Isa chewed nervously at her lip. "Levi, I'm not sure about this, I don't want to hurt you."

He rolled his eyes. "Relax, if you manage to hurt me, then that just means you're doing something right." He sounded amused at the fact that she thought she could actually hurt him.

Isa was out on the training grounds with Levi, working with him as he helped her with her fighting skills. In the weeks since his birthday, she'd managed to improve. She didn't think she'd ever be able to hold her own against someone like Levi, but at least now she didn't feel as pathetically useless as she had before.

It had turned out, that her instructors had just given up on her when it came to fighting, not wanting to bother with helping her.

Isa was realizing more and more with each passing day that much of the training they did, was nothing more than a joke. It explained why so many people were able to slack off during training.

There was no slacking off when it came to training with Levi. He would have her work on a specific move over and over, until she was able to do it exactly as he showed her.

Right now, he was working on a move she could use if someone was holding her from behind with a knife to her throat.

He sighed at her reluctance. "We've been over this. The point of this is for you to figure out how to hurt me."

She glared at him. "I know that, but that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Get over it. Are you ready?"

She groaned in frustration. "Yes."

He got into position behind her, arm moving over her right shoulder to wrap around her neck, the wooden knife positioned at her throat, his other arm wrapping itself across her chest, hand on her right shoulder.

"Alright, so I've got you trapped like this. What do you do?"

His voice in her ear was distracting her as she struggled to remember the steps.

She slowly raised both hands up to the wrist holding knife. When she grabbed it, she quickly yanked it towards her left shoulder. As she pulled down, she side stepped in the opposite direction, ducking underneath his arm, twisting it behind him in the process. As she twisted, his grip on the knife loosened, and she was able to pull it from his hand.

Now possessing the knife, she backed away from him, waiting for his next move.

"Good. Now attack me."

This is what she was nervous about. She knew she'd never be able to hurt him intentionally, but she worried that she would on accident.

"Stop hesitating." His voice was harsh and commanding, the tone he used with his subordinates. "If you hesitate, you'll lose your upper hand, and you'll be as good as dead."

She nodded. Taking a deep breath, she made her move, slashing out at him. She was able to keep him at bay for a little bit, when he caught her off guard. She blinked and next thing she knew, she was on the ground on her back, with him pinning her wrists on either side of her head.

"Do you remember what to do from here?"

"I…I think so." She didn't intend for her voice to come out so breathy, but the position they were in was even more distracting than his voice in her ear.

She hated practicing these pins. It was so…up close. Right now, his knees were on either side of her hips, his own hips pressing against her stomach as he held her down. Each time he did this, all she could focus on was the feel of him on her.

She shouldn't have found this position so suggestive, they were practicing fighting after all, she was learning how to defend herself, and yet, she couldn't help it. It was times like these that she struggled with keeping her mind focused.

She forced herself to ignore the rush that was going through her and drew her attention back to the task at hand.

The idea was to throw him off balance so that she could gain the upper hand. She'd never be able to win in a battle of strength, not in this position, his hands were iron tight around her wrists, his own weight keeping them in place.

She felt ridiculous with what she had to do next, but she didn't have a choice.

She took note of the position and angle of his arms, and saw that he had her wrists pulled up higher than she needed them to be. For this move to work, she'd have to bring her arms further down. Using the strength in her legs and core, she pushed herself across the ground until his shoulders were almost directly above her wrists.

She reached deep inside for some courage, and thrust her hips up against his while simultaneously drawing her hands down towards her sides, effectively pushing his body over her head. His own hands stopped him from falling flat on his face.

Before he could do anything else, she wrapped her arms around his torso, using it as leverage to draw her lower body up so that she was closer to a seated position. She drew her arm around his and pulled, knocking him further off balance so that she could twist and roll, drawing him underneath her.

Now that she was on top of him, she could throw a punch to his face, which would either knock him out, or at least disorient him enough, giving her time to get away. She could also use the knife in her hand if she wanted to.

"Good, you're surprisingly getting better."

She glared down at him, her braided hair hanging over her shoulder. "Wow, thanks for that."

He huffed in amusement. "You know what I mean. You don't doubt yourself as much, which is what was holding you back. That and shit Military training."

She grinned. "That I can agree with."

It took her a moment to realize she was still practically splayed on top of him. Face flushing, she sprang up, trying to fight back the red in her face, hoping he would just think it was from the exertion of practicing.

He pulled himself off the ground. "Alright, we're going to do it again."

She pouted. "You just said I did good."

He poked at her forehead. "Yes, but with me holding back and you hesitating too much."

"I don't think anyone is as strong as you are though."

"Exactly." He flicked her forehead to emphasize his point. "If you can beat me, even if I'm holding back, then you should be able to hold your own with just about anyone."

Her mouth opened as if to argue, then closed again. "I…that's actually a really good point." She grumbled.

He smirked, ruffling her hair. "Don't sound so surprised. Now, let's go again."

They kept at it until he seemed satisfied that she could do it without faltering. She noticed that he would change it up slightly, constantly keeping her on her toes to make sure she actually had to think and act in the moment, versus simply going through the motions.

