**Author's Note: I rose from the dead to bring you yet another one shot for this pairing. What can I say? I have a weakness for ships that no one likes. This is a sequel to "Lost in the cold," which I released sometime in maybe February or March, so I would recommend reading that story first so that this one isn't too confusing. Thank you!**

Sunlight streamed down through the leaves above her head, leaving wavering patches of golden light on the grass as Sasha snuck through the trees west of the Survey Corps headquarters. In her hand she carried a small canvas bag, the fabric worn thin from years of use. Around her, the sound of birds' peaceful chirping filled the wood. There in the shade of the thin canopy the air was cool, even though it was still the height of summer, and smelled like moss and fresh leaves.

After walking for a short while, she finally began to hear the soft splashing of the river that ran around the edge of the grounds. Before long she could see its clear water sparkling in front of her. Sasha smiled to herself, picking up her feet and running to the edge of the steam.

Wasting no time, she knelt down and shrugged the jacket of her uniform off, unbuttoning the first few buttons of her shirt and stripping off her maneuver gear straps before stepping out of her boots and pants and leaving them in a pile at the roots of a willow. The day was certainly warm enough to let her shirt dry on her body; lucky, Sasha thought, because the last thing she wanted was for her commanding officer to find her standing naked in a river in the middle of the woods. Reaching for the bag she had brought, she fumbled for a moment in her excitement before pulling out an uneven lump of soap that she had borrowed from one of the older women.

It was an old tradition in the Survey Corps that the freshman soldiers were assigned the filthiest room for bathing, and although Sasha had heard rumors that one of the higher-ups was a massive clean-freak it was clear that he had done nothing for that place. Stone cold and in the dungeon, the water was filthy and the places that weren't covered in mildew were crawling with silverfish. On top of all that, there were no stalls—nothing but a thin wall to separate the genders. "It builds character," her commanding officer had laughed.

And so, ever since the remainder of the 104th had chosen their places in the military, they had been sneaking into the woods to bathe. Unlike her fellow recruits, though, Sasha had been washing in rivers ever since she was a baby. She still remembered trying to catch minnows between her hands with the other village children. There was nothing quite like the smell of fresh water and the forest around her. It made her smile, reminding her of life in her village.

She waded out into the middle of the river, where the water came up to her waist and she could feel the soft silt and smooth river rocks under her toes. She ducked under the surface and threw her head back, making an arc of water fly up into the air above her like a halo.

She did not have much time. Rookie officers were hardly allowed to be alone for more than a moment, let alone take off into the woods without telling anyone. Surrounded by the steady hum of cicadas and the high call of peepers, she set to work, scrubbing herself down hastily with the soap.

Soon, her hair and shirt were soaked through and the water behind her was filled with foamy bubbles. Well, this is as good as it's going to get, Sasha thought to herself, knowing that it was already time to start heading back. But the water felt so nice. She glanced over to the riverbank, to where her uniform lay crumpled on the forest floor, and winced.

Maybe not just yet.

Instead, she looked up, feeling the dappled sunlight that filtered through the trees warming her face. Through the spaces between the leaves above her she could see white, puffy clouds extending high up into the atmosphere, rolling serenely across the deep blue August sky. The breeze drifting through the woods around her was warm and slow. She wanted to fall asleep right there.

While she would never admit it, Sasha wished that she had never given any credit Eren's stupid idea of heroism. The daily training regimen that Survey Corps members were expected to follow was brutal, and they hadn't even gone on an expedition yet. She was covered in bruises from combat training and sores from her gear's straps. Her muscles ached so badly that it kept her from falling asleep at night, and then she wouldn't be able to keep up with training the next day and would have to run laps to make up for it, which only made them hurt more. It wasn't like the rest of her friends hadn't been treated the same—Armin had once failed an upper-body strength test and been ordered to do a thousand pushups in one day, and Connie had had to haul gear for the higher-ups for a week when he'd backtalked a superior—but the fact that she wasn't the only one didn't make her want to get out of the water any more. It was cool, and the feeling of it washing over her sore body was the best thing she had felt all week.

Now that she thought about it, it had been a long time since she'd seen Eren. He was in a separate squad from the rest of the group, and although she occasionally saw him at a distance, Sasha hadn't spoken to him in two, perhaps three months. The harsh training and constancy of the soldiers' work had kept her mind occupied, and, she realized, she had hardly been thinking of him at all.

