"Relax, Aubrey. You're not going to hurt me."

Levi stared at the hard lines and creases of her face. She was trying to hide the fact that she was worried but she wasn't doing a very good job.

Aubrey sighed.

What had seemed like a good idea just a few minutes ago now seemed dangerous and rushed.

Aubrey met Levi's gaze. He was determined, sure. He already had his hands raised and his feet spread for balance. Were she not still considering how unsafe this was in her head, she would have admired the way his muscles were flexing as he prepared for their fight.

It was true that this had been her idea… or maybe Hange's idea… but she'd still agreed to it. But now, she was having second thoughts. She hadn't fought like this in a long time. All of her time in the military had been spent suppressing her father's teachings. She was afraid that if she let them out now, she wouldn't be as controlled, as practiced. If she wasn't careful, she knew she could hurt Levi… seriously. Every move was designed to damage, to break. If she lost focus, if she went too far… things could turn bad. Fast.

"I don't know, Levi. I haven't practiced in so long and I-"

"I'm not that breakable, Aubrey."

Her eyes flicked to meet his gaze. His hands were still raised. He was ready to start at any moment.

She contemplated. She'd already told Hange that she'd do this, that she'd show her fighting style. But the cons were starting to outweigh the pros. In fact, there was one con that would outweigh any pro. If she hurt Levi, she'd never forgive herself.

She was just about to shake her head, to back out, when Levi spoke again.

"I trust you, Aubrey. Now, you trust me."

She stared at him, eyes wide as she realized what he was asking of her. He was saying that he knew she was strong, that her fighting style was deadly and horrifying and yet he still trusted her not to hurt him. But he was also saying that he was deadly and horrifying. He was strong, with or without a special technique. No matter what she threw at him, he'd be able to handle it. She wouldn't take him down easily.

Her brows furrowed as she came to a decision. She would trust him. He was strong in every way and she suddenly felt sure that he could take anything.
Levi must have seen the decision in her eyes because his gaze hardened and his position got tighter. He was ready when she was.

Aubrey lifted her hands, a bit surprised by how easy it was to fall back into old habits. Her feet shifted in the dirt until she found the stability she was looking for and then she looked to Levi one last time.

"Ready?"

He stared at her for a few seconds and then finally… he nodded.

Aubrey moved quickly and went straight for his leg, sweeping at his ankle. He dodged her easily, sliding to the side before she could make contact.

That was fine. She'd been expecting him to move.

Even as she'd been sweeping at Levi's leg, she'd been balancing herself, preparing for what he might do next. She'd taken a gamble. Would he slide left, right, back? He'd chosen right. Unfortunately for him, that was what she'd expected him to do.

Having already balanced herself, Aubrey stood more quickly than Levi had been expecting and she swung her leg at his side.

Levi's eyes widened as he realized he was going to get hit. There was no avoiding it… but maybe he could lessen the blow. He shifted so she'd hit more of his back than his front. It still hurt but not as badly as if she'd hit his ribs.

Levi barely had time to brace himself before Aubrey had her fist sailing toward his gut.

He knew he had to move fast. Their fight had just begun and she already had him on the defensive.

He reached out and caught her wrist just before Aubrey could hit him. But he knew he'd made a mistake when she didn't even flinch.

She wrapped her own hand around his wrist and yanked him closer. She pulled him in, straightening his arm as she continued to grip his wrist. Her free arm came up to press just above his elbow. But she stopped.

Aubrey held him there but didn't dare go further. She shifted her eyes to look at him.

"We're done. If I finish this move I'm going to break your arm."

Levi's eyes widened as she let him go. Before he knew it, she was in front of him, one hand on his chest as the other lightly brushed against where she'd kicked him.

Her brows furrowed and she stared at him, concern evident on her features.

"Did I hurt you?"

Levi couldn't seem to find his voice. He hadn't even been able to get a hit in and their fight hadn't lasted more than 20 seconds.

