Author's Note

Hi there! Thank you so much for the kind reviews and favs/follows. It makes me super happy to see that people are enjoying the story. All feedback is very much appreciated. Thanks again!

Here is a wholesome chapter before the emotional rollercoaster that the next three will be ;)

Writing Sophie's POV always feels like writing the internal monologue of a sad 1950's high society woman who just can't make up her mind. And I love it.

Sophie left the pencil on the table and grunted. She stood up and moved away from the workspace, stretching her back as she gazed through the window. It was pitch dark outside, except for the street areas illuminated by the candle lamposts. She sighed as she looked towards the messy, unfinished blueprints and small metal pieces covering the desk, including the needle that usually held her bun together. She knew that her recurrent nightmares would not allow her to sleep, but she also couldn't find the strength to carry on working. As if all the secrecy and lies present in her life weren't enough, she still had to deal with the new weaponry projects.

She grabbed the shawl hanging from the workstation's chair and wrapped herself with it, observing the flame of the candle on the table twitching with her movements. She was tired; tired of working, hiding, lying, and pretending everything was fine when her life was hanging by a very thin thread. Despite all the money and success that she had achieved, at that moment, she just wished for someone to talk to.

Almost like an invocation, she heard a loud knock on her front door. She frowned, trying to remember whether she was supposed to be expecting anyone, although she wouldn't have dared to schedule any kind of meeting with all the work she had. She wondered whether it could be Asbel, but they had agreed that Ehrmich was her place. She didn't trust him, but she also knew he was not the type of man who would break into a lady's house in the middle of the night. Suddenly, fear struck her body like lightning. Perhaps her time had come and Asbel had had enough of her. Maybe he saw her as someone who knew too much, a threat to his powerful position. Maybe he had found out what she was truly up to and had sent someone to kill her.

She gulped and walked to the door. On the way, she grabbed a silver candleholder with a tremorous grip. With every step, she took a deep breath, trying not to let fear control her. However, it was hard to think clearly when death could be waiting at her doorstep. Was that her way to go? Alone, in the middle of the night, killed by some random mercenary? All kinds of regrets rushed into her head. As her breathing got more intense, the grip on the candleholder became tighter. No matter how hard she tried to convince herself that it could just be a drunk banging on her door, she was certain that she was going to die there.

Sophie grabbed the door handle with one hand and lifted the improvised weapon with the other. She slightly pulled the shaft towards herself, and a creaking sound resonated in the entrance hall. In a rush of adrenaline, she opened the gate with one strong, swift movement, tensing up her arms, ready to strike whoever was behind.

It was Levi.

"Again?!" he said with a condescending voice. His eyes were wide open, in disbelief. At the sight of her old friend, Sophie let her arms down and breathed out, allowing her body to relax.

"Why are you always showing up to my house in the middle of the night?" she gasped.

"Why do you always assume people are out there to kill you?"

"Well…maybe they are!" answered Sophie, leaving the candleholder on the receiver table. As she invited Levi to come inside, she rubbed her forehead, wondering whether all the stress had finally taken its toll and made her irreversibly paranoid.

"Aren't your butlers supposed to protect you? Don't you pay them enough already?" said Levi entering the hall.

"They get days off, you know." Sophie rolled her eyes and closed the grand door. "What are you doing here? Have I been a bad girl again?" she tried to make a flirty joke to break the ice, but Levi grunted and shook his head.

"I was out for a walk. Then your charming husband showed up," he said, passing a hand through his hair. Sophie's expression froze in shock. She was afraid of death indeed, but not nearly as much as those two having a conversation.

"And?" she tried to convey calmness through her voice, but she failed to mask the anxiety. Asbel was a master manipulator. He had probably filled Levi's head with all kinds of lies just to keep her trapped in their golden cage.

Levi stared at her impassively and said, "I would also have a thousand empty alcohol bottles under my bed if I had to deal with that prick every day. He just wouldn't leave me alone."

Sophie covered her mouth with one hand, attempting to hide her discourteous laugh. She could distinguish Levi smirking at the sight.

"Now he is stalking you at night? You must have terrified him at the chapel, then."

Levi shrugged, "I think he is more terrified of you. He called you crazy and unstable."

