The next two weeks passed in almost a blink of an eye. It was almost every night that he'd fuck her brains out. Not to mention that whenever they had the time, he'd take her rough on his desk, and then she'd have to limp embarrassingly her way back to the labs. Nathalie had no idea why he was being like this, but she'd never really complain. He knew exactly how to make her so damn desperate. He knew exactly how to make her beg, and bruise her knees for him.

The only thing she'd complain about was the exhaustion, and how wasted she'd feel by the end of the day. But he'd take good care of her. Almost every night he'd carry her to bed. He'd come to pick her up from the basement labs beneath the Royal Palace when she'd finish her work. He made sure she would eat and drink enough water. He'd make her tea almost every afternoon. He'd hold her every night.

But what frustrated her the most, was the three pregnancy tests that he had forced her to take those two weeks. Was he all that impatient to have a baby? She knew he wanted it. She knew she wanted it too, and her heart was so soft for him for how much he wanted it, and how much he loved her and he showed it to her every day, every night, every second. But her mind screamed at her: Is that really love?

She wasn't stupid. Nathalie Burgess was anything but stupid. She was too oblivious and too much blinded by her feelings to even stop him from milking her insides and leaving her exhausted and wasted. A sweaty, tired, marked mess. Wearing a scarf had become a habit lately. She didn't know whether she should be frustrated or just let it all slide. Pretend that nothing out of the ordinary was happening.

She couldn't do that. Nathalie was never one to pretend everything was alright, and hide away from her problems. She would always face them. She'd never run.

Nathalie mounted her horse and urged it to start moving towards the street that would take her back to the Interior. She was once again leaving the hospital from the fourth negative pregnancy test, which was a relief, but it was odd as well, considering how many times he had fucked her the past few days. Her hand found her belly. She couldn't tell what was wrong, and she didn't have the time to look into that either.

She just had to rush back to the basement labs and continue finishing the hardening serum. That's right. It was a vital part in Erwin's plan and she'd be damned if she didn't figure this out. She remembered it clearly. That bottle had the writing Armour outside, and with that very liquid, she had injected Eren, back in that cavern beneath the Reiss Chapel, and after that, Eren was able to harden his titan skin.

After lots of research on a prisoner that they had turned into a titan and experimented on him, she realised, that unintelligent titans could harden their skin too. But that could only happen if she injected them with that all too familiar protein that she had found in Eren's TSF.

Nathalie, Hange, Moblit, and the scientists from Hange's Squad, worked on the hardening serum for days, but thankfully, it worked in the end. Erwin's plan was going to go smoothly. Nathalie was too occupied with all these. She dove right into sweet, sweet science, and she almost never had the time to sit Levi down and ask him about what the hell it was that he was having in mind.

It was Friday night now, and Nathalie heard her husband's familiar footsteps as he made his way into the basement labs. He was there to take her back home. They had two days to rest. The mission was to start on Monday morning, and it was Erwin's order for all soldiers and troops and squads, and squad leaders, to rest all they could in the weekend before the mission.

"Ah! Shorty's here!" Hange cried out, notifying Nathalie.

Nathalie only let out a heavy sigh, and she did not take her eyes off the lenses of her microscope. "I am aware, you don't have to yell it right into my ear," Nathalie frowned.

"Aww, I thought you'd be glad to see your husband," Hange whined as she scribbled stuff on her notebook and tucked her glasses further up the bridge of her nose. Hange had a feeling she knew why Nathalie had stopped being happy when Levi would show up to pick her up.

Nathalie sighed heavily once again. She was supposed to be, right? But she couldn't say she was. "I'm sorry, Hange," She said apologetically and Hange gave her an understanding smile and a nod before she returned back to whatever notes she had been scribbling down. Nathalie didn't want to face him. She didn't want to leave the lab at all. But if she tried to argue, he'd just carry her out of there by force. She no longer had her freedom. He had taken it all.

And she had a feeling she knew what was going on, and what he was trying to do. Her frown only deepened. She didn't want to face him. She only wanted to drown in her science, and her books, and her wonderful research. At least, her research wasn't hurting her.

