Disclaimer: I do not own Shingeki no Kyojin or its characters

Chapter: 1 "Memoria"

Summary: In an effort to hide Eren from the Military Police, Rivaille is assigned the task of personally guarding him and keeping him safe. They return to their abandoned HQ, the memories of their fallen squad still fresh in their minds, only to discover that only with each other can they fill the empty void in their hearts.

Author's Notes: After reading some comics and doujinshi, I am so overcome by OTP feels that I just had to write something. I'm caught up on the manga and anime but it's going to be a little weird since this is my interpretation of things. I hope you all enjoy it! This is indeed a RivaEre or RiRen story, meaning Top!Rivaille and Bottom!Eren.

"I've managed to avoid the council for now but I'm afraid the Military Police still blames me for the amount of casualties we caused during the Female Titan's capture." The golden haired man stated roughly as he folded his arms upon the wooden table. Resting his chin on his clasped fingers, his blue eyes swept from left to right at his fellow squad leaders. Hanji was, as always, sitting in such a way that her chest touched the back of the chair while Rivaille opted to sit to his right, his ankle having not yet heeled. Mike on the other hand chose to lean against the side wall and while his face remained passive, Erwin knew that he was listening intently. "And the fact that Eren was unable to shift into his titan form right away causes them to question his allegiance to humanity."

Clicking his tongue in response, Rivaille tilted his head slightly to give his commanding officer a passive look. "We knew from the beginning that his ability was unreliable. It's obvious the brat was unable to look past his history with the girl." In the back of his mind, he cursed the Military Police – useless cowards, what good where they? He drummed his fingers against the table, touching his pinky to it first, then his ring finger, his middle, and lastly his pointer. "What do they want?" He asked, more so demanded.

"For him to stand trial once again before Dallis Zacklay." The blond answered back. "It seems the Military Police has deemed his hesitation to attack Annie Leonhardt, no, the Female Titan, as treason against humanity. They plan on arresting him and taking him into custody for questioning."

"What good will that do?" Hanji said as she reached up to adjust her glasses. Her eyes were hard as she tapped her fingers her cheek just as Rivaille had done only moments ago. "Eren did as he was told, albeit not right away, but he did. Because of him, we successfully captured her, is that not what our mission was?"

Mike, who had been listening silently this whole time, wrinkled his nose a bit before shooting Erwin a knowing look. "What are we going to do about it?" He asked, skipping right to the point. When Erwin looked his way, Mike nodded. Having fought alongside one another for so long, they understood each other easily. "I see, and who will be the one to carry out this mission?"

"Rivaille." Erwin stated. Almost immediately, said person looked his way quickly. His movements however caused him to shift his injured leg accidentally, causing a sharp grunt to emit from his lips. The others however ignored it respectfully. "Rivaille, you are to guard and keep Eren safe until it's time to take back Wall Rose. You must keep him out of sight and away from both the Stationary Guard and the Military Police. I've spoken to Commander Pixis but he and his senior staff are the only ones from the Stationary Guard that know of this."

"What the hell is that about?" Rivaille questioned back as his brow furrowed slightly. Truth be told, he had nothing against his subordinate, it was more just him wondering why he needed to be the one to carry out this mission. "What about Ackerman? I'm sure she would do just fine." Like him, she was a worthy fight, worth as much as a hundred soldiers. Her drive to protect Eren was admirable, but foolish at times. Almost subconsciously, he reached down to clench the fabric of his pants.

Humming in reply, the brunette shrugged. "It'd be too obvious if it was her. Both Mikasa and Armin have known Eren since they were young, of course they'd be the first ones suspected of his whereabouts. It would be better if they just genuinely didn't know where he was." Hanji then glanced sideways at Rivaille as an all-knowing glint sparkled in her eyes. "Of course with you, Rivaille, it'd be different. You're the only one who can do this."

"They'll suspect me soon enough when they see that I too am missing." Rivaille pointed out with a grunt. "It certainly won't take Arlert any time to link the two together."