When he finally let them take a break, she flopped down on her back on the grass, enjoying the sunlight beating down on her. Her hands rested comfortably on her stomach. She let her eyes close, enjoying the heightened senses that came with the action.

She could hear birds chirping in the nearby forest, the smell of grass and flowers surrounding her.

She heard the blades of grass rustle beside her and knew that Levi was now sitting on the ground next to her.

I love the calmness of days like today. Even though training was hard as always, being able to just relax after, I live for this.

Her eyes fluttered open, and her heart thrummed when she saw him watching her, the sunlight sending a gentle glow around him. His hair looked so silky and lush, and she longed to run her hands through it without needing a reason. She could remember just how soft it had felt, the few times she'd been able to stroke at his hair, and she had loved the feel of the strands as they ran through her fingers.

She wanted to erase the shadows under his eyes, wishing she could help him fight his demons, but not knowing how. When her eyes met his, she was locked in his gaze again, unable to break free. She saw the questions in his eyes but didn't know what he asked of her.

She was desperate for a distraction from the light thrumming coursing through her. "Hey Levi, can I ask you something?"

"What?" Her eyes watched his lips moved forming the word, wondering how they would feel on hers.

"You don't have to answer, never feel like you have to answer if you don't want to, but I was wondering. After your mom died, what happened?"

When he just watched her, she worried she'd gone too far. Unsure of what to do, she reached out a tentative hand to cover his, stroking gently with her thumb. She swallowed thickly when his hand slowly turned over, clenching ever so lightly on her own.

When he spoke, his voice was hushed, but she could hear the pain he tried to keep hidden. "I just sat there, for a long time. I honestly don't know how much time passed. A day, a week, a month. I didn't have anyone to go to, and I just expected to die right there with her."

His eyes looked down at where his hand held hers. Her hand looked so small in his. "A man found me. I don't know who he was or where he came from, how he knew my mother. All I know is that his name was Kenny, and he took me in. Fed me, taught me to fight, how to survive."

She squeezed his hand lightly, wanting to provide whatever support she could. "I'm sorry, Levi. You know I'm here, however you need me, I'm here. You've helped me so much, and I want to help you too."

His eyes came back up to hers, his gaze as serious as ever. "What if I w—"

"Isa!" Sherri's voice cut across the training grounds, cutting off whatever Levi had been about to ask her.

Isa pulled her hand out of Levi's, instantly missing its warmth, and sat up to watch as her friend came up to them. "What is it Sherri?"

"Come on, Hange told me to come find you. She said we're meeting today about the upcoming expedition in a couple of months." She sounded a little out of breath from running over to them.

She stood, dusting off her pants before turning to Levi. "I'm sorry, I'll see you later tonight, if you still want to talk."

He shrugged. "It's fine. I'll see you later."

Isa walked off with Sherri, leaving Levi alone on the grass with his thoughts.

As they walked, Sherri spoke first. "Sorry for interrupting whatever that was."

Isa shrugged. "You weren't really interrupting anything. I was just asking something about his past."

Sherri nudged Isa's arm. "He looked to be on the verge of confessing something."

That took Isa by surprise.

What is she talking about? I was just asking him about his past, not really much to confess there.

Isa's hand came up to rub at her arm. "Well I'd asked him a pretty serious question about his childhood, so that's probably why."

"No, it looked to be more than that."

Isa shrugged. "I'm not sure what you thought you saw, but you probably just misread him."

Sherri gave Isa a long look, debating on whether she wanted to push the topic further, but decided to leave it be for now, not wanting to risk upsetting her friend.

Before Isa knew it, her birthday was days away. She'd always hated her birthday, it had always been a dreaded reminder of that horrid night all those years ago. She'd managed for the longest time to keep her birthday hidden from Hange, though not for lack of trying on Hange's part. Isa had lost count of the times Hange had begged to know Isa's birthday. Isa had stubbornly refused.

Unfortunately, Hange now knew Isa's birthday.

She was currently cornered by Hange, who was begging Isa to go to a local tavern for her birthday.

"Come on Isa, it'll be so much fun."

Isa gave an exasperated groan. "Hange, I don't want to go."

"Aww, let me do something special for you please."

Isa looked at Hange's face, and knew that she would only keep pestering her until she caved. Sighing, she said, "Fine, we can go to a tavern for a couple of hours, but that's it. I don't want to do anything else."

Hange gave a cheer at that. "Alright, so who do you want to invite?"

Isa's face scrunched up in disgust. "Seriously, we have to invite people?"

She couldn't fathom there'd be anyone else who would show up. Sherri probably, maybe Uma. She obviously wanted to invite Levi, but she couldn't just plain say that.

"Of course, it wouldn't be right otherwise."

Isa rolled her eyes. "Ugh fine, but you deal with that, I don't care who you invite."

Hange raised an eyebrow and mischief danced in her eyes. "Oh, so you don't want me to invite Levi?"

Isa glared at her friend, refusing to answer.

"That's what I thought." Isa's eyes narrowed further at Hange's smug smile, which went ignored by Hange…as usual. "Alright, I'll invite Levi, and how about Sherri and Uma. Oh, and what about Anna? She seems to get along with us well doesn't she?"

