Author's Note: This one is a doozy! I think I tried to make up for sub-par writing with length. I didn't feel all that great about it, but let me know what you guys think.

Thank you to ALuver01 and Lonewolfhuntress for your reviews! I'm so glad you guys are enjoying the story! And yes, poor Erwin! He tries so hard but he can never quite catch a break! I tried to delve more into that in this chapter. Enjoy!

Chapter 25

Levi frowned at Miria over his shoulder.

"Why are you crying?" he asked, turning his attention back to the shirt in his hands. He straightened it out and pulled his head through the neck hole. Miria gently touched his back, tracing her fingers across the barely visible scars that were scattered across his body.

"I-I didn't realize how many scars you had." She thought back to everything he had told him about his past—how his mother had passed away while working at a brothel, how helpless he was, how the most famous serial killer in Mitras had taken him under his wing and taught him how to survive. It was a rough existence. Miria struggled with her scars every day, but at least hers were concentrated around her thighs. She could avoid looking at them if she wanted to. Levi was covered in these tiny reminders of his past—a testament to how cruel the world truly was. Tears spilled out of her eyes endlessly as she thought about how kind Levi truly was. He protected the innocent. He put himself in harm's way for others. He was a good person. How could such a good person be forced to live his life in the squalor for all those years while monsters disguised as nobles roamed in the capital? His shirt fell over her hand, and she pulled it away as he turned to face her. She hugged him, wanting to provide him with the comfort that he had so sorely lacked his entire life. She had spent all day thinking about him, and while her questions of unrequited love remained unanswered, she knew that Levi was her best friend. She knew that he was a good man. She knew that she would do anything to protect him from the pain that he had been experiencing his whole life.

"You've been acting strange." he mumbled, hugging her back. She didn't respond, but just tightened her hold on him. "I've been absorbed into Erwin's squad. So, it looks like we'll be together for this expedition.

"I'm so glad…." It was barely a whisper.

"C'mon. Let's get some sleep." Levi said, patting her back. She nodded and let go, following him to the bed in her tiny room like a lost puppy. She watched him settle into the sheets, patiently waiting to crawl into his arms and rest her head on his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "Are you sure you're okay?" No. "Are you still having hallucinations?"

"Yea." Miria mumbled into his chest.

"It'll get better soon."

"I know." A cold breeze wafted through the room and Miria smiled. "Hey Levi."

"What?"

"The snow's going to be gone in a couple of days."

"Yea."

"I'm going to miss the winter." She closed her eyes and retreated into his warmth.

"Why?"

"It reminds me of when we met."

"We met in the spring." he corrected.

"I know, but I remember the winter before that spring." A yawn escaped her and her speech began to fade in and out. "I spent every night dreaming about you…."

Miria grabbed her bags and made her way outside, where her carriage awaited her.

"Ready to go?" Erwin asked with a smile, reaching for her bags. Miria pulled her arm back and held them out of his reach. "What are you doing?"

"You shouldn't be lifting anything, including my heavy bags."

"Don't be ridiculous. I can handle a couple of bags." Erwin held his hand out for them. Miria kept her arm stretched out behind her and stared into his eyes with a cynical look on her face.

"Reach for it." she demanded.

"What?"

"You heard me." Erwin swallowed and nervously leaned forward, stopping when the pain in his back made him wince. "I thought so." Miria walked around him and set the bags into the carriage next to his. She climbed in and Erwin followed closely behind her.

"Will I at least be able to ride a horse on the next expedition?" he asked.

"Doubtful." Miria replied stoically. She crossed her arms and legs, leaning back as the carriage began to move. "At the very least you'll have to wear a back brace, and you definitely won't be able to use ODM gear."

"That's a problem."

"Not really. You'll have me and Levi in your team. I doubt you'll need to engage at all. It's probably better for you and Commander Shadis to focus on operations anyways." she explained. "Why did you take Levi into your team?"

"He asked me." Erwin replied.

"And you agreed, just like that?" Miria raised an eyebrow at him.

