"For me?"

Aubrey's heart rate was increasing by the second as Levi's silver eyes glinted in the glowing moonlight and pierced through her. She could feel herself freezing up and quickly spoke, trying to break from her onsetting stupor.

"H-How can I help?"

Levi shifted his weight and lifted his gaze to the stars. He was grateful for the dark of the night, otherwise Aubrey might have been able to make out the awkwardness on his features.

"I was wondering if you wanted to go for a walk…" Levi struggled to get his words out and his voice ended up sounding a bit more intense than he had intended.

"A walk?" Aubrey's tone was genuinely curious.

Levi nodded and shifted his gaze from the stars to the ground. "You said you don't sleep well most nights and that you go for walks. Well, I don't sleep well either, so… I figured we could go together."

Aubrey's heart skipped a beat and flames erupted within her. She wanted so badly to say yes right then and there, but something was holding her back.

"Levi… is this something that friends do?"

Levi glanced up at her. That wasn't a question he'd been expecting. If he was being honest, their boundaries hadn't even crossed his mind when he'd made his way over to Aubrey's room. Seeking her out had just seemed like the natural thing to do.

Aubrey patiently awaited his response. She hadn't asked the question for any kind of dramatic effect or to make a point, she just genuinely wanted to know the answer.

When it came to Levi, all of the lines were blurred and everything became a confused mess. Aubrey thought that she would go for a walk with Hange or Kate if they had showed up in a similar fashion, but Levi was so different from them.

"It's just a damn walk. Besides, I can't just let you wander around alone at night."

Aubrey raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest. "Levi, I was wandering around alone at night long before you arriv-"

"Well not anymore." Levi cut her off before she could finish and his gaze grew more intense. "Are we going or not?"

Aubrey paused, contemplating her options. Going with Levi was like asking for boundaries to be crossed but, somehow, not going with him seemed even worse. Turning him away now would be rude, right?

Sighing, Aubrey gave in. "Let me get my shoes."

Aubrey stepped back, leaving the door wide open as she crossed her room to pick up her boots, which had been thrown in opposite directions upon being taken off earlier. After retrieving them, Aubrey slipped them on as she returned to the entryway. She felt a fluttering in her chest as she grew more aware of the fact that she would be going on moonlit walk with none other than Levi.

But, her excitement quickly faded when she discovered the expression on his face. Aubrey had only ever seen such a look of horror on the faces of soldiers on their first expeditions outside the walls. Levi's eyes were wide and frozen, staring beyond Aubrey and into her room. His entire body remained deathly still and Aubrey didn't even think he was breathing.

"Levi?! What's wrong?!"

Aubrey began to panic and followed his gaze back into her room. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Turning back to Levi, she saw his lips quivering, trying to form words.

"Levi! What is it?!"

If he didn't start breathing soon, Aubrey was going to slap him.

Finally, Levi took a shallow breath and murmured something so quietly that Aubrey couldn't comprehend.

"What?"

Levi shifted his gaze to meet hers, his eyes still glazed with horror.

He spoke again, this time loud enough for Aubrey to understand. "Your room… it's… disgusting."

Aubrey's face scrunched into a ball of confusion. That was it? He'd stopped breathing because her room was a mess?

Aubrey's mind flashed back to all of the times Levi had 'punished' Isabel and Furlan with cleaning. Apparently it was more than just punishment… He was a clean freak.

A light blush came to Aubrey's cheeks and she rubbed the back of her neck. She was starting to feel a bit self-conscious about her cleaning habits.

"Oh, um, yeah… I've been meaning to straighten up a bit…"

Levi's gaze returned to the mess behind Aubrey and before she knew it, he was moving forward, trying to push past her.

"We need to fix this right now. This is atrocious."

Aubrey found herself so caught off guard that she didn't have time to prevent Levi from entering her room. Before she knew what was happening, he was stripping the sheets off her bed and tossing them on the floor all while cringing and making the most exaggerated face of disgust she had ever seen.

Aubrey came back to her senses and ran over to grab his arm, preventing him from doing any further tidying.

"Levi, wait! We can't do this right now. Everyone is sleeping! We can't risk waking them up with sounds of us cleaning in the dead of night!" Aubrey did her best to keep her voice somewhat hushed, but her urgency was leaking through.

"I don't care. This place is unlivable. I don't even know how you can stand to be in here."

Aubrey grew impatient and began yanking on Levi's forearm, forcing him back out the entrance and into the cool night air. Aubrey made sure to close the door firmly behind her as she joined him.

