A/N:

Ello~

I'm back sooner than expected haha! Thank you so much for the support on last chapter, I really do appreciate it! Without further ado, let's dig in! Hope you enjoy :)

TW: mentions of suicide

843, two weeks after Elliana Amsel's death

Elliana Amsel

September 12, 810 - April 4, 843

The angels shall gain their wings of freedom

Hot, wet tears splattered onto the vivid green grass below. Ruby eyes squeezed shut against the rolling waves of grief, his mouth opened in a silent scream as he knelt down at his late wife's grave. "Elliana… Elliana…" Koen chanted her name as if it were his saving grace, body numb and unable to move.

He opened his eyes slowly, vision blurred by the non-stop flow of tears as he looked down slowly at the photo gripped in his hands. It was obviously old, its edges yellowed with age. In grayscale, a young and beaming Elliana peered at the camera, her hands curled to form a heart in front of her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry,"Koen whispered, bringing the photo to his chest and clutching it tightly as he closed his eyes again.

Footsteps sounded behind him. He opened his eyes, sliding the photo back into the pocket of his gray vest, knowing without looking that he would be scrutinized by a pair of cold steely blue eyes. Six paces behind him, the footsteps stopped. A gentle breeze blew, his medium length brown hair flowing along in the air.

"Koen." The voice held no resentment, only pity.

He dipped his head, eyes trained on his wife's name. "Levi."

"I am sorry for your loss."

It was at these words that Koen turned, rising from his knelt position. Levi's face remained expressionless, but Koen knew him well. He knew that he was grieving too, suffering in his own way. Turning his face away, he answered sadly. "Thank you."

Levi's ebony bangs waved in the air, following the flow of the wind. His trademark glare was gone, replaced by a somewhat softened expression as he approached the headstone, gently brushing the top of the simple stone with his left hand. Koen watched as his former partner stepped back, facing Elliana's grave precisely, and saluted, his right hand curled into a fist and meeting his chest where his heart resided. His eyes widened slightly as he saw him kneel down, producing a single pink tulip from his uniform pocket and laying it down on the ground.

Without thinking, he spoke. "You remember?" A hint of awe and gratitude tinted his voice.

Levi straightened, looking back at him. His usual cold demeanor was back and he scoffed, walking towards him. "Of course I do. You wouldn't stop rambling about those shitty flowers,"he jibed, though it lacked its usual sharpness.

Koen smiled slightly, wiping the last of his tears and joining his old friend in their trek out the graveyard. "I did ramble a lot, didn't I,"he chuckled softly.

Levi eyed him out of the corner of his eye before nodding slightly. "You did,"he replied evenly.

"A letter for Senior Team Leader Amsel!"

Koen's head shot up, his heart racing in anticipation. Beside him, one Leon Weber clapped him on the back, shooting him a thumbs up with his free hand. "Go forth, lovebird!"he chortled. The soldiers around him cheered as well.

Koen brushed his hand off, feigning annoyance as he turned to address his subordinates. "Calm it, I could have you locked up for insubordination!"he proclaimed, though his twinkling eyes suggested otherwise.

"Oi, lovebird. Your shitty letter's still waiting for you." Across him, Levi, fellow team leader, jerked his thumb over at the poor messenger, who observed the scene awkwardly as he waited by the canteen entrance.

"It's not 'shitty'!"Koen shot back as he scrambled out of his seat. His squad dissolved into fits of laughter.

Koen stomped over to the messenger, who handed the letter to him hastily. "I'll take my leave now, Senior Team Leader,"he said once Koen had received his letter. He brought his right fist to a salute before exiting the large room, leaving Koen to gaze at the flourishing handwriting inked on the front of the envelope fondly. "Elliana,"he breathed, touching a finger to her name as if it would bring her closer to him.

He returned to his unfinished meal, the fast cooling stew long forgotten as he fumbled to open the letter. Eyes scanning the page, he eagerly read the letter.

