Author's Note

Just FYI, this fic will follow canon for the most part. I'm just trying that the events after the timeskip make *some* sense

Anyway, Happy Holidays!

A gunshot pierced through the silence, but it didn't bother Levi enough for him to spill his tea.

What did bother him, however, was that someone stayed at the shooting range after-hours. He was at the tiny, dirty cabin next to the field, revising the score files of the latest Training Corps practice, so the loud, sudden shot interrupting his concentration had only added more annoyance to his already tedious labor.

He finished his drink and placed the metal teacup back on the table. Taking deep, calm breaths, he arranged the papers over the desk into a single folder. As he stood up and headed towards the window, Levi cleared his throat, preparing his voice to shout at whatever brat hadn't read the big ass sign with the range's rules.

He leaned against the window ledge and stuck his head out the window. The gentle, orange afternoon sunlight shone on his face, but not enough to warm his skin. The shout he had prepared got stuck in his lungs when he recognized the figure crouching on the shooting alley's ground, holding a rifle.

Almost immediately, Levi turned on his heels and threw his head back. On any other occasion, he wouldn't have hesitated or restrained himself from scolding a recruit. But times had changed, and so had he.

He grabbed his corporate jacket, resting on the chair's back, and put it on as he walked out of the cabin.

A soft, rather cold breeze swayed his hair and some of the fallen, brown leaves on the barren ground. Then, another gunshot, to his right.

Levi approached the figure behind the shooting line with silent steps. The rifle's barrel rested over a pile of sand sacks, the muzzle pointing towards the furthest target: a metal board close to the forest that surrounded the field, hidden between auburn tree branches. The silhouette about to fire became clearer.

"Eren."

Levi's voice was shallower than a gunshot, but it broke through the silence just as such.

Eren lowered the rifle, bending his neck towards Levi with furrowed eyes. Not with the same wide, childish eyes that used to look at him with admiration and respect. He also didn't bother to stand up, let alone salute Levi like he was supposed to.

"Captain," he simply said, hands still grabbing the gun, but his finger slowly moving away from the trigger.

Levi approached him, crossing his arms. "This place is off-limits after practice hours."

"I know." Eren adjusted the gun's barrel over the sacks, his gaze fixed on the distant target, finger back on the trigger. Before Levi could scold him further, Eren's voice became louder. "Just one more shot." His green eyes looked at him over the rifle's outline. "Please."

Levi lifted his chin, knowing that Eren wasn't truly asking for permission.

"Make it count."

The words had barely escaped his lips when Eren pulled the lever down, loading another bullet. The old one ejected to the side with a faint stream of smoke.

A metallic sound followed the gunshot. Levi's eyes immediately darted towards the target plate, gently swaying between the vines as the smell of gunpowder invaded his nostrils.

The white fume around the muzzle dissipated with the breeze. Eren pushed the rifle's safety block and stood up. He wore the military brown pants and white shirt, the matching jacket tossed over a nearby stack of hay.

"Oi," said Levi. "You good?"

"Yeah." With his back on Levi, Eren leaned the gun against a wooden post and began to walk away.

But Levi felt the need to reach out further.

"Everything we do is in the island's best interest." His words mimicked Hange's, carefully avoiding any empty promises. "You can trust us on that."

Eren turned on his heels, dust swirling around him as he faced Levi.

"What about Historia's interests? Or my interests?" Long, brown strands of hair covered his forehead and gaze, but Levi could still see the bitterness behind them. "What about your interests?"

"They are part of it too."

His reassuring tone became void in the space between them. Levi took a few steps forward, closing on Eren. His eyes became less defiant, but his guard was still up.

"I won't sacrifice anyone else," he said, decisively.

"Neither will I, and neither will Hange."

"Then why are you on his side?"

Levi frowned. "Whose?"

"Zeke's."

A stronger draft of wind whirled between them, lifting the dust on the ground. The quiet crack and sway of leaves and tree branches from the forest afar became louder than his thoughts. But he could still hear Eren's judgment, echoing inside Levi's head.

After everything he's done. Knowing what he wants to do with Historia.

He quieted them with his own voice instead. "We are considering our options. Nothing's set in stone yet."

