Four days passed, and all of them were spent with Yavena obtaining bedrest so her wounds might continue to heal. While her stitches were holding, it did not seem she would be fully recuperated anytime soon—it took a great amount of will and energy to even walk to the other side of the room.

To make matters even worse, visitors were not yet allowed, save for Levi and Hange. They had been spending as much time with her as possible and kept her up-to-date on important matters, although there were still things they needed to do, which meant that most of Yavena's time was spent alone with nothing but her own boredom for company.

On the fifth day of her rest, however, there was a knock on the door. As soon as Yavena declared, "Come in," it opened to reveal Commander Erwin, who approached her with a smile.

He took one of the seats by her bedside—the same one that Levi spent most of his time in when he wasn't busy—and declared, "Good afternoon, Yavena. Queen Historia has come to Trost District. There's a meeting to be held in a couple of days; one that will discuss what should be done with the information we recovered from the Jaeger's basement."

"I should think it would be obvious what to do," said Yavena, a light frown twisting her lips. "We should tell everyone. The citizens have a right to know."

He smiled, a spark of approval lighting his eyes. "I'm glad to see we are of a similar mind. But it must be decided in the presence of the Queen. Will you be able to attend?"

It was clear, based on the inflection within his voice, that Erwin wished her to be by his side for such a congregation.

And even though she was still weak, she wished to be out of her damn bed.

Yavena knew that Levi would disapprove of her answer once he caught wind of it, but still she said, "Aye, Erwin. I will be able to attend."

"Good. I'm glad," said the Commander, and the relief that briefly shone across his face proved that he was.

As she had expected, Levi was less than pleased with her statement. He spent the next two days attempting to get her to reconsider, especially since the last time Yavena had tried to take a miniature stroll around her room, her injuries began bleeding again.

"The stitches on your stomach are barely holding together as it is," declared Levi with a heavy scowl. "You're not leaving this room until you can walk for ten minutes without bleeding everywhere."

Yavena knew that he was only looking out for her, but she was growing tired of being cooped up in her own room without being able to check on any of her friends. She didn't know how Sasha was recuperating, or Jean—she hadn't gotten to speak with Eren or Armin, to see if Conny and Mikasa were well, or even check up on Floch or Marlo after their first mission with the Scout Regiment.

Keeping her calm as best as she was able, Yavena retorted, "I'm attending that meeting either way. Erwin asked me to be there, and I promised I would go."

He frowned in response. "I still think it was stupid of you to agree."

There it was again: that familiar look, the one that said exactly how concerned Levi was. He was not looking her in the eye, but his eyebrows were furrowed together, his lips turned downward—it was the same look Yavena had seen when she had been shot, or battered by the Female Titan.

Something in her chest melted; all of her irritation towards Levi was gone. She smiled and placed a hand upon his face. "I know you do. But I'll be fine. I promise."

Before he could reply, she leaned forward and planted a soft kiss on his lips.

Luckily for both of them, the next two days provided enough progress for Yavena's dressings to be changed and for a medical officer to declare she should be stable enough to attend the meeting on her own two legs. While Yavena knew she'd have to be careful while ascending stairs, she also had Levi nearby to assist her.

When it was thirty minutes until said meeting, Yavena decided to begin getting dressed. She had been clad in white nightgowns for the past week, which were all simple and breathable, and allowed for medical officers to check on her wounds with no difficulty. But getting her usual uniform back on was turning out to be a bitch and a half—

The door opened just as she finished buttoning her pants. Relieved that whoever-it-was hadn't come knocking a few seconds earlier, she turned around only to see it was Levi, one of two people she wouldn't be embarrassed by.

"Help?" she asked, accosting him with wide eyes.

Levi sighed and rolled his own eyes. Instead of helping Yavena thread her arms through the sleeves of her white-buttoned shirt, he knelt beside her and inspected the wounds and the stitches. His fingertips were light upon her skin, and while his touch was not cold, she had to restrain shivers all the same.

"So what's the verdict, doctor?" teased Yavena as he straightened once again.

His lips twisted into an unamused look, although he couldn't hide the light that appeared in his eyes as he looked at her. "You're still going to rest for a few days after this."

Yavena smiled at him. "As you say, Levi. In the meantime, though…" She held out her shirt in front of him, protruding her bottom lip in a pouty manner.

