"You've been what?"

Aubrey could hardly believe the immediate malice that had dripped from Levi's voice. He hadn't even taken a moment to process before his eyes had turned to fire and his body had tensed beside her. Had Aubrey not known that his anger wasn't directed at her, she would have run for her life.

"Levi, calm down and let me explain."

Doing her best to make sure Levi stayed seated, and didn't charge off to behead Erwin, Aubrey ran a gentle hand up Levi's arm and allowed it to rest on his shoulder. The fire was pulsing so intensely in her palm that she almost pulled away but she forced her hand to remain.

"Explain? What is there to explain? That bastard didn't want you near me, did he? He thinks I'm some kind of scumbag to be monitored?"

Aubrey shook her head and began rubbing her hand up and down Levi's arms in a soothing pattern. "No, Levi, you're wrong. It's true that Erwin didn't want me near someone, but that someone isn't you."

This seemed to catch Levi's attention enough to make some of the fury dissipate from his features. He'd never thought that the Commander would take Aubrey off the squad for any other reason than to get her away from himself.

"Then…" Levi trailed off, realizing who Aubrey was referring to.

Aubrey nodded, feeling the shame and humiliation of the day's events return. "Yes… Kate told him what happened. Erwin was concerned for my well being and so he transferred me. I start tomorrow."

Levi sat silently, struggling through an internal battle. On one hand, he was absolutely against Aubrey leaving their squad. She would be so far away and he would hardly see her. Even if it went against his self-made rules, he knew that if he couldn't keep an eye on her, he would drive himself insane. Not being able to assure himself of her safety would leave him distracted all day. And that was the absolute last thing he needed when he was surrounded by an entire regiment of soldiers that distrusted him.

But, on the other hand, Levi had to agree with the Commander's judgement, though it went against every fiber of his being. Erwin obviously cared about Aubrey and that was one area where their interests overlapped. If transferring Aubrey to a different squad would spare her from ever having to speak to Flagon again, Levi would let it happen. It was the best thing for her and that was what mattered.

Gritting his teeth, Levi came to a conclusion. He would accept the change as gracefully as he could. The fire within him screamed that he should tell Aubrey she was forbidden from venturing any more than ten feet from him but Levi knew that was unreasonable. His own urges came second when Aubrey was involved.

"Fine."

Aubrey nearly gasped. She'd been expecting to have to put up the fight of her life. She'd been awaiting his response with baited breath and her mind had run through dozens of ways she could attempt to appease an angered Levi. But, not once had she foreseen that he would simply accept her reasoning.

"Fine?"

Through gritted teeth, Levi spit out his response. "As much as I dislike your Commander, I would have to agree with him in this area. If transferring gets you away from that piece of shit Captain, then so be it."

Aubrey was stunned. She struggled to even form words but eventually pulled herself together.

Doing her best to sound unaffected, Aubrey responded. "Yes… I suppose it's better this way. But, I won't be there to watch over you three anymore, so that duty has fallen to Kate. Make sure you don't get on her bad side." Aubrey gave a small smile, trying to be as upbeat as possible.

"Tch. Like we need someone to watch over us. We can handle ourselves."

Aubrey allowed her hand to drop from Levi's arm and into her lap. Turning her gaze to the ground, Aubrey spoke softly. "Yes, I know you can. But… I still worry. So… please… for me… stay out of trouble and let Kate deal with Flagon, okay?"

The instant Aubrey's hand left his body, Levi felt a rush of ice go through his veins. The loss of her touch was like a shock to his system and it was like he could feel his muscles twitching, aching to make contact with her again.

Aubrey's pulling away had left Levi in a small stupor and so it took him a moment to get around to thinking about what she'd said. He was hesitant to agree at first. Giving up his ability to snap at Flagon would no doubt cause him a great deal of discomfort, as nearly everything that came out of the Captain's mouth made his blood boil. But, Aubrey's voice had sounded so genuine, so gentle, that he didn't think he would be able to find the strength to deny her.

With a huff, Levi finally gave in. "Fine. I'll let your friend deal with the damn Captain. But if she calls me 'shorty' one more time, she's the one you'll have to be worried about."