"Look, Levi, I'll make a deal with you. I'm not going to clean my room with you right now but this Sunday, when we have our day off from training, you can come over and scrub the floors to your heart's content. And I'll help. Okay?"

Levi's face looked close to panicked and he opened his mouth to object. "Are you telling me you're going to leave it like that until Sunday?"

Aubrey adopted an annoyed expression and slapped him on the shoulder. "Hey! It's my room and I can leave it dirty if I want to!"

Levi looked at her like she was some kind of foreign being. "You're a pig."

Aubrey stuck her tongue out at him before grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and dragging him away from the barracks. Levi gave some resistance but seemed, for the most part, resigned to her plan.

When Aubrey was satisfied with the distance they'd put between themselves and the dorms, she released Levi's collar, instantly feeling the heat in her palm dissipate to ice.

Ignoring her longing for his touch, Aubrey allowed her hand to drop to her side and matched his casual pace.

"Oi, you didn't have to pull so hard." Levi rubbed his collar where Aubrey's hand had been just moments ago.

Aubrey rolled her eyes. "Well, if you'd just left willingly, I wouldn't have had to pull in the first place."

"Tch. Whatever." Levi shoved his hands into the pockets of his pants and set his eyes forward.

Aubrey giggled at his stubborn response and clasped her hands behind her back.

"But, really, though… are we cleaning my room on Sunday?"

Levi shot her a look of disbelief. "Of course we're cleaning your damn room, brat. I don't know if I'll even be able to last that long knowing what kind of filth you're hiding in there."

Aubrey chuckled but inside, she was beginning to panic. How would she explain to Levi that he couldn't touch one side of the room?

Aubrey pushed the thought to the back of her mind. She didn't want to worry about anything right now. In this moment, she simply wanted to enjoy being in Levi's presence. She could worry later.

Taking a calming breath, Aubrey spoke. "Fine, fine. We'll clean on Sunday but I can't promise your safety… Who knows what's growing in there…"

Levi visibly gagged and Aubrey laughed, the sound chiming through the cool air.

"I'm just kidding! Maybe."

Levi looked at her with a mix of annoyance and disgust but couldn't help admiring the sound of her chuckling.

Aubrey raised her eyes to the sky and examined the stars. It was a cloudless night and so she could easily make out the familiar constellations. She'd always found peace in the stars, even as a child. Something about the steadiness and predictability of their patterns always made her feel calm. Perhaps that was why she only slept well during the full moon.

Aubrey shifted her attention back to the path before her. They'd been walking for a little ways and she'd realized that her hidden detour was coming up fast.

"Are we going to our spot?"

Levi's eyes widened and he stole a glance her way. "Our?"

Aubrey shrugged her shoulders. She'd meant what she'd said. "Yes, 'our'. We both go there and I think you appreciate it just as much as I do… so, it's ours."

Levi looked away, not wanting Aubrey to see how overwhelmed he was. The idea of sharing something with just her, especially a place as precious and valuable as the pond, was nearly too much for him to bear. Not that he'd ever let it show.

"Yes, I was planning on going there. Does that suit you?"

Aubrey giggled at his choice of words. "Does it suit me? Yes, it suits me just fine."

"Tch. Quit making fun of me, brat."

Aubrey groaned at his use of his favorite nickname. "Ugh, I should never have given you the right to call me that. I'll regret it for the rest of my days…"

A smirk made its way to Levi's lips in the darkness. As much as he hated to admit it, he'd enjoyed his little contest with Aubrey and now he even had something to show for it.

Silence fell over them as Levi led them both along the small path that would take them to the pond. The quiet was comfortable and Levi found himself enjoying just being in Aubrey's company.

Perhaps even a bit more than enjoying.

Every so often, he would allow his eyes to slide over and admire her form. The moonlight was bright enough to illuminate her features and he took the opportunity to truly look at her.

She, too, was dressed in casual clothing. Her loose gray pants were tucked into her boots in a haphazard manner and she wore a black short-sleeved short made of cotton. For a second, Levi wondered if she was feeling cold and reprimanded himself for not insisting that she bring a jacket. But, there was nothing he could do about it now, and so he dismissed the thought to return to his observation.

Looking more closely, Levi could see Aubrey's wet hair and green eyes glinting in the starlight. It was enough to make his breath catch in his throat. Her demeanor was so simple, so pure… she was breathtaking.