"No, he had a compelling argument. One that I had been thinking about myself, actually."

"What?" She turned toward him, resting her arm on the back of the seat and propping up her head with her fist.

"Individually, the top five soldiers in the Survey Corps are a force to be reckoned with. You and Hange are very closely matched in physical abilities and skill—I'm sure in part to the training that Levi has been giving her recently. But there's quite a big leap in abilities from you to me." Erwin rubbed his chin in thought. "I've been thinking about new squad organizations since the last expedition. On the surface, it seems like the most logical thing to do would be to pair individuals or squads based on their abilities—so Levi, Mike, and I in one squad, and you, Hange, and Moblit in another. We could then expand the squads as we needed, but Levi brought up an interesting point. The way you two took down that titan—without even having to communicate—and the way you two can seemingly read each other's minds even during training drills, it would put your collective skill in a league far higher than any other Survey Corp squad—regardless of the size."

"Regardless of size? I think a hundred soldiers could probably bring us down." Miria scoffed.

"I don't think so." Erwin's expression remained serious. He locked eyes with her. "The way you two are able to coordinate your attacks on instinct is not something I've seen before. Commander Shadis agreed with this as well. We think it would be better for you and Levi to head up an elite squad in the Survey Corps. We could call it the Special Operations Squad."

"And what? It would just be me and Levi?" Miria asked.

"No, we could add more people to it once we have new recruits. Actually, we would want you and Levi to identify people who could work together at a similar level."

"And what would this squad do?"

"Special operations." Erwin replied with a smirk. She rolled her eyes at him. "For this upcoming expedition: casualty reduction. We lost quite a few people on our last run. I want to make sure we limit that as much as possible this time around. Especially since it seems like I won't be able to help if things get too out of control." Miria leaned back in her seat and stared up at the roof of the carriage. "So, what do you think?'

"Special Operations Squad, huh?" she pondered out loud. "I like it."

"I should mention, this expedition will act as a test run for you and Levi working together outside the walls. If it goes well, the squad will officially be formed upon our return, and you will both be promoted to captain."

"Captain?" Miria laughed at the idea. "Are you sure you want to promote a couple of insubordinate loners with no strategic experience that high?"

"I think it would be wise." His smirk never left.

"Miria! Be reasonable!" Darius pleaded, standing up from behind his desk and walking toward the pouting girl. She crossed her arms defiantly and glared at him.

"I don't understand why this is still an issue. I can protect myself!" Miria shot back. "I'm about to be promoted to captain for god's sake!"

"I'm not saying that you can't." He sighed and rubbed his temples, setting his glasses on the desk. "Your mother would want this for you. She would want you to be with someone who can look after you, provide for you, and keep you happy."

"I don't want to talk about this. I told you I'm not marrying anyone, much less my squad leader. I just came here to check on the businesses and make sure all of the managers were hired to run them so that you wouldn't have to worry about them."

"I appreciate that—"

"So, are they all hired?"

"Yes." Darius exhaled in frustration.

"Good." Miria turned on her heel and stormed out of the office, slamming the door shut behind her. She used to love visiting Darius with her mother, and genuinely looked forward to seeing him after she had passed away. Now, every conversation was about her engagement to Erwin. They had both told Darius multiple times that things were different now, but he had his heart set on seeing Miria safe in the inner most walls, doing something appropriate for a woman—like rearing children. It was infuriating. She knew it was coming from a good place, but hadn't she proved herself enough? "Did you have to go through this, mom?" she grumbled to herself in the hallway.

"I imagine she did." The voice made Miria jump, but she smiled once she recognized it.

"Commander Pixis!" Miria saluted and he gave her a pained look.

"Commander? I think I liked it better when you called me Uncle Pixis and hugged me. You're so formal all of the sudden. Don't toy with an old man's heart. Grief can kill us faster than titans." Dot joked. She laughed and ran into his arms like a child, hugging the tall man's torso.

"Did you hear my conversation with General Zackly?"