Aubrey's features started to grow harsher and Levi could tell her concern was deepening. His silence was worrying her. He finally found the strength to speak.

"No. You didn't hurt me."

Levi saw her relax a bit but he could see she was still upset. He raised a hand to her face, momentarily forgetting that they were in the middle of the training field and that Hange was watching their every move.

Now he knew what was different about the style her father had taught her. It was aggressive, forward, gutsy. The military taught how to fight, but their style erred on the side of caution. If your opponent got the upper hand, you were taught to free yourself and back off until you could recoup. But when he'd grabbed Aubrey's wrist, she hadn't hesitated to get closer. If she hadn't executed her move perfectly, Levi easily could have gotten her on the ground, in a headlock, something that definitely wouldn't have been good for her. But her fighting style was based on precision and aggression. It was different and shocking. Most opponents wouldn't be expecting it. He certainly hadn't been.

Levi's thoughts were interrupted by an excited squeal.

He turned to see Hange practically jumping up and down. The sight irked him but before he could tell her to shut it, she was already running over to them.

"Aubrey! You won so fast! Why did you pull him in instead of move away? Could you really have broken his arm?"

Aubrey reluctantly turned her eyes away from Levi. She was still worried that she'd hurt him but he'd said he was fine. She'd just have to trust him.

"Yes, Hange, I would have broken his arm if I hadn't stopped."

Hange's eyes widened.

"You mean it's a sure thing? Like, he couldn't have gotten away?"

Aubrey shook her head.

"Probably not."

Hange looked like she was about to explode.

"Oh my god. Go again! Please, go again!"

Aubrey hesitated. She wasn't sure she wanted to go again. The whole experience had been strange. After so many years of relearning her combat skills in the military, it had felt bizzare to let her muscles do what they remembered. She wasn't sure she liked the feeling. But even worse was the fact that she could have done serious damage to Levi. They'd sparred before, of course. She hit him, he'd hit her, none of it was new. But somehow this felt different. Her father's style was too intense, too aggressive. She didn't like using it on him.

"No." Aubrey shook her head. "No, I don't like it. I don't want to risk it."

Levi sighed. He had complete faith that she wouldn't actually hurt him but he could see that she still doubted herself.

"Again, Aubrey. I can take it."

Aubrey glanced at him. She could see the resolve in his eyes but she still shook her head.

"No, Levi. I-"

Levi spun her around and pushed.

She stumbled forward, stunned by his sudden actions. What was he doing?

As soon as she steadied herself, she turned to see what the hell he was doing but she didn't have much time to look.

Levi's fist was headed straight for her face.

Aubrey gasped and ducked just in time to avoid getting pummeled into the ground.

"Levi!"

Her protest didn't stop him. He swung again and Aubrey once again moved out of the way at the last second.

"Come on, Aubrey. I told you I could take it. How do you plan to teach me if you're too afraid to show me?"

She avoided an attempted sweep of her leg and jumped back, trying to retreat, but Levi just followed her. His punches came so quickly that she couldn't even answer. It took all she had just to avoid getting hit.

Levi didn't let up and they carried on for what seemed like an eternity. Aubrey kept avoiding but she wasn't fighting back. But that wasn't what Levi wanted. He wanted her to take him down.

He sped up, determined to force a reaction from her. His foot nicked her ankle and she lost her balance. Levi saw his opportunity and moved in, throwing a punch at her ribs.

Aubrey didn't know what happened. She lost all control of her body and she moved automatically. Even as she was reaching for his arm, she wanted to stop. But her limbs had a mind of their own.

One hand caught his wrist, pushing his arm out far enough that he missed her ribs. Her other hand caught his collar, holding him to her as she wrapped her leg around his ankle and yanked. Levi lost his footing immediately and he fell back.

He hit the ground with a thump and Aubrey heard him grunt. She was pretty much laying on top of him. Had this been a real fight, she would have easily been able to pin his hands under her knees, wrap her hands around his throat, and strangle him.