Eren bent forward, stretching his neck with a conviction previously unknown to Levi. "The best option is literally surrounding us. And if we don't show them—."

"Eren," he commanded. "Hange has a plan."

He pushed himself back, lips ajar, but still defiant. "What plan?"

"They might've found a way to buy our freedom."

Any interest that Levi might've seen in Eren's eyes quickly faded away, only to be substituted by resentment.

"Buy our freedom," he repeated with a light jeer. Beyond Eren's distant, tranquil expression was threat and danger, conveyed only through his voice. "How?"

"You don't need to know the details. What matters is that we might not need to do what Zeke says."

Eren scoffed, looking over his shoulder. "Even if we did, it wouldn't make a difference."

"What the hell does that mean?"

Instead of replying, Eren leaned against the sacks of sand, hanging his head. Levi decided to approach him, keeping a few steps between them.

"We would still be at their mercy, just like we've always been," said Eren, clawed hands sinking into the sacks.

"It's only temporarily."

"And then what?" He lifted his chin, clenching his jaw. "They won't stop seeing us as a threat."

"You don't know that." Levi opted for a more calm, direct approach as he continued, "Two years ago, we didn't even know that this whole conflict existed, and until a few months ago, you didn't even tell us that there was this… thing inside the Walls."

"So?"

Levi frowned. Neither when he had revealed the powers of the Founder, nor at that moment was he showing any remorse. Not for hiding, and not for his hostility towards the Captain that had saved him countless times. For Humanity's future, presumably. Back when there was little Humanity left.

Not that much had changed in that regard.

Levi took a deep breath, maintaining his composure. "There's still too much that we don't know. Which means we need to be careful. And patient."

"They've trapped and murdered us like cattle, and now we are supposed to be the careful ones?"

"Yes."

Levi's answer was a straight shot between them, and he wasn't going to take any rebut. But that wasn't enough to stop Eren. It never had been.

"You saw what they did. To all of us. We deserve freedom. The freedom that they stole," he said. "Wasn't that the goal of the Survey Corps?"

"The goal of the Survey Corps was also to understand the world around us. To ensure a better future." Levi paused, hoping it would ease the weight that had suddenly appeared on his chest. "For everyone."

His eyes scanned Eren's, looking for the spirit of the boy he had known. The one that marveled at his skills and resolution without seeing the loneliness and pain behind it.

Perhaps that was what had changed. He had finally seen the truth. Neither of them were heroes and saviors, nor were they meant to be.

His green eyes became twin slits, letting only spite shine through. "Out of all the people in the Corps, I thought you would understand me."

"Eren." His voice was louder than what he had anticipated. He approached him, correcting his harshness. "I know loss, and I know you know it too. But that's exactly why we need to be careful, so we don't lose anyone else."

It wasn't enough. Not only could he tell because of how Eren's fists suddenly tensed up, but also because his eyes darted towards the rifle. Levi frowned once he saw him grabbing the gun once more, fingertips caressing the outline of the barrel. But the trigger was clear, and the safety was on. That was the only reassurance he had, but it wasn't enough either.

"Remember what I told you at that forest," he continued, recalling Sophie's advice from the dinner. "I won't be the one telling you what you should or shouldn't do, but if you are ever in doubt, you can trust us. Me, Hange, Armin, Mikasa, and everyone else in the Corps."

Finally, he could see through him. The mention of trust, of his comrades, had been the key to the lock on his thoughts. Eren's stance became more relaxed, but Levi wasn't sure how much longer it would last.

"Don't make any choice that you will regret," Levi said, just as another breeze traveled between them, carrying his words.

Eren's hand moved towards the lever of the gun, eyes still fixed on Levi. But Levi's eyes were on the trigger.

"Thank you, Captain," he said. An automatic response like the lever he pushed, reloading the gun with a click as the empty bullet propelled to his side.

After leaving the rifle once more against the post, Eren grabbed his jacket and walked away from Levi.

Years back, he had been assigned to supervise him. To keep him in check, just as he had been ordered to keep Sophie in check.

But at that moment, he realized that Eren was out of his control. Not when he was a Titan, but when he was most human.

"At least you could've put the rifle back, brat."