But she was only reminded how much dependent and needy she was of this man when she felt his lips pressing a warm kiss on her nape. It soothed her right away. His hand smoothed her hair away, and he proceeded to press another kiss. His breath brushed warm across her skin.

"Time to come back home, Nat," He said softly in her ear, and she shivered, and she hated herself for that. Every touch, every kiss, it only enslaved her just a little bit more and she almost forgot why she was supposed to be mad at him. Who am I kidding? She couldn't be mad at him. She just loved him too much.

She turned and gave him a smile. She accepted wholeheartedly the peck on the lips that he gave her. "Of course," She said.

'Of course'?! What the hell's wrong with you?! She was aware that this was the last thing that she should have said. But there was no taking it back now. He picked her up in his arms and she let out a yelp of surprise, passing her arms around his neck. Not to mention, that he'd never really let her walk when he was around. As if he was trying to let her know, that there was nowhere that she could go if he wasn't taking her there. As if he was trying to let her know that there was nothing she could do, and that she couldn't even walk without him. It frustrated her. She bit it back every time. Taking it all without talking. She didn't want to start a fight.

But Nathalie looked at the samples that she had left behind. "W- Wait! I have to clean these up-"

"I'll take care of them," Hange offered as she forced a sly smile on her face. "You two go have some fun,"

She waved them goodnight and Nathalie tried her best to give her friend an awkward smile whilst Levi carried her away. Levi only gave Hange and Moblit a nod, before he walked upstairs back to the surface with his wife in his arms.

Once the two were out of sight, Hange's smile sunk into a deep, frustrated frown. "Mobby," She snarled and the man pulled his eyes off the microscope and he turned his attention to his Commander. "I don't like this,"

Moblit raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? They seem very happy to me,"

"Happy?!" Hange cried out. "Then why was she looking at me as if she was being kidnapped by some maniac?!" She stood up. "I'm gonna follow them,"

"Hange!" Moblit jumped on his feet and passed an arm around her waist right away, halting her. "You're being paranoid. Whatever it is that's wrong with those two, it's personal, we cannot intervene," He reasoned and she turned and looked at him.

"Of course, we can! As their friends, we have to!" Hange cried out. She caught his shirt with her hands and tugged him closer. "Admit it. You've seen it too. Something's wrong here. Terribly wrong,"

Moblit sighed. He couldn't deny it. It was obvious to everybody how Nathalie had stopped making decisions on her own without asking Levi first. She could never really agree to go somewhere, and if she did, Levi would always be with her. There wasn't a single night when Levi didn't show to pick her up at exactly 9 pm whilst both Moblit and Hange knew that Nathalie wanted to stay in the lab. She wanted to stay as late as she could because their research just couldn't wait.

But she'd never speak up. Nathalie would never say no and she would always agree as if she was scared of Levi. Well, everybody was scared of Levi, but the last person who should be scared of him was his wife. Nathalie. That one person who knew him better than anybody.

Moblit sighed. "Alright. I'll eavesdrop tonight. My room is beside their own. If I hear anything suspicious, I'll let you know, okay?"

Hange's eyes widened. Her fingers clutched on his shirt and she brought him close. A large smile spread across her lips and he knew he should cover his ears.

"THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MOBBYYYYYY! YOU'RE THE BEST!"

●▬▬▬▬▬๑۩۞۩๑▬▬▬▬▬●

Nathalie sighed and she buried her face in his shirt as he took her towards his horse that was waiting for them. She couldn't deny it. A few hours away from him, made her miss him greatly, and by the tight way he was holding her, he must've felt the same.

"How was your day?" She asked, closing her eyes tiredly and she buried her nose in his shirt, drawing in his familiar scent. Jasmine tea. She giggled. Of course.

Levi sighed. "The rookies aren't near as ready, but they should be able to pull it off," He answered. "What about you?"

"All's ready," Nathalie said as he pulled her up on his horse, settling her body in front of his own. A hand slipped around her, forcing her back to rest against his chest. Her head rolled back on his shoulder.

Levi planted a kiss on her cheek from behind. "Glad to know that, Nat," He said, before he shook the reins of his horse, and it started moving.

