stop for this mild inconvenience. 

She was riding him furiously as he liked it, the sheets had slipped down her back leaving them exposed but the room was barely lit by some candles and he had closed the blinds this time. He dragged his hands up and down her front, her moans intensified as he captured her nipple between his fingers and he wished he was taller so he could reach the sensitive skin of her neck and sunk his teeth there. At least she had forgotten the pain from earlier and was concentrating on pleasure. She went through another orgasm and he followed her a minute later. Her body was covered in a thin layer of sweat, her chest was still heaving and she stayed next to him, her hands were resting on his abdomen. 

He kissed every inch of her body while she was recovering until she announced she had to go to her room, it was past midnight but his tongue made its way between her legs and she swallowed her next words. He licked, kissed, and sucked the depths of her anatomy while she pulled his hair drowning in pleasure. Levi didn’t notice that she had tied one of his hands to the headboard again or maybe he did and he ignored it. She started laughing after a series of orgasms and he stopped, wondering what she was up to. He tried to move his right arm and found out the ropes were restricting his movements. 

Hange stood up and cleaned herself with her yellow shirt which he would normally find disgusting but he was busy watching her body to care about hygiene. Then she opened his closet and helped herself with clean clothes, his shirts were not as long as hers since well, she was taller but the difference wasn’t so abysmal. She put on one of his elegant jackets and promised him she would wash them and give them back to him in a few days. He didn’t even ask though but then she was unlocking the door to leave. “Hange… Hange… take this thing off… don’t… are you…” she silenced him with a wet kiss and left smiling. 

Levi battled for an hour or two to untie his hand but at least he did it before dawn. Nothing would have prepared him for what was waiting for him that afternoon, they came across a nearby river while riding as part of the training exercises of the day. They found Zacharia’s squad already there swimming in the water without their uniforms, he didn’t object because he was avoiding the Royal Councilor and Pastor Nick’s presence at headquarters. His squad joined them while he sat on the grass with his back against a tree. Nanaba and Lynne, a brown-haired woman that usually spent time with Gelgar convinced Petra to dive into the river with them. She undressed in front of him without issues, he thought she didn’t see him at first but that was impossible, then she turned to face him and she was as beautiful as people imagine. She was short but she had big breasts, a slim waist, and a perfect hourglass figure, she walked into the water and would turn to see him from time to time, he had stopped looking at her though. Petra would have been frustrated if she knew the sight of her stripping off her uniform reminded him of Hange doing the same in the abandoned castle.  

Hange Zoë had consumed him completely, they were on a path of no return. He couldn’t stop kissing her even if the commander of the Survey Corps wouldn’t approve, he couldn’t imagine a day without her touch and her body on his sheets. But he had confirmed yet again that wasn’t everything, he couldn’t see her crying or suffering and he would hold her in his arms for eternity if that was all she needed to be happy. He wanted to be her strength and support even if the world was going to perish because of it. He wanted to stay by her side even if the cost of loving her was divine punishment.

Chapter Text

Her eyes were on the pot of chamomile flowers in front of her, but her mind wasn’t in the present. Those weren’t flowers, those were the signs of the devil that had crawled out of hell and was coming for her. The perfume was intoxicating, and she had forgotten the commander of the Survey Corps was waiting for her to grab the present from the man in the laboratory of herbal medicine. Her hands were trembling when she moved them to reach the flowers, then she heard his name, a word she hadn’t pronounced ever since she escaped from his house… Thanatos…. It meant death for her. Death of her childish innocence, death of the woman she had once been, death of her dreams.

Strands from the woman’s brown braid were dancing in the summer wind, it was always summer in the memories of her mother, she was wearing tight riding pants and a corset that was shaping her attractive waist. Her sight was lost on the horizon, a tiny flower of white petals fell from the basket full of flowers she was holding in her hands and the girl picked it up, it smelled of her father’s tea and her mother's skin, she held it between her small fingers and wondered if there were flowers in the worlds outside the Walls, the ones her mother often dreamed about.

“Do you see this red flower? The petals feel like paper… your father uses them to extract medicine to relieve pain or to make people sleep… “she showed her a new flower and little Hange inspected it closely.

“What kind of pain?” the girl asked, she still had no idea of the kind of suffering that plagued the world.

“Physical pain… from wounds or sickness,” her mother looked worried but smiled at her.

“Wounds? Like the ones Titans make in the soldiers?” she had been studying a book about the history inside the Walls and the more she was reading, the more questions she had.

“Hange, listen to me. Titans aren’t the only monsters in this world… There is a beast in every human that sometimes cannot be contained. There is one inside of you as well but no matter how terrible reality is, life is more precious than anything else, there can’t be freedom where there is only death,” her mother said in a serious tone, and she wasn’t smiling anymore. The little girl couldn’t understand the depth of the woman’s words, but she nodded, she knew she would remember it.

“I brought you another species of chamomile, they said the tea tastes better than the one we have,” the tall man with glasses happily announced his discovery and handed the flowers to her mother.

“Oh! The scent is stronger than our flowers, I’ll have to separate them…. You look tired,” she got closer to the man, and he encircled her waist with his hands.

“I was working on a new extract…” he explained, and her mother was caressing his cheek. 

“You need to rest, I’ll prepare the bath… for us, Hange can read her books and I’ll bathe her tomorrow,” she smiled, and her father’s tiredness seemed to fade away for an instant. He kissed her gently on the mouth while the little girl stared at them as curious as always.

“You look beautiful today… No, you’re always beautiful, Zoë,” he leaned forward to kiss her a second time, but she placed a finger on his lips.

“Your daughter is here, doctor. Make some tea and I’ll get the bath ready,” her father gave her mother a soft kiss on her neck, and she laughed.

“Are you going to make more babies?” Little Hange asked still holding the flower in her hand.

“Maybe… would you like that?” her mother turned to her, she was always happy when the three of them were together. 

“Are babies made in the bath?” she had a million questions as it usually happened when she stumbled upon a new subject.

“Babies can be made in the bath, the bed, even on a table…” Zoë laughed again when Thanatos indicated her to stop.

“I don’t think Hange is ready to process that kind of information, my love,” he said, and he picked up the little girl in his arms. They walked towards the house where Hange spent the happiest and the most painful days of her life.

Now, she was almost fourteen and was looking through the windows of the same house hoping the monster that was wearing her father’s skin wouldn’t come out of his laboratory. It had been weeks since his last appearance in the house and it was time for her to face him again. He had hurt the boy who loved her, so she decided to avoid the other neighborhood boys, the ones that play, talk and laugh with her even though she didn’t wear skirts or pretty dresses. They didn’t care if she wasn’t the “proper woman” her father wanted her to be. Suddenly the door of the back opened, and she froze in fear. Thanatos entered the room where she was, he had stopped cutting his hair and just tied it in a small bun, but he still looked disheveled with some brown bangs falling on the sides of his face. His hazel grey eyes found her in the window, his white coat was stained with the usual green spots, but she noticed many red marks too.

He kneeled in front of her, he lifted his glasses to the top of his head, he had been an attractive man when her mother was alive. He was very tall and he had the physique of a soldier. However, he had changed these past years, there was an expression in his eyes that confused her, she couldn’t tell if it was sadness, loneliness, or plain madness. He was caressing her cheeks as he had often done when she was a little girl, but Hange was terrified, she kept staring at him though, trying to uncover his intentions. Then he got so close to her she could feel his breath on her lips, he touched them with his fingers, and she started trembling, what was he going to do? What did he want this time? The herbal scent of his laboratory was strong, and she was tasting it in the fingers that were running over her lips. Finally, he kissed her there, softly as he used to kiss her mother, it wasn’t obscene or sensual, it was only his lips on hers and for a second, she asked herself if this was a demonstration of his love. He kissed her forehead next and she didn’t know what to think, he put his head on her lap and sighed.

“Have you ever loved me, Hange?” he asked, and she wasn’t sure if he was going to punish her for her answer.

“I loved you… “ she answered and she pitied him, he was an unstable, lost man and he was threatening to drag her into his own darkness.

“I love you, Hange. I love you as much as I loved your mother… my sweet Zoë… why did she leave me, Hange? She said we were going to grow old together, she promised me we were going to watch the sunset of this world together…” he sounded sad and tired.

“That’s life… isn’t it?” Hange remembered the times he threw her against the furniture and the pain she felt afterward.

“You’ll never forgive me and I’m afraid you’ll never learn either… you’ll have to kill me, I deserve that at least, to die by your hands,” It had crossed her mind since he marked that boy’s face, she wanted to kill him, but he was still her father. Maybe there was hope for salvation, her mother taught her that life was above everything.

“I can’t kill you,” she said, in that moment, she thought she couldn’t kill anyone or anything. Her own words would haunt her the first time she killed a Titan and the first time she killed a man. However, the rage would guide her blades for years. 

“You’re my daughter, Hange, my blood runs through your veins… I know because you’re brilliant just like I was, but madness and wisdom go hand in hand, and sometimes, the lines are blurred, and we can’t separate one from the other. My father was mad too, maybe I inherited it from him and I’m afraid you’ll walk the same path,” he seemed genuinely concerned about her which was the opposite of his actions. Also, it was the first time he ever mentioned his family. She had never known any relatives from her father’s side, and he would avoid her questions, so she had stopped asking about it.

“I’m not like you… I won’t be…” she assured him. Hange Zoë would be known as the insane Titan scientist, but she would never be as twisted and coldblooded as him.

“Would you make tea for your father? Chamomile tea…” he looked at her with pleading eyes and she nodded in affirmation. 

She went outside to grab the new flowers for the tea. The scent reminded her of her mother, but those memories started to be replaced by his father’s fingers on her lips and the feeling of dread and terror that would haunt her just thinking about it. She couldn’t love him anymore, not after the nights of torture she had suffered under his heavy body. He didn’t hurt her that night, he had his tea, slept on the couch for a couple of hours, left a big purse full of coins so she could buy things for the house, food, or anything she might need, and went back to his laboratory.

The next time he entered the house had been a different story, he hit her across the face so hard she fell to the floor and the basket of chamomile flowers she was holding in her hands spread around her. He pulled her pants down and she held onto the wooden boards, bracing herself for what was coming, she had stopped screaming or begging since it did nothing to appease his violence. She focused on the scent of the flowers and the memories of those summer days with her beautiful mother and hoped the pain would end quickly.

There is a beast in every human…

The scientist Hange Zoë was sitting on a different floor, the one of her own laboratory at the Survey Corps headquarters but the scent of the small Chamomile flowers Erwin gave her had brought back the weak fourteen-year-old girl who lived dominated by fear and pain. Fear of a beast that had once been her father, fear of the nights of abuse and the slaps in her cheeks. “I can’t look back,” she was repeating in her mind but the confirmation that her personal demon was still alive and worse, he had found her was too painful to ignore. For the first time in years, she was scared, more scared than the day of her first expedition outside the Walls, more scared than the first time her subordinates died under her command, more scared than the day they received the news that a Titan so big he leaned over the Wall had destroyed the gate of Wall Maria ending a century of relative peace.

She heard someone closing the door and she saw Levi sitting on the chair near her. He didn’t know he had faced her worst nightmare in the shape of a man, he came back alive though and that was all she needed right now. She didn’t want to tell him, she wasn’t sure if she would ever be ready to talk about it with another person. She preferred to ignore it and pretend it had never happened, but her heart was beating fast in her chest, and she felt she was drowning and couldn’t breathe properly. He placed a hand on her cheek, and she grabbed her shirt, Hange held onto it as if it was the anchor that would keep her from falling into the depths of hell.

Levi wasn’t sure what to do, she knew him, but she also knew he didn’t want to do something wrong, and no one had taken care of her in years as he had. She asked him to hold her with her last strength before breaking down in tears in his arms. She was crying all the tears she had suppressed because she was a soldier, humanity’s wings of freedom and she had accepted to pay the price for the greater good. However, she was still human and her scarred soul was aching for salvation, can you be the one to save me, Levi? She thought that the warmth of his body was a better medicine for the pain than Celsus’ infusions.

She looked up and he cleaned her face with his elegant cravat, it smelled of lavender and his characteristic scent. What did she do to deserve the kindness of the most powerful man inside the Walls? He said he was hers and she was his, could that be more than just a desperate desire? Could they belong to one another while being soldiers at humanity’s service? She had never dreamed of staying by a person’s side for the rest of her days but that thought had flashed in his mind since he caressed her naked back and whispered he didn’t want her to end up inside a Titan’s mouth. What was he doing to her and her resolve to find the worlds beyond the Walls?

She kissed him and she was so emotionally drained that if he had asked her to forget about everything and run away with him to some dark corner inside the Walls, she would have done it in a heartbeat. They could survive together in a small cabin or even in a cave in a mountain, she didn’t care, she had experience with hiding her identity so she could become a new person and live one day at a time. He would brew tea for her in the afternoons and they would make love all night, every night until the Titans ate them all. His lips separated from hers and she realized how stupid and selfish the idea was.  

“Thank you…   for this,” she whispered, regaining her strength.

“Hange… I would have done it without you asking me it if I wasn’t so shit at… these things,” he admitted, and she smiled. He didn’t give himself enough credit for his healing kisses, maybe he didn’t remember but he had comforted her many times when they were just friends and were fighting their carnal desires. 

“You’re not so shit at this…” she kissed him and this time she threw her arms around his neck, and he put his hands on her waist. Their kisses deepened but he stopped before crossing the line of no return.

“I have… to… check on the rest… of the … squad,” he said frustrated. She would have time later to strip him off his clothes and ride him until getting exhausted.

“I was worried about you when you left,” Worried wasn’t accurate. Terror invaded her body when she heard they had traveled to that hellhole and were planning to see him.

“I’m hard to kill… and I had to come back to you…” His hands pulled her closer when he pronounced those words, she couldn’t help but smile and he kissed her again, she had missed his kisses even if he had been absent for a few days . Always come back to me, Levi, she thought, and she saw him leave her laboratory.

Erwin was explaining the information they had about the poison and the name of the noble doctor Thanatos had provided. She was working on suppressing her body’s natural reaction to his name, but she still looked uncomfortable. Levi was sitting on the other side of the table and had been checking on her since the meeting started. Mike was inspecting her face and she supposed he had noticed the physical similarities between her and the man in the laboratory of herbal medicine. She had inherited her most characteristic feature, which was her nose, from her father. The commander asked her to share the results of the field test of the weapon and she immersed herself in her work leaving the sorrow behind.

“We tested the prototype on an abnormal which put the weapon to the limit, the contained explosions were powerful enough for the anchors to pierce the Titan’s flesh and most of the hooks were successfully deployed inside the body. However, since the target’s movements were violent and erratic, the cables couldn’t withstand the tension and one of them snapped, I’m sure the others would have followed if the Titan hadn’t been killed immediately after the accident… I know, Levi, you did what the situation required at that moment…” she added as soon as he opened his mouth to scold her.

“Maybe if the target’s movements were more efficiently restricted, we wouldn’t have to worry about the cables,” the commander said while she wrote down ideas and other concerns regarding the weapon.

“I think it’s dangerous that it requires the person to be too close to the Titan,” Levi pointed out one of the flaws their plan had during the expedition and looked at the wound on her forehead.

“If we work on a better method to reduce the Titan’s movements, it won’t matter if the distance is short, we usually climb on top of them to cut their napes so I don’t see a big difference…” she responded, he was referring to her accident and the risk she had taken.

“We climb with blades in our hands and ready to kill in seconds not distracted by some shit to catch them,” Was it her impression, or was he being too obvious that he was worried about her safety?

“I understand your concerns, Levi, but we lack the technology to automate the weapon, a person will have to fire it,” she said and didn’t want to look at Erwin or Mike.

“We'll have to analyze if this fucking thing is worth putting someone's life at risk,” he sentenced, and she was conflicted. His fear of losing her made her heart beat faster but she was afraid the other two men will notice it.

“Any new method that will help us understand the nature of the enemy is worth the risk,” she wasn’t expecting a different answer from Erwin.

Levi ate his sarcastic words and the meeting continued without further interruptions on his part. She knew he was angry and was glaring at her every now and then. Once they have finished, they stayed for a while and shared a cup of tea with the commander. They talked about the unexpected guests and their possible intentions. Why did the Royal Councilor bring a Priest from the Wall Cult with him? Someone must have forced him to do it because he couldn’t hide the fact they didn’t seem the best of friends and Flavio Wolff was definitely not a religious person. Erwin had ordered an investigation on him and he was living a life of debauchery in the open. The Military Police would clean the mess he leaves behind and since he was one of the closest men to the King, no one dared question his behavior.

“Hange… I’m going to ask you only once and I’ll respect your decision if you choose to not answer me but… if this information becomes critical in the future, I’ll have to insist… Who is this man Thanatos to you?” Erwin asked once everyone left, and they were alone in his office. She was grabbing her notes and suddenly her hands started to tremble slightly, but it was noticeable for someone as sharp as the commander. She knew he could investigate her past if he wanted to, but he chose to put his trust in her once again just like he had been doing since that night in front of the fire when he listened to her theories.

“He… He… He is my father… I thought… I thought I killed him before I left the house where I grew up and joined the military,” she finally confessed, Erwin of all people deserved the truth, and she knew he wouldn’t disclose the information if it wasn’t necessary.

“What kind of man is he?” he continued his interrogation, but his blue eyes had softened.

“Erwin… He’s a dangerous man, he’s a specialist in all kinds of poisons and I’m sure he sells them, when I was a child I thought all his earnings came from the medicinal infusions he prepared but now… He’s a man who won’t hesitate to kill to achieve his objectives…” she could feel the tears starting to pool in her eyes, but she held back, she was in front of the commander of the Survey Corps and even if they considered each other to be friends she was a soldier under his command.

“I won’t force you to face him… and I promise you nobody will know… not even Levi, he seemed upset enough by your accident in the last expedition, there’s no need to anger him even more… I can see you’ve grown very close in these past years,” Did he know? Did he have any idea of how close they have actually become?

“Thank you… be careful when dealing with him, he’s smart,” she warned him, and he stood up and grabbed her hand.

“Hange… We’ve worked together for a long time, but I don’t think I’ve ever told you how important you are for the Survey Corps, and I appreciate you putting your trust in me,” he said, and he was standing so close to her, she had to look up to see his face. She smiled and nodded in acknowledgment.

They couldn’t escape for the rest of their lives, but they could run away just for a night. After someone seemed to have been spying on them the night she tied him to his bed and teased him with a knife, she thought they needed to take a break from their responsibilities at headquarters. She convinced him to ride a few kilometers to the east where she found a clearing in the woods during the training exercises of that day. They were alone, he was sitting with his back against a tree, and she was on his lap, they had been talking and making out when the words couldn’t transmit their messages clearly. They were kissing intensely when he slipped one of his hands under the shirt of her uniform, she didn’t mind it and let him travel along her skin, she could feel his touch on her stomach and he was going up slowly but firmly. She was cupping his face while sinking in his mouth and he reached her breasts, he didn’t wait and forced his wandering hand under her top, she couldn’t help it and a soft moan interrupted her kiss.

He moved part of the collar of her shirt out of his way and he started kissing her collarbone and her neck. He whispered on her lips “Take this fucking thing off,” and she smiled. She wasn’t in the mood to wait either, so she removed her shirt and her top quickly while he did the same and he laid her on the blanket he had brought with him since the temperature lowered a bit at night. He was on top of her, and she was dragging her hands along his back, feeling his muscles and the weight of his body. His tongue was tasting her chest and he teased her drawing circles around her breasts without taking them into his mouth as she was waiting for him to do and was growing impatient by the second. The moment he did it the heat and the pulse between her legs spread to the rest of her anatomy, she arched her back in response so he could taste everything he wanted, she was his after all, and wrapped her legs around him, pulling him closer.

The hardness below his hips was rubbing against her thighs, she let him know she wanted his pants removed too and he understood her silent request. After a moment of pulling her pants down and taking his own off, he was inside of her, his thrusts were tamed at first but as soon as the pleasure started to dominate his mind, he accelerated, and she moaned in approval. They were free to be as noisy as they wanted but he was used to kissing her passionately while the spasms of an orgasm made her sink her nails into his shoulders. He didn’t stop since he usually had the stamina and power to take her high so she could climax again. She screamed in pleasure as a third orgasm helped her forget her pain and her terrible past.

He wrapped her in his arms and covered their naked bodies with the blanket after he hit his limit and was stabilizing his breath under the tree. She wasn’t cold, the natural heat of his skin against hers was enough to keep her comfortable but she thought it was so sweet he worried about her and brought a blanket. She was smiling and running her fingers over his lips and other parts of his face, he wasn’t complaining so she kept doing it.

“My mother used to do the same… but she sang a song and touched my eyes, my nose, my mouth…. I don’t remember the song, I was very young, but I remember how her fingers felt,” he confessed, and she was surprised, he wasn’t used to sharing that kind of information with anybody, not even with her.

“Did she look like you?” she wasn’t sure she would get an answer, but it was worth trying.

“Yes, she did. She had long black hair with some curls, and grey eyes, and she always smelled nice even though we didn’t have much… “his eyes glistened when he remembered his mother. There was nothing of the deadly Titan slayer but a man who suffered the loss of someone he loved.

“She must have been beautiful,” she said softly, and she wanted to heal his invisible wounds as he was doing it with hers.

“She was… She would have liked you… You would have scared her at first, but she was very perceptive, I’m sure she would have liked your smile too,” He had no idea how his words were hitting every string in her heart, and she was trying hard not to cry.

“You like when I smile?” she whispered and swallowed to clear her throat.

“I like when you smile or laugh while you do your shitty experiments and when you joke about fuck up things most people wouldn’t find funny… but I don’t like when you cry… Hange… I…” he was caressing her cheek gently and she was lost in the meaning behind what he was saying.

“I thought I annoyed you,” she quickly added before he could say a dangerous thing.

“You did… I didn’t understand half the shit you did or why, I don’t think I understand that much now but I want to be with you like this…” They were in deep trouble, she was more than sure now but wasn’t that the beauty of being human? To share moments like this with someone special.

“I’ll help you understand then…” she kissed him deep on the mouth, and he kissed her back while she wrapped her arms around his neck and she felt her breasts glued to his chest, and she would give anything to stay like this, naked in his arms.

His hands grabbed her behind and squeezed it gently without interrupting his passionate kisses, she was exploring his abdomen when the horses whined and got agitated. She hadn’t heard anything besides the sounds of their tongues colliding, but he insisted he had to check their surroundings. She stayed wrapped in the blanket under the tree thinking that maybe they were being paranoid. Levi returned after some minutes of searching the perimeter and he told her he found nothing. She sighed and invited him to undress again since she wasn’t planning on going back to headquarters so early. He said he had a strong suspicion that her assistant was the one keeping an eye on them, she asked for proof, but he justified it with “It’s a hunch,” so she dismissed the idea. He added how intently he had looked at her earlier that day when she took off her uniform to swim in the river with everyone, she laughed and accused him of imagining things.

They stayed for a couple of hours with their hands, mouths, and tongues on each other. They tried the other positions they liked, the one with her on top of him, then the one where she sits on his lap, and he even put her on all fours. He told her she needed to get some sleep after kissing her forehead, so they got dressed and returned to the castle. Apparently, no one had noticed their absence, but they weren’t counting on the honey eyes that were still open at that time, and she wasn’t alone.

That afternoon in the river had been a relaxing experience. She found Levi’s and Mike’s squad swimming in a river nearby and she knew they were avoiding headquarters where the noble guests were annoying everyone. Levi wasn’t in the water though, he was sitting under a tree, she noticed he wasn’t looking at the naked women and that included the attractive Petra. This was a normal occurrence for the veteran soldiers, but she didn’t know if the Special Operations Squad had done it before. She exchanged some words with him before standing up and stripped naked in front of him, she gave him an evil smile while he pleaded with his eyes to stop it. She was so focused on Levi’s reaction that she didn’t notice the other eyes watching her, especially a pair of eyes that she never considered could develop an intense desire for her filthy and disorganized self. The same eyes that had joined Petra’s in that sleepless night.

Teresa appeared at the castle early in the morning with unsettling news. Alphonse had had a violent encounter with one of Rod Reiss’ lackeys, he said the man was amazingly skillful with guns and other weapons. He wasn’t an idiot either since he noticed the men the blonde woman had paid to follow him. They also shared the information about the King’s intentions to offer for the first time in history the possibility to poor families to earn a safe place inside Wall Sina, this wouldn’t be his sole act of compassion since he had distributed an incredible amount of food from his and the rest of the nobles’ private stocks to prevent more people from Wall Rose to starve to death. Hange thought he was obviously looking for people’s approval and devotion but why? What was different now than the previous years? Was he really going through a phase of regret and wanting to make amends with the public?   

“I can’t tell if he’s planning something alone or he knows someone else is going to attempt to defy him,” the blonde noble had a glass of wine in her hand even though it was early and looked upset. 

“Reiss’ doesn’t want people to know what he’s doing so he’s obviously involved in something illegal,” Erwin said while the others were thinking about the problem. 

“Before the man discovered our spies, they saw him meeting with people and priests from the Wall Cult, I’d like to think he’s a religious man but I doubt it,” Alphonse informed them using his elegant and serious tone. 

“Many nobles are followers of that Cult and even more had turned to them since the fall of Wall Maria, I think my father has been involved with them for a couple of years, I know nothing of his affairs now,” Teresa took a sip of her wine. 

“Has he ever tried to convince you to join them,” Hange asked, trying to connect the ideas in her mind. 

“No… I think a priest was indoctrinating my older brother when he died,” she remembered. Maybe it was a tradition between the most important nobles to join the Wall Cult so the King could see them with favorable eyes. 

“This smells like a shitty situation… “ Levi was sipping his cup of tea sitting by Erwin’s desk. 

“Teresa Ignacio! What a coincidence to find you here in Wall Rose!” Flavio Wolff exclaimed, a soldier opened the door, the commander couldn’t afford to look suspicious in front of a Royal Councilor. 

“I’m the one surprised here, I see you’re enjoying your stay in this old castle,” she smiled sarcastically, they weren’t friends at all. 

“The place isn’t important when I have the company of Erwin Smith to distract me, you must know since I’ve heard you’re a regular visitor,” he grabbed her hand and kissed it, was this a silent battle for Erwin’s attention? 

“I’m glad you’ve decided to become a religious man, maybe you’ll find a way to pay for your sins,” she removed her hand quickly and signaled Alphonse to pour more wine into her glass. 

“You should follow my example, my dear Teresa, you have a lot of sins of your own according to your father,” her smile dissolved as soon as she heard the councilor mentioning her father. 

“Today’s experiments will take place after lunch, it will be an honor if you decide to join us,” Hange announced to Flavio in an attempt to dissipate the uncomfortable tension in the air. 

“I’ll be there, I’m very interested in the use this weapon will have in the future,” he said, he was still looking at Teresa and Hange decided she had had enough of the noble’s drama. 

She asked Erwin for permission to return to her laboratory and he granted it. Her mind was full of doubts and questions when she sat on her desk, the chamomile flowers were still there and she sighed, wondering what the future would bring to the people inside the Walls. She saw Moblit’s detailed drawings of the flowers next to her books and she inspected them, amazed at his talent for reproducing real-life objects with a stroke of his quill. She kept turning the papers and found more sketches of the chamomile until she saw something that left her speechless. It was her, reading a book, the art was beautiful though so she continued uncovering the rest of the drawings and she found more but she wasn’t reading or looking through her microscope. She was naked, she was wearing her glasses but her eyes were closed, a pair of arms were surrounding her waist, she was sitting on someone’s lap, and she realized this was the night she told Levi to fuck her in the ass. She checked the next paper and it was her again, naked, she was on top of an unknown man in the woods. She was the subject of his drawings, not the man who was obviously Levi. What was the meaning of these illustrations? Was he just admiring her naked body or was it something else? She wasn’t only naked in the drawings, she was having sex, he had captured the pleasure on her face too well. What would Levi do to him if he happened to see them? He already had his suspicions about him and this would make it worse. 

Hange took off her glasses, confused and searching for a solution to her predicament. Should she let him know she had seen the sketches? He was her subordinate, her trusted and loyal assistant and he was a responsible soldier. Why, Moblit? Why did you have to draw me like this? She thought and she remembered he was also a man who had the right to be attracted to whoever he wanted. He shouldn’t be watching her in these private moments though, she was his superior. Maybe if he never acts upon his fantasies they could keep working together. Maybe it was just a fleeting desire that was born due to his loneliness, it will go away in time and she wouldn’t need to interfere. She smelled the relaxing scent of the chamomile flowers and she wished she could live forever in those summer days with her mother, away from this complicated reality, safe in a chamomile dream. 

Chapter Text

Petra’s copper hair was dancing in the breeze of the first days of spring, she was unbuckling the leather straps of her military uniform from her thighs, then she disposed of the harnesses, her honey eyes found him sitting under a tree and she continued undressing. She unbuttoned her white shirt and threw it on the grass, she was wearing a bra unlike Hange who usually wore a top that hid her feminine figure, his subordinate wasn’t trying to do that. He felt her gaze and he looked at her thinking she would feel intimidated and pay attention to the river. His strategy failed miserably, she unclasped her bra and slid it off her thin arms slowly. Her breasts were big, and they seemed bigger due to her short height, she took off her pants, and now she wasn’t wearing anything at all. She was a few meters from him, but she was still too close to be completely naked, he looked the opposite way while she walked into the water.

He heard the other women laugh, he supposed she hadn’t forgotten their conversation in the kitchen, and judging by the confidence with which she took off her clothes in front of him, she wasn’t going to give up. She was an attractive woman, he couldn’t deny it, most women dream to have her perfect hourglass body, but she lacked Hange’s irresistible allure and that something that brought him to his knees in the first place. He wasn’t interested in her to put it plain and simple. He was remembering the first night he had sex with the beautiful scientist in the river of the abandoned castle when he heard horses galloping towards them.

Could it be…? There she was, riding a horse already, why was she so hard on herself? It had been a few weeks since the accident, the wound in her forehead hadn’t disappeared yet and she was doing such a demanding exercise. Her squad members followed her, they were pleasantly surprised to find them swimming in the river. Gelgar yelled at them that the water wasn’t cold nor hot, it was perfect for a quick dive. Hange smiled and granted her subordinates permission to rest, none of the men hesitated to jump into the river. Nifa looked at the rest of the women, unsure of what to do.    

“You’ll regret it if you don’t swim today, the water will get colder in the next months but… you’ll have to take off your uniform. We have to ride back to headquarters after this and we don’t have extra clothes,” Hange told Nifa and sat down next to him under the tree.

“Isn’t it too soon for you to be riding a horse?” he asked still annoyed at her lack of consideration for herself.

“You didn’t say anything when I was riding… other… things,” she answered lowering her voice, Nifa was undressing nearby.

“It isn’t the same shit,” of course, she would find a way to twist his words.

“Why are so sure about that?” she smiled seductively, and he wondered if the soldiers would notice if they kissed quickly. He controlled his impulses and avoided getting close to her.

 “I’m avoiding headquarters for as long as I can,” he confessed, changing the subject of the uncomfortable conversation.

“I know… I supposed the councilor isn’t a friend of yours… You can look, I don’t care,” she suddenly said, and her smile turned into an annoying one. She noticed he was averting his eyes from the naked women in the river.

“I swear, four eyes… I’m not in the mood,” he warned her, and she took off her jacket. Then stood up and started unbuttoning her shirt, he knew this was going to happen but was trying not to think about it.

“I won’t stay here seeing your sulky expression with this heat,” she threw her shirt to his face, and he was battling a bestial instinct to jump her right there in front of everyone.

The leather straps from her uniform followed and memories from their first time in the river in the abandoned castle flooded his mind. She took off her boots and she was throwing everything around him or at him, he saw some of the soldiers watching them surprised, well… she was undressing right in his face after all. Part of him was hoping they would assume that was normal behavior for the unhinged Hange Zoë, but some faces were telling him they suspected something else, specially Nanaba’s and Petra’s. Maybe they already knew because the others were just shocked at her boldness.

Her pants were on his face and he begged her to stop, but she gave him an evil smile and disposed of her top. Then winked at him and soon the rest of her clothes were on the grass, fucking hell, he didn’t feel anything like this seeing the other women… it was her, she possessed a sensuality he couldn’t resist. She was tall, her slim body was toned and even if other women were more voluptuous than her, he thought she had the ideal feminine body, she looked as if someone had sculpted her carefully. Moblit was almost drooling watching her walking into the river, Eld who was usually shy hadn’t taken his eyes off her since she started undressing, Gelgar had swam back up just to see her, and even the tall idiot of Zacharias was following her moves. Anger surged in his body and a savage impulse to take all those men’s eyes crept on him.

“Levi! Are you sure you don’t want to come?! The water’s delicious!” Hange yelled, she wasn’t completely submerged. She was tying her hair in a small bun and he could see her perfect small breasts under the sun. He needed to relax or the tightness in his pants would get worse.

“I won’t swim in the same river as you, four eyes,” he put on his clean freak show for their subordinates.

“Rivers aren’t lakes, the water is constantly flowing,” did she expect him to get naked with her and not touch her at all? That was an impossible task.

“I won’t risk you cutting my dick off for a shitty experiment!” he couldn’t risk all the soldiers seeing the effect her body had on him.

She laughed loudly and that was the end of the discussion. He made an effort not to stare at her until he saw Nanaba hugging her from behind, what the fuck was the blonde woman doing? Her arms surrounded Hange’s waist, and his anger turned into rage. He took a deep breath, they were just female friends messing around. Then she was massaging her shoulders and he was pretending to ignore them, but the woman’s hands brushed her breasts. He stood up, checked on the horses, and fed his animal as a therapy to calm his nerves. The soldiers were getting dressed when Hange whispered “We’ll come back tonight, shorty,” and they rode back to headquarters.

The woman smoking behind him was wearing an underbust corset with a lace top underneath that had so many holes it was the same if it was there or not. Her skirt was short at the front and her black socks stopped at her thighs. Some strands of her silver-blonde hair were braided and she was considerably young to be the owner of a brothel. She had provided women as part of the entertainment for the councilor’s party. She accepted to help them with their mission since the hotel she owned was almost in front of the place where Hange and Nanaba were looking for information.

“Are you sure you’re not interested in my offer?” the woman asked again, he had already rejected her offer a couple of times.

“I’m not here to fuck,” he said with his eyes fixed on the windows of the house where the party was taking place.

“Are you fucking the tease of the ponytail?” he turned to her, he was shocked at her deductive skills. Was he being too obvious? Well, she had tested his patience by flirting with Hange before she left for the party.

“We’re comrades,” he responded and looked at the building in front of them.

“I’m sure she’s bold, daring, and loud in bed, the kind of woman you don’t find around that easily. You’re wasting your time. She was keeping an eye on you when my girls were trying to treat you,” Really? Was she feeling angry when other women flirted with him? Although she wasn’t wrong about her assessment of her behavior in bed.

“We’re on an important mission,” he couldn’t allow this prostitute to see through him so easily.

“She probably has a great body too, such an attractive waist is hard to hide and that perfectly tight ass… she’s an athletic soldier, I bet my month’s income she likes it rough,” Levi turned to her again, the woman was smiling, the smoke escaping her full red lips smelled of a combination of tobacco and herbs.

“Do you still have the bottle of rum?” if she wasn’t planning to shut up, he needed something to distract him from picturing Hange’s body parts she was mentioning in a sensual voice.

“I’ll give you the most private room for the rest of the night, free of charge, so you can fuck her brains out… the least I can do for humanity’s hope, I’m sure she’ll need it after that party unless she decides to join in the fun,” a tempting offer, no doubt… what did she mean by joining the fun?

“Your women aren’t there just for dancing, are they?” he downed a glass of the alcohol and her mischievous smile answered his question without words.

“You don’t know about Flavio’s wild parties? All the guests are there to fuck and not only my girls. They’re just the initial eye candy before the real fun starts… it’s disgusting but so good.”

“All the guests?” he repeated, thinking about the dangerous situation Hange had walked in. They had decided that people would easily recognize him since they usually came to see him depart for the expeditions. Now, images of men and women touching her were driving him mad.

“All the guests… they will dim the lights in one hour and… well, I don’t need to explain it,” One hour? Did Erwin know about this and didn’t say anything? Would he put Hange in a compromising situation like that? No, he was sure he wouldn’t do it. She was smart, she would realize the other guests’ intentions and leave. What if they get her drunk to have their way with her? Fucking hell! He hit the wall with his fist.

He didn’t care if the prostitute noticed his feelings towards her, she had already guessed as much. What if he ruins the mission by showing up at the party? Erwin will know the reason behind his actions and he will show him they couldn’t work together anymore. He sat on a chair near the window, she told him she hadn’t fucked anybody else since they started to be intimate which meant she wasn’t interested in other people. Would she get angry at him for doubting her? Would she get disappointed if he doesn’t go to help her? Why was this shit so hard? He needed to know she was safe and none of those pigs would put their hands on her.

“I can help you get inside without making too much noise… Flavio is expecting me in a few minutes, I like to go around with… company,” she puffed at her cigarette and smiled. The woman was his last hope to solve this problem.

“I won’t touch you more than necessary,” he warned her. He knew what kind of company she liked to have around.

“You’re the one missing out,” she pulled up her skirt up to her waist showing him everything between her legs. He snorted, Hange was the only woman in his mind.

Levi had to grab her by the waist and kiss her to convince the men guarding the door that he was her plaything for the night. She put a mustache and a hat on his head so it would be more difficult to recognize him. They stepped into the main salon and he was scanning the crowd for a brown ponytail. The woman would direct his attention towards her to remind him he was supposed to be drooling for her. Then she guided him to another place where the candles were fewer, and her girls were half-naked, making out and touching each other on an elegant couch in the middle of the room. He paid more attention to his surroundings and realized most of the guests were participating in some kind of sexual activity. Was he late? Was he going to find Hange at the mercy of someone else? His grip on the woman’s hand tightened and she told him he was hurting her.

They stopped at the door to the next room and a man inspected him because he knew madam Frances well, he even kissed her hand. She laughed, flirted with him and kissed him on the mouth. He opened the door and told them the fun had already started. The room was smaller, decorated with chaise longue sofas, and comfortable furniture to lay on. He heard moans and slapping sounds. Flavio Wolff, the elegant royal councilor was naked, thrusting into a man’s behind fast and deep. He forced himself to imitate madam Frances who wasn’t bothered nor surprised by the scene. 

“What a piece of meat… this one,” she praised the man underneath the councilor. She sat on the couch in front of them and he did the same when she patted the space next to her.  

“Wall Rose’s best production I’d say,” Flavio slapped the man’s cheeks while pounding into him.

“He’s still so hard, the beauty of youth,” Luckily for the councilor, the man looked in his twenties. If he had found out he was too young, he would have beaten him and finished the mission.  

“Your girls are a success among the guests,” it was amazing how well he could speak judging by how hard he was going in and out of the other man. 

“I’ve never given you anything but the best, sweetheart,” madam France’s hands were on his thigh and she kissed him when he turned to scold her. The young man cried out in pleasure and the councilor followed him. He spilled his seed on the man’s back and slapped his bottom again.  

“Are you joining us tonight?” Flavio asked madam Frances and put on an elegant silk robe which he certainly appreciated. 

“I have business to attend, I’ve been very busy since the King remembered another Wall exists… his tour has brought unexpected customers,” she licked her red lips sensually and he wanted to roll his eyes but he had to play along. 

“He looks like the strongest soldier… is that why you chose him?” He was a noble pig but he wasn’t completely stupid. 

“He won’t come and have fun with us so I have to find a substitute, I doubt he would be as powerful and talented in bed as the real thing but… better than nothing,” she sunk her hand between his legs, he should have known she would take advantage of the situation, she was a prostitute without shame, not an ordinary woman. 

“I’d fuck him so hard he won’t be able to ride a horse in months,” the councilor was staring at him intently. 

“Your stupid fantasy of fucking a soldier… haven’t you fucked enough MPs?” she finally removed her hand and was caressing Flavio’s jaw who had sat down on the same couch. 

“I don’t want to fuck soldiers, I want to fuck a Titan slayer, he’s the best of them and I’m an ambitious man…  however, that scientist with the ponytail is a good start, I heard she fucks women too, so hot,” Levi was doing an inhuman effort not to strangle him on the spot. 

“A woman soldier who kills Titans must be a beast in bed, I’m getting wet just thinking about it, so we should leave before I change my mind,” she kissed the handsome councilor on the mouth then the motherfucker grabbed him by his vest and introduced his tongue in his mouth. Madam Frances’ stare was telling him to follow his game. He swore to kill this idiot the first chance he gets. 

“Enough… we’re leaving, my customers will arrive soon at the hotel,” she stood up and he parted from the councilor to follow her. 

“Frances, be careful with your businesses, it would a shame if a beauty like you dies so young,” he sipped wine from a glass and didn’t look at her. 

They were leaving the room when she whispered “If you ever get the chance, kill him,” and he nodded in agreement. Once they were in a different salon she told him he was free to look for “his woman” while she was checking on her girls. She assured him Hange and Nanaba had a plan to leave the building which involves the help of her girls. They separated and he had no idea where to look next.      

He was walking down a hall when a hand grabbed his ass, he turned around angry and the person dragged him to one of the rooms with more people, tried to pin him against the wall and he pushed the person away. She burst out laughing and he would recognize that voice anywhere, he pushed her against the wall, and she kissed him, her tongue inside of his mouth turned him on like a match. However, they were still inside the councilor’s place, and he tried to catch his breath and regain some composure.

“I’ve got the information Erwin wanted, Nanaba went ahead to rendezvous with Mike outside,” she whispered in his ear, then nibbled on his earlobe.

“How… how did you… know… it was me… in the hall?” his hand was going up to her leg. 

“I’d recognized that ass anywhere,” she said and squeezed his behind again drawing him closer.

“Fucking… hell… did anyone… see you?” his pants were tightening now that their bodies were touching.

“The… councilor… recognized me, but I didn’t have to fuck him to reach an agreement with him,” she kissed his jaw very close to his lips. “Why did you come? Your position is in the hotel,” he put his hands on her waist and she bit his lower lip.

“I came… for you, I couldn’t… let anyone touch you,” he kissed her passionately and she moaned softly into the kiss.

“You should consider growing some facial hair, it looks great on you,” he remembered he still had that uncomfortable shit on his face, he took it out since they were leaving soon.

“You like it? It’s fucking disgusting…” Levi complained and she smiled, they kissed again and then he followed her to a room where the women from madam Frances were going to pretend to be with them to go outside without raising suspicions.

They found Mike and Nanaba waiting for them at the reception of the hotel, Hange wrote a message for the commander on a piece of paper and handed it to the tall man. She said she still had business to attend with the madam, something about a payment they had to make for her services. The blonde woman looked at her with a knowing smile when Levi announced he was staying with her. Good thing these two already knew about them because it couldn’t get any more obvious than the two of them in a hotel of all places. He wasn’t sure if she was planning something with him or thinking about the mission. She was sitting near a window and he was on a couch, he signaled her to sit next to him, and the receptionist was working without looking at them, even if she did she wasn’t in the Survey Corps and it was part of her job to be discreet.

Hange doubted for a minute but granted his request. She left a few inches between them, and he encircled her waist with his arm, they wanted to kiss and their faces were very close to each other but they knew they couldn’t do it so openly. However, he planted a soft peck on her lips, she hit him in the chest and they fell into temptation, they kissed properly a couple of times while he checked their surroundings.

“We…. better…. stop,” she whispered after they separated.

“She knows… what’s the problem?” he was referring to madam Frances, not the people who might enter the hotel and see them.

“Other people… might see… they’d recognize you and then the rumors would reach Erwin’s ears,” she forced herself to smile, he noticed it.

“What the fuck would he do about it? Kick us out of the Survey Corps?” there was a slim possibility of that happening, but he doubted it.

“I… don’t know, he told me he had noticed we’ve become close these past years but I’m not sure what he’d do if…. he knows about this,” they hadn’t done anything wrong since they got their hands on each other. They successfully captured two Titans the day after the first time they fucked, she kept doing her experiments and her research as usual, he was still in charge of the Special Operations Squad and had gone to a couple of expeditions without major issues. Well, the accident with the new weapon had nothing to do with them having sex so… what would the problem be if Erwin knew?

“He’s not an idiot…” He could never understand Erwin’s mind, he wasn’t going to try now either.

“I’m tired of Flavio’s shitty taste in men,” Madam sounded dissatisfied with the party’s guests.

“I have the second part of the payment,” Hange stood up and took a purse from the pocket of her jacket.

“It’s a pleasure to serve the Survey Corps, and people like to say we’re not honorable citizens,” she grabbed the purse but didn’t check its content.

“People don’t have us in their highest esteem either,” she smiled, madam Frances tucked a strand of her bangs behind her ear. He looked at the woman with murderous intent.

“Honor doesn’t mean shit in comparison to pleasure… don’t worry, captain… I won’t stick my tongue inside of her unless… the three of us reach an understanding,” she was dangerously close to Hange and he commended her fearlessness.

“You’re beautiful but our mission here is done, maybe we’ll have the chance to work together in the future,” he stood up tired of the woman’s boldness.

“The most private suite is empty tonight, it’s on a floor with very few rooms… you can have it the whole night and no one will know captain Levi was here,” she made her tempting offer again, he cursed himself for considering it, and he let Hange answer this time.

“We appreciate your kindness, but we have to report to headquarters,” she knew that staying wasn’t a good idea.

“Of course, I almost forgot you’re soldiers on a mission… if you ever need some privacy, don’t forget about me,” she kissed Hange’s lips softly and winked at him. She was trying hard to be on his murder list.

He bought a bottle of alcohol and they headed back to the Trost’s headquarters which was a shittier place than the castle a few kilometers from the districts, Hange talked most of the way while he was drinking straight out of the bottle. He enjoyed hearing her voice, she was in good spirits since the mission had been successful and he wondered if she was regretting not staying at the woman’s hotel. He was so frustrated that he was hoping to fall asleep soon, but she told him to follow her once they arrived at the building. Where was she going to take him? He didn’t hesitate a second to do as he was told, he had stopped questioning her power over him and accepted he had lost that battle the second he pinned her against her table for the first time.

She guided him to the library, was she going to show him some shit about her research? There was a door at the back of the room that no human being had touched in centuries, she opened it and they had to climb a staircase to reach an attic room with a huge window that allowed entrance to the moonlight. She lit some candles near a pillar where he sat more relaxed and less disappointed. He pulled her from her suspenders and accommodated her between his legs.  

“There are some candles left… on the other side,” she whispered against his lips.

“We’ve got enough light, forget about this shit,” he threw the matches she had in her hand. Drunk from the bottle and she did the same.

“I don’t know how long we can stay until someone realizes we’re not in our rooms,” why did she have to remind him of such things?

“It’s way past midnight, I’d questioned the moron who decides to check our rooms at this time, we aren’t fucking brats,” he was happy just a few of them came to Trost for the mission, Hange’s annoying assistant was among those few but knowing she had stayed behind with him should be no cause for concern.

“They won’t find us here but we have to go downstairs before everyone wakes up,” why did they have to hide like criminals just to spend time together? Her kisses and the warmth of her skin were worth it though.

“Let’s not waste any more time then,” he kissed her hard and deeply to make sure she wouldn’t be distracted by anything else.

She pulled him closer by grabbing his shirt, and kneeling in front of him, she cupped his face while they were making out as intensely as if they hadn’t seen each other in months. His hands grabbed her behind while the other was on her back keeping her close to him, his mouth was kissing her neck hungrily, she moaned, then he moved down to her chest, he could feel her goosebumps through the fabric of her clothes, and he slid her suspenders to her sides. She was unbuttoning his elegant vest but his hand was faster and started to rub her between her legs, underneath her pants. She finished her task with difficulty but his shirt was the last obstacle she had to surpass. He put pressure and speed on her nub, her body jerked in response, and he held her against him while she kept moaning between wet kisses. He felt her orgasm rippled through her as she tilted her head back, a victim of her pleasure.

She opened his shirt as soon as she recovered, she poured his alcohol on his chest, it slipped down to his abdomen, and she cleaned him with her tongue. A cruel vengeance for his previous attack, he pulled her ponytail and she kissed him, he was trying to take her shirt off and it ended up on the floor in the blink of an eye. The second her upper body was bare for him, he encircled her waist with his arms to feel her delicious skin rubbing his chest. His hands were caressing her back, and her breasts while their mouths were on hers. She grabbed the bottle again but the alcohol cascaded over her chest, he drank and sucked it from her nipples as if they were nectar that kept him alive.

He was enjoying this little game, but the hardness in his pants was urging him to go straight to the point. He told her in a commanding voice “Take your pants off, now,” she smiled and kissed him before stripping in front of him. She had to stand up to do it and he was in awe of her naked body. She had unzipped his pants while he was in trance and he gasped in surprise when she sat on his lap, penetrating herself with his erection, he didn’t complain and let her buck her hips faster and faster. He was caressing her bottom and her back following her movements and he started kissing her at a similar pace as her hips. The strong smell of the alcohol and her sweat invaded him, but he didn’t want to clean it, he was dying to stay immersed in her scent for the rest of the night.

He would pull her up with both hands on her bottom each time pleasure was threatening to absorb her and she climaxed a couple of times on his lap until he got his sweet release. She had let him finish inside of her since the night she confessed nothing was going to happen, he hadn’t forgotten and he wondered if there would come a day when she will trust him completely. He figured it was a delicate subject for her, it had to do with her female body and her ability to procreate after all. Hange’s head was on his chest and she was cuddling up on top of him, he had noticed she always looked comfortable and relaxed like that, and sometimes he couldn’t believe that was his doing.

“Did you really think I was going to let someone touch me?” she asked, her fingers moving over his chest.

“No… I trust you but I thought one of those fuckers could get you drunk or force you… Those noble pigs are selfish and degenerate” he took off his shirt and covered her with it even though she hadn’t complained about the temperature.

“I don’t have the right to forbid you anything, Levi… if you find another person…” What was she saying? Was she talking about Petra again?

“There won’t be another person… Petra said she wanted to devote her life to me the day of your accident but I… I told her I couldn’t accept that... I think she knows, she asked me if you were the reason I rejected her,” maybe he needed to let her know he meant his words with an example. He didn’t like to talk about other women with her, but it was necessary.

“You shouldn’t reject the heart of a beautiful young woman,” she whispered and lowered her head. Did she mean it? Was she expecting him to find another woman? Why? His anger was coming back when he remembered it was her idea to come in here tonight, she had found this abandoned attic and thought of them, madam Frances said she was keeping an eye on him when those prostitutes were flirting with him, the river in the abandoned castle had been her idea too, the clearing in the woods, she had been coming back to his arms as many times as him. For some fucking reason, she believed other women were more beautiful than her which was ridiculous. Had she ever seen herself in a mirror? Hadn’t she noticed how the men in the three squads were drooling when she undressed to swim in the river? It wasn’t only his imagination or the fact that he was going crazy for her, other people could feel and see her irresistible appeal. madam Frances had mentioned it as well.

“You’re beautiful, Hange… You’re the most beautiful and attractive woman I have ever seen. Believe me, I’ve seen a lot of shit since my years in the underground, but you also have a brilliant mind and that makes you even more attractive…” she interrupted him with a passionate kiss, that was more like it, he preferred that over her negative thoughts.

“What… else… do… you… like about me?” she managed to ask while his mouth moved to her neck, and he was nibbling on her skin.

“I like every inch of you, Hange Zoë. I had thought of fucking you years before the night I actually did it… I saw you with other women and men, and I was going insane…. I thought you… wouldn’t want me,” he answered, but he never stopped kissing her or caressing her back and squeezing her bottom so hard she moaned.

“You’re a fucking idiot… Why wouldn’t I want the strongest man in the Walls? I knew that power, agility, speed and stamina could be used for something else than just killing Titans… But when I looked you in the eyes, I saw you were kind too… That you were more than the criminal from the underground the soldiers talked about… You care about your soldiers….” Her hands were running along his abdomen and she would kiss him near his ear while she spoke.

“I care about you too… “ he added quickly, he lay her on the floor over his shirt, threw his pants somewhere near the column, and dived into her, she wrapped her legs around his hips and her hands were running down to his bottom, she had said at the party she liked his ass.

“We’re… in… so much trouble… “she whispered between kisses, pulled him closer, and responded enthusiastically to his tongue on hers.

He licked, sucked, and kissed every part of her anatomy until she was impatiently indicating him to enter her, once he did it, it felt better than cleaning or killing Titans, he teased her before picking up the pace and reaching the speed that got her whimpering, moaning and drowning screams in his mouth. He latched onto her nipples while she was a victim of blinding ecstasy.

“Levi… do… whatever you want with me… my body… my… fuuuck…” he ran his fingers over her lips because his mouth was busy and she licked it. He could feel her orgasms spreading to his own body as if they were one and not two people. He collapsed on the wooden planks beside her, he was sweating and it wasn’t the effect of the fire from the candles near them.

He closed his eyes and focused on the air escaping his lungs, they rested for some minutes, the moonlight and the light of the candles were revealing Hange’s figure in the blackness of the attic. Her recent wound was hidden by her bangs, he untied her ponytail and her chestnut hair fell in waves on her skin. She had bathed for the councilor’s party, so her hair was shiny and clean, he didn’t mind its oily condition sometimes, such details didn’t change her brazen personality. He had taken her glasses off, it had become an instinct to do it as they made out. She smiled, soon her weight was on him and her lips were traveling places over his body, then she reached his erection that was growing and begging for attention, her tongue touched it slightly and he groaned, she was going up and down his member taking her time in the spots that made him twitch and shiver. Her saliva was coating him more with each stroke, then he felt him going deeper, faster and he pulled her hair moaning.

He positioned her on his lap, he pushed her against the column for support. She threw her arms around his neck, they were moving together, his pace complemented hers, her breasts were rubbing his chest and they kissed to avoid screaming too loud. He sucked on her tongue, lips, jaw, and neck.  He was desperate to taste her and she returned his demonstrations with the same passion. They were indeed in a lot of trouble. However, nothing mattered in the dusty old attic where they were devouring each other under the moonlight and the candlelights. Erwin was sleeping or devising his next plan in a room downstairs, the rest of the soldiers were in their rooms and he was counting on Moblit being soundly asleep. None of them would stop him from having her as long as she wanted him.     

They had changed their position and she was on his lap, her back towards him and he had penetrated her from behind, his hands were touching her front gently, she had guided him to her perfect breasts, he was drawing circles on them with his fingertips and she threw her head back on his shoulder, then brushed her nipples one at a time and suddenly his hands covered them entirely, caressing them as his thrusts accelerated, his kisses fell on her shoulders and he wished the night to never end.

He was holding her in his arms, she was looking at the sky through the tall window and he kissed her below her ear, she shivered and he placed another on the corner of her lips, she turned to him smiling and they fell into each other’s mouths again. They made out for a couple of minutes, he couldn’t get enough of her, she sighed after their lips parted and he knew she was going to remind him it was getting late. He bit her lips so she wouldn’t be able to talk but there was no use in ignoring reality.