When they had first met, Levi had, uncharacteristically, taken notice of her appearance. But here, in this moment, he was sure that she was the most stunning person he would ever lay eyes on.

His chest pulled at him, telling him to reach out to her, to touch her in any way at all. But he didn't. He couldn't. If he did, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stop himself from going too far and then all of the work and effort that they had put into their boundaries would be for nothing.

Levi balled his hands into fists inside of his pockets. He would do what was best and protect her from himself.

Aubrey walked along peacefully, unaware of the turmoil that was wreaking havoc in Levi's mind. In fact, she was feeling undeniably cheerful. Even if the magnetism was hard to resist, it was much easier to be at Levi's side than at opposite ends of the grounds. But, in such close proximity, just a small lapse in concentration would be enough to break their rules. Even so, Aubrey felt much more comfortable and upbeat being near Levi. When they were far apart, the pull was incessant, like a crushing weight that she couldn't drop.

So, as they finally entered the treeline, Aubrey was just happy to have him by her side.

"How often do you come out here?"

Aubrey was broken from her thoughts as Levi spoke softly into the night. It took her a moment to gather herself and recognize what he was talking about.

"Hm? Oh, to the pond? Maybe… two or three nights a week? I like how the stars look out here, they help me to fall asleep."

Levi turned to look at her in the dark. The cover of the trees had cast mysterious shadows over her figure and he found himself even more mesmerized.

"The stars do?" Levi had never heard of anyone using the sky as a way to lull themselves to sleep.

Aubrey nodded. "Yes, I can't really describe it but… they are calming to me. They always have been, even when I was a child. Actually… the full moon is the only night that I get any real sleep."

Upon hearing her confession, Levi began to grow concerned. He wasn't really known for having the best sleep habits himself, but Aubrey was admitting that she only slept well one night of the month.

"Why don't you sleep well?"

Aubrey's lips turned down into an unconscious frown. She'd never told anyone, not even Erwin, about the reason behind her sleepless nights. She was always worried that if she revealed her nightmares, he would demand that she take time off and focus on resting. Aubrey knew that Erwin was always worried about her emotional and mental wellbeing. After seeing her push through the deaths of her friends without a pause to grieve, he'd always suspected that she was hiding a wound not visible to the eye.

Yet, Aubrey had a strange sense that this may be the very moment that she should finally unveil her secret. She knew that Levi wouldn't go running to Erwin and that he wouldn't nag her about resting. For some reason, Aubrey felt compelled to share this tiny piece of herself with him. In fact, Aubrey was fairly sure that at some point, she would tell him everything about her. But for now, this tiny secret would be enough.

"I, um… I have nightmares."

Levi's eyes hardened, his concern deepening. "Every night?"

Aubrey swallowed. She was starting to feel vulnerable and even while being hidden in the darkness of the night, she could swear that Levi could see every flicker of her features.

"Yes. Every night."

Aubrey braced herself for the inevitable slew of questions that were surely swirling in Levi's mind. But… no questions ever came. The two of them continued to walk silently through the woods and Aubrey was astonished when they arrived at the pond and Levi had yet to so much as open his mouth.

Why wasn't he asking her what she dreamed about? Aubrey knew that if their roles had been reversed, she would have been curious about the content of Levi's dreams. And yet, Levi wasn't asking her anything. He'd simply accepted what she'd told him and moved on. Did he not want to pressure her?

Finally, Aubrey couldn't take it anymore.

"Why aren't you asking me what my nightmares are about?"

Levi paused just before he went to take his seat on their peninsula. Slowly, he turned to face her, the moonlight reflecting off the water of the pond and illuminating his features. For a moment, he seemed to lose himself in thought, his eyebrows furrowing and his eyes adopting a distant haze.

After a few seconds, his expression softened a bit and he spoke up. "Because I know that some monsters are better left in the dark. At least until they're ready to face the light, that is. When you want to tell me, you will."

Aubrey was stunned to silence. It was the most profound and thoughtful thing she'd ever heard Levi say and for a moment she thought that he must've stolen a line from Erwin. But most of all, she was astounded by his consideration. Levi hadn't questioned her about her nightmares because he'd been concerned that discussing them would cause her pain. And so, he'd squashed his own curiosity in order to spare her.

Aubrey felt like crying.

But she didn't. Instead, she found her voice and managed to squeak out a response.

"Thank you, Levi. That's very… kind of you."

Levi shifted his stance and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Tch. Not really. You're just not the only one with shit they don't want to remember."