But this wasn't a real fight, and she'd just toppled Levi into the dirt.

She lifted herself up immediately, hovering over him as she scanned for any sign that she'd injured him.

"Oh my god, Levi. I'm so sorry. I didn't-"

"I'm fine, Aubrey."

Aubrey shook her head and she started to tremble.

"No, I-"

Levi put one hand over her mouth and pressed the other into her waist. He felt a little bad. Perhaps he shouldn't have pushed her like that. She was obviously upset.

"I said I'm fine."

He squeezed her side in reassurance and after a few seconds he felt her start to relax a little.
Levi let his hand drop away from her mouth and instead moved to the collar of her shirt. He pulled it up. The mark was showing.

Aubrey barely noticed. She felt more confident that she hadn't hurt him but she still couldn't shake her sense of unease.

Levi sighed and started to sit up. Aubrey tried to scramble off him but he held her still. They weren't done yet.

"I'm serious, Aubrey. Get over it. You didn't hurt me and you're not going to hurt me. Forget about holding back. You can push me into the dirt as many times as you want to."

Aubrey couldn't tear her eyes from his expression. He looked so calm, so sure.

"Now let's go again."

Levi stood and lifted her up as he went. He tugged her shirt up again as she got her bearings.

Aubrey only felt shock for a moment. He'd been very blunt with her but also reassuring. He trusted her completely, even more than she trusted herself. And she was starting to realize that he wasn't going to give up. He wanted her to remember, to use the style she'd hidden for so long. Whether that was for the sake of his learning or for the purpose of her own healing, she didn't know. Probably both.

Aubrey felt a shift within her. If he was that insistent, she'd go along with him. She knew that he was right.

"You're sure?"

Levi sighed again but he hoped this would be the last time he had to say it.

"Yes, Aubrey. I'm sure."

Aubrey nodded and exhaled.

"Okay, but I'm actually going to teach you now, not just show you. We can't have me winning every time. That's boring."

She smiled at him and Levi smirked. He knew he'd finally gotten her on his side.

"Fine. I'm listening."

Aubrey smiled and turned her head to look for Hange. She saw her friend standing about twenty feet away, watching their every action curiously.

Aubrey blinked. She hadn't realized how far they'd traveled during their fight.

"Hange!"

Aubrey raised her hand and waved in a silent 'come here'.

Hange scurried over instantly, staring them down with a familiar crazed look. But, for once, Hange waited for Aubrey to speak first.

"I'm done showing. I'm going to start teaching now but I think you should get back to your squad before you get stable duty."

Aubrey didn't think that Hange had any kind of special permission to be watching them and the longer she stayed away from her own squad, the worse her punishment would be.

Hange shook her head. The idea of leaving was horrifying. Aubrey had just gotten to the good part.

"Ugh, no. Continue, please. You've only just started!"

Aubrey raised an eyebrow.

"Hange, if you get in trouble, you'll never be able to watch. You'll be too busy cleaning out stalls."

Aubrey could see the reluctance in her friend's eyes but she knew she'd won. Hange was too logical to throw out her opportunities in the future for momentary gratification.

"Fine. But you're going to show me more later!"

Aubrey chuckled.

"Sure, Hange. Now, go before your captain comes looking for you!"

Hange still hesitated but Aubrey reached out and gave her a light shove and eventually her friend started to move away.

"Go, Hange."

That seemed to do the trick and, finally, Hange fully turned and ran off in the direction of her squad.

When Hange was a good distance away, Aubrey turned to meet Levi's eyes. He looked a little annoyed, probably because she'd stopped to talk to Hnage, but his annoyance was turning to anticipation with every passing second.

Aubrey smiled. If he was ready to learn, she was ready to teach.

She glanced over his body, trying to get her bearings.

"Let's see… I don't know where to start…"

Aubrey thought back, trying to remember how her father had begun her own lessons but she couldn't find any memory that fit the bill. She'd been training since, quite literally, before she could remember.