“She… used to do the same…  she used to kiss me here, “she said while pointing at the corner of her lips instead of mentioning the time.  

“She?” he asked, intrigued.

“Regina… that was her name. I know people still talk about her… and me,” Oh! The redhead beauty who had been in love with her according to the rumors among the soldiers.

“Was it real? You and her?” he was worried about making her sad, but it seemed she wanted to share that part of her life with him.

“It was… too real… She liked to sneak into my room at the dorm late at night, we did have sex in other places but… that’s how it started,” she was smiling when she answered.

“So… was that everything? Fucking?” it was dangerous territory, but it was clear she had scars from her past and he was desperate to heal her.

“No, it wasn’t. She used to say I was hers and we took care of each other for some time until… “ her eyes glistened but it wasn’t joy.

He grabbed the back of her head and put it against his chest. Words weren’t his forte so, he was trusting that the sound of his heart would confess the truth he didn’t know how to phrase. Fortunately, she didn’t cry, they stayed naked in a warm embrace, one of the candles extinguished and left the smell of melting wax behind. She kissed him, picked up her clothes, and got dressed after assuring him she would shower in the morning. They left the attic in silence two hours before dawn, the halls were dark and empty, and apparently, nobody had noticed their absence in their rooms. 

Captain Levi jumped from the Titan’s head before it collapsed on a building nearby. Petra’s voice yelling she needed help with the wounded soldier he had saved from being eaten a few minutes ago caught his attention. He was still alive but he was spitting blood and could barely talk. He asked him if he had been useful for humanity’s counterattack and he promised him his sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain. It wasn’t the first time a soldier had died holding his hand, he knew it wouldn’t be the last either. His subordinate was shedding some tears while covering the young man’s body with his own green cape. The Wings of Freedom soon were stained by blood and that was a more accurate symbol for the Survey Corps. 

“The Colossal Titan has breached the Wall again! The Garrison is preparing a plan to evacuate the citizens of Trost but they need reinforcements,” Erwin had sent a soldier to investigate the loud noises and the tremors they felt. The Colossal Titan breaking another Wall? Will humanity go extinct this time? Where would they hide to survive if there wasn’t a way to defeat these monsters?    

Chapter Text

The guests were drinking from elegant cups and glasses, the range of social classes was interesting, there were merchants and nobles, and she wasn’t surprised to hear military police personnel were present as well. The attractive women walking around had been probably invited to please the councilor’s friends and himself. Hange was leaning down on the bar counter, she was wearing elegant clothes, a nice pair of pants, a jacket, a shirt, and suspenders. Teresa had insisted they needed to look the part, so she had asked her tailor to prepare clothes for them. Nanaba was sitting beside her at the bar, wearing a similar outfit, and drinking wine from a cup. They had decided that Levi and Mike were too recognizable to blend in. Erwin wanted her in charge of the mission, so her participation was secure.

“Flavio isn’t traveling straight back to the interior. He’s going to make a stop at Trost where he’s having a party of sorts. It will take place at a rich merchant’s property. Alphonse found out that none other than Alastor Palla’s grandson will show up but they’re keeping it a secret. I know Bernadotte Pallas usually travels between the Walls looking after the family’s businesses. Another interesting and curious piece of information is that Pastor Noah is also expected to be there. The Church and Flavio have a tense relationship. Why has he been traveling around with Pastor Nick? These people are cooking up something but I have no idea what it is… “ said Teresa in Erwin’s office the afternoon she arrived.  

Of course, it had been Hange’s idea to infiltrate the party and gather information. The commander’s sources in Trost discovered that the hotel in front of the merchant’s property was owned by the madam of a brothel who provided prostitutes for the councilor’s parties. They contacted her since she had free entrance to the event, and she agreed to collaborate with them after an important sum of coins was on the table. Madam Frances was a businesswoman after all.

They got in as her women’s companions for the night and apparently no man could resist her girls’ charms, so they didn’t ask too many questions about their identities. The brothel provided different services, from accessible options to the company of sophisticated women that were trained from a young age to please men and women alike. However, they were handpicked by madam Frances herself and they said her standards were higher than regular brothel owners.

The woman that was supposed to be her companion was incredibly attractive, her long black hair danced in waves over her shoulders, her big gray eyes were decorated with a coat of dark eyeliner, and she was wearing a corset that shaped her curvy figure. The first time they met she told her she wouldn’t mind pretending to be with her, caressed her jaw, and whispered in her ear they had to be convincing. Hange smiled and saw Levi’s murderous stare on the other side of the room. He didn’t have any problems with the mission until he heard the plan that would force her to be around these beautiful women who were experts in pleasure.

As soon as Frances’ girls heard humanity’s strongest soldier was in the establishment, they surrounded him and openly flirted with him. They were bold, beautiful women wearing sensual clothes, some of them looked very young to her liking but that was the sad reality inside the Walls. They were whispering in his ear, touching him and she found herself unable to concentrate on something else. Although he wasn’t responding to their advances, she wondered if her presence was holding him back. Would he act the same way if she wasn’t here? It was a ridiculous question. He was free to do whatever he wanted with his life. They had said they belonged to each other but none of that changed the fact that they were soldiers at humanity’s service. He was already worrying about her and taking care of her, she didn’t want to imagine how his behavior would change if she gave him her heart. Sometimes she wanted to confess the truth, tell him loud and clear her feelings for him and leave no traces of doubt. It didn’t matter how she felt or what she wanted. They had an objective only they could fulfill. Humanity’s future depended on them.  

Nanaba was having a good time, she had noticed the exchange of gazes between them. The women from the brothel went to another room, but they were supposed to be back at any moment. Flavio was sitting on a couch, wearing his elegant clothes, drinking wine, and laughing with the guests. She thought the choice of furniture in the rooms was interesting, comfortable sofas and puffy cushions, and there were armchairs and stools at the bar. She had an idea, but she refused to consider it because that would mean they were in trouble.

Her fears came true when she saw the handsome councilor kiss another man on the mouth. Of course, why would he require the services of a brothel other than sex? She had been convincing herself that the women were there just for show. There was a limit to the kind of shit she was willing to do for Erwin’s mission. Maybe some time ago she would have done it but now… Levi’s murderous stares were in her mind.  

“I’m not planning on having sex with him,” Hange declared.

“I’d say that seems to be the best way of obtaining information from him,” Nanaba said with a smile.

“There’s always an alternative,” she reminded her, but she had a point. She felt some arms encircling her waist and the breathing of someone else in her ear.

“What a place to find you, Hange Zoë,” the man whispered and licked his way from her earlobe to her neck and she turned around, ready to punch him.

“Boris… keep your hands off me,” she warned him, freeing herself from his embrace.

“I still want to fuck you senseless, “Boris Strong said looking hungrily at her from head to toe.

“My answer is the same, I’m not here to fuck you,” she drank from her glass and got closer to Nanaba.

“Who knows what might happen once the lights are out,” What did he mean? How much time did they have until someone realizes they weren’t enjoying the party?

Frances’ women returned and gray-eyed beauty leaned on her completely, her cleavage against her chest and she placed her hands on her waist. She kissed her softly, she responded, and the woman deepened the kiss, but Hange stopped her before it turned into a make-out session.

“It’s not hard to pretend with you… Have you never been with a woman before?” she asked with a seductive smile.

“That’s not… I can’t get distracted from the mission,” Hange explained, but the truth was more complicated, and it had to do with a short captain.

“You’ll have to touch me more, the councilor is going to his private room soon, and things get hotter in the room next to it… there’s also fewer people there so, your presence will be noticeable,” her fingers were running on her jacket as she spoke.

“I won’t touch you more than necessary,” she said. Nanaba was paying attention to their conversation.   

“If you behave, I might even get you inside his private room,” How far did the woman want her to go? She couldn’t go that far. No, she didn’t want to go that far. Her body belonged to someone else. She would be betraying his trust and his love. She couldn’t hurt Levi.

“Hange… I can go in your place, tell me exactly what I need to hear… It won’t be that much of a sacrifice,” Nanaba smiled at her companion and the woman placed a kiss on her neck.

“Erwin entrusted me this mission and this was my fucking idea after all. If something goes wrong, I’ll be the one to take responsibility,” Erwin would know why the mission failed, and it would be proof of his philosophy that duty must be above love and desire. If they were going to neglect their duty as soldiers because they had feelings for each other, then the Survey Corps would suffer a terrible blow to its strength. It could be worse. He could forbid them to see each other and there wasn’t most terrible torture than being close to him but unable to touch him.

“He’s leaving, are you coming with me?” the evil woman asked. She sighed and followed her to the next room.

She didn’t mention that the room had fewer chandeliers and that people in there were engaging in different pleasurable activities. The woman pushed her onto a couch, straddled her, and said, “touch me and I’ll explain,” She reluctantly dragged her hand along the woman’s neck, and she threw her head back inviting her to keep going down her chest. Then she kissed her, and she reminded her she had something to explain.

“The man at the door is Thomas, his tongue is more miraculous than the Goddesses of the Walls, he fucked me with Boris once, the champion is even better in bed than on the gambling table, and he has a huge dick… you won’t believe it if you don’t see it. I have never screamed so loud as when he put all of that inside of me,” Hange was trying to decide if this was useful information or if she was just messing with her.

“Will he allow you inside the private room?” the woman kissed her again before answering the question.

“The councilor loves to fuck young handsome men, you kind of look like the kind he likes. They won’t be able to tell you’re a woman and since you’re wearing this jacket, they won’t see your lovely slim waist. They will see your tight ass and they’d know you’re his type,” she was touching all the body parts she mentioned but Hange held her hand when she moved close to her thighs.

“Are there more people in that room with him?” She saw a man that reminded her of the young woman Mike confused her with at the King’s tour. He was leaving the private room and maybe that was their chance to get inside.

“His noble friends but I didn’t see them around,” the woman leaned forward to kiss her, but she told her to take her to the private room.

The prostitute didn’t lie, Thomas saw her and after a couple of playful kisses, she told him she had brought the councilor his favorite meal. The man’s piercing gaze made her uncomfortable until he granted her access to the room. Flavio’s embroidered tunic was on a sofa, he was wearing a shirt and luckily his pants too. However, he was probably undressing when he paused to drink wine. He was facing the wall, so he didn’t see her immediately.

“Take your clothes off, I’ll suck you off… have some wine,” he offered a cup to her. He should be able to recognize her now that they were face to face, but she grabbed the cup and he sat on the couch without taking his eyes off her, he was expecting her to undress, wasn’t he?

She took off her jacket, slid her suspenders to her waist, and removed a couple of buttons from her shirt under his predatory gaze. Then she sat on his lap with her knees on both sides of his legs, he grabbed her bottom with both hands, drew her closer, and kissed her hungrily, his tongue was entangled with hers and he pulled her lower lip with his teeth as they separated. He was going to do it again when she held him in place with her hands on his chest.

“Don't pretend you don’t know who I am,” she wasn’t stupid to believe he didn’t remember her. 

“I always thought you had a nice ass for a scientist,” he responded and sucked on the skin of her neck.

“I’m not here to fuck you,” she declared even though there was a huge risk in doing so.

“What a pity… I was hoping to have a taste of your passion for other kinds of weapons,” his hand slipped under her unbuttoned shirt and found her breast.

“I know you have a clear idea of who tried to poisoned Erwin and it’s related to these secret meetings you're having with your noble friends,” she was trying hard not to react to his hand caressing her breast even though she was holding his arm.

“Erwin Smith isn’t an idiot and is exactly why he ordered to kill him, but you haven’t given me a reason to share that information with you” his fingers were drawing circles around her nipple, and it was starting to feel good, but she reached the letter opener she had hidden in her belt.  

“I can… kill… you… right here… I kill Titans so killing a human is easy for me,” she pulled his silver-blonde hair and placed the small, sharp knife on his throat.

“Will a soldier from the Survey Corps, the people who fight for humanity, kill a human inside the Walls?” he was trying to manipulate her. Her determination was unshakable though. This was a task she had to fulfill. She couldn’t ask Nanaba to kill a man ignoring the reasons behind her decision. She had discussed it with Erwin, and they reached the conclusion that killing him was their last resort.

“I'll kill anyone who hides the truth that can help us defeat the enemy or tries to stop us from fighting for selfish reasons, your people don’t care about humanity, now you have to give me a reason not to kill you right here,” she pressed the knife harder against his skin.

“They want to kill King Fritz. On the day of the next expedition outside the Walls, they were planning to do it earlier if they had succeeded in eliminating Erwin Smith. That failed so they'll wait for him to leave from Trost to do it,” he confessed nonchalantly.

“He knows it… the King, that’s the reason he's been working on gaining people's trust,” some recent events made sense to her.  

“It turns out he has a brain and enjoys living. They’ll try to install a new King and if the people don’t accept it, shit will go down inside the Walls,” Flavio didn’t seem worried about a future where he could lose his privileges.

“Civil war… he wants to inspire people to fight for him… Who's behind this and why do they want him to be killed? Does it have to do with the Titans?” Those were many questions, her time was running out, but she had to do it.

“Everything inside the Walls has to do with the Titans, you won’t believe in half of them even if I tell you… But your kiss was so delicious I’ll give you one name, nothing more… Reiss,” he whispered in her ear, she was still processing his words when he kissed her deeply. She quickly parted from him, and he added,” One day, this will cost you more than a kiss, Hange Zoë,” she slapped him hard across his pretty face.

The door opened and a handsome young man walked into the private room, she fixed her clothes and put on her jacket while the councilor undressed with a flirtatious smile. She rolled her eyes and left them alone. The prostitute with gray eyes was on top of an unknown man when she walked past her. Hange continued to the salon where Nanaba was supposed to be waiting for her, she was scanning the guests when she caught a glimpse of madam Frances by the arm of a suspiciously familiar short man. Even though he was concealing his appearance by wearing a mustache and a hat, it was him. What was Levi doing here? Had the mission been compromised? Did he come for her? What will Flavio do if he recognizes him? There it was again, the universe reminding her why it was so dangerous to be together. However, the memories of his kisses and his hands on her skin were telling her there was nothing wrong with the passion they shared in those intimate moments.

She found Nanaba laughing, talking, and sharing intense kisses with a couple of Frances’ women. At least someone was having fun. She pulled her by her suspenders and kissed her full on the mouth. Was she drunk? Then she whispered when they separated, “The girls were saying a certain Pastor Noah went upstairs with the Pallas guy, there’s an office where they’re having a meeting, but no one is allowed there,” Well, she hadn’t forgotten about the mission. She looked up the stairs and it was well guarded by two men, and there was also Levi’s unexpected appearance that could turn their plans upside down. She told Nanaba the latest developments and they decided to leave soon. 

Hange saw them going into the private room, his hands were on her waist, and she wanted this charade to be over so she could have him all for herself in the abandoned attic she had found in the library of the Survey Corps building. Boris blocked her vision, grabbed her by the waist, and pressed her against his body, he was indeed strong. He smelled her and tried to kiss her neck but she dodged it, she was getting tired of these people thinking they could touch her as if she didn’t belong to anyone. 

“Do you taste as good as you smell? I’d stick my tongue so deep in your cunt, you’ll scream as never before… “ one of his hands was going down her small back. Drawing attention to herself wasn’t a good idea so she stopped him as discreetly as she could.

“I’ll punch you so hard you’ll wake up in two days without remembering how to shit,” she responded, her patience growing thin as his hands roamed her body.

“I hope you talk like that when you fuck because I like your dirty mouth,” the champion threatened to lick her lips, but she moved away in time.

“Take… your… hands… off me, I won’t repeat it,” she warned him and was planning to get her knife again if he insisted.

“I’m not an idiot, it’s not common to see two soldiers of the Survey Corps in this place, you might be fooling the other guests, but I know who you are… they call you the crazy Titan researcher, and they say you’re one of the smartest people inside the Walls. If you’re not here to fuck then… it must be something else,” she wasn’t counting on his presence at the party. He must be more than a simple gambler if he was among the guests.

“I don’t see any gambling tables in this place… Boris, listen carefully… One of these days I’ll come back, I’m going to suck your dick, but I won’t let you come. Then I’ll put it inside my cunt and ride you like a wild animal in heat. When I feel you’re about to finish, I’m going to slit your throat and let you drown in your own blood and the frustration of not having one last orgasm before you die,” she whispered in his ear, her lips brushing his skin as she spoke.

The champion let go of her smiling because a man they call strong won’t admit defeat in front of a woman. He murmured the last threat and joined the rest of the guests. What was his relationship with these people? She brushed off her intrusive thoughts, she had to focus on Levi and get everyone to Frances’ hotel safely. She followed him into a hallway, caught his bottom and he angrily pushed her away. However, he pinned her against the wall the second he recognized her.

“I’ve got the information Erwin wanted, Nanaba went ahead to rendezvous with Mike outside,” she whispered in his ear, then nibbled on his earlobe. She was impatient to bite other parts of his body.

“How… how did you… know… it was me… in the hall?” his hand was going up to her leg. That was the touch she had been craving for the whole night.  

“I’d recognized that ass anywhere,” she said and squeezed his behind again drawing him closer. He didn’t reject her and she could see the fire igniting in his eyes.

“Fucking… hell… did anyone… see you?” their bodies were touching. She was sure she was feeling the bulge in his pants getting hard.

“The… councilor… recognized me, but I didn’t have to fuck him to reach an agreement with him,” she kissed his jaw very close to his lips. “Why did you come? Your position is in the hotel,” he put his hands on her waist, they were clearly fighting the same strong desire.

“I came… for you, I couldn’t… let anyone touch you,” he kissed her passionately, his tongue searched for hers and she moaned lowly when they crushed inside of her mouth.

“You should consider growing some facial hair, it looks great on you,” she whispered and of course, he took it off. It was an interesting sight though.

“You like it? It’s fucking disgusting…” Levi complained and she smiled, they kissed again before heading outside.

They had kissed or touched when they were sure nobody was watching at the reception of the hotel. Madam Frances made a tempting offer to give them a private room until morning, she would have loved to stay and spend the rest of the night naked, under his body without worrying about people hearing them. The woman probably knew how frustrating it was to keep such a relationship secret from the world.

She rejected the offer because they had a commander waiting for them at headquarters. Levi was visibly disappointed, he drank out of a bottle of alcohol on the way to their building. The idea to surprise him with the discovery of the abandoned attic put her in a good mood. She had been worried about the mission as well as Moblit’s infamous illustrations of her. She chose to stay silent for the sake of peace, but she was terrified he’d watch them again. How did it start and why? The talented soldier had been her right hand for years. He understood her recklessness and her thirst for knowledge. Why would he betray her trust? Maybe there had been signs of his personal interest in her that she confused with a soldier’s loyalty.

The thunder reverberated like an earthquake on the ground, her green cape was flying behind her in the strong winds of a surprise storm that caught them on their way to an abandoned castle kilometers away from Wall Maria. The heavy footsteps of the five-meter Titan that walked out of a forest nearby were masked by the sounds of the violent weather. Hange heard the familiar desperate screams of those who get caught in the hands of those giants. She reined her horse and rode at full speed in direction of a scout who was kicking the air and hitting the monster's hand with his blades. The cables of her maneuver gear swooshed and pierced the Titan’s back, she cut the tendons of the ankles and the monster fell to its knees. Another soldier struck the final blow, but a human head rolled on the grass near her feet. An expression of horror deformed his features and he was bleeding from his opened mouth. she had read that people remained conscious for a few seconds after decapitation and she wondered if she was the last image he took from this world.

Rain was slashing her glasses when a hand grabbed her by the waist and got her on a horse. Moblit had followed her, helped her and finally put her to safety. She was soaking wet, collapsed on the floor of the castle’s front gallery, removed her goggles, and broke down in tears. How can a human get used to such a violent death? It was never easy to hear a comrade’s final screams as they were eaten limb by limb. Why were they so weak? A dry cape fell on her shoulders. The blonde man sat next to her and told her they were lighting a fireplace inside. She nodded but kept her eyes on the trees in the distance.

“The thunder hid its footsteps, nobody saw it before it was in front of them… you could have died too, Hange,” he said, clearly worried about her.

“I’ve seen it many times in the past, heads, arms, or legs from my comrades falling around me, but it still feels the same,” she sounded defeated which was the opposite of her usual cheerful disposition.

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out… a way to defeat the Titans and regain our strength. Erwin’s right, you have a brilliant mind and a unique view of the world. If the commander ever listens to both of you, there will be hope for us,” a kind smile illuminated his tired face.

“Humanity’s situation is dire if someone like me is everyone’s hope,” she wasn’t convinced of people’s trust in her abilities.

“There aren’t people like you… they say you’re insane and I was scared of you, but maybe that insanity is what we need to fight the enemy,” Why was he so confident when she was doubting herself?

“Don’t let the commander hear you or he’ll believe what I have is contagious,” she wrapped herself in the dry cape and her hands trembled.

“You’re one of a kind, Hange Zoë and I’ll fight by your side until is my turn to go… just don’t die before me,” Moblit surrounded her with his arms while accommodating the cape, he quickly separated from her once she looked comfortable.

That was one of the few times he had touched her without the intention of protecting her from danger. A sweet demonstration of kindness wasn’t enough to believe his words were hiding more complex feelings besides admiration. She kissed him once on the cheek while drunk but he never took advantage of compromising situations to get close to her. Not even the first time he saw her completely naked in the tub. She had forgotten to sign the requests for important research materials, he knocked on the door and she invited him inside. He acted as if it was normal, handed her the papers, and left without making comments about it. Hange Zoë had always underestimated her physical attractiveness because she grew up hearing her father’s complaints regarding her appearance. But beauty wasn’t a pretty dress or luscious long hair.

A pair of flames in two candleholders were shaking as the late-night breeze sneaked inside her room through the opened window. She was resting on his body as she had grown accustomed to doing it, they were sharing a deep kiss while his fingers were following the curve of her small back. The commander had given Hange one of the big rooms in the Survey Corps building in Trost which had the advantage of being situated on a floor with few people, and the disadvantage of having a few meters separating them from Erwin Smith. This detail would have never stopped Levi from coming to her room after dinner. They had to be careful but wasn’t that the constant in their encounters. He rubbed his lips on hers once they broke the kiss.

His beautiful young subordinate had confessed her feelings to him, but he rejected her for the same reason he infiltrated the councilor’s party; the deranged Hange Zoë. She had said he shouldn’t reject a woman’s heart but deep inside she knew she was jealous of her bravery to speak freely about her desires, and the fact that a beautiful woman like her wanted him too. His answer was still resonating in her memories. He was really hers and she was his.

“We’ll be in different positions this time…” she sighed. They were set to depart on a new expedition the next morning.

“You promised to come back, and I believe you,” he assured her. His hand was caressing her back.

“I’m still worried about Erwin’s plan with Teresa to deal with the King’s assassination… Would we find the Walls in chaos when we return from the expedition?” The information provided by the councilor had helped the commander devise a plan which included the participation of the noblewoman.

 “Erwin’s plans don’t often fail, but I don’t know why he trusts that noble bitch,” Levi’s attitude towards Teresa hadn’t changed.

“Apparently, she had nothing to do with the poison…” she said running her fingers along his jaw.

“Do you really believe every word that fucker said?” Levi’s attitude towards noble people, in general, hadn’t changed to be precise.

“He did have a knife on his throat,” she had given him the details of her encounter with the councilor and he swore to kill him if given the chance.

“I’m going to cut his hand if he touches you again,” his tone was serious, but she smiled.

“But he kissed you too,” she laughed. Hange found it hard to believe he had kissed a man he hated for her. 

“The shit I do for you… “ he complained. She knew his shallow whining didn’t reflect the truth in his heart. He’d do anything for her and that notion scared her because she’d do the same for him.  

“I told you… my body is yours… there’s no one else,” she kissed him softly, he opened his mouth, and she fell into his trap. 

He switched places with her. He drew an invisible path with his lips on her skin, he started at her neck, then her collarbone. He took more time on her breasts, rubbing his lips against her nipples before dampening them with his tongue as she moaned as lowly as she could. He went down her abdomen and followed the circular shape of her small belly button, her breathing became heavy the closer he was getting to the fire between her legs, but he jumped onto her inner thighs which still had a strong effect on her. He kissed her right on the lips below her hips, she arched her back and held onto the bed’s headboard as his tongue searched for her sweet spot. He found it right away because he had mapped her body carefully and knew where to touch her to drown her in pleasure.

He followed the movement of her hips as a mind-numbing climax engulfed her, she bit the back of her hand, but he kept licking and kissing her until she pulled his hair. He put his weight on her and she kissed him, tasting her own scent in his mouth. She wrapped her legs around his hips and he knew she wanted him inside of her, he was positioning himself when a knock on the door ruined the moment. He cursed and they stayed frozen for a minute thinking it might have been the wind. However, the next knocks were louder, so she put on a shirt, some comfortable pants, and her slippers and told him to stay quiet in her bed.

“Hange… I’m sorry for the time but a message from Teresa just arrived and we need to check a few details of tomorrow’s plan,” Erwin had a letter in his hand, and judging by his unbuttoned shirt he had been trying to rest too.

“I’ll get my glasses,” she said remembering she wasn’t wearing them because Levi always removed them to kiss her.

“I’ll get Levi and we’ll be in my room,” her heart stopped beating, would he realize he wasn’t in his room?

“Fucking hell… tonight of all nights,” Levi cursed and was putting his pants on as soon as she closed the door.

“I should have known something like this would happen, we have many operations in progress tomorrow, I’m a fucking idiot,” she said while tying her hair in a ponytail. His arms surrounded her waist from behind and kissed her neck.

“We’re still fucking after this shitty meeting,” he whispered in her ear.

“What if he comes again?” she asked, he was probably knocking on Levi’s room wondering why he wasn’t opening the door.

“Then we can have his shitty meeting here while he watches,” Why did she expect an actual useful answer from him? She was happy he wanted to be with her before the expedition because their future was uncertain beyond the Walls, but what would Erwin do if he finds out they were closer than he thought?

She somehow convinced Erwin that Levi was probably downstairs drinking tea and volunteered to find him while he waited for them in his room. The commander nodded and did as she suggested. The meeting lasted an hour because Erwin invited them to drink a cup of wine while they talked about the expedition, Hange’s theories, the possible attempt on the King’s life, and how these events were related to the mystery of the Titans. Levi listened and threw his opinions into the discussion. She forgot her sexual frustration sharing her crazy ideas. They returned to their rooms, and she thought that maybe it was for the best to call it quits that night. However, he fulfilled his promise and with a kiss from his mouth, they were in her bed again.

He was sitting with his back against the headboard, she was on his lap, his length inside of her as she moved her hips back and forth, he was kissing her lips, grazing her breasts with his tongue, and running his hands from her back down to her bottom. She threw her head back, he embraced her and complimented her movements as she came. She threw her arms around his neck and let him guide her to another orgasm, she kissed him desperate to prolong this moment of ecstasy when they weren’t soldiers just two humans dominated by nature. He didn’t let go of her and they stayed with their arms and legs entangled with each other. She didn’t know where her body started and his finished, but it felt heavenly good to make out in such a state of confusion.

People were murmuring as they rode their horses towards the gate. It had happened before, even some cadets from the training corps were in the crowd because they had graduated recently. Most of them were talking about the mighty captain Levi who was in battle as strong as an entire brigade, she could confirm that to be true in other scenarios as well, and commander Erwin Smith who had contributed to the survival of the Survey Corps among great improvements to their strength. After an agitated night in her bed, she was relaxed and teasing him for his cold and distant disposition.

“Captain Levi, come visit us, we’ll treat you to a special menu for Titan slayers,” a group of cheerful women yelled at him. They were wearing daytime clothing but she recognized the prostitutes from madam Frances' brothel. A month and a few weeks had passed since the councilors party but beautiful women were hard to forget.

“Do you think there’s something in their menu for killing abnormals? I hope we see one today… “ she said and the sensual woman with gray eyes winked at her. 

“The only abnormal I see… is right here,” he grabbed the back of her head to bring her attention to him and now they were face to face, very close to each other, his hand was holding onto her ponytail. She leaned forward expecting him to move away but he didn’t, so she laughed instead of kissing him. 

“Then… I’ll treat you to a different menu,” she said lowering her voice. She didn’t wait for an answer and went ahead in the formation.     

Mike and Nanaba exchanged knowing smiles behind them, Petra lowered her head and looked at the crowd, Moblit’s jaw almost dropped shocked at the captain’s boldness. The rest of the people assumed that was their usual banter. They lifted the gate of Wall Rose and the scouts departed on a new expedition. Hange couldn’t have imagined the series of events that would follow in the next hours which had nothing to do with her worries from the previous days. “Everything inside the Walls has to do with the Titans,” Flavio said that night in Trost with a sharp knife on his throat. His ominous words would move cogs in her brain as a young cadet extends a stump instead of his arm from inside a Titan’s belly, awakening the monster inside of him. A monster that would be known as Eren Jaeger, the Titan shifter. 

Chapter Text

Steam was emanating from his skin, he was in the arms of a young blonde cadet at the bottom of an evaporating Titan’s carcass. His green eyes were barely open, he murmured a few words before falling unconscious. A soldier from the Garrison helped the cadets carrying him. Levi inspected the Titan blocking the gate; it was muscular, and it must have been fifteen meters tall standing up. The ribs were visible now that its muscles were disappearing slowly, and it was leaning on a giant boulder. What was that boy doing at its feet? Why was he emitting steam? How did they seal the gate? What in the world was going on?

The rumbling of footsteps stirred his attention to the task at hand, he had to protect the elite team. He flew on the roofs, and swung in the air, cutting the napes of several monsters while a blonde soldier from the Garrison and the two young cadets dragged the boy through the ruins of Trost. Finally, the black-haired girl lifted him on her shoulders and used her maneuver gear to hurry up ahead. She was amazingly strong for someone her age. Who was she?

Another soldier under commander Pixis’ orders grabbed the boy in his arms. He wondered if he noticed the girl’s scary vigilant stare when she reluctantly let them take him. She did follow them until they told her she couldn’t go with him. “Mikasa, these are commander Pixis’ orders, he’ll be fine,” the blonde boy calmed her down because she looked worried and stressed out. Levi walked past them, some Military Police soldiers were already on the scene, apparently, he was to be transported to a cell. Hange had her four eyes fixed on the miracle boy who gave humanity the first victory against the Titans. She had been talking to different soldiers who witnessed the events of the day, walking around Erwin like a moth near a lamp, he noticed her contained excitement threatening to explode in their faces.

“He transformed into a Titan! There was lighting and then the Titan was in front of us! Woermann fired a cannon at him and didn’t kill him!” a soldier drinking from a canteen was saying to a group of his comrades.

“He looks human, what if the enemy is infiltrating our ranks now?” a worried man voiced the people’s most important concern.

“Do you think he’s a human that transforms into a Titan or a Titan that transforms into a human?” a woman was handing rations to the rest of the group, but they still had work to do.

“How is this happening?! I don’t understand!” Another young man was holding his head. They had won but a river of questions remained.

“Levi! Your squad is assigned to the east side, we have to clear the city of the remaining Titans. The fourth squad will require your assistance, Hange wants to capture two subjects for her experiments,” Erwin ordered after escaping Hange’s incessant chatter. Of course, she wouldn’t waste this golden opportunity of having these monsters inside the Walls to get her hands on them.

Her uniform and her copper hair were stained with blood after slicing the Titan’s nape, they had killed a few already and there were more near the Walls. Petra jumped to the roof where he was calculating the necessary moves to kill three giants in a row, she said something, but he didn’t hear her because he had grappled his maneuver gear to a building and was spinning around two targets, they fell immediately emitting steam from the back of their necks. He was standing on the head of the third one changing his blades when a voice yelled at him not to eliminate the monster.

“Levi! Stop! It’s only seven meters! It’s perfect! We’re taking him!” Was Hange shopping or looking at a Titan that just destroyed Trost? He sighed and saw her subordinates surrounding them, ready to follow her orders.

“Are you taking something else, four eyes?!” he asked sarcastically.

“Mike’s squad already has a four-meter, we’re transporting them to headquarters,” She had an answer for him after all.

“Good! Now I can kill these things in peace… Are the fucking cannons doing anything?” He looked at the top of the Wall where soldiers had been firing cannons nonstop the whole afternoon. His ears were going to hear those sounds for the rest of the week.

“They’re a new design and were mounted a few months ago, I think they’re doing some damage,” a nine-meter monster’s neck exploded and crumbled down on a pile of carcasses that were slowly disappearing in the middle of hissing sounds.

“I’ll escort you to the gate,” he said paying attention to Nifa who was battling with the restricting spears on the Titan.

“No need, Pixis’ men brought a modified lift to transport them faster, I think there’s more work to do here,” he turned to her for a minute, her face was dirty, and some blood was still evaporating from her uniform. She had fulfilled her promise again, but he would have to trust Moblit to keep her from jumping into the Titan's mouth while they were transporting them to headquarters.

“Captain! Are we joining the fourth squad?!” Petra interrupted his moment of contemplation as she was used to doing it at this point.

“A lift is coming to take the Titan, keep clearing the area with Oluo, we stay until all of them are dead!” he ordered, and Hange jumped to the ground to talk to Moblit.

The water in the tub was warm, his muscles were sore now after the strenuous exercise of using the maneuver gear the whole afternoon. He smelled the soap before rubbing it on his arms, and the back of his neck. He reached for the sponge and scraped the dirt and blood off his body. The young cadet had summoned a Titan’s body they said, he didn’t understand. He looked like an ordinary teenager, fragile and weak in the arms of his blonde friend. He helped commander Pixis devise a plan to prevent losing Trost to the monsters. Then he did it, he transformed into that fifteen-meter beast, lifted the giant boulder, and sealed the gate. His appearance had been such a shock that people had forgotten the fact that the Colossal Titan had returned, destroyed Wall Rose as if it was made of paper, and vanished in front of a group of cadets that were working on the maintenance of the cannons. Reportedly King Fritz was still alive and well in his palace in the interior, shitting his pants as the rest of the nobles, they were wondering how this new savior was going to affect their businesses and privileges.

The door opened and Hange said something about a meeting with Erwin in her usual loud and excited tone. She was wearing only a part of her uniform, her shirt had a couple of buttons undone, and she didn’t have the harnesses around her chest. He interrupted her and asked for a new soap from a nearby chair. She talked while getting close to him, and gave him the soap but he got hold of her arm instead and pulled her down, close enough to touch her lips with his. She fought it for a few seconds and soon she responded softly to his kiss.

“I knew I shouldn’t have come,” she whispered, threw the papers she had in her hands, and kissed him more passionately.

“You’re already here… lock the door,” he breathed near her ear.

“I was… working on some ideas,” Was she planning on leaving him alone and craving her touch? He pulled her completely inside the tub, taking advantage of his strength for the first time. She could leave dripping wet if she wanted to. Did she want to leave?  

“You’re covered in shit from jumping around all day. Knowing you, you were planning to go to bed like that,” he threw his arms around her waist and put her almost on top of him. He kissed her again, her hands were running up his chest and the wetness of her tongue was more comforting than the warm water. He lifted her shirt enough to feel her skin.

“I hate you… I have to lock the door now,” she left her boots near the tub to avoid leaving footprints everywhere, locked the door, and took off her wet shirt as he was impatiently waiting for her return. Her top went over her head, she was facing the door so he could only see her naked back, then turned around and approached him so slowly, that he was about to climb outside the tub.

“Do you want me to carry you the rest of the way?” he asked, even though he knew it was a bad idea to show her his impatience.

“I have to take off these straps, first,” she was torturing him. She unbuckled the first leather strap and let it fall to the floor, he cursed and got her in the water again.  

He pressed her against his chest, the friction between her breasts and his skin sent shivers down his spine and directly into his groin. Their kisses became urgent, loud, almost violent, he sucked and bit her lips until they were red and slightly swollen. As they made out, his hands traveled down her back, under her pants and he squeezed her bottom. She moaned in the kiss, he left a trail of teeth marks along her neck, then he kissed her nipple, swirling his tongue around it, drinking the water from it. She was grinding her hips as pleasure was building up inside of her, he took her other breast into his mouth and sucked, pulled, and lick while she was stroking him, getting him as hard as he had ever been.

The belt and straps she had left landed on the floor, her pants followed making a loud wet sound. He pushed her to one side of the tub between fervent kisses, her legs surrounded his waist and he lifted her with both hands on her bottom pulling her into him, she gasped in his ear when he slid inside of her slowly. Her hands went down his back while he held onto the edge of the tub and thrust once to feel the water’s resistance, he did it again, her legs tightened so he thrust faster and deeper. She responded by wrapping her arms around him, she moved her hips to complement his powerful thrusts. It didn’t take long for their moans and groans to echo in the room, he bit her earlobe, and pulled her ponytail to bring her face in front of him. Her eyes were closed, he kissed the lips of her parted mouth and she reacted by kissing him back hungrily without stopping their work toward the ecstatic culmination of the pleasure growing in intensity with each movement of their bodies.

She stayed still, holding onto him while her orgasm made its way from her insides to the tip of her fingers, he amplified the effect by keeping a steady pace even though ripples of her pleasure threatened to touch him. He noticed her sounds were getting louder, so he kissed her to prevent strangers from knocking on their door and interrupting them. She smiled when his body tensed, he held onto the edge of the tub letting his mind go numb and release all the tiredness more than his fluids.

Hange accommodated herself on his lap with her back pressed against his chest, their legs were intertwined and he was running his hands covered in soap on her shoulders, then he kissed the places where the water was cleaning her skin. She leaned on him, her head was in the crook of his neck and his hands went down her chest. He lathered the soap, then he caressed her breasts slowly, spreading a delicious scent and she sighed.

“You’re thinking about that brat,” he whispered in her ear.

“How could I not? A human that can summon a Titan’s body at will… I cannot imagine the countless implications of this discovery,” the excitement in her voice was palpable.

“The fucking MPs threw him in a cell,” Levi couldn’t deny the attractiveness of this mystery, but he was worried about the boy falling into the wrong hands.

“They see him as a monster, they’re afraid of him… I think he’s only fifteen, he must be confused and alone in that cell,” she caressed the arm that surrounded her.

“Shouldn’t we be afraid too? He’s a fifteen-year-old boy that transformed into a fifteen-meter monster and rampaged around HQ by himself,” he was sure he could still kill him if it came down to that.

“Maybe but he sealed the gate, the soldier from the Garrison’s elite team said he seemed to know very little about his own abilities. He wasn’t sure he could lift the boulder, but he did it. That shows his strong determination and willpower,” Why was he feeling a void opening in his stomach hearing her talk like that about a brat she hadn’t met yet?

“We don’t know shit about him, I doubt his friends would tell us something that will put him in danger, they’d probably lie for him,” he said pressing her against his chest.

“They let the MPs take him, they helped commander Pixis, I don’t think they’re the enemy,” she looked up at him, kissed the corner of his mouth because his sight was lost in the flames of the candles near the tub.

“I don’t want you to make the wrong decision purely based on your shitty curiosity for these things,” he confessed the fears creeping up on him.

“Could it be that you don’t like me thinking about him too much?” She kissed him sweetly on his lips.

“I’m worried about you, I know how reckless you get when something interests you,” he justified the slight hint of jealousy he let out earlier.

“You interest me… greatly…,” she whispered a breath away from his skin.

She kissed him after throwing her arms around his neck, he pulled her into him sinking his tongue into her mouth. His hands roamed her back, she moaned softly as his kisses were stealing her breath. He untied her ponytail and his fingers entangled with her hair, her temperature was rising again, and he tasted her recently cleaned neck. He could see the goosebumps his touch was leaving on her body. They were falling into the depths of passion. Then a knock on the door brought their desires to a halt.

“Unbelievable… I can’t believe this shit…” he whispered keeping her in his arms.

“Captain Levi! Have you seen squad leader Hange?” Moblit’s voice was like a spear to his side.

“What the fuck makes you believe she would be here! I’m bathing,” he did his best to concentrate because she was kissing his jawline.

“I thought commander Erwin sent her to give you a message,” he sounded frustrated.

“She was here but she’s probably running around, she’s been acting like a madman since this afternoon,” he kissed her hard immediately after his last word, good thing they remembered to lock the door.

“He might have news from Erwin… for me,” she said while he was nibbling on her shoulder.

“They can wait… if it was urgent, he would have said it,” he was continuing his way down her chest. Even though she was talking about Moblit’s message being important, her hands were caressing his back.

“You can come to my room later, after everyone’s asleep,” she moaned when his fingers sunk between her legs.

“I’ll go later too,” her breathing accelerated as he explored her sensitive spots.

The future was even more uncertain with the appearance of an unexpected savior in the shape of a young cadet. He didn’t know what Erwin’s next moves would be and they might be separated again after this night, so he wanted to have her as long as possible. It was only his body seeking her warmth, he was melting under her hands, they became liquid like the water in the tub. The scent of the herbs he had put in the bath reminded him of the grass and the river. He had thought she belonged in the wild, now he knew his arms were the most natural place for her.

The next days were busy, confusing, and tiring. The squad leaders and specially Hange and Levi were constantly in meetings with Erwin, soldiers from the Garrison, and some MPs. The Survey Corps was gathering all information they could on the Titan boy: his days in the Training Corps, the kind of people he associated with, his hometown, and if he had any relatives alive. As it usually happened with all humans, there wasn’t a definite opinion on the boy’s character, but everyone seemed to agree he was a hotheaded individual, and his hatred toward Titans knew no limits.

“Eren Jaeger, he’s in the top ten of the 104th cadet corps, the other trainees said he expressed his ideas to kill Titans and actively work on destroying the enemy since the first day… He’s eager to die,” Erwin read part of the reports that arrived on the boy.

“That much is obvious, they said he charged into Trost without a plan, killing almost everyone in his squad, including himself,” Levi snorted and poured more tea into his cup.

“An abnormal attacked them, and nobody in the Garrison had a plan to be fair… they wanted to keep people safe while they were running to the gates. They aren’t used to fighting Titans either,” Hange had blind faith in the boy’s good intentions, or she was letting her scientific curiosity dominate her.  

“He said his father’s basement in his house in Shinganshina might have the truth about the Titans, his father’s last words before disappearing five years ago,” the commander’s eyebrows raised in doubt. That was the unsettling part of his story, his mother was dead, his father was nowhere to be seen, wasn’t it so convenient?  

“They’re probably going to use all this background information to paint a distorted picture of him, they’d want to convince the Premier he isn’t trustworthy or reliable. Erwin, do you understand what would it mean to have a Titan as a weapon? The answers to our questions about the enemy are in that boy… If he doesn’t understand his abilities, let me help him… he needs help not to rot in a cell- “

“Hange… Niles has given us permission to see him tomorrow, I’ll go with Levi… you have to assess if you’d be able to control him,” Erwin interrupted her. She had been on edge since the news that the MPs were planning on killing him reached them.

“They said his Titan was stronger than the average but if he has the same weak spot, killing him would just take a bit more effort,” Levi sipped his tea. This was an intelligent Titan though, how intelligent was he?

“The boy came out of the nape of the neck, if you stick your sword deep enough, he’ll die…. There’s also the part where they mentioned he had lost an arm and a leg but those limbs were back after his transformation, does it mean he has regenerative abilities like the rest of the Titans?” Hange was going through her notes with feverish excitement. She looked so alive and beautiful with the sunlight from the window at her back.

“Then I’ll need to cut his head fast,” she turned to him and sighed. That was his job, assess the danger and eliminate threats.

A delicious woman’s perfume filled the room when the commander placed a letter on the table. He explained Teresa was hiding her reports to him as passionate love letters since the interior had grown weary of suspicious activities in the military following Eren Jaeger’s great deed during the battle for Trost. He wondered if those were the noble bitch’s actual feelings for the commander on that paper. There was something more than friendship between them, he wasn’t an idiot. Maybe they hadn’t acted upon it yet but that didn’t make their secretive exchange of glances disappear.  

He was holding onto the metal headboard of the bed as his thrusts accelerated and went deeper inside of her. Her legs were pressing on his hips, pulling him into her. The orgasmic symphony of her moans was testing his endurance. The creaking sounds of the bed were loud, and he didn’t remember if it had always been like that or if he had ignored it on previous occasions. However, she arched her back, so he ran his warm lips over her breasts, she grabbed the back of his head and pushed him toward her. He understood because she didn’t need to speak to communicate with him, he kissed around her nipple before taking it fully into his mouth. Now, she was moaning louder as he put it between his teeth, he had noticed she liked some pain from time to time. Could Erwin hear them? His room wasn’t far but he would know she was fucking someone, there wasn’t a way to be sure it was him. That thought relaxed him until she started to say his name among her groans and whimpers. He kissed her and then whispered in her ear that she was about to scream his name, she tried to apologize but her body trembled and writhed under him while he kept pounding into her.

Her head was resting on his shoulder, she was kissing and biting his neck slowly while his hand went up and down her back in an infinite motion. He turned enough to reach her lips and a soft kiss became a hot, hungry one, she accommodated herself completely on top of him to dive in his mouth comfortably. He was growing tired of the countless meetings, and vicious plots involving the pigs in the interior and the Titan savior, but he would never get tired of her tongue, the taste of her lips, and her soft moans as they were making out in her bed. She was smiling when they stopped moving but their mouths were still melted on each other.

“This fucking thing was so loud, I’m sure everyone in the building heard it,” he was worried about it, but he didn’t care if people knew.

“It has been loud since… the first time, you didn’t notice it?” she laughed, her fingers drawing lines on his lips.

“Fuck… No, I only see you or hear you when I’m here… with you,” his confessions had been growing in number lately, but she didn’t seem to mind.

“That’s a shitty situational awareness for a captain,” she smiled, the room was illuminated by the orange glow of the candles and the pale light of the new moon through the window but it felt like daytime every time she smiled.

“Your body is the only thing I need to be aware of,” he squeezed her bottom, she closed her eyes and enjoyed his touch.

“You’ll see him tomorrow… don’t scare him to death, he's a young boy,” There wasn’t anything in her brain besides Eren Jaeger.

“Erwin wants to know his true intentions before going forward and I agree,” They had discussed the possibility of the boy lying but most of his story had been easily verified. Has he been lying since the day he joined the military?

“The other cadets said he wanted to join the Survey Corps, maybe he admires you… don’t break his heart,” she kissed him before he could respond.

“That would depend on him… if I decide he's working with the enemy… I'll have to break more than his heart,” he tucked strands of her hair behind her ear.

“I know, I’m sure that’s not the case. You'll see I’m right when you question him,” she straightened herself up and untied her ponytail, her brown hair shone in copper under the candlelight.

She leaned down to kiss him, then she moved from his mouth to his neck, her lips were soft and a bit wet, she continued down his chest, her tongue following the shape of his abdomen. He had been groaning since she started her journey on his body, and he couldn’t help but moan the moment her hand went up and down his erection. He was closing his eyes, so he moaned in approval when he felt him sliding inside of her again. She wasn’t moving so he looked at her, automatically her hips went back and forth, did she like his gaze when she was on top of him? He was happy to oblige, there was nothing more sensual than to see her slim body working to please both. He caressed her waist and her pace was perfect to take him to the edge without ending it so soon. They’ve grown to understand each other quirks, the subtle signs their bodies sent to the other, and maybe Levi didn’t realize but he understood her better now than before the night in her tent. However, this realization would come the day he deciphers the strange feeling she had awoken in him.

She slowed down so he sat on the bed, surrounded her with his arms, and thrust into her as a wave of pleasure hit her on repeat. The noise of the bed’s frame was getting so loud as well as their own sounds escaping their throats. He couldn’t care less but she would probably get worried if she was conscious of the mess they were doing. The dorms of the rest of the soldiers were on the first floor, he had no idea if someone was sleeping below them. Their wing was occupied by Erwin, Hange, Mike, and him. He lay on his back without releasing her from his arms once everything finished. Their ragged breaths interrupted the silence, and someone knocked on the door. Was it Erwin? Has he finally lost patience pretending he didn’t know the source of the noise? Hange put on her tank top, a pair of pants, and her glasses. She covered him in her sheets as if that was going to make him invisible.

“Half of HQ can hear you… Nanaba says she’s going to join you if you keep it up with the sexy noises,” the tall man’s voice made him roll his eyes.

“I really appreciate your… concern… Is there anything else you wanted to say?” Hange was putting on her best poker face.

“Do I put in a request for a new bed? I don’t think that one will hold…” he peered inside the room and Levi showed him his middle finger when their eyes met.

“You’re so kind, aren’t you? Now, would you mind getting the fuck out,” she smiled but the realization of their new predicament was sinking in.

“It’s not my business but… is everything okay, Hange?” Erwin’s question turned on his internal panic alarm. He could get in the room, he would see him and their days in the Survey Corps would become hell.

“Yes… we were trying to find the source of this noise, he says it might be downstairs,” she lied.

“We can’t knock on all the soldiers’ doors, but it sounds like they’re done for tonight,” Was Mike helping them?

“Well… you know I can’t forbid you anything, I’m your commander, not your father… but I’m worried these kinds of noises might stir more unruly behavior,” He knew it was Hange, that was a direct message to her. They couldn’t fool Erwin Smith completely.

“We just discussed the same with Mike,” she was great at acting.

“He thinks we’re the ones fucking, he probably heard the rumors about us in the showers,” Mike said and sniffed the air for some fucking reason.

“At least he’s sure it was me,” Hange confirmed his suspicions.

“Well… your voice is recognizable, to be honest, he’s worried if anyone had a crush on you hearing you fuck will make things worse for them- “she hit him and told him to go to sleep already.

“What are you doing there?” she turned around in time to see him crawling from under the bed.

“Don’t… you fucking dare… say shit to me right now,” he was getting angry but she started to laugh.

He had put on his pants, but he grabbed her by the waist, and she fell on top of him again. She was still laughing when he kissed her, a couple of strokes of his tongue and they forgot the interruption, Erwin’s knowledge of their affair, and the consequences of being together. He stayed one more hour and Hange had the brilliant idea to put a blanket on the floor to continue until they were exhausted.

Wall Rose’s boy savior was shackled on a bed in an underground cell of the Military court. The humidity had favored the growth of moss in the walls. It was dark except for two torches in the hall where Erwin sat in a chair waiting for the boy to wake up. The guards said he had been sleeping since the day of the battle. He looked as muscular as a fifteen-year-old could be, and he was probably tall judging by the length of his legs. Suddenly his big green eyes were watching them from the blackness of his cell. He pitied him for a second, but he had transformed into a monster. Was he a monster too out of his Titan form?

“You have questions, don’t you? Let’s hear them,” Erwin said in a firm but calm tone.

“Where…. Where… am I?” the boy stuttered his first question.

“It’s an underground cell, you’re under the custody of the Military Police… they’ve granted us permission to see you recently,” the commander explained, he was being too soft to him in Levi’s opinion. The boy stopped battling with his shackles and looked down, the complicated reality of his situation was sinking in.

“I… see… I-“ he was searching for the correct words when Erwin interrupted him.

“This key… belongs to you, you’ll get it back,” the prospect of losing his key had an interesting effect on him. “They said this is the key that opens Doctor Grisha Jaeger’s basement in your house in Shinganshina where apparently lies the truth about the Titans,”

“That’s what he said… before… going away,” the boy was great at pretending he didn’t know shit, or he was actually being sincere.

“How convenient, isn’t it? You lost your memory and your father is nowhere to be found,” Levi couldn’t help commenting on his problem with Eren Jaeger’s suspicious story.

“Levi, we’ve discussed it before… we know he isn’t lying, but… we’re not sure about your intentions,” Erwin turned his attention to the cell.

“My… my… my intentions?” the Titan boy seemed scared for someone who had an ability like him.

“If we want to see the truth hidden in your father’s basement, we have to make it back to Shinganshina. Seal the gate of Wall Maria as you did in Trost would be the smart plan, but we’ll need this incredible Titan ability of yours… we guess the Colossal and Armored Titan are of the same nature as you. We’ve seen Titans as our enemies for a century, but a Titan will decide our fate… what do you want to do, Eren Jaeger?” the question lingered in the air and silence was the answer.

“It’s a simple question, brat… What’s taking you so long to answer? What the fuck do you want to do?” Levi asked sarcastically, his faith in the Savior was decreasing by the minute.

“What… do I want… to do you asked? I’ve always… wanted one thing… since I was a kid. I want to join the Survey Corps and slaughter every Titan on my path,” Eren answered as if it was a stupid question to ask in the first place. Rage was reflected in those emerald eyes, a rage few people could comprehend, a rage that climbed from deep within his gut and spread through his body like poison. He was human that day in his cell but there was a shadow looming over him, the insinuation of something darker and terrible threatening to eat him alive.

“Good… Erwin, I’m taking responsibility for him. I don’t trust him, but I trust my ability to kill him. If a day comes when he betrays us or loses control, I’ll cut his head where he stands. The higher-ups must know I’m the only one who can do it… and I don’t lie. I accept your request, Eren Jaeger. Welcome to the Survey Corps,” Levi declared holding intense eye contact with the boy who swallowed, terrified at the idea of being at the mercy of humanity’s strongest soldier. He was only a fifteen-year-old teenager after all. 

Did he see it that day? Levi would wonder a few years later, did he see the monster taking shape inside of him? He saw it but the darkness was a seed, so small it was almost imperceptible. The fear of making the wrong decisions was still there on his face. And fear was so inherently human, that he ignored his concerns. However, they would learn that demons cry, bleed, and fear as well.

Chapter Text

Levi had seen him, two young soldiers were taking him out of a Titan’s body, and now one of the Garrison was carrying him in his arms somewhere safe. He looked like an ordinary boy, but he had some marks of flesh on his face and was emitting steam, he fell unconscious after they retrieved him from the gate. She followed them with her blades still in her hands since they had been helping to clear out Trost from the Titans that swarmed it. She bumped into the black-haired girl who had carried the Titan boy on her shoulders. She glanced at her with murderous intent, but Hange was too focused on humanity’s new hope to notice. A couple of soldiers with the unicorn sigil on their uniforms arrived at the scene and she knew what it meant. Erwin had to do something and get him before the Military Police succeeded in killing him.

“Erwin! You can’t let them have him!” she yelled at the commander who was listening to the reports from a soldier.

“Hange… Hange… I know… A trial will probably take place to decide his fate,” Erwin was calm, but his brain was calculating their next moves after this new development.

“He can summon a Titan’s body at will… I saw him, and he’s learning to control it too. He lifted the giant boulder to close the gate… He didn’t say how or why he has this ability, he looked as confused as us, to be honest,” Rico said, she was one of the elite soldiers from the Garrison that participated in the operation to seal the gate.

“What’s his name?” she was doing everything in her power to control her excitement. A human who can control a Titan’s body?

“Eren Jaeger, he’s one of the 104th cadets that just graduated today,” How? Why? Suddenly she remembered Teresa’s book, the illustrations they couldn’t understand… were they about this?

“A brat that can transform into a Titan? Sounds like bullshit to me,” Levi wasn’t convinced of the legitimacy of it all.