Hanji simply grinned. "But Armin is far too intelligent; he'll know not to say anything. Mikasa wouldn't risk endangering Eren either. You're the only one who can do this, Rivaille." She reiterated once again.

The dark haired man met her gaze with an annoyed look. "Oi, idiot, are you saying you want me to kill him?" Rivaille asked as he crossed his arms over his chest and half-glared at her. "With my ankle the way it is, I can't do shit, let alone protect him." His eyes were passive but his mind was whirling with thoughts and ideas, 'What do they expect me to do? Babysit the little shit?'

"It's not like hiding him will be all that you're doing. You'll work with him." Erwin replied. "Help him control his shifting abilities. Train with him. Teach him to rely more on his abilities as a soldier and not as a titan. Work with him on his Maneuver Gear. Teach him to conserve his energy like that of the Female Titan. Protect him." Throwing suggestions left and right, his blue eyes focused primarily on Rivaille who met his gaze with hard eyes. "I don't care what you have to do to keep him out of the public eye, but do it."

"Is that an order?"

"No, a request."

"Tch, how troublesome." Humanity's Strongest said finally after a few minutes. Who was he to disobey a direct order from his commanding officer? Glancing at the window, he took note of the darken skies and black clouds outside. Mulling it over in his head, Rivaille decided that it'd be best to leave at night when everyone was asleep, both the citizens and titans anyway (though the titans were more disorientated than asleep). "Alright, I'll protect him." Putting his hands on the table, he boosted himself up into a standing position, immediately shifting his weight onto his uninjured side. Despite his injury, he didn't even stumble. Tucking in his signature white scarf, Rivaille allowed his eyes to fall shut briefly as he respectfully excused himself from his fellow squad leaders. "Well then, we'll be leaving now."

"Oi, brat, wake up." Rivaille whispered out harshly as he jabbed a foot in Eren's side. His actions quickly roused the boy awake and the squad leader resisted the urge to narrow his eyes at Eren's unkempt form. Having just woken up, Eren's hair was a mess of rustled brown locks and oddly sticking out spikes. Ignoring the grunt that emitted from Eren's lips, Rivaille pressed his foot deeper into Eren's side. "Wake up." He said firmly. Right after the secret meeting between him and the rest of the squad leaders, the blue eyed man had retreated to the barracks where he knew Eren and the rest of the new recruits would be.

Through his drowsiness, Eren was able to make out a small-ish figure standing at the side of his bed before he blinked and bolted right up into a sitting position. "Corporal!" He answered back obediently. Almost immediately, he regretted it for the older man glared at him. Realizing his mistake, Eren hurried to cover his mouth, desperately hoping that no one else heard him. For Rivaille to come to him in the middle of the night must have meant that it was for an important reason. Taking a moment to look around, he saw that his outburst hadn't woken anyone up to which he was thankful. "Is there something wrong?" Eren questioned, tilting his head a little once he placed his hands down by his sides.

"We need to go." Rivaille replied back, his tone sharp and not up for discussion. Glancing sideways at the other recruits still asleep in their beds, his eyes lingered on that of Armin and Jean briefly before returning back to Eren. "Get your things and meet me behind the barracks in ten minutes. Do not speak a word to anyone and do not be seen, do you understand?" Without giving Eren the chance to answer, the dark man pivoted on his good foot and was out of the barracks as quickly as he came in.

'…What?' Eren thought confusingly. 'What's going on?' Looking over at his best friend who was still sleeping soundly in his bed, the brunet made a move to go over towards him to tell him of Rivaille's strange behavior but as soon as he swung his legs over his bed, he stopped himself. 'The Corporal said not to.' And really, who was he to disobey an order from his superior? 'I don't understand.' He said mentally as he quietly assembled his things together. Throwing his green cloak over his shoulder, Eren inhaled slowly, feeling the warm fabric cover his shoulders evenly. Making sure to tread softly so his Maneuver Gear wouldn't make a sound, Eren quickly left the barracks. Walking behind it to where their horses were kept, he saw that Rivaille was there with his arms crossed looking particularly passive. "Sir?"