'To my beloved Koen,

I hope you are doing well. Your expedition is fast approaching, isn't it? I beg you, promise me you'll come home safe. I could not live with myself if anything happened to you. Tell Levi to stay safe as well, I know he's an important friend. To think he is so young and already fighting. Both of you are good soldiers though, or else the commander would not have promoted you just recently. I know that you will be able to protect yourselves and others. Best of luck on your first expedition as senior team leader! Do you know when your next visit is? I am greatly looking forward to it. Perhaps we should visit my parents in Shiganshina! I haven't formally introduced you to them yet. Does that make me a bad daughter? Perhaps, but it is what it is. You asked what I do each day to keep happy. Well, I've recently developed a liking for gardening. Did you know, there are so many types of flowers! Out of all though, I would choose pink tulips as my favorite. I miss you dearly, Koen. Please stay well and come home soon.

Sincerely,

Elliana'

Koen grinned widely as he folded the letter carefully, tucking into the pocket of his uniform jacket for safekeeping. Around him, his squad (save for Levi) leaned in closely. "What did she say?"Leon asked eagerly.

A small blush overcame him, causing his subordinates to roar with laughter. "Her favorite flowers are pink tulips,"he admitted after a pause.

The surrounding soldiers whistled. "Ya sure know how to woo a woman, Team Leader,"Finn Abel said next to Levi. Koen scowled half-heartedly, his mind still reeling from discovering his girlfriend's favorite flower.

"Pink tulips…"he murmured, deep in thought.

He jumped slightly as he felt a strong kick land on his shins underneath the table. Reaching down to rub the fast bruising area, he glared across at Levi, the only soldier bold enough to do so. "What was that for?"he grumbled.

Levi glared back as their comrades roared with laughter once more. "Get a hold of yourself, moron. They're just flowers,"he said shortly. His arms were crossed across his chest.

"But they're her favorite! That's important to me,"Koen protested. Levi scoffed.

"If they're so important, then go buy some for her,"he replied snarkily.

Koen, instead of responding, smiled a little. "That's a good suggestion, Levi,"he said.

Levi got up from his seat, scoffing. "Love makes fools of us all. I'll be in my office, come when you're finished so we can discuss our plans for the next expedition." He stopped suddenly, peering down at Koen intensely. "It is in two days, after all. Wouldn't want to disappoint your lady by delivering your dead corpse to her doorstep."

Koen sputtered on the tea he had been drinking. "Oi, the rest of you. Get back to work or go clean something,"Levi ordered, glaring at their subordinates. They quickly complied, hiding their laughter as they straightened from their seats and saluted their superior officers.

Koen stared at the backs of his friend and soldiers, before reaching up a hand to touch the jacket pocket containing his letter. "Soon, Elliana. And I'll make sure to bring some pink tulips home as well,"he said softly.

A single tear slid down Keon's cheeks as he gazed up at the sky, smiling fondly at the memory. He truly believed that those days were his happiest.

"What do you plan on doing now?"

He looked over at where Levi stood, staring coldly at him. His gaze dropped.

"I… I'm not sure,"he admitted. Levi raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

"You were adamant on leaving your family, but you don't know where you're headed off to?"he asked sharply, unable to keep the accusatory tone away.

"It's not like that,"Koen responded hesitantly. Levi paused, gazing at him intensely.

"I made that horrible decision so many years ago because I couldn't handle it. I felt completely useless, and I couldn't face her,"he said softly, looking back at the sky. Elliana, are you up there somewhere, watching us?

He drew in a breath, continuing. "Then after she got better, I couldn't bring myself to face them. I didn't want my daughter to know just how pathetic I was, how weak I was. I chose to stay away for so long because I was cowardly. I couldn't risk my own flesh and blood hating me."

Birds flew by, feathers trailing in the gentle wind as they crossed the white cottony clouds. Koen's ruby eyes never left the blue expanse above them. He felt Levi's burning gaze trained on him, threatening to attack him should he say a word wrong. "What about now? Rosamund knows who you are now, she watched you leave. How does that play out in your grand scheme?"he asked flatly.