“Bullshit or not many soldiers saw him doing it… even commander Pixis and he wouldn’t lie about something serious like this. We have to know his intentions before we decide our next moves…” Erwin was right, they couldn’t trust him blindly because he helped them once. Was he a Titan spy? What did it mean to be a Titan spy? Titans were supposed to be mindless, man-eating monsters but if a human could transform into one and keep their intelligence, wouldn’t that make them a weapon? Whose weapon were they then? The thoughts and theories were racing in her mind, but she didn’t like where the possible answers were taking her.

“We need to know more about him… this could be the opportunity to understand the enemy better than it has ever been possible,” she said and Moblit joined them, he reported that Mike’s squad was getting ready to help them capture the subjects for her experiments.

“Hange… If we get to save him from whatever future the Military Police is planning for him, I would like you to study him but remember, he’s a human too,” Erwin said, and she knew he was putting all his trust in her once again.

The hooks of her maneuver gear grappled to a tower nearby, she flew in front of the Titan that extended its arms trying to catch her. She landed on the roof and her right foot slipped due to a loose roof tile on her way. Another soldier sliced the Titan’s nape that got dangerously close to her. Mike looked at her from the roof of the building in front of her and she smiled. Truth be told she hadn’t been thinking straight since the news of that boy reached her ears. The illustrations from Teresa’s books hadn’t left her mind either. What exactly was an intelligent Titan?

Teresa Ignacio’s pale hands decorated with silver rings gave her the first of many books she had promised to share with the Survey Corps. The hard leather cover didn’t have any titles or indications of what the book might be about. She inspected it carefully and the noblewoman had done a great job of restoring and preserving it these few years since the fall of Wall Maria. She sat at the desk of the elegant office and her hands were trembling with excitement. Could this be a step forward in unveiling the mystery of these monsters?    

She opened the book and started to flip the pages, some had been eaten by bugs and mold, but she couldn’t read the words. The language was very different from the one they spoke inside the Walls. The characters seemed to be some type of runes she had never seen before. She sighed because she had read hundreds of books in her life but none like this one. Maybe this was another dead end. However, the moment she flipped the next page, and an incredible illustration was revealed, she understood Teresa’s concerns. Was that thing even a Titan? It didn’t match the description of the Colossal Titan or the Armored Titan which were the weird ones.

This monster was smaller than those two, but it was still more muscular than regular Titans. And it didn’t have a human-like face, or it had but it was covered by a giant porcelain-looking mask. Its open mouth caught Hange’s attention. It had numerous sharp teeth. There were lines pointing at the nape of the neck. If she could only read those runes… She took off her glasses and crossed her fingers immersed in her thoughts.

“Do you think is a Titan?” the blonde noblewoman asked with a cup of wine in her hand.

“Before the Colossal Titan appearance in Shinganshina we had no clue there were types of Titans… I heard a theory about it in a tavern years before it happened, and I thought it might be possible. We don’t know what they are after all,” she replied glancing at the illustration on the yellowish pages of the book.

“What does it mean for us the existence of types of Titans?” Hange was wondering the same and her imagination was taking her to places too terrible to count as possible realities. What type of Titan was this?

“It means our situation won’t get better in time… All these years we thought Titans didn’t have a clear, planned objective but were driven by an instinct to eat humans. Killing us in the process but we were convinced there wasn’t any ill intent in their actions,” Teresa poured wine into another cup while listening to her.

“So… there are Titans that think , is that what you’re suggesting?” The blonde woman pronounced the words she didn’t dare say out loud.

“Sentient Titans would be terrifying, wouldn’t it?” she smiled and grabbed her quill to start taking notes.

“Erwin thinks The Colossal and the Armored Titans are intelligent. But he still doesn’t understand their motives, why do they want to make us go extinct?” She was surprised the commander had shared those theories with this woman as well. What was exactly the nature of their relationship?

“Yeah… if you analyze how the attack on Wall Maria happened it makes sense to think they were following a plan. The Colossal Titan destroyed the gate and allowed the smaller Titans to get inside, then the Armored Titan showed up and destroyed the inner gate claiming Shinganshina as their territory but why did they stop there? Were they looking for something that they found or perhaps they knew there was something inside the Walls that could potentially be a threat to them? My brain is…. going to explode at any second,” she confessed and accepted Teresa’s cup of wine.

“A threat… someone like Captain Levi could be considered a threat,” Lady Teresa ventured. If they knew about Levi, then that would mean they were spying on them. How would these giants spy on people inside the Walls?

“Then you’re suggesting we had been observed or spied on by the enemy,” she sipped her wine wishing her theories were wrong.

“Hange… what if we’re not exactly dealing with a civilization of giants but with another human civilization?” They had discussed that possibility with Erwin countless times. Her sight got lost in the illustration of the masked Titan and she noticed a sigil at the top of the page. It wasn’t Rose, Sina, or Maria but the silhouette of an unknown woman.

“Ymir’s people…” she murmured and followed the shape of the sigil with her finger as if she would understand better by osmosis.

Ilse’s Titan recognized her as a different person, talked to her, bowed to her, and treated her like royalty or someone important. What if the Titans were controlled by one person? This Ymir person she mentioned in her notebook. What if those monsters were her creation, her weapons? Why hasn’t she shown herself in these hundred years to them? If she had intelligent Titans under her command, why was she allowing them to survive inside the Walls? Was this a punishment for an atrocious crime committed by humanity?  

A soft hand lifted her chin, the attractive noblewoman was leaning down and she could see her prominent cleavage closer to her face, some strands of her golden hair caressed her skin and for a second, she forgot her ideas about the Titans. She blinked, confused and Teresa smiled without taking her hand off her face.

“It must be…. tiresome to have such a creative mind,” she whispered, and Hange swallowed. She smelled amazingly delicious which shouldn’t be a surprise since she was a noble who took care of her appearance and not a messy scientist.

“Some say it’s a curse, but life would be boring if I lacked that creativity,” Hange explained wondering about Teresa Ignacio’s intentions in general.

“I bet you can apply that creativity to… other areas… and not only Titan research,” she continued and somehow, she was also closer now than a few seconds ago.

“I do… just not cleaning, don’t ask me to clean,” Hange laughed dissolving the tension in the room. She needed to concentrate and work on deciphering the books.

“Of course, here’s the other book, let me know if you need anything else,” Teresa Ignacio sipped her wine and left her alone in the office.

She sighed again because her flirtatious attitude reminded her of the man she left at headquarters. Erwin’s orders came as a surprise, and she hadn’t had time to kiss him goodbye or spend one last time in his bed. Oh! The mysterious masked Titan in the illustration should occupy all her thoughts right now. She turned over the next page and… was it a tiny human on top of the Titan? It could be a mold stain, so she didn’t get her hopes up. She would remember this image the night after the battle of Trost while in the tub with Levi.

Moblit went silent behind the door, or he left because they didn’t hear his voice again. Levi’s fingers were tirelessly exploring the spots she liked between her legs which he knew by memory at this point. He placed her nub between his fingers and rubbed it with a little bit of pressure, she held onto the edge of the tub as her hips responded to the stimulation by bucking against his hand. He hugged her and sensually kissed her neck while her orgasm spread through her body. She moaned forgetting about her assistant who had been spying on her having sex with another man. What if he was still outside?  

Levi grabbed the soap and the sponge and scraped all the filthiness off her body. He would run the sponge over her skin and then his mouth would follow, she was lost in the sensation of the soft sponge and his lips touching every corner of her anatomy. And she didn’t know which one she liked most, has he ever dreamed of cleaning her body like this?

The water from his hands slid down her breasts and he licked the tip of her nipples with the flat of his tongue making her shiver. Then he closed his mouth around it and his suction was slow as if he was drinking every drop of water from it. She arched her back sinking her nipple deeper into his warm mouth, he sucked all the way to the tip extending it without releasing his lips from it. She was panting and a pulse started to vibrate under her belly. She ran her fingers through his hair as he kept swirling his tongue around her nipple, then on her breast below it. She finally cried out in pleasure when he bit her harder than he used to do it.

His face was closer to hers and she dived into his mouth, her hands went down his chest, and his abdomen and her hips started to shake because his fingers made it inside of her again and were moving faster and deeper. She bit him because the pleasure was overwhelming her and she felt like screaming, she always feels that way with him. Then he lifted her up, took her out of the tub, and pressed her against the wall of the bathing room. Her legs were still wrapped around his waist as if she understands every move he makes.

He went deep inside of her again, and there it was, one, two more orgasms until it was his turn, his eyes closed, his whole body tensed, and his muscles contracted. Their noses were touching, she wanted to see him, see the expression on his face when he comes saying her name. “Say my name,” she whispered in his lips. “Say my name, say you want me,” she insisted breathlessly. “Hange… I… I… I… want…. everything… from-“ a loud moan interrupted him, she smiled and licked his lips. She thought this was the only way he should bathe her from now on.

One of his hands were on the wall while the other was on her bottom, she was kissing him rather violently considering he was trying to recover from his earlier orgasm. She was using her tongue skillfully to prevent him from talking. He was responding to her attacks enthusiastically though. He pressed her against the wall while touching her mouth with his tongue. She ground her hips against him and she knew he was going to get hard again, but he glanced at the tub, picked her up in his arms, and put her inside of it.

“The water’s getting cold… and we can’t stay here the whole night,” he said getting inside the tub with her.

“So… what are we doing here again?” she asked and gave him a peck on his cheek.

“We have to clean you… for real this time,” he turned her around and massaged her back with soap and sponge. This time he seemed more focused on his cleaning job than pleasure.

“You might need to do a more meticulous job down there, between my legs,” she smiled while enjoying his massages.

“I can do that later, in your room,” Levi whispered in her ear from behind.

“I know Moblit was already here asking the same shit but I… have a feeling Hange’s in there,” Nanaba’s voice reverberated in the deadly silence of the room.

“Are Titans invading this district now?!” Levi yelled at the blonde woman.

“The commander wants her to be in a meeting in thirty minutes, I think a soldier from the elite team of the Garrison sneaked into headquarters to talk about today’s events, she might be interested,” Nanaba said, and Hange almost jumped naked out of the tub to open the door, but he held her in place.

“I’ll be there!” she exclaimed, and he sighed. Was Levi slightly jealous of her interest in the Titan boy?

She jumped into his arms and kissed him to show him he was important to her too. He probably understood the reason behind her excitement, but she knew better than anyone that some feelings couldn’t be easily controlled. Who or what was controlling the Titans? How could Eren Jaeger help them solve their predicament? What kind of future was waiting for them ahead?

Rico Brzenska fixed her glasses after sitting down across from Erwin Smith at the small table of his office. Hange had her quill and papers ready to add any interesting details to the information they already had. The blonde soldier from the Garrison was visibly nervous but they understood. This was an unofficial meeting, almost a secret one set up between commander Pixis and Erwin. None of them trusted the Military Police's plans on how to deal with the bizarre situation and they couldn’t allow a potentially powerful weapon to go to waste.

“A group of the 104 th cadets saw the Titan first while trying to reach the Walls before running out of gas, they considered it an abnormal because it didn’t pay attention to them. It just started killing the rest of the Titans,” Rico explained the story she had heard from the cadets themselves.

“Was it a big group of them?” Erwin asked concentrating on every word she said.

“No… the ones who saw it for the first time were Mikasa Ackerman, Armin Arlert, and Connie Springer,” she remembered the names very well since she had to file a report about the events of the battle.

“All of them are Eren Jaeger’s friends,” the commander pointed out and Hange stopped writing her notes. What was he implying?

“Yes, two of them are his childhood friends. One of them had the idea to use this “abnormal Titan” to help them reach the supply room at HQ. The plan succeeded since many cadets survived thanks to that. Then when they were returning to the Wall the Titan collapsed and started emitting steam from the nape and that’s when they saw Eren Jaeger coming out of it with a new leg and arm,” Rico was looking at Hange constantly writing on her papers.

“His human body didn’t actually transform into a Titan, but he somehow made the Titan body appear and his human one was stored inside the nape,” Hange concluded. Her efforts to make sense of all of this would have already given her a headache if it wasn’t for Levi’s relaxing bathing session from earlier.

“That’s what we saw… when captain Woermann fired a cannon at him, he bit his hand and there was a bolt of lightning and the Titan body just formed out of thin air in front of us,” she sounded like she couldn’t believe her own words.

“It… formed…. out of thin air, huh?” she murmured, and Erwin asked another question she didn’t hear.

Ymir’s people…. Lady Ymir…

The soldier from the Garrison went on the details of how commander Pixis convinced them to follow Armin Arlert’s plan to seal the gate in Trost. She did mention that Eren Jaeger lost control of his Titan body and attacked his childhood friend. So, the second time he summoned the Titan it was incomplete, didn’t have legs or skin. Then he somehow forgot about the plan to seal the gate and it took his friend’s help to bring him back to a conscious state. He was fairly new using this power and he hadn’t had proper control of it. He had been acting on rage and impulses during the battle for Trost. If a human can be trained to use such an ability then…. These things were definitely weapons. 

What if we’re dealing with another human civilization?

“Hange… Hange… Judging by his behavior during this time. What do you make of Eren Jaeger?” Erwin asked bringing her back to reality. 

“He… didn’t know he had this ability until now or else he wouldn’t have put himself in danger during the incident with captain Woermann. He was clearly in a state of confusion or he should have summoned his Titan again and killed everyone. He doesn’t have proper control of its strength either and if there’s the possibility that he can transform multiple times, he needs training,” she shared her thoughts by reading part of her notes. 

“Thank you for your time, Rico Brzenska, and I apologize for putting you in this delicate position but humanity’s survival depends on this,” Erwin explained and she nodded in acknowledgment.  

“Erwin… Teresa’s books might be about this, humans that can summon Titan bodies,” she said after the soldier from the Garrison closed the door of the office behind her. 

“Titan bodies…. do you mean there are more besides the Colossal, Armored, and now Eren Jaeger’s Titan?” he poured fresh water on a glass. He hadn’t taken a break since the battle in Trost either.

“Yes, there might be more. The Titan in the illustrations is completely different, I feel we have all the answers in that book but we can’t read them,” she concluded frustrated. 

“The people around King Fritz are having the most curious reactions to this Titan appearance, it’s almost like this is something they haven’t seen or expected to happen ever,” he drank the water from the glass and she remembered the other issues with the nobles. 

The King hadn’t been killed though and Erwin still had to share the results of his plan with Teresa Ignacio. But it was almost midnight and even if this was a fascinating topic of conversation, their bodies were starting to feel the exercise they had done with the maneuver gear all day. She excused herself and climbed the stairs to her room. She found Moblit on the way there, he had a candle holder in one hand and he got very close to her to talk in a low voice since the rest of the soldiers were already in bed. 

“Would you need me to put your notes in order?” he asked, his lips a few inches from hers. 

“No, it’s not necessary. I would like you to find the notes about Teresa’s books in-” he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear interrupting her. She was surprised he had done it in such a natural way that she thought maybe it had happened before but she never paid attention to it. 

“The notes about the illustrations?” he insisted and he was looking straight into her eyes. She couldn’t help but picture him watching her naked in Levi’s arms and drawing her, spying every inch of her body in the process.

“Exactly. You know I always carry everything with me… but I’m sure you’ll find it and we have to check them out tomorrow morning, so… try to rest tonight,” she patted his shoulder and was walking away when he grabbed her arm to stop her. 

“Good night, Hange,” he said with a smile. She smiled back nervously and continued her way upstairs. 

She closed the door of her room and slammed her back against it with a loud sigh. He called her Hange not squad leader as he was so used to doing it. What are you doing, Moblit? she wondered. She wanted to believe this was the result of her paranoia but she wasn’t sure anymore. Hange took off her glasses and almost scream when a shadow moved in the darkness of her bedroom. Levi removed the sheets covering him and he was half naked under them. 

“Fucking hell! I don’t see shit! I just took off my glasses… are you trying to kill me?” she asked but she was smiling and he approached her, trapping her between the door and his bare torso. 

“I am… I’m going to fuck you so hard you’ll be dead in the morning,” he said in a serious tone. 

“You bathed me a few hours ago, are you planning on getting me all dirty?” she teased him, running her fingers over his muscular abdomen. 

“I’ll bathe you again, we have shittier problems than that,” he kissed her hard and she couldn’t resist. 

They locked the door, he unbuttoned her shirt and lifted her up from her bottom to the desk near the window. He pulled down her pants and underwear, they made out while his hands ran along her naked legs and she pulled him into her, feeling the hardness in his pants rubbing her most sensitive spot below her hips. She moaned in his ear as he removed the rest of his clothes and continue rubbing her with his erection. She grabbed his firm butt cheeks and pushed him up a little against her, she got a loud groan in response. 

“I want… I want…” she tried to speak but he was kissing her neck, her jawline and his hands were roaming her body awakening all kinds of sensations in her. 

“What the fuck do you want? Tell me…” he breathed into her hot skin. 

“I want you… so bad,” she confessed and planted a hungry kiss on his mouth. 

“Good thing I waited for you, then” he whispered and penetrated her in a swift motion. She gasped and surrounded his neck with her arms. 

He went deeper and harder each time while biting her shoulder. She was moaning and panting as if they were the only people in the building. The fucking desk was a cheap one so it was rattling loudly, hitting the wall with his thrusts. He had to hold it with one hand to minimize the noise. Needless to say, it did nothing to keep things quieter. It got worse when Hange climaxed and screamed as her slim body convulsed in pleasure. He kissed her to drown her sounds but she noticed and moaned lowly. What was he doing to her? They had had great sex in the tub and now she felt she couldn’t get enough of him. How would they survive once Erwin sends them to different places after this? She knew his plans, she was going back to HQ to work on her experiments while they were staying in this district, making preparations for Eren Jaeger’s trial. 

Levi lifted her up as if she weight nothing and laid her on the bed. He was going to enter her again but she rolled around and put herself on all fours for him. “Which one do you want?” he asked caressing her bottom. “Surprise me, just do it hard and make me scream,” she ordered and she was ready for the surprise. She held onto the rails of the headboard and he showed her no mercy. He entered her where he did the time Moblit spied on them. He was such an obedient soldier that she cried out in no time, the rails almost separated from the headboard and she could hear the creaking sounds of the bed as well as the slapping sounds of their flesh hitting each other. 

Their bodies were glistening with sweat, he was on top of her kissing her stomach and she sighed content and satisfied. His fingers went up to her breasts and were drawing circles around her nipples, tickling her so she pulled him up and kissed him slowly. He caressed her cheeks and she ran her nails down his back. He kissed her back softly without despair or violence and she was getting used to this side of him. 

"I'm going to headquarters in a few days to start the experiments," she wasn't sure how long they were going to be separated. 

"I guessed so when I saw you catching those fucking things" he kissed her neck. 

"Are you coming to help with them?" She knew it didn't depend on his own decision but she wished that was the case, sometimes.

"I'll go if Erwin doesn't need me here," he answered, his fingers on her lips. 

"Then you won't come with me," she responded, trying to hide her disappointment. 

"Hange, you know I want to go with you, be with you… I…," she stopped him with another kiss on his mouth. 

She didn’t mind his sweet confessions about how much he worries about her or wants to be with her or even the fact that he has only eyes for her but she was still scared of where this kind of talk could lead him. Especially now that the future inside the Walls had become more uncertain. Eren Jaeger could be a savior or a destroyer and she wanted to be on her five senses to help him become the best version of himself. A version that could save humanity.

“I want you to be with me too, but I think Erwin has other plans for you,” Hange squeezed his bottom and he smiled into a new kiss. This time she saw him…. smiling. The sour face captain smiled because of her. 

“He’s determined to talk to the brat before the trial… maybe he wants me to be there in case I need to break his neck,” he said massaging her legs. 

“Was that a smile on your face… a minute ago?” she loved to tease him about his cold disposition. 

“I don’t think so, I can’t smile,” he whispered on her lips and kiss them lightly touching them. He was smiling again when he did it.

The soldiers of the fourth squad pulled the cables that were keeping the four-meter Titan immobilized. They moved it from the modified lift to have it sit on the ground. Some soldiers from the Garrison proceeded to nail the monster and put the spears around its neck into the poles they had prepared the day before. Hange stepped into the courtyard with Teresa Ignacio by her side. The noblewoman had arrived at the outer Wall for Eren Jaeger’s trial and she had expressed her interest in witnessing the experiments with the Titans they captured in Trost. 

They got as close as Moblit allowed them since the Titans were still getting immobilized and there was a risk of one of them escaping the restraining spears. The hissing sounds of steam coming out of their wounds as the nails made it into their flesh became the symphony of the early morning. The four-meter monster opened its mouth and a deep, hollow sound caught Teresa’s attention. It was the first time she was seeing one of these things so close. 

“It almost seems like they’re trying to speak, doesn’t it?” Hange said and snatched a spear from another soldier’s hand. 

“That’s horrible… What are you going to do to them?” she asked, curiosity etched on her attractive face. 

“First, we need to test their communication skills, so we talk to them and see if they can respond with words,” the seven-meter Titan screamed loudly when the first nails sunk into its body. 

“Can they… feel pain?” Teresa was looking at the screaming monster horrified. 

“I have a theory that they can feel pain but just like it happens with humans, their tolerance and reaction to it varies from individual to individual,” she explained and lifted her goggles to the top of her head since the steam was fogging them. 

“Why would they have the ability to feel pain?” the noblewoman had been asking the most interesting questions lately but she was right. If these monsters were weapons, why allowed them to feel pain?

“I… don’t know, they don’t seem to feel empathy towards human suffering,” she replied and tried to get close to one of the Titans but Moblit stepped in her way. 

“The subjects are not ready yet, please wait one more minute, Squad leader,” Moblit informed her and she nodded. 

“Hange, if Eren Jaeger’s human body was buried in the nape of the neck, then it explains why they die if we cut them there. You don’t think there are humans inside of all these Titans, do you?” Teresa’s expression of horror returned to her face. 

“I’ve run experiments in other Titans before and we opened their necks but I didn’t find anything that resemble a human. It probably depends on the type of Titans. The intelligent ones are controlled by people but these… are just carcasses,” she answered but her stomach turned in front of the prospect of her assessment being wrong. What if they weren’t looking deep enough?

The seven-meter Titan screamed again and tried to stand up. Teresa held Hange’s arm and hid behind her, she unsheathed one of her blades in case her squad lost control of the situation. Fortunately, Abel, Keiji, and Lauda connected the restraining spears to the poles in time to prevent a tragedy. Moblit sighed in relief and gave her the notes they prepared to run the experiments. She knew a few sleepless nights were ahead of her but the results could guide them to discover an advantage over their enemies.

She smiled at Teresa and invited her to stay as long as she wanted. She did warn her to keep her distance and Moblit suggested not to follow Hange around because her unorthodox methods could put their lives in unnecessary danger. He hadn’t finished his sentence when he noticed his beloved squad leader centimeters away from the four-meter Titan.

“Good morning! How are you? I’m Hange Zoë, do you have a name?” Hange asked as if she was talking to a person and the rest of the soldiers looked at her in disbelief. 

Hange Zoë was determined to ignore people’s misconceptions and judgmental ideas about the Titans. They were man-eating monsters, yes, but they were clearly something more than what meets the eye. Every living thing exists in the world for a reason. We all have an objective inside the ecosystem we belong to. And they were eerily human to ignore it. Were the Titans born from a human ancestor? How many characteristics do they have in common with the intelligent ones? She was going to find the answers to these questions even if she lost her life in the process.  

What if the Titans are weapons? 

Ymir’s people… Lady Ymir…    

Chapter Text

Flavio Wolff, the Royal Councilor was holding a cup of wine and sitting comfortably in an armchair in Erwin’s office. He had just arrived with a military police escort, his long silver hair tied in a low ponytail as usual but this time he could see some thin braids decorating his hair. The dark blue embroidered tunic he was wearing over a white shirt and pants gave him his signature noble look. He was as relaxed as anyone in the interior would be in contrast with the men around him, the tense air weight on him and Levi moved in his chair, he still remembered his bold advances on Hange the day of the party in Trost and the kiss he gave him but that didn’t bother him as much as imagining his pale hands roaming the mad scientist’s slim body, his fingers on her breasts and his blood boiled in his veins.

“A Titan boy… what a turn of events,” The councilor smiled and sipped his red wine. If he was scared or worried, he was concealing his emotions pretty well.

“What’s his Majesty’s priority after this new enemy attack?” Erwin was taking the visit of the noble pretty well.

“The King is concentrating his efforts in rebuilding Trost, he wants people to return to their homes and feel safe inside the Walls again but…. This Jaeger boy concerns him, greatly” he replied and stood up to pour himself more wine. Some of his men had mentioned he hadn’t stopped drinking since the battle for Trost.

“Eren Jaeger’s fate would be decided by a military court. He’s a soldier at the service of the King, it's the expected procedure in this case” the commander made it clear in case the noble had any objections.

“The fate of such a powerful person on the hands of one man. Zackly must be hard in his office thinking about this if he could still get hard, of course,” Flavio’s lack of respect for authorities wasn’t a surprise.

“Erwin! The-“ Hange interrupted herself when she laid eyes upon the councilor. She had opened the door abruptly as she usually does.

“Hange Zoë, it’s always a pleasure to see you. I imagine as the only scientist in the Survey Corps, you must be very busy studying this new development,” he said and approached her as he spoke.

“You haven’t said what the fuck you’re doing here,” Levi’s murderous stare was more evident now.

“I’ve come for the boy’s trial, captain. The rest of my party must have arrived already but don’t worry, we’re not staying in this old, decaying building. I’m sure the ruins of Trost are more enticing than this place,” he turned to Levi and Erwin was following his movements sitting behind his desk.

“Hange… You were saying?” the commander was visibly tired of Flavio’s condescending tone, but he was the King’s right hand, he couldn’t put a finger on him…. Yet.

“The Titans for the experiments are being transported to HQ, do I leave immediately?” she asked and his heart sunk, they had talked about them being separated again but her question made it feel more real.

“No, I’d like you to stay for at least two more days, we have important meetings and I want you to participate in them, send Moblit and two more men of your squad to oversee the transportation process,” Erwin’s words were music to his ears, he would have her in his arms at least for a couple of nights. “Levi, Teresa Ignacio’s carriage is arriving soon, welcome her in my stead. The councilor and I have more matters to discuss, you’re both dismissed,” What was this parade of noble pigs? He snorted but followed his orders.

He left the office with Hange, she said she wanted to see Teresa too, so they walked out of the building together. He had to blink a couple of times to believe what he was seeing. There was a group of Military Police officers, Flavio’s escort, that Pastor Noah expressing his disdain toward the Titan boy and then…. a woman, someone he hadn’t seen in years since he left the underground, no, she had disappeared before that. She was a few centimeters taller than Hange, she was wearing an underbust corset over a shirt and a black leather gun holster surrounded her hips which she was trying to hide with a long coat. She was as curvy and attractive as he remembered.

“Ravenna,” he murmured staring at the woman talking to the MPs.

“I think that’s Teresa’s carriage, she-“

“Little runt… playing the honorable soldier, huh?” the woman he least expected to find interrupted Hange.

“Not as shitty as being surrounded by pigs,” Levi responded, the expression on his face betraying nothing.

“I heard about humanity’s strongest soldier for so long but to think they were talking about a small piece of shit like you,” the woman inspected him from head to toe. She had green and blue eyes, a characteristic that made her famous in the underground.

“It must be difficult for you to be the pigs’ bodyguard,” he said, and an uncomfortable tension filled the air as she moved closer to him.

“Pigs fuck really hard too… Have you missed this cunt, little runt?” she asked and placed her hand between her legs and he wished Hange hadn’t heard her but she glanced at them at that moment.

“Hange, go on ahead, I’ll be with you in a minute,” he said without looking at her but he saw her walking away from the corner of his eye.

“Don’t want your comrade to know about your shitty taste in women?” Ravenna laughed until he grabbed her by her long coat.

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re doing here but I’ll tell you this only once, I won’t fuck you, I won’t talk to you, I won’t even look at you and if you don’t do the same… your stay here will be shit,” he warned her in a menacing voice but she didn’t show signs of being scared.

“That’s the violent little runt of the great dick that I remember,” she leaned forward and tried to reach his earlobe, but he pushed her away violently.

He left Ravenna behind and joined Teresa and Hange who were enthusiastically talking about the two Titans they had captured in Trost. They went inside the building and he followed them in silence, thinking about the meaning behind that woman’s presence among the MPs. She had been a thief and a skilled murderer in her years in the underground, how did she escape that place and what was she doing so close to a Royal Councilor?

He held the man by his throat and a gunshot exploded near his ear. He let the man fall to the ground, lifeless, the bullet had pierced his skull, and blood splashed on him. Levi took out a tissue and clean his face the best he could. A woman holding a gun in her hand approached him and assured him the job was done. Ravenna was impulsive, careless, and impatient but they had been working together for quite some time and their partnership had brought more earnings to their table.

“I told you to fucking wait for the signal,” he said while on their way to Levi’s small place.

“You were taking ages, and he wasn’t going to talk anymore, we got what Lloyd wanted, fuck the rest,” she declared as if it was the only course of action they could have taken.

“You need to listen to me or one of these days you’ll fuck both of us,” he opened the door of the small house he shared with Furlan.

“Lloyd will be here tomorrow morning, did you get him?” the blonde man asked as they entered the room.  

“The job is done, you can see the idiots from Tony’s group, I’ll take care of things here,” Levi assured him and Furlan nodded.

Ravenna got close to him as soon as the door closed and started to unbutton his vest stained with a stranger’s blood. He did the same with her shirt, grabbed the gun from the belt around her hips, and threw it on the table.

“You’re so fucking dirty, look at all this blood,” she said and opened his shirt to reveal his hard abdomen.

“You shot the idiot in front of me, so this is your doing,” he kissed her so aggressively she couldn’t breathe for a second.

“I’m a bitch, you know that, but I can always clean it,” Ravenna dragged her nails along his abs, leaving scratch marks on her way to the zipper of his pants.

“You’ll clean it thoroughly as I taught you,” he ordered and pushed her down by her shoulders.

She smiled and took his length into her mouth. Her head went up and down as her tongue swirled around it, her saliva was warm and she coated him with it, then she started to suck and he thrust into her mouth. She held his hips in place so she could do her job without interruptions and there was fire spreading from his groin to the rest of his body. He stopped her before he finished in her mouth, he pulled her up and pushed her against the table.

The black-haired woman gasped when he pulled down her pants completely and penetrated her. She held onto the table with both hands as he pounded into her, faster and deeper each time she moaned. He ran his hands along her back and unclasped her bra without stopping the movement of his hips. Levi pulled her hair and straightened her up so he could kiss her neck, bit her shoulders, and caress her prominent breasts while she shuddered and cried out his name when she climaxed.

She sat on the edge of the table and pushed him into her, he hadn’t orgasmed yet so he could get inside of her again. Ravenna wrapped her long legs around his waist and forced him to go deeper with every thrust. His lips grazed her nipples and she arched her back, her breasts were closer to his mouth so his tongue brushed the tip of her nipples. Her hips went back and forth complimenting his rhythm and she was hit with a wave of pleasure.

“You’re so good to me… little runt,” she whispered with her eyes closed.

“What do you want from me?” he asked and slammed into her with full force making her moan loudly.

“Fuck me, Levi… that’s all I want, fuck me and to hell with the rest,” she laid on the table and he hit her pleasurable spots easily.

She sat on the couch still half naked and watched him clean the table. Ravenna found his obsession entertaining and she even let him teach her how to properly clean but she wasn’t satisfied with the kind of life she had in the underground. She told him a woman like her wasn’t born to stay hidden in a rat’s den. He understood her desire to leave but at that moment, he couldn’t grasp the extent of her determination.

Ravenna disappeared one day, she didn’t leave a letter, a note, anything that could explain where she went or if she was going to come back. He hadn’t loved her but their chemistry in bed and out of it was so good, that he felt an emptiness growing in him as days passed. Was he condemned to see the people in his life vanish? He looked for her in the dirtiest places of the rat’s den without success, no one knew her whereabouts and Furlan would laugh at him saying he seemed to be in love with her. He had forgotten about her once he made it to the outside world and joined the scouts. She became a shadow of his past and now that he had someone special in his life, her appearance could only mean trouble for him.

“Things are hectic in the interior,” Teresa informed them as she took off her elegant cape and handed it to her assistant, Alphonse.

“Any attempts at the King’s life?” Erwin was now sitting in an armchair near the window with a cup of tea in his hand.

“No, but he’s taking his job to rebuild Trost seriously, he will personally come to Wall Rose but I think it will happen after Eren Jaeger’s trial if only I could exchange words with him,” she sighed frustrated.

“He’s surrounded by the MPs, the councilors, and those Wall priests, it almost seems like they’re trying to isolate him more than to protect him,” Erwin had been analyzing the political situation inside the Walls since Flavio’s party.

“I believe that he’s taking a huge risk in coming here, I would say it isn’t a good idea at all,” Hange’s brain had also been working nonstop in devising a plan that would keep the Titan boy safe.

“Well… right now we have to focus on the trial, Eren Jaeger wants to join the Survey Corps and fight with us to exterminate the Titans, those were his own words, he can be the weapon that will turn the tie in our favor” the commander looked satisfied with the brat’s response to his questions but Levi still didn’t trust him at all.

“The MPs are gonna say they want to kill him to protect humanity, shitty lies, they always work for the noble pigs’ interests,” Levi gave his opinion on the matter and even though his vocabulary was crude, it was the truth.

“They’re going to use every piece of information they have on him to picture him as a threat more than a savior, they will probably point out the details in the report that says he lost control of his Titan,” Hange was going through her notes while speaking.

“He did lose control though,” Teresa pointed out and he couldn’t agree more with her even if he despised her.

“He needs to be trained, he needs guidance, and his interests align with ours. We can’t let this chance slip,” Levi rolled his eyes, Hange still defending the brat she hadn’t even talked to yet.

“What approach do you suggest for the trial, Hange?” Erwin sipped his tea with his blue eyes fixed on the scientist.

“It won’t do us any good to just present a list of reasons why we have to give him the chance to prove his loyalty to our cause. We’ll have to show them that he can be controlled,” she said and looked at Levi, was she suggesting having him become the boy’s babysitter?

“Show… “ the commander murmured, trying to understand Hange’s train of thought.

“Levi is sure he can do that and even kill him if it’s necessary, so he’ll have to show it in front of the Premier to convince him,” she was still staring at him and he wondered if he was the only one not fully understanding the suggestion.

“So…. Levi will have to put on a convincing show he isn’t afraid of the boy, I believe that won’t be difficult for you,” Erwin smiled and he nodded.

They reached the conclusion Levi would have to take matters into his own hands, quite literally, or his own fists to be more precise. He would show the Premier he was the only man inside the Walls that could kill Eren’s fifteen-meter intelligent Titan without effort. He didn’t lie when he said he was capable of that and Erwin told him he would put the boy under his supervision if he happened to officially join the Survey Corps.

The meeting ended after they shared a cup of tea in Erwin’s office. Then they left the commander alone with his noble bitch and he was still wondering if Hange had heard Ravenna’s bold words to him. She hadn’t said anything about it which could mean she didn’t notice the familiarity between them but at the same time she was smart, wasn’t she? She said she had to give orders to her men that would oversee the transportation of the Titans they had captured and told him they could see each other later that night with a wink. By the Walls, he was looking forward to that.

“Captain, are we going to assist the fourth squad with the experiments?” Petra’s sweet voice surprised him in the hall.

“No, commander Pixis assigned a group of soldiers to help Hange with the experiments, maybe Erwin changes his mind, but we’ll have to wait for new orders,” he replied walking toward the room where the rest of his squad was waiting for him.

“I understand… Squad leader Hange seems to be very interested in the boy. Do you think we can trust him?” He wasn’t sure about Petra’s intentions in mentioning Hange, but her question was a valid one.

“I talked to him once, I can’t judge him by one conversation, but his interests seem to be the same as ours for now,” he didn’t mention the darkness he had seen in those green eyes because maybe he was wrong about it.

“You’re worried about her,” she said, and he stopped in his tracks. He turned to pierce her with an icy grey stare.

“I’m worried about all our comrades,” he declared and continued walking toward his destination.

He hadn’t forgotten about Petra’s confession either and his suspicions that she had been spying on them in their intimate moments. However, he didn’t have proof of that and somehow, it was hard to believe someone so innocent and kind would do such a disturbing thing. He answered his men's questions about the boy, the trial, and the future of the situation inside the Walls. What was about to happen?

Hange had accommodated herself on his lap, and they had been kissing for a couple of minutes in different ways, they started off slow and sweet, then he deepened their kisses and soon passion ruled their actions. Now, their tongues were dancing in his mouth, his hand lifted one of her legs against him and her arms were around his neck, pushing him into her as well. They found an office nobody used and locked the door with a chain Hange had found somewhere in the basement. They decided the bed in her room was too noisy and could put them in trouble again. He bit her lower lip and she smiled, he loved to see her smile into their kisses.

“She knows you, doesn’t she? The woman that talked to you this morning,” she said and his hope of ignoring the subject vanished completely.

“Hange… she… is someone I knew when I lived in the underground, someone like me,” he replied and dropped his hands to her waist.

“A… criminal?” she ventured but rubbed their noses together, he knew she didn’t want to hurt his feelings but that was the truth, he had been a criminal in his past life.

“A fucking thief and… a murderer,” she cupped his face and placed a soft kiss on his lips.

“You’re none of that now… you were more than partners in crime, I heard her saying-“

“Yes, we… we used to fuck but that was it, it didn’t mean shit to me then,” he interrupted her to clarify things once and for all.

“Does that mean that…. this isn’t the same?” she asked and her brown eyes were inspecting his grey ones.

“No, Hange, you know this isn’t the same, you mean… a lot to me,” he confessed and she kissed him. He had noticed she would do that every time he reveal more about his feelings, what was she so afraid of?

He lifted her up and laid her on the elegant velvet couch in the office, he climbed on top of her and kissed her deeply as he unbuckled the leather straps on her thighs. Her hands unbuttoned his shirt because he had already disposed of his harness before he sat on the armchair where they had been making out. He took it off and threw it somewhere on the floor, she ran her nails on his back as he kissed her neck and nibbled on her skin. Her lips parted and soft moans escaped her and she pressed her legs against his bottom, rubbing their lower bodies against each other.

Levi undid all the buttons of her yellow shirt placing a kiss each time more of her skin was exposed to him. He was kissing her stomach when she sat and slid her top over her head, then grabbed his shoulders and pulled him down with her again. He gave her a wet and deep kiss as their naked chests were pressed against each other. Her breasts rubbed his skin and he unzipped his own pants to release the discomfort of his trapped erection.

He licked her nipples with the flat of his tongue while she caressed his hair with one hand and stroked his length with the other. He latched onto it, sucking it furiously and she moaned so loud, that he stopped for a second to look for any indication that someone heard them. She unzipped her pants and indicated to him to pull them down for her. He obeyed and got fully naked in the process too, then positioned himself to enter her, both of his hands on the arm of the couch. He did it slowly, enjoying the feeling of her flesh welcoming him inside of her. She gasped once he was completely inside and started to move up and down.

He accelerated and she held onto him to keep herself in one place since her head was hitting the arm of the couch with each thrust. The silence disappeared from the abandoned office as he reached a steady fast pace and they were moaning and groaning together. The couch was surprisingly sturdy and it didn’t rattle as much as he was afraid it would. Her body was trembling with an orgasm, and he sucked on the skin of her neck to provoke more sensations in her and overwhelm her with pleasure.

She let him finish inside of her and they switched positions. She was sitting on top of him, teasing him while she was giving him time to recover and get hard again. It didn’t usually take a lot of time with her, she knew how to drive him crazy. Her hands were going up and down his abdomen and he was admiring her naked body, he would never get tired of seeing her in all her glory. She was following the lines of his abs and commenting on how hard they were.

“Do you like that?” he asked and placed his hands on her hips.

“I’m not easy to impress but I have to say your physique is… very impressive, captain,” she smiled mischievously and he could feel himself getting fully erect again.

“Didn’t you want to dissect me or some shit when we met?” she hadn’t exactly said that but he understood she was curious about him.

“I don’t dissect humans, but I was intrigued by your skills,” she leaned down and kissed him.

“Am I not intriguing anymore?” he dragged his hands along her back.

“You are an attractive mystery for a scientist, captain,” she straightened herself up and moved against his erection.

“Then… start your shitty experiment and sit on my dick before I do it myself,” he said in a commanding voice.

“Your lack of patience is… interesting,” she whispered and did as he ordered. 

Hange bucked her hips fast from the start and rode him viciously while scratching his abdomen and he melted under her. He grabbed her bottom and squeezed it as she moaned on top of him. He groaned when she suddenly went up and down his length, making him squeeze her behind harder. She arched her back but didn’t slow down, she kept her rhythm while enjoying her orgasms, she put herself in a position in which he would rub her most sensitive spot and soon she was panting, sinking in the sweet sensations of that kind of sensual stimulation. 

He massaged her breasts in circular motions, putting her nipples between his fingers and applying pressure that she seemed to like. She was going so hard on him that a strong orgasm hit him and he had to tell her to stop because she was immersed in a river of ecstasy, she hadn’t noticed his fluids in her thighs. Hange cuddled up on top of him and they spent some time kissing, exploring their mouths as if they hadn’t kissed countless times before. 

“I’ll have you for a couple of days, huh?” he said after parting from her mouth. 

“Maybe… if Erwin doesn’t come up with new meetings late at night,” she smiled and caressed his lips. 

“Fucking hell, don’t remind me of that possibility,” he kissed her forehead because she was within his reach so he took advantage of that. 

“You’ll have to beat Eren a little bit… make sure not to kill him,” she was talking about their plan to show the Premier they could use his Titan abilities as a weapon. 

“If he dies then he wasn’t our savior,” he responded and Hange looked worried. 

“You heard him, he wants to fight by our side,” she insisted on Eren Jaeger being the embodiment of hope. 

A noise on the other side of the door interrupted their conversation. They stayed quiet for a bit. Was somebody outside listening to their sounds of pleasure? Was it a coincidence or just the wind? Why couldn’t they have a single moment of peace together? Hange said nobody used the office so, what was that noise? She noticed his annoyed expression and she smiled, kissed him, and said they should get dressed. 

He was getting in a carriage when Ravenna’s laugh caught his attention. She was talking to the silver-haired councilor as if they were good friends which didn’t make sense to him, she had been a rat from the underground, didn’t he know that? Hange was inside the carriage, waiting for him and he was about to get in when the woman approached him. She had an evil grin on her face and he almost jumped inside the carriage and left. 

“They have you on a tight leash, little runt!” she laughed and glanced at Teresa Ignacio who was getting on the carriage in front of them. 

“Don’t fucking call me that again, I told you not to talk to me,” he pierced her with rage in his eyes. 

“To think you used to like to put your dirty mouth deep inside my cunt,” she looked at Hange who was sitting inside the carriage trying to ignore the scene.

“I’m sure the noble pig is taking care of that, that’s the kind of business you make, isn’t it?” he stopped the hand that almost slapped him across the face. 

“Are you fucking that four-eyed bitch in the carriage? Is that why you’re so nervous, Levi?” she smirked because he had stayed silent, confirming her suspicions. Was it really that obvious?

“Talk about her again and I’ll hurt you,” she freed herself from him and Flavio walked up to them. Another motherfucker that needed to be put in his place. 

“Ravenna, we’re not here to cause more problems, the situation is complicated as it is. Escort Pastor Noah to his next destination, I think he needs to pray or some shit before the Walls fall on him,” he ordered in his sarcastic tone. 

“Keep your people away from me or you will return with fewer men,” he was losing his patience fast and the councilor enjoyed that. 

“Don’t worry, captain, the trial will determine everyone’s fate, including ours, so you’ll have to deal with me and my men until then,” his face was a few inches from him, he backed away and got in the carriage. 

He murmured something along the lines of useless assholes and Hange placed her hand on his knee, letting him know he needed to calm down. Fortunately, Erwin gave him permission to escort Hange and Teresa to HQ where she was going to start the experiments. They were supposed to return after two days for the trial and he was glad everything would be settled then. She was reading her notes until she sat next to him, he turned to her and she kissed him. They were becoming more careless as time passed but he couldn’t deny her a kiss or a touch. 

“If you show her how she gets on your nerves, she’ll keep bothering you,” she whispered and placed her head on his shoulder. 

“Don’t ask me to stay silent when someone like her talks about you,” he looked through the windows as the scenery changed. 

“That’s what she wants, to stir some kind of reaction from you, maybe she’s still interested in you,” he turned to Hange but she smiled. “Levi, you can’t control other people’s feelings or desires,” 

“She left one day without leaving a letter or an explanation, I even thought one of her enemies have killed her, why would she be interested in someone she left behind?” he asked more to himself than Hange. 

“She probably had her motives, but we have to be careful before the trial, everyone already believes we can’t be responsible for Eren…  so don’t give them more reasons to justify that idea,” she said and looked straight into his eyes. Was she begging him to behave? 

“Ravenna has to behave too,” he snorted but Hange grabbed him by the jaw and kissed him. They kissed half the way to HQ but they stopped when things were getting hotter, they couldn’t lose control now. 

Hange had started the experiments as soon as they arrived at HQ. Teresa witnessed most of it and he kept a closer look from a prudent distance. Alphonse had been making sure the noble bitch didn’t get in any trouble since it was the first time she was seeing Titans so close. Night fell and the soldiers lit up dozens of torches around the two monsters that were immobilized in the courtyard. Hange decided to take a break because Moblit was going crazy telling her to rest before she gets too tired and her reflexes faltered around the Titans. She had eaten dinner with the blonde noblewoman and now she entered a room where she could see the subjects from afar.      

She took off her goggles and she didn’t see him until he grabbed her by the waist. He caressed her cheek and she looked really tired. However, she pulled him closer by his shirt and kissed him passionately. They started to make out again when a deep, throaty sound interrupted them. One of the Titans was panting loudly in the courtyard and he wondered if they would be able to have sex like this. She sighed and told him to ignore it, so they resumed their kissing, he unbuckled her belt and the other Titan screamed for some fucking reason. Soldiers from the Garrison were keeping an eye on the monsters but they got uneasy every time one of them made a sound or tried to move. 

“I think Sawney is agitated tonight, but we can still…  do something quick,” she said and her hand was on his zipper and the bulge inside his pants agreed with her but his captain brain told him it was the shittiest idea and they should keep completely aware of their surroundings before those Titans bit someone’s head off. 

“Hange, I think it’s… better to wait for another time,” he was worried she would take it the wrong way but a soldier’s scream made them look through the window. 

“He shouldn’t get too close to Bean, his mouth is constantly open, he could catch anyone who isn’t paying attention,” she talked about those things as if they were her children but he had learned to respect her methods. 

“Fucking garrison men, they still act as if they haven’t seen a Titan in their lives,” he complained and she got close to him, pushed him away from the window onto the bed, and straddled him. 

“I should agree with your assessment of the situation but… I want you, captain,” she whispered in his ear and his pants got uncomfortable tight. 

Levi put his hands on her bottom and they were kissing intensely when a knock on the door interrupted them. He thought it was for the better since the monster’s panting sounds were getting into his nerves. He stood up near the window when Hange opened the door. Alphonse told her Teresa invited her for a cup of wine if she had time, she wanted to discuss some ideas about the experiments and the books she had in her possession. 

Hange glanced at him and accepted the invitation. She gave him a sweet smile before closing the door behind her. He paid attention to the Titans in the courtyard, were they just carcasses? Mindless creatures that prey on them? He wanted to believe that was the case but a pit had opened in his stomach the day he saw Eren Jaeger being dragged out of a Titan’s body. Hange’s theory that a person could be trained to control a thing like that was terrifying and something he could have never imagined. However, he trusted in his abilities and minds like Erwin’s and Hange’s. What was that shadow he had seen in the Titan boy’s expression? Why had the cruel raven crawled out of the underground to haunt him?

Chapter Text

The spear pierced the Titan’s flesh, the blood splashed in her goggles and steam burned her cheeks. The monster opened its mouth and leaned forward, she dodged him for a few inches and Moblit gasped behind her. She didn’t remove the spear but Sawney, as she had named it, stayed silent and unfazed. Hange sunk the spear deeper into his chest and it changed nothing, she twisted it expecting a moan, a whimper, some indication of pain and discomfort but the Titan’s hollow stare was on her and the eventual opportunity of eating her.

“You don’t feel this, Sawney? Don’t you see I’m piercing your chest where your heart should be? Isn’t this painful to you?” she asked as if the monster understood her words.

 “Squad Leader! Don’t get too close!” Moblit insisted for a hundredth time that day, and she ignored him as usual.

“Sawney, I’m going to remove the spear, okay? Aren’t you scared?” she kept talking to the blonde Titan that followed her movements silently.

She removed it and more blood stained the ground, but Sawney kept its mouth opened without uttering a word or any other sound. Hange took off her goggles and handed them to Nifa who cleaned them for her quickly. She ordered Moblit to bring his papers and write down the observations about the test.

“The spear was inserted in Sawney’s chest, drawing blood, and steam came out of the wound as it happens with all Titans. He didn’t show signs of being in pain and his attention was fully on the human in front of him. He ignored the spear and tried to eat me,” Hange dictated while her loyal assistant put everything on paper.

“Squad leader, here you go,” Nifa handed her the pair of goggles and she put them on again.

“The four-meter one doesn’t feel pain,” Moblit concluded and glanced at the monster that was in a sitting position with several spears impaled throughout its body immobilizing it.

“Sawney doesn’t react to painful stimuli but… that doesn’t mean he can’t feel it,” a soldier from the Garrison snatched the spear from her hand and she read the notes. She trusted her assistant to copy faithfully her ideas on paper, but these experiments were too important to possibly overlook details.

“The ladder is here, are you going to cut it open, or do you need assistance?” Lauda, the man with the blonde ponytail asked.

“I’ll do it, I don’t want to risk it, we can’t kill these subjects yet,” Hange grabbed a pair of gloves that Abel brought for her.

She unsheathed her blades and climbed up the ladder they had placed behind Sawney under her squad member’s supervision. Bean tried to bite a soldier's foot who got too close and she reminded the rest of the Garrison men to keep a safe distance from the Titans. Hange calculated how deep she needed to cut to avoid killing the monster and sliced around the nape carefully. She grabbed the chunks of meat that were evaporating and threw them at Moblit’s feet. Lauda passed her the large forceps to keep the wound open so they could examine it.

Below the skin of the monster, there were muscles, those muscles were protecting the skeleton. Now that the inside of the nape was exposed, she could see the Titan’s spine but nothing that resembled a human body trapped in it. She ran her fingers over the bones, it was so hot inside of the monster she feared her gloves would melt so she took them off quickly. Hange proceeded to touch the spine again but this time without protection, the sensation was the same as touching an animal or human bones. However, she was sure they would be light as feathers. If Eren Jaeger’s Titan was anatomically the same as all Titans then how can a tangible object appear out of thin air? There was a bolt of lightning Rico Brzenska said, lighting and steam just like the day the Colossal Titan leaned over Wall Maria.

“Squad leader! You’ll get burned if you’re too careless!” Moblit screamed, he was near the ladder about to climb if she tried something crazy.

“There’s nothing we haven’t seen before in Sawney’s nape,” she announced, and the blonde man started to write on his papers again.

“So, there’s muscle under the skin, then the skeleton, and everything evaporates when separated from the body or when killing the Titan,” he was saying out loud the tests’ results.

“Exactly, I don’t want to cut it deeper than this,” Hange said and climbed down the ladder but there was some blood from the Titan still evaporating on one of the steps and she slipped.

A pair of familiar strong arms caught her by the waist before she touched the ground, she found Levi’s sour face near her neck and she smiled. She had been too focused on the tests and the Titans, she forgot he came with them to HQ. His breath in her ear when he spoke sent shivers down her spine but she had to ignore it.

“I thought that having four eyes was an advantage,” Levi snorted but his hands were still on her waist.

“It would be if they actually enhanced my vision instead of just making it so I have an average one,” she responded and turned to look at him, their noses were almost touching, his lips so close to hers but he quickly put a safe distance between them.

“You’ll be this fucking thing’s meal at this rate,” he complained and looked at Sawney.

“This fucking thing is Sawney… and he’s helping humanity by participating in my research,” she clarified, and Levi’s jaw almost dropped.

“You’re really out of your mind, four eyes,” Levi declared and returned to sit somewhere in the courtyard away from Teresa.

He already knew that, didn’t he? And that fact didn’t stop him to get into her pants. She remembered the sweet things he had been saying to her lately and smiled. She also remembered the woman who called him little runt, she was a voluptuous, attractive woman and she looked dangerous. Levi said they were lovers in the underground and she guessed he probably had had people like that in his life in the past as she did, but seeing her so close to Levi ignited an uncomfortable fire in her veins. However, his reassurance that what he had with that woman and this something between them was different, released the pressure in her chest. Wasn’t she being selfish? Sawney bit the air above her head and Keiji pulled her by her jacket for good measure. She burst out laughing while her squad exchanged worried looks.

“The Titan didn’t speak when you talked to it,” Teresa commented and sipped her wine from an elegant golden cup, part of a set of glassware she usually takes with her when traveling outside of Wall Sina.  

“No, it didn’t even try to articulate words, it was focused on eating me most of the time,” Hange responded and Alphonse poured some wine into another cup for her.

“Is this enough?” the noblewoman’s assistant asked since she said she didn’t want to drink too much since she was planning to continue the experiments later that night. She nodded and thanked him.

“It didn’t react when you pierce its flesh either… How do you notice when Titans react to pain?” she asked and a moan in a deep voice could be heard from the courtyard. Bean, the seven-meter Titan had been making noises and scaring the soldiers.

“They scream as humans would do… it’s bizarre,” Hange replied with all the times a Titan covered their eyes when having their vision taken from them in her mind.

“But you didn’t find anything that looks like a human body inside the nape, did you?” Teresa’s blue eyes were fixed on her and she felt intimidated for a second.

“No, I didn’t. I’ve opened the nape of other Titans before and I got the same results, maybe they belong to a type of Titans that can’t be controlled by humans like Eren Jaeger’s Titan,” she concluded and downed the wine in her cup in one go.

“Hange… Are the illustrations in those books about Titan bodies summoned by humans?” she thought the same when Eren Jaeger, a human boy, transformed into one of those monsters during the battle for Trost.

“I think they might be but I can’t read the language, and I haven’t found an equivalent among the languages that have been spoken inside the Walls,” she sighed, she was physically tired and her mind had been filled with theories and countless ideas to explain the events in Trost that she would have been burnout if it wasn’t for her nocturnal relaxing times she had spent in Levi’s arms.

“Lady Teresa has other books with similar runes, do you think these languages belong to civilizations that existed before the Walls were built?” Alphonse asked, he was standing near Teresa like a loyal guard dog as usual.

“I believe they were more civilizations besides us before the appearance of the Titans in the world, and that’s another mystery we haven’t solved yet, but I have to continue the experiments now that is getting dark,” she excused herself and left the office where she had been talking to Teresa for half an hour.