Upon hearing his response, Aubrey made some noise halfway between a sigh and a giggle. She was beyond relieved that Levi had agreed to leave Flagon to Kate but his annoyance at his new nickname was quite amusing.

"I think it's a bit late to reverse that damage. She's already picked what she's going to call you and now there's no going back. And don't even try intimidating her, it wouldn't work."

Levi grunted, unhappy with his situation but knowing that if what Aubrey said was true, he couldn't do anything about it.

Aubrey smiled at his strange pouting. She always found his bouts of frustration amusing and somewhat cute. His attempts to hide his true feelings behind a wall of aggression were always entertaining.

Returning to the present, Aubrey noticed the impending sense of drowsiness that threatened to take over her body. Knowing that it wouldn't be ideal to fall asleep at the pond, she started to stand.

"We should head back. It's getting pretty late."

Levi mirrored her motions, slowly standing and taking the blanket up with him. He quickly and neatly folded the blanket and handed it back to Aubrey, who, to his surprise, giggled.

"What's so funny, brat?"

Aubrey placed a hand over her mouth as she continued to chuckle but an annoyed glance from Levi caused her to calm enough in order to speak.

"I just can't believe you're such a clean-freak! You don't really seem the type."

Levi scowled at her. "There is no type for having basic hygiene."

Smiling, Aubrey bent down and scooped up the half-eaten ration bar that she'd wrapped and laid on the ground. Her talk with Levi had interrupted her eating and now, no matter how amusing he was, her stomach was still demanding to be filled.

Aubrey took several large bites of her meal, finishing it and shoving the empty wrapper into her pocket before she pivoted, heading back to the cabin.

"Basic? You've made Isabel and Furlan clean the barracks at least six times since you got here. I'd say that's a bit more than basic."

Levi fell into step behind her, no longer having to follow since he was aware of where they were headed.

"Those barracks are obscene. Those brats should be happy I've only made them clean six times. Who knows how long that place has been left to rot in its own filth."

Aubrey shook her head, smirking into the dark of the night. "Oh my. I'm beginning to worry what will happen when you really get a good look at my room. I think you might vomit."

Levi nearly gagged as he remembered the sight of Aubrey's dorm. "I don't understand how you can willingly live in that shithole."

Aubrey turned, playfully smacking him on the shoulder and making an expression of mock offense. "Hey! I told you before that it's my room and I can live how I want! Besides, believe it or not, there is a method to the madness."

Levi raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Like what?"

Aubrey averted her gaze, her cheeks flushing as she struggled to find a suitable answer. "Well… um… I have… I have a clean pile and a dirty pile?" Aubrey spoke her words as more of a question than a statement.

Levi felt a shiver run up his spine and he nearly came to a dead stop. "You disgust me."

Aubrey sighed, finally giving in. "Yes, I know. It's bad and I need to do something about it."

"You're damn right, you do. Because if you don't do something, I will, and next time I won't care if I wake the whole fucking regiment."

Aubrey stopped outside the door of the cabin, pausing before entering to answer. "Well that's why you're coming over on Sunday. The whole regiment will already be awake, anyway, so you won't have to worry about stirring them."

Without waiting for a response, Aubrey pushed open the wooden door, its hinges squealing from years of neglect and stillness.

But, before Aubrey stepped all the way inside, she stopped, a thought crossing her mind. Turning back to Levi, Aubrey shot him a curious glance.

"What?" Levi was becoming somewhat uncomfortable. Aubrey was staring at him and not speaking and it was making him uneasy.

Aubrey hesitated and bit her lip before finally speaking. "I know I promised that I would spare you from this dust pile of a cabin, but I think you should come in. Just so that I can show you where I keep the stuff, ya know?"

Levi grunted. He was quite unwilling to go in but he figured that Aubrey was probably right. It would be useful to know where the supplies were, should he ever need them.

"Fine. But make it quick."

Aubrey nodded, holding the door until Levi was inside before letting it slam shut.

Levi squinted into the dark, slowly making out his surroundings. There were plenty of windows and so a decent amount of moonlight flooded the place, making the inside of the cabin fairly visible.

Wood.