Aubrey smiled sadly and turned her eyes to the ground.

"Yes, you're right about that."

Levi wavered. He was starting to regret his blunt statement. Perhaps he should have just accepted her thanks and moved on.

Eager to move on to a new topic, Levi blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

"Oi, aren't you cold?"

Aubrey glanced up, disoriented by his sudden shift in conversation. Doing an internal scan, Aubrey realized that she was feeling a bit chilly. All remnants of the heat from the daytime had disappeared and the cool night air was nipping at her bare arms.

"Dumb brat… you should have brought a jacket."

Aubrey sent him an annoyed glare and placed her hands on her hips.

"Well, this dumb brat isn't as dumb as you think. I happen to have a solution to this problem."

Levi raised a teasing eyebrow. "Oh? And what would that be?"

Aubrey rolled her eyes and turned on her heel, walking away and off the peninsula.

"Follow me. I've been meaning to show you this, anyway."

Levi didn't hesitate to trail behind her, his curiosity piqued.

"And what exactly are you showing me?"

Aubrey snickered into the darkness. "You'll see."

Even though he knew Aubrey couldn't see, Levi's expression took on an irritated look. But, he kept his mouth shut and silently followed.

Aubrey skirted around the edges of the pond, admiring just how beautiful it looked at night. The light ripples of the water distorted the reflection of the moon and stars in a way that made them look as if they were constantly shifting, forming one new constellation after another. The trees swayed in the slight breeze and Aubrey marveled at the rustling of the branches as they bowed to the gentle push. Apparently, seeing the recruits' reactions to the sunset had made her more appreciative of her own surroundings.

Placing one foot in front of the other, Aubrey grew closer to her destination and Levi soon realized where they were headed.

"I am not going inside that filthy shack."

Aubrey chuckled at his disgusted tone. This newly discovered personality trait had certainly been unexpected.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to make you live in it. I just store a few things in there for situations like this. Ya know, blankets, snacks, lanterns… that sort of stuff. So, if you ever come out here and need any of those things, now you know where to find them."

Levi found himself a tad impressed by Aubrey's preparedness. She must have spent quite a bit of time out here if she had a whole stash of supplies built up.

As they grew nearer, Levi shifted his focus to the building itself. Aubrey had said that it was an old cabin built for the use of the Scout Regiment Captains but that it had been abandoned some time ago. After a quick scan, Levi could see that the house was still in fairly good condition. Of course, it was filthy and needed to be thoroughly cleaned but other than that, he could see no issues with its construction.

Also, he determined that 'shack' was probably not the best word to describe the place. While it was smaller, it was still a decent size. Levi figured that it probably held all of the essential components of a house. It really was a home and not a storage shack.

"These things have really been abandoned?"

Levi couldn't believe that such a structure would simply be left to rot.

Aubrey nodded. "Unfortunately, yes. There's no purpose for them anymore so they've just been left to the elements."

Levi grunted. It was such a waste.

Finally, Aubrey arrived at the front door and placed a hand on the knob.

"You can wait here. I'll spare you the sight of 20 years worth of dust."

Levi's face screwed up in revulsion and Aubrey giggled as she pushed the wooden door open and slipped inside.

Levi waited patiently, admiring the stars glimmering in the sky until the squeak of the wooden door announced Aubrey's return.

In her hands she held a surprisingly large, grey blanket and in her mouth was an already partially eaten ration bar.

Levi wrinkled his nose. "I can't believe you willingly eat those things. They're disgusting."

Aubrey reached up and grabbed the meal bar, swallowing the bite in her mouth before answering.

"Hey! I'm hungry. I didn't get to eat much of my dinner."

Levi's eyes darkened and his face hardened. "Ah, yes. The Commander stole you away."

So he'd been watching… Aubrey struggled to make out Levi's expression in the light. She couldn't see his face that well but she could easily hear the dislike in his voice.

Aubrey froze as she suddenly remembered the crucial conversation she'd had with Erwin. Now was as good a time as any to reveal to Levi her new squad assignment. And yet, she really didn't want to. There was no doubt in her mind that Levi would be angered over one thing or another. She had a feeling that he would resent her leaving just as much as she resented it herself.

Sighing, Aubrey closed the small gap between them and came to a stop at Levi's side.

"Yes, Erwin had something very important to discuss with me. And now… I have something very important to discuss with you."

Levi stilled. What had that bastard told her? Had he told her about his past? Was she going to pity him? Was she going to resent him for his encounter with her precious Commander?