The soldiers from the Garrison finished setting up the tents to cover the Titans from the moonlight. Nifa gave her the pocket watch she requested and got inside the tent with a lamp in one hand. She sat in a corner near Sawney and watched his body’s response to the lack of sunlight. He panted and tried to move for the first thirty minutes but then his big blue eyes started to close. She concluded its metabolism became slower without the sun because the light from her lamp didn’t affect him.

The tent opened and Levi looked at the Titan before entering. They had tried to have an intimate moment before Teresa invited her to talk but they couldn’t. Was he inside the tent with sex in his mind? Levi wouldn’t be careless as to prioritize his desire for her on top of their safety, would he?

“You look like shit,” he said and sat next to her on the ground.

“This is something I have to do, Levi,” she explained but she was sure he knew.

“I know… you’ve been working all day with these things, you’re human too, Hange, you need to rest before you fall into your precious Sawney’s mouth for being too tired,” he grabbed the back of her head and pulled her near his chest, but she accommodated herself on the crook of his neck.

“Don’t worry about me, it isn’t my first all-nighter in the name of science,” she whispered and she was so comfortable like this, next to him that she almost doze off.

“Is it falling asleep?” he asked paying attention to the Titan which seemed to be fighting the need to close its eyes.

“You could say that but in reality, his metabolism is slowing down, they don’t digest the humans they eat so they don’t get nutrients and energy from our meat. However, they have to get the energy to move from somewhere, I think sunlight is a crucial element in their metabolic process,” Hange answered still cuddled up next to Levi.

“That’s why we spot fewer Titans at night, they can’t move without the sun,” he was processing all the information she gave him.

“Yeah… we already discussed that theory with Erwin but now we have scientific proof of this,” she checked her pocket watch and Sawney kept its eyes closed for longer before opening them again.

“You’re so attractive when you talk about your scientific shit,” Levi confessed and she was so shocked by his honesty that she didn’t respond immediately when he leaned forward to kiss her. He pressed his lips gently against hers, she glanced at Sawney and deepened the kiss. As it usually happened she couldn’t resist the urge of responding to his touch with passion and she wrapped her arms around his neck. They made out for a couple of minutes until she opened her eyes and separated from him with a smile on her face.

“Don’t tempt me, captain… I’m working,” she said lowly while he caressed her cheek.

“How much longer are we going to wait?” His strong desire to have her in his bed awakened a pulse between her legs and she wanted to be naked in his arms too. However, the experiments had to continue the rest of the night and the next day.

“A couple of days… probably, you’ve gone weeks without touching me, you’ll survive. You’re the strongest soldier,” she gave him a peck on his lips and he sighed.

“I don’t feel so strong when I’m with you, Hange,” Why was he being so brutally honest tonight? Was it because of that woman’s presence in his life? Did he think she was worried he wouldn’t want her anymore? She smiled and told him that Sawney had fallen asleep completely and she needed to go to Bean’s tent and run the same test with him.

Hange got off the carriage. Erwin had summoned her for an important meeting. Levi had arrived earlier than her and she left her squad in charge of Sawney and Bean in her absence. She was walking in the hall on her way to Erwin’s office when the black-haired woman from Levi’s past bumped into her. Hange stepped aside but Ravenna stood in front of her, inspecting her from head to toe with those two-colored eyes of hers.

“You’re the bitch the little runt is fucking, I know him and I know why he gets so defensive around you,” the woman said in a seductive tone.

“We’re comrades and if you don’t mind, I have an important meeting to attend,” Hange gave a step forward, but this person wasn’t easily intimidated.

“I’m sure that didn’t stop him to get inside your cunt, he’s determined when he has an objective in mind. He might be a short angry thing but that dick is-“

“You’re not in the Military Police, are you? I don’t see you wearing the uniform so… if you’re the councilor’s bodyguard, you’re doing a shit job losing your time here,” She interrupted her and her words enraged the woman.

“I see… I thought you weren’t Levi’s kind of woman at first but now I understand what he sees in you, you have a dirty mouth too,” Ravenna breathe into her lips and she contained the urge to push her out of her way.

“Move out of my way before I show you the other reason why he fucks me,” Hange’s deep and serious tone had the effect she wanted because the woman stepped aside, her mouth twisted in an evil grin but at least she left her alone.

She knocked on the door of the office and Mike welcomed her inside. Levi was sitting across from Erwin in the long table and commander Pixis was pouring a strong liquor in a glass. The nobles weren’t present in the room so she guessed something related to them might have happened. Erwin invited her to sit next to him and once the commander of the Garrison had downed his glass of alcohol, they explained the situation with Eren Jaeger’s upcoming trial.

“The Wall priests have been in conversations with Nile, I think they have reached some kind of agreement to push on Eren Jaeger’s execution. It sounded very unlikely to me but according to our sources Pastor Noah had visited the Military Police barracks several times this past week,” Erwin shared the latest news with them. Pastor Noah was the head of the Church of the Walls and was also a member of the Royal Council like Flavio Wolff.  

“Do you think our plan won’t work anymore?” Hange asked, worried about the Titan boy’s future.

“I’m worried about the pressure they could put on Zackly if all the people in the interior conspire to reach the same objective. The Wall Priests don’t usually participate in alliances with anybody but this situation is unprecedented and someone that could potentially be praised as a protector of the people inside the Walls poses a great threat to those in power,” the commander raised his thick eyebrows, reflecting on possible solutions.

“I have an idea, but you won’t like it and it could backfire, putting us in danger,” Commander Pixis said and sat at the head of the table.

“At this point, all ideas should be considered, no matter the risk,” Of course, Erwin would say that.

“If we could talk to one of those nobles, plant at least one bad seed among them, that will hurt their relationship, I bet their alliance is hanging by a thin thread anyways, I know how selfish those people are,” the commander of the Garrison poured more alcohol into a glass, he should know since he shared games of chess with some of the noblemen.

“There’s someone we could talk to… I could talk to, I’m not sure what it will take to convince him to help us, but he always had given me the impression to be isolated from the other nobles,” Levi put all his attention on her, and he knew who she was talking about, judging by the fire in his eyes.

“Are we going to play their shitty little games now?” Levi was angry but the others probably believed the reason was his usual distaste towards the noble people.  

“It’s worth giving it a try if it’s going to land us a chance to prevent Eren Jaeger’s execution, I would trust this job to you, Hange. Remember our limits though,” the commander was putting an important mission on her shoulders, and she knew she would have to deal with Levi’s anger later.

Hange locked the door of the library nobody visited in the building behind her and Levi’s fist hit the table in front of them. She got close to him and surrounded his shoulders with her arms, their foreheads touched and he relaxed more now that he had her in his arms. His hands were on her waist and she smiled at him. As happy as she was seeing him worried about her, she didn’t want his feelings to affect their mission as scouts. They had already passed a test at Flavio’s party where they could have slept with other people but they didn’t. She was sure they trusted each other more than a few months ago.

“Don’t…. I can’t let him touch you again, Hange, I’m going to cut his fucking hand,” he said but his rage was dissipating slowly.  

“I won’t allow him to touch me. Erwin asked me to not put myself in unnecessary danger or in a compromising situation,” she assured him while cupping his face.

“He’s still a powerful motherfucker, you know he believes he can do as he pleases, he-“ she interrupted him with a kiss that lasted more than she had planned.

“You have to trust me, remember? You’re the only one who can touch me,” Hange whispered in his ear and he pushed her into him, pressing her against his body.

“I trust you… but I can’t trust other people,” he lifted her leg, she was still pressed against him and she noticed the hardness in his pants.

“I locked the door,” she said and he lay her on the table while kissing her mouth.

She looked for the harnesses and the leather straps of his uniform blindly and they flew directly to the floor, he had climbed on top of her on the dusty table of the library but this was a chance they would never waste. He helped her unbutton his shirt after taking off his jacket because she almost ripped it apart and they had to be discreet, he couldn’t walk around HQ without a shirt. Her hands roamed his naked chest and abdomen while he planted kisses on her neck, then bit her slowly and not too hard, she would kill him if he leaves suspicious marks on her body. He opened her shirt and ran his hand from her collarbone through the space between her breasts and she arched herself when he reached her pelvic area and touched her over her pants. She still moaned and lowered her zipper, but he removed her hand and kissed her deeply, numbing her senses. She loved his kisses but her body was craving so much more.

“Take my pants off, now or-“ he inserted his tongue between her lips and she welcomed the intrusion.

“Are you threatening me?” he asked after his lips glided over her chin.

“No, it’s an order,” she pressed her hand against the bulge in his pants, he stood still for a minute but his revenge was wet kisses on her breasts, his saliva soaked through her top as he sucked her nipples and she rubbed her lower body against him, moaning in pleasure.

He took off her pants and her underwear, he got fully naked and teased her a little before sinking his length into her. She held onto the table with her hands on her sides and he moved in and out of her slowly, maybe he was doing it on purpose to not break the furniture, but she enjoyed it anyway. Then he grabbed her by the jaw and kissed her, picking up the pace, bringing relief to her burning insides. Her moans traveled through the corridors of the old library and they echoed in the room. She covered her mouth with her hand as another wave of pleasurable tingles swept off her slim body.

Levi stayed on top of her on the table after he finished. He was caressing her face and her nails were drawing lines on his back. He would kiss her sweetly and she would respond with her characteristic passion. Their mouths were made to taste each other, feel their soft lips rubbing each other, their tongues moving harmoniously from one mouth to the other. He parted from her lips slowly and she moaned. 

“Do you have to face him alone?” he asked, still scared of what might happen to her. 

“Yes or the plan won’t work, we can’t let them kill the boy,” she answered and kissed his jaw. 

“Did he say something to you that night at her shitty party that makes you believe he would agree to help?” he removed some strands of her hair that were glued to her face. 

“I think he did, maybe it’s my imagination and it didn’t mean anything but I have to try, Levi,” his hands were going down her neck, and his fingers brushed her nipples on their way to her stomach. 

“You’re the smart one, aren’t you?” he slid one side of her shirt to kiss her shoulders. 

Hange tossed her shirt to the floor along with her top and now, she was as naked as him, she moaned and bit her own lips when he massaged her breasts, his fingertips on her nipples and soon his mouth ended there in direct contact with her skin. She grabbed his hair and pushed him into her even though his tongue was following the shape of her small round breasts. She orgasmed just with the stimulation on her chest. 

She switched their positions and slid down to the level of his groin. She stroked him and put his entire length into her mouth. He always tried to control his reactions but he would lose every time she started to suck. Her head was going up and down, then she swirled her tongue on his tip and he bucked his hips, she sucked him to get him really hard. Finally he sat at the edge of the table, she wrapped her legs around his hips and put him inside of her, between her legs. 

Her hips were moving tirelessly, his hands were on her bottom and he was kissing her without giving her a break. She was overwhelmed by this delicious situation and she trembled as her pleasure reached the expected peak. She moaned repeatedly because another orgasm was ripping her apart. He lifted her up and buried himself in her flesh, he hit her nub and she cried out, forgetting about the rest of the people in the building. 

Ravenna opened the door to the office that Flavio was occupying during his stay at the Survey Corps building in this district. He smiled when he saw her standing near the door as if she would get burned if she got closer. He offered her a cup of wine but she rejected it. She had to be sober to talk to him. He approached her but she put a hand on his chest to stop him. 

“What a pleasant surprise to see you coming back to me, Hange Zoë,” the councilor said and kept that annoying smile on his face. 

“I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t necessary,” she clarified while he was undressing her with his predatory gaze. 

“Necessary, huh? What could a humble servant of the King do for the Titan scientist of the Survey Corps?” he laughed and she wanted to slap him across his pretty face as she had done that night at the party. 

“I know you don’t care about the other nobles or the Church, I don’t know why but I can see that very clearly in the way you behave around them,” Hange explained, trying to show she understood her more than he thought. 

“That’s a bold assumption,” he downed his wine in one go and put the cup on the desk. 

“You told me that night that everything inside the Walls had to do with the Titans, I assumed you were talking for the sake of it and then… Eren Jaeger, an apparently ordinary boy, transformed into one. Now I think you meant something else…” Would this kind of talk be enough to intimidate him? He didn’t seem to care about anything. 

“Maybe or maybe I just wanted to get inside your cunt. Don’t get me wrong, I still do but I’d like to know exactly what you want from me before stating my conditions,” he sat on an armchair and crossed his legs, waiting for her answer. 

“Convince people we need Eren Jaeger alive, that he could be a powerful weapon in a counterattack against the Titans, you can’t let your people kill him,” she finally explained and she wondered if he would insist on having sex with her to grant her request. 

“My people want him dead indeed, they want that so badly, almost as badly as I want to stick my tongue in you, they have become friends with the bunch of delusional idiots from the Church,” he laughed and his smug attitude was getting into her nerves. 

“Would you do that? Would you disrupt their peace?” she asked trying not to sound desperate. 

Flavio stood up and got so close to her, that their lips were almost touching and she could smell his sweet scent, probably a flower’s essence. She dodged him when he leaned forward looking for her mouth but he forcefully grabbed her by the waist and pushed him into him. She still fought him and he didn’t get to kiss her even though their bodies were glued to each other. 

“I would disrupt anything if you give me what I want,” he whispered in her ear and she swallowed, what else was she expecting from him?

“It depends on what exactly is that thing you want,” she said but her confidence was slipping away. 

“I haven’t stopped thinking about you since your delicious kiss at the party. I told you the next thing would cost you more than that,” he licked her earlobe and she pushed him away from her.

“We’re talking about humanity’s future and you worried about fulfilling your fantasies, you’re a pathetic excuse of a human being,” Hange snapped at him because it didn’t matter how much she wanted to save Eren Jaeger, she would never betray Levi’s love and trust. 

“I am, I won’t deny it… The Colossal Titan destroyed two Gates in a span of five years, we’re all gonna die at this rate and I highly doubt this Titan boy would become the solution to our problems,” Flavio explained and he sounded sincere. 

“It’s a start, I think Eren Jaeger is the catalyst of change humanity had needed for a hundred years, we won’t defeat the Titans if we stay hidden inside the Walls, waiting for them to eat us all, the attack of the Colossal and Armored Titans brought something else to the table. They’re intelligent Titans with an objective which means there’s someone or something in the world outside the Walls determined to annihilate us… Wouldn’t you like to know the truth instead of dying in ignorance?” she feared she had said too much as soon as she finished speaking but Flavio’s expression had changed to a serious, darker one.

“Can you really find out who the enemy is?” he asked and there wasn’t anything from the irreverent councilor in the man in front of her. 

“I’ll do it even if it costs me my life,” she replied and she hoped that was enough to convince him to help them. 

Hange didn’t need to open her legs to get the silver-haired councilor on their side. The day of Eren Jaeger’s trial had finally arrived, the Military Police, the Garrison, the Survey Corps, some nobles, priests of the Church of the Walls, and members of the Royal Council were reunited in the court while the boy was still in a cell in the basement. Commander Nile Dock had granted them permission to escort the young soldier to the place where his fate would be decided by the Premier. 

Mike was walking next to her as they entered the basement and finally she was face to face with the boy who had summoned a Titan body. He was only fifteen but he was tall, slim, and as she had heard, skillful with the maneuver gear. His green eyes glistened with hope when he saw her on the other side of the bars of the cell. He looked pale and she guessed the Military Police officers weren’t treating him with kindness. 

“I’m sorry we have kept you waiting for so long, Eren,” she said in a soft voice but she was trying hard to hide her excitement. 

“Am I being released?” Eren asked, hopeful. 

“First, I’ll need you to put these on for me, you’re still a prisoner after all,” she handed him a pair of shackles. The commander of the Military Police had been clear about the details of Eren’s transportation to the court. 

“Are you taking me to another cell?” he grabbed the shackles and the boy’s guards opened the cell for Mike to put him in the shackles to restrain him. 

“Don’t worry, Eren… put your trust in us and we’ll put our trust in you,” Hange said with a kind smile. 

That day she saw a scared young boy in a cell who didn’t grasp the extent of his role in saving humanity or what he represented to some people who saw him as the embodiment of humanity’s rage against the Titans. And how little did she know at that moment about the rage festering inside of Eren Jaeger, the Titan shifter. She would come to understand it years from now but maybe it would be too late to change anything. Was the young Titan shifter humanity’s hope or its downfall?

Chapter Text

Levi got off the carriage in front of the Military Court. He followed Erwin through the parade of nobles, priests from the Church of the Walls, rich merchants, people who were hoping to get a glimpse of the Titan boy, and military officers. He had ordered Hange to transport Eren Jaeger to the courtroom so they would see each other after the circus ends. She reached an agreement with the silver-haired pig and she had told him he didn’t touch her, but rage flooded him when he saw Flavio standing at the nobles’ section.

Teresa Ignacio was among those nobles along with Alastor Pallas who looked strangely familiar to him. Was it his face? Had he seen him before? He stared at the noble. The man was very tall, he was holding a cane decorated with fancy carvings and silver jewelry, his short grey hair was tied in a neat bun, and brown strands revealed its original color. Levi had a second-long realization when he noticed his slightly hooked nose. It reminded him of Hange’s, but it was ridiculous to think that everyone with a hooked nose inside the Walls was related to her.

Pastor Noah was talking to Pastor Nick, both were acting as if they had a stick up their asses. Representatives from Merchant Companies looked unhappy with the current situation. Commander Nile Dok joined a couple of his men and prepared papers with information about the Titan boy who was threatening the peace in the interior. He sighed, already tired of this bullshit when the doors opened, and Hange lead the brat inside the courtroom. Military Police officers tied him to a pole as if that will do anything if he decides to transform into a fifteen-meter monster.

Eren Jaeger didn’t seem dangerous on his knees, with a confused expression on his face, and wearing a shirt and pants. The murmurs and whispers ceased as soon as Premier Darius Zackly sat at the judge’s bench. He introduced the Titan boy as a soldier who had sworn loyalty to the crown and put himself at humanity’s service. He let him know his fate would rest entirely on his shoulders as the commander of the three forces of the military. The boy probably had no idea the Military Police were planning to execute him.

“Nile Dok as commander of the Military Police, I’ll present our proposal. Eren Jaeger must be dissected and a thorough investigation of his bodily functions must be carried out before eliminating him completely. It is true his Titan abilities had helped us in the battle for Trost. However, his existence poses a great threat to the peace inside the Walls. He must be sacrificed for the sake of humanity’s peace,” the commander of the Military Police planted the first ideas of a possible civil war if the Titan boy wasn’t killed.

“This creature is a disgrace to humanity. He defiled the three Goddesses that protected us for a hundred years! His sole existence is an insult to Maria, Rose, and Sina! He-“Pastor Nick's fervent speech was interrupted by Flavio’s loud laugh that echoed in the courtroom.

“Maria must have gotten tired of protecting us for so long. A kick from the Colossal Titan was all it took to tear down the gate. Poor Rose suffered the same fate. Maybe we have fallen from grace, but two of your three Goddesses have given up on us. I say it’s time to consider other possibilities if we want to survive for another hundred years!” Flavio exclaimed and Levi noticed he looked at Hange who was standing next to Mike. He had sworn to kill the bastard the first chance he gets.

“You… insolent-“ the Premier interrupted the pastor asking for order in the court. Then granted permission to Erwin to explain his proposal.

“Erwin Smith as commander of the Survey Corps, I’ll present our proposal. We’re planning to welcome Eren Jaeger as a scout in our forces, and we’ll use his Titan powers to retake Wall Maria. That is all,” the blonde commander said, his blue eyes fixed on the boy.

“Would you mind expanding on your idea to retake Wall Maria? The Trost Gate has been sealed completely, hasn’t it?” the Premier asked commander Pixis.

“Yes, sir. The gate could never be opened again,” the bald man assured him.

“We can set out from Karanes district, and then we’re going to proceed to Shiganshina. We’ll adjust our route as the situation demands,” Erwin explained confidently.

“The Survey Corps is planning to waste our resources in yet another magical quest to retake a lost district. You know nothing about his so-called Titan abilities, he looks like he knows nothing about them as well. You’re asking us to bet on the chance he would know how to use them to help humanity. I’m a humble citizen of the Walls but humanity’s survival is no betting matter,” Alastor Pallas spoke in a loud, deep voice that reverberated in the room.

“I agree with Mr. Pallas, we can’t afford to bet on such an important thing as humanity’s survival. The Colossal Titan can only destroy the gates. I say we seal all the gates and-“ a man from the Merchant Companies added but a feminine voice interrupted him.

“Seal the gates and do what? Wait for the Titans to figure out how to break the Walls next time? Stay inside a cage, ignorants of our enemies, and die like cattle once they fall from the skies. It took a hundred years for them to destroy our gates, what do you think they can accomplish in the next hundred years? Judging by the increased rate of the attacks, I’d say humanity doesn’t have another century to live.” Teresa Ignacio pierced the merchantman with her cold blue eyes.

“Rich ideas coming from a woman who throws her resources into worthless ventures. We, normal people, can’t follow a group of delusional idiots with these romantic ideas of freedom. We’ve got enough freedom inside the Walls but if we lose this small territory we have left, humanity won’t-“ Alastor Pallas was just starting when Levi interrupted him from the other side of the room.

“You sure have a big mouth for someone who hasn’t seen a Titan in his life. You say “normal people” and “humanity” but I think you mean the rest of the rich pigs who sit on their asses in the interior. You can’t spare a single thought to those who will starve if we lose another Wall to the Titans,” Levi was directing his anger toward the noble speaking lies just to keep their pockets full and their asses safe.

“If you excuse me, Mr. Pallas, captain Levi… As a Royal Councilor, I speak for the King on this matter and his majesty’s sole desire is to keep his people safe, fed, and alive. I believe this boy’s Titan abilities will give us an advantage in our fight against these monsters, something humanity has never had. Sealing the gates isn’t a viable option. I doubt we have the technology to take on such an enterprise,” the silver-headed asshole was suddenly making sense. What did Hange exactly promise him?

“I remind you you’re not the only one sitting on that Council. I’m not surprised coming from you, a well-known heretic to support this creature. But you’re right on one thing, mere humans can’t defile the divine Walls given to us by the Goddesses, we can’t-“Pastor Noah, the head of the Church of the Walls confronted Flavio Wolff.

“Silence! I’ve heard enough of your personal opinions. The courtroom isn’t the place for these discussions. Eren Jaeger, will you be able to serve as a soldier using your Titan abilities to benefit humanity?” the Premier asked the boy who had been listening completely scared of his future inside the Walls.

“Yes, I will,” he answered fast and without hesitation.

“Interesting. However, I find this part of the report of Trost quite disturbing: Immediately after transforming into a Titan, the subject swung his fist at Mikasa Ackerman,” Zackly finished reading the report and Eren’s jaw dropped. Clearly, he had no idea such a thing happened. “Is Mikasa Ackerman present?”

“Yes, sir,”  a black-haired girl. The same who had been with Eren Jaeger and his blonde friend the day Levi retrieved them from the sealed gate of Trost.

“Is it true that Jaeger attacked you in Titan form?” the Premier’s question was straightforward, and he wondered if the girl would lie to the head of the military in his face.

 “Yes, it is true,” she reluctantly replied.

“This is the monster all of you want to keep inside the Walls!” the man from the Merchant Company exclaimed.

“But on two different occasions, Eren used his Titan powers to save my life. The first time, I was trapped and about to be eaten when he appeared in Titan form, attacked the other Titan, and saved me. The second time, he protected Armin and me from a cannon. I would like these facts to be taken into consideration as well,” Mikasa said, probably desperately trying to save his friend.

“Objection! I believe her request is based on personal feelings toward Eren Jaeger. Mikasa Ackerman lost her parents at an early age and was adopted by the Jaeger family. Our investigation revealed a disturbing truth about them. At nine years old, Mikasa Ackerman and Eren Jaeger overpowered and killed two grown men who tried to kidnap her. Even if this cruel act of murder was done in self-defense, I think it isn’t wrong to question their humanity…” the commander of the Military Police went on and on about how children killing adults was something out of this world.

Levi had killed his fair share of adults since a young age. Most of the things he had learned came from Kenny. The tall man arrived at his small room in the underground where he had slept beside her dead mother for days. He didn’t say who he was or why he knew his mother, but he bought him a warm meal, and decent-looking clothes and taught him how to fight and kill to protect himself.

Young Levi was listening intently to the man with the hat who was showing him how to swing a knife. He said speed and balance were key to stabbing people in their vital organs. Kenny swung the weapon and put the pointy end where his stomach was. He nodded, and the man handed him the sharp knife and told him to attack him.

“Don’t hold back, runt, you won’t kill me,” Kenny laughed and didn’t bother to pretend this wasn’t easy for him.

“If I move fast… you won’t see me coming at you,” Levi said in a serious tone for a young boy.

“I’m shitting my pants, waiting for you,” the tall man was caught by surprise for a second when the boy made it to his right so fast, that he barely dodged the knife.

“I think you almost shit your pants for real,” the boy stood in front of him, proud of his achievement.

“You’re a fast learner, Levi… at this rate I won’t have anything else to teach you,” Kenny said and sat at the top of the stairs of the house he was renting for them.

“Where do you go when you disappear?” he asked, playing with the knife in his hands.

“I’m a busy man… I have businesses to attend to, I have to feed you too,” the man sighed and looked at him. He had been staring at him a lot lately. What was he thinking?

 “The world upstairs?” He was curious about a world where people lived under the sky.

“The world upstairs… Let me tell you something, little runt. There’s not a big difference between this place and outside, but if you want to go up there sometime, you’ll have to fight your way out of here.” Kenny lit a cigar and took off his hat.

“Are there women like my mother upstairs?” the little boy asked and put on Kenny’s hat on his head. It was too big for him though.

“There are women everywhere in this world… they’re all the same too. They seduce you, take all your shit from you and then they leave, never let a woman control your life. Never let anyone control you,” Kenny advised him.

He would remember his words the day he fell prey to his physical needs. Levi would try not to get emotionally involved with anyone, not only women. This task turned out to be easy to fulfill in the darkness of the underground where most people he knew were interested in dirty businesses or money. The women were all the same too as Kenny said. If they weren’t dying from an illness, they would fuck you and leave the next day.

Ravenna had stayed for some time and she had been the first in his life that didn’t disappear after one night. He thought he was getting attached to her until she vanished as Kenny had done. Levi believed he had loved her until years later when he made it to the world upstairs, he saw the sky, the stars at night, the flowers, and the beautiful world that had been a mystery for him since he was a little boy. However, none of these things surprised him most than a pretty soldier with chocolate eyes who treated him as a person while the world spat in his face.

She kneeled in front of him and with a huge smile on her lips, praised him as no one had ever done before. Kenny’s praises came from a dark place, but her words were like honey to his ears. His stomach turned upside down and he thought she was a nuisance. For many years, he didn’t understand her, but there was a magnetism attracting him to her. He would argue with her, call her names and threaten to physically hurt her until he felt something else when talking to her.

She was rambling about her Titan theories, he stood in front of her because she was stepping on a place he was cleaning and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt to catch her attention. He stared at her face before saying anything and he hadn’t realized until that moment, that he wanted to kiss her. He wanted to kiss her mouth and taste her. However, he dismissed it as a stupid random thought due to the lack of sexual activity he had suffered since joining the Survey Corps.

Little did he know that soon he would go from “I want to kiss her” to “What does she look like under her uniform? and How would her body feel under him?” Now, Levi couldn’t imagine living a day without her touch, her kisses, and her smile.

Eren Jaeger was yelling at the nobles and the people who had accused his childhood friend of being a Titan spy, whatever that meant. Erwin looked at him and nodded which was the signal for him to take charge of the situation as they had planned. The Military Police officers were pointing their guns at the boy when he made it to the center of the courtroom. Levi kicked the Titan boy’s face so hard a tooth flew out of his mouth.

His green eyes pierced him while he kicked him again and again. Levi grabbed strands of his hair and kicked him again. The crowd gasped and the MPs lowered their guns. He finally stepped on his head while the boy was spitting blood on the floor. He was furious but he knew he probably didn’t have enough control over his abilities to summon a Titan in the courtroom.

“This is just my opinion, but I think pain is the most effective learning method. He needs to be taught a lesson. And now that you’re on your knees, it’s easier to kick you,” Levi said coldly and kicked him several times before the commander of the Military Police interrupted him.

“Levi… wait! Don’t make him angry… What if he turns into a Titan?” Nile Dok asked. He was trembling just thinking about the possibility of a fifteen-meter monster appearing out of thin air in front of them.

“Weren’t you going to dissect him? How were you planning on killing him? Apparently, he killed twenty Titans before getting exhausted. They said he’s stronger than the average Titan and the fact that he can keep his intelligence inside of the monster makes him a formidable enemy. Your enemy, not mine. You should think carefully before openly prosecuting him… could you really kill him?” Levi stared at the pigs of the interior, some of them hadn’t thought if they had the actual means to eliminate him.

“Sir, I have a proposal. It’s true that we don’t know everything about his Titan powers which makes him a danger to everyone inside the Walls. However, if we put Eren Jaeger under captain Levi’s control, we could take him on an expedition outside the Walls. I’d like to judge Eren’s abilities to control his Titan form and whether he’s humanity’s savior or our downfall.” Erwin’s voice echoed in the room and Zackly considered the idea for a minute.

“Control Eren Jaeger… can you do it, Levi?” the Premier asked him.

“I can definitely kill him. The problem would be I can’t do anything in between,” he glanced at the young female soldier who was looking at him with murderous eyes.

“We can’t doubt humanity’s strongest soldier words, he’s an expert Titan slayer,” Flavio commented from his place.

“Then… I’ve made my decision, Eren Jaeger would be placed under the Survey Corps’ control… depending on the results of the expedition, he would return to this courtroom.” Zackly fixed his glasses and announced the end of the trial.

Teresa Ignacio was having an interesting conversation with Erwin while Hange was cleaning the Titan boy’s pretty face. She had already scolded him because he didn’t hold back a little when hitting Eren in the courtroom. She was kneeling in front of him, placing cotton soaked in medicine on his wounds. He rolled his eyes and Erwin approached him and greeted him.

“So, Eren… do you resent me?” Levi asked sitting near him on the couch.

“No, sir… I understand why it was necessary,” the boy answered more relaxed than earlier in the courtroom.

“You didn’t need to beat him so hard… look at this! He lost his tooth.” Hange showed them Eren’s tooth.

“Don’t pick up that shit, it’s disgusting,” Levi responded disturbed by her curiosity.

“It’s not shit, it’s a sample,” she explained as if those words would make the boy feel better.

“See, Eren? My beating was better than being dissected by people like her,” he teased her and she glanced at him. He was hoping they could spend some time together after the circus he had to go through.

“I’m not like them, I don’t dissect humans… Eren, open your mouth for me, please?” she requested with a smile and the boy did it without understanding exactly why.

She noticed his tooth had grown back which surprised everyone in the room, even the noble bitch. Hange cleaned Eren’s blood from his face because his wounds had also healed quickly. They made it to this district’s HQ, she led the boy to his room after making sure he had eaten well. They shared a cup of wine with Erwin and Teresa, well, he had his usual cup of tea. It was getting late when Hange excused herself saying she needed to rest for the next day’s experiments.

Levi waited a few minutes and did the same. However, he knocked on Hange’s door instead of going to his room. Nobody answered and he wondered if she had fallen asleep. He tried for five minutes but he gave up before someone sees him trying to get into her bedroom so late at night. He closed the door of his bedroom, lit a few candles, and suddenly his clean sheets moved. He felt relieved to see the woman he was dying to touch in his bed.

“Let’s shower! What do you think about that idea?” she asked with a smile.

“Wouldn’t it be too suspicious to take a shower at this time?” he said and pulled down his pants.

“You’re right… but… everyone is sleeping,” she insisted and he stopped undressing.

“Are you going to think of an excuse in case someone sees us?” He was almost sure someone will know about them fucking in the shower.

She responded with a passionate kiss that shut his brain down. She went to the private bathroom for officials on their floor and he followed her under the lights of the torches in the hall. As soon as they made it inside, she opened the shower tap and the water soaked her shirt which showed him she wasn’t wearing anything underneath the simple shirt and pants she had changed into.

He placed his hands on her waist and kissed her. The water was warm, it relaxed his muscles, but her kisses were hotter. He ripped open her shirt and she threw it to the floor. He kissed her nipples and sucked the water from them while she moaned and trembled in his arms. He drew circles with his tongue around one and rubbed the other with his fingers. She had taken off his shirt and he would never get tired of the sensation of her skin against his.

He slammed her back against the wall, pulled down her pants and he thanked the Gods she was smart because she wasn’t wearing any underwear either. She helped him get rid of the rest of his clothes and he penetrated her so fast, that she moaned immediately. Her long legs were surrounding his waist as he thrust into her. Her ponytail was getting messier as her head went up and down the humid wall of the bathroom. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he kissed her with every movement of his hips.

Kenny had been wrong about women. Hange Zoë wasn’t like those women from the underground that fucked him and left before the night was over, she wasn’t like any women he had met in the outside world either. She was mad, smart, and a skilled soldier. She was driving him crazy and he wasn’t sure if it was her madness spreading to his own mind or it was just the effect she had on him. He was sure he couldn’t get enough of her though. As much as they kissed or touched, he would be craving for more and he hadn’t wanted a woman with this intensity before.

She screamed as pleasure ran through her body. He forgot they were on the same floor where Erwin’s room was. He forgot it was silent outside because it was the middle of the night. He stopped abruptly and she whimpered, complaining about the interruption but he kissed her again.

“You were too loud,” he whispered against her lips.

“Fuck… It’s your doing though, who cares? I don’t… don’t tell me you care now.” She was going to kiss him again but he could tell her words were coming from lust and not common sense. He didn’t want her to regret being with him if they face consequences for their impulsive actions in the future.

“Hange… You know how much I want you but… we need to be careful, you’ve said it many times, we don’t know what Erwin would do if he finds out about us,” he said and it felt alien to be the voice of reason.

“I’ll be quiet… I promise, Levi… don’t you dare leave me like this… fuck me, captain,” she whispered in his ear, her breathing caressing his skin. She knew exactly what to say to erase the doubts and thoughts from his mind.

He gave her a mind-numbing kiss and resumed his thrusts. She started moaning again but she was doing it in a lower voice. His hands squeezed her behind and he bit her earlobe when he realized an orgasm was shaking her limbs. There was this urge to make her feel good during sex and in all aspects of her life. A person like her, full of happiness and kindness deserved the best he could offer. Sometimes, he wasn’t sure he was the right one for this job, but her demonstrations of affection were slowly changing his mind.

What was it? He wondered, searching for a name to this feeling growing in his heart. He was rubbing her back gently with a sponge. They were sitting on the floor under the shower, she was on his lap and he was forgetting about the uncertainty of the future with Eren Jaeger officially in their ranks. She sighed and turned around, she put her legs around his hips and he did the same, they were intertwined and face to face. She smiled and rubbed some soap on his nose.

“You didn’t have to beat him up so viciously, you could have broken all his bones,” she scolded him again in a cheerful tone.

“He would have healed anyways, wouldn’t he?” he asked and kissed her while still rubbing her back with the sponge.

“We didn’t know that… we weren’t sure, but you kicked him like a sack of potatoes anyways,” she responded, her fingertips tickling his shoulder.

“Erwin will want you to experiment with him now… Hange, he’s dangerous,” he warned her caressing her legs.

“I know, you said you were going to trust me,” she reminded him once again and nibbled on his earlobe.

“I… trust you… I didn’t kill that motherfucker from the Council and he spent half the trial looking… at you,” he said and he tried not to sound like a jealous freak.

“He helped us though, he said he wants to fuck me but I’ll never allow it… I don’t need anyone else because I have you now,” she whispered while wrapping her arms around his neck and he kissed her cheek, then he found her mouth.  

Levi let the sponge fell to the floor and ran her hands up and down her back while indulging in the taste of her lips, her tongue, and the wetness of her mouth. He drank the water from her soft skin, they kissed hungrily until her hand closed around his length and he lifted her up, positioning her in the perfect spot to enter her. She did it herself though and they found a way to complement their movements to find a rhythm that could satisfy them. They were making sounds and drowning them in kisses when a loud knock on the door stopped them.

“Who the fuck… what time is it? midnight?” Levi whispered angrily.

“Maybe… I don’t know… Do you think is Erwin?” she asked breathlessly, the pleasurable effect of his erection inside her rippling through her anatomy.

“Why would he want to fucking shower at this time?” He was looking for options when a deep voice talked to them from the other side of the door.

“I know… it isn’t my fucking business, but I swear I heard Hange coming up the stairs which means people downstairs can probably hear you too.” Mike motherfucking Zacharias knocked on their door again.

“Have they never heard people fuck?!” Levi responded annoyed by the tall man’s concerns.

“We appreciate your concern, Mike,” Hange said while smiling at him.

“I just thought you would like to know, and Nanaba can’t sleep hearing Hange moan like that… she said one of these days she’ll have her revenge,” Mike finished talking but he didn’t move away from the door yet.

“I already told her I’ll consider it… It’s not true,” she promised Levi in a lower voice so only he could hear it.

“How does he know Nanaba can’t sleep? Are they fucking?” Levi questioned the obvious implications of Mike’s complaints.

“I’m sure they are… He used to say she smelled delicious,” Hange laughed and he bucked his hips to finish what they had started.

They went to Levi’s room after the shower and stayed in each other’s arms until three in the morning when Hange said she was supposed to rest for the trip to the castle where the test subjects were waiting for her return. He sighed and let her go. He had no idea when he was going to see her again. He slept for a couple of hours, content and satisfy even though they had had a rough day at court. 

Eren Jaeger was sitting across the table from the commander of the Survey Corps. He jumped on his chair when Levi entered the office. He leaned on Erwin’s desk and didn’t sit with them. He was inspecting the boy from head to toe. The darkness had dissipated and a young inexperienced teenager stayed. However, he knew he hadn’t imagined the rage festering within him. There was a monster inside Eren Jaeger and it wasn’t his Titan form.

“Levi, we have to start Eren’s training and the preparations for the next expedition immediately. I’m putting him under your care. Take him to the old Survey Corps HQ, I’ll send Hange in a few days,” Erwin informed him and the boy swallowed. 

“Listen Eren, from now on you’ll follow my orders, I don’t want you away from my sight. Make a wrong move and my squad will be in charge of dealing with you,” Levi said coldly. 

“Yes, sir. I understand,” Eren responded nervously. Maybe he was still traumatized by the beating or he was grasping the dangerous position he was in. 

“You did a good job speaking your mind at court, that gave us the opportunity to play our cards, so don’t hold back your ideas or thoughts,” the commander advised him and the boy nodded.

“Don’t run your mouth like those pigs from the interior, Eren,” Levi suggested to him, he wasn’t in the mood to deal with people and their grandiose ideas. 

“You still speak so ill of us even though Flavio Wolff supported our ideas at court,” Teresa’s voice stabbed his ears. 

“I bet it wasn’t his own decision,” he snorted, Flavio was the last person he needed to hear about right now.

“Hange Zoë did a good job in convincing him, isn’t she amazing?!” The blonde bitch smiled at him and he stared at her, not amused by her comments. 

“You’re not sending her to HQ with us, are you? It’s dangerous,” Levi talked to Erwin who wasn’t bothered by the woman’s presence. 

“No, she isn’t a soldier and I can’t put people in unnecessary danger as you said. However, Teresa is trying to get an audience with the King himself. Flavio Wolff said he spoke for him but I’d like to hear his own words,” the commander glanced at the blonde woman and she smiled. 

“I hope captain Levi is treating you kindly, Eren. Your help will be important in learning about the enemy,” Teresa said softly and Eren smiled shyly at her. 

“The captain is doing what’s needed for the good of humanity and I want to do the same,” Eren responded and he sounded sincere. 

“Good… It’s great to have you on our side.” The noblewoman put on her sweet and soft act but Levi didn’t trust her. 

Levi didn’t trust people besides his comrades. Erwin had entrusted him with one of the most important tasks in his life: keeping Eren Jaeger alive and safe. He didn’t know he would come to question this decision a few years in the future. However, now Eren was still a child, and there were more questions than answers on his mind. They had to prove he was humanity’s savior and not a destroyer. They had to convince the people inside the Walls he was a symbol of hope for them. Erwin Smith was determined to do it even if it costs the lives of all his soldiers or his own. Levi knew that it will take more than that to finally defeat their enemies. 

Who were the real enemies of humanity?

Chapter Text

Eren Jaeger, the Titan shifter, was walking beside her on the way to the courtroom. He looked confused and a bit scared, his hands were shackled and the MPs were treating him as a monster. She guessed he hadn’t eaten a decent meal in days. She had orders not to share information about their plans for the trial with anyone, so she wasn’t sure what to say to calm him down. Hange smiled when he looked at her expecting an explanation as to where they were taking him.

“I’m Hange Zoë, a squad leader in the Survey Corps and-“ Mike was already smelling him like a hound. “He’s Mike Zacharias, another squad leader”

“Mmmmh… is there a reason why he’s smelling me?” Eren was obviously trying to keep his cool while being scrutinized by Mike’s nose.

“He usually smells people when he meets them-“ and also right after they have sex with a comrade but the boy didn’t need to know that. “And he just sneers… like that. Don’t think too much about it, he’s a skilled soldier… the commander entrusted him with his own squad after all,”

“Where are you taking me?” the boy finally asked, and she didn’t have an answer.

“Oh! We’re finally here… I’m sorry I talk too much. Eren, just speak your mind, and I shouldn’t say this but we’re counting on you,” Hange opened the door to the courtroom before the boy could say anything.

The atmosphere in the room was intimidating. There were nobles, priests of the Church of the Walls, military personnel, and people from the general public who were granted permission to witness the trial. She hoped Eren would be strong enough not to lose his mind in this situation. Erwin said the other cadets called him a hothead and a suicidal bastard. What would they do if he transforms into a Titan during the trial? The answer was simple: they would try to kill him on the spot.

“He’s fifteen, isn’t he?” Mike asked once they were walking in a hall to their seats in the courtroom.

“So the reports said… He looked very human to me, what about his smell?” she glanced at the tall soldier.

“He didn’t smell like a Titan,” he answered. A familiar figure was walking toward them and she sighed when she recognized her.

“Does Levi know you’re fucking a Royal Councilor? I can’t blame you, he’s attractive and he fucks like a God,” Ravenna said to make her lose her temper.

“Don’t talk to me and don’t talk to Levi either,” Hange warned her in a serious tone.

“Talking isn’t exactly what I want to do to him,” the woman laughed and she controlled her rage the best she could. Mike opened the door to the courtroom and Ravenna had left them with a smile on her face.

“Did you fuck the councilor?” Mike asked and he received a punch on his abdomen as an answer.

They were above the nobles and important people. Alastor Pallas almost hit Flavio with his cane. She wondered if the Royal Councilor would help them as he promised. He couldn’t be trusted, and she still didn’t understand his motives and why he always distanced himself from the rest of the nobles. What else did he know about the world inside the Walls?

Teresa Ignacio was also among the nobles, she didn´t look amused by Alastor Pallas’ words about closing the gates. As she had suspected, they were painting the boy as a menace. Fortunately, Flavio was the voice of reason, he mocked the priests’ obsession with the Walls and defended Eren Jaeger in his sarcastic tone. He looked at her after speaking. Was he expecting to have sex with her in return for his help? She had made it clear that wasn’t going to happen. However, Levi was right when he said these people thought they owned everyone.

Her plan of having Levi show the Premier he could control the boy had been a success. He overdid it in her opinion, but the Survey Corps was granted custody of Eren Jaeger. She was excited to join Erwin and the others when a silver blonde ponytail turned around and found her. Flavio was smiling coyly, he tried to touch her, but she quickly dodged him.

“Did you like my fervorous speech to save your Titan boy’s life?” he whispered near her ear.

“I appreciate your help… the Survey Corps is grateful for your support,” she answered barely looking at him.

“Pallas almost beat me with his cane and words are the only thing I’m getting in return?” Flavio closed the distance significantly.

“You could get an actual beating if you put your hands on her,” Levi’s voice surprised and scared her at the same time.

“Captain Levi… What a display of strength and power!” the councilor exclaimed cheerfully ignoring the short captain’s murderous stare.

“You’ll experience it firsthand if you don’t shut your shit mouth,” he was angry, and Hange put her hand on his shoulder to calm him down.

“We’d love to stay and talk but we have an important meeting,” she smiled and dragged Levi with her.

“You’re very protective of your comrades, captain.” Flavio put emphasis on the word comrades which made her believe Ravenna had shared her suspicions with him.

It was late at night and she was on top of his comrade in his bed after showering together. She was moaning as low as possible while riding him so energetically that the bed was creaking again. He was caressing her legs up to her bottom or at least the parts he could reach. She trembled and he knew she was having an orgasm. He understood her body language better than anyone had in her life. He sat on the bed and held her tightly while kissing her mouth, her neck, her collarbone, and her breasts. Levi took charge and thrust into her to magnify her pleasure.

He put his head on her chest, his hands were going up and down her abdomen. He was thinking about the indefinite time they were going to spend apart from each other. She was supposed to return to the castle where Sawney and Beane were waiting for her. He had to take care of Eren Jaeger and Erwin was planning to send him to a remote place where he wouldn’t hurt people if he transforms unexpectedly. It was clear the boy didn’t remember losing control of the Titan or trying to kill his childhood friend.

“He didn’t remember losing control of the Titan,” she said caressing his head.

“I’ll kill him if the situation demands it… Are you worried about me?” he asked looking up at her.

“Why shouldn’t I be? We have never faced anything like this before… He can transform into an intelligent Titan” she explained feeling this was something she shouldn’t need to clarify.

“I’m not so sure how intelligent he is. The brat’s drive seems to be pure rage from what I heard from the reports,” Levi responded and moved close enough to kiss her on the mouth. She followed his lead but broke their passionate kiss to keep talking.

“Levi… don’t underestimate him, he-“ he interrupted her with a deep kiss that made her moan softly.

“I should be the one telling you that… I don’t know what you’re planning to do with him, but I’ll be there to make sure he doesn’t kill you,” he kissed her neck softly after giving her the appropriate warnings.

Her nails dug into his back as he rolled his lips over her nipples. His tongue drew circles around them slowly. Then he carefully sucked them, enjoying their texture and the flavor of her skin. She was pressing her legs on his waist and aching herself toward him as pleasure blinded her and melted her worries away. He entered her once again that night and it never felt old to be joined like this. She didn’t notice she was moaning loudly because he kissed her to silence her.

He was obviously trying to be careful since they didn’t want Mike knocking on their door again, but his rhythm wasn’t enough to satisfy her. She grabbed his butt cheeks and pressed him harder against her. He whispered in her ear that the bed was fucking loud, but she insisted. He accelerated and a delicious orgasm started to build up inside her. She bit his shoulder when she felt like screaming and he went in deeper. Levi had to cover her mouth with his hand when pleasure spread throughout her slim body.  

She was getting dressed to go to her room because it was already three in the morning while he was watching her from his bed. He grabbed her and sat her on his lap before she could reach the door. They kissed deeply and passionately for a couple of minutes until she reminded him she needed to rest. Sawney and Beane would chop her head off if she were sleepy around them. He reluctantly let her go and she sighed because they didn’t know when they were going to see each other again.

Beane was pinned down to the ground and was panting when she approached him. She grabbed a spear and Moblit was checking the list of tests they were going to run that morning. Nifa was explaining the procedure to Teresa who joined her at the castle before going back to the interior. Hange sighed and kneeled to talk to the Titan. Everyone in the squad tensed and got ready to pull their squad leader away from the monster at any moment.

“Did you miss me, Beane? How are you feeling today?” she asked knowing the probabilities of getting an answer were slim.

“It’s been panting more than the other since yesterday,” Moblit said holding papers and quills in his hand.

“Maybe he’s trying to communicate… Is there something you’d like to tell me, Beane?” she stepped closer and the monster didn’t waste the opportunity and tried to bite her feet. She jumped back while her assistant yelled at her to be careful.

“Squad leader… the Titan is restrained but we’re not sure for how long these nails and spears will keep him on the ground,” Moblit sighed frustrated with her recklessness.

“I doubt the restraints will fail on him. Now, I’m going to bury my spear in your flesh, okay?” she explained the test as if the Titan could understand her.

The spear penetrated his hand and a terrifying sound filled the air in the courtyard. Beane screamed as the pointy weapon sunk deeper into his hand. Hange took out the spear quickly and the Titan stopped screaming. She exchanged a concerned look with Moblit. The pain was the human’s body response to dangerous stimuli. It’s a method to protect the body from further damage or life-threatening situations. Why would a Titan need to feel pain? Was it a remnant trait inherited from a human ancestor?

She inhaled deeply and stabbed Beane’s eye with the spear. Soon the spine-chilling screaming resumed and now it was accompanied by Hange’s own screams as she buried the weapon into the monster. The soldiers from the Garrison who weren’t used to her antics looked horrified at the scene. Blood splashed on her uniform, but it started to evaporate quickly. Moblit noticed the disturbed expressions on the people around them, including the noblewoman’s.

“Squad leader! You don’t need to scream too!” he yelled so she could hear him above the noise.

“How could I not scream?! Beane is suffering! Look all the pain he is in!” she responded visibly affected by the Titan’s display of sensitivity.

“But… You’re scaring everyone!” he insisted and glanced at the rest of his squad members who were shocked as well.

“Not as scared as poor Beane! Don’t worry, everything will end soon! Hang in there, Beane!” she screamed at the Titan and took out the spear just to pierce another part of his body. They needed to test if he felt the same amount of pain in the rest of his anatomy.

“Squad leader! Don’t-“Beane and Hange’s screams interrupted him and he gave up trying to reason with her.

The only noises left in the courtyard were the hissing sound as Beane’s wounds were healing. Moblit was keeping an eye on how fast this was happening. Hange took off her goggles and sat on the floor next to a column. She still looked distressed by the earlier events. The blonde noblewoman laid her cape on the floor and sat with her. She was holding a cup of tea and handed it to her. Hange smiled and accepted the warm infusion. Her tears were still staining her face.

“Is that how all Titans react to pain?” Teresa asked looking at the two restrained monsters in the courtyard.

“No… it varies from one individual to another. Sawney didn’t care when I did the same to him,” she answered and sipped her tea.

“Why does it sound exactly like…. Human bodies work?” even though she was trying to hide it, she feared what the results of these experiments could mean for the people inside the Walls.

“I… don’t know. My guess is they come from a human ancestor or for some reason they were designed like this,” she said but an idea was creeping into her mind. She didn’t dare say it out loud though.

“Designed?” Teresa’s blue eyes were fixed on her.

“Don’t you see it? I’ve never thought about it until Eren Jaeger’s appearance but… it makes sense to think that Titans are weapons. Why would a human who can keep his intelligence inside a Titan body exist? Then the coordinated attack on Shiganshina and Trost, they acted like weapons. Maybe these Titans are failed attempts at creating something like the Colossal Titan or Eren’s Titan,” Hange didn’t mention her main concern about this theory. Who or what designed these monsters?

“If they were designed then… who created them? Another human civilization?” Teresa wasn’t as stupid as people thought she was.

“That’s the problem with that theory, according to the history books we’re the only remaining human civilization in the world but… it’s hard to believe, isn’t it?” she smiled thinking Erwin had probably shared the same idea with her.

“It is… if we assume the world is bigger than these three Walls and our surroundings,” she sighed, she had also been traveling a lot before Eren’s trial.

“Erwin told me you’re trying to get an audience with the king,” she was still curious about the noblewoman’s intentions.

“The idiots around him are preventing it from happening…. Maybe you could convince Flavio of helping me. He seems very fond of you,” she said and Hange wasn’t sure what she meant.

“I’m not sleeping with him,” Hange added sick and tired of the councilor.

“He’s hoping to do it one day… You’re an attractive mystery. There aren’t many Titan scientists inside the Walls,” Teresa smiled but she already knew that.

People saw her as a rare specimen that would obviously attract men like Flavio. She remembered that her intelligence was one of the things Levi liked about her. He had confessed it inside Sawney’s tent. She joined her squad to focus on the experiments again and not the fact that he wasn’t by her side right now.

Moblit had prepared a pair of large forceps and was waiting for her. She analyzed the situation and concluded she’d have to climb onto the Titan to work on top of him since Beane was laying on the floor instead of sitting down like Sawney. It was a huge risk, so she ordered the rest of her men to stay away. Her assistant tried to protest but a murderous look from her kept him quiet. She jumped onto Beane’s back and it moved, trying to catch her. Hange shot the grapple hooks of her maneuver gear and they sunk into the monster’s shoulder blades. She could feel he was panting again but dismissed it as his usual behavior. Her blades made a cut on both sides of the nape and she carefully removed the flesh. Her uniform was covered in blood and pieces of meat in no time.

Hange was peering inside Beane using the large forceps to keep his wound from closing when the Titan started to scream. He had been actively showing his high sensitivity to pain after all. She told him everything was going to end soon as if he was a giant baby. Her hands reached his bones and she went a bit deeper. There wasn’t anything human attached to his spinal cord. The heat was burning her, so she removed her hand which was already red, but she’d found out later it wasn’t only blood.

She was still inspecting the Titan’s insides when disaster struck. Beane had been screaming the whole time but also moving a lot. Finally, the few spears Hange hadn’t ordered to be removed and the nails on his hands gave in. He straightened himself up abruptly, she had reacted fast and adjusted to the new position. However, the monster lay down so quickly that she sent her flying toward his head. She realized she was now on his face still attached to his back when two brown eyes opened in front of her.

Hange released the hooks and landed on her back. The Titan’s mouth aimed for her and if she hadn’t backed away quickly, it would have bitten her legs off. Moblit was on Beane’s back about to slice his nape when she screamed. They couldn’t lose these test subjects. They were too important to kill them due to a stupid accident.

“Don’t do it, Moblit! Everyone, stay back!” she yelled at the rest of her squad who were ready to attack the Titan in case things got worse.

“Squad leader… it was going to eat your-“ her assistant tried to justify his decision but she interrupted him.

“I’m fine! They’re important for humanity, we can’t kill them for stupid shit like this!” she stood up to show them she had meant her words.

“But… your life isn’t stupid shit!” Moblit’s eyes were burning in rage and she imagined Levi would do the same if he were here.

“I’ll send you away while the experiments last if you kill Beane!” something was telling her that was enough to change his mind.

He murmured something and climbed down the Titan. The rest of her squad grabbed spears and proceeded to secure Beane again. She sighed and saw Teresa’s fear etched on her face. She smiled at her and walked toward one of the offices. The door closed behind her, she threw her goggles on the desk. She was holding onto it with both hands thinking about so many problems at the same time she didn’t hear the door opening. A hand touched her shoulder and she turned around to find her assistant standing mere inches from her.

“I’m sorry… If you wish to punish me, I’ll understand,” he apologized, and she noticed he was looking at her lips.

“Punish you?! We have to continue the experiments and you were just fulfilling your duty as a soldier… I can’t punish you for that,” she laughed and put some distance between them by pushing the desk.