That was all that Levi could see, hear, and smell. Before him, he could recognize that the entire cabin was constructed of a light stained wood, the planks weaving together to create one large area that looked like a combined living room and kitchen. Cabinets and countertops lined the right side of the space, along with a wood stove that looked as if it hadn't been touched since it was abandoned 20 years ago. Strong, dark, wooden beams were spaced across the ceiling and walls, supporting the structure. In fact, the only part of the room that wasn't made of wood was the stone fireplace that was embedded into the far wall. Apart from that, there was no embellishment or furniture, just empty air that sifted through the still room.

Peering even further into the darkness, Levi could make out several other doors that led further into the building.

"Just how big is this damn place?"

Aubrey turned her own eyes to her surroundings, her eyes falling on each of the doors that hid the rooms beyond.

"Hmm… Well, it's a pretty decent size. Definitely a luxury meant for a Captain. There's one or two bedrooms but I think that one of them would probably have been used as an office. Then there's a bathroom and I'm pretty sure there's an attic, too, but I've never ventured up there."

Levi nodded in acknowledgement but didn't speak. He was still too busy examining the building.

After a slightly awkward moment, Aubrey decided to break the silence.

"But, um, I keep the supplies in the closet, or, I guess it was probably the pantry at one point." Levi broke his eyes away from his inspection and turned to face her as Aubrey hesitantly continued. "Come on, I'll show you."

Aubrey turned to her right and began walking down the hallway that led to her destination.

Levi allowed his eyes to roam the new part of the building. The hallway didn't go very far. It was really only a way to get to the rooms behind the kitchen. There were two doors, both made of the same dark wood that the front door was constructed from.

"That second door goes to the spare bedroom and this one," Aubrey put her hand on the knob of the first door. "Goes to the supply closet."

With a bit too much excitement and pride, Aubrey swung the door open, revealing a long and skinny closet with a few piles of the 'supplies' she'd collected stacked upon the shelves.

Levi raised an eyebrow. She was far too impressed with herself. There was nothing more than some blankets, a generous amount of the disgusting ration bars, and a small stash of lanterns, candles, and matches to light them.

"That's it?"

Aubrey placed her hands on her hips. "Hey! Why do you have to be so cheeky about everything?"

"Tch. Just put the blanket back already."

Aubrey rolled her eyes but obeyed his command. Stepping into the closet, she hastily placed the blanket back with the others and returned to Levi.

"Alright. Now you know where I keep everything, so we can head back."

Levi gave a hum of approval and Aubrey smiled at him before going back the way she came. When they reached the entrance one again, Aubrey promptly opened the door and held it for Levi, assuming that he wouldn't want to touch the, no doubt disgusting, knob.

"You first, Lord Cleanliness."

Levi paused, refusing to go through.

"Shut up. Get your ass out the door."

Aubrey held back a laugh and instead twisted her face into an expression of exaggerated confusion. "Ya know, you have a strange way of being polite. If you wanted me to go first, you could have easily avoided using 'shut up' and 'ass'."

Levi crossed his arms over his chest and glared at her. "Tch. Just go."

Aubrey finally let a giggle slip past her lips and gave in to his request.

"If you insist."

As Aubrey passed through, Levi caught the door with his foot and promptly followed her out. Aubrey laughed internally at his subtle attempt to avoid contact with the door. Even if he was determined to make her go first, he wasn't going to touch the filth.

As amused as she was, Aubrey kept her mouth shut and continued on, Levi falling into step beside her as they made their way home.

All was quiet except for the crunch of the ground beneath their feet and it didn't take long before Aubrey's mind began to wander.

They'd been out for at least an hour, perhaps a bit more, and Aubrey figured that the time was rapidly approaching midnight. Everyone else had already been asleep before Levi had appeared at her door and Aubrey would have to be even more careful to be quiet when she went back in. The Scouts weren't really night owls. After long days of training and facing the terror of the titans, everyone was always desperate for their sleep. The only time any king of nightlife ever occurred was when Erwin held moral-boosting 'parties' for the regiment. Usually, these 'parties' were held not too long after an expedition. After the inevitable losses of a trip outside the walls, it was necessary to do something to allow soldiers to bounce back. Often, the 'bounce-back' was achieved through the copious amount of alcohol supplied at the gatherings.