Grunting under his breath, the older man looked annoyingly at Eren. "Is your 3D Maneuver Gear equipped?" At the boy's nod, Rivaille uncrossed his arms. "Good, we're leaving." Eren was barely able to make an affirmative salute before Humanity's Strongest began walking. Walking briskly in the direction of the wall with Eren slightly behind him, Rivaille scanned his surroundings. Leaving in the middle of the night was for the best as the titans were usually inactive and most of the citizens in the Stohess District were asleep. Wanting to be safe however, Rivaille cleared his throat. "Eren," he called, "Put your hood up and keep it that way until I say so."

"Yes sir." Reaching up to grasp the edges of his hood, Eren hurried to do just that. As the fabric fell over his face, it cast a shadow over his eyes and bangs, effectively hiding his face from view. He took notice of how soft the corporal's tone was and while it did strike him as somewhat odd, he definitely preferred it over his usual passive voice. "Corporal? Can I ask what's going on?" Eren whispered back.

"Not here."

Hanging his head a little, the new recruit nodded in understanding. 'This must really be important for the corporal to be so secretive about things.' Eren figured so – having to leave in the middle of the night must have meant something, right? 'If only I knew what was going on though.' He couldn't help but wonder what this was all about. Had he done something wrong? Was he being taken in for questioning? He then stilled as a thought suddenly occurred to him, 'Is it about Annie?' Before he could open his mouth to ask, Rivaille held out an arm and stopped him in his tracks. "Sir?"

A dark brow piqued briefly as Rivaille dropped his arm. "Follow me." Flicking on the gas of his 3D Maneuver Gear, he shot the grappling hooks of his gear high into the air till they collided with that of the walls. Now releasing it, Rivaille allowed himself to be propelled upwards into the air before disconnecting the hooks and launching himself once again to get higher and higher up the wall.

Eren watched him with awed eyes, a gasp emitting from his lips. Despite having worked alongside Rivaille for weeks, he still couldn't believe how flawless the other man was when it came to using his gear. Although the corporal was indeed injured, he did little to show it, to which left Eren extremely impressed. He had always admired the corporal. Eren had heard stories about Humanity's Strongest Solider, Corporal Rivaille, who was worth as much as a brigade's worth of soldiers. Ever since he first saw Rivaille coming back from an expedition, he had admired him. If only he could be strong like him someday. Realizing that he better get a move on however, Eren shot out the hooks of his Maneuver Gear and thrust himself forward, flying into the air. Like Rivaille, he attached and reattached, scaling up the wall with ease. Coming to land beside Rivaille on top of the wall where the walkways were, Eren looked out over the walls. Although it was still dark out, his well-trained eyes were able to make out the silhouettes of trees and hills. At times, this world really was beautiful, but then again, it was just as cruel. Sighing almost inaudibly, he looked over at Rivaille. "I'm ready."

Humming in response, the corporal nodded. "Let's go then." Together, they shot their grappling hooks out and descended down the wall. Side by side, superior and subordinate kept in perfect sync, neither ahead or behind the other. Upon reaching the ground, Eren straightened out his cloak before pulling the hood to hide his face once again. Looking over at Rivaille who was pausing slightly, the teen frowned. He followed Rivaille's movements and his gaze softened. The corporal was gripping the fabric of his pants like he had done during their meeting in the Scouting Legion's abandoned HQ and it was enough to spread guilt throughout Eren's heart. Rivaille was only human after all, of course he'd still be hurting. Truth be told, he still hadn't forgiven himself. After all, it was because of him that the corporal was injured like this. If he had been stronger, this wouldn't have happened. If he had just killed Annie then and there, maybe the corporal's leg wouldn't have –

"Oi, brat. We're leaving." Rivaille stated roughly. Without waiting for Eren's reply yet again, the older man climbed up onto his horse and settled into the saddle. Reaching over to run his hand over the horse's mane briefly yet affectionately, he picked up the reins and tapped his horse on the side with his good foot, signaling it to go. Naturally, Eren followed in after him, keeping up a distance of no more than two horses, just as Rivaille had instructed him all those weeks ago. They rode together in silence, the only sounds audible were from that of their horses.