“My…. duty… Hange… I need… to say-“ she was calculating her next moves when Teresa opened the door.

“I agree with him, you need to be more careful! That monster almost ate you a dozen times today!” she exclaimed scolding her.

“That’s what Titans do… it would be very rare to see this kind ignoring the chance to eat someone,” she smiled and joined her at the door. “I need to check if Beane is ready, I have more tests in mind,”

She almost ran to the courtyard. What was he going to say? He knew she had been sleeping with Levi. He probably knows that whatever they have isn’t only sex. Why would he put himself in danger? If the short captain ever finds out about his illustrations of her, he’ll beat him as he did with Eren or worse. She refused to think about it because she needed both men in her life for different reasons.

Nifa placed the last spear on Beane’s collar but it almost hit his face in the process. However, she noticed the monster had dodged the weapon. Did Beane learn that the spears hurt him? Was he becoming more intelligent? Her squad successfully restrained him again and Lauda announced they could continue their work. Keiji handed her a new pair of gloves and she was deciding on the best course of action for the next test. She needed to cut off the Titan’s limbs and she needed to climb onto its back again. Moblit was watching her since he returned to the courtyard and he ran to her when Beane moved. 

She cut off his arm as he screamed and panted on the floor. Hange lifted the severed limb and it weighed nothing. The arm was as light as a feather, it was evaporating quickly as she held it in her hands. She signaled the noblewoman to get closer, she gave the Titan’s arm to her. Teresa was shocked and amazed at this bizarre fact about these monsters. 

“I told you they were very light…. it doesn’t make sense. They should weigh tons, they shouldn’t be able to move their huge bodies but they run, the abnormals even jump and climb buildings,” Hange said cleaning the blood from her face. 

“This is… incredible… It’s almost as if you’re holding a piece of paper. Do you think Eren Jaeger’s Titan body is also like this?” the blonde woman asked. 

“Yes, I do. The witnesses said his Titan disappeared as Titan corpses do. Levi saw it at the gate of Trost as well… No! Don’t touch it there. Their bodies are very hot inside,” she explained preventing the woman from getting the same injury as her.

“Metabolic reasons?” she handed her the limb. The bones were more visible than a minute ago. 

“That’s my theory… the truth might be completely different,” Hange examined the arm closely. 

“Well, that’s all we have now: theories,” Alphonse wrapped her in her cape and she left Hange and her squad to continue working. 

The day finished with two or more attempts of Beane to kill her. She was covered in dirt, and sweat, and her hand was burnt so she prepared the bathtub with some herbs to soothe the pain. She was inspecting her hand in the tub when the door opened and Moblit entered with a bunch of papers in his hand. What was so urgent it couldn’t wait for her to finish bathing? She almost covered herself but then he would notice her behavior toward him changing so she swallowed and tried to listen to his words.

“The commander will be here early in the morning. I was writing the reports on the experiments… I need you to approve some changes I’ve made,” he explained. Thankfully he didn’t look at her.

“I always approve your changes but if it’ll make you feel better, I’m listening,” she responded as nonchalantly as possible.

“The Titan’s pain levels increased when his flesh was pierced in- “ he interrupted himself because he glanced at her wounded hand. “You’re hurt… I’ll bring some medicine,”

“No! It’s fine, I put some herbs for the pain in the water,” she said which was a mistake because now his eyes were fixed on her naked body in the tub.

“It looks like it needs more than herbs,” he kneeled and grabbed her hand to check the wound.

Hange was nervous and worried about what he might do in this situation. Maybe he wouldn’t be stupid enough to try touching her. Truth be told she would hate to send him away, he was an important member of her squad. He finished his inspection and looked at her while explaining she needed more medicine or the wound would get infected. She nodded feeling his gaze prying on her body.  

Why did she feel so uncomfortable with him now? It was those fucking illustrations of her having sex with another man. Would she need to let him know she had discovered his secret activities at night? He let go of her hand but he moved closer to her face. Her breathing accelerated and she was silently begging him not to make a ridiculous mistake. She recognized the lustful desire in his eyes, she had seen it in Levi’s since that night in her tent. 

“Let me shower with you, there’s not enough space in the other cubicles”

Regina had entered her cubicle because she tended to forget to lock it. Of course, the redhead knew that and planned accordingly. She tried to push her outside, but she kissed her so passionately, that she took her breath away. Hange pulled the woman into her by the collar of her uniform’s shirt and they ended up under the shower. The redhead’s hands were roaming her naked body and she surrendered to her touch. She kissed her neck while slamming her back against the wall of the cubicle.

She planted more kisses on her collarbone and her breasts. She glided her lips slowly over her nipples and she was going to go crazy if she didn’t take them into her mouth. As if she was reading her mind, she closed her lips around them and she moaned when she felt her tongue. Her hands pressed her between her legs and she almost moaned louder, but she covered her mouth in time. She went directly to her most sensitive spot and rubbed it slowly with her fingers.

Hange held onto her head and pulled her red strands as the pleasure built up inside her. She picked up the pace with her fingers and her hips moved in response to the orgasm spreading through her body. She might have moaned too loudly because the woman kissed her while inserting her fingers deep into her anatomy, but she suddenly stopped.

“Tell me how bad you wanted it… tell me to fuck you,” Regina whispered in her ear.

“You’re a… little…. shit,” Hange responded frustrated.

“I’ve wanted you since I saw you… at the Training Corps,” she continued and kissed her.

“You told me but… I… I felt… the same,” she wrapped her arms around her neck.

“Tell me, tell me what I want to hear, Hange,” the redhead seemed determined to rip the confession out of her throat. 

“Regina… fuck me or… I’ll kill you,” Hange thought it wouldn’t be enough, but the woman resumed what she was doing.

Regina showed her no mercy and went in and out of her fast enough to make her tremble again. Once she recovered, she unbuttoned the redhead’s soaked shirt and got her naked in minutes. Then kneeled in front of her and sunk her mouth below her hips. She hoped she was going to control herself in the shower but apparently, she didn’t care. Regina moaned as loudly as she usually did in her room. She devoured her with a hunger she hadn’t felt for anyone since a girl let her taste her one night at the stables where she was pretending to be a boy.

She turned off the shower and they stayed inside the cubicle, making out, their naked bodies intertwined. She had been afraid of getting attached to someone but now that she was feeling the warmth of her skin and the humidity of her tongue, she knew she had been wrong. They had found the balance in fulfilling their duties as soldiers and spending the nights together. She smiled when the redhead broke the kiss slowly.

“I’m lucky you decided to shower today since you don’t do it often,” Regina said, breathing into her lips.

“You were spying on me, weren’t you?” she asked and bit the woman’s lower lip.

“I’m always thinking about you, looking at you, spying on you… I love you,” she whispered. Hange had grown used to hearing her say it.

“I love you too… I don’t think I’ve ever been in love before,” she had the courage to confess since she felt so comfortable with Regina.

“I’m happy to be the first one… I thought I was in love with someone when I was younger but… it wasn’t anything like I feel for you, I think I was wrong,” she smiled and tucked her brown hair behind her ear.

“Regina… We should be more… discreet, I heard someone talking about us the other one if the commander hears it- “

“Fuck the commander, we’re still scouts… We’re humans, not monsters. He should know that to love is inherently human,” she was always so confident about her beliefs and determined when she had an objective in mind. Who was this woman?

Love is inherently human… 

Those words returned to her that night in the tub in front of Moblit. She couldn’t blame him if he had feelings for her nor she could control other people’s desires. But Hange didn’t want to break his heart and destroy their years of comradery. He had been by her side even before Levi showed up in her life. He promised her they would fight together and find the truth about the enemy. Moblit was more than an assistant, he was her friend and someone she deeply trusted and respected. She was willing to forget his mistake of spying on her during intimate moments. She would never forgive him if he dared kiss her. 

Moblit seemed to have heard her silent plea, read the notes, and left the room. She went to sleep after midnight wishing Levi was on her bed. The experiments were taking a toll on her body as the uncertainty of the trial’s result affected her mentally. He would kiss her softly everywhere and they would have sex until get exhausted or until it was time for one of them to leave. Will we ever sleep in the same bed until dawn, Levi? She wondered as she dozed off completely into a deep sleep without dreams. 

Erwin had ordered her to join the Special Operations Squad and Eren Jaeger at the abandoned castle which had been the first Survey Corps HQ. She arrived with part of her squad at sunset. They rode for a couple of hours but she was too excited to finally meet the young Titan shifter in a more relaxed environment. She heard voices coming from the dining hall and she ran to the door while the others placed their stuff upstairs. The door was locked but she found out when she bumped into it trying to open it. This was Levi’s idea, she was sure. 

“Good evening, Levi Squad! How is life in the castle going for you?” she stood next to Levi who was drinking his evening tea. 

“It’s disgusting, we haven’t finished cleaning yet… I thought you were supposed to arrive tomorrow,” he responded without looking at her. 

“I couldn’t wait any longer! I had to come and see you, Eren!” she exclaimed as she walked up to the boy who was sitting on the other side of the table. 

“Squad leader Hange?” Eren said nervously. She guessed Levi had scared him. 

“I’m in charge of the examination of the subjects we captured in Trost… I’d like you to participate in the experiments tomorrow, so I need your permission,” she said with a huge smile on her face. She had many plans for the young boy. 

“Permission? I… can’t give you permission, I don’t decide those things by myself,” he explained looking at Levi. 

“Levi! What’s on Eren’s schedule for tomorrow?” she asked and their eyes met for the first time since she arrived. The expression on his face betrayed nothing though. 

“Cleaning the yard,” he answered dryly. He wasn’t Eren Jaeger’s biggest fan but she knew they would come to trust each other. She hoped they would do it in the future. 

“Excellent! It’s settled then! I’m looking forward to working with you, Eren,” she said while grabbing his hand and squeezing them.

“I don’t understand… what do you mean by… experiments?” Oluo elbowed him as soon as he finished his sentence. 

“Eren… shut up… don’t… don’t get her started,” Oluo warned him in a low voice but she could hear him. 

“I knew you had a curious young mind! Let me tell you about everything we’ve been doing with the boys we captured,” she sat down as Lev’s squad stood up and started to leave the room. 

Hange smiled and looked towards the door. Levi was holding it open and his grey eyes told her he had missed her too. It also told her he was annoyed or jealous of her fascination for the young boy. On one hand, she liked how protective he was of her but she considered his unexpected jealousy unnecessary. Eren Jaeger was a mystery she was dying to uncover, and he was a soldier in the Survey Corps now which made him a comrade. Her interest in him was different from the one she had in humanity’s strongest soldier. She would sit and talk to the boy the whole night without imagining that the enemies were among them and on the move. 

She let herself be swept off in her passion for knowledge she never considered Eren a threat. He was a teenager, scared of what these experiments could do to his body but he was willing to help. He wanted to free humanity from the Walls, he wanted to eradicate the Titans that killed his mother in front of his eyes. Hange knew he needed to be treated with kindness to remind him he was a human and not a monster. Which one he really was?

Chapter Text

The old Survey Corps HQ was an abandoned castle. It was more than an old building. It was filthy and in a terrible state of disrepair. A cloud of dust and dirt welcomed them. He scanned the entrance hall: cobwebs covered the chandeliers, the doors, and the furniture. Levi announced everyone was on cleaning duty until they could breathe inside the castle without coughing. He put on a handkerchief as a facemask and distributed the cleaning supplies among the soldiers of his squad. The Titan boy kept glancing at him, but he would look the other way quickly.

He gave him a master class on dusting, mopping, and polishing wooden surfaces. Eren listened intently, nodding after each demonstration. However, he had strong doubts about his cleaning skills as his Titan abilities. Petra started supervising the boy’s work, so he went upstairs to check the deplorable state of the rooms. One of the doors was so eaten by mold that it almost fell when he tried to open it. He moved on to the next, the room was dark, and it smelled of a rotting corpse.

There was a beautiful view of the woods surrounding them through the windows. His nose followed the putrid stench until he found a dead rat behind the headboard of the bed. The rodent’s corpse was already half eaten by worms and flies, the skull was visible, and it gave him the impression it was moving because of the insects feeding from it. This was a sight he had found outside the walls in countless expeditions when they stumbled upon rotten corpses of fallen comrades. Death was always the same, wasn’t it?

He took the rodent’s corpse outside along dirt and buried it somewhere on the ground to avoid the smell to fill all spaces of the castle. He was on his way to the rooms when he heard Petra and Eren engaged in what seemed an interesting conversation. Levi stopped near the entrance when he heard his name.

“Captain Levi isn’t what you expected, I’m sure. He’s short, his way of speaking comes out as crude and he looks unapproachable. He doesn’t seem like the great hero people make him out to be, does it?” Petra said holding a broom and pretending to mop the floor.

“No, I was surprised how obediently he accepts orders from above,” Eren answered while polishing a small table near the staircase.

“You thought because he’s humanity’s strongest soldier he wouldn’t be concerned with ranks and commands?” the redhead asked making more dust than cleaning with her broom.

“If he’s that powerful then… Why wouldn’t he make his own decisions?” the boy looked at Petra, curious about hearing more.

“I think he used to be his own boss or leader… I’ve only heard things from other soldiers, they said he was a dangerous thug in the Underground city before joining the Survey Corps,” Petra sighed.

“A thug?” Eren was paying full attention to the woman from his squad.

“Yes, the Underground is not an ideal place for anyone to live in… he survived there for a long time. I heard only the strongest people do,” the woman’s honey eyes turned from Eren to the floor.

“How did he join the Survey Corps? I didn’t know people from the Underground could enlist in the military,” the boy said wiping the table blindly.

“I heard commander Erwin brought him to the Survey Corps… I don’t know the full story, I don’t know much about the captain like other soldiers,” she confessed in a sad tone.

“He doesn’t seem to be close to anyone as you said,” Eren pointed out everyone’s first impression of him.

“It seems that way but… in reality, I’m sure squad leader Hange could tell you more about him if-“there it was again, Hange’s name coming out of her mouth. He stepped into the room before she said something else.

“Eren! Are you done with that small table?” he interrupted Petra and she started moping the floor furiously.

“Yes… Yes, sir!” the boy answered, scared of his sudden appearance.

“Do you call this clean? Do it all again,” he said after running his finger on the table.

“Yes, sir!” Eren exclaimed, damping the cloth with soap water.

“Go upstairs when you finish with that small ass table,” he ordered and climbed the stairs to continue cleaning the rooms.

Levi decided to stay in the room where he found the rat. It was the closest to the stairs that lead to the basement where Eren was supposed to spend the nights. He would be able to run to his aid in case he needed it. Eld showed up a few minutes later to help him with the other rooms so they could finish cleaning that section before nightfall. They needed a good night’s rest after the long trip on horseback. Sadly, most of the rooms on that floor had some kind of structural issue that was going to be hard to fix in one day. They decided to inspect the ones on the next floor.  

He left his subordinate working on the desolated second floor of the castle to check Oluo’s cleaning job in the courtyard. He claimed he had swept and washed the floor of the gallery, but he found out that only a section of it was wet. Levi ordered him with a murderous stare to wash the rest of the gallery. It wasn’t the first time he had tried to escape his responsibilities on cleaning duty. Sometimes he reminded him of a young girl whom he met in the Underground. Sweet and happy Isabel would smile and try to convince him she had done a good job when that wasn’t the case.

The girl never intended to trick him, she always sought his approval but she was a slow learner. He hadn’t forgotten her expression of pure joy when a weird soldier of the Survey Corps treated her to a bag of cookies. All the soldiers had looked down on them before her. She wasn’t scared of them, she joined them without an invitation as recklessly as she charged in front of everyone in the formation and told him he had given new hope to their comrades.

He saw it at that moment, didn’t he? Her brown eyes glistening with excitement, her smile bright as the sun in the sky, outside the walls, and her kind words to Isabel. She was different from Ravenna, the black-haired woman who used to kill thugs with him in the Underground or the rest of the soldiers they had met. They had been warned about her and her unique personality. They were advised not to get involved with her. “Hange Zoë’s completely out of her mind,” Flagon had said during an afternoon of training exercises when she had watched them silently from afar. He had an objective in those days, so he avoided interacting with more people besides Furlan, Isabel, and his squad.

Levi had noticed her an early morning in the dining hall. Hange was laughing obnoxiously loud and making a ruckus with her squad. One of the soldiers had challenged her to a match of strength because another one claimed she was stronger than him. A muscular, tall man stood up and said if she lost at arm wrestling, she would have to buy all the drinks the next time they went out to the taverns in town. That’s when she laughed and assured him, he would lose. The man looked so strong, he thought she was bragging when she accepted the challenge. Hange Zoë never backed down from a challenge as he was going to learn that day.

“Don’t break his arm, Hange,” a woman laughed, and the rest of the table followed her.

“I won’t hold back, are you sure about this?” the muscular man asked. He took off his jacket and prepared to wrestle with her.

“If you don’t stop talking, I’d think you’re the one shitting your pants,” Hange said with an evil grin.

“Do you think Hange’s gonna win?” Furlan was also watching the scene with interest.

“I don’t give a shit,” Levi replied and bit his loaf of bread.

“I heard Hange eats the meat of the Titans she kills,” Isabel whispered. He bumped her head as he used to do when she said stupid shit.

“The meat of the Titans evaporates as soon as you slice the nape… You weren’t paying attention to the instructor, were you?” Furlan said and a teasing smile was drawn on his lips.

“I wouldn’t do it if I were you, Neil. Hange’s gonna eat you alive, man” a soldier from a table nearby yelled before they started the arm-wrestling match.

She also disposed of her jacket and got ready for the match. Why was she so confident in her strength? Her arm was toned but it wasn’t particularly big. Even so, she faced that man who was taller and bigger than her without fear. He was convinced she was going to lose when suddenly her cheerful expression changed to a dark one. There was a monster hidden behind her kind mask, wasn’t it? He understood all the warnings and advice from his squad leader about the mad Hange Zoë.

“Fuck!” her muscular opponent cursed when his knuckles hit the table.

“They’re gonna leave you dry. Hange used to sneak strong liquor to headquarters,” another soldier claimed.

“He knows because he can’t hold his liquor… He says he’ll fuck me once I black out, but we have to drag him to the dorms every time,” Hange laughed again while putting on her jacket.

“Fuck you, Zoë!” the man exclaimed but he was smiling too.

“If only you would… “she responded while they exchanged flirtatious looks.

“Hange! I need you in the commander’s office,” Erwin Smith said entering the room.

“How much you want to bet they’ll fuck?” a soldier sitting with them started collecting betting coins.

“I didn’t know Hange was that strong,” Furlan commented visibly surprised by the recent events.

“I didn’t know soldiers in the Survey Corps fuck,” Levi bumped Isabel’s head again but a bit harder than before.

“Finish your food and stop talking shit,” he said without looking away from Hange.

Isabel was young but due to her upbringing in the Underground was familiar with sex. Levi had taught her how to protect herself from abusers and traffickers of children who promised riches and freedom to the innocents just to be sold and abused later in the interior. He had been careful and discreet with his encounters for her sake.

The outrageous Hange Zoë was walking towards the door while he inspected her from head to toe. She was taller than him, the leather straps of the maneuver gear surrounded her slim waist and somehow the military uniform accentuated her feminine curves at the back. He was sure she was hiding an attractive body under her clothes. However, he wasn’t there to make friends or lovers, he had accepted to join the Survey Corps to fulfill the mission of retrieving some shitty documents and killing Erwin Smith. Now, cleaning the table in the dining hall he was thinking that Isabel and Hange would have been an unstoppable duo.

“Captain, I finished cleaning the kitchen… Would you like some tea?” another redhead who wasn’t the one he was daydreaming about asked.

“Thank you, make it for everyone. We’ll rest and eat once it’s done,” he responded still focused on the table.

“When… is squad leader Hange coming for the experiments?” her question made him stop cleaning for a second but resumed his work immediately.

“Erwin said she’ll come in a few days, but it depends on her shitty experiments with those two she’s torturing right now,” he replied without looking up.

“Captain… Levi… I just… I-“ she was nervously stuttering when he interrupted her.

“Be careful what you’re going to say, Petra,” he warned her and decided to face her. His grey eyes were fixed on her face.

“The next expedition will be in a few months and… I don’t want to regret anything when I go outside the walls. Hear me one last time,” she said in a sweet voice that almost sounded like a plea.

“What is that you want to say?” Levi asked even though he had an idea of where this conversation was going.

“I…. meant what I said… about giving you my heart along with my trust. Now, I know you won’t take it but don’t let me die with this doubt… Is it because I’m your subordinate?” Petra got closer to him, she smelled of daisies and soap. Her chest was heaving, her cheeks had turned slightly pink and he knew she deserved the answer she was requesting but… How could he tell her he belonged to the mad scientist of the Survey Corps?

“I already gave you the answer. You’re my subordinate and a valuable soldier in this squad, I can’t accept your offer,” he answered choosing his words carefully.

“It has nothing to do with… squad leader-“

“You have my answer. I’ll check Gunther’s work in the basement,” Levi interrupted her, but little did he know of her determination to get the truth.

“I saw you… One night on the roof of headquarters a few weeks after her accident with the new weapon… She was sitting on your lap, and… you were kissing her… as a lover not as a comrade. Moblit asked me to look for some papers she had in her room, and I saw you carrying her up the stairs… I know, I shouldn’t have followed you, but I thought I could ask her about the papers until I noticed… the way she was looking at you while she was in your arms. I knew I shouldn’t have been there… That wasn’t the first and only time you kissed her, so why don’t you tell me the truth? You can’t accept my heart because of her,” she said in a fit of courage. Her glistening eyes convinced him he had to control his anger. Was she the one spying on them the other nights?

“Why are you asking… if you know the truth?” he answered with a question because he was lost, he wasn’t sure how to respond to her unexpected confession. He noticed a tear running down her cheek when he glanced at her, he placed a hand on her shoulder and then walked out of the dining hall.

Petra had been brave to confess such a thing to him. Deep down he had a suspicion he knew about them. Had she spread the information? She was friendly and approachable, so she talked to more soldiers than the ones in his squad. How many of the people in the Survey Corps already knew it? He quickly dismissed the idea because she was a kind, levelheaded person. She would never put their position in danger because he had rejected her, would she?

That night he slept fewer hours than usual. He jumped from his chair at any sound coming out of the basement. They had given Eren a sleeping bag after cleaning the place thoroughly and placing candles in every corner of the room so he wouldn’t be in complete darkness. He went downstairs to check on the boy and he found him sleeping soundly each time. The trip on horseback and the cleaning work had taken their toll on his body. Then he remembered his conversation with Petra and wondered if his answer would change her attitude.

Fortunately, they started their morning early and she was still the cheerful and friendly Petra everyone loved. He gave orders to clean the places in the castle they hadn’t touched and prepare the rooms for Hange and her squad since they were supposed to arrive the next day. He heard Oluo talking about the mad scientist with Eren and scaring him in the process. The boy would be the first of his kind to undergo her experiments, making it difficult to predict the methods she was planning to use or the information they would get as a result.

Eren hadn’t shown signs of transforming or losing control of his abilities yet. He was eager to learn how to clean though as he noticed when the boy started scraping off the mold of the walls after his demonstration. He was so young and already taller than him. He snorted and watched him work. Was he a capable soldier as described in the reports? He had been reckless in his first battle with the Titans in Trost but another report said he had been the only soldier who faced the Colossal Titan. He was from Shiganshina which meant he had seen the monster five years ago and he put aside his fear and charged against it. It takes courage and determination to face the mindless Titans outside the Walls alone.

 “You’ll clean the basement again this afternoon,” Levi said standing at the window.

“Yes, sir,” Eren responded as obediently as he had been since they first met.

“Your memories are scattered according to the reports,” he continued scrubbing the windowsill.

“Yes, I don’t remember much… I just know a few things but… I don’t understand why,” the boy said as he put the moldy pieces of stone from the walls in a bucket.

“I’m sure she has some ideas to help you understand, but I’ll be worried if I were you, Eren. She might fuck up and kill you in the process,” Levi turned to see his expression and Eren swallowed.

“She?” he repeated and stopped his cleaning work.

“The Titan scientist of the Survey Corps. You should know, she’s out of her mind. I saw her talking to Titans as if they were children the other day,” he said and he remembered the night inside of her monster’s tent, one of the last nights he kissed her.

“Talking? Why would she talk to the Titans?” Eren asked and he was clearly upset.

“She’ll explain to you if you ask,” he suggested. He knew she would be happy to talk and talk about her experiments and theories. He pitied the boy though.

Levi was sitting on the floor with his back against the door of the dining hall where Hange was talking to the Titan boy so enthusiastically, that he could hear her from outside. They exchanged glances when she arrived but that wasn’t enough. Would she spend the whole night with the boy? Petra walked past him in the hall, but she turned around. They haven’t talked in private after her confession and his subsequent rejection. If she was sad, she was hiding it very well.

“I guess we’re starting the experiments tomorrow since squad leader Hange is already here,” she said in a low voice.

“Yes, she arrived early for some fucking reason. She can’t sit on her ass and wait,” he complained even though they both knew he didn’t hold her resentment.

“She sounds very excited, I hope Eren is ready for an all-nighter,” Petra responded, and she smiled.

“She’ll spend days torturing the brat if I don’t stop her,” Levi wanted to stop her at some point, but he hadn’t thought of the perfect excuse yet.

“Is that why you’re still here?” the cute redhead asked with a knowing smile.

“You need to rest… Hange wants to start the experiments early and since she won’t sleep tonight, she’ll be fucking around before dawn,” he sighed, and Petra nodded.

“Yes, sir… you should rest too,” she said and left.

He wasn’t sure how many hours had passed, but he had dozed off and woken up again. Hange’s voice was still the loudest, he deduced the boy might be sleeping on his chair because he wasn’t hearing anybody besides her. The door opened abruptly, and he stood up to see Hange holding the teapot in her hands and yelling at Eren she was going to make more tea. She smiled when he grabbed her by the waist once the door was closed. They stayed still glued to each other until she leaned forward, and he kissed her as if they hadn’t kissed in months.

“Have you been here all night?” she asked between passionate kisses.

“You haven’t shut up for hours, I thought the brat fell asleep,” he responded after parting from her mouth.

“Levi... I have to make the tea, he’s really interested in the experiments” she said while he kissed her neck.

“I’m also interested in whatever the fuck you say,” he whispered and pushed her against the wall.

“I’m serious… we can’t, not tonight… Eren might hear us,” she insisted trying to calm him down.

“How many days are you staying? “Levi asked and kissed her before she could respond. The kiss was so intense, she moaned lowly.

“Three days… Then, I have to return to Sawney and Beane. There are a number of tests we haven’t done yet. Maybe we’ll have time tomorrow… you know I want you to fuck me all night, but it won’t happen tonight,” Hange said but wrapped her arms around his neck.

They kissed, breathed each other’s air, and moaned softly in each other’s mouths. His hand fell on her behind and he pressed her against him. Their cores were rubbing, she lifted her leg up to his knees and pulled him into her. He groaned when her tongue entangled with his, and he sucked her saliva. She probably felt the bulge in his pants growing bigger as they made out because she held him in place, gave him a peck on his lips, and whispered she needed to make the tea. He nodded and backed away slowly. Why was it always difficult to control his impulses in her presence?

He followed her to the kitchen where she put some water on the stove and he kept his distance, or he would have pinned her against the table behind him. She said it was almost three in the morning and expressed her concern for him and the fact that he stayed behind that door since eight the previous night. He snorted and assured her he only needed the next few hours until dawn to rest. Truth be told he had most likely slept for some of those hours.

“Erwin said things are getting more hectic in the interior even though the Premier gave us custody of Eren,” she sighed and crossed her arms while waiting for the water to heat enough.

“Are those his noble bitch words?” he asked, he had grown tired of Teresa’s presence in headquarters quickly.

“She’s been helping Erwin by trying to get an audience with the king. I know you can’t trust her, but I don’t think she’s an enemy,” Hange defended the blonde noblewoman once again.

“My experience tells me noble pigs don’t care about humanity’s freedom. If she isn’t fucking Erwin, then she has other motives, but spare me the bullshit that she’s also fighting for freedom,” Levi said with the councilor Flavio in mind.

“It seems unlikely, doesn’t it? She has a pretty house in the inner Wall, resources, and people who work for her. If the Titans destroy Wall Rose she would still have a safe place in the interior to live in. And yet, on the day of the Colossal Titan’s attack she left her safe place to help her employees. I heard it happened the same the second time. Maybe she’s the exception to the rule,” she concluded, and he knew that’s what she wanted to believe.

“Hange, be careful around her,” he warned her. He was worried about the day his suspicions materialize in a stab to the back from the noble bitch.

“I know… I think Erwin shares a lot of information with her. Mike said they had spent the nights talking over a cup of wine in his office at headquarters,” she trusted Erwin but the blonde commander was a man after all.

“Erwin must have a plan in mind, but I won’t try to guess what he’s thinking. You’re better at reading his mind than me,” he reminded her.

“Don’t underestimate yourself, I’m sure you can guess what I have in mind right now,” she said and got closer to him.

He pulled her into him by the collar of her shirt and kissed her. Maybe it was the effect of spending time apart, but her kisses were more delicious tonight than ever before. He bit her lower lip and she smiled as they separated when they heard the water starting to boil. He watched her skillfully preparing the tea even though she used to say there wasn’t a huge mystery in it. She went back to the Titan boy, and he climbed the stairs to his room. If Eren was going to be tortured the rest of the night, he might as well sleep the next couple of hours.

Levi was awake and roaming the halls of the castle, looking for cobwebs his subordinates had forgotten when he saw Moblit riding towards them in a rush through a small window on the first floor. He announced the subjects of the experiments had been killed before dawn. Hange screamed horrified and ran to her horse. He ordered his squad to do the same and take Eren with them. They arrived at the scene of the crime sooner than expected, Erwin was also there because he went to listen to the daily reports of the experiments.

Hange fell to her knees when she saw the evaporating carcasses of her beloved monsters. Nifa tried to calm her down, but she screamed and cried as if precious friends had died. Then her sadness turned into rage. Oluo whispered behind him that Hange had finally lost it and Petra scolded him as usual. He knew she would blame herself even though it wasn’t her fault. There was a hidden rotting corpse among them, soldiers who were watching from the darkness, spies from the enemy. They were leaving when he heard Erwin ask Eren a question that have been torturing him since the boy summoned a Titan body in Trost.

Who do you think the enemy is?

Strands of her chestnut hair spread on his chest as he undid her ponytail. She had been crying and screaming in rage the whole day. He went to her room after everyone had gone to sleep. Part of her body was on top of her on the bed and she was still whimpering softly. He caressed her tear-stained cheek and she looked up at him. She wasn’t wearing her glasses because she had taken them off to clean her face earlier. Seeing her cry even if it was for a ridiculous reason bothered him. The Titans were important subjects in their search for the truth. A truth so dangerous and terrible someone had decided to spare them by destroying the evidence.  

“I can still hear Beane’s screams of pain,” she whispered while he cleaned her cheeks with a handkerchief. 

“It was fucking loud after all,” he said and she hit him in the chest. 

“Who would be so heartless as to kill Sawney and Beane? I’m sure Sawney didn’t try to protect himself… he was probably waiting for me so he could eat me,” Hange’s tone of voice would make anyone believe she was talking about heartwarming memories with friends. 

“The list is long, all of the soldiers who fought in Trost. They saw Titans eating their comrades, some of them lost limbs and won’t be able to fight again,” Levi said coldly. 

“They were important… for humanity. We can’t win against the enemy if we don’t understand them,” she sighed in frustration. 

“You know people don’t give a shit about that when someone close to them is eaten in front of their eyes,” he caressed her hair and she finally stopped crying. 

“Rage will keep us at the mercy of the Titans for another hundred years,” Hange sentenced and accommodated herself closer to his face. He grabbed her by the jaw and kissed her deeply as he had been craving to do all day. 

“We still have Eren… I’m sure you have planned the experiments with him,” he reminded her. 

“He’s different, he’s a human being who can summon a Titan body. Do you think he’s a monster too?” she asked. He had thought about the shadow looming over Eren Jaeger, but he was still a fifteen-year-old boy who needed their help.

“I don’t know… I still think it’s convenient that his father had disappeared and he has no memories of the last time he saw him… but he needs your guidance,” he concluded while a smile appeared on her face. 

“I appreciate your trust in me,” she said and kissed him hard on the mouth. She was unbuttoning his shirt when he stopped her. 

“Hange… Petra… saw us, that night on the roof at headquarters, she told me about it,” Levi needed to get it out of his system. 

“She’s… still… interested in you,” she murmured and she looked down. 

“I repeated the same answer… I couldn’t accept her heart and devotion because… I’m yours,” he assured again even though he didn’t need to do it. 

“Levi… I… don’t want to bring problems to your squad… if she-” he kissed her because he was tired of her pretending she wasn’t important to him. 

He removed her jacket without parting from her mouth. She moaned lowly when his lips glided her neck and he opened her shirt to expose her shoulder. Her skin was warm and soft, he kissed her collarbone and she arched her back, melting in his arms. Was this going to be enough to erase the doubts in her heart? Why did she think he could just choose a different woman after having her? Petra nor Ravenna was Hange Zoë, the woman with a brilliant mind, cheerful personality, and an attractive body he had admired for years. 

She tossed her shirt to the side and climbed on top of him. His hand followed the line of her spine down her back. He touched the hem of the clothes covering her chest and he pulled it over her head. She was running her hands on his naked abdomen slowly, feeling his hard muscles, and drinking the honey from his lips. He preferred her like this, bold and confident instead of the woman with the idea that she was replaceable. She nibbled on his earlobe as he glued her to his body. 

She gasped at the contact of their naked chests and he lowered his own zipper. However, she stopped him whispering Eren might need him at any moment. Levi snorted and said he had slept in the basement without causing trouble since his first night in the castle. She complained about their decision on keeping him down there, but she understood the reasoning which led them to conclude that was the best place to keep him contained.

“Forget about Eren, he was already sleeping when I checked on him before coming here,” he whispered in her ear. He massaged her breasts while kissing her neck. 

“Are you… sure… he won’t… turn into… a Titan?” she managed to say, lost in the pleasurable sensations engulfing her. 

“He won’t… and if he does, I’ll be there so fast you won’t notice I’m gone,” he promised her and he lay her on the bed. 

He disposed of her pants and his own clothes, then sunk his tongue between her legs. She grabbed the sheets, making low sounds as he licked and sucked her most sensitive spot. A wave of pleasure so strong he had to keep her in place spread throughout her body. He had missed her unique taste, the way her limbs trembled, and the beauty of her figure when she arched her back, silently pleading for his touch. 

His hands roamed her bottom and he lifted her up to penetrate her with his tongue. He went in and out of her at a rapid pace, she orgasmed twice before he felt the tension below his hips begging to be released. He sat her, held her in his arms, and entered her while she surrounded his shoulders with her arms. Their noses were touching when he started to move, she quickly synchronized the dance of her hips with his. Words were unnecessary when they could read each other down to every gesture. He saw her suffering from the death of her test subjects and he knew exactly the nature of her thoughts at that moment. 

There were still secrets between them. Hange’s past was a shadow behind her, and there was a reason she hadn’t shared the story of her childhood, her first love, and her days traveling around the inner Walls. Levi didn’t imagine how tragic those reasons were but none of them mattered when they were physically connected, a connection that mimicked their spiritual bond. She was safe in his arms from the creatures stalking her, ghosts that haunted people covered with a veil of mystery. Would you ever tell me about the pain hidden in your heart, Hange Zoë? He wondered as he indulged in her ecstasy. 

How long would I be waiting outside your door?

Chapter Text

Hange Zoë’s horse screamed as she was leading the group’s charge on a ten-meter Titan, the soldiers followed her reining their animals to keep up with her. The assigned leader of the group was grinding his teeth and increasing the pressure of his legs on the sides of his horse. He had yelled at Hange in a failed attempt to stop her, but nobody in the Survey Corps could control her. If it weren’t for her great skills as a soldier, the commander would have punished her already or kicked her out of the military.

She stood up while riding and shot the grapple hooks of her maneuver gear to a nearby tree, lifted herself in the air, and changed her direction to slice the monster’s ankles but a soldier appeared on her way. She landed abruptly on the ground, hurting her ankles in the process. The Titan stumbled down onto the ground and she climbed on his back to finish her job. She was kneeling in front of the monster’s giant body, her uniform was covered in blood and a cloud of steam engulfed her.

The leader of the group dismounted and slapped her across the face while she was still on her knees. An evil smile was the response he received from her, she burst out laughing in front of her distraught comrades. The leader punched her and another soldier approached them. He was furious but they were on Titan territory, a distraction could mean certain death for all of them. The newcomer held the leader’s arm when he prepared to hit her again.

“You deserve to be court-martialed for this! We have trained to act as one for months and you come out here and act like the psychotic freak you are!” Ivan yelled at her. The veins on his throat became visible.

“I killed it, didn’t I? Isn’t that what we come here to do?!” she exclaimed sarcastically.

“Fuck you! The commander will know about your show!” Ivan continued while the rest of the group was growing restless.

“Ivan! We have to keep going, the last group is passing by, we’ll be late to the next recon position!” a woman said and climbed on her horse.

Ivan ordered his group to follow the rest of the soldiers. Regina was riding as part of the other group and showed a concerned expression when she saw her standing up. Hange almost tripped due to the pain in her ankle but mounted her horse and rode behind her comrades. It wasn’t the first time a man had hit her. She had been on the receiver end of her father’s fits of rage growing up, even some one-night lovers had been violent towards her. It seemed her outrageous behavior attracted that kind of people to her life.

A small group of soldiers was sitting around a fire outside an abandoned tower. She was taking her boots off to check the state of her foot. Suddenly a big hand touched her ankle and she found a blond man kneeling in front of her. Erwin Smith placed her foot on his muscular thighs, examined her injury, and confirmed her fears that she was considerably hurt. He unbuckled the leather straps around her feet and carefully massaged them.

“I don’t think is broken but there’s a bruise. It will affect your performance with the maneuver gear though,” Erwin said and pressed a spot where the bruise was darker.

“Fuck! It’s just pain… I’ll be fine,” she murmured so the people around them wouldn’t hear her.

“I heard you disobeyed your leader’s orders… I have to say you live up to your reputation,” he smiled at her even though he was talking about the rumors that she was a crazy bitch.

“I killed that fucking thing, people fear what they don’t understand,” she sentenced and moaned in pain when Erwin touched another sensitive part of the injury.

“Do you mean you or the Titans?” he asked. His hand was going up her leg, away from her ankle.

“Both,” she answered. He almost reached her thigh when he stopped, his blue eyes reflected the yellow gleam of the fire.

“Have you ever wondered what the Titans really are?” Erwin whispered while his fingers were tickling her injured foot.

“They’re giant monsters that eat us…. What else is there to think about?” she asked but she knew what he meant. Her father hadn’t killed her curiosity and her thirst for knowledge completely. They were still sleeping inside her.

“I understand your rage, but it’s misdirected in my opinion,” he responded. Her foot was feeling better than a minute ago when he started his massages.

“Are you going to report my injury to the commander?” she asked. She didn’t want to listen to more sermons that night.

“No, you said you can deal with pain. I won’t recommend you to rely on that foot for the rest of the expedition,” Erwin sentenced and joined another group of soldiers who were still eating.

The next morning, her foot was swollen, more bruised and it almost didn’t fit in her boots. She cursed as she forced it inside it. Ivan noticed her limping, but she mounted her horse without showing difficulty. He stayed quiet and ordered the group to follow the plan they had for the way back to headquarters. They were riding in an open field when two Titans ran to their encounter, one of them was an abnormal that jumped on all fours in front of the leader.

Ivan fell from his horse and ended up below the monster, he tried to use his maneuver gear, but a huge pair of eyes already noticed his presence. However, something caught its attention and ran toward the rest of the group. Hange climbed onto its back, she was ready to slice the nape when she slipped and rolled a few meters on the grass. She heard the hissing sounds of canisters, the leader was flying near the nape when the Titan turned around and bit him. Half of his body was outside the mouth, and he was holding it open with all his strength.

She shot her grapple hooks again. She was standing while reeling herself up when she saw Ivan’s hand extended towards her. “Hange, help me,” Those were his final words because the next minute a shower of blood fell around her as the monster cut her leader in half. Rage made her forget her injury and kill the Titan.

“Fuck you, giant piece of useless meat! Do you like this?! Do you fucking enjoy this?!” she screamed as she was cutting the Titan’s head.

Hange stumbled down to the ground and hit her back, but she saw the monster’s head near her with parts of her comrade still between its teeth. She continued screaming and kicked the Titan’s head. A realization subsided her rage. The giant head rolled and bounced away as if it weighed nothing. She hadn’t felt the impact of her foot on the head either. It was like a balloon filled with air. Why? Wasn’t it supposed to be formed of giant bones, muscles, and tendons?

“Hange Zoë! I don’t see your horse anywhere… ride with me! The survivors of your group have joined mine” Erwin Smith yelled from his horse.

She climbed behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist as he reined the animal and galloped across the open field. Hange kept her eyes on the giant head she had kicked until it became a dot in the distance. Have you ever wondered what the Titans really are? The blond soldier had asked and now the question was pounding in her mind. That night in her room, she grabbed a quill and paper and stayed writing her theories until late. That was the root of the problem, wasn’t it? They simply didn’t know the answer to that question. Their ignorance was the reason countless soldiers had died like Ivan because they were unable to develop a better strategy. What would it take to uncover the truth?

“Now I believe we need to understand them to be able to fight back… I’m going to investigate the nature of the Titans from a different perspective, it might account for nothing at the end, but I’ll still do it,” Hange explained to a surprised and tired Eren.  

“Squad leader Hange, I’d like to know more about your experiments so I can help,” the boy said determined to absorb all the information needed to contribute to humanity’s counterattack.

“Of course, I have countless theories that I have been working on after analyzing the results of the latest experiments,” she responded and poured the last drop of tea into his cup.

“Did you see inside the nape of the Titans?” Eren asked. Maybe he was thinking the same as her.

“Yes, but I haven’t found anything remotely human. I have the theory that we’re facing different kinds of Titans. The ones that are summoned by humans like you, and the ones that are mindless carcasses, or maybe we’re just not looking deep enough or in the right location,” she sighed because the answer to one question led to a hundred others.

“The commander mentioned that he thinks the Colossal and Armored Titans are like me,” he said worried about the meaning of such a statement.

“The attack on the Walls was planned. The second attack in Trost confirmed it, but something happened this time that forced them to stop,” she looked at him.

“My transformation,” he murmured staring at the hand he bit to summon the Titan body.

“We need more tea, I haven’t told you about half of my theories yet!” she exclaimed, grabbed the teapot, and opened the door.

She found herself face to face with Levi who grabbed her by the waist, they looked at each other for a minute. Feeling his breath on her lips was enough to relax her exhausted mind. But she needed his lips on hers, she leaned forward and he took the hint. He kissed her intensely, deeply, and she melted in his mouth. Then they exchanged a few words, he needed to know that she wanted him, but duty was more important tonight. 

She had been waiting impatiently to talk to Eren, get to know him better, and work together to move a step closer to the truth. However, some fervent kisses wouldn’t hurt her. His hand fell on her behind and he pressed her against him. The bulge between his legs was hardening with the friction of their cores. She didn’t help him when she pulled him into her. His tongue looked for hers, they entangled, rubbed each other, he drank her saliva, and she sucked his tongue. She moaned lowly, the heat born in her core spread throughout her body, she put Eren aside and the teapot she was holding in one hand. His erection started to press slightly against her zipper, she craved the sensation of his length inside her, the tingles in her limbs were the indication she was losing control.       

His tongue was licking her neck, but she stopped him and kept him in place. She was breathless, extremely aroused, her flushed cheeks and her chest going up and down confirmed it. Even so, she gave him a peck on his lips and whispered she needed to make the tea. They talked about Levi’s aversion to Teresa. He didn’t trust her, and she had grown aware of the importance of his instincts. They kissed again shortly after because if being together was impossible then they will have these brief moments of passion.

She spent the rest of the night sharing her ideas with Eren. She hadn’t noticed the morning sunlight coming through the large windows of the dining hall. The boy was opening his eyes, but she knew he was only half awake at this point. Hange exclaimed excitedly she had even more theories to talk about when the door slammed open and an exhausted Moblit announced Sawney and Beane were dead. She stopped breathing, then yelled something at her assistant and ran to her horse.

“I’ve been thinking about your question… about the Titans,” the brunette said after closing the door of the shower room.

“I guessed you have wondered the same before,” Erwin responded and took off his shirt.

“I have… in the past, but I’ve forgotten things that were important for me once,” she confessed, and her sight got lost on the floor.

“Rage is useful just in those moments of despair. Once the Titan is dead, what’s left behind?” he asked and dropped his pants.

“Nothing… everything evaporates as if it wasn’t there in the first place,” she answered while the cogs in her brain turned, trying to put the pieces together.

“Hange Zoë, I’ve listened to your ideas many times and I saw there’s something else besides rage inside you. You’re more than a mad soldier, lend me your mind and fight by my side,” he had grabbed her by the chin and whispered his last words against her lips.

He entered the shower cubicle and she sighed. She had always known, hadn’t she? Killing and rage would never provide a definite answer. Hange got the hard liquor she had secretly brought from town and joined a couple of soldiers who were hanging out near the stables. They had been more in the past, but tonight only three of them remained. She opened the bottle and poured the alcohol into the glasses. She drank it directly from the bottle though.

She wanted her head to spin and possibly lose consciousness. It never happened, maybe her system was used to the alcohol, or she had been born like that. The other soldiers soon started laughing, leaving the death of the past days behind. They tried to cheer her up but gave up when they realized she wasn’t listening to them. She was still roaming the complicated labyrinth her mind had become. Regina sat next to her at some point, she caressed her legs and murmured she was going to wait for her in her room. She nodded and the redhead left. Hange stayed alone for a couple of hours, drinking, and thinking.

The moon was high in the sky, she threw a dry log to the fire, and the blond soldier she had talked to earlier sat in front of her. He snatched the bottle off her hands and drank the liquor. It was the two of them and the fire crackling, interrupting the choir of crickets of the summer season. The world kept spinning after the first Titans appeared. Her mother used to believe there were lands beyond the Walls and the Titan field. Would they ever see them?

“You blame yourself for your leader’s death,” Erwin spoke and despite her hazy mind, she listened.

“I… hurt… my ankle. That’s why… I slipped from the Titan. If I had killed it at that moment, Ivan wouldn’t have… died, maybe not in that expedition… maybe not like that,” she sighed loudly, she knew there was no point in dwelling on her comrades’ deaths. They had all signed their sentence when they joined the Survey Corps.

“Why did you hurt your ankle?” he asked even though he had heard the rumors.

“I broke away from my group because I saw an opportunity… I calculated the Titan’s trajectory, and I knew I could take advantage of the trees where it was going to pass by and killed it without… other people’s intervention. Ivan thought I was undermining his authority, but I didn’t have time to explain. They… reached me and one of them was on my way. I had to change course and land, or I would have shot the hooks at him. The landing was so abrupt and unexpected…  I fucked up my foot,” she explained in a low voice and a tear fell to the ground.

“I don’t need to tell you that he would have died another day, but it’s good to mourn for the fallen. Hange, you have to keep fighting for them… Fight in the name of those who have given their lives for freedom,” his voice sounded closer, and she turned to find him by her side.

“Erwin, do you think there are other worlds beyond the Walls?” she asked, and more tears ran down her cheeks.

He didn’t answer, but he got closer. He wiped the tears off one of her cheeks with his big hands. Only a breath of air separated them and this time he cut the short distance between them. He pressed his lips against hers and backed away slowly. He smelled of mint and something so fresh she couldn’t tell what it was. Then he did it again and her mouth parted, his kiss was so aggressive that she surrendered to his will. His tongue looked for hers and he extracted a moan from her that vibrated through her whole body. His hand ran down her leg and squeezed it firmly, pressing her against him.

She pulled him from the collar of his shirt, drowning in the contained lust of his touch. She sat on his lap, straddled him, and tried to take control of the kiss eating her mouth. He reached her behind, and his grip tightened, forcing her to submit once again. She reeked of liquor, but he sucked her tongue as if it was fresh honey. Pressed against his muscular chest, she let go of the pain and the heat irradiating from him made her skin flush. He was getting hard under the zipper of his pants. She broke the kiss and he caught her lip between his teeth, extracting some drops of blood from her. She stayed on his lap, they were both breathless and hot, but Regina was in her room. The redhead with the sweet smile who opened a void in her heart. She blamed her submissive behavior on the alcohol in her system.

“Fight by my side, Hange Zoë,” he whispered in a low tone.

Hange was on her knees so shocked by the scene she couldn’t utter a sound. However, her eyes flooded with tears and a heartbreaking wail resonated in the courtyard. Sawney and Beane were ashes on the ground, some steam was still emanating from them but in a few minutes, nothing would remain of the Titans. The truth had slipped from her grasp. The secrets needed for an effective counterattack against the enemy were taken away with the wind of the early morning.

There was a hidden corpse rotting inside the Walls. Maybe it had been among them for the last five years. This smelled of someone’s doing, someone who knew the value of her research. Someone who didn’t want them to have advantages over the Titans. Her thoughts were racing in her conflicted mind. A mixture of guilt and anger had her crying and screaming the rest of the day. Nifa made tea to calm her down, but she almost broke the cup when she grabbed it. Moblit followed her around scared of her next actions.

She slammed open the door of Erwin’s office. He was sitting at his desk and Levi was drinking tea on a chair near the window. The commander was going through some reports and didn’t flinch at her dramatic entrance. Her assistant put a hand on her shoulder silently begging her to behave in front of her superior. She freed herself from him and her fist hit the desk.

“Are you leaving the fucking MPs in charge of the investigation?!” she yelled, angry and frustrated.

“Hange… This is .obviously, a soldier’s doing. We don’t have power over the rest of the military like them. I know we won’t get answers, so we’ll let them play their little game while we look into the matter with our resources,” Erwin responded and flipped the pages of the report on his desk.

“I hope you aren’t talking about Teresa Ignacio! Erwin! Why are you sharing military information with her? I know she’s an important sponsor and we had had sponsors in the past but none of them were treated to cups of wine late at night!” Hange knew she had crossed a line because a pair of icy blue eyes were looking at her.

“Your theory is that Lady Ignacio paid a soldier from the garrison to kill the test subjects. I’ve thought about it and countless other possibilities, but we are missing pieces of the puzzle. And Teresa’s loyalty to the Survey Corps is out of the question, I won’t repeat myself,” Erwin warned her.

“You’re wasting your time, four eyes. I’ve already told him that his noble bitch should be the first suspect,” Levi said and sipped his tea.

“Why do you trust her so much?! Tell me, Erwin,” she insisted, and they were playing a contest of murderous stares.

“Hange… I understand your anger but remember, rage is only useful in moments of despair. Both of you need to go back to the old HQ. You must start the experiments on Eren as soon as possible now that we’re sure the enemy is watching,” he concluded in a tone that didn’t leave room for arguments.

“Yes, sir,” she said in contained rage and left the office.

She was holding onto the windowsill as he thrust into her from behind. She had the leather strap of her uniform between her teeth, and she would bite hard as he brutally slams her. He pulled the strap forcing her to arch her back and he went in deeper. A silent scream and her trembling limbs welcomed a strong orgasm that he multiplied by pressing her erect nub. Her flesh pulsated and contracted violently around him which provoked pleasure to peak in his body. He lifted her on the windowsill, took the strap out of her mouth, and kissed her intensely.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into her as the serene breeze of the night caressed her naked back. He had come to her room after everyone went to sleep, listened to her worries, and wiped the tears from her cheeks. Then he convinced her Eren wouldn’t need them, undressed her between kisses, and sunk his mouth between her legs. However, she wanted more than that to channel her rage and frustration.

He nibbled on her neck and she gasped in his ear, his hands went from her back to her breasts, and he grasped one of her nipples between his fingers and massaged it, squeezing it hard enough to make her breath hitch in her throat. She knew he was leaving tiny marks on her skin, but it felt so good that her legs pulled him into her again. She was closing her eyes, so she only felt his lips returning to hers, her mouth parted and they made out passionately until they stopped to catch their breaths. She smiled and didn’t let go of him.

“Erwin is going to kill you if you push me out of the fucking window,” she whispered because the windows had been opened this whole time.

“I won’t let you fall,” he responded, his hot breath grazing her sensitive neck.

“I know… Levi… if she knows then… I don’t want to be the reason for stupid problems-“ he covered her mouth with one hand.

“There aren’t any stupid problems in my squad besides… Oluo saying stupid shit or trying to get away with his half-ass cleaning,” he assured her while caressing her legs.

“A woman won’t forget what’s in her heart so easily,” Hange said thinking about how this situation would impact her relationship with Petra.

“What’s in your heart, Hange?” he asked so casually she was sure she didn’t hear him right.

“My… heart?” she repeated the question. A known fear crept on her. The old fear of speaking out loud words that would later damn them. She had to save him from the cursed word.

She ran her fingers over his lips, her other hand caressed his undercut and she wanted to scream that he could have her heart. Would it be so bad to confess her love? To leave no room for doubts and speculation? Petra had been capable of that, she had been brave and told him what she was dying to say. Regina’s bloody braid flashed in her memories and she sighed, defeated by her ghosts. She kissed him lovingly to appease the anxious pounding of his heart. He would understand, he knew about the unspoken truth between them.    

Levi responded to her kiss, his hand roamed her back and he didn’t insist on the question. Was he hurt by her silence? She looked at him and he averted her gaze. She held him gently by his chin and their eyes met. The shadow on his face was doubt, wasn’t it? Was he afraid she didn’t feel the same as him? Was he confused by his feelings for her? Whatever it was, it changed his expression.

“Some motherfucker hurt you… in the past. You don’t say it but even I can see it,” he said before she could speak.

“I’m scared for you,” she whispered as her voice trailed off.

“I’m strong… I’m the strongest,” he responded and caressed her cheek.

“Levi… I… I-“a noise coming from the basement interrupted her.

Levi cursed and got dressed in record time. She put on her pants and shirt, grabbed her blades, and ran downstairs. Half of the Special Operations Squad was already in the basement and almost all of her squad made it after her. Eren was explaining something to Levi who had been the fastest at the scene as he promised. The boy had woken up and was following a rat around the room in the dim light. He tripped over some old furniture which caused the noise that put the squads on high alert. He apologized for waking everyone up after the realization that these people ran to the basement ready to kill him had settled. To be fair, Hange ran with the idea of stopping anyone from committing a stupid mistake.

She noticed Petra’s stare when she walked up the stairs to the first floor where her room was, and she sighed. She threw her blades into a corner and lay on the bed wondering what she was about to say when Eren interrupted her. The door opened and she knew he was back, Levi climbed on top of her and kissed her deeply. He unbuttoned her shirt and glided his lips over her skin, he kissed her breasts slowly until she stopped him. She whispered the boy could need them again and he snorted.