I wonder how he's doing, she thought, her mind wandering back to that winter storm so many months ago. He had said then that it wouldn't be the last time, but meeting again had proven more difficult than either of them had anticipated. Every time that it seemed like they might get a moment alone between drills, Mikasa would appear and start talking to Eren in her strange hushed voice, or Connie would loop his arm around Sasha's and lead her off to plan a prank on Shadis. Before long, the winter was over and graduation as upon them, and in the chaos that followed it was impossible to think about anything like that.

Sasha's eyes drifted back down to the forest, to where a small herd of deer were wandering far off in the undergrowth. There had only been one time that she had talked to Eren since then.

.

"You know what would be funny? If we replaced Corporal Levi's cleaning soap with milk. Then everything he cleaned would start smelling like spoiled milk after a day. The more he cleans, the worse it gets. It's genius."

Sasha made a face. "Connie, that's gross. And a waste of milk." She turned away from the stable window, which she had been cleaning as per her squad leader's orders. Connie had been assigned to sweeping out the stables, a much harder job, which he had earned after getting caught trying to pilfer some of the senior members' liquor.

"It would be awesome!"

"But then we would have to smell it."

"Oh, yeah," Connie said, as if the thought had never occurred to him before.

Sasha laughed, finished wiping off the window and threw the cleaning rag at him. "I'm done. See you at dinner."

"Aren't you going to stay?" he whined, catching the rag and pouting. "You always stay."

"I usually stay," she corrected, smiling as she walked towards the gate. "And I never stay when it's a beautiful day outside and it smells like horses in here. I'm going to take a nap."

"You're a terrible friend!" Connie shouted at her back, and Sasha turned and blew a raspberry at him before closing the gate.

It really was a beautiful day. It was the first week of summer, and the air was just starting to warm up. The colossal titan's attack had been a little more than a month ago, and, finally, she was starting to move on from the deaths of Marco and her other friends. It had been a long time since she had been able to appreciate a good day without her thoughts wandering back to the carnage of that attack.

Sasha inhaled deeply, feeling the light summer air fill up her lungs. For the first time in a long time, it seemed, she wasn't thinking about titans at all. There was a spot on a hill, not too far from the barracks, with soft grass and the shade of a good, old tree. Smiling slightly at the thought of being able to rest for once, she set out towards it.

A cool wind picked up from the south just as she reached the hill, and, slipping her arms out of her jacket, she folded it up on the ground as a makeshift pillow and laid back. Above her head the sky was a clear blue—not a single cloud. She closed her eyes and drifted off.

"Sasha."

She was nearly asleep when someone softly called her name. Scrunching up her face, she rolled over, trying to ignore it as if the sound were part of a bad dream and not reality. "Sasha," she heard again, and looked up. There, from where he sat on one of the low branches of the tree she had been resting under, Eren peered down at her.

Sasha jumped, surprised, and not entirely sure what to do with herself. It was only then that she realized—I've never even had full conversation with Eren. "Hey," she said weakly. "What are you doing up there?"

He shrugged, gazing off towards where the sun hung high and warm above them. "Corporal Levi and the rest of his squad got called away to go over plans for the next expedition beyond the walls, and I don't think they're as nervous as they used to be about me, so they gave me the rest of the day off." He looked back down at Sasha. "You don't have anything to do, right?" he asked. "Do you want to…I don't know, join me?"

"Yeah, sure," Sasha said, smiling nervously. She jumped up, grabbing a low hanging branch and quickly hoisting herself up to where he sat.

Eren smiled slightly, looking off into the distance again. "It's beautiful today, huh?"

"Yeah," she agreed, looking down at her hands.

"I'm glad I don't have to spend it training."

"Yeah." Sasha had no idea what to say. She rubbed her lips together, suddenly dry. "Really makes you miss the good old days at home when you could actually spend it having fun, doesn't it?"

At the word 'home,' Eren's jaw tightened. Sasha's heart fell. One full sentence and she'd already screwed up. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—ah, I said something stupid. I should go."

"No wait," Eren said suddenly, grabbing her wrist as she began to move back towards the trunk, "Sasha, hold on. I've been wanting to talk to you for a while. Please stay here."

She paused, looking back at him. His eyes caught the green light filtering through the leaves all around them and shone brightly in the shade. The way he was looking at her seemed so…desperate. Sasha swallowed. "Y-yeah. Okay. What about?"

"I mean, well," he broke her gaze. "We…ah…we had sex. And I never really got the chance to, you know, talk with you after that."

Sasha nodded. "I know," she replied, but couldn't think of anything else to say. Her mind was racing, trying to figure out what he was going to tell her.

"I wish I had gotten the chance to see you alone back then. Really. But, I mean, so much has happened since then. Everything is different now."

Oh.