Taking this time to really study his superior, Eren furrowed his brows. Although it might have been the trick of the wind, the corporal's cloak seemed a little too big for him. Turquoise-green eyes watched as the fabric billowed in the wind and he couldn't help but frown in response. Rivaille looked tired, extremely tired to be perfectly honest. His shoulders were low but they were tense. Eyes scanning over the Wings of Freedom embroidered on Rivaille's back, Eren inclined his head. 'Your wings, they seem heavy today.'

The price of freedom sure was deep.

They rode on and on for what seem like hours. Thankful for the moon, they reveled in the freedom of riding without the fear of a titan strike. After what seemed like ages however, Rivaille's horse slowed to a stop, drawing Eren's attention. The two soldiers were now in front of the abandoned Scouting Legion HQ where they had been only days ago. Jumping down to the ground and landing swiftly, Rivaille placed a hand on his horse's snout, allowing it to nuzzle his hand gently. "Take him and meet me upstairs." And with that, Rivaille disappeared into the castle.

Eren watched him briefly before clicking his tongue to get the other horse's attention. Obediently, it trotted over to him and waited. Picking up the reins of Rivaille's horse and tapping his own horse's side, he led them both to the stables underneath the castle. He set them up in their own separate stables, making sure they both had ample water and food. He brushed their coats quickly and after having finished settling them into their stables, he ran a hand through both of their manes. "Goodnight you two." Leaving their side, Eren climbed the stairs that led up to the castle. As he walked, he frowned at how quiet the castle was. With each and every step he took, he could hear his footsteps echoing around him. Was this castle always so empty? Vaguely, he could hear the sounds of reminiscent conversations between him and the rest of the Rivaille squad; Petra congratulating him on the improvements he was making, Auruo scolding him for being a brat, Erd ruffling his hair, and Gunter clapping him on the back – things seemed so much simpler then, so much warmer. Lowering his eyes to the stoned floor, he frowned. They seemed so clear in his mind's eye but he knew better than to believe them – Petra, Gunter, Erd, Auruo… they were all gone. Did this castle always seem so cold? So lonely? The castle seemed so different than when he had been only days ago but perhaps that was because the last time he was here, many others were too. Mikasa, Jean, Armin, Connie, Sasha, Ymir, Christa, Reiner, and Bernhodt, they all were here with him and eased his mind off the deaths of his former squad. But now, he was alone for the others were back in the Stohess District.

"Brat, what are you doing?" Rivaille's voice suddenly asked, his voice laced with that usual cold tone of his.

Eren blinked and looked up. "Huh?" He questioned almost on instinct. Looking around, he was surprised to find himself by the dungeons where he had slept during the first few nights he was here. The strangest thing was that he was gripping the iron bars of the cell – now when did that happen? That was odd. He was sure that was he was going to the main room, so how did he end up here? Letting go of the bars, he turned around to see Rivaille dressed in his usual set of casual clothing comprising of a long sleeved shirt and black pants. His head was tilt, allowing his bangs to slip into his eyes. "What?"

Rivaille's eyes tensed for he did not like repeating himself. He did however opt for another approach. "I knew you'd be down here. What, does the monster wish to stay where monsters typically should?" Shifting his weight onto his good foot and touching a fist to his hip, Rivaille raised a thin brow. "Or is that you just like sleeping here?" When Eren didn't reply yet again, the older man grunted in annoyance. "You can sleep in Erd's room." Rivaille said finally before turning around and walking away. His sharp and well-trained ears heard a soft "no" from Eren's lips, causing him to look over his shoulder at the boy who was currently bowing his head in shame. "Oh? Care to repeat that, Eren?"