Sophie was stunned. She shouldn't have been surprised to know that Asbel was diminishing her like that in front of others. He had been doing that forever, just to keep her under control. But she did worry that his fabricating strategy had gotten to Levi.

"And you believe him?" she said, feeling her stomach shrink in fear.

"I work with Hange. I know how crazy looks like. You just enjoy getting in trouble," replied Levi in a light-hearted way. Sophie laughed again, and this time she didn't try to hide it. She felt relieved that Levi was still on her side, despite Asbel's slander. However, she wondered whether he would still trust her once everything she had done was uncovered. Deep down, she knew he wouldn't, but the intimate atmosphere at the time made her think he could. It was a hoax she had decided to believe in.

"Come on upstairs, I'll make some tea," she smiled. Levi followed as she led the way towards the living room.

She picked the teacups, reminiscing about their reunion a few months back. The sequence was the same; she prepared the brew while he wandered around the room. This time, however, the ambiance was not tense, but rather friendly. Despite her storming out of the chapel at the funeral, scared of revealing everything to him, he didn't seem bothered by it. She felt safe, knowing that they weren't as exposed as in the Survey Corps dinner. Or that no one would burst at the door as Asbel had at the chapel.

"These are the Thunderspears, right?" said Levi. Sophie placed the cups on the coffee table surrounded by the couches. He was standing next to her workspace, observing the sheets covering it.

"Yes. The first models were made in a rush for the Wall Maria mission, so I'm trying to improve their design." Levi carefully looked through the papers as she talked. The blueprints were confidential, meaning only the Commander had permission to see them. She found Levi's interest in the plans somewhat attractive, almost like he was testing whether she would be willing to stop him. He had done the same thing in his previous visit, but this time, she felt duty call her. "Can you serve the tea? I need to finish this draft."

"Yes, ma'am," he said jokingly, moving away from the workstation. She sat down, quickly entering a state of deep focus. She didn't even bother to tie her hair up as she resumed the sketching of the weapon's components, annotating their parameters. It wasn't until she felt a warmth next to her shoulder that she realized Levi was behind her, bending forward and observing her work, with his hand on the back of the chair.

"The tea is going to get cold," he whispered, making her skin bristle. Sophie startled as Levi extended his arm over her to grab one of the tools on the table. "What is this? It looks like a weapon."

The item had a round base, attached to a bent metal bar with a sharp tip. He turned it around, inspecting it with a curious expression. She observed him toying with the artifact, his elegant fingers tracing the outline of the bar. After a decade, he still looked like the boy she once knew, playing around with the things she had built. It was just like at the Underground den. Only that now he was stronger and wiser.

"It's a burin. I use it for engraving."

"You still engrave?"

Something about the sight, accompanied by the tranquility of the night, made her comfortable. "My dad taught me how to engrave, and my mum used to sew names and dates of some customers in the lining of the garments. I guess all that rubbed off on me." She paused, staring at Levi and contemplating the features of his face. He was a handsome man with the imposing presence of a soldier. "I've always liked to hide little things in my works. Secrets only I kne w were there."

"Your initials were on the antipersonnel gear," he recalled, putting the burin back on the table.

"I could tell that gear was for something special, but good Chief Lhant is not supposed to question the orders from above. When I reviewed the bullet's designs before production, I added the engraving in case I needed to track them down." Levi seemed perplexed at her reveal. He had probably assumed that she had recklessly followed orders without tending to the consequences. She had fallen into that trap before. "I guess it worked since it led you to me. Perhaps I should've sent you bullets instead of letters."

"How romantic," Levi scoffed. "I must say I'm impressed. I thought the initials were just an act of ego. Does everything you design have an engraving?"

She smiled, "No, not everything. The bullets were an exception. I only add them to the things I build myself. Prototypes and stuff like that. Mass producing a secret wouldn't make it a secret, don't you think?" Sophie locked her eyes on Levi, expectant. Levi crossed his arms, interested.

"Secrets, huh? Like what?"

Sophie kept staring at him for a moment before answering.

"The tea is going to get cold." She stood up and went towards the big sofa. Levi stayed on the spot, observing her with confusion. "I made biscuits the other day, you should try them."