"Like I said, I don't care." She really didn't want Hange to invite Anna. She had an odd feeling about her that Hange had yet to pick up on. But Hange looked so thrilled at the prospect of being able to finally celebrate Isa's birthday, she didn't have the heart to say anything.

The evening of her birthday, Isa was in her room preparing for the night out. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach as she tried to decide what to wear. She didn't often have a need for nicer clothes, so her choices were limited. She had a few skirts and a few simple blouses, most were worn in and faded.

She'd never been one to agonize over what she wore like this, and she wasn't sure now why she couldn't decide.

But deep down, she knew why she was so stressed about what she would wear. As ridiculous as it felt, she wanted to try to impress Levi, to see if she could make him see her in a way that was more than just as a friend.

She hated herself for being that girl, she had other things she should be worrying about, like not dying on expeditions and training to make sure she didn't die, but she was also too infatuated too care. She didn't think it would be possible for him to see her in such a light, certain he'd had far better prospects than someone like her.

She'd seen the women who threw themselves at him, who were much more beautiful, more experienced, more his type, even if they only wanted him because of his position in the Military.

She settled on a knee length black skirt, that flared up whenever she twirled, and a simple, deep purple blouse that she tucked into the skirt. A pair of black shoes completed her outfit.

She looked in the mirror at the final result and was relatively satisfied. She'd left her hair loose, and it fell in waves around her shoulders. Isa thought she looked plain but decent enough.

She met up with her friends outside the mess hall and managed to feel even more plain when she saw what Uma was wearing. Her friend was wearing a bold red knee length skirt and a stunning gold top. Between her outfit, and her hair styled in a topknot, she rivaled the noblewomen in Mitras.

This is the type of girl that could get his attention.

She even felt like Hange looked better than her, dressed in a simple pair of trousers and a button up shirt. She'd even washed her hair for the occasion.

Sherri was dressed similarly to Isa, not one for flashy clothes, and Anna had an outfit on that was similar to Uma's.

Resigned, and feeling as plain as ever, she followed her friends as they began to make their way to a tavern in a nearby town.

As they entered the tavern, Isa had to admit that she was impressed that Hange had picked a decent spot. The lighting was dim, and the noise level relatively low. Patrons were scattered across the various booths and tables. Isa saw that Levi had already arrived and was sitting in a booth on the far end of the tavern, drinking a steaming cup of tea.

As their eyes met, she felt her heart flip, and she gave him a small wave, earning a nod of acknowledgement from him.

Isa wanted to go and sit with him, but her friends dragged her to another table in the middle of the floor. She sent Levi an apologetic look, and he just shrugged.

He'd probably prefer to not be around a lot of people at once in any case. Maybe I'll be able to spend some time with him later in the night if I can get away from them for a bit.

The other girls tried to get Isa to loosen up, but she'd promised herself that she would limit the drinks to no more than two, which to her, was more than enough. She'd seen the drunken behavior of the people in Mitras, and she refused to ever become that inebriated.

Isa was surprised to find that she was actually having a decent time joking with her friends. Her gaze was drawn to Levi, and she felt bad that he was sitting alone, but she wasn't sure how to get away from her friends to go and spend some time with him.

At some point throughout the night, Hange left for the bathroom, and Uma seized the opportunity now that Isa's guard dog was gone. She held up a journal that Isa recognized all too well, and a smug look took over Uma's face as she watched the color drain from Isa's face.

"Isa, Anna found your little journal, and let's say I was pretty impressed by your entries about Levi. You hide it well. I would have never guessed how badly you pined for him, even though we both know that would never happen." Uma gave Isa a smirk. "Well, put it this way, either you go over there and kiss Levi, or I show him your journal."

Isa's jaw hit the floor at Uma's ultimatum. There was no way she could go through with this. But she had no choice. Tears pricked her eyes at the difficult position she was in.

How did she even get into my room to steal my journal?

Even though she had no way of knowing, she was certain that Levi didn't return her feelings. There was just no possible way. He would never want someone like her. He was an experienced man from the Underground. He wouldn't want someone like her, whose only experiences with romance was a small kiss shared between friends.

I have to kiss him!

He'll never go along with that…right? I don't care what Hange says, there is no way he's attracted to me or wants me that way. Even still, I can't help the way I feel around him, and it just makes me feel so pathetic.

Anna's smug voice drew Isa out of her thoughts. "Tick tock Isa. Come on, we're your friends, and friends help each other. We just want to save you the heartache that would come from pining for too long. It's best now to rip off the bandage."

"I…I thought we were friends?" Isa's voice broke on the word friends.

The smirk on Uma's face only grew. "We are, this is why I'm doing this. Like Anna said, friends help each other. I would hate for you to get hurt, so it's best to just get it over with now."

Sherri cut in. "Guys, you really shouldn't do this, it's not right."

"Friends help each other, and that's what we're doing." Uma's voice had taken a hostile tone to it.

Isa sent the two of them a glare and rose from the table. Before she could turn to walk away, Uma's voice stopped her. "Oh, and try to see if you can get some tongue action in there. I doubt it'll happen, but it'll make it even better."

Heart racing at Uma's added requirement, Isa turned and made her way over to Levi.

