Chapter 9: 3rd Kill

They had only been riding for a few hours, and Amelia was already frozen down to her core. This was fucking ridiculous she thought as she huddled in her fleece lined cloak, wind whipping around her as she rode almost directly behind Levi and between Oluo and Petra who were arguing about something or other. Amelia was waiting for Petra to fess up and admit her feelings for Oluo, the two bickered way too much for there to be nothing between them, but Petra was too hung up on Captain Levi for that. Amelia didn't understand what she saw in the man, although… she thought, looking up at him as he rode, he did have a nice ass for such a shorty. A small part of her mind tried to remind her that she had kissed him only a few months ago, but Amelia quickly pushed that thought from her head. She'd always been impulsive. She'd just been caught up in the moment—it didn't mean anything.

"Titan approaching from the left, sir!" One of the scouts called up, and Levi took in the situation. It was a 13-meter class, quickly approaching. Levi resisted the urge to take care of it himself. Half the point of these expeditions was to improve the skills of promising members.

"Eld, Amelia," he commanded, "Take care of it."

"Yes sir," they shouted simultaneously. Riding towards the titan, Eld shouted instructions at her as they approached. Levi's stomach clenched uncomfortably as he watched the pair, wondering if he should send more to help them before shaking his head in frustration. Eld was more than capable of bringing this titan down.

He was surprised to see Eld playing the role of the bait, distracting the titan as he rode close by its feet. Typically, the less experienced of the pair would do the distracting. That was part of the reason Eld's kills remained so low while his assists were shooting up, Levi thought, the man was too damn conscientious of other's needs to gain experience that he sacrificed his own rankings. Amelia swung up towards the titan's nape when it suddenly spun and caught her in its fist. It happened so fast, Levi didn't believe it for a moment before spurring his horse towards them, knowing he wasn't going to make it in time. He thought he was going to be sick.

He needn't have worried. Amelia made quick work of the titan, spinning out of the grip, cutting through its hand and smashing through the nape in one swing, as if she'd done it a hundred times, before landing back in her saddle with a whoop of joy. Eld shouted a congratulations to her as they rode back towards the group and reassumed their positions. Levi snapped his jaw shut as soon as he noticed it hanging open. Furrowing his brow, he pushed the group onwards towards their next checkpoint. Had he really underestimated Amelia so badly that he'd made a rash decision, abandoning his troops to save one soldier?

Amelia was glowing with pride, thrilled with her third kill even if this one had been assisted. Petra was complimenting her happily, and the warmth of the titan's fist had actually helped bring some blood flow back into her extremities. She was still so elated at her accomplishment that when a 15-meter one appeared, she spurred her horse towards it without thinking.

"Back the fuck off Amelia." Levi growled at her and Amelia reigned in immediately, blushing in embarrassment at her over-eagerness. "Keiji, Nifa, Lynne. Take it down."

Amelia retreated back to her position as Levi followed the three to take care of the titan, its size meant that he wanted to be close if anything should happen. Everything seemed to be going well until Keiji shot his line into a tree just past the titan's nape and nothing happened. Levi could see the panic etched across the man's face. His line wasn't retracting. Levi only had a moment to react before the titan would realize Keiji was a sitting duck, and Levi was too far in front of the titan to get to its nape in time. Hardly believing what he was about to do, Levi shot his line into a tree, perpendicular to Keiji's line, retracting as quickly as he could.

When their lines crossed, he could hear Nifa cry out in dismay at his seemingly suicidal gaffe, almost getting stepped on by the titan. Levi wasn't prepared for how difficult it was to control his aim as he was ricocheted around Keiji's line back towards the titan. But he was a fast learner. After releasing his line, Levi smashed through the titan's nape, effectively putting an end to the threat. He didn't spare Amelia a glance as they rode back into formation and kept moving forward, but he could practically feel her smug grin leveled at his back. Damned brat.

They made another checkpoint just before dusk and took a break there to check on the supplies and restock them. Levi squinted at the clouds that were gathering overhead and the increased wind, trying to decide how close the storm was to hitting them. They needed to make one more checkpoint in order to stay on schedule, and Levi didn't want them spending more time in titan territory than necessary.

"Let's get moving," Levi said at last, "We can finish resupplying here on the way back. We're behind schedule."

His members mounted up, obviously tired, but no one complained. He had the middle scouts switch to the outside and vice versa. The change in position had less to do with safety and more to do with warmth, the inside of the formation was protected somewhat from the wind and snow. Amelia was in the far back and Levi was slightly relieved he didn't have to feel her stare for the rest of the trip.

They were just over an hour or so out from their next checkpoint when the storm hit, and it was a bad one. Visibility was cut to practically nothing, but Levi knew the checkpoint was due south and wasn't worried about getting lost. His body ached from the day's ride and he just wanted to get there safely. The wind howled around them and he knew if a titan found them that they wouldn't see it until it was right on top of them. But Levi wasn't too worried, the early sunset had made it well after dark now and the majority of titans would be inactive.