Koen sighed heavily. "I… I had no choice but to meet her. We all knew Elliana wouldn't be there for her entire childhood… but I still couldn't even prepare myself for it. I thought of leaving her with my sister, but I couldn't bring myself to either. I chose to meet her in an attempt to fix my mistakes, so that maybe, now that I'm here, she wouldn't think of me so illfully…"he trailed off. The wind blew around them again, his cinnamon locks falling in his eyes and obstructing his view.

"And? She's now with us, with me,"Levi said pointedly.

Koen brushed his hair aside, tucking it behind his ear. "I know,"he said simply. "I know."

He finally tore his gaze away from the sky, meeting Levi's gaze. "In those three days that I spent with her, I realized something. She doesn't need me, nor my apologies. She barely knows me, why should I even begin to expect her forgiveness? So I left, knowing that the reason I turned up again was because I wanted to fix myself, not our relationship. I met her for selfish reasons."

Levi scoffed, turning his head away. He began to walk up the grassy hill that they were on, focusing his gaze ahead. The forest green Survey Corps cloak wrapped around his shoulders billowed menacingly in the cool spring breeze. Koen stared at the wings of freedom emblem stitched on his back, ruby eyes slightly widened.

"Hey, Levi,"he called out.

The Survey Corps captain stopped, turning his head, meeting his gaze. "What?"

Koen met his gaze steadily. "Could I borrow your cloak?"

Levi's loose bangs flew around his face, barely touching his steely blue eyes. His lips parted slightly, pure horror etched onto every feature on his face. "Oi oi oi… Koen. What the hell are you planning?" Koen had never heard the stoic captain sound so frightened before.

He offered a wide and comforting smile. "Nothing, Levi. Don't look like that, I'm just reminiscing,"he replied easily. Inside, a storm brewed, waiting to strike.

Levi's eyes were still widened. He stared at Koen as if he were a walking corpse, unmoving from his frozen stance. "Koen, you're not about to-"

"I'm okay, really." The smile on Koen's face did not quite reach his eyes.

Levi did not look convinced in the slightest. He took a step forward, brown leather boot flattening the grass below. Hand outstretched, he grabbed Koen's in his. "Koen, I'm begging you. Please don't do anything stupid,"he said roughly, his hands gripping Koen's tightly.

"I'm not, and I won't, Levi. Why do you think that?"he asked. His insides felt as though they were burning.

Levi's hand was almost white with how tight his grip was. "Do you think I'm an idiot, Koen? I've seen more than enough soldiers, current and former, die! I know how their minds think!"he snarled. The tall grass rustled in the breeze.

"It's just a damn cloak,"Koen returned neutrally. The world spun around him.

Levi released his hand as though it had burned him. He scowled darkly, glaring at the ground next to them as though it had offended him somehow. "You don't believe that."

Koen's eyes glinted. "Of course I do."

"You don't."

"I do."

Levi's hands trembled slightly as they reached up to his neck, his fingers touching the clasp that secured the cloak to him. He unfastened it, the green fabric falling from his shoulders. He held it out in one hand.

Koen gazed at the offered cloak, a sense of calm settling over him and his raging insides. He reached out a hand to accept it, unsurprised to find resistance. Glancing over, he saw Levi gripping his end firmly.

"Promise me something, Koen. Promise me you'll return this cloak to me. If you do, I'll place my trust in you, as I have for almost ten years,"he said slowly, sounding almost ragged. His dark eyes bore into Koen's.

He answered with a single nod, not trusting his voice to speak at the moment. Levi's grip relaxed slightly, enough for Koen to tug the emerald material away. His partner stepped away.

"You've never broken a promise before, so don't go making it a habit now,"he growled, turning away. "I expect it in my hands tomorrow."

Koen watched as the captain walked away, the wings of freedom stitched onto his jacket almost taunting him as he retreated. A genuine smile spread across his lips as he stared at Levi's retreating back. He gripped the cloak tighter.