"Of course." Dot said, keeping his arm around her shoulders as they walked. "You never argue quietly. You must have inherited that from your mother. He paused for a moment, glancing down at her silver feather pendant. "I heard about your loss. I'm so sorry, Miria." She clutched the pendant tightly in her fist and stopped walking, turning her eyes up to Dot.

"I really loved him. He asked me to marry him. He was the only man I could see myself with, and now…how could I ever marry anyone else? Doesn't General Zackly realize how hard it would be for me?" Her voice was soft and low. The heavy wrinkles under his eyes deepened as he smiled at her.

"Yes…if you're going to marry, you should do it for love." Dot chuckled. "I remember telling your mother the same thing nearly twenty years ago."

"Did she?" Miria asked.

"Hm?"

"Marry for love, I mean."

"O heavens no." Dot scoffed. "She couldn't stand Ivor."

"Then why—"

"Your mother married him for his connections to the royal council. She knew she could only advance her research and funding so much through her military connections, but if she was able to have influence and sway over the royal council, she could truly help change the world."

"So, she never found love." Miria frowned, unsure of how to feel. Her mother had done something truly noble: she had sacrificed her personal happiness for the sake of humanity. But…there was still this ache in her heart. Her mother was such a wonderful person. She deserved to feel the happiness that Furlan had brought Miria. She deserved someone that made her feel just as loved.

"Of course, she did." Dot smiled. "She found love when she just was fourteen years old, and to the best of my knowledge, she never stopped seeing that man until the day she died."

"What? What man? Why didn't mom marry him?" Miria's face was full of shock. She had never heard this from anyone before.

"Flora was hesitant to tell me all the details, but when she was fourteen, she met a boy around her age who was running from the Military Police. She sheltered him and fed him. She fell in love with this criminal. I told her he might be trouble, but she insisted they were made for each other."

"How did she know?!" Miria interjected.

"She said she could just feel it. His pain was her pain. His well being was her well being. Despite being some tall, hardened criminal from the Underground, she said she knew he was a good man, and she wanted nothing more than to comfort and protect him."

"The Underground?" Levi….

"It sounds strange, doesn't it? A noble woman from Mitras and some thug from the Underground. Like a poorly written fiction."

"Did he love her, too?" Miria asked.

"I think he did. Even after she married Ivor and had you, he stood by Flora. Like I said, I don't know the details." Miria smiled and tightened her grasp on the pendant.

"It sounds like a fairytale." I'm so happy you found love, mom.

"Commander Pixis." Miria looked up at Erwin as he walked down the hall to them. The two men shook hands.

"Erwin! It's good to see you. What are you doing in Mitras?" Dot asked.

"Miria and I have a few days off. We had some errands to run in Mitras, and we're heading to Wall Rose next to see Nile and his wife." Erwin explained, smiling at Miria.

"Well, then don't let me keep you. Have a wonderful trip." Dot patted Miria's head and gave her a playful wink before he took off.

"What was that?" Erwin asked, noticing the gesture.

"I'm…not sure." Miria responded, watching Dot's back as he disappeared down the hall. "He might think our trip is more romantic than platonic." she mumbled.

"O, is it not romantic?" Miria rolled her eyes and playfully punched his arm.

"Shut up. Let's just go."

"Captain?" Nile choked out between fits of laughter. Miria glared at Erwin as she chewed her bread.

"I didn't expect him to react that way." Erwin muttered, glancing down at his soup. Liar.

"Leave the girl alone, Nile!" Marie scolded. She reached over the table and held Miria's hand. "Congratulations, Miria. I know you'll be a wonderful captain for the Survey Corps. I can't believe how grown up you are."

"Thanks, Marie." Miria responded with a faint smile.

"Yea." Nile wiped a single tear from his eye and let out another chuckle. "I can't imagine titans will want anything to do with you after you show them what a temper tantrum you can throw."

"You're lucky I love Marie too much to hurt you." Miria scowled at him. Nile stood from his chair, slamming both hands down on the table and leaning over it.

"O really?" He smirked at Miria. "As I recall, I kicked your butt every day during combat training." Miria followed suit, slamming her hands down on the table and leaning over to meet his intense gaze.