She sighed. Maybe this was going to be harder than she'd thought. She'd just have to wing it.

Aubrey reached for Levi's arm and brought it up to guard his face.

"Stay."

Levi rolled his eyes. He couldn't believe she was starting with stance. It was the most basic of all things. Did she think him incompetent?

Aubrey raised his other arm and situated it exactly where she wanted it before letting him go. She moved behind him, pulling his shoulders back to straighten his spine. He gave her an annoyed scoff but didn't say anything.

She tapped at his feet with her toe until his stance was widened to her liking.

Levi had a rather lax style of fighting. Precise, but fluid. What she was going to teach him was anything but 'lax'. Every movement was fast, harsh, aggressive. If he was going to learn it properly, he had to know the basics first.

Aubrey circled back around to face him.

Levi raised an eyebrow.

"Picky much?"

Aubrey smiled and shook her head.

"You're the one who wanted to learn."

"Yeah, well, I'm not a toddler so pick up the pace."

Aubrey flicked his forehead but he held the stance she'd given him. He wasn't about to go through the whole process again.

"You're too loose when you fight normally. It works for you but this style requires more structure. So don't let that stance drop."

Levi grunted but he didn't object. If he was being honest, he was just happy that Aubrey was actually teaching him. He'd been worried that she would find it too painful to fight in the style she'd rejected for so long. He'd thought that maybe it would bring up too many bad memories or cause her pain. But now that she was past her initial hesitation, he was sure that she would continue. He hoped it would be good for her.

"Okay, now…"

Aubrey put her hand on his arm. She hesitated for a moment and then, ever so slowly, slid her finger over the taut muscles.

Levi glanced at her, his eyebrow raised.

She smiled mischievously at him. They might as well enjoy their little lesson.

"There's a whole regiment around us, you know."

Aubrey hummed.

"Do you care?"

Levi followed her every movement. To everyone else, her touch would look innocent, like the lesson it was intended to be. Unless somebody looked closely, only the two of them would know what was really going on.

He did care, but the real question was if he cared enough to tell her to stop.

That was easy. No. He didn't.

Levi turned his eyes back forward and that was all Aubrey needed to know that he didn't mind her touch one bit. She chuckled lightly.

She moved behind him, one hand splaying across his shoulder blade as she tucked her chin into the curve of his neck.

"When you punch, or kick for that matter, keep it short. Everything is about precision. It has to be quick and to the point. No wide swings. They waste energy and time."

Levi hummed. He was managing to pay attention even while she had her hands on him. It took all of his concentration. It wasn't an easy task.

Aubrey dragged her hand down his back and Levi had to stop himself from shuddering.

"And this style is best when you're close to your opponent. Very close." She pressed further into him and Levi had a sudden and overwhelming urge to grab her and drag her back to the castle. Maybe he'd gotten himself into more than he could handle.

Aubrey pulled away from him, letting her fingers trail over his torso as she circled back around to face him.
"So, don't be afraid to-"

Her hand found his collar and she tugged him against her.

"Pull them in."

Aubrey smirked at him.

Levi could hardly take it. She'd never teased him like this before. It was driving him crazy.

Without even consciously making the decision, he leaned forward.

But just as his lips were about to find hers, she was gone.

Levi felt her hands yanking on his shoulders. Somehow, she'd gotten behind him again.

"Uh-uh. Posture, Levi."

The emphasis she placed on his name made a shiver go down his spine.

He didn't care about posture anymore. He could barely pay attention to what she was saying at this point. With just a few touches, she'd managed to make him unravel.

And she knew it, too.

Aubrey could see him itching to turn around and look at her and she had to suppress a laugh. She'd never imagined she could have this much power over Levi.

"How are things going over here?"

Aubrey's head snapped to the side to see Captain Saru glaring at them.

Thankfully, they weren't in any kind of suspicious position. It just looked like Aubrey was giving Levi a pointer of some kind.