"Thank you, Levi." I'm so sorry.

Despite not having the most amicable relationship with Koen Amsel, Levi was worried about his former partner.

He sat in a rumbling carriage, expression unreadable as he stared at the velvety seat across him. Erwin had been kind enough to arrange a carriage for him that day.

As the carriage arrived near the Survey Corps Headquarters, Levi was reminded of when he first met Koen, many years ago.

A much younger, teenage, Levi stood beside the then Commander Keith Shardis, scanning the organized lines of soldiers with an unimpressed expression as he waited for his announcement.

"Today, we have a new cadet joining our ranks,"Shardis bellowed out, eyes locking menacingly with each of his soldiers.

Though there was no verbal reaction, Levi could tell that many of the soldiers were confused. He felt their curious gazes land on his small form and refrained from lunging out.

"Introduce yourself,"Shardis ordered, turning to him.

He scoffed a little, jerking his head to the side. "The name's Levi,"he said shortly.

From the shocked expressions that many of the gathered soldiers were sporting, he garnered that his introduction was perhaps a bit unorthodox. Still, he could not bring himself to care, choosing to stand his ground instead.

Shardis gritted his teeth beside him, leveling a stormy glare at him. "Cadet Levi, you would do well to have better manners,"he growled. Levi ignored him, staring out at the soldiers instead.

He heard him curse under his breath and smirked slightly. If he was going to force him to become a soldier, the least he could do was rebel against the formidable commander.

"Squad Leader Erwin Smith, I'll leave him in your hands,"his voice rang out, offering no room for argument. Levi noted the relieved expressions on the other three men standing in the front line and smothered a sneer.

His new squad leader was a tall, blonde man with broad shoulders. He sported thick eyebrows and had sapphire blue eyes that seemed to pierce through him. Erwin Smith saluted their commander, his right fist meeting his heart firmly.

"Of course, sir. I'll lead him well,"he answered confidently.

Shardis nodded curtly. "All squads, dismissed!"

Levi glared at the remaining squad leader hatefully, refusing to move from his position. He watched as he dismissed his team leaders and their squads, leaving only his senior team leader beside him.

The senior team leader was a relatively short man, with long cinnamon brown locks. His hair was tied back in a low ponytail, allowing a few strands to rest free as bangs. He was more on the pale side, and sported the same Survey Corps uniform that Levi and the rest of the soldiers did. The intriguing feature he boasted, however, was his eyes. Red like the expensive rubies found within Wall Sina, Levi found himself wondering what this man's name was.

Erwin cleared his throat, stepping forward and offering a kind smile to Levi. "Welcome to the Survey Corps, officially, Levi,"he said rather cheerfully.

The mysterious team leader bore a nervous look when he saw the murderous glare on Levi's face. It was the meddling squad leader's fault that he was there in the first place; Levi would not have willingly come had he been given a choice.

"Tch."

Erwin's senior team leader looked almost comically shocked at Levi's blatant disrespect and swiveled his head towards the squad leader as if asking for permission to punish him. Erwin chuckled slightly, holding up a hand. The red-eyed man relaxed slightly, though his eyes lingered on Levi.

"This is Senior Team Leader Koen Amsel. He is in charge of supervising my team leaders. As such, he will also be the one to guide you,"Erwin gestured at the man next to him, who saluted proudly at Levi.

"He seems important, why're you assigning me to him?"Levi said, almost mockingly.

"Your skill in combat and omni-directional maneuvering gear added to your inexperience in the field is quite unprecedented, Levi. My team leaders are quite busy with their squads at the moment. Koen Amsel, however, has not yet chosen a squad for himself. He's been newly promoted, you see. He will be able to practice in his new leadership position with you, while you benefit from his many years of experience. Mutually beneficial, would you not say?"Erwin responded, peering down at him.

Levi did not respond, knowing nothing he said would change Erwin's mind. Besides, he did not seem to mind Koen as his superior, surprisingly. Perhaps it was the mysterious air the man carried along with him.