"But first, let's go sit. My mind might not be all that tired, but my body is and my legs are yelling at me to lay down."

Without a second glance, Aubrey walked off, heading back to their little peninsula. After a moment's hesitation, Levi followed her and soon the two of them had arrived at their destination.

Aubrey plopped herself onto the ground and began unfolding the blanket in front of her. Levi took a seat a few feet away from her, watching as her hands fumbled with fabric and undid its creases.

But, just as Aubrey fanned the blanket out in the air, she turned to look at Levi, her brows furrowing.

"Why are you sitting so far away?"

Levi scoffed. "What are you talking about, brat? I'm no more than three feet from you."

Aubrey shook her head and scooted closer to him. "Yeah, well three feet is still too far. This blanket isn't that big."

Levi's eyes widened as he began to comprehend what she was implying. "I don't need your damn blanket. I'm perfectly fine."

Even though she had heard what he'd said, Aubrey didn't stop her advance. A small smirk came to her lips. "I may be the one with no sleeves but that shirt isn't much better. If I'm cold, you're cold."

Levi huffed. Now that he thought about it, the crisp air had really started to seep through his clothing. He was cold.

Still, he wasn't about to give in so easily.

"And what about our boundaries?"

Aubrey rolled her eyes at his lame attempt to evade her. Was he really so embarrassed about being cold?

"For Heaven's sake, it's just a damn blanket, Levi. You'd share one with Isabel, wouldn't you?"

Unable to come up with another excuse, Levi was left with no escape.

"Tch. Whatever."

Aubrey smiled at his surrender and she wormed her way next to him and wrapped the blanket around both of their shoulders.

Happy to have the comfort of the fabric against her, Aubrey sighed with content. Although, Levi's warmth wasn't half bad either. They were close enough to be touching and every place that they made contact was practically burning. Aubrey's knee was lightly pressed against his and her torso leaned into him. Her heart began to race. They hadn't been this close since Levi had snapped on her in the hallway.

Aubrey raised her gaze to the stars, hoping that Levi wouldn't see the blush that was forming on her cheeks. Just thinking about that time was still enough to make her want to crumple into a ball.

Levi followed her lead and turned his attention to the sky. The view of the stars from their spot was absolutely stunning. Here, there were no lights or smoke that would disguise the starlight. Instead, each star was crisp, defined, and blindingly bright. Every single one sparkled like a unique gem.

For a short while, Levi found himself entranced by the sight but was eventually brought back to reality by the breeze against his cheek. Trying to reorient himself, he blinked and lowered his head. He could easily lose all sense of time and meaning when he was here and especially when he was here with Aubrey.

Levi angled his head ever so slightly to look at Aubrey's face. She was still gazing up at the stars, awe and wonder etched into her smooth features. She seemed just as lost in the sky as he had been.

But, there was a thought scratching at the back of Levi's mind, and he knew that if he waited any longer to address it, it would devour him from the inside out.

"What is it that you wanted to discuss with me?"

Levi watched as Aubrey went through the exact same process he had finished just seconds earlier. The haze over her eyes slowly disappeared and she blinked and shook her head, escaping her stupor.

Eventually, Aubrey turned to Levi, her eyes clear and expression soft. She knew that what she was about to say would cause a ruckus… and just as she had been settling in.

Sighing, Aubrey angled her body toward Levi, looking him straight in the eye. If she was going to say it, she was going to make sure that he knew she was serious.

"Levi…"

Aubrey paused, bracing herself.

"Yes..?"

Levi sat still, growing more impatient with every passing moment.

Aubrey took one final deep breath before calmly speaking aloud. "I've been transferred to the Special Operations Squad."

A/N: Yo! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! I tried to update as quickly as possible because a couple of y'all were on me about the cliffhanger in the last chapter! Hehe :) So, here I am with an EXTRA lengthy chapter to make up for it.

I just wanted to say a quick thank you to everybody who has been taking the time to leave comments and respond to the questions I've been asking. They're really helpful and encouraging! I'm feeling more motivated now and I've been pumping out at least a couple thousand words a day. Hooray for writing fanfiction and avoiding the actual work that I have to do. Oh well.

Anyway, no special question this time around but I am curious to see how y'all feel about this chapter in general. I've been really looking forward to writing it and I think that so far, so good!

You all know the drill here… Thank you for reading this junk that I post on the internet and LEAVE A COMMENT!