A special and warm thank you goes to my proofreader and fantasy ally Maggi, the only one.

Noteworthy: there are gonna be mature content in chapters 9, 10 and 11. Chapter 11 is the last I've written. If I get responses for these, I might keep on writing but otherwise, I'm happy leaving it as it is. Have a good read (hopefully)!


Major Erwin Smith, a tall blond guy with flashing blue eyes and severe eyebrows, muscular broad shoulders, not the kind of guy you expect to find in an infirmary. But there's been a breach in Wall Rose and Titans are flooding in. As well as maimed soldiers. Mainly from the Garrison since they're the first in line to face the monsters. Which makes Erwin's presence here even more surprising: he belongs to the Survey Corps. He belongs… He commands them. The bravest fighters humanity counts, surveying out the Walls in no fear of giants.

Well, he's been hurt. Nothing serious: some debris falling from the sky. But he wouldn't miss an opportunity to see her. The situation, for now, is stable, civilians have been evacuated, retreat has been pronounced, enemies are ravaging the town but there's this new card he can play: a boy, a cadet, who can apparently turn into a Titan. He needs time to evaluate his options and the blood dripping from his temple might get in the way. A situation that calls for the 'soother'. That's the nickname the trainees came up with back when she was touring the boot camps of Wall Maria to complete her nurse practice. Because not only does she fix your body, her smile can also make you forget any amount of pain. So he sits here, impatient, on a hospital bed drenched in someone else's blood. Someone less lucky, he thinks to himself.

"I still don't see why we're wasting time here.", grumbles his best corporal Levi, leaning on the wall at his right side, arms crossed. "Let's just use the boy."

The man's not exactly famous for his grandstanding. 'Rough around the edges' is how he would term it. But taking the man out of the Underground City's sewage had probably been the most fruitful move he ever made: strong, deft, righteous, composed and loyal to the extreme, the youngster had proven himself many times before being promoted. Erwin might even say it is an honour to work alongside such a fighter. With his undercut black hair falling over his endlessly tired gray eyes, his dismayed frowns and pouting mouth, his will to sacrifice what had to to ensure humanity's future had come as a surprise. As well as his ability with a 3D manoeuvres gear. He sure is slender and muscular, but being that short would certainly prevent some from trying.

"The withdrawal of the troops gives us time to think this through, Levi. Let's take the chance.", replies Commander Pyxis from his armchair.

The bald old man is not wrong. Serving as the southern Garrison Regiment's top officer for so long is testament enough to his wisdom and experience. Not that Erwin would trust him blindlessly: there's something deviant in those sneaky little golden eyes and silver moustache. But so far, they've been playing the game from the same side.

"The doctor's gonna be here in a minute, Levi. You should show her your straining, you know.", Erwin suggests.

"Her?" There's almost disgust in the young man's voice. Disappointment, more accurately.

"A man has weaknesses, Corporal.", chuckles Pyxis. Erwin doesn't like the comment one bit.

"Like not having enough blood to power my brain while it pours through this wound maybe?"

"You sure might be light-headed."

The gentle voice makes his two colleagues turn their head and he decides to spy on Levi's reaction: as he predicted it, his second-in-command can't hide his fascination, and that's a first for him. For the woman who now approaches him and brushes a strand of his hair out of the way to examine his injury is the most beautiful creature given to see: shiny dark long and wavy hair gathered in an elaborate but messy bun, expressive soft but defined brows, a perfect little turned-up nose, full rose lips shaped in a large grin that, by itself, could make you forget the brightness of her long-lashed teal eyes. And that's without mentioning the grace of her allure: everything about her looks firm yet supple, long muscled elegant arms and agile fingers, slanted clavicles left uncovered by her bare shoulders shirt, a narrow waist framing a tonic stomach, and toned short legs only surmisable through the light fabric of her long skirt partially covered by a red-crossed apron. The kind of woman who switches a man's alpha mode on instantaneously. Levi can do nothing but stare at her features, fighting the obvious gaping. It amuses Erwin. A lot. Finally reading an all too human expression on that face is nothing short of a miracle. He chooses to tease him:

"Levi, this is Dr Hope."

She interrupts her assessment to look at him and nods, displaying the warmest smile. Levi recognizes it instantly.

"Haven't we met before?", she asks genuinely, scanning his troubled face.

He discreetly takes offence, focusing his gaze on the corner of the room before sharply replying:

"Fail to remember."

