Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended. For entertainment purposes only.

Summary: An interlude between two people who feel much more than they let others see.

Author's Note: While there is a long and somewhat inflated debate on how to properly spell Heichou's name, I prefer to use "Rivaille" as it was the first romanized spelling that I read. Some compromise with, "Rivai", as that's how the cast pronounces his name (only Erwin says, "Levi" in the manga and in the anime if you listen carefully) but I'm sticking with Rivaille since if you said it the way the French would, it would sound like Rivai anyway (double L is silent). So, if I do continue this storyline, that is how it will be spelled.

This little snippet would be where the anime ends and the new arc begins. That's where I see it could have happened anyway.

A Time Between

As she stands there, it strikes her not for the first time, that for such a small man he struck an imposing figure. He might have been small in stature but his immense strength of bearing and resolve, mixed with extraordinary skill made him the most dangerous man she has ever met. While she had never had any difficulty taking on and beating down men more than half her size and has never had a loss of nerves when facing Titans, she would think twice before facing off with him. She has never doubted her abilities in herself. Yet with him... with him, she knows she has met someone that she should be wary of.

Even when she had hated him (and she had really hated him), she had to admit to a certain trepidation at the prospect of engaging him in a fight. She hadn't noticed this at first, having been too blinded by rage at his treatment of Eren to see anything else but red. Now, she sees a lot more and can begrudgingly understand why Eren admires him so much. He was stronger; stronger than her and he had experience and wisdom that none of them had. One need only see the look in his eyes. Those eyes of his. Those eyes that scared her the most because they always saw everything while they held yours unflinchingly and without remorse. She's not sure how he can do that but he does. He does and often. Especially when its regarding those he doesn't know, like her and the other recruits. It might have been easier to stand were there judgment in them but there wasn't any. It was deliberate and it was assessing and it gave absolutely nothing of his own thoughts away.

She doesn't think she'll ever forget how uncomfortable he made her when recognition lit those grey eyes of his while they were in mid-flight in pursuit of the Female Titan. Even though she had hated him then, that penetrating gaze made her want to squirm. His utter confidence in himself to be take a moment and stare at her while flying backwards amongst a forest of trees would make anyone feel a moment of uncertainty, right?

Which makes her all the more glad that those eyes are faced away from hers right now and his face is only in profile. Finding herself alone with him in battle was one thing, but alone with him when there would be nothing to take his focus away from her (when he finally noticed her anyway) was another.

"Are you just going to stand there staring at me or are you going to spit out what you have to say?" he asks in his usual dry tone of voice right before those intimidating grey eyes are aimed in her direction.

The utter directness of his stare makes her almost give in to her habit of tugging up her scarf.

Even knowing that he's injured gives her no upper hand with him, but there is nothing for it. She's here and as he hasn't dismissed her, so she takes his words as his own invitation to approach him. More hesitantly than she likes, she walks closer to where he sits. He's sitting almost regally in a chair even though she knows he has been ordered to stay in bed. A bed that lies empty beside where he sits in his chair like its his own silent rebellion for being grounded by the doctors. Maybe it's to stall or that her mind can't properly give voice to her thoughts, but she also gives herself time to wonder how, even when he was not in uniform and dressed as casually as she has ever seen him, that he can still be so intimidating just sitting there.

"Well?" he asks, when she fails to speak.

Her eyes move to stare pointedly in the direction of his injury when she finally manages to find her voice.

"You attained your injury because I disobeyed your direct orders...,"

"And you're sorry," he finishes for her, again in his usual dry tone. He lets out a sigh and turns away dismissively, giving her his profile again. "Nothing ever goes as you plan in battle and orders go out the window when it all comes to it."

"I don't make those kinds of mistakes," she rushes out, taking a step closer to him. "You could have been killed. I could have been killed. Eren would have been killed but you saved us. Now you're going to be out this next mission because of me. You're humanity's best soldier and we need you more..."

"I really hate when people say that," he interrupts her gruffly.

Having witnessed just how stern his resolve to keep his composure in the face of immense pressure, it surprises her to see him look so openly uncomfortable now.