Levi wasn't one to talk to himself, but voicing his thoughts was also his way of keeping them under control. His exchange with Eren had turned his mind into a bittersweet haze, and he found himself mulling over it as he walked to the gunroom, rifle in hand. Despite Eren seemingly accepting his trust and advice, he could see the conflict underneath. How Levi was supposed to undo it—or whether he could—was a different matter altogether.

Soft, amber afternoon sunlight shone on the cobblestone path leading to the wooden cabin at its end. The breeze that had accompanied him during his conversation with Eren had turned even colder and stronger, forcing the trees surrounding the area to shed their ochre leaves.

Once Levi stood in front of the gunroom, he grabbed the cooper knob and pushed the door open. Inside, a pair of hopper windows allowed a dim light into the room, and a warm stream of air brushed his face. Guns were displayed over the walls, along with shelves filled with ammo, tools, and other equipment.

And when stepped into the cabin, he noticed that there was someone at its end, sitting next to a workbench.

"What are you doing here?" said Levi with a single breath.

Sophie swiveled towards him, pushing her copper hair back.

"What are you doing here?" she replied with a soft smile, eyes darting to the rifle in his hand. "Returning from a duck shoot?"

"Sort of." Levi closed the door behind him, noticing the smell of pine and burnt wood inside the room. So strong, he thought his nose would never get used to it.

Sophie chuckled and returned her attention to the workbench, grabbing some thin, metal bar. Levi approached her, noticing how she playfully twisted her ankle, just below the hem of her teal, loose dress, layered with a black bodice.

Standing behind her, he placed a hand on the back of the chair, bending over to analyze the workbench. A series of tools and wrenches had been carefully aligned next to rifle parts. Sophie's fingers held a metal plate as she tightened one of its screws.

"You are building… A gun?" said Levi.

"Sort of," she hummed. "I had to get a couple of papers from the Trost office. And apparently, some Policemen wanted to tease the rookie accompanying me by loosening his rifle" She bent her neck towards Levi with a cheeky smile. "You should've seen the poor kid's face when the lock fell apart in the middle of the carriage ride."

"Aren't the Garrisons supposed to fix that sort of stuff?"

Sophie straightened her back, crossing her arms. "Weren't you the one that told me that I should go back to where I started?" She lifted an eyebrow, and Levi swayed his head in agreement. "This is how I started when I arrived. No paperwork, no meetings. Just me and some rusty tools."

"And? Does it feel better than the paperwork?"

"It's… bittersweet." Her attention quickly returned to the rifle, and she began to attach the metal parts to the wooden stock. "I haven't done this in a while."

Levi grabbed a nearby stool and sat on it, gently leaving his rifle on some bench. "That's not how it looked like back in Yormgen."

"That was mostly woodwork. It only needs to be sturdy. Guns are more…" Sophie wrinkled her nose. "Mechanical. Precise. "

"Hm, I prefer blades."

"How so?"

He observed her cautious work in silence. For someone that had always been so loud and strident, watching her move her slender fingers over the screws, along with the subtle clink of the pieces, conveyed a very distinct sense of calmness. Enough to make him forget the tension from before.

"I feel like I'm more in control."

"So you're saying my guns are not controllable enough?" With the rifle still over the table, she delivered Levi a quick, sharp glance and pressed the trigger. The flint hit against the frizzen, causing a tiny spark.

"I don't like gunpowder. And flintlocks like that one are annoying to load."

"Ah, well." Sophie lifted the rifle, checking the tightness and state of each part, wood and metal alike. "To be fair, this is a rather old model. What you have right there is a real beauty." Her attention went towards the other rifle. "May I?"

Levi handed it to her, and Sophie placed the reassembled rifle at the end of the workbench. "Flintlocks are annoying, yes. That's why we only gave them to trainees and privates of the Police for their patrols. But this one… I don't think the Survey Corps had access to them."

"We never used guns. They aren't that fast against Titans."

"I know." Sophie pulled the lever back and forth, removing all the remaining bullets inside. "But this one is. Although this model was only meant to be used by inner Police and selected nobles. To…control the public." Her voice faltered for a moment, and she began unscrewing the side plate. "In any case, it is fast, but the shots aren't strong enough against Titans, so they would've been useless to you either way."