"Tch. Fine." Levi took the shirt from her hands and guided each arm into the sleeves of the shirt. Even though she was bare before him, Yavena was not nervous. She trusted him… and he'd seen her with no clothing enough times within the past few months where she didn't get nervous about that sort of thing anymore.

Once her arms had been guided through, Levi began buttoning up her shirt. His eyes lingered upon one of the marks close to the top of her chest: a long, white scratch that she had had for so long, Yavena couldn't even remember how she had received it. His thumb trailed over it absentmindedly.

The smile that came over her face was thin. "The scars don't bother me anymore."

"They used to?"

Unable to look at him, she admitted, "Yes. But that was a while ago now. Hange reminded me that this is simply the way we are now… and that it's okay."

Levi finished with the buttons and helped her don her jacket, the one that still had the names of their friends within its pockets. He was quiet for a moment. Then he pulled down the neckline of her shirt, careful not to stretch it too far, and kissed her collarbone, just above where her scar sat.

"Come on." He released his hold upon her shirt and gestured towards the doorway, as casually as though he'd only just arrived. "The Queen is expecting us a little before the—"

But Yavena wouldn't hear any more. A wave of affection was coursing through her entire body, and it wasn't one that would just go away on its own. She launched her arms around him, never mind the sharp tug in her stomach, and met her lips to his.

Even though she was now past this sense of self-consciousness, that simple gesture ensured she felt so much better about the physical characteristics she carried. And he'd made her feel so light without even a single word… truly something only Levi could do.

"Yavena," he said, in between the feather-light kisses she put upon him.

"What is it?"

"We have a meeting to get to."

Yavena felt her face turn pink. She hoped it wasn't noticeable. "Ah. Right. Let's get to that." She turned towards the door, praying that her wounds wouldn't hinder her too much—

Before she could even get two steps in, Levi seized her hand. "Wait."

Yavena paused, cocking her head sideways as she stared at Levi in confusion. His silver eyes were intense; holding her gaze, he said, "You're going to be straining yourself, walking to the opposite end of the Regiment Branch and back. Once we return and check on your wounds, I'm keeping you here for the rest of the night. No visitors. Got it?"

A light frown took over Yavena's face. She had been hoping that she could finally see Squad Levi again. They would've been a great way to combat the boredom she'd been suffering the past week… not to mention that she missed them, and terribly so.

"No visitors?" she repeated, her voice dull.

"None."

She simply sighed, much of the fight taken away from her. Yavena knew that it was futile to argue, and so she allowed him to escort her to the doorway.

The walk was peaceful, although Yavena had to concentrate more than she would've liked as they traversed the corridors. It wasn't a long walk, but when they were only halfway to their destination, her stomach was beginning to ache, and her head grew light and fuzzy.

Only when she paused and leaned against the wall, one hand resting against her abdomen, did Levi speak up, however. "Are you sure you will be able to attend this meeting? It would be better for you to miss it than for you to bleed out in front of the Queen and the Premier."

"I'll be all right, Levi," answered Yavena, keeping her head held high despite the fact that she needed to take deep, labored breaths. Although she wouldn't say it aloud, if she couldn't have visitors later on, then she would definitely at least attend the damn meeting. "I don't like to go back on my promises so easily."

Levi frowned, although he didn't argue any further on the matter. He instead grabbed her hand, wordlessly offering his support, and set off again.

It did not take much more time for them to reach the room where all of the uppermost military members were waiting. And, to Yavena's delight, standing outside the doorway were Sasha, Conny, Marlo, and Floch.

As she approached, the first three of the four gasped and rushed forward to greet her. Yavena noted that while Conny and Marlo seemed to be no worse for wear, there were white bandages wrapped around Sasha's torso, and a stripe of gauze across her head as well.

"Yavena!" cried Sasha, who lunged out as if to embrace her—

But Levi stepped in front of her and seized her wrists, pushing her back with a scowl. In response to the indignant look Sasha was confronting him with, Levi said, "Careful. She's not yet healed."

Sasha sighed, but did not seem inclined to argue. She took a step forward and placed a hand upon Yavena's shoulder, asking, "How are you feeling?"

"I should be asking you that," said Yavena, whose dark eyes scanned the young woman, apprehension unhidden on her face. "You were bleeding a lot the last time I saw you…"

"Heh. You're one to talk, you know," said Conny, who offered Yavena his usual goofy grin. "Are you sure you should be up so soon?"