Sasha felt her stomach flutter nervously. She may not have had much experience with boys, but she knew where he must be going. Before he could say more, she was moving away again.

Eren stared at her. "Where are you going?"

"I don't need to hear the rest," Sasha answered, lowering herself down to the next branch. "I understand. You're tying up loose ends." She deftly dropped to the ground and began to walk away.

"What are you talking about?" Eren asked, jumping down after her. "Sasha, wait!"

"Look, it's cool. We had a bit of a thing going, and you want to make it clear that it's over. So, consider your job done. It's clear. If you don't mind, I'm going to go finish my nap now."

"Hey!" Before she could make another move, He grabbed her by the shoulder. "You've got it wrong. I just wanted to ask you something!" Sasha tried to jerk herself free, but he held tight. "Just let me ask you one thing," he said quietly. "Please."

Reluctantly, Sasha nodded. He slowly let go of her shoulder, his fingers falling lightly down her arm until he gently took her hand. "Sasha, I need you to be honest, please," he whispered. "Mikasa and Armin…they wouldn't be honest with me. I know it."

His eyes seemed to be locked on their hands. She said nothing, waiting for him to go on. Eren swallowed.

"Do you think that being able to turn into a monster makes me one?"

"Eren," she started, "Why would you even ask that? Of course I—"

"I'm serious!" Sasha jumped at the urgency in his voice. He stared at her, his eyes wide and furious—No, she realized, surprised. He's scared.

"I don't think you're a monster," Sasha murmured, squeezing his hand gently. "You're just as human as me."

Before she could say another word, Eren pulled her towards himself and put his arms around her, burying her face in her shoulder. For a moment, Sasha was frozen in surprise, so shocked that Eren of all people would suddenly hug her out of nowhere that she didn't even return the hug.

"You're not a titan," she said finally, wrapping her arms around his neck and slowly stroking his hair. "You're not a monster."

"Thank you."

.

The wind rustled through the trees.

How long have I been here?

Pulling her hands out of the river, Sasha realized that her fingertips were already covered in wrinkles. "Shit," she cursed, splashing towards the riverbank.

That had been the last time she'd spoken with Eren, or even seen him. He never had ended up telling her whether or not he had meant to end things, but in the end, that didn't matter. Being permanently on an elite squad made it almost impossible for him to run into a person of her rank. The idea of them being together simply didn't make sense. As Sasha hurriedly squeezed the water out of her hair, she brushed the thought out of her head like dust.

"Fuck 'im," she muttered aloud and she struggled to wring out her shirt.

"Fuck who?"

Sasha yelped, stumbling backwards as her eyes darted around, searching frantically for what she hoped wasn't a squad leader. But, the boy who stepped out into the open was nothing close. She knew that face.

"Eren?" She asked.

"Um," he said, his eyes glued to her shirt, which, once wet, had become all but transparent. Sasha blushed, trying to hide behind the tree, but just as she did the clothing she had left at its trunk tangled around her ankles. Before she knew it, she was falling backwards into the river.

"Hey!" he shouted, trying to catch her, but his boot slipped on the slick rocks of the river bank and soon they were both careening in.

Splash.

Sasha pushed herself up on her elbows, wiping mud out of her eyes as she watched Eren coughing up the water he'd accidentally swallowed. Well, there goes that bath, she thought, disappointed, as she began to scrape the silt and dead leaves off of herself.

"Sorry," Eren said, sitting up next to her and shaking the water out of his hair. "I probably shouldn't have snuck up on you like that."

"Snuck up on me? Were you peeping?"

He blushed. "N-no. Of course not. Why would I do that?"

Sasha stared at him for a minute, then threw her head back and laughed.

"What's so funny?" he demanded, but Sasha could only wave her hand, trying to keep herself from giggling. She moved to get up but he caught her arm and pulled her back down. "What are you laughing about?"

"Nothing," Sasha snickered, pushing him playfully.

"Tell me."

She shrugged, smiling mischievously. "I just think it's funny that humanity's greatest weapon is still enough of a kid to sneak peeks at girls bathing."

"I said that wasn't true!" Eren protested, grabbing her around the waist.

"Wah!" Sasha laughed as he picked her up and tossed her out into the deep middle of the river. She jumped to her feet and slapped the surface, sending a shining arc of water up into his face. Before he could shake it out of his eyes she tackled him, sending them both into the shallows of the stream.

She smiled, straddling his chest and pinning him to the bottom. "I win," she giggled, her eyes sparkling behind her soaked bangs.