"But was there anything that could've been useful?" Levi's chest tightened as he gulped, "That we didn't know about?"

"Research was rather censored before the coup." She slid the plate away, fingers tracing the outline of the parts inside the rifle. "You heard what Hange said, if we made something too smart, Reiss would… make sure that it wouldn't happen again."

"I thought someone as powerful as the Chief could've changed his mind about it."

"The situation was more nuanced than that. And power is surprisingly relative, especially the higher up you go." Her voice turned shallower; gaze lost inside the rifle. "But I wish I could've done more."

Levi stared at her in silence. He also wished he could do more. Not only on the battlefield but also for Eren at that training range. Words had never been his forte, and now it was the only reliable weapon that Paradis possessed.

Lost in his thoughts, he noticed Sophie tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, revealing a slight smirk on her lips.

"What's so funny?" he asked, bending towards the workbench. All he could see was metal nonsense inside the gun's receiver.

"Nothing. I just really like this mechanism." She pulled the lever down, the clink of the parts resounding between them.

Levi dragged the stool closer, analyzing the system. His chin almost rested on Sophie's shoulder, but she obliviously continued to pull the lever up and down.

"Look closer," she whispered, using a screwdriver to point at the parts, pressing the gun against the table. "There is just one joint at the lever, and that is enough to remove the old bullet and put a new one. See?"

She pulled the lever again, and Levi carefully followed the mechanics inside the receiver. How one simple movement triggered a cascade of motions of the linkages, carefully measured and synchronized. He had never wondered how the weapons he used worked, he had always trusted in the instinct, and not the precision behind it.

Her precision.

"It's…" He bent his neck towards Sophie, staring at him with bright eyes and a soft smile. "Fascinating."

Almost automatically, just like the mechanism, he leaned forward and kissed her. A simple peck on her lips. But just about he began to break the kiss, Sophie grabbed the collar of his shirt, bringing him closer, kissing him again.

Levi snorted, moving away. "You really know your weapons, don't you?"

"Hm, I do," she replied, moistening her lips.

"Maybe we should put them to good use."

Sophie grinned and lifted an eyebrow. "Oh, my. What kind of proposition is that one?"

The gunshot traveled through the silence, but it didn't land on the closest target: a metal slate, hanging from a tree branch.

Levi sighed, "Remind me again, how many raccoons did you kill in Yormgen?"

Sophie kneeled next to him, gun over the sand sacks as she pulled the lever to reload it. The hem of her skirt had stains of dirt, and she had tucked her hair behind her ears.

"Eh, only one. They tend to run after they see the muzzle, but that one was particularly stubborn."

"Still, I would've expected you to know how to shoot."

Sophie wrinkled her eyes, adjusting her posture and grip on the gun. "I never had much of a chance to practice. Everything I know is from watching soldiers during testing sessions or nobles during hunting trips."

"Then how did you manage to make it to the top ten?"

"What top ten?" she said, eyes still on the target, but with the finger away from the trigger.

"From the Training Corps," he said. "Erwin told me you enlisted when you arrived, and that had been one of the highest graded soldiers."

Sophie immediately lowered the gun, and her furrowed expression of focus turned into doubt.

"What? I… I wasn't allowed to join the Training Corps when I arrived," she babbled, pushing herself back. "Why would he say that?"

"Oi, safety on if you are not shooting," he growled. Sophie muttered a curse and pulled the safety mechanism. "Knowing him, he probably wanted to know whether I trusted you, regardless of your… capabilities."

"Oh, well," she sighed. "Thank you for that. Although I'm glad that I didn't have to go through with his join the Survey Corps tale."

"Yeah, you wouldn't have lasted a day in there," he mumbled, but Sophie was too withdrawn to hear it.

She released the safety, tilted the gun, and pressed the trigger. The recoil pushed her slightly back, but no clinking sound of the metal target followed the bang.

"Why couldn't you join the Training Corps?" he asked.

"It wasn't part of my deal," replied Sophie. "I was only allowed out of my cell to help prepare and fix Armory equipment with the Garrisons, but I was still under Police custody." She grabbed some extra rounds from a nearby crate and loaded the gun. A faint chuckle escaped her lips. "If you ever feel bad about slapping me the first time we met, don't. The Police… hit much harder than that."