“I’ll be there before anyone,” he insisted but he hadn’t lied.

“Did anyone see you coming here?” she asked thinking about Petra.

“No, they were back to their rooms upstairs… I’m not an idiot,” he said, and his hands landed on her waist.

“You aren’t… I guess we have some more time tonight,” she smiled and removed strands of his hair from his face.

“Good… Don’t think about the brat, he’s scared enough to stay still in his sleeping bag” Levi assured her.

She kneeled in front of him, lifted her glasses, and lowered his zipper. He ran his hand through her hair, and she looked up at him with a provocative smile. She pulled his pants from under him, her hands traveled up his thighs. His muscles trembled a little beneath her touch, powerful tools that allowed him to be the most valuable soldier in the Survey Corps. 

She stroked his length firmly, it twitched and pulsated in her hand. She grazed the tip with her lips and she heard him groan impatiently, she licked him twice and now she was in complete control of him. She took him into her mouth up to the back of her throat and he threw his head back, enjoying her warmth. Then took him out of her mouth slowly, making sure her lips slid through the entirety of his length. A thin string of saliva connected her lips to the head of his dick.

The hand that was still on her head pushed her down and she repeated the process. Then she added sucking motions, she was going up and down increasingly fast until he bucked into her mouth. However, he pulled her hair up and she knew what he wanted. He almost ripped her pants apart and she sat on his erection. They were face to face when she moved her hips and he met her thrusts, following her rhythm, he held onto her butt cheeks and squeezed them as pleasure took charge of the moment.

His tongue left a trail of saliva down her neck, but he stopped at her breasts. He removed one side of her shirt completely and kissed her nipples until they were hard. She moaned when the combination of their pace and his mouth on her breast sent tingles of delight throughout her body. She grabbed his head as he continued licking and sucking her nipples. It didn’t matter the things left unsaid when she could be in his arms like this. And she was sure she was the only one with this privileged treatment which drew a smile on her lips.

“Take… everything… from me… Levi,” she moaned, caught in a mind-numbing orgasm.

“You’re too loud… even the… brat… will… hear… you,” he said between thrusts and kisses.

“Fuck! I-“ he kissed her as she came again. She didn’t move from his lap after they both finished and even after that, they stayed glued to each other for some time until the moon reached its highest position in the sky.

Eren was at the bottom of the well, blood coming out of several wounds he had inflicted on himself to summon his Titan body. He was disappointed, and probably scared of being a failure. Eld used his maneuver gear to help him get back to ground level. He fell on all fours, panting and shocked at the results of the first experiment. Hange smiled and encouraged him to follow her to a bench where she cleaned and bandaged his hands.

She left Levi’s squad with the boy submerged in tense silence. What went wrong? He said he had bitten his hand to transform both times in Trost. The reports from the soldiers of the garrison confirmed it. She sat in the courtyard, and the members of her squad surrounded her. Moblit asked for her theories about the incident. She sighed and didn’t answer immediately.

“I think he’s too scared to transform. Last night he saw what will happen if he loses control,” Lauda said and leaned on the column behind Hange.

“Maybe he just doesn’t know and he got lucky at Trost,” Nifa commented, she was standing in front of her squad leader.

“He did it twice in a row… it couldn’t have been luck. There must be other factors we’re not considering,” Hange responded looking for congruent answers to Eren’s predicament.

“He’s a kid… what if he was lying about the trigger?” Keiji never seemed to trust other people quickly.

“Then the reports were lying too. What’s different now from the battle in Trost?” she asked out loud.

“Peer pressure? The soldiers here aren’t exactly excited at the thought of him being a Titan,” Abel answered, and he was right to a certain degree.

“It might have something to do with pressure but not that kind. Anger? Mikasa Ackerman said he was violently striking down Titans the first time he transformed,” she murmured more to herself than her squad.

“I’ll make some tea. Would you like some, squad leader?” Nifa asked, she nodded, and the woman disappeared into the hallway with Abel.

“I guess this will take more time than we thought,” Moblit announced disappointed on the events of the day.

“He’s a human being too… A human with emotions, and thoughts of his own…. His Titan abilities must be affecting his psyche, we don’t know how because he’s the first one of his kind,” she said and they heard a rumble.

A column of steam elevated from behind the trees where they left Eren and Levi’s squad. Hange ran to the scene excited to see a fifteen-meter Titan in front of her. However, she found the soldiers surrounding a giant arm without skin, the muscles were red, and the boy was attached to it by the hand. She didn’t wait for his permission to have direct contact with the incomplete monster’s body. Sharp pain in her hands confirmed his Titan was the same in composition as the others they encounter outside the Walls. Moblit was scolding her when Eren disconnected from the giant arm and landed on the grass.

“Wait! No! Eren! I haven’t done any tests yet! Couldn’t you wait a bit more!” she exclaimed, disappointed again.

“Eren… How do you feel?” Levi asked the boy who was laying on the grass, catching his breath.

“Not… so… good, captain,” he barely answered, his chest going up and down.

“It’s evaporating so fast! How am I supposed to-“she interrupted herself when she noticed a tiny spoon between the giant fingers. 

Have you ever wondered what Titans really are? She picked up the spoon from the ashes of Eren’s incomplete Titan body. The metal hadn’t been deformed by the pressure or the high temperature that burnt her hands. There weren’t any traces of muscles glued to it. The utensil was in perfect condition as if nothing had touched it. Apparently, his self-inflicted bites hadn’t healed yet. Why was the spoon between the giant fingers? 

She was so focused on analyzing the situation she hadn’t seen the effect the boy’s sudden transformation had had on the rest of the soldiers. Levi ordered his squad to officially stand down and announced they were going back to the castle. He whispered a similar order to her and she followed him. She was looking at the spoon through her goggles, walking blindly when Moblit pulled her from her jacket to prevent her from bumping into a tree. She thanked him and Levi turned around, inspecting her assistant’s every move. 

Her silence about her past hurt him and she had been desperate to make him feel better, she almost made a terrible mistake the night before. A thin thread was holding the pieces of her heart together. Would you wait for me, Levi? Maybe she was being selfish and stupid. It didn’t make sense for a man like him to be so blindly in love with her. And yet he had waited for her on every occasion he could have been with another woman. She needed to kill her ghosts to live in the present without regrets. When would she be brave enough to confront him with the unspoken truth?

Chapter Text

Crimson drops fell on the grass under Eren Jaeger. He was panting, shocked at his inability to transform into a Titan. He had clearly bitten himself time and again. Levi could see the bleeding wounds in his hands from where he was standing. They had lowered him into a well, hoping to contain the monster he was supposed to summon. Nothing happened. There was no steam, no lighting, just a confused teenager in pain.

Hange smiled, hiding her disappointment, and dragged the boy to a bench where she started to clean his wounds. The medicine slipped on his hand and he shivered. Was he scared of them? The night before they had shown him what was going to happen if he lost control. Maybe his and Oluo’s warnings about Hange’s madness had been drilled into his brain after all.

“Does it hurt in any particular way?” Hange asked while damping his hand with the medicine.

“No, it doesn’t. I don’t think they’re healing though,” Eren pointed out and the scientist inspected his wounds closer.

“You’re right. There isn’t steam coming out of them either,” she said since the reports mentioned this detail about his regenerative abilities.

“Squad leader Hange… What’s going on?” the boy seemed to be more disappointed than all of them.

“I’m not sure but… I think is normal, this is new for you and with more practice, you’ll get better at summoning your Titan,” she replied with a sweet smile.

“I did exactly the same in Trost and… I transformed both times,” he explained as Hange bandaged his hand.

“You faced a different situation in Trost. Maybe you’re just too relaxed here which isn’t a bad thing,” she smiled again and finished wrapping the bandage around his wounds.

“Well… You’re more human than we thought, Eren,” Eld said sitting next to him on the bench.

“Don’t push him any further today, he looks stressed enough as it is,” Hange said in a low voice while getting close to him.

“What are we going to do if he can’t transform anymore?” Levi asked, worried about the prospect of a future without the new hope they thought they had.

“We’ll probably have a meeting with Erwin and… talk about it later. Levi… let him calm down,” she insisted, and he nodded.

“He can rest for a while… do you want to try it again today?” he recognized the expression of perplexity on her face.

“I’m not sure. I’ll go back to the castle and think about it,” she said and her squad followed her.

Petra poured a cup of tea for the boy and he towered over him. He was touching his hands and averted his gaze. He knew the importance of the part he played on the mission to take back Wall Maria. His remorse was obvious but that wouldn’t be enough. Countless lives had been sacrificed in expeditions that led to this moment, the ray of light at the end of the tunnel. Was Eren ready to make sacrifices as well?

“Your wounds aren’t healing, are they?” Levi inquired and he pierced the boy with a murderous stare.

“No, they aren’t,” he confirmed nervously.

“You know that if you can’t transform into a Titan, there’s no plan to take back Wall Maria,” he reminded him.

“I know… sir,” the boy said, looking down at the table.

“Make it happen, it’s an order,” he finished, and Petra got close to him.

“Captain, this is just my opinion, but I don’t think it is a good idea to pressure him right now,” the redhead said and sat next to him on a bench.

“It seemed to me he needed to be reminded of certain things,” he responded and sipped his cup of tea.

“I’m sure he doesn’t forget that” she sighed pouring tea into her cup.

Levi didn’t know what happened but in the next minute, he heard an explosion, and a cloud of steam hit his back. He stood up immediately and walked blindly through the fog. There was an incomplete Titan body where Eren and the rest of his squad were sitting a minute ago. However, he turned around and found Oluo, Petra, Eld, and Gunther holding their blades, in position to attack at any second.

It was clear to him that the boy didn’t plan for this to happen, judging by his defeated demeanor after the failed experiment. If he had planned to attack, he would have summoned a fifteen-meter monster instead of a giant arm. The reports said that something similar had happened the first time he consciously transformed to protect his friends from cannon fire. Maybe it was the result of his inexperience in using his abilities as Hange had concluded in one of their hundredth meetings before the trial. He couldn’t let his squad make the mistake of killing him now.

“Stand down, all of you,” Levi ordered to the four soldiers surrounding him.

“What do you think you’re doing, Eren?! Why did you transform without permission?!” Eld yelled, his hands trembling in rage.

“Eld! Wait a-“ he tried to calm him down unsuccessfully.

“What the fuck are you doing, brat? Answer us!” Oluo interrupted him, he was completely focused on Eren’s every move.

“Forget it… Prove you’re not an enemy of humanity! Prove you didn’t do this on purpose!” Gunther screamed from his position.

“Oluo! Gunther! I said-“ he attempted to communicate with them again. They were too on edge and none of them trusted the boy which was understandable and the reason they were elite soldiers. They were ready to make quick decisions on the spot and their bond as comrades was so strong, they communicated well without words.

“I swear, Eren! That arm as much as twitches and I’ll mince you right here, right now!” Oluo threatened Eren who was too scared and confused to do anything.

“Captain! Stay away from him! You’re too close!” Petra yelled, worried about him as usual.

“No! You’re the ones who should stand down,” he responded, what else could he do to de-escalate the situation? Would he need to fight his squad to protect Eren?

“Why?!” she asked, was it a genuine question or an automatic response?

“I’m following my gut here! Back off!” he insisted, and he made up his mind he would have to stop Oluo’s blades from cutting the boy as he promised.

“Everyone! Please be quiet!” Eren finally yelled desperate to be heard.

“Eren! Let me touch that arm!” Hange exclaimed and pushed Gunther and Oluo aside, ignoring the tense situation. He was sure she didn’t notice anything else besides the Titan's arm though.

At least her antics provided a solution to the problem and prevented Eren to be killed. She didn’t wait for the boy’s answer and touched the giant arm. She yelled some observations about her experience and Eren detached himself from the incomplete Titan body. He was sweating, panting, and more scared than the night before. Levi asked if he was feeling a bit better and ordered everyone to go back to the castle. He had poor control over his abilities, didn’t he?

“I had no idea they didn’t trust me at all… I thought about it last night when…” Eren interrupted himself, deep in thought.

“When everyone ran to the basement to kill you,” Levi added, remembering the incident with the rat. That also interrupted Hange midsentence when she was sitting naked on the windowsill, what was she going to say?

“Yes… They think I’m a monster, the enemy of humanity but I guess that isn’t your opinion. That’s why I’m still here,” he said, sad at the realization that the people in the interior weren’t the only ones ready to dispose of him.

“Come back alive and you’re a full-fledged soldier, that’s the common view at the Survey Corps. These people had done that and much more. They had come back expedition after expedition… when you go outside the Walls, you face these things you know nothing about. You have to make quick decisions in worst-case scenarios, or it could be your death or the death of a comrade. That doesn’t mean they don’t have any human feelings. They pointed their weapons at you because their strong instincts told them to, and even then, their hearts were probably telling them otherwise. Your heart won’t save you outside the Walls and that’s why they have no regrets for reacting as they did… “ he explained, hoping Eren would understand the risks involved in each expedition.

“Captain! Squad leader Hange is ready to talk to you,” Moblit announced.

“About fucking time, four eyes,” he said. They followed her assistant to the dining room.

Her squad was sitting at a table behind her. She was bent over looking at that damn spoon she had picked up from the yard. His squad was surrounding her, their serious faces contrasted with Hange’s smile. He noticed her hands were covered in bandages. She burnt herself with the giant hand, didn’t she? She was losing herself in her excitement for researching these monsters.

“Do you need new laxatives? I was sure you were taking a long shit,” he said, thinking he had a better solution to that issue.

“I appreciate your concern, Levi but that went smoothly… Trying to explain today’s events took me longer though. Look at this Eren,” she showed him the teaspoon.

“A… teaspoon?” he asked, confused.

“Exactly! This teaspoon was between your thumb and index finger. It wasn’t affected by the high temperature or the pressure of your giant hand. Why were you holding it?” she asked.

“Oh! I remember I bent over to pick it up and then… I turned into a Titan,” the boy replied concerned about where the explanation was going.

“I see… Maybe this is why you couldn’t transform in the well. The self-inflicted wound isn’t the only trigger. “Kill other Titans”, “protect against cannon fire”, “lift the boulder”, each time you transformed you had a clear objective in mind. I’d say you need a goal besides hurting yourself to summon your Titan body,” Hange concluded. Her mind was probably considering other factors.

“Yes… it felt exactly like that time I blocked the cannon fire but… I transformed into a Titan just to pick up a spoon? What the hell is that?” he said. He looked at his hands, perplexed. 

“I’ll make sure we have time for another test before the next expedition, there are other things I need to rethink about the way you turn back into a human,” she announced.

“So… You didn’t transform without permission,” Gunther said after listening to Hange’s conclusions.

“No, sir,” Eren confirmed.

Levi squad sighed and they bit their hands in front of a confused Hange. They admitted they made a mistake in threatening him like a monster. They were showing Eren a bit of sympathy by putting themselves in his shoes. This was the turning point they needed to start acting like a squad of six soldiers and not five soldiers and the Titan they were in charge to keep under control. Gunther mentioned how brave the boy was to bite his hand as if it was nothing.

“I’m sorry, Eren. You must be disappointed in us for behaving like everyone else and treating you as a monster, but there’s so much a person alone can do. That’s why we act as one in a group, we’ll put our trust in you and I hope you’ll put your trust in us,” Petra said, mortified by their behavior in the yard.

Hange was pouring tea into a cup when her hand trembled and she almost dropped the teapot. He held the pot touching her bandaged hand in the process. Then he grabbed it and saw red stains on it. He had a déjà vu sensation of her reckless behavior that resulted in a bloody gash on her forehead. She had needed weeks to ride a horse, would they go through the same routine in this expedition? Would he end up with his heart in his throat again?

“You burned yourself… again,” he said, and she yanked her hand away from him.

“It’s not serious… it doesn’t even hurt,” she lied because he pressed her hand on purpose and she moaned in pain.

“You’re fucking lying, and that’s blood… I’m not blind,” Levi responded.

“I… was already hurt… I touched Beane’s insides and… they were as hot as Eren’s giant hand,” Was she really thinking he was interested in listening to Titan bullshit ignoring her wounds?

“You’ll kill yourself trying to prove your theories at this rate,” he couldn’t stop his true concerns from escaping his mouth.

“If that’s what it takes to understand the enemy better, I’ll do it,” she said nonchalantly which pissed him off.

“I know… but there isn’t another Titan scientist inside the Walls… who would we have left if you die too soon?” he asked and sipped his tea.

“Levi… I’m more convinced now that these Titans summoned by humans are… weapons,” she sighed and played with her teaspoon.

“You have said it before… the question here is… whose weapons are they?” 

“I’m afraid we won’t like the answer,” she was drowning in her theories, and he knew how he could help her forget even if it was for a couple of hours.

“I can’t see that far ahead but… we can’t stop fighting,” he concluded, putting the cup on the table, and leaning forward. “Come to my room, everyone is probably asleep,”

“It’s a tempting invitation but-“ she interrupted herself because Moblit entered the dining hall.

“The Royal Councilor, Flavio Wolff has just arrived,” her assistant announced, and they looked at each other in surprise.

The man’s silver hair was illuminated by the torches that a pair of servants were holding as he got out of his elegant carriage. He was the last person they needed at the abandoned HQ. Was Erwin aware of this? Hange had mentioned the turmoil in the interior, but this was outrageous. They were at a location only the Survey Corps soldiers knew about.

Flavio smiled coyly at their sight. To make matters even worse, Ravenna closed the door of the carriage, and she gave them an evil grin. Her two-colored eyes glistened under the orange flames of the torches. They were pleased with their reactions of disbelief. The blond pig had obviously used his influence to find them.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Levi asked without sugarcoating it.

“Such a warm welcome as expected from captain Levi and his group of freaks,” Flavio laughed using his signature sarcastic tone.

“This is a military HQ, we would like to know why a Royal Councilor has taken his time to come,” Hange rephrased Levi’s crude question.

“Erwin Smith’s permission, here you go…  Fortunately, your group of freaks still respect the military chain of command,” he smiled as he handed a letter to Hange.

“Upon the Premier’s request… I see… in that case I would be honored to help his majesty’s right-hand man in anything he might need,” Hange declared and passed the letter to Levi.

“I hope you mean your words, Hange Zoë,” the councilor kissed her hand as if she was a lady, but she removed it quickly.

“I know you’re happy to see me, little runt,” Ravenna’s seductive voice pierced his ears, and he rolled his eyes.

The councilor’s embroidered tunic flew behind him as he walked into the castle. He praised the cleanliness of the old building and said he hoped his room was as spotless. However, he sat in the dining hall and ordered his servants to bring his belongings which were, basically, a couple of bottles of wine. A young, handsome man poured the alcohol into a cup and he had a feeling his services included more than cupbearer. Flavio Wolff was a depraved motherfucker and he hadn’t taken his eyes off Hange since he arrived.

“Where’s the Titan boy? I defended him so fiercely at court I think I deserve to meet him,” he said without erasing his annoying smile.

“He’s resting. He’s a soldier training for an expedition not an object for your fucking amusement,” Levi responded, he was standing up because he had no interest in staying long in the councilor’s presence.

“I guess it would have to wait until tomorrow… Is he helping with your experiments, my dear?” he focused his attention on Hange again.

“He's willingly participating in the experiments, I still don’t have an official report about them, but it will be ready in the next few days,” she answered with a polite smile.

“The commander said he was coming here as well. He didn’t look amused at the news about the investigation of his assassination attempt though,” he mentioned as if it wasn’t important.

“News?” Hange asked. She almost dropped her teacup.

“They traced the poison to an interesting individual in Wall Rose. Another scientist… It seems one has to be mad to devote one’s life to science. I’m sure you’re probably excited to meet him,” Flavio said to Hange, but her expression had changed from friendly politeness to fear.

“It is a rare occurrence… to find people interested in science inside the Walls, but not impossible,” she added without referring to the councilor’s comment.

“Sadly, they haven’t found any conclusive evidence that he was part of the plot to kill Erwin Smith. The man gives me the creeps though,” the councilor’s assessment of the mad doctor was on point. Something was terrifying about him. Hange’s expression was the same both times he had been mentioned, undeniable terror. 

They stayed in the dining hall to humor Flavio. He laughed at his own sarcastic remarks and badmouthed other nobles, including Teresa Ignacio. He also called her Erwin Smith’s bitch which didn’t feel right coming from him. He talked about her father, the powerful head of the Ignacio family, and how he had been roaming the Royal Palace since the last attack of the Colossal Titan. Why was he sharing gossip from her interior with them? He was a difficult individual to read, at least for Levi. 

He yawned and called Ravenna, who had been standing up in the hall as a loyal guard dog. The councilor checked the state of the available bedrooms on the three floors they were occupying. He couldn’t complain about filthiness so he found dumb excuses to reject the rooms Levi offered him. Finally, he chose a big room on the first floor that he saved for Erwin. Hange stopped him when he attempted to grab Flavio by his elegant clothes and drag him outside so he could sleep in the stables. 

He kissed her as soon as they entered his room. He had convinced her to come with him after the boring conversation with the councilor. She kissed him back hard and he pinned her against the door. She pulled him into her, giving him no room to speak. She unbuttoned his shirt with difficulty due to her damaged hands, so he helped her and got rid of everything he was wearing on top. He tried to say they could leave it for tonight if she wasn’t feeling well, but she pushed him onto a chair and straddled him.

He removed her jacket carefully and opened her yellow shirt leaving passionate kisses on her skin. She sighed and gasped when he bit her neck. She glued her body to his, increasing the pressure on her legs. Her hips started to move, she had been trying to lower his zipper but failing at such a simple task. 

“You’re hurt… we can leave it for another day,” he whispered, worried about her well-being more than his erection.

“No, I want you… to fuck me tonight… as hard as you can,” she responded. He felt the pressure on his pants being released.

“Is there… a reason for that?” he asked after he pulled her ponytail and kept her from silencing him with kisses.

“I just… want you,” she said against his lips. He was sure she was hiding something. Would you ever trust me, Hange?

He dived into her mouth and forgot his doubts. She asked him to pull down her pants and underwear. She held onto the chair’s top rail and bucked her hips slowly at first, she threw her head back as she accelerated her rhythm. He breathed on her scent, kissed her neck, and drew a line down her collarbone, between her breasts over the fabric of the top covering her chest. He rolled his lips on her exposed skin as she leaned backward, showing him more parts of her body to kiss.

Her pace became brutal when an orgasm dominated her and the chair creaked. He thought it was going to break, but soon his mind was full of her and their shared pleasure. He took off her goggles, let them fall on the floor, and kissed her on the mouth fiercely as he was almost touching ecstasy. Her moans were getting louder, and the councilor was occupying a room a few meters from them. Levi didn’t want to give the silver-haired pig the satisfaction of hearing her crying in pleasure.

She leaned on him, breathless and he slid her open shirt down her arms. Then, she let him take her top off and glued herself to him. There was nothing in this world more comforting than the feeling of her skin on his. He left soft kisses on her shoulders and she sighed again. It wasn’t a sigh of relief, but sorrow. He dragged his hands up and down her back, and she rubbed their noses. Finally, she kissed him for a long minute, her tongue stroking his, her breasts against his chest and she moaned in his mouth.

“You’re not okay… something is fucking wrong and I have no idea what it is,” he whispered with the taste of her lips lingering in his mouth. Suddenly, tears fell from her eyes.

“Levi… I’m so… scared,” she confessed as her voice trailed off.

“Tell me, Hange… What are you scared of?” he asked and cleaned some of her tears.

“A ghost… it wants to find me, Levi. I can feel him getting closer and… I thought I was strong, but I’m not sure,” she explained. Their foreheads bumped a little, and she was trembling.

“Bullshit, you’re not strong alone,” he assured her.

“I’m afraid that if he finds me, he’ll find you too and I… can’t be responsible for… if something happens to you,” she started whimpering as she spoke.

“Nothing is gonna happen to me. I’ve gone outside the Walls and came back each time, a Titan can’t kill me, nothing inside these Walls can… tell me the truth,” he asked again bluntly.

“Levi… I… I can’t even pronounce his name… He… he,” she was still trembling and he had seen her this fragile and broken only once. 

“The doctor… the one in the laboratory of medicinal plants. The creepy bastard the noble pig talked about… he’s the man you’re afraid of, isn’t he?” he wanted to help her face her fears and hopefully, conquered them. 

“Yes… he isn’t a man, he’s a monster, worse than the Titans… I thought he was… dead, I thought he couldn’t touch me again, but… I was wrong, he found me… he… I can feel him, breathing on my neck, I’m… terrified,” Hange looked almost like a child, a scared little girl, as she spoke. He placed his fingers on her lips and she stopped talking. 

Levi was from the underground, one of the harshest environments for a human inside the Walls. He had witnessed men torturing others, killing to survive, but also countless forms of abuse. He had seen young girls and boys falling prey to monsters hungry for flesh, and a piece of their innocence. He had protected Isabel and many more from that cruel destiny. He had an idea of how a man could have hurt a little girl and left her scarred as Hange was.  

Rage flowed through his veins, his temperature rose and it wasn’t the effect of having her naked on his lap. Images of his face came to him. He was her father, wasn’t he? Their facial features were eerily similar, his voice had sounded like a deeper version of hers, his mannerisms and the fact he was one of the few scientists inside the Walls gave away their connection. He never expected them to be related by blood though. How could a person full of happiness share blood ties with a monster like him?      

“That monster… was my father, long ago,” a river of tears followed her confession, and he knew he shouldn’t ask for more answers.

He hugged her tightly and waited for the storm in her heart to subside. Once her whimpers and sobs dispersed into the black of night, he lifted her and lay her on his bed. He gave her a peck on her lips and kissed her bandaged hands. He removed strands of her chestnut hair from her cheeks and wiped her tears. He was planning to leave her in his room to rest, but he grabbed his arm and didn’t let go of him. 

“Stay… with me, please,” she whispered, her voice hoarse from crying so much. 

Levi nodded, surrounded her with his arms, and placed her head against his chest. He caressed her scalp as she started crying again. The Hange Zoë he knew was a soldier, skilled and strong. The bastard must have hurt her in unspeakable ways to elicit such a heartbreaking reaction from her. He kissed her forehead when she looked up at him with glistening eyes.  

“Tell me… you won’t look for him,” Hange said, almost begging him. 

“Hange… I-” she interrupted him putting her hands on his face. 

“Levi… Don’t go to him, he’s cunning and smart. Even if you’re the strongest soldier… he’s… a dangerous man,” she warned him in a serious tone. 

“I won’t because you’re asking me not to, but I swear if that motherfucker comes meters near you, nothing will stop me from cutting his head off,” he said in the same tone he had assured the Premier he could kill an intelligent Titan. 

“Thank you… for staying with me,” she said and kissed him sweetly on the mouth. 

They broke the kiss and exchanged lovingly looks, she smiled and he leaned forward to kiss her again. This time her mouth parted, and he sunk in her wetness, the desire to heal her broken soul was so strong, that he channeled all his passion in fervent kisses. A moan traveled to his ear which fueled the need to have her again that night. He positioned himself between her legs as her nails dug into his back. 

He stopped before entering her and waited for her approval. She clamped her legs around his waist which was the answer to his silent question. He penetrated her while biting her lower lip and she gasped, her warm breath tickled his chin. His thrusts went deep, touching parts of her anatomy that had her writhing under him. She arched her back and he nibbled on her neck, biting her when the tingles in his groin turned into bolts of pleasure that spread to his limbs, leaving him weak on the knees. 

He swirled his tongue around her nipples, sucking them at the rhythm of his hips. They were both moaning until she cried out in the bliss of several orgasms ripping her body apart. He silenced her with kisses, but he guessed the damage was done. Levi hoped only the annoying councilor heard them which wouldn’t be such a big deal. Eren was down in the basement behind a thick wooden door, and even though it was dead silent outside, he convinced himself he didn’t hear anything. 

“Don’t force me to tear this door down, little runt… Hearing you fuck is making me so wet,” Ravenna purred from behind the door and he was thankful he had come before hearing her. 

“Let her talk… I’m sure she enjoys listening to herself,” Hange whispered and kissed his cheek. 

“Do you think somebody upstairs heard us?” he asked, suddenly worried at their lack of discretion. 

“I don’t know, was I too loud?” she laughed. He loved seeing her smile like this. 

“You’re always loud as hell, but… I want to see them try saying shit to me,” he kissed her as he heard Ravenna’s steps going down the hallway. 

The councilor’s door wasn’t guarded, his servants were nowhere near his room so he darted inside without asking for permission. He regretted his impulsive action when he stumbled upon an obscene image. Flavio was completely naked thrusting into Ravenna like a wild animal. She was sitting on the edge of a table in the room, her long legs wrapped around his hips and she was as beautiful as she remembered her from their days in the underground. The woman moaned louder when she noticed his presence. Levi rolled his eyes and forced himself to stay, he needed to show them the little effect they had on him. 

“Oh! Captain, don’t be shy… oh! fuck… and join us!” the black-haired woman invited him. Her feline eyes didn’t affect him as they used to. 

“A soldier arrived with a message, the commander will be here before midday in case you’re fucking interested that is,” Levi announced over their sounds of pleasure. 

“I’m interested… of course, Erwin Smith interests me greatly… hell!” Flavio exclaimed when his orgasm finally hit him. He had his fingers between Ravenna’s legs and he placed them in her mouth, and she sucked them slowly. 

“Good… We have only supplies for the soldiers. Don’t expect a banquet in the dining hall for you,” he said as if he wasn’t witnessing a sensual scene. 

“Don’t worry about me, captain. I travel with all the delicious food you can imagine from the interior… besides, there’s nothing like a sweet cunt early in the morning… you know what I mean, don’t you?” the silver-haired idiot caressed Ravenna’s legs as he spoke. 

“Listen to me, noble pig. I don’t care if you’re the King’s lapdog or whatever the fuck you are, put your hands on one of my comrades and I’ll slice it in one move,” his rage was growing inside him by the second, but he knew better than to openly fight him without a valid reason. 

“You don’t need to pretend with me, you’re specifically talking about the mad scientist, the brilliant Hange Zoë. I imagine she’s also brilliant in bed… with that physique sculpted by years of maneuver gear training… that slim waist and that ass, by the Walls. Have you seen it, Ravenna? She has the kind of ass anyone dreams of slapping one day. She’s a scientist, she must know how to suck dicks better than those boring prostitutes that do it for coins,” he put on a silk robe and lit a cigar while spewing his nonsense. 

Levi turned around and slammed the door shut before he lost control and punched him in the face. The Survey Corps didn’t need more enemies from the interior. The Royal Councilor wasn’t exactly a friend, but for some reason, he had helped them during Eren’s trial. Maybe he was hiding his true motivations behind the mask of a superficial individual who wanted sex as payment for his favors.   

He knocked on the door of the basement since the bell to wake all the soldiers was going to ring in a few minutes. The boy didn’t answer so he opened the door. Eren was sitting in his sleeping bag, his nose was bleeding and his clothes were red. He clarified he hadn’t hurt himself. According to his story, he woke up with a weird sensation in his nose, he touched it and his fingers were covered in blood. He chose to trust the boy’s words that day, and for a couple of years, he believed it had been the right choice. 

Chapter Text

She trembled a little when the breeze of the dark night brushed her skin. He had undressed her in front of the tub and he was inspecting every corner of her anatomy, looking for scratches, wounds, or an indication she had disobeyed his orders. It felt different now to be naked in front of him after his brutality. His cold hand was climbing up her thighs, but he stopped and told her to get in the tub. The water was warm and even though she hated bathing, it relaxed her.

“You’ve behaved well,” he said and rubbed her shoulders with soap.

“Yes, father,” she responded in a monotonous voice.

“I thought you were too stubborn to learn, but I might be wrong. You’ve been an obedient daughter,” he was caressing her neck with his soap hands.  

“I didn’t cut my hair either,” she pointed out something he didn’t seem to realize since he clearly wasn’t interested in her head.

“I noticed… you deserve a prize, a recognition for your efforts… close your eyes, Hange,” he whispered in her ear from behind.

“What kind of prize?” she asked but closed her eyes as obedient as she had been.

“A secret about your body you might have not discovered yet… I’ll show you how to feel what you felt when you let that boy inside you, but you won’t need him,” he said while his hand reached the space between her legs.

She swallowed and a new fear crept on her. He caressed her private parts slowly and somehow the temperature in her body started to raise. He pressed the button of flesh she had read about which made tingles born at the pit of her belly. Then he drew circles around it at a pace that made something strong build up inside her, something more pleasurable than that the inexperienced boy couldn’t achieve. He trapped the button between his fingers and picked up the pace. She arched her back and held onto the tub as the heat and the tingles increased.

His lips brushed her ear and she thought he spoke, but she could have imagined it because her mind was going blank, drowning in the kind of pleasure that justified the human obsession with sex. Part of her wanted to stop him and ran from the bathing room, but her animalistic brain was craving for the explosive ending to this. That side she hated was fantasying with his hands on her small breasts, maybe even his mouth on hers, he was older than the boy, and he knew how to properly kiss. She had seen him kissing her mother with passion.

Was he reading her mind? He pulled her head back and kissed her, it wasn’t a sweet peck on her lips but a kiss seeking to dominate her. She parted her lips instinctively and his tongue entered her mouth, desperately looking for hers. He didn’t stop the movement of his fingers, and she was close to the expected conclusion because her hips bucked against his hand as if they had a mind of their own. He extracted an embarrassing sound from her, but she was too lost in the sensation of his fingers to care. Finally, heaven opened so close she could almost touch it. She stopped thinking, she forgot the pain and misery of the past months, she didn’t remember whose fingers were touching her. Maybe she screamed because she was feeling everything and nothing at the same time.

She was alone in the tub when she came down to reality. Did she dream with him? Were her fingers or his on her body? The realization she might have enjoyed something he had done to her enraged her. Why did he want to humiliate her? When will he stop? She was afraid he would never stop because the day he pushed her against that table in her mother’s studio and ripped her clothes off, he had crossed a crucial line and nothing was forbidden on the other side.

Hange fell asleep reading a book that night and a sudden weight on her bed woke her up at dawn. A pair of hands pulled down her pants and she quickly opened her eyes, his glasses reflected the sunlight and she tried to run, but he slapped her hard across her face. Then he slid her under him, she screamed in his ear to let her go and he silenced her with another slap. His heavy muscular body pinned her against the bed. He entered her as abruptly as he usually did. However, this time he forced her to look at him.

He moved slowly, so there wasn’t physical pain just the wound in her pride of being used and subjected to submission. Tears slid down her cheeks, and for some reason, he wiped them off. Her body reacted to the stimulation while her mind was tearing him apart. She needed to kill him or he would never stop. Similar tingles to the ones she experienced in the tub spread to her limbs. Why was her body so deaf to her pleas? He sunk his teeth into her shoulders and she screamed out of frustration and the uninvited orgasm that shook her.

“Don’t forget to drink the infusion I prepared for you,” he said standing in front of the window.

“I never forget,” she responded and her voice trailed off. She was laying on the bed in a fetal position, her back to him.

“Hange, look at me… look at your father,” he ordered and he sat beside her on the bed.

“Yes, father,” she answered, but didn’t turn around which made him angry.

“I said… look at me!” Doctor Thanatos yelled, grabbed her by the jaw, and forced her to face him.

“What do you want?” she asked, tired of obeying his irrational orders. His grip on her jaw tightened.

“Your father loves you… who taught you about herbs and plants? Who brought books from his travels so you could satisfy your curiosity? Who took care of you when Zoë died? Who showed you what pleasure feels like to a woman? Who?!” he said increasingly louder. He was controlling his anger or he would have broken her jaw already.

“You did, father,” Hange responded softly.

“This is love,” he said and kissed her lips sweetly.

He lied and she knew he was lying, but the part of her that hated feeling unwanted hoped it was true. His demonstration of love was twisted and sadistic, the throbbing pain in her cheek was evidence of it. The stinging sensation between her legs that made her uncomfortable after he had been violent to her was another piece of evidence. She was smart and he hated her because of that. He knew she was feigning obedience, but in reality, he had little control over her. Her mind was free and it would never belong to him.

The Royal Councilor, Flavio, summoned her to the bathing room of all places. Levi and his squad had done a marvelous job in bringing the place back to its former glory. The room was bigger than the bathing rooms downstairs because it belonged to the high-ranking officials of the Survey Corps. Candles decorated the corners of the room and around the tub even though the sunlight was coming through the large windows. She sighed and found him scrubbing Ravenna’s shoulders with a sponge. The scene didn’t surprise her in the slightest, he probably fucked everything that moved in front of him.

“Did you request my presence?” Hange asked, keeping her distance from the tub.

“Of course, I did but I thought the mighty captain Levi wouldn’t allow you to come,” he responded with an evil grin.

“I don’t need his permission to talk to you,” she said and she knew she was playing into his hands.

“He is your superior, isn’t he?” he was caressing the woman’s breasts as he spoke.

“Is this why you wanted me to come? The commander will be here soon and I have a meeting to attend to,” her patience was getting thinner with every word coming out of his mouth.

“I bet the little runt is your superior when he orders you to get in his bed and puts you on all fours. He’s a monster when he fucks you from behind,” Ravenna smiled and even though she was absolutely right, Hange ignored her.

“Don’t be so disrespectful, Ravenna. Hange Zoë isn’t a whore like you, she’s a scientist… I’ve never seen a whore with such an attractive waist,” Flavio’s hands sunk deep into the water and she had an idea where they were going next.

“With all due respect, councilor, I have a busy schedule today,” she was turning around when he stopped her.

“I want to meet the Titan boy and I won’t listen to any excuses,” the councilor said in a serious tone.

“Captain Levi is the one in charge of him, I can’t undermine his authority,” she explained, but she was sure that wouldn’t be enough to stop him.

“You can convince him to grant me a meeting with the boy,” he responded and the woman moaned.

“I can try but he makes the final decision.”

“Does commander Erwin Smith know about the little affair between two of his most valuable soldiers? I heard you screaming in his room last night, I’m not an idiot, Hange Zoë…. Make it happen,” he sentenced as his hands moved faster under the water, making Ravenna tremble and moan in pleasure.

“I’ll do my best, councilor,” she said, her hands turned to fists on her sides.

When did he realize she was having sex with Levi? She didn’t remember and at this point, it didn’t matter. He knew about them, and he wasn’t a dumb piece of shit as most people believed. The fact he insisted on seeing Eren bothered her. Why did he want to talk to the boy? She wondered as she was walking down the stairs. Maybe it was morbid curiosity, there weren’t many Titan shifters inside the Walls.

Erwin hadn’t changed his serious expression since he arrived at the abandoned HQ a few hours after breakfast. He had brought Mike with him and now they were sitting at a long table in an office. She shared the results of the first experiment with Eren and her theories about it before they started to address the long list of issues they were facing. They left the councilor under the watchful eye of the Special Operations Squad, so they wouldn’t have to worry about him bursting through the door.

“The councilor is one of the players in this game. He’s been moving many pieces lately, and I have the hunch he doesn’t follow orders from the King, but it’s the other way around,” Erwin confessed.

“There’s more to him than what meets the eye, we have to be careful. He went over the military high command just to see Eren,” she said, thinking about their conversation early that morning.

“Levi, make sure he doesn’t talk to the boy alone,” the commander looked at the captain sitting across from the table.

“I’ll make sure he doesn’t talk to him at all,” Levi assured him, and she sighed.

“We can’t hide Eren from him for two months, he already showed us how far his influence goes without mentioning that we need to prepare for an expedition. There’s a certain number of problems we can handle at once,” Hange fixed her eyes on Levi the entire time.

“Hange is right… we don’t have the luxury of time nor his position in the government, don’t do anything that will jeopardize our mission in this expedition.”

“What exactly is our mission, Erwin? I doubt we’re going to use resources just to test Eren’s Titan abilities,” she knew he was still hiding his plans from them. 

“I believe the day of the first attack, there was a third intelligent Titan that we haven’t seen yet. The Colossal Titan breached the first gate, then the Armored Titan destroyed the second one, but the mindless Titans invaded Shiganshina immediately after they opened the first hole… have you ever seen that number of Titans near the Walls?” he left the question floating in the air for a minute.  

“The third one brought the horde of mindless Titans that destroyed Shiganshina,” Hange said deep in thought.

“They were following the same plan during the second attack in Trost, but they stopped when Eren Jaeger transformed into a Titan which means the enemies saw him… Who do you think could have possibly been?”

“They were only soldiers and Titans in Trost when that happened,” Mike finally spoke.

“There are spies in our ranks, humans who can summon Titans. The possibility of the spies hiding among the recruits is high and it makes the most sense. Let’s say they got inside the Wall in the confusion of the attack, if they decided to join the military to gather information, maybe they’re on the list of this year’s cadets,” Hange concluded.

“We’ll attract them to the Survey Corps. I’m sure they’d interested in joining since we’re the ones in custody of Eren. Hange, I want you to improve the weapon you have been working on, we’re going to test it on this expedition,” Erwin ordered and she nodded, calculating the number of sleepless nights ahead of her.

The commander ordered her to be in the group of soldiers that would go with him to recruit cadets that night. He was hoping to exchange more details about the weapon with her on the way to town. She signaled Levi to follow her to one of the abandoned offices after the meeting. He made sure no one was watching before going inside the room. She sat on the desk and sighed, she needed to tell him about her conversation with Flavio.

“Levi, let him talk to Eren,” she said as he got close to her, and ran his hands up her legs.

“He can talk to him over my dead rotten body,” he snorted.

“I’m serious… he knows about us, he threatened to tell Erwin if I don’t convince you of this,” she saw the rage in his grey eyes.

“Fucking pig, I should have cut his head off that night at his party,” his fist hit the desk where she was sitting.

“I don’t know what he wants with him, maybe he’s just curious… he’s so unpredictable,” she sighed loudly, and he bumped their foreheads together.

“Erwin is taking you away from me again,” he whispered and she kissed him slowly and intensely.

“I’ll be back in a few days for another experiment with Eren. You’ll survive, captain,” she said with a smile.

“I’ll survive but I’m not sure about the noble pig,” he said against her lips.

He kissed her before she complained, she surrounded his neck with her arms and his hands fell on her waist. His kisses always had a healing property nothing else could replace. She heard heavy steps outside and whispered they should get back before Erwin decided to look for them. They separated in the hallway, but she didn’t need to walk for long to find Mike with a knowing smile on his face. She rolled her eyes when he pointed out it was the morning already.

The world seemed small through the windows of the carriage where she was resting her legs after riding the horses the whole afternoon. They were supposed to recruit new soldiers in a couple of hours, she wondered if the spies would be among them. Were they as young as Eren? Where did they come from? She fixed her glasses and turned her attention to her notes about the weapon. The wound on her forehead had healed, but the memories of the accident and the confirmation of what she meant to Levi were as vivid as yesterday’s events.

Love is this…

The carriage stopped and she heard the announcement they had arrived at their destination. The Survey Corps building in this district was old as most of their infrastructure, they never had enough resources to spend on this kind of luxury. The supplies for the expeditions and her experiments were priorities for the commander. She joined Mike at the dining hall, and he said Petra was making tea for them. Levi assured her there wasn’t any problem with her, but she had noticed the redhead following her movements intently since her stay at the abandoned castle.

She had been scrutinized since a young age, but this was different. She was in love with Levi, and somehow, she felt as if she was robbing the pretty redhead of her happiness. Although he said she would never be more than a subordinate to him, her honey stare made her feel guilty. Neither of them could change his heart, and he had chosen her, the filthy mad scientist instead of the cute Petra. Some women were relentless when it came to love though. She had learned that lesson the painful way.

The woman with long golden locks just threw a pint of beer at her and it hadn’t been an accident. She was trembling in rage, and she would have jumped on her if Mike hadn’t grabbed her from behind. Hange took off her glasses and cleaned them with a cloth she kept in the pocket of her jacket. She didn’t recognize the woman and her first thought was she confused her with somebody else.

“You’re the soldier who’s been fucking my husband, aren’t you?!” she yelled at her. To be fair, she had gone to bed with some men she had met in that tavern, maybe one of them had been her husband.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, and I suggest you not to hit a soldier if you’re not ready to take a punch or two,” she responded, annoyed by this inconvenience.

“I don’t care if you kill Titans or the shit you do outside, but I’ll kill you if you put your hands on my husband again,” the blonde woman was trying to reach her as she spoke.

“Picking up other women at a tavern… he doesn’t sound like a dutiful husband to me,” her mouth always got the better of her.

“You… fucking bitch! You don’t give a shit about your life, but decent citizens do! You’re a parasite wasting resources from the taxpayers, and not happy with that now you want to ruin a happy family’s life! I hope you die in a Titan’s mouth,” the woman said with hatred in each word she pronounced.

“I have bad news for you, I’m the kind of parasite that is difficult to kill,” she smiled and she knew it had been a mistake the moment the woman freed herself from Mike’s grasp and slapped her across the face.

Hange stood up and held her against the table, she was stronger than her, but she wasn’t planning on hitting an innocent housewife in front of the so-called taxpayers watching the scene. She whispered in her ear that she wasn’t afraid of beating her up right there if she wouldn’t stop with her display of jealousy. A male’s voice spoke next to them asking what the problem was, Levi was inspecting both with a penetrating gaze.

She let go of the woman and she froze when she noticed his presence. The popular captain Levi always had that effect on people, sometimes it happened due to the shock of discovering he was so short or admiration towards him. The woman spat at her before leaving the tavern though, and she went outside to clean herself with the water from the horses. She sat near the entrance with her back against the wall. A hand offered her a pint of beer and she accepted it without hesitation.

“Is it true? Did you fuck her husband?” Levi asked after sitting next to her.

“Maybe… I don’t usually ask people I take to bed once about their marital status, I just assume their lives are shit if they are attracted to someone like me,” she answered and took a sip of the beer.

“Someone like you?” she glanced at him because she was feeling the weight of her grey eyes on her.

“Filthy, crazy, a freak, a waste of taxpayer’s resources,” Hange replied and he looked annoyed.

“That’s my line, four eyes,” he said and she smiled.

“People will probably be disappointed if they know humanity’s strongest soldier is just a clean freak,” she laughed and for a second she thought he had smiled.  

“You’re not like these people, but I don’t think that’s bad. You have a brilliant mind even though your sense of hygiene is shit,” he took out a handkerchief and pointed at her neck.

“I smell of alcohol and I haven’t gotten drunk yet,” she complained and cleaned the spot he indicated.

“I’ve never seen the difference… you’re always talking crap.”

“Well… my night is ruined, and I was hoping to fuck later but now all these assholes will think twice about it… maybe if we have sex, there won’t be the risk of having a jealous bitch slap me,” she laughed again but he didn’t say anything.

Was he already interested in her in those days? They walked together around town before heading back to the castle. She talked about random crap as he called it and he listened, pretending he didn’t care, but she noticed he was always listening to her. She forced him to sneak into an abandoned tower where they could watch the sky. Hange showed him the stars and told him their names. 

“Why would anyone put names to the fucking stars?” he asked, but he seemed interested. 

“It’s important… travelers use them to navigate the land, I bet it was more useful when the world was bigger,” she sighed. It was a beautiful summer night. 

“Do you mean outside the Walls?” he turned to her, and there was melancholy in his eyes. 

“Yes, I’ve wondered about the world outside since I was young,” she confessed with a smile.  

“I didn’t know there was anything outside the underground, I grew up thinking the shit I saw there was normal, I had no idea stars existed,” Levi said without looking at her. 

“It must have been a bitch… to live there… I only heard things people say about it and other things I read in books,” Hange moved her hand closer to his. 

“It was a bitch, I would have died if it wasn’t for Kenny.”

“Kenny?” she asked, curious about his past. 

“The man who fed me, taught me how to fight, and gave me decent clothes after my mother died,” he replied and his hands moved closer to hers by accident. 

“Did he say if he was your father?”

“No, he never told me who he was… I never had a father, but I’m sure that’s a weird idea for someone who grew up around here,” he turned to her. 

“No, it isn’t. People are fucked up everywhere,” she whispered, thinking about the monster who tortured her wearing his father’s face.

She didn’t dare to place her hand over his. He murmured something about the filthiness of the place and told her they needed to start walking to headquarters or they would arrive the next morning. She was dying to kiss him at the end of the night. However, they were the forbidden fruit from paradise to each other. He was humanity’s most deadly weapon. But he was a man as well, wasn’t he?

The teapot landed on the table in front of her and the cute redhead poured the tea. Mike talked about his tired legs from riding an important part of the way to town after feeling the tension between the two women. Hange suggested some herbs to relieve the pain in his sore muscles, and he nodded but told them they were going to return to the castle on horseback. She sipped the warm tea when Petra finally spoke.

“Do you think we’re going to have more recruits this year?” she asked.

“The numbers have been increasing in the past few years, but they had the experience of fighting Titans in Trost… They can decide they have seen enough and stay with the garrison,” Hange replied, worried about the future of the mission if that was the case.

“They could decide they need to take action to prevent their families to fall prey to the Titans as their comrades did,” Mike suggested.

“I’m sure the commander has a plan in mind, we asked Eren if his friends would join and he said many of them wanted to become scouts…. before Trost,” she said and her voice sounded sadder at the end.

“I heard his friends called him suicidal bastard, I wouldn’t count on them,” the tall man sipped his tea.

“We’ll know in a few hours. Erwin’s speech has rarely disappointed us,” Hange reminded them and Mike was summoned by a soldier to help him unload something she didn’t hear from a carriage. Her heart started beating faster when she found herself alone with Petra.

“Squad leader Hange… I wanted to talk to you, in private,” she said as soon as the men disappeared from the dining hall.

“I don’t think we’ll find a better moment than this,” she smiled nervously. What did she want to say? Was she going to receive a slap today?

“I’m sure you know about my interest in the captain… everyone in the Survey Corps knows about it, but he isn’t interested in me. I thought he was avoiding this kind of relationship due to our lives as scouts, but then… I saw him… with you one night on the roof of headquarters, it was a mistake, I shouldn’t have been there. I knew… that was the real reason he rejected me, he couldn’t accept my heart because of you,” Petra’s sweet voice was a nail hammering into her heart.

“Petra… I… I didn’t know you… I had no idea… I’m usually thinking about my theories and experiments-“ Hange whispered but she interrupted her.

“You have nothing to apologize for… He was never interested in me, I think he might have felt something more than comradery for you before I arrived…. You two have a long story together, maybe I’m kinda jealous of that… I thought he kept a wall between him and the rest of the people no matter who it was until I saw him talking to you one day. That wall fell for a second, I didn’t want to believe it because secretly I was hoping to have a chance. 

First, I was jealous of the friendship you shared with him while I was only his subordinate, and then my heart broke when I saw him kissing you… like a lover. He’s in love with you… his heart belongs to you, and I want you to know that I won’t try to ruin it, I… I’d like you to see me as a comrade and not… an enemy,” the redhead smiled even though she could tell it had been difficult to confess her feelings.

“I’ve never seen you as an enemy, I appreciate your honesty… I… this is a new situation for me,” she sighed.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-“

“Hange! Erwin wants to see you in his office!” Mike yelled from the door of the dining hall.

“You’re a brave woman, Petra… more than people give you credit for,” she said before leaving the room.

Hange Zoë was a soldier, but she was still afraid of words. She believed those words had condemned people she loved in the past to tragic endings. Those words had brought misery and pain to her life since the first boy confessed her feelings for her. Those words were the excuse the monster had used to bend her to his will, manipulate and abuse her. She had been young and naïve, and she came to believe his lies for some time.

Your father loves you…

She burst through the door of the commander’s office and found Erwin holding Teresa by her chin, their lips so close to each other that she knew she had interrupted an intimate moment between them. Was the blonde noblewoman Erwin’s forbidden fruit from paradise? Hange was wondering why the commander hadn’t been completely honest with her until she remembered the fact she was hiding a similar secret.

She backed away, but Erwin’s commanding voice ordered her to stay. The noblewoman smiled, greeted her, and left the room. He invited her to sit at the table, and she obeyed. She didn’t usually feel uncomfortable with him. They had been comrades and friends for years, they trusted and believed in each other’s abilities as soldiers. It had crossed their minds to blow off some steam together, but it never happened. Sometimes she regretted it, sometimes she didn’t.

“I want to capture one of the spies with your weapon,” he said without beating around the bushes.

“I know… I was thinking about it as well… in the next expedition,” she nodded and placed her notes on the table.

“We need to find a location we can use to our advantage, the forest of big trees is an interesting option… Do you think the weapon would work in that scenario?” Erwin asked and she was sure he wasn’t planning on addressing the scene she witnessed.

“I can make it work… a couple of adjustments and… it will be ready,” she replied.

“You’ll have to work isolated from the rest of the soldiers, I’ll give you a list of names who are allowed to handle this information.”

“I suppose Levi is on that list.”

“He is… His squad isn’t though… not a word to Eren either. When are you going to try new tests with him?”

“In three days after we get back to headquarters. How long is the councilor staying at headquarters?” she was tired of his insolence and presence altogether.

“I can’t control him, not while he has power over the Premier… If I antagonize him, he’ll jeopardize our mission in the next expedition. Teresa has made it clear as well… She has found an unexpected new sponsor though, you’ll see her around and I’m expecting you to be polite, Hange,” he emphasized the word polite .

“I haven’t been anything besides polite… even to that fucking pig,” she pointed out, angry at the memory of Flavio’s threat.

“I was worried your anger was getting the best of you… Hange, don’t get the wrong idea about my relationship with Teresa,” he said and she nodded. It wasn’t her place to question other people’s decisions about their private lives, but if it ever affected their mission as scouts, she wouldn’t stay silent. 

Erwin’s speech to the recruits had worked. They welcomed an important number of soldiers to the Survey Corps. Most of them were Eren’s age, and they probably knew him too. Hange recognized Mikasa Ackerman and the blonde friend who played a role in saving his comrades during the battle for Trost. She was getting ready to leave for the abandoned castle when the commander requested her to give a review lecture about Titans to the cadets. He also asked her to explain the fraternity rules for young soldiers. 

Moblit and Nifa found posters and other materials for the presentation, and now she was standing in a classroom in front of the cadets. Her assistants hung some illustrations on the board and they decided to hold the big one about the anatomy of Titans. She smiled, fixed her glasses, and got ready to give these soldiers a lecture with her passion for the subject. 

“I’m squad leader Hange Zoë. I’m in charge of studying and experimenting with Titans, so I’ll give you a review about it including our recent discoveries and experiments. Before that, I have to remind you of some fraternity rules for new and young soldiers like you,” she kept her smile, but she was cursing Erwin in her mind for asking her to do this. “You have to be in your rooms after nine, and you aren’t allowed to roam the castle alone at night, especially not the dorms of the opposite sex.”

“I have a question, squad leader! Why is that?” a boy with short hair asked. 

“This is a measure to prevent you, young and energetic males, from accidentally getting physically involved with your female comrades. Unplanned pregnancies are a reason for military discharge, as you can see the Survey Corps can’t lose valuable soldiers,” she explained and Moblit swallowed. 