Seemingly satisfied that Levi had no more protests, Erwin stepped away, nodding at his subordinate. "I trust the two of you will get along well. Koen, Levi,"he said, nodding to each at their names before retreating, brown boots clicking against the cobble ground.

"Yes, sir,"Koen responded evenly, saluting again as he watched Erwin leave. Levi did not reply, choosing to study his new superior officer with great interest.

A few moments passed. As Erwin entered the castle serving as the regiment's headquarters, Koen clapped his hands together, a lofty smile decorating his face. "All right!"he said, out of Erwin's earshot.

"So, Levi. You're just like the reports say,"Koen continued. He leaned down to Levi's height, observing him in earnest. Despite not being a tall man himself, he still held an advantage over the much shorter Levi. "Smaller than I expected, though."

Levi scowled thunderously at that, causing Koen to spring backwards. He waved his hands out in front of him, keeping a safe distance. "Not that it matters, right?"he said sheepishly, looking nervous again.

Levi grunted, shifting his weight. "Whatever."

His superior cleared his throat, soft brown locks floating in the wind. "Ah, well, let's take a tour of the place, shall we?"he said, cheerful attitude returning.

Levi shrugged, following him as they retreated into the large, stone castle as well. "So… you've never had formal training before?"Koen asked nonchalantly, holding the door open for Levi.

He stalked by without a thanks, hands stuffed in his pockets. "Maybe,"he bit out.

Koen closed the door and led him down the hallway. "I see. You must be really talented, then, to be personally scouted by a squad leader like Erwin!"

Levi, annoyed, shot back, "Are you always this cheerful?"

The senior team leader threw his head back, laughing. He turned his head around so he could speak to him. "Always."

Levi stalked down the familiar halls of headquarters. He was well aware of the soldiers skirting to the edges of the wall, avoiding him as if he were the plague. His stormy expression was the reason for that, perhaps.

'Always,' huh.

"Damn idiot,"he muttered under his breath. An itching feeling bubbled under his skin. It did nothing to help with his sense of foreboding.

Turning the corner, he reached the door to his office. He slammed it open, stood in the doorway, and blinked. Then blinked again.

Rosamund Amsel sat behind his desk, her head in her arms, fast asleep. His desk, previously an organized chaos from his rush to leave that morning, had seemingly magically reverted back to its usual pristine condition. A cup of his favorite black tea sat innocently on his desk, still steaming. On closer observation, Levi could hear soft snores emerging from the eight year old girl.

Did she… do all this?

He approached the sleeping girl quietly, his expression softening into a stony gaze from its previously murderous glint.

Rosamund let out a soft sigh, eyes blinking sleepily open as her large ruby eyes found his. Levi froze.

"O-oh! Sorry… I must've fallen asleep while organizing,"she stammered, face going red. She quickly stood up, stumbling in her haste. Her flailing hand caught the edge of a paper stack, sending it flying as her body went crashing down into the hard floor.

Levi stepped forward, making quick strides. He bent down to face her. "Ouch,"she mumbled as she rubbed her head.

"Are you okay?"Levi asked, surprising even himself at how gentle his voice was. She looked away, nodding.

Helping her stand, he nodded at the cup of tea. "Was that for me?"

Rosamund blushed again. "Oh… um, yes. Petra-san told me what type you drank. I figured that you would want some when you returned,"she replied shyly, not meeting his gaze.

She bent down quickly to retrieve the fallen paper, not waiting for his response. Sighing, he sank down into his office chair, deciding to try the tea that the young girl had made for him. The cup was still warm when his slender fingers touched its rim. Taking a long sip, he found her watching him closely when he lowered the teacup down, evidently concerned that she had not met his standards. He took another sip.

"It's good,"he said, still holding the cup with only his fingers. He saw her burst into a small smile and hid his behind another sip.

"Where should I set these?"Rosamund asked after a while, holding the once again neat stack of papers in her small hands. He gestured towards an empty spot on his desk, thinking to himself.