Levi tsked, leaning against the fence. "Those unicorn bastards…"

"To be fair, I could've avoided half of their beatings if I had kept my mouth shut." Her voice became a whisper as she put in the last bullet. "At least it never escalated more than that."

"Still," he sighed. "Didn't Pixis help you out?"

"At first, yes. He was the one who called off my trial and proposed the deal with the Garrisons. And when I managed to prove myself, he was the one who recommended me to the Civil Department. But after that he sort of…forgot about me."

"Sounds like him."

"Yeah," she tilted the gun again. "He probably thought that I would be safer there since I wasn't under the Police anymore, but the Stohess engineers weren't very welcoming either."

"Too snobby?"

"Pretty much," she whispered, adjusting her grip on the barrel. "They hated me. That division is like another stonewall. You can only get it if you went to a Sheena College, and no one gets into a Sheena College unless someone in your family has." Her face wrinkled in disgust, something her low voice couldn't conceal. "Like Charles."

"Something tells me you don't like him very much."

"Very perceptive of you." She removed the safety and pressed the trigger. Only the bang followed, but she had braced herself better against the recoil. She sighed, "Do you know why I was so good at my job, despite never going to those schools?"

"Because you are smart…?"

"Because I've built things from scratch." She reloaded, the empty shell propelling to her side. "Those high-end engineers wave their papers and certifications like they mean anything. But, truth be told, none of them have ever held a wrench, and they probably don't even know how long it takes to build a table."

Levi scoffed, "Yeah, the Police are the same. I'm sure you've shot more bullets than the average Police lieutenant."

"I think everyone in Sheena is like that: idiots who think they know better, but they can only see what's above them, not below them." She seemed about to fire again, but she lowered the gun and frowned. "May I ask you an indecent question?"

Levi rolled his eyes. "Depends on your definition of indecent."

"Why is Hange the Commander?"

He couldn't help but scoff, "What do you mean? It's the chain of command: after Erwin comes…"

"I know how the chain of command works," she said, decisively turning to him. "But I wonder, why aren't you the Commander?"

He shrugged. "Why would I be?"

"Don't get me wrong, I admire Hange. They are dedicated and smart, yes. But I've always felt like they got lost in shiny things very easily, like their research." Sophie cocked an eyebrow. "You strike me as someone more cold-headed, someone who would make the right choice no matter how hard or difficult it would be. I don't think Hange would have the guts to do that."

A breeze swayed the trees surrounding the field with a quiet murmur.

"That may be true, but it isn't very fair" he replied. "Hange's mind works the same way for their research and their rank. They see beyond things and find new solutions for everything." Seeing Sophie's expression, expectant, he realized she wasn't satisfied with his answer. "I may be faster than them, but they are more insightful than me. That's why I guide people on the battlefield, and they pick the battles."

"And you never wanted more?"

"No. I'm fine with being Captain. I would be fine with being lieutenant too."

"Because you don't want the recognition or the responsibility?"

"Neither," he answered in a heartbeat. "I want to protect my people. The rank stitched on my jacket doesn't matter."

"I see," she whispered, tilting the gun again, aiming at the same target she had yet to hit. "I wish I had stayed the same."

"You still can."

"I could, but we both know it doesn't depend only on me."

Before Levi could reply, she shot again. And she failed again.

"Do you know the definition of insanity?" he said. Sophie turned to him as she reloaded, lips ajar. "It's doing the same things over and over expecting a different result." He approached her and kneeled next to her, wrapping his arms around her frame, hands over hers. "Here. Lower the stock. Hold tight. Focus." Sophie followed his instructions, and he gently steered the rifle as he whispered in her ear, "Breathe."

Sophie let out a small breath, brushing against Levi's skin. She pressed the trigger. Then the clink followed, and the target began to screech, swaying.

"There you go, crafty girl," he whispered.

"Thanks." She turned towards him, letting out a quiet snort of satisfaction. She smirked, handing him the gun. "Your turn?"

Levi shrugged and grabbed the rifle. He reloaded and stood up. Five targets. Three on different tree branches, one over a bench, and the last one at the end of the field.