"Take it outside, then!" she challenged.

"That's not a good idea, Nile." Erwin cautioned.

"Sit down!" Marie pulled Nile down by the shoulders. "You two are worse than the children." Miria and Nile both plopped down into their seats, crossing their arms and legs and glaring at each other. Marie laughed and began picking up the dishes. "I'm glad you two could come visit. I haven't seen Nile this animated since your bar days, Erwin."

"Bar days?" Miria asked, raising an eyebrow at the two men.

"Yes. These two would come into the bar I worked at, every day after their training, and get rowdy and loud." Marie washed off the dishes and wiped her hands on her apron. "Well...Nile would get rowdy and loud. Erwin was always composed. Still, they were thick as thieves. After Erwin joined the Survey Corps and Nile joined the Military Police, I never saw Nile joke around with anyone like he did with Erwin. At least, not until our little Miria came along."

"He is a hard guy to like." Erwin joked. "I remember I befriended him because he looked so lonely and sad. It was pathetic, really."

"Funny. I thought the same thing about you." Nile chided.

"…so, did you two used to date…or?" Miria interrupted, glancing between the two men. Marie giggled and ran her fingers through Nile's hair, planting a soft kiss on his lips. He smiled at her and Miria clutched her pendant, feeling emotional over their love. Nile looked at Marie the same way that Furlan had looked at Miria. It was beautiful. "Marie!" Miria suddenly spoke up.

"Yes?"

"When did you know that you loved Nile?" Marie looked up, bringing her index finger to her bottom lip and tapping it in thought.

"I guess…." Her face lit up and she looked down at Nile as he also patiently waited for her answer. "The night I was short-staffed." Nile chuckled, obviously knowing the story. Miria leaned forward with her elbows on the table, anxiously waiting to be let into their secret world. "There was a really busy night at the bar, and I was the only server there. Customers were starting to get impatient and rude, and the next thing I know, this goofy soldier, who would always sit in the same booth as his upright friend, was calling out orders, helping me make drinks, and helping me serve them. He worked with me the whole night, right up until we closed." Marie took Nile's face into her hands and kissed him again. "I thanked him and tried to pay him, and he just saluted and said it was his job. He dedicated his heart to humanity."

"Gross!" Miria yelled out playfully, giggling at Nile's tacky line.

"Not as gross as what I did to her after." Nile joked. Marie smacked his shoulder.

"Okay, you ruined a perfectly cute story." Miria replied, leaning back in her chair. "So, that's when you knew you loved him?"

"Absolutely! He was there for me when I really needed him, and has been ever since. Nile originally wanted to join the Survey Corps, you know?"

"No!" Miria replied, shocked. She looked over at Erwin who sat there, quietly sipping his tea. Miria couldn't read him. He seemed so void of any emotions. How could anyone sit through Marie's story and not feel completely overwhelmed by her passion?

"O, yes!" Marie confirmed. "He and Erwin talked about it all the time. He only decided to join the Military Police so that we could get married and start a family." Nile glanced over at Erwin, and Miria caught something of a guilty look between the two men.

"I'm glad he joined the Military Police." Miria said. Nile turned his gaze toward her, and she smiled. "Otherwise I wouldn't have had one of my best friends during one of the hardest parts of my life." Nile smiled at her, and Marie hugged him.

"Ah, I really miss that bar!" Marie cooed.

"You know, I've never been to a bar." Miria suddenly realized.

"Never?" Marie asked. Miria shook her head. "Well that's no good! You're not a real soldier until you've been drunk at a bar!"

"Marie!" Nile scolded. "The girl found a way to hide in the Underground with a dangerous gang leader for two years while she was sober. What do you think she'll do if alcohol diminishes the tiny bit of self-control she has?"

"Hey! Levi's not—" Miria paused for a minute, trying to figure out how to defend her friend. Nile's statement wasn't inaccurate. "He's…"

"Please don't say misunderstood. My ribs are still aching from the idea of you being captain."