Levi felt like he was going to fall apart by the time they'd made it into the small town. After unsaddling their horses, they got inside, completely exhausted and ready for sleep. It was only when Levi was going through role call that he realized that something was wrong.

"Has anyone seen Lance Corporal Amelia?" He asked tensely. And the tired soldiers looked around, Petra looking extremely worried, having obviously noticed her absence. "When was the last time she was seen?"

"Just before the storm hit," came the voice of one of the scouts who'd also been in the back of the squad. "She was lagging behind a little."

Damn, damn, damn, Levi thought, if she'd gotten separated in the storm…. Levi pulled his cloak back on, strapping his equipment around his waist with shaking hands. He had to find her.

"Sir," Eld came up to him, "Please don't go out in this. Amelia knows what to do, she'll retreat to a safe location. We can search for her in the morning."

"I'm leaving you in charge," Levi told him, moving towards the door. "If we're not back an hour before daybreak, you're responsible for completing the mission and getting everyone back safely."

"Captain!" Petra shouted after him, but the wind swept her voice away as he stepped outside. If her horse had become injured from the ice or she'd been attacked by a titan she could very well be dead already, but for now he had to assume she was alive.

Going back out into the intense blizzard that was raging around him, Levi could feel his energy draining with each passing minute. He had to keep his eyes narrowed to slits to keep the icy snow from blinding him. His hood would not stay up and the snow had soaked his clothes, leaching any warmth out of his body. Levi was beginning to realize what a horrible mistake he'd made, leaving the shelter of their checkpoint. If a titan came across him in this condition, he wasn't sure he'd be able to defeat it. But all he could think of was Amelia's cheeky grin and warm brown eyes, and he knew he had to find her.

If the snow hadn't died down, he would have missed the flicker of light off to his right and would have probably died from hypothermia. But the golden tinge caught his attention, and Levi knew it had to be her. Spurring his exhausted horse forward, Levi rode towards a large estate that they had passed midway between the checkpoints. Light was coming from one of the upper windows and Levi practically fell off his horse when he dismounted, racing into the house. Climbing those stairs was one of the hardest things he'd ever had to do, every fiber of his being, screaming for him to just lay down and fall asleep.

Shoving open the door to one of the upper rooms, Levi blinked from the light and stepped into the welcoming warmth of a roaring fire in the hearth. A small figure was curled up on the ground in front of it, a few pillows and blankets pulled from one of the estate's luxurious beds serving as her sleeping space. Her uniform was laid out by the fire to dry. Amelia stretched, turning warm, sleepy eyes on him, suddenly snapping out of her stupor when she saw him standing there, shivering with cold.

"Captain!" she exclaimed, jumping up and running towards him as he wobbled on exhausted legs.

Slinging one of his arms over her bare shoulders, Amelia led him to a chair near the fireplace, unclipping his gear before letting him collapse into the chair.

"God, you're freezing," she said, touching his face with her hands—they felt hot against his numb skin.

Levi was too exhausted to care that she was tugging off his jacket, placing it by the fire, or to avert his eyes at her half naked body, clothed only in a thin tank top, her nipples pressing hard against the fabric from the cold, and lacy pink panties that didn't leave much to the imagination. All the rest of her attire had been too wet to continue wearing and not risk hypothermia. Amelia crouched down in front of him, her strong legs gleaming in the light of the fire as she unbuckled his harness, helping him to shrug it off and tugged off his boots.

"I didn't realize you could be so damned motherly," Levi snorted tiredly, any sincere bite gone from his voice.

She clearly wasn't focused on what he was saying and was far more worried about getting him out of his wet clothes. Amelia began to unbutton his soaked shirt, her eyes appraising his toned chest. Levi tried to ignore the feeling of her fingertips against his skin while she pushed the shirt from his shoulders. He watched her face was flush with warmth at the sight of his body, and he couldn't help the heat that pooled in his groin at the sight.

"Those aren't regulation," Levi observed her underwear when she began unbuckling his pants. He had to suppress a groan at the feel of her fingers there.

"You'll have to punish me later sir," she replied, obviously more concerned with getting him warm than holding any conversation with him. Levi caught her chin in his hand, pulling her face up to look at him as she unzipped his pants.

"I can think of a few ways to punish you right now," he told her with a dangerous gleam in his eyes and Amelia swallowed with difficulty, her face turning even darker with embarrassment. Stopping her hands, he pushed her gently away. "I can do the rest myself Lance Corporal."

"Yes sir," she said, backing off so he could step out of his pants and sit in front of the fire. Levi turned to watch her pull on her still damp uniform.

"Where are you going?"

"I doubt you found the stables in your state," she said, "I'm going to make sure your horse doesn't die."