Yavena groaned and placed a hand on her forehead, knowing that Levi was shooting her a vindicated look at these words. "Oh, not you too, Conny…"

Even Floch had to chuckle at that. When she removed her hand from blocking her vision, she noted that he and Marlo were standing slightly back, as though they were uncertain if they were allowed to approach.

"How are you two?" asked Yavena. She felt a pang of guilt swallow her heart as she noted the dying light hiding behind their eyes. "I know that… this last mission was a difficult one, even for the Scouts."

"It was. But I'm hanging in. I don't think I'd be alive if it weren't for these guys," said Marlo, who stepped forward and nudged Conny and Sasha with his elbows, the first of whom rolled his eyes and shoved Marlo back, and the latter of whom gave Marlo a slight smile.

That guilt vanished, to make way for a warmer feeling that nestled into her chest instead. Just as she had been welcomed to Squad Levi with open arms, so it seemed Marlo was as well.

"I can see you're becoming more like friends than simple squad-mates. I'm glad for it. In a time and place like this… they make you stronger," she said.

All three of them grinned—Conny reached up to mess with Marlo's black hair.

Yavena then turned towards Floch and asked, "What about you, Floch? Is there anything you need? You've been… as well as you can be?"

He shrugged; his eyes were devoid of the naïveté that she had first seen upon his face all those months ago, when she was first sorting Floch into his squad. "This is the way things are now. And that's fine. It has to be."

It seemed that Floch was suppressing a lot of the fear and anger he still harbored from the mission. This did not surprise Yavena, but it did sadden her. She wondered just how much of that anger was directed, even unintentionally, to her.

Before she could reply, however, there was the sound of footsteps approaching from further down the hallway. Into view walked Queen Historia, Erwin, Hange, Eren, Mikasa, Jean, and Armin.

On their way back from the last mission and over the course of the last few days, Yavena had feared that the light from Eren's eyes would be lost with the discoveries that had so recently been made. But when he looked upon her face, those worries were gone.

"Yavena!" he exclaimed, and then both he and Armin were rushing forth, with Jean and Mikasa on their heels.

For the second time in the last five minutes, Levi stepped forth and held out a hand, exclaiming, "Oye, oye, oye! Watch you don't topple her over."

Unlike Sasha and Conny, Eren did not freeze where he stood. He merely pushed past the Captain's extended arm and grabbed Yavena's shoulders, his cyan eyes scouring her. "You're all right? You're healing?"

Yavena laughed and seized his wrists, holding them tight. "I'm healing, but it's still going to be a while before I'm back to normal. It's… just so good to see you." Her shoulders slumped somewhat as her eyes darted from Eren to Armin, who was grinning at her with just as much boyish relief as Eren.

"It's good to see you, too," said Jean, stepping forward and clapping a hand onto her shoulder. His other arm was still in that sling.

That was when Queen Historia emerged; despite the difficulty with which her stomach moved, Yavena still bowed before her and said, "Your Majesty."

"I thought I told you not to call me that," remarked Historia, although the smile upon her face let Yavena know that she was not angry by her usage of the title. "I'm sorry to hear that you were wounded. Will you be well in a matter of days? I could summon some of Mitras's doctors, should you need."

Although Yavena was flattered by such an offer, she replied, "Thank you, Historia, but I should be fine. I just need to rest for another week or two. How are things adjusting on your end?"

"Well enough. We've sufficiently relocated all of the citizens from the Underground District to houses within Wall Rose. They've been assisting me and all of the farmers in tilling land for the upcoming harvest season," said Historia with pride unhindered. "You're welcome to visit at any time."

This was an offer that Yavena wanted to act upon; while the members of Squad Levi had been able to assist in setting up the new homes and farms for the previously underground citizens, she herself had not yet laid eyes on them. "I'd like that, Historia. Thank you."

The Queen nodded and glanced sparingly towards the others. She gestured towards the door that they were all standing in front of and declared, "Shall we get started, then?"

Everyone seemed ready to begin; and so Historia opened the doors and allowed herself inside, gesturing the twelve members of the Scout Regiment to follow after her. Erwin was the first to do so, and he nodded towards his three officers so they might accompany him.

