"Will that be all, Commander?"

"Yes, Levi, that is all for now."

Thank god.

The visibly exhausted man tore himself from beneath Erwin's steady gaze and stiffly strode to his quarters, keeping his eyes glued to the floor to avoid catching the eye of another one of his superiors. Anyone, even a newbie straight from the training corps, knew that you never messed with an official whose eyes would not meet yours.

Once he arrived, Levi gratefully shut and locked the great door of his bunkroom, reveling in the fact that the other captains would be at dinner and in meetings for hours into the night. Serving for a full two days under a physically and psychologically pressed Erwin had earned the captain some much needed down time. The chaos that had ensued after that titan-shifter's rampage had put the officers of every military branch on their toes, but, now that Hanji (of all people) had custody of the crystallized youth, social and political matters were finally starting to fall back into the hands of the military police. Crossing to his desk, Levi achingly lowered himself into his high-backed chair, gazing out his rather sizable window at the auburn of the setting sun.

Heaving a sigh, Levi reclined in his oak seat, his eyes eventually roving to the locked drawer inches from his knuckles. Automatically dipping below his neckline, Levi's slender fingers retrieved an ornate key, and, as he gazed at the ornament, the military captain's mind flashed back to the day he had received the fine desk, a reward for his hard work and dedication to the Survey Corps. Sliding the compartment from its resting place, Levi's dull gaze lingered on its contents; his eyes scanned the patterns over and over, engraining them onto his mind. Each blood stain, each rip and tear was painfully familiar to his calloused fingertips as he brushed the textile surfaces with his appendages. His grey eyes glistened as he removed the patches one by one, his grip tightening around the fabric of each in turn; the names of their owners graced his lips, but never made a sound.

Gunter…Auruo…Erd…

His fingers grasped empty air. Frantically, they groped and searched within the space of the drawer, reaching for what he knew wasn't there. Slowly withdrawing his hand, he relaxed his fingers and gazed blankly at his empty palm, squinting to ward off the grief behind his eyes. Suddenly, his mind replayed the happenings of the last week: the high-stakes ride through the forest, the pounding trod of the female titan at their heels, the dying cries of his companions echoing throughout the trees…

Oh God. Oh God, why.

Liquid contrition broke through his dam of resolve, filling the slate-shaded lakes faster than the emotionally compressed man could handle; orbs once apathetic and lifeless now overflowed with sorrow and remorse. Lowering his forehead to the desk's smooth surface, Levi inhaled shakily, a sob escaping his trembling lips as an exhale tried to break through on its own. Droplets poured ceaselessly down his cheeks and onto his lap as his mutinous orifice mouthed her name.

P-Petra.

Biting his lip, Levi buried his face in his forearm and wept.