He did not fancy himself as a friendly person, nor an approachable person. Yet, Levi himself had volunteered to look after the child. Perhaps it had been out of pity for the young girl, or he had drawn some parallels between himself and her. After all, his own mother had passed away early in his childhood too.

A small smirk played on his lips as he thought more deeply about their similarities. His father, having been only a client to his mother, had obviously left as soon as the deed had been done. They both had been abandoned before they had even been born.

The rich taste of tea coated his taste buds as he began to dig into his paperwork, quill scratching across the thick paper and leaving a neat black scrawl. Perhaps they were even more similar to each other than he thought, he mused as another thought came to mind. Kenny had abandoned him just as Koen had abandoned Rosamund, only two weeks ago.

He glanced over to where she sat beside the window, legs comfortably curled beneath herself as she gazed out the window. A book sat in her hands, bookmarked but untouched.

A rushed knock at the door distracted both of them. Levi pinned his navy eyes on it. "Name and business."

"It's Eld, sir. There's an urgent message for you,"the voice responded quickly.

Levi's eyebrow raised. "Come in."

His second-in-command soldier entered, closing the door quickly behind him and saluting. He produced a slip of paper from his jacket pocket, handing it to Levi.

Levi's eyes widened as he read the message. No… no way…

Koen stood, staring at the name engraved on the headstone before him.

Elliana Amsel

He smiled bitterly, reaching down a finger to trace the edges of her name. The pink tulip that Levi had left fluttered slightly in the wind, giving him pause.

Koen knew his friend would be furious when he found out. He had never broken a promise and knew that Levi had weighed the risks and decided to place his hard earned trust in him. His eyes lowered to the dirt below.

He had lived a shitty life, as Levi would put it. From the very start, he had been a hopeless case.

From joining the Cadet Corps out of desperation to please his father.

From disappointing that same father when he hadn't graduated in the top ten.

From losing his entire squad save for Levi on their first expedition after his promotion.

From leaving his wife and unborn daughter out of selfish fear.

From leaving his daughter yet again for the same selfish reasons.

Koen scoffed, the scorn within it worthy of Levi's scoffs. You're right, Levi. There's no better way to describe my life other than 'shitty.'

His hand reached for his belt. A glint of silver shone as his fingers brushed against polished wood.

Father, thanks for the dagger.

Reaching out a hand to caress the plain stone in front of him, his eyes wandered back to Elliana's name. I'll see you soon, Elliana.

In a swift motion that demonstrated his adeptness with blades, Koen flipped the dagger and raised it so that it faced his chest. Casting his eyes upwards at the heavens, he closed his eyes and let a contented smile overtake him. I'm sorry, Levi, Rosamund.

He moved. The dagger gripped tightly in his hand thrust towards him, finding its new home buried in his heart. Blood splattered the ground, painting the dirt bright red. His eyes, colored the same, fluttered shut for good. A few drops of blood left his mouth, streaking his chin crimson. As he drew in his last breath, his lips parted and he reached a hand up to touch the emerald cloak that wrapped around him.

"Thank you, Levi."

His body hit the ground with a low thud.

To Captain Levi of the Survey Corps,

A male body has been discovered in the Hillside Cemetery bearing a Survey Corps cloak. He is not wearing any other military uniform, nor does he carry omni-directional maneuver gear on his person. He has one stab wound with a dagger, straight to his heart. It is likely that the cause of death is suicide. Due to the lack of uniform on his person, we ask that you meet with us to identify the body.

Sincerely,

Nile Dawk

Commander of the Military Police Brigade

A chair scraped against the floor as Rosamund approached the captain, curious after seeing Levi's horrified expression. Eld wavered by his side, sweating slightly as he too saw Levi unraveling. "Captain…?"

"I'm going out." His voice was dark, filled with self-loathing. Stalking to the door, he added without looking back, "Watch Rosamund for me."

It seemed that each step he took, the resulting click of his boots would mock him.

Idiot!

Click

You knew this would happen.

Click

What moron lets a potentially suicidal friend leave?!