She walked over to where he was sitting alone at a booth. His eyes met hers with an almost curious, well, curious for Levi, expression on his face. Nerves jangling and well aware that the other girls were watching her, she sat down next to him.

Isa was the first to break the silence. "I wanted to say thanks for coming with us tonight. I know this isn't your type of thing, it isn't really mine either. I didn't want to come, but Hange somehow managed to convince me, I'm honestly not sure how." She needed to stop rambling, but she couldn't stop the words from coming out of her mouth. "I think she could convince a titan to stop eating humans if she really tried to."

He simply watched her with those eyes that always seemed to cut through her, both calming her and sending her nerves haywire at the same time. This close, she could see hints of blue. She was mesmerized as she watched the blue deepen, overtaking the steel gray.

She realized she'd been staring into his eyes for too long and looked away, a flush creeping up her neck.

She didn't notice that she'd started to chew her lip and missed when his gaze dropped down to it and his eyes darkened even further. "…What I really want to say…is that it means a lot that you're here with me." The flush grew even deeper as she avoided his eyes.

There was no response for the longest time, which sent her thoughts panicking.

Say something! Should I have not said anything? I know he's not the type to be expressive, but I really wanted him to know how much it meant for him to be here.

The sound of a box sliding in front of her broke her panicked mind. "Here."

Confused she looked up at him again. "You didn't have to get me anything."

"It's customary to give someone something on their birthday isn't it?" That same small smile played on his lips which sent Isa's heart pounding.

She didn't think it possible, but her face flushed even more at having her words from his birthday thrown back at her and gave him a sheepish smile.

She opened up the box and a surprised gasp left her mouth. "Levi, it's…it's beautiful." Inside the box was a simple necklace made of twine, with a small piece of wood carved into a horse at its center, painted gray with white specks like Luna. Her fingers traced Luna's name that had been carved in beautiful calligraphy on the backside of the horse. Tears pricked her eyes as she pulled the necklace out of the box ever so gently, as if it were made of glass.

Her wide eyes shimmering with those unshed tears met his, and she gave him a small smile. "Thank you."

Clearly uncomfortable, Levi shifted in his seat and shrugged. "Tsk, you're acting like I've given you some fancy piece of gold. Some merchant was selling these when I went to one of the nearby towns earlier this week, and I saw this one. I'm sure you've gotten fancier shit in Mitras."

He still doesn't know the full truth.

Suddenly emboldened, she lifted a hand to his cheek, a warm smile on her face. "Hey, I don't care about any of that, and you should know that by now. This is the most thoughtful gift I've ever gotten, so thank you." She thought she saw a tinge of pink coloring his cheeks but attributed it to something with the tavern's lighting.

She flushed, yet again, when she realized her hand was still on his cheek, which was surprisingly smooth beneath her thumb, and her thumb was absently stroking it. Drawing her hand back she smiled again. Handing him the necklace, she asked, "Can you help me put this on?"

He sighed. "What a difficult brat, fine give it here."

She giggled at his response, knowing full well he didn't have any actual issues helping her. She turned to face away from him holding her hair out of the way. He reached around her bringing the necklace around her neck, and she could feel his breath on her neck, sending a shiver down her spine. His fingers grazed the back of her neck as they tied the twine together, sending tingles through her body. It was over all too soon, and the light touch left her aching for more.

She looked at him over her shoulder as her hair fell back down. "Thanks, Levi."

He gave her a nod, the only acknowledgement she'd get for her gratitude. Turning to face him more fully, she remembered the main reason she'd made her way over here. Glancing over to their table, she saw Uma and Anna watching her, clearly growing impatient. Hange had returned from the bathroom and merely looked confused. Sherri looked apologetic, and as if she were about to vomit, clearly worried that Isa thought she had played a part in this.

Taking a deep breath, she met his eyes again. "There's one other thing."

"What now?"

"We're friends, right?"

An unreadable look passed over Levi's face that ended with him rolling his eyes, unimpressed with her question. "What the fuck kind of question is that?"

"Just, please." Her voice came out a little breathier than she'd intended.

"Tsk, you're being extra needy tonight aren't you?" He saw the look on her face and sighed. "Yes." He flicked her forehead. "You enjoy asking questions you already know the answer to."

She gave him a grateful smile. "…Just…just please go along with this. Uma and Anna…well they sent me over here to do this, knowing full well you'd most likely push me away at this." She looked down at her hands as she admitted the next part. "They want to embarrass me in front of everyone here, so just…please go along with this."

Drawing in a shuddering breath, she forced herself to meet his gaze again. Sliding closer to him she placed her hand on his cheek again, and she watched as his eyes went wide with confusion. She allowed herself to stroke his bottom lip with her thumb, just this once, as she prepared herself for what she had to do next.

She leaned in closer, and her nerves kept her from noticing his eyes flicker to her lips before asking, "What are you—" Her mouth on his cut his question off.

She was amazed at how soft his lips were. For such a gruff and hard man, his lips were smooth and enticing. She'd always thought they looked that way, but again, looking at something, and actually feeling it, were two completely different things, two sides of the same coin. Only one thought managed to cross her mind before her brain short circuited and turned off.

It's happening, holy shit, I'm actually kissing Levi.