Aubrey had only ever been to one of those parties since she'd only ever been on one 'official' expedition. The Scout Regiment did full-blown expeditions about once every six months but Aubrey had often gone on mini trips outside the walls when missions could be better accomplished with a small group. There were never parties after those trips, just silent gatherings as the remaining soldiers mourned those they had lost.

Aubrey sighed as she thought about the upcoming expedition. She'd have been lying if she'd said that she wasn't worried. But, this time, she was worried for reasons slightly different than the usual. Most times, Aubrey was concerned about Erwin and his safety. No matter how many times she begged him, he had never allowed her to stay with him in the formation. She'd always been forced to stay with Squad Flagon in some rear part of the formation while Erwin held his position toward the front.

Aubrey was very aware that Erwin was a perfectly capable and skilled soldier on his own but knowing the danger outside the walls still put her on edge. It caused her a great deal of anxiety to be separated from him when there were countless numbers of titans on the loose.

Apart from her worries about Erwin, Aubrey was always tormented by the inevitable losses that the regiment would take. Every expedition ended in tragedy and sadness when so many comrades were sacrificed. Even though she had few close friends, Aubrey felt fiercely loyal and protective of her fellow soldiers and each of their deaths caused her a great deal of pain. If she could, she would trade her own life for any one of theirs.

But this time, Aubrey would have even more concerns. This time, she had Levi to worry about, as well as Isabel and Furlan. Aubrey knew that they were all skilled with the 3DMG but no one could ever predict how they would react after seeing a titan for the first time. And to make matters worse, Aubrey would no longer be on their squad, leaving her unable to protect them should anything go wrong. She would be in a completely different section of the formation and completely unaware of what was happening to them.

The expedition was in just over five weeks and Aubrey was becoming frantic about their preparedness. Her three new friends hadn't had much time with the regiment to become accustomed to the formations and practices. Aubrey knew that she, herself, had only had a bit more than two weeks to train for her first expedition but when it came to Levi, no amount of preparation time would seem adequate. If it were up to her, she would keep him locked inside the safety of the walls forever.

But she knew that wasn't fair.

If anybody had ever denied her the ability to chase her own freedom, Aubrey would have gone mad. She had no right to take away Levi's freedom. Even if it would put his life in danger.

Instead, she would just have to make sure that Levi knew what he was facing.

"Levi." Aubrey spoke softly but it was plenty loud in the quiet of the night.

By now, the two of them had made it well into the forest and the sound of her voice echoed off the trees around them.

"Hmm?" Levi hummed quietly, acknowledging her.

"There… There's something that I want to tell you."

Levi shifted his gaze to the side as he examined Aubrey's features. She sounded troubled, distressed even. "Go on."

Aubrey inhaled deeply, steeling herself for the discussion they were about to have. She wasn't sure how Levi would react. Would he be angry that she 'doubted' his skills? Would he reassure her? Would he laugh off her concern?

"Beyond the walls… I need you to tell me that you are prepared for what it will be like."

Levi remained silent for a moment. If he was being honest, his expedition outside of the walls wasn't what had him the most worried. At this point, he was more preoccupied with what was happening inside the walls. Nevertheless, Levi could guess what Aubrey was referring to.

"You mean the titans." Levi answered with a statement rather than a question.

Aubrey nodded but added on to his observation. "Yes. But… I don't think you truly understand what the titans are."

Levi's face scrunched in confusion. "Does anybody know what those shitbags really are?"

Aubrey turned her eyes to the ground as she shook her head. "That's not what I was getting at. It's true that the titans are a mystery in just about every way. But there is one thing about them that I know from first-hand experience."

Levi waited in the dark, anxious for her to continue.

Aubrey took a shuddering breath. This conversation was bringing back images that she didn't want to see. Regardless, she pushed on. "The titans will not hesitate to take everything from you, Levi. It's happened to me and it's happened to countless others. I've seen endless piles of corpses, carts full of bit-off limbs, and pools of blood so large you could hardly believe they came from one person. And the worst part is… it's all real. It's not some nightmare that you can just wake up from. It becomes the nightmare."

Aubrey's breathing was erratic at this point and her hands had tightened into fists, her skin stretched white across her knuckles. Levi watched her cautiously. Her sudden outburst had him feeling nervous and unsettled.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Aubrey shot him a rabid glare. "Isn't it obvious? Levi, you, Isabel, and Farlan are going to have to go out there in a matter of weeks! I don't want the same thing that's happened to so many others to happen to you!"