Eren smiled, touching her knee. "'Guess so," he admitted, his hands wandering up her thighs until they were resting on her butt. His fingers slipped just under the hem of her shirt. "What are you supposed to be doing right now?"

"Drills," she said, almost unconsciously pressing back into his touch. She placed her hand on his chest, her thumb tracing the shape of his collarbone. Slowly, he pushed his fingers higher, her shirt bunching around the curve of her waist. "I wasn't allowed to leave in the first place."

"Don't go back," he said, his eyes bright.

"I never thought you of all people would tell me to skip training."

"Just for a little bit." He reached up and pulled her down into himself, drawing her face into his.

Sasha closed her eyes just as Eren caught her lips, feeling the water flow and swirl around them as she pressed herself into his kiss. His fingertips dug into her hips, pulling her tight against his body before wrapping his arms around her waist and embracing her.

Sasha parted her lips and let Eren's tongue explore her mouth. She tangled her fingers into his messy hair and felt a shiver run through him. He held her tighter, and soon Sasha felt his hardening erection straining against his pants. He broke away, his kisses tracing her jaw as he moved to suck on the sensitive skin of her neck. Sasha bit her lip, feeling her blood rush hotter, her legs tightening around his body.

Somewhere nearby, a branch snapped.

"Shit!" Sasha hissed, jumping up and rushing to the tree where she had left her clothing. She peered out from behind it, but found no officer waiting to drag her back to camp. Instead, a young stag stood frozen by a nearby birch, startled by the sudden movement. She sighed. That was too close.

Eren followed her to the tree where she'd left her clothes, lightly touching her arm as she shook the water from her skin and began to tug her uniform back on. "Sasha," he said softly, watching her as she stepped into her maneuver gear. She paused, looked into his light eyes. He tilted his head and kissed her lightly, his breath warm on her face. "They gave me my own room," he whispered. "It's in the dungeon. If you go around midnight no one will see you."

.

Sasha laid in her bunk, staring up at the ceiling.

It was past midnight, but she couldn't move. The thought of Eren had her frozen. She sighed, running her fingers through her hair and sitting up in bed. All around her, the women of the Survey Corps were sleeping, the sounds of their steady breath filling the room. Sasha put her head in her hands. What am I doing?

She shouldn't go see him. She knew she shouldn't. The more she thought about it, the worse it seemed. She hardly even spoke to Eren. She hardly even knew him. He could have been looking at her as nothing more than an easy lay. She could have been nothing more than a booty call.

But she wanted him.

Fuck.

Sasha pushed herself out of bed.

.

The old corridors of the Survey Corps' castle were empty as she crept out of the barracks and towards the stairwell. She had left her boots by her bunk—they would have made too much noise—and the stone was cool and smooth under her bare feet. Through the high arched windows to her left she saw the half-moon hanging high in the sky, its light cool and blue. The heat of the day and broken. Sasha wrapped her arms around herself to keep warm.

Before long she was standing in front of Eren's door. Raising her hand, she knocked lightly on the heavy wood.

There was no answer. Sasha sighed, turning away. She must have waited too long. He had probably fallen asleep.

Just as she was walking away, though, she heard the door open behind her, and before she could think a strong hand had closed around hers. "Sasha?" Eren whispered, squinting at her face in the inky darkness of the dungeon.

She turned around and saw him standing there, his black hair messy. "Sorry I'm late," she said

He grinned, lacing his fingers through hers and pulled her close. Slipping his thumb under the belt of her pants, he pulled her hips against his, tilting his head so that he could kiss her fiercely. Sasha smirked, wrapping her arms around his neck and parting her lips to deepen the kiss. He reached down and pulled her legs up around his waist, holding her against his body as he kicked the door to his room open and carried her inside.

It was so dark that she could hardly see what was happening as Eren put her down on his bed and broke away, shutting the door behind them. He returned in a second, pulling off his shirt and pressing Sasha down into the sheets of his bed with another kiss.

She moaned as she felt his hard abs pressing against her shirt, the heat of his skin making her whole body tingle with desperate longing. He smirked into her lips as he felt her dragging her nails down the skin of his back and slipped his hand up under her shirt to caress her breasts.

"You're so hot," he purred as he kissed her neck, starting to undo the buttons of her blouse. As he did, he worked his way down her body, trailing kisses down her chest and belly until he reached the band of her pants. He undid the button of her pants and slowly slipped his hands under the fabric, pushing them gently down until she was completely naked below him. She could feel his breath running over the slick folds of her sex. "Wow," he breathed.

Sasha gasped as Eren bent down and dragged his tongue up her slit. He pulled her leg up above his shoulder, stroking up and down her thigh as he ate her out.