"I'll pass."

"Really? I thought you guys enjoyed my cooking."

Levi rubbed his forehead, "Uh…Farlan made me promise I wouldn't say anything. He didn't want to hurt your feelings."

Sophie blinked in surprise, "No way."

Levi groaned, "You are a genius and all that, but your cleaning and cooking skills are quite dreadful."

"This is soul-crushing. I hope you know that," she said sarcastically.

They sat down on opposite ends of the same couch and drank the tea in silence. The plate, full of biscuits, was left untouched. It was peaceful and comforting to be together without tension between them. Despite her being grateful for it, she wondered why he was still trusting and coming back to her after everything that had happened. Guilt crept onto Sophie, threatening the apparent calm of the scene, as she figured what he would do once he found out the truth about her.

"Why were you walking alone at night? Were you out for some fun?" she broke the silence, teasing him.

"I couldn't sleep." He took a sip of the tea, bringing the cup to his lips with his signature grip. He avoided eye contact with her. "Why were you awake? Work?"

"Hm, yes. I've had trouble sleeping lately, so I try to use the extra time to revise the designs."

"Is it nightmares?"

Sophie opened her mouth in surprise, "How did you know?"

Levi sighed, "I get them too."

"But you've been on the battlefield. You've seen…things. I'm just a boring rich woman."

"Everyone has their demons. And Asbel looks a bit like one."

Sophie placed the cup back on the table, to avoid spilling the tea as she giggled. It felt wrong to allow Levi's mocking. She could sense the urge to defend her husband, even if she ultimately didn't. As much as she hated to admit it, he had never treated her as badly as he could, especially given the circumstances. In the end, he had helped her climb up to where she was. She despised him for everything they had done, but she was still in debt to Asbel. And he knew that.

"So, you couldn't sleep, went out for a walk, witnessed my lovely husband insulting me, and then decided to pay a visit? That's a strange sequence of events," she said smirking. Levi still had his gaze fixed on the wall. His serious expression indicated that he was not keen on sarcastic comments. Sophie frowned and moved closer to him, in an attempt to figure out what was going on inside his head, "Is everything alright?"

Levi remained quiet for a moment. Sophie kept staring at him, wondering what could be troubling him. She didn't want to pressure him into talking, and so she waited until he finally spoke.

"I don't have anyone else," he said with a trembling voice, putting the cup down. His words hit Sophie like a punch. She remained silent. "Erwin is…gone. Everyone is dead. Those brats are just kids, and Hange is on the verge of a mental breakdown." He paused as if he had trouble turning his thoughts into words. "I miss them, Sophie. I miss every single one of them. I even miss you, and you are right here."

Sophie was in shock. She wanted to say something, hug him, talk to him, but she couldn't. Out of all the people he had named, she knew she was the last person he should be having that conversation with. Not because she didn't care, but because despite her efforts, her past would not bring him anything but pain. She wanted to cry and tell him everything, but she had made a promise. And her life depended on that promise.

"I'm not—"

He interrupted her, "I wanted to give meaning to their deaths, but now that the end is near, what is my meaning? Who will I become once Humanity doesn't need the Strongest Soldier anymore?"

She knew she had to push him away from her, for both of their sakes. But a strange force did not let her. She wanted to be selfish and give in to her feelings. He deserved some truth, even if it could cost her her life.

"You are still you, Levi. And you will continue to be you once all of this is over. You will still be the strongest, most compassionate person I will ever know. You will keep holding your teacups in that freaky way that drives me mad, you will keep judging everyone's cleaning skills, and you will still make me laugh with your bold, mean comments when I know I shouldn't. Because that's who you are, not just an obedient soldier." Sophie looked away for a moment, remembering the loneliness of her first years on the surface. "At first, I didn't understand why you ran away from me, why you didn't reply to my letters. Now I can see that you were just trying to protect me, even if it hurt you too. You gave up on me, your comrades, and even yourself so Humanity could be free. I don't know many people that would be willing to sacrifice so much for the sake of others. That's just how special you are."

Levi stared at her, perplexed. A soft smile showed on his face but quickly disappeared as he looked down, in shame.