"But you are," she states bluntly and those sharp eyes fly to hers. She manages to hold his stare this time, since there was nothing disingenuous about her statement. Unlike many, she had no problem conceding him to this title. She's seen him in action against a worthy foe so she can do this with absolute certainty.

For the first time, it's him who turns his gaze away from a stare down and on a heavy sigh, he says, "Is that all?"

"No," she says, coming just a little bit closer. Seeing his discomfort just now strangely puts her more at ease in his presence. "I want you to know that I know what you did out there."

Those grey eyes return to hers a little more slowly this time and she feels that familiar uneasiness of being his sole attention again, but she will not twitch now. Not when this was already not an easy thing for her to say. Especially, not to him. He doesn't ask her what she means and she doesn't wait for him to either.

"You knew that Annie as the Female Titan would focus all her efforts into taking you out so you ordered me into a position where I would be safe."

"Why would I do that?" he asks flippantly but she can see his try at deflection.

"Because of the way you looked at me when you realized I was Eren's friend."

"Are you mad about that too?" he asks, tilting his head as if to regard her from a different angle.

"No," she replies with a shake of her head. "I know you were protecting me for Eren's sake. I can't be mad about that."

"I can die happy now," he tosses out sarcastically.

His sarcasm doesn't phase her because she knows it for what it really is. She knows that even though he says words that are cold, his feelings are anything but.

"You can keep pretending but I see through it and I don't think I'm the only one. No one else may say anything to your face but we all know how hard these last few days have been for you."

"It's been a hell of a last few days for everyone."

"Which doesn't undermine yours."

"So what? I'm supposed to have a heart to heart chat with you just because you have the balls to ask?"

"No," she says feeling appalled by this suggestion and she's sure it's clear on her face. "I don't want a heart to heart with you. I don't even like you."

This time, when those grey eyes meet hers she sees surprised amusement and maybe a little bit of respect which (impossibly) makes her feel even more uncomfortable. Made all the more weird when she finds she likes that just a little bit.

"Well thank goodness for that," he responds but this time he keeps his gaze on her.

"I just came to say thank you and I'm sorry. I know that this next mission has a significantly lesser chance of success since you won't be involved. Now that I've said that, I'm going." She says this with finality even though her guilt still nags at her just as strongly as before. Turning on her heels, she heads toward the door to leave him to himself.

"Eren isn't ready you know," is his strange statement to her back.

"What?" She asks, turning just enough to look at him over her shoulder.

"He's not ready to love you like you want."

"He's my family," she tries to explain.

"And everyone and their grandmother knows you don't love him like your brother."

This makes her turn to face him fully, her jaw clenched.

"I'm not saying he doesn't love you or that you should give up," he says in a placating tone. "I'm just saying that he can't focus on that and it doesn't help that you haven't said anything to him either. You're dancing around him and its making me dizzy."

A long silent moment stretches as her mind whirls from his words.

"So much happens and there's never the right time," she whispers and she can hear her own desperation in her tone.

"Life happens," he explains. "Time passes. This means opportunities are missed and chances are lost."

Something in her heart twinges at his words because she can feel the depth of his feelings in them. Words meant for himself and his own missed chances as much as they are meant for her.

"Possibilities vanish," she adds softly, meeting his gaze.

He nods. "You don't realize how much the potential meant until it's no longer possible."

She can only make a small sound of agreement because her throat is suddenly too tight.

"Just don't go and die on him," he orders.

She turns back around to leave again but not before offering him a salute of respect.

"Good night, sir."

"Good night," he replies before she is out the door and away from that all seeing stare of his.

As she walks back towards her room she replays his words and analyzes the meanings behind them. She's never thought about it but she's sure she's been pretty transparent regarding her feelings. Apparently, only to everyone but Eren. She thinks of Eren as she always does and feels all the things that he invokes in her, yet it's Heichou's words that she hears now when Eren's face appears in her mind. Then she sees another face. She sees his face. Sensing just how much he feels and how much he knows make her feel things that confuse, scare and overall bother her. Most prominently she feels her guilt become heavier. This is because she knows that those penetrating grey eyes and quiet demeanor will be able to do nothing but think and regret all he has lost while the rest of them must move onward and forward to the next mission, leaving him behind.