The ride back to HQ was short, and silent. The streets were empty. The darkness of the night didn't reach the streets though. The oil lamps on each side were all lit, bringing enough light for Levi to navigate his horse towards the stables of the Survey Corps Headquarters.

The couple entered the building and walked upstairs and into their quarters. Nathalie sat by the edge of their bed and she leaned down to unzip her short boots and take them off.

"Let me," Levi knelt in front of her and he took off her boots for her.

Dammit. Being mad at him was impossible. "Thanks, sweetie,"

"What did the doctor say?" Levi asked and nervousness pooled in her stomach from the sudden question. Maybe it wasn't so impossible after all.

Nathalie sighed heavily. "I- I'm sorry, sweetheart, but… I- I'm not pregnant," She said for the fourth time those past few days.

She was tired. She was exhausted, but if she had to face him now, then so be it. She needed to know she was wrong. She needed to know that what she was suspecting just wasn't the case. It couldn't be. The disappointment on his face told her otherwise. It was quite visible, even in the darkness of their room. Even behind that mask of boredom that he always used to hide what he thought and felt. She could always see through that.

Nathalie sighed heavily in the silence that followed. Levi settled her boots away, and his hands reached for his ascot, untying it blindly in the darkness. Before Nathalie's hands could reach for the buttons of her shirt, lips crushed on top of her own in a ferocious kiss.

She gasped. Her hands reached for his shoulders, trying to push him away, but he only kissed her harder. His weight pressed her down, and soon she was lying on her back, with him on top of her. Mouths still glued together, as his hands pushed her skirt up, and his fingers snuck beneath, tracing her hips, her thighs. It all felt so damn uncomfortable, even though he had touched her like this so many times before.

No… No, no, no, no, no. This was so wrong. This was forced. That sane voice in her mind screamed at her. Nathalie pulled away from the kiss. He groaned and tried to kiss her again, but she turned her head away from him, and her hand cupped his cheek urging him to pull back slightly.

"I'm tired. Let's not do this right now, okay?" Nathalie came up with the excuse fast enough, but she could tell she wasn't convincing him.

Levi looked down at her worriedly. He took her hand in his own and he pressed a kiss on her palm. "Is something wrong?" He asked.

What was she supposed to answer to that? Was she supposed to tell him? Tell him what she suspected that he was trying to do? The mere fact that he had her pinned down, trying to force on both him and her into something that they were both so obviously tired to do now, sent red flags and sirens in her mind. He was only proving her correct, and she hated it.

"No… n- nothing's wrong," Nathalie cursed herself for allowing her voice to crack. For allowing herself to yield.

Levi got off of her immediately. He sat down on the edge of their bed. His hands tightened around her and he picked her up with ease, settling her body on his lap. Her legs parted around him. Her knees, planted on each side of his waist, allowing her to straddle him.

Nathalie buried her face in his neck, and a shuddering sob escaped her throat. His eyes widened. His hands slipped around her tightly. Why would she cry? What happened? Had someone hurt her? He was going to rip them to pieces if someone had. Rage boiled beneath his chest. Levi parted his lips to ask right away, but he never got to say anything as she spoke first.

"Please, tell me…" She wept in his neck and the sound broke his heart. Her fingers clenched around the black fabric of his jacket and she tugged him closer. "…tell me you're not trying to… to keep me from coming to this mission by…" Oh, why even bother to fool herself? That was exactly what was happening.

He knew she'd figure it out. He knew she'd find it out one way or another. His Nathalie was smart. She was smarter than anyone he had ever known. Of course, she'd figure him out. His Nathalie knew him. She knew him so well. But this…? She never thought he'd do it. She knew he didn't want her to come. She knew he didn't want to let her put her life at risk.

That mission was going to be the most dangerous one yet, but… how could he?! Using me like this. So damn selfish. She knew he could get selfish sometimes, but she never thought it could get this far. She had no idea he would go to such lengths in order to keep her restrained and controlled.