Not even flinching at the dangerously low voice in which his commanding officer spoke, Eren frowned once again. "I can't." He said again. "I can't stay in that room." Biting his lower lip, he felt his heart clench painfully. 'Especially since it was Erd's…'

Turning back around so he could face Eren fully, Rivaille crossed his arms. "Auruo's?" Again, Eren shook his head. "Gunter's?" Again, no. Petra's room was out of the question as Rivaille didn't want anyone else staying in hers, wanting to keep it just as she left it. Grunting softly, Rivaille reached up brush his bangs out of his eyes. "In that case, pick any room you want." And with that, Rivaille began walking away yet again. 'Tch, what a picky brat.' Rivaille said mentally with a shake of his head. He wasn't stupid, he knew exactly why Eren didn't want to sleep in any of those rooms. The boy was still burdened with the guilt of their fallen squad and while he himself was also sad, Rivaille knew better than to dwell in the past. He swore on that day after having returned to the Stohess District that he'd kill all the titans on their behalf. Their passing would fuel his strength, much like the rest of the fallen Survey Corps members did. His footsteps slowed to a stop and with an almost inaudible sigh, he turned to look back at Eren once again who still hadn't moved. 'I hate brats.' Whistling under his breath, his blue eyes watched as the teen picked up his head. "Sleep in mine."

"…Sir?"

Rolling his eyes, Rivaille nudged his head slightly. "Shut up and just follow me." Goddammit, he wasn't doing this again; Eren better be following him this time. Walking away slowly, he listened for the sounds of Eren's footsteps and when he heard them, Rivaille closed his eyes and just kept going. Eren was only human, of course he'd still be sadden by the deaths of his friends. The boy was young with Rivaille being fifteen years his senior. When Eren was born, Rivaille was still slumming it underground. He had seen death and he had seen pain but after nearly two decades of it, Rivaille had become hardened. He faced death everyday as a member of the Scouting Legion. He was Humanity's Strongest after all, the one believed to be able to eliminate all the titans. By the time they both made it to Rivaille's quarters, the corporal nudged his head once again in direction of the washroom. "You can come in once you've thoroughly cleaned yourself."

Eren nodded and bowed his head. "Yes sir."

Shuffling through the paperwork on his desk, Rivaille's eyes narrowed slightly. In his hands lay the many different reports and findings he and Hanji had managed to conjure up in regards to Eren's titan form. Details such as the temperature of Eren's titan body and the weight of his limbs were evident in the various papers they had managed to comprise over the weeks. 'Eren's titan form is that of a 15 meter class yet the Female Titan's a close second at around 14 meters.' Rivaille said to himself mentally as he jotted down some notes. 'He lacks the control she does but he certainly can be trained. Her intelligence seems on par with that of the Colossal Titan from years ago.' Humming under his breath, he tapped his plume once before briefly shooting his eyes in the direction of the door, having sensed the presence of another.

"Corporal?" Eren's voice called hesitantly from the other side of the door. "I'm coming in."

Not bothering to give his subordinate a reply, Rivaille returned his attention back to his paperwork and simply continued on writing. Hearing the door pull open, he could practically see Eren nervously making his way inside his room. "Took you long enough." He commented lightly, reaching over to dip his pen in the ink. "You can sleep in my bed so long as you stay on the furthest side by the wall. Don't roll over to my side, don't ever face my direction, stay away from me, and keep to your side." Rivaille then paused to read over his notes and upon realizing he misspelled a word, he grunted softly.

Dropping his head low again, Eren traversed the room and climbed onto his designated spot for the night. Slipping under the covers with his back facing Rivaille who was still sitting at his desk, he closed his eyes tiredly. "Are you really okay with this, Corporal?"

