23/07/19: Hi everyone! Apologies for such a long delay, I'll try keep this brief. My personal life has been hectic; had to say goodbye to my partner, lost a special friend who introduced me to writing and it had me quite sad to write again, school exams, trying to reverse my health condition, violin recitals, etc. Please forgive me. This is just a super brief chapter and the next chapter will be on its way very shortly! Hopefully it will be done by tomorrow, or in two days from now.

Don't forget to REVIEW/FAVOURITE/FOLLOW if you enjoyed it. It means so, so much!

- Kirsten.

Bláithín sat on her bed around two weeks later, reading a letter she had received. She was now dressed back in her military uniform, minus the harnesses. The Survey Corps had all mostly recovered physically; with many of the elites being injured, Commander Shadis agreed to have a freeze on all Scout activity except for training.

Her windows had been opened and lit up the room. With Levi occasionally checking on her every now and then, there was no way in hell he was spending so much time couped up in a smelly room. Thus, windows were opened, clothes were folded and put back in her chest of drawers… She had to admit it was weird taking orders from her subordinate, but Levi was hell-bent on keeping every place within a ten metre radius of him spotless, lest the Survey Corps wanted their wooden brooms snapped out of anger.

She was doing much better. Whether she had wanted it or not, Levi and Hange took it upon themselves to nurse her back to good health. She ate good food and exercised to rebuild her lost muscle. She no longer looked sickly and weak, she looked like she was full of vitality; her face now full and not sunken in, her eyes clean of hanging bags, a tint of pink to her cheeks.

She was here.

She was alive.

But she was still filled with unimaginable guilt. She wanted nothing more than to just waste away in her sick state while she wallowed in self-pity. She came to realize, however, that that wasn't going to happen. Or more like, Levi Ackerman was not going to let that happen.

"I'll break your fucking legs if you let yourself fall this low again."

She smirked as she remembered him saying this to her once she had recovered. It was harsh but it was his way of caring.

Levi cared for her, and she finally saw it. He did not blame her for not doing enough that day, and above all else, he did not blame her for Isabel and Farlan's deaths.

She felt needed by him at least, and that brought peace to her.

Her head perked up when she heard a knock. "Yes? Come in."

"Nah, it probably smells in there," said the familiar voice of her subordinate and she rolled her eyes, "I don't need to remind you to check your bandages, right?" he said. She could tell he was suppressing something akin to a groan.

"I'm not your baby. You're not my parent, shut up!" she retorted.

"Rich because I really feel like I'm minding an incapable brat at times." He said before walking off.

She shook her head, and continued to read her letter.

Dear Bláithín,

I haven't heard from you in a couple of months. I want to invite you up to Mitras for a weekend to say in my husband and I's manner. Think of it as a vacation, you haven't seen your family in a while after all.

We have two spare bedrooms at the moment, and we have reason to expand at the moment and before you rise through the ranks of the Scout Regiment and become too busy.

We hope to see you soon, a carriage will come to you in Trost and pick you up.

Yours sincerely,

Elise

She placed the letter down on her bed and walked out of her bedroom. Walking out into the Mess Hall, she sat next to Erwin who was looking rather panicked. "Good morning, Erwin."

"You need to pack up, Shadis has reported back saying there are Titans scraping the wall and-"

The blond male was interrupted by the aforementioned commander. Keith Shadis was a strict man with bags stabbed into his once youthful eyes. Now his eyes had seen comrades die and his heart became burdened with their deaths. Rumours were going around that he intended to resign from stress and that Erwin was to take his place, given that Erwin's squad had never suffered a loss.

"Erwin, not so fast. With one of our elites not fully recovered, it wouldn't be wise to send Bláithín out into the open like that on an expedition. Besides, uh, Bláithín?" he beckoned. She looked up at him and saw Levi come in behind him. She found her eyes focusing on Levi instead but a clap of her commander's hands brought her attention back.

Gotta stop staring, goodness, she told herself.

"There is a carriage outside waiting for you. You have been asked to leave your uniform and gear behind you and to wear regular clothes. Do you know where you're headed?" Shadis asked her.

Would it be wise to say she's going to her fucked-up family? Probably not.

"No, sir, I don't." She responded.

Shadis stared down at her for a few seconds and spoke again, "Levi, go with her. Report back to me on your whereabouts via the mail. I can't lose an elite under suspicious circumstances, that would make the Corps look back."

"Must I?" he asked. "I'm quite fine, thanks for the offer." He said, sarcastically.

"Yes, you must." Keith replied and he groaned.

After much debate on Levi's part as to why he shouldn't go, it was no match up for Keith's rage and temper. Levi was going whether he liked it or not - side note: he really did not - and there was nothing he could do. He figured that he would wear normal clothes too, and since this carriage was taking them further within the walls, he'd have no need for his gear.

He did, however, hurry up to his room and reached under his bunk bed… his empty bunk bed. He sighed, thinking back to the fact that Isabel used to sneak in here and sleep on the bottom bunk. He knew he had to move on though, lest he wanted to be plagued by his memories forever.

He pulled out a satchel from under the bed and opened it up. He pulled out a dagger and shoved it down his boot. He heard Bláithín whistle for him and he went downstairs again. Bláithín was wearing her normal attire as requested.