The first thing that Yavena noted when stepping inside this room were the three large tables sitting in the center of the room, all of which had four seats. She followed Erwin as he led herself, Hange, and Levi towards the table that sat underneath direct watch of Dhalis Zachary. Standing in his near vicinity were Nile Dawk and Commander Pyxis; a few of their most trusted soldiers were placed around the sides of the room.

Queen Historia joined the Premier's side. Laying innocently in front of her were the three books from the basement. Yavena was not surprised to see that they had been handed over for the other superiors to inspect… and based on the shadowed looks to their faces, it seemed each person within the room knew what secrets they revealed.

Once everyone was sitting, Premier Zachary's voice boomed across the room.

"The Early Life of Grisha Jaeger. The Extent of our Knowledge of Titans and Their History. Information About the World Beyond the Walls. The only people who know about the existence of these books are those here in this very room." His piercing eyes met the faces of the four Scout Regiment officers in the front; Yavena felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up due to the intensity of his stare. "These were gained by the efforts of twelve living Scouts, and the one hundred and nineteen who are no longer with us. Today, and in the Queen's presence, I would like to assess the situation and establish an agreement in terms of our course of action. Scout Regiment Commander Erwin Smith."

"Sir," Erwin said. He rose from his seat and saluted with his left arm. "The Scout Regiment has lost a great deal, from veteran officers to new recruits, all of whom gave their hearts until the very end. In exchange for these people lost, we have retaken Wall Maria and stolen the Colossal Titan's powers. Based on the texts you have in front of you, however, humanity remains in a precarious position. It would be a relief if Titans were all we had as our enemies, but it seems the true identity of the enemy we are fighting are humans: you could even say the world."

A number of disquieted grumbles began to spread throughout the room. Yavena took a deep breath and glanced sideways towards Commander Pyxis for his reaction… the Wall Garrison's leader narrowed his eyes, but did not reveal much more.

"According to those books, we are a special race called 'Subjects of Ymir' that can turn into Titans," resumed Erwin, not to be deterred from his report. "The people outside the Walls maintain the belief that we may rule the world once again; and that is why the world wishes to eradicate us Subjects of Ymir for good."

More uneasy looks were cast about, though the whispers had died down. The Premier glared at the books in front of him. He waved Erwin onward without a word.

"The tale of Grisha Jaeger stops when he was on his way towards our Walls, in search of the Founding Titan. Doctor Jaeger later achieves this mission and eventually entrusted the power of that Titan to his son, Eren. We have discovered in order to wield the Founding Titan's full power, it must be possessed by someone with royal blood. However, even if that person possesses the Founding Titan, they're enslaved by the First King's ideals, which only leads them down the path to humanity's downfall. That is the vow renouncing war… although Eren was able to control Pure Titans in the past to escape a dire situation. It may be possible, even without royal blood, for Eren to yield that power as well."

Yavena could not see her friend seeing as he was sitting behind her, but she could practically feel him thinking even from where she was—

"It can't be!"

Everyone jolted and turned to look at Eren, who had bolted up from his seat and was staring down at his fists, both of which were clenched and slammed upon the table he was sitting at. Armin, Floch, and Mikasa had been sitting with him—the three of them stared at him with wide eyes.

"Please continue, our Titan," said the Premier.

But Eren did not speak right away. There was horror hidden deep within his eyes… most people might not be able to uncover such a realization, but Yavena could. She saw that horror, and then a flash of realization… and the resolve draping around his shoulders like molten gold.

He looked up to the Premier and saluted in apology. "It's nothing, sir. Sorry for interrupting the meeting."

Eren sat back down in his chair, refusing to meet anyone's eye.

A number of officers seemed suspicious by Eren's behavior. They were hissing amongst themselves again; it reminded Yavena of a number of serpents, wondering whether they should strike.

She stood up from her chair, the wood scraping against the floor. Yavena locked eyes with the Premier and saluted, saying, "Apologies, Premier Zachary. It should be stated that a rare side-effect of pertaining Titan powers are lingering nightmares or head pains. They are harmless, but sometimes vivid."

"Ah, I see," said Zachary, nodding sagely with his hands folded in front of his chin. "Thank you, Section-Commander."

The other soldiers seemed appeased by her interjection as well. Figuring that she had done her job, Yavena retook her seat, though she winced as her stomach bent and nearly fell over in her effort. Hange lunged out and grabbed her arm, steadying her and preventing her from falling to the floor.