Finally seeming to catch on, Levi's hand made its way to the back of Isa's neck, drawing her closer. As he tilted his head, she felt his tongue tracing her lips, and she gasped in surprise. A small moan escaped her when she felt his tongue pass through her parted lips to meet hers, setting her senses aflame.

She was burning up, her entire body on fire. The feel of finally kissing someone she desired overwhelmed her senses. She reveled in the feel of his mouth against hers, something she'd never expected to happen. The taste of him was overwhelming, addicting, and she couldn't get enough.

No longer in control of her actions, she flung her arms around his neck, drawing him ever closer to her, and met him, beat for beat, operating on an instinct she hadn't known she possessed. She drew his lower lip in between her teeth and bit down, only to soothe the sting with her tongue.

She heard a groan come from someone, not realizing it came from him. She hadn't noticed when his free hand had grasped at her waist, but she felt it now, as it tightened on her, his thumb brushing up underneath her breast. The tingles that she'd felt when his fingers brushed across her neck earlier were nothing compared to what she felt now. Jolts ran up and down her body, only to settle in an electrifying pool in between her legs as their mouths and tongues moved together.

All too soon it was over, and they pulled back, foreheads pressed together as they both gasped for air. She met his eyes and her heart leapt to her throat at how blue they were right there in that moment, the gray almost completely erased. She didn't think she'd ever seen this beautiful blue color before, but it was there now, staring at her.

Her hands clenched into fists behind his neck as she tried to swallow down the lump forming in her throat.

She'd been holding on tight to the edge for the longest time, desperate to avoid falling for someone who would never return her feelings, but in that moment, the fact that he'd given her that kiss just to help her, without even knowing why.

The fact that he was even here in this tavern, just because it was her birthday.

The fact that he'd taken the time to buy her such a meaningful gift…and simply staring into that deep blue, made her lose her grasp on the edge of that cliff as she fell completely and hopelessly in love with him.

It happened. I'm in love with my best friend.

The almost hungry look in his eyes made her stomach flip as her breath caught in her throat.

The way he's looking at me. It's…it's almost like he wants to kiss me again. But…there's no way, right? I mean, that's just normal. A normal male reaction. That has to be it. Just some biological reaction that happens from kissing a woman that makes them think they want more in the moment, but then they actually don't later on.

That makes more sense than the thought that he actually wants me.

Isa wondered if he could see her heart pounding there in her throat. She was amazed that it simply didn't just burst out of her and land on his lap for him to do with as he wishes. Her heart was his, and his alone. And that thought terrified her.

Now the panic began to set in.

How do we keep going from here? This isn't something that normally happens between friends, right? I mean friends don't normally kiss each other…that's not a normal thing. How do I keep going when I'm in love with him? How do I hide this? What if he finds out? Will he pity me? I've been staring too long…he's going to think something is wrong. Shit.

Needing some distance, she pulled out of his grasp, not noticing that his hands tightened on her, almost as if he didn't want to let her go.

She never thought to question why he hadn't let her go sooner.

Her arms hugged herself, in the hopes that it would contain her heart. "Umm, so, I'm sorry about that again. I…I didn't really have a choice." Stuttering, face completely aflame with both desire and shame, she stood and awkwardly tried to avoid his gaze. "So, thanks for going along with that. You…you d-didn't have to do that, but I appreciate it. I owe you. Anything you want."

She forced herself to meet his eyes again, a small smile on her face. "I should get back to them. I'll see you later tonight okay?"

He gave her a small nod, and with that, she turned back to where her so called friends sat, missing how his eyes followed her every move.

Hange was watching her with a curious look on her face, Sherri looked apologetic and nervous, but Uma looked furious. Clearly your little plan didn't work bitch. Only I know that the kiss wasn't real. She gave Uma a smug look and grabbed her journal off the table, before turning to Hange. "I want to get out of here."

Without a word to Uma, Isa turned and walked out of the tavern, Hange following close behind. Sherri stayed behind, unsure if she should go or not.

As Isa and Hange walked, she could practically feel Hange's questions running through her mind. Stopping, she turned to face her friend. "Okay, fine, you get two questions. Go."

Hange had to think for a minute, hand on her chin, clearly trying to decide which of her questions to ask. "Okay, well the obvious first question is why?"

Hange already knew how Isa felt about Levi. She'd never explicitly told her, but the woman was too sharp for her own good. "Uma found my journal and gave me an ultimatum. Kiss Levi or she tells him how I feel."

"I see."

Isa waited for Hange's next question.

"Alright, what happens now?"

Isa gave a small, humorless laugh. "The same thing I was doing before. I go back to pretending I feel nothing for Levi other than friendship. His friendship means too much to me, and I'm not willing to ruin that."

"Isa, I've told you before, I think he feels more for you than just friendship."

Isa's arms crossed across her chest. "And I've told you before, that's just not possible."

Hange's hands grasped Isa's shoulders, shaking her slightly. "Isa, you're blinded by your fear, and it keeps you from seeing what's in front of you. I saw the way he kissed you, and you didn't see Levi's face when you walked back to our table. That wasn't the face of a man who feels only friendship for you."