Levi felt a dark aura fall over him. He couldn't exactly place the emotion he was feeling, but it wasn't good. There were tinges of anger, concern, and even fear, all swirling deep within him.

"And you think telling me this shit is going to change something?"

Aubrey froze. What had she been hoping to achieve? Telling Levi the horrors of the outside wouldn't change reality. There was a very terrifying possibility that Levi would end up in the same state as many of the soldiers did.

Dead.

The thought caused Aubrey to physically gag and she brought a hand to her mouth as she bent over, trying to stay on her feet.

Levi was at her side in an instant. All of the mixed emotions he had been feeling just seconds before shifted to overwhelming concern and distress.

"Aubrey?!"

Aubrey could feel Levi beside her, his voice panicked and urgent. His hand was gripping her shoulder, the pressure causing a calming current to run through her.

After taking a moment to put herself back together, Aubrey straightened. After seeing Levi's worried face, she nearly gagged again but she held back the response.

Levi didn't speak, he simply waited for her to begin to explain herself or to keep walking or to do anything at all. He had no idea how to react or what he should be doing.

A long pause filled the air as Aubrey continued to get her bearings, finally removing her hand from her mouth.

In her mind, Aubrey returned to the question that had originally caused her distress, this time steeling herself so that she wouldn't be so violently affected.

Attempting to calmly work through her thoughts, Aubrey began to form a response to Levi's inquiry.

Taking a deep breath, she quietly spoke into the dark. "Levi… I'm telling you this because I'm worried. So worried that it's driving me insane. I… I've lost people out there and… I don't want you to go through the same thing."

Aubrey took another breath. She was desperately trying to hide the shaking in her muscles. "I'm on a different squad now, Levi. I won't be there to help if something happens. So… protect those two. Do whatever it takes to keep them safe."

Levi was frozen and stunned, his body unable to move or respond. Aubrey's eyes held so much emotion that he'd lost himself in their depths. He could see true fear in her eyes and, beyond that, true sadness. Whatever had happened to her outside the walls, whomever she had lost, it had hurt her deeply and left a scar on her soul.

Aubrey stared back at Levi, silently begging for him to respond, to give her the reassurance that she so desperately needed.

Finally, Levi whispered so quietly that Aubrey barely heard him. "What do you want me to say?"

Aubrey searched his eyes, looking for an answer to his question. What she wanted him to say and what she needed him to say were two very different things.

She wanted him to promise her that he would come back alive, unscarred, and with Isabel and Furlan at his side. And yet, she knew that was an impossible promise. Even if Levi did his best to protect himself and his friends, nothing was ever sure beyond the walls.

What Aubrey needed Levi to tell her was that he would be aware, be prepared, and be focused when they finally rode outside the gate of Wall Maria.

Sighing, Aubrey began to spill her thoughts. "I need you to promise me that you will take this seriously. When you're out there, focus on coming back alive, on coming back to me. Keep your eyes forward and make sure that all of your limbs stay attached. I know that I agreed to our boundaries because I don't want to get hurt again, but I would be lying if I said that I wouldn't care if something happened to you. So, even if you don't feel the same about me, stay alive, okay? And make sure your friends do, too."

Aubrey wanted so badly to reach out to him, to touch him. The urge was so strong that she even felt her hand beginning to move. But she quickly pulled it back. To hold him in the way that she wanted to would break their rules and what she was saying was already teetering on the edge of the line.

But, just as Aubrey's hand returned to her side, Levi reached for her. His movement was rapid and impulsive and, suddenly, Aubrey found herself wrapped in his embrace.

The pressure was crushing and awkward, almost a bit too tight to be comfortable. But in that moment, it was exactly what Aubrey needed. The grip of Levi's arms held her together as she felt like she was falling apart and she pushed her head into his chest, grasping at him in the same way.

For a short while, both of them stayed there, soaking in each other's presence and pulse.

However, it didn't take long before Aubrey began to come to her senses. Gently, she pulled back, wiggling herself out of Levi's arms just enough to look him in the eyes.