He adjusted his grip and breathed out. He almost didn't need to think about his movements. One, two, three. Press the trigger, pull the lever. Four, Five. Every gunshot caused a hit on the metal surface.

The smell of gunpowder began to swirl around him. He lowered the gun and observed the result. Three targets swaying, one down. The last one had also been hit, but remained static, hidden in the forest.

He turned towards Sophie. She stared at him with wide eyes, mouth open.

"Do you show off like that to all the girls that come by?" she finally said.

Levi swayed his head. "Only to the ones that can crush me in a chess game."

"Well, you clearly won this round," she scoffed, crossing her arms.

"And I would like to claim my prize." Levi left the gun over a crate and approached Sophie until there was barely a step between them. She stared at him, expectant, and he clarified, "The story you were going to tell Hange."

"I told you they would have to tie me up to a chair until I spilled it. You are no different."

He clicked his tongue. "That sounds tempting."

Sophie let out a quiet chuckle, but before she could say anything else, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer. And then, he kissed her.

He didn't feel inhibited by his rank. He didn't feel like he needed to be in control of every second, every move, every gun. No, those days were long gone. Selfishness, freedom, peace. He deserved that prize.

But Sophie quickly moved away from his embrace, her eyes nervously looking all around.

"Careful. Not here," she gulped. Levi pushed himself back. "Someone could see us."

"Right," he said, clearing his throat. Just because he could see the prize, didn't mean he could claim it yet.

Sophie straightened her skirt, dusting off the hem. "I should head back before the rookie baby-sitter reports."

Levi breathed out, eyes darting to the rifle. "Of course."

They entered the gunroom together. Levi leaned against the doorframe while Sophie grabbed a cloth bag from underneath the workbench.

Dusk had just begun to settle, and even inside that small and cozy cabin, the air had turned colder and mustier.

Sophie arranged some tools on the workbench, placing them in their designated boxes and containers over the shelves and cupboards. Levi observed her in silence as she stood on her tiptoes, putting back some spare pieces on the uppermost shelf.

But one of them fell to the parquet floor with a bang. Sophie muttered a curse and kneeled to grab the piece. Levi let out a snort and tilted his head back, obliviously observing the patterns of black trails and spots on the wood.

By the time his attention returned to Sophie, she was still kneeling, her frame partly concealed by the boxes around the bench.

"Everything alright?" he asked, straightening his back.

She suddenly stood up with a gasp, but there was no spare piece in her hands. "Ah! Yes. Sorry," she smiled. "Actually, do you mind stepping ahead to tell that kid that I'll be there in a minute?"

"I can help you clean if that's what you need," he said, rolling his eyes.

"No, it's fine. I'm almost done, but I don't want him to think I've disappeared, you know?"

Levi growled. Stubborn woman. "Sure. But don't leave any spare pieces lying on the floor."

"Huh?"

Levi pointed at the metal part on the floor. "Like that one."

"Oh, right." She kneeled again and grabbed it. When she stood up, she showed it to Levi, playfully swaying her head.

"No wonder you can't shoot straight if you can't even think straight," he muttered. "Go get some rest tonight, okay?"

"Yessir," she replied, mockingly saluting him.

"Alright," he said, stepping out and closing the door behind him.

Sophie breathed out once she heard the click of the lock.

She kneeled towards the lowest shelf again, her fingertips grazing over the edge of the basket on it.

The last, faint rays of sunlight had been enough for her to notice that distinctive shimmer inside the box. Bright, untarnished. Golden.

She pulled the container towards her. Inside were all kinds of handguns. Some rustier than others, all in a deplorable condition. But there was one that wasn't: the one with a golden ring encircling the bottom part of the wooden grip.

Sophie grabbed the gun and sat back on the chair, using the tools around to carefully remove the grip. Despite how slow and gentle her motions were, her heart pounded against her chest. Her throat tightened, blood rushing through her veins.

Once both sides of the grip were separated, she passed her fingertips over the inner part, noticing the carved letters. She felt them over and over again, but from the moment she had seen that weapon, she had known what they said.

Eventually, she put all the pieces back together and hid the gun inside her bag. Rifle in hand, she walked out of the cabin.

That gun had once been her greatest fear. And it was her time to be in control of the trigger.