"Sophie…"

This time, she interrupted him, "That night in the Underground, you said that no matter what I did, I would always be that impulsive, passionate girl." She would not tolerate him drowning in guilt for leaving her alone, not when she was the real devil in the room. "I told you at the chapel that I wasn't that girl anymore. But believe me when I say that there is not a single day that I don't try to keep her alive somehow. And that is because of you. You told me that I could still do the right thing, no matter the choices I've made in the past. And I chose to protect her and to protect you. You helped me become a better person, despite everything else."

They stared at each other in silence. Sophie was on the verge of tears, trying to hold it together despite knowing that, no matter how hard she tried to redeem herself, it would not change the past. Levi remained quiet for a moment, processing everything she had said. She feared his reaction. She had meant every word that had escaped her lips, and there was so much more she wanted to tell him, but she had already gone far enough.

"Asbel said that if he had known what you'd become, he wouldn't have helped you. What did he mean by that? Why do you keep guilt-tripping yourself?" Levi leaned forward and put a hand on her shoulder. Sophie could feel the warmth of his touch relaxing her. "You can tell me."

She wanted to. She wanted to jump into his arms and cry it all out. But she couldn't.

"I can't. I made a promise. We both know that is not something to take lightly." Levi seemed hurt and disappointed at her response. Seeing his face showcase that amount of sorrow made her dread his reaction once he found out about everything. Suddenly, he shook his head and looked at her with determination.

"Then let's forget about it. Let's stop clinging to the past and wishing things were different. I trust that you've made the right choices. I trust that you've tried to mend whatever it is that you did."

Sophie batted her eyes, feeling like a current was traveling through her body from head to toe. Without thinking it twice, she quickly moved across the couch and hugged him. The closeness and warmth of his body against hers calmed her down, even though Levi still had his arms away, probably too shocked to reciprocate the embrace.

"Thank you," whispered Sophie. She felt her eyes water, not because of sadness or frustration but rather liberation.

Levi breathed out and finally wrapped his arms around her, softly stroking her back.

"You can deny it all you want, but I wouldn't be here if there was no trace of the girl from the basement. You are still her." They remained embraced in a quietness only disturbed by their gentle breaths, as they felt the contact between each other. Levi slowly moved away from her, but he kept his hands on her shoulders, while she caressed his arms.

"Is that why you came back? Even after Kenny and Asbel?" she asked, still unsure about the nature of his visit.

Levi was silent, staring at her as if he were carefully choosing his words. He lifted one of the hands resting on her shoulder and used it to stroke a hair strand framing her face, before putting it behind her ear.

"Once all of this is over, I want to have something I can come back to. I don't want my purpose in this world to just be killing and sacrificing the lives of others. I always thought that honoring my comrades meant fighting for freedom until I died. Now I believe it also means showing them that the world can be peaceful and that, because of their sacrifices, I can live my life to the fullest." He looked away painfully. "I think…Erwin would've liked that."

Sophie smiled, feeling herself melting in his gray eyes, "I'm sure he would."

For the first time that night, she forgot about everything haunting her. She was able to enjoy the intimacy of the moment. She felt her heart light up and her stomach tangle in Levi's sight. She desperately wanted to kiss and embrace him, but she knew Levi was too dutiful and respectful to be comfortable with that when Asbel was still part of the equation.

Instead, Sophie got closer to him and placed her legs on top of the sofa, resting her head on Levi's shoulder. He seemed surprised by her affection, but she could feel his tension release as he surrounded her with his arm. He started playing with her hair, twisting the strands with his fingers, and slowly brushing her shoulder. Sophie could feel the weight of her eyelids forcing her to fall asleep, with Levi's breathing and heartbeat acting as a lullaby. But she didn't want the moment to fade away and turn into a dream.

"Once you don't have to fight anymore, what would you like to do?" she asked with a soft voice.

"I guess…Something quiet. I'd like to have my own teashop" he replied. Sophie smirked, thinking about how well that suited him. "What about you? Do you want to build bridges and weapons forever?"

"No…I'm tired of guns and swords and all that boring stuff," she yawned. "I want to build toys. Yeah, a toyshop would be nice. With dolls, plushies, rocking horses…" she felt her voice turn into a whisper and then silence, as she drifted into a peaceful sleep.