Nathalie gritted her teeth. She didn't have her freedom anymore and she knew that ever since she had married him. She could take it. She would let him decide for her. She would let him force her into things that she didn't want. But this? This?! That was something else. Anger boiled beneath her chest and spread like a wildfire, but she had no way to take it out. All she could do was cry. She hit him hard on his chest, but she knew that whatever she'd do to him, he wouldn't even flinch. She still hit him though.

"How could you?!" Nathalie cried out. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she pulled back to look at him. "I get it! Steal away my freedom and use me. I'll take it! You can use me for your pleasure all you want, but a child? Our child?! You'd bring a child into this merciless world just so you can lock me into a house unable to come out of it unless you allow me to?!"

His eyes widened. He gritted his teeth. Her words felt like daggers digging into his skin. He hadn't thought of it that way. He never meant to lock her into a house to play the role of a maid and a babysitter. His Nathalie deserved far more and far better than that.

"All I'm doing, I'm doing it to protect you," Levi said. His hand reached up to cup her cheek and wipe her tears, but Nathalie turned her head away. It didn't frustrate him. Worse. It saddened him. She had never denied his touch like that.

"You're not trying to protect me! You're not doing this for me, you're doing this for yourself, you selfish bastard! You don't care about how I feel!" Nathalie shouted, and those words felt like poison slipping out of her tongue.

It was the bitter truth that she had to accept. Her beloved husband wasn't so perfect after all. She grasped his hands and tried to pull them away from around her and she tried to escape from his grasp, but his arms only tightened around her. It almost felt like he was suffocating her.

She fought against him, pushing her hands on his chest, trying to release herself, but she was powerless. She had always been powerless against this man. She panicked. "G- Get your hands off me!"

"Nat, please-"

"P- Please, Levi…" Her voice cracked. Her tears were hot and unstoppable. Her cheeks drenched and salty. Her breaths, shallow. It was getting hard to breathe. Her eyes met his own, staring back at him in a way that she never had before. Disgust. Fear. Pain. Sorrow. Terror. She was terrified of him. She whimpered helplessly as she tried to fight against the tight hold of his arms around her. "…just leave me alone… please…"

He let go of her immediately, and she got off of him. She grabbed her boots from where he had left them, and she hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind her. Levi was left there, in the dark. His hands were still reaching out for her, but she wasn't there. She didn't want to be there. She didn't want to be beside him, and it was all his fault.

Levi pressed his elbows on his lap and he buried his face in his hands. His fingers clenched painfully around the roots of his hair. What the hell was I thinking?! Her words hurt, but she was right. You don't care about me. He couldn't believe he had given her that impression. He couldn't believe that his Nathalie thought of him as someone who just didn't care about her. As someone who only cared about himself.

But he was the one who had made her feel that way. He shut his eyes and he rubbed his aching forehead. "You fucking moron," He mumbled to himself. He had just managed to push away the only person that he never thought was going to leave him. The only person who knew him better than anyone. The woman that he loved. The woman who loved him. The only woman who genuinely loved him for who he was. He had hurt her. He was the one who had made her cry. He hated himself. He hated himself so damn much.

The wooden steps were cold beneath her, but she couldn't care less. She wanted to get some fresh air. Nathalie couldn't tell how long she remained seated by the steps of the Survey Corps HQ entrance, but she didn't care about that either. The breeze was cold, and it penetrated her clothes and raised shivers down her cold body, but she didn't want to go inside. She didn't want to lie and sleep beside him tonight.

She could sleep right there for all she cared. She could catch a cold or two. She just didn't want to go inside. She buried her face in her forearms as she rested them on her lap.

Did he really not care about her? At all? It was all himself, wasn't it? Just him and his carnal desires. She was just a property to him. Just a beautiful object that one would place somewhere in a room, and keep it locked in there so that no harm would come to it. Just an object that he'd use for his pleasure. That was exactly why he had married her, so fast, and so rushed. No ceremonies. No guests. Just you, me and our brats. It sounded so beautiful at the time, but now it made so much sense. He had married her so that she could be his own. His possession. He had married her so that no one else could lay claim on her. He had married her just because he wanted to make her his property as fast as he could.

She should've known he'd be like this.

She should've known the lengths he'd go to in order to keep her under his control. In order to keep her restrained.