"Thanks," whispered Yavena. She scooched her chair forward again and spared a glance back towards Eren, whose cyan eyes were already locked upon her.

Whatever vulnerability she had uncovered in his face was gone. Eren was nodding once towards her in thanks, but he had hidden away the stricken look, the horror that had been in his eyes. If Yavena hadn't been certain on what she had seen, she may have mistaken it as a trick of the light.

When she looked back to Erwin, she knew that he had seen Eren's look, too.

"So, Commander," said one of the soldiers sitting by Nile Dawk's side, "you're saying that our enemy is… the world? If we announce this to the public, the Walls will crumble into chaos!"

Another member of the Military Police nodded. "That's right! We still haven't fully grasped the magnitude of this situation."

Erwin's fist clenched, highlighting the veins upon the back of his hand. "The citizens of the Walls have a right to know what lies beyond, and that they are in danger. They deserve to have answers for what countless soldiers—loved ones, family members, childhood friends—from all areas of the military have died for."

"I agree," said Commander Pyxis. "I do not wish to deceive the people again. Would the rest of you rather follow the lead of King Reiss and ensure the people of the Walls stay domesticated and ignorant? If so, then by what ideals did we rise to take the crown from King Reiss?"

"Let's announce it."

Everyone turned towards Historia, who had spoken for the first time since the beginning of the meeting. Her gaze was hardened and certain in herself as she said, "After all, we're just returning the memories King Reiss stole a century ago back to the people. We all share the same fate as people of the Walls. We must unite as one and bring all our strength together."

The meeting did not last much longer once Historia's declaration was made. It seemed that the Premier was aligned with the Queen, Commander Pyxis, and Erwin, which made the pathway of what would be done rather clear.

Only a few more details were discussed: the goal of the Scout Regiment, how the Wall Garrison would cooperate with them to utilize The Executioner From Hell to exterminate any Titan stragglers that neared Wall Rose, the fact that a funeral for the Scout Regiment's deceased would be combined into a ceremony for the survivors, to take place in two days.

And then everyone was free to go. The members of the Military Police and Wall Garrison piled out of the room, with the Scout Regiment following them.

As Yavena stood up, she noted that Marlo and Armin were approaching with the intent of helping her—but one sharp look from Levi stopped them.

"She's overexerted herself as it is," said Levi. "I'm forbidding visitors for the rest of the day so she can rest."

It seemed as though Eren wanted to argue; Sasha and Conny looked rather dispirited by the declaration. Even Armin wasn't bothering to keep his disappointment hidden.

Noting the general tone of his charges, Levi sighed and relented, "You'll be allowed to see her tomorrow."

This seemed to be good enough for the seven young soldiers; it was with hesitant waves and promises that they would be by in the early afternoon that the members of Squad Levi allowed for Yavena to be escorted away. She steeled herself for the difficulty that would be walking back to her room and was grateful that Levi was willing to help her.

Seeing her friends and having the promise that she would do so again the next day reinvigorated Yavena a little. She only needed to stop once during their return to her room, and only for a couple of seconds.

Even so, once Levi gently placed her in the bed, she was exhausted. Yavena could hardly believe she'd been able to make it as far as she did—she reached out, her thumb trailing his jawline, and said, "Thank you."

Levi seemed to know what exactly she was saying. "Stay here and rest. I'll be back in a couple of hours."

He only turned aside after seeing her nod; then he crossed the door and was gone.

Alone once again, Yavena sighed and stared up at the ceiling. The sunlight of the afternoon was warm and bright, cascading into the room like a beacon.

Her eyes landed upon the white nightgown that she had doffed only an hour or two beforehand. It was certainly more comfortable than her uniform, and it would be easier for medical officers to check on her wounds with the gown on instead. And so Yavena shrugged off her jacket and began unbuttoning her shirt and pants in favor of the cotton dress.

Once she had changed and was comfortably settled in her bed, Yavena reached over to her table for The Four Far Beyond. She had already reread it twice during the past five days, but she didn't have any better idea for what to do to pass the time…

The warm afternoon sunlight turned from pale yellow to gold. Dusk was arriving, signaling the passing of time, but… even though this was one of Yavena's favorite stories, she found her eyes blankly fixed upon the same paragraphs for minutes on end. She had to reread the pages two or even three times in order to actually digest the words.