Isa flushed at the reminder of the kiss. She could still feel his lips on her, his hand on her waist. "Hange, that had to have just been some normal male reaction from being kissed."

"Isa, one, that's just bullshit," Isa flinched at Hange's word choice. Hange wasn't one to use swears often. "Two, Levi is far from a normal male."

Hange finally noticed the necklace on Isa's neck. "Tell me, would someone who felt nothing for you have gotten you a gift like that. I know how much you love that horse, and clearly Levi's noticed it too. The fact that he took the time to buy you something like that to me, says it all. Levi isn't the type to buy gifts for just anyone."

She reached up to hold the precious necklace around her neck. Tears pricked at her eyes. "Hange, I want to believe you, so badly. But…I just can't. I can't imagine someone like Levi ever wanting someone like me." She wanted to regret sharing that much, but she was too emotionally drained to care. Besides, Hange had seen her at her best and at her worst. She was one of the few people Isa felt safe enough around to share what she was feeling.

Hange was astonished at how little her friend thought of herself. She drew Isa into a tight hug. "I wish you could see yourself the way I see you. The way I'm sure Levi sees you. You're my best friend, and I think the world of you."

Isa's eyes squeezed shut as she held back tears, pulling her friend in tighter. She wanted to believe Hange's words, but she just couldn't.

Isa pulled back and gave Hange a small smile. "Let's head back. I promised Levi I'd meet him later tonight up on the roof."

"Wait, before we do, here." Hange handed Isa a package wrapped in brown paper.

Wordlessly Isa took it and opened it. Inside was a small, leather bound notebook, the pages inside crisp to the touch. On the back cover, a small note was carved into the smooth leather at the bottom. For my sister, Isa.

A lump formed in Isa's throat as tears pricked her eyes. She'd always regarded Hange as a sister, and the fact that Hange felt the same was almost too much for her to handle. In the span of a few years, she'd gone from miserable and alone, stuck in Mitras, to having two people who meant the world to her.

Without thinking, Isa threw herself at Hange, wrapping the woman in a fierce hug as her emotions took over her. "Thank you Hange, I couldn't ask for a better sister."

"Happy birthday sister."

With that, the two women walked back to headquarters in silence.

Later that night, Isa sat on the battlement, waiting for Levi. The memory of their kiss lingered in her mind, as she expected it would for the rest of her life. Her fingers rested on her lips which still tingled as they remembered how silky smooth his had been on hers, how well they'd fit together. She was forever indebted to him for not shoving her away as she figured he'd wanted to.

Light footsteps behind her broke her out of her thoughts. She turned to face him as he sat down next to her, the moonlight casting mesmerizing shadows on his face. Afraid of his reaction if she got caught staring at him, she looked back up at the stars.

They sat together on the rooftop, as they did every night, watching the twinkling stars in an unspoken agreement to honor the time they'd had with their lost friends. Isa would never forget Isabel's childish laughter or Furlan's quiet amazement as they had watched the sunset for the first time, or their amused reactions to Isa's stories about the shapes in the stars and their meanings.

A small smile crept its way onto Isa's face as she remembered her friends. She missed them so much, but she was so glad to have known them. Even if they didn't join with the best of intentions, she understood they'd done what they needed to survive. She'd never faulted them for that. She'd never judged the man beside her for trying to make the best of what life handed him. She didn't know what she would have done in their situation. She figured she probably would have done the same.

Levi's calm voice drew her out of her thoughts. "So what was with that back at the tavern?"

Isa's eyes screwed shut and she tried to fight off the heat that wanted to creep its way up her neck and face.

Leave it to Levi to circle back to that. I'd hoped he would just forget it so I could forget it and move on.

"I'd rather not talk about it." Her voice was weak, fearful.

"You said you'd owe me. Consider this me taking you up on that favor."

Damn, I didn't think he'd end up using that against me. I thought maybe he'd just want some help cleaning or some tea or something. Not this.

Why does he want to know?

She huffed and glared at him. "That's a low blow Levi, but fine, fair enough."

How much do I share? There has to be a way I can explain this away without explaining my feelings for him.

Chewing her lip while she tried to figure out what to say, she could feel his eyes on her as he waited for an answer.

"I…write in a journal sometimes. About how I'm feeling, what I'm thinking. Anna somehow managed to get her hands on my journal…I don't know how, because I thought I kept it well hidden."

She wanted to find out how Anna had even gotten into her room. The door was always locked up tight. "Well, in my journal, I mentioned my…lack of experience in certain things. When Hange went to the bathroom, the two of them confronted me about it, and well gave me an ultimatum. Go up and kiss you, or they share my journal with everyone."

It was mortifying how easily she'd been coerced and manipulated. "I know I shouldn't care what others think or whether or not they know, but it's my personal business that no one else should know if I don't want them to, so I didn't have much of a choice. Uma also threw in that I needed to try to get some 'tongue action' as she phrased it…so well umm…thanks for that." She finished awkwardly, face on fire.

Shit, now instead of telling him my feelings, I've managed to tell him I'm a virgin. Good going, Isa.

I'm honestly not sure which is worse.

…

The feelings…definitely the feelings.

"She sounds like a shit friend." He sounded unimpressed by the childish behavior from her friend.