"Shut up." Rivaille replied back swiftly. "Your voice is jarring." Shuffling through his paperwork once again, he frowned. He figured that during his stay here with Eren, he might as well file reports about the boy's progress. Of course, they wouldn't be here for long. It didn't take a genius to know that in due time, the King would be sending members of the Stationary Guard to apprehend them since they were still close to the walls. "Go to sleep, Eren. You'll need it for tomorrow."

Tightening his grip on the blanket, the teen pulled it closer to his body. "Corporal Rivaille, you still haven't told me why we're here."

After taking a sip from his tea and placing it back down, Rivaille cupped his face in his hand as he underlined a bit of a text in his notes. "You are to be arrested by the Military Police for your hesitation in dealing with the Female Titan." He stated flatly, ignoring Eren's sharp gasp. "Due to the number of civilian casualties that happened during the Female Titan's capture, it seems that humanity has deemed your hesitation to kill her as an act of treason. They question your loyalty."

Turning around quickly, Eren bolted upwards in bed. "None of that is true at all! I know I couldn't do it at first but it was because she was my friend!" Furrowing his brows sadly, a feeling of betrayal laced his heart. "She taught me so much during those three years of training, of course I didn't know what to do." Folding his hands in his lap, the teen sighed softly. "And when Armin told me she was the one who killed Marco, Sawney, and Bean, I just couldn't believe it. It just didn't seem like her at all. Beneath her cold exterior, Annie really is kind."

"Oh?" Rivaille questioned, his voice coming out in a mocking slur.

His eyes then flashed dangerously as he clenched his jaw. "But then, she was also the one who killed our squad." Reaching up to grip his hair frantically, he pulled at it roughly. "I'll kill her, I swear I'll kill her!" Eren's turquoise-green eyes seem to radiate in his fury – he'd never forgive her for what she did. "I'll rip her to shreds." He vowed once more. "I'll kill all of them, every single one."

"Yes, yes." Rivaille said in an almost exasperated voice. Taking one last look at his paperwork and seeing that it was complete for now, he nodded to himself. Abandoning his paperwork, the dark haired man pushed himself upwards briefly before leaning over to blow out the candle by his desk. The room was immediately plunged into darkness but he easily maneuvered his way over to his bed. He moved forward an inch and Eren quickly surged to attention, diving back down into bed and turning away from him, adhering to the rules his commanding officer laid out for him. Getting under the covers, Rivaille moved so he was facing the door and not Eren and likewise, the teen did the same. The two slept on either side of the bed but there was ample space between them. It was quiet before -

"Corporal?"

"What?" Rivaille answered back, more so demanded.

"Thank you for understanding." Eren said finally, huddling close against the wall so he could respectfully give his superior his space. Truth be told, Eren was just thankful Rivaille had allowed him to sleep here. He must have understood right from the beginning how this castle reeked of pleasant yet sad memories. His commanding officer was a lot of things; of them was of course the fact that he was usually very tense, rude, and unapproachable. But despite all that, Eren couldn't help but admire him. Although the older man was indeed ruthless as he was merciless, even Eren could admit that Rivaille cared a great deal for his men. He was a selfless man who shouldered all of humanity's hope – he was not at all what people expect to see.

Rivaille inclined his head slightly before humming softly. "Go to sleep, brat." He said again for the second time that night. The two soldiers laid with their backs facing one another with ample space between them, almost like a pair of overlapping wings. Today was still just the first night of what was to come but the older man eagerly welcomed the challenge. After all, he did say that he'd be the one to kill Eren if ever need be. But until then, he would make damn sure that he'd make Eren the best soldier there ever was, or at least, the kind that didn't die easy.

Author's Notes: Oh shit whattttttttt! It's done yayyy! I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! This idea has been in my head ever since I watched the two's interactions during 57th Expedition and ugh I just love them so much. Let me know if you'd liked it okay? Reviews, faves, follows, all that jazz! See you next water time! Oops wrong show.