By the time the tip of the sky was edged with indigo and royal purple, she could no longer pretend as though she was reading her book. Yavena sighed, placed it back upon the table, and glanced towards the doorway. There was no denying that she was bored again: and restless.

She wriggled to the side of the bed and stretched out her legs; her feet touched upon the bare surface of cool stone. Yavena walked towards the doorway; she had no destination, no intention of leaving the room—

But then the door was slammed open, and a familiar voice was saying, "Yavena, I need to talk to you!"

Yavena shrieked and stumbled backwards, startled by Eren's sudden appearance, and tripped over the soft material of her nightdress. She fell hard on her bottom onto the floor.

Eren's eyes widened; he dove next to her and picked her up as easily as he might a sack of flour. "Yavena!" He hastened to carry her back to the bed and placed her underneath the blankets and quilts that Levi had been bringing to her over the course of the last five days. "Are you all right? You didn't get hurt? I didn't… hurt you?"

She took his outstretched hand, which was cold and clammy, a lingering piece of a haunted dream. "No, Eren, I'm not hurt… I'm all right. What's wrong?"

He did not reply right away. The look in his eyes was far away: lost. Yavena pat upon the blankets so he might sit next to her.

Eren took the offered seat. Only then did he look at her—and Yavena was startled to realize that there were tears in his eyes.

"What's wrong?" she repeated, grasping the hand that he had placed upon the quilts. "Are you… crying?"

If he was embarrassed by this question, he did not show it. "I just woke up from what felt like the longest dream ever. Or—not a dream. Memories. Just now, I was connected to my dad's memories. That Titan… it was you… Dina."

He trailed off, without offering an explanation for what he had seen.

And Yavena would not force one. All she did was squeeze Eren's hand and murmur, "You've been bothered by something ever since we came back. I won't pry, but I will remind you that should you wish to discuss things… I am happy to listen."

Eren was still and silent for a long moment. Yavena could feel his hesitance from where she sat: some inner battle that she could not see.

"Did Commander Erwin read you the rest of the books?" he asked at last.

Yavena shook her head. "Not word for word. He gave me a general overview of what was in them: the history of the Eldian Empire, the disputed legacy of Ymir, the Nine Titans that emerged from her soul when she died…"

"Did he tell you that those of us with the powers of the Nine Titans only have thirteen years to live?"

She stopped. There was no firelight from the hearth, and now the sun had just disappeared from the horizon. Yavena's eyes were adjusting to the newfound blackness, but she could not see the look upon Eren's face: it was just the two of them, sitting alone in the dark.

"The Owl called it 'The Curse of Ymir,'" said Eren. There was a raspy defeat in his voice, one that tugged at Yavena's soul. "The founder, Ymir, lived that long after her powers awakened, so it's only appropriate that we live that long too."

Yavena could feel each frightened beat of her heart reverberating through her chest. "You… have the power of the Attack Titan… do you not?"

"Yes."

"You… only have thirteen years to live?"

Eren sighed. He squeezed her hand. "Not even. I only have seven now. Eight at maximum. Armin's the one… who only has thirteen."

A rush of ice drenched Yavena's body, head to toe. She couldn't believe—Eren and Armin, two of the people whom she had grown close to, whom she adored, now had a countdown until the year that they would die. Eren wouldn't be any older than twenty-three. Armin would only be twenty-eight… not even as old as Yavena herself was now.

"No," she murmured. Yavena wrapped her arm around Eren's shoulder. "No, there has to be a way around that."

She was met with a low chuckle, a mirthless sound, one that Yavena had never heard from Eren before. Then he said, "I wish that was true, but I don't think it is. We've both got a clock over our heads now, Yavena. I just wish I knew… if I'll see our true freedom by the time I die."

"You will." Yavena was not sure how such strength flooded into her voice, her very blood, in that moment. But she would take it and use it to encourage Eren, one of her greatest friends. She turned towards him, smiling, though she did not know if he could see it in the dark. "I once told you that I'd stand by your side until this was all over. That's not a promise I intend on breaking easily, Eren. You're one of my greatest friends, too."

Just as she did, so he deserved to see it, too: that world of peace, the one that she knew they both longed for.

Eren smiled; she felt rather than saw it. "Thank you. I appreciate that."

There was not even the sound of a crackling hearth to break the silence that reigned over them. Yavena was now able to see through the curtain of night seeping through the room, but not very well… due to the clouds within her eyes.