"Erwin! You should take Miria to that bar and show her how soldiers really let loose!" Marie cut in. "She'll definitely need a drink after being harassed by this one all night." She playfully pulled on Nile's ear.

"O, I don't think that's—" Erwin began.

"C'mon!" Miria begged, knowing he was trying to 'protect' her again. "You didn't get me anything for my last two birthdays. The least you could do is take me out for a drink to celebrate my upcoming promotion and let me experience an actual bar." Erwin stared at her for a moment, mouth slightly hanging open, probably wondering when he had been placed on the hook for her last two birthdays. He let out a small laugh and nodded

"Alright."

"So, do you want to tell me what that look between you and Nile was all about?" Miria asked, taking a sip of her whiskey and immediately gagging at the taste. "God, that's awful. Why do people drink this?" Erwin downed his glass and Miria pushed hers toward him, which he also quickly poured down his throat. She watched him in awe as he ordered two more drinks. He pushed the glass full of clear liquid toward her and she clutched the tiny thing in her hand.

"Take a deep breath and hold it." he instructed. She followed his directions, puffing out her chest. "Swallow it all at once and exhale as soon as you do." He demonstrated it for her, and she replicated his actions, shuddering as the alcohol slid down to her stomach.

"Still awful."

"You'll get used to it." he said with a laugh, ordering another two shots.

"Are you going to answer my question before I get too drunk to remember?" Miria could already feel her body tingling. She had never had alcohol before.

"Yea." Erwin exhaled, staring down at the small glass in his hand. "Nile and I both fell for Marie when we used to come to this bar. When he started rethinking joining the Survey Corps, I backed off because Marie deserved a husband who she could be sure would be home with her every night." He clenched his jaw. "Not a husband that she would wait at the gates for, wondering if he's even alive." Sorrow. That had been the look on Erwin's face earlier. He was so blocked off from the world, accepting everything, good or bad, with that same stoic expression. Miria realized how truly rare his smiles and jokes were. She had been so used to them. This man had opened up to her, and she had kicked him down again and again, thinking he was motivated by nothing more than his lust for power and control. He had been hurt by the world just like she had.

"Are you just trying to make me jealous?" Miria joked, trying to add some levity to the situation. He looked up at her, brow raised, but began to laugh when he realized she was just kidding.

"Maybe a little. I am a man with options."

"You're not very good at it." Miria remarked, haughtily taking her second shot. Her façade of confidence was shattered as her lip curled at the disgusting taste.

"I suppose you could teach me?" Erwin mocked. She met his gaze for a moment and smirked. She eyed the patrons and noticed an older, wealthier looking man drinking by himself.

"Watch and learn." Miria stood, pulling the v-neck of her shirt down low enough to expose a decent amount of her breasts.

"It won't work. I'm not really the jealous type."

"We'll see." Erwin started at her as she made her way over to the man and flirted with him. Miria accepted a drink from him and turned up her charm, tapping into the wealth of experience from her father's parties. She laughed at the man's jokes, far more than what was warranted, but perhaps that was just the alcohol taking over her. When the man leaned in to whisper something in her ear, Miria playfully peaked over his shoulder and toward Erwin, smirking when she noticed his white knuckles, but perfectly composed face. The veins in his neck gave him away. Erwin stood when the stranger's hand began trailing up her thigh. She wasn't quite sure what he was whispering to her. She was having difficulty standing straight, but kept her attention focused on Erwin. He cut into their moment quickly, grabbing the man's hand and pulling it away from her.

"Do you mind if I cut in?" he asked the man in his usual polite tone.

"Hey, what the hell—" The man tried to pull his arm away, but winced as Erwin's grip tightened.

"Really, I insist." Erwin said with an icy smile. Miria giggled, shifting her weight from the cocktail table to Erwin as he put an arm around her. He led her out into the street, trying to keep her upright as she stumbled.

"What happened?" she asked playfully, pushing her chest against his and bringing her hands up to play with the hair on the back of his neck. "I thought you weren't the jealous type?"

"You made your point." he said with a laugh. "Ready to head back to headquarters?"