Levi stared back at her, his expression unreadable. Aubrey felt the corners of her mouth turn downward. She knew what was coming next. She would have to pull away and the lack of the flames from Levi's body would leave her feeling cold and empty. The thought of pulling away was devastating but the idea of not letting go and accepting what that would mean was even more so.

So, hesitantly, Aubrey stepped back.

"We're really not all that good at adhering to our own rules." Aubrey tried to keep her words light but a heavy weight pressed in from all around them.

Levi continued his silence, his expression holding its stony look. The only piece of emotion that Aubrey could detect was in his gaze. His eyes were blazing, their steely grey glinting in the moonlight.

"I promise." Like his eyes, Levi's words held strength and intensity.

Aubrey waited, hoping that he would continue with the reassurance that she needed.

"I promise that I'll be careful. I promise that I'll try not to get killed and I promise that Isabel and Furlan will try to do the same." Levi's expressionless mask suddenly cracked and his features fell into a flinch. "I'm sorry that's all I can give you."

Aubrey felt her own face crease in sorrow. They truly lived in a cruel world.

"For now, that's plenty. Thank you, Levi."

The two of them stood still for a few moments before Levi began walking forward, leaving Aubrey to scramble after him. Eventually she made it back to his side and they continued their walk in silence.

Aubrey was so preoccupied with her own feelings and thoughts that she hardly even realized that they had miraculously arrived back at the door to her room.

Looking up, Aubrey's eyes grew wide. That was impossible! How could they have made it all the way back to her room? It felt as if she'd only been thinking for a matter of seconds.

"Oi, brat. Are you going in or not?"

Somehow, Aubrey found her voice. "O-Oh. Yes."

Aubrey stepped forward and placed her hand on the knob of her door. But something made her hesitate and she slowly turned back around to face Levi.

"Thank you for going with me tonight. I think our little outing might have actually made me tired enough to sleep." Aubrey giggled lightly at the end of her words even if the subject matter wasn't all that funny.

Levi scoffed at her and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Good. Hopefully you'll get rid of those bags under your eyes."

Aubrey raised an eyebrow at him and placed her hands on her hips. "Again, you have a strange way of being polite. You could have just said 'I hope you sleep well'."

Levi turned his head away, breaking their eye contact. "Tch. Whatever. Just go in already."

Aubrey smiled slightly and returned her hand to her door, pushing it open just enough for her to slip inside. She didn't want to risk Levi seeing her mess again.

Just before closing the door behind her, Aubrey poked her head out for one last sentence.

"I'll see you in the morning. Goodnight, Levi."

With that, Aubrey finally latched the door shut and made her way to her bed, falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

A/N: Y'all. So, I was writing out my timeline while writing this chapter and I realized that toward the beginning of this story I stated that the next expedition was in six weeks. The time frame came up again in this chapter, so I went back to see how far out the expedition would be and... y'all… THE EXPEDITION IS STILL OVER FIVE WEEKS AWAY. DO YOU ALL RECOGNIZE WHAT THAT MEANS? I HAVE WRITTEN 80,000 WORDS OF THIS STORY AND WE HAVE ONLY GOTTEN THROUG SINCE LEVI APPEARED. LIKE WHAT? This must be literally the slowest-paced story ever written. But somehow I don't feel like it reads as slow-paced? All I know is that when I go through and edit I am entertained by own writing LOL.

BUT… in the near future I think I'll be doing some mini time skips because there's not many important events left that have to happen before the expedition. And let me tell y'all… the expedition and the aftermath is the JUICIEST part of this story so GET READY. IT'S COMING.

Also, do y'all enjoy my little attempt at explaining the short jokes? LOL.

Anyway, I'm sorry that this chapter had been a bit delayed. I've been loaded with work the past few days and I had to put writing to the side for a bit. BUT I'M BACK NOW.

Finally, I wanted to let everybody know that this story will be ending soon-ish. BUT DO NOT WORRY, THERE WILL BE MORE. I have always planned on separating this story into two parts and Don't Die is just part one of the overall story so we still have plenty of content to get through. Plus, knowing me, 'soon-ish' probably means like another 50,000 words so whatever.

I think that's all I have to say about this chapter but y'all know what to do with the comments. Leave them. Because I love them. Thank you.