"She does, doesn't she." She gave a mirthless chuckle. "Except for Anna, I thought we all got along just fine, which is why Hange invited her with us tonight. I never would have expected her to pull something like that, I mean, don't we have enough shit to deal with."

Now irritation was starting to take over her. "You would think the ever-present potential of dying would get rid of childish bullshit like that. We live in a world where we have giant, man-eating beings surrounding us, and yet people still do stupid shit like that. Makes you realize that people will always be people, no matter what."

She sighed. "I'm sorry if it made you uncomfortable in any way, shape, or form. That's the last thing I would want."

A gentle hand plopped down on her head, ruffling through her hair as he turned her to face him. "It's fine. I never liked either of them anyways, so if it meant helping you put the two of them in their place, I don't mind."

She chuckled. "You don't like anyone."

He ignored her comment as a thoughtful look crossed his face. "Lack of experience. What do you mean by that exactly?"

Somehow her cheeks burned even hotter, something she hadn't even thought possible. "I think you very well know what that means, I'm not going to spell it out for you."

He hummed in amusement at her haughty tone. "I don't know why you're embarrassed, we don't exactly lead lives that have a lot of time for that."

"Are you telling me that you're a—" Her eyes widened at the thought.

He couldn't possibly be a virgin? Surely the people Underground aren't blind and dumb.

"No, I'm not."

That's what I thought. I must be the only person around my age who hasn't had sex.

"Who was she?"

Did he love her?

"Just someone to pass the time with, a distraction from life Underground."

"Oh, I see."

She grew quiet at that, not sure how to respond.

He gave her a curious look as he thought of something. "I might have another reason for why Uma had you do that."

"What would that be?"

"Well, a couple of weeks ago, she tried to kiss me, and I told her I wasn't interested. So I'm guessing she didn't take it well, and tried to embarrass you so she could feel better about herself."

"Y-you…you turned her down?" She would have thought that Uma would be his type. The woman was sophisticated, experienced, beautiful...everything she wasn't.

He shrugged, pulling his hand off her head. "She's not my type."

She cleared her throat. "W-what is your type?"

"Doesn't matter, I'm not exactly in the business to get tied down with someone."

Is it just me, or are his cheeks pink? Is he…blushing? Why?

She nudged him with her shoulder. "Come on, just for fun. You need to have more fun."

He rolled his eyes at that, smirking at her. "Not annoying."

She laughed at that. "You do realize you've narrowed down your prospects to essentially zero?"

He sighed. "Most people I come across are a nuisance. If someone's going to catch my interest, I'm going to have to not find her annoying." He was watching her closely now, eyes intent with that same look she never knew how to read. "Being in the Scouts keeps me busy enough, so I'd need someone who doesn't need me every second of every day."

Isa chewed at her lip at that little bit of information.

Does he find me annoying? Is this supposed to mean something? Is he trying to tell me something?

Of course not Isa, don't be ridiculous. Stop reading more into the situation and what people say. You always do that, and it can only set you up for heartbreak.

He went along with the kiss because he's your friend, nothing more.

So stop.

She felt a pain on her forehead. She glared at him when she realized he'd flicked her. "Seriously, what's with the flicking?" She couldn't stop the laugh that escaped her. It honestly didn't bother her. Just another quirk she loved about him.

Love.

I still can't believe I went and fell in love with him. How much more stupid could I get?

He ignored her question. "What's your deal now?"

She gave him a smile. "Nothing, nothing at all."

No way in hell I'm telling him what I was just thinking about. I'm not risking our friendship because I had to be stupid and fall in love with him.

The look in his eyes told her that he didn't believe her in the slightest, but he let it go.

They sat in silence for a while, but something was bothering Isa. The fact that he still thought she was originally from Mitras made her feel guilty. She wanted him to know, especially now that he'd given her that necklace. Her hand came up to hold the little wooden carving. It had been so sweet of him to get her something so thoughtful.

Other than Ethel's gift of tea and the bottle of peach fragrance, she'd never received a gift with meaning before. The couple who'd raised her had given her gifts more out of duty, and they were never sentimental gifts, always practical gifts. Gifts that she was supposed to use to be a proper lady. Hange had only just found out about her birthday, so this was the first time she'd been able to give her a gift.

But Levi's gift had made her feel significant, for once, she felt as though her life wasn't meaningless. She knew he found it simple, but she would cherish the necklace until the day she died. She wasn't ready to tell him she loved him, perhaps she'd never be ready, but she wanted him to understand just how much his gift meant to her.

"Hey Levi."

He groaned. "What?"

She laughed at his exasperated tone that bordered on playful. "There's something that's been bothering me. What you said, earlier, after you gave me the necklace, you said you were certain I'd received better things in Mitras. There's something you need to know about me."

He watched her quietly as he waited for her to continue.

Well, no turning back now. He'll be the first person I've ever told this. I haven't even told Hange…I hope she won't hate me for telling Levi first and not her. I'll tell her eventually…just not yet.

She took a deep breath. "I'm not originally from Mitras. I grew up there, but it's not where I'm from." She turned her head to face him, eyes intent and serious as she spoke the words she'd never said to anyone.

"I was born in the Underground."

