After dealing with the third muscle, Ymir finally had a moment to rest. With no more distractions, however, the searing pain bit back into her arm with such force Ymir thought she had been hit by a car.

'Ahhhh, shit!' Ymir clutched her arm, trying to hold the pain back. She gave the unconscious man that lay with a bloody nose a mighty glare.

'Fuckin' ass hole!'

She kicked a small, nearby box across the room full of three knocked out men in masks, a couple of crowbars and a bat. The shipping warehouse is no stranger to crime, by residing in the rough part of town. Civic Patrol regularly patrolled this area for car thieves, muggers or sometimes the latest run away from St. Sina Penitentiary.

Ymir thought she hit the jackpot after getting a tip off that there was possible drug runners at the warehouse. With her enhanced marksmanship, she thought that taking on three men at once with her bare hands would be a piece of cake. I'm a fucking idiot sometimes, she scolded herself.

An outsider's footsteps speed walked to the open front entrance. The freckled giant turned in time to see an all too familiar small blond frozen in place with wide blue eyes and a heaving chest.

'Y-Ymir?' She uttered in such mix of worry and relief, the spacious architecture lifting her low sweet voice and making her sound louder than she is.

'Krista?' Ymir tried walking toward her, but stopped when the motion made the pain worse than before.

'Ymir!' The little blond ran over and clutched the fringes of her girlfriend's uniform. 'Are you hurt?'

'Its nothing serious, just a bruise.' The tough as nails brunette tried shrugging off like the pain was nothing but a minor scratch. But truth be told it hurt like hell and Ymir never had great pain endurance, as much as it looked differently.

'What happened? Why are you hurt?!' Krista prodded, shaking Ymir by the collar, the charade of acting tough failed.

Ymir sighed, kneeling down to Krista' eye-level. Moving blond bangs out of her girlfriend's eyes, she leaned forward to peak Krista' forehead.

'Erd told me to follow these guys here. It was going well until they tried jumping me. I had it all under control but then this fucker!' Ymir angrily pointed to bloody nose guy on the floor 'Brought a bat to a fist fight! WHO DOES THAT?!'

Krista looked at the guy and then at Ymir still clutching her arm tight. She didn't want to ask, but there was no other choice.

'What...did you do?'

Ymir went silent, looking at the ground instead of Krista. Shuffling on her knees closer, she gave a weak shrug with her shoulders and swayed side to side.

'Well he hit me, sooo I hit him back...in the nose.' She murmured, but Krista still heard those last three words and wasn't happy.

'Ymir!' She cried. 'Rico will kill you!'

'I'll be fine.' She lied, knowing better.

Rico Brzenska, the Head of Civic Patrol, has always been merciless to those who step out of line during duty. Being no stranger to her wrath, Ymir only had to answer to minor offences. But this time, Ymir knew, she messed up big time. Assaulting a civilian, like Ymir did, is a big offence for a member of the Legion, especially for someone on Civic Patrol. If a civilian is dumb enough physically assault a member, the member has a right to take him/her down with minimum harm.

'You could be suspended or worse – expelled!' Krista clutched onto Ymir' collar, almost on the verge of a panic attack.

Ymir stiffened. Krista was right, she was deep in shit once Rico got word of this.

'It was self defence, don't worry about it. Just-'

The pain took hold again, making low growling noises omit from Ymir' throat. A hand reached out and rubbed away a previously unknown tear off her tanned cheek.

'Can I see your arm?'

Without saying a word, Ymir pulled back her sleeve, revealing a dark purple bruise perfectly in the middle of her arm. Krista leant forward to examine the mark, the closeness making Ymir' body all fuzzy and warm per usual.

'You know, you can see a lot more of me if you ask nicely.' A grin appeared across Ymir' face as her girlfriend's face went red.

'S-shut up!' Krista flustered making Ymir laugh almost uncontrollably. She would of happily continued to do if Krista hadn't pulled her sore are at full force and made the taller girl yelp.

'Hold still.' Krista commanded with a serious tone. Ymir always found her little Krista trying to be stern to be adorable. But it always came with a price.

'Relax, I'm only joking.' Ymir tried to coax her, but Krista ignored her, focusing only on healing the arm. Ymir didn't poke any further and just sat side by side with her until she finished.

The silent treatment lasted a full minute before the bruise was completely gone.

'How does it feel?' Krista retreating her hands and cleaning them with a small cloth she had in one of her pouches.

Ymir looked at her arm now free of pain and odd colouring. Instinctively she pulled her muscular arm up and did a gun show for Krista.

'Not bad.' She sent her signature smirk to her disinterested girlfriend.

Krista had stood up and began to walk out the door. Ymir got up and ran after her outside. Being smaller, Krista had an advantage of being a lot faster in power walks. Outside, Ymir went after her down the empty road.

'Krista? Hey Krista! WAIT!'

Krista stopped in her tracks, but refused to turn back.

'Look, I'm sorry for being an ass, okay? I can't help it sometimes and you know that as well as I do.'

There is no reply. Ymir took a few baby steps forward to continue her apology.

'I was just trying to make light of a bad situation. I've screwed up enough today with being a total-'

'Ymir.' Krista interrupted, her back still facing Ymir. 'Do you not realise I could lose you?'

Her brown brows furrowed at the question, but then it hit her harder than the bat. If things turn for the worse, Ymir could be found guilty and expelled from the Legion. She would be sent packing, out onto the streets, never to see anyone from the Legion or 104th again.

Not even Krista.

Ymir' breath hitched at the very thought.

'I didn't think of it that way.' Ymir gulped. 'I'm sorry.'

The distant sniffles beckoned Ymir to walk up behind and hug the woman she loved. She may have been a survivor long before meeting her, but now, after all these years, she could never dream of living without her beloved blond.

'I'm so sorry, Krista.' Ymir partly-muffled into her girlfriend's hair from behind as her hold around her tightened around her waist, reluctant to let go.

'I-I know.' Krista stuttered, still trying to catch her breath.

To calm her nerves a little, Ymir' and her fingers intertwined and gave each other little squeezes. With Ymir' on top, Krista raised their hand bundle and pressed a small kiss on the tanned palm. It's sudden sweatiness made her give a short laugh, seemingly distracting her from the bad. But nothing lasts forever.

'I better call in soon.'

The sweaty palm left the top and rested on the small waist lower from hers. With one pull, Krista spun round meeting brown eyes with her watery blue ones.

'Wha-What?'

Ymir gestured over to the warehouse. 'Before I have to take care of them again.'

A half-hearted smile etched out, but quickly became irrelevant once Ymir placed two fingers on her ear-com.

'Armin, do you copy?'

'Yes, Ymir, I copy.'

Ymir took a glance over her shoulder before responding. 'I have three suspects...'

The rest became an echo in the background as Ymir gave her detailed report to Armin. On the matter at hand, Ymir put emphasis on bat and self-defence. After Armin sent the report off, Eld and the rest of Ymir' and Krista' squad arrived on the scene to arrest the suspects in the warehouse. As her Squad Leader, its Eld duty to escort Ymir to Rico.

Waiting for transport gave the two women time to reflect and share before possibly never seeing each other again. The two shared one last embrace just as Eld returned with a solemn look upon his face.

'I'm sorry, Ymir but...its time.'

'No.'

'Krista, I-'

'No!'

On her tip toes, she rested her arms on her partner's neck, placing her head against her beating heart, as small tears trickling down both their cheeks.

'I'll find you, Ymir. I promise!'

Ymir didn't say anything, just stood there cradling her Krista and stroking that soft hair of hers. How they will both miss the touch.

'Anything for you, Krista.'