"But there's more, isn't there?" she asked. Now her own voice was scratchy. "There's something else bothering you. What we found in the basement."

Eren did not seem surprised that she had put this together. He sighed; the corners of his mouth turned downward. "To know that humankind has been living free outside the Walls… to know that there was so much out there, taken away from us by those fucking Titans, and that fucking King Fritz who sealed us in these Walls in the first place, making us subservient by stealing our memories… it's infuriating. Our freedom was taken away from us before we were even born."

There was that fire; that passion; the one that Yavena had feared might've been lost forever. She should've known it would've been resuscitated. Eren was always the fiercest person alive when it came to talking about freedom.

But then there was the question again: how did she feel about the fact that people lived outside the Walls?

Even though she'd had no answer the past few days, she had one now.

"I know some people would claim that it's a blessing, to know that humankind isn't nearing extinction. But I don't think that way at all. It's disappointing, isn't it?"

Eren blinked and stared at her, apparently surprised by these words. "How do you mean?"

Yavena turned to look at him, reflecting the same fire she admired about him in her own face. "It's disappointing to know that we've suffered so greatly at the hands of other people. It's disappointing that they hate us. It's disappointing to know that despite all we've suffered for the last one hundred years at the hands of the Titans, the whole world is now our enemy. And it's disappointing to think that… the outside world might not be all we imagined it to be."

A soft light radiated from Eren's face. Not one of happiness, but one of gratitude: understanding.

"Right," he said, soft at first, but then gaining in strength and volume. "Right. That's exactly it. I knew it."

"Knew what?"

He squeezed her hand again and rested his cheek upon the top of her head. "That out of anyone I could talk to, the one who would most closely understand what I feel… was you."

Yavena was unable to speak due to the lump in her throat.

For a little while they stayed, knowing that it was validating to have someone else thinking and feeling the exact same way about such a life-changing revelation. Yavena had thought long and hard about the information from the basement over the last few days… but only looking at Eren, seeing how rightfully furious he was over the situation, did she realize she felt the same way.

She had known Eren for only six months now, but it certainly felt like longer: like he was some kindred spirit, a little brother she'd never expected.

She cared about him greatly.

She loved him like family.

The door opened, offering in a peek of light from the hallway. Yavena knew who it was before he even spoke.

"Tch. Why is it so damn dark in here?"

Yavena couldn't help but smile at Levi's exasperated voice. She merely sat and listened as he moved towards the hearth, piling dry logs and a fire-starter together. Only another moment later was the room aglow, allowing Yavena to see Eren sitting next to her, some of the tension still in his shoulders, but… not as much as before.

Once he was sure the fire wouldn't fizzle out, Levi rose from where he'd been kneeling. He blinked once upon seeing that Yavena was not alone. "Eren."

"Captain," Eren returned evenly. He then nodded to his Section-Commander and rose to his feet, the lightest of smiles gracing his face. "Thanks for talking with me, Yavena. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Of course, Eren," said Yavena. "Take care of yourself in the meantime."

He chuckled. "Right. You do the same." Eren nodded towards both of his officers one last time. Then he swept towards the doorway and was gone.

Both Levi and Yavena stared after him. Cracks and sputters sounded from the hearth; Yavena shifted upon the bed and rubbed her arm, which was covered by a long sleeve of white cotton.

"I know you said no visitors, but… he said he needed to talk to me about something," Yavena murmured. A light frown crossed her face as she realized: she didn't know what it was he'd wanted to speak of. "I'm worried about him, Levi."

Levi approached, taking the spot next to her. He reached out and brushed a piece of her orange hair behind her shoulder, so he might better see her face.

And then he said, "So am I."

He did not stay sitting next to Yavena for long. Now that they were both able to see across the room, she noted that he had brought something inside. It looked to be some towels, fresh clothes: cleaning supplies.

Levi made a detour towards the door to lock it and then began drawing a bath on the far side of the room. Feeling rather than seeing Yavena's look of confusion, he said, "You haven't gotten to take a proper bath in five days. You're a mess."

"I have been running soap over my body, you know," she sighed, although Yavena couldn't pretend as though she was surprised. Just as he was always exact with the cleanliness of his surroundings, Levi was very particular about personal hygiene—not that it was a problem or a point of contention.

He didn't say anything in response. Yavena stared at his back as he sat upon the side of the basin; with one fluid motion, he had taken off the shirt from his back. Before she could figure out what was going on, Levi had walked back over to her and swept her into his arms.