It was a simple long skirt that flowed to her ankles and a white, lace shirt. It framed her very nicely, not too tight but enough for a bit of shape that was not often seen underneath the green cloaks and military uniforms. Levi stopped dead in his tracks and stared. He eyed her up and down with a dead-pan, but deep down… was he admiring her? She turned around and locked eyes with him. She swung a small satchel over her shoulder and smiled before saying, "You ready?"

His heart momentarily beat faster than what he would have liked. Shit, he said to himself. "Uh, yes, I am."

A man dressed in finery awaited them outside. He was smoking a cigar and reading the newspaper. He looked at the two younger soldiers and sighed heavily as he looked at Levi. "You, sir." He beckoned.

Levi quirked a brow. "Huh?"

The older man, their chaperone of sorts, steps toward him. "I don't know who you are in relation to Lady Bláithín, but any guests of hers were to follow the same rules. Yet here you are, donned in military clothing." The older man proceeded to pat him down, much to Levi's horror. As he was being patted down, the old man felt the dagger in his boot. "We have no need for these toys in the Hahn estate, or any of Lady Bláithín's relatives' houses." He warned.

Levi felt like his security blanket was taken away from him. He knew that Bláithín was born amongst the nobility which seemed great, but he remembered the night she disclosed this information to him. She looked so lifeless has she spoke of her past, despite her being born with everything she could have ever wanted.

It was a sad house, and a scary one too.

Poor Bláithín was traumatized by her own name.

They were informed that food had been prepared by Elise's kitchen staff and they were free to eat what was provided. The carriage was big given that it would be a 10 hour trip and there was a table inside. On the table laid a jug of some brightly coloured juice, some rich desserts and pastries. To the left, there sat a chessboard. Levi was about to step foot inside the carriage first when the chaperone stopped him. "My, my, rather rude to step into a carriage before your Lady. Never heard of "ladies first"? Such deplorable manners, my Lady."

Bláithín laughed in a way that Levi had never seen before. Ah, she's surrounded by her type, he said to himself. Her smile was hidden behind her hand, almost as though showing emotion was forbidden. Her eyes were crescent shaped but it wouldn't take two seconds to notice that it was a pure facade. "Oh, no, he isn't anyone special to me. Not a partner nor will he ever be anything of the sort," she smiled, "There is no need to scold someone who wasn't brought up the way we were." She smiled, gleefully.

Levi had to admit he felt uncomfortable by their chit-chat.

The two sat down and Bláithín pushed the food aside. "Have you ever played chess before, Levi?"

The raven-haired male couldn't have looked any less interested. "Never heard of it."

Bláithín gasped and giddily clapped her hands. She explained how women of nobility were never meant to learn chess, that only fathers would teach that to their sons along with arithmetic, physics and more advanced literature. Girls, however, were taught how to cook, clean, embroidery. Bláithín, though, was fortunate to learn all of those things. Her parents never gave birth to a son, despite their wishes as typically a young man would inherit the land and estate.

Levi was an intelligent young man himself, despite his unfortunate upbringing in the slums of the Underground. He caught on quickly, and could recognize every ploy up Bláithín's sleeve. He was good, but never good enough to be on par with his superior… That was until she was stuck amidst the absorption of her next move, she heard a click; Levi claimed victory to the game.

"Oh," she mused, baffled that she had been beaten, only to chuckle, "Well... a King will always conquer its Queen."

As soon as chess was over, they sat back into their seats. They had to spend 10 hours in the same room. Bláithín didn't know how to break it that most of the beds in Elise's house were double beds… She smirked to herself as an idea came to her… something she'd do to him later to help him get acclimatized.

It was getting late at night, and Levi being a chronic insomniac was having trouble falling and staying asleep. He glanced over at Bláithín who appeared to be asleep. Her head was tilted back in a haphazard position. He gazed at her with heavy-lidded eyes until he got startled as the horse galloped over a bump.

He was startled once again when her body moved and she flopped down unceremoniously onto his lap.

His breath hitched and his hands no longer had a place to rest. He bent over and saw her peaceful slumbering face, lips open ajar as she breathed softly. All he could do was stare, she looked so young and child-like. She didn't look plagued by her worries in her sleep, or her obsession for perfection and looking good. She just looked…

Normal.

His hands lowered and one rested on her face, his thumb smoothing over her cheeks gently. What else could he do with his hands? He was hardly going to leave up in the air all night.

Though it would be wrong to deny the growing interest in his superior, whether he wanted to admit or not. Maybe he wanted to touch her and see if this would gauge a reaction. Maybe he wanted her to notice what she had done.

Maybe he wanted her to sleep deeper beneath his protection while she slept soundly on his lap.

In the meantime, however, Bláithín's plan had worked… but in a way she didn't expect. She was only hoping he wouldn't push her away, but she wasn't expecting him to welcome her.

Then he rested his hand on her cheek, and she felt something she hadn't felt in a while.

A rose hue had tinted her cheeks.

Eh, I am not impressed with the pacing of their relationship and Levi's growing feelings. It's too fast, I'll try slow down!