"Erwin…I think I'm drunk." Miria said, suddenly with a serious expression on her face.

"You're not drunk. You're tipsy." he explained.

"How do you know?" she asked.

"Drunk people don't typically recognize that they're acting drunk, but tipsy people…." He backed away from her and she wobbled and reached for him for balance. He chuckled.

"Okay. Okay. Can we find a place to lay down?" Miria begged. Erwin looked around.

"Yea, there's an inn at the end of this road. Are you okay to walk or do you need me to carry you?" Miria grabbed his arm and slowly began walking.

"No, don't carry me. Your back." She felt so…loose.

"See? Drunk people don't think about things like that." Though slowly, and with a few stumbles along the way, they eventually made it to the inn. Miria leaned against the banister and stared at the flight of stairs in front of her as Erwin paid for the room. I might really die trying to climb these…. She thought back to her conversation with Furlan and laughed out loud at the irony. If she died by falling down the stairs, she would so rub it in his face in the afterlife. Miria smiled. It was the first time she had thought about Furlan without feeling miserable. She still missed him, and she still loved him, but it was the first time she had remembered him without the immediate wave of depression that seemed to follow. "Everything okay?" Erwin asked, letting her grip both his arm and the handrail as they slowly made their way up the stairs.

"Yea." Miria said with a chuckle. "I just figured out why Moblit drinks so much. This is great."

"That's healthy." Erwin jokingly chastised her. She flopped down onto the bed as soon as they entered the room, slowly kicking off her shoes and wiggling out of her clothes until she was down to just her underwear and shirt. Miria pulled the sheets over her and moved to one side of the queen bed. She stared at the ceiling as Erwin undressed.

"How come you weren't worried about me?" she asked, knowing how petulant she was about to sound.

"Worried about you?" Erwin repeated. "About what?" Miria turned to her side, holding the sheets to her chest.

"You said Marie deserved someone that could be home with her every night, but when you expressed your interest in me, you were already in the Survey Corps. Why weren't you worried about me having someone at home every night?" Miria pouted, feeling slightly hurt by the disparate treatment.

"I was being selfish." Erwin explained, sliding between the covers next to her. "I knew it was wrong to pursue you. You deserved to be with someone who could give you whatever you wanted." Miria moved closer to Erwin and he lifted his arm to allow her into his embrace. She rested her head on his shoulder and traced circles across his chest with her nails. "But I couldn't help myself." She smiled. Why am I happy about that?

"I'm sorry I didn't live up to your girl in the library fantasy." she taunted.

"Well, I never expected you to cut yourself with my blade and try to blackmail me, but other than that, you were better than the fantasy." Erwin replied. "Beautiful, but more importantly, fiercely determined, incredibly intelligent, brave, and kind. I knew you were the one for me the day that we met."

"You mean the day that I fainted right after we sat down to eat?"

"The day that you faked fainting right after we sat down to eat." he amended.

"General Zackly has a big mouth." Miria scoffed.

"Agreed, but not in regards to that. I knew you were faking when I picked you up."

"What gave me away?"

"I figured you were trying to get out of the subject at hand somehow. When I picked you up, I got a bad grip on you on purpose, and you tensed to stay in my arms instead of rolling out of them." Miria groaned in disappointment. "I never tried to inform any doctors. I just walked out into the street and walked back. Then General Zackly made that comment about your schedule, which we both knew was false. So, I asked him about the rest when we left. Of course, I had no idea how well planned your escape was. Do you mind filling me in on the details, now?"

"Sure." Miria said, shrugging her shoulders. "I found out that a man working for Nichols Lovof knew where Levi was hiding. So, I seduced him and he coughed up the information almost immediately. It was kind of sad, actually." Erwin chuckled. "When I was treating patients in the Underground, I asked them about all sorts of local legends, Levi the Invincible being one of them. Those that saw him would tell me where and I would mark it down on a map. My goal was to try and get some additional evidence to corroborate what Lovof's staffer told me. Just by coincidence, I ended up treating a man who was connected to Furlan…who was connected to Levi. I told him my situation and that I had money and information that could help them. He worked as a messenger between me and Levi. We staged a riot so I could slip away in the chaos, and then I ended up living there for two years."