Aubrey was frozen for a moment but quickly calmed herself. She had to answer.

"Everything's fine, Captain."

Saru crossed her arms over her chest. She looked entirely bored and uninterested in the morning's training. Apparently, she didn't find hand-to-hand combat all that entertaining.

"Alright, well, start wrapping it up. Erwin only had this on the agenda as a warm-up for the day. Get your gear back on. We're switching to team training in a few minutes."

Aubrey nodded instantly.

"Yes, Captain."

Saru glared at them for a moment longer, gave a disinterested grunt, and then turned and walked away.

As soon as she was out of sight, Aubrey let out a shuddering breath. She couldn't believe how close they'd been to getting caught. If Saru had come over just a few seconds earlier, she would have seen what, upon closer examination, was obviously not just a training tip.

Aubrey shuddered again at the thought. Maybe she'd been a bit too bold.

But she'd have to think about that later. For now, she had to get Levi and find their gear. Saru didn't appreciate tardiness.

Without even looking him in the eyes, Aubrey grabbed Levi's hand and started tugging him away.

But he didn't let her get very far.

Levi yanked her back to him and before Aubrey could process what was happening, his lips were crushing hers.

His hand moved into her hair, gripping tightly against her scalp and his lock on her waist was bruising.

Aubrey tried to kiss him back but she could hardly keep up with him. He was so… desperate.

Levi kept her there for a long while. Her teasing had put him on edge and when they'd been interrupted it had only left him more anxious for her touch. He had half a mind to pick her up and carry her back to their room right now… but he knew she wouldn't be a fan of that. So… he'd have to wait. All day if he had to. But he would wait. Impatiently.

Levi only let her go when she started gasping for air.

His eyes slid down her neck and landed on the mark that her shirt was currently failing to cover. Perhaps he'd take advantage of that fact.

His head darted down as Aubrey was still catching her breath and he let his teeth graze the spot.

Aubrey gasped loudly and she started to shake, just as she always did when he touched her there.

Levi let his lips hit the spot a few more times, enjoying the way he was having to hold her up a little too much. He ran a hand up her back and gently scratched at the place he'd found earlier that morning. Aubrey practically melted into his arms. Levi smirked. Now he was the one with power over her.

Finally, he pulled away from her neck and Aubrey couldn't do anything but pant and stare at him. Levi… Levi had just put his mouth all over her in public. Granted, she didn't think anyone was watching but he wasn't exactly the type to take that kind of risk. Had she really had that much of an effect on him?

Levi reached up and tugged her shirt over the mark again. He was finding that he actually quite liked the idea of it. But, still, it was for his eyes only. So, until he could get her back to their room, it would have to stay covered.

For now… they had another task to attend to.

Without any warning or elaboration, Levi grabbed Aubrey's hand and, despite the way she was still trembling from his advance, he began to pull her away.

"Let's go."

Aubrey stumbled after him, still trying to catch her breath and wondering what in the world she'd gotten herself into.

A/N: Okay, so, this chapter focused pretty heavily on Aubrey's fighting style but that's because it's going to be important in book 2! But I added a little *spunk* in there for y'all. Lowkey REALLY fun to write lol. Poor Levi didn't know what was happening.

Also… writing book 2 is amazing y'all. It's so weird! The more I write this story, the more I feel like these two are, like, REAL people. I never understood what authors were talking about when they said that the character kind of just "write themselves". But, like, now I get it. I don't even feel like I control what they do anymore lol.

And I'm glad to hear that everyone is enjoying the "honeymoon phase" just as much as I am. They are LITERALLY too cute. And they deserve it. They've been through too much junk for me to not just let them breathe for a minute.

I think that's all I have to say about this chapter but y'all know the drill with comments. You leave them, I love them, I cry because they are so sweet. So, THANK YOU. I seriously don't think y'all understand how happy I get when I get the notifications lol. I LOVE THEM. Thanks.