She watched as his eyes widened ever so slightly. She'd clearly taken him by surprise.

Watching his face, she continued. "The night of my seventh birthday, someone broke into my home. I was asleep and I woke up to voices. When I looked outside of my room, my parents were tied up, and a man hovered over them. Before I knew it, he had slashed his knife across my dad's throat." Her eyes welled with tears at the memory.

She took in a shuddering breath as she looked away, unable to hold his gaze. "My mom tried to get me to run, but I couldn't. I was too weak. I froze." Tears were streaming down Isa's face at this point, and the lump in her throat made it hard to talk. "And then the man slit my mom's throat. He had killed both my parents. I still couldn't move."

Isa had to pause to wipe away the tears and to try to will away the thickness in her voice. She felt a warm, familiar weight on her head, which managed to calm her enough to continue. "I managed to get out of his grasp, and I ran until I bumped into a Military Police officer, and I thought I was safe."

She gave a self-deprecating laugh at how stupid she was to have thought the Military Police would have helped her.

"I told him what had happened, and as I did, the man caught up to me. He looked at the officer and said 'how much to forget this happened?' I felt a slight pinch in my arm, and then black."

She rubbed at her arm as she felt the phantom pain of a needle poking into her skin.

"The next thing I remember is waking up in a giant house in Mitras, to two people who had apparently bought me from the man who took me. They couldn't have kids of their own and hoped they could mold me into a proper lady that they could sell off to some rich man in need of a wife. They thought they'd have the most success getting some pathetic kid from the Underground who would be ever so grateful at living a better life."

She forced herself to meet his eyes again.

"The man who murdered my parents, had kidnapped me, and ripped me from my home, and sold me to some horrid couple in Mitras."

Levi was quiet for several minutes as he processed this, his hand still resting in her hair. She was lost in his eyes as he watched her. "Why are you telling me this?" He asked in a hushed voice.

Her voice was quiet as she spoke. "Because I need you to know how much I value your friendship, and how much I value your gift. It's one of the only gifts I've ever received that has any meaning behind it. I know you think it's simple and not worth much, but to me, it's worth everything."

To her surprise, his hand moved to rest on her shoulder, drawing her close to him.

Isa was speechless. The man wasn't the most affectionate of people, so this was a rare act from him. But she wasn't about to comment, not wanting to ruin the moment. The rest of the story could wait, and she relished in the warmth of his arm around her. Resting her head against his shoulder, she could hear the faint beat of his heart, and his scent, that comforting smell of tea and simply Levi, surrounded her. She always felt safe around Levi, as if nothing could hurt her when she was around him, and sitting here like this with him, she'd never felt safer.

They sat for a few moments before he broke the silence. "My mother worked in a brothel. It was the only way she could make any money to take care of me, of the two of us."

That took her by surprise. She'd known that his past wasn't the best, but she hadn't realized his mother had to do that.

Life was cruel. She could only imagine how the patrons treated her. No wonder she had looked so tired and worn when she'd walked into that room in Levi's memory.

She wrapped her arms around his waist, wanting to provide comfort, wishing she could go back in time to when he was a little boy and just wrap him up and keep him safe.

"I'm so sorry, Levi."

"It doesn't matter now." His voice was more hushed than usual, having long since lost some of the gruffness.

"But it does. The things that happen to us in life shape who we are now."

"Most of the time she dealt with her customers in another room, but sometimes, there weren't any empty rooms, and she'd have me hide in the little closet we had. She'd have me cover my ears, but I could still hear. Hear the way they talked to her, treated her."

She squeezed tighter.

No little boy should ever have to hear his mother go through that. That poor woman, she loved him so much, and to be taken from him at such a young age.

The world we live in is so cruel.

"I'm sorry." His voice was a whisper, even quieter than before.

She tilted her head to look up at him, unsure if she'd heard him right. He wasn't exactly the type to offer up apologies. "Why are you sorry?"

He avoided her gaze, clearly embarrassed. "I…I misjudged you. You were right. I didn't know you, and I was judging you, and that wasn't fair to you, when you never did anything wrong. Furlan and Isabel were constantly defending you, but I just saw what I wanted to see."

She lifted a hand to his face to gently draw his gaze back to hers, thumb stroking lightly at his cheek. "It's okay, I understood then, and I understand now. Coming from where we do, it makes you suspicious of people. I may not have been there as long as you, but I was still mistreated by the people who bought me because I came from the Underground. Then when I joined the Military, and then the Scouts, I was mistreated because I came from Mitras. It honestly doesn't matter where you come from or who you are, people are going to misjudge you."

He let his forehead drop down onto hers, and her heart thrummed when their noses brushed. "You're too forgiving, you know that don't you?"

She was trapped again, trapped in those eyes. She could feel the weight of them holding her in place. She swallowed thickly. "So I've heard." Her voice was low, throaty, she'd never heard her voice sound like that before. He was so close she could feel his breath tickling across her face. Those tempting lips were just mere centimeters from her own, and she desperately wanted to close the distance, to feel his lips on hers again.

Afraid of embarrassing herself any more than she had all night, she forced herself to turn away, letting her head drop back against his chest and just relishing in the fact that he was still holding her close.

She never wanted to let him go.