She bites her tongue. "Well, nice to meet you." And concentrates again on Erwin's forehead, who doesn't forget his social duties:

"And this is Commander Pyxis."

"Oh, we've met before.", she responds.

"A fierce woman you chose as your doctor, Major."

She chuckles but he sees her grit her teeth, close as they are, confirming the doubts he might have harboured against the old man. She's holding his jaw between her delicate fingers, tilting his head and inspecting the lesion. He can smell her. For a second, he lets go of his stern responsibilities and gives in to her touch and perfume, letting his eyes rest on her breasts.

With an unpeculiar irritation, his corporal interrupts: "There's no need to idle, we know what..."

"Nothing serious", she interjects in turn, "but you knew that, didn't you?"

The tone she went for was nothing but annoyed and he's not sure what it's about: military talk taking over medical time, protecting herself from overhearing army secrets, or how obviously unnecessary her intervention was. Her skills are undoubtedly painfully needed further down the corridor, but they bothered her for a scratch. She sighs.

"I'll patch you up, big guy."

Erwin catches the younger man raise an eyebrow at her familiarity, and smiles. She's a good doctor. As far as he's concerned, she's the best. And he heard her say once that her job is not to judge patients' pain but to guess how to fix them. So she must have understood he needed the time off, the deliberation and the comfort of medical care. She draws the nearest trolley to her side and skilfully damps a cotton ball with a translucent liquid from a flask. She applies it softly on his bruise and proceeds to cleaning up the blood.

"How is Rebecca doing?", chit-chats the Commander.

Levi has not dared speaking up again. Good boy.

"She's left for Stohess.", she uninterestedly answers.

The old man chortles. "Far away from here. From me maybe?"

"The best of us end up there. The rich would not dare to leave us to the needy."

"Ah, you see Major Smith? Fierce and bold, that one is."

"Since when has talking the truth been bold?", she disputes.

"Ever since the aristocracy has held power."

"Hasn't it always been that way?"

She throws the spoilt cotton right in the wastebasket, proof of her savoir-faire, and picks up a needle and surgical thread.

"So why aren't you in the Capital yourself, my Dear?", inquires Pyxis.

She snorts. "I'm right where I need to be."

"Where you're needed.", Erwin corrects.

She glares at him. "I didn't become a doctor in those dire times to heal some jewel-covered asses' flu."

"Oh oh-oh!", laughs Pyxis through his moustache. "You know it took her six months to graduate as a nurse, and only four after her practice to become a doctor, captain Levi?"

The young man is back at staring at the wall and stays way out of the conversation. But Erwin knows he's recording every word of it.

She's now stitching his flesh with a dexterity he dreamt about and he starts wondering if her fragrance contains some magic ingredients because he does not feel any ache.

"How do you do that?", he ponders from his daze.

"What?"

"The soothing."

She softly giggles. "That's my job."

She picks up a pair of scissors and snips the thread near his skin. "You're all set. Good to go save us from the monsters."

The supportive grin she gives him hides an imperceptible sadness but his courage fires up and all his thoughts reorder now to make perfect sense. Yes, that was just what he needed. He straightens up.

"You know what you have to do Levi, I let you to it."

There's enough assertiveness in his voice to dissipate any scepticism his delegate might have fostered. He pushes himself off the wall, salutes and strides towards the corridor. Dr Hope follows right behind after having rolled the trolley back in its place. She does not waste time bidding farewell, already concentrating on her next emergency. But they both catch Erwin's smirk from the corner of their eyes.


"Have you worked with the Major for long Levi?", she feels impelled to wonder, given the length of that damn hallway.

He exhales. "You… really don't remember, do you?"

She stops dead in her tracks. He stops too, one pace ahead of her, and spins to face her. Something bothered her. She recognized him back there. She was right, they met before. But where? Her bloody memories keep on slipping through her fingers. She scrutinizes him, searching, her eyes flickering, hooking on any lineament evoking any sort of image from the past. He's handsome. Surely she would not have forgotten such a gorgeous mouth, nor that sternocleidomastoid. As she meets his eyes, she can see he's analyzing her too. He's actually trying to piece together the intel she had leaked at the time to make a wild guess at what could have happened to her since. He speaks out quietly, only following the trail of his thoughts:

"There was this thing with your brother…"

He frowns from the effort of remembering. She widens her eyes at the words.

"If you know about my brother…", she trails off in a murmur.

He hears her hold her breath, notices her blushing but does not move as she rushes past him and to the open, disappearing from view.