Click

This is your fault.

"U-um… Captain?"

Levi looked up, seeing the recruit he had sent to get his horse before him. "What?"he snarled, never before seen rage filling his look.

"Y-your h-horse is ready, s-sir,"he stammered, holding out the leather reins hesitantly to him. His expression did not change as he snatched them out of the frightened rookie, swinging himself onto his horse and galloping off without another word.

No regrets.

No regrets.

No regrets.

He chanted this in his head like a mantra, clinging onto it to keep his self-loathing from spilling out.

Houses, grass, stone. His surroundings blurred as he pushed forward, urging his horse to run faster as if a titan were chasing them.

No regrets.

No regrets.

No regrets.

Time passed by without value. Levi's face was numb from the wind. His expression was now unreadable, having closeted all his emotions away in the deepest depths of his mind.

Walls, what about Rosamund?

His charge had already become noticeably quiet in the two weeks he'd known her. Her face was almost always flat, and only an occasional smile would shine through. He could not imagine how the knowledge of her dead father would damage her.

He came to a skidding halt at the iron gates of the cemetery, the place he had left only that morning. Without bothering to tie his horse up, he leapt from its back, landing smoothly on the ground. Almost as soon as he stepped foot within the large gates, a Military Police soldier apprehended him.

"Sir, the cemetery is temporarily closed to visitors,"he said, faltering slightly when he saw the rage-filled Levi.

"Captain Levi from the Survey Corps, your commander requested my presence,"he snarled. He didn't bother to flash the MP his uniform tag, choosing instead to let his reputation speak for itself. The soldier visibly cowered, gesturing down the winding dirt path.

"M-my apologies, sir! Right this way, Commander Dawk is waiting,"he rattled, hastily saluting.

Levi brushed past him without a word, storming down the pathway in passionate anger. As he reached where Dawk and the rest of the MPs were, his heart sank. He saw the body draped in white cloth.

"Captain Levi, thank you for coming,"Nile Dawk turned to him, a grim expression on his face.

Levi offered a salute, letting the rage in his eyes simmer and die. If Dawk noticed, he said nothing of it.

Wordlessly, he gestured towards the body that lay on the ground. While he was well adjusted to bloodshed from the battlefields, he couldn't help but grimace at the large pool of blood nearby. A Military Police soldier knelt down, peeling the fabric away from the victim's face so that Levi could see.

Levi made certain that his face was masked, his expression unreadable. He did not react, nor did he move, when he saw Koen Amsel's face revealed.

"Well?"

Levi straightened, meeting Dawk's unimpressed gaze steadily. "Koen Amsel. Former senior team leader, he resigned about two weeks ago. He only has a daughter, Rosamund Amsel. She has been staying with the Survey Corps,"he replied tonelessly.

The MP beside the commander scribbled madly in a small notepad as he spoke. After a few moments, he nodded, a clear sign that he was finished. Dawk waved him off, turning to Levi.

"Did you know him well?"

A shadow fell over his face, the only betrayal to his true feelings. Levi gave a curt nod. "We were partners for many years until I received my own squad."

Dawk sighed, turning his head to gaze at the cemetery's expanse. "Shame."

After a pause, he turned back to Levi. "I'll get in contact with Erwin about this. Does he have any relatives of age?"

"He has a sister living in Shiganshina, Emilia Amsel."

Dawk dipped his head. "Very well. Thank you for your help, Levi." The dismissal was clear.

Levi turned and left, not daring to speak. The wind tousled his bangs and black hair flew in his eyes. As he made the walk up the hill, he gazed up at the fluffy white clouds that covered the soft blue hue known as the sky.

I hope you're happy now, Koen.

Rosamund sat, bored, staring out the window in Levi's office as she waited for his return. Her book was still left untouched, though gripped tightly in her hands. Eld Gin, one of Levi's trusted soldiers, stood by the door, eyes shifting awkwardly towards her from time to time as the room settled in complete silence.