"And what if you hadn't met that man?" Erwin asked.

"I would have escaped by myself and traveled to the location I already had for Levi."

"You really are just like your mother." Her hand stopped tracing circles in his chest.

"You knew my mother?"

"I met her for the first time at my father's funeral." he said. "I believe she had just gotten engaged to your father. She missed a large party in celebration of that to be with me." Erwin smiled, staring up at the ceiling. "I still don't know why. I was just the son of one of her friends from university, but she sat with me through the entire funeral, holding me and telling me it was going to be okay."

"So…you must've been around ten?"

"Eleven." Erwin corrected. The same age as Levi when he lost his mother…. They stayed up together for a few more hours, talking about their pasts and sharing their dreams in the moonlit room. Despite everything, Miria couldn't help but to notice how easy it was to be with him, and how comfortable she felt around Erwin. Maybe in another life they would have been good together as husband and wife, but in this one, she was just happy to have him as a friend.

"I'll be right back." Miria said, tucking some money into her pocket as Erwin packed the bags.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"I just saw a shop last night, and I wanted to buy something before we head back." He nodded and she raced down the stairs and back up the street. The early morning air was so fresh. Miria smiled at the growing hustle and bustle of the quaint town as she made her way to the store across from the bar. She stepped into the tea shop and waved over a clerk. "Excuse me, I'd like to buy that teapot and cup set in the window." The clerk nodded and she gave him instructions on how to wrap it, and asked for him to include specific rare leaves, wrapped up and stuffed in each of the cups and in the pot. Enough tea to last him for months.

"Wow! That must be for someone special!" Miria turned and smiled at Marie, giving her a hug.

"Marie! What are you doing here?"

"I was just picking up some things for Nile and the kids, and I noticed you in the shop. So, tell me, is that for a guy?"

"Yea." Miria blushed, looking down. "He used to have a tea set that looked almost exactly like that, but it broke. He really loved it, and he was so upset when it did. I thought he'd like this as a replacement."

"That's very thoughtful. Is this man the reason that you asked me when I knew I loved Nile?" Another nod. "Do you love him?" Miria exchanged cash with the clerk and carefully lifted the box that he handed her. She smiled down at it and bit her lip.

"Yea…I think I do. I think I'm going to tell him after our expedition." Marie squealed with excitement and hugged Miria.

"What a lucky man. Good luck, Miria."

"That's enough for today." Levi said, sheathing his blades. Hange did the same and stretched her arms above her head.

"Woo! What a great day of training! Are you ready for the expedition, Levi?" He didn't respond. He just didn't know. It made him nervous. He had lost Furlan and Isabel last time. Would he lose Miria this time? No. He wouldn't let that happen. No matter what. Hange suddenly laughed and he looked over at her. "I wonder how Miria and Erwin are doing right now. It's funny, isn't it? To think about the two of them stuck in a carriage together for hours and hours when she was probably the most insubordinate soldier Erwin has ever had to deal with. I mean, sleeping in the men's barracks would have landed anyone else in solitary confinement for a week."

"She was going through a hard time." Levi defended as the two made their way to the mess hall for dinner.

"She was…" Hange muttered. "…but that's not why she was sleeping there." Levi watched the brunette out of the corner of his eye. "She said she was worried about you. It was hard for her to see Isabel's empty bunk, but you had known Furlan for a long time. She said she couldn't imagine how painful it must have been for you." Levi stopped in his tracks. Painful for me? All this time, he had been under the impression that he had been comforting Miria through her loss. He had never stopped to consider that he was the one who was being comforted. He noticed Hange smiling at him. "I don't think there's anyone in the world more important to her than you, Levi."

"I'm not hungry." he replied plainly, turning to head back to his room. As much as he tried to fight it until he was in the privacy of his own four walls, a smile overcame him. He loved her, and he would tell her after the expedition.