“What about girls getting involved with other girls?” a freckled girl asked raising her hand, and the blonde girl sitting next to her elbowed her. 

“That’s a good question… We don’t care as long as you don’t exhaust yourselves, the same goes for the boys. Never neglect the military exercises,” she warned them with another smile. 

“Squad leader! My father is a doctor and he used to say that there are methods to prevent women from getting pregnant… do you know any?” a brave girl asked, encouraged by the first one and Hange’s disposition to openly discuss these questions. 

“Oh! Yes, contraceptive methods… I know one that never fails: keep your legs closed,” Hange thought that was rich advice coming from her, she wasn’t a teenager anymore though. “However, if that proves to be a challenge, I can prepare a concoction of herbs that works as a temporary contraceptive, you can find me at my lab…. there are other methods, but I can’t go into obscene details here,” 

“What happens if we’re hungry after nine? Can we go to the kitchen instead of the boys’ dorm?” a brown-haired girl raised her hand and Mikasa gave her a disapproving glare. 

“No, you can’t. Dinner is served before nine, that should suffice but I have to admit it’s a better option than the boys’ dorm” she said and Moblit was hiding behind the poster they had brought for the presentation. 

“They can just do it in secret places, the castle is big,” a boy commented and he wasn’t wrong. 

“I know all the secret places in this castle for that, so you won’t be able to fool me,” Hange responded without thinking twice. The silence that followed her statement convinced her it had been a bad idea. 

“I think it’s time to start the presentation about Titans!” Nifa exclaimed pointing at the poster she was holding. 

“You said you’re a Titan scientist… have you ever stuck a spear up a Titan’s ass?” a blonde, muscular short-haired boy asked and the tall one next to him sighed, and rolled his eyes. 

Hange was in one of those secret places in the castle tonight. She had arrived at sunset, eaten dinner with both squads and the nobles, and entered the office Levi cleaned for Erwin. She was laying on the desk, her uniform was on the floor and he was on top of her. Drops of sweat fell from his black hair to her bare chest, he slowed down and his thrusts went deeper, hitting her flesh in the right places to make her moan loudly. 

The candle lights reflected on a pair of glasses, and the man with black hair turned into another one. His brown hair was tied in a bun, but a few loose strands framed his face. He had bags under his hazel eyes and his hooked nose almost touched hers. He smiled as he thrust into her, and she held him by the shoulders when he leaned down to kiss her. 

Look at me, Hange…    

He was so strong, she screamed and sat on the desk, panting. A hand touched her and she shove it away, she was scared to look at whoever was beside her. A male voice repeated her name and it sounded familiar. Levi was standing in front of her, keeping his distance but he was worried. She must have rejected his touch and not the monster’s, the one she thought she was seeing. 

“Hange… talk to me,” he said and she pulled him closer. 

“I’m sorry… I… I thought… I thought you were someone else,” she explained. A tear betrayed her and ran down her cheeks. 

“We… don’t have to fuck if it makes you feel like this,” he whispered against her lips. 

“You always make me feel good. It’s just that… he has been in my mind since… Flavio mentioned him,” she said and he cleaned her tears with his fingers. 

“I’m here… with you. That motherfucker won’t touch you again as long as I’m by your side,” he promised. 

“And you’ll stay by my side until we see the world outside the Walls,” she whispered with a smile. 

“I’ll stay by your side after that too,” he said, caressing her cheek. 

She kissed him sweetly, but their shared passion dominated the next kisses. He wasn’t the monster who showed her pain while trying to convince her it was love. He lied because he was drowning in his grief, unable to swim to the surface. He chose to punish her for his loss or the beast that took hold of him chose an innocent child who had been too scared to run away early. His violence and the marks left on her young body weren’t love. 

Levi’s delicate touch and caresses, his intense kisses, and his lips gliding over her skin were the love the monster couldn’t show her. He kissed her neck, her collarbone and she let him continue down her breasts. His warm breath tickled her and she smiled, he rubbed her nipples with his soft lips and she tilted her head back, moaning lowly because their sounds would echo in the abandoned castle if they were too loud. 

This is love… 

Chapter Text

The Royal Councilor crossed the courtyard, his dark tunic flew behind him and he had braided his long silver-white hair early that morning. He complained about the hot sun as he walked toward them. His guard dog or the woman he was fucking for breakfast followed him. Levi didn’t laugh when he mockingly greeted them. His patience was getting thinner the longer he stayed in the abandoned castle. However, he remembered Hange’s warning and he fought the need to punch him in the face for threatening her. They were scouts, and they had to think about their crucial mission for the next expedition.

“It’s an honor to meet you, Eren Jaeger,” Flavio said with a gentle smile, but he knew he was a wolf pretending to be a sheep.

“He’s the Royal Councilor, Flavio Wolff. You should be grateful he’s taking his time to talk to you, boy,” Ravenna added, noticing Eren’s confused expression.

“You’re the right hand of the King,” Eren finally spoke but his confused expression didn’t change.

“And you’re humanity’s new hope. I was hoping you could answer some of my questions,” the councilor sat on the bench next to him under Levi’s careful watch.

“He probably wants to put you in some show for the noble pigs, be careful what you tell him, Eren,” Levi warned the young boy who swallowed and was more nervous than before.

“The captain doesn’t appreciate my involvement in humanity’s counterattack, I’m sure you’re more reasonable than him,” the silver-haired man placed her pale hands on top of Eren’s.

“I… I already answered a lot of questions, they’re on the military’s report,” the boy responded but didn’t move his hand.

“I know, I’ve read those reports, but I’m not like the military. I’m worried about your well-being as a fellow human, Eren. The King’s objective is to protect his people, you’re one of his people,” the councilor squeezed his hand and Levi realized the kind of game he was playing.

“You were one of his people when you had to roam the streets of Wall Rose to try not to starve to death after the first attack,” the captain scoffed and sipped his tea.

“That was an unfortunate and unprecedented event. No one could have predicted these monsters would breach our gates, but now you’ve given us a chance to fight back. They told me you saved your friends’ lives in Trost. Have you seen them after the trial?”

“No, they have to choose to join a branch of the military tonight,” Eren replied in a sad voice. He wasn’t sure he would see them again.

“I see… It doesn’t matter if they choose the Survey Corps or not, I’ll make sure they are permitted to see you again,” he assured him and a timid smile appeared on the boy’s face.

“What questions do you have?” The boy asked, hoping to repay his artificial kindness.

“Are you sure that day in Trost was the first time you became a Titan?” Levi paid full attention to him once he spoke those words.

“Yes… I don’t remember it happening before,” Eren responded, and he knew that was the answer the noble pig was expecting. The fact that he didn’t remember, didn’t necessarily mean it hadn’t happened in the past.

“Have you ever been to a… temple of sorts?” Flavio’s new question unsettled him, although he couldn’t tell why.

“No, there weren’t temples in Shiganshina,” the boy said. Levi was sure the noble idiot didn’t refer to a place in Shiganshina.

“Your father, Grisha Jaeger, was a doctor… Did you meet his family?”

“He… never talked about his family…  and I… I was more interested in going outside the Walls than to question him and I thought… we had more time,” Eren’s voice trailed off and Flavio caressed his cheek.

“I’m sorry you lost too many people to the Titans. I’m confident you’re strong enough to guide humanity to another victory,” he squeezed his hand again.

The councilor drank tea with them and mentioned more worthless gossip from the interior. He seemed interested in Eld’s opinion since he joined them, he would smile constantly and encourage him to talk. Levi didn’t have the right to control their subordinates’ private lives outside of their military obligations, but he was going to make sure the pig didn’t put his hands on any soldier of his squad. Erwin’s words still bothered him and his request to be polite to this parade of idiots from the interior.

Ravenna leaned on a tree nearby and she would wink at him if she met his gaze. She was a ghost from the underground coming to haunt him now that he had a clear purpose in life and someone special like Hange. He had been a criminal in those days, but he did everything in his hands to survive and protect the ones who needed his strength. Humanity needed him, so he was fighting for those people who deserved to live without the fear of being eaten alive. He had witnessed plenty of his comrades fall to the terror of the Titans. The woman of the feline stare didn’t know that pain, and he was certain she wouldn’t care if she made it outside the Walls.

He reminded Eren and Eld they had to review Erwin’s formation, so they returned to the castle. The noble matched his pace and annoyed him with a boring monologue about nature and the beautiful afternoon they were enjoying. He ignored him instead of antagonizing him as the commander ordered. However, he knew how to get a reaction from him. His guard dog was following them behind.

“We will have a peaceful night with an open sky to see the stars. Such a shame the Titan scientist isn’t here to enjoy it, even more, her screams were music to my ears,” he gave him a knowing smile. At least Eren and Eld were walking ahead of them and couldn’t hear them.

“You will have to try harder if you want me to beat you,” Levi responded, but his blood was boiling inside him.

“Does the beating come with some extra spice?” The councilor asked and he stopped a few meters from the gallery. “I’ll let you fuck me, captain. I’d like to experience the power of humanity’s strongest soldier that makes Hange Zoë scream in pleasure.”

“If you tell me you’ll leave this castle if I fuck you, I might consider it,” he said, angry at him for having the balls to threaten them.

“I can’t wait to put your dick in my mouth again, in the name of the good old times, little runt,” Ravenna whispered near his ear, biting her own lips.

“I won’t put my dick in you,” Levi sentenced, looking at her.

“Oh! Don’t tell me the mighty captain Levi is in love with the four-eyed bitch, she-“ the captain grabbed her from the collar of her long coat and she smiled, pleased with the effect her words had on him.

“I suggest you keep your guard dog on a tight leash, councilor,” he warned him, containing his rage.

“Ravenna, I told you to behave in front of humanity’s best soldiers. Don’t disappoint me again,” he scolded her sarcastically, and Levi left them before he started distributing punches.

Was it love? This something they shared with Hange. Was it love the feeling that made him kiss her sweetly? Was it love the reason he liked to caress her naked back and listen to her voice after fucking? Was it love his heart beating fast when she was in danger? He had heard and read about love in his early days in the Survey Corps when he spent afternoons and evenings in the library learning how to fill in paperwork from Hange.

Levi had climbed up the ladder and was looking for the green book Hange Zoë requested. He found it on the top shelf. The cover was clean, but some pages at the beginning had been eaten by bugs. He sighed and joined the squad leader who was writing some nonsense on pieces of paper. Her brown hair was tied in a high ponytail, and judging by how greasy it looked, she hadn’t washed it in weeks. He was fighting the urge to throw her in a tub and apply some good soap and shampoo to her.

“Here… it was on the highest shelf,” Levi said and sat at the table with her.

“I’m sorry… Moblit probably put it there the last time we read it,” she responded and grabbed the book without looking at him.

“It seems that his job weighs on him,” he commented while she wrote more notes on her papers.

“He’s a valuable… soldier… and a helpful assistant, but we aren’t here to talk about him. This is the format of the report we file after each expedition. You have to mark the supplies used, the ones that were lost, and… the names of the fallen soldiers,” she had been outside the Walls on more expeditions than him, and it was difficult to imagine losing so many comrades through the years.

“Do I have to include the cause of death?” he asked, thinking this was a shitty job to do.

“Yes…. But it’s usually the same,” she sighed and dampened the quill with the black ink in front of her.

She let him read the sample report for a moment, and he noticed one of her bangs covering part of her face. An instinct, something moved his hand and placed it behind her ear. She froze and turned to face him. Her hazel brown eyes behind her glasses opened in confusion. It was the first time he realized she had beautiful eyes framed with long lashes. People didn’t often pay attention to her physical attractiveness because her unhinged behavior was her prominent characteristic. However, he had seen her slender figure accentuated by the military uniform. He had wondered how her body looked without her clothes.

“You need a fucking shower,” he concluded after touching her hair.

“I guess I do… I don’t remember the last time I showered, I always forget about it,” a bright smile illuminated her expression. It reminded him of Isabel.

“What’s in that green book?” he asked, trying to forget about her lack of good hygiene.

“It’s part of the Survey Corp’s history. It isn’t well documented so the little information we have is valuable, even though all of these commanders were simple men… some of them were married, decided to have someone to love by their side, normal human being behavior,” she explained and focused on her papers.

“Love? Isn’t that a terrible decision?” he thought out loud.

“It seems like it is, but… people can’t order their hearts around. Love is… inherently human,” Hange said, but her voice sounded more than sad. Had she been in love before?

“There’s no fucking point in being in love if you’re gonna die in the next expedition,” Levi was trying to make sense of that kind of situation without suspecting he would go through one of these pointless experiences in the future.

“No, there isn’t. Humans don’t always do the most reasonable things. Some people believe it is better to enjoy life while it lasts…” she turned to him again.

“That sounds like an excuse to do stupid shit,” he grabbed his quill and sunk it in the ink.

She laughed, and they stayed at the library the rest of the evening. He practiced filling out the report, and she wrote her theories until her head smashed the table. She had fallen asleep on her notes,  but she looked so at peace. He decided not to wake her up and brought a blanket from his room to cover her from the night’s cold breeze. Levi ran his finger over her lips. What would they taste like? He wondered before dismissing such a ridiculous idea. He was a thug who came out from a hole in the ground. She didn’t seem to care though, maybe because she was also a misfit.

He was warned about her madness since he joined the Survey Corps, and he had seen her charging forward in the formation, sometimes ignoring orders. Wasn’t that the kind of passion they needed to find a solution to their predicament? She was difficult to understand, it had occurred to him that not even Erwin could decipher completely the enigma that she represented.

One of the candles on the table extinguished as he was looking at the stars in the sky. Isabel and Furlan loved the stars as well, but they wouldn’t see them again. He sighed and found Hange standing next to him, holding onto the blanket he had brought for her. She smiled and she looked a bit different without her glasses, her pretty face was more noticeable. She looked up at the sky, trying to find the object of his fascination.

“They used to tell me when I was a child that all the good people who died become stars in the sky… because we came from nature and when our time ends, we go back to it. It’s such a ridiculous notion if you try to explain it from a scientific point of view. All we know is that the dead stay in the ground. But… it’s beautiful to think there’s the possibility that those we loved are still somewhere in a better place or at least a part of them,” she explained with glistening eyes.

“Not everything can be explained with your science… as long as there aren’t Titans in the sky, they can be stars,” he said and wondered if happy Isabel could be the brightest star.

“Thank you… for the blanket, sometimes I… ignore it when I need to rest. I read your report, it’s perfect,” she smiled again, and he realized he liked her smile.

“It isn’t difficult. I cleaned your shitty glasses. I’m surprised your uniform isn’t permanently covered in shit,” he returned to the table to put everything in order.

“I knew it… you’re not only the strongest, but you’re kind Levi,” she said and stared at the stars while he cleaned the table.

What kind of sorrows did a person like Hange Zoë have? He was sure she didn’t grow up in the underground, but that didn’t mean people weren’t twisted and evil outside as well. Those responsible for many of the problems down there lived on the surface. She never spoke about her past. They had shared a couple of moments around the fire pit with other soldiers, and most of them liked to talk about important people in their lives as motivation to keep fighting. Hange always stayed silent or changed the topic of conversation.

Now, he finally knew the reason behind her silence. Her father was the madman from the laboratory of herbal medicine. He didn’t know exactly the circumstances that led her to enlist in the military and hide from that creepy man. However, he had tasted human cruelty since the day he was born. People were capable of unspeakable acts of evilness and that man looked like someone who had killed in the past. He placed his teacup on the table before breaking it.

“I heard he used to be quite popular in the training corps,” Gunter said with a smile.

“Bullshit… don’t listen to him when he’s not talking about the expedition, Eren,” Eld responded and poured more tea into his cup.

“Did he use to fight his comrades in hand-to-hand combat?” The boy asked, and Levi realized he didn’t understand the innuendo involved in Gunter’s statement.

“That… and other kinds of fighting,” Gunter laughed, and Eld pierced him with a murderous stare.

“I’m interested in all fighting styles,” The councilor’s voice was a wasp’s sting in his ear. Of course, he sat next to Eld.

“Did you eat, councilor?” The blonde soldier asked.

“I did, don’t worry about me… captain Levi doesn’t care… besides, I’m a resourceful man,” Flavio caressed his soldier’s shoulder pretending he was cleaning some dust from his uniform.

“This is a military HQ, we barely have the resources to feed the soldiers,” Levi said without taking his eyes off the man’s pale hands.

“I’m aware of that and the King will send more supplies for the Survey Corps delivered directly from the interior,” he announced with that coy smile on his face that most people would say brightens his handsome features.  

“Those are great news! I never thought I would see the day someone from the Royal Government gives us a hand,” Eld commented genuinely surprised by the councilor’s announcement.

“I can give you more than a hand. Talented and strong soldiers like you deserve my help,” he turned to Levi, emphasizing his last words.

“Eren, it’s time to go to sleep… We have field training tomorrow, and you have to wake up early,” the captain ordered, and the young boy complied.

The deadly silence between him and the councilor was making the air around them unbreathable, so the rest of his squad left with the same excuse he gave Eren to disappear. The silver-haired man wasn’t afraid of him. He had political power inside the Walls and he could persecute him even if he was the strongest soldier. This piece of shit in front of him could ruin their plans to reveal the enemy’s identity. Maybe he didn’t want that, but it seemed farfetched to think the noble would be involved in a Titan attack of that scale. Why would he want humanity inside the Walls to go extinct? Wasn’t he human too?

“I told you to keep your hands off my soldiers and I meant all of them,” Levi warned him again, he promised himself there wouldn’t be a third warning.

“We’re so small…. as humans… you should know, you fight Titans outside the Walls. They say the Colossal Titan is around 50 meters tall, how can something so big exist?” he turned serious and the captain was convinced he had a plan of his own, a plan that didn’t involve the King.

“You tell me, you sounded like you knew something else about the Titans when you spoke to Eren,” he replied, his deadly stare still on him.

“I read the reports… I wanted to know more about the owner of this famous basement, he’s the one who sounds like he knew the enemy’s real identity… and yet, he lived inside these Walls, had a family, and he witnessed the horror of being trapped in this cage, but he stayed silent,” he had a point and Hange was right when she said he was smarter than people believed.

“He’s nowhere to be found, and he didn’t say shit to his son either. I’d say he didn’t talk for a reason, or maybe he was a complete asshole,” Levi sipped his tea trying to imagine what kind of man Grisha Jaeger was.

“Something must have happened, something that forced him to give that key to his child instead of doing it himself, and I’m not talking only about the first attack five years ago. What will you do if I fuck him? Your soldier?” he suddenly asked, and his coy smile was back on his lips.

“I’ll cut your dick off,” the captain answered and the councilor laughed.

“You’re one of a kind, captain Levi… an abnormal, just like you called those fucking things,” the councilor stood up and left the dining hall.

His annoying laugh echoed in the hallway, and he was still hearing it while checking the state of the torches in the gallery of the abandoned castle. A howling wolf deep in the woods distracted him, and he noticed the light of the full moon was illuminating the courtyard. The sounds of wild animals never made it through the cracks of the city above, he heard them for the first time during a training exercise once he enlisted in the Survey Corps. He put all his energy into surviving he had forgotten his mother’s tales, the ones she used to whisper in his ear so he could sleep. Those tales talked about enchanted woods where animals were free and man-eating monsters didn’t exist.

Levi lay alone in his bed after checking on Eren. The boy was reading a book in his sleeping bag in the basement. He focused on the dancing flames of the candle on his night table. A long night awaited ahead since he couldn’t sleep. He replayed the conversations of the day with the councilor. There was something about them that bothered him, it was an itch on his back driving him crazy, but his arms were too short to reach the correct place to relieve the irritating sensation.

Why did he ask Eren about a temple? Levi knew of the churches of the Wall cult, but those buildings were in the interior. The young boy was from Shiganshina, a district in the outer Wall closest to the Titan field. His father was a doctor, but Eren wasn’t privileged enough to visit Wall Sina. Were there other temples around? He still ignored many details about life in the outside world. Hange had told him about Flavio’s confession the night of the party, the night she put a knife on his throat he said that everything inside the Walls had to do with the Titans.

He suddenly felt alone without her presence in his room. The nights near the woods were really cold without the warmth of her skin. Was Ravenna right about them? She said it to mock him, but she knew him to some extent. They had been partners in crime for a couple of years before she disappeared. However, he hadn’t seen the cruelty of her actions until coming to the outside world. He thought she was impulsive, but everything she did, she did for herself. She wasn’t fighting for other people’s freedom.

He finally fell asleep for a couple of hours and woke up before dawn to feed the horses. Erwin hadn’t given them instructions to bring the stable boys with them, so they had to do everything. He enjoyed spending time with the animals though, it didn’t feel like a chore. He had taken care of the same horse for the past years which wasn’t a common occurrence with other soldiers. He changed the water and heard Oluo sounding the bell that signaled the rest of his squad to get ready for the day. Levi didn’t intend to go near the councilor’s room, but surprisingly he found him eating breakfast with his men.

The silver-haired idiot made comments about the cold night, and how it didn’t affect him since he had his methods to deal with the changing weather in these parts of Wall Rose. Levi rolled his eyes because it was a clear reminder of his passionate nights with a certain Titan scientist. He wasn’t sure if he meant it as a threat or if he was just being annoying. Fortunately, they had planned to train on horseback that morning and the councilor couldn’t follow them. Eren had been getting along with his horse pretty well, the boy was kind and cared about the animal which was a sign of his gentle nature. That wasn’t his only trait, Levi was growing weary of the rage festering within him.

The Special Operations Squad was riding toward their next position, Oluo hadn’t shut up since they left the castle and Eren was the only one listening to him. Levi pulled the reins of his horse gently and it stopped, he heard growls nearby. He dismounted and unsheathed his blades, he inspected their surroundings and when he thought they were safe, a pair of sharp fangs emerged from behind a bush. Killing giant monsters was one thing, but fighting an animal was different.

“Back away slowly! Don’t dismount!” he ordered his soldiers.

“We won’t leave you alone with the beast, captain!” Eld exclaimed, worried about Levi who was the only one between them and the wolf.

“Do as I say, I’ll handle this… as soon as I tell you to go, do it!” he said without breaking eye contact with the wild animal.

“Captain, it’s dangerous… we can help,” Eren responded, but they didn’t need to put him in unnecessary danger.

“I said… back away!” Levi insisted. If the animal wasn’t impressed by the people on horses, it was going to attack at any second.

“Brat! You heard the captain’s orders!” Oluo said and the boy obeyed.

“Go to the next position, don’t turn around! Now!” the captain yelled and he heard the horses galloping away.

The big wolf charged towards him once his squad moved, he dodged the attack and positioned himself behind it. The yellow eyes staring at him were those of a killer. Whether it was defending prey or protecting its territory, it was planning to kill him. Why was taking another creature’s life always the preferred option? Nature was vile even inside the Walls where humans were supposed to be safe. The animal scratched his arm with its claws in the next attack, and he had to hit it hard on the nose.

He lifted his blade, ready for the wolf’s attack when a loud noise scared the beast and the birds in the trees. That noise was someone firing a gun near them, he climbed on his horse and looked for his squad before investigating the gunfire. Eld had guided them to a clearing in the forest and Oluo was watching his direction, waiting for his return. He shared his concerns with them and they agreed the noise sounded like a gun. Levi ordered Eren to always stay behind him, if the enemy was close the boy was probably their target.

Once they had reached the castle, Gunther led the horses to the stable while the rest made their way to the courtyard. There was a trail of blood going inside the building. The captain followed it to the terrain they considered their backyard where Hange had been experimenting with Eren. The councilor’s silver braid shone under the sun, he was sitting on a stool in front of a man tied to a chair. The man’s knee and ankle were bleeding and Ravenna was pointing a gun at his head.

“Oh! We have a guest, captain Levi… this man tried to get inside the castle, good thing my guard dog has a sharp nose,” he smiled as if he didn’t have a man moaning in pain in front of him.

“Who is it?” he asked and gestured to Eren and the men in his squad to keep their distance.

“We’re trying to find out, but I have an idea,” Flavio answered, he didn’t look very worried about this intrusion.

“Who sent you?! Answer me or I’ll shoot your balls!” Ravenna hit the man across his face with the barrel of her gun.

“Fuck you and your piece of shit councilor… You aren’t a Royal Councilor, the only reason you’re in the Council is because you fucked the King, fuuuck,” the councilor pressed the wound on his knee which interrupted him.

“I sucked some dicks, but that’s just part of the game. Not even the most conservative man can refuse anything to this beautiful face, and I’m sure the great Alastor Pallas is aware of that… He sent you, didn’t he?” Flavio pressed his wound harder this time and the man screamed in pain.

“The man with the cane at the trial?” Levi asked because he was one of the few men who stood out in the crow of noble faces.

“I bet he fantasizes about inserting that cane deep in my asshole, too bad I’ll enjoy it. He has despised me since the day I stepped into the Royal Palace. I might be a perverted beast but he’s a different kind of evil, the Pallas empire sits on a rotten foundation,” he pressed the man’s wounds again and that almost break him.

“The nobles are the same, they’re all pigs… whatever you do with him, don’t leave his body around, and don’t throw him in that well… It might be used for the experiments with Eren,” the captain said and let him do what he thought was the best course of action.

“You’ll regret allowing a monster inside the Walls! You’ll regret it, captain Levi!” the man yelled at him as he walked back to the castle.

Maybe he would regret it, but there wasn’t a way to know it that sunny day at the abandoned castle. They completed some training exercises to make sure Eren learned to synchronize with the rest of the squad the best he could. He was a fast learner, mostly due to his dedication which he hoped would work in their favor on the expedition.

Her brown ponytail hit her face when she dismounted. Hange arrived at sunset with her squad and a couple of carriages followed her. He resisted the urge of grabbing her by the waist and greeted her as if she was one more of his comrades. She smiled and announced they had distinguished guests, and exactly as he predicted a blonde woman climbed down the carriage. Her dark blue cape contrasted with her golden curls which gave her a similar royal presence as the idiot inside the castle. He wondered how many poor people sewed her embroidered clothes.

“Captain Levi! A pleasure to see you again. The commander granted us permission to visit the castle for a couple of days, our new sponsor wanted to learn more about… the development of the project she’s gladly paying for,” Teresa Ignacio greeted him with a big smile on her face.

“I’m sure he did,” Levi murmured and Hange stepped in front of him to welcome the new sponsor.

“You must be Hange Zoë, the Titan scientist of the Survey Corps. I’ve heard many things about you, mostly good things from Teresa I must say,” a young woman who somehow was familiar to him met them at the entrance of the castle. Her long chestnut hair fell in curls on her shoulders, and she was wearing an elegant dress with big shoulder pads and a corset underneath that shaped her slim waist.

“She’s Elara Pallas, granddaughter of Alastor Pallas,” Teresa smiled, and Levi felt like someone punched him between his legs.

“It’s an honor to have you here,” Hange kissed her hand as any gentleman would do, but he snorted and guided the servants to a room where these noblewomen could stay. “We’re training for the next expedition, but I’m the one working on the thing you’re interested in… I’m going to do a couple of experiments here. I always carry my notes with me, so we can talk about the details of the project later.”

“It must be a heavy weight to carry humanity’s wings of freedom,” the woman complimented them, but Levi wasn’t amused by her presence, considering the events of that morning. It was too suspicious that she arrived the same day they found the spy on the castle grounds.

“Speaking of the devil… this morning I was talking about your grandfather with captain Levi, my lady” the councilor’s sarcastic tone hit different when it was directed to noble pigs.

“I’m sure you showered him in flowers,” Elara responded and she didn’t offer her hand to greet him.

“Alastor doesn’t know you’re here, does he?” Flavio’s smile widened.

“Of course, he doesn’t, he’ll cut my throat if he knows I’m helping the Survey Corps… we should talk, Flavio… privately,” her light honey-colored eyes pierced the councilor and her profile reminded him of Hange, maybe it was the effect of them having a similar nose shape but her face was eerily familiar.

“How is this abandoned castle treating you?” Teresa asked the councilor, he rolled his eyes which was the same reaction the Ignacio woman provoked in him.

“Captain Levi and his squad have done wonders with the place, they cleaned and decorated the rooms so efficiently it almost feels like home,” he answered looking at Hange’s behind instead of the woman he was speaking to.

“The strongest soldier is impressive, isn’t he?”

“Oh! He’s quite impressive in many areas or so I heard,” Flavio gave Hange a knowing smile when she turned around to talk to their new guests.

“Come with us to the dining hall, so we can talk more comfortably,” Hange invited them, ignoring the councilor’s remarks.

Levi showed the servants of the nobles the floor where the guests could stay. They had cleaned the left wing of the castle as well thanks to his clean freak habits. The rooms weren’t luxurious, but these visitors weren’t supposed to be there in the first place. He didn’t care about their opinions either. He roamed the rooms of the castle avoiding the dining hall because he wasn’t in the mood to play the polite idiot for the pigs’ amusement.

He was sitting on a sofa near the window of the office he saved for Erwin in case he visited them. Hange had agreed to come an hour after dinner, they needed to exchange news besides fucking. Two knocks on the door were the signal she often used and that’s exactly the sound he heard. He locked the door and kissed her hungrily, she responded by throwing her arms around his neck, and soon her back hit the wall. The intensity of his kisses made her moan softly before they separated, panting and desperate to fall into each other’s arms again.

“We… need to talk first,” she whispered placing a finger on his lips.

“What the hell are these pigs doing here?” he asked, frustrated.

“Teresa convinced this noblewoman to sponsor the development of the new weapon. She said she was already interested in collaborating with the Survey Corps, but she had doubts because her grandfather is one of the most powerful men in the interior. He isn’t fond of us,” Hange sat on the desk where she threw her notes.

“What made her change her mind?”

“The trial… and Eren’s appearance. She agrees with our belief that this is an unprecedented opportunity for a counterattack, and we can’t waste it. Teresa said she’s different from her grandfather, she’s a decent human or at least those are the rumors,” she continued, he didn’t like this situation.

“They caught a spy today, the silver pig thinks he was sent by the Pallas man. I don’t know what he did with him… Hange, I want them gone… and soon,” his fist landed on the desk and she pulled him into her.

“I know… they will be gone in the blink of an eye, just ignore them. They’re here for me,” she rubbed her nose against his cheek, sending shivers down his spine.

“Are you… here for me?” he said and caressed her legs.

“I came to see you, the experiments are… a shitty excuse,” she smiled and nibbled on his earlobe.

“The noble pig won’t hear us here,” he assured her and kissed her again.

He unbuckled the harness on her chest and the straps around her waist, and her thighs blindly while she did the same to him between fervent kisses. Their uniforms fell to the floor slowly, he ran his lips over each part of her body bare to him. He pulled her top over her head and she pressed their naked chests together. He couldn’t leave her mouth alone, so they made out for a couple of minutes while he caressed her back.

He left a trail of kisses down her neck, collarbone, and between her breasts as her breathing accelerated. His tongue brushed her nipples and she tilted her head back, her hands on the desk and she trapped him between her legs. She smelled fresh, a lavender scent filled his senses when he closed his mouth around her nipple and sucked until it turned hard. He lowered her zipper and slid his hands under her underwear, sinking her fingers in her wetness. She bucked her hips and moaned louder in response to his finger drawing circles around her sensitive nub.

“Tell me… what you want me to do,” he whispered against her lips.

“I want… you… to… put your dick inside me… and… fuck me,” she kissed him and moved against his hand.

“That’s the only order I’ll care to follow tonight,” Levi responded, pulling all her clothes down.

“You’re… bleeding, your arm,” she said grabbing his arm to take a closer look, she was still wearing her glasses or she wouldn’t have seen it.

“It’s… not important, we had an encounter in the forest… with a wolf,” he reluctantly explained and tried to kiss her, but she dodged him.

“It’s a serious scratch, Levi… you should have told me, I need to bring some medicine,” she was going to climb down the desk, but he held her hips and kept her in place.

“It doesn’t hurt, I forgot it was there… don’t make me wait anymore, you can clean it later,” he kissed her neck while pressing her body against him.

“I… I’ll clean it… before you escape to your room,” she smiled, lowering his zipper.

He removed the rest of his clothes and climbed on top of her on the desk. She clamped her legs in a strong grip around his hips. The sweet sensation when penetrating her flesh was unique, it never failed to make him gasp in pleasure. She held onto the desk and moaned with his slow thrusts. He took off her glasses and kissed her as he picked up speed. The desk moved a little, but it didn’t rattle as loudly as other furniture in the old castle.

Sweat slipped down his black hair, and she looked so beautiful under him. He leaned down to reach her mouth, but she stopped him and the expression of pleasure on her face changed. She was scared and for a second he thought she saw something behind him. He slowed down and tried to get closer, but she screamed. He had never heard Hange Zoë scream in horror or fear. He stepped away from her because something was wrong and his presence wasn’t doing her any good.

Hange sat on the desk, panting and her eyes were open. However, she was seeing a different reality. She wasn’t there in the office with him, and he knew this was the result of the unspeakable things the demon she called father did to her. He extended his arm to touch her and bring her back to him, but she shoved him away as if he was a monster.

“Hange… I’m here with you,” he said, she still looked disoriented. “Hange… talk to me,”

“I’m sorry… I… I thought… I thought you were someone else,” she explained. A tear ran down her cheeks. What else could he do to relieve the pain in her heart?

“We… don’t have to fuck if it makes you feel like this,” he whispered against her lips. He wanted to hear her scream in pleasure, not pain. They could wait if she needed time.

“You always make me feel good. It’s just that… he has been in my mind since… Flavio mentioned him,” she confessed. He cleaned her tears with his fingers. Hange didn’t deserve to cry, and it pained him to witness her suffering.

“I’m here… with you. That motherfucker won’t touch you again as long as I’m by your side,” he promised. He would cut his head off before allowing him to look at her again.

“And you’ll stay by my side until we see the world outside the Walls,” she whispered with a smile.

“I’ll stay by your side after that too,” he said, caressing her cheek. Was this love? This pressure in his chest and the need to wipe the tears off her face. Did that woman see what he couldn’t?

Her lips brushed against his and she kissed him softly. Passion guided them to deepen their kisses, he moved to her neck and she allowed him to continue his journey down her body. He lay her on the desk and placed more kisses below her hips. Their eyes met and she nodded, so he moved his tongue up and down her sex. She caressed his head as he tasted the flavor of her arousal. He found her erect nub and sucked it carefully, she trembled and moaned as he increased her pleasure by licking and sucking at a rapid pace. 

His face was coated in her fluids when he lifted her and took her to the sofa near the window. He threw himself on his back, leaving her on top of him. She cleaned his face with her tongue and she giggled when he kissed her every time she licked his lips. Forget about everything and just kiss me , he thought, enjoying the weight of her slender body on him. She slid down his erection which was begging for some love at this point. Hange moved up and down fast until she arched her back and her insides contracted around him. She recovered and fell on top of him, she kissed him while going back and forth on his length. 

His hands roamed her back, he reached her buttcheeks and guided her because she was distracted by her approaching orgasm. Part of their moans, groans, and screams was suffocated with intense kisses, but they were far from the bedrooms. Her happiness was more important than rumors about them. He dreamed of screaming at the top of his lungs that she was his after all. The tears had disappeared, there was sweat and saliva on her skin as it should be.  

He straightened himself and thrust into her with renovated energy. She wrapped her arms around his neck and her hips followed his rhythm. He grunted in her ear, and she responded with her own sounds. The night wasn’t cold anymore as they kissed, slowly climbing to an ecstatic peak. He massaged her breasts, putting her nipples between his fingers. She bit her lips, her body stiffened, and he pounded into her faster. A wave of orgasms shook her and when he finally came, she lay on top of him, tired and content. 

“Did you bathe? You smell different,” he said and kissed her hand. 

“I bathed thinking about you, I got some herbs and new essences,” she smiled. Her fingertips traveling on his chest comforted him. 

“You know I don’t care how you smell, but I like lavender scents,” Levi confessed and smiled a little. 

“I remembered… we ruined your work here, we’ll have to clean this office again”

“Erwin isn’t coming tomorrow, and if he is… I’ll show him another place or the tall idiot will know we fucked on his desk,” he whispered and removed some strands of her hair from her face.

“Thank you… for staying by my side, and I’m sorry you had to see me… like that earlier,” her eyes glistened and he was going to do everything in his power to stop her from crying. 

“I’m yours and you’re mine,” she nodded and smiled into their kiss. 

She crawled down and took him in her mouth without a warm-up, he shuddered and closed his eyes. Her warm breath hitting the head of his cock as she rested to slide it in her throat again, was heaven. She wasn’t afraid of trying the things that elicited a positive response from him. Hange was wild and bold like that beast in the woods when conducting her research and experiments, and those characteristics extrapolated to her sensual behavior in bed.   

They stayed in the office passed midnight, changing positions and trying the hardness of the furniture. They concluded that one of the chairs needed to be replaced or the next person would end up on the floor. Then Hange cleaned the scratch on his arm and recommended he take care of the wound until it healed completely. He walked her to her room, grabbed her by the waist, and kissed her as if they hadn’t fucked the whole night. It was never enough, and sometimes that scared him. Was this love? The idea Ravenna planted in his mind was taking shape in front of him. 

Chapter Text

A pair of dark angry eyes looked at her from inside the well, a spine-chilling rage irradiated from the void opening deep below the ground. The kind of rage that acted as a veil, blinding people to the violence of their actions. She knew how that poison burned in your veins. She knew that man could kill if given the chance. Levi cursed next to her and turned to face the councilor who was cheerfully walking towards them with his guard dog behind him. He asked permission to witness the experiments with Eren, but they had to sort out the problem inside the well before providing their enemies with sensible information about their plans.

“I told you not to throw him inside the well, bastard!” Levi’s angry voice reached her as Teresa leaned over the edge of the well.

“Alphonse can take care of him if you need it,” the blonde woman said, completely unfazed by the unexpected discovery.

“I… need to inform Erwin,” Hange sighed. She had been expecting to start the day differently.

“He fell… unfortunately, but I’m sure our new guest has met him before,” Flavio didn’t stop smiling and Levi was probably making an inhuman effort not to beat him up.

“She has nothing to do with Alastor’s businesses as you’re insinuating,” Teresa responded while Alphonse watched the councilor’s movements closely.

“Oh! She’s an innocent victim of the evil people around her,” the councilor’s mocking tone angered the noblewoman.

“Take him out of the well! I won’t put any of my soldiers in danger for your bullshit,” Levi ordered, tired of being caught up in the noble’s drama.

“He’s a danger to no one, he’s all tied up like a pig.”

“Did you at least get the information you wanted out of him?” Teresa asked, crossing her arms.

“He’s one of Palla’s goons… What else is there to know?” Flavio replied nonchalantly.

“I won’t repeat myself… Take him out of there!”

“For fuck’s sake, I’m tired of this!” Ravenna took out her gun and pointed at the man inside the well, but she shot in the wrong direction. Hange had hit her arm, preventing her from shooting her target.

The woman pointed the gun at the well again, but Hange held her arm. This was the second time this morning she met her gaze with a killer. The feline eyes pierced hers, and a secret hatred towards her guided the other hand that slapped her violently. Her head turned as a consequence of the impact, but she didn’t let go of the hand holding the gun. Ravenna’s knee hit her stomach, and she punched her in the nose. The councilor’s guard dog backed away and pointed the gun at her out of pure rage.

“This is the Survey Corps HQ… the commander will decide the man’s fate,” Hange announced, furious. 

“I’ll kill you if you get on my way again, bitch!” the black-haired woman kept the gun between them.

“Ravenna! Enough! Don’t you dare point your gun at another soldier in my presence.” 

Flavio’s tone and expression changed so abruptly, anyone would believe he was a different man. There were no traces of the cheerful smile he was showing to Levi a few minutes ago.

“Understood, sir,” she reluctantly responded, lowering her gun.

Did she hate her for the sake of it, or was it because of her relationship with Levi? Could it be that this dangerous woman had feelings for him? A hand touched her throbbing cheek, and the blonde noblewoman inspected her face, apparently worried about her. Hange smiled at her and ordered her squad to stay away from the yard until they received orders from Erwin regarding the man in the well. Teresa promised to help by taking him out of there and keeping him under Alphonse’s watch. She wasn’t completely sure that was the best decision, but she needed some space to focus on the experiments.

The ink dripped onto her paper, erasing a word in her notes. She copied it again before it disappeared in a pool of darkness, like the void that stared at her with murderous intent earlier. Titans weren’t easy to fight, but humans were more complicated. The small world inside the Walls had been a constraint beehive, insects piling up one on top of the other for a hundred years, and they had run out of space. Eren Jaeger stirred that beehive, and now there weren’t only people suffocating, but others were stepping on the weak ones, fighting to be the first to reach the secret hidden in the basement.

A creaking sound saved her from drowning in her thoughts. The elegant woman who had arrived the day before opened the door. Hange invited her to sit at the desk where she was working on her theories. She thanked her, but she walked up to the bookshelf behind her and inspected the titles of the books. Most of the books in the offices contained old military information or were written in strange languages they couldn’t speak.

“The History of Humankind… I never believed the history of our species could be summarized in one book,” the woman said. Her hands covered in delicate lace gloves glided from one book to the next.

“It’s possible if we’re only including the last hundred years,” Hange responded. Why did she feel like looking into a blurred mirror when putting her eyes on her? “Are you fond of books?”

“I am. Although my family has an unfortunate history with books, they have fascinated me since I was young,” she confessed, picking one from the shelf.

“Unfortunate?”

“My grandfather had a son before my mother. He was indoctrinated from a young age to inherit the family’s empire. His life was planned from the day he was born. He was to become a member of the military. Then marry a woman from a prestigious noble family, and have a child who in turn was going to become another puppet under my grandfather’s strings. However, he had a plan of his own.

“He secretly collected books on various subjects for years and kept them behind lock and key in a small house. My grandfather was furious when he found out, burned them all, and threatened to turn the family house into a prison for him. He… died in an accident. My mother used to say that my interest in books reminded her of him,” Elara sighed and leaned on the desk, almost sitting on it.

“It’s awful… people who want to control others.”

“You, on the other hand, fight for freedom… I grew up hearing vile things about the Survey Corps. I believed them until I was old enough to understand the meaning of those Walls surrounding us. The scouts didn’t look so stupid then,” she smiled. If she weren’t the granddaughter of a powerful, rich man, she would have thought her smile was genuine.

“You’re interested in the new anti-Titan weapon, aren’t you?” she asked as politely as she could manage.

“You don’t need to share every detail with me… you don’t trust me,” the young woman met her gaze.

“I… don’t trust many people besides my comrades,” she thought of Erwin and his words about her relationship with Teresa.

“Do you think this weapon will give us an advantage over the Titans?”

“I believe we have more chances than past expeditions,” Hange turned to her papers, wondering if her apparent honesty was hiding other intentions.

“I’ll trust your brilliant mind, Hange Zoë,” Elara assured her and walked towards the door. Why did she come if she wasn’t going to force the information out of her mouth?

Tired, she took off her glasses and the memory of the previous night still mortified her. She hadn’t thought about him in years. She naively convinced herself he had died, hoping she wouldn’t have to face him again. She closed her eyes for an instant, and there he was, right in front of her. His round glasses shone in the dim light of the afternoon sun. He wanted to destroy her, break her into a million pieces as he did when she was a child. He would hurt everyone who meant something to her, starting with Levi.

He was playing with a small chamomile flower between his fingers. Zoë used to like flowers, she would decorate her chestnut braids with spring blossoms, and she smelled of summer. She liked to smile as well. She had the brightest smile on her deathbed. They had everything, didn’t they? It wasn’t fair to those dying outside the Walls. It wasn’t fair to the humans dreaming of freedom. Destiny gave her a taste of the cruelty she would witness away from home.

The evil man extended a hand, and she backed away quickly as if he was a poisonous being that would spread its rotten roots in her body. His lips deformed in a crooked grin, and there was a dark green spot on her palm like the drop of ink in her notes. The spot expanded and slithered under her skin until it tore it open. The green mixed with the red of her blood reinforced the idea that she was corrupted. His madness was threatening to eat her alive.

A teardrop fell on the desk and a feminine voice woke her up. Nifa announced that it was almost evening and Moblit had returned with Erwin’s instructions. She was ordered to return to HQ and start the tests of the new weapon. The intruder was to be escorted to the castle with her, he had plans to take him to the Military Police and show the nobles they weren’t intimidated by this kind of apparent display of power. The noblewomen were supposed to follow her, so at least Levi would take a break from them.

Hange was accommodating the saddle on her horse when a shadow at the entrance of the stable caught her by surprise. The short captain walked towards her, grabbed the back of her head, and kissed her full on the mouth. The fear of being watched by the wrong person froze her at first, but the heat of his lips clouded her mind, and she responded eagerly to his kisses. His hand slid down her waist, and he pulled her into him. She surrounded his neck with her arms, but a couple of voices approaching forced them to separate.

“Erwin wants me to start testing the improved weapon,” she explained, paying attention to her horse again.

“What about the experiments with Eren?” Levi asked, gazing at Nifa, Keiji, and Lauda.

“The weapon is a priority now, but I’ll come back if we have time to try the experiments before the expedition,” Hange sighed and smiled at him.

“The cart is ready, squad leader!” Lauda announced, guiding his horse outside.

“Hope you could take the silver pig with you, but he seems determined to stay and annoy everyone in this castle,” he snorted. 

“I’ll ask Erwin if he can come up with an excuse to distract him,” she smiled again, even though she would miss him.

“I doubt he will have time for such things. He gave permission to the Ignacio woman to bring more people here in the first place,” he reminded her with a frown on his handsome features.

“Don’t kill the councilor yet, captain.”

“You’re constantly saying it, I’m gonna believe you actually care about him,” Levi scoffed and followed her outside.

They mounted the horses and rode to the Survey Corps HQ without making avoidable stops. It was a couple of hours past midnight when the soldiers from Mike’s squad welcomed them. Nanaba’s short blonde hair was gold under the torches. She informed her the commander had requested her presence as soon as she arrived.

A pair of feet cast shadows under the door of the commander’s office. She guessed he would be alone, but considering the incident with the noblewoman, she knocked on the door first. Erwin’s deep voice indicated her to enter. He was sitting at his desk, inspecting a map, and she noticed the cup of wine on the table. She stood in front of him, but he gestured her to sit down. If he was tired, he was hiding it well. He had done a marvelous job in inspiring new cadets to join the Survey Corps. Maybe they had decided it the day they lost friends in Trost, and his words pushed them to step forward and become scouts.

He explained his plans for the intruder while pouring wine for her. She didn’t reject his subtle invitation to drink with him. The alcohol wasn’t strong enough to burn her throat as she wished it did though. She listened to him for half an hour, giving her opinion when he asked for one. However, there was an uncomfortable air between them, as if there was something left unsaid. Suddenly, his cold stare changed into a soft gaze.  

“The Military Police found the laboratory of herbal medicine. As expected, they didn’t find evidence of any crime,” Erwin said, and she downed her wine.

“They won’t… they aren’t doing a real investigation. It’s just bullshit to pretend they care,” Hange responded, pouring more wine into her cup.

“I’ve ordered a background check on that man, Hange,” he left the information lingering in the air. ”They haven’t found a single record with that name yet… did you know that?”

“I guessed as much… He… never mentioned a family or the place he was born, and he had financial resources… We lived comfortably, considering he wasn’t a merchant or someone with political power. You saw the house, it’s a pretty house for a… commoner,” she pushed her glasses up to the top of her head and drank more wine.

“He has probably made a living out of his concoctions, the ones that kill people which are more profitable,” he held her cup before it reached her mouth. “I promised I won’t force you to face him, but if there’s information you can provide that might help us identify him… talk to me, Hange,” she nodded, and he let her drink more.

“The new sponsor… she wants me to trust her. Have you talked to her?”

“We had a short conversation, but most of the negotiations were made through Teresa. She required discretion, since Alastor Pallas will kill us all if he knows his own assets were invested in the Survey Corps,” he replied. He didn’t use her last name.

“You decided to trust her because Teresa said so,” her words were too straightforward, and she regretted uttering them immediately.

“I trust my comrades. I have my reservations regarding other people, and you know it… I’ve taken precautions before allowing them to dig into our plans for the next expedition. There’s a tower a few kilometers from here, deep in the forest… for the tests of the new weapon,” he handed her a map with a mark in the middle of nowhere.

“How many people from my squad can I take?”

“All of them if you need them. There won’t be recruits in your squad.”

“I’ll order them to transport the materials there tonight,” she announced and left the office with her thoughts scattered and a new fear creeping on her.

Lauda and Abel carried the explosives and materials for the weapon to a cart under her supervision. Dawn was one hour away, they had to hurry before the rest of the soldiers woke up. Mike offered his help and was carrying a heavy crate with her subordinates. She grabbed the sharp hooks that almost pierced her skull, sighed, and threw them in a box. She couldn’t fail in the next expedition, the future of the Survey Corps rested on her shoulders as much as on Eren’s abilities.

Hange climbed on the cart and checked the boxes and crates. She would spend the next weeks working with dangerous materials and without sleeping for days at a time. She would also be away from him, and maybe they won’t see each other for two months. That was their fate, wasn’t it? They had different roles to play in humanity’s service. They didn’t have the luxury of making their own selfish decisions.

Nanaba loosened her ponytail and was massaging her shoulders slowly. They were sitting on her bed. She had followed her to her room, and she didn’t complain because it had been long since they shared a moment of peace. She kneaded the tense muscles of her back. The blonde woman’s miraculous hands were relaxing her, so she closed her eyes and leaned on her. Her lips brushed her cheek from time to time. Suddenly she was caressing her breasts in circular motions. It felt great, but she was worried about her friend’s intentions. 

“Nana… I… I-” she started to say, but Nanaba gave her a peck on her lips. 

“You have a couple of knots here. It’s been a stressful day, huh?” 

“I guess it’s an awful morning when someone tries to shoot you,” she replied. Her hands were back on her shoulders. 

“I knew you would return feeling like shit when I heard the Royal Councilor was there. He’s a handsome piece of shit though,” Nanaba smiled. 

“He is… but he’s a fucking idiot. A dangerous idiot, the worst kind,” Hange admitted. 

“He isn’t the strongest soldier,” she whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine. 

“I won’t… see him for weeks, maybe months.”

“I doubt it, you or he will come up with an idea to see each other again. He is… crazy about you.”

“Do you think so?” she asked, even though she knew it. Petra had said it as well. 

He’s in love with you… his heart belongs to you.

“Hange… I’m not stupid. I don’t understand him very well, but even I can see he cares about you.”  

Her hands were soft, and she was touching her so delicately that she started to doze off. The blonde woman noticed and released her from the harness around her chest. Then she removed her boots and unfastened the leather straps around her thighs.

The woman’s hands ran along her inner thigh over the fabric of her pants from one strap to the other. The pressure disappeared, and the belt surrounding her waist vanished as well. Then someone lowered her zipper and she felt breathing between her legs, a warm gust of air caressed her skin. A tingle was born in that place, and it spread quickly to the rest of her body. Levi wasn’t here, she had left him back at the old HQ.

Hange opened her eyes wide and sat immediately. A blonde head was dangerously close to her zipper. She placed a hand on her shoulders, stopping her friend. Nanaba looked up at her with a mischievous smile. She was about to say something when the woman kissed the corner of her lips, sweetly and slowly. She murmured that the short, grumpy man was a pain in the ass and wished her a good night. What am I going to do without you, Levi? She thought and lay on her bed in a fetal position.

A flock of birds flew from the trees in the forest after a loud explosion made the ground tremble. Hange screamed, excited to analyze the results of the test. She flew to the tree where the hooks landed using her maneuver gear. A couple of loose cables robbed her of the victory she was craving. Two weeks had passed of nonstop research and trials, but some adjustments still needed to be made. She cursed under her breath and ordered her squad to gather all the equipment and store it in the tower. 

“I don’t think the material of the cable is the problem, squad leader,” Moblit commented, looking at the barrels. 

“No, the cables aren’t the issue. It’s probably the force of the shooting mechanism. I need to make new calculations,” she sighed, thinking about the few weeks they had left.

“The idea to shoot the other side of the wires to the tree trunks seems to be working,” her assistant added. 

“At least not everything has failed… you can go back to HQ with the others at sunset,” she said, turning in the direction of a galloping horse. 

“What about you?”

“I’ll stay for a couple of hours and head back at night,” Hange replied, walking towards the beautiful Elara Pallas who just arrived with Mike and some soldiers of his squad. 

“A pleasure to meet you again, Hange Zoë,” Elara extended her hand and Hange kissed it gently. 

“It’s a welcome surprise to see you here, my lady,” the noble was wearing one of those dresses with a tight corset underneath.

“The commander invited me to discuss our investment,” she smiled as Hange grabbed her by the waist to help her dismount safely. 

“We just finish today’s tests, but I can gladly show you the results,” Hange explained and let go of the woman’s waist. 

“You’re so kind… I will appreciate it if you use a vocabulary a person like me can understand.”

“I promise even a child will make sense of this information,” she smiled under Mike’s watch. 

“Would you be honest with me? Will it be ready for the next expedition?”

“Of course… we’ve been adjusting some details to an early prototype we had. Depending on next week’s results, we’ll start the mass production of the weapon,” she smiled, confident of solving their problems by then. 

“How do you stay so positive when facing monsters?” this wasn’t the first time someone had asked her such a question. 

“I…. have to do it or… nobody else will,” she gave the simple answer because she didn’t want to dwell on her past. 

“Erwin Smith is awakening my grandfather’s rage. The last time he lost his temper, he burned down a house,” Elara said with a worried expression. She was scared of her own grandfather. 

“The Survey Corps has that effect on noble people, but that shouldn’t be a surprise for you,” she opened the door of the tower and invited her inside. 

“That’s the problem… He has changed since the second attack… he seems to be on edge as if he had a plan which has been altered by unpredictable events,” the woman inspected the room that Hange had transformed into a workshop. 

“A plan?” she repeated the word that caught her attention. 

“A plan… I’ve seen more priests from the Wall cult coming to his house. My brother said they have had meetings, but he refuses to talk about them.”

“I didn’t know Alastor Pallas was a religious man,” she pointed out while putting her notes in order. 

“He isn’t,” Elara sentenced. She wondered why this woman wanted her trust. 

Hange shared some information about the weapon with the noble. She nodded and explained what she understood in her own words. She was smart, even though she gave the wrong impression at first glance. The scientist couldn’t help but think they would have been good friends if she didn’t belong to the class of selfish pigs. At some points during their conversation, she noticed her profile looked like a person she had met before. However, Teresa Ignacio was one of the few rich individuals she had talked to in past years. 

Elara’s kindness felt genuine, and she wanted to believe her, but the blonde noblewoman had been around for longer. She still didn’t trust her completely. A person who owned a house, and servants, and hadn’t gone hungry a single day of their life to be fighting for humanity’s freedom was too good to be true. Her elegant embroidered clothes were different from the rags she had worn while traveling the districts between the outer Walls. That time she was convinced her nightmare had ended.  

Tormented by her past, exhausted and lonely, she drank almost two bottles of a strong liquor she found in a tavern in town. Mike sat down next to her at the top of the tower where she had been working with the new weapon. The rest of his squad had escorted Elara Pallas to HQ.