Footsteps could be heard down the hall. Rosamund perked up slightly, though she did not look away from the window. She gazed yearningly at the chattering birds, wishing she could find as much peace and happiness as they had.

"The captain should be back,"Eld commented.

Rosamund nodded, finally tearing her gaze away from the window. "Thank you for looking after me today, Eld-san,"she murmured. She fingered her braid anxiously.

The blonde man smiled, his plain brown eyes crinkling kindly. "It's not a problem, Rosamund,"he chuckled.

The door opened suddenly, revealing Levi. Rosamund drew back when she saw his face, suddenly remembering his ruthless glare from the first time she laid eyes on him. Eld seemed startled by this reaction as well, inching away slightly as his captain entered the room.

"Eld, leave us,"he ordered. His voice was tired, unlike what Rosamund had expected. Eld saluted, before twisting around and closing the door respectfully behind him.

Levi sat down heavily in his office seat, sighing and staring at her intensely. Tense silence fell between them, and Rosamund met his cold stare nervously.

"Erm… Captain Levi? Did something happen?"she asked hesitantly. The look on Levi's face told her all she needed to know and she clenched her book tightly, inhaling sharply.

"It's about… Koen,"Levi started, his voice not unkind.

"M-my father?"Rosamund asked, startled. Her heart began to race, fear clawing up and threatening to consume her. Though she had not known her father for long, she had thought of him fondly and clung onto the many stories her mother would share of him.

Levi drew in a breath. He redirected his gaze to the desk below him, spreading his hands out on the table. His lips parted. "He's dead."

Lightning seemed to shoot through Rosamund. Her eyes widened exponentially, her hands white from her grip on her book. Shaking slightly, she opened her mouth to speak. "W-what?"

"The Military Police found him dead by your mother's grave. He killed himself,"Levi elaborated bluntly, his voice rough with his own grief.

Tears slid down her cheeks. Rosamund could not move; she felt whatever was left of her heart breaking, shattering into one million pieces until it became powder in the wind. As her mind cleared, one question arose.

"Why?"

Levi looked up at her. His face was uncharacteristically anguished, raw emotion showing. Looking back at his hands, he closed his eyes. "He wanted freedom."

"From me?"

Rosamund stood suddenly, unnamed rage peering through her face. Her tears no longer leaked, her cheeks red from anger. She stood like that, silent, for several minutes as she waited for Levi's answer.

Levi didn't speak, lowering his gaze instead. A new sense of anger coursed through Rosamund. "Teach me,"she said loudly, a determined glint flashing through her ruby eyes.

The captain looked up in askance. Resolved burned in her, lending her strength. "Teach me how to fight. How to become a soldier. I'll show my father, I'm not someone to give up on,"she declared.

Levi stared at her for a few moments, studying her. She had changed drastically from the hollow shell she had been since her mother's death. She no longer lacked emotions and possessed a sense of maturity beyond her years.

A small smile overtook Not bad at all. Levi's lips as he stood, blue eyes trained on her. "All right."

Today's woes fuels tomorrow's ventures.

A/N:

Our little girl's growing up so fast... :((

Hopefully this chapter was enjoyable, please let me know your thoughts in the comments! I will always reply :)

A short explanation on why Levi was so alarmed by Koen asking for the cloak:

To me, one of a soldier's greatest prides is having that uniform since it visibly demonstrates their loyalty and dedication to humanity. For Koen, his life has been revolving around the military for pretty much his entire life, making it only understandable why he'd want to go out with a piece of the Survey Corps with him. Levi knows him well, and he also knows that if Koen were to die, he'd want it to be serving in the military. Due to Koen's rather unstable mental history, Levi was hesitant because he was afraid, but ultimately chose to place his trust in him. For this part, I mostly drew on the 57th Expedition, both where Eren decided to trust his comrades and when Levi agreed to refill his gas without questioning Erwin. Hopefully this made sense originally!

Next chapter will be out sometime next week, hopefully around Wednesday! Thanks for reading!

See you then~

-earthlingx