Levi opened his mouth and closed it, clicking his tongue and curling into the make-shift bed Amelia had created. The fire quickly warmed his body, relaxing his muscles. Slowly, Levi began to feel less exhausted and more alert. Amelia reentered the room a few minutes later, walking up to the fire and shrugging off her cloak, her back to him, hesitating as her hands moved to her damp shirt.

"You don't need to act like a blushing bride," Levi told her.

Amelia shot an irritated look at him before turning back to her shirt. Her fingers were trembling and stiff from the cold, and she was struggling to make any headway. With a sigh, he stood. Walking up behind her, reaching around and deftly freed the first button. Amelia shivered, her entire body tense as he began undoing her shirt, his chin nestled in the crook of her neck, lips brushing across her skin in what easily could have been an accident.

"Levi…," she breathed, and he paused, his fingers hovering around her stomach.

The pair stood there for a long moment, as if frozen in place. Amelia could feel the heat of his body against her back and hear the pounding of her heart in her ears. Then, very slowly, she turned in his arms, and the two stared into each other's eyes. Levi felt another wave of heat move through him at the desire in her eyes and the way her lips were parted ever so slightly.

"I thought I was going to die here," she said, her fingertips grazing his abdomen. Levi's arms tightened almost instinctively around her waist.

"Like hell I'd let that happen," he replied.

As if these words held their own strange magnetism, his fingers tangled in her hair and pulled her flush against him, their lips meeting in a hungry kiss. Amelia moaned into Levi's demanding mouth, running her hands up his arms and wrapping them around his neck, nails digging into his skin as she kissed him back. Levi pushed her blouse off her shoulders with finality, a hand tugging her tank top out of her pants, fingers caressing the flesh between hem and belt. A shaky sigh escaped Amelia's lips, and any thought of stopping flew from Levi's mind. She nibbled his lower lip, and he met her tongue with his own, his hand pushing up underneath her shirt.

They were stumbling backwards, and Amelia's back made contact with the wall, hard. It knocked the breath from her lungs, but she didn't care. Levi's firm grip was in her hair, arching her neck back as his toned body pressed against hers, and Amelia could feel his hardness pressing against her inner thigh. He broke off their kiss to viciously yank her shirt off and bury his face in her chest. Amelia's hands tanged on his hair as he explored her jaw, her neck, her collarbone, her breasts with his lips, tongue, and teeth another hand sneaking down to unfasten her pants.

"Kiss me," Amelia murmured, and his lips came back to hers. Running his hands down her hips and around to her ass, he lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he moved them both to the bed of blankets and pillows, depositing her roughly on top of them. He pausing to look at her toned body, her freckled chest rising and falling with a primal need. As he pulled off her pants, he could tell the wetness of her panties wasn't just from the snow.

"Levi," Amelia said again, and Levi froze as she used his name. Looking up at her questioningly, Levi was taken aback at the dark desire in her gaze. She bit her lip wantonly. "I need you."

Who was he to refuse?

Amelia gasped when his lips crashed back into hers, and she arched her back, wrapping her legs around his narrow hips. Their tongues tangled together, and he groaned into her mouth as she raked her nails up his back. He yanked her hair back roughly in response, his teeth grazing her neck while his other hand slid down her side and he ran his nails across her thigh. She could feel him fumbling with his underwear, and she reached down and shoved the offending fabric down over his hips. Her panties did not last much longer either, and she gasped in both pain and pleasure when he yanked her hips towards him and roughly filled her from tip to hilt. The pair were lost in a world of pleasure as he moved inside of her, and she lifted her hips to meet his own, mewling desperately into his mouth each time he bottomed out within her.

"Yes, fuck," she breathed, capturing his earlobe between her teeth and eliciting a sharp groan from him.

Wrapping an arm under her waist, he flipped them over so that she was sitting in his lap and Amelia moaned at the even deeper penetration this allowed. Her head fell back as she road him, half from pleasure and half from the iron grip he kept on her hair. Their sweaty torsos were pressed together as they fucked, her nails continuing to leave scratches across his back while his hands meandered between her ass and waist, at times guiding her up and down along his length, at times caressing the flesh he found there. The heat they were generating was almost scalding, and Amelia could feel her pleasure building and building within her, threatening to overwhelm everything and drown her.

When they rolled again, she was content to let Levi take over. He slammed into her with bruising force, the slap of their bodies speaking of the anxiety and desperation of the last several hours. He threw her legs over his shoulders, bottoming out in her over and over and over again. Her hands tangled in his hair and her teeth bit down on his shoulder to muffle her cries of pleasure as she came around him—the world reduced to this moment of total pleasure and the feel of him, hard and hot, pressing down on her, thrusting into her, faster and faster and faster.

"Fuck," Levi snarled into her ear, his body seizing up in a sudden spasm of pleasure as he spent himself inside of her before collapsing.

As the pleasure died away and the world came back into focus, Amelia felt the first stirrings of doubt.