She moaned, digging her fingers into his hair. He quickly found her clit, circling it with his tongue until she was panting and arching her back beneath him. Hot sparks ran through her blood stream, making her mind blank. Before she could even get used to the pleasure, however, he slowly slipped two of his fingers into her, gently pumping them in and out until he had her writhing on his bed. "Ah—Eren!" she gasped, bucking her hips up in an attempt to find release. The tension building up inside her was unbearable.

His eyes flicked up to hers, and with a smug look he doubled his pace. She groaned. The feeling of his fingers thrusting inside her was too much. With a rush of warmth she felt an intense orgasm roll through her body.

Sasha slumped down onto his sheets, breathing heavily. Eren licked his fingers clean, watching her as she tried to pull herself together. "You look beautiful like that," he said with a roguish smile as he bent down to press a kiss to her nose.

Sasha grinned dumbly and wrapped a leg around his waist. "Is that all?"

Silently, Eren shook his head, his eyes glinting brightly as he undid his belt and slid his trousers down. He tossed them away and ran his fingers up her body, kneading her breasts and lowering his head to suck on her neck. Sasha moaned, arching her back off of the bed and pressing her whole body into his. Eren hissed at the feeling of her soft chest against his, and Sasha felt one arm snaking around her waist to hold her tight against him as he lined his raging erection up to her sex. Gritting his teeth, he slowly pushed into her.

"Shit, Sasha," he gasped against her skin as he felt her slick inner muscles tighten around his dick, sending a shiver down his back.

Tilting her head, she dragged her teeth along his jaw, lightly biting his flushed skin as he struggled to get a hold of himself. "Come on, Eren," she teased, wrapping her legs around him and pushing her hips up to bring more of him in. "Don't tell me it's too much for you?" He buried his face in her neck, stifling a groan. Sasha began to move, grinning as he tried his best not to come right then. She rolled her hips back, feeling him stiffen as her warm walls slid along his dick.

As she raised her hips again he pushed into her deep and slow, making her toes curl into his blankets. Sasha threw her head back into his pillow and moaned. He kissed her again, pressing his open mouth against hers and running his thumb over her hard nipple before grabbing both her hands. He laced his fingers through hers and he held her arms above her head, his thrusts gaining speed until his hips were slamming into hers. She could feel his pulse beating fast against her skin. Her legs tightened around him. He was nearly there.

He gazed down at her, his cheeks flushed eyes clouded with primal lust. "S-Sasha," he panted. "I…I'm…"

Before he could finish, Sasha felt his hands tighten around hers, and with a silent moan he pressed his sweat-slick forehead against hers. His breath rushed over her nose. She could feel his warmth coursing into her.

After a moment, he let go of her hands, slumping onto the bed beside her with a satisfied grin plastered across his face. "I missed that," he muttered, pulling a blanket over the two of them.

Sasha smiled, running her fingers through her tangled hair. She turned and kissed Eren on the forehead, running her thumb along his cheek and listening to the soft sound of his breathing as it gradually slowed. He must be almost asleep, she thought. For a moment, she just looked at him, watching the way his chest steadily rode and fell under the sheets. For the first time since she had met him, he seemed content. There wasn't a trace of anger in his face.

I should go, Sasha finally told herself, slipping out from under the covers and feeling blindly around the cold stone floor for her clothing. Someone will say something if I'm not in the barracks when the rest of the girls wake up. After all, she thought, tugging her panties back on and looking back at Eren's still form. He got what he wanted. It doesn't matter if I stay, does it?

With a sigh, she picked up the rest of her clothes and tiptoed to the door.

"Stay here."

Sasha jumped, looking over her shoulder to find Eren's sharp eyes on her. "Eren," she started.

"I don't want you to leave," he said, pushing himself up on one elbow to look at her. She bit her lip, her hand on the cool metal of the doorknob. "Please?" he added in a whisper.

"I'll get caught."

"I want you to stay with me."

Sasha sighed. "Alright," she said, a faint smile pulling at the edges of her lips as she stepped back over to his bed.

He held the covers open for her, and as soon as she was under, wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against his warm body. "That's better," he murmured, his nose just touching the tip of her ear. She pressed back into him, feeling is heartbeat. "Goodnight, Sasha."

"Goodnight, Eren."

**Author's Note: Shoutout to Cielle's Amour (go read her stuff) for giving me the idea for the river scene and to Pearljam's "Low Light," which i listened to on repeat for a solid five hours while writing it.

Thank you very much for reading and please leave a review! No seriously. It makes my whole day when I get those.**