"You aren't going to get clean if you just sit there like an idiot," he said, though there was no pointedness in his tone.

Levi set her upon the side of the bath and carefully shrugged the nightdress off her body—finally regaining her voice, Yavena said, "As much as I'd like this, I don't think I should be getting the stitches wet…"

He gestured to the basin; there was not much water, certainly not to the point where it would seep into the cuts. And her wounds were still bandaged, at least.

She bit the inside of her lip and glanced back to him. Just as she was able to read messages in Levi's eyes on many occasions, so she saw one now: trust me.

"Oh, all right," said Yavena. At his behest, she stepped into the water… and in truth, it was a great feeling. Seeing as it was early spring, Yavena did not find herself cold very often, but being surrounded by blankets was not quite the same as submerging herself in hot water. She allowed herself to relax, though she kept a careful eye upon the bandages that covered her stitches, knowing that they needed to remain dry.

"Am I really that much of a mess?" Yavena arced her head back and caught Levi's eye. She grinned at him and raised an eyebrow, confirming that she was just kidding around.

He smirked somewhat and ran a hand through her hair. "It could be worse. But yes." Then he leaned forward and kissed her.

As quickly as he'd started the gesture, however, he pulled away. Yavena pouted at him, which only made the smirk on Levi's face grow more distinguishable. He grabbed something; it wasn't until she smelled it that Yavena realized it was soap.

"What the hell are you—"

"Just shut up and lie back."

Yavena laughed, more to herself than to him, and muttered, "You're something else, you know that?"

She blinked and stared at Levi as he ran his hands through her hair, being careful not to tug or pull in a way that would hurt her. His fingers were lost in the long strands of orange; Yavena felt her breaths grow deep and relaxed even though she could hear the beat of her heart in her temples. Her dark eyes were locked upon Levi as he worked through each portion of her obscenely long hair… but he was not looking back to her. He took the painstaking moments to brush through it, though he was quiet—almost uncertain—all the while.

Only after her hair had been cleansed did he look at her again. True to her suspicions, Yavena saw doubt in his eyes, as if he didn't know if this was allowed.

"Levi," she murmured. Yavena propped herself on her knees and placed one hand upon the back of his neck, pulling him close. "I love you."

He inhaled slowly, as though he had forgotten… and then he smiled again, a fleeting but meaningful gesture. His palms gently pushed her back into the basin, and with a couple of small, soapy cloths, he began to cleanse the rest of her body.

Levi's hands were gentle upon her shoulders, her arms—he took extra caution around her midsection, keeping the areas around her bandages dry. And after she was dry, he took her back in his arms and covered her with the blankets in an effort to keep her warm.

"Wait," said Yavena. She shrugged the blankets off to the side and looked upon him; the fire was beginning to die out, but Yavena didn't mind. Levi was still visible in front of her, sitting in the chair next to the bed. "Come here."

She was met with a raised eyebrow, but he did as was bade. Yavena lightly turned him so his back was facing her—she began to run her hands across his shoulders, massaging the places where his muscles had formed knots, kissing the few scars upon his back that she now knew so well.

"Let me take care of you, too," she murmured, her lips trailing up his spine, towards his neck. Yavena knew that Levi was uncertain again; she could see it in the way he shifted, how he tensed underneath her touch. "I want to."

These last words seemed to change his mind. Levi glanced at her over his shoulder and, seeing the sincerity in her gaze, replied, "As you wish."

The rest of the night was quiet and filled with care. While Yavena knew that she would likely never hear the words aloud, she did not mind. It was there in the way Levi held her; kissed her forehead; took care of her.

He loved her, too.

Hi guys, sorry it's been a million years. Things have been way too hectic for my liking; this whole month I've been really drained and uninspired to update or write anything at all. Because things are only going to get busier with the upcoming holiday season (customer service, whee) I don't expect things to settle down. On the contrary, it's probably going to get even crazier. The biggest thing I want you guys to take away is: I NO LONGER CAN PROMISE WEEKLY UPDATES. I'm really sorry about that, because I really enjoy posting. I just don't have the energy right now, but I'll do what I can. Because you guys are great :)

I hope you lot are all taking care of yourselves, as always. Happy Halloween, everyone! Thanks for reading and being patient with me. I really appreciate that.