But she wasn't crying because of these. She wasn't crying because of how possessive he could be or how much of her freedom he could steal or how much restrained he had her. Nor because of what he was willing to do to protect her. She was crying because he had only thought of himself. He had only thought of what he wanted, and what he desired, and he had taken decisions on such an important matter without consulting her first, as if her opinion didn't matter at all. As if she didn't matter to him. As if she meant nothing to him. And that thought… that thought just hurt so much, because he meant everything to her.

He was her everything.

And she was his nothing.

All he had to do was deny it. All he had to do was lie and she'd believe him. She'd believe his lies wholeheartedly. She'd believe it all. She'd let him take her again, and again, and all he had to do was lie. But he didn't. All I'm doing, I'm doing it to protect you. He hadn't even tried to deny it. She wept. Bullshit. He wasn't protecting her. He was protecting his sanity. He was protecting the last string of hope in his life. The only sunshine that guided him in this miserable, dark world. He was protecting her, but he was hurting her all the same.

Nathalie should have known better. She should have known better than to marry him. No. She should have never kissed him back that day, in the hospital of Trost, where he had rushed her there, and he had saved her life, and he had confessed his feelings. She should have never even considered getting into a relationship.

She was exhausted. Relationships make a mess of people. And she knew that. She had always known, but she got into a relationship anyway. How could she not? It was the first time she was diving into such waters. The emotions were so tense and overwhelming and addicting. She should have never gotten in one. But now she was married. Now she was bound. She felt chained and enslaved and it wasn't supposed to feel this way. She had chains around her neck, and he was the one pulling them.

Nathalie had no idea how long she cried, but at some point, she stopped. She was too tired, too cold. Her tears dried off. She enjoyed the silence. Sweet, sweet, silence. She enjoyed the cold. She didn't care if her body trembled. A sign that her body needed her to go back inside, but she wouldn't obey. She wasn't going to obey to anything nor anyone anymore. She was done being the one to follow orders.

She felt warmth. She looked up, only to see an overly big green trench coat thrown around her shoulders. Nathalie's hands immediately reached for it and she wrapped it around her a little tighter.

"Thought you might be cold,"

She looked up only to see Erwin. He had a kind smile spreading across his lips. Bright blue eyes looked down at her for a short moment, before he looked back towards the street that rested in front of the Survey Corps HQ. The building on the other side of the road, was the barracks where their troops were resting.

Erwin sat down on the steps beside her. He rested his elbows on his lap and he looked up at the stars that shined bright in the sky. "Cloudless nights are cold," He pointed out. He had heard footsteps hurrying down the hall outside his room, and he couldn't help but wonder if it was her. He was proven correct when he found her there. She and Levi probably had a fight. Or at least, he hopedguessed that they had.

Nathalie had no idea what she was doing. She wanted to break free. Sure, she had chains around her. But she was about to break them. Before he even knew it, she was kissing him. Erwin's eyes widened. His tongue didn't respond right away. He tensed up. It was the last thing that he expected to happen right here and now. But she let out a filthy moan that undid him instantly. His tongue didn't take long to respond. He kissed her back and she tasted exquisite. Better than he could ever hope to imagine.

She pushed the trench coat off her body and she climbed on his lap. His hands tightened around her, helping her sit on his lap and straddle him. He groaned in the kiss as she basically invaded his mouth and tasted him all over. Finally, a man who didn't taste of tea.

His hands were all around her, clutching on her clothes, trying his best to ignore the fact that she was married. Trying his best to ignore the fact that they were outside and that somebody could see them. Captain Levi's wife, making out with the Commander of Survey Corps right outside that very building. She didn't seem to care the least. Levi could be standing right there into some corner, hidden and watching. Nathalie felt powerful. For once in her life, she had the upper hand.

She urged Erwin to crush back down on the wooden floor. The air was knocked out of his lungs, but she didn't let him breathe. She didn't let him touch her either. Nathalie caught his hands, and tore them away from her waist. She pinned his wrists on the floor beside his head. He could've easily taken the control, but she needed the upper hand now, and he couldn't help but give it to her.