He listened to her inconsistent ramblings that went from her Titan theories to why Erwin wasn’t fucking a beauty like Teresa. He would add some random comments, but he let her vent all she wanted. He had tried to stop her from drinking too much, but she would threaten to yell at him, so he watched her almost drown herself in alcohol.

“Is this about him?” he suddenly asked while she was pouring more alcohol into her glass. It was the second bottle, and she didn’t understand half of the things that were happening around her, but she didn’t care.

“Him? Erwin?” she asked and adjusted her glasses as if that would help her concentrate.

“Levi…” he said and watched her reaction closely.

“Men… you think everything revolves around your dicks,” she downed her alcohol at once.

“So… if this breakdown isn’t for him, you must be very tired, “he concluded and poured some liquor from the bottle into his glass.

“Who’s…? I’m not breaking… I’m just… I just want to go back… I just want to… see him for… a fucking minute…” she said without thinking.

“I thought you said this wasn’t about him.”

“Mike… I’m so fucked… in every sense of the word,” she confessed, and the back of her head bumped against the wall.

“If it makes you feel better, it was bound to happen… sooner or later,” he said.

“What… what do you… mean, you giant idiot.”

“You’re the opposites of the same coin, it’s impossible to fight a strong chemistry like that…”

“Is that what happens between you and Nanaba? Strong chemistry?” she asked, sinking her finger in his cheek.

“It… might be,” he whispered. The fact that he didn’t deny it, sobered her up for a second. 

“She wants to fuck me, you know?” 

“She has said it… a couple of times,” this moment of brutal honesty surprised her. “The new sponsor looks like you, doesn’t she?”

“It’s the nose… and that’s it. She has big breasts, well… even you have bigger breasts than me,” she laughed, but Elara Pallas was indeed a beautiful woman.

“You have an attractive body… I’ve seen it,” Mike smiled, and she hit his arm as she usually did when he spoke nonsense. “Many soldiers fantasize about you.”

“They probably wonder if I name dicks just like Titans… Mike, if this weapon doesn’t work, I’m going to be so fucked… but not in a pleasurable way,” she sighed. Capturing a mindless Titan wasn’t an easy task, let alone an intelligent one. 

“It will work. You and Erwin’s plans rarely fail. Many soldiers will die though and that worries me. We haven’t faced an intelligent Titan in the field yet,” Mike said. It was their duty to make those sacrifices to help humanity give a step forward in their fight for freedom. 

“Mike… I think I’m gonna stay in this tower, I can’t walk to HQ,” she concluded. 

“I’ll stay with you. I don’t feel like going back tonight either,” the tall man smiled, and she cuddled up against him. 

The nights in the forest were cold without him. She fell asleep after the second bottle, hoping to find him in her dreams. A sweet touch on her cheek woke her up the next morning. She was lying on a lounge sofa in her workshop. A pair of warm lips gave her a gentle kiss on her mouth and she opened her eyes ready to punch whoever did it, but she found a familiar sour face leaning down. She didn’t say anything and kissed him again, hungrily, throwing her arms around his neck. 

He was kneeling in front of her, grabbed her by the waist, and pulled her into him to the edge of the sofa. His mouth moved to her neck while he unfastened the leather straps on her thighs, pressing his palm against her zipper, and she slid his jacket down his arms. He lifted her up and carried her to the table covered in her notes and papers. He was unbuttoning her shirt when she remembered it was daylight outside. 

“Wait… no… the… squad, they’re coming,” she managed to say. 

“It’s a day off… the only one outside is Zacharias,” he responded and kissed her passionately. 

“How… why… what are… you doing here?” Hange asked between caresses and kisses. 

“The silver pig promised Eren to reunite him with his friends before… the expedition. Erwin gave us permission to come today.”

“I’m… so fucking happy you’re here. I’ve missed you, Levi,” she confessed, cupping his face. 

“I… I would have come up with any shit to see you,” he whispered against her lips.”We… don’t have to… if-”

“I want you… I want to be yours.”

He opened her shirt while she did the same with his. There was despair again, the need to feel his skin on hers. They pulled the top binding her chest over her head and they glued to each other, surrendering to the magnetic pull drawing them closer. His tongue danced in her mouth. She moaned when his fingers drew circles on her nipples, arching her back in response. He rolled his lips down her neck, and her breasts, but he stopped over the waistband of her pants. 

She lowered her own zipper, and he guided his erection between her thighs. He gazed at the door behind him, so she caressed his undercut and kissed him again. He penetrated her with his mouth still on hers. The strength of his first thrust pushed the table against the wall, she wrapped her legs around his waist in order not to slip away from him. Pleasure overruled her worries, tiredness, and the calculations to fix the weapon. She moaned louder than expected as he hit her insides again with his signature energy. 

The tools fell from the table, her notes crumpled under her hands, and they knocked down her bottle of ink. The blackness spread on the papers and stained the wooden surface like roots sinking into the ground. He held onto the table and reached a steady pace. She followed the movements of his hips. Her first orgasm was pure heat climbing up from the pit of her belly until it became a raging fire, burning her from head to toe. She dragged her nails across his shoulders when another spasm of pleasure tightened the grip she had on his waist. 

He slowed down, encircled her waist, and planted a kiss on her shoulder. He repeated the sweet kisses all the way to her earlobe. He nibbled on it, pulling it a little while she kneaded the muscles of his back. Tenderness replaced violence and her senses heightened. She felt his soft lips brushing her skin, dissipating the fatigue with his touch. Those lips were on her jaw, massaging it, then he sucked a sensitive part of her neck, weakening her legs. 

The delicious torture continued on her breast. He glided the lips that were driving her crazy around her nipple, and she tilted her head back, urging him to do more. He barely grazed the tip, delaying their encounter. He kissed her stomach, explored her belly button with his tongue, and she was dying to feel it between her legs. She grew so impatient that she pushed him onto the chair, and straddled him with the intention of dominating the situation, but his mouth caught her nipple and she gave in. 

He started to suck, coating it with his saliva. He pressed her tip with his tongue, and she lost concentration. She was planning to sit on his dick, but she couldn’t open her eyes or keep her mouth closed. He grabbed her bottom and pulled her closer, his length rubbing against her nub which was painfully hard. Hange tried to position herself, so he could penetrate her again, but he moved, sliding between her lips. She shuddered, desire was making her dizzy. 

“What… the…. fuck… are you doing?” she asked breathlessly. 

“You’re… delicious,” he replied with a timid smile. 

“Stay… stay with me the rest of the day… just you and me in this tower, and let’s fuck until tomorrow,” she whispered and bumped their foreheads together. 

“You know I have no objections but-”

“Forget about Erwin… we can say I needed your help with the super secret weapon,” she interrupted him. She needed him to stay. 

“Hange, is this because of… that man?” he caressed her cheeks. 

“No, I missed you, and you’ll have to go again… soon, I just… want to be in your arms, like this for as long as I can,” she confessed. Her heart was beating fast in her chest. There was a limit of words they could use to express the need to be together. 

“I want to be with you too… If I stay I’ll fuck you senseless… we’re not going to stop even if you get tired,” he decided, maybe impulsively, but she smiled nonetheless. 

They kissed to seal the promise, lovingly, separating their lips lazily. He surrounded her with his arms and deepened the kiss, stealing her breath. She moaned into his mouth when their tongues met. The erotic friction between her breasts and his chest fueled the lust that usually took over their encounters. She had been afraid he was only an apparition, the product of a hangover when he woke her up with a kiss. She wanted this day in the tower to last an eternity. 

He slapped her behind and told her to take her pants off. She obeyed and he turned her around. He sat her on his lap, slid inside her, and she bounced up and down, facing one of the many windows of the room. His hands massaged her breasts from behind, and she remembered Mike was downstairs when she heard footsteps between her moans. He wouldn't open the door knowing they were having sex, would he? She accelerated her rhythm, even though the uncertainty of her comrade's actions was occupying her mind. 

The footsteps stopped behind the door of her workshop. He must be hearing the unmistakable sound of skin on skin, their grunts, and the creaking chair. She screamed as a strong orgasm pulsated through her flesh. No one opened the door, and Levi whispered in her ear that she couldn’t rest yet. 

Chapter Text

The chestnut ponytail bounced up and down, burning like fire under the morning sun as she rode away. The carts, the man from inside the well, and the noblewomen followed her. The memory of those last few kisses would have to calm the hunger for her lips for the next weeks. He barely turned to the side and found a pair of honey eyes staring at him, probably trying to decipher his somber expression.

The side of the cart where the prisoner was being escorted exploded in splinters, and smoke was coming from Ravenna’s gun. The black-haired woman smiled seductively at him, satisfied with her display of bravado. She put her gun back into the holster and he walked towards the castle, dismissing her behavior as childish and ridiculous. His fast steps were hard to match, but a redheaded soldier was skilled enough to become his shadow.

“Captain… Have our plans changed?” she asked, one step behind him.

“No, we’re still preparing for an expedition. Erwin and his nobles can take care of the rest,” he replied, crossing the entrance door to the dining room.

“Why would someone from the Interior send a spy?” Gunther asked, his eyes lost in the direction the carriages went.

“Eren is attracting all kinds of people, but the nobles have never concerned themselves with Titans,” Eld said looking at the young boy sitting at the long table next to Oluo.

“A Royal Councilor has never been interested in the expeditions outside the Walls either,” Petra pointed out, worry etched on her feminine features.

“The noble pigs can kill each other if they want. We have a month and a couple of weeks to train Jaeger, so he doesn’t die as soon as he crosses the gate. Prepare your ODM gear,” Levi ordered.

“Yes, sir!” the soldiers responded without hesitation.

The cold metal controller held his hands tightly as he pressed the trigger mechanism that fired the anchors. The wires reeled him up in the air, the weight of the small world inside the Walls off his shoulders for those seconds he needed to reach his next spot in the trees. He looked up and there was a clear blue sky beyond the branches and green leaves of the forest. Thug Levi was doing business the day he got his hands on smuggled ODM gear equipment. However, the moment his feet lifted off the ground, a new path opened in front of him. The Underground became smaller and more asphyxiating. A bird with new wings trapped in a cage.

A thumping sound near his spot distracted him. The Titan boy landed awkwardly on a tree branch, he was slipping when the captain grabbed his jacket and saved him from a concussion. The presence of a silver head on the ground was probably the reason his soldiers couldn’t concentrate. The Councilor had been walking around the castle as if he owned the place, the golden embroidery of his elegant robes shining in the sunlight, blinding him in rage. He sighed deeply and ordered Eren to reach his next position.

Levi grappled onto another tree, flew around it, then pulled the lever, and the anchor detached from the tree trunk just to be shot in a different direction. He was fast, they said, faster than all soldiers in the three military divisions combined, and yet, he didn’t reach Isabel on time. The ghosts of those he couldn’t save rode with him to the Titan field in every expedition. Who would join them in a month? A face flashed in his mind, her disheveled chestnut bangs framed her features and she smiled. Petra’s laugh brought him back to the present, she was celebrating the success of a new attack formation the squad had been working on since the previous expedition.

“That was incredible!” Eren exclaimed, he looked more confident and relaxed.

“Once we go out there, kid. You have to let the expert Titan killers do their job,” Oluo said, lifting his chin proudly.

“I’m sure you’re just talking about yourself again,” the redhead complained and punched him in his chest.

“You’re still a bit behind, Eren, but we’ll work on that. You’re part of the team now, don’t forget it,” Eld smiled at him and he reminded him of a different man, young as him and hopeful for a brighter future.

“If captain Levi hadn’t been there-“ the boy started, but he couldn’t allow him to fall prey to his negative thoughts.

“I won’t always be there… concentrate on your surroundings and your weapons. You or your comrades might not have a second chance outside,” Levi said, making intense eye contact with Eren.

“I understand, captain,” he replied, intimidated by his gray eyes.

“We are studying Erwin’s formation after eating,” the captain declared, walking towards the castle.

The handsome councilor was sitting on a comfortable armchair his servants brought from one of the rooms of the castle. He was holding a cup of wine in his hand as usual, and Ravenna was leaning on a pillar a few meters behind him. His clear eyes followed him since he separated from his squad. Levi ignored them until Flavio opened his accursed mouth. Peace became a simple wish the day the noble stepped into their lives.

“You look tempting with all those straps around your… body,” the blonde man smiled mischievously and downed the content of his cup in one go.

“You’re drunk,” Levi snorted, wondering if the alcohol made any difference in the councilor.

“I… might be… but I can still see clearly with these pretty eyes,” the alcohol seemed to feed his already well-fed ego.

“Keep those pretty eyes off my soldiers,” he said dryly.

“Say, Captain Levi… what is your experience telling you about the Titan boy’s potential? Is he gonna pee his pants while waiting to be saved?”

“He’s a soldier. He charged against the Colossal Titan, I doubt he will act like a noble pig in the expedition,” the captain replied closing his fists, but he remembered Hange’s request to keep him alive and relaxed.

“There will come a time when this insignificant world will shrink, and in those days of hunger and despair, even pigs would be useful. You’re fighting to prevent that future from becoming a reality, but everything can change in an instant. I’m an idiot, you must understand better how fleeting human life is,” Flavio smiled. It wasn’t his mischievous or coy smile. There was evil behind it.

Flavio Wolff was degenerate, indecent, and corrupt like most nobles. His actions and words infuriated him. He never thought of him as purely evil. Not until that morning after the training exercises. Later that day, he ate with his squad and studied Erwin’s long-distance scouting formation. Then went to bed alone once the sun set on the horizon. He opened his eyes with the break of dawn, cleaned the hallways, ate breakfast, and trained with his soldiers, and the days passed in a sequence of mechanical actions.

Some nights he sat by the window, contemplating the emptiness of his room. The starry sky covering the forest was breathtaking, but he missed her hot breathing in his ear, her soft skin brushing his, and her lips rolling on his abdomen. He would run to the kitchen to make hot tea to distract him from the pressure in his pants. Where did his self-control go? He wondered while pouring boiling hot water into a teacup.

Levi wondered the same when he filled the bathtub with warm water and some herbs he had picked up while riding with his squad. The straps of his uniform were neatly placed on a chair alongside his cravat, shirt, and pants. The surface of the water trembled as his legs sunk into the tub. He breathed in the lavender aroma rising to his nostrils, and Oluo’s complaints, Eren’s inability to control his Titan, and the noble’s irritating presence stayed behind.

Dirt was swept away as he scrubbed his arms with soap, the trotting horses stirred up dust in the dry weather which covered him in an uncomfortable amount of dirt. He dragged his hands down his abdomen, his rough touch made him crave another pair of hands. Her long fingers would explore undiscovered corners of his anatomy with a scientist’s passion for the unknown. Hange Zoë’s fingertips set his skin ablaze, even kilometers away from him. He tensed, the water grew hotter, his erection broke to the surface, ripples expanded in the tub, and he sighed.

The mighty captain of the Survey Corps hadn’t lost a battle against his penis since his teenage years, but there was no fighting the intense arousal her phantom fingers were awakening in his tired body. He meditated for a couple of minutes before deciding his next course of action. His breathing accelerated when he saw her walking towards him from the shadows, she loosened her high ponytail, and she was naked. A blink revealed the nature of her presence. His mind was betraying him because the days seemed longer without her.

His hand brushed his erection and the unintentional touch combined with the imaginary Hange near the tub put all reasoning aside. Her small breasts were perfectly round and firm. She smiled, dragging a finger around her nipple, carefully avoiding direct contact with it. Then, she took the same finger to her mouth, coated it with saliva, and flicked her nipple. A delicious pressure around his length made him tilt his head back. He was stroking it slowly under the water as she moaned, squeezing her nipple hard. He directed his attention to her stomach. She had gripped the sheets tight the night he encircled her belly button with his tongue.

Composure abandoned him the second his eyes fell below her modest hips. The patch of hair covering her sex wasn’t an obstacle. He could still see the insinuation of her lips through them. His thumb massaged the head of his cock, he was wet with the warm water and his fluids, preparing him for an orgasm that threatened to blind him. The mad scientist knew what he wanted, so her hand reached between her legs, and she separated her folds. His hand went down his shaft, a pulse started to climb up his muscular frame.

He held onto the tub and stroked himself faster. Hange was rubbing her clit furiously, her hips bucked, and her mouth parted. Why wasn’t she in the tub with him? She was a construction of his desire, and yet she was almost as beautiful as the real one. His hand was pressing his testicles as she slowed down. They picked up the pace at the same time. The strongest soldier became a puppet tied to her will. He massaged the tip, spreading fluids over it, and he gasped. The delay was making him delirious.

“Han… H… Hange… please,” he whispered, watching her burying a finger in her.

Sweat dripped down his forehead, his grip on his length tightened, and he moaned in response. She was moving her hips at a steady rhythm. Exactly how she moved when riding him in secret. “Erwin can’t know,” she had said. Perhaps, he already knew about their passionate encounters. His mind wandered aimlessly as similar thoughts came and went. She whimpered, her other hand was caressing her erect nub, and he stroked himself faster. 

He arched his back, tingles spread from the tip to the base of his cock, it was throbbing. Panting noises interrupted the moist sounds that filled the room. Would his hand be enough to release the torturous tension building up inside him? His palm was colder than hers, the water could never imitate the delicious wetness of her mouth. He submerged his penis in the tub, trying to convince himself that was a part of her. The pleasure intensified, getting him harder by the second. 

“My… Hange… tell me… you need… me… tell me… I’m the… only one, fuck… tell me you’re mine again,” he said, making an effort to look at the apparition writhing in an uncontrollable orgasm in front of him. 

His world blurred and his thoughts dissolved in one name escaping his mouth. Maybe he said it too loud, but his mind froze. His fluids were still dripping between his fingers when his breathing stabilized. He trembled as he squeezed his member. She had returned to the shadows, leaving him empty and feeling spent. He stayed completely still, looking at the lavender herbs floating around him. 

He caressed his back with the sponge, then his powerful legs, and his soft length. The door was opened inadvertently, and a tall, elegant figure came into the bathing room without asking for permission.  

“You’ve been terribly lonely, haven’t you, captain?” a manly voice asked in a seductive tone. 

“I haven’t been lonely enough,” he replied, keeping his eyes on the purple flowers in the tub. 

“My mouth is as talented for pleasure as it is for talking,” the silver-haired man stepped closer slowly. 

“I’ll cut your talented tongue if you come closer,” he said in a monotonous tone. 

“Such a selfish, inconsiderate man,” Flavio sighed and stopped in his tracks. 

“Did you come here just to take a look at my dick or is there some fucking problem?” 

“Erwin Smith has given us permission to take the Titan boy to headquarters in seven days, so he can see his friends before they die in the expedition,” the noble explained as if he was talking about a trivial matter. 

“You seem to know a lot of shit about expeditions for someone who hasn’t been to one in his miserable life,” Levi looked up at him with cold eyes. 

“Isn’t that the drill? You go outside riding your horses, determined to make some miraculous discovery about those monsters to finally defeat them. But hours later you come back… with fewer soldiers and more resources wasted,” he declared.

“People inside these Walls are worth the sacrifice, the same people your kind starves to death,” he finished the sentence and a hand decorated with rings touched the tub. 

He was still feeling the vibrations traveling along his arm after the first hit. The councilor’s nose started to bleed. His pale cheek was red, and Levi wasn’t sure if an enraged noble was another problem he needed in the castle. He stood up, his bathing time was ruined, so there was no point in staying listening to his nonsense. The man turned to him as he stepped outside the tub, walked up to his clean clothes, and got dressed. 

“It’s an honor… to experience the legendary strength of humanity’s most powerful soldier firsthand,” Flavio said, staring at his palm stained with his own blood. 

“You will experience more if you try to put your filthy hands on me again,” he warned him as he pulled up his pants. 

“Hange Zoë is a fortunate woman…having that glorious thick penis deep inside her cunt every night-” the slap across the noble’s face resonated in the bathing room.  

“Keep talking, and I’ll use my fist again,” the short captain grabbed his shirt and dirty uniform and stormed out of the room. 

Levi found Petra near the bathing room pretending to sweep the floor. He rushed to the kitchen, poured water into a kettle, and grabbed a bottle of liquor one of the noble’s servants had left on the table. It was stronger and more refined than the kind of alcohol sold in the outer districts. The tea leaves covered the base of the teapot and their aroma soothed him. The pretty redhead was standing at the door, watching his bare back. 

Perhaps she was worried about his animosity toward the man who received orders directly from the king. Maybe she heard him slapping the noble with all his might or she just wanted to see him half-naked. His subordinate was about to speak when noises coming from the hallway caught her attention. He recognized the voice complaining about pain so loudly, half of the people in the castle were probably running to his aid.  

He downed more of the alcohol and decided he needed to end Flavio’s show. The noble was now sitting at a table in the dining hall, he was covering his bloody nose with a handkerchief, and tears were streaming down his cheeks. One of his servants was fanning him, the other ran upstairs, Petra offered him tea for the pain, and Eld was inspecting his face. The soldier didn’t notice how close they were to each other. 

“I apologize for my clumsiness, it was a ridiculous accident… I hope none of you spreads the rumors of my stupidity,” Flavio said, visibly ashamed. 

“It was a hard hit, it’s gonna bruise… it doesn’t appear to be broken though,” Eld explained, touching the noble’s nose softly. 

“There won’t be such rumors, people already know you’re stupid,” Levi pointed out, witnessing the scene from a distance. 

“I’m in such a terrible state, captain Levi, I think I deserve some compassion,” he replied, and his hand fell to the soldier’s knees. 

“Captain, it’s dangerous to make an enemy of him. He’s the King’s councilor and he-” the redhead interrupted herself because Ravenna stood next to Levi. 

“That’s the tea for Flavio, isn’t it? He’s in pain, don’t keep him waiting,” the woman ordered as if she had any right to do it. 

“You should have warned him, I don’t take threats lightly.”

“How many of your men do you think will return?” she asked suddenly. 

A cold silence answered her cruel question, he was training his soldiers to survive among Titans. Even though he always hoped that all of them would return, the reality of his years of experience as a soldier of the Survey Corps haunted him. He was still ignoring some details about this expedition, but he knew Erwin was expecting it to be different. Outside, they were small despite their rank and place in society. The great Royal Councilor would probably die the same way his friends from the Underground did. 

“I heard Furlan tried to play the honorable soldier and died in a Titan’s mouth. Trash from the Underground isn’t meant to be a soldier,” she declared, and he was sure she believed her words. 

“Tell him he has to clean the blood from the table,” he snorted as the whistle from the kettle in the kitchen reached his ears. 

The tall young man landed on the grass after slicing the Titan’s wooden nape. He had a cocky smile that disappeared when Flagon, the squad leader, pushed him to the ground as he rode carelessly to the next position in the formation. He yelled he should have jumped on his horse immediately after killing the monster. “Horses are the only hope of survival outside the Walls” their superiors repeated during each training exercise. 

Isabel jumped off her horse when she saw him sitting on the grass. Her red pigtails were messy after spending the morning flying around in ODM gear and riding horses. She never looked tired, though. Levi was convinced her enthusiasm for the outside world was keeping her awake at night. He climbed down his horse as well when he noticed they stayed behind. The rest of the soldiers rode away without waiting for them. 

“He won’t leave you alone, that brainless idiot,” Isabel complained in a loud voice. 

“You shouldn’t be talking about brainless people if you’re one yourself,” Furlan smiled, still sitting on the grass. 

“Get your ass moving… the blonde bastard’s room will be empty this evening, we have shit to do,” Levi reminded him of their plan.  

“It’s… happening, Levi. We’re gonna cross the gates in a couple of weeks… trash from the Underground… riding outside,” the young man’s eyes denoted excitement, but his body language showed a different feeling. He was scared. 

“It will be dangerous, Titans aren’t made of wood outside the Walls. If I go alone, I’m sure I’ll come back,” he said and watched their reactions closely. He knew they wouldn’t be happy about it, but he was scared for them.  

“Are you saying we can’t do it?! We’ve been training, studying, and putting up with everyone’s bullshit just like you,” Furlan stood up, furious at his sudden lack of trust.    

“What do you mean?! We came here together… We won’t know if we can kill Titans if we don’t try… You can’t decide for us!” the girl let go of her horse’s reins and stepped right in front of him. 

“Make up any excuse to stay and we’ll think of another plan,” he insisted, his expression betraying nothing, but his heart was pounding in his chest. 

“What’s wrong with you?! You aren’t a coward, you’re the strongest, Levi! We’re strong too!” she exclaimed as he walked toward his horse, tears started to pool in her green eyes. 

“I thought you trusted us, Levi,” Furlan said, looking up at him, ready to pull back the reins of the animal. 

Levi turned once as he rode away. Sweet Isabel was crying against Furlan’s chest, and he convinced himself it was the right decision to leave them behind, as long as they were safe. However, he knew they wouldn’t give up so easily. They were thugs from the Underground, if someone punched them in the gut, they took a deep breath and returned the favor. They couldn’t be weak if they wanted to survive. 

He was sitting alone against a column in the yard, that loneliness was a sacrifice he was willing to make to protect them. An outrageously loud laugh interrupted the immaculate silence of the evening. A group of soldiers led by the weird Hange Zoë was walking through the gallery and they disappeared into the hallway toward the men’s barracks. She was always laughing, wasn’t she? 

A hand on his knee interrupted his thoughts. The young man sat next to him, and the redhead with pigtails joined them. They spent a couple of minutes in silence, admiring the sky above. The sparkles splattered against the darkness still amazed him, and sometimes if he stared long enough they seemed to move as if they were alive. Living must be easy in the sky because there weren’t Titans up there. 

“Do you think we’ll see more birds outside?” a sweet voice asked, full of childish curiosity. 

“There are birds everywhere,” Levi replied, fixed on the stars. 

“Maybe we can fly away… like birds,” she whispered, maybe she was coming to terms with their disappointing reality. 

“I know you’re worried about us, Levi, but we have come from hell together. Titans might not be thugs. It won’t the same or maybe it will be for us. We’ll never know if we don’t go out there… together,” Furlan turned to him, he was silently begging him to have faith in them. 

“Oh! The moon is so bright tonight! It’s beautiful,” the moonlight gave her a pretty glow he would never forget. 

“It’s a full moon… it pushes the darkness away.” 

“We’ll do the same with the Titans! We can’t let you go alone to fight those monsters,” she smiled and her face brightened up. 

“Trust us, Levi,” those words would haunt him for years.

Trust was an abstract feeling, surrounded by suppositions and wishes. Death was real and tangible. It was lurking in the shadows where the moonlight didn’t reach. He smiled and made the first of a series of decisions he regretted most of his life. The world shrunk that rainy day he rode back to the Wall alone. It had been a beautiful morning the day before, but going outside wasn’t better than staying trapped inside if he couldn’t protect the ones he loved. 

Trust me… that I’ll come back to you… 

Petra hit Oluo on the back after the third time he interrupted Gunther, who was explaining their position in the scouting formation for the expedition. The Titan boy already grew used to his squad’s antics. Eld was holding the map, ignoring his comrades' bickering, he had been taking care of the noble’s injuries and there was a limit of things he could say no to. He did admire the silver pig’s resilience. 

“It seems there’s a purpose to this mission besides going outside and coming back,” Gunther said, immersed in his thoughts.

“You think testing my abilities isn’t the only objective of the expedition?” Eren asked, staring at the map. 

“No, it probably isn’t, but if that’s the case, the commander has decided that it shouldn’t be explained,” the black-haired man grabbed the map. 

“Did you understand what he meant with that question about the enemy, Eren?” Eld’s question was a punch in the gut for Levi, but the secrecy was necessary, according to Erwin.

“No, I don’t know what he was talking about,” the young boy answered with a big sigh. He hadn’t seen his friends since the trial and it was evident he was worried about them.  

“We didn’t understand either, but we trust the commander,” Gunther rolled up the map as he pronounced those words. 

 Trust us, Levi…

“Get on your horses! It’s time to ride back,” the captain announced, trying to distract himself from the memories flooding him. 

“Captain, we should visit the river on our day off, since it isn’t hot or cold. I’m sure Eren will appreciate it,” Petra commented with a smile. 

“The councilor made arrangements with Erwin to reunite him with his friends that day,” Levi said, and the boy’s face changed. He was smiling again. 

“Those are great news! The councilor doesn’t seem to be such a bad man after all,” the redhead climbed on her horse and winked at him. 

“If my friends are there… then it means they joined the Survey Corps too,” the bittersweet tone in his voice was the same most soldiers had when they realized the implications of being a scout member. 

“I’m sure you’ll be able to join the rest of the soldiers at HQ after this mission… don’t worry, Eren… we’ll go outside, come back, and then you’ll train with them as comrades,” the woman sounded weirdly confident. Maybe it was a facade to appease the boy’s fears. 

“We’ll succeed if you don’t lose your shit, kid,” Oluo’s words of encouragement hidden behind his cool demeanor and the squad’s high morale were having a different effect on the captain. 

How many of your men do you think will return?

The curve of her back as she bent over to see through the window fascinated him. Her firm buttcheeks were the pleasant sight he needed after surviving weeks in the same place as the noble. The sun caressed her skin covered with some scars and he encircled her waist from behind. He left a trail of sweet kisses on her shoulder and she sighed content when his lips rested on her neck. She turned to him, their mouths crashed, and there was only the sound of their wet kisses by the window of the tower. 

His hands climbed up her abdomen and she turned around completely before he reached her breasts. She moaned softly as she surrounded his neck with her arms, pressing her chest against his. He pushed her against the wall without interrupting their passionate kisses. Slowly, he nibbled on the sensitive place below her earlobe as he grabbed her behind and rubbed their lower bodies. 

“The… window… someone… could see,” she whispered with difficulty. 

“Nobody’s here, they stayed at the castle,” he said, his erection growing against her thighs. 

“Mike… is here,” she was massaging his back while rationalizing the situation. 

“He doesn’t need to see if he can smell us,” he kissed her deeply, raising the heat between them. 

“I’m sure we’ll smell if we stay here until sunset,” she smiled and he placed a hand on her cheek. 

“I won’t leave you,” he confessed, kneeling in front of her. She asked him to stay the rest of the day with her in that tower, and as impulsive as his response had been, he meant it. “Hange… touch yourself for me.” 

“You know the rules, you can’t touch me until I… come,” her hand traveled from her breasts to the space between her legs as she spoke. 

A finger glided over her slit. She separated her lips, showing him the moisture growing with her own caresses and his piercing stare. The finger disappeared between her folds and it was wet when she used it to rub her clit slowly. Her mouth opened in a silent scream, she squeezed her nipple with her other hand, and he was feeling so small at her feet. She whimpered, pressing her nub, and grinding her hips. His erection twitched and he knew he had to follow her orders. 

She tilted her head back, bringing his attention to her small breasts. The mighty captain of the Survey Corps fought the urge to pick her up in his arms and slam into her on the sofa. Her hand accelerated and she bit her lips. He moved closer, but her feet on his chest reminded him to stay still. She separated her legs more, allowing him to see deeper into her cunt. Her fingers drew circles around her engorged clit. She was moaning near the window, pleasure translated into goosebumps on her skin. 

Her hips stopped moving for a minute. Her limbs tensed, and that was his cue to take her to the divan. He kept her legs apart to bury himself inside her. She hadn’t recovered from her orgasm when he reached her nub with his mouth. He sucked gently and that was enough to have her shaking her hips again. She held onto the back of the sofa as his tongue moved against her folds. 

“Fuck… Le… Levi… I-” The flat of his tongue rested on her clit, and he tasted her fluids. 

Her scream was probably heard across the forest, but he didn’t care because the tower was theirs. She pushed him to the floor, sat on his erection, and he kept his eyes open. The delicate bounce of her breasts, the muscles of her abdomen working tirelessly as she moved on top of him and her lips, still swollen from his kisses and biting, captivated him. His hands roamed her body until they ended up panting on the sofa. 

“I thought of you… many times,” she was sitting in front of him, her legs surrounding his waist. 

“Levi, this expedition will be different and-” he interrupted her with a peck on her lips. 

“And I’ll see you again when we return.”

“We can’t fail… I can’t fail,” she whispered, her face merely inches away from him. 

“You won’t, you’re the brightest.”

“We haven’t fought an intelligent Titan outside the Walls. Erwin says we have to make sacrifices to move forward but… it terrifies me to think how many of our soldiers won’t come back,” her brown eyes filled with tears. Was she crying for them as well?

“There’s nothing we can do, but trust each other,” he pulled her closer and she kissed him softly. 

Their lips brushed and rubbed in tender kisses that drew a pretty smile on her face. He accommodated her head against his chest, and a knock on the door stirred a loud sigh from him. Hange tiptoed to the door, unsure if the person on the other side was the tall idiot. Then the door opened a bit and a flask of water and food landed on the floor. He rolled his eyes, but she laughed. 

Mike announced he was leaving and that he was going to say they stayed behind due to Hange’s stubbornness to test a new component in the weapon. He didn’t forget to comment on the noises he had heard from downstairs. Levi told him to fuck off while she returned to the sofa with a loaf of bread. Food wasn’t important today, but she insisted and took the bread to his mouth. 

They stayed in the tower in each other’s arms after sunset. There was a weird sense of freedom in spending the day without clothes, listening to Hange’s moans and attractive voice when she said she needed him. He dragged her outside to wash the filth off their bodies before riding back to headquarters in the silence of the late night. They couldn’t help but kiss while the water refreshed them. The starry sky above them was the only witness to their fervent caresses. 

She emptied a bucket of water on them and he dragged his hands from her neck to her breasts. His fingers followed the shape of her nipples, she gasped in his mouth and her back hit the wall of the tower because he could never have enough of her. Her flesh swallowed his erection, and she was warm. She clamped her long legs around his waist, he guided their thrusts with his hands on her buttcheeks. 

They had been fucking with some breaks in between as he promised, but there was something beyond pleasure invading him when he was inside her. That evening in the tub in the old castle he reached an orgasm, but it felt incomplete as if a piece of him was missing. Now that she was panting in his arms, a different kind of pleasure rushed through his veins. What was it? The question returned to his mind, more mysterious than before, and he still didn’t have an answer. 

Chapter Text

The ground trembled, stomping sounds sent vibrations through the forest floor to her feet. Squad Levi’s galloping horses left a cloud of dust behind them. A final thump near the tree where she was in position was followed by the commander’s order to fire. She pulled the strings of her own invention, and a dozen spears perforated the fifteen-meter creature that had been chasing him from the open field. The cables tensed. Silence returned to the woods of giant trees. Hange Zoë held her breath as the Female Titan stood, immobilized, in front of her.

“The weapon… worked,” Moblit announced after landing on a tree branch.

“The more her wounds heal, the stiffer her joints will become. She won’t be able to move an inch,” she said, a victorious smile appeared on her face.

“We just need to force out whoever is inside,” her assistant pointed out one of the hardest parts of the mission.

“Levi will cut through the nape in seconds, and we’ll take the human with us.”

Sparkling shards rained on them, and she knew victory was slipping through her fingers. Levi landed on top of the Titan’s head, holding his broken blades. The monster was still covering her nape, which meant she was protecting it from their attacks somehow. Dragging out the human hiding inside was a crucial step in the plan. Why was the person still in the Titan? Their minutes outside the Walls were counted.

Erwin was standing on a tree branch near the Titan. His silhouette cast a shadow on the enemy. No human had ever tried to trap a fifteen-meter monster, but he decided to shoulder the responsibility for such an endeavor. Many soldiers departed from Karanes District earlier that morning after he announced in his commanding voice the start of the fifty-seventh expedition beyond the Walls. She couldn’t see it, but she knew fewer of them reached the forest.

How many more comrades will lose their lives? She wondered, glancing at those around her. Suddenly, a roar, so loud it crushed her ears and sent shivers down her spine, came out of the Female Titan. She covered her ears instinctively, but the damage was done. The sonic waves of her desperate cry spread across the Titan field. They said Eren’s Titan had a distinctive roar as well. Was that a sign of frustration? No, the answer came to her mind, remembering their years of failures. Nothing about the enemy was random chance.

“Damn… were those her cries of agony?” Moblit asked once the noise subsided.

“I doubt it,” she replied. Her voice sounded alien, as her ears were still adjusting to the impact of the Titan’s roar.

She had heard it before, hadn’t she? The despair of someone who had nothing to lose. She had witnessed it countless times on expeditions, soldiers feeling death approaching them. The certainty of death was terrifying, and yet it inspired them to fight harder to stay alive. There was a human in the Titan’s nape, a human like them. A sound she recognized too well interrupted her thoughts. Heavy footsteps came towards them from all directions.

Birds flew off the trees as a hoard of mindless Titans materialized in the forest, they were running as if attracted by a mystic spell. The commander shouted an order and men from her squad followed it blindly. Time stood still for a few seconds, the air became heavy, and the silhouettes of the small soldiers were erased from her view as the monsters ignored them. Another scream joined the noise. Captain Levi! Her head turned in the direction of the Female Titan instinctively, looking for him in the chaos.

All squads! Attack! Defend the Female Titan with your lives!

His chest rose with each beat of his heart. Her left ear glued to his skin was listening to the cadence of his breathing. His hands were untangling her problematic chestnut strands patiently. What was this peace invading her when she was in his arms? She sighed and kissed his warm skin. He stood still and looked at her placing another soft kiss near his nipple. His head sunk deeper into the pillow, and she kissed his nipple, her tongue drew delicate circles around it. He pulled her messy hair and guided her to his mouth.

They kissed slowly but intensely, a choreography stored in the memory of their lips. Her small breasts pressed against his chest and her teeth trapping his lower lip forced a guttural groan out of him. She smiled, satisfied by his reaction, and moved to his neck, nibbling and sucking his battle-hardened skin. He dragged his hands down her back, reaching her buttcheeks, and squeezed them as she bit his shoulder. The captain seemed impatient because he threw her on the mattress and climbed on top of her.

His hardness between her thighs was a delicious anticipation of the pleasure waiting for her once he pushed it inside. However, he stopped his ministrations so suddenly, she thought he had heard someone knocking on the door. Then he kissed her again, opening his eyes and caressing her long legs. She pressed them against his hips, but he didn’t show any intention of penetrating her. Hange sighed into his slow kisses, frustrated by his silence.

“What’s wrong?” she asked and stopped him from kissing her again.

“I… should be the one asking,” he responded, still stroking her leg.

“We have never antagonized an intelligent Titan like this, Levi. We’ve lost many people fighting the mindless ones that I… don’t want to imagine what… one with a human inside will do-“ her voice trembled, and he cupped her face, keeping their foreheads and noses pressed together.

“You’re intelligent too… and Erwin. Those freaking monsters are the ones that should be scared,” Levi whispered with a soft tone he didn’t display often.

“Levi, I… I can’t help but think-“

“Don’t think, forget your weapon and all that shit. Fuck, I haven’t seen you in… weeks,” he rubbed his lips against hers and his sweetness was disarming her.

“A month, I counted the days since you left me alone in that tower,” she smiled teasingly.

“A fucking month,” he repeated, rolling his lips over her neck and placing a hand on one of her breasts.

“Yes, thirty days wondering if you… were gonna lie to Erwin and come again,” she moaned lowly when his teeth sank into her shoulder.

“Did you touch yourself?” his question surprised her, even though it shouldn’t after all the nights and days they had spent in bed.

“Are you… asking me… if I did it… thinking about you?” her hands were kneading the toned muscles of his back as he was kissing her collarbone.

“You know what I’m asking,” he said, and he teased her entrance, rubbing his erection against her folds.

“Oh! Levi… you’re… evil. Yes, I inserted a finger inside me pretending it might be you… but… it was a poor imitation,” she confessed with a smile.

“I almost lost it in that castle… without you, Hange Zoë,” he whispered hoarsely, and his hot breath near her chest was driving her mad.

He didn’t say anything and slid inside her without a warning. She surrounded his hips with her legs as he thrust into her in calculated movements. Hange tilted her head back, enjoying the sensations he was awakening in her. He placed his hands on the mattress and accelerated, intoxicating her in a fiery passion. She caressed his cheek, he was sweating, melting in the heat of their bodies, but he looked so attractive in that disheveled state.

He reached her earlobe and trapped it in the humidity of his mouth. She heard some words in between groans and her own moans. What was he saying? Maybe she wasn’t meant to understand them because her orgasm was interrupting her thoughts. Pleasure was the remedy for her loud mind, and he was the only human that could silence the noise in her head. Her nails dug deep into his shoulder blades, and the pulsations climbing from her womb dissolved in a rush of electricity that shook her to the core.

As the ecstasy died, it was born again with the incessant dance of his hips, his soft kisses on her neck, and a possessive bite that burned as hot iron. She moaned loudly, clinging onto him as a wave of sweet delight washed over her. A wetness of fluids sliding down her thighs made her realize they had reached that peak at the same time. He was panting, eyes closed, and she surrounded him with her arms, pushing him down onto the bed, so he would rest.

Her fingers traced small circles on his undercut. His hair was clean, soft, and smelled of lavender flowers. A fragrance she couldn’t smell anymore without thinking of him. Although lately, she didn’t need excuses to have him in her mind. She dreamed of his touch those nights she passed out in the tower, exhausted and frustrated. She heard his voice comforting her and the need to be with him terrified her.

“You’ll be at the front,” he said once he recovered, his hand going up and down her waist.

“Yes… I’ll ride with Erwin and the transport squad, I have to test the weapon myself,” she smiled, but he wasn’t amused.

“I… trust you,” he whispered against her lips.

“Levi, you have to come back to me too,” she said quietly, almost a breeze in the night air.

“Why… are you scared of this?” he asked, holding her hand tightly, and her stomach turned.

How could she say it? Tonight of all nights? Once dawn came, they would get on their horses and ride through the gate of Karanes into Titan territory. She would be at the front line, and he would be riding with the Titan shifter. There were countless scenarios in her mind in which she died, leaving him alone with her confession still in his ears. No, she couldn’t be the one to break his heart, but lies didn’t work with him either.

“Why wouldn’t I?” she responded and squeezed his hand. “It’s getting late… you have to rest, captain.”

“Shit… we have a meeting with Erwin early,” he remembered his responsibilities as a soldier with disappointment.

“Yeah, I can’t fall asleep in the middle of his speech,” a sweet kiss blessed her lips, and he got out of bed.

“Take a bath before leaving tomorrow,” he ordered her while cleaning himself and her sheets with a wet towel.

“Don’t… It’s fine, I’ll throw them in the laundry basket… it’s late,” she reminded him once again, he needed to leave. Something was telling her he was postponing that moment on purpose.

“Tsk, I can’t let you sleep in this mess,” the clean freak insisted, but she ripped the towel off his hand.

“Levi, we have an important mission tomorrow. Something we have never done before, and we need to be alert and awake,” she said in a tone closer to her commanding voice, but she smiled when he placed a hand on her cheek.

The uncertainty of tomorrow disappeared in his mouth on hers, it was sweet and soft and made her heart beat violently in her chest. She let him dictate the rhythm just to find herself a prisoner of his desire. He demanded more with each stroke of his tongue, and she tried to escape, but the grip he had on her cheek tightened. Hange Zoë had received numerous kisses since that day with the young boy under the tree, but none of them compared to the ones she had shared with him. It was more than pleasure, there was a sensation of completeness when their lips locked.

They delayed the separation unconsciously, but the moment he closed the door, she lay on the bed in a fetal position. Tears blurred her already terrible vision, and she cried, crumpling sheets in her hands and an overwhelming terror those kisses could mean the end for both.  

I trust you…

A hot scarlet liquid splashed her goggles as her blades cut through nape after nape. Her comrades’ grunts and screams raised above the hissing sounds of  Titans’ flesh evaporating. They were eating her, viciously, faster than their swords could cut them. They were dozens against a handful of soldiers. She sliced the nape of a seven-meter creature and reeled herself up the nearest tree as the Titan went down. It was useless.

Parts of their prisoner passed from monster to monster. An arm, a leg, meat, and bones, soon she would disappear completely. The steam was a curtain shielding the enemy from them. Maybe the human escaped amid the commotion. Perhaps she had been eaten alive as well, taking precious information with her. Erwin’s deep voice ordering their retreat kept her still, watching their hopes fade away with each bite.

The Female Titan won. 

They failed.

She failed.

Hange lifted her stained goggles to the top of her head. An old rage crept on her, but she sighed. She could scream and kick the evaporating corpses like a lost child, and it wouldn’t change the reality of their defeat. Moblit stood beside her, shaking pieces of meat off his green cape. The rest of her squad had landed on the trees near them. Nifa was cleaning Abel’s smudged goggles with her cape, and Keiji had his eyes fixed on the group of Titans still enjoying their big meal. He was probably as angry as she was.

“We have to get back to the horses,” her assistant said.

“I heard… the least we can do now is arrive at Karanes without more casualties,” she nodded and found Levi grappled on the same tree where Erwin was still standing. He received an order and joined the supplies squad.

“Did she do it?”

“She called the smaller Titans… it’s an impressive ability to have,” she replied, letting the scientist in her rationalize the situation.

“We still know nothing about them,” he said, the frustration palpable in his voice.

“We’re learning,” she jumped down in time to reach the commander.

“The enemy was ready to sacrifice it all,” Erwin Smith announced almost cheerfully.

“It confirms our suspicions that the information they have is clearly valuable. They put their lives on the line to protect it,” Hange climbed on her horse, taking a last look at the equipment they were leaving behind. “Erwin, why did you order Levi to resupply? We don’t have time to-“

“I remembered your theory about the Colossal Titan. It disappeared in a cloud of steam, and nobody saw what was inside. You said there must have been someone inside equipped with maneuver gear who used the steam as cover to escape,” the commander said, and one of their late-night conversations in the tower between cups of wine came to her mind.

“But… I concluded that was impossible after analyzing Eren’s state when he emerged from his Titan body,” there was a knot in her stomach, pressing against her insides as the fear of her theories being wrong became real.

“This Titan shifter drew other monsters to her with a scream. If the Titan ability has degrees of skill, we were wrong in judging them with a beginner like Eren Jaeger as the benchmark. Let’s say your theory is right… and the person inside the Female Titan was wearing the uniform and had the same equipment as we do… then-“

“Whoever it was could have escaped… and… blend in with the soldiers,” as soon as she finished the last syllable, there was a blast somewhere in the forest.

A fifty-meter Titan materialized over the Wall the last time a similar sound was heard. Levi Squad had reported that a blast on a smaller scale preceded the appearance of Eren’s giant arm that day in the castle. The Female Titan was back, she could perceive the stomps as the monster ran after her comrades. Her horse snorted and fought against the reins ordering it to stay in place. Hange was staring at the trees as if she could see through them if she tried hard enough. Levi had flown in that direction… the direction of the blast.

Her body moved instinctively on Erwin’s orders to return to the Wall at full speed. They were riding side by side, and the blonde commander had his eyes fixed on the path opening in front of them. He didn’t look back like she did. It was useless, she knew, but she was calculating the odds of a scout surviving an encounter with an intelligent and skilled Titan. The results frightened her, but she held onto her promise to trust him.

Then there was a roar. Loud, angry, and uncannily human. It was a vocalization of despair, the kind that fed the rage that had boiled in her veins since the night she broke her father’s skull. She wondered whose skull was going to break this time as they left the forest behind, and a green field welcomed them. Hange pulled the reins firmly and the horse stopped. Green smoke rose above the trees for them to see, which meant there were still soldiers in the forest.

“Hange… we need to cover as much terrain as possible, so we can reach the Wall before the sun goes down,” Erwin said, his face betraying nothing.

“We can wait for the rest of the squads here, near the trees. It’s safer than to do it in the open field,” she explained, trying to hide her worries.

“They know our escape route, and we still have the flares. We’re going to regroup if they make it to the next recon point,” he approached her as he spoke.

“I’ll stay with my squad… we have the cart in case wounded soldiers can’t-“ a pressure in her arm interrupted her. Erwin had grabbed her right arm, and he was a few centimeters from her face.

“We can’t afford to lose more valuable soldiers right now. We ride until the next stop… and I don’t need to say that’s an order, Hange Zoë,” the grip on her arm tightened with each word coming out of his mouth. She saw through her goggles the iron determination in his eyes. He probably saw that something that made her heart climb up her throat.

“Erwin, you believe we have lost Levi’s Squad?” she asked, even though the answer was obvious.

“Most likely… if we don’t change the way we fight, we’ll never win against the Titans,” he declared, and for a second his cold demeanor vanished, leaving grief in its stead.

“But… they’re highly skilled soldiers, there’s a chance that-“

“You saw it, Hange, you saw the Female Titan trapped within our grasp and the next second, she was gone. She could harden her skin and… she might have more cards under her sleeve,” he said, freeing her arm.

She looked into the darkness of the forest, maybe expecting to find him, but there was only the rumble of two forces colliding echoing among the trees. Eren had probably summoned his Titan successfully. That was his last resort as ordered by the commander. However, he was young and inexperienced. The possibility of the boy misjudging the situation and acting impulsively kept her hoping Erwin was wrong.

“Mikasa Ackerman took off when she heard the second roar,” Nanaba explained to the commander as her group approached them.

“Then we can be certain that was Eren Jaeger in Titan form. She was a witness in Trost,” Erwin said, glancing at Hange.

“We can’t maintain the formation in these conditions, but some squads are still missing. Signal our route northwest. Hopefully, most of the Titans nearby ran into the forest earlier,” he ordered Moblit and rode towards the left-over carts with wounded soldiers.

“Hange! We’re leaving!” Nanaba shouted.

The wind hitting her face helped her cool her head for a while. It was a beautiful day, but she couldn’t enjoy the view. Fewer soldiers than she had imagined were riding back to the Wall. The cadets were still trembling, unable to process the pain so quickly. Some of them already lost comrades, and not a day had passed since they crossed the gates. It was a vicious cycle of seeing others die and keep on surviving.

Her weapon failed.

She failed .

Negative thoughts clouded her mind when the commander ordered them to stop. Behind them, a small group of figures were taking shape. It was him, he was alive, but he was alone. She climbed off her horse, and he did the same with difficulty. The words died in her throat. He was defeated, holding his pieces together with just enough strength. He would crumble down with the slightest touch. They exchanged glances, and the lack of expression in his eyes told her everything she needed to know.

I failed , she thought, standing in front of the cart where the Special Operations Squad lay immobile. Strands of red hair escaped from the green cape that was covering them. They shined in the sunlight, and she saw a blood-stained braid in its place. Another ghost traveling in time to haunt her. “It’s a beautiful day,” Regina had said before riding into the Titan field. She returned in a cart, or at least pieces of her did. They had been assigned to different squads, so she didn’t know until they made it to HQ.

“It was a stupid… mistake, but… she was gone in seconds,” the only surviving soldier of her squad told Hange.

“Death isn’t a stupid mistake,” she murmured to herself.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered before leaving her alone.

“You don’t need… to see it,” another disembodied voice said over her shoulder. Mike Zacharias was standing behind her, casting a shadow on the cart.

No, she didn’t need to remove the green cape to make sure that braid belonged to the young woman she loved. However, she lifted it with trembling hands, and she found her hazel eyes closed. Her soft skin had turned pale and cold. There was dried blood over her lips and chin. She looked so at peace, it seemed she was sleeping. Hange caressed her cheek as she did the previous night before kissing her. Love was a stupid mistake as well.

The tears fell uncontrollably, something inside her broke, and the sharp pieces were piercing her flesh. The redhead’s voice had vanished from the world, and she would never see her smile again. That sweet smile of an accomplice in crime when she invited her to sleep beside her. The heinous crime of loving someone and being loved in return. Hange Zoë promised herself that sunny afternoon that she wouldn’t make the same mistake in the future. She locked her heart in a steel box and swallowed the key.

“You’re a soldier,” she said out loud the next morning when putting on her ceremonial uniform.

I’m a soldier at humanity’s service , she repeated in her mind while leaving flowers at Regina’s grave during the funerals that followed each expedition. It was a beautiful spring day, but the landscape didn’t match the emptiness in her soul. She was sitting under a tree, scribbling words on pieces of paper when Erwin found her. He sat next to her in silence and the instant he grabbed her head to place it against his chest, she cried again.

“Their sacrifice can’t be in vain… her death won’t be meaningless if we keep fighting,” he said, holding her tightly.

“Do you think we can ever win?” she managed to ask.

“I believe in your abilities and… mine. If we can find more strong soldiers… we might have a chance,” he sounded convinced in his words. “Fight by my side, Hange Zoë.”

“Will you trust me even if others say I’m just a crazy bitch?”

“We’re all… a little insane, aren’t we?” 

“Erwin, tell me you have a bottle hidden in your coat,” she said, straightening herself up.

“I don’t, but we can get a few drinks,” he smiled tenderly, and she liked the prospect of drowning herself in alcohol.

There she was in another depressing parade, riding along the road of shame from the gates of Karanes to the Survey Corps HQ in town. People were screaming, crying and even throwing things at them. She didn’t dare look at their faces, the anger, and the sorrow in their voices were too real. Some curses were directed at Erwin, and she thought she heard someone referring to her as “that freak who loves Titans” Hurtful words that were born out of rage.

She stood in the hall near Levi’s room that night, wondering if he needed her. He had kept a cold distance between them since they returned. They barely exchanged a few glances, and he told her to “leave it” when she asked about his occasional limping in the infirmary. She cried herself to sleep that night, lonely and unsure of the meaning behind his new attitude toward her. Did he resent her for her weapon’s failure? Was she responsible for the death of his soldiers in his mind? Did he regret rejecting Petra?

He didn’t come to her the morning of the funeral, either. They sat on Erwin’s sides, but he stayed silent during the ceremony. Levi didn’t shed a tear while placing a couple of flowers on the grave dedicated to his men. They had to dispose of their bodies because of an incident during the trip back to the gates, or so she heard. Still, they carved their names on a stone slab to give their families a physical place to mourn. Petra’s father had fallen ill after receiving the news, and Gunther’s mother tried to spit on him when they crossed paths.

He kneeled in front of the new graves. Was he torturing himself, or was he trying to memorize the names of the fallen?  She waited for everyone to go away to rest her hand on his shoulder. Hange expected him to reject her touch or simply ignore it, but she felt his hand on top of hers. He squeezed it, and she understood his behavior. Levi had been alone most of his life, he was used to processing his emotions in loneliness.

You’re not alone this time, Levi , she thought, but the words never made it to the surface.  

The castle was the same big, old building they left behind a week ago. An uncomfortable silence made it bigger and more deserted than it really was. The commander had sent Levi and Eren Jaeger back a couple of days before the rest of the surviving soldiers. There weren’t any signs of life in the place, though. Her boots hit the ground, and she ordered her squad to store the provisions and equipment they brought from the main HQ.

People had the tendency to leave marks of their existence in the environment. Leftover uniform jackets, the cleaning supplies Oluo hid to pretend he couldn’t find them and avoid working. The teacups Petra brought as a gift for her squad after an expedition. The book Eld would never finish, and Gunther’s diary, full of notes about military strategies. Those things stayed there when they were gone.