Nathalie pulled back from the kiss. She panted hard against his lips as she pressed her forehead against his own. She met his lusty blue eyes with her own. "After we retake Wall Maria… I'll need a promotion… sir,"

Erwin bit his tongue. The way she called him that, breathless, and needy. Her eyes burned. She was due for a promotion a while now, but she wasn't accepting it because of him. Levi. She wasn't taking the promotion, because she wanted to be inferior to Levi. She wanted to be Levi's Lieutenant. Well, screw that. Somebody with her skills and that brain was wasted as a mere Lieutenant.

"There's an empty place for a Section Commander, if that works for you," Erwin suggested. He'd never seen that side of her. To say that he merely liked it, was an understatement.

A wicked smirk spread across her lips. "Perfect," She spoke, visibly pleased. She knew she was going to regret this, but she started planting kisses down his chin, his cheekbone, his jaw.

She found his neck. Her hands let go of his own after she was sure he'd keep them where she wanted and she started kissing, and licking and biting. This was so damn sinful. She was going to hell for this. No. She had taken so many lives and tortured so many people, she had already a place reserved for her in hell. She might as well go down there a legend. (A/N: Thought I'd use the meme here. It sounded hilarious I couldn't help it ? ﾟﾤﾣ)

They were still outside, exposed to the public, but she couldn't care less. She didn't have to care. It was so late in the night, not even the strays lurked around the streets at this hour. Her Commander didn't seem to care about it either and she could tell from the ever-growing bulge between her thighs beneath her. She didn't care to pleasure him though. She didn't care to take him. All she needed was a nice, rough pillow to rub herself on, and her Commander seemed to be just the one.

She braced herself on his shoulders, and she stood up. Nathalie started rubbing herself on the bulge. She bit her lip. Eyes shut. A soft moan escaped her lips. Her clit pressed down just right. She did it again, and again, soaking her knickers and his pants. She didn't care the least. She hated herself for how well she was feeling. For how free, and how good it felt using someone else for her own pleasure for once. What a blissful, yet sinful act. She never thought she'd ever get this far.

Erwin gritted his teeth, holding back groans and growls. He could do nothing but watch her as she rubbed herself on the hard erection beneath his pants. Her fingers clutched on his white shirt as she straddled him. He wanted to take her right then and there, but she had other plans.

She didn't care what he wanted. She didn't care what anyone wanted. She chased her orgasm, rubbing herself a few more times on that throbbing bulge beneath her, and she came with a gasp and her body tensing.

She leaned back down and pressed her forehead against his chest. She took a moment to catch her breath, and before he could grab his arms around her and have his way with her, she stood up. She settled her shirt and skirt back in place and she put her glasses back on.

"I'll be in the Interior," She informed him.

No.

No, no, no, no, no… This couldn't be it. She was finished with him, wasn't she? She only needed to reach that one release, and she just had to use her Commander for that, hadn't she? Erwin tried his best to ease his breathing. His erection beneath his pants, more painful than ever. Her slickness, clung on the fabric of his trousers, as he watched her ride on her horse, taking the direction that led to the Interior.

What a fucking tease that woman was. He could think of nothing but fucking her senseless. Alas, she was gone, and he'd be an utter idiot if he went after her. She didn't want to do anything more than that. She wouldn't admit it, but her heart still ached for Levi. Still, that was enough to ease the pain and help her forget why she had been crying in the first place.

She had work to do. She had her beloved science to drown in. Science was never going to hurt her. It was never going to use her. It was going to keep her mind occupied, and that was exactly what she needed right now. Heck, she could try recalling some of her ancestor's memories. A choice that led to certain pain and death.

It didn't matter. She could use some pain. She could use some death. She deserved a punishment. After what she had just done… a married woman, straddling and kissing another man whilst her husband was probably cursing himself and pulling his hair out.

Guilt spread beneath her chest, and no matter how exhausted she was, there was no way she could sleep tonight. She had to work. She had to forget. Her research was a harmless drug that kept her mind straight. She was going to recall so many memories tonight. She deserved some pain. She deserved some suffering after doing something so horrible as this.